Tales of the Disneyverse - Tale #12 (w/ Commentary Notes)

Morphomakeo! (The Gathering – Part Two)
(The Merged Realms of Brave and The Sword in the Stone)

            Genevieve, Adrienne, and Russell arrived within a whole different atmosphere in a flash of golden light. Upon their arrival, however, they nearly lost their footing as they stood in the most unstable piece of construction ever – the tilting tower of Sir Ector's castle. Thankfully, with a little luck by holding very still, the tower maintained balance. Seeing that Merlin was there in the tower with his talking pet owl (Archimedes) and his friend and pupil (Arthur Pendragon – a.k.a. “Wart”), Adrienne voiced her displeasure in standing inside of the unstructured tower: “You really aren’t using magic to fix this death trap?”

            “I’ve been teaching Wart here the fundamentals to using smarts as a solution to problems rather than magic.” Merlin remarked.

            “In other words, the idiot’s way.” Adrienne reprimanded.

            Archimedes heartily laughed. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

(Disney Note: The Sword in the Stone is noted in Disney history as the last animated film Walt Disney produced before his death in 1966.)

            Merlin shot Adrienne a cold stare. “Oh, why am I talking to you? You’re the cold-hearted, war-hardened one! I want to talk to the kind, sensible one!”

            Adrienne smirked over his insult. “Cold-hearted?”

            “Where did these people come from?” A startled Wart inquired, gesturing to Adrienne, Genevieve, and Russell.

            “Remember what we told you, boy? About DunBroch arriving here from another land through a form of sorcery?” Archimedes said, opting to use the term “land” over “world” to avoid confusing Wart. “Well, those two women are sorceresses that come from another land themselves. They’re fixing the problem.”

(Authorial Note: There is a notable pattern in the realms that are crossed over, as one is based on a 3D-animated Pixar film while the other is based on a 2D-animated Disney one. This was intentional by Livingston, who wanted to assess more Disney/Pixar films to the series after featuring Toy Story in the first installment and The Incredibles in the second. Monsters, Inc. was out, due to its usage in The Disney Ghostbusters series. Out them all, Cars was the trickiest one to integrate, due to its "complex" characters.)

            Following on Archimedes’ explanation, Merlin said, “Yes, and what a problem it’s becoming. We—” He stopped as soon as he spotted Russell – an outsider – there in the tower with them. “W-W-What is he doing here?”

            Genevieve held her hands up in protest. “Now before you go off, Merlin, just give me a chance to explain…”

            “You both know what’s happening to the universe as we know it!” Merlin yelled – his frustrations now clear. “Worlds are tearing apart from realms that are being crossed, and here you’ve brought one from another world, putting it in even greater peril?”

            “I couldn’t just leave him back where he was!” Genevieve shouted back.

            “Well, what about his friends? Hmm?” Merlin queried.

            Adrienne innocently shook her head. “That’s what I tried to tell her.”

            Genevieve groaned over Adrienne’s way of placing blame. “We can really do without your instigating.”

            “Alright, alright! We’ll worry about the boy later.” Merlin said. “Right now, we have more pressing matters to deal with. The daughter of King Fergus and Queen Elinor – Princess Merida – has vanished.”

            “Well, where is she?” Genevieve asked.

            “No, my dear, I mean she has literally vanished – disappeared out of thin air!” Merlin reiterated. “It happened just a moment before you two – or three, I should say – arrived here in the tower.”

            “Oh, no.” Genevieve unsettlingly muttered.

            “Do her mother and father know?” Adrienne questioned.

            “No, and if they ever do, you can be sure Ector will be to blame.” Merlin stated.

            Genevieve’s body grew very tense. “It’s getting worse than we imagined. The rift is taking effect on the worlds and ‘erasing’ residents of the ones that are merged right now.”

(Authorial Note: The "erasing" of characters in the merged Disney realms was an idea inspired by Back to the Future, one of Livingston's favorite films and one of the notable inspirations for the first World of Disney story. He based it on the same notion established from the film of the effects to come from tampering with space and time, dimensions of which help to make up the Disneyverse.)

            “Is that what’s gonna happen to me or Dug and Mr. Fredricksen?” Russell fearfully asked.

            Noting how terrified he was, Genevieve immediately consoled him, kneeling down and giving him a protective hug. “No, it won’t, honey. I promise you that.”

            “I think the time of bringing our other selves together is now of the essence.” Adrienne told Genevieve.

            Letting go of Russell and standing back up, Genevieve sternly faced Adrienne. “You’re right – which is why I’m assigning you the duty of finding and gathering them.”

            Adrienne’s eyes enlarged. “Say what?”

            “You heard me.”

            “How am I supposed to find fourteen other reincarnations in such a limited amount of time?”

            Genevieve gave a confident smile. “Easy. Four of them are already in the Up/Peter Pan world, so that just leaves you ten to search for.”

            Adrienne rolled her eyes in infuriation. “Oh, wow. Ten? Is that all? Thanks a lot.” Her sarcasm was evident.

            “Relax. The more of us that are gathered, the easier it’ll be for you to find them.” Genevieve assured.

            “You’d better be right about that.” Adrienne grimly warned. “Or else the entire Disneyverse suffers the same fate as Fantasia.” On this warning, Adrienne vanished in a quick flash.

            The entire conversation confused Wart to no end, scratching his shaggy blond hair. “What’s Fantasia?”

            Merlin left the question unanswered to deter from baffling Wart even further on the subject. He instead focused on Genevieve, who was left disconcerted by Adrienne’s harsh reminder of a past event – or a future one, from the perspective of Merlin. “Have you once thought about warning Yen Sid and the other sorcerers of Fantasia now that the rift has temporarily brought it back into your timeline?”

(Narrative Note: Although the boundaries of time is skewered in the Disneyverse, making its worlds vulnerable to change, Fantasia is a different case, since it is the essential core of the Disneyverse itself and cannot be altered as easily with a continuous time frame. The reality of this is explored in World of Disney 3, mentioning previous attempts by the Guardians to alter events with the same end result taking form.)

            Genevieve’s hands balled and tightened into fists, hearing this question from Merlin. “You can see into the future – have you considered telling them?”

            Noticing the severity in her voice, Merlin dodged the question that was bounced back to him and opted in changing the subject. “Ahem! So how are we going to solve our ‘Missing Merida’ problem?”

            Genevieve grinned. “Morphomakeo.”

            “Ah! The first spell I taught you during your first incarnation!” Merlin eagerly exclaimed. “Brilliant, my dear! Brilliant!”

            “What’s a ‘Morphomakeo’?” Wart asked.

            “Another one of Merlin’s crazy, blunder-headed spells that he passed down to that poor young soul over there.” Archimedes unfavorably explained.

            Greatly offended by the talking owl’s criticism, Merlin fired back: “Crazy? Blunder-headed? Now see here, Archimedes! I happen to know that the ‘Morphomakeo’ spell is one of the most effective and powerful of spells!”

            “And the perfect solution to our problem.” Genevieve added.

            “What does it do?” Wart curiously asked.

            “It will allow me to pose as Merida, making me over as her.” Genevieve replied. “It’ll be only temporary, until Adrienne gets all the reincarnations together in time to save the Disneyverse.”

            “And you really believe that will solve all of our problems?” Archimedes insolently inquired.

            “Just the one we have here.” Genevieve said before facing a standing mirror and positioning both of her hands over her blond head. Moving her hands down and around her figure, a glowing golden ring circled her and moved with her hands. As the ring moved downward, Genevieve’s clothes and features dramatically and magically changed before the eyes of Merlin, Wart, Archimedes, and Russell.

            Her hair had turned long, curly, and red and her pirate attire had changed to a dark teal cotton Medieval-style off-the-shoulder dress with gold trimmings and beadings and a floor-length skirt, complete with dark gray boots. When she turned to face the others, Merlin, Wart, and Russell were stunned to see how much of a different woman she became, albeit with her face remaining relatively the same.

(Authorial Note: This is another idea inspired by Genevieve Marie Nylen's impressive range of cosplays, which includes one for Merida. For both Tales of the Disneyverse and Marvel Mayhem, Livingston opted to capitalize on her talent for her character's ability to take the form of Disney and Marvel characters.)

            Archimedes shook his head at Genevieve’s disguise, which was only ninety percent convincing. “This won’t work.”

            “O ye of little faith.” Genevieve said with Merida’s strong Scottish accent (which came with the makeover).

            “Whoa!” Russell mused over her new voice.

            Merlin smiled in satisfaction. “It’s good enough to hold Fergus, Elinor, and the rest of DunBroch over until matters are settled, Archimedes.” He then spotted one minor flaw in the disguise. “Uh, I’m afraid that will have to go.”

            Genevieve realized that he was pointing out the necklace from her pirate disguise, which remained with her Merida one. “Oh! Of course.” She immediately removed it and handed it over to Russell. “You’ll watch over it for me, won’tcha?”

            Russell still could not get over how incredibly adequate her Scottish accent was from the American one she spoke with upon meeting her for the first time. In his awe, he managed to take her necklace and give her his promise: “Sure.”

            “Thanks, Russell.” She said with a smile. “Now, while we’re away, you stay here where it’s safe.”

            “Hmph! This place is where it’s the least safe.” Archimedes slammed.

            Genevieve slyly grinned at the owl. “Then you can stay here and keep him safe.”

            Archimedes, realizing what he just got himself into, ruffled under his feathers. He grumbled a compliant while Genevieve, Merlin, and Wart made their departure from the tower, leaving Archimedes alone with Russell. Gawking at the “oddly-dressed” child, Archimedes noticed how he was prying one of the pendants of Genevieve’s necklace open. “What is that you’re doing there, boy?”

            “I just wanna see what’s in her locket.” Russell said before successfully opening it and peeking inside. His curiosity shifted into confusion when he saw old photos of two beautiful women – one that looked to be in her mid-forties with dirty blond hair and a radiant smile, the other that looked to be in her late-twenties with raven hair, stunning blue eyes, red lips, and light skin. Embroidered in small gold letters beneath the two framed photos were the names “Christina” and “Brandy,” along with their respective classifications – “Wife” and “Daughter.”

(Narrative Note: The two women in this locket are Christina - the "wife" - and Brandy - the "daughter." This is the first mention of Sean Thomas's wife and Brandy's mother in the series, setting up for her full introduction in Marvel Mayhem and her later involvement in the main plot of World of Disney 3.)

            Recalling their earlier conversation back on the Jolly Roger, Russell thought about what Genevieve told him about her old life as Sean Thomas. This helped Russell to realize that the photos in this locket were of Sean’s family. It was a discovery that encouraged the Wilderness Explorer to explore more about Sean Thomas – through Genevieve, if possible.

(UP NEXT: How a real-life singer and bodybuilding princess inspired two more reincarnations!)

Tales of the Disneyverse - Tale #11 (w/ Commentary Notes)

More to the Cause (The Gathering – Part One)
(The Merged Realms of Up and Peter Pan)

            Traveling by dinghy, the pirates arrived on the Jolly Roger in less than ten minutes with their frightened Wilderness Explorer prisoner. The moment his feet hit the deck, Hook demanded, “The wedding will begin this instant! Mr. Smee, you shall be our minister for the ceremony!”

            “I-It’ll be my honor, Cap’n.” Smee consented.

(Disney Note: Mr. Smee is among the most recognizable and popular Disney Villain sidekicks, featured in more Disney productions than any other villain sidekick. Smee is the most popular along with Aladdin's Iago and The Lion King's Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed.)

            “Before we do, my love, I need a moment to freshen up.” Genevieve requested.

            Hook chuckled and smiled, placing his thumb and index finger beneath her chin while gazing upon her lovely face. “My dear, you are already a radiant beauty that requires no ‘freshening up.’” His compliment widened Genevieve’s smile.

            “Oy! Cap’n!” One of the pirates beckoned. “Whadda we do wit dah boy here?”

            Hook moved his attention away from Genevieve and to Russell, glaring at the frightened child. “Take him to the brig! Get him out of me sight until Peter Pan comes looking for him!”

            “Aye, Cap’n!” The pirate acknowledged.

(Authorial Note: When it came to writing the pirates' dialogue, Livingston had to review footage from Peter Pan to ensure he had the voices and accents down. The one pirate addressing Hook in this scene has a notable cockney accent.)

            Just as the pirate was about to lead Russell away, Genevieve rushed over to them and blocked their path. “Allow me to carry the order, love. Since it was my plan to capture this child and imprison him on our ship, it’ll be good form to do the honor of locking him up myself.”

            Hook smiled, stroking at his thin, upward-angled mustache. “Of course – anything for my soon-to-be new bride. But hurry back – I’m awfully anxious to spend our time together as happy newlyweds.”

            Genevieve blew him a kiss, making him act as giddy as a schoolboy when he “caught” the kiss. She then proceeded in grabbing Russell roughly by the back of his collar with one hand while carrying her long, shimmering sword in the other. “Come, boy,” she aggressively told her prisoner while escorting him out of view of Hook, Smee, and the other pirates.

            Russell’s fear intensified as they both went two levels below deck and into a dark, musty old section filled with large cells that stood adjacent to one another on opposite sides of the room. Within the iron bars that made up the cell, there were no other prisoners – except for one in a cell further across the room that sat idly on the floor, consumed by the darkness. The entire room was so dark that Russell could barely see his own hand; but Genevieve fixed this when she sheathed her sword and used the hand she had held it with to light up a lantern.

            Then something happened that took Russell by surprise – the hand that had a firm grip on his collar had let go and rested consolingly on his left shoulder. He then heard Genevieve whisper to him in a very sweet, caring voice, “It’s alright, lil’ fella. Everything’s gonna be just fine.” It was a strong contradiction to the vicious, threatening voice she addressed him with earlier. He glanced up at her beautiful face, which was illuminated by the lantern, and saw how much more beautiful it had become with the warm smile she gave him. It was not a menacing grin, but a kind, loving smile akin to that of a parent.

(Character Note: Certain hints were given of Sean Thomas's past as a father in the mannerisms of his reincarnations, showing that he is still the same person through them.)

            “Y-You’re not g-gonna hurt me?” Russell said, uncertain of what to make of this sudden shift of events.

            Genevieve smiled, shaking her head in reply.

            Russell was still unconvinced. “No! You’re tricking me! You’re making me think you’re nice w-when you really aren’t!”

            “It’s no trick, kiddo. Believe it or not, she just saved your life.”

            The voice came from the furthest cell in the room where the lone prisoner was. Russell and Genevieve walked to it with the lantern illuminating that portion of the room, giving them a good look at the prisoner. It was a woman who looked to be in her late-thirties with messy, shoulder-length dark brown hair with a few hints of gray in it, distinctive cheekbones, bright pink lips, pale skin tone, dark, slightly broaden eyebrows, and a slim yet toned frame. She wore a blue silk sweater that was slightly tattered and hung off the body, exposing her bare shoulders and tight clavicle muscles, as well as a maroon miniskirt with skinny jeans worn beneath and knee-high, high-heeled brown boots.

            Sitting lotus style on the floor of her cell, the woman appeared to be meditating.

            “Have you been meditating the whole time you’ve been there, Adrienne?” Genevieve questioned to her.

(Biographical Note: "Adrienne" is based on and inspired by actress Adrienne Wilkinson, recognized for her role as Eve/Livia in Xena: Warrior Princess, which Livingston drew much inspiration for her character from. Wilkinson is the very first known celebrity that Livingston has incorporated into his work. For this reason, he had to treat her involvement differently than most others he has written and developed. Upon announcement of her character's debut in Tales on the World of Disney Facebook page, a complaint was issued by Wilkinson's agent over the character, believing her to have accepted a role in an actual Disney project. This has led to limited promotion of the character on sites such as Twitter and Facebook to avoid misinterpretation among Wilkinson's fans.)

            Adrienne slowly opened her piercing light blue eyes, which were brought out more from the heavy eyeliner she wore. “I was for the first few days…but then my butt and legs got so numb that I’m locked like this now.”

            Despite the deadpan delivery of it, Adrienne’s joke made Russell giggle. “That was a good one.”

            A small smirk grew on Adrienne’s hardened face – it was the first time she could remember making anyone, most especially a child, laugh.

(Character Note: Adrienne is one of Livingston's personal favorite characters to write in the World of Disney series. Drawing much inspiration from John Hurt's "War Doctor" in Doctor Who, Livingston envisioned her character to be the battle-weary warrior, having spent a prolonged duration of fighting in the Star Wars universe. Her backstory is explored fully in World of Disney 3.)

            Genevieve was delighted to have seen Russell warming up to Adrienne so quickly; the boy seemed to have forgotten that he was on a pirate ship for that short moment. “Russell, I’m sorry about how I treated you. I’m really not that horrible woman you saw me as in front of Hook and his goons. I hope that you can trust me.”

            Russell continued to be skeptical of her. Noting his skepticism, Adrienne told the Wilderness Explorer, “It’s O.K., lil’ man. She’s on our side.”

            Trusting Adrienne’s judgment, Russell smiled at Genevieve. “I’m glad you were faking it – you make one scary pirate.”

            Genevieve snickered. “I’ll take that as a compliment. It was the only way I could protect you.”

            “I understand.” Russell said. “Those are some crazy pirates up there.”

            “She doesn’t mean the pirates, kiddo.” Adrienne clarified. “She means something much worse: a dimensional rift that’s opened and merging your world with another. You’re not just in South America anymore – you’re in a Never Land combo of it.”

            It all started to make sense to Russell. “I knew it! I knew something weird was goin’ on when I saw those pirates!”

            “You’re taking this news a lot easier than expected.” Genevieve said.

            “I watch a lot of sci-fi.” Russell remarked. “I’ve often wished for something cool like this to happen.”

(Disney Note: Russell's love for science fiction is emphasized from a photo shown in the credits sequence in Up.)

            Adrienne frowned and her eyes squinted as she gazed at Russell in disbelief of what he had just said. “Cool? Did you just say ‘cool’?” Her voice turned intense all of the sudden, and she stood up to her full 5’5” height, glowering at Russell. “The destruction of worlds and lives of billions of people is not cool! You wouldn’t find it so ‘cool’ after it happens to your world, would you? WOULD YOU?”

            “ADRIENNE!”

            She snapped out of her fury once she heard Genevieve slam her fist against the iron bars of the cell to get her attention. Adrienne looked to Genevieve at first, seeing the intense stare the young woman had given her, and then she looked to Russell, who was clinging to Genevieve’s side in fear of Adrienne.

            “I’m sorry,” Adrienne whispered to him. She repeated these words multiple times as she then paced back and forth in her cell; the repeats of her apology then turned to rambling over things Russell could not begin to understand.

(Character Note: Adrienne was initially designed to be the "unhinged Guardian," experiencing emotional relapses brought on from her previous life, which is noted as a "warped reincarnation," due to the way in which it was conceived. This idea mellowed some during Adrienne's character development in Tales, as well as through her appearance in World of Disney 3.)

            Russell’s perception of Adrienne had quickly changed. “What’s wrong with her?”

            Genevieve sighed – old memories of another life practically playing out in front of her. “She’s just been through a lot, sweetheart. She doesn’t mean half of what she says sometimes.”

(Narrative Note: Much of Adrienne's life in the Star Wars universe is depicted in World of Disney 3, but an upcoming miniseries titled "Tales from the Battlefront" will center on her inner and outer conflicts from the far, far away galaxy.)

            Listening to Genevieve’s explanation, Russell took notice in the gun belt that Adrienne wore. Holstered to the belt were two guns that looked a lot like the ones he had seen in Star Wars; adding to this were the lightsaber hilts Russell saw attached to the belt as well. His interest in Adrienne returning, he excitedly asked her, “Are you from a world where Star Wars really exists?”

            Adrienne’s rambling and pacing ceased the moment she caught his question, her piercing light blue eyes centered on him again. She realized that he was gawking at her gun belt and the weapons holstered and attached to it. She made an attempt to conceal them by folding the fabric from her miniskirt in over them and remained mute on her response to Russell’s question. She instead focused on Genevieve and coldly told her, “You can’t keep all of them safe, ya know.”

            Genevieve smiled. “With ten more versions of us out there, I know that I can. Carl and Dug are already out there with the other four.”

(Character Note: In Tales and subsequent stories, Genevieve is proven to be the most powerful of all the Sean Thomas reincarnations, attributed to her experience through her previous fifteen life cycles and the fact that she is the final incarnation of the Guardian. One of the amplifications of her power is her telepathic connection to her previous lives, which she uses to gather them in this miniseries.)

            “Other four?” Adrienne reacted with surprise. “What other four?”

            “Ellison, Allison, Tasha, and Anne-Marie.” Genevieve answered.

            Adrienne frowned on the last name mentioned. “Anne-Marie? Which one is she?”

            “What’re you guys talking about?” Russell inquired.

            Noting his confusion from their exchange, Genevieve took a breath and explained: “Adrienne and I are sorceresses known as ‘Guardians,’ Russell. We watch over worlds like the ones you and the pirates come from. We’re also the same person – or, I guess I should say that we used to be one person altogether – a guy by the name of Sean Thomas.”

            An odd look came upon Russell’s face. “You used to be a guy?”

            “I think you’ve completely lost the poor fella.” Adrienne told Genevieve.

            Genevieve chuckled. “It’s reincarnation, Russell. You see, when I died, I was reincarnated into over two dozen lives. The ‘pirate girl’ you see me as now is my seventeenth life and Adrienne over there was – or, in her case, is – my eleventh one.”

            Russell glanced over to Adrienne, who gave a wave and half of a smile. “Hello,” she jokingly said to him.

            The Wilderness Explorer smiled large and wide, finally understanding. “I get it now! You’re like Doctor Who!”

            Genevieve grinned over the amusing analogy. “Yeah, I guess I am.”

(Authorial Note: Livingston threw in this open reference to the British sci-fi show that has been a huge influence in the World of Disney series moving forward from The Marvelous World: World of Disney 2 as a way to assess to readers that his ideas are in fact purposely based on the show. Much like most of Disney's animated films, they are based on cultural material relating to books, film, and television, and World of Disney is no different.)

            The thunderous sound of approaching footsteps interrupted their conversation and alerted Genevieve of the lengthy amount of time she had spent down in the brig. She could hear Hook’s furious voice asking where she was. “Oh my goodness. I think I hear my wannabe husband coming.”

            “They’re onto us!” Adrienne exclaimed, unhinging the lightsaber hilts from her gun belt and igniting them – one blade glowing orange, the other glowing green.

            Seeing live lightsabers for the first time in his life brought a thrill over Russell. “Wow!”

            “Adrienne, do not engage with them!” Genevieve advised, sounding almost like a war general.

            “You think I’m scared of these cutthroats?” Adrienne snapped. “I kicked Hook right where it hurts – that’s what got me locked in here in the first place!”

            “Yeah, I know.” Genevieve recognized. “But fighting them won’t be necessary. We’re leaving this ship and this merged realm to get Russell to safety.”

            Hearing this, Russell panicked. “But…Mr. Fredricksen and Dug! We can’t leave without them!”

            “They’re with our other reincarnations.” Genevieve said. “They’ll be alright, Russell…I promise.”

            Russell had no other choice but to accept her promise once Hook and his band of pirates had finally barged into the brig. Just as they arrived, however, they found that Genevieve, Russell, and Adrienne had all disappeared. But the one sight that Hook found to be the most unwelcoming was Genevieve’s engagement ring lying uselessly on the damp floor. Fueled with heartbroken rage, the pirate captain bellowed from the top of his lungs, “BETRAYAL!”

(UP NEXT: Genevieve takes on a new face!)

Tales of the Disneyverse - Tale #10 (w/ Commentary Notes)

New Plan
(The Realm of Fantasia)

            The most challenging thing for Sean Thomas as he lived in his “Jacqueline” reincarnation was her hairstyle. The bangs of her bob style, as they hung there on the opposite sides of her face, practically robbed her of any depth perception. Because of this, Jacqueline could not detect in time the hard slap that Joan gave her. It came from the left, sending Jacqueline’s head swiveling to the right and nearly knocking her off balance – there was quite a lot of strength left in the old woman!

(Character Note: Jacqueline's bob style is based on an actual look that Jacqueline Zediker had in the early days of her friendship with Livingston. He liked the look so much that he incorporated to her character's appearance in Tales, though it has changed in subsequent World of Disney stories.)

            “GET OUT!” Joan furiously screamed.

            “Mama, just listen for a se—”

            Another hard slap came in from the right, creating the same effect that the last one had on Jacqueline; again, because of her long black bangs hanging ever so close over the corners of her eyes, she failed to detect it when it came.

            “My son would never be such a coward, letting an entire universe die just to save one person!” Joan yelled. “You are not Sean! You are NOT my son!”

            “I am your son!” This retort from Jacqueline earned her yet another slap from the right side. Her aggravation finally hit a boiling point: “STOP THAT!”

            “I want you to leave this realm! If your only purpose here is to make sure that the Disneyverse gets wiped out and not saved, then you take your butt back to wherever you came from! The title of ‘Guardian’ is a promise to every single being here in the Disneyverse – a promise to protect the worlds with every power you have! I made that promise thirty-six years ago on Christmas Day, and here you are breaking it now! What kind of legacy are you carrying?”

            Jacqueline frowned over Joan’s scolding remarks. “This is not legacy! Family is our legacy! Family is what matters more than anything…even the Disneyverse!” From her “tunneled” vision, Jacqueline saw Joan’s body grow tense as she made a gesture. Knowing what that gesture was, Jacqueline brought up her right arm and caught Joan’s left arm by the wrist instinctively, avoiding further punishment to her reddened face. “You know that I’m right.”

            She suddenly saw how Joan’s eyes glowed white for a split second. There was a quiet gasp from Joan – the glow from her eyes extinguished, their clear blueness exposed for a moment and then closed. There was an expression on her face that registered discomfort, but it had passed quickly. Jacqueline felt her tense wrist go limp, along with the rest of her body, which slumped right into Jacqueline’s arms. Kneeling down to let Joan’s limp body rest upon her lap, Jacqueline panicked.

            “Mama? Mama!” She cried, giving Joan’s body a slight shake in an attempt to wake her out of the unconscious state she surprisingly fell into. There was no response from Joan, prompting Jacqueline to check her pulse from the same wrist that she had been holding onto. Jacqueline’s body stiffened when she discovered that Joan no longer had a pulse. She placed an ear to Joan’s chest – there was no heartbeat. “Oh, no…no, no, no, NO!” Jacqueline did not know what to do; she had no idea what had happened to Joan that put her in an unresponsive state. All that she could do was use a resuscitation spell, placing her right hand over Joan’s chest and kick-starting her nervous system – starting with her heart.

(Narrative Note: The "resuscitation spell" is Fantasia's answer to C.P.R. It is a quick-fix healing power capable of restoring life to a subject that is in the process of losing it. The only downside is the subject's choice to receive the life being brought back into them or reject it entirely, accepting their fate.)

            “That won’t work.”

            Jacqueline’s head turned immediately once she heard a voice that eerily sounded just like Joan’s – only much younger. Her eyes got large upon seeing something that she could not make sense of: her mother standing across the room – twenty-four years old again. Donned in a rainbow-colored tie-dyed shirt, bellbottom blue jeans, and beige sandals, the younger Joan Navarro-Thomas (or “Joanie” – a name that best suited her in this form) looked upon Jacqueline with a grin.

(Character Note: For the younger manifestation of her in the mind of Jacqueline, Joanie takes on the attire that she first wore in World of Disney, since it is how Sean best remembers her.)

            Tears in her eyes, a confused and angry Jacqueline looked directly at the young woman. “What did you do?”

            “I transferred my spirit out of me…and into you. You and I share the same body, mind, and power now. I can sense each and every one of your emotions. You feel lost, afraid, angry, and alone. I know that it’s really you now, Sean – a mother’s senses are a lot stronger than a sorcerer’s.”

            Jacqueline looked away from Joanie and to the body her soul had abandoned. That was when she discovered that the body was no longer there. “W-Where…?”

            “My old body is back where it belongs – in our world. I’m sorry, Sean…but I’ve passed on now.”

            Jacqueline angrily shook her head, standing back up and approaching Joanie in a threatening manner. “No…NO! You don’t get to do this to me again! I have power now – I can bring you back if I wished it!”

            Joanie chuckled. “We both know you can’t possibly do that. My magic is much stronger outside of my body, which is why you no longer feel that you’re in control. Tell me I’m wrong on that.”

            But Jacqueline could not. Joanie’s presence in Jacqueline’s body was indeed remarkably strong; it felt as if Jacqueline’s Guardian power had been drained and she became mortal again, maintaining enough energy just to keep her breathing and standing. “W-Why are you doing this? I thought you cared about the safety of the Disneyverse! Leaving your body like that, you’ve put it in even greater danger than before!”

            “My soul is linked to the Disneyverse just as much as my body was, Sean. Without that frail old thing around, the rift that’s tearing the Disneyverse apart is contained.”

(Narrative Note: When Joanie first committed herself to protecting the Disneyverse, her body and soul were automatically submitted to the universe itself. This is another factor that plays into the purpose of the Guardian, as well as the reincarnation cycle. Her human body cannot sustain the connection, hence why the reincarnation into a more capable albeit inhuman form is necessary. The only unforeseen loophole was in Sean's reincarnations.)

            “Only temporarily – just like that ‘spirit transference’ spell you used!” Jacqueline exclaimed in frustration. “Yen Sid warned how dangerous that spell can be to the transported soul. If you continue sharing space with my body like this…”

            “My soul will be lost forever.”

            Jacqueline noticed how she finished this cautionary statement with a smirk. From that smirk, she discovered Joanie’s ploy. “You already knew that! You’re doing this to force me into saving the Disneyverse! This isn’t fair!”

            Joanie folded her arms, her smirk growing. “Tough.”

            Jacqueline bit her tongue furiously; she hated being played for a fool, especially by her own mother.

            “Who’s Genevieve?”

            Jacqueline gave her a confounded stare. “Who?”

            “She’s somebody who just popped in my head – or I guess I should say our head. She’s been trying to reach you from within the Disneyverse – I can hear her loud and clear. Can’t you?”

(Narrative Note: The merging of souls and sharing of one body between Joanie and Jacqueline/Sean is a milder version of what we see later between Sean and the reincarnations fused with him, starting with Natalie in Marvel Mayhem.)

            Through all the stress she had been going through since arriving in the Fantasia realm, Jacqueline had been admittedly out of touch with the rest of the Disneyverse – due in part to her disinterest in saving it. With her mother now in control of her power, she began to hear the message from this “Genevieve”: We’ve gotta gather to save the worlds! Find each other…find me, if you can! This is the only way we can close the rift!

            The voice of Genevieve sounded powerful and confident – two things Jacqueline wished she were at the moment; she was certainly much younger than Jacqueline and Joanie were in their current physical appearance. After listening to Genevieve’s call for assistance, Joanie became more hopeful in the mission she and Jacqueline were facing. “We need to find this girl – she sounds like our key to saving the Disneyverse.”

            Jacqueline dejectedly sighed. “Fine. Where do we start?”

Meanwhile…
In the Merged Realms of Up and Peter Pan

            Russell was terrified beyond belief over the situation he found himself in. He did not even think pirates still existed until he was caught by a group of them while getting help for Carl Fredricksen, who was still sitting up in a suspended net – as far as Russell knew. What was even weirder about his pirate captors – other than the fact that they were real pirates – was how they continued to address him as a “Lost Boy,” a designation Russell was not entirely familiar with.

            The pirates brought Russell out of the jungle and to a beach that Russell was not aware of being there, believing to be somewhere at the center of South America and far from any beaches. From this particular beach, Russell – to his immediate surprise – saw the pirates’ ship anchored just a couple of miles from shore; it was a true-to-life pirate ship that looked brand new. Russell almost could not believe it; neither could he believe the existence of the ruthless female pirate leading the band of cutthroats.

            The woman’s attire consisted of a number of clothing to give her the legitimate appearance of a female pirate: a white cotton, off the shoulder blouse with brass buttons (all open); a scarlet red wrap skirt with marigold colored print from India; a warm brown leather half corselette with brown buttons – below it a leather belt with a pouch attached, slung down low on her hips, and many holes in it to hook items on with (two strings of gold coins and a green/gold ribbon were hooked to the belt); brown lace up knee-high boots; three bracelets on the left hand – one a red coral with gold inlays on top of a brass two-inch cuff, followed by a green jade bracelet with gold inlays; on the right hand – two leather strips tied around the wrist with one that read “freedom”; a gold necklace with three ruby pendants – the middle one being a golden book that looked to open up into a locket; huge brass hoop earrings; a purple and green printed headscarf; and another short string of gold coins down the tails of the headscarf.

(Biographical Note: "Genevieve" is based on model, actress, and cosplayer Genevieve Marie Nylen, who Livingston was superbly impressed with for her Disney and Marvel cosplays. For this, he knew that he had to incorporate her into the World of Disney series. Since her first appearance in Tales, Nylen's character has become an integral character in subsequent installments. Her popular and spot-on Black Widow cosplay inspired an inside joke that Livingston wrote into her character's role in Marvel Mayhem. Not since casting Joanie as the primary hero in World of Disney has there been such a motivation for the continuing story of the series than with Genevieve taking on the part.)

            Russell knew very little about the female pirate; he did not even know her name. All he did know was that she was marvelously gorgeous. She was very Scandinavian-looking with long blond hair down to her lower back – her bangs covering her forehead and eyebrows, large grey/blue eyes, very pale skin, small aristocratic nose, and rose-red lips. She looked to be five-foot, five inches tall – even though, to Russell, she looked taller with the heels that she wore – and carried a slender/athletic build, brimming with the power and confidence that she used to take charge over the group of all-male pirates. She certainly stood out from them, not just because of her role as leader but mostly from her glorious beauty, which heavily contradicted their hideous, unhygienic façade.

(Character Note: Genevieve's pirate attire was based on a Pirates of the Caribbean style photo shoot she had done in 2013. Livingston was so impressed with the look that he nearly settled on having it be her signature appearance until opting for another that possessed a medieval/contemporary style that fit in perfectly with the theme of the Fantasia realm.)

            They were greeted at the beach by another imposing figure – a man with a gold hook, dressed in clothes fitted for a pirate captain (crimson hat with a giant lavender feather, red overcoat with gold brims, pink shirt, white cravat, purple knee-length pants, lavender knee-high socks, and black boots with gold square-outlined buckles). Accompanying him was a short, obese, half-bald man with white hair and sideburns and a large pink nose, wearing spectacles, a red pirate cap, a blue/white striped shirt (that was so small on him it showed his midriff), blue shorts, and sandals.

            “Did you find what you were after, my dear?” The man with the hook asked the female pirate.

            She approached him with a devilish smile. “I certainly did, my love.” She gestured to Russell and added, “A little Lost Boy – separated from the group.”

            Russell made a brave attempt in speaking up to his captors: “I’m not a Lost Boy! I don’t even know what that…”

            “Silence, child!” The female pirate bellowed with such a ferocious tone that brought Russell back to a timid state. “You will speak only when spoken to!”

            The man with the hook moved in closer to Russell, holding his golden hook dangerously close to the Wilderness Explorer’s plump young face. “Yes. When Peter Pan finds that we have one of his precious Lost Boys in our possession, he’s certain to come to his rescue. And when he does, I will have my revenge on that blasted brat!” The man’s anger had clearly boiled over, but he returned to a calmer, happier state of mind once he returned to the side of his female companion. “You have certainly made me a very happy man, my dear. That is why I must make this official now. Mr. Smee!”

            Responding to the vigorous call of his name, the short, obese man known as Mr. Smee moved quickly. He took off his red cap and reached inside it, retrieving a glistening diamond ring. “Yes, Cap’n! Got it right here, Cap’n!”

            Smee rushed to the captain just as he got down on one knee in front of the pirate woman; he handed the ring over to the captain, who then commenced in his proposal. “My dear beautiful Genevieve, would you accept my hook in marriage?” He had the ring placed on his golden hook, holding them both before the woman he had proposed to.

            The female pirate – Genevieve – did not answer right away. She instead took the diamond ring off the hook and placed it on the fourth finger of her left hand. Gazing upon it, she smiled and jubilantly said, “Yes. Yes, I will, Captain James Bartholomew Hook.”

            Russell frowned. “Bartholomew?”

(Disney Note: Hook's full name was revealed in the Jake and the Never Land Pirates episode "Mama Hook Knows Best!" However, in the original, pre-Disney Peter Pan story, the name "Hook" was actually an alias because his real identity - had it leaked out - would have caused a "firestorm." The name is loosely based off of Captain Cook, the discoverer of Hawaii.)

            Captain Hook excitedly rose up and momentarily lifted Genevieve off her feet, twirling her around and laughing maniacally. “She said yes!” His crew, including Mr. Smee, erupted in cheers – a few pirates even shot their pistols into the air. “We shall wed as soon as we’re back aboard the Jolly Roger!”

            “B-But, Cap’n,” Mr. Smee spoke up, “what about Pan?”

            “What about Pan?” Hook shot the question back to Smee with much anger.

            “H-H-He might c-come for t-the boy, r-remember?” Smee stammered.

            Genevieve sinisterly grinned. “Never fear, Mr. Smee. If Pan comes within one inch of my soon-to-be husband…” She unsheathed a sharp-edged sword that literally glowed in a bright silver hue. “It will be the last mistake he’ll ever make.”

            Hook roared with confident laughter. “You see, Mr. Smee? That is why this woman is my wife-to-be. With her by my side, Never Land will be ours!”

            Russell watched all the pirates whoop and holler victoriously, feeling immensely frightened. He was not sure what nightmare he had stumbled upon, but he would do anything just to be back home.

(UP NEXT: A character inspired by a well-known actress whose part almost got her into trouble.)