The hidden memories resurfaced. Another moonlit night, and once more, the forest vocalized in a symphony of vigor and turmoil. Kaze awoke from her most recent training session with a raspy gasp, down on one leg and clutching her injured left arm. Her lungs fell flat from the stale air that wandered the lands, and only the sound of crackling wood and crumbling earth reached her ears. She slowly arched her head up, her neck aching and stiff, as she looked at the world around her. That particular area of the forest was in ruins, no doubt caused by her, with broken trees and corpses of beasts almost everywhere. The smell of ripped flesh and stale blood fled to Kaze's nose, leaving a foul stench. Kaze coughed twice and forced herself to her feet; she felt weak and bitter, as though the laws of nature got the best of her and never gave her a good chance to recover. Even with her Dragon Slayer Magic increased to levels beyond anything imaginable, her overtaxation of magic took its toll on her vitality. Of course, it wouldn't be a training session without getting yourself ragged along the way. She nevertheless pressed on, taking steady breaths as she gazed out into the winds, feeling a strong sense of pride from the carnage she created.

"That was nothing... like that pack of Vulcans... I've made toothpicks out of... their bones..." Kaze panted heavily, wearing a smile that helped relax her sore muscles. "I have to admit, it felt darn good..." Her grin grew smug and wide, "...squashing the heads of those monkeys like grapes, ripping out their arms and legs and then roasting 'em up for an evening snack..." It was only a moment before she breathed normally again, "They do punch hard, though. They're good sparring partners, I'll give them that. But they're total weaksauce compared to a Dragon Slayer." She chuckled to herself, "I'm getting better and stronger every day. I've developed my magic into the best there is, and I'm one step closer to becoming a real Dragon Slayer. And I did it without Grandeeney's help! So far, I like the results."

She turned to speak to the pile of deceased Vulcan bodies on the far right, "Sorry, guys, but you don't have the walk to back the talk. I'm a Dragon Slayer, and what I do goes. ALWAYS. Why do you think I've had to go out every night without Grandeeney knowing? And I like it out here. It's a better training ground than the nest. The best training ground I could ever ask for. Better to practice my magic outside the nest than waste my time inside. I mean, support magic? Healing magic? That's corny. Wendy waking up washed up plants and animals just waving her hands? Corny. Harmony and balance? Corny. Baby bedtime stories and playing dragon horsey? Corny. And I dislike corny. But LOOOOOOOVE awesome..." Her smugness returned, "Do you even know what 'awesome' means? Should I get a dictionary? Oh, wait... you're Vulcans! You're too dumb to know what 'awesome' means, anyway! If you don't get what I'm saying, then how about you get THIS!" A single throw of her hand, and she conjured a small tornado that blasted the corpses out of sight. In a matter of seconds, the wound in her right arm softened, and she was free to swing it around.

Kaze laughed cheerfully at her action, then calmed herself. "You know what, I don't care about the stupid, boring morning. 'Cause in the evening, I'm free to do whatever I want. When I'm finished, when I've completed my training... I won't be needing Grandeeney anymore. I'll have learned the ultimate magic before the seventh day of the seventh month. I'll be a real Dragon Slayer. The greatest Dragon Slayer of all! Just you wait and see, Grandeeney... You too, Wendy... I'm gonna be the VERY BEST version of myself, the kind that you can be proud of."

A sudden howl rang out in the distance, and she looked above her. Two dozens of Wyverns came soaring through the night sky, then dove forward to meet the human who laid waste to this part of the natural world. Vengeance for her reckless destruction of the forest was within their grasp. However, a daring smirk spread across Kaze's expression as she expected their arrival. "It'll be fun sparring with the forces of nature. They teach a lot more things than that big old softie ever could. And by big old softie, I mean Grandeeney." She snickered at her joke, "See what I did there? Big old softie." Her face turned serious, "If anyone can beat nature..." Currents of wind revolved around her hands before they formed into huge claws, and she flashed them against the Wyverns, ready for battle. "...I should be doing it, too!" She let out a loud battle cry as she charged at the first Wyvern to clash her left claw against the creature's massive bulk.

Soon thereafter, when the dust of battle settled, Kaze was the last one standing. She stood on top of the carcass of a Wyvern as she examined all the other dead ones, her body drenched in the blood that she spilled. Her muscles slightly twitched and spasmed with absolute delight. She knew that if she could keep up this level of slaughter and destruction, and therefore implement it to her self-training, she would no longer require Grandeeney's teachings. She would become the ultimate Dragon Slayer! Her laughter started as ticklish giggling, keeping in with the spasms, but it soon turned energetic and deranged. As she spread out her arms and raised her chest high, her laughter finalized into screaming fits, the teal color in her eyes dissolving into tiny dots. The laugh was so insanely chilling that it would terrify anyone who heard it. "YOU SEE THAT?! I'M THE ULTIMATE DRAGON SLAYER!" Kaze screamed. "I'M GONNA BE THE BEST DRAGON SLAYER EVER— THE ONLY BEST DRAGON SLAYER EVER— COME MONTH SEVEN!" She laughed over and over, not minding the Wyvern blood that spread all over her body... or the distraught eyes of a certain dragon observing her every intent.

In one night, Kaze's ambition turned into a sick obsession, a terrible lust for more power. That desire beckoned her forward, urging her not to relent. For the longest time, the morning was filled with one tedious activity after another, all of them unsuitable for her tastes. But in the evening, she had the freedom to do as she pleased, to do whatever she set her mind to. Total isolation, focus and utter dedication to becoming the strongest possible version of herself. Nature provided all the strength, the power, and the sustenance she required, exceeding more than what Grandeeney could ever provide. Going from a meekly Dragon Slayer trainee to a cold-blooded self-trained Dragon Slayer, she disregarded everything Grandeeney taught her, instead concentrating on molding her magic into the ultimate art. Only by pushing herself beyond the limits of her own strength would she truly become unstoppable. Night after night, she exceeded limit after limit, strengthening her body and mind in preparation. Kaze never needed the Grandeeney to help further her magic since then; in her mind, the Sky Dragon taught her nothing but scraps of knowledge that made no sense to her. During the day, she had to leave herself out of Grandeeney's mundane, boring lessons. But during the night, nature was the better teacher. If she was going to immerse herself in the heat of battle every night, if that was what it took to perfect the most powerful form of magic, then it was a price she would willingly pay. Kaze single-handedly gained all the strength she craved, yet it had not been enough. Her thirst for power and carnage continued to grow. Her sanity gradually slipped away. All thoughts of Wendy and Grandeeney disappeared. She needed more. And more. And more...

Then came the last night of the sixth month.

Looking over the trees she demolished, the earth she ravaged, and all the wild beasts she slaughtered, Kaze began focusing her magic. The white color that made up the winds surrounding her body slowly changed into a dark purple void, perhaps a best match for the dark and dreadful desires building in her heart. The winds became bigger until they combusted upward, taking the shape of a dragon with feathered wings and a beak-shaped nuzzle. Her eyes glowed dark purple as well, and she let out a deafening roar that echoed across the night sky.

The next day...

It was the late afternoon of the first day of the seventh month, and the destined day was close at hand; the day that Grandeeney would either select Wendy or Kaze as one of the seven to challenge Acnologia. Speaking of Grandeeney, she was busy setting up dinner when Wendy heard a hiss from the bushes. "Psst! Hey, Wendy!"

"Huh? Kaze, is that you?" Wendy recognized.

"Come outside. There's something I wanna show you. Something big," Kaze whispered.

"Something big? What is it?" Wendy gasped.

"It's a surprise. Trust me, you're gonna love it. Come on!" Kaze implored.

"Okay!" Wendy decided to follow Kaze into the bushes and outside the nest, with Grandeeney preoccupied making the food for tonight.

And so...

"Hello? Kaze?" In a specific location of the forest where the leaves of the trees provided the ideal camouflage from Grandeeney's watchful eyes, Wendy roamed around in search of Kaze's whereabouts. "Kaze? Kaze, where are you?"

"Wendy!" Kaze's cheery voice made her whirl around. The dark pink-haired girl came up to her, filled with excitement. "There you are! Just in time to celebrate!"

"Celebrate?" Wendy echoed, staring at her friend curiously.

Waiting just long enough to draw out the drama, Kaze smiled as dark purple torrents of wind coiled around her arms like snakes, then morphed her hands into massive, razor-sharp claws.

Wendy covered her mouth in absolute awe at the sight before her. She clearly did not expect her sister figure to grow her own magic to that size. "Wow... Your hands, they're... They're so big..." She took a few steps forward to examine the outline of the claws up close and personal. She was careful not to lay a finger on them, though; she could already tell how sharp and dangerous they looked. And it wasn't just the bulk of Kaze's power alone that dazzled Wendy, but its color as well. "H-How did you do that...? Your magic..."

"I know!" Kaze chirped. "All this nighttime training up until now finally paid off! I'm a lot better than what I used to be! Oh, and if you're asking about the color, I thought I'd switch it to something that's a bit more my style. As it turns out, you can change the color of your Sky Magic to any color you want. And I picked purple. I like purple. To me, it's the new white."

"No, I mean, how did you make your magic grow SUPER BIG?!" Wendy exclaimed shockingly.

"I'm glad you asked," Kaze chuckled, and by channeling a portion of her magic, a pair of large dark purple wings of condensed air burst out of her back. The claws and wings altogether gave her the likeness of a dragon-human hybrid. "The power of a fully-realized Dragon Slayer. Every night, I've upped my magic to its maximum level. And now look at it. Look at me." She gestured to herself, "My magic is fully maxed out! You see, Wendy? I've accomplished what no other Dragon Slayer has ever dreamed of doing! I've finally turned my magic into the ultimate super magic— the bestest best Dragon Slayer Magic in the WORLD!" Every word she spoke came out lively and energetic. "I did it, Wendy. I've completed my training. All without Grandeeney's help. I did it for us. For the two of us. For you. Nothing can take it all away from us..."

Though overwhelmed, Wendy was happy for Kaze. "That's amazing!"

Kaze grinned, "Amazing? Are you kidding? I'm more than just amazing. I'm ULTRA-HYPER AMAZING! I'm AWESOME-FANTASTIC! I've never felt this way in my whole life! You know..." She turned to glower at the nest not far away, "...no thanks to her."

Wendy blinked, "Her? You mean Grandeeney? You don't thank her for that?"

Kaze shrugged, "Not exactly. I kinda don't thank her for everything. For not teaching me real and better magic, for boring me out of my mind with cheesy pep talks, for thinking herself high and wise, and for being such a soft baby mama."

Wendy wondered, "So... are you coming back? You wanna ask her again?"

Kaze replied, "Nope! The old Kaze Viriniam who used to whine and complain about Sky Magic is gone, Blueberry. Right down the toilet." She flexed her wind-induced claws and wings, assuming a stylish pose. "Check me out, my adorable guest of honor! You're looking at the new and improved, non-whiny Kaze Viriniam! And I hereby declare myself... a TRUE Dragon Slayer! For reals!"

Wendy repeated, "A true Dragon Slayer? For reals?"

Kaze nodded, "Exactly, for reals. This magic I've advanced is the real definition of real magic and real somebodies like me. A real somebody is a real wizard, and that real wizard is a real Dragon Slayer. That's right, I'm a real Dragon Slayer now, one with real power to back the title. Sorry if I said the word 'real' a hundred times, but I just can't help it." She shook with glee, "I'm just so hyped at how ultra tough and buff I've become, I wanna explode! Grandeeney?" She scoffed, "Pfft, that fat lump of feathers ain't so hot. Where's her Sky Magic? I don't see her Sky Magic! She never once taught me a single thing I wanted out of Sky Magic, so I decided to ignore everything she said, everything she taught me... and created a magic of my very own. One like this." She motioned her left wind claw, "Me, myself, and I. Solo. Alone. By myself. I was my own teacher, and nature was my sparring partner. You can't be a great Dragon Slayer without the best magic, can you? No, you can't! I managed to do it all without Grandeeney. I've finally reached my potential as a Dragon Slayer. And working out all night was the key to unlocking it. I did it all on my own. It was all me, me, me."

Wendy's lip quivered. Although she was glad that Kaze took her magic to the next level, she couldn't help but feel that her best friend sounded a little bit... off. There also remained the fact that she did so without Grandeeney's consent. Wendy feared the consequences of Kaze's secrecy being revealed eventually, and what it could do to the both of them. She said anxiously, "I don't know... What will Grandeeney think? She might not be happy about what you just did."

Kaze laughed, trying to make the best out of a complicated situation. "No, she won't. She'll be very proud of me. Imagine the look on her face when she sees how incredible I am. She's gonna approve of my magic. She'll be so thrilled. Think about it, Wendy. When she recognizes me as a true Dragon Slayer with the magic I've developed, she'll give me something real good, or even better." Her smile widened, "She'll even name me as the chosen one! This is gonna be the best day ever!"

Wendy worried, "But Kaze, what if she doesn't like your magic that way? There's still so much we don't know about—"

Kaze insisted, "It works beautifully! Here, I'll give you a demonstration. Check me out..." Turning her attention to a grove of trees on the left, she spread her legs into position. She clenched her wind-forged claws in anticipation, then paused, breathing deeply. "Hyah!" She swiped a claw with all her might, and in one swift action, every single tree was cleaved out of the earth with little effort. By swinging the other claw, the uprooted trees exploded like fireworks, leaving almost no trace, but leaves and splinters falling like rain. "Raaargh!" Kaze closed her empowered fist and socked the largest boulder she could find, cracking the base like an egg until it collapsed on itself. She jumped up, her gust-powered dragon wings propelling her like a missile, meeting the debris head on. She hammered through chunks of rock with her claws as if they were paper. Halfway up, she inverted, letting the cyclones forming up around her legs rip more stone apart. She popped out of the wreckage, stone and dust flying everywhere. But her work was not yet finished. While in midair, Kaze looked down below to see a huge patch of trees on the far right. "Yaaaaaaaaah!" With a quick flick of her magic wings, a massive gust surged forth, washing over the entire area and every living creature in it! BOOOOOOOOM! Everything was vaporized, incinerated from the wash of stagnant air from her Sky Dragon Slayer Magic.

Kaze landed on the grass, which had long turned into barren soil. The land she ravaged stretched to approximately six kilometers between the path back to the nest and beyond— a new record. Perhaps the dark pink-haired youth underestimated the sheer destructive power of her own magic, but she admired her work either way. She faced Wendy and asked, "Well, Blueberry? What do you think? Is my magic awesome or what?"

Wendy said nothing at first, only covering her mouth in shock at the destruction Kaze caused. "It's... It's..." She was stammering, having a hard time comprehending what she just witnessed.

Kaze beamed, "Unbelievable? Outrageous? Wonderful? Stupendous?"

Wendy blurted out, "It's scary!" She squeezed her terrified eyes shut and looked away.

Kaze cocked an eyebrow, "Scary? What do you mean?"

Wendy opened her eyes and looked back at Kaze. "Don't you think it's too much? You can't use your magic like that. You'll end up breaking everything around you! This isn't what Grandeeney would want from you! Just because your magic's a lot bigger and better doesn't mean it's okay to break things."

Kaze admitted, "Maaaaaaaybe that's a little too much, but what's the point of using magic if I don't know how to defend myself? If I don't use my magic like that, I can't win."

Wendy reasoned, "Even if you use your magic like that, it's not good for you. You'll just end up making a big problem. Not just for you, but for everyone. Can't you see that?" She thrust her arm to gesture at the environmental damage, "It's all gone. The trees, the flowers, the birdies, everything! Is that what you wanted out of it?"

Kaze asserted, "Everything has problems if you look hard enough. But fortune favors the bold." As her magic started to self-regenerate, her eyes suddenly changed from teal to red, her dark pink hair grew longer and turned white, and dark purple feathery scales sprung out of her back, wrists and feet. Sets of triangular purple marks lined her cheeks, slim purple dragon scales sprouted above and under her eyes, and the finishing touch was a red jewel-shaped dot on her forehead. This indicated that Kaze somehow managed to activate what appeared to be a premature state of Dragon Force, something thought unachievable for a child of eight years. A layer of purple wind spread across the ground beneath her, then grew into a whirlwind that rose into the air. Kaze's feet rose above the earth as she floated towards Wendy, brimming with confidence of her new strength. "It's time to show Grandeeney what I've done, and what I've achieved. I'm finally ready. Ready to take on the world! Come on, let's do it!"

Wendy looked up at Kaze, but she barely recognized her. It would seem that her best friend had changed, for better or for worse. She attempted to talk some sense into her, "I don't think it's a good idea, Kaze. What if she gets upset seeing you like this?"

Kaze retorted, "She's not gonna be upset. Trust me, I've thought this through. I know it's the right idea. If I can showcase my magic, prove how powerful it is at the fourth day of the seventh month— the selection ceremony— she'll be convinced that I do have what it takes to be a true Dragon Slayer, then she'll consider me as such. She'll even have no reason to train us anymore. We'll finally leave the nest. No more training, no more chores, no more worries, no more responsibilities... and most of all, no more corny healing magic." She added excitedly, "We get to see the outside world at last! For the very first time! You and me, the two of us, together! We're free to go wherever we like! Wouldn't it be great?"

Rather than to jump for joy at the thought, Wendy protested, "But this isn't right! It's not the same! What you're doing, it's different than what she taught us!"

Kaze chuckled, "Heh, sure it is. Maybe some people don't have the knack for it. But surely someone pure of heart and mind, someone bold, could use this power for good? If I was the best candidate, I wouldn't shy away from it. Would you?" She came closer, putting on a forced display of pleasantness. "Come on, Wendy. Listen to me. This is our one chance. I've mastered the ultimate form of Dragon Slayer Magic, and Grandeeney asked this of us. We can't throw away that chance."

Wendy took a step back. Kaze paused.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"I think you need to listen."

"To what?"

"To yourself."

"You believe in me, don't you? You said it yourself! What I'm telling you—"

"Grandeeney wouldn't want that!"

"Enough with Grandeeney!" Kaze's sudden outburst was quickly smothered with a smile. "We don't need her. We don't have to rely on some silly dragon to help us anymore. Yeah, she's given us food, baths, clothes, toys, a home... Don't you think we've depended on her long enough? Would she have been happy if we practiced a bunch of stupid, pointless magic spells? I don't care. All she does is put us to sleep with fairy tales about some lofty balance between the good and the bad. Typical of Ms. Mama Know-it-All, always taking away the fun! Isn't it about time we grew up and faced reality?" Her face turned angry, "Right now, she's useless to me. All she does is eat away at my life. I don't need Grandeeney. We don't need Grandeeney. She may be our mom, but she's a terrible excuse of a teacher. And I'm gonna show her that MY Sky Magic is in a better league than HERS."

Wendy took another step back, horrified at what Kaze had been reduced to. "K-Kaze! You don't know what you're saying! Please, think about what you're doing!"

Kaze snapped, "Think about it?! Wendy, I've spent all day agonizing over how I would be the Dragon Slayer I always wanted to be! Now I have the answer right in the palm of my hand. I'm not letting it go."

Almost on the verge of crying, Wendy pleaded, "Kaze, please! This isn't the answer! Please, listen to me! Your magic is turning you into something you're not! I just think we need to work this thing out and do some more training—"

"WE'VE DONE ENOUGH TRAINING!" Kaze roared, and she lunged out, clutching Wendy's wrist in her left hand. The young girl was now twice as terrified, and tears were already flowing down her cheeks. Kaze's voice grew more and more hysterical, her eyes fierce, her face terrible. "For the first time in my life, I don't feel like a weakling." Her lips curled into a deranged smile, "I feel like me!"

Her madness was only brief when she saw the desperate and sorrowful face of her younger friend. Wendy croaked, "No... No, you're not... I know you... You're my big sister... I love you... and you love me... Please... You wouldn't do anything to hurt me... would you...? Please..." Kaze's eyes grew wide. The darkness that had covered her expression disappeared at an instant. "Please..." That last, soft whisper was the final push.

Visibly moved by Wendy's pleas, Kaze let go of her wrist. The claws, wings, scales, and face markings dissipated with her magic, returning her to normal, and she slowly came back down to earth. Her chest began heaving, disgrace and shame hanging over her head. "I'm sorry..." She dropped to her legs and seized Wendy in a hug, driven to tears herself. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what's gotten into me. I... I didn't mean to..."

Wendy smiled in relief as she affectionately returned the hug, around the same time she dried her tears. "It's okay, Kaze. I'm alright. You and Grandeeney taught me how to be brave and strong, so that's fine." Pulling from the hug, she reached for her friend's hand and caressed it. "Don't worry. We're close. We can still work it out, all of it. We can get through this. Together."

Kaze gave a pained nod and wiped her eyes. "Together. Right... Thanks, coz. You stopped me from doing something I'd regret. I should've listened to you, but I was way over my head. I didn't know what I was thinking." A deep breath, and she went on, "You're right. We can work this whole thing out. We'll keep at it, fix some minor mistakes." She then smiled, "No use crying over spilled milk now. We never stopped believing in each other, for what it's worth. We can do this. Together."

Wendy echoed softly, "Together..." They pulled each other into another warm embrace. "I love you, Kaze... That will never change. No matter what, I still love you. I will always love you."

Kaze sighed happily, "I love you too, Blueberry... It means a lot to me... You mean a lot to me."

"Girls! Dinner's ready!" They broke the hug when they heard Grandeeney's voice calling out to them.

Kaze pointed out, "We should probably head back."

Wendy nodded, "Uh-huh." She followed the trail back to the nest, but only stopped when she noticed Kaze staying behind. "You coming?"

Kaze urged, "You go on ahead. I'll... catch up." She brushed her off, "Go, go."

Wendy hesitated; she didn't want to leave yet. "Are you okay?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

Wendy turned to leave, but not before Kaze vocalized her final thoughts. "Thank you, Wendy." She stumbled, trying to find more words to back up her sentence. "For... everything." The dark blue-haired infant gave her a gentle smile before finally departing for Grandeeney's nest. And thus was the elder girl left alone in her solitude amongst the barren lands.

That night...

Wendy slurped the last warm soup from her bowl, then looked up to Grandeeney, who just had her fill of fresh water from the pond nearby. The dark blue-haired girl wondered aloud, "Where's Kaze? I haven't seen her lately. She said she's gonna follow me back here."

Grandeeney hummed, "Knowing your cousin, she very much prefers some time alone to meditate on the future. She is probably training her mind for the days to come, so I think it's best that we leave her be for now. I can only hope that when she returns, she confides all her concerns with us. And if she does come to us, I'm saving her some food to make up for missing dinner." She knew it would break Wendy's heart if she told her that Kaze was slowly becoming a slave to the destructive power she sought to nurture and control, given she had kept an eye on Kaze for a long time since she first set out at night. It was a tough decision, but lying to Wendy was the only option.

Unbeknownst to the two, Kaze was spying on them from the bushes, brushing aside the leaves and poking her face out to get a closer look.

Wendy asked, "Um, Grandeeney? I wanna ask you something. When you teach us how to use magic, is it wrong for us to ask for more than what we have?"

Grandeeney replied, "Magic grows within the passage of time. Given the proper incentive, it will no doubt develop in ways you won't expect. Whether or not magic grows into something far more beneficial is entirely dependent on the caster." She then smiled, "And I don't recall you ever asking for so much more than what I gave you. You were never ashamed to embrace my teachings in whatever way I pass them. You took all of my instructions to heart, and followed without question. It's impossible to deny that despite your low magic expectancy, you may be the most well-mannered and mature out of my two students. But as I said before, you and Kaze are destined to become Dragon Slayers of this current generation. When I make a promise to my children, I keep it."

Wendy smiled back, "You really mean that?"

Grandeeney nodded, "Every word. Thus far, you two have excelled in your respective forms of Sky Dragon Slayer Magic, and therefore exceeded my expectations. However, there is none among you more dutiful, more patient, and more diligent than you, Wendy."

Wendy gasped, placing a hand on her chest. "Me?"

Grandeeney explained, "In moments during your lessons, you not only followed every instruction I gave you, but also learned to balance the scales of your magic. There are times when you use the power I bestowed upon you to defend yourself, and times when you provide life and comfort to those who have none. By implementing both qualities, you are close to developing a perfectly stabilized form of Sky Magic. And rather than exploiting it for selfish ambition, you chose to mold it into a force of hope and wonder for all. A better and balanced magic if I ever asked one. You are wise beyond your age, Wendy." She beamed with hope, "And I'm very proud of you, my darling. You are growing into the ideal Dragon Slayer I always believed you would be. And it's not just your wisdom and strength of will that define you." She pointed a talon at Wendy's chest, "It's the purity and kindness in your heart— the light you carry inside. Compassion, empathy, love... I see someone who longs to a beacon of happiness for so many others, someone who is willing to protect and guide those she cares for, someone who is quick to open her heart to almost everything around her. For that reason, I'm putting my utmost confidence in you, my dear Princess."

Wendy couldn't hide her blush at her adoptive mother's affectionate words, especially at what she was referred to as. "P-Princess? Oh, I..."

Grandeeney assured, "I truly believe that you are born for greatness, even before you grow into a full-fledged Dragon Slayer. Come the fourth day of this month, I will make a decision that will change the course of your life forever. So when I choose either one of you for the great legend, remember what I've done. Your future is closer now than it has ever been." She lowered her head to be on equal level with the young Dragon Slayer in-training, "I could not have asked for a more diligent, hard-working pupil... and a better, more wonderful and amazing daughter. You deserve nothing but the best, Wendy. I pass onto you not only my knowledge of magic, but also that of life. Come what may, you will always and forever have my support and my gratitude."

Wendy wasted no time in running towards Grandeeney and wrapping her tiny arms around the dragon's giant head as she laughed joyfully. "Aww, Grandeeney! I love you so much! Thank you for always believing in me. I knew I could depend on you! We'll always be together... forever and ever!"

Grandeeney laughed along, and she started to nuzzle Wendy gently. "I love you too, Wendy. Now and forever. I'll cherish every moment we've spent together for all my days. Given time, I would fly high in the air right this instant and scream out loud to let everyone know what a gracious, loving daughter I have!"

The two kept on laughing as they basked in each other's warmth; Kaze, on the other hand, felt completely crushed than being touched by the heartwarming moment she just witnessed. Her expression grew dark and unhinged, her fists clenching the leaves, her chest swelling with disgust and contempt at every word that rolled out of Grandeeney's mouth. It seemed obvious that the Sky Dragon preferred Wendy— another trainee whose magic was weaker and inconsequential compared to Kaze's— as the better pupil. A five-year old toddler, of all places. An overly sensitive brat who laughed and cried a lot, a coward with a feeble magic who would rather nurse sick creatures back to health than fight! And it wasn't just Grandeeney who abandoned her. It was Wendy, too. She deserted her, left her to train all alone, drove her to the brink of desperation... just so she could get all the love and affection from Grandeeney. They were content without her. Living their lives in peace without her. Better off without her. Not a single uttering of even her name during their conversation! And even if they did mention her a little, they simply moved on like she was never involved, nothing less than an afterthought. Kaze always thought of Wendy and Grandeeney as the only family she had; she loved them more than anything else in the world. However, their love for her was but a cruel deception. The love they had was not for her, but only for themselves.

At that moment, something within Kaze snapped. Her growing hatred and jealousy manifested into her Dragon Slayer Magic, which began rising from her body. It rumbled and growled, as though the ferocious dragon that lay dormant inside was waiting to be unleashed, to swallow her waning humanity and transform her into a hideous beast. "Liars..."

With nowhere else to go, and no longer feeling at home in the nest, she returned to the place where she pillaged that section of the forest as a demonstration of her enhanced magic. Once again, she was alone. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see the irritating, annoying faces of Wendy and Grandeeney. She could play it over and over in her head, and that only added to the fires of her hate. The rage increased with her magic, the dark winds around herself rising like a colossal tower. "Liars... Liars!"

The hated faces sparkled in her eyes. The infuriating voices resonated in her brain. The inferno in her heart burned hotter than ever.

"What if she doesn't like..."

"...the most well-mannered and mature..."

"...scary! You can't..."

"...a perfectly stabilized form of Sky..."

"...it's completely different..."

"...very proud of you..."

"...wouldn't want..."

"...my utmost confidence..."

"...think about what you're..."

"...destined for greatness..."

"...we need to work this thing out..."

"...future is closer now than it has ever..."

"...I love you so..."

"...a better, more wonderful..."

"...always be together..."

"...every moment we've spent..."

"...forever and ever!"

"...gracious, loving daughter I have!"

"LIIIIIAAAAARRRRRRRRS!" Kaze bellowed, turning around to throw an enormous fist projectile composed of a tornado at a nearby land of green, destroying it all at an instant. For a second, she glared at the destruction, imagining Wendy and Grandeeney were there. If she could help it, she would inflict on them all the pain and torment she was feeling a thousand times over. For a long time she stayed there, seething with thoughts of vengeance and a desire to prove once and for all that she was the one true Dragon Slayer. All she could think about was following that sick, demented desire, no matter how high the price may grow... such as her eroding humanity.

"You have no idea what you're in for..."

Traverse Town, The First District...

"We're back! The Fairy Tail party has come home!" As the main gate burst wide open, Sherria projected her energetic voice to the entire First District, waving her arm. The ensemble of Fairy Tail guildmates (Lisanna, Elfman, Levy, Alzack, Bisca, and Asuka) who elected to stay and assist Leon's group caught wind of the proclamation, and began cheering for the entourage. Some of the citizens were compelled to join the applause, as they perceived Wendy and company's arrival as a special occasion of sorts.

The moment they remained in Traverse Town, Elfman, Lisanna, Levy, and the Connells were given comfortable homes at the First District to stay in; Leon and his associates were more than willing to provide since the aftermath of the Gummi Ship's untimely crash. Besides munny and food, any able Fairy Tail wizard would join Leon or Yuffie during shifts of patrolling the districts for Heartless activity. Thankfully, with the Keyhole sealed away, the only active Heartless were the lesser variety, and clearing the streets became relatively easier. With the Fairy Tail guildmates now residing in the First District, it almost captured the feeling of living in Magnolia, and life there progressed just as steadily. On an even positive note, they had the freedom to buy lots of things from the shops and stores to make their stay enjoyable in any way they saw fit. For instance, Alzack and Bisca recently purchased some brand new toys from the local shopping center, just as they promised their daughter Asuka; she was astounded and excited at how they weren't even available back at Magnolia.

The presence of the party's newest members made the celebration all the more jubilant; they were welcomed back with open arms and shouts of joy. Levy couldn't contain her tears at reuniting with her friend Lucy, a fellow bookworm who promised that the Solid Script wizard would be the first to read her upcoming novel. The two girls, with their shared love of literature, couldn't resist the urge to give each other a big hug, and so they did. Meanwhile, the two Strauss siblings gave Juvia and Gray their own warm reception, with Elfman boasting of what a 'manly duo' they were to endure the wrath of the Alliance of Evil. Of course, Juvia wished that a 'manly loving couple' was the most appropriate term to describe herself and her beloved. And unfortunately, Gray's misadventures as Gravy the Jester (the awkward backwards romance omitted) were ratted on to the Fairy Tail residents by a mischievous Donald, which made Gray the target of laughter and jokes. As for Cana, she raised a mug of beer to slam it with Alzack and Bisca's to commemorate her safe return, and Asuka was hugging a plushie based on a Moogle, a mystical creature with pom poms on an antenna springing from their heads. Indeed, the lost and found Fairy Tail members gathered together in one world was just like old times.

"...and the Keyhole was under the pedestal Sherria broke by accident with her magic. I locked it away not long after, so that makes another world saved from the Heartless," Wendy told Aerith Gainsborough the whole story of everything that went down after she and her friends last set out from town, ending up to the Hercules Cup at Olympus Coliseum. By her side were Donald, Goofy, Romeo, Sherria, and Carla; Lucy, Gray, Juvia, and Cana were spending their time reacquainting themselves with their fellow guildmates.

Aerith beamed, "That's what I call another job well done. And thank you so much for letting me know that Cloud is okay." She sighed to herself, "I just hope he doesn't get himself ragged. He's been suffering for so long, I feel like I want to make it up to him."

Goofy stated, "Gee, Aerith, you sound like you've known for a while that Cloud's been on a lone wolf journey."

Aerith replied, "Yes, that was a long time ago. He's come a long way from his days as a member of SOLDIER."

Wendy echoed, "SOLDIER?"

Aerith explained, "I don't know much about it, honestly. Only that it's an elite fighting force for some big universe-spanning organization called Shinra. I heard it used to have a business relationship with our ruler, Ansem, before our world disappeared. They say only the best of the best are qualified to join SOLDIER. It's no surprise that Cloud is a member. Well, was a member."

Sherria confirmed, "So that explains why they called him an 'ex-SOLDIER' back then."

Carla guessed, "We assume you know a lot about him."

Aerith nodded, "That's right. He and I are very close since we were little. He doesn't talk much and is sometimes afraid to show it, but deep down, I know he means well." She then chuckled, "He may be moody most of the time, but he's a softie at heart. He cares very much for us."

Sherria remarked, "Who would've guessed there's a warmer side beneath his cold exterior?"

Romeo agreed, "Yeah, I mean, it's hard to forget his smile after our match with him."

Wendy asked, "How did Cloud become a member of SOLDIER?"

Aerith narrated, "It all started ten years ago, a year before the Heartless took over our world. One day when Cloud, myself, and another friend of ours were out playing in the streets, a group of businesspeople calling themselves representatives from Shinra approached us. They offered Cloud a contract to join SOLDIER as a member. The contract came with special privileges and a big monthly bonus. He couldn't refuse when he was asked to become a member; he thought that being a SOLDIER meant he would help provide for his friends and family. And more importantly, he would have the strength to protect the things that matter to him." She held a hand to her chest, "Like us."

Wendy breathed, "The things that matter..." Hearing that reminded her of one aspect of Kaze's personality.

Aerith continued, "Of course, the job required that he had to take missions all over the worlds, leaving little time for friendly visits... So to make sure we stayed in touch, Cloud and I contacted each other from time to time through a mobile phone."

Donald repeated, "Mobile... phone?"

Aerith explained, "It's a sort of phone you carry around without using one in a room or a booth. With it, we can stay connected to friends, no matter where we are. Even if we're very far away, we can always keep in touch." She then smiled, "It's so convenient these days. If you're interested, you should try it out."

Romeo grinned, "Convenient, huh? Sounds like something worth taking for a spin."

Sherria nodded, "Add that to our list of things in the universe we'd like to get our hands on."

Donald insisted, "But not today. We have work to do."

Wendy asked, "What happened between you and Cloud?"

Aerith answered, "When we talked through our phones, and even though we're worlds apart after the Heartless destroyed ours, Cloud would more than often tell me stories of all the adventures he'd been on as a member of SOLDIER, and all the worlds he'd seen. There were good times, and there were hard times, but I never stopped rooting for him. I believed in Cloud. I cheered for him, I laughed for him, I cried for him..." She sighed happily, "Sometimes I wished he invited me to be part of his daring SOLDIER missions, chasing bad guys and blowing them away and stuff. But then, four years ago..." She looked down sadly, "It was the last time Cloud and I talked. He was crying out in pain. Screaming about a terrible darkness rising out of him, robbing him of the light he once had. I had a feeling something was wrong, so I asked him what to do to help him. But before he answered, my phone suddenly went haywire... and blew itself up."

Wendy gasped, "Oh, no..." Her friends shared the same reaction.

Aerith implied, "Cid told me that some outside force affected my phone and caused it to explode. From that moment, I knew Cloud was having it bad. I couldn't even begin to wonder what kind of darkness made him suffer like that." She paused to let it sink in, "Now I know. Even if he fell that far, he's still searching for his light." Her face turned sincere, "Somehow, I knew he wouldn't give in. He's not the kind of person to let this stop him."

Sherria asked Romeo, "Is his tragic backstory tied to that mystery person he's looking for?"

Romeo assumed, "Has to be."

Aerith smiled, "Even so, I trust he knows what he's doing." She faced Wendy, "I know you do, too. Even after we got separated all these years ago, I still believe in him. I haven't given up on him. Not once."

Wendy beamed, "That's great, Aerith. We just have to keep having faith that everything will be better. We both know Cloud wants to find his light. And I haven't lost mine."

Aerith smiled again, "Thank you, Wendy. And you're right. We must keep our faith up, even when it's difficult. Oh, and I have faith that you and your friends will save the whole universe. So do Leon and the others."

Wendy giggled, "Well, we've saved a bunch of worlds and rescued some very important friends. Things went pretty well for us, but thanks anyway."

Romeo quipped, "Yeah, the crazy people and monsters trying to murder us don't count as going pretty well for us." He put both hands on the back of his head.

Sherria chimed, "Yet here we are, always ready and able! Am I right, or am I left? Am I left, or am I right?"

Wendy answered in confusion, "Uh... right?" She ended up laughing with her friends at the witty comment, and as the laughter died down, she smiled at Sherria. "Yes, that's right. We're always ready. We're nowhere close to the end of the road yet, but we'll keep giving it our all."

Donald, Goofy, Romeo, and Sherria cheered in agreement, "Yeah!"

Carla simply nodded, "Absolutely."

"Looks like everybody's comin' along fine, especially Alzack and the gang," Goofy looked around the vibrancy of the First District, most notably the Fairy Tail wizards taking refuge in Traverse Town. "I say they're doin' a whole lot better!"

"Mrs. Connell wasn't lying when she said Traverse Town's like a second Magnolia," Romeo smiled. "Which reminds me, wouldn't it be cool if somebody gives our town that kind of makeover? The signs lighting up the place at night, the buildings as big and high as Kardia Cathedral or our guildhall..."

"And the latest new toys on the block, like that stuffed animal Asuka's carrying!" Sherria interjected as she gestured to Alzack and Bisca's daughter, who continued to cuddle her Moogle plushie. "Her parents bought it for her, and she already leaped for joy at how unbearably adorable it is. Like a certain Sky Sister I know..." She winked at Wendy, who laughed a little. "How come we never get this kind of toy from any store we've been to back at Fiore?" She rubbed her chin, "It must've been a well-guarded commerce secret."

"I don't see how anyone can reinvent Magnolia into a second Traverse Town, but I suppose the possibilities are open," Carla shrugged. "And there's one other reason our other guildmates chose to stay behind: they want to assist Leon and the others in keeping the town safe from the Heartless."

"The townsfolk has been pitching in to help your friends shortly after your ship crashed at the Second District," Aerith stated. "Even the Fairy Godmother took time away from Merlin's house to assist with the cleanup. So far, things in town are going smoothly. Everyone's putting their efforts together here."

"Well, that's good news," Wendy confirmed.

"You have to admit, the First District's never been this lively in a long time," Aerith glanced at Lucy and Levy, who just joined Cana and the Strauss siblings for a friendly chat, and smiled widely. "If Alzack and the others hadn't stayed, life in these streets would've gotten pretty dull. It even puts my mind at ease just looking at them, happy and free."

"Some things never change, do they?" Sherria chuckled.

"That's what makes Fairy Tail so great," Romeo agreed.

"Thank you so much for looking out for our friends and keeping them company while we're away," Wendy appreciated. "It means a lot to us that they're alive and well."

"No worries. It's what friends do for friends," Aerith grinned. "And we thank your friends for helping out around town, too. If it wasn't for them, we would've wasted our energy fighting Heartless all day long."

"No trouble at all, Aerith. That's what friends are for," Sherria winked.

"Hey, are you copying her?" Donald raised an eyebrow at Sherria.

"So the others stayin' behind was a good idea after all," Goofy chortled.

"Leon's training in the secret waterway, and Yuffie's out doing an errand in the Third District. But I'll be sure to give them your thanks," Aerith assured, and Wendy nodded in reply. "With that out of the way, what brings you all here?"

"We need to fix the book in Merlin's house with the other pages we've found, and return all of Pongo and Perdita's missing puppies," Wendy explained.

"Well, you better get a move on," Aerith encouraged. "Don't want to keep the others waiting. You're the Keyblade master, after all, and you've got a lot of work ahead of you."

"I'm kinda used to that," Wendy giggled, and Aerith joined in.

"Hey, Aerith!" Cid Highwind was calling her from the Second District entrance, carrying a huge crate above his head. "Lend an ol' fella a hand with this box of gummis I'm unloadin', will ya?"

"Coming!" Aerith answered, then turned back to Wendy and company. "I gotta go. Bye!" With that said, she was off.

"Bye, Aerith!" The heroes called and waved at her.

"She's more of a fun person like the Fairy Tail gang here in town," Goofy remarked.

"How about more of a cheerful and positive person like Wendy?" Donald suggested.

"How about a little of both?" Sherria added.

"Hey, guys!" Wendy urged her companions to turn and face a newly built green-doored apartment, placed on the far right and next to the Third District entryway. "We've never seen this house before. How long has it been there?"

"I don't know, but maybe we should check it out," Romeo answered, and he opened the door before the others followed him inside.

Geppetto's House

Upon entering the building, the living room was what you would expect in a normal household environment, from the huge wooden table set in the middle to the toy clocks hanging from the walls or on the shelves. As Wendy and company looked around, they spotted two familiar faces they hadn't seen since the end of the Monstro affair. Wendy recognized, "Pinocchio!"

The once wooden puppet turned real boy whirled around. His face lit up in excitement at seeing the dark blue-haired youth, and he grabbed his father's sleeve. "Hey, it's Wendy!"

Geppetto's face cracked into a wide smile. "Well, hello, Wendy! It's been a while since we last talked, the day after we escaped from Monstro's belly! It's so good to see you all again!"

Pinocchio ran up to Wendy and hugged her joyfully, before pulling back to grab her hands. "I was wondering where you've been the other day, but now here you are! You've come to visit us, Wendy!"

Wendy giggled, "Not exactly what we had in mind, but you could say that. You been thinking about us, haven't you?"

Pinocchio nodded, "Uh-huh, ever since we got out of Monstro." He shook enthusiastically, "I'm just so happy you're here to see us, and so is Father!" Geppetto nodded in agreement.

Wendy beamed, "Oh, that's very nice of you!" She didn't hesitate to give him her own embrace, adding extra warmth to their reunion. "I'm glad to see you and your father are well, and as happy as ever." Pinocchio chuckled and fell into her arms for a moment before they pulled away. Donald, Goofy, Romeo, Sherria, and Carla were all equally delighted to see the father-son pair in high spirits, having put the chaos of Monstro behind them.

Sherria asked, "What are you two doing here?"

Geppetto explained, "A man named Leon helped us. He got us this house to live in so we wouldn't have to worry about paying rent for a room in the hotel. I don't know how I'll ever repay his kindness."

Romeo grinned, "That's Leon for ya. He's always thought of everything."

Donald blinked, "Wait a minute. Since when is he the kind of guy to hand out houses to newcomers?"

Goofy commented, "For a serious and quiet fella, he sure is nice and friendly to other people."

Sherria pointed out, "Well, he's helped us a lot with our quest across the universe, so..."

Geppetto spoke up, "Say, Wendy, I hear you and your friends are fighting the Heartless. I thought I might be able to help you, so I made these." He presented a box full of gummi blocks with a rolled up blueprint stashed on top. The group's eyes grew wide in wonder.

Donald identified, "More gummi blocks!"

Goofy took the blueprint and opened it to reveal the rough sketch of a brand new gummi model. "And a blueprint for new Gummi Ship designs!"

Wendy asked, "You made these for us?"

Geppetto nodded, "But of course! Pinocchio and I can't thank you enough after what you've done for us! In return, we'll do anything we can to help you."

Wendy appreciated, "Thank you, Mr. Geppetto. We won't forget this!"

Donald promised, "We'll make good use of these materials!"

Goofy agreed, "We appreciate any help you can give us!"

Pinocchio grinned, "I'm being good after I turned into a real boy, even without Jiminy's help. Oh..." A thought abruptly came to mind, "I almost forgot!" He dug into his pocket to produce two new Keychains. One was adorned with the token of a finely crafted yellow star, the other with an Ace of Cards.

Sherria indicated, "Two more Keychains!"

Romeo quipped, "The load just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Cool!"

Wendy questioned, "Where did you get these?"

Pinocchio explained, "I found them somewhere in the street and decided to bring them with me before Father and I went back home. I sort of had a feeling we might see you today, so I thought I'd give you these." He held them out for Wendy to take, "They're the Wishing Star and Lady Luck Keychains. I figured they'd fit into that Keyblade of yours, so I've been saving them as a present if you ever dropped by. I hope they'd be of big help to you."

Geppetto chuckled at how generous and helpful his son was to Wendy. "That's my boy!"

Wendy smiled as she pocketed the Keychains, adding them to her growing collection. "Thanks, Pinocchio. I'm sure they'll come in handy."

Romeo chuckled, "It's a real treat seeing you and your dad doing fine while we're out."

Geppetto nodded, "Yes, and I want you all to know that you're welcome to visit us anytime."

Wendy accepted, "We'd be happy to!"

Sherria confirmed, "Guess it's time we hit the streets. There's lots of stuff to do here in town."

Wendy agreed, "Yeah, we should get going now." As she and her friends said their goodbyes to the father-son duo, they left the household.

First District

"I must say, Pinocchio has changed. He's become rather confident without relying on you as his conscience," Carla spoke to Jiminy, who sat on Wendy's shoulder; he couldn't stop himself from wiping his eyes from tears of unspeakable joy over how much the former puppet had grown.

"I know. Seems like only that evening the Blue Fairy made me his official conscience," Jiminy sniffled. "Now that he's a real boy, Pinoke doesn't need me to guide him anymore... It looks to me like he's got a conscience of his very own... They grow up so fast!" A sob came out of his mouth, and he blew his nose into a napkin. It was only a short while before he calmed down, and he said, "Oh, well. It hasn't rained, anyway."

"So what now? I mean, where do you go from here?" Romeo asked.

"Where indeed? I'm sticking to my job as the royal chronicler!" Jiminy beamed. "There's plenty more to experience and lots to keep track of. I may no longer be Pinocchio's conscience, but that doesn't mean I can't be for the whole gang. If you need any help knowing which way is which, don't hesitate to ask this cricket. I'm all ears!"

"Glad to hear you're with us to the end, Jiminy," Sherria grinned. "What would this gang be without a cricket who chronicles our adventures, which will probably be heard of for generations to come?"

"Like I said before, Sherria, it's worth a shot," Jiminy chuckled.

"Hey, fellas, shouldn't we call on the others to come with us?" Goofy motioned to Lucy, Gray, Juvia, and Cana, who were still hanging out with the Fairy Tail residents.

"Nah, we got this," Donald refused. "Best to let those guys relax a little and have some fun. It's a Fairy Tail reunion, after all. We shouldn't get in the way. It's up to us to deliver the goods."

"Alright, then," Wendy confirmed. "For what it's worth, I think the others deserve a break after everything they've been through. Let's get going." The rest of the group concurred, and they set out for the Second District. Their first stop: the Dalmatian household.

Dalmatians' House

Reuniting the Dalmatian family had been one of Wendy's goals that she had refused to fail. Between combating the Alliance of Evil and locking Keyholes, she never forgot her promise to find all ninety-nine puppies and return them to their parents. And by adding the recovered forty-five to the total of fifty-four in the house, the family would be fully restored, and any remaining trace of sorrow and anxiety would disappear from the household. Goofy pressed a button on his wrist watch, and the forty-five puppies had already been transported from the safe confines of the Gummi Ship to the Dalmatian residence, greeted by the excited barks of their fifty-four brothers and sisters.

At long last, the 101 Dalmatians were back together again, safe and sound. Pongo and Perdita had never been more happier as they looked over their ninety-nine puppies running along the floor and across every room, filling the air with their barking. Some played on the piano, some lay happily on the couch, some rested their rumps on the furniture, some struggled for food in the kitchen, some stretched and yawned to get the stress of being stranded in other worlds out of their systems... The prosperity rolled on for what seemed like an eternity, and it brought warm feelings to Wendy's heart. She almost shed tears over the tender moment, but took comfort either way that she kept the promise she made with Leon. He and especially Yuffie and Aerith would be most pleased that she was true to her word; a Fairy Tail wizard wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. Pongo and Perdita couldn't thank Wendy enough for ensuring that every puppy was present and accounted for; a bunch of them gathered around her as a way of expressing gratitude to their savior. She blushed and gave an adoring smile, watching the puppies jump and prance. Just then, she was pounced on and licked all over, partly because they were drawn to her cuteness. Wendy ended up laughing out loud, and before long the puppies gave Donald, Goofy, Romeo, Sherria, and Carla the same hospitality. For a moment, the house brimmed with celebration and merriment.

Not long after, Wendy received the biggest reward Pongo and Perdita could ever give in light of all her efforts to bring their ninety-nine puppies back home. The prize came in a box stacked with lots of munny, healing items, gummi blocks, and an Aero Magic Orb. As it merged with Wendy's Keyblade and Donald's staff, the Aerora spell had been upgraded to its third and final form, Aeroga.

As much as she wanted to spend more time with the Dalmatians, Wendy knew that her priorities required she be needed elsewhere. But seeing the family whole and complete after a long period of separation made it all worth it. Sporting one more smile, she bid farewell to the Dalmatians, promising to meet them again one day. By the time the heroes left, Pongo looked over at Perdita, then happily back at their puppies. It was great to have the family together again. Their lives were at peace once more.

One side quest down, one more to go.

Magician's Study

"Hoooooh! It's about time I get a different feed!" The owl Archimedes flapped above the table as he awaited Merlin bringing in a bowl of seeds, which he scooped from an open sack right next to the blackboard. "I've always wanted to try out Traverse Town's world famous sunflower seeds! Personally, I expected something other than the old standard cracked corn you make for me every lunch. Not that I dislike cracked corn, it's just that every time I chew on a piece, it makes my beak go numb."

"Well, you're in luck! I'm giving you the honor of trying something new for a change," Merlin chortled. "I happened to purchase this big sack of sunflower seeds from the shopping center at the Second District..." He motioned his free hand to the sack, "...and what better way to start off today's lunch than to let you have a taste? Birds can't resist the sweet flavor of sunflower seeds. Who's to say it has the same effect on owls?"

"For once, I'd like to sink my beak into anything that's not cracked corn," Archimedes huffed, as he landed on the side of the table. "Those seeds better be worth my time. A highly educated owl's got to have standards, you know!"

"Ugh, some creatures tend to be demeaning over trivial things such as food," Merlin rolled his eyes. "Putting my comments aside, you must be wondering what makes Traverse Town's trademark sunflower seeds so special, and why the townspeople are quite fond of them."

"First of all, what do they call them?" Archimedes questioned. "A different brand of sunflower seeds exclusive to this world has got to have a name coupled with a secret ingredient or some unique tang, hasn't it?"

"To answer your question, Archimedes, they're called—"

Before Merlin finished his sentence, an Air Soldier Heartless that was set on fire suddenly crashed through the ceiling and landed on the table, barely crushing a section under its weight. The old wizard and especially his pet owl were flabbergasted by the action. "What-Who-When-What-Who-What-When-Who?!" Archimedes stammered shockingly.

"HEARTLESS!" Donald's vigorous squawk rang outside the study.

"We'll save ya, Merlin!" Goofy's urgent cry came after.

Right on cue, Wendy and her friends stormed in, armed with their weapons and magic; they were in pursuit of the Air Soldier that had escaped at the end of a recent scuffle with a wave of Heartless at the Third District. By the time they found it, however, Donald's Fira spell had already reduced its flaming body to dust. The soot ended up falling on the bowl of seeds Merlin was about to serve Archimedes. Despite this, the group was relieved that no one got hurt.

"Uhhhh..." A confused Merlin stared at the sunflower seeds seasoned in black dust, then faced Archimedes with a nervous smile. "Sunflower Power with Extra Air Soldier Seasoning?"

Archimedes looked at the bowl and sniffed the foul grime that contaminated his lunch, nearly forcing him to throw up. That sent him into a second stammering fit before he angrily slapped the bowl off the table, spilling seeds all over the floor. "Heartless molt on my bowl?! Disgusting!" He turned to Merlin, "I've just lost my appetite for seeds today. Looks like it's back to cracked corn for lunch..." He finished with an irritated moan, "...again. If anyone needs me, I'm getting a beak-ache, which I hope I don't get!" He flew up to his birdhouse while muttering complaints about the Air Soldier ruining what should have been an uneventful lunch.

Merlin sighed as he looked around the mess that was made. "This calls for a quick cleanup. Alakazam!" With a flick of his magic wind, the seeds on the floor were swept away by a moving broom and dust pan, and the hole on the roof repaired itself. He smiled upon seeing Wendy and company, "Ah, Wendy! How nice of you and your companions to drop in."

Sherria pointed out, "Emphasis on 'drop in'. A Heartless crashed through your roof after Donald shot it out of the sky with his fire magic. We had to follow it into your house to see if it's alive."

Romeo stated, "But lucky for us, it's gone away."

Goofy worried, "Gawrsh, if it was still kickin', it would've attacked ya!"

Donald frowned, "I don't get it. My Fira spell would've burned that pesky Heartless to a crisp in seconds! How come it dropped in here just before it went away and we stepped in?"

Carla mused, "Maybe if your spell had more might added to it, that Heartless would have been wiped out completely, and it wouldn't have crashed into Merlin's house. Or you should've used a different and more effective spell to bring it down before it reached the house."

Donald pondered, "Hmm..." He then confirmed with a nod, "Good point."

Romeo commented, "Man, those guys never stop dropping in to muck things up, huh?"

Sherria agreed, "Yep! For a flying baddie, I'd call that a daredevil landing, if not a happy one."

Wendy apologized, "Sorry, Merlin. We had to fight Heartless on our way here. We didn't know they'd break into your house..."

Merlin added, "...only for the one who did to burn out before it could do me in." He chortled cordially, "I expect no less! The young Keyblade bearer is as vigilant and upstanding as ever, I see." Wendy giggled in response. "How goes your journey? I see you've learned a lot since the last time you stepped into my humble abode."

Wendy smiled, "Uh-huh, everything's going great so far. We've saved some more worlds and made some new friends. I even learned a few new tricks along the way. I'd like to try them out if I have the time."

Merlin assured, "Fortunately, you've come to the right place at the right time. You are about to practice your new tricks in a special training ground I'm setting up for you!"

Wendy chuckled, "Thanks, Merlin, but as much as I want to ask you for that, there's something we gotta do here first."

Merlin asked, "Oh? Then perhaps you've come to deliver the rest of the book's missing pages?"

Wendy nodded, "Yes."

Goofy whispered to Donald, "How does he know that we're bringin' in the pages?"

Donald whispered back, "Must be a lucky guess. Or is it from that rotten owl of his?"

Archimedes immediately popped out of his birdhouse, scowling at Donald upon overhearing his unintentional insult. "Hoo hoo! Rotten, you say?!"

"WAK!" Donald quacked fearfully at seeing the owl's reaction. "I-I-I-I didn't mean to say that! Really, I didn't—"

Archimedes puffed out his chest and rolled up his feathers like sleeves. "Oh, I'll show YOU who's rotten! COME HERE!" He then launched himself at Donald and began beating him to a pulp, immersing themselves in a fight cloud. The cloud floated out of the house as the socking and clocking resounded, until the squabble ended with Donald squawking in agony.

Goofy and Sherria stared at the exit with blank expressions and agape jaws. The Sky God Slayer first broke the ice, "Wow... Compared to Donald, that owl's fuse is even shorter!"

Goofy sweated, "And he clobbers hard as a horse's hoof nail! If that owl was the royal court magician instead of Donald, I'd be careful not to tick him off in any way. King Mickey or anybody in the staff wouldn't, either."

Sherria nodded, "You read my mind. Can you imagine adding an owl with a bad attitude to our team, then one day you tick him off when you're in the Gummi Ship? Extreme, full-blown brawling all around!" She rubbed her chin, "Come to think of it, Fairy Tail wizards usually get into a brawl when things get rowdy in their guildhall. Then again, it's another way of expressing their feelings. They're just having fun. A guild couldn't have asked for a bunch of funny friends to make life better than normal. But what are the chances of the owl winning a fight with top-tier Fairy Tail brawlers like Gray or Natsu? Probably one in a million."

Archimedes came back inside, dusting his wings with a smug 'Hmph!' before flying back up to his birdhouse. Soon, Donald poked his head from the entrance, and looked around before saying, "Whoever's the owner of the flashlight outside, you left it on." With that, he lumbered over with his head literally sticking out of the bell of a trombone, the rest of his body stuck in the mouthpiece, much to Goofy and Sherria's dismay. Trombone notes sounded with each step as the duck nonchalantly walked towards the bed. As he sat down, he made a long note when he opened his mouth.

Sherria advised, "You know, Donald, you may have a lot of buttons, but you should be more careful with somebody else's."

Donald scowled, "Shut up. We never speak about it again. Ever." He pulled the trombone off his body and tossed it aside.

Sherria assured, "Our lips are sealed." She made a zipper mouth gesture to emphasize her point.

Goofy stared at the discarded trombone oddly. "I didn't know Merlin's a musician..."

Meanwhile, Wendy held out the remaining torn pages she and her friends collected throughout their quest. "Here's the other three pages. That should be enough to fix the book, right?"

Merlin took the pages and analyzed them. "A-ha! Indeed, that makes three. The sooner I attach them to this book as I did the other two..." He glanced at the old book on the nightstand, "...the story will be complete for all to see!"

Wendy smiled, "That's great! But..." She grew curious, "What kind of story, exactly?"

Merlin encouraged, "Let's make repairs to the old thing before we see for ourselves, shall we? Presto!" He swished his wand, and the torn pages levitated around the open book before they dove right inside, restoring themselves within its confines. But instead of slamming shut like last time, the book remained open.

Romeo asked, "Okay, what now?"

Merlin answered, "I'm... uncertain."

Wendy offered, "I'll go check it out." She crossed over to the nightstand and stood before the open book, where the picture of a map of some kind was drawn on both pages. She reached out to touch the map, but soon got more than she bargained for— the pages shone brightly, and the book suddenly ensnared her in a magical vacuum that was sucking her in! "Aaaahh! W-What's going on?!"

Sherria gasped, "It's the book!"

Romeo shouted, "What's it doing to her?!"

Carla panicked, "Wendy!"

Wendy cried frantically, "H-Help! Somebody!" Her friends wasted no time holding onto her. They pulled as hard as they could, but the force was too strong for even their combined strength to help her break free from the vacuum. Finally, she had been completely absorbed into the book, moments before it slammed shut.

"WEEENNNNDDDDY!" Everyone else screamed in horror.

"D-Did you see that?" Sherria stuttered.

"The book gobbled her up!" Goofy exclaimed.

"It can't be! She can't be gone!" Carla protested.

"Hang on, Wendy! I'll save ya!" Donald ran up to the book and tried to pry it open with his bare hands, but any further effort was rendered moot as an invisible force kept the covers sealed tight. After his last attempt failed, Donald slumped to the floor, panting heavily. "Why... won't this... thing... open?"

"Merlin, is there anything we can do?" Romeo asked, obviously concerned for Wendy's well-being.

"Apparently, once we restored the pages, Wendy was dragged into the world of the book itself," Merlin stated. "Since we can't open it from the outside, it's safe to assume that it can be from the inside. So at this point, I..." He hesitated at words before continuing, "I'm afraid I don't see how we can be of any help to her." He looked down and sighed deeply, "I can't say what will become of Wendy, but we can only hope that she made it there safely, somewhere within this book. Whatever she does from here..." He looked back up with a firm gaze, "...will be up to her now. All we can do for the time being is wait... and have faith that she will somehow come back to us."

The others didn't seem reassured, but knew that all hope wasn't lost. Romeo believed in Merlin's words the most. If anyone could get out of dire situations than this one, it was Wendy, whom he grew to trust with his life over the course of the adventure they shared. "Yeah..." he thought to himself. "Wendy will come back. I know she will."

"I'm hungry," Goofy said randomly, as he heard his stomach growling. "Got somethin' to eat?"

"Who wants sandwiches?" Merlin asked cheerfully.

"I DO!" Donald, Goofy, and Sherria excitedly raised their hands and raced for the table. Romeo and Carla kept staring at the book, anxious of what mysteries awaited Wendy in the world within its covers.

Story Map

Wendy wasn't sure what happened, but she knew for an instant that she was no longer in Merlin's house. She landed on the book's pages, which had grown the size of a landscape, or perhaps she may have gotten smaller. Whatever the case, the open book was considered vast enough to fit more than a few hundred. "How did..." She looked around, wondering how she came to be in this new environment. "Where am I? Am I... inside the book?" The more she observed her surroundings, the easier it was to let the facts sink in. "Hello?" Wendy called out into the vastness, expecting someone to hear her voice, or at least any party member who ended up being sucked into the book along with her. The only answer she received were the echoes of her own voice. "Hello? Anybody?" She repeated her call, and was met with the same result. She soon came to the conclusion that she was on her own, though it didn't seem to bother her at the slightest. "Wow... I really am in the book..." One more inspection of the two-page scenery was the last confirmation she needed, and a soft gasp escaped her throat.

Just then, there was a flash of light, and Wendy looked to her right. One out of several white patches which lay scattered along the open pages disappeared to reveal a grassy clearing with a triangular-shaped tent made of wooden sticks. "What's this? Are the missing pages coming together?" She paused to stare at the first location on the map before deciding to enter.

Meadow

The Sky Maiden found herself in an empty meadow surrounded by trees, scattered with a few flowers and rocks, and a large overturned log in the middle. Sitting on top of the log was a small bear with golden fur, a black nose, black beady eyes, and black eyebrows, his only article of clothing a small red shirt. He looked rotund and huggable like a stuffed animal, but he was clearly thinking hard about something. He had one fingerless paw tap his noggin repeatedly, as if trying to jog his memory. The bear murmured, "Think, think. Think, think."

Wendy stared at the bear with intrigue. She couldn't help but wonder what's been going through his mind, and felt that she wanted to find out. She approached him, but he didn't appear to notice her, as he was still tapping the side of his head and murmuring in deep thought. "Hello there," Wendy greeted with a friendly wave, then crossed her arms behind her. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," the bear answered. "Just thinking."

"Really? What are you thinking about?" Wendy asked.

"I was just thinking of how to say goodbye to Pooh," the bear stated.

"Pooh?" Wendy echoed.

"Yes?" The bear dropped his arms and looked at the Sky Dragon Slayer.

"Wait a second. You're Pooh? Is that your name?" Wendy questioned, sitting on the log beside him.

"Yes, I'm Winnie the Pooh. Pooh for short," the bear smiled pleasantly. "Who are you?"

"I'm Wendy."

"Oh. Hello, Wendy," Pooh's smile faded. "Have you come to say goodbye to Pooh, too?"

"Why would I do that when we've only just met?" Wendy chuckled sweetly. "When you first meet someone, don't you say hello? I've never had to meet someone just to say goodbye right away."

"Because everyone's gone away," Pooh bemoaned.

"Gone away? What do you mean?" Wendy wondered.

"Well, we all lived here in the Hundred Acre Wood," Pooh narrated. "And we'd take walks together, or play Pooh sticks... And every day, I'd eat some honey." He smacked his lips and rubbed his tummy, "Just one small smackerel would taste very good right now." He sadly continued, "But now everyone's gone. All my friends, and my favorite Hunny Tree, too."

"Oh, my..." Wendy gasped in surprise. "I'm so sorry, Pooh. When did this happen?"

"Everyone must've gone away while I was napping... I think," Pooh assumed. "So, who knows?" He hopped off the log, "Maybe I shall end up going away somewhere as well. But I wonder, how do I say goodbye to myself?" He put his hands on his head, "Think, think, think."

"Pooh's friends are gone away..." Wendy tapped her chin thoughtfully as she stared at Pooh. "I think it has something to do with the missing pages we've already added to the book. Could his friends be there? If so, then maybe I can do something to fix all that..."

Pooh suddenly heard a growl from his tummy. "Oh, my tumbly is getting rather rumbly." With that, he wandered away from Wendy and left the meadow.

Wendy determined, "I know everyone's expecting me on the other side, but I can't just ignore this. What Pooh said about his friends gone away sounds very serious... He's sad and all alone without his friends. I don't want him to feel that way... Deep down, I know how much it hurts." She held a hand to her chest as she had nothing but sympathy for the poor bear. His friends' disappearance, the time he spent in solitude, it was no different than all the tribulations she had to endure in the past; she witnessed firsthand what life would be like without friends, and seeing Pooh in such grief fostered in her a desire to help solve his dilemma. "I gotta help him out!" Wendy's mind was already set. After discovering a Megalixir from a hole in the log, she followed the trail where Pooh made his exit.

100 ACRE WOOD

Story Map

Wendy returned to the book's open pages, where she discovered a new location drawn at the center of the left page. It was a humble cottage built into the roots of a large tree, standing alongside a meandering forest path. She assumed that Pooh would be heading there, and was already on her way.

Pooh's House

She wandered through the woods until she stopped at the cottage. "This must be where Pooh lives," Wendy assumed, walking over to the front door. She looked at the mailbox nearby, and sure enough, it had the name of said bear on it. Hanging above the door was an odd sign reading "MR. SANDERZ" with a backwards 'N', as well as a bell with a misspelled note reading "RNIG ALSO". There was also a small cooking fire with a log to sit on directly below the door. "I hope he doesn't mind..." Wendy thought out loud, before entering the house.

Pooh's Room

Through the door of Pooh's house was a spartan room with a chair, a table, a bed, a window, some clocks and paintings of pots labeled "hunny" (which Wendy correctly assumed was meant to be "honey"), two cupboards filled with pots of the same label, and an insane amount of others littering the floor. Pooh, in particular, was gazing inside a honey pot with his head inside it.

"Oh, bother. There's no more honey left," Pooh put down the pot and sighed dreamily. "If only the Hunny Tree would visit... then I could eat my fill." He stood up and left the house, unaware of the guest that just came in.

"He's hungry, isn't he..." Wendy murmured, before following Pooh outside.

Pooh's House

Just as she was about to find where Pooh had gone off to, Wendy heard a loud ruffling sound behind her. She turned around to see a large owl flutter down to perch on top of the log near the firewood. He had a light tan plumage on his underside, a brown plumage on his head, tail, and back, a short tuft of white feathers under his beak resembling a beard, black eyes with a pale yellow sclera, brown talons, and a yellow beak.

"Ah, good greetings to you, miss!" the owl addressed. "Why, I haven't seen a soul this graceful and radiant since my dear Aunt Clargo, who captures the hearts of creatures everywhere with her charming beauty."

"C-C-Charming? Oh, I..." Wendy's face turned slightly red at the owl's sweet compliment, as it reminded her of how so many others were drawn to her cuteness. It was only a short while before she pulled herself together, and she asked, "Are you one of Pooh's friends?"

"Yes, and one quite known for my inspiring rhetoric," the owl answered. "My name is Owl, a bird with an extensive knowledge of many things here in the Hundred Acre Wood. Whenever anyone has a question they can't answer, they ask me." He gestured a wing to himself, "Just ask, and I'm more than happy to provide." He stroked his feathery beard, "Let me guess, kind ma'am: you'd like to know what happens next."

"Well, yeah," Wendy nodded. "I'm a bit worried about Pooh. He awfully misses his friends, and he's hungry for honey. If only there's something I can do to help..."

"Fortunately, all the missing pages that were scattered over many worlds had been restored to the book," Owl assured. "You have nothing to fear."

"You know about the book?!" Wendy gasped, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Oh, but of course!" Owl smiled. "I happen to be the only character in the storybook who is well aware of the reality surrounding this world. Ever since the pages were ripped away from the book, life in the Hundred Acre Wood isn't what it seems. You saw how Pooh Bear felt when the others up and disappeared, correct?"

"Yes," Wendy nodded.

"But now that you're here, there might still be a chance," Owl continued. "Your arrival can't just be a coincidence, I'll say. Perhaps you were meant to be a part of this story, to ensure all is right with the world."

"What can I do?" Wendy asked.

"Though the pages are restored, they remain blank," Owl explained. "To refill them, you must complete a certain event in the book. Expositions are, after all, the words that are written in the story. And expositions are required to give the story much clarity and meaning. That way, you can help Pooh Bear out with his current predicament. The restored pages may also contain the rest of our friends, so be sure to check them out one by one, if you don't mind?"

"Yes, I will!" Wendy was pleased with this information. "I was kinda figuring that I should do something about it, anyway." She took Owl's wing and shook it happily, "Thank you, Owl. Now I know what I must do."

"The pleasure is all mine, miss," Owl grinned, reciprocating the gesture. He then leaned closer to her face and lowered his voice to speak to her in private. "Oh, and uh, let's keep this between us about the reality of our world, shall we? I don't wish to advertise some of my... otherworldly knowledge."

"Oh, okay. Sure," Wendy agreed with a whisper, then returned to her normal voice. "Thanks again!" She made her way out of the area with Owl waving behind her, confident in knowing there was at least one person who knew what was going on in the world of the storybook.

Story Map

The second white haze to disappear from the map was on the upper left-hand side of the right page, revealing a tall, curious tree on a small knoll buzzing with bees. The knoll also held a small pond and another hollow log. "This must be the Hunny Tree Pooh was talking about," Wendy guessed. "I'd better go see if he's there."

Hunny Tree

By the time she entered the page, she realized her assumption was right. The tall tree on the knoll reached towards the sky, with cavities and beehives nestled in almost every branch. As she approached the hollow log a few feet away, she heard a small, timid voice.

"Hello, i-is anyone there?" From inside the log came out a tiny pink piglet, not much taller than Wendy's ankle, and dressed in a pink jumper. The timid creature wrung his hands and shuffled around nervously. "Wh-Wh-What am I to do? I'm all alone." He called out, "Pooh? Pooh? Where are you? It's me, Piglet." As a large shadow crept over his tiny frame, Piglet turned around. He gave a startled yelp at the sight of Wendy towering over him and ran away towards the base of the tree.

"H-Hey, wait!" Wendy cried, but the scared individual already hid behind the roots, and she sweat dropped. "Why is he afraid of me...?" She then saw Piglet's head peeking out from behind a bush growing at the tree trunk. He just peered over, clearly shaken by her imposing presence, then concealed himself within the bush again. Wendy tried to approach him several times, but every time she got close, Piglet would hide back. "Easy there, little guy. I'm not gonna hurt you." He didn't even seem to heed her pleas. Wendy started to think that a frontal approach would be impossible, and thus decided on a new plan. Instead of walking away, she snuck around the other side of the tree to catch Piglet from behind.

By the time Wendy disappeared from sight, Piglet slowly crept out of his hiding spot. He took several cautious steps forward, looking out over the area to see if it was safe. However, he felt a familiar tall presence behind him, and turned. It was already too late for him to scurry back into the bush; the small animal stood frozen in place, completely terrified as he closed his eyes. "Oh, dear! I was j-just... N-Never mind. I'm sorry!"

Wendy felt a little guilty for unintentionally frightening Piglet, but smiled and knelt down to his level. "Don't be scared. I said I'm not gonna hurt you. Your name's Piglet, right?"

Piglet opened his eyes and answered, "Y-Yes, that's my n-name."

Wendy questioned, "Are you looking for Pooh?"

Piglet looked at her in surprise. "You know Pooh, too?"

Wendy nodded happily, "Of course! I met him not long before. And you must be a friend of his."

Piglet sighed with relief in knowing that she meant him no harm. "Oh, thank g-goodness..."

Wendy asked, "Why are you looking for Pooh?"

Piglet explained, "Oh, y-you see, I-I have something for him. I have to take it to Pooh right away. Do you know where he is?"

Before Wendy could respond, she heard a pleasant humming from the distance. She and Piglet turned to see Winnie the Pooh walking towards the Hunny Tree. There was lightness to each step, and he hummed cheerfully as he walked. "Oh, Pooh!" Piglet wasted no time approaching the bear as fast as his little legs could take him.

Pooh came to a stop in front of the tree. He began sniffing the air, and at once, his smile grew. "Oh, I believe I smell a delicious something— a something like honey!"

"Pooh!" Piglet met up with him.

"Hello, Piglet," Pooh greeted his friend. "How have you been?"

"Oh, I-I'm so glad to see you. I thought you'd gone away," Piglet smiled. "I brought wh-what you asked for." He hurried back to the log he had been hiding in, reached inside, and pulled out a blue balloon, which he then carried back to where Pooh was.

"A balloon?" Wendy identified.

"Thank you, Piglet. Now I can finally have some honey," Pooh beamed.

"Really? B-But how?" Piglet asked.

"I shall hold on to the balloon, and fly like a bee up the Hunny Tree, see," Pooh explained.

"But if you take their honey, won't the bees be angry?" Piglet pointed out.

Pooh paused, staring at the balloon as he tried to come up with a solution. "Hmm..." He soon spotted Wendy nearby. "Oh! Wendy, might I ask you a favor?" She approached the two, and the bear made some introductions, "Piglet, this is my new friend, Wendy. Wendy, this is my very dear friend, Piglet."

Wendy smiled, "It's very nice to meet you."

Piglet smiled back, "S-Same here, Wendy."

Wendy asked Pooh, "So, what's this favor you're asking me?"

Pooh almost forgot about his idea regarding the Hunny Tree. "Ah, yes! I was just thinking, you see... If you could only chase away those bees, I'm quite certain I could get a small morsel of honey. Would you help me get some honey?"

Wendy accepted, "Sure! Anything I can do to help out."

At that moment, a shadow fluttered over them, and they looked up to see Owl landing on the lowest branch. Pooh greeted, "Hello there, Owl."

Owl smiled, "Good day, Pooh. What are you doing?" He examined the balloon in Pooh's hand. "Ah, using a balloon to get some honey?"

Pooh replied, "Yes, and my new friend Wendy is going to help chase away the bees while I get myself a smackerel of honey." He motioned to the Sky Maiden, who nodded.

Owl approved, "Splendid idea! Allow me to offer a few pointers." He flew up to a higher branch, and then cleared his throat. "Now, Pooh can get honey by floating up this tree with his balloon. The honey is inside the tree hollows, not the beehives you see here." He flew to an even higher branch, "There's quite a lot of honey in these holes. If Pooh gets too close, the bees will come out to protect their honey. If they get to Pooh, they'll pop his balloon. Lock onto the bees and swat them away. The more time Pooh has at each hollow, the more honey he can eat. There's more honey higher up, too."

Wendy wondered, "But how is Pooh gonna fly up with his balloon?"

Owl answered, "It's quite simple, my dear. Just give him a boost, and he'll be able to take flight." He gestured to himself, "Just like yours truly." He ended with a hearty chortle.

Wendy nodded, "Alright, let's give it a try."

Owl encouraged, "Good luck, you two!"

Wendy held Pooh in her arms, staring up at the Hunny Tree as she prepared herself. "One... two... three!" She hoisted him into the air, and he was floating gracefully up the tree for a few seconds until he reached the nearest hollow. He entered the hollow to gather and eat as much honey as he could to satisfy his appetite.

Wendy cheered, "It worked!"

Piglet jumped in excitement. "Hooray!"

Their joy was short-lived when a swarm of bees emerged from a nearby hive, furious and determined to attack Pooh Bear for attempting to steal their most valued treasure. Piglet exclaimed, "It's the bees!"

Wendy shouted, "Gotta move!" Pulling out her Keyblade, she leapt up the branches and swatted away the bees, allowing Pooh to enjoy his meal uninterrupted. Soon after scooping enough amounts from the first hollow, he moved up to the next in the nearest branch.

The Sky Maiden continued to jump from one branch to another, whacking bees as Pooh gorged supply after supply of honey. If disposing of swarms at close range wasn't plausible, and she ended up stuck on a branch with little to no time in leaping over to the next, Wendy had to cast Sky Magic in order to blow away the bees at that distance. Another distinct advantage was that whenever she hit a swarm, an extra recoil would bounce her upward to another branch. Pooh kept flying up the tree, where there was more honey than down below. The highest hollow had a near endless supply; all Wendy had to do was swat the bees before they even landed a single sting.

"It is rather funny what I will do for honey," Pooh giggled, as he grabbed handfuls in his mouth from inside the last hollow in the Hunny Tree.

In a matter of minutes, the plan was a complete success, and no one got stung by the angry bees. Pooh and Wendy climbed down the tree and landed to the ground, the former rubbing his belly while the latter felt relieved that the task was done.

Pooh smacked his lips. "That was yummy in my tummy, but there's room for a bit more."

Wendy smiled, "I'm glad you've had your fill. How are you..." As she looked around, she noticed that Pooh had already gone. "He's not here anymore."

Piglet assumed, "He must've wandered off someplace else. Hm?" He saw something on the grass and picked it up. "There's this nice shiny rock! Did Pooh leave it behind for us?" The object in his hand happened to be a glimmering emerald stone shaped like a tree, encircled in a golden ring filled with leaves.

Wendy requested, "Let me see that." Piglet handed her the stone, and upon further analysis, she was quick to acknowledge the radiance and the powerful magic surging within it. "A new Summon Gem!" She turned to face Piglet, "If Pooh did drop this, he wouldn't miss it, would he?"

Piglet replied, "Knowing Pooh Bear, I don't see why not. I think he left that shiny rock as a way of thanking you for helping him get all that honey. If you want, it's all yours."

Wendy grinned, "Okay, I'll hold on to it. You could say it's my way of thanking him, too."

Piglet beamed, "You've been a big hand, Wendy. It really means so much that you're here!"

Wendy chuckled, echoing Aerith's statement from earlier, "No worries. It's what friends do for friends." With the new Summon Gem in hand, she departed from the Hunny Tree. "I'll give this to the Fairy Godmother just as soon as I've taken care of things here."

Story Map

As Wendy returned to the map, there was a new location to access on the far upper-left corner of the left page. It was a cottage built into the roots of a tree, much like Pooh's, standing above a broad expanse of vegetable fields.

Rabbit's House

Walking along a clear path between the vegetable fields and crossing the bridge over a tiny stream, Wendy noticed that the cottage had a respectable mailbox, a clothesline, and a gutter pipe. The mailbox was labeled "RABBiT", a clear indication of who owned the place. A letter was found resting on the open hatch, and Wendy picked it from the mailbox to read it aloud. "I hope we'll be finding more honey together soon! –Pooh" She placed the letter back inside, closing it up. "This letter is meant for whoever lives here..." She walked up to the front door, but stopped when she heard a panicked voice.

"Nobody's home! And I'm out of honey!"

Wendy blinked, "Hm? Am I hearing someone?" She walked to the back of the tree, where the pair of Pooh and Piglet stared through a hole in the burrow beneath a sign reading "RABBiT'S HOWSE". "Oh, it's you two! What are you doing here?"

Piglet turned to face Wendy. "Ah, Wendy! Look, Rabbit's house c-came back! But it looks like Rabbit isn't home. Pooh's been calling and calling, but the house says no one's there."

Pooh projected his voice into the hole. "Nobody's home?"

The voice hastily responded, "That's right, nobody!"

Wendy echoed, "Nobody? Hmm..." She found it very suspicious, and she consulted Pooh, "Somebody has to be in there. I mean, there has to be, since somebody must've said 'nobody', right?"

Pooh agreed, "I believe you are right, Wendy." He sat down and put one paw to the side of his head, thinking for a moment. "Hmm... Who is this person named Nobody?"

While he and Piglet pondered the possibilities, Wendy decided she would look into it herself. She wandered back around the house and went for the door, opening it just enough to see through a crack.

Rabbit's Room

In a manner similar to Pooh's house, the interior was simply one round room, but neater and tidier. There were a few paintings of carrots hanging from the walls, a large woven rug on the floor, a huge table in the middle, a lantern dangling from the roots of the ceiling, a wooden drawer set by the window, a wooden cabinet filled with assorted kitchenware, and a basket of freshly picked carrots. Standing near the cabinet and facing the hole in the burrow stood a rabbit with predominantly yellow fur, except for his belly, mouth, and tail, all of which were white.

"Nobody, have you seen Rabbit?" Pooh's voice asked from outside.

"No!" the aforementioned character answered fearfully. "No Rabbit here! There's no one here!" Unfortunately for him, Pooh had already dug his way in. Rabbit held his head in defeat as the bear emerged with a cheerful smile, Piglet waddling in from behind afterwards. Seeing that Pooh was all too familiar with the owner of the house, Wendy opened the door to let herself enter.

Pooh chimed, "Hello, Rabbit!"

Rabbit tried not to sound so miserable in front of his guests. "Why, P-Pooh. What a pleasant surprise..." He sounded a little less exasperated when addressing Piglet, "Nice to see you, too, Piglet. And..." He glanced at Wendy, who stood at the doorway. "Is this a new friend?"

Wendy replied, "Yes, I'm a friend of Pooh's. You can call me Wendy."

Rabbit grinned, "Why, it's nice to meet you, Wendy. It's not every day I get to have a sweet girl like yourself come visit me in the comfort of my home." That caused Wendy to giggle. "I'm Rabbit, and I'm the owner of this huge garden of vegetables right outside my door." He pointed his thumb at the door, "I take it you've already seen it your first time here?"

Wendy smiled, "I have. There's carrots, cabbages, pumpkins, and lots everywhere! There's so many of them, I can't count them all."

As Rabbit was about to compliment her, he saw Pooh walking around the room, sniffing the air a few times. He faced the bear with an apologetic expression. "P-Pooh, I'm sorry, but... I'm all out of honey at the moment."

Pooh seemed to be ignorant of the fact as he kept on sniffing. "Wendy, do you smell honey?"

Wendy admitted, "Well, no... But I guess I can help you look for some."

Rabbit cried frantically, "N-No, please! I've nothing to give Pooh! Don't waste your time looking around!"

But it was too late; Wendy and Piglet spotted a blue honey pot on a tree root going through the ceiling. Once the Sky Dragon Slayer reached up and grabbed the pot, she looked into it. Sure enough, the pot was filled to the brim with golden honey, and she handed it to Pooh. "Here you go."

Pooh's face lit up with delight. "Why, thank you, Wendy! It looks good enough to eat."

Rabbit stuttered, "H-Honey? Now, how did that get up there?" It was hard to tell if he was genuinely surprised or frightened. He then sighed deeply as he faced Pooh, "Would you like some, Pooh? Don't feel you have to, of course."

Pooh sat at the table, cradling the honey pot in his arms. "Oh, thank you, Rabbit. I would like just a small smackerel. I'm quite hungry."

Wendy laughed slightly, "He sure is. But..." She grew curious, "Didn't he just eat a whole bunch from the Hunny Tree? Hasn't he already eaten enough?"

Piglet stated, "Pooh is always hungry. He can't resist the sweet taste of honey, and he eats as much as he wants. He just can't get enough."

Wendy confirmed, "So that explains why he hasn't gotten any fatter, no matter how much he eats." She laughed again, "He really loves his honey, just like any other bear would."

Piglet chuckled softly, "V-Very much so."

Pooh began feasting on the honey, scooping its sticky sweetness into his mouth without a moment's rest. Rabbit let out another defeated sigh and moved towards his cabinet. He opened up a drawer, browsing its contents before turning to Wendy and Piglet. "Can I get you two anything?"

Piglet shook his head, "Oh, no, th-that's alright, Rabbit."

Wendy added, "We're fine, thanks."

Rabbit perked up at their polite refusal and smiled in relief. He turned back to Pooh, still eating to his heart's content. "Uh, Pooh Bear... You're not eating the whole pot, are you?" Between scooping honey into his mouth and the merry tune he was humming to himself, Pooh didn't hear him. "Once you start, there's no stopping you, is there..." He ate, and ate, and ate, and ate... until at last the pot was empty, and he had to insert his arm to scrape up what was left. And just like that, Rabbit was back to feeling worried and distressed. "Ohh... Out of honey again."

Pooh stuck his snout into the pot to lap up the last traces of honey, then withdrew with a happy giggle. He said in a rather sticky voice, "I must be going now." He shook Rabbit's hand, "Goodbye, Rabbit." Piglet moved to follow the bear while Wendy inched towards the door. She wasn't sure if they were planning on going back outside through the hole in the wall, but since it didn't bother them, she had no say in the matter.

Rabbit replied, "Well, goodbye, if you're sure you won't have any more." He remained as courteous as he could.

Pooh turned back hopefully. "Is there any more?"

Rabbit's ears drooped, and he looked back at the empty pot on the table. "No, there isn't."

Pooh nodded to himself, "I thought not."

Thinking there was nothing more to do here, Wendy left the house to wait for Pooh and Piglet outside.

Rabbit's House

The Sky Dragon Slayer was about to cross the bridge back to the garden when she heard a desperate cry. "H-Help! Please, help Pooh!" She turned to see Piglet running up to her, only to trip on the ground at her feet.

"Piglet!" Wendy crouched to lift him off the ground before standing back up. "What's wrong?"

"Pooh's in trouble! He needs help!" Piglet panicked. "Come quickly!"

Rabbit's Room

They ran back inside to find Pooh's lower body stuck in the very hole he used as an alternative entry to Rabbit's house. "Oh, help and bother! I'm stuck again. I came in through this hole, so it must have shrunk."

"You got stuck on the way out?!" Wendy exclaimed.

"Oh, wh-what to do?" Piglet worried.

"All this because he can't stop liking honey too much!" Rabbit frowned, the dismay on his face quickly giving way to annoyance.

"Too much?" Wendy's eyes widened in shock as the gravity of the situation hit her. "Uh-oh... That honey must've added some extra weight, and it got him stuck!" She hung her head in disgrace, "It's all my fault... I never should've given him that honey pot, or this wouldn't have happened..." Her self-pity was brief when she saw Rabbit hurrying out the door, prompting her and Piglet to follow him.

Rabbit's House

They ran around to the back of the burrow, where Pooh's head and arms stuck out. "Oh, how will I eat honey if I'm stuck here?" he asked disparagingly, then faced Wendy. "When it's lunch time, perhaps you could bring me a honey jar."

"Um, I don't think it'll help..." Wendy sweated.

"No honey 'til you're unstuck!" Rabbit insisted, then turned to Wendy and Piglet. "If Pooh doesn't slim down, my house will stay plugged up forever! If only there were something we could do..."

"Don't worry, Pooh. We'll get you out of there!" Wendy assured him. "We just need to find a way to loosen you up."

"Wait, I know!" Rabbit perked his head up with an idea, his ears pointed upward. "A bit of carrot top juice will do the trick! I have a carrot patch on the other side of the stream. Carrot top juice is just the ticket to slimming down a Pooh!"

"That's a great idea, Rabbit!" Wendy beamed.

"Y-Yes, a w-wonderful idea, Rabbit!" Piglet agreed.

Rabbit turned towards his vegetable garden. "Well, then, I'll just— Oh, no!" A look of horror suddenly replaced his smile as he looked out across the garden entrance, his body rigid with fear.

The figure bouncing up the path towards Rabbit's house was an orange tiger with black stripes covering most of his body, except for the tan on his belly and around his eyes and mouth. He was bouncing around on the tip of his long tail like a pogo stick, laughing and whooping "Hoo hoo hoo hoo!" without any regard for where he landed. A merry grin was plastered across the tiger's face as he made a beeline for the burrow and sang to himself.

?: The wonderful thing about Tiggers
Is Tiggers are wonderful things
Their tops are made out of rubber
Their bottoms are made out of springs
They're bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy
Fun, fun, fun, fun, FUN!
But the most wonderful thing about Tiggers
Is I'm the only one

"NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NOOOOOO!" Rabbit exclaimed hysterically as the tiger jumped onto the bridge, destroying it in a single bound. He soared over the vegetable fields, past the picket fence and right over Rabbit's head. Rabbit relaxed slightly upon seeing that none of his vegetables were damaged... yet.

Wendy barely had time to react when the tiger tackled her, sending them both rolling across the ground. "Hoo hoo hoo hoo!" She ended up lying down with the newcomer standing on her chest. "Hey there! Name's Tigger!" He gestured to himself proudly, "T-I-double-guh-RR. That spells Tigger!" He straightened to get a better look at Wendy, "Well, now..." He leaned forward and pressed his large pink nose against hers, "I don't think I've ever seen you before."

"Oh, uh... Me neither..." Wendy couldn't contain her slight awkwardness at this rather odd interaction, but made no effort to rebuke the new character for the sake of pleasantry.

"Hello, Tigger," Pooh addressed him. "You've just bounced my new friend Wendy."

"Oh, Wendy. Sure..." Tigger chuckled, before he once more pressed his nose against Wendy's. "What's a Wendy?"

"I'm Wendy," Wendy clarified, a little dazed by the pounce. "You're sitting on me."

"I am? Oh, well, glad to meet ya," Tigger got off Wendy and hoisted her up to shake her hand. "Name's Tigger. That's T-I-double-guh-RR. And that's me. Hoo hoo hoo hoo."

"I know," Wendy laughed lightly. "You just said your name out loud. Why'd you have to pounce on me, though?"

"Oh, 'cause pouncin' is what Tiggers do best," Tigger grinned.

"What Tiggers do best?" Wendy repeated in confusion.

"Well, let me tell ya..." Tigger suddenly caught her in a tight, fuzzy embrace as he sang the next verse of his theme song.

Tigger: Tiggers are cuddly fellas
Tiggers are awfully sweet
Ev'ryone el-us is jealous
That's why I repeat and repeat!

Letting go of Wendy, Tigger sidestepped one way, sidestepped back, and then bounced on his tail.

The wonderful thing about Tiggers
Is Tiggers are marvelous claps
They're loaded with vim and vigor
They love to leap in your laps

He bounced on his feet around Wendy before stopping in front of her, doing several jump ropes with his tail.

They're jumpy, bumpy, clumpy, thumpy
Fun, fun, fun, fun, FUN!

He grabbed her hands and bounced in a half circle, then released her.

But the most wonderful thing about Tiggers
Is I'm the only one
I'm the only one! *growl*

Although she was a bit perplexed by the song and dance routine, Wendy burst into cheerful laughter. Tigger was definitely the most enthusiastic character she ever met in the Hundred Acre Wood so far. "You're so lively and carefree! I'm taking a liking you already!"

Tigger beamed, "Well, that's a first! Never thought I'd see the day a Wendy actually appreciates a Tigger for who and what he is on the inside, and a Tigger for who and what he is on the outside, too."

It didn't take long for Wendy to stabilize herself from laughing, and she looked at the tiger with a genuine smile. "Yeah, I can tell you mean a lot well. Honestly, it's all so familiar to me. I'm glad I get to meet someone like you." True enough, it made her recall the exuberance of her Fairy Tail friends, and the Gummi Ship crew, for that matter.

Tigger nodded, "Hoo hoo, likewise, Wendy girl."

Wendy giggled bashfully at the compliment. "Wendy girl..."

Tigger glanced at Pooh, who was presently stuck in the hole. "Hey, Pooh! Say, you're lookin' mighty uncomfy today. Is that some new exercise? Why, bouncin' around is a lot more fun." He began making another show of just how much fun it was, bouncing and spinning around on the top of his tail.

Wendy asked, "What got you so excited about bouncing around so much, Tigger?"

Tigger froze in place and turned to Wendy before answering, "Excited? Tiggers are always excited, and bouncin' is what Tiggers do best!" He put a paw to his forehead and looked around, "Speakin' of which, my bouncin' spot has gone and disappeared. So for now..." He bounced high up into the air, spreading his arms wide, "...this'll be my new bouncin' ground! Hoo hoo hoo hoo!" Upon landing, he bounced his way towards Rabbit's garden.

Everyone gasped at this announcement. Even Piglet clasped his hands over his mouth in shock. "B-But Tigger! Th-This is Rabbit's house!"

Rabbit yelled, "That's right! And you're certainly not welcome to bounce here!" His eyes were practically spewing fire. "So help me, Tigger, if you even do a smidgen of a bounce on my garden, I'll—"

"Aww, loosen up, long ears! Hoo hoo hoo hoo!" Without paying mind to any of Rabbit's further protests, Tigger bounced all over the nearest vegetable patch he could plant his feet or tail on, smashing straight into a pumpkin as he did so. Rabbit winced at the crunching noise, as though he had taken a blow himself.

"At this rate, Tigger's bouncing will ruin my vegetables!" Rabbit dreaded. "And if we don't give Pooh some carrot top juice, he'll be stuck forever!" He turned to Wendy with a pleading expression, "Please, Wendy! You have to help me! Keep Tigger away from my carrots!"

"This is quite a fix. But I have just the solution." A voice came from above, and Wendy looked up to see Owl land next to the carrot patch. "Pay attention, now."

Wendy hopped over the fence to join him. "What should I do?"

Owl instructed, "Wendy, you'll have to protect this carrot patch. If Tigger bounces on a carrot twice, it'll be buried." He made a demonstration by jumping on a carrot, squashing it beneath his feet. "Once..." He jumped again, burying the carrot further in the soil. "Twice!" He flew back off, "Just like that. Protect the carrots from Tigger's bounces. How, you ask? It's elementary!" He swung out a wing, "Simply get to the carrots before Tigger lands on them. Oh, and one more thing." He flew over to Wendy, "Speed and concentration are the key to success, so be sure to act wisely."

Wendy confirmed, "Get to the carrots before Tigger lands on them. Got it."

Owl suggested, "If there are any more questions, please don't hesitate to ask."

Wendy assured, "No, I'm good. I'm ready!"

Owl smiled, "Well, good luck!"

Exactly as Owl predicted, the carrot patch was the next ground for Tigger to bounce on, so Wendy had her work cut out for her. She rushed to the first carrot that was in danger of being buried, and blocked him with her Olympia Keyblade. Tigger immediately perceived her defensive maneuver as a challenge to keep up with his bouncing. With a playful smirk, he bounced to the next carrot, only for Wendy to block it quickly, as she paid close attention to the pattern of his movements. A third carrot, she slid across the ground. A fourth, she tossed the Olympia as a boomerang. The fifth, a cartwheel into an aerial deflect. While one may think of it as a competition, the other would prefer it as a valiant effort to defend the patch. Piglet, Rabbit, and Owl watched the two go at it for less than two minutes, wondering who would win this game. In the end, Wendy succeeded in protecting every single carrot in the patch, leaving Tigger confused and a little flustered.

"Oh, what's goin' on?" Tigger questioned. "Nobody keeps up with Tiggers! Maybe there's somethin' wrong with my tail..." He grinned at Wendy, "Still, you kept up pretty good there, Wendy, especially for a non-Tigger! How's about you and me have another go some other time?"

"Why not?" Wendy agreed, wearing a smile that helped ignore her fatigue. "I gotta admit, that was fun. I'd like to give it another go, too. But I think we should take this somewhere else instead of Rabbit's house. You can't just make Rabbit's garden your bouncing ground, you know; you'll end up ruining his vegetables."

At that, they both looked around the garden, which had become a complete mess, save for the carrot patch. Rabbit looked like he wanted to hit Tigger, but somehow managed to restrain himself. Tigger, on the other hand, made a disgusted face as he stuck his tongue out. "Yuck! Messy, isn't it?" He looked at Wendy seriously, "But where else am I gonna find somewhere to bounce? A Tigger's just not a Tigger if he can't have a good bouncin' spot."

Wendy thought for a moment, rubbing her chin. Since Tigger's old bouncing spot was gone, that had to mean it was on a restored page of the book that was yet to show itself on the map. She turned back to Tigger and said, "Well then, I'll just have to bring back your usual bouncing spot for you."

Tigger's eyes glimmered with hope. "You'd do that for me?"

Wendy nodded, "Of course! I promise I'll get it back. Until then, you have to leave Rabbit's garden alone. Deal?"

Tigger chimed, "Okay then, Wendy girl! It's a deal! Well, I'd better be bouncin' along. T-T-F-N, ta-ta for now! Hoo hoo hoo hoo!" He hopped out of the carrot patch and away from what was left of the vegetable garden.

Wendy waved and called out, "Bye, Tigger!"

Rabbit came forward and set about picking up the carrots. "Thank you so much. Now I'd better make that carrot top juice. I'll get the carrots, so please wait inside the house."

Wendy complied, "Alright." She walked to the door, together with Piglet and Owl.

Rabbit's Room

In order to pass the time while Rabbit was outside, Owl would tell Wendy and Piglet stories about an uncle or aunt (or was it a cousin?) of whose endeavors were "similar in bravery and intelligence" to how Wendy outsmarted Tigger. The story seemed to go on for quite a long while, and it wasn't long before Wendy found herself unable to focus her thoughts. She and Piglet entertained themselves by tickling the underside of Pooh's feet. Owl didn't notice their inattention, and kept talking about his numerous relatives (the story of one relative often led into the rest of them) while helping himself to a cup of tea.

"Oh, what a day!" Everyone paused upon seeing Rabbit entering the house, a triumphant smile on his face. "I gave Pooh the carrot top juice. All we have to do now is push him out."

"How hard can I push?" Wendy asked.

"Just a little push should do," Rabbit recommended.

"Okay..." Wendy affirmed, standing before the hole. "Here we go!" She dashed and rammed straight into Pooh's backside with much force than expected. Pooh popped out of the wall with a surprised wail, and was sent flying into a pile of honey pots with a loud crash. Needless to say, Rabbit was petrified at the sight of the damage, while Piglet shielded his eyes. As for Wendy, she covered her mouth in embarrassment, realizing that she overdid it. "Oopsie..."

"First my vegetable patch and now this..." Rabbit moaned.

Pooh sat up, a honey pot stuck over his head. "Oh, bother. Where am I? It's ever so dark in here." He then giggled, "Well, it isn't so bad, I suppose. There is plenty of honey."

"Sorry, Pooh," Wendy said sheepishly.

"Well, at least we g-got him unstuck," Piglet confirmed.

"Let's just hope that never happens again," Rabbit murmured. Thus did the three reach for the door so they could help get the honey pot off of Pooh's head.

As of this moment, only three recovered pages remained. The story was yet to be finished.

Author's Note:
That concludes the first half of the Hundred Acre Wood arc. Thank God it's less than three to four months minimum to post the next chapter, considering how short it was! But I promise to do the best in my ability to keep you updated as soon as I am able. I also hope you enjoy a bit of backstory about Cloud, since his former allegiance with SOLDIER was never explained in the original series. Not to mention, the completion of the Dalmatian side quest, the Fairy Tail Traverse Town reunion party, the meeting with Pinocchio and Geppetto, and most of all, the funny scene with Archimedes which I added for kicks.

Stay tuned for the second half of Pooh's storybook adventure before the real action begins in Neverland. Until then, this is TheSavageMan100, signing out. Be sure to fav, follow, and review this story and my other stories. Peace!