Last time on Liberation of Imagination, the Mario Bros. found the powerpuffs and BJ alive and well. Then a man called Wakka came to lead them all to a tropical archipelago on the west coast of the Mushroom Kingdom called the Destiny Islands to learn of the local religion, Yevonism. However the journey was cut short as the found that the path was blocked off by Koopa Kingdom security. Our heroes had to trek through the dark castle battling heartless and King Bowser's seven Koopalings. Once they were all down, mainly due to BJ's sudden fit of rage, Bowser came to kill our heroes as they made their escape, but then Bowser fired bullet bills to disable the powerpuff's flying powers. So now, our heroes have made it to the islands and must find a way to get back in to save Princess Peach.
(Now playing: A Walk in Andante from Kingdom Hearts)
Our heroes were walking through the jungles of Besaid Island in search of what Wakka called Dome City.
"Sh*t," Mario cursed loudly, "Sh*t! Sh*t! Sh*t! Bowser got the princess yet again! I failed her."
"Aw come on brother," Luigi comforted Mario, "We'll go back for her somehow. But first, we get to Dome City for our new guests."
"I guess you're right Luigi," Mario calmed down, "I've beaten Bowser and saved the princess countless times, I can do it again."
At the back, the girls were talking about BJ who was admiring his new keyblade.
"So, BJ went berserk because you were K. ," Momoko asked, "and that he has never seen the treatment you gave him for 5 years until now? Why is that?"
"I don't know," Miyako answered in slight confusion, "maybe his mom ignored him for so long."
"Well, may Yevon protect him," Momoko prayed causing Kaoru to roll her eyes in disbelief.
"Ugh, how much longer," Kaoru complained, "I wanna go back and kick Bowser's butt."
"Not much longer now," said Luigi when at last they reached a village filled with stereotypical cavemen, "Okay, now we're here."
(Music stops playing)
Chapter 3: Besaid
When our heroes got to the village, the cavemen stopped what they were doing to look at them.
"Okay, why are they looking at us," Kaoru asked.
"The cave people support the Mario Bros.," Luigi explained, "We have practically idol status around here."
Luigi was only half-correct; he and Mario were indeed popular but the cave people gravitated toward BJ and his keyblade instead.
"Uh, Luigi," Mario reminded his brother, "You forgot that the keyblade is all important. It never gets ignored by anyone, whether organics like us or heartless."
Over with BJ, the cave people were asking him many questions.
"Where you come from," asked one cave person.
"Perth, Cygnaria Australia," BJ answered.
"Where did you get keyblade," asked another cave person.
"A man named Andrew Mortis gave it to me," BJ replied, "But really I just wanted to be with my dad again."
"Hey kid," said a 12-year-old cave boy, "Give Oogtar keyblade."
"No, don't," Mario pleaded BJ not to hand the keyblade over to Oogtar.
"Sure," BJ as he handed the keyblade over to Oogtar only for it to appear in the 9-year-old boy's right hand again, "Oops. I forgot to mention that this is mine and mine alone. You mad?"
"Okay, this is awkward," Momoko said when she noticed a large landmark on top of a hill near the village, "Um, what is that?"
"The Temple of Besaid," said Luigi, "One of six useable in the world. You can go pray in there if you want."
"Okay," Momoko accepted, "Miyako, wanna come?"
"All right," Miyako said following Momoko up the hill, "Just for the pretty architecture."
"I'll just stay here where secularism is safe," Kaoru decided but then a long tongue took her cap, "What the hell?"
It was a green dinosaur called Yoshi.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Yoshi apologised, "But hat taste good."
"Grrr! I'll make roast dinner out of you," Kaoru shouted as she chased Yoshi around the village.
(Now playing: 'Hymn of the Fayth' from Final Fantasy X)
Inside the Temple of Besaid, Momoko and Miyako gasped at its beauty. Its architectural style strongly resembled that of the Teensies in Rayman 3 but it was coloured azure.
Momoko instinctively went to one of the four statues inside the temple to pray while Miyako looked around and ran into a monk Teensie, a kind of miniature, blue-skinned, big-nosed people.
"Oh, hi," Miyako greeted the monk, "I'm just wandering around. My friend here is praying to that statue over there. She's a recent convert."
"I see," said the monk Teensie, "That statue is of the High Summoner Damien of Hyrule. He was one of only five people to ever defeat Sin. He did so 10 years ago at a tender age of 16."
"You're telling me there's a way to do away with Sin," Miyako questioned skeptically to which the monk nodded, "Yay!"
"Ah, but there are other details we must cover," explained the monk.
"Okay then" Miyako said willing to listen before calling to Momoko, "Hey Momoko, this monk has some neat stuff to tell us!"
"What, really," Momoko said to halt her praying to go to Miyako and the monk Teensie, "Lay it on me!"
"Well, as I said before, High Summoner Damien was one of only five people to ever defeat Sin," explained the monk, "However, it is only a temporary solution. Sin will inevitably return unless the whole world atones for its war crimes from 1000 years back. But it is this brief period of calm that people are dying to see."
"Tell me," Momoko pleaded, "What was his secret?"
"Damien of Hyrule and his predecessors: Adam of Bevelle from 150 years ago, Heatwave of Draconia from 450 years ago, Vladimir of Scrabania from 800 years ago and of course Lady Yunalesca of Zanarkand from 1000 years ago took part in a sacred ritual called the pilgrimage," the monk continued to explain, "It is a long quest that summoners undertake to collect 6 different aeons from the six temples of Yevon, this one included."
"Cool," Momoko whispered in excitement, "I volunteer."
"Not so fast little grasshopper," the monk warned, "The world is a dangerous place filled with heartless, wild animals and communists. It is compulsory that each summoner bring at least one guardian for protection."
"Then I nominate Miyako to be my first guardian," Momoko declared.
"Alright," Miyako accepted the offer, "Anything for my friend."
"Excellent," the monk concluded, "Just sign an application form to get your six soul orbs so we can get started."
The two girls followed the Teensie monk further into the temple with a certain greenbottle watching.
(Music stops playing)
(Now playing: 'Level 1-1' from Yoshi's New Island)
Meanwhile, back outside, BJ was taking a nap on the bed in the house that Yoshi set up; the dinosaur had sustained bruises from being beat up by Kaoru.
"What you did to Yoshi was mean," Yoshi scolded Kaoru.
"Well, you shouldn't have taken my hat," Kaoru retorted, "What's up with the kid?"
"BJ got tired from all the Q&A," Yoshi explained, "So he's sleeping.
"Yeah, too many questions I guess," Kaoru giggled when she noticed a flying frog-like greenbottle fly in, "Who the hell are you?"
"Oh hi, sorry to barge in," said the greenbottle, "I'm Murfy, captain of the town guard of Besaid, Destiny Islands. Are you one of the three new girls here?"
"Yeah, I'm Kaoru," Kaoru greeted, "You know us?"
"I just watched the Yevon United news channel," Murfy said, "Anyway, one of the other girls, Momoko started a Yevonic pilgrimage to defeat Sin."
"That'll never work," Kaoru scoffed.
"Lighten up lady," Murfy said, "People are dying for calm! Tonnes of volunteers went on pilgrimages for that exact same reason."
"And how many have succeeded," Kaoru question skeptically.
"Five," Murfy replied, "These quests are very dangerous so that other chick, Miyako offered to be her guardian. You should apply for guardianship too."
"Ugh, such stupidity," Kaoru groaned as she got up, "Well, I'm going for a walk. See ya."
Kaoru left the house to go for a walk in the jungle.
"What's with her," Murfy asked Yoshi.
"Oh, Kaoru is atheist," Yoshi replied, "This not good."
(Now playing: 'World 1' from Super Mario World)
About 4 hours later, BJ woke up from his nap to go for a walk around the village. It was then he noticed that the girls were not there.
"Where did the girls go," BJ wondered.
He walked around and asked one of the resident teensies about the whereabouts of the powerpuffs.
"Hey, excuse me," BJ asked the teensie, "I'm the keyblade boy who came in here with three girls. Do you know where they went?"
"Ah, the keyblade warrior prophesised to save the world," the teensie said wisely, "Now, the raven haired girl went for a walk in the jungle while the other two are in the temple. The redhead you seek is trying to get her first aeon. Is that what you wanted?"
BJ knew what getting the aeon was like due to having played FFX.
"How long was she in there for," BJ asked again getting scared.
"About 4 hours," the teensie responded, "Why?"
"Just as I feared," BJ gasped as he ran off into the temple on the hill to try and get Momoko.
"Wait! You're not supposed to interrupt the prayers," the teensie warned BJ but had already run in.
"What's going on," Murfy asked the teensie when he heard its predicament.
"You know the boy holding the keyblade," the teensie explained, "He's threatening to interrupt a prayer session of our newest summoner!"
"What!? That's disasterous," Murfy gasped as he flew into the temple.
(Now playing: 'Cloister of Trials' from Final Fantasy X)
BJ had run up the stairs past the lobby into the Besaid Cloister of Trials, the part summoners and guardians go through to test their worth for the aeon of the given temple. He ran into a small room.
"Crud! Where do I go," BJ asked himself desperately when he saw a green, glowing panel, "What's this?"
He touched the panel, it was a holy glyph. It sent a mystical energy to a nearby wall to open it up.
"Well, I've played the game," BJ commented, "I bet it'll be no different here."
He ran down the stairs to find a glowing sphere in a hole in the wall.
"What's this," BJ wondered as he took the sphere out, "I wonder what this does?"
He went down some more stairs to find a new moon imprinted door with a similar hole in it.
"If this is anything like the game, the door should open," BJ commented as he put the sphere into the hole to turn the new moon picture into a full moon and open the door, "Cool."
He ran into the new room to find a planetarium; only this planetarium depicted having an Earth-like world in the centre instead of a Sun.
"What kind of world sees their planet in the centre of everything," BJ giggled when he saw a control panel with a lime-green sphere in its hole, "My world saw the Solar System like that a thousand years ago. Are they really that backward?"
He took the lime-green sphere, a glyph sphere out of its hole and looked around for another hole to put it in. He then remembered the other hole upstairs, ran up to it and put the sphere in.
"Nuts," he cursed, "Nothing happened. But I might have something going for me."
He took the blue sphere, a Besaid sphere out of the hole in the door but it didn't close. Then he put the Besaid sphere into the hole in the control panel of the planetarium. Soon, the model started shifting to reveal via reflection of light from the radiant Sun orb a ring system encircling the world. A Moon orb shifted to reflect light from the Sun orb onto a photovoltaic cell to open a new door.
"That was wicked," BJ said from amazement and went upstairs to get the glyph sphere and go into the new passage way to find a pedestal. He put the sphere in the pedestal.
"Now what," he wondered when he saw that he had to move the pedestal onto a panel on the floor, "Bingo!"
He began to push the pedestal toward the floor panel hoping to open another passageway at the end. He was almost at the end when suddenly…
(Music stops playing)
"What are you doing!?"
BJ screamed in surprise of the voice.
"Who said that," BJ shouted in surprise, he turned around to see Murfy, "Oh no! Wait, I can explain!"
"You do realise that only summoners and guardians can come down here," Murfy lectured the boy.
"Look, I was worried about Momoko so I wanted to check up on her," BJ explained as he finished pushing the pedestal onto the floor panel to make it glow with a glyph and disappear, "She was taking so long! I thought she might be dead!"
"Look, I appreciate your concern kid," Murfy said in a telling-off tone, "But that's the responsibility of the guardian to look out for the summoner. I don't think you even registered! You could risk being excommunicated by the church!"
"Look, I'm sorry," BJ apologised as he got on the platform which was an elevator going down, "I didn't know anything about Yevonism. I came from an alien world from yours."
"Okay, you're forgiven now due to ignorance," Murfy said, "But I guess it's too late to turn back now so we might as well keep going. You see, Momoko is a new-comer summoner. She just started the job, you shouldn't expect her gaining an aeon to be quick at this point."
"I know," BJ admitted, "I was just so worried that in the time taken she might have been mortally wounded. You know what these aeons are like. I played the game!"
"Well, whatever that game was, it was only fiction," Murfy explained, "Not a perfect representation of reality. And that's saying a lot given that I am computer generated."
"Heh heh, fourth wall jokes," BJ giggled as they reached the bottom, "So, what really happens around here?"
"Well for starters, aeons are manifestations of benevolent spirits known as fayth," Murfy explained as the two walked into the room before the chamber of the fayth, "The essence they need is in the room ahead that is truly off-limits to anyone except summoners. After extensive prayer, the summoner places down one of the six soul orbs they possess into the essence, in Besaid's case it is friendship. The fayth in the orb of their choosing will react to the essence to become a summon gem which upon a summoning dance becomes an aeon."
"Cool," BJ said when he noticed Miyako waiting, "Oh, hey Miyako!"
"Hi BJ," Miyako greeted BJ surprised that he was present, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be outside?"
"Well he is but he didn't know better so I explained it all to him," Murfy finished explaining, "Now to conclude, once a soul orb absorbs an essence, it cannot change anymore so the summoner will have to choose them wisely. Each and every summoner does different combinations which make for very unique aeon armies for each one. There, I've said enough."
"That's awesome," BJ sighed, "So, when will Momoko be done? She better not be dead!"
"Don't worry, the whole procedure is harmless," Miyako said, "The orbs are like their own people so they may be hesitant near Momoko but she'll grow on them. Hey, there she is now!"
(Now playing: 'Hymn of the Fayth' from Final Fantasy X)
At long last, Momoko emerged from the door to the forbidden Chamber of the Fayth. She evidently looked very fatigued so Miyako ran up to catch her collapsing friend.
"I did it," Momoko whispered tiredly, "I have become a summoner."
After a while, Momoko, Miyako, BJ and Murfy emerged from out of the temple and went down to the Dome City Square to the excited masses, including the Mario Bros.
"Congratulations, Momoko Akatsutsuki," said the Grand Minimus, king of the teensies, "You have conquered one of six temples of Yevon. You are now officially a summoner. Would you please show us your choice of aeon?"
(Now playing: 'Freeing Ly' from Rayman 2)
"Absolutely," Momoko approved as she began to perform a short dance. The symbol of Friendship appears under her and a blue-white blur zips out of a nearby portal. Before long, the figure stops right in front of the girl. It resembled a figure skater with a bird mask, cape and lightning print gloves.
"So, this was the aeon you have chosen summoner," the Grand Minimus asked Momoko for confirmation, "Rinkmon, the Jetstream of Friendship from the ancient Hawkmon's fayth?"
"Yes," Momoko confirmed, "He just looked the hottest out of the possible choices."
"People of Dome City," the Grand Minimus announced, "Our newest summoner!"
(Music stops playing)
The whole population went into loud applause, especially BJ.
"Yay," he screamed excitedly, "I get to see an Armor Digimon in person!"
"Okay everyone, ignore what the boy said," Murfy told the masses, "He came from an alien world that saw the aeons differently!"
The cave-people of Dome City were murmuring over the fact that they have a complete stranger in town.
"Nevermind," Momoko blushed in embarrassment after she sent Rinkmon back into his soul gem, "Kaoru so should have been here."
"Wait, where is Kaoru," Miyako wondered.
"Oh oh, I know," Yoshi confessed, "She went for a walk in the woods a few hours ago and never came back.
"Oh no," Miyako gasped, "Don't tell me she ditched us for joining a religion! She's an atheist!"
"Oh crap, this is serious," Murfy told BJ, "Listen, kid. I can see you are dedicated to protecting the summoner; that's what guardians do."
"What's this got to do with Kaoru," BJ asked.
"If you want to be a guardian, you have to prove that you can be a guardian. The jungles of Besaid that Kaoru walked into are full of heartless…"
…
…
…
"Wild animals…"
…
…
…
"Communists."
"Communists," BJ questioned.
"Especially communists," Murfy warned, "They're heretic scum that've rejected the wise words of Yevon for some silly doctrine of equality using terrorism and vandalism to fulfil it. Atheists like Kaoru are the most vulnerable to their propaganda. We cannot risk losing her to the darkness like that! I mean, you have the keyblade to fight the darkness, right?"
"Yeah," BJ answered.
"Then what are you waiting for," Murfy ordered, "The player to input a cheat code to bring her here!? The vast majority are way too honest for that so that we can't rely on that! Get going!"
"Okay, okay," BJ said as he ran into the jungle to find Kaoru.
(Now playing: 'You could use a hand' from Rayman 3)
Meanwhile, somewhere in the jungle, Kaoru was walking through the bushes. She can't see the town anymore.
"Why did my so-called friends have to throw their sanity away," Kaoru groaned to herself, "Sooner or later, the pressures of religion will make them into feudalists! Not good for modern Japan at all! I need new friends."
Soon enough, she found an industrial building built at the edge of the waterfall overlooking the village and the temple on the hill.
"What the hell is a factory doing here," Kaoru wondered, "Who cares, I'm starting over."
She opened the factory's front door and entered it. It was then she realised it was…
"A power station," she uttered in surprise, "And not like any I've seen before. Who would build one here?"
She then noticed an elevator that led to a floor above; she was currently in the generator room. She went into the elevator and used it to move up to some living quarters.
"Hmm, someone must live here," Kaoru said to herself when she went into the kitchen area to find someone is using it.
"Hey, excuse me," Kaoru said the figure, "Can you please tell me who built thi…"
The figure turned around to reveal it was a slig, a green, ugly person with long tentacles at the mouth, a mechanical mask with red eyes and mechanical legs called 'pants'. Kaoru was surprised by the look of the figureand vice versa.
"Ew," she cried, "A slig! Don't kill me!"
"Oi, Eye didn't zee you there, human" said the slig, "Wha' thee hell are you doin' 'ere?"
"Sorry about that," Kaoru responded, "I came here after my ex-friends turned to Yevonism and I want to make some new ones."
"Well, it be a good call you came 'ere," said the slig, "Yevonism be pure rubbish! We zligs have nothin' to do with it!"
"Okay," Kaoru said slightly confused by the slig's weird accent, "I'm Kaoru. I'm from Japan."
"I be Dong-ha," the slig greeted, "Wha'ya want?"
"Some lunch would be nice," Kaoru replied, "Do you do butter chicken?"
"Eye do," said Dong-ha, "Watch this!"
Dong-ha the slig went ahead to make Kaoru some butter chicken for her to eat within the hour.
"Thanks," Kaoru said as she sat down by the table to eat her lunch, "You know, I misjudged you. I've always thought were only barbarians who worked as security to rich businessmen."
"Well, zum of uz zligs be just that," Dong-ha said, "but mos' ov us can do more."
"I see," said Kaoru, "But I can't help but feel that someone is coming to find me."
"Eye can't check fer ya," Dong-ha said, "But that be a troo friend to do that."
"I guess I won't know who that is," Kaoru sighed, "I bet it won't be that silly kid BJ."
(Now playing: 'In the Fields' from Spirit Tracks)
Meanwhile, somewhere else in the jungle, BJ was walking through looking for Kaoru. He was holding a Crest of Friendship in his hand.
"How nice of Yoshi to give this to me," BJ said to himself as he put the crest in the chest pocket of his overalls, "It should help me better value the powerpuffs."
Suddenly, a soldier heartless jumped out in front of him by surprise. He instantly killed it with his keyblade.
"Okay, I get how they fear the heartless," BJ commented.
As he went across the river, BJ saw a large, 2-legged grazer mammal called a maw-paw that got hunted down by a blue feathered raptor dinosaur.
"And I get what they have against wild animals," he continued to muse as he knocked out that same dinosaur with the keyblade, "But communists? If they mean socialists like Mortis, the prejudice seems unjustified. Or are they talking about Maoists?"
After crossing the river and deciding to go up to the top of the waterfall to get a better view, BJ ran into a big, bumbling large body heartless that swiped him out of the way.
"Oh, you are so dead," BJ shouted as he angrily charged at the large body but its invincible gut made the keyblade rebound onto his head, allowing it to squash him, "Help me!"
His cry for help had attracted 5 golden lumas that zapped the large body's back to provoke it and gain a purple aura to signify that it was pissed. This allowed BJ to get up.
"Thank you, whoever helped me," BJ said aimlessly not noticing the lumas as he charged at the heartless's back, killing it and releasing a dark luma. Only then did he notice the lumas.
"Rough fight huh," BJ giggled as the luma healed him, "Thanks, so are you golden lumas?"
"Right you are, keyblade boy," said one of the lumas, "We are among the 1000 pieces of the Heart of the World. The severe infestation of heartless had forced us to scatter across Imaginationland lest the whole world falls into darkness."
"Isn't that a little stupid," BJ questioned, "By breaking the heart, didn't you doom the world anyway?"
"Not really," the luma explained, "As long as we still exist, Imaginationland will never die. But the heartless could still get us. We feel much more secure with you around what with the keyblade they so fear."
"Oh, I get it," BJ realised, "The keyblade is all light, and the heartless are all darkness. Polar opposites I say. Yeah, I played the game."
"Fair enough," the luma continued, "However for that reason they seek it to destroy it. But as long as you wield it in a righteous manner, we will hide in it until further notice. We are creatures of supreme wisdom and so will guide you in a positive manner."
"Alright," BJ cheered, "So, if you're so smart, can you help me where Kaoru is? She had short, messy raven hair, green eyes, is a tomboy…"
"Say no more," the luma said, "I saw someone like that in a power station at the top of the waterfall. Follow us!"
(Now playing: 'Rayman is the Best' from Rayman 3)
Meanwhile, at the power plant, Koaru, Dong-ha and two other sligs were eating dinner at the dining table.
"Mmm," Kaoru said admiring her pork gioza, "this crap's nice! Where did you learn to cook?"
"Well, we all 'ave ta learn ta cook at zome point," said Dong-ha eating his pizza, "It be a matter ov when which we chooze."
"Eye once tried to use the oven once," said Kwang-il, another slig eating his cheeseburger, "Eye got burnt."
"Well, ya were bein' a jackass with it," a third slig, Eun-hae told Kwang-il while eating a hot dog.
"Shut yer bloody mouth," Kwang-il retorted.
"Wow, such potty mouths," Kaoru uttered, "Of course, I swear too so we're even. BTW, why all the Korean names?"
"Wha' thee hell kind of land iz Korea," Eun-hae asked, "We only 'ave ancestors in the Bourgondine coast!"
"I see," Kaoru said, "We all have to come from somewhere. My race, the humans, came from Ethiopia. But that's for my world at least."
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
"Lemme handle this," Dong-ha offered as he got up to look at the security videophone, "Wha thee hell do ya wan'?
"Um, hi. I'm here looking for Kaoru," said the other person at the other end, "Is she with you?"
"Uh yeah, eye guess," Dong-ha confirmed, "Jus' take thee elevator to thee left an' enter thee door in fron' of ya."
Dong-ha hung up the videophone and sat back down to finish his pizza.
"So, someone actually bothered to look for me," Kaoru guessed.
"Whoever tha' was, seemed important," said Dong-ha, "They brought 5 lumz. Oh, here they are!"
The elevator opened to reveal BJ and the 5 lums hiding in his keyblade. He gasped in ecstasy when he saw Kaoru.
"Hey! I found you," BJ shouted excitedly as he glomped Kaoru, "How could you run off like that?"
"Well, my ex-friends got so absorbed into some silly religion and risked taking up some horribly backward ideas like serfdom, obedience and heaven-forbid forcing girls into skirts! I'm not going back; I've new friends who actually share my interests."
"You chose to befriend sligs," BJ questioned, "But they might shoot you!"
"Bullsh*t," Eun-hae denied, "Only our couzins in Gangreon do that!"
(Music stops playing)
Suddenly, there was a rumbling in the building.
"Everyone downstairs," Dong-ha ordered.
After hearing a loud noise, BJ, Kaoru and the three sligs went downstairs to see what's happened. It turned out that a large chameleon-like heartless had trashed the place.
"A HEARTLESS," BJ and Kaoru screamed in shock.
"Hold it right there," Dong-ha shouted as he as well as Kwang-il and Eun-hae pointed their guns at the Stealth Sneak, "We are armed! Don't make us shoot! Leave at once!"
"Not until I claim what belongs to my dad," said whoever's riding the Stealth Sneak. It was none other than…"
(Now playing: 'Bowser Jr.' from Super Mario Galaxy)
"Bowser Jr," BJ recalled.
"That's right it's me," Bowser Jr. said, "I came here to reclaim 5 golden lumas that have escaped daddy's grasp!"
"Oh no," BJ refused, "I'm not handing the lumas over to you! You're evil! And I should know, I've played a lot of Mario."
"I see," Bowser Jr. said before coming up with an idea and turning to Kaoru who became Buttercup, "Are you sure you want to hang out with that kid? He's pro-Yevon."
At that, Buttercup got mad, turned to BJ and said sternly, "Is this why you want me back? To convert me to Yevonism!?"
"Not a chance," BJ pleaded, "I wanted to bring you back to you friends!"
But Buttercup was too pissed to care and used her hammer to send BJ flying across the generator room. Shocked at their new human friend's actions, the sligs opened fire at the Stealth Sneak but it threw a green ball of energy at them, throwing them down.
"Hee hee hee hee," Bowser Jr. laughed in delight, "Those lumas are mine!"
BJ was just recovering from what happened when he saw the Stealth Sneak approach him.
"Take this," BJ shouted as he performed Strike Raid on the heartless until it turned invisible and went after the flightless Buttercup.
"Well, the Koopa prince is riding that thing so I should aim at him," BJ strategized but then Bowser Jr. jumped down to the sligs to cast spells on them, "Crud! I need some help here!"
"You need to bring Buttercup back," one of the lumas suggested.
"But how," BJ asked desperately, "She won't listen to me!"
Just then, Buttercup showed up to confront BJ.
"I'll teach you to make a feudalist out of me," Buttercup growled.
"Hey, you're the one being ridiculous," BJ scolded the green powerpuff, "I'm from a socialist proletarian republic, not a medieval kingdom!"
"Don't tell me about your politics," Buttercup retorted, "North Korea was a socialist state by constitution but it still had a de facto monarchy! You imbecile!"
"Kaoru!"
…
…
…
…
…
"Ztop this bullsh*t right now!"
Buttercup turned around to see that Dong-ha is holding Bowser Jr. back while Kwang-il and Eun-hae struggled to stay up after being stomped on by the Stealth Sneak.
"Why would you side with this boy," Buttercup questioned her new friend.
"'Cuz he is tellin' thee truth," Dong-ha reasoned, "He's only askin' fer unity of whatever team you were on!"
"I can't go back," Buttercup lamented, "My friends are Yevonists."
"You're pathetic," Dong-ha scolded, "If yer are goin' to ditch yer friends 'cuz of their faith, you're no better than thee regime ye claim ta hate, aren't ye?"
Dong-ha's choice of words hit Buttercup hard. It was then she realised, "He's right. I'M the real feudalist. What was I doing?"
"Hey bitch," Bowser Jr. taunted, "What are you doing!? Hit the boy again already so I can have my lumas!"
But Buttercup just hit him with her hammer in retaliation and then shot lasers out of her eyes at the Stealth Sneak which shot some back. When the lasers collided, the resulting explosion sent both opponents flying back; Buttercup at the elevator and the Stealth Sneak at the generator, cutting off all the power.
With the giant heartless next to him, BJ used the last of his strength to stab it in the emblem with his keyblade, killing it and releasing a dark luma before he passed out.
(Music stops playing)
An hour later when the sligs had healed themselves using potions, Kwang-il revived BJ via a phoenix down.
"Ugh, what happened," BJ groaned.
"Ya killed thee heartless," Kwang-il replied, "Ye truly are a keyblade warrior."
"Got tha' right," said Dong-ha, "Eye believe Kaoru 'as a prezzie fer ya."
Kaoru, now reverted, walked up to BJ with a plum in her hand.
"BJ, I just want to say I am sorry for what I did," Kaoru apologised, "I thought I was being rational. I was just an idiot."
"You know what? I'm cool," BJ forgave as he took the plum to eat not knowing his chest was glowing blue, "Plums always make me happy. Also, don't ditch your friends because they're different, it'll be boring. We won't go anywhere. This is what Mortis preached, 'Everyone is different, knowing that strengthens solidarity rather than kills it.'"
"Thee kid's right," Dong-ha said, "No one is thee same everywhere. Who cares tha' yer friends are Yevonists. They'll zee zense one day. 'Till then, stick with 'em. You're useless on yer own."
"Thanks man," Kaoru reflected, "I still hold on to my secular beliefs but that should never compromise my friendship. BJ and I are going back!"
"Good, 'cuz it be getting' dimpsey," said Eun-hae referring to the sunset, "Also, it be a pain in thee arse to build thee plant all over again!"
"Oh yes," Kaoru said on seeing the ruined power plant, "Bye now!"
"Bye," said BJ.
"Off ye go," Dong-ha said, "And say nothin' about us sligs! They don't like us!"
"Gotcha," Kaoru said.
Back at dome city, Murfy was watching the sun set.
"What's taking him so long," Murfy wondered, "Don't tell me the heartless got him! I do not want the game reset because of that! Oh, here he is!"
(Now playing: 'The Fairy Council' from Rayman 3)
The crowd turned the BJ as he re-emerged from the bushes.
"BJ," Miyako shouted as she hugged him, "You're back!"
"But where's Kaoru," Momoko asked.
Just then Kaoru came back to loud applause as the other two powerpuffs ran up to hug her.
"Oh, Kaoru," Miyako cried, "Where were you!"
"I took refuge in an abandoned power plant," Kaoru replied even though the plant was simply being rebuilt, "I was an idiot to leave you guys. Go ahead, do what you want, I don't care."
"So you're willing to embrace Yevon," Momoko offered.
"Not on your life," Kaoru denied, "But please don't hate me. You do not want to lose me again. So, as much I dislike doing so, BJ and will be your guardians."
"Excellent," Momoko grinned, "just go to the temple to sign up."
"Oh, shut up already," Andre shouted from within Momoko's belly, "I want plum juice!"
The whole crowd gasped.
"Was that Andre," asked the Grand Minimus.
"Yeah," Momoko confirmed, "I ate him by accident. Why?"
"Then I fear for your heart," the Grand Minimus feared, "If Andre touches it, you will become a heartless and the entire pilgrimage will fail before it has even started. That's why I suggest you go into Koopa castle and find a doctor who I am fully confident will take Andre out."
"Oh boy," Momoko sighed.
Later that night, the kids have gone to bed. But Kaoru could not sleep well so she went outside for fresh air.
(Now playing: 'Curious Globox' from Rayman 3)
As she did so, she noticed something unique but beautiful about Imaginationland: it had an elaborate ring system much like Saturn.
"Such unparalleled beauty," Kaoru said to herself.
She picked up a bag of marshmallows and sat down by the bonfire to roast them and admire the view.
"Wow, imagine if the Earth had something like that," she wondered when she heard some shouting in a nearby house.
"Get your about outside," shouted one of the teensies.
"Aw, but Yoshi sleepy," Yoshi complained.
"Yeah but you could still eat all of the food we need for breakfast," the teensie retorted, "Now scram!"
Upset, Yoshi went to sit by Kaoru.
"Let me guess," Kaoru said to Yoshi, "Discrimination?"
"Well, Yoshi want to sleep," Yoshi answered, "But teensies are mean. They won't let me sleep with them!"
"That's what I'm talking about," Kaoru affirmed, "But to be fair, you do eat a lot."
"Well yeah but that's no excuse," Yoshi pouted, "Can Yoshi sleep with you?"
"What are you willing to offer," Kaoru asked.
"Yoshi can tell you secret way back into Koopa castle," Yoshi offered, "That way you can save princess."
"Alright," Kaoru accepted as she escorted Yoshi to the rock house she was sleeping in and screamed to wake Momoko, Miyako and BJ up.
(Music stops playing)
"Oh, Kaoru. Quiet down," Momoko said grumpily as she got up, "We're trying to sleep!"
"Look, the sooner we save the princess the better," Kaoru declared.
"But we don't even know who to get back in," Miyako lamented.
"Oh really," Kaoru responded, "Tell them, Yoshi."
"Yeah, Yoshi needs to sleep on a bed," Yoshi explained, "If you want princess, go back to gate then turn left. If you see loose bricks, break them. You will now be back in Koopa castle."
"Do we have to go back," BJ groaned, "I'm tired!"
"Look, I want to sleep too," Momoko said as she got dressed into her day clothes, "But if I want to prove my worth as a summoner, I will do so in front of a noble, an elite, an elder."
"Okay," said BJ as he got dressed.
(Now playing: 'Faster than a speeding bullet' from Team Fortress 2)
When our heroes got to the gate, they reflected on the past and pondered on the future.
"Okay guys," said Momoko, "If Yoshi was right, we should head left until we hit some loose bricks."
She headed left while BJ tried using his keyblade on the lock.
"Nope, it's not working," BJ sighed, "Anyone remember this place?"
"Yeah, I remember when we took on the koopalings and then you went crazy," Miyako remembered, "You really shouldn't have done that you know."
"Ah yeah," Kaoru pondered, "Bowser will be pissed. We took down all of his kids. Anyone scared of when we see him?"
"Not really," BJ said confidently, "I've played enough Mario games to know his strengths and weaknesses."
"I'm not really scared either," Miyako said, "Not while we're together. That's why I think BJ will be a great guardian."
"I don't know," Kaoru said sceptically, "We're only just starting."
Just then, Momoko had returned and gestured them over to the loose bricks which she made into a hole in the wall.
"Alright then," Momoko announced her plan, "We get in, get the princess, take down Bowser if we have to, visit the doctor so he can deal with Andre and come out alive. You all in?"
"Yeah," said the whole team as they went in.
Author's note
Sorry for the wait. I was working on Total Drama Tween Island and I had university to worry about. So, this incarnation of Besaid was inspired by the island village of the same name in FFX, I also used Dome City from the Super Mario World TV show. Also, my interpretation of the Yevon church is quite similar to what was seen in FFX but I've added elements relating to Digimon. I only own BJ and the three sligs, Dong-ha, Kwang-il and Eun-hae.
Next time: Our heroes explore the Koopa castle to find both the princess and the doctor, as well as learn more of Imaginationland's mythology.
