Chapter Four: Friend or Faries

"Whoa," said Timmy swinging the Keyblade, he looked down upon it in awe and gasped with delight "So…this thing chose me?" cocked his head to one side thoughtfully

"That's right," Arthur nodded "And that means we're in deep dodo."

"Hey!"

Fiona looked desperately at Timmy "He's not joking," she pleaded.

They were in the King's plush, ornately decorated chamber, in front of a roaring fire, it was just shy of a day since Gareth's magically induced rampage, and Arthur had made it his task to teach Timmy in using the Keyblade…

"Ah Relax," said Timmy, leaping into a large armchair that almost swallowed him "If these 'heartless,' show up, I'll give him a little this." He swung the blade cockily

…. The only problem was, the 'Keyblade mister,' wasn't a great listener…

"The heartless are dark beings that go between worlds to take their hearts away…and plunge them into darkness," Arthur pounded his hand for dramatic effect. Timmy yawned with equal drama.

"Big deal," he said, reclining.

"Timmy!" Arthur prepared to scold his pupil-

-But then there came an almost dramatised scream and a shattering of some unseen pottery.

Arthur folded his arms thoughtfully "Sounds like another attack…"

Timmy quickly leapt to his feet "Alright!" he enthused, bolting "C'mon, Cosmo, Wanda!" The two fairies groaned. Wanda wordlessly handed Poof to Fiona, who nodded witheringly…

Town Square

Timmy was already on scene of the attack and looking around. The square was desolate and empty…but there were definitely signs of a struggle…

Pots were overturned, shop windows smashed, stalls taken to ruin by some devastating power. Cosmo and Wanda came onto the scene, blinking in bewilderment.

"What happened here?" Cosmo asked, shocked

"I dunno," Timmy mused "…but I reckon we've been duped."

A swirl of darkness spun out of the ground clearing to reveal a familiar looking figure.

Creased clothing, dirty blonde hair, braced teeth…

"Chester!" Without thinking, Timmy rushed forward and grabbed Chester's cheeks, trying to make funny faces "It is you!" joy exploded in Timm's heart like a firework, it felt good to see a familiar face.

"Cut it out!" Chester brushed him angrily aside with a little 'hmph,' Chester folded his arms sternly "So, hotshot, you…haven't seen Trixie?"

At the mention of Trixie name, Timmy was somewhat taken aback "What-"

"The heartless came to our world. They too her, Tim."

Something inside Timmy seemed to click. In all the time he'd been in Far, Far Away, he'd never once thought of home, and now that he thought about, the more it hurt.

"Oh." Timmy said crestfallen, putting a hand on his heaving chest.

"But don't worry," Chester smiled kindly, with a sinister undertone "We can set things right, with your fairies.

"My huh?"

"Don't play dumb!" Chester pointed a finger at Cosmo and Wanda, who were backing away in fear.

Chester tightened his hand and magical barriers washed over all exits.

"I know ALL about them," Chester reached out, beckoning "Join me and we can save this world!"

Timmy swung his Keyblade at the hand making Chester recoil quickly "Fine." Chester grunted, "If you won't go quietly…"

Suddenly, titbits of darkness began to swarm in Chester's hand, coalescing into a large sword. Chester's weapon was reminiscent of a demonic wing with a handle.

Timmy braced himself for a battle, when suddenly he went limp, falling to his knees. His vision blurred and fizzled. Timmy tried to get up, but his whole mind was clouding over until he collapsed.

Chester smiled. The little old woman in the shadows smiled back….

Arthur's study

Arthur pounded on the table "So what now?" he growled "we were duped so easily. Argh!" he tugged at his roots with stress

Fiona bit her lip morbidly "Someone…put a spell on him." She looked at Timmy's lifeless body, in a heap in the armchair. "What…if he never wakes?"

"Mm."

"He canny!" Shrek roared, smashing the table with a meaty fist, and the legs crumbled, the Ogre stormed out, in a temper, the door slamming in his wake.

"Please be okay…

?

Timmy…"

A blinding light burned in Timmy's eyes, he tried to shield them, but this had minimal effect. When the light cleared, he found himself floating insubstantially. He was looking down on two figures in a large fire lit room, strange gothic décor made it decidedly eerie. The first figure was Chester, and he was talking to the other: A small, stout woman in a blue dress. She was holding something Timmy couldn't see. She wandered over to two small bundles of flesh in chains. It was a needle.

"Cosmo! Wanda!" Timmy yelled, it was clear the sleeping fairies could not hear him. She drained the fairies dry until they were grey, wrinkled husks.

She began to move to Chester who was backing to the wall in terrible horror.

Arthur's Study

Timmy woke with a sudden start, jumping in the chair. He looked around the faces in front of him. His greasy vision cleared as he gathered himself slowly, blearily.

"Chester!" he screamed, delirious. Shrek had to hold him down.

"Aw, thank goodness." Shrek sighed.

Godmother's Castle

Chester sat on the dragon-mast carved into the roof of the castle, the gentle breeze ruffling his blonde hair….

"Soon Trixie, soon."

And that's chapter four! We're moving along at a cracking old pace, aren't we?

Next: Um….any ideas?