Ocean Between – Approaching Deep Jungle
"World ahoy!" Neptune yelled as the party approached the next world, a vast jungle surrounded by the bounties of nature.
"It's so green!" Compa said in awe.
"Hey, do you guys think the King might be down there?" Goofy wondered.
"Nope" Donald answered impatiently. "Let's head for the next world!"
"Wait!" Sora stopped for a moment. "Riku and Kairi could be down there!"
"I don't care!" the duck replied. "Let's just go!"
"Oh, come on!"
"No means no!"
"Would you two give it a rest?" IF sighed, pinching her nose. "I get that you're impatient, but arguing's not gonna find who we're looking for faster!"
"Let's land here already!"
"I already said no, Sora!"
"Guys, please..." Compa tried to break the fight.
"Oooooohhhh!" Neptune said in amazement as she neared a flashing red button. "What does this button do?"
Impulsively, she pressed the button, causing the ship to veer out of control.
"W-What in the?" the nurse said worriedly as she tumbled.
"NEP, WHAT DID YOU DO!?" the guild agent yelled.
"I dunno!" Neptune shrugged. "We weren't getting anywhere, so I just started pressing that shiny button!"
"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU, NEP!"
"This isn't good!" the royal knight exclaimed.
"This is why we shouldn't have gone here!" the court wizard yelled.
Thankfully, the Gummi Ship was equipped with an emergency evacuation protocol, which forcefully ejects it's passengers in cases of sabotage, intentional or not.
Which leads them to...
Deep Jungle – Treehouse
"WOAH!"
"WE'RE FAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLING!"
"Brace for impact!"
Loud thuds and smacks were heard at the seemingly empty treehouse. Thankfully, the wood on the ground was sturdy, so the trio who fell into it managed to survive their fall.
"Ow man, that hurt..." Sora muttered, feeling pain on his behind. "Everyone okay?"
Compa groaned. "Yessy. Though I think my butt would say otherwise..."
"That stupid Nep..." IF shook her head in frustration. "There are better ways to break up an argument..."
"So...where are we?" the nurse wondered as she stood up and looked around. "Looks like some kind of abandoned treehouse..."
"I'd like to get our bearings around first" the guild agent stated. "It'd be pretty upsetting if we ended up in a place without an exit..."
Sora huffed. "Man, if Donald hadn't gotten angry, then we would've..."
IF felt a tick go off in her head. "THAT'S IT! Listen here, young man!"
The Keyblade wielder immediately yelped as the angered guild agent loomed over him like an angry mother.
"I get that you're impatient and worried about your best friends! But you didn't have to throw a fit like that, you know!?"
Sora tried to plead. "B-But..."
"NO BUTS, MISTER!" But IF was having none of it! "Thanks to you and that duck and that...Nep, we're now separated in the middle of the freakin' jungle and I'm about to be at my wit's end here! So, save your excuses!"
"Iffy..."
The guild agent let out a big sigh. "Let's just look around first, okay? Once we meet up with the others, we'll figure out where we all stand on this."
She then began to walk away as Sora attempts to reach out to the guild agent in vain.
"Everything's falling apart now..." Compa mumbled to herself. "Will our party stay together after all is said and done?"
Deep Jungle – Clearing
Meanwhile, Neptune was sitting on top of a flat rock, while Donald and Goofy are resting on the ground nearby.
"Gawrsh, I hope Sora and the others are okay..." Goofy said worriedly.
Donald, on the other hand, is having none of it. "Ah, who needs Sora!? We can find the King on our own!"
"Hey! No more of that talk, ducky!" Neptune said angrily. "If you're not taking Sora, then you can count me out too!"
"What's the big idea!?" the court wizard complained.
"Didn't your King say you need us Keyblade wielders to help find him?" the girl reminded. "Well, if you're not taking him, you're not taking me either!"
"What's with you!?" Donald shouted in anger.
The girl sighed.
"Listen, I get that you're worried about your King and all that" Neptune started. "But, right now, we are travelling to many unknown worlds. We don't know who to expect and how bad the Heartless are in each of 'em. Do you think they could fight them off all by themselves!?"
"W-Well..." Donald tried to fight back, but couldn't give an answer.
"Basically, what I'm saying is, we should all stick together! Remember, we're all a party here! A party that sticks together, wins together, or something like that!"
The duck was caught speechless. Never in his whole life did he expect something meaningful to come out of Neptune's mouth like she did, but here she is.
"Okay, I'mma scout out a little." the female Keyblade wielder hopped off the flat rock. "Stay put now, you hear?"
As she headed off, Donald was left to his thoughts, unaware that a small gorilla left an orange block by his side.
Deep Jungle – Climbing Trees
"IF..." Sora sighed. "I messed up, didn't I?"
Compa gathered her thoughts for a bit. "Honestly, I think we've all been anxious. Ever since their King vanished and your islands disappeared, we really wanted to see if everyone's doing okay."
"Yeah, but..." the boy with the key said.
"I'm sure they'll turn up somewhere" Compa tried to reassure the young boy. "Even if they're not here, we can still keep this world safe from the Heartless."
"Right..." the boy didn't really feel reassured, that's for sure.
"If anything, I think Iffy's the one with the most to worry about here"
Sora raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"Yeah. You know that Iffy and I are Drifters, right? Well, we are kind of a special kind..."
The boy crossed his arms. "Special? Like with Artisan?"
"Yessy...For one, we don't remember what our home world even is."
"Really?"
Compa shook her head. "Worse yet, we can't even recall anything else in our lives before we Drifted. Only a few details."
"Oh...Like?"
The nurse thought for a moment. "Like simple wants and stuff. Even things like who our families are. I do remember having a grandpa and I was studying in nursing school."
"Yeah, and IF remembers being a member of a guild."
The nurse nodded. "But the thing is, we can't remember things like which guild she belonged to, what nursing school I've been studying in or even what the name of our home was in our world. Things like that."
"Then...does that mean..."
Compa nodded. "Yessy. Arty, Broccoli and Rena don't remember much either. Believe me, Iffy and I asked them. And I think...Iffy's been agonizing about it ever since."
The two then looked to the guild agent, who is looking around the greenery for another passageway.
"She does...?" Sora asked.
The nurse nodded again. "She does. At least when she thinks I'm not looking at her. I could imagine her thinking how awful it was for one like me who still remembers who her family was, or how people like you still have friends you can recall and find out there, or even Nep-Nep, who's looking for Histy. Compared to us, I think Iffy had no one like that for most of her life."
"Even though she was in a guild?"
"She probably treats them like good workmates. Not exactly friends, but good company nonetheless."
"..." The boy crossed his arms in thought for a moment.
The two looked ahead to see the guild agent, still scouting ahead admist the leafy environment.
"You see, that's a big part of why I decided to come." Compa admitted. "Sure, Nep-Nep is really adorable and I want to help her, and I want to help you find your friends and Donald and Goofy their King. But most of all, I want to be there for Iffy since she's been by my side for as far as I can remember. I want her to see that I cherish her and want to help out with her problems, no matter how small they are."
"Compa..." Sora chuckled, scratching his cheek. "You really are a good person, huh?"
"Oh, shucks" Compa feels a bit embarrassed. "If anything, you're just as good, Sora."
"Come on" Now it was the boy's turn to feel embarrassed. "I'm not that good."
"Yes, you are!" the nurse cheered. "I know that if, by some chance, we find your friends first, you'd stick around and help us find ours. It's just in your nature, Sora."
"That so?" Sora teasingly said, only to have an epiphany. "Oh!"
"Hm?" Compa suddenly said. "You look like a lightbulb lit up above your head."
"I think I get why Donald's mad at me now!"
"Really? What is it?"
"HEY! What's the holdup!?"
Their conversation was interrupted by IF, who called them over. "C'mon, I found another exit! Let's go!"
"Mind shelving this conversation for later?" Compa asked the young boy, who nodded.
"Sure!"
As the two ran over to the guild agent, a man suddenly swung in between them and landed right at the middle of them.
"Ah!"
"Woah!"
"Who are you!?"
The guild agent raised her qatars in defense. The man, sporting wavy brown hair and wearing nothing but a brown loincloth, eyed both parties while maintaining a defensive stance with his spear.
"You."
"Huh?" Sora muttered. "You mean us?"
"Why on home ground? Hunter?"
"Hunter?" IF wondered. "What's he on about?"
"Um, we're not enemies, for sure" Compa attempted to negotiate.
"He's right. We're friends here" Sora nodded.
"Friends?"
The strange man looked between both parties for a while, before he relaxed his stance.
"Here be sacred ground. Home to gorilla tribe."
"Gorilla tribe?" IF raised an eyebrow.
The man nodded. "Tarzan. Raised by gorillas. Tarzan home."
"Sure..." the guild agent just nodded along. "So, you're Tarzan, and you're raised by the gorillas here. Did I get all that right?"
Tarzan nodded again.
"Hey, if Tarzan lives here, that means he knows the lay of the land here, right?" Compa said with starry eyes.
"He could, but judging by how's he's raised, I'm not sure he could articulate it for us." IF scratched her head.
"Maybe he knows where our friends are?" Sora wondered.
"Friends?" Tarzan asked.
The boy nodded. "First off, there's Riku. He's wearing yellow and blue and has silver hair. Then there's Kairi, she's wearing white and purple and has red hair."
"Then there's King Mickey!" Compa chimed in. "He's bigger than your average mouse, from what I hear."
IF sighed. "C'mon guys, are you sure he could answer those questions? Besides, shouldn't we ask him about our immediate companions."
"They'll be fine!" Sora said confidently. "Neptune is tough. And Donald and Goofy are no slouches either!"
"Are you sure you're not being deflective there?" the guild agent raised an eyebrow.
The boy shook his head. "Besides, I've...come to realize some things and...I wanna clear the air with everyone too."
"Sora..."
IF looked at Compa, who only nodded with a big smile.
Tarzan started to mumble something. "Friends here"
"What did he say?" IF said, confused.
"Do you know where they are!?" Compa asked.
The ape-man nodded. "Come. Tarzan take you to Jane and then, to home ground."
He then grabbed a nearby vine and swung away.
"Is he expecting us to swing after him?" IF wondered.
"I don't know..." Compa whined. "I can be quite clumsy. The vines will likely break before I could jump over."
"Then I'll go after him!" Sora took a nearby vine and begun swinging. "You two find another way to catch up!"
"Way to make this hard for us..." IF mumbled. "Alright! But you better not fool around, ya hear?"
"I won't!"
Deep Jungle – Cliffside
Neptune, in the meantime, took to exploring the nearby area.
"Hmmmmmm, no one or nothing interesting in sight..." she said, scanning around the area. "Should we call this a bust? Hm?"
"...goo..."
Her attention then turned to see a small blue blob with a dog face on it hopping up and down.
"...goo"
"What's this? It looks cute...and rare, too..."
"Dogoo!"
When the blob noticed the girl, it started to hop away!
"Hey, come back!"
She pursued it to the edge of the nearby cliffs, where it stopped on something...unusual.
"Dogoo..."
"Don't worry, little guy. I won't hurt you..."
"Goo!"
The strange blob however, began to hop away in a flash.
"Aw man, am I not friendly enough? What was the little guy looking at, anyway?"
She approached the thing near the cliffs, which on closer inspection turned out to be...
"W-Wha...?"
Covering her mouth, she saw a spotted leopard lying on the ground, seemingly dead with it's mouth exhibiting an unusual purple glow.
"Oh no...Is it...?"
As she wondered about the state of the animal, she suddenly felt something piercing her left hip!
"AH!"
As she felt sharp pain through her hip, she tumbled and coughed loudly.
"What in the..." Her vision began to blur and her balance was loosening by the second. "Ah!"
She then fell to the ground, clutching her wounded hip as she writhed in pain.
"Haa-hahahaha!" a loud villainous laughter rang through the area. "I cannot believe you fell for a simple bait like that! How far has your kind fallen!"
Neptune tried to look up, her blurry eyesight noticing a tall, purple...something looking down upon her. "Who...are..."
"Well, you won't need to worry about a thing anymore"
The figure raised her weapon against her, ready to deal the decisive blow!
"Once you're out, I'll take what's mine and once I take her's too, I will achieve what I desired! Farewell, C-!"
Only to be interrupted by sudden gunfire, forcing the witch to pull back from the gunfire!
"Neptune!"
"Nep-Nep!"
Donald and Goofy raced to the downed Keyblade wielder, with the latter carrying her and the former readying his staff against the purple lady.
"Tch! The King's lackeys..."
Her gaze turned to the sole entrance, where a man with a hunting shotgun, no doubt the one who made a shot at her, was primed against her. Below him, is the strange blue blob from earlier.
"A dogoo? I thought they have gone extinct with the fall of..." the witch shook her head as she took three steps back. "Well, it doesn't matter. If she's this weak, that means she's not ready yet. I can take my time until then. Savor this moment while you can, fools!"
She then vanished in a haze of purple smoke, her vile laughter ringing across the area.
"Haa-hahahaha!"
"Blasted witch..." Donald bemoaned. He then looked to the female Keyblade Wielder. "How is she?"
"Nep-Nep's not looking too good..." Goofy said with worry. "We gotta help her, and fast!"
"Then let us take her to Ms. Foster" the man who accompanied them suggested. "The girl looks poisoned. Maybe she has some medicine with her that can help."
"Sure thing!" Goofy agreed, and then whistled to the blue blob. "Come on, boy!"
With no other option, the Disney Duo, carrying the unconscious Neptune, followed the hunter back to his camp. The blue blob hopped after them as well.
"H-His...ty... "
Deep Jungle – Camp
Meanwhile, Sora and Tarzan arrived at a peculiar camp.
"Hey!"
IF and Compa managed to catch up with them as well, albeit a bit out of breath.
"Guess we should...challenge someone...to a round of...Hoppin' Hippos, huh?"
"I'm sure a game like that...doesn't really exist..."
Tarzan guided the trio to the nearby tent, where a woman wearing explorer's gear is busy setting up a camera.
"Oh, Tarzan, you came back!" the woman noticed.
"Excuse us, but are you Jane?" IF asked.
"Yes, that is who I am" the explorer nodded. "DId Tarzan tell you that?"
"Yessy!" Compa exclaimed.
"That's good." Jane nodded in relief. "That means he's getting better at speaking more humanely."
"Does this have to do with him raised by gorillas?" Sora asked.
"Indeed" Jane nodded. "When my father, a fellow explorer, and I first met him, we couldn't really believe it. In time, we got him to soften up to us, and we helped him in learning our ways again. In turn, he helped us in our research of the local wildlife here."
"That's interesting..." IF muttered. "Does this have to do with the gorillas he was talking about..."
"Why, yes!" the researcher answered excitedly. "For you see..."
"Move it! Move it!"
However, they were interrupted by the arrival of newcomers.
"Injured incoming!"
Compa's face tensed up at the last part. "Where's the patient!?"
Bursting into the tent are two familiar figures, along with a poisoned girl and a strange blue blob.
"Donald?"
"Goofy?"
Compa, however, gasped loudly at the poisoned girl. "NEP-NEP!? What happened to her!?"
"We dunno!" Goofy exclaimed. "Some witch came in and attacked her!"
"Set her down here!"
With Jane's guidance, Neptune was set down in a makeshift bed within the camp tent, the sick girl breathing heavily as poison filled her system.
"This fever..." Compa checked her patient's sweating head. "She's burning up fast."
She then immediately zipped down Neptune's parka, causing the guys in the party to look away quickly.
"Hey!"
"We're still here!"
...Thankfully, she's still clothed underneath the parka. Still...
"We'll just be waiting outside!"
The guys and IF, along with the blob, immediately retreated to the outside while Compa continued her diagnosis.
"Nothing wrong on this end..."
Seeing where the likely problem is, Compa slowly turned Neptune around, causing the sick girl to lay down facing the bed itself.
She then slowly lifter her patient's clutching right hand out of her hip...
"This stab wound...!"
Inspecting the wound, she noticed an unusual purple hue around it.
"No doubt about it, this is poison."
"Perhaps an ointment and some medicine might be just the thing she needs." Jane suggested.
"Yes, that would be best" Compa produced her handy first aid kit. "I'll treat the wound with what I have for now. Can you tell Iffy and the others what we need?"
"Of course! My father is familiar with this type of poisoning. I'll check his notes right now!"
As Jane left the tent, the aspiring nurse looked at her poisoned friend.
"But...can I really save her? Me, a person who can't even remember if she passed nursing school or not?"
"I..." Neptune struggled to say. "...It...hurts..."
"Nep-Nep..." she clenched her fists. "Please hang in there..."
Deep Jungle - Camp
Back outside the tent, Sora and the others are waiting for Compa to finish her diagnosis, when Jane exited the tent.
"How is she?" Sora asked.
"Not well, I'm afraid." Jane answered. "Your nurse friend is treating her wound for now, but she needs ointment and medicine to fully cure the poison. And right now, we don't have the necessary ingredients for them."
"What can we do?" Goofy asked in a panic.
"What do you think?" IF nearly exclaimed. "Go find the ingredients needed for the ointment, of course!"
"But where do we even look for those?" Donald wondered.
"I can give you a list of ingredients to search for." Jane informed. "Thankfully, our time here in the jungle has given us a good look at what ingredients we can find here."
"Then please get to it!" IF said as the explorer returned to the tent. "We can't let Nep die here!"
"Tarzan help too" the ape-man offered. "Convince gorillas to search"
"That would be great!" Sora sighed in relief. "But we hate to impose."
Tarzan shook his head. "Friend, in danger. Tarzan want help friend"
The guild agent smiled. "Then we'll take you up on that offer. Thank you, Tarzan."
Jane exited the tent with a piece of paper on hand. "Here's the list of things we need! Tarzan, can you make out some of the words here?"
The ape-man looked at the list for a while, then nodded.
"Tarzan memorize. Will ask gorilla to help"
"Good" Jane then lent him a pencil. "Can you cross out what you and the gorillas can find? That way, the others here can narrow their search better."
Nodding, Tarzan took the pencil and neatly crossed out some of the ingredients on the list.
"Woah."
"He crossed out a lot of 'em!"
"Well, there's still one thing we can search for, though."
"Tarzan go!"
The ape-man then left for the gorilla's home grounds for aid.
"Then it's up to us to find the last ingredient, then!" Sora declared. "Honey Sap, right?"
"Yup!" Goofy nodded. "Let's get goin'!"
"Y-Yeah" Donald said awkwardly.
"Good luck, guys." IF said. "I'll stay behind and keep the camp safe from the Heartless. Goofy, watch over those two."
"Aw, I think they'll do fine!" the royal knight said in confidence. "Right, fellas?"
"Uh, yeah" Sora said, awkwardly rubbing his head.
"Sure..." Donald looked away in shame.
IF sighed, grabbing the impatiently hopping blue blob. "Just be sure to get back with the honey sap in one piece, okay? We all have a lot to talk about"
"Right..." Sora and Donald said in shame.
Deep Jungle – Climbing Trees
"This must be the place..."
Sora, Donald and Goofy arrive at the closed area near the treehouse, which is where the Honey Sap can be found.
However, it has recently become a den for two new breeds of Heartless. The Powerwilds and the Bouncywilds, two monkey Heartless each specializing in their own modes of attack, the former melee, and the latter ranged.
"Sora, was this place filled with monkeys the last time you came here?" Donald asked.
The boy shook his head. "Nope. We just met Tarzan here and that's that."
"Welp, there's tons of them now" Goofy said.
One of the monkeys overheard them and alerted his comrades of potential danger.
"Looks like we got a fight" the court wizard said, priming his staff.
"No time like the present" the royal knight raised his shield.
The Keyblade wielder summoned his weapon. "Let's get rid of them and grab that honey sap!"
"Right!/Right..."
Charging forth, the trio split up to deal with the numerous monkey Heartless monkeying around.
"Get back here!"
Goofy charged after a group of three Powerwilds, only to slip on a banana peel left behind by a Bouncywild.
"Ouch! Gawrsh, that hurt..."
"Goofy!"
Donald immediately diverted a Thundara spell against the four monkeys, saving his friend.
"Thanks, Donald!" Goofy gave his fellow companion a thumbs up in thanks.
Donald followed suit and then, returned to the fight.
He pursued a Powerwild, who is being supported by four Bouncywilds above with their slingshots out and ready.
"Outta way!"
And so, he started blasting them with Fira magic, taking them out in quick succession.
"That'll teach them!"
His jubilations were cut short when he felt a nut hit his head.
He turned around to see three Powerwilds, one of which taunted him by spanking his behind.
"Why you!"
His temper taking hold of his decisions, Donald Duck charged at them, only to slip on another banana peel! Are those monkeys careless or what!?
"Ack! Not good..."
The three Powerwilds, backed by a Bouncywild now surrounded the duck!
"Could we really find the King without them? Or am I just over my head?"
Just as the monkeys are ready for their combined assault...
"No, you don't!"
...Only for their hopes to be dashed through, literally, thanks to a Keyblade wielder and his newly acquired Sonic Blade technique.
As for the Bouncywild? Well, she said her last prayers when a shield was thrown at her like a boomerang.
"Donald!"
"You okay?"
"Goofy, Sora..."
He looked to see his two friends, relief evident in their faces.
"C'mere. I'll help you up."
The sight of Sora extended a hand to him caused the duck to have a flashback to a simpler time when he and two others were vying to be the best musketeers they can be.
"No need to be so scared, Donald! C'mere. I'll help ya up."
Accepting the aid, Donald managed to stand up.
"Is that all the Heartless?"
"Yeah." Sora answered as he points to the tree in the middle of the area. "Turns out they were gathering around this weird purple fruit thing attached to that tree over there."
"Really?"
"Yup. Once Sora and I took care of it, it started raining some honey sap, so I gathered some up while Sora rushed over to save you."
"Oh..."
The duck looked to the boy, who only smiled.
"Why, Sora?"
The boy raised an eyebrow.
"Why did you save me there? We had a fight, remember?"
Sora chuckled a bit. "We were, huh? Listen, about that..."
He then bowed his head in apology. "I'm sorry!"
"Huh!?"
The duck couldn't hold back his surprise. Why would he apologize for that?
"Listen, I miss my best friends. I really do. But...that doesn't I'm leaving you two out to dry!"
"W-What do you mean?" Donald managed to say.
Sora hung his head down. "You guys said you need my help to find your King, right?"
The duck nodded.
"And you are worried that, if we found Riku and Kairi first, I wouldn't be around to help you guys, right?"
"Huh!?" Donald blanched at that.
"Sora..." Goofy muttered.
Sora shook his head, waving his hand off. "That's ridiculous!"
Both cartoon animals yelped at the Keyblade wielder's sudden shout.
"Look, I know I have the Keyblade and all, but I don't have all the answers, and neither does the Keyblade, really. But that's why we're on this journey together, aren't we? And you know what I think? I think we should be helping each other out. Way I see it, you're helping me find Riku and Kairi and I'm helping you two find your King. Even if we managed to find my friends first, I'd still be out here helping you two find your King."
He then looked to his two friends, his smile never fading. "Isn't' that what friends do? Helping each other out?"
"Sora..."
Sora let out a goofy smile, placing his hands behind his back. "I'm still learning the ropes about all this, and I'm still not sure about many things, so, mind helping me out too?"
Donald sniffed. He was actually holding back some tears, brought upon by the boy's heartfelt pleas.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I was so worried about King Mickey that I'd do anything to bring him back! I'm sorry for doubting you, Sora! I'm so sorry!"
Sora then hugged the duck as he cried. Goofy, in turn, hugged both of his friends as well.
"Yeah. I'm sorry, too. I guess we're all worried, huh?" the boy remarked.
"Don't feel bad, guys." the royal captain reassured. "We're all pals here! All for one and one for all, remember!"
The three friends looked at each other, their resolve renewed.
"Yeah! Let's save our friends together!" Sora declared.
"Yeah!" Donald agreed.
"Together!" Goofy affirmed.
The trio jumped up and clapped their hands together, their bond renewed and strengthened.
Deep Jungle – Camp Tent
IF returned to the tent to see Compa still watching over Neptune, who managed to sleep a bit soundly, if a bit noisy with her snoring. The blob is also close to her, keeping watch.
"How is she?" the guild agent asked her friend.
"She's just sleeping for now" the nurse replied, never taking her face off her patient. "I patched the wound a bit, but we really need the ointment and the medicine so she can get better."
"I see..."
IF took a seat on the floor as she sighed.
"This has been a mess, huh..." she muttered.
"No kidding" Compa entertained, turning around to face her friend. "Who would've thought we'd arrive in a gorilla jungle of all places?"
IF let out a small laugh. "Certainly not us. Then again, compared to the topsy-turvy room and the coliseum managed by literal gods, this world seems pretty regular by comparison."
"You think so?" Compa tilted her head, letting the hopping blob on her as the nurse pats its head.
"I think you're just used to all the weirdness we've been having lately" the guild agent shook her head.
"Aren't you?" the nurse asked.
"I mean, someone here has to keep everyone grounded" IF remarked. "I doubt even the duck could keep the weirdness out forever."
It was silent for a while, as the guild agent let out another sigh.
"That stupid Nep..." IF looked to the now-asleep Keyblade wielder. "Why does she have to be so like...that?"
"Like, how?" Compa dared to ask.
The guild agent sighed again. "Like, we could've broken the argument like regular people, but no, Nep had to start pushing buttons out of nowhere to get our attention, and now, we're down here and until those two reconcile, I doubt we'd ever leave here!"
The nurse thought for a moment. "Maybe she felt that was the only way to get their attention?"
"You think?" IF raised an eyebrow. "It makes me think she's a big brained player in a game of chess, and that, to me, does NOT describe Nep at all."
"She could be smart or dumb" Compa started. "But Nep-Nep will always be Nep-Nep to me"
"And how would you describe her, exactly?"
"Well...she's super adorable and irresistible!"
"Okay, what else?"
"What else?"
"Like..." IF sighed. "...how would you put her in one word?"
"Well...if I could describe her in one word, aside from pudding, that would be happiness!" Compa replied.
"Happiness?"
"Like, she tries her best to keep everyone around her happy. The way she says the silliest things, does the most absurd things, she wants people to laugh and smile even in dark times like these."
"..." IF hummed at the answer. Could she really be anything but that?
"...Don't...fight..."
The two, plus the blob, looked at the struggling girl, seemingly talking in her sleep.
"Nep!"
Compa shushed the panicking guild agent. "She's still sleeping. She must be having a dream."
"...Sora...Donald...please stop...fighting..." Neptune managed to say in her delirious state.
"Is she talking about their feud?"
"...If you two fight...you won't be...happy...Goofy will stop...smiling...Compa...will keep worrying...Your friends...will stop being happy..."
"Nep-Nep..."
"...If...fy..."
IF stood up and rushed to Neptune's side.
"I'm here, Nep!"
The girl slowly turned her head to her friend, her eyes half-opened.
"...I'm...sorry...I...don't know...how to break...them up...I just..."
"Just...what?"
"I...just want to...see everyone smiling...I don't...like it when...people get sad...or in trouble..."
The guild agent tried to fight back her tears. "Then why...why did you do what you did? Answer me, Nep!"
"...When...people get sad...I get sad...I don't like...sadness..."
The sick girl's lips curled into a smile. "But...when everyone smiles...I smile too...People are...at their brightest...when they smile...that's why I..."
Silence took over the tent again, as the sick Neptune went back to snoring.
IF sighed once more. "...That dummy...She had to go and do that...for such a childish reason..."
She then felt something wet touching her cheek.
"Huh!?"
She immediately looked to her left, seeing the blue blob gazing at her while panting.
"Trying to comfort me, huh? Sorry about that"
Compa tapped her friend on the shoulder, offering a handkerchief.
Taking it, she wiped the tears that were beginning to flow out of her eyes. "I guess you're right on the munny, Compa. That girl really does everything for our happiness, huh?"
The nurse nodded.
"That was still too reckless of her...but I guess I got some stuff to rethink over now." the guild agent said, looking up. "About myself, about Nep...about all of us, really."
"May I give some advice?" Compa said.
"Let me guess, from your grandfather?"
The nurse nodded again.
"There are certain things in this world that you simply cannot understand. If you can't, then just simply accept it. Accept that the fact exists. Accept that there are things in this gosh-darned world that we could never comprehend, no matter how hard we think about it."
IF chuckled. "Don't overthink things, then. I guess you have a point. I have been overthinking a lot of things lately."
Compa nodded. "Good to hear..." She then turned her gaze at Neptune, with a forlorn expression.
One IF clearly noticed. "So, what about you?"
"Hm?"
"Something's clearly eating up at you, judging by your face" the guild agent observed.
The nurse chuckled sadly. "So, you noticed?"
"C'mon, Compa" IF said. "How long have we already known each other?"
"As far as I can remember" Compa answered. "Which isn't really much..."
"Right" IF nodded. "So, talk to me. What's ailing you, Ms. Nurse?"
Compa had to chuckle at that remark.
"Well, it's just...I wonder if I'm good enough at...anything else, really"
IF raised an eyebrow at that. "What brought this on?"
"I mean, look at you all!" Compa started to speak. "Nep-Nep and Sora are Keyblade Wielders. Donald and Goofy are Royal Guards. And you, Iffy, are a Guild Member. All of you out there are cool and amazing and everything!"
She sighed. "And then there's me. Poor, lovable Compa who can only keep everyone patched up, and nothing else. Just somebody someone watches over and holds everyone else back to keep her safe like a damsel..."
"Hey..." IF tried to answer as softly as possible. "Is she worried about the fact that she keeps getting targeted in battle? That does seem to happen a lot to her...Don't put yourself down like that. You are more than that, Compa."
"And what is it!?" Compa yelled as she stood up in anger, tears fell from her eyes. "Sure, cooking and nursing people is what I can do, but what if I fail? What if one day, I ended up cooking up a really bad dish and everyone stopped looking forward to my food next time? What if, one day, something like this happened and I couldn't find a cure in time? Will I be able to look myself in the eye and say you did the best you could, when you haven't even figured out what the problem or solution even is!? And what if, one day, something happens to me and I can't watch over you all anymore!? Tell me, Iffy! Tell me!"
IF was flabbergasted at her friend's response. "You've been holding this in for a while now, huh..."
The nurse sighed, sitting right back down. "Maybe...this is too much for me...Perhaps I should just..."
"...You can...do it...Compa..."
The two girls turned to Neptune, who started speaking again.
"...There's...no one else...out there...like you..."
"What do you mean, Nep-Nep?" Compa cried as she looked onto her sick friend's half-lidded eyes. "What else can I do here? Can I really do what I set out to do? Me, a failure who couldn't even remember if she passed nursing school or not?"
"...It's better...to try and fail...than to not do...and regret it...y'know?"
As soon as she said her piece, she fell asleep again.
"She's right" IF said. "Compa, you kept our whole group together as much as you are able. Sure, you kept us fed and patched up, but more than anything, you kept our hearts just as healthy just by being with us. Heck, I'm sure the reason Sora's able to meet Donald in the eye is because of something you told him, right?"
Compa tried to say something, but kept silent to let her friend finish.
"Sure, you can't remember much of your past as I do, but that didn't stop you from doing what you can. And this here might be way above your paygrade, but the fact that you were willing to take the first step to getting the stuff needed for the medicine is already proof enough that you want to do this, no matter what."
"Do...what?" Compa asked.
"Helping Nep get better, that's what."
Compa's eye widened in shock. "She's right. When I heard Nep-Nep was poisoned, my body and mind moved on their own. No, it's more accurate to say my heart moved before I could fully consider the risks. Deep in my heart, I knew I wanted to save Nep-Nep. I knew I wanted to keep everyone fed and happy the only way I know how."
The nurse chuckled. "Maybe you're right. No, you're absolutely right. I know what I want to do and I'm going to do it! I will save Nep-Nep!"
IF smiled. "There we go. That's the Compa I know"
Compa giggled. "Thanks for that, Iffy. And...sorry for blowing up at you all of a sudden..."
The guild agent shrugged. "I'm guessing you have those problems locked up in you for a while, huh?"
The nurse nodded.
"Eh, don't worry about it." IF reassured. "I have stuff I wanted to let out too. So, if you're ever feeling down, even if it's something silly or serious, just tell us, okay? We're here for you, Compa."
The nurse looked to the guild agent, who sported a good smile.
"Just as you were there for me."
"Iffy-poo..."
Silence filled the tent for a while, until the blob licked Compa's cheek.
"Woah!" Compa giggled. "You wanted to cheer me up, too? Thank you very much!"
IF smiled at the sight of her nurse friend, looking like a butterfly that long grew out of it's cocoon.
A truly beautiful sight for her...
"Move it!"
"Why would you drag me here like this!?"
Suddenly, the two heard noises outside.
"What's with all the racket out there?"
Deep Jungle - Camp
IF went out of the tent to see Sora and Donald with their weapons out, poking a man with his hands tied by rope while Goofy is holding onto a pouch of honey sap.
"Keep moving, you!" Donald demanded.
"I swear to you, I did not mean to shoot at it!" the man pleaded
"What's going on here, boys?" the guild agent asked the returning party with folded arms.
"See this guy here?" Sora answered, poking the man with the tip of his Keyblade. "He tried to shoot a defenseless gorilla while we were out looking for the honey sap"
"It's here, by the way!" Goofy said, proudly showing the bag that contains it.
"That's good!" IF exhaled in relief. "Now we just need to wait for Tarzan..."
Suddenly, they heard rustling leaves coming to their direction, and then, Tarzan landed in the area, holding a large basket above his head.
"Speak of the ape and he appears..." the guild agent looked in surprise.
"Ingredients...here" the ape-man patted the basket on his head. "Tarzan heard. Clayton hunt gorilla?"
"I-It's not what you all think!" Clayton, the hunter, pleaded. "T-There was a snake coming close to that poor thing and I thought I could take it out and save it's life, but..."
"Quit lying!" Sora poked the hunter again. "You were clearly trying to shoot at them!"
"You big palooka!" Donald followed suit with his staff.
"Just let me say my story!" the hunter continued to plead.
"Enough!"
Jane rushed to see what the ruckus is all about. Needless to say, she's NOT happy at all.
"I have already have it to here with you, Clayton!" the woman said angrily. "You not only lost sight of my father, but now here you are, hunting these poor animals for sport when we're here for RESEARCH!"
"Ms. Foster, please!" Clayton pleaded...
But Jane has had it! "No! I will not have it! Leave!"
Clayton did as he was told and left to the nearby clearing, though not without silent anger.
The explorer sighed. "I swear, he's getting more erratic by the day..."
"I'm guessing he's been at that for a while now?" IF guessed.
"Unfortunately..." Jane confirmed. "Mr. Clayton has signed up to be our bodyguard, but it seems all he's ever thought of is hunting the wildlife here, especially the gorillas."
She sighed. "I wonder if my father made the wrong choice with this..."
"Jane?" Tarzan said, looking at the explorer.
She smiled, pointing to the open area at the tent's left. "Sorry about that, Tarzan. Can you set the ingredients over there? I'll get Compa and we can start making the antidote."
Tarzan nodded with a grunt. Goofy also followed suit with the bag of honey sap.
As Jane left to get Compa, the two went to work on making the antidote.
Meanwhile, Sora, Donald and IF rested in the tent as they watch over the still-sick Neptune. The blue blob danced around the trio as they sat down.
Deep Jungle - Tent
Eventually...
"It's done!" Compa cheered as she held the...medicine(?) in her hands.
"Compa, that's pudding..." IF pointed out.
Jane cleared her throat. "Well, we figured that Neptune may not accept the medicine in it's current state, so Compa here suggested we mix it in with her favorite food. That's why the pudding is like this."
"Like having your kid eat their veggies without seein' them, right?" Goofy exclaimed.
"That makes sense..." Donald muttered.
"And the ointment?" Sora asked.
Jane shows a black and green container. "It's right here. Please excuse us while we get her treated."
"Okay, sure." Sora said as he stood up and left.
"Come here, you!" Donald grabbed the dog-faced blob and left the tent with the others.
"Will this work?" Jane asked Compa one more time.
The nurse exhaled and then nodded. "It has to! I'm not a certified nurse yet, but I will save Nep-Nep! I must! I won't hide from my own heart anymore!"
Deep Jungle - Camp
Back outside, IF spoke to the boys.
"I see you boys are getting along better this time."
The trio looked to each other and then back at IF.
"Really?" the guys all asked.
"Really." the guild agent nodded, taking note of their shared response. "It's like, you guys work well now. I guess I got worried for nothing, huh?"
"Well, about that..." Donald started.
And then, Sora and Donald bowed to IF.
"We're sorry!"
"Huh!?" the guild agent was taken aback. "What brought this on?"
"Well..." the boy started.
"We didn't want to cause any more trouble with you guys..." the duck continued.
IF let out a happy sigh. "Geez. Didn't take that long for you guys, huh?"
"Well, we've been thinking about some things and..." Sora started.
"...figured out we were just anxious about some things..." Donald continued.
"...but we had it all cleared out at the end of the day!" Goofy finished with his signature chuckle.
"You're getting along alright if you're finishing each other's sentences right there." the guild agent pointed out.
"Come on!" Sora blushed.
"Did you have to point that out?" Donald covered his face in embarrassment.
Goofy simply laughed at the scene to show his happiness at his friends now getting along.
"Well, I got some stuff I want to clear out too..." IF mumbled.
"NEPTUNE'S BACK, BABY!"
Sure enough, they were interrupted when an energetic cry rang near the tent. One coming from a recently recovered girl wearing a parka.
"Nep-Nep, please don't move too fast! You're still recovering!" Compa cried from inside the tent.
"Come on, Compa. I'm as right as rain now! Besides, some sun is just what this Nep needs!"
As she stretched, her gaze fell upon the rest of her party members.
"Heya guys!" Neptune approached them. "Wazzup!?"
Yet her only answer was nothing but stares.
"Uh, guys, you in there? Hello?"
Suddenly, she was grabbed and hugged by the boys of their party.
"Neptune!" Sora shouted.
"You're okay!" Donald said in relief.
"Welcome back, Nep-Nep!" Goofy greeted.
"Woa-hoa!" the girl exclaimed. "Slow down, fellas! I'm still kickin' here. Haven't tripped any death flags, you know?"
"We've been worried sick about you, Nep" IF shook her head. "Of course they'd glomp at you first chance they get."
"Aw, thanks, you guys." Neptune thanked the boys. "What about you, Iffy?"
"Me?" IF raised an eyebrow.
"You look like you want to tell me something, so spill!"
The guild agent gulped and cleared her throat. "Well, you see...I've been thinking about stuff and..."
"Hm?"
"...I'm sorry...for blowing up on you..."
Now it's Neptune's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Huh? Sorry? For what?"
The guild agent became flustered. "What do you mean, for what!? Remember, back at the gummi ship?"
The female Keyblade wielder thought for a moment, then a lightbulb lit up in her head. "Oooooohhhhh, that!"
She gave a light chuckle as she placed her hands behind her head. "I mean, we were just having our usual barbs, right? The usual back and forth?"
"You...You...!" IF's face began to emit steam. "If you're going to do something stupid, at least tell us, got it!?"
"Woah!" Neptune yelped. "What's gotten into you, Iffy? Did you hit your head hard when you fell into this world?"
IF groaned. "I can't believe this! Was it just all in my head!? How can this girl be so...so...HER!?"
The boys could only laugh at the situation before them.
"I'm glad we can all hang out together like this again..." Compa muttered. "It makes all the pain my heart went through worth it. I'm happy we can all be together again..."
However, their moment of peace was interrupted when Tarzan rushed into camp in a panic.
"Tarzan?" Jane called out. "What's the matter?"
"Clayton!" Tarzan gasped. "Clayton hunt gorillas! Had help."
"Oh no!" Donald cried.
"What help?" IF asked.
Just as she did, several Heartless, mainly Powerwilds and Blue Rhapsodies, icy-blue variants of the Red Nocturnes, spawned across the camp!
"That help" the ape-man quipped, bringing out his spear.
"Since when can people call out Heartless!?" the guild agent wondered aloud.
"No time for that!" Sora repelled an incoming attack from a Powerwild. "We gotta get to the gorillas!"
"RIGHT!"
With the team reunited, they repelled the Heartless assault and rushed to the gorilla's aid.
Deep Jungle - Cliffside
The gorillas gathered in one place, as their home grounds were overrun by wild and unusually aggressive monkeys. Leading them is the foul human who tried to murder one of their young.
He pointed his shotgun at them, ready to take the shot.
"NO!"
"CLAYTON NO HUNTING!"
However, cries from two more humans, a boy and a girl stopped him. Yet all the hunter could do was stare at them without a word.
"Clayton!?" Sora called out.
"Not Clayton!" Tarzan then mumbled something incomprehensible. "Not Clayton!"
The hunter then raised his hand, and all of a sudden, the cliff behind the gorillas exploded, causing the simians to panic, running behind the party.
"Please get behind us!" Compa cried out to the panicking gorillas. "Don't worry! We won't hurt you! I'll even treat your wounds!"
As this happened, Clayton jumped up and hopped onto...something that seems to be moving...and unseen.
Tarzan, angered at the hunter's brazenness, attempted to charge at him, only to be knocked back. A loud unusual roar was heard as well.
"What did he just hop onto?" Sora wondered.
"It's likely something invisible..." IF pointed out. "Thankfully, Clayton himself isn't invisible, so it'll be easy to track their movements..."
"Then let's not waste anymore time!" Neptune shouted, raising her Keyblade. "C'mon, gang! We've got gorillas to save!"
"Says the girl who was out cold for almost the whole trip..." Donald complained.
"But she's got the right energy for the job." Goofy complimented.
Sensing prey, the invisible monster lunged at the party, causing them to move away.
"It's not just dumb, but also loud!" the guild agent noticed, channeling flames into her qatars. "Keep your eyes and ears open, people! And watch out for gunfire!"
Wasting no time, Clayton fired a round on the defenseless Compa.
"Eeep!"
Thankfully, Goofy came in and blocked the shot.
"Thanks!" the nurse thanked her friend.
The royal guard responded by raising his thumb. "No problem-o!"
Donald took the chance to channel ice into his staff.
"Time to freeze!"
He unleashed a mighty Blizzara attack at the creature, which dealt some damage to it.
"I'll follow up! DEMON FLAMES!"
A pillar of fire ignited below Clayton and the invisible creature, leaving it open to attack!
"My turn! CROSS COMBINATION!"
Neptune rushes in and performs her six-attack, seven-hit combo, sending the invisible beast flying up and back down to earth.
"All yours, Sora!"
"Here goes!"
Charging up, the boy unleashed his Sonic Blade attack, a rush of seven quick and powerful dashes against the enemy.
Under such combined assault, the invisible creature roared, revealing itself as an oversized green chameleon with two huge eyes.
It is called the Stealth Sneak.
"RAAAHHHH!"
Seeing an opening, the ape-man let out a loud bellow and charged at the hunter, bringing him down to earth and separated from the revealed lizard.
"Whoa!" Neptune shouted. "Look at the ape-man go!"
"Stay focused, Nep!" IF scolded the girl. "Now that those two are separated, we have to take them down fast!"
"Hey, Mr. Lizard!" Goofy taunted the Stealth Sneak, the oversized chameleon Heartless. "Over here!"
Rather than a physical assault, the giant lizard opted for a ranged attack, shooting slow beams from his eyes at the royal knight.
"All charged up?" Goofy asked the nurse behind him as he is busy deflecting the blasts back.
"I can do this! I can do this! Ready!"
Compa readies her shot and aims at the giant lizard.
"A little poisonous treat, from Nep-Nep to you!"
Firing her Poison Agent square at his mouth, the Stealth Sneak began to phase in and out of reality as the poison settles into him.
"How's that!?" Compa cheered. "Iffy! Nep-Nep! Mr. Lizard's all yours!"
"Nice job, Compa!" the guild agent charged up her blades. "Ready, Nep?"
Neptune flashed a V-sign with her fingers. "Ready as I'll ever be!"
"HEAVENLY COMBINATION!"
Neptune unleashes five slashes, with the fifth sending the poisoned chameleon up into the air.
"All yours, Iffy!"
"There's no escape for you!"
Jumping up, IF proceeds to slash the Heartless ten times in quick successions and followed that up with a heel kick, sending the lizard down!
"And now!"
"The finisher!"
Charging their weapons, the duo unleashed a mighty slash that pushed the creature back.
"We're so awesome!"
"You did great, Nep!"
Meanwhile, Sora and Clayton are clashing in melee combat. In the clash, it has become very clear that the hunter is no match for a human opponent, especially in close combat.
As the hunter tried to use his shotgun to hit the boy from a certain angle, Sora proceeded to block it. Anytime Clayton tried to shoot at him point-blank, Sora raised his Keyblade in defense, blocking the attack.
"Sora!"
Hearing the cries, Clayton pushed the boy back and attempted to take a shot at Donald.
"RAHHHHHHHH!"
But his shot never came, as Tarzan led a furious charge against the hunter, distracting him from his intended target.
"You okay?" Donald continued rushing to his friend, helping him up.
"Yeah"
As the two looked to the now distracted Clayton, they saw a golden opportunity.
"Ready, Sora?"
The boy flashed a grin.
"Yeah!"
The two charged at Clayton as Donald imbues his friend's Keyblade with Fire magic.
Sensing their attack, the ape-man grabbed Clayton and threw him to the side, right where Sora is charging in.
"Thanks, Tarzan!" Sora shouted. "Hah!"
He then launches Clayton up in the air with a blazing strike.
"Another one!"
"Hiyah!"
As Sora jumps up to deal the next blow, Donald switches to Blizzard magic, causing Sora's attack to hit with chilling precision.
"And one more!"
Now the court wizard switches to Thunder magic, giving Sora the strength he needs to sends Clayton down once and for all.
"You're through!"
This was their new Combination Skill, Elemental Slam!
Clayton attempts to get up, but finds himself near the tip of Tarzan's spear.
"Over"
But the hunter was having none of it, attempting to shoot the ape-man in front of him despite his weakened state.
But the Stealth Sneak from earlier fell down on top of him, leaving Clayton's panicked screams to resound through the cliffside.
Once the creature stopped moving for good, a large heart erupted out of the creature, and both it and it's former master faded away into nothingness.
"Farewell..."
Deep Jungle – Waterfalls
"Oooohhhh, why did Mr. Gorilla have to throw us up like that?"
As Compa complained while rubbing her sore behind, the party recalled the previous moment with clarity.
"Kerchak rough" Tarzan stated. "Give thanks."
"Meaning?" Neptune asked.
"It must be his way of thanking us" Jane explained. "As thanks for saving his kind from Clayton and whatever befell him."
"By allowing us in his home ground?" IF quipped. "Sure, that's one way to express your gratitude."
"Hm. Whatever could've happened to him to be able to summon that Heartless?" Goofy wondered.
Tarzan then said something again.
"What did he say?" Donald asked.
"Dunno" Sora confessed. "I heard him say something like that before we fought Clayton"
"Well, one thing's for sure" Neptune chirped as she puts her hands in her parka's pockets. "While we're having a rough time, Jane-y here got a safe and blissful ride from Mr. Ape-Man here."
This got the explorer blushing. "W-Whatever do you mean?"
The ape-man also looked away with a flushed face.
"Oh, if you know, you know." She then continued walking as she put her hands behind her head. "To usssss, one family~"
"Great..." IF facepalmed. "I guess that near-death experience gave Nep a knack for singing..."
Compa could only laugh at that remark.
Eventually, they arrived at their destination, a large green tree with a glowing blue center surrounded by blue butterflies.
Tarzan muttered something again, but no one understood it.
"This is your home?" Sora wondered. "But that means..."
The ape-man raised a hand, causing the boy to stop. He then placed the hand next to his ear, beckoning his companions to listen.
"Huh?" Goofy wondered as he did the same.
"What are we supposed to listen to?" Neptune asked.
"All I hear is the waterfalls, though" Compa remarked.
"Yes" Jane agreed as she let the excited blue blob down. "The sounds are echoing all the way here."
Tarzan mumbled again. "Friends here. See friends."
Jane slammed her fist against her palm. "Oh, now I get it. He's been trying to say 'heart'"
"Like, friends in our hearts?" Compa raised an eyebrow.
Neptune gasped. "Does that mean Histy's right inside me!? Can you hear me, Histy!?"
The guild agent sighed as she bopped Neptune up on the head. "She didn't mean that literally, you goofball."
"Heart..." Tarzan managed to say.
"Oh" Sora's expression became downcast. "So that's what it meant..."
"Friends, same heart" The ape-man said. "Clayton, lose heart. No heart, no see friends. No heart. No friends"
"So that explains what happened to him" the guild agent figured. "He lost his heart to darkness in his desire to hunt down gorillas. That's why he ended up attracting the Heartless like he did..."
"Well, don't give up!" Donald encouraged the crestfallen boy. "Our friends are still out there!"
"He's right" Compa nodded. "As long we believe in them, and keep going on, we will find them out there. Riku and Kairi. King Mickey. Histy. We have to keep believing in them and never lose heart. Or we will never see them again..."
"Man, that's deep, Compa..." Neptune said, feeling very impressed.
"Did your grandpa say that?" IF wondered.
The nurse shook her head. "But I know he would tell me something like that. I know that in my heart now. That's why I wanna keep going with you all. It's what my heart tells me to do, and I don't wanna back out on it now."
"Hear, hear!" Goofy cheered.
"You said it!" Neptune chirped.
Sora, Donald, and IF nodded.
"Dogoo!"
Even the blue blob bounced in agreement!
Soon, the blue spot began to glow brighter. Sensing something special, Sora and Neptune closed in on the spot, which revealed the world's Keyhole.
"Shall we?"
"Let's"
The duo summoned their Keyblades and locked the world's Keyhole, causing the blue butterflies to disperse as it did.
And it dropped another green object in the process!
"A gummi!" Donald exclaimed.
"But it's sure not the King's..." Goofy deflated.
"Maybe not, but this looks a bit like the last one we got." IF grabbed the gummi piece. "I'll call Cid and see if he's done analyzing the last piece we got."
"Good idea." Sora nodded, then turned to the King's companions. "Come on, guys! We still got other places to look into! We'll find the King, don't worry!"
Donald and Goofy looked at each other and then nodded at Sora.
"Yeah!"
"Riku and Kairi, too!"
"Hahaha! You said it!"
Neptune sighed in relief. "Isn't friendship great?"
Compa giggled. "It sure is, Nep-Nep. I'm happy for you, you guys..."
IF smiled. "You can say that again"
Tarzan closed his eyes. "Sora. Friends together strong."
Jane nodded. "You said it."
? ? - ?
Meanwhile, Maleficent and four of her cohorts convened as they have witnessed the fall of Clayton and the Stealth Sneak, an event that took them by surprise.
"What drew the Heartless to that world?" the man with the snake staff questioned.
"The hunter lured them there" Maleficent answered. "It was his lust for power that lured them there, but it seems the bait was too tasty for his own good."
Her gaze turned to the purple hag to her left. "Isn't that right, Arfoire?"
The purple witch chuckled. "Indeed. He was so obsessed with hunting down those simians that he would stoop to leaving his charge to hunt them. Although, I have given him a little push."
"My, you're certainly a sneaky one, aren't you dear?" the tentacle lady teased.
"He had his desires set from the get-go." Arfoire shrugged. "All I did was accelerate the outcome"
She snickered as she recalled the look on Clayton's face when she revealed the gorilla's so-called hiding spot. The elation. The desire. The bloodlust...
The bag of bugs laughed. "Yeah. He got chomped instead!"
The man with the snake staff approached forward, the dim light illuminating his features. "A weak-hearted fool like him stood no chance against the Heartless. But the children are a problem. They found one of the Keyholes."
"Two, to be precise" Arfoire mentioned offhandly.
"Oh?" Maleficent said.
"Could this be the work of your little spy, Arfoire?" the man wondered.
"Indeed." the old lady nodded. "My...collaborator saw the Keyhole for herself in another world. Sure enough, it was sealed shut by them as well. Shouldn't you be concerned?"
Maleficent scoffed at that as she conjured an image of the party on the small table in front of her. "Fear not. It will take them ages to find the rest. Besides, they remain blissfully unaware of our other plan."
"Yes, the princesses..." the man with the snake staff mentioned.
"Those who are said to be pure of heart, untainted and unbeholden by darkness..." Arfoire said.
"Oh? Are you interested in them, dear?" the tentacle woman asked.
"Hardly" the purple witch scoffed. "I have a different aim, and that...so-called Neptune is one of them."
"Are you certain that leaving her be was a wise choice?" the man with the snake staff questioned. "In time, the girl will become too strong for you"
Yet the purple hag remained overconfident. "Unless she recalls what her true power is, she will never reach my level! I can take my time with her while I...do some research while aiding you all."
The bag of bugs laughed again. "I never knew you'd be quite the gambler yourself!"
"I have already obtained two of their powers by now. One is already close at hand and the remaining one is still too weak." Arfoire said, clenching her fist at the sight of her victory. "I need only wait for the right time before I can fulfill my ambitions!"
"Quite confident, aren't you?" Maleficent remarked. "But do be wary. Overconfidence in the darkness will destroy you"
"I'll keep that under advisement, as a fellow witch." Arfoire scoffed off. "Now, about those princesses..."
"Yes, they are falling into our hands, one by one..."
She then motioned to her right, revealing the kidnapped Alice!
"Speaking of which..."
NEPSTATION
Neptune: You're tuned in live to Nepstation, where all shall know the discoveries of the world!
Donald: *sighs* So this is what we're starting with, huh?
Neptune: Come on, my fine-feathered co-host! You gotta liven up the party here!
Donald: Why are we even doing this?
Neptune: Because we gotta give the readers something to look forward to before the next chapter comes out! You know our franchises are infamously known for LONG waits before the next big game, right?
Donald: *scoffs* How should I know that!?
Neptune: Anyway, let's get on to the news!
*an image of a dogoo surrounded by three gorillas appear onscreen*
Neptune: A new animal has been discovered in the vast jungles. Explorers are curious to know what type of animal this even is.
Donald: According to recent findings, this little blob is known as a dogoo. A slime creature with the face and mannerisms of a dog. So far, only one of these creatures were found, leaving explorers baffled as to their nature.
Neptune: Whatever the case may be, it's pretty clear that this poor critter may be the last of it's kind. It's always sad to see animals get driven to extinction...
Donald: It is. We should always take great care of them, for they deserve to live just as much as people do!
Neptune: Agreed! Now that that's done with, let's move on to our next topic!
*an image of an apeman sharing bananas with a gorilla is shown. The two figures however are blurred*
Neptune: Man and apes. Do they have more in common than we first believed?
Donald: Well, it is said that the first humans evolved from apes...
Neptune: And yet, few of them are still living as apes while more and more humans dot the world. I wonder how that happened...
Donald: Civilization happened, Neptune. Civilization.
Neptune: Uh-huh, and for civilizations to thrive, they need a large number of residents, which leads to our next topic!
*a blurred image of a duck and ape appeared, with a big heart on the background*
Donald: WAK!
Neptune: Interspecies attraction!
Donald: What do you think you're doing!?
Neptune: Hey! I've seen how that little one looked at that person. I'd say we're bound for a new type of species at this rate!
Donald: No, we are not! That is not happening!
Neptune: Can you say that for sure?
Donald: Yes! Daisy would kill me if she ever learns about this!
*CRASH*
Histoire: What is going on there!? Uh, madam duck! Please, calm down...
?: DO-NALD!
Donald: WAK! I'm outta here! *runs away*
Neptune: Welp, I guess that answers that question. Guess the talks about forbidden romances will have to be settled another time! Anywho, get back in here, buck-o! We've got stuff to look over!
Sora: First off, we got one from 3bodyjaa. They said 'Nice'.
Neptune: Well, it's 'Nice' of you to leave a word for us! Thanks!
Sora: Yup! Who's next?
Neptune: Oh-ho-ho! We got yet another one from keybladelight!
Sora: Should I give you time to read it over?
Neptune: Nah. Let's answer this one step-by-step.
Sora: Okay then.
Neptune: First off, Rena there is a DLC Character from our franchise's third game Victory, and also appeared in Rebirth 1. However, she's named Falcom there. The problem is, our franchise actually has two versions of Falcom, and the one who appeared here is the second version.
Sora: Why do you have two versions of the same character anyway?
Neptune: Dimensional shenanigans. You wanna know more? Play our games. Both our franchises are literally out on almost every platform known to man right now. *whispers* Fingers crossed both our franchises make it to the Switch 2, especially in the western countries. Censorship laws are a plop and a half for me and my loyal fanbase, huh?
Sora: Uh, Neptune?
Neptune: ANYWAY! For your next question, you asked this before, and I'll say it again. It will be revealed later! Did this game even explain why Sora was able to wield the Keyblade in the first place? No, right? You only knew that because it was explained later, and even then, you had to look up the Ultimanias for that! So, BE PATIENT!
*beat*
Sora: Are you calm now?
Neptune: *sighs* Yeah. Sorry for the sudden shouting. It's...just a problem with modern audiences lately. They'd rather be spoon-fed the answers than wait for it to be confirmed or even do rewatches to see the seeds laid bare and all that. It's fine to theorize and speculate and all that (I mean, that's what sustains Sora's franchise nowadays), but patience is a virtue and all that. If people says you gotta wait for the answer, just wait. The author's already got that covered.
Sora: It wouldn't be fun if I knew the outcome before I got there...
Neptune: Right? For your third question, this was asked before in another website. Yes, this story's posted in another website. Check it out for a few differences in our Nepstation segments, thank you. There aren't any plans in the pipeline for that, but our author's got some rough ideas. No promises on that.
Sora: Any more questions from him?
Neptune: Eh, just the usual fanservice hopes. Which, I remind you, we're crossing over with a franchise that's Rated E for EVERYONE, including young kiddos. Wouldn't want them stumbling upon brain-bleaching fanart of your favorite cartoons now, would you?
Sora: I don't know what that is, but I don't think I should question that.
Neptune: Just be careful when surfing the Internet, okay?
Sora: G-Got it. Anyway, our next review's from Hopeful Determination.
Neptune: Someone's optimistic!
Sora: Yeah! They said they enjoyed reading so far and have been a fan of my games since they were 10 years old. They wondered how our crossover's gonna play out.
Neptune: Well, keep reading and enjoy the ride and all that! Our last one's from Fezzih, and hoo-boy, they came prepared!
Sora: What do they say?
Neptune: Well, first off, the Cloud flashback stuff is really just some fun nods to his story. There's gonna be some stuff involving his crew and all, but they won't take over the main portion of the overall plot and all that. Still, our author hopes he can deliver something good on that, since his game's going through their Remake Trilogy period right now.
Sora: Cloud's got his own game!?
Neptune: Yeah! So does Squa-er, Leon! Some of your buds on the island? Two of them had their own game, too!
Sora: Wow! Our world really is too small, huh?
Neptune: That's why you need to get out more often. Anyway, as for Rena Bright, her name's a double nod to two protagonists from one of Falcom's big titles. Rena being a female take on Rean, the protagonist of Trails of Cold Steel, and Bright is the surname of Estelle, the protagonist of Trails in the Sky, which I hear is getting a remake of it's first title pretty soon! The reason the author went with this change is because Ultra-Falcom is more Trails-based while Hyper-Falcom, he feels, is more Ys-based.
Sora: How long is that Trails series?
Neptune: As of this writing? Around 13 titles, 14 if you count Boundless Trails.
Sora: *surprised* That many!?
Neptune: And they're interconnected stories, too!
Sora: WHAT!? Do I have to go through all of them to get everything!?
Neptune: Well, if people can make it through your franchise, I'm sure they can stomach through that series too! Just don't blame me if you got lost talking to all the NPC's there! *clears throat* Moving on, yes. Iffy gave it to her because she's a Drifter. How, you may ask? Well, I'll throw you a bone and tell ya now. There are tells or signs that Iffy and Compa can spot if one of the peeps in a world is a Drifter, or someone who feels out of place in that world. We kinda lucked out back in Wonderland since the freaky kitty told us Puchiko was one, but the rest, Iffy and Compa had to play it by ear and eye.
Sora: That seems...kinda complicated.
Neptune: For the out-universe explanation, just assume all Makers are Drifters. Easy.
Sora: I...dunno if they'll accept that answer.
Neptune: There's an in-universe explanation and even an easier way to tell, but as of now, those are not accessible to us at the current time. I hope this is enough of an answer.
Sora: I hope so too.
Neptune: Anyway, having us team up against that three-headed doggy was basically for more cool points than anything. Could Herc have beaten the doggy without us? Yes. Was our help even necessary? No. Was it still cool as heck to face that doggy together?
Sora: Oh yes, it definitely is!
Neptune: Right!? Okay, now for their QnA. First off, what do I think about Sora's outfit? I mean, it looks kinda impractical at a closer look. Like, I get it's based on Disney's mascot since the writers couldn't decide on their protagonist in the early stages of development, but...dude, where'd you get your fashion sense from, anyway?
Sora: Not sure. But this is pretty much what I've worn for most of my life, and no one really...Oh, I do remember Kairi teasing me a bit on my outfit.
Neptune: *grins* Uh-huh. Still, you sure you're okay with that? I mean, we have our privacy rights in the bathroom, but still.
Sora: It's no problem. I got used to this pretty quickly. Although, now that you mention it, the toilet reeked the last time I went to the bathroom.
Neptune: Oh yeah, that was me. I had a really bad tummy ache after I ate a week-old pudding in the fridge. I ended up using up a whole roll of tissue paper to wipe it off...
Sora: *retches* Maybe you should look before you eat, Neptune...
Neptune: Hm-hm. Lesson learned. Speaking of pudding, second question, do you like pudding, Sora?
Sora: Well, I like it enough. Personally, I don't have a preference.
Neptune: So, you say, but I saw you asking for more portions back there? Like, seriously, is your stomach a black hole or something!? Even I had to watch my diet so I don't lose my precious bod's figure.
Sora: I mean, it takes a lot of energy to do stuff out there. Gotta make sure we're up to stuff if we're gonna explore the worlds, you know?
Neptune: I worry about your supply intake with your initial raft plan. Anywho, last question, would I mind having an outfit like Sora's, belts and zippers and all? I mean, I wouldn't mind. Our cast has worn numerous outfits, if you've been keeping track.
Sora: Oh? Like what outfits?
Neptune: All kinds of outfits! Princess outfits. Queen outfits. Halloween outfits. MMO outfits. Biker outfits too!
Sora: You sound like you've been to places out there.
Neptune: Depending on the game, yeah! Not to mention, our franchise has a character who has a similar fashion style like yours. Her name's...S-Sha, IIRC.
Sora: Huh. Interesting. Well, that's all the reviews we got. Hope we answered them to the best of our ability.
Neptune: Be sure to keep the reviews coming! Follow and Favorite us if you like! Spread the word, too, but no pressure!
Sora: So, from all of us here at Nepstation...
Neptune and Sora: See you next time!
Donald: PLEASE! SOMEONE HELP ME!
?: YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY!