Prologue: A Long Time Ago…
Muppet Theater – 1982
Oh, I’m never gonna be the same
again,
Now I’ve seen the way it’s got to end,
Sweet dream, sweet dream.
Now I’ve seen the way it’s got to end,
Sweet dream, sweet dream.
Strange Magic,
Oh, what a strange magic,
Oh, it’s a strange magic.
Got a strange magic,
Got a strange magic.
Oh, what a strange magic,
Oh, it’s a strange magic.
Got a strange magic,
Got a strange magic.
(Editorial Note: World of Disney 3 was first published on FanFiction.net on December 12, 2014. The story was still in production during the time Marvel Mayhem was, which challenged the pacing of both stories, since WOD3 was written in mind of succeeding the events of Mayhem and featured characters from the spin-off tale. WOD3 also continued the trend set by The Marvelous World: World of Disney 2 of centering its plot around the setting and characters of a Disney-owned property, in this case Star Wars.)
(Pop Culture Note: The opening lyrics are from the 1975 song "Strange Magic" by the Electric Light Orchestra, off their Face the Music album, released in February of 1976 in the U.S. This song was chosen to establish a connection with lead heroine Joanie Navarro-Thomas, who - at this point in her life as Guardian of the Disneyverse - become full-fledged in her abilities. It also follows a theme of using classic songs from the 70s to establish the retro setting, as done in the first World of Disney story.)
Not even the soothing tune of the Electric Light
Orchestra could bring ease to Tomas’s unsteady card-playing hand. He accepted
the invite to a Friday night game from his mother-in-law, Diana Navarro. Kermit,
Fozzie, Gonzo, Scooter, Bunsen, Beaker, Animal, and Rizzo joined in. All of
them sat around a makeshift poker table on an empty stage with the Boombox
nearby to play all the tunes from KMUP Radio, the hottest station in the Los
Angeles area.
(Narrative Note: In World of Disney, KMUP is the television station where Sean Thomas and his sisters - Kimberly, Ciciley, and Meagan - work in New York City. 28 years before then, it was the city's #1 radio station. All this, of course, is exclusive to WOD's universe.)
Bunsen and Beaker had been winning every hand in the
game, upsetting the other players and arousing suspicion in them.
Kermit was the only courageous one to confront them on
the matter: “Hey, uh, you guys wouldn’t happen to be using any ‘technical
help,’ would you? You are the smartest
people at the table.”
“Call it like it is, Kermit!” Rizzo angrily exclaimed.
“Dese two are cheatin’! Dey’re usin’ some of dat new tech dey’ve got runnin’
around down dere in deir lab!”
(Character Note: This is Rizzo's first "pre-World of Disney" appearance in the series, having already appeared in the first installment as one of the Muppets from 2010. His inclusion to the past day events was meant to evoke a sense of familiarity from the readers' perspective and newness from his.)
Bunsen and Beaker simultaneously gasped over the rat’s accusation.
“Beaker and I one hundred percent assure you all that we
are using neither brains nor tech.” Beaker meeped in support of Bunsen’s claim.
“We’re simply blessed by Lady Luck.”
“Oh, baloney.” Rizzo muttered.
Diana refrained from busting with laughter over their behavior, biting her lower lip. Her eyes shifted over
to Tomas, who sat to her left at the table, and she could see how stressed the
young man was by his grimacing face and shaky hands. She hoped the card
game would be somewhat of a reliever for him, which was the reason why she
invited him to play.
(Character Note: World of Disney 3 marks Tomas's first physical appearance in the series, after mentioned only by name in previous installments. Out of all the World of Disney characters, he is the only one entirely fictional and not based on any franchise characters or those based on/inspired by real people - although his physical description is meant to mirror my character's, Sean Thomas.)
He turned to her and asked, “Where has Joanie been these
last fourteen hours?” His African accent was as thick as Joanie always described, being one of the many traits she loved him for.
Diana smiled. “Where else would she be?”
Tomas nodded understandingly, catching on to what she alluded to. “I must profess the moment I discovered my wife’s secret life that
things would be more fun. Unfortunately, as of late, it seems she has spent
less time with me…on purpose.”
“Tomas, why on earth would you think Joanie would
deliberately try to avoid you?” Diana questioned. “She’s always been crazy
about you, ever since you two met in Africa, five years ago.”
“I know it does not make sense. I am still trying to
comprehend it myself. But I just believe she is hiding something from me. I do
not want to think the worse, but…could she be…?”
(Authorial Note: To differentiate Tomas's speech patterns from everyone else and accentuate his African voice, I refrained from allowing him to use many contractions like "doesn't" or "don't." Realistically, someone born from Africa like him, accustomed to the Swahili language, would speak English - a secondary language - with as much fluency as possible.)
Diana slammed her cards down on the table, inadvertently
interrupting the heated debate among the Muppets and directing their attention
to her and Tomas. She pointed a stern finger to the young man and said, “Now
you listen to me. My daughter loves one man and one man only – and that’s you.
Why else would she trust you with all that she told you about our little
adventure in 1977? Who else other than
you would she share that with? She wouldn’t have told you, unless she knew
for a fact she would spend the rest of her life with you.”
Tomas nodded. He appeared only slightly assured, refocusing on the card game. The Muppets also rejoined, ceasing their
bickering.
Seeing the uncertainty still in Tomas’s demeanor, Diana
sighed in desperation. She was genuinely worried for her son-in-law. She
internally questioned herself what her daughter was up to for such a
lengthy period of time. To hurt Tomas like this only made Diana incredibly
disappointed in her.
“I’m here!”
The singsong announcement came from stage right, which
was where a young, attractive blonde with a Farah Fawcett-style hairdo – donned
in a tight peach-colored Studio 54
t-shirt, bellbottom blue jeans, and sandals – made her entrance.
Most everyone at the table greeted the blonde in a drone
manner: “Hello, Ashley.”
(Biographical Note: "Ashley" is based on/inspired by Ashley Rowlett Sjelin, a Disney super fan I met on Facebook who also works as a character performer for True Enchantment Entertainment, along with Jennifer Kristine Chong, the inspiration for the reincarnation of Sean Thomas known as "Ellison" in the series. She was originally intended to be written as another reincarnation of Sean Thomas that carried the personality of a pirate, until the character was scrapped in favor of introducing Genevieve Marie Nylen's "Genevieve" character as a reincarnation.)
She approached the poker players, particularly Diana,
with her oversized pink handbag. She bent over and wrapped her arms around
Diana’s neck from behind, delivering the warmest of rear hugs. Diana turned her
head slightly and gave her niece a kiss on the cheek; she was presumably the
only one who expressed any happiness in seeing her.
“How was shopping with Miss Piggy, sweetie?” Diana asked.
Ashley carried a look of disgust. “I swear. That pig is one
serious diva. I couldn’t get her to make up her mind on anything in that store.” She snickered and added, “Not that
anything would fit her.”
(Character Note: Piggy was planned to be featured in this story, right alongside her human equivalent in Ashley. I decided against involving her when I ultimately chose to focus less on the Muppetverse characters for this installment. Not once as her character physically appeared in the series since it began in 2010; she has only been mentioned in dialogue.)
“Yeah, just don’t let Piggy hear you say that.” Kermit
cautioned.
“Oh, lighten up, Kermit.” Ashley remarked. “She’s not
gonna be here for the next couple of weeks, which gives me leeway to say
whatever I want about the hog.” Her sparkling blue eyes moved from the frog to
the handsome African prince in the purple muscle shirt, black jeans, and boots.
“Why, hello there, Tomas.” There was a great deal of seductiveness in her
address. “Didn’t see ya there.”
Tomas barely acknowledged her, his mind elsewhere.
“Y-Yes. Hello, Ashley.”
She left Diana’s side and switched over to Tomas. Her
hips swung alluringly as she walked right up from behind him and proceeded in
massaging his broad, toned dark brown shoulders – her delicate pinkish hands a
stark contrast to them.
(Character Note: Other than being another cousin in the family, Ashley has no blood relation to Tracy, the literal first cousin of Joanie Navarro, introduced in World of Disney. Ashley and Diana are in fact first cousins once removed, making Joanie and Ashley second cousins.)
The action did not go unnoticed by the others, who looked
away from their cards and to Ashley’s hands on Tomas’s shoulders. It was obvious, ever since Ashley started living at the theater, how much of a crush
she had on Tomas, despite the fact that he was a married man.
“Ooh, Tomas.” The tone in her voice increased in its
seductiveness. “You’re awfully so tense. Something wrong?”
Ashley’s massaging, although welcoming, felt like more of
a weight on his shoulders. “I am fine. Thank you for asking.”
“It’s no prob. I just hate to know that such a strong guy like you is feeling so weak.”
Her hands moved much further down, touching his toned pectorals that popped
through his shirt.
(Authorial Note: Aiming toward the first T-rating for a story under the World of Disney title, I didn't hold back on pushing the boundaries in suggestive scenes like this. Truthfully, this story earned its FanFiction.net rating through the heavy violent content that will be depicted in later chapters.)
And that was where Diana drew the line: “Ashley.
Behave yourself.”
Ashley glanced at her aunt, noting the strict look in her
face. It was enough to urge her in taking her hands off of Tomas, who felt comfortable once again.
“So where is my lil’ cousin anyway?” She coldly inquired.
It was almost too
quiet at the table before Kermit answered, “She’s still out.”
Ashley mockingly snickered. “Typical. She’s never around
when anyone needs her to be.” She gestured to Tomas with disgust. “And to leave
her poor husband all alone here, worried to death about her, waiting to know
when she’ll be back… or if she’ll ever
come back?”
Tomas squirmed in his chair, his discomfort returning.
Seeing the affect Ashley’s words had on him, Diana firmly
told her niece, “That’s enough,
Ashley!”
“Oh, Auntie, I’m just only looking out for Tomas.” She
wrapped her arms around him, resting her chin on his head and letting the curls
from his slightly puffed black hair tickle her skin. “Tomas, honey? If you need
anything, I’ll be there for you.”
It became too much for him to bear. Growing
increasingly agitated, he set his cards down, pulled himself away from Ashley,
and stood up. “Excuse me,” he said in a whisper, making his departure from the
poker table and through stage right. His head hung low, clearly reflecting
his despondent attitude.
Watching him leave in such a huff, Ashley felt a bit
guilty. The poor guy really was hurting, she realized.
“Ashley!” Diana angrily exclaimed, directing her niece’s
attention back on her. “What the devil has gotten into you? Speaking that way
to Tomas! Couldn’t you see he was scared?”
“Look, I’m sorry, Auntie. Really, I am.” Ashley admitted.
“But half of what I said was the truth. Where does Joanie go? I don’t ever see her half of the day. And most
nights when I do, she’s either in bed or still out of the theater.”
(Authorial Note: The reality of Joanie's in-and-outs between her home realm and the Disneyverse was something I looked forward in exploring in her personal narrative. Only hints of it are seen here in World of Disney 3, but subsequent installments, such as Tales from the Battlefront, will dig deeper in the pathos of her and the characters connected to her.)
“Yeah, I’ve gotta admit myself that somethin’s pretty
fishy about dat girl.” Rizzo acknowledged Ashley’s sentiments. “Like, dis one
time, she’d promised tah help but didn’t even show up!”
“What did she promise to help you with?” Scooter asked.
“Only dah most important thing in my whole life: raiding
the mousetraps.” The rat’s response was met with collective groans. “Hey, rat’s gotta eat, amirite?”
“Seriously, Aunt Dye,” Ashley said, “where is she?”
Diana shared an awkward glance with the other Muppets; all of them knew the truth. Rizzo would
have known himself, if the version of him that went through their adventure back
in 1977 were not from 2010. This Rizzo, who only just recently moved into the
theater with his family, was just as much in the dark as Ashley.
Enough silence passed to arouse even more suspicion
between him and Ashley. Realizing this, Gonzo blurted out, “She’s taking
skydiving lessons!”
It clearly was not the cover-up they needed, determining
from the way in which Diana, Kermit, Fozzie, Scooter, Bunsen, and Beaker all
rested their faces upon their palms in aggravation.
Ashley’s hands irately went to her hips, her pink handbag
sliding down her arm and dangling on her wrist. “Fine. Don’t tell us. One way
or another, we’re gonna get to the bottom of this mystery.”
“Yeah. Dah both
of us.” Rizzo shared in her declaration, standing uncomfortably close to her
hip, practically clinging himself to it. “Ain’t dat right,
light-of-my-life?”
Ashley revoltingly stared down at the rat. “Get…off…of
me.”
Rizzo was quick to please the woman. “Sure thing, cheesecake.”
(Character Note: It is only in this story Rizzo, who normally picks up on women of his own species in most Muppet media - such as Yolanda Rat, shows an interest in a human female.)
“Ashley, honestly, everything’s fine.” Diana calmly
assured. “It’s nothing worth turning into an episode of The Rockford Files. Joanie is just a very busy woman, that’s all.”
(Pop Culture Note: The Rockford Files is a crime drama series that aired on the NBC network from 1974 to 1980, going into syndication ever since. It starred the late James Garner as Jim Rockford, a private investigator in Los Angeles who works cold cases, missing persons investigations, and low-budget insurance scams. It is a favorite show of Diana's, mostly because of her secret crush on James Garner.)
Unfortunately, her niece persisted to be unconvinced.
-------------------
Ashley’s words cut like a knife to Tomas’s confidence. He
feverishly paced around the backstage area for a few minutes before deciding to
sit down on the foot of the staircase to the upstairs dressing rooms. The
thought of Joanie being somewhere in that “Disneyverse,” as she called it, and
presumably in one world with a handsome prince…it tied his stomach in knots. He
did not want to think that way; he knew Diana was right about the way Joanie
felt about him. Yet there was still that nasty, lingering sensation –
undoubtedly influenced by Ashley.
Suddenly, the stage door nearby flew open, letting the
chilly night air circulate into the warm interior. A figure hastily emerged
from outside and shut the door behind it. Tomas immediately stood up once he
saw that this visitor had blue hair – Joanie’s color. Sure enough, it was his wife. She looked completely disheveled with her long blue hair ruffled,
her red robe tattered, and her sorcerer hat covered in dirt and grime. She was
out of breath, her focus on the old, creaky floorboards beneath her. It was
evident that she was involved in some sort of hard labor or altercation but otherwise unscathed.
(Character Note: Joanie's takes on a blue-colored hairdo in this story, continuing her special ability for altering her hair color, which was featured in the epilogue of World of Disney. It mirrors the real-life Joanie's knack for frequently taking on various colorful hairstyles.)
“Joanie!” Tomas caught her attention the moment he
excitedly shouted her name.
Once she caught sight of him, she instantly rushed
towards him and gave one of the warmest, tightest hugs he ever received.
“Oh, man! Please tell me that I haven’t been gone for over a month!”
“Just fourteen hours, darling.” She was cold to the touch
and carried the scent of smoke in her clothes and hair. “Where have you been? And what has happened to you?”
Joanie disengaged their embrace and stared long and
hard at her husband’s loving, gorgeous face. It was certainly a sight for sore
eyes, especially for a woman away from home as long as she had been.
Without notice, she locked her lips with his, kissing him in a way that was so
passionate; he could certainly tell she went through much.
(Narrative Note: This prologue for World of Disney 3 reflects a similar narrative method shown in World of Disney's prologue, in which we flash-forward ahead of events and begin at a point that gives subtle clues for what we can expect to be led up to. The only difference here is in the perspective of characters outside the main story, sharing in the undoubted confusion of readers as to what is happening.)
It reached a point where he could barely breathe and forced himself away. “Joanie! What is the matter?”
She took a moment to catch her own breath. “I’m sorry.
It’s just—”
The second she began to explain herself, another figure
emerged through the stage door; this one being a tall, attractive redhead in a
green mini-skirted dress, a black leather jacket, black leggings, and black
boots. “Sorry, but I cannot stay out
there for another minute. I may not be able to freeze as quickly as the average
person anymore, but I know just when I am
freezing my butt off,” she said upon entering. She had a very powerful voice
that was as charismatic as her appearance.
Tomas stared quizzically at the redhead, who smiled back
at him as she tried to warm up her hands. “Joanie, who is this?”
The redhead approached him, staring at his face with
great interest. “Oh, dude. This is so tight. I’ve never seen you so young.” She
nodded to Joanie and added, “She was right. We do look a lot alike. Almost like looking into a mirror.”
Her words greatly confused Tomas. He glanced up and down
at her. She was the total opposite of him – Caucasian, older (presumably in her
mid-forties), blue-eyed, and (most notable of all) female. The only real similarity between them was that she
stood close to his height of six-foot, two-inches; his nose at level with her
forehead. Other than that, he had no clue what she meant.
Joanie struggled with an explanation in the identity of
her redheaded companion, especially after what she told Tomas: “I-It’s
difficult to explain, babe. S-She’s…”
“There you are, lil’ twerp!”
She looked to the source of the interruption and found
her least-favorite person in the world, her second cousin, entering the room with
her mother and the Muppets. No
doubt they all heard the commotion from the stage area and checked to see what
was up.
“Oh, brother.” Joanie muttered in annoyance. It was less
than pleasing for her to see Ashley, especially now of all times. “Look,
Ashley. I really don’t have time for
your foolishness right now.”
Ashley snickered. “You don’t seem to have time for much
of anything these days.” She took notice in her blue-haired cousin’s disheveled
and even more baffling appearance. “The blue hair was horrid enough – now
you’re going with a homeless wizard?”
Joanie’s redheaded companion shook her head over Ashley
and her remarks. “You always were the biggest loudmouth of the family. Was
there ever a time when you showed my
mother the respect she deserved?”
Ashley gazed sharply at the woman. “Who are you to talk to me like—” She stopped
cold once she realized the way in which the redhead referred to Joanie. “Your mother?”
That one word stuck out like a sore thumb to everyone
else – except Joanie.
“Your mother?”
The others repeated in the same register of confusion.
Joanie hid her face behind her left hand in embarrassment
and exasperation.
“Joanie, you’re supposed to have only four children, three girls and a boy.”
Scooter indicated from his memory of the incident from 1977.
His reference only attracted more confusion from Ashley and Rizzo with the gofer’s inclusion of
“supposed to.”
“I still do have four children, Scooter…or, I mean, I will have them.” Joanie addressed. “It’s
just…well… only one has had a bit of an identity crisis.” She
gestured to her redheaded companion. “Everybody meet Vanessa…who is in
reality a reincarnation of my future son, Sean Thomas.”
(Biographical Note: "Vanessa" is based on/inspired by the mega talented voice actress Vanessa Marshall, who portrays Hera Syndulla in Disney XD's Star Wars Rebels and Gamora in the animated Guardians of the Galaxy series. I met Vanessa through Twitter while promoting Rebels prior to its October 2014 premiere. When I pitched the idea of having her own personal character written into World of Disney, she was right on-board. Her character is planned to have a major role for the fifth installment of the series, World of Disney 5, in 2016.)
Vanessa held up two fingers (a peace sign) sideways to
the group with a friendly smile, oblivious to the odd stares they all gave her. “What up!”
Diana, Tomas, Kermit, Fozzie, Gonzo, Scooter, Bunsen, and
Beaker were in shock. It suddenly made sense to Tomas what Vanessa said the second she looked at him.
He approached the smiling redhead and stood close enough
to look deeply into her pale blue eyes, as if searching for the actual person behind
them. “This…is my son?”
Vanessa shrugged and uttered, “So to speak.”
Observing the entire scene with Ashley (his fellow
outsider), Rizzo bellowed with frustration, “Alright! What in dah heck is goin’ on here?”
Joanie despairingly sighed. Her cousin and the Muppet rat
were exposed enough as it was to the secret she, her mother, and the other
Muppets so desperately tried to keep from them and most everyone else
at the theater.
(UP NEXT: ...in a galaxy far, far away...)
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