The World Rings, Night 6: Prelude to the Wars

"Hey, what's up, ***kers?" Deadpool greeted as two Demon Hounds were tugging on his arm and leg. "If you're wondering why I went easy on SA, it's part of a little assassins' protocol. But trust me, I coulda diced them up like a waiter in a sushi restaurant. Anyway, today I'll answer a question from our invisible audience. Heh, don't be shy, you know you wanna ask this." Deadpool Shaved up and used a Haki Tempest Kick on the hounds. He grabbed a paper from his pocket and read, "'Since Jaune Pringle is a Mustachio, is that what the Mario Bros. are?' The answer is yes, and that's why Louise has a mustache! Y'all probably figured that out."

Another hound lunged at him, but Deadpool held his sword in a vertical position to keep it back. "Next question, 'Are there aquatic and bug-types Mobians?' Yep! You remember Charmy Bee from Firstborn? Alright, let's start the chapter!"

...

Lotte was passed out on the deck of a ship. She felt something smallish bouncing on her chest. "Lotte, wake up." The bookworm peeped open her eyes at-

"Goombella?" The mushroom got off as Lotte helped herself up. "W-Where… are we?"

They approached the wooden railing and realized they were on a ship floating in the heavens. A storm had swallowed this sea of pirate ships, and the sounds of gunfire rang throughout the air. A bright aqua glow in the shape of a ring brimmed in the sky. "Index said this had something to do with your Pleasure Ring just now."

"My pleasuring?" Lotte asked.

"Wow, that totally came out wrong!"

"You know, Goombella… this looks like something right out of one of my favorite history books. No, it's more than that. It IS right out of the book! Look at those ships!" She pointed to a squad of candy ships. "They're the Linlin Pirates! But it's how they were designed 200 years ago! And those animal ships belong to the Hundred Beast Pirates, led by the Emperor Kaido." She gasped, "And THERE'S the Flying Dutchman! Oh, I can feel Davy Jones' terrifying aura, already! And that's Blackbeard's ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge!"

"Are you saying we've actually been sent back in time to the Pirate Wars?!"

"It would seem like it… but I recall the actual Pirate Wars being a lot more intense. Like, cannonballs raining everywhere, a kajillion ships, and-"

Suddenly, cannonballs came down like rain, explosions all around, and thousands more ships appeared. "AAAAH!" screamed Goombella, dodging the fire. "LOTTE, take it back!"

"YAH! I mean, it was more like the other way, the less extreme way!!" Instantly, the area changed back to the previous look.

"Lotte, it seems like you have control over this world. …Kind of like Index when we were inside the other book."

"How strange… wait, where are the others?"

"Maybe they landed in other areas. I say we try to find them."

"Or I could just command them to appear beside me!" Lotte declared with a proud smile. After a moment, nothing happened. "Maybe I don't have control over everything. Come on, Goombella, let's start searching!" (Play "The Cursed Sea" from Zelda: Wind Waker!)

Stage 4: Old Pirate Wars

Mission: Locate the others and find a way out of here!

Lotte got on her broomstick with Goombella on the back as they took off from the ship. They flew between two rows of black and red ships as they blasted flames at each other, Lotte dodging up and down. Past the ships, the two were suddenly swept up by a cyclone, swirling around as they were blown to the deck of a coral-covered ship with clam shell sails. A band of Fishman pirates with clam armor turned to attack them, Lotte using Protego in defense. "Hey, these are the Clam Clan Pirates! They were subordinates of the Dutchman Pirates."

"Right! Didn't they get blown away by a magma cannon?"

"I think so." Right then, a distant blast was heard as a large lava cannonball was flying their direction. "EEEEK! NOT RIGHT NOW, PLEASE!" At that instant, the ball was destroyed by another one, splattering the lava onto the deck. Lotte saw Fire Spirits splashing in the splotches, so she commanded them to attack the fish pirates with the lava.

"Also, I thought you should know your Level is 130. It's not bad, but not good enough to fight all these pirates. What's weird though is that the number's kind of fuzzy with the Aqua Ring floating around it."

"Well, I guess I'll just have to keep calling the spirits." The ship quaked just then when it was harpooned by a giant hook with a dark-pink aura. A band of kid pirates were racing across the rope, but Lotte shot them down with Expelliarmus Spells. A strong wind started to pick up, and Lotte feared riding her broom in this condition. She put Goombella in her satchel and decided to climb across the hook's rope. "Caaaaaw! Caaaaaw!" Black-haired harpies threatened to cut her down, so Lotte shot them with Stun Spells before she was met with their talons.

They climbed to a ship with mixed dark-pink and black colors and crescent-like ships. They were attacked by more kid pirates and glowing fairies that were shooting crescent moon arrows. "These are the Never Land Pirates. And those Dream Fairies are shooting Slumber Arrows! Why don't you shoot your own crewmates!" At her command, the fairy spirits shot their own allies and put them to sleep. Goombella then hopped up and Headbonked the fairies into submission. "Luckily, fairies count as spirits, too!"

A bubble cannon was blowing Bubble Bombs from the top of the ship's stern, in which the wind would blow them off and aimlessly hit ships. Lotte pushed a button to turn the bombs off before hopping inside one of the bubbles. She and Goombella blew across the warzone, the witch hugging her new friend in fright as dozens of cannonballs whizzed past their liquid carrier. "In hindsight, this wasn't such a good idea!"

"Relax, Lotte, KND pulls dangerous stunts like this all the time. It usually turns out o—KAAAAAAYYY!" An arrow whooshed by and popped their bubble, dropping the girls onto the deck of a black ship designed like an eagle with its own wings. They dodged as Rito flew overhead and shot arrows down. "These must be the Rito Pirates who were allied with the Beast Pirates."

"Did you read the book too, Goombella?"

"Of course! It's, like, one of history's most epic battles!"

Lotte saw Wind Spirits (in the form of mini tornadoes) dancing around the deck, so she ordered them to go under the Rito and expand to make the birds dizzy. Afterwards, Lotte could knock them out with Stupefy. "I remember that sometimes the wind was so strong, the Rito had to use strong Loftwings to fly around." At that, a horse-size bird with feathers as gray as steel appeared on the deck. "Perfect!" With Goombella still in her satchel, Lotte hopped on the Loftwing and rode it into the storm. "Hehehehe! I've always wanted to ride a Loftwing! They're so much cooler than Pegasi!"

"Totally! Though when you're a Goomba, you can't ride anything well."

"Hey, look! I see a white light over on that ship!" Lotte indicated the beacon shining from a ship with several propellers. That ship saw them coming and launched boomerang propellers in attempt to cut the Loftwing. Lotte kept a firm expression and swiftly dodged the fans, and when one of the vertical fans threatened to cut her, she quickly cast the Stopza spell to freeze it in time, but only for half a second as she dodged aside. The ship began to blow giant fans in order to blow them back, but seeing Index trapped in a glass cage on the ship, Lotte forced her Loftwing to flap harder.

"Grrrrr!" Lotte could see bigger, longer spirits whirling around the air currents. "HEY, Wind Spirits, can you blow the other way?! Come on, please, I have to save Goombella's friend! We need her to get us out of here! COME ON, PLEASE!" A few gold butterflies flapped around her.

The Wind Spirits flew elsewhere, taking the currents with them as the girls flew toward the deck. Lotte cast a Blast Spell and freed Index from the glass. "Thanks, Lotte. It turns out, lightbending can't break glass; it just goes right through."

"This ship belongs to the Fan Fans." Lotte said, seeing fallen slim figures with fan-like clothing. "Why are the crewmen knocked out?"

"It was Louise! She got on here as soon as I was captured and knocked them all out! After that, she ran inside the cabin."

"Then let's try to capture her." Goombella said. (End song.)

The Mustache Girl had entered the ship's engine room, walking around the numerous fans and spotting an impish figure gazing out the window. "Hey, you. Are you a prisoner or something?"

The figure kept his gaze outside. He wore a dark-red bandanna on his head and had sky-blue and white skin. "Just look at all them… so many men and women… fighting for what they believe! Fighting for their dreams." The imp turned to her, his single yellow eye showing great joy, while an eyepatch covered the other eye. "So much excitement! So much FREEDOM!" He faced out the window and reached a little arm, clasping at the sky ring, grinning with pure enthusiasm. "I gotta have more of it! I can't let it end here! Think of ALL the adventures, all the places! And all the people that have dreams! Yes, I must! I must see them ALL! !" A great burst of wind sent Louise flying off the ship and down to a lower one.

Index gasped, "THAT WAS HER!"

"What, how did she get over there?" Lotte asked.

"Never mind, let's get her!"

Louise sat up and rubbed her head. "That kid… was that the captain?" She stared at her captain's hat.

"THERE you are, Sis." Louise turned to find Maria and Sucy behind her. "Are you about done running around, yet?"

Louise stood and put the hat on, folding her arms and facing away. "You're one to talk, Movie Star."

"It was only a few short films! Louise, can we please stop this fight? Let's go back home, back to Mom and Dad. Don't you remember that big, juicy cake Mom promised to make?" Maria folded hands as her eyes sparkled. "Can't you just imagine how good it will taste after all these years?"

"You better hope Big Mom doesn't get her hands on it." Sucy said.

"Don't worry. Mama Peach is one of the most respected people on the Galactic Council." Maria smirked. "If that hag tried to get her, the whole universe would be after her head."

"You know, Maria… I'm actually glad you abandoned me way back then."

"Uh… you are?"

"Yes. It made me realize what kind of scum existed out there. Bad people kidnapping helpless little girls, while we were living the life of luxury. And in their captivity, I grew stronger. Learned how to fend for myself. And I won't rest until I bring an end to every villain in this universe. Starting with that creepy Mustachio." Louise swallowed a Flying Squirrel Shroom and leapt off, taking flight toward a massive, arena-like ship.

"WAIT!" Maria tried to chase her- "WHOA!" but a green top-hat struck her before returning to the lead Broodal, Topper.

"Top pa pa pa! Just where do ya think YER goin', Wedding Crasher?!"

"To stop the crazy girl from killing the Pringle guy?" Sucy replied tonelessly.

"Nah, Mama will squash her flat. But we'll take care of the rest of ya!"

As the Loftwing soared over their ship, they looked around and saw a group of floating lifeboats, where Nagisa and Amanda were faced off against Rango. Killua and Jasminka were facing Spewart on a bone ship with an elephant skull figurehead. Morgiana and Constanze were dodging Harriet's bombs on a ship with floral designs. "They'll be fine, let's just keep chasing Louise."

"Goombella, are you sure none of them will need help?" Lotte asked.

"Those guys? Of course not! Especially with your teammates helping. I Tattled all of you before and know all your skills, so I think they'll do just fine. Just watch and see!" (Play "Rowdy Rumble" from Kingdom Hearts II!)

Sub-boss: The Broodals

Nagisa lunged at Rango, but the lanky Broodal hopped his way across the boats, too fast for him to catch up. Amanda swooped behind the Broodal, swiftly dodging his buzzsaw hats as they boomeranged across the air. Rango continued to evade the witch and repeat his attacks, though it seemed Nagisa had vanished. "I dunno where you gone, you little varmint, but the second you come near, Ah'll hear ya, a-hyuh."

Nagisa had been using Moon Walk to sneak under the boats, and his air puffs were silent under his Sheikah Soles. When Rango had sent his saws after Amanda, Nagisa hopped up behind him and Finger Pistoled him in the back. "YOWCH!" The Broodal whipped around and tried to kick, but Nagisa leapt back, and when the saws returned, one ended up sticking him in the rear. "HUUEEEK!" He bounced around the boats gripping his bottom, not watching as Amanda spun around and KICKED him in the face.

Rango decided to hop onto his hat and ride it around the air. Nagisa got on Amanda's broom as they pursued him. "My legs get tired if I use my Moon Walk too long."

"You gotta work out more. WHOA!" They ducked when Rango suddenly flew at them, his saw just barely grazing Amanda's hair.

"Iron Body!" Nagisa slipped underneath and climbed to the front of the broom, hugging the tip and hardening himself. "Amanda, try to fly me directly into the saw."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, do it as fast as you can!"

"'kay." Amanda grit her teeth and did a twirl before flying full speed at the rabbit.

"A-hyuh hyuh. It's your head over mine!" Rango narrowed his eyes and flew toward the duo, slowly rotating with the intent to drill into Nagisa's skull. Nagisa's heart was pounding nervously, and he instinctively closed his eyes—

"YAH!" He nearly lost his grip, so Amanda dove down before they hit Rango. "We could've got killed there, I knew this was a bad idea!"

"Sigh… Amanda, one more time. This time, I'm going to completely steel myself." He shut his eyes and made himself completely still, from his hair to his heart. Amanda sighed and stomped the invisible gas, boosting for the Broodal at high speed. Rango chuckled as he dive-bombed down at them, and this time the saw met with Nagisa's head. "A-HYUH?!" The saw blades shattered, and the rabbit was sent falling to the boats.

"Dammit, you're getting kinda heavy!" Amanda said before the two dropped as well. Rango plopped on the boat and looked up, but was too late as the iron boy and the lighter-but-still-strong girl CRUSHED him. Rango felt his insides smash and he went to sleep.

"Amanda O'Neill's Power Level is 2,005, but I guess her firebending wasn't needed here." Goombella reported. "She's not on Louise's level of rebellious, but when she gets in a fight, she's determined to win. Now, let's see how Killua's doing: ah, he's fighting Spewart!" She focused down on the poison Broodal. "He's a poisonbender similar to Mason Dimalanta, in that he gains power by ingesting poison. With a Level of 3,040, he is… terribly outmatched."

"Spewart wart wart!" laughed the Broodal. "Let's see if THIS brat is immune to poison! SPEEAAAAH!" He spewed purple liquid on Killua, who was completely unphased.

"Actually, I am immune to poison."

"WHAT?! I can't believe I'M suddenly the weakest Broodal!"

"Hey, Food Girl, you want me to take care of this myself? I mean, I could easily kill him, but Nagisa would probably get mad."

"It's okay." Jasminka said with a sweet smile on her pudgy face. "I'll handle it if you have anymore candy."

"Here ya go." Killua gave his Infi-Cube to the food-loving witch as she grabbed candy bars from it. After eating three chocolate bars, the witch put on a fierce expression and ran for the Broodal. Spewart ran to counter her punch with one of his own, but Jasminka's proved superior as he was blown back.

"Speah! I see, so you get stronger by eating, too! Well, two can play at that game!" Spewart grabbed two cans of Silver Flurp and chugged them down. His eyes spun as he zipped around Jasminka's left and PUNCHED her. The witch bounced across the deck, but had no time to recover as Spewart punched her again. "Protego!" Jasminka summoned a magic shield to protect her from more high-speed punches. She grabbed more candy bars and wolfed them down in order to keep her shield steady.

"Jasminka's default Power Level is 1,500, but that number increases the more food she eats," Goombella studied, "then it goes down when she exerts energy. It seems sweets help increase her power further, plus they go well with her sweet personality."

Jasminka dropped her shield when Spewart seemed to calm down. The Broodal spewed poison around the deck, Jasminka staying in the dry zones and eating more quickly. Using what remained of his Silver Flurp, Spewart blasted across the poison, but Jasminka jumped off his head and kicked off the mast to get out of the poison. Spewart hurled Liquid Gas Bombs to leave more of a mess, Jasminka continuing to dodge and consume sweets. "OOG!" Spewart used a Gas Rocket to fly over and headbutt her in the gut, Jasminka smashing through a wall into the ship's cabin. "Grr… I have to eat more. Maybe if I do this: Reducio!" Jasminka shrunk the Infi-Cube down and held it above her mouth as all the sweets poured in.

"Just gonna stay in there, Sweetheart?!" Spewart taunted. "Then I'll flood this whole cabin until you drown!"

The ship seemed to shake as Jasminka stomped out of the cabin, and Killua could see the brimming aura around her body. "Huuurrrrrrr!" Jasminka raised her fist and charged at the Broodal, who smirked as he inhaled and readied to blast her with poison. "HAAAAAH!" She punched him in the gut and BLASTED Spewart across the sea, his body spinning as a swirl of poison escaped his throat.

"Her current power is 5,002. Not bad, Jassy! Next, it seems Morg and Constanze are fighting Harriet. Constanze's Power Level is 57, unfortunately making her the smallest of the group. Not that there's anything wrong with THAT, of course, especially with an I.Q. of 258. I have no doubts they can beat that 3,986 Harriet."

The female Broodal was rapidly spinning and throwing bombs around the deck, but Constanze used metal claws from her backpack to grab the ones around Morgiana and throw them elsewhere. Morgiana charged at the bomb-loving Broodal, but Harriet hid in her spiked metal hat, forcing Morg to restrain herself before kicking, then she dodged when Harriet flew at her. Constanze tapped Morg on the shoulder and held out a pair of red and black shoes with what looked like rockets attached. "What? Oh, no thanks. I'm not a shoe person."

Constanze furrowed her eyes and held the shoes out insistently. "Really, I'm sure I can-" Constanze nodded her head rapidly. "Fine." Morg quickly put the shoes on. "So, what can they do?" Constanze kicked the air. Harriet was spinning back to them, so Morg kicked at the Broodal as an explosion burst out of her sole. "WAOW!" screamed Harriet as her hat bounced along the floor and she came out.

Harriet whipped her pigtails and flung more bombs that Constanze countered by throwing her own. Morgiana squatted down and jumped up, her soles exploding with such force that they propelled her skyward, afterwards dropping down on Harriet's hat and jumping again to force her against the deck. Morgiana kept kicking her legs to stay airborne. "This is just like my Rocket Jump, but I don't feel as exhausted when I use it."

"Try THIS on for size, you Fire Bird!" Harriet's pigtails launched missiles up at the Fanalis, who dodged them with quick and concentrated kicks. Morgiana landed, then kicked both legs behind her to tackle Harriet. She smacked the Broodal's hat away, and Harriet struggled to break away from the Fanalis as Constanze's claw raised an anvil above her head. Without hesitation, the toneless scientist dropped the heavy item on Harriet's head and knocked her out cold.

Lastly, Maria and Sucy Manbavaran were in battle with Topper. The lead Broodal conjured a stack of 10 top-hats, lighting them aflame as he lashed the stack at the duo, who jumped. "Topper's Power Level is 4,862, as opposed to Maria's 2,092 and Sucy's 74. Of course, neither counts for Sucy's exceptional talent in potions and Maria's possession power. In fact, Topper's Multiplying Magic Hat comes from the same store as Maria's hat. I'd like to see what happens when our fair princess gets a taste of Sucy's potions."

"Hold on, Hat Kid, you're from Mushroom Kingdom, aren't you?" Sucy asked.

"That's correct!"

"Hee hee heeeeee!" Sucy sported a wicked grin. "Finally, I can test my potions on a real Mushroomian! Let's try this Zap Tap Potion I made from Volt Shrooms." Sucy handed her a yellow potion that felt staticky to Maria's touch.

"Ooo, it looks like juice!" the princess said happily before guzzling the brew, feeling a tingly feeling course through her body as her clothes became black and yellow, her body electrified. Topper began throwing hats as they spun around the deck like hockey pucks. Maria punched electric bolts at the illusion hats and poofed them into nothing, then ran to deal a few jolted punches to Topper. The rabbit was stunned by the attacks, then Maria jumped away as Sucy tossed an explosive potion at him.

"Mushroomian Mushrooms that give element powers take a toll on anyone who doesn't have those elements or isn't physically adapted to them." Goombella explained. "But it seems Maria tried herself with all of them."

"Try to get me inside my HAT!" Topper declared as he cowered under his hat, spawning 100 top-hats above it. He began to spin around the deck in attempt to hit them again, and when Maria tossed her hat to knock some off, it only increased the trouble.

"I wish I could go up there and Butt Pound them all!"

"We can if I do this!" Sucy tossed an Ice Potion, which exploded against Topper's base hat and froze him in place. "Come on!" Sucy allowed Maria onto her broom as they flew to the top of the tower. Topper was trying to squirm free, but when the duo made it to the top, Sucy gave her a blackish-gray potion. "Here's my Metal Potion. This should add to the pain!"

Maria jumped onto the top top-hat and drunk the potion, her body becoming steel. She made a weak jump and performed the Ground Pound, squishing through each and every hat before SMASHING Topper at the bottom. With a nasty bump on his top, Topper fell unconscious. (End song.)

"Wait, so these really aren't the actual Pirate Wars?" Lotte asked Index.

"No. That page of the Universe Book you grabbed actually describes part of the wars, and your talking about it caused the Aqua Ring's power to take effect and trap us inside the page. We're looking at a vision of what happened in the past, but we're not in the past itself. Actually, the Aqua Ring can do that with any story that you love, not just historical ones."

"You mean I could go inside the world of Night Fall if I wanted to?!"

"Well, yes. But we don't have time to play around with it!"

"Aw, but that's so much good potential."

"Hey, I can see Akko and Diana!" Goombella said, seeing the former waving at them from the deck of the massive ship.

"HEEEEY! Lotte!" Akko called. "Diana doesn't know how to get us out of here for once! You have any ideas?!"

"You sound more joyful than worried to say that-" Diana tried to say.

"NUUUEEEEEE!" The ship shook when Madame Broode crashed onto the deck, the mad rabbit snatching Akko in her paw. "You little diva! How DARE you injure Jaune Pringle, the most handsome man in the Linlin Family!"

"AKKO!" The three girls landed on the deck.

"Let her go!" Diana demanded.

"NEVER! I don't care if she's your friend or some wannabe witch! Little brats like you make me so ANGRY! First, that wretched raccoon murders my favorite cousin Charlotte, and now you have the gall to try and ruin a wedding I worked SO HARD to plan!"

"Get your fat paws off me, you darn dirty rabbit!" Akko pulled her left arm free and pounded the paw helplessly, flailing her legs.

"What did you hope to accomplish by sneaking onto our ship? You were up against the crew of Queen Sherry! Sector V may have gotten lucky against Charlotte's little crew, but the Linlin Pirates are an empire, and you are one tiny, insignificant girl!"

"So what if I am?!" Akko shouted as golden butterflies fluttered around her. "Someone's gotta teach you jerks that you can't go around marrying whoever you want!"

"Well, Great Grandma sure says we can, and Grandma's word is the law! And her law also says that anyone who picks a fight with us has to give up a limb! This pretty ARM will do!" Broode grabbed Akko's little arm in her other hand and SQUEEZED!

"AAAAAAAAHHHH!"

"CONFRINGO!" Diana fired the Blasting Spell at Broode's stomach, causing the giant to drop Akko. "If you lay another paw on her, the next spell will be at your head!" Index could see a few butterflies around her as well.

"Go ahead! But if you refuse to marry Jaune, then you can kiss your school good-bye!"

"It's pointless to try and threaten them." The rabbit mother faced down at Index, her habit glowing with a white aura. "Those who are influenced by the Rukh aren't so easily turned. Akko is a girl who will follow her beliefs no matter what pain or trials she experiences, and that light has weaved its way into Diana's heart."

"Are you saying these two are in love?"

"What? N-No, no, it's more like… Never Mind. Girls, let's teach this overgrown rabbit a lesson before we leave! Rukh, TO ME!" She raised a hand, and though the others couldn't see, the Rukh left the two witches and began to flutter around Index, causing her body to shine brighter. Index's trident reappeared in her left hand. "Diana, take Akko somewhere safe! Lotte, Goombella, let's take her down!"

"Um, I'll cheer from the sidelines if that's okay." Goombella said. "But I'll at least Tattle her." (Play Madame Broode's Theme from Mario Odyssey!)

Boss fight: Madame Broode

"The mother of the Broodals, Berry Broode's Power Level is 6,540. She's strong enough to pick up a Chain Chomp and use it as a weapon, and she wields a Chomp Call that can magically transport Chain Chomps to her location. I guess it can work in this world, too. Either way, she's pretty strong on her own; are you sure you won't need the others for help?"

"That won't be necessary." Index said as she conjured a giant Light Sphere from her trident and fired it at the giant. Broode used both hands to hold it back, but Index kept pouring her own chi to counter her. "Grrr… Lotte, attack her while I've got her distracted."

"B-But how?"

"The Ring of Pleasure will let you control the world inside this book, so long as it has to do with the particular story."

"But, what if I mess the story up?"

"NUEH!" Broode sent the sphere flying to the left, then ran to punch down at the little nun. Index dodged and shot Light Spheres at both her eyes, but the rabbit heard her footsteps and hopped in her direction. Index used Light Feet to dodge before a fatal crush, then unleashed a Light Beam against Broode's stomach, the rabbit stomping forward and pushing through. "Lotte, if you're worried about affecting history, then don't be, but I need you to be creative and think of something that'll help!"

"Okay, okay… Um, I remember they also dropped giant cannonballs from the sky." On that cue, a giant cannonball dropped right atop Madame Broode and nearly crushed her skull. "Y-Yeah! And sometimes, they dropped in the same area!"

Two more cannonballs came, but the angered Broodal knocked off the one on her head, then leapt high for some mighty kicks that sent the projectiles flying. She crashed back on the deck and grabbed her Chomp Call, the whistle ringing across the sky as Flame Chomps materialized. Lotte summoned more giant cannonballs to strike the spherical beasts, but some evaded and homed in on her and Index. The nun formed equal-sized Light Spheres to keep the Chomps at bay, but the Madame hopped high with the intent to squash her.

"SWITCHEROO!" Lotte cast the spell on one of the Flame Chomps and linked it to Index, switching their positions as Broode sat on the flaming beast. "NU-NU-NU-NUEEEH!" She frantically ran around, desperately brushing the flames off her behind. Lotte swooped by and grabbed Index before she fell into the chasm, dropping her back on the deck. "Chain Chompikins, get over here!"

"ARF ARF!" Broode's loyal golden Chain Chomp bounced over to his master. She took him by the chain and swung him around before chucking him at Index, who dodged as the Chomp chomped the mast. Madame Broode spun around with Chompikins stretched out, Index staying back to evade the attack. When Broode stopped, Index fired a Light Beam at Chompikins, reflecting off his golden exterior and blinding his owner. Lotte summoned another giant cannonball right atop the rabbit's head.

"NUUEEEH! How about we heat things up?!" Broode fed her pet a Fire Flower, causing him to become Flame Chompikins. Broode wore fireproof gloves as she lifted the fiery chain and smashed holes in the deck, setting fire to the ship.

"Come on, Lotte, think of something else!"

"Grrr, think, what else would happen during a Pirate War?" Lotte scratched her head. "Fierce hurricanes, lightning… oh! Weather was always an issue! Sometimes, the rain was so cold and freezing!" This time, glowing blue rain poured down and gave everyone the chills, Chain Chompikins' fire dousing and his armor freezing. "And then, all of a sudden, the sun would shine BRIGHTER than ever!"

The clouds cleared away as the blinding sun shone upon the wars. Index instantly grew warm from the light and conjured giant Light Fists. "NUUUEEEEH! I will not be the 2nd Linlin daughter to be beaten by a LIGHTBENDER!!" Hardening her fists with Armament Haki, she quickly countered the Light Fists' quick punches. Index flew a fist behind her, but Broode pushed it back with her foot, using her hands to push the other one. She heard another giant cannonball coming down, so the rabbit jump-rolled rightward as the fists collided and were smashed under the ball, which broke through the ship from top to bottom.

"Madame Broode, I understand that you're upset over what happened to Charlotte." Index said, the Rukh continuing to surround her. "But you must understand that she resigned herself to her own fate. Her goal was to destroy the world, and our mission as KND is to defend the world. And against someone like Sheila, who was also guided by the Rukh, Charlotte stood no chance of winning."

"Rukh this and Rukh that! What do these worthless insects have to do with anything?!"

"Although you can't see them, they're more than you realize. They're the people that cause the pages to turn, that cause time to move forward. And fate is inevitable for any person that crosses their path!"

"Huh? NUUAAAAAHHH!" The twin Light Fists blasted up from beneath the deck and lifted Broode toward the sun.

"But we won't make YOUR fate exactly the same." Index smiled at Lotte, who returned the look and summoned one last cannonball to smash the giant. Madame Broode hacked blood and plummeted through the deck, landing on the floor below.

"Cough. Now I know why… we live on the moon. We Moon Rabbits just hate… sunlight…" were Broode's last words before fainting. (End song.)

"Ohhhh… my back-a…" moaned Jaune Pringle as he lay on a bed in the cabin. He heard the door creak open. "Mama Broode… is that you?"

Louise stood in the dark of the cabin. "No. Just Dr. Mario, coming to give you your medicine." She wore a devilish smirk as she walked up with a syringe, injecting him in the neck. "YAH! HEY!" She was then grabbed by two metal claws from Constanze's pack.

"Don't do it, Louise!" Nagisa stated. "A Kids Next Door operative doesn't kill unless there's absolutely no way around it."

"Well, I'm NOT Kids Next Door, am I?"

"But this is one of Queen Sherry's kids! No matter how confident you think you are, if you kill him, you'll never have a day of rest again! Getting in a fight with them is already bad enough."

"It's too late! I injected him with a microbomb, and in a few minutes, his head will be blown clean off!"

"What?!"

"Let's take him to Sucy!" Amanda said, quickly grabbing the injured man. "Maybe one of her potions can do something!"

"Good luck! We set it to go off early in the presence of magic spells! You can never be too careful."

On the ship's deck, Sucy was approaching Akko with a pink potion. "This will help fix your arm, Akko."

"SUCY!" They looked as the others returned above deck. "Sucy, this guy has a bomb inside him, and we can't use magic!"

"Huh?! Then what do you expect me to do?"

"Wait, I can sense it." Killua said. "Two of you, hold him up by the arms. I'll get it out." Amanda and Nagisa held Jaune up by either side. Killua narrowed his eyes and slowly walked toward the aching man. Everything seemed like a blur as Killua walked through his body, holding a tiny bomb between his fingers. Everyone gaped at the feat, and Killua tossed the bomb to the sky as it burst.

"Ooooh!" Small holes popped open in Jaune's neck.

"Sucy, your potion!" Amanda shouted.

"Uh… but Akko."

"Sucy, just do it!" Akko ordered.

"Okay."

"YOU MEAN BRATS!" Harriet leapt up onto the deck. "I won't be humiliated by the likes of—HU!" She gasped, seeing Sucy pour the potion over Jaune's wounds. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO JAUNY?!" She bolted up and kicked Sucy away, watching as Jaune's wound shrunk.

"She was healing him, you idiot." Amanda stated. "Tell your boss that we just saved his life."

"Y-You saved… Jaune?"

"Oh, great." Sucy said as the pink liquid was spilled from the broken bottle.

"Relax." Diana waved her wand and fixed it back up with the potion inside. "Now, hurry and give Akko some."

"You saved Jaune's liiiiiife…" Harriet started crying. "You saved OUR lives! If anything happened to him, Queen Sherry woulda sent the Breakfast Club after us! It would've been the end for uuuus!" She could already imagine her fellow Broodals being beheaded by the shadows of a tiger, a rabbit, and two short humanoids against a blood-red background.

"I think it's time to get out of this warzone." Index said. "On your call, Lotte. Just say the word and we'll all be taken out of here."

"Okay, Aqua Ring. TAKE US HOME!" The sun seemed to shine blue as they were all enveloped by the light.

When the light had cleared, everyone was gazing at the valleys of Avalar from the deck of the Bridal Barge. "We made it back to Avalar." Lotte observed.

"And we got Diana back!" Akko cheered, smacking her friend on the back. "Ouch!"

"Your arm still needs time to recover." Sucy said. "Let's get back to Luna Nova before-" It was then they realized a fleet of pirates were still surrounding them. They all locked candy-themed guns and bows at the group.

"We're screwed." said Constanze.

Then, a mighty gust of wind blew the pirates off balance as the operatives were caught in the eye of the cyclone. A silver-haired man with a red eye and a dark cloak formed from the wind. "Hey! It's Lord Vaati!" Goombella exclaimed.

"He's Wendy's dad." Maria recalled. "But why is he…"

The wind mage used an air slash to slice Constanze's metal claws and free Louise. "LOUISE! Are you okay?"

Louise leapt up to the Minish sorcerer. "About time! Get me the hell out of here!"

"Wait a minute!" Nagisa exclaimed. "Louise and Vaati are…"

"I rescued her from your prison before Halloween." Vaati confirmed. "After years of captivity, I thought it best to show her what true freedom feels like. She has the heart of a rebel, but she still has much to learn."

"Shut up, you pointy-earred dumbass! That blonde girl has one of the World Rings!"

"All in due time; you kids must use this diversion to escape. Take your friends with you, we have the marriage problem under control. Oh, but before I go… Take a look at this ADORABLE picture of Wendy!" The team looked disbelieved as Vaati showed them a picture of 2-year-old Wendy. "Didn't she look positively sweet back then?! I couldn't observe her in person, but my goodness, I'm so proud of how much she's grown!"

"Grrrrrr! VAATIIII!" shouted Louise.

"Right! Farewell, children!" And they blew to the sky.

"LOUISE! WAIT!" Maria called.

"Let's go, hurry!" Lotte shouted. "You too, Diana!"

"They're going to notice I'm gone! How is that man going to resolve this problem?!"

In Jaune Pringle's Cabin

"Talk about a hectic day…" Harriet said as she lay Jaune on his barbequed bed. "I have to admit, Diana, your friends sure saved our necks. I just hope we don't have anymore setbacks. We still need to steal Butterbeer Tower for the wedding. Will you watch Jaune for me while I help take care of these pirates?"

"Yes, I will." 'Diana' replied. "A nice massage ought to ease him."

"Oh, men love that! Okay, have fun, you two!" Harriet skipped out joyfully.

"Oh ho ho… my-a poor back." The Mustachio lay on his front. He felt a soft pair of hands massage the soreness. "Ohhh… thank-a you so much, Diana. You have an angel's hands."

Little did Jaune know that a gray alien in a wig was dressed like Diana. "Anything for you, my barbequed beauty."

Luna Nova

"YAAAAY!" cheered Akko, dancing on a lunch room table. Her broken arm had a cast on it. "WE SAVED DIANA! PAAAARTYYYYY!" The students shared in her enthusiasm.

"We're so happy you're back, Diana!" Hannah England cried, her and Barbara hugging their friend.

"We're so sorry for being such cowards!" Barbara cried.

"Siiiigh." The girl in question sighed. "I honestly can't believe we aren't dead."

"As soon as that arm heals, you're sweeping EVERY room in this building for sneaking on that ship in the first place!" Professor Finnelan stated.

"But I was doing my Kids Next Door duties!"

"YOU ENDANGERED OUR SCHOOL!"

"Calm down, Anne." Headmistress Holbrooke replied. "It's only fair that Akko's friends should share the punishment, in that case, for leaving school grounds to fight those pirates."

"Man, being heroes is really lame." Sucy remarked.

"Unfortunately, you'll have to hold off on Lotte's punishment." Index said. "We need her on our mission to find the World Rings."

"The World Rings… so, that old legend is true after all." Holbrooke said. "That is why our world has gone to pieces. If Lotte has one of these rings, I give you permission to take her."

"And we can go too, right?!" Akko asked hopefully.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Finnelan shouted. "Just because we're sparing one student of punishment, doesn't mean the rest of you won't!"

"I say we get going before we attract any more trouble." Killua reasoned.

"I guess you're right." Lotte agreed. "I hope I get to see you guys soon."

"Us too, Lotte." Akko nodded. "Good luck!"

"Playing with the big boys already?" Amanda smirked. "Who'd-a thought Lotte of all people would upstage the rest of us?"

"Hm-hm-hm!" Lotte giggled. "I'll be sure to do the Luna Nova name proud!"

After we stocked up on food, we left Avalar with our new friend, Lotte. It was quite a hectic mission, and I'm surprised we escaped from there okay. We planned to rest at GKND H.Q. and tell Cheren of our progress, and we could only wonder what surprises were in store for us next.