Tales of the Disneyverse - Tale #29 (w/ Commentary Notes)

A Brave New Tomorrow

The Realm of Up

            Carl Fredricksen could not believe all that he had to go through just to get his house, which hovered high above him (courtesy of the dozens of helium-filled balloons keeping it off the ground), to Paradise Falls. He was tired as it was lugging it like a Thanksgiving Day parade balloon by means of a water hose connected to the front of the house. But at least he kept his complaints to himself, unlike a certain boy scout who lagged behind, “assisting” him in keeping his house afloat.

            “I’m tired! My knee hurts!”

            “Which knee?”

            Russell paused, acting as if he was unable to figure it out for himself. Then he found something else to complain about: “My elbow hurts, and I have to go to the bathroom.”

            “I asked you about that five minutes ago.”

(Narrative Note: This tale opens with this reenactment of a scene from Up to reset time for the realm to the point in which the rift never happened. In fact, this is the first and only moment of the story that Carl Fredricksen's house is ever mentioned.)

            “Well, I didn’t have to go then.” He finally collapsed face-first to the ground, allowing himself to be dragged by his backpack, which was attached to a portion of Carl’s house to also help keep it anchored. “I don’t feel like walking anymore,” he said, his voice muffled while planted in the dirt. “Can we stop?”

            Feeling the added pressure with Russell dragging his weight, Carl yelled to the Wilderness Explorer, “Russell! If you don’t hurry up, the tigers will get you!”

            “There are no tigers in South America.” He turned sideways long enough to point to one of his badges and say, “Zoology!” He afterwards returned to his facedown position.

            Tiring of the kid’s constant complaining, Fredricksen relented: “For the love of…! Alright. Go in the bushes and do your business.”

            Instantly, a satisfied Russell sprang up from the ground, removing his backpack and handing it over to Carl. “OK! Here, hold my stuff!” He wrapped the chord that had been connected with it to a nearby branch and rushed off, carrying a shovel and some leaves with a smile on his face that was beyond delight. “I’ve always wanted to try this,” he whispered on his way through the foliage.

            However, he stopped once he spotted something in a nearby bush that caught his eye. It was gold, glistening in the bush as the sunlight shined upon it, and Russell instantaneously took to its beauty. Putting his shovel in the hand he held the leaves, Russell reached into the bush to take out the gold object that dangled from one of the branches. He discovered it to be a gold necklace with a golden book that opened up into a locket. When he opened the locket, Russell found himself exposed to some type of gold, rainbow-colored mist that seeped out of the locket and into his nostrils, causing him to breathe it in. He smiled wide as he detected the sweet scent of roses and candy.

            The scent brought back memories for Russell – memories of an adventure far greater than the one he currently found himself in with Carl Fredricksen. He remembered a friend and a hero who had many awesome powers, including the power to change her appearance, like in Doctor Who. She was a sorceress who went by two names, depending on her appearance: Genevieve and JeniLynn; but it was Genevieve who he remembered the most from this “lost adventure.”

(Authorial Note: Livingston mixed this new scene in with the one from the film to establish Russell's future in the series as a possible companion or ally of the Guardian. He is the only other Disneyverse resident outside of Fantasia to keep his memories of the previous adventure with the hero, opposite of the Incredibles, who were mentioned to maintain contact with the original Guardian - Joanie Navarro - in The Marvelous World: World of Disney 2.)

(Pop Culture Note: The means of which Russell regains his memories is inspired from the Doctor's fob watch, which contained his essence and identity after he transformed himself into a human in the episodes Human Nature and The Family of Blood. Once he opened the fob watch for himself, he regained his memories and Time Lord physiology.)

            The Wilderness Explorer’s smile grew in his recollection, holding the locket close to his heart. “I’ll never forget you.”

            “RUSSELL!” Fredricksen yelled close nearby. “Are you done yet?”

            Reminded of his “business,” Russell pocketed the locket in a hurry. “Almost, Mr. Fredricksen!” He rushed further into the bushes, quickly taking care of things to continue on his “new” adventure.

The Realm of Fantasia

            In the real world, a hundred years was practically well over a lifetime – an eternity to the average human being. In Fantasia, a hundred years was no different from a hundred days. Regardless, it had been ages since the Disneyverse was saved by Joanie Navarro-Thomas. The Aladdin realm and countless other worlds had been restored to their proper order – at least many of them had. There was one that remained relatively unchanged from the events: the realms of Finding Nemo and The Little Mermaid. The two worlds were still merged into one yet suffered no ill effects of any kind due to it. Although the reason for the continuing merge was relatively unknown to the observers from Fantasia, it was assumed that Joanie saw how similar the two worlds were and kept them together to encourage new adventures for Ariel, her friends, and those she made from the Finding Nemo realm.

            Of course, that was not all that remained unchanged from the events that occurred a hundred years ago. JeniLynn, the latest incarnation of Sean Thomas, still remained a living entity that had taken up residence in Fantasia. She had developed her own “sparkly” personality and regained the memories of her previous reincarnations and Sean Thomas, with assistance from Yen Sid. In her hundred years of existence, she went on many adventures in the Disneyverse – her home – with Panda, Katie, and Mickey. However, the further she had gone living, the more troubled the council of sorcerers (particularly Scrooge McDuck) seemed to have been on the issue.

(Authorial Note: Livingston granted himself with the massive time jump of a hundred years to showcase more stories about JeniLynn from these experiences of her merged incarnation. They are being planned to be depicted in the Tales of the Guardians miniseries, along with the other reincarnations, in the future.)

            One day, a meeting was called among McDuck, Yen Sid, and Merlin – the only three council members left from the “mysterious” disappearance of Pete, the death of Joanie, and the notable absence of Anne-Marie. JeniLynn, Panda, Mickey, and Katie were requested to abandon whatever expedition they were on and come back to Yen Sid’s castle immediately. The meeting required testimonials from Mickey, Katie, and Panda. They each were called into the conference hall to give their respective statements on JeniLynn, asked by the council if the Guardian’s latest incarnation should be allowed to exist or not for the sake of the Disneyverse.

            As each of her companions was called in, JeniLynn was kept outside in the corridor, sitting idly in a wooden chair with her feet propped up on the back of another. Panda and Mickey waited with her, pacing back and forth as they waited on Katie’s testimonial to end in the conference hall. In his animal form, Panda’s body appeared to take up much of the narrow space of the corridor, making it difficult for Mickey to pace at his own rate.

            “Would you fellas take it easy?” JeniLynn told them, smiling confidently. “I’m sure they only want to make sure we’re not interfering too much in world affairs.”

            Mickey shook his head negatively. “I don’t think so. I think they might be concerned about you, Jeni.”

            “Me?” She innocently pointed to herself. “What did I do?”

            “It’s not about what you did.” Panda remarked. “It’s about…” He couldn’t bring himself to say it aloud, fearing how JeniLynn would react when she heard it. He suddenly changed his worrisome attitude on the situation and became more upbeat. “You’re right. I’m sure it’s nothing.”

            Mickey looked to the panda quizzically, wondering why he changed his attitude so swiftly.

            “What on earth have you been stepping in?” Panda asked, changing the subject of the conversation to the soles of JeniLynn’s footwear, which were plagued with all sorts of gunky substances, such as dirt, gum, and bugs. “Have you ever once bothered to clean your shoes since you got them?”

            JeniLynn shrugged. “Meh. They’re just gonna get dirty again anyways. Besides, I like to think of the gunk as mementos of our adventures.”

            Panda cringed. “Ever heard of a camera?”

(Character Note: JeniLynn's tomboyish personality is one of the traits of her incarnation shown here in her limited time in the narrative. Livingston thinks of her like "a rebellious teenage prankster that won't clean her room, no matter how many times you tell her, regardless of the fact that she's old enough to be her own mother.")

            The door to the conference hall opened, urging them to look to it as Katie walked out with a heavily concerned look on her face. “They want to see all of us now,” she informed.

            JeniLynn stood right up, straightening her clothes that consisted of blue jeans and a green, low-collared shirt along with her ceremonial attire – a red robe and Yen Sid’s sorcerer hat. “Welp. Let’s get this business done, so we can get back to discovering what the fox says…to the hound.” She giggled at her own silly joke, nudging to Panda. “Get it?”

(Pop Culture Note: JeniLynn's joke is a reference to both the 1981 Disney animated classic, The Fox and the Hound, and the heavily popular electronic dance song, "The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)," by Norwegian comedy duo Ylvis. The latter became an Internet sensation at the time in the completion of Tales of the Disneyverse, inspiring Internet memes and extensively covered and adapted by others.)

            Mickey, Panda, and Katie did not laugh but merely half-smiled over the joke. They could not understand how she managed to take their current business in Fantasia so lightly. From all the questions McDuck, Merlin, and Yen Sid had asked them about her, they truly feared for the future of this reincarnation.

----------------------

            “It has been a hundred years since your birth, JeniLynn.” Yen Sid stated.

            JeniLynn whistled with amusement. “A hundred? Wow! That’s quite a milestone! Hey, we should celebrate this bicentennial birthday with some cake. How about a cake shaped like the hat?” She pointed to her headwear with a jubilant smile. “Wouldn’t that be cool?”

            “Enough of this beatin’ ‘round the bush!” Scrooge impatiently bellowed. “The reason we called you here is for you to give up this life cycle and return all the reincarnations to their proper times!”

            JeniLynn’s face dropped into an alarmed frown. “What?” She glanced over to Katie, Mickey, and Panda, who all had their heads down in sadness. “What’s he talking about? What is this?”

            Merlin sighed. “My dear girl…you’ve lived for quite a long time. We’ve allowed it because we didn’t think it was right to let your new life cycle end so prematurely.”

            “We have kept watch over the universe in the event of another possible rift.” Yen Sid said. “Thankfully, none have occurred.”

            “Not yet, it hasn’t!” Scrooge exclaimed, appearing to be the more practical one in the room. He pointed a feathered finger at JeniLynn and harshly demanded, “You yield yourself to the division of the Guardians in order for proper order to be restored to the timeline from here to other worlds that the reincarnations have been!”

            JeniLynn was speechless upon hearing this demand. She could only manage to defiantly say, “No!”

            Her response was met with surprise from the council and her friends.

            “No?” Scrooge repeated her in a scolding tone.

            “What you’re asking me to do is sign over my own death!” She defended. “I’ve loved spending these hundred years as me, not just ‘cause of the person I’ve become but also for the fact that I can go on spending hundreds of more years the way I am here and now! I’ve achieved immortality!”

(Character Note: Being the ultimate reincarnation gifts JeniLynn with a form that can never physically age, due to the prolonged-aging of the seventeen Guardians combined to create one infinite lifespan.)

            “You must think of the Disneyverse.” Yen Sid forewarned. “It could fall into peril just as it had eons ago.”

            “Then I’ll just save it like my mother did!” JeniLynn argued.

            Yen Sid shook his head. “We still cannot take the risk.”

            JeniLynn’s vision blurred and she realized that tears had been welling up in her eyes. She blinked and felt them stream down her cheeks. She did not want to appear vulnerable to the council, but she finally did. Looking over to Panda, her truest friend in all the Disneyverse, she pleaded, “Back me up, man!”

(Pop Culture Note: JeniLynn's case was inspired by an episode of the 1995 Star Trek spin-off series, Star Trek: Voyager, in which Tuvok - a Vulcan - and Neelix - a Talaxian - were merged via transport into a new person, "Tuvix." Later in the episode, it was decided for Tuvix to separate back into two. He argues of the procedure as sentencing him to death yet is forced to undergo the division, restoring Tuvok and Neelix.)

            Panda sighed; he hoped not to be brought into the discussion for the sake of his blossomed friendship with JeniLynn. When he ultimately was, he said, “Jeni, you know that I love you…but the council is right. Our fun is over and order must be restored to the Disneyverse.” He lightly chuckled and added, “Heck, not even I am supposed to exist within this current time. I’ve ran into myself dozens of times now!”

            JeniLynn swallowed hard, hearing these words from the only person she could trust. She then came upon a startling realization, looking from him to the guilty faces of Mickey and Katie: “Those testimonials you all gave – they were against me continuing my existence, weren’t they?”

            Mickey could hardly look up at her as he admittedly said, “We’re so sorry, Jeni.”

            “You’ve taught us so much – especially me.” Katie said. “Before I knew you, I was a total screw-up. But I’ve learned a lot from you to help control myself. I know all that has got to come from a part of you that’s still Anne-Marie. I look to her like a teacher, and…” She paused long enough to let her emotions flow through tears, “…I miss her just as much as I will miss you.”

            JeniLynn stood at the conference table, feeling betrayed and helpless. Her tears increased to the point where she could no longer see the room or the people around her. In her depression, she rushed out of the hall, running through the corridors of the castle and finding her way out into the courtyard, where she collapsed to the well, dropping her head to its stone frame and weeping.

            “They don’t understand. None of them understand.”

            For a few minutes, she sat there and cried. Then, during her moment of woe, she felt a comforting hand come down on her shoulder. “What’s the matter, hon?” The calm, soothing voice came from a young woman, although JeniLynn could not see what she looked like with her head buried.

            “I don’t know what to do.” She told the visitor. “There’s nothing left for me to do.”

(Disney Note: This scene purposely mirrors one from Cinderella, shortly after she was prohibited from going to the ball by her evil stepmother, and her dress ruined beyond repair by her wicked stepsisters.)

            “Oh, there’s plenty for you to do.” Another voice said, belonging to yet another young woman – this one sounding vigorous. “Your life’s only just beginning.”

            JeniLynn gave a slight chuckle. “Not from what I just heard.”

            “Well, you heard wrong.” The same woman told her.

            “Yeah?” JeniLynn remarked. “Why should I trust you?”

            “If you can’t trust yourself, who else can you trust?”

            On this remark, JeniLynn looked up. Sitting at the well beside her with the comforting hand on her shoulder was a young blonde who looked to be in her mid-twenties with long hair that partially covered her forehead, rosy cheeks, and rose-red lips. She was donned in a glittering blue robe that came with a hood she wore over her head. JeniLynn had seen this girl around Fantasia before, going by the name “Alexe.” Near her, standing tall and with much assertion in her demeanor, was a brunette who also donned a glittering, hooded blue robe on her authoritarian frame. Hands on her hips, she looked down upon JeniLynn with a pair of blue eyes that were nearly as intimidating as Yen Sid’s, due mostly to the dark eye shadow she wore over them. JeniLynn had seen this woman, who could have been no older than thirty-one, around Fantasia as well, going by the name of “Julie.”

(Biographical Note: "Alexe" and "Julie" are based on and inspired by Alexe Theodore and Julie Kelley. Alexe, much like Jennifer Ellison and Genevieve Nylen, has history of cosplaying as popular Disney Princesses, either professionally or freelance. Like Ellison, her best work is as Belle. Her talent and love for Disney encouraged Livingston to grant her a spot in the World of Disney series for future installments. Julie's involvement was directly influenced by her friendship with Livingston, showing much interest and support in his work.)

            “I know the both of you.” JeniLynn made this known to them. She gazed at the two of them more carefully, sensing something different about them that she had not before. Once she made the connection, her dark brown eyes widened in shock and she exclaimed, “Oh my…!”

            Julie smirked with a nod. “Bingo.”

            “But how is it possible?” JeniLynn asked. “I mean…I thought…”

            “Things aren’t always what they seem in the Disneyverse.” Alexe said. “We’ve discovered that in the centuries we’ve lived in it.”

            “Doesn’t matter if the past’s the past, the present’s the present, or the future’s the future.” Julie added. “What does matter is how you can mold it into what you want it to be.” She then pointed to JeniLynn. “And you, girl, have molded yourself one heck of a future for us.”

            JeniLynn looked between the two women in confusion. “W-What do you mean?”

            “We’ll show you.” Alexe assured. “But, first, you must yield yourself to the flow of time that surrounds us now. Let events play out the way they must for the future we’re gonna present to you happen.”

(Narrative Note: Alexe and Julie could possibly refer to the future in "amalgamated reincarnation," which is indirectly motivated by the merge among the seventeen reincarnations that made up JeniLynn.)

            JeniLynn was reluctant at first to agree to Alexe’s request, yet her body appeared to be ready to do so from the abrupt way in which it glowed, without her consent. She grinned, looking upon her glowing hands. “Guess I have no say in this matter. I always was a stubborn ol’ fellow – even in the afterlife.” She then refocused on Alexe and Julie and said with much confidence, “Let’s do this.”

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            Within the conference hall, everyone heard a loud explosion from outside and felt the incredible tremor that reverberated from it. Amidst the chaos, Panda vanished in a flash of light, leaving the others to be more alarmed than they already were.

            “What’s goin’ on here?” McDuck shouted in his panic.

            “Where did Panda go?” Mickey questioned.

            Before any more questions could have been asked, a smoking, coughing figure suddenly stumbled into the room and collapsed with a resounding thud. Yen Sid, Scrooge, Merlin, Mickey, and Katie immediately went to the stranger, whose smoking body lied sideways on the floor, obscuring the face from their view. Of course, before they even turned the body, they recognized right away who it was from the familiar auburn hair.

            “Anne-Marie!” Katie joyously cried.

            Sure enough, the sorceress, councilmember, and incarnation of Sean Thomas was there before them, appearing exactly as she did before the merger.

            “What happened?” Mickey asked her.

            She glanced over at the delighted faces that stared down at her and smiled. “She did it. JeniLynn restored order to the timelines.”

            “But where is she?” Merlin inquired.

            Anne-Marie shrugged. “I don’t know, Merlin. I honestly don’t know.”

Hollywood, California – Time Zone: 2017

            Victoria awoke with a heavy cough. She found herself lying down on her side on a hard surface, realizing as she opened her eyes that it was concrete. She sat up to see her new surroundings: some type of alley with various posters plastered on the brick walls, advertising for the Muppets – the very creatures that she used to dream of back in her mountain cottage.

(Narrative Note: This is the only setting in the entire miniseries to take place outside of the Disneyverse, being set in the "Muppetverse," the original home of Joanie Navarro and her son, Sean Thomas.)

            “Where am I?” She asked, not expecting to receive any type of response. No one else could be there with her.

            “We’re home.”

            Yet there was someone there – Genevieve. Victoria turned to see her sitting right beside her, against the wall with her legs hugged close to her body. “You’re looking much younger than I last saw you,” Victoria observed with a smile.

            Genevieve smiled back, lightly touching the left side of her face. “Yeah. Twenty-three and wrinkle-free again. All thanks to JeniLynn.”

            Victoria reacted to the name with familiarity, having remembered everything she, Genevieve, and the other fifteen reincarnations went through in the hundred years they were her. “What an incredible woman she was. What happened to JeniLynn?”

            Genevieve shrugged. “Don’t know.”

            “Well, it’s certainly good news for you.” Victoria said. “You’re no longer the last Guardian, right?”

            “JeniLynn was a result of me failing to think I could merge all of us and still manage to maintain control.” Genevieve said with a disgruntled sigh. “She’s just a ‘Disneyverse Myth’ now.”

            Victoria was saddened to see how downhearted Genevieve was. But she did not give up in cheering her up. “Well, I hope something might change all of that. I certainly loved being her.”

            Genevieve glanced over at Victoria and saw the hopeful smile she had. Her positive attitude reflected on Genevieve, who smirked and said, “Yeah. She was pretty awesome, wasn’t she?”

            The two girls giggled together.

            “So where is ‘home’ exactly?” Victoria asked, glancing around once again. “What world in the Disneyverse is this?”

            “It’s not in the Disneyverse.” Genevieve clarified. “This is the reality where we once lived as Sean Thomas.”

            Victoria grew amused from this. “Really?”

            “Yep. Before JeniLynn restored us and all of our consciousness was ‘swimming’ around with hers, I made a conscious decision to return to this old world of ours and show you the person we once were.” She pointed to something behind Victoria and said, “See that door there?”

            Victoria glimpsed behind her to see a door labeled “Backstage Entrance.” “Yeah?”

            “Behind that door is Sean Thomas himself…and we’re going to meet him and ask for employment and shelter here at the Muppet Theater. We won’t interfere in his timeline or take any risks in altering our future. We’ll just be humble observers – nothing more.”

(Narrative Note: Genevieve and Victoria's "humbled observation" continues in the next story, Marvel Mayhem, from which they involuntarily create a series of events that lead into another alternate future in the second timeline/reality of Sean Thomas.)

            Victoria beamed with excitement from this idea. “That’d be wonderful!”

            Genevieve smiled, expecting she would love it (she was her after all). Both ladies got to their feet and approached the “Backstage Entrance.” As they headed into the theater building, Genevieve gave one last instruction to Victoria: “Oh, and don’t be afraid of the Muppets. They’re all pretty harmless…well, maybe a selected few. Tell you what – just watch out for the one named ‘Animal’ and you’ll be fine.”

Tales of the Disneyverse

(WORLD OF DISNEY REVISITED CONTINUES WITH MARVEL MAYHEM AUGUST 7TH!)

Tales of the Disneyverse - Tale #28 (w/ Commentary Notes)

…And The Tomorrow Child Comes!
(The Merged Realms of Brave and The Sword in the Stone)

(Disney Note: "The Tomorrow Child," a secondary title for Sean Thomas's Guardian of the Disneyverse, comes from the background song "Tomorrow's Child" featured in Epcot's Spaceship Earth - the basis for World of Disney's iconic Sphere. The song was composed for the ending of the attraction in May 26, 1986, redesigned with projected images of children on screens to fit with the theme and narration by Walter Cronkite. This lasted until August 15, 1994, when the attraction was remodeled again.)

            What is going on?

            Why is it so dark?

            Can anyone hear me?

            I feel so…weird. Actually, I can’t feel anything! What’s going on? What’s happened to me? Last thing I remember was…huh…that’s strange. I don’t remember anything at all.

            Wait! What’s that? Is that…light? Yeah, yeah! There’s light – finally I can see light! I can see! Oh, man! The light’s getting bigger and bigger!

            WHOA! Now I can see everything! But…is that the sky? It looks so messed up!

            GAH! Who’s this old guy with the long beard that came out of nowhere? He’s dressed so funny!

            I can see his mouth moving, but I can’t hear him.

            And now who’s this little fella entering the picture? He’s pretty cute with his little mailman uniform. Oh, wait. He’s not a mailman. He’s a scout. Aww! How cute is that!

(Disney Note: Russell was also confused for a mailman by the pet dogs of Charles F. Muntz in Up, including Dug.)

            Ah! AH! Think I’m starting to get some feeling in my right hand! Yes! YES! There it is! Good ol’ righty! But why can’t I feel the rest of my arm? And why do I feel so much powder? What is going on?

            Long Beard and the little scout are looking at me funny – real funny. Why are they? Is there something wrong with me? Is my head not on straight? Do I even have a head at all?

            My hearing’s now coming back! I can feel my left ear – the chilly breeze tickling it! I can practically feel the goose bumps on it!

            “…she’s reincarnating, I believe.” I hear Long Beard say, pointing his old finger at me. “This… large pile of glittering white dust we’re seeing…is the Guardian!”

            Glittering white dust? Is that all that I am right now?

(Authorial Note: Livingston went with a first person narrative for this tale to give readers a better understanding of what a reincarnation goes through mentally upon their rebirth. He wanted the experience to seem similar to natural birth, only with a slightly more advanced cognitive process in the birthed subject.)

            “It’s disgusting, if you ask me.”

            Hey! Who said that? It wasn’t Long Beard or the cute little scout! Someone else there with them?

            “Nothing but a pair of eyes, an ear, and a hand? Revolting!”

            “Oh, hush, Archimedes!” Long Beard tells the jerk I can’t see. “Be more respectful to the evolutionary progress we are witnessing this very—”

            The cute little scout smiles big as he points to me and shouts, “Hey, look! Something else is coming out of the powder!” Now he looks all confused. “What the heck are those?”

            I’m gaining feeling in another part of my body, but I can’t tell what it is. From the shocked look Long Beard gives me, it must be something big. “Good heavens,” he yells. “Quick! Toss me her robe!”

            Her? So I’m a girl?

(Narrative Note: Although not stated explicitly, it was JeniLynn's breasts that had been seen and clued everyone on her gender.)

            HEY! Now it’s all dark again because of Long Beard putting a long red cloth over me! Well, I might not be able to see him and that cute little scout anymore, but I can still hear them.

            “Well, that was embarrassing.” I hear another old man speaking but don’t recognize the voice.

            “Y-Yes. Quite so.” Long Beard says. “But, like I was saying, it’s all part of the unique evolutionary process of the Guardian. Why, what we’re witnessing is a true miracle! Genevieve was – or is – the last Guardian! Whoever this woman is, she will certainly be—”

            “Merlin?”

            Now there’s another voice – this one sounds very gentle, warm, and kind. It sounds so soothing. I love it.

            “Panda? W-What are you doing here?” Long Beard (I guess I should call him “Merlin” now) asks.

            “We sensed quite a disturbance across the realms.” Panda says. “My goodness! What has happened here? Did this all happen ‘cause of the rift?”

            “Oh, no. It was the Guardian.” Merlin says.

            “The Guardian?” Panda reacts in surprise.

            “He – or she – reincarnated in the middle of an identity crisis.” Merlin says.

(Pop Culture Note: The explosive reincarnation at the end of the previous tale is another Doctor Who nod by Livingston. In the regeneration of the Tenth Doctor in "The End of Time - Part 2," it was so intense that it caused damages within his TARDIS, causing problems for his eleventh incarnation.)

            “Wow.” Panda says. “Well, where is he…or she?”

            “Over there – beneath the robe.” I can almost see Merlin gesturing to where I am as he tells him. “B-But give her some time. She’s still needs time to…bake.”

            “Bake?” Panda repeats the word, making it sound weirder than Merlin did.

            These two are conversing with each other and I’m over here “baking.” I can feel much more of me now. I can even feel the smooth texture of the robe that’s covering me. Apparently, it’s the only thing that’s keeping my bare body warm in the chilly breeze. I finally feel my nose, mouth, teeth, tongue, arms, legs, feet, and the rest of my head, which pokes out from beneath the robe along with my shoulders.

            Here I am, lying on the cold, rocky ground, with a whole body. When my lungs finally decide to make themselves present, I take in my first breath of fresh air through my nose and blow it out through my mouth. Hey, my breath smells quite fresh and minty!

            I lift my eyelids to see the world and people around me. There’s Long Beard and the cute little scout, but now I can see the others – a short old man with a squared head and thick black glasses, a young blond-haired boy with an orange tunic and tan tights, an owl that’s perched on the boy’s head, a happy-looking dog, and a wide, stocky fellow with a goatee and very short black hair that’s slick and thick (I suppose this is “Panda”).

            Sitting up, I nearly lose my robe as it drops down my chest, but I manage to keep it up for the sake of dignity (I am a girl after all). I take in the atmosphere around me and see how devastated it looks. What happened here? It looks like a bomb exploded and took away whatever building that once stood here.

            “Hello.” Panda says to me in that kind voice I love about him.

            “Hi,” I say back to him in my voice, which I’m hearing for the first time. It’s certainly the voice of a mature woman, slightly high in pitch yet sophisticated and even attractive – makes me wonder what I look like with it.

            “Do you know who you are?” Panda asks me, and I shake my head in reply. My answer does not seem to be what he had hoped for, judging from the look of disappointment he gives. I really hate disappointing such a sweet fella. “Well, uh…do you know what name you’d like to give yourself?”

            “What kind of a question is that?” The old, square-head man asks him. He is quickly shushed by Merlin, allowing Panda and I to continue having our little interaction.

            A name. A name I’d like to give myself. Man, could I really use a mirror right about now.

            Would you believe – just as I thought of having one – it pops up right in my left hand? A handheld mirror big enough for me to see my entire face. Instantly, I’m holding the mirror in front of me and see a young woman with long, exquisite brown hair, lovely dark brown eyes, fair skin, perfect teeth, a pixie-ish nose (dainty and delicate), high cheekbones, a good jawline, and a rosebud mouth. As if by pure instinct, I manage to come up with the perfect name with this face…

            “JeniLynn.”

(Biographical Note: "JeniLynn" is based on and inspired by JeniLynn Knopp, an Orlando-based performer and on-air talent for travel news and informational sources such as "The DIS" and "Orlando Attractions Magazine." An avid Disney fan, Knopp is noted as the go-to person for facts and advice on how to have an enjoyable "Disney Vacation," being featured occasionally on Orlando's local Fox News station to update on Walt Disney World's latest progress.)

            Looking away from the mirror and to Panda, he smiles over the name I have given myself. “JeniLynn – that’s a beautiful name.” I smile back at him, happy to see that he loves it, too.

            Our good moment is quickly spoiled by a sudden explosion that erupts not very far from us. There are bolts of black lightning shooting out from a spot shrouded in a dirt cloud before a woman dressed in a sultry burgundy outfit emerges from it. Looking menacing and erotic at the same time, she advances towards us; her eyes set dead-straight on me in particular. Panda and Merlin stand right in front of me – protecting me. They also block the vicious woman from my view, leaving me to only hear her alluring, boastful voice as she says, “So that is the new one, eh? The way you boys just guard her like that is a dead giveaway.”

            While Panda and Merlin are shielding me, I take advantage of the moment to put on the robe that has been covering me, making sure to close and fasten up the front to hide away my starkness. Standing up is the hardest part; I nearly topple right into my two protectors on my way up. My bare feet on the rocks beneath me only make it more difficult to maintain the right balance. If only had I had some…

            Shoes! Sure enough, a pair of black Converse boots – with the white laces already tied – appear on my bare feet, helping my effort in keeping my balance.

(Authorial Note: JeniLynn's Converse boots were a look that Knopp herself had personally inspired Livingston to incorporate for her character.)

            “Just let her be, Dawn.” Panda tells the menacing woman, whose name I just learned. “She’s only just reincarnated for heaven’s sake!”

            “All the better reason to get at her.” Dawn says, sounding more threatening by each statement she makes. “She’s fresh meat!”

            Meat? Who does this woman think she is calling me that?

            I see Panda and Merlin’s bodies shaking for some strange reason. Before I could have the chance to figure out why, they are suddenly flown in opposite directions by something I cannot see, leaving me open to the frightening woman by the name of Dawn. She advances on me and I haven’t a clue what to do. Why does she want me in the first place? What is all this stuff about reincarnation? Is that what happened to me a few minutes ago? Was I…reincarnated?

            “YOU LEAVE HER ALONE!”

            The cute little scout I saw earlier bravely puts himself in harm’s way…just for me. He latches onto Dawn’s left leg, which she continues to move, even with him on it. When she finally recognizes his effort in stopping her, she simply gives a wicked, insulting laugh. Her amusement does not last long as soon as the little fella takes a huge bite out of her leg, causing her to howl in agony. I smile, feeling proud of the little guy for doing damage to this vicious woman, but even my own delight is short-lived. In retaliation for the attack, Dawn grabs him by the back of his collar, tearing him away from her leg, and tosses him.

            I watch in shock as the scout’s poor little body flies high over the air and falls hard to the ground, tumbling several times before coming to a stop. He’s covered in cuts and bruises, and his little scout uniform is in tatters.

            “RUSSELL!” The old, square-headed man cries; he and his dog rush over to the scout as his little body lays lifeless on the ground.

            What this evil woman has done to that poor child is completely uncalled for. Deep in me, there is something that burns like a fire…something that makes me absolutely hate her for what she has done. What is this that I’m feeling? Oh, right…it’s anger.

            Without a bit of hesitation, I lunge for Dawn, the heels my new Converse boots digging deep into the ground as I ran with much force. From the look of surprise on her face, not even she expected me to attack as I had at the moment. I tackle her to the ground, my knees pinned firmly on her stomach and my hands clasped down tightly on her shoulders. I want to strangle her, which I come close to doing, until I see how my hands are glowing gold while gripped on her shoulders. I try to let go, fearing it’s her doing, but something is keeping me from moving. I then see her crying out in pain, cluing me on the fact that it isn’t her doing this.

            I feel my body stiffen as it glows along with my hands. I’m not sure what the heck is happening, but it seems to have affected Dawn greatly. Her youthful features suddenly turn into those of an old woman – wrinkles and all. When I feel able to control my body again, I let her go and remove myself from her. While she’s recovering from whatever it is I’d done to her, I look at my hands, which are no longer glowing, and start to feel a million times more invigorated than I had seconds ago.

(Character Note: JeniLynn is the most powerful reincarnation of the series so far, possessing the experiences and abilities of seventeen different incarnations. Genevieve comes only second to her, being the most experienced Guardian in her final reincarnated form.)

            “So…you’ve got it all…back,” says Dawn, who sounds incredibly weak and breathless in her elderly state. “Joanie’s essence and the power of your last incarnation – you siphoned it all right out of me.” I have no clue what she’s babbling about, only that I kicked her butt and she seems to be really upset about it. “Well, Sean, no matter what new face you take on or how much power you have in you, I’ll always have that one last magic trick up my sleeve.”

            Before I could even blink, the old woman somehow finds the energy to pick herself off the ground and lunge at me. I expect her to tackle me down the same way I did with her, but she does something completely different…completely alien. She fazes her body right through mine! I can only describe the sensation that comes with this type of attack as chilling – literally chilling! My legs become numb, causing me to collapse to the ground!

            As I try to figure out what has happened, I hear a young woman – an entirely different young woman – laughing manically near me. I look up to see a tanned, muscled woman with long raven hair, bright blue eyes, and peach-colored lips standing over me. She wears a tight black leather outfit with short sleeves and a black corset around the waist, along with a pair of black boots to complete the ensemble.

            “Ooh! Now this is nice!” She talks just like Dawn, only with an English accent that goes with the body. “This is…was one of yours, wasn’t it? ‘Yvette’ was her name, I believe. Well, since she’s my new permanent form, I’m renaming her. ‘Yve Ette’ just rolls off the tongue – especially this tongue – much better!” She laughs again, its register echoing through the heavens. “Keep the rest of your sixteen lives, Sean! I’m going to have fun with this one!” She turns to leave but stops halfway to say one last thing to me: “Oh…and we will meet again. Whether it’s by this new face of yours or by one of your old ones, our business is far from over.”

(Character Note: Following this tale, "Yve Ette" becomes the primary antagonist in both Marvel Mayhem - the World of Disney spin-off story - and World of Disney 3. She is most often referred as "the corrupted reincarnation," due to the circumstance of her birth, as depicted in this scene. She only possess all the negative traits of Dawn with the physical strength of Yvette, making her a formidable enemy to the Guardian.)

            I blink once and, before I know it, she’s gone.

            “Are you alright, JeniLynn?”

            I turn to see Panda being the gentleman he is and checking up on me. I realize that I’m regaining the feeling in my legs again and tell him, “I’m okay. Just…what was all that she was talking about? Why did she call me ‘Sean’? Is that who I used to—?”

            I stop my questioning once I realize that there is a child who has been gravely wounded from the fight. I look over to see him, still lying where he is, and immediately get back on my feet to rush over to him, with Panda following at my side. The poor little fella is in bad shape – barely able to keep his eyes open long enough to look at me when I showed up.

            He clutches something in his left hand that he fights to give to me. Putting my right hand out beneath his, I allow him to drop it in there. It’s an old locket. I open it up to see two old photos of people I don’t recognize. “Is this your family?” I ask him, only presuming them to be just that.

            He shook his head at me. “No…they’re yours.” Hearing this, I look at the photos more intently. For the life of me, I just cannot recognize them. “You’ve got…to remember…remember…” He drifts into unconsciousness, unable to finish his statement in his condition.

            “I’ll stay with him.” The old man tells me. “He told me that you can stop whatever’s happenin’ here. He believes you can save everything…and, after all that I’ve seen, so do I. Now go on and do it.”

            I’m not certain what the old man expects me to do, but that look of hope he gives me is enough to do whatever I can with this power I seem to possess. I look to Panda, who seems to know more than he’s letting on about me. “You know where I need to go to stop whatever’s happening here?”

            He nods. “I do.”

            “Please take me there.”

-------------------------

            Panda takes me to this palace that looks like it was once beautiful but is now in shambles. As soon as we arrive, we are welcomed by totally new characters – new to me, at least. There’s this walking and talking mouse (I think he’s a mouse), this tall woman with long blond hair, and another old man with a long beard (however, this guy doesn’t look nearly as funny as the last one – as a matter of fact, he looks dead serious).

            “Panda! Where is Sean? Who is this?” He asks on our arrival.

            “This is Sean, Master.” Panda says, gesturing to me (I really wish I knew who this guy “Sean” is, so I can make sense of why everyone thinks I am him). “He’s lost so much control over his seventeen reincarnations that he turned into a new one.”

            The old “master” looks to me with apprehension clear in his eyes. In a slow, careful voice, he asks me, “Do you know who I am?”

            I take a long, hard look at him, noting his features – the long gray beard, the small eyes with an intimidating stare (I got chills just looking into them), his half-bald hair that has the same color as his beard, and the thick eyebrows.

            It then hits me who this guy is. I think I really do remember him.

            “You’re…You’re…Papa Smurf!”

            His face falls into depression on my answer; clearly, that is not who he is. It was the only name that popped in my head when I see his face. I can’t help it if that’s not him!

            “We’re doomed!” The mouse exclaims.

            “Yen Sid, she can still help us.” Panda says. “She overpowered Dawn.”

            He continues to speak in my defense as the other three argue over my case, saying things like “She won’t be able to stop this rift,” “She doesn’t remember any of what she can do,” and “She will have to be trained all over again and we do not have the luxury of time!” I try to get a word in, but their loud, frightened voices carry over mine. I really do want to try and help. I don’t know what it was I did to Dawn or how I can do it again, but I at least want to make an effort…for that poor child who tried to help me.

            I know you do, sweetie.

            I jump as I hear this hollowed voice speak to me. And, out of nowhere, appears a purple-haired woman who smiles right at me. Neither Panda nor the other three characters in the room seem to see and hear her, since they continue to have their debate while this woman speaks to me.

            “Thank you for saving me, Sean. Because I’ve been in the minds of all seventeen of your lives, I know all the secrets to reincarnation…as well as how to stop the rift. You just leave everything to Mama and promise me this: never stop protecting the Disneyverse. It is your home – it is our home.” I can see tears fall from her eyes as she finally tells me, “Goodbye, my child. I love you so much.” Her voice drifts away while she herself fades right before my eyes.

(Narrative Note: This tale ultimately reconnects where we found Joanie in her first reincarnation as "Gigi" at the beginning of The Marvelous World: World of Disney 2. By tapping into Sean's reincarnations, she is able to create one for herself. Retrospectively, she inherited this ability from her son, who in turn inherited all his Guardian power from his mother.)

            Who was that strange, purple-haired girl? Was she…Sean’s mother? My mother?

            My heart suddenly fells very heavy. I’m in sadness over this woman, and I can’t figure out why. I feel something run down my left cheek and put my left hand to my face to find out what. My fingertips become wet from…a tear? Why am I crying?

            Before I can have a moment to figure things out, my body turns very rigid. Every portion of it tingles as it glows, just like it did when I confronted Dawn; except this time the glow seeps out from my body and flows upward towards one of the large holes in the roof. It “injects” itself into an unusual sphere that looms right outside the palace (I seem to have only just noticed it there).

            I start to collapse, but Panda catches me in time; he and the others witnessed my little light show as it happened. “What’s going on?” He asks me.

            “The purple-haired girl says she’s taking care of us.” I tell him.

            I see the confusion in his face and also the tall blonde’s. It’s only the mouse who manages to figure out who I’m talking about. “Joanie,” he says. It was that name alone that jogs my memory of that purple-haired woman.

            A huge quake comes through the palace.

            “Look!” The tall blonde yells, pointing up.

            We all look that way to see the unusual sphere lifting itself high into the sky. I already know it’s that purple-haired girl – my mother – who is behind this. A smile reflexively comes to my face as I see the sphere explode in a spectacular rainbow of light that sweeps over everything. The palace that we stand in transforms before our very eyes, turning from a decrepit place to the gorgeous structure it once was. Whatever is happening here seems to happen to the atmosphere outside. Lovely blue skies with beautiful white clouds appear and the city below it all seems more colorful and much happier.

            More characters appear in the room with us: a young, handsome boy with a crimson fez and a purple vest, a young, beautiful girl with long black hair tied in a ponytail and held together by two light blue bands, a big blue guy, a short, fat man with white hair and beard wearing a turban, and a tall wicked-looking fellow with a parrot perched on his shoulder.

(Authorial Note: The restoration of the Aladdin realm was redemption not only for the "Joanie Navarro" character but for Livingston himself. He felt that destroying the world in the first World of Disney installment inhibited any usage of it or its characters in subsequent stories. As such, certain characters like Jafar and Aladdin himself are reserved to appear in the upcoming spin-off story "Defenders of the Disneyverse.")

            “W-What has happened?” The wicked fellow voices the confusion he shares with the other four characters. “Everything is back in place! How is that possible? The entire palace had come down over our ears a moment ago!”

            “You mean you still remember your world ending?” The mouse asks him.

            “Vividly.” The wicked fellow replies, right before he realizes that he’s talking to a mouse. “What on earth…?”

            Yen Sid (the old master I’d mistaken for Papa Smurf) addresses the group of baffled characters. “I assure you that things have been restored to proper order in this world and many others. Once my cohorts and I depart, none of you will remember any of what happened to you before you were saved.”

            “Saved?” The young, ponytailed girl says. “Saved by whom?”

            “A great woman…named Joanie.” Even though I know she won’t remember me telling her this, I feel proud enough to say it.

(UP NEXT: Splitting Hairs...and Bodies!)