With the crown on his head, Arthur was quick to get the attention that he desired. And as he, Little Johnny and Merlynna swerved, dipped, looped and bobbed around enemy after enemy, the chase was on.

Through the hairy hands of a Yeti that clung to a mast they sped, around the thrashing horns of a minotaur that fell from the trees they dodged, under the slicing sword of a Sheriff's Man that swung from a rope they ducked and around a barrage of fairy spells they spun.

'Just wow!' screamed Little Johnny. 'Just wow, Merlynna! That was incredible!'

'Yes, all of that was on purpose,' Merlynna fibbed as she then managed to take the broomstick above the ship's sails.

Looking over his shoulder, Arthur gulped at what he saw, but he was pleased. 'We have quite a few on our tail.'

That was putting it mildly. All the fairies had started after them and all the Sheriff's Men were clambering in their direction.

'Now we just have to get Morgana and the Sheriff's attention,' Arthur continued, which was the easiest part.

Over the train in the trees they soared and over the carriage they zoomed.

'UP HERE, YOU COWARDS!' Little Johnny yelled.

'AFTER THE CROWN!' Morgana replied with a cackle from below before sending up a spell that was batted away by Arthur, who then gazed down and saw the silver arrow rocketing towards them.

'DO NOT LET THEM ESCAPE!' the Sheriff growled after it.

Soon, the trolls and the carriage joined the pursuit, making Arthur quiver in hope.

Now the Children of the Forest, the Wild Children and all the other creatures of Robin's Wood will have a fighting chance back at the ship, he thought. But then he noticed that the fairies were gaining on them.

'We need to go faster,' Arthur cried as he hacked at the silver arrow. The Sheriff's companion had reached them and was trying to shoot them out of the sky.

'I don't think I can make that happen,' Merlynna replied.

'I have an idea,' Little Johnny burst out. 'Merlynna, keep the broomstick as steady as possible.'

'I'll try.'

'What are you going to do?' asked Arthur, taking another swipe.

'To see if the Shoes of Swiftness can give us a boost,' Little Johnny replied before shockingly getting to his feet and thrusting out his arms for balance.

More shockingly, he then stepped over Arthur, who was beyond scared at his friend's acrobatics, and plonked himself down on the twiggy broom head at the back. Little Johnny then thread one of the halves of his staff between the Shoes of Swiftness and started juggling it with his feet. Around and around it went, picking up speed, until all became a smudge.

He had made a propeller. And its effect was immediate.

With a vroom, off they zipped.

'Well done!' shrieked Merlynna, though the extra speed had made the broomstick even more hard to control. 'But now what? They're still chasing us.'

'Let's head to Robin's Lair,' replied Arthur. 'Maybe we can hold them off there.'

'Aye, aye, captain.'

Through the forest the broomstick hurtled, it feeling like the children were on a never ending, manic rollercoaster, but Merlynna kept them aloft and on course. The trees swished past as if they were the wind itself until in no time they were at the ravine and back on their feet. And the second Arthur rushed over and placed his hand on the etching on the rock wall, the tunnel to Robin's Lair opened.

'Hurry up, let's get through,' Arthur said as the sound of their pursuers thundered behind them.

And they did just that before rushing across the grassy clearing and to the great oak.

'Do you think they'll get through?' asked Little Johnny, as they then watched the tunnel close back up.

'I'm sure they'll try,' replied Arthur.

He was right.

Suddenly, a monstrous crash of rocks cracked the air. The trolls had started on the ravine's wall.

POUND! CRASH!

POUND! CRASH!

POUND! CRASH!

POUND! CRASH!

'PREPARE YOURSELF!' Arthur screamed over the noise. Being that it was heavy, he then yanked the crown from his head, placed it on the ground beside him and threw on Robin's cap once again.

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Only moments later, the exit to the tunnel exploded with a cloud of dust and out came the children's shadow led by Morgana and the Sheriff.

'Ah,' the man growled, looking around and nodding, 'so this is the outlaw's rat-hole. I've finally found it. And now I can destroy it along with this forest.'

'You won't be destroying anything,' Arthur screamed.

'Boy, you have no say in the matter. Your back is to the wall. Or to the great oak, I should say. You are done. You have nowhere to go.'

'Heed the Sheriff's words,' croaked Morgana. She then began twitching forwards, her legs contorting violently under her. 'Now hand over the sword and crown.'

'He's not giving you diddly squat,' Merlynna yelled back.

Morgana's face cracked and flaked with rage. Her mouth opened to scream, but before she could let out a deafening howl, the crown began to vibrate.

'It's happening again,' Arthur cried out to Little Johnny and Merlynna.

And the moment the two turned to look down at Arthur's feet, things began to swirl. Soon, a vortex of grass, fruit from the fruit trees, bees, leaves and bark from the great oak, and other debris circled Robin's Lair.

Then like a mirage, and like before, an image of Camelot emerged from the furor. And as Arthur peered through the portal, he noticed dark figures on the other side.

'Perfect timing,' crowed Morgana. 'Now you are surrounded again. The sword and crown. . . NOW!'

'Maybe we should try our luck,' Merlynna breathed, turning from the portal to Arthur and back.

'You mean go through?' asked Arthur.

'It could be our only chance.'

'But they'll just follow us.'

'Isn't that the plan anyway.'

'And what about Morgana and the Sheriff? Robin's Wood has trapped them. They'll just go back to the ship surely. The Children of the Forest and the others' chance of winning will vanish.'

'You're right.'

'You should just go through, Arthur,' Little Johnny then said. 'Forget about Robin's Wood. Forget about everything. Your survival is all that matters now.'

'I'm not doing that,' Arthur replied. 'I'm not leaving you two. And my life could be in more danger.' The dark figures on the other side of the portal had grown in number. 'Look.'

'You must,' said Little Johnny. 'It's the only option now.'

'But what about the prophecy?' Arthur asked.

'Little Johnny's right,' said Merlynna. 'And prophecies can be wrong.'

'But I can't,' Arthur cried. 'I just can't.'

Little Johnny suddenly turned angry. 'Do you want the Shadow to win? To take over everything?'

'Of course not,' stammered Arthur.

'Then you will do this. And that is final.' Little Johnny picked up the crown and thrust it into Arthur's hands. 'Now go.'

'I can't.'

'If you don't, we are not friends anymore.'

'Same,' Merlynna burst out sternly.

Without waiting for Arthur to respond, Little Johnny turned to Merlynna and said, 'Come on. Let's give these monsters all that we have.'

Merlynna nodded. 'Let's do it.'

Arthur didn't know what to do. And as he just stood there, his mind racked with indecision, he watched his two friends bound towards Morgana and the Sheriff. He then took a step in the direction of the portal but quickly stepped away.

'I just can't,' Arthur said to himself before looking back and seeing Little Johnny and Merlynna throwing themselves at the Shadow. Soon, spells flew, staffs clattered, fists pounded and swords sliced.

'RUN, ARTHUR!' bellowed a now invisible Little Johnny, his voice racing around Robin's Lair.

And as she sent hex after hex at the bombardment of spells shooting towards her, Merlynna followed, yelling, 'PLEASE, ARTHUR, GO!'

Arthur stepped towards the portal again but he just couldn't continue.

Suddenly, shrieks pierced the air. Arthur whipped around once more and saw that his friends' efforts had started to wane. Merlynna was now surrounded by fairies, who seemed to be toying with her like a puppet, and Little Johnny was getting thrown around like a pinball every other second, his body seemingly popping in and out of existence.

They were getting hurt and Arthur didn't want to see it anymore. He wanted it all to stop.

'I'LL GIVE YOU THE SWORD AND CROWN!' he then yelled. 'JUST STOP HURTING MY FRIENDS!'

'WISE DECISION!' Morgana cackled back. She and the Sheriff had been inching towards Arthur throughout the entire fight.

With a snarl, the Sheriff added, 'YOU FIRST!'

'DON'T DO IT!' came Little Johnny.

But Arthur did. He dropped his head, threw down the Sword in the Stone and tossed off Robin's cap too.

At this, the Sheriff burst out a whistle and the fighting died.

'PICK THE SWORD BACK UP!' Little Johnny yelled. He had come to a stop and was now just looking on. So too was Merlynna.

'Listen to Little Johnny,' the young witch added. 'Don't let them get it. Don't let them get the crown.'

Arthur yelled, 'Now, let my friends leave.'

Morgana and the Sheriff did not utter another word but continued their advance, an evil sparkle flitting in their eyes.

'I SAID, LET MY FRIENDS LEAVE!'

Just then, the silver arrow flashed from behind the Sheriff. Arthur had no time to react, but the very instant it was about to strike him down, a root shot up from the ground and wrapped itself around the glittering bolt.

Two more roots then pierced the sky, grabbed the sword and Robin's cap before something incredible happened.

Robin's cap began to untwine in its knotty clutches, the red feathers ruffling alive before taking the green thread and darning it into the blade. And when all was finished, the sword shone like nothing Arthur had seen before.

Then in a flash, the feathers wrapped themselves around the hilt and brought the blade over to Arthur, who took it in his grasp.

Power surged through the boy until it seemed like he was shining as bright as the weapon. And with a roar of his own, he lunged with a sudden feeling like he was flying.

If spells or any other attempts at stopping him were cast or made, Arthur didn't notice. Things raged around him as if he was a fireball, unstoppable. And before Morgana and the Sheriff could even breath a whimper, he thrust the sword into the ground right before them, creating an almighty engulfing pulse that marked all who were not good of heart to the forest.

Before knowing it, Arthur found himself staring at the gnarled and still faces of Morgana and the Sheriff. They had turned to wood. All of their minions had too.

'YOU DID IT!' Little Johnny and Merlynna's voices rang out before Arthur was jumped and hugged.

'But it's not over yet,' Arthur replied, eyeing Camelot. 'More are going to come through and the fighting at the ship could still be going on.'

The dark figures on the other side of the portal were getting closer, just about to come through.

Arthur turned back to Little Johnny and Merlynna. 'You two make your way back to the ship and I'll stay here.'

Little Johnny and Merlynna didn't respond. In fact, they hadn't taken their eyes off of the portal. Then, smiles graced their faces.

'What–what is it?' Arthur asked before whipping around and seeing more faces with smiles. The dark figures weren't the Shadow. 'Bitty? Dolores? Mr Scarlett? Miss Eustace? Great Uncle? Mom? Dad?' Then without a thought, he raced towards the portal and jumped through, Little Johnny and Merlynna following.

Seconds later, the three landed with a thud onto the grounds of Camelot and before everyone that had been taken by the Shadow.

Wanting to jump into their arms, a teary Arthur glared at his parents, the castle behind starting to change, to mend itself, the swirling storm above breaking up and sending rays of sun beaming down. But he quickly wiped away his joy and yelled, 'EVERYONE, ROBIN'S WOOD NEEDS YOU. . . .'