For Ash and Laura, he spun the weather vane. He stood on his tiptoes to reach the orb.
"We will not let them take it from us again." The Cogs have taken everything from us." He looked up with a ferocious glare. Pete let his arms fall and his shoulders slump. "Do your magical powers or whatever work here too?" Pete asked, perhaps rudely. I was just curious to see it happen in person." He rubbed his hands together. Froze my memories." He snapped his fingers. "Eh," Slate said with a flop of his human hand. "Time to go back to Toontown," Slate answered as if it was obvious. Even though Pete had seen him before in Fantasyland when he couldn't remember, it was strange to see the rabbit as a human. It took a moment to get used to that fact. Slate Oldman stood before him, in his human form. Pete spun around, clutching the journal to his chest, taking a step back, mindful of the edge. Orange lightning was storming inside, swamped by grey clouds. Embedded in the center, matching the drawing in Nimbus' notebook, was a glass orb matching the one in Toontown. Pete approached the enormous weather vane fixated to the spire of the tower. He smiled at the facade of a world they lived in. Pete reached the roof and stepped out into the chilly air of Fantasyland. The only other person who probably maintained his memories was the Mystery Man. The only person who can lead us back, Pete thought, is me.
The grief he harbored must be put aside, he told himself. Before everything was wrenched away from him. He kept thinking back to Esmeralda's message. Unlike the rickety staircase of the schoolhouse, these stairs were impeccably cut and in beautiful condition. Pete found the stairs to the highest tower in the center of the castle. What was the point of it? Was Prepostera trying to suggest or favor a monarchy? When Pete couldn't remember, he always just viewed the castle with indifference, though that was now replaced with ambivalence. It was home to the Mayoral Office and.well, that was it. When it fell to the ground, Slate jumped into it, just as the Toon fell. He walked over to a Toon who was just now pulling out their hole. It appeared only those who had their memories wiped were going into the portals, as Slate couldn't get his to work. Everyone, robotically, dropped their portals on the ground and fell-not jumped, fell-into them. The Toons were convulsing, their eyes closed and heads shaking. They were not going anywhere.Īround the playground, the rain fell in a torrential downpour. The Cogs would still be here when they returned. It wasn't likely he would succeed, but perhaps he could try. The Blizzard Wizard would have work to do in the new world.
Slate placed his paws on either side of his head and squeezed, freezing his memories in place. They would be saved after all.īut losing his memories would serve him no good in the new world, wherever they were going. He couldn't help but smile and marvel at the scientific genius of it. Impressive, Slate thought as the rain brushed his fur. He tossed open the wooden door and strode outside. Their terrified faces indicated they had no desire to go outside where the Cogs could get them. "We have to go outside," Slate announced to the gathered Toons. He was about to go outside to reignite the blizzard, but rain clouds were forming. Outside, the snow of the Brrrgh had subsided.
Slate Oldman went to the window of the trolley depot, pressing past huddled frightened Toons.