Tales of the Disneyverse - Tale #6 (w/ Commentary Notes)

“The Up Side of Never Land”

(The Crossed Realms of Up and Peter Pan)

            The great humidity was the first thing that Anne-Marie, Katie, and Mickey had felt upon materializing in a dense jungle. Leaves from nearby bushes brushed against their bodies as they stood amid the crowded foliage. Mickey wished that he or either of the two women had a sword or something to cut down the branches that continuously slapped him in the face. “Where are we?” The mouse questioned while desperately holding back a branch waiting to get another shot at him.

            “It looks a lot like South America to me.” Katie said before catching sight of something miles ahead of them that confirmed her suspicion. “See?” She pointed to what grabbed her attention and Mickey and Anne-Marie saw a lush, sparkling waterfall that only Anne-Marie and Katie seemed to have recognized.

            “Paradise Falls.” Anne-Marie uttered the name. “That can only mean we’re on the Up side of the merged realm.”

(Authorial Note: Choosing the 2009 Disney/Pixar film Up to be merged with Peter Pan was a spur-of-the-moment decision by Livingston. He wanted to explore the world of Up at some capacity in the World of Disney series with its colorful characters. The only way he knew how was to put them in the situation established from Tales and cross them over with a world that bears only one similarity to it in their jungle settings.)

            “But we’re supposed to be in Never Land, aren’t we?” Mickey asked.

            “We are.” Anne-Marie told him. “We just can’t see it since the merger is growing stronger now. Some parts will clearly be Never Land, while others are South America.”

            Mickey lost his battle with the branch, which slipped out from his hand and whacked him in the face to his immediate frustration. “It all looks the same to me. That’s just going to make it easier for us to get lost. How will we get around here while searching for the rift?”

            “I know both of these worlds all too well.” Anne-Marie said. “I’ll get us where we need to go.”

            She began leading Katie and Mickey through the foliage, chopping off the branches in their way with nothing but her right hand. Mickey was surprised to see how each cut was clear, as if it were done with a sharp-edged sword. Never before had he seen anyone – not even Yen Sid – with enough power to use their own appendage as a cutting tool (and a perfect one at that). It impressed even Katie, who grew increasingly intrigued by Anne-Marie every second. She heeded her warning back in the previous merged worlds of The Lion King and Cars not to ask about her past or her life outside of the Disneyverse, and she did a great job at it – until that moment.

(Disney Note: Anne-Marie's usage of her arm as cutting utensil is taken from Buzz Lightyear's "karate chop action" feature, which he used to cut branches while on a journey to rescue Woody in Toy Story 2.)

            Katie just couldn’t hold back the urge to make conversation about it. “Is it true that you’re from the same world as the Guardian? I heard rumors from...”

            Anne-Marie sighed, her aggravation rising. “What did I tell you?”

            “I know, I know. But I just...I just feel weird not knowing a thing about you.”

            “The less it concerns you, the less weird it’ll feel.” Anne-Marie said.

            “But I can’t just put it out of my mind that easily.” Katie remarked, sounding more and more determined.

            “Why do you want to know so much about me?” Anne-Marie asked. “Can you not respect my wish to leave my past be?”

(Character Note: Much of Anne-Marie's dialogue was written with an English-accented voice in mind for the character, when in fact the real Anne-Marie McLean is Scottish-born.)

            “I respect and trust you a lot, Mistress.” Katie acknowledged. “But I feel like I would even more if I just got to know you better. That’s all.”

            Again, Anne-Marie sighed. There was simply no getting it through to her that she wanted her past to remain moot. After a brief moment, she relented: “Yes, it’s true. I am from the same world as the Guardian.”

            It was not just the fact that she finally answered one of Katie’s pressing questions that surprised both Katie and even Mickey, but it was the confirmation of the “rumors.” Having finally started to learn a little more about the life of this powerful sorceress, Katie’s excitement and interests grew. She bombarded Anne-Marie with several follow-up questions: “What was your life like,” “Did you have a job,” “Did you have a family,” “Did you have any friends,” “Were you in love,” etc. The questions became too much after a few minutes of them. Anne-Marie was driven to the brink of madness from it all; after a few more questions, she finally screamed, “ENOUGH!” Her bellowing voice echoed throughout the entire jungle, scaring birds out of their trees. There was even a slight tremor that came with it over the merged lands, reflecting on her fury.

            “You should be grateful to have gotten one answer from me!” Anne-Marie yelled to Katie.

            “I’m s-sorry.” Katie quivered, seeing how distraught Anne-Marie became whenever such a topic was brought up. “Was your old life really that bad?”

            Her last question did not bring about much anger or frustration out of Anne-Marie; it instead brought out a sense of sorrow from the sorceress. “It wasn’t my old life...just the new ones that came after it.”

            This remark from the sorceress was beyond puzzling to Katie and Mickey. Before either of them could ask what Anne-Marie meant by it, there came some movement within nearby foliage. The three magical characters braced themselves, ready for whatever creature – whether animal, Lost Boy, or pirate – might possibly step out. As they waited, Katie instinctively looked to Anne-Marie, hoping for some sort of plan of attack; she had managed to get them so far in their journey without incident. But Katie quickly caught sight of something rather peculiar and baffling to her: Anne-Marie’s eyes were glowing white. It was a trait that only the Guardian of the Disneyverse was capable of, and the only Guardian Katie knew was Joan Navarro-Thomas.

(Authorial Note: Livingston provided the clue with Anne-Marie's "glowing white" eyes as a discernible one for faithful readers of the World of Disney series, testing their knowledge.)

            There was not enough time for her to investigate it with the source of all the movement in the foliage finally emerging. Within seconds, a young woman stepped out of the foliage; she had glorious features: long brown hair, brown eyes, rose-red lips, and fair skin with a short with slender, athletic physique – most of it hidden beneath a duchess renaissance gown she wore with black slippers and a robe with a white crescent moon and stars design. The girl seemed like a cross between a sorceress and a princess from her appearance. Even the way in which she talked was reminiscent of a Disney Princess upon greeting Katie, Mickey, and Anne-Marie.

            “Oh, hello.” Her voice was sweet and melodic – a lot like Belle.

(Biographical Note: "Ellison" is based on and inspired by Jennifer Ellison, a talented Disney entertainer for The Storybook Character Company, best known for her spot-on performance as Belle. At the time Tales of the Disneyverse was written, Livingston based Jennifer's character's name on her surname, due to already developing a character with the name "Jennifer" for Jennifer Brown's "Bella J" character in World of Disney. Since then, Jennifer Ellison has married with a different last name, yet the character still retains her maiden name.)

            There was more movement within the foliage and another figure stepped out: a wide, stocky gentleman with a goatee and very short black hair that was slick and thick, donned in a blue robe to fit his figure. He appeared to be exhausted upon his emergence, his forehead drenched in his sweat. “Mistress Ellison, might I suggest next time we take a shadier route than that one,” he said to the young brunette.

(Biographical Note: "John Panda" is a unique character based on and inspired by Disney enthusiast John Saccheri of BigFatPanda.com. His character is unique in the sense that "Panda," a being of magical capabilities, can switch between the form of a human being - that bears Saccheri's real-life appearance - and an anthropomorphic panda, akin to Po from Kung Fu Panda. Saccheri is also featured in the World of Disney spin-off story, Marvel Mayhem, in a role vastly different from John Panda.)

            Feeling guilty for her companion’s exhaustion, Ellison placed a gentle hand on his back and rubbed it comfortingly in a circular motion. “Aww. I’m so sorry, Panda.” She then did something that took Katie and Mickey by surprise: raising one hand in the air and twirling it, she summoned a cool breeze that blew through the area and cooled the man known as “Panda” down. With a warm smile, she asked, “Better?”

            Panda smiled in relief. “Much better.”

            “That was pretty cool.” Katie said. “Literally, I mean.”

            Ellison giggled. “Thanks.”

            “So your names are Ellison and...Panda?” Mickey asked, a bit perplexed from the name of the latter.

            Panda despondently sighed. “Yes...my name is John Panda...or ‘Panda’ for short.”

            Katie snickered. “Why are you called ‘Panda’? You don’t look like one – at least not in the literal way, no offense.”

            “I’m hiding my truest form to be inconspicuous while Mistress Ellison and I are on our travels.” John explained.

            “He may look like a man on the outside, but he’s such a soft, cuddly, cute panda on the inside.” Ellison said, verging on baby talk whilst describing her companion.

(Narrative Note: John Panda is the first established "companion" of the Guardian. While there have been very many known associates in previous installments, Panda is the first to continuously accompany her through the Disneyverse. The idea is another inspired from Doctor Who for Livingston.)

            Anne-Marie rolled her eyes in disgust, clearly not amused by the two strangers – particularly Ellison.

            “Well, uh, it’s great to meet ya, Ellison and Panda.” Mickey said. “But how did you both get here?” Noting their robes, he then asked, “Did Yen Sid or Joan or any of the other Sorcerers of the Fantasia Kingdom send you here?”

            John’s eyes widened in eagerness upon hearing Mickey’s question. “The Sorcerers and Fantasia still exist?” His reaction confused Katie and Mickey. “Take us back there! It’s been so long since we’ve...”

            “NO!” Anne-Marie shouted, alarming everyone with her unexpected outburst. “You two should not even be here between the merged realms.”

(Spoiler Note: Tales marks the beginning of a story arc that continues through the Tales of the Guardians miniseries and concludes in World of Disney 3, centering on the destruction of the Fantasia realm. The incident, depicted in detail in WOD3, leaves many inhabitants scattered over the Disneyverse, such as Panda, Mickey, Yen Sid, and even Donald Duck and Goofy, while others have perished from a calculated invasion orchestrated by the Galactic Empire of Star Wars.)

            Ellison grinned and raised a curious eyebrow. “Disneyverse realms have merged? That is so precious!” She glanced at the jungle they stood in. “Which one of them are we in right now?”

            “Forgive her.” John told Katie, Mickey, and Anne-Marie. “Her sense of direction is very poor.”

            Mickey nodded understandingly. “The Up and Peter Pan worlds are the ones that have merged. And because both of them have jungles, we can’t tell which of the two we’re standing in or where we need to go to close the rift.”

            “I can show you where we need to go.” Ellison enthusiastically volunteered.

            “We?” Anne-Marie repeated the pronoun that did not sit well with her. “We does not include you two. And why would you lead us when you are the one with the lack of directional sense?”

            “My sense of direction may be lousy but I still remember my Disney movies.” Ellison said with a confident smile.

            “Oh, dear lord.” Anne-Marie muttered, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

            Sensing that she won the debate, Ellison jubilantly commanded, “Alright, everyone! Let’s go!” She then led the group down a path through the jungle that she had chosen at random. She did not walk along the way but rather skipped merrily; as she had done so, she looked back to see the others staring awkwardly at her. She stopped skipping momentarily and turned to face them with hands on her hips, saying with a smile, “It’s no fun if you all don’t do skip along with me. Try it.”

(Authorial Note: It was originally intended for Ellison to sing the "Following the Leader" song from Peter Pan as she leads the group through the jungle, but Livingston opted to keep the singing to a minimum for the miniseries.)

            At first, no one had the courage (or the dignity) to do what Ellison suggested; but Mickey, ever the positive one, decided to try it out. He skipped once...then again...then another time...until he found himself enjoying skipping to the rift instead of walking to it. Ellison and Mickey both skipped the entire way there, while Katie, Anne-Marie, and John just walked. The sight of Ellison and Mickey skipping made Katie bust out a quick laugh. “Is she always this cheery?” She questioned to John.

            “Yes, unfortunately.”

            The answer did not come from John. It came from Anne-Marie, whose response was almost by instinct. Once she realized what she said, she looked to Katie and John, who looked back at her questioningly. Anne-Marie had only just met Ellison, so how could she know about her? Quickly, Anne-Marie reiterated on her answer: “It just seems that way, I mean.” Although John might have been fooled by her cover-up, Katie clearly was not. This, combined with what Anne-Marie said earlier about “new lives” and the fact that her eyes glowed, made Katie awfully suspicious of the sorceress. There was definitely something more to Anne-Marie than she cared to share with any of them, and Katie was more than determined to find out what it was.

(UP NEXT: The moody Guardian?)

Tales of the Disneyverse - Tale #5 (w/ Commentary Notes)

Uncharted Waters
(The Crossed Realms of Finding Nemo and The Little Mermaid)

            “Uh, Dad? I think we swam far enough.” Nemo felt like he needed to speak up to his father as he saw how the two of them had swam into a section of the sea that was just an endless blue. They were the only two fish swimming there from what Nemo could see, and he felt a bit unsettled from how lost they appeared to be. When he realized that his father was not listening to him, he yelled, “DAD!”

            Marlin finally stopped, prompting Nemo to stop as well. “What is it, Nemo? I’m trying to save us from that giant, weird fish-human thing that came after us!”

            “But I think we swam too far away from home.” Nemo indicated. “I don’t remember this part of the ocean. I think we’re lost.”

(Narrative Note: This area of the ocean is the same that Ariel, Flounder, and Sebastian swam through in the very first tale. It serves as the dividing line between the Little Mermaid and Finding Nemo worlds.)

            “Lost? No! No, no, no! We can’t be lost! We swam right in the direction of the…” Marlin looked around and failed to recognize their current location himself. “We’re…We’re lost! I can’t believe we’re lost! Where are we? We’re trapped forever in uncharted waters!”

            Nemo saw how even more worrisome his father had become and knew he had to bring him back to focus. Marlin was the adult after all, but he was acting more like the child in their predicament. “Dad! It’s gonna be O.K. We’ll find our way back home.”

            “How can you be so sure of that?” Marlin asked. “We’ve never been in this area before! There’s nothing here! No way of putting us back in the right direction!”

            Nemo saw there was no use in putting his father at ease when he was that stressed out. He let him continue moping over their woes while he turned away and stared off in the distance. He knew all he would find was just blue as far as he could see, but anything was better than listening to his dad mope. After a while, Nemo began to make out a faint shimmer in the distance – a golden light sparkling in the sea of blue. Immediately, he swam towards the shimmer without first notifying his father of his actions.

(Disney Note: This show of independence by Nemo is what ultimately leads to his capture at the hands of a scuba diver in the film.)

            As soon as Marlin saw what Nemo was up to, he panicked even more, chasing after his only son. “NEMO! What do you think you’re doing? We have to stay close!”

            “I see something, Dad.” Nemo alerted. “Just follow me. I know what I’m doing.”

            “Get back here, Nemo! Nemo!”

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

            With every section of the new waters they swam through, Ariel, Sebastian, and Flounder passed by various types of sea creatures that were instantly scared off once they saw Ariel. Flounder felt uncomfortable from the way that the creatures screamed and swam away. “Geez. You think these guys never saw a mermaid before.”

            “I don’t think they have, Flounder.” Ariel said, sounding amused and concerned all at once. “I don’t think any mermaids have ever been through these waters before.”

            Sebastian scoffed. “All dah better reason for us to return home. Let’s not force ourselves to be somewheres we’re not wanted.”

            “Maybe Sebastian’s right, Ariel.” Flounder said.

            Ariel sighed discouragingly. “I guess so. I just wish I could find those two little clownfish and apologize for scaring them.”

            “It’s for dah best to leave it be, Ariel.” Sebastian suggested. “No need makin’ trouble where trouble is…”

            Failing to see it coming beforehand, Sebastian suddenly found himself smacking face-first into a slender regal tang surgeonfish. The impact knocked Sebastian into a huge rock below, momentarily dazing him. Ariel and Flounder quickly went to the red crustacean’s aid. “Sebastian, are you alright?” Ariel asked.

            “Oh! Sorry! Sorry, sir! I didn’t see you!” The surgeonfish exclaimed, swimming towards them to check on Sebastian. However, before she could get near him, she was quickly put off by the sight of Ariel. “Whoa! You are, like, the strangest fish I have ever seen! Did you accidentally swim near some toxic waste to get like that?”

(Authorial Note: This line given to Dory was one of Livingston's personal favorites. He's cited it as "the best reaction provided to one Disney character to another from a completely different film and world altogether.")

            Flounder frowned at the fish. “Near some what?”

            “No. I’m a mermaid.” Ariel clarified with a smile.

            “A mermaid!” The surgeonfish joyfully yelled. “I’ve always wanted to see a mermaid!” She then became strangely baffled and asked, “What’s a mermaid?” A groan from Sebastian seemed to have taken her by surprise as she saw him peeling himself off the rock he fell onto. “Wow. What happened to that guy?”

            Flounder and Ariel shared an odd glance.

            “You bumped into him…remember?” Flounder said. “It only happened a few seconds ago.”

            The surgeonfish appeared genuinely shocked. “Oh, no! Did I? Oh, I’m so sorry. Is he alright?” She then looked to Ariel and was again put off from her appearance. “Whoa! You are, like, the strangest fish I have ever seen! Did you accidentally swim near some toxic waste to get like that?”

            Successfully pulling himself off the rock and recovering from the trauma to his head, Sebastian realized the oddity of the exchange between them and the surgeonfish. “It could be dah pain to mah head, but is dis girl repeatin’ herself?”

            “Sounds like it.” Flounder said. “Maybe it’s her head that got most of the damage.”

(Authorial Note: The fun that was had in these exchanges among the characters, as well as how fitting their worlds are, inspired Livingston to consider a spin-off story that centered on a new, original tale that furthered the exploration of the merged worlds. Titled "Voyage," the story is set to debut this May.)

            Hearing their comments, the surgeonfish appeared troubled. “Oh, no. I’m so sorry. I suffer from short-term memory loss. I forget things almost instantly. It runs in my family…well…I mean…at least I think it does. Hmm…where are they?” She paused for a moment to think on the subject, but – after a short while – her demeanor changed, especially when she looked to Ariel and was once more put off by her appearance. “Whoa! You are, like, the strangest fish I have ever seen! Did you accidentally swim near some toxic waste to get like that?”

            Ariel, Sebastian, and Flounder merely floated in silence while staring oddly at the surgeonfish.

            “Dis girl is strange, mon.” Sebastian whispered particularly to Flounder.

            Ariel, trying to get past the complexity of the surgeonfish’s memory loss, made an attempt to get to know her in order to ground her memory. “Do you have a name?”

            “Oh, yeah! I do! I’m Dory!”

            “Nice to meet you, Dory. I’m Ariel, and this is Sebastian and Flounder.”

            Sebastian groaned. “Ariel! She’s not gonna remember our names! Dis girl has serious head problems! Let’s just swim back home and…” Sebastian started to swim away as he addressed the mermaid, but he was stopped by a bulky great white shark that loomed over him, grinning with razor sharp teeth.

(Disney Note: Much of this scene directly mirrors Marlin's first encounter with Dory from Finding Nemo, right from the beginning with Dory bumping into Sebastian to here with the emergence of Bruce. Taking the place of Marlin are Ariel, Flounder, and Sebastian.)

            “Hello,” the shark said.

            Sebastian had frozen in place and sunk down to the seabed where he fainted.

(UP NEXT: Another Pixar classic joins in on the fun!)

Tales of the Disneyverse - Tale #4 (w/ Commentary Notes)

A Voice from the Future
(The Realm of Fantasia)

            The Fantasia realm was practically in the eye of the hurricane from what Joan could see through the window of Yen Sid’s workshop. The skies had grayed in some areas and blackened in others, turning it to endless night. There were tremors at the end of every half hour, growing in intensity. Mountains had turned into volcanoes in lands far outside the city, forcing dozens of villagers to flee and take refuge in the sorcerers’ medieval metropolis. She was thankful that the city was large enough to keep so many desperate families safe from the splintering world beyond its boundaries. Unfortunately, it was just a matter of time before the rift completely tore open the Fantasia realm, and the home world of Yen Sid, Mickey, and all of the other sorcerers that inhabited it would be gone forever.

(Narrative Note: The effects of the dimensional rift within the Disneyverse are exactly the same as those brought on by real world interference, as seen from the destruction of the Aladdin realm in World of Disney and Facilier's reign as the Shadow Sorcerer in The Marvelous World: World of Disney 2.)

            Upon watching the world fall apart in the distance, Joan felt a shooting pain in her chest that made her bend forward. As the pain settled in her chest, another tremor arrived – much earlier than expected – and another volcano erupted from a mountain not too close from the city. A bolt of blood red lightning shot across the sky and struck a once-luscious tree that stood tall and proud for ages in the city, setting it ablaze within seconds. The tree was located in the “park” area where a few of the villagers’ children played, believing they were safe from the outside dangers. The incident proved that not even the city would be safe for very long.

(Setting Note: The "kingdom city" that exists in Fantasia is envisioned to resemble a medieval take on New York City, complete with its own Central Park area and skyscrapers that are structured like towers. Yen Sid's castle is designed with an exterior that meshes a castle out of the Middle Ages with a contemporary mansion.)

            The parents of the children took them out of the park immediately, while a group of sorcerers entered the scene, acting as firemen and dosing the flames that consumed the tree with water they conjured out of thin air. Joan’s chest pain subsided, but her fright over what happened in the park remained, intensifying her fears over the whole situation. Those poor children…nearly died…all because of me, she thought while watching the parents carry their children back inside the basilica next door to Yen Sid’s castle.

            “Ya gotta be kiddin’ me!”

            Joan’s focus impulsively went to the workshop entrance. There stood Pete, who had witnessed the paralleling events of her chest pain and the chaos outside. Apparently, he was smart enough to put two and two together from the way he bellowed with laughter – his enormous gut jiggling in place of it. “Yer causin’ all the kablooey goin’ on out dere! Yer dyin’!”

(Authorial Note: Livingston felt Tales of the Disneyverse would be the last time he would write for the "Joanie Navarro" character, since he established Sean Thomas and his reincarnations as the primary heroes for future World of Disney installments. Therefore, he set up the plot involving the death of her original self not only to bring a conclusion to the character but establish connection to how her reincarnated form came to be in The Marvelous World. He ultimately decided halfway through the miniseries that he would bring the character's younger version back for World of Disney 3, particularly with the involvement of her two succeeding reincarnations.)

            Joan frowned, furious at herself for allowing to be caught by Pete of all people. “Yes…I am,” she sadly admitted. “And if you tell anyone about it, I will…”

            “You’ll what?” Pete snapped. “The way I sees it, yer on borrowed time and our universe is sufferin’ ‘cause of it! Seems like dah only ‘sensible’ thing to do is put yer old keister out of its misery!”

            Joan’s body grew tense – not from the pain that it was wracked with just a moment ago, but from the idea that Pete proposed. She glared at him with glowing eyes as he advanced upon her, popping his knuckles. “You wouldn’t dare!”

            “Oh, I dares.”

            Joan backed away from him, until she found herself at a corner. Pete’s large and wide body looming upon her made it virtually impossible for escape from whatever wrath he intended on unleashing over her. She desperately wanted to use her magic to teleport herself past him, but she knew her body – in its current state – would not have allowed her to do that. She knew there was a naught chance of succeeding, but she attempted to appeal to the crazed sorcerer. “Pete, listen. This isn’t the way. Give Anne-Marie, Katie, and Mickey a little more time. They’ll save the Disneyverse. I promise you that!”

            “Nothin’ doin’, ya old hag!” Pete viciously exclaimed. “I’m gonna make sure this never happens again!”

            Pete raised his large, white-gloved hands high above his head while they glowed to signify whatever deadly spell he intended to cast upon the helpless Joan. However, before any spell could have been unleashed by Pete, the foul, overweight sorcerer was suddenly engulfed in a flash of golden light that briefly illuminated Yen Sid’s workshop. His large, wide form then shrunk down and Joan watched as it transformed into something that was almost the size of a crumb. When the light that had engulfed his body dispersed, Pete was revealed to have been transformed into a mouse – not like Mickey, but an actual mouse – with a tiny version of his face on his new body. Still having control of his mouth, he screamed out something that was only heard as squeaks in the ears of Joan while scurrying into a nearby mouse hole, which seemed to have come at quite a convenient time for him.

(Narrative Note: Pete's transformation into a mouse is a justification for his mistreatment of Mickey, who is not just a mouse himself but a character of small stature that is often picked on by the bigger, more intimidating Pete. It is also an ironic twist on his species - a cat - the known predator of mice.)

            Shutting her eyes (which had returned to normal) and breathing a sigh of relief, Joan thanked her rescuer, whose identity she had already recognized. “Yen Sid…I truly and respectfully owe you what’s left of my life.”

            “Keep it.”

            Joan’s eyes immediately snapped open when she discovered that it wasn’t Yen Sid that replied. Standing across the room was a young woman – someone Joan had never seen in the Fantasia realm before – that wore a robe similar to hers, only it was black instead of red; beneath it, she wore a pair of blue jeans, black knee-high boots, and a navy blue top – all of which hugged her slender, toned figure. But the most striking apparel that Joan noticed on this young woman was the sorcerer hat on her head – the same hat that was once owned by Yen Sid – the same hat that she had on her head at that very moment.

            Joan asked the obvious question upon seeing the woman: “Who…Who are you?”

            The young woman chuckled. Joan noticed how strikingly gorgeous she was with raven hair that had a bob cut style, her bangs hanging from the sides of her head, and lightly tanned skin that brought out her eyes, which were just as blue as Joan’s. “My name’s Jacqueline,” she answered, “but you know me by another name…as another person.”

(Biographical Note: "Jacqueline" is based on/inspired by Jacqueline Zediker, a close friend of Livingston's. Her presence in Tales of the Disneyverse was brought on by Livingston's decision to introduce more of Sean Thomas's reincarnations through the miniseries. He had been inspired again by Doctor Who and its 50th anniversary special in late 2013, which is when he returned to work on Tales after a long hiatus brought on by his work in finishing the Disney Ghostbusters series.)

            Joan was understandably confused from her odd response, which sounded close to a riddle. “I’m sorry, but…I…”

            “I know it’s gonna be hard for you to do, but use your sorcery to really look at me and see who I really am.”

            It was a difficult task. Each time Joan used her magic, it had taken a toll on her frail, elderly body, driving her closer to death than she cared to admit. But she braved the agony and did as Jacqueline requested to understand what was going on. Digging deep, she used what limited magic she had in her and gazed at the young woman with glowing eyes. Through hazy black-and-white “magic vision,” Joan saw Jacqueline’s form contort and shift. Alterations in hair, skin, and height were induced until Joan no longer saw Jacqueline standing there but a young man from her life outside the Disneyverse – someone who she was all too familiar with.

            Her glowing eyes widened in surprise as she weakly uttered the name of Jacqueline’s “secret” identity: “S…Sean?” And then, between the shock of the discovery and her declining health, her eyes ceased their glow and closed just as she collapsed to the floor.

            Jacqueline rushed to Joan’s aid, gently raising her upper body to let it rest upon her lap while she tearfully cradled her. “I’m so sorry, Mama,” she whispered to the unconscious Joan. “I had to let you see.”

(Authorial Note: This ending was originally visioned to be more comical with Joan fainting after discovering Sean's reincarnated form and Jacqueline reacting with a clever quip, but Livingston figured the scene was more effective taken seriously.)

            Another tremor – one fiercer than the last – shook the workshop. Jacqueline looked to the window and saw an enormous shimmering “crack” developing in the sky. The end of the Fantasia realm was near.

(UP NEXT: Things get interesting in the Mermaid/Nemo worlds.)

Tales of the Disneyverse - Tale #3 (w/ Commentary Notes)

The Circle of Life is a Highway
(The Crossed Realms of Cars and The Lion King)

            “Mater, for the last time, it wasn’t the ‘Ghost Light’ that we saw flash in the sky.” McQueen told his tow-truck best friend as they traversed over the outskirts of Radiator Springs together.

            “But we all saw it! You saw it, I saw it, Sally saw it, Doc saw it…”

            “O.K., Mater.”

            “…Ramone saw it, Flo saw it, Luigi saw it…”

            “Alright, Mater. I get it.”

            “…Sarge saw it, Sheriff saw it, Fillmore saw it…”

            “MATER!”

(Authorial Note: No specific point in the original Cars storyline is established from the presence of the world and its characters in this miniseries. This was done purposely to allow readers to determine themselves at what point in Lightning McQueen's time in Radiator Springs this scene could have happened in, although Livingston envisioned it to be sometime between the first and second films.)

            McQueen’s loud exclamation echoed through the heavens and scared a flock of birds that were perched upon the tall grass of the savanna close near the two talking vehicles. As soon as they saw the birds take flight into the skies, McQueen and Mater jumped in surprise and confusion, having never seen such unusual aerial creatures before.

            “What the heck are those?” McQueen questioned. “Are they…birds?”

            Mater squinted as the birds flew across the sunny, cloudless skies. “Shoot. Ain’t any birds I ever saw. Maybe they’re one of them ‘mute ants’ Sarge always keeps callin’ Fillmore.”

(Narrative Note: The word Mater is trying to say is "mutants.")

            “I don’t know, Mater,” said a heavily nervous McQueen. “M-Maybe we should just go back to the town and warn everyone about…” He stopped as soon as he heard strange noises coming further across the savanna. “Now what?”

            McQueen and Mater drove in the direction of the sounds, crossing the tall grass and coming upon a section of the savanna where elephants, zebras, and various other wild animals were crossing in perfect form a distance from the two cars. Of course, to Mater and McQueen, these creatures were entirely alien to them, and their very presence baffled and even horrified them. As soon as they witnessed the large herd crossing the area, the two vehicles screamed in terror, turning around and speeding back in the direction they came in.

(Authorial Note: The merge between the Cars and Lion King worlds was one of Livingston's favorites to create for the miniseries, because of how vastly different the two worlds are. He would have expanded on the story of Mater and McQueen's journey into the Pride Lands, but he knew the focus needed to be centered on Mickey, Anne-Marie, and Katie and their mission.)

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            From the moment Anne-Marie, Katie, and Mickey arrived in the first two worlds amalgamated from the rift, there was nothing but silence among the three of them. Katie and Mickey both felt a little awkward just walking across the savanna and looking for the precise location of the rift. Anne-Marie, on the other hand, was strictly concentrated on her goal, shutting out everything around from the intense African heat – courtesy of the Lion King side of the crossed realms – to the sounds of wild animals in the distance.

            There were, however, two particular noises that broke Anne-Marie’s concentration – engines roaring and men screaming. She, Katie, and Mickey looked to the distance and took notice of dirt clouds billowing in the air. Not before long did they see racecar Lightning McQueen and tow-truck Mater rushing across the savanna with looks of pure horror upon their animated faces. Watching the two Cars characters drive away from whatever it was that horrified them, Mickey scratched his head and said, “Wonder what spooked ‘em.”

(Authorial Note: It was originally planned for the Fantasia trio to separate in their investigating of the merge between the Cars and Lion King worlds with Anne-Marie and Mickey in the latter and Katie in the former. This was abandoned when Livingston had difficulty thinking up a particular vehicle Katie would take form of, as well as which particular Lion King characters Anne-Marie and Mickey would interact with.)

            “Doesn’t matter.” Anne-Marie said in a monotone voice. “Once the rift is closed here, neither of them will remember what they saw.”

            Although Katie felt bad for whatever McQueen and Mater were going through in the crossed realm, their sudden emergence in the savanna helped break the silence amongst her, Mickey, and Anne-Marie. Taking advantage of the opportunity, she said, “So…Anne-Marie…”

            “‘Mistress’ will do just fine.” Anne-Marie coldly remarked.

            Katie’s body grew tense on her unyielding request. “R-Right…Mistress Anne-Marie…”

            “No. Just ‘Mistress.’” She clarified, not once looking to Katie upon correcting her. “You must earn addressing the first name of your superiors. Isn’t that right, Mickey?”

            Mickey hadn’t expected to be brought into the conversation that Katie started. He admired her bravery for talking directly to Anne-Marie, who was a very imposing woman to him – more so than Yen Sid. For that reason, he answered her almost instantly: “Y-Yes, Mistress. It’s absolutely right.” He glanced over to Katie, who seemed a little unnerved – possibly feeling that she might have challenged Anne-Marie by addressing her through first name.

(Narrative Note: Since Tales of the Disneyverse takes place prior to the events of The Marvelous World: World of Disney 2, the relationship between Katie and Anne-Marie is far different from when readers were first introduced to them in WOD2. This miniseries explains exactly how the two grew close as friends and Anne-Marie's much looser personality.)

            But Katie was bold enough to continue the conversation, despite the slight tension between her and the superior sorceress. “Mistress…I’m only curious about your life before you became a sorceress. Is it true you come from the same world as the Guardian?”

            Anne-Marie stopped dead in her tracks, prompting Katie and Mickey to do the same. Even with her back facing them, Mickey could determine how frustrated Anne-Marie was from Katie’s question. Uh-oh, the mouse thought as he saw the sorceress turn around for the first time since they arrived and look at Katie straight in the eyes. She gave her a stare that was intense enough to send chills down her spine – it certainly sent one down Mickey’s, despite not being at the receiving end of it.

            “My life is here in the Disneyverse.” Anne-Marie declared. “Here and nowhere else. Is that understood?”

(Authorial Note: By this tale, Livingston had figured on giving backstories to both Anne-Marie and Katie, with Anne-Marie's going much deeper into the World of Disney mythos. As usual with characters that have a mysterious history, certain clues were provided for readers to come up with a deduction on who the character truly is.)

            Katie could only acknowledge with a nod. She was so petrified from Anne-Marie’s stare that it left her speechless.

            The mistress sorceress then looked skyward and, without pause, told Katie and Mickey, “We’re here.”

            Mickey and Katie looked up as well, but they only saw the clear blue sky above them. “I don’t see a rift.”

            “Oh, it’s there.” Anne-Marie confirmed. “It’s just hiding.”

            She reached high up and made a gesture that was as if she were pulling apart large, heavy doors, her face showing much strain while doing so. At first, Mickey and Katie were confused on what she was doing, but they soon saw what appeared to be some type of invisible shield breaking apart and exposing the part of the sky that they were actually standing beneath. It was grayed and distorted with an enormous shimmering “crack” that would have looked as beautiful as the northern lights had it not meant the end of the two combined Disneyverse realms there.

(Pop Culture Note: The physical description of the rift is based on one seen in the Doctor Who episode "The Sound of Drums" when the Master uses a "Paradox Machine" to bring several deadly machines from the future.)

            “Gosh!” Mickey exclaimed in surprise.

            “Wow!” Katie also shouted.

            “Yes. It is impressive…but also deadly.” Anne-Marie said before looking away from the tear and towards her companions. “Now then, we mustn’t waste time gawking at it. The longer it stays up there, the harder it will be to close it.”

            “How do we close it?” Katie inquired.

            “Follow my lead.” Anne-Marie instructed. “Lift your arms up high…Open your palms…Look to the rift…Slowly close your palms into a fist while imagining the rift closing.”

            It sounded simple enough to Katie and Mickey, even after Anne-Marie demonstrated it for them. They both did as the mistress sorceress instructed and concentrated hard on the rift, using their shared magic to close the crack in the sky. It sealed shut just as slowly as Katie and Mickey closed up their fists. The grayness retreated into the tear as it sealed, and the blue returned to the sky, bringing it completely back to normal.

            Mickey smiled over their success. “We did it!”

            Katie giggled. “That was awesome!”

            Anne-Marie scoffed, specifically at Katie. “Soak in that pride while it lasts, because it’s only going to get a lot harder from here.” Her words negatively impacted Katie and Mickey, whose smiles and giggles ceased instantly.

(UP NEXT: Trouble back home!)