Chapter 16: Zen's beginning Part 4

It had been quite some time, a few years in fact since the incident with Wil, and while Yen had to take some time to move on, he also spent it studying and preparing for his first-ever apprentice. He got up early in the morning to meet with Walt Disney and the new apprentice. He rushed through the main gates, carrying three books in his hands. Speed walked down the halls almost bumping into servants, he finally approached the main doors of the office where Walt was standing waiting for him. Yen came to an abrupt stop in front of Walt and tried to catch his breath.

"Sorry….I'm…..late sir." Yen said after each breath.

Walt looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Late? Yen, you're almost 30 minutes early." Walt chuckled.

Yen looked at the time and blushed in embarrassment.

"Well, since you're here, let's get you acquainted with your apprentice," said Walt as he led Yen through the doors.

Both Walt and Yen had entered the room to see a boy around the age of 12 sitting in a chair dressed in green and black apprentice clothes.

"Yen, this is your apprentice, Zen," said Walt.

"H...Hi," said a nervous Zen.

"Greetings young one, I am Yen Sid," said Yen.

"I shall be your master and you will be my apprentice. In time you will learn the ways of magic from me to become wise and powerful yourself. However, what I want to know is if you are up to the task and will follow my instructions no matter what."

"Y...Yes I will Si- I mean master!" replied Zen.

"Very well then. Your training will start tomorrow early morning, for today you will study these three books." Yen said as he handed the boy the three heavy books all of which were the first three volumes of "The Art of Magic."

Zen struggled a little to hold the books up.

"I recommend the library for your studies, just ask the servants for directions. I have some business to take care of so good luck," said Yen.

"Yes master sir," said Zen as he made his way out the door.

Yen was about to leave himself but was stopped by Walt.

"Yen, before you go there are some things I wish to discuss with you."

"Oh sure." replied Yen as he closed the door.

Walt went behind his desk and sat down, Yen took that as a notion for him to grab a seat as well

"So what was it you wished to speak to me about?" asked Yen.

"Before we begin, I want to talk to you about how to approach Zen," said Walt.

"Was it something I said?" asked Yen.

"Not exactly,

"What I'm saying is that you should treat him a bit more than just an apprentice, like a friend who wants to help, but also hold him to reasonable discipline when it's necessary," advised Walt.

Yen nodded

"You're right, I should be careful."

"Good, now that is settled, on to some important business," said Walt.

"Is there something wrong?" asked Yen.

Walt sighed then walked to the window. Yen saw the tired dreary look in his eyes as he looked over the village.

"Yen, ever since the incident with Wil, I've noticed something in the atmosphere…..Something sinister."

Yen looked at Walt in worry.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Walt turned back to Yen and explained.

"The vault is meant to keep the darkest evils inside. However, the discovery I made was that even if they are trapped in the body, one's will or spirit can seep through if it is strong enough," stated Walt

"The point I'm trying to make is that your brother had a strong spirit himself, while he cannot interact with the outside directly, the powers that he was conjuring have allowed him to communicate through a soft whisper or even a dream."

Yen's eyes grew as wide as saucers.

"Isn't there any way to prevent this?" he asked.

"I'm afraid it's already too late," replied Walt.

"But how?" Yen pressed.

Walt's gaze turned back to the window.

"Remember some of the incidents that happened over the last two years?" he asked.

Yen took a moment to recall the events that took place.

"There was a terrible fire that took one of the villages on the far side of the land, the passing of count Velec, and finally the disappearance of the ship "The Canterbury" in the sea fog.

"Those were not accidents nor coincidences," said Walt.

"When I visited those places, I discovered something interesting, traces of magic in the air that was similar to what Wil was conjuring, then I felt a chill down my back and looked in the distance to see a group of six figures wearing dark cloaks."

"Do you believe these people had a part in any of this?" asked Yen.

"At the moment no, I returned to the castle to study the vault and to confirm my suspicions and was shocked at what I found," Walt said.

"There was a small stream of magic leaving the opening of the vault. I was able to seal it temporarily, but later I found it open again by an outside source."

Yen laid a figure on his chin and tried to think of something. When he couldn't come up with anything he turned back to Walt.

"What do you propose we do next?" he asked.

Walt returned to his desk, sat down, then gave Yen a serious look.

"Yen, I need your help in finding this mysterious cult and putting an end to it. Are you up to the task?"

Yen stood up in his chair and put an arm across his chest.

"I will do everything in my power to protect this kingdom from evil." he declared.

Walt smiled at Yen, but his smile quickly faded.

"I hate to burden you with this, especially when you are going to be taking an apprentice under your wing," he said.

"I will manage," Yen said with a smile.

"So tell me, what do we know about this cult?"

Yen woke up early the next morning to prepare for the day's teachings. Putting on his clothes, slipping into his shoes, he made his way to the library. Upon his arrival, Yen was surprised to see Zen at the table with a stack of books next to him while he wrote things down from another book. Zen was alerted by his master's approach so he stopped writing and greeted him.

"Good morning Master!" said Zen.

"Good morning to you as well Zen." Yen returned.

"Your lessons don't begin for another two hours. Why are you up so early?"

"I just felt that I should be properly ready for today,

Yen couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. When he was young and first started training, he overslept by an hour and was scolded for it.

"Yen, you don't need to overwork yourself just to impress me," Yen said

"Did you have any breakfast?"

"A while ago a servant brought me an apple from the kitchen to eat," Zen replied.

Upon hearing this, Yen gave Zen a stern look.

"Yen, it is important for you to eat well, otherwise your body will lose energy faster and will hinder your ability to cast spells."

Zen lowered his head.

"I apologize, master."

Yen noticed Zen's mood turned sad, so he tried to build him up.

"However, I commend your diligence and eagerness to learn. Keep up the work and you'll have the potential to become a master wizard a lot sooner than later."

Zen raised his head and smiled.

"Thank you, master!"

Just then, a servant approached them.

"Excuse me sirs, breakfast will be served in the banquet hall," she said.

"Thank you mam, come along Zen."

Zen closed the book he was reading and followed his master.

Yen and Zen had a quick breakfast then immediately started the day's teachings. The pair were out in the courtyard getting ready to practice.

"Zen, may you please cite the three rules of magic?"

Zen cleared his throat.

"First rule: Magic for the good of all. Second: Magic is delicate and must be used with care. Finally: Always be wary never to let the influence of magic overtake the user."

"Very good Zen," Yen said with pride.

"Now to start off your first lesson you will learn a levitation spell. I assume you studied this portion of the second volume you were instructed to read?"

"Yes Master," Zen answered.

"Good, see that flower pot over there?" said Yen as he pointed to the pot.

"Focus on just the object and concentrate on using the magic inside you to move the flower pot to the other side of the garden."

Zen took a deep breath and cleared his mind. Motioning his hand toward the flower pot, he used the magic inside him to lift it a few inches into the air. Zen cheered, but it was short-lived when his distraction caused him to drop the pot onto the ground, shattering it into pieces. Zen let out an irritated grown at his failure.

"Spent hours studying this spell and I can't even perform it!?" Zen said in frustration.

Yen laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Studying is one thing, performing magic itself is another. You aren't going to get everything on the first try, practicing is one of the more important parts of magic," he said.

"Now try again, only this time use the rocks over there."

As Zen was about to try moving the rocks, Walt Disney walked up to the pair to interrupt them.

"Ah, I see you both have already started the lessons," said Walt with a smile.

"We are just starting off with some of the basics." Yen replied.

Yen, I'm sorry to bother you in the middle of a lesson, but I have some information that I need to go over with you," said Walt Disney.

Yen nodded and followed Walt to the bench a few meters away.

Walt Disney and Yen sat on the bench at the far side of the yard. They watched as Zen practiced levitation magic.

"I remember when you were first learning that spell, it took you three days to master it, and then there was that one incident with one of the maids." Walt laughed.

"You mean when I accidentally dropped a pale of water on her head?" Yen chuckled.

"It was her first day, she still gives me the evil eye just to tease me."

The two watched Zen for a few minutes before Yen broke the silence.

"So I assume that you have more information regarding your discovery of the hidden cult?" Yen asked.

"Actually I do, I was able to get in touch with some of the witnesses and was given some description of some of the members," replied Walt.

"What have you found out?" Yen asked.

"Well I had to do some detective work, but I was able to piece some of the clues together," said Walt.

"The group is known as The Dark Court, people who have been twisted into believing Wil's vision."

"The first person is a man in his early fifties, he's the leader of the cult and they refer to him as The Alchemist. The second person is a female who appears to be in her thirties, she is known for her deceptive nature and is titled The Deciver. The third person is a tall man who is around the age of fifty-five, he is very strong and ruthless on the fields of battle, he is known as The Warrior. The fourth person is the youngest of the group ranging between the ages of twenty to twenty-five, he is a clever snatcher of valued possessions and has robbed many people both rich and poor, staying within the shadows, he is called The Thief. Then we have the fifth member, she is an entertainer of sorts and has used her power to hypnotize her poor spectators, she is The Entertainer."

"But wasn't there a sixth member?" asked Yen.

"There is, but no one has been able to identify this person, he is by far the most mysterious of the group," said Walt.

"Was there anything else that you found out?" asked Yen.

"Unfortunately no, but I have a feeling that these events weren't just random acts of terror. There has to be a connection." Walt replied.

Yen took a moment to ponder all the details. Then there was a question that he wanted to ask.

"How did you find out that they were associated with Wil?" he asked.

"Each member was wearing what looked like a magic pendant around their necks, and on that pendant was a special symbol engraved on the front, the same symbol that I saw in your brother's journal," said Walt.

"I won't keep you from your apprentice, if you can find the time to investigate yourself I would appreciate it."

"I will do my best to help however I can my friend," said Yen as he laid a hand on Walt's shoulder.

For the next few weeks, Zen had accelerated in his training much to the amazement of Yen Sid and Walt Disney. Zen had mastered several new spells, much faster than Yen and Wil. While Zen was gaining more knowledge, Yen was doing his best to manage Zen's training and the investigation, gathering more information each time.

Due to Zen's hard work, Yen Sid gave Zen an extra day to relax. It was late one evening and after supper, Zen decided to take a stroll out in the gardens. In his right hand was an apple that he brought with him for a small snack. As Zen walked through the flower beds, he breathed in the sweet-scented flowers. After a few minutes, a small mist began to encircle the gardens, after a while Zen noticed what appeared to be a small old man walking with a cane in one hand and a lantern in the other. Zen stood where he was taking a few bites from the apple while observing the old man. Out of nowhere, the old man stumbled and landed on his knees. Zen rushed to the aid of the man.

"Excuse me sir, are you alright?" asked Zen as he helped the man up.

"Oh I'll be fine my boy, just guide me over to the bench to rest for a moment." said the old man.

Zen escorted the man to the bench and they both sat down.

"Thank you, my boy." said the old man.

"Oh, you're welcome," said Zen.

The old man looked at Zen who had his mind in a different place.

"You seem to have something on your mind my boy, why not share what's on your mind to help clear it?" said the old man.

"Well, I've been training to be a wizard for a while now, and while Mr. Disney and my master have praised me for my progress, I can't help but feel like they're holding something back."

"Ah, you're the wizard's young apprentice. Why do you feel they are keeping things from you?" asked the old man.

"You see, I'm not allowed to leave the castle grounds, and my master is almost always out of the castle nowadays. Every time he returns from one of his trips he doesn't tell me anything and just brushes the subject off. It's like they are keeping something from me and they don't trust me. "

"Perhaps you should seek aid from another. Someone who best understands you. " the old man said.

"What do you mean by "someone who best understands me"?" asked Zen.

"I merely mean that you should have a guide with you to help with your path when your master is not there." the old man explained.

"But how do I find one?" asked Zen.

The old man reached into a pouch he was carrying and pulled out a shiny amulet. He then offered it to Zen.

"Perhaps this could help you," said the old man.

Zen took the amulet from the old man's hand and looked it over.

"Why would you give me something so valuable?"Zen asked

"A little gift for your kindness, and the hope that you'll find more use for it than me. " the old man replied.

A few seconds later, an Owl let out a series of hoots.

"Well, I must be off now. farewell young apprentice."

The old man stood up from the bench and proceeded to walk away.

"Wait." called out Zen.

"Will we see each other again?"

The old man stopped for a moment.

"Oh, I have a feeling that we'll meet again in another time."

As the old man disappeared into the mist, Zen looked at the amulet and noticed a small glow. He was suddenly started by the voice of one of the maids calling his name. Making his way back to the castle, he hid the amulet in his pocket.

On the other side of the mist there stood a black carriage with waiting horses. The old man opened the door and stepped inside. With all the occupants abroad, the carriage drove off into the night.

Inside the carriage along with the old man, there were

"Well, Regis? Is it done?" asked one of the cloaked figures, referring to the old man's real name.

"It's done, the seeds have been planted. All we have to do is wait for the master to start playing his part," said Regis.

"About time." said the second cloaked figure.

"Ugh! We will have to wait years for the corruption to take effect! How do we know if the amulet will work?"

"The amulet was created by the careful hands of The Alchemist: Damond," said Regis as he referenced the first cloaked figure.

"with the guidance of our master. It will perform the way it was meant to with no complication whatsoever."

"But do we still have to wait all this time for the result?" the second cloaked figure pressed.

"We will wait as long as we must for the master to complete his task," said Damond.

"And Avera, it is best that you remember not to question the master's abilities. He can easily undo all that he has done for you."

Avera: who was the second cloaked figure, let out a low huff at Damond's scolding.

"Anyway, we have much to prepare back at the chambers for the future," said Damond.

"Indeed, I myself will shape the tasks ahead that must be done for our master's return," said Regis.

"As you should Regis," said Damond as he pointed to the old man.

"After all, it is your role as The Philosopher of our court."

END OF CHAPTER 16

A/N

Welp, here's the next chapter for you guys. Sorry if the wait was long. Anyway, In this chapter, we finally learn more about Zen's origins..

I also wanted to introduce you all to some of the minor antagonists in the story, a cult that will play a much grander role and will learn more about each member's history and motive later on so pay close attention. I know this chapter was probably short and rushed, but I want to try to wrap this up quickly so we can get back to the present. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter. Also, tell me if you find any grammatical errors. Feel free to suggest any ideas. Until Next time!

P.S. I only own this story and my OCS, all other properties belong to Disney.