Author's Note:
I'm back, baby! This is TheSavageMan100, here to wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR of 2020! It's time we say goodbye to the 10's and hello to the 20's. The beginning of a new decade. Yeah, and I know a lot of you expected me to post the next chapter before the end of the year, but I've got my hands full with work both professional and personal. Watched a few epic movies, been to places... and purchased Kingdom Hearts III Re:Mind DLC. It was awesome! The extra story content, the selectable characters (Roxas and Kairi are my favorite), and the Armored Xehanort fight way more challenging than the original. At least, that's what I figure. I fought the Data Organization XIII members as well as Yozora, and they were, without a doubt, hard to beat as hell. I tried and I tried until, well... I got to see the REAL secret ending. An Oath to Return, a slogan way cooler than Reconnect! Oh, and the Radiant Garden gang are back. This made up for the Final Fantasy characters missing from the original game. I miss them so much! And Kairi's a badass in Re:Mind, thank God!

Back to the main subject, back in the game, back to the show. It was long overdue, but all that matters is that I've posted a new chapter. Let's head to Halloween Town, where you bash somebody in the head with an exploding pumpkin and spit acid on Heartless. And of course, another Fairy Tail wizard will be found there, and more drama and hilarity unfolding. I'll give you a hint on who's next on the list of Fairy Tail members to be rescued— Zeppelin, one of the Headless Horsemen, reported something about dozens of ice sculptures brightening the air for the festival in Halloween Town. Get it? Check Chapter 16 for reference. Now then, get ready for some spooky shenanigans in the next arc of Kingdom Fairy Tail taking place in Halloween Town. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the fright!


The hidden memories resurfaced. Kaze's heart raced with vigor as she cut through the air with furious punches and kicks. It was the late afternoon after another routine training session, and the sun shone overhead like a velvet jewel, with the puffy yet waning clouds staying still. Yet the beauty of twilight could not distract her, as she currently grappled with the vow she made to herself these past two days. It screamed an unshakable urge to keep on going, and she didn't hesitate to follow. But just when she seemed to be getting the hang of it, some small voice inside her screamed its objection to her actions, and she struggled to silence it. But just when it seemed to be gaining traction, and she considered turning back, leers swam before her eyes, voices mocked her weakness, visions displayed Wendy heartbroken and in tears, Grandeeney showing nothing but disappointment...

"I won't let it happen again," she thought to herself. Her conviction was firm and strong, and she had no intention of stopping. Her ambition to improve and sharpen her Dragon Slayer Magic into the greatest among all that existed was still burning in her heart and mind. Behind her, Wendy was sitting on the stump, watching her sister figure use the air around her as a sparring partner, anxious and eager to see what kind of Dragon Slayer she would grow up to be.

That night beyond the borders of Grandeeney's nest, Kaze sped across the trees, her closed fist emitting a corkscrew spiral of wind as she ripped down the wood in her path and reduced them to mere piles of splinters. She planted her feet against the trunk of a tree, launched herself over a pond, and plunged her wind-induced legs into a boulder, destroying it. Several seconds later, the sounds of turmoil floated up in the endless night as a Hodras was split in half by a chop of sharp air, and then she proceeded to spring across the grass to bore a hole through the chest of another. It was fortunate that Grandeeney never found out, and the ruckus that stretched a mile away didn't wake her from her sleep, otherwise Kaze would have been reprimanded and spent more hours doing chores in the nest. At the moment, she had no concern about breaking rules or violating regulations; she had put them aside for the sake of testing her limits and pushing herself to the next. She felt no guilt about going against Grandeeney's strict code of safety just to continue along that path, if it meant getting stronger. For now, this was her sole and most important priority.

Only Wendy knew of Kaze's escapade— she momentarily broke from her own sleep to see her friend sneak off into the forest while Grandeeney was slumbering, and wasted no time following her there. She watched Kaze train rigorously, using every method to quickly advance her Sky Dragon Slayer Magic— the trees, the rivers, the wild beasts, the earth, the air, even the nearest cave— anything within her reach. Grandeeney was a great teacher, but when it comes to training solo, there was no greater teacher than nature itself. It provided Kaze's every need, gave her strength, granted her wisdom, things that Grandeeney never even taught her. The moon rose to her left, and the stars glowed to her right. Soon, less than a hour spent watching Kaze wrestle seven Hodras and thrashing a few dozen trees and rocks eventually lulled Wendy to sleep, and that caught Kaze's attention. To her surprise, she noticed the little dark blue-haired girl had followed and observed her. At the same time, though, she was impressed. As long as she hadn't told Grandeeney, she wouldn't protest. "She's probably eager to see me grow into the perfect Dragon Slayer. She must be really proud," she imagined. And so, Kaze dragged Wendy back to the nest, and the two slept together, ending tonight's training. Tomorrow, when time was still young, she would continue.

And that she did. The days went by, and her power grew without the Sky Dragon's consent. Between twilight and the edge of night, when Grandeeney's lessons and chores were not an issue, Kaze's secret training intensified, soaring back and forth over the forest. Wild boars and deadly snakes tried to sink their fangs— she blasted several of the animals to bits, leaving the remainder to be torn apart by her bare hands. Smoke began to rise as dust and blood stained the grass, and trees toppled by currents of wind, prompting innocent woodland creatures to flee and scatter. Each passing moment, Kaze's strength and magic increased, as did her confidence. But it wasn't enough. She felt that she was nowhere close to a breakthrough. She had to evolve her Dragon Slayer Magic into its most perfect form, by any means. Meanwhile, Wendy continued to watch Kaze from afar, taking great care not to be noticed, never knowing at first that Kaze had suspected the former was observing her all the time. Wendy was both astonished and terrified at how stronger and more bolder her friend had grown. She assumed that Kaze's love for Wendy and Grandeeney and a desire to protect them drove her to achieve such great lengths. But to Kaze, it was the opposite. It was her hatred for past failures that awakened the fire burning within. As soon as she reached her full potential, she could finally prove how wrong Grandeeney was about her. She could finally claim her place as the greatest Dragon Slayer who ever lived.

One day, Grandeeney was taking her afternoon nap, giving Kaze ample time to sneak out into the wild. At the end of today's private session, she confronted a wave of angry Hodras marching towards her, with Wendy looking on while hiding from a tree trunk. As she dove headfirst into the stampede, she spread out her arms. Her body tensed so much that a massive cluster of air surrounded her hands, taking the form of giant claws with sharp nails, similar to a dragon's. In one fell swoop, dozens of Hodras lay lifeless and in pieces. Wendy was completely awestruck by the surreal conclusion, and she crept out of the tree to check on her friend as she moved over to the nearest bush.

However, Kaze could sense Wendy's presence a short distance away, and smiled. "So, Blueberry, did you enjoy the show?"

"Aaaaahhh!" Wendy yelped and ended up falling to her chest at what Kaze had unveiled. She looked up and quickly waved her hands, panicked and shocked. "W-Wait! This isn't what it looks like..."

"It's okay, Wendy! It's alright!" Kaze approached and grabbed her shoulders, trying to calm her down. "It's okay. Calm down. Easy. Easy..." A short while, the panic subsided, and she was free to ease Wendy's predicament. "I know what's going on. You've been watching me flex all night long, haven't you? All the time? Since I first started out?" The panic was gone, yet the fear and unease kept growing. "You were keeping an eye on me almost every night, seeing me take my magic to the next level. You saw how I handled the trees, the rocks, the animals..." She paused to let this sink in, "You saw me train outside the nest. My super-duper secret special training sessions."

"Y-You knew?" Wendy's heart skipped a beat. "How did you—"

"I've known for a while," Kaze replied. "I think it started out in my first day of super-duper secret training, during the night, while Grandeeney was snoozing. Or maybe it's the second? After working out, I was ready to hit the hay when I saw you sleeping on a bush. I knew for a moment that you've been watching me train. And the days after, I thought you'd keep watching me. I was wondering why you were out in the forest, looking out for me from the sidelines, and seeing you here makes complete sense." She confirmed with a nod, "You took the promise I made to myself very seriously. You wanted to see me train outside the nest."

"I—" Wendy began.

"Oh, come on, it's obvious," Kaze chuckled. "You're excited to see me turn my magic into the best there is! To see how far I've come! I only wish you'd tell me sooner." Her positive outlook quickly turned to worry. "Have you told Grandeeney?"

"No, I haven't," Wendy shook her head. "I mean, I wanted to, but I was afraid that if I told her, she'd be very angry."

"Yeah... Of course she would," Kaze admitted with a sigh. "I guess if she found out you've been sneaking out the nest to see me train in secret, you'd be in for a fresh lecture, besides me. Then again, if you told her I was sneaking out the nest training in secret..."

"No, it's not that," Wendy denied. "I don't want her to worry. I just wanna check on you, that's all. I..." She trailed off, then continued, "I wanna know if you're okay. To see what you're doing and how you've been. I don't want you to get in trouble. If anything happens to you, I..." She shuddered a bit, "I'm sorry, Kaze. Please don't be mad. I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay, Wendy. I understand," Kaze nodded. "When you put it that way, it's crystal clear. You only followed me because you're worried about me." She grinned, "The thing is, you don't have to worry. As you can see, I'm plain fine. I always am." She patted Wendy in the back, "You can watch me do my super-duper secret special training for as long as you like. But you have to promise to keep this to yourself. It's a really big secret. You can't tell Grandeeney unless I say so. It's like you said. We don't want her to worry." She looked at Wendy for reassurance. "Deal?"

"O-Okay," Wendy complied, taking Kaze's hand in hers. "Deal."

"Right, thank you," Kaze confirmed, before pointing to the path leading back to the nest. "Well, that's enough training for today. We better show ourselves before she wakes up, just in time for supper."

"Okay, sure. Let's go back," Wendy agreed. "I'm getting a bit hungry myself."

"You're not the only girl in the forest who's hungry," Kaze quipped. "Anything on the menu will do fine, just as long as it's fresh off the fire."

Hand in hand, the girls walked along that path, abandoning the destruction and carnage Kaze had wrought in moments during her training. The last thing Grandeeney needed to think was that a single student had developed her magic without her supervision, and that development progressed faster than anticipated.

Later that evening...

The stars shone like diamonds, and the moon was barely peeking over at the far side of the nest. Wendy and Kaze lay side by side on the grass, gazing at the bright, twinkling lights. Tonight, the wind was gentle, and they hesitated to avert from its warmth.

"Hey, did you know that sailors used to wear thalassa shells in the old days?" Kaze asked Wendy. "When they put on necklaces made out of these shells, they were supposed to ensure a safe voyage. It's a classic tale we heard back at the orphanage. You were four years old back then, and you didn't understand much of it. You fell asleep when Miss Anna's at the middle part of the story. Good thing I remembered it all. Way before the orphanage was set on fire. You see those stars?" She pointed upward to a few stars on the left, "Imagine them as islands far away, across the sea, filled with big cities, treasures, and totally different people..." then to her right, "...and there you see a group of sailors rowing their big boats to get to those islands." She folded her hands on the back of her head, "Let's picture us as the sailors on these boats. Would you believe me if I tell you how amazing it would be? Us, sailing this big sea of islands?"

"If the stars are islands, what are we gonna find there?" Wendy wondered.

"Lots of cool things that'll blow our minds, I suppose," Kaze replied. "Let's say the stars above are planets in outer space, and we get to explore them in a really awesome spaceship. It's got me thinking for a long time now. It's just..." She looked away, "I've always wondered why we ended up here on this big nest where a dragon takes care of us like she's our mom. Ever since the orphanage blew up, the forest is the only place we get to explore. If there are any other worlds out there, why did we get to be here? If there are, then maybe this world, the world we're standing on, is a smaller piece of something that's much greater. So we could've just as easily ended up anywhere else other than a place that's all green, don't you think?"

"Maybe..." Wendy said curiously. "I can't imagine why."

"That's the point, Wendy," Kaze nodded. "We gotta go out there and see for ourselves. We'll never find out if we stay here, doing the same thing every day. There's a time when the bird's gotta leave the nest, you know. We have to leave sooner or later. Sitting around here won't do any good."

"You've been thinking a lot lately, haven't you?" Wendy asked.

"There's a fine line between curiosity and imagination, and it's called insight," Kaze explained. "I probably would've never thought of any of this if I hadn't learned how to use a brain. I knew the old fairy tales and nursery rhymes are more than they appear. That's when I learned there has to be more than one place out there. The question is, how far do we have to go? And how do we even get there? I can't say for sure." She then smiled, "But it sounds like a great idea. I wouldn't mind going to see those places."

"I'd like to see them, too," Wendy smiled back. "I'll go with you to explore the outside world. I'm sticking with you, no matter what. We'll always be together."

"I know, cuz," Kaze chuckled. "Together forever. If we're riding a big boat to multiple worlds, I get to be both the captain and the crew, and that makes you the only passenger. If you want, you can throw your weight around and help hoist the anchor."

"The anchor?" Wendy gasped. "You mean, lift the whole thing up? I don't think I can. It's too heavy for me."

"Come on, just a little heavy lifting wouldn't hurt," Kaze teased. "I thought you we're training hard as much as I do! In your own way, of course. If you can heal flowers on a field, why not lift an anchor from the water? Exercise is good for you."

"What good would that do?" Wendy worried. "I don't know if I'm strong enough for that."

"Aww, don't be such a drama princess!" Kaze laughed. "You're never gonna know if you don't try!" She grabbed Wendy and started giving her a noogie as the serenity devolved into slight mayhem. For a moment, the night was filled with playtime and nothing less. All that existed was their laughter and the tickling.

Soon after a good five minutes, Wendy and Kaze gestured up the night sky once again, just in time to witness a shooting star traveling past the multitude of lights beyond the moon.

"Look! A shooting star!" Wendy cried, pointing at the blazing comet. "Quick, Kaze! Make a wish!"

"Yeah, the stars are lovely and all, but I never once thought about wishing on them," Kaze rolled her eyes with a grin. "It's just a story some people use on the simple-minded, besides that jolly ol' Christmas mascot named Santa Claus. Luckily, I'm very smart. And very practical. Wishes don't grow on trees. Wishes are built on effort. You gotta work up an effort to make your wish come true."

"Well, I believe that wishes on stars come true," Wendy stated. "Grandeeney does so, too. Don't you think we'd better get wishing? About what we're gonna be when we grow up? All the places we get to see?"

"I don't need to," Kaze shook her head.

"Hmm?" Wendy turned to face her.

"I already got my wish. Deep inside," Kaze assured, motioning a hand close to her heart. "I have everything I need right here." She gripped the spot tightly.

"Kaze..." Wendy grew concerned. "Aren't you cold?"

"Nope, not at all," Kaze denied, releasing the hold on her heart. "I'm very warm..." She returned her gaze to the stars, "Can we stay like this, cuz? Just a little longer?"

"Okay," Wendy nodded, and followed Kaze's direction. "The stars are really nice today. Do you see them smile at us?"

They continued looking up to the night sky, brimming with thoughts about the future that would unfold once they left their childhood behind. Where there once was pleasantry and laughter, all that remained for the rest of the night was silence. Kaze's smile instantly changed when Wendy fell asleep. Her mind was calm, but her face was fierce and resolute. She could feel the rush that sent her a message, a reminder of more challenges to come. Without even lifting a finger, she quickly became aware that the forces of nature were not the only contenders to impede her quest for power. Not just the wild beasts, not just the forest, but also...

With little time to ponder, Kaze curled up beside a snoozing Wendy, and drifted off. If she had been less tired and more preoccupied with her thoughts, she would've spent the late night suppressing the dark fires building up inside her heart. For now, all was well.


Gummi Ship Engine Lounge

"Have you ever felt this tired in your entire life? Being a mermaid was fun and all, but it was also tiring to the bone. I don't know if I can swim anymore..." Lucy moaned, as she slumped into the sofa. Following a quick warp back to the Gummi Ship, the group's original bodies and clothing returned to normal, much to their relief. Indeed, their experience in the world under the sea made them completely exhausted, as countless hours spent swimming wore their muscles down a ton. On the bright side, sealing another Keyhole and rescuing one of Fairy Tail's most important members was worth the strenuous effort. When Lucy set foot inside the Gummi Ship for the first time, she was clearly amazed that the engine room, considering its wide magnitude, had been modified into a opulent living room for passengers of any number to feel comfortable during flight time; it reminded her of her apartment, if not more luxurious. She decided the engine lounge would be the ideal place to unwind; since she stayed in Atlantica for days, she was the most exhausted. But at least the journey they shared with Ariel proved invigorating. Donald and Goofy already set the ship on auto-pilot as it maintained its current course for the next world, and joined the rest of the group for another round of merriment and making up for lost time. Wendy, Donald, Goofy, Romeo, Sherria, Lucy, and Carla sat on the same couch, Juvia on a separate chair, and Cana on a table hugging a barrel of beer.

"You aren't just pulling my leg, are you, kid? You literally made that oversized octopus lady pop like a balloon with your Keyblade powers?" Cana asked Wendy.

"Well, yeah. It was right after Romeo drove a sunken ship straight through her chest," Wendy replied. "I still couldn't believe he actually did that."

"Yup, and he made it out safe and sound!" Goofy remarked. "The way he steered that ship, it looks as though he can handle it pretty well."

"We've been meaning to ask you about that," Donald turned to Romeo. "How did you manage to ride a ship? A WHOLE pirate ship! You've seen me and Goofy and Wendy pilot this ship, a spaceship, of all things..." He thrust his arm to gesture around him, "...and you didn't bother to ask taking turns! It's like you knew how to handle the wheel before you put your hand on it! So how?"

Romeo shrugged, "Well, this is my first time riding a pirate ship. What I did wasn't just out of good intuition, but instinct, too. It seemed like a good idea at the time; all I did was take the wheel, and I steered it fine." He then smiled, "The thing is, I've always wanted to take that kind of ship for a spin. And I did a great job at it! All of a sudden, it feels like I still had it in me, even when I used to pretend I was 'sailing the seas' back when I was four years old..."

Donald blinked, "Pretend? Sailing the seas? Four years old? You don't mean—"

Goofy guessed, "You used to play pirate when you were just a little boy, weren't ya? Isn't that why you followed that gut feelin'?" He paused for another assumption, "I think you pulled the ship outta the whirlpool because you wanted to capture the feeling of bein' a pirate in real life. Or do you always want to be?"

All of a sudden, Romeo's face blushed red at what the Captain of the Guard had discerned, and he looked towards his feet. "I-I... I..."

Wendy asked, "Is it true, Romeo? You like being a pirate? And what you said about pretending you were 'sailing the seas' back when you were four years old..." She then gasped as it started to make sense. "That's the thing you wanted to tell me about! You were so excited in using that ship against Ursula, you felt like you're a pirate!"

Romeo's eyes widened, and he became awash in embarrassment. "What?! Aww, man! It's not fair! This was supposed to be between the two of us, not in front of everyone!"

Donald grinned, "Well, too bad! You know you can't keep secrets from all of us. You were so easy to figure out."

Goofy stated, "We just used our own gut feelin' to figure out some of the good stuff about your childhood. Who'd a thunk wantin' to be a pirate is one of 'em?"

Sherria chuckled, "You can't help it, can you? You took that ship from the vortex because you like being a pirate! It's obvious!"

Juvia commented, "All this time, Macao's son had a childhood memory he didn't enlighten us about. Dreaming of becoming a pirate on the high seas..."

Romeo whined, "Come on..." The group laughed at his discomfort, except for Wendy and Carla, who were rather curious of that distinct part of his background. Perhaps if he hadn't mentioned that tiny bit of information, Donald and Goofy wouldn't have figured out his so-called secret, as did everyone else. Romeo gave a small, uncomfortable laugh, not entirely looking forward to what he knew would follow the laughter. As soon as it died down, it was strange how quickly his embarrassment shifted to eagerness, as he remembered the promise he made to Wendy. He glanced to the side, where the Sky Maiden's gaze caught his eye; she was interested to know why he liked being a pirate, and he was ready to oblige.

Lucy confirmed, "So you used to play pirate when you were young, and imagined being a pirate yourself. What's it like?"

Romeo cleared his throat and replied, "Alright, since you noticed, I'm gonna be completely honest here. The truth is..." He rubbed the back of his head for a moment, then grinned widely. "I've been a big fan of pirates since I was four years old. I like pirates... No, I love pirates!"

Wendy asked, "You love pirates? Why?"

Romeo beamed, "They're totally awesome! My dad used to tell me stories about them before I went to bed."

Sherria recalled, "Just like when Cousin Sherry used to tell me stories about mermaids. Guess we both have a lot in common. I follow mermaids, while you—"

Wendy cut her off with a giggle, "Yeah, we get it. No need to remind us."

Romeo stated, "Of all the bedtime stories my dad read to me, pirates have always been my favorite. They're the kind of people who go out on epic adventures on the high seas and search for buried treasure. Far off places, daring sword fights, magic and stuff..." He couldn't contain his enthusiasm, "What's not to like? Pirates are the best! They're so cool!"

Cana drank a sample of beer from her barrel and said, "Can't say that I blame you, kid. We all have something to like. I'm not a fan of pirates, but there is something else I follow in bedtime stories. My dad never read me any of those; I just read them on my own so I could put myself to sleep. What's the title of my personal favorite story? It's called 'I need more beer.'" She raised the barrel and guzzled it down.

Goofy raised an eyebrow at Fairy Tail's resident alcoholic. "She just can't help herself, can she?"

Carla reminded, "It what she does, Goofy. It's best we let her be."

Romeo continued, "Pirates were mostly the focus of my childhood playtime. I saw myself as a captain of my own crew, fantasizing I was out in the ocean, sailing aboard the cardboard ship Dad made for me. As time went on, before I joined the guild, I began to see every member very much like the pirates. They all want the same thing— adventure, excitement, finding important stuff. To me, the guild is like a pirate ship, and everyone's the crew."

Wendy questioned, "You decided to join Fairy Tail because you love pirates?"

Romeo clarified, "That's only half of it. The main reason I joined Fairy Tail is so that I can be just like Natsu. Remember? Sure, I admire pirates, but there's nothing I admire more than him. He's been my hero, my big bro ever since I first saw him both in and out of action, and I knew that one day, I'm gonna be as strong and brave as him when I grew up."

Cana asked, "Do you actually believe you'll be at his level? Going down the Natsu route means you gonna need more than just colors in your fire."

Romeo admitted, "I'm nowhere close, but I'll get there someday. I know I can. I'm gonna get stronger. And when I see him again, I'll..." A pause as he recalled his previous encounter with Kaze, and then he clenched his fist in determination. "I have to find him. I can't just leave him."

Wendy agreed, "Me, too. Kaze took Natsu before Earth-land disappeared, and he's still alive out there. We all know he is."

Lucy nodded, "It's about time I get dragged into this. I've been under the water long enough, and now I'm out in the open. If he's really safe and sound as you believed, then I gotta go see for myself. He needs us now more than ever. We have to find him. We must!" She sighed as thoughts of Natsu flooded her mind. "Hang in there..."

Carla muttered to herself, "Be strong, Happy. I'll see you again. I'll be there."

Donald asked Romeo, "Yeah, well, did your dad also tell you that pirates are extremely crafty and greedy people who love gold, which they don't want to share with anyone else?"

Goofy agreed, "Donald's right, Romeo. They aren't always what you believe 'em to be, y'know. What if when a real pirate sees ya, he'll nab all your belongings?"

Romeo laughed, "You think I don't know EVERYTHING about pirates? My dad didn't just tell me stories. He also told me about what it's like to be a pirate! The way they act, the way they talk, the way they act, all of it. And I only admire the thrill-seeking, high-spirited kind of pirates, not the crafty and greedy kind."

Goofy confirmed, "Oh, so that makes sense. You only follow the good pirates."

Carla raised an eyebrow, "Good? Bad? This isn't a matter of our perception of them, but rather, their behavior. Pirates are very unpredictable. While they indeed seek out thrill and treasure, they are also openly defiant and unruly. We can never be certain if they act for good or wicked intentions."

Donald argued, "Who cares? Romeo has plenty of reasons to like pirates! I don't mind helping a guy who worships them, even if he's a member of Fairy Tail." He patted Romeo's back for good measure, "He's our friend. He still means well to us."

Sherria agreed, "That's right. Hobbies don't matter as long as we're friends. What's wrong with being interested in swashbuckling sea dogs? I like mermaids, Juvia likes sea palaces, Cana likes to drink beverages, and Donald likes to quack for no apparent reason." She then snickered, "It's because, you know, he's a duck! And the way he speaks, it sounded like a quack and a gurgle rolled into one!"

Donald frowned, "What's wrong with the way I talk? Everybody hears me just fine! And what do you mean, 'no apparent reason?'"

Sherria rolled her eyes with a grin, "I don't know. Maybe it has something to do with your mood swings?" She, Goofy, Romeo, and Lucy laughed to themselves.

Donald complained, "Why do I bother picking up that hyperactive girl from Wonderland? What is she even here for? Why does she always have to rub it in?"

Sherria smiled, "Because seeing Wendy again after Earth-land disappeared made me want to stick with her. And it's to make sure my friends stay happy all the time. And it's funny." She paused for effect, "And I still hear you."

Goofy nodded, "We kinda are, since we're all gathered here and everythin'."

Donald protested, "Well, she started it! All she does is joke around!"

Sherria clarified, "I'm not joking around. I'm just playing with you."

Donald blinked, "You are?" Hearing this made him sigh with relief, "Oh, thank you."

Sherria countered, "Have you taken your medicine on temper control?" She and a few others laughed again at the duck's expense.

Donald shook his head and grumbled to himself, "Just my luck."

Wendy changed the topic, "So Romeo's a big fan of pirates... He was so determined to ride that huge ship, he had to go all the way through the swirling waters. And then he pushed it straight through Ursula... That was great!"

Juvia agreed, "I know! And then you vanquished the sea witch by making her implode from the inside! A bit brutal and overboard, but otherwise very effective."

As Wendy turned to face Romeo, her admiration for his heroic deed quickly shifted to a hint of awkwardness for accidentally revealing that sensitive memory of his youth— she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. "Okay, maybe we should've talked about it between the two of us. To be honest, I didn't want you to feel embarrassed in front of everybody. I just wanted to know for myself."

Romeo chuckled, "Sorry, Wendy, but they already figured it out. And for some reason, I'm not worried anymore. Thanks to this, I'll be dealing with it. The important thing is that you know. So what do you think, Wendy?"

Wendy beamed, "I think it sounds great, living the life of a pirate, and your dad reading you stories about them. Oh..." She added as an afterthought, "...let's just say you're already a real pirate. If you're going to be the captain, if that's alright, can I be your first mate?"

Romeo exclaimed, "You wanna be a pirate, too?!" Everyone let out a laugh at the joke, and he joined in. The jovial mood helped him forget that he was troubled about his childhood pirate fantasies being exposed by a lucky few, since he originally planned to discuss them with Wendy in private. But since they all came to understand him, his troubles were over.

The last of the beer had nearly been scraped clean when Cana stretched her arms and yawned, which had caught the group's attention. "Yeah, that's really cute. Talking about pirates and sea monsters and all that... Too bad I didn't take part of your deep sea shindig, but that's okay. I'm never one for deep sea shindigs. You handled it with style, and that's all there is to it. I hope I get to join you in the next world. You know, one that's less mermaidy than yours." She turned to Wendy, "Best of luck to you, Wendy. Break a hundred more skulls with your Keyblade, and you get a free drink with me. Right now, I'm gonna go get myself one more glass, then I'm off to bed." With that, she stood from the table and headed for the refrigerator.

Wendy said timidly, "I'm not old enough to drink..."

Romeo nodded, "Me too. And I don't even want to."

Sherria quipped, "Welcome to health patrol. We've got free jackets."

Goofy grinned, "Nothin' like the engine lounge to make ya feel relaxed before gettin' to the next world, huh?"

Lucy agreed, "You said it. Unlike the rest of you guys, I've stayed in Atlantica for days. It feels so refreshing after my feet touched the ground for the first time since the beach."

Wendy remarked, "No wonder you're so tired..."

Lucy stated, "My body, literally, couldn't handle more of the stress. But now that I'm human again and not a mermaid anymore, I can finally relax." She sighed contently, "Oh, how I missed this... Back then, my apartment's the only place to go to whenever I'm bummed out. And seeing we have this whole room all to ourselves, it makes it all the more comforting. Once I'm fully rested, I'm back in action. I'll go out with you to stop the Heartless and save our friends in Fairy Tail. Whatever comes our way, we'll face them together."

Romeo smiled, "Well, we won't stop you. Feel free to cozy yourself up."

Wendy suggested, "Take your time and rest, Lucy. You deserve it."

Sherria added, "It's less than two hours away before we approach the next world, after all."

Lucy smiled back, "Thank you guys so much. I appreciate it. And less than two hours is enough."

Carla mused, "Still, I can't shake the feeling that more of our fellow guildmates are still lost in other worlds, while the rest are being held captive. The Alliance of Evil is relentless. They will stop at nothing to use both the Heartless and Fairy Tail for their sinister goals."

"Speaking of which..." Jiminy spoke up, sitting on Wendy's shoulder while setting his gaze on the recent entry in his journal. "We learned from the new page of Ansem's report, the third, to be exact, that he was the fellow who came up with the Heartless name. It was named after a legend told in fairy tales. Who knew? But he seemed focused on studying the Heartless rather than getting rid of them. I'm starting to think his lack of concern might've led to events that started his horrible fate. Or maybe until he realized how dangerous they were before that..."

Wendy's face flattened in somber understanding. She remembered Aerith's tale of Ansem and his research before his tragic murder, before the loss of their world to the Heartless, before Maleficent. "Lyra."

The surprise was evident on the others' faces. Romeo asked, "Ansem's wife?"

Sherria frowned, "The same heartless woman who betrayed her family, killed her husband, and stole the forbidden research before it all went wrong?"

Jiminy replied, "I suppose, but it's still too early to tell what he actually did with the Heartless. Then again, Leon and the others did say that he became aware of the world order being at risk, and cancelled the research. He must've gotten rid of them shortly after that, or tried to contain them. Whatever the case, it may have given his wife a back door. And I can honestly say, Aerith had the right idea about her! She's extremely crafty about it."

Carla pointed out, "Ansem's last report stated that he struggled to find answers and prevent his world from falling to darkness. For a time, he was studying the Heartless and the secrets of the universe, until he feared the possibility of something far worse if he pushed this far. He knew what would happen if this continued."

Sherria growled, "And then Lyra killed him and stole his research... I still can't believe what that witch did to her own husband, her own family, just to continue that awful research when it shouldn't have existed in the first place! That's not fair! Family shouldn't turn on each other! Why would she do that?!" Her fists tightened around her skirt, her jaw tightly clenched as she stared at the floor. Wendy, Romeo, Goofy, Carla, and Lucy looked at her in concern, but stayed quiet. There was a slight pause, then Sherria's anger turned to depression. "Why...? To just kill off your family for some stupid writing on the paper is so sad." She then sniffled, "So sad..."

Wendy decided to break the ice by comforting her friend. "I know, Sherria. And I agree with you on that. But there must be a reason why Lyra betrayed her family."

Sherria bemoaned, "Or she did that for reason at all. She just wanted Ansem's research all for herself, and that's it. Does that sum it up?"

Jiminy shrugged, "I can't say for sure. There are still so many questions left unanswered. Like how Maleficent and her cohorts got their hands on the pages, Wendy's mysterious connection with Kaze, how many more Fairy Tail friends are missing—"

Donald rose up from the sofa and interrupted the cricket, "Standing around will do us no good! Let's go explore more worlds while we find more answers! The more friends we save, the more villains we fight, the more Keyholes we close, we're even more closer to the truth." He pumped a fist in the air, "So don't give up! We'll keep on questing some more! Are you ready for more?"

Sherria blinked, "Um, I think you just said 'more' a couple of times." She nonetheless smiled in approval of the duck's enthusiasm, and any trace of sadness was washed away. "But we're still in this together! We're ready for anything!"

Wendy giggled, "Of course we're ready for more, Donald. Everyone's still counting on us. We have to keep moving forward."

Romeo grinned, "Just hearing your words of inspiration makes us forget that we're wrapped up in a bundle of questions. The answers are straight ahead. So yeah, we're ready for more."

Donald approved, "That's the spirit, gang! Less questioning, more questing!" He suddenly paused as he felt something was amiss at what he said earlier. "Wait, that doesn't sound right..."

Lucy smiled, "It's okay. We understand. And we're as ready as we'll ever be. Nobody in Fairy Tail would ever leave a crisis unsolved. So count me in!"

Juvia elected, "Count me in as well. We must stand united against this raging tide of villainy. And if fortune favors us, we'll be able to see my darling Gray in another world." Hearts began popping from her eyes, "Oh, Gray... I pray you'll be found there when we land..."

Lucy rolled her eyes, "Keep telling yourself that, Juvia."

Goofy announced, "Well, Donald and I are headin' back to the cockpit for manual control. You know where to find us. Meanwhile, make the most of your time here. We've got another long road ahead of us. Remember what Leon said: keep your spirits up."

Wendy nodded, "We will. And thank you." The two took the ladder back to the cockpit, hence resuming their usual business of guiding the ship into open space.

Once Donald and Goofy were out of the room, Sherria sighed to herself. "I really hope we don't go through any more surprises like Ursula. If it wasn't for Wendy and Romeo, we'd all end up being seafood for an oversized sea witch."

Juvia agreed, "Indeed. It was quite surprising and thoughtful of the two to catch her off guard before eventually dealing the final blow. Such is the ingenuity of youth."

Wendy smiled at the compliment. "Well, we did the best we could. Romeo had no trouble getting the ship out of the whirlpool."

Juvia noted, "And you certainly had no trouble letting Romeo catch you in his arms when you were exhausted at the end of the battle. To tell you the truth, his act of kindness, it looked rather... familiar." Sherria slightly giggled at this, thinking back to how Romeo retrieved Wendy when she nearly passed out from fatigue.

Wendy and Romeo looked at one another before averting their gaze, their faces reddening to some degree with their smiles. They hadn't realized it, but Juvia was right. In that one moment, neither one of them had an issue needing each other's comfort. Neither one wanted to give their say or even question why that was the case— they simply couldn't help themselves. It wasn't long before the crimson on their cheeks slowly faded, and they looked into each other's eyes again.

Romeo admitted, "Yeah, so I did catch you when you fell. I couldn't stand by and let you. You were so tired."

Wendy replied, "It's okay, Romeo. It was a long battle. Anyone can feel tired after working so hard." Her smile brightened, "And you still believed in me."

Romeo chuckled, "Thanks."

Lucy spoke up, "So, is what you said true? About Mirajane being her usual, normal self when she talked to you through Lisanna and Elfman's communication lacrima?"

Wendy nodded, "Uh-huh. She shares us information on the Alliance of Evil while being caught. Happy was with her, too."

Carla sighed, "Yes, I was present during the meeting. At the same time, I was incredibly relieved to see him again, still as eloquent as ever. Here I was, thinking he had gone away for a long time until now."

Lucy added, "And Princess Hisui and Erza... they're two of nine Princesses of Heart needed to open a secret door to untold power. Once the villains have all nine, they'll open the door, seize that power, and use it to dominate the whole universe. There's only one Princess left, and the villains are still finding it." She then frowned, "Never thought they'd stoop so low. Using one of our friends as a tool for the ritual..."

Sherria stated, "Mira said that almost every day, a few dark guilds came back frustrated at not finding anyone who's pure of heart, like Jasmine and Alice. It was long and hard work, even for them. They must be feeling so cranky right now."

Lucy wondered, "What about Mira? Ursula claimed Maleficent brainwashed her, and yet she talked to you? Could it be that Maleficent's dark magic had no effect on her because of the fact that she—" She suddenly gasped at the thought, and she began to recall one important detail about Mirajane, before she beamed with delight. "Wait, that's right! Of course! Her Take-Over Magic makes her immune to all kinds of hypnotism! She told me that after the Tartaros incident!"

Wendy, Romeo, and Sherria exclaimed, "She WHAT?!"

Carla gasped, "You mean to tell us that Mirajane cannot be affected by hypnotism of any kind due to the properties of her Take-Over magic?"

Lucy explained, "Apparently, her magic draws on the powers of various demons she's beaten, making her highly resistant to dark magical ailments. There's this demon from Tartaros named Seilah who tried to control Mira's body, but it had no effect whatsoever, and Mira won."

Wendy's eyes grew wide as she marveled at Lucy's deduction. "Oh... I get it! Maleficent thought she brainwashed Mira, but she had no idea she wasn't completely brainwashed!"

Carla assumed, "Mirajane was never captured— she feigned loyalty to the Alliance of Evil while she contacts us. And by keeping close to the enemy..."

Juvia realized, "She unravels more of their grand master plan, and then shares it with us! How brilliant!"

Sheeria beamed, "Well, if that's what she's been doing the whole time, at least she's never on their side to begin with. She's truly backing us up!"

Wendy nodded, "I never believed for one minute that she'd turn bad. Mira's still the same, and she's been helping us all the way!"

Lucy grinned, "What do you expect? She knows how to work her way around any problem she faces. It's the same for everyone in Fairy Tail."

Romeo remarked, "That explains how Mira looked normal and fine when we talked with her. She's working undercover and helping us the best she can. If only she told us sooner."

Wendy agreed, "That's the thing, Romeo. Why didn't she? If she's really working undercover, why does she keep it to herself? You think she wanted to make it look like a surprise?"

Sherria shrugged, "Probably. But didn't you hear Lucy? Fairy Tail wizards work their way around every problem. I'm pretty positive Mira's doing fine while we're out. And so is everyone else."

Lucy suggested, "We just have to believe in our friends. We've gotten ourselves out of a pickle many times, and so have they."

Wendy asked, "So, what now?"

Lucy answered, "We keep looking. And if we see Mirajane along the way, we have to ensure if what we've guessed is true."

Sherria wondered, "How do we know if it can be true?"

Lucy replied, "All the more reason we must find out for ourselves, right? The best approach is sometimes the most direct. Unlike Natsu's way of taking care of things. Besides him, I believe in Mira and all our other friends. I always have, and I always will."

Wendy agreed, "Me, too."

Romeo nodded, "So do I."

Juvia and Carla added, "Likewise."

Sherria smiled, "Well, if you believe, I believe, too. We all believe."

Lucy confirmed, "So, that pretty much covers up everything. About Mira, about the Princesses, and Maleficent's plan."

Romeo nodded, "That's right. All we can do now is explore the next world."

Lucy stated, "You know, after an adventure like today, I could enjoy what time I have to make myself comfy." As she lay her head on the couch's armrest while averting her feet from anyone sitting next to her, she shut her eyes, starting a well-earned nap after everything she had been through, a satisfied grin on her face.

Wendy noted, "Lucy looks very happy now. When she wakes up..."

Romeo smiled, "I know. Would've been nice if the gang's all here, though."

Wendy asked, "Share one more snack with me before we land?"

Romeo replied, "Sure thing." He turned to Juvia, "How about you?"

Juvia shook her head, "No, I'm good."

Sherria offered, "I'm gonna go get a book to read. How about I start with The Tortoise and the Hare?"

Wendy giggled, "We won't stop you." She turned to Romeo, who nodded as he sat up from the couch, followed by her, and they headed for the kitchen.

In the meantime, Sherria carefully observed Wendy and Romeo opening the refrigerator for a leftover slice of cake. She suspected that something was binding them together like a thread... and it was more than a simple friendship. She dared not to intervene, knowing that whatever the future held for Wendy and Romeo, it would be entirely up to them, and them alone. Regardless, she expressed nothing but joy for the two who sat on the same bed, sharing each other's cake. If they were happy, she was happy, and that's good enough.


Gummi Ship Cockpit

Less than two hours went by, but merely a few minutes before the Gummi Ship arrived at a new world. Romeo, Sherria, Lucy, Juvia, and Carla witnessed Wendy blast away a small fleet of Heartless with a single shot of the ship's plasma bazooka, clearing away the last of obstacles along the path. Since this was her first time seeing the Sky Maiden expertly operating the vessel in tandem with Donald and Goofy, Lucy was both stunned and impressed. Even more so at the prospect of a Dragon Slayer— a child— unaffected by motion sickness. Wendy didn't hesitate to explain to Lucy how her sense of balance became stable, and how she earned the freedom to walk around anything that moved, which in turn fostered in her a desire to be a pilot. Satisfied with her work, Wendy stood from the co-pilot's seat on the right, allowing Goofy to take back his spot, and sat in the middle. "I think that's the last of them," she determined.

"Wendy, you were fantastic!" Lucy admired. "Compared to Romeo, who handled the wheel out of sheer luck, you did it like a pro. Don't get me wrong, you're a great pilot." She came over and rubbed the Sky Dragon Slayer's head, making her giggle. "More and more, I see how Carla and Natsu depended on you in several occasions than one."

"If it wasn't for Donald and Goofy, I never would've steered the wheel in the right direction," Wendy stated. "They helped me with so much."

"Yeah, where do you think she gets all the instructions from?" Donald boasted. "That's right, us truly! She's the student, and we're the teachers. But mostly me."

"Mostly you?" Lucy questioned. "What do you mean?"

"What he means is, he taught Wendy most of the ship's functions," Goofy noted. "She got used to the controls real fast. It just goes to show that smartness equal cuteness."

"In her first try, she took down a small fleet of Heartless ships," Sherria pointed out. "Without taking a single hit! And she flew past an asteroid field in record time!"

"Isn't she great, Lucy?" Romeo smiled. "In just a short while, she's already an expert, thanks to those two." He gestured to Donald and Goofy, who smiled back.

"Yeah, that's right," Wendy blushed at the comments. "They're the best."

"Kids these days. They grow up so fast," Lucy chuckled, giving her positive thoughts on Wendy's skillful piloting, before turning to face the two who mentored her. "I couldn't thank you enough for being good teachers to Wendy."

"It's no big deal," Donald replied. "But haven't you heard? I taught her most of the controls. So basically, I'M the real teacher. Goofy's only the substitute."

"Substitute?" Lucy asked an eyebrow. "Are you saying it just to convince me? Or yourself?"

"She kinda has a point there, Donald," Goofy nodded. "Are ya leavin' me out of it? You can't be the only one who teaches Wendy how to drive a spaceship."

"Oh, please! She asked ME first!" Donald argued. "I didn't recall her asking YOU. She begged me to let her drive. I taught her everything there is to know about this ship."

"But did ya teach her about the new system modifications Cid made for the ship?" Goofy asked. "After it crashed in Traverse Town?"

"Oh, well..." Donald rubbed his head with a slight blush. "No. I was sleeping with the others in the hotel. I wasn't even aware that Cid improved our ship." His face turned sour, "How come I didn't know back then? I'm a pilot, too!"

"I told Romeo, didn't I?" Goofy answered. "I didn't wanna disturb ya while you fellas were busy nappin'."

"But still!" Donald argued. "You should've let me come! You're not the only official pilot on the team!"

"That's too bad," Sherria chuckled jokingly. "Looks like you didn't teach her everything."

"Hey, at least I did my best!" Donald protested. "Sure, I didn't teach her everything, but it was all me. Wendy was the expert because of me!"

"Whatever you say, Mr. Duck," Sherria rolled her eyes. "When's the next class in session? Are you going to teach Wendy how to rave the ship around like your usual temper tantrums? And by usual, I mean occasional."

"Cut it out, will ya?!" Donald snapped. "Just because I teach her to be a better pilot with mad skills doesn't mean she has to throw a fit!"

"Mad, huh?" Sherria smiled coyly. "You have a very skewed perception of that word. Or is there a fact that you are mad?"

"I'm not mad, I'm OFFENDED!" Donald quacked, steam coming out of his ears like a boiler. "You think you know better than me?!"

"Relax, Donald. I'm just pulling your leg," Sherria eased. "Despite you being a duck with a short fuse, Wendy was lucky to have you as an instructor. But you lose control, you lose the controls as easily as you lose your temper. You probably taught her to keep her cool while she runs the ship, don't you?"

The steam was sucked back into Donald's ears, and he instantly calmed down, blushing in embarrassment for his outburst. "Sorry." A slight portion of the entourage laughed, and the rest understood his plight.

"It's okay, Donald," Wendy assured. "It doesn't matter if you hadn't taught me everything there is to know about the ship, just as long as it's a lot, and I know how to drive it." She then smiled, "You've taught me well. You both did. That's all there is to it."

"Gee, when you say it, it sounds like you've already learned all of it from the bottom to the top," Goofy grinned. "In fact, I think you turned out to be a top notch pilot just like us! Just keep up the good work, Wendy. And if you feel like it, we'll let you drive the ship solo for a time."

"Of course! Donald said he'd let me," Wendy nodded. "But for now, I'll stick to co-piloting with you guys. I don't think I'm ready to fly solo yet."

"You'll be ready if you've practiced enough. Trust me!" Donald assured. "All you have to do is follow our lead, and you'll keep up with the best pilots in the Disney Kingdom. Don't expect a free license, though."

"I'll do my best, Donald," Wendy promised.

"To be honest, I never expected a little girl would grow to be a great pilot," Donald thought out loud. "But somehow, seeing her smile makes me so much better."

"Yeah, because this boat runs on happy faces," Sherria smiled. "We haven't forgotten to put up ours. Happiness is the heart and soul of the team. It's what keeps us going. Glad Donald didn't lose his."

"What's that?" Donald eyed her suspiciously.

"Nothing," Sherria answered in a sing-songy tone.

"This definitely reminds me of home," Lucy commented. "Friends sharing good laughs, hanging out, joking around..."

"First Wendy rides a spaceship, then I ride a pirate ship," Romeo thought to himself. "But I only did it out of luck, like Lucy said. I need to learn how to properly handle the wheel. I wonder... is it okay if I ask them to teach me how to pilot the ship?" He looked over to Wendy, "Like they did her?"

"Since there's no more enemy ships in sight, you should probably leave the rest to us," Goofy suggested. "It wouldn't be good if we happened to fly into some more."

"Good point," Donald nodded. "This is like walking through a patch of poison joke."

"Poison joke? What's that?" Wendy wondered.

"You've never heard of poison joke, Wendy?" Donald asked.

"Can't say I have," Wendy shook her head.

"I'm familiar with poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac, but poison joke?" Lucy stated. "That's a new one on me."

"You guys are missing out, then!" Donald laughed. "Goofy looked so funny after he stepped his foot into those flowers! I was laughing so hard that day!"

Noticing the annoyed look on Goofy's face, Sherria asked, "Uh, why is touching a flower that's referred to as being 'poisonous' funny?"

Goofy replied, "Oh, they aren't actually poisonous. Poison joke is a special flower in the Disney Kingdom that plays practical jokes on whoever touches it, which manifest as physical afflictions. They aren't meant to hurt, but they aren't very pleasant, either."

Juvia commented, "Flowers that play jokes? Well, at least they don't do something like make you all itchy and inflate like a balloon."

Goofy mused, "Actually, they could probably do one or the other if that was the joke. To me, their jokes aren't very funny. I remember that time when Donald and I went to Sanitary Swamp to fetch fresh herbs for Queen Minnie's tea, and I accidentally stepped on a patch of them poison joke. They made my tongue all swelly, drippin' with drool. It was so horrible! I couldn't talk, I couldn't eat, and I couldn't sleep! That was the worst part! I'm so glad Donald was there to help me."

Donald joked, "You must be having a drooly good time, huh, Goofy?"

Goofy grumbled, "Yeah, that was fun."

Wendy spoke, "The herbs for Queen Minnie. Did you get them?"

Goofy nodded, "Yup. Took me and Donald a long while to get my tongue straight again."

Wendy asked, "What's in these herbs?"

Goofy answered, "Darjeeling. You can only find the freshest in Sanitary Swamp."

Carla confirmed, "I see the Queen likes Darjeeling tea, just like I do."

Wendy smiled, "Well, at least your tongue's back to normal. You made it out okay."

Goofy smiled back, "Thanks."

Juvia pointed out, "I didn't know their world has a swamp."

Sherria nodded, "Neither did I."

Once when Donald announced the arrival of a new world did the Gummi Ship come to a halt. "We're here!" Everyone peered out the window to examine their destination, which appeared to be a sphere shaped like a jack o'lantern. The carved, scary face glowed as bright as a candle, the light within its hollow exterior burning on for what seemed like a lifetime, giving the atmosphere a somewhat eerie feeling. What made it all the more ominous were the buildings covering the top and bottom of the sphere, each designed in a twisted, Gothic, and creepy manner.

Romeo breathed, "Whoa, check this out! Did we just stop at a new world that's based on Halloween?"

Sherria asked, "You can tell by the huge pumpkin with the scary face surrounded by buildings? I do, too."

Lucy muttered, "I don't know about you, but I've got a bad feeling about this place. It's already starting to give me the creeps."

Juvia remarked, "Well, while this world has a theme befitting of Halloween, it looks rather mysterious. And mystic."

As if to answer their curiosity, Chip and Dale appeared on the monitor screen. Dale was the first to greet the entourage, "Lucky guess! You just arrived at the one place where everything here is Halloween!"

Romeo, Sherria, Lucy, and Juvia exclaimed, "Halloween?!"

Wendy greeted, "Oh, hi, Chip! Hi, Dale! What's the name of this new world?"

Chip replied, "It's called Halloween Town. It's the origin of all Halloween in the known universe. It's basically like the North Pole where Santa lives, but way scarier."

Dale noted, "And because this world's where the old scary holiday comes from, obviously you'll expect everything down there to be scary."

Romeo confirmed, "To put it that way, it's a world full of monsters and ghosts and all things freaky-looking."

Lucy worried, "Monsters? Ghosts? Freaky-looking things? You aren't kidding about calling this world Halloween Town, are you?"

Chip stated, "The locals living there are real life skeletons, witches, zombies, ghouls, vampires, werewolves, ogres, and lots more, unlike the costumes you wear at night when you go out trick-or-treatin'."

Dale added, "They love Halloween so much, they often leave town to travel into the real world and scare the living daylights outta folks. In fact, scaring people is a norm around here. You ever wonder which spot the monster comes out of the bed? You won't find a spot there— they come from Halloween Town through secret portals under the bed. They scare ya, then they get back to town quickly."

Lucy's anxiety was growing by the second. Apparently, Halloween Town was the one place where the creatures of the dark originated from, and the creatures ventured from that town to travel into the real world and scare people at night. On the other hand, every other party member that was present in the cockpit looked intrigued, Wendy, Romeo, and Sherria even more so, as they never imagined Halloween to be more than a simple holiday tradition of dressing up as their favorite monster and collecting candy. Wendy spoke up, "So the ghosts, monsters, and other creepy things that everybody dresses up to go out trick-or-treating... They're real?"

Chip and Dale answered in unison, "Pretty much."

Sherria remarked, "So the holiday is more than what it appears... We get a chance to see actual monsters on Halloween, like the witch costume I used to wear last year! They showered me with caramels and lollipops everywhere I went, so that makes mine the most popular costume in Margaret Town. I shared some of the candy I've got with Lyon, Cousin Sherry..." She turned to Wendy, "...and then you when I visited Magnolia, before we went out together the next night. Remember the cute succubus outfit I bought for you? It's for the costume party at Onibus, and only people wearing Halloween costumes were allowed to participate."

Wendy beamed, "My outfit wasn't the scariest, but at least we joined the party. We had a lot of fun last Halloween. Carla allowed me to come with you, but only if I didn't stay up late or eat too much candy. As always, she's concerned for my well-being."

Carla pointed out, "I had to insist on accompanying her to the party, to help maintain her good health and oral hygiene while she attended the festivities. Obviously, eating too much candy gives you cavities."

Donald rolled his eyes, "Typical Carla, here to play the role of kitty nanny."

Carla huffed, "Well, this 'nanny' has a responsibility to uphold for her sake! You would be wise to respect that. Oh, and I'm a caretaker, not a nanny. There's a difference."

Donald raised an eyebrow, "There is?"

Goofy asked, "So, how was your costume party? Were you and Sherria havin' a good time?"

Wendy smiled, "We had. The best parts were the games, the magic show, and the giant piñata. Good thing I didn't eat too many candy when we bashed it. Carla would've been so upset."

Sherria agreed, "It was a total breeze. Halloween is my third favorite holiday, next to Christmas and Valentine's Day."

Romeo interjected, "You know, I didn't go to the costume party in Onibus with you two, but I was out trick-or-treating in my vampire outfit. My dad put a little makeup on my face to make it look like I sucked somebody's blood. All the kids and neighbors liked me for that, and they gave me lots of candy. Of course, my dad didn't want me to eat too much. He thinks I'd have tooth decay."

Carla sighed, "I can relate."

Wendy giggled, "Yeah, me too."

Romeo turned to Donald and Goofy, "What about you two? What are your costumes last Halloween?"

Donald answered, "Mummy."

Goofy followed, "Frankenstein."

Romeo faced Juvia, "You, Juvia?"

Juvia shook her head, "None, unfortunately. Most of my time was spent caring for Gray after he tragically lost his father during the Tartaros incident. He was sad and in pain, reeling from the sacrifice I had to make on his father's behalf... but in the end, he thanked me for freeing him. He was grateful to me when all was said and done." Her heart instantly throbbed at the thought of her sweetheart, "Oh, Gray... Are you in pain when you're lost in the universe, too? As we speak, my prayers are reaching out to you. Could I possibly find you there, safe and sound, in that world we've just stopped by? I can only hope."

Romeo began, "And Lu—"

Lucy spoke abruptly, "Fairy princess. Cancer designed the costume. Not too scary, but enough for trick-or-treating. There. Good enough?"

Romeo remarked, "Huh, that was fast. What's with her?"

Sherria grinned, "Wouldn't it be interesting? The creatures of Halloween living in its own world. Real ghosts, real witches, real vampires, real monsters..."

Lucy couldn't stop herself from shivering. "R-R-R-R-R-R-Real?"

Sherria suggested, "We've got to check this place out! Can we go?"

Wendy tapped her chin, "Hmm... Halloween Town looks scary, but that doesn't mean it's not worth exploring. King Mickey and our Fairy Tail friends might be down there."

Goofy quipped, "Ya know what they say, another world, another lost buddy."

Donald reminded, "And another Keyhole! It's our job to get to it before the bad guys do."

Juvia asked, "We're going, then?"

Wendy nodded happily, "Yes, we are. We're going to Halloween Town!"

Lucy's jaw dropped. "WHAT?!" The party was going to land at the origin of all things scary and creepy in the universe? Herself included?! Positive chattering broke out among the rest of the group, except for the celestial wizard, who felt her spine being overtaken by a cold foreboding.

Romeo took notice of her reaction, and began to feel concerned. "She's scared, isn't she?"

Wendy let the cheers die down, then turned to Chip and Dale. "Halloween Town's the source of Halloween itself, right? What's happening there?"

Chip explained, "The locals are puttin' up a festival for this year's Halloween. We did tell ya that scaring is the norm, but most of their time is spent workin' on fresh new ideas to spice up their favorite holiday."

Dale stated, "Every day, the monsters and ghouls are thinkin' of better ways to make this year's Halloween better than last year's, something new that'll make 'em scream until their voices are all sore. Scaring people and sowing terror has become too routine these days."

Romeo guessed, "So basically, they want to make this year's Halloween the best one ever."

Chip nodded, "You betcha! If All Hallow's Eve is too bland, they work harder and harder to make it better."

Sherria questioned, "What's this festival about?"

Dale confessed, "We wish we could tell you more, but our scans are gettin' fuzzy with all the ice sculptures blockin' our view of the town. But would ya just look at 'em? They're so pretty! Even better in 3D!"

Wendy echoed, "Ice sculptures?"

Chip grinned, "We gotta give props to the artist, whoever he is, for sculpturin' the best we've seen since that two-hundred foot ice statue of King Mickey. Too bad it melted five years ago at the Dream Festival."

Dale stated, "I dunno if he's tinkered with tools or uses magic to make 'em, but the artist is really good! My personal favorite's the one that's shaped like an acorn! Personally, I preferred it without the creepy face."

Upon overhearing Chip and Dale's assumption, Juvia gasped joyfully, her eyes shining like a girl's on her birthday. The ice sculptures, the artist, and Dale's guess of the use of magic as a sculpting tool all fuddled together into one possible theory. In that moment, everything that had happened earlier seemed to fade away: Ariel, Lucy, King Triton, Diva, Ursula, all of it took a back seat to the man she believed was alive somewhere in the universe, but never thought she would see again in Halloween Town. Juvia brimmed with anticipation, and set her gaze on the new world. "I say we go!"

Donald quacked, "Wak! Already?"

Goofy asked, "What's got ya so excited?"

Juvia exclaimed in a hyperactive voice, "They said there are ice sculptures in Halloween Town, and someone sculpted them! I think I have an idea who it is! So I say we GO!"

Romeo cried, "Hey, calm down! What do you mean?"

Wendy gasped, "I think it's—"

Juvia screamed excitedly, "YES! IT'S HIM! IT'S HIM! IT'S HIM! I KNOW IT'S HIM! WE MUST GO! WE MUST GO! I MUST SEE HIM! WE MUST GO! NOW!"

Everyone flinched at the Rain Woman's elevation. Sherria began, "Wait a sec. Him? You don't mean..."

Wendy's eyes widened in surprise, "Gray?"

Juvia shouted happily, "Yes, it HAS to be him! Gray MUST be the artist who created the ice sculptures in Halloween Town! We HAVE to find him!"

Sherria questioned, "But Juvia, how do we know for sure that he's there? Someone else other than him could've made these ice sculptures!"

Carla nodded, "She's got a point."

Juvia admitted, "I don't know, and it's just— just so unlikely. How would ice sculptures appear in the center of Halloween? The North Pole of Halloween, of all places? There could be loads of reasons, but I have one in mind— and that is Gray. It must be him. This is the only hope I have. I must go down there and find Gray at once!" She turned to her friends with a pleading glow in her eyes. "If you can't come with me, can you at least let me go down there? Please? I can't stand idly by. He needs me..." She grasped her heart, "...and I need him."

Sherria, at these words, gave a gentle smile. "Who are we to say no? Since you're still madly in love with Gray, I understand how you feel. I know you two make the perfect soulmates, and Goofy knows that, too. He's the one for you, isn't he?"

Juvia nodded timidly, "Y-Yes."

Goofy beamed, "There's nothin' wrong about findin' your special guy somewhere 'round these parts. If it makes you happy, I say we get to town and look for him!"

Juvia's face transformed from slight apprehension to happiness as she pulled Sherria into a tight hug. "Oh, thank you! I can see why Wendy would want to befriend such a caring and cheerful girl from Lamia Scale. You both see the bright side of things when they look bleak." As soon as she released the Sky God Slayer, it was Goofy's turn to get hugged. "And Goofy, I'm very much indebted to you for understanding my situation, for sympathizing with me."

Goofy chortled, "What are friends for? Anythin' to get you two together again, since you miss him badly."

Sherria cooed, "Can't you just smell the love in the air? It's so romantic!"

Donald insisted, "You guys can save the mushy stuff for later. We've got work to do!"

Juvia agreed, "Right. We haven't got time to waste. I'll gladly travel from the ends of the earth to the depths of the sea, even the deepest, darkest abyss, just to reunite with my darling Gray."

Lucy moaned, "Don't tell me she agrees to come down to that scary town, too..."

Wendy implied, "Juvia, we don't know if Gray's down there or not, but it's something we can't ignore, either."

Romeo grinned, "We see no reason not to explore a place where everything here is Halloween. We could find anything there— a Keyhole, a Fairy Tail member, even Gray. If he's in town, we'll find him. It's a promise."

Juvia smiled in appreciation, "Thank you so much. I won't forget this."

Wendy smiled back, "No problem. What are friends for?"

Goofy pointed out, "They help each other, after all."

Sherria agreed, "You said it."

Romeo continued, "And besides that, Halloween Town looks like an interesting place. I want to see the holiday in the flesh with my own eyes."

Sherria smiled, "Well, I'm eager, too! Whether this place is scary or not doesn't matter. One closer look at the fruit of All Hallow's Eve wouldn't hurt."

Wendy nodded, "Yeah, I wanna take a closer look myself. And don't worry..." She turned to her friends with a determined expression, "I'm not afraid."

Romeo approved, "Glad to hear that. I'm not afraid, too."

Sherria cheered, "It's settled, then!"

Lucy complained, "Oh, come on! They all agree?!"

Donald confirmed, "Okay, so we're all ready to land?"

Chip interjected, "Oh, one last thing before you guys get started. As you've noticed, Halloween Town is a scary place, so there's a special rule to it."

Romeo asked, "What kind of rule?"

Dale clarified, "Did we already mention the ghouls and monsters are the locals? If they so much as see a regular person waltz into town, they'll scare them away. If you're gonna blend in, you gotta look scary."

Wendy echoed, "Look scary? You mean we have to..."

Romeo answered, "Dress up as Halloween monsters?"

Sherria shrugged, "Sounds fair. And simple enough."

Goofy nodded, "That makes sense since everything in that world's all scary-lookin'."

Donald declared, "Nothing a little magic of mine can't help. It'll be easy as pie!"

Juvia asked, "So we have to transform again?"

Donald nodded, "You bet. Why wear a Halloween costume when I can turn us all into real Halloween monsters? That way, no one will notice who we really are."

Sherria beamed, "Great idea, Donald! Who would've guessed that turning into real versions of our Halloween costumes would help us feel welcome in town? Oh, if we go down there, can I be a witch?"

Romeo requested, "Hey, I wanna be a vampire! I bet I'll look really awesome if you turn me into one. This is gonna be great!"

Wendy smiled, "I don't mind how scary I look, just as long as it helps. I'll be anything if it means searching the town."

Sherria remarked, "Yep, this takes us back to the costume party."

Lucy whimpered, "You have to be scary to explore a scary world? And here I thought staying a mermaid for days is bad enough..."

Donald shrugged, "Well, you all told us your costumes, so I'll change your forms into ones just like them."

Sherria pointed out, "Well, almost all. Juvia didn't wear a costume last year. But I do remember Carla wearing a baby-sized witch's outfit, a lot like mine during the costume party."

Carla stated, "As you know, the only requirement for participation was clothing based on a creature associated with Halloween. I couldn't refuse when Wendy and Sherria suggested I wear a costume; I couldn't let Wendy go on her own, so the only way was to participate." She then sighed, "I never thought I would assume an appearance befitting of Halloween to coalesce in this new environment... So be it, then. Any form would suffice. I will still provide help the best I can."

Donald smirked, "Good for you, Carla. It's about time you agreed with me."

Carla retorted, "Oh, please. I only agreed because it's the best option." What she said next was issued as a warning, "But so help me, you better not make me look ridiculous once we land."

Donald said slyly, "Oh, don't worry, kitty cat. You'll be taking on a form so terrifying, so scary, you'll never want to be the same again." His snickering earned him a displeased look from the white Exceed, as he turned to face Juvia. "You don't mind?"

Juvia assured, "Not at all. If it helps mingling with our surroundings."

Goofy beamed, "What are we waitin' for? Let's head down there!" He accessed the coordinate panel, and by dialing the numbers, he selected the ideal spot for the party to teleport in. "Here we go. I'll warp us all to the town square, and then—"

Lucy suddenly rushed up in front of him and put a hand on his chest, exclaiming, "Wait, Goofy! You said you're gonna warp us down there? Like, instantly?"

Goofy looked at her funny, "What's the matter, Lucy? You look all sweaty."

True enough, the celestial wizard was perspiring heavily out of fear of setting foot in Halloween Town, though she tried her best to stay calm. "N-Nothing, it's just... You know, maybe I can take care of the ship while you're there. Somebody's gotta keep a sharp eye from the sky. And I'm pretty sure you don't need me as much in this creepy—"

Sherria grabbed Lucy's arm to try and appease her. "Come on, it may not be as bad as you think. It's just a world, like all other worlds. What's the worst that could happen?"

Wendy asked curiously, "Lucy, you're scared of going there?" Romeo's expression asked the same question.

Lucy stammered, "O-O-Of course not! I-I-I-I-I don't think that—"

Donald said abruptly, "Then there's nothing to worry about. Let's go! We gotta check the town!" He took out his staff and channeled a bundle of magic required to activate his form-changing spell, while turning to his fellow co-pilot. "Ready, Goofy?"

Goofy had already determined the coordinates, and turned to answer Donald. "All set! It's warpin' time! Everybody say, cannonball!"

Wendy, Romeo, and Sherria followed excitedly, "Cannonball!"

Juvia was slightly confused by the statement. "Wait, what?"

The last thing on Lucy's face was a sign of absolute panic before she and everyone else was overtaken by a stream of data, and were thrust into the surface of Halloween Town.

"Hey! Aren't you guys forgetting about me? What's the new world?" Cana's voice was heard from the cockpit entrance, as the card wizard herself climbed up the ladder to find the room completely deserted. Judging by the emptiness, she assumed that her friends had already gone to the new world she could see through the glass, which left a poor taste branded up in her psyche. "Left out again," she sighed in disappointment. Then again, seeing as the world was based on Halloween didn't seem to interest her in the slightest. "Well, better help myself to some more booze." She climbed down the ladder, hoping to entertain herself yet again in her solitude.


HALLOWEEN TOWN

Seconds later, Wendy's feet touched solid ground, pulling off an acceptable and safe landing, in contrast to the last teleportation when she and her friends first arrived in Atlantica. Looking up, she immediately noticed the different surroundings. The sky above them was blackest night, lit mainly by the bright full moon overhead. The area itself was lined by lampposts with headlights in the shapes of pumpkins, and withered plants and trees stood bleak along the walls, looking as though the sun was gone from the sky, never to nurture what remained of the plant life.

Looking over her companions, Wendy was quick to notice that everyone had assumed their respective Halloween disguises, and so had she, indicating the spell had worked. "Whoa, look at us!" she remarked. "We all look just like the Halloween costumes we used to wear! Very much real, and a little bit scary, too. What's my costume called again? Succubus?" By examining her present form, it was altered into the appearance of the exact creature she portrayed during last year's Halloween. She wore a black and white Gothic dress with chains around the waist, a light blue choker, and black heel boots. A pair of bat-like wings adorned her back, with a similarly smaller pair attached to both sides of her head. Lastly, her dark blue hair was tied in a slipknot ponytail, held together by a bat-themed clipping.

"The one and only. And you're still the prettiest little succubus in the costume party!" Sherria smiled. "Donald must've allowed you to retain your cuteness in this form while making it look scary at the surface. It's very impressive. Picture this, if they all think you're just a cute little demon, I say to them, 'Don't let that exterior deceive you; there's a hidden demon deep inside that will make you scream in terror.' Two in one package. Pretty clever, huh?"

"So Donald's magic makes me look pretty and scary at the same time?" Wendy wondered, as she inspected herself one more time. "He's really thought of everything..."

"Anyway, what do you think of my Halloween attire?" Sherria asked eagerly. "Or do you already know what I am? Don't I look absolutely horrific?" Her new attire consisted of a purple pointed hat with a bat chain on the tip, a short-sleeved dress of the same color, long amaranth arm stockings around both arms, a normal black belt, a chained bracelet, and brown boots. In short, this new disguise had the Sky God Slayer dressed up as a witch.

"More or less," Wendy giggled. "You still look great, though. Well, if not as amazing as your last costume. It had feathers and glitter on it."

"I know," Sherria chuckled. "That would've been so enchanting."

"It's like going to the costume party again," Wendy recalled. "Don't you think?"

"Only this time, we're inviting the whole gang," Sherria nodded. "And the town itself is the costume party. Am I right, Romeo?"

"I really should've come with you and Wendy last year, but this is a positive experience for me," Romeo grinned, displaying his sharp canine teeth. "I'm enjoying this already! It's like dressing up for scares and stuff, but every night!" His clothing was a vampire's suit almost completely black, appearing to be made of faded leather. He also wore white gloves, a red cape, feathery white shoulder guards, boots with pointed toes and a grey stripe on their midsections, and a circular mask on the right side of his face, covering his right eye. The mask had small horns on the top, a jagged jack o'lantern-esque mouth, and triangular eyes. Its right eye was green, and the left one appeared to be closed or scratched out. Romeo reached for the mask and touched it, impressed by his brand new attire. "And I look cool, too! Donald must've had a good sense of fashion when it comes to form-changing." He turned to Wendy, "What do you think, Wendy? Don't I look absolutely horrific?"

"Uh, you do know I said that, right?" Sherria pointed out, to which Romeo only shrugged in response. She then faced Wendy, "But what he said."

"Hmm... You know, the vampire fangs kinda remind me of Natsu, Gajeel, and even Laxus when they get serious and angry," Wendy commented. "And the clothing's all tattered and dusty to make you look even more frightening." She then sported a wide grin in concluding her review, "I like it!"

"Me too!" Sherria agreed. "That mask, though... It makes you look like an actor in some tragic opera love story. A vampire in an opera, if you will."

"Never thought I'd be spooky in style," Romeo chuckled. "And so are you. I mean, all of us are!" He, Wendy, and Sherria could barely stifle their laughter.

"It's all thanks my form-changing magic," Donald beamed. "You wouldn't feel welcome in this spooky town if I hadn't used it. And I made us all spooky in style. Check me out!" He gestured to his current form, which was that of a mummy. His entire body was wrapped in bandages, save for the tips of his toes and his beak. Strangely, a gap between his stomach and waist revealed there was nothing under them. A similar gap was located between his right elbow and waist. "What do you think? Don't I look absolutely horrific?"

"Uh, we said that already," Sherria reminded. "But a mummy outfit? Classic. And what about the gaps in your body? Have you painted them invisible to make everyone think you lost a few parts?"

"No," Donald shook his head. "I cut them open and used magic to make my body float."

"WWHHHHHAAAAAATTTTT?!" Wendy, Romeo, and Sherria exclaimed shockingly.

"Just kidding!" Donald laughed. "It's just magic. My body is very real. And yes, I painted them invisible."

Hearing this made the three sigh in relief. "You had us for a minute there," Romeo breathed.

"I thought you literally cut your body open," Wendy croaked.

"A prime example of scare tactics," Sherria muttered.

"The idea was to look scary," Donald stated. "Remember? Chip and Dale said that scaring is the norm. So why not give it a trial run?"

"Trial run?" Sherria asked incredulously. "You mean you lied about having detached body parts just to give us a total fright?"

"Yeah, that's the general idea," Donald admitted. "It was a trial run, and I needed test subjects to make it work."

"Test SUBJECTS?!" Sherria snapped. "And creeping us out was a good idea?!" Donald's blank expression was answer enough. "Well, don't do that again, alright?! It's not nice!"

"Okay, okay! Geez, calm down," Donald eased. "You don't have to get mad, Sherria. It's just a practical joke."

"For your sake and mine, I hoped that it was," Sherria sighed.

Donald lowered his voice to laugh quietly to himself. "Revenge is sweet!"

"He didn't mean to scare us, did he?" Wendy asked Romeo.

"Nah, he's playing. Just to show he's having fun," Romeo replied.

"Halloween Town sure is a spooky place as Chip and Dale said it is," Goofy spoke up. "You think we'll run into some Halloween creatures?" His appearance resembled the stereotypical depiction of a Frankenstein monster. He wore a tan turtleneck sweater, a tattered and patched yellow jacket, green pants that were equally tattered and patched, black suspenders, and brown shoes with holes ripped open for his toes. He retained his floppy ears, but they were thinner and mangier-looking than normal, and he had an enormous silver screw at the top of his head, resembling his trademark hat. His nose became a metal cap tipped with a small jack o'lantern, and his eyes were heterochromatic, the left one red and the right one a grey spiral.

"Don't worry. We look spooky, too," Donald assured. "If they scare us, we'll scare them right back!"

"You think so?" Wendy asked.

"Depends on how scary they are," Romeo shrugged.

"Positive!" Donald nodded. "Changing our outfits is a great way to blend in with the creepy background. To look spooky, we have to act spooky. We got away with it in Atlantica, so I know we'll pull this off." He noticed Sherria raising an eyebrow at him. "Okay, we almost got away with it, but that's because Ariel's father got lucky. If we get along with the other scary people, we should be fine."

"Speaking of outfits, does mine look less awe-inspiring? Or does it look awfully familiar?" Juvia's present attire appeared to have a striking resemblance to the rocker's getup she donned when she was hypnotized by Vidaldus Taka during the battle at Tower of Heaven. "Looking at myself right now, with the emo punk rock n' roll looks, it takes me back to the Tower of Heaven, when that crazed lunatic rockstar turned me into his slave and pitted me against the bimbo over there." She pointed a thumb at Lucy, who had also taken the appearance of a witch, yet her attire was a different style than Sherria's. There were straps on the upper top of her body which held her laced corset dress together with stitches— the colors being white, blue, and yellow. She also wore a dark blue pointed hat with black feathers, white gloves with two black lines around them, a grey cloth tied around her waist, long grey socks, and dark blue boots.

"Well, at least mine isn't as scary," Lucy stated, looking at her attire, and giving a content sigh. "I don't have warts or a long pointy nose, so maybe this isn't bad. But still..." She looked at the eerie scenery around her, "I wish it wasn't so... gloomy."

"Are you referring me as the gloomy one?" Juvia asked dryly. "Or is it the atmosphere?"

"Come on, I think it's obvious!" Lucy whined. "There's no sunshine, no rainbows, and the plants are all dead! What is this place, the Den of Woe?!"

"The Den of Woe? Oh, please," Juvia rolled her eyes. "It's just a urban legend about a hidden cave where people who are unfortunate to venture in witness magical illusions of their worst nightmares. How could this scenery be compared to a silly old folk story? You're overreacting."

"I'm not overreacting," Lucy protested. "I'm saying that—"

"Regardless of how we look and what we feel about this place, I believe we should press on," Carla suggested. Her dress had turned blue with flaming frills along the sides, hence making her a will-o'-the-wisp. For a while, she looked at her new form, then turned to face Donald with a somewhat impressed smile. "Not bad, Donald. For once, you actually did something to please me."

"Whatever," Donald groaned. "I was about to turn into you a rotten back alley cat, but I realized too quick that it doesn't fit anything in the spooky category. So the only option was to turn you into a flaming, funny-looking ghost."

"Flaming, funny-looking ghost?" Carla blinked. "My dress does burn with fire to give it a distinct flair, yes, but I don't see anything funny about it. If I didn't know better, I'd think it looks rather good on me."

"I-It does?" Donald gasped. "How can you make someone look good with such a dumb idea?"

"And how can you not make someone look good with such a brilliant idea?" Sherria chimed. "I think we have a makeup artist in the team." She clapped her hands, "Congratulations, Donald. You're a fashion genius."

"Romeo's right about you, Donald," Wendy smiled. "You do have a good sense of fashion when it comes to form-changing. And we're proud of that."

"Oh, thank you," Donald chuckled with a blush. "You're too kind. You really are." His mood only turned sour as he eyed Carla's will-o'-the-wisp form. "I really should've turned her into a rotten back alley cat..."

"I don't believe it," Lucy moaned. "We all talk about our looks, and we're going into town right now? This is wrong. I should be back in the ship..."

"The town square..." Wendy thought out loud, as she looked on ahead. "Let's see if we'll find something there."

"From what Chip and Dale described, the ice sculptures are made there," Juvia stated. "And where there are ice sculptures, there's Gray." She shook with glee, "This is it! I'll finally see him again! I can't wait!"

"Well, why don't we find out?" Goofy suggested.

"Let's go!" Romeo urged.

"I'm in!" Wendy nodded.

"Me, too!" Sherria elected.

"We're going!" Donald added.

"No way!" Lucy refused. "Can't we think this through? We don't know what to expect there." But to her dismay, the rest of the party had approached the rotting steel gate before she had her say in the matter. "Hey! Are you even listening to me?!" Reluctantly, she followed her teammates to the town entrance. The gate was open wide, and they all ventured forth into the very heart of Halloween.


Guillotine Square

The town square was named after the deadly guillotine in the center of the area, which stood next to a fountain of green slime pouring off the mouth of a demon's statue. It was encircled by buildings and houses that were disfigured beyond the standards of normal framework, some of them completely damaged, all in all living up to the theme of the town's namesake holiday. The square was abuzz with various monsters and supernatural beings associated with Halloween— the residents of the town itself. Vampires, zombies, ogres, werewolves, and many others would come together to organize the annual Halloween celebrations, bursting with a plethora of brilliant schemes to bring out the best in the spooky tradition, to take terror itself to an entirely new level. In their spare time, the residents would cross over into the human world to scare people and sow fear as much as they liked. Finally, as Chip and Dale reported, ice sculptures by the dozens littered the square, adding a somewhat frozen yet elegant touch to the recent festivities. One of them was made after an imposing demonic figure with horns, one a vampire with elongated fangs, one a monster of the deep sea, and so on. To put it simply, they were all made in the image of Halloween creatures, possibly to add more spice to the celebration— and that bolstered Juvia's greatest hope. She could no longer suppress her excitement. "I knew it! I knew it! I KNEW IT!" she squealed. "YES! YES! YES! YEEESSSSS! He's here! He's really here!"

"You're happy about this one, aren't ya?" Goofy smiled. "Seein' as there are ice sculptures in town, I say your chances of runnin' into Gray are gettin' high."

"Where do you expect to find more cheer in this place? A graveyard?" Donald deadpanned. "I mean, look at them!" He gestured to the ice sculptures, "They're well made. I can't tell if the artist is either a genius or a lunatic, but I think that person's made the town less scary just by leaving them all over the place. Let's be honest, people. The statues, they're..." A brief pause, then he finished, "They're not really scary."

"Then why are they made in the first place?" Wendy questioned. "The locals do seem to like them." She looked over a couple of zombies admiring the frozen statue of a funny-looking clown.

"I guess they have different tastes in scary stuff," Romeo assumed. "These ice sculptures are probably the best they've got right now. I'm starting to think they're trying to do a good job for this year's Halloween."

"And speaking of locals, we're seeing them up close!" Sherria beamed. "Real life Halloween monsters, and they live here in this town."

"They look kinda funny and kooky," Goofy commented. "If there's a better word to describe 'em, it's..."

"Hair-raising? Bone-chilling? Mysterious?" Sherria guessed. "All of the above?"

"Hey, look!" Wendy pointed her finger at a particular sculpture of a giant acorn with a sinister glare and a smile of jagged teeth. "That's the ice sculpture of the acorn Dale mentioned."

"Check out the jagged teeth," Romeo chuckled. "It makes it look like a Heartless. Or a vampire with plenty of sharp fangs instead of two."

"Hmm... Not too shabby," Sherria rubbed her chin. "The artist should've added some puffy cheeks, though."

"You can label them as much as you like, but the fact of the matter is that Gray's here in town," Juvia implied. "I can feel it. This sensation in my bones... The crisp, cool air and the sculptures are more than enough proof. And for the record, he's not just a genius or a lunatic." Her eyes popped with hearts, "He's a very handsome man!"

"Wait, what?" Donald asked confused.

"She's at it again. A-hyuck!" Goofy grinned.

"I can picture him building an ice sculpture in the square," Juvia fantasized. "A sculpture based on my exact image, sad and alone without his love, which shows how much he misses me—"

"Okay, first of all, I doubt he ever thinks that way," Lucy cut her off. "And second, do you even know if he's here in this creepy old town?"

"She's just following her heart, Lucy," Sherria smiled. "It's only natural. Let her dream."

"Emphasis on 'dream,'" Lucy muttered. "I have a bad feeling in my gut."

Just then, beyond where Wendy and her friends stood, an explosion went off in a nearby building, sending smoke into the air. As they looked to where the fumes rose, the Sky Maiden asked, "What's that?"

"Is this part of the festival?" Romeo wondered.

"Must be something new," Donald assumed.

"Feeling's getting stronger, guys," Lucy squeaked.

"Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

"Aaahh! I was right! Something's coming!" Lucy yelped.

"Huh?" Goofy glanced up from the exuberant voice. "Up there!"

As expected, a purple blur was shot from the building in a ball of fire, and was plummeting right towards Juvia, hollering with joy. Wendy quickly saw it coming and cried out, "Juvia, look out!"

Juvia tried to move away, but instead felt the crushing weight of the blur that crashed her onto the ground, leaving her dizzy from the rough impact. By the time she regained her senses, she discovered to her surprise that a person had landed on top of her. The newcomer was wearing a four-tailed blue jester's hat with red bells, and a scar-themed clown mask with a red nose and a pink jewel on its forehead. The mask concealed the entirety of his face, save for his black eyes with big red dots as pupils, and his thick grinning lips. There were feathers and a Jacobean ruff around his neck, with his ensemble ending in a purple waistcoat. Lastly, he wore white gloves and black pointed toe shoes. The sudden arrival of the strange jester-like figure startled Wendy and her companions, but more so at what happened after the crash— he landed face-first between Juvia's breasts!

Enough time passed for a small rock to roll along the street before the jester sat up. Juvia, still lying on the floor, was too embarrassed to say a word. Even the rest of the party was speechless. As his eyes trailed further, the jester paid no attention to her flustered expression, but rather, her breasts. Every ache and pain evaporated into a surge of joy as he reached for them. He gave them a soft, gentle squeeze. And then his face inched hers.

"Booooooobieeeeeeeee," the jester whispered creepily with a crooked smile.

And then, as if the clock struck midnight, Juvia shrieked at the top of her lungs in terror! The scream was so loud and resonant throughout Halloween Town, it caused Wendy and company to wince at the crude noise grating against their ears, and it almost drew the attention of every resident. Many assumed the shriek was part of the festival, while others were slightly amused by the act.

It was not long before Lucy screamed along with Juvia, as she was also terrified by the sight of the jester. "STRANGER DANGER! STRANGER DANGER! GET AWAY!" She kicked him away with a boot to the head and sent him flying towards the fountain.

Juvia took a few seconds to reorient herself, rubbing where the jester once grabbed her. Her breaths came in pants, and her discomfort boiled into anger. "How dare he...! The nerve of that ruffian, groping me and then looking me straight in the eyes like he wants to kiss me!" She got back to her feet and clenched her hands, casting a contemptuous glance at the jester who collapsed near the fountain. "You should be ashamed of yourself, laying your hands on a poor, innocent woman without her consent!" She crossed her hips sternly, "Can't you at least show some decency like a normal person?"

The jester sat up and declared in a whimsical voice, "I like chocolate ice cream."

Juvia was unsure of how to respond to the jester's odd behavior, but she decided to leave him be. "Alright... Well, nice meeting you. Just be careful next time."

The jester replied, "I like chocolate ice cream."

Juvia nodded, "Yes, yes, I know. You don't have to remind me over and over."

The jester repeated, "I like chocolate ice cream."

Juvia groaned, "Would you please stop saying that?"

The jester chimed, "I like chocolate ice cream!"

Juvia snapped, "Stop repeating yourself!"

The jester boomed, "I. Like. Chocolate. Ice. CREAM!"

Juvia asked confused, "What kind of man are you?"

The jester quipped, "Manny-manny-mannny-manny-manny-WHAT?"

Juvia muttered, "Whatever. Now would you please mind your own business? You have yours, I have mine." With that said, she turned away.

Romeo questioned, "Hey, uh, is he okay? There's something fishy about that jester guy." He pointed a thumb at the jester, who was simply minding his own business as Juvia suggested he would by staring blankly into the fountain's pool of slime... and singing to himself.

The jester sang, "I wish wish wish for a girl girl girl so nice and sweet, I kiss kiss kiss my dear miss miss miss so nice and sweet!"

Wendy asked, "Oh, the person in the mask and funny-looking outfit who fell out of the sky and crashed into Juvia by accident?"

Romeo nodded, "Yeah, him."

Sherria pointed out, "He says he likes chocolate ice cream. And I hear him singing and wishing he has a girlfriend. Do you think we should help him?"

Donald retorted, "Who cares? He's not that important. Just a random stranger in town. It's his business, not ours."

Juvia frowned, "Oh, sure. A random stranger who rudely touched my sensitive ding-a-lings. And for no apparent reason! I wouldn't want to know what's going on in his mind."

Sherria guessed, "Wishing for a girlfriend? I heard him singing."

Juvia snapped, "Wishing for a girlfriend?! So that's how it is! He intends to replace Gray in my heart, to steal my love for him!"

Sherria asked, "The other reason you're mad besides having your boobies touched?"

Juvia clarified, "And shoving his face between them. These are the actions of a street punk, and I would sooner die than give in to his whims! There's only room for one man in my heart, you see, and that's—"

Donald moaned, "Gray, we know. No need to remind us."

Goofy stated, "Well, it's a good thing you're still in one piece, even when the jester guy got the drop on ya."

Juvia sighed, "Yes, I am. I never thought I'd say this, but I have Lucy to thank for kicking him in the head before he could grope me further. I'm perfectly safe, bless my soul."

Wendy asked, "So where do we start? There's a festival going on, isn't there?"

Lucy squeaked, "I'd rather wait out here than attend some haunted festival. Some creepy guy fell out of the sky, and I'm already creeped out. I don't—" The very instant she turned around, she freaked out again. "GHOOOOOOOOOSTS!" The bawling celestial wizard leapt into Juvia's arms, every muscle in her body quivering with fright. "GHOSTS! GHOSTS! DON'T LET 'EM GET ME!" Those in the party who weren't cradling Lucy were perplexed at first, before they turned to look at what she saw; Search Ghost Heartless amassing in the town square by the dozens.

"Heartless?!" Wendy exclaimed, and she summoned her Crabclaw Keyblade.

"Oh, great!" Romeo frowned. "We just arrived here, and already we've got more trouble with those heart-eating freaks."

However, as the group stood ready for battle, they noticed that the Search Ghosts didn't seem disturbed by their presence. They didn't attack or move, even react to the Keyblade in Wendy's hand.

"Why aren't they attacking us?" Wendy grew puzzled. She cautiously approached the nearest Search Ghost, and prodded it with the Crabclaw's tip. It didn't bother to retaliate. "They're not moving, either!" The other party members immediately lowered their weapons and magic.

"Hey, maybe they got tired of us kicking butt," Donald joked. "They're throwing in the towel because they know they can't beat us. They're broke!"

"Broke? They look peaceful to me," Goofy noticed. "They didn't even attack the locals."

"I wouldn't assume anything yet," Carla interjected. "Usually, the Heartless respond violently to the Keyblade, and yet we see them standing here doing nothing."

"Since when do Heartless be as stiff as the ice sculptures?" Sherria questioned. "Either they've lost their brains with their hearts... or they're broke."

"Called it!" Donald beamed. "They're not bothering us, so that's a good sign."

"Is it a good sign?" Wendy wondered. "There's gotta be a reason why they don't attack us..."

"Um, are you done?" Juvia asked Lucy, still in the former's arms and turning away from the Search Ghosts, as she was barely able to suppress the chill in her bones. "The 'ghosts' in front of us happened to be Heartless. You can stop shaking now."

"H-Heartless?" Lucy looked to face the Search Ghosts, and a simple identification of them helped lessen her dread to a certain degree. She shoved herself off Juvia's arms, getting back to her feet. "Oh, right. Sorry."

"Are you okay?" Wendy asked. "Did they scare you?"

"It's nothing," Lucy denied. "Don't worry about me. They just surprised me, that's all."

A high-pitched, excitable scream promptly filled the air, and it grabbed the attention of every Halloween monster in the square, as did Wendy and her friends. They all faced the jester, who performed a bizarre breakdance akin to the movements of a puppet on strings. To add more flair to his performance, he flicked his hands around, sending sparks of light blue magic flying out of his fingers. The sparks rose and exploded in the air like fireworks, with snowflakes gently falling down in their wake.

"He uses Ice Magic?" Wendy breathed.

"Whoa, look at him go!" Romeo grinned.

"Gee, he dances very good for a crazy somebody," Donald remarked.

"You betcha!" Goofy agreed.

"Ice... Magic..." Juvia's head rang with Wendy's description of the jester's magic, as if they were trying to give her a hint. Then she gasped in shock and awe. "W-Wait! Could he be?!"

Cartwheeling around the fountain and jumping past the guillotine before the mouton with the blade hit the lunette, the jester moved his hands round in a circle, generating a ball of ice blue light in front of him. He threw it high above his head, and as it reached high enough, the ball detonated, dispersing beams of ice in all directions. Frost rippled across empty sections of the square, finding its way to the stone floor. From the rising white dust, five ice sculptures took root. The first sculpture depicted a horde of zombies chasing after a frightened girl, the second was of a scarecrow with a dreaded jack o'lantern as its head, the third was of an alien riding in its UFO, a three-headed dragon was the fourth, and a one-eyed giant the fifth. The town's scary citizens clapped and applauded the jester's magical feat.

"Wow! Check out what he did with the ice! That was amazing!" Wendy cheered.

"It's him! He's the artist Chip and Dale talked about!" Sherria realized.

"That explains everything. He's a talented wizard like us," Romeo confirmed.

"Heya, everybodies!" the jester announced to the crowd. "It's me..."

"IS IT REALLY HIM?!" Ecstasy erupted inside Juvia like a volcano, and she rushed over to him.

"J-Juvia!" Wendy was startled by the Rain Woman's reaction.

"G—" Juvia began to speak, but stopped in her tracks at what she heard next.

"Gravy the Jester!" the jester introduced himself. "I'm using my nice dice Ice Magic to make this Halloweenie the most fantas-terrifi-coole-stupendou-spectacularity ever! You know what time is it, do ya, do ya, do ya, do ya, do ya..." He raised his voice higher, "DO YA?!" His speech certainly got the citizens on their feet, and the cheering never ceased.

"G-G-G-Gravy...?" To Juvia's utter dismay, the person she wanted to have a word with went by a different name. She expected the jester who entertained the townspeople to be Gray, only to find that his name had a solid "V" letter that stood between the letters "A" and "Y". Unable to bring herself near him, she backed away and observed him from there. "His name is Gravy? Not Gray?" she said softly, her voice cracking and too quiet for anyone else to hear.

Beside her, Wendy gently stroked her arm. "Juvia, what's the matter?"

Juvia heaved a sigh, and turned to face Wendy. "You saw him, didn't you? The Ice Magic, the sculptures... I was convinced that the jester in the clown mask was Gray, but then I heard him calling himself by a different name: Gravy."

Wendy repeated, "Gravy?"

Romeo nodded, "Yeah, we all heard. If you know enough to explain, then you don't have to."

"Gravy?" Juvia repeated the jester's name in bewilderment, and palmed her forehead. "Gravy is his name? Gravy?! Why would anyone want to call themselves by that silly name? I was looking forward to seeing Gray again, not someone named Gravy!" Her frustration took a seat next to her perplexity as she continued her rant, "I saw him cast Ice Magic perfectly, and the sculptures were expertly made! I was certain Gray was the jester in the mask! But instead, he goes by the name of Gravy? Gravy?! Gravy?! GRAVY?!" In addition to her hysterical raving, she pulled and twisted her hair. "I WANTED GRAVY, NOT GRAVY! OH, LOOK, I FOUND GRAVY! DID YOU HEAR THAT?! I FOUND GRA—"

Donald smacked Juvia across her cheek, immediately putting a stop to her tirade. "Get a hold of yourself, woman! So what if he's not Gray?" He counted his fingers, "His name is Gravy, he uses Ice Magic, he makes the best ice sculptures, he creates fireworks, he dances funny, he's a jester in a clown mask, his name is not Gray. End of story. There, you get it?" He scratched the back of his head, "Now cut it out with the 'Gravy, Gravy, Gravy', okay? You're driving me nuts saying that name over and over and over and over again! I could just bonk somebody on the head, you know?"

Juvia was quick to understand the futility of her past behavior, and began to feel a twinge of regret. She responded, "Oh, my apologies. I guess my mind slipped over the fact that I mistook the jester for Gray. It's just..." She rubbed her sore cheek, "I don't understand how this could happen. I should've found my beloved Gray here in town, right about now. I've traced the clues. I've pieced them together. And when I finally meet the one at the center of it all, I learned that he goes by Gravy instead of Gray." She shook her head, "How badly have I overlooked? Where did I go wrong? Is he still missing?"

Sherria mused, "The ice all around the square got our hopes up, and we've found the wrong ice wizard. Tough break."

Goofy said sadly, "Gawrsh, we're sorry, Juvia. We still haven't found Gray. We hoped he'd end up here in town."

Juvia assured, "It's okay, Goofy. I won't give up over a minor setback. I'll keep looking." Where once was uncertainty, it was now smothered by a flame of strong determination. "I'll continue to search for Gray. He could be anywhere in this or any world. I said I'd travel from the ends of the earth to the darkest depths just so I can be with him again..." Her tightened her right hand into a fist, "...and I won't stop..." She held it to her heart, "...until I do."

Sherria cheered, "Alright! We knew you wouldn't give up! Keep up that positive attitude, and you'll find love at the end of your rainbow."

Donald interjected, "Uh, don't you mean 'light at the end of the tunnel?'"

Sherria shrugged, "I'm just saying. Anything to encourage her."

Juvia chuckled, "Your positivity is encouragement enough."

Wendy promised, "We'll find Gray, Juvia. We'll find him together."

Romeo smiled, "We're with you all the way."

Goofy stated, "If we can't find him here, we might as well skip to the next world."

Lucy suddenly grew elated at the suggestion. "Yes! Yes! Let's skip right now!"

Juvia shook her head, "No, I'm continuing the search here in this world. I can at least find a clue to Gray's whereabouts. Perhaps the festival?"

Goofy grinned, "Sounds like a good idea! Chances are, we'll find somethin' of interest with the festival goin' on!"

Donald reminded, "And there's the Keyhole and some lost friends. We're not leaving till we find what we're looking for. We're staying."

Lucy exclaimed shockingly, "STAYING?!"

Juvia declared, "Agreed! Our mission continues in Halloween Town. I believe the festival will serve as a guide to my rainbow's end."

Sherria smiled, "I couldn't agree more."

Goofy urged, "We better get movin'."

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

Lucy whined, "You're kidding me. This has to be a joke. Please tell me you're not serious about staying."

Juvia asked dryly, "Uh, do we look like we're joking? We all agreed to continue investigating the town. What about you? Do you not agree?"

Wendy guessed, "You're scared of the town, aren't you?"

Romeo asked, "You wanna go back to the ship?"

Lucy never had the chance to make her reply when a new set of snowflake fireworks ignited in the air, courtesy of Gravy the Jester. He projected his voice to the citizens, "Heya, everybodies! You know what time it is? It's..."

"HALLOWEEN!" A rapturous response sounded from the Halloween crowd.

"They're starting already?" Wendy asked. As soon as she turned from the jubilant monster bunch, the Search Ghosts began to function. She turned in time to see the Heartless floating towards the fountain, and a gasp escaped her mouth. "Look, the Heartless! They're moving!" The others followed her direction, and reacted the same way.

"Guess we spoke too soon!" Romeo tensed, and his left hand burst with Blue Fire in the case of an impending battle. His apprehension quickly turned to confusion when he saw the Search Ghosts assembling in small groups, taking their positions. Afterwards, they slowly moved their arms and swayed their hips, their eye chains dangling from their empty sockets. Everyone was astonished to watch the Heartless dance and spin around in the center of the square.

"Dancing? What got them in the mood to dance?" Sherria blinked.

"I think the Heartless are friendly to the townsfolk," Goofy assumed.

"Friendly? That's crazy! Why would Heartless—" Donald began.

"Shhh! I wanna see where this is going," Romeo shushed.

"No, I don't want to," Lucy said meekly.

As the wind rushed through the town's dark and dreary structure, a trio of haunting shadows emerged from three tombstones, and began to sing.

Shadows: Boys and girls of every age
Wouldn't you like to see something strange?
Come with us and you will see
This, our town of Halloween

Wendy and company were now seeing ghosts dancing through a fence while jack o'lanterns of different expressions dropped on the fence's pointed ends. The ghosts continued to fly around town, passing by the group along the way. While Wendy, Donald, Goofy, Romeo, Sherria, Carla, and Juvia were quite startled by the ghosts' movements, Lucy's fear and hysteria kicked in yet again at a mere glance of them swirling in the square.

Ghosts: This is Halloween, this is Halloween
Pumpkins scream in the dead of night
This is Halloween, everybody make a scene
Trick of treat till the neighbors gonna die of fright

It's our town, everybody scream
In this town of Halloween

Somewhere inside a house, a monster of some kind was singing under a bed. Since it was hidden, no one could tell what it was, but if one could look close enough, a pair of glowing red eyes and sharp teeth were seen within the dark curtain.

Creature Under the Bed: I am the one hiding under your bed
Teeth ground sharp and eyes glowing red

And then there was something hiding under the stairs. That "something" turned out to be a monster with snakes as its fingers and a spider as its hair.

Man Under the Stars: I am the one hiding under your stairs
Fingers like snakes and spiders in my hair

Soon, the people of Halloween Town were singing in harmony.

Chorus: This is Halloween, this is Halloween
Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!

Three vampires woke from sleep in their own coffins, a fourth simply hanging from the ceiling, before they walked outside.

Vampires: In this town we call home
Everyone hail to the pumpkin song

Soon, a rather short man came to partake in the festivities, standing on top of a car driving its way towards the fountain. His head was cone-shaped, and it displayed two faces bearing two separate personalities— the happy face, peach-colored with rosy cheeks, and the sad face, bone-white with green lips and yellow eyes. His top hat was gigantic, being the same height as the man himself, but very thin. His body was also cone-shaped, ballooning outward before ending on short, stubby legs with very tiny feet. He was dressed in a black suit with a white undershirt and black-and-white pinstriped pants. He wore a bowtie shaped like a black widow with six legs and a red hourglass marking, and there was a red ribbon with the word "MAYOR" printed on a white center, pinned to the left breast of his blazer.

"He must be the mayor of Halloween Town," Sherria indicated.

"Uh, why does he have two heads?" Wendy inquired.

"It's a town full of monsters. What do you expect?" Romeo noted.

"Oh, right..." Wendy confirmed.

Mayor: In this town, don't we love it now?
Everybody's waiting for the next surprise

A black cat could be seen prowling the streets.

Chorus: Round that corner, man, hiding in the trash can
Something's waiting now to pounce, and how you'll...

Harlequin Demon: Scream!

Werewolf: This is Halloween

Harlequin Demon: Red n' black

Melting Man: And slimy green

Werewolf: Aren't you scared?

Two witches were soaring on their broomsticks.

Witches: Well, that's just fine
Say it once, say it twice
Take the chance and roll the dice
Ride with the moon in the dead of night

A haunted tree held up its branches, showing living skeletons hanging on nooses.

Haunted Tree: Everybody scream, everybody scream

Skeletons: In our town of Halloween

A creepy-looking clown came riding in a unicycle before ripping his face off— literally!

Clown: I am the clown with the tear-away face
Here in a flash and gone without a trace

The whispering wind blew through a living rag doll in the midst of combing her long brown hair. She had pale blue skin, and there were stitches on each of her wrists, a few on her arms and legs, several on her upper chest, one on her neck, one at the top of her head, and one on each corner of her mouth, the last of which made her look like she sported a Glasgow grin. She wore red lipstick and nail-polish, had long eyelashes, and her feet were covered by black shoes worn over baggy black-and-white striped socks. The rag doll's clothing consisted of a worn, tattered dress made up of many different scraps of cloth sewn together. While it was predominantly pale pink and grey, her dress had small areas of yellow and green near around her shoulders, and each individual patch was covered in a unique black or grey pattern.

Wind: I am the "who" when you call, "Who's there?"
I am the wind blowing through your hair

A dark shadow appeared in the moon and smiled evilly before it dissolved into bats.

Moon Shadow: I am the shadow on the moon at night
Filling your dreams to the brim with fright

Chorus: This is Halloween, this is Halloween
Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!

The guillotine's blade descended and sliced open a jack o'lantern with a zombie child and a little demon using its wings as appendages singing along.

Zombie Child & Little Demon: Tender lumpings everywhere
Life's no fun without a good scare

It was not long before the zombie's parents joined in.

Zombie Father: That's our job

Zombie Mother: But we're not mean

Zombie Parents: In our town of Halloween

Chorus: In this town

Mayor: Don't we love it now?
Everyone's waiting for the next surprise

All the residents gathered near the fountain with several carrying torches as they prepared for the song's finale. Right on cue, a large, bald white-skinned monster dressed in overalls with an axe on his head pulled a wooden horse into the square. On the horse's back was a scarecrow with a jack o'lantern as its face. They just couldn't wait for the town's most famous and beloved celebrity to make his appearance.

Chorus: Skeleton Jack might catch you in the back
And scream like a banshee
Make you jump out of your skin
This is Halloween, everyone scream

Haunted Tree and Skeleton: Won't ya please make way for a very special guy?

The scarecrow sprung to life and grabbed a touch from a nearby bearer.

Chorus: Our man Jack is king of the Pumpkin patch
Everyone hail to the Pumpkin King now!

It swallowed the torch, and fire spread all over its body, lashing out at anyone coming too close. The scarecrow stood up from the wooden horse's back and performed some sort of outlandish dance, flailing its flaming arms and legs, and then spitting fire from its mouth, to the delight of the citizens and the awe of Wendy and her companions. Of course, there was only one person in the audience who became terrified beyond all reason by pretty much everything throughout the song. There was Lucy, stiff and white as a sheet, trembling without restraint. She couldn't look away, she couldn't cover her ears, she could barely even feel the cement beneath her feet.

Chorus: This is Halloween, this is Halloween
Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!

The scarecrow jumped head first into the fountain, putting the inferno out and vanishing under the green slime. The zombie child and a mummy inched closer to the structure as they peered into the eye of the emerald water.

Zombie Kid & Mummy: In this town we call home
Everyone hail to the Pumpkin song

The Mayor announced through a megaphone in his hand, "And now, allow me to introduce the master of terror, the king of nightmares— Jack Skellington!"

With that said, the line of Search Ghosts parted and gave a full view of the fountain, where a tall, thin figure surfaced from the slime, having ditched his scarecrow disguise. The figure in question was a skeleton whose head lacked hair, and therefore sported empty eye sockets and a thin and wide mouth. His attire consisted of a macabre black suit with white pinstripes. The top had a single white button with a white shirt visible underneath, and his coattails reached to about knee-length. He also wore black dress shoes and a black bowtie shaped like a bat.

Chorus: La, la, la (Halloween! Halloween!)
La-la-la, la, la (Halloween! Halloween!)
La-la-la, la, la (Halloween! Halloween!)
La-la-la, la-la-la, whee!

As Jack Skellington made his entrance, his arms were folded over his chest, as though he slept inside an invisible casket, but once he fully emerged from the slime, he struck a dashing pose on the basin with a smile. The song had ended, and the townspeople clapped and cheered, mostly for the Pumpkin King. Two witches could be seen cackling to themselves with delight, and a werewolf howled to the moon as a sign of respect for Jack. And why not? They loved him as much as they loved Halloween. Meanwhile, Wendy and her friends were both impressed and fascinated at how the festival kicked off, and clapped along with the spooky crowd. Lucy, given her unceasing cowardice, did not.

Romeo laughed, "That was cool! What a way to start things off with a bang!" He turned to face Wendy, "Somehow, I feel like I'm already in the costume party with you and Sherria."

Wendy smiled, "I know, right? Did you see the townspeople?" She gestured to a werewolf, a harlequin demon, and a melting man conversing amicably. "They're so happy and lively! Much like us when we spend time in our guildhall."

Romeo smiled back, "Why shouldn't they be happy and lively? They just love Halloween, as we love being in Fairy Tail. And the song, it's—"

Sherria answered, "Catchy? Terrifyingly amazing? The best song since Monster Mash? In case you're wondering, it's a classic Halloween novelty tune, and perhaps the very finest."

Romeo told Sherria, "I was gonna say it had a mysterious and haunting feel to it, but catchy's a pretty good way to describe it, too. All in all, it's not so bad. It would make a great theme song."

Sherria nodded, "I'd like to think so."

Wendy agreed, "Yeah, me too."

Donald grinned, "Did Sherria say Monster Mash? I love that song. It's the best Halloween song ever."

Goofy shrugged, "I don't know. I always thought Superstition is the best Halloween song ever. With the sweet jazz and the beats..."

Donald asked, "By the way, did you see the Heartless introducing this Jack person? He could be controlling them."

Goofy shrugged, "I don't know. He kinda looks nice. I don't think he's like the other villains we've fought."

Donald confirmed, "Himm... You have a point there, but he must have something to do with them. We'd better keep an eye on him and see what happens."

Goofy nodded, "Okay."

The Mayor cleared his throat, and spoke again through the megaphone, "And let's not forget Jack's faithful new partner, our Ice Magic extraordinaire, the ever-trusty and reliable... Gravy the Jester!" At once, the Search Ghosts assumed new positions and presented the wacky ice wizard in question, who spun himself around on one foot like a top.

"Look at me! Look at me! Look at me! Jumping like Jack into the wishing well! Wheeeeeeeeee!" From where he spun, he pounced high into the air and dove into the slime, attempting to copy Jack's dynamic entry. He instead had his forehead fall flat on the concrete, leaving him dizzy for a short while, which prompted laughter from the townsfolk. Shaking his head, Gravy noticed that he missed his mark, and climbed up the fountain base to join Jack. He struck a pose of his own, albeit less stylish compared to Jack's, and the laughter transitioned to another round of applause.

Sherria chuckled, "He's positively zany for a talented ice wizard."

Juvia sighed, "I still feel envious around this unconventional show freak. If his name was Gray and NOT Gravy, he wouldn't act like a maniac."

Sherria echoed, "Maniac? It's such a strong word. Maybe try... happy-go-lucky clown from the circus of the dead? Oh..." She added on an optimistic note, "...a magic circus of the dead!"

Romeo said intrigued, "Magic circus of the dead, huh? Then he must be a zombie. I bet his face is all rotting under that mask. I'd hate to see it when he takes it off."

Juvia grumbled, "For some reason, I don't think I want to know what's under the mask."

As soon as the applause rescinded, the Mayor turned his attention to Jack and Gravy with a wide smile plastered on his face. "Bravo, you two! Bravo! What better way to celebrate our very first annual Heartless Halloween Festival than to sing a happy, haunting, catchy intro song?"

Wendy gasped, "The Heartless Halloween Festival?"

Romeo asked, "That's why they're out here in the square?"

Sherria grinned, "I totally called the 'catchy song' thing!"

The Mayor continued, "The terrifying ice sculptures crafted by our very own magical jester make the perfect backdrop. Why, with them and these Search Ghosts..." He thrust his arm to gesture at the Heartless, "...this year's Halloween will be a big hit!"

A vampire remarked, "I'll say. These Heartless are such a scream, Jack."

A witch cooed, "They're a witch's fondest dream, besides you."

A second witch stated, "They make walls fall, Jack."

The first witch retorted, "Walls fall? They make the very mountains crack, Jack."

A sea monster admired, "Ooooh, the Heartless. They make ooze and flesh crawl."

Jack beamed, "Thank you, everyone. Thank you!" He hopped off the fountain and walked to the Mayor, "The ice sculptures are truly captivating, and I believe they'll be the most horrible things people would see in a lifetime." He faced Gravy, "Thanks to you, my humble assistant. You've done a splendid job on these things. Without your brilliant power over ice—"

Gravy stepped out from the fountain and said, "Hey, Jacky-Jack! Can I have some chocolate ice cream?"

Jack laughed, "Oh, you silly clown! The fridge is always open in the lab. Of course, if we run out, we'll have to peruse the storage. Now, where was I? Oh, yes." He turned to the Mayor, "I agree with you that the sculptures will make an excellent backdrop during the festival." He looked back at the Search Ghosts, which had long returned to stillness since his introduction. "But the Search Ghosts' movement still needs work. It's not scary enough." He hung his head, "I want to strike bone-chilling terror." He lifted his arms in a creepy pose, and the Mayor backed up. "I'm going to consult the doctor." With that said, he wandered to the nearest building, a tower with a globe-shaped upper structure, and undoubtedly where Gravy blazed out from the roof before sticking his less-than-pleasant landing on Juvia.

The Mayor confirmed, "Then we'll go attend to the decorations." He turned around to face the townsfolk and raised his megaphone. "Alright, everybody! Rehearsal's over! Back to work!" At that moment, the spooky residents of Halloween Town scattered and set about livening up the festival by the time it actually started. The Mayor ran off gleefully to oversee the decorations. Meanwhile, the living rag doll was hiding behind the haunted tree in time to see Jack open the door to the globe-shaped tower. She smiled affectionately for the skeleton in black, before she departed to someplace else. As for Gravy, he was left behind in the square, but he didn't seem to mind. He attended to his own business, staring wide-eyed at... something. The Search Ghosts remained still and silent.

Sherria questioned, "So, the whole performance is just a rehearsal? The festival hasn't started yet?"

Romeo deduced, "They're practicing before the opening day. But when is it? Must be on the exact day of Halloween. You know, since the town's all... Halloween-ish?"

No one spoke for a moment. The harlequin demon who overheard the conversation seemed to think they were excited for the upcoming festival, and began to laugh out loud. "Three and a half weeks before Halloween, and we're all pumped up for the festival! I can't wait for it, you can't wait for it, we can't wait for it!" The demon continued to chortle as he jumped around Wendy and company, before skipping the other way. Fortunately, they understood why the citizens were busy rehearsing for opening night.

Juvia confirmed, "Well, here's our answer."

Wendy recalled, "So his name is Jack... He's the host for the festival, isn't he? How does he get the Heartless to move?"

Donald answered, "Believe me, Goofy and I have asked ourselves the same question."

Goofy pointed out, "He said somethin' about a doctor. Why don't we go ask him?"

Wendy replied, "Sure, why not?"

Romeo joined in, "I'm interested."

Sherria added, "Sounds fair."

The rest of the group (minus Lucy) agreed to the collective decision, and followed Jack to the tower. Wendy and Romeo only stopped to see the celestial wizard still struck by the fear and horror around the square, shivering and crossing her arms around her chest for comfort, which did little to ease her mind. "The horror... The horror... All of it..."

Romeo asked, "Lucy, are you gonna admit it to them or not?"

Lucy stammered, "A-A-A-Admit what?"

Wendy closed both hands around Lucy's trembling hand. "Lucy, we've been together for a long time. I know you, and we've been honest with each other. Back then, I was just like you. I used to be afraid of just about anything that's too much for me. But then Carla, Natsu, Erza, and the rest of Fairy Tail were there for me. You cared about me a lot. You taught me to be brave and strong. I never would've found my courage if it wasn't for you."

Lucy looked somewhat ashamed of her attitude. "Wendy, I..."

Wendy gave her a comforting smile. "You see, courage doesn't mean we're not afraid. Courage is doing what we're afraid to do. If we can just face our fears, we'll know when we have the courage to beat them..." She tenderly squeezed Lucy's hand, "...just as I have."

Romeo placed his hand on Lucy's shoulder. "It's okay to be afraid. You just can't let that get to you. If you tell everyone how you feel, I'm sure they'll understand." He then smiled along with Wendy, "And don't worry. We're with you."

Lucy confessed, "I... I can't..." She moved away from Wendy and Romeo.

Wendy asked, "W-Why not?"

Lucy answered, "If you know me well, you know why." She walked off with the others. Wendy followed after her, still worried for the latter's anxiety.

Romeo sighed, and was the last to catch up. "It's worth a shot."

"Uh, Juvia?" As everyone was on their way to the doctor's residence, Sherria noticed something behind the water wizard.

"Yes, what is it?" Juvia responded.

"You got something on your shoulder there," Sherria informed.

Juvia looked around, and she quickly stepped back with an alarmed yelp upon noticing that Gravy was suddenly breathing down her neck. "Ah! Y-You again! What are you doing here creeping up behind me like that? Aren't you supposed to be with your friend Jack after the rehearsal?"

Gravy grinned, "Hi, boobie lady. Can I have some chocolate ice cream?"

Juvia exclaimed, "W-Wha— Boobie lady?! First you grope me, and now you call me names?! How rude! My boobs aren't THAT big!" She softly squeezed her breasts, "Sure, they're not as big as Lucy's, but they're not flat. They're normal. Although..."

Gravy repeated, "Boobie lady, can I have some chocolate ice cream?"

Juvia sighed in exasperation, "Yes, I caught that before. Unfortunately for you, I don't have any chocolate ice cream, therefore I can't give you. Why don't you go with Jack and ask him for it? It's that easy. And please, refrain from calling me 'boobie lady.' It's offending."

"Boobie lady, can I have some chocolate ice cream?"

"What did I just tell you?"

"Boobie lady, can I have some chocolate ice cream?"

"Why do you keep asking me that?"

"Boobie lady, can I have some chocolate ice cream?"

"What do I look like, your mother?!"

"Boobie lady, can I have some chocolate ice cream?"

"JUST ENTER THE BUILDING IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU THICK-HEADED IDIOT!" Juvia bellowed, and she gestured to the staircase leading up to the front door of the doctor's house. "Jack is inside there, and all you have to do is ask him all the ice cream you want!" She smacked her forehead in irritation, "Chocolate ice cream this, boobie lady that! Of all the nerve..."

"Pardon me, but aren't we also entering the building in front of us?" Sherria interjected, as she looked at the entrance before turning to face Gravy. "We might as well let him come along. The sooner he's inside, the better we'll let him go... do his thing." She faced Romeo and Carla, who simply shrugged in reply.

Juvia glanced between Gravy and the front door. Another groan before she rubbed her temples in an effort to calm herself, and she finally complied. "Fine. Let's go. This way, please." The Rain Woman started leading Gravy up the stars, and the party members observed from the sidelines when the clownish man appeared to be more interested in sticking closer to Juvia than anyone else. It didn't take long before she noticed that, too. "A little elbow room, please?"

"Okay," Gravy complied, but even when she moved again, she didn't have any more room than she started out with.

"A little more elbow room?"

"Okay." But once again, the jester refused to give her room, and continued to follow her up the stairs.

"I'm beginning to sense there's more going on," Sherria thought out loud.

"What makes you say that?" Romeo asked.

"Just a feeling," Sherria replied. The door was opened, and they wasted no time entering.


Research Lab

Inside, Wendy and company found themselves in a laboratory, which had been decorated from the ground up in scraps of metal and iron. Aside from the various machines gurgling and hissing on the walls, there was a large bookcase on the left housing a wide collection of books, science utensils, experimental samples, and bottles of liquid comprised of different colors. The owner of the lab, who happened to be the doctor Jack Skellington was presently consulting, inspected a Search Ghost lying motionless on the examination table from the comfort of his black electric wheelchair. He was a frail-looking person with thin spindly limbs, very small hands and feet, and a ridiculously large head. He was dressed in a lab coat and a pair of pants as unnaturally white as his skin, black gloves wider than his arms, black shoes, and goggles covering his beady eyes and thin eyebrows. His mouth was beak-like in structure, and he seemed to be missing a few teeth. His most prominent feature was his skull, which bore several bolts and a clear horizontal seam going around the middle.

Speaking of Jack, he was searching through a research book in the hopes of finding a solution to the problem at hand. "I don't understand. Maybe the guidance system was damaged in the explosion."

The doctor retorted, "Nonsense. My devices are always perfect! It's not like they explode when I added a couple more sparks. I thought I'd improve the system with some minor adjustments, but then, BOOM!" He waved his hands for an explosion gesture, "Everything goes down the garbage disposal! And I never expected Gravy to get caught in the fire and end up blasting off my roof when he was looking through the freezer for more chocolate ice cream he so blissfully indulges himself with."

Jack grimaced, "When you put it that way, I feel bad for not leaving the poor guy's side." He then smiled, "Well, look on the bright side. At least he came out fit as a fiddle, and right on time for another rehearsal. He's certainly improved, his touch hasn't changed, and as always, the ice sculptures he makes adds a terrifyingly cold touch to the scenery." He curiously traced the front of his skull with his finger, "I wonder what he's doing now? I thought he'd come with me to the lab, but he didn't. I wager he has things to do when he's left on his own. Sliding down the curly hill? Dancing with zombies in the graveyard? Playing checkers with Dracula? Eating a new box of Pumpkin Krunchies? Or the obvious you-know-what?" Perhaps if he had been attentive, he would have noticed the jester in the clown mask coming in with new guests.

The doctor sighed, "No one knows for certain what's on the mind of your koo-koo nutty assistant. Right now, we need to worry about the Heartless and how to make them work exactly as we want them to."

As the party carefully observed Jack and the mad scientist, Romeo spoke to Wendy and Sherria, "Hey, I think we're in one these Frankenstein labs where a mad scientist brings a monster to life with lightning and stuff."

Sherria nodded, "Yeah, I see it. Check out the guy in the wheelchair! With the lab coat and the white skin, he definitely makes the cut, if not above all the rest."

Wendy confirmed, "So he's the doctor Jack's talking to... They're working together to control the Heartless in town?"

Gravy smiled at Juvia, "Hi, boobie lady. Can you get me some chocolate ice cream?"

Juvia shook her head, "No, I don't have it. Why don't you ask a different question other than ice cream? And stop calling me 'boobie lady.' I have a name, and it's Juvia."

Gravy replied, "Okay, boobie lady. Can you give me some chocolate ice cream?"

Juvia glared, "Didn't you hear me? My name is Juvia!"

Donald shushed her, "Listen!"

Jack drew his finger down the research book, and a light bulb switched on inside his head. "Oh, I've got it! Why, of course! The Heartless need a heart! Doctor Finkelstein, do you think we can add a heart to that device?"

Doctor Finkelstein rode his motorized wheelchair to the end of the table. "Certainly. A heart's not all that complicated. This may be considered a miracle in the making. And seeing as I am a man of science, I don't see no reason to create our very own heart. Imagine this, if we pull this off, we could revolutionize the health system!" He went under the table, "Rest assured, we have all the ingredients necessary to make a heart. Truth be told, I've always wanted to create one. I never had the time due to scheduled appointments, but now I can finally realize the top of my list of ambitions I'd very much want fulfilled." He chortled a bit, then cleared his throat, "But why am I sitting around fantasizing? Let's get to work."

Sherria chuckled, "Looks like someone's eager to make a breakthrough."

Romeo smiled, "Create an actual heart, huh? Sounds compelling."

Jack read through the book, "To make a heart, first take a container with a lock..."

Finkelstein pulled out a pulsing box shaped like a human heart, sealed in a metal frame with a giant lock, and placed it on the table. "We need the key to this thing first!"

Upon examining the lock, the heroes looked to one another, mostly at the young Keyblade wielder. A mere glance was all the others needed to perceive what she had in mind. Donald asked, "You're gonna unlock it for them, aren't you?"

Wendy answered, "Why not? We saw the Heartless dancing with the townsfolk, and they didn't hurt anybody. If Jack succeeds in making a heart and controls the Heartless, then maybe we won't have to fight them."

Carla thought out loud, "The creation of an artificial heart... One of many impossible attempts in the field, and these two are determined to achieve it. I doubt we expect a positive outcome if they succeed. Or if it's guaranteed to work."

Wendy reasoned, "Come on, think about it. Jack wants to make this festival the best ever. He's working so hard. He wants it to be perfect. When I look at him, I begin to understand what he's going through, and I think..." She placed a hand over her heart, "...he needs our help."

Romeo nodded, "I agree. If they make a heart, this might come to their benefit, especially ours. I bet it'll make their festival the best they've ever had. Don't you think it's a good idea?"

Donald shrugged, "I guess so..."

Goofy grinned, "I don't see why it isn't."

Lucy shook her head, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no. It's a bad idea. A bad idea! Do you know that our curiosity sometimes gets us into trouble? What do you think will happen to the Heartless outside? They'll go out of control, or worse."

Romeo convinced, "C'mon, Lucy. It'll be fine. What could possibly go wrong? Besides, I wanna see the Heartless be friendly to people for once."

Sherria cheered, "And laugh and sing and dance all day! We can just put our feet up and enjoy ourselves, even hang out with them. Oh..." An idea came to mind, "I wanna see 'em do the Monster Mash!" She faced Lucy, "Do you?"

Lucy muttered, "Not really. The thought of seeing those heart-eating freaks dance in a thriller night sounds depressing to me."

Donald encouraged, "What are you waiting for, Wendy? Go and do your thing!"

Goofy agreed, "We wanna see if this 'make-a-heart' thing goes off without a hitch."

Wendy complied, "Alright, I'll go unlock it now..."

Carla questioned, "Wendy, is this wise?"

Wendy replied, "The others think so. If it doesn't work, then..."

Carla nodded, "I understand, child. Do what you must. We can all hope for the best."

Lucy sighed, "Just so we're clear, I'm still skeptical about this."

"Boobie lady, can you give me some chocolate ice cream?"

"How many times have I told you not to repeat that?!"

Juvia's argument with Gravy drew the attention of Jack and Doctor Finkelstein, and they gasped at the young heroes' presence. The doctor demanded, "What are you all doing here?! If you want an appointment with me, I would much rather not have you making a scene when I'm in the middle of an experiment!"

"S-Sorry!" Wendy apologized.

Jack looked to see Gravy among the entourage, and smiled. "Ah, Gravy! There you are! I almost forgot about you."

"JACKY-JACK! I like chocolate ice cream!" Gravy cheered.

"Energetic and childish as ever," Finkelstein groaned.

"Where have you been? Off to find chocolate ice cream somewhere else?" Jack asked, before staring at the newcomers. He confirmed with a nod, "Oh, I see. You brought new guests along. They must be here for our yearly Halloween celebration."

"Yeah, something like that," Wendy giggled.

"We're here for the festival," Romeo stated.

"What other reason than to celebrate?" Donald smiled.

"Happy Halloween!" Goofy greeted.

"Of course," Jack replied. "Halloween greetings from Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King!" As he approached, he made a scary face at the group. Juvia, Carla, and Romeo were not fazed by the act. Wendy, Sherria, Donald, and Goofy flinched slightly. Lucy downright freaked out, screaming with absolute fright as she rolled backwards into the wall and flattened herself against it. Jack analyzed the blonde-haired wizard's expression. "Now that's a frightened face I haven't seen in a while."

"W-W-W-W-Who said anything about b-b-b-b-being f-f-f-f-frightened?" Lucy stuttered. "I-I-I-I just thought you were g-g-g-g-g-gonna at-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-ttack me."

"Me? Attack you?" Jack blinked. "Don't worry, it's not in my nature to attack a poor, innocent creature like you."

"Oh, thank goodness," Lucy sighed in relief. "I—"

"I'll just scare you some more!" Jack ended up making another scary face; he stretched his mouth wide with his index fingers and made a screech loud enough to make Lucy's skin crawl while she kept her back on the wall. Seeing the growing horror on her face made him laugh with glee. "Surprised? I thought so!"

"Lucy?" Wendy asked nervously.

"Oh, boy..." Romeo palmed his face.

"Is she..." Sherria trailed off.

"Somebody's having fun," Donald smirked.

"Not me! He scared me to death!" Lucy argued.

"We're in HALLOWEEN Town," Donald reminded. "Spooky stuff and scaring is the rule around here. Deal with it."

"I DON'T wanna deal with it," Lucy whined. "I just wanna get everything done in this world so I can return to the ship."

"Are ya scared, Lucy?" Goofy questioned. "You really freaked out when that Jack fella showed us his spooky face."

"I did not!" Lucy protested. "I was just surprised!"

"Surprised? Really?" Donald raised an eyebrow. "We all saw you freak out."

"No, I didn't," Lucy shook her head.

"Yes, you did," Donald nodded.

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you—"

"I LIKE CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM!" Gravy's excited holler silenced the debate.

"I can't take more much of this!" Juvia cringed, covering her ears. "The only thing worse than hearing him rave about chocolate ice cream is hearing it even LOUDER!"

"Lucy's never gonna admit it, is she?" Romeo sweated.

"Sorry, I can't tell," Wendy confessed.

"Ah, Gravy. You're picking up where you left off," Finkelstein recalled. "Please help yourself with the chocolate ice cream in the freezer. You're in luck; there are four buckets left. If you remember well, the ice box is right over there." He motioned to a refrigerator next to the bookcase. "Be sure not to waste away the vanilla, strawberry, and green mint. They're my three favorite flavors."

"Nah-ah-ah. I only like chocolate ice cream," Gravy wagged his finger.

"Of course you do. You're a chocolate fanatic," Finkelstein frowned.

"Thank you!" Juvia shouted, throwing up her arms.

"Did someone say strawberry?" Sherria piped up. "I love strawberry! It's my favorite flavor."

"I like chocolate ice cream," Gravy pointed out.

"I like strawberry ice cream," Sherria smiled.

"I like chocolate ice cream."

"Yes, and I like strawberry ice cream."

"I. Like. Chocolate. Ice cream." The more Gravy repeated himself, Sherria was growing scared and confused by the minute.

"Yes... and I like... strawberry ice cream."

"I like chocolate ice cream!" His tone rose on a higher note.

"I-I... l-l-like... strawberry... ice cream?"

"I LIKE CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM!" A blend between a hiss and a roar, and exaggerated to nearly threatening levels.

"Okay, I give up! You win!" Sherria clutched her head, unable to handle the stress of hearing their preferred ice cream flavors rolling over in a vocal tug of war. "You managed to beat me in a hobby-repeating contest." She smiled again, "Not bad."

"She compliments the lunatic?" Juvia complained. "Oh, come on! Why is everybody else but me not annoyed at all by his delusional ranting?" She turned to face Lucy, who was still shaking against the wall. "Well, he frightened the bimbo at best, and she kicked him in the face. I would've preferred she kicked harder, then he wouldn't bother me a long time. Still..." She gave an exasperated sigh and turned away, "Him being around me is more than I can bear."

"Yaaaaaaaaaay! Ice cream!" Gravy cried happily, and he hastily reached into the refrigerator to grab out two buckets of chocolate ice cream, a scoop, and a box of cones.

"There. You're having your ice cream. Happy?" Juvia grumbled.

"Yes, boobie lady," Gravy smiled.

"It's Juvia!" Juvia snapped.

"I see you're all familiar with my new trusty assistant, Gravy the Jester," Jack told Wendy and company. "He is in charge of extra decorations and props, like the ice sculptures outside, for our Heartless Halloween Festival. It's the first of its kind. I take it you ran into him before we began rehearsing?"

"Yeah, we did," Wendy nodded. "We ran into him when he blew out of the roof and crashed onto Juvia."

"How could I forget?" Juvia moaned. "This is a serious blow to my self-esteem."

"Heya, Jack-Jackity-Jack!" Gravy called out, moving over to Juvia's side as he brought along a triple-scoop chocolate ice cream cone. "Say hello to boobie lady, my new girlfriend!"

As though someone hit a wrong note on the piano, the color of Juvia's skin melted into a sickly pale shade of white at what the jester claimed. Her face was wrought with horror, her voice devolving to a whimper. "G-G-G-G-G-G-G-G-G..." She kept stammering, and only a few seconds passed before she uttered the word. "GIRRRRRRRRLLLLFRRRRIIIEEEEND?!" Her scream echoed past the roof of the lab, and the wind carried it through the atmosphere.

"What?" Wendy and Romeo uttered, slightly confused.

"What?" Goofy, Carla, and Jack echoed, very appalled.

"What?!" Lucy barked in shock.

"WHAT?!" Sherria and Goofy exclaimed.

Doctor Finkelstein attempted to unlock the container with a screwdriver, but it only slipped off his hand before he could drive the blade through the lock. He growled in annoyance, "Drat!"

Goofy cried out, "We just met him in the square, and then he calls Juvia his girlfriend? I thought her heart belongs to Gray!"

Sherria pointed out, "Her heart still belongs to Gravy. But apparently, someone else dropped by and decided to be the third wheel! And you know what that means?" She lowered her voice to a whisper, "A love triangle!"

Donald repeated, "A love triangle? How can there be a love triangle when we don't see a third person around here? It's just him and her." He pointed towards Gravy and Juvia.

Sherria reasoned, "Think about it, guys. Let's say we actually found Gray in this world. No, not the jester, but the Fairy Tail wizard with the spiky black hair and the cool trench coat, and he doesn't dance funny or wear a clown mask. Just think, if Gray and Gravy meet, it's whether they're gonna fight each other over Juvia, or if Juvia will end up fighting Gravy for the honor of her love for Gray. Either way, a love triangle is occurring. I have a feeling there's going to be."

Goofy worried, "Now that you think about it, I'm gettin' a bit nervous. If we do find Gray here in town, who knows how he's gonna react if he sees Gravy with Juvia?"

Sherria sighed, "I can't think of anything else. Only one thing is certain— love triangle."

Donald said sternly, "Get over it, you two. Gray and Gravy are two different people. We can't choose both. We should just stick with one."

Sherria spoke bluntly, "You know what? I'm sticking with Gray."

Goofy nodded in agreement, "Yup, me too."

Jack asked Gravy, "So this young lady is your girlfriend? When did you meet her?"

Juvia pleaded, "No, no, no, no, no, no. This is a big mistake. I'm not his girl—"

Gravy explained, "I met boobie lady before rehearsal. Boobie lady is my girlfriend, and I'm her boyfriend. And we're going to be together forever and ever! And now, we're holding hands!" He grabbed Juvia's hand and gave it a bone-crushing squeeze, causing her to scream in pain.

Juvia demanded, "W-What are you doing?! Let go of me! Let... me..." She struggled with all her might to remove her hand from Gravy's, but his grip was too tight.

Gravy cooed, "Together forever and ever and ever and ever and ever."

Juvia snapped, "Let GO!" She splashed Gravy's face with a blast of water, and she managed to free her hand with that distraction. The water did little to remove the clown mask off his face, and it certainly had no effect on his offbeat demeanor.

Gravy chimed, "Oh, boobie lady! You are so understanding! It makes me super-duper happy! I LOVE you, boobie lady! I wanna hug you!"

Juvia threatened, "No, no, no! Don't you da—"

Gravy laughed, "Gravy loves boobie lady! Boobie lady loves Gravy!" He gave her an embrace so tight, his arms magically transformed into muscles of ice that strangled her. "Boobie lady..."

Juvia wheezed, "Can't breathe... Need air..."

Gravy grunted, "Boobie lady!" He tightened his ice muscles, strangling her even harder. He only let go of Juvia when he noticed the triple-scoop ice cream cone still clutched in his right hand, and with a thought, the frost around his arms instantly broke apart. "Oh, I've got a nice present for you, boobie lady." He showed it to her, "Chocolate ice cream flower!"

Juvia said through clenched teeth, "Again with the choco—"

Gravy cut her off, "Smell it!" He shoved the ice cream into her face, smothering it from head to chin in cold, melted chocolate, blinding her vision in the process. She accidentally slipped on a scoop of ice cream and collapsed on the floor.

Juvia wiped her face from the confection and looked up at Gravy with a deranged fury in her eyes. "Why, you...!"

Gravy smiled, "Does it smell good, boobie lady? Do you like it? You'll like this, too." He joyfully raced over to one out of two ice cream buckets taken from the refrigerator. He opened the lid, then molded ten balls out of the frozen yogurt. "This is for juggling..." He did so with a leg lifted behind his back, and he ended the feat by throwing them as projectiles, plopping them all over Juvia's body. "This is for making pie..." He poured a large amount of ice cream from a bucket into a small plate, and threw it squarely at her face. The plate and its contents slid down to reveal a truly enraged Juvia, both boiling and freezing over the jester's zany antics. "And this is for taking a bath! Bath time, boobie lady!" He raised the bucket over his head and dumped the rest of the ice cream all over her, leaving her drenched in melted chocolate. "There! All clean! Wheeeeeeeeeee!" Gravy skipped and cartwheeled along the lab, feeling satisfied for his much less comedic routine.

Juvia wiped some of the ice cream from her face, staring at Gravy with so much outrage. "I'LL KILL HIM!" If it hadn't been for Sherria and Goofy grabbing her by the arms, she would've had the chance to attack Gravy for her humiliation. They proceeded to calm her down by rubbing her muscles and patting her back, all while cleaning the rest of the ice cream off her clothes.

Sherria whispered, "It's okay, Juvia. Calm down. Just let it go."

Goofy comforted, "Don't mind him. He's just playin' around."

Juvia fumed, "He called me his girlfriend... Hugged me to death... Pelted me with ice cream... How... insulting..." Every word she spoke came in slow pants, and it took quite a while for her anger to subside. Venting her frustration towards a jester playing with ice cream obviously wouldn't help the situation; she wanted to run, to look away, to be somewhere she could not see the freakish clown mask staring at her. But for the sake of her friends, she had no choice but to show restraint. A deep breath, and she was smoldering no longer... for the time being.

Goofy sighed, "Phew! That was close."

Sherria groaned, "She almost lost her cool. And I'm not talking about the ice cream." She licked a smidge of the cream off her finger, then smiled a bit. "Mmm. Tasty."

Carla cleared her throat, and spoke to Jack, "So this strange man in a mask is your assistant, and in charge of additional props for the festival? How appropriately... underwhelming."

Jack nodded, "Yes, though I wouldn't exactly call him 'underwhelming'. 'Unpredictable' would be the more appropriate term. Gravy is an enthusiastic and excitable fellow, and has a habit of causing mischief, but he's shown a lot of promise over the past few days. He loves Halloween as much as we do, and we're proud to welcome him into our town. He's not only a very skilled ice wizard; he's also a talented dancer, and an actor at heart."

Gravy sang, "Twinkle Twinkle Teacher..." He finished with a deep, loud burp, "...UUUUUUUUR." Some members of the party cringed at the impact of the noise.

Lucy exclaimed, "Gross! What's wrong with him? How much did he eat?"

Goofy clarified, "I think he means Twinkle Twinkle Little Star."

Jack answered, "Oh, he just ate a whole box of Pumpkin Krunchies this late afternoon. It's the best cereal in Halloween Town! I've been on the front of every box, five years in a row. They usually do that for star Halloween characters like me. Sadly, the cereal isn't recommended for heart patients or those with... nervous disorders. Luckily, Gravy has none of those."

Gravy shouted excitedly, "Whee-hee-hee-hee-hee! I like Pumpkin Krunchies!"

Sherria gasped, "You're on the front of every cereal box? No wonder everyone in town loves you!"

Jack grinned, "Well, I wasn't called the Pumpkin King yesterday. My talents are renowned far and wide. In my day, I've swept the very bravest off their feet with a wave of my hand and a well-placed moan. I'm a legendary master of terror."

Sherria, Donald, and Goofy responded in awe, "Oooooooh..."

Lucy muttered, "Oh, sure. You're quite famous. Famous enough to give me goosebumps."

Donald questioned, "How can someone who gives people goosebumps be so FAMOUS?"

Goofy smiled, "Who are we kiddin', Donald? He's a legendary Halloween monster."

Sherria implied, "Even though we never heard of him. Jack Skellington's a new name. Is there a lost Halloween history? Something ours didn't bother to enlighten us with?" She pondered for a moment, then shrugged, "Oh, well. Books don't always tell you everything."

Jack informed, "In Halloween, you'll find that things aren't what you assume them to be. And now that you've heard of the legend of the Pumpkin King, do you believe it?"

Donald, Goofy, and Sherria nodded happily, "Yes, we do!"

Lucy was the least enthusiastic. "Yes, I do..."

Romeo asked Wendy, "Hey, what do you make of this Gravy guy? He sorta reminds me of Halloween, and I mean the ringmaster who worked with the dark guilds. But he wears a clown mask instead of makeup, and he doesn't look insane like you said he was."

Wendy replied, "I don't think Gravy looks a lot like Halloween. When I fought him, Halloween didn't use Ice Magic like Gravy does. Gravy doesn't talk or act like him. He's a jester, sure, but I think it shows how much he means well to us. I can tell he didn't mean us any harm.."

Romeo confirmed, "I see. So he's the good version of Halloween."

Wendy laughed slightly, "Something like that." She turned to face Jack and asked, "When did you first meet Gravy?"

Jack explained, "Not long ago. He's a recent addition. He came to Halloween Town at the night of a shooting star blazing past the moon. An hour later, plans for the festival were underway when suddenly, a strange young man showed up in the square, twirling around the lampposts, talking to himself in a weird language, and spreading magical ice all over the place! And when he got exhausted, I asked him his name. He answered, "Graaaaaaaaaaaavy.""

Wendy repeated in confusion, "Graaaaaaaaaaaavy?"

"Yes?" Gravy asked when he heard his name being called.

Jack clarified, "No, not you, Gravy. But yes, his name is Gravy."

"Yes?"

"Not you."

Sherria wondered, "So, you're Jack and Gravy?"

"Yes?"

Donald echoed, "Jack and Gravy?"

"Yes?"

Goofy blinked, "Jack and Gravy?"

"Yes?"

Juvia whined, "Please stop saying 'gravy.' It bothers me."

"Yes?"

Jack interjected, "Moving on! When he first arrived here in town, I couldn't help but feel bad for the poor guy, and I assumed he came a long way. Me and the other townsfolk decided to take him in. We fed him, bathed him, dressed him, groomed him... and when he presented to us his proficiency in Ice Magic, we were absolutely astounded. And then it occurred to me; he has the gift of brightening the Halloween spirit. All the more reason I had to invite him! The next day, he was now one of us— I've found a trusty new partner in Gravy the Jester."

"Yes?"

Jack continued, "He's been a big help ever since I took him under my wing. He livened up the festival with his beautiful, heart-stopping, horrifying ice sculptures. And in exchange for his generous assistance, I treated him with a good supply of Pumpkin Krunchies and buckets full of chocolate ice cream. Strangely, he prefers to play arts and crafts with the ice cream rather than eat it. But at least he eats the cereal to his heart's content. He eats it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!"

Gravy reminded, "I like chocolate ice cream and Pumpkin Krunchies."

Juvia whined, "Yes, we heard. Plenty of times. Ice cream, cereal, ice cream, cereal, day in and day out..."

Sherria shook her head in disappointment, "Poor Juvia."

Wendy smiled, "So that's how Gravy became your assistant... You've taken such good care of him. I'm happy for the both of you."

Jack smiled back, "The pleasure is all ours."

Wendy chuckled a bit, but her expression changed when she immersed herself in thought about what Jack said about Gravy. "A shooting star blazing past the moon... A strange young man who showed up in the square... Can it be true? Why does that feel so... wrong?" Perhaps it was just her imagination, but it felt so unnatural for such events to play out at exactly the same day, but the Sky Maiden was already seeing the signs— that Gravy hailed from a world different than Jack's. Above all else, there was the possibility of a Fairy Tail wizard who made their way into Halloween Town. And yet...

Jack affirmed, "Well, I've told you my story. What's yours?"

"Oh!" Wendy remembered Jack's conversation with Doctor Finkelstein. "Jack, I can't help but overhear you needing a key to this thing." She pointed at the container, "I'll unlock it for you."

Jack asked hopefully, "You can?"

Finkelstein scoffed, "You help us? Girl, science isn't a toy. It's a tremendous responsi—" Before he could finish his sentence, Wendy summoned her Keyblade and pointed it at the lock. It shot out a beam, and the lock opened with a click. While Jack was astonished by the feat, the doctor took it rather calmly. Somehow, he expected as much. "Oh. It's open."

Jack remarked, "My! That was amazing! Uh, and you are..."

Wendy introduced herself, "Wendy Marvell."

Jack walked up to her. "Well done, Wendy! I'd like you and your friends to be a part of this year's Halloween, just as Gravy has always been."

Romeo smiled, "That sounds really interesting."

Sherria nodded, "We'd be happy to join you."

Goofy agreed, "Nothin' like a good ol' Halloween jamboree around the same time we're out questin'!"

Lucy shook her head, "Nope, not interested! I'm not in the mood for this Halloween jamboree."

Donald pouted, "Don't be such a sour banana, Lucy. It's a party! We should unwind a bit. Why wouldn't you? 'Cause you're—"

Lucy spoke rapidly, "I don't know what you're talking about nothing is wrong with me so please don't ask."

Donald looked at her funny. "Huh?"

Romeo groaned, "This is gonna take a while."

Wendy asked, "Say, Jack, what's this Heartless doing here?" She gestured to the Search Ghost lying on the examination table.

Jack explained, "Oh, the Heartless came to town two weeks before Gravy. From what a certain legend described, they're creatures of darkness that prey on the hearts of people. They are the perfect stars for our first annual festival, made in their honor. And guess who's the sponsor of the event? Yours truly."

Goofy commented, "Sounds like he knows a great deal about the Heartless."

Donald nodded, "Sure does."

Jack stated, "What's frustrating is I can't get them to dance with me. So Doctor Finkelstein and I are trying to improve the guidance system. He's quite a genius!"

Finkelstein joked, "Oh, I'm flattered. I'm sure our guests wouldn't mind if they oversee the creation process. Of course, if they're interested in helping us..."

Wendy's eyes widened, "Help you?" She shook her head, "N-No, we're good!"

Romeo chuckled, "Sorry, Doctor. Our hands are tied. We'll only watch."

Finkelstein shrugged, "Your loss. A scientist can achieve many things with the right tools and the right mind. If you're not good at both, you can't do anything properly. I am the definition of science, lucky you, one that will make an excellent breakthrough. To make the Heartless obey us, we must create our own heart. That, it can be easily rendered."

Lucy squeaked, "A heart created by science? I've heard so much about it in theories, but seeing it actually happen before my eyes..."

Jack determined, "Okay, Doctor, let's continue. The ingredients for a heart: Pulse." They pulled out a plump and rounded frog, which croaked to a pulsing beat, and placed it on the table next to the Search Ghost. "Emotion."

"Terror," Finkelstein added, in which a large spider was included on the list.

"Fear," Jack went on, and the doctor pulled out a pane of glass. He slid his hand off the glass, making an almost ear-bleeding screech. "Hope and despair." The last ingredient was a ring of two snakes with their mouths over each other's tails, glancing at one another. "Mix them all together, and we have a heart!"

Not ten seconds later, the desired heart was already complete. Slowly but surely, it pounded with beats that exceeded the noise of the lab's whirling devices, and twice as loud as the beats everyone gave off in their chests, if not rapidly. Some observed the creation process with great anticipation, others with slight anxiety. Overall, they were witnessing what may be the start of a major breakthrough.

Wendy breathed, "It's huge... And the heartbeats are louder than ours!"

Goofy added, "Not to mention, it's made outta nuts and bolts..."

Donald finished, "...instead of squishy guts!"

Sherria corrected, "Technically, a frog, two snakes, and a spider were added to the mix. And a glass pane."

Romeo guessed, "So the outside is the nuts and bolts? And the insides, they're..."

Lucy dreaded, "Made out of living animals. Classic evil science stuff."

Wendy wondered, "What's gonna happen now?"

Romeo suggested, "Well, they made their very own heart. Let's just see how this goes."

Sherria fantasized, "Just think, the Heartless will be under their control, they'll be good guys, and we won't have to fight them in this world. It's gonna be great!"

Wendy nodded, "My thoughts exactly! We're actually getting the Heartless over to our side."

Lucy worried, "Over to our side? What good would that do for us? We're practically bringing Heartless to life, creatures of darkness that feed on hearts. I don't think it's a good sign."

Carla agreed, "She's right. Even if the experiment works, we can't assume that the Heartless will immediately become allies. We must be prepared for what comes after."

Wendy smiled, "That's the reason we're here, isn't it? We're seeing how this goes."

Romeo grinned, "You're reading my mind, Wendy."

Donald informed, "If I'm watching this, I'm getting a nice, juicy hot dog."

Goofy asked, "You want some mustard, ketchup, or gravy with that?"

"Yes?"

Juvia suddenly screamed, "GRAVY, GRAVY, GRAVY! Every word I'm hearing is GRAVY! I can't stand it, I tell you—" Donald, Goofy, and Sherria shushed her.

"And now for the finishing touch," Finkelstein announced. He placed the artificial heart into the console of the machine and wheeled over to a large lever, before turning to face Wendy and company. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are on the verge of creating a masterpiece. The greatest thing that ever happened in the field of science. Fasten your seat belts..." He grasped the lever, and declared in a dramatic flare, "...and prepare to witness GREATNESS!" A single pull, and the machine sparked to life, gears clicking and whirling. Electricity crackled over the Search Ghost... which suddenly sat up with its arms outstretched! Finkelstein laughed maniacally and raised his arms in victory at what seemed to be his greatest success. "YES! IT'S WORKING!"

"IT'S WORKING?!" Wendy, Donald, Goofy, Romeo, Sherria, Carla, Lucy, Juvia, and Jack were all surprised by the unexpected development.

"Yes?" Gravy was less intimidated by the scene unfolding before his eyes.

Unfortunately, the sweet taste of success turned into the bitterness of failure when the system crashed, the electricity sparked out, and the Search Ghost fell limp again. "It failed!" Finkelstein exclaimed. Jack and the young heroes were equally dismayed over this major setback.

"Well, so much for the festival," Donald sighed.

"They were so close!" Goofy cried.

"That was too close..." Lucy breathed.

"So the heart is a failure," Carla mused.

"Hmm..." Finkelstein peered over his research book. "Maybe we're missing some ingredients. Let's try adding memory." He flipped his skullcap open, revealing his pink brain for all to see, and scratched it while attempting to figure something out.

"Ewwwwww! Grooooossss!" It would seem Lucy was the most repulsed of all the people in the entourage.

"Sally? Sally!" Finkelstein called out. There was no response. "Good-for-nothing girl! Don't know why I bothered creating her!" He angrily slammed his fists on the arms of his wheelchair and closed his skull.

"What's wrong?" Wendy asked.

"Sally's got the memory we need," Finkelstein whirled around to face the group. "She made off with the last forget-me-not, which represents 'memory,' without my permission!"

"Who's Sally?" Wendy asked again.

"A creation of mine," Finkelstein described. "I patched her together from parts that sometimes come off and move about on their own. She works as my lab assistant, but she'd much rather spend time outside than inside." He placed a hand over his face and shook it in agitation, "I've told her a thousand times that she's not ready for so much excitement, but does she ever listen to me? No!" He sighed deeply, "I don't know where she gets that rebellious streak from. Some of my creations before her weren't as stubborn as she is."

"I know how that feels," Carla sympathized. "We tend to be overprotective for what mattered to us the most. But there will eventually come a time when the bird grows up and prepares to leave the nest. The young begin as the inexperienced, and by gaining strength and knowledge, they become something more."

"We all get the feeling, Doctor," Sherria grinned. "This is one big part of growing up."

"Can we get back to business already?" Finkelstein asked impatiently. "Sally made off with the last forget-me-not. Not long before the guidance system malfunctioned, I found her wandering outside the lab. See if you can track her down."

"No problem," Jack nodded, and he turned to the group. "Wendy, would you and your friends like to come along?"

"Sure!" Wendy accepted. "Where exactly can we find Sally?"

"She usually spends her free time at the graveyard," Jack stated. "It's the most likely place we'll find her there."

"W-W-We're going to a graveyard?" Lucy shivered. "Haven't we been to one spooky place too many?"

"Lighten up, Lucy. A graveyard's no big deal," Romeo persuaded. "We're doing them a favor, so we all have to go. We can't let Jack and the doctor down."

"Ugh! Fine," Lucy groaned in frustration. "But if I ever see one more monster scaring me silly, I'm out."

"Alright, then," Jack confirmed. "We're off to the graveyard!" He turned to look at Gravy, who was wearing the empty ice cream bucket as a hat. "Are you coming, Gravy?"

"Yes!" Gravy nodded happily. "I'm about to take boobie lady out on a romantic stroll. If she's going outside, then I'm going outside, too." He later took his bucket hat off and threw it away, "We'll hold hands together, we'll talk lots of love stuff together, we'll eat dinner together, and we'll kiss under the moonie together!" Every word he said felt like a blow to Juvia's sanity. "A BIGGIE, LONGIE KISSY-WISSY under the moonie!"

"WHAT?!" Juvia's jaw dropped with utter dismay, and she shook her hands in refusal. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! I don't wa—"

"YAY!" Gravy danced with joy, and he caught Juvia in another tight hug. "Boobie lady said yes! It's official-ish! We are going on a date-date-date, not late-late-late for our date-date-date!"

"S-Stop! Stop it!" Juvia shouted frantically as she kicked the air, her arms bound. "Let me go! Put me down!" She faced the rest of the party, "Somebody do something! Someone! Anyone!"

"What are you talking about? He likes you!" Donald laughed. "You just made a new friend!"

"He is NOT my friend!" Juvia protested. "And I am NOT his girlfriend!"

"Awww, she says I'm her girlfriend," Gravy adored. "It makes me smiley-wiley a lot."

"Didn't you hear me, you dumb twit?!" Juvia shrieked. "I am NOT YOUR GIRLFRIEND!"

"In his mind, you are," Sherria stated. "Every time you refuse something from him, he takes it as a compliment. It's like his mind's in reverse, or it's opposite day every day!"

"OPPOSITE DAY?!" Juvia screamed incredulously. "Where are we, in a topsy-turvy town?! He's a walking disaster! A tomfool, totally insane clown in a mask who exists to pester me!"

"Pester you? That's ridiculous!" Jack retorted. "Gravy just wants to have fun! No matter how he acts or what he thinks..." He patted his chest, "...he's a pure Halloween character, through and through. He'll always be welcome here in our humble home, and no one can tell him different. So of course he can come with us."

"You know, he's not so bad once you get used to him," Sherria suggested. "Give him a chance, Juvia. I'm quite positive he'll be of big help." She sighed to herself, "At least I hope so."

"Oh, why him? Why him?" Juvia whimpered. "How could you welcome a clown with the mind of a child as one of your own? Is everyone else in town as deluded as him?"

"Boobie lady girlfriend! Gravy boyfriend!" Gravy sang merrily. "Together forever and ever. I love her, and she loves me. Together forever. Yes, we are!" As he vocalized, he twirled Juvia around and around in a waltz that left her dizzy for a short while.

"And here I thought it wasn't possible to get stuck with anyone else who's as creepy and kooky, mysterious and spooky, all together ooky as those two," Lucy mused.

"Whatever his reasons are, we're not in a position to refuse him," Carla affirmed. "If Gravy wishes to come, we'll let him come. If that pleases both him and Jack."

"Yes?"

"Well, you're wacky, but that doesn't make you unreliable," Romeo shrugged. "We're glad to have you, Gravy, for what it's worth."

"Yes?"

"Gravy is Jack's trust partner, right?" Donald noted. "And partners need to stick together. It's only fair he sticks with Jack."

"Yes?"

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Jack smiled. "Whether he goes above or beyond the line of work, Gravy is a valuable asset."

"Yes?"

"Oh, how miserable fate can be," Juvia said hopelessly. "To think I would spend the remainder of our time in Halloween Town as the unwitting love prisoner for some guy named Gravy..."

"Yes?"

"And hearing him say 'yes' is like he agrees I'm his girlfriend. The girl for Gravy."

"Yes?"

"Juvia and Gravy? This can't be! It should be Gray, not Gravy!"

"Yes?"

"Gray should've been the one hugging me, not Gravy!"

"Yes?"

"Do I even have to say or hear his name again?!"

"Poor Juvia... She's very sad without Gray," Goofy worried.

"Instead of Gray, she's stuck with Gravy. This is comedy gold," Donald snickered.

"Love triangle," Sherria reminded in a whisper.

At that moment, a loud explosion was heard outside the research lab, coupled with the sound of a bell, and panic-stricken voices flared up. Everyone could instantly feel the dread hanging in the air beyond the metal.

"What was that?" Wendy asked in alarm.

"Sounds like trouble," Romeo narrowed his eyes.

"It's coming from outside," Jack discerned. "Shall we?"

"Yeah!" Wendy nodded, and the party members immediately raced out the door. However, she stopped and noticed a piece of paper stuck between two books on a shelf. Once she pulled it out, she identified the paper as another torn page of Merlin's book, and decided to pocket it for safekeeping. Afterwards, she followed her friends out of the research lab.

Found Torn Page. Page 4 of Merlin's Book is in your possession!

Gravy only stayed behind to have a moment with Doctor Finkelstein, the hapless Juvia held in a single arm. "Boobie lady and I are going out on our date now." He flailed his other arm, "See ya later, doctor, sir, ma'am! Buh-byeeeeeeeeee!"

Finkelstein mumbled under his breath, "Sure, do what you like with her. It's your funeral."

Juvia asked nervously, "E-E-Excuse me, Doctor, but whose funeral is it?"

Finkelstein snapped, "None of your concern! Just go get me that forget-me-not!"

Juvia yelped, "Alright, alright! If this can get your experiment done right, we'll see this through." She looked at Gravy with despair, "Along with... with..." She struggled to find the right words to finish her sentence, considering how negative her attitude was towards Gravy. In the end, she answered with a deep sigh. "...with Gravy."

Gravy beamed, "Hey, boobie lady! You know what time it is?"

Juvia moaned, "I don't want to know."

Gravy exclaimed, "It's date time! Date time! DATE TIME! Wheeeeeeeeeee!" He pushed the door open and left with a flustered Juvia in tow.


Guillotine Square

As soon as Wendy and company returned to the square, the festival had devolved into total pandemonium. The Heartless began to run amok, laying waste to the decorations, setting houses and buildings on fire, and terrorizing the townspeople. Ironically, the monsters of Halloween were scared silly by the very creatures they sought to control. The Search Ghosts, which used to be Jack's backup dancers, went berserk and attacked the citizens. On top of that, several Heartless by any other shape and form joined the Search Ghosts on their rampage. There was a swarm of Shadows chasing four frightened vampires. Red Nocturnes melting loads of ice sculptures. Soldiers surrounding the one-eyed mummy and his little zombie friend. Large Bodies damaging structures on sight. Blue Rhapsodies and Yellow Operas stinging the witches in a blend of ice and lightning.

"The Heartless! They're attacking the town!" Wendy exclaimed.

"Look, the ghosts!" Sherria gasped, pointing at the Search Ghosts. "One minute they're seemingly harmless dancers, and the next thing everyone knew, they've regressed back to cold-blooded heart eaters!"

"They're not alone," Romeo glared. "Some old faces we've fought in other worlds are rearing their ugly heads so they can play 'eat your heart out' with the ghosts."

"Ooooh! That's some nice use of dialogue there," Donald remarked.

"But it won't be enough to fix the problem right here!" Goofy worried.

"What's with everybody running around? Are we playing hide-and-seek?" Gravy asked, before his puzzled expression twisted to a happy one. "I like this game! Hide-and-seek is my bestest best favorite-y game ever! Games are the best! Games are fun! We can play and stay up all night!" Without even bothering to check the condition of his so-called 'girlfriend', he let go of Juvia, dropping her into solid earth.

"This doesn't look like hide-and-seek," Jack frowned. "This is absolute chaos!"

"It's about time!" Juvia huffed, dusting herself and standing up. "I've been trying to break free of his painful, overly fuzzy hugs since we left! So help me, if I get another hug from that loony, I'm going to— Hm?" She looked to face the Heartless running loose around the square, and got confused. "What happened to the Heartless? Why are they attacking innocent people?"

"Apparently, they've gone berserk while we were spending our time in the doctor's lab," Carla explained. "You haven't noticed?"

"Did I?" Juvia raised an eyebrow.

"Jack! Jack! We have a major crisis!" the Mayor yelled into his megaphone, having switched into his unhappy face as he raced over to Jack. "The Heartless are completely out of control!" He thrust his arm to gesture at the mayhem around him. "We can't stop them!"

"I knew it!" Lucy shouted angrily. "This is exactly what would happen if we let our curiosity get the better of us! Unlock the container, Wendy says. See the Heartless be friendly, Romeo says. See them do the Monster Mash, Sherria says!" She threw her arms up in the air and yelled in frustration, "I knew this was going to happen, and no one ever listened to me!"

"We can worry about it later, Lucy!" Romeo snapped. "It's too late to fix it now! The Heartless are violent again, and are causing trouble here in town! Get it together already!"

"Okay, I get it! Geez!" Lucy grumbled. "What's a girl to do besides pointing out the obvious?"

"Hmm..." Jack rubbed his chin. "Maybe our experiment triggered a reaction that reverted them back to their primitive, savage ways."

"So it's kinda our fault they're acting this way?" Wendy questioned. She turned to look at Lucy crossing her arms with a frown, and began to feel guilty. "Maybe I never should've unlocked that box, then none of this would've happened... Just when I thought we didn't have to deal with them for once, they're back to being the bad guys." She sighed sadly, "I'm sorry, guys... I blew it. I just wanted to help Jack."

"Don't be hard on yourself, Wendy," Romeo comforted. "We supported Jack's idea as much as you did, so this one's on us, too."

"Not me," Lucy huffed. "I had no part in any of this."

"If we're gonna make up for this, we gotta help the townsfolk," Romeo suggested.

"Their safety has become our main priority," Carla nodded.

"Your friendly neighborhood exterminators, at your service!" Sherria quipped.

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks!" Wendy appreciated.

"Looks like the forget-me-not will have to wait," Jack confirmed. "We have to do something about the Heartless first." He turned to the Mayor, "Everything will be fine, Mayor. You have nothing to worry about. Leave this mess to us."

"Oh, thank you, Jack," the Mayor breathed. "Without your brilliant leadership and outstanding courage— YEOW!" He was scorched in the back by a fireball from a Red Nocturne, and had to run away when it gave chase. "Help meeeeeeeeee!"

"We may have suffered a setback," Jack dreaded. "The Heartless have completely gone beyond our control. The festival is in disarray!"

"Jack, the Heartless are drawn to people's hearts," Wendy told him. "If nothing is done, they'll swallow their hearts. Or worse, they'll turn into more Heartless!"

"Let's take care of them, and find Sally while we're at it!" Romeo fists ignited with Yellow Fire. "Like Natsu always says, I'm all fired up!"

"So am I!" Wendy pulled out her Crabclaw Keyblade. She then noticed Donald tapping his foot, looking in Jack's direction. "Um, are you mad, too?"

"No, I'm suspicious," Donald frowned. "Something's screwy about the Heartless. Aren't these ghosts supposed to be the only Heartless in town?" As he attempted at a theory, he noticed that his friends had rushed to the scene of the disaster without him. "Hey, wait!" He joined the battle with staff in hand, and they went to work defending the citizens of Halloween Town from the Heartless.

At any rate, handling a force of twenty unruly Search Ghosts would have been a simple matter for the Pumpkin King, had not their other brethren bolstered the number of Heartless in the square. Shadows, Soldiers, Large Bodies, Red Nocturnes, Blue Rhapsodies, and Yellow Operas stormed the festival in droves, harboring the same intent of ruining the celebration, and to an extent, all of Halloween. Fortunately for Jack, he needed not to face these complications alone. His new allies, to his surprise, were capable of performing magic like Gravy. Wendy trampled through Search Ghosts with a tight mixture of Keyblade attacks and Sky Dragon Slayer Magic, Donald blasted down Red Nocturnes with Blizzara, Goofy bashed Soldiers with flexible shield techniques, Romeo vaporized Blue Rhapsodies with Yellow Fire, Sherria blew away Shadows with Sky God's Dance, and Juvia soaked up Yellow Operas with Water Nebula. Carla was able to retain her will-o'-the-wisp attire when she assumed her human form, and she did her part in keeping the Heartless at bay.

"Hah! This festival's turned into a major brawl," Romeo quipped.

"What a crazy party it turned out to be!" Sherria remarked.

"I think we should've done this in the first place!" Wendy affirmed.

"Their numbers are growing! Don't be reckless!" Carla suggested.

"Same some for me!" Jack declared, and he threw himself into the approaching tide of Search Ghosts, Red Nocturnes, Blue Rhapsodies, and Yellow Operas. It's no surprise that the Pumpkin King was a versatile combatant in his own right; despite not being equipped with a weapon, his strength and magic were relatively high. When six Search Ghosts cornered Jack and flung their life-leeching hands, he expertly blocked them with his bare hands, before he countered with conventional bone slaps. "Applause!" His body wrapped in an aura of magic, he dramatically slid into the Search Ghosts, eliminating them in one swift move. "Blazing Fury!" Jack engulfed himself in a ring of pumpkin-shaped flames and charged against the Blue Rhapsodies, reducing the entire flock to ashes. "Icy Terror!" He sent out a large ice crystal that homed in on every Red Nocturne, eradicating them in an instant. "Bolts of Sorrow!" Jack relentlessly called down lightning bolts to destroy what remained of the Search Ghosts. "Ghostly Scream!" Finally, he summoned spheres of darkness that crushed the Yellow Operas in a single blast. "Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! What's the matter, you sad sacks of snot? Don't you like how terror tastes?!" A haughty laugh was it took for him to announce the end of the first wave. Jack's impressive combat skills had not gone unnoticed by Wendy, Donald, Goofy, Romeo, Sherria, and Carla; the surprise on their faces was clearly evident.

"You're a wizard, too?!" Wendy gasped.

"And a really cool one!" Romeo beamed.

"That was amazing, Jack!" Sherria cheered.

"That's some good magic!" Goofy grinned.

"Doesn't beat mine, though," Donald grumbled.

"Most impressive," Carla commented.

"I told you, didn't I?" Jack smirked. "I wasn't born the Pumpkin King yesterday, so of course I have magical powers. Like Gravy, and like all of you."

"Wow..." Wendy, Romeo, and Sherria breathed altogether.

"I'm saved! You saved me! Jack saved me! You all saved me!" The same harlequin demon from before approached the group, minutes after he was saved from the Search Ghosts. He handed Goofy an Elixir, "This is for you! Thanks a bundle!" He then sped off, laughing with joy.

"Well, that was nice," Goofy remarked. "All we had to do is take out a couple of Heartless, and the guy just gave this to me."

"Or maybe he just wanted to get rid of things he doesn't need..." Donald muttered, though he smiled when he stared at the bottle in Goofy's hand. "But it's still useful."

"Thundara!" A cry from Wendy jolted the other party members to turn around and spot three Shadows sneaking behind Jack. It was a simple matter of summoning an upgraded version of Thunder to destroy them before they could attack. The threat was averted, and relief washed over the young heroes. Wendy turned to her friends and asked, "Did I miss anything?"

"Nope, it was right on time," Romeo smiled.

"Speaking of Gravy, what's he doing?" Sherria wondered.

"Water Slicer!" Juvia swung her left arm at four Search Ghosts, sending a slash of water that cut them through the middle before they disintergrated.

"Star Shot!" Having donned her Sagittarius Star Dress, Lucy fired multiple arrows of light at five Red Nocturnes and six Yellow Operas, removing the last vestiges of danger posed to this side of the town. What made up for her fear of what she witnessed thus far, a brave façade took form when she fought the Heartless. Though the citizens of Halloween Town were scary, she couldn't refuse their call for help. She somewhat begrudgingly came to their rescue, not simply for their betterment, but for her teammates.

"Water Claw!" Juvia pulled back her right arm and pushed a torrent of steaming water through a Large Body attempting to deliver a blow with its fist. As it disappeared, she looked around the area for any stragglers. "There doesn't seem to be more of them here. I should probably... Hm?" Just then, she spotted Gravy standing in front of the fountain, bowing his head towards the slime and clasping his hands in prayer. "Gravy's... here? Why isn't he fighting?"

"Oh, wishing well! My wish has finally come true! Oh, wishing well! I give my thanks to you!" Gravy expressed his feelings in a new song as he twirled and danced all over the fountain. "Oh, wishing well! A girlfriend's come to town! Oh, wishing well! We will kiss before the moon falls..." He cleared his throat, and finished in a deeper voice, "DOOOOOOOOWWWWWN..."

"Oh, I hope not," Juvia shuddered. "The thought of that unrefined clown kissing me makes my insides tremble. It will be a fatal blow to my dignity! My heart belongs to Gray, and Gray only. For our sakes, I must keep our love alive. I'm not letting him—"

"Hey, look! It's boobie lady!" Gravy immediately turned to face Juvia upon hearing her mutter a short distance away, his smile wide.

"Aaaaah! Gravy!" Juvia yelped.

"Yes?" Gravy asked.

Juvia took a few calming breaths. "W-What are you doing near the fountain?"

Gravy answered, "You mean the wishing well? I'm thanking it for making my wish come true. See?" He gestured to the fountain, "I wished for a girlfriend, and now I have a girlfriend. Wishes do come truuuuuuuuuuue!" He uttered the last word on a romantic note.

Juvia reminded, "Gravy, aren't you supposed to be fighting with us?" She motioned to Wendy and the others currently fighting the next wave of Heartless. "You're an ice wizard, aren't you? Won't you use your magic to fight?"

Gravy looked somewhat confused. "Uhhhhhhh... Fffffffffffight? What's a... fffffffffight? Is that some sort of food?"

Juvia snapped, "Do you hear me?! You're a wizard! You have magic, which you use to defend yourself! Why aren't you using it to fight instead of making statues?"

Gravy beamed, "The statues are a nice backdrop for Halloween. And you said you believe in yourself? So did I! I believed in myself! I believed that I'd have a girlfriend of my own, and that girlfriend is you, boobie lady. You believed that you'd be my girlfriend, and that girlfriend is you, boobie lady. We both believed. We both wished. So our wish has come true-true-true-true-true, my sunshine girl!" He sung at the last part.

Juvia cringed, "Just who do you think you are?" She shook her head in disgust, "Forget it, I don't have time for this." She simply walked straight past Gravy. "Just... get out of my way."

"Boobie lady!" Gravy suddenly trapped Juvia in a bear hug and squeezed her tightly, laughing with cheer. "My honey bunny BOOBIE LADY!"

"No... Gravy, no...!" Even without the ice muscles applied, the embrace was agonizingly painful all the same; Juvia could barely breathe, and could feel her bones cracking under pressure. "I... can't..."

Lucy examined the scene and groaned in exasperation. "As if clowns could ever be more than Vulcans in Mt. Hakobe..." She raised her magical bow and rushed forward to join the fight on the other side and help her comrades fend off the remaining Heartless.

Juvia saw the celestial wizard run off, and tried calling for help, but her voice was still restricted by Gravy's torturous hug. This could take a while.

Five minutes later...

It took some time, but Wendy and her friends had successfully secured the square; the citizens were unharmed, the fires were out, and not a single Heartless in sight. But the damage dealt to the festival and its ongoing development was ruinous than expected, compared to the town's unnatural background. The debris mingled with shards and fragments of ice that lay scattered across the street, popped balloons and torn signs littered several spots, and puffs of smoke rose from wrecked houses. No sooner had the party regrouped did Jack turn to the crowd and ask, "Is everyone alright?" They all nodded and responded in kind, and he started getting the usual royal treatment. The citizens constantly thanked the skeleton and his new friends, shook their hands, and the harlequin demon that gave Goofy the Elixir bragged about them some more.

Wendy apologized, "I'm sorry the festival didn't go out as you'd hoped, Jack."

Jack shrugged, "Oh, it happens all the time. Not every Halloween we've organized over the years went off without a few mistakes along the way. When it comes to planning the perfect celebration, some things tend to get out of hand. But the best part about mistakes is that we learn from them. How could an accident like this one be any different?" To make his point, he thrust his hand to gesture at the scope of destruction.

Romeo grinned, "We all know you're a legendary master of terror. But we didn't know you're such a good optimist."

Wendy smiled, "You're just trying to make the best Halloween for everyone, and you never gave up. It's a good thing that you haven't."

Sherria pointed out, "Still, All Hallow's Eve is in big trouble with the Heartless running wild. We can't let anything bad happen to this or any other holiday tradition. Now, can we?"

Donald retorted, "We can't let them ruin our favorite holidays. Holidays are for everyone!"

Goofy agreed, "Like Christmas, Easter, Thanksgivin', Valentine's Day, the list goes on!"

Lucy mused, "Being in a town where Halloween is real, I can handle fighting Heartless. Just the occasional heart-eating monsters we get to battle. But pairing up with some living skeleton in a macabre suit and his jester pet? I never once thought of the idea."

Gravy suddenly appeared next to Lucy with Juvia coiled around his left arm. "Did someone say jester? I'm a jester! I'm Gravy the Jester!"

"Eeek!" A startled cry, and Lucy hastily moved away. "I should've kept my mouth shut around him."

Juvia whined, "Help me... I've been the victim of his twisted love for half an hour or so..."

Gravy declared, "We're both victims of love, boobie lady!"

Juvia argued, "I'M the victim here! Not you!" She turned to face Lucy, "Lucy, please set me free from this wack job in a clown mask! I'm begging you!"

Lucy snapped, "And risk myself ending up being another plaything to fill his grueling manchild appetite?" She shook her head in refusal, "Forget it! I want nothing to do with him, least of all Jack or any other face in this spooky town! Just because I'm helping them doesn't mean I like them!"

"But you kicked him in the head!"

"Because he creeped me out! I have standards, you know!"

"He creeped me out, too!"

"I was only looking after myself! That didn't make us even!"

"Please, Lucy! You must help me!"

"And I told you, forget it!"

"I'll do anything!"

"No deal!"

"Please!"

"No!"

Gravy didn't seem bothered by the ensuing argument between the two as he gazed up into the full moon, a small smile played on his lips. Brimming with high expectations, he whispered to himself, "Kissy-wissy under the moonie-woonie..."

Meanwhile, Wendy asked Jack, "Aren't we going to check out the graveyard?"

Jack nodded, "Oh, but of course. There's a path leading outside, between the wall and the town hall. Follow me, new friends!" With that said, he walked along the narrow road set before him.

Sherria remarked, "Huh, we just met him a couple of minutes ago, and he already calls us his friends."

Wendy beamed, "Romeo's right. Jack is such a good optimist." He just chuckled.

The party members elected to follow Jack to the graveyard, and the last to catch up was Gravy humming to himself and carrying Juvia on his shoulder. She was in tears, and still pleading for someone, anyone, to get her out of her present predicament. "Pleeeaaaassssse!"


Graveyard

True to its theme, the graveyard was a narrow space where the dead lay so deep, their own ghosts wouldn't be able to find them. There was a multitude of gravestones on the left, statues of strange-looking gargoyles on the right, and a huge coffin at the middle. As Wendy and company entered the place, so did another swarm of Heartless. Not only Shadows and Search Ghosts, but a new class identified as Wight Knights. Their grayish-blue skeletal figures were wrapped in patches of white gauze bandages; the heads were completely covered, save for a gap revealing a bright yellow eye in their shadowed faces, and a simple angular-spiraled plume. Wight Knights also had ribcages of six sharp barbs surrounding their chests and emblems, large hands, and long-barbed fingers and toes. In short, they strongly resembled the mummy from earlier, but mixed with parts of a skeleton. Fun fact: the word "wight" as a noun means a ghost or a supernatural being, and the name "Wight Knight" is a play on "white knight", which is ironic considering how decrepit they looked! With their undead appearances, it's no surprise that they selected Halloween Town as their main haunt.

Wendy tensed, "They're here, too! We better clear the place before we start searching!"

Everyone else shouted in approval, "Right!"

The Wight Knights were best known for their jerky and unorthodox dance moves; they seemed to be taking great delight in prancing all over the battlefield like zombies dancing in a musical. Their attack patterns included stretching their arms and then spinning them as bludgeons, causing great damage to anyone unfortunate to approach them. In a sense, Wight Knights were fairly superior in strength and speed, very much like the Powerwilds encountered in the Deep Jungle. However, their attacks were reasonably easy to avoid, and carefully-timed parrying would catch them off guard. And while their tenacity proved more than a challenge for Wendy and her companions in some occasions, their recklessness would be their hubris. The best approach was to keep a distance and break their attacks when possible, then make quick work of them.

Wendy was able to hold off five Wight Knights by blocking their attacks. She finished them with standard combinations, then destroyed three more with Strike Raid, Sonic Blade, and Sky Dragon's Wing Attack. Donald cast Thundara at a circle of Shadows, and Goofy disarmed a Wight Knight's claws with his shield before bashing it with Goofy Rocket. Six Search Ghosts teleported behind Romeo and tried to attack, but Jack executed Blazing Fury to incinerate the pack while shoving an incoming Wight Knight against another. Romeo would then jump over Jack to sock a third Wight Knight soaring through the sky with a Purple Fire Fist. Wendy cast Gravity to force a couple more Heartless into submission, leaving Lucy to execute them with a Star Shot. Sherria cast Sky God's Boreas to decimate three more Wight Knights, Carla stunned four Search Ghosts with lightning fast kicks, and Jack cleared the last of the Shadows with Bolts of Sorrow. Finally, Wendy clashed with the remaining Wight Knights and Search Ghosts before paralyzing them with Stun Impact, and their defeat came quickly. The graveyard was cleared, and everyone felt satisfied by the result. Everyone except Juvia, who was still in Gravy's clutches.

Donald breathed, "Hoo! That sure was a chunk full of Heartless in the graveyard."

Lucy agreed, "You're telling me. They're mummies and skeletons mixed together. Lucky for me, none of them touched me. They looked gross."

It wasn't long before Gravy joined the party with Juvia, the latter looking rather depressed. "I'm sorry I didn't assist you all, but the jester refused to let me leave his side."

Gravy sung happily, "I love boobie lady, she is very swell. She is the best, there's no contest, and now I'm going to yell. WHOO! La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la... She's so sweet, she's so neat, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand... kissy treat!" He puckered up his lips for a smooch when...

"NOOOOOOOO!" Juvia finally forced herself out of Gravy's grip by releasing a torrent of water, and he was shoved against the wall. He only flinched at the impact; he felt no pain. She angrily pointed a finger at him, "I will not let a horrid class clown like you press your disgusting lips against mine!"

Gravy sighed affectionately, "She's so cute when she shouts out loud." He then lay flat against the dirt, his wide smile unwavering.

Juvia complained, "Jack, why must you look after this idiotic circus beefcake who exists only to humiliate and embarass me?"

Jack explained, "He's a lost person. I didn't need a reason to help him, and I've been taking very good care of him since I took him in. It's only fair."

Juvia muttered, "Figures."

Gravy suddenly sat back up. "I'm a cowboy." In a flash, he disappeared from the graveyard.

At first, Juvia took it as a sign that Gravy was gone from her sight, and sighed in relief. "Finally! I thought he'll never leave me alone."

"Here's my horse!" Gravy's voice rang up, and he returned with a small pink horse figurine in his hand.

"Oh, no...! No more!" Juvia cried hopelessly. It would seem that her luck only lasted for about four seconds.

Sherria closely examined Gravy's toy horse, and tapped her chin with her finger. "Who does that pink pony remind me of...?"

At that moment, Wendy and company noticed a transparent being rising out of a gravestone shaped like a doghouse— a ghostly dog who closely resembled a white sheet, much like a stereotypical ghost, with a glowing pumpkin at the end of his long, thin snout. He gave a wag of his cloth-like tail as everyone in the group except Jack all jumped up and shrieked, some in happiness, others in surprise.

"A ghost dog?!" Wendy, Donald, Goofy, Romeo, and Sherria exclaimed.

"From the grave?!" Lucy mirrored their incredulous tone, albeit more frightful.

"Oh, that's Zero. He's my ghostly canine companion," Jack introduced. "He never gets tired of playing fetch with me."

Sherria leaned in, looking closely at the panting ghost dog. "You mean to tell us that this little... white-sheet... ghost dog..." Zero looked back with his mouth hung open, and the Sky God Slayer was instantly won over. "...is your pet?! Oh, he's so cute! Yes, he is! Yes, he is! Oh, isn't he the prettiest thing? Almost as cute as you, Wendy!" She turned to the Sky Maiden, who blushed at the slight compliment with a smile, as she continued to fawn over the ghost dog.

Lucy scurried behind Romeo to distance herself from the ghost dog, the familiar chill coursing through her spine. "Please don't let it come near me."

Romeo turned and frowned at her continued cowardice. "Seriously? You're still chicken?" Of course, he ignored the fact that Gravy was pretending his little horse was galloping on his head.

Juvia dreaded, "Lucy can be anxious over many things, but here, I'm only anxious over one." She failed to notice Gravy suddenly switching over to her...

...until he quietly whispered in her ear. "Boobie lady riding with Gravy the Cowboy..." He made the horse gallop up her side, and she stood frozen in a blend of fear and rage. The horse got closer to her head. Gravy made the galloping hoof noises. Donald was trying to hold back his laughter. Juvia was growing more incensed by the second. And then, an imitation whinny.

"GET OUTTA HERE!" Juvia finally snapped, making Gravy wince and walk away. Donald burst out laughing when he couldn't take it anymore. She didn't seem to mind the chortling directed at her expense, as she rubbed her face in agitation. "Oh, help me..."

Jack walked over to his pet ghost. "Zero, have you seen Sally anywhere?"

Zero yipped, before flying past the group and over to a gravestone, where they heard the gasp of a woman behind it. The same rag doll who spectated the rehearsal stood up and looked over at them, the stitches covering her body clearly visible to all. Compared to Jack, her appearance was more realistic, though her neck was much longer, and her feet were quite smaller than the average human.

"Ah, Sally!" Jack was delighted to see her. "There you are!"

"That's Sally?" Wendy gasped. "She's a..."

"A living rag doll?" Romeo answered. "Yeah, check out the stitches. The doctor said he patched her body together from parts that sometimes come off."

"Whoa..." Wendy breathed. "She looks different from all the other townsfolk. Her body's all..." She paused to take a closer look, "...normal, like a regular human."

"Do I have to point out that she's pretty?" Donald asked.

"She has to be the least scary of the bunch," Goofy grinned.

"At least not like Jack and Gravy," Lucy muttered.

"Yes?" Gravy spoke up.

"Don't invoke his name, please!" Juvia whined, never realizing that Gravy ducked on the ground and put his horse in the middle, its head following parts of the conversation.

Sally and Jack looked at each other for a moment, but the rag doll soon broke the silence, "Is something wrong, Jack?"

Brimming with excitement, Jack replied, "No, everything's going great. We're going to have the best Halloween ever. All we need now is the forget-me-not. We heard you took it from the lab."

Sally wondered, "Forget-me-not? You mean this?" She pulled out a gnarled, dried up flower.

Wendy thought out loud, "So that's what it is..." The idea of a withered flower representing the aspect of memory seemed too ironic to be a coincidence.

Jack beamed, "Yes, that's the one! Thank you!" He took the flower off of Sally's hand and stared at it with great intent. But the anxiety spread on her face was a different story.

Sally convinced, "Jack, I have a bad feeling about this. Why don't you try something else? There's still time."

Jack insisted, "Nothing could beat what I've got planned!" He spun around to face her, "Once we give the Heartless a heart, they'll dance just as I envisioned it. Trust me. You're going to love it!" The rag doll didn't look too pleased about the idea.

Wendy asked her, "Sally, why did you take the forget-me-not? Doctor Finkelstein said he needs it for the heart he's making. If they can make this work..."

Sally nodded, "Yes, I've heard. And I've given a lot of thought to this thing. But the more I look into it, I feel that it's going to be a disaster."

Wendy echoed, "A disaster?"

Sally explained, "It's about the Heartless. I heard they possess frightening dark powers beyond mortal reckoning, and the only thing they crave more than anything is destruction. Their only purpose is to devour hearts. What if they can't be controlled? What if they won't listen?"

Her opinion exuded a warning of some kind; at the same time, the reality of the danger still remained. Wendy, Romeo, Carla, and Juvia looked to one another.

Sally continued, "If only Jack would reconsider... I'm happy if he's happy, but I'm just so worried about him."

Wendy wondered, "Why are you so worried about him?"

Sally replied, "Because I..." She couldn't find the right words to justify herself, "Well, I just am."

Carla pointed out, "She wasn't wrong about the Heartless being dangerous. The consequences of tampering with forces no one can understand nor foresee will be grave."

Romeo worried, "Now I'm starting to have second thoughts about Jack's Heartless control scheme. Is this really the right thing to do? I mean, we're helping them, and we thought it'd go smoother for everyone."

Wendy admitted, "Hmm... I don't know, but this is something we're gonna figure out. We have to see it through."

Juvia nodded, "I agree. Let them do their project, and when that time comes, we'll know how it stands. Science cannot be rushed. It takes proper timing, patience, and a great sense of dignity— WILL YOU GET THAT THING AWAY FROM ME?!" She was trying to make the best out of a complicated situation when she noticed Gravy waving his horse around, and then she lost her temper. He only rose slowly, as she was hyperventilating with rage. Wendy, Romeo, Carla, Donald, Goofy, and Lucy recoiled at her reaction.

"I'm a horsey!" Gravy cried happily, and he started running around the graveyard, whinnying to himself. "Now, you're a horsey! Giddiyap!" He came sprinting back and jumped onto Juvia's back. Since she wasn't prepared for the sudden action, she collapsed flat on her stomach with the jester now sitting at her back. "High-ho, Boobie Lady-O! Away!" Star-shaped, pointed spurs of ice magically formed around the ends of his shoes, making them bear the resemblance of cowboy boots. He drove them into both sides of Juvia's waist, forcing her up in a crouching position with an agonized wail. Another push, and Gravy was riding her like a horse, all across the graveyard, whooping with joy. "Yee-haw! Yee-haw! Yee-haw! Yee-haw! Yee-haw! Donkey cowboy! Donkey cowboy!" No less than a minute later, he stormed off with Juvia back to the town square, and the echoing of her tormented screams was all that remained.

Lucy sweated, "You know, for once, I'm taking my chances with Jack instead of Gravy."

Donald blinked, "Who invited him, anyway?"

Goofy reminded, "Uh, Jack did?"

Jack announced, "Alright, everyone! We have the last forget-me-not." He held up the flower, "Let's head back and see if we can restart the heart."

Wendy nodded, "Okay."

"Oh, I'll miss you so much we're going to be best friends I can't wait to see you again I can't believe how cute you are!" Sherria said amongst the baby talk she said to Zero as she followed Jack out of the graveyard. Lucy merely crawled behind Romeo, avoiding the ghost dog at any cost, much to his discomfort.

Donald raised an eyebrow, "Hey, I thought Wendy's the cute one."

Goofy chuckled a bit, "She still is. She's the cutie in our party."

Romeo asked, "Wendy, what Sally said about the Heartless... Is she right about them being hard to control?"

Wendy replied, "I guess we're both worried about Jack. I don't know why, but I think I'm having a bad feeling."

Romeo sighed, "I just hope things don't get worse than they were before. But I wouldn't get my hopes up."

Wendy agreed, "Neither would I."

Sally interjected, "Um, excuse me, Jack? I just thought, why not have these kids star in the festival instead? They both look rather frightful. And funny, too. They'd be better than the Heartless." Her suggestion fell on deaf ears, however, as the entourage had already departed. "Uh... Jack?" She paused for a moment, then bowed her head in defeat, deciding to let them do as they pleased for now. Reluctantly, she followed them to the exit.

The graveyard was empty, and the coffin at the middle erupted with the devilish laughter of children before the lid flew open.

"Lock!" First jumped out a little boy dressed as a devil. He wore a long-sleeved red shirt, pants of the same color, brown shoes, and pale orange gloves. His mask was a devil's face with horns curving upward, much more than his dark red and brown hair. The mask's mouth was curled into a ghastly smile, showing sharp teeth. Lastly, the outfit was decorated by a red pointed tail.

"Shock!" Second jumped out a girl dressed as a witch, being only slightly taller than Lock, as well as thinner. She wore a purple witch's hat about the same height (perhaps even taller), a pink dress with a dark purple hem, black boots, and dark purple gloves. Her hair was wiry and blue, and her mask was a plain grey-green one that sported the same large nose as her own face, the mouth set in a deep frown.

"Barrel!" Last jumped out the shortest and most rotund of the trio. He had short pale green hair, and was dressed up like a skeleton, wearing tattered purple pants and a like-colored shirt. Both pieces of clothing were decorated with bones roughly corresponding to their locations in the human body. Unlike Lock and Shock, Barrel didn't seem to wear gloves. His mask was that of a skull with the mouth being bare teeth set in a wide grin.

The trio huddled together in a private discussion of sorts regarding the progress of Jack and his new associates. Barrel asked, "Did you hear that?"

Lock smiled, "Yeah, I sure did! A heart! What should we do?"

Shock snapped, "Gosh, you really are stupid! Isn't it obvious?"

Barrel suggested, "Tell Oogie Boogie!"

They laughed mischievously. Whatever they had in mind, it was going to spell certain chaos for this year's Halloween, especially with another member of the council operating the Alliance of Evil involved.


Research Lab

Wendy and company returned to Doctor Finkelstein's lab and handed over the forget-me-not. "Yes, this is it," the doctor confirmed. "Now, just one more ingredient."

"One more?! Why didn't you tell us before?" Lucy exclaimed.

"Easy, Lucy..." Romeo tried to calm her down.

"Science cannot be rushed, girl," Finkelstein retorted. "It takes proper timing, patience, and a great sense of dignity."

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Juvia grimaced, having rejoined the group shortly after enduring Gravy's painful rodeo in the square that lasted ten long minutes. As a result, her hair was slightly messed up, and both sides of her midsection bore spur marks.

"Oh, boobie lady! You're the bestest bestie bestity best girlfriend EVER!" Gravy smiled, his arm fastened around Juvia's waist.

"Please, kill me now!" Juvia cried hysterically. "Before I lose any semblance of sanity I have left!"

"Now, as I was saying," Finkelstein continued. "All we need is one more ingredient to complete the heart. A jack-in-the-box, which represents 'surprise,' is necessary. The Mayor should know where it is."

"A jack-in-the-box, huh?" Romeo smiled. "Sounds easy."

"I wouldn't count on it," Finkelstein advised. "You don't just ask the Mayor where to find a jack-in-the-box and simply walk back to the lab. Knowing him, he's probably asking you to play a few games."

"What games?" Wendy questioned.

"I don't know," Finkelstein shrugged. "All I can say is good luck."

"Great. Another scavenger hunt in the scary world of Halloween," Lucy complained. "What else do we expect, more ghost dogs?"

"Lucy, I know you're scared and you don't want to admit it," Wendy reasoned. "But Jack and Doctor Finkelstein are depending on us."

"Well, it would've been so easy if you just told the others how you feel," Romeo said sternly. "I think you've kept it bottled up long enough. Now might be the best time."

"B-But..." Lucy began.

"Just admit it already!" Romeo snapped. "Admit that you're scared! Isn't it so hard to ask?"

"Oh, would you look at the time gotta go find that jack-in-the-box come on guys!" Lucy shouted hurriedly, and she raced out of the lab at breakneck speed.

"Wait, Lucy!" Wendy reached out.

"Never mind..." Romeo groaned.

"Is everything okay?" Jack asked the group. "We need to get the jack-in-the-box in order to complete the heart. Are you with me, new friends?"

"O-Okay..." Wendy answered hesitantly, as she was still concerned for Lucy's well-being, and the others nodded in agreement. They exited the lab, out to find the final ingredient for the artificial heart.


Elsewhere, in a secret chamber, Lock, Shock, and Barrel trembled in the presence of their boss, Oogie Boogie, who processed their findings on the Heartless control project with amusement. He laughed, "A heart? That bonehead Jack is really making a heart? I'll be jiggered! That works for me!" His evil smile festered, "Ohh, when I get my hands on that..." He stopped as he looked at his pointed extremities, then went on, "Well, I've got no hands, but I'm still gonna nab that heart and control the Heartless."

The vile bag of bugs made his intent clear by letting out another sinister cackle, but it was not long before someone else's cackle mingled with his own. Oogie stopped and allowed the voice beyond the shadows to calm its laughter down before it spoke, "A festival AND a puppet show! Just imagine, the sweet symphony of tortured cries and dying gasps, played by the hands of the most vicious, most diabolical creatures to ever roam the worlds. This is how, in my opinion, you make the perfect holiday celebration. And this is how I love it best! Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee!" Out of the darkness emerged Zeppelin, the homicidal maniac of the Headless Horsemen who volunteered to oversee affairs in Halloween Town.

Oogie smirked, "Zeppelin! What brings you here? Have you come to hear the news that the key girl and her squad arrived in Halloween Town, and are now in league with Jack Skellington?" He uttered the name with disgust, before he gestured to his three minions. "They filled me in with rumors about him making a heart so he can control every Heartless in town." He then scoffed, "He thinks it's gonna help him hit the big time when I'm clearly the one hittin' the bigger time! One in the Big Seven, runnin' this city from the shadows, ready to give them Halloween fanatics a reason to fear!"

Zeppelin nodded, "Yes, I'm aware that Wendy came to town earlier. And she has allied herself with the famous Pumpkin King. My spies monitored their presence and reported their findings to me before your trick-or-treat trio reported to you."

Oogie yelled, "What?! You knew they were here, and didn't you tell me?!" Lock, Shock, and Barrel could hear the shock and outrage in his voice, and were frightened even more.

Zeppelin joked, "Aww, you silly sack of bugs! You play with your dice and cards, and you're not even aware that the one person who could potentially dash your deliciously chaotic schemes has come to town! Or maybe Jack could, since you don't like him very much, and he now consigns with Wendy. You didn't know what was happening." He shook his head, clicking his tongue. "For shame, Mr. Boogeyman. For shame. Maybe you should've added a second brain bug next to yours so you could very well see the big picture? I suggest neurosurgery! First, we cut your head wide open, then we... well, let's hope you didn't lose a few insects."

Oogie yelped in alarm and covered the back of his head. "No, I'm good! I'm fine with just one brain bug!" His surprise turned to anger as he stared at Zeppelin, whose snickering spiraled into a small fit of cackling laughter. "Ha-ha. Very funny. Got anythin' else to say before you give me more of the heebie-jeebies?" He groaned in realization, "Who am I kiddin'? I'm a boogeyman! Boogeymen don't get heebie-jeebied 'bout anything!"

Zeppelin grinned, "Calm yourself, my pungent friend! I have nothing else to say, except we stay active and alert. The fools were just lucky to arrive here. You're not to blame for this oversight." He patted Oogie on the shoulder, though he was not convinced by his sincere façade. "This means we have the opportunity to take care of them at the best possible time. I'm sending my Neon Insecticide minions to steal the experimental heart and deliver it to you, unspoiled and primed. It would be most helpful if your three little peons cooperate in this task."

Lock, Shock, and Barrel jumped at the Headless Horseman's proposal. "Us?"

Oogie quickly got his smirk back. "A special delivery for Mr. Oogie Boogie, you say? I dig it! Sure, I'll have 'em accompany your dark guild troupe!"

Lock, Shock, and Barrel repeated their question incredulously. "Us?!"

Zeppelin continued, "And if they're able, they'll kindly deliver Wendy to me in person. Master Viriniam instructed me and my fellow Horsemen to test her." He clapped his hands together in glee, giggling in a way that made the children's skins crawl. "Oooh, lucky me! An opportunity to challenge the Keyblade's chosen, just so I can hear her squeal with my hand held tight around her neck, her spleen ripped in two, her guts dripping in the cold hard ground— Oops! My bad!" He covered his mouth in embarrassment, "We're supposed to keep her alive, aren't we? But I have no doubt she'll more than entertain me." He giggled again.

Oogie chortled, "Sounds like a good plan, Zeppy! I like your thinkin'! I'm counting on you to get that heart and bring it over to me. Once the Heartless are mine, I'll have enough power to rock this town and many others out there! Not even Jack or the Keyblade pipsqueak could stop me. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go wet the old whistle in the wormhole."

Zeppelin replied, "Consider it done." With that, the boogeyman turned and left the room. Only when he was gone did the Headless Horseman retain his playful smirk. "I respect Oogie for who he is. A compassionate gambler to the core. But I don't believe just because he holds the dice in his hand, it makes him Maleficent's favorite. Next time he gambles, what's he betting on? His dignity? His self-esteem? Or..." He cackled slightly to himself before he made a guess, and then pulled out a lacrima crystal. The round-shaped glass in his right hand revealed a clear image of Wendy and her friends. However, Zeppelin's attention was focused on Gravy the Jester, rather than the Keyblade wielder and the threat she posed to the Alliance of Evil's operations. "Hmph! I always knew you wouldn't stay in the rubble for long, Ice Boy. I want to see you again, too. If you somehow manage to recover from your brain damage, show me more of your... ruthless aggression. Please? I'm dying to play with you again."

Lock, Shock, and Barrel never stopped shaking with fear, notably at Zeppelin's presence. The boy in the devil outfit asked timidly, "Pardon me for asking, but... who are you again?"

Zeppelin gasped, "Oh, I'm appealed, children! Don't tell me you've forgotten who I am? I'm a fun-loving mischief maker, just like you. Someone who..." He raised his left arm, which had suddenly been overtaken by a stream of what appeared to be cubes of data. "...wants to MIX THINGS UP around here."

The arm morphed into a four-barrel cannon. He began laughing maniacally. The trio screamed as he plunged a thousand bullets into the lacrima, breaking it.


Author's Note:
The road was long, the ideas were big, and the work was hard, but the first chapter of the Halloween Arc is finally complete! Months and months is long overdue, but the story has never lost its momentum, and neither have I. Wendy and her friends finally meet Jack Skellington, Lucy's scared out of her panties, and they encounter a new ally named Gravy the Jester, who loves nothing more than to tease Juvia until she's heavily sore. At any rate, he could be a potential threat to her love for Gray! Coming up next in the second chapter, more about Gravy's character will be revealed, and the gang goes face-to-face with not only more Heartless, but the fourth Headless Horseman, Zeppelin Borock. I hope you've enjoyed the first chapter of 2020! Oh, and what do you think of This is Halloween? I added the song to give the story a little more flair.

Speaking of, this chapter is dedicated to those who have suffered the recent virus outbreak. It's a pity that many gaming events have been cancelled or postponed, but I never lost faith in the gaming community. Surely they're careful as much as we are. If there's one lesson life can teach, it's that you never underestimate the resilience of human beings. So all I can say is, stay strong, stay healthy, and our hearts will always reach out to you. And condolences to any fanfic writer out there who's struck by the pandemic. But just because it's ongoing doesn't mean I'm giving up on my stories. I'll keep writing and posting them when I can, no matter what ;)

This is TheSavageMan100, singing off. I appreciate your patience for this new chapter of Kingdom Fairy Tail, and I can tell you've already liked it. Don't forget to read, favorite, and review, and please stay tuned for more. Good day, everybody!