Chapter Fourteen: Realm D1991
Facilier grinned as he stood within the cold, grim forest
and looked on in the distance at the Beast’s castle. Every inch of the castle
was consumed in flames, blazing in the night atmosphere. Chunks of its
once-majestic structure crumbled to the ground. To any sane person, it would
have been a sight of pure horror; but Facilier managed to find sadistic
pleasure in watching the castle collapse into ruins, knowing there were people
– albeit in the form of furnishings – inside. The Hulk, Gaston, LeFou, and the
gang of “tough guys” Gaston had gathered from his village had done their work.
The Beast was dead – slain by the hands of the mighty hunter who was Gaston.
(Narrative Note: This is the second moment in the World of Disney series that is the darkest in regards to a nightmarish "alternate ending" in a classic Disney animated feature. The first occurred in World of Disney with the destruction of the Aladdin realm and the in-depth depiction of the true horror of it.)
And Gaston’s prize for his “valiant” deed was the lovely
Belle.
She struggled to get free from Gaston as he gripped her
wrist. Facilier could hear her shouting at him while Gaston and his men
returned to the forest, rendezvousing with Facilier. Not a single scratch was
laid on them, which meant that they all had an excellent advantage
with the monstrous Hulk by their side. Facilier applauded upon the mob’s return
and said, “Marvelous work,
gentlemen!” He particularly asked Gaston, “How does it feel winning your
prize?”
(Authorial Note: Livingston wanted there to be a moment in which, for once, "the bad guys win. He had chosen the world of Beauty and the Beast for it to happen, due to it being the epicenter of change in the first story, as well as to give Gaston some retribution for the acts against him - despite him being unaware of them.)
Gaston smirked at the struggling Belle. “It
feels…victorious.”
“You killed him, Gaston!” Belle yelled, tears flowing
from her eyes. “You killed the Beast!”
“I did it to save
you, Belle.” Gaston said. “You no longer have to fear of being trapped inside
that castle.”
“He was changing. He wasn’t what I thought he was when I
first saw him. He…He saved my life. He was my friend.”
Listening to her, Gaston grew shocked and disgusted. “If
I didn’t know better, I’d say you had feelings
for this monster.”
“He’s not the monster, Gaston. You are!” Belle retorted.
(Disney Note: The dialogue of this exchange between Belle and Gaston mirrors that from the scene in Beauty and the Beast that preceded "The Mob Song." Fittingly, in World of Disney, the mob scene had been integrated with the opening village scene, with Belle not having yet met the Beast to defend him.)
This claim of hers angered Gaston. He looked to Facilier
and yelled, “She’s as crazy as her father! This is not the reward you promised
me!”
Facilier remained positive. “Relax, Gaston. Consider this
the first part of your reward. We’ll get this girl to see reason soon. I have
ways of persuading her in seein’ the
light before the darkness.”
Belle took notice in the presence of Facilier for the
first time in their arrival. There was eeriness to this stranger – much about
him made Belle feel uncomfortable. Noting how connected he and Gaston were,
Belle asked, “Gaston…w-who is this man? Where did he come from?”
“In a few seconds, it won’t matter.”
An outside party spoke out loud enough for her voice to
echo throughout the area. All eyes turned in the direction that the woman had
spoken from, only able to spot her presence from the light provided by the
inferno behind them. The woman stood upon a tree branch. She had long blond
hair, green eyes, and tanned skin and wore a white t-shirt, black leggings, and
black tennis shoes beneath an open red overcoat. She leaned against the tree
with her arms folded, looking down at the audience of men and one woman (Belle)
as they all stared up at her.
Whereas Gaston and his men were startled by the
mysterious woman’s sudden presence, Facilier appeared expectant of it. “I must
say…I was hoping one of Yen Sid’s disciples would take notice in my dirty work.
Unfortunately, you weren’t the one I was expectin’.”
“The name’s Sheryl,” said the woman, “and you’ve created
a list of serious violations, Facilier – more than a certain Evil Queen who tried to do what you’re
doing right now.”
(Biographical Note: "Sheryl" is based on and inspired by Sheryl Lau, a Facebook friend of Livingston's and fitness model. Her role in The Marvelous World is the first of many written for her in the series. Livingston wrote it specifically with her in mind to be portrayed as a character he thought of as "an older, female Caucasian take" on himself. Part of the attire of her character in this story - her leggings - is inspired by a Facebook photo of hers that Livingston admired as a good "superhero look.")
“So I’ve noticed, Miss Sheryl.” Facilier remarked. “She’s
the reason I’m doing all of this. I want to finish where she left off. And my friends are helping me succeed where she
failed.”
Sheryl shook her head. “Not gonna happen.”
Her form unexpectedly shifted from the tree branch to the
base of the tree, briefly appearing in the form of purple mist as she displayed
a power of teleportation that undoubtedly sparked fear in Gaston and his
men. “Witchcraft,” shouted Gaston, who shoved Belle into the hands of LeFou to
retrieve his bow and arrow – the same weapon of choice he slayed the Beast
with.
Gaston fired one shot that connected directly with
Sheryl’s torso – or so he thought. As soon as the arrow reached her body, it
then phased right through it,
striking the base of the tree instead. Gaston and the others, excluding
Facilier, looked upon Sheryl in shock as the woman remained untouched from the
attack. She looked down at her white shirt, smiling over the lack of damage to
her clothes and body.
Gazing back up at the bewildered and surprised Gaston,
she said in sarcasm, “Ooh, Gaston! That was nowhere
near close, dude! Tell you what – I’ll give you another try. This time you can
aim for my back.” She turned with her back facing Gaston and her arms
outstretched for emphasis, but Gaston didn’t make a move. “The back’s not
challenging enough for you? Then how about the booty?” She parted the lower
half of her overcoat to expose her derriere – her leggings outlined it, making
the fact that she was mockingly flexing it more obvious. “C’mon! If it helps,
pretend my cheeks are apples.”
(Authorial Note: The "cheeks are apples" line was written as an inside joke on two levels. It is a reference to William Tell, a legendary expert marksman whose story of firing an apple from a man's head with a crossbow has become a strong motif in literature. Livingston also joked on how "apple bottoms" came to his mind when he wrote the line. The joke was well-received by Sheryl Lau, who reflected on her fitness instructor constantly referencing "tight glutes" in thinking of apples and not apple sauce.)
Facilier could have allowed Gaston’s embarrassment to
have gone on for minutes, but his busy schedule prevented him from doing so.
While Sheryl continued to mock the baffled Gaston, who appeared as if he was
going to take another shot at her, Facilier lifted one hand and snapped his
fingers. A loud, unearthly roar was then heard in the direction of the inferno.
Sheryl’s ears perked on the noise and aborted her banter long enough to brace
herself from what was to come. She knew the creature behind the inhuman sound
and glared at Facilier for bringing it to the world.
“Regardless of what you might think, there’s one person who won’t let you get away
with your master plan.” Sheryl told him.
Facilier grinned. “I know. And I look forward to the
moment I get to meet your dear mama.”
Sheryl felt the ground beneath her feet vibrate; a shadow
loomed over her. She found herself staring upon the Hulk, who roared right in
her face – his hot breath blowing past her and strands of saliva coming in
contact with her face and clothes. The green behemoth succeeded in intimidating
her, but she didn’t let that fact be shown in front of Facilier and his gang of
thugs. Unfortunately, her façade didn’t hold up for very long once the Hulk raised
one giant fist into the air, causing Sheryl to flinch and fall backwards to the
ground. She heard Facilier, Gaston, and the other men laugh over her cowardice
while she saw the Hulk’s green fist speeding towards her.
That fist was the last thing she had seen before shutting
her eyes and bracing herself for a powerful blow to her body. However, after a
few seconds, she felt nothing. She hadn’t “switched on” her phasing ability,
which required a lot of concentration – something she didn’t have while facing
the monstrous Hulk. All was quiet, which made her even more curious. Slowly,
she reopened her eyes and found not the Hulk standing over her cowering form,
but a slender, half bald elderly man with a long gray beard to match what hair
he did have, including his thick
eyebrows.
“Yen Sid?” Sheryl uttered the name of the recognizable
figure before her.
(Narrative Note: Yen Sid makes his second consecutive appearance of the series in The Marvelous World, having made a cameo appearance in the thirtieth chapter of World of Disney. In this sequel, he and Mickey have been bumped to major characters, rightfully so in the new twists involving Joanie and Sean with their reincarnations. So far, Yen Sid and Mickey are the only two main characters to have appeared as the same ones continuously through the series.)
The master sorcerer seemed frustrated with her. “You
weren’t ready.”
Quickly,
Sheryl got to her feet and stood at her full five-foot, ten-inch height, which
almost matched with Yen Sid’s six-foot frame. “I had them! I just got cocky,
that’s all. First time back in the Disneyverse as a guardian.”
“You
were scared.” Yen Sid contradicted. “You quivered in the face of your
adversary, which is why I had to extract you from that world as a necessity.”
Sheryl shook her head in disgrace. Her eyes darted around
Yen Sid’s private chambers until her eyes locked in on someone in one corner of
the room – gagged, handcuffed, tied by the ankles, and unconscious. She recognized
the figure as John Clayton, the antagonist from Tarzan. Surprised, she pointed to Clayton and began to ask, “Is
that…?”
“He was accidentally brought into the world where Mickey
is now.”
“Brought by whom?”
Yen Sid remained stone-faced as he responded: “Your
mother.”
(Authorial Note: This was a fairly obvious clue to readers on the real identity of Sheryl, though it was subtly given with the intention of the big reveal coming at the close of the chapter.)
Sheryl’s eyes grew wide; a smile emerged on her face.
“Y-You found her?”
“It was not easy to do. She’s a completely different
entity now. Her magic has grown stronger than before. The moment I felt her
presence in the world she was resurrected into, I just had to make sure. That
is why Mickey and I infiltrated the S.H.I.E.L.D. base, taking the forms of
Agents Samantha Solus and Lisa Stevens.”
“Because you couldn’t risk anyone at S.H.I.E.L.D.
recognizing you guys. Poor Mickey is still there, upholding his disguise.”
“And with the threat of Doctor Facilier looming, I’m
afraid he will have to maintain that guise longer than intended – the same
applies for me. The Disneyverse and every other realm are all in grave danger
as we speak.”
“Then let me help.” Sheryl pleaded. “Look, I might’ve
almost gotten my butt pummeled by the Hulk back there, but at least give me the
chance to see my mother again. She’s the reason why I’m here now in this body. Those magical genes of her
were passed down to me and me only. I’m even starting to remember events from
another life I had – one where I was killed saving my grandmother. You said it
yourself…getting her powers wasn’t a
mistake.”
(Narrative Note: The story of Sheryl's birth, including how she came to be under Yen Sid's care in the Fantasia realm, is told in the opening tale in the miniseries, Tales of the Guardians.)
Yen Sid regarded her speech, especially its closing
remark. “Fine,” he said with a heavy sigh. “But she’s no longer in the Project
Geo Base. She has returned within the Disneyverse to retrieve Captain America
and the ‘Iron Man,’ Tony Stark.” He led Sheryl out of his private chambers,
heading into the courtyard where the well, filled to its rim with clear water,
was located. Yen Sid stuck one finger in the water and swirled it, creating a
ripple effect on the surface until the water glowed and an image was projected.
“You will find her in Pocahontas’s world.”
Sheryl looked upon the image in the water, seeing a young
woman dressed in a red robe and wearing Yen Sid’s signature hat emerging in a
section of the forest within the Pocahontas
world. Sheryl frowned; this woman did not look
like the mother she once knew. Of course, she trusted both Yen Sid’s judgment
and the fact that the woman bore his hat and the apprentice robes enough to
realize that she was in fact her mother. The woman, once known as Joanie
Navarro-Thomas, had gained a whole new appearance – just like the case with
Sheryl.
Accepting the information, Sheryl nodded to Yen Sid and
said, “Thank you, Master.”
The master sorcerer appeared surprised from her response.
“That is the first time you’ve called me ‘master,’ Sheryl.”
She smiled. “Yeah…just wish I could be called by my
proper name again.”
Realizing her despair, Yen Sid placed a comforting hand
on her shoulder. “No matter what new face you take on in reincarnation, you can
always remember the person you once were…Sean
Thomas.”
(UP NEXT: Getting the band back together!)
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