TAoP Chapter 7

The Funny Thing about Magic…

Minnie stopped in front of the library door. Penny stood next to her, shifting Midnight to a more comfortable position.

"I think I might've heard you wrong, but I thought you said Mickey's master wants to speak with me?" Penny asked while catching her breath. Star finally got to sit on her shoulders.

"You heard me correctly. Now go on and I'm sorry, but I cannot enter. I must continue with the preparations," Minnie explained. She could feel Penny's uneasiness, "Don't worry. He's very nice."

Penny nodded and went through the door. She found the King, Donald, and Goofy standing around the desk and they all turned to look at her. Sitting behind the desk was an old man. His hair and beard were gray. His robe was blue which matched his pointed hat. His eyes never left Penny as she moved closer to where the others were standing. Midnight squirmed in Penny's arms.

Water! He called out. Penny looked down and noticed for the first time a bowl of water and food on the floor. There was also a yellow dog lying on a pillow next to the bowls. The dog looked up at them and his ears went up, his tail was wagging. Penny put Midnight down and he ran towards the water.

"I hope you don't mind," she stated to the yellow dog. He shook his head, but Penny couldn't hear a voice from him. He went back to sleep.

"Pluto doesn't mind. That little guy looks as if he hasn't had a meal in days," Mickey observed as he knelt down to see Midnight better.

"I believe his mother abandoned him, so I shall take care of him. Besides, he likes me and he hasn't asked about her in awhile."

"He can talk?"

"Penny, can you come closer?" Mickey's master asked in a deep voice. Penny slowly walked closer to the desk and waited. He looked deep into her eyes and sat in silence. She fidgeted under his gaze and opened her mind to Midnight.

Do you feel better?

The pup licked his lips and walked to her side, Yes! That is what I needed.

The stranger got up from the desk. When he stood, he was as tall as Goofy. Penny has never met someone that tall before. He walked toward Penny, "I sense some strong magic."

"Eh?" Penny asked, coming back to what was happening. In the back of her mind, she could hear Midnight and Minnie.

He smiled, "My name is Yensid. I have taught Mickey and Donald all they know about magic. Now they present me with a problem that I cannot solve or understand."

"Well, I'm sorry…" Penny said quietly, unsure of what to say.

"You can feel the presence of Queen Minnie, correct? Also, that of another girl?"

Penny nodded. Star looked between the two of them, confused of what was happening. She tried to ask a question, but Penny shook her head ever so slightly.

"Who are your parents?" Yensid asked.

"I don't have any. Peter found me and raised me. I never cared to learn who they were," Penny stated, unaffected by the others reaction. They had looks of sadness and Goofy put a hand on her shoulder, as if to comfort.

Yensid was about to ask another question, when the door burst open and Jayden, Illiana, and Max came in.

"Donald! I thought I'd find you here! I have to-," Jayden stopped in mid-speech and mid-stride as he saw everyone there.

"Jayden! Whatever it is, I can wait!" Donald exclaimed. But Jayden wasn't paying any attention.

"Maxie! What are you doing here, son?" Goofy asked and Max was also not paying attention. The trio was staring at Yensid.

"Master Yensid!" Jayden bowed deeply to the magician, ignoring everyone.

"This is the Master Yensid?" Illiana asked. She then bowed too, followed by Max.

Yensid smiled and gestured to them, "It's alright. What is so important that it could not wait?"

"Y—yes, sir. You see, I believe that Penny might have some magical ability. Beside, the fact the she can sense Minnie," Jayden explained, looking back at Donald.

"And where is your evidence of this?" Donald tapped his foot impatiently.

"What are you talkin' about, Jayden?" Penny asked.

"Well, when we were in the workshop…"

"Instead of practicing," Illiana whispered.

"As I was saying," Jayden glared at her, "in the workshop, Penny picked up the blow torch, which I had just finished using, mind you. But she picked it by the wrong end of it. And she didn't hurt her hand."

Donald turned to Penny, "Is this true?"

"Yes, I did pick up a tool, but I didn't know it was the wrong end," Penny said confused, "What does this have to do with magic?"

"Let me see the hand that you picked up the tool," Yensid said, stretching out his own hand.

Penny hesitated, cradling her left hand. She looked at Mickey, who smiled and nodded in encouragement. She put her left hand out to meet Yensid's hand. He gently took it and examined it. Everyone waited anxiously and Midnight looked between Penny and Yensid, confused.

Finally, Yensid let go, looking troubled, "You have very strong magic."

Penny frowned and examined her own hand. Nothing was special about it in her opinion. Out of nowhere, Yensid created a fireball between him and Penny, hovering in the air. She blinked in surprise and watched it. Her left hand went automatically toward it, as if she just had to touch it. Somebody gasped, but then someone else hushed them. Penny very gently touched the fire and felt the warmth spread through her entire left side. It wasn't painful and she moved her hand to the bottom of it, as if to cup it. She brought it closer to her and tried to put her right hand on it, but it burned that one. Penny closed her hand around the fireball and it disappeared.

"Wow…" Jayden said, awed by what happened.

"How do you feel?" Yensid asked, sitting back at the desk.

"Fine I guess. But I think I might've hurt my other hand," Penny said, looking at her right hand. It was slightly red.

"Here, let me see," Illiana came closer to Penny and grabbed her hand. She covered it with both of her own. A green hazy light surrounded them and the aching went away, "Hmm, that wasn't as bad as I thought."

"It's odd that only one accepted the fire," Jayden mused as he grabbed her left arm, but dropped it right away, "That's still hot!"

"Okay, someone explain this to me, please," Penny yanked her hands back and crossed her arms.

Donald cleared his throat, "Magicians normally only have one element or other art that they can be the master of. Of course, we can do other magic, we have one that we are the strongest at. My element is water; I can do anything with water, but I am limited when I do other magic. Jayden's strongest with transforming magic. He can turn into anything he likes. The fact that the fire only accepted your left hand is strange. I wonder what your right hand would accept." As he was thinking, he drew his staff and created a water-ball, replacing the fireball.

Penny looked at it and reached out to touch it with her left hand. It immediately started to steam and hiss, so she quickly drew it back. She tried again with her right hand. Her right side was cool and she did the same thing with it as she did with the fireball. It disappeared as soon as she closed her hand. Penny looked up to find everyone staring at her with looks of wonder.

"Hmmm…" Jayden hummed as he got closer and looked closely at her arm, "Not only can you have fire and water, you can talk to animals. Is there anything else you can do?"

"Er…well, I think I can only talk to certain ones, since I can't hear what, Pluto? Yes Pluto is thinking. But the earth talks to me? Is that what I should call it…it's more like, I know what is feeling and they warn me when danger approaches me." Penny looked at everyone. She felt Midnight tug in her mind and he put a paw on her foot, What is it?

What's going on? Are you special? He asked looking up at her with his icy blue eyes.

She smiled and picked him up, scratching behind his ears, I'm not sure yet.

"I may have an idea of what you can do and why," Yensid said suddenly, "but I think it can wait for awhile as I have to make sure that I am right. Plus, isn't there a party happening soon?"

"The party!" Illiana slapped her forehead, "I need to change!" She ran out of the room.

"Oh right! Dad, I wanted to ask you a few questions…" Max said as he and Goofy also left the room.

Minnie entered the room, "Come, Penny. You must get ready."

"For what?" Penny looked scared. She could see in Minnie's mind herself wearing a dress.

"For the party, of course! Everyone attends and you are our welcomed guest," Minnie pulled her out of the room, "You must get ready too, Mickey."

They headed down to Penny's room and Penny dreaded with whatever Minnie had planned for her.