Epilogue: Realm D1940
(Editorial Note: The Marvelous World: World of Disney 2 was officially completed January 30, 2013 on FanFiction.net. That is approximately seven months and twenty-one days of writing one hundred and twenty-four pages and twenty-four chapters, including the prologue and this epilogue. It is also a noticeably shorter duration than the very first World of Disney installment - see its duration here.)
There was a great difference in the way time functioned
between the Disneyverse and the realms outside of it. Mickey was often reminded
of this when Yen Sid observed the outside worlds through the magic mirror in
his workshop. As Yen Sid observed “The Marvelous World,” as Sheryl referred it,
Mickey saw that the current events unfolding in the mirror were nearly a whole
year after their adventure there, and only three months had passed for him, Yen
Sid, and Sheryl. The lives of the people in that particular realm were
certainly changed, thanks to the influences of the Sphere and the people
involved with it. Agent Sean Livingston worked with both his half-sister and
his rejuvenated mother in S.H.I.E.L.D.; at times they brought along Mindy, who
seemed to have bonded rather easily with the three while on the job.
Then there were the Avengers – Steve Rogers (Captain
America), Tony Stark (Iron Man), Bruce Banner (The Hulk), Natasha Romanoff
(Black Widow), and Clint Barton (Hawkeye). The team of heroes had been disassembled
since the confrontation with Facilier and his army, going their separate ways
and maintaining their personal lives – or, in Tony Stark’s case, trying his
best to. According to Yen Sid, although Stark seemed physically fine after the
excursion, there were still mental scars. Combined with the “Loki Incident,”
there was much left from the events that made Stark feel more vulnerable
towards the wonders of the universe.
(Marvel Note: Although the details on Tony Stark's life after the story's events strongly foreshadow the events of Iron Man 3, this was in no way a spot-on prediction of the film a whole four months before its initial release in theaters. Livingston had seen press releases of the film beforehand and simply incorporated the details on Stark's role in the film for the rundown of each Avenger's life in this epilogue.)
Steve Rogers, on the other hand, was
enlightened from his experiences in a more positive way; his time with
Pocahontas in her world had given him a new outlook on his life in the modern
world. Although it would still be challenging for the Captain to keep up with
the times, he would always remember to follow Grandmother Willow’s advice and
listen with his heart. And Bruce Banner, who spent most of his time in the
escapade as the Hulk (and a pawn of Facilier’s), could not remember a thing
from it all; to him, it might all as well have been a dream.
(Marvel Note: Captain America's rundown can also be seen as foreshadowing of the events in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The advice of listening with his heart helped him to manage through the situation of Hydra's uprising within S.H.I.E.L.D., as well as how to save the soul of his friend Bucky Barnes as he suffered from his identity crisis.)
In his time within “The Marvelous World” in the guise of
Sammi Solus, Mickey was extremely impressed with the Avengers; he was even
amused of the fact that there was one other that he had not meet yet – Thor.
From the stories Yen Sid told of the “God of Thunder,” Mickey imagined how
differently the fight against Facilier would have turned out had Thor been
involved. Still, he was thankful of the bravery of the team and S.H.I.E.L.D.
even after three months (or a year). He wished that he could have gone back
into “The Marvelous World” to see them all again, even if it was just to say
“thank you” once more. Unfortunately, Yen Sid forbade anyone except for Sheryl
to return to the realm. But Sheryl had yet to return to the realm on her own
accord. It was possible that she still felt a great loss over her mother,
preventing her from going back to the world that she lost her in.
While Yen Sid was busy with his observation from the
magic mirror, Mickey performed his usual chore of dumping water into the well.
On that particular day, Mickey could not have been happier to do the chore,
seeing the water fill up to the brim and provide a perfect reflection of him.
Having reflected that day on his time in “The Marvelous World,” Mickey tried to
remember when he last stopped and looked at his own face. He spent so much time
as Sammi Solus that he almost forgot what his real face even looked like. In his time of staring at his
reflection, Pluto moved in beside him, barking happily.
The mouse petted his dog on the head and smiled. “It was
fun bein’ someone else for a while; but, boy, did I ever miss bein’ just me – Mickey Mouse. Yen Sid says the only
way we can stay in the other worlds for a long time without creating another
rift is to mask ourselves – blend in,
I guess ya can say. But, one day, I’m gonna see a world as me and no one else.”
(Narrative Note: This line by Mickey foreshadows his role in World of Disney 3, which will be the first story that finds Mickey stepping into a world outside the Disneyverse as himself.)
Pluto barked in agreement with Mickey’s optimism as they
both returned inside to Yen Sid’s workshop. Just as the pair entered the room,
they were surprised by the arrival of fellow sorcerers Katie and Anne-Marie.
Mickey was pleased to have seen that the two ladies were healing well from the
injuries they endured at the enormous hands of the Hulk. When magic was the
best medical treatment for bruises and broken bones, there would always be assurance
of a rapid recovery.
“You girls were pretty brave fightin’ that Hulk fella.”
Mickey said.
Anne-Marie nodded. “Brave yet foolish. That creature,
even though remarkable in nature, is a menace to the world he dwells in.”
“Hey, c’mon, Anne-Marie.” Katie pleaded. “He was under a
dark spell. You can’t blame the guy for that. He’s a real hero in his world,
just like all the other Avengers. I’d consider it a huge honor just to have my butt kicked by the Hulk.”
Anne-Marie grinned and shook her head. “Maybe yours, but
not mine.”
(Authorial Note: Livingston wanted readers to have a preview of the witty banter between Anne-Marie and Katie prior to being the central focus on the Tales of the Disneyverse miniseries, including exchanges like this one to establish their relationship. It wasn't until the miniseries itself when it was fully realized that relationship was based on a teacher/student aspect.)
Taking his focus away from the two sorceresses, Mickey
centered his attention on Yen Sid, who moved to observing the events of the
realms of Tangled, Pocahontas, The Princess and the Frog, The
Incredibles, Tarzan, and Beauty and the Beast. Mickey looked past
his master and toward the magic mirror, which revealed each world as a moving
collage under a rippling effect. As both Mickey and Yen Sid hoped, the worlds
were restored to their proper order with none of the characters that had an
involvement in “The Marvelous World” having any memory of their adventure there.
Not even Facilier or Gaston, who both met their demise in their respective
worlds, remembered enough to prevent their unhappy endings. Mickey was
especially pleased to see the Beast, who still died but was resurrected back
into human form, finally have his happy ending with Belle.
Mickey smiled over all
the happy endings displayed in the mirror. “Boy, when ya look at it all, it makes
ya think how much it was all worth it.”
Yen Sid moved his right hand across the mirror, and it
turned into just an ordinary mirror on the wall under his command. “Indeed, my
apprentice.” He then returned to his desk; but as he had done so, they noticed
how he appeared melancholic.
Concerned, Anne-Marie stepped in closer to the master
sorcerer and said, “Yen Sid? Is something the matter?”
He sighed before answering their concerns. “In my
observation of the universe today, I came upon a troubling discovery.”
“Oh, no.” Mickey uttered, not sure if he can take any bad
news so soon after their adventure in “The Marvelous World.” “There’s not
another villain in the Disneyverse trying to take over, is there?”
Yen Sid shook his head. “No, Mickey. The villains of this
universe – those who are still aware of the Guardian, that is – know not to
challenge her power.” He sighed and then added, “But even I have underestimated
the true power of the Guardian.”
His abstruse dialogue was only concerning them more. “Yen
Sid,” Anne-Marie addressed once more, “What ‘troubling discovery’ did you come
across?”
There was a long pause from the master sorcerer and he
finally said, “Our first Guardian – Joanie…or Gigi…or whatever you prefer to
call her – is still alive.”
(Narrative Note: Even though it is not explicitly stated in this scene, Joanie/Gigi undergoes another reincarnation that was delayed from Facilier's overtaking. The next form she takes will be ultimately revealed in World of Disney 3.)
This breaking news was greeted with surprise from
Anne-Marie, Katie, Pluto, and especially Mickey Mouse. “H-How…How is it
possible?”
Destination: Another Galaxy
Time: A Long Time Ago
Time: A Long Time Ago
In the far reaches of space, the Sphere floated among the
vast stars. It was entirely empty from inside and, due to the loss of power in
the generator and the heating system, much of the interior had frozen because
of the climate. It had become a useless piece of technology, dumped into outer
space by Sheryl, just as she promised the people of “The Marvelous World.” Of
course, it did not appear that way to the people in the dagger-shaped
spacecraft that had approached the Sphere’s location. From the bridge of the
highly advanced spacecraft, several officers dressed in uniforms that varied in
color operated the massive ship. In the center of it all, looking out at the
Sphere through the window, there stood one naval officer wearing an olive-gray
double-breasted tunic and trousers, a corresponding cover, a black leather belt
with a silver buckle, black leather boots, black leather gloves, and a rank
badge on his left breast.
(Authorial Note: Livingston knew even before he wrote the final act of The Marvelous World that he would take the World of Disney series into the Star Wars universe by the third story, inspired by the franchise's presence in Disney with the Star Tours attraction and the Star Wars Weekends event in Disney's Hollywood Studios. The acquisition of Lucasfilm by Disney took place on December 4, 2012, well before the date that The Marvelous World officially ended its production.)
The naval officer was highly enthralled by the machinery
that they discovered in that sector of the galaxy. He almost did not realize
that he was being spoken to by a tall, dark figure that had entered the bridge
and made his powerful presence known to the technicians and other personnel
there. “Have you found something, Admiral?” The figure questioned in his deep,
augmented, and slightly automated voice that was accompanied by labored,
mechanical breathing.
“Yes, my lord,” answered the admiral, snapping himself
out of his fixation of the Sphere. “We detected it just as we came out of
lightspeed. We do not know yet what it is or what its functions are, but I have
my men examining it now.”
The dark figure looked out to the Sphere and was silent for
a long period of time as if he took a moment to scan the alien technology
himself with a skill only he possessed. When he instantly received his
information from the scan, he turned back to the admiral and said, “The
structure of this artifact bears a similar shape to the Empire’s greatest
weapon, yet I sense more power from
within it. We shall bring it to the Emperor. He will determine its usefulness to the Empire.”
The Marvelous World
World of Disney 2
(TALES OF THE DISNEYVERSE GETS REVISITED STARTING MARCH 20TH!)
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