Disclaimer: No Sorcerer's Apprentice for me!

A/N: I feel like a five year old that someone just gave chocolate covered espresso beans, writing this story. It's crazy! I can't stop! This chapter is Shoes. Let's see what happens, shall we?

Sorcerers' Tales

Chapter 3: Shoes

When Balthazar watched Dave taking off the "old man shoes" as he insisted on calling them, it felt like there was a deeper meaning to it. There was something more than just putting on his old shoes. By doing so, Dave was walking away from the world of magic that he had discovered existed thanks to Balthazar. He was going back to his old life where he would just be another person, another intelligent person, but no different than many of the other scientists in the world.

Except for the fact that he was different. He was a sorcerer, he was Merlin's heir, and he was the only hope that Balthazar had of ever finding any peace. His quest was to find the Prime Merlinian and help him to defeat Morgana. If he didn't do that, then he would never find any rest. He'd never have a chance of saving Veronica and he'd keep on wandering.

He wanted to beg Dave to stay, he wanted to promise him that if he would only stay and learn that maybe someday his life could go back to normal. But he knew that would never happen, and he wouldn't lie to his apprentice. Dave's life would never be normal again, and as long as Horvath was out there, he probably would never have any peace.

It was hard for him to watch Dave take off those shoes. It was as though he had failed his entire quest. 1300 years wasted. He had failed Merlin, his master, and there was nothing he could do. Except wait.

If he knew Dave, the boy would be back. Balthazar had to believe that.