Okay, time to introduce our eight teams! I will say, some these entries really came down to the wire, and at the end I had to pick based on who gave me the most additional information the fastest compared to others. So to those that didn't get in, know that I did read all of the entries submitted, it's just that other readers got theirs in fasters. With that out of the way, why don't we actually introduce our teams now?
"Are we live?" asked Cruz Ramirez to the camera man. Getting a nod, the CRS Sports Coupe smiled and continued her speech. "Welcome viewers to Day Zero of the Magical World Grand Prix! I'm Cruz Ramirez, rookie racer for Team Dinoco, coming to you live from Autopia to give all of you watching at home a closer look at the eight teams that will be racing tomorrow." Cruz motioned for the cameraman to follow her as she drove to one of the garages. "Our first team tonight is led by one of the most powerful mages in the Magical World, Rachel Goodfrey!"
Upon hearing her name, Rachel turned to the camera and smiled. She's a girl with tan skin, hazel eyes, and brown hair held in a French braid, wearing a purple shirt with a silver mermaid design, black pants, and black shoes. Rachel also has her claim to fame as a sword mage, the mighty Maleficent's Bane, strapped to her waist in a scabbard.
"I mean, there are other sorcerer's out there more powerful than me, but I am in the Top Ten now," Rachel commented. "It's more about delivering justice to evildoers for me."
"So Rachel, what can you tell us about your team?" Cruz asked.
"My team is focused on using our powers to get ahead of the competition," Rachel explained. "Since I can't use my sword to win this battle, I had to put in some serious driving training to be ready for the race."
"Luckily for her, she's got one of the best drivers on her team right here!" said a boastful voice. Glitching next to Rachel came Vanellope Von Sweetz, one of the racers from Sugar Rush and Slaughter Race.
"Vanellope taught me all I know about driving in this kind of race," Rachel nodded. "But we also needed some firepower, so I invited my partner Poe De Spell to come on as our Shooter."
"And I'm charmed as ever to help you, Lady Rachel," Poe said, the dark sorcerer giving Rachel a kiss on the hand.
Rachel blushed slightly before looking around. "Huh, we're missing our Navigator. Bruno, are you back there?"
"I am not Bruno," said a voice. The cameraman panned over to a Columbian man in a green poncho wearing a bucket on his head. "I am Jorge." He took of the bucket and laughed nervously. "I'm kidding. Is that thing recording this?"
Vanellope giggled. "It sure is, Bruno."
"Bruno's still getting used to interacting with others," Rachel spoke up. "But Poe and I decided that his power with visions would be useful for seeing what's ahead on the track. Speaking of which, we won't be getting far without Sweet Vision, will we guys?"
Rachel pointed to their team car, Sweet Vision. It's modelled after a Ford Thunderbird with the top down, painted purple with green flecks on the side, peppermint-colored wheels, and a raven hood ornament.
"Two guesses as to which of us had the most input on the car design," Poe said wryly, pointing to Vanellope. "Either way, this car will surely bring us to victory with all of our skills combined."
"Well then, good luck out there, Team Sweet Vision!" Cruz said. The team waved their goodbyes as Cruz and her cameraman went on to the next garage. "The next team is a newcomer to the Magical World, but she was very eager to sign up for the grand prix as well." An explosion came from the garage, making Cruz wince. "Maybe a bit too eager."
"I'm okay!" shouted a voice, opening up the garage as smoke came out of it. She's a pale girl with freckles all over, her brown hair a mess as her eyes sat behind pink glasses. She wears a pink hoodie with jean shorts, pink sandals, and a star necklace around her neck. "Oh hey there! I'm Bethany Thompson, but you can call me Beth!"
"Nice to meet you, Beth," Cruz greeted. "Could you tell is what that explosion was just now?"
"Oh, we're just testing all of our powers to make sure they work well for the race!" Beth said excitedly. As the smoke cleared, the camera picked up three people behind Beth, all of them comically covered in soot that they shook off from the explosion. The first was the loveable blue alien Stitch, the second was the clumsy police officer toon Bonkers D. Bobcat, and the third was the Owl Lady herself, Eda Clawthorne.
"Sorry about all the smoke!" Eda said the crew. "Note to self: plasma blasters and fire glyphs don't mix."
Stitch just laughed, while Bonkers gave a cough, turned into a pile of ashes, then reformed himself in typical toon fashion.
"You sure have yourself an interesting team," Cruz noted.
Beth nodded with a smile. "I'm all about being spontaneous and helping those in need! But for now, I'm super focused on winning the race. And we'll be doing that with the Toon Buggy right here!"
The Toon Buggy is modelled after a Volkswagen Dune Buggy, painted blue-green with a wave design on the side and a yellow star on the hood. The car was further modified with headlights that resembled eyes and speed boosters mounted on the back.
"Stitch helped us put this baby together," Beth said, patting the hood. The car alarm suddenly went off, but she slapped the car again to shut it off. "He'll be our Shooter, hanging off the back of the car, while Bonkers helps me as the Co-Pilot."
"And I'm here to make sure these knuckleheads stay on course as the Navigator," Eda said, ruffling Beth on the head.
"Good luck with the race, Team Toon Buggy!" Cruz said her goodbyes as she moved on to the next team. "Beth is sure to bring some levity with her off the wall teammates. Our next team is run by a guest that's made a name for himself as the premiere wrestling coach in the Magical World. Say hello to everyone, Logan."
"Hello!" Logan waved. He's a human with brown hair, which is always kept under his signature red baseball cap. While he'd normally wear something casual, Logan's current attire is that of a white racing jacket with an owl logo on the back, blue jeans, and biker gloves.
"You look dressed for the part of a racer," Cruz noted.
"I wanted to go all out for this event," Logan explained. "I even got a whole new team together for this one!"
"Wanting to mix it us I see," Cruz nodded.
Logan chuckled. "Actually, most of my other teammates were too busy to participate in the race, so I decided to go out and make new friends. We're all action packed for this event! First, I've got one of the best pilots in the Magical World, Della Duck, as my Co-Pilot!"
Della scooted out from underneath the team car to wave to the camera. "Hey boys! You better make sure to brush your teeth while I'm gone!"
"For our Shooter, I got one of the Avengers, Ant Man, to help us out!"
The hood of the car opened up, and jumping out of it came a man a red and black superhero outfit with a silver helmet. Growing to normal size, Scott Lang took off his helmet and smiled to the camera. "The engine's looking all good, Logan. No hairline fractures either."
"And finally, the amazing Prince Dastan will be using his skills from the deserts of Persia to be our Navigator!"
Prince Dastan waved from his perch near the roof of the garage, the Dagger of Time hanging from his belt.
"You wouldn't believe how many people forget that Disney made the Prince of Persia movie," Logan said with a chuckle. "And of course, last of not least is our car, the Gracious Bird! Isn't she a beauty?"
The Gracious Bird is modelled after a Group 6 race car, modified to hold three people in the front with the fourth person occupying a mini turret on the back. The car is painted while with owl markings on it.
"He really likes owls," Ant Man noted.
"What's the turret on the back for?" Cruz asked.
"It's so we can use items on the track more efficiently," Logan explained. "Sure it cuts into the aerodynamics of the car, but with the increased item accuracy, we'll be able to keep the competition on its toes as we race to first!"
"Good luck to you all, Team Gracious Bird," Cruz said, waving goodbye to Logan's crew. The next garage had some funky music coming out it, which when opened revealed a disco light shining down. "Uh, this is supposed to be one of the racers, not a party room…"
Suddenly, a duo of Jaquin flew down and started singing!
"Welcome to our garage! We hope you like your stay!" sang the first one.
"Allow us to introduce your racers for today!" sang the second one.
The first Jaquin has topaz colored fur with turquoise spots, wearing a crystalline scarf that shone with rainbow colors in the sunlight and flight goggles on his head. "My name is Toren, and I came to have some fun! As the leader of the team you know I'll never stop until we've won!"
The second Jaquin has yellow fur with green spots, as well as a mischievous grin on his face. "His Co-Pilot's name is Nico, the little bro of Prince Skylar. We'll be sure to have some fun as we keep racing to the end!"
"Oh boy…" Cruz chuckled at the scene.
Torn continued to sing. "On shooter duty is King, the little demon with a heart! His sonic scream will surely give our competitors a start!"
"Bow down before me!" King called, the skull-faced demon trying his best to look intimating from atop a stack of plushies.
Nico continued the song. "And last but not least, our Navegera for this ride! Our main man Agent P is here to set our path tonight!"
The platypus in a fedora rolled his eyes but smiled, waving to the camera.
"Does he not speak?" Cruz asked.
"He's a platypus, they don't new much," Toren shrugged. "Anyway… While I only got my license just a day or two ago, with our tricked-out ride right here this team is raring to go!"
Nico high-fived his friend. "With the Heart of a Jaquin this team will reach the top, and no one else will ever, ever, ever make us stop!"
The Heart of a Jaquin is a modified camper van, scaled down and given a retractable roof so it could work as a race car. It didn't have too many tricks to it, instead having a nice camouflage pattern painted onto it.
"Well that certain, was… something," Cruz says, still processing what she just saw. "Good luck out on the track, Team Heart of a Jaquin." The Jaquins laughed and said their goodbyes as Cruz made it to the next garage. "Our next team is a bit more serious than the last one. Meet Aline, a girl with a passion for music, magic, and cats."
A cat made its way out of the garage, before transforming into a human in a puff of smoke. Aline is a girl with black hair that has blue and pink streaks in it, with purple eyes as well. She's wearing a Lolita-style dress that has many different colors come off of a black and grey base.
''I learned the animal transforming trick from Merlin," Aline said with a smile. "Welcome to my- I mean, our garage. Still learning to be nicer to people and all that… Anyway! You're here to meet my team, right? First would be Luz, who's actually one of my closest friends, besides maybe Toren."
Luz waved hello to the camera. "Eda, King? You better not hold back on me! We've all gotta do our best to win this race!" Luz said to the camera.
"We've got another magical girl on our team as well," Aline continued. "While Luz will use her glyphs as my Co-Pilot, Molly's optimism will help us out as our Navigator."
"You got that right!" Molly McGee cheered, followed by a less enthusiastic one from a ghost behind her.
"Is that your third team member?" Cruz asked.
Molly shook her head. "Nope! Scratch and I are a package deal."
"For the record, I wouldn't be here if I wasn't cursed to follow her around," Scratch said.
"Aren't ghosts supposed to be the ones that curse people?" Cruz questioned.
"It's a long story," Aline said, turning the conversation back to the race. "And for our final member, I wanted someone that's a real good shot, so who better than the frog with a slingshot, Sprig?"
"WHAT!?" shouted a voice. Logan appeared in the garage, leaving a comical human-shaped hole in the wall as he stared at Sprig in shock. "Sprig, you told me that you had other things to do, and you're here racing on a different team!?"
"Logan, it's not what you think!" Sprig said, waving his hands. "Aline asked me to join her team before you did, and I didn't want to disappoint you, so…"
"You lied to me," Logan sighed. He then stared Aline in the face with a serious look. "You're that girl with the cats, right? Well then, consider me your rival for this race! My team is going to beat yours!"
"Not if we win first," Aline stuck her tongue out. The two humans gave a huff, then turned away from each other, with Logan leaving back to his garage as well.
"That was awkward," Cruz whispered. "Anyway, let's get a shot of their car, the Hex Rider."
The Hex Rider is a vehicle modelled after a horse-drawn carriage but motorized so that it can be driven like a car (think the Daytripper from Mario Kart). The car was colored to match those of Hexside, the magic school in the Boiling isles.
"Our car was made in association with the school," Aline explained. "This way we can show everyone that you don't have to choose just one coven to be a great witch!"
"Good luck out there, Team Hex Rider," Cruz nodded. "Well, we just established our first rivalry between teams, and I'm sure there'll be many more to come. This next team is one with a certain royal flair to it. Their leader? The best formal party planner in the Magical World, Silver Willow."
Silver gave a bow as Cruz entered his garage. Silver is a man of Mediterranean complexion with black hair held in a ponytail and brown eyes. His current attire is a white button-up over blue slacks, brown shoes, glasses, and a blue scarf tucked under his collar.
"Hello, and welcome to my garage," Silver said. "I wanted to wear something more fancy, but skirts are harder to drive in than just wearing pants."
"We heard you have a royal lineup for your team," Cruz said.
Silver nodded. "Yep, I've got a team of princesses that are all ready to race. They should be coming out right now."
Coming up behind Silver was three of the Disney Princesses: Cinderella, Elsa, and Aurora. All three of them were wearing racing uniforms that matched their own particular style of dress. Cinderella was Co-Pilot, Elsa was the Shooter, and Aurora was the Navigator.
"Looking good, ladies," Cruz complimented. "Silver, why don't you tell us about your car?"
Certainly," Silver nodded. "This is: The Blue Royale."
The Blue Royale is modelled after a Bugatti Royale, painted light blue with white wheels that had faux wooden spokes and a canvas roof that could retract. A fancy car for a fancy team for sure.
"We'll make sure to race fair and do our best," Silver said.
"Very nice, Team Blue Royale," Cruz said as the team said their goodbyes. The next garage they went to had a force field door over it instead of the usual covering. "Excuse me, but could we come in to interview the team?"
The force field deactivated, and the team leader stepped out. "Sorry about that, we just wanted to make sure everything was kept contained within the garage. I'm Adam Jackson, nice to meet you all."
Adam is a man with black hair, green eyes, and a fashion sense right out of the late 1800s. He wears a pilot's outfit with a jacket covered in various company logos, mostly tech ones, along with anti-gravity boots and noticeable robotic arm.
"Well, Adam, I can tell that your team is working hard for this project," Cruz noted.
"Indeed," Adam replied with a nod. "We have Tony Stark, the Iron Man himself, on our staff. His work in robotics and AI will serve us well as Navigator. Athena from Tomorrowland is here as well, being our Shooter. Her skills aren't to be underestimated. And of course…" Adam held out a hand to a woman dressed similarly to him, with a ghostly blue aura around her. "Melanie Ravenswood, my lovely wife, my Co-Pilot as always."
"You know what, a ghost bride isn't the strangest thing I've seen today," Cruz chuckled. "Anyway Adam, your car looks to be the most high tech one we've seen yet."
Adam smiled. "Indeed, the SEA Racer as I call it is state of the art with no room for error in its design. The perfect car to win with."
The SEA Racer is a futuristic car painted jet black with blue trim and treads, taking technology from Stark Industries and the futuristic world of the Grid to make a race car of the future. It's design was a bit cluttered by sponsorship stickers, however.
"That's a lot of sponsors," Cruz said. "It's like a real racing team."
"When we win, all of our earnings are going back to fund inventors and adventurers out there," Adam explained. "Each of these sponsors had a hand in building the SEA Racer."
Cruz nodded. "Here's to your luck out on the track, Team SEA Racer. Now then, viewers at home, the last team is lead by the one and only Gabriel the Dream Keeper, but his team is out testing their car on the track one more time. Gabriel did leave a video he made with the other teams for us to watch, though, so sit back and enjoy as we come back tomorrow for the races to truly begin. This is Cruz Ramirez, signing off."
[***]
[Song- "Paradise" by Rude-a]
[Cover by We.B]
(Ye-yeah)
(Aw yeah, aw yeah)
(Respect)
The music comes on as the video starts, showing the starting line for the Magical World Grand Prix. Fast shots are shown of each racer with their teams, each of them posing with their respective vehicle.
Take me to the top!
Rocket slides over the hood of the Concerto Comet, hopping over the front seats and into the back.
I'm sliding through the dark!
Lop jumps in beside her, her droid plugging into a console between them.
I won't ever stop!
Jasiri hops in next, taking the shotgun seat.
Nobody knows I'm burning like a fire
Gabriel jams out on his headphones before taking them off and focusing on the car.
Alright now before we get in trouble
And the world starts to burn up so brightly
The blackness around them fades into sparkles, revealing that they were actually at the starting line to a race. The other racers pull up beside the Dream Keepers, engines revved and ready.
I make my way seeking a new sky, I'll be kicking
Asphalt beneath me!
(What?)
With a smirk on his beak, Gabriel watches as the starting lights count down to green, the raven slamming his foot on the pedal as soon as it switches over.
Let's go together
Raise the meter
Our next stop is Paradise
The racers all fly down the road of the first track, which takes them down Main Street USA and through the Disney Castle. As they come out the other side, the race track changes to that of the arcade racer Sugar Rush.
Let's go together
I'll fly beyond all the heights!
That we ever dreamed of day and night
The race continues, changing to the underwater city of Atlantis, before the cars drive underneath a waterfall and come out into the jungles of Paradise Falls.
(La-la-la-la-la) We don't stop
Team Sweet Vision rush by the camera, Poe holding a magic fireball in his grip ready to throw it at another team.
(La-la-la-la-oh-oh) Running wild
Team Toon Buggy go by next, with Stitch having four plasma blasters out as he laughs.
(La-la-la-la-la) We don't stop
Team Gracious Bird fly into view, Dastan holding out the Dagger of Time as golden sand swirls around the car.
That we ever dreamed of day and night!
Finally, Heart of a Jaquin race in with King emitting his sonic scream attack.
(Wo-oh!)
(Aw yeah)
(Respect)
The video cuts to show a few scenes of the teams going through various Pitstop Challenges, some of which includes a dance-off, a shooting gallery, and a puzzle in some ancient ruins.
Let's get a move on
We're headed for the Zion
Logan and Aline give each other a glare, with Sprig shrugging as his two friends start a rivalry with each other.
Who's the next one?
Won't stop until we're done!
Adam is jumped by Beth, the enthusiastic girl smiling as Adam uses his robot arm to get her off of him. Clearly their personalities are the opposite of each other.
Gunna make a mess, don't care for stress, and take life for a ride
Silver and Toren shared a high-five, but Silver gets shocked by a joy buzzer. Toren laughs at the prank, while Silver just sighs and gives a bemused smile.
It's not a game, so make your way and choose a life
Gabriel and Rachel stand back-to-back, both of them nodding before going to their respective vehicles. The two share a friendly rivalry to see who's the best at this event.
All night we can let the flames go higher
Knowing our limits is not enough for me
We see Lightning McQueen and Mickey Mouse sitting in the announcement booth, both of them wearing headsets to commentate over the race.
We race on without a warning, chasing dream until the morning
Were we'll be wild and free!
(What?)
As the racers all line up at the starting line, a mysterious shadowy figure hovers over them in the sky, hands poised to reach down and grab at the cars.
Let's go together
Back of hater
Fate's in the roll of the dice
The racers burst through the screen, now racing through Beggar's Canyon on the planet of Tatooine. They go off a ramp and land in the futuristic world of the Grid.
Let's go together
Burn this memory inside!
Remember this passion day and night
From the Grid the race changes to the city streets of New York City. The Avengers Quinjest flies overhead, transitioning the race onto the snowy terrain of Club Penguin.
(La-la-la-la-la) We don't stop
Team Hex Rider come into view, with Luz holding up a handful of glyphs to help her team with.
(La-la-la-la-oh-oh) Running wild
Team Blue Royale are next in line, with Elsa creating an ice trail to make the road behind them harder to drive on.
(La-la-la-la-la) We don't stop
Team SEA Racer rush past as Iron Man overcharges the car, giving it a serious boost in speed.
Remember this passion day and night!
Team Dream Keepers drift past the camera, Gabriel smiling as his teammates hold on for dear life.
Let's risk all and take the answers we can make fact
One by one, each team passes up Gabriel's, leaving them at the back of the pack.
The distant noise become a voice that call for us today
The world fades into black as Gabriel closes his eyes and concentrates.
You might wanna play it safe but I don't want that
His dragon necklace glows as Fantasia magic gathers around him.
Can't nobody get in my way!
Pushing a button on the controls, the Concerto Comet rushes forward with great speed as Gabriel puts the car up to the test.
Let's go together
Front and center
Cut fear with a jack-knife
The racers all fly down the track through the streets of Duckburg. Going past the Money Bin, it transitions into the dirt roads of Radiator Springs.
Let's go together
I know you'll hear me alright!
When you me war cry day and night
From there the racetrack changes to that of a nighttime parade in the Magical world. Lop uses her special ability, using the Force to make the Concerto Comet jump over the cars in front of them.
(La-la-la-la-la) We don't stop
Rocket pulls out some mines, dropping them behind the car to distract the other racers.
(La-la-la-la-oh-oh) Running wild
Jasiri uses her power as Gabriel drives the car off-road for a shortcut, making sure the rough terrain doesn't affect their speed.
(La-la-la-la-la) We don't stop
Activating his Fantasia magic, Gabriel puts the Concerto Comet into overdrive, gaining a huge burst of speed as they catch up to the head of the pack.
When you me war cry day and night!
Just as the finish line comes into sight, the camera freezes for a photo finish as all the teams battle for first. Smoke overs the screen when time resumes, with Team Dream Keeper driving back to clear the smoke and reveal the Magical World Grand Prix logo as the song ends.
Author's Note
Here we are, all of the racers in this tournament! To give credit to the owners of this original characters:
Rachel belongs to Princess Gakoshi
Beth belongs to Spyro Rocks 389
Logan belongs to Logan Jindrak X
Toren belongs to Avalorian Jaquin
Aline belongs to Alex C 1209
Silver belongs to Super Wolfie Star
Adam belongs to John Hammond 1993
As for specifics, I don't have a lot to say about these teams. Many may be familiar to those that have read other Magical World stories, so expect them to be familiar with each other. I do find it funny that all three of the main characters from The Owl House are in this race, but that just shows how popular that show is now. As for Logan starting a rivalry with Aline, Logan in a previous story was on a team with Sprig, so he'd be upset that one his friends was on a different team from him.
The song this time is "Paradise" from the anime SK8 the Infinity, a fun series about guys skateboarding. Check it out if that sounds like your thing. I think the song fits the high energy that the Magical World Grand Prix is all about. There are a few easter eggs about some of the tracks in this theme song, as well as someone that might be trying to interrupt the race?
Anyway, these chapters are going to be longer as I want to cover each race in full, so while I'll try to get them out on Mondays, please note there may be a delay between chapters. Until next time, stay tuned as the Magical World Grand Prix kicks off with its first race.
