Chapter Four: Same Spirit, Tamer Heart
That kiss. It certainly felt like Sean’s, regardless of
the lips that touched her skin coming from Adrienne. It was one powerful kiss. Sent her body tingling
all over. It even resonated through the child in her womb, kicking something
fierce in reaction.
Christina’s eyes were shut through the entire
experience. Once she opened them again, she anticipated to see the
beautiful face of her husband’s reincarnated form. Unfortunately, she was
welcomed by the total opposite: a bizarre, bald-headed, grey-black-skinned
creature with round black eyes, tusks, and dark brown fur. It gazed right back
at her with those round eyes that she reflected off of.
(Star Wars Note: The species that Christina encounters in this scene is known as an "Aqualish." They have been seen many times throughout the Star Wars continuity. One made its debut in A New Hope as one of two patrons in the Mos Eisley cantina that picks a fight with Luke Skywalker, only to get its arm cut off by Ben Kenobi in the scuffle.)
She shrieked at the sight of the alien, falling back into
a pair of muscular (and familiar) arms. Looking up to see the identity of her catcher,
she was relieved to discover it to be Hercules. She turned away from him and
glanced about their surroundings. No longer did they stand inside of the hut on
Tatooine. They were on an entirely different planet – one filled with tons of
skyscrapers that reached beyond the heavens and flying vehicles that soared
back and forth in lane upon lane of traffic. They stood upon a walkway with
dozens of passing pedestrians of a variety of alien species.
Like Tatooine, Christina had seen this planet before, but only in
the Star Wars prequels that she
watched with Sean. If her memory was correct, it was known as Coruscant.
(Star Wars Note: Coruscant is the capital planet of the Star Wars galaxy and home world of its human species. It first appeared in the 1997 "Special Edition" of Return of the Jedi, showing scenes of a jubilant population celebrating the demise of the Emperor, with its name first mentioned in The Phantom Menace. The prequel trilogy and Star Wars: The Clone Wars showed Coruscant as a major center of activity and action within their stories.)
“He…she sent us
to another planet?” She bellowed in
frustration. “I thought she was sending us to another time!”
Hercules scratched his head, seeming just as confused. “I
think we are.”
“How can you tell?”
“Well…” His baby-blue eyes searched around for a visible clue;
unfortunately, there were not any available. “Yeah, I’ve got nothing.”
Christina groaned. Her feet began to ache from standing for so long.
Hercules snapped his fingers in realization. “Wait. I
know. Let’s look for the other
Adrienne. The one she sent us back through time for.”
“Do you realize how ridiculous of a plan that is?”
Christina gestured to the new alien atmosphere that encompassed them. “Look at
where we are. This futuristic city world is too big of a place to search for one woman.”
(Star Wars Note: In early drafts of Return of the Jedi, Coruscant was set to appear under the name "Had Abbadon." During the development of The Phantom Menace, George Lucas officially adopted the name "Coruscant" for the planet, a name created by Heir to the Empire author Timothy Zahn.)
Hercules gave a hopeful smile. “It can’t be so hard to
find someone with such a distinctive appearance like hers. Not too many people
with those intimidating eyes.”
Christina snickered; it was the first moment she was able
to laugh during such a taxing, unexpected experience. “Crazy Eyes. That needs to be our new nickname for her.”
Hercules laughed heartily with her on the thought. Once she slowed down and
took a breather, she reflected more on the woman who served as the main topic
of their discussion: “Still can’t believe that’s my husband…in the body of a legit female.”
“Must be pretty weird for you, huh?”
Christina smirked. “No kidding. It was insane enough
dealing with the fact that he morphs back and forth between himself and this
‘alter ego’ that calls herself ‘Natalie’ – that woman who took him away from me.
Genevieve and Victoria tried to explain the whole thing…this
‘reincarnation process,’ as they call it…but I didn’t believe any of it ‘til
now. That white dust Adrienne told me about? Well, apparently, Sean inhaled
some of it and accidentally screwed up the ‘normal’ way to reincarnate, which
is why he switches back and forth. Genevieve and Victoria labeled it as an
‘amalgamated reincarnation’ on account of how different it is from the way they were born…or reborn.” She sighed and added with a distraught chuckle, “Even as
I’m telling all of this to you – the Disney Hercules – I feel like I’ve been
possessed and this is all some twisted version of Hell!”
(Narrative Note: These events that Christina recounts are featured in the sixth chapter of Marvel Mayhem.)
Hercules cringed over Christina’s discomforting recount
of these events. “Wow. I’m real sorry. Whatever happened to him?”
“I have no idea, but the thought of never finding him
again scares the hell out of me. He’s never gonna see his baby girl be born.”
Herc saw how she was on the verge of tears. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and assured
her, “We’ll find him. I promise you that.”
Tears finally streaming from her eyes, Christina placed a
hand over his. She was genuinely grateful to have such a wonderful guy watching over her on this outlandish expedition, even if
he was supposed to be fictional.
He may not be Kevin Sorbo, but I’ll accept him all the
same, she thought.
(Pop Culture Note: Kevin Sorbo portrayed Hercules on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, which ran on syndicated television from 1995 to 1999. Its popularity led to a spin-off series in Xena: Warrior Princess, which Adrienne Wilkinson starred in latter seasons as Livia/Eve, daughter of Xena and inspiration for her character in World of Disney.)
Loud sudden clanging noises directed their attention away
from each other and to a nearby alleyway at the exact moment a tall
yellow-skinned alien with big black eyes and dark orange splotches over its
skin landed atop of a large pile of steel crates that collapsed from the
impact. There was no sign of a fire escape, drainpipe, or any side structure
that he climbed down, meaning he jumped from the rooftop of the sixty-story
complex dwarfed by the eighty-story one next to it.
Another figure – one wearing a cloak – took the same
action, leaping from the same rooftop and executing an excellent somersault on
the way down. This figure landed right in front of the yellow, bug-eyed alien,
blocking his escape.
(Authorial Note: The "yellow, bug-eyed alien" has never been featured in any Star Wars media and is a creature that I created exclusively for this story. Its species name is unknown as well.)
“P-Please! Let me go!” The alien pleaded to his hooded
pursuer.
“I will release you,” said the figure, who spoke in a
voice that sounded to Christina and Hercules a lot like Adrienne’s, only very
much younger – presumably early-twenties. “But only if you return what rightfully belongs to me.”
Acknowledging her demand, the alien unhooked a hefty
brown bag from his right hip, handing it to the young woman in the cloak.
She gently took it from him and then slightly waved her
other hand across his face. “You will never steal from anyone else ever again.”
“I won’t ever steal from anyone ever again.” The alien
hypnotically repeated.
“Good.” The young woman said. “Now return to your home.”
Still in his hypnotic state, the alien obliged, walking
away from the hooded woman in a very zombie-like manner.
(Star Wars Note: Jedi mind tricks have been stated to work only on the weak-minded. Certain species like Toydarians and Hutts were either highly resistant or immune to it. However, it could be used by a group of Jedi simultaneously to exert a greater collective influence on those who would normally be able to resist a Jedi's attempt alone. Evidence of this is seen on Star Wars: The Clone Wars as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, and Anakin Skywalker collectively influenced bounty hunter Cad Bane.)
The young woman turned and faced their direction. They
finally discovered her identity to be truly that of Adrienne once her eyes
connected with Christina’s. Christina instantly recognized that piercing stare
in the pale blue texture. The face was still the same, only younger and a bit
fuller, with less defined cheekbones and more of a complexion in the skin. The
hair was shorter, close to the shoulders, and a darker shade of brown; it was
more together than her older counterpart – straighter and more lush, with a single, long, and
tight braid of hair dangling against the right side of her youthful face.
(Star Wars Note: The braid in Young Adrienne's hair is what's known as a "Padawan braid," worn by Jedi Padawans who were of species that grew hair on their heads, although some hairless Padawans fashioned braids out of beads and other materials. When a Padawan is declared a Knight, the braid is cut off by a lightsaber; if one is instead expelled from the Order, the braid is ripped off.)
“It’s her!” Christina exclaimed with certainty, pointing
directly to the hooded woman, who flinched in surprise.
Christina and Hercules approached the young Adrienne in
the alley.
Fearful of these strangers, Adrienne waved her hand again: “You do not know me. I am not the person you’re looking...”
“Don’t even try that with me, kiddo.” Christina sharply
remarked. “My mind is anything but
weak.”
“We do not know you.” She suddenly heard Hercules
hypnotically say, clearly caught in Adrienne’s mind trick. “You’re not the
person we’re looking...” He stopped right at the point where Christina cut
Adrienne off and simply stared out into thin air.
Christina snapped her fingers right in his face, bringing
him out of the trance. “Hey, hey! Wake up!” Once Hercules was dealt with, she
went to Adrienne and removed her hood, exposing her complete girlish appearance.
“My god! You look twenty-three! Not so freaky with some color either. Your eyes
are more like a kitten’s than a cheetah’s.”
Adrienne frowned at her. “You speak of me as if you know
me, stranger.”
Her inability to recognize Christina surprised her. “You
mean you don’t know who I am?”
Adrienne shook her head. “Should I?”
“Well, yeah!” Christina defensively said. “You should recognize the woman you said ‘yes’ to!”
The young woman raised a concerned and confused eyebrow.
“Yes to what?”
Seeing how much more puzzled Christina made the
young Adrienne, Hercules immediately stepped in: “Uh, maybe I can make some
sense of things. You see, we were brought here from the future by you…er, an older you, that is…to find you and get
your help in stopping the evil Empire.”
This explanation from the Greek god did not help
whatsoever. It prompted Adrienne to quietly turn away from the two (insane, by
her standards) individuals and move towards the other side of the alleyway.
“Wait! You have to remember who you are!” Christina
pleaded. “I dunno. Maybe…maybe Master Yoda can help you to remember.” It was a
suggestion she made on the fly, not even certain if it would change
Adrienne’s mind.
But the young woman did
stop and looked back to them. She looked more to Christina, sensing the hurt
and abandonment in her, feelings no woman – especially an expectant one –
should ever have.
The poor thing, she thought. She sounds so confused yet
so certain all at once. I must do
something to help her. I cannot simply walk away from one in need of help,
especially help from a Jedi. What Jedi would I be to abandon her in her time of need?
“I will take you to my master,” she decidedly told them.
----------------------
The High Council chamber was the most majestic room
Christina had ever been enamored by. She was extra entranced by the breathtaking
view of the endless cityscape of the planet through the encircling window
display. Adrienne led both her and Hercules right inside and then afterward
removed the hooded robe that well-hid her body.
And, going by the stunned expression Christina carried once
she noticed what was hidden, it was for an excellent purpose.
Adrienne donned a short-sleeved, cotton-made shirt
cropped near her ribcage, bearing not only her lower back and midriff but also
much of her chest (only a single button kept the shirt closed but ran the risk
of exposing Adrienne’s entire front
if she did as much as take a deep breath). There was also a flower skirt parted
from the right, exposing her slender, toned right leg, and a pair of brown
leather boots, as well as a belt around her waist with one lightsaber hilt
holstered to it.
(Authorial Note: The dress style in the younger Adrienne was inspired by a photo Adrienne Wilkinson modeled in at an age identical to her fictional counterpart.)
It was certainly an outfit suited for a woman coming out
of her teens and loved to live life dangerously. Christina almost envied the
particular young woman that wore it, noting how much sexier it looked beside
her pregnant self. Adding onto the fact that this girl was in actuality a
reincarnation of her husband, Christina never felt so deprived towards another
woman’s clothing.
“You two wait here in the chamber while I summon Master
Yoda.” Adrienne instructed before making her departure. Watching her leave,
Christina caught the alluring way in which Adrienne’s hips swung in the tight
flower skirt.
Once the young Jedi was gone, Christina let her emotions
out to Hercules, the only other person present to hear what she had to say.
“I can’t believe that!”
“Believe what?”
“That…All of
that she was wearing! She might as well be butt-naked! Aren’t there clothing
regulations with the Jedi? ‘Don’t wear shirts that expose ninety percent of flesh while using the Force!’”
Hercules chuckled over her overreacting. “I think
she looks beautiful the way she does in this time. A lot of her outfit reminds
me of Meg.”
“Oh, you would
think like that.” Christina scolded. “You men look at one pair of boobs showing
through a buttonless shirt, and you go all cray-cray in a second!”
Confused by the diction in her statement, the Greek god
questioned, “Boobs?”
The two guests fell silent once Adrienne returned with
the legendary Jedi Master whose name was just as renowned to Christina. Seeing
the little green character walk into the room, without the aid of his stick no
less, Christina was taken aback to discover how strikingly young he appeared.
This more youthful version of Yoda had a full head of thick brown hair and
moved with more spry in his step.
(Star Wars Note: The species to which Yoda belongs was ancient and shrouded in mystery, except for the fact that there were two sexes - male and female - and their cosmetic features. Much of his early life is a mystery as well. He joined the Jedi Order as a youngling, undergoing the training and rituals that led to his status as a Jedi Master. For Yoda to be as young as he appears in this scene with his prolonged lifespan, he would roughly be 200 to 300 years old, which puts these events 530 or 630 years prior to where Christina and Hercules left from Tatooine in the previous chapter.)
“Pleasing to see outsiders in the temple, it is.” He said
upon his entrance – even his voice sounded young. “Only seen masters and apprentices,
I have, wandering these halls.”
Stunned as it began to dawn on her that she was in the
same room as the actual Yoda,
Christina was urged to let Hercules, someone who possessed zero knowledge of Star Wars, speak for her.
Approaching the small character, Hercules greeted,
“Pleasure to meet you, Master Yoda. If I may ask, what type of creature are you
exactly? You remind me a bit of a guy I know – his name’s Phil, short for ‘Philoctetes,’
and he’s a satyr. Quite a grumpy one, too.”
(Disney Note: Much like Yoda, Philoctetes trained heroes who had the potential for greatness, putting them through rigorous trials that tested their mental and physical strengths.)
Yoda simply took one look at Hercules and then to
Christina. With an amused chuckle, he stated, “Of this universe, neither of you
are. Traveled from very far, you both have. For what purpose?”
Managing the strength to speak up, Christina told him,
“We came looking for Sean.” She gestured right to Adrienne and failed to catch
her slip until Adrienne herself corrected her.
“My name is Adrienne.”
“No, my apprentice. It is not.” Yoda solemnly
contradicted.
Surprised, Adrienne gawped right at him, her eyes
blinking rapidly. “M-Master?”
“A secret, I have kept, since the day I found you on the
streets. Lost and afraid, you were.” Yoda disclosed. “Human, you are not.
Possess much power, you do. Greater than any Jedi, which you are not.”
Adrienne felt her legs become weak, dropping down to her
knees. Christina was nearly composed to go to her, but she refrained from doing
so when Yoda briefly shot her a stare that convinced her in the safety of
Adrienne’s constitution.
It was definitely quite a bit for the young Jedi to take
in – a sickness overwhelming the pit of her stomach. At any moment, she could
regurgitate, yet she refrained from it to get more answers out of her master.
“I-If I’m not a Jedi…and if I’m n-not human…what am I?”
“Powerful spirit, there resides in you. Capable of moving
an entire planetary system, it is. Change your appearance, it can. Teleport
between worlds and travel through time, you
can.” The Jedi Master then added in a voice that was close to sadness, “For
your power, search for another master, you must.”
(Narrative Note: Although Yoda's claim of Adrienne's ability to move an entire planetary system seems like a hyperbole, it is actually foreshadowing what occurs in the final chapter of World of Disney 3.)
Tears fell from Adrienne’s eyes. “So my entire life has
been a lie.”
“A lie, it was not. The true heart of a Jedi, you have.
But the spirit of another being, you possess.”
It suddenly dawned on Adrienne that this was not another
of her master’s lectures. “You’re saying goodbye, aren’t you?”
Yoda confirmed her suspicion with a gentle nod. “On a
journey with these outsiders, you must go, and discover who you are.”
Adrienne understood her new destiny, but it did not take
away the heartache of all she was leaving behind: “This temple…this whole
world…it’s been the only home I’ve known since you first found me. I do not
think I can ever survive outside there in the galaxy.”
“Much confidence, I have, in your survival, Padawan. Come
back, you will, and stronger, you will become.”
She embraced him, her body almost eclipsing his. “I love
you, Master. I will miss you so much.
You’re the closest thing I’ve had to a father.”
“I know, young one. I know.”
----------------------
Sometime later, in their departure from the Jedi temple,
Christina felt great pity for Adrienne leaving the only life she ever knew. She had no idea how she got to be this way, forgetting who and what she
was and all those reincarnated lives she lived. She also questioned how she
could have lived for so long in this universe, having known Yoda in his youth,
and aged in appearance by merely fifteen years.
(Character Note: Although seemingly immortal, the Guardian's aging process can be a topic of question in the World of Disney series. If one were to consider the lifespan of Yoda and compare/contrast it to that of Adrienne, it can be concluded that the Guardian physically ages by 400 years.)
One mystery at a time, she thought upon walking out of
the temple with Adrienne and Hercules.
Wiping away the last few tears she could shed and
sniffling, Adrienne mustered her courage and braved herself for the new
journey. “So,” she said, turning to her new companions, “where is our heading?
Or should I say when is it?”
Christina and Hercules looked to each other, both
shrugging.
“I have absolutely no idea.” Christina admitted.
“Truth is, the only reason we were able to travel back
and forth in time was because of you.” Hercules clarified.
Adrienne sighed. “But I do not possess such a powerful
feat, even if Master Yoda claims so.”
“Don’t Jedi have the ability to see into the future or
something?” Christina reflected on her Star
Wars trivia once again. “Maybe you can do just that. See if you can sense
where you are years from now and take us there.”
The young Jedi acknowledged Christina’s idea. “Certain
Jedi do have the gift of foresight,
but only those truly in tone with the Force.” She sighed and then said, “But
since I’m not the Jedi I believed myself to be and something far greater instead,
I can see if these untapped powers I have will enable me to take us in the
right direction.”
She proceeded in taking a few deep breaths – each one
testing the durability of that one button keeping her shirt together – and then
closed her eyes, focusing. Christina and Hercules observed her closely. At
first, it just seemed like all she did was meditate, a common pastime
activity with the Jedi.
But then she reopened her eyes…
Christina and Hercules shielded their own from the
blinding ghostly white glow emitting from Adrienne’s eyes, seemingly
unbeknownst to her. Hercules and Christina exchanged a curious yet
cautious glance.
(UP NEXT: Frozen on Hoth!)
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