I would like to share two things. First, this story was entirely dictated through computer software, and the only typing I did was editing when it when it would be faster.
Second, something strange happened I was at work a while ago (this is actually a funny story). About a half-hour before my shift ended, I went to the back room. I work in a library, by the way. Anyway, when they went in, I noticed that there was this horrible smell. I asked my manager if he knew what it was, and he said no but he was looking for it. Nobody else seems to know what it was, either. By the time I was ready to go home, we still were not able to identify the smell. Thankfully, I know that some of my coworkers knew what natural gas smelled like, so the first thing I thought was just that it was uncanny (you know, for those of you who remember Twilight Trouble.)
"Blumiere, look at this," Timpani cried excitedly. She fluttered up to his desk in the study excitedly.
"What is it?" Count Bleck put down the gigantic tome he was flipping through them over at her.
"I found something," she said. "About dimension changing. It was in the 'Shell Times' magazine."
"A news periodical?" Count Bleck glanced from the thin and colorful magazine to his enormous bland textbook with a disapproving scowl. "Very well," he said, marking the page and closing the book. "Show Count Bleck what you have discovered."
"It's kind of an old article," she said. "I've been a subscriber for years. This is an article about the Exor Rift."
"The Exor Rift?" Count Bleck frowned. "Wait, I've heard of that... Isn't an Exor a kind of sword?"
"Exor was a gigantic sword from another world. He acted as a portal to another dimension before he was destroyed. By Mario," she added, with a hint of a grin.
"Oh, right, your boyfriend, teased Count Bleck."
"He is not!" Tippi squawked.
"So, what's the Exor Rift?" asked Count Bleck.
"A place in space that's very flimsy, dimensionally," Tippi explained. "Someone who can't normally work dimensions could accomplish such a feat in the Exor Rift. It's still being studied, but they're pretty sure it has something to do with his being there. A giant sword that could change dimensions might have slashed the very dimensional fabric itself."
"Worth investigating." Count Bleck flipped through the magazines. "Where is the Exor Rift?"
"Bowser's keep," said to be. "A fortress near the edge of the Koopa kingdom. Bowser's got quite a few castles," she added for Count Bleck puzzled look. "I mean, more than one, anyway. That's just good battle tactics. Otherwise you would get stomped every time you go to war."
"It's a good thing you're in information pixel right now," said Count Bleck, "or else I'd be wondering how you knew that."
Just then Mimi and Dimentio popped into the room, startling the Count horribly.
"Those doors aren't just for show, lovely as they are," he said, after regaining composure.
"Ah, this is true," said Dimentio. "However, I am here to express regret on a different subject-"
"Never mind that now, Count Bleck interrupted impatiently. I have an assignment for you two. Go and visit the Exor Rift and see if any suspicious types have access to it."
"You can count on us, Count!" Mimi said. "I'm all over it!"
"Convenient for you," Dimentio whispered. "Now it won't matter you can't dig up any clues."
They poped out.
"Ah," said count Bleck, touching two fingers to the side of his head. "Nastasia is home."
Nastasia was standing out front of the castle, a thick binder in one hand and the chains of three chomps in the other. Permission had gone successfully, and now she was ready to show Count Bleck what she had brought home. She hoped he would be pleased.
"I take it went well?" Count Bleck said as he appeared in the doorway.
"Highly trained guard chomps," said Nastasia, gesturing with her right hand. The change rattled as she did. "I purchased them from Bowser and got quite a wonderful bargain."
"And who's going to be taking care of these?" asked Count Bleck.
"Will make Dimentio do it."
They both laughed.
Nastasia set the chomps free. They began bounding around excitedly, exploring their new environment. They were still while, but not feral. They were trained to live outside and protect the Castle. Disaster would be kept to a minimum as long as they didn't cross the threshold.
"I'm still not crazy about the idea of chomps living around here," said Count Bleck. "You promise that they're trained not to be horrible?"
"Secretaries honor," said Nastasia. "These are probably better trained than any of your other minions."
"Well, that was uncalled for."
Of course, they both laughed again.
"What about the other hand?" Asked Count Bleck.
"I have a guy coming in tomorrow between 8-12 to install our new security system. This is the information."
"Great!"
"How do you feel about kitty lasers?"
"Uhh…"
Croco the purple gator leaned back on his seat and put his feet up. How does crime pay, they ask him. Pretty darn good, he answers. Those of you who have played Super Mario RPG remember that Bowser's keep was the last place you saw Croco. Well, he never left. He rented a small room in Bowser's keep where he stored and sold his ill-gotten gains Bowser didn't care as long as he got the perks. That means he greased a few claws and let Bowser get first dibs at the good stuff.
Business had been booming especially well lately. He had discovered a new way to extend his crime. No longer to be have to be satisfied with running around, just outside the keep, in Mushroom Kingdom, and if he was lucky making the trip across the world to Moleville. He discovered a strange phenomenon right there in the keep that could take him almost wherever he wanted to go. Of course, it was very difficult to get places at first, but like with anything he practiced and he learned. And now he found himself looting places he didn't even know existed.
Mimi and Dimentio appeared in the middle of the room, quite suddenly. Croco jumped in surprise. He ducked behind to create before they noticed that they were not alone in the room.
"Are you sure this is the right place?" Mimi asked. She and Dimentio were pouring over a map. The Exor Rift was marked on it. "This just doesn't look right."
"I admit I was wrong before," Dimentio replied. "I think, however, that I am not wrong forever."
"Oh!" Mimi looked around as if she had suddenly realized, where they were. "This does look an awful lot like a keep, doesn't it?"
"Well, I would have to think about that." Dimentio gave her a tired look.
Croco decided right now that these two were not threats to him, although it was strange how they just popped in. He came out of hiding. He waved at them and tried to look friendly interesting, because that always makes it easier to cheat someone.
"Welcome to my shop," said Croco. He pulled his thief sack out from behind the crate and opened it up. "What can I do for you?"
"Oh look," said Mimi. "There someone here. Maybe we can ask him for directions."
"I think that would be an incredibly foolish idea," said Dimentio.
"What brings you to my neck of the woods?" asked Croco.
"We're just looking for the Exor Rift," said Mimi offhandedly as she poured over the map. "Know anything about it?"
Dimentio put his face in his hands and grow and deeply. "Thanks a lot Mimi," he said, "now everybody knows." He snapped his fingers and all of a sudden Croco disappeared and reappeared in Dimension D.
"What did you have to go and do that for?" Mimi snapped.
"Worry not, my dear Mimi," replied Dimentio casually. "He shall be just as snug as a tiny little insect in a rolled up carpet. I will let him out as soon as we finish the task we set about to do. In the meanwhile, no harm will come to him and he most certainly will not starve to death."
"You know that if you forget anyone else in there again, Count Bleck will be really mad," Mimi said, tapping her foot.
"One mistake made, and you suffer it for a lifetime." Dimentio mentally moved on and began to paw around the room. The room was littered with stolen goods, stacked with crates stuffed with stolen goods, and plans detailing conspiracy to steal goods. Nothing they could use, and nothing that had been theirs. Certainly there were no clues as to the location of the Exor Rift.
"Well, we have to find something," said Mimi. "We couldn't find any clues in the Castle, and we can't find the Exor rift; if we don't find something soon Count Bleck is going to be awful mad at us. I just hate it when he's mad at us," she added sadly.
"Fear not, my dear Mimi," Dimentio said in a voice that was half noble and half sinister. "For I am the master of dimensions, and I shall find in this dimensional rift... With magic!"
He turned around and was just beginning to move forward when suddenly he found himself back in Castle Black. "Oh look," he said in surprise. "I really am a master of dimensions. Or perhaps the dimensions are master of me. Either way, I think I found the rift."
"Do you mind!" shrieked Mr. L.
This part of the rift had taken Dimentio to a random point in Castle Black. Specifically, the washroom of Castle Black. Mr. L. didn't like having his afternoon bath interrupted and Dimentio quickly warped back to the castle.
"What'dja see?" asked Mimi excitedly.
"Something that I probably will not remember until my nervous breakdown ten years from now," answered Dimentio. "You try walking towards this wall here," and he gestured towards the same wall. It was empty of objects. Although crates were pushed quite close to it, they didn't touch it.
She walked towards the wall, but before she could reach it she disappeared. Dimentio waited patiently and in a few moments she reappeared back in the room. "You'll never guess where I was!"
"That is true," said Dimentio. "I despise guessing games."
"I was at Yosh'ter Isle!" said Mimi, not listening to Dimentio. "I coulda stayed to bet on the races, but I didn't have any Yoshi cookies. Do you have any Yoshi cookies?"
"No," said Dimentio. "It looks like we found the Exor rift though. Is that any better?"
"I guess."
"If I had to hazard a guess as to how this theory works," said Dimentio, sweeping his hand across the wall, "it would be that paths to different dimensions spiderweb out like cracks on broken glass all throughout the area in space the rift occupies. Perhaps every square inch of this wall speaks to another dimension. Or maybe there are only three; there's no way to be sure. When you first make contact with a hole in space, it sucks you through to the other side. I wonder if it's a two-way street, as long as you are able to find the exact same spot you came from. Fascinating. The most important question is what we're going to do about it." This was Dimentio's forte. This was what he was good at, and it absolutely fascinated him.
"I say we tell count Bleck." said Mimi.
"You would."
"What was that?"
"I've said nothing."
Oh, in case you were wondering about that smell that I was talking about at work. Yeah, something about a motor burning out. I'm not 100 on the details, all I know is that it was not dangerous. The next time I came into work, it was already fixed. Man, though, that was an awful smell!
