This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Note: This story is set in a fictional version of Walt Disney World Resort, and all referenced material is used in like fashion. The Walt Disney Company has not authorized or endorsed this story.
Story by David Foxfire; Artwork by David Foxfire, colored by Rich Koster
Confused? Go back to the previous chapter, chapter 1.
While Amber was finding out about Oswald’s return—and scoring points by knowing about Oswald in the first place, Johnny has just met him for the first time.
It was Oswald’s nose that peeked out to sniff the snacks laid out in the green room, the room Johnny was in, who was sniffing at the newcomer as well.
Then the rest of the Lucky Rabbit joined his nose, all two foot ten of him—including his long ears—all black and white save for his blue shorts. Little was added to the long-forgotten character save for the modern eyes. But to Johnny, who’s nose just twitched as he said “Hi there, guess you’re new too,” he was indeed as young and green as he was.
Oswald, being older than Mickey of course, didn’t know what to think of that remark. He just humphed.
Johnny humphed back.
Oswald shrunk a bit, Johnny followed suit.
This lead up to a series of Oswald and Johnny trading up sillier and sillier poses, each one trying to out-do the other. Eventually, they both lost their balance and hit the floor at the same time.
Oswald was the first to smile after that. “Looks like you’re pretty much all right too. Name’s Oswald, what’s ya name, kid?”
“Johnny Briz,” Johnny said as he shook his hand. Or rather, Oswald shook his.
“You’re that guy who’s been bounding around that Celebration place like a high-bounce ball?” Oswald said. “Mickey told me about you.” He then scratched his head. “Or is it he warned me about you?”
Johnny just waved his hand, “Oh, pshaw. I haven’t done anything Mickey himself hadn’t done in his prime.”
Oswald just smiled. “I like you already kid…and we’re just talking about ya, little brother.”
Johnny blinked, and then tilted his head to see around Oswald.
It was Mickey, of course, in the longer version of his red shorts with a collared shirt. It looks like he had his tuxedo on but took part of it off. Johnny could smell smoke coming out of Mickey’s ears. It also looks like he didn’t take the “in his prime” bit too well.
“Well, hiya, Mickey,” Johnny said, with a smile. “You have my condolences.”
That caused Mickey to blink. “How so?”
Oswald turned around with a sly grin. “You haveta put up with both of us.”
Mickey had to smile at that, as he rubbed his head. “I heard you were here, Johnny. Had to check up with you after your sparring this morning. Donald felt bad after the little mishap.”
Oswald wanted to hear this, especially when Johnny pointed to that band-aid that was on his forehead that the rabbit didn’t notice before.
“Oh this?” Johnny said. “It’s not that bad now. We were just sparring and Donald landed a lucky elbow. It wasn’t that much once they got all the blood wiped out. Didn’t even need stitches.”
Oswald was impressed. “Whoa? You took a lick from Mr. Rageaholic and just laughed it off? I’m really liking ya, Kid.”
“Oh! What do we have here?” A girlish voice said from the far door. “Is that Oswald?”
Johnny and Mickey recognized it as Amber, but Oswald just took one look at who entered the room and went, “Hellloooo nurse.”
Mickey was already protesting. “Hold on there, Ozzy! That’s Johnny’s girl.”
But Amber was already stroking Oswald’s ear and causing his foot to thump. “The kid knows how to pick ‘im then.”
Mickey just sighs, shoves Oswald aside, much to his chagrin, and looks up to Amber. “Looks like you’re going to help my older brother get used to the 21st century, Amber.”
Amber gives Mickey a scritch as well. “Yeah, Robbie gave me that suggestion.”
“Huh-ha,” Mickey said as he felt her fingers on his head. “Well, I hope he told you enough about my older brother. Not only does he have zero idea about the world today, being wherever he was all these eighty plus years, but he thinks that he could just waltz into here and just take over the top spot in the Magic Kingdom. Sure he’s older than me, and sure he was the big star in his short first career, but what does he know about what is humorous in this day and age. This isn’t the 1920s you know…he’s doing it again, isn’t he?”
What Mickey was referring to is Oswald, and what he was doing again is making faces behind his younger brother’s back, silently mocking him. And with perfect timing, Mickey turns around to see Oswald whistling and looking innocent, rocking on his large feet.
Amber couldn’t stop laughing.
Mickey couldn’t keep himself from sighing.
“Just keep him outta trouble, all right, Amber?” was all Mickey could ask.
Amber nods and returns to Oswald, who was getting high fived by Johnny. “Hey, wanna stop by our house over at Celebration? I’d like to get to know you better.”
“Well, since you asked, I didn’t tell you yet,” Oswald answered, “but me and my family just moved in there. My lovely wife Ortensia and all 420 of my kids. We’re going to have a pizza party tonight to warm the house, and…what can I say, two more can’t hurt.”
“Ohmigosh,” Johnny said, in utter shock. “Four Hundred and Twenty kids? How do you deal with them all?!”
Oswald only grinned and chuckled as he led Johnny and Amber out the door, while Mickey just stood there and picked at what was left of the snacks.
There was a ring from Mickey’s iPhone, he answers it.
“Hello,” Mickey started, but then his eyes went wide for a moment. “Yessir…Oswald just left with Johnny. Yes, that one. Wha? When did you start…” He winced. “Okay okay…I’ll keep you posted…oh, you don’t need that…”
He then fell silent, whoever was at the other end made him a bit nervous. He flipped the iPhone over, sending it to speakerphone mode.
An ancient sounding voice was heard as Mickey switches to a web browser. He paged through some RSS feeds until he came to an article titled “Oswald the Lucky Rabbit newest toon heartthrob; Could mean Disneyfied Twilight Effect.”
“Having your older brother return to the real world will have unforeseen repercussions,” the voice said. “Repercussions that could put the world around us in. We must be vigilant if we are to weather this coming storm, not just for the general population of our Kingdom, but for others blazing their own world like Johnny. But I can guess, in quieter moments, you might have thought of it yourself.”
Whoever it was on the other end, he hung up at that point, leaving Mickey to just sigh again.
He slid the phone back to his pants and glanced over at the passing Bob Iger.
“Was that Yensid?” Bob asked. “How did he get a phone?”
Mickey shrugged. “He said something about Oswald stirring up something that he might not be able to deal with, or something like that.” He shook his head. “I don’t know.”
Bob knelt down and scratched Mickey’s head. “You worry too much, pal. You’ve been nervous ever since Oswald returned.”
“Are you worried about the fast popularity he’s getting?” Mickey asked. “Not that I mind, Ozzy deserves some of the spotlight after all this time, but I’ve heard horror stories about how some of these fan groups can get.”
“A valid point,” Bob said. “Michael told me about some of the Rescue Rangers groups while he was CEO, and some of them weren’t pretty. And that was tame compared to the anime groups; God, I needed brain bleach.” He stood up. “I’m sure that they’ll be some action there, but it’ll blow over in time.”
“I hope you’re right, Bob,” Mickey said. “I hope you’re right.”