Author's Note:
Howdy, folks! TheSavageMan100 is here, and before we get started, I'd like to inform you about a few things. In this second half of the Monstro Arc, elements from the Pinocchio film will be implemented, so expect lots of surprises and drama in the end. By the way, I saw the KHIII Big Hero 6 trailer, and it looks amazing! The new Organization XIII is close to completion, I can tell. And Roxas is back! I can't take it anymore... Somebody pinch me, 'cause I must be dreaming.

Now then, let's get this chapter started. It's been another long absence since, you know, work and stuff... but the conclusion of the Monstro Arc is finally here. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the chapter!


Mouth

Wendy, Romeo, Carla, Sherria, and Juvia emerged from the hole in the ceiling and planted their feet against the wooden floor. Surprisingly, they found themselves back on the deck of Geppetto's ship. Monstro's enormous mouth had undergone some changes since their battle with the Parasite Cage— the whale had apparently expelled some of the excess water surrounding his gums, providing access to several new wooden ledges no longer submerged. However, the decreased water level was not the major issue. Everywhere Wendy and her allies saw, it was a total mess. The pile of shipwrecks now sported the scars of what seemed to be a struggle more grueling than had ever been seen. The remains of boats stood bleak against the water: some suffered only a few broken planks, others had been reduced to piles of wood and ash. At the very least, Geppetto's vessel, as well as the Gummi Ship, were not counted among the broken. Even the walls making up the mouth's exterior sustained no damage. As the five tried to estimate what caused the incident, it struck them in the form of beaten and bruised friends sprawled throughout the shipwrecks.

"Donald! Goofy!" Wendy exclaimed.

"Mr. and Mrs. Connell!" Romeo shouted.

"Levy!" Juvia gasped.

Those shocked expressions said it all; there was Donald, stuck to a nearly sunken yard of wood. Goofy, his body half-frozen in a glacier. Levy, standing on one knee and fastening her injured arm. Alzack and Bisca, who collapsed on a ledge, Asuka hopelessly trying to wake her parents up. There was one person who stayed long enough to confront the scene of the crime- Elfman, who morphed into Beast Soul: Belcusas and threw a volley of fists in a roaring frenzy. The punches were but a blur, flying swiftly against the suspect over and over, only to have them expertly deflected by a blade of crimson and violet. Kaze Viriniam was standing on a high ledge, parrying Elfman's blows with a Soul Eater in one hand, a familiar marionette clutched under her other arm.

"Stop toying with me!" Elfman demanded. "If you're a real woman, fight me like you mean it!"

"Man, you're taking things way out of proportion," Kaze yawned, as she was not amused by Elfman's struggle. "How long do you have to keep up this pointless charade?"

"How long?! Until I beat you like a drumstick! That's how long!" Elfman spat. "Your days are numbered! For kidnapping my guild and my big sis, I'm making you pay! Do you hear me?! Rrrraaggghh!" Each thrown fist was punctuated by pained and rage-racked yelling, meant to make Kaze feel the same terrible indignity she had wrought.

Kaze simply blocked every single one of Elfman's punches, her bored air indicating she was tired of playing games, until she finally saw an opportunity. She turned her Soul Eater into Revolver Mode and opened fire a multitude of rapid shots, stinging Elfman's exposed chest like a swarm of bees. "You annoy me. Why don't you do me a favor and go away?" The next ingredient was a supercharged Meteor Bullet. Then changing back to Blade Mode, she hurled five Zero Waves, the last one crashing Elfman onto the deck of Geppetto's ship.

"Elfman!" Romeo cried.

"Are you okay?" Wendy worried.

"There's no point in finding the missing pieces since they can't afford to fit on the board," Kaze went on. "Heck, we still have plenty of resources to carry out our world-conquering schemes! We've fine with what we've got. The strays are of no concern to me. Not anymore. I'm coveting a much bigger prize."

"Big Brother Elf..." Another voice came from behind Wendy and her teammates. They turned to the bedroom and saw Lisanna and Geppetto looking up at the ledge Kaze was standing on. The younger Strauss sibling received moderate wounds, implying that she fought the Sleepy Hollow guild master before Elfman took her place. She approached her brother on shaky legs, all the while clutching her badly bruised shoulder. "Please don't push yourself..."

"I'm fine..." Elfman winced from the pain in his chest, barely able to get back to his knees. "I'm just getting started."

"What's going on?" Wendy asked. "What happened?"

"It was the leader of Sleepy Hollow," Lisanna wheezed. "She appeared out of nowhere with someone tucked in her arm. We tried to stop her, but she's really tough."

"She even beat us with just one arm," Goofy pointed out, as he twisted his head from his half-frozen body to look at Wendy. "I guess that explains why you were havin' a rough time on your own back in Agrabah. Kaze sure packs a wallop."

"We didn't get to see them fight," Romeo sighed regretfully. "We weren't even there to help her."

"Sorry, guys," Wendy apologized. "I did the best I could to hold her off."

"Just how tough is that woman?" Donald whined. "How many push-ups did she do? How many sit-ups?" His voice rose to a high-pitched quack, "WHAT KIND OF JUICE DID SHE DRINK?!"

"Donald, really..." Carla groaned.

"On the bright side, the Gummi Ship's still okay," Goofy continued. "We used the gummi blocks from Juvia's ship to fix the engine. Good news is, the clog's gone. We're up and runnin' again!"

"That's great!" Sherria beamed.

"The auto-repair system's turned on, so we'll have to wait a few minutes before we start flyin' again," Goofy reminded. "Once the ship's all prepped up, we'll bust outta that big ol' whale's belly, and we're home free!"

"Now our troubles are over," Juvia sighed in satisfaction.

"We don't have time to celebrate!" Carla insisted. "There's a crisis in our hands!"

"Look who decided to come back!" Kaze called out from her spot at the ledge, catching the attention of everyone present. "That means you've defeated that Parasite Cage at the end of that labyrinth. I wish I was there to see the action. I'd give it an eleven on scale of one to ten. But this is only the prelude of what comes next." She winked at Wendy, "Our much awaited rematch is just around the corner, so be patient."

Wendy glared up at the girl who set up this game of cat-and-mouse throughout the depths of Monstro's innards. "Kaze! What did you do to Pinocchio?"

Kaze answered, "Oh, you mean the living doll? He's safe with me. For now." She presented the unconscious Pinocchio tucked under her arm, making it clear for Wendy and the others to see. They gasped at seeing the young puppet thrown in such a predicament.

Geppetto nearly suffered a heart attack from witnessing what happened to his son, and feared for the worst. "Pinocchio! Pinocchio!" He ran over near the edge of the deck and begged Kaze with all his heart, unable to bear the thought of losing the most precious thing he ever had. "Please! Give me back my son!"

Kaze smirked, "Sorry, old timer. I've got an appointment with this puppet. It's not nice keeping a patient waiting for his check-up, you know? All he needs is a first-class treatment, courtesy of Dr. Viriniam!" She laughed slightly at the joke she just made, "I crack myself up."

Sherria questioned, "You always find humor in any situation, good or bad, don't you?"

Kaze chuckled, "It's how I do things. If I'm going to live my life to the fullest, I'm living it in style!" She looked over to Pinocchio, "And style is what our leading actor's in for when he sets foot on the stage. The only puppet in the universe who can move, talk, sing, and dance without the use of strings... Now that's something for the headlines! He'll be an instant sensation! Until then, I need to prep up my main star. If he doesn't live up to my standards..." She sighed to herself, "I'm gonna have to throw him in the fireplace. Things grow old too fast."

Wendy and her friends were baffled at how low Kaze would stoop to. She seemed to be taking amusement in playing others for tools as a means to see her goals achieved. Wendy began to protest on Pinocchio's behalf, "Pinocchio's more than a puppet. He's a human, just like us. He can think and feel as much as we do!" She closed her hand around her heart, adding much more emphasis to her explanation. "I saw what Pinocchio felt... He was happy, curious, and sometimes scared. Most of all, he longed to see his father again. He missed him very much. He loves his father, and his father loves him. You need to have a heart to feel emotions. If anyone can feel, so can a puppet! I just know it!"

Geppetto was touched by Wendy's statement, and tried to back it up. "She's right. Pinocchio is my little boy, no matter what he looks like."

Romeo boasted, "That's right! Sure, he's a puppet, but he's got a heart like us."

Sherria added, "It's the inside that counts, so there!" She poked her tongue at the Sleepy Hollow wizard.

Kaze adjusted her hold on Pinocchio. "A puppet with a heart? What a weird thing to say." She took a meaningful glance at her captive, "This animate piece of balsa wood's an odd case. Not all things are born with hearts, but what you said about what's inside, he may have a clue on how to help someone who's lost theirs."

Wendy wondered, "Lost? What do you mean?"

Kaze replied, "Remember our talk at the Cave of Wonders? Our mission is to collect nine Princesses of Heart and use their combined power to unveil the final door. We've found eight, which leaves us with only one left to find."

Wendy asked, "Eight? You're almost there?"

Kaze admitted, "Yeah, but finding the last princess just got a lot more complicated. So far, no maiden in every world we've surveyed doesn't have a heart of pure light." She then smiled, "But to be honest, I don't care how long. It's only a matter of time before she's nipped in the bud like the others before her. One's a desert flower, the other's a daydreamer lost in a wonderland."

Sherria gasped, "Desert flower? Wonderland? You mean Jasmine and Alice? They're involved in all this?!"

Wendy realized, "You kidnapped them... You were tricking us all along!"

Carla frowned, "The Heartless and dark guilds were merely a diversion, so you could bring them to Maleficent."

Kaze grinned, "Technically, some friends of mine did the kidnapping. But get this; I would've gotten myself involved if they hadn't cooperated. Think about it, Blueberry. All this hard work, all in the space of days. Legions of villains across the universe, united by a common goal. Nine hearts, one flame, one door. Speaking of, it's not just the princesses we're after. It's pure dragon fire, too. The only magic capable of breaking the barrier. We've spent all day trying to find someone capable of wielding it."

Wendy was visibly shocked. She knew whom Kaze was speaking of, but she had a strange feeling there was more to it than that. The subject on "someone who lost their heart" still lingered.

Kaze stated, "You see, completing every item on the list wasn't as easy as it sounds. The shopping spree's had its own ups and downs. For example, a salmon fish swims upstream, only to lose its way. Now it stays afloat on the river, dead as a dormouse." She slumped her back on the wall, "We were so close... Victory would've been ours if I hadn't shown restraint. But what happened then? I blew out the candle." She started to chuckle a little, "Look how pathetic I am. All the training and therapy sessions, and I couldn't control my temper. Even now, I couldn't control the darkness inside me!" Kaze snarled as her lips curled, her anger slowly surfacing. Clenching her fist, she started working herself into a frenzy, with speckles of black electricity forming around her. "It was all ME! That fire-breathing monkey lost his heart because of me! All because I couldn't keep in check that stupid repository of dark magic in my body!"

Fire-breathing monkey? But that could only mean... At that moment, Wendy felt her face grow cold. "Wait a minute! Are you talking about Natsu?"

Romeo gasped in shock at the mention of his idol, and looked up to stare at the Sleepy Hollow wizard. "Natsu?! You did something to him?!"

A pair of icy eyes gazed down upon Wendy and Romeo so quickly that it caused them to stand their ground. Kaze's face was cold and severe, and her voice even more so. "Even if I did, does it matter?"

Wendy and Romeo demanded in unison, the fact that Kaze committed a crime against Natsu emboldening them with concern for their Fire Dragon Slayer friend. "Tell me what you know about Natsu!"

Kaze snapped, "Like you care! My business is none of yours!"

Those words hit a soft spot. Wendy and Romeo were stunned as to why Kaze rebutted them over Natsu's fate. One minute, she was cheerful and happy-go-lucky, the next she was reduced to a harsh woman who refused to let on some terrible secret she kept bottled up. Throughout the span of their rivalry, Wendy had never seen Kaze act so cold before. Judging by the face, the dark pink-haired girl didn't exactly get a lot of slack from a certain event in the past, an event that affected her gravely. Even though she was still the ever cheerful one, her changed attitude seemed to indicate that she had fallen from grace. Kaze gave one last glance before departing from the wooden ledge with Pinocchio in tow, on her way to another tunnel positioned in a cylinder bone-like platform above the first.

"YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY!" Elfman jumped after Kaze following a brief recovery, about to fly another fist. The latter raised her hand and brought down a mighty 15-hit slash combination paired with six Zero Waves, sending the man flying and rolling back into the deck beside Lisanna.

"I'm outta here..." Kaze muttered, not wanting to be disturbed right now. She then disappeared with the unconscious puppet into the second tunnel.

"Big Brother Elf!" Lisanna knelt down to the side of her injured brother, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Please, hang in there!"

"I'm fine..." Elfman coughed in pain, lacking the strength to move a muscle. "Don't worry about me..."

"We gotta go after Kaze," Wendy turned to her friends. "She still has Pinocchio."

"Sounds like a plan," Romeo confirmed with a nod. "There's a lot of questions that need asking. Like, what does Natsu have to do with her? And what did she mean about losing his heart? I have a bad feeling about this..."

"Me too," Wendy agreed. "She has to know something." Deep down, she knew this was another opportunity to uncover more hidden truths, about what happened to Natsu before Earth-land's descent into darkness, and if the dreams of her forgotten past proved right. Kaze was probably waiting for her on the other side, hungry for another fight. The visions, the deeds, the incidents... It all came down full circle. This may be Wendy's only chance.

"What about the others?" Juvia interjected, motioning to the ones who had fallen in battle before the search party made its return. "Kaze did a number on our friends, leaving them in no condition to fight. And with just one arm!"

"I know, right?" Goofy nodded. "Good thing I'm the only one who don't get hurt real bad. She turned half my body into a popsicle and left me there like it was nothin'."

"Leave the others to me. I've still got some magic left," Donald proposed, slowly rising from the shipwreck in spite of the beating he took. "As soon as I heal everyone and bust Goofy outta the ice, we'll get the ship running. If we can, we'll help you catch up to Kaze."

"Come on, Wendy," Sherria suggested. "Let's teach Kaze a thing or two. And we'll do it together."

"No..." Wendy shook her head. "I'll have to go alone this time."

"Huh?!" Donald and Goofy asked incredulously.

"W-Why not?" Sherira stammered.

"Kaze came here because she's after me," Wendy explained. "She'll do anything to get to me, even if it means hurting you. I don't want to risk involving you guys in this."

"Awwww..." Donald, Goofy, and Sherria moaned at the same time. They just wanted to be of help to their Sky Dragon Slayer companion.

"I'm going there to face her," Wendy appeased their worries. "I have to."

"Well, I'm going with you," Romeo stepped in front of her. "If she knows what happened to Natsu, that makes it my business, too. He's my big bro, and I can't stop thinking about him. I wanna see him again. So do you, right?"

"Romeo, I..." Wendy began.

"I'll come along as well," Carla joined him. "Your safety is of my highest concern, hence my responsibilities."

"Well, I'm going, too," Sherria complied. "I can't just let my best friend go on her own, can I?"

"I'm not asking you to do that," Wendy admitted.

"We didn't ask," Romeo pointed out.

"We volunteered," Sherria added.

Wendy had many things she wanted to say, but she couldn't find the time to work herself up into another emotional speech. Still, she couldn't deny the two's determination. They had their own reasons for coming along; Romeo's desire to see Natsu, Carla's duty as a guardian, and Sherria's loyalty to her best friend.

"Thanks, guys," Wendy smiled warmly, touched by her three friends' obligation. "I'm glad you're with me."

"Hey, what are friends for?" Romeo smiled back.

"Yeah, that's right!" Sherria agreed.

"It's settled, then," Carla confirmed.

"Are you sure about this?" Juvia questioned. "Will you four be enough?"

"Trust me, even on our own, we've faced our fair share of problems," Sherria assured. "We'll get it done in no time."

"Well, I guess we should leave it to you guys," Goofy shrugged. "That leaves us to clean up the mess Kaze made."

"But you gotta promise us something," Donald bargained. "The next time you see her, I want you to give her the what for. Yell if you need help, okay?"

"I will," Wendy accepted. Before leaving, she turned to Geppetto and gave him a sincere look. "We'll bring Pinocchio back to you safe and sound, Mister Geppetto. I promise you."

"Please do," Geppetto nodded. "I want my son back."

"Let's go!" Wendy looked in the direction Kaze walked off to.

"Right!" Romeo, Sherria, and Carla moved over to her side.

"Good luck, Wendy!" Goofy encouraged.

"Go out there and kick that broad's butt!" Donald urged.

"We'll hold the fort till you get back," Juvia promised.

Thus did Wendy, Romeo, Sherria, and Carla go after the escaping guild master of Sleepy Hollow by climbing the piles of wood around the mouth. Just as they were about to enter the second tunnel, Wendy noticed an anomalous blue light radiating from a nearby treasure chest long since opened. Curious, she approached the chest and reached her hand into the brimming void. The object she pulled out was revealed to be a gleaming sapphire stone shaped like a drop of water. The more Wendy looked closer into it, there was a familiar force of life deep within. And then she recognized it. "Another Summon Gem?"

"Hey, Wendy!" Romeo's voice brought Wendy back to reality. She put the stone away and saw that he and Sherria were standing next to the tunnel Kaze had entered.

"Coming!" Wendy called back, and kept up the pace with Carla flying alongside her. She was going to confirm her suspicions with Kaze— the name of the girl she dreamt about, the name of the girl she grew up with and admired, the name of the girl who had watched over her like a big sister— no matter what it took. It was a vow she had every intention of keeping, and her vigor implored her not to stop.

Throat

The four heroes hurried along what was suspected to be Monstro's esophagus, a tall pink chamber with a series of ledges to ascend. A horde of Search Ghosts, Shadows, Yellow Operas, Blue Rhapsodies, and Air Soldiers blocked their path, only to be blasted by Rainbow Fire spells, mowed by a trail of Sky God Slayer Magic, struck by lightning fast kicks, and slashed by the Keyblade in a powerful string. After defeating the final wave of Heartless, they jumped from ledge to ledge until they reached the ceiling, which opened another tunnel for them to access.

"This is it," Wendy determined in her thoughts. "It's all or nothing!" The fiery resolve burned brighter than ever. She was almost there...


Stomach

Wendy, Romeo, Sherria, and Carla soon entered the whale's stomach, which appeared to be a dome-like chamber. The round floor was encircled by a pool of putrid stomach acid, and fleshy platforms of some sort lined the walls. On one of the platforms sat Pinocchio, slumped on the floor in a dazed state. Kaze stood over him, staring at him as though she were trying to figure out how the wooden boy was capable of sentience.

Upon seeing them there, Wendy took a step forward. "There you are!"

Kaze turned her attention to the four, greeting them with a sarcastic grin. "Where's the rest of your parade? Too ashamed to follow their leader?"

Romeo frowned, "They're resting in Monstro's mouth. And don't think for a second we'll let you hurt them again. Because now you'll have to deal with us."

Wendy interrupted, "Wait!" She gently took Romeo's hand before a fight could escalate. "I'll talk to her. I'm the one she wants." The Rainbow Fire wizard hesitated, but seeing that she was assertive in her suggestion, he decided to let the Sky Maiden have her say. That, and because her theory of Kaze being the mystery girl was yet to come to light. Wendy spoke to Kaze, "We can find a way to settle this. Just let Pinocchio go and no one will get hurt. Can we at least talk?"

Kaze hopped from the platform Pinocchio was sitting on and landed in the middle. Once again, the rivals found themselves face to face. "Exactly what we're doing. Surely this is what you want before we get started on our playtime, right? A conversation between us friends?"

Wendy trailed off, "That's not the point! We—"

Kaze interrupted, "How clever of you to notice the extreme lengths I had to resort to in order to ensure every task goes by without fail. But would you believe me if I told you what I'm doing is intentional?"

Sherria repeated, "Intentional? Is that what you call it? Kidnapping a minor?"

Carla sneered, "You seem carefree in putting others in harm's way. How revolting."

Kaze stated, "There are two sides in every evil. Obviously, I'm doing the lesser; playing strings on a puppet that somebody worked his butt off to make." She glanced at her unmoving captive out the corner of her eye, "Not just any puppet, but one that lost its heart to the Heartless... Chances are, we can learn from this piece of wooden junk how to help our fire dragon friend."

Wendy gasped, "Natsu...?"

Romeo exclaimed, "You DO know something! What happened to him? And where is he?"

Kaze replied coolly, "I'm not telling you anything, kid."

Romeo demanded, "Tell me now!"

Kaze taunted, "Did I stutter? I'm not. Telling you. Anything. Now if you're done asking, go eat your cookies, drink your milk, and play somewhere else!"

That insult was enough to make Romeo shake with outrage. "YOU...!" He rushed over to grab Kaze by the side of her chest and punch her continuously in the face, meant to make her feel the anguish and desperation he was feeling right now. "TELL ME WHERE NATSU IS! RIGHT NOW!" Every hard punch came with the same demand of wanting to see his idol again. Tears rolled down his face, wrought with frustration. "TELL ME! TELL ME! TELL ME! TELL ME!" Romeo just kept on punching and screaming, until he lacked the stamina to raise his fists. Kaze took all of this patiently, flinching only at the temper tantrum. She had expected as much. "WHERE'S NATSU?! ANSWER ME! WHERE IS HE?!"

Kaze finally responded, "Simmer down!" She thrust her palm into Romeo's chest, pushing him away with great force.

Wendy grabbed Romeo's shoulders, trying to calm him down. "Romeo, please..."

Sherria followed suit, "Take it easy... Don't lose it..."

Romeo didn't say anything, only kept his tearstained glare at Kaze, who merely examined him as if he was a piece of rare and valuable art. "Huh, that's some nasty temper you got there. Just what I'd expect from Macao's little firecracker."

Every muscle froze in Romeo's body at hearing his father's name. "D-Dad?"

Wendy saw fear rising in the Rainbow Fire wizard again, and asked her own question. "Macao? You know him, too?"

Kaze explained, "You didn't think you're the only one I've been keeping a close eye on? Hours before Earth-land was lost to darkness, I met an old man reading a newspaper near the station in Shirotsume. A Fairy Tail wizard, as he turned out. It was so easy to coerce him into disclosing the location of Tenrou Island, where the Keyhole secretly rested. And you knew what happened next!" She laughed with a nasty air at that, "Finding it would've been so difficult if it weren't for him! Thanks to Macao, another world went down the drain!"

Wendy whispered, "No... Mr. Macao..."

Carla growled, "So that's how you were able to find our world's Keyhole! You captured one of our own and forced him to reveal our sacred ground to evil forces! You fiend!"

Kaze continued, "Of course, we shipped him along with the Fairy Tail leverage. But unlike the others, I made him a personal guest in my secret hangout at the base. We've been playing cards under the same roof ever since." She averted her gaze towards Romeo, who was stunned by the revelation. "Ain't that right, fire under the rainbow? Yeah, that's right. I know all about you from him."

Romeo's breath came quicker. "You do...?"

Kaze stated, "If it's your old man you're worried about, there's no reason to be. He's in good hands. I saved him a front-row seat so he can watch his son play the supporting actor in Wendy's stage play. Oh, and to show my generosity, I fed him, groomed him, cleaned him, and gave him a hour or less of bathroom breaks."

Romeo got to his feet before Wendy and Sherria could help him, horrified and outraged. "You kidnapped him..."

Carla wondered, "Have you been spying on us?"

Kaze shook her head, "No, not really. I didn't examine you from afar so I could report your progress to Maleficent. I only did it just to keep myself entertained!" She turned to Wendy, "Of all the shows I've seen and enjoyed, Blueberry, you are the best. Without someone like you and Romeo, universal domination can get pretty boring."

Wendy muttered, "Kaze…"

Romeo snarled, "You monster...! How could someone like you enjoy hurting people so much? My friends! Natsu! MY DAD!"

Kaze grinned, "Speaking of, there's one thing I've been meaning to say when I see you around." She paused to let her message sink in, "Your dad says hi."

Romeo bellowed, "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!"

Kaze replied casually, "I'm just a pretty little girl. Welcome to the neighborhood, kid."

That was the last straw. Romeo yelled furiously and advanced towards Kaze, a clenched fist of Purple Fire. Just as the jab was close to reaching her face, Kaze vanished in a Shadow Step, allowing it to miss and force Romeo down to the floor. Before he knew it, a swarm of crimson bullets and Zero Waves struck him from head to toe, and he was blown back to Wendy and Carla by an Eclipse Bolt. Kaze resurfaced, having recently switched her Soul Eaters back from Lance Mode to Blade Mode. The Sky Maiden witnessed the state her friend was in, and began to grow afraid. Regardless, he couldn't stop himself from lashing out, never pausing for breath and grunting with each attempt. Ever calm and collected, Kaze simply outclassed the angry boy in every regard. Finally, in Romeo's fourth attempt, Sherria grabbed him from behind, restraining his arms and lifting him up, leaving him to kick the empty space. A distressed Wendy embraced his chest, not bearing to see him rush into danger so recklessly.

Wendy screamed, "Romeo, stop! Please! Don't listen to her!"

Sherria shouted, "She's just trying to trick you! Calm down!"

Carla insisted, "Get a hold of yourself, Romeo!"

Romeo cried out, "No! I... I have to... my dad... He's..." His chest fell and rose in furious breaths, letting off steam as his struggles weakened by the moment. Wendy could hardly believe her eyes; she had always seen him as a steadfast and cheerful boy, but never to express this much rage out of worry for the safety of someone he cared about. This wasn't the first time she saw someone lose their temper out of desperation and loss; there was Natsu, whose dragon Igneel was caught in the crossfire during the Tartaros incident, and even Tarzan, who lashed out at Clayton for shooting Kerchak.

The flames eventually died down, and Romeo knew where he was. He looked down to stare into Wendy's moistening eyes. He struggled for the right words, "Wendy, I..."

Wendy hushed in his ear to console him, tears gracefully falling down her cheeks. She whispered, "It's okay..." She wanted to promise Romeo that she and herself would search Macao and Natsu together to the ends of the universe if necessary, but no words were needed. She caressed the wavy locks in his dark hair down to his cheek, the smooth touch making him feel tender inside.

Romeo sighed in relief as he returned the embrace, and the two stayed that way for a couple of seconds. He knew better than to go berserk instead of focusing on the problem in front of him. Wendy's words of comfort were all that he needed.

Sherria slowly released her grip on Romeo's stomach and wiped sweat from her forehead, satisfied that he had calmed down. "Phew! All this hot air isn't gonna get us anywhere."

"Hey, thanks for putting out the fuse," Kaze told Wendy, as she put away her Soul Eaters. "All this hot air isn't gonna get us anywhere."

"I just said that!" Sherria argued. "That's my line!"

"Whatever," Kaze shrugged. "I thought the bomb could explode and make a mess of things, if not worse than the salmon-haired burnout."

"Natsu..." Wendy mentioned, having released Romeo from the hug. "You fought him in Earth-land, didn't you?"

"I did," Kaze nodded.

"And you said something about losing his heart," Wendy added. "What could have happened to him?"

"Yeah, that's something I've been meaning to tell you," Kaze sighed. "Natsu got afflicted by a serious ailment right after I defeated him. And I can honestly say, he doesn't look so good."

"H-He's not?" Romeo joined in on the conversation. "He literally lost his heart? Is that what you meant?" The uncertainty soon transformed into worry, as he tried to pull himself together. "No... Say it isn't so. Say it isn't true..."

"I don't believe you, Kaze," Wendy shook her head in refusal. "Natsu is one of our friends. He's like a brother to us. He would never lose to anything, even his own heart!"

"Well, hey!" Kaze dismissed. "Don't take my word for it. I checked his health. He's limp, but not lifeless. He's just taking a nap. I hope..."

"Are you speaking the truth?" Carla raised an eyebrow. "Or are you just lying to us?"

"That's a story for another time," Kaze confessed. "For now, just hear me out. See the living plank over there?" She motioned to Pinocchio, who was still in a trance. "He may hold the key to solving our Fire Dragon Slayer buddy's current dilemma." She walked towards the Sky Dragon Slayer, extending her hand to shake. "What do you say we put our match on hold and call a truce, Wendy? Let's join forces to save Natsu. He's a member of your guild, isn't he? If he's one of yours, if you wanna see him again that badly, then we'll have to team up." She pointed a thumb to herself, "Come on, Blueberry! Let's work together for once! Consider it our first team-up! You'll never find two other girls compatible as steak and fries."

All at once, Wendy replayed the visions in her mind. You'll never find two other girls compatible as steak and fries. Those were the exact same words the mystery girl said to her in Grandeeney's nest! If the dreams completely made sense, Kaze could be the perfect match for the other Sky Dragon Slayer. The girl with the same name, the same dark pink hair, and the same cheerful demeanor. Wendy wanted to relate what she knew thus far to Kaze, to know for sure if her rival truly was the sister figure she hardly remembered. But seeing that Kaze wasn't too keen on being likened to some imaginary friend (to her at least), Wendy had to find a way to get through to her. For now, she had to focus on stopping Kaze's dubious intentions.

"You know, I understand how serious you are in doing what's important," Wendy confirmed. "I feel the same way you do. We all have something to look for. We couldn't stop looking, no matter how far we go. But using people as pawns to get there? That's wrong. You don't seem to be acting nice when you asked me to join you. I know where this is going." She took a deep breath, then continued, "Maybe you're right. Natsu might be in danger after what happened between you and him, but..." She touched her heart, "...he's alive out there. I know he is."

"Natsu..." Romeo believed Wendy's words, a single tear tracing down his cheek.

"I will save Natsu. I will save everyone else," Wendy continued resolutely, then took out the Keyblade and prepared to fight. "But not your way."

"Huh?" Kaze stopped dead in her tracks, taken aback by Wendy's answer. "You'd choose to fight for a puppet that has no heart?"

"It's like I said before," Wendy narrowed her eyes. "Even a puppet can feel. But if he doesn't have a heart, well, at least he still has a conscience."

"Conscience?" Kaze raised her eyebrow. "That tiny voice in your head telling you right from wrong?"

Speaking of which, Jiminy hopped out of Wendy's pocket and hurried over to Pinocchio. The latter slowly set his eyes on the cricket, seemingly too weak to take action.

"I'm starting to wonder if you had a conscience," Wendy went on, tightening her grip on the Three Wishes. "Right now, mine tells me that what you're doing is wrong! You can't sacrifice other people just to get what you want!"

"If that's the way you wanna play, fine," Kaze groaned. "At least I get to have another round with you. So much for a truce..."

While Wendy and Kaze were having a face-off, Jiminy reached Pinocchio's side, crying the marionette's name in desperate fear over his poor condition. "Pinocchio! Pinocchio!"

Pinocchio just stared at him through half-shut eyelids and spoke in a pained tone. "Jiminy... I'm not gonna make it." And just when hope seemed lost, a flash of light occurred. Jiminy's eyes grew wide as he watched the wooden boy's nose gain a few inches its original length. Pinocchio stared at his slightly elongated nose in surprise, not knowing what he lied about, and then smiled. "Oh! I guess I'm okay!"

Jiminy had never been happier to find that Pinocchio was still alive. He jumped up and down in joy. A lie had saved the puppet's life!

Kaze watched the scene in disbelief. "No way! How did he...?!"

On the other hand, the four heroes were delighted to see Pinocchio restored to his happy and healthy self. Wendy cheered, "He's okay!"

Carla grinned, "Who would've thought a lie could work such a miracle? He didn't lose anything after all!"

Sherria boasted, "Ha! In your face, Kaze! Pinocchio still has a heart!"

Kaze growled, "Just when I thought things are starting to get good... That's it!" She drew her Soul Eaters, and immediately fell into a fighting stance. "We'll do it the old fashioned way!"

Wendy declared, "It's just us now, Kaze! You won't get away this time!"

Sherria agreed, "Yeah! We can do this!"

Kaze kept silent at first, visibly irritated that everything had not gone as she had hoped. Then she closed her eyes and began to chuckle. "So, you think it's going to be that easy..." When she opened them, the teal irises were smothered in black. "...do ya?" With that said, a protective aura of darkness flared around her. She lunged at Wendy and gave her a knee to the chest, the surge of energy effectively pushing both the Sky Maiden and herself through the tunnel and out of the whale's stomach. The two girls vanished from plain sight, falling into shadows.

Romeo and Sherria cried out, "Wendy!" Before they could give chase, the Parasite Cage from before fell from a hole in the ceiling. The thud shook the dome-like structure, allowing a portion of the acid to rise up before sloshing down.

Carla yelled, "Pinocchio! Jiminy! Get out of here! We'll handle this!" They didn't need to be told twice. Pinocchio got to his feet, scooped Jiminy in his hands, and quickly made a beeline for the exit. A barrier sealed the tunnel shortly afterwards, leaving the white Exceed and her companions trapped with the Heartless.

Sherria moaned, "Not again! Why can't it leave us alone?"

Carla affirmed, "If I didn't know better, I'd say Kaze is preventing us from interfering in her personal match with Wendy. I'm certain it will begin soon. She desires fighting Wendy more than anything else. If you can see the obsession in her eyes, I'm certain she'll do anything to get what she wants, even keep us at bay. With each passing moment, her lust grows, and Wendy will be in danger more than ever."

Romeo tensed, "I don't like the sound of that..."

Carla suggested, "The first thing we have to do is clear out the obstacle in front of us. That Heartless obviously doesn't want to let us go without a fight. There's no other option."

Sherria confirmed, "Okay, but once we're finished, we'll get to Wendy. She's gonna need our help!"

Romeo cried, "Hang in there, Wendy... We're on our way!" He and the other two plunged themselves into the fray, facing the Parasite Cage's slimy wrath one more time.


Inner Chambers

Still keeping her hold on Wendy, Kaze ricocheted along the walls of Monstro's throat until they crashed through the floor, the organs giving way to a hole which they fell through. As they collapsed on even more solid ground, they stood back up to find themselves in a chamber complete with wide-open spaces, which would make the ideal battlefield for their third bout.

Kaze grinned, "Here we are, back in the lamp chamber. And no cat-sicle to spectate us this time."

Wendy frowned, "Leave my friends out of this. This is between you and me."

Kaze chuckled, "Word of advice, Blueberry: you're little on the short side if you're trying to be threatening. But you're right, though. You knew I was coming for you, that we're going to fight each other again. You knew this was going to happen."

Wendy protested, "I don't understand! Why do we always have to fight?! Can't you see this is pointless? I just wanna talk to you!"

Kaze retorted, "I told you. Business doesn't talk big. Whether it's personal or professional, it always comes first. Sorry, but it'll take more than words to sway me." She stanced with her Soul Eaters, "Now get your act together! Round 3 has begun! I'm dying to kick your butt into next week!"

Wendy pleaded, even as she got into position with the Three Wishes, "Kaze... Don't do this..."

Kaze shouted, "Prepare to lose, Wendy!"

This signified as the starting bell for the third round, and both sides started to move. The two heated rivals matched blow for blow in rapid succession, one easily telegraphing and evading every swipe while the other managed to land directly, often following with a random assortment of magical techniques. The clash ended in no less than five minutes when Kaze Shadow Stepped across the room, then reappeared behind Wendy. Before she could attack, she was on the receiving end of a Sky Dragon's Claw and a Sky Dragon's Wing Attack, sending her crashing to the floor. Kaze made a fast recovery and went for an overhead Zero Wave. She only managed to slice air as Wendy ducked under, then scratched the chest with a Sky Dragon's Crushing Fang. The two threw themselves in another fierce clash of blades and elemental projectiles, most of them expertly countered from both sides. Another five minutes, and Kaze quickly saw an opening, executing a string of Spinning Frosts and Astral Wheels. The Sky Dragon Slayer grunted from each blow pounding her body violently. Kaze then nailed an energized swipe that blew Wendy to the wall. However, she planted her feet against the organic structure and shot herself forward, performing a Sonic Blade aiming to collide with Kaze. The Sleepy Hollow wizard avoided the attack by Shadow Stepping to the side. Shifting her Soul Eaters to Revolver Mode, she cast Deadly Fireworks. As the crimson bullets homed on her, Wendy cartwheeled around the shots. They exploded rapidly and forced her back. With Wendy preoccupied with the Deadly Fireworks, Kaze Shadow Stepped around her rival and delivered seven Meteor Bullets across the back. Spinning herself around, Wendy extinguished the projectiles with Blizzara, then retaliated with a 12-hit Keyblade slash. The last blow registered, knocking the dark pink-haired girl away.

"Good as always," Kaze smirked. "But surely this isn't your real strength. Why won't you let it out? Or are you saving the best for last?"

"You insist on fighting me?" Wendy glared. "If that's how it's going to be, I'll just have to beat it out of you!"

"Try and beat me," Kaze taunted. "If you can!"

Wendy went for a straight swing, but Kaze ducked under the blow, morphing her Soul Eaters into Lance Mode at the same capacity, then went for a slash attempt. Wendy dodged and leveled her rival with a 9-hit slash, ending with a Fira spell that forced her rival to reel back.

Gathering successive energy in her Soul Eater Lance, Kaze launched a massive bolt of particle electricity from the tip. "Eclipse Bolt!"

Condensing a stream of magic around the steel of the Keyblade, Wendy countered the enemy's attack. "Stun Impact!"

The energy sphere deflected the Eclipse Bolt in an explosive blast. When the smoke cleared, she launched herself straight at Kaze and kicked her in the gut with Sky Dragon's Claw. Kaze reeled back from the blow, before countering with five Dark Sparks and four Storm Rings. As a countermeasure, Wendy encased herself in an Aero spell. Blade and lance collided, with Kaze sometimes getting the better of Wendy and counterattacking with techniques such as Dark Spark, Storm Ring, or Thunder Dancer. Fortunately, the damage wasn't so severe, as Wendy's defensive wind barrier helped her withstand the Soul Eater Lance's thunder-based attacks for a short period of time. The clash ended when a Sonic Blade sundered Kaze at breakneck speed. She reeled back from the blows as Wendy followed up with a 12-hit Keyblade combination, then finished with Stun Impact. Focusing her Sky Dragon Slayer Magic on her arms and legs, Wendy continued her assault, only for Kaze to Shadow Step out of sight. Just as the Sky Maiden stopped, Kaze phased in front of her rival and jabbed her with a powerful 50-hit lance combo, before blasting her up in the air. Wendy made an aerial recovery, and Kaze's Soul Eaters reverted back to Blade Mode. A short aerial brawl escalated, ending with Kaze shoving Wendy down to the ground with seven Cold Crosses. The Sleepy Hollow wizard then fired a Subzero Blast, freezing solid the swirling winds that composed the Aero spell and shattering them into tiny shards of ice, breaking the spell. At the same time, the piercing chill seared Wendy's skin.

"How'd you like that, blowhard?" Kaze mocked. "Too much stimulation for you?"

"I won't give up..." Wendy gritted her teeth. "Not until I..."

"Zero Wave! Frozen Silk! Wild Arcanum!" Kaze cast a random number of spells based on her Soul Eater Blades in an attempt to confuse Wendy, Shadow Stepping from one spot to another. With great precision, Wendy eluded the shuffle by jumping or cartwheeling over them. Two minutes later, when Kaze missed a Frozen Silk, Wendy dealt nine Keyblade swings, launching the Sleepy Hollow wizard airborne. She jumped and engaged her rival in a fast 12-hit aerial combo, but the string was cut short when Kaze Shadow Stepped away. "Fire Serpent!" Taking advantage of the situation, the dark pink-haired girl changed her Soul Eaters into Revolver Mode and released a snake-shaped flamethrower aiming for Wendy's blind spot. The Sky Maiden saw it coming and put out the fire with Blizzara, distracted Kaze with Fira, then nailed her with a Sky Dragon's Roar.

"Sky Dragon's Crushing Fang! Sky Dragon's Wing Attack! Sonic Blade!" Utilizing different spells based on the Keyblade and her trademark magic, Wendy held off the onslaught of Kaze's Soul Eater Revolvers, and often managed to strike her distracted rival in a few combinations. Wendy got no more time to keep up her strategy, as what could only be described as a giant ball of electricity smashed into her at top speed, sending her flying across the chamber. She stabilized herself by sticking the Three Wishes on the squishy surface, eventually looking up to see Kaze with the Soul Eater Lance in hand. The Sleepy Hollow boss smiled smugly and edged forward with seven Storm Rings, five Dark Sparks, and a storm of Dark Thundaga. However, a Stun Impact cushioned the Storm Rings, and a Thunder spell neutralized the Dark Sparks. "Sky Dragon's Claw!" After eluding the Dark Thundaga bolts, Wendy pummeled Kaze six times with her wind-induced legs, sending the dark pink-haired youth reeling. She looked up, growling, at the angry Wendy.

"Stand down! What's the point in us fighting each other?!" Wendy demanded.

"You don't have a choice. This is our fate! You can't escape!" Kaze barked in response. She wasted no time in attacking Wendy again, jumping into the air with her Soul Eater Lance split into two individual blades. "Helm Split!" Wendy jumped out of the way and spirited across the chamber to avoid the trail of icy flames chasing after her. Once the Helm Split's flames died out, she dashed directly into Kaze, her legs empowered by a boost of wind. She took a swipe, only to miss when her opponent escaped with a Shadow Step. "Thunder Bomber!" She resurfaced with her Soul Eaters Lance, and a ball of dark purple energy slowly formed around the tip, very similar to what Wendy had been knocked away by, whom the conjurer hurled towards. The Thunder Bomber barely missed Wendy, grazing her hair strands. That didn't falter her, however, and she managed to land another swift Keyblade combo, paired with Sky Dragon's Claw and Sky Dragon's Crushing Fang. Kaze was smacked into the organic terrain, groaning with pain. Wendy closed in to restrain her dazed rival, but she Shadow Stepped and regained her footing in the blink of an eye. All Wendy could see was a purple outline of the Sleepy Hollow guild master before she looked up to see dozens of Dark Thundaga bolts raining down on her, which she dodged with ease.

Kaze attacked soon after, plunging her Soul Eater Lance into the ground and discharging a Thunder Dancer. Wendy was forced to jump back, never suspecting that her rival emerged behind her from another Shadow Step. An Eclipse Bolt came bursting from the lance, sending Wendy crashing to the wall. Kaze hurled another Thunder Bomber, but the Sky Dragon Slayer cast Thunder to repel the attack. Wendy cast Cure to restore a portion of her stamina before the dust made way, and anticipated Kaze Shadow Stepping in front of her. The Sleepy Hollow guild master came forward with Storm Rings and Dark Sparks, but Wendy dodged them all. She countered by propelling Kaze high into the air at the end of a furious Keyblade combo, then cast Blizzara and Gravity to reduce her target's health. By the time Kaze regained her stance, she engaged Wendy in another duel, a mixture of lightning and metal infecting the atmosphere, as the two parried and hit each other with the abilities of their choosing. At the clash's final moments, Wendy closed in on Kaze with a rapid Keyblade combo, Stun Impact, Sonic Blade, and then Sky Dragon's Roar, blasting the Sleepy Hollow wizard to the other side.

"You're going down!" Wendy launched herself for another swipe.

"Not today!" Kaze once again split the Soul Eater Lance into Soul Eater Blades, just in time to block Wendy's strike with her left. "Wild Arcanum!" Thirteen times she pummeled her rival with magic-fueled swipes. "Lance Mode! Thunder Dancer!" She discharged a multitude of bolts, trapping the Keyblade wielder in a field of electricity. "Revolver Mode! Deadly Fireworks!" She added a rain of magical bullets that erupted in an orchestra of fire. "Blade Mode! Subzero Blast!" Finally, she assimilated the Soul Eaters' chained edges and released a freezing particle laser at her downed opponent. But despite being smothered by the rush of powerful attacks, Wendy was still standing, albeit exhaustingly. She couldn't stop herself from panting- the combined force of elemental techniques did a number on her endurance, and she even used the Three Wishes as a support beam.

"Kaze..." Wendy wheezed. "Don't you even want to listen to what I have to say?"

"Enjoying yourself yet, Blueberry?" Kaze mocked. "Get up! I know this isn't the extent of your power!"

A single groan escaped the Sky Maiden's throat, and she slowly steadied herself. This was the point of no return. "You're right. I just needed to buy time..." She turned to the Three Wishes secured in her hand, having decided to activate her new Command Style based on the Keyblade's current form. "No matter what happens, I will stop you!" She assumed an elegant pose and closed her eyes, a stream of golden light coming from the tip of the Keyblade as it surrounded her in a glittering aura. Heart and light synchronized, she was ready to activate her trump card. "Three Wishes Command Style..."

Kaze encouraged, "That's right! Unleash the hidden power of the Keyblade! Do whatever it is you do! Otherwise, I can't use my own hidden power, either."

Wendy gasped between focusing her energy, "Huh?"

Kaze tensed her body, channeling her magic as a transparent orb materialized around her. Bolts of darkness surged around the sphere whilst her muscles shimmered with a menacing black ambience. The immense power she was accumulating resulted in a tremor that nearly rocked the whale's inner workings. Wendy paced herself, putting the Command Style's activation on temporary hold to sense the darkness within Kaze substantially growing. "It's the same darkness Kaze used to increase her power the last time we fought," she thought out loud. "Even now, it's getting intense..."

"Dark Drive: Level 2... Release!" Kaze chanted, howling as the orb exploded and released an expanding aura of darkness. The entire chamber felt the effects of the initial power-up. After what seemed like an eternity, the shaking ceased, yet the repugnant blackness remained. Laughing cruelly, the newly enhanced Kaze took a step forward. "Sorry for the delay. If I hadn't resorted to use my inner darkness, you'd die too quickly... It's no fun that way. Not when there's nothing to even the odds."

"You said there's a lacrima inside your body," Wendy pointed out. "It keeps your darkness contained, doesn't it?"

"That's right," Kaze nodded. "It's called the Dark Drive, a magic-restraining lacrima my guild invented. The unlimited darkness I was afflicted with in my youth was destructive and unstable by nature. Without proper control, even a single shroud can decimate everything around me. Also, the darkness is deeply tied to my emotions, mostly the negative kind. As my mood changes, so does my darkness." She crossed her arms, "I was a kid back then. A lost, scared, confused little girl spending what looked like an eternity, wandering wasteland after wasteland, never aware of the trail of destruction my curse left behind. I was too oblivious and naïve for not seeing it until later." She paused to let her next message take effect, "Everywhere I went, I was a living black flame. People feared my incredible powers, and sought to kill me, only to get killed themselves. I never even lifted a finger. Tragic, isn't it? A lonely child chased away for being cursed by a power she couldn't understand or control was the main character of the story."

"Kaze, I..." Wendy uttered. "I had no idea..."

"Of course, the story's not without a happy ending. For the most part," Kaze continued. "The Sleepy Hollow mercenary guild found me somewhere in the Worthwood Sea. They took me to their home in Bosco and raised me as one of their own. They're not my real family, but they're the closest thing to one I ever had." She then chuckled, "Ironic. You and I are raised by families of different backgrounds, so that makes us alike."

"You're all alone because you couldn't control your darkness?" Wendy wondered. "You were looking for a place to belong, the same way that I did..."

"I've been a victim all my young life," Kaze pointed out. "I had no chance of success in a world that actively hated me for my power. But at the end of the journey, someone had the decency to care. Sleepy Hollow discovered my plight and, as an act of compassion for their new charge, they installed the Dark Drive in my chest through immediate surgery. See?" She pointed the hilt of a Soul Eater at her chest, indicating where the lacrima was found. "The operation was excruciating, but a complete success. Say the right words, and I can unleash my unlimited reserves of dark energy anytime I want. But I gotta be careful not to use too much, or it'll go nuts the way it did when I was less your age. If the lacrima breaks or lacks the capacity for control, well... you know. And that's how the mercenary business became my lease on life. I've been pillaging cities and stealing booty for benefit. In my spare time, I trained to master my darkness. The final chapter? I became the guild's new master, the youngest in our history. Happily ever after. The end."

Wendy was choked up from hearing the story. "Kaze, I know what happened to you wasn't fair. No one should have to go through that. But what you're doing, it's not right! Hurting people isn't the answer."

Kaze stated emphatically, "I have to move on from my old and wretched life, if I'm to live a new and even better one."

Wendy reasoned, "But doing dirty work for money? You only make things worse! There's still time to make things better. We can talk this out. We can stop fighting."

Kaze deadpanned, "You're still wet behind the ears. It's all business around here. And I never wanna stop. Ever."

Wendy said hopelessly, "Why do you keep pushing this on me?" For a moment, she seemed to contemplate her adversary's demands. Her face hardened, and when she looked at Kaze, it was with hesitation. "I didn't want to do this, Kaze..." She resumed focusing what little energy was required to initiate her Command Style. The activation was close to completion. "...but you forced me."

Kaze beckoned, "Never mind that and come at me! I wanna pour your heart out, fluids and all!"

Wendy chanted, "Three Wishes Command Style: Miracle Djinn!" Responding to her call was a ring of light that rippled out from under her feet and stars flying up from the ground around her. Once the imaginary sky took form, the stars suddenly fell out and created a spiral behind Wendy. The tornado soon melted into yellow smoke that blossomed into a fog rising upward. A figure began to make its presence known within the thick mass, letting out a furious roar. As the smoke thinned out, the figure was revealed to be a djinn, a spirit much like the one Wendy and company met in Agrabah, and the Command Style's namesake. As was its skin, the Miracle Djinn's armor was painted gold, with silver plates on its shoulders and thighs, and purple beads around its neck. Its helmet was adorned with three dark blue horns and crimson eyebrows, and the irises encompassing the black eyes glowed white. The Miracle Djinn floated alongside Wendy, a hand clenched to a fist, eager and ready to fight in the behest of its master.

Beads of sweat trailed down her face upon seeing Wendy's latest Command Style come into play. At the same time, she was most impressed. "Wow, check out the new light sh—" She was tackled in the face by the Miracle Djinn before she could finish her sentence, and was forced to block from a melee receiving from the golden guardian spirit in separate corners of the chamber. The shockwaves sounded like a symphony, with the golden guardian spirit's fists repeatedly colliding with the Soul Eaters as the conductor. Afterwards, when Kaze performed an Astral Wheel and missed...

"Miracle Djinn, go!" Wendy signaled the aforementioned spirit to deliver a fist of flaming golden magic to the face. The heavy force shook Kaze's cheek to the bone, sending her hurtling into the distance. "Lotus Orbiter!" Responding to Wendy's command, the djinn thrust its palms outward and released a volley of spiraling rings which connected upon close proximity. As Kaze recovered from the projectiles, she fired a Subzero Blast. She gasped as Wendy, along with the Miracle Djinn, phased out, letting the ice beam shoot through an afterimage of sparkling dust. By the time Kaze whirled around, she realized too late that she was on the receiving end of a fierce 20-hit punching combination by the guardian spirit. "Poppy Battery!" The Miracle Djinn encased itself in a sphere of flaxen aura and crashed against Kaze at high speeds. "Plume Vortex!" It planted its palms to the ground, blowing the Sleepy Hollow wizard up in the air with a massive pillar of light. "Bloom Buster!" It then followed up with a long string of energy balls condensed into a horizontal whirlwind that knocked her against the wall.

Kaze winced in pain, awestruck at what Wendy was capable of with the Miracle Djinn. "Damn, I didn't think you could do it. Seeing your solid gold partner in action kinda reminds me of someone I know..."

Wendy reminded, "A friend gave it to me after I helped him a while ago. The least I can do to repay him is to use it."

Kaze commented, "Once again, you surprise me. Now, try this!" Empowered by the Dark Drive's enhancing capabilities, she Shadow Stepped in circles, attempting at another strategy to confuse Wendy.

"Genie Arrow!" Wendy chanted, prompting the Miracle Djinn to raise its hands high. From a magic circle above, beams of light rained down and managed to keep up with Kaze's higher level of speed, until one of them pierced her leg, effectively halting her Shadow Stepping.

"Aaaggghhh!" Kaze clutched her slightly injured limb, looking down to see a tiny hole with blood oozing out. "I spoke too soon... But this is nothing!" Focusing the dark powers on her arms and legs, she Shadow Stepped along the rain of Genie Arrows, occasionally taking damage from a few while avoiding or averting the rest, until she got closer to Wendy. The two rivals exchanged blades again; it was clearly obvious that Wendy had the distinct advantage, as she was paired with the Miracle Djinn. But Kaze was able to keep up the pace, courtesy of the Dark Drive boosting her attributes.

The heated swordplay lasted for an instant, and it soon transitioned to a furious clash of elemental magic. As Kaze implemented the respective elements of her Soul Eaters' weapon styles- Ice for Blade, Fire for Revolver, and Thunder for Lance- Wendy came up with elemental techniques of her own. The first spell, Apache Ice, was a bombardment of ice shards that could freeze and/or tear away at the target. Upon a shard's collision, smaller shards would be fanned out in the opposite direction. The second spell, Duster Spark, was a field of lightning discharged from the Miracle Djinn's body in all directions. The third, Chuparosa Shield, was a barrier formed around both the djinn and Wendy, capable of blocking powerful attacks such as Subzero Blast and Helm Split. The fourth, Dandelion Torpedo, was a salvo of flower-shaped missiles with a higher degree of homing accuracy onto nearby targets. The fifth, Marigold Cutter, was a crescent-shaped boomerang that spiraled outward diagonally from the Miracle Djinn's position. The sixth, Suncup Sting, was a beam splitting into three separate beams shortly after being fired from the djinn's fingers. The seventh, Canaigre Fire, was a tidal wave of flames that danced along the ground. Lastly, Mariposa Tornado was a vertical whirlwind similar to Wendy's Sky Dragon's Wave Wind. In a matter of minutes, the violent clash of elemental powers raged on. Overall, Wendy gained the upper hand, her rapid shuffling of spells easily outclassing Kaze's elemental styles.

Shortly after the Miracle Djinn stunned Kaze with a punching combo, Wendy found her window of opportunity. "Gotcha! Poppy Battery!" She and her guardian spirit blended together into a shining battering ram. They smashed the Sleepy Hollow guild master through a tunnel nearby, hence taking their battle to another inner chamber with less wide open spaces than the previous one. The Miracle Djinn placed both hands on Kaze's chest as they fell. "Lily Bounce!" A blast of primrose energy surged over Kaze, sending her ricocheting off the walls of the cavern. She stopped once she had hit the ground, battered and nearly exhausted. She coughed up trickles of blood mixed with saliva.

Contorting with pain and agitation, Kaze looked up to face Wendy. "Excellent work... Of all the Command Styles I've seen, yours might be the best..."

Wendy pleaded, "Don't push yourself. You don't wanna..."

Kaze scoffed, "I don't need anyone telling me to watch my health..." Overcoming the pain for an instant, she stood back to her feet. "You're strong, but I can't afford to lose this game to YOU!" She let out a monstrous roar as the infinite darkness blackened around her, granting her an additional boost in power. That resulted in the Soul Eater Blades altering in size and shape, the edges bursting with navy energy. "Darkness Ice Cross: Crystal Barrage!" She then unleashed a flurry of massive cross-shaped crystal slash waves against Wendy.

"Lotus Orbiter! Marigold Cutter! Apache Ice! Suncup Sting!" Wendy ordered the Miracle Djinn to deflect the encroaching ice projectiles with various attacks.

"Darkness Thunder Clap: Maelstrom!" Kaze hastily shifted to Lance Mode, its appearance elongated by the violet magic encompassing it. She released an enormous burst of lightning from the tip, engulfing Wendy in a field of its namesake element. When the surge subsided, Kaze formed a large crimson sphere around both turrets of her upgraded Soul Eater Revolvers. "Darkness Fire Gun: Hell Explosion!" She released the bullet and knocked the Sky Maiden through a tunnel leading to another chamber.

"Chuparosa Shield!" Wendy recovered just in time to have the Miracle Djinn cast a barrier.

"Darkness Thunder Clap: Triad Thunder!" Kaze summoned three purple orbs from the tip of her Soul Eater Lance, which formed a triangle around her. The orbs expanded into three magic circles, then fired a trio of lightning bolts to strike the Chuparosa Shield. But it had no effect.

"Duster Spark!" Wendy countered with the Miracle Djinn's own lightning, colliding with the Triad Thunder before they cancelled each other out.

"Darkness Fire Gun: Speed Burner!" Kaze launched a stream of flames spearheaded by intertwined faces of demons, set on swallowing the Keyblade bearer in its fiery maw.

"Mariposa Tornado!" Wendy immediately doused the inferno with the djinn's signature wind spell.

"Darkness Ice Cross: Frost Break!" Kaze stabbed her Soul Eater Blades into the ground, summoning multiple icicles to entrap Wendy.

"Canaigre Fire!" The icicles were caught in a raging fire encircling Wendy and the Miracle Djinn, before they melted away into puddles of water.

"Darkness Ice Cross: Cold Cyclone!" Kaze leapt towards Wendy, spinning the Soul Eaters' chained edges around her to create a cyclone of burning ice.

"Dandelion Torpedo!" The Miracle Djinn released flower-shaped missiles that mixed with the icy spiral before it reached completion, the pressure triggering multiple explosions. The flames swallowed the ice whole, leaving Kaze vulnerable. The Miracle Djinn took the chance and jabbed the Sleepy Hollow wizard to the gut. It then launched a series of Lotus Orbiters at Kaze, who Shadow Stepped her way through and kicked Wendy away. Converting the Soul Eaters to Revolver Mode, she opened fire on the distracted Sky Dragon Slayer. But when the smoke cleared, Wendy was gone.

"What the? Where'd she go?!"

"Right behind you!"

Kaze turned around and charged a blast of crimson energy, but before she could fire at Wendy and the Miracle Djinn, they vanished from the spot, bewildering the dark pink-haired girl. She glanced around looking for her rival, but there was no trace, save a single glimmer of dust that fluttered where she once stood. Before Kaze realized it, Wendy reappeared behind her, and the Miracle Djinn pummeled her repeatedly. Whilst being on the receiving end, Kaze's head snapped back with each crushing blow. "Genie Teleport!" Wendy translocated a second time, then the Miracle Djinn shot an uppercut into Kaze's chin. A third teleport, then seven slugs. A fourth, then a Lotus Orbiter. A fifth, then a Plume Vortex. "Take this! Bloom Buster!" At the last teleport, the Miracle Djinn shot an energy spiral that struck Kaze by the chest, blowing her away.

Kaze gritted her teeth, "Don't think you can beat me in my own game just because of some fancy gimmick!" She growled as her inner darkness reacted almost immediately, granting her another power boost. "I'm gonna beat you down the drain!"

Wendy yelled, "Never! I won't let you win!" She enveloped herself in a golden aura, glowing altogether with the Miracle Djinn as she prepared to strike.

And thus did two streaks of light and darkness engage in a dance that spread throughout the chamber. Between Wendy's Genie Teleporting and Kaze's Shadow Stepping, each and every blow was expertly parried with concentrated accuracy. Three minutes later, the clash culminated in Wendy dodging Kaze's Speed Burner and Triad Thunder attacks, before the Miracle Djinn hit the dark pink-haired youth square in the jaw. Kaze retaliated with a Cold Cyclone, forcing the Sky Maiden to reel back.

Kaze screamed, "Playtime's over, Blueberry! Darkness Ice Cross: Snow Breath!" She combined the Soul Eaters' chained edges to release an enlarged and highly enhanced version of her Subzero Blast.

Wendy countered, "Now! Abronia Paradox!" The Miracle Djinn conjured up a large yellow orb between its hands, giving off an extreme influx of sparks around it. In one shot, a deadly blast of golden energy surged forth and pushed against the Snow Breath, resulting in a tug of war. The entire cavern was brightened by an illumination of black and yellow. Reaching down for more reserves of magic, Wendy channeled it to the Miracle Djinn. Kaze did the same for herself.

It was at that moment Wendy knew she had to push it further. Yelling out, the radiance around her body flared further, expelling an added boost to the Abronia Paradox. The augmented beam expanded, launching towards Kaze before the dark wizard could even perceive the power boost. Kaze's eyes widened as the beam pushed through her Snow Breath. "WHAT IN THE—" The Abronia Paradox penetrated the shower of ice and engulfed her in an instant, provoking from her an anguished scream.

Kaze pushed upward to lift herself out of the terrain, her skin charred by the searing light. Wendy landed just a few feet across, the Miracle Djinn's figure gleaming from the fog. The last moments of the battle were at hand.

"Command Style Critical Art: Pollination!" Wendy pointed the Keyblade at her downed rival, and the Miracle Djinn heeded its final order by dispersing into a multitude of tiny balls of light. The dots ensnared Kaze in a circle, before they converted into very thin energy beams which pierced her body from head to toe, heavily damaging her. An echoing explosion erupted and Kaze found herself consumed by a devastating force of light. Wendy looked on in awe as the dark pink-haired youth screamed with excruciating pain, blood oozing from every part of the body where the beams struck, while gliding along the massive light stream that burst beneath her. As soon as the shining force faded, Kaze was left a bleeding mess, yet she was still standing. The Miracle Djinn was gone, its presence no longer seen or felt. The Command Style was deactivated.

Wendy panted heavily from having expelled so much energy into her final attack. She was sure she had won, but she felt equally guilty for putting Kaze in such a state, even if it was intentional. She still wanted to confirm the unknown connection between herself and her rival once everything had been settled. "Kaze..."

Kaze coughed profusely, blood dripping from her mouth along most of her body. However, the soft chuckle that escaped her mouth helped her ignore the pain that racked her body. "Ugh... Didn't think you had it in you... Hm?" She paused when she noticed something blinking amidst the gore in her chest. She reached into the stained crimson and extracted the tiny object from within, wincing as she did so. As she looked closer, she identified the speck beneath her fingers as a shard of glass long painted red. The more she looked into it, her face was wracked with despair.

Wendy took notice of Kaze's troubled expression and asked, "What's wrong?"

Kaze's response was chillingly calm. "My Dark Drive. It cracked." Her eyes were glued to her bloody stomach and the surge of black lightning spreading through where she pulled out the shard.

Wendy gasped, "Cracked? Your lacrima is broken? Does that mean you'll—"

Rather than snap at Wendy for supposedly shattering the one thing that kept her inner darkness in check, Kaze just laughed. The shock was quickly smothered with a smile. "All my years of fighting, no one has ever exploited the Dark Drive. A small part of it at least. The whole thing's not completely busted. It if was, the darkness would overcome me and any chance of keeping it under control would fly out the window." Her smile faded, and she threw a dark glance at Wendy. "You're trying to regress me into this mindless, unstable, destructive freak of nature? Let out the killer instinct in me?"

Wendy gulped as she took a step back. She saw the look in Kaze's eyes slowly turning into something else. "I... I didn't mean to—"

Kaze cut her off, "Well, guess what? You just did. As a matter of fact, I've never been more pissed as I am now. You tried to take advantage of me, and now you're going to pay the price. You break it, you buy it." She came forward, and Wendy stumbled back, trying to circle around her. The smile returned all of a sudden, albeit a more deranged one. "You really are amazing, Wendy! And to think Maleficent classified you as a constant threat! Now..." The dark spark revolving around her chest nurturing into a storm. She clenched her fist, then her voice rose to a roar, "...I'M GETTING SERIOUS!"

The guild master of Sleepy Hollow stretched out her body and released large quantities of the residual darkness, the black tempest sullying the atmosphere with a foul stench embodying her suppressed feelings of rage. The dreadful blackness soon manifested into an aura surrounding her body, in which the energy flowed throughout the cavern. Her eyes gleamed with the same color as the lightning all around her, distorted by sheer bloodlust. To make matters worse, the wounds she bore over the course of the battle stitched themselves together. The process was so slow that Kaze didn't know where the invisible threads weaved: the river of blood had long since dried up, the cuts and bruises dammed by a physical force, and not a single stain remained. It was of no consequence to her, for all that mattered was the destruction of the enemy in front of her, the unhealthy lust that was branded into her psyche.

Needless to say, Wendy's mouth dropped at the display. She nearly wanted to faint, but she maintained her ground. Not only did Kaze survive because of the darkness she unleashed, but her wounds regenerated, as if all the energy Wendy put into her Command Style didn't leave a phase. "So much power... And her wounds... they've all disappeared! It's the same as Sherria's magic! Is this what the Dark Drive can do?"

Kaze boomed, "I've just released the Dark Drive to Level 3! It'll take more than a golden shower to stop me now!"

Wendy exclaimed frantically, "No, Kaze! No! Listen to me!"

Kaze retorted, "Why should I? That opportunity has long passed. And now my patience is running thin! Get ready to phase out!"

Seeing that no words could dissuade Kaze from her insistence on continuing the fight, Wendy took a Hi-Potion, drank it, and then swiped the Three Wishes Keychain for the Blue Mistral's. She thought to herself, "I don't see how I'm gonna stop this, but I have to manage somehow. One way or another, I'll get her to answer the questions I wanna ask. I won't give up!" Once the new Keychain was attached to the hilt, Wendy focused her replenished energy for another Command Style. "Blue Mistral Command Style: Skyward Wing!" She confronted the souped-up Kaze, paired with wings of crystal and armed with a long silver blade.

The two rivals screamed furiously as they charged at each other for the inevitable hit, a single clash of their blades letting loose a mixture of light and darkness rushing over the inner chambers of Monstro. The second round had just started!


Stomach

Back inside the whale's stomach, Romeo launched a series of Yellow Fire at the Parasite Cage, in which the creature swatted them away with its tentacles. The Heartless mounted its appendages on the ground and swung its blob-like frame into the air, only to miss when the Rainbow Fire wizard moved his side. Sherria sent a Sky God's Boreas at the creature, while Carla ran up to it and struck its body in a 50-hit kicking combo. The Parasite Cage began swinging its arms again, but Romeo slammed a Purple Fire Fist onto them, causing the Heartless to reel back and be left vulnerable to Sherria's Sky God's Bellow. Regardless of high level of damage it received, the Parasite Cage kept up with its unrelenting assault of tentacle swipes and body swings, as none of this seemed to have an effect on its ability to block out physical pain. If anything, Romeo, Sherria, and Carla's attacks were only pestering the monster, and they were showing signs of fatigue.

Sherria groaned in exhaustion, "I don't know how that big blob is still standing! Can its body be super-elastic?"

Romeo commented tiredly, "Given the size of that thing, it'd probably make a great punching bag back home. Maybe even the best!"

Carla advised, "We just need to get it to its limit! There has to be a weak spot!" She flew herself up to avoid getting hit by another appendage and dealt an aerial missile dropkick to the Parasite Cage's smaller head.

Romeo chanted, "Rainbow Fireball!" He condensed the different colors of his flames into a sphere and threw it at the Parasite Cage, creating an explosion.

Sherria boomed, "Sky God's Bellow!" She breathed a massive stream of black air that struck the upper part of the body where Carla kicked.

Eventually, the Parasite Cage got tired of taking the abuse and sagged backward for a moment, allowing its cage-like mouth to open wide, exposing what appeared to be the creature's heart. Romeo and his allies clearly examined the black orb in the midst of their short break. Sherria spoke, "I think we just found our weak spot."

Romeo beamed, "Great! Now we can wear it down!"

The three rushed forward and delivered a couple of hard hits, hacking away at the source of adrenaline pumping the Parasite Cage while being left in a trance, unaware of the advantage it unwillingly provided to its enemies. A minute later, the Heartless recovered from its stupor and straightened up, the cage-like teeth's defenses around the heart immediately resurfacing. It resumed its original method of swinging its arms, prompting Romeo and the others to dodge by jumping from platform to platform over the pool of stomach acid.

Romeo asked, "So we have to hurt it some more until its heart pops out?"

Carla nodded, "That's basically the plan, yes."

Sherria smiled, "Nothing a little socking can't fix, right?"

The Parasite Cage placed its appendages into the acid, sucking it up through the mandibles, and the smaller head spewed it out as a thick cloud of poisonous gas that engulfed Romeo. He instantly dropped to his knees, his body losing strength. He put a hand over his mouth and nose, coughing heavily. Even when the gas dissipated around him, Romeo felt like he could hardly move. "P-Poison...!"

Sherria implied, "I smell it, too! The toxicity is so strong that not even my regeneration magic can withstand it!"

Carla suggested, "Then for our sakes, we'd best avoid that gas. I suppose it'll take a while before the whole situation blows over."

Romeo struggled to his feet, wincing at the pain that burned in his lungs. On the bright side, he was conscious enough to heed Carla's advice. He took a Potion from his pocket and swallowed it in one gulp, relieving him of his acidic condition, before he stood up completely. "Alright! Let's beat this slimy slob for good!" Carla and Sherria nodded in agreement.

As the Parasite Cage thrashed its arms in a frenzy, Romeo, Carla, and Sherria deftly dodged around the solid footings with finesse, taking great care not to touch the poisonous liquid. The three even managed to strike in unison once the Heartless was wide open in some cases, taunting it and causing it to screech in protest. The Parasite Cage respired another fume of acid, and there was a twinkle in Sherria's eyes as she seized the opportunity by blowing the gas back. Even after the Sky God Slayer used the creature's own attack against it, it didn't show signs of breaking. Nevertheless, the acid permeated its skin with a foul stench. The three heroes continued attacking the Parasite Cage in circles, gaining enough momentum to weaken its defenses, all the while eluding the occasional appendage swings, body tackles, and poison breaths. The string was more than enough to render the Heartless into another state of unconsciousness and expose the black orb under the cage.

Romeo seemed pleased as he landed back to the floor, one fist of purple flame slamming the other. "Hey, I can see your weak spot again! Now it's my turn!"

Sherria called from her spot in a platform, pumping her fist in the air. "Yeah! Do it now, Romeo!"

That glint danced across Romeo's gaze indicated he was ready for the final blow. He channeled a tremendous amount of magic into his muscles, before he suddenly burst in an aura of Purple Fire, and plunged into the heart of the Parasite Cage. "Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!" Paying homage to one of Natsu's special moves, the purple comet plowed straight through the Heartless, stretching its blob-like body beyond its limits and literally bursting it like a balloon. From where Romeo stood after the fire died out, the Parasite Cage flew backwards, the last flames of bloodlust dying from its yellow eyes. A glowing heart came out of its cage-like mouth and floated away, then its corpse collapsed into the pool of acid, sinking until only a glimmer of light remained. Only then did the group relax, simultaneously letting out a relieved breath. The chamber doors were open again, as per the conditions of the battle.

Sherria turned to Romeo with a wide grin. "Nice move!"

Romeo just laughed softly. "This one's from Natsu. One of his awesome moves I learned when I trained at the guild. He's..." The happiness soon turned into a frown, and the thought of what could have happened to his big brother figure troubled his mind. It couldn't be true about what Kaze said, could it?

Carla suggested, "There's no time to waste. We have to find Wendy. She's probably fighting Kaze as we speak. They can't be hard to find."

Romeo confirmed, "Y-Yeah!" Having realized where he was, he, Carla, and Sherria raced out of the whale's stomach in a desperate bid to prevent the grim fate Kaze had in store for the Sky Dragon Slayer. To Romeo, it was a serious matter he had to confirm for himself. He was going to confront the prime suspect before rescuing the kidnapped. For Wendy, Natsu, and Macao's sake, he would not fail.


Mouth

While all this was going on, Pinocchio made his return to Monstro's mouth and reached Geppetto's ship, where the elderly wood-carver welcomed his son back with open arms and tears of joy. Geppetto hugged him the tightest, his troubles finally at ease. Seeing the father and son reunited was but a relief to Jiminy; at the end of the long journey, Pinocchio's captivity by the Parasite Cage provided an incentive to realize his faults. That, and he needed his father more than anything, just as much as his father needed him. That humble act was a sign of loyalty, one of many virtues he had to learn to become a real boy. At any rate, the chances were growing high, but only time would tell if the marionette was ready to shed his wooden skin.

The party was delighted to see Pinocchio as well, but the people who conducted the rescue operation hadn't returned. Shortly after Wendy left for Monstro's throat, Donald, Goofy, Levy, Lisanna, Elfman, and the Connells had fully recovered from the merciless beating they took. Seeing as Wendy's endeavor could take a while, they decided to pass the time before their long-awaited departure from the belly of the whale. Donald, Goofy, and Juvia stood over the side of the deck, looking over the tunnel where Wendy, Romeo, Carla, and Sherria passed through, expecting their return. Levy, Lisanna, Alzack, Bisca, and Asuka made themselves comfortable in the bedroom, while Elfman stretched his muscles.

Goofy wondered, "Gawrsh, do ya think Wendy's okay? She's probably fightin' Kaze right about now."

Donald pouted, "Aww, we should've just come along and helped her on the way."

Juvia nodded, "I have the exact same feeling. I myself should have volunteered, of course, but my concern for the wounded told me otherwise. How does Pinocchio fit into this web of complications? And what is the perpetrator planning?"

Before anyone could guess, four silhouettes made their presence felt from the throat tunnel. Donald, Goofy, and Juvia widened their eyes in amazement. "Wendy!" But the Sky Dragon Slayer wasn't there. Rather, the people who elected to accompany her showed up, and judging by their face, they looked like they were in a hurry. "Romeo? Carla? Sherria?"

The trio looked up and saw Donald, Goofy, and Sherria on the deck. Romeo called up, "Hey, guys! What's going on?"

Goofy called back, "We were just about to leave Monstro now that the Gummi Ship's all fixed. But where's Wendy? Isn't she with you?"

Sherria blurted out, "It's Kaze! She used that squiggly Heartless as a distraction so she could fight Wendy again! They're going at it right now!"

Donald and Goofy exclaimed at once, "THEY ARE?!"

Romeo asked hastily, "Where's Wendy? Has she been here?"

Sherria panicked, "We gotta help her! She can't fight all by herself!"

Juvia blinked, "How are we supposed to know? All we saw was Pinocchio making it back here on his own!"

Carla assumed, "She couldn't possibly be here. The fight may have taken place somewhere else. The way I see it, a trail of destruction is often left behind—"

A sudden streak of white and black mixed altogether zipped from the inner chamber entrance before the white Exceed could have her say in the matter, and everyone else recoiled with the shock. It struck the nearest shipwreck to the left, the remains of wooden planks flying about in random directions. Lisanna, Levy, and the Connells immediately rose from the ship's bed and joined the others in observing the wreckage, Elfman, Pinocchio, Geppetto, and Jiminy following soon afterwards. Before they could react, the white surge delivered a swipe that sounded like the clang of a blade's metal, which forced the opposing blackness to reel back. Where the auras shined, the party spotted two familiar faces.

"WENDY!" Romeo, Carla, and Sherria cried out the Sky Maiden's name, loud enough for her to process.

"KAZE!" Donald and Goofy recognized the other figure with horror painted all over their faces.

The two competitors were indeed finding themselves in a heated face-off for their final round, as they were still empowered by the auras representing their respective element- Wendy with her Skyward Wing Command Style, and Kaze with Dark Drive: Level 3. As a result of taking the already intense battle across the whale's inner workings, fighting from one chamber to another, both of their bodies were wrecked, and their faces showed nothing but a weary yet fiercely determined façade. Although they seemed evenly matched, their positions and gestures told a different outcome, as only one among them had the upper hand. Wendy was standing on one knee showing signs of breaking, the Skyward Sword still gripped in her hand. She glared up at Kaze, who loomed over her. Tightening her hold on the Soul Eaters, the dark pink-haired youth, whose wounds were instantly mended thanks to the flow of residual dark magic, knew her hour of victory was at hand.

"I'll admit, Blueberry, you've been incredibly strong for a good hour or so," Kaze said smugly. "But you'll hardly be able to light the dark with one candle alone!"

"Crystal Wings!" Wendy released a volley of crystallized projectiles against Kaze. However, the sharp crystals only managed to stun the Sleepy Hollow wizard, before she shrugged it off and continued her advance.

"As long as the infinite darkness flows through me, I can't be beat," Kaze went on. "No matter how hard you hit me, I'll simply get up! I'll keep doing it again and again until you're sore! The result is obvious; my power eclipses yours!" The aura of darkness mixed with the Soul Eaters and transformed them into large navy-colored blades. "Even the shoddy super magic of an ancient trinket's like bread and butter to me!"

"Ka... Kaze..." Wendy barely managed to speak out. "We... have to... stop this..."

"I don't have to stop anything! And who said I have to listen to YOU?" Kaze barked, and she swung her Soul Eaters at an incredible speed. Wendy was forced to parry the onslaught with the Skyward Sword, her rival's sudden increase in velocity making it difficult to find an opening. "You have no authority over me! Not you! Not Maleficent! Not ANYONE!" In one swift movement, the Soul Eaters sliced the Skyward Sword in half, leaving Wendy with only her Crystal Wings. "I follow my own rules!" Kaze then performed a double-cross slash that destroyed the wings. "I do as I decide!" She could see the fear in Wendy's eyes, and found the break she was looking for. The bloodlust festered. "No one's gonna drag me down! NO ONE!"

With that said, Kaze proceeded to mercilessly beat the life out of her defenseless adversary, trashing her in various strings, blasting her in multiple angles, crashing her along the wooden piles, flinging her across the whale's gigantic mouth with the Soul Eaters' chains- just about anything she set her mind to. Kaze could not bring herself to stop the brutal punishment— hearing Wendy scream was like music to her ears, and she loved every second of it.

The rest of the group couldn't believe what they were seeing. Bisca shielded Asuka's face from the brutality, the thought of an innocent child massacred in front of another being something one couldn't bear to visualize. On the other hand, Romeo, Donald, Goofy, Carla, Sherria, Juvia, and Elfman were enraged at this injustice. "WEEEEEEENDDDDYYYY!" The seven jumped from the deck and rushed to the aid of their helpless friend.

"Hang in there, Wendy!" Romeo yelled, raising a fist of flame.

"We'll save you!" Sherria screamed, black winds swirling around her arms.

"Let me at 'er!" Donald hollered, about to cast a spell.

Kaze temporarily ceased her maltreatment of Wendy and noticed the party members coming their way, and began to grow irritated. "GET IN LINE!" Roaring, she raised the powered-up Soul Eaters and brought down a barrage of crystal slashes that sent the heroes flying and rolling in a tidal wave. Romeo jumped over the tsunami and attempted at a flaming punch, only to be at the receiving end of a Darkness Ice Cross: Snow Breath that froze his body against the wall in a block of ice. Donald and Goofy landed in front of Kaze and launched their primary attacks simultaneously in hopes of wearing her down, but she eluded their assault by utilizing quick and perceptive reflexes. Kaze delivered a fast 18-hit combo, the last strike sending both Donald and Goofy crashing next to Romeo. Then, Kaze Shadow Stepped across the river to pound the remaining four into submission. One minute later, Carla and Sherria lay battered in a shipwreck, Elfman was subdued by pillars of ice, and Juvia's body was half-encased.

Levy gasped, "She defeated all of them at once?!"

Lisanna shrieked, "Big Brother Elf! No!"

Alzack growled, "That sadistic freak!"

Bisca began, "How low can she stoop-"

Kaze Shadow Stepped in front of the crew before anyone could blink, before any action was made. She swiped a Soul Eater to her right, summoning a massive blizzard and trapping the Connells, Levy, Lisanna, Pinocchio, Jiminy, and Geppetto in a pile of snow. Their heads popped out just in time to see the majestic scowl on Kaze's face. "Stay down, maggots! I don't have time to waste on you!" She teleported back to Wendy and looked down upon the grotesque sight lying at her feet.

"No... Stop...!" Wendy croaked, tears falling from the stress.

"There are two ways we can settle this, Blueberry," Kaze declared, fusing her Soul Eaters into Lance Mode. "And you're only conscious in one of 'em!"

"STOP IT!" Romeo screamed angrily from his spot on the wall, struggling to free himself from his icy restraints. As Kaze turned around, she could see the flaming rush of emotion burning through his eyes. "LEAVE HER ALONE!" He finally burst out of the ice and flew towards her in a thunderous cry, his fist wrenched back and glowing with intense multicolored fire.

Kaze thrust the Soul Eater Lance and discharged a lightning bolt from the sharp end, electrocuting Romeo and flinging him back to an injured Donald and Goofy.

"Ro... Romeo..." Wendy groaned as she could barely register a form of speech.

"Well, ain't that a kicker?" Kaze snorted. "You're willing to bet on a gamble for something that doesn't involve you? A load of junk and nothing else! This is my show, and I'm not letting you act up in my show!" She turned her attention back to Wendy, the lance grasped firmly in her hand. "Now, where were we? Oh, yeah... Let's play ball!" She knocked Wendy into the air and smacked her around in circles through a series of Shadow Steps before returning to the ground. "Tag! You're it!" She struck the Sky Maiden's chest with the lance's base and sent a powerful surge of electricity through her, causing her to scream in agony. Wendy's friends, as well as those conscious enough to witness the battle, could only watch as they cried out in terror and protest. Only after a few seconds did the torture stop, and Kaze oversaw the damage she wrought. She had Wendy right where she wanted her, beaten and bruised, lying on the floor, depleted of her energy.

"Looks like I win this time," Kaze smirked. "You underestimated me for a second. Do you actually believe you're the better one?" She held the Soul Eater Lance in front of Wendy's face, putting her foot on her neck. "Maleficent was wrong! The Keyblade's not the sharpest tool in the shed after all! You can't change anything with that kind of power. But I know the kind of power that does. Only a true master can do it all!" The lance had grown in size with purple energy surrounding it. "A deal's a deal, Blueberry. I'm taking you in. But the first thing I have to do is put you in a position where you can't resist me any longer. When I'm finished, I'm gonna sink this whale deep into the ocean of space, and your whole crew with it." She raised the lance, ready to end the fight. "Nothing personal, Wendy. It's just business."

Wendy squirmed, not in fear for her impending doom, but for failing to reach out to Kaze. She had to do something, anything at all, to get the Sleepy Hollow guild master to listen to what she had to say. She tried as best as she could to speak, "Kaze... Your name... That's the name... of the girl... I saw... in my dreams..."

That stopped Kaze in her tracks. "Huh?"

Wendy gasped for air, "Kaze... I saw a girl... that looks like you... in my dreams... We were friends... very close... We were... both raised... by Grandeeney..."

Kaze's eyes widened. With one mention of the fabled Sky Dragon, her mind slipped into an entirely different world. She was no longer seeing Wendy or the window of opportunity needed to redeem her loss in Agrabah, but a green forest under the bright sun. Beyond the trees, in a pool of emerald cast upon the dirt knelt a benevolent creature of feathered wings. The creature's image grew larger and cleared in the sunlight, revealing an elegant face as white as snow. "Gran... dee... ney...?" Kaze didn't know where she was; she was convinced the white beauty loomed at her, then heard Wendy's straining voice again.

"We're both... Dragon Slayers... trained by... Grandeeney..."

Kaze kept staring down at the pained Keyblade bearer, yet her vision was still obscured by what appeared to be memories of her past. Her head seared with pain, and her muscles couldn't stop shaking. "Grandeeney..." Kaze stretched out her hand and held it up to her face, to try and chase away the frame of the mysterious creature. But not matter how many times, it was always there. "Grandeeney...!" The name was all she could say, the only word that escaped her mouth. The sound, the color, the whole world, it drowned out around her. She barely felt her face contort in despair, or heard her voice repeatedly howl the name of Wendy's adoptive parent. The only agony she could perceive was the fire in her forehead. Nothing else existed in her mind, except the picture...

Grandeeney.

The soundless utterance turned to similarly silent shrieking, then yelling, then screaming. Before she knew it, the mental breakdown beckoned the darkness inside her to act on its own. Kaze's ears feverishly rang as a portion sprouted from her chest and blossomed into a flower of black lightning. Wendy could see it clearly while clinging on to whatever life she had left.

The visions came into play. An eight-year old Kaze was seen with Grandeeney and a girl three years younger, and the three lived on the same earth, playing and laughing together... She and her little friend engaged in various training exercises, and Kaze was obviously the superb magic user... She had aspirations of being the ultimate wizard, and kept it secret for so long... She grew jealous and insecure when the other girl was chosen for the great prophecy over her... Her fatalistic pursuit of ultimate power had taken her to new dangerous levels, levels Grandeeney didn't approve of... The forest was on fire, and she returned, full of pride, but in the faces of her adoptive family, she saw only horror... The last thing she saw was dark and a long journey through purgatory...

Kaze kept screaming incoherently. The darkness expanded, threatening to enshroud Monstro's mouth as a whole. Suddenly, the storm receded, and she threw a deadly glance at Wendy. Pain and anger still racked her face, with confusion mixed into it. "Grandeeney?" She repeated the Sky Dragon's name in a trembling voice. "What does it mean?" She pressed her foot down further, the pressure on Wendy's throat returning in full force. "Why did you say that name?"

Wendy's life seemed to be ebbing away by the second. At the same time, she was shocked of the expected result. The mystery she desperately yearned to solve finally came to light. "Is it... really you...? Kaze, you're..."

Kaze was more incensed than ever. The flashes kept coming, constantly reminding her of the forgotten past. Her rage flared to a boil, as did the darkness around her, and tears of anguish flowed from her eyes. She roared at the top of her lungs, "WHY DID YOU SAY THAT NAME?! TELL ME! WHY DID YOU SAY THAT NAME?!"

Wendy choked out, "W-What did I say? What did I do?!"

Kaze was so lost in her rage that she couldn't stop hollering demands. "GRANDEENEY! YOU KNOW HER NAME! WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT HER?! HOW DID YOU KNOW HER NAME?! WHY DID YOU SAY HER NAME?! WHHHHHIIIEERRGGGHHH..." Again, her manner of speech was distorted by something indecipherable out of cognitive conflict. Before she knew it, she took her foot away from Wendy's neck, dropped the Soul Eater Lance into the water, and backed away, as if she was manipulated by an invincible force. No longer was she fixated on dealing the final. No longer was she intent on ending the fight. The Sleepy Hollow boss was now waging a different battle, face to face with a different enemy, in the form of flashing memories gone by. The agonized screams caressed the dark lightning, fed it, nurtured it, let it grow into a tempest beyond Kaze's control. A great tremor rocked Monstro, and everyone's confusion slowly gave way to panic, as though the whale was bound to collapse from the inside.

Following a brief recovery, Donald took advantage of the situation by casting a Fira spell at Kaze, almost knocking her off the wooden platform she and Wendy stood on. The fireball only stunned the dark pink-haired girl momentarily, and the duck set about to cast Cure to heal the grievously injured Sky Maiden. "RUN!" Donald quacked, waving his staff in the air. "EVERYBODY TO THE SHIP! NOW!"

The rest of the group quickly picked themselves up from the mess the Sleepy Hollow guild master threw them in and hurried to the open hatch of the only ship that was different in design, and more importantly, fully operational. Carla wrapped her arms around Wendy's chest and dragged her on wings. "Come, child!"

"Huh?" Wendy gasped in surprise. "No, wait! Kaze! KAZE!"

The only response was Kaze's excessive shrieking and the thunderous rumbling of Monstro's innards caused by the spasms of black lightning. Wendy still kept staring at her unstable rival, overwhelmed by desperation and panic. All that was seen was the fever, the rage, the feeling of loss, those mixed emotions lost in the darkness. "KAAAAAZZZEEEE!" Wendy cried out one last time as Carla pulled her into the Gummi Ship's engine lounge, before the hatch closed immediately.

What happened next was a sound of breaking glass. No one was around to hear it, but it ringed loud and clear. The Dark Drive cracked further.

Kaze broke into a final scream, the longest and filled to the brim with pure insanity, her head raised high, her arms outstretched. From where she stood, a blinding flash of darkness swallowed the Gummi Ship and the structure of Monstro's mouth in a miasma. Wendy and the others could just barely see anything when the smoke blocked the view of the cockpit's glass. They had no idea what came next, only that they could still feel the tremor...


Outer Space

...and Monstro himself soon became disrupted by the agitation while he was swimming the sea of stars. Black smoke came pouring out of his blowhole and between his lips, and his nose caught scent of the foul odor. His senses were on fire as he opened his mouth and repeatedly huff a tremendous amount of air. It reached deep into his lungs, until finally...

AAAHH-AAAHH-AAAHH-CHHOOOOOOOOO!

...he sneezed! Monstro expelled the dark miasma from his mouth along with the Gummi Ship. It was a while longer before the fog dissipated and the ship managed to regain stability as though nothing happened. Those onboard, on the other hand, were shaken to the core by the nauseating experience, some almost vomiting from the stress. By the time the crew and passengers recovered, Wendy, Donald, Goofy, Romeo, Carla, and Sherria looked through the cockpit to discover that they were no longer stuck in the belly of the whale, who presently reeled from that monster of a sneeze.

Sherria exclaimed, "Hey! We're back in outer space!"

Carla assumed, "Kaze's sudden burst of dark magic may have caused Monstro to sneeze while we were inside him."

Goofy whooped, "That means we're not in his belly anymore! We made it out! Hooray!"

Donald cheered, "It's over! Our nightmare is over! Everybody's okay!" He, Goofy, and Sherria grabbed hands and danced in laughter as the cockpit was immersed in a celebration.

Romeo commented, "Whoa, who would've thought that smoking would make him sneeze real hard? Why didn't we think of this before?" A brief pause, before he shrugged, "Well, all that matters is that we're in the clear. Serves him right for swallowing us." He added with a chuckle, "Boy, he is gonna feel this in the morning!"

Sherria joked, "Gesundheit." Donald and Goofy laughed in agreement.

Wendy interjected, "Hey, where's—"

Joy instantly turned to horror when a loud roar sent vibrations throughout the Gummi Ship. Wendy and company had a feeling that their escape was only a prelude of more terrible things to come. Almost immediately after the shaking rescinded and the noise faded, they saw Monstro floating over the Gummi Ship before stopping in front of it. Shortly after recuperating from the sneeze, the whale was none too pleased, and for good reason; he mistook the vessel as the cause behind the odious stench that disconcerted him from within, and sought to swallow it whole in retribution. It now came clear to Wendy and her friends that they found themselves in deep water. Monstro's fury had reached boiling point!

"Uh-oh. I think we made him mad," Goofy gulped.

"Mad? More like totally pissed off!" Romeo quivered.

"Perhaps Jiminy had the right idea about Monstro," Carla sweated.

"He's onto us! What are we gonna do?!" Sherria panicked.

As much as Donald and Goofy wanted to use the ship's turret to blast Monstro out of the stars, they were doubtful if their firepower could prove effective against something that big. So they decided there was only one thing to do when facing such a monstrosity, and yelled hysterically, "FLY FOR OUR LIIIIVVVVEEEES!"

Monstro let out another furious roar and flew over to chomp the Gummi Ship under his gigantic teeth for a second time, but the two Disney Kingdom explorers quickly reached the controls and sped the rocket away as fast as they could. Wendy, Romeo, Carla, Sherria and those down in the engine lounge screamed in fright; they could only brace themselves at the beginning of the ensuing turmoil, and they hung on for dear life. Monstro made a mad sprint for the ship, flexing his enormous tail for additional speed. The chase was on!

Cue Music: Won't Stop, Just Go!... For Green Forest (Sonic Adventure 2)

Many attempts in trying to escape the wrath of Monstro were implemented, even Donald and Goofy resorted to various tricks to get him to lose momentum. Unfortunately, it would seem that the whale's speed simply outclassed the Gummi Ship's despite his humongous size. For instance, when the Gummi Ship passed over an asteroid field, Monstro would plow through it like it was nothing. When the ship turned around, he would do the opposite. It's almost as though the whale was the fastest and sturdiest creature in the universe! With each hasty movement, the passengers bounced all around like pinballs.

A small fleet of gummi vessels operated by Sleepy Hollow wizards and those among the dark guilds were keeping watch of a space sector, completely unaware of the approaching chaos. The Gummi Ship dashed by the fleet, and the trail had not gone unnoticed by the commander. He immediately recognized the color of the intruding vessel, and issued orders to his troops. "Wendy Marvell's ship detected! All forces, prepare to— AAAAGGGHHH!" A scream was his last utterance. The fleet didn't get a chance to take action, as Monstro crushed every ship in his path with his massive forehead.

Meanwhile, Wendy saw that a simple method of flying away from the whale was doing them no good, so they would have to come up with another way to save themselves. Securing her arms around the side of the middle seat, she asked the co-pilots for a solution. "Donald! Goofy! What do we do?!"

Donald looked at the radar and realized that the whale was already gaining on them. "Fly faster!"

Goofy whined, "He's still comin' after us! We'll be outta fuel and end up lunch again!"

Romeo complained, "Aww, come on! Is there anything else besides flying around all the time?!"

Monstro let out another vicious roar, causing Wendy and her friends to scream in fright. Their doom was fast approaching! Just then, Romeo's suggestion gave Donald an idea, so he turned to Goofy and the others to tell them what he had in mind. "Hey, we can use the warp gummi!"

Everyone's eyes went wide at the idea. "Warp gummi?!"

Donald explained, "Cid installed it so we could teleport to worlds we've already visited! Romeo said it himself; we don't just fly all the time. If we activate the warp gummi, we'll be far away from Monstro so he'll never bother us again! We gotta use it! It's our only hope!"

Goofy grinned, "Yeah, this could work! The warp gummi will save us! A-hyuck!"

Carla panicked, "That'll do! Let's go!"

Goofy asked, "So which world do you wanna—"

Carla shrieked, "ANY WORLD!"

Donald and Goofy wasted no time to comply. With quick work, they switched to the coordinate panel and selected a random world. They pushed the warp button, and then the group began to feel the effects. The Gummi Ship glowed with energy, ready for automatic transportation. This was going to be remembered as a day of relief for the people who escaped Monstro, the whale who opened his mouth and clenched the ship's engine booster under his teeth—

CRUNCH!

Ecstasy quickly melted into dismay, then alarm. A massive explosion rocked the Gummi Ship, and Wendy fell on the floor with Romeo by her side. Voices of shock and mortal terror filled the cockpit, as did the sound of the emergency alarm. A crackle of fire dancing along the cockpit window amid the next phase of teleportation.

"WE'RE HIT!" Donald didn't hear himself yell, as his ears rang from the sudden impact, but his vocal cords still vibrated desperately.

Wendy and Romeo watched with horror as the Gummi Ship plummeted into the spectral realm, the gravity lifting them above the ground. "WE'RE FALLING!" Screaming, they hugged each other and closed their eyes, the thought of being crushed after the expected collision too much to visualize. The rest of the group braced themselves in their own way, some trying to steady themselves to no avail.

By the time Monstro was close to sinking his teeth into the damaged ship one more time, the hunk of metal disappeared in a flash of light, and when he mashed, there was nothing. Disappointed that he let his meal slip through his pearly whites, he turned away and disappeared into the starry sea.


Traverse Town, at the Second District...

"Heads up!" Leon ducked at the sound of the urgent voice, barely missing a jab from a nearby Large Body's clenched fist. Yuffie Kisaragi darted around the fountain plaza and struck the Heartless with a shuriken star. "You're welcome, by the way."

"Can't thank you yet," Leon didn't look at the female ninja, instead he scanned the streets in front of him. A horde of Heartless comprised of Large Bodies, Soldiers, Shadows, Air Soldiers, Red Nocturnes, Blue Rhapsodies, and Yellow Operas slowly approached the sweaty Gunblade swordsman, having perceived his fatigue as a golden opportunity. Long after Wendy and company left Traverse Town, Leon and Yuffie resumed their usual patrol of the streets for any invading Heartless or legions from the Alliance of Evil. Today's patrol proved to be quite exhausting, as more of the menacing creatures recently multiplied and swept the town at an alarming rate. Most of the citizens had already left for their homes, leaving Leon's group to deal with the matter themselves, if only for a little while. They could only hope that, in some form of miracle, backup would come and help turn things around, so they wouldn't waste their strengths fighting. Despite the odds, however, they refused to yield to the race of monsters that destroyed their original world. They were exhausted at the moment, yet they still fought.

"This sucks!" Yuffie pouted. "I mean, a girl only gets one chance at her youth! They keep coming in like mice. We should call an exterminator."

"Look who's talking," Leon grunted. "It wouldn't hurt calling in the cavalry if there is one, or if anyone in this town wants to help. We'd ask Wendy and her crew, but they're probably out there sealing another Keyhole." He then sighed reluctantly, "That leaves us as the only line of defense. We're all we've got. But we can't stop now..."

At that moment, the skies above burst in a surge of brilliant light, and created a portal in the fabric of space. A metal fireball sprung forth and made its descent upon the Second District. It crashed down and eradicated all of the Heartless in the vicinity as it slid along the street, leaving a trail of burning debris behind, before stopping only a few inches from the Gizmo Shop. Leon and Yuffie were utterly surprised.

"Whoa..." Yuffie remarked. "That's some shooting star."

"No, it isn't," Leon shook his head. "That's..."

Looking through the hungry flames surrounding the scrap, the broken earth laying still, and the smoke rising into the air, they immediately recognized the metal object. It was a wrecked gummi vessel. The left wing was split in two, the cockpit glass was broken, and the engine was leaking gasoline.

"A gummi ship?" Yuffie blinked. "Why'd it crash here in the Second District of all places?"

"There could be survivors," Leon suggested. "Let's go see."

The two rushed to the crash site and searched through the ashes for anyone fortunate enough to live through the accident. As if to answer their prayers, the ship's hatch opened. One by one, the crew and passengers slowly emerged and passed over the small inferno, coughing and groaning from the ordeal of staying under the fire for too long. When they gathered, Leon and Yuffie were dismayed yet again to see Wendy, Donald, Goofy, Romeo, Carla, Sherria, Alzack, Bisca, and Asuka in a time of crisis. Levy, Elfman, Lisanna, Levy, and Pinocchio were among those unfamiliar to the two.

"Wendy! Romeo! Guys!" Yuffie exclaimed. "You were in that ship?!"

"Oh, hey, Yuffie," Romeo smiled weakly. "Sorry we came at a bad time."

"Are you alright?" Leon asked concerned. "What happened to you?"

"Our engine was torn down by a whale named Monstro," Carla explained. "We used the warp gummi feature to escape, and before that happened, well... You know the result."

"At least we're all here together safe and sound," Goofy beamed. "And in Traverse Town, too!" He cheerfully shook Yuffie's hand. "Glad to see ya again, Yuffie, Leon!"

"Uh, sure. Same here," Yuffie grinned. "We didn't expect you to come here with a bang. Literally."

"Great! Just great!" Donald ranted. "First our Gummi Ship's swallowed by a whale, now it crashed into the street! It'll take days to repair! DAYS! DAYS! DAAAYYYS!" He threw his hat down to the ground and swung his arms around in a fit, quacking angrily at the sky, cursing Monstro for bringing calamity upon the group. His temper tantrum came to an end when Carla slapped him across the face. "HEY!"

"Get a hold of yourself!" Carla snapped. "We can't prioritize the state of the ship when the safety of our friends comes first! So stop whining and calm down! Be thankful all of us are still alive!"

"Oh..." Donald rubbed his cheek, feeling embarrassed for being angry for no reason. "Sorry."

"So bad things happened during your quest," Leon guessed. "That's how your ship crashed here."

"Yeah, that's right," Sherria nodded. "The truth is..."

"Wait!" Pinocchio interrupted. "Where's Father?"

A cough came from the wreckage. The young marionette could hear it amidst the crackling sounds of fire. He was acting in a trance, and his surroundings did not seem clear to him. Only one thing grabbed his attention: Geppetto, who lay weakened in the open hatch near a puddle of gasoline almost reaching the left side of his limp body. With no time to lose, Pinocchio ran to the Gummi Ship against the protests of those calling behind him. For once, his ears failed. He could not hear the pleas of Wendy and company. He could barely even feel the embers caressing his cheeks. All he could see was the elderly wood-carver in danger, and he had to something to help.

"Pinocchio... Go..." Geppetto whispered, as he was on the verge of losing consciousness. "Go without me... Save yourself... Don't mind me, son... Save yourself, Pinocchio..."

"Hang on, Father!" Pinocchio grabbed onto Geppetto's vest and dragged him out of the metal and along the debris. After what seemed like an eternity, he gently placed his father between himself and the group, completely unaware of the spark taking root between his feet...

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

A massive fireball erupted from the Gummi Ship, to which Wendy and her companions were knocked near the pavement by the resulting shockwave. Geppetto was relatively unharmed, but Pinocchio wasn't as fortunate. The flames made contact with the gas beneath him, igniting a river of flame that consumed him completely. Everyone looked with horror at the smoke and fire obscuring where the puppet stood. Everything seemed to be in slow motion, making the moment more tragic than it already was. Fortunately, Geppetto was still exhausted and muttering to himself with his eyelids closed, and had not seen or heard the fire.

When the inferno died down, their hearts heaved with sorrow and pain at the sight in front of them.

"Pinocchio?" Jiminy called out, climbing up the remains of the shattered solid concrete to get a better view. He felt tiny specks of fire burn painfully against his skin, but he didn't care. "Pinocchio! Pino—" A gasp escaped his throat. His legs gave way beneath him, and he knelt down in grief at what he just witnessed.

The brave little puppet laid face down on the ground, charred and motionless.


Outer Space

As fate would have it, Kaze had also found freedom from the confines of Monstro's belly by unwittingly causing the whale to sneeze, but at a great cost- she was left a frozen husk long deprived of oxygen, floating endlessly through the vastness of space. Yet somewhere in the deepest recesses of her being, there existed a smidge of fire that steeled what remained of her life force. Whether it was the residual darkness or her deadly obsession for Wendy that sustained her long enough to live through the empty void, no one knew for certain. But a silent will kept her going in spite of every fiber of her body turned to ice. Before she even gave any thought to that, a defiant resolve lingered, unknown to the universe, unknown to all.

Twenty minutes later, her chilled corpse was retrieved by two Sleepy Hollow wizards clad in space suits and taken to the falcon-themed command vessel, which was paired on either side by four miniature gummi ships. The small fleet had arrived in response to an incident involving a space sector assigned to a vanguard in the Alliance of Evil, and thus commenced an investigation. So far, there were no leads or survivors. The Sleepy Hollow squadron escorted the seemingly lifeless Kaze to the command ship's deck and confined her in a medical capsule. She was examined by Silver Ornithurae, the Headless Horseman in charge of the operation. Shocked and hurt that his master had been bested in some form, he demanded, "Master Viriniam! What happened to you?!"

One of the Sleepy Hollow minions in charge of the rescue reported, "She must have lost a lot of oxygen, sir. We don't know if she's—"

Silver held up his hand to interrupt, "Wait!" He closed his eyes and perceived the tiny spark through the capsule glass. "I can feel it. It's faint, but I sense her Magic Energy." When he opened his eyes, he let out a relieved sigh, "She's still alive...!" He then turned to the ship's crew with an urgent expression, "Take the Master back to Hollow Bastion for medical treatment! Immediately!"

The soldiers saluted and resumed their duties. "Yes, sir!"

As Silver returned his gaze, he looked at the gravity of Kaze's present condition. Aside from lack of oxygen, the fractured Dark Drive was spotted between the peeled skin in her chest, the broken glass tainted with blood. The Headless Horsemen ascertained that Wendy Marvell may have fought the guild master at some point and won, having found a way to exploit the source of her magic. It seemed clear to Silver that healing Kaze in top shape would not proceed without any complications. At the same time, he would not forgive the ones responsible for the act. He growled to himself, "I'll drag you out in the open, feculent scum... Wendy Marvell and her band of fools... The hammer of justice will rain down upon them! Master Viriniam will be avenged!"

With nothing else to rescue, the gummi fleet sped off into the distance, on their way to the one place where Kaze could be restored to her prime.


Traverse Town, at the hotel...

No one spoke a single word on their way, and even when they took shelter in the one place where Wendy and Carla first met Yuffie, there was only silence, save for the flames eating away at the wrecked Gummi Ship outside the street. A distraught Geppetto walked in with Wendy and company following close behind, their heads held low, their hearts heavy, their eyes filled with tears. He set Pinocchio's body on the bed, while Levy switched on a single light. It shone directly on the boy in the mattress, fit for the atmosphere of a funeral. Geppetto knelt by his son's side and continued to weep with the drops gently falling on the blanket. "My boy..." he sniffled, showing respects to the only family he had but now lost. "My brave little boy..." Jiminy sat by a candle in the window, crossing his arms over the wax as he wept along with the elderly wood-carver. He pulled out his handkerchief to wipe his eyes, but even that wasn't enough to keep the river from falling.

Pinocchio's demise wasn't the first time Wendy had seen a close friend die at the end of a grueling battle. The first was when Cait Shelter revealed themselves to be illusions and faded away into nothingness, and when Grandeeney gave her life to crush the ambitions of Tartaros. Although those sacrifices were eight years ago, the sorrow still ate away at her heart as if these events happened yesterday. Wendy had known Pinocchio for just a short while, but for some reason, his death felt almost painful. Sitting at a table next to Romeo and Carla, she took the opportunity to see how her other friends were coping with the loss. Goofy and Sherria seized each other in a hug and sobbed. Juvia and Levy knelt alongside Geppetto, likewise sharing his grief. Donald and Yuffie had their backs turned and appeared to be staring towards the door, trying to hold back their own tears. Leon's gaze was one of disbelief and dismay. Alzack and Bisca tried to comfort Asuka who cried in their arms, and Elfman did the same with Lisanna.

Wendy felt Carla's soft touch on her shoulder, and she turned to face her. "He risked his life to save his father. But in the end, he..." The white Exceed didn't have the heart to continue, for the grief was still too near.

"We should've helped," Romeo choked. He seemed composed, but just barely holding himself together. "If we'd gotten his dad outta there instead of him, he wouldn't have gone out like that." He felt his muscles tremble in anguish, as did his voice. "And to think that losing a son is just as bad as losing a father. I'm starting to wonder what my dad's thinking right now. He's probably missing me. Just as much as I do." He finally broke into tears, "I can't think of anything else..."

"Romeo, I..." Wendy muttered. "I don't see how much we could be of help. It was his choice. He chose to save his dad, to put others before himself. He..." A sob clenched her throat. "He wanted to do it..."

That was the finality. Romeo began to gently weep on Wendy's shoulder. She pulled her in a hug, and he returned it, both sobbing into each other. Only gradually did the rest of the group fade into existence. It broke Carla's own heart to see them sad. She wanted to join in, but she felt too raw and painful to cry; this went beyond tears. However, the idea of losing the girl she cared and watched over since childhood had all but scared her to death.

The mourning lasted for what could have been a moment, an instant, a lifetime. Then the wind carried a gentle voice towards the lifeless puppet, unheard by everyone in the room.

"Prove yourself brave, truthful, and unselfish, and someday you will be a real boy."

They didn't notice a blue light showering down on who the voice had decreed.

"Awake, Pinocchio. Awake..."

And when the light receded, Pinocchio felt life in him again. He cracked open his eyes. His arms and neck felt rusty for a second, prompting him to stretch. The dim light flashed into his vision, and the symphony of sobs rang into his ears. By the time his sight cleared, he turned to Geppetto, whose bobbing head never left the blanket, never to notice at first the attendees of what could have been a funeral service in his memory, as they were also oblivious of the miraculous recovery. He asked, "Father, whatcha crying for?"

Geppetto responded only after a sniff, "Because you are dead, Pinocchio."

Pinocchio giggled and shook his head, "No, no, I'm not."

Geppetto shook back, "Yes, yes, you are. Now, lie down."

Pinocchio stood up on his knees and tried to cheer his father up, "But Father, I'm alive, see? And... And I'm..." What he said next encapsulated the attention of everyone else in the room. When they spotted him, all the sorrow melted from their faces. They were shocked to see Pinocchio returned to the living, but even more so at what he looked like! No longer was his outer layer made of wood. No longer was the frame of his body shaped like blocks. He had become exactly what he hoped and worked so hard to be! "I'm real..." He let out an overwhelmed breath as he realized the changes around him, before excitement took him. "I'm a real boy!"

Looking up through watery eyes, Geppetto saw the distorted face of his son, reborn with flesh and bone. He blinked, and it came into focus. His heart leaped with relief. "You're alive! And..." He struggled to make his words come out, "...you're a real boy! A REAL LIVE BOY!" He lifted Pinocchio up and spun him around, elated that his wish had finally come true. The former puppet cheered and whooped along with Geppetto. To be a real boy after so many trials and tribulations... What a feeling it was! And true to Geppetto's words, "This calls for a celebration!"

The heroes burst into shouts of joy and cries of heartfelt comfort, all pretense of needless drama forgotten. They jumped and danced around the room, and even welcomed back the puppet now turned boy with open arms and friendly pats in the back, which he responded in kind. Wendy and Romeo squealed in delight as they hugged each other again; Pinocchio had been saved by a miracle, and the painful thought of a family losing its own was but a fleeting afterthought. As for Leon, rather than partake in the celebration, a soft smile was his only reaction.

"Oh, my goodness!" Geppetto's alarmed voice broke the flurry of festivities. "Where's my accordion? I must've forgotten it before we escaped from the whale." He rubbed his head awkwardly, "How silly of me. I've been saving it for a song I'd like to play when I saw my son again."

"Accordion?" Wendy asked. "You play music?"

"For the most part, yes," Geppetto nodded. "I've carved lots of clocks and music boxes to brighten the atmosphere..."

While the conversation dragged on, Jiminy looked out the window, feeling proud of himself for seeing the Blue Fairy's promise fulfilled. Before he could join the gang, there was one last matter that required his attention. He looked up to the night sky and spoke, hoping that somewhere in the stars, the fairy who gave Pinocchio the gift of life could hear him. "Thank you, milady. He deserved to be a real boy. And it sure was nice of you to— Huh?" The cricket stopped mid-sentence when a light shone on him. He looked confused for a moment before he saw something appear on the side of his black blazer. It was a starburst-shaped badge that read 'OFFICIAL CONSCIENCE 18KT'.

"Well, I'll be," Jiminy remarked, admiring the badge and even shining it with his jacket. "Solid gold, too. Oh, I think it's swell!" He looked up at one particular star that shined the brightest, glad that everything leading up to this point was worth the wait. He had finally fufilled his duty as Pinocchio's conscience.

The hotel was filled with jubilation and laughter that night. Father danced with son, and Wendy's wide circle of companions rejoiced at a brand new beginning.

It was obvious from that point on, things would never be the same.


SOMEWHERE ELSE...

In the far reaches of space, a lone pirate ship lazily sailed across the starry ocean.

Standing in the captain's hold, Mirajane Strauss stared down at the boy lying unconscious on the red couch in front of her. The color of his skin appeared paler than it had ever been, making the fiery salmon in his hair stand out even more than usual. He didn't move an inch, and could not be woken up by any means. The sadness in Mirajane's heart weighed heavily as she tore her eyes away, shutting them as though it was painful to look at him in such a pitiful state. She didn't want to believe Natsu was long gone and beyond saving, yet the moment she finally saw him, she was proven wrong. What made the tragedy even more distressing was Happy taking part of the observation; his tear-filled eyes never left the lifeless body of his best friend, and he refused to leave.

"So..." Mirajane choked out, addressing the dark figure behind her. "Natsu's like a lifeless puppet now?"

"Precisely," Maleficent nodded, approaching the She-Devil in graceful strides. "He has become a shell of his former self."

"Shell?" Mirajane took a shuddering breath. "You mean his heart was..."

"Taken by the Heartless, no doubt," Maleficent forced the answer calmly. "I never expected this to happen, just when he was needed for our grand scheme."

"This is horrible!" Happy whimpered. "Nothing can wake him up! It's like he's turned into a zombie! What are we gonna do?" He leaned on the base of the couch and cried vigorously, banging his fist on the wood below the soft exterior. "We gotta help him! We just gotta..." A sob strangled his voice, preventing any more words from coming out.

"Oh, Happy..." Mirajane bent down on one knee and gently laid her hand on top of Happy's shoulder. It broke her own heart to see the blue Exceed in such grief. "Everything will be okay," she consoled him, her eyes nearly moistening. "We'll make it through this. I promise you, he'll wake up again."

Happy continued sobbing as Maleficent looked down at him and Mirajane with calculating eyes. Greatly sympathizing with their loss, she tenderly spoke, "I must apologize for not being able to guarantee the safety of your friend. If we had not been fast enough, he would not have been in such a predicament."

"I'll do anything to get him back!" Mirajane whirled around, eager and desperate for a shred of hope. "There has to be a way!"

"Aye! There has to be!" Happy followed suit. His eyes still watered, but his face showed more resolve than sorrow. "Isn't there anything we can do to get Natsu to wake up? How can we bring him back?"

"There are nine maidens of the purest heart," Maleficent explained. "We call them the Princesses of Heart. One member in your guild, the wizard in armor, has such a heart. It is that purity that made her a worthy candidate. You know of whom I speak and why we must rely on her power."

"Erza..." Mirajane whispered. She remembered it very well, when the villains packaged the crimson-haired woman along with the number of maidens they had captured, right after the successful invasion of the Fairy Tail guildhall. She was indignant about the idea of using Erza as a sacrificial lamb for Maleficent's master plan. She wanted to intervene on behalf of her comrade, but knowing the fact she had to keep up appearances and lull the Alliance of Evil in a false sense of security, Mirajane had no choice but to let them have their way for now. Nevertheless, when the opportunity presented itself...

"The Princesses are the only nine people in existence whose hearts are pure light. The light in each heart is so great that not even a single touch of darkness can blot it out," Maleficent stated. "Gather them together, and a door will open to the heart of all worlds."

"The heart of all worlds?" Happy echoed, wiping his tears.

"Within lies untold wisdom," Maleficent continued. "There, you will surely find a way to recover Natsu's heart. Once we have achieved our goals, the wisdom we seek will be ours to use as we see fit. And then..." Her smile widened, "...the rewards will be far beyond what you can possibly fathom. In the meantime, you will continue to assist us. I will see to it that your friend will return to life and in the arms of your family again." She held a hand close to her heart, "You have my word."

Mirajane lowered her gaze to the floor as she absorbed the information. A way to recover Natsu's heart by unlocking the door to the heart of all worlds, where infinite wisdom and limitless power lay within... It would appear the secret revolt was not without a few bumps on the road. Still, as long as no one saw through her deception, there was still progress. Mirajane would keep up the charade until she exploited a blind spot in the villains' scheme, then save the whole Fairy Tail guild and all the other Princesses at the same capacity. There was still time.

"Mira, do we have to count on that scary witch lady to help us?" Happy questioned. "Is she true to her word?"

"To be honest, I'm not so sure," Mirajane admitted. "But if she really promised us that Natsu will come back, we have no choice but to trust her." She stood back up and looked Maleficent straight in the eye. "We only have eight Princesses of Heart, don't we?" A nod answered her, then she continued, "That means we'll have to find the last one. I'll do anything to bring Natsu back." She whispered the last word with such conviction, "Anything..."

"M-Me too," Happy agreed with reluctance. "I just wanna see my pal back to his old self."

"Very good," Maleficent confirmed. "Now, Mirajane, I'll grant you a marvelous gift." She leaned closer and raised her arms, the orb in her staff glowing ominously green. "The power to control the Heartless."

Suddenly, the whole room blackened around Mirajane. A surge of emerald energy encompassed her being, and she began to feel the changes taking effect. Something about the transfer of dark power felt strange and rather cold, evil somehow, but then again, it was just a brand new feature added to her Satan Soul Magic. Mirajane had a feeling that the new ability bestowed to her by the enigmatic sorceress could prove useful in some cases.

"W-W-Whoa..." Happy shivered as he covered his chest with his arms crossed. "The witch lady's granting Mirajane some kinda new magic? What's it look like? What can it do? It looks scary to me! See the green creeping around it?"

The glow eventually faded, but Mirajane still felt the incredible energy coursing through her. The power of control over Heartless... It sounded all too familiar, reminded her of another different ability she obtained from defeating Seilah of the Nine Demon Gates. She could only hope that this new power was needed to help change the course when the time came. She looked back to Natsu, still motionless on the red silk cushions, with a promise in mind. "I will save you, Natsu. Just hold on..." Then an astral projection of a Sleepy Hollow wizard popped out of the floor between Mirajane and the horned witch, nearly scaring Happy out of his wits.

"Madam Maleficent!" the Sleepy Hollow wizard took advantage of the confusion to interject. "We received a report from Commander Ornithurae!"

"Yes?" Maleficent responded. "What is the matter?"

"It's Master Viriniam," the Sleepy Hollow wizard addressed. "She has sustained major injuries in battle."

"What?" Maleficent's voice grew cold. Happy could hear it in her voice, and began to grow afraid, Mirajane even less so.

"A search party led by Commander Ornithurae found her drifting alone in space," the Sleepy Hollow wizard replied. "Her present condition was due to lack of oxygen and loss of blood. We believe it must be the work of the insurgents."

"Kaze? Insurgents? Could it be?" Mirajane's eyes widened. "Wendy must've..."

"The commander is currently taking the Master back to Hollow Bastion," the Sleepy Hollow wizard continued. "She is expected to receive medical care as soon as she gets there."

Maleficent did not say anything, her head bent down. She then threw a glance out the window over the horizon, pondering what to do with her protégé's disobedient and unruly nature. The wicked sorceress addressed Mirajane without even turning an eye, "It seems I have a pressing matter to attend to. We will reconvene later. Until then, you stay in the ship." With that said, she vanished in a portal of darkness, and the projection faded away.

"Oh, Mira!" Happy sprang at the eldest Strauss sibling and hugged her as soon as the pair were alone. Tears streamed down his face again, and he let his emotions run wild. "I'm so sorry! This is all my fault! If I hadn't been so slow, Natsu wouldn't have to sleep like he's in a funeral!"

"Don't blame yourself, Happy," Mirajane comforted him and dried his tears. "None of us didn't mean for things like that to happen. Like I said, we'll make it through this. Natsu will come back to us." The blue Exceed calmed down and took steady breaths, reassured by her words. She went on, "It's obvious that Maleficent and her cohorts are up to no good, and they can't be trusted. They sent the Sleepy Hollow mercenaries to attack our guildhall, and they enslaved most of our friends. The rest are still out there, some lost in other worlds, some looking for us."

"There's one thing I just don't get, though," Happy cocked an eyebrow. "Why'd you actually have to agree in helping the bad guys?"

"Yeah, about that..." Mirajane confessed with a sigh. "I had to play along and let them believe that I was on their side. If my cover is blown, they'll turn on me and kill us all."

"They'll kill us anyway!" Happy protested. "That's the thing with villains; they use people up and then throw them away like garbage. You said it yourself, they can't be trusted. You don't expect Male-whatever to keep her word, do you?"

"Of course not," Mirajane shook her head and smiled. "As a matter of fact, I've got everything planned."

"Y-You do?" Happy gasped. "How?"

"As long as she thinks I'm tagging along, she won't be aware of what I've been working on. And that gives us the advantage," Mirajane explained. "It's the best way I know how to help our friends. For the time being, at least. Anyway, here's how it goes..."

As the eldest Strauss sibling let in the details of her deception, Happy leaned in and listened. It seemed only a matter of time before he soon had his own role to play. The rebellion within the Alliance of Evil would still continue.


Author's Note:
YAHOO! That's the end of the Monstro arc, FINALLY! We're just about halfway through the story. It ended with the mysterious connection between Wendy and Kaze taken to new heights, Pinocchio sacrificing his life to save Geppetto before turning into a real boy as in the original movie, and Mirajane getting the power to control the Heartless. How will Mira display her new powers? Will Wendy and Kaze remember each other? And what other twists and turns will ensue?

The adventure continues in the next chapter, the Pegasus Cup in Olympus Coliseum, where Wendy and company face another dark guild for the custody of another Fairy Tail wizard. Get ready, 'cause more hell's about to break loose.

Terribly sorry about the wait for this, but I hope it's to everybody's liking. Don't forget to fav, review, and give any thoughts you want to share. This is TheSavageMan100, signing off. Hope to see you again soon!