Merlin's Advice/The Twister

*(Later, Dinah and the kids continued their trek down the road as dark clouds started to form slowly in the sky. They suddenly noticed a traveling wagon and took a closer look. The sign on it said “Merlin’s Wonders of the World and the Crowned Heads of Europe.” The five soon realized who it is with smiles)*

Kids: Merlin.

*(Suddenly, a kind-looking man came out humming. He has. He is Merlin, an old friend of Alice's family and friends. He noticed the children and Dinah and greeted them)*

Merlin: Oh! Hello, children, Dinah!

Edmond: It’s good to see you again, Merlin!

Merlin: I wonder why you’re all out here?

Alice: You may be a man who performs as a magician, but you can try and figure out why we’re here.

Gideon: We’ll still believe you’re magic regardless.

Cody: Go ahead.

*(Happy by their encouragement, Merlin agreed)*

Merlin: Very well.

*(He inspects them)*

Merlin: Well, seeing your backpacks, I’ll try and figure it out.

*(He began to think)*

Merlin: Let’s see…. You’re traveling in disguise, right?

Kids: Nope.

Merlin: Going on a visit, right?

Kids: (Giggling) Nope.

Merlin: Hmm….

*(He realized something)*

Merlin: Oh, now I figured it out! You’re running away from home!

Cody: That’s right.

Merlin: And why are you running away, I wonder?

*(He began to think)*

Merlin: Oh, now I know. Because nobody understands nor appreciate you four, you want to see the world! You want to see big cities, big mountains, and big oceans even!

Alice: That’s exactly right!

*(Dinah suddenly snatched Merlin’s hot dog)*

Alice: (Scolding Dinah) Dinah, that’s not polite to take this magician’s hot dog!

Merlin: (Laughing) No, no, it’s okay. He can have it. Never liked that brand of hot dogs anyway.

*(He changed the subject)*

Merlin: Anyway, where was I?

Kids: Seeing the world.

Merlin: (Realizing) Oh, yes, that’s right.

Edmond: We want to travel with you!

Alice: See the world and the Crowned Heads of Europe!

*(Thinking it over, Merlin smiled and spoke up)*

Merlin: Very well. But first, I like to show you some pictures of what we’ll see on our travels.

Kids: (Excitedly) Really?!

Merlin: Yes. Have a seat.

*(After magically making four chairs appear, Merlin placed them down and seated the kids on them. Then he placed a projection lantern on the stand nearby a white screen and began showing the first picture on himself, as the kids watched in interest)*

Merlin: Ta-da! Oh, yes, indeed! And now, mirabile dictu, et curibus pluribus unum, or to use the vernacular, behold Merlin’s magical lantern! To see the wonders of the world, you won’t need to go too far from home. Not too far at all.

*(The kids got confused and then shrugged and watched in amazement as Merlin started to sing)*

Merlin: **Children, there’re other ways**

**To see the world, so, shift your gaze**

**To this extravagant appliance**

**Mainly magic, slightly science**

**With no stressful travel plans**

**As you don’t have to move**

**From Kansas, see**

**The unabridged assembled**

**Wonders of the world**

**Fly the coop and cross the ocean**

**Time and distance sent in motion**

**Grab this chance to wander yonder**

**All the earth is ours to ponder**

**From the Poles to the equator**

**No one could provide a greater view**

*(He begins his slideshow, showing many locations and things he seen around the world as the kids watched in amazement)*

Merlin: **There’s the Nile, now**

**Some don’t give a hoot**

**That it’s the longest river**

**But we know in miles, of course**

**All four-one-eighty sea to source**

**It’s nature at it’s most prolific**

**Pyramids are quite terrific, too**

**So, welcome to the waiting**

**Wonders of the world**

**Sometimes, we may feel**

**Something simply can’t be real**

**Like a road beneath your feet**

**That’s paved with gold**

**I would be inclined**

**To maintain an open mind**

**For truth is very strange**

**If truth be told**

**There’s old Popocatepetl**

**New York City, glass and metal**

**Everest unconquered mountain**

**Over five miles high and countin’**

**Here’s the arctic’s snow**

**And polar bears and northern lights**

**And solar flares**

**A myriad exquisite**

**Wonders of the world**

**Imagine red and blue**

**On the mountains of Peru**

**And Sahara sands of yellow**

**Burning white**

**In jungles, black and green**

**Fearsome creatures never seen**

**Other than right now**

*(Suddenly, he showed a next picture of himself with his owl, Archimedes, much to the kids’ confusion. Noticing, Merlin got embarrassed)*

Merlin: **Oh, that’s not right**

*(He takes that picture out)*

Merlin: (Laughing nervously) I’m so sorry. That was from my private collection. Moving rapidly along now.

*(The children shrugged in agreement and Merlin resumed showing more pictures)*

Merlin: **We don’t have to take it slowly**

**Here’s Tibet, remote and holy**

**Angel Falls in Venezuela**

**Eiffel Tower, Humpback Whale**

**A moment feeling all the thrills**

**Of being near the seven hills of Rome**

**Oh, so many sights to savor**

**This is merely been a flavor**

**Maybe time for one more wonder**

*(Suddenly, a thunder is heard from afar)*

Merlin: **Very strange, that looks like thunder**

*(They resumed the conclusion of the slideshow)*

Merlin: **But the point that I’m conveying**

**Is you see it all while staying home**

**And home is one of many**

**Wonders of the world**

**The unabridged assembled**

**Wonders of the world**

Merlin and children: **Professor Oak’s patent**

**Wonders of the world**

*(After they finished the slideshow, more thunder is heard from afar. The kids then spoke up)*

Alice: I can’t wait to see all of those!

Cody and Edmond: So do I, Merlin!

Gideon: Take us with!

Merlin: But didn’t you hear me…?

Alice: I understand you want us to see it back home, but we want to see it up close.

Cody: Besides, nobody back home will miss us.

Gideon: And heck, they were gonna let Grimhilde take Dinah from us.

*(Merlin thinks over something, and then brightened up)*

Merlin: Well, alright. But first, let’s consult my crystal ball.

Kids: Crystal ball?

Merlin: (Nods) Yes.

*(They and Dinah go inside the wagon, taking the chairs with and after the children and Merlin seated, Merlin began to work on his crystal ball setting)*

Merlin: This is an actual rare crystal ball that is used by Isis and Osiris in the days of Egypt, in which Cleopatra saw Julius Caesar and Marc Antony coming to her, and so on and so forth.

*(The children became interested)*

Merlin: Alright, let’s reach out into the infinite and gaze into the crystal ball.

*(They looked into the crystal ball and Merlin began to explain what he sees, despite the kids not seeing anything)*

Edmond: What do you see?

Merlin: I can see a house with a white picket fence and a barn with a weather-vane of a crowing rooster.

Alice: That’s our farm, alright.

Merlin: And there’s a beautiful woman, she’s wearing a white dress with blue rims, I think, and her face of careworn.

Alice: That's my mother, alright.

Cody and Edmond: Yeah.

Merlin: Yes, you are aware her name is Odette, right?

Alice, Cody, and Edmond: (Nods) Yes.

Alice: And what’s Mom doing? What do you see?

Merlin: Well….

*(He gasped)*

Merlin: Why, she’s crying.

*(Alice and her brothers got surprised)*

Merline: It’s like someone broke her heart.

Cody: Really?

*(Alice suddenly felt guilty for her angry words at her earlier)*

Alice: I had no idea….

Merlin: Well, it’s from someone she loved very much. Someone she took care of along with her brothers. And someone she took care of from sickness.

Alice: (Smiling softly) Yeah. One time, I caught pneumonia, and she, along with everyone else, stayed by my side every minute until I was all better because of the doctors.

*(She changed the subject)*

Alice: Anyway, I feel terrible now.

Merlin: I can tell. But what did you say to her the last time you saw her?

*(Feeling guilt overcome her, Alice turned to the boys, who nodded in agreement, and then she confessed)*

Alice: Regretfully, the last thing I said to her, Dad, and the farmhands, was “I hate you, and I never wanna see you again.”

Merlin: I see….

*(He placed his hand on Alice’s shoulder and spoke in a comforting voice)*

Merlin: Well, even though words can hurt, I….

*(He looks at the crystal ball again and began to explain away again)*

Merlin: Wait, I see Odette go into her and Derek’s bedroom.

Alice: Why? What’s happening?

*(Suddenly, Merlin became shocked)*

Merlin: Oh my gosh! She’s placing her hand on her heart and just collapsed on the side of the bed!

*(Horrified at what they heard, the kids jumped to their feet in concern)*

Alice, Cody, and Edmond: WHAT?!

Gideon: Is she having a heart attack?!

Merlin: I‘m afraid so. And now the crystal ball is dark.

*(Concerned, Alice began to freak out)*

Alice: Oh my gosh! She might be dying!

*(Grabbing their backpacks, they began to run out)*

Alice: We have to get back home!

*(Merlin pretended to be surprised suddenly. Apparently, he told a little lie to encourage the kids to go back home and make amends with their loved ones)*

Merlin: But I thought you wanted to see the world with me?

Alice: Unfortunately, we can’t!

Cody: Mom’s more important!

Edmond: That's right!

Gideon: We need to get home to her!

*(Merlin smiled in an understanding way, but deep down, he’s smiling because the children realized from his lie)*

Merlin: Well, be careful! Hearing the thunder before, you better hurry or a twister will hit!

Alice: Okay!

Cody and Edmond: We will!

Gideon: Thank you and goodbye!

Merlin: You’re welcome and goodbye!

*(Then with that, Dinah and the kids hurried back to the direction of the farm as a strong wind began to blow slowly. Merlin then began to pack up quickly upon noticing)*

Merlin: Better take shelter quickly!

*(He looked at the direction the children and Dinah ran to in concern)*

Merlin: I hope they make it home alright.

*(Then, after packing up, Merlin quickly drove the wagon away. Back at the farm, a twister just started to appear on its destruction path across the plains towards the farm. Derek and the farmhands began scrambling around, putting the animals into shelter, despite the strong winds)*

Derek: Hurry and get the horses loose!

Farmhands: Got it!

*(Suddenly, they noticed Meowth trying to work the twister-proof machine with Ash’s help)*

James: Ash, Meowth, come on!

Misty: It’s a twister! It’s a twister!

Brock: We gotta take shelter!

Ash: But we’re trying to make…!

Misty: Forget it!

Jessie: Just take shelter with us!

*(Upon seeing the twister approaching slowly, Ash and Meowth realized they’re right, quickly gave in, climbed down the roof, and they all hurried to the storm-cellar. Back at the backyard, Odette ran outside in concern, calling out for the children)*

Odette: Alice! Boys!

*(Nearby, the kids and Dinah were getting closer to the farm, fighting the strong winds, and saw to their horror, the twister slowly approaching the farm)*

Gideon: Come on!

*(Noticing the wind is slowing Dinah down, Alice quickly picked him up and they hurried to the farm. Back at the farm, everyone hurried to Odette in the backyard to get into the storm-cellar)*

Odette: Any sign of the children?!

Derek: Afraid not! We’ll look for them later!

Odette: But…!

*(The others reassured her)*

Meowth: If we know the children, they can take care of themselves in a crisis like this!

James: Meowth is right!

Ash: Now come on!

Pikachu: (Nods) Pika!

*(Giving in, Odette went into the storm-cellar with Derek and the farmhands. Back at the front yard, Dinah and the kids arrived finally, fighting the strong wind and went inside, looking for Odette, Derek, and the farmhands)*

Alice, Cody, and Edmond: Mom?! Dad?! Guys?!

Gideon: Odette and Derek?! Guys?!

*(They hurry out to the backyard and found the storm-cellar door closed and locked up. They began kicking it and calling out to them)*

Kids: Hey!!

*(Noticing the twister coming closer in a fast pace, the children and Dinah hurried inside and took shelter in Alice and her brothers’ bedroom closet)*

Alice: Now what?

*(Before Gideon could answer, the window doors to the room broke off and crashed at the closet door. Quickly pushing it open, Gideon gasped)*

Gideon: Looks like your window broke!

*(Suddenly, a metal bar flew into the room and smacked the kids’ heads before they reacted, knocking them out, much to Dinah’s concern. As they lay unconscious, the house began to toss and turn, apparently being flown into the air by the twister. Suddenly, a rooster’s crow bolted them awake as it floated by. Noticing various things flying by outside, including a cow, the kids went up to the window and took a closer look as Dinah hid himself under the bed. Realizing what’s happening upon seeing no ground below, the children got concerned)*

Alice: We’re inside the cyclone!

Edmond: Are we gonna die?!

Cody: Hopefully not!

Gideon: Oh, man!

*(Suddenly, they noticed a familiar woman on her bike flying by)*

Kids: Grimhilde?!

*(Then, to their horror, Grimhilde transformed into an anthro cat-like woman riding a magic wand as another woman appeared, only this one is a ceacalia. The two women cackled evilly and flew off into the distance along with the raven. Suddenly, the house jerked back and forth from the twister’s winds and the children screamed as they hung onto the doorway of the closet. Suddenly, they feel the house dropping towards the ground)*

Gideon: Brace yourselves!

*(And with that, the house fell down, down, down as the twister vanished until it crash-landed onto the ground)*

***Coming up: Alice, Gideon, Cody, Edmond, and Dinah come upon Digimon Village and are honored as heroes to the Good Rookie-Leveled Digimon by the Good Rookie-Leveled Digimon themselves, as well as by Mama Miao and Kitty Katswell, for killing an evil witch and warlock named Arukenimon and Mummymon. Then during the celebration, two certain evil witches appear, livid that their fellow witch and warlock are dead, and Alice and the boys earned their wrath after receiving gifts from Miao and Kitty and their real adventure begins.***