Back in traverse town, the others had just arrived to see Cid standing there waiting for them. "Bout time you got back." he said.
"Uh...we're you expecting us, Cid?" Jexi asked.
"Yep. I need ya to do something for me." Cid said taking out a package. "I need ya to take this to someone."
"To someone?" Alisa asked.
"Yeah. In the 3rd district. There's a hidden door there that'll lead you to a secret grotto. You'll find a house in the middle of it. Give it to the owner there." Cid said.
"You can depend on us." Sunny said.
Traversing through town, they arrived to said door and got through it with fire. Entering, they found a small house in the center and entered it, finding it empty.
"Uh, is this some kind of joke? This place is completely abandoned." Ulrich said.
"Yeah. It does look that way." Hope said.
"I say! Who goes there!? Said a voice as a man in blue with a long white beard came in. "You are to knock before...oh. Estelle and the other four. This is a pleasant surprise." he said.
"Oh, so this is your house Merlin." Estelle said."Then I can already guess whats in here, the book you were given."
"Ah yes. I was wondering when this would come." Merlin said opening the package to reveal a blank book and a yellow gemstone.
"So… is this the story book that had Winnie the Pooh in it?" Pinkie asked.
"Quite right, but as you can see, the pages are no longer all inside. I'm afraid they've been scattered throughout the worlds. Leaving the world within this book blank." Merlin said.
"Hey, I found two on that table in Wonderland just before we left." Hope said taking two out.
"Hey, yeah! I found two more in Herc's world." Pinkie said.
Merlin looked at them. "These are not the pages. These are from different picture books." Merlin said.
"So, how do we fix Pooh's book?" Estelle asked before a familiar face walked in.
"Oh, guys. You did come back in town." Demona said.
"Hey demona. You complete the quest?" Rainbow asked.
"Sure did. Pongo and Peridita gave me a reward too. This scrap of paper. Not sure how good it is." Demona said.
"My word. Its one of the storybook pages." Merlin said. "Put it in the book, child, quickly."
Merlin opened the book and Demona inserted it into the book. Immediately, a large flash followed. When it subsided, Sora, Jexi, Hope, Pinkie and Estelle suddenly found themselves standing in a meadow. They looked to a lone log to see a yellow bear in a red shirt.
"Think think. Think think." he said.
"Whoa, that must be him." Hope said walking up to him. "Uh, scuse me, what are you thinking about?"
"Oh, someone was there watching me. I was just thinking about how to say goodbye to Pooh." he said.
"Isnt that your name? You cant say goodbye to yourself, youre you." Pinkie asked.
"Yes. I'm Winnie the Pooh. Pooh for short. Who are you?" he asked.
"Just a group who happened to stumble in here by accident." Jexi said.
"Then I suppose you all have come to say goodbye to Pooh too?" Pooh asked.
"Why would we, we just met you." Hope said. "Er, how about you tell us exactly whats been going on here in this place?"
"Its because everyone's gone away. We all used to play here in the Hundred Acre Wood. We'd take walks, play Pooh sticks, and everyday, I'd eat some honey." Pooh said.
"Oh trust me, we know your life. So why is everyone missing now?" Hope asked.
"I'm not sure. I was heading to my favorite Hunny tree when it and all my friends were gone. Leaving just one silly old bear." Pooh said.
"If youd like, we can help you find em." Jexi said.
"Oh, you'd do that? You should do so while I think of how to say goodbye to Pooh at home." he said wandering off.
The group of five walked off as they found themselves in the main book where they saw a missing part repair itself. "That must be the page Demona got." Hope said.
"Hello? Oh dear, whats going on?" A voice said from under a log. Out of it came a small pig in pink. "W-what am I to do? I'm all alone." he asked.
"Hey little guy, dont be scared." Hope said. "Piglet, right?"
"Yes, but… how d'you know my name? I've never seen y-you before." he said backing up.
"Oh, its becasue Pooh told us. He's actually not far from here." Hope said.
"P-Pooh is still around? Why didnt you say so? Take me to him, if you wouldnt mind, that much." Piglet said.
"Something tells me that won't be an issue." Estelle said as the bear walked into the area.
"I believe I smell a delicious something that smells of honey." Pooh said.
"Pooh!" Piglet said as the others came with him.
"Oh, you all found Piglet. Goodness, i thought you had gone away." Pooh said.
"I brought what you asked for." Piglet said handing Pooh a balloon.
"Thank you Piglet. Now I can get that delicious honey." Pooh said.
"Are you sure this is a good idea for him to do that?" Sora asked.
"It can work, provided he is protected." said a voice as they saw an owl looking at them from a branch.
"Hello there, Owl. You are back too." Pooh said.
"Yes indeed. And I believe you can make it to the honey, you silly old bear with the protection of those men and women." Owl said.
"Wait, you want us to help him? Dont tell me that nest is.." Hope said.
"Populated by bees, yes. I believe there was even a large one up there last time I checked."
"A large bee?" Jexi asked.
"Oh yes. It was big and had red eyes, two large needles on its hands, giant wings and a huge stinger." Owl said.
"What the hecks a Beedrill doing in this place?" Hope said.
"I don't know. But I know this, whenever there's one, there's bound to be more." Jexi said.
"Dont worry, those Beedrill wont be stinging Pooh. No lets get you that honey." Pinkie said.
"Of course. Jexi, was it? Would you be so kind as to tie the balloon's string around my body?" Pooh asked.
"Of course." Jexi said tying it off as Pooh began to take off. "All set."
"Wonderful. Now let us fly!" Pooh said floating up.
"There he….Uh-oh." Pinkie said as the Beedrill swarm quickly noticed him.
"We should have seen that coming." Jexi said.
"Bzzz! None shall pass! Protect the hive. All of you, Sludge Bomb volley!" A Beedrill said.
"Not good!" Hope said as they hurried up the tree to defend Pooh from the volley.
"Aim! Fire!" they said firing the Sludge Bombs.
"Not gonna happen!" Pinkie said beating the sludge away with her Party Cannon Arm.
The Bee dril charged in as they beat them back, then Hoope beat back the last one, grabbed Pooh and stuffed him into the hole where the honey was.
"Hope, it is rather funny….what I will do for honey?" Pooh asked.
"Yeah. Hilarious. We'll see you later Pooh. We'll try and find your other friends." Hope said.
"Okay. I am depending on you to bring them back." Pooh said while eating.
The five soon found themselves out of the book with the others waiting. "Took you long enough." Rainbow said.
"RIght, so we got Piglet and Owl back. That only leaves...how many pages were lost?" Pinkie asked.
"Counting the one you recovered...five." Merlin said.
"And where can we find them?" Estelle asked before Merlin cast a spell on her sceptere.
"Your scepter will now glow whenever you are on the same world as a page." Merlin said.
"Wow. Thanks." Estelle said.
"Now, there's one other thing." Merlin said pointing to a pumpkin carriage that then became a familiar face to Hope's team and Rainbow, Gajeel, Lemon and Isaac.
"Why, hello again, dearies." she said.
"Cinderellas fairy godmother." Hope said.
"Oh yes, but unfortunatly, I cant seem to find her anywhere. Not after our world fell to darkness." she said before looking at the gemstone. "I see you have a summon gem."
"Summon Gem?" Natsu asked.
"I've seen this with Final fantasy. When ever youre in a pinch, you can use Summon Materia to call awesome beasts that clean house, like Leviathan, Odin, Ifrit, and Bahamut Zero." Lemon said.
"Yes. But these gems, they're actually people or creatures with strong hearts that tried to still go on even after their worlds fell. This poor dearie became a gem after his world fell. But with magic, you can use him as a summon spell." Fairy Godmother said.
"I wonder who he is?" Jexi asked.
"Good question." Fuyunyan said. "But since this gem is colored yellow, I might have an idea. This may be the soul of someone who lived in the sunlight."
"I can keep them in my compass." Linkle said.
"Okay. Here goes. Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo!" the fairy godmother said as the gem glowed. It took on the form of a lion with a red mane before going into the compass.
"Simba. His name was Simba." Linkle said.
"Huh. I've heard that name before. Wait, Simba… thats the name of that lion from the Lion King!" Lemon said.
"He was living in the oasis, before his world, the Pride Lands, fell to darkness." Linkle said. "I don't know how I know this, but it feels like he's telling me."
"Hope we fight alongside each other some day." Jexi said. "And not just as a summon."
"Hmm.. that day may be closer than you think, but who can say for sure." Hope said.
As they were leaving the place, they were beset by Heartless only for them to be taken out by a boy with silver hair. "I thought you might be here, huh, Sora?"
"Holy crap, sora is that really…?" Hope asked.
"It is! It's Riku!" Sora said hugging him.
"You look so cool. Nice hairstyle, good mix of black and yellow in your clothes. Even your tonce sounds cool." Rainbow said.
Jexi took an interest in Riku's blade, but for entirely different reasons.
"NIce blade you got there." Jexi said.
"Like it? Its called the Soul Eater. It devours dark beings with each slash." Riku said.
"But hey, its been while, and youve really grown." Rainbow said.
"Yeah, I think I remember alot of you guys. The last time we met was on Destiny Islands Ten years ago, right?" Riku asked.
"Good memory. Nice to see ya kid." Gajeel said.
'And I'm still keeping our promise. I'm becoming strong, just like you told me." Riku said.
"Yeah. Hey, check out what Sora's got." Hope said as Sora held the keyblade up.
"Huh. So Sora was the next in line for a keyblade, huh?" Riku said pointing his hand out as Sora's keyblade flew to him. "Yep. Pretty powerful."
"You can hold it?" Sora asked.
"It;s no surprise. Terra did say he would inherit it one day." Lemon said.
"Yeah. Terra's only known successor." Rainbow said thinking back to the day they had lost him. "He's not going to end up like that."
"Yeah, I hope not. So, what have you guys been up too?" Riku asked.
"Oh you know, just saved the worlds from a revenge crazed old lady named Ubaune. It was pretty epic." Lemon said.
"That so? Sounds like you had fun." Riku said.
"So, howd you get off Destiny Islands? Sora told us there was this crazy storm because of the Heartless." Hsien-Ko asked.
"I found some help and got off in some other place. Since then, I've been looking for this blockhead." Riku said pointing to Sora.
"So, were headed to Agrabah next to seal that world off before the Heartless get to it. Wanna come with? Or should we leave it to you to find Kairi?" Hope asked.
"Agrabah huh? I think I'll pass. I'll keep going my own way." Riku said walking off. "Oh, and if thats where youre headed, be on the lookout for a dictator named Jafar." he said before vanishing.
"Jafar, huh? He must be the villain in that world." Robin said.
"Then he's who we're gonna take down." Hope said. "But first, we should find the keyhole that hidden here."
"Well, its not here in the third district, wouldn't be in first, so that leaves the second." Levy said. "We'll check there."
The group entered the second district and began investigating it. "Dang. Nothing here." Natsu said before hitting the bell making the mural in the square change.
"Hmm. Natsu, hit it again." Pit said as Natsu did so changing it again. "One more time." Hitting it once more, the last mural showed them a keyhole shape.
"There it is!" Hope said before a rumbling happened as a large armor like creature came down. It was another Guard Armor.
"Back for More, huh? Well when were done with you, this towns gonna remain a safe haven from you creeps." Hope said.
"Hope, why are you even talking to it? You know Heartless cant speak." Jexi said.
"Its a catchy thing. I think sonic even did it once." Hope said.
"Yeah, sonic would just talk to the bosses Egmann had in his amusement park areas, and just pretend they talked back." Tails said.
"Hey, I said forget about it." Sonic said.
They group landed a single attack on the armor as it fell apart.
"Huh? That was all?" Sanji said.
The armor then pulled itself together and began to shake. Its arms touched the ground as the torso flipped upside down. Its feet changed into pincers as its visor pulled down to reveal its yellow eyes. This was now...the Opposite Armor.
"Now its a whole new ball game. Where should we aim?" Hope asked.
"I think its time for a new play. Summon!" Linkle said as her compass glowed with the lion appearing. Simba glared at the heartless before roaring, making its feet and arms crack and then vanish.
"Youre not the only one who can do that, Linkle." Hope said. "Help us out, buddy! Calling...Shogunyan! Yo-kai Medal...do your thing!"
"Summoning….Legendary!"
Imaginary!
Incendiary!
Flip Flop
Squiggle Boom
Slim Slam!
Legendary!
"Shogunyan!"
"Alright Shogunyan, finish that monstrosity!" Hope said.
"Indeed. Our honor is at stake here." Shogunyan said drawing his sword. "Haaaa! Armor cut into millions of pieces pierce!"
With one slice, the armor was ripped to shreds of metal as its heart left it.
"Nice. But… you really gotta work on your Battle Move phrases." Hope said.
"It is the way...of the samurai!" Shogunyan said.
"He's always like that. Even when summoned him at the hospital." Sunset said.
The Key hole then shined.
"Alright, its ready. Lets shut this place off from heartless for good." Sora said as his keyblade shined and shot into the keyhole, locking it tight.
"Now its off to Agrabah." Jexi declared.
