World of Disney - Chapter Eighteen (w/ Commentary Notes)

Chapter Eighteen: Time Zone – 2010

            Joie and Gina’s Dodge Charger parked right across the street from The Muppet Theater; the Walt Disney World transit bus was leaving at the time of their arrival with Joanie and the others no longer seen riding it. That could have only meant that the group was inside the theater. With the location discovered, Joie and Gina got out of the Charger and crossed the street to make their way to the theater, both appearing very anxious to discover whom their brother’s “friends” were. In the meantime, Gina seemed to have noticed something rather peculiar.

            “Hey, have you noticed that Sean hasn’t shown up here yet?”

            Joie’s focus was heavily on the theater entrance; she was too distracted to even notice what her sister pointed out. “He probably made his escape when he had the chance. We’ll find him later. Right now, we need to show these people what happens when you mess with family!”

            The two dark-haired young women slowly and cautiously entered the building, both taking a defensive stance on their way inside. So far, they were met with no resistance, which was to be expected since none of their “adversaries” knew of their presence. They passed through the foyer, which heavily resembled the inside of a movie theater and went into the empty auditorium. The outside of the theater certainly was not any sort of ruse to mislead them – the building actually was a theater.

 

(Authorial Note: It was tricky but fun for Livingston to depict areas of the theater that were not often explored on The Muppet Show, such as the lobby/foyer. Most of it he envisioned to be exactly like that of a movie theater, complete with a concession stand and ticket booth.)

            However, Joie and Gina were not there for the scenery and continued on with their mission, all the way into the backstage area. Once there, they started to hear voices close nearby. They hid themselves immediately behind a rail of clothes, which they could peek through without being noticed. Just that moment Pepe, Rizzo, Gonzo, and Fozzie appeared in the room with Buzz and Meagan, all guarding the dazed Beast upstairs to the dressing rooms.

            “What da heck are we gonna hold dis guy with? I mean he’s gotta wake up sometime, right?” Rizzo asked.

            “I guess the best we can do is just put him in the dressing room and lock the door, so he won’t be able to get out.” Fozzie said. “Bunsen did say it wouldn’t be too long before he got the machine running again and this guy will be out of our hair in no time. Get it? Out of our hair…in no time? Huh? Wocka, wocka!”

            “This is no time for levity, my hat-wearing bear friend.” Buzz stated. “We need to focus on keeping this creature at bay until the machine is fixed. I’ll keep watch of him inside the room.”

 

(Narrative Note: This chapter begins the connection back to the prologue with the various clues left in the aftermath of the "event" that has yet to occur in the story, starting with who or what was locked in the dressing room, which we now know from this scene to be the Beast.)

            Meagan was taken by surprise of Buzz’s offer. “Are you sure about that, dude? Look at the size of him. He’s a heck of a lot bigger than he is in the movie!”

            “Have no fear, youthful humanoid.” Buzz remarked. “I have faced deadlier creatures across the galaxy.”

            “No offense to ya, Buzz, but I’ve watched your cartoon show and I wouldn’t call half of those creatures ‘deadly’.”

            The space ranger appeared a little perplexed. “Cartoon…show?”

 

(Disney Note: The cartoon show Meagan makes reference to is Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, a 2D-animated spin-off that followed the fictional space adventures of the Buzz Lightyear character. The series ran from August 8, 2000 to January 13, 2001 on UPN - now known as The CW - and ABC as part of Disney's One Saturday Morning programming block. Prior to the televised airing of the show, a made-for-DVD movie had been released, again featuring the voice of Tim Allen as Buzz, before his Joe Somebody and Big Trouble co-star Patrick Warburton took his place.)

            Meagan stopped at the base of the staircase leading up to the landing, hopping a little as she told her friends, “You guys take care of things without me. I have seriously got to use the bathroom.”

            “Take your time! Wocka, wocka!” Fozzie jested.

            “Yeah, thanks, Fozzie. That one almost made me pee my pants.” Meagan replied in total sarcasm.

            As the others walked into the middle dressing room with Beast, Meagan started heading out of the room to search for the nearest restroom. When she passed by the clothing rail, she was suddenly stopped dead in her tracks at the moment Joie stepped out and instantly placed her in a headlock. Meagan could barely utter a syllable – more or less breathe – from the powerful hold Joie had on her. She desperately struggled as Joie brought her towards the exit while Gina kept watch for her friends to avoid detection.

(Authorial Note: Livingston planned for the moment Joie "kidnaps" Meagan to have more of a comical effect, which went as far as having Meagan "wet" herself, thus explaining why she is no longer in need of a bathroom in the scene later in this chapter. This idea was abandoned to avoid "gross comedy," keeping the story's K-rating, and also allow Meagan's World of Disney character to be "less comical," unlike her Disney Ghostbusters character.)

            After the three women disappeared from the backstage area, Pepe, Rizzo, Fozzie, and Gonzo walked out of the middle dressing room, leaving Buzz behind with Beast. Fozzie made sure to close and lock the door from the outside, still unsure about leaving Buzz alone with the ferocious monster. Being that he was on orders from the space ranger, he carried them out without complaint or regret. The quartet then headed back downstairs to the basement.

            Beaker was putting the final touches on the Magic Gateway chamber door, which he welded back into place while Bunsen reset the data onto the machine. Kimberly, Tracy, Clifford, Bean, and Bobo looked on with great interest at the very device that brought two Disney characters to life in a whole new way, as well as brought old friends and family from the past to the present. Joanie, Kermit, Ciciley, Scooter, and Robin assisted Bunsen and Beaker as much as they could on getting the Gateway back together again. Their progress was met with much succession, which was evident from the smile on Bunsen Honeydew’s lime green face.

            “Just ten more minutes and we shall be back to getting things in order again.” Bunsen stated.

            Joanie soon noticed Rizzo, Pepe, Gonzo, and Fozzie entering the basement and asked, “Has Sean gotten back yet?”

            “We didn’t see him come in.” Gonzo answered.

            A distraught look crept across Joanie’s face. “I don’t get it. He was right behind us when we left Disney World.”

            “It’s my fault, Joanie.” Robin uttered. “I should’ve double checked to be sure. The vehicles in this time look so identical…I just thought I was sure.”

            Ciciley gently stroked Robin’s back in comfort. “It’s no one’s fault, sweetie. I’m sure Sean is just…he’s only…Lord, what is he doing?”

            “I don’t know, but he’d better get here by the time we’re done getting the machine fixed.” Joanie said with a hint of frustration in her voice.

            As soon after she made her statement, an unusual buzzing noise suddenly emitted from the machine, forcing all of them to cover their ears. It was remarkably loud and quite irritating, but it did not last for very long. Once it had passed, they each uncovered their ears and looked around in confusion. “What de heck was dat, okay?” Pepe inquired.

            Before Bunsen could have given some type of answer, everything in the basement began to vibrate under them. It was as if the machine activated on its own without the authority of Bunsen. His finger was nowhere near the “Execute” button on the keyboard, which left him to wonder what went on more than the others did. To make matters worse, the buzzing sound that irritated them before had returned, causing everyone to lose concentration immediately.

            “WHAT IS IT NOW?!” Joanie yelled.

------------------------------------

            SLAM!

            Meagan’s body smacked hard against the brick wall of the building adjacent to the theater. She had little time to recover from the blow shortly before Joie grabbed her by the neck and lifted her three feet off the ground, her body hugging the very wall she was pinned against. Struggling, she gasped an inquiry to her attacker, “What…do you…want?!”

(Authorial Note: Livingston used this confrontational scene between Joie and Meagan as reference for their scenes together in Disney's Ghostbusters: The Dead End, which saw their characters being at odds with one another under similar circumstances.)

            “What I want is for you to tell me what you and your friends did to our brother!” Joie furiously exclaimed. “And you’re gonna tell me or else I’m gonna ring your scrawny little neck!”

            Gina, who stood by and observed the punishment, had seen enough. “Joie! Put her down! She can’t tell us where he is, if you’re robbing her of air.”

            After some hesitation, Joie let Meagan go, letting her body slump to the ground as she fought to get some air back into her lungs. This woman was quite the Amazon compared to her, and she dared not to let her wit get her out of this one. Lifting up one hand in protest, she weakly told Joie and Gina, “Listen, I’ll give you whatever you want – just please don’t kill me!”

            “We don’t want to kill anybody, kiddo.” Gina assured.

            “But we’ll give a beat-down if he have to.” Joie contradicted. “When you mess with our family, ya get hurt, sweetheart!”

(Character Note: The evident good cop/bad cop performance between Joie and Gina is a basic summary of the differences in their personalities.)

            Confusion quickly replaced fear on Meagan. “Family? What family are you talkin’ about?”

            The frustrated Joie suddenly reached out and grabbed Meagan by the collar, bringing her in closer to her face. “Let me lay it out plain and simple to you, little girl – we want our brother, Sean!”

            At that moment, complete surprise overtook Meagan on Joie’s words. “You’ve got to be kiddin’ me.”

            She soon realized that was the wrong answer when she watched in shock as Joie’s bright blue eyes switch to a deadly red color and the complexion of her face fade from peach to a ghostly white shade. Her lips – laced with red lipstick – morphed into black while her clear, white teeth changed to dark and yellow. In less than a second, the intimidating yet gorgeous young woman transformed into an intimidating and viciously grotesque monster.

(Authorial Note: Joie's monstrous appearance bears a strong resemblance to her Venusian-born character in The Dead End, minus the dark yellow teeth. Livingston was inspired by the "zombie modeling" Joie has done in creating this alternate look for her character.)

            “Does it look like I’m kidding?!” Her voice was deep and dark, a perfect match with her “new” face.

            Meagan could barely speak after witnessing the bizarre transformation. “Uh…nope?”

            VRUUMMM!!!

            Attention quickly shifted to the theater upon hearing the strange noise. Joie’s face returned to its normal form during the distraction, her blue eyes noticing weird activity happening over the building. It quaked to the point that clouds of plaster shot out and surrounded the entire area. Joie, Gina, and Meagan coughed; but they soon found themselves shielded their eyes, as the entire theater started to glow. The strange noise continued to reverberate through the air, as the glow over the building grew brighter and brighter.

            After nearly a minute, the activity ceased and all became calm and quiet. The theater was still intact, no longer glowing. A perplexed Gina then asked no one in particular, “What just happened?”

            Joie immediately turned to Meagan and repeated the question to her in a more aggressive tone. “What happened?!”

            “The heck if I know! After meeting you two, I have no clue what is going on anymore!” Meagan responded.

            “Well, you’re goin’ in with us to find out.” Joie demanded before forcing Meagan back on her feet and into the theater.

            The three women went inside and were quickly greeted by Ciciley, who ran out of the basement and appeared very scared and confused. Meagan went to her and asked, “Cici! Sis, are you okay?”

            Ciciley gawked at Meagan and shook her head in bewilderment. “Cici? Who is Cici?” Her voice did not sound as it normally did. Instead, it was replaced by the voice of another. “My name is Jasmine…princess and daughter to the sultan of Agrabah.”

            Upon hearing this, Joie raised an eyebrow and muttered, “Say what?”

            Out of nowhere, insane laughter emerged from within the basement and into the backstage area, as Kimberly giddily appeared with a large green top hat upon her head. A label that read “10/6” was sticking out from it, making it an exact duplicate of the one worn by The Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland. “Oh, my! What on earth happened here?!” Not even her voice was the same, as she spoke with the voice of the very character she “represented.” “I bet it was that blasted March Hare! He redressed me in my sleep again, didn’t he?!”

(Authorial Note: The "mind swap" plot twist was inspired by Livingston's earlier work from his Disney's Access series, which included moments when the real-world character that took the place of the Disney one began acting like him or her. This was one of many plot developments Access borrowed from Quantum Leap.)

            Meagan felt as if her head was about to implode from the weirdness taking place in front of her. Panicked, she cried out, “BUNSEN!” Then she ran to the basement, hoping to find the Muppet scientist and the others there. However, once she took a few steps down the staircase, she started to feel extremely odd.

            Bunsen, seeing her enter the room, attempted to make an important warning. “No, Meagan! Don’t come down here! It’s…”

            “It’s what?! Come on, little man! Speak up! I haven’t got all day! Don’t waste my time! Do you know who I am? I’m Cruella De Vil!”

            The change occurred before Bunsen could have finished his warning. No longer was Meagan Thomas herself. She had completely taken the persona of the villainess from 101 Dalmatians.

            “Well, there she goes.” Clifford indicated.

            “Yes, it seems, I’m afraid.” Bunsen stated. “The metamorphosis seems to occur quickly…and in humans only.”

(Authorial Note: Livingston wanted to have the Muppets affected by the mind swap as well but realized how much that would have hindered the plot with Bunsen and Beaker, the only two capable of operating the machine, influenced also.)

            Inside the basement, Kermit, Fozzie, Clifford, Bean, and Beaker were tending to Tracy, who was lying unconscious on the floor. Robin, Gonzo, Pepe, Bobo, Scooter, and Rizzo searched around the room for Joanie, who had vanished without a trace following the bizarre occurrence. Robin searched more feverishly than Gonzo, Rizzo, Bobo, Scooter, and Pepe did, feeling very worried over Joanie’s disappearance.

            “Wh-Where is she? She was here a second ago! We have to find her! She’s gotta be here somewhere…anywhere!”

            Robin practically hopped all throughout the room in frantic motion. It took only quick action from Scooter to keep him still. “Robin, try to calm down. I’m sure she’s fine. We’ll find her.”

            “But now she and her mother are missing! How are we going to…?”

            The tiny frog stopped just as he and the others heard a loud creaking noise from the top of the staircase. Bunsen directly turned to the visitor and warned, “Please don’t come in! The machine is radiating high levels of energy that appears to be affecting humans! One more step and you’re liable to take on the persona of…well…a Disney character!”

            Unfortunately, the creaking continued as Joie and Gina entered the area. Of course, after standing in the room for longer than a few seconds, neither of the two women experienced any unusual effects. Shrugging her shoulders, Joie said, “Seems okay in here to me.”

            The Muppets were taken by surprise of the appearance of the two women, who were total strangers to them. Kermit inquired, “Who are you?”

            “We’re just two girls looking for our brother.” Gina replied. “Is that so much to ask?”

            “That and some better clothing, dah-ling.” Meagan/Cruella muttered.

            Glaring her way, Joie threateningly raised a fist and said, “Say one more word and I’ll make you wish you were never born!”

            “Do it and I promise you’ll be answering to my lawyers – all fifteen of them!” With that said, she went upstairs to the backstage area, joining the other two “characters” who were not exactly feeling like themselves.

            Bobo, noticing how immune Joie and Gina were to the radiation, questioned to Bunsen, “Hey, uh, if this energy is supposed to affect humans, then how come these two ladies aren’t acting like Disney characters?”

            “Isn’t it obvious?” Scooter said. “They’re not human.”

            The Muppets stared awkwardly at the two women, who – in turn – stared back to them in the same manner.

            Joie smirked. “You guys are the ones to talk.”

(UP NEXT: Someone becomes part of a world!)

World of Disney - Chapter Seventeen (w/ Commentary Notes)

Chapter Seventeen: Realm Zone – 1967 (Post Re-Animation)

            Everything appeared hazy to Sean after the “re-animation” that he and Michelle went through, courtesy of Brandy’s invention. The process of moving between dimensions was no different from how it was done from Bunsen Honeydew’s version of the same machine. However, there were some side effects, such as disorientation – one thing he had not experienced from Bunsen’s machine. It took some time before things eventually started to come into focus and, before he saw it clearly, he realized that he was surrounded by lush trees. Unfortunately, these were not regular forest trees…they were jungle trees.

(Authorial Note: Miscalculations in destinations is a running joke most often found in sci-fi stories that center on time travel, particularly Doctor Who. Livingston enjoyed it so much that he made it part of this story, mainly to play with the readers' hopes or expectations of a resolve to the main conflict.)

            “Are you alright, lil’ brother?”

            Michelle walked right up to him as he was lying on the ground, his head still slightly spinning. “Yeah…I’m fine.” She tried to help him back to his feet, but he protested, feeling it was not such a good idea in his current state. Instead, he just sat up and took slow, concentrated breaths.

            “Are you two all right there?”

            Sean heard Brandy’s voice address them, yet he did not see her anywhere near them. The weirdest thing was how clear it sounded, as if she were actually standing right beside them. “Where are you?” He addressed the unseen Brandy.

            “I’m still back in the other dimension. The headbands that teleported you two have built-in communicators, so I can contact you from the other side. Clever, eh?”

            “Well, that makes one thing!” Sean angrily exclaimed. “You sent us to the wrong place!”

            “What?! That’s impossible – I double-checked my input status and the ‘Realm Zone’ reads 1937.”

            “Well, check again, because from what I’m seeing, this is not Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It looks more like…The Jungle Book!”

            “Oh, no. The frequency on the machine must still be off. Don’t worry – I’ll have it fix in no time. You two just hang loose.”

            Sean heard a click sound before everything went quiet again, at least until Michelle spoke up. “The Jungle Book? Isn’t there a tiger in this one?”

            Fear suddenly crept up on Sean upon the reminder Michelle had given him. “Um…yes…Shere Khan…also known as the ‘resident villain’ of this story.”

            “Oh.” Michelle uttered, sounding worried herself. “What should we do?”

            “Stick together. The last thing we need is for one of us to…”

            “Hello!”

            Sean and Michelle jumped in total surprise as an Indian python named Kaa dropped down from above and dangled his head directly in front of them. The moment he appeared Sean knew they were in trouble, being aware of the villainous nature of this particular character.

(Disney Note: In the original book by Rudyard Kipling, Kaa was one of Mowgli's closest friends, but in the film and other appearances, he is a dangerous threat to Mowgli's life. The reason for this is because the filmmakers thought he wouldn't be well-received as a protagonist, mostly due to attacks from the Indian python species.)

            “Stay back!”

            “S-s-stay back?” Kaa repeated his command with his slithering tongue. “Oh, no, no, no. I as-s-s-sure you that I’m just a s-s-simple, harmless snake.”

            Sean expressed doubt upon his face. “Yeah, sure.”

            “I’m certain my reputation as a species fails me, but you must understand that I’m s-s-simply just a pas-s-sing observer.” Kaa stated. “You see, I just recently came across this little man-cub – the first one I’ve ever seen up close – and now I see two beings just like him…or at least somewhat like him.” As the snake made his comments, he circled around Sean and Michelle, almost seeming to be observing them. “Peculiarly dres-s-sed ones, too…definitely unlike the man-cub.”

(Authorial Note: Livingston decided to integrate the out-world characters right in the early half of the stories that the Disney realms are based upon, in order to provide himself with "open space" for altered retellings. So far in the World of Disney series, no characters have interacted with those in the Disneyverse near the end of their respective tales.)

            Sean motioned for Michelle to start moving away from Kaa, fearing the worse was about to happen. He also refrained from making eye contact with him during the entire interaction. “Well, you are very observant. Now if you’ll excuse us, we have to…” He pulled Michelle’s arm as a way of urging her to move with him, but she suddenly went rigid under his grasp.

            Looking back, he was shocked to discover that Michelle had fallen under Kaa’s hypnotic gaze. Her wonderful blue eyes became a swirl of various colors in the same way that Kaa’s did, revealing the connection of the trance. She hardly even noticed how he opened his mouth completely wide over her head, gearing up to devour her whole. It was clear that Michelle would be the greatest “meal” he ever had from the crazed look of hungry on his face.

(Disney Note: Even though Kaa is thought of as a villain, he is technically not evil. Like actual pythons, Kaa's diet includes humans. So, basically, he's doing what nature intended for him to do.)

            With a quick and heavy jolt, Sean was able to move Michelle out of Kaa’s path in time to avoid his head, as it lunged downward and smacked into the ground. The rest of his body, coiled in the tree branches above, fell and piled over his stunned noggin. Underneath the pile, Kaa muttered, “Where do I go so wrong with my consumption of man?”

            Sean ran from Kaa, leading Michelle by the hand in their escape. Unfortunately, Michelle was still under a hypnotic state and practically dragging her feet across the ground, slowing down their getaway. Making a quick decision, Sean lifted her off her feet and carried her on the rest of the way. He was not certain where he was going, but he hoped Brandy would get her machine fixed before any other characters crossed their paths.

            After a short time, Sean heard what could have only been a river nearby – the perfect spot to take a breather, as well as bring Michelle back to her senses. Carrying her over to the edge, he laid her near the beautiful clear, flowing water and cupped his hands to collect enough water to gently splash Michelle’s face with. Once he brought it over her, he let a few drops rapidly hit her forehead, cheeks, and lips while being careful not to let any fall past her nostrils. A few more drops of water and Michelle started to snap out of her trance, her eyes blinking twice before returning to their usual color.

            Tossing aside the remaining water in his hands, Sean helped Michelle sit up to clear her head. “Are you okay?” He asked her.

            Michelle carefully nodded. “I think so. What happened?”

            “You were ten seconds away from being snake food – that’s what happened.”

            Michelle’s memory started to kick in and recalled the last thing she had seen being Kaa before she blacked out. Gratefully she reached over towards Sean and gave him a big hug. “Oh, thank you for saving my life, lil’ brother!”

(Authorial Note: Livingston commonly casted friends as siblings of the characters he wrote for himself, especially those he knew personally, which felt easier. As such, he grew closer to those that he hardly knew, the relationship in the story resonating to real life. World of Disney is the one series he has written that he feels has influenced a true extending family.)

            He still felt somewhat restrained to return her embrace. It has only been under an hour since they first met – at least from his perspective. To her, they have known each other since childhood. Of course, that did not exactly mean he would have no respect for her well being. Saving her from Kaa was important to him because she was still a human being…a very rare type of human being, but a human being nonetheless.

            In response to her gratitude, he smiled and said, “You’re wel…”

            “Oh, look!”

            She quickly let go of him and got on her feet, apparently recovering from the hypnotism much sooner than expected. He noticed how she was staring out to the river and followed her gaze. Something large, furry, and gray was floating across the surface with a small child lying over its stomach. It was not long before Sean realized it was Baloo and Mowgli, looking very relaxed while enjoying “The Bare Necessities” of life. Michelle smiled at the sight, which seemed more welcoming than what they were first greeted with upon entering the realm.

            “Isn’t that just the sweetest little thing?” Michelle said.

            Sean nodded and grinned for a moment. The Jungle Book certainly was one of his favorite Disney films – the music, the story, and the overall theme of the movie were what made it so engaging. And from how Michelle appeared to be reacting from it all, he could tell it was her favorite as well. Ever since this madcap journey through the “Disneyverse” began for Sean, the sight of Baloo and Mowgli relaxing over the river put him into a state of repose himself.

(Biographical Note: The Jungle Book is legitimately Michelle Hanson's favorite Disney movie. Prior to writing this chapter, Livingston checked with her to determine the next Disney destination he should to visit in the story, since he had no ideas, and Jungle Book was her suggestion.)

            Since everything appeared to be steady for the moment, Sean refocused his attention on the giddy Michelle, becoming curious to know more about her story. After a moment in thought, he asked, “What is it like in your world, Michelle?”

            Her attention was so focused on Baloo and Mowgli that she almost didn’t hear his question. “I’m sorry?”

            “Brandy told me that your world is somewhat different from the one I’m from. How so? Other than from the glowing hearts, of course.”

            Michelle opened her mouth to say something; but before she could have, a pair of hands suddenly reached down from above and snatched her headband completely off her head. Looking up, both she and Sean discovered that a monkey was the culprit. However, it wasn't just any monkey – it was one of King Louie’s “followers.” He took it the headband and climbed up the nearest tree with it, tossing it up the air repeatedly and catching it with either his hands or feet. The whole time he played with it, Michelle politely asked for it…to no avail whatsoever.

            “Sean! It’s Brandy! I’ve got everything all set! Prepare for reanimation!”

            The sudden update alarmed him, seeing that it came just immediately after he and Michelle ran into yet another problem. Without the headband over her head, there was no way for Michelle to be sent out of the Disney World – that much he remembered from Brandy’s brief tutorial. She also could not hear Brandy’s alert, being too preoccupied with recovering the headband from the monkey. It was a disaster waiting to happen, and he had to warn Michelle as soon as possible.

            Unfortunately, the reanimation sequence had commenced.

(Authorial Note: Over time, this became one twist Livingston regretted in writing for World of Disney, since it not only became redundant trapping real-world characters in Disney Worlds but also felt like a cheap way of expanding the story. Its purpose mostly served for there to be a reason the Jungle Book was explored and not have a short, pointless period in the tale.)

            Sean still made an attempt to yell out to Michelle, but his voice was drawing a blank. Looking at his hands, he noticed how his body was vanishing from existence within that world. Michelle, her focus remaining on the monkey with her headband, had her back facing him. He ran to her to try and get her to see what was happening; unfortunately, by the time he reached her, he was gone.

            After some time, Michelle gave up asking the monkey to return her headband, so she resorted to getting some assistance. “This little fella is persistent. Sean, could you maybe distr…?” When she turned to where he was standing, no one was there – much to her immediate surprise. Ceasing her attention on the monkey and headband, she wandered through the area and searched for her missing “brother,” calling out his name every few seconds.

            Unbeknownst to her, her repeated shouting garnered the interest of a certain tiger whose gaze followed her intently.

(UP NEXT: Where's your head at?)

World of Disney - Chapter Sixteen (w/ Commentary Notes)

Chapter Sixteen: Time Zone – 2010 (Prior to Re-Animation)

(Authorial Note: Livingston had taken an episodic approach in writing the story, splitting it into story arcs. The previous chapter ended on the "Temporal Displacement" story arc; this one begins the "Re-Animation" story arc.)

            The impressive scent that Bella gave off stimulated Sean’s nostrils every time he took a whiff of it in the Explorer; it was a strong mixture of strawberries and chocolate. It was enough to make him hungry, which he was certain she had to be from hearing the gurgling noises her stomach made. She might have been a total stranger who made wild assumptions of being his “long lost” sister upon first meeting her. He still could not figure out what made him pick her up from the parking lot or even if she had anyone to take care of her – regardless of which, it was chivalrous thing to do…at least he hoped so.

 

(Character Note: It is implied that Bella's sweet scent of strawberries and chocolate is a product of her strong pheromone levels - a common physical trait from the humanoid species of her realm.)

            Located just a few blocks ahead was a Baskin-Robbins store, a perfect place to get something to eat. Although it was important to get back to Joanie and his sisters, the situation he found himself with Bella called for other crucial matters. It was also the ideal spot for calling someone to pick Bella up and take her somewhere to find whatever family or friends she had in the Orlando area. Until she got some help, he would not leave her side.

 

(Authorial Note: The incorporation of product placement is a favorable storytelling method for Livingston, who loves to add some realism by putting readers into a setting that they can relate with and envision the characters in.)

            As soon as they reached the popular ice cream parlor, Sean pulled the Explorer over to the curb and parked directly across from the front entrance. Bella glanced at the B&R building in awe and wonder, turning to Sean with a smile and asking, “What is this beautiful place?”

            Sean snickered. “You’re kidding! You’ve never heard of Baskin-Robbins? The best ice cream restaurant chain in the world?” Bella shook her head in response, putting Sean in a state of total disbelief. Wherever this woman came from, it was certainly nowhere near Orlando. “Well, you’re in for a real treat – literally speaking, of course. My mother used to take me here all the time when I was little.”

            “Your mother?” Bella reiterated on his statement.

            It was pretty noticeable how she made another attempt to convince him of being his sister, which left him sighing with a tad bit of aggravation. “Listen, it’s pretty overwhelming having three sisters in my life – two of whom are close to your skin tone – so I hope you understand how difficult it is to believe whether or not if you are my sister, especially with the…er…” He made a gesture towards her glowing chest, which showed the color orange for some strange reason. Doing his best to ignore it, he continued, “Look, I promise we’ll get to the bottom of this, as soon as we get something to eat.”

 

(Pop Culture Note: Bella's "mood heart" takes some inspiration from E.T.'s glowing heart, fitting with the similar theme of an alien lost in another world.)

            Getting out of the Explorer, Sean went to the other side to help Bella out and lead her inside the parlor. The aroma of various ice cream flavors welcomed them. Bella was instantly enchanted with the place, going to the front counter and seeing all of the ice cream flavors in the tubs, as they were scooped out by one of the employees. While her attention was distracted, Sean went to work on contacting the police and sending someone to pick Bella up.

            However, just as he was about to dial the numbers 9-1-1…

            “For Bella’s sake, I wouldn’t do that, Sean.”

            The female voice sounded very unfamiliar to him and, turning to the speaker, the face – although extremely beautiful – was just as much so. Sitting at the table nearest him was a raven-haired, blue-eyed woman with a stunning outfit that matched with her hair color. Her lips were glossed with bright red lipstick, some of which had gotten on the spoon she used to eat her Banana Nut Fudge ice cream. Something about her appearance overwhelmed Sean – it was almost as if he could sense the powerful confidence she carried in her. The weirdest thing of it all was how much she reminded him of Joanie from her facial features.

            For what felt like the umpteenth time that day, he asked this woman, “Do I know you?”

            The black-haired woman chuckled. “Knew you were going to ask me that.”

            “Then you can understand my confusion over your knowledge of my name.” He glanced over to the distracted Bella and added, “So I’m to assume you sent this woman after me in the parking lot of Walt Disney World?”

            “In a way…yes.”

            “Why? I was five seconds away from calling the cops on her for breaking into my car – which I still have no idea how she did.”

            “And you were another five from doing the same thing, weren’t you?”

            Sean stood in silence, looking at the phone in his hand, ready to contact the local authorities. Something in him forced his finger to press the “End” key on the digital screen, disconnecting his attempted call. Focusing on the woman, who stared back at him with her sparkling blue eyes, he inquired, “Who are you?”

            She smiled and answered, “I’m Brandy…and I’m the one who is going to bring order back into this chaotic time of yours.” Brandy gestured to the chair across from her, offering him to sit down. He accepted the offer and continued listening to her with much intent. “Now that we’ve gotten introductions out of the way, let’s get to the main points, such as Bella over there. I take it that you’ve noticed the glow from her heart.”

 

(Biographical Note: "Brandy" is based on/inspired by Brandy Wine. The character was conceived as another mystery that would be resolved later in the tale and evoke a shock reaction from readers once they were revealed her identity.)

            “Amongst other things, yes.”

            “The truth is that she’s from another dimension – one that is somewhat different from this one. In fact, it’s a lot like one of those ‘Disney Worlds’ that Bunsen Honeydew’s invention takes you to.”

            The overwhelmed Sean shook his head and grinned. “How is it that you know so much about this?”

            “Because I’m an inventor myself and built something just like Bunsen’s machine – only mine enables anyone to travel further between universes, not limited to just a single one.” Brandy looked down at her Banana Nut Fudge as she added, “My invention is also the reason for the time shift you and your family and friends experienced recently also.”

 

(Narrative Note: This is the first confirmation readers get of the existence of other universes, which has been a focal point for subsequent stories in the World of Disney series with discoveries of parallel worlds based on Marvel and Star Wars.)

            Sean blinked twice on this. “So you’re the reason I’m seeing my mother how she was thirty-three years ago. How?!”

            “The frequency between our machines came in full contact with one another, causing a temporal shift between dimensions. It’s why Bella and her sister…”

            “She has a sister?!”

            Brandy smiled. “Crazy, huh? She’s right outside, keeping an eye on a portable version of my invention.”

            Sean looked out the window and noticed a vehicle parked in front of his Explorer at the curb. It was a large black van that seemed big enough to hold seven people, depending on the space inside that could have been reserved for seating. Of course, considering what Brandy had told him that very moment, the space was reserved for something larger in nature. He could only imagine what was in there.

            “I promise that I’ll help set things straight for you and your family, Sean…and in turn, set things right for me and mine also.” The last part she said with a hint of guilt in her voice, which interested Sean a little. Of course, instead of focusing on her personal matters, he decided to lend more of a focus on what it was that she kept in that van. Seeing how captivated he was, Brandy got up from the table, leaving her unfinished dessert, and offered to him, “C’mon…let’s go. We have a lot of work to do, like finding your grandmother.”

 

(Character Note: Subtle hints are left for readers on the identity of Brandy up to the point of her big reveal, such as the one part of her line in this scene about setting things straight.)

            After some hesitation, Sean removed himself from the table and allowed Brandy to lead him out of the parlor. As he walked out, he looked back to Bella, who continued her observation of the various ice cream flavors that Baskin-Robbins had to offer. She was clearly going to be okay, especially with confirmation of having someone else with her in Orlando. He still found it unbelievable that she was from another dimension, even from her odd biological “trait.”

            Sean and Brandy approached the black van, sliding open the door to the rear passenger section to reveal Brandy’s equivalent to Bunsen Honeydew’s “Magic Gateway” invention. In design, it looked close to a futuristic pipe organ. There were a lot of multi-colored knobs, buttons, and lights built on it and even two LED displays that indicated what their labels read, “Time Zone” and “Realm Zone.” The blue display (“Time Zone”) currently showed the year 2010 upon it, while the “Realm Zone” was blank. Right below these displays was a keyboard – not the type a regular pipe organ would have but rather one from a computer. It was chrome in its design, adding onto the futuristic look of the device.

 

(Authorial Note: It is revealed in this scene that Brandy's invention carried the "Time Zone" and "Realm Zone" labels that have been used throughout the story to identify locations for readers. Livingston designed it this way to follow with the Back to the Future influence of the story, basing it on time circuit readouts of the DeLorean.)

            Whistling over the impressive machine, Sean uttered, “Bunsen could only wish to have something like this. What do you call it?”

            Brandy looked a little sheepish as she responded. “Er…I don’t really name my inventions. Doesn’t seem too…appropriate.”

            “Well, you’ve got to identify it somehow. How else can you…?”

            FLUMP!

            Before Sean even knew it, he found himself clung into by a beautiful blonde wearing a black, unzipped hoodie with a white tank top shown underneath, blue jeans shorts, and black high-heeled boots. She had her arms wrapped around him, giving a hug so tight that he nearly choked. Once she let go, she gazed upon his face with her bright blue eyes, showing off an equally bright smile.

            “We’ve found you! Oh, it’s so good to see you, little brother!”

            Sean looked to Brandy and pointed to the ecstatic young woman as he inquired, “Bella’s sister, I presume?”

            “Sean, meet Michelle.”

 

(Biographical Note: "Michelle" is based on/inspired by Michelle Hanson, who is a favorite collaborator of Livingston's, having been worked into other projects that did not have as successful a launch as World of Disney. Michelle was cast in the story simultaneously with Jennifer Brown, envisioned to be siblings due to their close proximity in age - both women were in their late-thirties at the time.)

            Michelle, looking a little confused, gawked back and forth between Sean and Brandy. “Y-You mean…this isn’t him?”

            “Sorry, sweetie.” Brandy told the young blonde. “We’re still searching for him. Don’t worry – we’ll find him.”

            As Michelle stared down at the ground in great sadness, Sean could see her heart glowing light purple, much in the same way Bella’s did after the same disappointing realization. Knowing this, he quickly told her, “I-If it’ll help, you can just pretend I’m your brother.” He knew it sounded like a bizarre suggestion, but made up for it by adding, “Since, apparently, I seem like a definite ringer to him, you’re welcome to do so.”

            Michelle’s lovely smile returned. “Thank you.”

            Meanwhile, Brandy was already inside the van, prepping the machine up. “Alright. I’ve got her all set.” Sean joined her inside and crouched down with her beside the large device, just as she handed him a metal headband. “Here, put this on. This is how the machine will be able to keep up with you in the other world.”

 

(Disney Note: Brandy's operation of her invention within the confides of a van is much similar to Wayne Szalinski and his shrinking machine in Honey, I Blew Up the Kid.)

            Sean cautiously put the headband on; the moment he did, he instantly felt its chilled texture, which made him want to take it off again. Watching on, Michelle briefly hopped up and down like a giddy little girl and asked Brandy, “Oh! Can I go with him, Brandy? The last visit was really fun!”

            Brandy sighed and answered, “Sure, Michelle. Just try to stay with him while you’re in. I need you two together at the same spot if I’m to bring you back.” She handed another metal headband over to Michelle, who removed her hood to place it over her head with much glee.

            Things were moving so quickly to Sean that he just had to ask some very curious questions. “I don’t get it. Are you sending us to one of the ‘Disney Worlds’?!”

            “Just to the one you were in the moment that the temporal shift occurred.” Brandy confirmed, while entering some information into the machine’s keyboard that brought up the year 1991 on the “Realm Zone” display.

            “No, no! I need to go to the world for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Sean informed her. “That’s where Joanie…I mean my mother said where my grandmother is.”

            And just as easily as she entered the previous information, Brandy entered some that replaced the year 1991 with 1937. “I hope you’re certain about this.”

            “If he’s not, at least we get to meet some cute little miners.” Michelle uttered, which triggered some awkward glances from Brandy and Sean. “What?”

            Ignoring her comment, Brandy refocused her attention on her machine. “Okay…prepare for re-animation!”

            “Wait! Re-what?”

            Before Sean could have gotten a full explanation on the unusual term she used, Brandy pressed a button labeled “Execute” on the keyboard and started a bizarre chain of events. The headbands that he and Michelle wore glowed in a bright golden hue, tickling their scalps so much that even Michelle could not stifle a chuckle. It felt so sensational to Sean that he was on the verge of going into a hypnotic state. It was not long before he noticed their bodies starting to vanish beneath twinkling sparks of green and red energy, just as if they were Christmas trees. Within seconds, Sean and Michelle had vanished and Brandy was all to herself in the van, monitoring her machine.

(UP NEXT: Bearing the necessities of another life!)

World of Disney - Chapter Fifteen (w/ Commentary Notes)

Chapter Fifteen: Time Zone – 2010 (After Temporal Displacement)

            Joanie felt exhausted beyond belief as she helped Sean and Buzz guide the Beast to the front of the park where they tried to make a quiet exit. However, that seemed easier said than done when half of the guests at the park, including reporters who went there as guests at first but quickly went to business after the “show” Joanie and the others put on, asking several questions that they could only answer “I don’t know” to. And even once they were through the front gate, the questions still continued. None of the guests seemed to have cared that they just walked out of the park, leaving behind whatever plans they had within the hour.

 

(Real World Note: Popular local news/media websites that cover Orlando-based theme parks like Walt Disney World include Orlando Attractions Magazine and DIS Unplugged, both of which keep tourists up-to-date on the latest additions to the parks and provide trip-planning advice. JeniLynn Knopp, who was featured as her own character in Tales of the Disneyverse, was once a news correspondent for OAM before joining the DIS team.)

            Meanwhile, Sean did his best to ignore the crowd and get to the nearest transit bus they could take back to the Muppet Theater. The Beast was only large enough to fit in one rather than the Explorer, which he would use to follow them back in. He saw one parked close ahead and picked up the pace, moving a short distance ahead of the others and hoping to get to it before anyone else did. Unfortunately, just when he was near the bus…

            “Sean!!!”

            He turned his head to see Kim, Meagan, Tracy, Bobo, Clifford, and Bean running to him, all with looks of concern, amusement, and confusion on their faces. “Oh, no…” he muttered to himself, just before he was met by their party and the one he had recently been with at the same time.

            Kim and Meagan’s eyes connected with Joanie’s at the moment their paths crossed. And, almost on instinct, the two redheads uttered upon seeing her, “Mama?!”

            Joanie raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?!”

            Even Tracy was taken aback from the sudden appearance of her cousin – at least that was who she believed it was at first glance. This young woman was younger…very much younger than the woman she met with recently, who still resides in a beautiful Floridian neighborhood across town. She wasn’t certain if this woman was someone who looked like Joan in her twenties or…no, that latter alternative was just too crazy to consider. But could it be so?

 

(Authorial Note: Livingston had chosen this moment in the story, when most of the primary players are all together, as the perfect reveal for Joanie on who Sean and company were. There needed to be an audience to bear witness to the moment as if it were a major news event - the presence of the reporters in this scene added on to that allusion.)

            “Joanie…” Tracy finally brought herself to say, “I-Is that really you, cuz?”

            Looking carefully at her, Joanie tried to recognize the woman addressing her. “Have we…met somewhere, Miss…?”

            “Tracy. It’s me – your cousin…Tracy.”

            Joanie nearly fainted from the shock of seeing the forty-something woman in front of her, whom – in actuality – was her “little” cousin. The first thought that came to her mind upon seeing her: Man, time-travel is a trip!

            With the reporters and other guests still surrounding them, Sean knew this meeting had to be taken somewhere private. Too many strangers were around to hear the craziness behind a young woman like Joanie being the mother to two women who were close to her age. It wasn’t still part of a show, as they were all led to believe from the moment Buzz and the Beast confronted each other atop of Cinderella’s Castle. In fact, he started helping Ciciley, Buzz, Kermit, Robin, Scooter, Gonzo, Fozzie, Rizzo, and Pepe guide the Beast into the transit bus, which sunk a bit under his weight.

            The bus driver, watching the creature enter and feeling the bus shift from its extreme weight, immediately ran out of the bus and confronted Sean. “Hey, man! This ain’t moving truck! Whatever the park officials told you, you tell them I can’t…”

            “Listen, here’s a hundred.” Sean gave the driver the money right away. “Just take this bus outside the resort grounds and into Downtown Orlando, until you get to the old Muppet Theater there. After then, you can continue on with your route.”

            The driver checked the authenticity of the hundred-dollar bill and grinned at it. “Whatever you say, my friend.” And with that, the driver went back into the bus and started the engine.

 

(Real World Note: Transit buses on the Disney World property never travel as far as outside the resort. Their routes are only between theme parks and hotels. If a driver ever were to do as the one in this scene does, he would not only be terminated but arrested as well.)

            Sean brought his attention back to the others and assured them, “Look, I’ll explain everything when we get back to the theat…” While in mid-sentence, he was suddenly met with the angry finger of Joanie.

            “You’d better, dude! I don’t know what secrets you’re hidin’, but we will discuss this later!”

            A chill went down his spine on her words, which sounded a lot like the scolding she would give him when he was a kid. Shaking his head, he thought to himself, Man! Time-travel is a trip! He watched Joanie go into the transit bus, with the others following. It took more promises of things being better explained in due time to get Kim, Meagan, and Tracy in as well. Once they were, the doors closed and the bus departed from the Magic Kingdom theme park.

            After watching it leave, Sean escaped from the crowd of curious reporters and guests by running across the parking lot area, just as another transit bus arrived. It drove right in between him and the crowd and parked there, separating them. Relieved to be free of the chaos, Sean took a deep breath and prepared himself for the chaos that would follow later at the Muppet Theater, when he once again met the angry stare of his young mother. How different she seemed in personality at an age younger than his own compared to the elderly, kind woman he met earlier that morning.

 

(Authorial Note: Livingston based some of the personality of the "Joanie" character on that of his real-life mother. Only "Ciciley Livingston," the mother of the character Livingston based on himself by persona and name in The Marvelous World: World of Disney 2, is based fully on Livingston's real mother.)

            While crossing the parking lot to get to his Explorer parked (ironically) in the “Lumiere” section, he was being watched by two figures from a 2006 Dodge Charger, unbeknownst to him. The two figures were none other than Joie and Gina, the latter expressing great joy in seeing Sean at the parking lot. “Aw, dude! It is him! That’s our little bro! How sweet is this?” Joie did not answer, which left Gina to look away from Sean and to her. Instantly, she saw her eye color change from their usual light bluish hue to a darker, redder one. “Oh, no. You’re ticked about something.” She heard her sister’s hands gripping the steering wheel tighter and tighter – almost on the verge of snapping it in half. “JOIE!!!”

            The gripping stopped and Joie relaxed a little – her eyes returning to normal. “I’m sorry…but did you see the way that chick was yelling at him a second ago?”

            “Who? The brunette?” Gina nodded. “Yeah, that did irk me a little. Who do you think those people were?”

            “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.” She turned the key and revved up the Charger’s engine, much to the dismay of her sister.

            “Oh, c’mon, Joie! We found Sean now – let’s just go get him, head back to Baton Rouge, and live happily ever after, okay?”

 

(Character Note: No indication is ever given, other than the mentioning of Baton Rouge and abnormal physical traits, as to what type of parallel world Joie and Gina come from. The "Baton Rouge" reference gives readers one particular idea that their world is similar to our own with locations identical in name, but they are not to know how different in appearance it may be.)

            Joie’s eyes turned red again as she looked to Gina. “Are you kiddin’ me?! They could be the reason why he disappeared last night! I’m not just gonna leave without getting some answers first!”

            Gina tried to talk sense in her again, but the Charger had already sped out of the space it was parked in and racing across the lot, moving past other vehicles that honked madly as it passed through. Approaching his car, Sean heard the honking and screeching of tires and looked to see the Charger leave the parking lot in such an unruly manner. He shook his head, thinking he was the only one having a bad day, and climbed into the Explorer. However, right after he put on his seatbelt and just before he turned the key in the ignition…

            “Lil’ brother!!”

            Sean screamed insanely when he heard the voice, believing to be the only one in the vehicle, jumping so high that he banged his head on the ceiling. Once he shook off the pain, he looked across to see a young blonde woman sitting in the passenger seat with her arms outstretched and a wide smile on her face. He wasn’t certain how hard he bumped his head, but when he looked at her chest, he could’ve sworn he noticed a dark blue hue glowing through the shirt she wore of a different shade of the same color. It was more than that freaking him out that moment – rather it was the fact that woman somehow had gotten into his car without him knowing.

 

(Character Note: Much in the same way Joie and Gina come from another universe, Bella does as well. Her physical traits and abilities include her "mood heart," which works as like a mood ring that glows in different colors that correspond with her emotions, and phasing - although the latter is never mentioned in the story but is alluded to in this scene when she phases herself into the Explorer.)

            “L-Listen…whatever y-you want, take it!” Sean exclaimed nervously. “I gave the last bit of money I had to a bus driver earlier, s-so…”

            “I don’t want money, lil’ brother. I just want to give you a hug. I’ve been worried about yo…”

            The woman moved in closer to him and, in the blink of an eye, Sean unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped out of the Explorer. He reached into his pocket to pull out his cell phone and began dialing numbers. While doing so, he told the woman, “Okay, make it easy on yourself. Either get out of the car or I’ll have the police come and haul your butt to jail. I’m doing it right now, lady!”

            Glancing at the phone in his hands, the woman’s eyes focused past it and to Sean’s chest. She frowned when there was nothing glowing beneath his shirt. “Oh, no. Something’s wrong.”

            Hearing what she said, Sean chuckled in response, “Yeah, ya think so?!”

            That’s when he heard the passenger side door open and the woman climbing out. He watched her move hurriedly away from the Explorer and down the parking lot with tears streaming down her eyes. It was that point when a good deal of guilt rushed through Sean, forcing him to hang up the phone and chase after the young woman. He wasn’t exactly sure why he felt so guilty about yelling at her and threatening to call the police on her, but he did.

(Narrative Note: Throughout the World of Disney series, characters in situations like this - meeting someone they barely know and want nothing to do with - have changes of heart in helping them. In most cases, the characters in question are spiritually connected to the ones in this story, mainly Joanie and Sean via their reincarnations. In this particular case, it is Sean's parallel self that influences the change in him.)

            “Wait a minute. Hold on.”

            The woman stopped and turned to him with tears continuing to come down her impressive green eyes. He noticed the glowing hue of her chest had changed from dark blue to a light purple. At first Sean believed it to be some kind of jewelry she wore that was an equivalent to a mood ring, but there was clearly no sign of jewelry on her. It spaced him out a bit, but he tried to get past it long enough to figure out what her story was.

            “Look…whoever you think I am…I’m not that person.” What he was saying didn’t seem to be helping out much, because she was on the verge of losing control again. Quickly, he changed the subject and asked, “What’s your name?”

            She looked down shamefully and answered, “Y-You call me…Bella. You had ever since you were a lil’ thing.”

            Sean sighed – the situation was becoming bizarre each passing second. Bella appeared to have known him well enough to actually believe they had been together since the moment of his birth. He couldn’t tell if it was a case of mistaken identity or total delusion from her. Whatever the case, he couldn’t leave this young woman feeling so heartbroken and confused all by herself.

            Without even thinking twice on it, he asked, “Do you want to talk about it? I’m heading no place in particular.” It sounded like a lie, but it was actually the truth. The Muppet Theater he knew wasn’t supposed to have existed within his time; but on the inside, it did…somehow, it did. “Maybe you can explain how you know me…and where you come from.”

            Bella showed half of a smile. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

            Sean laughed at that statement. “If you went through all I did today, you’d find that to be quite the understatement.”

 ---------------------------------

            As if the afternoon could not have gotten any weirder, Tracy seemed to have added onto that weirdness by touching every inch of Joanie’s face, from her forehead to her cheeks, doing everything from rubbing, pinching, and stretching. The weirdest part was how she gave her cousin permission to do it, realizing that it was all just to satisfy her amazement of meeting “Lil’ Mama,” as Meagan called her. Of course, the nickname did not stick for very long, once Joanie immediately demanded to not be addressed by such a ridiculous name and just be called by her real one. After a few more minutes of face-touching, Tracy stopped and just stared at her face.

(Narrative Note: The "face-touching" of characters has become signature through the series, especially for Joanie, Sean, and their reincarnations in the next installments. Other examples include Gigi - Joanie's first reincarnation - touching her face in The Marvelous World, Theresa - Sean's sixth reincarnation - having her face not only touched but rubbed with mud in Tales of the Disneyverse, and Adrienne - Sean's thirteenth reincarnation - having her face touched in World of Disney 3.)

            “Are you sure this isn’t some surprise you wanted to spring on us while we were here in Florida?” Tracy asked. “You’re not wearin’ botox or got facial reconstruction or something? ‘Cause if you do, you gotta spill, girlfriend! I could really use…”

            “It’s really me, Tracy!” Joanie snapped impatiently. “Bunsen Honeydew built a machine that somehow transported Kermit, Robin, Fozzie, Gonzo, Scooter, and myself from 1977 to 2010, as well as trapped my mother into some parallel universe where Disney Animation exists or something. All I wanna do is find where she is, get her back home, and end this nightmare once and for all.”

            Kimberly snickered. “This sounds a lot like that episode of The X-Files when Mulder ended up in the Bermuda Triangle and…”

            “Hey, hey! Don’t spoil it!” Pepe said. “I haven’t finished watchin’ it on JouTube, okay.”

(Pop Culture Note: The X-Files episode that Kimberly references is called "Triangle," the third of its sixth season that aired on November 22, 1998. Its plot centered on Fox Mulder waking up in 1939 and brought on board a ship that disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle, meeting contemporary characters as past incarnations. This episode, and the show itself, is a favorite of Kimberly Nicole's.)

            Joanie moved her fingers through her long brown hair, fighting off the headache she was experiencing at the moment. Seeing Ciciley sitting across from her and eyeing the Beast, who was sitting at the rear of the bus and still appearing mindless, she inquired, “Why didn’t Sean tell me? Why did he hide the fact that I’m your mother? Is he ashamed of me?”

            Ciciley shook her head. “No, no…of course not.”

            “Maybe a little.”

            “Meagan, shut up!” Ciciley said through gritted teeth.

            Sinking down in her seat, Joanie folded her arms and sighed in depression. Tracy placed a hand on her shoulder in comfort and told her, “I’m sure he has his reasons for not telling you. Maybe it was to protect the space-time continuum…you know he’s a huge fan of Back to the Future.”

            “No, I don’t.” Joanie remarked. “What is it about?”

            Tracy opened her mouth to explain, but stopped upon realization. “You’ll find out in another decade.”

            The topic of her twin brother reminded Ciciley of the fact that he was supposed to be tailing the bus they were on. She turned to Robin and said, “Is Sean still following us, Rob?”

(Character Note: This is the only moment in the story that the narrative mentions Ciciley and Sean being twin siblings. By this point, Livingston decided to give readers a subtle hint, mostly to assess how closely in hair and skin color Sean and Ciciley are, much like how Kim and Meagan share similar physical traits.)

            Robin hopped over to the rear of the bus and made one giant leap over the half-conscious Beast, landing atop his furry head, which made the tiny frog think a lot of Sweetums and how he would often let him do the same with him.

(Pop Culture Note: Robin and Sweetums have a friendship between them in Muppet mythology. The two of them appeared together in the 1971 Tales from Muppetland television special The Frog Prince, portraying adversaries. They sang one song together called "Two Lost Souls" during the John Cleese episode of The Muppet Show that aired December 3, 1977.)

            He looked out the rear window and noticed a variety of new-age vehicles driving behind theirs. Confused, he looked back and asked Ciciley, “What type of car does he drive again?”

            “It’s a dark blue SUV, sweetie.” Ciciley indicated.

            Glancing back out the window, Robin spotted one black vehicle driving close behind theirs. He wasn’t sure if it was an “SUV” or not (he didn’t even know what one actually looked like, since they were non-existent in his time), but he was certain it had to be Sean. With a smile, he told Ciciley, “Yep, he’s behind us.” And with that, he returned to his seat next to his uncle.

            Unfortunately, Robin was wrong. The vehicle he thought was Sean Thomas’s Ford Explorer was in actuality the Dodge Charger, driven by Joie, tailing the group. Every mile she and Gina crossed was one that she grew angrier on, her eyes like a wildfire in their red hue. Her intentions for following them were anything but positive, and as soon as they arrived at their destination, trouble will soon follow.

(UP NEXT: The future comes to Orlando!)