Author's Note:
This chapter is dedicated to Rutger Hauer (voice of Master Xehanort), Russi Taylor (voice of Minnie Mouse), and Yu Shimaka (Japanese voice of Goofy), who passed away months after Kingdom Hearts III is released. You shall be missed, Blade Runner. The real Minnie is reunited with the real Mickey. And there goes another great Japanese voice actor. *sob* Now, back to the story, before any more tears are shed. This is the second chapter of the Atlantica arc, and I hope you enjoy from start to finish.


Undersea Gorge

"Huh? You really can't get to the sunken ship without getting past the currents?" Wendy asked her question in confusion as the party inspected the gorge for any unusual activity.

"Sadly, yes," Ariel answered with a sigh. "There used to be a time when the calm depths were all peace and quiet, and it's one of the most serene places you'll ever find in the whole sea. Flounder and I usually go there for some fun, but best of all, it's the only path to the ship. It's where we find lots of neat things to add to my collection. Remember all the stuff you've seen in my grotto?"

"Yeah, and it's pretty nice," Wendy nodded happily. "But don't you think you already have enough to go around? You feel like you want more."

"Of course I want more," Ariel smiled. "Every time I set my eyes on a couple of gadgets and gizmos, or a bunch of whozits and whatzits, I can't imagine being interested in them. They're just so fascinating, I could cry with joy!" She shook with glee as thoughts of the outside world burned into her mind. "That's why I've collected so many. I can't see any harm in gathering treasures untold and put them in one secret cavern where they're safe. Wouldn't you think I'm the girl who wants everything? Looking around my grotto, you'd probably think I have it all. But it's not enough for me. I just want more. I hope that one day, I'd get to see it all. What would I give to be in that world to see what they're made for?"

Before Wendy could speak up, Donald surprised them both by turning to Ariel and saying, "First of all, this is not a good time to be thinking about other worlds or your junk in the trunk right now. We've got work to do!" The young mermaid stared at him incredulously and looked like she wanted to say something, but Donald went on, "And second, we're getting off topic here! What about the ship and the calm depths?"

Ariel replied hesitantly, "R-Right... I was getting to that. The calm depths used to be, you know, calm..." She shrugged at that, "...until one day, a huge noise ripped through the valley and sent strong currents pushing us back. Our only way to the sunken ship was boxed in. The currents got in the way. Nothing we did got us past them."

Wendy asked, "And that's when you counted on the dolphin to get you there, right?"

Ariel nodded, "Yes. He's a very strong fish who can get through anything, no matter how many are riding him. Oh, and did I mention he can also lift anything about a thousand pounds? He'll take us all to the ship without even bursting a bubble."

Wendy gasped, "No way! He can do that?"

Ariel assured, "Trust me, he's no ordinary dolphin. And he'll help us."

Romeo held up his right hand and said, "Hold on!" He then lowered his hand and asked, "Did anyone else hear that?"

Everyone stopped and listened for a moment. Sherria soon pointed further ahead and said, "It's coming from that direction." She held a hand close to her ear, "It sort of sounds like a cat's meow or the squeak of a rubber ducky. Then again, clicking's all I heard."

Wendy's eyes widened in realization. "Clicking? It has to be the dolphin!"

Romeo wondered, "He's coming this way, isn't he? If he's in trouble, we gotta help him."

Carla advised, "Be on your guard. You never know what to expect."

Lucy determined, "Well, I'm ready for anything. I could use a little stress relief after dealing with Ariel's overly strict father."

Juvia suddenly altered the party, "I think we've got company!"

Wendy's intuition proved right when she and her friends spotted a gray dolphin racing into the gorge, squeaking out of fear for the horde of Heartless on its tail. Fifteen Screwdivers and twenty Sea Neons chased the poor, helpless creature on all directions, driven by the common instinct to devour its heart, whichever came first.

Lucy gripped the handle of her whip as she said, "Well, there he is, just like Flounder said."

Romeo's fists ignited with Blue Fire. "And on the run, too. Good thing we're on the job!"

Wendy summoned her Keyblade and announced, "Come on, let's help him!" She and her companions swam over to the seabed where the Heartless had the dolphin backed to a corner after what seemed to be a long chase. However, before the Sea Neons and Screwdivers could assault the frightened mammal, the heroes blocked their path. They immediately recognized the presence of the Keyblade master and charged towards the party. Wendy slew seven Screwdivers and five Sea Neons with various Keyblade combinations, Donald cast Thunder and Blizzara to vaporize ten Sea Neons, and Goofy implemented Goofy Rocket to knock out five more. Romeo reduced the last five Sea Neons to ashes with his flames, Sherria blasted three Screwdivers using Sky God's Boreas, and Juvia cast Water Slicer to cut open an additional two. Meanwhile, Lucy, Ariel, and Carla dealt a couple of hits using their flippers to defeat the last of the Screwdivers.

Almost immediately, Wendy swam over to the dolphin to check on its status. "Are you okay, Mr. Dolphin?" Taking a closer look, she noticed that the dolphin seemed to be nervously looking around, as if expecting the Heartless to come back, so she wrapped her arms around the mammal, saying, "You poor baby. You must've been so scared and tired. The monsters did this to you? Here, let me heal you." She stretched out her hands and allowed the soothing properties of her Sky Magic to flow forth.

Everyone stood back in silence, watching the dolphin squeak quietly and relax as Wendy comforted it with her healing magic. "Wow... She's really good with mammals," Ariel commented.

Carla grinned at her, "Of course she is. A gentle and caring heart beats within her youthful exterior. When she sees a poor soul in dire need of help, she can't refuse."

Shortly after being fully healed, the dolphin began whistling in gratitude for the girl who saved its life. In return for her kindness, it motioned its head towards the path leading back to the undersea valley. Lucy asked, "What's it doing?"

Wendy guessed, "I think he wants to return the favor by giving us a ride to the sunken ship."

Ariel beamed, "That's wonderful! We can get there in no time!"

Donald questioned, "You sure about this, Ariel? He'll give everyone a lift?"

Goofy implied, "Yeah, I mean, aren't we all one big weight mixed together?"

Ariel stated, "Like I said, he's no ordinary dolphin. He can carry things a hundred times his weight and swim faster than any other fish in the ocean."

Carla confirmed, "I suppose we'll have to witness the creature's capabilities firsthand. For the time being, we must follow his lead."

Donald shrugged, "Eh, it's worth a try."

Goofy smiled, "And it does sound a lotta fun."

Romeo grinned, "What are we waiting for? Let's go for a ride!"

Thus did the group gather round and held onto separate parts of the dolphin's body, all the while making sure they didn't run out of space. And then suddenly, the small creature promptly sped off at an incredible speed, much to the surprise of every person mounting it. "WHAT IN THE WOOOOOOOOOOOORLD?!" It seemed Lucy exclaimed the loudest cry of all.

Undersea Valley

In under a minute, the dolphin made a quick stop at the intended destination. The sudden turbulence pressured Wendy and her friends to let go, leaving them slightly nauseous and disoriented from the aftermath of the ride, in which the mammal's velocity was nearly equivalent to that of a missile. Upon regaining their senses, they found themselves back at the valley where the whole venture started.

Wendy shuddered, "Whoa...! He's super fast! My head was spinning!"

Romeo remarked, "Now that's what I call an wild underwater ride!"

Carla commented, "The dolphin's speed is most impressive, as is his strength."

Donald nodded, "Yeah, did you see how he carried us all at once?"

Goofy pointed out, "It's like he has gills of steel!"

Sherria imagined, "He could be the toughest fish in the sea."

Lucy groaned, "Tell me about it. If he's a cat with wings instead of a dolphin, he'd beat Happy in a flying contest."

Juvia chuckled, "I hope you enjoyed the ride, bimbo. I also hope it won't be your last."

Lucy assured, "I'm fine. I can take it. I've been riding a roller coaster that's just as fast as the little guy we've been riding."

Ariel smiled, "Well, here we are. We made it in a flash, all thanks to our friend here." Her grin soon disappeared as she began checking her surroundings. "But why do we stop here? Haven't we gotten past the currents already? We should've been at the sunken ship by now..."

"I believe we've found our answer. Look!" Carla pointed at the left side of the valley, where the dolphin was frantically swimming away from yet another wave of Heartless, this time comprised of thirty Sea Neons and eight Sheltering Zones.

Romeo frowned, "Great. This is just what we needed."

Goofy stated, "With them around, he's scared to do anythin'."

Donald huffed, "All he does is turn tail. He freaks out when he sees them."

Lucy nodded, "So unless we get rid of them, we can't go dolphin riding."

Sherria confirmed, "Well, we can't just sit back and let anything bad happen to the poor guy. Ready when you are, Wendy!" The Sky Maiden responded to the call and, a second later, followed the rest of the party to confront the battalion of jellyfish-like Heartless. Wendy destroyed five Sea Neons by swinging around the Blue Mistral with precision and elegance, then eliminated five more with Strike Raid. The rest of the stray jellyfish were dealt with by Donald's Thunder and Gravity, Goofy's shell bash, Romeo's Purple Fire, Sherria's Sky God's Dance, Lucy's Fleuve d'étoiles, and Ariel's magic potions. As for the Sheltering Zones, Wendy and Sherria assimilated their Sky Dragon's Roar and Sky God's Bellow into a Unison Raid, obliterating six of the gigantic Heartless. The remaining two were already dispersed into lesser Sea Neons when they received an amount of damage from the party, but they soon met their end at the hands of Donald's magic and Goofy's shell. Every Heartless in the clearing had been reducing to dust, and when the dolphin realized they were gone, it cried out in relief. It swam over to the group, thankful that it had been spared another grisly fate, and was ready to resume the trip to the sunken ship.

Goofy chortled, "All clear! We're good to go."

Donald confirmed, "Well, it's about time."

Romeo smiled, "This calls for another wild ride, guys."

And with that, the entourage held onto the dolphin one last time as they swam across the valley at breakneck speed...

Calm Depths

...and miraculously pierced through the currents that had previously shoved them to the undersea gorge at the beginning of their quest, the same flow of water and air combined that would've been too immense for any ordinary creature of the deep to flow through. When they finally made it through the calm depths, they found themselves at a tunnel leading into an open area.

Ariel cheered, "Now we're here! We reached the entrance to the sunken ship!"

While the group celebrated that achievement, the little mermaid turned to look at Wendy and saw that she was giving the dolphin another embrace before they went their separate ways. It soon turned and raced away into the currents. As it left, Wendy called out, "Bye, Mr. Dolphin! Say 'hi' to all of your friends for me!" A joyful clicking was the dolphin's only response. She then turned around, brushing a bit of her hair aside. As she floated over to Ariel, she explained, "I had to say something to him before we go."

Ariel remarked, "The dolphin must've really liked you."

Wendy smiled, "Yes, he did. And he was so nice, too."

Ariel chuckled, "Well, I told you he's a helping hand." Of course, in the end, the two followed the rest of their friends into the tunnel.


Sunken Ship

At the end of the passage, Wendy and company stood before a wide clearing, the main attraction being the broken ruins of a massive ship at the center. The hulls and pieces of rowboats scattered about provided the eerie atmosphere of a graveyard, apparently for the crew who had tragically died in an accident. Ariel's smile grew further upon seeing the target of the group's search. "There it is. The sunken ship. Isn't it fantastic?"

Donald stared intriguingly at the dilapidated vessel. "All of a sudden, my treasure hunting senses are on high alert here."

Sherria was a little excited by the idea as well. "There has to be some goods inside this rusted old galleon."

Goofy asked Ariel, "Ya think the Keyhole's down there?"

Ariel assumed, "There might be a clue somewhere around here." She pointed at the ship, "Let's search that thing. It's our best bet."

"A-Are you sure about this?" Flounder asked, looking rather scared to get near the ship. "M-Maybe we should swim somewhere else. Looking at it now, I think it's even scarier than it was before."

Just as he was about to abandon the search, Ariel grabbed his tail fin. "Oh, come on. You're not getting cold fins now, are you? We'll be fine if we stick together." With a flick of her emerald tail, she began making her way to the ship with the others following behind.

Flounder replied, "Who, me? I'm getting cold fins? No way! It's just... I worry about you, and... It, uh... It looks damp in there than last time we checked. Yeah!" He put a fin to his forehead as the group approached their target. "And I think I may be coming down with something. Yeah, I got this cough." She coughed, trying to convince Ariel, who was looking into the ship.

Ariel looked at her friend and whispered, "Alright, we're going inside. You can just stay here and watch for sharks."

"Okay," Flounder whispered back, all the while Ariel and her companions slipped into the ship's interior through a round hole found in the deck. "Yeah, you go. I'll stay and look out for..." Suddenly realizing what he just said, a look of fear crossed his face. "What?! Sharks?! Ariel!" He swam straight into the hole, but got stuck halfway through. He grunted, trying to wriggle his way out, but was unable to get free. "Ariel, I can't... Ariel, help!"

Ariel turned and laughed when she saw Flounder stuck between what appeared to be the only entrance and exit to the ship's inner workings. She swam up to him and sighed, "Oh, Flounder."

Flounder asked timidly, "Ariel, do you really think there might be sharks around here?" Ariel grabbed his fins and began to pull him out, completely unaware of an ominous shape swimming past right outside.

Ariel pouted, "Flounder, don't be such a guppy. We've looked the whole place a dozen times, and we haven't seen any sharks. Not one. Honestly, why are you always so scared whenever we come here? Just because it looks dark and gloomy doesn't make it any scary."

Flounder protested, "I-I'm not scared! And I'm no guppy!" With a final grunt, the young mermaid was able to pull him out of the hole.

Ariel giggled, "That's what you always say. Now, come on, let's keep going. Where's your sense of adventure?" She and her friends began their investigation of the galleon, with Wendy, Romeo, Sherria, Donald, and Goofy finding more items such as additional munny, Potions, Ethers, and Elixirs for future use.

Flounder did his best to appear cheerful, but he was actually quite nervous. "T-This is great. I mean, I really love this. Excitement, adventure, danger lurking around every corn— AAAAAAHHHHHHH!" He gave a terrified scream upon seeing a human skeleton, and swam backwards into a vertical beam which collapsed on impact. "ARIEL!" But instead of his best friend, he ran into Wendy, who grunted upon being knocked backwards.

The Sky Maiden wrapped her arms around the petrified fish. "Oh, Flounder! Are you okay?"

Flounder couldn't stop shaking with uncontrollable fear. "Yeah, sure. No problem. I'm okay."

Wendy smiled softly and caressed him by tracing her gentle fingers around his body. "Don't be scared, Flounder. We're here for you. I don't think there's no one around besides us." Her words of comfort seemed to have eased Flounder as he stopped shaking.

Donald rolled his eyes, "Typical. The little yellow fish is always scared about something. 'Ah, there's giant fish balloons in the palace!' 'Ah, there's jellyfish everywhere!' 'Ah, Ariel, look out, there's a shark!'" He then scoffed, "Weirdo."

Romeo wondered, "Speaking of, what do you think we'd expect in a place like this? I've got a feeling something's off."

Goofy pointed out, "First time we looked, all we see is wood, broken boats, and some goodies in the trunk."

Sherria agreed, "This is going very well, now that you bring that up. We should come around more often. I doubt things can go wrong."

Wendy sighed, "I hope not. Because if they do..." Of course, she and her companions had no idea of the multitude of glowing crimson eyes observing the group from the darkness outside the galleon.

Once the party reached a stateroom on the lower deck, they discovered something lying near a window that emitted a small light amid the cold shadows of the ship's interior. "Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh!" Ariel exclaimed, swimming towards the blue crystal trident resting on the floor and picking it up. The item appeared to be a replica of her father's trident, except it lacked a base. "Have you ever seen anything so wonderful in your entire life?"

Flounder swam up beside her and said, "Wow! Cool! But, uh, what is it?"

Ariel carefully examined the crystal as she replied, "I don't know. But its shape reminds me of something."

Lucy pointed out, "Well, it does have the same shape of your father's trident, only that it doesn't have the handle."

Sherria grinned, "And it's made out of crystal! Wouldn't it be great if we add this to Ariel's collection?"

Juvia nodded, "It even matches the trident-shaped mural we saw at her grotto. We noticed it had an empty slot."

Ariel stated, "Which reminds me, that wall decoration in the middle of my grotto has been there since I first discovered it. I never knew what it was for, why it's shaped like my father's trident, or why it's empty, but I wanted to know its secrets." A gasp escaped her mouth as an idea relating the crystal to the trident-shaped impression struck her. "This could be it... This crystal could be the key! The answer to our problem!"

Goofy chimed, "Gawrsh, if that's the case, then the Keyhole's bound to show up fast!"

Donald agreed, "This'll be easy as pie. All we have to do is close the Keyhole, and we're home free!"

Carla suggested, "We don't know what we'll gain out of this, so our best option is to fit this piece of the puzzle and find out."

Ariel smiled, "Let's go back to my grotto and see what we can do with the crystal. I can't wait to see what happens next."

The group may have been too distracted discussing the crystalline treasure to notice, but Flounder definitely heard a low rumble that went past the unsound walls of the ship. "What was that? Did you hear something? Ariel?" He even failed to realize that the silhouette of a huge shark was right behind him, staring at him through the window. "G-G-Guys?"

"Flounder, will you relax?" Ariel insisted. "Nothing is going to happen."

By the time he turned around, the shark was growling and had its mouth wide open, preparing to devour a dozen bags of flesh scampering around the galleon. Luckily, Wendy and Romeo looked up to join Flounder in witnessing what the rest of the gang was unknowing of. The two alerted in panic, "LOOK OUT!" Everyone else turned, and saw in their horror the shark sinking its teeth through the window!

"SHARK! SHARK! WE'RE GONNA DIE!" Flounder yelled. They all swam away from the shark chomping down on the spot they were at moments ago, while Ariel hurriedly stuffed the crystal trident in a coral-pink bag she brought to put her findings in.

"SWIM FOR THE HILLS!" Goofy screamed as they swam up to the main deck, with the shark chomping down on the wooden planks every time it got close behind.

"Where did this monster of a fish come from?!" Donald demanded, swimming far enough to turn and unleash a Fira spell at the shark, hitting it on the nose in a miniature explosion. When the bubbles cleared, the creature seethed at the duck for its injury and lunged at him, nearly taking a bite on his tentacles.

"Where do you think?! It's the freaking ocean! Sharks can pop up anywhere!" Lucy argued, doing her best to keep the aquatic terror at bay by slapping the Fleuve d'étoiles across its bulky frame. Though the flurry of attacks did little to faze the shark, it also grabbed its attention. It made a dive at the Celestial Spirit wizard and nearly chomped on her tail, forcing her to retreat.

"He's been spying on us from the window, hasn't he?" It was Sherria's turn to distract the shark with Sky God's Bellow.

"I thought for sure there's nothing in the shipwreck but lost treasure!" Juvia followed suit by casting Water Slicer.

"You never know what to expect, even in the deep blue sea!" Carla performed a missile tailfin attack at the shark's face, pushing it off the side.

"I knew for a second something was off. And now we've got bigger fish to fry!" Romeo came from behind and slugged the shark with a 15-hit combination of Yellow Fire Fists.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size, you bully? You'll have to deal with us!" Wendy joined in on the offensive as she implemented a string of Keyblade blows. Just as she, Romeo, and Carla were about to pick up the pace, the shark made a counterattack with a couple of bites and tail swings, compelling them to dodge with great precision.

"Keep it up! And make some room!" Sherria decided she had her own share of the monster who terrorized the shipwreck, and together with Wendy, Romeo, and Carla they pummeled the shark with various physical and magical attacks, all the while eluding a series of sharp teeth, tail swipes, and diving headbutts. The remaining members of the party stopped what they were doing and stood where they were, watching the outcome of the battle that was yet to be determined.

"Yeah! Go get him, Wendy!" Donald cheered.

"Kick 'im in the teeth, Romeo!" Goofy encouraged.

"He almost bit my tail," Lucy breathed.

"Well, it's not my fault if he actually does," Juvia huffed. "Just be thankful you're alive."

"I sure am," Lucy agreed. "This is the first time I've faced a shark. And he looks scary in person."

About a minute later, the shark had already taken enough abuse and pushed Wendy, Romeo, Carla and Sherria away with a great force channeled into its tail. "Huh, he's bitten off more than he can chew!" Romeo remarked.

"How did he get so big and move real fast?" Sherria wondered. "Does he work out?"

"Don't jump to conclusions!" Carla insisted. "Sharks are equally ferocious. We're not taking any chances!"

"Look out!" Wendy shouted, pointing straight ahead. The shark was ready to strike again, and the four quickly withdrew from its advance. But to their surprise, it shot past them and was set on chasing a different target.

"Ariel!" Flounder freaked out upon noticing the shark coming after him and swam away as far as he could, whatever it took to save himself from being devoured. Ariel witnessed her best friend being pursued by the monstrous fish and swiftly rushed in for the rescue, unwittingly putting herself in the line of sharp teeth. The shark's mouth was wide open, ready to eat both her and Flounder all at once...

"Sand Buster!" A mighty blast of sand struck the shark off course before it could sink its teeth, thanks in no small part to Scorpio, whom Lucy summoned in the nick of time.

"Nice shooting, Scorpio!" Lucy winked and gave him the thumbs up.

"Here's sand in your face, sharkboy! Wicked!" Scorpio chimed.

The respite didn't last long when the shark burst from the sand and bubbles, more enraged than ever. It approached Donald, Goofy, Lucy, Scorpio, and Juvia at a deadly pace, never to rest until its hunger for blood was satisfied.

"Yup, it was nice while it lasted," Goofy gulped.

"But now I think we made him mad," Donald shivered.

"Swim away!" Lucy yelled as she and the others escaped from the spot. However, Goofy was not fast enough to keep up with the others, and seeing that the shark was already too close to swim away from, his only option was to dive into his shell for protection. The shark had never known such an opportunity presenting itself; it could at least have one fill of meat to rejuvenate itself, and once it was at full strength, it would consume the rest with no problem. The shark opened its jaws and clamped down hard on the shell. Then in an instant, there was the sound of breaking glass. Everyone was fearful that the shark's teeth had penetrated Goofy's shell under it. But rather, it was the opposite effect; the teeth had shattered from the force of the shell!

"Stop!" Wendy pointed the Blue Mistral and summoned an astral clock around the shark's body, making it freeze in one place for a short period of time. "Sky Dragon's Wing Attack!" Waving her wind-induced arms at the stiff and now toothless monster of the deep, she hammered it down to the sand.

"Purple Fire!" Romeo raced towards the shark and pummeled it in separate angles, his fists igniting with sticky flames mirroring that of his father's. "Rainbow Fireball!" He finished the combo by throwing a multicolored infernal sphere at the creature.

"Sand Spear!" Scorpio fired from his stinger cannon a thin beam of sand that pierced the shark's body.

"Fira!" Donald shot a second fireball as payback for almost having his tentacle-like legs bitten off.

"Sky God's Dance!" Sherria twirled the gigantic fish upward in a rush of black wind.

"Sky Dragon's Roar!" And finally, by the time the effects of Stop wore off, and the shark had felt the brunt of the group's teamwork, Wendy blasted it away with an immense gust of wind released from her mouth. It crashed against a rowboat, and as the dust gave way, the shark was utterly crippled. Wendy swam over to the beaten fish and looked it straight in the face, her eyes narrowing as they sported a firm and strong gaze that rivaled the shark's own. "Listen here, you bully. You can be big, ferocious, and snappy all you want, but you DON'T get to do whatever you want!" The rest of the group watched as the Sky Dragon Slayer gave the shark the full force of her glare. "I don't take kindly to anyone who tries to hurt my friends, much less eat them! That doesn't even give you an excuse to go and try to eat someone who's much smaller than you! Now you'd better stay out of our way, or I'm going to find your mother and tell her about what you've been doing! Do you understand me?!" After a second, the shark gave a low, frightened whimper and began to turn away.

"Serves you right, you big bully," Flounder taunted, and he blew a raspberry at the shark that hastily made its retreat to the same darkness from which it crawled out of.

Her business finished, Wendy swam over to her friends with a smile, her happiness restored. Scorpio had already returned to the Celestial World by the time the battle was won. Ariel was the first to speak, "Goodness! Wendy, you were amazing! That shark could've chased us around forever if you hadn't 'convinced' it to leave us alone."

Romeo grinned, "Hey, all it took was a proper beating, and he was more than convinced."

Wendy stated, "For a lifetime, I've seen bullies way scarier and bossier than that shark. They always get their way, doing bad things to people and pushing them around... Someone has to stand up for them. I can't turn down anyone who needs help."

Romeo agreed, "Same thing for me. When things go wrong, here comes the part where we step up."

Sherria piped up, "Any big bully who misbehaves on our watch is gonna get theirs. It's our style."

Flounder admired, "You guys really are the best, aren't you? I guess Lucy was right."

Ariel chuckled, "That was pretty epic. Thanks for giving the shark such a wallop."

Wendy smiled, "It's no big deal, really. Who knew he'd be easy to take care of?"

Carla confirmed, "It appears there's nothing left to do here. The crystal is secured, and we can return to the grotto."

Lucy beamed, "You know, I like how this all turned out in the end. Goofy using his shell to give the shark a toothache was a stroke of genius. And to think the only fish at the top of the food chain is scared of Wendy, a little girl— the way she gave him a lecture."

Donald suggested, "Hey, next time we see another shark, let's have Goofy break his teeth again. It'll be so painful, they'll have broken jaws for days! And then, they won't have to bother the little fishies again."

Goofy wondered, "Gawrsh, is my shell that tough? The magic must've made it more than ordinary. If and when another shows up, they'd probably mistake me for an oversized coral." He rubbed his shelled backside curiously. "But if you're all countin' on me, then maybe..." Everyone had a brief laugh over this.

As she and Sherria slapped hands, Wendy noticed something out of the corner of her eye between herself and the sunken ship. She couldn't see it clearly from the distance she was at, but it almost looked like a capsule with a tailfin of some kind. Wendy watched it for a moment when suddenly, it began floating in midwater. "What's that?" Without warning, countless more objects identical to the capsule descended upon the galleon until they floated in conjunction, startling her. She nudged Sherria on the shoulder and asked, "Um, Sherria? What are those?"

Sherria looked her friend's direction and noticed the increasing amount of capsules suspended above the ship. "Oh, they're a couple of depth charges falling from the water, and they're about to explode. In other words, bombs."

Wendy smiled at the answer. "Okay. Thanks."

Several seconds passed before the facts finally sank in. The two girls' eyes popped wide open in horror. "BOMBS?!" The blending of screams alerted the entourage in an instant.

Donald jumped, "Wak! What is it?"

Goofy questioned, "What's the matter?"

Sherria shrieked, "INCOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMING!" She and Wendy dragged their friends away from the vicinity as explosion after explosion sounded behind them, each one coming after another. It was fortunate that they were out of range from the blast radius, otherwise they wouldn't have shielded themselves from the symphony of detonations that shook the whole area. When the blasts receded, the group looked around to discover the shipwreck sporting degrees of damage.

Lucy exclaimed, "What the heck was that?!"

Wendy explained, "Bombs! They were about to explode!"

Sherria added, "We had to get you outta there!"

Juvia gasped, "Bombs?! Are you saying we were this close to getting blown up?"

Carla replied, "Evidently, if Wendy and Sherria hadn't known what was going on."

Donald frowned, "Alright, who's the wise guy? I'll bash him in the face!"

Goofy sweated, "Uh, fellas? Why don't we ask the submarines floatin' up there?"

Everybody's attention was diverted to where the captain of the guard was pointing at. Four huge submarines were stationed above the sunken ship, in which men numbering by the hundreds, equally dressed in light blue diver suits and goggles with crimson lenses, dove into the water. Some came armed with harpoons and knives and guns, others were operating white rotund battle suits, and yet every member was linked together by the aquamarine symbol depicting a man with a trident in his hand and six tentacles sprouting from the water beneath him. "We've found the enemy! All units, hit the water! Dive, dive, dive!" The commanding officer was issuing orders to the army of divers through a communication device fitted in each of their masks. They had Wendy and her friends surrounded in such a way that every escape route was closed off.

Goofy panicked, "Yikes! And divers, too! I don't think they've come to say hi!"

Donald glared, "Let me guess. Another dark guild we gotta take out?"

Sherria identified, "That's Neptune Trident, the top dogs in underwater terrorism! I heard it used to work for Oración to destabilize entire cities. With their expertise, they would always strike at transitions of power, like navigating oceans to set bombs all over town and sink it down below, or crossing sewers to infiltrate important places. They're the kings of underwater combat, and the moment you're in the water with them, the temperature's hot."

Carla growled, "Curses! They knew we were coming! This must be Kaze's work, or the dealings of another otherworldly villain in the Alliance of Evil's ranks."

Juvia tensed, "Knowing that this dark guild used to be under the Oración Seis, I can't seem to recall the names of how many Gajeel and I had destroyed when we were in Phantom Lord."

Ariel gasped, "W-Who are they? They're not like the ones we've faced!"

Romeo replied, "They're new to us. But they all mean one thing: trouble."

Ariel questioned, "Are they humans? They come from the surface, don't they? My father usually describes them as dangerous and we should stay away from them. Or in his words, 'spineless, savage, harpooning fish-eaters'. But I don't think that's the case. At least, not to me..."

Donald blinked, "Humans are savages? No, they're not. They're... uh..." He couldn't bring himself to let Ariel know of the group's wisdom of other worlds.

Wendy insisted, "Ariel, Flounder, stay back! Leave them to us!"

Carla nodded, "Go to a safe place and hide there until then!"

Ariel protested, "You want me to run away? But I want to help! We've come all this way together! I want to see it through with you all!"

Wendy sighed, "I know. But they're different. You can't hurt them with just a tailfin. They'll be too much for you. Trust me on this."

Sherria clarified, "Judging by the numbers, and with weapons like these, they're obviously not a swim in the reef. So let us do the fighting. We'll take 'em down for you!"

Flounder agreed, "S-She's right! We'd better get going now!"

Ariel began, "But—"

Lucy cut her off, "As much as we want you to stay and help us, you really have to get outta this one. If you remain here, you'll be in danger." She then smiled, "We've got it covered."

Wendy pleaded, "Please, you have to go, Ariel. We owe you for helping us. Now we wanna return the favor."

Seeing that her friends had already made up their minds, Ariel was left with no choice but to comply. "Alright. Promise me you'll be careful, okay?"

Wendy promised, "We will! Now, go!" Ariel and Flounder swam off in a different direction away from the battlefield, leaving the party to contend with the Neptune Trident forces.

Romeo wondered, "You think we can take this many?"

Carla replied, "We have to hold out somehow."

The Neptune Trident commander announced, "Wendy Marvell! We have you and your comrades surrounded! Unless you surrender immediately, we have no choice to blow you and this desolate ship out of the water. Those are Commander Ferham's orders. We are not to attack unless provoked."

Wendy responded, "Not a chance! If you think you're gonna get us just because we're now sea creatures, you're wrong. We're so much more than that." She boldly pointed the Keyblade, "We'll show you!"

Romeo cracked his knuckles before they burst into fire. "About time somebody else needs to get their butts whooped."

Sherria pumped a fist pulsating with black winds. "That's plenty dark guilds down, and now yours is next!"

The Neptune Trident commander scoffed, "Poor choice, children. You'll pay dearly for your crimes against Neptune Trident and the Alliance of Evil! All units, attack!" With a motion, the order was given to all the surrounding dark wizards to eliminate the enemies.

Carla shouted, "Brace yourselves!"

As the Neptune Trident wizards made their advance, Wendy and company found themselves having to fight against the dark guild's superb aquatic technology and weaponry, not to mention the fleet of marauding battle suits equipped with sharp claws for close combat, shoulder-mounted missiles, and chest reactors capable of laser fire. The divers were similar in mobility as the Screwdivers, the sole difference being the weapons of their own choosing. Despite the increasing numbers, the heroes fought back with unrelenting courage— Wendy slashed away with the Blue Mistral while implementing various Sky Dragon Slayer spells, Donald cast Blizzara and Thunder, Goofy charged for a spinning shell attack, Romeo flung fists of Blue Fire and Yellow Fire, Sherria flexed her Sky God Slayer Magic, Carla attacked with her fins, Juvia unleashed her Water Cyclone, and Lucy summoned Taurus yet again to provide support. The battle suits possessed considerable firepower, but what they didn't account for were Wendy and Donald's Aero spells cushioning the missiles and reactor lasers. As soon as the first wave was destroyed, more depth charges rained from the submarines, yet the group managed to avoid them all.

Romeo looked up towards the water's surface to see the bottom of the submersible boats opening hatch after hatch to release bombs that continuously exploded somewhere nearby where the group took cover, the blasts tearing right through any wood and sand in their way. The Neptune Trident wizards, almost pushed to the brink of exhaustion, rejoiced as they surged forth. "I think they're getting desperate!" Romeo shouted while pointing up at the submarines.

Wendy worried, "They must be really angry after hearing what we did to the other dark guilds!"

Juvia guessed, "Or perhaps they're just following orders. This is no mere coincidence!"

Sherria tensed, "This isn't good! We'd better get them off our backs, or we'll stay trapped in the frying pan."

Donald quacked, "What do you mean, 'frying pan'?! We're in an ocean, not a kitchen!"

Sherria snapped, "It's a figure of speech, Donald! I'm being realistic here!"

Donald derided, "Well, instead of criticizing me, why not use your big brain to figure it all out?"

Sherria cried, "Still working on it!"

Carla informed, "Everyone! The main forces attack from the submarines, while the submarines themselves drop depth charges to distract us. So long as they remain, more will keep coming."

Lucy confirmed, "In short, the ships are running the battlefield from the sidelines, while the enemies fight in the frontline. If we bring them down, the rest is history."

Carla nodded, "That's the general idea. Only when we exploit the army's weak points can we turn this entire battle around."

Wendy determined, "Looks like we'll have to destroy the ships, then they'll be easy to beat."

Romeo agreed, "Sounds like a good plan. Time to bust some metal!"

Goofy interjected, "Uh, maybe that plan can wait. More baddies are comin'!"

Taurus boomed, "Come on, people, let's moooooooooove it!" He then led the way mowing down a squadron of Neptune Trident divers and battle suits, Wendy, Romeo, Donald, Goofy, Carla, Sherria, and Juvia hot on his heels while Lucy stayed close to him. When reinforcements got in the way, Wendy cut her way through with Strike Raid as well as an underwater variation of Sonic Blade, Donald with Fira and Gravity, Goofy with Goofy Rocket, Romeo with Rainbow Fireball, Sherria with Sky God's Boreas, Carla with conventional fin slaps, Juvia with Water Nebula, Lucy with her whip, and Taurus with his ax. As the group members decimated the second Neptune Trident wave, the submarines continued dropping depth charges down into the shipwreck. Most of them landed far away, due to the bombs not being able to keep a solid lock on them, but a few came worryingly close to exploding next to them.

After one charge exploded behind the entourage, Lucy yelled, "Geez, how long can they keep this up?!"

Juvia, as she saw behind her, called, "As long as it takes to eradicate us, I imagine! If the whole fleet is here, there's probably enough arsenal to demolish all of Atlantica!"

Lucy groaned, "Oh, this is bringing up bad memories of Edolas!"

Wendy remained where she was, glaring up at one of the warships about the drop the next load. "Okay, that does it! Sky Dragon's Wave Wind!" With a thrust of her hand, a large tornado sprung forth and dragged every single depth charge up to the submarine, exploding as they made contact. The detonations came faster and faster, until finally the ship burst into a cloud of flame, and its remains sunk into the deep to join the galleon in its watery grave. One submarine was down, and three remained. "I got one!" Wendy called out to her friends.

Romeo cheered, "Cool! This'll be over in a snap! Keep it up!"

Carla urged, "We haven't the time to rest yet. Stay on your toes!"

Five Neptune Trident battle suits released a combined volley of missiles which Wendy and Romeo destroyed with Thunder and Blue Fire respectively, before striking them up close in a deadly dance of fire and steel. Donald cast Stop to freeze a patrol of divers, Goofy deflected the suits' lasers with his shell, Sherria disarmed the wizards' weapons with Sky God's Dance, and Juvia whipped another patrol with Water Cane. Seven Neptune Trident minions were knocked out by a Lucy Fin, while four battle suits were cut down by Taurus's ax.

Lucy and Taurus soon noticed that the three submarines were bound to bombard the party in the midst of fighting the Neptune Trident forces. Apparently, the fleet was using this skirmish as a diversion for a quick termination of the dark guild's targets. Taurus rolled his eyes in annoyance, "No matter what they say, bombs will be bombs." He then smirked as he turned to Lucy, "But when it comes to you, Miss Lucy, I'm bein' metaphorical here; none's the better bomb than yoooooooou!"

Lucy crossed her hips and replied, "You know, Taurus, some strategies are cooked up out of desperation. But when you rush through without thinking clearly, that strategy backfires in the end."

Taurus asked, "So you've got an ace up your sleeve that'll turn this 'roast or be roasted' rodeo around?"

Lucy smiled, "I have. You know what time it is?" By imbedding Taurus's Gate Key onto her chest, she began to shine with radiant light as she allowed the Golden Bull's magic to flow inside her. When the light vanished, her blue and white bra was replaced by another with a cow pattern, and her blonde hair was rearranged into two buns resembling horns. Her other attire consisted of a cowbell choker, golden bracelets, black gloves, a brown pouch around her waist, and a black tailfin with a belt buckle of Taurus's zodiac sign. Lucy had donned one of the Star Dresses, one centered around the likeness and power of her selected spirit, the whip in her hand decorated black with a heart-shaped cracker. "It's time to bring out the big guns!"

Taurus whooped, "Oooooooooooh, yeah! It's Star Dress time, baby! Drink juice fresh from my magic, and you're an ultra-buff ultra-beauty!" He then turned to face Wendy and the others still fighting the growing army of Neptune Trident wizards. "You go ahead and mince those subs to scraps! This cow's on the moooooooove to help your friends make the water dogs heel!"

Lucy called back, "Good thinking, Taurus! I'm on it!" She sped ahead of the Celestial Spirit and raced to the surface of the ocean, approaching the submarines. As the depth charges were mere inches away from detonating in front of her face, she swirled her whip around like a tornado and caught the explosives in its snare, before sending them back. Soon, the vessels were erupting into cascades of tiny ignitions, and they finally surrendered to the gravity of the sea. "Earth Wave!" Lucy hit the ground with her whip, causing the very earth to rupture and unleash shockwaves that completely obliterated the sinking submarines before they could land, damaging dozens of nearby Neptune Trident wizards at the same capacity.

Soon afterwards, with the destruction of the Neptune Trident fleet, they were little enemies remaining. Taurus had just demolished three battle suits, leaving the last patrol on shaky legs. Romeo grabbed a discarded harpoon and pointed it at the terrified dark wizards. "How's that for underwater combat?"

The Neptune Trident leader exclaimed, "I-I-It's no good! Swim for it! Everybody, fall back!" With that said, the remnants of the dark guild's army made a hasty retreat from the wreckage of ships that had joined the oldest living vessel moments ago.

Lucy swam over to the group as she dusted off her hands. The effects of the Star Dress had begun to wear off, and she soon returned to her original form. "Phew! Who would've thought they'd be more of a challenge than the shark? They're just about as ugly as homemade soup." She turned to Taurus, "Once again, the bull saves the day. I'm referring to you, but mostly me, because you lent me your power, and I tore down most of the fleet. Still, it's all in good work."

Taurus flirted, "Hey, the art handed down to you by the Celestial Spirit King does wonders, even under the sea. You were in the groooooooooove today! A hot cowgirl who's kickin' hiney and takin' names! That's the kind of lady I'd invite over to dinner!"

Lucy groaned, "Hate to break this to you, but I've already got a date. A date with what's ahead of us."

Taurus assured, "That's okay. You can save all the spicy goodness for an even more hot time with yours truly." He purred as he furrowed his eyebrows in a devilish smile. "Wanna go at it now, honey-baby?"

Lucy snapped, "No, thank you!" She immediately swiped her key and returned Taurus to his home realm, leaving her with the other party members.

Wendy cheered, "That was amazing, Lucy! You got all the submarines!"

Romeo praised, "You were pretty awesome wearing your Star Dress!"

Sherria smiled, "What you did earlier, that was an explosive finale."

Juvia shrugged, "Not bad. I expected no less. No complaints."

Donald and Goofy seemed to be the most exhilarated at seeing Lucy activate a Star Dress for the first time. That, and Wendy was true to her word. "Wow... That's a Star Dress..." they uttered in unison, as though they were swooning over an actress with an impressive record.

Lucy overheard the two and turned to face them. "You've heard of a Star Dress? When I fuse with a Celestial Spirit's power, I change clothes based on their appearance. By adopting their powers, I'm able to make use of their magic."

Donald nodded, "Yeah, yeah, we heard of it. Wendy told us that. In fact, she told us all about you."

Goofy explained, "Your spirits, your friendship with Wendy, your Fairy Tail reputation and all that."

Lucy was impressed at how observant the two were. "She did tell you, huh..."

Donald remarked, "Once again, you blow our minds. But everybody knows that—"

Goofy grinned, "Lucy, you're one of the most amazing things ever!"

Donald frowned, "Hey! Don't cut me off!"

Lucy chuckled, "What I'd expect from the most colorful of friends. But the credit goes to all of us. I mean, I didn't exactly destroy all the submarines. Wendy took out one with a tornado, like she did a giant lacrima way back when."

Wendy giggled, "That's right. We all worked together, and that's what counts." She then recalled one other important detail that was fresh in her mind when the turmoil began. "Where's Ariel and Flounder?"

Carla answered, "Before the fighting started, I saw them retreating into a tunnel just over there." She pointed her fin to a hole in the wall next to the severed half of a mast.

Wendy nodded, "At least it's over with. Let's go check on Ariel."

Romeo agreed, "Yeah, before we get into another mess like this one." And they swam into the new tunnel, getting as far away from the rising smoke and fractured metal as they possibly could.

Meanwhile...

Somewhere in a hidden cave, the Neptune Trident wizards struggled to recover from their recent and humiliating defeat at the hands of Wendy and her friends. One of them complained, "This sucks! I feel like I've been hit by a tsunami."

A second wizard growled, "Damn that Keyblade wielder and those Fairy Tail wizards! We must hunt 'em down and kill 'em!"

"Oh, boo-hoo!" a sweet, mischievous voice sounded from the darkness. "Too bad you won't have that opportunity, since you failed to capture her. And didn't I tell you to bring her to me alive, and not to attack unless you have to? But being the mindless glory hogs that you are, you chose the easy route and attempted to kill Wendy anyway. Seriously, what kind of second-rate, trying-hard actors are you?" The voice then sighed, "Guess I'll have to settle this matter myself. Me and my Aeons... And as for you, my incompetent extras... consider yourselves fired. Literally."

The Neptune Trident wizards turned to the sound of the voice, which ended up being their last mistake. The next moment, they were all reduced to lumps of flesh by Diva's demonic enforcer.


Undersea Gorge

Not long after rendezvousing with Ariel and Flounder in their hiding spot, Wendy noticed that the tunnel supposedly led to a dead end with a large object blocking the path above, and a glowing geyser that housed a underwater vent of some kind. As she looked around, Flounder spoke up, "Um, aren't we going to ask the dolphin to get us outta this place? I'm... feeling a little nervous right now, with all the bug-eyed creeps and the big bombs and everything... What if they come back? And what if we're never getting out...?"

Ariel giggled as she looked over her friend, "Flounder, you really are a guppy."

Flounder pouted, "I am not."

Ariel turned to Wendy and said, "We saw you and the others holding off the bad men. It's pretty hard to make out because of the noises and explosions, but I can tell you were doing your best. The last thing we saw was Lucy, who wore a magic dress and brought down the ships. She must've done most of the heavy lifting."

Romeo remarked, "When Lucy suits up for battle, they'd end up wishing they hadn't crossed her."

Lucy smiled, "Well, it's true. With special magic like this, I might even be as strong as Natsu."

Romeo smiled, "That depends on the level of your magic. You think you can stand up to him in a friendly spar?"

Lucy sighed, "I would if I want to, but at the moment, I don't feel like it. I'm not interested."

Romeo shrugged, "I suppose nobody could live up to him, given he's the toughest Dragon Slayer out there."

Wendy beamed, "But we still love him for who he is and what he does. He's the greatest."

Romeo agreed, "Yeah. That's right. He's our big bro."

Wendy asked, "What about the dolphin, Ariel? After all, he helped us come all the way here."

Carla stated, "Under these circumstances, I don't think it's that simple. The enemies ravaged the shipwreck and the area surrounding it into a wasteland. I doubt the dolphin will feel comfortable in this environment, even if he wanted to give us a ride back to the gorge."

Sherria reminded, "Let's not forget how eerie and mysterious this place is. Well, was..."

Ariel pointed out, "You know, there are times when the dolphin comes to pick us up from the sunken ship, since the currents block the only exit. Every time we get in, there's no coming out. He's been our special guide back home. Or I should say, the only special guide back home."

Sherria gasped, "The only one?"

Wendy questioned, "There's no other way?"

Ariel confessed, "It's true. We've been relying on the dolphin to escape this place ever since the currents came." She then sighed, "And you're probably right. With all the mess we've made, I don't think he'll have the nerve to ride us back. That, and because he's easily scared. We saw how he reacted to the... Hmmm..." She tapped her chin, then turned to Wendy, "What do you call them again?"

Wendy answered, "Heartless."

Ariel nodded, "Heartless, right. The point is, while he's one of the toughest fish in the sea, he's not really the bravest, like a certain guppy I know."

Flounder frowned, "I'm not a guppy! I'm not!"

Ariel teased, "Oh, really? Then why did you freak out when you see a shark? As a matter of fact, why do you always freak out?"

Flounder whined, "Ariel..." Donald, Goofy, and Sherria barely suppressed the urge to laugh.

Wendy mused, "That's horrible... I'm starting to feel sorry for Mr. Dolphin. If only we helped him from the start, showed him that there's no reason to be afraid, then he'd be with us all the way."

Carla implied, "Not every creature has the courage to face insurmountable challenges. Fears comes on us all."

Wendy sighed sadly, "I know that. It's just..."

Romeo interjected, "We should've done something?"

Wendy nodded, "Uh-huh. We should have."

Carla suggested, "For now, we must move on. It can't be helped."

Juvia pondered, "So our only chance of leaving the shipwreck is destined to fail because of the chaos left behind... Are we just going to end up stuck here?"

Donald encouraged, "Don't give up, guys. We'll find a way out of this place. If I could, I'll find us a secret shortcut to Ariel's grotto if it kills me." No sooner had he made his statement than he ended up smacking the geyser with his staff, loosening the invisible clog inside. The vent popped open to release a stream of bubbles that dislodged the object in the ceiling, much to the duck's surprise. "Huh? What just happened?"

Wendy pointed upward to the passage in the ceiling. "I think you just found a way out!"

Donald followed her direction. "I did? Oh, I did! That's great! But where does it lead to?"

Wendy beckoned, "Let's go up there."

The group swam with the rising bubbles, and at the end of the trail, discovered that the article that clogged their path earlier was a large treasure chest. Luckily, it lacked a lock to keep its valuables shut, so Sherria opened it to reveal an abundant stock of munny, gummi blocks, regenerative items, as well as nine more Dalmatian puppies encased in a bubble like the other set Wendy uncovered in Ariel's grotto.

Found Dalmatians. Numbers 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, and 72 returned home!

Donald cheered, "I knew there was something good! We've found more goodies!"

Sherria remarked, "It's strange to think that a treasure chest was fresh out of the shipwreck instead of being hidden inside it."

Goofy quipped, "Somebody get us some more bags, 'cause ours are full!"

Romeo breathed, "Whoa... We just hit the jackpot. All of a sudden, I feel like a pirate."

Wendy stated, "These items are very helpful, though."

Romeo agreed, "You bet they are. First a sunken ship, now a chest? All of a sudden, our items are just as big as the ones in Ariel's collection. Seriously, don't you think we've had enough to go around?"

Wendy implied, "That's funny, because I said those words to her when we left."

Romeo admitted, "You know, I think we're both curious for our own good."

Wendy giggled with a blush, "Maybe."

Romeo blushed as well, "Yeah, maybe."

Flounder interjected, "Look!" Everyone looked around to notice that he was pointing at the entrance to Ariel's grotto. As it turned out, the tunnel they came out of led them back to the undersea gorge, and thus served as a pathway leading to the sunken ship and back.

Donald said proudly, "Ha! I said I'd find us a secret shortcut, and I just did."

Carla smiled coyly, "Indeed you have, if it weren't for your short-sightedness."

Donald smiled back, "Why, thank you, Carla. I—" His eyes widened at what he just heard. "Hey!"

Ariel pulled out the crystal trident from her bag. "I know just what to do with this. Come with me!" She moved the boulder aside with her free arm, allowing herself and her friends to swim into the cave, never to realize the two observant beings following behind them.

Ariel's Grotto

Just as Ariel speculated, the crystal trident seemed destined to fit the empty slot on the rocky impression the moment she and her new friends discovered it on the sunken ship. Coincidentally, the slot and the item were the exact same shape. Once the pieces were in place, would the Keyhole magically reveal itself? Or perhaps something else far beyond anything the ocean had ever known? Regardless, Ariel was both resolute and enthusiastic in unlocking her grotto's greatest mystery. And thus, she carefully placed the crystal into the impression. They matched perfectly.

"Nice wall decoration," Goofy commented. "Even more prettier with the crystal on the wall."

"It's so beautiful!" Sherria sniffled happily. "This could be the crown jewel of your collection, Ariel!"

"I'll say. This is even wonderful than I imagined," Ariel smiled. "It makes my grotto feel complete."

"It sure looks like it," Wendy agreed. "So, what happens next?"

"Maybe we'll get something outta this one," Donald guessed. "It better be the one we're looking for."

A few seconds later, the crystal trident started to glow from its spot on the wall, emitting a light more dazzling than its original color, and as bright as the sun's rays reflected in the water. Wendy, Ariel, Donald, Goofy, Romeo, Sherria, Carla, Lucy, Juvia, and Flounder stared at the impression with dropped jaws and looks of awe. "Wow...!"

Wendy suddenly felt a vibration from the Blue Mistral in reaction to the aquamarine illumination, the familiar sense of a nearby source all too familiar beginning to kick in. Her eyes widened in anticipation as she called her friends, "Everyone! I'm picking something up... I think it's here! It has to be here!"

Donald and Goofy exclaimed, "It's here?!"

Romeo and Sherria shouted, "The Keyhole?!"

Lucy and Juvia gasped, "Already?!"

Carla realized, "If that's so, then..."

Ariel cried excitedly, "This is it! We're finally seeing it!" She laughed and spun around with glee, but the celebration was short lived when she saw King Triton appearing in the doorway with trident in hand, clearly infuriated. "Daddy?" Wendy and the others followed her gaze, and were equally shocked that the king of Atlantica had entered the grotto unnoticed. Flounder fearfully swam off and stopped outside the cave where Sebastian, who spied on Ariel and reported back to the sea king a while ago, lingered with concerns about what would happen next.

"I consider myself a reasonable merman," Triton growled. "I set certain rules, and I expect those rules to be obeyed. And all you did was disobey me again!" Ariel shuddered at the rage she heard in her father's voice, more angered than it had ever been. "I told you NOT to leave the palace!" His glaring blue eyes wandered to gaze at the gleaming material embedded on the wall behind the group. For a brief second, the façade of fury and rage cracked to reveal slight fear in the merman's expression. "Where did you get that?" His voice snapped everyone's attention to him.

"G-Get what?" Wendy's breath stole away. "What do you mean?"

"The crystal!" Triton asked forcefully. "Where did you get it?"

"Your Majesty, we can explain," Carla reasoned. "You see—"

"I've seen enough!" Triton cut her off. "I will not allow this!" The cracks sealed again, and the pure wrath returned in full force. He raised his trident high, which glowed with a radiance that rivaled the weapon's own color, then aimed it at the crystal.

"DADDY, NO!" Ariel cried out, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. A bolt of lightning was shot from the tip of the trident, zooming past the group and shattering the crystal into a million pieces. The gentle blue light that dazzled the grotto for a time was extinguished, reduced to tiny shards across the sandy floor. Wendy and her friends couldn't believe what they saw, but the damage was already done. Ariel was devastated the most at seeing all the hard work they went through to get the crystal was for nothing, if it weren't for her father's intervention. "Why... Why did you do that?! We were so close!"

"I did it for your own safety," Triton explained. "You trifle with matters you can't possibly understand. Stay away from this... this..." He thrust out his hand to gesture at where the crystal used to be, and the last word was laced with utter disgust. "...thing!"

"You took away our chance to see something amazing, and you call that safety?" Ariel demanded. "I just wanted to know if it's real!"

"And look where that brought you!" Triton argued. "How can you hope to take care of yourself under these situations at all? You could've been hurt if you hadn't listened to me!"

"I was doing just fine without you keeping a roof over my head!" Ariel yelled. "Why do you always treat me like a child?!"

"ARIEL!" Triton's voice rose again to a roar, effectively silencing her. "That's enough out of you! Return to the palace at once! NOW!" His teeth gritted, his eyes flaming with rage, he pointed a finger at the exit, making it clear that the discussion was over. She said nothing for the longest while, until she felt her self-esteem crumbling under the sorrow and resentment. She slowly turned around, tears flowing down her face, but otherwise no one dared to move.

"I don't know why I listened to you in the first place," Ariel whimpered. She swam around her father, escaping his sight, as she could not bear the pressure of being around him any longer.

"Ariel!" Wendy called out to her, but it was in vain. Sebastian and Flounder decided they had no intention of remaining in the grotto with the fuming king and departed as well, leaving Triton and the heroes alone. Once again, there was silence, and their only reactions were that of were of shock and pity. For some, however, it was with disdain and contempt.

"Okay, that's crossing the line!" Wendy sharply turned to the sea king. "What gave you the idea to treat your own daughter like that? If you were her father, you would trust her with your life, and for once, listen to her! Ariel obviously knows the risks of being in danger, but she also knows how to be careful. She understands what she's doing. She understands what she has to do! Besides, was it our fault things weren't going the way you want them to? That doesn't give you the right to stop her from doing what she feels is right. She's just following her heart." She held a hand to her chest, "Look, I know we've been around her for just a short while, but I'll tell you why we care; she wanted to help us. And we helped her. We helped each other all the way. But hurting her feelings? Stopping us and her from doing something worthwhile?" She shook her head in disappointment, "That's wrong."

The world seemed to have faded around them as Wendy's mind clouded with emotion. She couldn't believe she was expressing such anger towards the mighty ruler of the seas over a scavenger hunt, but at the same time, she didn't want to stop. Her friends hoped that in some way, she got through to him. But it didn't.

Triton turned his glare on the Sky Maiden and gave his answer, his voice no longer fueled by rage, but strictness. "Young lady, you should know better than to interfere with matters that do not concern yours. I would send you back home, but it would be too far a distance to reach it."

"What do you mean?" Wendy blinked.

"You're not from another ocean," Triton stated. "You're from another world. Aren't you?"

The question was so out of the blue, and so startling, that the party had nothing but complete shock in their faces. Leon and his crew knew of other worlds from their travels to Traverse Town and of Ansem's studies. The Alliance of Evil, the Porters, the dark guilds, they had acquired that knowledge by some other means. But how Triton became aware of the outside world was unknown to them. Before they could ask him, he continued speaking to Wendy. "Then you must be the key bearer."

"H-How did you know?" Wendy was even more surprised at this revelation.

"Being the ruler of the seas, I have gained insight beyond all that you know," Triton explained. "You may fool Ariel, but you can't fool me. You don't know your dorsal fin from your tail."

"So what if that's true, huh?" Romeo frowned. "And what does that have to do with everything?"

"Clearly, I expected better results from otherworldly travelers such as yourselves," Triton looked to him. "But you made a grave mistake on your part. All you've ever done is stir up trouble. I would watch myself if I were you."

"Hey!" Romeo tried to protest, but Sherria stopped him.

"As the key bearer, you must already know..." Triton turned back to Wendy. "One must not meddle in the affairs of other worlds."

"You think I don't know that?!" Wendy snapped. "I—"

"You and your friends have violated this principle," Triton interrupted. "The key bearer shatters peace and brings ruin."

"Wendy wouldn't do such a thing," Goofy defended. "She's a really nice person."

"She even saved a bunch of worlds, mister!" Donald shouted. "So you can't assume anything!"

"Yeah, who gives you the right to judge us like that?" Lucy protested. "When have we even done wrong?!"

"It's the Heartless that do the meddling, not us!" Sherria argued. "We're stopping them, just like you! Aren't we supposed to be on the same side? We all want to get rid of them!"

"If you must know, I have quelled many a conflict through the power of my trident. I know how to defend my own kingdom," Triton said sternly. "Leave the creatures to me. Do not meddle too much, lest you make things worse. You've done enough as it is." He turned and started to swim away, "I thank you for saving my daughter. But there is no room in my ocean for you or your key."

"How repulsive," Carla snarled. "For someone who is king, you are faithless and ungrateful."

Triton turned to face the Exceed upon hearing her soft yet venomous insult. "What did you say?"

Carla raised her voice for emphasis, "You heard me! Faithless and ungrateful! You think you can defend your ocean by having every living creature conform to these rules? You believe that forcing your beliefs on people will allow them to lead blissful lives? I think not! You could hardly call this kind of conformity the status quo, the same as a world without compromise— a society that's stuck in the present, one that couldn't live with the times. Anyone with a right mind wouldn't want to live by these standards. Not your subjects, not your kingdom— not even your family! If you ask my opinion, your recent actions are no different than the cruel act of a selfish dicator!" She spat the word with disgust.

"Selfish?!" Triton exclaimed. "What I do, I do to protect my ocean! To keep my subjects and my daughter safe!"

"Then why did you destroy the crystal?" Carla retorted. "Why did you hurt your own daughter's feelings? More importantly, why didn't you listen to her? And that wasn't the only selfish thing you've done. You looked down on Wendy— a child, of all people— like she is a constant threat, a danger to your world, when she came all this way to help!" She gestured to the young Keyblade wielder, who seemed fazed by the lecture Triton gave her earlier. "What kind of king acts so callously towards children? What right do you have in wrongly treating anyone who mean you no harm?! Must you enforce your beliefs on others who don't agree with them?! Who don't agree with YOU?! WELL?! MUST YOU?!"

The Exceed's final scream echoed across the grotto, bouncing off the knick-knacks and through the water. Wendy stayed silent, close to tears, while Sherria hugged her for comfort. Triton, on the other hand, seemed perturbed if anything else. He didn't holler, he didn't yell, he didn't even try to raise his trident. His face was blank, like his argument with Ariel had drained him of his pent-up anger.

Carla took her own time to calm down, then went on, "You must understand that the threat of the dark forces doesn't involve you alone. It involves all of us. We all have a purpose to fulfill. It doesn't matter who you are and what world you're from. Whether we want this or not, every other world and yours is steeped in conflict. That is exactly why we do what is just. We cannot stand idly by and let the Heartless and the villains controlling them get away with their atrocities. For us, there is no other choice to be made. We can't walk away from what we know is right." She finished with strong conviction, "We know what we're fighting for, and what we're up against. What about you?"

Triton remained silent and grim, his chest rising and falling with the growing conflict Carla's words filled him with. He looked at the Sky Maiden one last time, then swam out of sight, never to have his presence felt in the grotto again.

A saddened Wendy stared down at the Keyblade. Her face was stable, though she was barely holding herself together. Could this weapon really be a cause for disturbing peace in the universe? Could the key bearer be destined to plunge the worlds into chaos? There were a few questions buzzing in her mind, not even the wisest couldn't answer them. "Is it true? Did I really..."

Sherria put an arm around her chest. "Hey, don't listen to him, Wendy. He doesn't know what he's talking about. You've done lots of great things. You locked away the Keyholes, saved a lot of people, put the bad guys out of commission more than once... No one does it better than you."

Goofy placed his hand on her shoulder. "She's right. Not everybody in the universe agrees on what we do, you know. That's just one guy out there with a different opinion."

Donald crossed his arms indignantly. "He has no idea of real heroism if it kicked him in the face. Somebody needs to get it through his thick head."

Carla agreed, "Indeed. Triton claims that the key bearer shatters peace and brings ruin, but you haven't done either. It's not in your nature to do those things. It never was. Rather, you've used the Keyblade to bring about a positive outcome for so many. Why must you doubt yourself even after fighting your way here? Does what he said bother you?"

Wendy murmured, "...Sort of. He was suspicious of us the second we entered the palace. And when he found us with the crystal, he ended up blaming me for all this. I know I'd never do anything bad, but..."

Romeo moved in front of Wendy, placing his hands on her shoulders and saying, "Wendy." When she looked up at him, he went on, "He can say bad stuff about you and the Keyblade, but he doesn't know who you really are. After all we've been through and all the time we've spent together, nobody can tell you different. I believe in you, Wendy. We all do. We always have." Hearing that made Wendy feel like a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders and she hugged Romeo, the dark haired-boy returning the display of affection.

Wendy sighed happily, "Thank you."

Donald reminded, "You still remember how this boat runs?"

Goofy grinned, "Of course she does. She never forgets."

Sherria nodded, "Nothing like a smile to brighten the day."

Wendy let go of Romeo and they both looked over at the three, Wendy giggling, "You guys..." And with that, there was laughter in the grotto, and the gloominess had all but receded.

Lucy thought out loud, "Triton definitely reminds me of my father when I was less her age."

Juvia whispered back, "Well, I suppose you're not the only girl who has daddy issues. At least until then..."

Carla rubbed her chin, "But what comes next? The crystal, the only means to access the Keyhole, has been destroyed. As long as it stays hidden, the Heartless can't find it. But what of Neptune Trident? And the Alliance of Evil? I wager the ones in charge of the incursion are still at large."

And true enough, the trap that was sprung in the shipwreck was merely the first move.


Undersea Garden

In a garden isolated from the borders of Atlantica, Ariel was kneeling on the ocean floor, lying her head on a flat rock and crying bitterly to herself. She had a hard time coping with what occurred earlier; her own father destroyed the crystal simply because she was on the verge of uncovering something incredible. Triton's attitude towards her was so extreme, she refused to follow him back to the palace, and instead swam away to some place where no one could find her. At the moment, she wanted nothing more than to be alone.

Just then, the two devious eels loomed over her, having watched the scene from atop the garden. Seeing Ariel wallowing in despair gave them the motivation to initiate their master's plan.

"My, my, the poor child suffers such deep sorrow," the eel with the glowing left eye, whose name was Flotsam, addressed in a warped voice. "She has a very serious problem."

"What a pity," the other eel with the glowing right eye, whose name was Jetsam, complied in a sultry, sympathetic tone. "If only there was something we could do..."

"Wait. Maybe she can be of some help," Flotsam suggested, swimming around Ariel in circles.

"Yes. Maybe she can be of some help to you," Jetsam agreed, mirroring his counterpart's actions.

"Who..." Ariel wiped her tears. "Who are you talking about?"

"Oh, she would surely help you," Flotsam assured.

"She'd make all your dreams come true," Jetsam noted.

The eels rose high above in a spiral and became encased in a flourish of ink as they finished their message. "Ursula can help..."

Emerging from the inky substance was the sea witch herself, who floated down to Ariel's level and greeted with a courteous smile. "You called, my dear?"

Ariel asked hesitantly, "You're Ursula, the sea witch?"

Ursula nodded, "I'm not fond of being called a 'sea witch', but yes, I am her. But you should know better than to ask some questions before someone talks. That aside, one might question your upbringing."

Ariel responded, "I've heard lots of stories about you back home. Didn't my father banish you for using magic on people?"

Ursula rolled her eyes, "Oh, that exaggerating father of yours. I admit that in the past, I've used a little magic here and there, and look where that got me. Banished and exiled and practically out in the open ocean, while he and his flimsy fish folk celebrate all day long. They weren't kidding when they called me, well, a 'witch'." She shrugged at that comment, "But let me assure you, I've mended all my ways. I now use my magic for the best intentions." Her smile widened, "Like helping a poor little mermaid whose dreams got dashed by her overprotective father."

Ariel asked curiously, "If you knew, then why did you come here?"

Ursula leaned an elbow on Ariel's shoulder. "I would think you, of all people, would understand the reason I was kept out of the loop. You are I are so much alike. I could see it the moment you cried all by your lonesome. We're ambitious girls, you and I, wanting to do something different, to do something more with their lives then abide by the strict rules of the ruling class, from a bossy king to a conservative father. Daddy gave you a demonstration back at your grotto. Remember?"

Ariel looked down in sadness. "You're right about that. I was just wondering if..."

Ursula grinned, "It's all right. Helping others is what I live for. Let me guess, you wish to see other worlds? I can make that arrangement. As a woman with a knack for magic, I take it upon myself to assist the miserable, lonely, and depressed. That shouldn't be too hard. After all, your new friends came from another world."

"What?!" Ariel was stunned at what the sea witch had revealed. All this time, Wendy and company never hailed from a faraway ocean, but a different world. She never knew the truth, even with the signs all around her.

Ursula pointed out, "But they had special help— that mysterious key, the Keyblade." Ariel looked forlorn in knowing that the key-shaped weapon Wendy was carrying about had allowed both herself and her friends to adapt. Finding the break she was hoping for, the sea witch swam closer to Ariel, expressing a comfort of sorts that masked her deceptive nature. "Now, now. Cheer up, sweetie. You have something special, too." As the eels converged around them, Ursula leaned in closely to the mermaid's ear. "Now listen carefully..."

Throne Room

"...I think the Keyhole they seek is somewhere in the palace. Now, my dear, if you can take me there without your daddy knowing, I can help you get to these other worlds you long for."

Ariel turned back to Ursula and her eels hiding behind a pillar, having second thoughts about the plan. At the same time, she knew that there was no turning back. Her father's strict behavior, her new companions, the secrets kept from her, those were indications that barred her from seeing the outside world. She wouldn't stay tied down in the same ocean a minute longer. If this was the only way to gain the freedom she longingly desired, she was going to take her chances with Ursula.

Gazing at the trident floating behind the empty throne, Ursula smiled wickedly. It would appear that the Keyhole wasn't the only item on her list. She pulled out a small clamshell and opened it, revealing a mirror that allowed her to communicate with the army of dark wizards at her disposal, then spoke quietly to it. "Wait for my signal..."

Hiding in a separate pillar was Flounder and Sebastian, who observed the scene with fear spread across their faces. Ariel was being tricked by the witch whom Triton banished long ago, but they were unsure of what they could do to stop it.


Undersea Gorge

Back with Wendy and company, they had left Ariel's grotto, and were looking around the gorge in search of the mermaid who swam away following the debacle with the crystal trident, calling out her name as they surveyed the wide open area. "Ariel! Ariel? Ariel! Where are you?"

"The nerve of that guy, chasing his own daughter away like that," Lucy frowned. "Can't she at least leave us a clue where she's at?"

"In this case, I think not," Juvia sighed. "King Triton's authoritarian demeanor may have taken a heavy toll on her fragile heart. And he believes Wendy's Keyblade only brings disaster..."

"I get what he said to me, but I'm not gonna let that stop me," Wendy affirmed. "Romeo's right. Just because he thinks the Keyblade brings ruin doesn't mean I want to. What's so wrong with using it to help everyone? It's what I always do."

"Exactly!" Romeo approved. "I knew he wouldn't get you down, Wendy."

"Thanks to you, Romeo," Wendy smiled. "Having someone who believes in me is more assuring enough."

"Yeah, it's clear King Triton doesn't know all the facts because he's way over his head," Romeo noted. "If there's one word to describe him, I'd say..."

"Stubborn," Donald interjected. "All he does is force his opinions on people. Let's face it, he ruined our one-way ticket to close another Keyhole, broke Ariel's heart, and even accused us for meddling when we haven't done anything to him and this world. He's stubborn, that's who he is!" Just as Sherria was about to relate him to Triton, he sternly cut her off. "Don't. Even. Start."

"I was about to say that unlike him, you actually listen to reason and think straight," Sherria stated. "Mostly."

"Why, of course, I—" Donald turned around and eyed Sherria. "What do you mean, 'mostly'?"

"Umm, you tend to get angry from time to time, and you blindly rush into things," Sherria smiled coyly. "So you're more of a gullible and whiny duck than a stubborn king. And that's the truth." She chuckled at his expense.

"Why do people keep saying stuff about me?" Donald grumbled. "I'm a lot more things than that..."

"Triton believes he is more than capable of keeping the Heartless at bay," Carla pointed out. "But I doubt he ever has the strength, even when backed by his trident. The Heartless are not to be underestimated. If he actually had the heart to listen, he would guide us to the Keyhole."

"Hold on!" Wendy interjected. "You said he was awfully defensive when Goofy mentioned the Keyhole at the throne room. And that's not all. Before he broke the crystal, he was shocked to see it on the wall. I saw it clearly in his eyes. Could it be..." She paused to let her assumption sink in, "...that he knows where it was the whole time? And he's been keeping it from us?"

"Well, he does seem to know where it's at, and we still haven't seen it," Goofy implied. "If only we can explain ourselves and prove to Triton we're here for good reasons, then maybe he can show us the Keyhole."

"I doubt it'll work. He's too stubborn to listen or tell us anything," Romeo muttered. "Now what do we do?"

"We'll worry about that later," Wendy suggested. "For now, let's..."

"Yeah," Romeo complied. "I get you."

As much as the group wanted to find a way to convince the hard-headed sea king to change his mind, their priority for now was to locate Ariel. Before they could resume the search, a panicked voice filled the water. "WENDY! GUYS!" They looked around and saw a frantic Flounder swimming up to them in a hurry, with Sebastian paddling behind.

"Flounder! What's wrong?" Wendy asked.

"I-It's Ariel!" Flounder cried. "She led Ursula into the palace!"

"Who?" Donald questioned.

"Ursula, the evil sea witch who was exiled from the palace by King Triton," Sebastian clarified. "She was tricking Ariel into thinking she can take her to other worlds if she had the king's trident!"

"They're already in the throne room!" Flounder added. "Ursula even thinks this Keyhole we're looking for is in there!"

"Oh, no!" Wendy gasped. "Ariel's in trouble!"

"They've begun making their move," Carla confirmed. "All of this was nothing but a ploy!"

Suddenly, a loud noise shook the ground, compelling the group to witness the view of the palace being smothered in pillars of fire and smoke. Sebastian was staring in horror at where the red and black rose in the distance, and began to fear for the worst. "Oh, my... The palace is on fire! The king is in danger!"

Flounder worried, "Ariel...!"

Romeo cried, "They're here!"

Wendy shouted, "We have to hurry, now!" She and her friends rushed for the palace, unwilling to guess what would happen if the invasion succeeded, or if Ursula got her hands on the trident. They just hoped they hadn't got there too late.


Triton's Palace

The palace of King Triton had devolved into a warzone thanks to the Heartless and the Neptune Trident dark guild in less than five minutes. Merfolk and fish alike scrambled away from the explosions that tore the foundations asunder, set off by the depth charges of two submarines floating high in the water. Screwdivers, Sea Neons, and Aquatanks hunted down and devoured the hearts of the less fortunate, while dark wizards in battle suits plundered every room for valuables to steal. Under orders from Ursula, the mission of the unified force was to lay waste to the palace as a crushing blow to the sea king, but this was only the beginning of what she had in store for her most hated enemy.

Wendy and the gang arrived in time to see flames licking away at the once alluring courtyard, where aquatic citizens were stalked by the enemies in droves. Sebastian's claws flew up to his head as he cried out in agitation, "First monsters, now humans? Could somebody please tell me this isn't happening?!"

Carla implied, "It's an all-out force of Heartless and dark wizards!"

Sherria tensed, "They're rounding up the merfolk like fish in a barrel!"

Donald groaned, "Do they ever take a break?"

Goofy pointed out, "Well, they don't ever wanna stop!"

Wendy determined, "And neither are we! We have to save King Triton and the others!"

Lucy affirmed, "So it's come to this... The one in charge is a evil sea witch plotting to take over the kingdom. If we can defeat her, this will all be over."

Juvia stated, "That depends on how much of a figurehead she is. But if defeating her means saving the kingdom, then so we shall." Currents swirled around her arms as she prepared for battle. "Let's flush those cretins down the toilet!"

Lucy smirked, "I wouldn't have it any other way. They're about to get a Regulus Impact with their names on it!" With that said, she pulled out the Golden Gate Key representing the Lion, and channeled magic from the item to assume a new form. "Star Dress: Leo Form!" In a flash, she was cloaked in an elegant and frilled black ball gown with Loke's zodiac sign emblazoned on her right breast.

Juvia nodded, "Right! They'll—" She paused when she heard the blonde-haired wizard had come up with an epic one-liner that rivaled her own, and began to grow jealous. "Hey! I'm the one who comes up with a pretty amazing catchphrase! And it's way better than yours!"

Lucy sweated, "Uh, yeah. Maybe a 'Let's take 'em down together' might've been a better one-liner." Her face turned serious, "But enough talk. We've got to save those merpeople!"

As the heroes made their advance, the army of Heartless and Neptune Trident wizards were quick to notice their presence in the courtyard, and braced themselves for the ensuing conflict. One of the dark wizards indicated, "Hey, isn't that Wendy Marvell, whom Mistress Diva ordered us to apprehend?"

Another wizard declared, "They've come to stop Lady Ursula's plan! We can't allow them to interfere! Prepare to charge!"

Thus did Wendy and company engage Ursula's forces for the fate of the undersea kingdom, and it was clear that only one side had the distinct advantage. Wendy sliced most of the Sea Neons and Screwdivers in half, all the while overpowering a couple of Aquatanks with her Sky Dragon Slayer Magic. Donald cast a variety of spells to overload the battle suits. Goofy bashed fewer enemies with his spinning shell. Romeo, Carla, and Sherria beat the divers into submission. Juvia ravaged a submarine with a Water Slicer barrage.

"Regulus Lucy Fin!" An undersea variation of her Regulus Lucy Kick attack, after focusing the light of Regulus into her tailfin, she swam up and struck the last submarine on sight with the blazing head of a lion, blowing it out of the water. "Explosive finish! Thanks, Loke!" Knowing that the leader of the Zodiac heard her compliment from his side of the Celestial World, she rejoined her comrades.

The two warships that isolated the palace from the rest of the kingdom were destroyed. The courtyard was secured, and many sea creatures had been saved from certain doom, but the battle did not end there. Ursula's army was ever present throughout the majestic citadel; unless it was liberated, more lives were still at risk. Wendy and her friends scoured one room after another, defeating droves of Heartless and Neptune Trident grunts along the way. Dozens of hostages were rescued, and the enemies were easily driven out.

Five minutes later, with the palace completely freed from occupation, all that remained was to confront Ursula in the throne room...


Throne Room

Ursula's malicious cackle echoed across the throne room as she raised the golden trident in triumph. Another phase of her grand scheme was complete, and the ocean was almost within her grasp; her revenge would finally come to pass. "The trident is mine at last! And I couldn't have done it without your help, my dear." She turned her malicious grin on the two victims of her treachery; Triton, who sat limply on his throne, terribly weak from injuries, and Ariel, who was beside her father, wrought with despair and guilt for unintentionally contributing to the sea witch's plot.

Ariel begged, "Ursula, no! I didn't want this!"

Ursula snorted, "Why not? Aren't you tired of following your dear daddy's orders? It was too easy! I knew the stress would get to your head. And so, being the clever woman I am, I had you personally hand over the trident to me. And now, thanks to you, he's been put in his place!" She let out another laugh, one so haughty that it drove Ariel further to the depths of misery, as the fact sank far deeper than the Screwdivers could ever reach with their tridents. Ursula relaxed for a moment, then remembered one more matter of importance she almost forgot to remind. "Oh, yes. We had a deal, didn't we? Time for a little journey..." She paused for dramatic effect, "...to the dark world of the Heartless!"

Ariel gasped in horror, "Dark... No! I change my mind! Give it back!"

Ursula smirked, "This is the real world, sweet cakes. The biggest dreams require the highest price. You asked for it, and now it's time to pay up! But first..." She turned to her eel henchmen, who were scouring the throne room. "Flotsam, Jetsam, have you found it?"

Flotsam answered, "We cannot find the Keyhole."

Jetsam followed, "The Keyhole is not here."

Ursula exclaimed shockingly, "WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?! I'm certain it's here in the palace! According to Maleficent, the Keyhole appears when it's close to a particular source of power!"

Flotsam reasoned, "But, Your Evilness, aside from the trident..."

Jetsam stated, "There is no other source of power in the palace!"

Ursula gritted her teeth, "It can't be right! I've looked the whole ocean for anything that looks like a Keyhole, and still no luck finding even one! If not here, then where?!" Before she could speculate further on the subject, she suddenly sensed a myriad of incoming souls, and turned around. Wendy, Donald, Goofy, Romeo, Sherria, Carla, Lucy, Juvia, Sebastian, and Flounder entered the scene, their weapons and magic at the ready.

Wendy pointed the Keyblade at the sea witch. "Is that Ursula?"

Sebastian responded while keeping up as fast as he could, "Yes, it's her."

Romeo raised a fist of Blue Fire and declared, "She won't get away! Let's stop her!" They raced to the throne, letting out their battle cries.

The group's arrival was all it took to alleviate Ursula's frustration. "Why, we have company. The angelfish just had to come and ruin my day." Her grin resurfaced, "I'm afraid you're a little late, sweetie!" With one last chuckle, she raised the trident and vanished in a burst of ink just as they approached the throne. By the time the ink cleared, the sea witch and her minions were already gone.

Donald snapped, "Aw, nuts! We almost had her!"

Sebastian despaired, "We're too late. Ursula has the trident."

Goofy confirmed, "I guess that's what Sebastian meant about a 'sea witch' 'round these parts... She causes a scene and then disappears like an octopus doin' his business."

Sherria wondered, "Where do you suppose she's gone to?"

Lucy guessed, "Probably to her secret hideout. I don't know what she plans to do with the trident, but I bet it's something far worse than Heartless or submarines."

Wendy saw Triton slumped on the throne and swam over to him. "King Triton! What happened to you?"

Triton tried to raise himself up, but he was too exhausted to move a muscle. "Ursula... She ambushed me and stole my trident amid the confusion outside the palace. I tried to stop her, but I..." A cough escaped his throat.

Ariel rushed to her father's side, worried for his condition. "Daddy!"

Wendy held out her glowing hands. "Don't waste your energy talking, Your Majesty. I'll heal you up."

Sherria joined in as well. "Me, too. We'll get you back into shape." As her Sky Magic coupled with Wendy's, a quantity of the sea king's health was restored in a matter of seconds. Once the healing process was finished, the two girls regrouped with the others.

Triton asked wearily, "Why have you come back...?"

Lucy explained, "Sebastian and Flounder told us Ursula tricked your daughter into stealing the trident for her. We were on our way to save you both. But we didn't come in time..."

Triton grimaced, "It's just as I feared... With the trident in her hands, she will be more powerful to stop. We must get it back."

Wendy suggested, "Your Majesty, we'll deal with Ursula. We're the only ones who can stop her now."

Romeo assured, "We'll get your trident back. That sea witch has messed with the wrong people."

Sherria agreed, "We gotta work like there's no tomorrow, or there won't be a tomorrow!"

Triton questioned hesitantly, "Are you certain? Should I leave everything in your hands?"

Carla reminded, "As I told you before, Your Majesty. This situation doesn't solely involve you, but us as well. You lost a battle you thought you'd win, only to lose. So we'll fight in your stead. And if we must bend the rules so that the tide of conflict may turn, so be it."

Wendy promised, "We'll be back with your trident, and we'll stop Ursula from having her way. You may not believe in me or the power of my Keyblade, but I do." She gripped the handle firmly, "Yes, it's true. I am the key bearer, but that doesn't mean I do bad things. I use the Keyblade to bring peace and make people happy. That's what I've always done. This is who I am. You can't believe me..." She caressed her heart, "...but you can trust me."

Triton paused to deliberate the key bearer's request. Perhaps he was too quick to perceive her as dangerous, or that her sole purpose was to disrupt the peace of his ocean. Carla's words back in Ariel's grotto still rang in his mind. For once, he needed to put aside his stubbornness and pride, and allow the young heroine to do what he could not. In the end, he made his decision. "Very well, key bearer. It's up to you to stop Ursula." He added with a sigh, "I'm counting on you..."

Wendy bowed in respect for the king's approval. "Thank you. We won't let you down." She turned to her friends, "Come on, let's go!" Everybody nodded in agreement as they began to set off, but their path was blocked by Ariel swimming in front of Wendy and Romeo. Looking into her emerald eyes, they burned with resolve and a desire for redemption from a horrible crime she committed under the wiles of a villain.

Ariel pleaded, "Wait, I'm going with you! My father is hurt and it's my fault. I have to stop Ursula!"

Romeo chuckled, "We'd be guilty if we said no. We know you didn't mean any of this. But if you're dead serious about making up, then we're glad to have you with us."

Wendy smiled, "Stay close behind us, okay? With all of us working together, we can take back your father's trident and save Atlantica. We can do it, Ariel!"

Ariel appreciated, "Thank you, Wendy. This time, I won't let everyone down."

Sebastian agreed, "That's right. I'm right behind you, Ariel."

Flounder elected, "Y-Yeah! Count me in!"

Triton began, "Ariel, wait—"

Carla cut him off, "I understand your concern, but nothing can change your daughter's mind at this point. Even if we refuse, there's no stopping her."

Juvia determined, "We'll watch over her. She and Sebastian can come up with some clever strategies to outsmart the villain in this scenario."

Sebastian pointed out, "There is one strategy, actually. Ursula draws power from the cauldron in her grotto. To defeat her, you must strike the cauldron with magic."

Donald smirked, "Strike it with magic? Sounds like a job for us!"

Lucy concurred, "Just the edge we need."

Wendy confirmed, "Thanks for the hint. I guess it's settled. Now, let's go and find Ursula!"

The rest of the group cheered, "Yeah!" Once again, Triton returned to the security of silence and deep thought as he watched the young heroes, including Ariel, exit the throne room. Agreeing to the terms of a stranger from a foreign world was one thing, but seeing his youngest daughter off on a hazardous quest was another. Then again, if they had the courage to stop the threats directed at his underwater kingdom, his opinions may change after all.


Undersea Gorge

In this particular situation, there were multiple routes Wendy and her friends could take to Ursula's grotto, but according to Sebastian, the quickest route was traced to a secret passageway in the area with the sunken ship, where they fought and defeated the first Neptune Trident army. So as expected, returning to the graveyard of ships was easier said than done, as the shortcut next to Ariel's grotto was open for all. But the obstacles were no easy feat; Aquatanks with Screwdivers in tow, and Search Ghosts warping from one point to another, at least provided a challenge before the final battle, if not difficult with any Neptune Trident insurgents operating in tandem. Seeing as how the party blew up six of the main submarines, and decimated the armed forces on both fronts, the dark guild was virtually wiped out. If a militia of human wizards served no purpose, the only enemies blocking the way were Heartless. Nonetheless, Wendy and company were able to destroy them all.

As they headed into the tunnel back to the place where Ariel procured the crystal trident, the mermaid herself was bringing her friends up to speed on her situation with Ursula. "...and she told me you had some help from that key-shaped sword in Wendy's hand. It's called the Keyblade, isn't it?"

Carla assumed, "Judging by Ursula's knowledge of the Keyblade, she must be working for the Alliance of Evil."

Lucy commented, "Now we know why Neptune Trident was on the scene two occasions ago."

Romeo sighed, "Guess we shouldn't lie about this, especially after we're so close. It's the truth."

Wendy explained, "We've been finding Keyholes of other worlds like yours so we can prevent the Heartless from getting to them. The Keyblade's the only thing that can lock them away. Through the Keyhole, the Heartless reach the hearts of those worlds, and then devour them until they disappear. They've already taken lots of worlds..." There was a pause, before she went on, "...including our own."

Ariel gasped, feeling bad for her friends. "How awful! Are they gone for good?"

Wendy answered, "I don't think they are. If we're to bring them back, we have to find our lost friends, stop the Heartless, and seal the Keyholes. At least, that's what we think."

Carla stated, "We believe Ursula may be in league with the group in control of these creatures. This gives us more than one reason to confront her. Right now, this is our utmost priority."

Flounder remarked, "That seems like a lot to handle."

Sherria replied, "True, but we're a perfect team. We can do anything! Sky God's Bellow!" She breathed a black tornado on some Search Ghosts nearby, eradicating the last roadblock. She then turned to Ariel and gave her the thumbs up. "There's nothing in this world or any other we can't handle."

Ariel smiled, "I believe you."

Sherria smiled back, "Thanks!"

Wendy approved, "Alright!"

Romeo nodded, "Okay!"

Donald cautioned, "But don't tell the whole ocean what you know."

Ariel questioned, "Why not? Doesn't everybody else deserve to know?"

Goofy answered, "Things gotta stay in place. It's to keep the order."

Donald nodded, "You got that right. Order."


Sunken Ship

As soon as they finished crossing the tunnel, the group reached a wasteland of desolated ships buried under the sea in a wide plain of sand, the remains of submarines making the place barely recognizable. "So now we have a couple more ships for new doohickeys to add in Ariel's grotto, huh?" Goofy commented.

Ariel breathed, "It's amazing! More sunken ships means more treasures!"

Juvia noted, "Surely it's not all that surprising."

Romeo nodded, "Yeah, you'd find more knick-knacks in one spot from a pile of submarines."

Sebastian insisted, "We haven't the time for another one of Ariel's silly treasure hunts. The sooner we get the sea king's trident back, the better."

Ariel grinned, "I know that. But can't you just look at these metal ships? The ones Wendy and Lucy sank down?" She motioned to the submarines, "It wouldn't hurt checking out one or two. There's lots of wonderful new things inside."

Sebastian muttered, "Somebody's got to pin that girl's fins to the floor."

Lucy shrugged, "All is fair in love and war."

Wendy asked, "Where can we find Ursula's grotto?"

Sebastian pointed his claw at a large stone with the marking of a sea monster to the left. Behind a sunken lifeboat nearby was an emerald square rock embedded on the wall that was impossible for large creatures to reach. "Through there, across the Den of Tides. This is where we'll find it."

Romeo pointed out, "But a huge rock's blocking the way. How are we gonna get through?"

Sebastian huffed, "Need some help? I'll show you how it's done." He swam between the lifeboat and the wall, then pushed the green button, causing the leviathan rock to sink into the ocean floor, revealing the passage. He then gestured to the open pathway. "This way, please."

Wendy remarked, "It's too easy. There doesn't seem to be any—"

A divine flash of light interrupted the Sky Maiden, and a deafening bang drowned out her friends' startled cries. When the light subsided, it revealed a barricade of hellish flames rising in the same level as the leviathan rock, preventing entry to the Den of Tides. Everybody looked at the inferno, Wendy's eyes wide as she peered into it. "What's that?!" she asked incredulously.

Romeo exclaimed, "Oh, crap! I think Ursula knows we're coming!"

At that, a mellifluous voice filled the water with laughter. "Surprised? It's a little trick I activated to ensure no one gets to Ursula without playing my little game. And don't even bother tying to put them out; ice and water will be nothing but hot air, and the wind will only fan the fire!"

Wendy demanded, "Who's there? Show yourself!"

The voice remarked, "Master Viriniam told me that your talents have merit, Wendy Marvell. You have the beauty of an angel and the thorns of a rose. And word from the remaining dark guilds speaks of a child sealing several Keyholes, holding off two of my fellow Horsemen, and beating two members in the council... For a little girl, you've got such charm. Like I said, the beauty of an angel. Not merely enough, though, compared to me. Which brings me to our most recent word on the cosmos... An urgent transmission from Silver sent to all guilds in and out of action. We heard you got Kaze down on her knees. Beat her to a bloody pulp. In the belly of a whale! As we speak, she's recovering back home, and the big bird is assuming operational command until she's back in action. I never imagined someone could face her in that level."

Wendy wondered, "Kaze? And Silver?" She then gasped in realization, "You're one of the Headless Horsemen, aren't you?!"

The voice boomed, "Bingo! You have more brains in your moxie than a cat's curiosity, sweetie! I'm just a humble girl with an adorable background, doing her job as a Headless Horseman, with the intent to give the Keyblade master a run for her money. It's that simple. Seriously, how is it that a cheap, unenlightened twelve-year old has the gall to make sloppy toads out of elegant cranes? Well, I'm more than prepared to see if the girl who entertained my friends was really a sight to behold. And knowing that you've come this far means that I have to pick up where Wrecker, Silver, and Kaze left off... You look like you and her friends could enjoy the accommodations." A drumroll sounded, and a bunch of spotlights gleamed around the place. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the moment you've all been waiting for. We've saved the best for last. Put your hands together for the incomparable Diva!"

In the curtain of darkness out of reach from the flaming blockade, the words 'Diva Live' blinked in pink and green neon lights behind the Headless Horseman herself, whose every step was accompanied by the spotlights projected by her four drones. As Diva approached in her anti-aquatic casing, she struck a modeling pose she believed an entire audience would go nuts over. Unfortunately, Wendy and her friends weren't that audience; they just stared oddly at the self-professed beauty queen, and the bubbles sounded like crickets chirping in a forest. Seconds of silence turned to minutes. Ecstasy melted to dismay. And then, the group's musings were interrupted by an irritated scream from Diva. "HEY! Aren't you supposed to show your admiration?! Clap your hands, cheer me, praise me, worship me, ANYTHING! Go crazy!"

Lucy pointed out, "Uh, no offense, but what you did here is mediocre at best."

Diva was in cold shock at hearing the comment directed at her expense. She stuttered, "M-M-M-M-Mediocre?!"

Lucy clarified, "I mean, your presentation is cheesy, the special effects aren't that flashy, and you pose like a ballet girl."

Diva seethed, "Ballet girl?! How dare you make fun of my greatness! I worked really hard on that presentation! It took me about one hour of practice! I wanted to make it in such a way that my enemies are intimidated before we start the fight! The lights, the sounds, all the accompanying junk..."

Lucy scoffed, "No wonder. You convince yourself that you have talent in beauty when you clearly lack respect and the right qualifications. If you really want to stand out and look pretty in front of everybody, you gotta put your heart into it, and understand the needs of the people."

Diva exclaimed, "You can't just criticize me like I'm some common peon! I'm the prettiest girl in the whole universe, and everyone respects me! Me! ME!" She repeatedly pointed a thumb at herself for emphasis.

Lucy joked, "Well, I'm sorry, but you can't win everyone's respect with an attitude like that."

Diva glared, "Oh, yeah? Tell that to my guild! Sleepy Hollow has won the admiration of fans the world over, not simply for its members' individual powers and abilities, but their incredible good looks and personality! It's obvious I'm a cut above all the rest."

Lucy retorted, "Yeah, right! Since when did you have fans when all you over do is pillage and steal?"

Diva sneered, "Well, I know for a fact that—"

Lucy cut her off, "Alright, that's enough! How long are we gonna keep carrying on like this? We don't have time to settle a debate. And in case you didn't get the hint, I'll spell it out." She pointed a bold finger at the Headless Horsemen, "Your audience is gonna fight you. Got it?"

Romeo slammed a burning fist into his open palm. "If you're working for Kaze, that means we'll have to fight you. So let's get this over with!"

Diva rubbed her forehead in annoyance. "Straight to the point, are you? Stupid ingrates..." As she stared back at Wendy and company, her voice was dripping with dangerous sarcasm. "I was hoping we could settle this peacefully, but if you're all so eager to be squashed like bugs on the street, I'll be happy to oblige. You've come far from dismantling my Neptune Trident minions. But in the name of Sleepy Hollow, I, Diva Ferham of the Headless Horsemen, am here to make sure that you don't make it a step further!" With a sway of her arms, the four drones converged above her, blending the spotlights into a single multicolored beam that levitated her off the ground. The devices carried her upward until she confronted the group at their level.

Wendy swam over to Diva and spoke, "So your name is Diva, is it? Let me ask you something. How are you breathing underwater without turning into a sea creature?"

Diva crossed her arms and curtly replied, "Oh, a brave one, huh? Well, that's super. You'll have to thank this specialized magic casing I've developed for myself." She gestured to the white aura around her body, "It allows me to move, walk, and talk freely under the sea. You and your band of geeks aren't the only ones getting used to this ocean world. The point is, I've watched you for some time now. Not even Neptune Trident could manage to slow you down. I guess even after I took charge of the guild after its master was tragically eaten by a vicious shark, they are, after all, just a dark guild under Oración that defected to our side." She then smiled, "But at least they did their job by luring you right into my trap. A trap designed to lure you dumb cronies in like fish to the slaughter!"

Wendy summoned the Blue Mistral in her hand. "Why should we back down? If you think you can deliver me to Kaze, you've got another thing coming, Diva."

Diva smirked, "Oh, really? From what I figure, you actually love going toe-to-toe with our boss. I can tell you wanna fight her again and again. You wanna see her so bad. Is that it?" Wendy looked away from the Headless Horseman's gaze, feeling a bit uneasy. "How about this, Wendy? I can take you to her if you surrender now. Then you can have as many sparring sessions as you like."

Wendy pulled herself together and shot back, "No! I'll face her myself! I don't need your help!" She took a steady breath, "Kaze must know the answers. I have to find her, and get her to talk." She pointed the Keyblade at Diva, "Even if it means getting through you."

Diva laughed for a moment, then she put her hands on her hips and said, "I'm flattered! You actually think you can simply confront Kaze? I hope you put up a decent fight as well as you can shoot your mouth off. Until then, I'll be content in cutting you to little pieces like sushi! And I know just the place." As she held up her hand, velvet energy started to build up. "Behold..." The power suddenly rose above her head, enveloping the entire area. "...our fighting arena!" Wendy and her friends were caught in the expanse, with Ariel and Flounder yelping and shielding each other's eyes. Wendy tried to keep hers open, tried to keep them locked on the Headless Horseman, but she along with the world around her faded out of sight, replaced with a different atmosphere...


When Wendy finally landed and reached her abrupt destination, she couldn't help but feel that she was still in Atlantica, but the world around her was drastically different. "W-Where am I?" She eyed the ocean around her, and soon discovered she had been teleported to Diva's ideal battlefield— a massive star-shaped block of ice in which the ground was painted in shades of blue, green, and velvet. "That's weird. I feel like I'm standing on my legs again..." A moment later, reality was setting in almost instantly. "Wait a minute...!" Wendy looked down and gasped to see her feet no longer melded into a tailfin and firmly planted on solid ice. As she turned for her reflection in the water, she noticed that she had returned to her normal human form and clothing. "I'm... I'm back to normal!" Both perplexed and astonished at this action, she examined her current surroundings. "But how did the magic stop? We haven't returned to the Gummi Ship yet. And what is this place? It's not an illusion..."

A familiar voice spoke up out of nowhere, "Right on the money again!"

Wendy recognized the owner of the voice. "Diva!"

Like stars blinking in the morning sky, the drones entered the ice block and formed a circle above, shining down a single spotlight that slowly materialized the Headless Horseman spinning around with her hands clasped in a flutter of magic dust. Once she emerged from the light, she walked over to confront the Sky Dragon Slayer, a hand resting on her waist. "Welcome to the Glacius Purifico! You should thank me, Wendy. Since you're a potential rival, I've arranged this arena just for you. Fitting this is where you'll be crushed by my glamorous might! It's too bad your friends aren't around to watch this battle of the beauties." She then shrugged, "Well, at least those self-righteous nerds are enjoying the toys I've generously provided. That should keep them satisfied."

Wendy gasped, "My friends!"

Diva answered, "Oh, I forgot to mention something about the accommodations. This is a duel between vous et moi. I can't allow anyone to interfere. As for your friends..." With a mere glance, a drone hovered in front of her and showed Wendy a projection of Donald, Goofy, Romeo, Sherria, Carla, Lucy, Juvia, Ariel, Sebastian, and Flounder under attack by an army of Sleepy Hollow wizards, dressed as scuba divers and implementing equipment similar to Neptune Trident's.

Wendy exclaimed, "Guys!"

Diva explained, "I left behind my personal Sleepy Hollow force to keep them busy. When the bubbles settle, there will be bodies all over the place where the dead ships lie. And the blonde bimbo who took a splash in the water and looked down on me like I'm some kind of a sideshow freak?" She grasped the hologram of Lucy in anger. "Once she's down, I'll drag her back to Hollow Bastion and make her my slave. The price of insulting me will be a hundred slaps in the butt! And the wrist! In that order!" The projection vanished, and the drone floated out of sight.

Wendy tensed, "So that's what this is about... You're cutting me away from them, just like Kaze did!"

Diva nodded, "Right on the money again. Again! Did you think I was foolish enough to just sit back and watch as you ripped apart Neptune Trident like stuffed animals? I've put together an ingenious plan to isolate you from your party, so I can personally put you down! Oh, and the spell that turned you into a mermaid? Yes, that's right. I reversed it. It's more appropriate that we fight each other here on the surface where we belong." She sighed happily, "Doesn't it feel great to have life out of the sea? It's better than what they have down there. The damp caves, the itchy urchins, the yucky seaweed..." She shuddered at the thought, "If I have my way, I'll shred this ocean down to its last saltwater and turn it into a gem-filled pool the size of a planet." She quickly regained her composure and asked, "Wendy, do you want to know the reason why I joined Sleepy Hollow? It all started when I was born in a time when people forget the purpose charm and beauty has given to the world. The fringes of society during these dark times was no place for anyone beneath contempt to thrive. There was a time when beauty was the absolute truth. But as the times rolled, the world once again grew filthy and decadent. You see, humans have to desecrate and taint the beauty of their own world to live on it. Who can possibly step up and right these wrongs besides me and all of us? I'm doing them all a favor."

Wendy retorted, "You talk about an ideal world, but what you're doing is no different than a cold-hearted villain."

Diva laughed in amusement, "Moi? A villain? You are a funny girl... I was made a Horseman so that I have the freedom to do as I wish! We've been plotting with the Alliance of Evil to decide the fate of every world as we see fit. You're the one who just happened to play with a key-shaped sword, then show up and be a nuisance..." She pointed at Wendy, "...so I'd say that kind of makes YOU the villain!"

Wendy argued, "But the Alliance of Evil are villains! And your guild's working for them!"

Diva scoffed, "I thought you, at least, would understand what I'm trying to accomplish here. Master Viriniam, my fellow Horsemen and myself, we'll tear down the universe and remake it into whatever we want. No other person can dream bigger than us, including yours truly. The rest are just actors, hiding their true selves. We in the Sleepy Hollow guild are more honest than the lot of them. Yes... We've found reality to be highly overrated!"

Wendy shouted, "That's wrong! You're wrong!"

Diva huffed, "Wrong or right, it makes no difference. We're already on our way to fulfill life's great dreams. The universe is ours for the taking! If only you could see the big picture..."

Wendy countered, "You're the one with your head in the clouds. Dreams aren't about selfishly forcing your ideas on others. Sharing your thoughts and feelings with the people you love most... That's how you dream bigger! If this is your own way of following a dream..." She drew her Keyblade, "...then it's a dream that we don't want any part of!"

Diva sniggered, "Ha! You think you can dream bigger than us, huh? The amount of effort we've put into our grand master plan makes your so-called dream pale in comparison! And you're about to learn why!" She modeled a dynamic pose, "I am the seal of love and beauty. I am the red jewel of the Headless Horsemen. I am the diamond that will encompass the cosmos! Behold, the Mistress Diva Ferham!" She blew a flying kiss, "And Wendy Marvell, to my beauty... You will bow before me!"

Wendy tensed as she swung the Keyblade in a defensive position. "Sorry, Diva... But you'll have to make me!"

Diva swiped her hand, immediately signaling the drones to take their positions. "As you wish, cupcake... It's time for the party to begin! Go get her, boys!" At her command, they charged at the Sky Dragon Slayer and shot a volley of laser beams. Wendy expertly dodged the lasers by cartwheeling and jumping across the Glacius Purifico, striking back with multiple Keyblade swings all the while.

Eventually, when lasers proved ineffective at hitting targets, Diva's combat drones shifted to flamethrowers, and rays of fire soon danced along the unmeltable ice. Wendy took caution in surging past the raging flames that covered the ground in a wide radius as she headed for Diva. Compelled by their primary directive to defend their master, the drones released a barrage of tiny missiles. "Blizzara!" After deflecting dozens of missiles with ice crystals, Wendy took off cutting past the remaining homing explosives with two drones in hot pursuit. As they rounded their target in a corner, they launched a row of lightning pillars, which she cartwheeled over before they closed in. "Sky Dragon's Wing Attack!" Wendy hammered her wind-induced arms to knock away the two drones, simultaneously taking down a wave of incoming missiles coming from the third a short distance away. "Sky Dragon's Claw!" Looking around quickly, she noticed a drone coming at her with a laser attack, and flexed her wind-powered legs to kick it out of sight. Regaining balance in midair, the drone countered with its flamethrower, followed by a blend of missiles and laser shots. "Aero!" Wendy doused the inferno by casting a spiraling wind barrier around herself. "Gravity!" She submerged the other projectiles in a gravitational field. With the drone left exposed, she slashed it seven times, shoving it down to the ice. "Strike Raid!" Out of desperation, the device unleashed pillars of lightning, only for the Sky Maiden to dodge and counter with four spinning tosses of her Keyblade. "Judgment!" The last strike effectively sliced the drone in two, leaving Diva three support devices short.

"Oh, so you wanna play rough, huh? Divaroids! Assume Triad-Celebrity Formation!" Heeding her signal, the drones floated above Diva in a triangle. "Spotlight, please!" The center Divaroid produced a spotlight-like force field around the self-proclaimed beauty queen, while the other two at the left and right served as her offense. "Props are the best backup. And so is this! Cherry Bomb!" At a twirl of her finger, she generated cherry-shaped bombs, which she sent after Wendy by hitting them one by one with her hips, making them bounce after their target. Wendy swatted them away before they exploded near her, and even detonated several by casting Fira. The two combat-active Divaroids proceeded to shoot missiles, electric shocks, flame shots, and spotlight beams at the young Keyblade wielder, who deftly avoided them all.

"Sky Dragon's Roar!" Wendy breathed a mighty gust directly at Diva, striking the barrier emitted by the middle Divaroid. The force field seemed to have cushioned the attack until it dispersed, though it was showing signs of breaking down by the scale of damage. "Huh? It didn't..."

"Uh-uh-uh!" Diva wagged her finger. "You can't assume that a prop's just for show. This is a magnificent spotlight made out of gas composed of Ethernano particles. It's magic-proof!"

"How magic-proof?" Wendy raised an eyebrow, taking a closer look at the Divaroid's weakening force field.

"It's very magic-proof," Diva clarified. "Not even—"

"Sonic Blade!" Wendy catapulted herself in a series of supersonic attacks, damaging the spotlight barrier until the last strike dissolved it. She leapt up to the malfunctioning Divaroid and enacted a 9-hit aerial combo, wrecking the device. As she landed on the ice, she turned to face Diva and the last two drones. "You were saying?"

"Okay, so it's not fully magic-proof," Diva admitted. "I should've cranked it up to maximum level." She then shrugged, "Oh, golly, well, whatever. Hats off to you, Wendy." She bowed gracefully, then looked back up with a confident grin. "Too bad you made yourself an easy target! Glamorama Flash!" It happened so fast that Wendy didn't even see it until it blew up in her face. The two Divaroids were seen orbiting the ice block and deploying white energy bombs that showered the battlefield with particle bursts. The Sky Maiden concentrated her magic on both arms and legs to boost her speed, and made a valiant effort in withstanding the bombardment, though she lost her balance and nearly got blown away on some occasions. When the dust cleared, the Divaroids converged towards Wendy's position in a big blast of Ethernano, knocking her down to the icy floor. "It's Gorgeous Showtime!" Once Diva called out her next signature move, the Divaroids projected very wide ethereal beams circling around her, both shielding her and potentially hurting the opponent. The beams spread out and gathered as they orbited the Headless Horseman, making them quite tough to evade. After recovering for a short while, Wendy saw Diva walking in with the Divaroids in tow. "You've got nowhere to run, sugar muffin!"

"Who says I'm running?" Wendy countered, summoning a magic circle underneath her as she cast enchantments onto herself. "Arms x Vernier!" She dodged the Gorgeous Showtime beams across the Glacius Purifico at blinding speed before cutting down the two Divaroids with her Keyblade. With all four drones razed, Diva was left exposed and at the mercy of twenty slashes lacerating her body in one direction after another, courtesy of Wendy's Vernier. Soon, the enchantments wore off, and the Sky Dragon Slayer stood before the Headless Horseman down on one knee. "Had enough yet?"

"You're persistent, I'll give you that," Diva commented. "But can you resist this one? Elegance in Violence!" As she stretched out her hands, hundreds of tiny orbs flowed out of her fingers and encircled Wendy like fireflies. The Sky Maiden was quick to spot a tiny glint within the orbs, and she immediately perceived the imminent danger. Wasting no time, she rolled away from the orbs before they erupted in an orchestra of thunderous pops, until all that remained was a fog smothering the ice block.

"You missed!" Wendy taunted the self-styled beauty queen through the rising smoke.

"Oh, did I?" Diva smirked. "Elegance in Violence is no ordinary explosive spell. It's packed with a special bioweapon. This gas, once released, is quickly absorbed into your bloodstream. In a moment, total paralysis will hit your nervous system and neutralize your magic. You're as limp as a wet rag by now!"

Wendy felt her heart skip a beat. "What?!" Her nostrils were already letting the gas in, and yet...

Diva laughed, "Who would've thought this baby can pack a punch and freeze a frame? It's so convenient from time to time, I even used it to bring the infamous She-Devil, Mirajane, down on her knees! Golly, the look on her face when she's frozen stiff... It was so easy! I just had to show a little bit of my elegance, and she already fell before me!"

Wendy's jaw dropped in shock. The reason for Mirajane's present predicament had begun to settle in. "You?! You fought Mira the night you attacked our guild? That's how she was delivered to Maleficent in the first place..."

Diva declared, "And now, you're next, short stuff. The E.I.V. is spreading all over your bloodstream and will freeze your bones any minute now. You'll end up a statue, very much like the stupid, ugly, worthless She-Devil."

Wendy protested, "Mirajane is not worthless! She's stronger than you know!"

Diva retorted, "You wish! She couldn't stop me at full strength, so what chance do you have? Face the truth, Wendy. Victory is already mine. I don't even need to summon one of my Aeons to finish this fight. It's an easy win for me. I'm gonna enjoy dragging your motionless person to Master Viriniam!" She then chuckled, "Don't worry, the paralysis only lasts for thirty minutes. That's the least of your problems."

Wendy blinked, "Wait, if your spell releases a gas that causes paralysis, then..." She tilted her head to the side in confusion, "...why doesn't it work on me?" She waved her arm amid the spreading substance and found she hadn't suffered any effects. "I can still move!"

Diva's expression of triumph leaked from her face and made room for one of utter disbelief. "WHAAAAAT?! Seriously?!" She ran her fingers through her hair as she attempted to process how Wendy became immune to her secret weapon. "I-I don't understand! The gas is supposed to immobilize every person caught in it! Unless..." And just like that, the clues clicked together in her mind. Over the course of the battle, Diva discovered that Wendy seemed capable of breathing tornados and weaving currents of wind like a cloth. It wasn't long before she realized in her horror and anger that her enemy was more than a mere Keyblade wielder. Diva snarled, "You little devil...! You're a Dragon Slayer! The E.I.V. has no effect on Dragon Slayers because of their increased sensibilities! And you're one of them! Why didn't I realize it sooner?!" With a frustrated groan, she buried her face in her hands.

Wendy felt relieved in knowing that her magic kept her safe from the aftereffects of the Elegance in Violence. At the same time, she brimmed with confidence. "It didn't work after all... So much for an easy win."

Diva drew her hands from her face and howled viciously at Wendy. "That's it! Time for the spin cycle!" With a swipe of her hand, an array of Cherry Bombs sprung forth, and she sent them after the key bearer, intent on blasting her to pieces.

"Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Shattering Light: Sky Drill!" Wendy spread her arms and unleashed a massive wind drill against the Cherry Bombs, blowing them away before they rocked the sky with detonations, and sent Diva sprawling into the ground. As soon as the gusts settled, the Sky Dragon Slayer looked over the apparently defeated beauty queen. She grinned, "Looks like this party is over."

A minute later, however, the ground beneath her started rumbling, nearly throwing her off. As Wendy tried to stay upright, she noticed a grayish-white glow forming around Diva, who stood back up to her feet. "You might have to reconsider, booger bear, because the party hasn't ended yet. This was only opening night. Now is the main event."

Wendy glared, "You sound as if you've been playing me from the beginning. This isn't your real power, is it?"

Diva chuckled, "Oh, you have no idea. Or haven't you known? The Headless Horsemen are the strongest wizards in the Sleepy Hollow guild, each powerful in their own way. I'm one of them, of course. And when it comes to facing the likes of moi, the high-class society girl of beauty, there's no way out..." She reached for her pocket, and out came a key holder with a set of seven platinum keys. The keys' bows were each designed in the image of a particular creature, and the center of the bows were annotated with a representative kanji. "...and I hold the keys!"

Wendy carefully examined the keys in Diva's hand, and then a terrible revelation dawned on her. She knew exactly what that meant. "You're a..." she stammered, jumping back. "You're a celestial wizard?!"

Diva applauded the key bearer's deduction. "Bravo! You figured it out! What I am is a new breed of celestial wizard, a new generation that outclasses the old! I'm an Aeon Spirit Wizard!"

Wendy echoed, "An Aeon Spirit Wizard? What's that?"

Diva answered, "You are aware that a celestial wizard summons spirits to aid the user in combat, correct? I'm no exception. The only difference is the level of their power. Unlike spirits from the Celestial World, Aeons are artificially created monsters, designed with the intent of surpassing even the Zodiac. Their true forms are that of spirits whose physical forms are terrifying magic made flesh." She added in a romantic flare, "True, they're man-made, but they're the ultimate spirits, giving whosoever establishes a contract with them the freedom of unleashing divine elemental power! None of you koo-koo nutty crackers are worthy of it than me!" She tightened her hold on the keys, "Using these Aeon Spirit Gate Keys, I can summon one of my trusty Aeons to lay the smackdown on anyone who dares to cross me. And with seven at my beck and call, the very elements serve as my orchestra, and I'm the conductor!" She pumped her fist in the air, "No one will ever question my beauty again! And since I like you, Wendy, I'm gonna give you the honor of being my Aeons' next victim. I'll be sure to give your friends some company when this whole matter blows over." She extracted one of the keys from the holder, one stamped with the kanji Mu (nothingness), and raised it up. "Now, let's get this main event started, shall we? And this time, I'll make you bow before me!"

Wendy determined, "I don't know what Aeons are and how strong they are, but I'm not ready to give up." She stanced with the Blue Mistral one more time, "I'm gonna defeat you and them!"

Diva assured, "There's no need for me to describe the details. Take them on and see for yourself!" She readied the Gate Key of her choosing and chanted in a loud and clear voice, "Open, Gate of the Besaid Eagle! Valefor!"

Compared to Lucy's Celestial Spirits emerging at the sound of a bell, an Aeon's summoning was signaled at the sound of a gong. A tremendous surge of power suddenly blasted through Wendy, and a strong gust of wind shook the Glacius Purifico and the ocean surrounding it. Bursting from a halo of clouds was Valefor herself, the colorful avian creature notable for her dragon-like wings, sharp talons, crimson feathers, and a long lizard-like tail. She hovered over the ice block and let out a challenging screech at Wendy, whose eyes widened with shock.

"Whoa..." Wendy shuddered. "It's really big..."

"I am an Aeon, the divine weapon of the gods, summoned by the great Diva," Valefor announced. "In her name, I shall rend your very soul and scatter it to the winds. For I am what was, what is, what will be— the queen of the clear air, the ruler of the blue yonder." She finished proudly, "And I am glorious!"

"Awww, look! Isn't she a precious wonder?" Diva cooed as she clasped her hands in adoration for the Aeon she summoned, before she turned her attention to the awestruck Keyblade wielder. "What's wrong, Wendy? Are you so stunned by Valefor's majestic physique that you're speechless? I thought so!" She winked her eye, "I suggest you stick around and get comfortable, honeysuckle; you won't be going anywhere for a long time. But if you still have some nerve, you'll have to call it a day. It's not too late."

"Behold, I am Valefor, crafted after the image of the fabled Astral Garuda, goddess of the skies," the Aeon introduced herself. "My wings eclipse the very air and all that exists. My wrath is that of the heavens. My power transcends mortals. In the name of Diva, you must bow down..." She spread her wings, producing a gust of wind that rushed past Wendy. "...lest I smite you with a mighty fury, such as there has been none like it, nor shall be like it any more."

At first, Wendy was unnerved by Diva and Valefor's threat, but she nonetheless stood firm for the decisive battle. "I'm not buying that! You're not going to have your way just because you're tougher or bigger than me! And I told you before, I'm not ready to give up." She motioned the Blue Mistral at the two, "I'm definitely going all out! And I'm gonna make you pay if you think you can do anything to my friends on my watch! Blue Mistral Command Style: Skyward Wing!" With the Crystal Wings on her back and the Skyward Sword in her hand, she glared up at Valefor. "I'll take you on. Let's do this."

"No one speaks to me in such a condescending manner," Valefor seethed. "You shall repent for your defiance."

"Oh, that's rich! You standing up against an Aeon?" Diva taunted. "They're the toughest creatures in the universe, the physical embodiments of the elements. No one can defeat them. Not even you! When we're done, you'll find your legs peeled off your body!" She pointed at Wendy as she issued her command, "Get her, Valefor!"

Valefor quickly took to the skies and screeched down below, daring her opponent to come and face her. Wendy straightened her Crystal Wings and followed the Aeon towards the appointed combat zone. As the two charged, the collision generated a blast of wind that rattled the open sky. Diva tensed up at the extreme aerial combat presently unfolding, yet the Glacius Purifico remained calm in awaiting the outcome. Wendy and Valefor clashed in a heated exchange of crystals and talons, one striving to overcome the other between the hits and misses. A moment later, Valefor reared back her wings and then pushed forward, releasing a stream of sonic boomerangs called Sonic Wings homing in on Wendy. The Sonic Wings proved to have rivaled the Crystal Wings in speed, as did their use as projectiles, so it seemed clear that the two were equally matched when it comes to aerial maneuverability. Valefor's other techniques included the Energy Ray, a super-charged laser being fired from her beak, and the Energy Blast, in which she produced a glyph that generated a number of destructive beams raining down upon her enemy.

As the brawl lasted five long minutes, Valefor missed an Energy Ray that caused the ocean below to explode in a burst of water. "Gotcha!" Seizing her chance, Wendy swiftly dashed to the Aeon's side and engaged her in a 15-hit blade combination coupled with five Wind Steps. "Crystal Wings!" Prepping up her wings, she fired a salvo of crystal feathers that stung Valefor's side of the body. Afterwards, she executed another combo, sending the creature flopping across the water for a moment.

Diva was mortified at the display. This wasn't the first time she witnessed an Aeon bested in combat by a mortal wizard; it made her recall the night in Magnolia when Erza single-handedly fought and defeated all four Horsemen prior to her capture, and because Wendy had the advantage at the time, that embarrassing setback would come back to bite the self-styled beauty queen again. Diva cried out, "Valefor! My poor, pretty bird! How could you let her hurt you?! Get up! Keep fighting!"

Valefor soon lifted her head up from the water and glared at Wendy. "Y-You...!"

Wendy rested a hand on her hip as she smiled, "For an advanced Celestial Spirit, you're not so bad. But not good, either."

Valefor shrieked, "You DARE mock me?!" She burst from the water, saying, "Your heresy shall be punished!"

Another clash escalated between the two, crystals and Sonic Winds cutting through the air. Once the duel ended in two minutes, Wendy Wind Stepped as Valefor was about to strike with her talons. The Sky Maiden reappeared and dealt nine slashes, hurting the Aeon. "Sky Dragon's Roar!" She breathed a white tornado that blasted Valefor away, causing her to go sliding across the Glacius Purifico.

After she stopped, Valefor turned to look at Wendy, screeching at her as she flew towards her. "You... You do not know who you are dealing with!" she screamed as she channeled her magic into her beak and fired an Energy Ray.

Wendy simply hovered to the side as she continued moving, dodging the beam. "Straightforward, huh... I'd hardly call that a threat!" she said as she neared her, this time hacking her away.

Valefor looked at the Sky Dragon Slayer from where she was on the ground and used her magic, her feathers glowing white as she screamed, "How about this, then?!" Suddenly, a wall of wind burst out of the Glacius Purifico around Wendy, trapping her. As the shredding winds began to get closer, Wendy inhaled and absorbed the air in all directions, replenishing her magic as a result. "I have you now!" Valefor, having stood up, fired an Energy Ray at where the key bearer was. Wendy noticed the incoming attack and Wind Stepped from sight. Valefor's head turned to the side as Wendy suddenly reappeared next to her. "What?!"

The Aeon had no time to say anything else, due to Wendy delivering a swift 8-hit sword combo. "Too slow!"

From where she was, Valefor turned her head and released an Energy Blast. Wendy flew left and right to dodge the rain of lasers and then swept the Aeon up in midair. Valefor made a briskly recovery, then fired a second Energy Blast, but Wendy managed to avoid it, and then decimated the dragon-winged bird in a string of aerial combos. At the end of the assault, she cleaved the Aeon's wings in half, disabling her flight.

Valefor only stayed airborne for a moment as she stared up at the young human, the expression on her face no longer riddled with anger and fury, but pain and fear. "H-How... How could a mere mortal... overpower me..."

Wendy responded, "It's simple. I'm a Dragon of the Sky! Command Style Critical Art: Great Dragon Wind!" She morphed the Skyward Sword into a dragon-shaped cyclone and hurled it towards Valefor, penetrating her through the chest! The last thing she uttered out was an agonizing howl to the heavens as she crackled in a flash of ethereal electricity, her body twisting uncontrollably. In the end, she finally exploded in a burst of fluttering specks before she hit the ground. The Besaid Eagle was vanquished. And as if responding to Valefor's death, her Gate Key popped out of Diva's hand into a hundred tiny pieces.

Diva screamed in terror as she watched the tiny grains of light harboring what was left of Valefor's existence ascend into the clouds, never to return. She then looked down at her broken Gate Key, a painful reminder of the terms and consequences when forming a contract with an Aeon. Diva felt her insides freeze, and she began to shiver and weep for her loss. "My..." Her breath caught. "My Valefor... She's gone..." It was a minute or less before she managed to choke out any more words. "I can't believe it... I just can't..." Diva's breath came quicker now, still heaving with sobs, and she looked up at Wendy. "Who in the hell am I up against? Who is she? What if..." Her fear intensified, "What if she's better than Erza?!"

Wendy landed on the ground as the Skyward Wing deactivated, the Blue Mistral returning to its original form. She drank from an Elixir, fully restoring her health and magic, then spoke, "That's one down!"

Diva's fright suddenly transitioned to outrage for the girl who destroyed Valefor. "YOU JERK! HOW DARE YOU KILL OFF ONE OF MY BEAUTIFUL PETS?!"

Wendy blinked in confusion. "Pets?"

Diva scolded, "Do you have any idea what you've done?! You destroyed Valefor! Beating an Aeon senseless was bad enough for me, but killing them is even worse! Did I forget to mention the other difference between regular spirits and Aeons?"

Wendy repeated, "Other difference?"

Diva replied, "It's their contracts. While a Celestial Spirit's contract with a wizard is bound to its respective key, an Aeon's contract is bound to its life. When an Aeon dies in battle, so does the contract, and the key goes with it. Like a captain and his sinking ship. Aeons are powerful and immortal, but not everlasting. They're..." She felt herself tearing up again, "They're man-made. They don't belong in the Celestial World. I told you that, remember?"

Wendy never expected that an Aeon's contract was tied to its life until now. "Oh..."

Diva sniffled, "You see what you did to my poor Valefor? She's gone! Because of you, I'll never see her again! She won't keep me company anymore!" Hatred continued to boil inside her, "Even so, I can still pulverize you like a tangerine! I'll have you RUINED!" Wiping her tears, she pulled out the next Platinum Gate Key annotated with the kanji Honoo (flame), and then slashed the air with its teeth. "Open, Gate of the Kilika Hellbeast! Ifrit!"

At the sound of the gong, the horned demon who set Ursula's grotto on fire a while ago surfaced in a cocoon of molten rocks rising from a fiery magic circle. The cocoon cracked open, letting loose a shower of fire and ash and stone that littered the Glacius Purifico. Once the last vestiges of the inferno died out, the Aeon Ifrit made a graceful landing on the ground, before roaring menacingly at his enemy, a howl that sounded like a volcano had erupted.

Wendy breathed, "This Aeon uses fire, doesn't he? And his roar sounds familiar. He reminds me of someone I know, except he doesn't look anything like that..."

Ifrit seethed, "Burn... it all... Burn... everything... Return... to ash... I will... burn you..." His eyes brimmed with a hateful glow of the fires of hell, and he let out another intimidating roar.

Diva cheered, "That's right, my adorable fireball! Roast her up nice and hot! My funeral offering to Valefor will be a Keyblade master casserole!"

Ifrit snarled, "I am... Ifrit... Named after... the Astral of Fire... I will... burn you... to ashes... Then Miss Diva... will be happy... You will burn... Burn... Burn... BURN!" Every repeat of the word fueled his urge to destroy the Keyblade wielder.

Wendy slowly backed away, holding up her Keyblade cautiously. She affirmed, "Well, guess I have to fight fire with fire..." With an elaborate strategy to challenge Ifrit at his own level already in mind, she switched Keychains to change the Blue Mistral into the Jungle King, and focused on activating that form's respective trump card. "Jungle King Command Style: Wild Brawler!" In a flash of light, the Wild Gloves appeared on either side of her back, chained to the Keyblade. Wendy assumed a fighting stance with the spiked gauntlets clenched, ready to face the Fire Aeon. "Come on!"

Diva commanded, "Ifrit, attack!"

"BUUUUUUUURRRRRRN!" With one more holler, Ifrit was already on the move. He and Wendy partook in a extreme brawl of iron gloves versus burning claws, the mingling of fire and metal making powerful sounds like fireworks. All things considered, the difference between the two was understandable; Wendy had the advantage over Ifrit in terms of nimbleness and speed, allowing her to land successful counterattacks, and that she was no stranger to fighting adversaries a hundred times her size. The Kilika Hellbeast was huge and strong, but the Sky Dragon Slayer was small and smarter. After trading blows for a couple of minutes, Ifrit performed a Meteor Strike, which enabled him to conjure balls of fiery rock and throw them at a single target, the Keyblade wielder responding with Banana Bombs. She fired several explosive gauntlets, all of which hit the shower of burning stones. Ifrit's most infamous ability was dubbed Hellfire, where he spawned two huge fireballs in his hands and threw them on the ground, hence bathing the enemy in a ball of rising flame, and then threw a chunk of earth, causing fire damage. At one time, Wendy received the full force of the Kilika Hellbeast's ultimate technique, yet it did nothing to phase both her resolve and her Command Style. Later, Ifrit let loose with a salvo of flames. As Wendy braced for impact, the river of fire struck all around her, but she was left standing, having used the Wild Gloves as a protective shield. The Fire Aeon then breathed a horizontal flame that sliced straight up the icy floor towards Wendy. She leapt up as the burning flame broke through and fired a volley of Banana Bombs at Ifrit, which sent him flying into the water. As the unforgiving ocean licked away at his scorching body, the Hellbeast roared in agony, waddling helplessly with his arms plopping into the infinite blue. "WAAAATTTTTER!" Ifrit screamed. "WAAAAAAATEEEEEER!"

"Oooooh!" Wendy cringed at the Fire Aeon being tortured by his one weakness. "That's gotta hurt!"

"For Pete's sake, Ifrit!" Diva was more displeased and angrier than ever. "Get back here and fight!"

Without delay, Ifrit hopped out of the ocean and landed back on the ice block, his lower body scarred by the water's searing effects. His fury for the human girl who subjected him to that kind of abuse knew no limit. "You... hurt me...! YOU HURT ME! I'LL HURT YOU!" He erupted with a volcanic aura around his body, giving himself an additional boost in power, as his mind was set on burning the Sky Maiden to the ground. A second clash commenced as Wendy's Wild Gloves fended off Ifrit's magmatic attacks. Although at some point she received damage from either the Meteor Strikes or various Fire spells, at the very least, she hadn't suffered another Hellfire. Eventually, she overpowered the Aeon in a string of relentless Wild Glove punching combinations, her speed outclassing his sizeable strength at every turn.

"Jungle Jam!" As the battle reached its climax, Wendy slugged Ifrit in a flurry of rapid fire fists, then added a single palm strike to the face, instantly breaking his horns in half. "Double Glove Attack!" Combining the Wild Gloves for a double fist attack, she made the Aeon stagger from the impact. Howling in rage and pain, he took a pounce into the air and threw a sizable amount of Meteor Strikes for a bombing run. "Banana Bombs!" She threw multiple Wild Gloves packed with explosive firepower in response, and the detonations quenched the molten rocks. The remaining Banana Bombs caught Ifrit from his aerial position, blasting him in different angles. Wendy could tell, however, that they were not inflicting any serious damage as they had in the midst of the fighting; on the contrary, the Kilika Hellbeast seemed more infuriated than ever, and now his body ignited again. He thrust out his arms and spun around, channeling an extensive amount of magic onto himself, transforming into a blistering solar orb that could potentially wipe out both Wendy and the Glacius Purifico. The Sky Maiden looked up to witness a living sun raining down from above, and sweated nervously. "Oh, my..."

"Excellent!" Diva cheered. "My valiant fiery furball is activating his most devastating aerial attack, Solarhell! While he crashes down and turns the Glacius Purifico into a puddle, I'll make my quick exit. And when I come back, I'll drag her crisped body all the way back to Hollow Bastion! Pure genius!" She raised her voice, "Now, Ifrit! Finish her!"

Wendy watched as the Solarhell descended upon the frozen arena, the entity within sparking with pure wrath. Ifrit roared in anticipation, ready to finally reduce her to ash for daring to challenge him. The sun empowering his being was close to approaching the ice, ready to melt it. But Wendy had no intention of submitting to certain doom; she came prepared! "Here I go! Command Style Critical Art: Meteor Impact!" She shot two spiraling Wild Gloves and merged them into a magic circle, and then launched a meteorite against the Solarhell, pushing it away from the Glacius Purifico at a great force before it touched the surface. Akin to a meteor striking a planet, the sun burst and shed its fiery skin, the burning chunk nearing the creature at its core. Again, Ifrit roared— not out of anger this time, but of shock. BOOOOOOOOOOOOM! A cloud of astral magic consumed the Solarhell from the inside out, taking the Fire Aeon with it! The last that was seen of him was his shattered being falling back upon the water. He exploded into a miasma of light and steam, then was still. His demise meant the automatic destruction of the key clutched in Diva's hand, leaving only five Aeons left in her collection.

"NOOOOOOOOO! NOT YOU, TOO!" Diva's horror climbed an extra height over another Aeon sent to its death. She was also livid at seeing one of her most reliable enforcers fail to defeat Wendy. "What the hell was that?! He's supposed to be one of my strongest Aeons, and he couldn't crush one little girl!"

"This is a bit intense, I must admit," Wendy remarked. "It feels like I'm fighting Natsu!"

"First Valefor, now Ifrit..." Diva snarled. "You've destroyed two Aeons too many!"

"You know, this is getting old," Wendy quipped. "Why don't you just give up and call it a day?"

"Never, you little skank!" Diva yelled. "I can still beat you! If I can't fight your fire with my fire, then I'll use lightning!" She fashioned a new Gate Key adorned with the kanji Kaminari (thunder), about to summon her next Aeon. "Open, Gate of the Djose Horse! Ixion!" Responding to the sound of the gong, a portal made out of dancing bolts of lightning was formed at the center, and out of it came Ixion, neighing loudly and ready to fight. He resembled a unicorn with a long golden horn, dark blue skin, a gray mane, and a gray tail. He also had gold bracers on his front legs. Diva declared, "Ixion, my noble steed! My courageous storm-breaking stallion made after Sleipnir, Odin's equally courageous six-legged horse! Except you don't have six legs, not that it matters." She pointed a finger at Wendy, "Move swiftly! Unleash your divine lightning onto this ungrateful diaper baby! And don't muck this up!" The Djose Horse neighed once more and rushed forward with his horn.

"Okay, here comes another one," Wendy understood Diva's impatience and desperation, but eventually selected the Three Wishes as the ideal Keychain for that scenario, and attached it to the Keyblade's hilt in place of the Jungle King. "But I won't back down now. Time to blow you away! Three Wishes Command Style: Miracle Djinn!" The namesake spirit materialized from a blanket of stars and levitated alongside her, before they charged in unison.

"Chuparosa Shield!" Upon noticing Ixion planting his hooves on the ground for a rear kicking attack, Wendy compelled the Miracle Djinn to produce a barrier around her just in time. "Apache Ice!" The golden spirit channeled shards of ice that tore through the Aeon's torso. "Marigold Cutter!" A crescent-shaped boomerang slashed him on his left hind leg. Ixion snorted and spun around at Wendy, swinging his horn like a sword. The Djinn caught the sharp weapon between its hands, but when the Djose Steed charged lightning through the horn, both it and Wendy were electrocuted, forcing them to fall back. "Lotus Orbiter! Dandelion Torpedo! Suncup Sting!" The Djinn countered with an assortment of spiraling rings, flower-shaped missiles, and a three-way splitting beam that blasted Ixion across the icy battlefield. He snorted furiously from the damage he took and aimed his horn. The tip began glowing and shot an Aerospark, generating twin discs of electricity that closed in on Wendy. She yelped in surprise and jumped back, dodging one of the discs, only to be hit on the side by the other. "Canaigre Fire!" While making a hasty recovery, she commanded the Miracle Djinn to let loose a flaming tidal wave that engulfed Ixion in its scorching maw. "Poppy Battery!" The two joined together for a luminescent battering ram attack, knocking him down to the floor. When Ixion stood back up, he glared at his targets and brought forth a hundred lightning bolts from the sky, using his horn as a conduit. "Duster Spark!" Wendy responded by ordering the Djinn to use its own electrical technique, and the bolts collided like two storms squabbling over the sky until they all passed away. "Mariposa Tornado!" As the Djose Steed fired another Aerospark, the golden spirit summoned a whirlwind that dissolved the electric discs and flung the horse skyward at the same time. "Plume Vortex!" A pillar of light rose from where the Aeon was sent up high and decimated him before he hit the ice. At the thick of it all, there was a pile of twitching sparks surrounding the Glacius Purifico. Wendy and the Miracle Djinn continued their assault against Ixion, the dispute of lightning versus the elements raging on in no less than five minutes, while Diva was growing more anxious and irate every passing moment.

Finally, Ixion decided he had enough and jumped back, while his horn began crackling with electrical energy. His strongest spell, Thor's Hammer, involved him shooting a ray of pure lightning from the tip, which hit Wendy before expanding into a massive sphere that enveloped her. At a mental command, the sphere rose into the air, tethered to the horn by a single bolt, all the while torturing its victim with high voltage. A blast of lightning gathered at the base of the bolt and was rising up along it, until it hit the sphere and caused it to explode. Wendy fell back to the ground, heavily damaged in the aftermath of Ixion's attack, though the Miracle Djinn remained active. "Ouch..."

"YES! YES! YES! YEEEESSS!" Diva was absolutely delighted that Ixion prevailed over the object of her hatred in spite of the trials and tribulations, so much that she ran over to him and ruffled her hand through his mane, petting him. For a moment, it seemed to relieve him of the pain Wendy had wrought a while ago. "I'm so proud of you, Ixion! Valefor and Ifrit will rest easy now that you've got her pinned. The show is almost over. I can hardly imagine the look on Master Viriniam's face when she—"

The Headless Horseman couldn't finish her sentence. A glowing fist from the Miracle Djinn socked her square on the chest and caught Ixion with her, sending them both flying out of the Glacius Purifico and into the sky! Wendy, who spent time recuperating from Thor's Hammer while Diva was too distracted basking in her so-called glorious moment, glared up at the two still hovering among the clouds. "I'm not beaten yet... Abronia Paradox!" The Miracle Djinn focused energy into its hands and fired a mighty golden blast from its hands, shooting upward.

The moment Diva and Ixion looked down to see the laser of heavenly light coming at them from below, panic was spread all over their faces. She screamed hysterically, "IXION, SHOOT IT DOWN! SHOOT IT DOWN, QUICK!" The Djose Steed hastily fired a bolt of lightning from his horn as he tried to keep the Abronia Paradox at bay. However, the golden blast pushed through the electricity until it reached the horn's base! BOOOOOOOM! The outburst of energy destroyed Ixion's source of magic, rendering him virtually powerless. All he and Diva could do was cry helplessly as they made their descent.

"Command Style Critical Art: Pollination!" Wendy pointed the Keyblade at her falling enemies, and soon the Miracle Djinn dispersed into a shower of tiny light balls that flew around Diva and Ixion in a hurricane, swirling faster and faster before they converted into thin energy beams. Every time the Headless Horseman and her Aeon struggled to move, they were punctured by the beams a thousand times over, and then at last the beams combined into a single large orb that detonated and barbecued the duo! When the smoke cleared, Diva collapsed to the ground, beaten and bleeding and dusted. As for Ixion, because the Pollination shot through the heart in the midst of his torment, a whinny of agony was all he uttered before he self-destructed in a wave of thunder and lightning, and then dissolved into nothingness. The Platinum Gate Key coincided with his demise by blowing itself up into shards of iron. Three Aeons down, and four to go.

With every ounce of strength she had left, Diva sat up to her legs and stared incredulously at Wendy, whose Command Style was already deactivated. Again, her face was black with despair. "Not another one..." she whimpered, the tone of her voice strained with exhaustion and anguish. "This stinks..." She began to sob, "I thought we'd beat you, but I guess not if all we get is cheap JUNK." She looked at herself from the water beside her, "My pretty hair, my beautiful face, my dazzling figure... I look a lot like the bride of Victor von Zombie. And that's not the only worst thing." She turned to stare at the remains of Ixion's Gate Key, "Three of my Aeons, my guardian angels, my shining stars... They're gone. Valefor, Ifrit, Ixion..." She banged a fist on the ice a couple of times as she threw a temper tantrum, "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! It's not fair! It's not FAIR! I'm a symbol of love and beauty! My Aeons are the epitome of beauty... And we've lost! We're wrecked! Ruined! Tattered! Because of a teddy bear named Wendy Marvell! This REALLY stinks!"

"Looks like the party's over. For real this time," Wendy smiled, before her face turned serious. "I've won fair and square, so take me back to my friends. They need me."

"Uggghhh... You wanna go back to the ocean?" Diva bemoaned, before she reluctantly complied. "Alright, fine. The party is officially over. You win. No more games. There's no point wasting any more of my precious pets, anyway. Besides, I can't go on looking like this." She gestured to herself, "A girl's gotta stay pretty when she fights, you know. Dragging this out will be a pain in the derriere, so I'll let you have this one for now. But..." She got up from the floor with a stagger in her step, a velvet fire enveloping around her body. "...don't think you've beaten me for good, sweetheart. Next time, you won't be so lucky. You will feel the full wrath of my wicked beauty. And that blonde twat, too! Remember that well!" She held up her hand, "Wendy Marvell has just left the building. And I bid you adieu!" She struck the ground, and an eruption of the same light that transported Wendy out of the ocean world cracked the entire Glacius Purifico wide open like an egg. With a startled scream, the Sky Maiden fell into the bottom of the growling abyss, a venomous, tear-stained glare from the beauty queen the last thing she saw before she felt a surge of magic taking root all over her body...


Sunken Ship

Wendy emerged rather charitably out of the portal, ending up in the same place with the sunken galleon and the submarines. As she checked the familiar graveyard of ships, she noticed that the water was but wind and air in her lungs, and her legs were stuck together to form the base of a tailfin. True to Diva's promise, she returned under the sea as a mermaid once again, and that pleased her. But that wasn't her more pressing issue. She hurried off and searched the area for her friends, and thankfully they were there, celebrating their victory over the Sleepy Hollow aggressors that attacked after she mysteriously vanished from the scene. By the time she reunited with the group, they were initially concerned of what just happened and where she had been, but were glad to see her again. And as per the conditions of Diva's challenge, the flames barring the passageway to the Den of Tides had died out. After Wendy put away the Three Wishes Keyblade, Sherria suddenly glomped her, exclaiming, "Wendy, where have you been?! We thought you were gone after that stuff happened!"

Wendy explained, "Diva took me someplace else where she forced me to fight her alone. It was a tough battle, but I made it out fine."

Sherria sighed in relief, "Oh, good gravy... Diva almost had you. Well, she did have you, technically speaking. You came back, though. And that's good enough for us." She tightened her arms around Wendy, "I'm happy to see you're alright."

Wendy smiled at her and returned the embrace. "Same for you guys. Everybody's okay now."

Romeo swam over to Wendy, whom Sherria released from her hug. He asked, "So you fought Diva and made it out alive?"

Wendy nodded in reply, "Uh-huh. She tried to do me in, the same way Silver and Kaze did."

Sherria groaned, "A bummer we didn't see you fight. If it wasn't for her, we would have."

Romeo remarked, "But you must've done some pretty nice work back there."

Wendy nodded again, "Yes, it was. It took me a while to get it done." She then asked, "What happened while I was out?"

Lucy answered, "An army of wizards ambushed us after she and you vanished. We had to hold them off. They used pretty much the same equipment and weapons Neptune Trident had, and were really tough in numbers, but we managed to push them back."

Juvia nodded, "Undoubtedly thugs representing Sleepy Hollow, Kaze Viriniam's band of lethal mercenaries. Diva sent them to occupy us while you and she fought it out somewhere not around here. That explains the red magic she conjured up and spread all over the place. You and Diva were gone in place of her henchmen."

Carla confirmed, "It's another test to determine how strong Wendy is compared to Kaze. Once they report back to her, she'll probably grow stronger than ever and challenge Wendy yet again."

Wendy regarded her friends' comments for a moment. The Headless Horsemen popping up in different worlds was merely another sign of her rival's growing obsession. "That's right. She..."

Sebastian looked between the group members as he spoke, "Hmph. You people sure like to talk a lot, but can we save it for later? We still have to retrieve the trident from a certain sea witch."

The crab's reminder of the task at hand brought Wendy out of her thoughts. She turned to the open passage and said, "Yeah. Ursula's through there. It's the only way to go. Let's move out!" She led the charge into the cavern to the Den of Tides, the rest of her friends swimming to catch up with her. As she and the others propelled through the path under a curtain of darkness, she thought to herself, "Mirajane was captured thanks to Diva... It makes sense how she's held up along with the rest of our guild. Kaze, Sleepy Hollow, Maleficent... I have to stop them all. I don't care how, I'll do whatever it takes. I must save everyone!" Wendy couldn't ascertain what outcome awaited at the end of the journey, but to discover what lay ahead, she had to continue forth. Defeating the Alliance of Evil was an absolute requirement, and it would not end with Ursula's downfall.


Author's Note:
Whoo! I'd hoped to have this up sooner, but wow! I posted a chapter in less than two months! I just hope you guys thought it was a good thing. This concludes Wendy's battle with Diva Ferham, the third Headless Horseman. What do you think of her and a special appearance by the Aeons from Final Fantasy X? I thought I'd give this story some spice with some references from everybody's favorite RPG series. On that note, not only are the Aeons artificially made, but they're also crafted to almost fit the image of the Astrals, the name used to describe summons from Final Fantasy XV. For example, Valefor is based off Garuda, mostly for the avian and eagle-like features. And in case you don't who Garuda is, she used to be an common enemy who until Final Fantasy XI and beyond got promoted to summon status. Who are the Astrals in Kingdom Fairy Tail, you ask? That's for another story. And don't worry, important names like Ifrit, Shiva, and even Bahamut, will play a major role in stories to come.

And now, the second order of business: the decisive battle with the sea witch, Ursula. Who will prevail? Our merry heroes of the sea, or a sinister sorceress in her grotto the dark side of the sea? I gotta stop before I say 'sea' again. *laughs* The exciting conclusion to the Atlantica arc is coming. Are you ready for it? I know some of you are.

This is TheSavageMan100 saying, don't forget to fav, follow, and review. I'll see you all next time. Peace!