Gummi Ship Engine Lounge

It was a simple matter of refilling supplies for the entourage, considering that most of them was spent over the course of the adventure, and that preparations for the upcoming dangers had to be made. Starting with the Accessory Shop, Wendy and her friends purchased the newest materials on the shelf, only selecting the ones with the capability of giving additional boosts of power and defense to whoever wears them. Once all the accessories were bought and packed, they left for the Item Shop to pay a visit to Huey, Dewey, and Louie. The three young ducks gave the group's recent additions a warm welcome and, as per the custom, refused to give their uncle a family discount, as doing so would undermine the stability of their store. Regardless, they allowed Wendy and company to buy as many Potions and Ethers as they needed, and gave them a send-off by secretly taping an "I Suck!" note on Donald's feathered backside. Thankfully, he didn't find out; Romeo quickly snatched the note and threw it away, while Sherria snickered at the duck, who was unaware of his nephews' antics.

Their supplies restocked, the group exited the town through the main gate, giving Romeo the opportunity to marvel at the beauty and power that was the Gummi Ship. It's no secret that people from other worlds were capable of creating vessels out of artificial meteors, the same kind Romeo saw at the museum in Shirotsume. Heck, even two chipmunks had managed to come up with armor plates and turbo engines made from chunks! The Rainbow Fire wizard had read science fiction comics as a kid and made a list of things he wanted to do when he was older: #1 was to ride on his very own spaceship, and #2 was to bring his father and/or Fairy Tail friends along. Today, he was going to live those dreams. Of course, he got more than he bargained for when he discovered the engine room outmoded into a living quarters big enough for a crowd, hence classifying the Gummi Ship to be used for interworld travel and cruising delights. He couldn't contain his excitement a bit longer. As he boarded the ship, Donald and Goofy took it upon themselves to help the team's newest addition get accustomed to the ship's features. Wendy was still thankful that Romeo had survived his own tribulations back at Earth-land. Relief rose in her heart than she had ever felt, so perhaps that had helped her...

Their business in Traverse Town now finished, the group was ready to leave. Donald and Goofy started the engines, and the Gummi Ship rose from the atmosphere and into the starry sky. At the same time, they took notice of the new features installed in the control panel, such as the small radar screen and monitor, listing details of the worlds they previously visited. Just as Cid said, the navigation gummis had completely upgraded the ship's coordinate database. Not only that, there was a separate coordinate panel in conjunction to the warp gummi, which allowed the crew to teleport instantly to any world they had been to at the push of a button. Meanwhile, the Fairy Tail wizards were having snacks at the engine lounge to pass the time, sharing stories of what they had been up to since they last saw each other. The mood was cheery as usual, with the guildmates all smiling and laughing at each gossip. Jiminy had already returned to his spot in Wendy's pocket, probably to continue writing new entries in his journal.

"Wow, seriously?" Romeo questioned, having heard Sherria's side of the story recounting the ordeals she faced before joining the group. "How do you end up in a limbo different than the one I've been to?"

"Believe me, I've asked myself the same thing ever since," Sherria shrugged. "Out of the blue, I ended up in a nonsensical, bizarre world named Wonderland, and got invited to a tea party by the Mad Hatter and the March Hare. They even gave me this nickname, the 'Merry Blender.'"

"Merry Blender?" Romeo titled his head in confusion. "Isn't that used to describe something that mixes fruits and turns them into smoothies?"

"Why does that matter?" Carla raised an eyebrow. "It's just a nickname. An affectionate one, at best."

"Well, at least you're back in one piece, Sherria," Romeo smiled. "And we're glad to have Lamia Scale's Sky God Slayer on our side. We could use all the help we can get."

"Don't thank me, thank Wendy. She's the main star," Sherria gestured to the Sky Maiden. "You should've seen her take a giant Heartless, a three-headed dog, and a living wrecking ball head on! She totally mopped the floor with them using her Keyblade's Command Style!"

"But I haven't seen her do it," Romeo pouted. "I want to see some of Wendy's new moves in action, her being a Keyblade master and all. It's not fair... Why do I miss out all the good stuff?"

"You really want to see me activate a Command Style?" Wendy saw through Romeo's dissatisfaction and sighed. "I'm sorry, Romeo. If that Heartless we fought at the square hadn't been so easy to beat, I could've used it."

"Here's a bright idea," Sherria beamed. "How about you activate a Command Style the next time you face someone real tough than that metal maniac you and Romeo pummeled down? That way, he'll see it up close and personal."

"Yeah! Show me a Command Style! I wanna see it in action!" Romeo shook with enthusiasm. "How about it, Wendy?"

"Well..." Wendy tapped her chin to ponder Romeo's suggestion. Finally, she responded with a giggle. "I guess just one Command Style wouldn't hurt. But only if I really need to, okay? I did promise you before we left, after all."

"How could I forget?" Romeo chuckled. "You would if you have the need to, right?"

"Right," Wendy nodded happily. "It's a deal."

"Y'know, I think Wendy and Romeo both have somethin' in common," Bisca spoke to Alzack privately.

"Somehow, it didn't surprise me. They're just the right age, and they'd make the best of friends," Alzack replied.

Tranquility in the engine lounge was going smoothly until everyone heard a loud beeping sound, prompting them to glance upward at the cockpit's entrance. The noise was different from the alarm that occasionally alerted the presence of incoming Heartless vessels, as it sounded like an important call or message waiting to be answered.

"What's that?" Romeo asked.

"It's coming from the cockpit," Sherria implied.

"Let's go see," Wendy suggested.

Gummi Ship Cockpit

While Alzack and Bisca stayed behind in the engine lounge to read Asuka another Silly Symphony storybook, Wendy, Romeo, Carla, and Sherria entered the cockpit to assess the situation. Donald and Goofy turned from their seats in the control panel to address the four who made their way in. Goofy said, "Hey, fellas! We've got a call from Chip and Dale!"

Wendy's eyes widened, "Chip and Dale? They're calling us?"

Romeo guessed, "They're the chipmunks who helped make the ship, right?"

Donald nodded, "The same chipmunks who came up with the ship's design and firepower. I'll patch them through so they can talk to us." Pressing a button on the control panel, the Gummi Ship navigators saluted the group's presence from the monitor screen, still as lively as ever.

Chip greeted happily, "Heya, Wendy! You're lookin' cute and mighty the last time we saw ya."

Dale asked cheerily, "How's your quest comin' along? Did ya find more missin' friends? And King Mickey?"

Wendy shook her head, "Sorry, we haven't found King Mickey yet." That speared the chipmunks' hopes of seeing the ruler of the Disney Kingdom who vanished without a trace. Despite this, she lightened the mood. "But we've found one in Traverse Town." She motioned to Romeo, who brimmed with anticipation of his first meeting with the Gummi Ship engineers. "This is Romeo. We found him at the Third District."

Chip hopped around, waving his hand. "Hi, Romeo!"

Dale mirrored his brother's action. "Very nice to meet ya!"

Romeo responded, "Likewise."

Chip affirmed, "Okay, with all the pleasantries and introductions outta the way, we've got some great news."

Dale informed, "We just got word from Olympus Coliseum. The arena's all squeaky clean from your fight with Cerberus."

Chip announced, "The Games are back in action! The first tournament's about to start!"

Dale beamed, "I heard there's a great reward for the winner. You've all been invited to participate!"

Sherria cried excitedly, "HOORAY! We're finally gonna fight in the Games! We'll kick some serious butt!"

Chip commented, "Boy, Sherria sure is excited about it."

Dale remarked, "She's as happy as a clam."

Donald muttered, "Yeah, don't remind me..."

Wendy pointed out, "She's mostly excited because she wants to test her magic on a real god."

Chip and Dale asked altogether, "Really? Sherria wants to fight a god?"

Romeo replied, "She said that if she fought and defeated one, her magic would grow even stronger. For a second there, I thought gods are just deities living in the clouds, but from what Wendy and Jiminy told me, they actually existed in places beyond the clouds. Like, in the flesh!" He rubbed the back of his head, "Carla wasn't kidding about the universe full of things you don't expect..."

Chip wondered, "If you don't mind us askin', Sherria, what's your reason for fightin' gods in Olympus Coliseum?"

Sherria explained, "It's been my dream to fight a real god with the magic I practiced, a Lost Magic designed to defeat them. And if I have to join the Games to make my dream a reality, I'll gladly do so." She added with great confidence, "This is my moment, my opportunity to prove the worth of my magic! And most of all, myself! I will make my friends proud!"

Wendy felt touched by the Sky God Slayer's dedication. "Just keep on following your dreams, Sherria..."

Dale smiled, "That's very ambitious for a sweet acorn stayin' warm in the summer all day."

Carla agreed, "Indeed. She certainly has conviction."

Sherria appreciated the compliments, "Thanks, guys. You inspire me."

Donald complained, "Ambitious? More like absurd! Why would anyone want to fight a god? I mean, she goes gaga over it!" He turned to the Sky God Slayer, "Does it mean so much to you? Way more important than our mission?"

Sherria reasoned, "Hey, everybody's got dreams and ambitions. Don't we all? And what's so bad about warming up in a little competition from time to time?"

Donald frowned, "Who asked you, fangirl?"

Sherria countered, "Hey, at least this fangirl's got a brain. Nothing can sway me from my following my dreams."

Carla interjected, "There are other reasons for participating in the Games. If we ever hope for our mission to succeed, we must grow in experience and strength."

Romeo agreed, "There's no reason to miss an opportunity like that. We need to be strong enough to beat the Heartless and the Alliance of Evil."

Goofy grinned, "Nothin' like a good exercise in the Games. That means we gotta respect Sherria's wishes. A-hyuck!"

Donald whined, "Why did it have to be her?"

Sherria assured, "Don't worry, Donald. You'll have your chance in the spotlight. At least until you have magic just like mine."

Donald snapped, "Hey!" That provoked laughter in the cockpit, leaving the duck to grumble under his beak for being ridiculed by the Sky God Slayer.

Chip offered, "Call us if you need us, guys. This is Chip..."

Dale added, "...and Dale..."

Both finished simultaneously, "Over and out!" With that, the monitor blinked off.

Goofy confirmed, "Well, it's back to Olympus Coliseum. We've got the warp gummi to take us there fast, so we don't have to worry about fightin' Heartless ships." He turned to the coordinate panel and selected one out of four previously visited worlds, displaying its status on the radar. "And three, two, one..." By the time Goofy pressed the button, Wendy, Romeo, Sherria, Carla, and Happy felt the familiar sensation of being strapped to a tight corner. From the cockpit window, they could see the sea of stars disappearing before their eyes; space and time began to distort, and they were flying forward in a whirlwind of color and sound...

...and then the view of space returned, paired with the structure of a different yet familiar world. Everyone was surprised to find that they had arrived in front of Olympus Coliseum at the speed of light. The warp gummi had worked. "WOOOOOOW!"

Wendy breathed, "That was fast!"

Carla confirmed, "Just in time, too."

Goofy urged, "Call the others, Wendy. We're ready to land."

Wendy nodded, "Okay!"


Olympus Coliseum, the Coliseum Gates...

When they stepped through the main gateway at the end of one of the highest peaks in Mount Olympus, Wendy and company recognized the architecture, from the glimmering gladiator statues clashing their swords over the vestibule entrance to the torches wafting its bright flames. The first time the exterior of the Coliseum was introduced to Romeo and the Connells, they were most impressed, as the atmosphere was reminiscent of a battle arena drawing warriors to the grand stage, seeking to prove their strength. And that was something they could relate to. If the Coliseum was anything like Domus Flau, it seemed like anything could happen. Romeo was the first to speak his mind, walking ahead to get a better view of the Coliseum. "This is incredible! The gods sure know how to make a place as grand as this one."

Alzack commented, "What a fine way to invite everybody into a grand arena."

Bisca smirked, "Sure looks like a good place to rumble."

Sherria grinned, "It's about time we show our stuff in the Games. We might even get the chance to face him!"

Donald moaned, "There she goes again..."

Carla advised, "Don't get too excited, Sherria. We never know if we'll face Hercules in the Games or not."

Sherria replied, "But there's a chance we might. It's worth trying."

Romeo beamed, "I can't wait to meet Hercules, the all-time undefeated champion and a living god. He sounds so cool! From what Sherria described, he's got those ultra-bulky biceps that allow him to lift anything, even a whole mountain, with his bare hands. Which reminds me..." He turned to Sherria, "...does he use God Slayer Magic and teach it to others, like you and Orga?"

Sherria shrugged, "Doubt it. We haven't seen his magic yet. The last time we saw him, he was lifting Cerberus over his head."

Wendy was looking at Romeo, who was transfixed on the Coliseum Gates. "Wanna go inside?"

Romeo responded excitedly, "Do I?!"

Just then, the front doors opened to reveal the undefeated champion of Olympus Coliseum himself. He wiped the sweat from his forehead as a clear sign that he had survived a drawn-out battle with an opponent equal in strength. He grinned upon seeing Wendy and company, and assumed that they had come all this way to fight in the Games, having undergone their own training while the Coliseum was under repair. "Oh, it's you guys! Boy, have I had a good workout grappling minotaurs."

"Hi, Hercules!" Wendy waved happily. "It's been a while!"

"That's Hercules?!" Romeo exclaimed in awe at the hero's godly physique.

"The one and only. I told you he's buff and tough, isn't he?" Sherria smiled.

"His muscles are big, just like Elfman's!" Alzack remarked.

"And Laxus when he gets serious with a little lightnin'," Bisca added.

Hercules walked up to Romeo and the Connells, staring at them as if he never saw them before. "You guys with Wendy?"

"W-We sure are!" Romeo stammered, amazed to have seen a real god up close and personal. "I'm Romeo. It's an honor to meet you." He raised his hand to Hercules, and by the time they shook, the Rainbow Fire wizard winced in the hero's godlike grasp. "Man, what a grip!"

"I'm Alzack, and this is Bisca," Alzack introduced himself and his family, not planning to shake hands with Hercules after seeing Romeo's expression. "This is our daughter, Asuka."

"Hi, super-strong guy!" Asuka chimed.

"You sure have lots of friends, Wendy," Hercules quoted. He released Romeo's hand, the latter proceeding to rub it with his other. "And you're just in time for the first tournament of the Coliseum Games, the Phil Cup. This is your chance to go from junior hero to real hero." He looked over Wendy and company, "You look like you've trained long enough for this moment."

"After fighting Heartless and some bad guys, it pays off," Wendy replied. "We're ready for anything."

"And so am I," Sherria added. "My Sky God Slayer Magic will work wonders in the arena." She was hoping in her mind that she would face Hercules in the championship match of the Phil Cup. "Please let me fight Hercules, please let me fight Hercules, please let me fight Hercules..."

"That's what I'd like to call a positive attitude," Hercules grinned. "Maybe someday I'll get to fight you and your team."

"Huh?" Sherria wondered. "You're not fighting?"

"Not in the Phil Cup. I've got my hands full with other matches," Hercules confessed. "But if you make it through the ranks, you'll get a guaranteed match with yours truly."

"Oh, okay. That's fine. I can wait," Sherria confirmed. At first, she was disappointed that she didn't get an early opportunity to face the undefeated Coliseum champion. Regardless, she could afford to be patient. If her dream was to be realized, it would be in time. "Maybe later..."

"Phil's in the vestibule," Hercules informed. "Whenever you're ready to fight, just say the word. He may even check your friends out. He might evaluate their hero quality, and see if they're good enough to participate."

"Oh, believe me, they're good. Romeo and Mr. and Mrs. Connell are strong in their own right," Wendy assured. The aforementioned group members felt a sense of pride for the Sky Maiden's acknowledgement.

"So, is Phil some kind of trainer or something?" Romeo questioned.

"Yup. He's Herc's coach," Goofy answered.

"That's a big job," Romeo commented.

With that goal in mind, Wendy and her friends waved goodbye to Hercules and entered through the front doors, leaving the famed hero to give them his best wishes. "Good luck!"


Lobby

The group reached the vestibule, where they found Philoctetes overseeing the final preparations for the upcoming tournament. When he heard the doors close, he found the junior heroes standing in front of him, a title given to those who had the freedom to participate in the Games any time they desired. "Good timin', junior heroes. You're a bit earlier than I expected." He then noticed a few faces in Wendy's team which he found unfamiliar to him since their arrival. "Huh? And who in Halicarnassus are you? You acquainted with the angel cake?"

"Whoa!" Romeo beamed, as he walked over to the satyr for a better examination. "Hercules's trainer is a goat man!"

"Gee, thanks for statin' the obvious, kid," Philoctetes rolled his eyes. "What are you, the cutie's big brother or somethin'?"

"I'm Romeo," Romeo introduced himself. "The Connells and I are friends of Wendy. You know her very well, don't you?"

"Ya kiddin' me?" Philoctetes grinned. "Wendy ain't no real hero, but she's got some serious moxie, and an adorable personality at best." The Sky Maiden blushed at the compliment as the satyr continued to note her previous achievements. "I mean, everybody's talkin' about it these days! A little squirt takin' out the ex-SOLDIER in the final match of the preliminaries, before savin' the Coliseum from a rampaging three-headed mutt from the Underworld! They say she's the next big thing. Can't say that I blame 'em for liking her."

"Looks like Wendy has some sort of reputation here," Alzack stated.

"Well, they cheered for me, so that makes me a little famous..." Wendy giggled.

"Cool. Guess we could hang around every now and then," Romeo grinned.

"Hey, you want real action from real heroes?" Philoctetes asked. "Everything you need, you got it right here in the Coliseum." In the midst of the conversation, he spotted Bisca among the entourage, and he couldn't help but admire how beautiful she was. "Well, well, hello there, sweet cheeks." Licking his hand and brushing the strands on his bald head, he walked over to the female gunslinger in an attempt to flirt with her. "You lookin' for a trainer of heroes? 'Cause, uh, I've trained a few in my lifetime." He looked up and down Bisca's figure, flashing a sly grin.

Immediately, Bisca knew what the satyr was up to. "Yeah, I could probably beat 'em all. But I can't go out with you. Besides, I'm already married. And we have a kid." She wrapped an arm around Alzack, who shrugged with a smile, and motioned to Asuka, who waved innocently. Philoctetes felt like he got kicked in the face from that response.

"Ouch! Totally shot down," Romeo flinched. Donald, Goofy, and Sherria could barely stifle their laughter.

"Yeesh! Women," Philoctetes moaned, trying to recover from Bisca's refusal. "Well, might I ask what you're doing in this Coliseum in the first place?"

"We came here with Wendy," Romeo explained. "We want to fight in the Games so we could get stronger."

"Well, seein' you are friends with that squirt, I don't see why not," Philoctetes smirked. "In addition to her right to fight in the Games, she also has the right to form a team of her own choosing. As long as it's limited to a number of five."

"If that's the case, I'm in," Romeo smiled, standing alongside Wendy. "I'll represent her team."

"I'll represent her team, too," Donald joined in as the third member of the team. "She can always count on my magic."

"Me too," Goofy elected to be the fourth member. "Friends gotta stick together!"

"I'm game!" Sherria had no qualms being the last. "You're gonna need a Sky God Slayer to even the odds."

"Oh, yeah?" Donald asked dryly. "Who asked you?"

"Um, it was my choice," Sherria replied. "I wanted to fight with you guys."

"Be my guest," Donald said sarcastically. "Don't try to slow us down. Please."

"I won't," Sherria assured, although she couldn't see past the duck's derision. "I promise."

"Thanks, guys," Wendy smiled at the four members of her assembled team for the Phil Cup. "I know I can count on you. Together, we'll win the Phil Cup!"

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

"It's settled, then," Alzack confirmed. "We'll have to watch you fight."

"Good luck out there, kids!" Bisca advised. "Knock 'em dead!"

"Be careful, Wendy," Carla encouraged. "Remember to do your very best."

"Don't worry," Wendy promised. "We won't let you down."

"So you decided, kid? You formed your team?" Philoctetes asked, to which Wendy nodded. "You know the rules, right?"

"No summoning, no fighting to the death, and have fun overall," Wendy counted her fingers.

"Isn't it great?" Romeo fantasized. "It's like I'm fighting in the Grand Magic Games for the very first time!"

"Just wait until you get into the arena," Donald suggested. "You'll feel like a champion."

"I get ya. You want me to let the moment sink in," Romeo pounded a knuckle into his palm, ready for action. "I have a feeling this'll be a positive experience for me."

"Oh, it will be," Goofy promised. "Just you wait!"

"You kids better get out there," Philoctetes advised. "The Phil Cup's about to begin."

"Alright!" Bursting with anticipation, Wendy and her team headed for the arena, leaving the group's remaining members with the satyr.

"And off they go, ready for their first tourney," Bisca remarked.

"Let's hope they'll pass with flying colors," Alzack hoped.

"We wish those children the best of luck. Donald and Goofy, too," Carla smiled.

"Follow me, you guys," Philoctetes motioned with his arm. "I'm gonna find you some seats."


"Well, it's about time you showed up! After days of waiting, I finally get to have a dark guild as backbone for my hostile takeover of these Games! I've been dropping requests like crazy!"

Hades snarled his complaint as he paced around his secret hideout in the Coliseum barracks. The night after the rampage of his loyal pet Cerberus that nearly left the arena in ruins, he was frustrated with the Alliance of Evil's apparent refusal to send dark guilds for assistance in his plans for domination, probably because they focused on their affairs in other worlds more than anything else. He initially refused help from Maleficent, as he preferred to have his schemes play out according to his own rules, but when the Tamer Coat dark guild showed up in his doorstep, a lot had changed over time. Abigail, the guild master who had followed Hades to the barracks, listened to the rant with silence. "And if Maleficent or anybody thinks I'm the unpopular one, they're crazy. At least somebody had the sense to send me one of those little sub-groups..."

"Kaze Viriniam has requested Tamer Coat's participation," Abigail explained. "Our orders are to bring the Keyblade master to her alive. She is a very persuasive young woman."

"Hmph! Sure she is," Hades rolled his eyes. "That Kaze girl thinks she's so smart, rolling the wagon her with Sleepy Hollow buddies and whatever dark magic she's got." His words had a biting sarcasm in them, as he shifted angrily, "She fixes the wheels, she tightens the axle, and she gives it a fresh coat of paint every day! I don't get why Miss Hornhead favors her over the rest of us in the club. I mean, she's not the only villain! I'm obviously the most handsome!" He flexed the blue flaming hair over his head, "What's she got that we don't have, huh? What did she do to keep all those rowdy clubhouses in line?"

"I'm simply doing the assignment Kaze had tasked my guild. If it's for the betterment of the Alliance, then it is something I can abide to. Like so!" Abigail gave the handle of his whip a tight grip, the tail constraining his arm. Hades stepped back in alarm. The dark guild master's words were spat with aggression bitterly laced into them. "We've learned that Wendy Marvell and her meddlesome friends are going to engage in the Games' first tournament. I've signed up a unified force of Heartless and my Tamer Coat fighters. They'll put them in their place."

"Are you certain your people's gonna handle a bunch of preschool rejects?" Hades frowned. "You know as well as I do that they're no pushovers."

"Rest assured, Hades, my mighty Tamer Coat guild is twice as good as you require," Abigail smirked. "We have long dominated the world of ferocious beasts since the guild's creation; from the repugnant Vulcan to the rampaging Wyvern, every animal in the wild trembled beneath our feet and came to serve us. Even beasts imbued with magic had no choice but to submit!" He banged the whip's handle in the palm of his other hand to emphasize his point. "And with the Heartless and my two champions in tow, the Keyblade master will bear witness our true strength. She'll have no choice but to retire..." A brief pause. Then the whip's tail unfastened, his voice rising ferociously. "FOREVER!" With a jerk of his hand, the whip was thrust the opposite direction of Hades.

"WHOA!" Hades yelped, ducking his left to avoid the flogging tool that nearly touched his face. When the ground boomed with a crack, he turned to Abigail with a flustered expression. "You almost slapped me, jumbo!"

"I wasn't trying to," Abigail corrected, as he was unnerved by the Lord of the Dead's reaction.

Two unearthly growls resonated behind Hades, like stone scraping over broken glass. He turned around to stare at the source through the darkness. The growls came again, louder. A hulking form and a thin shape prowled into the barracks, two humanoid silhouettes that the God of the Underworld could only see part of: spiked gladiator armor comprising their outlines in a fashion similar to Abigail's, their identities obscured in masks bearing the faces of hungry predators. The big creature rumbled with a snarl that sounded like a lion ready to taste the flesh of its victims, while the small creature's own appeared softer in comparison.

The more Hades examined Abigail's "champions," the more intrigued he became. He then smiled. Working with dark guilds wouldn't be so bad after all.

The lions were waiting to be released. They would not rest until they had their fill, preferably in front of hundreds in attendance.


Coliseum

"Ladies and gentlemen, the moment you've all been waiting for! Welcome to the first tournament of the Olympus Coliseum Games, the Phil Cup!" As the Greek announcer voiced his declaration, the audience immediately burst into loud cheers, having waited so long for the Games to resume following an incident in the past few days. Their patience had finally paid off, and they wouldn't miss the entertainment for the world. "The preliminaries had been an exciting ride, folks. Many hard-fought battles were won, and at the end of it all, Team Wendy dominated the matches and made it to the set of championship tournaments. This tournament is the first of many to unfold on the field of battle! The question is, who will fight their way through the final seed in the hope of achieving victory and glory? Will it be the odds-on favorite, our team of new generation heroes? Let's find out! Introducing first to my left, please welcome the winners of the preliminaries... Team Wendy: Wendy Marvell, Donald Duck, Goofy, Sherria Blendy, and new teammate Romeo Conbolt!"

Within less than a minute, five young heroes made their way to the stage. The crowd recognized the dark blue hair, the white dress, the adorable delineation, and the key-shaped sword in her hand within a second. A wild cheer welcomed Wendy and her friends, the rising stars of the Coliseum known for defeating Cloud Strife and saving the Coliseum from destruction. Their mouths screamed support for the Sky Maiden's team, their eyes not wavering from the ring. Carla, Alzack, Bisca, and Asuka were the most enthusiastic; they hoped with all their hearts that their friends would win the cup.

"And their opponents to my right, Jungle Vice!" Appearing from the other side was a squadron of Heartless, made up of ten Powerwilds and six Soldiers. They were accompanied by five low-ranking wizards representing Tamer Coat, each dressed in attire similar to Abigail and his two personal bodyguards, but different in color and design.

"It's the Heartless!" Donald indicated.

"And they're not alone," Romeo pointed out.

"So the dark guilds decided to have a little fun of their own, along with their Heartless buddies," Sherria guessed. Her eyes peered towards the golden chestplate that linked the dark wizards together, and gasped upon recognizing the symbol of a lion and snake crossed together. "It's Tamer Coat!"

"Tamer Coat?" Wendy, Donald, Goofy, and Romeo asked in unison.

"Another dark guild in the Alliance of Evil's bucket list, no doubt," Sherria snapped her fingers. "I never thought they'd work for them."

"You know these guys?" Romeo questioned. "Besides Jester Jugular and Poacher Fang, which we... I mean, you took down?"

"I know many dark guilds to some extent," Sherria explained. "Unlike Poacher Fang's talent for hunting animals, Tamer Coat brainwashes them with special magical weaponry and turns them into slaves for their wicked purposes. Their army of brainwashed animals facilitated their invasion of the local cities and towns. Tamer Coat has mind-controlled the rarest beasts in Fiore— Wyverns, Vulcans, Lizardmen, Weretigers— all kinds of animals, normal or magical! They're not to be messed with, so we better be careful."

"Tamer Coat can brainwash all kinds of animals?" Donald raised an eyebrow. "What is she talking about?"

"Uh, Donald, I think she means you," Romeo clarified. "Both you and Goofy! You're both animals!"

"So you mean to tell me... THEY'LL TURN US AGAINST EACH OTHER?!" Donald exclaimed shockingly, before he shook his head in refusal. "Nuh-uh! We can't do that! We'd never hurt our own team!"

"Yup, especially if it's us doin' the hurtin'!" Goofy nodded anxiously. "But we're in the arena, so there's no getting outta this one! Guess we should beat 'em before they get to us, huh?"

"Relax, guys," Romeo assured the two. "Fairy Tail's handled things worse than that. If Tamer Coat thinks they're gonna take you with their mind-control weaponry, they've got another thing coming."

"You have nothing to worry about, you two," Wendy smiled warmly. "We'll be fine as long as we stick together."

"Aww, shucks. Thanks, Wendy. We know a kind gal when we see one," Goofy smiled back.

"That's not helping at all," Donald muttered.

"You know something? They've brainwashed all kinds of animals in our world," Sherria rubbed her chin in thought. "What are the odds of doing the same to animals from different ones?"

"Yeah, what are the chances?" Wendy wondered. "Have they done that before?"

"Hey, look! It's the Keyblade bearer and her bratty friends!" the first Tamer Coat wizard jeered at the sight of Team Wendy. "And she's with the ugly duckling and that stupid dog from the Disney Kingdom!"

"Excuse me?!" Donald snapped. "Do you have any idea who you're talking to?!"

"Ha! Are you kidding, man?" the second Tamer Coat wizard snorted. "Tamer Coat's always ready to whup a fool or two! Our mind-control magic weapons have no effect on animals from other worlds. Not that we really care... We just want to hurt all of you!"

"No brainwashing? That means..." Wendy's eyes widened.

"We're saved! Hooray!" Donald quacked happily.

"That was close!" Goofy sighed heavily.

"Yep! One in a million!" Sherria confirmed.

"You're just a bunch of cocky idiots like the last ones," the third Tamer Coat wizard taunted. "With or without our animal slaves, we're gonna teach you turds how to respect fighters with seniority! I think you outta call a doctor now, just to save time later!"

"You'll have to guess again, Tamer Coat," Romeo countered. "We know you're with the Alliance of Evil. We can tell by the Heartless you've got at your beck and call." He gestured to the Powerwilds and Soldiers, "When I got out of that realm of darkness, our friends' story about some coalition of dark guilds responsible for what happened to Fairy Tail eased my conscience." His fists ignited with Purple Fire, as he got into a fighting stance. "Now I'm not gonna feel bad about taking you all out. So don't expect any respect from me or any of us!" He raised a fist, and spotted a Tamer Coat wizard pointing a magic-powered pistol at his chest.

"HAVE A SHOT, PUNK!" Before the Rainbow Fire wizard could react, the pistol fired twice. Fortunately, Wendy deflected the bullets at breakneck speed with the Jungle King, and they ended up zipping in the air.

"Alright, you asked for it!" Wendy glared. "C'mon, guys! We can't let a bunch of cheaters beat us! Let's take 'em down!"

"Couldn't agree more!" Romeo agreed.

"Aw, quit crying, will ya?" a Tamer Coat wizard mocked. "That was just a little welcome gift!"

"This won't take long..." Sherria determined.

At the start of the match, each opposing team leapt towards the other, ready to fight. The Phil Cup had begun!

Morning After
by Boom Boom Satellites

No way outta here and nothing to feel
I thought I had a treat in the refrigerator
It's time to wake up and smell the coffee
I'm falling back to sleep when it's over

9th Seed: Jungle Vice (Powerwild x10, Soldier x6, Tamer Coat x5)

The Tamer Coat grunts were fairly easy to deal with, as they relied on nothing more than guns and swords to attack, unable to match the Powerwilds and Soldiers' combination of speed and unpredictability. With teamwork and well-timed attacks, Jungle Vice's defeat came quickly. But the ninth seed was only the beginning. Other seeds of opponents were on the prowl; various types of familiar Heartless, each with its own strengths and attributes, coupled with Tamer Coat wizards, each equipped with different magic-powered weaponry. The one thing that linked them to each other was their common objective to bring the Keyblade master and her companions to their knees.

Let yourself down, down on your knees
Please ease along in the morning after
Once again I'm back where I belong
So come over, come on over

8th Seed: Monkey & Magic (Powerwild x3, Green Requiem x4, Red Nocturne x4, Yellow Opera x5, Tamer Coat X4)

Drink it up
You better wake up
I wanna move on
I'm doing better now

7th Seed: Big Feet (Hammerlegs x1, Powerwild x4, Tamer Coat x6)

As Team Wendy advanced to the Phil Cup's third round, they faced a squadron of Powerwilds and Tamer Coat wizards, their ace in the hole being the Red Armor Parts. The Red Armor Heartless was similar in appearance and size to the Guard Armor, but different in color, hence the name. It splits into the Armored Torso, Gauntlets, and Hammer Legs, each with the ability of individual movement. Each Red Armor Part was found heading a team in a Coliseum tournament, as evidenced earlier by the Hammer Legs leading Big Feet. But considering the Hammer Legs were not paired with the Red Armor's other body parts, this wasn't much of a problem. Wendy and her teammates fought and defeated the seventh seed, and moved onward...

Don't let your mind rot
What are you afraid of?
Face to face in the morning after
Sooner or later I'll come closer
No one else that could ever do

6th Seed: Magic Alert (Red Nocturne x10, Yellow Opera x10, Tamer Coat x5)

Rip it up
You better watch out
To get your freak on
I'm just killing time

5th Seed: Nightwalkers (Large Body x1, Powerwild x5, Tamer Coat x8)

How many ways to show you how I feel
Sometimes in dreams you're near to me then
I'm up and I will take you anywhere
Faster and faster trippin' to nowhere

Goin' down and out in paradise
Day after day, no hiding anywhere
How many more times, how many more times
I wonder how come you treat me bad

4th Seed: Hard Hitters (Gauntlets x1, Shadow x12, Blue Rhapsody x7, Tamer Coat X6)

Roll it up
There ain't no need to hide
I gotta ride on
You better sign up

3rd Seed: Indomitable (Large Body x5, Green Requiem x6, Tamer Coat x4)

Don't let your mind rot
What are you afraid of?
Face to face in the morning after
Sooner or later I'll come closer
No one else that could ever do

2th Seed: Wild Corps (Armor Torso x1, Gauntlets x1, Hammerlegs x1, Powerwild x8, Tamer Coat x10)

In the semi-final match, the complete set of Red Armor Parts was the real threat, prompting Team Wendy to strike individually. Wendy and Romeo dealt with the rampaging barrage of crimson metal, while Sherria, Donald, and Goofy handled the Powerwilds and Tamer Coat grunts. Eventually, Wild Corps was defeated, and Team Wendy advanced to the final round.

Rip it up
You better watch out
To get your freak on
I'm just killing time

Wendy twirled her Keyblade around, "That's the power of the Keyblade!"

Donald tossed his staff in the air and struck a pose, "Good work!"

Goofy jumped up and down, "We did it!"

Romeo pumped a fist in the air, "Looks like we're on a roll!"

Sherria gave the thumbs up, "We're the best!"

That short moment of celebration was only brief when the Greek announcer stepped into the ring. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for our main event! Who will take home the gold? Will it be Team Wendy, the rising stars of the Coliseum? Or will it be their final opponent? Introducing to my right:" He thrust his arm to the other side of the arena, heralding the arrival of the final seed. "Abigail Beastman and his Dukes of Doom!"

The Coliseum was again assaulted with screaming cheers. Emerging from the hypogeum, the iron gates rising from the dirt, was the guild master of Tamer Coat himself. Crowded around him were the Dukes of Doom, two of Abigail's enforcers dressed in spiked armor and beast-shaped masks, the masculine one's protective covering painted black and the scrawny one painted white. The elastic of Abigail's weapon of choice was once again wrapped around his arm following his meeting with Hades. His eyes narrowed with invisible fury towards the people who played games with his guild. The Dukes' eyes stared likewise, soft growls emanating under their masks.

Sherria's eyes grew wide upon noticing the guild master's arrival. "Tamer Coat's guild master, Abigail Beastman!"

Romeo shared the Sky God Slayer's reaction. "Abigail? He's the one in charge?"

Sherria replied, "Like I said, I know many dark guilds to some extent. Looks like he's got himself a personal team just so he can get a piece of the action."

Romeo affirmed, "If he's the guild master, I bet he's tougher than all the Tamer Coat wizards we fought. We gotta stay focused!"

Abigail jeered, "Hmph! I'm flattered you know me, you miserable brats. You've made quite a mess defying the Alliance of Evil... Lantern Viscera, Jester Jugular, Poacher Fang, and now this..." He squeezed the whip's handle, "Stop your futile efforts while you still can. You'll just make fools of yourselves!"

Romeo retorted, "Ha! I think you've got that backwards, Master Abigail! Fairy Tail's stood up to far worse dark guilds than yours. They all talk big, but they still fall hard in the end." He then smirked mischievously, "I'm kinda surprised that yours is a girl's name!"

Sherria's cheeks turned bright red and swelled up with laughter she was trying desperately to suppress. "Yeah... Isn't that... ironic..." A few seconds passed between keeping the dam from bursting, until she finally released it. The rest of the team joined in, only Wendy and Goofy's laughter was less hysterical. It was all directed at the Tamer Coat guild master's expense.

Abigail could not understand what Wendy and her teammates found as funny. "What are you laughing about, you imbeciles?"

Romeo blurted out between laughs, "You heard me! Yours is a girl's name! Where'd you get the name? Your mom?!"

Abigail gritted his teeth, "Abigail's not a girl's name! It's named after the most dominating mountain in Enca!"

Donald grinned teasingly, "Whatever you say, Abbyrella." He and his teammates kept on laughing.

Abigail attempted to mask his embarrassment, "S-Shut up! Just because I have a name like that doesn't mean I'm a girl! Look at me!" He motioned to several parts of his armor, "Can a girl wear heavy-duty armor like this one?"

Romeo rolled his eyes, "Yeah, sure. We've seen other girls wearing heavy-duty armor. Have you ever met Erza?"

Sherria suggested, "You should try a little fashion sense every now and then. Since you're so, you know... top-heavy."

Abigail's humiliation quickly turned to anger. "How dare you! You'd best hold your tongues, or else..."

Donald glared, "Or else what, you girly-named loser? Three lousy armored palookas are no match for the five of us!"

Abigail sneered, "Is that so? You disrespectful pieces of TRASH!" He raised his whip and thrust it against the ground, causing Team Wendy to flinch. In an instant, the laughter was silenced. "I don't know who taught you how to behave like that, but I won't show you any mercy. You've done an admirable job in defeating my men. Now I'll entertain your personally. You see, this is where you will meet your demise!"

Wendy shouted, "You were waiting for us to wear ourselves out by sending your guild to fight!"

Abigail snorted, "So what if I was? That's called strategy, not cowardice."

Romeo taunted, "C'mon, Abby! Be a man! Or are you too girly to face us in the open?"

Abigail bellowed, "SILENCE!" Another crack of the whip, and the heroes backed away fearfully. "I grow tired of your insults! War does not decide who is right, only who is left. The only thing that matters is winning! So you want to fight me, eh? Very well. I'll grant you your wish. You won't live long enough to regret your stupid decision!"

Goofy yelped, "Gawrsh, I think we made him mad. He sure doesn't like gettin' laughed at!"

Wendy advised, "Calm down, Goofy. This isn't the time to lose your cool!"

Abigail boasted, "Feel the wrath of Abigail Beastman, guild master of Tamer Coat, conquerors of beasts! After me and my Dukes of Doom are through with you, you'll just be one big pile of broken bodies!" He dramatically pointed forward, signal to his two enforcers. "Get them!" Letting out two ferocious growls combined, the Dukes rushed forward, knowing only one goal: to destroy all enemies.

Wendy alerted her teammates, "Here they come!"

1st Seed: Abigail Beastman and the Dukes of Doom

Let the final match of the Phil Cup commence! The Dukes of Doom steered across the arena at breakneck speed, throwing several punches and kicks at Wendy and Romeo, leaving Donald, Goofy, and Sherria to contend with Abigail. The Sky Maiden and the Rainbow Fire wizard deflected the Dukes' attacks with little effort, before taking the exact moment to counterattack. Wendy was busy fighting against the White Duke, who was considered the fastest of the two with his uncommon speed and agility, prompting the Sky Dragon Slayer to rely on her own speed. Wendy and the White Duke exchanged a series of lightning fast blows, until the Keyblade bearer ducked a straight jab. She delivered with a 12-hit Keyblade combo and a Sky Dragon's Crushing Fang, pushing the White Duke with great force. As soon as he regained his ground, sharp claws popped out of his fingers. "Didn't see that coming!" Wendy sweated.

Meanwhile, Romeo landed a few feet away from the Black Duke, who pounded his fist with overwhelming force to create a crack in the ground. The Rainbow Fire wizard backed away before being pounded by a flurry of fists, which had been empowered by an unknown strength, until he delivered his own hits, ending with the two smashing fists and creating a shockwave of force from the impact that threw them back. Romeo delivered more blows fueled by Purple Fire, before the Black Duke threw a fist to his adversary's chest, and landed another that sent him skidding. "Man, he's tough!" he winced. Just before the tallest of Abigail's enforcers was about to send another megaton blow, a sudden burst of frosty blue exploded behind him, leaving the roaring Duke in a block of ice up his thighs.

"Got your back!" Wendy called out, looking up from casting a Blizzard spell. She was unaware that the White Duke pounced after her with his claws

"Duck!" Romeo shouted, his Purple Fire quickly reverting to Yellow Fire. His warning prompted Wendy to lean backwards. Romeo shot a golden fireball that hit the leaping White Duke, then followed with a l 8-hit combo, ending with a kick that smashed the Duke against a pillar. "I got yours."

"Thanks," Wendy acknowledged. She then saw the Black Duke managing to break free from his icy prison with a single shake, before the White Duke made a quick recovery and rejoined his muscular counterpart. "Not as tough as they look, aren't they?"

"We're gonna have to beat those guys, then focus on Abigail," Romeo suggested. "But I'm sure the others got it covered."

On the other side of the arena, Donald, Goofy, and Sherria cornered Abigail, motivated by the prospect of a three-on-one advantage. The Sky God Slayer registered her demand, "Give up, Abigail! There's no way you can win!"

Abigail rolled his eyes at the group's persistence. "Don't be so presumptuous... I've only just begun!" The tail of his whip soon glowed with a sizzling magical heat, and he thrust it against the floor, leaving behind a fiery trail that scarred the mortar its wake. Sherria, Donald, and Goofy were quick enough to dodge the flaming whip before it made contact with their bodies.

Donald taunted, "Ha! You missed!"

Abigail only smirked. "Did I?"

The Dukes of Doom appeared behind Sherria and the others, drawn to the sound of their master's whip. The White Duke grabbed Donald by the torso with his legs, threw him into the air, executed an 9-hit claw combo, and then jumped onto the duck's back, hitting him by the spine and slamming him onto the floor. The Black Duke stomped his foot, launching Goofy into the air. He then leapt after the distracted royal knight and pummeled him with a headbutt and a knee to the face, before finishing him off with an earth-shattering brain-buster. BOOM! Donald and Goofy were knocked out cold by the Dukes' incredible speed and strength, their bodies sprawled against the dust. Wendy, Donald, and Sherria were shocked to see their two teammates down for the count. "Donald! Goofy!"

Romeo sweated nervously, "Then again, maybe not."

Wendy asked worriedly, "Are you okay?"

Sherria regrouped with the two and answered, "You see the whip Abigail holds in his hand?" She pointed a finger towards Abigail's flogging tool, where the fire still burned around the rope. "Not only does it deal elemental damage, but it also keeps his animal slaves in line. He must've called the Dukes to his side with that thing!"

Wendy gasped, "You don't mean..."

Romeo shouted, "The Dukes of Doom are beasts?!"

Sherria nodded, "And perfectly trained ones, too!"

Abigail smiled wickedly, "You've figured it out, haven't you? The Dukes of Doom are my most powerful enforcers, gifted with powers beyond that of an ordinary creature. They first started out as unruly and disobedient beasts, but my guild's magical expertise wore them down. I trained them, nurtured them, bred them... The Dukes are the perfect servants and beasts, bound to serve my every whim."

Sherria retorted, "That's animal abuse, if you ask me!"

Wendy glared, "What kind of jerk who hurt any living being, human or animal, just to get their way?"

Abigail boomed, "Tamer Coat's long-standing dominion over the animal world is without peer! A pity that our magic has no effect on otherworldly animals like Donald Duck and Goofy..." He gestured to two of Team Wendy's unconscious members, "...but it matters not. Therefore, I have no need of that pathetic duck and dog. The Dukes of Doom, and the support of more dark guilds and villains in all walks of life... They're more than enough."

Romeo growled, "You creep..."

Abigail grinned, "Now then, shall we put an end to this little charade? I want to see if the little girl who fascinated Kaze was really all that strong..." He was referring to Wendy, who had been the center of attention for Sleepy Hollow's guild master since their first encounter. "Let's see what you're worth, Wendy Marvell! Dukes of Doom..." He cracked the whip, and the Dukes turned to Wendy, Romeo, and Sherria. "Crush them!"

Team Wendy and the Dukes of Doom glanced at each other, one side with tension, the other with murderous intent. A second later, the White Duke dashed by and slashed at Wendy with his claws, then jumped up and attempted an aerial swipe, which the Sky Dragon Slayer was able to block with the Jungle King. "Sky Dragon's Wing Attack!" Utilizing the wing-shaped winds spiraling furiously around her arms, she hammered the White Duke down.

"Blue Fire!" Romeo used the blue-colored flames imbued in his fists to boost himself straight up, and came down with a flaming punch that socked the White Duke's face.

"Sky God's Boreas!" Sherria threw her hands forward, a large black tornado firing from her palms and hurling at the White Duke. The Black Duke suddenly stepped in front of his slim counterpart and deflected the blast with his bare arms, crossed together as a shield to cushion the blow. He grabbed the airborne White Duke and placed him back onto terra firma, before the latter zoomed for Team Wendy, scurrying away from the multicolored fire and winds that rained on him and jumped over Wendy's swing. "Sky God's Dance!" Sherria twirled her arms and summoned a spiral of black wind that threw the White Duke in the air before he could reach the opposing side. He slammed his feet against a pillar, propelled himself, and knocked Sherria across the arena. The Black Duke jumped up and clenched his massive fist to perform a downward slam, only to miss when Wendy and Romeo jumped out of the way.

"Rainbow Fire Spiral!" Romeo spun around in a flaming arc of multiple colors that collided with the Black Duke's masculine frame.

"Sonic Blade!" Wendy launched a series of supersonic thrusts, damaging the Duke with great ferocity. "Sky Dragon's Claw!" She flung her wind-induced legs across his jawline, sending him upward. The Sky Dragon Slayer added an aerial 12-hit Keyblade combo, the last hit crashing him against another pillar. The Black Duke wasn't willing to let this slide, never to rest until his master's orders were carried out. With a roar, he hammered his fist against the floor, sending a powerful shockwave that pushed Wendy and Romeo away. The Black Duke surged forth and assaulted the two with megaton-fueled punches, but they managed to dodge them all. "Sky Dragon's Crushing Fang!" Wendy scratched her wind-forged claw across the Black Duke's chest.

"Rainbow Fireball!" Romeo put his hands together to form a large multicolored fireball and threw it against the Duke, the impact creating an explosion upon.

"Thunder!" Wendy performed a string of Keyblade attacks, ending with a miniature lightning storm. "[Sky Dragon's Roar!]" She fired her signature tornado breath, decimating the Duke further. Soon, the blend of physical and magical blows proved too much for the Black Duke to endure, and he collapsed to the ground, his armor nearly torn to pieces.

"One down, one to go!" Wendy informed.

"Let's do this!" Romeo determined.

Sherria was busy chasing the White Duke, who pranced around the opposite side of the stage in an attempt to avoid her. "Blizzard!" The chase came to an end when Wendy shot an icy crystal that froze the White Duke's feet in place.

"Purple Fire Fists!" Romeo rushed over and pummeled the trapped Duke with his fire-fueled punches, socking him all over a hundred times like a punching bag.

"Sky God's Bellow!" Sherria breathed a devastating tornado of black that sent the White Duke flying over to his muscular counterpart, his armor sustaining similar damage.

Wendy cheered, "Yes! We did it!"

Sherria beamed, "The Dukes of Doom are down! We got 'em!"

Romeo declared, "It's just you and us now, Abigail! You've got no one to help you now!"

Abigail sneered, "Is that what you think?" He then glanced at his defeated enforcers, "Dukes of Doom, arise!" The whip cracked again, and the Dukes suddenly stood back up in spite of the injuries they had undergone.

Romeo demanded, "How are they still standing? They took so much damage!"

Sherria complained, "You've got to be kidding me!"

Abigail issued his next order to his revitalized henchmen. "Go! Don't stop until they are brought down!"

The Dukes growled in unison once more, every ounce of adrenaline galvanizing their bodies, driven by the urge to obey Abigail's orders without cease. They went on the offensive, becoming more aggressive with their attacks, not caring what action came at a cost as long as they were able to cause harm to their opponents. Wendy and her friends stood their ground nonetheless, struggling to defend themselves by dodging or blocking the Dukes' attacks.

"And here I thought they're pushovers," Romeo commented, trying to push away the Black Duke's massive arms.

"What's gotten into them?" Wendy wondered, using her Keyblade to shield herself from the White Duke's claws.

The growls came again, only this time, they were laced with excruciating pain. The Dukes' minds were trapped, locked in the coils of a parasite, so tightly bound that they didn't know where their bodies ended and the creature's began. They were fused together, bound by pain, and there was no escape... When the Dukes rumbled, the agony began to ferment into a spark.

"I-It's... not... us..." For the first time, the Black Duke uttered a coherent sentence, and it sounded like he was asking for help.

"Huh?!" Wendy and her friends were surprised at what they just heard.

"It's not us... We can't... control ourselves..." It was the White Duke's turn to speak. The strangest fact was that it sounded just like a girl's.

Romeo cried in disbelief, "How in the... They can talk!"

Sherria noted, "Can you hear their voices? They sounded like they're struggling. Like they're trying to break free from Abigail's influence. What kind of animals are they?"

Wendy muttered, "Uh, guys? I don't think they're animals..."

The White Duke croaked, "It's... not us... Abigail... He's got... our bodies... We can't... control them..."

The Black Duke grumbled, "Abigail... He's got us... You gotta... save us... You can't leave... a real man behind..."

Romeo raised an eyebrow, "A real man? Someone we know in Fairy Tail usually says stuff like that. And he's—" A brief pause, and his face was black with despair, his chest rising and falling with the growing horror that the Black Duke's words filled him with. That could only mean...

It didn't take long for Wendy to realize the truth as well. She immediately knew what the Black Duke was referring to, and she shared the Rainbow Fire wizard's troubled expression. "Elfman?!"

And just like that, the Black Duke's beast-shaped mask began to crack. It shattered into tiny pieces, revealing the face of a beast with green fur, mane-like white hair, canine teeth, and a pair of striped horns from a plate on his forehead. But it wasn't just any beast!

"ELFMAN!" Wendy and Romeo recognized the identity of the Black Duke by the Take-Over form the second-to-eldest sibling in the Strauss family had taken on. Instead of a heartfelt reunion, it was an unfortunate sight to behold a Fairy Tail wizard relegated to serving a dark guild. From the audience, Carla and the Connells could see clearly the Black Duke's face. In turn, they were shocked by the revelation, and each reacted in their own way.

"Elfman's a Duke of Doom?!" Sherria exclaimed shockingly. "How? Why? How did he—"

The White Duke's mask broke apart also, and his own face was revealed. It was Lisanna Strauss, whose face and arms were modified to assume the form of a werecat, indicating that Animal Soul: Cat was her current Take-Over spell. "LISANNA!" Every Fairy Tail wizard present in the Coliseum was extremely dismayed by the second disclosure. There was no doubt about it- two of Mirajane's younger siblings had unwittingly played a role in another scheme concocted by the dark guilds!

"Lisanna, too?!" Sherria shrieked. "What in the world is going on?!"

"Hey, kids..." Elfman grunted, trying desperately to fight the magic that was controlling him. "Glad to see... you're still alive... That's manly... even for you... Wendy... Romeo..."

"It's you..." Lisanna winced, fighting her own influence. "We're so happy... to see you... again... But... no time... Abigail... he's... controlling... our bodies... Please... save us..."

"Elfman... Lisanna..." Wendy's voice choked, her eyes shining with tears at what the two Strauss siblings had been reduced to. "What have they done to you...?"

"How could they..." Romeo was shaking with rage, blaming the incident on a certain coalition of villains. "How could they?!"

"Now do you understand?" Abigail proclaimed. "The power of Tamer Coat's dominion over the animal race?!"

"What have you done to them?!" Romeo demanded angrily.

"My guild is always on the hunt for worthy beasts to subjugate. And what better way to make slaves out of them than the strongest guild in Fiore?" Abigail declared. The tail of his whip slapped the ground once more, and before Elfman and Lisanna knew it, a malevolent aura rushed through their bodies. Screaming and writhing in pain, they could feel their insides twisted into something they did not intend. Abigail laughed again because he knew it would incense them, taking delight in the torture building in his victims' physiques. Wendy and her friends were sickened and angered by this injustice. "Elfman and Lisanna Strauss proved quite resilient, their minds too difficult to control. But through their Take-Over Magic and the animal properties they possess, their bodies are easily manipulated. Do you see it now? Tamer Coat rules all beasts, ordinary or special. Beasts empowered by Take-Over Magic are no exception!"

"Abigail controls their bodies, but not their minds?" Sherria gritted her teeth. "That's insane!"

"You scumbag!" Romeo snarled. "You turned them into zombies against their will! You're gonna pay for that!" He rushed over to Abigail with his Purple Fire Fists, wanting to get a piece of Abigail. However, Lisanna and Elfman were surprising fast enough to block his path.

"To get to me, you're going to have to go through them," Abigail advised. "This turned out much better than I could have hoped, and I only used a small fraction of my beast-control magic."

"You made a big mistake, Master Abigail," Wendy threatened. "Elfman and Lisanna are our friends. They're members of our guild, and we won't let them suffer like this! We're gonna save them from you!"

"You can try!" Abigail smirked. "It will be my pleasure to watch you squirm! Lisanna, Elfman..." The two Strauss siblings perked up, and Abigail's whip touched the floor one more time. "Kill them!"

The auras restraining Elfman and Lisanna's bodies was seething so badly, they thought their bones might burst. Through Abigail's manipulations, their arms and legs began acting with a will of their own. With an agitated cry, Elfman clenched his fist and threw a straight punch, only to have Romeo block it with his Purple Fire. Lisanna moved at lightning speed, thrusting her claws at Wendy, who deflected them with the Jungle King.

Wendy pleaded, "Lisanna, please... I don't wanna fight you."

Romeo complained, "C'mon, Elfman! Snap out of it! You don't wanna do this!"

Elfman moaned, "It's not us... Our bodies... are moving... on their own...! You gotta... set us free... Kick... his ass... for us..."

Lisanna breathed, "Abigail... controls our bodies... with his whip. Take out the whip... and we're free... Go! You must... stop him...!"

Romeo confirmed, "Abigail's whip, huh? Got it!"

Wendy assured, "Don't worry, you two! We'll save you!"

Elfman smiled weakly, "We know... you will... Fight... manly..."

Lisanna wheezed, "We're counting on you... guys..."

Sherria proposed, "I'll keep Elfman and Lisanna occupied. You focus on Abigail."

Wendy nodded, "Okay! Be careful, Sherria!"

Romeo added, "We'll leave it to you!"

Sherria encouraged, "Good luck!"

With that, the three members of Team Wendy split up; Sherria to distract Elfman and Lisanna, and Wendy and Romeo to face Abigail. The final match of the Phil Cup was reaching its end, and the audience simply couldn't wait to see who would emerge the victor. As for Carla, Alzack, Bisca, and Asuka, they had other ideas. The moment they discovered Elfman and Lisanna coerced to work with the dark guilds, they knew something had to be done. With collective nods, they disappeared from the audience, determined to get to the bottom of this mess.

Back to the match, Wendy and Romeo were confronting Abigail and his whip of burning fire, the one thing that kept the two Strauss siblings under his thumb. The Sky Maiden declared, "It's just you and us, Master Abigail!"

Abigail growled, "This grows most tiresome. Why do you insist on standing in my way? I'm through playing games with you. Prepare to die!" He struck the ground with his whip, calling Elfman and Lisanna from a distance. "Stand with me!" The Strauss siblings immediately turned their attention from Sherria to Wendy and Romeo. They rushed for the two, their fists and claws at the ready.

Elfman shouted, trying to hold back the aura that gave his body sentience, "Kids!"

Lisanna cried, mirroring her big brother's actions, "Look out!"

Wendy gulped, "Uh-oh!"

Romeo sweated, "Not good."

Sherria whined, "No fair!"

But as the Strauss siblings were inches away, two unexpected people pushed them back. It was Donald and Goofy, who had regained consciousness following a brief knockout at the hands of the Dukes.

Donald quacked, bashing Elfman with his staff, "Not so fast! I've got a bone to pick with you!"

Goofy shouted, hitting Lisanna with his shield, "We ain't gonna let ya hurt our friends!"

Wendy cried out, "Donald! Goofy!"

Romeo cheered, "It's about time!"

Sherria sighed, "Took you long enough..."

As soon as Donald and Goofy grouped together with Sherria, they cornered the two Strauss siblings, their invisible auras staying in control. The royal court wizard called out to Wendy and Romeo, "We'll handle them! Just keep him busy!"

They both agreed in unison, "Yeah!"

Abigail retorted, "You cannot save them! Your friends will eventually wear down, and it's only a matter of time before the Dukes of Doom come to my side again!"

Romeo shot back, "Who are you calling Dukes of Doom?! They're Elfman and Lisanna! Fairy Tail wizards! And don't you forget it!"

Wendy shouted, "We will save them, and we will stop you! You picked a fight with the wrong guild!"

Abigail bellowed, "You PESTS! I'll squash you like bugs!" In his rage, he swung his whip multiple times, leaving a path of fire that immolated one corner of the arena in multiple directions. Wendy and Romeo were fast enough to react to the dark guild master's frenzied tactics, and they dodged the whip's fiery edge with precision and accuracy. A minute passed, and the two dodged a straight swipe just in time to hit Abigail with a string of physical attacks; Wendy with her Keyblade, and Romeo with his Purple Fire. Abigail managed to recover and swiped at the young heroes from a different position, only for them to repeat the same strategy. The ensuing brawl lasted for two minutes until Wendy and Romeo dodged from a wide whip thrust and began shooting at Abigail with Fire and Yellow Fire, respectively. Abigail deflected the shots with his whip, all the while taunting his enemies, "Stop taking potshots, you brats! Fight me like you mean it!" Wendy and Romeo ducked underneath another thrust, then retaliated with Blizzard and Blue Fire, landing a few direct hits on a distracted Abigail. He flinched at the damage he sustained, and responded, "That won't hurt me for long... I'll show YOU how it's done..." The Tamer Coat guild master lit up the whip's edge with more fire and swirled it around a few times, the trail almost forming a tornado, as he was about to land his most powerful hit on either one of his enemies...

Wendy thought to herself, "I guess it's time to put my new Keyblade Magic spell to work... Gotta make this count!" She took a deep breath and grasped the hilt of the Keyblade, awaiting Abigail's next move. Finally, the whip reached her. "Aero!" Wendy raised the key-shaped weapon aloft, its tip glowing with a white light. A barrier of wind swirled throughout her body, designed to reduce any damage taken in half or deflect certain attacks when active, just as Donald described it. Abigail's whip touched the barrier, only for it to be pushed back by the waves of spiraling air. He swung repeatedly, but the wind effortlessly swatted it away. With each direct hit on the barrier, the fire surrounding the whip's tail was beginning to lose some of its fire.

Romeo's eyes widened at the features of Wendy's new spell. "Cool... So that's what it does. It has the same element as her Dragon Slayer Magic. Can she eat air from that?

"What trickery is this?!" Abigail yelled, dumbfounded that the element comprising his whip's main attribute was dying out. When he swiped it again at Wendy, he was surprised to find that the tail was suddenly wrapped around Romeo's fist fueled with Yellow Fire, making it immune to the whip's scorching properties.

"That's called strategy," Romeo smirked, echoing what the Tamer Coat guild master stated before the fight began. With a mighty tug, the whip was pulled from Abigail's grasp, automatically spouting what remained of the tail's flames. The Rainbow Fire wizard seized the handle and threw it up in the air, the rope dangling along with it. "Now!"

"Blizzard!" Wendy aimed the Keyblade and shot an icy crystal that struck the object, freezing it solid before it exploded into a hundred tiny pieces.

And as the device influencing Elfman and Lisanna's actions was destroyed, Abigail's magic was dispelled. The released prisoners lay facedown on the floor, exhausted from surviving a rather gruesome experience. The members of Team Wendy stared at Abigail's former slaves; Wendy, Romeo, and Sherria with relief, and Donald and Goofy with slight confusion.

"MY WHIP!" Abigail exclaimed, stunned that his only weapon and control device was stripped away in the blink of an eye. "You destroyed my weapon!"

"Hah!" Romeo brimmed with confidence. "Not as dominating as you thought."

"It's over, Master Abigail," Wendy demanded. "Just give up!"

"How could a bunch of kids like you..." Abigail's horror boiled into frustration, and he pointed an accusing finger at Wendy and each of her friends, having every reason to despise their very existences. "You dare challenge the king of beasts? The ruler of all animals?! You... You..."

KA-POW! Before Abigail could act, he felt a tremendous force hitting him square across the face. Elfman Strauss, who remained in his Beast Soul form, somehow stood back up to his feet and delivered a megaton-fueled punch in retribution for the misfortune Abigail had wrought upon him and his sister. "CHALLENGE THIS!" The defeated guild master of Tamer Coat was sent flying back into the hypogeum with a dreaded scream, the gates closing upon crashing inside. Elfman sported a proud smirk at his accomplishment. "That's what you get for making a zombie out of a real man! And his sister, too!"

Before the Greek announcer would step into the ring to address the winner of the match, Wendy took a deep breath, trying to absorb the air that composed the Aero barrier still revolving around her. If Dragon Slayers couldn't eat their own magic, what were the odds of eating magic conjured by a Keyblade? The attempt failed, unfortunately, as a powerful force compelled Aero to resist Wendy's absorption ability. The spell wore off in a couple of seconds, and slight disappointment crossed her face. Romeo was quick to notice it, and he understood why. "I guess not..."

"Ladies and gentlemen, you have just witnessed another miracle!" the Greek announcer finally entered the ring. "The breakout stars of the Coliseum have now become the new breakout champions! Here are the winners of the Phil Cup... Team Wendy!"

Wild cheers amassed the Coliseum in gratitude for the winning team, followed by a stream of confetti that fluttered across the arena. Wendy and her teammates huddled together for a group hug, cheering and congratulating each other for a job well done. Romeo took the celebration with much optimism than he could ever muster; this was the first time he ever entered a fighting competition and won, and he wouldn't have won without his friends. If Natsu and Macao saw his performance, wherever they were, they would be proud of what the spirited youth had grown up to be.

"Aww, yeah!" Of course, Elfman didn't want to be left out. "We're havin' a manly celebration! C'mere, you guys!" To everyone's surprise, he wrapped the whole team around a single arm, leaving him in charge of the group hug. However, they got a big laugh out of it, because they were having fun.

"Alright! You did it!" Lisanna stood up after taking less than a minute to recover from her own ordeals. She ran over to Elfman and happily hugged the people who saved her and her big brother. "Thanks for everything, guys! You're the greatest!" She kept her smile in spite of the few tears that streamed down her face as a sign of absolute relief, and seeing that smile brought elation to the hearts of Wendy and her friends. Donald and Goofy, on the other hand...

"Uh, what just happened?" Donald raised his eyebrow in confusion. "Why are the Dukes of Doom cheering for us? I thought they're the bad guys!"

"It's a long story..." Romeo admitted with a light-hearted chuckle.

From outside the vestibule, Philoctetes and Hercules had supervised the actions of Wendy and her allies, from the first match of the Phil Cup to their success over defeating Abigail and the Dukes of Doom. The satyr remarked, "Huh, they're good. They even beat the Cup named after me."

Hercules stated, "If they keep this up, they'll win all the Cups. I have a feeling I'm gonna face them sooner or later. Personally, I'd like to see Sherria's magic with my own eyes, see what her so-called God Slayer Magic can do."

Philoctetes smirked, "Oh, so you're havin' a date with Pinkberry? Is that what you're sayin'?"

Hercules quipped, "I just might."

Moments later, members of the Coliseum committee, each dressed in Greek clothing, assembled in the ring and presented Team Wendy the trophy of the Phil Cup: a golden frame with the brown picture of a stone message carved in Greek, commemorating those who fought valiantly in the tournament. In an event mirroring the Fairy Tail's guild return to Magnolia after their victory in the X791 Grand Magic Games, Romeo raised the trophy with both arms, his weight supported by his teammates, and screamed above his lungs a simple message that almost overpowered the cheers of the audience, "WE'RE THE CHAMPS!" The celebration went on, but it was just another step on the road to being a true hero.

"Hmm... I wonder how the others were doing?" Sherria wondered aloud. She was referring to Carla and the Connells, who checked themselves out before the Cup was over.


Abigail awoke in the darkness of the barracks from the punch Elfman delivered to his physiognomy. The light was poor, flickering from some torch behind him, casting grid lines of shadow on the wall. Everything was sore, but his nose especially blazed with agony. "Uuuuggh..." As Abigail sat up, he gingerly tried to rub his bleeding nose. He put his hand down and felt something soft under his fingers, and when he looked behind him, he saw countless Tamer Coat wizards beaten to a pulp, their skins bearing scorch marks. Before he could react, three silhouettes blocked the light. It was Alzack and Bisca, armed with their magical weapons, with Carla in human form.

Alzack loaded his two pistols and said, "So you're the one causing all this trouble, huh? Messing with their Take-Over Magic to control them at your whim... Is that supposed to make you tough?"

Bisca pumped her shotgun, "Time for some payback, Abby! Care for a load of ammo before we do away with the rest of your pals? Can't think of a reason not to!"

Carla crossed her arms, "Master Abigail, you and your guild's treachery will be punished!"

Abigail began to sweat nervously. Not only had his objective to defeat the Keyblade master failed, but he was also at the mercy of three angry Fairy Tail wizards, bound by their obligation to take revenge for the abuse he wrought upon their guild. This was not going to end well for the so-called "king of beasts." With a hiss, the torch was put out. The barracks were plunged into complete darkness, and a straight-up beatdown ensued...


Lobby

Returning to the vestibule, Wendy, Romeo, Donald, Goofy, and Sherria met with Philoctetes and Hercules, who congratulated the team for winning the first tournament of the Olympus Coliseum Games. The trophy was placed in one spot of the lobby, opposite of the side where the pedestal Wendy tried to budge in her first visit was placed. Elfman and Lisanna stood next to their friends, having changed back to their human forms and their original clothing after they discarded their Tamer Coat armor. Much like Donald and Goofy in the tournament's conclusion, Hercules and Philoctetes were initially puzzled as to why two of Team Wendy's last opponents were standing alongside them. Wendy, Romeo, and Sherria gave a thorough explanation about the Dukes of Doom; they were actually friends whose bodies were subjugated into living puppets by Abigail's magic. Any other day, Philoctetes would disqualify Abigail for public abuse, but Wendy and her friends already gave him their own payback. With Abigail's downfall, the two siblings could rest easy.

By the time Wendy and the others finished their story, Carla, Alzack, Bisca, and Asuka reunited with them and spent some time reconnecting with Elfman and Lisanna. What followed afterwards was the news of Tamer Coat's involvement in the Phil Cup; over the course of the final match, Carla and the Connells ambushed and brought down larger groups of Tamer Coat wizards trying to sabotage the tournament at the behest of their guild master. It was a simple matter of pushing the dark guild to the brink of exhaustion before taking out the chain of command, and then leave them to the local authorities. Eventually, Tamer Coat was arrested and disqualified from the Games. Any misunderstandings were cleared out, and those unfamiliar with the Strauss siblings were on good terms with them. All was well.

Philoctetes stroked his chin, "First the preliminaries, now the Phil Cup? Where'd you come from? What're you eatin'? How'd you get so strong? I never thought that junior heroes would rise to become champs! As a bonus, you rescued two D.I.D.'s in the final round."

Sherria raised an eyebrow, "D.I.D.? What's that?"

Philoctetes clarified, "Damsel in distress, duh! I was referrin' to the pearly white hottie and the macho gorilla right there." He pointed a thumb at the Strauss siblings to state his point.

Lisanna wondered, "Is he talking about us?"

Elfman explained, "I was in distress, but I'm not a damsel. I'm just a real man with muscles on a string until the kids cut them loose. It's the body, not the brain, goat man." He crossed his arms and glared at the floor in anger, "It's like Tartaros all over again. This isn't the first time I became a puppet for a dark wizard, y'know. I never imagined it would happen to me like old times, but Tamer Coat? That's a different story. And my little sister's brought into this, too..." He recalled the time when he was forced against his will by Seilah, one of the Nine Demon Gates of Tartaros, to place a bomb lacrima to wipe out the Fairy Tail guildhall. Everyone inside would have died, if not for Cana's Card Dimension spell, and it took a proper motivation from her to snap Elfman out of his guilt. It was nostalgic for the Beast of Fairy Tail to remember a tragedy that would have been created, but prevented out of sheer luck. At the very least, Abigail's methods were not as extreme as Seilah's.

Lisanna mused, "We've been turned into pawns for Tamer Coat's scheme. They found a way to control my Animal Soul and Big Brother Elf's Beast Soul with their animal mind-control weapons. They manipulated our bodies through our magic, forcing us to attack you..." She then sighed deeply, "We're sorry we put you through this. We hope there's no hard feelings."

Romeo assured, "None taken. You needed someone to get you outta this puppet show."

Hercules commented, "Sounds like you've been through a lot."

Lisanna sighed, "Oh, you have no idea."

Elfman grinned, "But hey, what are we to let our bodies do the talking? Abigail can take our bodies through our Take-Over Magic, but they can't take our manly hearts." He pounded his chest for effect.

Lisanna joked, "If I had a manly heart, what does that make me?"

Elfman boasted, "Are you kidding me? There's a strong sense of manliness in all of us, man or woman!" His sister couldn't help but laugh at his exuberance.

Happy smiled, "At least Elfman hasn't changed."

Carla added, "Still as boisterous as ever."

Elfman continued, "As I was saying, Abigail didn't take us completely. We held out under torture to wait for somebody, anybody, to set us free from that orangutan with a girl's name. Seriously, where'd he get an unmanly name like Abigail? His mom?"

Romeo laughed, "Nailed it!"

Sherria giggled, "It's true."

Wendy smiled, "We're lucky Master Abigail didn't take you completely. You showed us how to set you free from his control."

Elfman replied, "And we have you kids to thank for that. Now that Tamer Coat's not in a position to boss me and Lisanna around anymore..." He put his knuckles together and cracked them, "...it's high-time we teach Sleepy Hollow and their dark guild cronies a manly lesson!"

Sherria guessed, "The Alliance of Evil kidnapped you, didn't they?"

Carla asked, "I assume recent circumstances gave you an insight on their intentions?"

Lisanna began, "Well, it all started when—"

Donald cut her off, "Hey, this is gonna be a lot to take in. You can give us the full rundown when we get back to the Gummi Ship."

Lisanna asked, "Donald and Goofy, right? You have a ship that let you cross over to other worlds? And you're friends with Wendy?"

Donald and Goofy nodded at once, "Uh-huh."

Lisanna pleaded, "Then take us with you! If it means finding the rest of Fairy Tail, we'll be a part of your adventure. We need you to help us reunite the guild. Can you do it for us? Please?"

Elfman smiled proudly, "If you're friends of Wendy, you're friends of ours. So there's no reason to miss out your manly quest. If you need a real man to do all the heavy-lifting, you can always count on me."

Lisanna beamed, "You can count on me, too! If the bad guys ever stand between us, they'll find themselves living scratching posts." Focusing her Take-Over Magic into her arms, she changed them back into the same werecat claws she unintentionally used against Team Wendy in the final round, and flexed them in a confident flair. "Big Brother Elf and I make a great team, and we can with you. Together, finding our friends is going to be easy as pie."

Goofy chuckled, "Why not? Lookin' for Wendy's missin' friends is what our adventure's focused on! We're glad to have you joinin' us, Elfen and Lizzie. Welcome aboard!"

Elfman deadpanned, "Just for the record, it's Elfman and Lisanna. Learn to say our names right like a real man."

Donald interjected, "Keep dreaming, you two. Finding your Fairy Tail friends is only half the adventure. We still have to find the King. In the meantime, you're welcome to join us."

Lisanna cheered, "Thank you, you two! We promise to do our best! You won't regret this!"

Donald gave them the thumbs up, "Not a problem. Welcome to the team!"

Goofy counted his fingers, "Our count's up to eleven members! I think..."

Sherria crossed her hips, "Well, nothing left to do here. Let's—"

"WAIT!" Before everyone could exit the lobby, Philoctetes stopped them with a loud voice. "You're not just gonna leave without a prize for winnin' the Phil Cup, are ya? I want you to have this." He reached for his backside and took out a purple Magic Orb, pulsating with a small gravitational field centered around a black hole.

"A Gravity Magic Orb! Haven't seen one in a long time," Donald recognized, taking the Magic Orb in his hand. "Gravity is an advanced spell that forms a miniature gravitational field that crushes its targets, depleting a percentage of their health and rendering them temporarily defenseless. It's the power of the stars."

"Gravity?" Sherria questioned. "There's a certain wizard in Orochi's Fin who uses magic like that..."

"A spell that can reduce health and defense at the same time? Hmm..." Wendy pondered. "Could be useful against even tougher enemies. Let's take it!" She touched the Magic Orb, which popped into light and transferred into the Keyblade and Donald's staff, adding a new slot to their collection of elemental magic.

"You deserve it for doin' a great job," Philoctetes explained. "But you've still got a long way to go before you make it to the big leagues. The next tournament's startin' soon. Next time, it'll be the real thing."

"We'll be ready," Wendy assured.

"See you later, Phil!" Romeo waved.

"You too, Herc!" Sherria cheered.

"See ya, goat man!" Elfman saluted.

"Thanks for everything!" Lisanna smiled.

As the group and its two new additions said their goodbyes and headed out the lobby, Philoctetes realized he forgot one last important detail. "Hey, wait a second!" The door was already closed before he could ask his question. "Don't you wanna tell me what your macho friend knows about Tartarus?"

Hercules grinned, "I wouldn't get in their way. It's their business, and only they can deal with it."


ELSEWHERE...

Kaze Viriniam was at her usual private hangout in the library, looking across the blurred images of Wendy and company recorded into her crystal ball. Sitting at her rough-hewn table, her head resting against her palm, she could see them exiting the Coliseum and heading for the spot where the Gummi Ship was docked. The recording only switched off when Elfman and Lisanna spent a few minutes marveling at the vessel's flawless design, as the young guild master of Sleepy Hollow got all the entertainment she needed. "Another dark guild bites the dust. Could today possibly get any better?" She laughed as she removed her legs from the top of the table, before resting an elbow against it, her knuckle supporting her chin. "Well, I guess it doesn't really matter when you already have a backpack full of plans to quell Blueberry's little rebellion. Bring in myself and the Horsemen any day of the week. Tell me something, Macao... Are you going to save me the trouble of eliminating the strays?" Kaze received only an icy glare from her personal prisoner in response. Slightly taken aback, Kaze moved on, "Okay, I'll make this brief..." She stood up from her chair and walked over to Macao, "It's only a matter of time before this minor annoyance is out of the picture." She leaned herself forward to bring her face level with Macao's, "They've constantly interfered with Maleficent and the council's schemes to control darkness and rule the worlds." Her lips got too close to his earlobe, and her breath fluttered into his mind. "Had to strike 'em down."

Macao was unfazed by that threat. "Wanna bet, Kaze? 500 Jewels says they're gonna find you, mess up your big master plan, and save the day."

Kaze grinned, "You're awfully spunky for a old geezer in your position, Sir Flares-a-Lot. But this is where you'll lose the bet." She straightened herself and raised her left hand, which lit up with a black orb representing the darkness empowering her being; she lessened the use of darkness to avoid the risk of destruction if she ever lost her temper, wanting to keep calm and show a safe demonstration of her powers. "Fairy Tail simply witnessed firsthand the power of Sleepy Hollow when they see it. We warned them not to underestimate us, and look where that got them. Priceless!" With a clench, the orb was extinguished. "An olive from the branch is harvested for the feed."

Macao's eyes widened with protest. "You're insane!"

Kaze quipped, "Y'know, they say the life of a mercenary is a thankless job. But back in the day, we've had swimming pools made of solid gold and an all-you-can-eat buffet. Sleepy Hollow's always been the best at wetwork— stronger, faster, smarter, richer... And with Earth-land destroyed, we're on the road to becoming the universe's greatest band of mercs. Not only because we have the support of villains from many worlds, but because we're just that good! And if these pinheads would give it some thought, they'd see they're on the wrong side. But if they really wanna fight us, who am I to complain? It just means that we... I... get to have more fun." She rested her forearm on Macao's shoulder, "So bring 'em all on! You know how the saying goes: play with fire, and, well... you know the rest."

Macao questioned, "Why do you want to become a mercenary so bad, anyway?"

Kaze smiled coyly, "Oh, so you want to know about my background? Aren't you perceptive?" She gave a playful pinch of Macao's cheek, much to his annoyance. "Before I became Sleepy Hollow's guild master, I was a helpless little girl with raw, untamed magical power. I..." She struggled to make her words come out, "I have little memory of my past. I was taken away from a family I thought I knew. In my youth, I was cursed with the power of darkness. Left unchecked, it causes destruction all around me." Kaze stared at her left hand, which was trembling from summoning the dark orb. Her other hand grabbed and steadied it, before she gave a long, shaky sigh. "Sleepy Hollow found me wandering the Worthwood Sea. They're kind enough to take me in. They said that wherever I came from, that place was destroyed by dark magic, and that I was the only survivor of that attack. So nobody really knows who the real me is, or how I got these powers. Even me."

Macao affirmed, "Maybe I shouldn't have asked that."

Kaze replied, "It's cool. If you had just asked, you should've known. It's as simple as that. Anyway, I decided to become the greatest mercenary of all time. Sleepy Hollow has become the family I ever had, and I climbed through the ranks until I became leader- the youngest in our history. In time, I've learned to control and master my dark powers. I want my story to go down in the history books. People will remember the name Kaze Viriniam. That's why I can't let booty pass me by."

Macao scowled, "What kind of family steals from people and attacks cities just for the thrill of it?"

Kaze stated, "The weak die. The strong live. Those are the rules. That's how we handle things at S.H., and that makes it all the thrilling. Do you know my favorite bit? I get to blow stuff up." She paused to hear another retort from her prisoner, but there was none. "You belong to a family within a family, don't you? Little Rainbow Jr.?"

Macao threatened, "If you touch my son..."

Kaze teased, "Aww, did I yank your chain? Of course I did. But don't worry about your little fire. He's too strong to die out. For now, at least. He's just as brave and confident as Blueberry."

Macao growled, "You think you're some blameless force of nature, don't you? That the rules don't apply to you?"

Kaze shrugged, "Why does anyone want to be a mercenary?" She paused, and her humorous expression turned into a dominant one. "Everybody wants to rule the world."

"Master Viriniam?"

Kaze snarled in frustration at the unknown voice from behind, and turned to the source. That source was a Sleepy Hollow wizard standing at attention. "What now?! Can't you see I'm having a conversation with my friend here?!" She gestured to the Purple Fire wizard, bound to his chair.

The Sleepy Hollow wizard swallowed, clearly uneasy with the task he was given with. "You may forgive me for intruding you, Master, as I give you my report."

Kaze groaned in annoyance, before urging her minion. "Proceed."

The wizard cleared his throat, "Less than half of the dark guilds' Gummi ship fleet has been wiped out. We've approximately lost 27%."

Kaze's eyes widened in surprise. "Wiped out?"

The wizard continued, "We've just received the file from our intelligence units regarding that attack on our fleet. Here it is." He handed Kaze the file, to which she flipped it open and examined its contents. "They determined that a lone Gummi ship is behind it." He paused to wet his lips, dry from the tension of the moment. "It's a rare 978-4-06 Raijin model."

Kaze stayed still, her subordinate watching as her face turned sly. She asked humorously, "A Raijin Gummi ship... attacked our fleet?"

The wizard sweated nervously, "It's a separate model from the 953-7-09 Highwind Wendy Marvell is commandeering. Our spies determined the label of her vessel." He rubbed his fingers together as he continued, "We believe the Fairy Tail wizards who escaped from our ships may have piloted the Raijin—"

Her amusement transitioning to rage, Kaze took out one of her Soul Eaters and hurled its chain blade around the Sleepy Hollow minion. He was violently pulled towards her, right into the iron's grasp. "Who?!"

The wizard stammered, "W-W-W-We think... s-s-s-s-someone else... is p-p-p-p-piloting... t-t-t-t-the Raijin."

Kaze said nothing for the longest while. For a second, she wanted to rage at something for the inconveniences the Alliance of Evil had encountered, but her mind suggested otherwise. Instead, she retracted the chain blade and put away the Soul Eater. Her underling dared not to move until she gave her order. "Reinforce our numbers and look for any suspicious vessel. I want to know everything that's happened. If you see Wendy's ship, you know what to do."

The wizard regained his composure, "Yes, ma'am!"

Kaze turned away, looking in the direction away from the low-ranking wizard and bringing her fingers to her chin. "What are you planning...?" Her train of thought screeched to a halt when she sensed the presence of her subordinate still remaining. She turned to him with a scowl. "Well?! What are you waiting for?!"

The Sleepy Hollow wizard answered shakily, "M-M-Master... I-I-It's Maleficent. S-S-She requests that you accompany her to Agrabah."

Kaze couldn't help but sigh at the other news. "It's about time. I finally get the chance to flex my bones outside this rusty old castle. I'm getting bored." The young mercenary guild master stretched her arms and walked over to the door. "Time to check on Silver and Desert Cobra. Oh, and Macao..." She gave him one last glance before grasping the doorknob, "If I see your son, I'll tell him you said hi."

Macao yelled, struggling to break his binds, "You can't win! Fairy Tail will stop you, you hear me?! We'll stop you!"

Kaze scoffed, "Let them try. No one can stop me."

She seized the knob, opened the door, and went outside.

"Just as no can ease the dragon's tempest that rages in my heart..."


Author's Note:
Happy Holidays, everyone! The Phil Cup is over, and Lisanna and Elfman joined Wendy's party. Coming up next, Wendy and her friends are going to Agrabah, where surprises and dangers lurk around every corner. The question is, which Fairy Tail member is going to make an appearance? Find out in the first chapter of Agrabah Arc, which will be coming soon in the new year. Please read, review, and follow, so I can see what you guys think of this chapter. This is TheSavageMan100 singing out, and I'll see you guys next time. Peace!