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

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

            The radio frequency switched between good and bad at every turn of the knob – some stations sounding clearer than most that were utterly horrible. It drove Joie to the brink of insanity, wanting her sister – Gina – to just pick one station and stick with it. But the madness seemed to have gone on since they left the airport in their rental 2006 Dodge Charger. Driving through the downtown area of Orlando and trying to focus on looking for the very reason they were there, Joie finally reached her breaking point on her sister’s constant station-switching.

 

(Biographical Note: "Joie" and "Gina" are based on/inspired by Joie Parent and Gina Kaos Kennedy. This marks the first collaboration between Livingston and Parent. Three years later, they would work together on the third and final installment of Livingston's Disney Ghostbusters series, The Dead End.)

            “Would you please stop at one, before my head explodes?!” Joie yelled.

            Gina turned the knob once more before she suddenly reached a song that best suited her. Turning up the volume, she let the song’s lyrics burst loudly through the speakers…

Every little thing she does is magic

Everything she does just turns me on

Even though my life before was magic

Now I know my love for her goes on

(Pop Culture Note: "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" is sung by the British rock group The Police, released November 1, 1981. This song is notable for featuring a piano player, which was uncommon for the Police's songs. It was number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart the year of its release. The song's purpose to the story is self-explanatory, but it strongly foreshadows Joanie's fate near the end.)

            Joie shook her head and rolled her eyes. “I really need you to focus right now. We have an important objective right in front of us, and you want to bust a groove.”

            “You make it sound bigger than it has to be, sis.” Gina remarked. “Just take it easy and enjoy the life around us. I mean this is Florida – the land of delicious oranges!”

            Reaching through the backseat she pulled out a small bag full of the particular fruit and offered one to Joie, who rejected it with the shake of the head. “I’m not hungry,” she said in a very somber tone.

 

(Authorial Note: Joie and Gina were added to the story after Livingston met both over Facebook and realized how much the two were characters and acted like sisters in reality, figuring it would translate well over to the story. He also figured the story needed more of an edge with additional characters that had each of their own twists intertwined with the established ones.)

            Gina could see the despair on her face; her own sense of joy and hopefulness being washed away just from seeing it. “We’ll find him, Joie. You can’t just lose hope like that.”

            “I am not losing hope.” Joie retorted. “I just think…it’s pointless.”

            Gina was struck hard by her words. “Finding our missing brother is pointless?!”

            “No, no…that’s not what I meant.”

            “I would love to see you tell that to Marissa!”

 

(Authorial Note: "Marissa" was another character based on a friend of Livingston's that was to be featured at some point in the story as the girlfriend of Joie and Gina's brother, but the role was scrapped once he lost contact with the real Marissa. This scene is the only reference to her in the entire World of Disney series.)

            “Oh, and what is she gonna do? You and I have both said how he deserves better than her!”

            “I’d love to see you say that to her, too.”

            Joie scoffed at her words. “I’m not scared of her.”

            RRRRRAAAAARRRRRGGGHHH!!!

            SCREECH!!!

            The Dodge Charger instantly came to a halt at the moment Joie heard the earth-pounding roar echo throughout the district they were passing through. Several other vehicles had done the same, just as what appeared to be a beastly creature was charging straight down the center of the road, leaping over several cars that stood in its way, including the Charger that Joie and Gina were sitting in. Although some of the bystanders and passengers were terrified at the sight of the out-of-control beast, most of them appeared to be delighted of it, recognizing the creature as the “Beast” from Beauty and the Beast. Whether or not it was some type of new technology Disney Imagineers were testing outside the perimeter of Walt Disney World remained to be the question.

            Gina and Joie, on the other hand, were not so easily convinced of that possibility, especially when they both spotted three Muppet characters running down the sidewalk and heading into the same direction the Beast was. This bizarre scene could only be summed up in a few words uttered by Joie, “You’ve gotta be kidding me!!”

 

(Narrative Note: This is the second time that the phrase "You've got to be kidding me" was uttered by a character. A favorite phrase of Livingston's that is featured in most of his work, both it and its variations are used a total of seven times in World of Disney. The phrase's purpose is meant to question the reality of certain situations that seem unbelievable to the story's players, which often at times reach to levels of otherworldly, especially in the case of this tale.)

            Gina had to blink twice to make certain she was not seeing things. She stammered an inquiry, “Wh-Where do you think he came from?”

            Joie glanced at her sister and grinned. “Let’s find out.” With that said, she turned the wheel of the Charger and made a sharp U-turn, following after the Beast and the three Muppets.

 

(Narrative Note: Although not intentional by Livingston, the vehicles driven by Sean and Joie have names that perfectly suit with their roles. Sean drives an Explorer, which he perpetually becomes once he discovers the Disneyverse, and Joie drives a Charger, which fits in with her desire to take a head-on approach to situations.)

            “Let me get this straight – you want us to actually follow the crazy scene that just passed us?!”

            “Well, you asked.”

            “Startin’ to wish that I hadn’t now.”

Realm Zone – 1991 (After Temporal Displacement)

            Gaston and the angry mob of villagers were successful in breaking in through the side entrance of the castle, armed with a large assortment of weapons from torches to knives and swords. Upon entering the grand entrance, they found it filled only with assorted pieces of furniture, teacups, candlesticks, feather dusters, and cocks. The mob moved in slowly and cautiously, practically tiptoeing their way across the floor. LeFou picked up a candelabrum sitting nearby and intended on lighting it to guide them through the dark.

            But that particular candelabrum suddenly came to life in his hand and shouted, “NOW!!!”

            Out of nowhere, all of the objects within the room sprang to life just the same, attacking all of the humans standing there and throwing them out of the castle, one by one. One villager got a face full of a wet mop, while another was kicked at the seat of his pants by the legs of a chair. In the midst of all the chaos, Gaston stood in disbelief, wondering to himself how household objects could come to life in such a way. However, his primary focus was on the beast that dwelled somewhere within that castle. With heavy purpose, he broke off from the overwhelmed mob and headed upstairs, engaging in his search for the beast.

            Armed with a bow and arrow, Gaston searched first within the West Wing of the castle, kicking down several doors and aiming his arrow at anything that moved inside. When he saw nothing worth firing at, he moved on to the next. He continued this action until he reached a hallway that looked to be ravaged by the very thing he was looking for. His heart racing and pulse pounding with anticipation (and even a little fear), Gaston readied his bow and arrow and entered the room at the far end of the hall.

            Upon entering, he instantly discovered a tall shadowy figure standing near an open balcony, right beside what appeared to have been a glowing rose that floated within a glass case. Of course, Gaston could have cared less about the rose; all he wanted was to destroy the figure next to it – which he presumed to be the beast itself. Tightening his grip on the bow, he pulled back on its string while keeping the arrow perfectly straight and directed at the beast. He held his breath, closed one eye, and then – once he felt himself ready – released the arrow.

            The arrow flew across the air with great precision; but once it struck its target…

 

(Authorial Note: Much like most of the references to the Disney films in the story, scenes from the original story have a play-by-play reenactment in this story to draw connections for the readers, determine the time, setting, and situation, and find the point where it drifts into its own new content.)

            CLANG!!!

            A hollow sound of metal rang through the ears of an extremely puzzled Gaston. He stared at the figure, wondering to himself if this beastly creature was made out of some type of metal or wearing armor. Not taking any chances, he dropped his bow and arrow and reached behind him to grab a hold of his gun. Unfortunately, all he seemed to be left grabbing was thin air.

            “Looking for this, hotshot?”

            The feminine voice came directly from behind him. At the moment he heard it, he spun around immediately and faced his unexpected follower. When his eyes locked onto her, he discovered a young bespectacled brunette holding his own gun. He did not recognize her at all nor did he care to know who she was. All he cared about was getting his gun back from the mysterious woman.

            But he seemed to have been robbed of that opportunity when he felt a sharp pinch come over the area where his shoulder and neck connected, making his whole body turn rigid. Next thing he knew, he was slipping into unconsciousness, his limp body falling straight to the floor. The mysterious woman he encountered – who was, in actuality, Joanie – smiled over his fallen form. Then she addressed another party in the room – the one who severely pinched Gaston – Buzz Lightyear.

            “Ya got him with the ol’ Vulcan Nerve Pinch, eh?”

            Buzz stared at Joanie oddly. “The what?! No, that was a Kadorian Sleeper Hold. The most non-lethal submission attack they’ve taught us at the academy. He’ll be sleeping for hours.”

 

(Pop Culture Note: The Star Trek influence in Buzz's mannerisms comes from his "Vulcan Salute" farewell gesture to Woody in the gas station scene from Toy Story.)

            From behind the tall, dark figure that was believed to be the Beast, Sean and Ciciley stepped out and rejoined Buzz and Joanie. While doing so, Sean removed the cloak covering “Beast” and revealed the tall, dark figure to be nothing more than a collection of bulky knight armor stacked atop of each other, giving the allusion of the Beast. It was a perfect diversion, especially considering the notion that Gaston had never gotten a good look at the Beast and thus was not sure what to expect when he attacked him. And what a great attack it was, seeing the long, piercing arrow that the huntsman fired sticking out from one piece of armor.

            “I’m glad that I talked myself out of being the diversion!” Sean exclaimed while gazing upon the arrow.

 

(Authorial Note: Originally, Sean was planned to be the diversion, wearing a piece of the armor and the cloak and letting his impressive height and build fool Gaston in believing him to be the Beast. Once Gaston went to his fallen body after hitting it with his arrow, he would get back up and strike Gaston in the face with his gauntlet-clad fist, knocking him clean out. It was decided by Livingston to scrap this idea in favor of Joanie, the main hero of the story, having a moment to shine, as well as making the ambush a team effort.)

            Soon Kermit, Robin, Pepe, and Rizzo stepped out from behind the tapestries in the room and regrouped with the others. Kermit, looking down at the unconscious Gaston, seemed a little worried for the huntsman. “What’re we gonna do with him?”

            “Let’s throw him over the balcony.” Ciciley suggested, only getting her an aggravated look from Joanie. “What? That’s how he went out in the movie!”

 

(Pop Culture Note: It is very common for villains to fall to their deaths, as it is the cleanest way to dispatch them. In the history of Disney's films and TV shows, both animated and live-action, 46 of their characters have died from falls, including the two classic villains featured in this story, Gaston and the Evil Queen, who both ironically avoid death of any kind in World of Disney.)

            “We are not throwin’ anybody off any balconies.” Joanie sternly declared.

            Buzz tampered a bit with his laser function. “I can recalibrate my laser to disintegrate his body, molecule-by-molecule.”

            Robin cringed at the idea. “Eww! That sounds disgusting!!”

            “Disgusting but effective, little frog-boy.” Buzz clarified.

            Joanie shook her head and waved her hands negatively. “Look, we are not going to end this man’s life in any way! We are not killers!”

            “Disintegration is a very painless form of extermination.” Buzz indicated. “He won’t feel a…”

            “Can it, Lightyear!!!” Joanie snapped.

            Sean tried to think hard over an idea, but he could find none that would deem suitable or humane to the unconscious huntsman lying in front of them. “Well, we can’t just leave him here or else he wo—”

            Out of nowhere, an intense buzzing sound overwhelmed his hearing and he found himself covering his ears. Joanie, Ciciley, Buzz, and the Muppets were covering theirs as well, hearing the same intense sound. Yelling over it, Kermit asked no one in particular, “What the heck is that?!”

           Joanie was the only one who recognized the sound, as well as its meaning. “It’s Bunsen and Beaker! They must’ve finally found us!”

            “How can ya tell?!” Rizzo exclaimed through the agony.

            “Because I’ve already experienced this! Next thing that’ll happen is the bright light shining over us!” And, just as she pointed it out, the bright golden light shined over them, just as it had before to Joanie, growing in intensity with each second. “Then comes the weird tingling sensation!” It happened right as she said it – all of them felt their bodies tingling all over, like as if something was tickling them from inside.

            Even Robin found the sensation overwhelmingly joyful. “Ha, ha, ha! It does feel weird!!”

            “What’s next?! We turn into goo?!” Sean sarcastically inquired.

            “Err…something like that.” Joanie said before indicating his hands.

            Sean stared at them in total shock as they began to vanish along with the rest of his body, molecule-by-molecule. The same happened to everyone else, as all of them were disappearing from the Disney World. The last thing either of them saw before the overhead light completely obscured their vision in gold was Gaston’s unconscious form still lying on the floor. While they were leaving, they hoped that the enchanted items in the castle would find a reasonable method of dealing with him.

 

(Narrative Note: The process of reincarnation, first detailed in Tales of the Disneyverse, involves atomization similar to the way in which real world characters travel between worlds in this story. Buzz's earlier mentioning of disintegration being a painless form of extermination foreshadows Joanie and Sean's future as Guardians of the Disneyverse, in which each reincarnated form they take "dies" via disintegration.)

 

Time Zone – 2010 (After Temporal Displacement)

            Molecularly reemerging back within the same Magic Gateway chamber and without any door to slide open before them, Joanie, Sean, Ciciley, Buzz, and the Muppets stumbled out of the space that quickly became crowded at the moment they appeared inside of it. They all fell to the floor right in front of the worktable that Bunsen and Beaker were standing behind. Upon their arrival, the two Muppet scientists went to them immediately. “Joanie! Are you alright?” Bunsen asked her.

            “I’ll let you know when you tell me what the heck happened earlier! What was that vortex thing that sucked us in?!”

            While getting to their feet, Sean, Ciciley, Pepe, and Rizzo looked around in amusement at the fresh, new way that the basement looked. It was a surprise to them, after being in it only minutes ago (at least it felt like minutes) and seeing how old, dusty, and worn-out it appeared. From how it appeared that very second, it almost seemed like everything in the room – and even the room itself – was built just yesterday. It was a sight that greatly confused them, but it was just something a little close to normal for Joanie, Buzz, Kermit, and Robin.

            “There was a temporal surge.” Bunsen explained. “Somehow, our present came in total contact with the future through the Magic Gateway’s computer. I’m not entirely certain how it’s done it, but the machine has sent us out of 1977 and into 2010.”

            Joanie shook her head in disbelief and grinned, turning to her new friends from the future and telling them, “Guess that explains how you all got here.”

            Beaker meeped frantically to Bunsen.

            “Exactly, Beaker. This ‘time lapse’ is the least of our worries.”

            “Oh, no,” said Kermit with a sense of fear. “What else has gone wrong?”

            “A subject from the world you all have just left has escaped.” Bunsen revealed. “He’s currently running around outside in the real world as we speak!”

            Sean and Ciciley exchanged a frightened glance. “This ‘subject’ wouldn’t happen to be a beast that’s as tall as a mountain, would it?” Ciciley asked the Muppet scientist.

            “Yes! That’s precisely what it is!” Bunsen acknowledged.

            “Ohh, boy.” Sean uttered, putting the palm of his right hand over his face.

            “I sent Scooter, Fozzie, and Gonzo to retrieve him…”

            Joanie chuckled nervously. “You did what?!”

            “How are a gofer, a comedic bear, and a whatever supposed to get a huge beast back here?!” Kermit hysterically asked.

 

(Character Note: A running gag once related to Gonzo was that it was not clear what species he was supposed to be, most popularly classified as a "whatever." This gag went on from Gonzo's first introduction in The Muppets Show in 1976 until 1999 when Muppets From Space, which centered its plot on Gonzo himself, explained that he is an alien. Since this film, the running gag of Gonzo's species has semi-retired and is rarely used in current Muppet media.)

            “Dat’s like sendin’ de Hamburgular to de wolves, okay.” Pepe stated.

            “Well, I did give them a means of subduing the creature.” Bunsen indicated.

            Again, Joanie shook her head. “Whatever it is, it’s not gonna be enough, Bunsen. Three common Muppets like them against a ten-foot-tall monster is practically suicide! They’re gonna need our help in getting him back.”

            “Lemme guess…we’re da only crazy saps ta do it, right?” Rizzo asked.

            “No problem, Riz. We’re packing some serious firepower now.” Sean said, while pointing to the gun that Joanie was still holding in her hand.

            She was surprised to have seen it there in her hand, forgetting all about it in the midst of the excitement. Frowning upon it, she told Sean in a strict manner, “No. Whatever way Bunsen and Beaker provided for Scooter, Fozzie, and Gonzo has got to be better than this.” With that being said, she threw the gun down to the floor and waved for everyone to follow her. “C’mon! Let’s go find them!”

 

(Spoiler Note: Joanie's "no killing" rule is a testament to her pure nature that ultimately determines her fate as Guardian of the Disneyverse by the end of this tale.)

            While Kermit, Robin, Pepe, Rizzo, Buzz, and Ciciley were following Joanie out of the basement, Sean stared at the gun she rejected, lying uselessly on the floor. As much as he refused to think like Gaston, he had to admit that it was the best tool they could use in stopping the wild Beast. But he did not bother touching it, seeing that he did not want to make things worse with the situation any more than it already was. He only hoped, even as he followed after her, that she had some sort of plan in helping Scooter, Fozzie, and Gonzo subdue the Beast and bring him back to the Theater.

(UP NEXT: We're going to Disney World!)