Terra sighed to himself as he flew through The Lanes Between. He thought he made the right decision, separating from Aqua and Ventus while going on his own. After all, he simply wanted his friends to be safe. Vanitas was bad news, and if anything happened to his companions because Terra wasn't able to stop the threat in time…he'd never be able to forgive himself. He just hoped neither of them would grow to resent him for his actions…but if they did, he could accept that as long as they remained unharmed. He also felt he had to conquer his own personal struggles on his own. They were his own burdens, and he didn't think that Aqua or Ventus had to help him carry them.
After all of this was over, there was also the choice on whether to go back to Master Eraqus or join with Master Xehanort as his pupil. Terra saw Eraqus as his father after all he had done, especially with bringing the young man off his horrific homeworld. But Eraqus didn't seem to really understand Terra, especially recently, while Xehanort was far more open. He was sure, or at least hopeful, that by the time this whole ordeal was done, he'd make the right decision…
As Terra pondered these things, a world appeared before him, sort of sneaking up on him. It helped that the world itself was actually pretty small. It consisted of a large castle with a surrounding town. Aside from that, there was little else to look at. The young man wondered if Vanitas went to this world, given how close it was to Radiant Garden. He decided he'd take a look, especially with how small the world itself was, it'd make combing through it and gathering information pretty easy.
The young man decided to touch down in a field nearby a dirt road, shedding his armor and dismissing his glider. He made a point to land away from prying eyes as best he could. Deciding to take a shortcut across the road, he leapt over the fence blocking it.
While Terra was walking across the way, he caught something coming at him in his peripheral vision. It was moving insanely fast, and it was large too! Summoning Earthshaker by instinct, he turned to see it was several objects coming at him! They were mechanical, but oddly enough had eyes…and a very familiar emblem.
"Unversed! Already?!" He readied himself, Keyblade at the ready…but what he didn't expect was that all the Unversed would simply go right by him! They didn't pause or stop at all! Did they even notice him?
As the young man turned to where the Unversed were going, he decided to summon his glider. Right before he could do so, a woman's voice called out to him. "Look out! Be careful!"
Terra spun around immediately in time to see someone driving a purple car going right at him! Thankfully, he was able to dodge out of the way just in time, the driver not slowing down at all. He got up, looking about, and realizing just where he was. A starting line for a race was in front of him, a large banner saying 'Rumble Racing' on it. Turning to the source of the voice, he saw a lady mouse in a dress, two chipmunks, and a yellow dog with a green collar.
Going over to the four and off the tracks, the young man let out a relieved breath. "Thanks for speaking up like that…I would've been flattened for sure…My name's Terra, by the way."
The lady mouse seemed relieved as well, smiling up at Terra. "I'm just glad no one got hurt! And a pleasure to meet you, Terra. My name is Minnie. These are my friends Chip and Dale." She gestured to the chipmunks before patting the dog on the head. "And this is Pluto!"
"Why the heck did you run out there anyway?!" Chip demanded, hopping up and down as he scolded Terra.
"Yeah, that's against the rules! Don't you know that!" Dale added on, just as annoyed.
Terra rubbed the back of his neck, not expecting to be chewed out. It was especially bit awkward since the ones scolding him barely made it past his ankles. "I really didn't know what was going on, I'm sorry. I don't think the Unversed were planning to play by the rules anyway. Rules don't apply to them." What were they doing on a racetrack, though…?
"Rules don't apply?!" Dale remarked, apparently not pleased at the statement. "You're sounding just like Pete!"
"That may be a bit harsh, Dale…" Minnie said, staying far more composed than her friends.
The young man frowned a bit. "Pete? Who's that?"
Before anyone could reply, a new voice rang out. "Disguised in shadows, the rogue racer reigns!"
The group looked to see a tall figure, his back to them, and wearing a large purple cape. "Oh no, it's Captain Dark…" Chimp grumbled.
The caped man chose to ignore this, if he even heard it, and kept going. He around dramatically, showing a purple and black costume complete with a mask and a 'CD' on his belt. "I am…Captain Dark!" He shouted triumphantly, as if expecting an applause.
Terra stared, really not sure what to make of the situation. Was…he a bad guy? The others seemed more annoyed than fearful, so the young man chose to just see what the deal was. "Uh…" Was all he managed to murmur out.
Captain Dark approached, only at that point Terra realizing that the masked man was a good head taller than he was. The cat man looked to the Keyblade wielder, pointing an accusing finger at him. "And you there! You're the chump that made me miss a new track record!"
Wait…was he the one in the car? It had gone by so fast; Terra hadn't gotten a good look at the driver. It must have been! "You didn't seem too concerned about almost hitting me."
"I knew you were fine, so I just kept goin', that's all." Captain Dark replied, waving the concern away like it was no big deal. He then paused, getting closer and squinting at Terra. "Say…I don't know you! Were you brought in as rival for me or somethin'?"
"What? No…I'm not even a racer!" What was this guy talking about? Terra felt like he stumbled onto something he maybe shouldn't have…
The masked man seemed to ignore once more what was being said, clapping Terra's back in what might have been a good-natured way…but he either didn't know his own strength or tried to hurt the young man on purpose. The hit really stung! Must be downright temptatious to try 'n' stop an expert like me from gettin' the record. But we all gotta play by the rules, rookie!" Without waiting for a response, Captain Dark turned around and walked off, chuckling to himself.
"Bah! That Pete…he talks about playing by the rules, but he cheats all the time!" Dale remarked, crossing his arms.
Terra decided to try and ignore what had just happened, turning to the group. "I don't know much about races or playing by the rules, but I have to stop those Unversed. They haven't been attacking anyone, have they?"
"Attacking? Goodness me, I wouldn't stand for that!" Minnie replied. "A Queen has to protect her people, after all."
What? Queen? Terra looked Minnie over again, realizing just how regal her attire was. "Oh! I'm so sorry, Your Majesty, I didn't realize!" The young man instantly got down on one knee, wanting to pay his respects.
This had the opposite effect, Minnie frowning and waving her hands. "No, no! Please, none of that! Just call me Minnie, please!"
It went against everything Terra had been taught…but on the other hand, it came straight from the Queen's mouth. A bit begrudgingly, the young man stood up. "Sorry Your…I mean…Minnie. And I have to question this, but have the Unversed really not attacked anyone?"
"They've just been racing on the track. They're pretty competitive, but that's all." Dale butted in, nodding his head.
"And has there been a boy in a mask around? He goes by Vanitas, and he's bad news…" Terra was surprised by how calm and normal things seemed, even with the blatant Unversed presence.
"No, there hasn't been anyone like that. An outsider to Disney Town, like yourself?" Minnie asked, giggling as Terra looked surprise. "We saw you land. Don't worry, we won't pry into your affairs. But if we had another outsider around, we'd know about him for sure."
Terra suddenly recalled how Ventus somehow got his hands on passes to a place called Disney Town. So that was this place, and at least one person from here was able to travel to different worlds! That made him relax more, and he gave the monarch a nod. "That's correct. Vanitas, the Unversed too, they've been causing havoc in other worlds. I have to take care of them before they actually hurt someone." At the very least it didn't seem like Vanitas was around, Minnie seemed so sure about her statement. It was a small world, after all, so it wasn't like the masked boy had many places to hide…
"Well, you clearly know a lot more about this than us." Queen Minnie said, nodding her head. "I insist that you play by the rules though and enter the race properly. You can stop those creatures from doing anything nasty while you do it."
That seemed a bit odd to Terra considering what a threat they could be, but he supposed no one here knew exactly how much trouble they were capable of. Still, he wasn't about to argue with royalty. "That's a plan, then."
"And while you're out there, how about you knock that 'Captain Dark' down a peg or two?" Chip asked, getting a bit hopeful.
That seemed a bit extreme. The guy seemed like a bit of a jerk, but Terra wasn't about to attack him over it if that's what Chip was getting at. "I'll see what I can do." Was all the young man promised.
"Great! Let's get you started, then!" Dale remarked, grinning widely.
Terra was told his Keyblade glider was fine for the race and before he knew it, he was atop his vehicle at the starting line. Around him were at least half a dozen of the odd vehicular Unversed along with Captain Dark in his car. The masked man glared at Terra but said nothing.
Over an intercom system, Chip piped up. "Alright racers! Rev up your engines! Three…two…one…GO!"
The Unversed and Captain Dark took off, Terra allowing them all to go ahead. He wanted to catch up to and eliminate all the Unversed, so he wanted them all in his line of sight. Once he was in last, the young man shot ahead with the glider.
In a bit of a twist, Terra had troubles driving his vehicle because of how slow he had to go. Normally he was in the emptiness of The Lanes Between, where he didn't have to worry about hitting anyone or making tight turns. He'd just go straight ahead as fast as he could. On this racetrack through the fields and hills, however, he really had to watch where he was going!
He was able to take it nice and slow, though, at least by glider standards, and managed not to crash as he caught up to the Unversed. As he went, he saw stands off to the sides with spectators watching the race. He'd have to make sure not to do anything that would accidentally put them in danger!
So, Terra decided not to use magic. A stray Fire spell or a rouge blast of Thunder would really be bad news! Moving faster, he quickly started to ride side-by-side with the nearest Unversed. The creature didn't seem to really register he was there. It seemed like there was something unusual with this batch. Apparently none of them have attacked anyone, but that didn't seem right at all. Even as Terra got nice and close, the Unversed didn't do anything to retaliate.
Well, he wasn't going to let that stop him!
Making sure not to crash, Terra rammed hard into the Unversed, causing it to crash off the tracks and vanish into a black mist. At the very least it was easy to take these Unversed out in a single hit. The violent crashes were more than enough to reduce the creatures to empty air. As this happened, the crowds in the stands were a bit shocked, but didn't seem too bothered. Perhaps they thought it was part of the show or maybe the Unversed had them all more spooked than Minnie let on or knew.
It hardly mattered to Terra what they thought, though. The Unversed had to be taken down one way or another. The young man would speed along the track, ramming into the mechanical monsters as he went along, which in most cases took care of them in a single blow. Only one or two of them needed to be prodded off the track to take them out.
Something which Terra continued to find very odd was that even after most of the Unversed were gone, the remaining ones still wouldn't attack him. Maybe these kind were just very unintelligent and had no sense of survivability? Did any Unversed have one? Not a line of thinking the Keyblade wielder really wanted to ponder on.
He also, by accident, fulfilled Chip's request near the end of the race. Captain Dark, Pete, or whatever he should be called, managed to stick to the front of the race while Terra took out the Unversed. As the two neared the finish line, there was somewhat of a sharp turn leading to it. Terra underestimated the sharpness and went a bit too fast, nearly ramming into Captain Dark's vehicle and making the masked driver swerve into the fence.
Terra looked back to see Captain Dark angry and shaking his fist at the Keyblade wielder, but very much unharmed as far as he could tell. The young man still felt bad about it, though, but there wasn't much he could do as he crossed the finish line.
"And it's done! Terra's the winner!" Dale's voice called over the speaker system, eliciting an applause from those watching the race.
Slowing down to a stop, Terra dismissed his glider as he went off to the side of the track, Minnie and the two chipmunks waiting to greet him.
"That was great! You took out those weird monsters so easily!" Chip praised, grinning ear-to-ear. "And you knocked Captain Dark down a peg!"
Terra rubbed the back of his neck a bit sheepishly. "I really didn't mean to do that. I didn't realize how fast I was going for that last turn…" After all, he never had to worry about that kind of thing out in The Lanes Between…
"I believe you, Terra. It seems like Pete isn't too hurt." Minnie replied with a grateful look. "He's coming this way right now, in fact."
Turning, Terra saw Captain Dark approaching, not looking too happy. The masked driver was glaring daggers at the young man. "You! You rammed me off the road! Didn't I warn ya about followin' the rules?!"
Terra raised his hands, shaking his head. "No, no, it was an accident. I'm really sorry about that, I didn't do that on purpose!" Somehow he doubted that the angered cat man would believe him.
And the young man's suspicions were accurate, Captain Dark crossing his arms. "I don't believe that for a second! Are you three goin' to just let this go?!"
"Pete, I understand you're angry, but it really did seem like an accident. Terra doesn't seem the kind to drive someone off the road on purpose…" Minnie responded, a great deal of patience in her tone.
"Not like you don't cheat either, so you're hardly one to talk even if he did do it on purpose!" Dale butted in, pointing an accusing finger at the masked driver.
This just further frustrated Captain Dark, but he was outnumbered, even by the Queen herself. "Fine! Next time, I'll show ya a thing or two, just you wait!" He promised angrily, running off back to his damaged car.
"No one's going to vote for a weasel like you, Pete!" Chip called after Captain Dark, who either didn't hear or chose not to acknowledge the taunt as he kept going.
Terra really did feel bad. Apparently Captain Dark, or he supposed Pete really, wasn't very well liked, but he didn't deserve to be knocked off the road, right? At least no one got seriously hurt, though. "Vote? What vote?" The young man asked.
"Chip means the Million Dreams Award." Minnie explained, watching as Pete reached his car. "It's a part of the Dream Festival that's going on right now. Everyone takes a vote to determine who most exemplary citizen is, and the winner gets a prize."
"Since Pete is such a troublemaking scoundrel, he probably figured if he put on some disguise, he'd actually get votes!" Dale added on, rolling his eyes.
"Not like he's even fooling anyone!" Chip remarked as well, crossing his arms. "Everyone knows it's Pete! All he cares about is the prize, not being a good citizen!"
Minnie sighed, frowning as she shook her head slowly. "I think it's very sad…The award is supposed to help us appreciate how much we look out for each other…"
"Well, I know who my vote is going to! Terra for sure!" Chip said, beaming up at the outsider. "You took out those monsters and got Pete really mad!"
Terra couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, I'm flattered." He wasn't even planning around to see the end of the festival anyway. It seemed like, for the most part, this world was untouched by the Unversed. After all, everyone was out enjoying a festival and watching the races, a very stark contrast to Radiant Garden where most of the citizens locked themselves indoors. If that masked menace was around, things would surely be much worse, and no way things could be so cheerful. Maybe Vanitas didn't bother much because of how small the world is? Terra wasn't going to pretend like he could understand Vanitas' thinking process, but it made sense to him. "I should be going, though. I still have duties to attend to."
"Oh, I hope you'll come back to see the end of the festival. Who knows, you may just win." Minnie said with a small smile.
"You should try, that's for sure!" Chip declared, nodding enthusiastically.
"I'll certainly try." Terra responded, really not sure at all whether that would come true. Probably not…he doubted he'd be able to get Vanitas hunted down too soon. Even if he did, there was so much more he had to deal with in the aftermath. No need to rain on the parade of his new acquaintances, though. He donned his armor openly as he summoned his glider. No need to hide it, after all, since they knew he was an outsider. "Thanks for the information, I hope things stay secure around here."
"We appreciate that, Terra. Good luck on your travels!" Minnie said, waving along with Chip and Dale as the young man took off into the air and flew away until he was little more than a speck in the sky.
Aqua felt so frustrated as she flew through The Lanes Between. She was already second guessing her decision on leaving Ventus behind to pursue Terra. Ventus had gotten stronger, and Aqua wasn't going to deny that. It was still just his heart that she worried for. But she thought that Terra's heart was in more danger, he already had a history of struggling with his inner darkness. In the moment, it seemed like pursuing Terra was the better choice, but Aqua just didn't know…
Even though Eraqus granted her the title of Keyblade Master himself, Aqua wasn't sure she had really earned it. She didn't really feel like a true Master. The young woman felt so lost and didn't think she was wise enough to make the types of decision Eraqus could in this situation. She was sure he'd handle all of this ten times better if he had gone after Ventus and Terra instead. Aqua still wanted to perform her proper duties, she was just starting to doubt whether or not she even could. Maybe when everything was back to normal, she'd have a talk with Eraqus about her position…
It didn't help things that she was no closer to getting Vanitas taken care of than before. With the knowledge that he somehow got a Keyblade, Aqua was positive he was involved with the taking of Erina Pendleton's heart. She had let the villain slip through her fingers, and she didn't even know who the old man that Bowser had told her about. He was somehow tied to the Unversed, but she had no idea what his name was or what he even looked like! Was Vanitas working with this man? Was he also tied to the Unversed? So many mysteries and no answers…
She let out a dejected sigh before flinching as she looked ahead. The Keyblade Master had been so lost in thought that he didn't even notice she was already approaching a new world. This one was very, very small, a castle and a surrounding town made up essentially the entire thing. Like Terra, she wondered if maybe Vanitas went to this world since it was so close, and its small size would make causing trouble easier.
Aqua felt like it'd be a good idea to take a quick look. If there was no trouble, it'd be easy to discern that given how tiny the world was, and then she could move on. Making up her mind, the Keyblade Master flew towards an empty alley within the town, hoping no one saw her descend. She could hear the bustle of activity from where she was as she discarded her glider and armor.
The activity was a good sign, not at all like the empty city she had previously been to. Stepping out of the alley, she saw humanoid animals walking about and she was reminded of that duck she had met before. Not many of them paid her much mind, and the few who did gave her a friendly wave, which she would return.
It seemed like some sort of festival was going on, there was cheerful music playing over loudspeakers and people were about playing games and eating ice cream and other treats. Right away it seemed very unlikely that any sort of trouble was going on, but Aqua felt wrong about just up and leaving after only a minute looking about. It was entirely possible that Vanitas was around the area, or that mysterious old man Bowser had mentioned. Deciding to take a closer look, Aqua kept going about. Yet, as she moved through the town, she saw no signs of trouble anywhere. No Unversed, no worried faces on the citizens. The worst thing she saw was a child drop his ice cream cone and start to cry. The Keyblade Master found herself in an emptier part of the town when she heard a voice boom out.
"Tadaaa!" Aqua heard the voice from behind her and turned to see a figure with his back to her. She could see a red cape and an odd white, gold, and orange costume. "Wearin' the mask of peace and hope…" The man turned around with a dramatic flourish, revealing a masked cat man with a belt buckle with 'CJ' on it. "…comes the fearless defender and hero of this town! It is me…Captain Justice!" He announced loudly, posing triumphantly as if expecting applause.
Aqua stared at the display. Maybe he was part of a play for kids? "Uh…Hmm…" Was all she could think to say as she turned to keep going. This wasn't her thing, so she decided to try and ignore it…
That shocked Captain Justice, who ran after Aqua. "Hey! Hold on there, pipsqueak!" He scolded, stopping a few feet away from the blue haired woman. "Who are you to walk away when a bonafide hero is offerin' his help?!"
"Uh…Look, I'm sorry, but I don't really need a hero, bonafide or not…" Was he serious, or still just part of the festival? Aqua sincerely had no idea.
Before Captain Justice could reply, a new voice rang out in despair. "Somebody! Help! Quickly…!"
Aqua and Captain Justice turned to see a horse man in overalls walking out from another part of the town, clutching his side in pain. "Eh?! Trouble?! Captain Justice is on his way!" The masked hero ran towards the horse man, who leaned against a nearby wall, and Aqua followed suit. "Horace Horsecollar, right?" The large, costumed man asked. "What's the trouble?!"
Horace looked up at Captain Justice, not seeming too thrilled. "You? Well, that's a darn shame…" He grumbled before stopping himself, as if a thought occurred to him. "Er…mmm…maybe this is actually perfect for you, Mr. Hero…" He said the last two words with barely veiled sarcasm.
Either Captain Justice didn't realize the sarcasm or just didn't care as he pressed the injured man. "What?! What's the catastrophe?!"
The horse man pushed off the wall, wincing a bit. "Some strange monsters have popped up in Fruitball Plaza! One gave me a good kick in the ribs. It smarts, but I'll be fine…but they can't just stick around and cause mayhem!"
Monsters? Those couldn't be Unversed, could they? "Are they in this world after all…?" Aqua murmured to herself, too quiet for the other two to hear her.
"Er…uh…monsters, eh? I don't know about all that…" Captain Justice remarked, suddenly all nervous.
Aqua frowned, looking up at the masked man. He was certainly a large one, even taller than Terra! Surely he could handle a few Unversed. Wasn't he some sort of hero? "I didn't know heroes got to pick like that…" If he was going to spout about being a spreader of peace, he should at least act the part. Unless…he really was just an entertainer? Aqua still really had no clue here…
"Well, er…I mean…I don't know if I could survive- I mean…fit that into my schedule! I'm a busy man, you know!" Captain Justice said, crossing his arms and attempting to put on a dignified air. It…didn't really work too well.
Horace let out a 'Hmph!' and gave the masked man an accusatory look. "I thought you were a big hero, Captain Justice!" He remarked, not seeming too thrilled.
All of a sudden, Captain Justice put a hand to his ear. "Hark! Did you hear that?!"
There was distant music and chatter in more crowded parts of the town, but aside from that nothing stuck out. "What?" Aqua asked, straining her ears to hear something.
"It's somebody callin' for Captain Justice's help!" The masked man declared. "Do not fear, citizen! I am on my way!" He shouted off in a seemingly random direction before running off.
"Hmph. I didn't hear a darn thing! Captain Useless, more like…" Horace grumbled.
Aqua tried to ignore what just happened, clearing her throat to get the injured man's attention. "I'm not exactly a hero, but I'll help if I can, sir…"
Horace's eyes lit up, and he looked to Aqua as if he just noticed her. Not that she could blame him, Captain Justice had quite a demanding presence. "Really?! Now that'd just be jim-dandy!"
The man led Aqua towards an open area with what looked almost like a large tennis court. Hopping about it where maybe half a dozen Unversed, Shoegazers. She was able to spot their emblem at a glance, knowing what she was dealing with as she summoned Rainfell. Oddly enough, there were also giant fruits about like pineapples, watermelons, and even massive bundles of grapes! Were they real fruits? How did they get so big?
Well, it hardly mattered to Aqua. She charged in, ready to sweep up the mess. The Shoegazers quickly noticed her, hopping up and down in apparent annoyance. Some of them jumped at her, but one of the Unversed was seemingly cleverer than the rest. Instead of going to Aqua, it went behind a giant pineapple and kicked it at the young woman.
Aqua still had no idea if the fruits were real or not, but they were still several times larger than her, so getting hit by one would hurt! The Keyblade Master used Rainfell to deflect the blow, sending the projectile towards one of the other Shoegazers and destroying it instantly. The others went after her, but they had very limited movements, only able to hop about and make kicking motions. This allowed the young woman to dispatch of them with ease and she was able to dodge their attacks almost casually.
When there was only one Shoegazer left, it hopped away behind a giant watermelon and kicked it at Aqua. She leapt into the air and swung Rainfell in a hard arc, slicing the fruit in half. At the very least she found out that the fruits were real, as juice sprayed from the bisected watermelon and got all over her. Didn't stop her from shooting a fireball at the last Unversed, destroying it on the spot.
The young woman grimaced, sticky all over with fruit juice. Just perfect. At the very least she could use some magic, lifting Rainfell above her and using a light Water spell to act as a sort of shower. "A waste of magic…" She grumbled.
"That was amazing!" Horace called, having hidden off around the corner as Aqua fought. "I saw a bit of it, and you were fast and could jump so high! You can even use magic too! You really saved Fruitball, young lady!" He hesitated for a second. "Er…I'm sorry, I never got your name."
"Aqua. And it's no problem. Are there other monsters like this around?" She asked as she washed off the last of the fruit juice. Now she was soaked!
Horace shook his head. "No, just those ones as far as I can tell."
"Oh my, what happened here?!" A concerned voice called. The two turned to see a mouse in an elegant dress approaching followed by a happy looking dog with a green collar.
"Queen Minnie!" Horace called, bowing lightly. "This young lady here, Aqua, she helped trounce some monsters!"
A Queen?! Aqua was so wrapped up in the Captain Justice nonsense, and then the Unversed, she forgot there was a castle. She just didn't expect to run into royalty! She didn't look too presentable, but she still dispelled Rainfell and got down on one knee. "It was nothing, Your Majesty…"
The monarch frowned in response, waving her hands. "Please! No need to be so formal! Just call me Minnie! You know that too, Horace."
Horace rubbed the back of his head with a chuckle. "I can't rightly help it, you know that." He admitted sheepishly.
Aqua stood up, taking what the monarch said to heart. "I'm glad I ran into you, Minnie. I just fought off some monsters here, they're called Unversed. Have there been others around here?"
Minnie frowned in worry. "Oh…more of them? I thought they were just at the racetrack!" She let out a sigh. "I don't think there are others…say…do you know a man named Terra?"
That caught the Keyblade Master by surprise. "Terra? He was here? Is he still here now?!"
Shaking her head, the Queen looked a bit guilty. "I'm afraid not. If I knew he was being looked for, I would've tried to make him stay a bit longer, I'm sorry."
"That's alright…you had no way of knowing. How about someone named Ventus? Has he been here?" Aqua really hoped that the younger boy had gone home as asked…
"No, that name doesn't ring a bell. You and this Ventus…you're outsiders like Terra, aren't you?" Minnie asked, tittering in a good natured way at Aqua's expression. "It's alright, dear, we know about other worlds. Disney Town here actually gets visitors from time to time. And apparently some unsavory ones too, like those monsters…"
Disney Town! Like on those passes that Ventus had! Aqua sighed in relief that everyone was on the same page. "That's right…sorry to bother you with more questions, but a masked boy named Vanitas, has he been here? He's bad news…"
"Thankfully no. Terra asked about him as well, but if an outsider arrives here, we tend to fight out pretty quickly." Minnie remarked. "I wish I could help you more, but I'm afraid I simply can't." She let out a sigh. "Oh…so much trouble going on…it feels like I'm not doing a good job protecting the kingdom…"
Horace shook his head. "Please don't speak that way! You're doing a fine job! Especially with the King going off like he did. Why, we wouldn't even think about putting on our yearly Dream Festival if we didn't feel safe!"
"That's very kind of you, Horace, thank you." Minnie replied with a small smile.
"How about that Pete, though? Captain Justice my keester! You can't count on him for anything!" Horace said with a light huff.
"Pete? The masked man from before?" Aqua asked. Really seemed Horace didn't like the guy.
Nodding, the horse man let out a sigh. "Yeah. His real name's Pete. Don't believe that 'Captain Justice' malarkey, though. Pete never does anything for anyone but himself. He's just pretending to be a hero to get people to vote for him! He just wants to win the Million Dreams Award and hog the prize!"
"What's this Million Dreams Award?" Aqua asked, trying hard not to shiver from the wetness in front of royalty. If only she had a towel or something…
"It's a part of the Dream Festival. Everyone casts a vote for who they thing the most admirable citizen is." Minnie explained. "Pete seems to have the wrong idea…he thinks dressing up as a hero and pretending to be one will get him the prize. But being a hero isn't about costumes and talking about justice…it's about the actual actions they partake in…" She didn't sound angry, more disappointed, and even a little bit sad.
"Well, I know who has my vote!" Horace said, looking to Aqua. "You really helped out and saved Fruitball, so I couldn't imagine voting for anyone else this year!"
Aqua couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "Well, I appreciate that, Horace. That means a lot." Well, she wouldn't even be around long enough for any votes to matter, but still! "I'm afraid I can't stick around here, though. I have to look for Terra and Vanitas…"
"Oh yeah, your friend and that troublemaker!" Horace exclaimed, nodding in understanding. "I know when you catch up to that Vanitas fella, you'll give him a good thumping! You should've seen her, Queen Minnie, she showed those monsters not to mess with Fruitball!"
"I'm sure she did!" Minnie responded with a small laugh. "It's a shame you can't stay, though. Maybe you can pop by for a visit soon. The Festival won't last much longer, I'm afraid." She sounded very sincere, as if she and Aqua were already close friends.
The sincerity actually made Aqua feel a bit guilty. "I'll try my best, but I'm afraid I can't make any promises beyond that." The young woman said, doubting she'd have a chance to return. Even after Vanitas was taken care of, she'd still have to make sure Terra was okay, then report back to Eraqus. She was worried more Unversed might pop up in Disney Town, but Vanitas would surely have a bigger impact if he was hiding about, so Aqua couldn't stick around forever.
After exchanging farewells with her two new friends, Aqua openly donned her armor and summoned the glider. She figured there was no point in hiding her mode of transportation, after all. Quickly, the Keyblade Master lifted into the air and flew off to wherever her heart would guide her to next…
Ventus really had no idea what to do with himself.
He had goals and desires moving forward, but he wasn't sure how to handle them. Even at this point, he still wanted to go along with Terra and Aqua as they hunted down the source of the Unversed and helped the worlds. Yet neither one of them wanted him around. He wanted to maybe go and do this on his own, especially taking down Vanitas…but could he even do that? Ventus knew he had grown stronger, but there was still that nagging, doubtful voice in his mind that told him he couldn't live up to such a task. If anyone were to stop the Unversed or Vanitas, it'd most likely be Aqua or Terra, not him…
But…what did he do, then?
The teen felt lost, not wanting to go home but not sure how to proceed. Did he just go to random worlds and hope for the best? Did he continue to rely on his heart to lead him onward? One thought that kept worming its way into his mind as he flew was the condition of his friendship with Terra and Aqua.
Of course, Ventus still saw the two as his friends. That hadn't changed! He still looked up to Terra and had his more…complex feelings towards Aqua. His face went red just thinking of it! Yet he kept thinking of Lea and Isa, and how the two interacted. Was that how all friends were? Like those two? What exactly was friendship to begin with?
Without the memories of his past, Ventus had no idea if he ever had friends before arriving at The Land of Departure. All he really knew was that he liked Aqua and Terra, and he felt content when he was with them. Was that all friendship was? Just liking being with someone? Was he true friends with Mario? Link? Jonathan? Mickey? If so, why? Was it because he helped them out, or in the case of Mickey, he was helped himself? How did one make friends and how did they keep friendships strong? Were Aqua and Terra still friends after their fight? Was it that easy to destroy a friendship?
Ventus felt his heart ache lightly, feeling so confused about the emotions going through him. What was he supposed to do? The thoughts just kept eating at him…and he felt he had to find some answers. Maybe that could be something to motivate him going forward. Maybe he could make new, concrete friends in other worlds, and he'd learn to understand the idea more. He also felt very alone, like he couldn't rely on anyone at the moment. He felt he couldn't go home, and he couldn't go with Aqua or Terra…so who did he have? Just himself, it seemed. That's what his heart told him, at least.
The teen was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't notice he was approaching another world until he was mere minutes away. It was a rather tiny world, made up almost entirely of a castle and the surrounding town. Ventus thought that this was as good a place as any to start trying to understand friendship more.
With no reason not to, Ventus made his way to the new world, landing in an emptier part of the town. After discarding his armor and glider, he started to walk about. He was able to hear music being played elsewhere, but it seemed no one was hanging around this part of the town. Maybe there was an event going on or something. The teen nearly jumped out of his skin when a figure suddenly popped out in front of him!
"Tadaaa!" The figure yelled out, decked out in a white, orange, and gold outfit, complete with a cape. "Wearin' the mask of peace and hope…" The man, a cat man so tall that he'd even loom over Terra, posed dramatically as he spoke. "…comes the fearless defender and hero of this town! It is me…Captain Justice!" He said this as though he had rehearsed it and said it multiple times that day alone.
Ventus really had no idea how to react to the situation. "Huh? I, uh…" Needless to say, he wasn't expecting to be confronted with something so odd…
"Young fellow! My hero-senses detect you have some troubles! Am I wrong?" Captain Justice asked, approaching Ventus until he was only a few feet away. "Just say the word and your troubles are gone!"
Was this guy really a hero? He seemed to talk the talk, at the very least. "Uh, me? Really?" Ventus asked, getting a nod from the masked man. "I'm just trying to figure out…" He was about to say 'friends' but quickly closed his mouth. Thinking about that was one thing, but actually saying it out loud felt really embarrassing. He was fifteen, so he should know this already. Quickly changing the subject, he looked about the area. "Um…what's with the decorations? I hear music from somewhere too…is it always like this?"
That seemed to catch Captain Justice off-guard. "Eh? That's it? Well, that's all on account of the Dream Festival, of course! There's all sorts of things to do, I made sure of it!"
A festival…Ventus heard of those from Aqua in regards to her homeworld. They sounded fun! "Really? Like what?" The teen pressed, feeling himself getting excited.
Captain Justice gave a coy smile, crossing his arms. "Well, it's no fun if I just told ya! It'd hardly be a dream, eh?"
"Mmm…That's true. Well, alright. Thanks for the information, Captain Justice." Felt kind of weird saying that name, but oh well.
"That's right! And kid, don't forget who helped ya out when votin' time comes, ya hear?!" The masked man pressed.
"Uh…vote? What-" Ventus started, but a new voice rang out and interrupted him.
"Aw, phooey! Now we can't open the ice cream shop!" The voice called, sounding like a child's.
Captain Justice perked up, looking to the source of the voice. "Trouble? I'm on my way!" He declared, rounding the corner to investigate.
Ventus decided to follow. Might as well, he had no idea where else to go. Rounding the corner, he saw some other new faces. "Maybe I can make new friends here…" He murmured to himself as he took a look at what was going on. There was a trio of ducks, one in red, one in blue, and one in green. They were joined by a mouse wearing an elegant dress, with a dog in a green collar sitting nearby panting happily. The group was by some sort of contraption in front of an empty stage, Captain Justice running up to them and looking things over.
"Well, well, what's the catastrophe?" Captain Justice asked. "Huey, Dewey, Louie, did ya break somethin'?" He looked to the triplets in red, blue, and green in order.
"I'd hardly call it that." The mouse replied with a light shake of the head.
"Yeah, we were just trying to make some ice cream and we're having some trouble!" Huey replied.
"It's not that big of a deal, Pete!" Dewey added on.
"Why don't you leave us and Queen Minnie be, huh?" Louie remarked.
A Queen? Oh, right, there was the castle! Ventus stayed a bit away from the conversation, just watching it play out. "Thinking of it, she kind of looks like Mickey…" The teen murmured to himself, going unnoticed by the rest.
Captain Justice, or apparently Pete, shook his head. "No, no! This is surely an act of sabotage, fellas!" He insisted, looking over the machine.
"Oh, you're just making stuff up!" Dewey huffed with a roll of the eyes. "The ice cream machine isn't broken or anything, we just can't figure out how it works. Uncle Scrooge never taught us!"
Wait, Uncle Scrooge? Was this Disney Town? Wow, what were the chances? Ventus was a lot more interested but chose to stay out of things still.
"We're sorry, Queen Minnie, we wanted to make a special serving of ice cream just for you!" Huey said, looking guilty. "We're sorry!"
"Oh, that's very sweet of you boys. But don't feel bad, it's not the end of the world." Minnie remarked with an understanding tone.
"Is that all?! No problem! Leave it to Captain Justice! One bowl of ice cream, coming up!" The masked man said, approaching the device.
Dewey intercepted the much larger figure, shoving at him until he stepped back. "Hey! You're gonna break it! Just leave it alone, Pete!"
"That's Captain Justice to you!" The caped man remarked. "All this machine needs is a good pounding!" He walked up to the machine, shaking it a bit and hitting at it.
"It most certainly does not!" Minnie argued, but her words fell on deaf ears, or maybe Captain Justice simply didn't care.
Ventus approached, thinking things were getting a bit out of hand. "Uh, hey, maybe I can help somehow?" He wasn't really sure how, but he just didn't want things getting worse. They really seemed to dislike this Pete guy…was he really that bad?
"Naw! If Captain Justice can't fix it, ain't nothin' ya can do, kid!" Captain Justice remarked, waving Ventus off.
"Better you than him! No harm in it!" Dewey argued. "You can give it a shot if you want!"
Captain Justice grumbled, walking off to the side as Ventus cautiously sat in the chair on the device. It had all sorts of buttons and some keyboards to the side. A very weird device! "I think I just sit here, right?"
"Well, we figured that much." Huey said, crossing his arms. "It's the rest we can't figure out!"
"Er, right…" Ventus murmured, starting to fiddle with the buttons. Really, he was just going in totally blind. Maybe this was a bad idea! It was too late to turn back, though. He just wanted to help, and maybe they'd be his friends for it. That seemed right, didn't it? Friends helped each other! The teen pushed more buttons and pressed a few keys, the device making some odd noises.
Without much warning, the nozzle activated, and a ball of ice cream shot out onto the stage! Vanilla flavor! "Hey, that's getting somewhere!" Huey remarked with a wide grin. "Keep it up!"
That helped boost Ventus' confidence a bit. He kept messing with certain combinations of button presses and keys. The machine would whir and beep, shooting out spheres of ice cream of various flavors and sizes! While the stage was starting to become a mess, it was all coming together! Before too long, the teen started to understand how everything worked and all the patterns of buttons and keys needed to produce what. He explained these to the triplets, who jotted them down in a notepad with enthusiasm.
"Oh, but there's a huge mess…" Louie pointed out, gesturing to the stage.
Minnie approached, taking a fingerful of ice cream and taking a taste. "That's true, but it tastes delicious! The brooms can take care of the mess." She turned to Ventus, who was getting off the device. "Thank you…erm…I'm sorry, I never asked your name…"
Keeping with his manners, Ventus bowed to the monarch. "My name is Ventus, Your Majesty. Um, you can call me Ven if you'd like…"
"Oh, no need to be so formal! Minnie is just fine." The Queen replied. "Wait…I've heard your name! Your friends of Terra and Aqua, aren't you?"
Wait, what? They had been here? "Oh! Yeah, they stopped by?" Ventus replied, pretty surprised. What were the chances…?
Before Minnie could reply, Captain Justice spoke up. "Well, the kid may have gotten the machine to work, but it still needs a few good smacks!" He insisted, walking up to the device.
"Pete, don't you dare!" Minnie retorted, seeming pretty serious and speaking sharply. It seemed so out of place for someone so normally sweet.
That got the masked man to listen, crossing his arms in frustration. "Hmph! Fine! But Captain Justice will return!" He announced, not making it too clear if that was a threat or something positive. Either way, he quickly ran off.
"Huh…Captain Justice…or…Pete…what's his deal?" Ventus asked, getting distracted. He supposed it wasn't too odd that Aqua or Terra showed up. This world was so close to where they had all met up, after all.
"That's right. He's the biggest troublemaker in town." Louie explained with a huff.
"He's just pretending to be a hero so he can win the Million Dreams Award, I'm sure of it!" Huey added on.
"What's that? The Million Dreams Award?" Ventus asked. He felt kind of bad for Pete…but he didn't really have the full story. The guy just seemed bad at helping, but maybe there was more to it…
Minnie had calmed down, looking to Ventus. "It's a tradition at the Dream Festival. Everyone votes for who they think the most exemplary citizen is, and they get a prize."
"Oh…yeah, I think he did mention a vote before…" Ventus recalled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't really get what he meant, though."
"It's a nice way of reminding everyone to appreciate one another and look out for each other." Minnie explained. "I thought it was a nice idea."
Huey sighed, crossing his arms. "That Pete just wants his grubby hands on the prize, though. He doesn't care about helping people!"
"No wonder he's in a disguise, but it won't fool anyone!" Louie said, letting out a laugh.
As they spoke, to the shock of Ventus, some brooms started to approach! They were walking, their bristles acting as feet, and they even had arms and held mops and buckets in their wooden hands. "B…Brooms?" He blurted out.
"Hm? Oh! That's right. Just a small enchantment. They help keep things tidy." Minnie said, watching as the brooms started to clean up the ice cream mess. "Ven, will you stick around to the end of the festival? It's pretty close to ending. Your two friends went off and haven't returned, I'm afraid."
Oh, right. Aqua and Terra. Ventus looked about, the Dream Festival sure seeming like a lot of fun. Without much warning, he suddenly felt exhausted. Thinking of it…he hadn't slept for what felt like days! Back in Hyrule, yeah, but aside from that…not since the night before all of this trouble started. Not to mention all the fighting he had to do since then. "Y…Yeah…"
"Oh, Ven, are you alright?" Minnie asked, frowning in worry. "You don't look so good."
"I don't feel too hot. I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." The teen replied, feeling bad for making Minnie fret.
"Why don't you take a nap, then? It's a nice enough day for it!" Huey remarked. "We can handle the machine from here, and the brooms are cleaning up the mess!"
That did sound pretty good, actually. A nice short nap. It'd be a shame to miss out on the festivities, but he had to sleep sometime, right? "Thanks…I'm sure I'll be fine. I just haven't slept for a while."
Huey had been right; it was a pretty good day to nap outside. Ventus went over to a nearby alley and sat against the wall as the triplets and monarch looked on. The teen barely had time to let his mind wander before he was fast asleep…
When Ventus' eyes cracked open, the sun was still out and shining. He heard some activity going on nearby, though. The teen felt a lot better, apparently just really needing a nap to get his butt back into gear. He stood up, stretching out as he took a look. The stage area had a crowd in front of it, Ventus spotting the triplets near the front. On the stage itself was Minnie and yet another duck, this one a lady in a dress.
As the teen approached, her heard someone, a horse in overalls, talking to another citizen. "I wonder who's gonna be winning this year. I hope it's that nice lady I voted for…" He murmured.
The crowd was filled with small discussions like that, a lot of excitement present. It was broken though, as Minnie spoke up. "Hello, everyone, thank you for waiting!" The monarch said, a bright smile on her face. "Now it's time to begin the main event of the Dream Festival: The Million Dreams Award presentation!"
Ventus looked about at the crowd again, noting that Captain Justice was near the back, looking very sure of himself. "I wonder if anyone voted for him…" He wondered aloud to himself. As much as it turned out Captain Justice, or…Pete…was some sort of troublemaker, Ventus still felt bad for someone that no one seemed to like.
"It's a very exciting announcement this year!" The lady duck announced, taking out an envelope from her dress and handing it to Minnie.
"That's right, Daisy." Minnie responded, taking the paper, and opening it. "This year we actually have multiple winners! The Million Dreams Award goes to…" She paused for clear dramatic effect. "…Aqua, Terra, and Ven! All three of them!"
The audience was shocked at first, a surprised murmur rippling through. They got over it pretty quick though, bursting out into cheers and applause. Ventus was pretty taken aback as well. What did Terra and Aqua do while they were here? On top of that, what had he done to earn the prize? Help with the ice cream machine? Did Huey, Dewey, and Louie spread the word of what he did or something?
Before Ventus could do anything else, Captain Justice let out a frustrated cry from the back as he forced his way through the crowd. He was bigger than anyone else, so they had little choice but to let him go forward. "Whaddya mean?!" He shouted out as he hopped onto the stage. "There's gotta be some kinda mistake! Everyone voted for Captain Justice! I made sure of it!" He turned to the audience, who stared blankly at him.
"Come on, Pete…" The horse man murmured under his breath, letting out a sigh.
"Mmm…Maybe the other one!" Captain Justice remarked, running off and out of view. There was an awkward silence, no one seeming to know what to do. Before anyone could make up their minds, though, a figure emerged! It was simply Pete in a purple and black outfit, and he once more jumped onto the stage. "It is I, the rogue racer, Captain Dark!" He announced.
At this point, the crowd started to get angry, some of them even booing at the masked man, whose hands curled into angry fists. "Get off the stage, you idiot!" The horse man shouted.
Letting out a sigh, Minnie approached Captain Dark, and this caused the audience to quiet down. "Pete, I assure you we counted each vote carefully. Even after double checking the result was the same. It was a tie between Aqua, Terra, and Ven." She gave him a sort of sympathetic look. "I know you tried to do some good, but you did it for the wrong reasons and went about it the wrong way. You know, I don't normally share this information, but you managed to accumulate some votes, Pete. Clearly some of the citizens saw some good in you."
Pete seemed kind of surprised at that, once more looking to the crowd as if he could somehow spot who these mystery voters were. Whoever they were, though, they kept quiet. The masked man let out a noise of annoyance and turned back to Minnie. "Big whoop! Who cares about their lousy votes, just gimme the prize!"
At that point, Pete reached for Minnie. It was hard to tell if he was just holding out a hand to accept the prize or to actually harm her. Ventus was a moment away from summoning Wayward Wind and attacking the sore loser, but something else happened before he could.
"Pete!" Minnie shouted, her tone the sharpest and angriest it had been the entire day. It must have been something she did rarely, or never at all, as even Pete flinched away and retracted his hand. Even Daisy took a few steps away. "They voted for you because they believe in you and care about you! How could you look down on that?!"
Gulping, Pete actually seemed embarrassed by what was going on, or a bit nervous. "Er…uh…" Was all he was able to sputter out.
Still, Minnie kept going. "I've tried to forgive and overlook a lot of things, but this is just too much! You've finally crossed the line!"
At this point, Pete got his second wind and scowled. "Yeah, so what?! I don't care! What're ya gonna do about it?!"
"I'll let you cool off for a while, that's what! I'll let you out when I think you're good and ready!" At this, Minnie lifted her hand and pointed at Pete. In a flash of bright light, the masked man before her was suddenly gone!
"What?!" Ventus exclaimed, baffled at what he just saw. What did she just do? Teleport him somewhere?! He had no idea she had magical abilities. After all that, the teen felt a lot less sympathy for Pete, that was for sure…
Clearing her throat, Minnie turned to the crowd, calming herself down. "I'm so sorry about that. Now, let's proceed with the ceremony, shall we? Terra? Aqua? Ven? Are any of you out there?"
"Oh, geez…" Ventus murmured, pretty nervous about going up there. He had never been the center of attention of more than enough people to count on one hand. The teen certainly never thought he'd be up on a stage in front of a crowd! The whole thing with Pete also made him a bit uneasy. Still, he took a deep breath and climbed up on stage, waving nervously at the cheering crowd. It seemed they weren't too concerned with what happened. Was this the first time Pete had been sent off like that…?
"Mmm, it seems our other two winners aren't here." Minnie remarked after a few moments of waiting. "Well, you can accept the reward on their behalf, then!"
Ventus gulped heavily, feeling his face go hot from stage fright as the crowd's eyes were all on him. "I-I don't have to make a speech, do I…?" He asked nervously, garnering a few good natured laughs from the audience.
Minnie tittered as well, shaking her head. "No, nothing like that! No worries! You simply accept the award!" An enchanted broom came from the side of the stage, presenting a lidded platter. "So now, I hereby present the Million Dreams Award! Congratulations, Ven, and to both of your friends! And this year, there's a special token to go along with it!" The monarch took the lid off, revealing an ice cream bar on a stick! It had chunks of chocolate and nuts in it, the treat looking pretty darn good! "Tada! Rockin' Crunch ice cream!"
The teen took the treat, looking it over. It looked so good he pretty much forgot his stage fright! He looked to Minnie, who gestured for him to take a bite. Licking his lips, that's just what he did, and it was delicious! "Oh wow, that's amazing! Thank you!" He exclaimed, taking another bite, and getting another cheer from the crowd.
At that point, Daisy led Ventus to the side of the stage, out of the audience's eye as Minnie gave a small speech. He was glad for it, taking a few deep breaths as he ate his ice cream. Somehow fighting monsters was a lot easier than getting in front of that crowd! Soon, the ice cream and the speech were finished, and Minnie went off the stage and joined the teen.
"I'm so glad that one of you was here to accept the award." The Queen said with a sigh of relief. "And I'm glad you enjoyed it, Ven, you earned it!"
Well, he wasn't sure about that. All he did was help with an ice cream machine, but he wasn't about to argue with royalty. "Thank you, Minnie." He paused for a second, but then kept going. "Um…Are things going to be okay? With Pete?"
That made Minnie's smile falter a bit as she nodded. "He'll be okay. I'll let him out in a few hours, and then he and I can have a long talk. I'm sorry you had to see that, Ven."
"No, no…it's okay. Not your fault." Ventus said, shaking his head. "Mmm…I do appreciate all of that, really. I think I should be heading out, though…" He felt like he should. Things were a bit awkward after the Pete ordeal, and he somehow felt like it was his fault. If he hadn't been there to take the prize, would all of that had happened? The teen still wanted to make friends; he just wasn't sure if he properly succeeded in Disney Town…
"Oh, that's a shame." Minnie said, but still seemed understanding. "You probably have important things to do like Terra and Aqua, right?"
"Something like that…" Ventus replied, rubbing the back of his head.
The monarch gave a small nod and smiled warmly at Ventus. "Well, don't be a stranger, okay? You're welcome back here any time! All three of you!"
That cheered Ventus up a bit, offering a smile of his own back at Minnie. "Thank you, I'll try and come back someday." Hopefully something he could actually do. With that, Ventus went off to a more secluded part of town and summoned his armor and glider. Not sure what the future had in store for him, he flew off into the sky, willing to let his heart guide him…
"Who does she think she is, dumpin' me in a place like this?" Pete grumbled. He was sitting in a pocket dimension, an unusual area of dull swirling colors and nothing else in any given direction. "I just gotta bust out of here and…!"
Pete's thoughts were interrupted as a voice called out, seeming to come from everywhere at once. It was a voice unfamiliar to him and seemed to belong to a boy that hadn't even reached his teens yet. "Quit your moronic blathering! You and I both know you don't have that sort of power!"
This made Pete jump in place, looking around wildly for the source of the voice. "Huh?! What?! Who are you?! Show yourself!" He demanded, raising his fists and ready for a rowdy rumble if necessary!
"Spare me your brutish act. I am not in there with you, I have reached out with the power of darkness. I didn't think I could do such things so soon, but it appears I'm a natural…" The voice said, its owner sounding quite pleased with himself.
Pete at the very least put his fists down but was still on edge. "Well, I dunno about any darkness stuff, but I still don't know who you are!"
"If you must know, my name is Dio Brando. I have a proposition for you. I will let you out of that prison. In exchange, you will serve me." The voice went on, oddly charismatic in tone. Almost uncannily so.
"Hmph…Oh yeah? You can really do that, eh?" Pete crossed his arms in thought. "Fine! Alright, let me out of here, and I'll see what you've got in store!"
The voice chuckled, and a dark portal appeared before Pete. "Well, I can always send you back here if you choose not to listen. Follow my guidance and help me in conquering every world that exists out there!"
This caused Pete to hesitate, the masked prisoner staring at the way out in front of him. Such a bold claim stopped him in his tracks…but apparently it was enticing enough for him. Making up his mind, the troublemaker went on forward and stepped through the portal which closed behind him, leaving the small dimension empty…
A/N: Yep, there was no way I was going to let Disney Town stick around for more than a chapter. I don't think many people will be upset at me rushing through this filler of a world, at the very least. I didn't even include the angsty bits with Terra and Ventus because they seemed so forced and out of place in the game. At the very least, it's all done now and over with, and I know I'm sure grateful for that. Especially because now I can finally start a brand new batch of worlds. What'll be around the corner...?
And yeah, I know the Rockin' Crunch ice cream is Terra's prize, but it's easily the best of the three awards, so I just let Ventus have it.