Escape (The Piña Colada Song)

[Mickey Mouse]

“Surprise!”

In an instant, a routine trip down the hill to the girls’ home had become decidedly un-routine. Minnie had scuttled into the kitchen for a moment and emerged wearing a cute little apron, flanked by Lilo and Nani, their Hawaiian neighbors down the hill, holding the world’s most beautiful cake in her hands. She had meticulously sculpted the Disney Castle out of icing—truly, outdoing any previous culinary efforts, which was saying a lot.

“Isn’t she just amazing?” Nani exclaimed, snatching it from her hands and sitting on the coffee table that served as the room’s centerpiece. “You’ve got to teach a class sometime, Your Majesty. I’d be first in line.”

“Oh, stop, Nani,” Minnie waved away the compliments, sliding onto the couch next to her husband, “And please—Minnie.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Nani nodded, her olive face reddening just a bit, “Minnie.”

The Queen leaned over to her husband and whispered in his ear. “I made it out of omnilium,” she chuckled, placing a finger to her lips, “Don’t tell.” Mickey giggled along with his wife, nuzzling her neck as Lilo struck up her ukulele and began to sing. Within moments, Minnie and Nani joined in.

“Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday dear Mickey,
Happy birthday to you!”

Mickey grinned. Could life get any better?

“Haaaaaaaappy birthdayyyy,” a low growling noise spoke from above him, and the mouse king turned his eyes up to see Stitch, Lilo’s strange little pet, clambering on the sofa. The little blue creature leapt from his perch and tackled Mickey to the ground, assaulting his face with a variety of loving licks and nuzzles.

“Stitch! Stitch, thank you buddy!” Mickey laughed, slowly lifting the creature off of him and sitting up.

This was so strange—for months, now, all had been well. Living on this island with only Lilo and Stitch and Nani for company—and Simba to guard them—had turned out to be quite the blessing. And recent developments had given him hope that, perhaps, this new life in the Omniverse might be rehabilitation not just for himself, but for some others that had been through far too much in their short lives here, as well.

Of course, peace didn’t come without conditions. He and Minnie had been forced to keep their status as primes a secret from their neighbors. No matter how nice they seemed to be, giving them too much information would be too much of a risk. Lilo and company seemed to be yet more secondaries to hail from the Disney Realms, and so keeping their identities a secret had been a lost cause, but for the moment, they had managed to keep the exact limits (or lack thereof) of their powers to themselves.

Not that they would ever have reason to use them—if things kept going like this, then perhaps Mickey would never have to pick up his keyblade ever again. Was that too wild a dream?

“Do you want a piece, Mickey?” the younger Hawaiian girl asked as she handed the serving knife to Stitch.

“And be partially responsible for destroying that work of art? I plead the fifth!” he shook his head, gesturing for Minnie to get up and get them a piece to share. The lady mouse planted a kiss on her husband’s cheek and skipped over to the coffee table to prepare their plate.

Beep beep. Beep beep.

Mickey glanced down at his communicator and saw a message coming through from Simba. He scanned it quickly, then leapt from his seat and rushed to the window, his eyes focusing in on the cliffs their little hut sat upon.

Sure enough, there he was. Up and about.

Awake.