Flynn reclined on one of the cushy red couches in The American Adventure VIP Lounge, sucking a can of soda through a straw as some W.E.D. officials entered and began speaking quietly amongst themselves. How unfair. He had come here for some peace and quiet after fixing the Fredrick Douglas animatronic after it started tweaking out, but these stuffed-shirt company men were encroaching upon his private time. Soon, three others joined them. They were all young; college-aged, by the look of it. Perhaps some new recruits. They began their meeting and Flynn put on a pair of headphones to drown them out.
The last to enter was a young woman. Aged eighteen to twenty, if Flynn were to guesstimate. Attractive, too, with long auburn hair, skinny jeans, ankle boots and a green denim over-shirt. She wore a backpack and had a starry-eyed look of anticipation and wonder about her.
He reached into the pocket of his leather jacket and pulled out his phone which bore the same swirly pink symbol as the logo that adorned his shirt. He held up his phone, looking as though he were attempting to snap her picture, but in fact, he was viewing her through a very special lens that allowed him to see something he couldn't see with his naked eyes. Sure enough, it was as he suspected. A brilliant light emanated from the girl, far brighter than any he'd seen for a long time. He nearly spat out his soda.
"Am I late?" the girl asked, glancing at her watch.
"I'm sorry, Mia," said one of the W.E.D. officials. "But some new information has come to light. I'm afraid you're not a good match for us."
"I'm sorry? I don't understand. I was under the impression I was more or less hired and this meeting was just a formality."
"Yes, that's true. But again, some new information has come to light--"
"Could you please tell me what you're referring to?"
The two men exchanged glances.
"We followed up on your resume. You stated you briefly attended Melrose University of Liberal Arts."
"Yes, that's true."
"Well, Mia, you failed to inform us that you were kicked out."
"Kicked out? I wasn't kicked out. I dropped out because--"
"We spoke to the head of the English Department, Professor Tremblay. She said you were expelled for plagiarism."
"WHAT?"
"Under those circumstances, you can see why we are retracting our offer."
"But I didn't--"
"Please don't make this harder than it is, Mia. You are certainly talented, but we can't take a chance on someone with your history."
"But--"
"You're dismissed, Mia."
"But I've come all this way! At least let me--"
"You and your family are free to enjoy your all-expense paid trip, but we will not be hiring you for our team at this time."
What are those dopes doing?
Flynn couldn't believe they'd sent her away! Something about a claim of plagiarism. Her? When the girl left, looking so much more than crushed, Flynn slipped quietly from the room. If they didn't want a girl with a spark that bright, he knew someone who would.
~~~
Mia came out of The American Adventure building with her head hanging, utterly dejected. Edward spotted her from his place at the fountain and hurried towards her.
"Mia, honey! What's the matter? What happened?"
With a choking sob, Mia crumpled in his arms. Her explanation came tumbling out of her mouth, muffled against his chest as she cried.
"WHAT?" her father raged. "That witch! I can't believe Disney would be so unprofessional to not even investigate it! I have half a mind to march in there and—"
Mia grabbed her father's arm as he attempted to walk past her. "Dad, no. Just don't. It won't do any good. They'll only kick us out and blacklist us forever."
Edward frowned as he gazed down at his daughter, a girl who'd very nearly achieved her greatest dreams, only for them to be snatched away from her and crushed underfoot like the dying embers of a fire. He thought he could see Mia's light going out, and there was nothing he feared more. Taking her by the shoulders, he gently set her down on the small wall that encircled the fountain.
"Mia, listen to me. This is not your fault. You understand that, right? You made it this far because you're so talented. That Professor Trembley, I don't know why, but for some reason she has it out for you, honey. And I promise Daddy is gonna sue the pants off that bitch for slandering you."
Mia blinked through tear-filled eyes. As a rule, her father never cursed. It was a testament to how incensed he was over the injustice inflicted upon her.
"I'll make this right, honey. So please don't get discouraged, okay?"
Mia sniffled and lowered her gaze, unable to speak in her distress. Her father took her chin in hand and tilted her face to look up at him.
"I need you to trust me, honey. Whatever you do, don't give up. Keep that light shining. People as talented as you don't go undiscovered for long."
"But it was already such a miracle to even get recognized by a company like Disney," she said glumly. "And lightning never strikes twice."
"That's a myth, Mia. Lightning can strike twice. Given enough time, it's inevitable. Besides, if we can't get you in with Disney, we'll find someone else who wants you. Heck, I'm sure one day people will be practically fighting over who gets to have you. And it'll be up to you to decide which company you want to work for."
"That's if Mom doesn't force me to go to medical school first."
"You leave your mother to me. I'll get her to see things my way. She'll be like putty in my hands."
"Dad, ew."
"Is that a smile? Did I just see a smile?"
Mia rolled her eyes and turned her gaze away. Edward took a seat beside her and put an arm around her.
"Everything's going to be okay, Mia. I promise. It'll all work out. Promise me you won't give up."
Mia gazed into the kind eyes of her adoptive father and instantly felt reassured. There was so much warmth, hope, and unshaken confidence in those eyes. Looking into them, it was hard to be too discouraged.
"I promise," she said tremulously.
"That's my big girl," he said, caressing her cheek and wiping away her tears. "Now, what do you say we go have ourselves some fun?"
"Honestly, I'd rather just go home," she replied, hanging her head as more tears trailed down her cheeks.
"No," he said sternly.
Mia gazed at him in shock.
"You fall off a horse, you get right back on it, Mia. We are not going to let this ruin our day, our month, our year, and certainly not our lives. I promised you I'd make this right, so trust me. In the meantime, we're going to milk this expenses-paid trip for all it's worth. Do you understand?"
"You're ordering me to stay and have fun at Disney World?"
"Yes. You are going to stay and have fun at Disney World. That's a direct order from your father. Besides, this is supposed to be the happiest place on Earth."
"It doesn't feel very happy right now."
"That's because you're sitting in a puddle."
Mia leapt to her feet to check her bottom. By the time she discovered her father had fibbed about the puddle, he'd already linked his arm through hers and was pulling her along with him.
"If we hurry, we can at least get in all of Epcot and the Magic Kingdom," he said cheerfully.
Mia and her father did their best to put the disheartening events behind them as they journeyed arm in arm through Epcot, seeking adventure and never suspecting that they were about to find it.
As Mia walked with her father through the France section of The World Showcase, they passed a strange man sitting outside one of the establishments that served beer on tap. He wore a long, black coat, one which was certainly too warm for Floridian summers. Like a hawk homing in on its prey, the man's piercing blue eyes settled on Mia. An attractive young woman walking the park with an older man; certainly, there were a lot of those. But he recognized this girl as the one he'd been ordered to find. The man downed his beer in one draught, only to spit it out.
"They call this beer? I wouldn't put it in a mutt's dish!"
He pitched the glass, letting it smash upon the ground. Payment for the lackluster beverage was the last thing on his mind. He had far more important things to attend to as he pushed past the throng of humanity, shoving some roughly aside as he stalked his prey.
"She's the one. The lucky girl."
"Hey, so did you know that Epcot is an acronym?" said Edward, hitting his daughter with a bit of trivia. "It stands for—"
"Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow," Mia finished for him.
Edward gazed down at her in surprise.
"How did you...?"
"With as much of a Disney nut as you are, Dad, how could I not know these things?"
"It seems I've taught you well, my young padawan."
"I think you're just getting forgetful. Old age and all."
"Hey!"
Mia laughed and linked arms with him. As a first order of business, they stopped at the Patisserie so she could practice some her French.
"Bonjour!" she greeted the young man behind the counter. "Que recommanderais-tu?"
"Bonjour, Mademoiselle," he said in reply. "Je recommande les eclairs ou le petit quatre."
"Merci beaucoup," she replied. "Je vais prendre un de chaque."
The young man bagged their pastries and rang them up at the register. "Tu es tres belle. As tu un petit ami?" he asked.
"Sorry," said Mia, blushing. "I'm afraid my French is a little limited. I'm really out of practice."
"Oh, nothing to worry about," the young man replied, looking rather embarrassed. He rewarded her with an extra pastry for her efforts.
"So, what did he say to you?" her father asked as they walked side by side, eating their pastries.
"Oh, I dunno," Mia mumbled, unable to look at him.
Edward lifted a skeptical eyebrow, looking very much like he didn't believe her. "He asked if you had a boyfriend, didn't he?"
Mia choked on her pastry. "How did you know that?"
"A father always knows. Perhaps I should go back in there and have a little talk with him."
"Oh my God, Dad. Seriously!" Mia grabbed his arm and yanked him back. "Don't embarrass me. Now where should we go next?"
"How about we head to The Imagination Pavilion and pay 'ol Figment a visit?"
"Sure," said Mia.
"You know, that ride used to be a whole lot cooler, back before you were born."
"Yes, Mr. Nostalgia," said Mia, who'd heard this line several times before. "Everything was much cooler when you were young."
"Hey," said her father, elbowing her playfully. "I mean it. They didn't used to have that stuffy old British guy in it. They used to have this cool animatronic dude, The Dreamfinder. He was like this jolly, bearded steampunk guy who piloted a dirigible and collected dreams. He used to sing this cute little song and then Figment popped out of the back of his dream collecting machine. Man, it was so cool."
"I've never heard you talk to that way before," Mia laughed.
Edward grinned bashfully and rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess this place just brings out the kid in me."
"Me, too," said Mia, linking arms with him again. "And thanks, Dad. You know, for everything."
As was typical in Walt Disney parks, the place was positively crowded. Even places that were no longer as popular as they once were still saw a herd of humanity passing through. But the man in the black coat was not to be stopped. As he pushed through the crowd, his jacket shifted and a second coat, red in color with a matching tunic, was exposed. A pimply faced teenager caught sight of him. Thinking he recognized a costumed cast member, he stepped in the man's path.
"Hey, Gaston! Wanna arm wrestle?"
The man seized the boy by his shirt and lifted him off the ground.
"Out of the way, you little..."
Mia and her father turned at the sound of a woman's scream. A formidable-looking man in a black coat held a teenage boy off the ground as the boy's mother begged the man to release her son.
Edward caught the eye of another gentleman who witnessed the scene. Something unspoken passed between the two good Samaritans, and both began to converge upon the man in the black coat.
"Dad, wait! Don't get involved," Mia begged, hurrying after him. "We should just call for security or something. The guy could be--" But already her father and the other gentleman had reached the dark, hulk of a man.
"Hey. Put the kid down, all right, big guy?" said Edward diplomatically. "Whatever he did to offend you, it's not worth it."
The he-man carefully scrutinized Edward, as though considering the wisdom of his words. However, the other gentleman made the mistake of placing a hand on the man's arm. The bulky stranger thrust an elbow, sending the well-intentioned gentleman staggering backwards and tumbling to the ground. Then, with hardly any effort, he pitched the boy aside. Unhurt but properly traumatized, the boy and his mother scurried away.
Edward hesitated. Perhaps he'd been foolhardy to confront this man. It seemed the best course of action was to back away humbly and wait for the proper authorities to handle this. However, he didn't get the chance. The hunter's eyes moved to Edward, sizing him up
"Well, now... Someone who wants to be a hero." His hawk-like gaze flicked to Mia and a lecherous grin spread across his face. "Might that be your daughter back there? Hmm?"
Fearing for Mia, Edward planted himself firmly in front of the man, blocking his path.
"Mia, run! Get help!"
"But Dad—"
"NOW!"
Mia bolted.
"NO!" A ham-sized fist sent Mia's valiant father careening to the concrete. The large man threw off his black coat and barreled through the crowd after Mia. "Come back here!"
Edward lay on the ground, feeling the warm trickle of blood from his nose. His vision was slowly dimming at the corners.
"P-Please... someone... my daughter... Help my..."
Several bystanders hurried to the aid of the unfortunate father as he fell unconscious, but Mia had no such help. She did not know the fate of her father, only that the crazed muscle-man he'd confronted was now chasing her. Disney security were on their walkie talkies, reporting the scene. Unfortunately, the amiable-looking fellows, who appeared to be in their 50s at the youngest, were nowhere near formidable enough to handle the bull of a man chasing her. This was a matter for Orlando Police. But could Mia outrun him long enough for them to get there? Mia searched the crowed for anyone who could help her, but the amused bystanders were pulling out their phones and taking video.
"This isn't a show!" she shouted. She glanced over her shoulder to see that the man had doffed his black coat. Beneath, he wore a familiar red jacket and tunic.
Gaston?
But why would one of the park actors chase her? Maybe he'd cracked; went crazy. Mia once heard a rumor that sometimes the park talent snapped under the pressure of their demanding jobs. Whatever the case, he was gaining on her and she was unable to move through the crowd as fast as she'd like. Mia rounded the corner of a nearby shop, only to trip and go sprawling. She twisted her ankle and landed awkwardly. Now, all she could do was watch helplessly as the man towered over her.
"Oh my God. P-Please don't hurt me," she begged.
The hunky actor dressed as the iconic Beauty & The Beast villain gazed down at her with a salacious grin. "Hurt you? I wouldn't dream of it. This is the day..."
He stopped midsentence, catching his reflection in the shop window and taking a moment to appraise himself.
Dear God, thought Mia. The guy's in full-on character.
Had he truly snapped or was he just foolish enough to think that assaulting children and chasing down young women were part of his job description?
"This is the day that our plans come to fruition," he continued, satisfied with what he'd seen in the window. "And those plans involve you."
"D-Do you need help?" Mia ventured timidly. "I can get you help." She slowly rose to her feet, wincing as she did. At least it seemed he didn't intend to hurt her.
The man parted his red jacket and withdrew a very real-looking French Rapier which had previously been obscured by the black coat he'd discarded.
"You can help me by coming quietly. Either way, I will be taking you with me. Make no mistake about that."
Mia swallowed and slowly backed away. Her lips parted, but her intended cry for help only came out as a fearful squeak. Clearing her throat, she asked, "What did you do to my dad? Did you hurt him?"
The meaty fellow tilted his head back and laughed. "That fool you call Dad thought he could stand up to me." He raised his free hand, clenching it into a fist. "So, I had to teach him a little lesson."
Oh no! Dad!
How badly was he hurt?
"If there's one lesson to be learned, it's this: No one stands up to—"
He was interrupted midsentence by a high-pitched whizzing sound. An object which Mia at first took to be a Frisbee flew at him. The man deflected the object with his rapier, but the impact was enough to send him staggering backward. Mia had just enough time to catch sight of a disk with a glowing rim before it returned to the outstretched hand of another impossibly familiar figure, one whom she recognized from her father's deep Disney obsessions. He wore a form-fitting black bodysuit with luminescent highlights. One such glowing highlight adorned his chest in the form of four small squares shaping a T. His short hair was dark brown and his skin a strange pale shade of gray.
Tron?
Tron, or the man posing as Tron, seemed to have come to her rescue. Perhaps this was just some sort of immersive show after all.
But his eyes, thought Mia. They're actually glowing! How do they do that?
"I suggest leaving the young lady alone."
Wide-eyed, Mia nodded. "Y-Yes. Agreed. Thank you." She hurried past Gaston, but he grabbed her knapsack and yanked her back to him.
"You won't get away so easily!"
If this was just meant to be an interactive show, they were being far too rough about it. Besides, she'd seen him knock a man to the ground and throw a teenage boy through the air. Surely that wasn't part of a show. The liability risk was way too high. This guy was a lawsuit waiting to happen.
While Gaston was distracted, Tron raced forward and leapt into the air, delivering a kick to his broad chest. Gaston released Mia and staggered backwards, raising his sword to attack.
"Just what do you think you can do?" he demanded.
Now Mia was certain. That was a real sword. And on second glance, that disc did look rather sharp. They were fighting with real weapons!
Tron held his disc at the ready and glanced at Mia before returning his gaze to his opponent.
"I fight... for the Utopia!"
Got his line messed up, thought Mia. What a strange slip-up.
It was so surreal to be thinking these thoughts whilst watching a battle between Tron and Gaston. She made another attempt at escape, but the direction she wished to take was blocked by the duelists as well as a crowd of people who stood by taking video of it with their phones. A man came to her side and took her by the arm.
"H-Hey!" she cried. "Let go!"
"Running's a good idea, but not that way," he said. "C'mon!"
The newcomer was a man in his late 20s with unkempt brown hair wearing a T-shirt with the retro 1980s Journey Into Imagination logo. He pulled Mia in the opposite direction, leading her away from the Canada Pavilion and The World Showcase.
Gaston saw his target making a break for it. "SHE'S MINE!" he shouted. He drew a dagger from within his coat and threw it at Mia's would-be savior. A flying disc collided with the dagger, knocking it off its intended trajectory before returning to Tron's hand.
"FLYNN! GO!"
Flynn?
Why did that name sound familiar? Mia ran as best she could with her twisted ankle alongside the ruggedly handsome stranger. Her desire to get as far away from the madness behind her encouraged Mia to push through her pain and keep up with her rescuer. Somewhere behind them, Gaston, the villain of Beauty & The Beast, was doing battle with Tron, the titular hero of the live-action '80s film... with real weapons! What was even happening?
They followed the long path around the large World Showcase lagoon, drawing near the building that once housed her father's favorite attraction. Bright sunlight glinted off the pair of glass pyramids that made up the Imagination Pavilion.
"Just a little further and we'll be home free!"
"Who are you, exactly?" Mia asked, panting in cadence to their running.
He couldn't be park security. He wasn't wearing the right clothes.
"Are you an employee? What's going on?"
Flynn didn't seem interested in answering her questions, and the Imagination Pavilion reminded her of the unknown fate of her father.
"Wait!" she cried, digging her heels and tugging him back. "My dad! I need to go to him! He might need help!"
"Look, kiddo, I'm sure your dad will be all right. Park security's probably got to him by now. But if you go back there, you're runnin' the risk of slammin' right back into that walking chin back there. Right now, the best idea is to get as far away from that mess as possible. And I know just where to go."
His answer was not what she wanted to hear, but it pacified her for the moment. Park Security or someone would have gotten to her dad by now, and she had no aspirations of running into that crazed character actor again.
"Why did he snap like that? Do you know why he fixated on me?"
Flynn didn't reply as he led her inside the Imagination Pavilion where people milled around the gift shop or waited in line for the lackluster reincarnation of a classic attraction. Children played in the What-If Lab, all blissfully unaware that over in Canada, two Disney characters were in the heat of battle.
Flynn paused and took a moment to assess his surroundings. A sign reading, Disney Vacation Club Member Lounge hung in front of a spiral staircase.
"It used to be so much easier to get to where we need to go," he muttered. "It was just up that staircase... till they blocked it off and stuck a lousy VIP lounge up there."
"Where are you taking me?" Mia huffed. "Can't we just call the police? Look, Mr. Flynn or whoever you are, I'm really freaking out right now."
Flynn led her through a door that said Employees Only and they traveled down a back accessway. "I'm gonna tell you something," he said, "and this'll probably sound really wild, but just listen, okay? I was in the room when you had your little meeting earlier. Those guys don't know anything. You're like lightning in a bottle, man! I saw it!"
Mia had no idea what he was talking about.
"I wanted to talk to you, but, you picked up that side o' beef in France and it made it tricky to stop and shoot the shit."
It took her a moment to understand what he'd just said. This man had a way of speaking that sounded decades old. Flynn led Mia down corridor after corridor before taking a staircase. They were in an area that was most certainly not open to the public.
"As for the police, they won't be able to do much about him. By the time they get here, He-Man will be history, probably recalled by his Mistress of the Night. The best thing we can do right now is just let it be." He glanced over his shoulder and smiled at her. "It's amazing how productive doing nothing can be."
"Nothing you just said makes any sense."
Flynn laughed. "Life has a way of moving you past things like 'sense.' Look, I didn't realize you were gonna be tracked by the dark side's ace hunter today, but that only goes to tell me that there must be a reason they want you. It's probably that wild spark, man. Ain't seen one so bright in such a long time. The baddie bads are probably threatened by a spark so bright. Knowing the kind of attention you're gonna attract, there's only one person who can help you."
"Are you ever going to tell me what you're talking about?"
As he led her deeper within the building, the décor began to resemble an abandoned futuristic attraction that hadn't seen the light of day in at least two decades. After cutting through a storage area, Mia followed Flynn into a large room with multicolored computer consoles, all of them gutted. Above was a sign which said, Magic Palette. A wall display showed what looked to have once been giant kaleidoscopes. Yet another exhibit read, Dreamfinder's School of Drama. In another room at the far corner was a row of uncolored stucco images of a jolly bearded man riding a dirigible.
"Here we are. The old Imageworks."
Mia gazed about her in wonder. This must be where the old ride used to be, the one her father had reminisced about. There on the wall was the Dreamfinder guy and with him the iconic Figment.
"My dad remembers all this from when he was young," she said. "What happened to it?"
"Money happened... or rather a lack of money. Sponsor and funding issues led to the park completely changing the ride and closing this little Playground of the future in favor of that poor excuse of a replacement downstairs. Problem is, it's so uninspired. It lacks any real imagination, man. So, this place is closed and the ride's a mess. Worst part about it is they completely lost sight of the man at the heart of this whole wonderful thing."
"That's a shame," said Mia. "My dad has such nostalgia for it. It seems like a lot of people do. I mean, I always liked Figment, but I was only a year old when they closed the original ride, so I can't say I ever experienced it for myself."
She stood alongside Flynn staring at the uncolored image of the man called The Dreamfinder riding his dirigible. She gazed upon the jolly man's visage for a long time before pulling her eyes away and looking around the abandoned area.
"So how long do we have to wait before it's safe to go back out? If my dad is okay, he's gotta be worried sick about me right now."
Flynn shook his head as he reached into his jacket pocket. "We're not going back. There could be more baddies out there lookin' for you. I know someone who can help you. And we're gonna go pay him a visit."
He approached another old artifact, something that resembled a metallic archway. On the wall above it was an unlit neon sign that said Sensor. A curving path in the floor indicated that something, perhaps a walkway of sorts, once stood in this spot, but now only the gutted archway entrance remained.
"But why?" Mia asked, following him to the skeleton of what may once have been a tunnel. "You still haven't explained anything!"
She watched him take out his smart phone. However, the design on the back didn't look like any brand logo she'd ever seen.
"Look," she said, "I'm grateful to you for everything you've done, but I still don't know who the heck you are. Are you even an employee here? Why are people after me?"
"You're right, kiddo. I haven't really explained much of anything, have I? Truth be told, I do kinda work here, but I wouldn't call myself a Cast Member or anything. Imagineer is a better word for what I do. But my job involves a little bit more than just building animatronics for rides." He pressed an icon on his smart phone, one which looked similar to Tron's disc weapon. "Talk to me, T. What's the situation?"
Tron, or whatever his real name was, replied. "The enemy has fled. A green flame gateway appeared. He might have returned home, but hard to say. Could still be in the park somewhere."
"Ya done good, man. I'm recalling you now."
He pressed the icon a second time. Luminescent pixels appeared on the back of Flynn's jacket like digital data and materialized into the disc weapon. When the disc fully solidified, a strip down the front of Flynn's jacket lit up, glowing brightly.
"Not bad for a first real field test," he said.
Mia leapt back from him, letting out a cry of surprise. "H-How did you do that? What the hell is going on?"
"Hey, take it easy," he said. "If you can't handle an I.D. Disc materializing onto my back, then what happens next will really fry your circuits."
He returned to the archway. At the top, there were spaces where letters had once been attached to the metal, like phantom writing from the past, faded with time. Mia could just make out the words Rainbow Corridor. Flynn lifted his phone, activating another mysterious application. The same pink swirly symbol from his shirt appeared on the screen. He traced a little circle over it with his finger and it began to spin and run through a cycle of different colors. The Sensor sign above them lit up with a buzz, glowing as brightly as though it were still new.
"Dig this, man."
The archway burst to life and a tunnel of swirling light and colors stretched forward into space.
"The Rainbow Corridor never gets old."
Mia gasped, and despite her apprehension and better judgement, she moved tentatively towards it. "Consider my circuits fried," she said.
She stopped just outside the archway, gazing into the tunnel of pure rainbow light that seemed to go on forever. How was that possible? The room wasn't even big enough to accommodate it! She stepped around the side of the archway.
"Woah! There's nothing there!"
Even looking through the archway from behind, all she saw was Flynn standing on the other side, but when she came back to stand beside him, she was once more gazing into a swirling wormhole of light.
"How is that possible?"
Flynn shrugged, smiling. "It's like the man said. With one little spark." He tapped a finger to his head and slipped his phone back into his jacket pocket.
Those words seemed only vaguely familiar, as though she'd heard them before, but only in the deep nebulous recesses of her mind.
From his hip, Flynn unsheathed a white baton with glowing lights. "Let's go."
Mia's eyes widened. She held up her hands and backed away slowly, shaking her head. "Yeah, what? I don't think so," she said with a nervous little laugh. "Look, I appreciate all your help, but this is just too much. I don't think I should be seeing any of this. I'm not going through some mysterious magical portal to God knows where with some strange man I've never met before, even if you are kinda cute."
Flynn lifted his eyebrows . "Cute?"
"Go on back to the Twilight Zone or the Grid or wherever you hail from, Tron man. I'm getting out of here."
"Hey, girl. Wait a sec—"
He caught movement out of the corner of his eye and glanced towards the Dreamfinder's School of Drama. A flickering green flame hovered there, one which was swiftly growing into a much larger, more menacing trans-dimensional rift.
"Actually, you might wanna rethink that!"
Mia turned and came face to face with yet another dimensional portal, this one made of toxic green flames and much less inviting than the Rainbow Corridor. Armored goblin-like creatures leapt out of it, armed to the teeth with a variety of medieval weaponry. Mia screamed and practically leapt into Flynn's arms.
"Ahh! What the hell are those things?"
"Goons! And a very good reason to get the hell outta here!" Flynn turned to the Rainbow Corridor, putting Mia on his back. "Hang on to me!"
Mia wrapped her arms around Flynn's neck, clinging to him piggy-back style, as the creatures began pouring into the room. Flynn activated a trigger on his white baton. Suddenly, the pair were dragged forward and a sleek white vehicle materialized instantly beneath them. A light cycle, just like in the Tron movies!
As the roof of the light cycle formed above them, Mia was pressed rather intimately against Flynn. She'd never been this close to a man who wasn't her father before. It was almost scandalous. But as she heard the clamoring of the hellish creatures behind them, she lost all sense of propriety and clung to him all the tighter.
"Time to go!"
Flynn hit the accelerator and the light cycle plunged forward, sending them into the spiraling tunnel of rainbow light which swirled around them. Mia buried her face against Flynn's neck. She couldn't watch. It made her dizzy.
Oh please, oh please... Let this be over. This is all just a dream. A seriously messed-up dream.
Flynn smiled to himself as Mia tightened her grip. A pretty young lady holding tight to him? Not a bad position to be in, really. Though it'd be a lot better if they weren't hauling ass to save their own lives. Under better circumstances, riding his light cycle with a girl would be a pretty great way to spend a day.
The vortex of colors swirled faster and faster the further they went and Flynn was forced to close his eyes. Then, quite suddenly, they were through. The light cycle went skidding into a pristine laboratory, sliding across the white tile floor and knocking papers off desks and sending men and women screaming and scurrying out of its path. Finally, it skidded to a halt and the Rainbow Corridor snapped shut behind them. The hatch-cover of the vehicle slid back, opening it up to the air.
"Woo! Pretty good driving, huh?"
Mia's arms remained tightly around him with no intention of letting go. She was shaking like a leaf. "I n-never wanna do that again," she chattered through her teeth.
Flynn glanced back at her with a handsome, roguish grin. "Aw, come on. I got us through unscathed. And best of all, we're out of trouble."
"FLYNN! YOU'RE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE!"
He winced and pressed a button on the steering console. The light cycle dematerialized and resumed the form of a white baton. Flynn stood up quickly to receive the man who'd yelled at him, sending Mia tumbling off his back.
The man who strode towards them wore a long white lab coat over a gray suit and tie. He was an older man, perhaps in his 50s, with short, receding curly hair and a rather prominent nose.
"Just what were you thinking, recklessly speeding into the lab on that flashy motorbike of yours?" he asked with an accent that, to Mia, sounded British. "You could have gotten someone killed! Or worse!"
Flynn quirked an eyebrow. "Worse?"
"You could have damaged some irreplaceable equipment!"
"Right... That's worse."
Mia took a moment to assess their current surroundings. As best she could figure, this was some sort of laboratory. Men and women in white coats bustled about and substances in glass beakers bubbled over Bunsen burners. She glanced behind her. The Rainbow Corridor had disappeared. Had she only imagined it? But no, how else could she be in some strange laboratory when moments ago they'd been in an abandoned section of the Imagination Pavilion in Epcot? All evidence pointed to a dimensional portal, but Mia's more practical mind and her understanding of reality versus fantasy begged her to consider some other alternative. Besides, no one here exactly looked otherworldly, although some of the objects with which they were experimenting seemed questionable.
"I've had it with you as of late, Flynn! You spend too much time on the other side." The man was pointing toward the Rainbow Corridor's deactivated archway. "Coming and going at all hours as you please without telling a soul! And when you deem it necessary to actually be here, you're either riding around on your silly motorbike—"
"It's a light cycle."
"... or you're hiding in your development lab wasting time with those silly games of yours."
"You mean The Grid."
"It's bollocks, Flynn! You haven't done anything productive around here!"
"I developed the Tron program!"
"Which has never even been needed, let alone field tested!"
Flynn opened his mouth to protest, but the older man continued to talk over him.
"You've done nothing lately! How you're an Imagineer, I can't even fathom. Your imagination, Flynn, is rubbish!"
Flynn blinked, seemingly at a loss for words until he finally managed to sputter something out. "Yeah, well... that's just, like, your opinion, man."
Mia's wandering eyes returned to Flynn and the scientist, captivated by their argument, particularly the words and phrases that were used. Other side. The Grid. The Tron program. Imagination. As interesting as it all was, they were getting nowhere and Mia still didn't know where she was or who any of these people were. She cleared her throat loudly.
"Um, hello? Yeah, hi. Sorry to interrupt. I'd just like to remind you that I'm still here. You know, the girl you abducted and took down the psychedelic rabbit hole. Just wondering where I am and how I might get back to reality."
People gasped at her use of the words rabbit hole as though she'd said some sort of swear word. Even the haughty British scientist went wide-eyed, as though truly seeing her for the first time.
"Who is THIS? Who have you brought in here?"
Flynn's eyes went wide as though he suddenly remembered Mia's presence. "HER! I'll tell you, Dr. Hoity-Toity Channing, what I've done lately. I rescued this girl!"
"Rescued? She just said you abducted her!"
Flynn shook his head and ran a hand through his already disheveled hair. "Abducted— I saved her life! She was being chased by Maleficent's hunter, Gaston, and a gaggle of Goons! I saved her life, man!"
The room fell eerily silent. Dr. Channing had gone pale and began to stammer. "Mal-Mal-Mal-"
Flynn rolled his eyes. "We don't have time for this. Where's Mercurial?"
"Wait... Maleficent?" said Mia. "As in the scary horned witch lady from Sleeping Beauty? Yeah, I'm definitely sure I'd like a ticket back to the real world, please."
"On the contrary," said a voice from the doorway of the experimental lab. "She's not a witch. If you want to be completely factual, Maleficent is a fairy. A fairy of darkness, but a fairy nonetheless."
In walked a tall, full-bodied gentleman with bright eyes and a bushy auburn beard. His attire featured a long, blue coat with black lapel collar, matching pants, and a red vest over a white shirt. A black top hat and a pair of goggles rested upon his head. His hands were adorned with a pair of white magician's gloves. The man had an almost Steampunk Santa Claus look about him. His appearance was strikingly familiar. It was like looking at a legend from her father's nostalgic ramblings.
"Oh!" exclaimed Mia. "You're that... that Dreamfinder guy."
"Professor Mercurial. Thank heavens!" said Dr. Channing, relieved. "Perhaps you can help us sort this out."
The man they addressed as Professor Mercurial looked as though he were on the verge of tears. Whatever could cause an otherwise jolly Santa Claus-like man to wear such an expression?
"Is it really you?" he asked, drawing near. "My sweet... sweet Miandra... Has my greatest dream finally found her way home?"
His words floored her. He knew her name. And not just the name she went by, but her full first name, a name very few people actually knew. Miandra. And his Miandra, no less. Whatever did he mean?
Greatest dream? Home?
Mia swallowed nervously and took a step back from him, sidling close to Flynn. "Wh-What is he talking about?" she asked, but her eyes would not leave the man standing before her.
Flynn shook his head. For the first time ever, he was truly at a loss for words.
"I'm sorry," said Mia, "But how is it you know my name?"
The man smiled so widely that his eyes crinkled at the corners and tears spilled from them. They went rolling down his rosy cheeks. He lowered the hat from his head and held it to his heart.
"Well, of course I would know your name better than anyone else. After all, I gave it to you."
Releasing Flynn's arm, Mia carefully approached the man who claimed to have gifted her with her name. A sort of magnetism drew her to this peculiar man who radiated such warmth and yet such sorrow. She stopped within a couple feet of him, tilting her head and furrowing her brow as she carefully studied every detail of his person. The claim he'd made, what he was insinuating – surely it was impossible.
He gazed down at her with tenderness in his hazel eyes. Looking into them seemed to trigger a long-lost memory in the deep recesses of Mia's mind, one which was hazy with years. She saw a blurred vision of this same man, only with a thinner face and well-groomed goatee, gazing down at her in a very similar manner; and then, a short, chubby baby arm, an arm she instincitvely knew to be hers, reaching up to grab his nose.
Mia lifted a trembling hand to his face, her fingers gently brushing his cheek. Gasping, she withdrew her hand and took a step back.
The Dreamfinder smiled.
"Yes, Miandra," he said softly, his cheeks damp with tears. "It's me."
Mia swayed on her feet. Her eyes rolled back and she collapsed in his arms.