Terra flew through the vast reaches of space, feeling only a little bit better after speaking with Yen Sid. He had wished that the man who was once a Keyblade Master had given him a bit more direct guidance. Still, he didn't think the trip had been a waste of time, and he felt he had been given more to think about his path forward. If only he had been able to track down Master Xehanort, though…
As though his unsaid prayer had been answered, a voice called out inside of Terra's mind.
"Terra!"
It was Master Xehanort's voice! No doubt about it! The young man looked about, but he was alone. "Master Xehanort?! Where…?"
"Come see me at once! Let me guide you…"
In an instant, Terra felt his heart being tugged at lightly and he changed course. He felt immense relief, knowing he would be approaching wherever Master Xehanort was! Perhaps only just at that moment had he been close enough for him to be called upon.
Whatever the case, the young man went forward as fast as his glider would take him…
Aqua was kicking herself, sighing heavily as she traveled The Lanes Between.
She couldn't believe she had let Ventus get away like that! He had been right there with her, but she had let him outrun her! Not only that, but he had honestly felt that she, Terra, and Master Eraqus felt such horrible things about him! It was a thought that really made her feel awful, wondering if she had said or done something in the past to feed into his insecurities…
Next time she found him…if she found him…she'd have to try a lot harder to make him see reason. For the time being, she'd have to search more worlds, letting her heart guide her from place to place. She also wondered about the Princesses of Hearts. Just what exactly happened with Erina? Was it the Masked Boy and the Unversed, or someone else that took her heart? Master Eraqus had warned that the seven lights may be in trouble, but Aqua had really hoped it wouldn't actually come to that!
As she pondered this, she approached a new world. This one seemed rather diverse in terms of biomes, especially the stretch of land she got near. Like with the other worlds, she felt an odd pull towards it, having the sensation she was needed there for one reason or another. From so high up, she was able to see grasslands, a desert, a large chunk covered in ice and snow…
And was that a floating castle?
Indeed, on the way down, Aqua spotted a massive floating castle off in the distance. She didn't go there, though, simply descending towards the world itself instead. To her surprise, her heart guided her towards the icy part of the landmass she had been drawn to. There was a quaint little settlement of wooden homes she could go to.
Could it really be that Terra or Ventus was somewhere in this frigid area? One way or another, Aqua would have to find out. Before she even landed, she felt her body shivering from the sheer cold. She'd land near the settlement, out of sight from prying eyes, and when the armor came off, her teeth were already clacking a bit!
"Jeez! Would Terra or Ven really come here…?!" She asked herself, rubbing her arms to try and stave off the cold. She was not dressed for this! There had to be a reason her heart guided her to this part of this specific world, though. To help with the cold, Aqua used her magic to conjure a small flame that floated above her hand. It provided just enough warmth where she could stop rubbing her arms every few seconds to keep them from going numb.
That settlement she saw was the best place to start looking…and would probably have someplace she could warm up! As Aqua walked through the snow, she felt somewhat soothed by how the substance crunched under each footfall. Back at her homeworld, the walkways would always be shoveled by servants before she could get to them whenever it snowed. As a little girl, she never got to play in the snow, and it never got cold enough for that at The Land of Departure. It felt…oddly satisfying…
As she grew near the settlement, Aqua spotted an animal up ahead. It was a small blue bird! Not just any bird, but a penguin! The young woman couldn't help but grin at the sight, it was adorable! "Hey little fella…!" She cooed a bit, approaching the animal. Surprisingly, it stood in place, not afraid of her at all.
Aqua jumped back and yelled out when the penguin responded! "Uh…Hi. You're really making fun of a stranger's height?" It asked in a distinctly male voice. At the young woman's' reaction, he seemed pretty surprised. "Whoah, you alright? Seems like you never met a Bumpty before…"
That really startled her! That penguin…that Bumpty…talked to her! "Oh! Uh…I'm sorry. Where I come from, birds don't talk…"
"Seems like a pretty weird place!" The Bumpty remarked, not seeming too sore about Aqua's initial reaction. "You look freezing, but at least you got that magic fire there. How'd you do that?" He asked, pointing a flipper at the fireball that Aqua still had in her hand.
"Oh! This? My Master taught it to me. It's…complicated." Aqua was just glad the creature didn't freak out over magic. At least not magic this simple! "So, that settlement I saw from a distance…are the citizens there Bumpties too?"
"Of course!" The bird exclaimed, seeming shocked and apparently forgetting about the fireball. "You came all the way to Shiver City and didn't even know anything about it?"
"Well…I didn't exactly plan to get here. It just sort of…happened." Best way she felt she could describe it.
The Bumpty nodded in understanding. "Took a wrong warp pipe, huh?"
Warp…pipe? Aqua decided to just go along with it. "Yeah, something like that. Is there a place in Shiver City I can warm up?"
"Oh yeah! We can some inns you can rest up in. We're used to outsiders being too cold, so our buildings are pretty warm!" The Bumpty said, starting to lead Aqua towards Shiver City.
Thank goodness! Aqua still kept the fireball in her hand as they got closer. "Say, have you seen any other humans around? I'm looking for two of my friends, Ven and Terra…" She'd describe how the two looked and how they dressed to the kind Bumpty.
"Mmm…" The bird shook its head. "Afraid not. We don't get too many humans here, so if they got here, they'd stuck out like a sore thumb. The mayor would know more, though, you should ask him."
Well, that wasn't a good start. Still, there was the entire city to explore and ask around at. She couldn't just take the word of one Bumpty about it. "How about a human in a mask? I don't know his name, but I'm looking for him too. Are there strange creature sightings lately?"
This got the Bumpty to stop, looking at Aqua curiously. "A masked human? No, can't say I've seen one. What kinds of creatures, though? Why do you need to know?"
"Well…it's sort of my job where the creatures are concerned. You could call me an exterminator." Not entire inaccurate, after all…
"Mmm…I see…" It was sort of hard to tell if he fully believed Aqua or not. "And I dunno what you consider unusual, but we have just the general Gulpits and Frost Piranhas along the mountain. Those are hardly new, though…"
They sounded pretty unpleasant, but clearly weren't Unversed. That was a positive! Though…that raised the question as to why Aqua had been guided to this world. Perhaps there was a Princess of Heart? After all, she just came from a world with one! Aqua decided to focus on one thing at a time, though. She had to see if Ventus and Terra were actually in Shiver City or not first! "I see…Well, that does sound good…"
Within a few minutes after that, the Bumpty would lead Aqua into Shiver City proper. There were indeed no humans inside, only more of the flightless birds. They came in a variety of colors including blue, grey, pink, and green from what Aqua saw. They were certainly very adorable, especially the ones wearing hats! Cooing over a race of intelligent penguins like they were wild animals was probably frowned upon in this world, but Aqua couldn't help but think about how cute they were!
"Here, this is one of our inns." The Bumpty said, gesturing to a wooden building. It was moderately sized and just looked so cozy! "Try not to freeze, human! I don't think we have clothes that can fit a non-Bumpty!"
Well, that was unfortunate. Not that Aqua had any way of buying anything anyway. "I'll keep that in mind." She said, extinguishing the flame in her hand. "Thanks for the help!"
The Bumpty gave a wave of its flipper as it waddled off. Other members of the city had looked to Aqua curiously. She had to wonder if it was because she was human or her lack of proper attire.
It hardly mattered, she was just glad to get somewhere warm! She ducked into the inn, unable stop herself from audibly sighing in relief at the warm air. There was a fireplace fully lit to the side, and several Bumpties moseying about. Some were sitting in chairs, while one was behind the front desk.
Aqua took a seat at one of the couches in the lounge, just letting the heat embrace her. So much better! She could actually feel her fingers again! She just needed to rest there for a few minutes before going back out in the freezing temperatures!
Only about a minute after she sat to rest, Aqua was approached by a gray Bumpty. "Excuse me, miss. Are you here to rent a room?"
The young woman's eyes had nearly closed by that point, so she jolted slightly. She almost feel asleep so quickly! It made sense…she hadn't had a chance to rest since leaving The Land of Departure. "Oh! Um…Yes? What did you say?"
The gray Bumpty seemed a bit put off and gestured to the front desk. "Are you here to rent a room?"
"Oh! Um…" Aqua sat up properly, clearing her throat. "I just needed to warm up a bit. I was going to leave pretty soon…"
"Mmm…I see…Well, loitering isn't strictly against any rules…but if you fall asleep here, you'll get the boot!" The gray Bumpty replied. "What's a human doing here without even a coat anyway?"
"It's a long story…I'm looking for two friends of mine." Aqua replied, suddenly remembering what the blue Bumpty said about the mayor. "Say…where does the mayor live? I need to talk to him."
The gray Bumpty lightened up. "Oh! The mayor? You just turn right as you exit the inn and keep going straight. The mayor's house is all the way at the end of the city, near the gates leading out to the wilderness. You can't miss it!"
While Aqua was grateful for the directions, she was dreading the walk. It was best to leave at that moment, though. She could rest later once she spoke to the mayor! Standing up, she nodded to the Bumpty. "Thank you. I should head over as soon as I can…"
Without waiting for a response, the young woman left the inn and went out into the cold air again. It felt like a slap in the face after the warmth of the fire, but she endured! Lighting up the fireball in her hand again, she quickly walked onward in the direction she had been directed, making sure not to slip on any ice.
Shiver City seemed as peaceful as the first Bumpty had said, no sign of Unversed. The citizens were out and about, socializing with the young ones playing. Aqua even passed by a small frozen pond that the Bumpties were skating about on. It really seemed nothing wrong was going on in the area, so why was Aqua drawn to it? Then again, things seemed fine in the last world she visited, yet there was a Princess of Heart in a comatose state…
She hurried along, wanting to get to the mayor's place and out of the cold. Before too long, she reached the edge of the city. As the Bumpty in the inn said, there was a gate leading out of the city, a fence going off in either direction. Right near the fence was a moderately sized home that had to belong to the mayor.
Before she could even knock on the door, a loud shriek came from the residence belonging to a woman. "NOOOOOOOOOOO!" This was followed by a pink Bumpty in an apron running out of the home. "HEEELP! MURDER! MURDER! MY HUSBAND IS DEAD!"
Aqua was caught off guard by the sudden and horrific turn of events! Mouth agape, she watched as a green Bumpty in a fuzzy hat quickly went up to the pink Bumpty and followed her into the home. It wasn't exactly any of her business, but the Keyblade Master found herself going inside the residence as well, just wanting to help.
The two Bumpties didn't seem to mind her intrusion, barely paying her any attention as they went into a backroom. In there was a gray Bumpty lying on the floor, not moving an inch! Beside him was a man in a red cap and overalls and a strange turtle-like creature with glasses that seemed to be…riding on a cloud?
"See! He's dead! Right there!" The woman Bumpty pointed a flipper at the still bird.
"Hold on now, let's take a look here!" The Bumpty Patrol said, going over to the possibly deceased victim. He examined the gray Bumpty closely before letting out a gasp. "By puffin, you're right! Mayor Penguin is dead!"
"It was him!" The Mayor's Wife shouted, pointing at the man in overalls, who seemed pretty shocked. "I saw it with my own eyes! He broke into our home and murdered my husband!"
"Hey! That isn't true!" The turtle yelled out, crossing his arms. "Mario and I found him like this! You didn't see anything like that!"
The man, Mario, nodded. "That's right! I wouldn't do something like this!"
Aqua stood at the side, unprepared for something like this. A murder in such a peaceful looking city? She had doubts this Mario guy was responsible, the mustachioed man having such little darkness in his heart…
"Mmm…Well, there isn't actually any proof one way or the other…" The Bumpty Patrol remarked, looking between the body and the suspect. He turned to Aqua, as if just realizing she existed. "You there! Who are you?"
"Oh! Uh…Well, I had wanted to ask the Mayor some questions, but…" Aqua had realized how odd it was that she barged in on such a thing. She had heard someone calling for help and decided she had to come and try to fix things…
"An accomplice!" The Mayor's Wife yelled, pointing an accusing flipper at Aqua. "That must be the case!"
Wait, what?! "N…No! Nothing like that!" Now she was being accused?! Aqua wasn't liking this…
"Look, we want to help…" Mario said, gesturing to the turtle and himself. "Spike and I will solve the mystery ourselves. Would that be okay?"
The green Bumpty hummed in thought for a moment before giving a nod. "Okay, fine. But you three can't leave the city until this case is solved!"
Well, it seemed Aqua was getting roped into this one way or another!
"Deal!" Mario exclaimed, rubbing the back of his neck. "We can leave the house, though, can't we? We have someone we want to talk to. Do you know a Herringway?"
"Herringway? The murder mystery author?" The Bumpty Patrol asked. "Why…that's a good idea! If anyone could help, it'd be him! He lives by one of the inns, his house has a green roof! You fetch him, I'll guard the crime scene!"
Mario and Spike would leave the house, Aqua following close behind. "Sorry you got wrapped up in this…" The capped man said, not seeming to mind the cold as much as Aqua.
"Well, I probably shouldn't have just barged in like that…" Aqua remarked, still reeling a bit from seeing a dead body like that. She had been trained for stressful situations, though, so it wasn't going to stop her from going forward. "If it means anything, I don't think you did it."
"See?!" Spike exclaimed, huffing lightly. "Even this stranger knows you didn't do it! The nerve of the Mayor's Wife!" The turtle creature looked to Aqua. "Say, what's your name anyway?"
Oh! She forgot to introduce herself! "Right, my name's Aqua. Nice to meet you Mario and…Spike?"
Spike rubbed the back of his neck. "Well…my real name is Lakilester. Lakilester the Lakitu is pretty lame, so just call me Spike!"
A Lakitu? Was that what he was? Aqua just shrugged it off and nodded. "Alright, Spike it is."
"I appreciate you not thinking it was me…but why?" Mario asked as they went through the snowy city, passing by a large pipe sticking out of the ground.
"I can just feel it. You don't seem like you have the darkness in you to just…kill someone." Aqua explained, feeling that wasn't quite an adequate explanation.
Apparently, it was enough for Mario, who gave a nod. "Say, why are you here? Don't see a lot of humans around here…"
Aqua really wished she didn't stick out like a sore thumb everywhere she went, but she supposed it was to be expected when traveling to other worlds. "I'm looking for two friends of mine. That's what I was going to the Mayor for, I thought they may be here. One's named Ventus, and the other's Terra-"
"Ven? You know him?" Mario interrupted, looking pleasantly surprised.
"You've met Ven? Was he around here?" Aqua asked, stopping in place, grinning despite the bitter cold weather.
Mario shook his head. "Sorry, but this was a while ago. I never met a Terra either, I'm afraid."
Of course. It couldn't possibly be that easy. "Oh…Well, that's a shame…"
"Sorry. I hope they're both okay. Ven helped me out back when we met." Mario went on, the trio starting to move again. "I've been trying to rescue the Princess, and he lent a hand!"
A Princess? A Princess of Heart, maybe? Could this be what Aqua was drawn to this world for? "Oh yeah? Well…if that's the case, I can help too!" It felt like the path her heart was guiding her towards…
"Man, are we lucky to have run into you! It'll be pretty dangerous, though!" Spike said, grinning as he floated on.
"Well, if Ven helped you out, you must be good people. And if a Princess is in danger, I'll be happy to help. What's going on with her, exactly?" As Aqua asked this, they arrived at the young the Bumpty Patrol told them about.
"I'll explain everything after we clear our names." Mario said, knocking on the door. The three waited patiently…but there wasn't an answer. "Maybe he's out?"
Before Aqua could reply, Spike opened the apparently unlocked door and floated inside. "Hey! Herringway!" He called in.
"Alright, I guess we're going in…" Mario said, entering as well.
Aqua shrugged her shoulders and followed suit, just glad to get inside. The home was pretty small, only a few rooms. Not even a second floor…but…that didn't seem right. "There's no staircase." She observed, covering the humble abode pretty quickly. "Yet the house is two stories…"
"Look! What's that?" Mario pointed out something at the ceiling. "Is that a lock?"
It was! There was a padlock on the ceiling! A large one! "A secret passage? Maybe Herringway is in there?" Spike remarked.
The Keyblade Master sighed, summoning her weapon. Well, she was already a suspect of murder, might as well keep up the pace to clear her name. Pointing the Keyblade at the lock, a beam of light erupted from the tip and went into the lock. With an audible click, the ceiling unfolded, and a hidden stairway appeared! Had to appreciate the Keyblade's ability to undo any lock…
"What the?! Who's there?!" A voice called from upstairs, a grey Bumpty with large eyebrows peering down.
"Are you Herringway?" Mario asked, looking to the Bumpty. "We need your help!"
The Bumpty hesitated before nodding. "Y…Yeah. I'm Herringway! How did you get that unlocked? Can't a writer have some privacy?!"
"We're sorry, but we need your help!" Aqua said, trying to avoid answering about the Keyblade as she put it away. "There was a murder!"
"A murder?!" Herringway exclaimed, hopping down the stairs. "Are you serious?!"
"That's right, Mayor Penguin. And he had a piece of paper with your name on it!" Spike declared, sounding a bit suspicious.
"Wait, there was?" Aqua asked, not remembering anyone saying that before.
Mario nodded. "I noticed it before the Mayor's Wife found us."
Aqua hadn't really thought about why Herringway had been brought up out of nowhere like that…but it suddenly made way more sense!
"My name…?" Herringway seemed flabbergasted. "Alright, I have to see this! This is ridiculous!" He seemed more annoyed than troubled as he pushed past the trio and made his way towards the Mayor's home.
The three followed behind until they got back to the scene of the crime, going into the back room. "Ah! Herringway!" The Bumpty Patrol exclaimed. "You're here to assist us, right?"
"I was told there was a piece of paper in the Mayor's flipper with my name on it!" The author exclaimed, staring in bewilderment at the corpse.
"What?! No way! I would have noticed!" The green Bumpty said, going over to the body and looking it over again. He took a piece of paper gripped in the Mayor's flipper. "Wait, that's right! Mayor Penguin has a note with your name on it, Herringway! He must have written it down as a clue!"
The author scoffed, folding his flippers, and shaking his head. "Preposterous! Mayor Penguin was my friend!"
"That makes it the perfect crime! No one would suspect you!" The Mayor's Wife declared, pointing accusingly at Herringway.
"First of all, I was in my secret study this entire time! I've been there for days! Second of all, if I was going to murder someone, I wouldn't let them leave a clue like that behind!" Herringway said.
The Bumpty Patrol shook his head. "I'm afraid this is all the proof we have, so-"
He was interrupted by a groan…one coming from the Mayor! Everyone froze and looked at him…and his body twitched! With another groan, he sat up, eyes open and rubbing the back of his head! "Oh…Goodness! That was quite the fall!" Mayor Penguin declared, getting to his feet. He paused and looked around. "Huh? What's everyone doing here?"
"Sweetheart! I thought you were dead!" The Mayor's Wife went over to him, giving him a hug.
"Dead?!" He exclaimed, flabbergasted. "Was I out that long?!"
"You were out for a while!" The Bumpty Patrol confirmed. "You even had a piece of paper in your flipper with Herringway's name on it!"
"That?" Mayor Penguin took the paper, looking at it. "Oh! I was preparing a gift for Herringway, but I guess I slipped and hit my head!"
The author glared at the Bumpty Patrol. "See? I'd never do such a horrid thing!"
The green Bumpty rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Gosh, I'm sorry. I guess it really was just a big misunderstanding." He turned to Mario, Spike, and Aqua, who were watching stunned at the side. "You three are good to go. You can go and come as you please. Sorry for thinking you were suspects…you too Herringway…"
"Well, I guess no harm was done." Herringway said, patting Mayor Penguin on the back. "I'm glad to see you're okay, old friend!"
With a few more apologies and some farewells, the author and the green Bumpty left the home. "Dear, I think these three wanted to talk to you about something. At least the man and Lakitu did…" The Mayor's Wife remarked.
"Oh? Really? Why's that?" Mayor Penguin asked as his wife left the room.
"We were hoping to know about the Crystal Palace." Mario explained. "We have to go there urgently!"
That seemed to surprise the Bumpty. "The Crystal Palace? That's pretty dangerous, but…I caused you quite a bit of trouble by accident, so I can tell you about it."
Spike spoke up. "Yeah, we know, but we have to go there! We don't have a choice!"
Aqua would stay quiet, just taking in the information about this Crystal Palace the three were discussing. Was that where the Princess was?
"Mmm…Well, okay…You'll have to go to Starborn Valley to reach it, which is through Shiver Snowfield." The Mayor explained, going over to a nearby table and writing something down on some parchment. "To get to the Palace itself, you'll have to talk to Merle. He's a friend of mine, and if you show him this, he'll help you out." Finishing the letter, Mayor Penguin handed it to Mario. "Just head to the other side of town and keep going. You'll come across Starborn Valley before long!"
"Thank you very much!" Mario said, taking the letter and putting it away. "I hope your head feels better…"
"Oh, I'll be fine!" Mayor Penguin said with a chortle. "I've had worse! You all be careful out there, okay? You're with these two, right young lady?" He asked Aqua.
The Keyblade Master nodded, a bit distraught at having to go out in the cold again. "That's right. Thank you for the help, Mayor Penguin."
With that, the three left the Mayor's home, moving through Shiver City towards their destination. "It's a good thing he didn't really die, or we might not be able to get to the Palace!" Spike declared with a sigh of relief.
"What's at this Crystal Palace? The Princess?" Aqua asked, lighting up another fireball in her hand to help keep warm.
"No, but there's something there that will help us rescue her." Mario said, him and Spike getting near Aqua to bask in the light warmth of her fire magic. "I take it you don't know much about what's going on? Ven didn't seem to know much either…"
Aqua nodded, making the fireball just a bit bigger for her two companions. Doing this for too long would make her tired, but she was sure she could keep it up for the trip at least. "You'd guess right. I'm from…pretty far away. I don't know what's going on at all."
Mario nodded in understanding, not seeming surprised. "Well, the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom, Princess Peach, was kidnapped by Bowser. He rules over the Koopas, and he stole something called the Star Rod."
"Without the Star Rod, no one can make wishes anymore!" Spike butted in, shaking his head. "And he took all the Star Spirits and trapped them, too! I…I used to work for him, but I turned over a new leaf! We only have one Star Spirit left, and we can't take him on without them!"
"And the Crystal Palace is where the last one is, then." Aqua confirmed, getting a nod from Mario and Spike as they made their way out of the city limits. "Seems straightforward enough. Do you know what this Crystal Palace place is like?"
Shaking his head, Mario answered. "Afraid not. We didn't even know how to get there until we spoke with Mayor Penguin. The Star Spirit is sure to be guarded by someone powerful, just like the others."
So, it wouldn't be as easy as just going in to grab it. The three stayed on the path leading out of Shiver City. It was barely visible from the fallen snow, but clearly manmade (Bumptymade?) with fences on either side. "Alright, I'll make sure to help you with the Star Spirit and helping you rescue the Princess." Aqua had a strong feeling she was a Princess of Heart. It had to be the reason she was drawn to this world…
"Oh, thank you! We appreciate that!" Mario exclaimed, beaming at Aqua. "It won't be easy, but with the three of us working together, we-"
Mario was cut off as something lunged out of the snow ahead of them! Something small that brushed the lingering white powder off of it. "Brrrr! Bwa!" It exclaimed, the voice of a child ringing out. What came from the snow pile was not what Aqua was expecting! It seemed to be a turtle of some kind, but quite small and still in its egg. Or at least, it wore the top half like a helmet, and the bottom half almost like a pair of pants.
"Oh no…" Mario murmured, taking a defensive stance as the trio stopped in place. "Jr. Troopa again…"
The small turtle, Jr. Troopa, pointed an accusing finger at Mario. "I've been waiting for you, Mario! I was waiting forever!" He sniffled, shuddering a bit from the cold. "I thought I was going to freeze! What took you so long?! This place is icy and cold and nasty, and I hate it!" He looked at Spike and Aqua, frowning. "You having new friends won't help either! I'm going to beat you up quickly and get somewhere warm!"
Aqua was just flabbergasted at the sight. This Jr. Troopa seemed to just be a kid! Was he picking fights with Mario? "Uh…Who is this?" Aqua asked, not sure how to really react to things. "Is he just a kid?"
"He is, but he's tougher than he looks…" Mario said, sounding more exasperated than anything else.
"Wait, I remember you telling me about this guy!" Spike exclaimed, pointing at Jr. Troopa. "Hey! Haven't you gotten beaten up enough?!"
That just surprised Aqua even more. "Wait, you fought back?!" Was that really okay in this world? She wasn't really sure she was willing to fight against an actual child, even one that was tougher than he looked…
"Hey! Shut up!" Jr. Troopa retorted with a snarl and a shiver. "I've gotten way stronger than last time! Check this out!" He shouted out, holding out one of his stubby hands, and in it a gnarled staff appeared. "I've taken some lessons in magic! You'll be my final course, Mario!"
Before anyone could do anything, Jr. Troopa waved the wand, and a surge of power came forth! The wand fired what seemed to be geometric shapes, a circle an X and a square, that shot towards the trio.
Not expecting this, Aqua barely dodged out of the way. Apparently, Jr. Troopa needed to work on his aim because the attack didn't even hit Mario. Instead, it hit Spike, knocking him right off his cloud! "Augh! What the heck was that?!" He exclaimed, crawling back to his cloud, not seeming able to walk properly.
"Ahahaha!" Jr. Troopa gloated, dancing in place in a fit of minor triumph…or to keep warm. "See?! How do you like that?!"
Jr. Troopa would fire off three more of those blasts, aiming for each member of the trio. It was only at this point that Aqua finally got Rainfell ready. She still wasn't sure about actually fighting, but this kid really did seem strong! The Keyblade Master blocked the incoming spell with Rainfell, getting scooted back a bit which surprised her.
Spike hovered around the attack and took out a strange ball covered in spines and chucked it at the spell coming towards him. The attack connected, and the ball was sent flying away. Mario took out a large mallet and hit the attack aimed at him, dispelling it before readying a counterattack. The man in overalls thrust his hand forward and a fireball shot out, hitting Jr. Troopa square in the chest.
"Yeeeowch!" The foe exclaimed, flopping down onto the snow belly-first. "That's not fair at all! Mario, you cheater!"
How that was cheating, exactly, was beyond Aqua, but she was shocked at how little damage the attack actually did. "Let me handle this!" She shouted, rushing towards the temporarily downed foe. The Keyblade Master wanted to end this without having to smack a child with Rainfell…
"Hey! Wait! I'm not ready!" Jr. Troopa exclaimed, struggling to stand up with one of his hands still clutching the wand.
"Sleep!" Aqua shouted out, aiming her Keyblade at Jr. Troopa. The spell made a wave of magic disperse, the range falling just short of Mario and Spike. As she hoped, the spell worked like a charm! Jr. Troopa let out a noise of resistance before collapsing eyes closed.
A few seconds passed, and he let out a loud snore.
"Did…you just put him to sleep?!" Spike exclaimed, flabbergasted at what he just saw.
Aqua nodded, hoping that Jr. Troopa's age, small size, and exhaustion from waiting in the freezing snow would help the Sleep spell work. It wasn't too reliable of a spell to begin with, especially on someone wide awake. "That's right. He should be out for a couple of minutes. Maybe more if he was really tired."
Mario seemed satisfied, putting the hammer away. "Spike, could you take him to Shiver City? Since you have that cloud and all…"
"Oh, yeah…wouldn't want him freezing out here…" The Lakitu remarked, doing as Mario asked and picking Jr. Troopa up from the ground. "You two go ahead, and I'll catch up!"
Aqua and Mario went on as Spike took the fallen opponent somewhere warm. Putting Rainfell away, Aqua looked to her companion. "So…what's the story there? With that Jr. Troopa kid?"
The mustachioed man sighed as Aqua brought about another fireball to keep them warm. "A while ago, I trespassed on his 'turf' and he's been picking fights ever since. He's gotten very strong very fast…"
He was buried in the snow for who knew how long, which by itself was pretty impressive to Aqua. "Well, that's unfortunate…I was pretty shocked to be forced in a fight with a child."
"Trust me, he hardly gives me any choice." Mario replied, rubbing the back of his neck. At this point, Spike already caught up with the two! "That was fast!"
"Well, a Bumpty near the city entrance took him off my hands." The Lakitu replied. "I was more than happy to let him have the little twerp!"
By this time, the manmade path had reached its end, as did the fencing. It was all snowfields and icy rocks at this point, an incline going upwards slowly. If Aqua wasn't just imagining things, it had also suddenly gotten a lot colder! She could only make the fireball so big before it became dangerous…
"Do you know what Frost Piranhas or Gulpits are?" Aqua asked, looking about the snowy area for danger. "One of the Bumpties warned me about them."
"I don't know about Gulpits, but Piranha Plants are hardly anything new." Mario said with a shrug, almost like it wasn't a huge deal.
Piranha…Plants? That was pretty odd. Frost Piranhas were an odd thing to think about outside the water too, but Aqua thought these would be animals! As she thought this over, the Keyblade Master noticed a lump in the snow ahead, a mound that seemed to be moving right towards them! "I think we have company!" She called out, summoning Rainfell in her free hand.
As Aqua said this, the mound broke apart and something large emerged! It was essentially a stalk with a large blue bulbous head and a mouth full of teeth! "Frost Piranha!" Spike called out.
From reflex, Aqua shot the fireball in her hand right in the Frost Piranha's face. It let out a shriek and buried itself back into the ground. At this moment, two more burrows appeared in the snow, the first Frost Piranha joining them as they circled the trio.
At once, the three attacking enemies burst from the ground, but were met with a savage counterattack. Aqua shot out a large fireball from Rainfell and singed the Frost Piranha in front of her. It squealed out in pain and burrowed itself into the ground once more, but this time fleeing. Mario slammed his hammer into the side of his Frost Piranha's face, knocking it to the ground and making it go unconscious.
Spike flew backwards from the last Frost Piranha, throwing two of those spiked orbs at it. The opponent shrieked out in pain, shaking vigorously to try and get them off, but the spikes just dug in instead. Frantically, it too burrowed back into the snow and retreated.
"Mobile…biting plants…I never thought I'd see something like that." Aqua said, surprised at the encounter. Not nearly as bad as whatever was beneath that well in Kakariko Village, at least.
"If you think that was strange, you'd be surprised at some of the things in the Mushroom Kingdom." Mario said, putting his hammer away.
"I'm not surprised. Penguins and turtles don't tend to talk where I'm from." Aqua remarked, glancing to Spike. Once more, she summoned a fireball to keep them warm as they went on. "Say, what exactly does the Star Rod do? You said you needed these Star Spirits or else you couldn't beat Bowser."
"It makes him invincible if you can believe it. I fought him when he had it, but my attacks just bounced off of him!" Mario remarked. "With all the Star Spirits, we should be able to actually hurt him…"
That really was a terrifying power! Aqua wondered if the Star Spirits were enough to actually stop something like that. She'd have to just see, she supposed. As the three went, they saw a strange amphibious creature, like some sort of reptile. It was burly and tall, taller than Aqua or maybe even Terra! It stood on its hind legs, its beady eyes falling on the group.
The creature, surely a Gulpit, sniffed the air and started to approach the trio. Before it could reach them, a booming voice called out into the air. "Tuuurn baaack!" This caused the Gulpit to cry out and run into the pine trees and out of sight. Before the trio, an unusual creature appeared. It was bloblike with two arms and a ghostly tail, making it float in midair. "Come no further or I, Monstar, will devour you!" It spoke in an odd way, as though several voices were speaking at once!
"What is that thing?!" Aqua called out, summoning Rainfell. "Monstar…?" It really seemed odd, but in a way that she couldn't quite put her finger on.
"I don't know! I've never seen something like this before!" Mario replied, getting his hammer ready.
"Bahahaha!" Monstar bellowed, seeming to puff up its body further. "Scared huh?! I'm a pretty scary monster! You should just turn around and leave!"
Spike shook his head. "No way! You're not that scary!" The Lakitu challenged.
"Whaaat?!" The creature bellowed. "Fine then! I will kill you! And then I will eat you!" Its body puffed up further, energy building up visibly around it. "Take THIS!" It roared, letting the energy out.
A dazzling display of lights came forth, stars raining down from the air! They were physical, five pointed stars rather than literal ones. The trio tried dodging around or deflecting them, but there were too many! Each one managed to get hit and…
It…kind of hurt.
A bit.
The three of them were surprised after the attacks bounced off. Sure, it sort of hurt, but kind of like getting hit really hard with a pillow or something. "Uh…What…?" Spike murmured, looking to the creature in confusion.
"Bahahaha!" Monstar laughed once more. "You can still run if you'd like! Or do you want to face my wrath once more?!"
Aqua didn't really understand what was going on or why this monster was so weak, but she wasn't about to ask questions. While Monstar was gloated, she charged forward and shot up into the air. Letting Thunder magic crackle around Rainfell, she slashed at Monstar's chest, unleashing her magic, and letting out a loud boom as a result.
When Aqua landed on the ground, Monster let out a sharp cry of pain. "Aaauuugh! This isn't good! Run awaaay!" As it shouted this, its form started to fade away! As this happened, it was revealed that there were a number of five point star creatures in its place! They were small and seemed afraid, quickly flying in the opposite direction.
"What were those things?" Aqua asked, staring off at the fleeing stars. That must be why the monster felt so off. It was a bunch of those star things in disguise!
"Those were Star Kids! I know one named Twink!" Mario exclaimed, pointing at where they fled towards.
"Maybe…they were just trying to guard Starborn Valley?" Spike offered.
Well that just made Aqua feel bad! She had no idea she was attacking kids! "Oh…I hope they're alright…"
"They seemed fine. It's not like you knew." Spike remarked as the three rushed forward.
Chasing after the fleeing Star Kids, the trio soon found themselves in a small village. The houses were nestled on raised rock formations of the mountains. The Star Kids they fought fly into one of the houses, while others lingered about. There were also unusual black creatures with little horns as well.
"This has to be Starborn Valley." Mario said, looking as a figure approached them.
He was adorned in a cloak and had a face that was coal black with yellow eyes and a large mustache. "You there. You're Mario aren't you?" The man asked, looking to the plumber.
"That's right. You know me?" Mario asked, looking over the man. "You're a Shaman like Merlon! Are you Merle?"
"Indeed!" Merle responded, glancing to the house the Star Kids ducked into. "Sorry about that violent welcome. The Star Kids are merely trying to protect their home. The Ninji and I can only do so much."
Aqua shook her head, still feeling bad about her attack. "That's alright. I hope I didn't hurt them too badly."
Merle chuckled, shaking his head. "They may be small, but Star Kids are more resilient than you'd expect! They're fine, don't you worry."
"Wait, so you knew we were coming?" Spike asked.
"That's right. I foresaw it in my dreams." The Shaman replied.
"So…we got that letter from Mayor Penguin for nothing?" Spike went on, seeming annoyed.
Once more, Merle laughed a bit. "It seems so! He sometimes forgets how much I can know. Speaking of which, I know you three are trying to get to the Crystal Palace."
"You can help us, right?" Mario asked, hopeful.
"Of course! In fact, you can't proceed without me! You see, there is only one path to the Crystal Palace, and it is guarded by the spirit of my ancestor's spirit, Madam Merlar. Only I know the spell to stir her from her slumber."
Aqua was relieved, glad there wasn't any trouble from the Monstar incident. "Great!" She said, hoping that the Crystal Palace was at least a bit warm. "How far is the palace?"
"Not too far." Merle replied, staring to lead the trio through the village. The Star Kids and Ninji watched them go. "It actually used to be a place to honor the Star Spirits…but it has faded from memory. A darkness comes from the area, though. This darkness even seems to have stopped the Star Kids from ascending to Star Haven! Most unfortunate…"
The Keyblade Master didn't quite understand what that meant, but if darkness was preventing it, the situation had to be dire. The four would walk out of the village and towards the mountain ahead, reaching a wall of stone and ice. It was unremarkable at first, but the newcomers soon saw a star-shaped crystal in the wall.
"What's that?" Spike asked, pointing to the object.
"That is where Madam Merlar resides." Merle replied. "Please, give me a moment." He closed his eyes, his hands reaching towards the object, but not quite touching it. The air lightly hummed with energy, and suddenly a figure appeared!
It was another Shaman, a female one, and she was partly transparent. "Hm…? Merle, is that you?" Madam Merlar asked. "Who are these three? Wait…that's Mario, isn't it?" She pointed to the mustachioed man.
"You know me too?" Mario asked, surprised. "You Shamans really know a lot…"
That caused Madam Merlar to chuckle. "Yes. I even foresaw our little visitor here. You're from quite far, aren't you Aqua?"
Aqua's eyes widened. Did…Madam Merlar realize she was from another world. "That's right. I hope that's not an issue."
"Not at all, dear. Not at all." Madam Merlar said. "I shall open the way to the Crystal Palace for you. But first, you must know of its history! It's very important!"
Merle cleared his throat. "I hate to interrupt, but this is quite an urgent matter…"
"That's true!" Madam Merlar exclaimed. "I'll tell you the abridged version! You see, one day a terrible thing happened up on Shiver Mountain, where the Crystal Palace resides! I ran as fast as I could, which was quite fast indeed! It was both horrible and amazing! I…and…then…"
Aqua tried to pay attention, she really did, but the Shaman just kept rambling on and on! Even the cold stopped really bothering her as she spaced out while the spirit went on. Mario's eyes drooped, while Spike seemed to fall asleep right there on his cloud. Only Merle seemed to be paying any attention.
"…fantastic…all sorts of lights…really it's true…and then after that…" Madam Merlar's words jumbled together, practically a blur. All of a sudden, she exclaimed. "Hey! You three! You're listening, right?!"
The three of them jolted, Spike mumbling something under his breath. "Y…Yes! Of course!" Aqua insisted.
Madam Merlar looked at them, her nearly vacant face hard to read. "…Okay then…" She didn't seem to quite believe them. "Well, one day I'll tell you the full story. For now, you must stop the darkness radiating from the palace!" With that, the apparition faded away. The star-shaped crystal glowed, and a rumbling broke out.
Before the quartet's eyes, the icy wall split apart, revealing a pathway forward! "Oh wow…" Mario whispered.
"There! This is where we part ways." Merle said, clearing his throat. "I apologize about my ancestor. She really loves that story."
"It's fine. No harm done." Mario insisted.
"If you say so." Spike remarked dryly.
"In any case. I wish you three luck. I don't know what you'll find in there, but it will be dangerous, that much I know." Merle said, giving a nod of the head as he went back towards Starborn Valley.
With the Shaman leaving them, the trio went forward down the new path. It was a bit claustrophobic, a narrow pathway of snow with icy walls on either side. The pathway soon gave way into a cave system. Aqua used her fireball to light the way, and thankfully there was a lack of biting wind and snowfall within the cave.
There was no opposition during this time, the cavern deathly quiet save for the footsteps of Mario and Aqua. Before too long, a light at the end of the tunnel opened up to a more open area, yet still surrounded by icy walls like a prison. The only thing of note was a massive building.
It was the Crystal Palace, and it truly earned its name. In the faint sunlight obscured by snow clouds, the building sparkled lightly and truly seemed to be some sort of mix of ice and actual crystal in appearance. There did seem to be some sort of darkness radiating from it, a sort of energy that the trio could feel without even stepping foot inside.
The large red double doors leading inside were unguarded. Though with such a remote location, who needed outside surveillance? Aqua pushed the doors open, the trio walking inside. The interior to the palace was significantly warmer than outside, but there was still a nasty chill to the air. The flooring was marble, and each wall was taken up by massive mirrors.
Walking forward, the three instantly felt like something was watching them. There were no hiding places for prying eyes, yet it still seemed like someone was following them. Aqua had Rainfell at the ready, eyes out for danger, maybe even Unversed. Yet, as they went on, nothing at all happened. There were doors off to the sides, which they would check out, but they simply led to empty rooms with nothing of note. It really seemed like whoever lived in the palace took everything and left one day.
"This place is creepy…it's so empty…" Spike murmured as they went through another set of doors to another mirrored hallway.
"How could anyone live here if it's so secluded?" Aqua chimed in. "No way to get more food or anything like that…" She felt uneased, like something was off. "Mario, what do you think?"
Yet, when Aqua turned around, Mario was gone!
"Hey, where did he go?!" Spike exclaimed, looking about. It wasn't as if there was somewhere for him to hide or veer off to. It was just another straight hallway! And the both of them swore he had been right behind them…
Before the two could act further, a section of the mirror opened up, like some sort of trap door, and Mario emerged. "There you two are! I thought I lost you!"
Yet, before Aqua or Spike could react to that, the door ahead of them slammed open. Out came…Mario? Yes, there were two Marios! "Don't listen to him! Get away!" The second Mario shouted.
The two mustachioed men ran towards each other, stopping mere feet away to glare at one another.
"What…What's going on?!" Aqua exclaimed, getting into a defensive position. Was this some sort of dark magic?
"He's an imposter!" The first Mario said, pointing at the supposed copy.
"No! He's an imposter!" The second Mario retorted, pointing right back.
Spike looked back and forth between the two Marios. "Uh…Crud…they look exactly the same…What do we do?"
Aqua was stunned too…but she was able to think on her feet quicker than Spike. "You think a disguise will fool me? Mario and I have been friends for years!" She spoke vaguely to the both of them, not explicitly looking at either one.
The second Mario let out a bark of laughter. "Good! So, you know it's me, then!"
"Gotcha." Aqua said, shooting out a Fire spell at the second Mario, knocking him off his feet.
The doppelganger yelled out, rolling out the fire. As he did this, a puff of white smoke came from seemingly nowhere, and when it cleared, the Mario was gone! In his place was a strange creature! It looked like a living bedsheet, with two eyeholes and a hole for the mouth. "How did you know I was a Duplighost?!" It remarked, standing upright.
"Mario and I met just today, that's how." Aqua replied, aiming Rainfell at the creature again. "Why did you do that?"
"Can't a guy play a little prank?" The Duplighost wondered angrily. It floated up into the air, its sheet-like body fluttering. Letting out a cry, it flew towards Aqua, but was countered as Mario jumped in the air and slammed his hammer on its head, knocking it to the floor and making it lose consciousness.
"Thanks…How did you get separated from us, though?" Aqua asked, looking at the unusual creature.
The plumber looked from the Duplighost to his companions. "The floor just opened up under me, and I was too stunned to even yell out." He explained. "I found myself in a passageway and ended up coming out of the mirror! It must have been the Duplighost that set it up!"
"That's concerning…but at least we have a way to know which one is real. Just have to say something or ask a question it wouldn't be able to know." Aqua found it pretty eerie just how perfectly the ghostly figure had copied Mario.
"We should walk side-by-side, so that doesn't happen again!" Spike remarked, despite not doing any walking himself.
And that's what they did, walking together to make sure the other two never left their side. This was most likely why little happened after that point. If there were other Duplighosts about, it seemed they were too cowardly to strike when they didn't have an advantage.
After going through more hallways and up a few sets of stairs, the three reached a large chamber. Like with the rest of the palace before, the side walls were taken up entirely by mirrors. Unlike those hallways, though, there was something already there awaiting them.
In the middle of the room were three white dinosaur looking creatures. On the far wall was a set of large double doors protected by white turtles with spiked maces.
"Albino Dinos and White Clubbas…" Mario remarked as the Dinos sniffed the air at the intruders' entrance. "Stronger than the Duplighost for sure!"
"Intruders!" One of the Clubbas shouted, brandishing its mace. "Intruders! Get them, Albino Dinos!"
Without further hesitation, the three dinosaurs charged forward, roaring out and footsteps thundering across the room.
Splitting apart, each member of the trio took on one of the Dinos.
Aqua got Rainfell ready and when her opponent charged and blocked. The Dino was strong, pushing the Keyblade Master back as she kept the guard up. The two were quickly at a standstill, Aqua pushing back against her opponent as it tried to mow her down but failing to take another step forward. Letting out a cry she forced her Keyblade forward, slashing her opponent across the face and forcing it back.
Mario jumped onto the Albino Dino that charged at him, landing on its back. With a great amount of force, he stomped on it with both feet before jumping behind it. When it turned around, the monster got a face full of hammer, smacking it right between the eyes and knocking it out.
Spike had a pretty easy time, being too quick on his cloud for the Albino Dino to even reach him. He would throw Spinies at it, the spikes digging into even the thick exterior of the dinosaur. It'd roar out in pain, charging blindly as Spike swiftly dodged more and more. They weren't doing enough damage to actually defeat it, though. So, he decided to bust out a more powerful attack! His cloud inhaled before unleashing a powerful Aero spell, one large enough to send the Albino Dino flying. It slammed into the one Mario knocked out, making sure both of them lost consciousness, but also knocked the plumber over as well.
"Ooh…Sorry!" Spike called as Mario was on his back.
The mustachioed man was too disoriented from the sudden clonk to the head to notice what Spike said. He did see Aqua standing over him, offering a hand. "You alright?" She asked.
"Mmm…Yeah, I'll be fine." Mario replied, reaching for her hand.
The real Aqua was still fighting her Albino Dino when she noticed a copy getting near Mario! Not on her watch! She charged at the fake Aqua, slashing her in the back with Rainfell and causing her to cry out. In a puff of smoke, the copy turned out to be another Duplighost, which collapsed unconscious. The Albino Dino kept its charge for Aqua, but she turned around and shot a Fire spell at it, knocking it out.
Mario watched, wide-eyed as he nearly got tricked. "Oh…Wow, thanks Aqua! I didn't notice that was a Duplighost!"
"I didn't even see when it snuck in." Mario remarked, looking at the unconscious body, then at the three knocked out Dinos. "Well, we only have those guards now…"
The two White Clubbas seemed nonplused by the violence that unfolded in front of them. "Intruders! Charge!" One bellowed and the two marched forward.
"I'll take care of them!" Aqua said, raising Rainfell and unleashing a Thunder spell. Several bolts struck around the two Clubbas, with a pair of said bolts hitting the maces. This caused the guards to be electrocuted harshly and making them collapse to the floor.
"You really have a lot of tricks up your sleeve, huh?" Spike remarked as the three walked past the unconscious Clubbas. "Fire, sleep magic, thunderbolts…"
Aqua gave a small shrug. "I had a good teacher." Master Eraqus had told her she was exceptionally gifted with magic, but she tried not to let his praise get to her head. Though it was objectively factual that her magic surpassed Ventus' and Terra's greatly…
Prepared for a harsh fight, the three opened the doors to the next room, assuming it was where the Star Spirit would be held. There had been no guards anywhere in the palace, after all, so the next room had to be important.
As it turned out, they were quite correct! The trio found themselves in an even larger chamber, a rich blue carpet rolled out to an empty crystal throne. There was little else in the room save for a prism high up near the ceiling that seemed to be made of crystal as well. Inside of it was a large card with a starlike being on it!
"That's it! The last Star Spirit!" Mario exclaimed, pointing at the prism. Looking around, he frowned lightly. "Where is Bowser's minion? It couldn't just have been those Clubbas and Dinos…"
"You would be correct, Mario." A male voice range out, a deep and menacing one. "And it doesn't matter how much backup you have. This palace will be your tomb."
Looking about, the three saw no one. No source for the voice at all. "Show yourself, whoever you are!" Aqua called, brandishing Rainfell.
"Look again. Right ahead." The voice called. At this, the three looked to the throne and there was suddenly a figure sitting in it! A rather unusual figure, at that. It simply seemed to be a set of royal robes colored blue and white. Above where the head should be was a crown of ice or crystal, nestled above a set of glowing yellow eyes. Save for these eyes, the figure seemed entirely invisible. "I am the Crystal King, and you are trespassing! King Bowser trusted me with this Star Spirit, and I will guard it with my life!"
"I don't care if you're the king of this palace!" Spike exclaimed. "You can't just hold Star Spirits prisoner! That's messed up!"
The Crystal King let out a single bark of amused laughter. "Well, an answer like that is expected from the likes of you." He'd stand up, raising his invisible arms. "Then let this place consume you in cold and darkness!"
A mighty wind started to stir within the room. It bit at the three with bitter cold and had a taste of darkness to it. It was so powerful that the trio had to put in great effort not to be blown over! It was worse for poor Spike, who had no feet to root himself with.
This would turn out to hardly matter, as the wind would get colder and colder, ice particles starting to become apparent. With a concentrated gust, all the effort would go to Spike, who would shout out before a prism of ice surrounded his body.
"Lakilester!" Mario exclaimed, using the Lakitu's real name in distress. He'd turn to glare at the Crystal King as the wind died down. Without another word, the plumber charged forward, but as he did so, the invisible monarch took to the air and out of range.
"Mmm…My aim was off. I meant to entrap you in ice, Mario. I haven't had to really fight in ages." The Crystal King droned on, as if the entire situation was a dull chore he was stuck with.
Mario may have been unable to reach his opponent, but Aqua wasn't! Angered by endangering her companion, the Keyblade Master pointed Rainfell at the Crystal King. She unleashed her Bubble Blaster, orbs of magically infused water shooting forth from her weapon and to her foe. They moved quickly and would be able to reach all the way to the ceiling if needed!
The Crystal King turned around with a startled grunt, as if just remembering that Aqua was even there. "Bubbles?" He asked, seeming amused. When the first few hit, however, he was shocked as they actually dealt damage! The magic was released when they burst, dealing damage to opponents.
Floating away from further bubbles, the Crystal King summoned icicles that shot towards Aqua, forcing her to stop her attack to dodge. Charging forward, the Keyblade Master and Mario silently proposed a plan of attack. Aqua left up into the air, erecting a barrier around herself, which the plumber leapt onto. When the barrier dispelled, Mario jumped at the same time, giving him a massive boost in how high he'd go.
Taking out his hammer, Mario gave a powerful swing straight down, hitting the Crystal King on the crown. Letting out a grunt of pain, the floating foe shot towards the ground. Aqua was ready, leaping at her opponent and readying Rainfell. Unfortunately, the Crystal King saw her coming and projected a wall of ice to protect himself from her swing, the Keyblade clashing at the ice uselessly.
The Crystal King would summon three Crystal Bits, a circle, cube, and diamond shaped objects with yellow eyes like their master. They flew towards Aqua, who only had reflexes fast enough to slash two away. The third hit her square in the gut, packing more of a punch than something that small had any right to! It was enough to knock her out of their and land harshly on the floor.
Mario fell towards the opponent, hammer put away and fireball at the ready. The Crystal King had been so distracted with Aqua that he wasn't able to dodge the attack, Mario only unleashing it when he got close enough to hit the monarch at point blank range.
Howling with pain, the Crystal Pain floated backwards. "Meddlesome brats…" He murmured darkly, snarling as Aqua got up. "I'll freeze you both where you stand!" Once more, he summoned a harsh and bitterly cold wind. Ice particles danced through the air like birds of prey.
"Quick, get behind me, Mario!" Aqua called, getting Rainfell ready. Mario did as instructed, running behind his companion. Magic at the ready, the Keyblade Master spun her weapon around in a circle, a powerful barrier forming as a result. When the wind came at the two, it scooted them back, the barrier not seeming to be enough. Aqua wouldn't yield, however, not even when massive ice crystals started to form in the air and ram into the barrier. She held strong, grunting with effort.
"Stubborn too…" The Crystal King remarked, the wind dying down. He summoned icicles, each one as long as Rainfell itself. Unlike the previous attack, these came from all directions and shot towards the duo.
With a cry of effort, Aqua made the barrier grow so it surrounded the two in a sphere. With all the magic she had used that day, not having had a chance to rest since leaving The Land of Departure, she was starting to wear down. Still, her barrier was enough to stop the icicles, the projectiles shattering on impact.
"Are you okay, Aqua?" Mario asked as the barrier went down, the young woman panting.
"Yeah…I don't know how much more magic I can use, though." She replied, glaring at the Crystal King. "I think Fire would be most useful…I have enough in me for one massive attack. I'll need your help, though." As it turned out, practicing magic in a safe environment, and actually using it all day were two very different things!
Nodding, Mario gathered his energy as well. "I understand." Fire was his main magical specialty, after all.
The two held out their hands, building up their Fire magic, putting their all into this one attack. The Crystal King saw exactly what they were trying to do, summoning a massive icicle, twisted like a drill. With a cry, he let it fly at them, spinning rapidly as it approached.
Mario and Aqua released a powerful Fire spell, nearly a Firaga, which took the form of a pillar of flame. It burst forward, spearing right through the ice drill, and hitting the Crystal King. The opponent let out a howl as the spell consumed him, the crackling of fire and intense heat filling the entire room.
When the spell cleared, the throne was a mere puddle on the floor, and the Crystal King was nowhere to be found. Mario and Aqua were both exhausted, panting heavily as they stood in place. "Did we get him…?" The Keyblade Master asked, knowing she couldn't perform a feat like that again without rest.
The answer came with a loud cracking sound from above. Looking up, the duo saw the prism holding the Star Spirit was starting to break apart! Within moments, it shattered, and the card descended to the floor. With a bright flash, the Star Spirit itself was freed!
This Star Spirit was yellow in color, with kind eyes and a bushy brown mustache. "I'm freed!" He exclaimed excitedly. "Oh, it was so cold in there! Thank you, both of you! My name is Kalmar, and I am in your debt!"
Aqua felt the darkness from the area seeping away with ever word that Kalmar spoke. The temperature seemed to rise a bit as well. It was still cold, but not as bad. "Thank goodness that last attack worked…" Mario said, then looked to Spike. "Wait! Our friend!"
Kalmar looked to Spike. "Oh! Don't worry, I can help him. In fact, you two look like you need a pick-me-up as well." With a wave of its arm, the ice around the Lakitu started to melt. The trio of heroes felt energized as well, any and all wounds healing entirely.
The Keyblade Master flexed her hands, looking down at them. She really felt good as new, as if she had just gotten more than enough rest! "Oh wow…that's impressive magic!" The way Kalmar did it so casually!
Shivering a bit, Spike floated over to the rest of the group. "Thanks for that! Man, it was bad in there! Sorry I couldn't help out more…"
"It's fine, we're just glad you're okay." Mario said, patting Spike on the shoulder.
"With this, all the Star Spirits are freed." Kalmar stated. "You must make your way back to Shooting Star Summit. There, the other Star Spirits and I will prepare a way for you to get to Bowser."
Mario nodded. "We understand. We'll go straight there!"
"Thank you. We truly are thankful for everything." Spinning in place, Kalmar soon vanished in a flash of light.
"We have no time to waste, do we?" Aqua said, looking to the way back. "I'll keep helping out until the Princess is safe." After all, she couldn't just turn back and leave with a friend in need at the final leg of his journey!
"You're a real lifesaver, literally." Spike said, looking to Aqua. "Come on then, let's go kick Bowser's butt!"
The Lakitu went ahead, Mario and Aqua jogging lightly to catch up as they went back towards the exit to the Crystal Palace.
Terra followed where Master Xehanort's voice guided him. It was to a world that, from what he could see, was very barren. The world seemed to be little more than cracked earth and dust. There were many clouds, though, which hid a lot of it from view. The young man flew downward, realizing something. This was a sort of badlands he was approaching, a place that seemed like it could have easily been torn apart by war! This was it, the place Kammy had told him about!
When Terra got closer, he came across a massive, raised piece of earth, and near the edge stood a familiar figure. "Master Xehanort!" He exclaimed, approaching the elderly man. Landing, Terra would dismiss his glider and armor. "Master Xehanort, what are you doing out here? Why did you call me?"
The old man looked to Terra with a solemn expression. "I've been to numerous worlds, my boy." Master Xehanort replied, not seeming too happy. "In doing so, I've attempted to safeguard the light from the demon I unleashed. You've surely heard of him by now…the boy in the mask…"
Eyes widening, Terra took a step forward, feeling hopeful. "You know about him? Do you know who he is?" Still, the elderly man's words worried him. The demon he unleashed…?
"His name is Vanitas." Master Xehanort said grimly. "He's a creature of pure darkness…one of my creation."
"Vanitas…" Terra echoed, taking in the information. He was surprised an entity of darkness could even have a proper name. "What do you mean you created him? Why would you do something like that?"
Master Xehanort looked to Terra; a light look of offense on his face. "Oh, you misunderstand me, Terra. "It was not something I had set out to do on purpose! I'd never try something so foolish!
"Well, where did he come from then?" Terra pressed, really not liking what he was hearing.
"He came from Ventus." Master Xehanort replied simply.
That…no…that couldn't be true. "What do you mean by that?!" Terra demanded, forgetting his manners in the presence of a Keyblade Master.
"You see, Vanitas is the darkness that had resided within Ventus' heart." The old man sighed, dejected. "It was a terrible accident while he was my pupil, one that occurred while we were in the midst of training. He had succumbed to darkness, as improbable as that may sound. Sadly, I had but one way to save him, to forcefully remove all darkness within him. As a result, Vanitas was born. Sentient. Powerful. Dangerous."
Terra wasn't sure how to process all this. Ventus had never mentioned anything like this…but of course, the younger student had never had a firm grasp on his memory. "Is that why Ven can't remember anything? Is that why he was in shambles when you brought him to The Land of Departure?"
Nodding, Master Xehanort stared at the ground, appearing too ashamed to even look Terra in the face. "Yes…it scarred his heart in a horrible way." He raised a hand to his face, burying the upper half in his palm. "His memories shattered, and it seemed as though he may have perished…but by some miracle, he lived. Despite that…I haven't been able to forgive myself…"
"So…you left him with Master Eraqus?" Terra asked, starting to feel bad for Master Xehanort. The older man seemed so distraught by his past actions…
"That's correct. I felt that Ventus should no longer be with the man that had done him such grievous harm. I had nearly snuffed out his light once, and he just barely hung on. Who's to say something worse wouldn't happen later on?" Master Xehanort lowered his hand, letting out a sigh.
Terra approached the old man, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Master Xehanort, Ven has gotten so much better since then. I'm sure you noticed during your last visit. He's no longer the quiet boy he once was." Indeed, when Ventus had first arrived at The Land of Departure, he was practically a shell of a boy. Over the years, though, he had improved greatly. "I'm sure you did everything in your power to prevent any harm from coming to him, right?"
Master Xehanort seemed touched by Terra's comforting actions and words. "Ah…It really eases my heart to hear someone say that…Thank you…" The old man said in a lightly melancholy way. "Still, I find it hard to excuse my actions despite that. Though I did notice he was far livelier in my short visit. Much more than when I had last seen him."
The young man smiled, finding his own heart at ease, realizing that this explained what happened when he and Ventus had first met…
It had been a surprise, getting a third student at The Land of Departure. Since Terra had found himself under Master Eraqus' wing, Aqua had been the only new student, and that had been a number of years.
Then, out of the blue, a man called Master Xehanort arrived, he and Master Eraqus going off to talk privately, leaving a young boy behind. He seemed unusually quiet, staring mostly at the floor, and not having had said a word of greeting to Master Eraqus.
So, Terra and Aqua approached the boy, who lingered near the entrance to the castle as if he had no idea what else to do. His eyes were dull, almost lifeless, like some kind of doll. "Hey there." Terra greeted, putting on a welcoming demeanor. "We overheard a bit of what the Masters were saying. You're here to train with us?"
"Where are you from?" Aqua had asked, seeming excited for a new face. Not that she minded being with just Master Eraqus and Terra at all, but a new arrival was still exciting! "That man…I think our own Master called him Xehanort? You're a Keyblade wielder like us, right?"
Ventus groaned out, as if the duo's words physically harmed him. His noises got louder and louder, and then suddenly he collapsed to his knees, gripping his head, and yelling out in apparent agony!
"Are you okay?!" Terra asked, unsure of what to do or how to help the stranger.
Before Aqua could say anything herself, Master Eraqus' voice called from behind. "What did you do?!"
The students looked to see the two Masters approaching. By this point, Ventus had gone silent, passing out from whatever had ailed him. "We only asked him a few questions…we just wanted to know where he had come from." Aqua insisted, watching as Master Xehanort knelt down and checked the boy's condition.
"I'm afraid that is impossible." Master Eraqus replied solemnly. "He can't tell you anything, because he cannot remember anything…"
That had been the first and only time Terra or Aqua tried to pry information from Ventus. The two had been curious about his past, of course, but didn't want to ever hurt him by trying to make him remember, so they had agreed to keep silent about it.
Still, something bothered Terra.
"Master Xehanort…if this happened years ago, why is Vanitas still out there?" Surely someone as capable of a Keyblade Master could have put a stop to the masked boy quickly.
Once more, Master Xehanort seemed distressed, pacing away from Terra. "You see, I had tried to capture him as soon as he emerged, but he was stronger and more slippery than I imagined, and he escaped. As I'm sure you know, hunting down one entity in the ocean of worlds is hardly an easy task. I think he may have been hiding low, biding his time and energy. Now, with the power of darkness, he's sowing seeds of chaos in many worlds with those ghastly minions of his…"
"You mean the Unversed?! They come from him?!" Terra hadn't expected the source to be something as human as what Master Xehanort or Ventus had described. After all, they both described him as merely a boy in a mask…
"Correct." The old man replied, stopping with a heavy sigh. "He cannot control the darkness within his heart. He is an abomination beyond salvation. After all, one could say he is pure darkness, through and through." Master Xehanort turned to Terra. "Please, lend me your strength, Terra. I need aid if I am to right my past wrongs."
"Well, of course I'll help! Even if you hadn't asked, Master Eraqus wanted us to investigate the Unversed anyway." Terra didn't want something like Vanitas running around the various worlds. "The only problem is I have no idea where to find him…"
Master Xehanort nodded. "Naturally. Such a vast amount of worlds he could be hiding in. Though, one thing I do know about him, is his darkness is attracted to light, which he seeks to disrupt and then destroy. I believe he will strike next in the city of light, Radiant Garden. It is in a world quite nearby." The Keyblade Master raised a gloved hand, pointing at a very specific direction. "It is a light I believe you will be drawn to, and it is in that direction there."
It hardly got more specific than that. Terra just felt lucky that the elderly man's wisdom could help. "Thank you, Master Xehanort, I'll head straight there." He paused for a moment, wanting to ask about what Yen Sid had said, what he should do about his own darkness…yet he felt it could wait. Who knew what Vanitas could be doing at the moment, how many lives he was endangering? Terra would have to deal with his own issues once he traveled to Radiant Garden!
"Thank you, Terra. Now, go, make haste!" Master Xehanort called, watching as Terra nodded and donned his armor. With a flash of light, he had summoned his glider and the young man flew off towards where he had been directed. The old man smiled to himself, silently summoning a portal of darkness.
After he stepped through it, the pathway vanished, and the world was dead and quiet once more.
A/N: Chapter went on a bit longer than I expected, but I really wanted to get Aqua's visit to the Mushroom Kingdom done in just two chapters. I also decided to ease up on the Unversed here. With the number of enemies in Paper Mario, it seemed a shame to replace them with just more Unversed. Not all the worlds will have previously existing foes to fight, so the Unversed can appear more in those. As always, any and all comments and critiques are encouraged.