PROLOGUE
The carnival had just come to town, and there couldn't have been a better day for it. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was packed, with dozens of people riding the rides, playing the midway games, and indulging in tasty food.
For Chris, however, it was not all that it was cracked up to be. The reason was because he had to take his little sister Karen and her friends. He had much better things to do that day. But no, he had to be stuck babysitting.
Karen, like everyone else attending, had the best time, along with all of her friends. She was always so cheerful and so curious, and this trip just made her even more so...Even if it was at the annoyance of her brother.
One of the star attractions – and one that Karen just couldn't wait to check out – was Professor Marvelo's Gallery of Wonders and Stupendous Show of Illusions. Chris just simply rolled his eyes as he and Karen went inside.
The Gallery of Wonders was filled with many curious objects on display. One of them was a vibrant green dress decorated with emeralds. Another one was a brick that glittered like gold. Yet another one was a bottle labeled "liquid courage". And there were so many more. Karen had never seen things like this before, and she eagerly looked upon each one in wide-eyed wonder.
She would say, "Look at this, Chris! Look at this! Wow, look at this! Isn't this amazing, Chris?"
Chris did nothing but shrug and sneer. He never saw objects like these before, either. But, as far as he could tell, they were all fake. He just wanted to go home, and not embarrass himself anymore. He was lucky none of his own friends were around.
But the Gallery of Wonders wasn't enough for Karen. The Show of Illusions was starting soon, and she, her friends, and Chris got in and got some good seats. She was so excited that she could burst at any moment. Chris, on the other hand, just slumped in his seat, hoping to get it over with as quickly as possible.
"Magic shows are so dumb," he said to himself.
As the lights dimmed, a low growling sound could be heard from behind the curtains. Karen and her friends scooted up to the edges of their seats. Just then, a large furry hand emerged. Almost the entire audience gasped. Then the curtains tore open. Standing right on the stage was a large beast. It had the head of a rhino and the body of a monkey, with five green eyes and brown fur all over its body. Karen and the rest of the audience stared up at it in awe. But Chris quickly spotted the strings holding the beast up. Just an overly large puppet.
The beast puppet roared at the crowd, spewing green fire out of its mouth. The audience gasped and leaned back in their chairs. Fortunately, the fire dissipated before it could touch any of them. To Chris, it was all just flame jets and chemistry.
"Welcome," the puppet roared, "To Professor Marvelo's Stupendous Show of Illusions!"
An explosion of smoke and sparks filled the stage, causing the audience to gasp again. But the gasps were followed by cheers as the puppet disappeared and a lanky old man with old-time clothes and a top hat stepped out in its place. His hair protruded out into curled points on either side of his head. As the smoke cleared, the man bowed to the audience.
"Welcome, welcome!" the man called to the audience. "Allow me to introduce myself! I am Professor Marvelo! Magician extraordinaire! And I am about to show you some of the most fantastical illusions you'll ever see! Truly one of a kind! As I!...Am truly one of a kind."
Chris rolled his eyes again and blew a quiet raspberry to himself. That's what all magicians like to say, he thought.
"Now!" Marvelo continued. "Allow me...To dazzle the senses and excite the mind!"
The Professor proceeded with his act. He had a large assortment of props and puppets. In addition to the large beast, he also had a life-size puppet of a lady, in a dress similar to the one in the Gallery, as well as a large orb that flared like a fireball. Many of these props he threw his voice to, like a ventriloquist. He also made use of mirrors, smoke effects, cards, and his own hat. He even picked an audience member and told her fortune via crystal ball.
Of course, Karen was thrilled and delighted with all of it. But Chris wasn't buying any of it. Whoever this Professor Marvelo was...To Chris, he was nothing more than a shallow, phony showman.
After what felt to Chris like an eternity, the show finally ended. Marvelo exited the same way he entered...Via a strong blast of smoke, and to ecstatic applause.
As Chris and Karen left with her friends, Karen said, "Wasn't that amazing, Chris? He's so amazing!"
"Whatever," Chris said, blowing another raspberry. "He's just another 'magician'. Seen them all before."
"Aww, c'mon, Chris!" Karen protested. "You haven't seen all THAT before! This one is different!"
"Eh, don't care," Chris said, shrugging. He looked up at the sky. The sun was still shining, meaning it wasn't even close to curfew yet.
"Hey!" Karen exclaimed, tugging on her brother's shirt. "Why don't we go and see him?"
"Wh-What?!" Chris shouted. "But we just did!"
"No, silly!" Karen giggled. "I mean see him backstage! I wanna know his secrets!"
Chris groaned loudly. The last thing he wanted was anything to do with that eccentric old man. But, unfortunately, he had to be a good big brother.
"Fine," Chris sighed in defeat, "We can go and see him."
So Chris followed Karen and her friends back into the seating area, and up to the stage. Leading the way, Karen pulled back the curtain and looked past it.
"Mr. Marvelo?" she called. "Mr. Marvelo?"
"I can't believe we're doing this," Chris said.
"Mr. Marvelo?" Karen called again. She walked through the curtains and into the backstage area, with her friends and Chris following behind. There they saw a lot of the props used in the show, as well as some of the wondrous objects from the Gallery. There were also some strange machines. "Mr. Marvelo?" Karen called once again. "Where are you?"
Then the Professor emerged suddenly from a smaller set of curtains. "Oh! Well, what do we have here? What might a group of children such as yourselves be doing in a place like this?"
"Your guess is as good as mine," Chris said quietly to himself.
"Mr. Marvelo!" Karen cheered. "We wanted to see you!"
"See me?" the Professor repeated. He then laughed amusingly. "Well, see me you shall! You must be dying to know the tricks of my trade."
"Yes!" Karen shouted. "You must have a lot of talent, Mr. Marvelo!"
"Oh, I don't just have a lot of talent, my dear," the Professor said as he opened a small chest on a nearby table. "You see, I have the experience to go along with it. I have been all over the world. Even to places," he continued, taking something out of the chest, "Normal men could only dream of!" He whirled around and displayed a pair of shoes. But these shoes shined a bright red color, brighter and more brilliant than any of the children had ever seen. In fact, they looked like they were made out of rubies.
"Wow!" Karen said, her eyes sparkling. "Where'd you get those?"
"These, my dear," the Professor said, putting the shoes down in front of the chest, "Along with everything else within my Gallery of Wonders...All come from such a special place. One that you may not imagine is real...But believe it, it is as real as all of the rainbows in the sky."
Chris rolled his eyes again. He wasn't going to let himself fall for any of this crazy man's stories. Although he did find himself intrigued by the ruby shoes the Professor pulled out, against his better judgment.
"Surely you are familiar," the Professor said with a twinkle in his eyes, "With the story of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz?"
"You mean that old movie?" Chris asked. "The one that's like a million years old?"
"Oh, it's not just the movie I'm talking about," the Professor continued, pulling up an old wooden chair. "The original book was written by one L. Frank Baum, in the early 1900s. The whole world was simply ENTRANCED by this story, and the ones that followed. Little did anyone know...That Baum...Was actually writing about...A REAL place. I should know...Because I've been there myself."
"Wow," Karen uttered. "You mean the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion, and the Tin Man...Are all REAL?"
"Oh, indeed they are, young lady," the Professor said, sitting down on the chair and facing Chris, Karen and the other children. "And many different stories have been told about them, and the magical land of Oz. But," he stuck a long, skinny finger in the air, "I have my own personal favorite version. And it involves some certain friends of mine: The Care Bears."
"Really?" Karen asked excitedly. "So Tenderheart Bear, and Cheer Bear, and Braveheart Lion...They're all real, too?"
"Oh, brother!" Chris shouted. "Now I've heard everything!"
"Now, sit down, everyone," the Professor said, "And I shall tell you all about it. The Care Bears, and their adventure in the merry old land of Oz. Along with a young girl whose name should be very familiar." Karen started to say the name, but the Professor shushed her gently. Chris, Karen, and the other children all sat down and eagerly awaited the Professor to start telling his story. "And you, young man," he continued, pointing at Chris with a smirk, "You may be doubtful right now. But, when this is over, I will make a believer out of you, too."
"We'll see about that, old man," Chris sneered.
Once everyone had gotten settled in, the Professor cleared his throat, and began his story...