Chapter 11: The Dragon's Den

BlueTiger321: Hi, everyone! So now that our heroes have gotten past their worst fears, it's time they settle the score with Maleficent. Are they going to do it? Find out for yourselves!

Gabriel Belmont walked through the top of the castle. After clearing many of the trials by himself, he could feel that he was getting closer to his target. Getting to this point was almost too easy for him; he was a member of the Brotherhood of Light and therefore had the necessary skills to combat his way past anything. Soon he would become the saviour of Toon City for bringing down the evil sorceress who threatened the world with her malevolence but knew that it was what he strived for because he believed that it was his duty to protect the innocent from the wicked.

Stopping just short of getting close to an entryway, Gabriel looked down the dark staircase while a wind blew behind him and ruffled his hair. The way that the entrance was conveniently placed before him had made him understand that that was where he would become as stealthy as possible to surprise Maleficent.

The man was about to enter when he suddenly had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind; it was about the way that he spoke to the group of children he met earlier. It was true that he did witness them take care of a trio of monsters with ease, but still he could not let their own strengths interfere with his duty. It also stemmed from the fact that someone he knew had betrayed him a long time ago and it still haunted his memories. Knowing that, he frowned as he could never let anyone get close to him again.

It was for their own good, the man thought.

Gabriel pushed the feeling aside and stepped into the entryway to begin his confrontation with Maleficent. Although feeling unsure of how he was going to handle the sorceress, the thought of saving people from despair was what gave him the resolve to keep going forward.

Meanwhile, Aerrow and his friends had reached the fourth and final floor of the castle. The trek from the dungeon all the way to the top was like climbing up a mountain for all of them after going through all the challenges they faced. But they knew that it was all in preparation for this very moment and it would all be worth it once they were sure they would succeed.

Everybody had made it to the floor from the staircase and looked out at what lay before them. All there was of the top floor was a long hallway that stretched on with blue torches lining the way, their lights reflecting off the smooth surface and making it look like the ocean during night time. Right at the end of the hallway was a double set of closed doors with large handles situated near the centre where they met that were S-shaped and almost looked like they were snakes permanently frozen in place.

Judging from the way the hallway and the door both looked so foreboding, each of them could only imagine that Maleficent was waiting in the next room ready to do battle. After everything they had gone through the entire night, they all wanted to end it quickly so they could get back to their home. But none of them were willing to admit that they were scared on the inside of what was to come.

Onward the group walked down the hallway, only focusing on what they were to face once they opened the doors. As always, their footsteps created clacks that sounded eerie and they all knew it was not going to stop for as long as they traversed.

"This is it," said Aerrow. "I hope you're all ready."

"I'm ready as I'm ever going to be," said Piper.

"I've been ready ever since we got here," said Danny.

"There's definitely no turning back now," said June.

"Who wants to turn back?" said Sokka. "Well, besides Stork, anyway."

"I would be offended by that," said the Merb, "but it is true."

"It all comes down to this," said BlueTiger321. "Now what say we go take care of this witch and then celebrate Halloween the way it's supposed to be, with each other?"

The others gave a short chuckle, thinking that their friend was right; Halloween was meant to be celebrated as a joyous time but instead they've been spending it in a terrifying place. The irony of it all soon got to them and it was that that put them in high spirits.

Everyone had made it to the large doors. Aerrow indicated over to Junko to open them up since the doors looked heavy and the Wallop was the strongest member of the group. Junko complied with the gesture and he grabbed both handles and pulled hard. The doors swung open with ease after being pulled by the mammoth strength of the Wallop and allowed everyone access into the next room.

Slowly the group stepped past the doorway, but then they darted around when they immediately heard the doors slam shut behind them. It made them stare wide-eyed with stunned faces but they should have realized that it was nothing surprising from what they already saw in the castle.

"Well," said Aang, "that doesn't sound promising."

"What did you expect, Twinkle Toes?" said Toph. "Maleficent would just invite us in for tea and cookies?"

The group turned back to the front when a malicious laugh bounced off the walls and filled their heads. It was so jarring that they almost jumped out of their skins. The laugh sounded female, and each of them knew there was only one person in the entire castle who could produce such a chilling sound.

"It's official: we've made it to Maleficent," said Katara.

Finn was biting his nails nervously while he looked around the room. "Man, I sure wish I brought a spare pair of underwear."

It was at that time that the ghosts exited the accessories and faced their friends. Aerrow and the others looked at their ghostly companions with amazed expressions to see them take part in the moment that would decide the fate of their world.

"You guys don't have to feel like you're alone," said JusSonic, "'cause we're taking part in this battle, too."

"We're not going to hide from Maleficent anymore," said Amber Pegasus. "What she did to us so long ago was just the beginning, and we're not going to let her torture everyone in your world."

"Yen Sid brought us here for a reason," said BlueTiger321, "and I believe it was to protect this world because I see goodness within it. And after meeting you all, I'm certain of that. I won't let someone like Maleficent destroy such a beautiful world, especially when I've come to think of it as home."

What the ghosts said made the others feel privileged that they were friends with them. And the meaning behind the words had given them the strength to press onward, so they ran ahead to the end of the room without looking back. The laughter continued incessantly but did not make them change their minds; all that mattered to them was saving Toon City from eternal darkness.

Eventually, they all arrived at the end of the room and there they paused. It was a round area with a throne at the back where the evil sorceress sat and a glowing ball of green energy off to the side that contained Dash, Snipe and Jack. The bullies looked and had fear plastered on their faces while they pounded their fists against the wall of their cell.

"Get us out of here!" cried Dash.

A blast of magic to the floor made the trio back away and yelp in surprise. The laughter had finally stopped and everyone saw the woman rise from her throne and stare at Aerrow's group with a gentle yet vile smirk on her face. Her eyes were beaming with coldness that made them all think that it was more horrifying than all the obstacles in the castle combined.

Maleficent then did the unexpected: she clapped her hands together in welcoming the group. "Bravo," she said. "You have finally made it all the way here. I tried everything I could to keep you away from me, and yet here you are." She stopped clapping and then reached her hand to bring her staff to her telekinetically. "I must admit: that was no small feat for anyone."

"Are you really congratulating us," said Zuko, "or are you just being condescending?"

"Well, there is no getting past you," said the sorceress. "But do you mind if I ask you one thing?"

"Fire away," Sokka said with narrowed eyes.

"What made you think that you could honestly stop me?" Maleficent then shook her head as if she was feeling sorry for the children who stood before her. "Surely even you did not believe the words of that senile fool Yen Sid?"

The ghosts were infuriated by the insult to their former master. But rather than exact their wrath on her and endanger their friends, they stood with quiet demeanour and waited for what they hoped would be the opportune moment.

"It was partly that," answered Danny, "but it was also because we didn't feel like having our world being annihilated by you."

"That's right," said June. "We're living proof that we're not gonna sit back and let you wipe us out just because you feel like it!"

"We've gone through loads of other horrible stuff to get to you," said Junko, "so dealing with you should be a piece of cake!"

The comment said by the Wallop was what made Maleficent exhale another laugh. Whatever she thought was so funny was making the others feel angry at her. To them, showing their courage when they were about to face their destiny was no laughing matter and seeing someone who thought so was insulting their character.

"Oh, so headstrong, and so naïve," Maleficent said when her laughter ended. "I am sure that Yen Sid told you that I have a source where I gather my power, but did he happen to tell you what it is that fuels my power?"

Silence passed over the group when they were all speechless about what the evil sorceress asked them. Never had they ever considered what it was that made Maleficent so powerful in the first place.

The woman then gave them the answer. "It is fear," she said. "Fear is what gives me strength. Every day in your world, there is at least one person who displays fear no matter how small or irrational it may be. As time goes on, fear develops in the hearts of every man, woman and child in the world, and it fills me with power.

"When you were spending the time going through my castle, you each had fear going through your minds and it was exactly what I needed to make me even more powerful. I can even see it in your eyes right now. I can tell that you are all afraid of facing me, afraid of not being able to make it back to your city, and afraid of letting down everyone you know. In a way, I should be thanking you."

The group was taken aback when they heard the response from the woman. The very idea of fear being what empowers Maleficent was unbelievable, and they also couldn't believe that they had helped make her stronger by displaying fear from their travel in the castle. And they each thought that they were making matters worse by showing fear in front of her.

But Aerrow replaced his fear with courage as he stepped up to face the woman with Radarr hanging off by his shoulders. "You say fear like it's a bad thing," he said. "But I think fear can be good. Sure, it can be annoying because it always gets in your way, but it's what drives us to do our best. It's true that I'm afraid of facing you right now, but even I won't let that slow me down. I'm here right now because I'm afraid of what you intend to do to our world, but I'm not off cowering in a corner. Instead I'm being brave because I won't let you have your way! You might think that you can get fear to work in your favour, but it also works in mine!"

Radarr looked at the sorceress with narrowed eyes and he chirruped when his friend was done giving his speech as if to say that he agreed with what Aerrow said.

All of Aerrow's friends looked at him like he was speaking nonsense, but then the meaning of it all came to them: they were also being driven by fear and showing their courage by facing off against Maleficent. The fear in all of them seemed to vanish when they showed their courage along with the Sky Knight, and so one-by-one they walked up to Aerrow and stood behind him to support his words while they all narrowed their eyes at the evil sorceress.

Maleficent sneered at the foolish children. Even without their fear, she could easily dispatch them. "Very well," she said. "I am still going to bring suffering to everyone you know. But first, I will take pleasure in crushing you like the insects you are!" Aiming her staff, the woman fired a blast of green magical energy at the group.

The attack was coming so fast that no one had time to react to it, except for the ghosts who quickly held up their hands and created a barrier around themselves and the group. The magical blast was blocked by the barrier and the ghosts had no trouble keeping it in place. Maleficent grunted with force as she increased the strength of her assault but still could not penetrate the defense. Everyone else breathed a sigh of relief when they saw they were protected.

"That was some fast thinking, guys!" said Piper.

"We knew we'd be ready for the right time," said JusSonic.

The attack from Maleficent had ceased and the barrier from the ghosts had dissipated. Knowing that they would have to be prepared, the others of the group had drawn their weapons or gotten into fighting stances.

Amber Pegasus, meanwhile, looked closely at the sorceress, who was fuming with rage over her failed attempt to destroy the group. It was then that the ghost noticed the orb on the tip of the staff pulsing like it was creating ripples in the very fabric of the universe itself. The waves that came off had a certain feeling to the ghost, almost like the way a person would scream when being surprised in the dark. All the evidence then came together and she knew what it meant.

"Guys! Look at her staff!" said Amber Pegasus. "I think that's the source of her power."

Hearing her words, everyone else gazed upon Maleficent's staff and saw the same thing she did. From the way it gave off energy and how strong it felt every time it pulsed, they figured that it was as their friend said: it was the source of her power.

"Awesome," said Aerrow. "Now, it's time to say goodnight!"

The red-haired teen reached into his suit to grab the gemstone, but Maleficent had already taken action. Stomping the butt of her staff on the floor, she unleashed a green wave of energy that spread throughout the room. The blast came towards the group, including the ghosts, and enveloped them to send pain coursing through their bodies. It was so bad for them that they were forced to the floor and lied motionless while bits of green-coloured magical energy surged in their chests.

Dash, Snipe and Jack saw the battle was not going well for Aerrow and the others. Normally they would be filled with joy to see their misery, but they were routing for them as they were their only hope of escaping and saving Toon City.

"C'mon, guys!" shouted Dash. "You can't let her win!"

"You're the big, nice heroes, right?" said Snipe. "You just wouldn't leave us like this, would you?"

"Please, get up!" said Jack. "I want to live!"

The words got through to the group but their bodies were paralyzed and there was no way for them to respond; they couldn't even defend themselves when they saw Maleficent standing over them with a menacing smile like a child about to kill defenseless ants.

"Do you see it now?" said the sorceress. "My power is almighty, and there is nothing you can do to stifle it. I would let you become consumed by darkness like everyone else in your world, but you have been a thorn in my side for far too long. I will settle this right now."

Maleficent was through toying around with the group, and so she aimed her staff at them with all her anger focused. Everyone looked up with shame on their faces, feeling like they had let down Yen Sid and all of Toon City after making it so close only to fail within seconds of facing off against Maleficent. The only thing they could do was close their eyes and wait for the embrace of death.

The evil sorceress was about to fire her spell but was knocked to the side when something struck her shoulder. What it had done was cause her to shout in pain and lose her concentration so her magic dissipated. Everyone lying on the floor was left in shock to see that their end had not come but were more surprised to see who had saved them.

Maleficent had also wondered who would lash out at her right when she was about to finish off her enemies. Turning around and breathing angrily, she froze when she saw who it was. "You!" she said.

Gabriel Belmont stood a few feet away with the end of the Combat Cross returning to him after he attacked Maleficent. His eyes carried the look of a hunter seeking its prey after a long chase through the woods, and he was going to satisfy his thirst for justice by slaying the wicked.

"In the name of the Brotherhood of Light," said the man, "I will deliver a swift and well-deserved punishment on you, Maleficent!" Looking off to the side, he stared at the group while they were still recovering from the last attack. "You leave this to me," he said to them.

Everyone rolled their eyes when they saw it was no surprise that Gabriel was still behaving like the martyr he wanted to be and still would not accept any help.

"You'd think he'd be a little more understanding about our situation," said Finn.

Maleficent narrowed her eyes while staring at Gabriel. "Arrogant fool!" she shouted and fired a blast from her staff.

Gabriel, meanwhile, activated his Shadow Magic and ran forward with incredible speed with the power of his Cyclone Boots. Just before he was about to collide with the attack, he raised his Dark Gauntlet and fired an attack of his own in the shape of large red blades. The magical attacks exploded with force the instant they made contact with each other, but Gabriel used his heightened speed to avoid the blast radius while Maleficent took the blow and was knocked into the air.

The woman shouted with pain when she was lifted by the explosion and then saw her opponent already jumping up and swinging around his weapon in the air from each side. Maleficent could do nothing as the Combat Cross continually smacked her front and she shouted with agony when the lashing slashed into her robes and cut her skin. It did not stop as she was grabbed by the tip of the lash and dragged over to Gabriel who used his gauntlet to punch the sorceress down to the floor.

Gabriel landed on the floor with grace. He looked at his foe while she was getting up after the furious assault with even more rage in her eyes and raised her staff to attempt another attack. But Gabriel was ready for another round and already devised a plan.

Turning to the group as they were getting to their feet, the man said to them, "Shield your eyes!"

Not knowing what the man warned them of, the group did as he requested and covered their eyes with their hands. Maleficent was about to open fire when Gabriel leapt into the air and released a pair of angel-like wings on his back. His Light Magic was activated as he spread out the Seraph Shoulders and unleashed a flash of light. It was so bright in the room that Maleficent shouted when she was temporarily blinded and lost control of her spell.

The man, still using Light Magic, folded his wings back up to end the brightness and attacked again with the Combat Cross. The Light Magic infused in the whip caused immense pain to the sorceress when it struck her body and was forced to back away from her opponent.

Maleficent clutched her arms as they gave off smoke from receiving the blows by Gabriel. She was so badly damaged that she leaned on her staff for support.

By that time Aerrow and his friends had arisen after recovering from Maleficent's earlier attack. They could not believe their eyes: Maleficent was already weakened by the hand of Gabriel Belmont. It seemed as though the man actually knew what he was doing.

"Wow," said Aerrow. "He just mopped the floor with Maleficent."

"I guess he wasn't kidding when he said he didn't need our help," said Piper.

"As much as I hate to admit it," said BlueTiger321, "he's doing a great job."

Gabriel had dispelled his Light Magic and walked to Maleficent with the intent of finishing her off. "It's over, Maleficent," he said. "You will never torment another living soul."

A growl came out of the evil sorceress; it would not be over unless she deemed it. She then summoned all the power within her staff and glowed with a green aura that healed her wounds and made her stand upright. Looking at the man that stood before her she said, "This is not done yet, fool! Now you shall witness the powers of Hell!"

Magic erupted out of Maleficent that made black smoke swirl around her. Everyone stood their ground as the force almost knocked them down. When the smoke cleared, Aerrow's group, Gabriel and Dash's group all looked up in fright when they saw that Maleficent had transformed into a giant black dragon with green eyes and purple wings.

"And I thought she was bad before…" said Aang.

"It looks like things got a little more challenging," said JusSonic.

Maleficent attacked first by breathing green flames aimed at Gabriel, who barely dodged out of the way and skidded to a halt by slamming the end of the Combat Cross to the floor to make sparks appear. Getting up, he got ready for another fight as Maleficent roared and swiped her enormous claws at the man. Gabriel managed to whip them away and lashed out with his own attacks, but he could see that the scales on Maleficent's body acted like armour and protected her from each lash of the Combat Cross.

Gabriel was going to try another tactic by infusing his weapon with magic since it had worked previously on the sorceress. He was about to summon his power when Maleficent swiped the man away with her tail and sent him crashing into the wall. Gabriel shouted in pain when his back struck the wall and he slid to the floor where he sat motionless.

The others all gasped when they saw the man had been badly injured. It was then they decided that no matter what he said, they had to help him and fulfill their duty to Yen Sid.

Gabriel tried to get up but pain still wracked his body. He clutched his left shoulder and hoped that it wasn't dislocated. It was during that time that Maleficent stomped her way over to the man and preparing to unleash another breath of fire. Gabriel was left with no other option: he could not move or defend himself, so he brought his head down in shame for failing the people he swore to protect.

The flames were shot out of Maleficent's mouth and headed straight for Gabriel, but then a blue beam of light came out and created a barrier over the man that shielded him from the attack. When the flames subsided, Gabriel looked and saw that he wasn't dead. Instead he saw Piper hold out her crystals and use her power to aid him.

The other members of the group all charged in to attack the evil sorceress. Aerrow had fired off his Lightning Claw that struck Maleficent's tail and sent waves of blue crystal energy surging around her body. She turned around to witness the children all advancing on her.

Everyone was now doing whatever they could to stop Maleficent: Katara and Finn fired off a barrage of icicles and crossbow bolts that hit the sorceress in her face, Zuko fired a round of fire balls that singed her wings, Toph brought up stalagmites to stab the dragon in her legs, Sokka, Junko and June all used their physical prowess to run around and randomly strike the sorceress in different places, Danny rose into the air and unleashed his Ghostly Wail to hit her in the back, and Aang had converted into the Avatar State and fired a powerful air blast that forced her back and almost knocked her down. The ghosts were also taking part in the battle by firing off ecto-blasts from their hands to her chest after the sorceress was trying to recover from the assault made by the Avatar.

When the first wave of attacks was done, Stork and Radarr had gotten the dragon's attention by taunting her. The furry co-pilot turned around and patted his rear at her while the Merb stretched his mouth with his index fingers while sticking out his tongue. Maleficent grew aggravated by the taunts and so she breathed fire at the two Storm Hawks, but Stork and Radarr both dodged in time, which was long enough for Piper and Aerrow to prepare their attack.

Pointing her crystals at the boy, Piper shouted, "Lightning Strike!"

A blue beam of light engulfed the Sky Knight and gave him extraordinary power. He then used it to fly up to Maleficent and fire a large blue pulse that hit her chest and caused her to roar as it sent bolts of lightning around her body.

Dash, Snipe and Jack watched everything from within the safety of their cell. Cheers erupted from their mouths as each successful hit against Maleficent was delivered and made them feel confident that Aerrow's group was going to win.

During the battle, Gabriel stood up and saw in amazement that the children were handling themselves well against Maleficent. Before he had doubted whether they were capable of facing off against her in battle, but now he saw them fight her valiantly like they were made for it. He was now starting to regret what he said to them and was going to set things right by fulfilling their request.

June breathed heavily after trying to hit random spots around the sorceress but to no avail. "We can't keep this up," she said. "Where's her power source?"

Amber Pegasus used her power to look around for the staff. Using her finely-tuned senses, she picked up the familiar energy and located it within Maleficent. "I see it!" she said. "The staff has been fused with her heart."

Aerrow, still under the power of the Binding, heard the call from the ghost and tried to think of how he was going to use the gemstone to defeat her. That's when his eyes caught a glimpse of something in the distance. Leaning against the wall next to the throne was a sword that pointed to the floor.

"I've got it!" said the red-haired teen. His gaze was then on the ghosts. "Follow me!"

Aerrow and the ghosts went over to the throne just as the power of the Binding faded from the Sky Knight. He then grabbed the sword by the hilt and grunted as he forced it off the wall.

Meanwhile, Maleficent had enough of the constant attacks, so she exhaled a deafening roar that was powerful enough to knock everyone else off their feet and onto the floor where they remained paralyzed. She took the time to turn her back and see Aerrow getting ready by bringing out the gemstone within his suit. The evil sorceress narrowed her eyes as she could feel powerful magic emanating from the object held by the boy and she could not let herself be defeated that way. So she stomped her way over to the Sky Knight and the ghosts to finish them off before they could strike.

Piper looked up with worry on her face to see that her friend was left defenseless before Maleficent. Still lying on the floor she shouted, "Aerrow, look out!"

The warning was heard by the teen and he and the ghosts turned around to see Maleficent lean her head down with her jaw wide open. They had no time to defend themselves so they stood with horrified expressions.

Before Maleficent could swallow her prey, a lash formed on her neck that halted her attack. Aerrow and the ghosts looked up in disbelief when they found Gabriel Belmont fly into the air with his Seraph Shoulders and use his Combat Cross to force Maleficent's head away from them. The man rode on the dragon while she roared in fury, but Gabriel managed to keep himself steady.

"Now!" Gabriel shouted toward Aerrow. "Finish her!"

The Sky Knight smiled at the man and raised both the sword and the gemstone. The ghosts already knew what to do, so they directed their hands to make the gemstone levitate from Aerrow's palm where it was then fused with the blade and made it shine with white light.

BlueTiger321 then enchanted a spell. "Now Sword of Truth, fly swift and sure, that evil die and good endure!"

When Aerrow saw the opening, he grunted and hurled the sword like a javelin and sent it spiralling through the air at Maleficent.

Gabriel had then leapt off the dragon's head and landed on the floor just as the blade pierced through Maleficent's flesh and ran through her heart. The evil sorceress shouted in agony as blood oozed out of her wound, but then she felt another pain: the magic of the gemstone infused in the blade had destroyed the source of her power. Feeling her own life-force being drained from her body, Maleficent toppled to the floor.

Aerrow and the ghosts leapt out of the way before Maleficent came crashing down and broke through the wall of her castle. Debris was sent everywhere after the dead sorceress fell and plummeted to the ground.

Everyone ran over to the opening to see it for themselves, and what they all saw outside the castle made them open their eyes wide. On the ground was a black patch of earth with the sword Aerrow used to kill Maleficent sticking out from the middle. After a few seconds, the sword turned had also turned black.

"We did it," said Aerrow. "We actually did it! We stopped Maleficent!"

"I know," said Danny after reverting to his human form. "It feels exhilarating to know that we've saved our city from complete destruction."

A flash of green light came out from the corner of their eyes and they all saw Dash's group emerge out of their cell. The bullies all walked out to find themselves freed where they erupted in cheers and hugged each other. Realizing what they were doing, Dash shoved them off with a nasty look on his face.

Aerrow and his group were about to laugh at the sight when they all felt a rumble. The entire castle was shaking with intensity like an earthquake had been unleashed, and they all saw the crystal walls and the floor become fractured. A gasp came out from each member when they realized that they were in danger.

"This whole place is falling apart!" said Zuko.

"Now that Maleficent's gone, the magic that created her castle is no more!" said JusSonic.

"Then we've gotta get out of here!" said Aerrow.

"But how?" said June. "We're all the way at the top! We'll be buried under rubble before we even get to the exit!"

Before anybody could react to June's words, a blue light shined in front of them that expanded to reveal a doorway. It was a gleam of hope to everyone as they knew it was a portal created by Yen Sid.

Danny smiled and said, "There's our ticket out of here!" The halfa was then pushed aside when Dash and his friends ran up to the portal.

"Every man for himself!" shouted Dash and went through the portal along with Snipe and Jack.

Aerrow and the others just rolled their eyes in annoyance, thinking it was typical of the bullies to only think of themselves. But they did not contemplate it any further; they just ran towards the portal with Gabriel being the last one to enter. The portal closed behind the man just as the castle finally gave way and collapsed in a huge pile where it would remain for eternity.

Everyone had emerged from the other side of the portal into the courtyard of Black Manor. The portal closed behind them and they all stared out at the night sky, glad to find that their world had not been covered in darkness as Maleficent had set out to do. A deep sigh of relief came from everyone's mouth as they had returned to the city they had treasured as their home.

Waiting for everyone in the courtyard was Yen Sid, Raimundo and Speedy. They walked up to the group with smiles on their faces when they saw that they had succeeded in their quest.

"Well done, my friends," said the wizard. "You have just saved our world from destruction. I am truly proud of you all."

Aerrow and his frields felt pleased by the congratulation from Yen Sid. It was a tough battle for all of them but they had come out victorious and knew that they were heroes in their own light.

"We couldn't have done it without the help of Gabriel," said the Sky Knight.

Yen Sid looked and saw the man joined by the group of friends. "Ah, Gabriel Belmont. I did not think that you would have joined them in their quest."

"Neither did I," said the man. He then looked apologetically at the children and spoke to them in a soft voice. "I've misjudged you all. After your courageous display, I am glad to say that it was an honour to work with you in saving our world."

"Likewise," said Aerrow.

"You really stuck it to that witch," said Finn.

"I hope we'll get to work together again someday," said Katara.

June also smiled at Gabriel but then remembered that Dash's group was still with them. "So," she said and pointed a thumb over to the bullies, "what about them?"

The others all looked at the trio and wondered about them. Remembering how they worked with the evil sorceress, thoughts came to their mind about how to make them pay.

"I say we make 'em go through Black Manor again with our ghostly pals," said Sokka.

"Or why don't we scare the crap out of 'em again like when we were zombies?" said Danny.

Dash, Snipe and Jack all shook with fear when they were confronted by the group, but Aerrow thought about why they had joined with Maleficent in the first place. It then made him feel sorry for the bullies and he knew what he was going to do.

"No," said the red-haired teen.

Aerrow's friends looked at him strangely, wondering what made him say that.

"What do you mean, Aerrow?" said Junko.

"You're just gonna let them go after what they did to us?" said Toph.

"Don't you see?" explained the Sky Knight. "It was because of us that they sided with Maleficent. If we end up scaring them like before then it'll only lead them to think to get revenge on us again."

BlueTiger321 was the first one to comment. "You're right, Aerrow," he said. "We'd be no better than Maleficent if we scare them off again. It'll just be a vicious cycle of each side always trying to get the edge on the other."

The realization came to everyone else and they all looked at Dash's group apologetically. And they were going to make things better before it would get out of hand once more.

"Dash, Snipe, Jack," said Aerrow, "we're sorry for what we did to you."

"It was wrong of us to ever pull a mean trick on you," said Piper. When she was done, the others all nodded with her to show they were sorry as well.

Jack was the only one who smiled at the apologies, but it was interrupted when Dash shoved him to snap him out of his happiness.

"Whatever," the blonde-haired bully said apathetically. "You dorks are just lucky that you didn't get the full taste of our wrath." He turned to Snipe and Jack and said, "Let's go, boys, and leave the goody-goodies before we get all mushy." With that, Dash and his friends walked out of the courtyard and vanished into the dark forest to leave the others alone.

Katara had crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, feeling insulted that the bullies hadn't accepted their apology. "What jerks," she said. "They didn't even have the decency to thank us."

"I believe they did," said Yen Sid. "Though crude as they may be, choosing not to harass you at this second was their way of accepting your apology."

"Yeah," agreed Aang. "That's probably as good as it's gonna get, so I say we should take it."

A few seconds had passed, and Raimundo and Speedy remembered what they had intended to say to their friends.

"Hey, guys!" said the Xiaolin warrior. "I almost forgot to tell you something!"

"What is it, Rai?" asked Danny.

"Some loco is on his way here to trash the mansion!" answered Speedy.

The group opened their eyes wide in surprise; their entire quest had made them forget about Russ Cargill and what he planned to do to Black Manor.

"That jackass is still going through with it?" said Sokka.

"I can't believe it!" said June.

"Well, we can't let this happen!" said Aerrow. "We've already saved our world, so let's save Black Manor!"

"I'm ready as always," said BlueTiger321.

"Me, too," said JusSonic.

"And so am I," said Amber Pegasus.

Gabriel heard everything and walked up to the group. Smiling at all of them, he said, "Let me repay you all by helping you protect your home. It's the least I can do."

A smile came to everyone's face after hearing Gabriel's request. Nodding their heads, they then devised a plan to save Black Manor before Russ Cargill would arrive.

BlueTiger321: Yay! Maleficent's dead and Toon City is saved!

Aerrow: Yeah, but what about Russ Cargill?

Cargill: That's right! I'm still comin' to tear the house down to the ground! *laughs evilly*

June: In your dreams, butt head! *kicks Cargill in the shin*

Cargill: Ow! I thought she only did that to the Dark Ace!

June: No, just to jerkfaces who really get on my nerves!

BlueTiger321: Well folks, the story's not over yet, so stay tuned when our heroes defend Black Manor. Until next time…

Aerrow: Read and review!