02x11 - The Tale of the Magician's Assistant

[bunniefuu]

[Heartbeat]

[Children giggling]

I'm glad to see
everyone's on time...

For once.

You sound like
my homeroom teacher.

Drago the dull.

I like Mr. Drago.
He's funny.

Step off.
The guy's stale.

I think
he's pretty cool.

You don't even
know him.

Sure, I do.

He comes into my father's
magic shop all the time.

He's a prestidigitator.

A what?

That's
a magician.

Really?

Yeah. He calls himself
"the Amazing Drago."

Get outta here.

I'm serious.
He's been on TV.

I've seen him.
He's pretty good.

I guess you shouldn't
judge people.

You never know when
they might surprise you.

Exactly.

And that's...

What my story's
about tonight.

Sometimes things
don't turn out

exactly the way
you expect them to.

People might not be
who they seem to be.

And simple things...

Could turn out to be
far more amazing

than you could
ever imagine.

Submitted
for the approval

of the Midnight
Society.

I call this story...

Todd marker
was having a tough time.

His father
recently d*ed,

and his mother
worked all the time.

To help make ends meet,

Todd went to apply
for a part-time job

he read about in the paper.

It sounded like fun,

but if he'd only known
what he was stepping into,

Todd might never
had answered that ad.

[Sound of pigeon cooing]

Hello?

Man: Who are you?

Um... I'm um...

Todd Marker.

I'm answering the ad about
a magician's assistant.

Uh, never mind.

Leaving so soon?

Mr. Shandu?

Not "Mr." Shandu.

Shandu the Magnificent!

You may call me Shandu.

Yes sir, Mr. Shandu.

I mean--

So, you want to be
my assistant?

Well, yeah.

Have you had
any experience?

Sure.

Who have you
worked for?

Uh, Phil.

Phil the fabulous.

In other words,
you have no experience.

Well, no.
But I'm a quick learner.

Magic is not a
subject to be learned.

It's a skill
to be acquired.

You acquire it by
keeping your mouth shut

and your eyes open.

Does that mean
I have the job?

Perhaps.

We'll have to see
how you work.

Aw, no sweat.

I'm a hard worker.

Good. You can start by
tidying up those props.

Shandu: No! Not that.

Never touch
another magician's wand.

That's a magic wand?

Yes. For thousands
of years

deadeyed sorcerers
used wands like this

to draw power
from the earth.

Magical rule
number --

never ever touch
another magician's wand

unless he hands it
to you.

Like this.

Understand?

Todd's mother was an artist
at an ad agency.

It was hard work,

and she was always
getting stuck

working late
at the office.

I know we need
the money,

but I don't know if I
want to go back there.

Sorry to make you
eat alone again, sweetie,

but I've got to get
back to the office.

I have to finish
those new storyboards.

Did you hear what I said?
They guy's a boss from hell.

I know the feeling.

I wonder what dad
will tell me to do.

He would have told you
to do your best

and not run away
from a challenge.

Try not to be too late.

Love you.

First of all, we'll get
the fingers warmed up.

In the following weeks,

Todd and Shandu
rehearsed the act.

Shandu made Todd nervous,

and Todd made
plenty of mistakes.

Magical rule number --

only let them see
what you want them to see.

Whenever Todd
messed up a trick,

Shandu really
let him have it.

[Drops cylinder]

But the funny thing was,

the more mistakes
Todd made

the more determined
he became

to prove himself
to the old magician.

All right.
The magic word--

Shandu can do.

No, no no!

You're out of
position again.

Sorry.

Close it quickly.

How many times
must we do this?

I know, I know.

Magical rule
number --

the cardinal rule!

Never ever get caught
in your own reflection.

It's a precept of magic
as old as the thessalonians.

You are hopeless.

Can I say something?

Only if it will
soothe me.

Well, I don't want you
to take this the wrong way,

but it's OK.
To lighten up sometimes.

I beg your pardon?

Well, you're always
in such a nasty mood.

What's the problem?

There was a time

when I was
the toast of Broadway.

I performed before
the crowned heads of Europe.

I even had my own
movies series.

Now what have I got?

A few scrapbooks
of yellowed reviews.

A few faded movie posters

and this
broken-down truck.

My movies
aren't even on video.

It isn't very pleasant
being a has-been.

You must excuse me

if I don't always have the
sunniest of dispositions.

This may be against
my better judgment, but...

I've got something
for you.

What is it?

It's the tie that I wore
for my first performance.

Don't make me regret it.

Then the day finally came

when Shandu and Todd
were ready to face

the most demanding
audience.

And now, the moment
you've all been waiting for,

the magical,

the mystical,

the Magnificent Shandu!

[Kids cheering]

Yay! Yay!
Yay!

Whoa!

Shandu: And now,
the magic words--

Shandu can do!

[Kids]
Whoa!

I'm feeling
a little scattered lately.

Do you think I should
pull myself together?

Yeah! Yes!
Yay!

Shandu:
Only this time,

I'll need your help.

You just shout
"Shandu can do" with me.

When I count up to .

...

...

!

Shandu can do!

Whoa! Yay!
Yay!

Yay! Yay!
Yay!

Well?

Well what?

How'd I do?

You want me to critique
your performance, do you?

Well, you aren't the worst
assistant that I've ever had.

I'll give you that.

Shandu?

Shandu?

Come on, guys.

Help me out.

Shandu...

can do!

[Poof]

Oh, man.

[Quack quack]

No wonder he didn't
want me to touch it.

It's really magic.

Anything happen
while I was away?

Todd: No. Nothing.
Nothing at all.

Mom! Mom!

You're not going to
believe what happened.

I'll believe
anything right now.

What's wrong?

minutes
before I leave work

I get a new project
dumped in my lap.

storyboard frames.

tomorrow.

They're
k*lling you, Mom.

Tell them no.

Oh, I can't.

Do me a favor,
sweetie.

Wake me up in an hour.

I gotta pull
another all-nighter.

But I gotta
tell you about--

Shh. Tell me later,
OK?

Shandu?

You back yet?

Here goes nothing.

Shandu can do!

[Poof]

Whoa.

Whoa.

Amazing.

Who--
who are you?

I'm Nazrak,
Spirit of the Wand.

Unbelievable.

I have a message
for you.

A message?

For me?

Yes.

What is it?

The wand has
special powers

that only you
can bring out.

Use it anytime
you wish.

But Shandu
said that--

Anytime you wish.

Anytime you wish.

Very weird.

What are you doing?

I...

I was...

The wand. You took it.

Did you use it?

Well, yeah.
But Nazrak told me--

Nazrak!
You saw it?

Yeah.

I knew
this would happen.

After all these years

to be released
by a mere boy.

What are you
talking about?

Nazrak is a demon.

A powerful,
ancient magician

who has been imprisoned
for centuries

in the vortex.

No. She was beautiful.

Nazrak can take on
many forms, you fool.

It wants this wand.

To use it
is to summon its evil.

I... I didn't know.

If Nazrak is released,
it could mean the return

to the dark ages
for all humanity.

I...

Get out.

But--

Get out.

Shandu!

[Coughing]

Shandu?

Man: Fire!
I'm trapped!

Hel-l-l-p!

Shandu can do!

Shandu?

Are you OK?

I certainly am.

I only needed you to use
the wand one more time.

What?

Magical rule
number --

only let them see
what you want them to see.

Hah hah hah!

Nazrak.

Heh heh.

Shandu... can do!

It will no longer
work for you.

Where's Shandu?

Silly old fool.

He's taken my place
in the vortex.

Now...

give me the wand!

Give me the wand.

Mom?

Mom?

What?
What's the matter?

Aw, man. You're not
gonna believe this.

It's all my fault.
I didn't know!

What have you done
to my tree?

It's not a tree.
It's magic.

It's evil.

What magic?

The same magic I used
on your storyboards.

I didn't know
what I was doing when I...

"I don't know how you did this,
but you're amazing.

"I'm bringing them
to work right away.

"We'll talk about it
when I get home.

Don't wait up. Mom."

[Thunder and lightning]

[Sinister voice] Only let him
see what you want him to see!

Hah hah hah!

You silly boy.
Give me the wand!

[Sinister voice]
You can't escape.

Todd.

Shandu?

Is that you?

Remember the rules
of magic, Todd.

Use them!

Shandu?

[Sinister voice] The
old man can't help you!

Give me the wand.

I know the rules,
Nazrak.

You can't take it
unless I hand it to you.

I'm not gonna!

I could force your
mother to convince you.

Nazrak?

I'll make a deal.

I'll hand you
the wand.

You have to leave
my mother alone.

You hear me? That's
the deal, or no wand.

Nazrak: Agreed.

Give it to me.

Ah. Great.

Mine.

I've waited centuries,

and now it's mine.

Remember our deal.

Oh yes.

Your mother's safe...

but you're not!

What?

Magical rule number --

never touch another
magician's magic wand

unless he hands it to you.

You never should have
handed it to me, boy.

For now,
you're going to join

the old man in the vortex!

You can't do that.

Oh, yes I can.

Magical rule number --

only let them see
what you want them to see.

Be gone!

Magical rule
number --

the cardinal rule!

Never ever get caught
in your own reflection.

You did it, my boy.
You did it!

Yeah, I guess I did.

I'm sorry I didn't
listen to you, Shandu.

Actually, I should be
apologizing to you.

You see, I've been trusted
with this wand

for far too long now.

I've been searching
for someone to take my place.

That's why I handed it
to you in the first place.

Me?

You've passed the test.

I don't believe it.

It's magic is very
powerful, my son.

Learn to use it.

How?

I don't know
what to do.

You'll know.

Besides,
I won't be far away.

For now, I leave you
with just one more rule--

magic rule number .

Always leave them
wanting more.

You're not going to believe
the night I've had.

Hey, where's my tree?

And that's the last Todd
saw of the old magician.

Good story.

Wait up.

Hey!

You coming,
or what?