Back at the palace, Wendy was in her bedroom, sadly sitting on her bed next to Grandeeney. Grandeeney stared at Wendy sympathetically, as Wendy thought about Romeo and his fate.

Carla was standing outside the room, concerned for Wendy. "Wendy?" she asked as she came in. "Wendy, dear. What's wrong?"

Wendy turned to face Carla, a stream of tears falling from her eyes. She sniffled, "Carla… Brain… has… done something… terrible."

Carla softly smiled and gently held Wendy's hand with her paw. "There, there, there, my child. We'll set things right," she assured, leaning closer to Wendy. "Now, tell me everything."

Meanwhile, back in the cave, Happy gently placed an unconscious Romeo to the ground, and Asuka was trying to wake him up.

"Romeo?" Asuka said worryingly. "Wake up. Romeo."

"Romeo? Hey, Romeo?" Happy tried to wake him up as well. "If you're alive, say something."

Romeo woke up slowly, much to Asuka and Happy's delight.

"Romeo! You're okay!" Happy cheered.

"Hooray!" Asuka cheered.

"Oh, my head…" Romeo groaned before he recovers completely. "Is everyone alright?"

"Aye," Happy nodded. "The cave almost collapsed on top of you! I found you and Asuka some safe ground, though we might want to think of setting home up here."

"Up here?" Romeo asked confused. True enough, the entrance to the cave was sealed when he looked up. "We're trapped," he said in disbelief before he got angry and shook his fist. "That two-faced son of a Vulcan!"

"Yeah! I can't believe that old geezer duped us down below like that!" Happy agreed.

Romeo slowly calmed down and said, "Well, whoever that 'old geezer' was, he's probably long gone with that dragon scale."

Asuka giggled, "Oh, Romeo, you've gotta stop being a lunkhead after that scary ride with the lava and the rocks and stuff… And I sure don't wanna go to that ride again! By the way, if you say 'dragon scale', you mean this one?" She pulled out a familiar scale.

"You've got it back!" Romeo said happily. "Silly little outlaw." He took the scale from her.

"What can I say?" Asuka shrugged. "That old man was slow."

Romeo took a closer look at the scale, "I wonder why that old guy wanted it so badly. It looks like the scale of a withered dragon to me."

Happy shook his head, "Nuh-uh."

"What do you mean?" Romeo asked Happy.

"Like they always say, it's not what's on the outside, but what's inside that counts," Happy answered simply.

"Inside, huh?" Romeo asked curiously. "I think there's something written here or some sort of picture of a dragon. But it's kinda hard to make out."

He began to rub the dragon scale, before it suddenly began to shake, glow, and spaz out, much to everyone's surprise. Romeo was still holding onto the scale, though. A large puff of smoke poured out of the scale, following a figure who screamed. The figure was then revealed to be a 17-year old young man with spiky pink-colored hair and wearing a black open-collared one-long sleeved waistcoat, a white scarf with the markings of a dragon scale, white knee-length trousers, and black open-toed sandals. As he appeared, he held his neck in pain.

"OY!" the young man exclaimed. "10,000 years will give you such a crick in the neck! Hang on a second." He magically hanged Romeo onto a nearby rock. The young man pulled his head off and yelled, "WHOA!" as he turned his head around. "Whoa!" He puts his head down. "Does it feel good to be outta there!"

Asuka and Happy pulled Romeo down as the spirit from the dragon scale grabbed a microphone out of nowhere and said, "Nice to be back, ladies and gentlemen." He noticed Romeo, "Hi, where're ya from? What's your name?" He held the microphone to him.

"Uh, uh, Romeo Conbolt," Romeo answered nervously.

"Romeo Conbolt!" the spirit exclaimed, saying his name as if he had discovered something major. A neon sign lit up with Romeo's name on it, circled with chase lights. He continued, "Hello, Romeo. Nice to have you on the show. Can we call you 'Ro?' Or maybe just 'Meo?' Or how about 'Medo?'" The spirit disappeared and reappeared as a red-pink dog dressed in plaid. "Sounds like, 'Here, boy! C'mon, Medo!'"

"Whoa," Romeo said, shaking his head. "I must've hit my head harder than I thought."

"I hear you on that," Asuka nodded.

"You smoke?" the spirit asked Romeo. "Mind if I do?"

He changed back and laughed sheepishly, making Asuka scream, "Yikes!" and jump into Romeo's arms.

"Oh, sorry, cowgirl. Hope I didn't scratch your hat," the spirit apologized, before he noticed Happy. "Hey, Happy! Haven't seen you in a few millennia! Give me some paw!"

"Aye!" Happy cheered, and he flew over and high-fived the spirit.

"Yeah! Yo-yo!" the spirit cheered. "So how's everything, Happy?"

"Oh, the usual," Happy explained. "I was having another nice set of fish until Romeo and Asuka took the dragon scale."

"Dragon scale, eh?" the spirit smiled, taking a good look at Romeo. "Speaking of which, he's a lot smaller than my last master. Younger, too. Either that, or I'm shrinking the size of an Exceed." The spirit shrinks down to Happy's size. He then asked Romeo, "Tell me, do I look small to you?"

"Wait a minute…" Romeo said. "I'm your… master?"

The spirit slapped a diploma in Romeo's hand and a mortarboard on his head. He replied, "That's right! He can be taught! What do you wish of me:"

He changed into Arnold Schwarzenegger as he said, "The ever-impressive—"

He then trapped himself in a small cube as he yelled, "The long-contained—"

He then pulled out a ventriloquist dummy as the dummy said, "The often-imitated—"

"But never duplicated…" the spirit continued, before some duplicates of himself appeared, each saying, "Duplicated, duplicated, duplicated, duplicated, duplicated, duplicated, duplicated, duplicated, duplicated!"

"Natsu Dragneel!" he announced. "The Genie of the Dragon Scale!" Then he turned into Ed Sullivan while the duplicates applauded, "Right here direct from the scale, right here for your enjoyment wish fulfillment! Thank youuuuu!"

"Wait, wait, wait. Wish fulfillment?" Romeo said, looking confused.

"Three wishes, to be exact," Natsu explained. "And ix-nay on the wishing for more wishes. That's it."

He turned into a slot machine, pulling his arm down, and three faces of Natsu appeared in three windows, as they said, "Three!"

Three Natsu duplicates came out of the slot wearing sombreros and said, "Uno, dos, tres."

Then Natsu as a black and white Groucho Marx passed by Romeo, Asuka, and Happy as he said, "No substitutions, exchanges, or refunds." To make his point, a duck dropped down with the secret word, 'Refunds.'

"Okay, now I know I'm dreaming," Romeo whispered to Asuka.

"Are you sure I'm not the only one?" Asuka asked.

"I guess now," Romeo shrugged.

"Master, I don't think you realize what you've got here!" Natsu smiled. "So, why don't you ruminate, whilst I illuminate the possibilities."

Natsu lit up like fluorescent lights, before he started to sing.

Natsu: Well, Ali Baba had them forty thieves,
Scheherazade had a thousand tales.

As he sang this, he made the 40 Thieves appear and they all surrounded Romeo with swords.

But, master, you're in luck 'cause up your sleeve,
You've got a brand of magic never fails!

Natsu suddenly appeared in Romeo's jacket from behind and replaced his hands with Natsu's and punched all the thieves away.

You've got some power in your corner now!
Some heavy ammunition in your trail!

Romeo appeared in a boxing ring and Natsu was in a coaching uniform, massaging Romeo's shoulders.

You got some punch, pizzazz, yahoo, and how
See all you gotta do is rub that scale!

Natsu made Romeo rub the lamp, before he drifted out.

And I'll say, 'Mister Romeo, sir,
What will your pleasure be?'

Romeo found himself at a table that appeared out of thin air, with Natsu, dressed as a waiter, writing on a notepad.

Let me take your order, jot it down,
You ain't never had a friend like me!
No, no, no

Natsu made a plate with a huge turkey appear in front of Romeo.

Life is your restaurant

Suddenly, the turkey turned into Natsu's head!

And I'm your maitre'd!
C'mon, whisper what it is you want,
You ain't never had a friend like me!

Romeo suddenly appeared in a salon, getting his hair cut, a facial, a manicure, and a pedicure.

Yes, sir, we pride ourselves on service.
You're the boss, the queen, the shah!

Romeo was then sitting on a throne with Asuka and Happy fanning him and thousands of people worshipping him.

Say what you wish.
It's yours! True dish
How about a little more baklava?

Natsu appeared and filled the area with baklava.

Try some of Column A
Try all of Column B

Romeo rose up on a column of food with a giant A on top and jumped to another column with a B on top. He then fell off until he was caught by a cushion held by Natsu.

I'm the mood to help you, dude
You ain't never had a friend like me!

Natsu opened his mouth, and his tongue turns into a staircase. A miniature Natsu dressed like a magician comes out. The mini Natsu does a dance number with Natsu's two giant hands. At the end, they surround the mini Natsu and squish him into nothing.

Can your friends do this?

Natsu pulled off his head, duplicated it, and began to juggle them.

Can your friends do that?

Natsu tossed his heads to Romeo, who juggled his heads with one hand, while the other spun one of the heads on his fingertip like a basketball.

Can your friends pull this out their little hat?

Natsu pulled a rabbit out of a hat, which turned into a purple dragon.

Can your friends go POOF!

The dragon breathed fire, making a bunch of cute dancers appear.

Well, looky here!

The dancers danced around Romeo. Just as he was enjoying them, they disappeared.

Can your friends go abracadabra? Let 'er rip!
And then make the sucker disappear?
So, don't you sit there, slack-jawed, buggy-eyed
I'm here to answer all your midday prayers
You got me bona fide certified
You got a genie for your charge d'affairs!

Natsu changed into a certificate and wrapped around Romeo, and then spun him out.

I got a powerful urge to help you out!
So, what you wish I really want to know!

Natsu pulled out a list from Romeo's ear, which he used to rub his behind like he was drying off after a shower.

You got a list that's three miles long, no doubt
Well, all you gotta do is rub like so, and oh!
Mister Romeo, sir
Have a wish or two or three!
I'm on the job…

One of the dancers from before appeared and Romeo leaned in to kiss her, but then the girl changed into a devilishly smirking Natsu.

You big nabob!
You ain't never had a friend
Never had a friend
You ain't never had a friend
Never had a friend

Natsu made four dancing elephants appear, along with four dancing camels.

You ain't never… had a…
Friend like me!

A grand finale dance number ensues. Happy danced with Natsu, while Asuka was stuffing as much gold as possible.

You ain't never had a friend like me!

Everything was wrapped up in a cyclone and zapped away, before a neon sign appeared over Natsu's head, flashing 'Applause', and Happy did just that.

Asuka emptied her pockets, only to find there was nothing in there, before she frowned in disappointment, "This stinks."

"So, what'll it be, Master?" Natsu asked Romeo eagerly.

"You're gonna grant me any three wishes I want?" Romeo questioned.

Natsu turned into William F. Buckley and answered, "Well, almost. There are a few provisos, a couple of quid pro quos."

"Like?" Romeo wondered.

"Rule #1: I can't kill anybody," Natsu explained, before he sliced his head off with his finger. He spoke in a choked voice, "So don't ask." He puts his head back on. "Rule #2: I can't make anyone fall in love with anyone else." Natsu's head turned into a pair of lips which kissed Romeo's face, before turning back to normal. "You little punim, there." Natsu then laid back flat, "Rule #3!" He suddenly turned into a zombie and spoke like Peter Lorre, "I can't bring people back from the dead. It's not a pretty picture." He shook Romeo as he yelled, "I DON'T LIKE DOING IT!" Then he changed back to normal, "Other than that, you got it!"

Romeo looked at Asuka and gave each other sly smiles, before giving each other the thumbs up.

"Provisos?" Romeo questioned sarcastically. "You mean limitations? On wishes?" He turned to Asuka. "Some all powerful genie he is."

"Yeah, I mean, come on! If he can't grant any kind of wish, he's not a very good genie at all," Asuka nodded with a giggle. Unknown to them, Natsu looked up and was giving the two kids a stern look.

Romeo continued, "That's too bad. He can't even bring people back from the dead."

"Well, I don't know, Romeo," Asuka shrugged. "He probably can't even get us out of this cave."

Romeo nodded and added, "Looks we're gonna have to find our own way out of here—"

Suddenly, Natsu slammed his foot down in front of Romeo and Asuka. They saw Natsu was 80 feet tall.

"Excuse me?" Natsu scoffed. "Are you lookin' at me? Did you rub my scale? Did you wake me up? Did you bring me here? And all of a sudden, you're walkin' out on me?" Natsu stormed over without even noticing the smirks on Romeo and Asuka's faces. "I don't think so! NOT RIGHT NOW!" Natsu swung his arm for emphasis, before he shut one eye and pointed one finger up in the air, and his eyes turned red, "YOU'RE GETTIN' YOUR WISHES, SO, SIDDOWN!"

Natsu's scream was loud enough to make Romeo, Asuka, and Happy tumble unto a pile of rocks. With a flick of his fingers, Natsu transformed the rocks surrounding the three into a small red and pink airplane, with Romeo, Asuka, and Happy abroad.

Before the airplane takes off, Romeo turned to Happy and said, "I think you owe us an explanation about how you know Natsu."

"Don't worry, I'll give you a full story on the way out," Happy assured.

"I'm all ears," Romeo grinned.

Natsu appeared on the airplane as a steward as he said, "Ladies and gentlemen, we welcome you aboard Flying Dragneel." His arms multiplied, pointing everywhere, "In case of emergencies, the exits are here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, anywhere! Keep your hands and arms inside the plane! Weeee'rrrrrreee…"

The Flying Dragneel flew up to the top of the cave and burst through the sand, flying off into the night as Natsu added, "…outta here!"

To Be Continued…