It was Cassandra.
She smirked at Hiro.
"I told you to be careful who you trust."
"But…but I thought Lilith –"
"Lilith?" Cassandra laughed coldly. "Yes, Lilith does seem like the type, doesn't she? Who'd suspect me with that overgrown crow flapping about?"
Hiro couldn't take it all in. This couldn't be true, it just couldn't.
"But, at the Questing match – Lilith tried to kill me."
"No, Hiro, I tried to kill you. And I would have succeeded if those fireworks hadn't gone off and nearly blew me up. Another few seconds and you'd have fallen off that overinflated bot of yours. I'd have done it sooner if Lilith hadn't tried to take out the bug I planted on his armor with a counter-curse."
"Lilith was trying to save me?"
"Of course," Cassandra said coolly. "Why else would she want to referee the next match? She was trying to make sure it didn't happen again. Funny, really, she shouldn't have bothered. I couldn't do anything with Merlin watching. All the other teachers thought Lilith was trying to stop Mus from winning. What a waste of time, when after all that, your destiny ends here, and I seize mine at last."
Faster than Hiro could follow, Cassandra whipped out her wand.
"Corctant Cum Vites!"
Thorny vines shot up from the floor and wrapped themselves around Hiro. Cassandra sauntered up to him as he struggled in vain against his bonds.
"It's not enough that you soak up all the attention while the rest of us have to work to be noticed. Your nosiness has constantly thwarted my plans. Running around the school like that on Halloween, for all I knew you saw me sneaking off to find out what was guarding the corridor."
"Then you let the troll in!" he gasped.
"Guilty as charged."
Hiro's face contorted with rage.
"You nearly got Wendy killed!"
"It's not my fault the lumbering brute found her first," Cassandra shrugged. "Anyway, I only said he could eat whoever he met just so he'd do what I told him. The teachers would've stepped in before any real harm was done. Unfortunately, while everyone was searching the castle for it, Lilith suspected that it was a diversion and ran to the third floor to head me off. The least I could do for her was rile up that stupid lizard, but it couldn't even take her leg off properly. Thankfully, it took just a few threats and that annoying snowman to pry answers about the trials from Ralph and that coward Ichabod. Now wait there quietly like a good boy. I need to examine this interesting mirror."
It was only then that Hiro realized she was standing before the Magic Mirror.
"This mirror will help me find where the Sundrop and Moonstone are. Trust Merlin to come up with a plan like this…but I won't be here by the time he gets back."
Hiro stopped fighting the vines. He had to keep Cassandra talking and stop her from concentrating on the mirror.
"But what about Questing? The team? Winning the cup?!" he shouted. "Why try to kill me if you cared about that so badly?"
"It was the easiest way to get rid of you. Besides, there are greater things waiting for me than a childish game, Hiro."
"Like earning your father's approval? I don't think stealing from Merlin will get you any brownie points with him."
For the first time, a spasm of regret flitted across Cassandra's face.
"I used to think that way, too…until my friend set me straight."
Hiro gasped.
"I met her over the summer. She revealed to me that it was my destiny to wield the Sundrop and Moonstone," she continued. "She told me my father overlooked my potential because he felt threatened by it, and that a boy put on a pedestal his whole life would try to take what was rightfully mine. She even came with me to school after I failed to steal them from the bank. She's been disappointed by my past failures, but she helps with my plans, comforts me when I'm alone…"
Cassandra's voice trailed away. Hiro remembered his trip to Main Street – Cassandra had been right next to him, gazing at the Questing display in the Athletic Club. How could he not have noticed?
She glanced over her shoulder.
"I'm getting to it, keep your skirt on!"
Hiro's brow furrowed.
"I didn't say anything."
"I wasn't –"
Cass exhaled, then touched the glass. The familiar mask-like face appeared out of the flames.
"What wouldst thou know, Cassandra?"
"Tell me where the Sundrop and Moonstone are and how to get them."
The Magic Mirror frowned.
"I hold what you seek deep inside
But no matter how much you curse or deride
Neither of them is yours to take
For little you know what's truly at stake."
Cassandra was livid.
"What are you playing at?" she shouted. "I'll get them from you even if I have to shatter you to pieces –"
She paused, as if listening to something in the air.
"Of course…the boy…Hiro, come over here, now."
She gave a quick wave of her wand and the vines melted away. She kept her wand pointed at him. The tip glowed a dangerous red.
"Ask the Mirror about the Sundrop and Moonstone," she repeated.
Hiro reluctantly stepped towards the Mirror.
"I have to find them before Cassandra does," he thought. "But how can I ask where they are while she's hanging over my shoulder? Maybe if there's another way to phrase the question…"
"Magic Mirror…how do you keep the Sundrop and Moonstone safe?"
Cassandra glared at him. The Mirror raised an eyebrow.
"Why do you ask such a personal query?
Has your greed put you in a thoughtless hurry?"
"Look, I don't want them, all right?" Hiro blurted out. "I just want to keep them out of her hands!"
Cassandra backhanded Hiro and he fell to the hard stone floor. When he looked back up, the Mirror was smiling at him.
"You've asked the right question
And proved yourself true.
Now the answer is one
That you carry with you."
Cassandra looked back and forth between the mirror and Hiro.
"What does that mean?"
Hiro staggered to his feet. His backpack felt much heavier than it was moments ago.
The answer is one that you carry with you.
A light went on in Hiro's head. Somehow, incredibly, he'd gotten the Sundrop and Moonstone.
Now he just had to fake his way out of there and away from Cassandra.
"I…I don't know," he said. "I'm a genius at magitech, not riddles."
Cassandra's gaze momentarily fixed itself to the space next to her. Then she grabbed Hiro by the front of his armor and held him up to her level.
"Tell the truth, Hiro! Where are they?!" she screamed in his face.
Her eyes flickered to her left and she paused.
"Speak to him? But you're not strong enough!"
Hiro raised an eyebrow. Who was she talking to?
In the space of silence that followed, Cass turned pale as a ghost.
"What do you mean you have strength enough for –"
Cass let go of Hiro and stumbled backwards as if she'd been hit. She clutched her head and shrieked. Black ooze poured from her eyes and mouth and pooled around her head. Hiro wanted to scream, but he couldn't. From out of the inky mass sprouted a joyless rictus of a mouth, yellow pupiless eyes, and worst of all, a pair of spiraling horns.
It couldn't be…
"Maleficent?" Hiro gasped.
The wraith threw back Cass' head and laughed.
"You'd think I was that witch, wouldn't you?" it said in a raspy voice. "No, Hiro, I am the demon Zhan Tiri. Over the centuries I've taken the form of whatever suits my needs: a warlock, a tree, even a blizzard…but this is what I've been reduced to – a parasite! Since I fell with Maleficent at Bald Mountain, I wandered the world trapped as a spirit without a body, my loyal followers dead, and hardly any strength to interact with the physical world. It wasn't until I met Cassandra that the opportunity to regain my full power and form arose. She was terrified that her father would never see her for the warrior she was, that she would never attain the glory she was meant to reach, and that she'd be left behind again..."
That last part struck a chord in Hiro's mind.
"It's amazing what fear and desperation will drive a person to do, especially with a little encouragement from a friend," Zhan Tiri continued. Her face morphed into a young girl with two hair buns where her horns were and a grin far too maniacal for one so young. Then, just as quickly, she shifted back again.
"Throughout my time in this world, I've found the form most people respond to is that of a sweet, helpful child. I made Cassandra believe she was doing the right thing, and she in turn obeyed my every command. Little did she realize her ego would fail her, just like her mother – oh, I suppose you wouldn't know, Cassandra's mother was my former apprentice Gothel, the one who betrayed me and then abandoned her only daughter for beauty and immortality. Considering how easily she lost both, it seems carelessness runs in the family."
She laughed again mirthlessly.
"Still, I could hardly excise my own magic without inhabiting a more corporal form first. You saw me feasting upon the deer in the woods. Cassandra hunted them for me so that I could build up my strength. She had no idea that she was helping me prepare to possess her the whole time. It may not be enough to give me a body of my own…but there are some things hiding in your backpack that can."
She knew. The feeling surged back into Hiro's legs and he bolted to the exit.
"Baymax! We have to go!" he shouted.
Zhan Tiri raised Cassandra's hands, and flames burst in front of the archway. Hiro skidded and stopped just short of the fire. He faced Zhan Tiri again with his wand out; the summoning of the flames seemed to have winded her.
"Don't be a fool, boy," she rasped. "We don't have to resort to violence…I'm a generous sort…perhaps you'd be willing to make a trade…"
"There's nothing you have that I want!" Hiro yelled at her.
"Don't you want to know what happened the night your parents died?"
Hiro froze. Zhan Tiri grinned.
"I was there. Before the battle commenced I went on ahead as a scout, and learned some awful secrets about their plans…"
"You don't need to tell me. I knew they were there to ambush the Villains."
"Oh, you naïve child. They weren't trying to stop Maleficent from reaching what was inside Bald Mountain – they were trying to awaken it first."
Hiro felt the room turn upside-down. He could hardly stand on his own two feet.
"No…no, you're lying!" he cried. "They were fighting Maleficent, they knew what it was in there was evil –"
"Good and evil are nothing but stories fools tell themselves to justify their actions. The truth is, there is only power and those too weak to seek it. And your dear mother and father were growing into the most powerful wielders of their kind thanks to breaking the barriers between science and magic. That's why that witch Lilith can't stand you, because she hated your parents and what they were doing to this world."
"Why should I believe you?" Hiro shouted back.
"Because I can let you ask them yourselves," said Zhan Tiri. Her smile grew as wide as Hiro's eyes. "I can use the Sundrop to bring them back. You could have a real family again, and all the answers to everything you ever wished to know about them. Isn't that what you've always wanted? You three can live the rest of your days out peacefully, while I claim my rightful place as the greatest force in this world and all others. Give me the Sundrop and Moonstone, and you will never want for the truth again."
She held out a hand.
Hiro swallowed. Zhan Tiri was right. His whole life he wanted to know who his mother and father really were. Merlin was wrong about there being no magic that could return the dead, not with the power of the Sundrop. He had to know the truth –
Then he caught a glimpse of the Magic Mirror, and something stirred in his head –
All magic comes with a price.
Hiro gripped his wand. If everything the Mirror told him about his parents were true, then they wouldn't give in if they were in his shoes – and they wouldn't want him to, either. Whatever they were doing at Bald Mountain, the Villains were defeated and he was still standing; he knew that's what mattered to them in the end. Allowing Zhan Tiri to return and wreak havoc across the world just so he could have his parents back for himself would spit in the face of everything they stood for.
He looked right into Zhan Tiri's empty yellow eyes. Even if he hadn't already made his decision, one glimpse of the demon's crazed expression told Hiro she'd never honor her bargain.
"You LIAR!" he shouted.
"So be it!" Zhan Tiri hissed. Black tendrils emerged from the sides of her head and surged at Hiro.
A red blur flew between them and shielded Hiro with its body before the first tentacle struck.
"Baymax!" Hiro cried. His loyal robot looked over his shoulder at him as he blocked Zhan Tiri's onslaught.
"I am afraid this is a dangerous situation, one that Aunt Cass would not approve of."
"You think?!"
Hiro blasted some water from his wand at the fire in the archway, but it only evaporated in the heat.
"We have to get out of here!"
"I have a built-in extinguisher that should douse the flames," Baymax told him, "however, that would leave you open to Zhan Tiri's attacks."
"I'll dodge her however I can. You just take care of it and pick me up when you're done!"
The moment Baymax turned to extinguish the doorway, Hiro rolled out of the path of one of Zhan Tiri's tendrils. He didn't count on bumping into one of the columns lining the room. Before he could spring to his feet, a tentacle grabbed one backpack strap and yanked it off Hiro. He snatched the other strap and stood his ground. Hiro and Zhan Tiri held fast with all their might, neither of them letting up until the bag ripped apart. A pale blue opal tumbled out and rolled away.
"Mine! All mine!" Zhan Tiri cried, letting go of the strap. But before she could snatch the stone, Cass' right arm shot out and grabbed it. Zhan Tiri roared in pain. Her tentacles shrunk back. Blue energy surged up Cassandra's arm, pushing Zhan Tiri away from the right side of her face until one eye and half of her mouth was free. Cassandra looked more terrified than Hiro had ever seen her before. She stared at him, tears streaming down her cheek.
"Hiro…I'm sorry…I didn't…know…GO!"
"You think you can wield the Moonstone against me, foolish girl?" the demon snarled. "Fine, I'll even help you get started –
Wither and decay,
End this destiny,
Break these earthly chains,
And set the spirit free!"
Hiro instantly recognized it as the Moonstone's incantation. Cassandra screamed in agony as the Moonstone flared even more in her fist. She dropped to her knees. Blue fire enveloped her hand, burning it black. The Moonstone fell from her fingers and Zhan Tiri caught it in one of her tentacles.
"Yessss! At last!"
The tentacle transformed into a thick black arm in a gauntlet. The demon locked the Moonstone in the gauntlet, and in an instant, her right eye turned blue.
"Having just one of the stones gives me more strength than I've ever had in one lifetime!"
Zhan Tiri grew in size, her unshapely mass forming a torso and second arm. Hiro ducked behind a column. He reached into his backpack and found a glittering golden stone – the Sundrop. It was like holding a piece of warm sunlight right in his hand.
He peeked around the column. Zhan Tiri slithered off of Cassandra on a mass of writhing tentacles. Cassandra moaned weakly and collapsed.
"Where are you hiding, child?" said Zhan Tiri. "You are only prolonging your own demise." She swept her arm across the room and a wave of spiky black rocks burst from the floor, spearing and knocking over columns. Hiro scrambled away from the collapsing stone pieces. He hardly dared to breathe as Zhan Tiri scanned the room for him.
Hiro turned to the Sundrop. He remembered what Wendy's book said about how the Sundrop and Moonstone were possibly meant to reunite. But he had no idea what would happen if those two massively powerful little rocks did touch. The effect could amplify or negate Zhan Tiri's rampage – or destroy them both.
"Well," he said as he grasped the Sundrop tightly in his hand, "only one way to find out."
Baymax zoomed up to Hiro, alerting Zhan Tiri to his hiding spot. The demon raised more rocks where they were standing, but Hiro was already on his robot's back, racing around the room.
"Keep her distracted, Baymax, and when you can, hold her back until I say so. I've got a plan!"
As Baymax veered around a corner, his front facing Zhan Tiri, Hiro jumped off and crouched by a tilted column. The demon focused on trying to spear Baymax as he flew about, distracting her enough that Hiro could climb up the column. The rocks sliced the air, each one a hair's breadth away from Baymax until –
CLANG!
A rock smashed through his right wing and tore it off completely, and Baymax crashed to the floor.
"I've grown tired of this. It doesn't matter how much you try to avoid your fate," Zhan Tiri proclaimed to the open air. "At last, the Magic Kingdom dies, and the world will know it is once again time to fear me! Wither and decay…"
A ripple of blue light swept over the room and out into the corridor, sucking away all color. It didn't seem possible, but Cassandra grew even more pale and lifeless.
"End this destiny…"
Hiro felt the spell sap away at him until he could barely lift his feet.
"Break these earthly chains…"
The Sundrop in his hand radiated warmth down into his body, giving him the strength to go on until he reached the top of the balustrade.
"And set the –"
Zhan Tiri's suddenly found her arms pinned behind her. She turned to see Baymax holding them fast.
"What is this?!" she roared as she struggled against him. "You should be dead!"
"I am a robot, and technically not alive," said Baymax matter-of-factly.
"Why you –"
"Hey, Zhan Tiri!" Hiro called out from above.
The demon glared at him.
"You think you can keep the Sundrop from me forever, boy?" she yelled.
"I'm not keeping it away from you," Hiro shouted back. "I'm giving it to you – NOW!"
He leaped towards Zhan Tiri. As she fought to free herself, Baymax let go of her arms. They swung forward together out of her control. As if in slow motion, Hiro thrust the Sundrop into the Moonstone seconds before Zhan Tiri's wrists could make contact.
The two stones collided in a burst of light that blasted Hiro across the room. He could hear Zhan Tiri shrieking and glass shattering – there was a sharp pain in the back of his head – and then nothing.
Fireflies. Fireflies stuck up in that big bluish-black thing.
Hiro blinked. It wasn't fireflies; it was a pair of glasses. Merlin's smiling face swam into focus before him.
"Good afternoon, Hiro," said Merlin.
Hiro stared at him. Then he remembered: "Professor! The Moonstone! Cassandra! The Sundrop! She's possessed by –"
"Calm yourself, dear boy, you are a little behind the times," Merlin said. "Neither Cassandra nor Zhan Tiri have the Sundrop or Moonstone."
"Then who does? Sir, I –"
"Hiro, please, settle down, or Flora, Fauna and Merryweather will throw me out."
Hiro swallowed and looked around him. He was in the infirmary, lying in a clean bed next to a table piled with what looked like half of Main Street's Confectionary Shop.
"Tokens from your friends and admirers," said Merlin, beaming. "What happened down in the dungeons between you and Cassandra is a complete secret – so, naturally, the whole school knows. I believe your friends Edric and Emira Blight tried to send you a toilet seat as well. No doubt they thought it would amuse you. Professor Flora, however, felt it wouldn't be very hygienic and confiscated it."
"How long have I been out?"
"Three days. Your friends will be most relieved to hear you've come around. They've been extremely worried."
"But Professor, Zhan Tiri –"
"Oh dash it all, boy, I was getting to that!" Merlin, sighing, sat on one side of the bed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Now, Zhan Tiri didn't manage to take the stones from you. I thought I had arrived in time to stop that, but you already took good care of her on your own."
"You got Elsa's message?"
"We must have just missed each other. No sooner had Eda and I reached the Council than she felt we were needed back at the school. She took one look at the note I received, recognized Cassandra's handwriting, and we both hurried back. I arrived just in time to see you place the Sundrop on the Moonstone and destroy Zhan Tiri."
"Destroy? Wait, does that mean –"
"Yes, Hiro, the demon is gone for good now – though the effort nearly killed you. For one terrible moment, I feared it had."
Hiro suddenly remembered Cassandra unconscious on the floor, wiped out from the pain Zhan Tiri inflicted on her.
"What about Cassandra? I-is she…"
"Don't worry, my boy. Cassandra is safe, though she still has a way to go before she fully recovers."
It was then Hiro noticed her laying several beds away from him. Her eyes were closed and she was still pale, but he could make out her chest slowly rising and falling with each breath. The hand she used to grab the Moonstone was withered and black down to her elbow.
"Professor, it's not her fault. Zhan Tiri was making her do all those things. She tricked her into thinking it was her destiny and then possessed her when the stones showed up so she could steal them. Please don't punish her."
Merlin nodded.
"Considering how much she was put through in the dungeons, I believe she's suffered enough. It will be a long time before she allies herself with a Villain again, or else I'm badly mistaken."
"And what about the Sundrop and Moonstone?" Hiro asked. "Will King Frederic and Edmund –"
"Oh, you know about Frederic and Edmund," said Merlin, sounding quite delighted. "You did do the thing properly, didn't you? Well, the three of us have had a little chat and decided that it was all for the best."
Hiro looked at him curiously.
"What was?"
"Well, my boy, it turns out Lord Demanitus was right all along. The Sundrop and Moonstone, equal in their opposing strengths, were fated to reunite as one entity – and to return to the heavens from whence they came together."
Merlin smiled at the look of amazement on Hiro's face.
"To one as young as you, I'm sure it seems incredible, but to their majesties, it's like casting off a tremendous weight they bore on their backs for over twenty years. The Moonstone and Sundrop, as marvelous as they seem, can cause more harm than good. Eternal life and youth, and the power to smite your enemies with a wave of your hand! Two things that most human beings would choose above all – the trouble is, humans have a knack for choosing precisely the things that are worst for them, in addition to doing terrible things to others in order to acquire them."
Hiro sat there at a loss for words. Merlin hummed a little and gazed at the ceiling.
"I suppose we're not all that different from demons then, huh?" said Hiro.
"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Merlin said cheerfully.
"Professor? I've been thinking…even if the Moonstone and Sundrop are gone, Mal – uh, the Mistress –"
"Call her Maleficent, Hiro. Always use the proper name of things. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself."
"Right. Well, it looks like I was wrong about Maleficent trying to come back. Guess that means she's really dead after all, right?"
At this, Merlin cast his eyes downward.
"I dearly wish that were true, Hiro. Maleficent rarely left things to chance. I wouldn't put it past her to have at least one contingency plan in place to keep herself going in some form. And even if she can't return, then someone else just as bad might come along and continue her sinister work, as you saw yourself with Zhan Tiri."
The thought formed a pit in Hiro stomach. Was his fight all for nothing?
"Oh, but all's not lost, my boy," Merlin continued warmly, placing a hand on Hiro's shoulder. "You've done a remarkable thing. You chose to do what was right instead of letting fear and complacency win out. You did your parents proud and stood up to one of the Villains. And if you and others continue to do so again and again using your wits, courage, strength and kindness, why, Maleficent and her kind may never return to power!"
Hiro felt much better hearing that. He smiled and nodded, but quickly stopped because it made his head hurt. Then he said, "Sir, there are some other things I'd like to know about my parents, things Zhan Tiri said about what they were really doing at Bald Mountain the night they…the night they died. Could you tell me? Or could we ask the Magic Mirror, please?"
Merlin shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Hiro. The power of Sundrop and Moonstone's reunification shattered the Mirror in addition to ending Zhan Tiri. I would tell you what I know myself, but I'm afraid I cannot."
"But I –"
"You will know the truth one day, when you are older and ready for it, Hiro, I promise you that. Put it out of your mind for now. When you are ready, you will know."
Hiro knew it would do no good to complain, no matter how frustrated he was.
"Zhan Tiri also said Lilith hated me because of my parents. Is that true?"
"Not entirely true, Hiro. Believe it or not, Lilith was quite good friends with your mother and father in their school days."
This was the answer Hiro least suspected. Merlin grinned at his astonishment.
"Oh yes, you'd be surprised how much mischief they got into together, especially when Eda was involved. Lilith, however, comes from a purely magical family devoted to the old ways, and her disdain for Tomeo and Maemi's experiments with magical technology put them at odds with each other on more than one occasion. Unfortunately, she was unable to reconcile her differences with your parents before their deaths. Suffice it to say Lilith is still reticent to embrace the intermarriage of the magical and technological worlds, as a good many in the magic community still do, but I know for a fact that she's worked so hard to prepare and protect you this year because she sees so much of your mother and father in you. Why else would she give you your mother's invisibility kabuto for Christmas?"
It took several seconds for those words to fully sink in. Lilith, iron-fisted stickler Lilith, helping him? He thought back to all those times she threatened him with expulsion and criticized his work in the classroom. Had she been playing him all along, encouraging him to do better in her own twisted way, egging him on under the guise of a no-nonsense authoritarian? Hiro tried to comprehend this, but it made his head whirl, so he stopped.
"Just one more question, professor –"
"Just the one, lad?"
"How did I get the Sundrop and Moonstone from the Magic Mirror?"
"Ah, now I'm glad you asked me that. You see, only someone who wanted to find the Sundrop and Moonstone – but not use them – would be able to receive them. Another one of my more brilliant ideas, and between us two, that's saying something."
Hiro couldn't help but smile at that. Merlin turned to the table of sweets.
"Aha! Goofy's Candy Co. Jellybeans! I was unfortunate enough in my youth to come across an extra-spicy Tabasco-flavored one once, and I'm afraid I've lost my taste for them since…however, I think I'll be safe with a nice banana or buttered popcorn."
He popped the yellow and white bean into his mouth. His grin quickly turned into a grimace.
"Alas," he gurgled, bubbles floating out of his mouth as he spoke, "a bar of soap!"
Professor Flora was a caring woman, but just as strict a nurse as she was a teacher.
"Just five minutes," Hiro pleaded.
"Absolutely not!"
"Well, why shouldn't he? You let Merlin come see him," said Merryweather.
"Yes, but he's the headmaster," Flora insisted. "And besides, the boy still needs his rest."
"I am resting, look, I'm lying down and everything. Please, Professor Flora?"
Flora looked to Merryweather, whose indignant frown told her where she stood, to her second assistant Fauna, a fairy in green.
"Well, he is lying in bed…" said Fauna kindly.
"Oh…very well. But five minutes only!"
And Flora let Peter and Wendy in.
"Hiro!"
Wendy looked ready to hug him again, but Hiro was glad she held back as he still felt very sore.
"Oh Hiro, I was sure you were going to… Merlin was so worried…"
"I knew you'd make it," said Peter jovially. "Hey Baymax, come in and see Hiro!"
Baymax waddled in, none the worse for wear. Peter explained that Professor McGucket took it upon himself to inspect Baymax for any damage. "He said he held up perfectly fine despite everything. And don't worry about the armor; he took care of that too. It's as good as new."
It was then Hiro noticed Wart peeking around the door. Hiro grinned and waved him over. Wart timidly approached them.
"Hiro, I-I'm sorry about what happened the other night. I was just trying to…but if I did then you wouldn't…"
Hiro held up a hand for silence. "You don't have to apologize, Wart. You were only trying to do what was right."
"If we had time, we would have told you everything," said Wendy.
"If anything like this happens again, I…I'd like to help if I can," Wart continued. Hiro smiled.
"Thanks, Wart. We could always use a first-class transformer on our team."
Wart smiled for the first time since he entered the room.
"The whole school's been talking about what you did. What happened down there?"
"That's what I've been dying to know!" Peter agreed.
"Oh please don't say anything about dying, Peter," moaned Wendy.
Hiro regaled them with his showdown in the final chamber. He left out nothing: Cassandra, the Magic Mirror, the two stones, and Zhan Tiri. It was one of those rare occasions when the true story was even more strange and exciting than the wild rumors. Peter, Wendy and Wart were a great audience; they gasped in all the right places and when Hiro told them about Zhan Tiri possessing Cass, Wendy nearly screamed.
"So the Moonstone and Sundrop are gone?" Peter said finally. "They just blasted back up into space?"
"That's what I said, but Merlin thinks that it's for the best. What was it he said? "People have a knack for going after what's bad for them," or something like that."
"So much for that eternal Questing match," said Peter. Hiro suddenly remembered –
"What about the Questing match? Are we still on?"
"It's been cancelled," Peter replied sadly, "Same with the free-for-all. Everyone's disappointed. Felinus is number one and we're still in dead last."
"It's the least I deserve," Cassandra croaked from her bed. She had finally woken up. Peter and Wendy stood up defensively. Cassandra turned on her side to face them; she winced as she moved aside her stiff, black arm. "I let my pride get the best of me and you nearly suffered for it, Hiro, and I let everyone down. This is my fault."
"Darn right it is!" said Peter angrily. "You nearly killed my best friend! You don't deserve to be Captain!"
"And I'll have you know that Professor Crane has been so traumatized by your threatening him all year that he's leaving the school," scolded Wendy.
"Come on, guys, she's been through enough," Hiro told them. "Cass, what you did wasn't right, but I get why you did it. Plus, Zhan Tiri was controlling you, so you can't blame yourself for everything."
"No, Hiro. I should have known she was just using me, but I chose to listen to her anyway. I'm sorry, I really am…but I don't deserve your forgiveness."
Tears filled Cassandra's gray eyes. Hiro thought for a moment, then he whispered something to Baymax. The robot toddled over to her, and wrapped her in a soft hug. He lightly patted her head. Cassandra looked surprised, almost frightened.
"How could you…after I…"
"Let's just say you're not the only Cass I know who doesn't deserve to be abandoned, not when I promised I'd do right by you both," Hiro said.
A small smile crept up on Cassandra's face, and she reciprocated Baymax's hug. Her eyes began to flutter close as exhaustion reclaimed her.
"You really are a hero…" she muttered. And she fell back into a much more gentle sleep.
"Anyway, what happened to you two?" Hiro asked Peter and Wendy.
"I got back through the door perfectly fine," said Wendy. "The potion wore off in no time and I was back to my normal size by the time I reached the ships. I brought Peter around – that took a while –"
"You try wakin' up right after being blown to smithereens," Peter said sulkily.
"Yes, well, we were running up to the mailroom to contact Merlin when we met him and Professor Eda in the entrance hall. They already knew – he just said, "Hiro's gone after her, hasn't he?" and he hurtled off to the third floor."
"Say, do you think Merlin meant for you to go do the challenges, what with him knowing about Lilith giving you your mother's helmet and everything?" said Peter.
"Well if he did," Wendy exploded, "I mean to say that's awfully reckless – you could have been killed!"
"I dunno," said Hiro thoughtfully. "Maybe he was just testing me. I think he knows a lot more about what goes on here than he lets on. Instead of stopping us, maybe he gave just a bit of an edge to help. It can't be a coincidence that he found me discovering the Mirror and learning how it worked. It's almost like he thought I had the right to face Maleficent if I could…"
"Yep, he's insane," said Peter.
"Listen, you've gotta get better for the end-of-year feast tomorrow, Hiro," Wart spoke up. "Felinus may have won the House Cup, but at least the food'll be good."
At that moment, Flora bustled over.
"There now, you've had the better part of an hour to yourselves. Now please let him rest!" she said firmly.
After a good night's sleep, Hiro felt almost back to normal.
"I want to go to the feast," he told Flora as he straightened his many candy boxes. "I can, can't I?"
"Merlin said you were allowed to go," she said primly, as though in her opinion Merlin didn't realize how risky feasts could be.
Hiro turned to Cassandra. "Are you coming, Cass?"
Cassandra had made almost as swift a recovery with some extra help from Baymax. She had changed into a new green tunic with a black cloak and an iron gauntlet covering up her disfigured hand.
"Nah, I don't think I'll be entirely welcome," she said. "I'm heading out."
"What are you gonna do now?"
"I'm going to find my own destiny, one that I choose for myself and no one else. Whatever I'm meant for isn't in these walls or at home, it's out there."
She gazed out the windows at the river winding through the green hills and forests.
"Speaking of destinies…"
She tossed him something; his reflexes kicked in despite the aches and he caught it. It was the crown he picked up from their second Questing match.
"I hope you find yours," she continued. "If there's anything I can do to help along the way, just whistle for Owl. He'll know where to find me."
A burly middle-aged man with a full chin of brown hair was waiting by the door. Cassandra ran over to him and the two warmly embraced. With one last smile, Cassandra departed. The man stayed for a moment, looking at Hiro with tears in his eyes.
"Thank you for saving my daughter," he said softly before he left.
Soon after, Fauna fluttered in.
"Oh, Hiro, you have another visitor," she told him.
"Sweet," said Hiro. "Who is it?"
Ralph sidled through the door as he spoke.
"I'm so sorry, kid! It's all my fault! I told that witch how to get past Aladar! And all for a lousy snowman! I'll never drink another root beer as long as I live! I should be fired and go back to scrounging in the dump!"
"Ralph!" said Hiro, shocked to see his friend shaking with remorse. "Ralph, it's okay. Zhan Tiri would have found out about Aladar somehow anyway, even if you hadn't told Cassandra."
"But you could have died!" he sniffled.
"Come on, Ralph, the stones are gone and no one can ever use them again. Everything's going to be fine. I made it one piece, and so did Baymax. You want a Wonder Ball? There's plenty left."
"No, I don't really care for chocolate," said Ralph, feeling a little better. "That reminds me, I've made something for you."
"It's not another pie, is it? I've got enough sugar to last me the summer," Hiro said, glancing at his miniature candy mountain. Ralph laughed a little at that.
"Nah. Merlin gave me and Eda the day off yesterday to fix it for you. 'Course, he should have fired me instead, but who am I to argue…here."
It was a handsome leather-bound book. Hiro opened it curiously. It was full of photographs. Smiling and waving at him from every page were his mother and father, laughing and gazing at each other dreamily at their wedding, play fighting with each other on the castle lawns, testing out gadgets in a workshop, making silly faces at the camera with two orange-haired girls, and Tomeo holding a very pregnant Maemi next to a smiling teenage boy in a baseball cap. Every photo had a few lines written next to it detailing the circumstances in which they were taken, who else was in the frame with them, and other personal facts.
"We sent messages to all your parents' friends asking for photos and stories about them…do you like it?"
Hiro couldn't speak, but Ralph understood.
Hiro made his way to the end-of-year feast alone that night. Flora held him up with her fussing about and insistence on giving him one last checkup. The only reason why he wasn't an hour late was thanks to Merryweather putting her foot down and shooing him out the door before Flora could get another word in. To his pleasant surprise, Peter, Wendy and Wart were waiting for him by the great doors.
The hall was already full of students. It was decked out in green and silver banners bearing the Felinus crest to celebrate them winning the House Cup for the seventh year in a row. When Hiro walked in, there was a sudden hush, and then everyone started talking loudly at once. The four friends found a seat at one of the Mus tables. Hiro tried to ignore the dozens of eyes upon him.
Fortunately, Merlin tapped his goblet for attention. The babble died away.
"Another year gone!" he said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's ramblings before we tuck into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Your heads are a little fuller now than they were when you arrived…and hopefully they won't be too empty by the time next term starts. Now, as I understand it, the House Cup needs awarding, and the points stand thus: in fourth place, Mus, with three-hundred and twelve points."
The students broke into polite applause between each house's placements.
"In third place, Canis, with three-hundred and fifty-two points. In second place, Anatis, with four-hundred and twenty-six points. And finally, in first place, with four-hundred and seventy-two points, Felinus."
A storm of cheering and stamping broke out at the Felinus tables. Hiro could see Kay banging his goblet and grinning smugly across the way at him. It was a sickening sight.
"Yes, yes, well done, Felinus, well done…however," said Merlin, "recent events must be taken into account, and I have a few last-minute points to give."
The room went very still. The Felinus' smiles faded a little bit.
"First, to Wendy Darling, for keeping her head and moral compass while in the face of peril, I award Mus fifty points."
The cheers from the Mus tables nearly raised the enchanted ceiling; the stars overhead quivered and shone unexpectedly bright. Wendy gasped and clapped her hands over her mouth. Hiro strongly suspected she was about to burst into tears.
There was silence again.
"Second, to Peter Pan –"
Peter turned as red as his hair.
" – for the greatest game of Maelstrom the Magic Kingdom has ever seen…fifty points."
The Mus students were beside themselves. Peter had no idea how to react to the sudden amount of attention he was receiving. They were now one hundred points up.
"Third, to Hiro Hamada…" said Merlin.
The quiet in the room was deafening.
"…for his ingenuity and pure courage of the heart…I award sixty points."
The din was overwhelming. Shooting stars streaked across the ceiling. Those who could add while yelling themselves hoarse knew that Mus now stood at four hundred and seventy-two points.
"We're tied with Felinus!" Wendy cried happily.
"Yeah, couldn't he have given us sixty-one points?" said Peter. "We're so close!"
Merlin raised his hands for silence. When the noise dimmed down, he continued.
"Finally, it takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies – but a great deal more to stand up to our friends. Therefore, I award ten points to Arthur Pendragon!"
Wart froze, his teacup halfway to his mouth, eyes boggling from his head. He had hardly won any points for Mus during the year, and now almost every student was cheering for him because he earned ten. Kay, Boscha and Sasha couldn't have been more stunned and horrified if they'd just been turned into rabbits.
"Assuming my calculations are correct," Merlin called over the storm of applause, "I believe a change of decoration is in order."
He clapped his hands. A blast of wind rustled the banners, and in an instant, they changed from green and silver to red and gold; the Felinus cat's head vanished, and in its place stood the three circles that made up Mus' mouse head.
Even though it went without saying, Merlin proudly declared to the assembly, "Mus wins the House Cup!"
Anyone standing outside the Great Hall might have thought there was an explosion going on; so loud was the noise that the students made. Even Canis and Anatis were celebrating Felinus' downfall, shaking hands with their fellow Mus students and throwing their caps into the air. Red and gold fireworks boomed all over the ceiling, showering the hall with radiant light.
Hiro, still cheering, nudged Peter in the ribs and pointed at Kay, who was sulking after tossing down his own hat in a fit of anger. He also noticed Lilith grudgingly shaking hands with Eda; the wild witch pointed at her and laughed.
"You've been defeated, don't get heated, get yo stank face treated!"
Lilith looked like she was using every bit of her willpower to not change her sister into a slug.
"No love lost between those two," Peter joked. Hiro wasn't worried. Life was going back to normal, or at least as normal as it would ever be at the happiest place on earth. It was the best night of Hiro's life, better than winning at Questing, or celebrating Christmas, or defeating trolls. He would never, ever forget this night.
Hiro almost forgot that the exam results were still to come, but come they did. Unsurprisingly, he received the highest grade in Magical Modern Inventions, and he and his friends did well in the rest of the courses. Wendy, of course, made top marks in Magical Myths and History, while Peter excelled in Defense Against Evil Magic. The one disappointing grade Hiro received was from music class. Though he scraped through, Professor Owl's scathing observations about his finals song cut deep.
"Tempo too quick…lyrics difficult to follow…inappropriate language… song 'not canon'? What the heck does that mean?!" he ranted to his classmates, most of whom fared significantly better.
Everyone was astounded by Wart topping the class when it came to Transformation, none more so than Wart himself. Not long after, he showed them a note he received from Lilith stating that she had an opening in her schedule next year should he wish to resume lessons with her. Hiro thought back to what Merlin said about Lilith in the infirmary and wondered if he was right. Lilith might never be his favorite teacher, but if she could help him out and change her mind about punishing Wart, then maybe there was some good in her after all. Everyone hoped Kay, who was as thick as he was mean, would have flunked every test, but he passed too. It was a shame, but as Milo said, you couldn't have everything in life.
And suddenly, their wardrobes were empty, their trunks packed, Baymax was trundled up neat and tidy in his charging case; notes were handed out to all the students warning them about using magic improperly over vacation ("I always hope they forget to give us these," said Edric sadly), and Ralph was there to take them down the river.
"Feels strange to be going home, doesn't it?" Wendy wondered aloud as their boat sailed away.
"I'm not going home," Hiro said, his eyes on the castle shrinking in the distance. "Not really."
The next thing they knew, they were boarding Casey Junior; talking and laughing and eating Goofy's Jellybeans and Itzakadoozie pops as the scenery blurred past the windows; and finally, pulling into San Fransokyo's train station.
It took a while for Hiro to gather up all his things and make his way off the train down to the platform. A pit was forming in his stomach. Would Aunt Cass be angry that he hardly spoke to her during the year? Would she be thrilled to see him, would she cry hysterically? Or would she not even show up at all?
No, there she was on the platform, keeping an eye out for him. As Hiro approached Aunt Cass, her tensed look faded into nothing. It was as though all of her emotions had been sucked out. She straightened up and held out a stiff hand to shake, not like her usual convivial self at all. The two stared at each other in drawn-out silence before she lowered her hand and finally spoke.
"Hello, Hiro. You look…well. Did you –"
Hiro flung his arms around Cass. He unexpectedly found a lump forming in his throat.
"Hi Aunt Cass…I…I remembered to change my underwear."
Everything about Aunt Cass seemed to melt. She wrapped her arms around Hiro and laughed even as the tears flowed down her cheeks.
"I missed you too, my special little guy."
Peter looked away uncomfortably while Wart watched curiously and Wendy, Anne and Melissa had to hold back an "awww!" Hiro led Cass up to the windows.
"Aunt Cass, meet my friends. Guys, this is Aunt Cass – you know, the one I couldn't stop saying how awesome she is?"
A moment of silence, and then they burst into a chorus of "Oh sure, sure" and "Lovely to meet you" and "Have you lost weight?"
"Hey, you gotta come visit for the summer – all of you!" Peter said to his pals. "Fagin's always got room for more at his place!"
"Thanks, but…I've got some catching up to do first," said Hiro.
The whistle blew, and the train began to pull out of the station, taking his best friends with him.
"Bye, Hiro!"
"See you soon!"
"Have a good holiday!"
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"
Other familiar faces – Sprig, Hunter, Edric, Emira, Candace, Zach, Milo – and many more, waved and shouted goodbye as the train sped away.
"I'm sorry I didn't reach out as much as I promised, Aunt Cass," Hiro said once it was out of sight. "A lot happened this year, and I mean A LOT. I don't know where to start."
Aunt Cass smiled and took his hand.
"Well, how about we go to the café and begin over some anpan and gummy bears?"
"Sounds great! Do you know they don't even have gummy bears at the Magic Kingdom? If I had known that, I would have filled my whole trunk with them before I left! But the Wonder Balls are all right, and…aw man, I've got so much to tell you, Aunt Cass…"
Somewhere, in a deep, dark place hidden beyond all human sight, two figures watched Hiro depart the train station with his aunt.
"So much for your master plan," one scoffed as he ran his fingers through his flaming hair. "You give an intern an inch, and they gun for your position. Why would anyone keep a creep like that around for so long?"
The other gave him a sour look. "I've known of Zhan Tiri's overreaching aspirations long before our downfall; she was never the master of subtlety. The only reason she wasn't dealt with sooner was because her immense power and inspiring thirst for destruction served us well. When I learned that her essence was still floating about, I knew she would be a good test case regarding the possibilities of revival."
"And look where it got you, back to square one," the first said.
A small smile crept up on the corners of his companion's lips.
"I wouldn't say that. True, had she succeeded, she would have rid us of that meddlesome boy and brought about the end of the Magic Kingdom. Her failure, on the other hand, shows that infiltrating the school is much easier than I anticipated, and removes a wild pawn from the board. It's still a victory, regardless of the outcome."
"Hmm…didn't take you to be the optimistic type, but you've got a point there," he said, stroking his long chin thoughtfully. "The question is what do we do about the kid? He's only gonna get stronger and smarter the longer he's alive. I can't exactly axe him myself, union rules and all…buuuuut if I was to arrange for a little accident to happen while he's away from the castle…"
A raised hand silenced him.
"The wards around his home are too great for any direct interference. Even spying on him will be difficult. No, let young Hiro enjoy his precious holiday from school. There are remnants of my legion still lurking about that even you have missed, Hades, and by the time the boy discovers them, it will be too late."
And she laughed a high, cold, cruel cackle that sent a shiver down the God of the Underworld's spine.
Hiro will return in:
Hiro Hamada and the Cave of Wonders
Wow, I can't believe it. Almost a year in the making and it's done, my first completed story here (as well as my most viewed one to date)! I wrote Hiro Hamada for a number of reasons, not the least of which being the ideas for it kept piling up in my head: I wanted to improve my writing, see if I could finish something I posted here for once, and sort out my conflicting feelings about Harry Potter since JK Rowling revealed her dark side. Every view, favorite, follow and review means so much to me and has encouraged me to keep going. Thank you all for your support, and a very special big thank you to my beta reader GRYFFINDOR123456 for helping me through this!
Now before you ask when the next installment will be out, I will say I've already begun working on it and even have a few chapters done - HOWEVER, I won't start posting them until the story as a whole is 90% done, just like how I did with this one. It turned out to be a better motivator as opposed to posting as I go, especially since I learned I like working out of chapter order. I do have a lot of work I need to catch up on and GRYFFINDOR won't be free until next February, so you can expect it to go up sometime after that on Fridays instead of Sundays (based on my stats it seems like people prefer that day). That said, I am considering adding one more chapter to this entry detailing every single Disney reference made in this story for those of you who are curious or might have missed one. If this is something you'd like to see, let me know!
Thank you all again, and I hope you have a safe and magical holidays and a Happy New Year!