Tales of the Disneyverse - Tale #20 (w/ Commentary Notes)

Return to Devastation
(The Merged Realms of Brave and The Sword in the Stone)

            While Genevieve had been away for nearly a whole hour, Russell spent all that time in the tower pondering on the life of the person she used to be – Sean Thomas. There was so much that he wanted to know after finding the photos of his wife and daughter in Genevieve’s locket. He even resorted asking Archimedes questions about him – annoying the already-grumpy owl with questions about a person he had not even known about any more than Russell did.

            “But you’ve got to know something.” Russell said. “You can talk!”

            “What on earth does me having the ability to talk have anything to do with this?” Archimedes inquired.

            “Well…because…you’re a sorcerer…aren’t you?”

            Archimedes’ feathers ruffled; he was clearly offended. “I am not a sorcerer! I am just a mildly ordinary owl, gifted with the ability of speech because of Merlin! I’m no more sorcerer than you are, boy!”

(Character Note: Archimedes' offense to being referred as a sorcerer is justified by his stance on practical knowledge and realistic thinking over magic.)

            Russell innocently shrugged. “It’s still pretty cool that you can talk without a collar.”

            Archimedes nearly jumped from his perch upon hearing that one little detail from Russell. “Wh-What? What’s that you said? What nonsense are you talking about? What do you mean ‘without a collar’?”

            “My new friend Dug. He’s a dog that I met when Mr. Fredricksen and I were in South America, and he has a special collar that lets him talk through his brain. It’s really—”

            “Ridiculous!” Archimedes blurted out in retort. “You’re worse than Merlin! Y-Y-You’re making the whole thing up!”

            “I’m not!” Russell defensively exclaimed. “I’m telling the truth!” At the corner of his eye, he spotted Genevieve reentering the room with Merlin and Wart following her. As soon as he saw her, he pointed to Archimedes and requested, “Tell him that Dug and his special collar really exist.”

            Genevieve took a glance at Archimedes, seeing the way he crossed his wings in front of him with a revolted look. Smirking, she told Russell, “Oh, don’t listen to anything he says, Russell. Let the stubborn old owl live in ignorance.”

            Archimedes scoffed at her insulting words. “Ignorance is bliss.”

            “Not when it comes from you.” Merlin remarked.

            Genevieve and Russell both giggled from Merlin’s riff on the old owl. In her moment of entertainment, Genevieve noticed that her locket had been pried open in Russell’s hands. The smile on her face faded when she asked him, “You opened my locket?”

(Narrative Note: So far, Genevieve's locket has only been referenced in this miniseries. It's an idea that Livingston has abandoned since the completion of Tales of the Disneyverse, primarily due to where Genevieve ends up in the end. However, there are plans to focus on the locket and its history in future tales from Tales of the Guardians.)

            Russell saw that she had addressed him on it, and his own smile disappeared when he realized that she had caught him. He noticed the look of surprise in her face and became numb by it, feeling as if his own mother had caught him doing something without her permission. He felt guilty and had no choice but to admit to the truth: “I-I’m sorry. I only opened it because I wanted to know what was in it. I’m didn’t mean to…”

            He stopped once Genevieve began to chuckle at him – the smile on her face returning. She playfully rubbed the confused Russell’s head, pulling his bright yellow cap over his eyes in the process. “It’s okay, sweetie,” she told him.

            Pulling his cap back up above his eyes, Russell looked at her, still puzzled. “Y-You aren’t mad at me?”

            “Not at all.” Genevieve remarked. “I’m actually rather pleased to see you’ve taken so much interest in my old past.”

            Russell smiled. “Really? Then it would be O.K. if you told me about it?”

            “Oh, I wish I could, kiddo. But I don’t have time. I think I’ve found the source of the rift, and I’m going there to save all of the Disneyverse.” As she told Russell of this, she morphed out of her Merida guise and back into herself with new attire: a poet’s shirt, a brown waistcoat, brown leather gloves, tight brown breeches, and brown leather boots – all underneath a hooded brown Arabic cloak.

(Character Note: Genevieve's "adventure" attire is based upon one archery photo Livingston had seen of the real-life Genevieve on her Facebook fan page. Impressed by the look, he had chosen it to represent the confident, adventurous young woman Genevieve is. It is the third of six looks that inspired her World of Disney character and is featured through her many appearances in the series.)

            “Where are you going?” Russell asked.

            “Judging from the new clothes, I’d say you’re heading to Saudi Arabia.” Merlin deduced.

            Genevieve grinned at the old wizard. “You’re close,” she said, speaking with her normal voice again after minutes with Merida’s pronounced accent. “I’m going to Agrabah.”

            “W-What?” A baffled Merlin cried. “That’s impossible!”

            “Agrabah?” Wart uttered. “Where’s that?”

            “It’s in another world,” answered Merlin, “One of a different time than ours…but also not supposed to exist, last time I checked.”

(Narrative Note: Agrabah, along with the rest of the Aladdin realm, was destroyed in World of Disney due to the interference of the real world characters, as well as Joanie's transformation into Dawn. The event has been a harsh reminder of the fragile state of the Disneyverse and why it must be protected.)

            “I have a feeling it’s returned in the rift Dawn created.” Genevieve said. “I can feel its presence…and hers also.”

            “If this woman is as dangerous as you’ve said, then you will certainly need help from the other Guardians.” Merlin advised.

            Genevieve shook her head. “I can’t wait any longer now that I know what and who the source of the rift is. Besides, I’m ready for Dawn now more than I was when I first met her.”

            Her words brought much worry over Merlin. “You’ve grown overconfident of your abilities, dear girl.”

            Genevieve shot him a cold stare. “It’s not overconfidence, Merlin. I’m just…fueled by courage – and hope.” She knew this would not convince the old wizard, and it was evident in his face that he was not; but she refused to let him stop her. She turned her attention away from Merlin and to Russell, kneeling down to be at eye level with him. “I’m sorry, Russell…but this is goodbye for us.”

            Surprise and sadness quickly filled the Wilderness Explorer’s eyes on hearing this. “What? Why? I was just getting to know something about you! All those questions I had about where you come from, who you are…”

            “You won’t remember any of them.” Genevieve told him. “Everyone in the Disneyverse will return to their worlds with no memory of what’s happened today.” She then added, choking on her words with tears in her eyes, “You won’t even remember me.”

(Narrative Note: The memory wipe of the Disney characters after an event that changes the perspectives of their worlds is commonplace in the World of Disney series. This is to preserve the worlds and avoid any further rifts in time and space between them. Of course, this plot device has been less pronounced in latter installments and has been practically "thrown out the window" by The Disney Access.)

            Even more saddened, Russell began to cry. “But I don’t want to forget you. You’re the coolest friend I’ve ever had.”

            Genevieve was touched from his words. Instinctively, she hugged him and gave him a kiss on his forehead, leaving a lip mark in her shade of rose red upon there. She did not bother to clean it off, since it would not last there for very long anyway; plus, she wanted to leave something that he could remember her by in the limited time that was left before he would forget her. Standing and backing away from him, she took one last look at her young friend, waved goodbye with half a smile and a fallen tear, and vanished from the room in an instant.

            With Genevieve gone, Russell cried even more. Sniffling, he looked to Merlin and asked, “Will she be okay?”

            Even though he was not entirely certain himself, Merlin put on a brave demeanor and replied, “Oh, of course, she will, my boy. Of course.”

The Realm of Aladdin

            In the blink of an eye, the atmosphere around Genevieve had changed from Merlin’s tower to a dark alley in Agrabah. No longer did she have the accompaniment of the wise old wizard, his astute pupil, his cranky and chatty pet owl, or the young Wilderness Explorer who quickly became the best friend she has had in a long time – she was utterly alone in another world. Immediately, she saw how devastated it had become since she was last there as Sean Thomas: the sky looked lost in an endless twilight – a swirl of dark orange and light purple with the stars still twinkling – and the buildings seemed as if they were caught under a huge shadow, discolored in a dark shade of blue and almost appearing black in some parts.

(Narrative Note: Genevieve arrives within a dark alley in Agrabah - in World of Disney, many of the characters who arrived in the Aladdin realm first popped up in the same dark alley that Genevieve does here in Tales of the Disneyverse.)

            Initially, Genevieve believed she arrived in the alley undetected, but she suddenly caught sight of two street urchins, their faces – covered in filth – expressing absolute terror while looking at her. It was obvious that they witnessed her magic-driven entrance, having never seen such an entrance in their young lives. “Hey, hey, it’s alright,” she peacefully told them, holding her hands up with the palms facing the two children. “I’m not here to—”

            The children immediately ran away at that gesture she made. She followed them from a distance, not wanting to appear as if she were deliberately going after them. However, once she stepped out of the alley, she came to an immediate stop. What she saw before her was even more devastation: much of the city was in ruins with homes either completely or half crumbled; many families were out on the streets – cold, sick, and hungry; the marketplace stands were abandoned and barren, some even demolished; there were multiple gravesites at the side of the street for those who could no longer survive the desolation. The sight of it all made Genevieve sick to her stomach, prompting her to cup her hand over her nose and mouth; it even broke her heart.

(Authorial Note: Livingston felt he "pushed the envelope" on the bleakness in the aftermath of Agrabah's devastation from the rift, particularly with the gravestones on the street. For a story that is rated "K" on FanFiction.net, it is quite a matured element incorporated.)

            “It’s one big reminder of why we protect this universe.”

            She heard a voice speak near her and turned to see a blond Englishwoman with lightly tanned skin. She had great beauty in her appearance, yet she was also slightly aged, appearing to be in her mid-forties. She looked upon Genevieve with blue eyes that managed to sparkle in the dark atmosphere. She smiled at her, showing off her bright white teeth that had a small yet noticeable gap between her upper front pair. She wore her own brown Arabian cloak that was parted open to expose the attire she wore beneath: a white sports bra and white shorts with red boots.

            The moment she saw her, Genevieve recognized who she was: “Buohler.”

(Biographical Note: "Buohler" is based on runner, dual athlete, and professional fitness trainer Lisa Buohler. A close friend of Livingston's, Buohler was added to the World of Disney series when Livingston wished to include as many personal friends he saw fit to the series, having no other work to feature them in at the time. Buohler is also a Disney fan from Florida that has participated and won in many of Walt Disney World's marathons. Due to already featuring a character by the name of "Lisa" in the series, Livingston decidedly used Buohler's distinct last name for her character, since all reincarnations are one-name-only characters.)

            There was a friendly demeanor in the Englishwoman as she addressed the younger blonde. “You know me, but I’m still lost on who you are.”

            “I’m Genevieve. I’m who you’ll be, three lives from now.”

            Buohler nodded, clearly impressed by her future incarnation. “Not bad. When I inherited this face,” she gestured to it, “this is how I looked breaking it in.”

(Character Note: Some reincarnations are formed at much older ages than most, yet still maintain that form as they age at a slower rate than normal human beings.)

            “How long has it been for you?”

            Buohler shrugged. “A couple of months, I think.” She looked down at herself as if to analyze her form. “I’ve gotten used to it, just like the ones before. But it’s the second reincarnation where I’m stuck with an English accent. In all the years of my old life, trying to pull one off, here I am now with one ‘built’ in.” She then gestured to her teeth and added, “Only I’ve got this to challenge it. Look.” She blew through the small gap, making a slight whistling sound.

(Authorial Note: The real-life Lisa Buohler was taken aback with amusement from her character's self-criticism of her appearance, never having seen herself the way that her character does.)

            Genevieve snickered; she had forgotten how snippy this reincarnation was, even toward herself. “I really wish we could’ve met under better circumstances.”

            “Same here. I didn’t show up alone. I was here with Yvette when we first arrived.”

            Genevieve frowned over the reference to Buohler’s preceding reincarnation. “Yvette’s here, too? Where is she?”

            “We were spotted by the palace guards. I managed to elude them, but she was captured and taken to face judgment from the ‘New Sultan.’”

            “New Sultan?” Genevieve shook her head in disgust. “Don’t like the sound of that. Whoever he might be, he’s the reason behind the desolation that’s befallen this once glorious city.”

            “If you want a guess, take a look over there.”

            Genevieve looked in the direction she pointed. At first she saw the palace, but then she caught something that sent a chill down her spine. Looming ominously behind the palace, shrouded in vicious black lightning, was the Sphere – the ginormous machine that resembled the Spaceship Earth geosphere from Epcot and once served as the ultimate power source to Bunsen Honeydew’s “Magic Gateway” machine. It was this machine that led to the discovery of the Disneyverse, but it was also the cause of much horror in the lives of Joanie Navarro, Sean Thomas, and their families in the past, present, and future. After it was banished from their world by Joanie, the Sphere had been to many others in time and space; but the one place Genevieve did not imagine it to be was the Disneyverse itself. It was a living conundrum that undoubtedly created the scenario that had transpired in the Disneyverse at the present time.

(Narrative Note: Tales of the Disneyverse marks the first time in the series that the Sphere has been featured inside of the Disneyverse itself. Its presence there is akin to the classic "egg in a bottle" experiment - with its seemingly impossible nature in physics - and its consequence bears similarity to when an object is turned inside out.)

            It also confirmed to Genevieve who the aforementioned “New Sultan” of Agrabah was: “Dawn.”

            “Hey! You there!”

            Genevieve and Buohler looked away from the palace as soon as they heard the voice of Razoul, the captain of the guards, yelling at them. They spotted Razoul and two other guards close by, coming directly for them.

            “We’ve gotta run!” Buohler urged.

            “No!” Genevieve yelled. “Let them arrest us.”

            Buohler stared at the young woman in great confusion. “What?”

            “It’s obvious they’re under Dawn’s control. They’re arresting only us under orders from her.” Genevieve said. “The only way to find out why is to let ourselves be captured.”

            As the guards grew closer, the two Guardians could see their eyes factually glowing red.

(UP NEXT: The First Guardian Revealed!)