THE ELDERLY SORCERER SAT QUIETLY LISTENING TO THE ARGUMENTS INITIATED BY THE OTHER BEINGS PRESENT IN THE ROOM. He released a gentle sigh before clearing his throat to gain their attention. The room quieted abruptly, and he gave a gentle nod in appreciation.

"I understand there is a risk in this decision," his voice filled the silence, "but we cannot blatantly shun these children simply on the prejudices of their ancestors."

"Master Sid," a small voice squeaked. "I'm not one to typically look at things with a pessimistic attitude, but you can't tell me that you have no doubts on the matter at all."

"True, my young apprentice," the elderly male conceded, "but my hopes for the future overcome those doubts."

"Then how do you suppose we educate these other potential students?" another elderly figure draped in blue questioned. "You aren't suggesting we instill the virtues of their own parental units, are you?"

"Merlin, all I'm suggesting is that we provide the opportunity for a better lifestyle for these young ones," the sorcerer explained with patience.

The unconvinced wizard muttered a few things to the owl on his shoulder but otherwise remained silent. Yen Sid surveyed the room looking upon each face within the board room. His expression remained stern and only eased when no one added any other complaints.

"Any other concerns?" the sorcerer asked, continuing to look about. "No? Excellent, we'll make some final preparations before sending out the invitations of attendance."

"Villains and heroes living alongside each other," Merlin muttered with a scoff. "I can't imagine this ending well."

"By creating this academy, we're giving these children the chance to decide if that's who they want to be," Yen Sid attempted to correct the wizard. "You know better than most that nothing is set in stone, Merlin."

The wizard sighed ceding with the acknowledgment that he wasn't going to win this dispute. "Just understand that if things go awry, I'll be taking no part in cleaning up the mess."

Yen Sid frowned. "Understood, but I hope we can leave this matter behind us and focus on the future of the academy."

Merlin nodded his head solemnly as the others in the room pushed their chairs back into the proper place before turning to exit the room. " I certainly hope this goes well ... for your sake, Yen Sid."

The other administrators and staff members quietly dismissed themselves as the two magical entities ended their debate. With attitudes of mutual agreement the two parted ways and proceeded to make the final preparations for the opening day.

Anticipation rose and lit the atmosphere creating joyous spirits in those that could be found around the academy. Time was slowly running low as the deadline for the opening day drew closer. Several of the fairies that had been in the meeting worked together to hang a sign over the doorway that read "Walt Disney's Character Academy" while conversing in excitement about what the future held.

Yen Sid watched from inside his office with a small smile on his face. He had high hopes for the school, and with each day they were accumulating more who were interested in attending. He saw the building as not just that, but a symbol that breached two worlds that had been severed by the term "good" and "evil". His ideal wish was for the children of heroes and villains alike to find a place to discover their own identity without the need to rely solely on their parents' reputation. He understood that the desired utopia was not going to be fulfilled, but he did have high hopes that some harmony could be reached. It just might take some time. After all, the academy was built to help dreams come true. As his mentor once said, "If you can dream it, you can do it."