Hiro woke early the next morning. Although he could tell it was daylight, he kept his eyes shut tight.
"It was a dream," he thought. "I dreamed a giant named Ralph came to tell me I was going to a magic school that my parents went to, and I got my own robot they made for me. When I open my eyes, I'll be home in bed."
There was suddenly a loud tapping noise.
"And there's Aunt Cass knocking on the door."
But he still didn't open his eyes. It had been such a good dream.
Tap, tap, tap.
"All right," Hiro mumbled, "I'm up."
He sat up and Ralph's heavy blanket fell off him. The storm had ended and the boat was full of sunlight. Ralph was asleep in the corner. Cass was still snoring on the rug while Baymax sat on the floor stroking Mochi, and there was an ostrich tapping at the window.
Hiro scrambled to his feet, so happy that his heart could burst. He ran to the doors and threw them open. The ostrich wandered in; she wore a large pouch filled with newspapers across her body. She gave one to Hiro, who didn't know what to do with it. The ostrich noticed Ralph's bag and cooed excitedly. She stuck her head inside and began to rummage through it.
"Hey! Cut it out!"
Hiro tried to pull the ostrich out, but she wouldn't budge. "Ralph, wake up!" he cried. "There's an ostrich – "
"Huh? Oh, pay her," Ralph grunted sleepily.
"What?"
"Hortense needs to be paid for delivering the paper. My wallet's in the bag. Just think real hard about it and reach in and it'll turn up."
Ralph's bag seemed to hold everything but his wallet – bunches of keys, balls of string, a bag of sour balls, a lamp, a fern, some seashells, an exclamation point that stood upright and made a surprised noise when touched…and finally, his wallet.
"Give her two coins, and make sure you drop them in her pouch and fasten it, otherwise she'll – "
There was a gulp, a hiccup, and a muffled jingle of coins.
Ralph sighed, and got to his feet.
"All right, Hortense, we'll do this the hard way."
Ralph sneaked up behind Hortense the ostrich and grabbed her. Hortense leaped in the air and hiccupped in fear; this time, the coins came flying out of her mouth. Hiro caught them and stuck them in her pouch. Ralph let Hortense go, and she zoomed out the doors.
"Mail ostriches. The delivery's speedy but they'll eat anything in sight," Ralph chuckled.
Cass sat up and yawned. "Morning," she said groggily.
"Oh good, everyone's awake," Ralph beamed. "We got a lot to do today, have to head out and buy all of Hiro's school stuff."
Hiro had a thought that deflated his spirits somewhat.
"Um, Ralph? How expensive are these supplies going to be? We had a scholarship for SFIT that was going to help us there, but now…"
"Oh, you don't need to worry about that," Ralph assured him. "Your parents had it covered in their will. Anything you need for your education or in case of an emergency comes right out of their vault. They didn't want anyone looking after you to have to break the bank."
Cass looked away thoughtfully.
"That reminds me," Ralph continued, "I got an errand to run for Merlin while we're out. School business. He usually trusts me to do important stuff for him. Oh! And we have to get you registered, too. Anyone who uses magic has to be registered as part of that law they passed when we came out. They keep a record of your abilities, make sure you're going to a school for them, and unfortunately, they'll keep tabs on you until you're older. It stinks, but it could have been far worse if it weren't for people like Queen Elsa speaking up for us. Have another hot dog, they're not bad cold. And I wouldn't say no to more of that pie, either."
"I cannot recommend that as a nutritious breakfast," said Baymax.
"Ehh, we'll get something while we're out, too," Ralph shrugged.
As Hiro ate his breakfast, he read his supply list:
UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
3 sets of plain work robes (black)
1 plain hat for daywear (black)
1 pair of protective gloves (white, three or four-fingered optional)
1 winter cloak
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spell Animation (Level 1) by Ub Iwerks
A History of Magic by Dave Smith
Magical Color Theory by Eyvind Earle and Mary Blair
Alchemy: The Marriage of Science and Magic by Tony Baxter
The Magic Behind Music by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken
A Beginner's Guide to Transformation by Glen Keane
One Thousand and One Magical Flora by Ruth Shellhorn
Magical Drafts and Potions by Art Babbitt
Fantastic Beasts and How to Draw Them Out by Milt Kahl
The Villains: A Guide to The Dark Forces and Self-Protection by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set of glass or crystal vials
1 telescope
1 set of brass scales
Students may also bring one pet OR familiar OR sidekick (animal or otherwise).
"Can we find all this in one place?" Hiro wondered aloud.
"If you know where to go," Ralph said with a wink.
Cass ushered Mochi into his carrier and she, Hiro and Baymax followed Ralph outside. Standing before them on the deck was a large brass bed.
"Awww! I could have slept on this last night instead of lying on the floor," Cass groaned.
"Sorry to break it to you, Cass, but this bed isn't for sleeping." Ralph carefully climbed on to the mattress, which creaked under his weight. He motioned for the three to join him.
"You know what? You take the reins, Hiro. See that loose bedknob on the right? Say "Take us to the Snuggly Duckling", tap it three times and turn it to the left."
Hiro shyly did so. The bedknob began to glow and sparkle. The bed shook as light spread from one end to the other. There was a flash, and the bed and its occupants vanished.
When Hiro opened his eyes, the bed was flying at incredible speed over towns and forests. They were soaring so fast that the sights and colors blended into each other, inverting in strange hues and shapes until they became a field of rainbow stars.
Ralph nudged Cass. "Bet you've never seen anything like this before, huh?"
"Not since my college days," Cass murmured.
Uninterested by the view around him, Ralph took out his newspaper and glanced at the front page. "Ugh, Frollo's fudging things up as usual," he muttered.
Hiro turned around. "Who?"
"Judge Claude Frollo, a real stick in the mud and pain in my side if there ever was one. He makes a big talk about serving justice, but good luck seeing any from him if you're not rich or powerful enough. The Northwests, the Blights, David Xanatos, they practically bought his way on to the council."
"Council?"
"The Magic Coalition Council. Lots of magic users and representatives from ordinary people trying to keep the peace, hash out rules and make sure everyone stays in line. People were really hoping Merlin would take a seat there, but he'd never leave the school. He loves teaching. So Frollo wormed his way in. For someone who made an oath to be impartial, he really hates magic users. A lot of Council members pester Merlin for advice everyday because he keeps trying to mess up things "for our own good"."
At this moment, the bed slowed down. The air around them shimmered and the once vague shapes began to take a more definite form.
"This is it!" Ralph said. "The Snuggly Duckling. Don't worry, it's a very quaint place."
The bed materialized in a dark, crowded pub. The patrons were armored men (and one mime) almost as big and brawny as Ralph. They raised their mugs and cheered his name at the sight of him; apparently he was a popular figure here. A burly bald man with a hook for a hand emerged from behind the bar. "Hey, Ralph! Good to see ya! The usual, I presume?"
"No thanks, Hook Hand, I'm on the clock," replied Ralph. "Just helping Hiro get registered and pick up his school supplies."
"Son of a gun…" Hook Hand whispered. "It's Hiro Hamada!"
The room fell silent.
Hook Hand marched over to Hiro, glared down at him…then laughed heartily and clapped him on the back.
"Welcome back, Hiro!"
The whole pub burst into cheers. Everyone crowded around the bed eager to shower Hiro with attention.
"Name's Atilla. Have a cupcake!"
"Vladimir. I can't believe I'm finally meeting you! What's your opinion on ceramic unicorns?"
"No one's gonna believe me when I tell them I saw you in person!"
"I really like your marshmallow man!"
"Best! Day! Ever!"
Hiro lost track of how many people shook his hand and complimented him as he made his way around the room with Ralph and Cass. At one table he bumped into a tall and exceedingly thin man about to bite into a large pie. He had a long, beaklike nose and wore a worn tailcoat and a tiny tri-corn hat.
"Oh! M-mister Hamada! Can't tell you how pleased I am to meet you," he said.
"Hey, Professor! Didn't see you there," said Ralph. "Hiro, meet Professor Ichabod Crane. He'll be one of your teachers this year."
"What sort of magic do you teach, professor?" asked Hiro.
"Oh, not magic, goodness no," muttered Ichabod. "Magical Myths and History is what I teach. Not that you need it, eh?" he added with a cheeky grin. "You'll be getting your equipment, I suppose? I need to pick up a new book about ghosts myself," he laughed nervously.
But the others wouldn't let Ichabod keep Hiro to himself. It took another ten minutes before they reached the door. "All right, gotta get a move on. Lots to buy!" Ralph hollered over the hubbub. "Hook, keep an eye on the bed, will ya?"
Hook Hand shook Hiro's hand one more time, and Ralph led them out into a sunny wooded area down a dirt path.
"What'd I tell ya? You're famous, kid," Ralph winked at Hiro.
"So, do all your errands start with a trip to the pub?" Cass asked him.
"No, no, it's my way of parking near Main Street without having to pay the fees. Speaking of, here we are!"
The dirt path led them out of the woods past an ice cream parlor and straight into a town plucked from the turn of the century, right down to the barbershop quartet singing in harmony on the corner. Two rows of three-story Victorian buildings sandwiched a neatly paved street lined with lampposts decorated with flower baskets. People and animals in all manner of period costumes walked about doing their shopping or chatting happily with each other. At the far end of the street stood an impressive brick train station.
"Welcome to Main Street," said Ralph, grinning at Hiro and Cass' amazement.
Hiro wished he had more than one pair of eyes so he could see everything at once. There was a movie theater whose marquee boasted a 24-hour marathon of classic cartoons. Children bustled in and out of an old-fashioned penny arcade begging their parents for more coins. The Emporium department store had enchanted dioramas depicting scenes of heroes and princesses in its windows. A piano player at a café filled the air with colorful musical notes as penguin waiters served the customers. Tiny lights shone from the moving crystal figurines on display in the glass shop. The heavenly scent of sugary sweets wafted out the doors of the enormous Confectionary. A white-haired man dazzled a crowd of onlookers with some impressive card tricks outside of the magic supply shop.
The first place Hiro, Ralph, Baymax, and Cass visited was the Town Hall to get Hiro properly registered as a magic user. After filling out a ton of paperwork given to them by a slug-like monster, their next stop was the bank.
"Fidelity Fiduciary Bank," Ralph told them, "There's no safer place in the world if you've got something to store away, except maybe the school."
It was an imposing building, almost as tall as the train station; Grecian columns flanked the steps, and the words "Fidelity Fiduciary Bank EST. 1773" were engraved in white marble above the doors. A doorman in a top hat bowed them in. Inside the vast hall, bankers stood behind the long counters assisting customers, counting money, and weighing coins. Others bustled up and down stairs carrying safe deposit boxes or stacks of paper. Ralph led them to an open counter.
"Morning," he said to the old man before them. "We've come to make a withdrawal from Hiro Hamada's safe."
The man, who was Mr. Dawes Jr. according to the nameplate on the counter, peered down at Hiro through thick spectacles.
"I see," he said. "And does Mr. Hamada have his key?"
"Hold on, got it here somewhere," said Ralph. After a moment of fishing through his bag, Ralph held up a tiny golden key. Mr. Dawes nodded in approval.
"Father will be pleased to hear you've returned, Mr. Hamada. Your account has been gathering dust and interest for quite some time. Just don't go feeding the birds with it now!"
"Oh, and there's one more thing," Ralph continued. He handed Mr. Dawes an envelope similar to the one he gave Hiro last night. "Merlin gave me this. It's about the you-know-what and other you-know-what in Vault 03-20."
Mr. Dawes read the letter carefully.
"I see," he muttered. "Very well then, we'll have someone escort you both downstairs."
Hiro and Ralph went off with one of the bank associates while Mr. Dawes offered Aunt Cass a cup of tea; Baymax stayed with her. After going down several flights of stairs, they stopped in front of an enormous vault. The banker turned the great, heavy wheel, and the door creaked open. Inside was a long, earthen tunnel lit by lanterns.
"Just walk straight ahead and wait by the tracks," the banker said. He closed the door on them.
"What's in Vault 03-20?" Hiro asked, his voice reverberating against the walls.
"Sorry, Hiro, can't tell you," said Ralph. "Very secret. Merlin's trusted me not to say anything."
They stopped by some railway tracks on the floor. A row of swinging mine carts driven by a bespectacled dwarf pulled up in front of them. A nametag on his shirt read "Doc".
"Good day, gennelten – uh, mentlegen, uh, nettle…hello. Where to?" asked Doc.
"Vaults 11-14 and 03-20," Ralph told him.
He and Hiro squeezed into one of the carts. Doc pulled a lever, and the carts surged forward. At first, they drove peacefully along the tunnels, switching left and right at leisure, until they scaled an impossibly tall lift and –
VROOM!
They hurtled down through a maze of twisting passages, left, right, right, middle, left, right, until Hiro could hardly keep track. The carts clattered along past seams of glittering gemstones in the walls. Hiro thought he saw more dwarfs hacking away at them with pickaxes and shovels before zooming past.
"We mine for diamonds on bebank of the half – uh, behalf of the bank, in addition to keeping the vaults hafe – safe," Doc called over his shoulder.
When the carts stopped at last by a stone door in the passage, Ralph looked ready to be sick. He stood against the wall and took deep breaths, waiting for his knees to unbuckle. Doc, meanwhile, unlocked the door.
Hiro's eyes nearly popped from his head as he walked into a veritable treasure trove – piles of coins and bills littered the floor, a silk-screen tapestry was mounted on the wall, and a mannequin decked in impressive samurai armor, minus the helmet, stood guard in the corner.
"Yep," said Ralph at last, "all yours. Try to resist the urge to go swimming in it, though. You're not a McDuck, after all."
Ralph helped Hiro gather some money into a bag. Then they returned to the carts.
"Can we go a little slower this time?" he asked Doc.
"That was the speedest slow – slowest speed," Doc replied.
And they were off again, going deeper than before. There was far less light now, and Hiro could hardly keep his eyes open thanks to the wind rushing past. When he tried to take a look down a vast ravine as they rattled over it, Ralph had to grab him by the scruff of his shirt to keep him from falling over the side.
Vault 03-20 was much bigger than Hiro's vault and had a set of grand double doors. There were runes and images carved in, though Hiro could hardly make them out in the darkness. Doc tapped the door on the left, and a tiny keyboard turned out of a seamlessly hidden panel.
"A musical lock," Doc informed them with a wink.
He punched in the same sequence of five notes twice. The keyboard folded back in. Both doors swung open into the vault. Hiro peeked around Ralph's bulky frame to catch a glimpse inside. What was in there that was so important that it had to be kept a secret? Jewels? Forbidden knowledge? A gateway to another world? A lifetime supply of gummy bears?
On a pair of daises stood two small, grubby packages wrapped in brown paper. Despite the fact that they were miles underground, a shaft of bright, warm sunlight shone down on one, while the other sat in a paler, dimmer spotlight.
Ralph carefully placed each package into his carpetbag individually.
"Best not to mention this to anyone, Hiro," he said knowingly. "Come on, the sooner we head back, the sooner the ride will be over."
One wild mine train ride later, they were standing blinking in the sun outside of the bank. Hiro didn't know where to run to first now that he was loaded with cash.
"We might as well get your uniform," Aunt Cass decided for him. Hiro shrugged. Last night he learned he saved the world and Aunt Cass was still calling the shots; at least they were getting the boring stuff out of the way first.
Ralph pointed the way to Mode Fashions, a shop with a modern aesthetic at odds with the early 20th-century look of the town. Hiro entered with Aunt Cass; Ralph chose to recuperate from his motion sickness outside with a little help from Baymax.
One look at Edna Mode told Hiro this was a woman who carried herself with the confidence of someone three times her size.
"Magic Kingdom, dahling?" she said, when Hiro tried to speak. She pushed him along into the shop. "Oh, you can't believe how thrilled I was the day Merlin finally got rid of those capes! The robes are still a bit too loose for my liking, but one improvement at a time. I've got another boy being fitted as well."
Aunt Cass trailed along until she received an unexpected phone call. Reluctantly, she returned to the foyer to take it.
In the back of the shop, a scrawny boy struggled under a tower of packages and shopping bags almost as large as he was. Hiro had a bad feeling that it would all come crashing down sooner than later. Nearby, a strapping boy with a shock of red hair was being measured; he stood tall enough on his own that there was no need for a footstool. Edna stood Hiro on a stool next to him, slipped a robe over his arms, and began pinning it to the right length.
"Oy," said the boy to Hiro in a thick British accent, "Magic Kingdom, too?"
"Yeah," Hiro said.
"Me dad's up the street looking at wands. I'm stuck with the wart 'til he gets back," the boy replied, jerking his head to the boy trapped under the shopping load. "When I'm done, we're gonna have a look at the new swords. Dunno why they won't let first years bring their own. I'll get one and bring it in somehow, you'll see."
He had an arrogant, drawling voice. Hiro was reminded of some of the more unsavory kids at his old school, the ones who thought they could get away with anything because their families were rich.
"You play grudgby, or are you a Quester?" the boy went on.
"Neither?" said Hiro. The boy didn't bother to clarify what either one was.
"I play both meself," he boasted. "Dad says it'll be a crime if I ain't picked for the house teams, an' he's right. Know what house you'll be in?"
Hiro bit his tongue so he wouldn't blurt out "Hopefully one you're not in".
"Ah, it's not like you know 'til you get there," the boy continued. " 'Course, I know I'll be in Felinus; that's where the strongest and the best of us goes. Imagine being punted off to a bunch of gormless pillocks like Canis. I'd tell 'em it to shove it if that happened!"
"Uh-huh…" said Hiro, wishing he could say something else.
"Hey now, what in the world is that?" the boy cried suddenly, turning to the windows. Ralph and Baymax were standing there, waving. Ralph pointed to a large striped carton of popcorn in his fist to show why he couldn't come in.
"That's my robot, Baymax –"
"Not that, you twit, that man there," the boy interrupted.
"Oh, that's Ralph," said Hiro, pleased he knew something the boy didn't. "He works at the Magic Kingdom."
"Hmph, I've heard of 'im," drawled the boy. "He's some sort of servant, isn't he?"
"He's the groundskeeper," said Hiro. Every word coming out of the boy's mouth made him like him less and less.
"Yeah, like I said, a servant. I hear Merlin found 'im in a dump and raised 'im to be his stooge. He's some sort of savage – lives on a hut at the edge of the woods, and whenever he gets mad he destroys half the castle with his bare hands."
"He's not a savage, he's great!" Hiro shot back.
"Great, huh?" said the boy with a sneer. "Why's he hangin' 'round with you? Ain't you got no mother or father?"
"They're, um, they're dead," Hiro answered awkwardly.
The boy grunted without even showing a hint of polite remorsefulness. Hiro didn't think it was worth his time going into details.
"Yeah, well, they were our kind, weren't they?" the boy went on.
"They could do magic, if that's what you mean," Hiro replied. "What about it?"
"I don't think they should let the other sort in. It's bad enough they're welcoming commoners who ain't even from royal families, let alone noble ones, but them? Some of 'em ain't never heard of the Magic Kingdom until they got the stinking letter! It's just not right, not being raised like us. They oughta keep the magic in the older families, where it belongs. What's your name, anyway?"
But before Hiro could respond, Kay yelped and grabbed his bottom. Edna stood behind him with a jagged pin and a devilish grin.
"All done, dahling. You know where the register is. Now out, I've got more customers waiting!"
Hiro was not sorry for an excuse to stop talking to him. The boy grumbled as he removed his robes and tossed them on top of the unsteady mountain of supplies his "wart" carried.
"See ya at school, I suppose," he drawled to Hiro. He swaggered out of the room, followed by the swaying tower of packages on legs.
"Wuh – wit – WOAH!"
Just as Hiro predicted, the kid carrying his load stumbled over his own feet and buried the unpleasant boy under an avalanche of boxes.
Hiro was rather quiet as he left the store shortly after.
"Everything okay?" asked Aunt Cass.
"Yeah," Hiro lied. They bought paper and pens in the stationery department of the Emporium. Hiro cheered up a little when he found a pen with ink that changed color as you wrote. While they traversed the shop floor, he said, "Ralph, do you know anything about "grungy" or…something with a Q? Quickster?"
"Oh yeah, grudgby!" said Ralph. "It's kinda like basketball except with spells. It's a fun game if you know what you're doing, but the rusty smidge makes it all pointless. I mean, why go through all that effort when it comes down to one person catching that thing in the end?"
"Are there any other magical sports like that? Ones that I should know about?" Hiro asked.
"Well, there's questing, but it's a bit complicated; the players race to get to the treasure first, avoiding obstacles and setting traps to beat the other team. You gotta see it for yourself to understand it. Why do you ask?"
Hiro told him about the boy he met while being fitted for his robes.
" – and he said that people who aren't from magic families shouldn't be allowed in."
"Ugh, he's from one of those families, isn't he?" Ralph snorted. "Listen, kid, if he knew who you were, he'd have thought twice before mouthing off like that. Your dad came from a non-magical family, and look how brilliant he was, right, Cass?"
"That's right," Cass agreed. "Never thought I'd hear that kind of talk in a perfect fantasy world, though."
"Fantasy, yes; perfect, no," said Ralph. "If we're not dealing with stuffed shirts like Frollo, then you can count on those tired old families to raise a stink over who should be allowed to use magic and who shouldn't."
"And what are Canis and Felinus?" said Hiro.
"School houses. There's four of them. Canis, well, they're nice if not exactly the smartest bunch. Felinus, on the other hand, they always look out for number one. Some of 'em aren't all bad, but chances are they'll use that friendliness to their advantage."
"Which houses were my parents in?"
"Hey, look! It's half-price at the bookstore!" said Cass.
They bought Hiro's books in the Emporium's sprawling bookstore. The shelves were stacked from ceiling to floor with books the size of paving stones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and books with nothing in them at all; more books than Hiro would ever be able to read in a lifetime, books on every subject by every author who set pen to paper. Cass almost had to drag Hiro out of there so they could continue shopping. Ralph also had to take away Curses and Counter-Curses: Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies With the Latest Revenges – Extreme Hair Growth, Shadow Stealing, Transmogrification and Much, Much More by Dr. Facilier when Hiro tried to sneak it into his stack of purchases.
"I just thought if I ever ran into some bullies…"
"I'm not saying that's not a good idea, but you can't go using magic on anyone else just like that. Besides, you couldn't work any of those curses anyway. You'll need a lot more training before you get to that level."
Aunt Cass told Hiro he couldn't buy a solid gold cauldron either – though she needn't have worried.
"Gold has an extremely low melting point and is one of the most malleable metals on earth. Why would anyone think making a cauldron out of that would be a good idea?"
In addition to his simple pewter cauldron, Hiro got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible telescope. Then they visited the pharmacy, which was fascinating enough to make up for its strange smell, a mix of mildew and burning smoke. Barrels of slimy stuff stood on the floor; bottles and jars of multicolored liquids, herbs and powders lined the walls. While Ralph and Aunt Cass asked the man behind the counter for basic potion supplies for Hiro, Hiro himself pestered his assistant with questions about how they made things like Scream of Fright, Frog's Breath and Black of Night into tangible ingredients. The assistant quickly got fed up and kicked him out of the store.
Hiro was content to wait outside for Aunt Cass and Ralph – right outside the Main Street Athletic Club, that is. A score of excited boys and girls had gathered in front of the shop window. Hiro squeezed himself between a blonde boy and a black-haired young woman in armor gazing in awe. A variety of shining new lances, swords, and staffs were hung on display over a moving model depicting two teams – some wielding swords and shields, others flying through the air, jumping over pits and casting sparks at each other – racing towards a golden idol atop a pyramid. A banner in the window read:
QUESTING SEASON HAS BEGUN
SUPPLIES IN STOCK
ASK ABOUT THE NEW DUNGEONS, DUNGEONS & MORE DUNGEONS: QUESTING EDITION
NOW AVAILABLE
Hiro caught snippets of the chatter around him, of admiration for the latest equipment models, which teams they'd be cheering for, the strategies they'd devise for the next rounds they'd play. He was never gung-ho about sports, but strategy, adventure, magic? He could get behind that.
"Looks like the last thing you need is your wand," Ralph said as he reviewed Hiro's list. "Good thing Gepetto's is back by The Snuggly Duckling. We can ride the trolley there instead of walking all the way up the street."
A magic wand – Hiro had never dreamed that he'd be looking forward to receiving one until now.
Hiro, Cass, Ralph and Baymax stepped on to a bright red trolley stationed by a flagpole. It was a calm, slow-moving ride through the bustling crowds. They hopped off at the ice cream parlor and made their way back up the dirt road. Down a fork in the path stood a humble cottage. An old, carved wooden sign hanging by the door read:
Gepetto's
Woodcarver, Puppetmaker
& Wandcrafter
Est. 1940
A tinkling bell rang over the door as they stepped inside. It was a cozy place, filled with shelves of finely crafted wooden toys, music boxes and marionettes. Colorful cuckoo clocks adorned the walls. In one corner, a half-completed puppet and several wands sat in a row among wood shavings, pots of paint, and a bowl with a goldfish swimming inside. Hiro felt an unusually warm glow inside him, as if he had stepped into a picture book drawing from his childhood.
A white-haired old man whom Hiro assumed was Gepetto ambled down some stairs followed by a black and white kitten.
"Ah, welcome, welcome," he said in a soft, raspy voice. He adjusted the glasses at the end of his cherry nose. "Yes, I thought I'd be seeing you soon, Hiro Hamada. It seems only yesterday that your mother and father were in here buying their first wands."
Gepetto led Hiro to a large chest of drawers. He began looking through each one; they were filled with rows of wands of all shapes, sizes and styles.
"The wands I craft are custom made for each caster; everything from the core to the casing is unique. And you'll never get such good results using another's wand."
"Okay, I have a lot of questions about this works," Hiro said enthusiastically as Gepetto continued his search. "Does magic come from some kind of force around us, or do we draw on our own energy to cast spells? Is it possible to do magic without a wand? What happens if –"
"Slow down, Hiro," Gepetto laughed. "Magic depends on three things: the wand, the spell, and the caster and his intentions…though I suppose that makes it four things instead of three…and some powerful enchanters don't need a wand or a staff, but they're very rare."
Gepetto settled on a wand and placed it in Hiro's hands. It was twice as long as the others and had a golden star on the end. Hiro looked at it, confused.
"Do I say some magic words, or…"
"Oh no, my boy. Just give it a wave, and see what happens."
Hiro gave the wand a quick wave. The goldfish bowl jumped into the air of its own volition. Gepetto caught it just in time and carefully put it back.
"Apparently not." He took the wand and replaced it with a simple white pointed stick. "Perhaps this one will do."
Hiro flicked it. The clocks all went off at once, making a cacophony of cuckoos, quacks, squeaks and other noises. Everyone slammed their hands over their ears.
"No, I suppose not!" Gepetto shouted over the hullabaloo. "No matter, the right wand will show itself soon."
Hiro tried wand after wand, and in that time he turned Cass' hair blue, overinflated Baymax, shrunk Ralph, and changed Gepetto's kitten into a mountain lion, among other catastrophes. Luckily all the spells were temporary. The growing pile of discarded wands didn't faze Gepetto, however.
"A tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match in here somewhere…hmmm…I wonder…"
Gepetto disappeared back up the stairs. When he returned, he carried an intricately carved box in his weathered hands. It was made from a deep red wood, inlaid with colored glass, and locked with a clasp in the shape of a dagger plunging through a heart. He opened it with an old key; lying inside on a cushion was a wand fashioned entirely out of silver.
Hiro took the wand in hand. Something about this one felt different somehow.
Nobody noticed the dark mark at the end of his scar gleam for a second.
Hiro swallowed and waved the wand in a huge arc. As he did, the cottage fell dark, and red and purple sparks burst from the end of the wand, illuminating Hiro's awed face.
Aunt Cass and Ralph applauded enthusiastically; Baymax awkwardly followed suit. Light returned to the room, and Hiro could see Gepetto rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"Curious…very curious…"
"Sorry, but what's curious?" Hiro asked.
"I remember every wand I ever sold, Hiro. Like I said before, no two wands are the same – however, pieces of former wands find their way back to my shop from time to time. They're used to help create new wands – recycled, if you will. It's curious that you should be destined for this wand when it was once was part of the very staff that gave you those scars."
Hiro shivered and instinctively clutched his arm.
"The wand chooses its wielder, Hiro. No one really knows why, but I think it's safe to say we can expect great things from you. After all, the Mistress of All Evil did great things – terrible, but great."
The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as the four made their way to the now mostly empty Snuggly Duckling and got back on the bed. Hiro didn't say a word as they flew back to the Lucky Cat Café; he didn't even notice how many people were gawking at them when they reappeared on the street and carried his many packages up to the apartment.
"Well, who's hungry?" Cass said as they dropped everything off at the kitchen table.
Soon they were all sitting around a table at the café eating a hearty meal. Hiro found himself unable to touch his yakisoba pan, though. Everything seemed different somehow.
"You all right, Hiro? You're pretty quiet," said Ralph.
Hiro couldn't find the words to explain. He had just had the strangest and best birthday of his life – and yet…
"Everyone thinks I'm special," he said at last. "The guys at the Snuggly Duckling, the bank, Gepetto…but I just learned about magic hours ago. They're all expecting me to do something great because I'm famous for something I can't even remember. I don't know what happened when Maleficent died. All I know is she took away my parents. What if I…what if I can't…"
Aunt Cass rested her hands on top of Hiro's with the kindest of smiles.
"You don't have to listen to them, Hiro," she said. "Trying to meet other people's expectations? It's never worth it. You just keep being the smart, sensitive, sweet little guy you are, and you'll do great things for yourself, not because they say you will."
"You'll learn fast enough," said Ralph. "Everyone does. You're gonna have a great time at school. I know I did. Still do, as a matter of fact."
Aunt Cass rose from her seat and hugged Hiro. Baymax waddled up and joined in with Ralph, who enveloped them all in his huge arms. Hiro could already feel some of that weight lifting off his shoulders. With a growing smile, he returned their warm embrace.
"Whatever happens," Cass whispered in Hiro's ear, "you're my wonderful, brilliant boy."
"Woah, is that the time?!" Ralph cried as he saw the clock on the wall. He stumbled back, knocking over two chairs and a table in the process. "Sorry Hiro, I gotta go, Merlin will be wanting his…um, he'll be wanting to see me. Now don't forget this."
He gave Hiro another envelope from his pocket.
"That's your ticket to ride. Go to the nearest train station on September First. Show it to the conductor, and he'll put you on the train to the Magic Kingdom. Just make sure you get there on time because once it's gone, it's gone!"
Ralph grabbed his bag and headed for the exit.
"Thanks for the noodle sandwich, Cass! I'll see you soon, Hiro!"
Ralph stepped outside and on to the bed. He waved to Hiro through the window. Hiro smiled and waved back.
In the blink of an eye, Ralph and the bed were gone.
For reference, the Magic Kingdom uniforms are the ones you see Mickey, Donald and Goofy wearing in Disney Codeillusion (which kind of resemble Hogwarts uniforms the more I think about it...)
Next Chapter: The Journey on Casey Junior