Big thanks to my amazing editors, Drucilla and BlueShifted, who requested I visit this weird world!
All right, time for context. Many years ago I stumbled upon some fan-art about Tokyo Disney - specifically, of one of their Halloween parades. For one reason or another, the Japanese fandom depicted Witch Minnie as a love-obsessed maniac, and I thought that was hilarious, so I began writing small drabbles about what that could entail. Eventually fans of my work wanted to read more, and I finally submitted and decided to give it a shot.
However, this will be unlike most of my stories for two big reasons.
Reason One : Instead of Romance, the main focus of this story will be Comedy. As a result, I'm throwing a lot of my usual guidelines out the window - no long inner monologues, no ages of world-building, no angst and drama over Will They Or Won't They. The only rule for this is to make people laugh. Think of it as an experiment I'm trying.
Reason Two: When I first imagined this universe, it was mostly little ideas, like episodes of a show. As a result, I never thought of a beginning, middle or end or huge major plot - so I decided to go with that. Instead of a long complicated story, I'm going to write five short stories (well, four, if you count this chapter) about the daily madness of Spookyville.
Well, I think I've said more than enough for now, so let's see how this works out! Happy Halloween!
Far away in a distant land and time lives a world where one holiday reigns supreme. In this town, monsters and magic are as common as blue skies and sunshine, ghosts and ghouls are friends and family, and -
No, this is not like The Nightmare Before Christmas. It's totally different. Shut up.
Anyway, a special treat has arrived today, in that you, lucky soul, get to see some of the daily happenings of this bizarre world. In this special glimpse, you'll be told five tales of love, drama, and intrigue. (If you don't get any of this, you'll get your money back.*) And on this day, I can think of no better way to open this story by another opening! Let's dive in, shall we?
*No money will exchange hands.
It was a bright but blustery day in the haunted town, with every creed of creature eagerly taking to the streets. There was cause for celebration, as a brand new library would be opening! There was the promise of extremely rare spells, ancient tomes that had been thought lost to time, and neat coloring books for adults. A small stage had been set up in front of the marvelous library, with a big red ribbon stretched across the doors, waiting to be cut. The crowd was buzzing with anticipation as they tried to wait patiently for the man of the hour, the one who would officiate this ceremony.
"Gee, mom," asked a young skeleton, "What's the big hold up?"
"We're all waiting for the Mayor, of course!" his mother replied, making sure her eyes wouldn't pop out of her sockets this time. "He's the one who approved building the new library, and found the funds necessary to collect all those old books! He's a fine young man, and the pride and joy of everyone in Spookyville!"
"Golly, can I be like him when I grow up?"
"I doubt it, son, we're mostly just here for exposition."
No sooner had she finished speaking of the most honored man in town than an excited voice cried out, "Look, here they come!" Up in the air were three black coffins, with large bat wings propelling them forward through the sky. These special coffins could only mean one thing, and the crowd burst into applause. The coffins hovered in the air, twirling around once for show, before the one to the left popped open, and the body inside hopped on the stage.
"That's the Mayor's personal chef, Goofy!" Skeleton Mama explained, gesturing to the lanky dog who stumbled a bit on the stage before straightening himself. "He's always there to make sure the Mayor's stomach never goes empty, so he never needs to break and stop his work. Because of that, his specialty is Cooking Magic!" The dog smoothed down his purple pants, the pumpkin shape on his shirt and hat grinning mischievously at the onlookers.
"Cooking Magic?"
"All warlocks and witches have special magic just for them! Goofy's Cooking Magic allows him to make a meal wherever he is!" As proof of that, Goofy lifted his hat, where a pot of tea was now resting on his head, and calmly began to pour a cup of pumpkin spice tea for the mayor.
The right coffin opened, and out came a short duck, who was busily jotting down something important in a black notebook. The gold bats emblazoned on his red hat squeaked nosily, until he smacked the hat with his pen, and they quieted down. "That's Donald Duck, the Mayor's personal secretary!He keeps track of the Mayor's schedule so he's never late for anything! His specialty is Writing Magic – anything he draws comes to life!"
"That sounds like such a cheat."
Finally, the middle coffin opened up, and this was met with the loudest applause of all. Out walked a mouse with a cheerful smile for his people, tipping his hat to everyone, the windows stitched on it reflecting everyone's joy. His cape fluttered quietly in the wind, showing that on the inside, his cape was decorated with dozens of doors of all shapes and colors. "Excellent job, guys!" he chirped to his assistants, hands on his hips with pride.
"Everything's all set, and this should have enough sugar to last the entire speech!" Goofy said, handing over his cup to Mickey.
"We're right on time," Donald added, jotting another note down, "Without a second to spare. We're looking at a perfect day!"
"That's what I like to hear!" The mouse headed for the podium, but paused briefly, putting a hand to the side of his mouth and murmuring, "Say, uh... there's been no sign of you-know-who, right?"
Donald shuddered, but then cleared his throat, pretending he hadn't shown any signs of fear. "Not to worry, sir! Goofy and I hatched up an elaborate plan early this morning, it should keep her distracted all day!"
Goofy nodded in agreement, saluting while accidentally spilling the tea on his head. "There's been no sight or sound of her! We're in the clear!"
Heaving a huge sigh of relief, the mouse quietly thanked his men before approaching the podium, tapping the microphone once. "A-hem... welcome, one and all! I am Mayor Mickey Mouse, and it is my honor and privilege to open the Halloween Street Library! It's been a dream of mine to give everyone access to these treasured tomes, and I believe we all have the right to keep on learning! Spookyville is our home, and it only deserves the best! I can think of nowhere I'd rather be than the spookiest, creepiest, scariest place in the world!"
As Mickey continued praising the home he ruled over, the skeleton child whispered to his mother, "Say, mom, he's a warlock too, isn't he? What's his specialty magic?"
"Well, son... if we're lucky, we won't have to see it today."
This greatly confused her child, and he stared up at the small mouse on the stage, trying to figure out what kind of amazing magic he could possibly have. After all, to rule over such a strange place as Spookyville, one had to be incredibly powerful! Cooking Magic seemed simple, and Writing Magic seemed like endless potential, so what could be better than that? He studied the Mayor, just as everyone else was – in fact, because everyone was so intent on watching their beloved Mayor, they failed to notice anything else happening.
Like, say, the girl perched atop a nearby rooftop, taking aim at the Mayor's head.
"Almost... almost... oh, there~! Heehee, isn't he especially handsome today?" she squeaked, making the last adjustments to the gigantic weapon on her shoulder. "Oh, I could just watch him alllllll day!"
"Don't forget why you're here, mistress!" said Chip, one loyal familiar at her feet, followed swiftly by Dale, the equally loyal familiar. "It'd be a bummer to put all that planning to waste!"
"Aw, you're both such sweeties to worry over me!" She bent down to lovingly pet their heads before taking aim once more. "All right, I'm all set! Ready... aim..."
On stage, the wind was getting slightly brisker and chillier. Mickey was still in his speech, now explaining how to get a library card, when the cold began to bother his nose. He did his best to ignore it, but his nose kept twitching, needing to react. "And furthermore... ah... that is... ah..."
"Fire!"
"ACHOO!" Mickey sneezed hard, ducking his head as he blew into a hanky he pulled out of his pocket. He would've apologized for the embarrassing slight – except that by ducking, he had narrowly missed the large pink bazooka shell that whizzed past his hat, slamming and exploding into the library doors behind him, demolishing the entrance in a flurry of pink sparkles and red cartoon hearts. Dead silence fell upon the crowd of the mostly dead, as Mickey and his men slowly looked behind them to see the disaster.
"...Oh boy." Mickey rubbed his hand over his face before shooting his assistants a hot glare. "I thought you said she was distracted!"
"We thought she was!" Goofy whined, "Shoot, if you ask me, summoning a eight-foot dragon to keep her front door closed is pretty distracting!"
Donald sighed hard, ripping a page out of his book. "We're going to fall so far behind schedule..."
Grumbling, Mickey slammed his hands on the podium, shouting into the microphone, "MINNIE MOUSE! CAN YOU NOT DO THIS TODAY?!"
There on the rooftop stood an adorable young lady, in classic witch attire from head to toe. The black lines that zigzagged all over her red dress sparkled with electricity, perhaps an aftereffect of the hulking pink bazooka that rested on her shoulder. "Oh, he noticed me!" She giggled before waving back at him. "Hiii, Mickey! Thanks for sending over that gift this morning, he's going to make such an adorable pet! Right after he gets over that nasty cold I gave him... but that's neither here nor there." She popped the glass scope over her eye, hoping her aim would improve. "This here is the Super Duper Lovey Dovey Potion Number 6000! One hit and you'll definitely fall in love with me this time!"
"Or it could kill him," Chip said with a shrug.
"Mistress doesn't really think things through," Dale added.
"Stay still, pleeease~!" Minnie chirped, ready to fire off another round. This finally got the crowd back to its senses, and they began to scream and run about like chickens with their heads cut off. Even though they were used to these antics, why not follow through with tradition? Mickey yelped, jumping away from the podium before any of the bazooka rounds could touch him, the stage shattering into a million now-pink-patterned pieces. It now became a mad chase, with Mickey and his men struggling to avoid every new round, the same nonsense they had dealt with every day for several months now.
"Aaand the library is completely destroyed," Donald noted down in his notebook as they ran around, seeing the grand building now little more than a pile of debris and hearts. "Guess I can take the after-party off your schedule."
"How many rounds does the little lady have in that thing anyhow? She'll wind up destroying the entire town at this rate!" Goofy asked, taking out a hearty sandwich from his hat, as all this running would burn a lot of carbs.
"Can't be too much left," Mickey said as he tried to keep his hat on, "Or else the story would end right here! And even this hack author knows better than that!"
Mickey then tripped over a rock he hadn't seen before, as he forgot who was in charge of this tale. "Ow! Okay, okay, I take it back..." He then faced the building Minnie stood atop of, ready to take on her last shot. "Stand back, guys! Here it comes! Hope this works! Open..." With a flash of his hands and a swirl of his cape, one of the many doors on his cape suddenly popped off, growing larger and larger within seconds in front of Mickey's body. "Sesame!" His hands separated, willing the door open, and last shell vanished inside, the door slamming shut before disappearing into thin air – for this was Mickey's specialty, Door Magic! The ability to send anything anywhere, and to take out anything from anywhere! And you thought Writing Magic was a cheat!
Goofy exhaled, relieved, before following up, "Where did you send it this time?"
"The graveyard," Mickey replied, tugging on his cape. "Donald, send an apology gift basket to the zombies."
"Noted, sir."
"Aw, no fair!" Minnie pouted, upset that her latest scheme hadn't worked. "I was so close this time! Now I have to think of a whole new plan to make him fall in love with me." Defeated, she stuck her fingers in her mouth, whistling high so her flying broomstick would appear. "Come on, darlings, back to the drawing board!" She sat on the stick and her chipmunks joined suit on her lap. She blew a kiss to Mickey, waving goodbye as she took off. "Happy Anniversary, my Mayor!"
"Anniversary?" Mickey repeated, scratching his head, before the answer clicked in his brain. "Huh... it's been that long already, has it? Time flies by when an insane witch is constantly trying to make you fall in love with her."
"I don't think that's the expression," Donald said.
Goofy asked the obvious, as usual. "What did she mean, 'anniversary'?"
The chipmunks were equally befuddled, and ask similarly, "Anniversary of what, mistress?"
"It's been exactly one year..."
"... Since she made my life a living nightmare," Mickey groaned.
"... Since I fell in love with my wonderful Mayor!" Minnie chirped.
"Hang on," Goofy held up a hand, "before we do the flashback, lemme go grab my harp! Can't do a flashback without the floaty harp music!"
"Appreciated, Goofy, but this is a visual medium, the sound gag doesn't quite work here."
"Aw, phooey."
Yes, one year ago things had been very different. Minnie was still a new student at Magica De Spell's Bewitching Academy, where all young witches learned their craft. Every manner of creature in Spookyville attended their own special schools to hone their powers – mummies went to mummy school, ghosts went to ghost school, and blood-sucking vampires went to law school. Warlocks and witches were the strongest and most powerful of all. It was said that any witch that graduated from Miss Spell's Academy would go on to do great, amazing things for Spookyville – well, Magica said that. Constantly.
As such, Minnie was quite nervous when she first enrolled, as her magic was nothing to brag about. On her first day when she was introduced to her fellow classmates, she tried to be brave when she showed off her familiars – but that bravery was shattered when a wicked cackle interrupted her.
"Two familiars?" A beach-blonde witch laughed, the usual witch with a B found in many fictional school settings, surrounded by her clique of stereotypes. "Who ever heard of a witch with two familiars? She has to be the weakest witch that's ever existed! A witch's familiar helps them with their spells and potions... if you need two, you must need way more help with your pathetic brews!" She finished her insult with a classic haughty chuckle, her black cat on her shoulder copying the noise.
Minnie seemed to shrink in the eyes of all her classmates, while her chipmunks tried to argue for her.
"Just you wait! Mistress will be a powerful witch someday!
"We were assigned to her, and we're staying put!"
Minnie sniffled, wishing she was out of the spotlight already. "I-I'll do my best..." she mumbled, but even that didn't sound very enthusiastic. After all, those rude insults were true – Minnie's potions always had missing ingredients, her spells would dissolve before she finished uttering the words, and even her flying broom tended to smash her into more walls than a wrecking crew. She had yet to find her specialty magic, and without it, she wasn't much of a witch.
"That's quite enough out of all of you," Professor Jessica Rabbit announced, brushing her long red hair out of her eyes. Magica De Spell ruled the school by title, but many would argue that Jessica was the one keeping things together. "Not everyone starts out perfect. You're all here to learn. And I don't want to see this kind of attitude when the Mayor stops by at the end of the week."
This got gasps and excited whispers from many of the young ladies. "The Mayor?" Minnie asked, having only seen him as a spectator in crowds before. "He's really coming here?"
"He's coming to do an evaluation of the academy," Jessica explained, "So we'll be setting up a special event for his arrival. On Friday, all of you will be showcasing your best spells for him to see. Make him proud, and maybe we can get extra funding this year. That means more learning opportunities for you girls." And a new Foosball table in the teacher's lounge.
The girls were very excited to hear this, each of them planning to wow the Mayor with their amazing skills. The only one who wasn't excited was poor Minnie – how could she possibly impress the Mayor when she couldn't even perform a simple spell? She sat down at her desk, lamenting her life. "Maybe I should call in sick that day..."
"Don't give up, Mistress!" Chip sat, sliding down from the brim of her hat to the desk. "You can do anything you put your mind to!"
Minnie sniffled, touched by his belief. "You really think so?"
"We know so!" Dale joined his friend, his fists pumped. "We'll all work really hard together to make a spell that'll knock the Mayor's socks off! We'll practice day and night, night and day, until you're confident!"
With such adorable faith, how could Minnie say no? With a new resolve, Minnie was determined to prove her little friends right. Every day that week, Minnie studied hard, throwing herself into her books. The teachers admired her ambition, even though she continued to fail. The snooty superior classmate continued to mock her efforts, which was rather bold of someone who would wind up so unimportant to this story that the narrator didn't even bother coming up with a name for her.
"HEY!"
Oh, shush, you won't be appearing here after the flashback is done anyway.
The big day came, and everyone gathered in the lush courtyard, excitement sparkling in the air. Magica and Jessica addressed the crowd of witches, reminding them why they were here, and making sure they would put on a good show for the Mayor. "Today is the day I finally prove my school is the best of them all!" Magica cackled, rubbing her hands together in devilish glee. "Especially compared to that fool Scrooge McDuck's School for Warlocks! He'll finally see that I'm so much better than him in every single way! I'll make him eat his words! Then he'll lick my shoes, and then he'll lick my-"
"You're in public, ma'am," Jessica reminded her.
Most of the students weren't paying attention to Magica De-saster, having gotten used to her weird tangents about the rival principal, and instead prepared their spells for the Mayor's arrival. Minnie was still very nervous, clutching her broomstick in both hands. "Oh, I really hope this works! And I hope the Mayor is nice... I've never seen him up close before. What do you think he's like?"
"It doesn't matter what he's like," Chip said as he lightly patted Minnie's cheek, standing on her left shoulder. "What matters is what you like! If this is what you want to do, go for it!"
"We're with you all the way, Mistress!" Dale agreed on her right shoulder. "You'll make us all proud!"
Jessica began loudly clapping to get everyone's attention, as the famous flying coffins had at last appeared in the sky. With a spin and a twirl, the three head honchos of Spookyville arrived – chef Goofy, secretary Donald, and naturally, Mayor Mickey! Many witches swooned and squealed – he was quite the handsome fellow up-close, wasn't he? He lightly tipped his hat in response to all the applause, smiling brightly for everyone. "Gosh, what a beautiful day! Thank you so much for the invitation, Miss Spell! I'm really looking forward to seeing what these ladies can do!"
"You won't be disappointed," Magica said with a grin, already feeling victorious. "Each and every one of my witches are more powerful than any warlock Scrooge could ever teach! And I know he's told you all about them! He's such a braggart, he's such a pain, has he said anything about me?"
"Public, ma'am," Jessica reminded her again, before deciding to take control of the conversation. "Perhaps we should get things started... each of the girls has prepared a special presentation of the spells they are the most proud of. Let's start with the newest batch..." She stepped ahead, and with a wave of her hands, commanded the flowers and rose bushes to part so that the ground was clear enough for all their shows. The courtyard was thankfully large enough to host all of the witch students, with a looming forest stretching off into the back. "Minnie Mouse, if you would please...?"
Minnie gulped audibly – she was going first? She could already hear the snickers of her superiors, and tried to swallow down her fear. Hoping she wasn't trembling as much as she thought she was, she slowly walked into the sunlight, the clearing feeling emptier now that she was in it. "I, um... I-I'm going to..." She stammered, feeling everyone's eyes on her. She finally met the Mayor's face – gosh, he really was a looker, wasn't he? - and saw kind patience reflected in his eyes. He merely smiled at her, nodding once, silently encouraging her to do her best.
That one gesture managed to ease her shakes, and after a deep breath, she tried again. "My name is Minnie Mouse, and... I've been working very hard on my broom-flying!" With that, she dropped the broom and let it hover over the ground before hopping on – traditionally, most witches sat for their ride, but her attempt at a special spell allowed her to step on the broom, riding it as one would a skateboard. "Here I go!"
In seconds she was up in the air, riding and rolling as she moved her body back and forth. She spun in circles, flipped upside-down, and even managed to snatch a rose from one of the bushes before tossing it into the crowd. Light clapping began to resonate within the crowd, which grew louder and louder as they saw her dynamic tricks in the air. Confidence began to swell up inside of Minnie's chest – had she at last found her special magic? Was the Mayor impressed?
"What's so special about that?" a voice snapped, and the unnamed necessary rival witch stepped into the clearing, haughty about all the attention the loser was getting. "All witches ride brooms! She might as well be showing off a pointy hat!"
"Wait your turn... whatever your name is!" Jessica demanded, pointing back to the crowd.
"Why should I? My magic is way better than some nobody who needs two familiars! Someone as great as me shouldn't have to learn alongside such weaklings! Behold, my specialty – Wind Magic!" With a wave of her hands, she slammed out two hard waves of wind, shooting them up into the sky and slicing open the clouds. Minnie shrieked, wobbling on her broomstick, close to falling.
"Stop that this instant!" Magica yelled, humiliated by her student's impudence. "This isn't about you, this is about me! … I mean, my school. The school."
"I have to agree," Mickey said, his eyes on the poor flailing witch on the sky. "You need to stop before someone gets hurt!"
"And why should I care?" The never-named witch snorted, her hands clenching up as she prepared another spell. "In order to get stronger, you have to push the weak out of your way! And if you're all so eager to help weaklings, then that means I have to push you out of my way too! Take this!" She jumped high, and when she landed, she sent out powerful waves of wind to knock over the students and teachers, laughing evilly as they toppled over like bowling pins. The courtyard was being wrecked, with plants and flowers being ripped away by the roots, the iron fencing now bent in several different directions, which was going to cost the teacher's their Foosball table."Now, to get rid of the weakest witch around!" She shot one hand up to the air, forcing another hard blast of her power right in Minnie's direction.
Minnie braced herself, but alas, her specialty wasn't flying after all. The wind was too much, and she found herself knocked off the broom, and plummeting toward the ground!
"Open Sesame!"
Before Minnie's eyes, a bright blue door appeared beneath her, opening up and taking her in – so she could land safely into Mickey's arms. She gasped, amazed that seconds before she was sure she'd have gone splat on the ground. Mickey offered a brief smile, before facing the wicked witch of the wind. "This is your last warning, young lady! Apologize right now, or else I'll be forced to stop you!"
"You, stop me?" The girl cackled, ready to fire off another flurry of windy waves. "I've heard about all your so-called power, but you're just a shrimp! Maybe when I take you down, I'll become the new Mayor of Spookyville! And I'll make it so that no one weak will ever live here again!" She pushed her hands together, summoning her strongest winds yet. "Make Spookyville Great Again!"
"I gave you a chance..." Mickey gently set Minnie down on her feet, needing a free hand, although he kept her close with his other arm to make sure she was all right. "Open Sesame!" But this time instead of willing up one door, he waved his cape, and six doors appeared! Each one spun around the wicked witch, catching her wind – and then spitting it right back at her, catching it, spitting it back, over and over again as it tore her pretty outfit to shreds, knocked her lunch out of her stomach, and gave the worst hair day in history. When she finally had the wind knocked out of her, she collapsed in a heap, dizzy beyond measure. Each of the doors vanished, and the courtyard was safe again.
Satisfied, Mickey returned his attention to the little miss in his arm, all smiles again. "I'm glad you're all right! Did she hurt you any?"
Minnie didn't say anything right away, her face hot from having such a pretty boy so close to her. But those new feelings were instantly trampled by humiliation and grief, as she understood that in the end, nothing had changed. "I'm not all right... I'll never be all right! I'm just a weak, pathetic witch who can't even fly her broom right! I'll never find my specialty magic!" Tears flooded her eyes, and she broke free from Mickey's embrace, her chipmunks falling behind in surprise. Her hat flew off with the last remnants of the wind, as Minnie boo-hoo-hoo'd all the way into the forest, wailing at her continuing failure.
Deep within the dark forest, Minnie ran until her feet could no longer carry her, and she sat underneath a tree, crying her little heart out. Why be born a witch if she could never find her magic? She'd never be a real witch, just some phony in a pointy hat. Chip and Dale deserved someone better than a pathetic sadsack like her. She continued to whine and lament her life, so lost in her sadness she didn't see anyone walking up to her until the Mayor was literally in front of her.
She blinked at him, startled, his face blurry in her wet eyes. Mickey had on that same smile as he always did, her hat in his hands. "I think you dropped this," he said kindly, kneeling down in front of her. "I'm glad that girl didn't hurt you. Minnie, right?"
Minnie sniffled, but shot her eyes down, feeling she didn't deserve his pity. Mickey stayed where he was, watching her. "Sounded to me like you haven't quite found your specialty magic yet... that can be really frustrating, huh? I was like that too... it took me ages to find out what suited me best."
Reluctantly, Minnie lifted her head. "It did? … B-But you did wind up finding it! I feel like I'll never find mine! I try, and I work, but nothing ever goes right for me! I don't know what to do!"
"I think that's your problem," Mickey replied, as calm as ever. "See... everyone's magic is special to them and them alone, because that's what they needed. Your magic won't come to you unless you find something you can dedicate yourself to... something you can believe in with your heart, something you want to do." He jabbed a thumb backwards and over his shoulder. "My pal Goofy? He wanted to make his friends happy, and to him, nothing makes anyone happier than a good meal, so he found Cooking Magic! And Donald, why, he wanted to keep everything neat and orderly, so no one would be late and worry about things, and that's how he found Writing Magic."
He then chuckled quietly, recalling his own days learning the ins and outs of magic. "As for me... ever since I was little, all I've ever wanted to do was help Spookyville. But the town itself isn't what makes it great... it's the people. I wanted to open new doors for them, so that's how I wound up with Door Magic. And that's how it'll be for you, too." Minnie was ready to whimper that she didn't know how, but Mickey silenced her by tilting her chin up with his fingers. "Find what you love, find what you care about, and your magic will come to you. And I promise... I'll be rooting for you all the way."
Minnie's eyes widened, and a brand new sensation entered her heart. Chip and Dale's belief was something she was used to, and they were her familiars, they were supposed to cheer her on. But to have the support of someone so amazing and powerful as this? It was overwhelming! He would really root for her, after all that? Her heart began to pound, and there was a spark in her soul. What was this feeling...? "You... you really believe in me?"
"Wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it." Mickey gently placed her hat back on her head, tilting it just right to expose her pretty eyes. "When we meet again, I know you'll find your magic. I give my word as Mayor... you're going to be someone incredible."
As sweet as the moment was, it couldn't last forever. Donald arrived on the scene first, followed by Goofy and the chipmunks. "We'll have to reschedule the entire day, sir." Donald sighed in annoyance, writing this down in his book. "The entire courtyard needs to be repaired, so I'll arrange it so that you can try this again the same time next week."
"Fine by me!" Mickey chirped, not terribly deterred by the day's events. He stood up straight, and tilted his hat to Minnie once with a bow of his head. "Next week, huh? I'll see you then, Minnie. I can hardly wait!" With one wink, he turned away from her, rejoining his comrades.
Once they were a good distance away, Donald murmured with a smirk, "Cute, isn't she? What are you thinking?"
Mickey grinned, his tail flicking back and forth underneath his cape. "Heh heh heh! Well.. maybe once the show's over next week, I can ask Minnie if she's free for dinner..."
Goofy chuckled, deciding to celebrate the moment with a fresh batch of cookies from his hat. "Aw, shucks, Mayor! You sweet on the little lady?"
"A girl as adorable as that? You betcha!" Mickey replied earnestly, unable to stop his cheer. The girl was a real beauty, so delicate and sweet. The poor thing needed someone to take care of her, and he'd be more than happy to be that someone. "Boy oh boy, I can't wait for next week!"
Chip and Dale raced to their mistress, crawling onto her lap to see if she was better.
"Are you okay, Mistress?"
"What's the matter, Mistress?"
But Minnie couldn't hear their voices, her eyes locked on Mickey's back even as he walked further and further away. Something she could dedicate herself to... something she could believe in with her heart, something she would want to do...
Her eyes glittered, and in that exact moment, she knew exactly that her specialty magic was.
During that week, Minnie wasn't seen as much, locking herself away to dedicate herself to her new studies. Whatever her presentation for Friday would be was a mystery, as she refused to discuss it with anyone. She didn't want to speak a word of it until she was sure it was perfected, and no one could guess what it could be. Not that anyone expected too much – a weak witch that needed two familiars probably wouldn't amount to much, no matter what their specialty was.
Come Friday, and once again everyone was in the courtyard, save for the unnamed witch, as she had served her purpose and was now spending time in the hospital, St. Matilda's Home For The Plot Devices. Once more, the witches were gathered, led by Jessica and Magica, and once more the Mayor and his lackeys arrived.
"This will go much smoother this time, I swear it!" Magica declared, the wrinkles on her face deeper today. "I promise you, my school is way better than Scrooge's! He's nothing compared to me! Did he get my letters, he refuses to answer my texts!"
"Public." Jessica lightly pushed Magica aside. "Mayor, you honor us with your presence. If it's all right with you, may I choose Minnie to start again? I believe she's made some real strides since the last time we saw her." Granted, Jessica hadn't seen those strides, but she wanted to believe in her young pupil. Why else would Minnie spend all that time by herself if it wasn't to better her abilities?
Mickey beamed, more than happy to see the fair maiden again. "Sure thing! I bet she'll do great! Let's start the day off with a bang!"
This time, the Minnie that walked out into the clearing didn't have a single shake in her step, and boldly met everyone's eyes. However, she didn't have a broom with her – instead, she carried a single thin black wand, holding it in one hand as a conductor would wield their baton. Chip and Dale stayed by her feet, giving each other wary glances. Mickey almost didn't recognize this confident girl, who stood with a straight spine and nary a worry. When she smiled at him, he could've sworn his heart skipped a beat. Maybe bold girls could be adorable too!
"Mayor Mickey, fellow students and faculty..." Minnie began after a light curtsy. "For the longest time, I struggled in the ways of the witch. Because I didn't know what I was passionate about, I couldn't find my magic. But at long last, I've finally found it... the thing I will dedicate myself to, which I will fight for, the thing that gives my life meaning and purpose." She raised her wand, and the tip began to glow bright pink, and the crowd found themselves leaning in, very curious about this turn of events. "I believe my magic is the first of its kind... the one and only... Make Mayor Mickey Mine Magic!"
"...What," said Jessica.
"What," said Magica.
"What?" said Goofy and Donald together.
"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!" said the entire crowd of witches.
The only one who didn't say anything was Mickey himself, whose romantic illusions were swiftly shattered. He raised a finger, opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He didn't just hear that, right? Surely he misheard. He slowly glanced to his assistants who were just as thrown off as he was.
"And to that end," Minnie continued, ignoring everyone's shock, "My magic will allow me to do whatever it takes to make the mayor fall in love with me! Even if it means getting rid of anyone in my way! Hope you don't mind!" With a cheerful giggle, she wiggled her fingers, and the innocent wand poofed into an innocent semi-automatic that was decorated in glitter and hearts. "I love you, Mayor~!" Without another word of warning, she began firing off love-potion-rounds, blowing up several holes in Mickey's hat before he finally found the nerve to run for the hills.
Naturally, Goofy and Donald were quick on his heels, with Donald forced to change the schedule again. "So, I guess this means the date's off?"
"DATE IS OFF, DATE IS OFF, DATE IS SO VERY VERY OFF!" Mickey yelled, feeling the bullets whiz by his big black ears. Figures the one girl he was ever remotely interested in had a hidden psychotic side.
"Aw, come on, stay still, you big silly!" Minnie flicked her weapon around, turning it into a massive hammer with the same garish pink colors and decoration. "I love youuu~!" But her aim wasn't the best, and as a result, not only did she smash one of the school walls over, she sent several of her students flying. "Let's get married and have lots and lots of adorable little Mickeys!" She squealed as she turned her hammer into a shotgun, "And we'll go on a honeymoon that lasts a thousand years!" shotgun into a chainsaw, "We already have the same last name, it's destiny at work!" chainsaw into a tank...
Magica and Jessica stood in stunned awe as they saw their precious school being demolished in a lovey-dovey rampage, the two of them wishing their talents lay in Booze Magic.
"It occurs to me," Jessica murmured, mentally calculating the cost of the damages, "that perhaps her needing two familiars isn't because she's weaker than other witches... but that she's more powerful than other witches. Could that be a viable theory?"
"If it's true," Magica muttered, seeing her precious academy steamrolled by an actual magical steamroller, "Then Spookyville is doomed."
"Wow, it's been a whole year since then?" Chip asked, marveled at how soon it had been compared to how fast it felt.
"Are you going to do anything to celebrate?" Dale asked, equally surprised.
"Oh, we'll have plenty of time for celebrations once the Mayor and I are married," Minnie answered, spotting her homely house on the hill. "And I bet my next plan will get his heart for sure! Come on, boys, we've got a lot of work to do!"
"It's been a whole year since then?" Goofy reaffirmed, hoping to soothe Mickey's nerves with a plate of pumpkin-flavored sweets. "I feel like just yesterday we were running from her love-laced arrows!"
"That was just yesterday," Donald reminded him. "Not much we can do about it now. Once someone discovers their specialty magic, there's no going back."
"Don't rub it in," Mickey huffed, angrily biting down on an orange cookie, his office building on the horizon. "And I bet her next plan will be even worse... come on, guys, we've got a lot to prepare for."
And so, ladies and gentlemen, this is the daily life of two of Spookyville's most famous, and infamous, residents. Are you ready for four more tales of wacky witches, mopey mayors, and loveydovey shenanigans?
(If you said yes, please seek therapy.)
Welcome... To Spookyville!
