After that disaster of a fight, the party returned to Mizuna and told Emperor Kinomoto about the kidnapping of his daughter. He looked down with a slight frown, his eyes hidden by a glare over his glasses.
"...I see…" He muttered after a moment. "I wanted to believe she would be safe, but yet…"
Lee stomped forward, looking furious. "Father Fujitaka, I'll go rescue Sakura! She's my wife, there's no way I'll let that witch do what she wants with her!"
"As much as I share that sentiment, I must discourage you from that thought. I'm sorry, Lee, but you know what the World Order means. These three are already pushing boundaries in their journey, and we must be careful."
Ray tilted his head. "What's this World Order stuff?"
"It means the different worlds aren't supposed to know about each other." Tails explained, holding two fists separately. "Even though this whole world disappearing crisis is making people go adrift to other places, World Order is still important to uphold. Or else there could be issues with evil forces in one world trying to take over another."
To demonstrate that, he bumped one fist into the other, though Ray had already gotten the message. That made him think about this situation.
"Okay, so…that obviously isn't an issue for worlds like this or the Safe Zone, where all of that is common knowledge."
"Correct! But as we saw with that witch, evil people knowing about other worlds is a serious problem. On that note, we know they're after Pure Hearted. But why?"
"Because Pure Hearted hold great power within them." Emperor Kinomoto said solemnly. "If enough are gathered, it may be possible to perform certain magical rituals that only those with hearts of pure light can do."
"And that is dangerous." King Arthur added in a grave tone.
Lee grit his teeth and turned to Ray, looking up at him with watery eyes.
"You have to save Sakura for us!" He pleaded. "Nobody else can do it!"
Ray sighed and put a hand on his forehead. As much as he was reluctant to…
"I did fail to protect her…" He admitted. "I have to make up for it somehow."
Knuckles grunted and punched his palm. "You can count on us! We'll find that witch and beat the heck out of her, and save Sakura!"
Lee let out a relieved breath. "Thanks, you guys. I wish I could go…but I'll leave it to you."
The Emperor put on a polite smile. "Thank you, Wayfarers. Before you leave, I must give the keybearer something that may be of use."
He stood up and walked behind the throne, and a moment later he came back around. In his hands now was a heart-shaped blue crystal, which had a strange purple light softly pulsing inside it. Upon seeing it, the Wayfaring Trio went to take a closer look.
"Whoa, that's really cool." Ray said in awe.
Fujitaka chuckled. "I call this a Crystal Heart. A few months ago, it landed in this world. That's when I knew that soon, the keybearer would descend to save the galaxy from darkness. I have no idea what this does, but it's clear that there is great power inside it. Take it with you, and may you use it to save my daughter and all the worlds."
Ray carefully accepted the Crystal Heart, and the light pulsed a little brighter. He gave it an uncertain frown, put off by this weird display. Then he shrugged and bowed to the Emperor.
"Thank you, I'll see what I can do with it." He said in assurance. "We'll get Sakura back, we promise."
Emperor Kinomoto nodded. "Thank you, keybearer. I wish you three good luck."
Lee crossed his arms. "You're the real deal, Ray, so I believe in you. Don't make me regret it."
Upon leaving the world, Tails set the Cyclone to cruise, allowing the wayfarers to have a much needed rest. Which meant Ray would once again be in his dreams, meeting King Arthur at the top of Diamondhead Tower. He couldn't help but voice his frustrations over the new weight on his shoulders.
"Why is this keybearer business getting so complicated now? First it's sealing Keyholes, now I have to save these Pure Hearted people?"
The King gave him a stern frown. "It's called a duty, young one. It's all a part of growing up. Especially with all the power you're holding."
Ray sighed. "A power I never asked for. Why did it have to be me? What makes me so special? Because you chose me? All I want is to find Gwen, and enjoy a free life with her."
"And you will be able to, I promise. However, you must fulfill your responsibility as the one who wields the Royal Key."
At that moment, Ray remembered how Excalibur changed earlier, and decided to ask about it.
"Oh yeah, what happened to the Keyblade back there?"
The King smiled sagely. "Ah yes, Excalibur has regained a piece of itself, and thus has regained a portion of its magical power. You should now be able to use the spells Thunder and Blizzard."
Ray looked quizzical. "A piece of itself? What do you mean?"
"Back when I performed the Forbidden Spell, it wasn't just my body and heart that were sacrificed. Excalibur broke as well, into many fragments that embedded themselves in the hearts of some worlds. When you locked the Keyhole, you retrieved a fragment of the Royal Key."
"So…if I keep sealing Keyholes, it's possible to completely repair Excalibur?"
Arthur nodded. "Precisely, so keep up the good work, Ray."
After saying that, he disappeared, leaving Ray alone with his thoughts. But all he could think about was this responsibility he had been saddled with.
In the throne room of the Forsaken Fortress, the Forsaken Five had gathered to appraise their newest capture.
Princess Sakura was in a deep sleep, sealed in a crystal at the center of a red magic circle. There were two others enshrined beside her. The first a golden-haired girl with pointy ears, wearing a white dress embroidered with golden triangles. The second a redheaded young woman, who wore a cape over a lightly-armored blouse.
"We're halfway there." Croix mused. "Just three more Pure Hearted like them, and we'll be able to perform the ritual."
"You've all done well." Gwen praised, looking at her followers. "Keep this up, and our goal will be met."
She turned to the main attraction of the throne room. A crystal ball, which radiated powerful magic.
"Once we break this seal, we'll be able to obtain the heart of Camelot. Then using that, we'll perform the ritual to open the Final Door. True power will be ours, I assure you."
Bowser sneered and crossed his arms. "Then let's not waste any time! I'll go to my world and take Princess Peach!"
"Then let me join you!" Eggman said with a cackle. "I want to be there in case Sonic's lackeys show up!"
Chakal huffed. "I must prepare to invade San Ángel. My bandits have told me of a Maria who may be a Pure Hearted. I'll get my medal, and take her back with me."
"Good luck with your endeavors." Gwen said in a cool tone. "However, I must remind you to only capture the Keybearer, should you encounter him. Now then, this meeting is over."
As her followers left, she heard the tempting words of that woman in her mind.
"Just a while longer, and you will have the power you seek. Isn't it exciting?"
Gwen scoffed. "I'm not going to become arrogant, if that's what you're thinking. I'm well aware of what can get in our way. That's partly why I want Ray to join us, so there will be nothing to prevent us from opening the Final Door."
"And what will you do if he refuses to join? If he comes to hate you for all you've been doing?"
Gwen was silent as she pondered that. She knew what she had done could not be easily forgiven. Ray was daft, but he was a good boy at heart. Even with all his love for her, she doubted he would let her get away with her sins.
Still, she did not want to kill him…
"Then I will make sure he is kept in a place far away from us." She said solemnly. "It will hurt to be parted from him like that…but it's better than killing him."
"Ray, wake up!" Tails shouted.
Ray groaned as he opened his eyes, feeling a soreness in his back from being hunched over Knuckles. Though surprisingly, the echidna's head was soft like a pillow, so Ray didn't find discomfort there. However, Knuckles wasn't that happy about it…
"I swear to the Emeralds, if you drool on my head again…"
"Shut up." Ray grumbled. "What world are we landing in this time?"
"The Mushroom World is coming up." Tails replied. "Ready for descent?"
"As I'll ever be. Let's get this job done, ASAP."
Tails nodded and drove the Cyclone downward, towards a weird green world that was shaped like a mushroom. After the ship broke through the stratosphere, he turned on the camouflage and started circling it around.
This was the strangest world Ray had seen so far. As far as he could see, there were mushrooms everywhere. Some small, some tall. Some thin, some thick. Most were red and green, but there were also yellows and blues. Weirdest of all, they all looked almost…alive.
"Are those eyes?" Ray asked, raising an eyebrow.
Knuckles scowled. "I swear, they're looking at us. Makes me want to hit them."
"No destroying the environment." Tails warned. "We're closing in on civilization, so I'll make a landing nearby."
He brought the Cyclone to a descent, passing a walled town with mushroom-shaped buildings in a strange layout. Overshadowing them was a four tower castle with red tiled roofs.
Tails landed the Cyclone on a flat yellow mushroom in a nearby forest, then everyone climbed out and headed for the town gate. As they got close, they were stopped by some strange people with mushroom heads and beady black eyes. They were shorter than Tails and Knuckles, coming up to only their shoulders.
The mushroom people saluted the newcomers, then looked at Ray with their jaws dropping.
"A human!" The first guard exclaimed. "You're from another world, aren't ya?"
Tails was surprised. "How many worlds know about other worlds?"
Knuckles shook his head in disbelief. "Something tells me…more than we thought."
Ray gave the guards a curious look. "Well yeah, we are. I don't suppose there's a higher authority we can meet here?"
The guards saluted again and stepped aside.
"Our princess resides in the castle." The first stated. "You may meet with her."
The trio walked into the town, and were met with the sight of dozens of mushroom people mingling about. Some were sitting at a cafe and talking over coffee, while others were walking pet…turtles? There was a plaza up ahead, where children were running around and laughing.
But the most bizarre thing about this town was the sheer number of pipes. Some were green, others were blue. There were even yellow and red pipes. And the mushroom folk were entering these pipes without a care, like this was second nature to them.
Confused, Ray approached a nearby green pipe and peeked into it.
"What are the-"
Suddenly, the pipe sucked him in, and he screamed as he tumbled through darkness at high speed. In a matter of seconds, he was thrown back into light. He groaned as he got on his knees, and looked to see that he was in another part of the town.
Before he could comment on this weirdness, Tails and Knuckles came yelling out of the pipe, dogpiling on the blonde.
"The heck guys…" He said through gritted teeth.
"Sorry…" They both said in a daze.
Then they looked up as a jolly laugh boomed from ahead of them.
"Quite-a confusing the first-a time, yes?"
Approaching the boys was a portly man in overalls, who was taller than Tails and Knuckles, though still shorter than Ray. The most notable things about the man were his bushy mustache and red cap, which had an "M" on the front.
The boys extricated themselves from each other and stood up, giving the man curious looks.
"You're…a regular person like me." Ray stated. "You're from another world too?"
The portly man tipped his hat. "That's-a right! My world was-a lost, then my brother and I drifted-a into this one. The name's-a Mario, by the way! Takes a while to get-a used to this place, so let-a me help you!"
He ran over to a red pipe that was situated near a guard station, and waved at the nearby mushroom people before jumping into the pipe.
The wayfarers looked at each other skeptically, then Ray shrugged and walked over to the pipe. He climbed into it, and was immediately sucked into darkness for the second time. In a handful of seconds, he was thrown out to another location, though this time he was able to shakily land on his feet.
"What a fun way to travel." The King said with mirth.
Ray held his head. "More like sickening…"
Tails and Knuckles popped out next, and they had an easier time with the landing thanks to their flight abilities. Ray gave them an envious face as he spoke to them.
"How can I do that?"
Knuckles snickered. "You can't, unless you can grow tails or harness Wind magic."
Ray opened his mouth to speak to the King, but was immediately cut off.
"No, I cannot make you grow tails, and you do not have Wind magic yet."
"Dang it." Ray muttered, his shoulders shagging.
Then Mario called out, and the trio turned to see him waving from a yellow pipe by a bookstore.
"What-a are you standing around for? This-a way, hurry!"
The trio hurried over to follow him into the pipe. From there, he would lead them around the town, passing by different shops and homes. The group traveled through many different colored pipes, which were laid out so erratically that it was a wonder how anyone knew which led to where they wanted.
Finally, Mario led the wayfarers to a plaza, where a single gold pipe stood alone, and he smiled and pointed to the castle above.
"And this-a is our destination." He stated. "After-a you, travelers."
Ray let out a big sigh of relief. "Finally, this can end…"
He trudged up to the pipe and climbed in, then for the last time he was whisked through a dark tunnel, and popped out after a short time.
After shaking off the daze and staggering on his feet, Ray looked up in awe at the castle. It was much bigger up close, compared to seeing it from the sky. Above the entrance, there was a mosaic depicting a young woman in a pink dress.
Tails and Knuckles shot out of the pipe, followed by Mario. The red-capped man quickly went ahead, beckoning the others to follow him.
"Right-a this way! The Princess a-waits!"
The group walked through the halls of the castle, passing by some mushroom-headed people. Curious, Ray decided to ask about them.
"So what are those?"
Mario chuckled. "Toads are what they're-a called. Strange-a little people, but quite-a nice."
They approached some white double-doors, and Mario stepped up to open them slightly and peek in.
"Princess, it's-a me!" He announced. "I have brought-a some guests!"
He then pushed forward and gestured for the others to step into the white-painted throne throne room. A mushroom printed carpet led all the way to the golden throne, where a young woman sat.
She wore a pink dress that had frills like flower petals, and her bright yellow hair reached her waist. While her face was cutesy, she wore lipstick for a more mature look. Atop her head was a small golden crown with a ruby on the front.
She smiled pleasantly at the newcomers approaching her, her sapphire eyes full of kindness.
"More wayfarers have found their way here." She said in a positive manner. "Welcome, travelers. I am Princess Peach Toadstool, Crown Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom. What are your names?"
Ray raised an eyebrow. "Uh, Ray, Your Majesty."
"And we're Tails and Knuckles." Tails finished, gesturing appropriately.
Knuckles frowned, perplexed. "How is a human a princess of a kingdom of mushrooms?"
The Princess placed a hand under her chin. "It all started five years ago, when my original world fell to darkness. I drifted here, and the Toads found me. The King Toadstool at the time, Toadsworth, took me in as his daughter."
A lightbulb flashed above Ray's head. "Five years ago…Did you come from Camelot?"
Princess Peach was surprised. "Oh my, how did you know?"
He summoned the Keyblade. "Because around that time, King Arthur came into my heart. Now I have to seal the Keyholes in his stead."
"You hold the Royal Key…So King Arthur chose you? In that case…"
Peach rose from her seat and took off her crown, then stepped up to Ray and handed it to him.
"Take this to the altar atop Star Hill. Mario can show you the way."
"Will you-a be fine by yourself?" Mario said with slight worry.
Peach smiled down at him. "I'll be fine, Luigi will be here with me. So please, guide the keybearer and his friends to the altar."
The portly man smiled back and tipped his hat, then started for the door.
"Then everyone, let's-a go! There's no time-a to waste!"
The wayfaring trio nodded and hurried after him, while the Princess waved them off.