B-15. Simple, Yet Complicated

Facilier's Voodoo Emporium

"And that, Frederick, is why we use caution when executing a prank regarding Acne Cream." Facilier said as he spread Anti-Acne Cream on the boy's face, which was filled with bloated red dots.

"Thank you, Dr. Facilier." Frederick blushed.

"A'ight, run along now." The boy jogged out of the shop, then Samantha walked up. "Hey, Sammy! What's new?"

"Mr. Facilier, my brother and I just remembered who the KND leader is!" Sam yelled. "His name's Cheren, and he was-"

"I know, I know, everyone forgot him and remembered him outta nowhere!" Facilier summed up. "I was pretty weirded out, too, but then… eh, it's not important."

"Mr. Facilier, my brother says that Cheren said the Apocalypse is coming! We didn't believe it at first, but… Sigh, it's starting to worry him. …I was wondering if…"

"You wanna read your fortune?"

"…Mmmmm, uh-uh." She shook her head. "I don't know if I should… maybe we just need to lighten up. You have any of those Image Bubbles?"

"Haha, sure, kid." Facilier grabbed a pink bubble bottle from the shelf.

"Thanks." Sam paid the money and began to walk out.

"SAM?" She turned back to the witch-doctor. "It's gonna be all right."

"…Hehe." Sam grinned and exited the shop.

"A'ight, WENDY, you can come down!"

The ceiling hatch opened, and Carla floated down before Wendy climbed down the ladder. The girl sat in the chair opposite Facilier. "Did y'all get a good night's rest?"

"Yeah, I did."

"Good! Alright, quiz time, give me three types of spells and describe them!"

"Umm… There are Charms, which are supportive spells that give a special property to the target… Curses, which are harmful dark spells that can last briefly or indefinitely, like a hex… and Transformation-type spells, which alter the target's size, shape, or appearance."

"Do you have a favorite?"

"Definitely Charms." Wendy smiled. "I really don't do with Curses."

"I can imagine. Okay, Wendy, you've been getting plenty of fighting experience, so I think we can level off on that for a bit. We need to start teaching you to combine your airbending with your magic."

"But I already do. I cast the Repiti spell on my Cyclone Fist to keep it going."

"That's very creative, but it ain't what I mean. Magic benders in the past have utilized bending powers that others wouldn't have. But I ain't an airbender, so I'm not sure what power you can invent… however, my sources inform me of the perfect teacher who can tell you. He's an old wizard named Ezlo, and he was last seen walking across the Climate Plains in Europe. We can warp you to the train station through the Floo Network." He pointed to the fireplace. "I'll stay behind and look for where the twins and Floop are hiding."

"Okay. Will I need contacts?"

"Nah, it's not a populace setting. You can give your eyes more breath."

"Okay…" Wendy lightly grasped the lap of her emerald dress, looking down.

Facilier noticed her downtrodden expression. "…You still upset, aren't you?"

"Yeah… I know you don't want me to be, but…"

The doctor reached over and tilted Wendy's head up. "Wendy, it's okay to feel upset if you wanna be… it's just it's a different story if you let these feelings get to you, know what I mean?"

"I do. I just want something good to happen for a change. I want these 'missions' to feel… worth it."

Facilier looked away. He wanted to grant such a request, but wasn't sure what to give her. …He smiled and said to her, "Tell you what: you come back from this mission, I'll show you the wand that I use."

"You mean your cane?"

"Naw, the cane is just a disguise." Facilier held said cane up. "The wand is inside of it. I never showed it to anyone, but I'll be happy to let you and Charles be the first."

"Really?! The first?!" Wendy's expression brightened.

"My first student and my first pet! Is that enough to inspire you?"

"YES, it is!! I'm so excited!"

"I am not YOUR pet." Carla stated. "Besides, isn't the shadow your pet?"

"Hey, that's offensive." The doctor stated. Shadow nodded. "Plus, he already knows since he's part of me." Shadow shrugged. "So are y'all ready to go?"

"I sure am!" Wendy jumped to her feet. "Let's go!"

Facilier gave her a backpack that carried Floo Powder for her to return. "Climate Plains!" he called as he threw a bundle of powder into the fireplace. Wendy and Carla jumped into the emerald flame and vanished.

Upstairs in the bedroom, the girl's 'Wendell' clothes were folded under her bed. …A small, triangle-shaped paper with an eye drawn on it helped itself out of the shirt's neck hole, and looked around.

Fizzuras House

"Vell, ve had a few nasty bumps in ze road…" Henrietta grinned sheepishly. "But I am proud to share our first family breakfast in five years vith zese unaging babies, and our special guest, ze cavegirl, Nel." She smiled at the cavechild sitting at one end of the table.

"Nel is happy to be in Aughsucks family cave." Nel clapped. "Missus Fizzyrocks makes tasty little green trees." She was eating broccoli. "Would Aughsucks like some?"

Augustus was sitting inside a large, but cramped cage, eating dogfood from a doggy bowl. "Why, again, is the animal-like cavegirl not sitting in here, but I AM?!"

"Because ze little cavegirl has shown better manners zan you so far, Augustus liebe." Henrietta replied, dropping a bone-shaped treat in her son's bowl. "You need ein tighter leash zan she does."

"Why do we even have this cage, anyway?"

"It used to belong to the dog you didn't feed before you left." Augustus's father, Antonio replied.

"Oh, yeah… I forgot about Syrup."

"Named your dog Syrup?" Rallo asked. "Well, no wonder he ran away."

"Look, Augustus, I vould not have minded zis adventurous streak if you had not gone and 'made a name' for yourself." Henrietta stated, still focused on her breakfast. "Vanted posters of Candy Hunter Augustus everywhere, how much vill it take to clear your name?"

"Tell me about it. I changed my epithet to 'Stone Fist', how do I get that public? AH!" Henrietta kicked the teen's cage.

"Still, that's a weird-looking rock you brought home with you." Ace said. "Where did you find that?"

"Antonio, he ruined your plane, don't encourage him." Heinie scolded.

"Eh, nothing we can't fix."

"Mom, have you ever heard of sweets called the Lost Candies?" Augustus asked, eating his treat.

"Ze Lost Candies? Vhere vould you have heard about zem, 'cause I haven't."

"I heard about them from a sick boy in Pueblo de Niebla. The Sugar Fairy Princess says that not many people have heard of them, however."

"You met ze Fairy Princess?"

"Heh, I met two of them! Pretty slick for a runaway, right?"

"Nel has to go potty." Nel said. "Nel can poop in corner, or anywhere?"

"Ahem, AUGUSTUS, teach Nel how to use ze bathroom." Heinie picked up her plate and carried it to the sink. "And afterwards, give her a bath."

"Ain'tchu gonna let me out of here??"

"Vhy? You have thumbs."

Augustus flexed said fingers. He used them to grab that little slide-in bar, pull it out, and unlock his cage. "…I knew that."

Bathroom

"He he, he he, he he!" Nel was happily swinging her feet while Augustus tried to scrub them. Her unclothed body was covered in bubbles. "Nel feels a happy feeling in her feets now. Is Nel's feet tasting?"

"You have millions of years of catching up to do." Augustus said. Behind him, his mom was brushing her hair. "So Mom, can you think of any reason why the World Government would wanna burn any references to the Lost Candies?"

"Vhy vould ze Government concern their selves vith that?"

"To be fair, the Sugary Wonders were pretty deadly items. You'd think they would've shown more initiative in stopping our ancestors from finding them all those years."

"Hmmm…" Heinie thought for a second. If the Wonders didn't catch their attention, why were the Lost Candies special? "I'm really not certain."

"Oh well. Do you know if there's any way to get to Oceana?"

"Vell, ZAT is out of nowhere! Augustus, Big Mam vonce made an agreement to protect Oceana from invaders in exchange for zeir delicious candies. Now that Big Mam is no more, zey von't velcome you."

"Oh yeah, I forgot! I wonder if Nickel Joe still remembers their coordinates."

"Augh, you are purposely ignoring the parts I vant you to hear."

"Hey, I'm sorry for running away without notice, but I need to find the Lost Candies before Luviro dies this month."

"This… month? He says he vill die this month, specifically?"

"W-Well, back in November, he said he had seven months to live, so… this would be the seventh month, wouldn't it?"

"…" Henrietta grew more suspicious. "Augustus, if finding ze Lost Candies is that important, zen perhaps you should get ze help of someone vith expertise in this subject. Like, ze Kids Next Door."

"Are you kidding, Mom?! The point of being an adventurous runaway is NOT seeking help from the law! Let those snot-nosed brats worry about defeating their broccoli monster or whatever."

"Sigh… Perhaps zey are too busy." Henrietta sighed, aware of their own conflicts the KND is dealing with.

Garage

After bath time was over, Augustus's crew set to work in the garage, which was filled with scrap. It only took half an hour to repair the Ace Flyer. "There we are, good as new." Stewie smiled. "While we're here, I suppose I can construct a few weapons for our upcoming quest."

"You get started on that, I'll phone in Nickel Joe." Augustus said as he dialed on his cellphone. After two rings, the other end decided to chance the caller ID and answer. "Ye… Hello?"

"Hey, Joe, it's me, Augustus."

"Who is this Joe you speak of? I am Trader Slim, the on-the-run sales clerk. Can I interest you in this pretty little bowl that looks like a turtle shell?"

"No thanks, now tell me, Joe, you collected debt from Oceana, haven't you?"

"W-Why do ya need to know? Are there, eh… cops about?"

"No, it's just me. Joe, I wanna go back to Oceana and look for something, but I need coordinates."

"Eh… Well, it so happens that I saved the coinkidinks on my phone. But Gusty, we're all wanted in that place, and the only way in from the surface is through the Mother Child Islands, and anybody with eyes will see you come in from there."

"Big deal, I should easily be able to build a submarine. Just link me the map and I'll let you get back to your sales."

"You bargain hard, Gus. Just don't bet more than you can pay up." The call ended. Augustus watched as a digital map appeared on his phone with a location marked in the Atlantic.

"Before we go, we should fly to Gumdrop Cove and buy some Oxybursts." The captain said. "Since you Devil Fruit eaters can't swim, they'll help you breathe underwater."

"Augustus, aren't you concerned how the pirates will treat us for the Davy Back Fight?" Stewie asked. "And what if some of the participants are there?"

"They might. Hmmm…" Augustus picked up the Rock Nut and stared at it. "The Rocknut Tribe used this nut to strengthen their armor. When I licked it, my Haki fully came back. Do you think this thing has the power to strengthen defense?"

"You wanna test it out?" Rallo asked.

Augustus decided to put the Rock Nut in the Ace Flyer's trunk. "'kay, Stewie, blast it." The baby whipped out his ray gun and shot the biplane. After four shots, he grabbed his missile launcher and fired, exploding on the plane. It barely left a scratch. "Awesome! At least now we won't get shot down."

"It could weigh us down." Stewie said.

"Well, we'll make do. I'm more worried about how we're gonna take a submarine all the way to Oceana."

"Actually, I might be able to make something that can fix all those dilemmas. Give me about an hour."

Climate Plains

Wendy and Carla exited the emerald fire and found their selves under the roof of the train station, which was open to the outside atmosphere. The sun was shining high over a vast green plain with tall mountains. The roaring whistles of trains echoed in the distance. "This place is really pretty, Carla."

"I agree. But did Dr. Facilier say why it was called Climate Plains?"

"I know. 'Train Plains' would've sounded better, right? Heh heh!"

"He didn't even tell us what Ezlo looked like. What, does he expect you to walk around and ask casually?"

"It shouldn't be hard. There isn't many people around, so we just have to find someone that looks… wizardly! Let's just run around and see the sights while we're at it. Haha, try to keep up!" (Play "Realm Overworld" from Zelda: Spirit Tracks!)

Stage B-12: Climate Plains

Mission: Find the wizard, Ezlo.

Wendy dashed down a hill toward a small mountain, and she spin-jumped on a propeller spring to get up onto a cliff on its side. She hopped on a pair of train tracks and grinded toward a field on her left. A train was coming, but instead of jumping off the rail and going around it, Wendy leaped and ran across the roof. She grabbed a Fire Soul at the end before running off and grinding the track. Wendy was about to cross a high bridge over a river, but a train was coming from directly ahead. She jumped left and grinded a rail on the train's side, and jumped flamethrowers coming from the train.

Once past the train, Wendy got back on the tracks and grinded into a cave. The route where the train came from was closed, so Wendy jumped off the rail and ran the alternate way. She stopped at a cliff over a chasm, but saw a Spring Pad up on the right wall. Carla lifted her up so the spring could bounce her to a dash panel on the left wall. Wendy sidestepped when blue Blastworms popped out of parts of the wall, avoiding the explosive bugs.

Wendy ran off the edge of the wall, landing on a safe foothold before going up a U-turn slope that brought her into a round tunnel. Rocktites (four-legged rock spiders with an eye in their mouth) skittered around the floor and walls, staying ahead of Wendy and waiting to jump at her. Wendy lined up with each Rocktite to shoot Attack Spells and knock them out of the way. One Rocktite jumped her while she was running on the wall, causing her to drop to the floor as she tried to shake it off. Carla did a Torpedo Spin to aid in that, and when another Rocktite jumped, Wendy whipped the Attack Spell to defeat it.

At the end of the tunnel, Wendy ran along a path on the side of a mountain. The path sloped down, then up again, and three GUN Shield Hunters blocked her path. Wendy slid under the middle one's shield, knocked it off its feet, then hit the Spring Pad behind them to bounce up to another level of the mountain. It was a small field where Fire Souls were lain around. Wendy ran up to the first fiery ring—it became a Like-Like that snatched Wendy in its vacuum mouth. Wendy struggled to escape, clutching her wand inside the mouth and casting Stupefy to make it release. They figured all these Fire Souls were Like-Likes' lures, so Wendy avoided them all. (One was probably real, though.)

Wendy hit a spring on the other side of the field, bouncing to a mountain path that sloped up and around the peak. Near the top, she hit a rail and grinded all the way down toward a beach overlooking the vast ocean. As she raced across the beach, Ergtoroks (Octoroks that dwell in sand) popped up to cough rocks at her, but Wendy avoided before hitting a spring at the end that bounced her onto some train tracks. She grinded the tracks over a great long bridge that crossed the sea. Partway across, the tracks sloped down onto the surface, curved left, and ended as Wendy ran across the ocean's surface.

Some small battleships were trying to blast Wendy from either side, and she avoided the splashes made by their cannons as she was coming to another tall bridge. Carla quickly grabbed her master and lifted her up onto the bridge, and Wendy grinded rightward along the tracks. There was a train coming from ahead, riding tracks that were on the surface on their right. When the bridge was reaching its end, Wendy jumped onto the rail that was on the train's roof. When the train was ending, she jumped left and grinded another bridge rail.

The track swerved left, and Wendy jumped off their dead end to bounce across a series of GUN Beetles. The last one was a Spring Beetle, which bounced Wendy up to another train track on a bridge. She grinded the bridge toward a snowy mountain, going between two other tracks that trains were riding, then quickly jumped on the left track when that train passed, avoiding the train on the center track. When the center train passed, she returned on the center track and made it to the mountain's base.

She jumped off the track to avoid going in the train tunnel, hitting a spring that bounced her to the next mountain level. GUN Laser Hunters shot goop guns at her, but Wendy took them out with punches from her Cyclone Fist, which pushed the robots against the wall and broke them. Carla lifted Wendy onto the next ledge, where she could enter the snowy mountain. "First a pleasant meadow, then a beach, now a snow peak?" Carla questioned.

"So that's why they're called the Climate Plains!" Wendy realized. The cold of the Winter Zone made her toes chilly, so her speed was a little faltered. Wendy ran up a small slope to a ground where GUN Rhinos tried to run her over, but Wendy jumped them and cast Reducto Curses to destroy the mechs. Wendy ran off a ledge afterward and raced down a wide slope within a trench. A train suddenly exploded from the ground behind them, haphazardly rolling down the path and making an avalanche. The train had a drill on its front, so Wendy ran faster, avoiding the snowballs coming from the avalanche.

At the end of this slope, Wendy jumped on a frozen ice rail on her left, curving leftward as it brought her over a chasm between a trench. The rail dropped her on a path along the right wall, so Wendy ran across it, jumping the Ice Chuchu that sprang up. The path ended at a protective fence, and there was also a thin, tall pole. Wendy blew a cyclone up the pole, then she grabbed onto it as the wind spiraled her up. Once high enough, Wendy released and flew over to a path on the left trench wall. The path ramped up and forced Wendy to run along the wall itself, but when the cold caused her to lose speed, Carla quickly grabbed the girl and lifted her to the next safe ground.

The path directed toward the center of the trench, Ice Chus guarding the path as Wendy cast Fire Spells at them. Wendy boosted up a ramp at the end, flying her over the chasm before she landed on a new path, which turned left, brought her out of the snow, and into an orange autumn forest where colored leaves floated down. "Ahhh, this is much nicer. Carla, what's your favorite season?"

"Spring is the only one I fully experienced, so perhaps that."

They came to a dead-end area with several log pillars with springs. There was a switch at the base of each pillar, and pressing them would change the springs' direction. Wendy made a left spring face right, made that spring face up, the above spring bounce left, the following one down diagonal, and that final upward spring bounced her onto the ledge. Wendy kept along the path, coming to an area where three trains went over three parallel sets of tracks, horizontal in Wendy's perspective. She jumped the flat beds of the first train, used Carla to float over the second one's short cars, but to get over the third one, Wendy jumped into a vine-made slingshot, which Carla then pulled to aim and launch Wendy over the train.

The next path turned left and led Wendy to a trench area with a huge gap between her and the next ledge, but there was ground below. Another of those slingshots was partway over the edge, so Wendy jumped into it. Carla aimed Wendy at a vine that was swinging circles on the left and launched her to it. Wendy hung onto the self-swinging vine before launching herself to a swinging platform. The platform swung beside Centiflies, which were dragonflies with centipede legs. They floated up-and-down, and when they floated up, Wendy could safely bounce their heads and cross them. (There was a small blue fairy that appeared to be sketching the large bugs.)

Wendy landed on a swing hanging from the branches above, and using her airbending, she swung further and higher before launching herself toward the ledge. Wendy began to scamper through a forest maze, screeching when the large spiders, Skulltula tried to drop in her way. She seemed to be running aimless around the forest, but in every turn she came to, a branch from a dead tree was pointing either left or right. Carla suggested she follow those directions, and when Wendy did, they found their way out of the forest.

They were back in the Spring Zone, going down a green hill and up the other side. Wendy raced up to a lone rock where a small creature was sitting. (End song.)

The creature on the rock was about six inches tall. He was an old Minish with white hair in a bun, a large white beard and eyebrows, wearing a green robe. He was sitting cross-legged, meditating. A wood staff with a round top was lain before him. "Perhaps ask him." Carla whispered.

"I dunno, he looks like he's resting… Maybe I shouldn't interrupt him."

"You're not standing too far away, I can hear you." The Minish stated.

"Eeeek!" Wendy yelped. The Minish got up, picked up his staff, and turned to them. Wendy and Carla decided to approach him.

"What is it you wanted to ask me?"

"I just… wanted to know if you've seen a wizard named Ezlo around here." Wendy asked shyly.

"Who did you think I was?"

"Y-You're him?" Wendy was a little shocked. He was smaller than she expected, but she didn't say that. "Um… Well, my name's Wendy, this is Carla. A man named Dr. Facilier sent us here to find you. He said you could teach me how to use airbending and magic together."

"Oh, did he? And did 'Dr. Facilier' send any notice that some red-eyed blue-haired girl and her weird-looking cat would try to find me and want to learn magic?"

"I… guess not?" Wendy flushed and shifted her feet.

"Sir, we're sorry for disrupting your meditation, and we promise to question Mr. Facilier later." Carla told him. "He has taught Wendy all she knows about magic so far, but he is not knowledgeable enough to show her how to use it with her bending properly. That's why he sent us to you. We understand you might be too busy, so if that's the case-"

"Stick a tuna in it, Cat, I'll teach the girl."

"Y-You will?" Wendy stuttered in shock again.

"But first, just how good with your powers are you?"

"Well, I'm… a pretty good airbender. I ran all the way across this valley in minutes, but I'm sort of just learning magic. I have a Lamia Scale." She showed him her wand.

"Hmmmm…" Ezlo stared at the girl intently. He skimmed her up and down, from her sandaled feet to her head of odd features. Wendy got the impression he wasn't impressed. From his size, he must've had pretty good view of the girl, like the very slight but unbalanced posture of her legs. "Alright, we'll work with it. First, take off your shoes. You'll do better if you're barefoot."

"No way, her feet will get dirty." Carla argued.

"That's the breaks."

"You're barefoot too, Carla." Wendy chuckled as she pulled off her sandals.

"Dr. Facilier wouldn't buy me those kitty shoes at the mall." Carla frowned grumpily.

Wendy planted both feet on the ground and wiggled her toes between the grass. "It isn't so bad."

"Indeed." Ezlo nodded. "Now put your wand down and do what I do."

They both placed their wands on the ground before them. Wendy mimicked Ezlo as they performed yoga-like movements, bending their bodies to either side, balancing on one leg while stretching the other one out, and bending back like a rainbow.

"Can I ask why we're doing this?" Carla asked, figuring she would try it herself.

"Element benders are known for molding their chi by exercising their body." Ezlo explained. "Magic users know little more than waving a wand and casting spells. Even magic benders don't think to make them one in the same practice. True, magic is not classified as a sole Element Chi, but it is a combination of forces, natural and supernatural, that make up wizards' bodies. To grow with it, you must grow with nature. Breathe…" The Minish took a deep breath, and exhaled softly, while balancing on one leg.

Wendy mimicked his posture and breathed softly. She felt the fresh air ease her lungs. A yellow butterfly flew by her face, and since Wendy's airbending made her breathing stronger, she sucked the bug in. "Ack- aaack!" She fell over and punched her chest, but when the butterfly wouldn't come out, she took a breath and swallowed. She shuddered from the tingly, buttery feeling.

Ezlo sighed. "Alright, Step 2. Pick up your wand."

Wendy grabbed her Lamia Scale and got back up. She mimicked Ezlo's pose, holding her wand in both hands, aiming directly forward, and closing her eyes. "Magic, like chi, is everywhere. Because although some areas are more fluent with a particular chi, all chis come from the same source, so there are tiny fragments of all chi everywhere. Ordinary mages are born with this energy in our blood, but we can't control this mix of chi on our own. That's why we bond with magic wands, which help us direct and control the specific parts of chi that we want. But magic benders have a stronger bond, because their body houses a form of chi and can therefore control part of nature. I want you to channel the Air Chi and the magic to your wand."

They were too many words for Wendy to process all at once. She kept a firm grip on her wand and tried to focus her power. Even though Dr. Facilier wasn't an airbender, he had a book that taught Wendy basic moves. Since she had a good bond with her chi already, she was able to learn Dragon Style from the books, too. Of course, even if she could blow a strong cyclone, she wasn't perfect in the art. She never tried focusing her chi without actually bending, let alone focusing magic.

She stood like a statue for several minutes, trying to picture firmly in her mind, the Air Chi and magic connecting at her wand. Her arms and legs were growing numb, she felt the sweat between the wand and the palms of her hands. "Uuuugh." Wendy sat on the ground and gasped for breath. "This is too hard. There's so many things to remember, and it's all so confusing."

"Everything sounds more complicated than it actually is!" Ezlo stated. "A train driver doesn't have to remember all the complex sciences and mechanisms to drive a train, they just do it! You're thinking too hard, girl."

"But don't benders have to use their mind, too? So they can focus where they want the chi to go, and how it works?"

"Yes, but basic moves shouldn't require much thought! All your chi needs is a brief instruction, and it will do it! It may not always work out, but that's how you grow with it!"

"Then I'm just bad at it, huh." Wendy lied on her back.

"Oh, pipe down, you're still a child." Ezlo jumped down and sat on her chest. "And you came to me for an on-the-spot lesson, did you expect to master it right away?"

"Haha, I guess not." Wendy chuckled. She faced up at the moving sky, the light breeze calming her nerves.

"I don't know if you learned this in elementary school, but although chi is the source of all power in the universe, it is categorized into what are known as Four Great Powers. There is magic… element bending… metahumanism… and advanced martial arts. Those are the four main forces that have become infamous across history. Of course, this doesn't factor in science and technology that is used to manipulate these forces. It is from those forces that people developed a variety of powers and skills. Those four powers are categorized into a great many sub-powers. Magic and bending are closely related, but while the gods choose the benders, mages inherit their powers through a simple alignment of stars and external forces. But while the gods don't give us our power, they have helped us to master our power. The spells that we use, Wendy, are incantations commonly used to speak with the gods and spirits. When using Transformation, we call upon the God of DNA; spatial spells call upon the God of Space, and the rest speaks for itself."

"But only people born with Magic Chi can call upon the gods like that?"

"Indeed. It is just how we are born, but if the gods didn't decide on our power, then what did? Are there greater forces at work here? True, we think Arceus is the ultimate creator. We think he created all of the chis, we think he created magic by combining chis, we think Bang Gas was spawned from Arceus's gas… but what force created Arceus, and where did that force come from? Billions have researched, but the answers are nowhere. Did Arceus even make all this himself? No one knows…

"Wendy, all I'm saying is that it is confusing. Explanations are important for knowledge's sake, but trying to learn everything or even understand everything is impossible. I don't want you to hurt yourself just trying to remember the inner workings of magic or bending. But you must learn to mold the two powers in your own way."

In my own way… "Mr. Ezlo, could you get off me?"

The Minish did so. With a new determined aura, Wendy got to her feet, pulled her arms under her dress, and ripped off her Chi Stabilizers. "Child, what're you doing? !" Carla yelled.

"Huh? Why did the wind suddenly pick up?" Ezlo asked, having to stick his staff in the ground to keep from blowing.

Wendy held her wand forward, locked herself on the ground, and focused her power. Is this why I couldn't control my curse? Because I didn't know to control my magic? If so, then that's going to change. If I don't get anything else… I at least want Lee Andrew to be proud of me.

A cyclone encased her body, and the ground at her feet glowed. Carla held Ezlo and stayed firm as they both stared at the wizard with awe. Wendy opened her eyes, kept her wand grasped in both hands, and waved it as the cyclone became a strip of wind and blew in the pointed direction. Wendy whipped her wand right, and the wind redirected and flew that way. Wendy twirled in place, making the wind spiral around and around like a dancer's ribbon. Then, with a mighty swing toward the sky, the wind shot up and separated a passing cloud.

Without her Chi Stabilizers on, it was the longest time Wendy stood without wind blowing around her: two minutes. Eventually, the breeze started to pick up again. "That was… impressive, Child." Carla said.

"Really? It felt pretty easy to me." Wendy blushed.

Ezlo jumped out of Carla's paws and approached Wendy with interest. "Who did you say sent you to me?"

"Doctor Facilier. He's a witch-doctor."

"Did he, now?" Ezlo stared up at Wendy's bright red eyes. He felt the breeze that was steadily increasing. "…It's funny… you remind me of an old student of mine. He was an airbender… who strongly sought to improve his magical potential. His name… was Vaati."

"Vaati?" Carla repeated.

"Yes. But like me, he was a Minish. At least… he used to be. I taught him to embrace nature in order to embrace the magic and chi inside him… and he did. But he took it too far. He studied Dark Arts and the dark side of his bending. I sense… the same kind of power in you."

"In me?" Wendy spoke, feeling hurt.

"I sense… the same type of desire in you. The passion to learn more on your own power. And the stronger your passion, the more you will desire. And then… you will fall into depravity."

Wendy's excitement from earlier faded away and replaced with fear. She stared at the Lamia Scale in her hands. A powerful wand that could shatter defense, but create strong defense. She thought she was becoming better at her powers, stronger… but what if this was bad?

"But like I said, don't think about it too much." Ezlo said. "If it is meant to happen, it will happen."

"But I don't want it to happen!"

"Child, don't listen to this geezer." Carla stated. "It's good for a person to seek knowledge. It's just a matter of what you do with it."

All three of them jumped when the ground exploded a few yards away, and the drill train they had evaded before emerged and dragged along the ground. A hatch on the top of the train opened, and a familiar skull-headed witch stuck out. "We meet again, you little ostrich. Thought you could give me the ditch?"

"IT'S GRUNTILDA!" Wendy exclaimed.

"That's right, I am back! You haven't given me the sack! In Orchid Bay, the Fairy Sphere trapped all the citizens in fear. The fairies came and sought the culprit, and I told them I wasn't it! True, I was to blame, but not all alone, because Miss Marvell here was guilty to the bone! The Fairy King planned to trap me, but the story changed when he… (heard)…"

"Trap me here, you should not! Or your beloved Ocean Princess will rot!" Gruntilda threatened Jorgen.

"Vhat?!"

"The Ocean Fairy, I have in chains. Thought I could use her for selfish gains."

"YOU have imprisoned Princess Lazuli?!" Jorgen thundered, aiming his King Wand at her.

"Destroy me, trap me, do what you may! But then Princess Lazuli will pay. My minions are ordered to dispose of her, if I do not call by the hour!"

"So here I am, free as a bee. Not bad for little old me." Grunty said proudly. "But a bargain with them, I made: eviction from my actions, should your bounty be paid." She held up Wendy's wanted poster.

"But why do the fairies want to capture me?!" she shouted.

"The Fairy King believes you seek the Fairy's Tail, he decrees. A powerful wand owned by Her Highness, should not fall to anything less. I will defeat you with my train, the Hag Express, full of lots of pain. Try to catch me, Dear, but Grunty's victory is clear!" (Play "Gruntilda's Challenge" from Banjo: Nuts & Bolts.)

Boss fight: The Hag Express

Wendy dodged left when the train charged at her, and when the vessel began to make its turn-around, Wendy ran after to stay behind it. Cannons on the roof launched bombshells, but Wendy kept dodging as she closed in on the train. She was able to jump on a rail on its right side, grinding to the link binding the other car and casting Alohomora to make the nail pop off.

The back car detached as the train swerved around to face Wendy. "So much for my mortar cannons. I'll slice you up! Say hi to Ganon!" The drill buzzed to life, and Wendy ran away as the train chased. She couldn't make a tight-enough turn because the train stayed dead behind her, and it was closing in. "Child, make a shield!" Carla yelled.

"OH! Protego!" Wendy stopped, cast a pink bubble over herself and Carla, and both braced for impact. The train BOUNCED up into the air upon hitting the impenetrable bubble.

"Your magic's stronger than I thought." said Grunty, still in midair. "Can you spot me underground? I doubt!" The train faced directly downward, descending and drilling through the ground. Wendy and Carla searched around, but when they heard the rumbling, they dodged before the train popped up. It flew into the air, aimed at them, and buried underground again after it missed the girls. The train repeated the process a second time, but on the third, Grunty's front car ended up getting stuck halfway. "Darn it, I've hit a tight spot! I'm not looking too hot!"

Now that Grunty was sticking out of her cockpit, Wendy spun a cyclone around her right fist, charged at the disembodied witch, and PUNCHED her in the glass containing her head. Grunty was pushed back inside the train by the force, and the vehicle flew up out of its trapped position. "I'll just chase you from afar! And wait until your defense is ajar." The three-car train began to chase the girl again, so Wendy ran a good distance ahead. She jumped the mini drills that were launched through the ground.

"Wendy, the train can't break your shield, so if you're able to keep making her crash…"

"I don't wanna keep relying on the shield. I wanna think of other ways. Like…Like this!" Wendy waved her wand in one hand and used the other to airbend. She conjured an Air Ball and hopped on it, balancing as she controlled the ball with her magic. She whipped around at sudden speed going past the drill and grabbing the back of the last train car. She climbed up onto the roof, and Grunty popped up from her car and casted spells at Wendy. The young mage jumped them as she ran across, then dealt a round of punches at Gruntilda.

The witch blew Wendy away with a propulsion spell, and when the wizard landed on the back car, Grunty cast a spell to detach it. The car began beeping, so Wendy leapt off before it exploded. "You'll no longer be going around. These lasers will keep you bound to ground!" A wall of lasers appeared on the sides of both cars, and would prevent Wendy from Air Balling around them. Grunty sent both ground drills and spells to impede Wendy's speed, and the train gained speed to catch up. Wendy controlled the wind with her magic, making numerous quick spins to slam the wind against the side of the Hag Express. After four blows, the train fell and dragged on its side.

Wendy was able to run around it, get in view of the next link, and shoot a spell to detach it. After a little more dragging, the drill car got back on its wheels. Grunty popped out and said, "Think you're fast, you little dragon? Then come and catch me, don't be laggin'!" The train drove directly forward, and Wendy gave chase as Grunty blasted quick spells that left pink strips of light. However, these strips were solid enough for Wendy to grind on, and slippery enough for her to do so barefooted. She kept going up these conjured rails, jumping Grunty's spells, and landing on the next, steadily making her way to the witch.

Finally, Wendy landed on the roof, and Grunty screeched when the girl charged up to punch her in the glass. The witch was knocked out of the cockpit, and the train was about to crash into a cliffside. Carla held onto Wendy as the latter jumped off, and both watched the drill car explode against the cliff. (End song.)

"Rack! I'm done messing with this brat!" Grunty stomped. "It's too exhausting with my suit so fat. I must return to my team. 'Til we meet again, you windy gleam!" The witch Disapparated.

"Sigh… My feet hurt." Wendy sighed, rubbing her soles.

"Put your sandals back on, Child."

"That wasn't a bad performance." Ezlo said, popping out of Wendy's backpack before hopping to the ground.

"Oh, Mr. Ezlo! I almost forgot about you."

"You're utilizing your Air and magic well. But I'm sure there's more you can do with both powers combined. I hope you will train yourself to learn that." The Minish turned and began to leave.

"Huh? Mr. Ezlo, where are you going?"

"I was in the middle of traveling when you came." Ezlo stopped. ("No, you were meditating." Carla mumbled.) "I was happy to give you a brief instruction, but I'm not making it a full-time job."

"Oh… I understand." Wendy frowned. "…Mr. Ezlo? I promise not to get involved in dark magic."

"…" He was silent for a minute before turning to her. "I believe you, Child."

"…Hehe." Wendy blushed. "Good-bye, Mr. Ezlo." She raced across the field, to the train station.

Ezlo watched her become a dot in the distance, impressed by her speed. "Hnn, no doubt… she is his daughter."

From the sky above, a tan-skinned fairy with pink hair had recorded the events on his camera. He poofed away.

Fairy World Throne

In the vacant hall of the Fairy World Royal Throne, the princess sat all alone. She glowed like a sun, with massive butterfly wings of neon colors. Her golden hair was big and long like a curtain, and she had strict green eyes. Her pink dress with blue diamonds on the waist ended at her bare feet.

The fairy cameraman poofed before her. "Princess Mavis: I recorded footage of the 'Windy' child fighting Gruntilda."

"Let me see."

So the fairy showed her the recorded battle. Mavis analyzed Wendy's moves, her skills and powers. The camera also recorded shots of her running across the Climate Plains. "…Tell Jorgen to call the fairies off. She isn't dangerous." Mavis ordered.

"What? But how can you tell?"

"Because she doesn't look dangerous!" Mavis smiled brightly. "She actually looks fun!"

"But… she…"

"Trust me, Butch." Mavis winked. "I'm a pretty good judge of character."

Facilier's Voodoo Emporium

Wendy and Carla used their Floo Powder to warp through the fireplace in the train station, and returned to the emporium. "Mr. Facilier, we're back."

"Already?" Facilier grinned cheerily. "Did you find him?"

"We did!" Wendy beamed. "I'm learning how to control my wind curse now!"

"Really? That's amazing!"

"But while we were there, we were attacked by Gruntilda again." Carla informed. "It seems she made a bargain with the fairies to capture Wendy."

"What? After that mess she caused in Orchid Bay, they actually trusting her??"

"She seemed to pin the blame on Wendy. If they come after us, we have to try and reason with them."

"I hope that we can." Wendy said. "I just can't take anymore drama. But Mister Facilier, weren't you going to show me your wand?"

"Ahh, that's right! Well, grab a seat, girls, and the good doctor will give you a show!"

Wendy jumped up to the chair and sat, then set Carla on her lap. Facilier pulled the yellow ball off the tip of his cane. "Wendy Marvell and Carla, Doctor Facilier presents to you… a one-in-a-few of its kind, premium edition… Devil's Wand!" He pulled out a blackish-brown wand with pale red designs over it. "Illegal in over 102 countries, including five Dolphin Republics, only usable by wizards who have made deals or have contacts with demons of high authority!"

"Woooooow!" Wendy gaped.

"You grow more suspicious by the minute." Carla stated. "Just how did you come by an item like that?"

"Well, when I was a kid, I was hit with a spell from the Demon King, Malladus, enhancing my magical abilities. 'Course, no decent store would sell a Devil's Wand, thankfully I found one in the Negaverse for an expensive price. (Er, expensive is cheap there.)"

Facilier put the wand back in his cane and screwed the cap back on. "Now, Wendy, if people knew I were using a Devil's Wand, it would not sit pretty. That's why I want you to promise not to tell anyone else. A'ight?"

"All right, Mister Facilier." Wendy nodded. "I promise I won't betray your trust!"

"Ah knew I could count on you." Facilier patted the girl's head. "So, how about we go someplace and you show me whatchu learned?"

"Sounds great!"

The strip of triangle-shaped paper with the eye drawn saw from the ceiling hatch's gap. The Devil Wand caught its attention.