Chapter 19- Michael's Choice

Chapter 19- Michael’s Choice

“Rose? Roselyn- oh for the love of Pete will you wake up?” Mitzi stressed. Rose heard her and could not help but come back to consciousness slightly amused.

“Who is Pete?” she mumbled.

Mitzi sighed with relief as Rose sat up and leaned against the front of the bed. She had fallen into Michael’s arms when she fainted, and he gently allowed her to slide to the floor as he ran to get Mitzi.

Rose shook her head. “I just do not understand this. So much to forget! How could I have forgotten?”

“Hush now, Rose, it will be all right. You are home now. We can figure things out together,” Michael said, speaking out from the blue velvet covered chaise in the corner of the room.

“Excuse me?” Mitzi looked puzzled as she exchanged glances with Rose and then Michael. “Why do I get the feeling that I missed an episode of my favorite television show? Someone want to fill me in here? “

“Oh Mitzi, I don’t know how to tell you this,” Rose said, glancing nervously at her hands and noticing that they looked quite smooth. She quickly attributed that fact to the lighting of the lumieres and turned her attention back to her best friend of several years. “Mitzi, I remember…..Michael. He was …is…my love. My true love. “

Mitzi jumped to her feet, shocked. “Did you drug her? What did you give to her? I demand that you tell me right now!” she accosted Michael. Michael, who could not help himself, chuckled.

“No one gave me a thing, Mitzi, really- it’s the truth! I was so in love with Michael…I…don’t understand how on earth I forgot anything, especially this,” Rose cried.

“But….Rose! He’s, well……he is old!” she glanced at Michael. “No offense intended…er…Michael.”

“None taken, Mitzi, but she speaks the truth. I have loved her for my entire life. There has never been anyone else. I let her go because I was forced to do so, not by choice. I knew in my heart that she would come back to me one day,” Michael glanced at his hands. “Obviously I thought that would be a long time before now.”

Mitzi stood in the center of the room and stared at Rose and Michael. “I am trying to wrap my head around this, truly I am. I know you wouldn’t make this up on your strangest day, Rose, but it is a lot to absorb.”

Rose nodded. “Coming here has been a lot to absorb, Mitzi, and you have been the best friend I could have ever asked for. I know this will take you some time. There are things I don’t completely understand myself.”

“OK, tell me this- why is he old, and you are not? I mean, how much older was he when you lived here?” Mitzi asked.

Michael replied calmly. “I was 10 and Rose was 6 when I met her. I was drawn to her even at that early age and very protective almost immediately. When I was 15 and she was 11, she was taken. I knew that leaving the confines of the park was out of the question, so I went to Walt. I asked him for permission to leave and search for her. He told me that I would age rapidly if I left and asked me to stay, but I was headstrong. I knew the price that would have to be paid, yet Rose was worth more than anything to me. Walt did not try to force me to stay, but instead he allowed me to leave. He was a very intelligent fellow, Walt.”

“Did you know where she went? Did you ever see her?” Mitzi asked. Rose remained silent as she recalled the once handsome and strong young man that had given up everything for her.

Michael sighed. “No. I searched everywhere. They hid her quite well. I looked for years before my own mortality forced me to return. By then, Walt was ill. I lost Rose, and then returned only to lose him. It was a very bleak time for me.”

“Oh Michael, I am so sorry,” Rose cried, a tear running down her cheek.

“Walt spoke to me shortly before his death. He told me that Rose would be protected from within herself and that she would one day return. That is how I became the caretaker of sorts for the Magic Kingdom. I confess that I did not understand what it meant that she would be protected from within. Such a fragile, sweet girl. It made no sense to me, until now,” he said, looking into Rose’s eyes as the years melted away for both. “You have the gift. Walt created you, your essence. That was not the case for myself. It explains everything.” he said.

“Um, hello? It does? I am still not quite clear on this, folks,” Mitzi said.

“It means, Mitzi, that I have the power of Walt Disney within me. He created me, but Michael was already a creation of someone else long before Walt immortalized him. He does not have the ability that I do, am I right?” she looked at Michael for assurance.

“That, my dear, is exactly right,” he replied.

“I see, so is that why you have been having these experiences since we got here?” Mitzi asked.

Roselyn nodded. “I am so sorry I got you into this. I had no memory of who I was or where I came from, you know that. I would never have come with you had I known it would put you in any danger, Mitzi.”

Mitzi looked at her friend. They had been through everything together. Children, divorce, tragedies and celebrations. She smiled. “Oh shut up. You know I would have come anyway.”

Roselyn stood and hugged Mitzi. “You are incredible.”

“No, I am ordinary. You are the incredible one, Miss Rose,” she replied. Mitzi paused. “So now what?”

“I am so glad you asked that!” a voice from the doorway boomed. Mitzi shrieked and even Michael seemed startled.

“Merriweather- you should not sneak up on people like this!” he retorted.

“Nonsense, nonsense. I am here to help of course. This will never do. I need to rummage through the place, Michael,” the fairy stated. “Today is far from ordinary, my dears. Today you will be extraordinary.”

Merriweather turned away from the door in a whoosh, and Michael followed after her. “You know you can’t just use anything you want to from these rooms. It could be disastrous!” he shouted after her. Mitzi and Rose exchanged a quizzical glance and then followed the two figures down the narrow hallway.

Merriweather was poised outside of a large blue door. “Open this door, Michael. When you see what we are going to do I seriously doubt that you will have any issue with it.”

Michael thought for a moment, then shrugged. “This is not your typical day, now is it?” he said as he took the keys from his pocket and proceeded to unlock the door for her, standing aside with a look of concern on his wrinkled face.

Merriweather was agile and fast. She sprung into action in a blur before the others’ eyes. “Now where would that be? I know it is in here, I checked with Pixie Hollow myself,” she muttered. Mitzi was the one who giggled as they observed the bulky woman try to stuff herself under a cabinet in search of her quarry.

“AHA!” a victorious but muffled cry of delight came from under the cabinet. Merriweather retreated and stood, dusting herself off. “Observe, my dears, a gift that many would die for.” She held her hand out to them, and in it was a beautiful and ornately decorated violet vial of what Rose thought was some sort of liquid.

“What is it, Merriweather?” Rose asked.

“It is not for you directly, Rose dear,” she turned. “It is for Michael.”

Michael looked at her with a heartbreaking look on his face. "Merriweather, I…I am not the man I once was. I don’t know if my…this body can tolerate a potion. It could kill me.”

There was a moment of silence in the room and Merriweather slowly approached him. “Yes, dearie, it could. No one is certain of the outcome, but we are all certain of one thing. If you do not try, we will all fail. Rose needs you, and she does not need you as you are now, does she?” She gently took Michael’s hand in her own and placed the vial in it, closing his hand around the object. “It must be tonight, dearie. She has arrived.”

With the last bit of news announced, Michael seemed to transform before them all. His eyes narrowed, a slightly dangerous gleam that they had not seen before appearing. He nodded, and moved to approach Rose.

“I did it for you then, and I do this for you now. I love you Rose. Please, remember that. Remember me. “ The years melted away for both of them as he leaned in and kissed her. It was a kiss that she knew she would never forget. It transcended every aspect of their being, and it left her completely speechless and unable to move as he pulled away from her. He turned and walked out of the room.

Chapter 18- A Past Revealed

Chapter 18- A Past Revealed

"Come Rose, follow me," the gentleman spoke in a hushed tone as he led her from the room.

The two headed down the dimply lit corridor past several doors, one of which Roselyn guessed Mitzi was sleeping.

After a few moments, the man stopped in front of a door that was made of smooth and dark polished wood. Taking out a key from his vest pocket, he placed it in the ornate lock on the door and turned it clockwise. With a loud "click", the door was prepared to reveal the secrets in the room beyond. Rose took a deep breath to prepare herself, yet nothing could truly prepare anyone for the sight in the room.


"It's wondrous, isn't it?" the gentleman remarked upon seeing Roselyn's face.

"Oh my, yes. It takes your breath away! What is all of this!" Roselyn gestured to the dozens of oddly shaped artifacts that were all around them. There were some shells on the floor sparkling in the dim light (did shells sparkle?), musical instruments of all shapes and sizes floating above their heads silently without any visible strings to hold them there. In the far corner of the room, there was a golden wardrobe that smiled at the two with a cheerful face. In the middle of the rear wall was a mirror, about six feet tall, which seemed to be suspended in mid air rather than attached to anything, its gilding shining with unimaginable magic. These objects, and many more, too many to count, were strewn about the room as if it were some sort of magical storage facility. Roselyn giggled to herself as she thought of the unremarkable attic in her own home. She could spend hours in this room.

"Now, Rose, come over here," the man headed towards the rear wall. He stopped in front of the ornate mirror and looked at her. "Are you ready?"


Rose crossed the room, looking precariously above her to make sure the large tuba would not fall on her head. She looked at her host and nodded tentatively.

"This is the Magic Mirror. It will show you all you need to know, but you can not ask it questions. It is rather, tempermental and I would hate for it to get into a bad mood again. The last time I asked it a question it would not talk to me for 8 years," he said.

"You mean to tell me….this….this is THE magic mirror? From Snow White?" Roselyn gasped.

"Of course, Rose. This is where Mr. Disney kept all of his magical props. I have been caring for them for a long time, ever since..well, perhaps you had better look into the mirror first," he replied.

Roselyn gazed at the mirror. The depth of the reflection was amazing, better than any 3D movie she had ever seen. The colors were vibrant as a haze of smoke appeared, first bright green, then gradually lightening to hues of blue, and finally Rose could see someone.

There was a girl standing near Cinderella's Carousel, eating cotton candy and smiling as she twirled around in her beautiful pink dress. She had ribbons in her long blonde hair that matched her dress perfectly. The girl seemed to be around ten years old, Roselyn could not be sure. She looked so happy. Then another figure joined her. A man, about 30 Roselyn guessed, walked over to her and bent over, talking though Roselyn could not hear what they were saying. The girl nodded, smiling, and took the man by the hand. They proceeded through the castle walkway, all the way down Main Street USA, and at the end of the street, the girl hesitated. She seemed concerned quite suddenly, and as she turned she seemed to look right at Roselyn with a look of alarm.

In an instant, she tried to pull away from the man she was with, but it was too late. The man picked her up and exited the park gates. As they left, the girl went limp in his arms. To bystanders and park guests, it simply looked as if the man's daughter had been exhausted and fallen asleep in his arms. How sweet. Yet Roselyn had witnessed the truth, and she nearly fainted as the mirror revealed the identity of the man. It was her ex husband, Joe. There was no doubt in her mind. But who was the girl?

The mirror then clouded once more with misty blue haze, and Roselyn had to look away.

"Rose, oh Rose, are you all right? Do you want to stop?" the gentleman asked.

Roselyn shook her head. She had to continue now. How could she stop when her mind was reeling with so many questions?

The gentleman slid his arm about her waist to offer some support. "Very well. Look closely," he said.

She gazed into the depths once again and the haze returned. This time, as the mysterious fog cleared, there was a young man standing in a wooded clearing. He was pacing back and forth, wringing his hands and shaking his head, tears running down both cheeks. The young man was about the age of 15, Roselyn guessed. He was terribly upset and Roselyn had to fight the instinct to reach out and try and touch him to offer comfort.

Suddenly, a bright light floated down beside his head, and Roselyn knew at once it was Tinkerbell. The greenish glow alighted on his shoulder and he seemed to calm down long enough to talk to her. When she left his side, he walked through the woods and proceeded to go through a dark tunnel. He walked for a few moments longer, and Roselyn felt as if she was taking the walk with him. He walked with purpose and it was clear he was doing something very important.

Night was beginning to fall, and the lights of the Magic Kingdom flickered to life as the young man reached Cinderella's Castle. He strode through what Roselyn knew was now the restaurant, and he revealed the cast service elevator, then boarded it. The elevator stopped, the doors opened, and he was in a large room with minimal furnishings. Someone was sitting at a desk nearest the cathedral window to his right, and he approached the person with a great deal of confidence. Again Roselyn gasped, as she realized who the man was. It was Walt Disney.

The young man and Mr. Disney spoke for a long time, both with concerned and saddened expressions on their faces. Mr. Disney stared out the window when they finished for several minutes, finally turning to the young man and nodding his head slowly. He reached out his arms and hugged him the way a father would hug his son as if he were saying good-bye. The young man broke the embrace, wiped the tears from his eyes, and left the room. He left the castle, walked down Main Street, and left the park. The mirror hazed once more.

Roselyn could not understand what she saw, but she remembered not to ask the mirror. She turned instead to her host.

"Can you explain any of this, I mean, I understand some of it and can see the emotions, but it would help if the thing had volume," Roselyn said.

The man nodded. "I most certainly can. The young man you saw was me, Rose. And the little girl….that was you."

Roselyn felt dizzy. "OK, now I think I need to sit down."

"Of course, of course," the man bustled about to find her a chair that would not grab her or float. He located one and pulled it across the floor. "Sit, Rose, sit," he said.

He patted her on the hand. "Now let's work this out, shall we? The facts are the facts, so they say, and there is nothing to fear from what has already come to pass, so I will tell you more of your story," he said.

"Rose, you were created by Mr. Disney the same as we all were. We were his greatest treasures, his imagination gave us life the moment his pen hit a page. Quite miraculous really. No one knows how he did it, he just did. I was created when he wrote a character description for Peter Pan. You, my dear, were created when he did the same for Sleeping Beauty. You are, in fact, Briar Rose."

"We were very happy when Mr. Disney brought us here. There was so much room to play and run, and the fun was endless. We had the choice of course, to stay in Neverland and not age, or to give up a day or two, sometimes even years, to play inside the human world at the Magic Kingdom, but we were never to reveal our secret or to leave the proximity of the park gates. That would be disastrous and would break Mr. Disney's heart, not to mention place us all in danger. It was simple unmentionable, and for the first few years things were quite chipper."

"I met you one day by the carousel. You were eleven, and you were already quite a beauty. Your personality was pure magic and I loved to be in your presence. I was a boy of 14 when we met, yet I chose to give up some years to sneak away and play with you. We would spend hours just walking and talking, and I…." he stammered and stopped.

"You…loved me. Didn't you?" her voice barely a hoarse whisper, Roselyn understood.

The man nodded. "I loved you so. You became my reason for living, and I could not wait for your twelfth birthday. You see, our years were a bit different than human years. Our aging process, if you will, is based on our story. We mature faster yet we keep younger appearances….that is…unless we were to leave the park," he sighed. "I doubt you remember any of this. I am sorry. But look, I have carried your photograph with me all these years," he took a worn photo from his pocket and held it out to her.


"The girl…was…that me?" Roselyn asked, her voice shaking.

"Yes, Rose," he answered.

"Oh God. You left…for me?" she began to cry, realizing the sacrifice he had made.

"Yes, my Rose," he answered, gingerly lifting his hand to her cheek to wipe away the tear that was falling.

"Michael?" she remembered.

"Yes."

Roselyn fainted... in the now old man's arms.