Gummi Ship Engine Lounge

As had become the custom, the engine lounge was blessed with fun activities partaken by the entourage of Fairy Tail members found thus far, a Sky God Slayer from Lamia Scale counted among the rescued. Sitting on the sofa with Sherria and Lisanna on either side, her arms wrapped around Carla, Wendy suppressed a shiver, keeping a smile as she spent a few seconds overseeing the peaceful façade. It seemed a few days ago that her missing friends were found in each world they visited, and with their disappearances connected to the dark guilds' dealings, her luck was starting to turn around. The two Fairy Tail guildmates she and her friends rescued at Olympus Coliseum was a special treat; with Elfman's strength and Lisanna's adaptability, their fortunes may change in their favor. But the adventure would not cease until the whole guild was reunited, just as Donald and Goofy were relentless in finding King Mickey. From her spot in the sofa, Wendy could see Elfman bragging about his manliness, provoking jokes and laughter in the entourage. Donald and Goofy were also present in the engine lounge; they since then left the Gummi Ship on auto-pilot to discuss what the Strauss siblings knew about the Alliance of Evil, all the while getting acquainted with the party's new members.

"Imagine what it's like back in their base," Elfman huffed, flexing his muscles. "They must be so upset that one of their dark guilds went down the drain. Well, they had it coming for the way they've treated us. Same goes with that girly-named monkey face."

"I gotta hand it to ya, that punch you delivered to Master Abigail was a big one," Sherria commented, taking a bite out of a sandwich. "Pow! Right in the kisser!"

"He's just a loose monkey in the wrench, and monkeys do nothing but prance around all day, recklessly throwing their toys around," Elfman affirmed. "If he wanted to fight so bad, why didn't he fight us himself instead of relying on slaves to do his dirty work? Only a real man knows how to fight fair and not rely on lowlifes and fancy toys." He clenched his fist in a dynamic manner, "He needed a lesson about getting in close, and he learned it the hard way. Literally."

"Yeah, he got what's coming to him, alright," Romeo grinned. "But we all know Natsu can punch real hard."

"Wanna bet, kid? Here's an idea," Elfman smirked. "If we see him around, we'll see who punches harder. That cool with you?"

"Sounds like a good idea," Romeo agreed. "I'd love to see you and Natsu do your thing!"

"Wherever he is, I hope he's alright," Lisanna sighed. "The last time we saw him, it was Sleepy Hollow's attack on the guildhall. I wonder what happened to him? Is he kidnapped like the rest of us? Or did he find his own way out? I know Natsu, he'd never let anything like that stop him. He can fight his way out of nearly anything, but now..." She added with concern and worry, "I'm not so sure."

"That Alliance of Evil..." Elfman crossed his arms sternly. "Don't they realize how much damage their unmanly persistence has caused?"

"I hope we're ready for the worst," Romeo affirmed, before he turned to his thoughts. "Just hold out a little longer, bro... I'll be there to get you and everybody else out of this." In his mind, he swore that he would find a way to rescue his idol Natsu and all those captured with him.

In the meantime, a visibly shaken Wendy kept silent about the matter. Natsu couldn't just disappear by conventional means; how come she saw him in the caves of Tenrou Island, with the Keyhole behind him? Merlin's house wasn't the first time she saw a projected image of the Fire Dragon Slayer; it was the treehouse at the Deep Jungle, when Alzack and Bisca came with Tarzan to rescue her from Sabor. The image of Natsu's departure continued to flash in Wendy's mind. She was missing him terribly, someone whom she looked up to as a big brother, someone who fought alongside her, someone who taught her to be brave in the face of certain doom...

"It's going to make things worse for Natsu and the others if they continue the way they're going," Lisanna grimaced. "Something has to be done! Anyway..." She cleared her throat, "You're asking us what we know about the dark guilds and what they're up to, right?" Everyone nodded except for Wendy, whose thoughts drifted elsewhere in regards to Natsu's fate. "We've been waiting for the right time to be rescued. We knew you guys would do it." She then turned to the Sky Dragon Slayer, "You most of all, Wendy."

"Huh?" Wendy snapped out of her thoughts, as she pointed to herself. "You expected me to rescue you?"

"Haven't you noticed, kid? It's all part of the plan!" Elfman smiled. "You think just because we're kidnapped means that we're down for the count? Hell, no! Fairy Tail wizards can't give up without a fight. Somebody's gotta step up and play this game, and since the players aren't picked, it'll be up to someone else to join the game. And what do we have here?" She thrust his arm to the Sky Maiden, "A cutie pie with a manly attitude! You're tiny, alright, but there's no denying the manly size of your will. It's your time to shine!"

"Oh, really?" Wendy couldn't help but blush at that statement. "I..,"

"What's your deal?" Donald questioned. "What does manliness have to do with anything?"

"You kidding me, duck?" Elfman snorted. "Manliness goes with everything. You got a problem with it, say it like you mean it!"

"Wak! F-Forget I asked!" Donald shook his head vigorously, mistaking Elfman's retort as a threat. "I was just kidding!"

"It's his habit, Donald," Lisanna explained. "Big Brother Elf's very self-conscious about manliness and wants to spread the word. That's one of the things I love about him best."

"So that explains why he's energetic all the time," Goofy grinned. "He calls himself a real man because of how defined his muscles are."

"It's the willpower that counts, doggy," Elfman clarified. "Not the muscles."

"Oh, right. A-hyuck!" Goofy realized. "It's the size of your heart."

"Damn straight," Elfman pounded his chest. "Heart is the most important thing about being a real man."

"Okay, let's get to the point," Lisanna resumed the topic she was about to discuss. "Like I said, we've been waiting for the right time. We held out under torture from the dark guilds to keep the plan going. That's the first step." She turned to face Wendy, "It's a miracle you'd be here! With your help, the rest of Fairy Tail will be easy to find."

"Well, we are bringing the guild back together," Wendy answered. "Isn't that why we're flying to other worlds?"

"Don't forget King Mickey," Donald interjected. "We're in this, too."

"Of course! How could we forget about you two?" Lisanna smiled. "Since you're helping us find our other friends, we'll help you, too. Nobody in our guild would ever turn down a friend in need. We're all looking for something, so that means we have a lot in common."

"You sound just like Wendy," Goofy pointed out. "And you're almost as cute as her."

"Oh, I..." Lisanna could barely suppress a giggle, as the blush around her cheeks glowed red. Some in the group took it as a compliment, especially Elfman. Seconds later, she regained her composure. "Anyway, thank you for saving us, Wendy. It means a lot to us."

"It's no big deal," Wendy smiled. "Friends need to stick together, after all."

"Like glue," Goofy interjected. "Looks like somebody's hittin' the milk."

"As I was saying, we needed to be rescued," Lisanna continued. "In the end, it proves that our plan is working. That's why Mira asked us to bring something to you, just in case we ran into you."

"Mira!" Wendy gasped in surprise. "Is she okay?"

"We'll explain everything. Right now..." Lisanna sat up from the sofa and took out a round crystal orb from her pocket. She placed it at the center of the table for everyone to see. "...Mira would like to have a word."

"A communication lacrima?" Carla recognized the object.

"What's with the crystal ball?" Donald questioned.

"You'll see," Lisanna assured. Bending herself down on one knee, she rubbed her hand around the edges of the crystal structure. She paused to check the simmering silence coming from the lacrima, hoping for a response. "Hello? Mira? Can you hear me?"

And just like that, the communication lacrima glowed with a silver light, prompting Lisanna to release her hand. Like a pebble dropped in the water, ripples formed in the serene pool of brightness in every direction. The distortions encompassed the watery light, and before long, blended together to form a shape. Everyone turned towards the crystal that opened to reveal the face of the exact outside help Lisanna and Elfman had been talking about moments before. With the exception of the two siblings, they all exclaimed in awe, "Wow!"

"Hello, Lisanna!" the speaker greeted, before turning to Elfman. "You too, Elfman. How are you two doing? How did it go?"

"Everything's going just as planned," Lisanna reported. "We escaped from Tamer Coat, but not without a little help. The dark guild itself was taken down. Best of all..." She gestured to Wendy, whose eyes widened at seeing Mirajane Strauss, who in some way, managed to communicate when the opportunity presented itself.

"Wendy..." A soft gasp escaped Mirajane's mouth, as she stood face to face with who may be the Fairy Tail guild's only hope for salvation. From that, her lips curled into a warm smile. "It's so good to see you again. I knew you'd be the one we can count on."

"Mira! I—" Wendy beamed happily, but never got to finish her sentence. Romeo, Alzack, Bisca, and Asuka huddled together to extend their greetings and shouts of joy for Mirajane. Not only was she touched at finding a few Fairy Tail wizards who survived and followed Wendy in her perilous quest, but also that they were still as exuberant as ever. If she was there, she would have the chance to converse with them over food and a few mugs of beer for those who deserved it. For the current number of Fairy Tail wizards in the Gummi Ship, it was a miracle to see the guild's resident barmaid and administrator safe and sound. Donald and Goofy looked over with interest, and Sherria with a sense of pride.

"And it's good to see everyone hasn't changed," Mirajane chuckled. "Not the number I was expecting, but I guess it'll have to do."

"Howdy, Mira!" Bisca tipped her hat. "Long time no see!"

"You're alright!" Alzack remarked. "Are we glad to see you!"

"She's talking to us through that communication lacrima!" Sherria beamed. "Isn't this too good to be true?"

"Obviously," Carla replied. "It must've taken a lot of effort to let her voice be heard."

"Hey, Mirajane! We missed you!" Romeo waved at the lacrima. "Where were you? And how did you find us?"

"Listen, I know this is a lot to take in, since you've all been through tremendous hardship already," Mirajane mused. She let out a sigh that squandered the warmth in her expression, and her eyes lowered in disappointment. "I'm really sorry, guys. I wish I was a little more efficient, then I could've found a faster way to save our guild..."

"Don't let it get ya down, Big Sis," Elfman comforted. "The dark guilds are the ones to blame, since none of them are manly enough to invite us into that so-called party of theirs. It's their fault, not ours."

"Things aren't looking good, but we can figure this out," Lisanna smiled. "You'd probably come up with ideas even brighter than ours, you being the eldest in our family and all."

"So don't beat yourself around the bush. This isn't like you!" Elfman urged. "Real men are weak against doubt!"

"Hey!" Donald argued. "I didn't see a man in the crystal ball!"

"U-Uh..." Elfman stuttered as he quickly corrected himself. "I mean, don't doubt yourself, Big Sis."

"We have a long way to go, Mira," Lisanna determined. "It'll be a lot easier if we work together. With help from Wendy and her new friends from other worlds, we can save everyone. We'll find a way. We always do."

"You haven't changed as well," Mirajane's smile returned. "And I know we can find a way."

"Yup, just like Wendy. Brave and confident!" Goofy confirmed.

"Have you looked in the mirror lately?" Donald asked dryly.

"Well, uh..." Goofy couldn't find an answer to the duck's question.

Mirajane looked over to Donald and Goofy, "You must be the friends from other worlds Lisanna mentioned."

Donald saluted her with a grin, "Yes, miss. Donald Duck."

Goofy tucked one hand behind his back and waved his other, "Name's Goofy."

Mirajane introduced herself, "A pleasure to to meet you two. I'm Mirajane, Lisanna and Elfman's sister. I should thank you for sticking with my friends when they needed you most."

Donald responded, "All in a day's work."

Goofy nodded, "Anythin' for a friend of Wendy's."

Romeo interrupted, "Okay, hold on. Before we get everything sorted out, we need to know..." He eyed the lacrima, "Where were you, Mirajane? And do you have any idea what's going on around here?"

Mirajane realized, "Oh, that's right. I haven't explained it yet." She cleared her throat, wanting to give as much of a detailed summary of her knowledge on the Alliance of Evil as possible. "Wendy, I'm sending you this message in the hopes that it reaches you safely."

Wendy assured, "It's okay, Mira. We're in the Gummi Ship. Nothing bad happens to us. For a while, at least."

Donald stated, "There hasn't been any Heartless ships since we left Olympus Coliseum."

Goofy added, "We put the ship on auto-pilot, so we'll listen to whatever you have to say."

Mirajane asked, "Is that so? Well, then..." She got back to the subject, "As I'm sure you're all aware, many of us in Fairy Tail are being held against our will by the Alliance of Evil, a coalition of dark guilds similar to the Balam Alliance we dismantled, led by an evil sorceress named Maleficent. Sleepy Hollow is a guild within its ranks."

Romeo thought out loud, "She knows about them, too."

Wendy muttered, "Maleficent and Kaze..."

Mirajane continued, "Maleficent is searching the universe far and wide, recruiting powerful warriors to her service. She would do anything to get them to her side, even turn them into slaves."

Carla wondered, "Is that their motivation for abducting our guildmates? In a similar way Tamer Coat enslaved your siblings?"

Mirajane nodded, "No doubt. Tamer Coat's just another sub-guild. I heard a few others were destroyed. I think I have a pretty good idea who did."

Sherria smiled, "That's Wendy for ya. She's the best in her field."

Romeo agreed, "We would've had our butts handed to us if it wasn't for her."

Wendy giggled, "Thanks."

Alzack asked, "Do you know where you and the others are?"

Mirajane shook her head, "We don't, but we're unharmed and in relative comfort for the time being. Lucky for us, I can make direct contact with you through my communication lacrima and the one you have. So don't worry."

Bisca questioned, "And what do you mean, most of ya? That doesn't make sense."

Mirajane answered, "You'll find this hard to believe, but we've heard that a few Fairy Tail wizards managed to escape from the dark guilds and stowed away to worlds far from the one we're at."

Romeo shouted, "I knew they're still alive out there!"

Goofy eased, "Romeo, take it easy!"

Donald insisted, "Don't get too excited just yet!"

Romeo chuckled apologetically, "Sorry. Guess I got a little carried away."

Mirajane stated, "I don't know what the Alliance of Evil is planning, but I have a feeling it's not anything positive. So I came prepared..." A brief pause, then she continued, "When we learned that Wendy is on her way to save our guild, I had to do something to help her in any way I can. I discovered two communication lacrimas, and I was about to give one of them to anyone who would run into her. Then one day..." Another pause, "Elfman and Lisanna were selected by Tamer Coat and forced them to fight on their behalf. They used their magical weaponry to control them through their Take-Over Magic."

Elfman groaned, "You don't have to remind me..."

Lisanna smiled, "At least we both pulled through in the end."

Romeo's eyes widened in realization, "Wait a minute. The lacrima, Elfman and Lisanna..."

Wendy gasped, "So this is the plan they were talking about!"

Elfman smirked, "Clever, huh?"

Lisanna grinned, "You figured it out."

Mirajane nodded, "Exactly! I gave them the lacrima, and they safely hid it away so that the dark guilds wouldn't find it. They held out under torture from Tamer Coat to keep it a secret. It's the only thing we have to communicate with each other, and we couldn't risk losing it. But now that we found you..." She turned to Wendy and let out a sigh of relief, "...things are starting to turn around. There's not even a single scratch."

Lisanna shook her head, "Not at all, Mira."

Elfman boasted, "This lacrima's as rock hard as a man's muscles."

Mirajane grinned, "Glad to hear it. Now we can talk to each other anytime, anywhere."

Romeo asked, "Is there anything else besides that already successful plan of yours?"

Mirajane replied, "Like I said, the Alliance of Evil is planning something dangerous. They're desperately searching for not just the perfect underlings, but the secret to limitless power. I don't know what they're after, but I'll get to the bottom of it somehow. Wendy..." She glanced at the Sky Maiden with pleading eyes. "Please, you must stop the Alliance of Evil before they succeed. You must! They're already aware that you destroyed some of their dark guilds, so please be very careful. And please..." She paused to let her message take effect, "...don't worry about me."

Wendy nodded firmly, "Don't worry, Mira. I won't let everyone down."

Romeo joined in, "We're gonna bring the guild back together and teach the bad guys a thing or two."

Lisanna determined, "We'll find a way to save you, Mira. We promise!"

Elfman boasted, "Hey, Big Sis! Don't worry! We'll bust you outta their evil lair faster than you can say Quatro Puppy."

Mirajane beamed, "Thanks to you all. I'll try to gather any more information on the Alliance of Evil. I'll call again if I learn anything, okay? Of course, you can always call me."

Wendy smiled back, "Sure! We'll keep in touch."

Mirajane encouraged, "Good luck, everyone! I have faith in you!" And with that, the young woman's visage was blurred by magical static, until the image was gone. Once again, the lacrima was silent.

Romeo grinned, "Mirajane's sending us information from afar. That could work in our favor." His face then turned serious, "But I don't like the sound of the dark guilds looking for limitless power. That sounds totally overkill."

Sherria shuddered, "When you say overkill, it sounds scary."

Carla advised, "For now, we must press on. Through this lacrima..." She gestured to the aforementioned crystal, "...Mirajane can send us the flow of information that may change the course of our mission. Of that I am certain."

Elfman pounded his fists together, "That'll give us all the manly edge we need."

Lisanna brimmed with confidence, "Just pick up the pace and we'll do fine."

Donald affirmed, "Well, nothing else to do here. Goofy and I are gonna get back to the cockpit."

Goofy smiled, "You know where to find us, Wendy."

Wendy nodded, "Yeah."

As Donald and Goofy climbed up to the cockpit to restore manual control of the Gummi Ship, Wendy and the others were left to revel in their relief from reuniting with Mirajane. At the same time, they were discussing ideas on how to get back at the Alliance of Evil for their misdeeds. The entourage had gotten help from friends in low places, and that would lead to a greater chance at victory against a coalition of dark guilds and otherworldly villains.

Hours later...

The engine lounge was a mess from all the time spent on partying, as per the rambunctious nature of Fairy Tail wizards. Crumbs and empty cans littered the floor, wrappers and dirty plates were scattered everywhere, and the table was flipped over. Fortunately, the lounge was not without its unique features. The mechanical white-gloved hands attached to the ceiling slaved away to pick up the trash, wash the dishes, and place the furniture exactly where they needed to be. The process of maintaining stability was taken up by the Gummi Ship's automated clean-up system, ensuring that nothing was out of place. This feature was so amiable, that if you so much as dropped an unclean plate before leaving the ship, you could return a moment later to find it squeaky clean with no effort on your part. Whoever came up with the idea in the early stages of the Gummi Ship's design, he/she may have been a genius.

Everyone had fallen asleep amidst the house cleaning, with the exception of Wendy, who sat on the edge of a bed examining what's left of the fun and games. Lisanna's head rested on the couch's right arm, with Sherria lying on the left. Elfman slouched against the middle-soft foam, probably exhausted from bragging too much about manliness. Alzack, Bisca, and Asuka cuddled up together in a bed separate from the one Wendy sat on, and Carla was resting in the table top. As she looked over, Wendy thought to herself, "I'm so happy for Mirajane. Even if she's far away, she's with us all this time." She titled her head to Lisanna and Elfman, "They want to reunite with her so bad. They miss her. We all miss our friends. I hope we get to see them again."

"Things have been pretty crazy so far, huh?" Wendy quickly retreated her gaze, turning to the owner of the familiar voice beside her. Romeo crossed his hips, his eyes danced in a form of curiosity. The Sky Maiden wasn't the only one who hadn't fallen asleep.

"Hi, Romeo," Wendy greeted, gently pushing aside a strand of hair. "Can't sleep?"

"I just couldn't," Romeo shrugged. "What about you?"

"Me neither," Wendy confessed. "I've got a lot in my mind right now."

"You're not the only one," Romeo confirmed. "Mind if I sit down? I have a feeling we've got a lot to talk about."

"Sure, why not?" Wendy saw no reason to acknowledge his request. She was aware that Romeo got entangled in his own strenuous journey prior to joining the group. A young boy, forced to walk the mysterious dark realm, who eventually escaped by unknown means. They both had to deal with hardships in their own way, and they supposed now was the time to share each other's thoughts. Wendy moved along the edge of the bed, allowing Romeo to sit right next to her.

"I honestly wasn't sure if I'd ever see you again. I thought I was a goner when the darkness swallowed me," Romeo sighed as he began to recall previous events, feeling a slight case of nostalgia. "And here we were, back on the streets. It's like we're in Shirotsume again, going on a wild ride. I just wish I was a part of all this before you were gone. You know, other worlds and stuff? That way, it would've been an interesting adventure..."

"Well, I've been to other worlds with Donald and Goofy," Wendy pointed out. "Each world I've visited is amazing and scary in its own way. I've seen and learned much since then. Believe me, I wouldn't have gone a long way without those two helping me. Even though I did most of the work, they mean a lot to me. They wanted me to always smile, to always show a positive side."

"They sure inspired you to go on this interstellar trip, huh?" Romeo guessed, to which the Sky Dragon Slayer nodded. "And I'm thinking Carla helped, too."

"If you were with me back then, it would've been an interesting adventure," Wendy admitted, before she gasped upon realizing she repeated what Romeo stated earlier. "You probably said that before, didn't you?"

"It's no big deal," Romeo chuckled. "We wanted to be a part of something huge, to get our own taste of adventure. If we're much more alike, who am I to complain?"

"Never for a second," Wendy giggled softly, before she decided on another matter. "I hope this doesn't sound weird, but..." She paused, trying to keep calm on her next statement. "...would you believe me if I told you Donald and Goofy taught me how to pilot the Gummi Ship?"

"R-Really?" Romeo asked in surprise. "They let you drive the ship?"

"I asked them to let me," Wendy clarified. "They showed me the ropes until I got used to the controls. I did a pretty good job in my first try. Not a scratch."

"Why'd you ask them?" Romeo questioned. "I mean, don't you get motion sick because your Dragon Slayer Magic has reached a higher level?"

"Now that you mention it, I haven't felt motion sick ever since I got the Keyblade," Wendy replied. "Its magic left a powerful effect on my sense of balance. This isn't the first time I've taken a vehicle because of these changes. So I thought to myself, if I can walk around on a vehicle, why not give it a spin for myself? That's why I asked Donald and Goofy."

"Whoa, that's really impressive," Romeo commented. "I knew the Keyblade unlocks doors and hidden abilities, but I had no idea it can heal illnesses as well. In some cases, to say the least." He crossed his arms with a slight grin, "Wow, just imagine a key-shaped blade that lets you do almost anything. How could anyone not want one?"

"You want to have your own Keyblade, too?" Wendy wondered. "Just like mine?"

"Ahhh! N-No!" Romeo stammered. "That's not what I..."

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Wendy gasped at his reaction. "I was just—"

"I mean, it's not like I want it or anything," Romeo cleared his throat, as he struggled for a quick comeback. "If I had one, that's a different story. But I wasn't trying to—"

"I'm really sorry, Romeo," Wendy apologized. "I didn't know you'd react that way. And it's not like anybody can get their own Keyblade out of the ordinary."

"That's what I mean," Romeo implied. "Getting a Keyblade like yours is no walk in the park. Like I said, if I had one, things would've been different." He rubbed the back of his head, "You're really something else, you know that?"

"You know, you haven't changed a bit," Wendy stated. "Back then, I remember you as the boy who fought with me in the circus. We were such a great team. You were really brave."

"Yeah? You're pretty brave, too," Romeo complimented. "I suppose we're the same thing. What about you?" He glanced over with a curious look, "With that Keyblade in hand, it makes me think you've changed a lot. Maybe even more so than us."

"Maybe..." Wendy said sincerely. "Change is good, but it can be scary, too. I always knew that I wanted to be so much more, but..." She paused to let this sink in, "...I think there's more to me than that. There's so much more I could be doing. I owe it to myself. That's why I've got to keep moving forward."

"You won't be alone," Romeo smiled warmly. "We're friends, and we do things together, no matter the risks. Don't we?"

Wendy was caught in his gazing eyes. Before they even knew it, a tiny spark was flying the direct contact between their visions. These two spirited youths shared the same aspirations and dedication to their ideals, driven to experience what most would only dream of. Doing the impossible, seeing the amazing, fulfilling what's never dared to be done, and keeping each other's backs no matter what. Both were exceptional in teamwork and cooperation thus far, and Wendy was pleased with the results. By that time, she believed that Romeo would no doubt grow into a capable wizard like his father before him, but also, that she would be with him if needed.

"Yes," Wendy finally answered and smiled back. "We're friends, after all." But somewhere in the deepest parts of her heart, it suggested her otherwise. Although it was faint, she could feel a spark glowing within her. She was beginning to grow rather fond of Romeo. For some reason, she wished to be more than a friend to him.

"Say, wanna eat some leftover cupcakes?"

Wendy acknowledged Romeo's proposal with a nod. After all, since they couldn't sleep, the only thing they could do was have a friendly chat.

The paopu fruit given to her by Alzack was still in her pocket, and still fresh in spite of the days spent.

Gummi Ship Cockpit

A vortex of orange appeared in the vacuum of space, and the Gummi Ship was standing in front of it.

"This one looks suspicious," Donald observed through the cockpit glass.

"Maybe it'll lead us to another world," Goofy suggested.

There was only one way to find out. The Gummi Ship flew straight ahead, and disappeared through the vortex. What other side of the universe it could lead them to, no one could guess.


Wendy had returned to the chasm of slumber. A new dream based on another undiscovered memory of her past took form. From the whiteness, the strange girl connected to Grandeeney, as well as Wendy herself, made her presence known once again.

One afternoon in the forest, five-year old Wendy was sitting on a tree stump, waiting for her training partner to return from Grandeeney's nest, the latter being summoned to partake a serious discussion. While the Sky Dragon treated her students equally with love and respect, she also had the right to scold them if they did not act according to her rules. Earlier this morning, Grandeeney asked the other student to gather fruits for lunch. It was judged to be a relatively easy task; over the course of a few minutes, the girl would return with a bounty of fresh food. She indeed returned with the fruits... along with something else Grandeeney wasn't pleased with. It was the dead body of a wild Hodras beast, stained with blood on both sides. It was cut in two by a Sky Dragon Slayer spell, from the look of the crescent-shaped mark. It was the girl's intention to roast the Hodras into a juicy casserole for the main course, and the fruits she collected were to be eaten for dessert. Full of pride, she returned with her prize, but in the Sky Dragon's face, she saw only disappointment. The argument dragged into less than half an hour. Rather than eat the Hodras for lunch, it was cast away, its corpse banished to the far side of the forest. Grandeeney's chastisement for her second student's reckless action had been a slap in the face, but the child did not feel the crushing tragedy of taking the life of a beast. She just wanted to eat a different delicacy separate from the usual fruits and fish they had every breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Thirty minutes passed, and the mystery girl was free to leave the nest. She was easily forgiven for her deed, promising to never repeat it. In exchange, she would have to undergo extra tasks after lunch. She walked over to Wendy, who asked, "Did something happen?"

The mystery girl groaned in agitation, leaving out any mention of the beast she slaughtered. "Grandeeney asked me to do some extra chores after lunch. Leaving the nest wasn't easy after that." She rubbed the back of her head, "Man, I don't know if I can keep up with this! Training was one thing, but chores? It's a pain in the neck!"

Wendy pointed out, "I was worried you wouldn't come out. I've never seen Grandeeney this upset with you. What's the matter..." Much like the previous dream, the mystery girl's name was blurred. "You look sad."

The mystery girl dismissed Wendy's concerns, "It's nothing. Just a plain old lecture from the Sky Dragon. There's nothing to worry about."

Wendy squeaked, "Nothing at all? I heard noises and shouting in the nest!"

The mystery girl reasoned, "It's a shocked reaction. What else? Her lecture freaks me out like crazy. I didn't expect her to say stuff like that."

Wendy blinked, "Is that a good thing?"

The mystery girl commented, "You know, for someone your age, you're a curious customer. Always thinking about what piques your interest, always looking for answers." Her smile broadened, "Then again, that's one of the reasons why I like you so much. Even now, you're still the same cute little blueberry I knew back at the orphanage."

Wendy giggled, "Thanks..." Again, her friend's name was blurred. "You've been taking care of me since I was a baby. We both lost our parents, and all we had was each other."

The mystery girl agreed, "That's right. Even without our parents, we're two of a kind. We find our way together through a huge world of troubles. You'll never find two other girls compatible as steak and fries." She wrapped an arm around Wendy, "Our time at the orphanage was a blast. We played and laughed with the other kids, and we tickled each other..." She wiggled her fingers all over Wendy's stomach, causing her to laugh. "And you've grown up to be the freshest blueberry with a great, big smile." She sighed happily, "Yeah, the orphanage was the place to be..." Her smile then disappeared, "...until it blew up. We lost it in the big fire."

A single tear fell from Wendy's eye. She sniffled, "I miss the orphanage. It was the only home we ever had."

The mystery girl nodded, as her eyes were close to moistening, "Me too. We were left to wander the forest all by ourselves. We were all alone..." The dampening stopped, and her smile returned, "...until Grandeeney found us."

Wendy wiped her tear, "Grandeeney... She took us in when no one else would. She's been like a mother to us. A wonderful mother."

The mystery girl beamed, "Yeah, but do you know the coolest part about having a dragon for a mom? She's got mighty magic, and she's teaching us how to use it!" She released Wendy and made a pose befitting for a hero, "We're gonna be Dragon Slayers! We'll be tougher than tough, and we'll fight monsters!"

Wendy wondered, "Do you think I'll be strong enough for this?" She gripped the stump's edges, shaking with anxiety. "I don't know if I can do it."

The mystery girl giggled, "Why would that matter? You'll improve. You'll grow every day. I don't think you'll pull it off, I know you can. But if you have problems, you can always ask us. Anyone with a heart would never ignore someone in need." She placed her hand on Wendy's shoulder, "And there's no one who can shine light at the end of the tunnel better than I can."

Wendy smiled, "Thank you so much..." Again, the blurring. "I will do my best!"

The mystery girl opened her arms, "Come here..." As soon as Wendy stood from the stump, she leapt to her. "I've always got your back, cuz. I'm with you until the very end." The two snuggled in each other's embrace. They knew each other by sight, by scent and by their love. They knew they would be together always.

But in the darkest recesses of the mystery girl's heart, it was hiding machinations of her own. What could they possibly be?

The next day...

"The most powerful Dragon Slayer techniques can be amplified by absorbing their respective element," Grandeeney advised her students, as they assembled at her nest for another training session. "The magic I've bestowed upon you represents air. Absorb the air around you, and your magic will both rejuvenate your bodies and enhance your abilities. But be cautious, my dears..." She raised her talon-like claw for emphasis, "Magic is a delicate art to be used for knowledge and defense, never for violence. Balance is required to maintain power, and any imbalance would lead to a desire for more power, which leads to violence. One should only use it as a last resort." She then straightened herself up, "I trust you understand my words."

"Yes," the two students nodded in unison.

"Now then, shall we begin?" Grandeeney inhaled the surrounding air, and opened her mouth to let loose a sparkled torrent. Wendy and her other student felt the breeze seep into their noses, soothed by its sweet perfume. They could feel the energy move through their beings, prompting the inner dragon inside to awaken. Their growth lay ahead, and the promise of a future with dignity lay with it.

But it was not to be.

At the end of the dream, the outline of the silhouette glowed. The tiny strands of dark pink hair grew into a tuft.


Gummi Ship Engine Lounge

"Hey, Wendy!"

Wendy woke up almost immediately as Romeo shook her shoulder. Her eyes snapped open, and she looked up to see him looming over her, disoriented. "R-Romeo? What's going on?"

Romeo informed, "Donald and Goofy called. We've just arrived at a new world."

Wendy lifted herself from the mattress of the bed she slept in, surprised that the Gummi Ship had approached the next world faster than expected. "We're here? Already?"

Romeo grinned, "They want us to meet them at the cockpit. We'd better take a look for ourselves. Let's go!" With that said, he rushed for the ladder and climbed it up.

Before she could follow Romeo, Wendy kept seated on the bedside, her mind troubled by the recent information her new dream had provided. She knew that the girl in her vision was a fellow trainee in Sky Dragon Slayer Magic, but had no idea that their relationship was as close as sisters. They were both orphans, having lost their families at a young age and left to walk the earth in isolation, before Grandeeney cared for the two and raised them as her own. In some cases, there was more to the mystery girl than Wendy imagined her to be. "She and I really were close. For some reason, it feels like she's the sister I never had. And..." That wasn't even the most disturbing part. "She... She called me a blueberry! I think someone else called me that before..." At any given moment, Wendy would guess the girl's true identity, but she didn't want to jump to conclusions. If the girl in her dreams turned out to be who she thought she was...

Her thoughts ended all too suddenly by Donald's voice blaring from the cockpit entrance. "Wendy! Come up quickly! The new world is in sight!"

Wendy responded, "Okay! I'm coming!" She stood up from the bedside and sprinted for the ladder, not wanting to keep her companions waiting. As much as she wanted to share what she knew so far about the mystery girl to her friends, she decided to save it for another time. Right now, there was work to be done.

Gummi Ship Cockpit

Once Wendy had entered the cockpit, she noticed that the rest of the group had gathered to feast their eyes on the Gummi Ship's new destination, and wasted no time joining in. Through the cockpit window, they saw that the world itself was a sphere where an expanse of sand covered most of the surface. Adorned at the top of the sphere were numerous buildings lining the sandy exterior in a circle, and looming majestically over them was a beautiful, luxuriant Arabian palace. The palace itself was mostly white in color, with golden domed roofs and multiple towers of varying sizes. At the bottom, there was a massive dome with the intimidating shape of a tiger's head, its presence staining the sand with its dark color. Wendy was awestruck as she stared at the desert-like world, particularly at the palace and the buildings surrounding them. "What is this place?"

As if to answer the Sky Dragon Slayer's question, the monitor switched on to reveal the Gummi Ship navigators doing a quick analysis on the world's background. Chip was the first to share the results, "This world's called Agrabah, a bustlin' desert kingdom filled with trendy markets, street rats, and way more sizzlin' heat than you can shake an acorn at."

Dale immediately brightened at the mention of a chipmunk's favorite food. "Did someone say acorn? Where can I buy some?"

Chip grew annoyed at his brother's short-sightedness. "Geez, do you always think about acorns every time somebody mentions 'em? We haven't got time right now. We've got a reputation to live up to!"

Dale was taken aback, but confirmed Chip's suggestion regardless. "R-Right! Gotta focus on the mission! Back to business!" He cleared his throat, "Agrabah is a city of mystery and enchantment ruled by the Sultan. It's best known for its famous bazaar, its fancy palace, and the finest merchandise this side of the desert!"

Romeo remarked, "Whoa... Sounds like a popular tourist spot!"

Sherria grinned, "This could be the perfect place for a vacation."

Chip clarified, "Well, it used to be popular, until recently, a black sorcerer overthrew the Sultan and bought the city in a hostile takeover."

Romeo and Sherria moaned in disappointment, "Awww..."

Dale added, "Which, although it has the word 'hostile' in it, was much less fun than it sounds."

Wendy asked, "Somebody took over Agrabah?"

Goofy dreaded, "Gawrsh, that sounds terrible!"

Donald muttered, "So much for a vacation."

Carla asked, "What else do you know about the black sorcerer?"

Chip answered, "Dale and I did a little diggin' on Agrabah's current affairs, and found out that the sorcerer didn't rise alone. He's got an army of funny-looking bandits with swords at his beck and call."

Dale implied, "Do you know what else we noticed? Each bandit has a heart-shaped emblem in their chest. Sound familiar?"

Wendy, Donald, Goofy, and Romeo cried out in unison, "The Heartless!"

Elfman frowned, "Heartless? You mean that swarm of unmanly heart-eating insects?"

Carla guessed, "I take it you two have encountered a few during your capture?"

Lisanna nodded, "Yeah. They serve Maleficent and the dark guilds. Those horrible yellow eyes and freaky bodies..." She finished with a shudder, "They give me the creeps."

Wendy determined, "Well, I guess it's up to us. We're just gonna find our way around this mess so we can fix it somehow."

Sherria confirmed, "I don't think we'll expect a warm welcome once we get there. But it's worth a shot."

Carla suggested, "If we're fortunate, we might run into King Mickey or another Fairy Tail wizard that had gone astray."

Elfman cracked his knuckles, "Alright, we've got a desert kingdom to look around. Let's get started!" Everybody nodded and then broke off as soon as the monitor finished its display.

Gummi Ship Engine Lounge

"So you're staying?" As Romeo asked his question, Alzack and Bisca replied with nods. Shortly after the Gummi Ship landed on the world's sandy surface, the Connells had requested to remain behind for a special task.

"Somebody's got to look after our little girl," Alzack explained, gesturing to Asuka sitting on the couch with her mother. "Asuka's not used to a dangerously hot environment. If she gets outside, I don't know how long she'll last. Other than that, she's still a kid."

"But the good thing about it is, we're keepin' watch of the ship," Bisca smiled. "Anyone tryin' to scratch this ol' rust bucket, we'll scratch back, even from a mile away."

"Somebody's keepin' the Gummi Ship nice and tidy?" Goofy wondered. "Never thought about it before."

"Maybe they'll be extra muscle for the automatic clean-up protocols Chip and Dale installed," Donald assumed. He took a moment to consider the Connells' proposal, then turned to them for counsel, "So we'll leave it to you, then? No scratches on the vessel or anything?"

"You got it," Alzack assured. "But if you need extra help, you know where to find us."

"Okay, Mr. and Mrs. Connell," Wendy nodded. "We'll do our best. And be careful!"

"Careful's our middle name," Bisca winked. "Good luck, kid."

"See you later!" Wendy waved to the Connells and left with the team assembled for the expedition, confident that they would return safely once all matters were resolved.


AGRABAH

The streets in the usually bustling city of Agrabah had been completely deserted. Following the conclusion of the black sorcerer's successful takeover, most of the citizens fled for their homes in an effort to avoid the despotic rule of the city's new ruler. Even the shopkeepers abandoned their stalls on the spot, leaving behind all of their precious goods. Those unfortunate to oppose him were punished severely and forced into slavery, denied even the tiniest sliver of freedom. Overall, the sorcerer was feared by all as an ambitious madman less merciful and more power-hungry than the Sultan. There wasn't a single soul to be found— many were hiding themselves away, whether it were their houses or the nearest alleyway— except for three figures slowly making their way down the road. Maleficent, Jafar, and Kaze Viriniam strode down the street together, the leader of the Alliance of Evil and her female accomplice just a few steps ahead of the one holding the golden snake staff. Everywhere the three went, the locals shut their windows and locked their doors; just seeing them was more than enough to make them recoil.

"Look at this place," Kaze quipped. "No people walking around the streets, no sunshine and rainbows, absolutely nothing." She then smiled, "Seems like the perfect place for my guild to call home! All the food and water and money you can have!"

"It pains me to see the populace reduced to a mere state of despair and anguish," Jafar mused, though his words had a biting sarcasm in them. "Why cower in fear before me when they should be thankful? I'm simply bringing this kingdom into a higher order that borders on absolute, and true order is built upon the foundation of the most powerful man in the world. But apparently..." He shrugged with a sly grin, "...you can't always have nice things." He changed the tone of his speech to a dominating one, "By a mere demonstration of the dark powers I possess, that fool of a Sultan surrendered immediately to the might of the ultimate sorcerer. How sweeter the taste of victory must be..."

"While I admire your effortless dominion over this kingdom, there are important matters to discuss," Maleficent spoke, showing no interest on Agrabah's current affairs. "Have you found the Keyhole?"

"Not yet, I'm afraid," Jafar informed. "The Heartless are still searching for it. I'm certain we'll find it soon enough. So that just leaves..."

He was cut off when a loud squawk was heard overhead. A brightly-colored parrot with red feathers and a yellow beak soared through the air, before circling downward towards the three figures on the street. He landed on Jafar's pointed shoulder and stretched his tired wings, revealing the green and blue tips comprising the hidden outline, and ruffled his similarly patterned tail. The parrot took a moment to catch his breath before giving his report, "Jafar! I've looked everywhere for Jasmine. She's disappeared like magic!"

"The girl is more trouble than she's worth," Jafar snorted, as he glanced over to his lackey. "Despite my grip over this entire kingdom, Iago, the princess is obviously a slippery one."

"Slippery? Well, there's a big surprise!" Iago said sarcastically. "She's as slick as a snake slithering his way out of a jar! What are we gonna do to make her stick to the ground? We've got a problem here, a big—"

Jafar closed his beak with a single clench of his fingers. "Yes. I suppose the search will be more challenging than I thought."

"I have everything under control," Kaze said, mocking Jafar. "Ha! You call the shots in this whole dusty town, and you still haven't captured one girl!" Maleficent made a gesture with her hand, signaling the young Sleepy Hollow wizard to stop.

"Agrabah is full of holes for rats to hide in," Jafar pointed out, as he ignored Kaze's insult. He put an especial amount of disgust into his voice at the mention of 'rats'. "But why worry about Princess Jasmine? With her or without her, surely this world will be ours when we find the Keyhole."

"We need all nine Princesses of Heart to unveil the seal to the final door," Maleficent reminded him. "Any fewer is useless."

"Well, if the princess is that important, we'll find her," Jafar smirked. He shared another menacing look with Iago, the same wicked grin on both faces. The sorcerer raised his snake staff and hit the bottom against the ground, raising a few specks of dust in the air. Immediately, a squadron of Heartless known as Bandits appeared before him, brandishing their scimitars. The Bandits boasted bright white turbans and matching face masks, purple vests trimmed in gold, purple pants with plum and silver trims held in place with a salmon-colored sash, blue curled-toe shoes, plums, silver chokers, and sets of armbands. They also wore lots of gold and silver rings and bracelets, perhaps showing off the spoils they had plundered, hence the name. Jafar turned to his minions and ordered, "Find Jasmine and bring her to me at once."

Iago rose from Jafar's shoulder and flew off, leading the Bandits further into the city to do their master's bidding. Just as the evil sorcerer was about to follow them, Maleficent decided to give him another reminder. She issued with a dark quality shadowed within the calmness in her voice, "Don't steep yourself in darkness too long. The Heartless consume the careless."

Jafar stopped in his tracks and threw his head back, erupting with proud laughter. He looked over his shoulder with an amused smile. "Your concern is touching, but hardly necessary. I can handle a few misplaced rats on my own. I don't need anyone's help."

Kaze jeered, "You wanna dance with the rats, Jafar? Be my guest. There's no stopping you. You think just because you're the greatest magician in Agrabah, you can solve all the world's problems with just a snap of your fingers. It doesn't. When all of this is over, we'll see who's the powerful one... vizier." The last word was growled with such conviction, that it would have made most men recoil. Jafar was not most men. Instead, he just gave a contemptuous glare, and strode off to other business. Kaze watched him go, then turned to Maleficent. "He's not gonna last very long with that ego of his, is he?"

Maleficent smiled eerily, "On that I agree, my dear. But what do you expect from working with the lower class?"

Kaze suggested, "I'd best be on my way. I'm gonna go check on Silver. Gotta see what he's doing with Desert Cobra."

Maleficent complied with the girl's request. "Very well. You may do with your minions as you wish." And with that, Kaze left the opposite direction Jafar was heading, leaving the horned witch behind. Behind her in a watermelon stand, a young woman with dark skin and dark blue eyes overheard the conversation. Her thick black hair was tied into a low ponytail in a blue ribbon, accompanied by a headband with a sapphire in the center set in a gold frame. The woman wore a blue bedlah outfit with long poofy bustle pants and a top which left her forearms and midriff bare. She also sported golden earrings, a golden necklace, and gold slipper-like shoes.

By the look on her face, she was troubled of the outcome Jafar's search could lead to.


Plaza

As Wendy and her friends stepped through the main gate and entered the small plaza, the first thing they noticed was the lack of people— not at all something one would expect to see in such a place. The streets were empty, the curtains on windows appeared to be drawn, and the doors were locked. It was as though all of the residents had somehow shut themselves inside their homes or chose to evacuate on their own accord, never to involve themselves in any situation happening on the outside world. To Wendy and company, the silence that had surrounded them was the sign of a unknown omen concealed within the shadows of buildings.

Goofy shuddered slightly, "Gawrsh, there's nobody walkin' the streets. This place is givin' me the creeps."

Lisanna agreed, "Same here. It looks more like a ghost town."

Elfman questioned, "Why'd the townsfolk have to disappear all of a sudden?"

Carla assumed, "Surely, the black sorcerer's despotic rule over the city has proven too strenuous for the citizens. Out of fear of facing his wrath, they may have retreated into the safety of their homes or someplace hidden." Her eyes turned solemn as she spoke, "Those who opposed him probably paid the price."

Wendy muttered, "Come to think of it, I'm starting to feel sorry for them. There has to be something we can do..."

Before she could come up with a solution, five Bandits popped from the miniature portals in separate rooftops, their scimitars drawn and ready to slice their foes like onions. Initially, their orders were to find Princess Jasmine and bring her before Jafar, but sensing that the Keyblade master had arrived in Agrabah, they perceived her as a potential threat to not just Jafar's plans, but their existence in general.

Donald quacked, "Wak! They found us!"

Romeo tensed, "They're not letting us go without a fight."

Elfman smirked, "That's not a problem. Now that I'm back in action, I don't mind turning these nutjobs into punching bags."

Lisanna determined, "Wendy and the others helped us. Now it's our turn to help them. Let's show these creeps a thing or two!"

Elfman reminded, "One piece of advice, Lisanna. Don't strain yourself."

Lisanna complied, "I'm with you, Big Brother Elf!"

"Take-Over!" Chanting the name of their trademark magic in unison, the two Strauss siblings were bathed in light as their metamorphosis commenced. Elfman's muscular frame and hair grew in size, his human skin completely taking the form of a familiar humanoid beast; a valiant roar that echoed throughout the plaza was the final stage. Meanwhile, Lisanna's clothing transformed into that of a werecat's, complete with sharp claws, having selected Animal Soul: Cat as her magic of choice. These were the same Take-Over forms Elfman and Lisanna had assumed during the final match of the Phil Cup, though it wasn't intentional at first, due to the dark guilds' earlier actions. Only this time, they were in control.

Seeing that Elfman and Lisanna were the first to prepare for battle, Wendy summoned the Jungle King in her hand. "Let's take care of them first!"

The rest of the group shouted in agreement, "Yeah!"

To signify the start of the battle, the Bandits jumped from the windows and attacked with their scimitars. Much like the Soldiers Wendy and her allies encountered in previous worlds, their speed and skill were considered top-notch, as they were capable of wielding their large swords with little effort and could strike at long range. Wendy and company took their time and studied the Bandits' attack and speed patterns, until they found a way to strike them when at their most vulnerable. Fighting one Bandit was a chore, but once teamed with others of its kind, they were a dominant force not to be underestimated. The ensuing brawl lasted for merely half a minute, and the heroes managed to counter the Bandits' deftly movements before defeating them; Wendy dispatched the first Bandit with a 9-hit Keyblade combination, Elfman smashed the second with a single punch, and Lisanna finished off the third with a 15-hit claw attack. With two Bandits remaining, it was thought to be an easy win for the heroes, only to have it derailed when a swarm of Shadows emerged from the sand. Despite the odds, the team split up to deal with the remaining Heartless. Goofy bashed the first Bandit with his shield before Donald vaporized it with a Blizzard spell, and Sherria devastated the second with Sky God's Boreas. In the meantime, Wendy cast her Gravity spell for the first time— effectively generating a gravitational field that flattened the entire pack of Shadows into the ground— before Romeo finished them off with a Rainbow Fireball. With the plaza cleared, Wendy and her friends could move on to the next area.

Main Street

Just as the group entered the main street, they encountered twelve Bandits and two dozens of Shadows roaming the place. Three Bandits jumped simultaneously for a dashing scimitar spin attack, but Wendy blocked them all at once by raising the Jungle King, and counterattacked with Stun Impact. She destroyed the stunned Heartless with various ground combos, ending with a Thunder spell that electrocuted a nearby Bandit, before she finished it off. Elfman was trapped in a circle by four more Bandits, and as they pounced with their scimitars, he easily outsmarted them with Beast Soul empowering his strength and speed, before tearing them apart. Lisanna fared well with the last four Bandits, turning them into scratching posts with her claws. The last remaining annoyances were the Shadows prancing around the street, and their end came quickly. As the group proceeded onward, Wendy discovered a treasure chest nearby. As she opened it, she was delighted to find nine more Dalmatian puppies inside.

Found Dalmatians. Numbers 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36 returned home!

Suddenly, a Bandit dashed across the street, making its escape towards a nearby alley. "No, you don't!" Wendy shouted, as she and the others gave chase.

Alley

Wendy ran after the fleeing Heartless, following it into the alley which seemed to be a dead end of sorts. She screeched to a halt in front of the high wall and looked around. By the time her companions did catch up, the Bandit popped from the crates and barrels scattered across the area, attacking Wendy from behind. The Sky Maiden turned around and barely had time to block, but fortunately, Elfman delivered a powerful fist that crashed the Bandit against the wall. Lisanna rushed over and tore the Heartless in half with a single claw swipe.

"Whew, we got them..." Wendy breathed, as she glanced over to Lisanna and Elfman. "Thanks a lot."

"Whether it's a scary monster or a pack of freaks, there's nothing the Take-Over Siblings can't handle," Lisanna smiled. "We've always got your back."

"If I were to rate how much of a dump this place is, on a scale of one to ten..." Elfman huffed. "I'd give it a five. No townsfolk, no parties, just the empty streets littered with unmanly heart-eaters."

"That explains why the black sorcerer took over the city so easily," Romeo remarked. "The Heartless are no pushovers, unlike anything they've faced in a lifetime."

"Gawrsh, Wendy, I would've guessed the dark guilds were the ones runnin' the place," Goofy commented. "Seein' as guilds are full of wizards, and they're the same thing with sorcerers..."

"How do we know for sure, Goofy?" Donald questioned. "We haven't seen anything that looks like a dark guild. Somebody who's a member wears a mark, like Poacher Fang and Tamer Coat."

"Now that you mention it, I'm starting to wonder if a dark guild is causing all the trouble," Wendy implied. "Why haven't we seen one?"

"Who's there? Hello?"

The group looked to where the delicate voice came from. Emerging from her hiding place behind a pile of crates was the same young woman who eavesdropped on Maleficent and her cohorts earlier. At the mere sight of the woman's beautiful figure surrounded by a seemingly royal air, Donald, Goofy, and Elfman were instantly mesmerized. The rest of the group was puzzled at the four who were magnetized to the charming woman, who felt somewhat uncomfortable under their gaze.

Elfman was sweating nervously, unsure of whether or not his face had turned pink. "That woman... She's wearing clothes and jewels worthy of a princess! Why does she remind me of Evergreen?" Indeed, the way the young woman dressed evoked in him the memory of a certain member in the Thunder Legion who partnered and fought with him in the past.

Lisanna took notice of her brother's odd behavior. "Big Brother Elf, what's the matter? This isn't like you."

Elfman cried meekly, "I can't help it! Real men are weak against beautiful women!"

Goofy commented, "Ain't she the sweetest flower in the desert?"

Donald grinned, "Her clothes are so captivating! Wish I could buy some for Daisy!"

The young woman's unease mounted at the strangers' odd behavior. "Umm... Is something the matter?"

Those drawn to the woman's alluring beauty immediately snapped themselves out of their trance with a vigorous shaking of their heads. Donald said, "Oh, it's nothing! Nothing at all! We're just a bunch of travelers who happened to come across this empty desert kingdom!" He rubbed his back feathers, "Well, almost empty..."

Wendy explained, "We were fighting Heartless all over the streets, and chased them all the way here." She looked around the alley for any sign, but found none. "No one's around, so there's nothing to worry about. You're safe now."

The young woman breathed a sigh of relief, "Well, that's good to hear. Those Heartless are just as dangerous as the one who started all of this."

Sherria asked curiously, "You know the Heartless?"

The young woman answered, "I've heard stories of creatures seeking to devour hearts. I never thought they existed in real life. Who would guessed they'd be the minions of that man?" A sigh escaped her mouth, and she got back to the situation at hand. "I want to thank you for helping for me. If they found me, I'd be caught up in this serious predicament. And I think we haven't introduced." She took a step forward, "I'm Jasmine. My father is the sultan of Agrabah."

Wendy reciprocated the introduction, "I'm Wendy." She gestured to the rest of the group, "These are my friends, Donald, Goofy, Romeo, Carla, Sherria, Elfman, and Lisanna."

Sherria gasped, "You're the Sultan's daughter? That makes you the princess!"

Wendy exclaimed, "Ah! She's the princess!"

Donald panicked, "We're standing in front of royalty!"

Goofy chuckled, "Gawrsh, where are our manners?"

Wendy, Donald, Goofy, and Sherria knelt on their left knees and placed their right hands on top of their right knees as their lowered their heads. "Your Highness..."

Romeo, Carla, and Lisanna stared on, unsure of whether or not they should follow their friends' actions. Elfman just lay stiff, the countless beads of sweat trailing over his skin at the prospect of seeing true loyalty. "A womanly princess...!"

Lisanna whispered, "Big Brother Elf, take it easy!" This was going to take a while for her brother to simmer down.

Jasmine assured with a smile, "There's no need for such formalities. Just call me Jasmine." Wendy and the others rose at that.

Sherria commented, "It's not every day we get to see a royal princess hiding in the streets."

Romeo wondered, "Why aren't you in the royal palace? Aren't you living a comfortable life because of your status?"

Jasmine's smile turned into a sad frown at that statement. "What are you talking about? You think just because I'm a princess means that I'm enjoying it a lot?"

Sherria stated, "When you're a princess, you can get whatever you want. Servants, valets..."

Jasmine rolled her eyes, "Oh, sure. People who tell you where to go and what to dress..."

Sherria asked, "You're not really happy with your royal lifestyle?"

Jasmine confessed, "Not really. Truth be told, because of my status as a princess, I'm forbidden from ever stepping outside the palace walls. I've spent my life sheltered within the confines of the royal palace. I often feel restrained by the laws of the kingdom. I'm just..." She paused for a deep breath, "...trapped."

Wendy guessed, "You wanted to explore the world outside your palace. Is that what you're saying?"

Jasmine replied, "What I want most is to live a life free from the pressures of palace life. When I slipped out and stepped into the outside world for the first time, I never knew how wide and wondrous it was. I wished I could be a part of all that. That's when I met and befriended a boy in the marketplace. He showed me places, taught me things I never thought I'd do, and, to be quiet frank..." She then smiled, "...he's really cute."

Wendy stated, "You know, what you've been through reminds me of one of our friends. Lucy used to be like that, too."

Jasmine turned to look at her, "Really?"

Wendy nodded, "Sure! From what I heard, she's the daughter of a wealthy businessman. Years ago after her mother died, Lucy's relationship with her father was strained because he prioritizes riches over family, and it led her to run away from home. That's when he found Natsu, who invited her to go on many adventures with him and the rest of his friends, to explore the world around them. I think Lucy's reason for running away is because she doesn't want fancy dresses or money to be happy. She just wanted to be accepted for who she is."

Jasmine asked, "Who's Natsu?"

Wendy answered, "Another friend of mine. I admire him a lot." She held a hand to her heart, "He's like a big brother to me."

While the Sky Maiden and the princess were conversing, Donald and Goofy would take time to speak privately with each other. Donald asked, "Who's Lucy? Another Fairy Tail friend?"

Goofy replied, "I think so. Sounds like she knows a lot of things."

Donald mused, "I hope she doesn't let on the whole story, world order and all."

Jasmine giggled, "I see your point, Wendy. I can relate to your friend. It's hard getting away from it all, until you make the right call."

Wendy wondered, "Your first time in the outside world... Did you get the life of freedom you always wanted?"

Jasmine admitted, "Well, I did get what I bargained for." As she went on, a tone of anger laced her voice, "And then I found out that my father had been deposed by Jafar, who now controls the city."

Wendy echoed, "Jafar?"

Jasmine implied, "You haven't heard of him? He's the royal vizier. Although he served my father for many years, Jafar is black of heart, and had ambitions of his own. Selfish with his own aspirations, he gained mastery of the dark arts and seized Agrabah." She added on a sad note, "This is a dark time. Heartless patrol the streets, hunting down anyone who strayed. The whole kingdom is living in fear under Jafar's rule. Anyone who tries to stop him is imprisoned or enslaved in the royal palace."

Wendy breathed, "So that's why... Carla was right after all."

Romeo implied, "I guess running away was a good thing in the first place, isn't it? You would've been captured back then."

Jasmine nodded, "In a way, yes. But I couldn't just sit there and let my father's kingdom suffer like this. I was hiding in the streets, hoping I could find help. A while ago, I found Jafar walking in the streets with two others. I heard that they're looking for something— something they call the 'Keyhole.'" Wendy's eyes widened, and she exchanged meaningful looks with her companions, each of them nodding in agreement. "Jafar caught me trying to escape, but he helped me." Her eyes softened at the mention of the person who helped her, drifting towards the floor with a small smile on her lips.

Wendy assumed, "The boy you met at the marketplace?"

Jasmine brushed a loose strand of hair and answered, "We were hiding nearby, but he left a while ago to take care of something..." Her expression changed to a look of worry as she sighed, "Oh, I hope Aladdin's all right."

"Aladdin? Where might I find this street rat?"

Everyone turned at the sound of the sinister voice, looking up at the high ledge from which it came from. There stood Jafar, the royal vizier who overthrew the Sultan and took control of Agrabah. Jasmine narrowed her eyes upon seeing the man who usurped her father. "It's him...!"

"There you are, my dear Princess," Jafar spoke to her, his voice assuming a charming quality. "I've been looking all over for you. I'm starting to worry for your safety. Jasmine, why don't you allow me to find you more suitable company?" His eyes darted towards the group as a wicked smile crossed his face. "These little rats won't do, you see."

"Jasmine, run!" Wendy cried. The princess turned away quickly and ran out of the alley, the royal vizier narrowing his eyes as he watched her go. He turned his attention to the group drawing their respective weapons and magic, mostly the key-shaped weapon Wendy held in her hand.

"Ah, Wendy Marvell, the girl who holds the key," Jafar said amusedly. "How nice of you to pay us a visit."

"How do you know about the Keyblade?" Wendy demanded. "And about me?"

"Are you with the Alliance of Evil?" Sherria shouted. "Spill the beans! Right now!"

"You're not just some corrupt royal vizier!" Romeo yelled. "Admit it!"

"How perceptive of you, children!" Jafar smirked. "Since you have entered my city uninvited, you must have figured out exactly what my intentions are."

"I'm surprised someone so conniving would consort with dark forces," Carla glared. "You betrayed the Sultan and led the Heartless to take over the city. Are you aligned with Maleficent as well?"

"What if I am?" Jafar answered. "Surely, you must have an inkling as to who I've allied myself with."

"So, one of the witch's unmanly lackeys decided to greet us?" Elfman cracked his knuckles. "Just when we were about to search the whole town for the source!"

"I've learned many accounts surrounding the girl's achievements," Jafar stated, motioning his snake staff to the Sky Dragon Slayer. "Aided by a small rebellion of wizards, she sealed the Keyholes, annihilated several dark guilds, and eliminated one of our own. A shame that the hunter became the prey, but rest assured, his expertise is nothing compared to mine."

"The hunter...?" Wendy echoed, before realization struck her. "Clayton!"

"He was in league with this turban-wearing bozo?" Sherria blinked. "This whole time?"

"The one known as Clayton was a member of our council. For we are the leaders of the Alliance of Evil, myself among them," Jafar explained. "We share a common vision; to conquer all worlds and rule them as our own. Unfortunately for Mr. Clayton, his lust for power was matched only by his supreme foolishness. It betrayed him to his doom."

"I had no idea the Alliance of Evil had a group of head honchos!" Romeo breathed. "Are there others like him?"

"Well, children..." Jafar adjusted his snake staff. "You understand my objective in finding the Keyhole hidden in this world. I trust you came hoping to keep the princess from me as well?" He took a sarcastic bow, "My apologies, but I cannot let this slide. Once both the Keyhole and the princess are mine, I'll have no further use for Agrabah. We have achieved our purpose in taking this city."

"Purpose?" Wendy asked angrily. "What exactly are you planning?!"

"The takeover of this universe, of course!" Jafar cackled evilly. "We're going to destroy worlds and create new ones in their place! This pathetic, boring ocean of stars will run dry before we fill it anew! Quite the catch, isn't it?"

"We're not gonna sit back and let you have your way, Jafar!" Wendy cried defiantly. "We'll stop you!"

"Go ahead, girl. I dare you to try!" Jafar turned away and made his exit through a hidden doorway to his right. A battalion of fifteen Bandits was summoned, compelled by the order to hold off Wendy and her friends while Jafar continued his search for Jasmine and the Keyhole. The Bandits dropped down from the ledge and charged at the group without a moment's hesitation.

"Stop! Come back here!" Wendy called out to the royal vizier who vanished into the shadows, but her voice couldn't reach him; he was long gone.

"No use! We're gonna have to fight!" Lisanna urged, flexing her cat claws.

It was no surprise that the battle was a struggle, considering that the Bandits outnumbered Wendy and company in a wide area. In this case, defense and precision were the best tools to be used in the battle. Wendy and her friends were quick to analyze and counter each of the Bandits' agile movements, barely having time to look out for one another. Despite taking a few cuts and bruises, they managed to land blows in rapid succession. The Bandits' destruction was certain, leaving Wendy and Donald to heal the party's injuries with Cure. The battle was over, but Jafar had already left the alley.

"Typical of Jafar, sending his lackeys to keep us busy. Just so he could run like the coward he is," Elfman growled.

"So what now? Any ideas where we can get to the bottom of this?" Lisanna asked.

"I guess we'll have to find Jasmine first," Wendy determined. She and the others departed from the alley in order to find where the princess ran off to.


Main Street

Wendy and company reentered the main street to find it overrun by ten Bandits and fifteen Shadows. "Gravity!" Thankfully, with the new miniature event-horizon spell Wendy and Donald had acquired, the Heartless were easily subdued, and the group managed to defeat them. With the streets cleared for the time being, Wendy and her friends pressed on. Along the way, they came across an entrance to the interior of a particular building, where it could only be accessed by shimmying up the large pole.

Goofy wondered, "Ya think she's climbed all the way up to get in?"

Donald argued, "How do we know for sure? We have no idea where she's gone!"

Wendy encouraged, "She could be in there. Let's check it out!" They all climbed the pole, ascertaining if the young princess may have found the ideal hiding spot...

Aladdin's House

...or so they thought she had. The room was enclosed on all sides by relatively sturdy walls, though largely cracked in some spots, and the bricks making up the floor seemed to be slipping out of place, making the ground uneven. The area was heaped with a wide variety of items; old blankets, jars, planks of wood, ropes, and the like. There were several vases at the top of a small set of stairs and at the base of another, which had a carpet draped over the steps and throw pillows on top, creating a makeshift bed. The second set of stairs stopped to a wall with a gaping hole, covered by a tattered blue blanket hung over it by a rope.

Wendy pulled back the curtain on the left side, allowing sunlight to burst into the room. The building itself wasn't much, but it had an amazing view of the entire city of Agrabah, the centerpiece being the royal palace, which reached from one end of the city to the other. Its curved golden towers shone brilliantly in the bright desert sun, making it seem to exude a warm, regal glow. Wendy and her companions stood frozen to the spot for a long while, letting the scenery sink in. "Wow..."

Sherria commented, "I thought the view from the Gummi Ship was good enough, but this is even better."

Goofy stated, "Sorta reminds me of Disney Castle, except it's blue and white all over."

Elfman grinned, "I have to say, I'm diggin' the royal palace. What's it like to have this manly fort for a home?"

Lisanna fantasized, "We can expand our guildhall! We could have more than one souvenir shop, ten swimming pools, a gourmet kitchen..."

Donald interjected, "Hold the phone! Did you say Fairy Tail has a souvenir shop?"

Elfman nodded, "Yeah, we opened it after our last guildhall was destroyed. It's got the manliest items."

Goofy wondered, "Is your guild really that famous?"

Romeo chuckled, "You could say that. A guild's gotta have a reputation, you know?"

Wendy thought out loud, "It must be hard for Jasmine, living in the palace with nowhere to go but inside. How does she spend her days there?"

Before the group could give any thought on how Jasmine spent her life in the palace until recently, they heard a faint noise from the left side of the room. What appeared to be a ornate Persian carpet with gold lining and tassels was trying to pull itself out from under a chest of drawers. If one could see its design clearly, there was a second gold rectangle splitting it in two. The outer section's background was han blue in color and covered in gold and navy blue disk-like patterns. Each corner sported a vaguely catfish shaped design with a gold outline and red center. The inner section's background was also han blue with a swirling, amethyst-colored pattern surrounding a gold and red pattern in the center that vaguely resembled a flower. The corners of that section each bore the face of a gold tiger, and at both widths of the inner border was a red flame pattern with a thin gold outline.

Everyone's eyes grew wide at this discovery. Wendy exclaimed, "It's a magic carpet!"

Goofy remarked, "Gawrsh! Would ya look at that!"

Donald breathed, "I didn't think they really existed!"

Carla rubbed her chin, "I believe this isn't the first time we've seen a magic carpet."

Wendy nodded, "I think so. We saw one during the Nirvana incident, didn't we?"

The magic carpet turned sharply towards the group and gestured its tassels frantically, as if it was begging them to release it from the drawer. Elfman complied by giving the drawer a good shove in the opposite direction, leaving just enough space. Right away, the carpet zoomed forward, causing Wendy and the others to topple backwards. Even the carpet was disoriented as it somersaulted in the air and crashed into the opposite wall. The Sky Maiden winced at the impact, "Oopsie!"

Elfman said proudly, "Ha! Free as a bird!"

Lisanna pointed out, "Um, you could've reminded us you were gonna do that."

Elfman explained, "The rug's asking help from a real man, so I did just that."

Donald said dryly, "That's a pretty stupid reason."

Goofy stated, "He did free the carpet, didn't he?"

Unfortunately for the Disney Kingdom's Captain of the Guard, no one caught that last part. Everyone was busy looking at the magic carpet, which peeled itself off the wall and proceeded to examine its own status. It dusted itself off before twirling around airborne, overjoyed. After a moment, it stood in front of Wendy and company on two tassels and made a bow as a sign of gratitude, before sliding itself underneath Wendy, Donald, Goofy, Romeo, Sherria, and Carla. Six people were lifted off their feet and found themselves boarding the rug, with Carla providing no weight because of her diminutive size.

Romeo yelped, "W-Whoa! What gives?"

Donald quacked, "Wak! Did it just scoop us aboard?"

Goofy nodded, "Yup, sounds like it did."

Wendy assumed, "Maybe it wants us to come along."

Sherria wondered, "Where is it taking us?"

Wendy replied, "I don't have a clue, but it must be something really important. Guess it kinda owes us for freeing it." She turned to Carla and asked, "What do you think? Should we go for a ride?"

Carla answered, "The carpet may be sufficient enough to fly us through the desert terrain. Perhaps we should give it a try."

Wendy beamed, "Alright, let's get going!"

The magic carpet rose from the ground, spreading itself out horizontally, with the passengers sitting down. Sherria looked over at Lisanna and Elfman with an apologetic look, "Sorry, guys! No room! It can't carry us all at once!" The carpet reinforced the Sky God Slayer's suggestion with a nod.

Elfman huffed, "Figures. I'm obviously the heavyweight of the group. I doubt that carpet can lift someone my size." He crossed his arms, "The only thing I can do now is follow it at breakneck speed with Beast Soul." He pointed a thumb to himself while doing another manly pose, "Don't worry about a thing, kids! This man's right behind you! And nothing, not even sand, can stop me!"

Lisanna added, "The carpet isn't the only thing that's meant to fly, you know. Animal Soul: Bird!" In a flash of light, her body was transformed into that of a large green bird. "Where you go, I'll follow, too."

Wendy smiled, "Best of luck to you both. We'll let you keep up the pace, we promise." She then focused her attention on the open window, "Here we go!"

The magic carpet flexed its tassels and flew out of the building, with Lisanna catching up on wings, and Elfman finding his own way out before assuming his Take-Over form. Dots of purple and green could be seen soaring over Agrabah, out towards the open desert with sand and sky stretching as far as the eye could see, with a brown dot following close behind on land.


Cave Entrance

Goofy scanned the horizon with one hand over his eyes to shield him from the intense sunlight. Beads of sweat formed on his head, only to evaporate within seconds. The hot dry wind billowed into his face, occasionally throwing a few grains of sand into his eyes. But he was far too busy searching the endless landscape of sand for whatever the magic carpet was after. "So, where's it takin' us?" Goofy dropped his hand and turned to face the other four people who were riding on the magic carpet with him. Wendy, Romeo, Sherria, and Carla were busy looking out over opposite sides, scanning the monotonous landscape.

Donald, who had given up his own search and was sitting with his arms folded over his chest, let out an exasperated sigh. "Only the carpet knows where. Have you ever seen one that can talk instead of fly, besides the doorknob back at Wonderland?"

"The Heartless, the Keyhole, any missing friend..." Romeo shrugged. "Anything that'll get us somewhere."

"Guys! I think I found something!" Everyone looked at Lisanna in Animal Soul: Bird. Her talons pointed downward to where she spotted a few signs of life among the ocean of sand, when the sun was hanging low in the sky over the numerous dunes. There were two dots stuck in a circle of swirling sand enclosed by a circle of jagged rock formations. If one could see clearly enough, the tiny specks were showing signs of minor movement, indicating that they were sinking beneath it.

As if to answer Lisanna's discovery, the magic carpet motioned a tassel down below, and Wendy was quick to notice it. "Maybe that's the place the carpet's taking us! Let's—" Before she or anyone else could utter a word or even broaden their view at what was found, the magic carpet dove at faster speeds. "Whooooaaaa!" With an alarmed yell, Wendy grabbed both sides and held on for dear life. All she could see was a blur of movement in the light of the afternoon sun, the force of the wind pulling at her face, making it difficult to see. Then, just as quickly as the carpet approached the sandpit, it stopped, sending the four flying off it and landing face first into the desert sand.

Wendy, Sherria, Romeo, and Goofy managed to get to their feet faster than Donald, who ended up half buried in the sand. They immediately ran over to pull him out. As soon as the royal court wizard was freed, he coughed and spit out any remaining sand from his mouth, running his hands over his face and through his feathers to clean himself off. "Well, that was a happy landing," he remarked. Above him, he saw Carla making her descent on wings, and Lisanna reverting back to her original human form. Elfman in his Beast Soul was the last to rejoin the group, as he emerged from the open pathway between two rock formations after a long run across the desert. He skidded himself to a halt in front of Donald, in the process splashing him with sand by the force his feet applied. The duck shouted angrily, "Hey! Watch it!"

"What a workout!" Elfman transformed back into human form and wiped sweat from his forehead, ignoring Donald's rant. "It takes more than a desert to wear down a real man. Not the distance I was expecting, but a good exercise anyway."

"Nice one, Big Brother Elf!" Lisanna approved of her brother's effort. "I always knew you'd pick up the pace."

"Of course I did," Elfman grinned. "The sand never bothered me when I was running all the way. Because I'm—"

"A real man, I get it," Donald groaned, as he poured sand out of his hat and dusted his clothes again. "We've gone through the crash course already and I don't need any more remarks from a hunky gorilla."

"Simmer down, duck," Elfman gave a rough pat on the duck's back, causing him to yelp. "You need someone to ease all your troubles, someone's got to be the man."

"I didn't ask for your help, muscle head!" Donald snapped, rubbing his sore back. "And I have a name, thank you!"

"Just give him a chance, Donald," Lisanna looked at him sympathetically. "He likes to brag about manliness from time to time, mostly for fun. Remember what I said before?"

Donald didn't get a chance to respond before he heard a gasp from Wendy. "Hey, that's...!" The rest of the group looked to where she was pointing and saw three figures trapped in a quicksand at the center of the sandpit. One was a young man with tan skin and brown eyes, as well as black shaggy hair. He wore a red-violet fez, a thin open purple vest exposing his chest, and white baggy pants held up by what seemed to be an orange sash. The young man was paired with a small monkey with orange-brown fur and pale skin. He had large black eyes and wore a fez that was violet on the bottom and red-violet on the top, the two sections separated by a yellow pattern. He also wore a thin vest not unlike his human partner, albeit the monkey's was red-violet. Next to the young man and his pet monkey was a familiar petite teenage girl with blue hair tied up with a colorful bandana around her head, dressed in an orange outfit with a white bow and sleeves wrapped below her shoulders, the mark of the Fairy Tail guild located on her left scapula.

"LEVY!" Wendy, Carla, and Romeo exclaimed.

"She's alive?!" Elfman, Lisanna, and Sherria shouted.

"Another Fairy Tail wizard?!" Donald and Goofy cried out.

Levy McGarden averted her attention to where the voices came from, and was surprised to find that they belonged to a few faces she could easily recognize, except for Donald and Goofy. "Guys! Thank goodness you're here! And in the nick of time, too!"

Wendy cried happily, "We found you, Levy! We've been looking all over for you!"

Sherria cheered, "Score another one for the Fairy Tail crew!"

Romeo asked excitedly, "Levy, what happened to you? What are you doing here?! And who is this guy?"

Levy insisted, "I'll explain later. Right now, we could use some help!" She was referring to herself and her male acquaintance stuck in the quicksand. Wendy and her friends could see the monkey chattering and wailing loudly, making all sorts of hand movements in an attempt to let his voice be heard.

The young man raised a hand fortunate enough to miss the swirling sand and waved to the group of strangers. He called out, "Hey, about time somebody showed up! Mind if you guys help us outta this quicksand? We're caught between a pit and a hard place! Literally!"

Wendy promised, "Don't worry, we're on our way! We'll—" But before the rescue operation could commence, a horde of Bandit Heartless popped out of the sand and surrounded Wendy and company in a wide circle, their scimitars gleaming. "Uh-oh..."

Elfman groaned, "Great. It's like everywhere we go, those unmanly punks always show up, huh?"

Donald yelled, "You're in the way, you big palookas! Scram!"

Lisanna suggested, "Guys, we'll help Levy and the other guy while you hold them off!"

Wendy nodded, "Sounds like a plan! Let's go!"

As Elfman and Lisanna left to help Levy and her friend out of the sand whirlpool, Wendy, Donald, Goofy, Romeo, Carla, and Sherria were left to contend with the Bandits. Having selected the sandpit as the ideal battlefield for strategy, some of the Bandits burrowed their way into the ground, chasing Wendy and her teammates and slashing under them after a few seconds of being underground. Others resorted to throwing their scimitars like spinning discs to attack from a distance, before retracting them back with whatever dark magic they could channel. The struggle was long, but the young heroes were ever resilient, not stopping until their friends were rescued. The burrowing Bandits were quickly dispatched the moment they erupted from the sand, and their scimitar disc attacks were either dodged or deflected. Wendy was able to defeat many with a random usage of the Keyblade's physical and magical attacks, Donald with his Thunder and Blizzard spells, Goofy with his Goofy Tornado ability, Sherria with Sky God's Bellow, Romeo with Purple Fire, and Carla with her lightning fast kicks.

Meanwhile, the two Strauss siblings approached the quicksand with the magic carpet hovering alongside them. The three grabbed hold of Levy and the young man's arms and pulled, the monkey hanging onto his human companion's shoulder for support. Elfman and Lisanna braced themselves to be burdened with extra weight, digging their feet deeper to get a firmer stance. The two gathered every ounce of strength as they began to slide through the sand, refusing to let go. The magic carpet immediately flew behind them and grabbed onto their waists simultaneously, adding more force to the combined pulling. And soon enough, Levy and her male partner were freed from the quicksand. They dropped to their knees and took deep, calming breaths to recuperate from the experience.

"Thanks for saving me, Lisanna, Elfman. I owe you one," Levy panted. "I hoped that someone in our guild would come to save the day. I was alone when I crashed into this world, but I'm brave enough to make it through the sun. Phew!" Lisanna helped her stand up to her feet as she dusted herself, "That was cathartic! And here I thought taking a solo mission was nuts. If Gajeel and the rest of Shadow Gear were here, it wouldn't be so tough surviving in harsh environments like deserts or a cave filled with enchanted treasures... At least someone was with me when I needed help." Elfman gave her a thumbs up, Lisanna had a happy look on her face, and the magic carpet nodded in approval. "Oh, you probably haven't met Aladdin." Levy gestured to her associate, "He's been with me ever since I arrived here. In return for helping me, I helped him."

"Aladdin?!" Elfman and Lisanna exclaimed in unison. They never realized that the man who accompanied the Solid Script wizard was the one Jasmine befriended at the marketplace.

"H-Hey..." the young boy named Aladdin spoke, looking up to see the two Strauss siblings. "You saved us. Thanks a bundle. I'm—" Upon noticing the magic carpet, a look of mixed relief and surprise crossed his face. "Carpet! What a surprise!"

"Carpet?" Elfman blinked.

"Does he mean—" Lisanna began.

The meeting was cut short when Wendy and the others reassembled. Just when they were about to inform the rest of the group about their victory over the Bandit horde, several more exploded from the ground and surrounded them, their scimitars drawn and at the ready.

Goofy shouted, "Gawrsh, not again!"

Romeo complained, "You've gotta be kidding me! We just took 'em out!"

Donald frowned, "We did! We can't help it if they're annoying!"

Wendy tensed, "This is gonna be harder than I thought!"

Elfman snarled, "So, they want all-out, huh? I'll give them the satisfaction they so want!" With a furious shout, his arm glowed with a brilliant light and morphed into Beast Arm: Iron Bull, thereby increasing his punching power. "I'm gonna sock those funky turban losers straight in the jaw!"

During the turmoil, Aladdin oversaw the advantage the Heartless was having against Wendy and her friends, and knew what had to be done. He rose to his feet and pulled out his trump card: a rather old and dirty golden oil lamp. He held the object carefully in one hand and rubbed its side with the palm of his other hand, before holding it aloft. He cried out, "Genie, get rid of these guys!"

In response to the voice ringing loud and clear in the air, a thick cloud surrounded by magical sparkles poured out of the lamp's spout. A smile crossed Aladdin's face as he watched the smoke and light illuminate the sandpit. Suddenly, a loud yell was heard from within the mystical cloud. Wendy and company turned at the sound to see the smoke disperse and reveal a large sky-blue being with a small pointed nose, curved pointed ears, a black beard that ended in a curl, and black hair tied into a topknot secured by a small ring. He wore a single gold earring on his right earlobe, a red sash that divided the upper and lower halves of his body, and gold bracelets on each of his wrists. The spirit of the lamp stretched his tired limbs as he emerged with a triumphant shout, before the sparks subsided.

"Wish Number One, coming right up!" Genie shouted eagerly. Facing the new horde of Bandits summoned to assault the heroes, he wound up his arm like a baseball, his eyes burning with vigor as the windup became feverish in its pace. It suddenly came to a halt when he composed himself. He then merely snapped his fingers, and in a sudden puff of pink vapor, all of the Heartless that had surrounded the group disappeared into thin air. Genie smiled, blowing the smoke away from the tip of his finger and turning back to the bearer of the lamp.

"WHOOOOOOOOOOAAAAA!" Wendy and her companions were extremely surprised to have seen such an incredible feat. They saw the Heartless vanish in the blink of an eye, thanks in no small part to the magical genie Aladdin summoned from the lamp and the cosmic razzle-dazzle he had demonstrated. Just say the magic words, and Genie would make your wish come true! In a universe filled with magnificent worlds, Genies were considered rare mythical creatures with miraculous powers, rarely seen by the human power. While dragons were a mystery to most of Earth-land, genies were a mystery to all. But now that they saw an actual genie come into being...

"Wow... He's a genie! A real genie! That was amazing!" Wendy cheered.

"The same legendary spirit with the power to grant wishes? This guy?" Romeo asked.

"Much like fairies, the existence of genies is a mystery. But I suppose the creature itself is greater than the myth," Carla confirmed.

"First fairies, now genies? Now we've seen it all," Sherria remarked.

"Just look at him. He made all those Heartless disappear with just a snap of his fingers. His magic is so powerful!" Lisanna breathed.

"Powerful? More like phenomenal. And phenomenal is the definition of manly!" Elfman grinned.

Levy observed the Genie in astonishment. She thought to herself, "So this is the Genie of the Lamp... Legend has it that whoever holds the lamp can summon an ancient spirit that can grant three wishes. I never thought that genies existed in real life; you can only find them in books. But seeing is definitely believing."

"Nice to be back, ladies and gentlemen!" Genie said heartily, as he grabbed his ghostly tail and turned it into a microphone. During his speech, he noticed Wendy among the crowd. "Oh, hello, little girl! Haven't seen a face this cute in ten thousand years." He began observing the Sky Maiden, touching her hair and face as he did so, "With the blueberry hair, the adorable face, the cuddly outline..." Genie's examination of Wendy prompted from her a bit of laughter, before she backed away. "You had to be the most delicate flower some boys your age would want to win over." That statement caused her to blush. "Hi, where're ya from? What's your name?" He held his ghostly tail microphone to her.

"Um..." Wendy trailed off, before she answered. "I'm Wendy. Wendy Marvell."

"Wendy Marvell!" Genie exclaimed, saying her name as if he had discovered something major. A neon sign magically appeared out of nowhere and lit up with Wendy's name on it, circled with chase lights. "Hello, Wendy. Nice to have you and your friends on the show. You can't spell 'marvelous' without your last name, isn't that right? Or does it spell the main character of a book about a superhero? Sounds like..." Genie vanished in a puff of smoke, then reappeared wearing a costume befitting for a superheroine, as indicated by the makeup in his face. He spoke with the imitation of a female voice, "Miss Marvell! Fighting crime and vicious monsters, she's your friendly neighborhood super-sister!"

"What kind of genie is he?" Donald raised an eyebrow. "I must've gotten a lot of sand in my ears."

"Your head in the clouds? Mind if I fill you in?" Genie asked. He poofed back to normal and laughed sheepishly, nearly scaring the royal court wizard out of his wits.

"WAK!" Donald yelped. "What's the big idea?!"

"Oh, sorry, duck," Genie apologized. "Hope I didn't scratch your feathers."

"You're funny," Wendy giggled. "I'm starting to like you."

"Me too," Romeo grinned. "I never thought genies could have a sense of humor."

"Hey, some people appreciate a guy who can make 'em laugh," Genie said cheerily, before he spotted the magic carpet with Elfman and Lisanna. "Yo, Rugman! Haven't seen you in a few millennia! Give me some tassel!" The carpet flew over and high-fived Genie with one of its tassels, recognizing him as an old friend from the past. "Yeah! Yo-yo!"

"They know each other?" Lisanna questioned.

"They're best buddies?" Elfman blinked.

While Genie and the sentient rug named Carpet were busy reconnecting with each other, Levy rushed over to share a reunion with the remaining Fairy Tail guildmates present in the entourage, for she already had a brief one with Elfman and Lisanna. She said excitedly, "Where have you guys been? It's been too long! You have no idea what just happened to me!"

Wendy guessed, "You were lost in a world you're not familiar with, weren't you?"

Sherria added, "Some of us all had similar experiences, so you weren't the only one."

Romeo smiled, "But everything turns out fine in the end. It's good to have you back, Levy!"

Levy sighed, "It sure is. I've been roaming the desert and uneasy streets while still hoping that a hero would come for me. And here you are." She looked at the Sky God Slayer, "Sherria Blendy, right? Wendy's friend from Lamia Scale?" The latter nodded. "I don't know how you ended up with my friends, but they're lucky to have you on their side. I can tell you've been through so much together. Thanks for everything."

Sherria grinned, "Anything for my best friend and her friends. We fly together like birds on a feather."

Levy turned to face Donald and Goofy, "You're with them, too? I think we haven't met. I'm Levy McGarden."

Goofy smiled, "Nice to meet ya, Levy. I'm Goofy..." He gestured to the duck, "...and he's Donald."

Sherria stated, "We've been exploring several worlds across the stars, looking for missing friends and fighting bad guys." She wrapped her arm around the Sky Maiden, "But we all know Wendy's the main star of our adventure. She's gained lots of amazing new powers that let her take down a huge monster with a single blow!"

Wendy blushed with a smile, "Well, I hold the team together, after all..."

Levy giggled, "I'm glad to see you haven't changed, Wendy. I see you're as cute as ever. And behind that cuteness, incredible power and a brave heart."

Wendy's blush increased, "Aww, really? You don't have to..."

Levy cheered, "Hug attack!" She launched herself at the Sky Dragon Slayer, who caught her in a warm embrace and laughed along with the Solid Script wizard. It wasn't long before Romeo, Sherria, Donald, and Goofy joined the laughter and hugging, with Elfman, Lisanna, and Carla watching with smiles.

Lisanna adored, "Don't you just love happy reunions?"

Elfman shouted, "Yeah! Because reunions are manly!"

The celebration came to a close, the party goers separating and smiling at each other. After a moment, Levy asked Wendy, "So, Wendy, what are these amazing new powers that helped you and the others get to where you are now?"

Wendy began, "Well..."

"Hey! You guys gonna leave me out?" Aladdin called out, as he walked over to face Wendy and company. "Levy's not the only one who was in trouble, you know."

"Oh, it's you," Wendy noticed. "Are you alright?"

"All thanks to you," Aladdin smiled. "I'm Aladdin, and this is my sidekick Abu." He motioned to the monkey resting on his shoulder, who greeted the group with a tip of his fez and a chatter barely sounding 'hello'.

"You're Aladdin!" Wendy gasped. "The boy we heard so much about!"

"We're lucky to have run into you," Romeo smiled. "And in time, too."

"I don't think we've met before," Aladdin rubbed his chin. "Who are you supposed to be?"

"Yeah, about that..." Levy interjected, prompting the young man to look at her. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you."

It was at this moment that at the sandpit, there were a lot of important things to discuss.


Author's Note:
AAAAAAAAAAAAND done! What better way to start my writing in the new year than to poster the first chapter of the Agrabah arc? It took nearly two months of brainstorming and thinking, but it was worth it. As a bonus, Wendy and her friends reunite with Levy McGarden and meet Aladdin. We also have a sweet RoWen moment and learn another hidden secret about Wendy's past. The mystery girl called Wendy a blueberry. Can you guess who it is? And I know you're eagerly waiting for Agrabah's dark guild, but the details will be revealed in time. And there will come a time when Wendy will face one of Sleepy Hollow's Headless Horsemen, Silver.

Secondly, I saw the D23 2018 Japan trailer of Kingdom Hearts III, and it was AMAZING! It makes me wish I want to play the game early, and I bet you do, too. And "Don't Think Twice" is the perfect fit for the official theme song.

This is TheSavageMan100 signing out, and I'll see you next time. Peace!