Chapter
Thirteen: Gods from the Stars
Shooting like a bullet right out of
lightspeed, Ghost entered a new level
of space that was incomprehensible to its pilot. There were indeed stars as far
beyond the naked eye could see, yet there was a notable absence of moons and
suns surrounding the bright white-grayish planet the ship happened upon. A massive
white cloud encircled it, swirling in its orbit above the typical clouds
beneath the planet’s stratosphere. It was like nothing Hera, Kanan, Ezra,
Sabine, Zeb, or Chrissy had witnessed before.
(Authorial Note: Initially, there was no real physical description of the outer planetary appearance of Fantasia in the first few installments featuring the Disney realm. This description was based upon a photo I found on Google that perfectly suited my vision of Fantasia from orbit.)
“Fantasia.” Penz identified the
bizarre planet. “The heart of the Disneyverse.”
Hera cringed. “Is there anywhere
safe to land there?”
“Certainly.” Vanessa attested. “Just
fly on thru those clouds.”
Hera was very hesitant to follow the
command but proceeded to take Ghost
into the planet’s atmosphere, piloting through layer upon layer of clouds. It
was difficult for her to see anything. The clouds were ever so dense and much
darker than they looked from space. Massive turbulence rocked the ship,
prompting the passengers to hang on for dear life. Hera fought against it, her
expert piloting shown at its best.
Eventually, control was regained.
But the moment of relief did not last. Before they knew it, they
flew right in the path of a family of whales that “swam” across the night
sky. Hera veered to the left, nearly avoiding a head-on collision with the
largest whale that was presumably the father.
(Disney Note: These "humpback sky whales" are based on those of the same in the segment from Fantasia 2000 played to the tune of Ottorino Respighi's Pines of Rome, in which a family of frolicking humpback whales are able to fly due to a supernova. The versions featured in this story maintain their flight ability regardless.)
Chrissy nearly suffered a heart
attack from the sight. “What the hell was that?”
“Humpback sky whales.” Penz
remarked. “Gorgeous, aren’t they?”
After a few deep breaths, Chrissy
replied, “Yeah, but not from so close!”
Ghost
soared high over the planet’s surface, which seemed broader in scope than
imagined. The landscape shifted in appearance when they flew across from one
land to the next. At one point, there was nothing but rocky terrain, and then
the next there were towering trees in a lust forest territory; both areas
filled with dinosaurs. There was land made up of nothing else but clouds and
those entirely of mountains that reached the heavens. A few cities were passed
along the way, including one that appeared to be made entirely of neon lights –
both in places and people. Shortly
after leaving this city and happening upon yet another forest, a green
sprite-like creature flew alongside the ship, smiling on its passengers
before descending back within the forest it protected.
(Disney Note: Some fans will notice the other references to both Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 in this paragraph. Those mentioned include The Rite of Spring with the dinosaurs, Rhapsody In Blue with the neon lights, and the Firebird Suite with the green sprite.)
“There it is! Auda City!” Vanessa
exclaimed, pointing to a bright cityscape just on the horizon of the
sprite-protected forest. “There’s a park there that you can land in. You can’t
miss it.”
(Narrative Note: This chapter marks the first official name of what was known as "Sorcerer City" in previous World of Disney installments. The name "Auda City" comes from the term "audacity," which is defined as "boldness or daring, especially with confident or arrogant disregard for personal safety." This definition fit into the nature of the city's inhabitants, who are bold, daring people with a few who are known to act more in arrogance than confidence.)
Hera decreased the ship’s velocity
and altitude in their approach of the city. Moving closer to it, the crew could
see how its buildings appeared medieval in structure but industrialized in
design. It was as vast and majestic as the rest of Fantasia, walled in by high
mountains, one of which was purely white and sparkled in reflection of the
city’s lights.
Just as Vanessa said there would be,
Hera spotted a large, rectangular-shaped park spaced within one section of the
city. She worried of the children that played in the field, but they appeared
to have parted once they heard the roaring engines of Ghost as it made its descent. In fact, many of the
citizens of this “Auda City,” as Vanessa referred it, bore witness to Ghost’s landing, gathered
at a safe distance to watch its landing gears extend and plant right
onto the fresh green grass.
(Authorial Note: Auda City's park is inspired from the famous Central Park of New York City, which was the basis for the contemporary/medieval style of the city.)
Many of the children were just as
much in awe of the starship as the adults, specifically one grown-up sorcerer –
an anthropomorphic, strong-jawed, tall, redheaded duck by the name of McQuack.
“Now that’s one cool landing,” he marveled aloud to those standing by him.
“Wish I could land like that…eh, even though I hafta fly somethin’ first.”
(Disney Note: This character is clearly Launchpad McQuack of the classic Disney Afternoon series DuckTales and its spin-off Darkwing Duck. After writing Scrooge McDuck and his nephews in this story, I ultimately decided on creating a reunion among the characters on Fantasia. This was further enhanced with the established presence of Merlock the Magician, the villain of DuckTales - The Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp, in Tales of Fantasia.)
Presently following Ghost’s touchdown, its crew exited via
the ramp lowered right in front of the welcoming crowd. Almost instantly, the
citizens swarmed them,
bowing to their feet in absolute worship. “They have arrived,” one
denizen proclaimed. “The gods from the stars have come!”
The gathering commenced in chanting
the denizen’s words with much passion and unification. Kanan, Hera, Sabine, and
Ezra were relatively overwhelmed and even baffled by the praise. Zeb, on the
other hand, was heavily thrilled. “Don’t get this kinda respect on Lothal,” he
observed.
(Star Wars Note: The Fantasians' worship of the Ghost crew is a bit of an homage to the Ewoks' worship of See-Threepio in Return of the Jedi. In both circumstances, the natives became loyal allies of the Rebels in their fight against the Empire at the climax of the story.)
“That’s for sure.” Kanan said.
“Maybe this planet is where it begins
– that rebellion Adrienne mentioned to us.”
“Not exactly, Kanan.” Penz debunked.
“You’re merely the first outsiders to make a grand impression upon these Fantasians.”
In the midst of the Auda City
citizens’ chants of praise for the Ghost
crew, Vanessa looked to her right and noticed Yen Sid’s castle-mansion home
nearby. There was realization in her demeanor as a thought came to mind,
driving her to move away from the group and to the home of Fantasia’s
well-known master sorcerer.
------------------------
“Seven! Oh, man! This game’s gettin’
hot!”
With four more players now involved,
the Monopoly of Life reached the peak of its entertainment as Huey, Dewey, and
Louie played along with Benji, Olaf, Kristoff, and Sven. To accommodate for the
additional players, the game board was laid out over Yen Sid’s unoccupied
worktable. There was a momentary setback at the start with Olaf mistaking the
dice pieces for candy and eating them. Thankfully, Dewey was able to magically
conjure up a new pair as a replacement. Sven, being a reindeer, was the only
participant unable to physically play the game, although Kristoff “counseled”
with him on moves.
The game came down to just Kristoff
and Louie.
With the dice in hand, Kristoff
found himself at a crossroads. “Hmm. I could
risk another roll to get a five…but there’s the chance that I might roll less than a five and get busted.” Thanks
to some tutorial from Dewey, Kristoff grew familiar with the rules of the
game. To “get busted” meant that the competing player forfeited his earnings
and went to jail, resulting in an automatic loss. But there was no way he was
giving up that easily.
Turning to his reindeer companion,
Kristoff asked, “What do you think, Sven? Should I risk it?” And then, as if to
make it appear that Sven “answered” him, Kristoff lowered his voice and said for Sven, “Go for it, Kristoff. I
believe in you.” Kristoff smiled at the “answer.” “Thanks, Sven. Can always
count on you.”
Huey, Dewey, and Louie watched the
“exchange,” totally disoriented by it.
“Boy, this guy needs to get out
more.” Louie whispered to his brothers.
Kristoff rolled the dice across the
board. They landed on two.
“Agh!” The iceman grumbled in
frustration, taking off his dark bobble-hat and scrunching it in his left hand.
He looked to Sven and muttered, “Why do I listen to you?”
Louie gleefully giggled. “Oh, boy!”
He picked up the dice and rolled. It did not matter what they landed on. He
only had one place to move his green Scrooge McDuck game piece from a win. The
dice fell on twelve, which added insult to injury on Kristoff’s two. Louie
moved his game piece right up against the gold-plated toy money bin, which he
soon after picked up and danced all about the workshop with zeal, laughing
excitedly. “Ha, ha! Won for the fiftieth time in a row!”
“Yay, Louie!” Olaf cheered before
taking the Beagle Boy mask, set aside the game board, and strapping it right onto
Kristoff’s head, covering his discouraged face. He waved to the masked iceman
and said, “Hi, Beagle Boy Kristoff!”
“The saddest thing about this? I
don’t even know what a ‘Beagle Boy’
is.” Kristoff said beneath the mask.
“That’s what you are, silly!” Olaf remarked.
Approaching footsteps directed their
attention to the doorway. In all the excitement of their game, they managed to forget the status of Christina and her baby. No one kept up with the time to
know how long it had been since she was rushed out of the room for delivery.
They were relieved when they witnessed
Joanie enter with the newborn baby Brandy in her arms. She was wrapped up in a
red robe, which seemed to have been loaned by Victoria, who entered after
Joanie and wore only her blue sleeveless tunic and lightweight cape. Genevieve
and Anna followed behind them, both carrying warm smiles. From
the reddened eyes the ladies came in with, there was certainly a substantial
amount of crying done among them. Happy tears, no doubt.
“Benji,” Genevieve beckoned, noting
her grandson standing with the other boys beside Yen Sid’s worktable. “Meet
your new baby mother.”
(Authorial Note: "Meet your new baby mother" was a line that I enjoyed incorporating to this scene, due to its great sense of humorous irony.)
Benji approached with Huey, Dewey,
Louie, Olaf, Kristoff, and Sven at his side. Joanie knelt down to his level to
show off his infant mother in her arms. Benji smiled at the sight of his little
mother, new to the world and people around her.
Anna, standing beside Kristoff,
still shed tears of joy. “She’s so precious.”
“She sure is.” Kristoff concurred.
Anna quickly took notice in how
muffled his voice sounded and turned his way, seeing the mask donned over his
face. “What is that you have on? Is that a mask?” She burst with laughter. “W-What’re you supposed to be?”
Kristoff sighed in embarrassment. “A
Beagle Boy.”
Anna frowned. “What’s a Beagle Boy?”
“That’s exactly what I want to know.” Kristoff said.
The others had a laugh from Anna and
Kristoff’s exchange, but mostly from the attention to the Beagle Boy mask
Kristoff adorned. Because of this, he promptly removed the mask from his face,
feeling like a real loser in wearing
it after the game was well over.
(Authorial Note: Removing the mask before the required time to wear it is a penalty in "The Monopoly of Life," which counts for an addition six hours of wearing the Beagle Boy mask. Either Kristoff forgot the rules or grew tired of playing a game he lost in.)
“Benji.” Joanie softly called
attention to her great-grandson. “Would you like to hold your mother?”
“Yeah.” The six-year-old accepted
with a smile.
Joanie carefully handed Brandy over
to him, being extra careful in not letting her small head tilt back and instructing
Benji to do the same. Certain enough, he handled her like a pro. It was a rare
(if not entirely improbable) opportunity for a child to hold his mother when she was a baby, fresh out of the womb of
his grandmother.
Victoria’s heart melted at the
scene. “Her little body fits so
perfectly in his little arms,” she admiringly noted.
It was at that moment when the real beautiful moment occurred between
Benji and his infant mother. Her eyes opened to the world for the first time,
and it was her future son whose smiling face visually greeted her. She joyously
cooed at Benji, instantly taking a liking to him. It drew a resounding “aww”
from the adults, watching the connection as it happened.
(Character Note: For a newborn baby to open his or her eyes to the first person they see and immediately like them is a sure sign of imprinting. Brandy imprinting on Benji could very well have influenced his birth. Although Brandy is not a pure-blooded Guardian, it is still possible for her to possess a small fraction of magic inherited from Sean Thomas that she might have subconsciously used in creating Benji.)
Brandy’s cooing, however, abruptly
transitioned into crying. Benji, baffled at his infant mother’s odd change in
behavior, looked to the adults in fright. “What did I do wrong?”
Joanie went to his aid right away,
taking Brandy back from him. “You did nothing wrong, sweetheart. She’s just
hungry, that’s all.” On this note, she consolingly shushed Brandy while
conjuring a baby bottle filled with formula in her left hand. She gently placed
the teat into Brandy’s mouth, allowing her to feed on the formula.
Instantaneously, her crying ceased.
“Wow, Joanie.” Huey said. “You’re
the natural mother.”
Joanie smirked at the compliment.
“Funny thing is, Huey…I hadn’t become one yet. I can’t quite explain it, but
it’s like I’ve suddenly inherited some strong maternal instincts.”
Genevieve watched Joanie feed Brandy
with a quizzical frown developing on her face. She did not understand what, but
there was something “different” that
she sensed in her mother.
(Spoiler Note: This is a fairly telling clue that Joanie is pregnant with her first child, "Kimberly," which is later revealed to be the case in the epilogue.)
Rapid footsteps sounded from the
hallway outside and thereafter came into the room. Everyone turned their heads
to see the newest visitor to the workshop. Standing near the doorway was a
tall, fortysomething redhead in a green mini-skirted dress, a black leather
jacket, black leggings, and black boots. Although she was physically older than
everyone there, she was very much attractive, beaming where she stood.
The only problem was that no one
recognized her.
A smile formed on her face as her
sparkling blue eyes scouted the room. “Glad to see everything is still here –
just as I remembered it,” she happily perceived.
Curious of the mysterious tall
redhead, Victoria questioned, “Who might you
be?”
Genevieve’s eyes bulged when she
felt something press against her backside, practically gripping her left butt
cheek. Looking down, she spotted Benji hiding bashfully behind her, apparently
keeping himself out of sight from the tall redhead. His reasons for doing so
were more of a mystery to her than their new guest.
Yet another series of footsteps
could be heard outside the workshop, much slower and heavier
than the previous ones. The next visitor turned out to be a more recognizable
figure: John Panda. The wide, stocky, anthropomorphic panda in a blue robe that
fit his figure stumbled into the workshop, wheezing.
(Narrative Note: This is the first we see of John Panda since the Tales of the Disneyverse miniseries. Chronologically, this is his first introduction prior to the Fantasia War, an event that separated him and a few others from his home realm, taking refuge across the Disneyverse and eventually coming across a reincarnation of Sean Thomas's Guardian lineage.)
“I am so sorry.” He addressed those in the room, minus the tall redhead
he trailed in. “This intruder slipped right by me and—”
“It’s alright, John.” Victoria
assured. “Just return to your post. We can handle it from here.”
Panda bowed to his superiors and
turned to leave, eyeing the tall redhead suspiciously. She only smirked at him,
patting him on the back and saying, “Good seein’ ya again, buddy. Sorry for the
exercise.” Her remark drew much perplexity from the panda before he finally
departed.
Meanwhile, Genevieve could feel
Benji practically squirming behind her, his little hands now clasped against
the sides of her legs, tugging on the fabric of her black leggings to the point
that he nearly debagged her. “Benji, what’s the matter?” She asked of her
grandson, yet he remained mute on the subject.
“Once again,” she heard Victoria
say, addressing the tall redhead. “Who are you?”
The redhead only sidelined her
question, focusing towards Genevieve – or, more particularly, the six-year-old
African American child using her as a shield. Smiling, she pointed to him and
teasingly said, “I see you hiding behind her, Binge. Her hips aren’t wide
enough to hide even you, lil’ buddy.”
Genevieve tried not to take offense
to the comment as she came to realize the connection between Benji and the tall
redhead. She mentally recalled what he told her, back on Dagobah, about her
turning into someone else via reincarnation. Taking a sudden new interest in
this mysterious tall redhead, she asked Benji whilst gesturing to the woman,
“Is this her? Is this…me?”
The others heard her question and
looked her way, noting how Benji gingerly nodded in reply to the inquiry. It
was the ultimate confirmation that solved the mystery of the redhead’s
identity: she was the succeeding reincarnation of Genevieve.
“Man! I forgot how young I looked as
you!” The redhead said to Genevieve, who stared at her future incarnation in
wide-eyed disbelief. She then recognized the fact that there was not a proper
introduction given for her. “Oh! I should probably tell you that my name’s
Vanessa. Don’t ask me how I came up with it – I don’t really know for sure
myself. But it rolls off the tongue really well.” She pointed to her mouth and
added, “Especially this tongue.”
(Authorial Note: That last additional line is a hidden reference to Vanessa Marshall's superb voice acting. I've planned on showcasing her talents through her character with fake accents and impressions she uses to fool her enemies. Unfortunately, none of it made it into the final draft of this story.)
“H-How is this even possible?”
Genevieve queried. “I’m mortal now. There’s no physical way for me to
reincarnate in this state – or even in my Guardian state, for that matter. I am the last Guardian…aren’t I?”
Vanessa grinned, placing her right
hand on Genevieve’s left shoulder. “There are ways of getting around that.
Just can’t spoil the details right now.”
“Then why are you here?” Joanie
stepped in and asked.
“I’ve been looking for my grandson.”
Vanessa explained. “A friend of mine that I’ve journeyed with told me how she
granted him a wish to see his ‘old granddaddy’ again. But she lost him in
granting that wish. As soon as I caught light of that, I set out to look for
Benji myself…even though I knew he was still upset with me.” She followed that
last bit of information with a noticeably glum sigh.
Joanie curiously looked to Benji.
“Why are you upset with Vanessa, Benji?”
He did not answer.
His unwillingness to divulge on
details only urged Vanessa to get down on her knees and practically beg to him.
“Please forgive me, Benji, and come home with me. It’s not safe here, sweetie.”
“NO!” Benji cried, his loud and
angry tone surprising everyone around, not anticipating such boldness in the
little fellow. “I don’t wanna go anywhere with you!” Shortly after taking his
stance on the matter, he ran out of the workshop, forcing Genevieve to chase him.
Vanessa was left heartbroken. “I’ll never get him back,” she tearfully
admitted.
A sudden loud, horrified shriek drew
everyone’s attention off of Vanessa and to the bedroom across the hall, where the
sound emitted from. By the register of the scream, it was obviously
Christina. They all rushed out, except for Vanessa, who remained on her knees
in the workshop.
Storming into the bedroom, they found
Christina still lying in the master bed, clutching the bed covers close to her
body in disgusted terror. In the meantime, Sean ran throughout the room,
scouring the floor for something that the group who answered to the chaos could
not see.
“What’s going on here?” Joanie
asked.
Sean stopped briefly enough to
answer her. “Christina saw a rat or somethin’ on the floor, and it freaked her
out. Now I’m here runnin’ around trying to look for it and calm her down at the same time.”
“I don’t want that ugly thing near our baby!” Christina
apprehensively demanded.
Huey soon felt something crawl onto
his left webbed foot. He glanced down to see the rodent in question there and
bravely picked it up by the tail. It squeaked frantically as Huey dangled it close in front of his face. He saw how the critter had the distinct
face of someone he knew.
“Hey, I caught the mouse.” He
alerted the others. “And it looks like Pete.” At a closer glance of
the creature’s mug, Huey’s eyes widened in shock. “Hey, it is Pete!”
(Narrative Note: Pete was transformed into a rat by Jacqueline in the fourth tale from Tales of the Disneyverse, after he threatened the life of an elderly Joan Navarro-Thomas when correctly deducing the connection between her physical ailments and the rift over the Disneyverse.)
His brothers moved in close to get a
look at the tiny rodent.
“How did he get like this?” Dewey asked.
Louie chuckled. “Should we leave him
like this? He’s pretty funny this way.”
“No, boys.” Victoria said, sternly
shaking her head. “You three turn him back to his proper form right this
instant. That’s the noble thing to
do. Go on.”
Admitting there to be truth in
Victoria’s morality on the matter, the boys proceeded in doing as they were
told. Huey set the rodent back to the floor, and he and his brothers formed a
triangular shape around it. The creature did not choose to run away but rather
remain where it was. It appeared able to comprehend what the boys intended to
do.
Huey, Dewey, and Louie locked arms
and cited an incantation that made the rodent’s body glow in a light bluish
hue. Its shape morphed from that of an insignificant mouse to the obese, lofty
form of Pete. His familiar girth strained the
boys’ locked triangular configuration, urging them to break apart from each
other as Pete stood up on his two big feet.
His bulbous face expressed
incredible rage. His fiery eyes fixated on Joanie, who observed the whole scene
in total confusion.
“YOU!” He pointed to her directly
and bellowed. “It’s ‘cause of you I’ve been crawlin’ all in dah walls and
underneath dah floorboards fer dah last several months! I’ll get ya fer what
you did tah me! Yer gonna be dah one
who gets stepped all over! Now get outta my way!”
They all parted faster than the Red
Sea for him, permitting him to stomp out of the bedroom in fury and leave
behind an even more baffled Joanie.
“What
did I do to him?”(UP NEXT: It's A Trap!)
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