I'm afraid this one is a little longer than usual. If I had tried to break it in two, one piece would have been too short. Hopefully it's worth the read!
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The game automatically returns the player to the ANCIENT'S MAZE, with instructions to return to the CRYSTAL TOWER. At this point, they are left to their own devices if they wish to save, as the previous cutscene is about to be followed by more.
Should the player return to the CITY BELOW THE CLOUDS at this point, they will immediately be transported to the CLOCK TOWER for a cutscene:
KAIRI: Are you all right?
GOLIATH: I am… unchanged. There are times for calm and there are times for anger.
KAIRI: Max and I are doing all we can on the outside.
GOLIATH: I believe you. It is not easy for me to trust… but I will try to trust my friends.
He rejoins the party as a world-specific character as normal.
A similar cutscene exists in THE CITY OF DANGERS.
KAIRI: Darkwing, are there a lot of villains in your city?
DARKWING: Absotively! Why, an aspiring hero like myself could hardly make his career in a city that wasn't so dangerous. Why, before we were locked in here, I was proud to have reduced the crime rate to just above the second-highest in the land!
MAX: So… still the worst.
KAIRI: Well that's… good, but isn't the rest of it… bad?
DARKWING: Well, for the citizens, businesses, the elderly, the youth, sure, but what would a hero like me do with his time without them?
KAIRI sighs.
Once arriving in the vicinity of the CRYSTAL TOWER (on foot or via GATE CRYSTAL), you will find MIDIA outside the doors, and cannot enter without speaking to her. This plays the following cutscene.
KAIRI and MAX are following well behind LADY ELLE as they approach MIDIA.
MIDIA: Lady Elle!
ELLE: Shinryu is gone. The emergency is over.
MIDIA: That's great news!
We get a better look at her and discover that MIDIA has a huge smile on her face. She holds up her arms.
MIDIA: I can't top it, but I still have some good news of my own. While I was patrolling the other Crystals, I found our thief. The one who broke into the Tower!
KAIRI and MAX, who have come just close enough to hear, look at one another in surprise. We then cut to inside the tower, where MOONBROOKE is interrogating a barely-visible prisoner being held on his knees by two of the REVENANTS we saw with MOONBROOKE when she was first introduced.
???: I'm telling you, I'm from Yen Sid!
MOONBROOKE: Mm-hm. Wearing a cloak designed to navigate the deepest darkness.
KAIRI and the others are shown entering.
???: Funny story about that, but it's still—
KAIRI: …Lea?
KAIRI runs across the room to where LEA is held prisoner. He looks at her with incredulity.
LEA: Kairi?
KAIRI: What are you doing here?
LEA: I could ask you the same—hey!
He attempted to stand but was held down by the REVENANTS.
KAIRI: Let him go, please. He's… a friend.
MOONBROOKE looks firstly to LADY ELLE, who nods, and MOONBROOKE orders the REVENANTS to back off, though they do not leave. KAIRI helps LEA to his feet.
LEA: Boy, are you a sight for sore eyes. But why on earth are you here? Did the old man send you after me?
KAIRI: No! I thought he sent you after me!
LEA: Well that's ridiculous. I haven't seen you in…
He begins counting on his fingers, and seems surprised by what he remembers.
LEA: Well, we've always had our differences.
MAX: Kairi? Who's this guy?
KAIRI: Oh! Max, everyone, this is Lea. This is one of Master Yen Sid's other apprentices.
She turns to the others and then playfully adds:
KAIRI: …Got it… memorized?
The GUARDIANS – ELLE, MIDIA, and MOONBROOKE – get to muttering, but ultimately ELLE leads them in a genuine bow, if far less reverent than the one they showed KAIRI. MOONBROOKE also silently dismisses the REVENANTS. LEA's eyes widen a little.
ELLE: It's an honour to meet you, Lea.
LEA: [
putting on a show] Likewise, I'm sure. I'm sorry if I startled anyone, but I wasn't told there would be anyone else in here when I got started.
ELLE: Are you also on a mission from Master Yen Sid, then?
LEA: Yes, you could say that. It's top secret stuff… better keep it between apprentices, you know?
He reaches out and takes KAIRI and MAX's arms and drags them into the nearby teleporter. We rejoin them in the THRONE ROOM, where LEA breaks his calm façade.
LEA: Okay, listen kid, what in light and darkness is going on?
MAX: You just twigged out the most dangerous people in the maze, is what happened! Kairi, who is this clown? Is he really another apprentice?
KAIRI: Unfortunately, he is. Your dad might have mentioned the name… "Axel?"
MAX: Axel? But he's a bad guy! He… he kidnapped you once!
Yeah, it occurred to me after KH2.8 that Kairi probably shouldn't have been getting on with Lea as well as I depicted her in Chapter 1. I'm going to have to go back and edit that so they're more confrontational.
LEA: Attempted kidnapping, got it memorized? I may have chased her across a few worlds, sure, but someone else nabbed her in the end.
MAX: But— that's—!
KAIRI: It's not important right now. Lea, things are going really bad. Why are you here?
LEA: Hey, this isn't my fault! Last thing I know the old man sends me off to learn how to use the Keyblade and rescue your boyfriend, and now he's sent you and this other kid off to find me?
MAX: Find you? Buddy, I don't even know you!
LEA: Believe me, I'm flattered.
KAIRI: Guys, guys!
She shakes them both.
KAIRI: Lea, you said you were just sent here to learn the Keyblade?
LEA: Yeah! The old man said I could take all the time I needed, since this place is timeless, right?
KAIRI: But you went into the Maze to learn the Keyblade over—
???: Ohohohohoho!
The embodiment of the CRYSTAL OF LIGHT flies over.
CRYSTAL: I think she's getting it now, isn't she?
KAIRI has blanched somewhat.
KAIRI: Since this place is timeless…
LEA: What, what's going on?
KAIRI: Lea… you were sent in here days ago from my perspective.
LEA: What…? That's—!
He stands up and begins gesticulating and holding his head.
LEA: Time travel. I hate… I hate… time travel.
CRYSTAL: Ohhh, you get used to it when you're in here.
LEA: And who are you, old guy?
CRYSTAL: Oh, you don't need to know me. Why don'tcha worry about yourselves?
KAIRI is gesturing with her hands as MAX looks on.
KAIRI: So I came in "today…" and you came in "a few days ago…" but we both ended up here at the same time…?
CRYSTAL: Oh sure. A few days in here means a few seconds out there, and you'll always come back when you started, but when you end up in the Maze itself with is a teensy bit random. Just ask that kid!
He turns to MAX, who steps back, hands out.
MAX: Whoa, I don't have anything to do with this.
KAIRI's eyes lower.
KAIRI: Max…?
MAX winces.
KAIRI: …
When are you from?
MAX: Okay… don't be mad.
KAIRI puffs out her cheeks and crosses her arms, while Lea perks up a little and puts his arms behind his head.
LEA: Oh, this outta be good.
MAX: I'm from a few months ahead.
KAIRI: Months!
MAX: [
sheepish] Well, better than years, right?
He looks from KAIRI to LEA and the CRYSTAL for some source of relief. He gets none.
KAIRI: …Hey, wait a minute! This means you can tell us about the future! After we all go off to fight the Darkness! Wh… do you have any idea how important this could be!
MAX: But I don't know anything!
He turns about a few steps, and then clutches his fists.
MAX: They don't
tell me anything. Queen Minnie, Miss Daisy… they just get quieter and quieter as time goes on. I haven't seen my dad since Sora was tested for his Mark of Mastery! I don't know if he's safe… I don't know if the Darkness is winning… I don't…
MAX releases his fist and sighs.
MAX: Look, I'm sorry. I know Queen Minnie just doing her best to keep us all safe. But my dad… heh. I guess I ran away to look for him. I went to Yen Sid's but I… got lost. And I ended up here.
LEA: Hey, kid, don't worry about it. We all mess up at your age.
KAIRI: [
arms crossed] Some of us more than others.
LEA: Oh, ouch! What did I ever do to y—
KAIRI glares at him.
LEA: A joke! It was a joke!
KAIRI: [shakes her head] …Max… I'm sure everything's all right, in the future, right? I mean, Sora, Donald, your dad… they're the perfect team!
LEA: Yeah, and they'll have me to look after them. Just like the last few times.
KAIRI reaches back and hits him. She steps away from LEA with a cold glare, and heads to MAX.
KAIRI: Look Max, if you say things are bad in the future, I'm sure you're right. But that just means we've all got to do our best in here, right? Both of us. We'll leave the Maze and I'll be waiting for you when you come out in a few months. We'll find your dad and we'll face the darkness. We'll go together.
MAX smiles a little, and is about to say something when he is interrupted.
LEA: I think you mean "all three of us," Kairi.
KAIRI glares at him.
KAIRI: You'll be fine. I'm from the future, remember? I know you will be.
LEA: Well that's lovely to hear, because I haven't made any progress at all.
He holds out his arm and spawns a flash of light, but no KEYBLADE appears.
LEA: You see? It's so bad that I've had to steal some of my own weapons to keep off the Heartless.
He summons a pair of CHAKRAMS, the FLAMETONGUES, which he stole from RENA.
KAIRI: You have to be careful around the Guardians, Lea, they're not fond of dark behaviour.
LEA: Well excuuuuuuuse me, princess!
I'm sorry.
I'm not sorry.
LEA: But some of us are here to save your little boyfriends, so how about we work as a team?
KAIRI: Fine! Let's do whatever it is you need so I don't have to put up with you any longer!
LEA: Well that's the trick, isn't it? The old man never gave me any instructions.
KAIRI: None?
LEA: Nope! He only said not to go to any of the seven worlds. He said I shouldn't be "tempted." All I know is that if I stay in the Maze, I'll "find what I was looking for."
KAIRI: Fine by me. C'mon. Max and I are going exploring.
LEA: Oh? Glad to know we have such a clearly defined plan!
MAX: Buddy, just lay off.
LEA: You first, pipsqueak.
MAX: Oh, pipsqueak, am I?
As they are leaving the room together, the camera focuses on the embodiment of the CRYSTAL OF LIGHT, who chuckles at this, and says…
CRYSTAL: What do you know!
…before vanishing in a sparkle of light.
LEA joins the party at this point. He essentially serves the role as "Guest" party member for the MAZE itself, and he will leave whenever you enter another world. At this point, the game confirms that he can indeed help you find new areas by rewarding you with a new TEAM-UP ATTACK, "Double Rise." Double Rise works like Rising Attack, save in that you press Triangle again in mid-air, cancelling the Rising Attack and causing KAIRI to double-jump/pirouette in the air, causing a wave of magical air that sucks in nearby enemies and deals damage to them all at the apex of the jump. This is not as effective as Rising Attack against a single target, and is not at all useful against bosses, but works well against crowds of fliers. This also helps clear higher ledges.
The player may once again walk the tower freely, save, etc. MOONBROOKE, ELLE and the CRYSTAL OF LIGHT will be present, MOONBROOKE in the foyer and ELLE brooding in her throne.
MOONBROOKE: Most of the others have gone off to check on the Light Crystals before we declare an all-clear. I'm sorry we couldn't all be here to see you off, but there's so much work to be done.
CRYSTAL: So many tasks, so many new faces! We don't usually see so much change here in the Maze!
ELLE: Shinryu and I have been at one another's throats since the very beginning. I didn't wish her any harm in the end, but I did hope for some sort of… recompense. But not this.
GILGAMESH and OMEGA have nothing to say to the player. Even the verbose GILGAMESH only returns a text box saying "……" when approached. Instead of their previous pose, they are now seen hanging their heads in grief.
Once the party exits the CRYSTAL TOWER, there is another cutscene.
MAX: Where to, then?
KAIRI: [
looking forward] Let's look around. Maybe Axel can help us find a new world?
LEA: That's "Lea," princess.
KAIRI: [
looking forward] And if you prove there's a difference, I'll consider it.
She walks off.
LEA: Sheesh. You know, the last time I saw her—
MAX: When you were trying to kidnap her?
LEA: Now you've got it! All she had to say was, "You don't seem very nice." What have you been feeding her?
MAX shakes his head and follows KAIRI. However, they are only a few steps away when the SPIRIT OF THE CRYSTAL OF LIGHT appears before them.
CRYSTAL: Oh good! I caught you. We're almost at the end of my range!
LEA: Hey again, old timer.
CRYSTAL: Hey yourself, you young brat! …My Lady…
KAIRI: Please don't call me that right now.
CRYSTAL: All right then. Kairi. You finished my mission, but… you're not going home, are you?
KAIRI: …Not yet.
CRYSTAL: Don't worry, don't worry, I won't tell the Guardians.
MAX: You won't?
CRYSTAL: Of course not! Though frankly, they'll find out before you know it! What do you plan to do, then?
KAIRI looks away.
MAX: There's a lot of Maze left to explore.
CRYSTAL: You're darned right there is! And that's why I thought you might want to take this. It might be useful later!
He produces a brown bag with a sigil on one side, which he hands to KAIRI.
CRYSTAL: Don't take it out yet. They might notice it's gone.
KAIRI opens the drawstrings and the party looks inside, where they see a small, transparent CRYSTAL SHARD, not unlike the one in the DEEP WOODS, but without the inner light.
LEA: What good is a rock?
CRYSTAL: "What good is a rock" indeed! That's a shard of the Crystal of Water. Almost lost every drop of light it has, poor thing…
KAIRI: That's awful! But... why is it here?
CRYSTAL: That's a long story, and I don't want to be in the middle of it if any of the Guardians come out the door and find me giving it to you! Now, it's too dangerous to go to the Crystal of Water right away, but better I give you this bag while it's safe. The Guardians… ah… well, you know.
KAIRI nods and bows.
KAIRI: Thank you very much!
CRYSTAL: You're welcome. Now best make yourself scarce! You're making your own instructions from here on out, Keyblade apprentice! I hope they lead you the right way, for all our sakes.
He spins and teleports away.
The shard of the Crystal of Water was a major plot point in FFIII, but the idea of presenting it to the player in a bag is a reference to FFMQ. In Mystic Quest, the spirit of the Crystal of Light gives you a bag full of magical "Wakewater," and here he is once again giving you a bag full of "water."
Sidequest: Column of Light
After leaving the CRYSTAL TOWER (initially, or on any attempt that follows), the player may notice a large column of light in the distance that wasn't there before. This column comes from the KENSINGTON GARDENS intro section of the MAZE. There is no other clue or cutscene pointing the player in this direction, the column is simply there, ala the beam of light in Mario 64 that points the way to
Tower of the Wing Cap. If the player tries to investigate the column, they will discover that they can reach it using Double Rise. From here, they enter a decrepit forest before discovering a large CARRIAGE with bright lights coming from inside. The CARRIAGE appears to have crashed into a rock. The player may enter it from the side.
On entering the carriage, the party finds themselves in an impossibly large room that doesn't seem to belong to the inside of a CARRIAGE at all. Instead, it resembles some kind of dinner theatre, with several (unoccupied) TABLES with empty plates and chairs. There are several balcony seats overlooking the theatre, and a grand STAGE at the front. The lights are dim, and the party seems to be alone at first.
KAIRI: Hello? …Oh!
She notices that a figure is sitting on the edge of the stage, and she approaches. The figure is KERMIT THE FROG.
KAIRI: Hello?
KERMIT: Oh, hello there.
KAIRI: What's the matter? You look so sad.
KERMIT: Oh, it's nothing. You see, my friends and I, we were on our way to a big show in the city, when we got lost. You wouldn't happen to know the way to Walla Walla, would you?
KAIRI: No, sorry.
KERMIT: That's all right.
KAIRI: So you're not trapped here?
KERMIT: No, just lost. It's too bad. We sure were looking forward to that big show, though.
KAIRI: Well… we'd like to see your show! I'm sure it'll be great!
KERMIT: Oh, geeze, would you? That'd be swell! We've got drama, spectacle…
???: Hey, we want to see it, too!
???: Yeah, I haven't had a laugh in ages!
??????: Dohohohohoho!
STATLER and WALDORF are looking down at the stage from their balcony seats.
STATLER: Listen, kid, these chumps are all washed up.
WALDORF: Yeah, they're out of practice and the monsters stole half their props!
KERMIT: Ohhh, they're right. We'll never get the show up and running like this.
KAIRI: Of course you can! We'll help you put on your show, won't we guys?
MAX: Well, I always did want to try a little show biz.
LEA: And I was made for the stage. What do you need?
STATLER: How about talent?
BOTH: Dohohohohoho!
KERMIT's face screws up, but he gets to his feet. Note that whenever a MUPPET is shown standing, the camera will never show them below the waist to preserve the illusion that they are puppets.
KERMIT: You know what? You're right. With your help, we just might be able to pull this off.
KAIRI: That's the spirit! I'm Kairi, and this is Max and Lea.
KERMIT: And I am Kermit the Frog. Hey, everyone!
We cut to wide shot of the stage.
KERMIT: Take your places and meet our new pals! We're going to give the show another go!
MUPPETS: Yaaaaaay!
A pack of familiar MUPPETS flood the stage along with props (to conceal their lower halves), as the area's theme tune plays, a remix of
The Muppet Show theme. We also see the world's title card: "GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH."
The GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH is a minigame world in the mold of 100 ACRE WOOD in previous KH games. The camera is fixed on the stage, to avoid showing the MUPPETS from other angles and to preserve the illusion that they are puppets. While several familiar MUPPETS are available for brief conversation, the key conversations are as follows.
KERMIT: You'd better talk to each of the acts to see how they're doing. If they're fit to go we can start practising right away!
MISS PIGGY is fussing about with several other Muppets that are running and flailing about in response to her demands.
PIGGY: Oh, it's inexcusable, simply dreadful! Those monsters made off with moi's signature opera gown. I simply can't perform my big number without it!
The GREAT GONZO has a giant, brightly-coloured cannon, and is surrounded by MUPPET chickens.
GONZO: Sorry, folks, way too short on gunpowder here. I'll need at least a barrelful, or preferably… let's saaaay… as much as you could possibly carry.
DR. TEETH AND THE ELECTRIC MAYHEM (the MUPPET band) are gathered in one corner. You can speak to DR. TEETH as a representative of the band, but doing so instead prompts the following scene.
ANIMAL: MUSIC! MUSIC GONE!
KAIRI: Huh? You mean… the Heartless stole your music sheets?
ANIMAL: MUSIC GOOOOONE!
MAX: Well can't you play anything by heart?
WALDORF: Are you joking? They can't even play with their instruments!
BOTH: Dohohohohoho!
Lastly, FOZZIE BEAR stands alone, watching the confusion around him.
FOZZIE: Well, while everyone else in chaos, I remain all of my talent at your disposal! Fozzie Bear, at your service.
KAIRI: Oh, that's great Fozzie! Do you want to practice your act?
FOZZIE: All I need is a partner. A straight man to my comic zaniness!
LEA: Fine, fine, I can volunteer for that.
FOZZIE: Perfect! Perfect! Just set up my jokes and give the right punchline to my setups.
LEA: Great. Where are my lines?
FOZZIE: Your lines?
LEA: Yeah, my lines.
FOZZIE: Oh, well, uh… I always kept those in my head, so… I'm sure you'll do fine!
FOZZIE: Here, put on this costume.
LEA: No.
The player is given a Yes/No prompt to start practicing. This begins a stand-up routine, actually a minigame between FOZZIE and LEA. FOZZIE appears in his costume from
Muppet Treasure Island, and the entire scene is meant to be reminiscent of the insult duelling from
Monkey Island (since Disney owns LucasArts), and the mechanics are exactly the same. LEA, deadpan and refusing to wear a costume, reads a setup off the script, and FOZZIE replies with one of his terrible punchlines. In between jokes, they use a set of pre-scripted lines to move the scene along, parodying the rough plot of
Monkey Island. The actual jokes that appear are randomized from a short list: FOZZIE tries to set LEA up for a joke but LEA has to learn all the jokes just like Guybrush from MI. The game is won once you and FOZZIE exchange a certain number of gags, and is lost if you fail three. Like in
Monkey Island, a few failures and retries are to be expected as a part of the process.
Alternately, the player gets a list of all possible responses at the outset, simplifying the procedure into more of a traditional mini-game, if also more removed from Monkey Island.
As in all minigames at the GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH, STATLER and WALDORF respond to your performance with appropriate insults. Most of the failure dialogues are common to all the mini-games, though there may be a few unique ones tied specifically to the game, like:
WALDORF: [
wakes from sleep] Eh, are the jokes over?
STATLER: I don't know! I'm not sure they ever started!
BOTH: Dohohohohoho!
Their response to a successful stand-up act is as follows.
STATLER: You know, I think they actually pulled that one off!
WALDORF: It's about time too! I was about to show them my call
and response!
STATLER: Oh yeah?
WALDORF: Yeah: they call, and I leave!
Winning the minigame returns a prize (in this case, a new, pirate-themed BUCKLER for MAX) and shines a spotlight on FOZZIE when you return to the stage. It also adds various MUPPET cameos to the TABLES in the dinner theatre. The theatre will be all-but filled by the time the player has cleared the remaining minigames.
After visiting the GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH, the beam of light vanishes from the MAZE, but the player can easily return using the GATE PRISM teleporters in the CRYSTAL TOWER.
Returning to the main quest, the next sector the player can navigate is clockwise from the sector attached to the CITY BELOW THE CLOUDS. To avoid punishing the player for taking the "wrong route" (i.e., going counter-clockwise from the DEEP WOODS sector), it is possible to use Double Rise to circumnavigate the entire ANCIENT'S MAZE via a high causeway that starts in the DEEP WOODS sector. There is even a chest here as an apology, and the player can sneak a look at later sectors while they're travelling.
This new sector of the ANCIENT'S MAZE is a corrupted library. It is both horizontal and vertical, featuring differently-coloured shelves that the player can interact with to reach new heights. For example, you can attack one colour to cause books to fly out, grow, and flip sideways to serve as platforms, while other colours of shelves might rotate when hit to reveal secret passages. Of course, there are also HEARTLESS.
Hush harry the player as they climb,
Bound appear from the shelves, and
Worm Swarms like to trickle out of the rotting shelves to litter horizontal sections. The enemies are all familiar to help acclimatize the player to LEA and his new gameplay.
After some time, the party stumbles across IZANDER the GUARDIAN, revealed as though he had the drop on them, though they find him simply reading from a book. He does not look up at them as he speaks.
IZANDER: Shouldn't you be on your way home by now, Your Highness?
KAIRI: You're Izander, right? This is Ax—Lea. This is Lea.
IZANDER: Oh, I know our
thief. I got word from a Revenant just a few minutes ago.
He puts away the book, and approaches the party. He pulls out a staff, as though out of his flowing beard, and uses it to support his weight.
LEA: Better get it memorized, then.
IZANDER: Oh, I will, thief. You upset several of my experiments and I don't plan on forgetting it any time soon.
He taps LEA on the chest with his staff, and then walks away from his position, the image of a young boy appears in his place, checking a book on a lower shelf. The boy looks frustrated and angry. KAIRI cannot help but gasp. IZANDER turns to look.
IZANDER: What, him? Don't pay him any mind. It's just a reflection from my memories, a ghost caught in the Maze. Similar to how the Tower captures Light to make the Remnants.
KAIRI: I've seen ghosts like this before. Is he… you?
IZANDER: Yes, I'd say he's around nine or ten, wouldn't you? Just a few years before I came into contact with my master in the Guardians, who taught me how to behave.
The GHOST attempts to ram a book in between two others, and is not having much luck.
IZANDER: I learned about the Guardians a little younger than usual, but I was more interested in studying. I wasn't willing to listen to reason until my life was starting to fall to pieces and I was turning grey.
KAIRI: Your master was a Guardian too?
IZANDER: Yes, we've all come and gone over the years. There have been several generations. Lady Elle is the only founding member still alive, besides Master Yen Sid, of course. This was him—my master.
IZANDER summons a REVENANT, depicting a stocky man with a moustache, partisan, and a large pack on his back, all made out of crystal.
Sancho from Dragon Quest V.
IZANDER: We walked different paths in life, but he always had room in his heart for a stubborn old intellectual… or a stubborn boy.
The camera shoots the scene over the REVENANT's shoulder, as though the aimless construct is staring, blankly, in the direction of the GHOST.
KAIRI: I'm sorry.
IZANDER: Not at all. My master left us doing what we all do: protecting the Light.
He de-summons the REVENANT. KAIRI swallows hard.
KAIRI: About that… P-protecting the Light.
IZANDER: Yes?
KAIRI: Is this… the Maze… the best way to do that?
IZANDER: Ah. Yes, I understand. I too once held my doubts about the maze. For many, many years.
He waves his hand through the ghostly image of his younger self, and it dissipates like smoke.
IZANDER: But as the years went on and the evils of the world persisted and grew like a cancer… I took a harder stance. But I understand. Maybe better than the others, especially Our Lady of Fire. Midia is… much too young. Moonbrooke, even, if her soul weren't already so old and heavy.
MAX: What do you mean?
IZANDER ignores MAX as though he were not even there, and bows to KAIRI.
IZANDER: Your Highness, I'll be taking my leave now.
KAIRI nods, and steps aside as he walks past. As he is just about to turn a corner, however, IZANDER looks over his shoulder.
IZANDER: And Kairi?
KAIRI: Yes?
IZANDER: Don't go any further into the Maze. I mean it: this no place for… young people.
This ends the scene. The player presumably continues through the MAZE in spite of the warning, and ultimately come to an enclosed area, a cave, still stocked with shelves. They are only part-way across the room when a dark slime of sorts drips down from one of the nearby shelves. This begins to spread, flooding the floor, shelves, and ceiling in a slow wave. The party summons their weapons.
KAIRI: Why is it never simple?
MIDBOSS: CORRUPTOR
The
Corruptor coats the entire room, closing off both exits with slime. It can attack with blobs of slime and also with "streams" that flow in arcs from one surface to the next. Various PUREBLOOD HEARTLESS also spawn from its body from time to time. The midboss itself manifests as a liquid-distorted face that appears on one of the available surfaces, melting depending on gravity. The face occasionally moves via the stream attack (the stream starts from the face after a visual cue, and then the face transfers to the new surface on the other end of the stream), but most often it fades away and then reappears elsewhere. The face also giggles, which can help hearing players locate it by sound. It can be attacked while it is visible, causing it to eventually gurgle away and appear elsewhere, but if left alone it will either use the stream attack or its eyes will flash and it will cause area damage nearby (these attacks have the added benefit of alerting the player to the existence of the "face" if they did not notice it earlier).
The face can appear rather high on the ceiling or walls, but using Rising Attack or Double Rise will not provoke it to run away on their own, leaving the player vulnerable to counterattack. Some players may find this to be an acceptable risk, but there is an alternate strategy: by using the Rush Team-Up attack on walls, the walls will shake and the
Corruptor will fall down and plop onto the floor.
After being reduced below half health, the
Corruptor will attempt to pin KAIRI's feet in its slime from time to time. There is no way to prevent this attack, and it does not target MAX or AXEL. The player can use the control stick to escape and can use Guard to defend against incoming attacks, but there is an easier escape. Once KAIRI is pinned, MAX will try to run to her side (supposing he is conscious), at which point he will prompt her to use Rush. This may inadvertently cause them to run into a wall and knock the
Corruptor loose, which is the secret design purpose of this attack: to teach the player about the
Corruptor's secret weakness.
The Corruptor is actually based on my original plans for the boss fight against Bill Cipher, who would force you to use those stairs of his to rotate about the room. Unfortunately, I had already built the rollercoaster theme into the world, only to realize it sort of vanished after Bill made his Trolley Argument about sacrificing two lives to stop him, so I tried to work the coaster into the boss battle instead.
Once the
Corruptor is defeated, the dark slime dissolves and leaves the room empty. The player can now proceed to the next world via the cave side of the room. A brief, stock animation plays to remind you that LEA leaves the party whenever you exit the MAZE.
After KAIRI and MAX enter the next world, we cut to a cutscene back at the CRYSTAL TOWER. MOONBROOKE is checking in on GILGAMESH, who ignores her in solemn, angry silence. When she turns to leave, however, he speaks up.
GILGAMESH: Will you pass on a condolence to my companion?
MOONBROOKE: To Omega? …Only if it's harmless.
GILGAMESH: Simply tell him… "that she will wait for us in our hearts."
MOONBROOKE thinks about this for a moment.
MOONBROOKE: All right. I'll pass on your message.
GILGAMESH nods overdramatically, almost a bow, which allows him to conceal his face as he grins. MOONBROOKE leaves the room. After a pause, GILGAMESH speaks to himself.
GILGAMESH: And so we begin the second act.
He then grits his teeth and begins to channel a great darkness through his body. His new manacles glow with the power of light to restrain him, and he appears to suffer for his continued attempts, but his attempts continue. As he does, the mirrored crystal walls begin to reflect various visions of GILGAMESH (ideally this would be his appearances from other Final Fantasy games, maybe even directly ripped models in the case of recent games, but speaking practically, that seems unlikely. They are probably just copies of his current model). Above them, and above the present-day GILGAMESH, a black-gauntleted hand conjures up a great, black magic, and the various GILGAMESHs begin to glow with darkness like their present-day selves.
The black-gauntleted hand is meant to be Exdeath's from FFV, as he cast Gilgamesh into the Void, and so into the other Final Fantasy games. But now with the corruptive power of Kingdom Hearts darkness to boot!
GILGAMESH's attempts appear to bear fruit: gradually, a spark of darkness appears inside the room with him. This darkness soon manifests as an
Invisible from KH1. GILGAMESH smiles and gives the
Invisible a florid bow (best he can within his restraints). After a moment, the LIGHT of the TOWER begins to burn away at the
Invisible just like it does GILGAMESH's darkness. GILGAMESH doubles his efforts and the light attacking the
Invisible fades.
The
Invisible studies the room, and attempts to strike GILGAMESH's chains.
GILGAMESH: No, not that. That will never work. These chains of turmoil are too strong for any being of darkness! I need you for another task.
The
Invisible cocks its head, and then lowers its sword, instead outstretching its free hand towards GILGAMESH.
GILGAMESH: [
full overdramatic theatre voice] Yes… take it! I offer it like a supplicant before a mighty emperor of Darkness!
A slip of the tongue, perhaps, since we just saw Exdeath's hand reaching towards Gilgamesh in a similar manner.
A vortex of darkness appears about GILGAMESH's chest, and from it appears a HEART. This HEART flies to the
Invisible's hand, and is consumed by it. The
Invisible teleports away. Left behind, GILGAMESH's body becomes transparent, and he phases through his manacles, which fall aside. The reflections vanish one by one, until our semi-transparent GILGAMESH is unreflected. He is laughing, and continues to laugh as his body disappears into the darkness.