The sky was black with a purple tint as the sun went completely down. Tigger and Lumpy managed to make their way safely up the path and were now at the top of the cliffs. Lumpy took a moment to lay down. Even Tigger had to sit down to rub his feet. They fell asleep in an instant. Snores filled the air.

Behind a nearby rock, a thin figure poked its head out. It sniffed. It inched closer. A scar dashed across its face. Beady eyes focused on two strangers that fell asleep. It scurried closer and closer and closer until it was a mere inches from Tigger's face. It poked his pink nose. It jumped back as Tigger laughed in his sleep. It poked Lumpy. No response. The creature crossed its arms. They were strange. They might be soldiers for all it knows. However, they don't smell like it. "Maybe I'll get a reward for bringing these two in, maybe even stop being laughed at for once!" With that idea, it began to grab the two and dragged them.

The sun was already rising as the creature was halfway to its home. Tigger snorted and stretched out. A loud rumble snapped him awake. "Whoa! Lumpy! I think we need to-" He stopped for a moment. He blinked as he saw the thin creature. The creature blinked back. Finally, it occurred to Tigger what this creature was. "WOOOOOZlllllllE!" He kicked it hard, sending it flying a few feet. He violently shook his Heffalump friend. "Lumpy wake up! We nearly got kidnapped by a Woozle!"

Lumpy groaned. He blinked. He yawned. "Morning, Tigger...What were you trying to say?" Another groan brought his attention to the Woozle. "Oh hello there, Mr. Woozle." He stopped for a moment. Then, he shook his head. Eyes darting between Tigger and the Woozle. He jumped up and trumpeted. "Stay back! You meanie!"

"Uuuuuggh!" The Woozle groaned. "Why does everything have to be sooo difficult for me?!" The Woozle got up. It brushed its dull brown fur. "I'm a girl, first of all! If you don't come with me, I'm taking you down!"

Tigger laughed. "I don't think so! Fighting is what Tiggers do best! And I'm the only one!" He held up his arms in a boxing pose. "Put 'em up!"

The Woozle bared her claws. "You asked for it." She lunged at him. Only to miss. She barely had time to notice Tigger bouncing.

Tigger laughed once again. His laughter was soon followed by Lumpy as the Woozle kept coming after him, but missed each time. Once she flopped over in exhaustion, Tigger looked over her. "You don't do a good job at bouncin' are ya?"

The Woozle growled. "I can still do this!" She kicked him in the stomach, followed by a headbutt. She got up and pinned him down. She would have succeeded if Lumpy hadn't wrapped his trunk around her. "Hey! Let me-dooooooooooooown!" She screamed as Lumpy shook her hard. Left and right.

"I made the mistake of simply putting my trunk around someone's foot!" Lumpy yelled. "Not going to make that mistake twice!" He shook her until she went limp. A guilty feeling crept in him. "Uh oh...Tigger...Do you think I shook her too much?"

Tigger shook his head. "Nah! She deserves it." He cringed when she heaved. "Then again...Maybe not."

The Woozle took a deep breath. She wiped her mouth with her paws. "Just once. ONCE! I want to do something right!" She tried to wiggle but stopped. Her stomach was still churning. She sighed. "Figures this would happen. Ok! What do you want to know?"

"Know what?" Lumpy asked.

"Aren't you interrogating me?"

"Weren't no interrogatin' anybody!" Tigger said. "Whatever that means...We just wanna know where we are and how to find our friends!"

The Woozle groaned. Then, she blinked in confusion. "Wait...Aren't you from Rainbow Forest? Aren't you King Moonsoul's subjects?"

"No. But we're friends with him." Lumpy said. "We're from the Hundred Acre Wood."

"Hundred Acre Wood?" She tilted her head. "What a bizarre place…" The Woozle took a deep breath. "By the looks of you, you morons are nearby Woozle Town or if you want a more specific answer, The Hollow Realm."

Tigger gasped. "The Hollow Realm?"

Lumpy whimpered. "You mean that place where the Dark Dream King lives?"

"Actually his place is further inland." The Woozle said. Then, an idea came to her. "Hey...I have a map at my place. I can give it to you if you come with me to town."

"Sounds great." Lumpy said.

Tigger raised a paw. "Woah! Hold up for a minute. How do we know you won't do anything funny?"

The Woozle looked offended. She raised a paw. "I promise you. In my honor, I won't do anything dirty!"

Lumpy moved her away as best as he could without letting her go. "Tigger...We need her help to get out of here and find the others. We could get seriously hurt without a map."

Tigger thought for a moment. His mouth puckered. Thumb rubbing against his chin. Once he was done thinking, he walked over to the Woozle. "Alright Woozle, we'll let ya take us to Woozle town. But! On one condition."

The Woozle groaned. "I have a name, ok? It's bad enough that my enemies don't use it. It's Mayble. Now, what's the condition?"

"You get to learn how to bounce!" Tigger laughed. "I've always wanted to make my dream come true."

Mayble soured. Then sighed. "Ok...Truce." She gave out her hand. Just as Tigger held out his paw, she was about to reach it.

Tigger pulled it back. "Too slow!" Then, he walked away.

Lumpy put him down. "My name's Lumpy. And that's Tigger." His tummy began to rumble. He laughed nervously. "By any chance, do you have any food? I promise to share it."

Mayble groaned loudly. She pawed her face. "This is going to be a long day."

-(Sometime later)-

The group soon arrived a few feet away from Woozle Town. The place was close to a seaside cliff. Buildings old and worn, ready to collapse at any given moment. A few shops were open. The streets covered in garbage and sludge. A stench hit the air. Grumpy Woozles walking along. They snarled and nipped at each other.

Tigger puckered his lips at the sight. "Weeelll...This is going to be harder than I imagined." He turned to Mayble. "Any chance we can simple stroll in there to get a map?"

Mayble smirked. "What's wrong, Tigger? All that bounce gone from you?"

Tigger scowled. "Never! Let me at those guys." Before he could bounce over, Lumpy grabbed him.

"Wait a minute, Tigger," Lumpy said. "We can't barge in on them. It's rude. I don't think they'll be willing to go down without a fight. Plus, what if Hurricane and Whirlwind are there? We need some disguises."

Tigger huffed. "I hate it when you're right." He kicked a random rock in frustration.

Mayble smiled slyly. "Let's head over to my place. I got tons of rags that should hide you." She waved them over to a house that was more damaged than the others. Windows broken. A door ready to fall off its roof has more holes than a block of swiss cheese.

Lumpy was silent for a moment. He gave an awkward smile. "Well...It's lovely…"

Mayble ignored them. She walked over to the building. She touched the door which crumbled in moments. I'll fix that when I get a reward, The Woozle thought. She continued on inside as Tigger and Lumpy followed her in. "Watch your step."

The moment Tigger stepped inside, he barely dodged a falling piece of wood. He flinched at every creak. Eyes focused on every corner of this strange home. He grabbed his tail to make sure it didn't get squished. Then, he turned his attention to Mayble. He found himself ducking at every flying object that came at him. When Lumpy came closer, he leaned in. "You know I'm starting to think she's trying to kill us."

"Shh!"

Mayble looked up. "What was that?"

"Nothing!" Tigger lied. "Just admire your decor. Surely your friends envy your...roof windows…"

Mayble went silent at this. "You...don't make friends here…" She tenderly pulled out two worn out cloaks. "Even the mothers around here don't care about you."

Lumpy frowned. "Don't say that…" He went over to Mayble. He used his trunk once more. Instead of restraining her, he held her in a hug. "I'm sure there was someone who really loves you. My mummy loves me. Roo has a mommy who loves him. I'm always surrounded by friends in the Hundred Acre Wood. You can come live with us if you don't like it here."

Mayble grew silent for a long period of time. Her grey eyes on the floor. "Yeah...As if that'll ever happen." She gently shoved Lumpy. She handed him his cloak. "This should cover you up." Then, Mayble handed one to Tigger.

Tigger took it quietly. What's eating her? He put on his cloak. He managed to find a nearby mirror. He smiled at his reflection. Tigger twirled around in a superhero fashion. "Now this is cool!"

Mayble groaned loudly. "Let's get this over with."

-(Sometime later)-

It was eerily quiet as the trio walked in town. Dark eyes following their every direction. Teeth flashed. Even some Woozles gave a few whispers here and there. Windows shut quickly the moment one of them glances in their direction.

"Talk about a tough crowd," Tigger whispered.

"Just keep your head down and don't talk," Mayble hissed. "Any silly thing you say can set everyone off."

Lumpy looked around. He saw a few baby Woozles hissing at him. He flinched. "I hope we get the map soon."

They reached a small shop that was a bit more decent. The room smelled of salt and mold. Tigger sneezed. Lumpy was about to do so, but Mayble stopped him before he could do so. A few crates held several maps. Some that looked far older than Owl's books. Walls lined with maps of the Star Kingdom and Hollow Realm. A counter stood in the center of the room. A grey-blue Woozle stared at them with a harsh look. A scar zig-zagged his face.

Mayble gave a small smile. "Ziggy! You're looking good. Did you do something different with the scar?"

"What do you want Mayble?" The gruff creature asked.

"Better cut to the chase," Mayble grumbled. "I'm here for a map of the Hollow Realm." She leaned forward to whisper to Ziggy. "I got some guys that are friends of King Moonsoul."

"Huh?!" Ziggy looked at Tigger and Lumpy. "They don't seem like it."

"They told me and they smell funny." She held out her paw. "Give me a map and I promise I'll give you gold."

"Hah! You gotta do better than that?" Ziggy laughed. "You can barely take me down. How can you take down someone like Hurricane?"

Tigger perked up from his spot. He walked over to the counter. "I'm sorry. My ears must've gone crazy. Did you say you know Hurricane?"

Ziggy raised a brow. "Know him? Everybody knows the Chimera General. He's a smart strategist. Word has it he managed to get a hold of some poison from the inside. Stole the egg."

Tigger's face soured as Lumpy walked up behind him. "Well just so you know, he failed. So there!" He let out his tongue.

Mayble pushed him away from the counter. "Just ignore him...He hasn't had any food yet and we're in a big hurry. So...the map, please?"

Ziggy ignored her. His eyes intrigued. "Really? Tell me more."

"Well! I threw my sword at him and it got him right in the gut!" Tigger fell backward as he pretended to stab himself. He grinned as he hit the floor. "That'll teach him not to kidnap Honey Maple."

Ziggy rubbed his chin. "Ya don't say...Well, how about I strike a deal with you?"

"Really?" Lumpy asked. His eyes widened with pure joy.

Tigger got up. "Wait a second…" He raised a paw. "What's the catch?"

Mayble groaned. "Here we go…"

Ziggy gave off an unnerving grin. "If you beat me, I'll give you the map. If you lose-"

"I won't!" Tigger said firmly.

"If you lose, you tell me more about Rainbow Forest and about the baby."

Tigger grabbed his hand. "You're on!"

Mayble facepalmed. "We're doomed."

A little while later, they all went to a fenced-in area. Tigger on the left. Ziggy on the right. Both held swords in their hands. Lumpy and Mayble standing over the side. All the other Woozels gathered around. Whispers buzzed around their ears.

"Did you hear?" One said.

"One of these strangers is going to fight Ziggy!" Another spoke.

"Bet a rotten tuna that the strip one will lose." A brown Woozle gave a dark laugh. "Look at him. He's flaunting around like a fool."

Tigger raised his sword at the ready. Ziggy did the same. All went silent with a few snickers as Mayble walked between them. "Alright. ONE rule here. The last person standing wins!"

Lumpy tilted his head. "Last one standing?"

Tigger tilted his head. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Fight!" Mabyle ran away as the crowd cheered.

Ziggy was the first to make a move. He came to Tigger with full force. To his surprise, Tigger bounced out of the way. He grunted as he came into a fence post. Ziggy snarled. He brushed himself and attacked again. Only to miss. He swung his sword but only hit the air. Then, just as Tigger bounced again, Ziggy threw his sword. The weapon caught Tigger's cape and pinned him to the ground.

Tigger growled. He struggled, unaware that his hood had flopped down. "Come on! Come on!" He looked up. His eyes widened as he turned his attention to Ziggy. "Uh oh!"

Ziggy snarled. "Impressive...Not many would be quick enough to evade me." He waved his sword around with ease. "Especially rookies who have to take on a general."

"General?!" Lumpy whipped his head to Mayble. "Why didn't you tell us?!" His eyes widened as a realization hit him. "You weren't going to help us! Were you?!"

Mayble simply grunted. "You guys trusted me. I just simply want a means to get out of this stupid hole I've been stuck in. Tigger was the one who opened his big mouth."

Angered, Lumpy shoved her aside. "Tigger was willing to put his trust in you. And he really did fight Hurricane! We all did!" He only took a few steps before looking back at her. "At The Hundred Acre Woods, we care for each other. No matter what happens! NOT that you would understand." He let out a trumpet and ran toward the fight. He ignored the protests of the other Woozels. With a single swing, he knocked Ziggy down.

"Nice timing, Lumpy." Tigger said.

Lumpy moved to the side. "Get on!" Once Tigger was on his back, the group ran past the fence and the crowd. He kept running and running. The alleyways twisting. The streets are turning. His feet began to hurt until he was forced to stop at the edge of a cliff. "Woah! Not again!" He looked over his shoulder to see that the crowd had been chasing them. Now they were closing in.

Tigger tried to move off of Lumpy, but soon realized it would only make the situation worse. "Ooohhhh! I wish I knew that spell Hurricane used. If only I'd taken him down sooner."

A heavy silence filled the air. The crowd stopped growling and looked at the two in surprise. A female tilted her head. "I'm sorry...did you say you fought Hurricane?"

"One of the most dangerous chimeras around?!" A sickly male piped up.

The fury turned into excitement. They all backed away to allow Lumpy to move. Tigger slowly slid off Lumpy's back. Everyone began to question at once.

"How'd you do it?!"

"What weakness does he have?"

"Where do you come from?"

"Please teach us that bizarre strategy!"

Tigger held up his paws. "Whoa! Whoa! Calm down." He put his one arm behind his back and raised the other to point his finger. "I'll answer all your questions if you can do us one thing."

"What's that?" Mayble said. She was far back, but no one paid her mind.

"Can someone get me a map? Or maybe some directions?"

Lumpy and Mayble smacked their faces and huffed. This was going to be a long day for them.