Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep

by TheLoneStar6

Terra, Ventus, and Aqua must unravel the mystery between a new force called the Unverse while traversing some most unusual worlds. First in my "Another Side, Another Story" series.

3. The Invincible Tubba Blubba

Ventus tore his way out of the portal of light, entering The Lanes Between. Unlike Terra, he didn't stop, he simply kept barreling forward. It was at this point he realized what he said to Aqua before he left. How could he be so stupid?! It made him seem weird. Pathetic. At least in his eyes. But he still wanted to prove himself not just for her, but for Terra and Master Eraqus as well. He hadn't been thinking and just blurted that out in the moment. But he'd make up for that embarrassment! He'd prove he was a capable Keyblade wielder!

Shaking the thoughts out of his head, Ventus slowed down to a stop. He had to find Terra, but…where to start? Like Terra and Aqua, Ventus had never been out in The Lanes Between before, but he remembered his lessons. Each star in the sky was its own world, with its own way of living and rules. The boy gazed around at the nearby worlds, taking in the sight. Everything was so much more beautiful than how it looked back at the castle. Some worlds were awash with greenery and beautiful blue oceans while others had swaths of purple, vibrant pink, gold, and other amazing colors and shades. He had a desire to explore…to see what other worlds outside of The Land of Departure held. But…he had a mission first. Maybe when it was done, Master Eraqus would let him thoroughly explore just one world…

As he got lost in thought, Ventus noticed the strange hazy mist far off in the distance. It took was gorgeous like the worlds surrounding him. Yet…something was off. If he looked closely, Ventus could see…shapes shifting in that unclear fog. Massive and vague shapes that he couldn't pin down, but ones clearly much larger than him. What were those? Master Eraqus had never mentioned them…but he did mention untold dangers out between worlds. Were those what he had been talking about?

Ventus tore his eyes away, trying to distract himself with another line of thinking. He started to think about his homeworld and what that was like…except that he couldn't even remember it. That being said, it wasn't like Ventus never tried to remember, but he always got a headache when he tried to force the memories to surface, so the first world Ventus visited would the first he would ever know outside of The Land of Departure. He pondered if his parents missed him, or if he even had parents. Self-doubt brewed within the boy as his thoughts wandered. Why would they, or anyone else, miss him? If he had parents, that were probably glad he was gone. Ventus realized this was getting him nowhere and shook his head to clear his mind. He had to focus on Terra!

Since he had no idea where Terra went, Ventus surmised that any nearby world was a good choice and would let his heart guide him. Looking around, he spotted one of the closer worlds and rode towards it. As he got closer, he could make out a small town, and as he drew even nearer, he noticed a railroad leading away, small mountains and green forests nearby, as well as a second forest full of leafless trees. Remembering his lessons to not to let himself be seen entering the world, Ventus landed in the green, healthy forest right by the entrance to the town. Shedding his armor and reverting his glider back to a Keyblade, which he put away, Ventus exited the forest and made his way into the town, getting a closer look at the new world before him.

The town was a quiet one, with brick-laid pathways and small areas of greenery and trees. The houses were small and simple, made of brick with tiled roofs. The most shocking aspect where the people…if they could be called that.

As Ventus walked along the path, he stared at one of the first people he saw; a short man with a blue vest, white pants, and brown shoes. He only went up to about Ventus' bellybutton, but he knew it was an adult because he had a smaller person with him, presumably his child. The strangest thing, however, was the top of their heads, where instead of hair or bald scalps were mushroom caps with red dots on them! Ventus looked around, and just about everyone looked this way; some citizens had different colored clothes, or different colored spots while some had hair visible, but every single one of them had these caps on. Were they real, or just hats? And why was everyone so short? The very tallest person Ventus could see from where he stood maybe went up to his chest. He remembered Master Eraqus saying how the various worlds could be unique, but this was something else!

"Hello there!" Ventus heard someone call from out of his sight. He turned to see one of these people, an adult male, standing there smiling up at him. He had green spots on his cap and a matching green vest. "I haven't seen you around here before, are you a traveler?" His tone was that of friendliness, rather than accusation or suspicion.

Ventus looked down at the man, not really sure if he should squat down or not. He knew he absolutely despised it when Terra leaned down to eye-level, so the boy remained standing straight. "Yeah, that's right. I'm brand new around here, name's Ventus, but call me Ven."

"Glad to meet ya, Ven!" The short man responded cheerfully, but quickly looked forlorn. "Sorry if you're here to see the Princess, because she's been kidnapped again!"

Wait, what? The man said this sadly, but he didn't seem nearly as worried as Ventus would expect him to be. People were walking around with smiles on their faces like nothing was wrong! Ventus was no expert, but he would assume a kidnapped member of royalty would be cause for kingdom-wide panic! "I'm sorry, what? She was kidnapped? Again?" Maybe he had just heard wrong…

"You're really not from around here, are you?" The short man asked, tilting his bulbous head a bit. "Do…You know where you are?"

The young boy felt it was probably best to be truthful. If he pretended to know where he was and got some facts wrong, that would draw some potentially bad attention. "I can't say I do, sorry." He admitted. "I'm from pretty far away, could you explain a bit?"

"Sure, glad to!" The man said, seeming to immediately accept Ventus' excuse. Clearly a very friendly and trusting person. "Right now, you're in Toad Town, the capital of the Mushroom Kingdom! Our kingdom is ruled by Princess Peach, who takes great care of us Toads!"

…Toads? The people with mushrooms on their heads? Ventus decided it was best not to question that. However, something did still bother him. "And you said she's been kidnapped, right? No offense but…" He looked around once more, noting the nonchalant bustling of the town. "…shouldn't everyone be a bit more worried?"

"Well, of course we're worried!" The man…Toad…exclaimed. "You have to understand, this happens all the time! Seems like a month can't go by without Bowser taking our Princess away…Thankfully, Mario is always there to lend a helping hand!"

Master Eraqus had told the three Keyblade wielders that outside worlds would have different laws or ways of living, but this just seemed nutty! Their Princess just regularly gets kidnapped? "Okay, that…makes sense. Who is this Bowser guy? And Mario?"

The Toad looked shocked. "You haven't even heard of Mario?! My, you must really be from far away! Well first, Bowser is a big, ugly mean brute that always goes after our Kingdom, and Mario is the guy that always stops him! This time, Bowser took the entire castle up into the sky!"

"The…entire castle?!" Ventus asked with astonishment. He looked up into the sky but couldn't see anything. "Up there?!"

"Uh-huh!" The Toad said with a nod. "It's waaay above the clouds, though. Don't worry, Mario will find a way! He always does!" He sounded pretty confident in this Mario guy. "Oh, and one more thing…" The Toad looked to the left and right, as if expecting to see an eavesdropper. "Rumors have been going around about weird creatures outside of town…If you leave anytime soon, just be careful, okay?"

Weird creatures? Could these be the Unversed Terra had mentioned earlier? Ventus gave a nod. "I will, thanks for the warning."

"No problem!" The Toad chirped. "Well, see you around Ven! Hope ya enjoy your time here!" He said with a wave as he went off towards one of the nearby buildings.

Ventus waved the Toad goodbye before a thought just hit him. He had completely forgotten about Terra! He didn't even think to ask! So that was what Ventus did next, going around to each of the Toads and…Toadettes he supposed, asking about Terra. Sadly, it seemed none of them had seen him around. They were all very friendly and promised to keep an eye out for his friend, which he appreciated.

Of course, just because Terra wasn't in this one town didn't mean he wasn't in this world! His heart took him to this Mushroom Kingdom place, so he had to be there for good reason, right? As Ventus wandered about, asking citizens about Terra, he noted a set of large blue gates with a star on them. There were no guards so…maybe it was okay to go through? If he had to guess, he would say the castle was on the other side of the gates. Could…the castle really be gone?

With a bit of effort, Ventus got the gates opened and gaped at the sight before him. As the Toad had said, the castle that should've been here was just…gone. In its place stood a huge crater, as if a giant had simply ripped the castle from the ground. This Mario guy must be pretty powerful to take on a foe that can do that.

Going back the way he came, Ventus decided to head south, continuing to ask people if they had seen Terra. Soon enough, he arrived at some railroad tracks, just as he heard a loud whistling in the distance. Looking down the track, he saw a short train heading towards the station, and the boy decided to wait for it to pass by before proceeding. Soon enough, the train got to the station, and two passengers got off. One was some kind of giant turtle with feathery wings, hovering a bit above the ground as he followed his companion. He had a cyan shell, a bag slung over one shoulder, and a flight helmet on. To Ventus' surprise, the other passenger was human like him! He was rather short, not too much taller than the adult Toads, and he wore blue overalls, a red shirt with white gloves and brown boots. He had a red hat with an 'M' on it, and what was easily the finest mustache Ventus had ever seen.

The young Keyblade wielder watched as the two passed him by, the turtle talking to the human. "Well, that wasn't as bad as I was expecting." He said. "Tutankoopa really wasn't all that scary. Where do you think the next Star Spirit is, Mario?"

Wait, Mario? Ventus looked the man over again. That was Mario? Ventus was expecting someone…well…bigger and fiercer looking. The human in front of Ventus seemed like he could hardly harm a fly, let alone fight a villain capable of stealing a castle. "Hey, excuse me!" The boy piped up, going over to the pair. "You said his name was Mario, right?"

"Yeah, that's right. You need help with something?" The turtle asked, seeming almost a little wary of Ventus' presence. "I don't think I've ever seen you around here before."

"Oh, well I'm not from around here!" Ventus explained. "I only just arrived in town earlier today. My name's Ventus, but everyone calls me Ven."

"Hello, Ven!" Mario greeted, sounding more cheerful and trusting than his companion. "I'm Mario, and this is Parakarry, the mailkoopa! So, did you need help?"

Koopa? What's a Koopa? Turtles? Well, Ventus could figure it out later. For the moment, he gave an affirmative nod. "That's right, see I'm looking for a friend of mine named Terra." He explained, reaching a hand up to about Terra's height. "He's this tall, has brown hair and blue eyes. Really muscular. Have you seen him?"

Mario and Parakarry glanced at each other and both shook their heads before looking back at Ventus. "Sorry Ven, but we haven't. Is he in trouble?"

Ventus shook his head. "No, probably not. I was just asking since it seems you guys came from somewhere far away. I already asked around town and no one has seen him."

"Hmmm…" Mario thought to himself for a few moments. "We're going to go elsewhere pretty soon. How about you come with us?"

"You'd let me tag along?" Ventus asked. He wasn't quite so good at reading hearts as Terra or Aqua, but even he could tell that Mario's was one with quite a lot of light in it. "You guys are trying to get that castle back from…" He took a second to recall the information. "…Bowser, right? A Toad told me about him."

"It's…a bit more complicated, but you're pretty much right." Parakarry said. "We're hunting down the lost Star Spirits, you see." He noted Ventus' confused expression. "Oh, you don't know? Well, to put it simply, the Star Spirits are in charge of the Star Rod, which can grant wishes. Bowser stole the rod and scatted the Star Spirits. So, we gotta hunt them down. Make sense?"

Wishes? People could just make wishes and have them come true here? "Wow…That's not at all what I was expecting…But I'll tag along for a bit, sure! I'll help out as best as I can!" He'd just stay with Mario and Parakarry for a bit, and if he didn't find Terra, he'd go to a different world.

"Very good!" Mario exclaimed, seeming genuinely happy to have Ventus tagging along. "Hopefully Twink will-"

Whatever Twink would hopefully do would remain a mystery to Ventus as loud, terrified scream echoed through the area. "What the…?" Ventus wondered aloud.

"It was coming from the guard station!" Mario exclaimed, a sudden look of serious determination on his face as he and Parakarry headed north, with Ventus following close behind.

They soon came to a little hut across a bridge and right by the lifeless forest Ventus saw when entering the world. Inside was a Toad with a cloak and a spear. The Toad was shaking violently, like a leaf caught in a hurricane. As the trio approached, he turned to them. "J-Just now…a ghost! You saw it, right?! It passed by here just a moment ago!"

"What? A ghost? Are you alright?" Ventus asked. Could ghosts exist here? He supposed if flying turtles and fungus people could, so could ghosts. Could…a Keyblade harm a ghost?

As Ventus pondered, the Toad pointed behind the group. "There! It's right behind you!" He yelled pointing towards the forest. The three turned…but saw nothing. "No, no! The other way!" The Toad hollered, pointing towards the bridge. The trio turned again…and saw nothing.

"Are you sure you really saw a ghost?" Parakarry asked. "Maybe being stationed near the forest has gotten you seeing things."

The Toad then pointed towards the forest again. "Look, it's going into the trees!" Again, the three of them turned but didn't see anything. Just a forest of dead trees. They turned back to the Toad. "M-Mario please, y-you gotta help! Please…Go i-into the woods and see what's going on! I c-can't handle this a-a-anymore!"

Without hesitation, Mario nodded. "Don't you worry, we'll investigate! It could be Boos playing tricks!"

So, Boos were ghosts? Seemed appropriate. It seemed the people of this world had a number of odd terms for things. "Yeah, we'll go in and look!"

"I still think he's just seeing things." Parakarry added with a shrug. "What would a Boo be doing all the way out here?"

"It won't hurt to take a look." Mario replied. "It shouldn't take too long!"

"Oh, th-thank you, Mario!" The Toad said. "I kn-knew I could c-count on you! Just b-be careful, it's v-very easy to get lost in F-Forever Forest!"

With that, the trio made their way towards Forever Forest. Ventus pondered on whether Terra was in there or not. Apparently, one could get lost in there, maybe he was wandering around, unable to get out? As the three approached the edge of the woods, everything got darker, as if clouds suddenly covered the sun. Ventus tried to look up to the sky, but only saw inky darkness above the trees. "This is…weird…" He murmured to himself.

Just as he said this, a strange entity appeared before the three! Strange for Ventus at least, who was unfamiliar with such creatures. It wasn't too big, about the size of a large melon and hovered in the air. It was pale white and had stubby little arms and a stubby little tail coming out of it. It had finely groomed white hair with a mustache and eyes squinting so hard they almost seemed closed. Ventus knew right away that this must be a Boo!

"Pardon me." The Boo said, his voice oddly normal and very well-mannered. He looked down at the mustachioed leader of the trio. "You wouldn't happen to be Mario, would you?"

Mario seemed on-guard, but not exactly hostile. "Yes, I'm Mario. Were you harassing that Toad guard earlier?"

The Boo did what could only be described as a bow, which was impressive considering its shape. "Pleasure to meet you, sir. I admit I had a bit of fun, but I insure you I'm on an important mission."

"Well, looks like I was wrong…" Parakarry muttered under his breath.

Ignoring the mailkoopa, the Boo went on. "You see, my master wishes to see you, and requests you come to the mansion on the far side of the forest." He glanced around at the trio. "All three of you are welcome, not just Mario. My master wanted me to add that she has very important information regarding the Star Spirits. So please, sirs, make haste!" Without waiting for a response, the Boo faded away before everyone's very eyes. A split-second later, he reappeared, much larger with his mouth open, revealing a large red tongue. "AND IF YOU DON'T COME, WE'LL GET YOU!" He screeched, voice as loud as a thunderclap. This startled Ventus so hard he fell onto his rear as the Boo vanished once again.

"I hate it when Boos do that!" Parakarry exclaimed, obviously also shaken from the scare. "Should we go, Mario?"

Mario seemed a little less scared but was still clearly startled. "We should at least check it out. This is too important to skip out on!"

"So…" Ventus stood up, brushing himself off. "…that was a Boo, right?" Mario and Parakarry nodded. "Are they all like that?"

"Well, not all of them." Parakarry explained. "But quite a number of them are mischievous, yes. I had heard of the mansion in Forever Forest but have thankfully never had to go."

"Well, seems like this will be your first!" Mario said, trying to joke to lighten the mood. "Let's go!" He declared, marching into the forest with Ventus and Parakarry not far behind.

As Ventus entered the Forever Forest, Terra too entered the world of the Mushroom Kingdom. Unlike Ventus, however, he landed in a much less friendly location. The brunette was still high above the clouds when he saw something out of the ordinary. It was…a floating castle. But it wasn't just that, it was a castle stacked on a fortress stacked on top of a stone face of some monster on top of a strange floating stone bowl with a face on it. The first castle seemed very pleasant, with white stonework and towers. The fortress underneath was grittier and grey with spikes lining the roof. It was not something the Keyblade wielder was expecting in the slightest, but Terra decided he may as well investigate the area and landed on a lawn outside the top castle. If he found nothing there, he'd go down lower to the land below to further his mission.

Terra looked up at the castle, absolutely flabbergasted at the sight. Why…and how…was there a castle floating up here above the clouds? Could Master Xehanort be here? He supposed it was worth checking out, and he could always just leave and head towards the world's surface if he wasn't. He noted the front door was unguarded…was it okay for Terra to just enter? Was there a need for guards at a floating castle in the first place? Well, nothing ventured nothing gained. Terra opened the front doors and entered the castle.

The foyer was beautiful, with rich red carpets, a high ceiling with tiled floors. Only problem was it was so dark, barely any lights were on. As Terra looked around the room, two lights suddenly appeared and came his way. It took him a moment to realize they were flashlights. Behind the flashlights were two odd creatures. They seemed to be giant turtles standing on their hind legs that were wearing helmets. Aside from the flashlights, the turtle creatures wielded large wooden mallets. Compared to Terra, the turtles weren't too tall, only going up to his navel.

"Hey, you!" One of the turtles said. "We haven't seen you around before! Who are you?!" He shined his flashlight in Terra's face, causing him to shield his eyes.

"Now hold on a minute!" The other turtle said. "There's no way someone could get here without us wanting them here!" He turned to his companion. "This guy must be the backup we asked for!"

"Oh man, you're right!" The first turtle exclaimed, getting the flashlight out of Terra's face. "This guy is huge; he must be strong as heck!" The two turtles lowered their mallets. "Sorry about that, guy! We didn't know it was you at first!"

Terra wasn't sure what to do at first. Should he play along? He supposed if he didn't, he would get in trouble and thrown out. But could Master Xehanort even be in this castle at all? "…That's right, sorry if I was late. What was it you needed me to do, again?"

The first turtle clicked his tongue. "You gotta read stuff more carefully man! The notice was pretty clear!" He scolded. "Those monsters keep appearing in the castle, and most of us up here just can't beat them! King Bowser wants them taken out pronto, alright?"

Creatures? Could they be…Unversed? Master Xehanort being here was no longer a factor. Terra had to stay and get rid of those blights on the world. "Right, got it. Where are these creatures, then?"

"Here, we'll lead the way!" The second turtle said, as the two turtles turned and led Terra further into the castle. "They appear in a number of rooms; the ballroom is one of the most dangerous. Us Hammer Bros. just can't stand up to them!" The turtle…apparently a Hammer Bros. explained.

"Don't you worry, I'll clear them out in no time at all." Terra assured. Normally he wouldn't get involved with royalty like this, but this King Bowser clearly needed a Keyblade user, and it was part of his mission to take care of Unversed!

As Terra was being led towards his sudden task; Mario, Parakarry, and Ventus properly entered Forever Forest. It was so dark that Ventus swore it was nighttime, which should be impossible considering it was the middle of the afternoon. Strange chattering sounds, like whispers, filled the air as the trio pressed on through the woods and Ventus swore he heard a wolf howling.

"So…Why do they call this place Forever Forest?" Ventus asked, looking around. He didn't want to admit it, but he was scared some kind of monster would pop out of the bushes and attack. Every so often, he swore he saw a pair of red, glaring eyes staring at him from the darkness. But whenever he looked again, they vanished. Surely just his imagination…

"Because it's very easy to get lost." Parakarry explained. "The notion being it seems like the woods go on forever. We should be fine though, with Mario here."

Mario nodded. "Don't worry, Ven, we'll be able to figure this forest out no problem!" He seemed pretty confident, at least…

As Mario said this, something popped up in front of the group, getting a startled yelp from Ventus as he summoned his Keyblade as Mario and Parakarry took defensive stances. "Now hold on a minute!" The something said, surprising the group. They looked closer to see what appeared to be a small creature made of leaves with a long, dirty grey beard. "This forest is dangerous; don't you guys know that!?"

"We're aware." Mario said, dropping his guard along with Parakarry and Ventus who put his Keyblade away. "But we were summoned to the Boo's Mansion deep in the forest."

"Oh, so that's the case, eh?" The creature said. "Well…alright. In that case I guess you can pass. Just be careful, though! Don't blame ol' Oaklie when you youngsters get lost!" The creature, Oaklie, hopped up a tree with a number of claw marks on it. "Oh, and be careful!" He called from one of the high branches. "Weird creatures have been popping up in the forest!"

"Thanks for the warning!" Parakarry called as the trio moved onward. "What weird creatures do you think he means?" He asked.

Ventus felt like he had an idea. The Unversed. Before he could speak up, Mario responded. "Maybe they're like those weird monsters in the Dry Dry Ruins…"

"You've faced weird creatures before?" Ventus asked. "What were they like?"

"It was the oddest thing…" Mario replied, rubbing his chin in thought. "When we fought them, we felt…really sad for no reason."

"I don't get it either." Parakarry said, seeming uneasy. "But once they were defeated, we felt all better."

Negative emotions, huh? They had to be Unversed. "Say, did you guys see a boy in a strange mask?" Ventus asked, remembering that's how the Masked Boy made him feel. Then when the boy left, he felt all better.

"A boy in a mask?" Mario asked, thinking for a moment before shaking his head. "No, we didn't see anyone like that, why?"

Ventus decided he might as well be honest. "I encountered a weird Masked Boy back at home…and his presence sounds just like what you described. I felt…angry and sad…but when he left it all went away. I think he may be connected to those creatures."

"Well…that is pretty odd! We'll have to keep an eye out for someone like that." Parakarry said.

"Hey, what are you guys doing?!" A familiar voiced called from above. The trio looked up to see Oaklie, staring down at them from a tree.

"Oaklie?" Ventus asked. "Are you following us?"

The leaf creature shook his head. "Not a chance, young man! Take a closer look!" Oaklie said, gesturing to the tree.

The trio looked at it and saw it had scratch marks…just like the tree they saw Oaklie climb up. "Wait, what?! We went in a circle?!" Parakarry exclaimed. "But we were going in a straight line!"

The leaf creature made a tsking sound. "You've underestimated the forest! You can't just go in a straight line! You must observe the world around you! Only then can you find your way."

"What do you mean by that?" Ventus asked. "Can we at least have a hint?" Was the forest magical? With the darkness and Oaklie's words…it certainly seemed like that was the case!

Oaklie sighed, which sounded like a tree full of leaves rustling in the wind. "Well…alright, just one. Look at the branches of this tree, and the way will become clear!" With that, the small creature hopped away into the darkness.

"The branches…?" Parakarry murmured as everyone looked up, observing the branches of the tree. It was rather difficult to do given how dark it was in the forest and how close the trees were to each other.

"Wait, look!" Ventus exclaimed, pointing up at one of the branches in particular. Looking closely, Parakarry and Mario saw that the end of one of the branches looked like a gnarled hand with a single finger extended off to a barely visible path.

"Good job, Ven!" Mario said, patting Ventus on the back. "Let's make sure to keep our eyes open for more clues like that!"

So, the three continued on their way through Forever Forest. Every so often, they would see something out of place. An arrangement of plants, a path with different colored dirt, things to that nature. It always felt like the trio was being watched, and they would occasionally hear something rustling in the bushes. Yet nothing ever appeared before them. That was, until near the end of their journey. They soon came into a large clearing with ten paths leading into ten different directions.

"Surely we're almost there…" Parakarry said, sounding exhausted. "I just want to get out of these woods!"

As Parakarry said this, a strange tension filled the air. Out of the ground burst several large plants. These were not ordinary plants; they had large stems that ended with bulbous head-like features. The most disturbing thing was these plants had mouths with razor sharp teeth! On what could be called the foreheads of the creatures were odd emblems that Ventus didn't recognize. "Look, those marks!" Mario said to Parakarry as he got ready for a fight. "It's more of those creatures!"

The three felt odd, awful emotions well up in them. Mario and Parakarry felt anger eating away at them while self-loathing filled Ventus' heart as he summoned his Keyblade. They all had to fight these emotions down and fight! Venus knew that these must be Unversed, it felt just like being with that Masked Boy!

Surprisingly, the plant monsters dug their way forward, their seemingly flimsy stems managing to part the dirt in front of them like a shark's fin in the water. Even worse, they were fast! Five of the creatures appeared and shot their way towards the group. One went to Mario and Parakarry, while three went to Ventus. They Keyblade wielder dispatched of one of them easily, decapitating the creature with a single, blindingly fast swipe of his weapon as the other two tried and failed to bite chunks out of his flesh.

Parakarry was able to fly above the reach of the plant monster attacking him, where he did a front somersault and dropped his heel right on the creature's head, stunning it momentarily. He then curled up into his shell and launched himself at the plant, disintegrating it with one powerful strike. Mario meanwhile was jumping out of biting range of the monster attacking him, continuously dodging as it gave chase. As it pursued him, he took out a hammer and smashed it into the monster's face, destroying it.

Ventus didn't have too much trouble either, as the plants were too slow to catch up to him. Using an Aero spell, he deflected attacks that came at him, the creatures' heads being pushed away as they tried to bite at him. The boy let loose a whirlwind of slashes and in a literal second, the plant creatures were in pieces, which soon evaporated into a dark mist.

"Well…that wasn't too bad." Ventus declared, putting his Keyblade away as his Aero spell disappeared. "Are you guys okay?" He asked Mario and Parakarry as he felt himself calming down from the strange emotions the Unversed gave him.

"Yeah, I'm alright." Parakarry stated as Mario gave a nod. "I really hate dealing with those things. I'd rather deal with more enemy Koopas or Bullet Bills instead."

"Well, at least we're okay." Mario said, dusting himself off and putting his hammer away. "We should get to the mansion before more arrive!"

Soon, the trio realized that the correct path was the only one that had wilted flowers running down it and went that way. After a few minutes more of walking, the three of them came across the Boo's Mansion. It was large and foreboding, with rotten wood and cracked windows. There were a few lights on, but not enough to make the building look welcoming. "Well, let's just hope this wasn't a trick of the Boos." Parakarry stated. "I wouldn't put it past them."

"I'm sure things will be fine." Mario said, ever the optimist as he approached the large, imposing building.

Ventus wasn't sure what to think, but still followed Mario and Parakarry as they made their way to the front doors of the mansion. He didn't really know enough about this world or these Boos to say if Parakarry was right or not.

Before they could even touch the door, the Boo from before appeared before them. "Welcome, guests, welcome. So glad you made it through Forever Forest." He said, genuinely seeming pleased at their arrival. "My master is waiting for you on the third floor of this lovely mansion. There she will inform you about the Star Spirit, so please make haste." Without waiting for a response, the Boo vanished once more.

"Well, too late to turn back now." Parakarry said as Mario opened the front door of the mansion. Inside was a large foyer with a large staircase to the side. There were surprisingly a number of decorations along the walls, paintings and wardrobes against the wall and a section of the floor that was carpeted as well as a large green couch. The three looked around and noticed various Boos flying through the air, most of them glancing down to look at the new arrivals for a quick moment before vanishing or phasing through a wall.

Immediately, Mario made his way up the staircase. "Come on you guys, no time to lose!" Parakarry and Ventus quickly followed as they reached the second floor. Passing by several framed paintings of various Boos, they reached the end of the hall to see…nothing. No staircase or any other method of going up. "What in the world…? Did we miss the staircase?"

Before Ventus or Parakarry could answer, a new voice rang out. "Greetings, guests!" This caused the three to jump in place and look around but found no one in the area. "It's me, the frame!" The trio looked at the picture frame, which wiggled eve so slightly. "Did I startle you? I'm afraid if you want to get up to the third floor, you must find what's missing from this frame? Lady Bow can be such a cruel mistress, testing our guests in such a way…"

The group was just shocked at the talking, moving picture frame. Though in a mansion of ghosts, they supposed it wasn't really too odd. "It must be a picture of a Boo!" Mario exclaimed, pointing down the hall where the trio came from. "There were pictures of Boos down the hall, but this frame is empty!"

"Very good!" The empty frame shouted out as one of the doors down the hallway opened. "As a reward for being so clever, I'll throw you a bone!"

"Um…Thank you?" Ventus said as the three cautiously entered the new room. It was, to their surprise, empty. The only thing aside from a window in the room was a shaggy carpet.

They were about to leave when a single Boo appeared. "Well, well! Here for the challenge, are you?"

"I guess we are." Parakarry said as the three of them stepped further into the room, all of them jumping in place when the door slammed shut behind them.

"Very good!" The Boo said as a circle of Boos surrounded the trio. The ghost held up a painting of a fancily dressed Boo above his head. "The rules are simple! We will hide your prize amongst ourselves! You must find out who has the picture. Do it three times and you win! Each of you gets to go only once!"

Parakarry nodded and hovered forward. "I'll go first." With that, the original Boo hid the painting…somehow…and got into the circle. The circle spun around, but not really all that fast. Before too long, the spinning stopped. After only a moment, Parakarry pointed out one of the Boos. "You, you're the one with the painting."

"Ah, Boo!" The Boo exclaimed, holding the painting up. "You got me! Things won't be too easy next time!"

"Mario, you go next." Ventus whispered. "I'll take the third round easy."

"Well, if you're sure…" Mario said. He didn't mind Ven, in fact he considered him a new friend. Still, he only knew his skills in terms of one fight, but if he was confident…Mario would have to just trust him. "Let's go!" He said to the Boos, taking Parakarry's place. Once more, the painting was hidden, and the circle moved around. The spinning was faster this time, and once or twice the painting was tossed between Boos. But, as the spinning stopped, Mario confidently pointed to one of the Boos. "You!"

The Boo scowled, holding the painting up. "Boo hoo!" He bemoaned. "Fine, two wins are yours, but you won't get the last one!" The Boo looked at Ventus. "Your turn, kid!"

Ventus swapped places with Mario as the Boos began their game again. This time, the spinning went so fast that each individual Boo was a blur, and they kept erratically throwing the painting between them. Ventus wasn't phased though. The thing about moving fast and being able to fight at high speeds was that he had to react and keep an eye on the world around him as he moved fast enough that normal people would get whiplash. The Boos thought they were going too fast for Ventus to see, but it was a cakewalk for him. As they finally slowed down, he let himself give a confident smile as he instantly pointed at a Boo to his left. "Him."

There was a moment of silence…and then all the Boos let out a shriek, exposing their overgrown tongues as they all vanished, leaving the painting behind. "Good work, Ven!" Parakarry, praised, going over to get the prize. "I was worried for you once they started moving!"

"How did you do that?" Mario asked in disbelief. "I lost track of the painting in just a few seconds!"

"Training." Ventus answered simply. Even he didn't know how he was so fast, a lot of it came naturally to him. "C'mon, let's get that painting back!"

The trio went back into the hallway and Parakarry presented the frame with the painting, which somehow attached itself. "Very good!" The now-completed painting chortled. "You passed the test and may continue to Lady Bow!"

As the painting said this, the wall across from it shifted away to reveal the next staircase. The three went up the stairs to another hallway. This one only had a single pair of large double doors. A loud screeching could be heard from beyond them. Plucking up their courage, the three opened the door…

Inside was a quartet of Flood Unversed attacking a single green Boo. She was clearly female, complete with a lovely red bow. Before anyone could react, the Boo took out a large fan and with a single attack sent the four creatures flying, disintegrating as they hit the ground. "That will teach them to try and come near me!" The Boo said, putting her fan away. After a moment, she realized she had guests. "Well, well, it seems I have visitors!"

"So, you're the mistress of the mansion? And you have issues with those monsters too?" Mario asked as the three approached the green Boo.

"That's right! Boy, you guys took your sweet time, didn't you?" The Boo asked haughtily as she floated up into the air. "I was worried maybe the forest and my little test were simply too much for you to handle! As for the monsters…well, they've been bothering us for a time, but I'll let my servant do the explaining."

As the Boo said this, the mustachioed Boo from before appeared. "As you wish, mistress." He said. "I am Bootler, Lady Bow's humble servant." He sounded a bit prideful of the fact. "Are you all aware of Gusty Gulch? It's a small hill near the mansion where Boos under the protection of Lady Bow. At the top of the hill is the castle of Tubba Blubba."

Ventus had to stop himself from snickering. Tubba Blubba? Was that a joke? Though, no one else seemed to think so. Was that a normal name here? "Is this…Tubba Blubba causing problems?" The boy asked.

"That's it exactly." Bootler replied. "He's a monster, a behemoth! His favorite food is…us! Ghosts! He's already devoured a number of our friends, and he has those weird creatures at his command!" The butler shivered in what seemed to be disgust. "We've tried attacking the beast, but he's somehow become invincible! Nothing we do harms him at all!"

"An invincible monster?" Mario asked. "How are we supposed to stop him if he's invincible?"

Bootler composed himself. "Well, there are rumors that within Tubba Blubba's Castle, there is a secret…one most likely pertaining to his weak point!"

Lady Bow nodded at her servant's words. "He didn't used to be this strong. In fact, he used to be a real wimp! Then one day he was simply invulnerable, and he was able to spawn those weird creatures you saw me fighting. They aren't enough to kill us Boos, but they're pretty annoying!"

"Hold up, before we go any further…" Parakarry interrupted. "…what about the Star Spirit? You said you had information about one, right?"

"Ah, that's right!" Lady Bow exclaimed before clapping what could be called her hands twice. As she did this, a cage lowered from the ceiling. In it was a large card with a picture of a star on it, a weak projection of it was above the card; a purple star with glasses along with brown eyebrows and a brown mustache. "See? A Star Spirit just as promised! If you defeat Tubba Blubba, he's all yours!"

Ventus looked up in awe at the Star Spirit. It was strange to see a creature like that, even after all he's witnessed in this world so far! He felt an odd energy emanating from the card, like the being inside was light itself. The projection of the Star Spirit looked towards Mario. "Oh, Mario, thank goodness you're here! I'm Skolar, and I had managed to escape from Tubba Blubba but…I was weak, and these blasted Boos caught me! Please, you must defeat that monster and get me out of here!"

"There you have it!" Bow said, cutting the conversation off before Mario could reply. "You would've had to take care of Tubba Blubba to save Skolar anyway, so it's not really all that different. Do we have a deal?"

"Of course!" Mario said without hesitation, not seeming upset at the negotiations and Lady Bow's questionable logic. "We will discover Tubba Blubba's secret and defeat him!"

Ventus didn't know how to feel about all this. He initially just traveled with Mario to find Terra, with no luck. He had been told about Mario's quest, but didn't expect to get so wrapped up in it. Of course, he couldn't just abandon Mario now, at least not until this Tubba Blubba guy was defeated! Besides, he could apparently control the Unversed, which made things far more important. Maybe this Tubba Blubba knew about the Masked Boy. "Yeah, and I'll help out!" The boy said, getting a grin from Mario.

"I guess we have no choice, though keeping a Star Spirit locked up is still deplorable…" Parakarry said, crossing his arms and clearly not amused.

Bow apparently decided to ignore Parakarry as she let out a gleeful, spooky laugh. "Glad we're all in agreement then!" She clapped again, and the cage was raised back up. "Of course, I'll be coming with you. I have abilities that you'll need!"

At once, Bootler started to panic. "Wh-What?! My lady, please! It's dangerous out there! I cannot allow you to put yourself in such danger!"

Bow shot her servant a glare. "Still your tongue! For one, I don't believe I asked for your permission! That aside, I can't stand here and let my people suffer! That's the end of it, Bootler!"

The butler quickly calmed down, but still seemed distressed. "Yes, madam…I suppose you are right…"

"Good!" Bow exclaimed, turning to the group with a smile. "I take it that won't be a problem?"

Mario shook his head. "Not a problem at all. Especially since you have abilities you think we'll be needing."

"Well, I guess we'll be switching out then." Parakarry said, not sounding very happy about it.

To Ventus' surprise Parakarry suddenly shrunk down and…entered Mario's pocket?! No one else reacted to this so…maybe it was normal? He still wanted to ask about it later. "Oh, and my name is Ventus, I'll be helping out too. Just call me Ven, though." He said to Bow, giving her a friendly wave.

"Hmm? Well, hello Ven." The Boo greeted back, only sounding vaguely interested. "I suppose if you're traveling with Mario, you must be of use."

Biting his tongue, Ventus followed Mario and the Boo as they made their way out of the room and towards the stairs. He didn't know how to feel about Bow. Sure, she was…a bit of a jerk, but she also wanted to fight for her people…so how bad could she be? Soon, the new trio had left the mansion, with a number of Boos waving them off, as Bow led them towards Gusty Gulch.

Terra, meanwhile, had been busy. The two Hammer Bros. had been leading him to various parts of the castle, and in each room, he had to fight off a wave of Unversed. So far, he had to clear three rooms of the creatures. Thankfully, it wasn't too difficult, but on the other hand he knew by this point Master Xehanort wasn't in the castle, or else he would have taken care of the Unversed. That being said, Terra couldn't just leave these monsters as they were.

The two Hammer Bros. led Terra up a long, carpeted staircase. "This should be the last area." One of them said. "And soon that prize will be yours! I'm so jealous!"

Prize? They didn't mention a prize before. "Say, what's that about a prize?" Normally Terra didn't care for such things, but it could potentially be helpful.

"You really didn't read the notice at all did you?" One of the Hammer Bros. said. "It was right there in the fine print!"

"I don't blame him." The other Hammer Bros. retorted. "A chance to serve King Bowser should be enough to get anyone to sign up no matter what!"

The first Hammer Bros. nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense. Well anyway, the prize is a free question for Kammy and her crystal ball! She can't really see the future…but she can see other things for you!"

Other things? "Even people?" Terra asked. If so, this would be perfect! Surely this magic would allow Terra to know where Master Xehanort went!

"Yeah, if there's someone you're trying to find, she can help you out no problem!" One of the Hammer Bros. replied.

"Excellent, that's exactly what I want to hear." Terra replied as he and the two turtle creatures reached the top of the staircase…

As this happened, Ventus' group arrived at the gates of Gusty Gulch. It was uncanny how the two areas melted into one another. There was dark, dying grass, and then suddenly it stopped and sandy, rocky terrain began. The sun also started to shine again, or at least it was now visible with Forever Forest's end. As the three walked up to the gates, two Boos appeared and wordlessly opened up the gate, allowing the trio to go through.

The heat immediately hit Mario and Ventus, and the sudden sunlight made them blink repeatedly. They weren't even in Forever Forest that long, but the change still seemed so drastic. Bow of course wasn't affected, being a ghost. "Well, are you ready boys?" She asked. "There's only danger ahead."

"We can handle it, don't worry!" Mario said, confidence filling his voice as he led the group onward. Despite Bow's warnings, the path was quite safe. The three of them walked along a sandy, rocky train that had no dangers in it. They passed by a large, seemingly abandoned windmill on the way.

Before long, the trio came across a small village in the sandy terrain. The houses were small and misshapen, and there were a number of Boos floating around. These Boos were more of a brownish, sand-like color. One of them spotted the three and went over. "Lady Bow! What a surprise to see you!" He exclaimed. "It's…dangerous around here Your Ladyship. You really shouldn't be here! Tubba Blubba could appear at any moment!"

Bow shook her head. "Don't you think I know that? I've come here to deal with that loathsome monster myself! When did he last come through here?"

"Why, just yesterday! He…He ate Herbert! It was so awful!" The Boo replied. "He was so dark and depressing, truly a standout Boo!"

"Herbert?!" Lady Bow exclaimed, enraged. "Ooh, that Tubba Blubba is going to suffer for this!"

"Oh, Lady Bow, you're so brave!" The Boo said, clearly touched. He turned to Mario. "And thank you, Mario, for helping our people! And…" He turned to Ventus, pausing. "…well, thank you too, whoever you are."

"Ventus!" The boy exclaimed, a bit miffed at being shrugged off like that. It was pretty rude considering he was trying to help!

Before anyone could reply, the ground started to shake. "Oh…Oh no!" The Boo yelled out, started to shake. "That's Tubba Blubba!"

"What do we do?!" Mario exclaimed, watching as the other Boos started to float out of sight.

"Quick you two, grab hold of me!" Bow commanded, floating between Mario and Ventus.

The Keyblade wielder and Mario both placed a hand on the green Boo. Bow seemed to concentrate but…nothing happened. "What, what's going on?" Ventus asked. "Nothing's happening!"

"Not true!" The Gusty Gulch Boo said, not having hidden yet. "Lady Bow made you two and herself invisible! You just can't tell!"

As the Boo explained this, a huge figure approached him from behind, with Ventus and Mario gaping at the thing. It was at least eight feet tall, a purple monstrosity with a spiked shell, fat orange lips, a wisp of orange hair, and a strange, patched scar over its heart. The beast focused its beady, orange eyes on the Boo. "Mmm…Lunch!" It rumbled. Before the Boo could react, the giant snatched the ghost right out of the air and popped him in its mouth, swallowing the Boo before he could even scream. "Mmm…So good…Must find more…" It grumbled as it walked away.

As the monster stomped out of sight, Bow made the trio visible again. Ventus was shaken by what he saw, while Mario and Bow were a mixture of distressed and angry. "That…must have been Tubba Blubba right?" Ventus asked, never imagining a creature like that could exist.

Bow took a moment to compose herself. "That's right…That was him. He got another one of my subjects! Thankfully, all the Boos he ate should still be…well, not alive exactly, but you know what I mean. If we defeat that monster, they should all be freed!"

"We have no time to lose, then!" Mario declared, straightening his hat. "We have to reach his castle!"

"Right! Let's do it!" Ventus said, shaking his fears away. He could never be a Keyblade Master like Aqua if he let a monster like that rampage around! Aqua…How was she doing? Did she stay behind with Master Eraqus…? Ventus pushed the thoughts away as Mario and Bow headed onward, with the young boy following close behind.

After exiting the settlement, there was more hilly, sandy, rocky terrain to go through. "There used to be some Goombas and Clefts living out here." Bow observed. "They were a minor pain to be sure, but I'd prefer them over Tubba Blubba. Ever since he became invincible, he and those weird creatures he has chased the local nuisances away."

That was one way of looking at it, Ventus supposed. Not that he had any idea what Goombas or Clefts were. It wasn't too long before the trio reached a castle with large double doors as an entrance. It was a decent size, but Ventus noted it wasn't quite as big as the one at The Land of Departure. "So, there's no details on where this secret is, right?" Ventus asked.

"Afraid not." Bow replied. "If I had to guess, it's somewhere deep in the castle, probably a place Tubba Blubba frequents so he can make sure it's safe."

"I guess we'll just have to search high and low." Mario said, taking a step towards the door. As he did so, half a dozen Scrappers materialized before the group. "More monsters! They must be guarding the castle!"

The Scrappers lunged at the group, two to each member of the trio. Mario took out his hammer and smacked one of the Unversed aside. As the other one drew near, the plumber jumped high in the air and stomped down on the charging opponent, disintegrating it. He then used his hammer to finish off the first Unversed. Bow simply turned intangible as the Scrappers tried to attack her, clawing at each other by accident. With the danger passed, she went tangible again and beat the two down with her fan. Ventus took down the two Scrappers going for him in record time, with a couple of blindingly fast attacks with his Keyblade, the two Unversed were reduced to nothingness.

"Quick, let's get inside before more show up!" Ventus said, running towards the castle doors. With all three working the large doors, the trio entered the castle. The entrance room was very large, and very empty. There was no furniture of any kind, only two doors on opposite sides of the room and two walkways on two different floors up above.

Mario pointed up, at strange green creatures flying above. "Bow, do you know what those are? They're not like the usual strange creatures."

"Those are Sentinels." Bow answered. "If you just stay away from them, they'll leave you alone." As Bow said this, one of the Sentinels hovered near the group. It let out a loud series of beeping noises as it descended towards them. "Quick, touch me!"

Ventus and Mario quickly placed their hands on Bow as the Sentinel got close. The three vanished, with the Sentinel getting confused before wandering away. "Let's go before another one gets near!" Mario said, with the three rushing into the next room over, entering a large, empty hallway. Slowly and quietly, the trio made their way through the mansion. There were no servants or any other living being aside from the occasional Sentinel, which thanks to Bow's power, never became a real issue.

Surprisingly, no Unversed attacked the group. Perhaps Tubba Blubba was confident enough in his Sentinels that he didn't keep any of the creatures within the mansion itself? They looked around in nearby rooms, but there was little to see. Some giant furniture such as chairs, cabitens, and sofas, but little else. After climbing several very large stairs, the group made it to the top floor, but had yet to find any kind of secret about the mansion's owner. "I hope the secret is on this floor." Ventus said, feeling a bit worried that the trio had yet to find anything like a clue. Though it was hard because they didn't exactly know what they were looking for!

"I'm starting to wonder if there even is a secret…" Bow admitted. "The rumors wee never absolutely reliable to begin with, and I can't help but start to think they're wrong."

Mario shook his head. "Don't worry you two, I'm sure we'll find that clue soon! Even without it, we'll find a way to take Tubba Blubba down!" He sounded genuinely sure and optimistic of the situation, which rubbed off on Bow and Ventus.

"You're right, Mario. Come on, you guys help me with this door!" Ventus said as he started to open one of the giant set of double doors in their path. With some effort, the three of them managed to open the doors and went into a hallway.

As the trio entered the hall, another door open and closed on the opposite end as thunderous footsteps shook the floor. The three gaped in horror as Tubba Blubba appeared before them. The monster didn't seem to notice the trio yet, perhaps he couldn't see too well. He raised his snout up in the air, loud sniffing sounds filling the hallway. "Hrm? I smell something…I smell ghosts!" With that, the creature stomped towards the intruders, sniffing loudly as he did so.

"Quick, touch me so we can hide!" Bow harshly whispered. Mario and Ventus did so, and the green Boo hid the three from sight as Tubba Blubba got closer.

The hulking being drew closer until he stopped right where the group was hidden. "Mmm…" He growled, looking around the hallway. "I smell ghosts…But I don't see ghosts…"

Tubba Blubba kept wandering about in the same small area, never looking away from the trio long enough for them to make a safe getaway in any direction. Five minutes passed with Tubba Blubba not straying from that small area. "What do we do?" Mario whispered. "He's not going away."

There was a pregnant pause among the trio, which Ventus broke. "I'll distract him." He said softly. "You two go further on and try to find that weakness of his."

"You kidding? He's invincible, remember?" Bow responded quietly. "You can't defeat him."

"I never said I had to defeat him." Ventus pointed out. "I just have to distract him. He's big and seems pretty stupid and slow. I should be able to dance around him for a long time."

"…I don't think I like the idea, but…what choice do we have?" Mario asked, not seeing another option. He had noticed just how fast Ventus was, much faster than Bow or himself. If anyone could go toe-to-toe with Tubba Blubba and get out okay, it was Ventus.

"…Well, alright. I still don't like the idea!" Bow hissed, glancing over at the lumbering monster as he unknowingly looked right at the trio. "Just don't mess up, okay?"

It seemed the green Boo was more concerned about Ventus messing up than being concerned for his safety. It hardly mattered because the Keyblade wielder didn't have a chance to reply before Bow and Mario sprinted off ahead, all three of them becoming visible.

"Hrngh?!" Tubba Blubba exclaimed, flabbergasted at the plumber and Boo running right by him. So much so, he didn't even notice Ventus! "I thought I smelled a tasty ghost!" He bellowed, starting to chase after the pair.

This wasn't part of the plan! Ventus got his Keyblade out, pointing it at the massive beast. "Fira!" He shouted out, a large fireball surrounded by orbiting, smaller fireballs shot at Tubba Blubba. The creature only had time to turn around before the attack hit, the fireballs bursting like water balloons, spilling fire all over the opponent.

To Ventus' distraught, however, this didn't effect Tubba Blubba at all! The flames on him went out in moments, leaving some small patches of fire at the surrounding parts of the hallway. Not even scorch marks or singed hair was present on the giant. Was he really invincible?!

"Hey! You're damaging my castle!" Tubba Blubba roared, not seeming upset at all that he was attacked. With a bellow, he charged at Ventus, arms raised up and prepped for an attack.

But the Keyblade wielder was fast, faster than the overgrown Spike, that was for sure! Still, Tubba Blubba's fists slammed down into the floor, cracking it and showing Ventus that his size wasn't just for show!

Ventus knew that his attacks most likely wouldn't do anything, but he felt if he kept attacking, it'd keep Tubba Blubba distracted enough to forget about Mario and Bow. And, perhaps, his Keyblade would work? He leapt at his opponent as he glared down at him, slashing at one of Tubba Blubba's arms as he jumped past him. The end of they Keyblade hit, rubbing across the blubbery blue flesh, but nothing happened!

The boy was in midair, a sitting duck, so when Tubba Blubba swatted at him, it was a direct hit! Letting out a cry of pain, Ventus was sent into a nearby wall, his entire body aching at the impact as Tubba Blubba huffed at him.

"Go away! I smell a ghost and you're annoying me!" The Spike growled, beady orange eyes glaring at Ventus as the Keyblade wielder got up with a groan of pain.

It seemed like Tubba Blubba was going to leave pretty soon if Ventus didn't do something! "Hey! Wait!" He called as the Spike began to turn away. "Did you see a Masked Boy around here?" He felt there may be some connection between that strange youth and the Unversed…

Tubba Blubba turned back to Ventus, looking frustrated and confused. "What? Masked Boy? You're the only boy I've seen! If you don't stop talking, I'll have to-"

Whatever Tubba Blubba would have done would be forever unknown. A shrill cry from the direction Mario and Bow came from rang out. "HEEELP! MASTER TUBBA BLUBBA! THIEVES!" It wasn't a voice that Ventus knew, leaving him very confused as to what his companions were doing.

"What?! Thieves?!" Tubba Blubba looked at the source of the yell, then glared back at Ventus. "That means you're a thief too!"

Ventus was caught off guard, so when the Spike grabbed at him, the boy wasn't able to dodge. The creature kept his hand wrapped around the Keyblade user, slamming his fist into the floor and knocking the wind out of his opponent.

Tubba Blubba raised his fist, Ventus still in it, into the air to slam once more when a ball of fire hit him on the side of the head. Once more, this didn't hurt the Spike, but it distracted him enough. He let out a grunt of annoyance as he turned and saw Mario, arm rearing back before arching forward and shooting off another fire attack.

This time it hit Tubba Blubba in the eyes. It may not have hurt him, but it still was a bright light which got the Spike to let go and rub at his eyeballs, dropping Ventus in the process.

The boy took a deep lungful of breath after he got let go, his entire body aching as Mario and Bow reached him. "Come on! We know where to go!" The plumber yelled, helping Ventus to his feet.

"MASTER!" The voice yelled again, only at that moment Ventus noticing that Bow was holding something. It was…a key? A key with eyes, and its teeth flapping like lips. "Master, they're taking me away! Heeelp!"

A talking key now?! Ventus shook off the shock, especially when Tubba Blubba recovered from Mario's attack. Even attacks to the eyes didn't seem to actually damage him, as he seemed no worse for wear. "Give Yakkey back!"

Yakkey, the talking key, struggled in Bow's grip, but the Boo was holding on tight. Despite…not having fingers. The Spike grabbed at the ghost, but the trio started to run from the lumbering and invincible foe, who instantly gave chase.

"Are you okay?" Mario asked, looking back to see Tubba Blubba coming up right behind them. His large gait let him keep up, but the three intruders were still too fast for him to properly catch up.

"I…Yeah, I think so! What is that thing?" The boy asked, looking at Yakkey. Ventus had never really entered real combat before, not that he could remember, but he was durable enough to keep going.

"It's that oaf's key." Bow answered, keeping a firm grasp on the struggling key. "It told us that Tubba Blubba's secret is real, and it's in the Windy Mill!"

Wait…they did pass a windmill on the way there! Ventus had hardly given it any thought. Made sense that Tubba Blubba's secret wouldn't even be in his castle, that's where everyone would go and look! But…what was this secret in the first place?

As Ventus pondered, a dozen Flood Unversed appeared before the group! "Keep going! Go past them, I've got this!" The Keyblade wielder shouted. The Unversed lunged at the trio, but Mario leapt over them while Bow and Ventus weaved through them. When they got past, Tubba Blubba let out a roar as he and the Flood started to chase after the group at once. As the trio went, Ventus turned around and raised Wayward Wind into the air. "Thunder!"

Magic erupted from above, large pillars of Thunder energy appearing above Tubba Blubba and his minions. The spell rained down on them, all the Unversed evaporated in a split second as the spell hit the Spike as well. As expected, though the Thunder ran over the creature's body, it didn't seem to even affect him!

The three ran out of the hallway, going over an indoor bridge in the main foyer. Enraged, Tubba Blubba reached the bridge moments later and let out a roar. "GIVE ME MY KEY!" He shouted, voice booming as he leapt in the air and slammed down on the bridge. With the splintering of wood, the bridge snapped, and everyone fell down to the foyer below, Yakkey giving off a shrill yell as Bow kept a hold of it.

Ventus used an Aero spell to make himself fall slower as he approached the floor and landed safely. Mario landed right on his feet, but hardly seemed to flinch. Apparently long falls did little to the plumber! Bow, of course, was able to float and simply glided down with Yakkey in hand.

Tubba Blubba had the roughest landing, going onto his back as a good chunk of the bridge fell on him. Once more, he was unharmed, but momentarily paralyzed by the bridge pieces that buried him and the Sentinels in the room.

"Go! Go! Keep moving!" Bow ordered, leading Mario and Ventus as they exited the castle and the hot air of Gusty Gulch hit them once more.

Outside was a group of the resident Boos, one of them jolting a bit in shock at the trio coming from the castle. "What was that noise?! Er…Wait, that's not important! We're here to help!" The Boo said, looking past the three and seeing Tubba Blubba emerging from the rubble. "Quick! Keep going, we'll hold him back!"

Giving the trio little time to even explain what was going on, all the Boos closed the castle doors, holding it shut. Moments later, Tubba Blubba pounded on it, his voice heard loud and clear. "I SMELL GHOSTS! SO MANY GHOSTS! OPEN THE DOOR NOOOW!"

"Come on, they'll be fine!" Bow commanded, floating on ahead. "We can't wait around!"

Ventus felt bad about leaving the Gusty Gulch Boos behind, but he knew he couldn't stop Tubba Blubba. He was invincible, and he'd get past the Keyblade wielder sooner or later and devour any Boos in his path. Following Bow and Mario, the three ran down Gusty Gulch as fast as they could.

None of them looked back, even when the distant sound of roaring and yells filled the air. Tubba Blubba would surely keep chasing them, but the three were so far ahead that he was out of sight even as they reached the Windy Mill. Mario grabbed Yakkey, holding it still as struggled and used it to open the door.

With that, Yakkey finally got free, bouncing away towards Tubba Blubba and still shrieking about thievery as it went. Ventus wanted to ask if talking keys were normal in the Mushroom Kingdom, but he'd bite his tongue about it until later.

Entering the mill, the three saw nothing…except an old stone well devoid of any water. "Is this it? Is there something important down there?" Ventus asked, looking to Lady Bow. If anyone knew, it'd be her.

"It's just an old well…" Bow replied, frowning. "It dried up years ago, and no one's really had any reason to go down there."

"But Yakkey was so afraid of getting here!" Mario pointed out, looking down the well. "Wait! I see light! Torches!"

Ventus and Bow looked to see that Mario was correct. There was a ladder leading down to a tunnel, torchlight flickering along the way. "I don't see what else we can do. Let's keep going…"

The three made their way to the bottom, walking along the old, barely lit passageway. Nothing stirred down there, and Ventus felt himself feeling a bit claustrophobic. He wasn't used to tight spaces, but it wasn't so bad he couldn't keep going…but he had Wayward Wind out, just in case, and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

Little happened aside from the fear that Tubba Blubba may somehow squeeze his way into the tight tunnels as the three walked. Before long, they reached an old and worn door. There was no lock, so whatever was on the other side was unguarded. There was a bad feeling in the air, though, a musty smell that was surprisingly absent from the tunnel earlier. It was like some sort of strange pressure, and a chill that went on Ventus' and Mario's spines.

"Come on…Let's see what's in there…" Mario said, taking the initiative and opening the door…

"Good going, dude!" One of the Hammer Bros. praised, watching as Terra took out the last Hareraiser Unversed with a small Fire spell. They were in what seemed to be some sort of ballroom, which was now cleansed of creatures.

"I thought King Bowser had these things under control, but I guess not." The other Hammer Bros. added on. "

This hadn't been the first time these Hammer Bros. mentioned that their monarch used the Unversed for his own devices. Terra had been concerned, but it seemed as though this King Bowser had learned that the Unversed weren't for personal use. The Keyblade wielder wasn't there to keep every individual in a world in check. He decided if the King had learned his lesson, it was good enough.

"I think that's it!" The first Hammer Bros. declared, crossing off the room from a piece of parchment. "You did excellent, man, hardly a scratch!"

"Thank you. I'm glad I could help." Terra replied, having taken a few hits from the Unversed, but nothing a Cure couldn't help. All he knew was that this fortune he was going to get would greatly help in his mission to find Master Xehanort.

One of the Hammer Bros. chuckled, giving Terra and almost knowing look as he and his companion started to lead the Keyblade user through the castle. "Yeah, whatever you say. We know you just wanted the fortune told, no need to sugarcoat it." He didn't seem annoyed at the notion, as if that was the only logical explanation.

Terra would have done it regardless of reward, but he had to admit it was a motivating factor. "How good did you say this Kammy's fortunes were again?"

"Well, she's never been wrong." The other Hammer Bros. responded, nodding as in approval. "Whatever you're looking for, she'll see it."

That helped but Terra at ease, glad such a magic existed in this world and that he was lucky enough to stumble upon it. It seemed his heart really guided him in the right direction! As the three made their way through the dimly lit castle, they occasionally passed by a grateful guard, most of them Hammer Bros. or turtles in heavy metal armor.

Before long, they reached another door of the castle, Terra idly wondering just where the King Bowser that his subjects talked so highly of resided. "Is this her chamber?"

"No, just the library. She should be in there, though." One of the Hammer Bros. replied. "You can't miss her. Purple robe, hat, glasses…no one else here dressed like her."

"Or as old as her." The other Hammer Bros. added on.

An elder? Terra had been taught to respect those older than him, so he'd make sure to be on his best behavior. After giving the guards his thanks, the young man entered the library. It looked as he expected, shelves upon shelves of books and well-lit, cozy environment. Quietly, he went about the shelves, not seeing anyone. Normally, he'd call out, but it just didn't feel right to do it in a library.

Soon enough, he came across an old turtle in a fluffy chair, a thick tome on her lap. She truly did seem elderly, grey hair peeking from beneath a pointed hat and wrinkles adorning her face. Terra cleared his throat to make his presence known.

Unfortunately, that startled the crone, letting out a shout as she dropped the book. From one of her large sleeves, she pulled out what was clearly a wand, one that was golden save for the red gem at the tip. "Who are you?! Sneaking up on a poor, unsuspecting woman!" She pointed the wand at Terra, huffing threateningly.

Terra jumped a bit, not having expected that reaction. He really hadn't meant to startle the poor woman! The young man held up his hands in surrender, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, ma'am, I didn't mean to scare you. I was told to find Kammy for a fortune reading. I cleared out those creatures like I was told to."

For a moment, Kammy just stared at Terra, her wand trained on him. Then, with a sniff, she tucked it back away. "I suppose you couldn't have gotten here if you weren't wanted." She grumbled. "But yes, okay. One free fortune, but that's all! So choose carefully!" As Kammy spoke, she pulled out a crystal ball from her other sleeve and seemingly tossed it carelessly into the air.

Terra flinched, ready to dive and catch it, but stopped himself when he saw the ball slowed its fall on its own. Soon, it was floating inches above the floor. "I know what I want you to see, yes. I was told you were never wrong, ma'am."

"You heard right! Now what is it you want to see?" The old witch asked, standing up and waving her hands over the crystal ball. It seemed rather stereotypical, but apparently it did something as the object started to give off a faint glow…

"I'm looking for a specific person. A man named Master Xehanort, a friend of my own Master. I have to know where he is. You can do that, right?" Terra hoped she didn't require much more than a name and some context on who he was…

Kammy muttered something under breath, either a spell or something rude. It was hard to tell. Either way, the crystal ball started to glow brighter, the Koopa humming out in thought. "Yes…I see who you're looking for. A bald, hunched man in robes. He's standing within badlands, a place where a great war broke out…light on one side…and darkness on the other…" She frowned. "I don't know what that means, only what the crystal ball tells me. I don't know where this is either…nowhere I've ever seen…"

That had been it? That didn't really help! That could describe many worlds, but maybe Kammy's magic didn't detect other worlds. Maybe she didn't know other worlds even existed. "It tells you nothing else? Nothing at all?" Terra didn't understand how the witch's magic worked, but there had to be more…

"Nothing." Kammy retorted, shaking her head. "I can see things, but I don't know everything! I'm not omniscient, boy!" She stopped waving her hands, and soon the glowing stopped.

A pit of despair and annoyance grew in Terra's heart. It seemed the Hammer Bros. overestimated Kammy's abilities. Granted, they probably never asked for her to see things beyond their own world, but he was still very disappointed. "I see. Thank you for the information, ma'am." Terra said anyway, keeping his voice even despite his inner anger. He didn't want to get upset, but his feelings just took over.

"You seem like an odd one." Kammy said, brushing off his thanks. "Who did you say you were again?"

The young man flinched again, hoping to avoid trouble. "My name is Terra. I'm from far away, you see. New to these parts." Not a lie, really.

Kammy hummed, but apparently accepted the answer as she gave a nod. "Well, I gave you what you wanted." The witch put the crystal ball away. "Now, leave me to my reading! This romance novel is getting good!"

Romance novel? That massive book? Terra didn't want to know. With another word of thanks, he left the library, making his way to the exit of the castle.

What did he do now? A badlands that had been the center of a war? He didn't know any place like that, not that Master Eraqus taught him anything about any explicit world beyond The Land of Departure. The world he was looking for could be nearby, or too far for him to reach anytime soon. Exiting back onto the lawn, Terra supposed he had no choice but to go to more worlds, hoping to find a better lead.

Sighing, the young man put his Keyblade armor back on, summoning his rider before departing the world…

As Terra flew off, Ventus and his companions entered the mysterious room. An awful coldness hit them, and the feeling of bugs crawling over their skin overcame them. At least, where Ventus and Mario were concerned.

The three gawked at the sight before them, Bow even letting out a noise of disgust.

As it turned out, the secret room was rather small and mostly barren. There was only one thing of interest, a stone pedestal with a massive heart sitting on it. But the heart wasn't normal, it was still pulsating despite its secluded nature, and worst of all it had eyes that were beady and orange like Tubba Blubba's. The heart was glaring at the intruding trio, as if they had awoken it from its nap. What was worse was that there was a visible darkness pooling from the organ, a sort of mist that came from its body and slowly made its way to the stone floor below.

To the further shock of the small group, the heart actually began to speak! Despite it not having any sort of mouth, its voice rang out loud and clear. "Hey! Who are you three?!" It demanded, speaking in Tubba Blubba's voice, disturbingly enough.

"Well, I'm Mario, but-" The plumber started, but the heart interrupted him.

"What?! Mario?!" It seemed the heart wasn't really interested in Bow or Ventus. Its gaze zeroed in solely on the mustachioed hero. "So, someone told you that I'm the secret to Tubba Blubba's strength, eh?!"

Mario looked to his partners, confused, before looking back at the heart. "No, that didn't-"

"And someone told you that the Tubba Blubba up there is just an empty husk, eh?!" The heart shouted, interrupting once more, more darkness pooling from its form.

Ventus was disturbed at the concept. Tubba Blubba…removed his heart? That was something that could happen without death? The Keyblade wielder had never heard of gaining power and invincibility by becoming some sort of heartless entity. How was something like that even done? Thinking of it…Tubba Blubba did have that patch over his heart! He was really willing to give up something as important as his heart for power, though?

Once more, Mario seemed quite confused and shook his head. "No, no one actually-"

The heart let out a noise of aggravation, shaking itself in a way akin to shaking its head if it had one. "You just can't get good help these days…" It sounded disappointed, as if the whole situation was a mild annoyance. "I'm afraid I can't let you three go with this knowledge. Nothing personal!"

Before anything else could be said, three large Unversed appears. They were taller than Ventus, blue with bulky frames. The three Bruisers charged in instantly, a feeling of anger coming from them that came over the group.

The one that went for Bow never managed to touch her. With a satisfied smirk, she went intangible before it could even lay a finger on her. It rant right through her, clumsily crashing into the wall as she went visible again. Taking out her fan, she hovered over the Bruiser as it turned around. As it did so, she smacked it in the face with her fan, making the Unversed's head snap in the other direction. She whacked the Bruiser several times, switching the sides of its face with each blow. With one last attack, the Unversed fell over onto the floor before disappearing.

Another Bruiser went for Mario, managing to catch the plumber off guard. It gave the red-wearing hero a nasty hook to the face which knocked him onto his back. The Unversed collapsed onto the plumber afterward, crushing him under its girth, eliciting a groan of pain from the mustachioed man.

The Bruiser stood up, ready to attack Mario again. But, with a strong leap, Mario rocketed to the Unversed with his fist outstretched. He delivered a nasty uppercut to the larger opponent, making it teeter a bit in a daze. Taking out his hammer, Mario swung around in a circle, building momentum as he inched closer to the Unversed. With a cry, he slammed the hammer into the Bruiser's side, bypassing its girth and destroying the creature.

Ventus had an easier time than Mario. The Bruiser wasn't fast enough to catch him, they Keyblade wielder practically dancing around the Unversed's swipes. His injuries from Tubba Blubba's abuse still throbbed, but he was able to grit his teeth and not let it get in the way. Jumping out of the way, the teen gave a cry as he threw Wayward Wind at his opponent, the Keyblade spinning in a Strike Raid as it tore right through the Bruiser and destroyed it.

With its help gone, the heart growled out in frustration. Despite the lack of the mouth, it really somehow sounded like it was grinding its nonexistent teeth. "Like I said, can't get good help!" It repeated, sighing. "Well, I'll have to deal with this myself!" Its orange eyes honed in on Bow. "And when these other two are gone, I can even have a snack!"

Bow let out a noise of disgusted, brandishing her fan. "I'll beat every last Boo out of you, even if I have to stay here all day!" She snarled, flying at the heart with her weapon ready to strike.

With a surprising burst of speed, the heart lunged right back at the green Boo, meeting her head-on and knocking her out of the air! It didn't stop there, bouncing with disgusting squelches along the floor until it reached a nearby wall. It bounced off of that too, gaining momentum as it started to spring around the cramped room, going from wall to floor to ceiling as it became more dangerous.

Mario was struck in the stomach, unable to counterattack before the heart bounced away. Even Ventus barely dodged an incoming attack, swiping his Keyblade at the heart and missing.

How was a disembodied organ so fast?! Streaks of darkness followed the heart's attacks, making Ventus wonder if the darkness itself was giving it more power. Master Eraqus had said that there were those that sought out power, and used darkness as a shortcut…

Whether the heart's power came from darkness or something else, it hardly mattered as it continued to speed up further and further, cackling with glee as it did so. Ventus felt like if he tried to attack directly, it would only end up in failure.

But…he did have one trick up his sleeve.

"Mario! Bow! Get back!" Ventus yelled, running to the center of the room as he raised Wayward Wind. His companions did as he asked, retreating nearly out of the room as the heart went for the open target. But before the organ could strike again, Ventus cast the only spell he felt would help. "Magnera!"

Above the Keyblade, a white orb appeared, a powerful force drawing objects near to it. The heart, however, was the only thing in range. Ventus' magic wasn't as powerful as Aqua's, but he could still use -ra spells if he were in a pinch. He could only use so much magic in a given set of time, but one -ra spell was enough.

"Hey! What?!" The heart yelped out, startled as it was drawn to the white orb. When it reached this orb, it began to orbit it, helplessly spinning around slowly as it did so.

"Not going to bounce around now!" Ventus yelled out, looking to Mario and Bow. "It's open! Come on, I'll hold it!" Unlike Aqua, he couldn't keep a Magnera spell active without putting his full concentration into it.

It was Bow that charged ahead first. Rushing to the source of her problems, she opted not to use her fan. Instead, she readied a green hand and started to slap the heart around silly! For a relatively small creature, the haughty Boo was able to strike the heart rather ferociously, only stopping after a dozen or so slaps were delivered.

Before Mario could step in and assist, Ventus felt his magic give out. "S-Sorry…I can't…!" Was all he could say before the Magnera spell stopped. The heart stopped its orbit and fell to the floor, but Mario jumped in with a save!

With a grunt of effort, the plumber slammed his hammer into the falling organ, sending it careening to the wall with a wince-inducing, wet slap.

Its eyes spun around, the thing clearly dizzy from all the blows. Surprisingly, it hopped back up, somehow managing to pant despite its lack of a mouth or chest. "This is bad! I didn't think you guys would be that tough! I'm out of here!"

Before anyone could stop it, the heart bounced out of the room and down the hallway. "Let's go! Who knows what will happen if they reunite!" Mario exclaimed, chasing after the heart, Bow and Ventus close behind.

Alas, the heart was faster than the trio was, bounding down the hallway until it was quickly out of sight. When the three emerged from the well and stepped out of the window, it was too late. Tubba Blubba was there, seeming to wait for its heart, which leapt into the Spike's awaiting maw.

Letting out a rumble and a guffaw, Tubba Blubba pounded his chest in triumph, as if he had already won. "Ahaha! I feel great! With my heart and body reunited, I can't lose!"

Ventus wasn't sure what that meant. Wasn't it his lack of a heart that made Tubba Blubba invincible? "Guys, should we…run?" He looked to Mario and Bow, who would be more familiar with the magics of this world.

"Not a chance! He's probably eaten all the Boos in Gusty Gulch by now!" Bow retorted, scowling at the massive Spike. "If we don't stop him, he'll go after the mansion for sure!"

Mario took out his hammer, taking a battle stance as he glared at the devious Spike. "Right behind you, Bow…!"

Readying his Keyblade, Ventus wouldn't back down either! Surely there had to be some way to defeat Tubba Blubba! Maybe somehow separate the heart from its master again…?

The monster charged forward, moving with speed and confidence as he slammed both fists into the ground. The impact made Mario and Ventus flinch, it feeling like the area beneath them shook with the blow! Bow wasn't effected, but Tubba Blubba swatted her away before going after Mario.

Ventus leapt back, watching as Mario was picked up and held over the Spike's open mouth. "You're not a Boo, but I wonder how you taste anyway!" He gloated, the plumper trying and failing to hit Tubba Blubba's arm.

The Keyblade wielder readied an attack, focusing all his energy into one strike. It was a move that Terra had taught him, and it wasn't something he could do whenever he wanted. He had to focus, waiting for an enemy to open up. Such as when they may stop to gloat. With a heavy stance, Ventus glared at the Spike that was trying to eat his friend, and he charged forward with his attack!

Zantetsuken.

Before Tubba Blubba could utter another word or even drop Mario into his mouth, Ventus was already on the other side of the great beast. "Hrngh? What…?" The Spike muttered, noticing how they Keyblade wielder moved so impossibly fast.

In an instant, the attack's effect suddenly erupted! A large gash appeared on Tubba Blubba's chest, going over the patch over his heart and down to his lower side. The Spike howled in pain, dropping Mario to the ground as the pain washed over him.

He wasn't invincible! Not anymore! Ventus prepared another attack, but…he stopped. He, Mario, and Bow stared at Tubba Blubba as he continued to howl and wail in pain. The attack had hit, yes, but it wasn't as though the Keyblade wielder has tried to slice the Spike in half or anything. The wound wasn't even fatal!

"What…?" Ventus murmured, watching as Tubba Blubba turned around. To the boy's shock, the creature was…crying?

Yes, large tears welled up in Tubba Blubba's eyes, streaming down his face as he gave off a pathetic sniffle. "O-Oh nooo!" He sputtered out, letting out a hiccup. "With my heart and body reunited, I'm not invincible anymore!"

"You…didn't know that would happen?" Bow asked, her anger gone and seeming to be replaced by pure astonishment at Tubba Blubba's easy defeat.

Shaking his head, the Spike sniffled again. "King Bowser never said this would happen! I give up! I didn't know there were people this strong, or I'd never have helped with his plans!" He let out a light sob. "I'll let the ghosts go! Just leave me alone!" He begged, opening up his massive maw. Just as he promised, dozens of Boos both of the regular and Gusty Gulch variety flew out and scattered to the mansion and village.

"Oh, thank goodness, they're all okay!" Ventus exclaimed, watching the last of the Boos fly off. Bow had said they would probably be fine, but he had his doubts.

Sniffling yet again, Tubba Blubba looked between the trio. "I'm really a sensitive guy in a big body…I didn't want to fight really strong people like you!" With that final declaration, the 'invincible' creature sprinted off, heading past the windmill and into the distance.

There was a bit of awkward pause, the trio staring off at the retreating Spike. It was Bow who broke the silence. "Gwah ha ha ha! Serves him right!" She spouted haughtily, looking quite satisfied. "And just as I thought, all my fellow Boos made it out safe and sound!"

Mario and Ventus didn't share in Bow's exact brand of enthusiasm. They were glad to see Tubba Bubba defeated, of course! But the way he ran off and cried made them feel small pangs of pity. "I didn't think he'd be like that if he wasn't invincible." Ventus said, wincing a bit as he put his Keyblade away, his wounds still sore.

"I should probably tell everyone not to pick on that big coward anymore. We'd spook Tubba Blubba all day and night in the past…but I guess that bit us in the butt." Bow let out another laugh. "I don't regret it, that's what us ghosts do!" She cleared her throat, looking between Mario and Ventus. "And…well…thank you both for your help." The Boo seemed rather sincere, but a bit awkward as if she didn't thank people much.

"I couldn't just let something like that go!" Mario remarked, glancing at the retreating form of Tubba Blubba, who was little more than a speck on the horizon. "You didn't need to use the Star Spirit as leverage, you know."

"Well, it hardly matters." Bow said, waving off Mario's kind words. "What's done is done! And…it wasn't the worst experience. In fact…I think I'll keep traveling with you two. You'll accept, right?" She said it in a way where it seemed like there was only one correct answer…

Mario didn't seem to mind, smiling and giving a nod. "I don't see why not! We have a lot to do, still!"

"Um…" Ventus spoke up, clearing his throat a bit. "I hate to say it, but I should go."

"Hm? Why?" Mario asked, looking to Ventus. "You're okay, right? Here, take this!" The plumber took out a mushroom from his pocket, a red one with white spots, handing it to the boy.

Ventus had never eaten a mushroom before, but he still took a bite, finding the taste rather good! On top of that, he even felt his bruised body start to feel better! "It's not that…but I don't think Terra is around here." In the world, he meant, but he couldn't just say that. "I need to go elsewhere and find him." Ventus' heart was oh so subtly tugging at him that he had to leave, that his business with Mario was done.

"What a shame!" Bow declared, shaking her 'head' as she spoke. "I'm sure we'll manage, though!"

Mario gave another nod. "That's a shame, yes…but I hope you find your friend! When we get the Star Spirits all freed, I'll make wish that you and your friend reunite!"

The Keyblade wielder gave a grin, quickly downing the rest of the mushroom, his wounds all but healed. It was like a Cure spell, almost! "Thanks, I really appreciate that." Hopefully, he'd find Terra before then, of course. Given how seriously Mario and Bow were taking these spirits, it seemed wishes really worked wonders in this world. He had to wonder if it'd affect him when he left, though…

Ventus, felt sad that he had to say goodbye. But, at the very least, he managed to help some people. He still felt bad that he had failed to find Terra and prove himself, but maybe this was on the right track? Really, he wasn't sure, and instantly decided he had a long way to go before he could say he wasn't just a weakling and a loser…

"Well, let's put this sad farewell behind us." Bow said, clearly not wanting to linger on the goodbyes. "Come along, Mario, we'll go back to the mansion and you can have your spirit freed."

"Right! Goodbye, Ven, good luck with everything!" Mario said, waving as he and Bow made their way back to Forever Forest. The green Boo waved him off too but said nothing else as the duo went into the dark trees.

Taking a deep breath, and making sure he was alone, Ventus donned his armor once again, summoning his vehicle as he rode off into the sky. He'd let his heart guide him on where to go next…

Aqua hadn't made it to The Lanes Between quite yet. Time had its own finicky ways outside of worlds. Despite Ventus and Terra making headway into their personal quests, to her mere minutes had passed. The Keyblade Master was unaware of these differences in times, the departure of her dear friends fresh in her mind.

She especially worried for Ventus, his parting words troubling her. Maybe they could all benefit to a nice, long talk when the situation was done with. She just hoped that would be sometime soon. For the moment, she simply flew onward, ready to face what lied ahead.

---

A/N: Another new world visited, and I got two members of the trio through it in one chapter. I don't want to linger on each world too much given each one needs to have all three of the protagonists visiting it. Aqua's visit to the Mushroom Kingdom will probably be equal in length to this chapter, though, if not longer. But before that, another new world will be visited first. Please, let me know what you think of the story so far. Feedback has been relatively light, and I'm rather curious to see how people feel about the story overall.

I feel like someone may mention it, but I'm aware that only Terra can do Zantetsuken in the game. I just thought it made more sense for Ventus, the speedster, to be able to do it too.