A/N: Hello, my lovely readers! You've been patiently waiting for months now, so here it is: the long awaited sequel to Finn's Battle! (If you haven't read it yet, you will want to do so now before you start this one...unless you want to be lost.) I will try to update as soon as I can, but as of right now, I am still juggling my other two stories, (Kingdom Keepers: The Search for the Great Power and Voldemort's Victory), and I want to have at least one of them finished completely before I get myself in too deep! Until then, enjoy this little appetizer! This story picks up exactly where the prequel left off. The first italicized section is from the epilogue of Finn's Battle.
Disclaimer: Have I ever told you guys that I don't own the Kingdom Keepers or Disney? I have? Oh, ok. As you were then...
The First Keeper
Prologue: Uncle Walt
"So he knew about us before we were even born," grinned Maybeck, "How awesome is that? We were handpicked by Walt!"
"And it looks like I've made the right decision," said a voice from directly behind Wayne.
The Keepers' shock grew tenfold as they stared at the new speaker, unable to speak.
The tall man with the thin, gray moustache and the smile that could brighten up anybody's day stood in the doorway of the kitchen.
"Hello, Keepers," he said, "You can call me Uncle Walt."
Finn blinked once. He shut his eyes tight and silently counted to three, then opened his eyes again.
Walt Disney was standing before them.
This can't be happening, thought Finn as he shook his head in disbelief. He repeated his vision exercise. Even in Disney World, things weren't always as they seemed.
Three unsuccessful attempts later, he was forced to admit defeat.
The man standing in Wayne's apartment was in fact Walt Disney.
Suddenly feeling emotionally and mentally drained, Finn collapsed onto the couch. His fellow Keepers did the same. They were just as dumbfounded as their leader.
Not a single eye strayed from Walt's timeless face.
After several seconds of silence, Walt found himself bombarded with questions.
"How are you still alive?"
"When did you get here?"
"Are you really Walt Disney?"
"What do you think about the theme parks?"
"Where have you been this entire time?"
"Why didn't you show yourself before?"
"Where were you when Finn was captured by the Overtakers?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold your horses, my young friends," chuckled Walt as he raised his hands for silence, "One question at a time, please!"
The entire room seemed to be holding its breath.
"I-I don't understand what's going on here," Willa whispered.
The other Keepers nodded in agreement. The confusion on every face was clear.
"It's really quite simple, my dear," Walt replied, "Allow me to explain…"
"Well, now, where should I begin?" wondered Walt as he settled into a kitchen chair. Wayne pulled up a second chair for himself.
"To answer your biggest question, I am indeed the real Walt Disney."
"But, Mr. Disney-"
"Uncle Walt, please, Mr. Philby. Mr. Disney was my father!"
"Sorry. Uncle Walt, how is that possible?" Philby wanted to know, "You've been dead for almost 40 years!"
"That is an excellent question. To be honest, I don't completely understand it myself! I remember being admitted into the hospital for surgery on an old polo injury, being told I had terminal lung cancer, and given only a few months to live. I remember that I was devastated because I would be leaving my family behind and would never get to see my Florida Project completed. A few moments before I died, I had a vision: the Magic Kingdom was finished, and EPCOT had become the 'Progress City' that I wanted it to be. People from all over the world lived and worked there, and the Monorail system was the main method of transportation in the city. As my spirit left my body, I could feel my brother, Roy rubbing my feet. I paused to look at him one last time. He had tears in his eyes and was whispering, 'Well, Kiddo, I guess this is it.' Then, a doctor came in with a clipboard and I saw Roy sign something. Everything went black then, just as the rest of my family came into the room. I knew then that I had died… or at least, I thought I did. The next thing I knew, I was waking up in front of Cinderella's Castle!"
Walt paused for a moment to allow this information to sink in. A nod from Finn encouraged him to continue his story.
He sighed. "That was six months ago. I was hoping to find some answers somewhere in one of the parks. Maybe the seven of you can help me out with that. You all, of course, are familiar with the catchphrase of the Magic Kingdom?"
"The Most Magical Place on Earth!" exclaimed Charlene.
"Exactly, Ms. Turner," said Walt.
Maybeck exchanged a look with the other Keepers.
"Of course we will help you figure this out, Uncle Walt. But, where have you been this entire time? Why haven't you tried to show yourself to us before?"
Walt gave him a small smile.
"As far as the world is concerned, I have been dead for nearly 4 decades! Can you imagine how people would react if they saw me walking down Main Street U.S.A.? The press would have a field day! No, it's best that I remain hidden for the time being. The only people who know about this are sitting in this room. If the OTs found out about this, the parks would be in serious trouble!"
He looked down at Finn sadly.
"I'm sorry about what they did to you, Mr. Whitman. I wanted to help rescue you, but there were too many risks involved."
"I understand, Uncle Walt," replied the teen, "You never told us where you've been staying this whole time."
"I divide my time between this fire station and the Cinderella suite up in the castle. That space was, after all, originally going to be an apartment for myself and my family when we visited the parks!"
More silence followed his words. Finally, Wayne stood up from his chair and stretched.
"It's getting late. You all need to Return now."
He took the Return out of his pocket as the Keepers got up from the couch.
"Wait," Jess yelled before the Imagineer could send them all back to their beds, "What do you think of the parks, Uncle Walt? Have they lived up to your expectations?"
Walt grinned.
"They are everything I've ever wanted and more," he answered, "and I know you kids do whatever it takes to make sure my dreams are protected."
The Keepers beamed with pride.
"Farewell, my Kingdom Keepers. We will talk again soon."
The seven Keepers said their good-byes as Wayne pressed the button…
A/N: And that, my friends is just the beginning! I'll update again soon, but in the meantime, write a review or PM, follow/favor this story or me as an author if you haven't already done so, and enjoy my other stories on this site. I'm currently working on the most recent chapter of Voldemort's Victory, so look for that in a couple of days. I hope you like this story so far! See you real soon, my dears!
Love, Mickeygirl20 :)
