Quest for the Sorcerer's Hat

Synopsis: Continuing from Rise of the Fire Spirit. Plankton, Voltar, Shadowy Venomous and Black Hat are after Yen Sid's Sorcerer Hat, and it is up to the Rangers and their compatriots to ensure it is protected.

Chapter 1—Kristoff’s Nightmare

Kristoff could now understand what Anna had been going through before she had gotten her abilities. He had dismissed the notion of ‘voices’, but he had begun hearing a song compelling him forward. Even after he and his friends had been helped there was a sense of foreboding. He woke up in a sweat and Anna stroked his hair softly.

‘Hearing the siren, I take it ?’, Anna began.

‘Yeah. I got quite the foreboding feeling...’, Kristoff finished. Anna hugged him tightly.

‘Whatever comes you have to embrace it. We don’t know where this will lead us.’, Anna said. Kristoff had been surprised by Anna’s abilities and it seemed that an earth spirit was leading him to get off his lazy butt and follow where it lead.

‘It’s going to take more than just us and the spirit that’s leading me.’, Krisoff noted.

‘I know. I’ve got connections.’, Anna said. She stood outside and released fireworks from her palms. Even though the fairies were far, they had seen the signal and knew what it meant. Flora, Fauna and Merriweather sounded the alarm at Aurora’s castle. Something was stirring. Someone had their sights set on Yen Sid’s prized hat, but who was another question that would be revealed much later.

Chapter 2—I Got Here First

Black Hat was a being of many abilities. He had infiltrated Yen’s fortress and had him tied up with no trouble. Demencia could make really hefty knots.

‘Not even the famous Houdini could escape one of these babies !’, she taunted. Just like that, Yen’s hat, which had been square on his head. Plankton swiped the hat for himself with a robotic device that nullified the magic force field the hat surrounded itself with.

‘Thanks for tying Yen up for me ! Easy pickins ! Too slow !’, Plankton taunted.

‘Not so fast, Plankton. That hat is mine.’, Shadowy Venemous said as he solidified behind the midget. Within his dark tendrils, he snatched the hat for himself.

‘I got here first.’, he sneered. From that point, the triad began to have an unbelievable skirmish for the one item that would give them unparalleled power.

Chapter 3—Mysterio Wrecks the Party

Mysterio had felt a ‘shift’ in the balance of the Universe on his own earth. When he had teleported to our version of Earth, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

‘You’ve got to be kidding me...’, he thought to himself. He was happy that other superheroes were helping, but the three villains he wanted to vouching for Yen Sid’s hat himself. These other three villains were overpowered when they had possession of it. The ongoing strife was going to be one of the most unreal and talked about for years to come...that is, if it could ever be put to a stop.

Meanwhile at the House of Mouse…

Michael shuddered and became a pale, ghostly white. Peter Parker, who had been enjoying a meal with MJ at the HOM, felt the same thing that Mickey had.

‘Mysterio is back. He’s after your hat. Problem is, he’s not the only one, I sense 3 others there along with him, jockeying for its might.’, Peter said, his palms becoming sweaty. He had become overly nervous. Michael knew that this was definitely no joke. It was the first time that he too had experienced a ‘spidey sense’ over what was rightfully his. He and his friends had to get the hat back to Mickey before it was too late.

Chapter 4—Crashing the Party

It was like Mad Max crossing over with Dungeons & Dragons. The legendary heroes for hire were fighting alongside the other heroes to retrieve the hat. It was an incredible, unbelievable, epic game of keep away. Mysterio would stop at nothing, even though he was using mere projection to deceive everyone. That was until Spiderman stopped his illusion, again.

‘Mysterio, dude. Seriously ? When are you gonna learn I’m just smarter than you and it’ll take more than techy trickery to slip me the upper hand.’, he said. Mysterio’s den of illusion had be upended and he was seen as what he was; a mortal sans power. Embarrassed, Mysterio used the last bit of his ‘power’ and disappeared using a smoke bomb.

‘It’s a wonder you ever found him likable.’, Gwen Stacy stated with a smile. She had come in from another dimension (brought in by Prohaias and Vamber’s Portal Sword) as well as Gwenpool. The fighting continued at a hectic pace until Gwenpool retrieved the hat and used it to send all the villains back to their own homeland. The new location of the hat, when it wasn’t on Mickey’s head, was kept under literal lock and key.

The cute merc with a mouth had to return, so she called upon Prohaias to send her home. She rode her scooter back into her own Universe, and Spider Gwen did the same. One by one, everyone warped back home.

Chapter 5—Unwinding

Everyone was immensely tired but Kristoff couldn’t believe what had happened to him. Like Anna, he had undergone a transformation that would remain with him the rest of his life. While the last villain, Voltar was being sent back to his original Universe, Kristoff marveled that he was controlling his ability so well.

‘You still need a lot of training, though, young one.’, a north Aldran earth elemental said, lovingly.

‘I’m more than willing to learn. I do have a baby on the way, though, which will keep me plenty busy.’, Kristoff boasted slightly. Anna blushed and Elsa gushed.

‘You’re pregnant ?! You’re not even showing !’, Elsa said, bouncing up and down excitedly and hugging her sister joyously.

‘And you, Kristoff ! I had no idea you could do that !’, she commented, patting her brother-in-law on the back. Kristoff blushed darkly, glad that he could lend a hand. The Rangers were tickled pink that there was a new member among them and that the Heroes for Hire had seen all of this come to pass.

‘Now that the hat is back in the hands of its rightful owner, I feel this calls for a celebration.’, Michael suggested. With the last villain sent back and sealed off from ever entering Angel Grove again, the group went to a special showing of the ‘Very Minnie’ spectacular with a substitute Minny playing the role of the star.

‘I thought that was only playing in Japan.’, Pepper stated, astutely.

‘We are catching the final performance here in California before the tour moves elsewhere. It’s a seasonal show. We’re really lucky to see it, it’s rare !’, Somnibot chimed in. With some of the money they had used for their down time, the friends, bots and motley crew of buddies piled in their ‘tour bus’ and rolled out to their favorite burger joint, Five Guys, before heading to the last showing of A Very Minnie Spectacular before the tour traveled onward to Vegas.

Chapter 6—A Fun Filled Evening

Kristoff could hardly believe his good fortune. His new friend, Onyx, was going to teach him how to hone his ability better. Sure, he had been able to get a handle on it during the battle against Voltar, Plankton, Black Hat and Shadowy Venomous, but there was still much work to be done in the near future. Add to that the heralding of a baby into the royal family and Kristoff definitely had his young, strapping hands full to the hilt.

The colors, the music, the dancing, the corny jokes, and the abundant snacks were enjoyed by everyone. Yen even had a surprise after the initial show. With bursts from his palms came forth myriads of fireworks of all colors, shapes and sizes. He preferred chrysanthemum patterns best, but he loved to show off with living displays, such as Chinese dragons, knights thrusting and parrying in midair and the occasional sommersaulter.

Everyone applauded Yen’s fantastic show of magic for mere entertainment.

‘Normally I don’t do that, but since you did such an exemplary job, I only felt it fitting I award you in kind.’, he acknowledged, with a kindly nod. It was humbling to see Yen smiling and in such a jovial mood. More often than not, he had been seen as a rather stoic, stodgy, uppity sort of mage that had no time for frivolity. This evening, he had proven that yes, of course, appearances are deceiving.

Epilogue

With everything come to a close, the friends all went their separate ways, saying their goodbyes. It was bittersweet, but they all knew that sooner or later, each of them would meet once more even though they weren’t sure of exactly when that next reunion would be.

Back at HQ, everyone prepared for a much-needed evening of rest and relaxation. This battle had been less intensive, but the action had been dizzying. Some of the younger recruits were still decompressing from all of the activity they had encountered. Somnibot sang everyone a gentle lullaby. It was a sweet, jazzy version of ‘Small World’ followed by a haunting rendition of Davy Jones’ music box lullaby on her oboe. Not long after she had played the final note, she had fallen asleep. Asmio, her husband had caught her just before she plotzed to the floor. None of them knew where the next day’s adventure would take them but with their numbers growing as fast and furious as they were, it was telling that they were preparing for quite possibly one of the most harrowing battles of their young careers, perhaps.

To Be Continued…