Remember way back in Episode 1-4 when I mentioned I actually had a dream about the series? The end result is this story. It's not entirely the same because parts of it were mixed up with Ocarina of Time, parts of it related to my own life to make sense to bystanders, parts of it I don't remember, parts of it I myself was there, and parts of it depended on Dimentio being the bad guy like he was at the end of Super Paper Mario (I know, I know- don't say anything!) And of course, being a dream, there was no real end.

Actually, the only thing that really resembles the dream at all is the part where the explo—

Oooh, no, thought I was going to give it away, didja? No. I just like toying with you.

Enjoy.

EPISODE 7-1

Count Bleck was in the sitting room of the home of the mayor of Twilight Town. They were here to talk business- Mayor Dour might have a job for him and the minions to do, so Count Bleck was looking into it. Dour had sent a message to Count Bleck a few days before, telling him that there were problems in Twilight Trail and Creepy Steeple, and he needed someone to look into it.

"So tell me," said Count Bleck. "What is it you would like us to do?"

"Well," said Mayor Dour, stirring the fireplace logs absentmindedly. They were glowing soft embers, bringing little light into the already dim and somewhat sinister-looking home. The permanent twilight made everything look more sinister.

Count Bleck waited for Mayor Dour to continue, but he didn't.

"Well, what?" he prompted.

"I'm trying to decide where to begin," the mayor explained.

"The beginning would be nice," said Count Bleck.

"Well, a long time ago, Creepy Steeple was haunted by a terrible spirit," explained the mayor. "He played terrible tricks on us all the time, until one day Mario drove him out. He was gone for a long time, and we decided Creepy Steeple was safe again, so we decided to put it back in use. We started by wiring it for heat and electricity, but that's as far as we got. Terrible things have started happening."

"How terrible?"

"At first things just started going missing- the kind of missing where you know you didn't misplace it. Poltergeist stuff, like someone was trying to scare us. Things moving around on their own. But then horrible specters have started appearing- a headless monster, a demon, a clawed dragon… and then some of the residents who were helping work on the steeple disappeared without a trace."

Count Bleck nodded to show he was listening. It sounded like an interesting situation; one he thought would be both challenging and exciting. It sounded like just what he needed.

"So you called on us to find out what's going on at the steeple and drive that monster out once and for all."

"Yes," said Mayor Dour. "Well, actually I called Mario first… but he's busy at the moment."

"Consider us on the case," said Count Bleck, ignoring that last comment. "I have magic, intelligence, muscle… and Mimi."

"Excellent," said Mayor Dour. "Well, then, I'll leave you to it."

Count Bleck's minions were waiting outside. Tippi was right beside the door with Nastasia, waiting to join Count Bleck as soon as he came out. Mr. L was talking to some of the village residents. Mimi was playing in the grass. O'Chunks was waiting, a little bored. Dimentio had struck up a conversation with the three Shadow Sirens.

"Yes," he said, "your magic is impressive… but it's little more than parlor tricks compared to the full array of enchantment that comes from Dimentio… Charming Magician!"

"Will you stop saying that?" Mimi called from the grass. "You're not very charming… and I haven't seen you use your magic in a while."

Dimentio snapped his fingers, and all of a sudden a frog warped to the top of her head.

Mimi screamed and ran. Dimentio laughed.

"Oh, whatever," said Beldam. "It's not like an insult coming from you is very much. I mean, look at you! What are you, anyway? Some kind of warped court jester? Yeah, that's intimidating. A jester is telling me all I can do is parlor tricks."

Just then, Count Bleck emerged from the house and signaled his minions to meet him.

"It's been lovely chatting with you," said Dimentio, "but my master calls me, and I must go. Ciao for now."

The minions gathered around Count Bleck. Except for Mimi, who was somewhere else still trying to shake the frog. Count Bleck looked around for her, but a quick look at the others told him all he needed to know- don't ask.

"Yeah, so," said Nastasia. "What went on in your little meeting with the mayor?"

"We're going to chase a monster out of Creepy Steeple," said Count Bleck. "They think it's the same Duplighost that used to haunt them, by the name of Doopliss. Maybe- it might be someone new, but chances are it's not."

"Doopliss?" Beldam said. She was close enough that she could hear their conversation, but far enough away for it to count as eavesdropping. "That freak-in-a-sheet? You'll have no problem taking care of that loser. He couldn't even fill Vivian's shoes when she ditched us to join Mario, and those weren't even very big shoes to fill!"

"Sis!" Vivian cried out. "You said you were gonna be nicer!"

"It slipped out," Beldam replied evenly.

Vivian started to pout.

Count Bleck looked over to make sure they were finished interrupting, and then turned back to his own group. "Duplighost's are able to take any form, so we can't let ourselves be fooled by imitations. If we get separated, remember: the code word is 'Etching.' If you have any doubts as to your companion's authenticity, ask them the code word. It's the Doppleganger Test."

"Gotchya," said Mr. L. "Sketching."

"Close enough," said Count Bleck.

"So lemme get this right," said O'Chunks. "We go on down the path to the old steeple an' 'unt down this doppleganger… an' what are we goin' teh do with 'im?"

"Surprise me," Count Bleck said with a sly grin.

"Ah, now yeh'r talken' me language!" O'Chunks returned the grin. "I ehn't got teh use me chunks since Episode Four."

"What?"

"What?"

Mimi staggered back over to the group, rubbing her hair and wringing out her ponytails. "Slimy frog," she grumbled. "What'd I miss?"

"The Doppleganger test," said Mr. L. "I already forgot what the code word was. Sorry. My mind's a million miles away today."

"Perfectly understandable," said Count Bleck. "After all, if you forget it, nothing big will happen. Unless you count being mistaken for an enemy and blasted from here to Yoshi's Island on a case of mistaken identity." He gave Mr. L a significant look. "Do you, Green Thunder?"

"Oh, I remember. It was 'Fetching.'"

"It was 'Etching,' and please pay attention to Count Bleck." Count Bleck snapped his fingers in front of Mr. L's face. "Everybody. We can't afford to mess up again. We're beginning to look foolish."

"Oh, Blumiere," said Tippi with a laugh. "Everybody thinks we're great. Our new reputation is spreading farther than you think. You just don't see it yet." She gave him a little nuzzle. "You will soon enough."

Nastasia cleared her throat.

"Very well," said Count Bleck. "I believe Creepy Steeple is at the end of Twilight Trail. It shouldn't be very far, so everybody stay together and let's go."

They started walking out of the village and towards the trail. The gate guard let them pass because they already had permission from the mayor, so that was one obstacle that didn't arise. The entire group walked in a clump, close to each other but scattered enough so it wasn't a formal group. They looked at ease, which is the way it most certainly should be.

Creepy Steeple hadn't changed a bit since the day Doopliss had been driven out by Mario, after a brief identity scrabble. The only difference was in the surrounding ground, where small trenches had been dug out for the pipes. They were in various stages of completion- some were half-dug, some were completely dug, some had pipes or wires running through them, and some were even buried again. Inside it was still run-down and slightly broken, but there were no Boos or Swoopers or any other hostiles. There was a new radiator and a work lamp hanging up, neither of them on but probably there to test the hookup.

"Yuck!" Mimi suddenly grabbed her nose. "What's that smell?"

Mr. L took a sniff. "Must?"

"No, that's not it…"

"Mothballs?"

"No."

O'Chunks took a deep inhale. "I smell somethin', too, but I can't put me thumb on it."

"Timpani, do you recognize it?"

Tippi used her Pixl powers to see if she could detect what it was. "No," she said. "I can't tell."

"Perhaps it's the monster," suggested Dimentio. "A horrible creature like him would not necessarily have a pleasing odor."

"Perhaps," Count Bleck agreed. "In any case, let's find this monster and take care of it. The sooner we triumph here, the sooner I can get a boost in my confidence… and get away from this place."