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Aristotle's plan to inject the kids straight into the Lost City of Magic worked. There would be no leaving until they had the gem in hand, an objective most pertinent. Billie assures Aristotle she won't return without it. The three children and their faithful fox behold The Lost City, a towering realm of madness, a place of anomalies, confusion, and a dystopian cautionary tale of a war caused by a struggle of the darkest arts. Using her trusty wooden sword and epic skills taught to her by her mentor, Billie dispatches the hordes of unfriendly fiends in her wake.
Billie had wondered the entire way there why Lewis and Lily were acting so suspiciously, shooting winks and giggles at each other the whole time, or why they had decided to come at all when the city was known to be incredibly dangerous, but now, their plan had been revealed. Lily surprises Billie by pulling out her sketchbook. As she opens the pages of the book, several of her previous drawings, crude and sketchy, spill from the pages onto the ground. Various images of ghosts from Barnaby's party form sentience as they rage on the battlefield, taking out the hapless henchmen as she summons them with her amateur pictomancy.
Lewis, a smug smirk planted on his face, came prepared as well. From up his sleeve, he tosses several scale models onto the field, various robotic sentinels and chemically conjured creatures litter the battlefield, evening the odds as they rain lasers, claws, and spiked needles, offering significant crowd control. Billie is floored, absolutely stunned that for once she hadn't done all the work. She just stands there, dropping her umbrella to the ground as the amateur magicians prove their worth. Now, not everything goes according to plan.
Lily's drawings aren't exactly the most obedient of summons, eventually, turning on their master, but with the handy eraser, they prove to be more manageable. Lewis needs to work out the kinks in his robots and sentries. Their lock-on systems seem to be faulty, and yet, for a first-time test run, the results prove to be quite impressive. Together, they rage through the city. Billie fires spell after spell of brightly colored, toxic sludge of unknown origin into the faces of random trolls, goblins, orcs, and evil wizard goons, spinning the umbrella around to lob projectiles like a Gatling gun.
The faceless floating monsters return fire as she utilizes the umbrella like a trampoline, hurtling through the air and taking flight as she activates pixie wings to soar above and rain down putrid death upon them. Lily further escalates the insanity by rushing out coarse and crude scribbles from her sketchbook, the hideous abominations lurching outward and pummeling helpless mooks like beasts on a feral rampage. Lewis, spinning and twisting through the air, a feat one wouldn't think the clumsy goat was capable of, unleashes a small army of action-figure proxy drones out onto the field, taxing the enemy forces by sheer numbers alone.
Wave after wave of enemy forces approach the heroes, eventually amassing far too many and forcing a retreat. As they make their way to the theater, the hordes gain on them. The city proves to be difficult to traverse, with many gaps and chasms that force them to cling to Billie as she and Oscar ascend over them with the umbrella. Aristotle converses with Billie over their communication equipment, guiding the kids as they approach the theater. They stand before the entrance doors, cautious of what awaits within.
They step into a quiet and desolate theater lobby; worn posters for various plays line the walls, many done up in a vaguely minimalist or art deco fashion. They pass the box office, looking for signs of anyone. They peer into closets and dressing rooms. It's so odd, not a soul in sight. Lewis comments on the situation.
"This place gives me the creeps."
He holds hands with a shivering Lily, who's more nervous because there aren't even goons around. Her mind speculates on much worse things being around any given corner. Billie just wants to get the gem and go. She doesn't like being there either.
"Let's just get it and split."
Using her long, keen ears, Billie can hear slight movements around her. The silence is a ruse. Something insidious is watching them, but she has no idea what. The others catch on, too. Shuffling, muffled snickers, and objects falling to the floor. They are not alone. Bursting from the closets and cupboards, the trio is attacked by an army of normally inanimate objects: cleaning supplies, stationery, book records, and money left in the cash register from the time of "the end"; all these magical instruments fly out at them. Exhausted of remaining action figures and art supplies, Lewis and Lily retreat behind the box office, fending themselves using whatever they can get their hooves on, including but not limited to firing projectile staples out of the front of a staple gun, tying everything together with those little customer bracelet thingies, and shoving the bad guys into cash registers.
They use everything at their disposal that isn't trying to kill them. Meanwhile, Billie is utilizing more useful and practical means of defending herself, including, but not limited to, utilizing her deflection bubble as she's flanked by a series of animate mops, leaving them all wet, releasing her umbrella to capture attacking popcorn being projectile-vomited from an insane popcorn machine (some of which she plans to save for later), and slicing away at the ropes of tickets trying to strangle her like snakes with her handy wooden sword. One of the snakes wraps around Billie as the ever-faithful Oscar rips the tickets right off of her, swinging them around in his maw and growling. Desperate, the trio is overwhelmed. Quickly thinking, Lewis points to a set of theater doors leading to an auditorium.
"Quick! In here!"
They run inside as Lewis slams the doors shut and locks them with the manager's key he found in a desk drawer. From within, a sinister chuckle can be heard coming from the gallery. They dart their heads around, looking for the source of the mysterious laughter.
"W-what was that? W-who's there?"
Lily says, shaking, her bow sliding down her waist. The voice from above chuckles again.
"Why don't you come a little closer? It's hard to hear you."
The voice taunts them musically, mocking them. This makes Billie angry.
"Why don't you come out and face us? What are you, chicken?"
The voice mocks once again.
"Oh? Can you not see me? Why don't you approach the stage and take a closer look?"
She's had enough of these games. Billie approaches the stage. Lily warns her.
"B-B-Billie, b-be careful."
She stands in the middle of the stage.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are."
A massive cage falls on top of Billie as magic, golden strings fly from the ceiling toward Lewis and Lily, forcing them into theater seating. They struggle to break free with no avail as a cackling wail echoes throughout the room. From above, a small wooden man bearing a forest green cloak descends from strings. He sports a long grin and bright yellow eyes, a wooden puppet.
"Surprise! I am the great Fantoccio!"
Billie scowls up at the puppet.
"So you're the one who sent all those closet supplies to kill us!"
Fantoccio leans over with an amused smirk planted on his face. He wags his finger in denial at the heinous accusation.
"Kill you? No-no-no-no-no. I have much greater ambitions for you three! They were to capture you! You see, it's been rather lonely in this dark theater all by my lonesome. I haven't had a captive audience in years! And I've spent so long practicing just to be able to put my massive talent on display! Why, the only one around to keep me sane is my dear Sharkspeare!"
He flies over to a pool of water where a massive blue shark awaits the puppet. It sticks its long tongue out like a dog as the puppet plays with it.
"Who's a good Sharkspeare?! Who's a good boy?! You are!"
The puppet scratches the pet shark on its underbelly as he continues to coo the creature with baby noises of obsessive fondness before suddenly and jarringly losing interest.
"Anyway, I can't wait to play some wonderful, fun games with my brand-new B.F.F.s! We can perform together, have sleepovers, and tell each other our deepest and darkest secrets! We can even etch out our names into a little heart onto a cardboard cutout standee of one of the trees over there!"
Billie feels inclined to interrupt.
"We're not here to play with you! We've come for the gem! So hand it over and there will be no trouble!"
Fantoccio scoffs. He throws shade at them.
"You think I'm just gonna give you my precious gem, the one little piece of entertainment I have in this whole boring wasteland of a city? Pff, and they call me a dummy! Well, you know what? I'll have my fun with you, whether you want me to or not!"
Fantoccio performs a mid-air somersault in a fit of flashy showmanship before unleashing golden strings into the cage. They attack Billie.
"Hey! What is this?! Let me go!"
The strings wrap themselves around Billie's limbs, removing all feeling from her body as Fantoccio pulls at the muscles. He lowers the cage on top of her, the strings going between the bars.
"How about putting on a show for your little friends in the audience?!"
Her friends scream in horror from the audience.
"Billie!"
Fantoccio mocks the goat by pulling the strings. The goat flails around on stage, breakdancing, line dancing, and worst of all, disco dancing!
"I can't help it, guys! I have no control over my body anymore!"
She says as the puppet forces Billie into a Riverdance. Oscar draws the line at polka dancing and decides to intervene. From the side of the stage, he spots a bag of sand hanging from the scaffolding. Pulling on the rope, Oscar pulls the bag of sand to the stage floor and rides the rope all the way to the top to gain a vantage point. From above, the fox can see the puppet. Oscar lunges downward, nailing Fanto and forcing him to the ground. Billie's restraints are released. Using her magic umbrella, she blasts a hole through the cage.
Fanto struggles to throw the angry fox as he latches onto the cloak for dear life. Finally sick of this nonsense, Fanto kicks the fox in the face, Oscar letting out a loud "yelp" as he's sent backward. Before Billie, thoroughly angry, can intervene, the puppet draws a remote switch from his pocket, timing his button press just perfectly as the goat treads over a trap door.
"Exit, stage down!"
The trap door drops. Billie plummets below the stage as Fanto rises, brushing himself off. Using his magic strings, he latches onto the pet, tying him into a knot. Billie lies there in quiet darkness. Several hours pass, and she rises, rubbing a sore spot on her head where she conked it on the way down. She opens her eyes, her blurry vision clearing to reveal that she has been imprisoned, and Lewis and Lily have been placed in there with her. Billie regains cognition as her friends greet her.
"Hey, Billie. What's up?"
Lewis asks candidly.
"W-we have to get outta here. Have any plans?"
Lily speaks in a shivering manner.
"Another big cage, eh? Well, I got just the—"
She reaches for her umbrella, her heart racing when she realizes it's not there. A voice echoes through the dark room as a figure emerges from the shadows. It's Fantoccio.
"I've taken the liberty of confiscating your little toys, so no, you won't be breaking out of that cage just as easily as last time."
Billie runs up to the bars. She's furious.
"What do you want with us?"
He grins maliciously at her.
"Oh? Was I not clear the first time? You three are gonna stay here with me forever and ever, and we're gonna be the best of friends! Imagine it for a moment: movie nights, singing, dancing, and yes, my little goat friend, all the popcorn you could ask for. You see, I've been trapped here in this theatre for fifteen long, excruciating years, all by myself. I practiced and practiced, perfected my craft, day after day, for the moment when someone would come and see one of my shows… but nobody ever came."
Fantoccio looks away at that statement. He doesn't want them to see how much the loneliness has affected him. Lewis folds his arms as he leans against the bars of the cage, disbelieving the puppet.
"That's a likely story. Why don't you just leave? What's stopping you?"
The puppet balls his fists in anger as he turns to the young man. He grips the bars as he stares in.
"It's this stupid curse! I can't leave the city limits; otherwise, I would have bailed on this dump years ago!… Look, maybe we got off on the wrong foot, er, hoof. It wouldn't be that bad, I promise. We'd have this whole city to ourselves, all the attractions, the malls, the wizard courts, and everything! We could be here, together, forever!"
Billie sits against the side of the cage.
"We can't just stay here forever. We have families to get back to, people who would miss us very much."
Fantoccio looks down at the floor before slouching away.
"Lucky you. I wish I could say the same."
He walks toward the emptiness when Billie draws his attention.
"Wait! What will it take for you to let us outta here?"
He turns to her.
"Why in the world would I just let you go?"
She ponders. Lily chimes in.
"W-what if h-he's just like Barnaby?"
Billie raises her head in a moment of realization.
"Fanto!"
He snaps back.
"What?!"
She proposes a deal.
"If you let us go with the gem… I promise we'll come back and free you from this place."
He tilts his head with a raised brow. She has his attention.
"Free me?"
She elaborates.
"Yeah. You said you're lonely. It doesn't have to be this way. If you let us go with the gem, we'll come back for you, free you from this place. You could live in Goatshire with us. You'll never be lonely again. You could put on shows for people, gather attention, find fame, fortune, happiness… friends."
He turns back to the bars, gripping them from the other side with a look of desperation in his eyes.
"… Friends?"
He pauses in silence, looking away in contemplation before looking back at her through his brow line with a sinister, toothy smirk.
"How about this? I'll provide you with limitless stationery."
Lewis rises from his slouch, approaching the puppet. He wants to know what's up.
"What's giving us a bunch of paper gonna do to help us? What do you expect us to do, eat it?"
He mocks the silly goat.
"No, genius, I want you to write on it! I'll provide you with writing utensils and paper, and I want you three to write me a play, rehearse it, and perform it for me tomorrow. Do this, and I will let you leave. You have twenty-four hours to come up with a play."
Billie objects.
"What?! One day isn't nearly enough time to write a whole play! How long do you want this to be?"
He draws his finger to his chin, rubbing the wood as he ponders.
"I'd say probably twenty minutes of material should suffice. I'd like for it to be decent after all, and I'd dread the possibility of it being a slog. Get creative! Let those juices flow! And most importantly… have fun!"
He leaves, cackling maniacally as he retreats to his lair, a security room where he proceeds to watch the trio from various monitors as he munches on popcorn.
"This oughta be good!"
From the corner of the room, Oscar barks and yips angrily at the puppet.
"Hey! Keep it down over there, will ya? I'm trying to watch your owners work their magic! After all, I gave ya water and concession stand food. I ain't gonna let ya starve to death… I'm not a monster, after all."
Back in the cage, the three friends struggle as they try to come up with a plan. Lewis folds his arms as he rejects this whole play idea.
"Are we really gonna do this? Are we really gonna write a play for this lunatic?"
Lily responds.
"H-he said he'd let us go if we made a play."
Billie ponders.
"Twenty-four hours isn't enough time to come up with anything decent, at least not with a writing team of only three people."
This is when Lewis gets an idea. He rises.
"What about four?"
Billie looks up at him with a raised brow.
"Four? Where are we gonna get a fourth writer? How?"
Lewis smirks as he draws a black feather from his pocket.
"With this!"
Lily and Billie rise from their seating positions, both iterating.
"Barnaby?!"
He nods.
"Yup."
Lily interjects.
"W-we haven't tried this out yet… a-and we d-do need his help."
Billie shrugs.
"I guess it's worth a shot."
They hold their feathers outward, closing their eyes in deep thought, wishing, praying. From the bottom of the cage emerges a black vortex. It forms a swirling whirlpool of orange that centers in mass to form wide, insane, crossed eyes. Beneath them forms a wide, silly grin with an orange tongue poking out of it, the vortex rises, taking shape, vertically and horizontally filling in before a pink waistcoat forms over the torso, clothing the mass as it takes the form of a massive bird. Barnaby rises.
"Oh-ho-ho! Hello! If it isn't my three favorite people in the whole wide world! Hoot!"
He looks around, his head darting around the cramped cage like a curious child, an endlessly optimistic grin forming on his cheeky face. Fanto, who's been sitting back at the security booth, feet resting on the control panel and picking at his rounded teeth with a toothpick, trying to dislodge a kernel from his gums, happens to glare at the screen and nearly falls backward in his chair.
"What the—"
He rises into the air and bolts out of the room and down to the prison where the three, now four, are being held.
"What the heck is going on here?! Who's that?!"
Barnaby turns his head around in the cage to greet the puppet. He sticks his head through the bars, startling Fanto and making him uneasy.
"Ooh! How cute! Hoot! A little, talking dolly!"
Fantoccio is quite offended. He stomps around angrily like a toddler having a fit, his face beet red.
"I am not a doll! I'm a puppet! I am the spectacular Fantoccio, artist, actor, and massive talent extraordinaire!"
Barnaby responds with a wing over his chest as he bows courteously.
"And I am Barnaby, loyal and eternal devoted friend to the three youngsters before you. Hoot!"
Fantoccio growls and points accusingly at the children.
"I never said you could elicit outside help!"
Lewis approaches Fantoccio, taunting him as his smugness reaches maximum capacity.
"You never said we couldn't either, so check and mate."
He pokes the puppet. Fantoccio stumbles backward. He's furious. He growls as he is forced into admission.
"Grr! Fine! But just for this insolence, I'm extending the required length of your play to a half hour! Get cracking! Time's a-wasting!"
He storms out, stomping his feet and cursing to himself as he retreats. Barnaby giggles.
"How adorable! Hoot! I think you've made the little fellow mad."
The joyous smile never leaves Barnaby's beak. Billie requests from him.
"We gotta get outta here. So, can you do it, Barnaby? Can you teleport us out of here or something?"
Barnaby tries to conjure power. He tries several times, grunting. He shakes his head with disappointment.
"That's a no-can-do, I'm afraid. Hoot! It appears as though this place is covered by a strong magical force preventing those who enter from leaving. It would take a power far greater than my own to cancel the spell. I'm sorry, children. I've done all I can do."
Barnaby closes his eyes in disappointment and shame. Billie places her hoof on him in encouragement.
"It's okay, Barnaby. I know how you can still help."
He perks right up, genuinely curious.
"Really? How?"
Billie distributes some paper and pencils. Barnaby looks at the stationery quite dumbly as he fails to understand. Billie smiles up at him and places her hooves on her hips.
"You can help us write a play to perform for Fantoccio."
Barnaby gasps in immense excitement. He claps his talons together in pure elation.
"A play?! O-ho, how splendid! Hoot! This will be so much fun!"
Barnaby bounces up and down on his rear end, biting his lower beak as he's handed several sheets of paper. Immediately, four different but very wild imaginations get to work. Hours pass as the children (and the child at heart) laugh, play, joke, and mock their way through a long and detailed script. Fantoccio watches from the security room with equal pleasure and anticipation as the papers become lined with ideas, sloppily and hastily written script, and doodles. It's very unprofessional, to say the least. Eventually growing bored, Fantoccio dozes off at his desk but is disturbed when Oscar starts barking at him again.
Unlike Fanto, the clever fox has been watching the monitors and can clearly see Billie and her friends waving desperately to gain his attention. Fanto rises, shaking his head as he chokes his last throaty snore before rubbing his eyes and checking the monitor. The quartet has finished their script not only on time but with hours to spare. He's not too pleased by their success and revels in the schadenfreude of their potential failure. Fantoccio marches down into the basement to see what the matter is.
"So, you four have managed to finish what I assume is a half-hour worth of professionally written playwright material?"
Billie's smile upon showing him their proud group effort quickly turns to a frown of annoyance.
"You never said anything about our work being professional. You just told us to have fun."
Fantoccio is caught in his deception, but his hubris won't allow him to admit his faulty wording.
"Nuh-uh!"
He says like a snotty, spoiled brat. Barnaby provokes him playfully.
"Now, now, you shouldn't lie like that. Your nose will start to grow! Hoot!"
Fantoccio becomes red in the face. He's so flabbergasted, he has no idea how to react.
"Gaah! I don't even have a nose!"
He feels inclined to check his face just to make sure. He releases them, gives them an hour to set the stage, and awaits eagerly in the audience with his legs crossed over the rail and a finger pyramid of anticipation. He grins. It's showtime. Before the curtain is drawn, a magical spotlight is shown on Billie as she takes the stage to formally address the play.
"And now, we'd like to present to you our play."
She pulls away and hurries to get in costume as the curtain is pulled aside to reveal a castle. Lewis stands with a snobbish look on his face and a long, drooping scowl. He is adorned in Renaissance clothing, a fancy-pants royal doublet and matching breeches with tiny leather shoes with golden buckles, and a prissy little beret. Lewis looks the part in what, on the surface level, appears to be a relatively routine playwright setting, but as soon as he opens his mouth, it's all downhill from there.
"Hark. I have come to see the princess, the lovely Lady Lilian of Pontefract."
Fantoccio cringes at Lewis's performance. The poor boy is even more figuratively wooden than Fantoccio is literally. His voice cracks, and he's stiffer than a plank. Lily proves not to be exactly worthy of a Tony herself as she steps forward onto the fake castle balcony wearing a stereotypically glittery princess dress of Halloween-store quality and a matching cone hat with a little tassel billowing from the stage fans. She stumbles over lines just like Lewis stumbles downstairs.
"I-is that Prince Lewis I see over yonder, just between the bush and the parking lot?"
He bows to address his princess.
"Why yes, it is I, your Prince of Pontefract, having arrived at this very spot, right now, at this castle, to rescue you from the clutches of your evil Aunt Billamina."
Suddenly, the stage goes dark, and a spotlight shines on a single space as a smoke bomb is tossed from off-screen. Billie arrives, the villain of the play, the evil Queen Billamina. Billie does her best evil cackle she can, chewing the scenery so hard it's practically mush in her muzzle.
"You'll never take Princess Lilian from me, for I am training her to be a top-notch girl boss and rule the kingdom with an iron fist! She will be a strong, independent princess and karate expert by the end of the week!"
Lewis draws his periodically inaccurate plastic laser sword from its holster, igniting it as he makes whirring noises with his mouth to simulate the hum of a sci-fi sword.
"You will not take the princess hostage, you dastardly, fiendish queen! I have queens like you for breakfast and then go back for seconds!"
Billie, drawing her own surprise laser sword from her pocket, ignites the blade, also making sci-fi whirring noises with her mouth. She mocks the prince like a smug anime villain.
"Ha, your skills with a laser sword are weak! Your power levels are nowhere near mine! En garde, you foolish prince!"
The two sort of halfway run at each other, clacking the plastic swords as they make loud, buzzing sound effects to pretend the laser swords are making contact. Billamina kicks the prince away, "stabbing" Prince Lewis (Lewis taking the sword in his armpit and melodramatically throwing himself back in death). He tosses lots of red confetti in the air to simulate the gushing of excessive amounts of blood.
"Aah! I am dying! Farewell, cruel world! You weren't that nice to me, and that's why I died! Bleh!"
Queen Billamina holds out her fist as she declares her vengeance.
"So die all princes who killed my father!"
Princess Lilian runs over, kneeling before Prince Lewis and shouting to the sky.
"Nooooooo—"
She takes a breath.
"Oooooooo!"
Billamina cackles insanely, clenching her fists in dramatic overacting.
"A-Ha! With the fool-hearty prince out of the picture, nothing can stop me from my plan to take over the country!"
From off-screen, a familiar voice echoes through the air. A high-pitched voice tries to sound deep and stoic growls as he unleashes his awesome one-liner.
"Not if I have anything to say about it."
Barnaby, trying to act very cool, rides in on a horse stick done up like a motorcycle, looking as cool as he can while looking as uncool as possible. He revs like he's riding a bad hog as he pulls up in sunglasses, a leather jacket, and denim jeans. He thinks he looks so awesome. He removes himself from the motorcycle. Billamina audibly gasps.
"Gasp! Who are you supposed to be, you exceptionally suave, periodically inaccurate gentleman?!"
Barnaby responds with a forced, stoic growl, his acting honesty no better than any of the kids.
"I'm a space biker cop from the future year of eleventy billion, and I'm here to stop you from starting an intergalactic war by killing my great-grandfather's cousin's neighbor's fourth cousin twice removed!"
Billamina responds.
"You're too late, super cool future cop from the future! Your ancestor is dying, quickly!"
Barnaby stands intensely, gripping his hands in a fist.
"Curses! Then there is only one thing that can save him now, the power of love!"
With this, Princess Lilian approaches the fallen Prince Lewis.
"If my love is all that can save Prince Lewis from dying a horrible, excruciatingly slow, and very painful death, then I will save him with my love!"
The sly young goat lying on the floor opens his one eye. This is it, his one moment of glory. He puckers his lips. She looks down at him in a deadpan manner. She's caught on to his silly trick. Princess Lilian kisses Prince Lewis on his forehead, and he rises in a bounce.
"Wow! It is true, my love! The power of a love's kiss is more powerful than all the weapons in the world! Let us go about and bring universal peace and never, ever have a war again!"
They all hug. Billamina adds one last line as the curtain drops.
"I am a good guy now!"
There's a moment of awkward silence.
"Psst. I think we're supposed to take our bow now."
Someone from behind the curtain responds.
"Oh yeah."
They come out from behind the curtain, holding hands as they all take a deep bow before Fantoccio. To say that the puppet is confused by what he saw would be a gross understatement. His eye twitches. Fantoccio feels as though he may have actually gotten dumber for having witnessed that performance. His mortification has left him speechless. He stares at the stage with a blank expression. Billie looks up at him, tapping her foot impatiently.
"Well?!"
He snaps out of his daze.
"Huh? What?"
She barks at him angrily.
"What did you think?!"
Stumbling around, he tries to find the most adequate way to phrase his opinion. He shakes his head, genuinely without opinion for the stupidity on display before him.
"Of all the plays I ever seen… that sure was one of them."
Billie reaches her hand out.
"We did our part, so hand over the gem!"
Fantoccio considers for a moment.
"Hmm… no."
Fantoccio rushes the stage as the others swipe at him. He laughs maniacally as Barnaby decides to intervene.
"Lying to people isn't very nice! Hoot! Time to put you in time-out!"
Barnaby expands, wrapping his large wing around the puppet. Barnaby grins psychologically as he pulls out his little dagger.
"I'm gonna whittle you into something much nicer! Hoot!"
Fantoccio braces for impact as he struggles, realizing he can't move. He closes his eyes and accepts death.
"Barnaby, stop!"
Billie yells up to the ghost owl. He stops just as he's about to thrust the dagger into the puppet.
"Don't kill him! Just take the gem and let's go!"
Barnaby attempts to growl.
"Where is it?!"
Fantoccio declines to answer.
"I'm not telling you!"
Barnaby smiles menacingly at the puppet.
"Fine. Then I'll… tickle it out of you!"
Barnaby holds the tiny puppet out on his talon, tickling him mercilessly with one of his feathers.
"Coochie coo!"
Fanto giggles like a baby as he rolls around, the gem dislodging from his chest. Barnaby seizes it.
"Got it!"
Barnaby drops the tiny puppet on the ground as he hands Billie the gem. Fantoccio stands on the stage. He threatens them as he makes his villainous retreat, pausing in the middle of the stage to vow his revenge.
"You haven't heard the last of the great Fanto—"
The entire skylight fixture falls, crushing Fantoccio as it crashes into the stage, heavily damaging the floor. They all look at the stage, totally confused and stupefied.
"It wasn't me!"
Barbaby holds his wings up, absolving himself of all guilt as Billie points up toward the scaffolding. The clever Oscar glides downward with a suspicious screwdriver in his muzzle. Billie confiscates the screwdriver. She congratulates the fox.
"Good boy, Oscar."
They all gather their belongings from the control room and leave together out the front of the auditorium as Barnaby mutters jealously about how Oscar got to kill Fanto, but he didn't. All is silent for many hours afterward as the goats and their owl friend leave the city, Aristotle extracting them and congratulating them on a job well done. Hours later, the dust settles, and a familiar figure enters the picture. He approaches the stage, the goat with the green jacket, his hands sunken into his pockets, and a stoic, emotionless expression locked on his face.
He climbs the stairs onto the stage slowly, casually approaching the fallen puppet. His eyes flare a blood red as he removes but a single hoof from his pocket and slides the fallen debris to the side with ease. He leans over the crushed puppet, his limbs broken and thrown to the side, his head half-caved in from the impact.
"Rise… my disciple."
The body parts move into place, reshapening. The puppet can feel it all. He screams in pain as the contorting limbs correct themselves. His cracked and sunken head inflates, his eye regenerates, and his body becomes whole once again. Fantoccio rises, sitting up on the floor, feeling himself to see if he is indeed whole again. The puppet turns to the goat with an expression of genuine confusion as the goat sneers at him.
"You live..."
The goat hisses, a deep, smooth coolness to his voice. He rises and walks away as the puppet stares. His attention is granted. The puppet inquires.
"Wait!"
The goat freezes in place, not turning around.
"Thank you… Who are you?"
The goat folds his arms, peering over his shoulder at the puppet.
"Your savior."
The puppet flies through the air on invisible strings, over to the goat, trying desperately to gain his attention.
"Won't you at least stay for a free show? It's the least I could do for your hospitality."
The form of Arthur sneers at the puppet.
"I did not come to behold but to offer an opportunity to you. I see the children have already departed with your gem. That's most unfortunate."
The puppet pouts as he floats, throwing fists around and kicking his feet like a child.
"Those rotten little brats tricked me! I thought they wanted to be my friend, but all they wanted was the gem!"
The goat scowls at him as he responds.
"Then why do you not simply pursue them?"
Fantoccio folds his arms, squinting his angry yellow eyes.
"I cannot leave the city! I've been trapped here for as long as I can remember."
The goat draws a wide grin across his face, his pupils pulsing a blood red.
"So you and I aren't that different. I spent an immortal lifetime bound within a prison myself, waiting for release. I empathize with you, wooden man. But what if I told you I could grant all your desires, and all it would take is for you to swear allegiance to me?"
Fanto's eyes widen. He circles the goat as the goat maintains a firm stance, ignoring the examination.
"Sorry, but the great Fantoccio is an independent contractor. I don't sign with no manager."
The goat's expression is unchanging.
"Then perhaps you need some persuasion."
The figure of Arthur stretches out his hand, reaching out at the puppet as golden strings extend from Fantoccio's back, hoisting him high into the air. He feels betrayed.
"Hey! What are you doing?! Put me down this instant!"
The goat's eyes open as the strings are covered in a black ooze. The threads fray, disintegrating as the puppet is lowered to the ground. He is confused.
"What have you done to me?"
Arthur turns. He makes for the exit door as he replies.
"I have released you from your cage. You are free to leave The City of Magic at your own will. Follow me. Step into the glorious light of the white moon with me, to pastures beyond the city limits."
Arthur tears open a portal before the puppet. Fantoccio had not gazed at the outside world in many years. He stands there, nervously rubbing his hands as his legs tremble slightly. He knows not what awaits him in the outside world. Fantoccio closes his eyes, pinching them shut as he takes his first step into the portal.
A long field of grass waits for them. Arthur treads through and closes the gate. He walks away without another word. The puppet tries to gain his attention.
"Wait! Where are we? What is the price of my freedom?"
Arthur responds, the darkness of his eyes flaring like hellfire.
"I have but one request… kill Billie and her friends."