B-5. Unveiled

Orchid Bay; Jasmine's House

Wendy and June regrouped with Carla and Monroe before running to Ah-Mah's house, where Facilier and the Ice Climbers were already waiting. "You guys! There's something big coming!" June yelled.

"We're already aware." Jasmine replied. "Over there."

They were all led to a clearer area of forest, seeing the imposing tower in the distance. "That's got to be what my Seismic Sensor was feeling." Monroe said.

"We still don't SEE!" the Ice Climbers chorused.

"Ugh." Monroe sighed, reaching into his satchel for two necklaces with tiki designs. "Put these on, you two." He gave them to the twins, and when they put them on, everything became visible.

The twins gasped with terror: "A FLYING CAT!!"

Carla glared at them. "Is there any particular reason you're even with us?"

"NOPE."

"How is that tower moving?" Wendy asked.

"I'd be less concerned about the tower and more about that cannon." Carla pointed out.

"Hold on…" Facilier looked through binoculars. "I recognize that place. It's Cauldron Keep. It belonged to Gruntilda's sisters!"

"Gruntilda?" Jasmine questioned. "You mean she got that engineering degree after all?"

"Well, her sisters did, she does tend to steal their work. That cannon is bad news, though. It can drain all the life energy from a targeted landscape!"

"Orchid Bay is filled with magic and life." Carla said simply. "We must stop that tower before it gets within range!"

"Right." June fist-palmed. "Wendy, let's get on it!"

"Okay!" (Play the Eggman Boss Theme from Sonic Unleashed!)

Boss fight: Cauldron Keep

Wendy dashed across the forest with sonic speed while Juniper kept up with a series of terrific leaps across trees. It was only before when they were hurrying through the city Wendy noticed such athletic ability. She didn't need to worry about leaving her behind. When they were merely yards from the mechanical tower, June was ready to land on one of its legs, and Wendy up the side. "WAAAH!" They both were bounced off by an invisible forcefield.

"Nuisances, I'm sorry to say," Gruntilda began, "that you won't be getting in that way. My shield is endlessly flowing. So off with you, I must get going!"

"June, watch out!" Wendy ran by and pulled her friend to safety before a metal claw crushed her. She carried June and ran all the way back to the others. "It has a shield around it!"

"We saw." Carla said worriedly. "And we'll never be able to order an evacuation from something the town can't see."

"I'm going to try." Facilier aimed his cane. "Reducto! Reducto!" He fired several Destructive Spells, seeing the barrier flash on, but left unpenetrated. "Expelliarmus! Disablo!" More spells, the barrier stayed. "Darn!"

"One silly cane isn't going to work!" Ah-Mah stated. "You'd need a wand that can penetrate a shield like that. I believe the store sells a Lamia Scale, but you can't just-"

"M-Miss Ah-Mah!" Wendy spoke eagerly, raising the wand from her shorts. "You mean this Lamia Scale?"

"Harry Potter's Hairnet, how long did ya have that?" Monroe asked with surprise.

"Let me see." Ah-Mah took the pink wand and studied it. "Ah-ha… made of rose quartz, scale from Lamia for a core. Great with support-type magic, as well as breaking defenses. Or so I've heard." She returned it to Wendy. "Where did you get this?"

"From the store you mentioned. It just…" Wendy glanced at it, wondering how to phrase it, "felt right with me, I guess."

"Wendy, can you do a Disabling Charm?" Facilier asked. "Just jab your wand and say, 'Disablo.'"

"I'll try!" With a confident look, Wendy raced toward the tower again, leaping atop a tree. "DISABLO!" She shot the spell, a tiny hole briefly appeared in the barrier, but refilled in less than a second.

"These pesky worms are annoying me!" Grunty yelled. "I'll send my minions to get rid of thee!"

Gruntydactyls and Uggers were dropped out of hatches in the tower, phasing through the forcefield. Uggers – short green monsters with big mouths and strong fists – performed terrific leaps in attempt to smash Wendy, but she raced back to the others. "What is it THIS time?" Carla asked.

Wendy panted for breath. "I almost broke through, but it repairs itself. I could only make a little hole."

"How little, exactly?" Monroe asked.

"I dunno. About maybe this big." She held her hands partly away from her body.

"Carla, if you could fly the two of us in there, we could stop the tower from the inside."

"Well, I can't think of any other options." the cat figured.

"Could you really stop it by yourselves?" Wendy asked.

"We could at least find a way to stop the barrier so you and June could get in. But there's also a matter of keeping it open long enough."

"Wait, the Lamia Scale is strong with support magic." Monroe recalled. "Perhaps Wendy can increase June's strength to weaken the shield."

"Can she do that?" June asked.

"'Course she can, she's mah girl!" Facilier patted Wendy's back, the girl blushing worriedly. "I may have to give her a jumpstart lesson, though. Sonny, Donna, try to slow down that tower!"

"WE'RE ON IT!" The Ice Climbers skied through the forest on ice paths, evasively dodging every tree en route to the tower. They shot ice beams at Gruntydactyls and dodged Uggers' smashes, bashing the big-mouths with their hammers. The twins reunited a few yards from the tower and clapped hands together. "Now we'll show you-!" Sonny began as they channeled their combined Ice Chi.

"-that the twin conquerors of ice-!" Donna continued, a circle of frost forming on the ground.

"-CONTROL THE VERY LANDSCAPE!" And from the ground, an iceberg sprouted up, stretching half as tall as the tower. The Cauldron Keep stopped as Grunty looked confused.

"Strange occurrences are taking place. They aren't slowing down my race. Mortar cannons, make my day. Cease these delays and clear the way!" Hatches opened on the tower, blasting mortar cannons at the iceberg. Sonny and Donna sprouted another one a few yards further, another on Grunty's left, then the right.

"Do you got it, Wendy?" Facilier asked, after instructing her.

"Um…" Wendy looked nervously at June, "Maybe you should do it, Mr. Facilier."

"I like to give children gifts, but my cane ain't 'supportive.' You heard what Jasmine said, just do it like this!" He performed the wand movement.

"Come on, Wendy, you can do it!" June declared with a pumped-up expression, balling her fists.

"Okay." Wendy focused on June, waved her wand in a circle above herself, then "ARMS!" she zapped a spell on June's arms, then again on her legs.

June stared as both body parts glowed, and she felt power course within her. "Huhu, THIS is what I'm talkin' about!" She smirked eagerly. "Let's TRASH this tower, Wendy!" Both girls bolted through the forest. Uggers punched the bases of trees and caused them to topple in their path, but June used her enhanced strength to punch the trees away, and Wendy ran off a slanted ramp-like rock to go into the air and kick off the swarm of Gruntydactyls. They arrived at one of the Ice Climbers' icebergs, ran up, and flew to the tower as June readied a punch, and Wendy called, "DISABLO!"

A larger hole was broken open, but the girls still hit the barrier and were blown back over the iceberg. They ran away before Gruntilda destroyed the ice. Sonny and Donna quickly froze the ground around the tower, hoping to make its legs slip. "Huff, huff. This is too much work for us." The twins chorused. "Especially in summer."

"Wendy, try to do that again!" Carla yelled, flying while carrying Monroe.

"Okay! You ready, June?"

"Ready!" The Chinese girl leapt for a mighty kick against the barrier, Wendy shot a Disabling Charm, with narrow maneuvering, Carla flew herself and Monroe through the barrier—"AAAAH!" They were blown back and out.

"Good gravy!" Monroe grunted, rubbing his sore back after landing. "The barrier repels anything that's a few inches inside! We'll have to get inside the tower BEFORE it fixes itself!"

"But I don't see any openings!" Wendy yelled. "Except maybe up by that cannon."

"Let's run back to Dr. Facilier!" June said, so the girls returned through the forest, carrying their respective pets. They found the witch-doctor again, "Mr. Facilier, me and Wendy need to break an opening-"

"Monroe, is it safe for him to be doing that?" Facilier asked, gesturing with his thumb. June and Monroe gaped: Ray Ray was slowly guiding a Racatan by dropping chips on the ground.

The giant brown rat had a mellow expression as it sniffed each treat and munched. "I'll have to keep you a secret from June and Monroe for a while, but they'll be comfortable in time, so don't worry-"

"RAY RAY!" The boy flinched at Monroe's shout. "What in Dumbledore's name are ya DOING, Lad?! The town is in danger and you're trying to tame a feral BEAST!"

"He's not feral! Marvin's a good monster, aren't you?" He gently petted Racatan's head.

"Wendy, what's up with the barrier now?" Facilier asked.

"Um, we need to break an opening in the tower, too, otherwise they can't get in."

Raising a brow, Facilier looked at the Racatan. "Say no more!" He smirked. "Uncle Facilier's got this!" Fearlessly, the witch-doctor ran up to the creature, jumped high, and landed atop the Racatan's head, planting his long shoes against its sides. He clutched his cane in his teeth, hands folded above his head, and he began to sway his head.

A fast, mystical music started playing, a banjo-like strumming one would hear down the bayou. The Racatan's eyes turned colorful and spinning, bright colorful, sharply-drawn designs spiraled around him: the Racatan was hypnotized. "RAAAAAH!" He stood on his hind-legs and roared, then began jigging his hip to the tune. On all fours, Racatan started dashing to the tower. "Wendy, cast that charm on his head!" he yelled quickly, then resumed jigging to control the creature.

Quickly, Wendy ran to keep ahead of him, watching Racatan tear through puny Uggers and trees. "Arms!" Wendy got in front, shot the spell at its head, and moved aside. June caught up with her, holding Carla and Monroe, releasing the animals before hurrying to Facilier. It was then they noticed an oddly-designed part of the tower's front—a sealed drawbridge, and the Racatan was going for it. June leapt, punched that part of barrier, Wendy shot Disablo, and Facilier jumped off the enhanced Racatan, who broke a larger hole, rammed the drawbridge with its horns, and it fell open before the rat flew out.

Wendy and June pierced the barrier again, Carla and Monroe flew in, past the drawbridge, and weren't forced back out. They caught their breath after landing on the metal floor. Giant gears and up/down pumps were inside. "Well, we're in." Carla said. "Do you have any plans? We are only animals after all."

"And yet, you're a catch. Ay may look like a filthy mongrel to you, but I can do magic." Monroe pulled a brown stick wand with a blue gem at its top out of his satchel. "Reducto!" He blasted at a gear, but it went undamaged. "What?! Is this place magically protected from the inside?"

"HIEEEE!" Guvnors spotted them, pink-skinned Gruntlings wearing yellow plumber jumpsuits, wielding large wrenches. Carla Torpedo Spun and knocked them away, and some tried to whack her in the air, leaving Monroe to stun them with spells. The cat regrouped with the dog and said, "We at least have to stop this thing from moving. These pumps obviously control the legs, judging by their movement."

"You just saw, Lass, my spells bounce off this machinery!" Monroe reminded.

"We have to try, come on!" Carla carried Monroe over to a pump. She watched the device shift up and down. "Is there a spell to loosen bolts or something?"

"What good would that do?"

"It's basic engineering, nuts and bolts keep machines together. What, does your magic not teach you that?"

"Fine, ya brain the size of a gopher! Spinneroo!" Monroe held his wand forward, whirled it in a close circle quickly, and zapped a screw, it spun rapidly and came out. "It worked!"

"Keep it up!" Carla smiled eagerly. Monroe repeated the spell and spun each screw and bolt from its latch. The tower shook and tilted, so the animals moved on to the next pump, then the others.

Wendy, June, and the others gaped with joy when the tower's mechanical claws faltered. The structure threatened to topple over any second. "I knew those legs were no good!" Gruntilda declared. "That's why I had THESE under the hood!" And to everyone's shock and horror, bulldozer-like tracks appeared from its bottom sides. It continued its drive to Orchid Bay.

"BLAST IT ALL!" Monroe swore. "Ugh, we have to find the barrier generator!"

"What's that area up there?" Carla asked, pointing at a small opening on the ceiling.

"Let's check it out." Monroe put his wand away and allowed Carla to fly them into the hatch. He grabbed his wand and blasted the Guvnors senseless, and they felt an invisible force through the air as they made it to a central chamber. A gigantic magnet was strapped to a machine, whose large mechanical pipes transmitted energy from it through the walls. "Gryffindor's Ghost! She must be using the magnet's repellant energy to make the barrier."

"Do you know any fire-type spells? You can spin the magnet's electrons out of control and-"

"Ay at least know how a MAGNET works, Bookworm! Sigh, Ay just hope this works." Monroe whirled his wand and yelled, "Ventus Tria Incendio!" A huge, flaming whirlwind sprouted from the wand and set fire to the magnet. The machine sparked and began to falter.

The girls watched from outside when the barrier flashed and disappeared completely. "Now's our chance, Wendy!" June exclaimed as they both ran up the track-wheels and leapt into the drawbridge entrance. The girls threw spells and punches at each Gruntling on their way up the tower. Going up stairs was no problem for Wendy's speed and June's athletic jumping. In no time, the girls made it into a chamber with a giant machine, attached to a laser cannon that aimed out of the window. "This must be it. You ready to make scrap of this thing, Wendy?" June spoke readily.

"I sure am!" Wendy clutched her wand tight. "Just name a spot and we'll-"

A glass capsule suddenly encased the girls. June punched and kicked it, but left nary a crack. "What the heck?!" A crane lifted their capsule up through the ceiling, and they soon found their selves on the roof.

"Surprise, surprise, what have we here?" They both gasped: Gruntilda was seated in the cockpit of a digger with a giant drill. "Two beautiful little dears! I'll save and keep you nice and fresh. When I'm revived, I'll have your beauty and flesh!" Gruntilda locked onto the girls, intending to hit their capsule with a missile (if they get too damaged, she can repair their bodies later).

June frantically bashed the glass. "Know any good spells, Wendy?!"

"No, but I have an idea." Wendy lifted her shirt and grabbed her Chi Stabilizers. "I'm sorry in advance if I hurt you. Please, hold onto these." She peeled the stickers off and passed them to her friend. Wendy huffed and blew a powerful gust of wind, pushing June against the glass, it became harder to breathe the more Wendy blew. Unable to withstand the pressure, the glass shattered, and June was blown against the glass dome surrounding the roof while Wendy dodged the missile.

Gruntilda grunted in anger, but then began to feel the tower sway. "Meeeh? The wind has picked up outside. The unsteady ground makes this an unsafe ride. Right here is where I'll park. When B.O.B. finishes charging, this land will go dark!"

With that, Cauldron keep stopped and parked tight on the current ground. The wind continued to shift the rotatable tower as the cannon charged a sickly green laser. The whole of Orchid Bay was targeted, save for having to move toward the center over and over because of the wind.

"Crud! We'll never be able to stop that cannon in time!" June yelled. Grunty's Hag 1 drill was currently spinning in place, forcing the girls to jump its extracted lasers.

Wendy felt a rising ill feeling in her stomach. She felt the tower turning left-and-right. "No, but if I can get outside, I could make it fire someplace else." With that, Wendy boosted and began running along the side of the dome in circles. "Try to get me up here, Bonehead! …If that's some kind of physical condition of yours, I'm sorry for offending, I'm not good at taunting."

"Way to scare her, Wendy." June remarked sarcastically, lazily dodging lasers.

"At least I don't have a gut!" Grunty shook with anger. "I'll shoot you down, you little mutt!" She loaded another missile, trying to lock the speeding girl in her sights. Grunting, she fired, and a hole was broken in the glass.

Thinking quickly, Wendy ran out the hole, shifted her sideways body the opposite way, and ran on the side of the dome before stopping at the top. "Please let this work!" Holding her arms forward and open, Wendy spun in place, channeling the wind to follow her. A light tornado was forming around the top of the tower, the cannon couldn't focus itself on the town. Facilier, Ray Ray, and the twins watched from afar, feeling anxious as the green light grew brighter on the cannon's tip. But as the wind kept blowing, the direction was averted away from the town at a near 88 degrees. The Big-O-Blaster fired, and a large area of forest was turned black and lifeless. The laser ceased after all of it was extinguished.

"ALL RIIIIIGHT!" Facilier cheered, Ray Ray leaped, the twins high-fived. "THAT'S mah girl!"

Wendy stopped spinning, feeling both relieved and dizzy. Before she could contemplate if she hit any animals or travelers, she lost balance and fell over the dome. "I got you!" Carla caught the child under her arms in her paws.

"Thanks, Carla." Wendy smiled weakly, with a desire to throw up. The kitten flew her back inside the dome.

"NO NO no!" Gruntilda cried. "My target missed! You girls have gotten me really pissed! I'll charge again and have your town gone! Just as soon as I HAVE WON!" The witch whirled her arms, conjuring a pink and powerful sphere of energy above her. She focused on June and BKKOOM, a sudden pink bolt of lightning shot every second, the Te Xuan Ze evasively avoided.

"Carla… h-help June…" Wendy spoke dizzily.

"How do you expect me to…?" Carla focused on Gruntilda, observing her spell: the energy ball started small, increased in size, fired a lightning bolt, then repeated from small size. Carla let Wendy lean against the dome, and with careful timing, the winged cat Torpedo Spun and bonked the witch.

"ACK!" Gruntilda stumbled, looking angrily at Carla, but- "DAAAAH! The spell! I dropped it!" She panicked when the energy sphere hit the floor of her cockpit, still increasing in size. "Bears, birds, cats, dogs, I HATE TALKING ANIMAAAAALS!"

June leapt, grabbed Carla, grabbed Wendy over her shoulder, and leaped out of the dome's hole, dropping toward the drawbridge where Monroe stood. She landed, the dog hopped on her back, and June made terrific leaps across the forest as the tower trembled. They regrouped with their friends near Ah-Mah's house, and witnessed Cauldron Keep's final moments. The top of the tower vanished in a pink explosion.

"EEEEH-EEEEH-EEEEEH-EEEEEEHHH!" Gruntilda's chubby figure flew across the sky toward town like a shooting star, leaving a trail of smoke. Somewhere in the city, they don't know where, she crashed. What remained of Cauldron Keep fell to its side thanks to the wind. (End song.)

"WE DID IT, WE DID IT!" Sonny and Donna jumped and belly-bumped.

"THAT WAS SO AWESOME!" Ray Ray 'fived the twins as well. "We saved the day! And it's all thanks to me and Marvin!" He looked at his tamed Racatan, who was still woozy in the head.

"Aye, but we would have been toast if not for that whirlwind." Monroe said. "That's some crazy airbending you have, girl."

"I know, it kicked BUTT!" June hugged Wendy—her still-enhanced fists crushed her back. "Whoops. Sorry."

"It's okay." She replied with a forced, dizzy smile. Facilier cast a spell to turn off June's fists. "Oh, and you might want these back." June remembered, handing Wendy her Stabilizers. She stuck them back onto her waist.

That's when Ah-Mah ran to them in a hurry. "Grandma, you MISSED it!" Ray Ray exclaimed. "That tower had a shield, but Marvin ran up to it like DONG, then the cannon was gonna fire, but the whirlwind went bwoo bwoo bwoo bwoo, and then it—"

"Which way did that cannon fire?!" Ah-Mah yelled with anger.

Wendy's heart started, recovering from her dizziness. "I-It shot that way." She pointed, though they couldn't see the ruined region through the trees. "I wanted to aim it away from town, s-so I picked a part of forest."

"Ah-Mah, what's wrong?" June asked.

The elder sighed, pinching between her eyes. "No, it wasn't your fault, dear, you had no other option."

"W-What wasn't my fault?" Wendy asked, feeling her pride shift to sadness.

"I just watched the news. There's a widespread panic from monsters appearing around town. None of you could have known, but… the place where that cannon fired had one of the Veil's power stones stationed there!"

Wendy gasped loudly. "S-So that means…?"

The screaming reached their ears in seconds. Everyone bolted toward town. Humans were running and screaming from the clear-as-day monsters, and monsters were running from humans that tried to kill them. People jumped out of windows, wrecked cars, Orchid Bay had never seen this much chaos. GUN jeeps and copters swarmed in, furiously blasting machineguns at the demons while trying to round the humans into safety.

"This is awful!" Wendy cried. "What have I done?!"

"Don't blame yourself, Child, you saved the town!" Carla stated.

"But look what's happening! This town'll end up destroying itself!"

"That's not gonna be our problem now." Facilier informed. "If we don't get outta here, we may have more than GUN troops to deal with."

"I'm going into town to try to get things under control." Ah-Mah declared, running off. "June, Monroe, come with me." They ran to join her-

"JUNE, wait!" Wendy grabbed the girl's shoulder.

"What is it?"

"June, the Veil's down! This means you can go!" At this, June put on a look of realization. "You can come with us if you want! You can help work at Facilier's shop, and we can go on adventures together!"

June actually contemplated for a moment. Wendy looked really eager for her decision. June turned back to Ray, Monroe, and Ah-Mah, all looking expectant. …June shook her head. "Wendy, I can't go now. These people need a Te Xuan Ze more than ever!"

"But…But you've always wanted to be free. Didn't you?"

"Of course I do." June smiled comfortingly, touching her friend's shoulder. "But it just can't be. This…This is my responsibility. But it's alright, because I still have friends and family here. Maybe not during summer, but…"

Wendy looked down sadly. "I understand. But… could I come visit you again?"

"Let's hope so!" June punched her chest. "But if you do, be able to take a punch!" Wendy smiled and chuckled.

"Everyone in the Apparizone, kids!" Facilier yelled, hugging the twins, Carla, and Wendy to him. "We're goin'!" In a flash, they were gone from the Lees' view. Wendy felt her stomach compress, the world spinning in this Apparition.

She landed on her front on the alleyway ground. They were in front of Facilier's shop. The witch-doctor unlocked the door as Wendy stood, holding her cramped and twisted stomach. "M-Mr. Facilier? C-Could I have another Troia Charm?"

Facilier sighed. "A Troia Charm loses its appeal on the same person if used too much. Just tough it out, Wendy, we'll save them when it's important."

Carla helped escort Wendy into the shop as the child held her tummy. She seized the chance to sit down at the table, awaiting the barf that would never come. "You never even had breakfast." Facilier chuckled. "I'll cook you something to eat." He patted her back. "You deserve it, girl."

She gave a weak smile, hunched over and holding her stomach. Carla stood in front and smiled proudly. "You did an amazing job today, Wendy. That town would've been doomed without you."

"It's kind of doomed thanks to me, too." the girl reminded.

"It isn't your fault that those hooligans can't control their selves." Carla stated with a disapproving scowl for Orchid Bay's citizens. "You should be very proud of yourself."

Wendy reflected on their trip. Carla was right. Wendy made a new friend, and helped her save the town, using her own skills. For the first time, she felt like she helped people. A real accomplishment. She was very proud. "…Hey, Carla? I'm really sorry about what I said." She frowned.

"You're still holding on to that? I'm not upset, Wendy."

"But I shouldn't have said that. You're one of the only friends I have, Carla, and you're in the same boat as me. I don't want things to be weird between us."

"I forgive you, Child. And, I'm sorry… if I looked at you strangely." Carla frowned and turned away. "I don't know what about your eyes scares me. Perhaps it is because they make you look like a monster." She looked up at Wendy, "So if I show distaste in your eyes for any reason, it is because you are not actually a monster, you are a very kind girl who never deserved any curse or treatment as if you were one. Those red eyes of yours are very misleading for what's inside. Is that alright with you, Wendy?"

"Heheh. It is, Carla." Wendy reached under her shorts and picked up her Lamia Scale. "My first wand… I hope my parents are proud of me."

Facilier brought Wendy some tea to settle her stomach, giving some to Carla, too. He set steak and mashed potatoes on the table for the three kids to eat, and a cooked fish for Carla (she felt oddly repulsed while eating it), revitalizing after an exhausting day. "Mister Facilier?" Wendy spoke, after her sickness died down. "Um… I really wanted to thank you for…for helping me today. You were an excellent teacher."

"Mah pleasure, Wendy." The witch-doctor smiled, reorganizing items on the shelves. "You're an excellent student."

"Thanks." She smiled back, not lifting her head up. "…Sniff."

Carla saw her red eyes trembling. "What's the matter, Wendy?" At this, Facilier and the Climbers looked over as well.

"N-Nothing." Wendy tried to repress her tears. "I-It's just… ever since I began working here, I've never felt more happy. I was all alone for my whole life. When I hurt Lee Andrew by mistake, I thought I would never make another friend. But then Mister and Mrs. Facilier came, a-and then I found Carla… sniff."

"We all know the story, Wendy." Facilier chuckled lightly. "You don't have to keep refreshing it."

"But if I hadn't met you, I…I would be all alone." A sniffle. "And I just don't think… I could've survived on my own. S-So it's really nice to know that… I matter to someone." Her tears were falling. "Mister Facilier… thank you for giving me a home. I'm sorry if I'm whining too much, or if I give you a hard time, or if I'm-"

The witch-doctor got to his knees and hugged the child close. He was so tall that his head was still inches over the seated girl. "Not at all, Wendy. If I wasn't under your daddy's orders, I would've adopted you. No child deserves to go through what you did."

Another sniffle. "I really wanna believe that… my parents had a good reason for leaving me. After all of this, if my parents don't want me back… will you let me stay here?"

"Of course, Wendy, everyone needs a home to come back to."

"Do you promise?" Wendy asked with a sniffle. "'C-Cause, I don't wanna make things hard for you, I-I just don't wanna be abandoned again. Before I met you, I always thought my parents left me 'cause I was a burden, a-and I didn't matter to them at all."

"Wendy, don't say such a thing." Carla stated. "If anything, your parents should have kept you to begin with. You're a delightful child."

"Hah hah, no she isn't!" Facilier had to laugh at that comment. "You're an imperfect child, Wendy. That's why you're perfect."

"CONTRADICTORY!" Sonny and Donna exclaimed, clamping Wendy's shoulders from the sides.

"I can't disagree with you, Harvey." Carla shrugged, hugging Wendy's legs. "But you really need to stop crying, Child."

She calmed down. Wendy felt a warmth in her heart. Mr. Facilier, Sonny, Donna, Carla… she always wondered what having friends or family would feel like. …It was the greatest feeling ever. "Sniff… thanks, guys." Facilier used a napkin to wipe her tears off. She forced a smile and chuckle, "I'm sorry for making this too dramatic. I'll try to control myself, I promise."

"I know you will, Child." Facilier sat up, patting her shoulder. "How 'bout you take a nap after supper? I think all of us need a rest after all that."

So after their bellies were full, they climbed the ladder to the bedroom. Sonny and Donna threw off their coats and settled comfily, and Wendy took off her shoes before getting under the covers. Carla laid on Wendy's chest. "Carla… Mr. Facilier keeps mentioning my dad, but… what do you think my mom was like?"

Carla thought for a minute as she was getting comfortable. "In my personal opinion, she should've been the proudest mother in the world."

Orchid Bay

Humans and demons were screaming and running everywhere. June, Ray Ray, and Monroe stood in the middle of the chaos, looking around frantically. "Monroe, can't we use one of those wide-range Memory Staffs?!" June yelled.

"You know we can't use that without affecting the whole world!" Monroe replied. "Besides, it won't be long now. Any moment, the Magic Council will-"

Storm clouds appeared in the sky. At first, June thought of Wendy's wind curse. However, a cyan light shone through the clouds. A bright ray of light burst through the center and struck the ground. Everybody turned and stared with awe and worry.

A troupe of fairy soldiers appeared, and their commander, a huge, muscular fairy with a green sleeveless shirt and camouflage pants. "CITIZENS OF ORCHID BAY!" his thick German voice echoed. "This town is under restricted protection by the Avalaran Magic Council! I am Jorgen von Strangle, toughest fairy in the universe, and until this city is repaired to working order, you all will be sealed within a Fairy Sphere. Furthermore, we will wipe everyone's memories of these events." He held up a small, pink bar with a light. "But first, the culprits who destroyed the Veil must be punished. No one is to move or leave town until we find them!"

Two fairies with strict expressions carried Gruntilda to him, dropping her on the ground. Jorgen towered over the witch imposingly. "I was involved, I will admit!" she spoke defensively. "But the whole punishment, I should not get!" She looked around, then grabbed a fallen wanted poster, showing it to him. "This girl with hair as blue as sea! She blew up my tower and destroyed the Veil, not me!"

Jorgen picked up the poster and glared at it. A girl with deep blue hair and red eyes, passing a brief glance at her photographer. He heard her name before.

"Ollivander, for the last time," Jorgen told the shop owner not too long ago, "the only leetle girl who can hold the Fairy's Tail is the Fairy Princess herself! You tell this 'Windy Marvel' that if she wants a wand, she will have to settle with a Pony's Tail, or perhaps twin Pig's Tails," he smirked witfully, "for puny leetle girls like her. Ha! Ha ha ha! Ha!"

Jorgen squeezed the poster angrily. "BINKY!"

"Yes, Jorgen!" A very short fairy with purple garb, pointy ears, and a bald head saluted frightfully.

"Report this girl to Princess Mavis." He gave Binky the crumpled poster. "Tell her to add extra security around the Fairy's Tail. This girl must be aiming to retrieve it by any means necessary. GO NOW!!" The earth shook.

"YES SIR!" Binky poofed away.

With that, Jorgen clutched his giant King Wand in both hands, raising it skyward. "Until the Veil has returned, you are all under my protection. I now initiate: FAIRY SPHERE!" A golden beam of light blasted to the heavens, stopped high above the city, and swallowed the whole bay inside of a golden ball. The waves washed furiously, the entire sphere shone brighter and brighter. Then… Orchid Bay disappeared. The seaside road led nowhere but an empty enclosing within the landscape.

Miles away from the city, miles above the air, the red-eyed stranger in the blowing black cloak smirked. "Well done… Wendy. You served this town well. Do not feel discouraged. Orchid Bay will yet have its freedom. And once the Fairy's Tail is in your possession… we will be rid of the walls between worlds." He became the wind and blew away.

Negaverse; EiznekCm Household

Nerehc landed in the front yard of his house with Egroeg and AlyakAm in tow. "I sent a text message to my girlfriend." He told the siblings. "So expect a sudden Apparition. 3… 2… 1…"

"DISRESPECT!" Neither of the three were startled by the witch's sudden appearance. "What can I do for my boy toy today?" Sipa asked with a bright smile.

"These two wanna meet their Positives." Nerehc replied, gesturing the gloomy-faced duo. "I'm not sure if Cheren's in his room, so I need you to open a portal if he isn't."

"Okay, sure." Sipa shrugged. "Think I'll chat up my own Positive while we're there. Tell her that I'm a changed person!" She raised her arms happily.

"The other day, you magically switched a person's face with their butt." Nerehc reminded as they entered the house. He heard a pot boiling in the kitchen, so assumed his mother was there.

"For poetic justice reasons." His girlfriend contradicted. They made it to Nerehc's room and faced his mirror. Sipa jiggled her wand and called, "Dimentio Flippow."

The mirror became a portal to the Posiverse. "Now remember guys, you're allowed to cause mayhem in their world, just let people know who you really are after a while." Nerehc instructed.

"Of course." AlyakAm replied. "We'll take it to our hearts like Numbness Serum."

"Now, I'm not sure if Cheren's people are still uncomfortable with the Apocalypse, so just-" Nerehc and Sipa were stabbed in the hips by syringes. They both collapsed on the floor, unconscious.

"I must say, it is quite fun drugging people." Egroeg said as he and his sister entered the vortex.

"Do not try anything to me." AlyakAm told him. "I've memorized all techniques and can drug you during your breath."

Somewhere dark (Play "Old Doll" from Mad Father.)

"Nnnnmm…" Nerehc still felt numb in every part of his body as he woke up. It was pitch-black in here, so he took off his sunglasses to see. "Where am I… Hello? Sipa? Egroeg? AlyakAm?"

The padding of sandaled footsteps against the floor rang across the space. Nerehc saw the girl emerge. Aquamarine hair, a dress depicting a shadowed graveyard under a night sky with yellow moon, and a wide mouth and purple eyes that gave Nerehc the chills. Her face was in stitches, and had a dark-pink coat with a burned crown attached to the lowered hood. She held a doll of himself. "Hello, Nerehc!"

The boy raised a brow. "Um… hi?"

"It's nice to meet you!" Her peppy attitude was clearly forced. "My name is Ragus. This is you. Isn't you pretty?" She grinned and held his doll by both arms.

"Are you a fan of me?"

"Not me, in particular. But my master is! She's an exceptional fan of yours. Her name is Medusa!"

"Oh. You mean like the Positive Asudem?"

"Well, Asudem is a myth. Medusa is real. Lots of things are real, actually. Like the end of the world."

"You mean the Apocalypse."

"Yes. You must know the story. The Goddess of Light, Palutena, is responsible for finding the Seven Lights. Medusa, Goddess of Darkness, however… must seek the Darknesses."

"Yeah, what's your point?"

She glided closer to him, not moving her legs. Her wide, creepy face was inches from his. "Medusa needs people to find the Darknesses. She can't physically do it herself. Gods cannot interfere with mortal affairs, even under doomsday. That's why… she's asking you."

"But Sanula told me the Positives were going to find all the Keys."

"That's not true. All the Keys are Positives… but only you Negatives can help us find some of them. Because since the beginning, your kind has bathed in darkness. It should therefore be up to you to seek the Darknesses."

"Things have changed, Ragus. I'm changing the Negaverse into one with light. You can tell Medusa that."

"She very well knows. But Nerehc… surely you all want to survive. Lady Medusa wishes to find the Darknesses. She wishes to help you. I can take you to her. But only if you promise to do everything she says."

"And what if I don't? What if I don't go with you?"

She stayed silent for a second, her head slanted sideways. "Then… your world is doomed. You can try to figure everything out… but not without a goddess's hand."

Nerehc looked at her thoughtfully. "…She would really help? Help save everybody?"

"Of course. Medusa loves mortals."

Nerehc wasn't sure what to say. …Clearly, this was some kind of dream, he and Sipa were just knocked out. Still, it could also be a vision. Just how far was Cheren in finding the Lights—they only had a month until summer really began, could they locate twenty people in time? "…Alright." Nerehc decided. "I'll see what she has to offer. But I expect her to help us make progress."

Ragus grinned wide. "Thank you, Nerehc! Lady Medusa appreciates it!"

She took Nerehc's right (dominant) hand and plopped her doll onto it. She closed her eyes and glowed blue with energy, much to Nerehc's fright. ". . . Wh-Wh-WHOOOOOOAAAAA!" Nerehc shone brightly, Ragus's grin looked more vicious in the light. A soul-sweeping sensation overcame him. The darkness turned white.

The moment it all disappeared, Nerehc fell. Ragus looked down at him with her grin. …He slowly stood up. Never had Nerehc been more calm. …He opened his sharp, snakelike green eyes, smiling wickedly. "Thank you… Ragus."

"My pleasure… Lady Medusa." The Nerehc doll dangled lifeless and motionlessly from Ragus's hand.