New Plan
(The Realm of Fantasia)
(The Realm of Fantasia)
The most challenging thing for Sean Thomas as he lived in
his “Jacqueline” reincarnation was her hairstyle. The bangs of her bob style,
as they hung there on the opposite sides of her face, practically robbed her of
any depth perception. Because of this, Jacqueline could not detect in time the
hard slap that Joan gave her. It came from the left, sending Jacqueline’s head
swiveling to the right and nearly knocking her off balance – there was quite a
lot of strength left in the old woman!
(Character Note: Jacqueline's bob style is based on an actual look that Jacqueline Zediker had in the early days of her friendship with Livingston. He liked the look so much that he incorporated to her character's appearance in Tales, though it has changed in subsequent World of Disney stories.)
“GET OUT!” Joan furiously screamed.
“Mama, just listen for a se—”
Another hard slap came in from the right, creating the
same effect that the last one had on Jacqueline; again, because of her long
black bangs hanging ever so close over the corners of her eyes, she failed to
detect it when it came.
“My son would never be such a coward, letting an entire
universe die just to save one person!” Joan yelled. “You are not Sean! You are NOT my son!”
“I am your
son!” This retort from Jacqueline earned her yet another slap from the right
side. Her aggravation finally hit a boiling point: “STOP THAT!”
“I want you to leave this realm! If your only purpose
here is to make sure that the Disneyverse gets wiped out and not saved, then
you take your butt back to wherever you came from! The title of ‘Guardian’ is a
promise to every single being here in the Disneyverse – a promise to protect
the worlds with every power you have! I made that promise thirty-six years ago
on Christmas Day, and here you are breaking it now! What kind of legacy are you carrying?”
Jacqueline frowned over Joan’s scolding remarks. “This is not legacy! Family
is our legacy! Family is what matters more than anything…even the Disneyverse!” From her “tunneled” vision,
Jacqueline saw Joan’s body grow tense as she made a gesture. Knowing what that
gesture was, Jacqueline brought up her right arm and caught Joan’s left arm by
the wrist instinctively, avoiding further punishment to her reddened face. “You
know that I’m right.”
She suddenly saw how Joan’s eyes glowed white for a split
second. There was a quiet gasp from Joan – the glow from her eyes extinguished,
their clear blueness exposed for a moment and then closed. There was an
expression on her face that registered discomfort, but it had passed quickly.
Jacqueline felt her tense wrist go limp, along with the rest of her body, which
slumped right into Jacqueline’s arms. Kneeling down to let Joan’s limp body
rest upon her lap, Jacqueline panicked.
“Mama? Mama!” She cried, giving Joan’s body a slight
shake in an attempt to wake her out of the unconscious state she surprisingly
fell into. There was no response from Joan, prompting Jacqueline to check her
pulse from the same wrist that she had been holding onto. Jacqueline’s body
stiffened when she discovered that Joan no longer had a pulse. She placed an ear to Joan’s chest – there was no
heartbeat. “Oh, no…no, no, no, NO!” Jacqueline did not know what to do; she had
no idea what had happened to Joan that put her in an unresponsive state. All
that she could do was use a
resuscitation spell, placing her right hand over Joan’s chest and kick-starting
her nervous system – starting with her heart.
(Narrative Note: The "resuscitation spell" is Fantasia's answer to C.P.R. It is a quick-fix healing power capable of restoring life to a subject that is in the process of losing it. The only downside is the subject's choice to receive the life being brought back into them or reject it entirely, accepting their fate.)
“That won’t work.”
Jacqueline’s head turned immediately once she heard a voice
that eerily sounded just like Joan’s – only much
younger. Her eyes got large upon seeing something that she could not make
sense of: her mother standing across the
room – twenty-four years old again. Donned in a rainbow-colored tie-dyed
shirt, bellbottom blue jeans, and beige sandals, the younger Joan
Navarro-Thomas (or “Joanie” – a name that best suited her in this form) looked
upon Jacqueline with a grin.
(Character Note: For the younger manifestation of her in the mind of Jacqueline, Joanie takes on the attire that she first wore in World of Disney, since it is how Sean best remembers her.)
Tears in her eyes, a confused and angry Jacqueline looked
directly at the young woman. “What did you do?”
“I transferred my spirit out of me…and into you. You and
I share the same body, mind, and power now. I can sense each and every one of
your emotions. You feel lost, afraid, angry, and alone. I know that it’s really you now, Sean – a mother’s senses
are a lot stronger than a sorcerer’s.”
Jacqueline looked away from Joanie and to the body her
soul had abandoned. That was when she discovered that the body was no longer
there. “W-Where…?”
“My old body is back where it belongs – in our world. I’m
sorry, Sean…but I’ve passed on now.”
Jacqueline angrily shook her head, standing back up and
approaching Joanie in a threatening manner. “No…NO! You don’t get to do this to
me again! I have power now – I can
bring you back if I wished it!”
Joanie chuckled. “We both know you can’t possibly do
that. My magic is much stronger outside
of my body, which is why you no longer feel
that you’re in control. Tell me I’m wrong on that.”
But Jacqueline could not. Joanie’s presence in Jacqueline’s
body was indeed remarkably strong; it felt as if Jacqueline’s Guardian power
had been drained and she became mortal again, maintaining enough energy just to
keep her breathing and standing. “W-Why are you doing this? I thought you cared
about the safety of the Disneyverse! Leaving your body like that, you’ve put it
in even greater danger than before!”
“My soul is linked to the Disneyverse just as much as my
body was, Sean. Without that frail old thing around, the rift that’s tearing
the Disneyverse apart is contained.”
(Narrative Note: When Joanie first committed herself to protecting the Disneyverse, her body and soul were automatically submitted to the universe itself. This is another factor that plays into the purpose of the Guardian, as well as the reincarnation cycle. Her human body cannot sustain the connection, hence why the reincarnation into a more capable albeit inhuman form is necessary. The only unforeseen loophole was in Sean's reincarnations.)
“Only temporarily – just like that ‘spirit transference’
spell you used!” Jacqueline exclaimed in frustration. “Yen Sid warned how
dangerous that spell can be to the transported soul. If you continue sharing
space with my body like this…”
“My soul will be lost forever.”
Jacqueline noticed how she finished this cautionary
statement with a smirk. From that smirk, she discovered Joanie’s ploy. “You
already knew that! You’re doing this to force me into saving the Disneyverse! This isn’t fair!”
Joanie folded her arms, her smirk growing. “Tough.”
Jacqueline bit her tongue furiously; she hated being
played for a fool, especially by her own mother.
“Who’s Genevieve?”
Jacqueline gave her a confounded stare. “Who?”
“She’s somebody who just popped in my head – or I guess I
should say our head. She’s been
trying to reach you from within the Disneyverse – I can hear her loud and
clear. Can’t you?”
(Narrative Note: The merging of souls and sharing of one body between Joanie and Jacqueline/Sean is a milder version of what we see later between Sean and the reincarnations fused with him, starting with Natalie in Marvel Mayhem.)
Through all the stress she had been going through since
arriving in the Fantasia realm, Jacqueline
had been admittedly out of touch with the rest of the Disneyverse – due in part
to her disinterest in saving it. With her mother now in control of her power,
she began to hear the message from this “Genevieve”: We’ve gotta gather to save the worlds! Find each other…find me,
if you can! This is the only way we can close the rift!
The voice of Genevieve sounded powerful and confident –
two things Jacqueline wished she were at the moment; she was certainly much
younger than Jacqueline and Joanie were in their current physical appearance.
After listening to Genevieve’s call for assistance, Joanie became more hopeful
in the mission she and Jacqueline were facing. “We need to find this girl – she
sounds like our key to saving the Disneyverse.”
Jacqueline dejectedly sighed. “Fine. Where do we start?”
Meanwhile…
In the Merged Realms of Up and Peter Pan
In the Merged Realms of Up and Peter Pan
Russell was terrified beyond belief over the situation he found himself in. He did not even think pirates still existed until he was caught by a group of them while getting help for Carl Fredricksen, who was still sitting up in a suspended net – as far as Russell knew. What was even weirder about his pirate captors – other than the fact that they were real pirates – was how they continued to address him as a “Lost Boy,” a designation Russell was not entirely familiar with.
The pirates brought Russell out of the jungle and to a
beach that Russell was not aware of being there, believing to be somewhere at
the center of South America and far from any beaches. From this particular
beach, Russell – to his immediate surprise – saw the pirates’ ship anchored
just a couple of miles from shore; it was a true-to-life pirate ship that
looked brand new. Russell almost could not believe it; neither could he believe
the existence of the ruthless female pirate leading the band of cutthroats.
The woman’s attire consisted of a number of clothing to
give her the legitimate appearance of a female pirate: a white cotton, off the
shoulder blouse with brass buttons (all open); a scarlet red wrap skirt with
marigold colored print from India; a warm brown leather half corselette with
brown buttons – below it a leather belt with a pouch attached, slung down low
on her hips, and many holes in it to hook items on with (two strings of gold
coins and a green/gold ribbon were hooked to the belt); brown lace up knee-high
boots; three bracelets on the left hand – one a red coral with gold inlays on
top of a brass two-inch cuff, followed by a green jade bracelet with gold
inlays; on the right hand – two leather strips tied around the wrist with one
that read “freedom”; a gold necklace with three ruby pendants – the middle one
being a golden book that looked to open up into a locket; huge brass hoop
earrings; a purple and green printed headscarf; and another short string of
gold coins down the tails of the headscarf.
(Biographical Note: "Genevieve" is based on model, actress, and cosplayer Genevieve Marie Nylen, who Livingston was superbly impressed with for her Disney and Marvel cosplays. For this, he knew that he had to incorporate her into the World of Disney series. Since her first appearance in Tales, Nylen's character has become an integral character in subsequent installments. Her popular and spot-on Black Widow cosplay inspired an inside joke that Livingston wrote into her character's role in Marvel Mayhem. Not since casting Joanie as the primary hero in World of Disney has there been such a motivation for the continuing story of the series than with Genevieve taking on the part.)
Russell knew very little about the female pirate; he did
not even know her name. All he did
know was that she was marvelously gorgeous. She was very Scandinavian-looking
with long blond hair down to her lower back – her bangs covering her forehead
and eyebrows, large grey/blue eyes, very pale skin, small aristocratic nose,
and rose-red lips. She looked to be five-foot, five inches tall – even though,
to Russell, she looked taller with the heels that she wore – and carried a
slender/athletic build, brimming with the power and confidence that she used to
take charge over the group of all-male pirates. She certainly stood out from
them, not just because of her role as leader but mostly from her glorious
beauty, which heavily contradicted their hideous, unhygienic façade.
(Character Note: Genevieve's pirate attire was based on a Pirates of the Caribbean style photo shoot she had done in 2013. Livingston was so impressed with the look that he nearly settled on having it be her signature appearance until opting for another that possessed a medieval/contemporary style that fit in perfectly with the theme of the Fantasia realm.)
They were greeted at the beach by another imposing figure
– a man with a gold hook, dressed in clothes fitted for a pirate captain
(crimson hat with a giant lavender feather, red overcoat with gold brims, pink
shirt, white cravat, purple knee-length pants, lavender knee-high socks, and
black boots with gold square-outlined buckles). Accompanying him was a short,
obese, half-bald man with white hair and sideburns and a large pink nose,
wearing spectacles, a red pirate cap, a blue/white striped shirt (that was so
small on him it showed his midriff), blue shorts, and sandals.
“Did you find what you were after, my dear?” The man with
the hook asked the female pirate.
She approached him with a devilish smile. “I certainly
did, my love.” She gestured to Russell and added, “A little Lost Boy –
separated from the group.”
Russell made a brave attempt in speaking up to his
captors: “I’m not a Lost Boy! I don’t
even know what that…”
“Silence, child!” The female pirate bellowed with such a
ferocious tone that brought Russell back to a timid state. “You will speak only when spoken to!”
The man with the hook moved in closer to Russell, holding
his golden hook dangerously close to the Wilderness Explorer’s plump young
face. “Yes. When Peter Pan finds that we have one of his precious Lost Boys in
our possession, he’s certain to come to his rescue. And when he does, I will
have my revenge on that blasted brat!” The man’s anger had clearly boiled over,
but he returned to a calmer, happier state of mind once he returned to the side
of his female companion. “You have certainly made me a very happy man, my dear. That is why I must make this official now.
Mr. Smee!”
Responding to the vigorous call of his name, the short,
obese man known as Mr. Smee moved quickly. He took off his red cap and reached
inside it, retrieving a glistening diamond ring. “Yes, Cap’n! Got it right
here, Cap’n!”
Smee rushed to the captain just as he got down on one
knee in front of the pirate woman; he handed the ring over to the captain, who
then commenced in his proposal. “My dear beautiful Genevieve, would you accept
my hook in marriage?” He had the ring placed on his golden hook, holding them
both before the woman he had proposed to.
The female pirate – Genevieve – did not answer right
away. She instead took the diamond ring off the hook and placed it on the
fourth finger of her left hand. Gazing upon it, she smiled and jubilantly said,
“Yes. Yes, I will, Captain James Bartholomew Hook.”
Russell frowned. “Bartholomew?”
(Disney Note: Hook's full name was revealed in the Jake and the Never Land Pirates episode "Mama Hook Knows Best!" However, in the original, pre-Disney Peter Pan story, the name "Hook" was actually an alias because his real identity - had it leaked out - would have caused a "firestorm." The name is loosely based off of Captain Cook, the discoverer of Hawaii.)
Captain Hook excitedly rose up and momentarily lifted
Genevieve off her feet, twirling her around and laughing maniacally. “She said
yes!” His crew, including Mr. Smee, erupted in cheers – a few pirates even shot
their pistols into the air. “We shall wed as soon as we’re back aboard the
Jolly Roger!”
“B-But, Cap’n,” Mr. Smee spoke up, “what about Pan?”
“What about Pan?”
Hook shot the question back to Smee with much anger.
“H-H-He might c-come for t-the boy, r-remember?” Smee
stammered.
Genevieve sinisterly grinned. “Never fear, Mr. Smee. If
Pan comes within one inch of my soon-to-be husband…” She unsheathed a
sharp-edged sword that literally glowed in a bright silver hue. “It will be the last mistake he’ll ever make.”
Hook roared with confident laughter. “You see, Mr. Smee?
That is why this woman is my wife-to-be. With her by my side, Never Land will
be ours!”
(UP NEXT: A character inspired by a well-known actress whose part almost got her into trouble.)
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