“So yes,” the Toymaker said, getting back on track in the diary closet after earlier, “my plan is basically work of art in the making, but like story books, this plan needs to have a beginning, as to how it came it be…”
Several weeks ago…
The Toymaker was the chairman, founder and creator of his biggest toy company of all time, Troublemaker Toy Co., a big toy business which has been known for making the craziest toys ever know.
Of course, at times, there were several downsides, as while business (and money) were big, reviews and profits not doing well at times, as the Toymaker would at times get word about most of his best toy sells falling, as well as feedback that some of the toys are not “child-friendly”.
Today, though, was going to change, as it all started one day in his office, after hearing of another failing toy sale…
“Do you understand?” the Toymaker said seriously to his staff, most of them looking like big versions of toys, such as two clowns, a clockwork robot, some teddy bears, a tin soldier and a stuffed monster, “Do you understand that these suckers are right!”
The staff spoke up their agreements as he continued.
“I told you,” he said, “if I’ve told you once, I told a thousand, thousand, thousand, thousand, THOUSAND time! WE NEED NEW TOY IDEAS!!”
“Right!” the staff spoke out at once.
“New ones!” the Toymaker shouted.
“Better ones?” one of the Teddy bears, a grey one with a yellow and blue polka dot bowtie, asked.
“Better than ever, Fluffbear!” the Toymaker said, before turning to the rest of the staff, “Get it?!”
“Absolutely, sir!” a clown, named Chuckles, replied.
“Look at me, look at me and listen!” Toymaker said, as he stated, “The customers are always right!”
“Right!” the staff chorused.
“The customers are always right.” The Toymaker repeated, as the staff members replied with agreements, as the Toymaker then said, “Always.”
Toymaker then got up as he looked out the window of his factory, and thought aloud to his staff as he confessed, “For far too long, I’ve been ridiculed at times, too long, that I never have been given any recognition… everything I’ve built… everything I’ve worked towards through my genius, rests upon a strong empire of business and toy manufactory, but as my patients grows thin, so does the thread of everyone who would have a chance to appreciate my work.”
He turned back to his co-workers as he began thinking up ideas with them, “Alright,” he said, “now, we something… something… nutty.”
“Nutty!” a teddy, a small one of the group of teddy bears, spoke up.
“Something crazy.” Toymaker said.
“Crazy!” the small teddy agreed.
Something wacky.” The Toymaker said.
“Wacky!” the teddy repeated.
As the Toymaker was thinking, he sit back down in his chair, unaware that he was then sitting on the TV remote, causing most of the TV monitors to switch on, all of them showing different shows and films.
“We need something that ticks big…” the Toymaker, oblivious to what happened, “we need something… something… something… we need something…”
“Cartoon-y?” one of the teddy bears blurted out excitedly, only to cover his mouth, worried that he would get in trouble.
“Cartoon-y, boss…” the small teddy said, getting interested in what was on TV.
“Cartoon-y?” Toymaker said in confusion, until he turned to look at the TV screens.
Sure enough, each and everyone of the TV screens were showing cartoon TV shows and movies, from the slapstick comedies like the Looney Tunes, to the action packed like either the Justice League or Avengers, from talking animals to space aliens, heroes, villains, monsters, ponies… it was a variety of animated entertainment!
“YES!! CARTOON-Y!! YES!” Toymaker said, as a sudden relization and idea came up, “Yes! Now you’re talking! Cartoon-y! That’s it! That’s the word I was looking for!”
The other staff members were excited about this as they agreed on what Toymaker said, “That’s what we need! Toys based off these incredible cartoons!”
“Do you want just the heroes, or have villains as well?” the tin soldier asked.
“Do both! I don’t care!” the Toymaker stated, “This is the big one!”
“Excuse me, sir?” the clockwork robot spoke, “What about the toy desing ideas, especially after handing out the pamphlets for extra help out at the factory?”
“Hiring more help no longer matters,” Toymaker ordered, “the top priority is showing right in front of us! And I’m gonna show everyone once and for all!”
“But how will you do that?” the little bear asked.
Then, something on one of the TVs caught the group’s attention, as it showed a live episode of one of the biggest TV shows of all time, the Biggest Genius, explaining that the upcoming theme for it will be inter-dimensional travel.
This gave Toymaker an idea, if the toons were to be from different worlds, then this could make a big game changer for him.
“I believe I have found a way…” Toymaker said, “but for now, we must get these Toons! Bring them here!”
“Uh, sir?” the other clown, Bobo, spoke up, getting the Toymaker’s attention, “Just noticing, sir. If we do go to the different worlds and find them… what if they don’t come?”
“What did y’say?” Toymaker asked, as his left eye slowly twitched, “What if they. CAN’T. COME?”
He then grabbed hold of Bobo by the collar, bring him up to his face as he said with a wicked grin, “Make them.”
“Good idea.” Said a nervous Bobo.
“Make them!” Toymaker declared, “That’s how we’ll do it!”
As he prepared to leave, he turned to another teddy bear, wearing a bowler hat with glasses.
“Bobby!” Toymaker said, getting the bear, Bobby his attention.
“I’m going to do some research to see if there are any special power sources that I can use for the next lines of toys,” he explained, “while that’s happening, begin work on the first batch lines of toys, and find a substitute power source to power the first lot. Consider it like a back up plan.”
Soon, the factory was sure enough began work on the next lot of toys, from the military troops of the Mega Commandos, to the adorable Mr. Huggles teddy bear line, also among them were branch line of the Motor Madness toy vehicles, and even and large amount of space toys as well.
As been told, while Toymaker searched for alternative power for his big plan, most of the toys, mostly the action toys like the Mega Commandos, were given highly AI chips to power them for now, until the next big power source was found.
Soon, the Toymaker signed up to compete in the Biggest Genius, and began work on how to do…
Present
“So it’s the perfect plan,” the Toymaker explained, “and for my plan of inter-dimensional travel to work, I then created my very own pocket dimension, which is fair enough large enough to fit an enormous factory inside of it! As well as install branches of my Troublemaker Toy Co factory shops, that are now stationed in the respected worlds I have selected to continue with my master plans.”
He then let out a mischievous giggle, as he then said, “With the pieces in place… the plan is completely fool-proof! Nothing can stop me now!”
Later on…
“Oh man, I hope I make it on time!”
Running down the streets was a bright, optimistic purple rabbit, who was wearing a green and black striped top hat, an orange scarf, green long-sleeved shirt and red trousers.
His name was Zigzag Yeklipvad, and he was hurrying over to where Troublemaker Toy Co was, as he was on his way there to show some toy design ideas for the company, but was running a little late at the moment, as he hurried on his way.
Soon he arrived at the gates, as behind them was the toy factory itself, on top of the gate, was the company’s logo: a face of a boy wearing a propeller hat, but while it was smiling, it seemed to have a mischievous look and grin on it’s face.
“Yoo-hoo! Excuse me?”
A squeaky voice came up, getting Zigzag’s attention, as he turned to his left to see where the voice came from.
As he looked, he saw what looked like an active puppet, dressed up in the uniform like that of the British royal guard, pepping from a hanging box.
“Can I help you, sir?” the puppet asked.
“Oh, hello there,” Zigzag said, as he approached the toy guard, “I was wondering if you can open the gate for me, mister…”
“Gary,” the guard introduced himself, “I’m in charge of operating the gate here.”
“Well, Gary,” Zigzag then said, “I would like to speak to the guy in charge,” he then got out form the case he was carrying several blueprints and drawing sketches as he explained, “I have some ideas that could change everything for the toy company.”
“Well, why didn’t you say so?” Gary said happily, as he then got out a key, “Stand back!”
Once Gary was inside his box, Zigzag could hear something winding up, guessing that Gary was using the key to open the gate.
Then the gate started to open, and Zigzag was excited to see the factory ahead of him.
Taking a small deep breath, Zigzag felt ready to go in.
“Thanks.” Zigzag said as he walked towards the gate to go through to the oth-
SLAM!!
The gate instantly shut right in Zigzag’s face!
“What the-?” Zigzag exclaimed, as he wondered what happened, before turning to see Gary laughing.
“Gotcha, didn’t I?” he said, “You see, you were all excited, and then boom!”
As he laughed, he saw Zigzag with a ‘seriously’ look with a raised eyebrow.
“Okay, I’ve had my fun, go ahead.” Gary said, as he opened the gates again.
But as Zigzag tried going in again, once more gate slammed shut, causing Zigzag to look at the laughing puppet to find out what’s going.
“Now that’s funny! The second time!” Gary said between chuckles, “You really thing I’m gonna let you in!”
After all the laughing, Gary instantly stopped as he seriously said, “But I’m not.”
“What?” Zigzag asked.
“Sorry, kido,” Gary explained, “Nobody goes in. Company rules.”
“Company ru… but I don’t get it!” Zigzag said with confusion, “the fliers said that they were hiring for new toy designers all week! That was three days ago! How do…”
“They don’t anymore!” Gary said, “the bossman changed his mind, and it’s all finished fast!”
As Zigzag couldn’t believe what was being said, Gary added a bit of salt to the wound.
“My advice… come back three days ago and the job’s yours!” Gary said as he returned to laughing.
Knowing that the puppet was wasting his time, Zigzag decided to leave.
“I’ll be back,” he said, as he left, the papers under his shoulder, “and I will find a way in! And when I do I’m getting to the bottom of this!”
While the continued laughing, Zigzag secretly thought up a way to get inside.
It was then that he saw some of the toy factory trucks returning from deliveries, giving him the idea on getting inside.
Making sure no one was looking (as well with a bit of luck that one of the trucks’ backdoors was open a little), Zigzag managed to sneak into the truck.
Soon the trucks make it through the vehicle gates, arriving out front of the factory to go in, while that’s happening, Zigzag secretly sneaked out of the truck and kept away from getting caught by any security, though it felt to find the security to be several robots and giant clockwork toy soldiers.
Deciding to leave that matter for another time, he found a door and managed to get inside.
Inside, the factory was much like any other toy factory (with a small exception of the playful decoration design and the workers being robots, of course), so it didn’t quite surprise Zigzag at the moment.
As he continued, it looked like everything was all right, so Zigzag was beginning to wonder if nothing was wrong.
But as he was about to go back a few rooms, he suddenly heard something clang, not far from where he was.
“Hello?” he called out.
No reply.
He took a few steps towards where the sound came from, not wanting to startle whoever… or whatever… was there.
He then heard something scurry from his right, and as he looked, in a quick second, it looked like someone… or something… had just rushed into the next room.
Zigzag looked a little worried, but he had to be brave as he entered the next room, which looked like there was nothing but the machinery that was still running.
Zigzag crept around, worried that something bad might happen, but as he looked back while continuing creeping, now backwards, he suddenly bumped into something, which caused him (and the something) to startle in panic!
He then turned until he saw what he couldn’t believe.
There was small group of living toys, one was a bear in a red shirt, a small little pig, a yellow rabbit and tiger (whom he bumped into) looking quite nervous and startled as he was.
“What the heck?!” he said in surprise.
“Oh d-d-d-dear!” the little piglet squeaked, “Please! Don’t hurt us!”
Zigzag’s startleness was then changed to confusion as he looked to the group, then his eyes widened a little in surprise as he recognized them while looking to each of the members.
“Pooh?” he said to the bear.
“Piglet?” Zigzag then looked to the smallest member.
“Rabbit?” he then turned to the namesake figure.
“Tigger?” he looked to the striped fellow.
Zigzag looked to the group for a few seconds, until he realized who he was looking at, as he began to grew a small smile.
“I can’t believe it!” he said, “It’s really you!”
“H-how do you know us?” Rabbit asked, calming down a little.
“I’ve known you since my childhood, you were one of my favorite stories my mom used to read me, as well as watched your adventures.” Zigzag explained, only for his smile to slowly fade with confusion.
“But…” he then said, “how are you guys here? This seems a little impossible… and why are you lot in the factory?”
“W-we’ve been t-t-trying to g-get away from him!” Piglet explained.
“Him, who?” Zigzag asked.
“The Toymaker.” Rabbit stated.
“Wait,” Zigzag said, as he began to add up what they said, “you mean the Toymaker? As in the founder and creator of Troublemaker Toy Co.?”
“Exactly!” Tigger replied, “One minute we were having fun, until whoosh, we were kidnappided by them spacemen, who brought us here!”
“Spacemen?” Zigzag asked in confusion.
“Toy Spacemen, to be precise.” Rabbit explained, “they then scanned us for some reason, but we then managed to find a way to get away from them and hid here, but we couldn’t know the way out.”
“This is strange…” Zigzag said in agreement, until he looked to the group, “and was it just you four?”
“Nope,” Tigger stated, “they have the rest of our friends here, too!”
Zigzag was surprised about all this, the one day of coming into the factory to show his toy design ideas suddenly turned into something strange going on.
“Maybe… I can help you find them?” he suggested.
“You would do that for us?” Pooh asked.
“Sure,” Zigzag said, wanting to help out a new friends (even it was his favorite character(s) even), “I’m sure they can be around here somewhere if we can take a look around.”
Zigzag started to go through a corridor, until he turned to see Pooh and his friends looking to him a little nervous, but then he gave them a compassioning and friendly smile gestured them to join him as he said, “Come on, guys. You can trust me.”
The toy group looked to each other for a minute, and then decided to go along with him with a smile, guessing that it could be all right to trust him.
Soon Zigzag and Pooh’s group started to explore the factory for the rest of Pooh’s friends.
“By the way,” Pooh asked, “who are you?”
“I’m Zigzag, Zigzag Yeklipvad,” Zigzag introduced himself, “very nice to meet you guys.”
And so Zigzag and his new friends headed deep into the factory, but who knows what else lied in store for them…