Dwarf Woodlands

Dwarf Woodlands is a world that is featured in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. It is based on Disney's .

Development
Early gameplay demos and trailers showed Terra battling Unversed outside the dwarfs's house, yet this location is inaccessible for Terra in the final game.

Settings and Areas
Part of the world is the dwarfs' cottage based on the 1937 Disney film, , which was Disney's first animated movie. Thus, it is the oldest animated feature to be incorporated as a world in the series. However, it is not the oldest work of Walt Disney's to have a world, as it is second to the world based on Steamboat Willie, Timeless River.

From Kōzan: Saikutsu (鉱山:採掘場), the only exit is through the Kōzan: Iriguchi (鉱山:入口). Exiting the mine will take you to the Yamamichi (山道). Passing the trail will lead you to the Dowāfu no Ie (ドワーフの家). There is a house that the dwarfs live in called Dowāfu no Heya (ドワーフの部屋). The Woods after the clearing is called Kurai Mori (暗い森). The place after the woods is the Hanabatake (花畑), which leads to the Queen's castle. At the entrance of the castle is the Nakaniwa (中庭), which leads to the Chika Suiro (地下水路), and subsequently the Chika Hiroma (地下広間). At the end is the Kagami no Ma (鏡の間), where The Queen consults her Magic Mirror.

Both Terra and Aqua do battle with the Magic Mirror in a dimension within the mirror itself, known as Kagami no Naka (鏡の中).

Kingdom Hearts χ
The Queen learns from the Magic Mirror that Snow White has succeeded her as the fairest one of all. Meanwhile, while undertaking chores the Queen had given her in order to detract from her beauty, Snow White encounters The Prince when he is drawn to her singing, and the two fall in love, much to the Queen's chagrin.

Following Chirithy's instructions, ventures to the Dwarf Woodlands to defeat the Heartless invading the world. Player's actions garner the attention of one of the Seven Dwarfs, Doc, who asks Player to help look for the other Dwarfs. After Doc is reunited with Happy, Player moves on to the next world.

Returning to Dwarf Woodlands in pursuit of Gummi Blocks in order to help Donald Duck and Goofy rebuild their Gummi Ship, Player encounters Doc, who has found a message in a bottle from Sleepy asking for help after the marsh flooded and trapped him and Grumpy. In the process of saving the two Dwarfs, Player manages to collect a large quantity of Gummi Blocks from the Heartless, returning to Daybreak Town shortly thereafter.

Checking in on the Dwarfs, Player finds them in the mine and is tasked to clear the Heartless from the area, leading them to discover that Sleepy and Dopey had been held captive by one deep within the mine. After reuniting the Dwarfs, Chirithy informs the Player that a precious light is in danger of being consumed by the darkness. Player seeks out this great light, finding Snow White surrounded by the Heartless. Snow White thanks for Player saving her and recognizes them as a friend because of the light within their heart. After escorting Snow White to the Dwarfs' cottage, Player returns to the mine to rescue Bashful and successfully assembles all of the Seven Dwarfs. When the group returns to the Dwarf Cottage, they initially mistake Snow White for a monster, but are relieved when they learn that their guest is the princess. The Dwarfs allow Snow White to stay when she tells them that the Queen is trying to kill her, and offers to cook and clean for them during her stay. Later, while Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs enjoy themselves, Player leaves the cottage and speaks with Chirithy, revealing that they feel lonely. However, Chirithy comforts Player, as their friends' hearts will always remain connected to them.

The Queen learns that Snow White is alive, and transforms herself into an old peddler in order to kill Snow White herself. Player continues to assist both Snow White and the Dwarfs with small tasks as the day progresses. While Player is away from the cottage, the Queen arrives to enact her plot. Sensing the danger, Chirithy warns Player, who rallies the Dwarfs in order to save Snow White. They arrive too late, however, as the Queen tricks Snow White into eating a poisoned apple. The Dwarfs pursue the Queen, but their path is blocked when she summons the Wretched Witch and Player is forced to battle the powerful Heartless. The Queen then makes a final attempt at victory by jostling loose a large boulder to crush the Dwarfs, only to have lightning strike the cliff, causing her to fall to her death.

At Snow White's funeral, Chirithy explains that, while not being lost to darkness, Snow White fell into a deep sleep, and Player does not have the power to wake her from. Fortunately, the Prince appears and wakes Snow White with true love's kiss. Chirithy reasons that the Prince must have been drawn there by the deep connection between his and Snow White's hearts.

Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross]
Following the events of the Keyblade War, Player and rest of the Dandelions lose their memories of the previous world, causing Player to relive their experiences in Dwarf Woodlands. Player returns to the world to check up on Snow White. There, Player finds Snow White making flower crowns for the seven dwarves, including an eighth crown for the Prince, though she does not elaborate who it is for to Player. She also promises to make Player one.

After joining a party, Player travels to the Dwarf Woodlands with Mog to assist him when he attempts to catch up with his fellow party members by undertaking missions alone. Here, Player and Mog successfully track a Dual Blade Heartless to the Dwarf mine. Together, the two manage to defeat the Dual Blade before parting ways, with Mog now caught up with his fellow party members.

Kingdom Hearts Dark Road
Xehanort, Eraqus, and Vor visit Dwarf Woodlands during their search for the upper classmen. During the visit, Vor wanders off and stumbles upon a castle where she finds the Evil Queen and her Magic Mirror, that can answer any question posed to it. Vor returns to Xehanort and Eraqus, who scold her for wandering off. They then overhear Grumpy, Doc, and Happy, talking about a cave in and that they must rescue the other Dwarfs, and follow them to the mine. In the mine, Xehanort, Eraqus, and Vor assist the three Dwarfs in rescuing Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy, and Dopey, before they are attacked by Heartless. After saving them, the Seven Dwarfs thank the three Keyblade wielders and return home. Eraqus says they should leave too as they haven't discovered anything useful about the Upperclassmen, until Vor reveals that she found the Magic Mirror that could tell them what they need to know. Vor takes Xehanort and Eraqus to the castle and shows them the Magic Mirror, but they are interrupted by the Evil Queen before they can ask it anything. The Queen uses a potion to trap them inside the Magic Mirror where they are forced to fight the Magic Mirror's spirit. After defeating the Magic Mirror and escaping, they find the Queen gone so proceed to ask the Magic Mirror where the upper classmen are, to which it replies they are travelling. Suddenly Vidar appears through a gateway and explains he and the other upper classmen have their own mission to complete without revealing what it is. However he does ask if the three Keyblade wielders want to join him, with only Vor agreeing, to which she explains is because she asked the Magic Mirror if she'd ever become a Keyblade Master and it inferred she would but that she must make decisions to leave her friends in order to do so. Despite pleadings from Eraqus, Vor leaves with Vidar, leaving Xehanort and Eraqus to return to Scala Ad Caelum.

Eraqus later returns with Bragi intending on asking the Magic Mirror to help find Vor. However the pair discover the Queen guarding the Magic Mirror too closely so abandon them attempt and leave.

Sixty-four years later, Master Xehanort returns to the castle and asks the Magic Mirror of the "friends" he dreamed about in his youth, wanting to know if they were real and where they are. The Magic Mirror tells him one can be found in a barren wasteland. After this Master Xehanort travels to the Keyblade Graveyard and finds Ventus.

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
Terra is the first Keyblade wielder to visit this world. As he arrives in the Queen's castle, he overhears the Queen consulting her Magic Mirror. She asks who is the fairest of them all, but is horrified when the Mirror names Snow White, a maiden with a heart of pure light. At this point, Terra whispers to himself whether Master Xehanort has visited this land in his search for the light. When Terra interrogates the Queen over Xehanort's whereabouts, she tasks him with killing Snow White and bringing back her heart as proof, and in return, he may ask the Magic Mirror for answers.

Meanwhile, Ventus arrives in the world as the Seven Dwarfs are going to work in the mine. He follows in after them, but they mistake him for a thief and hide in crates and ore cars. He tries to ask them if they know Terra, but they refuse to talk to him.

Later, Terra goes off to find Snow White, figuring she may have met Xehanort. He meets her in a meadow picking flowers, and he senses the kindness and purity in her heart. However, before he can get any information, Unversed appear and scare her off into the woods.

As Ventus passes by the dwarfs' cottage, he hears a scream from the woods. He enters to find Snow White terrified of the dark forest, and he agrees to escort her take her somewhere safe, escorting her through swarms of Unversed to the cottage. She goes upstairs to rest just as the dwarfs return from work while Ventus scouts the area. Snow White explains her encounter with Terra, and the dwarfs conclude Terra sent a horde of evil monsters after her. Ven defends Terra, but the dwarfs refuse to believe the "thief", prompting Ven to storm out to prove his friend's innocence. As Ven wanders through the woods, he is attacked by the giant Unversed, the Mad Treant.

Terra returns to the Queen, who is insulted that he returned without Snow White's heart. Terra informs her that he never planned on killing her, but the Queen is still furious. She forces the Mirror to absorb Terra into its depths, where the hero battles against the spirit within. Terra escapes, and the Queen reluctantly asks for Xehanort's location. The Mirror tells Terra that he is in a wasteland where a great battle was fought. Terra then leaves, puzzled over the Mirror's cryptic answer.

After Ventus defeats the Mad Treant, he goes to the meadow on the other side. Here he sees an old woman drop a red apple, unaware that the woman is the disguised Queen, who plans to poison Snow White with the apple. Ven hands the apple to her, and asks her if she has seen Terra. She replies that he had threatened her to tell him the whereabouts of Master Xehanort, leaving Ven worried about what his friend has been up to.

Aqua comes to this world just after the old hag poisons Snow White. She sees the dwarfs mourning over Snow White's glass coffin, and Aqua agrees to go to the Queen's castle to investigate any possible help. In the courtyard she meets Snow White's love, the Prince, who wonders where the princess has gone. Aqua directs him to the woods where Snow White sleeps, so he runs off to help any way he can. Aqua travels deep into the castle, to the Mirror's chamber, where she is transported into the mirror. She defeats the Magic Mirror, who says that since the Queen is dead, he has served his purpose, and disappears.

Aqua returns to the woods, where the Prince kisses Snow White, bringing her back to life. This reminds Aqua of when Ventus passed out and subsequently woke up when he first arrived at the Land of Departure. Snow White and the Prince walk off together on a journey as the dwarfs celebrate and Aqua reflects on whether Ven left home because it was his time.

Some time after Xehanort's defeat at the Keyblade Graveyard, the dwarfs, Snow White, and the Prince frolic in the flower meadows.

Between Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep and Kingdom Hearts
Dwarf Woodlands eventually fell under attack by the Heartless. Commanded by the sorceress Maleficent, they captured Snow White, one of the seven Princesses of Heart needed to open the Final Keyhole. With Snow White captured, the Heartless proceeded to consume the heart of Dwarf Woodlands, plunging the world into the Realm of Darkness.

Trapped in the Dark Realm herself, Aqua would eventually come across the remains of Dwarf Woodlands in her endless quest to escape. Pulled into the Magic Mirror by her own reflection, Aqua found herself in the World Within, where her own reflection became her enemy. Defeating the numerous copies of Phantom Aqua allowed her to escape and proceed on her journey.

Kingdom Hearts
When the Door to Darkness was sealed, End of the World came apart, restoring all the lost worlds, including the Dwarf Woodlands.

Characters

 * The Huntsman is mentioned by The Queen in Kingdom Hearts χ.