Scott couldn’t believe it. He was human again! All it took was a simple wave of the hand from his roommate and suddenly the zipper was clinging right back onto his chest. He managed to peel out of the Spot costume without any issues at all. The two weren’t even late for his realtor appointment.
Jack wasted no time in signing the lease. Well, he did read the contact fully. Sales wizard and all that. But within the hour he had the keys to the place and they were driving to his uncle’s storage unit to pick up the remaining costumes.
“So… this is it? You’re some sort of maniacal magical costume peddler now?” Scott finally asked as they drove down the road.
“I like to think of myself more as an agent of chaos,” he chuckled, “I’m pretty sure most of my customers find joy in their new forms.”
“Uh huh,” Scott rubbed his fur-less forearms. “I don’t think you’ve had to live with any of them before.”
“About that… I’m getting the feeling that Jack was the eccentric living-in-the-back-of-the-shop kind of magic shopkeeper,” Jack kept his eye on the road, “You might want to start looking for a new roommate.”
“You’re really going through with all this?” Scott asked. “Even after Halloween?”
“I know magic exists now! I can shapeshift a stranger at a hundred yards, you really think I can go back to dealing with cranky consultants?” Jack said.
“I don’t know, it sounds like magic would come in handy,” Scott laughed.
The two spent the rest of the day getting the shop ready. They had to make a few trips out to the storage unit, a couple to their house, and finally bring everything back from the office. It was a rush job, but it was the Halloween season. Time was money.
Scott wasn’t really sure why he was helping. He guessed he just wanted to see this crazy thing through. Or make sure his friend didn’t get into trouble? Something about Jack’s answer had been nagging at him all day though.
How were you supposed to go back to normal life after knowing magic was real?
“Hey Jack,” Scott cleared his throat, “Does your little totally-not-covered-under-your-lease back room have space for a dog bed?”
Jack stared at him, “Scott, I’m not turning you into my pet again. I learned my lesson.”
“I didn’t say pet!” Scott held up his hands. “But… I was thinking about what you were saying. All this stuff is nuts. I can’t let you disappear on some magical journey all by yourself. You need an angel on your shoulder to keep you out of trouble.”
“Something tells me the whole enigmatic wizard thing is more of a loner role?” Jack rubbed the back of his head, “If you stick around, you’re just going to end up with a coat of fur again. I like you as a dog and I’ve apparently got poor impulse control.”
“I like me as a dog too,” Scott said.
“What?” Jack blinked.
“You’re not the only one who’s been getting swept up in all this magic,” Scott’s face was flush. “You were right. The dog costume was a good pick for me. I… think like being a dog more than being a human. So if that’s what it takes to be here, I’m all for a magical adventure if you are.
“So… You do want to be my pet again?” Jack tilted his head.
“Now I didn’t say that,” Scott gulped, “I was thinking something with a bit more equal footing? Like… business partners?”
Jack started to smile. It was a genuine warm smile, not a cocky salesman grin. Scott couldn’t remember the last time he had seen his friend so happy.
“I think I’ve got a better idea,” smiled the wizard.
Scott found a space in the back of the shop he could change in. It felt odd getting into this costume for what was going to be the last time. His legs disappeared beneath the fur and filled out the digigrade legs. His tail sprung to life as he pulled out the outfit around his waist.
Here goes nothing… he slid his hands into the sleeves, watching as he started to wiggle a pair of stubby paws. Thankfully he didn’t see a lot of typing in his future.
Scott pulled the mask up over his face. Color faded from the world as his tongue rolled out of his muzzle. His ears perked, picking up the noise of everything happening on the city street.
All that was left was the zipper. Scott took a deep breath and slowly pulled it up.
The shop started to look bigger as he shrank down. It didn’t look any more imposing however. They had set this place up together. He knew it like the back of his paws.
He finally looked down at his collar. Jack’s contact information had already magically updated to the shop’s new address. This was… one piece of the outfit he didn’t foresee needing anymore. He tucked it in a box with the other magical collars and left the back room..
The dog walked to the front of the shop on his hind legs with a spring in his step. He let out a cheerful bark at Jack.
“Oh wow, you look great!” The wizard smiled, “I got something for you.”
He held out a small but floppy hat. It had a wide brim on it, and poked up into a large triangle. It was a classic wizard hat, with the addition of two slits in the brim to let ears perk up.
Clipped onto the front of the hat was a small plastic tag. The dog leaned forward and read the words.
Spot, Apprentice Shopkeeper
“What do you think?” Jack beamed.
The dog took the hat and put it on his head. There was the faintest tingle of something new stirring within him.
“Arf! It fits perfectly!” Spot grinned, “Thanks Jack.”
“Congratulations on your first spell Spot,” Jack beamed.
“What?” Spot looked around in confusion. He… he was using magic already!? He held up his paws, expecting to see some sort of glowing aura.
It wasn’t there… but after a few seconds of focusing, his paws started to tingle and call out a small light. Arf! Magic! But what exactly had he cast?
“You’re talking Spot,” Jack winked, “That translation spell was all you.”
“Really?” Spot started to wag. “O-okay. Yeah. I could get used to this.”
“You want to do the honors, or should I?” Jack pointed down at the dog’s chest.
“The honors? Oh!” Spots ears shot up.
He reached down curiously with a glowing paw. He scratched at the base of his zipper, and somehow managed to pull the metal teeth off his chest. The zipper came off as one clean strand. He was one again just a dog.
Well, not just a dog. He was a wizard now too. Well, wizard dog in training at least.
“Welcome aboard Spot,” Jack held out his hand, “It’s great to have you.”
“Arf! Great to be here!” Spot wagged, “What are we waiting for? Let’s get the shop open!”
Jack walked over to the door. He felt his head clear for the first time in days. Uncle Jack’s Costume Shop was re-opening, and he already had plans for a successor whenever he was ready to retire. Whatever unease had come with the robe finally seemed at rest.
He flipped the sign on the front door from “Closed” to “Open” and headed back over to his new apprentice.
“Uncle Jack’s is officially open for business,” he glanced at the door, “Who do you think our first customer is going to be?”