Sector LN, Part 9: In Return For Our Silence

Play Chariot's Theme from Witch Academia!

Boss fight: Mandy Beret

"Metamorphie Faciesse!" In a flash, Akko became a tiger with a springy tail, giggling gleefully as she bounced around the artificial space. Every time she bounced, there was a puff, and another Tiger Akko formed, and they all began bouncing separately. Mandy grit her teeth in aggravation, shooting all the copies with Finger Pistol, and when one of the animals tried to jump on her, Mandy swiftly dodged and forcefully thrusted her fingers at Akko's chest. Another POOF, and Akko became a little frog that landed on Mandy's hand, but the assassin easily smacked her off—Akko became an armadillo upon landing, rolling around the room as Diana continued to clone her with Doubling Magic.

Tired of this game, Mandy set her sights on Diana, using Shave to get beside the heiress, who swiftly threw up a Protego. Mandy was able to cut through the shield with a few strong kicks, but that's when a chimp pounced on her head and gnawed at her ear. "You LITTLE-!" Mandy stabbed her fingers at it, but the chimp poofed. "Damn it, where'd you go now-…?!" When she looked at her fingers, she spotted a little centipede with colored segments. "Hi!"

"Eeek-!" Mandy didn't have time to react when Akko BURST into her normal form and kicked her in the face. Mandy recomposed and retaliated by zipping behind Akko and tipping fingers to her neck. "Time to skin you like the animal you- huh?!" Some kind of slime got on her hand. Akko turned, her face having become a frog's. "RIBBIT!" She latched her tongue onto a further ceiling and flew away from her grasp, and in Mandy's attempt to follow, the spy stumbled on her own jelly legs. "You dirty cheater!" she shouted at Diana.

"It's okay!" Mandy then looked over at Akko, whose legs were also jelly. "It's just Jelly-Leg Syndrome! All we need is a little air!" And so, she began to puff air into her thumb, and Diana used the Inflation Spell on Akko's legs, an act that Diana felt ashamed of doing. "Whoooaa!" Akko's legs deflated, but they had been stretched three times longer. In her attempt to gain balance, she poofed, becoming a giraffe with long legs and a short neck. "Hey, guys, does this look right to you?"

"Pffff-!" Diana tried to hold in her laughter. Mandy's head pounded out of anger, using Life Return to restore feeling in her legs, but in the time it took to do this, Akko changed back into a human and called, "Phaidoari Afairynghor!" Her Shiny Rod changed into the Shiny Ax, which she brought down with great vigor in attempt to sever Mandy in two. The spy was able to dodge with a Shave, but was shocked to see Akko transform into a chubby white, glowing bird. With Mandy distracted, "HYAH!" the real Akko was able to successfully impale the Shiny Ax into her skull.

Mandy's life flashed before her eyes, horrified that it would all come to end so suddenly. …But to Mandy's complete astonishment, Akko withdrew the ax, and Mandy felt no wound in her head. "What the hell?! The damn ax didn't do a THING!" Mandy tried to cut her with a Tempest Kick, and Akko changed into a mouse to avoid the distorted airwave. "HEHN?! What gives…?" Mandy asked, feeling some aching pain in her head.

"The Shiny Ax isn't designed to physically hurt people." Akko stated. "It's designed to cut your Chi Paths."

"My…My CHI?!"

"Don't worry, they'll naturally repair their selves. But hopefully not before I can finish the show!" Akko turned into a cheetah with a unicorn's head, speeding around the room before trying to impale her horn into Mandy, who used Paper Art to nimbly avoid the attacks. Akko turned into a Puffy Blowhog to blow Mandy back with her strong wind, so the spy made herself heavy again and used Shave to zip over and puncture Akko with a Finger Pistol. The Blowhog POPPED into stars and confetti, and Akko used the Shiny Rod to make the stars fly up around the room in circles.

The stars flew to Mandy and exploded into fireworks, the assassin shutting her eyes and trying to Shave out of there. When she cracked her eyes open, she could see Diana panting with slight exhaust, her wand continuously glowing. Mandy used Paper Art to evade the fireworks as she thought, Clearly, that blonde one is better at magic than the Asian one. All these fancy effects must be HER doing. I'm just gonna scrap everything and attack her-

"Mayenab Dysheebudo!" Akko turned the Shiny Rod into the Shiny Sprinkler, and Diana used Aguamenti to fill it with water, which she then transformed into tea. The sprinkler made tea fly all around, causing Mandy's Paper Art body to become damp and heavy. Mandy wanted to question the purpose of the tea, but now Akko was twirling in place and letting the droplets fall on her tongue. "Wouldn't it be great if it rained tea like this every day?!"

"I can't TAKE this, anymore!" Forgetting Diana for the moment, Mandy zipped up and grabbed Akko by the neck. "I won't be treated like some sort of JOKE! …?!" Then, Akko's head began to inflate wider and wider.

"You must forgive her." Diana said. "She is a real airhead."

POP! Another burst of confetti, and Akko began zooming around Mandy's head in the form of the rainbow bee. Mandy brushed away the colorful trail in a rage, but then Akko became an adorable pig with a lion's mane, scratching the mane in a feline fashion. "AGH!" Mandy was bound in magical rope from Diana's wand.

"It seems that our audience is quite captivated." Diana smirked.

Akko hopped over and recovered the Shiny Rod. "Then it's time for the big finale! Arae Aryrha!" Akko ensnared Mandy with the Shiny Rope. Diana set the end on fire with harmless gold-blue flames as Akko whirled her around and around the air. "This is a wonderful world where dreams can become reality! Believe in yourself and your greatest wishes will come to life! THAT… IS YOUR…" And with one final, passionate swing, Mandy CRASHED onto the illusory planet like a comet, "MAGIIIIIIIIC!"

Mandy was still conscious, struggling to break free of the Shiny Rope. "Tempest!" Diana cast a Shock Spell to weaken her further, the illusory space now disappearing. Mandy looked up, horrified as both witches had their wands trained. "Thank you for attending this special private performance!" Akko announced. (End song.)

"Ngh… no… No, this can't be how it ends! I can't die here! Please, I was just following Grunty's orders! I don't like working for that old hag, I'm just doing it because my boss ordered me to!"

Akko and Diana exchanged a disbelieving glance. The former faced down at her and said, "Let me ask you something, Mandy… what is it you want more than anything? What do you dream about at night?"

"What do you think?! I dream about money and boys, and having a fancy private house where no one bothers me!"

"Is that REALLY all you dream about?!" Akko aimed her wand in a threatening fashion. "How could you be an assassin, killing so many people just for such petty things?!"

"AAAH!" Mandy shut her eyes and cried, "I just want people to respect me! You don't know how lucky I was to get into CP0. I trained my ASS off to master Rokushiki, I didn't think anyone would care, and there they were! I can't believe it has to end like this…" The tears started to wash away her makeup.

"Hmm…" Akko sighed in disbelief. She didn't know whether to believe her or not. "I really don't approve of what you do. Assassinations… killing people. When I became an operative, I knew I would have to start fighting enemies… but to tell the truth, I never liked hurting people with my magic. I want to use my magic to make people happy, to help them forget their sadness and remember what it's like to laugh. I want to inspire people to live for their dreams. So, even though I have to fight people, I'm certainly not going to kill anyone."

"Grrrr… You don't know a damn thing." Mandy hissed. "You think just because you Kids Next Door saved the universe, everyone can be happy. But people are still afraid, still afraid of the power they don't understand. And that includes little brats like you."

"Yeah yeah, I already know. That's exactly why I have to do this. I'm going to be a witch—an operative—that makes people happy. Because," she poofed and changed into a mouse, "even a little mouse can bring smiles if they just dream BIG!" And then she poofed into a rhino and STOMPED Mandy's head, knocking her out.

She reverted to human form and gasped for breath. "Sigh… Hopefully, my shows won't always end that way."

"Hm hm hm." Diana giggled. She said nothing for a moment, only staring at the Japanese witch, her vibrant smile warming Diana's heart. "…Akko…" Diana bowed her head slightly, blushing. "I…I wanted to tell you something…" She fiddled her fingers, much to Akko's curiosity. Never had Diana assumed such a demeanor. "I…I wasn't sure how to bring this up… but I think…I think I want to-"

"I know what you're gonna say, Diana!" She looked up with a soft gasp. "You were gonna say you acknowledge me as your equal, too! Right?!"

"…" Of course Akko would make that mistake. Diana huffed and turned away, "I was going to say you did a great job, but I can see your ego's inflated."

"Is it really that hard to say that?!"

"To someone like you, especially."

"Awwooooo." Akko's cheeks puffed.

"Hm hm…" Diana adored her frustration. Both girls smiled, Diana facing up at the ceiling. "Well… it's time to stop Gruntilda."

"Do you need some help?"

"You can rest for now, Akko. I have enough magic to defeat her. But if I need you, I'll call for you. Promise."

"Okay, Diana." She nodded affirmatively. "I believe in you!"

"Yes…" Diana shut her eyes and remembered that wonderful night 11 years ago. "Believing is my magic."

Akko embraced her friend in a hug. "That's right. Now, show her what a Magic Deficient witch is capable of!"

Diana returned the hug, feeling each other's warmth. Being this close to Akko really make the butterflies in her heart start fluttering. "This will be over in a moment." Diana assured, releasing Akko. "Just wait for me!" With that, she mounted her broom and flew to the top of the tower. (Play "Final Battle" from Banjo-Kazooie!)

The second Diana was above the roof, the hatch closed, and Diana landed to face Gruntilda directly. "How I've always loved my tower, where I feel at full height and power!" Diana rolled her eyes, tired of this shtick. "Nowhere here for you to run, until Grunty's all through with her fun! No more machines, no more mechs," Grunty drew her Haglock, a gun-like wand with a witch's hat for a cock, "for it's Grunty's turn to GIVE YOU HECK! RAK KA HA HA HA HA HA!"

Boss fight: Gruntilda Winkybunion

Gruntilda whipped her wand and fired blue, sparkly puffs that were intended to blow Diana over the edge, but the heiress whipped quick counter-spells to defend herself. Sadly, one of the puffs hit her and nearly pushed her over, but she regained footing and swiftly dodged the stone spikes that erupted along the ground via Grunty's magic. Diana casted a brimming white snake from her wand that gnashed at Grunty's body, and when she destroyed it, she was too late to dodge as Diana cast Ventus to try and blow Grunty off herself. The Hag acted quickly and cast Epoximise to glue her own feet to the ground, using her other hand to hold her hat, but Diana cast Reducto to explode that spot and send Grunty flying a few feet.

"Here it is, a homing spell, will track you down and give you hell!" Gruntilda formed an electric fan and launched it at Diana, who cast Protego to block it. While the shield was successful, it shattered upon impact, making Diana dizzy for a moment. The Hag aimed her wand up and spun around, casting small meteors that flew in random directions, inevitably to target Diana's spot, the prodigy jumping and dodging each one. Grunty repeated the attack a few times before attempting to cast "Expelliarmus!" but Diana dodged the spell and cast her own, successfully disarming Gruntilda.

Diana smirked, wand trained on the wandless witch. "You cocky brat, I'll have you learn: my body is a magical urn! This artificial flesh that I inhabit, has robbed MANY of their magical talent!" And so, with her own hands, Grunty began to launch Disarming Charms left and right, Diana reacting quick to deflect them.

"So, you're saying you absorbed the magic of others to use some phony wandless magic? I wonder just how many dreams you've stolen! Glacius Incendio!" The mix of Fire and Ice Magic created steam, shrouding the area in mist, and when Gruntilda cast Ventus to blow it away, the wind was coming for Diana. "Reflega!" A shield blinked around the heiress for a brief second just as the wind hit, causing it to return to Gruntilda.

"EEEEHH!" The witch was blown over the edge of the tower. "Accio Lardmaster!" Gruntilda's faithful broom, which had a face, swooped by and caught her, lifting her above the tower. She conjured another homing spell, and in the time Diana remained in her Protego, Grunty swooped down to retrieve her Haglock. Casting Fire Magic on her broom, she began to zoom circles around the tower, crying "HEEEE HEEEE HEEEE HEEEE" as she left clones in her path, their squeals echoing.

Diana was quick to evade as the clones swooped down at her, each one disappearing afterwards. The real Grunty had a brighter color, so when that one swooped down, she seized the chance to blast Confringo and send her falling. Lardmaster caught its master, and Gruntilda took to the skies. Waving her wand around, she stirred the clouds into a storm. "The Forest of Thorns will be your tomb, should you remain on land and meet your doom!" Lightning struck down around the tower, growing black, thorny trees. Diana quickly retrieved her broom and flew up.

Smirking, Gruntilda began to aim the lightning at Diana, the heiress maneuvering gracefully on her broom. Gruntilda then latched a magic tether rope to Diana's broom, then cast the lightning spell along it to induce the heiress with electricity. Diana withstood the sensation and severed the rope, attempting to soar far away from Grunty, trying to banish the electric from her system. The Hag ignited fire on her broom and flew to one of the factory's gas clouds, bundling the poison into a ball of concentrated air. "This Ball of Gas smells so bad! Next time, you'll learn not to make Grunty mad!" She then boosted after Diana, who panicked at the sight of the Super Gas Bomb. Diana desperately fired spells to destroy the bomb beforehand, but Gruntilda was able to maneuver the gas, and once she was close enough to Diana, she released the bomb and set it off with an explosive spell.

Diana protected herself in a Protego, but Grunty had launched her homing spell through the smoke and shattered the shield. Diana inhaled and choked on the smoke, falling off her broom and threatening to splatter on the factory roof. Diana was able to catch her breath and regain her senses in time to cast "Molliare!" aiming down at the roof to soften her landing. "Accio Broom!" She summoned her own broom afterwards and began to shoot straight up to Gruntilda.

"TEMPEST!" Both witches blasted lightning at the other, the spells meeting as they poured every ounce of strength to breach the other's hold. "Nnngh!" Diana decided to drop the spell and evade Grunty's, then the Hag fired rapid fireballs, along with Speed Magic to make them fly faster. Diana dodged each flame with the beat of her heart, growing weary from having used so much magic. That's when Gruntilda shot over and rammed the Cavendish herself, and Diana did not recover before Grunty spun and whipped her off the broom with the brush of her own.

Diana plummeted into the forest of thorns still on top of the tower, leaving several cuts in her flesh. Grunty willed the thorns to wrap around Diana and bind her limbs. "I'll cleave you in two with this spell, and Diana's blood I will smell! SECTUMSEMPRA!" A white slash lashed out of her wand, bound to sever Diana's body in half.

"REFLEGA!" Still holding her wand, Diana cast the reflective shield just in time, the spell bouncing back and SLICING Gruntilda's body in a clean cut. The spell just barely missed her skull, but her artificial build was now in pieces. Diana began to use magic to make the thorns retract, marching up to the severed skull of Grunty. "Now, I'm going to ask you something, Gruntilda. What do you know of—hu-!" Diana was shocked when a pink Gruntilda ghost flew out of the skull.

"FORGET that body, it was getting old!" the ghost declared, soaring away from the tower. "I'll shop for another, made of solid gold! RAK KA HA HA HA HA HA!"

"I knew it!" Diana grabbed the skull, mounted her broom, and chased after the ghost. Grunty saw her coming, flying ever faster and shooting spirit balls at the Cavendish. "I remember reading that undead beings could abandon their own bodies, including Horcrux users. But you won't be leaving that easy!" Diana began to inscribe symbols on Grunty's skull via magic, all the while evading her spirit balls. "There! Now… Spiritus Eram Concludens in Carcerem!" A great white beam flew from Diana's wand.

Gruntilda whipped around with a gasp, quickly sucking in breath and blasting a powerful Ecto Beam. Diana mustered all that remained of her energy to fight the beam. "NOOOOO! You'll never take ME! Gruntilda Winkybunion is IMMORTAAAAAAAAL!"

"As Future Head of the House of Cavendish… I will not allow your crimes to go unpunished!" Then, with one final burst of magic, Diana finally penetrated the Spirit Beam and trapped Gruntilda!

"EEEEEEEEEHHHHHHH!" The spirit was slurped into her own skull like a vacuum. (End song.)

"Huff… finally… oh…" Diana was no longer able to fly, so she took the fall.

"Foolish girl, I've still won! When you're a puddle, I'll have… fun?" But to Grunty's misfortune, Akko Kagari had caught Diana by the arm on her own broom.

"Do you need me yet, Diana?" Akko asked with a smile, riding the Shiny Balai.

"Sigh… Thank you, Akko." Diana returned with a softer smile. "I knew I could count on you."

Akko quickly returned them to the tower before her own magic exhausted itself. "Now, listen, Gruntilda… I know you persuaded King Mickey to give you Vibranium, and I know how you were ultimately able to convince him."

"You…You do?!"

"Yes. Now, I want you to tell me exactly what The Throne is."

"I have no idea what it is. My master just told me to say it to Mickey, believing he would have to be one of the few people to know its meaning. And like my master, Mickey wants as few people to know about it as possible. Especially… you KND brats."

"It's that big a deal, huh?" Akko asked.

"Perhaps it is… but now, it matters not to me. Now that my end will come by your hands…"

"Don't you know who I am?" Diana asked. "I am the descendant of Beatrix the Affectionate, she who was kind to friends and enemies. It is far above me to kill someone, even one who should already be dead. However, I would like to believe there's still hope for you, Gruntilda. I am aware that you can create artificial worlds, and you have offered those worlds as sanctuary to otherwise homeless inhabitants. As despicable as you are, there is good in you."

"What of it?"

"I intend to find your Horcrux one day and destroy it, but I will give you the chance to repent for your crimes. And if you are truthful… I will create a new body for you to inhabit until your natural death comes."

"Gehhhh. As if I would trust a word you say!"

"Well, I tried." Diana sighed. "For now, I'll just make you forget about The Throne altogether. Obliviate!"

Saurian base

Amanda's group had swept the Sharpclaw Pirates out of the room, and Hannah and Barbara conjured a magic barrier to block out any reinforcements. "RAWR!" the dinos roared, furiously banging on the barrier all at once. ("Open this door, you mangy meatsacks!")

"I don't know what he's saying, but I find it offensive." Barbara remarked.

"Urgh, hurry it up, Constanze!" Amanda ordered, readying her sword in case the worst should happen.

"Hmmm…" Constanze focused intently, heart racing as the monitors were still repairing. "Hm!" Finally, they came back on. Constanze hurriedly hooked a Stanbot up to the device and used her own magic in attempt to hack it.

"Master Constanze, it appears the Flying Krocks are being remotely controlled by a satellite that can range across galaxies. Their target trajectory appears to be Milky Way Galaxy."

"Hm!" Constanze was horrified, knowing Planet Earth was in that region. They could either be headed for Sector V or any remarkable sector; either way, she had to stop it, and so she began to hack the device.

"HRAAAAACK!" thundered a voice from down the passage. ("What are all you fools DOING out here?!")

("Forgive us, General Scales! These witches locked us out, and we can't get back in!")

("You useless idiots are lucky I came to oversee this plan. I'll handle it from here.")

"Guys, the boss is coming!" Hannah cried. "Whoever 'General Scales' is, I don't think we'll be able to hold him back!"

"How much longer, Constanze?!" Amanda shouted.

"Grrrrr!" Constanze began sweating, using every ounce of focus and brainpower into hacking the device. "Gggghhhhhh… HNN!" A bolt struck when she seemed to crack it.

"HRAAAAAAHH!" At last, General Scales was before the doorway, roaring at the terrified Hannah-Barbara. "Skiah PALUUK! (I'll skewer you ALIVE!)" The Dino King used Haki and SMASHED the barrier in one hit.

"RAAAAH!" Amanda blasted a constant flame at the boss, while Han and Barb used whatever magic they could muster to hold back the underlings. Scales withstood the pain and slashed his sword at Amanda, who raised her own blade in defense, only to be knocked down by his superior strength. "HUUUURR!" Jasminka tackled the humanoid carnivore and tried to push him back with all her strength, but Scales raised his left arm and dug his artificial metal claws into her back, leaving a gash. "JASMINKA!" Amanda cried.

Scales raised his claw and licked the blood off. Rah hah hah! Now that I've tasted her blood, the power of my Prey-Prey Fruit will activate! This girl will emit a luscious scent that we animals find irresistible, compelling them all to turn their sights and try to feast on her at all costs! And if I continue to smell the blood from her wound, she will smell so sweet that even her comrades will turn on her! Scales continued to sniff the wound, eyes closed in euphoria. I don't know how Dr. Clown makes these 'Nen Fruits,' but they certainly… wait…

In the few seconds that Scales contemplated all this, an unusual feeling overcame him. This…This taste… it's so… WONDERFUL! His eyes shot open, having turned a glowing pink.

"W-What's with his eyes?!" Hannah panicked.

"Haaaaaahk! (This taste is so wonderful! How could I devour such a beautiful thing?!)" To Jasminka's utmost disgust, the Kommander bent down and hugged her tenderly. "(Please forgive my rashness, my sweet. I will do anything to make up for it.)"

"Is he… in love with Jasminka?" Amanda asked with disgust.

"She smells delicious!" a Sharpclaw said, licking his teeth as they looked at her ravenously. "Must EAT!"

The second the pirates tried to attack her, Scales viewed them with rage and mercilessly cut them down with his sword. "(ATTACK MY PRECIOUS AND YOU WILL DIE!)"

"Hur!" Constanze latched a timed bomb to the terminals and ran for the Quickwarp.

"I think she's done! Hurry, let's go!" Hannah yelled as she and Barbara dove into the portal. While Scales was attacking his men, Jasminka ran into the portal, and Amanda was quick to follow, and the timed bomb detonated the monitors.

"(WAIT, my precious!)" Scales tried to pursue, but only his head was able to fit into the Quickwarp. "(I haven't had the chance to-!)"

Lotte commanded the Rainbow Monkeys to punch the dinosaur back in, and shortly after she destroyed the Quickwarp. "So, what happened?! Did you stop the fleet?" she asked.

"I don't know, Constanze was working on it." Amanda replied.

"Master Constanze confirms that the mission is accomplished."

Across space

The five Flying Krocks zipped over the atmosphere of Earth. Sector V's alarms went off, the kids rushing to the Mission Room. "ALERT! Unidentified aircraft detected."

"They look like Krock ships!" Aurora observed.

"Is it the Kremlings?!" Mason asked.

"Let's call Cheren!"

However, the Krocks quickly flew away from Earth and entered hyperspace, coming out in Galaxia. They zipped over Coruscant, triggering military alarms as ships began to pursue them. "They're going into hyperspace, track them!" a pilot yelled.

They zipped over Planet Wisp. "Unidentified aircrafts in our sky!" an Irken yelled. "Contact Tallest Zim!"

And now, the Krocks were headed to Planet Avalar. As King Mickey was sitting in his balcony, drinking tea and gazing at the stars, five shooting stars could be seen. "Huh?" Grabbing binoculars, he had a clearer view of the five aircrafts. "It…It can't be! SOUND THE ALARMS! Disney Town is in danger! THE VIBRANIUM BOMBS-!"

But just as it seemed they were going to destroy his precious home, the ships whisked over the kingdom and out of the atmosphere. "W…What just happened?!"

At last, the ships were headed to their destination: Planet Bobopolis. As Josuke was out for a leisurely walk, enjoying a day where nothing could go wrong, he faced up at the five aircrafts that had breached their atmosphere. "Oh, shit."

A great explosion engulfed a vast radius of the bizarre world, a gargantuan cloud of toxic that spelled death for all.

And then, euphoria, for the explosion changed into a rainfall of videotapes, CDs, games, books, and cassettes. The impact of the bombs had brought forth La Revolución de Media, creating an overabundance of all media devices. There were so many of each kind that they eventually began to overpopulate, and were forced to wage war in order to decide who gets to stay. Unfortunately, no one paid attention to it because they were all playing on their phones.

Also, the gas turned everyone's hair into Ronald McDonald hair, and Josuke was not spared this fate. "NOOOOO! It took me 10 whole years to find a purple pompadour stylist! WHOEVER DID THIS, THEY WILL PAY!!"

Hivory Mountains

"What?! You made the ships crash on Bobopolis?!" Akko exclaimed.

"Of course!" Amanda fist-palmed. "It's impossible to die on Bobopolis, so nobody could've gotten hurt!"

"Humph!" Constanze thumbed-up.

"Are you really certain?" Jasminka asked, worried.

"We can only hope this is the case." Diana said. "Now, we have to get out of here. We must head to Earth and inform Sector V of what's happened."

"And I know JUST who to call to help us!" Akko beamed.

Outside Hanbridge Estate

As morning lurked over the horizon, the charming heir to the Hanbridge fortune embraced the crisp, cool air. Looking briefly at his watch, the whirring of an engine was heard, and he looked up as a KND S.C.A.M.P.E.R. began to descend. "Is that the kind of transportation they have on Earth? Humph…" He was less than impressed.

When the ship made land, Lee Andrew Grayson stepped off. "It looks like I'm at the right place." Lee observed. "So, where are they, Andrew?"

Andrew showed him a small, brown box and opened it. Lee's eyes widened at the nine tiny figures inside. "There he is! Hi, Lee!"

"A-Akko? Uh… what're you all doing in there?"

"We're trying to hide! Just take us to Sector V, quickly!"

"Well, okay." Lee gently took the box and closed it. "Thanks, Andrew."

"My pleasure." He smiled. "Be careful with them." Lee nodded and returned into the ship, lifting off within moments.

Disney Castle; Monday at sunset

BIG NEWS! Multiple planets report five ships blazing over their atmospheres, including Avalar, Coruscant, and the distant Milky Way Earth! Pursuit crafts followed them to Bobopolis, where they ultimately crashed and exploded! The crafts were too afraid to enter the planet's bizarre atmosphere, but it seemed that no damage or casualties were confirmed, due to the world's unfortunate habit of never dying. Just like bad jokes! The crafts were reported to look like crocodiles, so they could possibly belong to the Kremling Krew. However, authorities have yet to determine what their goal was.

"I can't believe this!" Mickey whispered, anger in his voice as he clasped the newspaper. He and his closest pals were on their way to his office. "I can't believe Gruntilda failed. And for some reason, we still can't find those girls. If word gets out about this…"

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that." Hearing a strange voice, the three whipped around as Dillon York emerged from the shadows.

Donald and Goofy drew their weapons. "Gawrsh, is he a ghost?!" exclaimed the dog.

"Wait… you're part of Earth's Sector V, aren't you?" Mickey recognized him.

"HOLY CRUD, Mickey Mouse knows me!" Dillon beamed. "But more on that later. We need to have a meeting, Your Majesty. In the office. …By yourself."

"…" Mickey narrowed his eyes, glancing at his subordinates. "Stand down, fellas."

"Ah, come on, King Mickey, I can beat this brat!" Donald shouted.

"Don't even try." Dillon glared. "Unless you want your precious secret getting out."

Mickey's pupils shrunk. "…All right. The office it is." Mickey turned and calmly strolled to the wooden double-doors.

Entering by himself, he stepped toward his desk, the chair facing the balcony as twilight set over the kingdom. …The chair turned, showing Diana Cavendish, her hands folded at her chin. "Hello, Your Majesty."

Before Mickey had time to react, Constanze and Artie Gilligan were suddenly at his sides, cocking guns to his head. "What…What is the meaning of this?!"

"You and I are going to have a talk. A talk about a… certain 'T' word-"

"You have no idea what you're getting yourself into!" Mickey stated. "If more people find out what that is, it'll throw the worlds into chaos! No peace, unrest, disaster, and I'm SURE you don't want more of that!"

"And you don't seem to want it either. So, I'm sure we're going to get along just fine. Sit, Your Majesty."

"…" Fixing his glare, the king chose to sit on the opposite chair. "First of all, King Mickey, the Kids Next Door already know your involvement with Gruntilda, and we have the means to make this knowledge public, with irrefutable evidence. You should also know that we shared the secret of the You-Know-What to some very trustworthy friends. They were asked to only reveal this secret in the event any of us were to die or be horribly injured. So, if you do not wish for people to know the truth, then here is my proposal: first, you will not attack Sector LN, Sector V, or ANY Kids Next Door sector in any way, shape, or form. If we determine that you are responsible, then your secrets are out."

"Hmmmmf… Fine." A sweatdrop trickled down his face.

"And secondly," Diana extracted a paper, "I have written up a speech that I want you to address to the people of Appleton, tomorrow. Recite it just as we have written it, and in the end, you can still look like a good person."

Mickey took the paper and skimmed over it. The king released a heavy sigh. "You've got a deal."

Appleton Palace; the next day

"People of Appleton." Mickey addressed to the kingdom's eager citizens. "As you may have heard, this Friday, I was scheduled to sign a treaty with your king and make Appleton part of the Disney Alliance. Unfortunately… I regret to inform you that our plan is cancelled."

Gasps erupted throughout the audience. "But why, King Mickey?!" King Appleday asked, heartbroken.

"Because I have done a terrible thing. A few days ago, I traded Vibranium with Grunty Industries in exchange for magic medicines. I did not know why she desired such a rare material… then, to my utmost horror, I learned of the attempted murder and genocide of an entire city on a distant planet. The ships that had crashed on Bobopolis were initially headed for Planet Earth, and the bombs were composed of the very Vibranium I sold to Gruntilda." Horrified murmurs rang in Mickey's ears. "I had no idea such a thing would happen as a result of our deal. Nobody had any idea. Except… for a group of Nine Witches."

Everyone gaped when the witches in question stepped up onstage. Paul Hanbridge, Mr. Blackwell, Annabel, and many of them recognized the students from Luna Nova. They were the same red-eyed witch and green-haired Cavendish who shot down the strange missile. "These Kids Next Door operatives learned of Grunty's plan through their own means. They tried to tell me, but because I was stubborn, I didn't listen. I wanted to assume the best intentions in Gruntilda's heart. But thanks to them, millions of lives were saved, along with Disney's reputation."

"You can't be serious!" Mr. Blackwell stated in protest.

"So, those witches helped us again…" Paul Hanbridge sighed, cracking a smile.

"They certainly are full of surprises." Andrew said, his eyes closed.

"Good job, Lotte." Annabel smiled.

"Heh… Not bad at all." said a shadowed witch with lilac hair.

"Ugh." Professor Finnelan sighed. "At this rate, I'm going to run out of excuses to punish Miss Kagari."

"So, you really DO punish her on purpose!" Ursula remarked.

"It's to teach her respect!"

"But are you certain, Lord Mickey?" King Appleday asked. "It was only a mistake. I don't fault you for it…"

"Thank you, Your Highness. But the fact is, these ladies had to put their selves in danger to fix my mistake. I don't deserve to ask anything more from this kingdom. However, I will still lend my support to this kingdom as payment for their deed."

King Mickey grabbed nine medals, and the witches bowed their heads as Mickey hung them around their necks. "It was an honor to be of assistance, Your Majesty." Diana said humbly. "As Kids Next Door operatives, we will continue to protect this kingdom from any harm that should come to it." Inside her heart, she was sporting a wickedly cocky smirk at the mouse king. And Mickey, in turn, glared at Diana with the utmost spite in his heart.

The mouse king about-faced and announced, "Let's hear it for them, fellas! The Nine New Witches of Luna Nova!"

"HOORAAAAAYYY!" Everyone who was not a minister or a strict professor burst into cheers. "Luna No-VA! Luna No-VA! Luna No-VA!"

In the skies of the kingdom, Sector V observed the ceremony from their C.O.O.L.-B.U.S.. "You know somethin'… I like those girls." Chris said with a smile. "Not just because they saved our lives; well, I guess that is the reason… but they remind me what I love about being an operative."

"The cheers and the adoration?" Dillon remarked.

"Heh, not THAT! I mean the part about making people happy. Honestly, after everything we've been through… I wouldn't mind feeling a little happy."

"It would make me happy if they gave us credit." Artie sighed.

"Oh, let them enjoy their selves." Chris replied. "Besides… we've done a lot of crazy things as operatives. We sent a candy giant to the sun, we made the World Government our bitch… but no operative can safely say that they blackmailed Mickey Mouse. Yep…" He nodded. "Those girls are on to great things."

"I just hope they know what they're getting into." Harry Gilligan replied. "After all, if they make their selves more popular, then sooner or later, more villains will notice them. And since they just beat Gruntilda… they could've made enemies of both Team Gnaa and the Corporate Presidents."

Sweetopia; Throne Room

In the darkness of a candy-coated throne room, the ceremony broadcasted to the Queen of Candy and her mushroom minister. "So, King Mickey is not aligning with that country after all." Minister Goomnut said. "This should make kidnapping the Cavendish girl quite easier."

"Yes, indeed." Queen Sherry replied, biting off a chunk of a giant popsicle. Her voice thundered as she spoke, "And yet, I wonder if we should be concerned about those nine? If King Mickey is putting their faith in them…"

"Nonsense, My Queen, our Sweet Commanders can crush them with minimal effort should it come to that."

"Perhaps. For now, we'll pull back our troops from that world. But come January, we will capture Diana Cavendish. However… I am also interested in that one." Her tree trunk-sized finger aimed at Jasminka, the chubby witch happily chewing some congratulatory pies. "Could that girl be one of my descendants?"

"Hmm…" Goomnut narrowed his eyes. "She does appear to possess some of our traits. If I could get close to her, I can Tattle her and truly confirm it. If she is, then we would also have to find her family, naturally."

"We can look into her around the time we kidnap Cavendish. But still…" On the screen, Akko had decided to entertain the audience, transforming into a winged manta ray, a bunny with a big nose, and when she blew her nose, it deflated and she morphed into a snake with a bulbous behind. "I have to wonder… if those nine would be fun to have at my party. Mmmma ma ma ma ma!"

King Mickey's carriage

"Gawrsh, Your Majesty," Goofy said, "are ya really gonna let them off just like that?"

"I couldn't take the chance." Mickey sighed. "This was the best deal they could've proposed under the circumstances. If I get too violent with the KND, then their supporters will rally against me as well, and that will just make things harder. On the other hand, if they try to antagonize me, they'll be viewed as the bad guys. For now, I'll just let them enjoy this victory." He smiled and closed his eyes peacefully. "After all, I'm relying on them to dispose of the Four Emperors for me. Once that threat has been eradicated, we'll move on to our next plan."

"Your Majesty, there's a hitchhiker." the driver said.

"Well, pick him up!"

The carriage parked beside a man in a purple uniform and red clown hair. Mickey opened the door and allowed him inside. "Hiya, fella! Where ya head…ed?" (Play "Stardust Crusaders" from JoJo!)

The person in question appeared to be a very furious high school student. If it weren't for the red hair to distract people, his eyes were the very image of death. "Tell me something…" He casually reached into his pocket and withdrew the Vibranium Bomb, despite its greater size. "Would this belong to you by any chance?" Josuke indicated the mouse logo on the bottom.

"Quack! Those damn Wakandans, I TOLD them not to mark our logo!" Donald yelled.

"DONALD!" Goofy yelped.

"Ah… so, YOU'RE the ones who ruined MY POMPADOUR!!" The earth rumbled under his rage.

"Nonono! It wasn't us!" Mickey panicked. "It was the witches! THE WITCHES DID IT!"

"Ah… witches, you say?" Josuke stroked his chin contemplatively. "Well, that is a problem… I really don't enjoy hurting ladies. How many did you say there were?"

"There were Nine of them!" Donald yelled.

"Nine, huh? Alright then…" He sported a cool smile. "I'll give you each three times as many punches then."

"You're insane!" Mickey stated. "Don't you know who I am?! I'm King Mickey Mouse! You'll become a social pariah if you even TRY to injure me!"

"Try… You know, that word makes me think of something." Josuke scratched his cheek. "Right… it reminds me of a certain game this friend of mine taught me."

"A…A game?"

"Let me ask you three a question: what are your favorite animals?"

"Favorite animals?!"

"A GIRAFFE!" Goofy exclaimed.

"DOGS!" Donald quacked.

"What are you getting at?!" Mickey shouted.

"Interesting choices. But I have some of my own. Super Fist of SHINING DIAMOND!" An armored spirit emerged from his being.

"DONALD! GOOFY!" On their king's command, the two tried to fight it, but its diamond-hard fists moved with unflinching speed.

"DORARARARARARARARARARA!" It was like being pelted by a thousand diamond dodgeballs, so much that they lost all sense of pain or feeling. Their flesh molded, bones restructured, their minds lost in illusions. "DORAAAAAAAAAA!" His finishing blow was the Dora the Explorer Cannon, sending King Mickey and his pals blasting off into the sky.

"WAAAAAAAH/QUA-A-A-A-A-A-ACK/HWEEEEEE-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-HOOIE!"

Everyone in Disney Town GASPED when three figures CRASHED into Disney Castle, the entire structure exploding. Then, to their amazement, the castle began to reform, taking the form of a colossal Minion with banana towers. Citizens all around gathered and took pictures, and the children burst into ecstatic giggles. Hanging from the nose of the Minion were Mickey Pig, Donald Dog, and Goofyraffe.

"The Law of this Universe states… that all enemies need a proper ass-kicking by the end of every story." Josuke said. "Well… 'guess I should get this hair done." With that, he blew air into his thumb, inflating his hair. Slowly, Josuke ascended to the heavens, returning to his natural habitat.

King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy were forced to change their IDs until their faces would revert back to normal. They waited in the DMV for six-and-a-half hours. When their faces finally went back, they had to get them changed again, and waited for twice that time. (End song.)

Unknown hideout

"You were actually defeated by those two witches?" a girl with red eyes asked Mandy Beret.

"They tricked me!" Mandy shouted, not facing her. "They used their dumb parlor tricks to catch me off guard! Talking about magic and dreams and happiness… I wished they woulda just finished me off."

"Hm… To be honest, Mandy, it isn't really such a bad philosophy to follow. And given what our position is, you were lucky to meet such kindhearted girls."

"Just leave me alone, Akame."

"Very well…" The red-eyed girl left the room. Alone in silence, Mandy was left to her thoughts. Even being aware of Bo-bobo Kempo, that was such a bizarre means of combat to the assassin. She wondered just what other battles could be won in such a fashion.

On a train

A mother was reading about the events in the newspaper. GRUNTY INDUSTRIES UNDER INVESTIGATION! "Lies, lies, you don't understand! The Kremlings ROBBED me, it was all their plan!"

"Mommy, Mommy! Look, look!" Her 7-year-old daughter pointed at a picture of the Nine Witches. "It's them again! It's the witches!"

"Hm hm hm." The mother smiled. "It really is the same witches, isn't it? Well, hopefully they'll be at Luna Nova by the time we get there."

"I can't wait to meet them!"

Luna Nova

After school was over, the Nine Witches rested their weary bodies under the shade of a tree. Diana confirmed that their medals were not bewitched in any way. "Hoooooh." Akko sighed with exhaust, hugging the Shiny Rod to her chest. "I can't believe my career paper got a stupid 'C-'!"

"I guess you just didn't dream hard enough." Sucy smiled wickedly, staring closely at the tiny Capital B in her jar.

"Maybe next time you'll put more thought into your goals instead of rushing to get it done in one day." Diana replied.

"But YOU finished it in one day and you didn't even HAVE a plan! Honestly, couldn't Finnelan give us a heroes' discount?"

"Oh, it's not a big deal." Lotte replied. "I'm just happy that we won and made it home safely. We should be proud of ourselves, you know?"

"Yeah… I guess. But I still wish Finnelan would cut me a break, though."

"You just need everything to go your way, don't you?" Hannah remarked.

"MISS KAGARI!"

"GYAH!" Akko shot up, her eyes met with the terrifying glare of, "P-Professor Finnelan!"

"Come with me at once."

"Aw, what is it nooooowww?" Akko began crying.

"Quit whining and follow me." The professor turned and marched away.

"Why don't I ever get time to rest?" Akko forced herself up and trudged after her.

"Sigh… perhaps I should follow." Diana figured, getting up as well. "In case something bad happens." The others exchanged worried glances and decided to join.

"Can you please just tell me what's wrong?" Akko pled as she was led around the front of the school. "I don't see why we have to walk all this way… huh?"

It seemed that Professor Ursula was standing beside a woman and a little girl of 7 years old. "Oh, there she is." Ursula said.

"Oh-!" The girl gasped and ran in Akko's direction.

"Gabriel!" the mother yelled.

Akko watched her curiously. She glanced behind at Diana, figuring the child had her eyes on the prodigy; it wouldn't be the first time Akko had been in someone's way. But to her surprise, the girl stopped before Akko, gazing at her with wondrous eyes. "You're the girl from the TV!"

"The… TV?" Akko replied.

"We're terribly sorry for intruding on you." the mother said, approaching them as well. "But… are you the same witch who destroyed the missile back in February?"

"Uh… y-yes. Well, me and Diana; w-why do you ask?"

"My daughter and I saw it on the news, and she's been thinking about you ever since." Akko gazed at the child with masked surprise. For a moment, she wondered if she heard it right. "She keeps saying she wants to be a witch just like them, and she drew pictures of you. And just last week, we watched a Disney commercial, and she recognized you immediately. We looked up info about the commercial and it said that you were from Luna Nova. After that, Gabriel kept begging me and begging me to take her to see you… and eventually, I just sort of gave in. We picked a date, purchased a train ticket… honestly, I think we're lucky that you were even here."

"You…You came all this way to meet me?"

"Uh-huh." Gabriel nodded. "It was the best thing I've ever seen! It looked so pretty and beautiful and I wanted to do it, too! My mommy says we don't have magic, but I thought if I met you, you could teach me magic." (Play "Pipo Password" from Space Patrol Luluco.)

". . . ." Tears welled in Akko's crimson eyes. The more she looked at Gabriel, the more she could only see her 6-year-old self, gazing in awe at the wonderful Shiny Chariot. To think that, one day, a child would be gazing at her with the very same expression. That one day, someone would think of her as a hero. "I…I…I'm so honored…"

"Now, Akko." Ursula began with a knowing smile. "I'm sure she didn't come all this way to see her idol cry."

"Er… r-right." Akko brushed her tears away. "Hey, Gabriel, do you have a favorite animal?"

"I like ponies!"

"Then get ready!" Akko drew her wand. "Metamorphie Faciesse!" And she POOFED into a lovely white pony.

"WOOOOOW!" Her eyes sparkled like stars. "Can I be a pony if I'M magic?!"

"You can be more than that! You can be a peacock!" She transformed and strutted her feathers. "You can be a tiger!" She became one with green and purple stripes. "Or how about a combination!" She became a dog with a giraffe's neck.

"Ah ha ha ha!" Gabriel tried to reach for her head.

Akko poofed back to normal and said, "Come and meet my friends, Gabriel! They're way more amazing than I am! Just wait until you see what they can do!"

"They're better witches than you?!"

"Oh, you don't know the half of it! We have TONS of things here at Luna Nova, you're gonna LOVE it!" Akko took the child's hand and led her toward her friends in a hurry.

"Akko, ask if it's okay with Mom first!" Lotte shouted.

"Hm-hm, it's all right, just please watch after her."

"Don't worry, Miss Cavendish can keep an eye on them." Finnelan said. "Miss Kagari can be too impulsive for her own good."

Diana smiled, feeling only pride for her friend. To think a child that lived so far away, whom they knew nothing about and vice-versa, could be drawn in by Akko's light. Diana remembered herself in that audience 11 years ago, having crossed the seas to a whole new country, for the sole desire of seeing Shiny Chariot.

Akko… ever since you've come to Luna Nova, you only remind me why I love magic. The ability to do anything, to bring dreams to life, to create miracles… you embody everything I love about magic. Even when you act so ignorant… even when I tried to resent you… my heart was constantly warmed by your happiness, and my mind astounded. And I…I can't imagine a life without that happiness. I can't think of anything that would make me happier.

As Diana gazed at Akko's beaming expression, all she could see was light. Warm, wonderful light that could melt the darkest hearts. A light that constantly drew her in.

And that's why…

Professor Finnelan looked over Diana's career paper. For the first time, she heavily questioned Diana's reasoning.

After much thought and careful consideration… I decided that I want a career—a life, in which I can truly be happy. I can only think of one thing in this entire world that fills me with true happiness. One day, Atsuko Kagari will realize her dream. She will become a witch that makes everyone happy. And when that day comes…

Lights shone upon the stage, and from a burst of colorful smoke, Atsuko Kagari twirled her wand and posed with a shiny smile. And beside her, filled with just as much beauty and passion, Diana Cavendish.

When that day comes… I will join Akko on the stage.