Chapter 11 - Ain't Got Rhythm
"Gosh, I am exhausted!" I huffed, stretching my arms out as me and the guys left Cinderella's castle.
"Fairy Godmothers training isn't that strenuous." Ben defended.
"Maybe not to you guys." I replied with a strain. "It almost sucked the life out of me!"
"Are you hungry? We could grab a quick bite to eat somewhere." Sebastian suggested. "Or do you want to wait until you get back to your hotel with your family?"
Before I could answer the British boys question, I wrapped my arms around my stomach as it growled, quiet painfully I might. "Well... I guess a quick snack can't hurt."
"Alright then, come on! I know I place where we can go." Ben smiled.
Me and Sebastian followed Ben down the side stairs of the Castle entrance, coming up at the end of Main Street. He waved his hand in the air, whistling as he caught a horse carriage's attention.
"Where to sonny?" The driver asked.
"Tomorrowland, good sir." Ben answered as the three of us climbed in.
"Righteo." The man replied as he snapped on rails, making the horse pull forward.
Ben sat behind the driver while me and Sebastian sat across from him. Just as I was moving my arms away, my stomach growled harshly again, forcing them back to their original places.
"You're really hungry, aren't you?" Ben raised a brow at me.
"On a scale of one to ten? I'd say eleven." I grumbled.
"So where exactly are we going, Ben?" Sebastian asked him.
"It's my all time favourite place to go grab a bite here in the Magic Kingdom; Cosmic Rays." Ben answered with a grin.
"No way! You mean THE Cosmic Rays Cafe?" Sebastian smiled.
"Yeah, haven't you been there before?" Ben asked him.
"I used to go there all the time back in Disneyland Paris, but they closed it and changed it all up." Sebastian explained.
"Aw dude, that sucks." Ben spoke with sympathy.
"Wait, Disneyland Paris... are you--"
"From Paris?" Sebastian interrupted me. "Oh no, I'm from London, England. Why do you think I have this accent? For fun?" He teased.
"I thought you both were from the Orlando area?" I assumed.
"I am, but Sebastian is actually from London." Ben clarified. "You can travel to the other Disney Parks through different gateways. That's how Sebastian gets here all the time."
"Really?" I asked him, looking up at the brunette boy.
"Yeah, but it sure is a hassle though." He shook his head. "It ain't easy."
"If you don't mind me asking, but, Disneyland Paris is in Paris, France, and you just said you were from London. Wouldn't it take a while to get to park from all the way over there?" I asked.
"... Um, it's kind of hard to explain." Sebastian answered, a little uneasy. "I don't really want to talk about it, if that's okay with you?"
"No, no, that's fine." I assured him.
Well... that was kind of awkward. I wonder what goes on in Sebastian's world?
"Guys, we're here!" Ben spoke up as the carriage came to a stop.
The three of us piled out as Ben tipped the driver. As the horse and carriage went off, the three of us stood there in awe as we stood before the entrance of Tomorrowland. Man, it was sure quite something else.
It was just like it is back at the park, but a lot more realistic!
"Come on, it's just down the street." Ben waved his hand forward.
He lead the way as me and Sebastian quickly followed behind him. I couldn't help but take a look around, taking in everything I could possibly see. Space Ranger Spin was a space port that went up directly to Star Command. The Laugh Floor served as the gateway to the Monster World, where the laughter there not only powers their world, but serves as a back up power generator for Tomorrowland too. The Peoplemover was like the towns transit, serving as a bus station.
And that was only the half of it!
"We're here guys! Cosmic Rays!" Ben exclaimed.
The three of us stood before the cafe. It had light blue paint with a big neon sign up top. The three of us went inside, the two boys holding the doors open for me.
"After you." Sebastian bowed.
"Thank you kind sir." I giggled.
Once inside, we were met with a huge blast of air conditioning and the sweet smell of burgers and fries.
But oddly enough, there was no music.
"Hey, isn't there usually a musician that plays here?" I asked them.
"Yeah, Cosmic Ray himself. I don't get it." Ben scratched his head.
We walked around the cafe, placing our orders at the back as I looked around and caught a strange sight over at the stage. It was Cosmic Ray, only, he was packing up all of his stuff.
"Hey, was Ray doing?" I tugged on Ben's shirt, catching his attention.
"Wait, huh?" Ben raised a brow.
The three of us made our way over to the edge of the stage, Sebastian tapped his hand to catch the musician's attention.
"Hey Ray, what gives?"
"Oh, Wizard Brothers! What's happening man?" The yellow alien asked us.
"What are you doing packing up your stuff Ray?" Ben asked him. "You're not leaving, are you?"
"I'm sorry boys, but I have to jet. I quit." He answered with a sigh.
"QUIT?!" The three of us yelped.
"Quit? What do you mean quit?" Ben stuttered.
"This is Cosmic Rays cafe! Without you it's just, well, cafe!" Sebastian stated.
"Why are you quitting Mr. Ray?" I asked him.
"I've completely lost my sense of rhythm. I was practicing some of my new songs a couple days ago until a storm came by over my apartment and I suddenly blacked out. By the time I woke up, I hadn't realized it at first, but I had lost my sense of rhythm. Without my rhythm I'm nothing, so I've decided to quit, so my terrible performances doesn't bring this sweet business down." He explained as he continued to pack up some boxes.
"Aw dude..." Ben moped.
As I watched the alien pack up his things, I couldn't help but notice something. The way he was packing and stacking the boxes, it sounded so familiar to me. I stayed silent, listening for a moment.
Pack, close, tape, stack. Pack, close, tape, stack.
I gasped quietly, my mind snapping with realization.
He... he was staking the boxes to a certain beat.
A very familiar rhythm.
"Guys," I whispered, waving the boys over in a quick huddle.
"You know how the Disney characters sing songs in their movies?"
"Yeah." They nodded.
"Do they do that here too?" I asked them.
They looked at each other with confusion before looking back over at me with a nod. "Yeah."
"Okay... back me up here? I want to try something." I told them.
"Sure, but what?" Sebastian asked me.
"You'll see." I smiled.
The three of us broke up from the huddle as I walked back over to the edge of the stage. "Hey, Mr. Ray?"
The sound of my voice caught his attention as he looked over at me, still stacking the boxes and such as he did so.
"So you're saying that you don't have rhythm?
But listen what you're doing right there!
With that box and a book, you got a real nice hook,
Sounds to me you got rhythm to spare."
Ben and Sebastian exchanged surprised glances at each other. Ben sneaked up onto the stage, finding a tambourine. He picked it up, banging it on his hand, matching it to the beat.
Cosmic Ray looked at me, puzzled before replying,
"I have no idea what you're talking about,
I've as much rhythm as that chair.
What happened to me as a tragedy,
But I don't have to be a millionaire."
Sebastian joined his friend up on stage, grabbing a acoustic guitar as he flung the strap over his head before he too began to play.
"Look I had a sweet deal going on here,
I got all the food that I can eat.
All these sweet employees, and these lights from the eighties,
What more could a musician need?"
Everyone stopped what they were doing as the entire place went dead silent, all eyes on us.
Ray shook off the stares as he looked back over at me, continuing his chore as I snapped my fingers along with the song as Ben found a can with some pencils in it, shaking it.
"Besides I ain't got rhythm.
No I ain't got rhythm!
I said I ain't rhythm,
I ain't got rhythm!"
I took a look around the cafeteria, and it turns out, me and my friends weren't the only one who noticed the rhythm either. All of the employees were joining in, smacking food trays on tables, sliding cooking sheets in and out of their slots.
A new noise caught my attention as I watched Ray set some boxes on a trolley as he began moving off of the stage.
I gaped a little, doing a double take as I pointed at him.
"You're kidding me right, you're kidding me!
Don't you see what you were doing right then?"
I ran after him, coming to his side as I danced and skipped to the beat.
"That's a wicked groove you were starting to move!
Mister you've got rhythm times ten!"
Cosmic Ray looked over at me, seeming irritated as he rolled his red eyes at me.
"I think perhaps that you're not listening,
I find it tedious to repeat.
It's no big drama, just can't keep time,
I'm telling you I've lost the beat!"
As he sang that, he stacked the boxes into the back of a truck, doing so in the same rhythm. By now at this point, everyone was getting into it. The employees kept doing their own thing as Ben found a trumpet, playing it as Sebastian kept playing the guitar.
"I don't need my face on that sign,
Or play to reach the stars.
They were saying my name, I guess it's a shame,
But I don't want to be a rock star!"
At this point he tosses the trolley aside as he begins tapping his fingers away on any solid object he could find. I grabbed a tray, jumping up on a table with Ben as we slapped our food trays together along with the rest of the employees as Sebastian continued rocking out on the guitar.
"Besides I ain't got rhythm!
No I ain't got rhythm!
I say I ain't got rhythm,
I ain't got rhythm!"
The employees then began stomping their feet on the floor as they all moved forward towards the stage. Me and Ben jumped down from the table as we took Ray's hands and nearly dragged him back onto the stage. Ben swiped the trumpet back in his hand as he began to play, and I just danced along to the music.
"Sounds like rhythm to me!"
I pointed to the newly formed audience.
"Seems like they all agree!"
That's when Sebastian came storming back in, holding a large black case in his hand. He snapped it open, bringing out Ray's Keytar as he tossed it up into the air, soaring straight for the musician.
"But your laying down some funky syncopation!"
Ray caught the instrument in his hands as the strapped flew over his head. He placed the instrument on top of its stand and then he slammed his fingers on the keys, letting it rip.
"No I ain't got rhythm!"
I smiled at him, pointing at him and waving over at the audience.
"But you got that beat!
Look at them, they're stomping their feet!"
Ray shook his head violently with a wide smile on his face as he kept playing his Keytar.
"It's time for you to rock a brand new generation!"
The audience, Ben and Sebastian all raised their fists in the air.
"Brand new generation!"
Me and Cosmic Ray glanced at each other, smirking.
"Gonna rock a brand new generation, whoo!
Because I ain't go rhythm!"
When the music stopped and we all froze in place, I heard footsteps coming from the other end of the cafe. I looked over to see the manager. He stopped, taking in the scene before him. He scoffed with a smile before glancing over at Ray, waving at him.
"Oh, would you just get your job back?"
Ray relaxed, looking at me and my friends before smiling widely as he slammed his fingers onto the Keytar again.
"Hey I got rhythm!" Ray exclaimed.
"You see? Nothing to worry about! You had the rhythm inside of you all along." Ben smiled.
"So how do you feel?" Sebastian asked him.
"Me? Oh, I feel great!" Ray exclaimed. "... Though a little light headed." He toppled to the side, as me and Ben sprung forward to catch him, helping him up.
"Are you alright?" I asked with concern.
"I don't know... Ironically enough, I felt like this before and after I blacked out." he answered.
"You did?" Ben raised a brow at the alien.
"Yeah, it was weird and crazy." He mumbled.
Then suddenly, he cried out in pain, placing his hands on his head as he fell forward. He continued to cry out, looking like he was trying to crush his skull with his hands.
"Cosmic Ray?!" Sebastian yelped.
The alien opened his mouth, and a puff of black smoke spit itself out of him, floating in the air. It took the form of some kind of creature with glowing red eyes.
"A Category Three Dark Anomaly!" Sebastian exclaimed with a point.
It hissed at the three of us, zooming in the air. The three of us jumped off of the stage as we chased after it, storming our way out of the cafe.
"It's getting away, what do we do?!" I asked frantically.
"I got it!" Ben yelled as he sprinted forward.
He bolted up the escalator that lead to the Peoplemover track, and literally ran down the track as me and Sebastian followed him from below.
"I got you covered man!" Sebastian yelled. His hands began glowing a bright red as he fired red energy blasts at the Dark Anomaly, keeping him distracted.
The Dark Anomaly zipped side to side, trying to avoid Sebastian's blasts as civilians ran for cover. I glanced up over at Ben and I almost screamed when I saw him jump up on the railing and he leaped forward.
Before the Dark Anomaly could process what was happening, Ben literally tackled the thing out of the sky! Once they neared, Ben flipped forward, chucking the creature down as it crashed to the street. Ben safely landed on his feet as me and Sebastian met up with him.
"Is it dead?" I asked.
The blonde flexed his hand forward, forming a small, green, energy ball. The ball hovered upward, revealing the Dark Anomaly trapped inside as it tried to bang and bash its way out.
"Don't even waste your energy. You're not getting out of this." Ben sighed.
The Dark Anomaly glared at him before he seized, sliding down to the bottom of the field and slouched with his arms crossed.
"You my friend are under arrest." Sebastian grinned as he brought out his communicator. "Buzz? It's me, Sebastian. We caught a live one, category three."
"What do we do with it?" I asked them.
"We take it back to Star Command." Sebastian answered, ending the call.
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