Ventus was kicking himself as he rode through The Lanes Between. Once more, he felt like an idiot because of what he said to Aqua before leaving her behind again. He felt like he hadn't done anything to convince her that he was ready to go out on his own! The teen didn't think he needed Master Eraqus, Terra, or Aqua herself to keep holding his hand. After all, he had trained for years, just like they had, so hadn't he earned the chance to at least try something on his own?! At the moment, though, he wasn't even sure where he was going. Ventus was simply flying in a random direction, not even listening to his heart, or letting it guide him.
Out of nowhere, however, something flew out in front of him!
It took the teen a moment to realize that it was a person, flying out in space without any kind of assistance save for an eerie glow surrounding their body. In an instant, though, he recognized who the person was. It was the Masked Boy, no doubt about it!
The mysterious troublemaker flew backwards, looking back at Ventus. Even with his face hidden, Ventus knew he was giving the teen a smug or taunting look. The Masked Boy even gestured, urging to be followed.
Watching the Masked Boy turn around and fly off, Ventus grit his teeth as he followed, desperate to catch up…
Aqua thought that the Bottom of the Well was a disgusting trip, and it had been.
However, going through a literal sewer was a serious contender for the most revolting thing the Keyblade Master had to do! And yet Mario had insisted that the fastest way back was through what he called a Warp Pipe through such sewers. At the very least they didn't have to walk through the water, but the smell was mortifying!
The trip seemed like it took forever, but it was actually rather quick in reality. Aqua took in a huge lungful of fresh air when they emerged back in what Mario told her was Toad Town. She looked about the town, surprised at the sight of the Toads. They were little people with mushrooms growing out of their heads!
"They don't seem too panicked…" Aqua observed as Mario and Spike led her through the town. "Their Princess is in danger, yet everything seems so calm here."
"This happens a lot." Spike replied, shrugging as if it really wasn't a big deal. "Mario here has saved Princess Peach countless times!"
Mario rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, of course I'm going to help if the Princess is in trouble! Bowser just won't quit…"
Both the plumber and the Lakitu spoke of it in an almost casual manner. It really made Aqua wonder just how many times poor Princess Peach had been kidnapped. She decided not to ask, though, as she grew distracted when they went through a large set of blue doors.
On the other side of the doors was a massive crater! "What happened here?!" It looked like an explosion went off or something, just a large hole in the ground with some rubble all around it.
"Bowser stole Princess Peach's castle, took it all the way up to the sky!" Spike replied, pointing straight up. "Can you believe it? Who does that?!"
A castle in the sky…? Wait…Aqua had passed by it on the way to the world! She could have stopped in and done something! Apparently Bowser had invincibility on his side, but maybe the Keyblade Master could've snuck in and rescued the Princess at least…
Well, too late for that…
"That's…really odd. Seems he was really desperate to get the Princess." She had heard stories growing up of monsters kidnapping damsels, but stealing them along with an entire castle was certainly a first for her…
"Come on, Shooting Star Summit is nearby." Mario said, not as worried about the stolen castle as Aqua was. The three went off to the east past the castle, going over a small arched bridge. The scenery around them changed, the grass changing form green to blues and purples. The sky went from a sunny day to a starry night.
Up above, Aqua could see dozens of shooting stars going across the sky, a dazzling and constant meteor shower! It reminded her of the night she gave Ventus and Terra their Wayfinders. Things had been so much simpler then…
Shaking those thoughts away, she looked to Mario. "Is all this really normal? The sky changed all of a sudden…"
"It is around here. I don't really understand it myself…" The plumber admitted, taking the lead as the three went up the windy path of a large hill. The scenery really was gorgeous, the distant twinkle of countless worlds on full display throughout the changed sky.
At the top of the hill was a large stone platform, decorated with star patterns. As the trio approached, a voice rang out from nowhere. "Mario…You returned…" It was quiet and sounded distant yet seemed to exist in their minds. "I will open the path to Star Way, leading up to Star Haven. Quickly, come to us, and we will give you the power to thwart Bowser's plans!"
The voice grew quiet, and a beam of light came from the center of the platform, rising up into the sky above. With a bit of hesitation, the trio stepped into the light, their bodies becoming weightless as they slowly started to float upward! Not that it was too much of a difference for Spike, though.
They went higher and higher, above the clouds themselves. So high that the three of them actually started to get a bit worried. There would be no air eventually, and it would get so cold up in the atmosphere…but none of these problems presented themselves. The air remained warm and calm while there was plenty of air.
Star Way was just a place where such things weren't an issue, it seemed.
After several minutes, the three found themselves on top of a platform in the sky that seemed to be made out of countless, miniscule stars. Not only that, but there was a pathway leading further up into the havens that also seemed to be made out of stars!
"This is incredible…have you been to a place like this before?" Aqua asked, looking to her companions. She had no idea what was normal and abnormal in this world, but even this seemed very unusual!
"No…but it's really amazing, isn't it?" Mario asked, walking forward slowly, his footfalls landing on the platform as if it were normal ground.
"Man, I wish I could walk on the stars too!" Spike complained, hovering forward on his cloud as the three made their way up the path. "Does it feel weird?"
Aqua shook her head, trying not to look down. Even though she could use her glider in a pinch, she still didn't want to see just how high she'd fall from if she lost her footing. "It actually feels really normal, surprisingly…"
Around the three, several stars floated about. These were Star Kids, but also adult ones too. They looked curiously at the three newcomers but kept their distance. A few of the Star Kids waved at the trio, who would wave back with a small smile.
Eventually, the three reached a massive building at the end of the pathway, Star Haven. It was domed and had fountains on the outside, shooting out sparkling water into a basin-like structure. Going inside, the three instantly felt how much of a sacred place it was. Seven spires stood in a circular room, a Star Spirit residing on each one.
The leader, Eldstar, spoke to the three. "Mario, Lakilester…and a new ally, Aqua…thank you for coming." He said, his voice the same was the one that spoke in their minds on the ground. "We can finally take the battle to Bowser's turf, and we have gift to bestow upon you, Mario."
At this, the seven Star Spirits glowed and the energy that built up was directed towards Mario, who too starting glowing. After a few moments, the lights stopped, and the plumber flexed his hands. "What was that?" He asked, looking to Eldstar.
"You can now use the Star Beam." Eldstar replied. "When Bowser uses the Star Rod to become invincible, use this ability to drain the item's power. On top of that, we have one last gift…" Once more, the Star Spirits started to glow, and before the trio a blue chariot appeared!
"Whoah! What is that? It looks really cool!" Spike remarked, floating around it to get a better look.
"That is the Star Ship, a sacred item of Star Haven. You will use this to go to the floating castle and stop Bowser!" Eldstar said, smiling beneath his mustache. "We all have the upmost faith in you…"
Before the three could board the Star Ship, a new voice called out. "Hey! Wait!" It seemed to be coming from…Mario's pocket?! All of a sudden, a strange creature came forth! It was brown with no arms and possessing a blue hat! "Mario! I want to join in on this! We started this adventure together at the start, so I want to be there at the end!"
Spike pouted a bit. "Aw, Goombario, really? I wanted to ride on the Star Ship!"
"But Spike, you ride around on that cloud. Would you even feel it or ride it properly since you float?" Goombario replied.
The Lakitu thought for a moment and then sighed. "Well…that's true. Okay, we'll switch. Good luck, you three!" With that, he shrunk down and entered Mario's pocket, apparently a very normal thing to happen!
Aqua stared at the exchange. "Mario…he was…" She shook her head. No. She wasn't going to think about this. "You said your name was Goombario, right?" She asked the hatted creature.
"That's right! Goombario the Goomba! I heard everything, so I know who you are, Aqua! Nice to meet you!" The armless companion said, his tone chipper.
"Likewise…though I think we should get going right away." The Keyblade Master said, stepping aboard the Star Ship. The pleasantries could wait until later, after all.
Mario and Goombario would follow Aqua's lead, boarding the Star Ship. It would glow lightly as it hovered up into the air before flying out of the Star Haven door and into the night sky. It went rather fast and had no way of securing the trio onto it, yet they found themselves able to stand perfectly fine within the ship, soaring further and further over the clouds.
Aqua still had the reflex to grab hold of the ship's rim as they went, but quickly realized there was oddly nothing pushing her back. Slowly, she let go and marveled at how calm the ride seemed. It was as if they were just sitting still despite shooting through the air, not even wind blowing in their faces.
"Wow! This is so amazing; can you believe this?!" Goombario asked, fidgeting on the spot with a large grin on his face. "We're actually flying!"
Even though she had her glider, flying in this manner was still a treat to Aqua. "It is pretty amazing…" Something she took for granted, recalling how in her own homeworld, flying machines didn't exist. She was so shocked when Master Eraqus had told her that many worlds had some sort of device to allow people to fly right through the air. Her first time on a glider was an experience she'd never forget either. "So, Goombario, you said you joined Mario early on?"
As she said this, the castle that Aqua had seen on her descent to the world came into view, the ship making a beeline towards it.
"That's right!" The Goomba replied, hopping in place. "When he fell from the castle, it was my family that found him and took him in to recover!"
"Wait…from the castle like it is now? Up in the sky like this?!" Aqua asked in surprise, turning to Mario. "And you survived?!" Just how durable was this guy?
Mario rubbed the back of his neck, trying to play it off like it wasn't a huge deal. "Just barely. The Star Spirits used some of their magic to heal me a bit too, so it wasn't like I did it on my own!"
"Still, that's pretty amazing…" Aqua could only imagine what that'd be like!
The rest of the short trip was spent in silence, the trio preparing themselves for the fight to come. Thankfully, the Star Ship was fast enough that they were at the castle before they knew it. They were dropped off right in front of Peach's castle's front door, the lovely green lawn seeming so out of place up in the air. As if the castle and fortress below it weren't out of place as well. The entrance was unguarded, but that made sense. After all, how the heck was anybody going to get up there in the first place normally?
"She's probably in her room, knowing Bowser." Mario said as they walked to the front door. "That's not too far from the entrance!"
Before the three could actually enter the castle properly, a voice rang out. A very familiar voice, at that. "Hey! Mario! I caught up with you!"
Turning around, the trio saw Jr. Troopa! He was flying using a pair of batlike wings that seemed rather out of place on him. The bully was panting lightly, and he held his wand in his hand.
"How did you get up here?!" Goombario remarked, gawking. "How'd you know we'd be here!"
"I know Mario and his ways!" Jr. Troopa replied vaguely. "You thought you'd escape me by going up in the sky, but you were wrong!"
The plumber sighed, seeming more annoyed than threatened. "Jr. Troopa, we really don't have time for this! Can't we just-"
Mario was interrupted as Jr. Troopa shot geometric shapes at him from his wand, but he managed to dodge. "Oh, no! You're not getting away that easily! I didn't fly all the way up here just to turn around! And you!" He pointed his wand at Aqua, who summoned Rainfell in response. "I ate a bunch of candy before this, so I'm all hyped up! Won't be putting me to sleep again!"
Aqua wasn't sure if eating a bunch of candy would actually do anything, but Jr. Troopa seemed way too wound up and angry for her Sleep spell to work a second time. There was no way the kid was going to let them go, so she knew she'd have to fight him off properly. Leaping into the air, she prepared her Keyblade for a mighty swing.
To her shock, her opponent weaved around the attack, ramming the eggshell on his head into Aqua's forehead in a savage headbutt. Despite Jr. Troopa's small size, the attack really hurt and left a nasty red mark on her head as she was knocked to the ground.
"How the heck is he that strong?!" She exclaimed, wincing as she stood up and rubbed her forehead.
"I told you he was stronger than he looked!" Mario said, shooting some small fireballs into the air at Jr. Troopa, who weaved around them.
The small bully charged at Mario with a cry, but Goombario jumped into the air in a counterattack, trying to perform a headbonk attack on the shelled opponent. Jr. Troopa's body glowed and before the Goomba could make contact, a spike appeared on the brat's upper shell! Goombario could change his course midair, headbonking right into the spike.
"Yeow!" The poor Goomba exclaimed, jumping back and running about. Poor guy couldn't even rub at the wound or touch it to see how bad it was. "That really hurt! How is a spike made of eggshell so sharp?!"
Jr. Troopa cackled, flying up higher and shooting out more spells at the trio. He'd shoot them off in such rapid succession, it was hard for them to counterattack! Aqua herself had some moral issues in using offensive magic against the kid, as nasty and unusually powerful as he was. Otherwise, she'd simply use a Thunder spell to knock him out of the sky.
Still, Aqua had an idea. Running off to the side away from Mario and Goombario, she leapt towards Jr. Troopa and readied Rainfell. As the flying opponent readied his wand for another spell, Aqua struck first with her own magic. She sent a Silence spell towards Jr. Troopa, a flash of light that washed over him.
Of course, the spell didn't literally silence the opponent. Yet when he waved his wand…nothing happened. His magic was blocked off! "What the?! Why isn't it working?!" Jr. Troopa exclaimed, only able to watch as Aqua sliced right through the wand, Rainfell slamming into his face and sending him into a nearby wall.
"You really have a lot of useful spells, eh?" Mario praised, charging at Jr. Troopa with his hammer out. The smaller opponent threw the remnants of his wand at the plumber, the resulting dodge allowing the winged brat to take to the sky again.
"Just because I don't have my magic doesn't mean I'm beaten!" Jr. Troopa yelled out, swooping down at Goombario, who wasn't able to dodge or properly defend himself as he got kicked to the side.
Mario charged Jr. Troopa swinging his hammer down hard on top of his shell spike. With a crackling sound, the spike splintered and shattered, the hammer then swinging further to hit the shell top properly.
Jr. Troopa yelped out as his body was forced into the egg, the white shell protecting him. "How'd you break my spike so easily?!" His muffled voice rang out. "That isn't fair at all!" His wings still stuck out of the shell, letting him fly forward and ramming into Mario, knocking him right off his feet.
Aqua would be right there to counterattack, rushing forward and slamming Rainfell into the opponent's defensive form. The attack hit, but didn't seem to actually hurt Jr. Troopa, though the impact was enough to send him flying into the wall.
At this, the small opponent would start to bounce around. He kept himself in his shell, blindly flying around and acting as a wrecking ball with wings. Goombario hid off to the side, unable to pierce such defenses or do much of assistance.
Mario was able to whack Jr. Troopa away when he got close with his hammer, but the strikes would do little more than knock the child back, the blows not actually harming him at all. "His shell got so much tougher than before!" The plumber exclaimed, flabbergasted with the new development.
Aqua was fast enough to hit Jr. Troopa as well, though she held back on using her full strength. Even with all the trouble the kid was putting them through, she was still very hesitant to give it everything she had. However, she knew she couldn't keep holding back, they had to rescue the Princess!
"Hey! See if you can hit me!" Aqua egged the kid on, feeling like he would be hardheaded enough to take her taunt. And, thankfully, it worked! Still in his shell, Jr. Troopa turned to the young woman and flew right at her. When he got close, a barrier of light surrounded her, a Reflect spell shielding her as the ramming attack slammed right into it.
Right away, Jr. Troopa yelped in pain, the nasty blow he would've dealt on Aqua turned around and going right back to him! Both shell halves started to crack but didn't fall apart. This did, however, cause him to come out of his shell, eyes widened with pain. "What…was that…?!" He murmured out, falling flat on his back.
Seeing his chance, Goombario ran forward and jumped on Mario's head, hopping off of there to give him extra height as he headbonked Jr. Troopa right in the stomach, knocking the air out of him.
At that, Jr. Troopa lied very still, only his foot twitching. He'd then quickly stand up, panting heavily. "Gaaah!" The bully yelled out in frustration. "Mario and…whatever you two are called!" He waved a hand dismissively at Goombario and Aqua. "This isn't over, you hear me?! I'm going to train and become stronger! Then I'll show you!"
Before anyone could respond, Jr. Troopa ran to the edge of the castle grounds and leapt off, still strong enough for his wings to carry him as he flew away.
The three watched after him, Mario breaking the silence with a sigh of relief. "I'm glad he ran off! I hope he at least stays away until this is all over…"
"That punk! How can he keep coming after us?!" Goombario exclaimed, wincing. "That spike really hurt…"
Aqua almost felt bad that she'd be long gone before that kid came back. Mario and whoever was with them would have to deal with him alone. "Crazy how someone so small can strengthen their heart and become so strong…" It was certainly a strength of heart that allowed Jr. Troopa to grow so strong so fast. At least, that's what Aqua theorized.
"It hardly matters. We have to go! Princess Peach is waiting!" Goombario said, running over to the door.
Knowing the Goomba was right, Mario and Aqua entered the castle proper. Most of the lights were off in the foyer, but just enough were lit for the three to see around. It also helped that there were guards on the inside, carrying flashlights!
Obviously, the entry of the small group alerted everyone in the room. There were Hammer Bros. and Koopatrols, Koopas in armor. "Intruder!" One of the Koopatrols yelled out, aiming his flashlight at the three.
"The fighting outside sounded scary, so no way we'd go out and look! Didn't think they'd come inside!" A Hammer Bros. exclaimed, readying his wooden hammer.
In a stunningly short time, the room started to be filled with more soldiers, charging in from other rooms of the castle to accost the intruders.
Aqua was the one that struck first, raising Rainfell and letting out a Thundera spell. Bolts of magical electricity cracked through the room, drawn to the metal armor the Koopatrols were wearing. The poor soldiers didn't stand a chance, the electricity causing their bodies to shake violently before they collapsed to the floor in moaning wrecks.
"What the heck was that?!" One of the Hammer Bros. exclaimed, barely missing getting struck by the spell himself. "Can we get some of those Unversed in here?!"
"We can't! That Terra guy got rid of them all, remember?!" Another replied, beaming his hammer at Mario, who dodged to the side.
Wait, Terra? One of those soldiers just mentioned Terra! What was he doing here? If he had been here, why hadn't he rescued Princess Peach? Well, that wasn't something she could focus on at the moment…
The three made quick work of the remaining Hammer Bros., most of them freaked out by the elite guard getting put down so quickly. Aqua used Rainfell directly to take down a lot of them while Mario used fireballs to set their hammers aflame, Goombario slamming into their soft underbellies to stun them or finish them off.
Before long, the foyer was cleared out, Mario pointing ahead. "Peach's room is in the next area, come on!"
"Wait, I need to ask some questions here. You two go ahead!" Aqua called, Mario and Goombario going to the next major room in the castle. Going over to one of the still conscious Hammer Bros., the Keyblade Master glared at him lightly. She had never interrogated someone before, but looking angry would help, right? "You there, didn't want of your comrades mention Terra?"
The Hammer Bros. Aqua picked was lying on his stomach, too hurt to move properly. "Huh…? What? Why…?" He asked, more surprised at the question than anything.
"Terra! He was mentioned, I heard his name!" Aqua said, wondering why Terra would go to a place like this. "Something about him taking out the Unversed?"
"Uh…Oh…!" The Hammer Bros. groaned out, nodding. "Y-Yeah. We put out a notice…and then he just sort of…showed up and took care of it…"
That sounded…odd. Did Terra just so happen to the be in the right place at the right time? Did he even know what was going on in the castle? "Did he tell you what the Unversed were called?" Or did Bowser perhaps have a connection to them? It was always possible, Aqua not knowing the fully story regarding the unusual creatures.
"Huh? No…Bowser called them that…I dunno why…" The Hammer Bros. said, head falling to the floor as he passed out.
Sighing, Aqua felt that was all she'd get out of any of the fallen soldiers. She'd just have to ask Bowser, then! Going off into the next room large room, one that also had many doors in it, she got there just in time to see Mario and Goombario exiting one such room. "Was the Princess in there?"
"No, no sign of her!" Goombario said with a heavy frown.
"I think I know where she might be, though…" Mario would go up another set of stairs, going through a pair of double doors with a star symbol on it. Aqua and Goombario followed, the three heading up yet another set of stairs adorned with a fancy red carpet.
The three found themselves in a large hallway, massive glass windows to one side showing the starry sky. One such window had a large hole in it, as if someone had been thrown right through. Of course, the most interesting thing to see was a blonde woman in a pink dress, dangling from the ceiling by a rope!
"M…Mario?!" She called out, blue eyes widening as the trio got close. "Mario! Be careful! Bowser's nearby!"
Aqua reached out instantly with her heart, feeling towards the Princess. Just as she expected, her heart was entirely devoid of darkness. Princess Peach was another Princess of Heart! The Keyblade Master wanted to act but wasn't sure if this was a trap. It was just too easy…
It hardly mattered, as a large shape flew in through the broken window! For a second, it looked like some kind of flying creature! Then Aqua realized it was something riding in some kind of aircraft. It was a monster, a turtle with horns and red hair, a spiked shell on its back and a set of sharp teeth in a cocky grin. He was riding in some sort of bowl-like device with a clown face and a propeller at the bottom.
"Mario! You finally showed up!" The creature said with a nasty laugh. "You've really been a thorn in my side, but that ends tonight!"
"Bowser, just let her go!" Mario said, pointing at the turtle. "The Princess hasn't done anything to you!"
Hopping from his unusual vehicle, Bowser sneered. "Yeah, right! After the trouble you've caused, I won't listen to you! I'll just squash you like a bug again!" His eyes narrowed at Aqua, as if just noticing her. "And who the heck are you? My spies never told me about some human girl with Mario!"
"My name is Aqua. If you don't let the Princess go, I won't hold back!" The Keyblade Master declared, readying Rainfell. Bowser didn't seem invincible, but…
Bowser only laughed in response before inhaling deeply.
"Move, Aqua!" Mario shouted, he and Goombario dodging to the side.
She followed suit, just in time for Bowser to unleash a torrent of flames from his mouth, shooting off an impressive distance down the hallway. Aqua threw Rainfell after this, the Keyblade spinning wildly as it made a direct impact on Bowser's forehead, getting him to roar out in annoyance.
Aqua then ran forward, jumping up above bowser, summoning Rainfell back to her hand and aiming to cut the Princess down. Her eyes widened as she felt a massive claw wrap around her ankle. Growling out, Bowser swung the young woman out of the air and slamming her into the floor, knocking the air out of her.
Mario and Goombario would use this moment to attack Bowser while he was open, the plumber slamming his hammer in the same spot Rainfell hit while the Goomba slammed himself into the arm gripping Aqua, to little affect.
Once more, Bowser growled out in pain, swatting Goombario away. Reaching into his shell with his free hand, he pulled out a wand with a star adorned on top. "Alright, that's enough! Time to show you what the Star Rod can really do!" The wand burst with a display of lights, and when it was done, a sort of rainbow filter went over the Koopa's body. "There! I'm invincible once again!"
No way…was it really that easy?! Thankfully for Aqua, Bowser purposefully let her go at this point, and she had recovered enough to be able to roll away. "You can't really be invincible! That's not possible!"
Smirking, the King of the Koopas tapped his forehead where she had attacked him before. "Oh, yeah? Go ahead! I'll give you a free shot! Go on!"
Not wanting to get in close, Aqua pointed Rainfell at Bowser and went for an offensive spell instead. "Prism Rain!" A dozen shots of magic erupted from her Keyblade, honing in right at the Koopa's smug face! Each projectile hit its mark, causing small explosion of magic that obscured Bowser's top half for a moment…
Yet, when the smoke cleared, Bowser hadn't so much as flinched! It had been an attack that normally would have knocked him off his feet, but not even a hair was out of place! "Nice try! Go on, try again!"
Mario stepped forward; hands folded as though in prayer. "Mind if I try?" He asked, glaring at Bowser.
Clearly having infinite confidence at the moment, Bowser laughed. "Sure! Why not! Go ahead, do whatever you want!"
The plumber grinned, closing his eyes as he concentrated. He glowed a bit before his eyes snapped open. At that moment, down from Star Haven, the seven Star Spirits appeared above Bowser in a circle. Before he could react, a pure white beam erupted from above him, nearly enveloping him entirely. "Try out a Star Beam!" Mario shouted out.
The rainbow imagery on Bowser's body instantly vanished as the Star Spirits flew off back out the window and out of harm's way. "Ouch! That…That hurt?! What just happened?!"
Aqua sneered at Bowser, aiming Rainfell at him again and unleashed another Prism Rain on him, another dozen projectiles firing right at him. This time, they hit his stomach, and this time the impact did indeed knock him right off of his feet and onto his back!
"That Star Rod is useless now, Bowser!" Goombario cheered as Bowser got up onto his feet.
The Koopa King's confident demeanor shattered in an instant. "This isn't good…! Those Star Spirits helped out somehow, didn't they?! Gotta use Plan B now!"
With that, Bowser leapt up into the air, his flying machine swooping down to catch him. In a flash, he flew up and slashed at Peach's ropes with his sharp claws, carrying her over his shoulder. "Mario! Help me! Please!" She shouted out as Bowser flew out the window, heading upward.
"Darn it, he got away with the Princess! The way to the roof is up ahead!" Mario yelled, charging forward.
However, before the three could get far, a voice rang out. "Stop right there, dudes!"
"That voice…!" Mario murmured, looking about.
From the ceiling, four shapes dropped down. They were Koopas wearing bandanas around their eyes, the color matching their shells. Red, Green, Black, and Green! The Red one spoke up, the four of them giving a confident thumbs up. "You're not getting any farther! Mario, we, the Koopa Bros., have gotten a lot stronger since we last met! How about we-"
"We don't have time for this!" Aqua yelled out, increasingly frustrated with the interruptions of old foes of Mario's. She was even angrier because she a Princess of Heart was in danger right near her! The young woman spun on one foot, Rainfell held straight up. A beam of magic poured from the Keyblade, falling down, and going with Aqua's spin, forming a sort of drill-shaped barrier around her, a technique she called Spellweaver. Moving herself with magic, she launched forward, slamming right into the Koopa Bros., and tossing them aside as her magic dealt extra damage. She stopped spinning and readied her Keyblade for another attack…but her opponents remained lying where they felt. "…Uh…?"
"Oh…my everything hurts…" Yellow moaned out.
"Not cool at all…" Green murmured, lying flat on his stomach.
"But we trained so hard…" Black said, lying on his shell and unable to get up.
"Is…that really how strong they were?" Aqua asked, looking to Mario and Goombario.
Mario shrugged. "They're a lot weaker than I remember…I guess they didn't train as hard as Jr. Troopa did. Come on, we have no more time to waste!"
Pushing the odd situation out of her mind, Aqua ran after Mario and Goombario as they went further into the castle and after Princess Peach.
Ventus had no idea how long he followed the Masked Boy for. The smug villain was always out of reach, flying off further and further ahead! Yet the young teen didn't give up his chase, especially when he saw the Masked Boy honing in on a world.
The world itself was a barren, dead looking place. It didn't seem like anything, not even plant life, existed there! Still, Ventus would follow, ditching his glider and armor when he landed, quickly readying Wayward Wind as he glared at the Masked Boy in front of him.
To Ventus' frustration, the Masked Boy didn't seem worried at all, simply standing there with an aura of confidence about him. "You! What did you mean about Terra being a different person?! Why did you come into our home?!" The teen demanded, tempted to just throw himself at the stranger and attack.
At that, the Masked Boy scoffed. "Exactly what it sounds like, you idiot." He shook his head, as if in disbelief at Ventus' question. "The Terra you know will be gone forever."
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! Why should I believe you?!" Who was this guy that thought he knew Terra or what would become of him? Yet there was that small seed of doubt that was nestled deep into the teen's heart that he couldn't shake off…
Holding out a hand, the Masked Boy shook his head once more. "It doesn't really matter what you believe." In his hand, a weapon appeared! It was…a Keyblade?! It had chains around it, and its teeth and bottom of the handle looked like gears. The most disturbing feature were the reptilian blue eyes the Keyblade had above the hilt and at the weapon's head. They really seemed like they were actually conscious of the world around them…
"A…Keyblade?!" How was that possible? Master Eraqus said there were only a few Keyblade users in existence at this point! "Where did you get that?!"
"You like it?" The Masked Boy said, a smirk practically audible in his words. "I call it Void Gear. If you can beat me…maybe I'll tell you." He got into a fighting stance at that point. "Let's see what you're made of!"
That was Ventus' cue to initiate an attack. He sprinted towards his opponent, Keyblade at the ready. The teen was using his speed to his advantage as best he could, trying to blitz the Masked Boy and get in a surprising first strike.
It was Ventus who was surprised, however, as the Masked Boy blocked the attack without much worry. The opponent placed his hand in front of Ventus' chest and unleashed a Fire spell, the force of it knocking the teen away and onto his back.
Thankfully, the clothes that those from The Land of Departure wore were lightly enchanted. Fire, even magically infused fire, wouldn't scorch through it so easily. Helped keep them safe from other attacks too. Still, Ventus felt a nasty burning pain where the attack hit, making him wince as he stood up. That being said, he was a lot more worried about his opponent's speed than anything. He had gone almost as fast as he could, but his attack was still blocked!
The Masked Boy didn't give Ventus time to rest, charging forward and swinging Void Gear vertically at the teen, who managed to block the attack. Even so, Ventus felt his legs buckling from the impact. His opponent was only using one hand, but he was still so strong! Gritting his teeth, Ventus built up magic into his Keyblade, unleashing a powerful Aero spell in an effort to save himself.
Winds built up from nowhere, a miniature twister forming around Ventus and kicking up dust and small rocks. The Masked Boy grunted, trying to stay grounded and push his Keyblade down further to break the teen's guard. This didn't work, however, as the winds grew so strong they picked the foe off of his feet and tossed him away to the ground.
Ventus could only keep something that strong up for a few moments before it started to burn through his strength, so he allowed to winds to die down as he charged at the Mask Boy. His opponent was only just getting up as Ventus swung his Keyblade at him from below in an arcing motion. The unusual direction of the attack threw the Masked Boy off guard, preventing him from blocking as he was knocked into the air.
Kicking off the ground and using the Masked Boy's stunned nature, Ventus smack him again with Wayward Wind, knocking him further into the air. Using Aero magic, Ventus kicked off in midair, allowing him to catch up to his opponent. He prepared a powerful downward swing to knock the Masked Boy straight into the ground.
The attack went right through the opponent. Literally going right through him! "What?!" Ventus called out, not having felt any resistance as his Keyblade seemed to slice right through the Masked Boy. The image of the foe slowly went transparent before vanishing.
"Too slow!"
The Masked Boy's voice called from behind, slicing down Ventus' back with his Void Gear on his way down. The dark foe had appeared through a portal above and behind the teen, allowing him to get the strike in.
Ventus gasped out in pain as he fell, unable to defend himself from the Masked Boy's next attack. When he had neared the ground, Void Gear slammed into his stomach with a force that nearly made Ventus lose consciousness, sending him sprawling to the ground, lying face down in the dirt.
Groaning in pain, Ventus looked up as his opponent approached. "Who…are you…?" There was just something so off about the Masked Boy. The sensation he gave off was inhuman, and somehow he had a Keyblade!
"Me? I guess there's no problem telling you. My name is Vanitas." The opponent replied, staring down at Ventus. Even with his mask, it somehow seemed like he was giving off a look of disgust. "You're so much weaker than I thought. Man, you are worthless!" Vanitas said with a scoff. "I'd be going against the Master's orders, but…you really aren't needed, I don't think…"
Master? What Master? Who was this guy working for?! Ventus tried to get up but was too injured to do so. He could only watch in vain as Vanitas raised Void Gear into the air, energy building around they Keyblade's tip. A dark ball formed, shaking with destructive magic and sparks of purple lighting shooting off from it.
Vanitas would unleash the attack, an explosion erupted that kicked dust and smoke into the air. When it cleared, all that was there was scorch marks and white hot flames.
"Don't worry, I've got you!" A voice called behind Vanitas. Shocked, he turned around to see that Ventus had been saved by someone, a mouse! The teen's savior had managed to get him behind Vanitas in some manner! He summoned a Keyblade, a blue one with star patterns, and raised it into the air. "Here, this'll help!"
A green aura surrounded Ventus for a moment as a powerful Cure spell was used. The wounds and pain quickly vanished from his body, and he stood up. "Th…Thanks!" He was just as shocked as Vanitas was that he got saved. "But…who are you?" Another new face with a Keyblade? Where did he come from? At least he was a good guy…
"Call me Mickey!" The mouse introduced, turning around, and giving a glare at Vanitas. "Who are you? A Keyblade isn't used just to bully people around, you know! Tell me where you got that!"
"You all are so interested in this thing, aren't you?" Vanitas said, sounding annoyed at the interruption. "I'll tell you the same thing I told that weakling. If you beat me, maybe I'll tell you where I got it!"
Mickey got angrier at that, brandishing his Keyblade. "Fine then! I'll use Star Seeker and get some answers!"
"We'll get some answers!" Ventus said, getting into a fighting position alongside Mickey.
The mouse gave Ventus a smile and a nod at that before running at Vanitas. He wasn't as fast as Ventus was, but he had a certain spring to his step that made it clear he was far more agile than he appeared. He leapt at Vanitas and swung his Keyblade at this side, which was blocked. While the speed wasn't a problem for Vanitas, it seemed like he struggled with just the one attack.
"He's…strong?!" The masked foe grunt, arm shaking from the impact as the clash went on.
Ventus used this opportunity to unleash a Fire spell at Vanitas, aiming for his chest, just as the opponent did earlier. Vanitas raised his free hand and used that to block the attack, wincing as singe marks appeared on his palm.
While Vanitas was distracted, Mickey managed to maneuver in midair, swinging his Keyblade and smashing it into the side of Vanitas' head, knocking him off his feet and onto the ground. Landing, the mouse pointed Star Seeker at him. A sparkling, pure white orb shot out at the masked foe.
For the first time, Vanitas seemed scared of an attack, desperately dodging it with a roll before getting to his feet.
Gaping, Ventus looked to Mickey. "Was that…Holy magic?!" That was a very complex spell type! Even Aqua had never quite gotten it down! Only Master Eraqus was able to use it back home! Was Mickey a Keyblade Master…?
"Some light will really be affective against someone like him, I can just feel it! There's something dark about him!" Mickey declared, looking to Ventus. "If you can't use it yourself, do you think you can help me land an attack on him with it?"
"I'll try! Follow my lead!" Ventus ran to the side, focusing his magic. On the ground between him and Vanitas, a small tornado started to form from Aero magic. He grit his teeth, forcing the wind to stay spinning, the attack moving towards the masked for. Ventus couldn't do anything else while making the tornado move about to his whim, unfortunately.
Getting what Ventus was going for, Mickey unleashed several pearls of Holy magic into the tornado, the attacks getting caught in it and spinning about.
Vanitas ran from the tornado, but his path was blocked by Mickey, who sprinted towards him. The two clashed once more, Vanitas trying to kick the mouse away. The hit landed, but Mickey practically bounced from the ground and swung at the masked foe again, knocking him back into the tornado.
The opponent let out a cry of pain as he was battered by the wind and the Holy magic contained within it, sending him flat on his back as the winds died down and the light spells burst into bits of light that soon faded.
Panting, Ventus ran over to Mickey's side. Making the tornado stay as well as controlling where it went drained him fast! "I think he's down for the count!" The mouse said, the opponent not moving. It was uncanny, it seeming like he wasn't even breathing…
In a split second, Vanitas rolled backwards, springing to his feet. Despite the move, he seemed exhausted. "Fine. You win. I guess you both get to live another day." A vortex appeared behind him, a dark portal that was the same kind he used back in The Land of Departure.
As Vanitas stepped back into it, Void Gear in hand, Ventus tried to run after him. Mickey grabbed onto his hand, shaking his head at the teen as Vanitas vanished and the vortex with him. "Why did you stop me?" Ventus asked, looking to the mouse when the two were alone.
"Using darkness to travel like that is dangerous!" Mickey declared with a sigh. "Especially if you're unprepared. If only he hadn't gotten away…"
Ventus was certainly upset that the Masked Boy, Vanitas, had escaped…but at least he had learned a few extra facts about him. "Well, I'd be a goner if it weren't for you. My name's Ventus, by the way, but you can call me Ven. Thanks again for that…but why were you here in the first place? Do you…live here?" The world seemed entirely barren in all directions…
"Nice to meet you, Ven!" Mickey declared, the two dismissing their Keyblades. "But no, I don't live here. I use this to travel!" He pulled an odd star-shaped object from his pocket. "I got it from Master Yen Sid, as well as my Keyblade! He's agreed to train me as his apprentice, even though he's technically retired…He told me the worlds were in trouble, and I sort of took off without telling…" Mickey rubbed the back of his neck.
"Master Yen Sid? Really? That explains why you're so strong. I thought you were a Keyblade Master!" The Holy magic by itself made him think so. "And I guess that makes two of us. I ran off without telling anyone too." He wondered if Aqua was still chasing after him for a moment before shaking the thought away. "So…what is that star thing? I've never seen one before."
"Gosh, that's nice of you, but I have a long way to go before I'm a Keyblade Master!" Brandishing the object, a bit Mickey let out a "Hmm." sound. "It's called Star Shard, and it lets me go anywhere I want…at least it's supposed to, but I haven't quite worked out how to use it. I just end up wherever it seemed to want to take me, it whisked me away, and I ended up here! Looks like it knew you'd be in trouble! Lucky, huh?"
"That is pretty lucky." Ventus said with a small sigh of relief. "Looks like it's pretty useful, even if you haven't gotten the hang of it."
Mickey nodded. "Yep! I guess it reacts to those in need, or maybe users of darkness like that bully with the Keyblade…" He pondered aloud.
Without warning, the Star Shard let out a large flash of light, temporarily blinding the duo.
When Ventus regained his sight, he quickly realized he was in The Lanes Between somehow! On top of that, he was adorned in his armor and had his glider out and ready. How had that happened…? The Star Shard? Where was Mickey?
Looking about, he saw he was right near a world. The area he looked at in particular held a large castle with a town surrounding it. It was a gorgeous sight with white walls, cobbled streets, large garden areas as well as massive fountains. Maybe the Star Shard was telling Ventus that this was where he had to go! Perhaps Vanitas had gone here? Or maybe Terra was there!
It was as good a place as any to visit, so Ventus made his way down towards the new world…
Aqua, Mario, and Goombario, had made their way to top of the castle. Or rather, they climbed one of the towers and made their way to its balcony. To their shock, there was a massive platform floating above Peach's Castle with a stone bridge connecting it.
There on the bridge was Bowser, Peach behind him, and an old, haggish Koopa on a broomstick. Not that Aqua had any way of knowing, but the old Koopa was Kammy, the one that had given a hint to Terra about where to look for Master Xehanort.
The King of the Koopas let out a harsh laugh. "You really decided to follow me, huh?! Then you have only yourselves to blame for what happens next!"
Kammy spoke up as well, brandishing a wand with a red jewel on top. "Mario, did you really think we'd just sit back and watch as you collected the Star Spirits?!" With her free hand, she pointed to the platform. "This isn't just for show! This platform will increase King Bowser's power! He'll be truly invincible, so even the Star Spirits can't stop him!"
With that, the hag waved her wand and it glowed for a moment. The platform started to hum with a dark energy, and it all seemed to be channeled towards Bowser. The Koopa King started to grow, laughing in a sadistic glee as he quickly became twice as large as he usually was, a blue aura radiating around his shell.
"This feels amazing!" Bowser shouted out, flexing his claws as he looked to his three opponents. "You have no chance now! I'll finish you off once and for all!"
Without further hesitation, the Koopa King inhaled and released a much larger torrent of fire than he had before. Mario and Goombario dodged out of the way while Aqua created a barrier around herself to protect her from the attack.
When the smoke cleared, Aqua was fine and she watched as Mario sprinted to Bowser. The Koopa had been so distracted with his attack, he hadn't noticed the plumber closing in. Mario leapt up into the air, fist extended and giving Bowser a nasty uppercut. He then took out his hammer and swung it down upon the Koopa's head. Snarling, the monstrous turtle smacked Mario away, nearly knocking him off the platform in the process!
"Mario! Don't give up!" Peach shouted, having backed up from the fight to stay out of harm's way.
Aqua could tell Bowser wasn't too good of a fighter, hits getting in pretty easily. She guessed he always relied on his strength and durability to win. Then of course he could use the Star Rod at any time! She decided she had to end the fight as soon as possible before Bowser had a chance to go invincible again.
While Bowser was distracted with Mario, Aqua sprinted towards him, charging up the most offensively charged spell she could muster. It would drain a majority of her magic, though, so she could only do it once! She leapt up into the air when she got close enough, pointing Rainfell right at her opponent's face.
"FLARE!"
An orb of searing fire shot from Aqua's Keyblade and hit Bowser before he had time to react. Everyone on the platform was temporarily blinded by a flash of white light, a pained roar from the Koopa King ringing out. When the light faded, Bowser had scorch marks on him, rubbing his eyes frantically.
"You…What…What was that…?!" He stammered out, lowering his hands, and glaring at Aqua. With a roar, this time of anger, he punched at the Keyblade Master. She was so tired that all she could do was block with Rainfell, but the blow still sent her flying and flat on her back. "That hurt! A lot! What the heck was that attack?!" Bowser growled, still seeming in good fighting condition despite the attack, making it hard to tell just how effective the Flare spell had been.
"That was crazy! Are you okay?!" Goombario called, rushing over to Aqua. "Really makes me wish I could rub my eyes…" He said, blinking rapidly.
Slowly, Aqua sat up, panting. "I…I was hoping to take him out in one hit…" In hindsight, a bad idea, but she didn't think he'd be able to stand up to her most powerful spell!
Stomping his foot a few times in frustration, Bowser took out the Star Rod once more. "Alright, no more fooling around!" The magical object glowed, and the scorch marks faded away. "I'll end this once and for all!" Once more, the Star Rod let out a brilliant light, and Bowser once more was covered in that rainbow filter.
"Mario! Use the Star Beam again!" Peach yelled out, frantically trying to wiggle out of the ropes to no avail.
"Foolish girl, even the Star Spirits can't help him now!" Kammy said, very confident in her words.
Still, Mario tried. He clasped his hands together and concentrated. Once more, the Star Spirits circled around Bowser. A brilliant beam of light shot from above and…
Nothing.
The beam faded away and the Star Spirits themselves were knocked away, flying off away from the platform and out of harm's way. Bowser let out a nasty laugh as the rainbow effect stayed, his invincibility intact. "That won't work anymore! Haven't you been listening?! I'm too strong for those silly spirits now!"
"You've got to be kidding me!" Goombario cried. "If we can't stop him from being invincible, what do we do?!"
"There has to be some way…" Aqua murmured, standing up and readying Rainfell. She may not be able to cast anything above the most basic of spells, or maybe just one -ra level spell. That didn't mean she couldn't still fight with melee attacks…but was it possible at all that just her Keyblade alone could cut through that invincibility?
"I don't know if there is. I have no idea what to try!" Mario admitted, frowning in worry.
It was at this point that Aqua noticed something. Behind Bowser, a Star Kid had appeared, undoing Peach's ropes! Even Kammy hadn't noticed yet. Maybe, somehow, the Princess could get away. While Bowser was gloating, so sure in his victory that he felt he had time to do so, she went over to Mario. "Hey…Look…" She nodded at Peach, not wanting to outright point and get Bowser's attention.
"That's Twink!" Mario exclaimed, eyes widening. "He would come between here and the surface, letting us know the Princess was okay!"
Nodding, Aqua looked over to the Star Kid again, the little guy not quite getting the roped undone quite yet. "I'll try and sneak over there and make sure the Princess can at least escape. I don't want to just rush over and let Bowser know what I'm doing, though…" The Keyblade Master could surely take one old Koopa on a broom, even in her weakened state.
"Alright, Goombario and I can handle that." Mario said, preparing himself.
Aqua couldn't just rush over, even with Mario and Goombario attacking Bowser. It'd be odd if one if the Koopa's opponents just vanished. Even someone like him would probably notice. So, when her companions rushed two Bowser to attack, she stayed in his view.
Mario and Goombario tried to fight against the King of the Koopas, but naturally their attacks did nothing. No matter how hard the headbonks, hammer swings, or bursts of fireballs were, none of it was able to put a scratch on the monstrous opponent. Each time they tried, he'd laugh heartily and perform a counterattack. Not even a very serious one either, a swipe of the claw or going into his shell and spinning rapidly, knocking the two away. Clearly, Bowser decided his victory was absolute, and with invincibility on his side, it was hard to blame him.
Acting like she was still a part of the fight, Aqua would charge forward after Bowser's spin attack. She'd throw Rainfell at him as he emerged from his shell, the Keyblade spinning rapidly as it hit him in the face. Naturally, it didn't hurt, only allowing Rainfell to bounce back and into Aqua's hand once more.
"You can throw that stick at me all day, and it won't do anything!" Bowser gloated, swiping at Aqua with his claw, growling as she cartwheeled out of the way. "You're a pest, though! First Mario, then those Unversed things, now some human girl with magic!"
Aqua decided to try and keep Bowser talking, to get some information. "How do you know about the Unversed…what they're called?"
Bowser grunted in confusion. "Why do you want to know that? Well, whatever. I don't know what they are, some old guy told me about them. They kept getting out of control, so I hired an exterminator!"
Some old guy? "What was his name?! The old man?!" Aqua wasn't about to just let him get away with just a vague description.
"I don't know, he never said! What do you care anyway?! You're starting to bug me!" Once more, Bowser inhaled and then let out a torrent of fire.
Aqua dodged to the side, taking this chance to run around the large Koopa. Mario and Goombario would jump into things, distracting Bowser as the young woman got out of his line of sight.
Princess Peach, Twink, and Kammy were at the far side of the platform. The Princess was out of her binds, the Star Kid floating between her and the hag on the broom. Twink seemed injured, Kammy summoning a large yellow block out of nowhere and slamming it on his head, knocking him to the ground.
"Twink!" Peach called out, clasping her hands together as if in prayer. "Please be okay…!" She said desperately, truly speaking from the bottom of her heart.
Aqua ran over to the Star Kid, picking him off the ground and helping him float back up to the air. "Are you alright, Twink?" She asked, glaring at Kammy.
"I…I'm fine!" He insisted, shaking his body like one would shake their head to clear it. "I can do this! I'll protect Princess Peach!" Without further hesitation, Twink shot towards Kammy, ramming into her.
Letting out a cry of pain, Kammy tried to hit Twink with her wand, but he flew back in time. "Why don't you just go down?! You little brat!" She summoned another one of those yellow blocks, slamming it down into Twink. He faltered but didn't fall this time.
Aqua paused, wanting to at least give Twink a chance. She didn't want to wait too long, though, because Bowser might discover what was going on at any moment. This little skirmish was far enough away that they were able to get away with it.
"Twink…You can do this…!" Peach said, closing her eyes and concentrating hard.
The Star Kid seem reinvigorated, and Aqua could actually feel his heart strengthening right then and there! It was so instantaneous, how was that possible? Either way, Twink charged forward and rammed into Kammy once more, nearly knocking her off her broom.
"Gah! That hurt even more! The nerve of a mere Star Kid…!" Kammy screeched, summoning a third block, and slamming down onto Twink. Unlike the last two times, this didn't seem to hurt him at all! "What?! How…but…" She looked to Peach, who still had her eyes closed and hands clasped. "Of course! How could I forget?! Star Kids get stronger from the wishes of others!"
Letting out a cry, Twink charged in one last time, striking Kammy between the eyes. The hag fell off her broom, landing hard on the platform and losing consciousness.
"Oh, Twink! You did it!" Peach exclaimed, a wide smile on her face.
"It was only because you helped, Princess!" The Star Kid said with a grin of his own. He turned to Aqua. "And thanks to you too…um…wait, who are you?"
"I'm Aqua, I've been helping Mario recently." The Keyblade Master introduced. "Princess, we need to get you away from here. Mario and Goombario can only hold Bowser off for so long…"
To Aqua's surprise, Peach shook her head. "I can't leave while someone is risking their life for mine." She said, unusually calm. "I have to stay and help as much as I can. But…I don't know how…"
"Princess, I have an idea!" Twink exclaimed. "Try wishing! It helped me, so if you pray really hard to the Star Spirits, it should work!"
At that moment, Eldstar and the other Star Spirits floated over, recovering from being knocked away by Bowser. "This young one is right, Princess. Please, if you try your hardest, it should help." He turned to Aqua. "Young lady, if you would help as well…"
"Me? I'll try, of course…" Wishing or praying wasn't something Aqua was exactly used to doing. How did one wish hard? Still, it wasn't like she had a lot of options. Chances were nothing she did would put a scratch on Bowser.
Closing her eyes and dismissing Rainfell, Aqua clasped her hands together like the Princess did. She took a few deep breathes, calming herself down. Aqua reached into her heart and wished with all her might. She wished for power to the Star Spirits, and for the safety of Princess Peach and her entire kingdom.
It stretched beyond that, though. Princess Peach wasn't just any member of royalty, she was a Princess of Heart. Her safety was so terribly important to all the worlds. Who knew what could happen if she fell into the wrong hands? It'd endanger everyone, potentially. The friends she made along her journey such as Mario, Jonathan, Link, and Navi. This was on top of those she considered her second family as well. Master Eraqus, Terra, and Ventus would be in danger too, and she could not let that happen!
As Princess Peach and Aqua wished, the Star Spirits started to glow, their strength increasing further and further. "That's it! It's working!" Eldstar exclaimed as the two ladies opened their eyes. "I think this will work now!" He turned to Twink. "You there, young one. Please, assist us. Every bit of strength is critical!"
Twink seemed taken aback. "M-Me, sir? Well, i-if you think I can help…!"
The Star Spirits and Twink flew over to Bowser, encircling him with Twink in the center of the circle. The King of the Koopas had just swatted Mario and Goombario away when he noticed what was going on. "Hngh?! Again? Bwahahaha! Okay! Fine, try again!" He challenged, a massive mistake on his part. Once more, a beam of light shot down and enveloped him, but this time, the rainbow around his body vanished! "Ow! What?! But…how?! How did that work?!" He bellowed, clawing at the Star Spirits and Twink, but they flew out of harm's reach.
"It worked!" Aqua exclaimed, surprised at what a simple wish from her heart could do. She felt invigorated, pumped up and ready to keep fighting! Her magic was still drained, though, so massive spells were still off the table.
She ran to Bowser, who only just seemed to notice where Aqua had vanished to. He turned around just in time for the Keyblade Master to slash down across his chest with Rainfell, eliciting a roar of pain from him. "That hurt! How did you damage me?!"
Dodging around the returning claw swipe, Aqua looked up to the Star Spirits. "I just wished for them to have that power, Princess Peach and I both, from the bottom of our hearts!"
"Good job!" Mario exclaimed, readying his hammer. "Let's finish this quickly!" He leapt into the air, Goombario jumping on the flat of his hammer. With a might swing, Mario launched the Goomba at Bowser, slapping into the back of his head, causing the Koopa King to turn around again. He was only met by a hammer to the face in response, causing him to clutch his nose.
"Mario, we don't want to take any risks!" Eldstar called from above. "We'll lend you some of our power! Please, use it to quickly finish him off!" As he spoke, the Star Spirits glowed once more, this glow transferring to Mario.
The mustachioed man seemed plucked right up, flames cascading along his hands. "Everyone! Get out of the way!" He called, gathering up the energy he received. Princess Peach, Aqua, and Goombario moved to the side of the platform while the Star Spirits and Twink stayed high in the air.
"No! Not this time! Not when I was so close!" Bowser roared, inhaling deeply, and unleashing a torrent of flames at Mario.
Letting out his attack, Mario shouted out in effort as he used a fire attack of his own. This one was a massive spell, easily like a Firaza in nature! It took the form of two massive fireballs with trailing flames behind them, spiraling in a double helix formation. This attack entirely consumed Bowser's, rendering it useless and engulfing the Koopa as he let out a roar of fury and pain.
Aqua watched, astonished at the display and feeling the heat wash over even at a distance. She was sure she could do something like this herself, but she had never actually tired. Even if she did, a -za level spell would easily leave her entirely drained of magic in an instant.
Soon, the attack finished, and the smoke cleared, Bowser lying in a heap on his stomach, having returned to his original size. Kammy had been hit by the attack as well, still unconscious, but a light fire remaining on her hat.
Groaning, Bowser was still conscious, but down for the count. "He beat me again…" The King of the Koopas bemoaned. "I was invincible…and he STILL beat me!"
Walking over, panting, Mario took the intact and perfectly unharmed Star Rod from Bowser's hand, displaying it to the Star Spirits. The seven beings, and Twink, floated down, with Eldstar taking the magical item.
Princess Peach ran over, giving her hero a big hug. "Mario! I knew you could do it!"
Mario rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling humbly as his face went red. "I couldn't have done it on my own, you know…!"
Before anyone else could say anything, the platform started to shake violently, the sounds of malfunctioning machinery going through the air. Worse, the bridge connecting the platform and the castle crumbled away!
Bowser groaned, standing up shakily, but just fell onto his rump. "What's all the shaking…?! Kammy! What gives…?!"
Moaning out herself, Kammy sat up, ignorant to the small flame on her hat. "Eh…? What…? Who turned up the heater…?" She asked before shaking herself in lucidity. "Oh! The fight was so intense, the platform is being overloaded! The energy is coursing back into your castle and it, along with this platform will…erm…explode."
"Explode?!" Bowser exclaimed, standing up. "We have to get out of here!" Just as he said that the segment of the platform he was standing on let out an explosion, sending both him and Kammy flying off the platform and into the open air, the two of them exploding.
Aqua wasn't sure what to do! Even at full strength, she couldn't make a barrier that would protect everyone! A blinding light flashed before her as an explosion commenced, her entire body seeming to shake as her ears rang.
When the light faded…she was…fine! Perfectly okay! She, Mario, Peach, Goombario, Twink, and the Star Spirits were in an orb of light, as was the castle. Bowser's own fortress and the strange, massive device he used to keep everything in the air were gone as well. Everything in the protective bubbles were floating slowly down towards the ground.
Eldstar, the Star Rod glowing in his hand, let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness! With the Star Rod here, we're safe! Without it, I'm not so sure how things would've turned out…"
Aqua let out a sigh of relief, looking over to see Bowser and Kammy in an orb of light as well. "You saved them too?" The two were knocked out, the explosion having rendered them unconscious.
"Well…I couldn't just let them fall to their death, even after all they did…" Eldstar replied, humming. "Something tells me Bowser won't try to steal the Star Rod a second time!" The orb of light containing them all lowered down to just outside the castle gates, letting them loose as the castle slowly lowered down. Bowser and Kammy were placed to the side, still unconscious.
"Oh, thank goodness!" Goombario exclaimed. "I saw my life flash before my eyes, that was so scary!"
"At least we're safe now…" Princess Peach said with a relieved sigh.
Eldstar chuckled, beaming at everyone. "Yes, indeed! Everything is over, thanks to all of you! The Star Rod is back to its rightful owners!"
"I'm just glad I could help out." Aqua said, letting out a tired laugh. "I didn't think I'd be fighting an invincible opponent…"
"Oh, yes! You must all be exhausted!" Eldstar said replied. "Here…" The Star Rod glowed again and Mario, Goombario, Aqua, and Twink had all their wounds healed and energy restored entirely!
Sighing in relief, Aqua nodded as she dismissed Rainfell. "Thank you. That feels so much better…" She looked to Bowser and Kammy. "What will you do with them?"
"I think some time in the dungeon will teach them a thing or two!" Princess Peach exclaimed, placing her hands on her hips. "…If only we had a dungeon…" She finished, sighing.
A castle without dungeons? Aqua supposed someone with a heart as pure as Princess Peach's wouldn't make one. "So…you'll let them go?"
"We don't have much choice, but hopefully this defeat will at least make him think twice before trying again…" Princess Peach responded, smiling to Aqua.
That seemed…very hopeful. Granted, from the way people had talked, it seemed to Aqua that this was a pretty frequent event. At least the general idea that Bowser kept kidnapping Princess Peach. It was odd to the Keyblade Master, but no one seemed too worried, so…
"At the very least, we'll be able to grant people's wishes again." Skolar said with a relieved grin.
"Yes, the balance has been restored! Those poor Star Kids in Starborn Valley will be able to ascend again!" Kalmar added on.
"And you, Twink, were also quite impressive. You'll make an excellent Star one day." Eldstar praised.
Laughing bashfully, Twink squirmed on the spot. "Really? You think so? That means a lot!"
Chuckling, Eldstar gazed up to the heavens. "Well, we should be returning. The castle will keep going down until it reaches its rightful place. Thank you, everyone, we truly are in your debt."
With an exchange of goodbyes, the Star Spirits ascended up to Star Haven.
"…I guess I should go too…" Twink said with a sigh. "It was really fun, in a way. I'll make sure and visit a bunch, too!"
"Thank you for everything, Twink." Princess Peach said with a smile. "You really helped me a lot! Without you, we may have been done for."
Once more, Twink seemed bashful. "Well…I'm sure Mario and his friends would've figured it out somehow. Still, I should go. See you later, everyone!"
Once more, there was an exchange of goodbyes as Twink flew off to Star Haven himself, soon out of sight.
"I'm glad that's all over…" Mario said, sitting down in the grass as the castle slowly descended. By this point, they were going through the clouds, the barrier of light preventing said clouds from actually going in their faces.
"I think a celebratory party will be in order." Princess Peach replied, surprisingly chipper despite all that had happened. "In a few days, of course. Have to get things fixed up and the intruders out…and naturally, you should all come!"
A party did sound nice, though one in a big fancy castle wasn't a pleasant idea for Aqua. Just the thought of it made her think back to stuffy noble gatherings back at her own homeworld. "I appreciate the offer, but I'm afraid I have to leave once we hit the ground."
"What? Really? Why?" Goombario asked, frowning. "You won't even stay for the celebration?"
"I wish I could…but I'm looking for my friends. It's pretty important I find them as quickly as possible." Aqua said, feeling a bit guilty. "Sorry, Your Highness."
"Princess is enough." Peach argued gently. "That is a shame, but I understand. I've been cooped up in this castle for a while, so I'm not sure how much I can help. Who are your friends?"
"Their names are Ventus and Terra. They moved on from these parts a while ago, though. I just wanted to help Mario and his friends with their journey." Aqua replied, at least assuming Terra had left.
Frowning, Princess Peach shook her head. "Mmm, but those names don't ring a bell at all. I wish you luck in finding them, though. I hope they aren't too far!"
Aqua nodded, appreciating Peach's sincerity and kindness. "Thank you. I just hope I can get to them soon…"
"Well, I'll certainly keep that in my wishes!" Princess Peach said with a light laugh. "Especially with the Star Rod in place!"
The Keyblade Master wasn't sure how helpful that would be, especially since it would concern other worlds, but it was still so nice. "Thank you, again. That means a lot."
By this point, the castle had descended back to the ground and into its proper place. "I guess this is goodbye, then." Mario said, standing up.
"Well, for now, at least. I'm sure I can visit one day." Aqua said, starting to dislike these goodbyes, especially since she had no idea how permanent they were.
"That'd be great!" Goombario said excitedly. "You can meet my family and everything!"
"We can have a celebration, too. A nice get together at the castle." Princess Peach said with a smile.
"My brother Luigi would love to meet you too." Mario said, chuckling. "Don't be a stranger, alright?"
Aqua smiled, nodding to the three. "It's a promise." One she hoped she could keep. She was still worried about Bowser, him and Kammy still unconscious, but without the Star Rod, she was sure Mario could handle things. As long as the Princess of Heart was safe!
With that, the Keyblade Master walked off, waving farewell to her friends as the blue gates burst open, a mob of happy Toads flocking to their beloved Princess. Aqua kept walking until she was out of Toad Town and into a pleasant path free of witnesses.
When she was alone, Aqua donned her armor and summoned her glider, flying off and leaving the Mushroom Kingdom behind.
Flying through The Lanes Between, the young woman sighed to herself. She was of course glad that she helped save a Princess of Heart, but she still hadn't fulfilled her missions. Ventus and Terra were still off somewhere while the Unversed were causing issues. There was that old man Bowser had mentioned…but who was he?
Aqua didn't even consider Master Xehanort, not having any reason to doubt a friend of Master Eraqus'. After all, it's not like he was the only old man out there in the Universe. Still, it just opened up more questions for Aqua!
She was astounded by how hearts, at least those of Star Kids, could be bolstered so much through wishes. Aqua had to wonder if that was true of others as well, like herself or her fellow students. She also pondered if wishing wasn't maybe something she should do more often, even though she knew it was the Star Spirits and the Star Rod that aided with wishes in that world…
Another thing she thought about was running into two Princesses of Heart. Quite a coincidence, and it made her think it wasn't one at all. Surely it was her own heart guiding her to these places. It made her wonder if there had been a Princess of Heart in Hyrule as well, and her heart guided her there to help Link against that Ganondorf guy. Well, she had no way of knowing at the moment, of course.
While these thoughts ran through Aqua's mind, she spotted something flying ahead of her. "Wait…Terra…?" She whispered to herself. Looking closer, it was Terra! He was a ways away, too far for her to catch up easily. Aqua noticed he seemed to flying with purpose, not wandering somewhat blindly like she had been. "Where's he going…?"
The Keyblade Master followed Terra, noticing a world coming up. She saw him head toward a specific portion, a gorgeous city with large gardens and fountains. Unbeknownst to her, it was the same place that Ventus had gone too.
Not wanting to let Terra get away, Aqua tailed him as the world grew closer and closer…
A/N: With that, the Mushroom Kingdom is done for this story. Of course, with how many Mario games are out there, there will definitely be more visits in future stories. Can't just leave it at bits of Paper Mario, after all. I guess this means I'm approaching the midway point of the story, at least in terms of world visits. Pretty excited to write out what's coming up next, that's for sure.
Any and all comments or critiques are welcome.