SOMEWHERE IN CASTLE BLECK…
~*-SPP-*~
"Yeah, so… I guess the Hero went ahead and stomped you and sent you back here?" Nastasia asked the hurt O'Chunks.
"Yeh gotta forgive me, Count! I've failed yeh! I've never felt less chunky in me life!"
"Bleh heh heh heh heh heh… So our Hero is real… Yes… A force to be reckoned with…" The count then turned to Nastasia. "Nastasia, the prophecy. Consult it and learn where the Hero will go next… We will lay a devious trap for him and bring him to his very KNEES! BLECK!" Nastasia informed the count that she had already done so and sent Mimi to Merlee's Mansion (spoiler… oops!).
"This pleases Count Bleck. Excellent work, Nastasia. I have granted Mimi powers potent enough to ensure that she will obliterate this Hero. Yes, he will be helpless against her." The count raised his arms and cape dramatically, announced his departure, and then acted upon his announcement, taking the Dark Prognosticus with him.
"Yeah, I'll fire off a memo on that…but for now, we have another item on the agenda. O'Chunks, you got a sec? Good. So some minions we kidnapped from Bowser's Castle before the Hero landed there are still resisting assimilation, so I'm heading out to squash the resistance…and while I'm gone, I want you to stay here. Yeah… You just sit tight and think about your recent job performance, 'K?" With her signature 'K, she departed.
"Aw… I… Gaw, this really tweaks me chin hairs!" the camera faded.
~*-SPP-*~
"Nnnn… Hmm?" Rachel, after hours of being unconscious, finally mustered the strength to operate again. She stood up and contemplated her surroundings out loud.
"What? How did I end up napping here? Wait… That weird Count Bleck dude tried to force me and… Ray to marry! Talk about awkward… but then Ieda… wait a minute. My friends are in danger and all I care about is myself?! Talk about selfish… IEEEEEDAAAA!!! RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!! Where are you? ...Where is anybody at this point?" Rachel looked around, but no one answered.
"Hey, who's that girl with the hair?"
"I dunno… probably Peach."
"You idiot! Peach is a blonde! This girl's got white hair with streaks of light blue!"
"Um, not to interrupt, but are you two turtles talking about me?"
"TURTLES?! We're Koopas! Get with the program!" the koopa who thought Rachel was Peach yelled.
"That only proves she's not Peach…" the Hammer Bro. said, rubbing in the fact that he was right.
"Focus! What happened?" Rachel commanded.
"Your wedding… and let me say that it could have gone better."
"Well, it WAS pretty crazy as far as we could tell from the T.V. the count provided to torture us. Was that guy really your brother?" The Hammer Bro. asked.
"FOCUS!! And yes, he is. Why?"
"We can't find him…or the dark skinned one…" the normal Koopa stated.
"Quiet you! Anyway, the thing is, most of us minions got all brainwashed by that Bleck guy's assistant. Yeah…everyone's half-nuts! It's not safe here! We've gotta clear this area now. This here Private will escort you to, alright? Now make a break for it!"
"What about you, though… what if you get caught?"
"I'll resist. Bye." With that, the Hammer Bro. took his leave.
"Bye, then."
"OK, lady, we've gotta EVAC this zone! Let's roll!" Rachel ran to the nearby door.
~*-SPP-*~
"You. Give up. There is no hope for escape."
"That sounds like… no. It can't be her!" Rachel's thoughts were interrupted midstream by a white parasol with a black handle on the floor. Rachel picked it up and held onto it.
"………And now you need to," Rachel started listening again, "so I'll just go ahead and pencil you in for a ten o'clock brainwashing." Before the Hammer Bro. could retort, Nastasia lowered her glasses and hypnotized the poor koopa.
"HAIL BLECK!" he roared.
"Hm-mm-mm… yeah, there, isn't that better? So listen………" Rachel zoned out again, wondering where that parasol came from in the first place. She opened it up to find a tag or a name or something… all she could find was a white D.
"…Hey, lady! Back to reality."
"Wha- oh, sorry. Let's go." Afraid to fall and break her neck, she tested the parasol; it worked perfectly. She hovered for moments before gravity forced her down faster. She landed quite nicely.
"Through this door?" Rachel asked. The koopa nodded yes, so she opened the door.
~*-SPP-*~
Rachel had fun floating in the air with her new toy. She got comfortable with using the parasol with each jump. When she finished, she opened the closest door.
It led outside to a very long balcony held up by supports. Rachel noticed, for the first time, the sky was a destructive purple and black. Shivers went down her spine.
She and Private walked until there was no more to walk. That's when Private lost it.
"No… NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Dead end!"
"Well, there has to be a way out! Let's go back and check. I might have missed a door."
"Good thinking!"
"Actually, no it's not." Rachel did not want to turn around to glance at that mysterious, blue woman, but wanting to finally know her name got the better of her.
"Who do you think you are?" She didn't answer. Instead, Private defended Rachel, but that was short lived. Nastasia hypnotized him.
"ALL HAIL COUNT BLECK!"
"I congratulate you. I thought the wedding explosion killed you… But instead of an explosion killing you, I'll kill your mind by brainwash. Your luck runs out…right here. It's time you came on over and got with the program… Come and serve the count!"
"NO!"
"…Stop kidding around. My hypno-powers kinda say you will. Just sit tight and relax, 'K? 'Cause I've just got to brainwash you real quick."
"Well, can you at least tell me your name?!"
"Nastasia." This accidental distraction made time for a box to form around Rachel and transport her in the style of Dimentio. Nastasia didn't catch that detail, however.
"What?! That wasn't on my schedule! Where'd she go? …No matter. It's really not a deal breaker… Our prophecy-fulfillment is running smoothly. We have no need for her. Yeah, and it doesn't matter where she runs since all worlds, including the real world, are about to fall…" The camera faded.
~*-SPP-*~
I remember that day well…
The room was warm. The
whole place was at peace.
"Ugh… Uuugh…"
"You're awake at last?"
"Where…am I? Is this…
a human's home? Bleccch!"
"Don't wiggle like that.
I found you at the cliff base.
You took quite a fall."
"You're a human, correct?
I don't…repulse you? I am
of the Tribe of Darkness…"
"Why would that matter?
Anyone with a heart would
not ignore an injured soul!"
That was the day our
paths crossed…
That day… That was the
day our tragedy was set
in motion.
