A/N: Hey, everyone. So it's been, like, four years? I'm really sorry about that. I started this fic when I was around 14. Over time I kinda abandoned not this story specifically, but this whole account. I didn't necessarily want some of my older writing associated with my newer works, so I started uploading elsewhere and neglected here. However, I recently decided to reread some of my older fics for fun. I found the quality of this one much higher than I expected given how young I was when I wrote it. Additionally, quite a few of you have expressed interest in seeing this continued. So, I've decided to resume working on this fic!
Unfortunately, I have a lot more responsibilities than I did when I was 14, so I can't guarantee this won't go on another hiatus. I'll try to let you know ahead of time if that happens, though. I'll also likely skip over a few less important scenes in the films to better focus on the really important reactions. Regardless of whether or not it's shown, the characters did watch it.
NOTE: When this was first posted, putting some OC or the author-insert (and sometimes the readers) into the story and having them show the characters the film, was the most common method of doing Watching-the-Movie fics. Overtime, the method of having the characters find a note telling them to watch it, or finding the film and deciding to watch it on their own, overtook it in popularity. I do believe the latter likely makes for a more enjoyable experience for the reader, so if I were to write this from the beginning now, that's how I'd do it.
I can't change to that entirely because of how this fic begins, but I will try to keep the mentions of anyone that isn't from the films to a minimum. Any revisions to the earlier chapters I do will attempt to shift the focus more onto the film characters.
Okay, enough of my rambling. On with the story!
"I was a young man leaving home" said the Once-ler's voice over as the screen faded into a flashback.
"So that's how it connects" said Jack.
It was a bit jarring for Ted to actually see the story accompanying the audio he recognized. Really, it'd been odd enough just seeing the Once-ler (even a younger version) in this theater after only having interacted with him through his boarded-window. But that was just talking face-to-face. This was actually showing him moments of the past that before he'd only been able to imagine.
He tilted his head as it occurred to him his imagination hadn't supplied the Once-ler an appearance at all. In his visualizations of the tale, the man had been nothing more than a voice and a pair of green hands. But could you blame him? From Ted's perspective down on the ground, that was all he was.
"Here I go, Mom. Off to change the world with my thneed. I'm actually doing it" said the Once-ler.
"So here's where we show up" said Aunt Grizelda.
"Yes" said the Once-ler's mother sweetly. "But just remember Oncie, if some how you're invention ends up a failure instead of a success…"
The Once-ler grumbled, but most of the front row didn't react.
"Well, it wouldn't surprise me at all!" she said as she abruptly started laughing along with the rest of the family.
Although some of the audience giggled, most everyone agreed that was a terrible thing to say.
"Pretty mean," said Anna.
Chet punched the Once-ler in the arm. "Nice wheels! Burn!" he said, prompting Melvin the mule to kick him back over toward the family.
Jack nodded his approval at the mule.
The Once-ler laughed it off. "Haha. Yeah, burn!" he said. "But you'll see,
okay-I'm gonna prove you all wrong! C'mon, Melvin!"
Melvin began slowly tugging the wagon as the family laughed even more. The Once-ler tried to ignore it.
"Nice family," Hiccup said sarcastically.
"So there I was at the very bottom with nothing but a wagon, a mule, and a completely irrational sense of optimism" said the Once-ler's voice over.
Several people giggled.
The on-screen character began playing the car and singing as the voice over continued. "I was searching the globe, obsessed with finding the perfect material for my Thneed".
Ted watched in slight fascination as the images of the outside world played on the screen. Evidently, Jack had noticed. "Pretty cool for someone who's never left his hometown before?" he asked.
"I guess…" said Ted, running a hand through his hair.
"I don't understand how it's possible for a town no one ever leaves to exist," said Elsa, voicing the question most everyone had been wondering. "Especially one with no agriculture,"
"Um, well, all our food and stuff, at least what isn't made in labs, gets shipped in from the rest of the world," offered Ted, shrugging. "No one ever talks about leaving, like there's not much of a reason to…"
But seeing even just this little glimpse of what lay beyond Thneedville made him wonder why he'd never thought about it before. Judging from what he'd learned from this strange set of characters in this audience so far, he expected that to increase tenfold by the time all the films were through.
Melvin continued pulling the wagon with the Once-ler asleep.
"Hey, no sleeping on the job, lad," called a random Viking.
"But I'd had absolutely no success," said the voice over. "Until one day...I found paradise…"
Melvin kicked the Once-ler awake.
He sat up, startled. "Oh! We're gonna be there soon! I'm sure it's like- Whoa!"
Everyone gasped in awe as the camera pulled back to reveal Truffula Valley.
It was paradise, with blue skies, green grass, a flowing river, woodland creatures and hundreds of colorful truffula trees. It was magical.
Several audience members expressed awe at the beautiful landscape, especially those from Thneedville. The Once-ler, however, just lowered his eyes in guilt.
"This is the most beautiful place, okay, I have ever seen," said the Once-ler. He took a few steps forward. Three orange fish walked up to him and waved.
"What the? Walking fish?" said Kristoph.
"They're not in water! How can they breathe?" asked Tooth.
Perhaps animals waving was strange to begin with, yet the room was full of talking animals. But fish on dry land?
"…Because Dr. Seuss?" said Bunny, shrugging.
To the Once-ler's awe, the humming-fish began singing as a trio.
The on-screen Once-ler's delight was shared throughout the theater.
The camera followed them until they slid past a group of barbaloots. The camera moved upwards on them stacking themselves to reach some fruit as the music started to swell. In the tuft above them, a swomee-swan flew off into the sky, revealing a nest with a baby Swomee-Swan in it. He yawned and then honked. The camera followed the Swomee-Swan as it flew through the forest, past a stream and to a clear blue pond.
"Mommy! Can we go there?" asked Sophie.
"I wanna go there!" said Emma.
"I wanna go there!" said one of Ned's daughters.
And soon nearly every child in the audience expressed their desire to visit the fantastical forest. The Once-ler hung his head in shame, all too aware he was the reason that would never be fulfilled. If anyone noticed him, however, they were quickly distracted by the visuals on screen.
The trio of Humming-Fish climbed out of the water and onto a rock, humming like an a cappella group. Then they returned back down
into the water. Melvin pulled the wagon down into the valley, where all of the curious animals gathered around it. The Once-ler hopped down
from the wagon with his guitar and began strumming it. "This is it!" he sang. Two barbaloots looked at each other, confused.
"This is the place!" continued the Once-ler. "These Truffula Trees are just'a what I need!"
Most of the audience shared in the barbaloot's confusion.
The Bar-Ba-Loots came over to investigate after hearing him playing. He continued singing. "Gonna chop one down and make my Thneed. But first–"
He accidentally smacked a barbaloot with his guitar as he stood.
Sharp gasps sounded throughout the room at seeing the animal suddenly hit.
Then he tossed it in the air and ran off screen. One barbaloot pushed another out of the way as the guitar fell back down to the ground, nearly clobbering him.
"I know, I know. I was 18 years old," said the Once-ler, shaking his head. "And I was a negligent idiot,"
The Once-ler sang and danced through the valley, followed by the curious animals who began singing along. Eventually, he reached the back of his wagon and pulled out a spatula, proceeding to sing into it like a microphone. "So now our friendship can begin. Hand-and-hand and wing and fin."
The Once-ler went back into the wagon and began unpacking, obliviously tossing tools over his head at the animals.
As he sang, a saw, shovel, pruning shears, and an axe landed right in front of different animals, almost hitting them.
"Once-ler?" said Horton.
Then a hair trimmer bounced past, shaving the stomach of a barbaloot, who quickly covered up the bare area, embarrassed. A tube of toothpaste landed in front of a Humming-Fish. Then a mallet landed on that, squirting the toothpaste all over the fish's face.
"It's bad enough to do that with humans behind you, that know what those objects are and can tell you if you hurt them," said Anna. "Those are forest animals!"
The wagon unpacked, the oblivious Once-ler pulled out an axe and started yodeling, but stopped when he realized no one else was joining in.
The animals had turned against the Once-ler. One Swomee-Swan tapped a stick against his winged-palm menacingly.
The Once-ler shrugged. "I deserved that. Pretty justified, all things considered."
"Hey, guys. Come on! Where's my backup chorus?" he asked. The barbaloots growled. A Humming-Fish picked up a set of egg beaters and wound them menacingly.
"Finally, something in this story makes sense," said Pitch.
The Once-ler turned back to his wagon and grabbed two large sacks, then he realizes they were filled with marshmallows. An angry barbaloot lunged for him and the Once-ler screamed like a girl, holding the sack up as a shield.
"What are those?" asked Hiccup.
"Marshmallows. They're a type of candy," said Audrey.
"And they're delicious," added the Once-ler.
The bag ripped causing the candy to fly into the air. And thus began the marshmallow sequence.
"What on earth are we watching?" complained Hans.
The Once-ler looks down at Pipsqueak who has a huge smile, revealing dozens of marshmallows crammed in his mouth.
"Hey-hey-hey-hey. Wait. Wait a minute." came the voice-over of Ted.
The Once-ler looked around to see where the voice is coming from.
Ted placed a hand over his mouth to keep from bursting into hysterical laughter. Sure, he knew he'd interrupted the story. But seeing the characters inside it react to the voice as though it could actually be heard was hilarious.
It cut back to present day with the Once-ler looking down at Ted from his window. "Excuse me?"
"Um, yeah, that's awesome. You know, feeding junk food to forest animals. That's great. But, uh, is there a musical number where you show me how to get a tree? 'Cause I'd love to hear that one," said Ted.
While most everyone besides the Once-ler and Ted found the boy's impatience funny, that was a common question throughout the room. Where the heck was this story going?
They paused for a beat. "Oh, yes," said the Once-ler. "Right after the musical number about the kid who kept interrupting the story and was never heard from again. Mm-hm,"
Hysterical laughter filled the audience. Mrs. Wiggins stared open-mouth in shock at someone saying that to her son, despite it obviously not being serious. She didn't know her father that well anymore, but she knew he'd never purposely hurt a child.
The Lorax smiled and shook his head. "Some things never change," he mumbled.
"Right, got it," said Ted. He gestured with his hand. "Proceed,"