"What have I missed while I was gone?"

"You can't be serious?!"

"Hmm… I'm scared to ask. But is he still…?"

"WHAT!? He did all that?! Hm… That's pretty… amazing. What about me?"

"Hmm." The figure laughed in self-deprecation. "Can't say that's a bad that's a bad thing per se."

"Good to see you too, it's been so long, my friend. What do you say we give him a 'nice' visit and tell him how my trip through time and space was?"

Chapter 1: The Rise

It is a beach day in Primp Town. School's out so people can enjoy the nice day. Amitie, a student of Primp Magic School went out for a swim with her friend Sig, and her sorta friend, Raffina.

She had too much fun splashing them with her floaties. "Will, you for the love of all things beautiful stop that, Amitie!" Raffina demanded lying from her inner tube, trying to relax.

Arle and Carbuncle, a splendid sorcerous and her bunny-like pet respectively were running along the beach.

Ms. Accord, Amitie, Sig, and Raffina's teacher was sunbathing while keeping a close eye on all her students. Her beloved cat puppet, Popoi, is peeking his head from the basket. Protecting himself from the sharp sun.

Next to Accord is a short, green haired, long-eared, horn hiding girl. She's Lidelle, one of Amitie's friends. While usually crippling shy. She was happily building a castle with three friends she made.

The redhead, Ringo, smart, logical, resourceful, math whiz. She's a novice sorcerous, originating from a world similar to ours, she's only learned Lightning spells so far. She's learning.

Also playing with the sand was Ringo's childhood friend: Maguro. The popular kid. Beautiful and charming.

And Risukuma. Love obsessed science Squirrel Bear. Maguro and Ringo's senior.

Primp Town's truly not often in the spotlight of things like destruction, invasion. Many other horrifying things like that.

Accord opened her eye. She saw something closing in the beach. "That does not look like the friendly local dolphin eating killer whales." Popoi handed out her spectacles. "Thank you." She said before adjusting.

So it's always scary when something happens.

"Oh, dear. KIDDIES!" She yelled at the ones in the water. "Get out of the water! NOW!" She points at the incoming pirate ship.

Especially when something like that happens.

Everyone got behind Arle, Ms. Accord and Raffina for protection. Though depending on how many pirates are on board…

"Pirates! Wh-what are pirates doing here?" Amitie wants to know.

"If we survive this I highly suggest you look up what being a Pirate means, Amitie." Ringo said freaked out but kept courage up.

On board, it seems to be manned by Puyos. Captained by a tall figure nobody recognized, barking out orders at his crew.

Arle narrowed her eyes. The ship is now close enough for her to read its name.

"S.S. ARLY PRINCE?" She let out a groan of disgust.

"Arle, be frank with me…" Ringo spoke up. "On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely is it gonna be it's him?"

Arle sighed deeply, like preparing for a flu shot. "20."

"Yikes. Why that much? " Maguro asked in a half-jokey tone.

"He. Huh, he hasn't actually bothered me at all for months." Arle couldn't believe she was saying that.

Everyone panicked as the ship sped up. There was enough transition between it, but a ship speeding up like this isn't normal!

Everyone was spooked when that thing sailed itself so hard it's wedged in the beach's shore. The sudden brake threw most Puyo overboard, and their Captain elegant jumped elegantly landed light-footed.

Between him and an overwhelming amount of Puyo, the beachgoers are surrounded.

The captain, who wore middle-class pirate gear, a shirt, vest, pants, eye-patch, sheeted scimitar. He was very tall and quite handsome, he looked like he knew it. He threw his, well-kempt long green hair.

"Hello again, Arle. Surprised to see me? I wonder if you even remember me?" He said in a teasing tone.

"The Dark Prince!" Sans horns and wings.

"I asked Arle, not you lot." He snarked. "Don't bother popping the Puyo, you lady with the pink hair." He referred to Raffina. "These are immune. Only violence. STOP DOING IT OR I SHALL SMITE YOU! WE COME IN PEACE!"

"Brok. Come in peace." A parrot on his shoulder parroted.

"Oh no…" Ringo quietly whispered. Amitie overheard.

"What is it, Ringo?"
"Look closely at the Prince's parrot."
"It's a pretty bird."
"Amitiiiieeee. Look at its chest. Look familiar?"
"Eh, kinda. What was that blob's name again?"
"Ecolo."

"Sh, don't draw attention to us. I don't wanna deal with him right now. Let my pigtails loose just in case. I'm taking off my hair clip."
"Okie-do."

"Explain." Arle got impatient with her ""fiancé"". To which said ""fiancé"" chuckled.

"Now, now. So testy, my dear Carbunny caretaker. It's just I've been feeling a bit nostalgic is all. We spend the last few months building a tower…"
"Brok! We build a tower! Brok!"

"Again…"
"Guuuu…" The others wonder what they are talking about.

"It's in good fun. Honest. But to spice it up I gave it a pirate theme." Arle and Carbuncle could hear a certain confidence in the demon king's voice.

"Arle?" Ringo said out of Ecolo's sight. "Why are you so quiet?" She said concerned, \felt by most of the surroundees. Arle sighed in response.

"Gu guu."
"What did you do this time?"

"It's like I said, we built a tower." He showed off the Ecolo parrot. It spoke too.

"And we want you and four of your friends to enjoy it! Brok hok!"
"Including Carbunny of course."

"Gu."

"Hm…" Arle had a frown on her face this whole time. "What's the catch? Marriage? A date? Embarrassing me in front of Primp?"

"What's so hard to believe about our pure intentions here?" The Pirate Prince gave a frown now as well.

Arle and Carbuncle gave that statement no dignity.

"Ugh. Fine. I'll bite, where is your tower?"

"Haha! Glad you've come around. Crew! Move a bit to my left!" The Pirate Puyos pressured everyone to move so to get a clear view of the ocean. "Behold! The true power of the Dark Prince!" He lowered his hands only to dramatically raise them up high.

"What's happening?"
"Something rising up from the sea, it would seem."
"No, duh. It looks like a… Tower. Ah… "
"Those poor fishies, Big Brother, why?…"
"Impurrssive."
"I forgot you can do that!"
"Guuu…"

A tall Island rose up from the sea, and on the tall island was a tall tower. It was too far away to tell what was on the island. Despite some vaguely skull-shaped mountainsides.

"A beauty isn't it?"

"It's… something…"
"I agree."
"Me too!" Arle, Ringo, and Amitie replied.

"We have to scale that for fun?" Raffine yelled.

"Only three of you non Carbunnies and Arlies."
"And Carby and Araly. Brrrok."
"That's right!"

The prince of darkness turned to the ship and lifted it up from the sand. Put it in a more desirable spot, anchored it, made a pier appear. No one had any words. That was some powerful magic.

"There are five pressure buttons on board. They're only sensitive to Arle, Carbuncle, and whoever she chose. The boat will steer itself to my island. Choose wisely, dears. See you soon." He sprouted his usual wings and flew to the island, Ecolo followed.

The Puyos went back on the ship. Leaving the hostages to breathe.

"Well, what you make of this, Arle?" Ringo said as she redid her hair. "Are you gonna go?"

Arle and Carbuncle groaned with understated anger. "He's probably up to something… I just know what yet…"

"Hey, you peasants!" A new voice entered the scene. It was the royal brat, the Ocean Prince. "Do you lot have anything to with the awful tower? It ruined my favorite playground!"

"There you have it. " Maguro grinned. "That's something you can't do without a permit in our world. "

"We were gonna do it anyway… Right, Carby?"
"Gu!" He nodded.

"Who're you gonna take with?" Amitie asked.

"Everyone who wants to go, that's good at Puyo Puyo? I don't know, I don't wanna force this on anybody. Knowing him you're supposed to my best ladies."

"I'm a bit too scared, pirates are dangerous." Lidelle quivered.
"I have more important things to do than indulge the devil himself in his fantasies." Raffine let everyone know where she stands. "No one's in imminent danger."

"Give it time." Arle deadpanned. "The Dark Prince and that blob masquerading as his parrot will find a way on purpose or not."
"Past experience." Ringo added.
"Raise your hand if you wanna go with. But please think about it."

Amitie wasted no time raising her hand. "I wanna go!" She said in motormouth she's so excited.

Risukuma slowly raised his paw. "I'm curious what can be discovered on this new man-made island."

Maguro tilted his head. "I'll guess I'll go if you're one short. "

Accord didn't raise her hand as fast as Amitie. But she seemed pretty keen.

Ringo "I'm in the same boat as Maguro, though I feel like I should go…"

"Gu gu gu gu gu…"
"Yeah, don't hold it against me I don't choose you. But I'll take Amitie, Ringo and the Professor. They have magic."

"Okay. Good point. "
"Fair enough."

"Restore my playground, already!" The dolphin prince whined.

"Give us a moment to prepare, will ya? We gotta get chained first, I'm not giving him the satisfaction of seeing me in a swimsuit again." Arle said on the verge of losing patience. "We'll stop the Dark Prince and the blob. Whatever they're up to, and restore your playground."