Halloween Town – Town Gates
"So now we're in Spooksville, huh?"
The party has landed in yet another peculiar world. This time, it is a spooky world, filled with ghosts, terrors and fright!
"Technically, it's called Halloween Town..." IF corrected Neptune, pointing to the scarecrow near them. "The sign over there says so..."
"Oooohhhh" Compa moaned. "I can tell that the people living here are gonna be scary..."
"Not to worry!" Donald boasted. "With our disguises, we look just as terrifying as them."
Goofy nodded. "Yeah. We can just scare 'em right back if we want to!"
Sure enough, the party has arrived in the world in various Halloween costumes. For Sora, a vampire. For Donald, a mummy. For Goofy, a Frankestein's mosnter. For Neptune, a were-beast with purple fur all across her person. For Compa, an undead nurse. And for IF, a goddess of the underworld draped in red (with her hair being golden yellow to boot!).
"I dunno" Neptune wondered. "Some of our outfits don't exactly scream 'scary'"
IF sighed. "You tell me. This outfit feels more gloomy than scary..."
"To say nothing of dear Compa..." Neptune giggled as the nurse's face felt red.
"I-I don't wanna be gazed upon like this!"
"Well, WE weren't the ones who chose these outfits, didn't we?"
Their gazes turned to the one in the mummy costume.
"Wak!" Donald tried to defend himself. "It's not what you think! I can't really decide what my magic turns you into!"
Neptune hummed. "I smell a liar~"
"Ooooohhh, Donald..." Goofy said in a scolding tone. "Ya don't want Daisy to find out about this..."
"Please! I swear, I did not intend it to be like this!"
"Really?" IF rolled her eyes as she unsheathes one of her qatars. "If I find out you're lying, I'll carve you up for duck stew." She then unsheathes her other qatar to prove her point.
"Wak!"
He panicked, covering behind Sora.
"Wow, ducky went all chicken on us, huh?" Neptune snarked.
"Haven't seen him like this since our musketeerin' days..." Goofy mumbled to himself.
"Okay, guys, calm down" Sora reassured the group. "Let's go see what this world's about."
"Maybe we can join in on the festivities, right!?" Neptune said with stars in her eyes.
IF sighed. "I just hope the townsfolk's approachable..."
Halloween Town – Town Square
"I spoke too soon..."
The party entered through the massive gate to find a bunch of Search Ghost Heartless lined up across the streets.
"Jinxes, Iffy!" Neptune warned the guild agent, much to her chagrin.
Yet, even as the party drew their weapons...
"They seem...quiet..." Compa noticed.
"Yeah" Donald agreed.
"They're not even reacting to the Keyblades..." IF wondered. "What's going on?"
A voice is heard clearing their throat.
"And now, introducing our main host, the Master of Terror, the Pumpkin King, the King of Nightmares!"
As the Search Ghosts danced across the street, a rather tall skeleton man emerged from the green fountain, making his splendid entrance.
"JACK SKELLINGTON!"
The skeleton man went down from the fountain in a rolling jump, landing with perfect grace, earning cheers from his audience.
"Thank you! Thank you, everyone!" he thanked, bowing as he made his exit. "So, how did I do?"
"You did splendidly, Jack!" the announcer, who happened to be the Mayor of this town, praised. "We may be set for this year's Halloween."
Jack thought for a moment. "Perhaps. But I think we can make do with more adjustments! Let's see what the doctors have to say! His new apprentice, in particular, has some fancy ideas!"
Halloween Town – The Doctor's Lab
"And then we apply this here..."
A woman wearing a white coat and a large hat covering most of her teal hair can be seen transferring the contents of a vial into a larger flask.
However, just as a few liters were transferred into it, the flask exploded, causing the contents to spill over the table.
"Are you doing your inane experiments, again!?" a loud voice boomed throughout the laboratory. "This is the 69th time already, apprentice!"
"I am well aware of that, good doctor" the woman replied. "However, you are also aware that, as a fellow scientist, nothing shall halt my pursuit of my magnum opus. A perfect recreation of the miracle drink!"
"If that is your capstone project, then by all means, do what you must!" the doctor, confined to a wheelchair, said throwing his arms in the air. "Just don't destroy everything in my laboratory! It takes AGES to replace the things you broke!"
The woman sighed. "Even though, for one, I always replace what I broke with gusto, even recycling them for new inventions. And secondly, the three spawnlings tend to be the ones who break your instruments."
"Doctors!"
The metal door opened, revealing the magnificent form of Jack Skellington.
"Ah, good tidings to you, Pumpkin King" the woman bowed. "I assume you wish to express another wonderful idea for the celebration?"
"Indeed, I do, MAGES." Jack said joyfully. "Now listen..."
As Jack discussed his ideas, the party arrived inside as well.
"You think it's okay for us to walk in..." Compa wondered.
"I mean," Sora pointed to the door. "they left the door open..."
"Hmmmmm..." the woman, MAGES., hummed. "Fascinating. However, before we can proceed, we will need to acquire the materials to this"
Her gaze turned to the object laid on the operating table.
"Ah yes!" Jack exclaimed. "The most important ingredient to our success! For the Heartless to dance to our tune, they need a heart!"
Sure enough, the object in question is, indeed, a living, beating heart.
"Of course" the man in the wheelchair, Doctor Finkelstein, said as he moved to the operating table. "But in order to finish this, we need the rest of the ingredients..."
He inspected the beating heart, but noticed something wrong...
"We need the key to this blasted thing! Does anyone know where the key is!?"
Hearing this, the party huddled together.
"Do you hear that?" Neptune started. "Dancing Heartless! Now that is something worth checking out, huh?"
"I don't know..." Donald said, worried.
"I'm going with Donald on this one" IF expressed. "We don't know what the Heartless will do once they sense the heart."
"But don't ya think this festival could be fun?" Goofy asked.
"I wanna have fun!" Compa cheered.
"I'd like to see the Heartless dance too!" Sora commented.
IF sighed. "Looks like we're outvoted on this one, ducky. Sorry..."
Donald sighed as well. "At least we tried..."
As soon as the party broke the huddle, Sora and Neptune approached the local residents and offered to unlock the beating heart, which they did.
"Simply incredible!" Jack exclaimed. "Thank you for your aid, uh..."
"Sora!" the boy introduced himself as he points to his friends. "Neptune, Donald, Goofy, Compa, IF"
"Nice to meet ya!" Neptune greeted. "I saw your performance a while ago. It was amaze-balls!"
"Really now?" Jack laughed. "That's quite the words for complimenting, but thanks all the same!"
"Do you really plan to use this heart to help direct the Heartless in town?" IF questioned.
"Indeed" MAGES. answered.
"How did they arrive in this town?" Goofy wondered.
"They just came in droves one day, like a wave of lifeless beings moving en masse" Jack answered. "As we began to teach them our routines for Halloween, they followed along with gusto! But we wanted more! We wanted them to dance and sing with feeling!"
"Hence, our creation into this heart" the woman with the hat continued. "We believe that with this device, we can have the Heartless do our bidding, within reason, of course."
"Within reason, huh..." IF murmured.
"But this heart is incomplete!" Doctor Finkelstein said. "We need the last set of ingredients and only one person I know who has them now..."
He then opened his head and started picking on his brain!
"His head opened!" Compa exclaimed. "Guys, his head opened and he's picking on his brain!"
"Yes, Compa" IF sighed as she patted the nurse on her head. "We know"
MAGES. chuckled. "Believe me, that habit of the doctor's caught me by surprise as well. I almost readied my banishment spell before everyone tackled me down to the ground, saying this is normal."
"B-B-Banishment spell!?" Compa sputtered.
"You shouldn't go slinging high class spells like that!" Donald scolded the magician.
"Ah, judging by your familiarity with such a spell, I assume you are a wizard" MAGES. noted the duck's behavior. "Which also means that all of you here are not from this town as well, aren't you?"
The party, except for one, gasped in surprise.
"W-What did you say?" Sora exclaimed.
"Wait! As well?" Neptune noticed.
"That means you're a Drifter, too?" IF said nonchalantly.
"Drifter? That seems a peculiar term" MAGES. noted. "Still, you don't seem particularly fazed by this revelation compared to your compatriots"
"We've already met a fair bunch of them across the other worlds we've been to" IF shrugged. "Not to mention, you seem very much out of place here compared to the other residents in this town. Th-"
"Nonsense!" Jack butted in. "The Mad Magician here is welcome in our town as much as any other! Why, it's thanks to her ideas and innovations that our last few celebrations have been spectacular!"
"And they have been welcoming of me ever since" the Mad Magician continued. "Of course, I simply did not idle by in this fair town, so I offered my services to them."
"What kinda services?" the royal captain asked.
"Participation of the annual Halloween Celebration, of course" the Mad Magician answered. "Aside from that, I offered ideas to help improve their celebrations and even made inventions here on a whim."
"Wow" the boy with the key gasped in amazement. "You're quite talented…"
MAGES. chuckled in appreciation. "I must have this much if I am to finalize my greatest piece. It is also for that reason I sought apprenticeship with Doctor Finkelstein over there."
IF sighed. "If you say so..."
MAGES. chuckled. "The townsfolk here can be quite...different, but I assure you, despite their appearances, they are as friendly as they come. They would not welcome strangers like you and I if they weren't"
Compa nodded. "I agree! This town looks scary, but everyone looks quite happy to celebrate Halloween! It's actually kinda fun!"
Goofy chuckled. "I'll say!"
"Sally!" the doctor called out. "Where is that useless girl?"
"You called?"
Everyone turned around to see a woman whose body parts and clothing are all literally stitched up.
"Ah, hello, Sally!" Jack greeted. "What brings you here?"
"Well, it's just..." Sally trailed off, but shook her head. "It's nothing. Anyway, do you need of me?"
"Yes, do you happen to have 'that' with you?" the doctor asked.
Sally nodded, producing a bouquet of wilted flowers from her pocket.
The doctor moved in to check on the object. "Yes, this is just what we needed. We can begin the procedure! Assistant, ready the device!"
"At once!"
As the duo prepared their experiment, the patch-made woman approached the party. "Excuse me, is anyone of you named Neptune?"
"That would be moi" the aforementioned girl pointed to herself. "Why do you ask?"
"Hold up" IF interrupted, placing her arm in front of the girl with the key. "How do you know Nep's name?"
"Um, well..." Sally stammered.
"Begin the experiment!" the doctor shouted as the nearby device whirled to life.
"Why don't we take this outside?" Compa suggested.
Halloween Town – Outside the Laboratory
"Okay, back to my question" IF continued. "How did you know her name?"
"Well, someone told me to give her a message should I ever find someone with that name" Sally answered. "She said that she'll be waiting here for you."
"Who asked?" Goofy asked.
"Was it a purple hag?" Sora pestered.
"Or a lady with white hair?" Donald also pestered.
"The second one, yes" Sally answered.
Neptune gasped. "The Newtype! And if she's asking for me, that means..."
"Means...what?" Sora wondered.
"She's asking me out on a date!" Neptune said with starry eyes. "Quick! Do I look good? Does this outfit make me look fat? Is my pudding ready?"
IF sighed. "Settle down, Nep." She then turned to Sally. "How can you be sure that the Newtype's the one who approached you?"
"Well..." the patch-made woman starteed. "I was hiding out in the Graveyard, when suddenly, this lady with white hair came in and saw me. She was actually worried about me and told me to go straight home, saying that there are dangerous monsters lurking in the darkness."
"The Heartless..." Donald murmured.
"But aren't they supposed to be docile?" Goofy whispered.
"Something tells me that's not gonna last" IF muttered. "What else did she say?"
"She didn't say anything else, but..." Sally recalled. "She seemed...pensive"
"About what?" Sora wondered.
"I don't know" Sally sighed.
"Well, we're not gonna stand around here, waiting and guessing!" Neptune chirped. "Let's go find ourselves a hot Newtype! Where did she say I'm supposed to meet her?"
"Well, about that..."
Before Sally could answer, an explosion could be heard from the lab!
"What happened up there!?" Sora shouted.
Suddenly, the steel door was kicked open, and out came three children, laughing as they took the manufactured heart in their hands.
"Get back here with that!" the doctor yelled. "That heart is very important!"
"To think those spawnlings could go this far..." MAGES. bemoaned.
"We should go after them!" Compa urged as the aforementioned kids ran past her and the party.
IF nodded. "I agree. Trouble like that means anything but good news..."
"Then allow us to join you!" Jack exclaimed as he and MAGES. descended down the staircase. "These children are part of my town, and therefore, my problem to solve. I cannot burden you with this alone."
Sora looked to Donald, who nodded. "Sure. Let's go!"
"Hold up!" Goofy suddenly said. "If the experiment's gone kaput, what'll happen to the Heartless?"
Screams are suddenly heard throughout the town square.
"Does that answer your inquisition?" MAGES. snarked.
"Okay!" Neptune said after doing some stretches. "Let's pound us some Heartless and get that heart!"
With a loud cheer, the group of eight charged forth, determined to end this incoming disaster!
Halloween Town – Oogie's Manor – Near Oogie's Room
"And after several battles and hardships, we now approach the climax of this chapter!"
IF sighed. "What's with the sudden narration, Nep?"
"That probably means the author did another jump cut" Compa noted.
"And quite a big one at that" Goofy said. "So, how did we get here again?"
MAGES. cleared her throat. "I can provide a good summation, if you will allow me..."
Halloween Town – Oogie's Manor – Evil Playground – A Few Minutes Ago
"Can't catch us!" the boy in red, Lock, taunted as he threw another jack-in-a-box against the party.
"This is fun!" the girl in the witch outfit, Shock, cheered as she spun around with reckless abandon.
"You all suck at this!" the boy in the green mask, Barrel, bellowed as he...well, barreled against the party.
IF groaned in frustration. "I've had it! These kids are way too energetic!"
"Not to mention the knick-knacks they throw at us!" Compa complained, removing some tacks from her behind.
"I'm afraid that's how they operate..." Jack bemoaned. "Lock, Shock and Barrel are among the best pranksters in our fair town..."
"And they clearly know their stuff!" Goofy complimented.
"Don't compliment them!" Donald scolded his friend.
"Get back here, you little pranksters!" Neptune shouted, still giving the children chase.
"How do we get them to settle down...?" Sora wondered, running out of breath. "I'd rather not waste our items and energy before we fight this Oogie guy..."
MAGES. hummed. "I believe I can be of assistance here, if you will allow me"
"Got something in mind, Magey?" Compa asked.
"It better not be another high-class spell..." Donald warned, crossing his arms.
MAGES. chuckled. "I assure you; it is perfectly safe. Observe"
Channeling energy into her staff, the three pranksters were encased in gravity orbs, sending them airborne.
"Woah!" Lock shouted.
"What is this!?" Shock complained.
"This is so cool!" Barrel cheered.
"Wow..." IF managed to say through her gaping mouth.
"Why didn't you lead with that?" Donald facepalmed.
"I'm afraid my magic discipline is different from yours" MAGES. explained. "While yours rely on the spiritual and magical foci, mine lies on the theoretical level"
"Theo-retical?" Sora asked.
"Mathematics, scientific methods, numerous theorems, and plenty more" the Mad Magician expounded. "For this particular spell, I needed to analyze the spaces around this room in order to apply the necessary force to summon and maintain these orbs."
"Interesting..." Compa said as she nodded.
"To put it in layman's terms..." MAGES. summed up. "I've laid a trap for them and waited until the right moment."
"I...see" Sora nodded along.
"You don't get it, do you?" Neptune asked.
The boy shook his head. "You?"
The girl with the key shook her head. "Nada"
"Hey!" Lock complained.
"Put us down!" Shock demanded.
"I think I'm gonna lose my lunch..." Barrel said, feeling his stomach turn.
"Oh, no!" Jack scolded the pranksters. "Not until you tell us what Oogie wants with that heart!"
"And where he is!" Donald butted in.
Halloween Town – Oogie's Manor – Near Oogie's Room – Present Time
"And so, we managed to glean the information to the bag's room and the heart's location all at once" MAGES. finished.
"Oh, I remember it all now!" Goofy said.
"Hopefully, those little trikes will stay put" Neptune sighed.
"At least we had a chance to catch our breath" Donald said in relief.
"Yeah" Sora nodded. "Now though, we got a heart to get back!"
"We don't know what tricks this Oogie Boogie will pull on us" IF warned the group. "Stay on your toes, everyone"
After the brief respite, the group entered through the green door, finding themselves in...
Halloween Town – Oogie's Manor – Torture Chamber
"Oogie!" Jack called out to the bag of bugs on the other side of the room. "Return that heart to us, right now!"
Oogie laughed. "Like I'd do that. With this, the Heartless will obey my commands. Like so!"
He then proceeded to...
"He swallowed it!" Compa exclaimed. "Guys, he swallowed the heart!"
Neptune looked like she could throw up. "Blegh! So gross!"
The bag of bugs laughed again. "Oh, Heartless~!"
At his back and call, came two flying creatures with torn wings, called Gargoyles, one among the local Heartless found in this world.
In addition to them, two thin mummy-like creatures, called Wight Knights, also heeded the call...
...and that's it.
"This is it?" Oogie looked to see no other Heartless coming in.
"Bruh" Neptune managed to say.
"Guess that's all he could bring out, huh?" Sora observed.
"It appears the heart's a failure, then..." MAGES. bemoaned.
"So, it would seem..." Jack noted.
Seeing this caused the bag of bugs to rage. "Nobody disrespects me! NOBODY!"
In his rage, his jump caused the whole party to be dropped into the wheel itself by seemingly harmless explosions!
"Great, we're in the wheel now!" IF clicked her tongue.
"What do we do, guys?" Compa asked around, her syringe on her hands.
"Let's take care of the Heartless, first!" Sora ordered.
"Watch your step, friends!" Jack warned. "Oogie is not only a master gambler, but a devious cheat! This room will no doubt have traps to keep us on our toes!"
"Gotcha!" Neptune nodded, charging forth against one of the Wight Knights with a Blizzara-infused attack. "FROST CRUSHER!"
"Alright-y then!" Oogie shouted, bringing out two red dice. "Let's see how lucky I'm feeling today!"
Spinning around, the bag threw the dice onto the floor, landing on a 1 and a 3.
"Oh~! I wonder what this will do~?"
Suddenly, three menacing buzz saws began spinning across the arena!
"Everyone, jump up!"
With IF's advice, the party was able to avoid most ot the damage coming their way.
"Gyahahaha!" Oogie boasted. "You fools can't beat me!"
"Cheaters never prosper, you sack of bugs!" Compa fought back, firing shot after shot from her syringe.
"Oh!" Oogie narrowly dodge a shot, and started running around. "I don't recall making a house call today!"
"Well, get used to it!"
As Sora finished up with a Gargoyle, he accidentally stepped on one of the glowing switches, causing the part of the platform he and MAGES. were on to ascend!
"What the!?" the boy shouted.
"It appears we have ascended." the Mad Magician noted the obvious.
"And cut off too..." the guild agent groaned. "Great..."
Oogie laughed. "Careless fools! Now for a little Oogie shower!"
Stepping on a large circle, a pink mist rained down on the bag of bugs, restoring his vitality.
"Geez!" Neptune complained as she finished off a Wight Knight. "Who thought making this his private BATHROOM was a good idea!?"
"We ain't done with the game yet, folks!"
Oogie then proceeded to throw flaming dice against the party, which exploded on impact, damaging Goofy and Jack in the process!
"Hot!" Goofy's butt ended lit on fire for good measure! "I'm on fire!"
"He's upping the ante, friends!" Jack noted, gracefully dodging a fire dice coming his way. "Stay frosty!"
"I'd do what he says, fellas!" Oogie taunted as he threw another set of red dice, this time landing on a 4 and a 3. "'Cuz this show's getting started!"
This time, three large blades landed and began rolling around the platform!
As they did, the platform Sora and MAGES. were on landed back down.
"We better get moving!" the boy urged.
"Aw, leaving so soon?" Oogie taunted as he stepped on a switch. "Let me have my people lead you OUT!"
Suddenly, three cowboy robots made with slot machines began shooting their guns, firing upon the royal wizard and captain, who thankfully shielded themselves from harm.
"Hey!" Donald complained. "You're not playing fair!"
IF gritted her teeth. "He's clearly not. But judging by how the platforms work, we might have an opening"
As the party moved around, MAGES. joined up with the guild agent. "Have you formulated a strategy, Guild Agent?"
"I think so. One thing, though" IF asked the Mad Magician. "How long did it take for that platform to go down?"
"I estimated it around three minutes" she answered, swatting a summoned Gargoyle away with her magic.
IF then dodged and dealt a swift Chaos Edge against a summoned Wight Knight. "And Oogie's movements?"
"I have noticed the bag's patterns as well." MAGES. fired another blast against another Wight Knight. "I can tell when he will most likely stop."
"Okay then..." IF inhaled. "Everyone, listen up!"
This got the party's attention. "Donald, Goof, Compa, the four of us are on support duty. Keep an eye on everyone and get any spawning Heartless out of our way."
"Okay!/Got'cha!/Roger!"
"Sora, Nep, Jack!" The guild agent called out. "The three of you go with MAGES. Follow her instructions and stick together. DO NOT split up!"
"Got it!/Roger doger!/Okay!"
"Got a plan, eh?" Oogie mocked the group. "Well, bring it on! I'll raise the stakes on this game!"
The bag of bugs continued his assault, throwing flaming dices at the party. At some points, he even throws his red dice, which lets him call even more Heartless (but no less than four). But with the party's coordination and proper use of MP and items, they kept up the fight!
"Time to roll the dice!"
Feeling lucky, Oogie decided to roll the red dice again!
"Oh no, you don't!"
But in an act of gutsiness, Goofy jumped up and deflected two of the red dices!
"Hey, now that's not fair!" Oogie complained.
The dice in question landed on a 1, in which nothing happened...
"Great, now I'm stumped!" the bag of bugs complained.
"He's standing still..." MAGES. noted. "Now, young lad, step on the button!"
"That's Sora!"
Despite his complaint, he stepped on the nearby glowing button, causing the platform Sora's group is on to ascend...
"Uh-oh!"
...which leads them right to where Oogie is!
"We got you now, Boogie-man!" Neptune cheered as she pointed at the bag of bugs.
"It's time to your final bow, Oogie!" Jack declared.
Oogie squirmed. "C-Can we just settle this on poker?"
Sora thought for a moment, and then gave his answer. "Nah! MAGES.?"
"Gladly"
She then used the same technique against Oogie, sending him flying up!
"P-Put me down!"
"He's wide open!" IF called everyone. "Take him down, now!"
"Got it! GOOFY DISCUS AWAY!"
The royal captain threw his shield, further disorienting the bag of bugs.
"Have a taste of my THUNDAGA!"
And a shocking gift descended upon the vile bag!
"BLAZING AMMO GO!"
A scorching shot smacked him right in the middle!
"GUSTY STORM!"
A glyph of Aero magic hit him square in the face!
"How about a little chill to your step, Oogie?"
Keeping up, Jack summoned an ice crystal that kept Oogie locked in place.
"CROSS COMBINATION TIME!"
Neptune then goes in for the seven-hit combo!
"Three hits and…RIPPLE DRIVE!"
And Sora finishes up with a sphere of red energy from his Keyblade after a three-hit combo!
The bag of bugs could not withstand the relentless assault of the entire party, and then...
"Any last words, voracious gambler?" MAGES. taunted.
"Oooooohhhhh"
But Oogie was too frazzled to give a decent reply.
"Then it is your funeral..."
She floated up in the air, summoning magic runes behind her...
"Enter your revelation...MECHANICAL PARADOX!"
...and unleashed them upon him, dealing stupendous damage!
"Oooohhhh..."
As Oogie struggled to stand, he began to feel lighter somehow...
"Huh?"
...turns out his sides were torn open in the attack, causing all his bugs to flow out of his body.
"NOoooooOOOOoooooooo..."
Neptune and Compa's faces went green at the sight.
"Excuse us..."
"We have to puke..."
The two girls turned around to vomit, as the bugs kept falling and falling and falling...
...until the bag of bugs is completely empty, leaving only the heart he consumed out in the open.
"I suppose one of you will retrieve the heart?" IF asked around.
Jack, to everyone's surprise, shook his head. "The experiment is a failure and the Heartless that ran rampant are dealt with. I guess it's back to the drawing board for next Halloween..."
Halloween Town – Oogie's Manor
The party left the manor, and the experimental heart, without another word...
"Hey, I just remembered something!" Neptune suddenly said, causing the group to stop.
"What is it, Nep-Nep?" Goofy asked.
"My date with the Newtype!" Neptune panicked. "Ohnonononono! She's gonna be SO upset with me!"
"Now that you mention it..." Sora recalled. "Did Sally tell us WHERE she would meet up with Neptune?"
"We kinda left in a hurry after we saw the kids ran away with the heart..." Donald mentioned.
"Well, we can just ask her" Jack reassured. "Besides, I think I owe her an apology for ignoring her pleas..."
"Maybe we don't have to ask her for that..."
Everyone turned to IF, who pointed at the speck of white that is fast approaching them.
"There you are!"
Sure enough, the white-haired Newtype emerged, looking quite different than before!
"Oh, hey! Two worlds no see!" Neptune said nervously. "Okay, um, I'm so sorry for botching our first date, but I didn't know where you were and-"
"There's no time!" the Newtype said in a panic as she approached Neptune, putting her hands on her shoulders. "Neptune, did you get the artificial heart?"
"The heart?" Neptune said, cocking her head.
"We left it behind" MAGES. answered for her. "The experiment was deemed a failure, as the Heartless continued to run about wildly even with it."
The Newtype groaned in frustration. "Then where is it!?"
"Why are you so panicked, Ms. Newtype?" Compa asked.
"If we don't dispose of it, it's going to-"
Suddenly, the ground began to shake around them.
"Earthquake!" Goofy yelled.
"What's going on!?" Donald also yelled.
The Newtype gritted her teeth. "Shoot! It's too late!"
"What's going on here!?" Sora demanded.
The sight in front of the Newtype caused her eyes to widen in surprise. "You all may want to turn around..."
Everyone did, and as they gaze at where Oogie's vile manor once stood...
"JAAAAAACKKKKKKK!"
...now stood the large bag of evil himself, seemingly merged with his own manor!
"Wow! How did he do that!?" Lock said in awe.
"He's turned into a giant!" Shock said in...well, shock.
"That's so...AWESOME!" Barrel shouted in excitement as he and the kids are being escorted away by a moving bathtub.
"This is bad..." IF bemoaned. "Gambling bags of bugs merging with their own evil manors is not on my bingo card for this world, but here we are..."
The Mad Magician scanned around the manor. "It appears there are dark spheres littered around him. Perhaps they hold sustenance to his being here."
"So, we'll just go there and smash them, right?" Donald said, readying for another battle.
"Maybe, but I doubt the Heartless will make this easy for us..." Compa pointed out, eyeing the swarms of Heartless gathering around the fused manor.
"We can handle a couple of Heartless!" Sora boasted. "Move in, take out the spheres and get out in time for Halloween, right?"
"Technically, it's still a long way to Halloween, but I admire your gumption, Sora!" Jack complimented.
Neptune then noticed the Newtype moving forward. "Hey, where are you going?"
"Trying to find out where that heart is" the white-haired woman answered, floating over the destroyed bridge. "Do any of you sense it?"
No one answered, all but one...
"We cannot say..." It was MAGES. "...perhaps it is being held within the merged creature over there"
The Newtype clicked her tongue. "It's worth a shot. I'm going in!"
"Wait!" Neptune pleaded.
"We'll talk later, Neptune!" the Newtype shouted as she began to fly straight towards Oogie's mouth. "I'm going to destroy that heart! Do whatever you want until then!"
Neptune crossed her arms. "You don't get to boss us around! Not when you haven't told us why you wanted to meet up with me here!"
IF sighed. "I doubt she's gonna make much progress on her own there, tough though she is. We should go deal with those spheres while we're here."
Sora nodded. "Besides, we still need to find the Keyhole here!"
Jack and MAGES. raised eyebrows at that. Keyhole?
"How do we go about this?" Donald asked the guild agent.
"MAGES." IF turned to the Mad Magician. "How many of these spheres did you see?"
"From my peripheral..." she scanned around again. "I could see...about seven."
"So, how do we handle rhis?" Goofy wondered.
"Some of them appear quite close to each other. Six of them are in pairs while one lies isolated near the top" the Mad Magician reported. "Perhaps pairs of our own will get the job done today, as we are a group of eight at the present."
"Okay then..." IF took a deep breath. "Listen up, team! Here's how we'll split up!"
Team A – Oogie's Manor – Near the Feet
The first team, consisting of Sora and IF, approach the first two spheres, which are guarded by Gargoyles.
"These flying guys sure are everywhere..." Sora noted.
"Yeah. Good thing I made us a team here" IF said. "When it comes to aerial combat, we're currently the best ones at the field."
Sora chuckled. "You think so?"
Another Gargoyle, backed by two Wight Knights, entered the scene to halt our team's advance.
"Why don't we show those losers exactly why?" IF pointed to the Heartless reinforcements.
"Sounds like a plan!"
With courage and confidence, the duo charged against the Heartless and the nearby spheres with their Combination Skill...
"DOUBLE RAVE!"
With one sphere down, the duo then spotted another nearby, guarded by a squad of Search Ghosts.
"Hit them from range?" Sora asked as he and his partner landed.
IF nodded, readying another spell. "Clear the way for me?"
The boy grinned as lightning sparked from his weapon. "Way ahead of you! THUNDARA!"
Lightning rained from the skies as the Search Ghosts were wiped out, leaving the sphere vulnerable.
"O great flames...cremate the remains of the evil that plagues this dark land...DEMON FLAMES!"
A pillar of fire then erupted beneath the second sphere, frying it into a crisp!
The guild agent rubbed her nose in victory. "And that's how it's done!"
"Yeah!"
Sora then raised his hand and IF met it in a high-five clap!
Team B – Oogie's Manor – Near the Stomach
The second team, consisting of Neptune and MAGES., are nearing the next set of spheres, three of them separated by a set of retracting steps.
"Geez, the Boogie-man sure ain't making this easy for us, huh?" Neptune complained.
"I imagine he wouldn't" the Mad Magician agreed. "As a gambler, he feels more thrilled when lives are ever closer to danger."
"A thrill seeker, huh?" the girl with the key said. "I kinda get where he is going' but..."
MAGES. chuckled. "I understand. It wouldn't do us any good if we are to fall here. Although..."
Their conversation was timely interrupted when a group of six Wight Knights were called on to the platform.
"I think we kept our hosts waiting for long enough"
Channeling magic into her staff, the Mad Magician makes her move.
"Perish. SHAVE BEAM!"
Summoning a dome of energy, she sends the Heartless reinforcements helplessly into the air!
"Nice! Time to finish 'em!"
Taking the chance, Neptune hopped up and struck down each of the weakened Heartless one by one...
"HIIIIYAH!"
...and ended her assault with a downward slam against the nearby sphere.
"We got one down!" Neptune cheered. "Victory!"
"Excellent, but there's still more to-" MAGES. eyes suddenly furrowed. "Purple lass, to your right!"
Looking to her right, she sees a fireball heading straight for her.
"Yikes!"
She immediately blocked the incoming attack, pushing her back.
"Geez, since when do living manors throw fireballs at us!?" Neptune complained.
"That must be what that cage is for!" MAGES. clicked her tongue. "Comrades, watch for the fires! The manor is not docile!"
As soon as she said so, more Search Ghosts spawned in front of the Mad Magician. "Yet our enemies are continuing to intensify their hold here…"
"Don't you worry, Magey-cakes!" Neptune then brought out a green orb from her pocket. "For times like this, we need a pal to count on! Come out, Bambi!"
Team C – Oogie's Manor – Near the Head
"Seems like Oogie still has fight left in him..."
Jack and Donald are currently surrounded by numerous Gargoyles and Search Ghosts, which are guarding two nearby spheres of darkness.
"How close were you two back then?" Donald asked, siccing a Gargoyle with Firaga magic.
"Not much" Jack shrugged, unleashing Gravira magic against two Gargoyles. "He's always quite the troublemaker with his gambles. He even spouted some bull-plop about making it bigtime, but I surely didn't expect this!"
"Guess bad apples tend to grow around, no matter the world..." Donald mumbled to himself.
"I'm guessing you had troubles at home, too?" the Pumpkin King asked.
The royal wizard nodded, casting a Thundaga on the nearby Wight Knights. "One I can recall was banished by the Queen after a Festival Award Ceremony for causing trouble and attempted to attack the Queen herself. Haven't seen him since"
Jack chuckled. "That must be quite rough, isn't it?"
Donald shrugged. "Not for me. I never even liked him. Two of my friends, though, they had more of a history with him."
"That sounds personal" Jack noticed. "I will not pry for now. Why don't we show these rude hosts our brand of entertainment instead, eh?"
Donald smirked. "Sounds good!"
The two then unleashed a slew of magics, from large chunks of ice, to thunder storms to bursts of gravity, against the air waves, taking two more spheres with them!
"Come back again when you're better!"
Halloween Town – Oogie's Manor – Inside Oogie
"That heart should be here somewhere"
Noire is currently flying inside the bag of bugs, who is actually devoid of bugs, but instead dark barriers stood in her way.
Or, at least they did.
"Those guys must be dealing with whatever's generating these barriers. Likely those spheres I saw on the way here..." Noire believed. "Then again, I didn't tell them not to get into my business..."
She sighed. "Not like they would listen anyway..."
Suddenly, she heard barking. She looked around and saw a form of spectral white approaching her.
"Hey, you're that ghost dog from before..." Noire said, gazing upon the floating ghost dog with a small pumpkin for a nose. "Do you know where the heart is?"
The ghost dog, Zero, barked and then flew off.
"I think he knows. I better follow him"
She flew off after him. After a good minute of flying, they stopped, seeing the manufactured heart encased in a dark globe.
"That must be it!" Noire noted, readying her blade. "Thanks for the help, boy. Go on out of here. I'll take care of this!"
Zero barked, and then flew off.
Noire, in the meantime, channeled her energy into an attack!
"VOLCANO DIVE!"
Slamming her blade, enhanced with fire, against the globe, she...
"Tch. Barely a dent on it!"
Noire clicked her tongue. This could take a while...
"We dealt with the spheres on this end!" A voice of a young boy rang out. That must be Sora.
"How's things on your ends?" A voice said with reliability. Must be IF.
"We super got things handled here! Thanks to our dear new companion Bambi!" That was definitely Neptune. That cheer in her voice is unmistakable. But who is Bambi, though?
"It wasn't much of a challenge. The young deer's gifts proved quite invaluable" An unfamiliar voice boasted. This must be this world's resident Drifter. MAGES., right?
"We got stuff done here, too!" A squeaky voice reported above. That must be Donald.
"Our performance was one for the ages!" A confident, yet friendly voice said. This must be the Jack Skellington character she heard about from that patched-up woman.
"Hey!" Noire called out to the others. "Can you guys finish up out there? I still got one last barrier to get over in here!"
"W-We're trying here!" A loud, feminine voice shouted. That was definitely the nurse Compa.
"But they just keep comin'!" A male voice shouted as well. This must be Goofy's, judging by how he spoke his words.
Team D – Oogie's Manor – Former Observatory
"Then hurry up and finish it!" the Newtype shouted from inside. "Forget the Heartless, just destroy the sphere!"
Compa groaned. Even as she and Goofy take out Heartless after Heartless, another immediately takes their place!
"They must be gettin' desperate!" Goofy noted as he took out a Wight Knight.
"But the sphere's just right there!" Compa shouted as she blasted another Gargoyle. "How do we even get close!?"
The royal captain furrowed his eyebrows as he scanned the area.
"Okay then"
He then unsummoned his shield and grabbed onto Compa's syringe.
"Um, Goofy!" Compa cried. "I'm not sure if you can use this..."
"Awww, don't worry!" Goofy reassured the nurse. "We'll just ram this on the sphere together!"
"Together..."
She looked ahead, seeing the Heartless continuing to move around like insects. Not to mention, the Newtype might be in danger right now!
"Okay!" Compa nodded fiercely, holding onto her giant syringe. "Let's go for gold, Goofy!"
The two took a step back as they aimed the syringe right at the sphere. Sensing danger, the Heartless attempted to swarm the duo.
Goofy started. "Ready..."
"Set..." Compa followed...
"GO!"
The duo then charged through, knocking back any Heartless that isn't vanquished by them as they aimed straight for the sphere!
"And now..."
With the syringe piercing the sphere...
"It's time..."
..the duo placed their hands on the handle...
"...for your medicine!"
...and pressed it hard, unleashing a beam of energy right at the sphere in point-blank range, disintegrating it for good!
"We got it!"
"We did it!"
The two high-fived at their victory and their new Combination Skill, the Goofy Treatment!
Halloween Town – Oogie's Manor – Inside Oogie
Just as the last sphere was vanquished, the last barrier housing the artificial heart was dispelled.
"Great!" Noire cheered. "Everyone, get out of here. I'll finish this!"
"Hold up, you're not going to-"
"Don't finish that sentence, Neptune!" the white-haired woman scolded. "I won't die from something like this. Besides, we still have to talk after this!"
"Then you better get out alive, ya hear!?" Neptune shouted back. "I still don't know what to do for our date, after all!"
Noire sighed, feeling her cheeks flushing up. "What are you even saying? Whatever..."
The Newtype ignited her blade once more, ready to end this conflict.
"Once more! VOLCANO DIVE!"
This time, her attack rang true, smearing the heart in a pool of flame.
"That should do..."
Sensing inevitable collapse, Noire flew up and fled the area...
Halloween Town – Manor Ruins
The party gathered together as the fused manor began to shake and dissipate from the living realm...
"Guess he's done for, huh?" Neptune wondered as she and her fellow wielder held on to Gravity spell orbs.
Suddenly, a large keyhole lit up on the ground where the manor once stood.
"Shall we?" Sora asked. Neptune nodded without another word...
...And together, raised their Keyblades as a beam of light shot up to the moon and dissipated against the Keyhole, sealing the world's heart away from the dark forces that could consume it.
"I see" MAGES. mused. "So, this is the Keyhole you all spook of"
"Yup" Donald agreed. "With it locked up, this world will be safe from the Heartless for a good while"
"Guess we won't be seeing the Heartless dance, huh?" Compa bemoaned.
She then felt IF's hand patting her head. "At least we're all safe and sound. I think that's more important right now."
The nurse giggled. "Yeah. You're right about that, Iffy…"
"Well, whatever the case is" Jack started. "You all aided us in keeping our fair town safe. Thank you, friends. Halloween Town and I will never forget all you've done for us"
Compa cooed. "Don't mention it. We're just happy to help!"
IF, not paying attention to the conversation, asked around. "Hey, did anyone see the Newtype?"
Everyone shook their heads. Neptune, however, gazed upon the sky, looking for any sign of the Newtype.
"You think she'll show up?" Sora asked his fellow Keyblade wielder.
"I hope so..." Neptune shook her head. "No, I know she has to show up. Lady's stubborn as a mule, after all!"
Sora chuckled. "Don't let her hear you say that"
"Hey!" Donald shouted, pointing up to the night sky. "Look there"
Everyone looked up to see a falling star bearing upon them. Wait...
"Is that...?" Compa asked.
"It appears to be hurling towards us" MAGES. noted.
"No, more like charging at us..." Goofy said.
Luckily, the 'star' landed right in front of them. And as the smoke clears, it revealed a familiar figure.
"Who were you calling a mule!?"
Sure enough, the Newtype made it out safe and sound! She even closed in and stretched Neptune's cheeks in frustration.
"There you are!" Neptune managed to say. "Speak of the Newtype and she shall appear or something!"
The Newtype sighed, letting the girl's cheeks go. "What am I going to do with you? Anyway, there is something I have to ask of you."
"Wait!" Sora interruped.
But the Newtype was a step ahead of him. "Before you ask, no, I don't know what Riku is up to."
"Why not?" Sora asked.
"He's been actively avoiding me. Or rather, Maleficent kept calling for him. I couldn't keep watch between her and her Heartless roaming around."
"Is he okay, at least?" the boy continued to prod.
"Physically, yes. Emotionally, I'm not so confident about that."
Neptune, on the other hand, was busy inspecting the Newtype, who arrived in new clothing.
"Wow, I didn't think you'd dress for the occasion!"
Sure enough, instead of her usual black suit, she was wearing a red kimono adorned with white flowers and even has fake white fox ears on her head.
"I mean" the Newtype stammered. "This world's know for it's outlandish appearances, and I figured I'd adjust myself with the locals. It's not like I have plenty of free time to sew new clothing or anything!"
"So basically, you have a lot of free time on your hands" Sora teased.
"Watch your tongue, boy!" the Newtype scolded.
"Don't yell at him!" Neptune smoothed over. "He's just applying my lessons in the School of Transcribing Tsunderes."
"The what?" the Newtype asked, feeling incredulous.
"It's something I made up in order to better understand people like you, pretty lady!" Neptune chirped. "And Sora's a quick learner. I could not be any prouder!"
This only served to anger the Newtype even more.
"But, I gotta say, I dig the costume, pretty lady!" Neptune complimented, examining the outfit like a professional tailor. "Those ears are pretty cute!"
"Oh? R-Really?" the Newtype stammered, her face a little red as her previous anger left her mind. "It took me a few days to get this one done. I'm glad I put in the effort. Besides, your outfit's...cute, too..."
"D'awwwww, thank you!" Neptune said with a big smile. "Rawr~!"
"Those two are getting along so well!" Compa cheered.
"Should we...give them some space?" IF wondered, noting the good atmosphere they're having.
"I think we should" Donald agreed. Goofy nodded.
The Newtype heard them, and snapped out of her reverie. "Wait! This isn't the time to talk about outfits! Neptune, I have a request for you!"
"Sure!" Neptune nodded. "Name it and I'll do it!"
This caught the Newtype by surprise. "I didn't even name my request!"
"Well," Neptune started. "You came all this way for me, so it must be super-duper important, so, let's hear it!"
The white-haired woman smirked.
"Did you forget who you're dealing with?"
The Newtype readied her sword once more.
"Seriously!?" Neptune complained. "This is, like, the third time, already!"
"And I told YOU already" the Newtype snapped back. "There's something I need to confirm from you. Twice now I haven't been able to find out. And you know what they say about third times, right?"
Neptune groaned. "Can't we just settle this over some pudding or something?"
The Newtype didn't reply. Instead, she reached something from her pockets and tossed them to Neptune, who grabbed them.
"Elixirs, huh?" the girl with the key noted as she sighed. "Really not gonna budge on this, are you?"
"Afraid not" the Newtype responded. "Now drink those up and fight me, Neptune. You and the boy over there, too!"
Said boy felt offended, immediately summoning his Keyblade. "That's Sora to you!"
"We'll help too!" Compa shouted.
"No!" the Newtype denied. "The rest of you stay out of this!"
"But...!" Donald tried to protest.
As if on call, another IMB (Inconvenient Magic Barrier) erected right on the archway, blocking the rest of the party from interfering...
"Aw come on!" the royal wizard complained.
"What do we do!?" the royal captain panicked.
"It's okay!"
The rest of the party looked to Sora and Neptune, the former looking back with a thumbs up.
"We got this!"
Neptune sighed again. "I guess some people really can only understand through actions, huh?"
She then tossed Sora one of the Elixirs and drank the other one in a few chugs. Once she tossed the empty glass away, she drew out her Keyblade and got ready to fight. "Al-righty! No punches pulled. Let's go all the way, pretty lady!"
The Newtype smiled. "Wouldn't have this any other way!"
Neptune started the match by charging forth with a classic Neptune combo.
"Hah!" Forward slash.
"Hiyah!" Swing to the right.
"And now, PROTAGONIST SLASH!" A swing to the left and then a stronger one to the right!
This combo pushed the Newtype back, leaving her open!
"SONIC BLADE!"
Sora sees the opening and unleashes his technique, striking the Newtype with numerous dashes on the ground.
"Not bad!" the Newtype responded to their assaults with one of her own. "But I'm not out yet!"
Charging up her blade, the Newtype unleashes her attack...
"TORNERAID SWORD!"
...sending a burst of energy from her sword against the two combatants.
But...
"Saw that coming!"
...the two leapt up to dodge the incoming attack!
"That's not the only move in my arsenal!"
The Newtype charges forth to Neptune, unleashing another strike.
"TRI-COLOR ORDER!" Three forward thrusts!
"JUMPING ARTS!" A five-hit combo of slashes and kicks!
As the two exchanged blows, Sora readies his next move...
"FLAMES!"
...shooting a wave of Firas against the Newtype, who responded by halting her assault and flew around to exhaust the fireballs.
"How about this?"
Neptune, seeing another opportunity, channeled magic into her Keyblade...
"THUNDER...BLITZ!"
...and smashed it into the ground, unleashing a small thunder storm against the Newtype!
"Clever...!"
Sensing a chance, the Newtype opted to charge at Sora!
"But you're wide open! DROP CRUSH!"
The Newtype leapt up and attacked Sora, sending him flying back!
"GAH!"
"Hang in there, buck-o!"
Neptune's Keyblade lit up with healing energy...
"CURA!"
...healing Sora of any damage inflicted.
"Thanks..." the boy with the key thanked.
Neptune gave him a thumbs up. "No problem-o!"
"Don't celebrate too soon! TORNERAID CHAIN!"
As the duel continued, the rest of the party kept watch.
"Hey, is it me..." Goofy started. "Or are those three kinda enjoyin' this?"
"What makes you say that?" Compa asked.
"I believe I can provide a hypothesis" MAGES. answered. "There's a saying that people will one day find someone who they believe will be their rival, their match from an opposing side."
Meanwhile, Neptune attempted to attack the Newtype from behind, which said Newtype readied for and blocked her assault. Sora then attempted to attack on the other side, forcing her to deflect the girl and repel the boy's assault.
"Now, these two don't necessarily need an antagonistic relationship. However, they can gauge their progress through these repeated encounters, to see if their opposing half has been improving themselves since their last encounter."
As he pulled back to recover, Sora switched to spells, trying to nail the Newtype with Gravira magic. But she saw this coming, weaving through the Gravity orbs with ease. This, however, left her open to Neptune's Aero-filled Wind Slicer attacks, which forced her to weave around more to dodge the barrage of spells coming her way.
"So, you're saying the reason that Newtype kept challenging Nep is because she sees her as someone who can match her?" IF asked.
The Mad Magician nodded.
"I see" Jack exclaimed. "To truly gauge improvements, one must be able to assess not only themselves, but the ones they fought alongside with, and even against as well!"
"You get all that?" Donald asked the Pumpkin King.
He nodded. "Most of our routines are done with partners or even in groups. We gauge how well we do by watching each other perform on stage as well."
"Is it really that simple?" Compa wondered.
IF shook her head. "I don't think it's that simple. Still..."
They looked on to the match. The Keyblade wielders started to catch their breath as they consume Ethers, all the while their opponent is maintaining her aerial advantage.
"...there's no denying that they're forming a connection even through this fight. I'm sure Sora can understand that, considering his relationship with Riku."
"'Actions often speak louder than words'" Compa quoted.
"Feeling out of breath already?" the Newtype taunted her opponents. "At this rate, I may just claim my win!"
"Don't count...us out yet!" Neptune said in between breaths.
"Yeah!" Sora primed his Keyblade. "We still...got a few tricks up our sleeves!"
"Then bring it!"
Responding to the taunt, Sora proceeded to throw his Keyblade straight at the Newtype.
"Desperate, are we?"
She deflects the blade, but Sora simply summons it back...
"What!?"
...and then throws it again!
"What is he doing!?"
He didn't let up! For every time his Keyblade is deflected, Sora just resummons it back and throws it again!
"Persistent, aren't you!?"
"Then how about..."
After a fourth failed throw, Sora puts more strength into his fifth and final throw...
"...THIS!?"
"You wield..." the white-haired woman managed to say as she faced the incoming attack. "...such strength. But...!"
The Newtype managed to deflect the last attack! Sora's Strike Raid was completely deflected!
"It will take more than that to defeat me!"
She then dashed forward and began her ultimate charge!
"Aw smokes!" Neptune panicked. "She's going for her ultimate attack!"
Sora growled, immediately casting Aero shields around...
"Too slow!"
One slash...
"Grrr!" Sora winced in pain...
Two slashes...
"That's gonna hurt..." Goofy said in worry...
Three slashes...
Compa clenched her fists. "If only I could help them in there..."
Four...
Donald moaned as he covered his eyes. "I can't look..."
Five...
"Could this be their final bow?" Jack wondered in a forlorn tone...
Six...
Yet IF and MAGES. stayed quiet, continuing to observe the match...
Seven!
And then the Newtype flew up, eyeing the smoky area generated from her attack...
"And now, your end!"
...and then threw her sword down right at the epicenter!
"That was my Infinite Slash!" the Newtype boasted as she landed... "Now see the difference between us!"...and snapped her fingers, causing several slashes to land around her sword!
"GAAAAAAAAAAH!"
As the smoke clears, the Newtype sees the young boy lying on the floor, his right hand clutching his chest.
"SORA!" most of the party screamed.
But the Newtype narrowed her eyes and looked around, noticing something odd...
"Where did Neptune go?"
Just as she was about to turn around, she felt a presence looming behind her...
"CURSES!"
"Eat this! GRAVITY SLAM!"
...and took a direct hit from her Gravira magic attack, bringing her down to the ground!
"Never took you for a sneaky type..." the Newtype bemoaned. "Still, what kind of fighter are you, leaving your partner out to die alone?"
Neptune raised an eyebrow at her. "Whaddaya mean? Sora's doin' just fine"
"Huh?"
She then looked forward and saw the boy, standing up with his weapon armed and ready for another round!
"How!?" the Newtype shouted as she pushed Neptune away, causing the girl to hop back to her friend's side. "You took my attack head on! You shouldn't be able to stand after that!"
"Yeah..." Sora admitted. "I would've, but I had a little thing to help me out. It came from you, in fact!"
"Came from me?" the Newtype muttered, only to gasp in surprise afterwards, noticing shards of broken glass to his right. "Of course! The Elixir! I didn't see you drink yours! You must've kept yours close for later use. How clever..."
Neptune snickered. "And now, you're totally beat and right where we want you! Ready, Sora?"
The boy nodded.
"Yeah! Let's do it!"
The two Keyblade wielders charged forth, unleashing a barrage of attacks that the Newtype is attempting to meet!
"They're not letting up!" the Newtype grunted. "Curse that Gravity attack for slowing me down!"
"As long as we're still here..."
"...we're not gonna give up the fight!"
After a grand total of twelve hits (six per wielder), the two raised their Keyblades, imbuing them with powerful light magic, and sent them right down to their opponent!
"TWIN ARCANA!"
"AAAAAAHHHHHH!"
The thirteenth blast sent the Newtype flying back. It was a bit too much for her...
"Haaahhh..." the white-haired woman struggled to catch her breath. "To think...that the two of you managed to drive me this far...into a corner..."
"I told ya, miss Newtype" Neptune boasted, slinging her Keyblade above her own shoulder. "No punches pulled"
"So, you did..." the Newtype said as she stood up. "Still, it's hard for me to believe that the two of you managed to defeat a being like me. How disgraceful..."
Sora and Neptune looked to each other, and then upon looking back to the Newtype.
"Why do you keep fighting Neptune, anyway?" Sora asked.
The Newtype closed her eyes for a bit, and then she answered. "Because I was hoping to sense a 'spark' in her..."
"A...'spark'?" Neptune said, tilting her head.
"So, to speak" the white-haired woman nodded. "You see, beings like me have this...sort of innate 'spark' within us. Every confrontation we had until now has been tests to see if you held that 'spark' within you"
"What 'spark'?" the girl with the key asked.
"I...cannot exactly describe it" the Newtype tried to explain. "All I gathered is that this 'spark' is what defines our existence. At least, it defines mine as a Goddess"
"A Goddess?" Sora wondered. "To what exactly?"
The Newtype kept silent on that.
"C'mon, lady" Neptune shook her head. "You think that lil' lovable Neptune here is a Goddess? Top of the food chain level of existence and all that?"
The Newtype chuckled. "Now that I began to think about it, you being someone like me is ridiculous. I can never see that happening..."
"I smell an insult there..." Neptune snarked.
Sora nodded. "Definitely an insult."
"It's not an insult. It's a fact" the white-haired woman replied as she began to fly up again. "I see it was a waste of time to seek you out, after all. Forget everything I said. Enjoy your journey ahead or whatever. We likely won't see each other again..."
"Wait!"
As the Newtype flew off into the sky, Neptune could only look on glumly. "...And we haven't even gone on our date yet..."
Sora felt sad at the sight of his fellow wielder's depressed state. "Neptune..."
"I said that this was a waste of time, but..."
The flying Newtype clutched her own heart as she flew.
"That still didn't answer why my heart beats so much when I'm near her...Is there something I'm overlooking? That can't be! Right?"
Halloween Town – Town Gates
"You don't have to see us off, you know?" Sora mused.
Jack laughed. "Nonsense! As thanks for your assistance, it is the least we can do for you all!"
"Are you sure you don't need one of these?" IF asked the Mad Magician, holding onto a teal cellphone.
"It will not be necessary" MAGES. replied. "I have already learned certain communication spells that should allow me to reach out to your comrades from the Refuge World you speak of. It should be of no issue to me."
"If you're sure" the guild agent said, putting the cellphone back into her cape. "Just remember that it's not just them, but the other Drifters in others worlds too. Try not to spook them out if you're gonna reach out to them."
The Mad Magician nodded. "I'll endeavor to keep that in mind"
"I sure hope their festival's a great one!" Goofy chuckled.
"I hope we can go see it!" Compa stated.
"C'mon, guys" Donald urged the group. "We have to go"
As the group left, MAGES. suddenly shouted at one of them.
"Young lass in purple!"
The group stopped for a moment.
"Nep-Nep" Compa called to the girl with the key. "Magey is calling for you"
Neptune turned her head to the Mad Magician.
"Ah, good, you responded"
"Well, I'm not a corpse" Neptune joked offhandly. "What do you want?"
"I don't think I've ever seen Nep that depressed before..." IF said, shaking her head in disbelief.
"She must've really looked forward to that date..." Goofy said glumly.
"Yeah..." Sora said, nodding.
"Was she really asking for a date though?" Donald said, shaking his head.
"You must be truly deprived of spirit if that so-called Newtype's rejection has gotten to you..." MAGES. noted. "Anyway, what ails you?"
"Well, apparently, the pretty lady thought I didn't have the 'spark' or whatever and decided not to see me again..." Neptune complained. "What's her deal, anyway!? So what if I'm not a Goddess!? Do I need to be one to be in her radar or something? Is plain ol' me just...not good enough?"
The Mad Magician went into thought for a moment...
"May you lend me your palm?"
"Uhhhh, okay?"
She laid her right palm out, which MAGES. took and inspected.
"Hmmmmm. Hmmmm."
"Uhhhh, are you gonna say my fortune or something?"
"Patience, young one. You must not be so rash."
"S-Sorry..."
The Mad Magician chuckled despite Neptune's meek response. "Do not apologize. For you have a great many things that await you further on your path. You may stumble. You may find obstacles that may trip you, so to speak, but if you continue to push forward, so long as you stay true to your heart, you may find everything that you seek. Never lose faith, lass. Not in your friends. Not in others. Not in yourself. Eventually, in time, everyone, even those who once opposed you will see the radiance that belies in your heart, not the radiance they believe that you should have."
This saying only served to confuse Neptune, who turned to the party. "Do any of you get what she's saying?"
Most of them shook their heads in confusion...
"Do you, Iffy?"
...except one...
"Probably"
"So, will you-"
IF shrugged. "If I told you the meaning, it would lose the point. You'd learn best from finding out the meaning yourself!"
"Aw, come on, Iffy!" Neptune complained. "This isn't a school exam! Just tell me!"
The guild agent sighed. "If you keep that up, you'll never learn what she means."
Neptune pouted at the response.
Despite this, IF chuckled, patting the girl's head. "You'll understand what she's trying to say soon enough. Now, come on. Your pudding isn't gonna keep you waiting, you know!"
"Pudding!"
And just like that, Neptune rushed ahead in anticipation of her favored Pudding Time.
"One mention of pudding and her mood changes completely..." Donald said, shaking his head.
"Well, I am feelin' hungry myself!" Goofy chuckled, rubbing his tummy.
"Then let's have a pudding party to freshen our spirits!" Compa offered.
"Sounds good!" Sora agreed as he and the rest of the party followed Neptune. "Neptune definitely needs a good cheer!"
"I didn't know you could do fortunes, MAGES." Jack said as he approached the Mad Magician.
The Mad Magician chuckled. "I don't. However, I feel that I should at least try to raise that girl's spirits, at least"
"What prompted you to do that?" the Pumpkin King asked.
"Hmmmmm, I wonder"
Her gaze turned to where the party was, waving Neptune goodbye as they returned to the Gummi Ship.
"Maybe, I'm just doing what those two have been doing. Listening to my heart and telling them what it said. A curious thought, is it not?"
Jack Skellington smiled. "Curious, indeed."
MAGES then made some gestures from her left hand as she mumbled something. "Loochs tneve emag noitamina cisum."
NEPSTATION
Neptune: Spooks and thrills fill the night! Tonight is the night of dread! Tonight is the night of fear! Tonight is the night...of Nepstation! Mwahahahaha!
MAGES.: My, that's certainly a spirited way to start your broadcast today.
Neptune: Why, yes, indeed, my Mad Magician friend! Now, why don't we start with the news?
MAGES.: Very well, we shall.
*an image of a group of undead townsfolk raising pitchforks and torches against a group of Heartless appears onscreen*
Neptune: The recent rise in Heartless activity has caused some of the world's own residents to take action. In fact, in one such town, the local undead have risen from their graves to repel the Heartless back!
MAGES.: To arise from their eternal slumber to defend their home once again. Such dedication to their homeland...
Neptune: You said it!
MAGES.: In fact, cries and rallies of 'Get Our Town Back' can be heard throughout the area should you happen to be nearby. A truly inspiring, if ghastly sight of the dead fighting against dark monsters.
Neptune: Goes to show you can't mess with people's homes once they get their act together, huh?
MAGES.: Indeed. This should serve as an important lesson to all our viewers. If you have the will to act, then utilize it! The end will only come if you choose not to act!
Neptune: Better to fight and die, then die napping and all that, huh?
MAGES.: Quite. Now, let us proceed to the next segment of the news.
*an image of a tall skeleton man, his head blurred, inspecting a pumpkin door appears onscreen*
MAGES.: The Halloween preparations are currently underway. However, the local organizer is currently in a stump for ideas. I was hoping to forward this request to Nepstation to see if you all have some suggestions. Ones that can make this Halloween more...unique compared to the last ones...
Neptune: A suggestion for a Halloween festival, huh? Oh~! How about an animal-themed one? We have an extensive list of unique animals we can pick from.
MAGES.: Ah, you refer to mystical beasts such as nekomatas and kitsune, aren't you?
Neptune: Yup-yup! My costume is pretty beastly too, FYI!
MAGES.: *chuckles* Then I shall take your suggestion under advisement. Dear viewers, send all your ideas down our merry way, and they shall be noted!
Neptune: I can hear our suggestion box crying in ecstasy over being filled right now...
MAGES.: Indeed. Now, then, onto the final segment of this broadcast...
*an image showing the logo of the School of Transcribing Tsunderes appears onscreen*
Neptune: Our school about learning the art of conversing with tsunderes is proceeding pretty well. Thanks to the number of new applicants signing up, we're planning to expand our horizons further from a small niche class to offering similar classes, good for those who wish to hone up their conversational skills.
MAGES.: Fascinating. What other classes have you considered offering, if I may ask?
Neptune: For one, there's the class for Dealing with Shy Introverts. Then there's Calming the Hair Trigger for those with loose tempers. And then, there's Speaking the Mystic's Language!
MAGES.: Hmmmmm, that last one is quite the curious one. Still, if the first class does exist, I may consider registering for that myself.
Neptune: Oh-ho-ho! We've got another one! Alrighty, once I got the plans finalized, I'll inform you right away when registration opens up!
MAGES.: *chuckles* I look forward to that.
Neptune: And that is all for the news today! Now, it's time to get into the reviews.
MAGES.: And this is the part where I bid you all adieu! Loochs tneve emag noitamina cisum. *poofs away*
Sora: Huh. I didn't know she could do that.
Neptune: Me either. Anyway, it's review time! First off, keybladelight! What have you got for us today? *reads through review*
Sora: *sighs* Still kinda sucks that these reviews tend to spoil stuff I'll know later. But hey, at least people are leaving words behind for our author to look over.
Neptune: *cries*
Sora: Hey. What's wrong?
Neptune: *sniffs* Sorry. It's just...I'm reminded of something when I was reading through this review. Reminding us of how short our lives go and all that.
Sora: Hey, we're not going down! We've still got a lot to do and see! Our journey's not even over yet!
Neptune: *sniffs* Yeah. You're right. Thanks, Sora. Anyway, for your suggestion...I'd have to reiterate you that the idea that a certain someone is SPECIAL is JUST A THEORY AT THE MOMENT! In fact, a lot of fans will say that the special thing about this someone...is the fact that he ISN'T SPECIAL! That's why people love him!
Sora: Wow, I sure hope that someone knows he's loved by others...
Neptune: Don't worry. He is! Anywho, let's get to the next review by...ooooohhhh, ShootingZero! A new reviewer!
Sora: Cool! Can I read it?
Neptune: Eh, no. This one's got spoilers too.
Sora: Aw man...
Neptune: *reads through review* Ehehehe...that would be a fun time, now wouldn't it?
Sora: What would be?
Neptune: *chuckles* You'll see! Anyway, we got another one from...an Enemy Stand!
*purple symbols appears on top of the hosts*
Sora: So, what did they say?
Neptune: Eheh, first off, sorry for blowing my lid back there. Honestly, the way that old king acted back then really set me off. At least he's behaving now.
Sora: That was unusual for you. Do you ever get angry like that?
Neptune: Surprisingly, not much. There was like, one time I got mad, but I got over it after a while. I guess, I really don't like it when someone whose supposed to keep their kin safe and happy do stuff like that.
Sora: Making them sad like that?
Neptune: Uh-huh.
Sora: I see. Well, what else did they say?
Neptune: They're asking which outfits do we prefer? The one in the underwater world or in the spooky one.
Sora: Ah, definitely the ones in Halloween Town! I really felt like a real vampire with my get-up!
Neptune: He-heh! Mine too! Hope you guys liked the outfits too! (even though describing appearances is not really Mr. Author's strength)
Sora: Although, that weird thing near my eye can get distracting...
Neptune: Really? I'm amazed you can still fight well against that bag of bugs and even Ms. Newtype with that.
Sora: Eh, I've adapted. Gotta have to since we're travelling to new places. Anywho, that's all for the reviews!
Neptune: And from us here at Nepstation...
Neptune and Sora: See you next time!