Hey, everybody! Time for the end of Jagar's story! What's the result of Lucinda's deal? Let's find out!
Chapter 64: Stolen Time
Jagar groggily woke up after his magical ordeal, finding himself lying in a bed of some dark, yet strangely familiar bedroom. He rapidly shot his head up and asked, "Where am I?" as he looked around.
"Hey, Jagar! You're awake!"
"Ahh!" Jagar screamed slightly when somebody barged in his room. It was a scrawny boy in a blue T-shirt, tan-colored khakis, black shoes, and smooth white hair. "...Yuki?"
"Hey, the guys are all going to the Hunger Burger. Let's go with 'em! Come on, Numbuh 1:00!"
"Numbuh One-O..." Jagar confusedly threw off his blanket and ran out of bed, pulling his window curtain open to look outside. His mouth dropped at the vast fields of his homeland of Iceland, the mountains towering past the clouds in the distance, and seeing he was back in his old room at Sector IC. "I... it worked. The spell worked."
"What worked?" Yuki asked.
Jagar jumped over in front of him and started shaking Yuki by the shirt collar. "Yuki! Do you remember anything? ? Ice powers, timebending, magical elves... anything?"
"Uhhh..."
Jagar could plainly see Yuki's confusion, and his mouth immediately grew into a wide grin. "I DID IT, Yuki! I CHANGED the PAST! WOOHOO!" The excited boy started aimlessly jumping around the room. Yuki only stood confusedly, twirling his finger by his head, gesturing that Jagar had gone crazy. "I'm not dead! And YOU don't have ice powers! Annnd... our sector likes us, right?"
"Erm, last I checked, yeah. They're sort of waiting for us."
"And you aren't mad at me... right?"
Yuki chuckled, "Why would I be mad at you? You are my best friend."
"OH YEEEAH! !" Jagar started playing an invisible air-guitar.
"Um, are you okay, Jagar? You musta had a pretty bad dream."
"Oh, I'm BETTER than okay! I'm ALIVE, Yuki!" he yelled happily, jumping beside his friend again. "And best of all, so are you!" With that, he embraced Yuki in a hug. "Boy, wait until I tell Misty and Oli-" He stopped himself and released Yuki, remembering what he did. "Oh... yeah."
"Misty and who?"
"Um, nothing. They're nobody."
"Uh...huh. Anyway, come on, Buddy! I'm gettin' hungry! Maybe a nice cheeseburger's what you need to get the CRAZY outta your system." He playfully nudged Jagar's arm.
"Heh, sure thing, Dude. Just let me get dressed." Yuki did so and left Jagar alone, leaving the timebender to slip on his socks and shoes. Jagar looked to his nightstand and studied the picture of him, Yuki, and the rest of his sector. Smiling at the happy memories they used to share, he quickly threw on the rest of his regular clothes and hurried after Yuki, eager to relive those happy memories.
And for the next several hours, that's just what they did. Jagar and Yuki did everything they could to make up for lost time; as far as Jagar knew, from having lunch at the Hunger Burger, going on a mission to kick Ice Cream Man butt, ringing doorbells of adults' houses and running away, and so on. And Yuki seemed to be a much funner person to hang out with, likely due to the spell Lucinda cast to make him a better person. Jagar had to admit he did kind of like this new Yuki, and because of this change, lots of other people did, too... but deep down, Jagar didn't feel right about what he did. Changing peoples' personalities like that is really what got Lucinda so much hate in the first place. And Jagar was even beginning to feel remorse for Misty and Olive, having left them to create this alternate timeline.
After a while, the two broke up with the rest of their sector and went to hang out at the park, simply sitting on the swingset and letting their feet dangle as Jagar still kept to his thoughts. "Hey, Yuki? Ever get that feeling where... you make this really important decision that you can't go back on, because you wanted to get back something you lost, but then... you feel like it was the wrong choice because you gave up something else?"
"Umm... not that I recall. Why? Did you?"
"Er..." Jagar shook his head, "it's nothing."
"Come on, Buddy. You can tell me, right?" Yuki smiled.
"Um... I... augh!" Jagar angrily stood up. "No, I can't! Because that isn't the real you!"
"What are you talking about?"
"The way you act all nice and...and cool and stuff. That isn't how you're supposed to be. The real you is... well, maybe not AS good, but..."
Yuki only stared at him and blinked in total confusion. "You SURE you're feeling alright, Jagar? I mean, earlier, you tried to stop a group of bullies by 'freezing them in time,' or something..."
"Umm... maybe I still need to cool down from that dream last night. Hey! Why don't we go to Lime Rickey's down in Virginia? We can take the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. there!"
"Uh... are you sure you wanna go down to Virginia? Aren't you afraid of getting cursed?"
"Cursed? What are you talking about?"
"Don't you remember? A few days ago, the witch-demon that's been terrorizing the towns of other sectors appeared there and started casting her little hexes. Thank God she hasn't come down here, yet. I'm not really looking forward to getting one of her 'gifts.'"
"'Gifts'?" Jagar gasped. "Oh no!"
Cleveland, Virginia
The two were passing over the town in their shabby camper, already catching sight of the mysterious black cloud that was looming over. "Is that..." Jagar noticed the upper half of some figure atop the cloud, throwing energy blasts down from a huge wand in its hand, with a big, golden star on the wand's rod. Jagar gasped as he recognized the being right away. "Oh no..."
Lucinda Talzin's wicked cackle echoed to the skies as the supersized witch threw spells all over the place. "At long last! A thousand years of exile have been worth it! Time to make up for lost time!" She looked down at the playground behind Gallagher Elementary, noticing Kuki Sanban. "YOU! I bestow the Gift of Obedience! IMPERIOLOSO!" Kuki screamed when the spell zapped her dead-on.
Ace watched them from a few feet away and smirked, approaching Kuki. "Hey, you. Kiss me." And against her own will, Kuki embraced the Hispanic boy in a kiss.
The witch turned her attention to the Cleveland Park's playground, seeing Sector W and some other kids having a butt-busting competition, in which Angie Granite was able to make a HUGE crater in the ground. "BUHUNDRED METERS!" the referee called.
"Aw, man! That totally cheats!" Harvey McKenzie yelled in anger, folding his arms as Sonya, Lee, and Paddy snickered at him. Lucinda caught notice of him right away.
"Oh, you poor dear." Harvey looked up at the witch, now quaking in terror. "A boy as troubled as you deserves a more simple life. Mikauhama rama, what a quarrel. Turn this poor boy into a squirrel." And the magical blast fired and zapped the boy, transforming him into... "A skunk? Darn. I can never get that right."
"Aww. He's so adorable!" Sonya smiled, picking her leader up and hugging him to her chest. Harvey glared at her and released gas from his tail, and Sonya immediately covered her nose.
Talzin then caught notice of Nigel and Lizzie, the bald Brit wincing at the sound of his chubby girlfriend's shouts and complaints. "My, aren't you two the unhappy couple?" The two looked and gasped in horror at her sudden appearance. "But I'll have that fixed soon enough. I give to you... the Gift of Eternal Love!" She cast the pink spell and zapped the two. Nigel and Lizzie looked into each others' eyes, becoming totally infatuated and embracing in a kiss.
Mr. Wink and Mr. Fibb were in their backyard at this time, kicking back and catching rays in their lawn chairs when Lucinda appeared over them. "Well, aren't you two the happiest couple? I give to you: the Gift of... um... not... being able to separate! Wow, I gotta come up with better names." With that, she cast the spell on the two adults and vanished, and they continued to relax in the sun.
"...A waste of a spell, wouldn't you agree, Mr. Wink?"
"A waste of a spell indeed, Mr. Fibb."
"Mother Talzin!" Jagar exclaimed, pressing his face to the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. window. "What is she doing?!"
"She appeared out of nowhere almost a year ago." Yuki explained. "Since then, she's been going around and casting these awful spells on people. Just last week, she gave Numbuh 101 the Gift of Intelligence. He started to know everything there was to know, including the future. Now he's going into despair of not being able to be surprised ever again. Heck, he's even going as far as to beat himself up and drink those adult drinks, hoping it'll make him dumber. It's... not looking well for him."
"But that's impossible. She shouldn't be able to grant gifts at all. What could've happened?"
"AHH HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" came another wicked and unnerving cackle.
"What the... RUMPEL!" Jagar noticed the devious elf riding his goose outside their ship.
"If you want an explanation, meet me on top of the school." Rumpel instructed, riding down to the top of Gallagher Elementary as the two operatives followed. After landing, the two stepped off their shabby camper as Rumpel climbed off his bird, blowing bubbles out of a pipe in his mouth as he stepped over to the kids.
"Alright, Rumpel, start explaining: what's Mother Talzin doing granting curses?"
"Oh, Jagar. It's so sad, really, that you never realize when you've been tricked."
"What?"
"I had this entire thing planned from the very beginning. Although my powers are under suspension, I am a timebender, TOO! Everything from Yuki joining with me, to you making a deal with Lucinda was all MY intention! Several months ago, I was sitting all alone and bored in my carriage when I stumbled upon a rather interesting passage in a book I was reading. A passage that tells how to take away someone's bending and claim it as your own! How would this be possible, you might ask? Why, if the bender WILLINGLY gives away his bending to the other person!"
Jagar gasped.
"Here's the story: after the lot of you left poor old Yuki to himself at the North Pole, I came up to him with an offer he couldn't refuse, involving giving him total control over his powers and revenge against the KND. After he did join me, the next thing on the agenda was to pay a visit to poor Mother Talzin, so she could give Yuki the strongest icebending powers the world's ever seen. In which, of course, we had to recover that stupid shadow of hers from Dr. Facilier. Then after we did, and we gave Yuki his gift, that's when I finally explained this ingenious plan to Talzin herself. You already know this next bit: we turn Yuki into a monster, he gets destroyed, and you crawl into Lucinda's cave and make the deal that led to this very alternate timeline. All because of your misguided faith toward Lucinda and her ways. And BOTH of us know that fairy could never do any REAL good, even if it WAS her intention to do so. Anyhoo...
"After you made the deal to sign away your bending, and forced her to make that Unbreakable Vow... well, that's just what she did: she went back in time, stopped Yuki's accident, stopped YOU from dying, and of course changed Yuki from a selfish and uncaring brat to someone kind and sweet." Rumpel shuddered at this thought. "But when the part came where she had to give the timebending power to a timebender who so 'rightfully' deserved it... well, what person would deserve it more..." Rumpel's smirking face turned to one of madness and anger, "than someone who wasted YEARS of his life SLAVING to a factory of HAPPY, SINGY, ANNOYING ELVES?!"
"YOU?"
"THAAAT'S right!" Rumpel pulled out the clock necklace which contained Jagar's power. "A timebender who was wrongfully suspended of his own powers deserves it more than any other. And now, I am the only living timebender in this entire world!"
Jagar growled and grit his teeth in anger.
"Oh, but it doesn't stop there! Unfortunately, bestowing the power to me was considered a 'gift'. And for breaking her previous Unbreakable Vow THREE times, Lucinda met with a terrible... well, you know. But it didn't matter. With my new timebending powers, I went back in time to the very date where little miss strong-willed Ella and that good-for-nothing maid of hers, (who I believe was actually her real mother), pressed charges against poor Lucinda. So when she was taken to Fairy Court, and Mr. Big-and-Powerful Jorgen von Strangle was about to plant that curse upon her, I FROZE time in place and swiped Jorgen's King Wand."
"Lucinda... for your crimes against Planet Avalar, this Fairy Court finds you guilty." The Fairy King spoke, raising his huge wand as it brimmed with powerful energy. "I sentence you into exile, and you will never-" Before he could fire the spell, his wand vanished into thin air. "Vhat? Vhere is my wand?"
"Oh... you mean..." Jorgen looked and gasped at Rumpel Stiltskin, aiming his King Wand directly at him, "THIS WAND?"
"So I took Jorgen out with his own wand and presented it to Talzin. Then, I proceeded to explain this entire complicated and convoluted plan that led to such. And with her banishment stopped, she was FREE to roam the galaxies, granting her wonderful gifts to all the bratty children of the world! And Yours Truly was free to use timebending as he pleased! It all worked out for everybody, did it not?"
"AAUUGH!" Jagar angrily grabbed Rumpel by the shirt. "You lying little sneak! FIX everything right now!"
"TOO BAD!" Rumpel smacked his hands off. "I didn't create this timeline! YOU did! After you signed away your bending to Talzin so she would change the past. In that sense, you technically broke your promise to Clockwork. DOUBLE WAMMO!"
Jagar's fist trembled, resisting the urge to punch the elf in the eye. "I can't believe... You had this planned all along!"
"Oho, more than you know, Jagy. I'm the one that GAVE Yuki his curse in the first place." Jagar gasped again. "Santa has the power to grant any gift, including bending. He created that special little invention specifically for someone who wished for an element to bend. However, granting somebody such a power only resided in the decision of the spirits, so he decided against using it and tossed it away. Thankfully, I found it in his trash and chose just the right person to zap. But sadly, he no longer has his bending, so the invention has gone to waste."
Rumpel then climbed back onto his bird and kicked her hips as Fifi flapped her wings and started to lift off. "Oh, hey, almost forgot! Every time Lucinda grants one of her gifts, it actually builds up magical energy in her wand! That little spell she placed on Kuki was only the start! Once she has enough power, she'll be able to cast her Grand Imperio on ALL the kids on this entire planet! And EVERY bratty kid in the world will be forced to live the marvelous life of obedience!"
Hearing this shocked Jagar the worst of all. Every kid in the world would be robbed completely of their freewill and live as slaves if Lucinda kept doing what she was doing?
"And THAT includes Iceland, too!" Rumpel exclaimed. "Since you guys didn't make an Unbreakable VOW in this time, there's nothing holding her BACK! Wah ha ha! I still can't WAIT for when it happens! Catch ya later, Jagar King!" The maniacal elf cackled away and flew off to the heavens.
"NOO!" Jagar fell to his knees and punched his fist to the roof. "I can't believe it! I fell right into their trap... like an idiot!"
"Jagar... what was that guy talking about?" Yuki asked.
Jagar sighed and stood up to face his friend. "Yuki..."
Some time later...
"So, I had these powers to control ice, you could control time, and that Lucinda lady turned me into a monster that Santa destroyed, so you went and made a deal with Lucinda that she would change our fates in exchange for your bending, which she gave to Rumpel Stiltskin?"
"Um... that about sums it up."
"Just one question, why would Santa make a missile launcher for someone?"
"I don't know!"
"Okay... Still, that all sounds pretty cool! ...Except that part where I wanted to destroy you. I can't believe I was like that."
"Well... you were. And now, because of me, we're both powerless, and Lucinda's going to turn every kid in the world into will-free slaves."
"Well, what're we gonna do?"
"We've got to find her. We've got to find her and make her fix everything. Er, the real her. Not that holographic projection. Argh, but where could she be?"
"I bet that Facilier guy knows. Ever since that witch showed up, he's been working nonstop. Everyone wants a charm from him to help get rid of their curses."
"Well... he's going to have more work on his shoulders, now."
Dr. Facilier's Voodoo Emporium
"H-Hey! Calm down! One at a time, now, o-one at a-" Facilier tried to say as dozens of kids gathered around his table.
"Dr. Facilier, I can't take another drop of that alcohol stuff!" Numbuh 101 exclaimed, his eyes baggy and his expression panicky. "You gotta have some kind of stupid potion!" Nigel immediately shoved him out of the way.
"DR. FACILIER, HELP! I can't stopping thinking about LIZZIE! She's just so magnificent. YOU'VE GOTTA HELP! AHH!" Sonya shoved him away, holding the skunk Harvey in her arms.
"M-Mr. Facilier, can you please change Harvey back to normal?"
"'Scuse me, I was here first." Roger the Alien said, moving Sonya aside. "Hi, I'm not 'cursed' or anything, but I'm trying to screw this lady. You have any sleeping pills I can borrow?"
"Hey, Buddy, those are for me! Giggity!" Glenn Quagmire told him, pushing the alien aside. Soon, everyone in the room ended up in a brawl, swallowing the room in a puff of smoke which Facilier was unable to control.
Jagar and Yuki hurried in there and looked around the brawling crowd, seeing no clear way around. Jagar gritted his teeth and closed his ears in annoyance of the screaming children. "STOOOP!"
Right as he said it, everybody came to a complete stop. Some kids were frozen in midair after being thrown, Sonya was on the ground, being strangled by skunk-Harvey, and some kids were frozen as their fists came in contact with other kids' faces in a punch. Jagar and Yuki could only stare in amazement, exchanging glances before both stared at Jagar's hands. Their attention was then drawn to Clockwork, who appeared out of thin air with his hand raised and glowing.
"Clockwork!" Jagar's smile grew wider when Misty and Olive appeared beside the ghost as well.
"Miss us?" Misty smirked.
"Guys? But how-"
"We're Time Spirits. It's not easy to erase US." Olive told him.
Clockwork went around to the Sector V members in the room and tapped each of them with his clock staff, making a tiny light sparkle. Once he was finished, the spirit snapped his fingers, and the five fell to the ground unfrozen. "Uuuhhh..." Abby groaned, holding her head. "What the-? How did we get here?"
"And why is everybody frozen?" Hoagie asked.
"You are in an alternate timeline," Clockwork explained, "where Lucinda controls the world using her curses. Each of you are here because you hoped that Facilier would have something to heal a curse Lucinda has placed on you. For example, Wally has been cursed with politeness, Hoagie was cursed with being so great a pilot, every other pilot is terrible, and any candy Abby eats tastes like vegetables."
"NOOOO!" Abby screamed.
"I have just used my powers to restore each of your memories from the original timeline, whose events have not quite happened in this time." Clockwork then drifted to Facilier, tapping the witch-doctor with the staff and releasing him.
"WHOA! What the 'eck happened?" he panicked frantically.
"Yeah... how did this happen, anyway? Er, if I may ask." Wally asked, politely. Misty, Olive, and Yuki's eyes focused on Jagar, so everyone else looked at him, too.
"I..." Jagar scratched his head in embarrassment, "I may have made a deal with..."
"Aw no! Y'all made a deal with Rumpel Stiltskin, didn't you? ?" Facilier asked.
"Worse... Lucinda."
"! !" Everyone gasped. "Aw, no... why'd ya do it, Jagar?" Abby asked.
"I-"
"Why he did it doesn't matter now." Clockwork interrupted. "What's done is done. What's important now is that we stop her. Lest the Kids Next Door itself become a fragment of the past."
"Alright, so how do we stop Lucinda?" Facilier asked.
"If I might make a suggestion, perhaps we should go and beat her brutishly and see if she would like to fix everything?" Wally suggested.
"Man, polite Wally is so boring." Abby said. "And yet still the same as ever. Numbuh 5 don't see how that would work."
"It's never really failed before." Hoagie shrugged.
"But how do we find where Lucinda lives?" Kuki asked.
"I'm sure Clockwork knows." Olive guessed, shooting a sarcastic stare at the spirit.
"Yes, but I'm not the one who needs to fix everything." Clockwork smirked.
"Well, who else in the entire universe knows everything?!" Misty shouted.
"Wait a minute... knows everything! That's it!" Jagar's mind alit with another idea. "Clockwork, unfreeze Matt!" Clockwork faced the museum curator and snapped his fingers, making the child mobile again.
"I mean, just last week, I wasn't even surprised when-..." Numbuh 101 stopped himself, remembering that everyone was frozen. "Oh."
"Matthew, I need to know how to stop Lucinda." Jagar told him.
"Oh, that's easy." Matt smiled knowledgably. "The best way to beat that old witch is to redirect her own curses back at her. Preferably that Imperioloso one that takes everybody's freewill. You can probably do that using your Rewind ability. But you better be careful. Her magic is more powerful with Jorgen von Strangle's King Wand."
"If we zapped her with her own curse, she'd have to fix everything, I bet!" Misty perked. "Good thinking, Jagar!"
"Heh, don't thank me. It was Matt's idea." Jagar smiled proudly.
"But where can we find Lucinda?" Yuki asked.
"Lucinda lives in her Enchanted Domain, an ancient castle along a mountain range on Planet Avalar." Matt explained. "However, it's protected by a powerful magical barrier. But that shouldn't be a problem, because Hoagie's Gift of Expertise Piloting skills will allow him to ram the barrier so fast, it can break through!"
"That sounds kind of dangerous." Hoagie replied.
"Well, if Matt knows everything, then it should work, right?" Kuki asked.
"Okay, team, let's take the C.O.O.L.-B.U.S., get over to Planet Avalar, and put that witch in her place pronto!" Numbuh 1 ordered. "Because the sooner we get back, the sooner I get to be with my darling Lizzie!" Nigel made a goofy expression.
"How 'bout we hurry up so we don't have ta listen to yo' constant pining over Lizzie?" Abby remarked.
"Kids Next Door: BATTLE STATIONS!"
"I'm coming, too!" Matt yelled as everyone gave battle cries and ran to board the C.O.O.L.-B.U.S..
Meanwhile, everyone else in Facilier's voodoo shop remained frozen in time. With the exception of Roger the Alien, who glanced around before dropping free himself, brushing himself off. "What they didn't know was I'm a timebender, too." He smirked. The alien then noticed the time-frozen skunk-Harvey, and picked him up from Sonya's neck. "Well, aren't you a cutie." He smiled, tapping Harvey's nose. "...I'm gonna take this home with me." With that, he carried the immobile child out of there.
Above atmosphere of Planet Avalar
After zooming out of hyperspace (because Hoagie apparently found out how to do that), the air-worthy school bus was closing in on the fairytale-themed planet. During which time, Misty noticed Jagar sitting glumly in one of the back corners, leaning his head against the wall. Misty went to sit beside him for comfort. "What's wrong, Jagar?"
The boy sighed and sat up straight. "It's this whole thing. I promised you guys that I wouldn't use my power for the wrong reason... and I totally broke it."
"No you didn't. You were willing to sign away what made you special just to save somebody important to you. You didn't really do anything wrong. If anyone's misused their powers, it's Lucinda. And that's why we need to bring her down."
"But she wouldn't even be where she is now if I hadn't fallen into her game."
"Jagar, everyone makes mistakes. But even though we're timebenders, we can't linger on the past or try to change it. We have to make the best of things for the future."
Jagar only sighed in depression.
"Tell you what: would it make you feel better if I told you my true name?"
"Your... true name?"
"I never tell anyone my true name, except for people I can trust. And right now, I can tell you feel that you can't be trusted for anything. That's why I'm asking."
"Hm... well... if you want to."
Misty smiled. "My true name... is..." she put her mouth beside his ear and whispered, "Ukonatolious."
She pulled away as Jagar turned and smiled at her. "Hehe... nice name." Misty gave a wide grin, showing her sparkling white teeth.
"Look! There's the castle!" Kuki screamed suddenly, pointing ahead as they were entering the planet's atmosphere. There was a massive castle surrounded by a mountain range, protected by a huge bubble-shaped barrier, with some kind of energy flowing through the top and into the highest tower.
"Hang on to your underwear, kids, 'cause we're in for a bumpy landing!" Hoagie exclaimed excitedly, stomping the ship's gas pedal and making it zoom faster. The strong momentum forced the riders against the backs of their seats, with their mouths jiggling back and exposing their gritted teeth, and Kuki was literally gripping her underwear due to Hoagie's technical order. "Here it comes..." The heroes shielded their eyes from the incoming impact. "Steady..." They squinted their eyes open a crack to see it coming. Finally, the C.O.O.L.-B.U.S. came into contact with the shield, struggling to push its way through the magical barrier, but was eventually able to do so, the ship wobbling a little before Hoagie came for a landing upon the long bridge which led to the castle. "And voila." The pilot said simply as they all stepped off. "Told ya I could make it."
"So, this is Lucinda's castle..." Jagar spoke as everyone's eyes were transfixed on the colossal fortress. (Play "Enchanted Dominion" from Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep.) The castle was colored a yellowish-white, decorated with pink ribbons and curtains. The outer walkways upon the walls were patrolled by strange pig-like demons, and monkeys with wings sat perched atop the towers. The castle had several outer courtyards with hedge statues of various princesses, and had many towers. The tower that caught the heroes' attention was the center one, which was highest of all and had the strong magic flowing into it from the sky.
"Lucinda's chamber is in the highest room of the tallest tower." Matthew spoke.
"Uuuuugh." At this, Hoagie and Wally moaned and slumped against the other, not wanting to go up all those stairs. "Please excuse my moaning." Wally said.
"Well, we can't just stand here." Jagar reminded. "We have to get up there and stop that witch."
"Jagar's right. Let's do it, team. For Lizzie!" Nigel cheered, earning stares from all his friends. "Ugh. Let's just go."
While everyone else proceeded across the extremely long bridge toward the castle, Clockwork remained floating in his spot, smiling after Jagar before looking down at the staff in his hands. "Look at him, Chrono Staff... the perfect apprentice to take my place. I'm going to miss you... but nothing lasts forever." He looked back toward Jagar's direction, resolve on his features. "Not even this old spirit..."
Stage 55: Enchanted Domain
Mission: Teach Lucinda Talzin a lesson!
The heroes arrived at the front gate of the castle, closed tight as the Pig Goons spotted them from above, throwing spears at them. Facilier drew out his green flubber and tossed it to a torch hanging on the wall below their station. He hauled himself up to reach the station and cast spells to stun the goons, afterwards flipping the lever which made the gates rise open. He dropped back down to the gang as they entered the first courtyard, where some witches spotted them and started throwing spells. Facilier and Nigel fought back with spells and firebending while Yuki grabbed some water from a nearby fountain, throwing it over to melt the witches.
They hurried into a door in a wall on the side of the garden, entering a room where some gargoyle statues came to life and started slashing their wings at them. Wally and Abby punched and kicked the gargoyle statues and shattered them as Wally remarked, "Sincerest apologies, old chap.", then continued into the next garden. Some witches hid behind hedge statues of Snow White and Princess Aurora as they fired spells to the heroes, but Nigel set the statues on fire and made the witches fall out, allowing the timebenders to freeze them in place. As they were headed toward the door on the other side, a spell shot down from a higher point and zapped the two sunflowers beside the entrance, the plants growing to their height and coming to life as they began beating on Hoagie and Wally. Nigel and Facilier easily defeated the flowers by shooting fire on them, the plants running around with their heads aflame before they bumped the wall and fell over.
Inside the next room, they found and climbed a ladder which took them to a higher floor, where Hoagie drew out his Diffusion Rifle and started shooting the goons patrolling the outer walkway. Some flying monkeys spotted them from above and swooped down, drawing out bows and arrows and shooting at them, but Facilier cast stunning spells and made the monkeys drop down. They continued to one of the towers, where the next walkway appeared to be rolled up. Facilier tossed his flubber to a wooden handle sticking from the tower and used it to haul himself up, where he knocked out a goon and flipped another lever, which made the walkway bridge extend.
As the kids hurried across, some witches spotted them from higher floors and swooped down to ram them, but Misty and Olive froze them in time with their bending, then Rewound them to send them back up. Jagar tried to stop the witch coming at him, but because of his loss of bending, the witch rammed and knocked him over. Misty and Olive helped Jagar up when the witch tried to come back, only for Facilier to cast a spell and stun her. "No bending. Remember?" Misty asked.
"Uh... right..."
They finally entered a door which led into the castle, finding their selves in a huge, wide hallway aligned with several giant columns. A bunch of dark portals appeared around the room which Heartless came out of, designed like dark-purple floating balls with three stubby tentacles and scary faces. Kuki and Matt pulled out a T.H.U.M.P.E.R. and S.C.A.M.P.P. respectively and began shooting at the Darkball Heartless, causing them to splat into dark gooey substance. They kept going and turned a corner of the hall, going up some stairs where two knights' armor statues stood guard at the top.
The armor came to life and drew swords, the kids jumping back before they struck down. Kuki gracefully flipped behind one of them and kicked it down the stairs, where Abby then kicked its head. Yuki ran up to the second one and was able to kick its right leg off, causing it to trip and fall down the stairs. They then continued down a dark hallway to their left, decorated with several gargoyle statues which Kuki couldn't help but quiver in fear. "This place is scaring me..."
"Don't worry. The tallest tower is just up-"
"Help!" Matt was interrupted when a cry came from a door to their left. They hurried in there to find a dungeon chamber, finding none other than the Ice Climbers. Nana appeared to be trapped in a cage on the ceiling, and Popo was trying to get up the stairs along the side of the room which led up to the cage, only their curse was preventing him from doing so.
"Popo? Nana?" Jagar questioned.
"Yuki! Guys! You're here!" Nana smiled.
"How do you remember us?" Misty asked.
"We followed Jagar when he went to go make that deal." Popo answered.
"We ended up caught in that tornado thingy and taken to this other timeline, too." Nana followed.
"We landed in Lucinda's castle and she trapped us. Get us out!" they both shouted.
"Ah got this." Facilier told them, heading up the stairs to Nana's cage, aiming his cane at the lock. "Alohomora." At his command, the cane fired a spell which broke the lock, allowing Nana to jump down to Popo.
"Phew. Thank goodness." The male Ice Climber sighed in relief.
"So, what's going on?" Nana asked.
"We're on our way to stop Lucinda." Jagar answered.
"And if we don't hurry, she's going to curse our entire planet." Nigel said.
"Then we have no time to lose!" Popo said, his expression serious.
"Come on. Her tower should be just up ahead!" Nana told them, already running ahead as the others followed.
"I knew that!" Matt yelled after them.
The team hurried down the hall until they finally reached the bottom of the highest tower, a golden room alit with a mystical light. There seemed to be no way to go, except for five doors around the room. "Aha. We aren't reaching her room that easy." Matt announced.
"Might I ask why not?" Wally asked.
"To make the stairway to Talzin's chamber appear, we must clear these five trials."
"Ugh. What is with villains' evil lairs havin' trials we need to pass?" Abby complained.
"Well, there're plenty in our group." Nigel said. "It should be easy."
"Yes, but the best option would be for certain people to attempt these trials." Matt explained. "Abby, you take the one on the right. Kuki, the one next to that. Nigel will take the very left one, I will take the one beside that... and Yuki can take the middle. Let's do it, gang." With that done, they heroes split up into their predestined rooms.
Hoagie went with Abby into her room, where there appeared to be some kind of chocolate popsicle on a table in the center. Lucinda's mother-like voice echoed to them. "Welcome, kiddies, to the first of five tests. What you must do here is simple: the key is inside the fudgesicle. Eat half of the fudgesicle to retrieve it without becoming overpowered by its extreme coldness."
"Oh, Numbuh 5, you can't do-" Hoagie tried to say.
"Says who? Step aside, Hoagie, and let Numbuh 5 show you how it's done." With that, the choco-skinned girl stepped over and grabbed the popsicle, proceeding to bite the treat in half. Hoagie shielded his head, expecting Abby's head to explode, but squinted his eyes open when she didn't.
"H-Hey... you're alright!"
"Ah wish. This vegetable curse comes in handy... but it still tastes awful! Blech!" She coughed the key out and walked out of there.
Wally went with Kuki into her room, which appeared to be some kind of cave with a key on the other side. "Welcome, kiddies, to your test." Lucinda's voice sounded. "I call this one 'Hall of Memory'. Just make it to the other side and retrieve the key without falling into one of the traps."
"Oh, Oi see what this fair maiden is doing: a bit of Indiana Jones rubbish, eh wot?" Wally observed.
"But I never watched that movie!" Kuki whined.
"Not a problem. Kuki: I command you to get through this obstacle course without being hit by any of the traps." And so, Kuki's curse forced her to do so. She ran ahead, slid under the spikes which emerged from the walls, jumped the spikes on the floor, flipped over the arrows from the wall, paused for a minute to let flames shoot down from the ceiling, waiting for them to stop before continuing. She kicked a secret switch in the wall to make an ax fall down, which she used to kill a skeleton guard. She leapt across a trapdoor, onto a piano on the ground, jumping across the correct keys which glowed, and made it to the key on the other side. After grabbing said key, she quickly dashed back down the hall as a giant boulder chased her, and she and Wally slid under the closing door before they were crushed. "Phew."
In Matthew's room, the know-it-all entered a similar hall, where the key was on the other side of a bottomless chasm. "To reach this key, you must answer 5 riddles correctly. Answer 3 wrong, and you will fall. Question 1: In a year, there are 12 months. 7 months have 31 days. How many months have 28 days?"
"Pfft. That's easy. They ALL do, of course."
"Correct." As a result, part of the floor appeared to make a path. "Question 2: Two U.S. coins total 55 cents. One of them is not a nickel. What are the two coins?"
"A nickel and a half-dollar. Duh."
"Correct. Question 3: How many animals did Moses take aboard the ark?"
"Ah, my favorite number: Zero."
"Correct. Question 4: You are driving a bus. At the first stop, 2 women get on. At the second, 3 men get on and 1 woman gets off. Third stop, 3 kids and their mom get on, and a man gets off. The bus is grey, and it is raining outside. What color is the bus driver's hair?"
"Mm-hm?" Matt picked a strand of his hair and studied it for a second. "Orange."
"Correct: Question 5: What are the 3 missing letters in this sequence? J, F, M, A, _, _, _, A, S, O."
"M, J, and J."
"Congratulations. The key is yours."
Matt walked over to pick up the key as he scoffed cockily. "Easy as that."
When Nigel entered his room, he smiled at the sight of his lover, Lizzie standing over on the left side. But he also noticed Numbuh 362 standing on the right side. "Your test will be the Test of Love. The key resides with the maiden you cherish the most. Choose wisely... for your answer may impact your fate."
Nigel was already ready to step over to Lizzie, but he stopped when he suddenly remembered his relationship with Rachel. Since he had his memories of the original timeline, he knew he was in love with Rachel... But he couldn't bring himself to go beside her because of how much he loved Lizzie. It was unwillingly, true, but he still loved Lizzie to no end. But it wasn't true love, so he should go with Rachel. He was beginning to get a headache from having to make this tough decision. He looked back-and-forth, Rachel, Lizzie, Rachel, Lizzie, Rachel, Lizzie. He gripped his head in aggravating pain... but he sucked it up and made his decision.
Lizzie's happy expression turned to extreme sadness when her crush walked over beside no one other than Rachel T. McKenzie. "Sorry, Lizzie. I love you... but my heart belongs to Rachel." Lizzie burst into tears and faded into nothingness. Nigel turned and smiled at his REAL girlfriend, who planted a kiss on the Brit's cheeks before handing Nigel the key, waving and fading away afterwards.
All that was left was Yuki's room. The former icebender entered a dark chamber with two doorways on both sides, looking up as a giant pair of hands hovered over him. "Your mind has been twisted and mended by magical power. Allow me to restore your original memories."
The pair of hands sprinkled some sparkling dust on Yuki, and the boy began to remember everything from the previous timeline. From getting his curse, being banished, his hatred toward Jagar and the KND, and his involvement with Rumpel and the witches.
"Now... Question 1: When you hear the words 'Eight Firstborn'. If 'Important deities' comes to mind, go left. If 'Powerful mortal benders' comes to mind, go right."
Yuki was about to go right... until he suddenly remembered just what the Firstborn were, hearing them from the witches. So, he went left into an identical room.
"Question 2: When you hear the words 'Darth Genious'. If 'KND' comes to mind, go left. If 'BOE' comes to mind, go right." Yuki definitely remembered this. So, he entered the right door, into the last room. "Question 3: When you hear the words 'Jagar King'. If 'revenge' comes to mind, go left. If 'friendship' comes to mind, go right."
This one made Yuki think for a minute. Now that his previous memories were restored... he remembered the anger and rage he felt toward the timebender. His strong desire to take revenge on him and all of the KND. However... he also remembered his most recent thought: feeling that joining with those witches wasn't worth it, and wanting to make amends with his best friend. It was then he made his decision: he entered the right door, and found the key sitting on a pedestal. (End song.)
Once everybody completed their assigned trials, they all met back with Facilier, the timebenders, and Ice Climbers. "So, did you solve them?" Jagar asked.
"Easy as cake!" Nigel smiled, raising his key.
The crew then watched a Yuki stepped out of his room, his face slightly shocked. "I...I remember everything."
"Oh...you do?" Jagar asked, a tad startled by this info.
"Yeah... the trial kind of made me do that."
"Hmm... what parts come to mind?" Olive asked.
"...Wanting to beat the living crap out of that witch." Yuki fist-palmed.
"Yay!" the Ice Climbers jumped for joy.
Yuki held his hands out and open as small snowy flurries appeared in his hands. "Hey! I have my icebending back!"
"Well, that's strange. How is that possible?" Misty asked.
"Because he never lost it..." Clockwork spoke, appearing out of the shadows. "In truth... Yuki has always had his bending. It just needed time to awaken within himself, and Santa's invention speeded that process. As a result, his powers were uncontrollable, and he never took the time to try and control them."
Yuki conjured the ice sword in his hand and observed it.
"And due to Yuki's restored memories by Lucinda's hand, her Gift of Mastery was restored to him as well."
"So I don't need to master it then..." Yuki figured. "Heh. Well, that's just perfect." He smirked.
"He's right." Misty said. "The only reason we were able to get here was by the advantage of our... er, YOUR curses."
"Except for Wally's." Hoagie reminded.
"Well said, there, good fellow." Wally nodded.
"Then that means it's time to use Lucinda's own spells against her." Nigel stated, back in his leader mode. "Who's ready to teach her a lesson?"
"YEAH!"
"Present your keys." Clockwork instructed.
The five trial-winners did so and raised their keys to the ceiling. The keys sparked with light and caused a spiraling staircase to lower down from the ceiling, leading all the way to the top. The heroes began their long journey ALL the way up the tallest tower, the spiraling stairway seeming to go on for eternity as Hoagie and Wally were starting to grow tired, desperately gasping for air. When they were almost at the top, they finally came to a stop at a floor, where Wally and Hoagie moaned loudly. "Oh, thank heavens. I apologize for my moaning, terribly sorry, but it is soo stressful." Wally moaned.
"Ah, save your apologies for the fairy. After we get done beatin' her butt." Abby said.
"Not so fast. There's somebody trapped in that room." Matt said, pointing to some double-doors across from them. His statement appeared true as there was a groaning sound coming from the other side. They slid the doors open, finding a rather tall, scrawny figure chained to a wall by his wrists, wearing a small, golden crown on his head.
"Er... kids? Tell me: have you seen my rubber ducky?" the man spoke in a deep, German-ish accent.
"Who is that guy?" Wally asked. "...Excuse me for asking."
"Oh, that's the Fairy King." Matt answered.
"HE IS?" they all shouted.
"Yes. I am Jorgen von Strangle. Toughest fairy in the universe. A thousand years ago, an evil elf swiped my King Wand when I vasn't looking. He delivered it to Lucinda Talzin, and she used it to become... the new most powerful fairy in the universe. She roamed the universe and used its incredible power to deliver her 'enchantments' upon innocent children. But zey are not enchantments. They are horrible curses. She has always been Fairy World's most wanted because of her crimes. And when I vas finally about to have her expelled, my wand was taken. Please... you must stop her. My muscles... my beautiful muscles grow weaker by the minute. I can't go this long... without having somebody... to punch!"
Dr. Facilier cast his previous spell and broke Jorgen's shackles. "Don't worry, Man. We'll get yo' wand back."
"But in the meantime, you can punch Wally!" Olive exclaimed, pushing the Aussie over to Jorgen.
"Now, if I might have a say-" Wally tried to speak.
"Ooh! A baby kangaroo!" Jorgen exclaimed, picking the shorty up by the head. "I have always WANTED to beat a baby kangaroo mercilessly!" With that, the militant fairy started bashing Wally against the floor, twirling him around before tossing him against the wall on the opposite end of the room. "Aha. Yes! Even with my scrawny exterior, I still have the strength to deliver a beating! I have the strength, and the energy, to keep going on!"
"Hehe, well ya won't have ta wait for long." Numbuh 5 assured. "Come on, guys. Let's go kick some witch booty."
"Ooo-hoo! Please hurry up!" Jorgen yelled as they started leaving down the hall. "When I get my wand back, merciless beatings for each of you!"
The crew went up another small staircase before reaching a pair of white, massive double-doors. "Here we are. Lucinda's behind this door." Matt told them.
"Alright, team. Let's do this. But be careful." Nigel ordered. The bald Brit went first inside, pushing open the double-doors that led to Lucinda's chamber. (Play "Sinister Shadows" from Kingdom Hearts 2!)
After finally reaching the highest room of the tower, they found the witch herself standing in the center, a powerful ray connecting her King Wand to the ceiling as magic flowed in. "She must be absorbing the magic." Olive guessed.
"Not for long." Jagar said, about to run and attack her.
"I wouldn't if I were you." At this, Jagar stopped and directed his attention at Rumpel and Gruntilda. "She's safely guarded by a barrier conjured by Yours Truly."
"Rumpel!" Facilier aimed his cane at the elf.
"Who's that other one?" Hoagie asked.
"Gruntilda. One of Rumpel's many girlfriends from Hogwarts. Looks like Talzin got her her skin back." And it was true; the witch that was previously a disembodied skeleton head on a lifeless body was back in the ghastly-green flesh, pitch-black robing, black witch hat, and purple scarf.
"Funny thing is, Grunty didn't originally have a role in this little plan." Rumpel explained. "But seeing as I needed her help after getting involved with the Dark Master anyway, I figured, why not let her in?"
"So, you've found your way up here." The witch spoke. "But this is where it all ends, dear. The children lose their will tonight. Come now, Rumpel. We must fight!"
Sub-boss: Rumpel Stiltskin & Gruntilda Winkybunion
Dr. Facilier tried to zap Rumpel with a spell right away, but the elf jumped away and called, "Avis!", launching birds from his wand that got in the voodoo man's face, Facilier too late to shoo them away before Rumpel slid between his legs and kicked him in the crotch. The Ice Climbers tried to bash him with their hammers, but Rumpel got to his feet and skipped away backwards, throwing out some goose eggs which exploded around them. The Sector V group had Gruntilda surrounded, aiming their weapons as Gruntilda only smirked and cackled. The witch ran and dodged most of the shots, some of them hitting her butt, before turning and hurling green energy blasts from her hands. Nigel dodged the blasts and got closer to the witch, shooting fireballs at her while Grunty also threw fireballs. Nigel jumped one of her blasts and kicked a flame from his foot at her face, making the witch roll back before she recovered and hurled more flames.
Jagar tried to run at Rumpel, but the elf smirked and took out his clock necklace, using it to freeze the boy in place. Rumpel cackled at this, but Misty and Olive suddenly jumped beside him, punching him in the eyes a few times before throwing him against the wall. Rumpel spat at the ground and glared angrily before standing up, spinning around as the girls ran at him and shooting magic rays from his wand. Facilier tried to whip him with his flubber, but Rumpel stylishly flipped behind and kicked the back of the shadow man's head, pushing him over before landing, then using combat to spin and kick the Ice Climbers away. Jagar jumped to try and grab him, but Rumpel jumped away, then was too late to avoid when Yuki ran over with his ice sword and dealt a few strikes against the Elfin.
Grunty shot a flame at Nigel's legs and was able to knock him off his feet, but yelped when she was zapped in the behind by Matt with his S.C.A.M.P.P.. The witch gritted her teeth before making a whistle, flipping to the air as her broomstick; which had a face, swooped in through the window and caught her on its back. Rumpel also made a whistle and leapt out the window, allowing Fifi to catch him on her back. The two soared around the outside of the room, the heroes keeping their guard up for them to strike, and Grunty swooped in through a window behind them, knocking the group over. Before they could stand up, Rumpel flew in and zapped a spell at them, keeping them down. Grunty tried to swoop in again, but the witch's broom malfunctioned, so Kuki was able to shoot her butt with her T.H.U.M.P.E.R..
The witch hovered to the ceiling and chanted, "Magic spell, seek thy prey. Let old Grunty win the day!" At her command, a charge of electrical energy appeared in her hands, which Grunty released to start homing in on Nigel. The bald Brit kicked on his rocket shoes and started flying around the area, but the spell continued to stay on his tail. Facilier kept trying to shoot magic shots at Rumpel, but his loyal goose was swiftly able to dodge. However, that's when Nigel came back around from the door behind Rumpel and shot past the Elfin, causing his goose to be zapped by the homing spell, and for Rumpel to fall down on his butt.
Nigel landed and shot a fireball at Gruntilda's broom, setting it on fire and making Gruntilda drop to the ground. Rumpel tried to raise his wand again, but Facilier called, "Expelliarmus!", flicking the magic wand out of Rumpel's hand. (End song.)
"Huff... you're very persistent, Harvey." Rumpel panted.
"Ah'm also better than you, right, Shadow?" Shadow Facilier nodded.
"We... would've made a great team, you and me."
"Yeah... but I had something better." Facilier then waved his cane and called, "Petrificus Totalus.", casting a spell which binded Rumpel's body, the elf falling to the ground on his back.
With the Elfin now unconscious, Jagar took this time to approach and reach into his pocket, pulling out the watch which contained his timebending power. "Wingardium Leviosa!" The clock was suddenly pulled away from Jagar's hand, over into Lucinda's.
The fairy finally ceased absorbing magic into her wand, the barrier now disabled as she faced Jagar. "Jagar King... what a pleasant surprise. Tell me, Child... are you enjoying my generous gift to you?"
"Lucinda! Stop this right now! Give back my timebending, take back all your curses, and FIX everything to the way it was before!"
"It's not a child's place to give the orders. But don't you see the wonderful things I've brought to your world? My gifts are generous offerings from my heart. They have brought peace and good times."
"No they haven't! Your gifts are destroying our world! Forcing people to fall in love... obedience? You need to let people be who they are. You can't just make everything go YOUR way."
"I beg to differ. My way is the only way. I finally have the power to put bratty children in their place, to lead them on the true path to adulthood. And with this King Wand, ALL ungrateful children will see the TRUE good nature of my Imperioloso!"
"Lucinda... you really don't get it, do you?"
The fairy's mouth grew into a smile, turning to face her apprentice. "Rumpel, dearie..." She began to wave her wand again, zapping the Elfin with a powerful ray of magic. "I give to you another of my gifts. Blenders and ovens, very appliant. Become a combination of ogre, Elfin, and Giant." The ray of magic went away as the Elfin stood up, already feeling the transformation coming on. (Play "The Encounter" from Kingdom Hearts 2!)
Rumpel's body started to become a lot more muscular, his clothes ripping apart as he grew to nearly as high as the room. His ears and face became like that of an ogre's and his hands became all bulky, and the giant smirked at the heroes as he stomped and quaked the ground, the team getting ready to battle him.
Boss fight: Lucinda Talzin & Ogle Frumpskin
The monster tried to crush them under his right foot, but the heroes scattered and shot their own weapons back. Rumpel's buff skin protected him from most of the damage, and he reached down to grab Wally and Kuki in his right hand. He saw Jagar and Yuki running for Talzin, so he tossed the two at the benders, knocking them away. Rumpel looked up as Nigel flew over him with his rocket shoes, raising an arm in defense when Nigel tried to kick down. Nigel kicked the arm, but then flipped under it to kick a fireball at Ogle's eyes. He landed back on the floor before charging over to swing fire daggers at Rumpel's feet, making the giant ogre-elf hop around before falling over, nearly crushing Lucinda before she jumped out of the way. With her helper knocked out, the operatives proceeded to charge and attack the witch, who used Shadow Veil to slide away from them.
Lucinda came out and starting casting stunning spells at Sector V, but Facilier flipped over the attacks and countered with his own magic. "SLEEP!" she cried.
"Expelliarmus!" Facilier called, both wands connecting by a magical ray in which the two struggled to fight against the other.
"UWAHH!" Lucinda ended up zapped by the magic, drifting into sleep. That's when Yuki took this time to run over and start slashing the fairy with his ice sword, dealing serious damage against the hag before she recovered and disapparated, appearing at the center of the room. "Healios." She called, sprinkling some magic onto Rumpel's unconscious form.
"Thank you, Mother." Rumpel told her in a deep voice before standing up. He stomped in the way as the heroes tried to get to Lucinda, then the kids tried to get away when Rumpel began to strongly inhale them through his lungs. He was able to suck Nigel and Matthew inside, chewing them a bit before spitting them out at the Ice Climbers. The ogre-elf shoved a finger up one of his nostrils and shot boogers out the other, which rose into blob monsters that started jiggling toward the team. Wally and Abby kicked and splattered some of the blobs, but were quickly overpowered.
Facilier attempted to flip up to Rumpel's head, but the monster grabbed his leg and started to rapidly swing him around. "Kuki, help mah uncle!" Abby ordered. The Japanese nodded and ran for the monster, dodging before Rumpel could stomp her and climbing up his back, getting atop Rumpel's head and blocking his eyes.
"Hey, hey, get off!"
"No, stay on!" Facilier ordered, as Rumpel took a break from swinging him around and allowing the witch-doctor to shove his cane up Rumpel's nose. "Stupefy!" The spell fired and stunned the dimwitted monster, making him fall back and nearly crush Lucinda again.
The witch danced away before Yuki could punch her, then zapped a spell which turned him into a mouse. Jagar angrily ran to try and pull the King Wand from her grasp, but Lucinda kept her grip and smacked the child away. She grinned as she was about to throw a spell, but the mouse-Yuki crawled up her dress and started roaming around underneath, making the witch try and shake him off. She disapparated away and launched a spell to change him back, but the Ice Climbers ran past her, holding both ends of their rope to trip her. Wally leapt at her while she was down, but Lucinda batted him away with the wand before standing up.
"Crucio!" she yelled at Misty, the timebender started to groan and scream in intense pain. This made Jagar even more angry, as he grabbed Facilier's cane, shoved it back up Rumpel's nose, and swung the huge booger at Lucinda's face, getting her head covered.
"Ooh! I found something!" Kuki yelled, finding a bucket of water. Right when Lucinda wiped the booger from her head, the cheerful girl dashed over and dumped the bucket all over her head.
"...What was that?" Lucinda asked, dripping wet.
"Huh? You're not melting."
"Well, it worked in Wizard of Oz." Hoagie shrugged.
"RAHH!" Lucinda angrily shook the water off and zapped a stunning spell at the Japanese.
"STOP!" Olive yelled, jumping in the way and freezing the blast in place. She tried to Rewind the shot back, but Lucinda proved stronger as she fought the spell past Olive's power and stunned the timebender. But Talzin was unprepared when Yuki ambushed her from behind, freezing her solid in his ice. Nigel made a few stylish flips before kicking double fireballs toward her, pushing her out of the ice and doing heavy damage.
Lucinda warped back over to Rumpel and revived the Elfin once again. The monster raised both fists, but Nigel and Facilier shot fire at his face and made him step back. Yuki and the Ice Climbers unleashed ice beams to freeze his face, and Wally and Abby both punched and kicked his crotch. Lucinda kept her wand raised as she slowly stepped away when the monster was backing over to her. She was too late to avoid when Misty and Olive both threw a Time Blast and struck the monster dead in the chest, pushing him over and crushing the witch under his back. (End song.)
"Ohhhhhh..." Ogle Frumpskin groaned, slowly shrinking back to his regular size, his clothes ripped and tattered as he lay there unconscious.
"Had enough?" Yuki asked, snarkily.
"My, my... you really are persistent, aren't you?" the fairy asked, standing to brush herself off. "It's obvious I may have misjudged you kids. But just one question: Yuki... why do you continue to be around Jagar? Now that your memories are restored to you, someone of your nature would want your revenge."
"Yeah... but that was the past Yuki. I'm a new person now, with a new purpose: beating the living daylight out of you."
"Don't you see, Lucinda?" Jagar spoke. "It doesn't matter how powerful your magic is. You can never stop people from being who they are. Only they can decide whether to change or not. And if you want the pain and suffering to REALLY stop, you'll stop everything right now."
"Stop the pain and suffering? The only pain and suffering around here is the troubles caused by you miserable children! What you speak is a lot of nonsense. I WILL bring order to this world! IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO!" The roof immediately blew off from the building as a bright ray of lightning struck from the stormy heavens, striking the tip of Lucinda's King Wand.
"What's going on?" Nana yelled.
"That spell I casted on Rumpel... was the LAST gift I needed to give to power this wand to its FULLEST potential! Now, MINE will be the dominant power in the universe!"
Hoagie quickly pulled out a remote, pressing a button and summoning the C.O.O.L.-B.U.S.. The heroes hurried onto the 2x4 aircraft and zoomed off, watching from a safe distance as Lucinda began her transformation. Their mouths dropped agape as the witch grew twice as high as the castle. Her previously ugly, pale form was replaced with beautiful flawless skin, with clear-blue eyes, golden-blonde hair, and a flowing blue dress as she faced the children, the immense power flowing into her wand. "The galaxy and all its spoils... BOW TO MY POWER!" (Play "Boss Battle Theme 2" from Kid Icarus: Uprising!)
Jagar then felt a weight in his right hand: the Chrono Staff. "Clockwork...?" Jagar searched around, but the spirit was nowhere in sight. Regardless, Jagar felt strength course through him. He flipped onto the roof of the C.O.O.L.-B.U.S. with Olive, Misty, and Yuki.
Phase 2: Wicked Godmother
Hoagie used his expertise piloting skills to fly around the evil witch as Lucinda released energy balls from her wand, trying to home in on the kids, but Hoagie was able to evade them before they exploded. Some of the energy balls came for Jagar, but he was able to swat them back using his staff, exploding them on the fairy's face. "Meteors of heaven: UNLEASH THY FURY!" At her command, a storm of flaming meteors began to rain down from the sky, the timebenders trying to freeze and hold them back, but more meteors came and overpowered them. Yuki was able to freeze one of the meteors, and Jagar was able to bash it back, hitting Lucinda dead in the nose.
Lucinda rubbed her nose as the C.O.O.L.-B.U.S. zoomed in closer to the witch, quickly dodging as the fairy tried to smack them out of the sky. Lucinda used her powerful lungs to try and suck them in, but Hoagie shot missiles from his C.O.O.L.-B.U.S. into her mouth, making Lucinda hack and cough as they exploded inside her. She reached an arm out to grab the tiny aircraft, which allowed Jagar to dash up her arm. He jumped when she tried to smash him with her other hand, landing on that hand as Lucinda raised it above her. She looked up as Jagar slid down and kicked off her arm, landing on her face to deal several strikes against her eyes. She shook her head and grabbed the tiny boy in her right hand, flicking Jagar away and landing him back on the C.O.O.L.-B.U.S.'s roof.
"Insolent fools!" the giantess fairy yelled, attempting to shoot them with a massive laser from her wand, missing them by a few inches. She disapparated and reappeared at a further distance ahead of the gang, swinging her wand to release magical airwaves. Hoagie evaded the waves and made their way closer to her, but Lucinda vanished once again and reappeared right behind them, causing them all to scream in surprise. Lucinda tried to grab their bus, but Yuki swung his ice sword and struck her hand, Lucinda rubbing her pained hand as the C.O.O.L.-B.U.S. got away. She glared after the children and fired a double energy laser from her eyes, successfully striking the rear of the C.O.O.L.-B.U.S..
Hoagie was able to keep the craft airborne and started to circle around the giantess again, still keeping a safe distance. Lucinda began swishing saliva around in her mouth until she made her teeth sparkly white, giving a wide grin and blinding the crew with a powerful burst of light from her teeth. Despite the blinding light, Yuki was able to conjure an icicle missile and launch it, striking the teeth and forcing Lucinda to cease smiling, and she now had to rub her sore cheeks from the grin. While she was distracted, Hoagie took this time to fly by her face and allow Jagar and Yuki to begin striking her with their weapons, quickly flying away before Lucinda could recover.
"NOW I'm angry! Time to teach you some respect!" The fairy raised her wand skyward, striking dozens of lightning bolts from the clouds that dealt heavy damage against the aircraft.
"Ow! Didn't see that coming." Misty yelped.
"I did." Matt said.
"Be steady, Hoagie. She should be getting weaker by now." Nigel ordered.
The fairy began throwing more energy balls which Jagar hit back with his staff, hitting the witch's face a couple times before she made more lightning strike down, but Hoagie was able to evade this time. "I have an idea! Get me in closer!" Jagar yelled. Hoagie did so and flew them closer to her face, zipping right past so Jagar could strike with his staff before Lucinda was about to strike more lightning. "STOP!" At his cue, Misty and Olive combined their powers to freeze the giantess in place. With her wand still raised skyward, the lightning struck down, flowed through the stick, and induced the fairy with a powerful shock.
While she quaked from the electricity surging through her, the C.O.O.L.-B.U.S. flew by her face once again, and Jagar and Yuki dealt more strikes against her face. "ENOUGH!" The fairy exploded a magical barrier around her, blowing the aircraft away. Humongous bright-pink wings grew on her back as she used them to soar high in the heavens, seeming to charge a powerful ray of lightning.
"Uh-oh. This doesn't look good." Kuki commented.
"What now?" Jagar asked.
Before he could get an answer, lightning zapped down and struck the boy, sending him falling and screaming off the C.O.O.L.-B.U.S.. To his relief, he was caught in the arms of Clockwork, who then tossed him up onto his back. "Clockwork!"
"Need a hand?" the ghost smirked. "Let's finish this together. I'll handle the front, you watch out from behind." With that, the ghost shot straight up into the cloudy cyclone as Lucinda made more meteors rain down. Clockwork used Roars of Time to blow the meteors away, while Jagar had to bat away energy balls coming from behind. He nearly fell off the spirit's back, but he grabbed onto Clockwork's ghost tail, swinging himself back on as they reached Lucinda's level.
The giantess fairy smacked Clockwork between her hands, but Jagar leapt off and began running down her left arm, then jumped to her right when she tried to smack him. Clockwork was released as a result, and the spirit shot rays from his staff at her eyes, Jagar continuing to hold onto her right arm as she tried to smack Clockwork away. Jagar jumped to her left arm and made it to her shoulder, then leapt to her right shoulder before she could crush him. "Let's do this!" he yelled to Clockwork, kicking off Lucinda's face as Clockwork grabbed the Chrono Staff along with Jagar. Both raised the staff forward, incredible power charging at its tip. "Tiiiimme... OUT!" A gargantuan laser emerged from the staff, swallowing the giantess fairy, and doing incredible damage on her form. "REVERSE!" Jagar snapped his fingers, and as the ray of time continued to swallow the witch, Lucinda felt her powers fading away.
"AAHHH! NO! Why doesn't anyone... APPRECIATE MY GIFTS?! AAAAAAHHHHHH!" When the beam had finally faded, the witch felt completely depowered, falling all the way back to the earth as she began to shrink down to her regular form. Jagar landed back and exchanged a smile with Clockwork before they all flew back to the top of the ruined tower. (End song.)
Soon, everybody on the C.O.O.L.-B.U.S. had stepped off the craft, finding the witch unconscious on the tower floor and her King Wand lying in the middle. The heroes looked up and noticed a small object falling toward the tower. Once it was close enough, they could see it was Lucinda's clock necklace which absorbed Jagar's bending. The watch shattered to pieces as it crashed onto the ground. The light that was Jagar's timebending was released from its prison and flowed back into Jagar's body, the boy smiling as he felt the power surge back through him. "Hey! You got your bending back!" Misty smiled.
"Yeah!"
As Lucinda was weakly recovering, she looked in pure terror when Jorgen von Strangle made his way onto the tower, proceeding to pick up his King Wand and let the magic revitalize him. "Yes! At long last! I can feel it! My beautiful muscles! Ha! Ha ha, ha ha! My precious King Wand. I have missed you so! Mwah, mwah, mwah, mwah." He happily smooched his wand.
"Uhhh..." Hoagie looked weirded out.
"Since you children have helped to recover my wand, I have decided to make each of you honorary fairies! Second-class!"
At this, they all exchanged confused glances.
"Vhat? Why not first-class? Ha! I could tell you how to make first-class. But if I did, I would have to turn all of you into fire hydrants! Vhat? Don't believe I will? Well, it's true! This is not some story on FanFiction! This is real LIIIFE!"
"..."
"Ehhh... I'll just be on my way now." With those last words, the Fairy King vanished.
"NOO!" Everyone looked back at Lucinda, now on her feet and looking more furious than ever. "My wand! My precious wand! This is all YOUR fault!" She pointed at Yuki. The boy gasped as Lucinda drew out her own wand and began to conjure a spell. "Good thing I've been saving enough magic for this. IMPERIOLOSO!"
"Not my friend, YOU BITCH!" Jagar screamed, and immediately jumped in the way of the spell, quickly using his timebending to freeze the shot in place. The boy shielded his eyes, expecting the worst, but then smiled when the spell had successfully frozen merely inches from his hand. He then faced the witch with a deadly glare, and Lucinda looked terrified at what he would do next. "REWIND!" Lucinda's eyes brimmed with fright as the Imperioloso Curse came back at her.
"AAAHHHH!" Too late to react, the spell struck her right back, and she stood up, angrier than ever as she gritted her teeth at the timebender. "You miserable-"
"Stand up straight."
"Whoa!" Lucinda instantly did as told.
"Wrap your hands around your head." Yuki ordered, and Lucinda did so.
"Stand on one foot." Misty smirked as Lucinda forcibly did so.
"And hop all around!" the Ice Climbers cheered.
"Gah! What is the meaning of this?" the fairy asked, hopping around on one foot.
"Okay, now-" Wally tried to say.
"That's enough for now." Jagar cut him off. "Alright, Lucinda: with the Curse of the Genie now on your hands, you have to grant 3 wishes."
"HAH! I will NEVER grant any wish from the likes of you."
"Heh heh..." Jagar only smirked and folded his hands behind his back. "My FIRST wish:" he held up his right hand, holding up one finger, "put Yuki back in his regular clothes."
Lucinda tried to resist the urge to obey the order, but her wand-hand began trembling against her own will. "Wh-What is... GAAAH!" And she forcibly fired a spell at Yuki, restoring his black clothing and spiked hair.
"Ah-halright!" Yuki cheered.
"My second wish: take back all of your enchantments."
"N-N-... No... NAAAAAHH!" A powerful ray unleashed to the heavens, flowing all the way to Planet Earth.
Planet Earth
The many children of the planet smiled as the golden magic began to rain down from the heavens. At Patton's house, while Margaret was playing with her older brother; transformed into a doll, a ray struck and changed him back to normal. "YEAH-HA!" Patton cheered, stomping Margie's dollhouse and running out of there.
In her room, Lizzie stared lovingly at a picture of Nigel, until a magic ray hit her and made her forget all her feelings toward the bald Brit. "Blech!" she stuck her tongue out at the picture and shoved it off her nightstand.
In his attic, Roger the Alien had the still-time-frozen skunk-Harvey dressed in a white dress and blonde wig, about to do something with him, until a ray zapped and changed Harvey back to normal, also unfreezing him. "...AHH! AHHH! AAHHH!" Harvey screamed at the sight of the alien, jumping out the window.
Mr. Wink and Mr. Fibb continued relaxing in their backyard as a magic ray hit them. They looked around, not feeling any change, and shrugged before lying back down.
Enchanted Domain
The magical energy from the enchantments flowed out of the operatives, Ice Climbers, and Yuki Crystal, and back into Lucinda's form, causing her flawless skin to begin wrinkling again. Magical energy also flowed out of Gruntilda, making her body dissolve and transform her back into a bodiless skull. "Aw YEAH!" Matthew fist-pumped, finally free of his unlimited knowledge.
"B-But I-" Lucinda stuttered.
"My THIRD wish!" Jagar spoke up, raising three fingers. "Lucinda... I command you... to SEE THE LIGHT!"
The order took effect right away. A spark of realization erupted in Lucinda's mind, and she saw the error of her ways. "Good lord... is this what I've been doing to people? I'm... a monster..."
"No, Master!" her shadow denied, rising from the ground to face her. "There is no harm to what you were doing. If anyone's a monster, it's the kids. They deserve the marvelous gifts you've brought for them."
Lucinda only shot the shadow a glare, her moment of realization allowing her to see what Maleficent's powers really did with her.
"M...Master?"
The fairy raised her wand and called, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" The heroes shielded their eyes as an enormous ray of light erupted from the wand, totally swallowing and paining the shadow.
"M-MASTER! What are you doing? ! WHY, MASTER? WHYYYYYYY? !"
The shadow faded into nothingness in mere seconds, and the light faded away as Lucinda looked to the heavens. The sun was bright today on Avalar. But there was no shadow to hide behind her. Her skin began to shrivel and wrinkle even more. "At long last..." she quietly spoke, placing her hood over her head as she stepped toward the tower's edge, "I've been freed..."
Rumpel was awake just in time to see this, watching in absolute sadness as his mentor stood on the very edge of the floor. Before having a chance to say anything, Lucinda allowed herself to fall over and plummet down the colossal tower. Falling hundreds and hundreds of feet toward the surface below as she lay wrapped inside of her dark cloak. The heroes peeked over the edge just as she was seconds away from the ground. And when the black cloak finally landed, it spread out, empty as a pile of dust scattered along the ground, and blew away in the breeze.
"...Hmph... so all this time... she was merely a victim to one of her own gifts." Clockwork observed.
"The deadliest gift of all." Jagar followed. "The Gift of Power..."
"NOOOOO!" Everyone turned and faced Rumpel Stiltskin, the elf gripping his head in a panicky fashion. "You miserable brats KILLED poor Mother Talzin! How... could you DO THIS? ?"
"Hate to break this to you, Rumpel, but it was your plan that led up to this." Jagar told him. "Your misuse of your timebending power is what led to her demise. And now it's over."
That's when the heroes suddenly felt the ground shaking beneath their feet, looking around for the cause. The entire castle suddenly began crumbling as the entire world around them turned into an endless sea of golden oblivion. A tornado came down from the sky and began to suck everything inside, leaving the floor of that chamber as the only foothold for them to stand on. "Whuh... uh, AHH!" Matt screamed, vanishing in a puff of smoke.
"Matt!" Nigel yelled.
The severed head of Gruntilda suddenly felt herself being sucked in by the cyclone, desperately trying to bounce away, but ended up flying and spiraling around the strong winds as her wicked scream echoed in the distance. "Grunty!" Rumpel yelled after her.
"What's going on?" Abby asked.
"This entire alternate timeline was one of Lucinda's gifts." Clockwork explained. "With all of her enchantments disabled, this entire dimension will fall. We don't have much time. Quick. In here." Clockwork zapped a laser from his staff and opened a portal several feet away, projecting an image of their original timeline.
"Let's go, let's go!" Nigel ordered, hurrying into the portal, followed by Jagar, Misty, Olive, and the Ice Climbers.
"Hey! Whoa-oh, AAH!" Rumpel tried to get away, but ended up being pulled away by the winds.
"GOTCHA!" Facilier yelled, quickly running to grab the elf's little arm.
"Let go of me, Harvey! I don't need your help!"
"Sorry to displease you, Rumpel. But Ah'm takin' you back to the North Pole!"
"NO! I'm NEVER going back to that dump! All those singy and dancy happy elves! I'll spend the rest of eternity in the GAP BETWEEN DIMENSIONS! !"
"RUMPEEEEEEL!" The elf shook free of Facilier's grasp, glaring at the witch-doctor as he peacefully fell to his doom in the spiraling cyclone, vanishing in a flash of light. "Rumpel..." Facilier looked guiltily at his empty hand after failing to hold onto his archenemy.
"Come on!" Numbuh 5 yelled, grabbing her uncle's other arm and dragging him into the portal, just before the foothold shattered to pieces by the tornado's power and destroyed the remainder of that entire dimension.
Cleveland, Virginia; Nugget River
"Jagar...Jagar? Wake up."
"Oh?" Jagar opened his eyes, seeing Misty's beautiful face hovering over him. His friend helped him to stand, finding Olive, Yuki, Clockwork, and the Ice Climbers with them. "Guys? Where's everyone else?" (Play "Dreams of an Absolution" by Lee Brotherton!)
"Sector V went back to their treehouse, and Facilier's gone to check on his voodoo emporium." Olive answered.
"What about Rumpel? Is he..."
"Rumpel has chosen to remain in the alternate timeline, now in ruins." Clockwork explained. "He won't be escaping anytime soon."
"Oh... so I guess it's all over as far as that thing, huh?"
"Almost." Popo responded, directing their attention to Yuki Crystal, the icebender staring intently at his hands.
"Yuki... you feeling okay?" Jagar asked.
"...I understand now... my powers over ice." Yuki spoke. "They aren't a curse... they're a symbol... a symbol of my cold nature. My harsh feelings towards my friends. And because of my harsh feelings... I almost got them killed." He turned and faced Jagar and the Ice Climbers. "Guys... I'm really sorry about everything. I should've forgiven you when I had the chance."
"Apology accepted!" Jagar fist-pumped.
"Anyway... I got my icebending back. And with Lucinda's gift gone... I'm going to do what I should've done in the first place: master my element the old-fashion way!"
"Heh." Jagar smiled.
"I'd... appreciate it if you... helped me."
"Hehehe..." Jagar grinned as both friends raised their fists. "I'd be glad to." With that, the two friends did a knuckle-touch, and Jagar ended up frozen solid.
"Uh... oops. I can fix that." Yuki blushed. The timebenders and icebenders all burst into laughter while Jagar stood frozen solid with his shivering expression.
This whole alternate timeline actually takes place sometime before Nigel went to GKND, which is why he was hanging out with Lizzie. Ay, time-travel is so confusing. :/ But NEXT TIME, we will actually be looking for another Firstborn! Oho, and guess what comes after that? NOLAN'S STORY ENDING! OH, that is going to be so epic! In fact, most of these next chapters will be about him and Team Brotherhood.