Cave of Wonders
Wendy and her friends traced the luminescent glow that illuminated the tiger head's mouth to the blazing tiny flames. However, it wasn't bright enough that anybody could see beyond the veil obscuring a few sections, so their only option was to follow the light. The area soon emptied out into a larger crimson-stoned room lit by torches along both sides. At one left corner of the room, there was a slide leading all the way to a small bottomless pit. As they walked the seemingly fragmented pathway, Wendy looked back at the others. Both Donald and Elfman were concentrating on what was in front of them, the idea of beating up Jafar still in their minds, though she guessed they were both listening to what Romeo, Goofy, Lisanna, Levy, and Sherria were talking in hushed voices about (Wendy thought she could hear Sherria mention something about how she got her Sky God Slayer magic at one point). Looking forward again, she noticed Aladdin taking the lead, walking at the farthest point where the light from the torches reached. She moved over to his right side and asked, "So what else do you know about the Cave of Wonders? And how do you find your way around it?"
Aladdin answered, "From what the legends described, it's a forbidden realm filled with magical objects, artifacts, and riches so vast it'll make you richer than the Sultan. But it doesn't come for free; it can only be entered by someone whose worth lies far within. Someone whose heart is different from any other treasure hunter in the world. In other words, a diamond in the rough."
Wendy asked, "The Cave only allows someone with a worthy heart to enter? There's a law in all this?"
Aladdin nodded, "Yeah. The entrance was guarded by the tiger head we fought earlier. It had the right to judge anyone who's worthy of stepping in or not. Many who tried otherwise were buried under the sand."
Wendy gasped, "That's awful... But how did you and Levy get in?"
Aladdin replied, "I suppose my heart was pure and righteous enough for the tiger head to let me in. It even allowed me to bring Levy along for some reason."
Wendy guessed, "You were on your way to get the lamp then."
Aladdin stated, "The Cave is a massive vault filled with just about anything you can ever ask for. It's exotic..." He paused for a change in tone, "...and dangerous at the same time. It's got lots of traps that'll stop in their tracks anyone who got to far or tried to nab the treasures. One mistake could be your last. Levy and I ran into a few traps along the way..." He then smiled, "...but we were able to pull it off. Can you imagine such a thing? A street rat and a wizard working together to ace the most powerful vault in the world... We were a great team. The marketplace was one thing, but the Cave? That's beyond real."
Wendy smiled, "I guess so..."
Aladdin continued, "As soon as we reached the lamp chamber, grabbing the lamp from its resting place was a breeze..." He added with a sigh, "...until Abu touched a red jewel. I tried to warn him, but it was too late; he just couldn't help himself. That sprung the worst trap of all. The Cave of Wonders collapsed and buried us all underground! We searched everywhere for a way out, and when we did, we got stuck at the bottom of a quicksand. And that's where you found us."
Wendy wondered, "How did the Cave get back?"
Aladdin assumed, "I'd say Jafar used his magic to bring the tiger head back to life. After we beat the darkness out of it, it's as stiff as a rock. It's almost as if it wants us to go in..."
Before he had a chance to continue, Wendy noticed a bright glow emitting from the tip of the Keyblade, which had automatically materialized in her hand a few seconds earlier. "Guys, look!" Everybody stopped in the middle of the room and looked at the Sky Dragon Slayer, who motioned her twinkling weapon against the open door a few inches away. "My Keyblade's picking up something straight ahead!"
Donald beamed, "We must be close! Let's go!"
The Royal Court Magician was about to take Aladdin's place in the lead when the latter stopped him. "Hold up!"
Wendy asked, "What is it, Aladdin?"
Aladdin replied, "I'm pretty sure there are traps in this room."
Donald and Goofy cried in unison, "Traps?!"
Romeo questioned, "What kind of traps?"
Suddenly, a boulder popped from the side of the wall and rolled down the slide before it sunk into the abyss. Next, a series of tiny holes poked out of the floor and burst with a stream of flames that reached its full height. Finally, three decorated stone faces opened their mouths and sprayed water in a straight line. "That kind, mostly," Aladdin replied, noting the spots where the slide, floor section, and stone faces appeared to contrast with the rest of the room.
Elfman smirked, "Ha! No biggie! This is just like an obstacle course. A challenge befitting for a real man! I bet I can make it to the other end before any of them touch me."
Donald grinned back at him, "Oh, yeah? Wanna see if you can get there before me? Anything that gets in my way, I'll let my magic do the talking."
Elfman returned the grin, "You're on! First one to make it to Jafar gets to buy food for the day!" He transformed into Beast Soul: Belcusas and got himself in a crouching position, with Donald following suit.
Carla sighed to herself, "There he goes again..."
Lisanna asked, "Are you referring to Donald or Big Brother Elf?"
Sherria smiled, "They're just having fun, Carla."
Romeo agreed, "Yeah, someone's gotta help keep everyone's spirits up."
What could have been a friendly competition between Donald and Elfman, it was interrupted when a squadron of Heartless stormed the room. The lineup consisted of twelve Bandits, ten Air Soldiers, and two Fat Bandits, acting as the first line of defense for Jafar's dominion over the Cave of Wonders.
Levy tensed, "It looks like traps aren't the only thing we've got to worry about."
Goofy sweated, "Jafar wants to make sure we ain't around, that's for sure."
Wendy determined, "We'll have to push our way through. Come on!"
Facing both traps and Heartless was a different level for the entourage, but it didn't waver their resolve to push forward. Wendy and Aladdin implemented their respective styles of swordplay to outsmart the Bandits. Donald, Goofy, Carla, and Sherria chased away the Air Soldiers, while Lisanna, Elfman, and Levy overpowered the Fat Bandits. At the same capacity, Wendy and company were careful to avoid the various traps, although some unfortunate ones fell victim to them— Donald had his butt set on fire, causing him to jump in the air with a scream before Wendy put the flames out with her Sky Dragon Slayer Magic. Meanwhile, a hose of water splashed Goofy in the face, though he used his shield to prevent the rest of his body from getting shoved to the pit. The battle was won in merely two minutes, and they headed for the next area.
Hall
The group found themselves in a massive hall fraught with a high number of obstacles out of any room they had explored thus far; boulders sliding down dark pits, stone faces squirting water, fire rising from the floor, and of course, more Heartless. Aside from the numerous Bandits, Air Soldiers, and Fat Bandits prowling the places, there were Shadows, Red Nocturnes, Green Requiems, Yellow Operas, and Large Bodies as well, throwing the party into a grueling battle arena. Wendy subdued a few Bandits with Gravity before finishing them with her Keyblade. Donald cast Fire and Blizzard on many Red Nocturnes and Yellow Operas while Goofy dispatched the rest using Goofy Rocket and Goofy Tornado. Romeo destroyed several Bandits by performing random Rainbow Fire spells, Carla kicked the Air Soldiers, Sherria used Sky God's Dance to swirl the Green Requiems in a black tornado before slaying them in the air, Levy soaked the Fat Bandits with Solid Script: Water, and the two Strauss siblings squashed the Shadows with their Take-Over Magic. The battle was long, but Wendy and her companions proved far more tenacious, and they even used a few traps as shields or projectiles to take advantage of distracted Heartless. When the dust settled, the next room was within their reach.
Bottomless Hall
Heading through the door on the opposite side led Wendy and company to a narrow ledge next to a deep chasm. The trick was to cross the ledge while getting past the stone faces attempting to spray them off, as well as the blockade of flaming pillars. The least troublesome obstruction was a horde of Shadows, Soldiers, Bandits, and Pot Spiders- Wendy sliced the Bandits with precise Keyblade combinations, Aladdin shattered the Pot Spiders with his scimitar, Donald eradicated the Soldiers with Blizzard and Thunder, and Goofy bashed the Soldiers with his shield. Continuing forward through the bottomless pit took the party to the next room.
Treasure Room
Wendy and her friends peered into the room carefully, curious to see what could be creating the glow. As they stepped in, the place was filled to the ceiling with various golden treasures: coins, scepters, chests, goblets, statues, and the like. Wendy and company found themselves rooted to the spot as they stared at the contents of the treasure room in awe. Aladdin's furry sidekick Abu was practically drooling at the mere sight of those golden cascades.
"Would you look at that," Romeo breathed.
"I never knew there'd be so much gold in one place," Lisanna remarked.
"Just a handful of this stuff would make you ten times richer than any man," Elfman stated.
"So these are the powerful riches the Cave kept hidden inside..." Wendy said to Aladdin.
"What do you expect from a realm filled with riches beyond your wildest dreams?" Aladdin grinned.
Abu kept staring at the mountains of gold that lay spread out over the room, his mouth still drenched with saliva. With a wide grin, the monkey leapt forward, only to have Aladdin quickly catch him by his vest. Abu flailed for a moment, screeching and reaching desperately for the gold right in front of him. "Abu!" The monkey froze at the tone of his master's voice. He turned his head around slowly, so that he could see the stern look on Aladdin's face. "Don't. Touch. Anything. Remember what happened last time?" A sheepish grin was Abu's response. Aladdin merely raised an eyebrow, the warning evident in his expression.
"Why not take the treasure?" Donald questioned. "Just imagine how much our lives could change if it's in our hands..." His rubbed his hands gleefully as a sly laugh escaped his beak.
"Did I forget to mention that we're in sacred ground?" Aladdin reminded. "You touch the forbidden treasure, you never see the light of day again. Those are the rules."
"Rules?! There are rules around here?!" Donald frowned. "Then why did you come here in the first place?"
"Because it allowed us to," Aladdin answered. "The tiger head told us to touch the lamp. Nothing else. Bad things happen if you touch stuff you're not supposed to."
"I guess that means the treasure's sacred to everybody," Goofy confirmed. "We'd better leave it be while the getting's good." He turned to Donald with a cheery grin, "Sorry, Donald. Better luck next time."
"Don't worry," Romeo smiled. "You'll get your chance someday."
"Ah, phooey!" Donald said in annoyance, as he crossed his arms. "Why don't I get to have the good stuff?"
"We haven't got the time for treasure hunting," Carla insisted. "The sooner we get to the Keyhole, the better."
"Where exactly do we need to get to the lamp chamber?" Levy asked.
Aladdin pointed at a door straight ahead, which was blocked by a large statue. "There's the entrance, but it's blocked by that statue. We need to get rid of it first."
"Leave it to me!" Elfman cracked his knuckles. "I'll turn that hunk of rock into a pile of rubble! Beast Arm: Iron Bull!" His arm morphed into a large fist encased in metal, and he clenched it to its zenith in preparation. One punch was all he needed to destroy the statue. He delivered a straight hook, and as soon as it collided with the object in a huge bang... CRACK! Remarkably, the iron casing on Elfman's Beast Arm started to break. The rupture worked its way up, and before long a harrowing pain began to seep in. He let out a painful yell and clutched his damaged metal arm. "What the hell... How solid is that rock?!"
Donald snickered, "I thought you said you were gonna turn that hunk of rock into a pile of rubble. What kind of man does that make you, huh?"
Elfman groaned, "Cut me some slack, duck. My muscles never failed me once. If I have to give it my all to smash anything I see in front of me, then that's what I'm gonna do." He lifted the weight of his impaired arm, "I'll give it another go when my Iron Bull's all patched up, then—"
Donald cut him off, "Yeah, thanks for trying, big guy. You had your chance, but now it's my turn."
Elfman snapped, "Hey! I was just getting to the good part!"
Donald ignored him, "If brute strength doesn't work, use magic! Fire!" He shot a fireball from his staff as it collided with the statue. He was surprised to find the object unfazed when the smoke cleared. "Wak! How about Blizzard!" An ice crystal hit the statue, but it didn't make a dent in it, either. "Thunder!" No effect. "Gravity!" Still no effect.
Elfman glanced at the Royal Court Magician with a odd expression. "You were saying?"
Donald slumped down in shock. "How did that rock get so rough?"
Before the duck could come up with a better solution, Wendy cast Sky Dragon's Roar on the statue, but it simply shrugged the twister off like it was nothing. She turned to the others and said, "My magic doesn't work, too!"
Carla rubbed her chin thoughtfully, "Hmm... That statue is somehow composed of material that can withstand both physical and magical attacks. No simple feat can possibly move or destroy it."
Sherria crossed her hips, "Looks like we're stuck between a rock and a hard place. Though I wouldn't exactly call it a hard place..."
Levy pondered, "How are we going to get inside? There has to be something we can do..."
In the midst of figuring out how to clear away the statue, Aladdin's eyes had caught on something below the doorway, or underneath the massive rock, for that matter. A tiny circle linking both sides of the door was seen, though the rest of the outline was hard to make out with the statue's lower form encircling the center. Not a moment sooner, he knew the gravity of the situation, or so he assumed. Aladdin called to his friends, "Guys, I think the statue's stuck under the bottom. We'll have to find a solution down below."
Wendy asked, "What do we do now?"
Aladdin suggested, "Let's go back outside and see what we've missed."
Bottomless Hall
The group returned to the bottomless hall, but only stopped a few feet from the ravine when Wendy asked Aladdin, "If you say down below, you mean there's an underground room or something like that?"
Aladdin answered, "Now that you mention it, there is. And it's right down there." He gestured a hand down to the bottomless pit, which was veiled by a curtain of darkness preventing anyone from seeing what lay within.
Donald quacked, "Wak! All the way down there?!"
Goofy sweated, "You can't be serious..."
Aladdin replied, "I'm absolutely positive. Nothing down there but an underground cavern. Levy, Abu, and I had been there a couple of times during our first visit in the Cave." Abu chattered in agreement.
Sherria wondered, "A couple of times?"
Levy stated, "The first time we stumbled upon the cavern, we accidentally tripped into the ravine. Not just that, but we fell through trap doors, slipped down slides, got pushed off the room by boulders... It's the only place we ended up on when things go wrong. We expected it to be some kind of dungeon or a pit of death, but it's not really that dangerous. The cavern is mostly full of water. There are no traps around here. It's just a set of lower chambers filled with treasure chests, unlike the ones we're not supposed to touch."
Donald blinked, "Water and treasure chests? Nothing else?"
Goofy commented, "Sounds like it's safer down here than up there."
Wendy asked, "You found the chests, didn't you? Did you open them?"
Aladdin responded, "We tried them all. They're completely locked tight. We don't know why."
Wendy sighed to herself, knowing that such a place could be worth investigating. She could also do something about the seemingly unlockable chests the way she knew how; the hidden contents could prove to be of important use, or neither. Finally, she reached a decision. "I'm gonna jump down there and see what's up."
Carla gasped, "You? You want to investigate all on your own?"
Wendy replied, "Aladdin and Levy knew a lot about the Cave of Wonders than we do. I could at least see for myself, right?"
Aladdin assured, "The underground cavern's completely safe, Wendy. You have to trust us."
Wendy nodded, "I do. I always trust my friends. That's why I have to find out."
Levy pointed out, "Just be mindful that if you jump right in, you're in for a big dip."
Wendy shrugged, "I don't mind a big dip, as long as the water's nice and warm..."
Goofy advised, "Give us a shout if you need some help. Your pals are right behind ya."
Wendy smiled, "Right!"
Carla said softly, "Be careful, Wendy."
Sherria encouraged, "Good luck."
The Sky Maiden took a deep breath as she borrowed a few seconds of her time to prepare for her descent. She then leapt off the floor and plunged into the bottomless pit, letting out a triumphant cry of "HERE I GO!" and spreading out her arms and legs. The rest of her allies looked on, anxious of what befell their Sky Dragon Slayer friend after she dove in, but to Aladdin and Levy, it was with confidence. And then, there was a splash of water. Though the sound was not loud enough to surpass the noisy traps set across the hall, it was certainly clear for the group to hear. Romeo was the first to speak of the result, "Wendy? Where'd you—"
"Guys, there's water down here!" A loud voice suddenly thundered from the abyss. "Aladdin and Levy were right! There's an underground cave!" Immediately, the group cheered and expressed their relief at Wendy's success.
"She made it! Thank goodness!" Carla breathed.
"That's a pretty big dip, huh?" Romeo smiled.
"You could say that again," Levy agreed.
"I wish I could see what down there," Lisanna remarked.
"Womanly!" Elfman said proudly.
"Like I said, completely safe," Aladdin grinned.
"What are we waiting for? Let's dive in! Last one in's a rotten egg!" Sherria beamed.
"Wendy, wait for us!" Romeo let his voice reach out towards the ravine, before he and the others all jumped in. Seconds later, a series of splashes echoed.
Underground Cavern
As Wendy and her friends regrouped, they climbed up onto a dry stone platform, having selected it as their temporary resting spot after a lengthy swim. Wendy helped Romeo up, grabbing his hand as the Rainbow Fire wizard pulled himself out of the murky water.
"This is the largest pool I've ever swam in..." Romeo shook his head, beads of water flying out in all directions. "...besides the one at Ryuzetsu Land. Except it's all glitter and no gloom."
"I don't think anyone would want to have this place for a swimming pool," Sherria allowed the cold wind to dry her soaked clothes. "It's dark, full of rocks, and doesn't have slides. Most of all, you're right about it being gloomy."
"Well, at least we're in one piece," Wendy peeled off her two ponytails and squeezed the excess liquid out of her hair. "We haven't seen anything that looks like Heartless and traps, so I guess that means Aladdin's right." She added with a sad sigh, "And when you mention 'swimming pool', it reminds me of the fun we used to have. I miss those good times..."
"Say, when all of this is over and we find a way to bring back our world, how about we go back to Ryuzetsu Land for more fun in the water next summer?" Sherria offered. "My treat!"
"I'd love to go there again with my dad," Romeo fantasized. "Y'know, add a little Fairy Tail feel to it? It'll be fun."
"For what it's worth, I never stopped doubting you guys," Wendy giggled, as she tied her hair back again. "When our world's restored, I'll gladly go back to Ryuzetsu Land with you two."
"Sure!" Sherria beamed.
"Absolutely," Romeo nodded.
The three young wizards glanced at each other for a brief moment, the idea of having a vacation at the end of their adventure in mind. The joy quieted down when Aladdin spoke, "Well, we're here. Welcome to the underground chambers."
Wendy and company gazed about their new surroundings. The air was moist and cold, as the caves were filled with water, and only a few stone platforms extended above the surface. Several strange-looking statues holding glowing gems were scattered throughout the cavern, offering the only known sources of light. Connected to the platform the group was standing on was a set of stairs leading back up towards the upper level.
"Okay, so what now?" Wendy asked.
"There should be something that's been keeping the statue in place," Aladdin replied.
"I'm sure it can't be that hard to find..." Levy affirmed.
Wendy and her companions began their trek across the watery labyrinth of chambers in search of a way to remove the massive statue from the lamp chamber's entrance. True to Wendy's words, not a single Heartless or trap was in sight, though the only stumbling blocks came in the form of large stone platforms. They blocked one path after another, serving as impassible walls, and the only way to cross them was to trigger a very special switch; more specifically, the statues' gems. One by one, as they came across the statues, the group activated the gems with either Wendy's Keyblade or Abu's lust for treasure (he just couldn't resist touching the gems, but he couldn't pull them off for some reason). Their efforts eventually paid off, and the stone platforms lowered to reveal new paths for them to access. From a chamber of relics to an area of silence, Wendy and company solved the puzzle. Along the way, they found a set of treasure chests in a hidden room, the same chests Levy and Aladdin tried to open. Thanks to Wendy, the chests were unlocked to reveal new sets of gummi blocks, Potions, Hi-Potions, Ethers, Elixirs, and tons of munny. However, the biggest bonus was nine more Dalmatian puppies stored in one of the chests.
Found Dalmatians. Numbers 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, and 45 returned home!
And that wasn't the only bonus. Wendy spotted a sheet of paper stuck underneath the lid of an empty chest. Its edges were torn and browned with age, and there seemed to be some writing and images, although she couldn't read it properly amidst the darkness of the cavern. For a short while, Wendy couldn't take her eyes off the torn page's blurred outline. Wait... Torn page...? Could it be that a missing page of Merlin's book was in her possession? If it was, then she had already found the first one in a world she was currently at!
Found Torn Page. Page 1 of Merlin's Book is in your possession!
"This has to be one of the missing pages from Merlin's book!" Wendy thought to herself. "I'll show it to them when we get back to the Gummi Ship." With that in mind, she put the page in her pocket for safekeeping, before she followed her friends out of the room.
They arrived at the final chamber, where they discovered a strange pillar with a disjointed shaft. Aladdin stared at the object with intrigue. "Hmm... This pillar probably rises all the way to the top. Try to break it and see what happens."
"Fire!" Wendy shot a fireball from the tip of the Blue Mistral, destroying the oddly-shaped pillar in a huge blast. And soon, another pillar similar in size but whole in structure fell from the ceiling to take the place of the original. That indicated something was happening from above.
"Hey, I think that did the trick!" Romeo assumed.
"Only one way to be sure. I know a way back up. Follow me!" Aladdin beckoned. He and the others made their exit, leaving the mess of the underground cavern behind.
Lamp Chamber
Jafar stood in the center of a wide octagonal room, smiling wickedly to himself with an enslaved Genie next to him and Jasmine lying unconscious beneath his feet. Statues of strange creatures with glowing gems in their outstretched hands lined the upper portion of the walls at regular intervals. Thick stone pillars seemed to support the walls and ceiling, each with a fiery torch attached to light up the cavern. The thick layer of sand covering the floor gave way towards the middle of the room, where a blue-gray stone floor bulged up in the center due to what had once been a fountain of fresh water. Its mouth was mostly blocked off by a slab, though a small amount of water still leaked from it, creating a shallow moat where the stone floor dipped below the sand.
Tapping his snake staff on the ground, Jafar pulled out the magic lamp and, balancing it in the palm of his hand, held it up as he boomed with a loud and sinister tone laced in his demand. "My first wish, Genie! Show me the Keyhole!"
Genie looked over despondently at the royal vizier who recently became the bearer of the lamp. Reluctantly, he raised one of his limp arms and snapped his fingers. Almost immediately, the rock wall burst open in a violent puff of debris that tumbled to the floor, minor clouds raised to block the view. The dirt settled to reveal a stone archway with a small set of stone steps leading up to it. On either side were two stone pillars with flame designs carved into their surface. The archway was lined in red with an intricate Arabian design, and the shape of a simple keyhole, albeit very large, was sculpted deeply into it. Within the large keyhole shape was another smaller one, and in the very middle of it was the Keyhole of Agrabah itself.
As soon as Jafar recognized it, he released a evil cackle that resonated throughout the chamber. The greatest prize was finally within his grasp. Victory would be his. When the laughing ceased, the royal vizier cast a sideways glance at Genie, a sly grin crossing his lips. "So your reputed omnipotence proves itself true. Surely the conquest of this world is to one of your power but a mere triviality. Would you care to become our ally in this manner?"
Genie folded his arms over his chest and turned his back on Jafar. He grumbled angrily, "Quit yer jokin', o master of the lamp, sir." He pulled out a playbill and consulted it, as he lowered his voice to talk quietly to himself, "Tonight, the role of Aladdin is played by a tall, dark, and sinister ugly man. Why did it have to be him?"
"He's right, you know. You could make a valuable asset to the Alliance of Evil. We just say the word, and you make any Keyhole in any world appear in a snap!" The cheery, confident voice from behind sent a slight shudder up Jafar's spine. He exchanged a glance at the young female striding over to the stone slab with her hands around her hips. She came to a stop near Jasmine's unconscious body and gazed at the princess for a moment, before she turned back to Jafar. "Then again, it wouldn't make the world-conquering thing a challenge, would it?"
"Oh, it's you," Jafar sneered. "What is it that you want, Kaze? I have no room in my time for mundane matters right now."
"You think I'm here to joke around and butt in your business, viz boy? Nope!" Kaze shook her head. "I'm here to see you set up the victory party, assuming you planned one."
"Once the Heartless enter the Keyhole and consume this world's heart, it will be exceedingly satisfying," Jafar assured with a confident smirk. "This will be all the merriment I require."
"Whatever you say. I was expecting a buffet and a little confetti to brighten the place, but this'll have to do," Kaze shrugged. "We found what we came for, right? Thanks for digging it up, Jaffy." The sorcerer rolled his eyes at being mentioned by a pet name the guild master of Sleepy Hollow came up with. "Maleficent's coming over. She wants a front row seat when you do your stuff—"
She stopped mid-sentence when she turned to the chamber door, sensing a powerful presence somewhere in the Cave of Wonders. It was a presence she knew very well. A presence that would no doubt gratify her personal desires. A wide smile crept up her face as she felt the well-known existence making its approach.
"Well?" Jafar asked impatiently. "Do you have something to say, or have you come to insult me further?"
Kaze turned to him with an expression of ecstasy, taking time before she could give her answer in a whispered tone.
"She's here..."
Hall
Upon returning to the upper level, Wendy and her friends encountered another swarm of Heartless similar in number to the variety they encountered. The group suspected that their actions in the underground cavern triggered the presence of more Heartless, and knew they had no other choice but to take them on. Wendy and Aladdin clashed swords with the Bandits and easily defeated them with various combos, but when four Soldiers and three Air Soldiers attacked from behind, Donald vaporized the ground Heartless with Thunder and Goofy smashed the ones in the air with Goofy Tornado. Romeo, Carla, and Sherria took on the horde of Red Nocturnes and Yellow Operas before exploiting their elemental weaknesses, Elfman pummeled five Large Bodies, Lisanna crushed a pack of Pot Spiders, and Levy zapped three Fat Bandits with Solid Script: Thunder. Wendy, Donald, Goofy, and Aladdin joined together to destroy the remaining Soldiers and Air Soldiers scampering across the hall, Romeo and Sherria lured five Large Bodies straight into a boulder trap, Carla kicked a few more Pot Spiders, Lisanna flattened the Shadows with Animal Soul: Bunny, Elfman shoved two Fat Bandits into the ravine, and Levy took out the last one with Solid Script: Water. Minutes later, the hall was liberated from the Heartless once more.
Bottomless Hall
The group returned to the bottomless hall to find twenty Pot Spiders and fifteen Shadows obscuring the way back to the treasure room. Wendy used Sonic Blade to eliminate every Pot Spider in mere seconds, Donald cast Gravity to crush eight Shadows under the floor, Aladdin slashed away six, and Goofy pushed the last one into the bottomless pit with his shield.
Treasure Room
Moments later, they headed straight for the treasure room. Just as Romeo predicted, the massive statue was no longer there, leaving nothing but a open doorway. Wendy beamed, "Alright! The door is open! We're getting closer to the Keyhole now..." Even without turning to the Blue Mistral for guidance, she could feel its power emanating through her heart. She knew that it was guiding her to where exactly the Keyhole was found, and it had to be behind the door.
Aladdin breathed, "Jafar must be in there with Genie and Jasmine, too."
Romeo asked, "How can you tell?"
Aladdin replied, "Just a feeling."
Levy determined, "This is it, guys. We're in for one last showdown."
Lisanna nodded, "You got that right. This time, we won't let them get away."
Elfman declared, "Get ready, Jafar! We're comin' for ya!" And thus, Wendy and her friends made their way to the lamp chamber's entrance for their final battle, oblivious of what the conniving sorcerer had in store for them.
Lamp Chamber
"That girl again?" Maleficent's voice dripped with disdain at the end of Jafar's report. As much as she wanted to commend him for securing Jasmine and finding the Keyhole, the news of Wendy's arrival was a mere unfortunate technicality. If the Keyblade master was bound to show up, the villains' plan of salvaging Agrabah could potentially end in failure. The horned witch narrowed her eyes at the empty entrance, expecting the adversaries of the Alliance of Evil to reveal themselves, while listening to what Jafar had to say at the same time. In the meantime, a glimmer of hope sparkled in Genie's eyes. He turned to look at the door, praying that Aladdin would come to his rescue.
"She's more persistent than I expected," Jafar snorted. "It would seem young Kaze's insight has served her well. Why not explain the situation to that girl, Mirajane?" The evil sorceress cast a glance at him, silently asking him why she had to convene with the young woman she brainwashed into becoming leader of the Alliance's army of dark guilds. "Doing so may actually prove useful to our..."
Jafar was distracted by footsteps in the water behind him. His eyes grew wide as he turned to see Wendy and company arriving. They skid to a halt, gazing up at the platform where the royal vizier and his associate stood. The two villains stared malevolently at the group, Jafar's lip quivering in agitation at how far the heroes had come. Upon discovering that the Keyhole was right behind them, Donald and Goofy were the first to react. "The Keyhole!"
Maleficent's upper lip curled into a small sneer towards the minor resistance and its spearhead, the Keyblade master, who had caused a few misgivings to her organization of villains. A chill ran up and down Wendy's spine, her mouth dry as she stared at the horned witch. "You..." Though overwhelmed by the frightful, dominating presence, Wendy kept up a brave façade at what she was up against. "You must be Maleficent! The leader of the Alliance of Evil!"
The sneer on Maleficent's face was replaced with a thin smile in response to the Sky Maiden's acknowledgement. "I see my reputation precedes me. You would do well to remember me, child."
Wendy angrily pointed the Keyblade at the evil sorceress. "You're the one behind all this... The dark guilds, the Heartless, what happened to Fairy Tail..."
Maleficent answered coolly, "Such is the essence of leadership. My council sees and controls all that lies before us. We are the foundation, and the agents at our disposal enact our will."
Romeo's temper, which seemed to have been bubbling just beneath the surface for what the Alliance of Evil did to his guildmates, was reaching boiling point. "Maleficent..." The Rainbow Fire wizard wasn't the only one angry at seeing her. There was Elfman, who barely resisted the urge to punch Maleficent in the face. Then Lisanna, who wanted to reunite with Mirajane. Sherria. Carla. Levy. All who had lost much at the hands of a wicked sorceress.
Maleficent continued, "Oh, but wait... The name 'Fairy Tail' sounds familiar. These are the wizards we intend to mold into the perfect warriors, are they not?" Her eyes averted from Wendy to her groupmates, mostly at Romeo, who was the most livid among them. "And you are the ones who slipped from our grasp... Such disappointments. Any minion unwilling to cooperate might as well be cast off." Romeo tried to control his temper, keeping a careful eye on the witch as she inquired him in a horribly honeyed voice. "Are you trembling, boy? Is it anger? Or fear? Don't try to hide within yourself just yet. I have heard a lot about your friend, the Keyblade bearer, and the rest of her cohorts from my closest allies." The false sweetness in her tone soon turned harsh, "You have been a thorn in our side for far too long. Especially you, Wendy Marvell. We cannot sit idly by and have a minor annoyance ruin our plans. Least of all, a few misplaced outcasts who are not much of an valuable resource as the others."
Romeo was more enraged than ever. "Take that back, you witch! You have no right to talk about my friends like that!" He lunged straight at Maleficent, his fists burning with Purple Fire. "Let's settle this here and now!"
"Romeo, no!" Wendy cried in protest, but he was already close to approaching the enemy.
"Poor child..." Maleficent mused. "What you mistake for courage is nothing more than mere recklessness."
"SHUT UP!" Romeo bellowed as he cocked his left fist, never to expect the horned witch to anticipate him. The orb in her staff crackled with electricity, and in one swift motion, a lightning bolt struck his chest. He flew back screaming and collapsed on the slab, Wendy and Sherria tending to him.
"Are you okay?" Wendy gasped.
"Say something!" Sherria cried.
"I'm fine, but she's not," Romeo growled.
"I would've done the same thing, but I know better than to fall for a cheap trick like that," Elfman stated.
"Just how strong is she? Her magic looks very powerful," Lisanna remarked.
"Explain yourself, Maleficent! What are you planning?" Levy demanded.
"The strongest forces in all the worlds like myself, Jafar, and other like-minded individuals are gathered to fulfill a glorious cause," Maleficent declared. "We are called the Alliance of Evil. The chosen few are the shepherds for guiding the flock in a new age. But those you fell before you have proven with their feeble minds that not all men are fit to rule."
"Too bad for you, lady!" Elfman boasted. "We fought a lot of your lackeys and put 'em out of commission. If that wasn't bad enough, you didn't capture everybody in Fairy Tail! What's the matter, having trouble completing your collection?"
"A trivial technicality, yes," Maleficent admitted. "But can you not at least hear what I am proposing? I have kept the rest of your guild safe for the time being. For the shelter and hospitality they so desperately crave, all I require is their servitude." She then smiled, "If you are wise, you should join me. You will be rewarded in return."
"After the way you treated us? I don't think so!" Lisanna glared. "You can ask us a hundred times and it won't matter. We won't be a part of your evil gang!"
"You know, you saved us the trouble of tracking you down. But running into you, it all adds up," Wendy stated. "We know all about you and what you've been up to. You hurt so many people, you put worlds in danger, all to satisfy your selfish desires. How long does it take until you've had enough? This is unforgivable!" She took a defensive swing of her Keyblade, "If you think we'll just throw ourselves to you, you've got another thing coming. I'm gonna stop you and save everyone!"
"We all will!" Sherria agreed. "We've been to many worlds and stopped a few of your plans, so what makes you think you can stand a chance against our team?"
"You hear that?" Romeo added. "You mess with us, you're in for a serious butt-kicking! We're taking back Fairy Tail, and we're not going down without a fight! So you can take your offer... and SHOVE IT!" Everyone else shouted in agreement, confirming the finality of his answer.
"I see..." Maleficent remarked. "Mirajane was right. Though yours is a family of wizards, you are a most stubborn and reckless bunch."
"Mira?" Lisanna gasped.
"How did you—" Elfman began.
"A pity we are not fated to join forces, for you have so much potential," Maleficent grimaced. "Regardless, I will leave you to my friends and carry on as I were. Only through your demise will you know the folly of your ways..." She turned her back on the group and vanished, fading away as though she had been nothing but a ghost.
"Hey! Get back here!" Romeo demanded. "We're not done with you!"
"Let her go," Carla eased. "She was only here to spite us. For now, we must focus on Jafar."
"Alright..." Romeo relented with a sigh. "But know this, I'm gonna punch that witch in the face just to show how serious I am." He waved his fist vigorously, "You have my word."
"That I'll look forward to," Sherria nodded. "She won't know what hit her."
Upon seeing Jasmine lying at Jafar's feet in front of the Keyblade, Aladdin's fury peaked. He stepped forward, pointing a finger at the villain. "Jafar, let Jasmine go!"
An eerie smile crept onto Jafar's face, pleased with Aladdin's reaction. "Not a chance. You see, she's a princess—"
Sherria said sarcastically, "Gee, thanks for letting us know about that, Captain Obvious."
Jafar snapped, "Silence!" The eyes on his snake staff glowed red, before they shot a beam of crimson electricity. It struck the ground, forcing the group to back away.
Sherria sweated, "Okay, so he's got mighty magic, too."
Jafar said sternly, "If you would let me finish, she is more than just a princess— one of nine who somehow hold the key to opening the door."
Wendy wondered, "Nine princesses?"
Carla began, "They hold the key..."
Goofy added, "...to open..."
Donald finished, "...the door?"
Sherria questioned, "What kind of door?"
Jafar smirked, "There is no point in telling you fools, for you won't live to see what lies beyond it." He turned to Genie, who woefully hung himself in the air with his arms limp at his sides. "Genie, my second wish!" Jafar turned his malicious glare back to his enemies. "Crush them!"
Everyone gasped in horror. Aladdin was the most upset, as he sounded confused and desperate in his plea. "Genie, no!"
Genie looked over his former master. "Sorry, Al. The one with the lamp calls the shots. I don't have a choice."
Jafar snorted at Genie's hesitation. He lifted his staff in the air, and the flash in its eyes created an invisible barrier around the lamp chamber, blocking both the exit and the Keyhole. "And now, it is time for you to die!" he bellowed, as he shot a second electric beam towards the group.
"Sky Dragon's Roar!" Wendy breathed a powerful gust of wind to counter Jafar's attack. When the two spells collided, the result was an outburst of energy that sent both wizards careening back a short distance before they regained control. Wendy made a quick recovery as she glared up at the royal vizier. "Jafar! Your days of ruling Agrabah are over!"
"Worthless street rats!" Jafar snarled. "Do you think you can defeat the most powerful sorcerer in the world?"
"Most powerful sorcerer, huh?" Sherria teased. "You're very much a guy who talks a lot."
"You're gonna be eating dirt, snake head!" Romeo taunted. "We'll beat you!"
The fight was on! Jafar chanted a spell to enhance his snake staff with a mist of crimson magic, before firing his deadly laser attack at Wendy and company. That prompted the young heroes to spread out in separate corners of the lamp chamber, eluding the scorching heat as they went. The royal vizier carefully targeted Wendy and her friends with a consecutive number of beams, and when they actually connect, he often bragged of how powerful his sorcery was. "That's got to hurt!" Soon, right after dodging another laser attack, Wendy, Donald, Goofy, Romeo, Sherria, and Aladdin climbed up the platform Jafar was standing on. He shot several fireballs from his snake staff at the six, which Wendy deflected with a defensive Aero barrier. "Try this!" Jafar cloaked himself in a white bubble that rendered him immune to all types of magic, but his overconfidence proved dire when the team learned of the barrier's vulnerability to physical attacks. Wendy struck him with a 6-hit Keyblade combo, Goofy with Goofy Rocket, Romeo with his Blue Fire Fists, and Aladdin with a 7-hit scimitar slash. When the anti-magic barrier was dispelled, Jafar shot another laser. Wendy avoided it just in time to deliver another 6-hit combo, adding a Sky Dragon's Wing Attack to the mix. She quickly swiped her Keyblade to disarm Jafar, but missed her next swing as he teleported behind her, hitting her in the back with a fireball before Donald zapped him with Thunder. Goofy charged forward with his shield, only to get repulsed by Jafar's snake staff.
Wendy stood back to her feet, seemingly unfazed by Jafar's sneak attack. "Ouch..."
Jafar mocked, "What's the matter, street mouse? Can't handle a little heat? The princess and the Keyhole are in my possession, and yet you insist on fighting me?"
Wendy nodded, "Yes, I am. And I'm not alone in this one."
Sherria warned, "You shoot my best friend in the back, you answer to me!"
Romeo agreed, "And me!"
Donald dared, "Try and stop us!"
Jafar grunted, "Arrogant little..." He floated to a different platform on the other side of the octagonal arena, granting himself the leeway to cast another spell. His raised arms had been empowered by a navy mist, which represented the element of ice, and before long a giant hailstorm took form at the center of the room, trapping Carla, Levy, Elfman, and Lisanna in a field of ice. While the white Exceed managed to fly out safely, the other three were forced to withstand the massive blocks of ice hitting them incessantly. When the storm dissipated, Levy, Elfman, and Lisanna emerged, battered and partially frozen. Carla joined Wendy's team in pursuit of Jafar, who floated around the chamber while laughing maniacally to himself. "Over here!" When he came to a stop at a platform, Wendy climbed up and attacked him with a 6-hit Keyblade swing.
Wendy declared, "You're not getting away!" She flexed her Sky Dragon's Crushing Fang at Jafar, who blocked it with his snake staff.
Jafar howled, "This is nothing!" He knocked Wendy off her feet and proceeded to finish her with a laser strike, but a Sky God's Bellow struck him from behind, courtesy of Sherria.
Sherria shouted, "Serves you right!" Before she could conjure another spell, Jafar disappeared in a puff of red smoke and reappeared behind Wendy and her teammates. Another beam was shot from his snake staff, searing the group in a mixture of heat and electricity. As soon as they recovered, Sherria counterattacked with a Sky God's Boreas, shoving the corrupt vizier against the wall, before Goofy bashed his chest. An enraged Jafar gathered purple energy into his staff and forcefully tapped it on the ground, releasing a shockwave that knocked the group off the platform.
Jafar yelled, "You can't win!" Having glided away to a separate platform, he summoned another hailstorm, and it caught Wendy, Donald, Goofy, Romeo, Carla, Sherria, and Aladdin in its icy snare. Considering that they couldn't break free from the swirling subzero without taking damage, their only option was to dodge the hail. They survived in nearly forty seconds, and confronted Jafar on the platform. Shortly after dodging three electric beams and a volley of fireballs, Wendy gave the royal vizier a total of nine Keyblade strikes before kicking him in the chin with Sky Dragon's Claw. In times of desperation, he would teleport in circles and cast a random number of spells to confuse Wendy and the others. By the time he resurfaced, he was about to unleash another spell when Donald froze his lower body with Blizzard, Goofy smacked his jaw with Goofy Tornado, Carla kicked him five times, Aladdin slashed him four times, and Wendy blew him away with Stun Impact.
Jafar was driven to the wall, cringing at the extent of the damage he received. "Aggh! How in the..."
Aladdin looked rather confident as he did a few quick stretches. "Hey, Jafar! What's the matter?"
Jafar's face was red with frustration. "You... I'm just getting started!" He turned his head over and issued a demand laced with a bone-chilling flare. "Genie, have at them!"
The spirit of the lamp who had been coerced into becoming Jafar's enforcer popped behind Wendy and her teammates. They turned around to see in their disbelief what Genie had been reduced to. By the look on his face, he was hesitant to hurt his friends, but felt he had to obey in accordance to the wish his master made. Aladdin tried to reason with him again, "Genie, please! Don't do this!"
Genie cried helplessly, "I'm really sorry about this. Run!" He clenched a fist and swiped at the group, as if his arm had a mind of its own.
Carla alerted, "Watch out!" The group dodged the attack, but Donald wasn't so lucky as Genie's punch sent him bouncing along the chamber's walls like a pinball. He crashed to the ground with his head stuck on the sand, dazed by the crazy cosmic stunt performance he was forced in.
Wendy and Goofy screamed, "Donald!"
Romeo sweated, "Uh-oh!"
Sherria sweated, "That's some razzle-dazzle!"
Aladdin protested, "Genie, stop!"
Genie yelled frantically, "Sorry, Al! I can't stop myself! Aaaahhhh! Watch out!" He held his arms out and spun around in place as quickly as he could. He transformed into a sky blue tornado, one so massive that it shook the lamp chamber in its entirety. Goofy ended up getting sucked in, feeling the force of a thousand punches tearing his body down the middle!
"YAAAAAAA-HOO-HOO-HOO-HOOEY!" was all they heard from Goofy before he was banished from the tornado. He crashed face-first into the magic barrier blocking the exit, before he slipped down to the sand unconscious.
Wendy cried out, "Goofy!"
Sherria tensed, "Never thought Jafar would stoop so low as to turn Genie against us. All thanks to that dumb wish!"
Carla pointed out, "He still has the lamp in his hands. As long as he possesses it, Genie will remain his slave."
Romeo remarked, "Man, that about a phenomenal cosmic being duped into being muscle for some ugly mug..."
Aladdin shook his head slowly in disbelief. "Genie..."
Jafar teleported next to Genie and let out an amused cackle at how disadvantaged Wendy and her friends were. "The Genie has more power than you'll ever have! With him in my side, your end will come easy! Genie..." He pointed a finger at them, "...don't hold back!"
Genie asked innocently, "Excuse me, could you, um... RUN!" His fist swung around and was about to collide with Wendy, Romeo, Carla, Sherria, and Aladdin. The five had no chance of dodging as they braced themselves. Just one punch, and they would experience a beating that would roll their heads over...
But the blow did not land. To everyone's surprise, Genie had been restrained! Elfman in Beast Soul: Sand Beast was holding the spirit of the lamp by the arms, while Lisanna in Animal Soul: Bunny was holding the chest. As extra leverage, a massive 'STONE' word was placed on top of Genie's head, more than enough to keep him to the ground. All thanks to Levy, who cooked up a Solid Script spell, no less!
Wendy exclaimed, "It's you guys! You're alright!"
Romeo cheered, "Just in time!"
Genie smiled, "Oh, thank you! You saved me by stopping me!"
Elfman grunted, "Sorry to keep you waiting, kids. Had to take some hot air after a nasty blizzard."
Lisanna wheezed, "We don't know how long we can hold him... We'll keep going as long as it takes... to buy you some time..."
Levy informed, "Jafar commands Genie through the lamp. If you take it from him, he'll stop attacking us."
Genie nodded, "You heard the lady. Genies can do anything, but when it comes to lamps, they're like a dog on a leash." He could feel his muscles vibrating with magical power by the minute. "Hurry! Get my lamp! I'm probably gonna fight back!"
Levy urged, "Go! While there's still time!"
Lisanna encouraged, "Get the lamp from Jafar!"
Elfman suggested, "Save some for a real man!"
Aladdin confirmed, "Got it!" He turned to Genie, "And don't worry, we'll rescue you!"
Genie agreed, "I know you will!"
Aladdin turned his attention to a flustered Jafar. "It's just us now. You're going to give us that lamp."
Jafar growled, "It makes little difference in the end, boy! I will not be defeated by the likes of you!"
Sherria countered, "Defeat THIS! Sky God's Bellow!"
Wendy chanted, "Sky Dragon's Roar!"
The two tornadoes mixed together to form a Unison Raid, an extremely powerful ability that allowed two wizards to harmonize their magic for an even stronger attack. The massive gust of black and white zipped towards Jafar and hit him dead on, sending him flying and crashing into the wall above a faraway platform. Angered at this setback, he morphed into a glowing ball of smoke and dashed for a separate corner of the lamp chamber.
"Let's get him!" Wendy encouraged, as she and her friends jumped off the platform to follow the royal vizier, who conjured up another hailstorm. The five heroes carefully made their way around the icy tempest before they cornered Jafar. From dodging a snake staff laser attack, Romeo utilized an 8-hit Purple Fire punching combination, followed by Sherria casting Sky God's Boreas, dealing him great damage. Jafar recovered and quickly sealed himself inside another anti-magic bubble. Wendy struck him with a 9-hit Keyblade combo, Carla delivered a series of kicks, and Aladdin swiped his scimitar twelve times.
"Away with you!" Jafar yelled, as he waved his free hand around his staff for another enchantment. A flicker of fire burst from the tip, and he gripped the handle with both hands, using it as a bludgeoning weapon. He swiped his burning staff at Carla and Sherria, scorching a few hints of their skins. "Getting warmed?" Wendy and Aladdin crossed their blades with Jafar's torch, resulting in a handicap clash between fire and metal that lasted for over a minute. At the end of the clash, Wendy extinguished the fire with Blizzard, then dealt a number of Keyblade strikes. Teleporting behind the Sky Dragon Slayer, Jafar hurled an electric beam at her, which she was able to counter with Sky Dragon's Claw. Romeo wrapped him in a Purple Net, then knocked him all over with a fast combo of Purple Fire Fists. "Can you make it here? Do it!" Jafar produced an energized shockwave from the edge of his snake staff, which Wendy, Romeo, Sherria, Carla, and Aladdin jumped over. He resorted to implement his spell-shuffling technique to bewilder the five, but they managed to overcome his tricks. When Jafar missed another laser attack...
"Sky Dragon's Wing Attack!" Wendy pummeled him to the ground with her wind-induced arms.
"Rainbow Fireball!" Romeo blasted him by throwing a multicolored fireball.
"Sky Dragon's Crushing Fang!" Wendy decimated the royal vizier with her wind-forged claw, paired with a couple of Keyblade swings. "Sonic Blade!" She added five supersonic thrusts, the last one blowing him off the platform.
"White Moon!" Carla added a flying missile drop kick that plummeted the villain back down to the platform where the Keyhole was uncovered.
Meanwhile, Genie was finally able to break free from Levy, Lisanna, and Elfman from gathering a significant amount of magic, though his release didn't come in the way anyone expected. Instead of coming to Jafar's aid, he multiplied himself into cheerleaders with the letter 'W & A' on their sweaters, rooting for Wendy and Aladdin. "Rick-em, rack-em, rock-em, rest! Stick your swords right through the chest!"
A moderately injured Jafar slowly managed to haul himself to his feet and turned to Genie with a scowl. His voice was shaken, but still dripped with poison. "You stay out of this, slave!"
Genie began to wave a little pennant with the letter 'J' on it with a bored expression. "Jafar, Jafar, he's our man. If he can't do it—" He suddenly yelled, "GREAT!"
Wendy, Romeo, Carla, Sherria, and Aladdin confronted the royal vizier standing in the main platform. He was clearly exhausted from all the damage he sustained, and probably too frustrated to call on Genie for help, preferring to rid himself of his enemies according to his own standards. Regardless, the five knew this was their chance to put Agrabah's soon-to-be former ruler out of commission. Wendy called out, "This is it, Jafar! It's over!"
Jafar was looking absolutely behind himself in spite of the wretched state he was in. He seethed, "Insolent little brats... I won't go down like this!" The eyes of his snake staff began glowing a blistering orange, which made everyone increasingly uncomfortable. "NOW YOU DIE!" Beams of lightning flew from the tip and struck the ground in every direction, plunging the lamp chamber into complete chaos. Wendy and her friends focused on their speed and agility to dodge all the bolts. Luckily for Donald and Goofy, not a single bolt hit them in their current condition.
Aladdin scoffed, "So much for the greatest sorcerer in the world. You can't even hit a lowly street rat!"
Jafar roared, "HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO KILL YOU?!" He unleashed another lightning spell, but this time, a thousand bolts flew out everywhere rather than just a hundred, thanks in no small part to Aladdin getting on his nerves. Wendy and her friends weren't going to put up with it though, as they streaked across the stone floor and made their way to the crazed sorcerer. Even with the multitude of bolts, hailstorms, and laser attacks tailing for them, they still charged ahead, taking the risk of getting hit to finally reach the platform. When Romeo, Sherria, and Carla got pushed away by a series of bolts, Wendy and Aladdin were the only ones to successfully reach Jafar. He flew up and released a barrage of fireballs- Aladdin was blown back, but Wendy jumped up and came in with rapid Keyblade strikes, which the royal vizier effortlessly deflected with his staff. The aerial clash ended when Jafar struck the Sky Dragon Slayer with an electric beam and swatted her back to the platform. "It's time for you to face your punishment, children!" Soon, the snake staff's eyes charged with amounts of energy so immense that a larger orb of white magic was generated from the tip. The ground was rumbling as a result of the sudden surge, as did Jafar's rage. "SAY GOODNIGHT!" An enormous beam of magical particles was released, bee-lining towards Wendy and Aladdin. The Sky Maiden reacted to it first, standing in front of Jafar's ultimate attack, much to the young thief's dismay.
"Wendy!" Aladdin cried.
"Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Shattering Light: Sky Drill!" Wendy took a wide stance and rotated her arms, summoning gusts of wind around her to form a great barrier shaped like a drill. She leapt into Jafar's beam attack with the barrier protecting her, piercing through the stream of particles as she zoomed forward. Finally, the Sky Drill made contact with the source of silver light encased around the snake staff, dispersing it in a powerful burst! BOOOOOOOM! Jafar's weapon shattered into a million pieces, unable to hold up after undergoing the Sky Dragon Slayer's sheer counterforce.
"WHAT?!" Jafar exclaimed.
"You're finished!" Wendy appeared behind Jafar and assaulted him with a midair 15-hit Keyblade combination, ending with a slice through his body before landing safely on the ground.
And just like that, the defeated vizier pulsed with energy, lightning crackling around him as he screamed in anguish. BOOM! In one enormous pop of sparks, Jafar was left a smoked and tattered mess, still hovering in the air. His expression was that of sullen rage, so full of disbelief over the fact that he had been outsmarted by a bunch of kids.
"You did it!" Sherria cheered, and she ran over to pull Wendy into a warm and fuzzy embrace. As Romeo, Carla, Sherria, Aladdin, Elfman, Lisanna, and Levy gathered around the two for a celebration, Sherria ruffled Wendy's hair, making her giggle. "Even with all the tricks Jafar pulled off, it went out with a bang. Literally. Thanks for the fireworks!"
"When you delivered the final blow, his magic overloaded. Unexpected, but effective," Carla theorized. "I suppose he's not the most powerful sorcerer after all."
"Snake Head just got grilled," Romeo smiled. "You saved the day again, Wendy."
"Thanks, Romeo," Wendy smiled back. "You know, I've seen guys with staffs who are way creepier than Jafar. Well, one anyway." Of course, the royal vizier did remind her of Brain, the leader of the Oración Seis who abducted and coerced her into reviving Jellal Fernandez as the key to unlocking Nirvana. She could never forget the traumatic experience, but it didn't compare to the crushing tragedy of losing Cait Shelter the day after Nirvana was destroyed.
Donald and Goofy came to their senses after getting a taste of Genie's whimsical omnipotent powers, and walked up to the group. On the other hand, Genie was relieved that Jafar was given a taste of his own medicine, but with the lamp still in his possession, that victory may be short lived. So far, no action was taken.
"Hey, did we miss anythin'?" Goofy wondered. "Did we win?"
"Uh-huh," Wendy nodded happily. "We got him."
"My head hurts..." Donald rubbed his forehead. "All I remember is getting turned me into a pinball."
"Yeah, we had to pick up where you left off," Sherria explained. "Wendy finished the job for us. See?" She pointed upward to Jafar, who was still sour for his loss.
"Well, that's good to hear," Donald confirmed. "But you should've saved some for—" He paused when something in the air caught his eye. "Huh?!" To his surprise, he saw a blue Magic Orb and a piece of paper floating down from the ceiling. Grabbing both items, he called to his friends, "Guys, check these out!"
"What is it, Donald?" Wendy asked, as she and the others turned to see what the duck found. Her eyes widened upon recognizing the color of the Magic Orb in his left hand. "That's...!"
"A Blizzard Magic Orb, like the one we saw at Wonderland," Donald answered. "We can upgrade Blizzard to Blizzara!"
"Blizzara?" Wendy questioned. "An upgrade?"
"Here, let me explain," Donald began. "When you touch a Magic Orb that matches the element of the spell you learned, it increases the power of that spell. The more Magic Orbs you collect, the stronger your magic grows."
"Really?" Wendy beamed. "I can make my Keyblade Magic grow even stronger?"
"That's right," Donald smiled. "Feel free to try out your upgraded spell the next time you're in a battle. Go ahead, touch it!"
"Okay!" Wendy nodded. As she gently tapped the tip of the Blue Mistral against the Magic Orb, it popped into a shower of light that assimilated with the key-shaped weapon and Donald's staff. Both wizards could feel the changes through the silent resonance of frost veiling the warmth of their equipment. Wendy thought out loud, "Guess we should keep an eye out for more Magic Orbs. The more we collect, the stronger my Keyblade Magic and Donald's magic grows."
"What about the other thing in your hand?" Sherria was referring to the sheet of paper Donald was holding.
"Oh, this?" Donald began to read its contents, starting with the title written below the first paragraph. "Ansem's Report #1... Wait, Ansem?"
"That must be one of the pages of his report," Carla indicated. "What a coincidence, finding it here!"
Before anyone could respond, Wendy and company heard a coughing noise from Jafar and looked up to face him. Donald immediately handed it to Carla, who pocketed it for later use. The royal vizier was hacking smoke, looking over the charred flakes falling from his once regal clothes. "I-I can't believe this... Me, defeated by a pack of filthy street rats...?"
Sherria taunted, "Give it up, Jar-Fart. You can't beat us, so there." She blew him a raspberry.
Romeo stated, "Heroes never lose. Even street rats."
Aladdin agreed, "You got that right."
Jafar snarled, "This is far from over... You'll never have Jasmine and the Keyhole, and I still have the lamp!" He took out the magic lamp, sending a fierce glower in the group's direction. "Without the Genie, you are powerless against me." Wendy and her companions gasped, realizing that the royal vizier kept his iron grip over the spirit of the lamp, and prepared for the worst.
Romeo thought to himself, "He's right... Jafar used his second wish to turn Genie against us. After all, he's a super-powerful cosmic do-it-all. Wait... the Genie..." He glanced over at Genie, who was peeking out behind Jafar, then up to the lamp in the villain's possession. That's when he got an idea— the craziest idea of all. "The Genie!" There was silence between both sides for a few seconds, until Romeo eyed Jafar with a cocky smirk. "You know, for a sorcerer, you're a total idiot."
Jafar snapped, "How dare you speak of me that way! I'm more powerful than any of you combined!"
Romeo shot back, "Oh, come on! You're not all that great! You said it yourself— Genie has more power than you'll ever have!"
Jafar demanded, "Excuse me?!"
Romeo continued, "He can do anything and everything. He can even take away all the power you have!"
Genie looked at Jafar and then at Romeo, twiddling his thumbs nervously. "Uh, kid? What are you doing? Why are you bringing me into this?"
Wendy whispered to Aladdin, "What's he up to? I think he knows something."
Aladdin whispered back, "Yeah. Something tells me he has an idea."
"Face it, Jafar!" Romeo concluded his rant. "You're still just second best!"
Jafar's right eye twitched, his chest rising and falling with the growing shock that Romeo's words filled him with. For a moment, he seemed to contemplate them. "Hmm..." His face softened, and when he stared at the lamp, it was with intrigue. "You're right," he muttered. "His power does exceed my own!" Then a wicked smile crossed his face, as he glanced at Genie out the corner of his eyes. "But not for long..."
A shuddering Genie saw Jafar floating towards him. "That kid's crazy!" he laughed nervously. "He doesn't know what he's saying! Between you and me, I think you've might've hit his head a little bit with that stick of yours..."
"Genie!" Jafar commanded, holding up the lamp. "My final wish! I want you to make me an all-powerful genie!"
Romeo, Wendy, and Aladdin watched in concern, silently hoping for a outcome that would work in everyone's favor. Everyone else looked either anxious or horrified.
"Alright," Genie said reluctantly. "You wish is my command." He then turned to Romeo, somewhat disappointed. "Way to go, kid." He covered his eyes and looked away, pointing his index finger at Jafar. A small blast of wish energy shot out of Genie's finger and struck the lamp bearer's body.
Strings of demonic energy engulfed Jafar as he underwent the first stage of his transformation. During the process, it seemed as though he was in pain, an intense discomfort swelling in his chest. But he didn't bother clutching it; both arms were raised up in a glorious manner, as he if was feeling proud of the absolute power he received. The tremendous outpouring of magic cracked open the stone floor like an egg. Transfixed upon the weight of metamorphosis, the glowing body slowly made its descent into the hidden depths and disappeared.
"Romeo!" Carla screamed at him once the rumbling ceased. "Do you have any idea what you've just done?!"
"You turned Jafar into a genie!" Donald exclaimed in horror. "Are you outta your mind?!"
"Trust me! I have an idea!" Romeo eased their worries. "And it will work!"
"Oh..." Wendy's eyes grew wide as she understood what the Rainbow Fire wizard had planned. "Now I get it!"
"Wendy?" Donald gasped. "Don't tell me you agree with him, too!"
"Genies are prisoners to their lamps, right?" Wendy asked. "I think Romeo tricked Jafar into become a genie..."
"...so we could trap him inside his own lamp!" Aladdin exclaimed. "That's a risky move! And clever at the same time!"
"Wait!" Genie interrupted. "You kids aren't seriously going down there to face him, are you?"
"Why shouldn't we?" Romeo determined. "No matter the odds, we face them head on. That's the Fairy Tail way."
"I'm going, too," Wendy agreed. "We made it this far together, and we'll see it through to the end."
"Count me in as well," Sherria beamed. "If Romeo's idea works, we could turn things around."
"So we're fighting an all-powerful genie..." Aladdin grinned. "Sounds like a challenge."
"Well, okay. I won't stop you," Genie shrugged. "I just hope you know what you're doing!"
Wendy and her companions stared down into the frightening, gaping maw, where a large pool of lava surrounding stone platforms selected lay in wait. "Well, this is it. Are you ready?" Aladdin asked.
"More than ready! Let's do this!" Wendy cried bravely. A yell of excitement came over the group as they all jumped down into the cavern, a rush of wind flowing through them amidst their drop. Wendy could feel the heat crawling into her skin, a stagnant hotness threatening to melt her being. Despite the impending danger, she stared into the face of the inferno without a trace of fear. The lava pit was halfway close to approaching when...
WHOOSH!
In the midst of her descent, a mysterious entity appeared in front of her, emerging from a flurry of dark petals.
"Sorry, but this is as far as you go!"
Before Wendy could act, the entity poked its fingers at her chest. The force was so intense that she was pushed all the way back up to the lamp chamber, her friends oblivious of the predicament she was thrown into. However, Carla was the only one who took notice, and decided to follow her Sky Dragon Slayer companion out of concern. With a startled scream, Wendy flew out of the maw and landed on her butt against the sand. "Wendy!" It didn't take long before Carla flew over to her side. "Are you alright? I saw you get pushed back here. What happened?"
Wendy turned to the white Exceed as she stood back up. She answered, "I don't know. I was following the others all the way down, until I saw someone. I—"
She never finished her sentence. The two were interrupted by a blinding flash of darkness that burst from the maw, followed by a wave of energy that threw everything close to it back. Wendy and Carla, intimidated by the surge and deafened by the resulting loud roar, could see the darkness shape-shift into the interloper who interrupted the Sky Maiden's descent. Its body was shrouded in a violet aura, leaving petals in its wake. Its eyes shifted to Wendy, taking in the shocked looks on hers and Carla's faces, before narrowing with determination. Both the entity's arms raised two sharp chained blades which shot forth from their hilts, and they rotated the edges in a cyclone that encompassed the maw. The spinning steel glowed with powder blue light, and it grew into a vast storm of ice. Seconds later, the maw was frozen solid and patched up, blocking the only path to the lava pit in a sturdy new casing.
Carla gasped, "No! The others...!"
As the assailant landed on the ground, it addressed the bewildered Wendy in a silky voice, "How sweet of you to play pin the sword through the snake with Jafar. But the real party games have just begun! What do you say we play my favorite little game..." Once the blades retracted, the entity put them away and removed a portion of the veil from its face, allowing the rest to shrivel up from the body and cast itself aside. At that exact moment, the assailant's identity was revealed to Wendy— she recognized the face, the dark pink short hair, the white-sleeved red top, the purple skirt, and the teal eye color. "...musical chairs with Keyblade and Soul Eaters!"
Wendy's eyes were wide open and her jaw was quivering. She finally responded in a blend of anger and fright. "YOU!"
Carla narrowed her eyes on the perpetrator. "I should've known."
Kaze Viriniam put both hands around her hips, looking over with a sly grin. "I'm surprised you remember me. It's been a while, Blueberry."
Core
When Romeo, Donald, Goofy, Sherria, Elfman, Lisanna, Levy, and Aladdin landed on the central stone platform, they could see the river of molten lava encircling it. The square was divided into three rectangular sections, each with pillars constantly moving up and down. The red-hot water poured out of small openings in the surrounding walls, filling nearly the entire area. The air was dense with sweltering heat similar to that of the hottest day of the summer, making it difficult for the group to stop themselves from sweating or even breathe. But they had no objection whatsoever of getting into the frying pan when Jafar sunk under the fire. They searched around for the man who used his final wish to become an all-powerful genie, in spite of feeling hot under the collar.
"Ugh, why is it so hot...?" Sherria moaned. "Feels like I'm gonna melt like a popsicle."
"I knew this was a bad idea," Donald complained. "It's a million degrees in here."
"Take it easy, Donald," Lisanna encouraged. "It's not like we're going to stay here for long."
"I've seen hotter days," Aladdin stated. "Abu and I spent most of our time out in the sun, and didn't even break a sweat."
"Not me," Levy admitted. "I had to cool myself with my Solid Script Magic."
"I can't take it anymore," Donald whined. "Can we please go back up?"
"And miss our chance to finish business with Jafar? No way!" Elfman flexed his muscles. "Besides, you're not a man if you don't sweat a lot!"
"Aw, phooey..." Donald said hopelessly. "You're not helping."
"Hey, where's—" Romeo began.
Before the Rainbow Fire wizard could ask of Wendy's whereabouts, he and the others heard a deep and loud noise that sounded like a raging tidal wave. From the lava behind them rose Jafar in his new genie form, emerging from the fiery depths in a massive burst, his hideous laugh making the entire cavern shake. In his transformed state, Jafar was a thousand times larger in size. His skin was blood red, his ears became pointed, his right ear gained a gold piercing, his hair was tied in a topknot, and his eyes glowed completely yellow. A red-violet sash was worn between his waist and ghostly tail, and his fingers gained short black claws. Jafar loomed over them all, brimming with power and malice.
Goofy gulped, "Uh-oh..."
Donald shivered, "We're doomed."
Levy worried, "Now what?"
Just then, Iago swooped by the group, holding a coal black lamp similar in design to Genie's in his talons. Aladdin turned to look at the parrot, his eyes wide. He shouted, "The lamp! Get Jafar's lamp!"
Sherria confirmed, "Right! We've got a genie in a bottle to catch!"
Lisanna stated, "It'll take more than heat or a really scary genie to stop us!"
Elfman yelled, "Let's get this over with!"
Though Romeo was inclined to help the group, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was still off. Wendy could have been in the lava pit along with the others, taking the lead in chasing Jafar's lamp, but she was nowhere to be seen. Whatever jam she got herself into, he hoped she would make it out safely and get there in time to even the odds.
As the heroes made a dash for Iago, Jafar was fully aware of their intentions. He knew that he was bound by a genie's rules the moment he transformed, and had to take measures in preserving his out-of-lamp experience. At the same time, he was thrilled with his newfound powers, but giving his enemies a taste would be all the more satisfying. Before he got started, Jafar called out to his red parrot underling, "Iago! Keep the lamp away from them!"
Iago called back in irritation, "Yeah, yeah, I hear ya! Jeez, why do I always have to do all the heavy-lifting around here? Nag, nag! It's all he ever does!" Making a mental note to voice his complaint over carrying out such a trivial task, he flapped away from those in pursuit of the prize clutched in his feet, all the while sweating from near-death experience in the midst of the sizzling heat. "Ugh! Is it hot in here, or is it just me?"
The second round in the final battle with Jafar was well underway, never knowing that a separate duel was taking place above the heart of fire.
Lamp Chamber
Wendy and Carla spent a few seconds scanning the face of Sleepy Hollow's guild master, the same girl they encountered at the boat before they reached Tenrou Island. They expected her to show up at some point, considering that she had been with Jafar during his excavation of the Keyhole. Given Wendy's status as the guest of honor, Kaze orchestrated the combat arena as a means to test the Sky Dragon Slayer's powers. Right after Jafar escaped into the lava pit, she lured Wendy back to the lamp chamber so she could face her personally. She issued an order to all Sleepy Hollow wizards present in Agrabah to pull back, including the Headless Horseman Silver, leaving the dark pink-haired girl to have fun for herself.
Kaze approached her intended target, cheerfully waving her hand. "Hiya, Wendy! How's your trip across the nebula? It's a miracle that you survived after getting swallowed up by the infinite mass, let alone not losing your heart. The next thing I know, you vouched your exit ticket and made your stop at a not-so-distant world. You needed a breather from that game of tag we had some time ago, until you're strong enough to start your own gig. With all the fine abilities you developed with your Keyblade, and that band of Earth-land survivors at your beck and call... Isn't it great being on tour with an entourage?"
Wendy tried her best to keep calm, but the anxiety squirming inside gave her a shaken tone. "Kaze, you... You were expecting me?"
Kaze smiled, "Why wouldn't I? The main star usually shows up fashionably late, but since you arrived early, we'll have to skip a few items on the list. I'm flipping the switch on the entertainment section. I know you wanted to play with me, and so do I!" Wendy stiffened at that remark. "I'm so glad I get to have another game with you!"
Carla scowled, "Well, that explains everything. You planned it all from the very beginning, just so you can go at another round with Wendy."
Kaze laughed, "Nailed it! I knew Jafar wouldn't stand a chance because he couldn't get his ego straight. He's so obsessed with pulverizing the lot of you, that he had to rely on his last wish. So I bid my time..." She paused for effect, "While your friends keep that red-and-black buffoon busy, I'll have to give my full attention to Blueberry. Brilliant, huh?" She turned her attention to Wendy, "You defeated the King Cobra Heartless and held off Silver's Birds of Prey. I gotta say, you've improved a lot since we last fought. Color me surprised. Silver showed me the test result of that desert slapfest before he left for headquarters. And here you are, ready to take the final exam. Until you had to fall down the hole. I had to drag you out of it before I patched it up. I can't let you miss it. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity."
Wendy's heart skipped a beat. "You've been keeping an eye on me since I came to this world, haven't you?"
Kaze sighed happily, "Old habits never die hard, huh? The moment I laid eyes on you, I can't help but feel attached to you. I wanted to know more about you. That's why I set up the stage outside and inside. More than anything, I wanted to see how strong you've grown."
Wendy attempted to mask her fear, and boldly asked, "Why are you so obsessed with me? And what do you want from me? Tell me!"
The cheerful façade faded, and Kaze narrowed her eyes at the Sky Maiden, almost as if she seemed puzzled. "Why? To be honest, I'm not so sure. I don't know what got me into thinking about a blueberry with a key, but my heart tells me that you remind me of something. It's like a missing piece of the puzzle, a knick-knack dropped from the shelf." She rubbed the back of her forehead, "That intoxicating feeling... What does it mean? Is this a strange coincidence, or is there something I'm missing? Whether it's a missing memory or plain curiosity not just for the way you look, I can't put my finger on it." Soon, the merriment returned in full force, "Not that it matters, anyway. I just wanna have some fun. You and me."
Wendy tried to come up with a possible solution to Kaze's dilemma. "Wait, did you say I remind you of something? Is that why you're after me? Is it because you're—" Suddenly, her mind slipped back to the girl in her dreams. No matter how hard she tried to push the thought away, it just flew back, the defenses getting weaker with each attempt. Even now, her brain was obscured by the vision of that girl staring cheerfully back at her, playing in the forest, and her heart began to melt... Wendy gasped, unable to stop herself from trembling as the answer struck her. "No! It can't be!"
Kaze teased, "Hey, is there something troubling you, Blueberry? Upset that you can't join your friends down below? Well, that's too bad. I want to disturb you. It may not seem like it, but it's my job. I wanna get you all riled up. But if you feel like you want to speak your mind, go ahead." She took hold of her knees and bent herself down, "I won't bite. Not yet."
Seeing that the few pieces of the secrets revealed in her dreams were coming together, Wendy took a few seconds to compose herself. Finally, she answered, "Kaze, are you..." She finished after a pause, "...the girl in my dreams?"
Kaze raised an eyebrow, "What are you talking about? Were you having nightmares? Let me guess, you're a blueberry and I picked you from the bush?" She laughed at her joke.
Wendy shook her head, "No, that's not what I meant. The dreams I had, they're pieces of lost memories coming back to me. They had something to do about a girl. A girl I was very close with. Could it be you? Are you the one in my past?"
Carla ascertained that Wendy was on to something. "Is she relating Kaze to the dreams she was having?"
Kaze stopped laughing, "Me? I'm from your past? I think you had me confused with someone else. I've never seen you before in my life. We just met at a boat."
Wendy continued, "There's more! The girl called me a blueberry! Just as you did!"
Kaze scoffed, "So what if someone else called you a blueberry? It looks good on you. It's the color of your hair."
Wendy stated, "We both lost our parents when we were young. She's like a sister to me. She's brave, playful, and mischievous... much like you. That girl said that I was the freshest blueberry with a big smile. We were adopted by the same parent."
Kaze was starting to get annoyed at being compared to the mystery girl. "Okay, that seemed to have gone off the deep end, don't you think?"
Wendy pointed out, "Most of all, when I hear her speak, she has a voice." She paused to let this sink in, "Your voice! Could it be you?"
Kaze's vexation boiled into anger. "Don't give me that crap! I don't know you! And even if she has my voice and attitude, what makes you think I'm anything like her?"
Wendy's eyes darted to the floor as she tried to respond. "I... don't know. It's just a feeling I've got."
Kaze rolled her eyes, growing impatient of the game not about to commence. "Enough with the juxtapositions already. Are we gonna get this thing rolling or what?" Just then, something clicked in her mind. It was aching fit to burst... "AAAGGH!" She was forced to clutch her aching forehead, as though an invisible blade poked her brain. There was mere silence in the lamp chamber, with the only possible sound being Kaze's agonized cries. It took some time, but the screams slowly quieted, only to be replaced at the last moment with calm breaths. The pain subsided, though she was still overwhelmed.
"Kaze!" Wendy gasped, almost compelled to come to Kaze's aid. "Are you okay?!"
"Ack! I-It's nothing," Kaze said shakily, willing herself not to hold her forehead again, the pain half-blinding her. "Just a rush in my head. I'll be fine, don't worry."
"Rush in your head?" Wendy's eyes widened in surprise. "Does that mean—"
"Aww, man! Look at what you did!" Kaze pouted, her stability regained. "Just when I was about to give you a head start... Oh, well. If you can't go first, then I will!" She leapt high in the air and performed a downward double slash at Wendy, who quickly dodged it. The Soul Eaters made contact with the ground, smashing it upon impact. The Sky Maiden landed a few feet away from the small crack and assumed a fighting stance. Flexing her arms in random motion, Kaze hurled the Soul Eaters' chained edges in multiple directions, prompting Wendy to elude them with jumps and cartwheels. "Cold Cross!" Kaze added more pressure to the struggle by summoning an array of cross-shaped sonic slashes while Shadow Stepping across the chamber. The clash ended when Wendy was pushed back by a Cold Cross touching the floor in an explosion. She managed to stabilize herself and got ready to face the guild master of Sleepy Hollow, whose face was a mask of pure adrenaline. "I would honestly like to know more about that 'dream girl' of yours, Blueberry, but at this point, we're behind schedule. I don't want to be kept waiting."
"I don't wanna fight you, Kaze," Wendy pleaded. "Please... Let's talk about this."
"Sorry, but I've got a reputation to uphold," Kaze smirked. "Business doesn't talk big. At least I can manhandle you for fun! I always knew someone would stand up to me, someone who would be the coolest rival. I never thought that someone would be you. It gives me great joy that you're the perfect definition!"
"No! There's no reason for us to fight! Why don't you understand?!" Wendy was growing desperate. "There has to be more than what we know between the two of us! We can't waste our time fighting each other... We'll both have serious problems if we start now!"
"Everything is meant to be..." Kaze admitted. "You can't fight fate. I'm sure you know that, too. Just as you're destined to wield the Keyblade, we were destined to square off. Besides, this is part of your mission, isn't it? To stop the Alliance of Evil from taking over, myself included? You might think I'm way over my head, but you know this is meant to happen!" She stanced with both Soul Eaters, "Now, why don't we let our swords do the talking? I don't wanna waste you when the clock's tickin'."
"Kaze..." Wendy whispered. Realizing that no amount of words could persuade the dark pink-haired girl, she was left with only one choice. She made her decision with a reluctant sigh. "I understand. I accept your challenge. This is what you truly want, isn't it?" A nod answered her, and she reaffirmed her courage. "I will fight! I won't run away!"
"NOW you're getting into it!" Kaze laughed again. "That's the Blueberry I wanted to see! Always pumped up for a tango with yours truly. You know you wanna..." Wendy stiffened at this. "But first, I have to make sure that our little game goes uninterrupted. In other words, a pussy cat sticking her whiskers where they don't belong." The Sky Dragon Slayer gasped as she saw Kaze turning her attention to Carla. "Hey, hot stuff! I think you need to chill out!" She threw one of her Soul Eaters at the white Exceed and wrapped the chain around her body. Carla let out a scream as ice emitted from the chain and turned her into a frozen statue, before Kaze retracted the blade.
"Carla!" Wendy screamed in shock.
"Chillax, Blueberry. She's not gonna die," Kaze assured. "She'll thaw out when the game is over. You have my word as a lady. And don't think for a second that I'm going to let you reach the Keyhole, either." She gestured to the heart of the world behind her, "To get there, you'll have to get past me."
"Why do you have to stoop so low?" Wendy asked angrily. "Do you have any idea...?!"
"Who cares?" Kaze chuckled. "I just wanna have some quality time with you." The Soul Eaters' edges began to glow. "C'mon, Blueberry! Let's enjoy ourselves! Like always!" She and Wendy immediately charged at each other, the collision of blades emitting a powerful wave that shook the lamp chamber.
The second battle between Wendy and Kaze had begun! The two struck at each other with a flurry of vicious strikes, the Blue Mistral struggling to overcome the Soul Eaters in a two-on-one handicap clash. Whenever a blade almost reached a vulnerable spot, Wendy and Kaze would either jump over or roll away to strike back at a different position. The ensuing contest of metal lasted for two minutes, until Kaze decided to add more thrill to the challenge with a new strategy. She performed a consecutive amount of Shadow Steps, paired with a random assortment of Soul Eater: Blade Mode techniques, in which Wendy managed to survive using a quick blend of Keyblade attacks and Sky Dragon Slayer spells. Both received damage throughout the second clash, but they did not stop landing blows on each other. The third clash began when Kaze activated Revolver Mode for long-ranged attacks. Wendy cast Aero on herself as a defensive barrier against the crimson bullets. The wind instantly bounced them back, prompting the Sleepy Hollow guild master to unleash a Fire Serpent on the Sky Dragon Slayer.
"Blizzara!" Wendy cast her upgraded Blizzard spell, shooting an ice crystal significantly larger in size than the first version, turning the Fire Serpent into a cloud of steam.
"Meteor Bullets!" Kaze fired a barrage of supercharged crimson bullets, which Wendy got out of the way of.
"Sky Dragon's Crushing Fang!" Wendy approached Kaze and scratched her chest six times with her wind-induced claw, before hitting her with a 6-hit Keyblade combo.
"Hell Swirl!" Kaze spun her Soul Eater Revolvers around in a ring of fire, blowing Wendy away. "Shadow Step!" She teleported behind her as her weapons charged with crimson energy. "Meteor Bullets!" She shot five orbs at the ground, unleashing massive pillars of fire attempting to consume Wendy, who quickly cartwheeled from the inferno.
"Sky Dragon's Claw!" Wendy discharged a torrent of wind from the soles of her feet, causing her body to blast forward like a rocket, before she slammed Kaze with her legs. "Sky Dragon's Wing Attack!" She then hammered her wind-powered arms, sending her rival crashing to the ground, and was about to deliver more damage when Kaze did a Shadow Step recovery.
"Deadly Fireworks!" Kaze fired a volley of energized bullets, which Wendy deflected with pinpoint accuracy. "Fire Serpent!" She Shadow Stepped above Wendy and hurled a serpent-shaped beam at her rival, engulfing her in a river of flame.
"Sky Dragon's Wing Attack!" Wendy popped from the flames and flexed her wind-fueled arms to strike Kaze airborne. "Stun Impact!" Once the Sleepy Hollow guild master was on the ground, she paralyzed her with a sphere of electrical energy, then executed a 6-hit combo. "Blizzara!" She shot a huge ice crystal to the chest, pushing Kaze a few feet away.
"Soul Eaters: Lance Mode! Storm Ring!" Combining her signature weapons into a lance, Kaze struck Wendy with four leaping spiral attacks paired with three Shadow Steps. "Dark Spark!" She discharged five jolts, and though the Sky Maiden dodged three, the last two hit her- one from behind and another after a Shadow Step. "Dark Thundaga!" Kaze rained thunder bolts from the ceiling, which Wendy barely managed to avoid. "Eclipse Bolt!" She intensified the lightning in her Soul Eater Lance before releasing a huge particle beam from the tip, prompting the Keyblade master to counter with Sonic Blade. When the Blue Mistral pierced through the beam and ran into the spear, a shockwave was created while a maelstrom of lightning erupted and engulfed them both.
The gray haze cleared to reveal Kaze gaining a few minor marks on her face and chest; other than that, she was relatively unharmed. Wendy bore the same injuries, but only for a short while when she used Cure to heal herself. Reverting her Soul Eaters back to Blade Mode, Kaze began throwing a series of Zero Waves, swinging her weapons like whips. With a few swipes of the Blue Mistral, Wendy easily parried the crescent-shaped waves. "Sky Dragon's Claw!" She kicked Kaze in the air with her wind-fueled legs, then jumped to perform an aerial 6-hit Keyblade combination. "Sky Dragon's Roar!"
Kaze swiftly outmaneuvered Wendy's tornado breath and Shadow Stepped around her. "Astral Wheel!" She performed an aerial spinning energy slash that blasted her opponent to the floor. "Spinning Frost!" She followed with a ground spin attack, only for the Sky Dragon Slayer to jump over it. The two engaged in another fierce clash, each swipe expertly blocked or countered for a couple of minutes. "Frozen Silk!" Later, Kaze transformed her Soul Eaters into a silver thin beam that molded itself into a cage trapping Wendy inside, bombarding her with thread orbs. Next, the Sleepy Hollow guild master kicked her rival in the torso, making her slide back a few meters. "Thunder Dancer!" Kaze quickly changed her Soul Eaters to Lance Mode and discharged a massive electrical field. Wendy watched for where the electrical rays were hitting by cartwheeling or using Gravity to deflect them. "Eclipse Bolt!" A moment later, a second particle beam was shot from the Soul Eater Lance. Wendy dodged to the left just in time before the energy blast fried the spot where she had been standing.
Wendy went on the offense as she charged directly at Kaze, engaging her in another clash, this time between Keyblade and Soul Eater Lance. A minute and a half later, the Sleepy Hollow wizard plugged her rival with a string of Dark Sparks and Dark Thundaga, which the latter dodged with ease. She then propelled herself forward with a Storm Ring following three Shadow Steps. "Sonic Blade!" Wendy ducked the attack and slashed her opponent at supersonic speed. "Sky Dragon's Wing Attack! Sky Dragon's Crushing Fang!" She swung her dragon wing-shaped arms, left a few scrapes with her wind-shaped claw, and added an 8-hit Keyblade combo. "Sky Dragon's Roar!" She released a powerful blast of wind from her mouth.
"Refleza!" Wendy's attack was immediately dissolved by Kaze's invincible barrier technique. Kaze held out her Soul Eater Lance and fired another Eclipse Bolt, but Wendy swiftly jumped over the blast and landed in front of her.
"Sky Dragon's Claw!" Wendy flexed her wind-induced legs against Kaze, who blocked the attack with her lance. Another Keyblade versus lance duel ensued, Shadow Steps added as extra difficulty. Wendy dodged many Dark Sparks, Dark Thundaga Bolts and Storm Rings, until she counterattacked by delivering a forceful 9-hit Keyblade slash. Kaze Shadow Stepped a few meters, her feet scraping a trail in the dirt. She returned her gaze to Wendy, before releasing a volley of Dark Sparks. "Thunder!" The jolts were instantly cancelled out in a puff of smoke, obscuring Kaze's line of sight. "Sonic Blade!" Wendy aimed for her distracted rival with a supersonic thrust, slashing her in multiple areas. Kaze Shadow Stepped up in the air before the final strike could reach her. Her Soul Eaters switched to Blade Mode, and she hit Wendy with a Cold Cross. She hurled a Soul Eater around the steel of the Keyblade, before flinging the weapon off Wendy's hand, disarming her. "My Keyblade!"
Kaze taunted, "Whoops! There goes your key! Whatcha gonna do about it?"
Unfazed by her rival's tricks, Wendy clenched a fist empowered by Sky Dragon Slayer Magic and socked her hard in the face; just as she was skilled with the Keyblade, she also had a knack for hand-to-hand combat. She dished out a string of punches and kicks, then ended with a Sky Dragon's Roar, knocking Kaze a few feet backwards. She magically retracted the Blue Mistral back to her hand, giving the Sleepy Hollow guild master a defiant glare. "Whatever it takes to shut you up."
Kaze held her cheek in pain, showing amusement for the Sky Maiden's effort. "Try me..."
With that said, she and Wendy surged towards one another while giving out vigorous shouts, their weapons at the ready. They engaged in another clash considerably more ferocious and intense than the others, as they authorized full usage of their basic and advanced techniques to hold each other off. As Kaze switched between the Soul Eaters' weapon styles for various elemental attacks, Wendy analyzed their patterns and figured out which strategy was best. Most attempts were successful, but Kaze had a few tactics of her own, easily outsmarting Wendy in any regard. She would Shadow Step between casting spells to confuse the Sky Maiden a couple of times before landing a direct hit. Regardless, Wendy's resolve urged her not to stop, to keep on fighting. The result showed that the two girls had taken amounts of damage, despite the fact they were evenly matched. Five minutes flew by, and the lamp chamber was boiling with a mixture of fire, ice, and lightning. In the clash's final moments, Wendy kicked Kaze in the air with Sky Dragon's Claw, cast Arms x Vernier to upgrade herself in strength and flight, and executed an aerial 12-hit Keyblade combination. Kaze Shadow Stepped for a quick recovery and retaliated with Thunder Dancer. She then Shadow Stepped to the ground and zapped Wendy with a Eclipse Jolt, changed back to Revolver Mode, and fired an array of Meteor Bullets. Wendy and her Keyblade were sent bouncing along the ground. The Blue Mistral landed with its teeth stuck on the sand, and its bearer perched atop the hilt. Wendy winced in pain as she coughed out a bit of smoke; it would appear she wasn't the only one who had improved. Kaze came out of the floating dust and released a gigantic Cold Cross, which Wendy diverted with a Sky Dragon's Roar.
"Impressive..." Kaze remarked. "But let's see how you can handle THIS!" She leapt high in the air, her Soul Eater Blades charging with tremendous amounts of energy. "Helm Split!" She plunged the blades into the ground, releasing massive columns of icy flame that spread across the lamp chamber. Wendy wasted no time dodging the erupting pillars for merely twenty seconds. "Subzero Blast!" Kaze hurled the Soul Eater's edges together to fire an energy blast powerful enough to effectively freeze the surrounding area. The Sky Maiden had no time to react before her lower body was encased in a chunk of ice. "Wild Arcanum!" Kaze Shadow Stepped before Wendy and assaulted her with up to thirteen magic-powered Soul Eater strikes, releasing crescent-shaped waves as she swept. The last blow came in the form of a pulsewave generated from both blades, detonating in a powerful explosion. Wendy managed to endure long enough, having used the Blue Mistral as a support beam, before restoring a portion of her vitality with Cure. "Icy you're still in form," Kaze joked.
Regaining her strength, Wendy stood up straight and glared at Kaze. "This isn't over! Blue Mistral Command Style: Skyward Wing!" The next minute, she was floating in the air, her back paired with crystal wings and a long white blade held in place of the Keyblade.
"Getting serious, huh?" Kaze quipped. "Just so you know, I can kick your butt, even with you on wings!"
Wendy shot herself at the Sleepy Hollow guild master and engaged her in a new clash, the Blue Mistral's elongated form dancing with the Soul Eater Blades at breakneck speed. She deflected the Zero Waves with her Crystal Wings and sliced through the Cold Crosses like cheddar. Kaze fired a second Subzero Blast from her combined blades, which the Sky Dragon Slayer responded by conjuring Crystal Wing Shield: Sky Cloth, dispelling the enormous ice attack with little effort. Kaze jumped and slammed down her Soul Eaters for another Helm Split, filling the room to the brim with pillars of burning ice. Wendy avoided them all with a series of Wind Steps, and when Kaze missed a double slash, she decimated her with a lightning fast 20-hit slash combo, sent her airborne, then finished with twelve additional slashes, the last seven chopping Kaze's body in separate directions. Wendy landed safely on the ground, her Command Style still intact.
Kaze's skin was burning and her muscles were aching from taking the brunt of Wendy's assault. Shortly after she collapsed, she got back up to her knees, but barely kept her balance. She panted heavily, sapped of the energy to even move when Wendy approached her. "Okay, maybe that was an understatement..."
Wendy said bravely, "I've beaten you once, Kaze. I can beat you again!"
Kaze retorted, "Beat me? You don't know who you're messing with! I'm the leader of Sleepy Hollow, the strongest of all warriors in the field! I can do things that another people can't! No one has ever survived me, except for three. There's you, Erza..." She paused for effect, "...and Natsu."
Every muscle froze in Wendy's body at the sound of the Fire Dragon Slayer's name, the name of the boy who vanished before Tenrou Island was destroyed. She felt tension rising again, as the danger seemed real. "Natsu?! You fought him, too?!"
Kaze explained, "You didn't think Silver told you everything of what I've been through before Earth-land was swallowed by darkness? Nope, it was never random. I fought that salmon-haired freak of nature after our mission succeeded. All I had to do was put out the fire in his mouth, and he was putty in my hands!" She added with a chuckle, "When I witnessed his power first hand, it felt as if I stepped in a dragon's sanctuary. And the radiance within the fire was just fabulous. It was all too easy... It'll be a piece of cake to break the seal to the final door. Life's not a crime at doing something worth the search, isn't it? Now the puzzle is close to completion."
The shock on Wendy's face was replaced with anger. "It's bad enough that you intend to use Erza for your own gain, but Natsu as well?"
Kaze smirked, "You know something, Wendy? The last time we've fought, I held back. Can't get serious if I'm not willing to die. But right now..." Her voice then dripped with a pure, dangerous tone. "...I'm willing to die. Let's make the game a little more interesting... with dark arts!" Wendy stood her ground, cautious of whatever trump card her rival was about to draw. Kaze crossed her arms in a straight position, closing her eyes as she silently called upon the all-consuming darkness within. Her body was submerged in a pitch black aura, lightning of the same color dancing along. She could feel the darkness clawing its way out of the cage, urging her to violate and destroy everything, but her mind suggested otherwise. Time and again, she reminded herself not to lose control as she did before. Channeling her willpower into the terrible black fire burning inside, she was compelling it to respond to her commands. For once, she would be in control of the one thing that could end the fight in short order. This could be her most ingenious tactic yet. Kaze focused more dark magic, and the aura grew bigger and stronger than ever. Finally, having gathered enough energy, she opened her eyes. "RAAARRRGGGHH!" The flaming black aura exploded around Kaze's body as she spread out her arms. As her eyes flared, she came within reach of Wendy and pointed one of her Soul Eaters.
Wendy gasped, "No way...!"
Kaze declared, "How you like me now, Blueberry? Say hello to the incredible forces of darkness. My true power comes from darkness itself, and it makes every enemy I face bend over like upside-down turtles! Like I said, I can still kick your butt. And I'll do it by any means. Be thankful I used only 20% of my inner darkness."
Wendy asked, "20%? You've been holding back this whole time?"
Kaze nodded, "Obviously. If I unleashed all of my darkness from the get-go, I'd lose control. Everything around me tends to die, and that wouldn't be too much... fun. That's when my guild was kind enough to implant a very special lacrima in my body. It keeps the darkness contained, like a limiter."
Wendy exclaimed, "Limiter?! You mean you were STILL holding back?!"
Kaze giggled, "It's been a while since I've had to channel it in times of desperation. For the time being, I have free use of my darkness, instead of it controlling me." Soon, the laughter was growing more dominant, as did the aura emboldening her being. "You have no idea how happy I am! I must confess, you truly are the best friend I could ever ask for! But don't sweat the details... I'm still gonna mess you up!"
Wendy tightened her grip on the Blue Mistral and looked at her rival with a determined expression. She was going to face the darkness with the one thing that could dispel it. She was overwhelmed by the darkness once. She wouldn't let it happen again! "Don't get too overconfident... Where there's darkness, there's always light. My Keyblade will clear the way. It will light the darkness! I'm going to stop you, no matter what!"
Kaze bellowed, "Go ahead! Do your worst!" She raised her Soul Eaters in a dramatic fashion, their edges glowing black as they were enhanced in resonance with her dark aura. "Let's see if we can draw blood from that so-called light of yours!" With that, she made a boost for the Sky Dragon Slayer like a black missile homing on its targets, screaming in a bone-chilling flare. "WENDY!"
Wendy wasted no time dashing against the pitch-black rocket, her Crystal Wings supporting her speed, all the while countering with a cry of her own. "KAZE!"
The resulting collision generated an immense wave of black and white particles scattering across the lamp chamber. After getting a hundred feet above the frozen slab, Wendy and Kaze stopped and floated in midair, preparing to commence the second round of their battle. Now it's on! The Sky Dragon Slayer and the Dark Master traded blow after blow, clashing at high speeds in every corner of the lamp chamber. Each time one struck the other, it produced an outburst of energy similar to fireworks, mixed with the sound of clanging metal. When fighting in the air wasn't plausible enough, they would often take their battle to the ground, expertly demonstrating their moves in a choreographed dance. Wendy, empowered by the Command Style of her Keyblade's current form, struggled against Kaze's mysterious ability to control darkness that boosted her in strength and speed, as well as the ability of flight. The Soul Eaters underwent a drastic change as well- their shapes grew a few times in size, complete with red lines tracing along the hilts, and the elemental techniques represented in each weapon mode had their original colors swapped with jet black. Despite these changes, Wendy was more than capable of holding off Kaze's souped-up powers. Thanks to the magic of Skyward Wing, she was equal to Kaze in terms of velocity and maneuverability. As time passed, the showdown had grown so intense to the point of the two heated rivals fighting around not just the lamp chamber, but the treasure room, the halls, and even outside the Cave of Wonders when they popped from the ceiling! Had anyone been out there in the desert, close to where the Cave was located, they'd see fireworks! For a long time, Wendy and Kaze kept on fighting with seemingly no end. That is, by the time they retreated to the lamp chamber...
"Command Style Critical Art: Great Dragon Wind!"
"Darkness Ice Cross: Crystal Slash!"
A dragon-shaped tornado and a sonic slash of crystallized darkness connected, shaking the surrounding area and causing a few stalactites hanging from above to drop. Both rivals jumped back to dodge out of the way, the Skyward Wing Command Style deactivated from using a Critical Art. As Wendy prepared for her next strike, one of Kaze's Soul Eaters elongated from its hilt through the dust and tied the chain around her chest. It sent jolts of darkness that electrocuted the Sky Maiden, slowly draining her health. Kaze was pleased with herself, confident that the prize could be hers, until Wendy sent out a Blizzara spell that froze the dark pink-haired girl's feet in place. Kaze responded by firing a Meteor Bullet from her other Soul Eater turned into a revolver. The darkness-powered projectile was close to approaching the Sky Maiden, who quickly swiped the Blue Mistral's Keychain...
"Jungle King Command Style: Wild Brawler!" Where the Meteor Bullet exploded, a torrent of purple light popped from the dust. Wendy came rushing at Kaze, her Wild Gloves clenched. The Sleepy Hollow guild master broke free from the ice just in time to block an incoming hook, and another clash of epic proportions escalated. The Wild Brawler Command Style had a similar increase in Wendy's speed and power, but the Wild Gloves threw much faster and more harder than what the Skyward Wing had provided. No matter how fast she moved, Kaze could not easily compare to the Wild Gloves' incredible capacity for tempo and firepower- they even homed on her whenever she reappeared from a Shadow Step. That resulted in her getting socked, jabbed, and hooked every time she slipped up. Wendy was gaining the advantage! Even with her rival's increase in attributes thanks to her dark ability, defeating her with a different Command Style would be a breeze. Once she had won, she would seal the Keyhole, join her friends in stopping Jafar, and ask Kaze so many questions...
"Let's go!" Soon, the Sky Dragon Slayer was overwhelming Kaze with an infinite barrage of Wild Gloves, often adding Banana Bombs for extra damage, although she took a bit of her own damage when she didn't have time dodging attacks. The brawl once again spanned the Cave of Wonders in its entirety, the only exceptions being outside and the underground cavern. Near the brawl's end, Wendy threw her Wild Gloves into a 100-hit combo so powerful that it ripped apart the walls, and blew Kaze back to the lamp chamber. "Command Style Critical Art: Meteor Impact!" The Wild Gloves assimilated into a magic circle, and out came a meteorite that aimed for the downed Sleepy Hollow wizard! BOOOOOOOOM! The huge blast nearly destroyed the ice encasing the maw, as evidenced by the large cracks. Kaze was on her knees among the chilled debris, panting in exhaustion while her aura of darkness shimmered.
Wendy approached the badly bruised Kaze, feeling a bit sore from exerting much effort in putting her rival down. She asked tiredly, "Is that it?"
Kaze slowly rose off the fissured ice, straightening up her dislocated neck, cracking her bones. "That hurt." She wiped away the small trickle of blood that rolled out the side of her mouth, before her lips twisted with a smirk. "You are one real punching machine, you know that? Just like that salmon-haired freak show."
Speaking of which, Natsu's fate was one of many questions Wendy wanted to ask. "You said something about a seal to the final door. What does it mean? Does Natsu have something to do with this?"
Kaze replied, "What if he does? Since Jafar enlightened you with one half of our master plan, I guess I'll tell you the other half. There are nine Princesses of Heart, when brought together, will reveal a door that holds the secret to infinite wisdom and limitless power. It's protected by a seal immune to all magic, preventing anyone from ever discovering what's within. No element can ever break the seal, except for one. It requires a special brand of element. In other words, the fire of a pure dragon."
Wendy's eyes widened in astonishment, "That's—"
Kaze grinned, "Catching on now? Natsu's Fire Dragon Slayer Magic is the only thing that can break the seal to the final door, once all nine Princesses are collected. When the door's open, it's a non-stop party!"
Wendy growled, "You wouldn't dare..."
Kaze countered, "Oh, I would. You're very lucky to know our main goal. But the bad news is, you can't stop us for setting up the biggest barbeque in the universe. Between the two of us, I'd like to invite you over. If you don't wanna come, Blueberry, well..." She then shrugged, "...your loss. Let's get back to the fight. Since you bested my darkness with your parlor tricks, I think it's time I step up my game a little bit further... Instead of 20%, how about FORTY?" She crouched down, arms clenched together, as she reached for more reserves of the infinite darkness flowing within every fiber of her body. The surge quickly picked up her lust for victory and fed the black fires, letting it rise through the roof. "AAAARRGGGGGHH!" With another deafening scream, the pitch-black aura erupted three times larger, and her stats even more so. Kaze's eyes opened, revealed to be as black as the lightning surrounding her figure. She spoke, as if a demon's voice had overtaken hers, "What's the matter? Afraid of the dark?!"
Wendy never expected Kaze to push this far, but one thing was for sure; she was not going to go down that easily. Keeping up her brave façade, she stood tall against the darkness threatening to consume her. "I don't know how much power you've got, but I'm ready for whatever you throw at me!" She channeled excessive amounts of Sky Dragon Slayer Magic, condensing it into an aura matching Kaze's own, the difference being white and condensed of wind. "Here I come!" Wendy lunged at her adversary.
Kaze did so likewise. "Come and get it!"
They hurtled towards one another until they impacted in a vast explosion, the sheer magnitude ultimately blowing up the frozen floor into a million shards of ice, revealing the path to the lava pit below them. The auras of light and darkness struggled with one another in a tug of war, with neither side willing to give out. Both girls concentrated on their magic as their faces contorted.
All of a sudden, in the midst of the scuffle between black and white, an invisible thread weaved around Wendy and Kaze's minds and linked them together. The flow of information was processed, transmitting memories from one mind to another. The girls didn't expect this, nor were they ready to make their thoughts visible, until they swam in front of their eyes. Image after image was racing through their minds like a flickering film so vivid it blinded them to their surroundings, even with their auras expanding...
Wendy was five, happily riding Grandeeney's talon with the mystery girl paired behind her... She was chased up a tree by a wild Hodras until the girl saved the day... They were sitting before Grandeeney, and she was telling them they would make great Dragon Slayers, but only one would be chosen to fulfill the dragons' prophecy... They were exploring a nearby cave, discussing their futures... The mystery girl was resting in a tree, her face black with agitation... A forest fire was closing in on the Sky Dragon's nest... The girl was crying, screaming...
"Aagh!" Wendy felt a sharp pain in her head. She squeezed her eyes shut as the imagery roared. The white aura was starting to lose momentum, and the world seemed to swirl around her. But she wasn't the only one forcefully replaying those hidden memories. In time, they were copied and loaded into Kaze's brain, the link playing visions based on her own perspective.
Kaze was eight, playing tag with a toddler in the forest... She was comforting the little girl whenever she was worried about something... They were riding a dragon's talon... She killed a Hodras with her bare hands... She and her little friend trained under the same teacher, which was the dragon itself... She saw her classmate emit a bright light, and her heart was bursting with jealousy... She was fueled by aspirations of power and glory, smashing trees and boulders to develop herself... Shattered beliefs turned to anger... She set the forest ablaze, driven mad by her lust for power... The toddler was crying out her name, tearful eyes staring at her... She was lost in the realm of darkness...
"AAAAAGGGGGHHH!" It seemed Kaze screeched the loudest pained cry of all. Her face was buried in her hands, her brain aching as though something had been trying to pull it from her skull. "W-WHAT... IS... THIS?!"
"Aah... Aaahh..." Wendy was met with the same condition, albeit less painful. She held a hand around her forehead, her heart thumping wildly as though she had seen the mystery girl in front of her. "So much... rushing into... my head..."
The link tightened. The hidden memories continued to swell.
"I think..." Wendy cringed. "I remember... something..."
"What's going on...?" Kaze groaned. "My... memories..."
It all came down to a single point. Every time they saw the missing pieces of their pasts, their emotions took over.
There were two girls regarding each other as sisters, training together, until a tragedy set them apart...
In the end, the auras dispersed as a result of the stress, leaving Wendy and Kaze back to normal. They both fell down into the maw, overwhelmed by the visions...
Core
"Giving up already? Come on, Wendy. I thought you were stronger than that."
"Kaze!" Wendy's eyes snapped open, screaming out the name of the one she collided with. She was shaking, her mind still haunted by the imagery. She stood back up, and she looked around to notice that she somehow landed in the lava pit, where the rest of her friends were fighting Jafar in his new genie form. She tried to remember how she got there, before she lay down on the three-way platform surrounded by hot, boiling lava...
"Hey..." Kaze's voice made her jump. She had fallen along with her, slightly traumatized by the experience as well. "Did somebody crank up the thermostat around here? Or did I get a fever?"
"Kaze..." Wendy sucked in her breath. She had a feeling that the dark pink-haired girl had something to do with the visions. "You're—"
She never got the chance to continue her sentence. Kaze gasped in pain as a gigantic beam of electrical energy struck her from behind, driving her against the wall in a mighty crash, before she collapsed on a rising pillar. The Sky Dragon Slayer's eyes widened in surprise, wondering what was the cause of such a horrendous act. The answer came to her in a dominant, evil laugh that sent vibrations down to the fire. And it belonged to someone very familiar.
"Jafar!" Wendy gasped, as she turned to see the imposing figure who used his last wish to turn into a red-skinned genie standing over a hundred feet tall. She was startled by the royal vizier's new appearance, as she thought to herself, "So this is what he looks like as a genie... He looks scary in person!"
But to her dismay, Jafar's attention wasn't focused on her. He sneered at the injured guild master of Sleepy Hollow, showing no regard for her wretched state. "Well, well. I see more mice scampering around. I never would've guessed that the new victim is none other than Kaze Viriniam!" He then chuckled darkly, "A perfect opportunity to be rid of your intolerable company for good!"
Kaze turned to the source of the condescending tone, her eyes dilating with awe. "You?!"
Jafar declared, "Now that I have gained a genie's power, I have the means to conquer not just this world, but the entire universe! Knowing this, I thought both you and Maleficent would be of great help. But I was wrong... No wonder your attainment of power is incomplete. But me? I have become the definition of complete power. And because of this, I have no further use for you all."
Kaze could barely stifle her coughing as she struggled to get back up, partially paralyzed by the electricity. She spoke through gritted teeth, "Bastard... When did you get the gall to be a backstabber, after all the things we've done for you?" Her eyes were starting to blacken again, "So help me, I'll break every bone in your body and leave you to beg like a dog on a leash..."
Jafar bellowed, "Silence!" His eyes charged and released another huge beam, torturing Kaze with bolts that represented the twisted power of an evil genie. She was screaming and convulsing, trickles of blood coming from her lips. Wendy watched as she felt confused, scared, unsure of what to do. "I have been looking forward to this for a long time..." A third beam. More torture. "My list of priorities has grown." A fourth beam. Kaze's eyes watered in pain. She was in agony, at the verge of a tragic death, to be crushed like a worthless insect. "When I'm done with you..." A fifth beam. A peculiar spark of darkness rushed through her body, straining for release. Jafar was too focused on abusing her to even care. "I'll be coming after Maleficent! Your demise will be the first thing to weigh on her conscience! I have worlds to conquer! Enemies to destroy! Doom will await all who oppose me!" Laughing maniacally, he expelled another beam. Kaze's shrieks rose, and her body was twitching in circles. The omnipotent mistreatment lasted for over a minute. He enjoyed watching her yell, scream, suffer...
Finally, Wendy couldn't take it anymore. "NO!" She sent a Blizzara spell on the evil genie, the flurry of ice crystals distracting him from his heat vision. "You leave her alone!"
Kaze's body ached all over, her breathing shallow, but she could clearly see Wendy's defiant act. "Blueberry...?"
Wendy yelled at the evil genie, "You think just because you're big, you can go around acting like a bully?!"
Jafar turned his gaze to meet the enraged Sky Dragon Slayer. "Ah, Wendy Marvell. I almost forgot about you. I see you are no ordinary street mouse. Not if you could stand up to my omnipotent powers. Impressive. But your persistence, it has won you nothing. Do you not see I am invincible?" He conjured a boulder of smoldering fire high over his head, ready to crush his enemy beneath it. "Nothing you can do can defeat me!" He chucked it at Wendy, who braced herself.
"Rainbow Fireball!" A magical orb of multicolored flames impacted the molten boulder, reducing it to a pile of steamed dirt. Romeo came running in to the central platform, grinning at Wendy as he was followed by everyone who had entered the lava pit. "Took you long enough!"
"Romeo! Everyone!" Wendy cried in relief. "You're here!"
"Where have you been?!" Donald demanded. "We've been sweating away like nothing, fighting a scary genie and chasing a bird! Where were you?"
"Oh, uh..." Wendy couldn't find the right words to say, considering she had been facing her own problems far above the lava pit. "I—"
Sherria interjected, "Save the talk for later! We've got a big problem in our hands, and I mean BIG!"
Levy stated, "Jafar wasn't kidding about the invincible part. None of our attacks hurt him. Believe me, we tried."
Elfman huffed, "No matter how hard we hit him, he just shrugged it off. He's a real pain in the ass. Talk about cheating!"
Lisanna added, "But he's a genie now. And like you said, every genie has a cage."
Wendy looked around and saw Iago flying in the distance with the black lamp clasped in his talons. "The lamp!"
Goofy implied, "We were chasin' that bird holdin' the lamp all the way, but Jafar's genie-riffic magic makes things a whole lot tricky. We gotta distract him or somethin'."
Jafar picked up another boulder, seizing the opportunity to finish all of his enemies at one go. He had no qualms doing the same thing to Maleficent and the other villains once the task at hand was done. "Stand still, you bothersome brats! It's over!"
"Solid Script: Bullet!" Moments before Jafar tossed the boulder, Levy waved her arm and released a continuous outburst of energy pellets from the word 'BULLET' above his shoulders. The rock exploded in a cloud of ash and dust, temporarily blinding the sinister genie.
"Well, there's our distraction," Aladdin confirmed.
"Leave it to me! I'll get the lamp!" Wendy offered, as she summoned a magic circle underneath her. "O swift winds, send speed to the heavens... Vernier!" Encasing herself in a barrier that represented her boost in speed and flight, she zipped after Iago, leaving her friends to hold off the wrathful entity.
Iago turned around and panicked when he noticed a ball of light blue energy heading towards him. "Aaaagh! They're after me!" The parrot flew as fast as his wings could take him, but the Vernier enchantment proved much faster. "Get away from me! GET AWAY! I'M JUST DOING MY JOB!" Iago's attempts at greater speed were starting to exhaust him, no matter how hard he tried. Seconds later, the lamp was snatched from his talons as quick as a flash, but he was panting and sweating too much to even notice or care. "I can't take it anymore! Water! Water..." Unable to keep up any longer, Iago flapped down and landed on the nearest floating block so he could take a breather. He crumpled to the ground, tired to the bone. "I gotta get a new line of work."
Meanwhile, Jafar recovered from his distraction and glared down on Romeo, Donald, Goofy, Sherria, Levy, Aladdin, and the Strauss siblings with malicious intent. "I've had enough of this!" He grabbed another boulder, "You will all bow to me!"
"Sky Dragon's Roar!" A powerful gust of wind destroyed the boulder before it reached the group. Wendy made a safe landing back on the central platform as soon as her Vernier deactivated, having successfully procured the lamp. She sighed, "That was close..."
Romeo cheered, "Alright! You got it!"
Sherria beamed, "Nice lamp catching!"
Aladdin cried, "Hurry, Wendy! Use the lamp! You can trap Jafar inside it!"
Wendy nodded in agreement, as she turned to Jafar and raised the black lamp higher so he could see it properly. She called out with a loud and clear voice, "Okay, Jafar! It's time to go back to your lamp!"
Jafar's eyes grew wide in horror. "What?! How..." Golden shackles materialized on his wrists with a loud clamping noise. He then looked down to see his ghostly tail connected to the small mouth of the lamp.
Romeo smirked, "Hey, you wanted to be a genie, right? You asked for it!"
Jafar screamed, "NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" His ghostly tail turned into a twister of red and orange that sucked him into the confines of his new portable prison. Wendy firmly held onto the lamp with both hands, careful not to lose her grip. The twister became stronger and stronger as a frantic Jafar tried to resist, reaching up to try and grab onto something.
Iago, having regained much of his stamina, watched the scene unfold with a hapless expression and decided to escape. "I'm gettin' outta here!"
Aladdin began, "Phenomenal cosmic powers..."
At that moment, Jafar's large hand clamped onto one of Iago's legs, dragging him along with the genie. "C'mon, you're the genie! I DON'T WA—" The pair was finally sucked into the lamp, and all went silent. A single red feather popped out of the mouth and fluttered to the floor.
Aladdin finished with a sly grin, "...itty-bitty living space."
Romeo smirked, "How do you like your new home, Jafar? This is more than you deserve!" He and his friends laughed with one another and shared a moment of celebration over their success. Abu chattered excitedly and crawled all over Aladdin's torso, and the magic carpet wrapped around them in what could only be interpreted as a hug.
Genie suddenly popped up behind Romeo and put him into a headlock, making him laugh by giving him a friendly noogie. "Kid, that was the most impressive trick in the book! You smart little devil, you!"
Wendy dropped the black lamp and rushed over to give the Rainbow Fire wizard a tight embrace. "I'm so happy for you, Romeo! Your idea worked!"
Romeo chuckled and returned the hug, "The good thing about bad guys is, they easily fall for the cheapest tricks. Thanks for believing in me, Wendy."
Wendy giggled at that ironic remark. Those were the same words she said to Romeo after defeating the King Cobra in the desert. Perhaps the both of them had a lot in common than they thought. "You're welcome."
Romeo glanced over to Donald, "So, what do you think?"
Donald shrugged, "Well, I guess your idea wasn't so bad after all. Yeah, we're good."
Romeo quipped, "Care to repeat that?" Donald just laughed as he patted him on the back.
Soon after the victory party drew to a close, Aladdin picked up the black lamp and listened to Jafar and Iago bickering from inside.
"Get your blasted beak out of my face!"
"Oh, shut up, ya moron!"
"Don't tell me to shut up!"
"Allow me," Genie smiled, taking the lamp from Aladdin and clasping his hand around it. He was wearing a baseball cap as he wound up his arm like a pitcher. "Ten thousand years here in the Cave of Wonders ought to chill him out!" He stopped mid-windup when he opened his palm flat and flicked the lamp with his finger, sending it flying towards the wall like a tiny projectile. The imprisoned Jafar pierced through the concrete and faded from view, never to be seen again.
"You think that's enough punishment for their crimes?" Lisanna asked.
"Definitely. He and his pet parrot got what's coming to 'em," Elfman boasted.
"Well, you know what they say, be careful what you wish for," Sherria commented.
"Couldn't have said it better myself. A-hyuck!" Goofy agreed.
"We sure showed that mean ol' Jafar who's boss," Donald affirmed.
"I hope we'll never have to deal with him again," Levy nodded.
Just then, a red Magic Orb floated out of the sky and stopped in front of Donald. He blinked as he examined the mystical sphere, and it took a while for him to acknowledge the color and the radiance within. "Wow, a Fire Magic Orb! With this, we can upgrade Fire to Fira." It immediately burst into red light, fusing with his staff and Wendy's Keyblade. The power of fire was the second of many spells to be enhanced.
"Nrrgh..." A loud, yet clearly tired groan cut through the sound of boiling lava, and everyone turned to see Kaze Viriniam limping over to the central platform. The young guild master of Sleepy Hollow had taken a lot of damage thanks to Jafar's unforgiving assault, her clothes charred and torn, her skin bruised and immolated. She stared wearily at nine faces who, throughout the span of less than half a hour, had defeated the one who abused her. The transformation was staggering; the few Fairy Tail wizards who had been victims of Sleepy Hollow's invasion had greeted her with fury and shaking anger. The rest of the group reacted in their own way, the most concerned and worried being Wendy.
"It's her! Kaze Viriniam!" Lisanna exclaimed.
"What the hell is she doing here?!" Elfman demanded.
"Is it really her? Sleepy Hollow's head honcho?" Romeo blinked.
"But she looks seriously hurt! How did this happen?" Sherria wondered.
"Ack!" Kaze moved closer to the group with a stagger in her step. She was not shocked, only complacent, perhaps even cocky as usual. She grunted in amusement, "Well, look who decided to bring the entourage to the party. Too bad they missed the main event. I should've saved seats for them."
"Seats? Main event?" Donald raised an eyebrow. "What are you saying?"
"Don't tell me you didn't know?" Kaze asked tiredly. "Long story short, I pushed your blueberry friend back to the lamp chamber and challenged her to a fight. We were having a blast. For the most part."
"'Blueberry'?" Sherria gasped. "You mean Wendy! You two fought up there, in the chamber?!"
"Is it true?" Romeo turned to the Sky Dragon Slayer. "All by yourself?"
"Uh-huh," Wendy nodded. "I was following you guys until she appeared right in front of me. She sent me back to the room, and I was forced to fight her."
"What happened?" Donald asked. "Did you win?"
"I wouldn't exactly call it a win," Kaze clarified. "It's more like a draw at best. We gave it our all, but circumstances have changed."
"Gawrsh, that explains a lot," Goofy confirmed. "If we were there, Wendy wouldn't have fought on her own."
"Still, you're a lot better than I thought, Blueberry," Kaze told Wendy. "We would've given it our all, if it weren't for that devil in disguise. No one likes a third wheel. If it were up to me, I'd break the wheel if I stuck with you... It pains me to say it, but I'm calling it a day. The game's over. Let's play again sometime. Mark my words, though..." She added with conviction lacing her voice, "...I'm gonna be the one true Dragon Slayer... Huh?!" Her mind froze at saying the last two words. She never expected them to come out of her mouth, nor did she want to. "W-What am I saying? When did I ever say Dragon Slayer? When did I become a Dragon Slayer?!" The pain resurfaced, prompting her to rub her temples. "Ugh... I don't get it..."
"W-What did you say? Dragon Slayer?" Wendy recoiled in shock at this sudden development. The clues were coming together: the visions, the voices, that silhouette falling into the light. "Could it be?! Are you really that girl?!"
"Shut up!" Kaze snapped, as she seemed to have stabilized herself when the aching stopped. "Don't compare me to your imaginary friend! You don't know anything about me!"
"Kaze, no!" Wendy protested. "Wait!"
"You better watch your back, cuz. This isn't over between us," Kaze warned, pointing a finger at the Sky Maiden. "We'll have plenty of time in the next game. We'd better relax a little, or we'll die from all the stress... Adios!" Using whatever strength and magic she had left, she generated an orb of darkness around her left hand and thrust it on the ground, a wave of energy exploding around her.
"Wait, Kaze! Please!" Wendy screamed. "There's so much I want to ask you! PLEASE!" Her pleas fell on deaf ears, however, as a corolla of violet petals flew over the lava from where Kaze stood. The dark pink-haired youth was already gone. "Please..." The hot wind stole Wendy's whispered voice, her heart sitting like a leaden weight in her chest. She bit her lip as tears welled up in her eyes. If only the two of them had talked more, she would learn why her fate was intertwined with hers.
"Uh..." Sherria asked in confusion. "What just happened?"
"I don't know," Romeo answered. "But I think we have a lot in our hands."
Aladdin and Abu hopped aboard the magic carpet and extended a hand towards Wendy and the others. "C'mon, guys. We're not done yet."
Lamp Chamber
Jasmine peered cautiously over the edge and into the gaping hole, straining to catch a glimpse of what went down. No matter how far she expanded her vision, she couldn't see anything, and wondered if she could try calling out someone's name to see if she would get a reply. But before she could try, the princess heard footsteps behind her. They grew louder and louder, and eventually stopped. Ever so slowly, she turned around to see who was there.
She gasped.
Unaware of Jasmine's predicament, Genie carried Wendy and Romeo on his shoulders, bringing them back to the platform where the Keyhole was situated. Unlike the joyride across the desert, it was a simple matter of loading the passengers and shipping them back to where the battle started. Donald, Goofy, Sherria, Levy, and Aladdin caught up with the others by riding the magic carpet, Lisanna used Animal Soul: Bird for personal flight, and Elfman climbed all the way to the top using Beast Soul: Sand Beast.
"Wendy!" Carla rushed forward to meet with the Sky Dragon Slayer, having thawed from the ice as per the stipulation of the game Kaze had organized.
"Carla!" Wendy was ecstatic that her Exceed companion was no longer a frozen statue. For the time being, it helped alleviate the discomfort she felt from what had transpired. She took hold of Carla's paws and asked, "How did you get out of the ice?"
"Apparently, the ice was supplied with an enchantment," Carla answered. "It refused to melt until your battle with Kaze was finished. I assume you've won?"
"Not really," Wendy's smile melted away. "We fell down into the big hole, and she disappeared not long after."
"I see," Carla nodded. "And Jafar?"
"Taken care of," Wendy replied. "He's trapped in his own lamp."
"Oh, thank goodness! The worst is over," Carla sighed in relief, as she placed a paw in Wendy's cheek. "How regretful that I wasn't by your side because of a few mishaps. You shouldn't have fought on your own. But seeing you alive and well is all that matters."
"You're the best, Carla," Wendy's smile returned, a sigh from her mouth taking a backseat to her warmth. Deciding that she would have plenty of time to share her experiences with her friends once the last set of tasks were finished, she turned to the rest of the group. "So now that we beat Jafar, all that's left for us is to seal the Keyhole, right?"
"And rescue Princess Jasmine," Donald reminded. "Then we'll all live happily ever after."
"Yup, just like in the fairy tales!" Goofy grinned. "And 'fairy tale' rhymes with your guild's name."
"Yes, it does," Romeo chuckled. "Pretty ironic, huh?"
"Speaking of Jasmine, where is she?" Sherria wondered. "Where'd she go?"
"What do you mean? She should be right..." Aladdin stopped mid-sentence when she noticed that Jasmine was nowhere near the Keyhole. He immediately jumped off the carpet and paced around the platform, looking around in a panic. "Jasmine? JASMINE!"
Wendy got off Genie's shoulder and was about to help Aladdin in his search when she saw the Keyhole glow in the presence of the Jungle King appearing in her hand. She adjusted her hold on the key-shaped weapon and held it out with one hand, its tip pointed at the small hole in front of her. A thin beam of light shot out and punctured through the invisible barrier, creating a small ripple in its surface. Magic swirled around the Keyhole, and a curtain of golden sparkles covered it with a loud locking sound. As soon as the shimmering built up from the bottom to the top, the large keyhole shone brilliantly for one last moment. The bright lights vanished, the Keyhole disappearing along with it, never to let the Heartless sneak into the world's heart resting within for all eternity. "That should do it," Wendy said with a smile.
As soon as the words left her lips, the entire cave began to rumble. Rocks and pebbles rained on their heads from above, prompting everyone to look up at the crumbling ceiling. One small stalactite nearly missed Donald, while Goofy pulled out his shield and held it protectively over his head.
Carla shouted, "The Cave of Wonders is collapsing! We've got to get out of here!"
Donald panicked, "But how?! It'll fall right above our heads before we reach the exit!"
Levy worried, "I should've seen this coming! It's the lamp hunt all over again!"
Goofy shuddered, "What are we gonna do?"
Genie beamed, "Don't worry, kids! There's still hope!" He scooped the magic lamp, which had been dropped shortly after Jafar made his last wish, then gave it to Wendy. "You just have to rub the lamp and make a wish! All you have to say is 'Genie, I want you to take us out of the cave.' Okay? Got it? It all depends on you. On the bright side, this'll be your first wish!"
Donald screamed, "C'mon, Wendy! Make a wish!"
Goofy wailed, "You're our only hope!"
Wendy nodded hastily, "Y-Yeah! I'll do it!" Without a moment's delay, she polished the lamp's edges and registered her wish, "Genie, I wish for you to take us out of the cave and back to Agrabah!"
Genie cheered, "Alright! We're back in business!" His head morphed into a siren, followed by his body turning into a submarine. "Up scope!" He then babbled random stuff in German as he used a nozzle to vacuum everyone inside. The last to board the submarine was Aladdin, who yelled out Jasmine's name as loud as he could, hoping that somewhere amid the tremors, she could hear his voice. By the time the nozzle pulled the young thief in, Genie's ghostly tail, which had turned into a propeller, began to spin rapidly. "All systems go! Full speed ahead!" His magical engine sent the heroes forward at top speed, leaving a trail of sparkling blue dust behind them. Everyone onboard held on for dear life as they blasted through the Cave of Wonders all the way to the exit. The ground beneath them split apart to reveal rivers of lava, eating away at the walls. Stone pillars erupted into flame, turning into rushing fountains of hot magma. Shards of rocks flew dangerously, and Genie's submarine form leaned one way or another to dodge them. Stone and fire, flowing everywhere.
As they finally made it out of the Cave, the last they saw of it was the tiger head clamping its mouth shut. A flickering of lights came from far below the sand dunes, and a cloud of dust slowly settled back in place. It looked as though the Cave of Wonders had never existed. Somehow, Wendy preferred it that way; she was relieved that the whole mess was put behind her.
Aladdin's House
"So, Jasmine's no longer in Agrabah..." Aladdin sat down on the rugged set of steps, trying to make sense of what was going on. Wendy and her friends never told him what befell Jasmine when the Cave of Wonders collapsed, but considering they had a good idea on how she disappeared, they had to let him know one way or another. Someone may have whisked the princess off to another world when the final showdown with Jafar reached its peak, and since Carla was frozen and was only thawed after Jasmine vanished, she obviously had no idea what was going on either. On the bright side, things had stabilized in Agrabah since news of Jafar's defeat spread over the city. Not a single Heartless or anyone representing the dark guilds or the Alliance of Evil was in sight. Because of this, the citizens were free to resume their peaceful lives. The exotic desert kingdom was set on the road to recovery, free from oppression at the hands of the royal vizier who overthrew the Sultan. Whether they learned of what became of Agrabah's beloved princess or not remained to be seen. Fortunately for Aladdin, he understood the plight of Wendy and her companions, and he too, shared their anxiety. "Wendy, take me with you. Let's go find her."
Wendy knew exactly what Aladdin was thinking. He was sure to be extremely helpful, and with such a strong desire to rescue Jasmine, there was no telling what he could to do. She was just about to accept Aladdin's offer when Donald elbowed her in her side. He shook his head sadly, reminding her of one of the rules in upholding the world order: to never bring along anyone from other worlds. With a remorseful sigh, Wendy hung her head. "I'm sorry, Aladdin... but I can't take you with me."
Aladdin was taken aback. "Wh-Why not?"
Goofy twiddled his thumbs, his eyes lowered to the ground, "I sure wish we could..."
Donald reasoned, "But we can't. If we take him to another world, we would be..."
Goofy strained to get the word out, "Muh... Mudd..."
Donald finished for him, "Meddling!"
Aladdin let out a heavy sigh on having his request denied. Abu mirrored his master's actions, sliding off his shoulder and plopping down onto a pillow. Wendy couldn't help but empathize with the street urchin; it felt as though he had failed to protect the one thing that mattered to him the most in the whole world, and then finding out there was nothing he could do to relieve that pain... It reminded her of Grandeeney and her Fairy Tail friends, whom she grew to treasure more than anything else, and imagined how miserable life could be without them. With that in mind, Wendy knelt down on Aladdin's level and gently caressed his cheek. "Aladdin, it's alright. Leave it to us. I know Jasmine's out there, and you miss her so much. We'll find her for you." Her warm smile deepened, "I promise."
A faint, grateful smile played on Aladdin's lips. Since he couldn't come with them to other worlds, the only thing he could do was to entrust Jasmine's safety to his new friends. He kept Wendy's hold on his cheek for a short while until she stood back up, comforted not just by her promise, but the silky touch that reminded her of the beautiful woman he was smitten with.
Upset with the sudden turn of events, Genie rushed to Aladdin's side and gave him a hearty pat on the back. "Uh, earth to Al? Hello? You still have one wish left!" He placed his lamp into Aladdin's hands, "Look, just say the word. Ask me to find Jasmine for you."
Aladdin's eyes widened as he turned to Genie. He asked, "But, Genie, what about your freedom?"
Genie shrugged, "Hey, it's only an eternity of servitude. It's Jasmine we're talking about. She's the love of your life." That caused Aladdin to blush. "Al, you're not gonna find another girl like her in a million years. Believe me, I know. I've looked."
Wendy wondered, "What are you gonna do?"
Aladdin gave Genie's suggestion a lot of thought, until he made up his mind. "I know what I have to do." He turned to Genie and uttered his final wish, "Genie, I wish for your freedom."
Genie rolled up his imaginary sleeves. "One rescued princess, coming up! I—" His eyes grew wide as he stared at Aladdin in surprise, as did everyone else. "What?"
Aladdin smiled as he lifted the lamp with both hands. "Genie, you're free!"
The lamp slowly levitated out of his hands, emitting an orange glow. Blue smoke spilled out from its mouth and encompassed Genie's tail in a spiral of multicolored sparks. He squeezed his eyes shut, his arms stretched out in both sides. Then suddenly, in a large puff of magical energy, his smoky tail was split into two legs, and the golden cuffs on his wrists disappeared. The lamp clattered on the floor, depleted of its magic. Genie slowly reached for the object and picked it up carefully in one hand, speechless for a long moment as if he was about to cry. "I'm... I'm free. I'm free!" He hastily handed the lamp to Wendy, "Quick, quick, wish for something outrageous. Say 'I want Rave Master.' Wish for Rave Master. Try that!"
Wendy asked in confusion, "Uh, I wish for Rave Master?"
Genie exclaimed, "NO WAY!" He burst out laughing hysterically as he bounced around the house like a pinball. "OH, DOES THAT FEEL GOOD! I'M FREE! I'M FREE AT LAST! I—" His excitement was short-lived when he looked at Aladdin, wondering why his very last master was generous enough to use his third wish to free him from the lamp. "But, Al, why'd you..."
Aladdin grinned, "A deal's a deal, Genie. Now you can go anywhere you want. You're your own master." He glanced over at Wendy, "But if you can, it'd be great if you could go along with them and help Wendy find Jasmine."
Genie crossed his arms and turned around so that no one could see what he had in mind. He responded, "Hmm... Sorry, Al. I'm done taking orders from others." There was silence in the room until he broke the ice on a sly note, "But... a favor, now that's entirely different." He looked back with a bright beam, "I guess I could give that a try." Genie leapt over, putting a hand on Aladdin's shoulder. "After all, we're pals, right, Al?"
Aladdin muttered, "Genie..."
Genie winked cheerfully, "Just leave it to me!"
Emboldened by Genie's confidence, Aladdin couldn't think of anything more to say. He just laughed lightly as he ran one hand through his hair. It made him happy knowing that he gave a magical spirit, who became the best friend he could ever ask for, the freedom to do as he pleased. Wendy and the others observed the dynamic with smiles.
Sherria noted, "I think this is going to be the start of something phenomenally cosmic, don't you think?"
Romeo agreed, "You said it. After all, we just found ourselves a new member of the team!"
Wendy asked, "I wonder how he's gonna lend us a hand?"
Genie smirked, "Oh, this'll be easy! Any baddie that comes your way, your battle buddy will give 'em a good 'ol five-star beatdown. Like this! HI-YAAAAAAH!" He pretended to do a karate chop and hit the ground with his hand, the resulting force accidentally breaking a small portion of the floor with Donald standing beneath it! The Royal Court Magician fell through the hole with a startled quack, ending with a crashing sound coming from underneath. Everyone else started laughing, whilst Genie felt sheepish for his antics. "Oops."
MEANWHILE, AT THE CASTLE CHAPEL...
Maleficent, Kaze, Hades, Ursula, and Oogie Boogie gathered in the dark room around the circular stone table, examining the last hologram depicting the heroes' progress before switching it off. Losing another member of the council was none too pleasing for the villains, but they were mostly annoyed at how Jafar was hogging up all the glory the moment he transformed into a genie. Much like a certain traitor in the council, his attempt at rebellion was derailed by the Keyblade master's intervention. At the very least, one more Princess of Heart was added to their collection, thanks in no small part to a certain agent in the dark guild army's ranks who earned Maleficent's trust above all else, besides Kaze, who stalled Wendy long enough for the agent to retrieve Jasmine and bring her to their lair. Ursula was the first to voice her displeasure over Jafar's downfall, "So even our resident tactician with his 'elaborate strategies' was no match for the angelfish and her Keyblade, even when he turned into a great red shark of destruction! How... unfortunate."
Hades groaned, "Tell me about it! That smarmy vizier could've had 'em if it weren't for the girl in ponytails. Someone I know should've stuck around to lend him a hand."
Oogie Boogie snorted, "Who cares? He got what's coming to him! He learned the hard way that if you play with fire, you get squashed."
Hades said dryly, "I think the phrase is 'You play with fire, you get burned', bug-face."
Oogie Boogie laughed, "Not the way I think of it. If it were up to me, I'd mince that little pipsqueak and feed her to the mice!"
Ursula chuckled, "Now, now. Let's not get hasty. Recklessly swimming through a wild current is in such bad taste. I'm sure we'll find more ways to continue our master plan while keeping the guppy occupied. And you're right, Hades. Someone should've stayed behind to help the crusty old desert dweller." She looked over at the secret agent, revealed to be Mirajane Strauss, who glanced back at the sea witch with narrowed eyes.
Mirajane retorted, "At least someone did her part. I brought the princess just as you asked, didn't I?"
Kaze quipped, "What would you do if you were there, Squidlegs? Let a school of piranhas parade in with their dumb dancing routine?"
Ursula rolled her eyes, "It seems you can't catch a break with a sea witch, and neither can Mirajane. I swear, sometimes I don't know why I bother..."
Maleficent stated, "Jafar was beyond help, consumed by his own hatred. Out of desperation, he called upon the omnipotent forces, only to seek his own demise. One who craves power should beware of letting hatred burn too fiercely."
Hades said quickly, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Lighten up. I'm as cool as they come, okay?" He turned to Mirajane with a wry smile, "By the way, sweetie, have we got something special for you."
Mirajane asked, "What do you mean?"
Maleficent grinned, "We had a deal, yes? You help us, and we grant you your wish..." At the wave of her hand, another holographic image appeared over the surface of the table. It flickered for a few seconds before settling in on the image of a young man with salmon hair wearing a black one-sleeved waistcoat. He was lying on his back, his eyes shut, with a teary-eyed blue cat cradling his stomach, crying out the boy's name over and over.
Mirajane's eyes lit up in excitement when she saw the image. She exclaimed, "Natsu! Happy!"
Maleficent instructed, "Go to them. Your vessel is waiting."
Before she could say a word, Mirajane heard footsteps echoing down the empty hallway. She turned to face Captain Hook, who was absent in the meeting, having attended to other matters as per Maleficent's request. The pirate smirked, his thin pointed moustache making the gesture all the more wicked. "Just remember, me dear, this is no pleasure cruise. It won't be a pleasant voyage."
Mirajane said hesitantly, "I'll... try to remember that."
Maleficent addressed the villains, "We will continue our discussion at another time. You are dismissed." She then took a glance at Kaze, "I wish to speak with Kaze alone." That was the last item of business, and the villains made their leave, thankful that the meeting was over and done with, and they would have time to themselves. Mirajane, on the other hand, glanced back at the hologram of Natsu and Happy before turning to Hook and following him on the way out. In her mind, she prayed that in some way, Natsu was still alive and had the strength to fight the grip of the Alliance of Evil. She just hoped she hadn't come to him too late.
Now, there was just the horned witch and the Sleepy Hollow guild master, talking as if a mother was having a private discussion with her child. Maleficent inquired, "You are free to speak your mind, child. Do you have something to say in regard to your affairs in the desert world?" She paused to let her next question sink in, "How are your injuries?"
Kaze stiffened. She couldn't tell if it was the beating she took from Wendy, or the hidden memories resurfacing in her brain. One thing was for certain; each took its own toll on her pride. She gave a dismissive response, willing it to sound earnest, "It's nothing."
Maleficent guessed, "You were nearly bested by the girl, were you not? I had been watching you the entire time you were there." Kaze sweated nervously. Not a good idea to be spied on, but she didn't care right now. It didn't help the fact that thoughts of her second battle with Wendy kept working at her, eroding her mood. "If anything happened to you, if you were not ready to face her, I fear the consequences would be severe. Which is why for your safety, you must stay away from the Keyblade bearer."
Kaze exclaimed, "WHAT?!" She was flabbergasted of being forbidden from having contact with Wendy, who had been her personal entertainment and rival since their first meeting. She stammered a bit before she asked, "B-But... But... But why?!"
Maleficent answered, "It is for your own good. I cannot risk losing you to someone whose skill in the Keyblade has matured every passing day. I insist that you leave her to us. You must focus on the tasks before you."
Kaze crossed her arms and pouted, "But I want to fight Wendy. She's my favorite playmate, the best I've ever had in a long time."
Maleficent reasoned, "She is a constant threat. I tried to warn you how dangerous she is, but over the past days, you've been more and more distant. You have proven with your inability that you are not fully trained."
Kaze retorted, "And you think pushing corny assignments on me would solve everything? You let the villains do what they want; why can't you let me do what I want? This is my life too, you know!"
Maleficent said coolly, "That is never my decision to make. They are powerful in their own right, and so are you. What we do is just. But alas, your decision was based on short-sightedness."
Kaze yelled angrily, "You think my decision is stupid?! I did what I had to do! Whether you like it, and whether the council likes it, I don't care!" She swiped her hand for emphasis, "I can do whatever the hell I want!" Her voice rose to a roar, "So STOP SCOLDING ME like a child!" Her breathing came in furious pants.
Maleficent froze at her associate's outburst, waiting to ensure she calmed down from her rant. She didn't seem angry; she only appeared a little amused. "Do you believe you're entitled to everything simply because you have strength, power, and the right to do what you want? That presupposition that you can do whatever it is you want is a clear sign of your lack of common sense." Her lips curled into a smile, "The worth of a living being is measured by what they do with power, not by having it. Power, if properly used with a clear mind, can be a sharp tool. Abuse it, and it can lead to..." She chuckled softly to herself, before she gave Kaze an assuring look. "When I found you, Kaze, I saw raw, untamed darkness dwelling within you. It spirals beyond your control, no matter how you use it. When the time is right, I will help perfect your control over your darkness without relying on that dull crystal resting in your body..."
Kaze touched her stomach. She whispered, "My Dark Drive Lacrima..."
Maleficent continued, "...and you will be free to use it as you please. If Wendy Marvell has learned to harness her gift, you must take care to protect yours. There is only so much I can do to aid you."
Kaze narrowed her eyes with suspicion, "What about it? Is there a catch involved here or something?"
Maleficent looked somewhat shocked as she echoed Kaze's words, "Catch? What's the catch?" Keeping her smile, she bent down to the dark pink-haired girl and placed a hand on her cheek. "Silly girl. You're like a daughter to me. I only want you to be happy."
Kaze slapped her hand away from her face. She sneered, "I seriously doubt that."
Maleficent straightened, the smile wiped from her face. "Believe what you wish. But lest we forget, I kept my end of the bargain." She gently stroked the green orb on her staff, "You will join Mirajane and Captain Hook in our vessel. Expect the orders soon."
Kaze gritted her teeth, her hands balled to fists. With an indignant growl, she turned away and walked her way to the exit, a frustrated, furious tear tracing the side of her face. Her breathing uneven, she swallowed back the rest, the pain of conflicted conscience intensifying.
Author's Note:
FINALLY! The Agrabah arc is done! Sorry about the long wait for this chapter. Between vacation time, family visits, and watching movies like Avengers: Infinity War, I've been kind of busy. This chapter, I believe, is the most ambitious I've ever written with lots of words to boot and a lot of storytelling potential. I couldn't disappoint anyone, so I hope that's enough. Here's the recap: Wendy fought both Jafar and Kaze for the Keyhole, and more secrets behind the unknown connection between the two rivals had been revealed! The drama, the excitement, the comedy...
Things have definitely hit the ceiling in this arc, especially in the next one- the Monstro arc, when Wendy and her friends reunite with Pinocchio and another lost Fairy Tail wizard. Expect a lot of surprises to come... I encourage you all to read it and share your thoughts. Give me more favs, follows, and reviews, for I appreciate the support you've given me. I don't ever want it to stop.
This is TheSavageMan100, signing out. See you later!
