December 15, 1983 12:00am

Mickey didn't need an alarm or a calendar to know the anniversary had come. Even in deep sleep, he felt it come. Just like every year on this date at the stroke of midnight, sometimes a few hours later, it hit him. The heartache, grief, sorrow, and depression came back from December of '66 and the dark gloomy months that followed. If the haunting feelings didn't wake him immediately he was plagued with nightmares. This year brought a nightmare unlike Mickey had ever seen.

Darkness surrounded Mickey. But it wasn't like darkness in the woods. In the woods you don't really fear the dark. You fear the unknown of what is in the dark. Mickey knew he was not in the woods where you can sense animals watching you, hear them growl and mash their teeth at you. Instead Mickey assumed he was just in a void of darkness, where he sensed nothing to be afraid of. No predators, no strangers, no ghosts. Aside from Mickey, the darkness was completely empty. And that made Mickey feel truly afraid of the dark. Not knowing what else to do, Mickey began walking forward. His father's words came to mind: keep moving forward. Maybe that would get him out of this void.

Some time later Mickey felt something cold drop on his head. Rain? No, snow. Mickey looked up and sure enough, infinite white dots were falling out of the darkness. Even without light, each snowflake sparkled like they kindled a star inside them. It was a beautiful moment of hope. To Mickey's surprise, the void began to change. Sure the setting that replaced it was still dark, but it was a much more natural and comforting sight. Above the toon mouse, shined a full moon, hundreds of stars, and yet it still snowed without a cloud. The moonlight illuminated fine details of a desert, then a silhouette of a building, and a pavement road. Then the darkness took its most incredible transformation. A wooden sign separated into four slats, reading 'SMOKE' 'TREE' 'RANCH' appeared, and an unforgettable voice called to Mickey.

"Hello, Son. It's been a while..." Mickey dropped to his knees in shock. He stared at the sign with his jaw hanging low.

"Walt?" the mouse toon called. "Dad?!" he cried more urgently.

"If you're hearing this message, it means a considerably long time has passed since my death and you still haven't taken a very thorough look at my last Christmas present to you." Walt's voice echoed. Mickey could feel his heart sink low in his chest. It was only a recording of Walt's voice; not live as he'd hoped. Still the message intrigued him. Walt's voice became urgent. "Seventeen years have passed now, Mickey. You cannot afford to delay any longer! Everything you need is already in your hands." At that moment one earthbound snowflake morphed into a metal charm. It bounced off Mickey's nose and he caught it in his hand. 'None of this makes sense.' Mickey's mind was spinning with confusion. A long forgotten gift, a quest, his late father's final wish, and the key to it all was a toy snowflake. The pale moon retreated behind a cloud and the desert landscape slowly returned to pitch black nothingness.

"I don't understand!" Mickey shouted at the sign. "Please! Don't leave! I need answers!"

The voice did not respond. Thus the message was over. The sign became engulfed in the void and everything was dead silent. Then came that instinct feeling that told Mickey why this was happening. Today was the anniversary and Mickey had lost his father again.

"Dad!"

Mickey woke with a fright. He sat up in bed, holding a hand over his pounding heart. The mouse's eyes darted back and forth till he recognized the shadows around the room. He was safe and sound in his own bedroom. To Mickey's left, a light came on and revealed a silhouette similar to his own.

"Mickey... It was only a nightmare." Mickey's eyes adjusted and he weakly smiled. He was so relieved to see her.

"Minnie." Mickey didn't need to say more. Minnie expected this routine on every anniversary. She touched his face, coaxed him to her shoulder, and stroked his back while she listened to him weep. While Minnie had moved on from Walt's passing, she still sympathized with Mickey whenever he was this distraught. But this time her husband didn't shed a tear. Mickey was silently trying to wrap his head around what just happened. He'd never had a nightmare like that before. 'Seventeen years have passed now, Mickey. You cannot afford to delay any longer!' Mickey remembered. His dreams never had such warnings. This dream had to mean something, the mouse figured. What bothered him most was that he couldn't decipher the dream's meaning; even though interpreting dreams was a skill he'd learned under the apprenticeship of Master Yen Sid.

"That's it." Mickey thought out loud. Without further explanation, Mickey left Minnie's shoulder, scooted off the bed, and raised his arms into the air. A glittering haze like red pixie dust flew from Mickey's gloves. The haze cascaded down Mickey's arms and formed two red bell sleeves. The haze continued to fall upon him and transform into Mickey's sorcerer apprentice robe. When the robe completely materialized, Mickey twirled around making sure everything was in place. His belt, his shorts, his shoes; everything was there except Yen Sid's hat. Satisfied, Mickey looked up at Minnie again. Her look of shock brought him back down to Earth. Maybe he was acting a bit rash.

"Mickey what in the world are you doing?!" Minnie cried. Mickey stepped back to the bed and took her hand.

"I need to talk to Master Yen Sid. That wasn't an ordinary dream." Mickey explained.

"At this hour?" Minnie argued.

"I have to. Dad said not to delay." He let go of her hand and tried to leave, but Minnie grabbed his sleeve forcefully. Mickey's eyes begged her to understand. Couldn't she see this was important?

"Mickey, you need to settle down." Minnie told him seriously. "You had a nightmare; just like you do every year." Mickey scowled at her with disbelief.

"No, this was different." Mickey insisted. He pulled his sleeve free from Minnie's grasp. "Dad gave me a message that was meant for me after he was gone." He paused awkwardly. "Or at least he tried to. I couldn't understand it. The point is, that's never happened before. Don't you believe me?"

"I don't want to not believe you..." Minnie hesitated. "It's just..."

"Just what?" Mickey asked.

"The kids." Minnie whispered. Mickey bowed his head, deep in thought of what tomorrow, the sixteenth meant to his newly animated children. On December 16th, 1983 the short film Mickey's Christmas Carol would be released with the re-issue of The Rescuers. The United States would gaze upon the offspring of the world's number one toon, on screen for the first time. It would be a monumental event for the three Mouse children, as it should be for any toon. Toons got two birthdays a year. One for their animation date, and one for their first movie/short premiere date. Naturally Mickey and Minnie prepared a huge celebration at Disneyland after hours. Everyone would be there for the long awaited presentation of Peter, Martha, and Timothy and their official christening into the Walt Disney Company family.

"Aww I'll be back before tomorrow. You know I wouldn't miss the kids' big day for anything in the world." Mickey sweet talked. Minnie wasn't letting him go so easily. She crossed her arms in disbelief.

"Oh really? How often do your visits to Yen Sid's castle last a day? How often have your sorcery lessons turn into... magical world saving emergencies?" she lectured. Mickey had a feeling he wasn't going to win this battle. He tried to sway Minnie one last time.

"That's what I'm afraid of, Minnie. This could be really important, life changing, and..." Minnie laid down in the bed with an irritated 'hmph', and turned her back to Mickey. She was done being sweet if he was just going to ignore every word she said. Mickey was at a loss for words. He supposed this could be his chance to go. But how could he leave his sweetheart when she was so mad at him? Mickey chose his words carefully. "And... who am I to neglect my family for some nightmare?" The red apprentice robe evaporated into nothing, and Mickey crawled back into bed with his beloved wife. Minnie still didn't look at him. Instead she reached her right arm over her shoulder and offered her smallest finger.

"Promise you won't leave." she said. Mickey smiled at the gesture. Ever since they were kids, Mickey and Minnie took the vow of a pinky promise very seriously. It all dated back to 1929 when Walt taught it to Mickey. However, Mickey misunderstood the gesture as a 'Mickey promise' instead of a 'pinky promise'. Mickey taught it to Minnie as such, and the rest is history.

"Mickey promises." Mickey answered, intertwining his smallest finger with Minnie's. The two were content in each other's company again, as if all the worry and mistrust from the previous moment had never happened. But it had happened, and a certain blue robed sorcerer wouldn't stand for that moment, that dream, to be ignored. Not for another seventeen years, if he could help it. Unbeknownst to the mice, the powerful sorcerer Master Yen Sid, looked down on them through an orb of water that functioned as a crystal ball over a stone cauldron. To say he was displeased with his apprentice would be understating the fact and dragging it through the mud. He was livid. The sorcerer wasted no time in casting a sleep spell on Minnie, and transporting Mickey to his castle.

A pink mist settled over Minnie as she was knocked out cold. Mickey stirred at the familiar scent of the sleep spell. But instead of submitting to it himself, the mouse was pulled from his bedroom, across dimensions, and dropped into Yen Sid's stone cauldron. The sorcerer pitifully watched his apprentice flail and splash about in three feet of water. By sheer chance, one of Mickey's arms caught onto the cauldron's edge. Instinctively the mouse pulled himself towards the rounded edge and latched his fingers around it. Now Mickey could hold his chin above the water. He coughed several times to expel all water from his lungs, and wiped the water out of his eyes with his sleeve. When he was finished, he slowly gazed up at the sorcerer towering over him. Mickey gasped and shrank back so the water splashed up to his nose. Mickey felt so embarrassed by his immediate reaction. He knew he was in trouble for something. But he also knew better than to hide from fair punishment. Mickey peeked his head fully out of the water again.

"Forgive me, Master." the mouse pleaded.

"Dry yourself off." Yen Sid commanded. Mickey swiftly scurried out of the cauldron. He noticed he was wearing his apprentice robe. Mickey fanned his fingers out and magically pulled the water from his soaked robe. The water came off in thin streams which Mickey directed into mid air to merge into one wave. He then cast the wave in an arch form over his head and back into the cauldron. The mouse was completely dry. Mickey looked over his shoulder for his master's approval, advice, or more likely a harsh smack on the head with a broom. But Yen Sid had his back to Mickey. The sorcerer was occupied with lighting candles. He waved his hand over the sticks to light the wicks. Then he motioned to random heights along the walls and sent the candles to float in their designated areas. Finally Yen Sid touched his index fingers to a star shape and a crescent moon shape on his hat. Suddenly two giant shapes flashed on the wall in blinding golden light. The light cleared and left star and moon shaped windows, showing a beautiful orange sunset. Bookshelves moved out of the bland walls, as if signaled by the windows. The walls were suddenly covered in wands, swords, potions, skulls, cards, spell books, crystal balls, carpets, cloaks, and a plethora of other colorful magical items. Now Mickey recognized the room as Yen Sid's study; the great sorcerer's sanctuary where he kept the world of magic in balance. "Come." Yen Sid ordered. Mickey ran to his master's side at the star window. The mouse expected a long lecture, but Yen Sid only stared out at the green land draped in the day's last dying light. Mickey looked too; reminding himself that there was a time difference between Yen Sid's realm and Toontown.

"Master?" Mickey timidly asked.

"You don't know why you are here, do you?" Yen Sid scolded, still not looking at Mickey.

"No, Master Yen Sid." Mickey admitted.

"And you're dreams as of late would not be any indication of why find yourself here either." Yen Sid sharply hinted. Mickey's ears perked up.

"Yeah!" Mickey exclaimed, suddenly remembering his dream. "Uh...no..I mean, Master that's what I wanted to talk to you about! I had this dream where..."

"You heard your father's voice tell you an encrypted message, and your only clue was a metal snowflake." Yen Sid recited.

"Yeah, how did you know?" Mickey questioned. Yen Sid finally looked down at Mickey and to the mouse, seemed to glare straight through Mickey's soul. Mickey stepped back. "Master?" he corrected himself. Yen Sid's expression did not change.

"Let me show you." Yen Sid explained. The sorcerer cupped his hands together, generating a white starburst of energy. It spun and radiated into an almost perfectly round form. The starburst disappeared and left in its place a very well crafted snow globe. It had train tracks run a full circle around the base. Said tracks held a metallic dark blue steam-locomotive. The sides were empty of snowy hill scenes or train station in Christmas Town scenes. Just a polished slate of silver with tiny blue snowflakes. The globe's interior itself was strange. Inside the globe was Mickey, as he was drawn in 1930, except wearing red shorts, yellow ice skates, and a blue scarf. The mouse in the globe appeared to be on a frozen pond ready to race someone. Mickey couldn't believe his eyes. He recognized this snow globe. Walt gave it to Mickey in his final days. Mickey could still remember that Christmas morning. How painful it was to open that present, knowing it was from Walt. Mickey remembered asking himself seventeen years ago, why would Walt give him a Disneyland gift shop knickknack, why was the Mickey in the globe off centered like something was missing, and WHY couldn't his dad be there for just one more Christmas?

"I thought I lost that." Mickey awed. "H-how... did you...?"

"Quiet." Yen Sid ordered. Mickey buttoned his lip instantly. The sorcerer touched the top of the globe with his thumb. A silver snowflake, the same snowflake from Mickey's dream, was revealed after Yen Sid lifted his thumb. A blizzard brewed inside the snow globe, causing the Mickey figurine to disappear in the white. Suddenly a familiar voice spoke from the snow globe. It was obviously a recording, due to the faint crackling sounds between the speaker's words.

"Hello Mickey. Congratulations for activating the snow globe. This will be your guide through our last adventure together; our final huzzah to thirty-eight years as partners. Roy, Ubbe, myself, and many others have composed a quest for you and me. Most of the journey will be in Toontown. Minnie and the gang can join us if they wish. However I must stress, this is no picnic scavenger hunt. You will face trials of terror, greed, and sacrifice. All of which will lead you to a grand reward. It's not a sentimental time capsule I stowed away for you. It is a treasure stolen from our family a long time ago, and I would give anything to have that treasure back. Heck, I would even sell the park! Do me the honor, Son. Find that treasure.

You'll notice that this snow globe has a train and a number combination lock on the bottom. To make the train light up, move the numbers to the appropriate combination and touch the snowflake to receive the next clue. Our quest is over when the all lights in the train are on and the whistle sounds. What happens after that is up to you alone. Now you have everything you need in your hands. Start on Main Street. Let's begin."

The snow storm subsided and the snow globe became clear again. Mickey was left breathless. Was this just another crazy dream? He looked down to find he was standing on a carpet designed with zigzag lines and intricate diamond patterns. A square meditation cushion also laid at his feet. Yen Sid teleported himself to his knees on a cushion at the other side of the carpet. He then placed the snow globe on the floor between his apprentice and himself. The sorcerer spoke, catching Mickey's attention again.

"I suggest you make yourself comfortable, my apprentice. There is a lot of tale to tell, and little time to tell it."