Sword Art on Disney
Chapter One
Anna couldn't believe it. The day had come when she'd finally get to put on the Nervegear and try Sword Art Online! Her key fumbled in the door as she hastened to get it open.
Entering her apartment, she ripped off her jacket. Soon she'd be in another universe, instead of being a college student.
Ever since Elsa had been abducted three years ago, Anna hadn't found many moments for joy. Finally, she could put all that behind her, at least for a little while.
Thousands of other people were also getting ready for the moment when Sword Art Online would go live. Including the girls in the apartment next to Anna's: Belle, Ariel, and Jasmine.
They invited her over sometimes, and she liked being around them. But their company couldn't make up for Elsa's abasence.
Her phone dinked and she checked the text message.
See you in SAO in a few minutes! Belle had sent.
Not if I see you first, Anna sent back. She knew it was cliché, but she had no words for this moment of ecstasy.
Another dink on her phone got her checking again.
This one was from Candace Flynn, another college student whose boyfriend had been thought to run away, which Candace blamed herself for.
She turned to video games for solace, and that was how Anna met her. In a game store.
If I join a guild, you better join it too, Candace sent.
Anna smiled. She was lucky to have such great friends.
She put the Nervegear on her head, and awaited its wonders.
A warthog and meerkat were watching an anime that the old baboon Rafiki had done a voice for.
It starred a meerkat who became a wizard but who was believed to be evil by most of the animals around. Only a giraffe would believe him. And a wizened, elderly zebra, who was the character Rafiki had done voice work for.
"Gosh that hippo makes me so angry!" Timon said, throwing his ICEE at the television set in the restaurant.
"Watch it, Timon, or I can have you arrested," said Judy Hopps, a rabbit officer.
"Or you can give me a hot date where we can share a platter of caterpillars," Timon said, in his smoothest voice.
"Don't you go hitting on Judy now," said a fox, also in police uniform, stepping beside the bunny. "Respect her, my animal."
"I do respect her. But you can't blame a guy for thinking she's cute."
"Don't say 'cute,'" Judy snapped, while Nick snarled.
"Will you arrest me for saying that?" Timon asked.
Judy smacked him. "Nah, being rude isn't a crime. But it is impolite."
Timon enjoyed being smacked by her. He fantasized over her dragging him away in handcuffs. But not to a prison cell. To her apartment. To do wacko things to him…
"Your grub is here," said a waitress, a lioness named Kiara. She placed a platter of centipedes, worms, and other slimy creatures on the table before them.
Judy wrinkled her nose.
"Hey, Kiara," Pumbaa said. "What are you doing in a dump like this? Weren't you planning to become a movie director?"
"I can't apply for UZLA until I get a scholarship or pay for 40% of it myself," Kiara said. "And Kion will be entering his junior year in high school. Mom and Dad have to think about his future also."
"Well, I for one wish you luck," Judy said to Kiara. "I'm sure you'll make a fine good director."
"Thanks," Kiara said, blushing.
"What kind of movies are you planning to make?" Nick asked.
"Well, I was thinking postapocalyptic but with romance thrown in. That would only be my first though. I mean look, the same person who made Titanic also made Avatar. So nothing is set in stone."
"Sounds good," Nick said. "I look forward to seeing your movies in future."
"And I look forward to seeing more of you in future," Timon said to Judy, leaning in close.
She slammed his head down into the bugs. "No thanks. I couldn't date anyway. Being a cop means I have a very busy schedule."
"Speaking of which, we need to head out," Nick said. "That new virtual reality game is being sold today, launches tomorrow. Got to make sure there are no riots in the long lines."
Timon watched Judy's butt and adorable tail as she sashayed out of the diner. He wished he could take a picture of it, but he didn't have his camera and his cell phone had run out of juice.
"Hey, Timon, we gonna buy that Sword Art Online game too?" Pumbaa asked.
"I preordered it on Amazon, animal. It should be at our condo when we return."
"Uh, a run down shack isn't a condo, Timon."
The meerkat shook his head. "I know that, Pumbaa. But with the magic of virtual reality, we will have a condo."
He waved his hand as he said this, before slurping up a centipede. "I love having their hundred legs crawling down toward my stomach," he said, contentedly.
An elegant Hispanic princess stepped out of a coach, and gazed at the long line of people waiting to buy the game.
"Look at that, Elena!" exclaimed her little sister, who had donned a pink dress for the occasion. "Dwarves! Seven of them!"
"Bah," said one of the dwarves, turning his back to them.
"Don't mind Grumpy," said a jolly, fat dwarf with a thick white goatee. "He's always a sourpuss."
"Why are so many people into this game?" Elena asked.
"Because it's supposed to be the greatest breakthrough in virtual reality history!" the jolly dwarf said.
A redheaded gentleman wearing a white suit with epaulettes stopped her. "Would you mind standing with me, beautiful princesa?"
"Um, sure," Elena said, very flattered.
"I shall escort the princess, not you," a young man in a blue uniform said.
"Easy now, Gabe. I have to meet new people occasionally. It's my duty as crown princess of Avalor."
"But princess, this man could be bad news."
"Excuse me," the redheaded man said. "I am a prince. Far from being bad. Maybe you should watch your step before you accuse."
"Being a prince doesn't make you immune to treachery," Gabe said.
The two young men glared at each other.
"Gabe, don't rip the guy's head off," said another young Hispanic boy, wearing a red robe. "Nice to meet you, I'm—"
But he's shoved out the wave by a girl with short blond hair. "I'm Naomi."
"Hans," the young man said, grinning. But he didn't look at her for long. His eyes were mostly fixated on Elena.
Naomi felt miffed, but whatever. She went over to stand beside Gabe.
"Will you all stop introducing yourselves so we can get in line?" Isabel asked. "I don't want to get in the story and find out all copies of the games are sold before we get a chance to get it also."
"Sure, Isa," Elena said, snapped out of reverie. "Let's do that."
They all headed toward the end of the line.
The man wearing a suit of armor standing in front of them and talking to a brunette in a long purple dress, was saying something about hearing a rumor that Zootopia had gotten the game as well.
"So we'll be playing with animals in the game?" Isabel asked, excited.
"Seems so," the man in armor said. "Nice party you've got there. I'm Hercules."
He extended his hand to Elena, who shook it.
"I'm crown princess Elena of Avalor. Nice to meet you, Hercules."
A boy with a triangle nose got behind Elena's party. He had several friends with him. "Sword Art Online will be the best thing that ever happened to us. Too bad Ferb and I didn't invent it."
An Indian boy in his party said, "I never thought I'd be standing in line to buy a virtual reality game, but here I am."
"What'cha doing?" said a girl in purple who had just arrived.
"Waiting for you of course, Isabella."
"Did she just say…?"
Isabel rushed over to talk to the other girl. "I'm Isabel, a princess of Avalor. And I thought I heard your name as Isabella?"
"Yes, it is," the purple clad girl said. "Wow, our names are similar."
Three girls got in line behind Phineas' crew. One was holding a book.
"Geez, Belle, why would you bring a book to a video game store?" the redhead in the party asked.
"Well, we are standing in a long line," Belle remarked.
"Yeah. And look, it's Candace's little brothers."
"Howdy," Phineas said.
"This is going to be the best game ever," Jasmine said. "Everyone we know is playing it. And we'll probably meet many new people, as well."
I already have met someone new, Elena said, looking at Hans. Of course she had met a few people today, but Hans was really handsome. She usually didn't lose her cool, but she couldn't resist sideburns and red hair…
Kiara's shift ended, and she traipsed out of the diner to see Kovu standing there in a tux, a flower in his teeth.
"You're so romantic, Kove," Kiara said, taking the flower in her paws. Then Kovu leaned in for a kiss.
"Now how about going to buy Sword Art Online?" Kovu asked, after they made out and gazed lovingly into each other's eyes.
"I'd love that," Kiara said, batting her eyelashes. She wasn't a flirty sort of lioness most of the time, but she wanted to be with Kovu. It just totally rocked being with him.