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Chapter Text

Across the cotton candy-pink skies was the magical Walt Disney University. The late summer sun shone over the buildings on campus, including its pegasus stables.

Ruby’s pink wings flared wide as she stood up in her stall. “Come on, Atlas!” she told a red pegasus named Atlas. “Let’s fly to the bell tower and try to land on top!”

Atlas blinked at her, lounging in his stall. “Ruby, that’s, like, explicitly on the no-fly list,” he said sleepily. “Besides, I’m pretty sure they enchanted it after last year.”

“Exactly,” Ruby grinned. “Which is why it’ll be fun!”

“You say that every time before we get in trouble,” said Atlas as he and Ruby stepped out of their stalls. “But I’m on board anyway.”

But before either of them could take off, a sharp voice cut across the air.

“Ruby.”

A black pegasus named Numair stepped out of his stall, his face even but stern.

“Oh, come on, Mr. Grumpy Pants!” Ruby groaned dramatically. “You can’t possibly be eavesdropping again.”

“I don’t eavesdrop,” said Numair. “I anticipate.”

Atlas laughed, but quickly turned it into a cough when Numair glared at him. “She’s the one who came up with the bell tower idea, not me,” Atlas offered, his wings folding on his sides.

“I don’t care whose idea it was,” Numair replied. “The security ward will knock you two straight out of the sky. And I’m not cleaning up after your messes this early in the semester.”

Ruby kicked at the ground with one hoof, pouting like a foal. “You’re no fun,” she said.

“I’m not supposed to be,” Numair said. “I’m here to keep all 16 of us out of trouble.”

Suddenly, a gust of wind rolled through the stables, followed by the low hum of tires on the road. The pegasi looked up as headlights appeared, one set after the other- six cars, painted in varying colors.

Creampuff, a large cream-colored pegasus, was the first to react, her hooves tapping excitedly on the straw. “They’re here!” she cheered.

Jasper, a yellow pegasus, poked his head over the top of his stall with a wide grin. “Time to bet which one gets here first!” he exclaimed.

“It doesn’t matter,” Chance, a dapple gray pegasus, said with a long look. “They’re our girls. It’s not a race.”

“Sunday drives are boring,” Jasper scoffed.

Creampuff squealed as the first car parked, the door opening to reveal a girl with brown eyes and short black hair. That was Snow White, the youngest of the six girls. She wore denim overalls, a yellow romper underneath, yellow sneakers with white laces, and a red bow in her hair. And her major was environmental science, while her minor was animal behavior.

“Guys, I think I parked in the garden!” Snow White shouted.

“Dibs on Aurora’s welcome hug!” Ruby yelled.

“Too late,” Chance laughed. “She owes me one for sending me flower crowns over the summer.”

Numair let out a sigh. “Alright,” he said. “Let’s go greet our girls.”

So with a thunder of hooves, Creampuff, Chance, Ruby, Atlas, Jasper, and Numair made their way towards the stables’ front gate, ready to welcome back their girls.

Snow White saw Creampuff, her pegasus, running towards her. “Creampuff!” she cheered, wrapping her arms around Creampuff’s neck.

“Snow White!” Creampuff replied as she leaned into the hug. “How was your summer?”

“It was amazing!” Snow White answered. “I missed you so much.”

“She made Chance and Icicle a huge cake for their birthday,” Jasper said. “One half was vanilla for Chance, the other raspberry for Icicle.”

“Delicious!” Snow White chuckled. “And innovative!”

“Well, don’t forget, Dewdrop and I share a birthday too,” Creampuff told Jasper.

Numair looked to the sky. “Walt Disney, help us,” he muttered.

“Wow, they’re HERE here,” Atlas said as more cars parked.

“Place your bets,” said Jasper. “First girl to yell something dramatic?”

“My money’s on Ariel,” Ruby replied.

Just then, Ariel, a girl with red hair and blue eyes, burst in with a guitar case over her back. She wore a purple crop top, green ripped denim shorts, mint green sandals, and silver jewelry, and even had tattoos and piercings- a trident tattoo on her ribcage, a small wave tattoo behind her left ear, seashells tattooed down her spine, double helix piercings on her right ear, a daith piercing on her left ear, a nose stud on her right nostril, a belly button piercing with nautical charms, and a tongue piercing. Ariel was also a major in marine biology, while her minor was music theory.

“Who missed me?” Ariel asked.

“Called it,” said Ruby.

Atlas, being Ariel’s pegasus, came to Ariel before she could even take two steps. “Took you long enough!” he said.

Ariel dropped her bag and hugged Atlas’s neck as his wings wrapped around her. “Let me guess, you went to Mermaid Beach again?” he asked regarding Ariel’s vacation to Mermaid Beach, to which she went every summer.

“Yep,” Ariel laughed.

Next came Jasmine, her black hair in its trademark bubble braid and her brown eyes confident. She strutted in wearing a turquoise crop top and matching bell bottom pants, her sunglasses perched on her head and her gold jewelry, septum piercing, and belly button piercing gleaming in the sunlight. Her major was political science, and she also had a minor in sociology.

Jasmine barely had to say a word before Numair appeared at her side, his expression softening.

“Miss me?” Jasmine teased, tossing her braid over her shoulder.

Numair didn’t answer, but he did smile and nudge her arm with his muzzle.

“Aww,” Jasmine said, planting a kiss on Numair’s forehead. “I missed you too, tough guy.”

Belle arrived next, carrying two suitcases and a duffel filled with books. She was a literature major with a creative writing minor, and wore a yellow long-sleeved button-up shirt, ripped jeans, and brown boots. She also had her hair tied into a ponytail, and had a tattoo sleeve of roses on her left arm and small stretched earlobes with red gauges.

Jasper pranced up behind Belle and plucked the duffel off her shoulder. “I’ll carry it if you admit I have better posture,” he said.

“You don’t,” Belle laughed before leaning her head against his. “But I’m glad you’re here.”

Aurora came in next, wearing a soft pink sundress, pink flats, moon phase earrings, and a flower crown, and her blonde hair being curled perfectly despite the long drive. Her major and minor were chemistry and French, respectively.

Just then, Ruby galloped straight up to her. “Yo!” the pink pegasus cheered. “Welcome back, Sleeping Beauty!”

“I stopped for coffee,” Aurora replied. “Don’t come for me!”

Ruby bumped her shoulder with her nose, and Aurora wrapped her arms around her neck in one fluid motion. “I missed you too, Ruby,” she said. “It feels like we last saw each other once upon a dream.”

Last but not least came Cinderella, the oldest of the girls, stepping gracefully out of her car and adjusting the collar of her baby blue button-up blouse. She also wore a pleated skirt, silver flats, and pearl stud earrings, and her hair was in a messy bun. Cinderella had a major in business management, along with a minor in event planning.

Chance was already standing right at the gate, waiting for her. “You counted down the seconds, didn’t you?” Cinderella asked him with a small smirk.

“Orion and I did the math,” Chance replied. “You’re 12 minutes early.”

Cinderella walked to him anyway and pressed her forehead to his. “I missed you- and your lists,” she sighed.

Chance nickered. “I know,” he said.

Around them, the stables were alive with motion, luggage rolling, pegasi snorting, and friends laughing loudly. It was the start of a new school year.

The sun had nearly dipped behind the hills when Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, and Jasmine finally wheeled their luggage to Renaissance Hall, their dorm for the year.

“West Wing, top floor,” Belle read aloud from the assignment letter in her hands. “Suite-style living, shared kitchen, two bathrooms, and three bedrooms.”

“So two of us in each room,” said Jasmine, adjusting her large tiger head necklace. “Just long enough to discover all your weird sleeping habits.”

“Dibs on the corner room!” Ariel announced, skipping ahead.

“You can’t call dibs until we see it,” Aurora yawned. “But if there’s a windowside bed, I want it.”

Meanwhile, Snow White held a basket in her hands, full of fresh muffins she had baked that morning.

“You’re not really going to hand those out to the RA, are you?” Belle asked.

“Of course I am,” Snow White grinned.

“She’s going to love you,” Cinderella muttered with a smile.

The girls reached the front steps just as the big wooden doors creaked open, revealing an airy lobby with mosaic tile floors, velvet couches, and a large framed painting of Walt Disney himself.

“I feel like we just entered a castle and a luxury resort at the same time,” gasped Aurora.

“Well… yeah,” Jasmine said. “Because basically, we did.”

The West Wing had tall arched windows, warm amber lights, and a nameplate outside the door that someone had already labeled: “The Dreamers’ Hangout.”

“Who did this?” Belle asked.

“I might’ve sent an email,” Cinderella said with a wink. “Just to see if we could name our suite.”

The girls stepped into their new home, taking it all in. The common area had a big rug reminding Jasmine of her magic carpet, as well as a whiteboard already filled with lyrics in three different handwritings and a giant corkboard labeled “Rehearsals/Deadlines/Life.” Farther out, three bedrooms branched off the common space, each with two twin beds, long desks, and personalized color schemes the girls had chosen over the summer.

“I vote we sort out roommates after we’ve eaten,” Ariel said, throwing herself dramatically onto the couch. “I haven’t had real food since, like, the last gas station.”

“I brought applesauce,” Snow White offered brightly.

“I said real food,” Ariel replied.

Just then, the girls’ cell phones buzzed in unison. It was their group text!

BELLE: rehearsal tonight, right?

JASMINE: i’ll set up the mic + mixer

AURORA: someone remind me how to restring my guitar 😵‍💫

SNOW WHITE: I’ll bring tea!

ARIEL: Can we make it outside??? Stables sunset rehearsal plz

CINDERELLA: As long as no one forgets to lock up this time 😑

Belle looked up. “Stables, then?” she asked.

The group murmured a “yes” in unison, already grabbing their instruments.

It turned out, “The Dreamers” was more than a group name for the six girls. It was also the name of their band. Snow White was the drummer, Cinderella was the keyboardist, Aurora was the rhythm guitarist, Ariel was the electric guitarist and lead singer, Belle was the bass guitarist, and Jasmine was the secondary singer and social media lead. They formed the band in high school, but hadn’t yet made it big. But now being in college, they hoped to finally get their big break.

As the girls walked to the stables, Jasper nibbled a corner of a lyric sheet he’d stolen from Belle earlier. “Think they’re ready for this year?” he asked.

Ruby rolled onto her back and groaned. “Ready?” she asked. “Dude, they’re about to own it!”

Chapter Text

The sun dipped low over Walt Disney University, and in the grass clearing just outside the stables, all 16 of the pegasi- Creampuff, Chance, Ruby, Atlas, Jasper, Numair, Timber, Peony, Mystery, Lantern, Forest, Vanilla, Icicle, Seastorm, Dewdrop, and Orion- sprawled lazily, their wings tucked in and their ears perked.

Ariel adjusted her microphone stand, one sandal resting on the corner of an amplifier. “Let’s give the herd something to talk about!” she exclaimed.

“Finally,” said Peony, the hot pink pegasus with a prosthetic leg, as she flicked her tail. “Play us into the fall semester, Dreamers!”

“One, two, three-” Ariel counted the rest of the band in, and the first notes of “Kings & Queens” by Ava Max rang out across the hills.

“If all of the kings had their queens on the throne, we would pop champagne and raise a toast,” Ariel sang. “To all of the queens who are fighting alone, baby, you’re not dancing on your own.”

Cinderella stood at the keyboard, her bun bouncing in time as she played the driving chord progression. Belle held down the bass line from the edge of the circle, her eyes scanning the others as her fingers plucked steadily. The ink of her rose tattoo sleeve peeked out from under her button-up as she played to her heart’s content.

Snow White beat a sharp rhythm on the drums, while Aurora stood to the side, strumming her rhythm guitar with precise, slow sweeps as her eyes flicked over a lyric sheet with edits scribbled in pink glitter pen.

“Can’t live without me, you wanna, but you can’t, nah-nah-nah,” Ariel kept singing. “Think it’s funny, but honey, can’t run this show on your own. I can feel my body shake, there’s only so much I can take. I’ll show you how a real queen behaves!

“No damsel in distress, don’t need to save me. Once I start breathing fire, you can’t tame me. And you might think I’m weak without a sword, but if I had one, it’d be bigger than yours.

“If all of the kings had their queens on the throne, we would pop champagne and raise a toast. To all of the queens who are fighting alone, baby, you’re not dancing on your own.”

Jasmine sang the second portion. “Disobey me, then baby, it’s off with your head,” she sang. “Gonna change it and make it a world you won’t forget! No damsel in distress, don’t need to save me. Once I start breathing fire, you can’t tame me. And you might think I’m weak without a sword, but I’m stronger than I ever was before!

“If all of the kings had their queens on the throne, we would pop champagne and raise a toast. To all of the queens who are fighting alone, baby, you’re not dancing on your own.”

After Ariel’s electric guitar solo, Cinderella sang, “In chess, the king can move one space at a time, but queens are free to go wherever they like. You get too close, you’ll get a royalty high. So breathe it in to feel alive!

“If all of the kings had their queens on the throne, we would pop champagne and raise a toast. To all of the queens who are fighting alone, baby, you’re not dancing on your own.”

Ariel, Jasmine, and Cinderella vocalized together, then the song ended. In applause, the pegasi burst into stomping hooves and wild whinnies. Even Numair, who was usually reserved, gave a single approving nod.

“That,” said Seastorm, the sky blue and coral pegasus, “was legit.”

Mystery, the silver bay mare, clapped her wings. “You three sounded amazing,” she told Ariel, Jasmine, and Cinderella.

Ariel flicked her hair back. “Thanks, Mystery,” she said. “We ARE amazing. You guys felt the harmony lock on the bridge, right?”

Jasmine nodded, high-fiving Cinderella. “Tightest it’s ever been,” she said.

But Belle was quiet. She set down her bass guitar and folded her arms. “It was good,” she said. “But do you think we can try a new genre?”

Ariel’s brow lifted. “It’s soon gonna be the first week of school, Belle,” she told the brown-haired girl. “We’re building momentum for right now.”

“And don’t you want them to know us?” Belle inquired, her voice calm but assertive.

“Sure,” Ariel sighed, “but people don’t dance to sad philosophy songs, Belle.”

“Philosophy?” Belle gasped, her voice tightening.

Aurora stepped in. “Maybe we can balance both?” she asked.

“Oh, sure,” Jasmine said. “Let’s add boho folk poetry to the playlist.”

Aurora bristled. “My work still has meaning,” she said.

Jasper’s ears twitched. “Oof, it’s happening,” he said.

Creampuff turned to Snow White. “Should we… bake something?” she asked gently.

Snow White nodded. “I’ll get the mixing bowls!” she cheered.

Back in the dorm wing, the kitchen smelled like blueberries and tension. Snow White stood at the counter in her apron, stirring a bowl of muffin batter while Creampuff supervised.

“Make them cakey,” Creampuff advised. “Moist, not dense.”

“You say that every time,” Snow White laughed.

“Because I’m right every time,” responded Creampuff.

Jasmine leaned against the kitchen island, scrolling on her phone. “We could’ve just made brownies from a box, you know,” she said.

“Absolutely not,” Creampuff gasped.

Cinderella let her hair down, then tied it back up with a blue ribbon. “Can we please focus on getting the oven preheated?” she asked.

“I’m just saying,” Ariel called from the couch, tuning her guitar, “Belle’s lyrics are nice, but they belong in a ballad.”

Belle set down the mug she’d been holding. “You didn’t even read the whole medley,” she said.

“Because you lost me at ‘How does a moment last forever?’” Ariel replied. “That’s not a lyric, that’s a Pinterest quote.”

Belle’s cheeks flushed, but she didn’t raise her voice. Instead, she pulled out her notebook and flipped to a worn page. “I’m not trying to turn us into a book club,” she said, “but listen…”

She read aloud softly, her voice steady, “How does a moment last forever? How can a story never die? It is love we must hold onto. Never easy, but we try.”

“That’s… beautiful,” Aurora gasped.

“It’s slow,” Ariel scoffed. “And sad. It’s not a concert opener.”

“But it’s honest,” Belle responded. “And people can connect to that.”

“Not at big events, though,” Jasmine cut in, arms crossed. “Ariel’s right- we need energy. A beat. Something they’ll remember when they’re scrolling YouTube the next day.”

Cinderella sighed and gently bumped her shoulder against Jasmine’s. “We need both,” she said. “Energy and meaning.”

Creampuff placed her hooves on the counter. “And muffins!” she added. “Because everyone is cranky on an empty stomach.”

The girls laughed before Jasmine reached for the muffin tin. “I want caramel,” she said.

“Blueberry,” said Ariel.

“Chocolate chip,” Belle added without hesitation.

“Cinnamon,” Cinderella decided.

“A little bit of everything,” Aurora piped in.

The tension didn’t vanish, but it melted a little. As the oven ticked and the scents of four muffin flavors filled the suite, Aurora turned to Belle and whispered, “I think your words matter more than you know.”

Later, after the muffins were done baking, Jasmine showed everyone else what was on her phone. “Guess what’s officially live?” she asked.

“What?” Ariel asked, already texting her boyfriend, Eric, something that probably involved swimming.

Jasmine gave Ariel her phone to show her:

“WALT DISNEY UNIVERSITY MUSIC SHOWCASE- November 14
Biggest performance opportunity of the semester. Prizes, producers, and people. Apply now!”

A beat passed.

Aurora blinked. “Wait- is this for real?” she asked. “I’m not asleep, right?”

“Nope, you are not,” Jasmine laughed. “This is as real as your Spotify Wrapped. Open to any student act. The submission deadline is October 21. Finalists perform live at the outdoor amphitheater. Like… real producers attend. And labels.”

“It’s August right now, so that’s in three months,” Cinderella whispered. “Wow.”

Ariel sat up straighter. “We’re doing it!” she cheered.

Belle stiffened. “We haven’t even agreed on what to perform,” she said.

“We’ll figure it out,” Ariel said, already electric. “We’ll pick our strongest pieces. Maybe that medley too, if it’s ready.”

“It’s not,” Belle muttered, her fingers tightening around her mug.

Snow White looked between them. “We can finish it, together,” she assured them.

Aurora leaned back against the couch, putting her feet up. “But we’ll need a visual aesthetic too,” she said. “Bohocore is my pick, obviously.”

“Or,” Ariel said, “we go seacore. Think waves, deep blues, and seashells.”

“I’m not wearing a seashell bra to a university showcase,” Belle said flatly.

“I never said that,” Ariel retorted. “But thanks for the visual.”

“I still say boho fits us better,” Aurora cut in. “We’re dreamy and introspective, not glitzy.”

“Glitzy gets us noticed,” Ariel snapped.

“Depth makes us last,” Belle added.

“No, volume makes us last,” Ariel muttered under her breath.

Jasmine looked between them all. “Okay, okay! We’re doing the showcase,” she announced. “That’s settled. But maybe we save the aesthetic debate for tomorrow?”

“Switch it up,” Creampuff mumbled in her sleep.

The girls all paused. “That’s actually not a bad idea,” Cinderella said.

“Belle’s lyrics are meaningful, and Ariel’s voice shines,” Snow White added, nodding thoughtfully.

Ariel looked at Belle, but Belle didn’t look at her back.

“We have work to do,” said Jasmine before the girls went to their rooms. Only Belle stayed behind, opening her notebook again. She stared down at the page.

“How does a moment last forever? How can a story never die?”

Under the last lyric Belle had written, she added in neat, careful cursive, “Love pays no mind to desolation. It flows like a river to the soul. Protects, proceeds, and perseveres, and makes us whole.”

She didn’t know if Ariel would like it, but she knew it sounded like her.

Chapter Text

Later that night, the stable yard glowed under strings of fairy lights, looped between fence posts like stars caught on the wire. In the distance, the buildings on campus shimmered against the indigo sky, but by the meadows and under open air, the girls felt worlds away.

A long table had been set up near the barn, covered in snacks, sodas, and cookies- Creampuff’s recipe, of course. A playlist pulsed low from Jasmine’s speaker, blending hip-hop with empowering lyrics the way only her playlist could.

Jasper suddenly pranced in with confetti in his mane and tail. “Who’s ready to partaaay?” he shouted.

Creampuff chuckled, trotting over with a tray of oatmeal raisin cookies balanced on her back. “Please eat something before Jasper tries to sample again,” she told everyone else.

Atlas soared overhead and did a loop-de-loop before landing beside Ariel. “10 bucks says I can fly backwards with a soda in my mouth,” he said.

“No bets,” said Orion, a light purple pegasus. “Also, no injuries. No broken wings. And absolutely no glitter glue in the feeders this time.”

“Who told you about that?” Peony asked.

Numair shrugged.

Peony playfully glared at Numair. “You tattletale,” she laughed.

Soon, the rest of the girls arrived- Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, Anna, Elsa, Moana, Raya, and Asha- each one walking to a certain pegasus. Pocahontas owned Timber the brown pegasus, Mulan owned Peony, Tiana owned Mystery, Rapunzel owned Lantern the large purple and yellow stallion, Merida owned Forest the small turquoise pegasus, Anna owned Vanilla the orange mare, Elsa owned Icicle the blue pegasus, Moana owned Seastorm, Raya owned Dewdrop the lime green pegasus, and Asha owned Orion. Tiana even brought a tray of beignets, which Forest immediately tried to steal.

“Forest!” Merida called, pulling him back. “You can’t eat dessert before dinner!” But the turquoise pegasus had already scampered off into the dark.

20 minutes soon passed. “Has anyone seen Forest?” Moana asked, frowning.

“I thought he was with Peony,” said Rapunzel.

“Don’t look at me,” Peony said. “I lost track when he darted into the bushes.”

Aurora stood tall. “We need to look for him,” she announced.

“I’m coming too,” Ruby said instantly. “The dude’s probably panicking.”

“Split up,” Chance instructed. “Check the trail, the orchard, and the creek bank.”

Jasper stepped up beside Belle. “I know where he might’ve gone,” he said.

Soon, Cinderella, Aurora, and Belle set out on Chance, Ruby, and Jasper, respectively. They searched the entire property for him, including the woods. But eventually, they found Forest curled up under a tree near the garden chapel, his wings folded tight and his ears pressed flat.

“I thought you forgot me,” Forest whispered.

Chance stepped forward and lowered his muzzle. “You’re part of the herd,” he said. “That means no one gets left behind.”

Cinderella dismounted Chance and gave Forest a cookie. “And even if we had to look for you forever, it would have been worth it,” she said.

Forest sniffled before eating the cookie and pressing his head into Cinderella’s lap. “I’m sorry,” he sobbed.

“It’s okay,” Cinderella forgave him.

When Cinderella, Chance, Aurora, Ruby, Belle, Jasper, and Forest returned to the party, everyone cheered. Merida ran to hug Forest and whisper something warm and loving in Scottish Gaelic into his ear.

Aurora sat near the bonfire, wrapping a floral shawl tighter around her shoulders. Ruby plopped down beside her, her magenta mane windswept and a half-eaten cookie hanging from her mouth.

“You okay, dude?” Ruby asked, chewing.

Aurora smiled faintly. “It’s just… a lot,” she told her pegasus. “New classes. The showcase. The pressure to be perfect.”

Ruby blew a stray leaf off Aurora’s lap. “Yo,” she said. “You don’t have to be perfect- just loud enough that no one misses you.”

Aurora laughed. “Thanks, Ruby,” she said before leaning Ruby’s head against hers.

Nearby, Elsa stood with her arms folded, watching the fire flicker, a little separate from the crowd. Icicle stood at her side, protective as always, his wing lightly draped across her back.

When Elsa came across a comment on her YouTube video that sounded like “Ice Queen,” Icicle narrowed his eyes. Elsa didn’t flinch, but leaned into his touch.

“You don’t have to defend me,” she whispered.

“Yes, I do,” Icicle replied simply.

In the orchard just past the lights, Tiana and Mystery huddled beneath a tree, eating beignets and talking quietly. “She’s smart,” Mystery said, her eyes flicking towards Belle across the field.

“Mmm hmm,” Tiana replied, licking powdered sugar off her finger. “And stubborn.”

“I like that in a human,” Mystery admitted.

Jasmine pulled Ariel aside, both girls leaning against the fence. “Belle’s still mad,” said the former.

“I’m not trying to fight with her,” Ariel muttered.

“But you ARE trying to lead like it’s a solo,” Jasmine pointed out.

Ariel sighed. “I’ve always been the center,” she admitted. “The voice. The girl who had everything. And now… everyone else does, too. As they should, but I don’t want to be forgotten.”

“Maybe that’s okay,” Jasmine said. “We’re not trying to drown you. We’re trying to hold you up.”

Atlas, standing nearby, whinnied softly.

“You hear that?” Jasmine added. “Even Atlas thinks you’re being dramatic.”

Ariel cracked a smile. “He would,” she said before giving the red pegasus an apple slice.

Meanwhile, Rapunzel and Lantern were setting up a pop-up painting station by the barn wall. Lantern dipped a brush in green and painted a soft swirl on Peony’s prosthetic. “For your strength,” he told her.

Peony huffed, but her smile was real. “Thanks, I love it,” she said.

“Of course,” Lantern responded.

As the bonfire cracked low and Pocahontas played soft guitar music from her phone, Snow White stood and called softly, “Thank you all for coming.”

All conversation stopped.

“We’re here because our pegasi brought us together,” Snow White continued. “But also because we believe in something bigger than ourselves. So when things get hard this semester- and they will- remember tonight.”

Creampuff nodded beside her, then shoved another cookie into Jasper’s mouth to keep him from yelling something inappropriate.

A quiet moment passed, then Jasmine raised her soda. “To The Dreamers,” she said.

“To riders,” Raya added.

“To the herd,” Chance said.

“To second chances,” Elsa piped in.

“And to good times,” Vanilla grinned.

After the toast, Cinderella, Aurora, and Belle looked around at the flickering lights, then at the other girls and their pegasi. After bringing Forest back, they could finally relax.

As the fire reduced to embers, Asha suggested, “How about one lap across the sky before bed?”

The pegasi perked up instantly.

Within minutes, saddle pads and bridles had been tossed back on. The girls mounted one by one, each in sync with their partner.

Snow White settled gently onto Creampuff, who beamed with calmness. Cinderella took the lead on Chance, his posture proud and alert. And Aurora got on Ruby, who snorted and said, “Let’s make the sky jealous, huh?”

Ariel leaned into Atlas’s neck, the sea breeze already in her lungs. “Just don’t try any barrel rolls without warning this time,” she warned him.

Belle swung gracefully onto Jasper, who immediately whispered, “Wanna steal the weather vane on the physics building?”

Jasmine patted Numair’s shoulder after mounting him. “Just one circle, then bed,” she assured him. Numair didn’t answer, but Jasmine felt him relax beneath her.

The other girls mounted up as well- Pocahontas on Timber, Mulan on Peony, Tiana on Mystery, Rapunzel on Lantern, Merida on Forest, Anna on Vanilla, Elsa on Icicle, Moana on Seastorm, Raya on Dewdrop, and Asha on Orion.

From there, the group lifted into the night, rising like stars into the pitch black sky. They didn’t speak at first, just soared. The wind filled the girls’ hair as the campus lights glimmered far below. For awhile, only the sound of wings flapping filled the air.

They circled once, then twice… until the lights started to go out. From there, they returned to the stables, the girls dismounting their pegasi after landing.

Afterwards, Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, and Jasmine quietly walked back to Renaissance Hall, their shared wing lit only by moonlight. For the first time in awhile, The Dreamers felt like a team.

Chapter Text

The next morning, the alarm in The Dreamers’ dorm wing went off at 6 AM. Then 6:05. And 6:10.

“Turn it off before I throw it out the window,” Aurora groaned through the wall.

Snow White was the first one up, already dressed. She gently shook Aurora, who had a pillow over her head.

“One more dream…” Aurora yawned.

“It’s the first day,” Snow White sang softly. “And you’re already late for chem lab sign-in.”

Across the suite, Cinderella was brushing her hair with military precision and updating a spreadsheet on her phone. “Time blocks are love, time blocks are life,” she mumbled to herself.

Ariel burst out of her room, already half-dressed and brushing her teeth mid-stride. “I’m gonna be late to my first class!” she cried.

“Coffee!” Jasmine barked. “No justice, no java.”

Belle, already fully dressed and putting her hair in a ponytail, held out a steaming mug of coffee without a word. Jasmine smiled and took it.

“You’re my favorite,” Jasmine said.

“I know,” Belle replied before heading off to her literature seminar.

Outside, the stables were alive with soft morning light. The pegasi were up early too- some still sleepy, others already waiting by the gates. Chance was going over the day’s plans, of course.

“The girls have 10 minutes until class,” he called. “Hydrate. Stretch. Emotional support on standby.”

“Are you coordinating our drop-offs?” Dewdrop asked, impressed.

“It’s called time management,” Chance corrected her.

Creampuff trotted to Snow White with a bag of banana chips with a sticky note attached to it. “Here’s a snack,” she told her rider, “and a little note.”

Snow White hugged Creampuff tightly. “I’ll read it before my lab!” she said.

Ruby nosed Aurora affectionately. “You’ve got this, Aurora,” she said. “Try not to blow anything up.”

“No promises,” Aurora laughed.

Numair gave Jasmine a long look, to which she smirked. “Don’t worry,” she told him. “I’ll only challenge three professors today.”

“Two,” Numair warned.

“Deal,” Jasmine replied.

Jasper bonked Belle’s shoulder with a muffin. “For fuel, knowledge, and literature!” he cheered before tripping over a bucket. Belle rolled her eyes but smiled.

Atlas gave Ariel a dramatic salute. “Go save the sea,” he told her. “And don’t forget sunscreen.”

Ariel kissed Atlas’s nose. “I lived in saltwater, I’ve got this,” she assured him.

“It doesn’t work like that-” Atlas tried to say before Ariel left.

“Bye Atlas!” Ariel called out as she walked to class.

Snow White’s environmental science seminar was in a sun-drenched greenhouse. She was placed in a lab group with Scott Lang, an entomology major who insisted on bringing a pet ant named Ant-ony to class. Snow White didn’t mind, though. She liked them both.

Cinderella’s business ethics lecture had over 25 students. The professor, Dr. Ratcliffe, delivered it like a formal affair. Cinderella got called on three times and answered every question correctly, but she still wasn’t satisfied with how shaky her voice sounded.

Aurora’s chemistry lab was absolutely chaotic. Her lab partner, Poe Dameron, accidentally spilled acetone on Aurora’s sleeve, and while she forgave him, she plotted tame revenge in her mind.

Ariel’s marine biology lecture opened with deep-sea footage and an elderly man named Mr. Kele carrying a laser pointer like a sword. Ariel loved every second, and already had a question… and a follow-up question.

Belle’s literature seminar was led by Mr. Kenobi, who opened class with the statement, “What does a story owe its reader?” Belle wrote an entire paragraph before anyone else had the chance to pick up a pen.

Finally, Jasmine’s intro to political theory class had 20 students, and Mr. Grandmaster quoted philosophers no one else had even heard of. Jasmine challenged four statements before the hour was up- Numair wouldn’t be impressed.

Belle, however, had a math class today as well. She adjusted her seat as the clock struck 2 PM. Math was necessary, but dull. And even worse, the class was taught by Mr. Jafar, a tall, sharply-dressed man with immaculate facial hair, a reputation for cold precision, and a voice like smooth daggers.

“Welcome,” he said as he strode into the room. “To those of you who arrived on time, well done. To those who did not-”

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and everyone turned around. In walked a brown-haired boy in a black leather vest with a coffee in one hand, a hearing aid, and an eyebrow piercing catching the light.

“Mr. Barton,” Mr. Jafar groaned. “How kind of you to join us.”

The student, Clint Barton, gave a lazy salute. “Hey, math is math,” he said. “No matter when you walk in.”

A few students chuckled.

Belle blinked at him. She couldn’t believe it was THE Clint Barton- she’d heard rumors he was a partially deaf master archer. Some said he was recruited for the special campus athletics division, but he politely turned it down.

Clint plopped down next to Belle with a grin. “Hope you took good notes,” he whispered. “I’m more of a geometry guy, not whatever nonsense this is.”

“It’s algebra,” Belle whispered back. “We’re solving for eigenvalues.”

“Yuck,” Clint scoffed. “That sounds like fun.”

Up front, Mr. Jafar slammed a textbook onto the podium. “Mr. Barton, if I wanted commentary, I’d assign you Shakespeare,” he said.

“Please don’t,” sighed Clint. “I’ve heard it’s all sonnets and daddy issues.”

Belle held back a laugh, and from there, class began.

By the time the girls returned to the West Wing that evening, they collapsed in various areas of the common area.

“Tomorrow,” Aurora said, flopping onto the couch, “we ride to class.”

“Sounds awesome,” Jasmine responded. “Then getting there is faster.”

Meanwhile, Belle opened her notebook and quietly scribbled a line across the page: “Jasmine’s song for the medley- power ballad?”

At the food court that night, Ariel sat with a tomboy named Valkyrie, picking at her meatloaf with her fork. In her head, she was replaying what happened during the marine biology department tour earlier that afternoon.

It had started off promising. Mr. Kele walked the class through a series of research tanks and deep-sea imaging labs. Then Ariel asked a question- Mr. Kele smiled in response and said, “Now that’s a mind for fieldwork.”

That was when he showed up- a tall sophomore with a swaggering walk, expensive headphones swung around his neck, and a smirk that meant trouble.

Erik Killmonger. Technically a history major, but unofficially, a walking red flag.

He leaned against the doorway, not bothering to hide the fact that he despised Ariel. “So,” he said, voice slow and mocking, “we got ourselves a real-life Little Mermaid.”

The room went quiet. Mr. Kele blinked. Ariel froze.

Killmonger smirked and added, “What’s your thesis? Singing to dolphins?”

A few people chuckled uncomfortably. One guy stared at his feet.

Ariel raised her chin. “Actually, I’m focusing on echolocation sensitivity shifts in bottlenose pods,” she told Killmonger. “But I’d be happy to sing to you, since you clearly like hearing yourself talk.”

Killmonger’s smirk faded. Mr. Kele then cleared his throat before moving the tour along. But the damage was done.

Back in the present, Ariel cut her meatloaf harder than necessary. Valkyrie turned her head.

“Did Killmonger say something stupid again?” she asked.

Ariel sighed. “I’m not just a former mermaid,” she said. “But some people will always treat me like I am.”

“That’s because you shine,” Valkyrie responded. “They squint, they flinch, they get rude.”

Ariel smiled faintly before finally eating her food. “Thanks,” she said.

“You’ll show them,” Valkyrie assured her. “One lecture and lab at a time.”

Back in the West Wing that night, the common area was a mess. Snow White sat cross-legged with a biology textbook open and Creampuff’s sticky note, which said: “Don’t forget to eat! You’re still growing emotionally.”

Aurora’s chemistry set was spread all over the kitchen table. She mixed two glowing liquids and mumbled, “This is NOT how thermodynamic equations work.”

Cinderella had her calendar open, color-coded in six different shades. “Okay, so if we do a 90-minute rehearsal on Tuesday and a short one on Thursday, I can still finish my financial planning presentation,” she said.

Jasmine was in the corner, editing a TikTok teaser for The Dreamers’ page. “This is the algorithm’s golden hour,” she told Cinderella. “Don’t interrupt.”

Meanwhile, Belle was surrounded by poetry books and open notebooks, trying to work on the medley. But she hadn’t even started her reading on “The Iliad” yet.

And Ariel paced with her electric guitar slung over her shoulder, marine bio slides playing on mute in the background. “Do we practice or do we pass?” she asked the others.

Aurora slammed her pen down. “I have three labs and zero free time, and Jasmine still wants us in biker outfits for the showcase!” she snapped.

“I said it was a vision!” Jasmine yelled back, not looking up.

“I’m not compromising the melody,” said Belle.

“Maybe you should,” Ariel replied. “We all have classes too, Belle!”

Cinderella closed her laptop. “Okay, enough!” she called.

She stood firmly. “We either make time,” she continued, “or this band breaks before the semester does.”

There was silence. Even Rajah, Jasmine’s emotional support tiger who had been secretly watching from a bedroom, stopped and listened.

After the girls went to sleep, the pegasi held an unofficial meeting in the stables.

“The Dreamers didn’t even look at their instruments today,” said Icicle.

“They’re overwhelmed,” said Creampuff, “but they care.”

“They need to balance their music with their obligations,” Numair said.

“What does that mean?” asked Seastorm.

“It means they need help,” said Timber. “Quiet help.”

“Then maybe we rehearse for them,” Atlas suggested.

“No, we’re not,” Orion said in a deadpan tone.

“Yeah, we are!” Peony cheered, immediately on board with Atlas’s idea. “And if so, I’m calling bass.”

Mystery sighed. “Be extra attentive to how they’re feeling,” she told Creampuff, Chance, Ruby, Atlas, Jasper, and Numair. “They’ll need it.”

Chapter Text

The second day of school dawned soon enough, the sun filtering through the windows of the West Wing.

Belle sipped a latte from the college’s coffee shop as she crossed campus towards her modern literature and society lecture. She still had a granola bar tucked into her denim jacket pocket- half a gift from Jasper, half a bribe for her own motivation.

Meanwhile, across campus, Ariel was already ankle-deep in seawater. Her marine biology lab met at the lakeside research center, and she was gleefully helping tag salmon while explaining the difference between lateral lines and pressure sensors to her lab partner, Mulan’s bisexual boyfriend Li Shang.

“Do the fish like this?” asked Shang.

Ariel grinned. “No,” she told him, “but I told them it builds character.”

At Jasmine’s political psychology of leadership lecture, she sat with one leg crossed over the other, not taking notes so much as summarizing every memorable line from Dr. T’Chaka in a digital journal.

Across the quad, Cinderella was glued to her seat in small business entrepreneurship class, her heart beating fast as Ms. Eudora, Tiana’s mother, laid out an intense project timeline that included real investors and actual funding.

“Is this real money?” Cinderella inquired quietly.

Ms. Eudora turned around with a smirk. “The realest kind, darlin’,” she replied.

Aurora was the last one to leave the dorm that morning, her hair still damp from a shower and her chemistry notebook tucked under one arm. Her 8 AM organic chemistry II class felt less like an academic pursuit and more like punishment for her own past sins.

At lunch, the Walt Disney University food court was a mixture of smells, student chatter, and themed food stalls- Pizza Planet, Nani’s Noodles, Stark Shawarma, and Aunt Cass’s Cafe- all bustling with hungry undergrads.

Jasmine waved the other girls over from a round table near the window, already halfway through a bowl of udon noodles. “I swear, these are my favorite noodles now,” she sighed.

Ariel slid into the seat next to her, balancing a tray from Happy’s. “Chicken and waffles, corn muffins, and iced hibiscus tea,” she said. “I won the lunch lottery.”

Cinderella sat across from them, picking apart a salad with sliced apples and candied pecans. “Does anyone else feel like the professors are trying to break us early this year?” she asked.

“Yes!” Aurora groaned, dropping her backpack to the ground and poking at her shawarma. “I already have four assignments and two experiments due by the end of the week.”

Belle arrived last, her tray piled high from Pizza Planet’s food. “I’m stress-eating carbs, and I refuse to feel shame,” she told her friends.

Snow White gently set a tray down beside Belle’s, placing a perfectly arranged plate of lasagna and a side of fruit. “I brought you a honey biscuit from Happy’s,” she said.

Belle blinked. “Thank you,” she said. “You know they’re my favorite!”

Later on, Ariel said casually, “So, I started working on a new song idea last night.”

Belle looked up mid-bite. “Already?” she asked. “I thought we were focusing on the medley.”

“We are,” Ariel responded. “But I think we need more upbeat tracks. The medley’s… kind of heavy.”

“Because it means something,” Belle said, her voice soft but sharp. “That’s the entire point.”

Jasmine’s straw squeaked awkwardly in the silence. “I guess I like both directions?” she piped in.

Cinderella sighed. “No band talk over lunch,” she said.

Belle grinned. “Okay,” she agreed. “In that case, has anyone seen Clint Barton around today? He called Mr. Jafar ‘Dollar Tree Dracula’ under his breath, and lived to tell the tale.”

“No!” Snow White gasped.

“Oh yes,” Belle groaned. “He even winked at me when he said it.”

“How does Adam feel about this?” Cinderella joked.

“He’s… indifferent,” responded Belle.

By late afternoon, all six girls had gathered at the stables. The pegasi were restless- Ruby pawed the ground impatiently, while Atlas flapped his wings in excitement, Numair waited calmly, and Creampuff trotted between girls, nuzzling them like a dog.

The girls rode out in single file along the forest trail just outside campus. Cinderella was the first to spark a discussion. “It still feels weird being here,” she said, “like we’re adults now.”

“That’s because you are,” Chance snorted from beneath her.

Ariel leaned low over Atlas’s neck. “Do you remember that beach bonfire before we graduated?” she asked.

“When Ruby ate half the marshmallows?” Belle laughed.

“Dude!” Ruby retorted. “Those were community snacks.”

And so, the girls began thinking back to their most memorable high school memories. On Belle’s birthday one year, the others had rented out a tiny bookstore for the evening, decorating the space with fairy lights and cupcakes.

“Girls, I love this,” Belle gasped. “Thank you so much.”

“Don’t mention it!” Ariel responded. “Wait till you see the cake!”

“My aunts made it!” Aurora added. “I’ll show you!”

And so, the girls showed Belle the cake Aurora’s three aunts- Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather- had made for her. It was a French vanilla cake with cream cheese frosting and edible, chocolate roses.

“You remembered!” Belle exclaimed in regards to the roses.

“Why wouldn’t we?” asked her boyfriend, Adam, before placing his present with the others. “Happy birthday, Belle.”

In sophomore year of high school, Aurora threw a sleepover. Originally, the girls planned to have a party outside, but it had rained all weekend. So that was when Aurora converted it into a sleepover.

One activity the girls did was apply temporary tattoos to each other. “Are those… dragons?” Jasmine asked when Aurora pulled them out.

“Obviously!” Aurora responded. “Put one on your collarbone. It’ll scare your dad!”

Jasmine rolled her eyes before applying three. And later, the group passed around Oreo popcorn, told secrets under a blanket fort, and dared each other to share their first crushes. Belle blushed but refused. Ariel accidentally admitted hers was Shang. And Snow White said that hers was someone she met at summer camp and could no longer remember.

The girls also had a spa night and watched movies, and Snow White took a selfie of everyone huddled under blankets, singing badly to a portable speaker. It was actually their lock screen picture on their phones for a year.

The rain didn’t stop until the next morning, but the girls never noticed. They just fell asleep in a puddle of sleeping bags, their heads on each other’s shoulders as they savored the joy of the weekend.

Ariel even got detention one time in junior year. It all started with her and Rapunzel painting sea creatures on the back wall of the gym- not allowed, but Ariel’s excuse?

“It was boring, and ugly. We were doing them a favor.”

The principal disagreed.

Jasmine had tried to talk him down. Aurora had tried to sneak into the office to “rescue” Ariel and Rapunzel, accidentally setting off the fire alarm in the process. Snow White brought snacks to the secretary as a distraction. Belle offered to deliver a speech about how art fostered school spirit. And Cinderella filed a fake facilities report to buy them time.

In the end, all six girls, plus Rapunzel, were in the principal’s office, and when they were asked what happened, Cinderella replied, “We acted as a unit. Punish one of us, punish us all.”

The principal sighed. “I will,” he said. “You’re on cleanup duty. Bring gloves.” The seven girls complied.

Another time shortly before their freshman year of college, the girls were on a summer road trip when between gas station stops, Jasmine disappeared into a tattoo shop called Moonstone Body Art. She then walked out with a tiny gold hoop between her nostrils, the piercing still tender.

“Impulse control?” Belle had asked.

“None,” Jasmine replied proudly. “But it’s cool anyway.”

Another time that summer, Ariel had gotten her tongue pierced after an argument with her father. She later admitted it to the other girls in a sleepover circle that night.

“I didn’t want permission,” Ariel said after she showed her friends her newest piercing. “I wanted autonomy. Still hurts, though.”

“Soup is key,” Snow White advised.

Back in the present moment, Snow White rode beside Aurora, Creampuff matching Ruby’s pace with gentle steps.

“We’ve all done such bold things,” Snow White said softly.

“Yep,” Aurora replied. “And we’re only going to continue.”

Back at the stables, the girls dismounted their pegasi and took them to the wash room to bathe them two at a time. Cleaning, talking, and loudly laughing, Cinderella and Aurora bathed Chance and Ruby.

“I think Ruby wants to be dirty,” Aurora said, wrestling Ruby away from a mud puddle.

“What’s the point of mud if you can’t play in it?” Ruby argued.

Creampuff, sparkling clean already, helped Chance rinse out his tail, while Atlas dipped his head into the rinse bucket and sent a tidal wave over him and Cinderella.

“Atlas!” Cinderella squealed, soaked and giggling.

Ariel howled with laughter, leaning against a wooden post with suds on her arms and streaks of water down her neck. Jasmine, with a towel over her shoulder, gave a mock scowl and tried to take a picture with her phone before Belle could block it with a sponge.

By the end, all six of the pegasi were gleaming, and no one could stop smiling. Aurora grabbed her phone and snapped a picture of the moment- muddy shoes, wet hair, and wide grins. She sent it to the band group chat with the caption: “Still a team… at least until rehearsal. 🧽🫧”

A single heart reaction then came in- Ariel’s.

Later on, everyone had returned to the West Wing… except Belle. She sat alone, her bass guitar placed beside her. She then picked it up and began to play part of her medley again.

“Minutes turn to hours,” she sang softly, strumming her guitar. “Days to years, then gone. But when all else has been forgotten, still our song lives on.”

The sound echoed soft and sad through the barn, causing Numair to shift. His dark eyes met hers, Belle’s fingers stilling on the strings.

“Ariel won’t listen,” Belle told Numair. “She thinks it’s too slow. Too poetic. Too… me.”

Numair stepped forward and rested his muzzle on the half door. “Then write something she can’t ignore,” he advised her.

Belle looked down at the fretboard, her thumb tracing the edge. “Or maybe I already did, and it’s still not good enough,” she sighed before standing up slowly with her guitar still in hand.

Chapter Text

That night, the rehearsal space in the West Wing was half chaos, half charm. Ariel plugged in her electric guitar, while Jasmine adjusted the mic stand next to her. Rajah was the band’s audience tonight.

“Alright, warm-up’s done,” Jasmine said. “Let’s do it.”

Belle sat on an amp, tuning her bass slowly, a stack of scribbled lyrics by her feet. She hadn’t spoken since she joined the others.

Aurora stood near her, rhythm guitar slung loose over her shoulder. “I thought we were working on the medley today,” she said.

Ariel didn’t look up. “We are, but maybe later,” she said. “So let’s do this song instead. Open mic’s this weekend, and this will crush!”

Snow White sat behind the drum kit, tapping nervously. “If I know which one you’re talking about, I don’t know if I’ve practiced it enough,” she said.

“You’ll be fine!” Ariel scoffed, flipping her hair back. “It’s not about precision, but vibe.”

Cinderella pulled the keyboard bench out. “Okay, but if Belle added more to her medley, then shouldn’t we hear that too?” she inquired.

“It’s done now. I sent a demo yesterday,” Belle said quietly.

“I didn’t open it,” Ariel replied without a hint of guilt.

The room went still. But Snow White broke the silence after giving a soft count from four, and from there, the band performed “Rain on Me” by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande.

“I didn’t ask for a free ride,” Jasmine sang. “I only asked you to show me a real good time. I never asked for the rainfall. At least I showed up, you showed me nothin’ at all. It’s coming down on me. Water like misery. It’s coming down on me. I’m ready, rain on me.

“I’d rather be dry, but at least I’m alive. Rain on me, rain, rain. Rain on me, rain, rain. I’d rather be dry, but at least I’m alive. Rain on me, rain, rain. Rain. On. Me.”

“Rain on me,” Ariel and Jasmine sang together. “Mmm, oh yeah, baby, rain on me.”

“Living in a world where no one’s innocent,” sang Ariel. “Oh, but at least we try, mmm. Gotta live my truth, not keep it bottled in. So I don’t lose my mind, baby, yeah. I can feel it on my skin.”

“It’s coming down on me!” Jasmine sang.

“Teardrops on my face,” sang Ariel.

“Water like misery!” Jasmine sang.

“Let it wash away my sins,” sang Ariel.

“It’s coming down on me!” sang Jasmine.

“Let it wash away, yeah yeah,” Ariel sang.

“I’d rather be dry, but at least I’m alive,” Ariel and Jasmine sang together. “Rain on me, rain, rain. Rain on me, rain, rain. I’d rather be dry, but at least I’m alive. Rain on me, rain, rain. Rain. On. Me. Rain on me! Rain on me. Oh yeah, yeah. Rain on me, ooh, yeah. Rain on me, rain on me, ooh. Hands up to the sky.”

“I’ll be your galaxy,” Jasmine sang.

“I’m about to fly,” both sang.

“Rain on me, tsunami,” sang Jasmine.

“Hands up to the sky,” both sang.

“I’ll be your galaxy,” Jasmine sang again.

“I’m about to fly,” both sang.

“Rain. On. Me,” sang Jasmine.

“Rain on me!” Ariel sang.

“I’d rather be dry, but at least I’m alive,” Ariel and Jasmine sang in unison. “Rain on me, rain, rain. Rain on me, rain, rain. I’d rather be dry, but at least I’m alive. Rain on me, rain, rain. Rain. On. Me. I hear the thunder coming down. Won’t you rain on me? Oh, oh, yeah!”

“Rain on, whoo!” Jasmine sang.

“I hear the thunder coming down,” sang both. “Won’t you rain on me? Oh, oh, yeah!”

“Rain. On. Me,” sang Jasmine, ending the song.

Throughout the song, Belle tried to lock in the bassline, but Ariel’s presence filled every inch of space. Belle’s part faded beneath the swell of the other instruments. Even her backing vocal was completely overpowered. She tried again in the second verse… only for Ariel and Jasmine to skip the line entirely.

“You’re not listening,” Belle replied after everyone stopped playing their instruments.

Ariel blinked. “What?” she gasped.

“You’re not listening,” Belle repeated. “To me, or anyone. This isn’t The Dreamers anymore- now this is The Ariel Show.”

“That’s rich,” snapped Ariel, dropping her mic. “Because your medley is just a patchwork of sad girl ballads that no one’s gonna dance to.”

Belle flinched. “It’s honest,” she said. “That’s what music is supposed to be.”

“And THIS is what gets people’s attention,” Ariel replied, motioning to the speakers. “It makes us memorable.”

Aurora stepped between them. “Okay, can we not argue on a school night?” she asked.

“Maybe we should take five,” said Snow White.

“I already did,” Belle said before walking out.

Snow White set her drumsticks down. “I- I’m gonna go too,” she whispered.

“Well, that went well,” Jasmine said sarcastically.

Ariel stared at the mic in her hand, her knuckles turning white. Aurora lowered the volume on the amp.

“Do you think she’s really mad?” Ariel asked quietly. “I HAVE been making this about me.”

Aurora nodded. “Yes you have,” she said. “But if anything, Belle’s hurt right now. And probably right.”

Ariel swallowed hard. This wasn’t what she meant- at all.

Just when Belle stepped outside, a car door opened, and Adam stepped out with food from Burger King in his hands- a brown paper bag in one hand, and a strawberry milkshake in the other.

“Please tell me you’re in the mood for greasy burgers and strawberry shakes,” he teased.

Belle looked up. Adam’s hoodie was too big, his jeans were too ripped, and his smile was a little too soft for someone who used to be a beast. But it was him.

“Thanks for getting dinner,” Belle said with a smile.

“Of course,” Adam replied before noticing Belle’s sadness. “Rough rehearsal?”

Belle sighed. “Do you ever feel like you’re invisible in your own place?” she asked her boyfriend.

Adam unwrapped a cheeseburger and handed it to Belle with a nod. Belle stared at it for a moment, then took a bite.

“Well, the thing is, I’m trying to write a meaningful song,” she continued. “But Ariel just wants fireworks and spotlights.”

“And you want heart,” Adam said gently. “That’s not a bad thing.”

“No, but I don’t want to compete with her,” Belle replied. “I want to connect. But today, it felt like… if I don’t play it loud, it’s not worth hearing.”

“Then write it louder,” Adam suggested. “Not because it’s her style, but because it’s your truth. Loud truth still counts.”

Belle looked down at her burger. “Then do you think I should keep writing it?” she inquired.

“In my opinion, she’d win if you stop,” said Adam.

Belle smiled. “You’re actually really good at pep talks,” she told Adam.

“I learned from the best,” Adam chuckled. “I even got you extra fries!”

Chapter Text

Later in the week, Snow White was sitting in the West Wing alone, thinking.

“I don’t feel a single thing,” she sang to herself. “Have apples done too much? Haven’t caught up with my friends in weeks, and now, we’re out of touch. I’d been driving to this school, and the world, it feels too big. Like a floating ball that’s bound to break. Snap my psyche like a twig. And I just wanna see if you feel the same as me.

“Do you ever get a little bit tired of life? Like you’re not really happy, but you don’t wanna leave? Like you’re hanging by a thread, but you gotta survive? ‘Cause you gotta survive. Like your body’s in the room, but you’re not really there. Like you have empathy inside, but you don’t really care. Like you’re fresh out of love, but it’s been in the air. Am I past repair?

“A little bit tired of trying to care when I don’t. A little bit tired of quick repairs to cope. A little bit tired of sinking, there’s water in my boat. I’m barely breathing, trying to stay afloat. So I’ve got these quick repairs to cope. Guess I’m just broken and broke.

“The showcase is on its way, with whatever song we sing. And the choice that we all make- boy, I wish that I could say. ‘Cause I just want to see if we’ll be friends anymore.

“Do you ever get a little bit tired of life? Like you’re not really happy, but you don’t wanna leave? Like you’re hanging by a thread, but you gotta survive? ‘Cause you gotta survive. Like your body’s in the room, but you’re not really there. Like you have empathy inside, but you don’t really care. Like you’re fresh out of love, but it’s been in the air. Am I past repair?

“A little bit tired of trying to care when I don’t. A little bit tired of quick repairs to cope. A little bit tired of sinking, there’s water in my boat. I’m barely breathing, trying to stay afloat. So I’ve got these quick repairs to cope.

“Do you ever get a little bit tired of life? Like you’re not really happy, but you don’t wanna leave? Like a numb little bug that’s gotta survive? That’s gotta survive.”

This wasn’t what Snow White usually let others hear, because being sweet didn’t mean being okay. But she had to get it out.

Later, Snow White went to the campus library for math tutoring, being one of Walt Disney University’s top student tutors. Just then, a student walked in that looked like a walking thunderstorm- Thor Odinson, the campus heartthrob. He was tall with long blonde hair, a well-trimmed beard, and a scar over one eye. He wore a red leather vest unzipped to reveal a white tank top underneath, showing tattoos curling around his arms- runes, wolves, and even an armband on his right forearm with overlapping lines. He also had a silver septum piercing and rocked a Mjolnir necklace and rings- he looked like he’d just returned from a heavy metal concert.

Thor suddenly looked to Snow White. “You’re Snow White?” he inquired. “Of The Dreamers?”

“That’s right, I’m the drummer,” Snow White responded.

“So… statistics,” Thor said before setting down his homework to redo. “Which is, apparently, not just guessing with numbers.”

Snow White scanned the sheet. “You’re not completely wrong,” she said. “Just completely untrained.”

“Wow, you’re more blunt than Elsa,” Thor gasped.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Snow White grinned. “So let’s get started.”

Thor slouched in his chair, squinting down at his worksheet like it was written in gibberish. Meanwhile, Snow White held a red pen in her hand, and there was nothing dainty about the look she gave him.

“Alright Thor, let’s start with the basic formula for standard deviation,” Snow White said.

“Standard what?” Thor asked.

Snow White raised a brow. “Do you want to fail this class?” she asked him.

“Honestly?” Thor replied, leaning back and grinning. “I was hoping I could just charm my way through it.”

“That won’t work on me,” said Snow White.

“Yeah,” Thor sighed. “I’m starting to get that.”

A few minutes later, Thor was still having trouble. “You keep multiplying when you’re supposed to divide,” Snow White said, pointing at his calculator. “The question’s asking for relative frequency, not sample proportion.”

Thor blinked at her. “I understood maybe half of those words,” he said.

Then, Snow White reached over, flipped his notebook around, and rewrote the equation. With a smirk, she stated, “Watch.”

Thor watched Snow White write, a little stunned. “You really know what you’re doing,” he gasped.

“Nah,” Snow White chuckled, keeping her eyes on the page. “I just pay attention. But to be honest, people assume I’m delicate. Easy. Sweet, and nothing else.”

“But you’re not,” Thor assured her.

Snow White looked up at Thor and grinned. “No, I’m not,” she said.

Slowly, Thor started getting the answers right. Now, he worked through the problems more slowly. “Okay,” he muttered. “Multiply this, subtract that, and then… divide by n minus one?”

Snow White nodded. “That’s right,” she said.

“Holy…” Thor mumbled.

Snow White smirked.

“Are you sure you’re not, like, some kind of math angel?” asked Thor.

“No, I’m just a tutor who’s spent three hours today rewriting her band’s setlist because they’re fighting like second graders over lighting cues,” Snow White answered.

Thor laughed. “Okay, I really like you,” he said.

“Don’t push it,” Snow White responded with a wink.

After finishing the session, Thor packed up his things, a little more thoughtful than usual. “Can I ask you something?” he asked Snow White as they left the library.

“Of course,” Snow White told him.

“Why do you do this?” asked Thor. “Tutoring, I mean.”

Snow White sighed sadly. “Because it’s the only time people listen to me,” she said.

Thor was quiet for a second. “Oh,” he said. “Well, know that I’m in your corner. And next time, I’ll bring donuts.”

Snow White giggled. “You think there’ll be a ‘next time’?” she teased.

“I think I’d fail without one,” Thor replied.

Snow White smiled at the boy with long blonde hair. “Then bring me a chocolate one,” she told him.

Later, Thor unlocked the door to his dorm in Revival Hall with one hand and nudged it open with his shoulder. His backpack thudded to the floor.

T’Challa, Thor’s roommate and Dr. T’Chaka’s son, was seated on the windowsill, his laptop open while lofi beats hummed softly in the background. He glanced up as Thor entered and smirked at his expression.

“Well,” T’Challa said, pausing his music, “you look like you have seen a ghost. Or fallen in love.”

Thor chuckled. “Neither,” he answered. “I got tutored. By Snow White. And she’s actually terrifying. Like… smarter than me, and sharp-witted.”

“Well, she is one of the highest scorers in her major,” T’Challa replied, amused. “You probably should not mess with her.”

“Nope,” said Thor, shaking his head.

“So, are you going back?” T’Challa inquired.

“Yes,” Thor told him. “And she told me to bring chocolate donuts.”

Over in the West Wing of Renaissance Hall that night, Snow White joined Cinderella in the kitchenette. The latter was scooping chamomile tea leaves into a teapot, her baby blue pajamas crisp and cozy.

“Well?” she asked gently.

Snow White sat at the barstool with a sigh. “Tutoring was… interesting today,” she answered.

“Who did you help today?” inquired Cinderella.

“Thor Odinson,” Snow White replied. “He was, like, really bad at it.”

“Thor?” Cinderella gasped. “He’s not the most studious student, but he’s definitely one of the most handsome.”

“And I made him write every equation twice,” Snow White added. “It really helped.”

“Was he receptive?” Cinderella asked her.

“Very,” said Snow White. “And he’ll be back with donuts.”

Cinderella laughed quietly. “That’s progress,” she said.

Snow White nodded.

“You’re more than the gentle one,” Cinderella told her.

“Exactly,” said Snow White, looking up. “I like being kind, but not being underestimated.”

Cinderella reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “Then don’t let them,” she said. “Show them.”

“Starting with math tutoring,” Snow White responded before she and Cinderella clinked their mugs gently.

Chapter Text

On Saturday, Creampuff nickered softly as the girls filed in- rehearsals weren’t until that afternoon, but anticipation already hung heavy in the air.

Ariel strode ahead, her red hair decorated with a starfish hair clip, and her teal guitar case bouncing lightly against her hip. She barely paused to greet the others before heading straight for the center of the open space.

“Alright!” Ariel called. “Let’s warm up. I was thinking we perform a solo-”

“Ariel, you’ve had the last two leads,” Belle cut in gently. “Maybe let someone else sing this time?”

Ariel blinked. “But my range fits the energy of the songs,” she said.

“That’s not the point,” Belle sighed. “We agreed to rotate. That was the plan.”

A hush settled over the stables.

Snow White and Cinderella exchanged a look. Jasmine, who’d been brushing Numair nearby, paused mid-stroke. And Aurora lowered her phone slowly, having just shown Ruby a pie recipe she’d love.

Ariel scoffed, stepping back. “I’m sorry, I thought we cared about sounding good,” she said.

“We do,” Belle said firmly. “But not at the cost of the group. The spotlight isn’t just yours, Ariel.”

“Fine,” Ariel muttered, unsnapping her guitar case with more force than necessary.

Behind them, the pegasi stirred. Atlas stomped his hoof lightly, his ears flicking with irritation. “She’s not wrong, you know,” he muttered to Jasper.

“But Belle’s not wrong either,” Jasper replied.

“Of course you’d side with her,” Atlas said.

Jasper’s ears pinned back. “Excuse me?” he asked.

Atlas snorted. “You’re always so chill until someone threatens Belle,” he said. “Then it’s all ‘watch your tone’ and passive judgment.”

“Maybe because someone has to keep you from bulldozing people like a thunderstorm with hooves,” Jasper spat.

Atlas lunged forward a step. “Say that again,” he snapped.

“Thunderstorm,” Jasper repeated evenly, “with hooves.”

Creampuff sidestepped between them before things could escalate. “Hey, not here, not now,” she warned.

Atlas huffed, his wings half-flaring, but turned away. Jasper tossed his mane and walked out of the stable entirely.

The rehearsal that day ended earlier than planned. Belle had quietly packed up her notes, while Snow White offered to help Jasmine untangle a mic cord. Cinderella gave Ariel a soft smile before following Belle out.

Ariel didn’t move. She sat in the back of the stable, her legs drawn up. Her head was bowed, her hair cascading around her face.

Then, Aurora found Ariel, sitting cross-legged beside her, but not saying anything at first.

“I don’t mean to be like this,” Ariel said quietly.

Aurora tilted her head. “Like what?” she asked.

“Selfish,” Ariel answered. “Narcissistic. Like I think I’m better than the rest of you. I just… when I’m singing, it’s the one time I feel like I belong somewhere, like my voice is something people actually want to hear.”

Aurora blinked. That wasn’t what she expected, but it explained so much.

“I’ve always been the weird one,” Ariel continued, her voice cracking a little. “Too dreamy. Too intense. Too much. Back in high school, no one took me seriously.”

Aurora sighed. “You’re not too much,” she finally said. “You’re just passionate. And when we’re passionate, sometimes it comes across as a little loud. But Belle wasn’t mad at you for wanting to sing. She was scared that you didn’t trust us enough to share the stage.”

Ariel looked up. “I do trust you guys,” she said.

“I know,” Aurora responded with a smile. “But trusting someone doesn’t mean never being afraid. It just means choosing to show up anyway.”

Ariel’s shoulders sank, and she nodded slowly. “I should talk to Belle,” she said.

“Yeah,” replied Aurora, “but not today. Today, we’ll eat microwavable mac and cheese and watch ‘Wicked’ for the millionth time.”

Ariel snorted. “With full volume singing during ‘Defying Gravity’?” she asked.

“Obviously!” Aurora said. “It’s tradition!”

Ariel finally smiled, the tension easing from her jaw. The stables no longer felt so heavy.

Later that afternoon, Belle and Cinderella ate lunch together at Nani’s Noodles in the food court. The smells of soy sauce and toasted sesame filled the air as the two girls stepped to the restaurant with food from Asia and the Pacific Islands.

“I can’t believe I’ve never been here,” Belle said as she and Cinderella walked in. “It’s one of the most popular restaurants on campus.”

Cinderella smiled, tucking her strawberry blonde hair behind one ear. “Aurora swears by the curry udon,” she said.

Behind the counter stood Nani herself- not much older than the girls, with a tattoo sleeve of hibiscus flowers, ocean waves, and sea turtles. She nodded at Belle and Cinderella with a warm, knowing smile.

“What can I get you today?” she asked them.

“I’ll have the kalua pork ramen,” Cinderella answered.

“And I’ll have the sweet and sour chicken,” Belle added.

“Coming right up,” Nani replied before scooping kalua pork ramen and sweet and sour chicken onto two separate dishes. Belle got a side of white rice with her food before she and Cinderella thanked Nani and sat at a table.

“I think I was too hard on Ariel,” Belle sighed.

Cinderella wiped a noodle off her lip. “Maybe,” she responded. “But you were honest. And it came from wanting the group to work.”

“She thinks I don’t like her voice,” Belle said.

“Do you?” asked Cinderella.

“I love her voice,” Belle answered immediately. “That’s the thing. It’s raw and fearless. I just… worry that she doesn’t hear anyone else’s.”

“She’s starting to,” Cinderella assured the brown-haired girl. “She’s not the only one growing.”

Belle smiled. “We’re a work in progress, huh?” she chuckled.

“We’re a whole band of works in progress,” Cinderella corrected. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Belle and Cinderella clinked fountain drinks before continuing to eat.

That night, Atlas stood alone in his stall. Across the aisle, Jasper leaned against the wall, staring down at spilled feed. Neither had spoken since their argument.

Finally, Atlas broke the silence. “You said I was acting just like her,” he said.

Jasper looked up. “You were flying off the handle, man,” he said. “You weren’t thinking.”

“She’s got fire,” Atlas sighed. “That doesn’t mean we don’t care about anyone else.”

“I know,” said Jasper. “But sometimes, you get caught up. You and Ariel- you push yourselves hard. Sometimes too hard.”

Atlas’s wings dropped slightly.

Jasper stepped forward. “But you both shine just as you are,” he said.

Atlas gave a soft snort, his head lowering. Jasper stepped close, resting his forehead against Atlas’s.

“I’ve got your back, man,” Jasper whispered.

“Same,” said Atlas. “Sorry I snapped.”

“I’ve seen worse,” Jasper grinned. “Remember the phoenix incident?”

Atlas groaned playfully. “Please never bring that up again,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ariel sat on her bed, the soft blue throw blanket wrapped around her shoulders as her laptop glowed in front of her. But she wasn’t watching anything. Instead, she was typing something raw and real.

“I don’t mean to take up all the space,” she typed. “I just don’t know how to be quiet without disappearing. But you know what? Maybe it’s not about shrinking. Maybe it’s about singing beside someone, not over them.”

Ariel’s fingers paused. She didn’t title the document, not yet. But she didn’t delete it either.

Then, there was a knock on the door- Aurora’s. “Hey, it’s me,” she said softly.

Ariel hesitated, then opened the door. “I’ve been kind of a nightmare, huh?” she whispered.

Aurora smiled sadly. “No,” she said. “Just loud.”

Ariel’s throat tightened. “I don’t want to lose you girls,” she sobbed.

“Then let us in,” Aurora replied.

The two girls stood in silence for a moment, the silence heavier than the words spoken. Then Aurora turned, her blonde hair swishing over her shoulder.

“Rehearsal tomorrow?” she asked.

Ariel nodded. “Yeah,” she said.

As the door clicked shut behind Aurora, Ariel finally titled her document, “Feelings.”

Chapter Text

Jasmine didn’t sleep much.

She stayed awake long after the others had drifted off, the faint buzz of streetlights humming beyond the dorm window. Her phone kept lighting up with the same message:

DJ MAUI: You’re the star, Jasmine! Let’s get you in the studio, solo.

Now, morning sunlight spilled across the kitchen island as the girls started making coffee and doing homework. Belle and Aurora were already seated with their laptops, working through papers about the evolution of morals in literature and how the French language connected the Quebec region of Canada, respectively.

Jasmine leaned against the doorway, dressed in joggers and a cropped band tee, twirling her phone in her hand.

“Something up?” Belle asked, looking up gently.

Jasmine hesitated. “I got a message last night,” she said.

“From whom?” asked Aurora.

“DJ Maui,” Jasmine answered.

Aurora’s eyes widened. “THE DJ Maui?” she gasped.

Jasmine nodded slowly. “He wants me to record a solo track,” she explained. “Produce it, even. He said he’s been watching some of our rehearsal clips and thinks I have a futuristic vibe.”

Belle shut her laptop. “Wait- solo?” she inquired.

“Yeah,” Jasmine sighed, “without the band.”

There was silence. Then, Belle asked, “What did you tell him?”

“I didn’t tell him anything,” said Jasmine. “I… I don’t know what to do.”

“But you’re thinking about it,” said Belle.

“Wouldn’t you?” Jasmine snapped. “Just a little?”

Belle opened her mouth to respond, then shut it again. She then grabbed her things and left the West Wing.

Jasmine stood still, feeling a lump in her throat. Then, Cinderella handed her a blueberry muffin.

“You’re allowed to want things,” Cinderella said. “And if this is what you truly want, you have my support.”

“But it’s what I’ll have to give up to get it,” Jasmine cried before leaving.

Jasmine slipped out of Renaissance Hall with her earbuds in and wandered down the path behind the stables. The morning dew was still in the air, and Atlas let out a good-morning snort as she passed by his paddock. But Jasmine wasn’t sure where she was going until she spotted someone riding Creampuff- not Snow White, but a boy wearing a brown hoodie and sneakers.

“Something wrong?” the boy, Finn, asked as he rode up to Jasmine.

Jasmine gave a small smile. “Was it that obvious?” she asked.

“You’ve got the conflicted look going on,” Finn said. “Need a second opinion?”

“Sure,” Jasmine sighed. “I’ll get Numair ready.”

And so, Jasmine tacked up Numair and rode alongside Finn on Creampuff. “DJ Maui wants me to go solo,” Jasmine explained. “None of the other girls. Just me.”

Finn nodded, listening.

“And part of me wants to,” continued Jasmine. “I mean, it’s DJ Maui. He’s huge. This could change everything for me.”

“But?” Finn asked.

Jasmine looked out towards the creek on the trail. “But I don’t want to step on the girls,” she said. “Especially not Belle. We started this together, and it was never about just me.”

Finn was quiet for a moment, fiddling with Creampuff’s reins. Then: “I used to be a Stormtrooper. FN-2187.”

Jasmine blinked. “I didn’t know that,” she softly gasped.

“I left the First Order because I realized I could make choices for myself,” Finn explained. “But then I met Rey, Poe, and Rose, and I realized that freedom doesn’t mean flying solo. It means fighting for something bigger than you.”

Jasmine swallowed hard. “So you’re saying I should stay with the band?” she asked.

“What I’m saying is, you’re already the star, Jazz,” Finn replied. “But you also care about your friends.”

After the trail ride, Jasmine stood alone in her bedroom, phone in hand. She’d typed and retyped the message four times before finally pressing send.

JASMINE: hey- thank you so much for the offer. i’m honored, truly. but i have a band, and we’re just getting started. i can’t walk away from that. hope you understand. 🙏

DJ Maui’s reply came quickly.

DJ MAUI: Mad respect. That loyalty? That’s rare. Hit me up anytime. I’ll be watching.

Jasmine smiled. Then she walked out to join the others at the food court, where Ariel had gotten food from Pizza Planet and Snow White had once again stopped for the breakfast food at Happy’s.

No one said anything until Belle looked up. “So, what did you decide?” she asked.

“I’m staying,” Jasmine answered. “If you’ll still have me.”

Belle smiled. “Thank you,” she said.

“Besides, we stick together,” Jasmine responded, holding Belle’s and Cinderella’s hands.

Later that day, the girls split up- some heading back to the West Wing, others going to campus buildings to do homework. Jasmine wandered out into the courtyard with no real plan, scrolling aimlessly on her phone until Mulan’s voice called out from across the lawn.

“Hey Jasmine, you look upset,” Mulan said with Rapunzel at her side. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” Jasmine replied automatically, but the way they both tilted their heads told her that she wasn’t fooling anyone.

Within minutes, they had settled on a bench together. Mulan leaned forward. “I once turned down a huge promotion because I didn’t want to leave my squad behind,” she explained. “People said I was crazy, but loyalty isn’t weakness. It’s a choice to stand by the people you believe in.”

Rapunzel nodded, her long braid swaying. “And I was offered a restaurant’s commission for my paintings, but it would’ve meant giving up my community art classes,” she said. “I said no. Best decision I ever made.”

Jasmine stared at her sandals. “I just… worried that saying no would make me look like I wasn’t serious about music,” she said.

“Or,” Mulan countered, “it shows you’re serious about your band.”

Rapunzel smiled. “The right people will respect that,” she said.

For the first time since the trail ride with Finn, Jasmine felt the knot in her chest loosen. “Thanks girls,” she said before they hugged.

That evening, Tiana invited Jasmine, her friends, and even Rajah to the dorm she shared with Moana, Raya, and Asha to spend the night. Poking their heads into the kitchenette, Rajah and The Dreamers found Moana slicing fresh mangoes while Tiana slid a pan of praline brownies out of the oven. The counter was a battlefield of flour and sticky spoons.

“Perfect timing,” Moana said, holding up a mango like a trophy. “You guys are our impartial judges.”

“Impartial?” Tiana asked, raising a brow. “You know they’re gonna pick me, sugar.”

Cinderella laughed and took her job seriously- tasting Moana’s mango pineapple smoothie first, then Tiana’s brownies. “Moana’s smoothie is like tropical sunshine in a glass,” she said, “but these brownies taste like they were made by someone who knows magic.”

Tiana grinned in triumph, while Moana pretended to pout before smiling too.

“So you both win,” Cinderella stated.

“Sweet! Literally!” Moana cheered.

“Y’all are welcome to spend the night,” said Tiana. “Asha’s got extra blankets, I’m makin’ hot cocoa later, and Moana has an air mattress the size of a canoe.”

“Alright, we’re in,” Aurora said before she, the rest of The Dreamers, Tiana, Moana, Raya, and Asha ended up talking for nearly an hour, laughter bouncing off the walls. Meanwhile, the girls had more brownies and more smoothies, and Belle chopped vegetables to make late-night wraps.

At midnight, sleeping bags and blankets covered the common area floor as “Miss Congeniality” played in the background. But Jasmine wasn’t able to sleep, so she padded into the dimly lit kitchenette. Raya was there, pouring hot water into two mugs, while Asha sat on the couch with a sketchbook on her knees, her goat, Valentino, looking on.

“Can’t sleep?” asked Raya.

“Nope,” Jasmine groaned.

Raya held up one of the mugs. “Jasmine tea for Jasmine,” she said. “It felt like fate.”

“Thank you,” Jasmine said before taking the mug from Raya.

Asha didn’t say much. She just offered a soft smile before going back to sketching constellations. Jasmine sat beside her, her hands wrapped around the steaming cup and letting the silence settle around them. And so, Jasmine spent the next few moments quietly talking with Raya and Asha and petting Valentino.

“Feeling better?” Asha asked softly, her belly button piercing with dangling star and moon crescent charms peeking out of her pajama top.

Jasmine thought about it- the trail ride, the talk with Mulan and Rapunzel, turning down the offer, and how easy it would’ve been to let ambition push her into something she didn’t believe in. So she smiled faintly.

“Yeah,” she finally answered. “I am.”

Then, Raya came over with her own mug and sat on the rug. “Then you’ll need this for celebration,” she said, sliding a plate of leftover brownies towards Jasmine.

The three girls, as well as Valentino, stayed up until nearly 2 AM, sipping tea, sharing brownies, and trading quiet stories under the soft glow of the kitchenette light. And by the time she went back to bed, Jasmine knew with certainty that she made the right choice in declining the offer.

Chapter Text

Monday mornings had a way of dragging on, and the last class of the day wasn’t helping. At Ariel and Belle’s academic writing class, the lecture hall was warm, and the professor’s voice had settled into a steady rhythm that made it tempting to zone out.

Ariel sat two rows back from Belle, drawing waves in the margins of her notes- half listening, half waiting for class to be over. Meanwhile, Belle moved her pen over her notebook in neat, controlled strokes. And Asha sat between them, shifting in her seat every so often like she could feel the tension radiating from both sides.

As Ariel sat at her desk, she caught a glimpse of Asha’s lower back tattoo- a constellation tattoo dedicated to her deceased father- and immediately got an idea. The moment class was dismissed, the room filled with the usual shuffle of notebooks and zipping backpacks. Ariel slung her bag over her shoulder before anyone else had even stood up.

“I’ll catch you later,” she said quickly, her tone light but her pace brisk as she threaded through the crowd.

Belle adjusted her bag. “She didn’t even-” she said before cutting herself off.

“Maybe she’s just busy,” Asha said gently. But even she didn’t sound entirely convinced.

Ariel didn’t slow down until she was outside, breathing in the late afternoon air. The parking lot was a maze of cars, and she found hers quickly. She knew where she was going before she even opened the door.

Sirens & Ink sat on a quiet side street, the shop’s windows painted with stylized mermaids and curling waves. Inside, the familiar scene of disinfectant settled over her.

“Back again?” Ariel’s tattoo artist, Wasabi, asked, smiling from behind the counter.

Ariel nodded and slid her phone towards him. “An anchor, just like this,” she responded. “Right thigh.”

“Bold placement,” Wasabi said approvingly, sketching the design out while she settled into the chair.

The buzz of the tattoo machine filled the room soon enough. It was sharp at first, then settled into a constant hum. During the process, Ariel fixed her gaze on a framed photo across the wall- a sailboat on the open sea- and let the sting of the needle wash away thoughts of Belle’s criticism and the lack of interaction without arguing nowadays.

When Wasabi finally wiped up the last trace of ink and covered the fresh tattoo with protective wrap, Ariel exhaled slowly. The anchor sat there on her thigh, crisp and solid- something to hold onto.

At the stables, Chance pawed at the straw in his stall, his ears twitching towards the sound of footsteps down the hall.

“They didn’t even talk after class,” he said under his breath.

Dewdrop flicked her wings. “I heard,” she said. “Belle went one way, Ariel went the other.”

Icicle huffed, pacing. “That’s not how it’s supposed to be,” he said. “Riders stick together.”

“Icicle, relax,” Vanilla said. “You’re gonna work yourself up.”

“Then maybe we need to do something,” Creampuff said firmly.

“Creampuff’s right,” Chance said, lifting his head like a commander about to call a meeting. “A divided team can’t fly straight.”

From there, the pegasi held a meeting. “We can’t just wait for things to fix themselves,” Jasper said. “It’s time to take action.”

Ruby flicked her mane, her eyes sharp. “Dude, they’re acting like strangers,” she said. “It’s driving me crazy.”

Atlas nodded slowly. “And Jasper and I had a spat earlier- maybe the tension’s rubbing off on us too,” he piped in.

“Can’t they just hug it out or something?” asked Seastorm.

Numair shifted, his gaze steady and serious. “It’s not that simple, Seastorm,” he said. “The fractures are real. So they can’t just ‘hug it out.’”

Timber sighed. “Maybe this is more than rider squabbles,” he said. “Their emotions run deep, like the roots of a tree.”

Peony nodded. “I’m in,” she said. “If they trust us, maybe we can help them trust each other again.”

Vanilla’s eyes gleamed with curiosity. “I say we mix in a new experience- shake things up so they can find their way back,” she suggested.

Lantern stretched his great yellow and purple wings with a graceful sweep. “And art,” he added. “A little creativity always mends what’s broken.”

Forest looked up timidly. “I think… I think we can remind them why they started The Dreamers in the first place,” he said.

“Sure, let’s make it fun!” said Jasper.

“We’re going to protect the girls,” Icicle spoke up. “Support them. And help them before it’s too late.”

Atlas shuffled his hooves. “And maybe sing too? I can try,” he asked.

Dewdrop’s eyes narrowed with resolve. “We’ll show them the way,” she said, “no matter how stubborn they get.”

And Orion, the anxious astrologer, scanned the sky beyond the stable windows. “This is our moment,” he said.

Chance raised his head, the quiet authority in his voice making everyone else pay attention. “Alright, team,” he said, “here’s the plan. We keep tabs on their moods and look for chances to bring them together. The rest of you stay ready to support when needed.”

“I’ll keep the kitchen stocked with treats,” said Creampuff. “Sometimes, that’s what brings out the best in people.”

The pegasi exchanged glances, a silent agreement passing between them.

Meanwhile in Creampuff’s stall, her whisk never slowed. Flour puffed into the air as she moved with purpose, baking batch after batch to fill the void left by the silence- chocolate chip cookies, lemon blueberry muffins, cinnamon rolls, you name it.

And when Cinderella dropped by for a quick visit, she paused by Creampuff’s stall, inhaling the warm, sugary air.

“Creampuff,” she said softly, “this smells amazing.”

Creampuff smiled, setting down a tray. “It’s the least I can do,” she said.

Later, Creampuff wiped her flour-dusted hooves on the “apron station” of her stall door, her eyes tired but focused as she pulled another tray of cinnamon rolls out of the oven.

Then, Chance’s calm voice broke the silence. “Creampuff,” he said gently, “you’re doing more than just baking.”

Creampuff glanced over her shoulder, a small smile flickering. “Is that so?” she asked.

Chance nodded. “You’re holding us all together, even if they don’t see it yet,” he said.

“Sometimes, it feels like the only thing I can do,” Creampuff sighed sadly.

Chance nudged her shoulder with his muzzle. “It’s enough,” he said. “We’ll get through this- together.”

Creampuff looked up at Chance, grateful. “Thank you, Chance,” she said.

“Anytime,” Chance replied before going back to his stall.

At that moment, the barn doors swung open, and in walked three boys- John Smith, Pocahontas’s boyfriend, Eugene Fitzherbert, Rapunzel’s boyfriend, and Shang. They came to ride after a group project in the library.

“Well, look at this moody bunch,” Eugene said, walking up to Atlas, the pegasus he rode. “You know, brooding looks way better on me, right?”

“Nah,” Atlas nickered before nosing Eugene’s pockets and bumping his head against his shoulder.

“I didn’t bring snacks today, legend,” Eugene laughed, but grinning and pulling out a red apple. “Okay, maybe I did.”

Across the aisle, John stood beside Numair, running a brush down the black stallion’s shimmering coat. “You’ve been tense,” John murmured. “What’s going on in that brilliant mind of yours?”

“It’s the girls,” Numair sighed.

“I see,” John sighed. “I’ve noticed too. But sometimes, it’s good to just… do something simple. Be here.”

Meanwhile, Shang had approached Ruby’s stall. Apart from Aurora, the pink pegasus also had a strong bond with Shang. “Sup, Shang?” she asked, pressing her forehead to his chest.

“I’m just fine,” whispered Shang. “How are you holding up, girl?”

“We’re doing what we can to keep the peace,” Ruby answered.

Shang kissed Ruby on the nose. “Good,” he said. “Aurora needs you.”

Eugene caught the kiss out of the corner of his eye and smirked. “Aww!” he told Shang. “That’s the softest I’ve ever seen you, Shang.”

Shang shot him a look, but didn’t deny it. “She’s taking care of Aurora,” he said. “She always has.”

Creampuff poked her head out from her stall door, flour on her snout. She watched the scene silently, her eyes a little misty. Even if The Dreamers were still in conflict, it meant a lot to know the pegasi had more than one rider to lean on.

After John, Eugene, and Shang tacked up Numair, Atlas, and Ruby, they went on a trail ride together. For a long while, no one spoke, but then Eugene broke the silence.

“So… the thing with the girls,” he said as he fiddled with Atlas’s reins. “It’s bigger than we thought.”

John gave a slow nod. “Yeah,” he said. “You can feel it in the air. Like a storm that hasn’t hit yet.”

Shang looked down at Ruby’s magenta mane from atop her back. “I don’t know all the details,” he said. “But even Ruby’s been quieter.”

“Atlas too,” said Eugene. “Usually, he’s out collecting seashells. But today? He barely went out.”

“I think they’re all hurting,” John responded, adjusting Numair’s reins. “But like their riders, they aren’t saying it.”

The trail curved slightly, the forest thickening. The pegasi stepped over roots and dodged low branches with practiced ease.

Eugene sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “You think the boyfriends know what’s going on?” he asked. “I mean… Florian, Charming, Phillip, Eric, Adam, Aladdin- those guys have been through just as much. But emotional stuff like this? That’s new.”

Atlas smiled. “Eric’s probably trying to cheer Ariel up with sea shanties and s’mores,” he said.

Ruby laughed. “Adam’s probably getting food from Burger King more often,” she responded.

“And Florian’s definitely writing a letter to someone about it,” added Numair.

“But it’s hard,” said Eugene. “Wanting to help, but knowing they have to figure it out themselves.”

“Like Pocahontas says, we just gotta be steady, like the river,” John said, patting Numair’s neck. “Show up. Give them space, but stay close.”

Shang nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “That’s what their pegasi are already doing. And honestly, I think we could learn a lot from them.”

Chapter Text

Ultimately, tensions got to a point where Belle made a difficult decision. The group chat pinged.

BELLE HAS LEFT THE CONVERSATION.

No message. No explanation. Just silence.

Cinderella stared at her phone, blinking. Snow White leaned against her doorframe, glancing from the screen to Ariel. Aurora was close to tears. And Jasmine sat perfectly still, her stomach dropping as if she was on a rollercoaster.

Back in her room, Belle shut off her phone, inhaling deeply. Her hands were clenched, but her voice was calm as she told herself, “I’m allowed to stand up for myself.”

She turned to the mirror, her eyes steady. Then she prepared to sing what was in her heart.

“Am I ready?” she asked herself. “Yes.”

Belle took a deep breath, singing “Confident” by Demi Lovato- it matched exactly how she felt right now.

“It’s time for me to take it,” she sang. “I’m the boss right now. Not gonna fake it, not when you go down. ‘Cause this is my game, and you better come to play. I used to hold my freak back, now I’m letting go. I make my own choice now, I run this show. So leave the lights on. No, you can’t make me behave.

“So, you say I’m complicated. That I must be out of my mind. But you’ve had me underrated, rated, rated! Uh-huh!

“What’s wrong with being, what’s wrong with being, what’s wrong with being confident? Uh-huh. What’s wrong with being, what’s wrong with being, what’s wrong with being confident? Uh-huh!

“It’s time to get the chains out, is your tongue tied up? ‘Cause this is my ground, and I’m dangerous. And you can get off, but it’s all about me tonight!

“So, you say I’m complicated. That I must be out of my mind. But you’ve had me underrated, rated, rated! Uh-huh!

“What’s wrong with being, what’s wrong with being, what’s wrong with being confident? Uh-huh. What’s wrong with being, what’s wrong with being, what’s wrong with being confident? Uh-huh!”

Belle repeated the latter verse another time as she knocked notebooks off her desk. “So, you say I’m complicated,” she sang after all the notebooks were on the ground. “But you’ve had me underrated. Yeah, yeah!”

Belle then sang four times, “What’s wrong with being, what’s wrong with being, what’s wrong with being confident?”

Belle stood in the middle of the room and sang to end her song, “Confident!”

Meanwhile, the recording room in the library was empty when Ariel set up her things. The lamp beside her cast warm light on her red hair, making it almost glow against the cool night outside.

Ariel didn’t look at the door. She didn’t check her phone. She just adjusted the microphone and whispered to herself, “Like in that document… just to be honest.”

Ariel hit record before singing “Feelings” by Lennon Stella.

“Did you forget when I tried to settle you down and talk it through?” Ariel sang. “You said your worst and I hurt you. And I hurt till you turned around. When I said ‘stay’ without a sound. When I said ‘wait, just hear me out.’ And you said nothing.

“Now you reach out your hands. You know it’s late, and I understand. You thought I’d wait.

“I don’t wanna talk about your feelings. I don’t wanna listen as you feel them. Didn’t someone teach you when you leave what you have, you can’t take it back? Oh no, it doesn’t work like that. Feelings. Could set me back if I believed them. Didn’t someone teach you when you leave what you have, you can’t take it back? Oh no, it doesn’t work like that.

“I guess they’ve always come around, tell you everything they’ve found, tell you you’re the only one who can save them, tell you they’re different now. Blame it on the timing, like the planets not aligning. I guess they feel it when it’s gone, when you’re finally moving on, when they know you stopped believing. They’ll never be what you want, they blame it on the timing, when they’ve found their silver lining.

“Then they reach out their hands. They know it’s late, and you understand. They thought you’d wait.

“I don’t wanna talk about your feelings. I don’t wanna listen as you feel them. Didn’t someone teach you when you leave what you have, you can’t take it back? Oh no, it doesn’t work like that. Feelings. Could set me back if I believed them. Didn’t someone teach you when you leave what you have, you can’t take it back? Oh no, it doesn’t work like that.

“I wish you’d known then what you say you know now, but you didn’t. So I don’t wanna talk about your feelings. I don’t wanna listen as you feel them. Didn’t someone teach you when you leave what you have, you can’t take it back? Oh no, it doesn’t work like that. Feelings. Could set me back if I believed them. Didn’t someone teach you when you leave what you have, you can’t take it back? Oh no, it doesn’t work like that.

“I guess they’ve always come around, tell you everything they’ve found, tell you you’re the only one who can save them, tell you they’re different now. Blame it on the timing, like the planets not aligning. I guess they feel it when it’s gone, when you’re finally moving on, when they know you stopped believing. They’ll never be what you want, then they blame it on the timing, when they’ve found their silver lining.”

Ariel’s voice carried the ache from her earlier document- the one she’d written some time ago, where she spilled her heart out on paper. Each lyric was a mirror of that raw confession.

When she finished, the room stayed silent. No applause, no reaction. Ariel uploaded the file to her private page without a caption, closed her laptop, and hugged her knees to her chest.

Back at the dorm, Snow White sat on her bed, scrolling through old photos of The Dreamers- concerts, rehearsals, high school days, vacations, and freshman year of college. She lingered on one where Belle and Ariel took a selfie with her following a baking disaster, grinning at the camera. So Snow White typed out a message.

SNOW WHITE: Belle, Ariel, I miss you both. I know we’re all figuring stuff out, but I love you two. Always.

Her thumb hovered over “send” for a brief moment before she tapped it. Then she set her phone aside and sadly stared at the ceiling.

Tuesday came too soon. Cinderella stepped into her songwriting II class that afternoon with her hair pulled into a ponytail, notebook tucked under one arm. Usually, she had a smile for everyone, but today, she just made a beeline for her seat.

Rey, who sat two desks away, noticed instantly. “Hey,” she said as Cinderella set her things down. “Is everything okay with your band?”

Cinderella froze halfway through opening her notebook. She gave Rey a polite smile- the kind you give when you don’t want to delve too deep- and said, “Yeah, just tired.”

Rey didn’t look convinced, but she let it go. And soon enough, class began as Mr. Roger started talking about chord progression variations. Normally, Cinderella’s pen would fly across the page as she took notes, but today, she just tapped her pencil against her desk. When it came time for a group exercise, she missed her cue entirely, forcing her partner, Isabela Madrigal, to nudge her back to attention.

As the class packed up, Isabela lingered. “If you ever need to talk… you know, I’ve been in these conflicts before,” she said.

Cinderella just nodded and slipped out, clutching her notebook a little tighter.

At dinner, Pocahontas, Anna, Elsa, and Merida sat together. “The Dreamers have been my friends for so long,” said Pocahontas. “It’s hard to see them like this.”

Anna wrapped her arms around herself. “I miss the way they used to be- laughing and planning and dreaming together,” she responded. “Now, even when we pass by them, there are walls between them.”

Elsa took a bite of her chocolate ice cream. “Sometimes when people get hurt, they retreat,” she said. “It’s their way of protecting themselves.”

Merida sighed, tossing a loose curl from her face. “I’m no stranger to stubbornness and fighting,” she said. “But this… this is worth the struggle.”

The four sat in silence, each lost in thought.

Pocahontas finally said, “We may not be The Dreamers, but we can still help. Maybe we can remind them that they’re not alone.”

Anna nodded. “How about we make a plan then? To show them we’re here, no matter what,” she said.

Elsa smiled gently. “Then let’s bring in reinforcements- Tiana, Asha, Mulan, Rapunzel, Moana, maybe Raya?” she asked.

“They’d be perfect,” said Anna.

Merida grinned. “Count me in too,” she said. “We’ll be their backup, their voice of reason… or their wild card, if they need it.”

Pocahontas, Merida, Anna, and Elsa shared a quiet laugh, the food court’s noise pushing back the stress just a little.

That night, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, Anna, Elsa, Moana, Raya, and Asha sent some of their animal friends- Rapunzel’s chameleon Pascal, Moana’s pig Pua, and Valentino- to the West Wing to send The Dreamers short notes, each one a message of hope.

“Remember who you are. We’re here for you. - Rapunzel”

“No storm lasts forever- you’re stronger than you know. - Mulan”

“We miss the harmony! Let’s find it again, together. - Anna”

“Friends are the family we choose. Never forget that. - Raya”

Pascal, Pua, and Valentino each carried two notes, Pascal taking one of his to Aurora and Snow White’s bedroom as they slept.

When Aurora woke up the following morning, she saw the note on her nightstand. Curious, she picked it up and unfolded the paper. She got Mulan’s message!

A warmth spread through Aurora’s chest, a soft reminder that she wasn’t alone, and that friendship was still alive even when things felt broken. So smiling faintly, Aurora tucked the note into her folder and whispered, “Thanks, Mulan.”

Meanwhile, Pascal, Pua, and Valentino trotted off, proud of their mission, and their tiny feet and hooves carrying the weight of strong hope.

Chapter Text

Later that day, the pegasi were giving a riding lesson to a mixture of heroes, warriors, and dreamers. Eric rode Creampuff, Ahsoka Tano rode Chance, Wanda Maximoff rode Ruby, Clint rode Atlas, Natasha Romanoff rode Jasper, Sam Wilson rode Numair, Stephen Strange rode Timber, Kate Bishop rode Peony, Poe Dameron rode Mystery, Elena Castillo Flores rode Lantern, Wade Wilson rode Forest, T’Challa’s sister Shuri rode Vanilla, Thor rode Icicle, Isabela’s sister Mirabel rode Seastorm, Kida rode Dewdrop, and Reed Richards rode Orion.

Wade even dramatically narrated his own ride from Forest’s back: “Today, I ride with Timothée Chalamet… into destiny! Or another detention. Same thing.”

“Please stop calling me that,” Forest groaned.

“What?” Wade replied. “I can’t help it!”

But after class ended and the riders dismounted, each pegasus lingered in their stalls. The lesson was over, but they weren’t finished yet.

As the riders regrouped near the stables, chatting in low voices about maneuvers, schedules, and the persistent tension among The Dreamers, Thor and Elena hung with the pegasi just a moment longer. Elena turned toward Lantern after removing his tack, stroking his cheek.

“You are as radiant as ever, pegaso,” Elena said before giving Lantern a hug.

Meanwhile, Thor was giving apple slices to all the pegasi for a job well done. When he got to Peony, she nickered and tilted her head. So after Thor gave Peony her apple slice, he kissed her muzzle.

“Stay fierce, brave one,” Thor whispered.

“I will,” Peony replied. “Thanks, Thor. That means a lot.”

When Thor and Elena returned to the rest of the group, they heard Mirabel telling Reed about a new saddle pad she’d made for Seastorm, while Clint and Poe were quietly comparing their next flying drills. But beneath the surface, the elephant in the room was still The Dreamers- and what their fate might be. None of the riders mentioned it openly, yet they all felt it.

Once the riders had left, the pegasi turned to each other- another meeting was in session.

Chance stepped forward. “I’m calling another meeting to order,” he said, his voice low and steady. “Because The Dreamers’ conflict is only getting worse.”

“How can we resolve this?” asked Atlas.

“Easy! With snacks,” Jasper said. “I got anything they could ever want. Oatmeal creme pies, cheese puffs-”

“Jasper, this is serious!” Ruby scolded.

“The point is, they’re hurting,” Jasper continued, turning serious. “And it’s not just the band. It’s deeper.”

Peony nodded in agreement. “Ariel hasn’t practiced for three days,” she piped in. “And Belle left the group chat.”

“So what do we do?” asked Mystery.

“We’ll form a pact,” Chance said, lifting his wings slightly. “Right here, right now. If our girls are hurting, we’ll help them heal. Which means that all of us will have to get involved.”

“I support the motion,” Numair replied, nodding.

“Seconded,” Dewdrop added.

“Then we’ll keep a closer eye on the girls,” Chance continued. “This meeting is adjourned.”

Somewhere on campus, Jasmine stared at her phone and nearly opened a message thread with Ariel. Mystery’s heart fluttered.

Jasmine tapped the screen once, hesitating as the thread slid into the view. The small profile picture shimmered back at her, and for a moment, her thumb hovered over the unread messages. Her brows knit in deep thought, then she sighed and locked the screen again, sliding her phone into her pocket.

Mystery frowned. ‘Maybe she’s not ready yet,’ she thought.

Later in the day, Snow White lingered between Creampuff and Seastorm. Both pegasi lowered their heads towards her like they could sense the weight she was carrying.

“I don’t know what to do,” Snow White said, stroking Seastorm’s coral mane. “It feels like no matter what I say, it’ll come out wrong. And I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

“You’re doing just fine,” Creampuff assured her before she saw Cinderella ride away on Chance. “Where’s Cindy going?”

“I’m not sure,” Snow White sighed.

Meanwhile, Cinderella and Chance took flight so the former could clear her head. Another day, another argument… and she was tired of it. And so, she began to sing “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus.

“I can almost see it, that dream I’m dreaming,” Cinderella sang as she rode. “But there’s a voice inside my head saying, ‘you’ll never reach it.’ Every step I’m taking, every move I make feels lost with no direction. My faith is shaking. But I, I gotta keep trying. Gotta keep my head held high.

“There’s always gonna be another mountain. I’m always gonna wanna make it move. Always gonna be an uphill battle, sometimes I’m gonna have to lose. Ain’t about how fast I get there. Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side. It’s the climb!”

Cinderella and Chance ascended past the rooftops into an open stretch of sky. The cool wind whipped Cinderella’s hair as she sang and looked down at the sprawling land below.

“The struggles I’m facing, the chances I’m taking sometimes might knock me down, but no, I’m not breaking,” Cinderella kept singing. “I may not know it, but these are the moments that I’m gonna remember most, yeah. Just gotta keep going. And I, I gotta be strong. Just keep pushing on, ‘cause-

“There’s always gonna be another mountain. I’m always gonna wanna make it move. Always gonna be an uphill battle, sometimes I’m gonna have to lose. Ain’t about how fast I get there. Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side. It’s the climb! Yeah!

“There’s always gonna be another mountain. I’m always gonna wanna make it move. Always gonna be an uphill battle, sometimes I’m gonna have to lose!”

Then, Chance glided through drifting clouds as the scenery changed- he and Cinderella passed over snowy peaks, sparkling rivers, and warm, golden fields.

“Ain’t about how fast I get there,” sang Cinderella. “Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side. It’s the climb! Yeah, yeah. Keep on moving, keep climbing. Keep the faith, baby. It’s all about, it’s all about the climb! Keep your faith, keep your faith! Woah!”

Cinderella leaned low against Chance’s neck, almost whispering the lyrics, her voice thick with emotion. Then, the ride slowed, and they hovered at a sunset. Cinderella saw the last of the sun dip into the hills and smiled- she was ready to keep going.

“Thank you, Chance,” Cinderella whispered to Chance before they flew back to Walt Disney University.

The sky was a soft blend of gold and lavender as Cinderella and Chance landed with effortless grace. After Cinderella dismounted, Snow White grinned and said, “We were wondering where you’d gone.”

“Just exploring,” Cinderella answered, out of breath.

Then, a freshman named Kamala Khan approached, her eyes wide with awe. “That was amazing!” she cheered. “You looked like you were flying higher than the clouds. Like nothing could touch you.”

Cinderella turned, a small smile breaking through her tired expression. “Sometimes, you have to go higher just to remember what the ground feels like,” she said.

Kamala nodded, her voice full of wonder. “I don’t get everything about WDU yet, but up there, you looked free,” she continued. “Really free. I want to fly like that someday.”

Snow White stepped closer to Cinderella, resting a reassuring hand on her arm. “You don’t have to carry it all alone, you know,” she said.

Cinderella exhaled, grateful for the support. “Thank you,” she said. “I needed to hear that.”

Chance nuzzled Cinderella’s cheek to remind her one more time that she was never alone. And Cinderella hugged him back, full of relief.

Meanwhile at the campus pond, Ariel sat at the edge of the dock, her legs dangling above the water as her electric guitar rested beside her. Her fingers absentmindedly traced patterns on her shorts as she stared into the sky.

Suddenly, Eric approached quietly so as not to startle her. He sat down beside his girlfriend, offering a gentle smile.

“I’ve been looking for you,” he said softly.

Ariel sighed. “I just needed some space,” she said. “Everything’s so… loud right now.”

Eric nodded in understanding. “You don’t have to be the loudest to be heard, you know,” he said.

Ariel looked at him, a flicker of doubt in her eyes. “But sometimes, I feel that I have to be,” she replied. “To keep the band together, to keep everyone happy.”

Eric took Ariel’s hand and kissed it. “You’re not responsible for other people’s happiness, Ariel,” he said gently. “You’re enough just as you are.”

Ariel’s shoulders relaxed. “Thanks, Eric,” she told her boyfriend. “It means a lot to hear that.”

Over at the campus library, Belle and Adam sat at a table with piles of books. Belle’s notebook was open, filled with scribbles and crossed-out lines.

“I don’t know if this medley will ever be good enough,” Belle admitted, biting her lip. “I keep being done and then changing it again.”

Adam reached across the table, squeezing her hand. “You always say that,” he said. “But the stories you tell, the songs you write- they matter. To all of us.”

Belle looked down, then back up at her boyfriend, her eyes shining with gratitude. “It’s just… the pressure feels like it’s crushing me,” she said.

Adam smiled softly. “Remember why you started,” he responded. “Because you love to share your stories. Not to impress.”

Belle nodded, a soft smile returning to her face. “Maybe I need to write for me, not just the showcase,” she told Adam.

Adam chuckled. “And I’ll be your number-one fan,” he said. “Maybe I’ll even try singing with you, though I’ll warn you- I’m a terrible singer.”

Belle laughed, the tension breaking. “I’d love that,” she replied.

And so, Belle and Adam leaned into each other, the noise of the library fading as they found their own little world.

At the West Wing that night, Jasmine invited Aladdin over to visit. The city lights twinkled far below as the two settled on the balcony, the night air cool but comforting. Jasmine toyed with a strand of her hair, clearly troubled.

Aladdin glanced over, concerned. “You’ve been quiet all night,” he said. “What’s on your mind?”

Jasmine sighed. “I just want to protect the band, but it feels like everything is falling apart anyway,” she explained.

Aladdin reached out, brushing hair away from Jasmine’s face. “Hey, you’re stronger than you think,” he said. “And you don’t have to do this alone. We all want to see The Dreamers shine again.”

Jasmine smiled, a flicker of hope returning to her. “Thanks, Aladdin,” she said before she and Aladdin shared a kiss and sat together in silence, the stars gazing down on them from above like a promise of better days.