Chapter Nine: No World to Bring In a Child
“I’m not going to jail!”
“Yeah, you are! Those are the rules!”
“That ain’t fair!”
“No one ever said losin’ was fair.”
“Well, it’s not when you fellas are playin’!”
Victoria sat lotus style on Yen Sid’s workshop table
while Huey, Dewey, and Louie settled on the floor and played their board game, the rules of which were in close relation to those of Monopoly. One rule was for the player that got sent to jail to wear
a mask designed with the face of a Beagle Boy, whereas the winner won all the
money in Scrooge McDuck’s money bin (with a gold-plated toy model to brag
over). When the winner turned out to be Louie and the loser Dewey, the latter
put up an argument.
(Pop Culture Note: Since 2001, at least sixteen Monopoly board games have been released under the Disney label, including brands based on The Muppets, Pixar, and Phineas and Ferb.)
“Louie took an extra turn when he wasn’t supposed to!”
Dewey alleged, pointing a livid finger at his victorious brother. “He’s the one who has to go to jail and
wear the mask!”
“Awe, stop bein’ such a baby and put on the mask, Dewey!”
Louie retorted, practically clutching the gold toy money bin in his feathery
hands.
“No! You put it
on!”
“No! You!”
“You!”
Huey had enough of the bickering between his brothers.
“Victoria? Can you do somethin’ about these two? They’re drivin’ me nuts!”
Victoria hardly recognized that she was being addressed.
She had really not been focusing on them or their game. Her mind was solely on
what Anne-Marie told her earlier – the inevitability of Fantasia’s destruction.
The thought of being unable to prevent it truly angered her. As much as she and
the other Guardians could do – have already
done – for the worlds within the Disneyverse and those beyond it, they could
not stop one world from being destroyed by those from another, despite knowing
exactly how and when it will happen. It was outrageous.
“Hey, Victoria! You O.K.?” Dewey asked, his concern no
longer on the game but on their troubled friend.
Victoria snapped out of her thoughts, finally noticing
the worried stares she received from the boys. “I’m so sorry, my darlings.
What were you asking me?”
They were almost too concerned for her well-being to
bother her over their squabble; yet Dewey just could not let it go. “Louie took
an extra turn and won the game, so I’m
the loser. That’s not fair, is it?”
Victoria smiled. As odd as it seemed, this issue among
them was just the stress-reliever she needed. Compared with the heavy burden
Anne-Marie laid on her, the sibling quarrel between Louie and Dewey was nothing
to have a headache over. She unfolded her legs and hopped off of the worktable,
joining with the boys down on the floor.
“Tell you what,” she began, “How ‘bout we start the game
over, so that I can join you. Four-way-even. That way we can be certain who is
or isn’t cheating to win. And you boys can
trust me not to.”
They nodded in agreement.
“You don’t mind wearin’ the Beagle Boy mask if you get
sent to jail?” Huey questioned with the aforementioned item in hand.
(Authorial Note: I envisioned the Beagle Boy mask to be not just the black eye mask but a plastic representation of a Beagle Boy face, similar to a Halloween mask, since wearing it adds to the embarrassment and dissatisfaction of losing the game. This is particularly so, as the stipulation states that the wearer must have it on for an hour.)
Victoria smirked. “I’m already wearing a mask. Another
certainly wouldn’t hurt – especially not one as dreadful as that.”
She and the boys shared in an emphatic laugh over her
quip. It was the most humbling merriment she had with anyone in quite some
time. It seemed like ever since she discovered herself to be this all-powerful
reincarnation of a man with a good heart and soul that lived within her, she was scarcely awarded such a moment of levity. The board game she decided to engage in with the boys marked the start of a good thing, even if it would not last
for very long.
The game was just about to restart until a flash of light
burst within the room, followed by a gust of wind that blew through
Victoria and the boys, moving her bangs temporarily across her eyes and taking
a few feathers off Huey and Louie. Within seconds, a new group of characters
appeared from out of nowhere. Victoria recognized three of them as Anna,
Kristoff, and Sven from her old home in Arendelle, but she was most surprised
of all to see Natalie with them.
“It’s you!” Victoria exclaimed, nearly overjoyed to see
the Native American amalgamated reincarnation. “Where have you been?”
Natalie regarded her new surroundings. “I’m more worried
of where I am now.”
“Fantasia.” Victoria confirmed. “You’re in Fantasia.”
Natalie frowned at this. “Really? I thought Fantasia was
destroyed.”
“Destroyed?” Huey, Dewey, and Louie bellowed from the
unexpected bombshell.
Suddenly, Natalie’s focus was taken off from the room as
she felt a violent grip come over the collar of her red plaid shirt and found
herself face-to-face with a furious Anna.
“Take us back!”
Natalie was virtually afraid to tell her what she had
next: “Sorry. I can’t.”
“NO!” Anna screamed, shaking Natalie under her aggressive
grip. “That’s not what I want to
hear! We are going back! We have to go back for my sister! You left
her there with those giant metal elephants!”
“Giant metal elephants?” Victoria repeated with a
perplexed grimace.
A look of guilt filled Natalie’s face, expressing much
sympathy for the princess. “I’m sorry, Anna. I just can’t risk another attempt
at teleporting. Trust me, we’re somewhere very
much safer than anywhere I might send us to.”
Stricken by grief, Anna released her hold upon Natalie’s
collar and dropped to her knees, breaking into tears. Kristoff and Olaf
immediately went to her side in comfort.
“Don’t cry, Anna.” Olaf said. “I’m sure Elsa is still out
there, being protected by Vanessa and that crazy-eyed woman with the glowy
sticks.”
Unbeknownst to the living snowman, his body began to show
signs of melting. It started with his carrot nose, which sloped down until he
pushed it back in place unconsciously. Victoria was the only one who appeared
to have noticed. The room’s warm climate was in no way suitable for a being
made entirely of snow – that much was certain from the lit fireplace at the
corner nearest Olaf, radiating its heat over him.
The moment his head turned lopsided, Victoria knew she
had to do something for him right away. And she was on the verge of it before a
glittering white spark of magic streaked in from her left and formed around
Olaf. Quickly, he was restored to his usual structure while a small flurry
cloud hovered over him, keeping his body completely cold.
Impressed by the cloud, Olaf smiled wide. “Oh! Now that’s
really cool!”
(Disney Note: Olaf's "flurry cloud" was created by Elsa in Frozen to keep the living snowman from melting, after restoring summer to Arendelle, at the conclusion of the film.)
Victoria felt relieved; however, she questioned who Olaf’s savior was.
“What is going on here?”
It was a stern, intimidating voice that Victoria
instantly recognized. She and the others turned and faced the direction it came
from, finding Anne-Marie standing in the room. Her arms were folded, although
it was difficult to see that they were beneath the large interlocking sleeves
of her robe, and the expression on her face corresponded with the tone she
spoke in.
Victoria knew that look. It was the one made when someone
was in deep trouble.
(Character Note: Some of Anne-Marie's personality takes inspiration from Yen Sid, such as the way in which she folds her arms and gives a stern glare to the troublemaker she catches in the act. This makes sense with her being a member of the Council of Sorcerers along with Yen Sid himself, picking up on the nonsense behaviors of her fellow councilmen.)
The Cinderella Realm
The night sky lit up with a multicolor of fiery sparks
above the King’s castle in celebration of the ball held in honor of the King’s
son. The ball, of course, would be the setting where Cinderella would shine in
her radiant, glittering white and blue dress – gifted to her by the Fairy
Godmother – and capture Prince Charming’s heart before the stroke of midnight.
However, the real action of the evening was not in the
castle but out in the forest. Within a clearing, lit by the light of the
moon and fireworks, a young couple shared in a
moment of passionate lovemaking. Their privacy was relatively helped by the
greenery that surrounded them.
(Authorial Note: Incorporating Cinderella into the World of Disney series was at first a difficult task. The setting and its characters offered nothing to advance the plot in any way, except for the Fairy Godmother - the only magical character in the story, who will make an appearance in the gender-swapped WOD spin-off tale, Disney Worlds, in 2016.)
Joanie Navarro lied atop the man she delighted in calling
her husband every day since the time of their wedding three years prior. She
locked lips with Tomas for an unmeasurable amount of time. The seconds,
minutes, and hours escaped her, solely focused on Tomas’s sweat-drenched,
rock-hard body. She could not figure on why he was so sweaty, since the
temperature was quite cool out in that forest. It was the reason she wished she had kept on her robe, as her unbuttoned silk purple blouse, black tank
top, and blue jeans did little to satisfy her need for warmth – an issue that
was soon rectified with her body pressed against Tomas.
When the time came to go the next level, she did not
hesitate.
Tomas felt the black leather belt from his black pants go
undone. Disconnecting his lips from Joanie’s, he looked down towards his belt
to see that it was undoing itself. The sight unsettled him, especially once he
realized it was Joanie’s magic – her hands nowhere near
the buckle.
(Authorial Note: Since WOD3 was already targeted for a "Teen" rating for its violent content, I chose to pursue the topic of "sex in the Disneyverse" with this scene to spark a curious notion for the reader: Should intercourse be allowed in a Disney realm from two real world visitors? Would it already have been there in the first place, with children of characters in existence? It's a "birds and bees" topic that few or so readers may or may not want to think about, depending their level of maturity.)
“Joanie, wait.” He whispered with a disjointed sigh.
“No…can’t…stop…gotta…keep…going.” She said between kisses
she delivered on his neck and chest.
“Joanie, please. Stop.”
Joanie desisted, moving her head away from Tomas’s and
seeing the strong expression of concern on his face. Concerned herself, she
questioned, “What’s wrong, babe? I thought we were having fun.”
Tomas sat up, prompting Joanie to move aside and sit
beside him, her body still pressed against his. “I just…It feels wrong doing
this here.”
“You mean this grass? Is it too uncomfortable for you?
That’s no problem. There’s an empty cottage not far from here. We can just—”
“No, Joanie. I mean ‘here’ as in this…this G-rated fairy
tale world. Does this not go against your job?”
Joanie raised an eyebrow at his inquiry. “We’re just
kissing, Tomas. In my book, that doesn’t
count as sex.”
“Yes, but you were kissing me everywhere on my body!”
“So? We’re still clothed!”
“I felt you
unbuckling my belt – and not
with your hands!”
Joanie gave an aggravated groan. She did not anticipate
him to have noticed.
The moment was gone, urging her to leave his side and
stand upright. She gazed up at the fireworks that continued to erupt the sky in
a barrage of colors.
Seeing how upset she was, guilt went through Tomas. “I am
sorry, love. I did not mean to turn this into—”
“No, Tomas. I’m
the one who should be sorry. You’re right. I’ve been careless in my duties. My
job is to preserve the purity of the Disney Worlds, and here I am ready to do
the Marvin Gaye with you.”
Tomas frowned. “The…Marvin Gaye? I do not understand.”
Joanie chuckled, reminded of her husband’s lack of
knowledge on American culture. “It’s a song of his about sex – ‘Let’s Get It
On.’”
(Pop Culture Note: "Let's Get It On" by soul artist Marvin Gaye was released June 15, 1973. The song was known for its romantic and sexual lyricism, becoming Gaye's most successful single for Motown and one of his most well-known songs. With the help of the song's sexually explicit content, "Let's Get It On" helped give Gaye a reputation as a sex icon during its popularity.)
“Oh.” Tomas said with an understanding smile. It quickly
faded once he heard Joanie sniffling. Her back faced him, preventing him from
seeing the obvious weeping. Responding to this right away, Tomas stood up from the grass and approached his wife from behind, warmly rubbing up
and down at her arms.
She wiped away tears that flooded her view of the
fireworks. “It’s 1982…back in our
world. Just a year before our first daughter is born.” More tears streamed down
from her eyes. “I just…I just feel like the clock is tickin’, ya know? I know
that sounds weird comin’ from a girl my
age, but I really do feel like it’s imperative to keep in-line with history and
make sure we do everything right to see that Kimberly is born.”
(Biographical Note: In reality, Kimberly Nicole - the woman who the character "Kimberly Thomas," Joanie's first-born child and daughter, was based on in World of Disney - was born February 6, 1983.)
Tomas’s eyes lit up at the name she uttered. He knew of
the four children he and Joanie were expected to have, each of whom she met
in her “special adventure” five years ago; but he never found out their names.
“Kimberly? That is what our daughter’s name will be?”
Joanie nodded. “There’s already pressure just in havin’
our first child, but it’s more stressful to plan for an exact date and time for it to happen.”
She sniffed again, sighing deeply. “Knowing your entire future is one of the
most damning curses.”
(Narrative Note: This is a common theme through the World of Disney series, as many past-day characters encounter their futures and maintain awareness of it, even as they witness its history unfold firsthand. It's a dark side to time travel that's not often explored in many other stories of the genre.)
Tomas confidently smiled. “I think of it more as a
blessing. I have much faith in the child we will bear. It does not matter where
or when it will happen. I just know
it will be a day to be remembered for eternity.”
(Star Wars Note: Tomas's line "I just know it will be a day to be remembered for eternity" is an intentional twist on Vader's classic line from A New Hope, "This will be a day long remembered," in reference to the death of Obi-Wan Kenobi and his assurance in the ultimate defeat of the Rebel Alliance prior to the Battle of Yavin.)
His words filled her heart with so much hope. One of his
many flattering traits was his wonderful way of talking – more so in English
than Swahili. She certainly married a keeper in him.
She turned with her tear-drenched face, smiling.
“Thanks, babe.”
Tomas swiped at the left side of her face with his thumb,
a gesture that was such a romantic one to Joanie. She just had to kiss him once
more before they returned home. They leaned in close to each other, their lips an
inch from touching.
Her attention diverted at the last second, unfortunately,
once she took notice in some movement within one section of the encircling
greenery, directly behind Tomas. Her lips missed his, taking him by surprise
when all he found himself kissing was the air.
Curiously, he took notice in his distracted wife’s
attention elsewhere.
“What is wrong now?”
“There’s a little boy watching us from the foliage.” She
whispered.
Tomas instinctively began to turn.
“No! Don’t look
at him! You might scare him off!”
“What should we do?”
Joanie did not respond. Instead, she vanished right in
front of Tomas, an act that caught him off guard.
Turning around to see where she went, he quickly found
her crouching in front of the spot where the boy was. “And that does not scare him off?”
“Nope.” Joanie said with a smile. “The lil’ fella’s still
right here.” She looked back at the child, impressed by his bravery in
witnessing her sorcery. There was almost something familiar about him, other
than the fact that he resembled a six-year-old version of her future son, Sean
Thomas. She gave a friendly wave and said in a singsong voice, “Hello.”
“Hello,” he said right back in a small, shy voice.
She noticed how contemporary his clothes were: a blue Donald Duck shirt worn beneath a red
hoodie – the hood mimicking the moon and stars design of Yen Sid’s hat, the
very one sitting near her robe close by – with blue jeans and white tennis shoes.
Joanie smirked at him. “You're not from ‘round here, are
you?”
The child replied by gently shaking his head.
Tomas moved in closer to the scene, also taking note of
the boy’s attire. “What is your name, ndugu
kidogo? Where is it that you come from?”
(Factual Note: "Ndugu Kidogo" is Swahili for "Little Brother.")
The boy stared between him and Joanie, too bashful to
answer.
“It’s O.K., sweetheart.” Joanie softly told him. “We only
want to help you.”
After a hint of hesitation, he replied, “Benji.”
(Character Note: Aside from his lines during Vanessa's brief "dream sequence" at the start of Chapter Eight, this is the official first appearance of Benji - the six-year-old grandson of Sean Thomas and son of Brandy Thomas - in the World of Disney series. He is a prominent character in the next story, The Disney Access, and later installments, as well as a couple of holiday mini-stories.)
Joanie smiled wide. “Such a cute name for a cute fella
like yourself.”
“Better than ‘Tomas,’ eh?” Her husband jested.
“Oh, you stop.” She remarked, sharing in a chuckle with
him. Benji smiled slightly at their exchange. “So, Benji…are you from
Fantasia?”
“Where’s that?” The boy asked.
Well, that answers
that, Joanie thought.
“Well, um…did someone bring you here?” Joanie queried.
Benji nodded. “My granddaddy.”
“Do you know any grandfathers in Fantasia?” Tomas asked
Joanie.
She shrugged. “None whatsoever. I only know three old
guys from that place and none of them bear any resemblance to this lil’ guy.”
She playfully rubbed Benji’s small head, moving her fair-skinned fingers
through his thick, curly black hair. “I’ll find him. He’s got to be in Fantasia. Best to start there.”
“I will join you.” Tomas volunteered.
(Spoiler Note: Joanie and Tomas will later again be prompted to help Benji find his grandfather in Tales from the Battlefront, a Star Wars-centric World of Disney story that takes place after the events of WOD3 and bridges it to the fifth story in the series.)
“No.” She directed her focus on him, her face registering
a sternness he was not used to seeing from her. “You go back to the Muppet
Theater and wait for me there.” Her façade shifted to a more erotic tone when
she added, “I promise I’ll be back in time to finish what we started.” She
followed that guarantee with a wink.
Tomas did not appreciate her insistence on going solo in
her mission for the boy, but he had no other choice.
“Please be careful on your journey, my love.”
Joanie stood upright, walking up to her tall, handsome
African prince of a husband and resting her hands on his broad, toned chest.
The way it felt under her hands – ever so rock-hard – brought chills to her.
She wanted to stay with him and to keep making love the way she knew
how. But she had a responsibility to a lost six-year-old boy.
She stood up on her tiptoes, getting her lips to reach
his forehead, still drenched from the sweat that undoubtedly came from his nerves more than their activity in that forest clearing. His body was soon overcome by a radiant golden glow
that extinguished along with him.
(Narrative Note: This kiss mirrors the one Adrienne gave to Christina in Chapter Three that teleported her away from Tatooine of the future to Coruscant of the past. It's much similar to the way in which Joanie transported Brandy back to her own time in the climax of the first story, only she touched Brandy's face as opposed to kissing her.)
The second after he left, she took a minute to recollect
herself, inhaling and exhaling slowly until her focus returned. Being
around Tomas brought much out of her; she never quite felt like herself at
times. It was indeed love that overwhelmed her, yet there was a yearning at
the same time that was more powerful than any spell she could conjure up.
“Oh, man.” She whispered before turning to face Benji
again. “Now then…I’m going to try somethin’ that might help us in finding your
granddaddy.” She moved in close to him, crouching down to be at level with him
again. “Just close your eyes and concentrate. Everything will be alright, I
promise.”
He did as she instructed, allowing her to hold her hands
up to the opposite sides of his head. She then shut her own eyes and searched
deep within the boy’s mind. A series of random images flashed before her eyes, projecting on her eyelids like a movie screen. The featured
images included a forty-something redheaded woman, a sign that read “Toontown,”
a wild cartoon rabbit, and – the most unsettling image of them all – rubbery
masks made of human flesh.
(Authorial Note: These are elements of World of Disney 5 that will be introduced in the story, although not in the specific order that Joanie sees them in. As a matter of fact, I took a gamble in incorporating them to this scene, as I had not yet outlined WOD5 and mostly worked from a fragment of ideas I had for the fifth installment.)
That last image made her wonder how a six-year-old could
witness something like that and still be so calm. Regardless, Benji was a tough
little guy. Joanie separated the mental link between them, prompting them to reopen their eyes.
“There,” she eagerly said, “That wasn’t so—”
It took a brief moment, but she quickly realized how different
the atmosphere felt all of the sudden. Looking away from Benji and over to
their surroundings, she discovered the forest to have been swapped for a swamp
environment. No longer were they in the Cinderella
realm.
“What in the world…?” She muttered at the sight, doing
her best to figure out what might have caused the sudden teleportation.
(Spoiler Note: Despite no implication given, this surprise teleportation from the Cinderella realm to Dagobah of the Star Wars universe was caused by Benji. It has been alluded in The Disney Access that he carries the "magic gene" passed down from his great-grandmother to his grandfather but skipped a generation in his mother. If this is the case, Benji is a third generation Guardian of the Disneyverse and the first since Joanie to possess his abilities in original form.)
This couldn’t have
been me, could it? No…I would’ve noticed it.
There was something rather familiar about this swamp
territory. At first glimpse of it, she believed Benji and herself to have
arrived in Kermit’s old swamp down in the boonies. No such luck. Sounds rang
throughout the setting of creatures that sounded nothing like what one would
find in a Florida swamp. Those and the bizarre winged creature that swooped
over them that very moment. Joanie was unable to guess its species; to her, it
looked like something straight out of Star
Wars.
“Not sure how we got here, but I doubt this is where your
granddaddy is, Benji.”
She turned to the six-year-old and was caught by surprise
when he ran into a random direction. Joanie called for him to come back, but he
seemed too preoccupied over whatever it was that grabbed his interests in the
murky swamp. She already regretted wearing her new black slippers as she gave chase over the soggy ground. At one
point, when her right shoe was nearly lost in a mud puddle, she flashed back to
her first meeting with Sean in the Beauty
and the Beast realm.
I certainly don’t
want to run into that problem again!
(Narrative Note: That moment occurred in the ninth chapter of World of Disney.)
Thankfully, she caught up with Benji at the base of a
giant tree he stopped at, looking upward. Trailing his gaze, Joanie nearly
shrieked at the terrifying display just twelve feet above them: an enormous
anaconda hanging off a limb, its body swollen from a recent consumption. She
felt her own lunch almost come up just gazing at the disgusting, human-shaped
bulge beneath the anaconda’s scaly exterior, especially when it squirmed,
signifying the victim’s living status inside the creature.
“Granddaddy!” Benji cried in despair.
She did not need any further clues to help her realize
that the anaconda’s recent meal was in fact Benji’s missing loved one. Immediately,
she acted, waving her hands up and down in front of her and conjuring a rare
spell that forced the subject to regurgitate (hence why it was so rare). Within seconds, the anaconda spat
out its meal: a raven-haired, fair-skinned young Caucasian woman. Shortly
thereafter, it slithered up the giant tree, never to be seen again.
Watching the woman’s body ooze out the creature’s mouth
left Joanie very confused. From Benji’s earlier exclamation, she anticipated an elderly black gentleman to come out of the anaconda. But, sure
enough, Benji rushed over to her wheezing body sprawled out across the soggy
ground, repeatedly saying “Granddaddy” to her.
What the heck is
this all about?
--------------------
“Why am I not surprised of this?” Christina moaned in
anger and frustration, trekking across the foggiest and murkiest of swamps she
had the misfortune of being in, thanks to the mystical young woman that put her,
as well as the Greek legend that accompanied them, there. “Why am I not
surprised that your sorry butt screwed up, taking us out to the middle of
nowhere and not knowing how to get us out?”
Adrienne sighed, feeling guilty enough over her blunder.
“Mistress Christina…”
“Will you stop
callin’ me that? I am not your
mistress! I’m not anyone’s mistress!”
(Factual Note: The term "mistress" has three meanings: 1) a woman in position of authority or control; 2) a woman having an extramarital sexual relationship, especially with a married man; and 3) a title prefixed to the name of a married woman. Judging from Christina's tone towards Adrienne, she took her usage of the term as the second meaning.)
“My apologies,” Adrienne gingerly said. “I’m just trying
to get used to connecting with my new power. I’m still only a Padawan. There’s
much I’ve yet to learn from even the Force.”
“Just admit that you’re hopeless, so we can find someone better to get us where we need to.”
Christina sharply demanded.
Her words cut Adrienne deep. She took as much
chastisement from the expectant mother as she could because of her condition.
To tell her to lose hope, something that she held dear in her upbringing as a
Padawan learner, was just hurtful. It drove her to divert from the path that
she, Hercules, and Christina walked, disappearing between a pair of trees to
her left.
(Character Note: Much like the older Adrienne is inspired from the "Livia" character in Xena: Warrior Princess, the younger is from "Eve," Livia's redeeming persona, who is less barbaric and more religious.)
(Character Note: Much like the older Adrienne is inspired from the "Livia" character in Xena: Warrior Princess, the younger is from "Eve," Livia's redeeming persona, who is less barbaric and more religious.)
Witnessing her hasty departure, Hercules cried out her
name, yet it did not urge her to stop. He wanted to move his feet to pursue but
was too conflicted to do so. He was left with the choice of rushing after her
or staying with Christina, who could go into labor at any second.
“Go after her,” ordered Christina, who had not seen
Adrienne run off, depending mostly by instinct on her awareness of it. Hercules
could see her focus was more on her protruding belly, clutching it with both
hands while lowering herself down into sitting position at the base of a
tree. Her forehead was profoundly drenched in sweat, strands of her dark blonde
hair sticking to the dampened skin. Her complexion was pale, and she was
breathing heavily.
Herc grew heavily concerned for her. “A-Are you sure?”
“Yes!” She exhaustedly snapped. “Now go get that
crybaby back here, so I can apologize.”
Hercules could not fret any longer. By now, Adrienne was well on the other side of the
swamp. Luckily, his strong legs were fast enough to run as much as necessary to
find her. He left Christina alone in her resting spot, dashing in and out
between wide and thin trees. The dense fog made it difficult to see where he
headed, nearly running right into – and through – a tree along the way.
Not too far into his trek did he hear sobbing close by.
Letting the sound guide his way, he soon came upon Adrienne, who sat on a log
and wept loudly. Hercules was not certain if he should even bother to approach
her in this state. Being a hero, he was more used to saving damsels than
comforting them. Phil never trained him on comfort.
“Uh…” He muttered aloud, drawing Adrienne’s attention to
him. Oh, great! Now what do I say
to her? “So…how ‘bout this swamp weather, huh?” He chuckled at his own poor
joke, but he got no response out of Adrienne. There was no point in trying to
get her to laugh – not with what she was going through. He joined her at the
log, sitting to her right. “Are you…alright?”
“No! I’m crying!” She snapped in her frustration.
Hercules clearly was not making things any easier for her. “Right,” he said with a discouraged sigh.
“I’m so ashamed of myself, showing so much emotion like
this” Adrienne said. “The Jedi trained us to conceal such things.”
(Star Wars Note: In the mantra of the Jedi Code, the first line clearly states "There is no emotion, there is peace." The Jedi were forbidden from forming attachments, such as marriages and other specific, individual bonds, such as romance and family. This, of course, did not mean they were strangers to compassion when, in fact, they believed all lives were precious.)
(Star Wars Note: In the mantra of the Jedi Code, the first line clearly states "There is no emotion, there is peace." The Jedi were forbidden from forming attachments, such as marriages and other specific, individual bonds, such as romance and family. This, of course, did not mean they were strangers to compassion when, in fact, they believed all lives were precious.)
Hercules snickered at the idea. “Well, that doesn’t make much sense. Emotions
are what make us human.”
Adrienne scoffed. “According to Master Yoda, I am not human at all. In fact, ever since we
left Coruscant, I have never felt so inhuman.
I don’t know what I am anymore,
Hercules. I don’t know if there is anyone else like me in the galaxy. I might as well be an endangered species.”
The Greek demigod could see how disturbed the issue made
her. No matter how awkward it might be, he had to say something to lift her
spirits. Taking a deep breath first, he opened up: “I felt just like you when I
was close to your age. I was shunned and ridiculed by so many for being
‘different.’ They called me a ‘freak’ among other hurtful names.” He could see
how he had Adrienne’s full attention with this personal story, one he never shared with anyone since it happened. “Being special doesn’t make you
inhuman… it makes you more
human.”
A warm smiled manifested on her face, making Hercules
smile in return, satisfied with his accomplishment in bringing her back at
ease.
“Thank you, Hercules.”
“You’re welco—”
AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!
The sudden shriek of agony came right from where Hercules
left Christina. Straightaway, he and Adrienne leaped from the log and returned
to the area. They found Christina, still in her resting position at the tree’s
base, breathing rapidly and more fervently than before. She clutched her belly
with extensive amounts of sweat pouring from her head, soaking her hair.
“Argh! God! My water just broke!”
Adrienne and Hercules exchanged a quick puzzled glance,
neither one able to comprehend Christina’s meaning.
(UP NEXT: Time and Reincarnation Heal All Wounds!)
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