It All Started with a Mouse and Two Sorceresses
(The Realm of Fantasia)
(The Realm of Fantasia)
(Disney Note: The title for this tale was inspired by the famous quote from Walt Disney on Mickey Mouse - "When people laugh at Mickey Mouse, it's because he's so human; and that is the secret of his popularity. I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse.")
“Order! We shall have order in this room!”
Merlin banged his gavel like a courtroom judge on the
long, squared wooden table, much to the annoyance of Yen Sid, who did not think
the action was necessary. There were only six master sorcerers present within
the conference room – Merlin, Scrooge McDuck, Pete, Anne-Marie, Joanie, and
himself. Also present within the room was Mickey, who attended their conference
more as a servant, providing water and food for the six master sorcerers.
(Character Note: Merlin of The Sword and the Stone fame makes his first-ever appearance in the series here. As it was established in The Marvelous World: World of Disney 2, those in the Disneyverse who are strongly adverse in magic - like Doctor Facilier or the Evil Queen - are aware of the other Disney realms, including Fantasia. Merlin is so far the only Disney protagonist who has used his abilities to keep order in the Disneyverse as opposed to chaos.)
As the mouse served each one, he got a glimpse of the
different characteristics each sorcerer possessed. There was the obvious
earnestness of Yen Sid and the maternal aura of Joanie, who went by the name of
“Joan” in reflection of her full elderly appearance. She looked nearly as old
as Yen Sid and Merlin; of course, Mickey knew that it was impossible for her to
be that old, since the two men were well
over a century old. Mickey served McDuck next and found the old duck to be quite
arrogant, pompously clearing his throat upon seeing Mickey. He then went to
Merlin, who seemed grateful of Mickey’s services yet was too absent-minded to
give a “thank you.” Anne-Marie appeared rather cold; it was difficult for Mickey
to tell what type of sorceress she
was.
(Authorial Note: The council of master sorcerers in Fantasia is based on the Jedi Council from Star Wars, as well as the Time Lord Council from Doctor Who. They are an establishment of peacekeepers who keep themselves aware of every event that takes place in the universe - good or bad - and find a solution to solve it, albeit indirectly, normally seeking assistance by the Guardian of the Disneyverse.)
Finally, there was Pete, who had been eyeing Mickey ever
since arriving to Yen Sid’s castle. It didn’t take much observation for Mickey
to see what type of a sorcerer Pete was as he let it be known for the
apprentice with his harsh demands. “Heya, mouse!
Get me sum more water! Pronto!” He tossed his cup, which was already half full,
and caused some of the liquid to splash onto Mickey’s face and robes.
(Character Note: Pete serves as a semi-antagonist in Tales but graduates to his classic villainous status by World of Disney 3 to become a central antagonist in The Disney Access. His role in the series is inspired by Doctor Who's Rassilon, a corrupt megalomaniac who is willing to do whatever necessary to ensure survival. Like most media he's featured in, Pete is portrayed as a buffoon incapable of proper pronunciation of simple terms, yet he does possess very crafty intelligence that is seen later in the series.)
Pete’s foul treatment of Mickey angered Joan and even Yen
Sid. “That’s enough, Pete.” Joan declared. The white glow of her eyes, which
echoed her anger, was enough to make the overweight master sorcerer cease of
his mistreatments.
“‘Enough’ is right.” McDuck said. “We’re wastin’ time
here talkin’ about what to do with the rifts that are spreadin’ through the
worlds. Already there are six and more
are comin’!”
(Character Note: Scrooge McDuck is the only Disney character depicted here, alongside those who have actually been sorcerers in Disney media, to never have been a sorcerer or mystical figure in his many appearances in movies, television, or comics. In DuckTales, Scrooge only fought against beings capable of sorcery, such as Magica De Spell and Merlock the Magician. For this reason, Livingston thought it would be a nice change of pace to "flip the script" and allow McDuck to possess skills in sorcery.)
“What worlds have been affected so far?” Anne-Marie
queried. Mickey noticed how she carried an English accent, making her one of
the three master sorcerers at the table to have one, next to Yen Sid and
Merlin.
“The Little Mermaid
and Finding Nemo realms had merged
this morning. Others that followed after were Peter Pan and Up, Cars and The Lion King, Lady and the
Tramp and 101 Dalmatians, Pinocchio and Alice in Wonderland, and Brave
and The Sword in the Stone.” Joan
notified.
(Authorial Note: Livingston had not intended for all of these mergers to be visited through the miniseries, merely toying with the idea for a couple. Those turned out to be the Lady and the Tramp/101 Dalmatians and Pinocchio/Alice in Wonderland mergers.)
“And may I add that the presence of the Dunbroch clan in England
isn’t doing us any favors.” Merlin criticized.
“So let’s cut to dah chase,” said an impatient Pete, “how
we gonna take care of this here mess?”
“Do we even know how it happened?” Anne-Marie asked.
The conference room fell silent as Joan and Yen Sid eyed
each other, as if to determine which of the two of them would answer Anne-Marie.
It was finally Joan who made the move in answering: “The cause is still under
investigation by Yen Sid and a few other master sorcerers.”
“Yen Sid and a few chumps?” Pete uttered in confusion. “Whadda
‘bout you?”
“What about me?” Joan retorted.
McDuck stepped in, supporting Pete’s complaint. “He’s got
a point, lass. You’re the Guardian. It is your
duty to watch and protect all worlds. It’s what ya promised us years ago, isn’t
it?”
(Narrative Note: Scrooge refers to the speech Joanie had given to the congregation of sorcerers in Fantasia in A World of Disney Christmas. In the speech, she swears her full responsibility in protecting the Disneyverse from threats both inside and out.)
Joan felt as if she had been backed into a corner with
McDuck and Pete making her the center of attention all of the sudden. She
stumbled on providing them with a reasonable explanation for her “lack of
activity” on the rift situation. It was only Yen Sid who saved her the trouble
of having to explain herself when he stood up from his chair and firmly told
McDuck and Pete, “She is the Guardian
and Protector of the Disneyverse. For that reason, neither of you will question
her actions on this matter. Is that understood?”
The room felt like it had shook to Mickey when Yen Sid
spoke in his harsh tone. He couldn’t remember the last time when he saw his
master so furious, especially when it was towards fellow master sorcerers.
McDuck and Pete both nodded in different ways – McDuck was more disapproving in
his way whilst there was much intimidation behind Pete’s. As Yen Sid sat back
down, Anne-Marie posed another question to him and Joan, “Until we do find out the cause of the rifts, who
we send to close them? Undoubtedly, the more that come, the more our universe
falls into imminent danger.”
Joan smiled. “Now that
is one thing I’ve personally handled myself. We’re sending three sorcerers of
three separate classes into the merging worlds – a master sorcerer, a sorcerer,
and an apprentice.”
Pete groaned over one part of the idea. “Ya gotta be
kiddin’ sendin’ an apprentice out dere!”
“Sending an apprentice helps him gain the experience of
using magic to defuse certain situations.” Joan clarified.
“Him?”
Anne-Marie pointed out the precision in the old woman’s words. “You mean you’ve
already chosen an apprentice for this mission?”
Joan’s smile grew. “I’ve chosen all three, Anne-Marie.
You’ll be going out there with Mickey.”
There was a loud crash and all eyes looked to Mickey, who
had dropped the tray of food and water in reaction to hearing Joan. “M-Me?
Y-You’re trustin’ me with magic?”
Pete furiously slammed his fist on the table and stood
up. “I objectate to this molockery!”
“When you learn to pronounce ‘malarkey’ right, your
objection will be noted.” Joan mockingly remarked. “In the meantime, your
objection is overruled. Now shut up and sit
down!” Pete did as she said, albeit still furious of the decision. Joan
then calmly addressed Mickey’s concerns: “We do trust you with magic, Mickey.
But you needn’t worry about losing control. That is why you’ll have experienced
sorceresses with you.”
Anne-Marie looked back and forth between Joan and Mickey,
nodding in agreement. “Very well. I’ll go with the apprentice. But who is the
sorcerer you intend on accompanying the two of us?”
Joan looked to the doorway of the conference room and
snapped the fingers of her left hand. Everyone soon heard heavy, rapid
footsteps near the entrance, sounding closer and closer each second. Finally, a
tall, smoky, and young female figure rushed inside and bowed to the master
sorcerers. “Masters.” She then looked to Mickey with a large smile, waving and
blowing a kiss to him. “Hi, Mickey!”
The emergence of the sorceress surprised Mickey more than
the master sorcerers – with the notable exception of Yen Sid and Joan, who both
anticipated her arrival. Mickey noticed the tattered and scorched state of her red robe
and the clothing she wore beneath – a white tunic and sparkling light blue
tights. Even her face was covered with soot, blackening her peach
skin, as well as her long blond hair. In response to her lovey-dovey greeting
to him, Mickey hesitantly waved and smiled.
(Character Note: A romance between Katie and Mickey was teased in this scene, but it did not go very far during or after Tales of the Disneyverse, especially with Katie having started a relationship with another Fantasia sorcerer in World of Disney 3.)
“I’d like everyone to meet Katie.” Joan introduced the
woman to her fellow masters.
“We know who she is.” McDuck grumbled. “She is the
outcast!”
Katie looked down in sadness upon hearing McDuck address
her by her unfortunate designation. Even Pete’s harsh words brought her
confidence down more: “What dah heck are you thinkin’ bringin’ her back! We wanna save the world, not put it in bigger trouble!”
“Even I have to admit this is an unwise choice, with all
due respect.” Merlin said.
As the complaints began to pile over each other, Joan
quickly eased their concerns. “I understand the reputation Katie has in this
world. Yen Sid has explained to me about her past. That’s why I want her
involved in this mission – to redeem herself in your eyes. If anyone knows
about making mistakes that had catastrophic consequences, it’s me. I’ve had to
do much to prove myself worthy again
for my past mistake, especially in the eyes of Yen Sid. We should give Katie
that same opportunity.”
(Narrative Note: The mistake that Joan refers to is the destruction of the Aladdin realm, which was caused by her sinister alter-ego "Dawn." This becomes a focal point of the miniseries in later tales.)
“I-If it helps my case, I faced down a dragon on White
Mountain just a while ago!” Katie excitedly stated.
Anne-Marie shook her head critically. “The dragon of
White Mountain is a friend of our ministry!”
(UP NEXT: The strangest merger of them all!)
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