Ventus found himself outside a grand but imposing-looking castle and heard a sweet humming that eased his worries. He then saw a beautiful maiden with skin white as snow dressed in rags, cleaning the steps of the castle as doves gathered around her.

"Excuse me?" Ven whispered.

The woman turned in surprise with a gasp. "Oh!"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Ven said gently, bending down to help her off the steps. It seemed this was starting to be a pattern. Was his darkness so clear that just the sound of him frightened peaceful creatures of the light? If it was, would that mean his friends would be afraid too? He shook the thought out of his head. "My name's Ventus, but you can call me Ven."

"Hello, Ven. My name's Snow White." She smiled demurely. "What brings you to the palace?"

"I'm looking for someone, his name is Master Xehanort." The boy explained. "Have you seen him?"

Snow White sadly shook her head before picking up an empty bucket and walking it over to a nearby well to fill it back up. "I'm afraid I haven't… Oh! What if you wish to find him?"

"I do wish to find him." Ven laughed slightly before joining her at the well. The two gazed at their reflections.

"You must tell your wish to the well!" She explained to him. "If you hear it echo back, your wish is sure to come true!"

As if to demonstrate, she leaned over the well and sang into it. "I'm wishing…"

"I'm wishing…" echoed back the well, startling a few doves away.

"For the one I love… To find me…!"

"To find me…!"

"Today!"

"Today!"

The two gasped in surprise, turning to a young man who had joined her song.

"Oh!" Snow White gasped while Ven stood by her side. He could sense the same thing he did when meeting Prince Phillip… pure light.

"Hello." The prince smiled gently, taking off his cap. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

The woman surprisingly ran away despite for a split second looking like she wanted to meet him, perhaps she was scared of what he'd think of her. Ven hurriedly ran after her into the castle and the two hid behind the curtains, hearing the man sing out to her.

"One song… I have but one song… One song, only for you…"

Snow White seemed to melt at the man adding onto her song before sneaking out to the balcony. One of the nearby love doves landed on her fingertip and she gave it a gentle kiss.

The kiss flew down and the dove pecked the prince on the cheek to deliver it.

The prince blushed before smiling up at the pretty maid. She nodded to him before closing the curtains.

"Oh, Ven, isn't he wonderful?" Snow White sighed. "I've fallen in love!"

Ven frowned slightly. Was that all it took? "Are you sure? You haven't even talked to him."

"Oh, but didn't you feel it? We had a connection just then…!" She insisted.

Ven smiled faintly. Perhaps that was all she needed, after all, if they were meant to be, they would be. Destiny was never left to chance. "I'm glad your wish came true."

The princess gasped then in realization. "But what about your wish? You didn't get to make it!"

"I'll just ask someone around here, no big deal." Ven assured her. "But who should I ask?"

"Hmm… Oh! My stepmother, the queen, has a magic mirror that can answer any question!" Snow White exclaimed. "Perhaps you can ask her if you can use it!"

"Yeah, I'll try that! Thanks, Snow."

After Snow White had led him to the room, she returned to her chores, wishing him good luck. The room was grand and hosted a singular mirror that seemed to radiate power. Just as he was about to walk up to it though, he heard sharp footsteps clicking closer and the boy dove behind a nearby pillar.

The double doors flung open revealing a beautiful but frigid woman dressed in purple robes and a black cape. A crown sat atop her head, she was the Queen of this very castle, Snow White's stepmother. She strode up to the mirror before raising her arms. "Spirit of the Mirror, come from the farthest space, through wind and darkness I summon thee... Speak! Show me thy face!"

Ven watched in amazement as a face that wasn't the Queen's floated into the mirror's frame after a great show of fire and lightning.

"What wouldst thou know, my Queen?" The mirror asked, an ever-obeying servant till the end.

The Queen smirked before asking the question she asked every day: "Magic mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?"

Not taking even a second, the mirror answered her: "Famed is thy beauty, Majesty, but hold, a lovely maid I

see. Rags can not hide her gentle grace, alas, she is more fair than thee."

"Alas for her!" The Queen boomed, making Ven cringe behind the pillar. "Reveal her name!"

"Lips red as the rose, hair black as ebony, skin white as snow…"

Isn't that…? Ven realized.

"Snow White!" She hissed, clearly recognizing the princess as easily as Ven did.

"The maiden grew through every trial and blight, but her true beauty now shines unmistakably, since she has met a heart of pure light."

Ven snuck out from behind the pillar then, surprising the woman. "Who goes there?!"

"M-My name's Ventus, Your Majesty…!" Ven mumbled out, stepping closer when she motioned to. "I was wondering if I may ask your mirror a question-!"

"Preposterous!" The Queen boomed. She then noticed the boy seemed to go into a slight battle stance at the tone, peaking her interest. "…Hm. You may ask one question, if you perform a task for me."

"Really?" Ven smiled hopefully. But the smile faded when he saw a smirk cross the Queen's near perfect features. "What's the task?"

"There is a young maid who resides in this castle, her name is Snow White. Take her out to some secluded place, somewhere to pick wild flowers and then, kill her… And to make doubly sure you do not fail, bring back her heart… in this."

The boy felt even more ill at the request when she displayed an intricately-carved box that was clasped with a dagger through a heart. "K-Kill Snow White? Bring back her heart… What about her soul?"

The soul was what defined a person's heart, and the Queen had no need for Snow White's. "Her soul is inconsequential to me, let it fade away."

"What'd she ever do to you?" Ven asked in suspicion. Snow White seemed like such a sweet and gentle woman, what could she have done to make the Queen so upset, other than being fairer than her? That couldn't be the only reason!

"That is of no concern of yours."

Ven carefully took the box, looking at it gravely before nodding.

Snow White had changed into her best dress, hoping to see the prince on her stroll.

"Hey, Snow…" Ven mumbled, making her look up from picking flowers. "There's something you have to know…"

"What is it, Ven?" Snow White asked innocently, holding the bouquet she'd picked especially for her stepmother in her arms.

"Um… The Queen didn't send me out to keep you company…"

"Hm?"

"She sent me to… kill you…"

Snow White dropped her flowers in shock, horrified. She backed away in fear, making Ventus feel a lump in his throat. "W-What?!"

As if the situation couldn't get any worse, the two were suddenly surrounded by those strange creatures, the same ones that had attacked Ven in the Enchanted Dominion. The boy quickly summoned his keyblade. "Run, Snow! Go find somewhere to hide, far away from here!"

The boy got through all the Unversed in a few minutes, they were much weaker here than in the previous world. Snow White had thankfully done what he asked, nowhere in sight. She ought to be safe from the Queen now.

Ventus returned empty-handed and found the Queen raving mad.

"How dare you return here, you worthless speck!" The Queen spat. "I ordered you to bring me Snow White's heart!"

"Hey, I never said I would." Ven grunted back, throwing the box to her feet. "Snow White is good and kind, and she's loads fairer than you inside and out!"

"You will pay for such insolence!" The Queen boomed. She made a grand sweep of her arm to the mirror. "Magic mirror on the wall, consume this fool once and for all!"

Ven summoned his keyblade, preparing for a fight when the mirror suddenly responded in dismay. "Alas, my liege, that I cannot do. I have no power save answers true."

"You dare defy your Queen?!"

Ven took a step back as a dark aura, the same that had surrounded his hand at the exam, practically consumed the woman. The darkness, it really gave her incredible power…

The Queen suddenly grabbed a nearby flask filled with a strange green liquid and threw it on the magic mirror. The mirror gave a groan in seeming pain before it turned into a fearsome roar. Ven was suddenly blinded by light. "Ghaa!"

When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a dark space surrounded by masks of the mirror's face, laughter echoed through the expanse. The boy tried to ignore his vertigo, searching desperately for some weakness.

Then, he saw it. One mirror wasn't smiling and laughing like the rest, he had to be the true one!

Just as the other mirrors were about to crush him, Ven threw his keyblade at the mask, cracking it right in the middle.

He was flung back after hearing the shattering of glass and opened his eyes to find himself in the chamber again.

The mirror seemed fine, if not a bit winded while the Queen was staring, her face a mixture of shock and rage. "How did you escape?!"

Ven didn't answer, summoning his keyblade and pointing it to the Queen. "Ask it where I can find Master Xehanort! Now!"

She raised a brow at this new side to the boy, perhaps he also hid darkness behind a facade of grace as she did? She looked back to the mirror, granting his wish. "Magic Mirror, instruct this knave! Provide the answers he doth crave."

The mirror looked with little expression to the boy before giving his answer: "Beyond both light and dark he dwells, where war was waged upon the fells…"

Beyond both light and dark? Was there really such a place? If there was, he supposed it'd be only natural for a war between the forces to be there. "That's it..?"

The mirror gave no response, clearly finished, while the Queen looked closer to wringing his neck every second.

Ven nodded solemnly before turning away and summoning his glider. All he had learned here was that darkness was just as strong as the light, maybe even more so, if in the experienced hands. Was he destined to save others with his power like the princes he'd met or put them in peril like the villains? It was up to destiny to decide.