World of Disney 3 - Chapter Nineteen (w/ Commentary Notes from the Author, Sean Livingston)

Chapter Nineteen: The Fantasia War

            The “medicine room” was what Yen Sid referred it as. A large, winding area filled with shelves-upon-shelves of a variety of potions, kept in small vials under an assortment of colors and labels. It was like every other room in the castle-mansion: gray stone walls, lit torches pitched on towering chalk-white pillars, and wood-made furnishings. One particular worktable at the furthest point of the room was reserved for the battered, unconscious Mickey to lie on until Yen Sid found the necessary potion to revive him.

(Authorial Note: Though the medicine room is based on many medieval medicine rooms seen in various media, I had the Disney-ABC program Once Upon a Time in mind when I came up with this description.)

            As soon as he did, he brought it to the worktable and poured the contents into his apprentice’s mouth. The clear blue liquid quenched the parched tongue and throat of the mouse, as he intuitively swallowed it. Its magic coursed through his weakened form, rejuvenating him instantly. He awakened, gasping and coughing.

            “Easy, my apprentice,” Yen Sid calmly instructed. “Slow breaths.”

            Marcia and Taryn gathered by them, along with Captain EO and his Ragtags, welcoming the courageous mouse back to health.

            Not far from the group, sitting in the nearest corner, was Walter.

            Sean spotted him there, looking ever so frightened. He felt sorry for the little Muppet that did not deserve to be caught up in the chaos happening on Fantasia. And it seemed as if Natalie felt the same way, her incorporeal form sitting lotus style next to him. She looked on with her luscious green eyes filled with as much pity as he had for their friend.

            The urge moving him, Sean went to Walter, sitting down in front of him to get his attention. “How did you get here, Walt?” He asked.

            “I-I was kidnapped by this woman who was so big and muscular with long dark hair and cold blue eyes that glowed red.”

            Natalie glanced to Sean; she recognized this description. “Yve Ette,” she disdainfully muttered. “She’s the one who used him as bait, that bi—” She stopped herself. Sean could feel her anger bubbling within him. It soon gave way for sorrow when she turned to Walter again. “He shouldn’t be here. Being caught up in another interdimensional mess? I thought he was safe back in the theatre. If there’s one person I was glad not to have brought into this, it was him.”

(Narrative Note: In Marvel Mayhem, Natalie accidentally brought Walter to the Marvel Universe from her transportation spell, traveling from the Muppetverse to the Marvel realm. Still new to using her abilities in an amalgamated form is what created the mishap.)

            “How’s Natalie?”

            It was as if Walter sensed the pity she felt. There was no possible way for him to hear any of what she said.

            A small smile developed on the face of Natalie. She was touched to hear him concerned for her. “My sweet lil’ buddy,” she whispered.

            “She’s fine,” answered Sean, Natalie’s smile showing through his face.

            Walter then grew heavily anxious. “Oh, gosh! Christina and the baby! T-T-They disappeared from the theatre just like Genevieve and Natalie did! A-Are they okay? W-Where are they?”

            His concern for Sean’s wife and newborn daughter was admirably deep.

            “Walter, they’re fine. They’re just fine.” Sean eased his anxiety. “In fact, Christina gave birth to our new baby girl right here in this castle.” He saw how relieved the little Muppet was. “We named her ‘Brandy.’”

            Walter smiled. “Wow. That’s...That’s a beautiful name.”

            “They’re both safely back in the theatre, too.” Sean added.

            At this, Walter sighed with relief. “Oh, that’s good. Now that just leaves you and me. When can we go back home?”

            “As soon as Penz gets back from returning Christina and Brandy, I’ll be sure to have her take you back.”

            “Oh, thank you. Thank you. Just, uh, one question…who’s Penz?”

            The foundation of the castle-mansion wavered again, alarming those within the medicine room as they were reminded of the war erupting outside the walls. Walter flinched and whimpered from the quake, prompting Sean to place a comforting hand on his Muppet friend’s shoulder.

            “We must take up defense,” declared an intrepid Yen Sid, “or else risk losing the only sanctuary for the people of Auda City.”

            Mickey vigorously bounced back to his feet. “I’m all rarin’ to go, Master!”

            “No, my apprentice,” Yen Sid denied. “You still need the time to heal.”

            “B-But the potion!” Mickey stammered. “It’s got me back to one hundred percent! I’m ready to fight for Fantasia!”

            Taryn boldly moved in beside her brave friend. “So am I.”

            “Same here,” Marcia said. “We’re all ready to defend this castle and Fantasia.”

            “That goes for us, too.” Their eyes turned to Captain EO, who stood with his Ragtags. “We’re obligated to protect any world at any cost, and this one is no exception. So we’re automatically in this fight. Right, guys?” His team roared with enthusiasm; only Hooter gave a hesitant “Hoo-rah.”

(Disney Note: Not much is known of "The Corps," the agency that Captain EO and his team are assigned missions by, other than the name of their superior, Commander Bog. Their purpose is undoubtedly for good, as their only known assignment was bringing a gift to the once-evil Supreme Leader that saved her planet.)

            Humbled by the brave souls standing before him, Yen Sid nodded in approval.

            “I am proud of you all,” he said. “But, if we should all fight, we must not for glory but for survival. If the battle is not in your favor, do not delay the option of a retreat. Return here and help however many you can escape before it is too late.”

            “You can count on us, Master,” said Mickey, whose words reverberated to his fellow warriors.

            “What about Adrienne?” Taryn questioned, surprised of how easily they all forgot the woman who was in dire agony down the hall. She made sure to elaborate on which Adrienne as she added, “The injured one, I mean.”

            “I will do whatever I can to prolong her reincarnation enough to fight,” Yen Sid assured. “But, otherwise, we must allow her alien biology to do what it must for her.” The old sorcerer frowned in despair. “If Fantasia falls, the Guardian is our last hope.”

(Authorial Note: The line "If Fantasia falls, the Guardian is our last hope" almost did not make it into the story, despite having been featured in promotional images for World of Disney 3. I was so caught up with finishing the story at this time that I neglected to remember to integrate it into a scene featuring Yen Sid, who was intended to be the one to say it.)

            Taryn smiled. “Well, it’s good that we have more than one Guardian on our side.”

            Unfortunately, her sense of positivity did nothing to ease Yen Sid’s grim outlook.

            The group dispersed. Mickey, Taryn, and Marcia departed from the medicine room, with Captain EO and his Ragtags following close behind. Sean, Walter, and – technically – Natalie were the only few that remained with Yen Sid.

            “We’ve gotta take Walter to White Mountain.” Natalie suggested to Sean. “He’ll be safer there.”

            Sean nodded. “I agree.”

            “Agree to what?” Walter asked, not having heard the deal that was made.

            “Natalie’s going to take you someplace where you’ll be safe.” Sean clarified.

            He proceeded to stand at his full, impressive height and yield himself to the excruciating metamorphosis that occurred thereafter. His body contorted and shifted, altering in places that looked rather painful to Walter. In seconds, Sean Thomas no longer stood in front of the Muppet. It was the ravishing Natalie in his place.

            Brushing her long raven locks away from her face, she smiled to Walter. “Ready to go, lil’ buddy?”

            Still spellbound by the insane mutation between man and woman, Walter nodded in open-mouthed awe. Natalie giggled at his expression, kneeling to close his mouth with one finger and channel the space between them to trigger an immediate transport out of the medicine room.

            With the area all to himself, Yen Sid commenced on concocting another healing potion for Adrienne before there was another massive explosion – this one from inside. This undoubtedly alarmed Yen Sid out of his work, fearing that the Empire’s forces already breached.

            He sensed the explosion to have come from the master bedroom where the two Adriennes were left to themselves. Quickly, he rushed down the hall and opened the door.

            Another step and he would have fallen forty-seven feet to the ground.

            The master bedroom no longer existed. It was completely destroyed. Nothing remained other than a gaping hole that granted him view of the nightmarish invasion unfolding over Auda City.

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            Deborah’s crystalline fortress within White Mountain had the makings of a million-dollar mansion.

            There were four levels: the first housed the foyer, which came complete with a statue of Deborah’s human form doubling as a fountain, as well as a swimming pool further in; the second was an incredibly large library with crystal-made books that glowed in a variety of colors and floated in the air – no shelves to hold them; the third appeared to be reserved for lounging with a kitchen adjourned to a living room area where a crystal throne faced a large, wide wall; and the fourth contained the largest and widest space of the fortress, seeming to be reserved as a sleeping quarters for Deborah’s dragon form, as it had an open ceiling, with a glorious view of the heavens above Fantasia, for her to fly out through.

(Authorial Note: Elsa's ice palace had much inspiration in the depiction of Deborah's fortress, even though it is made entirely of crystal and not ice. Much similar in the way that Yen Sid lives in a fusion of a castle and a mansion that dominates over Auda City, I wanted Deborah's place to feel a bit more powerful in its indestructible crystal structure. In retrospect, this is a way of telling how much power Deborah has compared with Yen Sid.)

            Genevieve, Anne-Marie, Victoria, and Deborah stood in the living room, while Benji – at Deborah’s behest – sat on the throne, watching a “live feed” of the war happening over Fantasia via holographic images projected on the crystal wall. The images revealed armies of Auda City sorcerers combating with Imperial ground forces led by Yve Ette, who fought relentlessly and savagely with her special-made lightsaber, and Darth Vader, who was more inclined to use the dark side of the Force to crush their enemies.

            The sorcerers stood greater defense against the TIE fighters that attacked from the skies, picking them off either by use of magic or turret guns that were conjured up to blast them away with an endlessly powerful golden energy beam.

(Authorial Note: The idea for the Auda City sorcerers to conjure weapons, such as turret guns, from magic is inspired by the DC Comics superhero Green Lantern and the Green Lantern Corps, who are able to conjure weapons from their rings.)

            Then there were special fighters such as Hercules and Elsa, who entered the fight with their equally supernatural abilities. Herc managed to take down an entire fleet of Stormtroopers and Imperial walkers by pounding his fist to the ground, dropping all of them into a massive sinkhole. Elsa trapped several into durable blocks of ice and caused the two-legged AT-ST (“All Terrain Scout Transport”) walkers to slide and fall on sheets of ice, crashing headfirst into a fiery demise. The two Disney heroes then combined their powers, with Elsa working to freeze the hands of the Stormtroopers and their laser rifles, permitting Herc to step in and punch them into submission, shattering their helmets to pieces.

            This war was not without the influence of the Ghost crew either. Kanan and Ezra supplied their Jedi skills against the Stormtroopers and walkers. Zeb and Sabine’s tactical brute force helped them to gain the control of one AT-AT walker, using its remarkable firepower to turn the tide of the war. In the skies, Hera and Chopper dealt with the fighters, assisted by temporary co-pilot Launchpad McQuack.

(Star Wars Note: Zeb and Sabine's theft of a walker to use against its own forces is based on the same tactic by Chewbacca and a couple of Ewoks in the Battle of Endor from Return of the Jedi. The only difference is that Chewie and the Ewoks took control of the two-legged AT-ST walkers, whereas Zeb and Sabine got hold of the four-legged AT-AT walkers, which have greater power.)

            Midway through the conflict, Taryn, Marcia, and Mickey joined in with Captain EO and his Ragtags, the latter using their music to fuel the Captain’s own special ability of “influencing” some of the Stormtroopers to fight alongside them. Mickey once more dueled with Vader, only this time he was abetted by Kanan and Ezra, making it three-on-one – odds that the Sith lord did not appear to have much of a problem with. Taryn and Marcia did what they could against Yve Ette, although they did not stand much of a chance with her special-made saber used as a defense against them.

            Deborah and Anne-Marie observed the violent, anarchic footage like football coaches studying the plays of a rivaling team. Meanwhile, Genevieve and Victoria watched the images in heartbreak, standing at opposite sides of the throne where Benji viewed from.

            Through her heartbreak, Victoria was able to find hope. “We’re winning,” she softly indicated. “We got them with Queen Elsa and some of our people fighting side-by-side.”

            Genevieve gave a discouraged sigh. “Nothing about this is any different from the many other versions of this same war.”

            Victoria glimpsed at her, puzzled. “What do you mean?”

            “What I mean is that the same people fighting in this have fought in other alternate timelines, and the outcome’s exactly the same – Fantasia is lost.”

(Authorial Note: The recent miniseries, Tales of Fantasia, will feature the alternate outcomes of the Fantasia War and the different reincarnations that took part in them, including Jacqueline and Sheryl - the earliest incarnations of Sean Thomas.)

            Genevieve’s doubt encouraged Victoria to harken back on her earlier exchange with Anne-Marie. She felt it was the necessary moment to bring up a crucial part of that discussion. “Change,” she murmured.

            “What?” Genevieve’s ears perked beneath her black locks.

            “Anne-Marie…she spoke about change in the outcome of this timeline. I didn’t know what she meant by it then, but after hearing what you said, I—”

            Victoria stopped once Deborah and Anne-Marie approached.

            “Having seen the horror these cretins have brought to my home, I will not let them take her from us,” Deborah declared.

            “Victoria,” Anne-Marie called attention to the young Englishwoman. “You stay here with Genevieve, and the both of you keep an eye on Benji. He’s an even bigger priority than Fantasia itself right now. If anything happens, you make sure to get him away immediately.”

            Genevieve and Victoria acknowledged their order with nods before Anne-Marie and Deborah departed from the fortress. This left them with the privacy needed to continue their interrupted conversation.

            “Now, what was it you were saying about ‘change’?” Genevieve inquired.

            Victoria opened her mouth to speak, but a sudden flash of light distracted her from speaking. She and Genevieve turned, discovering Natalie standing in the room. Yet it was the small Muppet accompanying her that brought the most disconcert out of Genevieve and Victoria.

            “Walter?” They both screamed in their surprise.

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            It was a firework show above Auda City. Several TIE fighters erupted in spectacular fashion under the fire of both the ground turrets and that of Ghost. The starship soared in and out of the clouds, catching the other pilots off guard from behind to unload heavy laser fire that decimated them. Some were only so lucky to have met their end in midair; others crashed and exploded into the unoccupied skyscrapers, toppling them.

(Authorial Note: I was strongly urged to include the Rebel Alliance in this battle sequence, feeling that this fight was too overwhelming for the heroes involved. Standing firm in my decision to feature more Star Wars villains than heroes, I purposely kept the Alliance out of the fight. Ultimately, the tension of this battle works for the story.)

            Despite her expert piloting being in their favor, the enduring dogfight took its toll on Hera. It would have greatly facilitated her strain if there were more starships fighting by Ghost’s side. Unfortunately, it was the only one standing against the armada of fighters that threatened the city and the entire planet. The powerful turrets down below were all she could depend on to have their back, as long as the TIEs did not wise up in taking them out.

            It also did not help having a loudmouth for a co-pilot in Launchpad, who appeared to have enjoyed the ride-along rather too well. “I can’t believe it,” he cheered. “I’m flyin’! I’m actually flyin’!”

            “I’m doing all the flying!” Hera argued to the duck. “You’re just pressing buttons – including mine!”

            “Oh, eh, sorry,” said McQuack, before whooping over the takedown of another TIE fighter. He heard Chopper beeping and whistling behind him, prompting him to ask Hera, “What did the little guy say?”

            “He wants to know how crazy you are,” Hera heatedly translated.

(Authorial Note: Launchpad co-piloting Ghost with Hera was what I call a "Disney Infinity Moment," when two characters of two Disney franchises, sharing similar qualities, are paired in the rarest of circumstances. It's a fun idea, particularly so if it could come to life in the Disney Infinity video game via figurines or Power Discs.)

            The ship was rocked by laser fire brought on by three tailing fighters. Heavy damage was sustained, evident from the emergency alarm that sounded in the cockpit.

            Hera groaned. “There go our shields! One more blast like that and we’ll blow right out of the sky!”

            Hearing this, Launchpad’s excitement dissipated. “Eh, I wouldn’t mind bein’ back on the ground now,” he sniveled.

            “In a few seconds, we’re going to be…but in pieces!”

            Her witty remark was not much help in quelling the fear of her co-pilot.

            An ear-splitting roar resounded outside the ship, followed by three huge explosions. The resonance was intense and loud enough to drown out the blaring emergency alarm.

            From out of nowhere, a majestic dragon soared into their view, shocking Hera.

            “What is that?” She yelled, never seeing a more bizarre creature before.

            Launchpad was in tears of joy. “I-I-It’s the Dragon of White Mountain! We’re saved!”

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

            She was a figure that brought much hope to the fighting spirits below.

            The Dragon of White Mountain bolted across the blackened sky, her glistening white winged form like an avenging angel as it tore through the invading TIE ships, clamping her mouth down on a few and breathing out streams of white fire that eviscerated most others.

            The defending sorcerers of Auda City battled with much rigor than before in response to the arrival of their greatest savior. Among the defenders was Scrooge McDuck, who stood on a huge chunk of rubble and shouted to his allies, “Don’t let ‘em leave here without knowin’ who they’ve messed with!”

            They worked in spells that caught the Stormtroopers by surprise. One such involved the multiplication into a larger militia, so that when the Stormtroopers fired on a replica, it would only disintegrate, permitting a real copy to attack from behind. Scrooge unleashed a particularly favorite spell of his that solidified the Stormtroopers and walkers into gold statues.

(Character Note: Scrooge's gold spell is known as "Midas's Curse," named after the king of Greek mythology who could turn everything he touched to gold.)

            “More for me collection,” he said with a victorious guffaw.

            The giddy old duck soon took notice in the nearby swordfight Darth Vader engaged in with Mickey, Kanan, and Ezra – a fight the heroes were critically losing. Vader hurled Mickey and Kanan into each other, leaving him only with Ezra to deal with. Through the dark side of the Force, he pinned Ezra against a stone wall and manipulated the young would-be Jedi into bringing his own blue-tinted lightsaber to his throat.

(Star Wars Note: Vader uses these exact moves against the same opponents, sans Mickey, in the Star Wars Rebels episode "The Siege of Lothal - Part One," which aired as a one-hour movie on Disney XD a few months before this chapter was published.)

            Scrooge knew to act fast, not willing to let the boy die to the dark villain.

            “Hold on, lad! I’ll save ya!”

            He outstretched his arms, twiddling his fingers. Golden sparks emitted from them and onto the left forearm of Vader – the one that gripped his ignited lightsaber. He felt a slight twinge and then the arm went stiff. Looking down, he realized that it turned entirely gold.

            “WHAT?”

            The distraction was just what was needed to release the invisible hold he had over Ezra, who slumped to the ground and fought to regain his breathing. After his momentary relapse, he lunged at the unfocused Vader, slashing off his solid gold arm. Metal and electronic parts flew from the mechanical stump. The Dark Lord of the Sith was reduced to one knee in his agony.

            “Ezra! Move!” He heard Kanan yell to his apprentice.

            Ezra dashed away while Kanan and Mickey, fully recovered, used a combination of the Force and sorcery to bring down the stone wall over on Vader. The landing of the enormous structure boomed with a monstrous thud. There was zero movement from the dark figure buried beneath it.

(Spoiler Note: It is revealed in the first tale from Tales of Fantasia that Vader survived this, although it brings dangerous consequences after the events in the final chapter of this story.)

            Gathered by Scrooge, Ezra graciously smiled to the old duck. “Thanks for the save back there.”

            “Thank you, lad,” said McDuck, finding Vader’s severed golden arm littered on one area of the ground, still gripping his ignited saber. Without a second thought, he carefully retrieved it, a greedy grin manifested on his face. “I’m puttin’ this next to me Number One dime for sure!”

(UP NEXT: Meet the New and Improved Adrienne!)