Chapter Ten: Operation Moonfall

(Night of the Final Day, 11:00 pm, 7 hours remain)

The rumbling had started to intensify after the sun had set. Edd was practically shivering from fright. That thing looming over the town had gotten so huge over the last three days, and its face was positioned directly overlooking the town square, the nose directly over the Clock Tower. It had gotten close enough that they could see it moving closer. Edd, Marie, and Link had spent most of the day with Jim and his fellow gang members going over the plan and familiarizing themselves with the layout of the Clock Tower. Currently they were holed up in the now-abandoned Stock Pot Inn, the door locked and the windows boarded up. Edd stood in the lobby, his hands clasped behind his back as he surveyed the Bombers handiwork sullenly. He sighed sadly. There's no way this will shield them from the effect of the impact.

Marie walked up next to him and folded her arms, glancing over at Edd and flashing a grim smile. "You ready, sweetie?" she quipped playfully, hoping to finally get her favorite reaction out of him. Truthfully, she was starting to miss the fun she used to have with him, considering they had lately been a little distracted by the possible end of the world.

Edd jumped at her unexpected presence and started fidgeting. "Well, I…uh…I-I sup-p-pose I am…W-What ab-b-bout you?"

Marie threw her head back and laughed, causing Edd to blush slightly. "Oh, Double D, you're so fun to mess with! Lighten up, will ya? It's not like the world's about to end!"

"Uh, well, a-a-about that…"

"Double D?"

"Um…y-yes?"

"Shut up and get a sense of humor."

Edd really wished he had his beanie so he could pull it over his eyes to hide his embarrassment. Marie smirked as he settled with putting his hands over his eyes. "You're so cute when you do that. You know, I'd kiss you if I didn't think it would be awkward considering our current predicament."

Edd was so nervous he was starting to sweat. Oh good lord, of all the times she had to start acting normal again…Why am I feeling this? I feel scared but…not in the same way as I was before…How strange…

Then Edd's face went from embarrassment to worried and a little depressed a little too quickly for Marie's comfort. "Uh, Double D? What's wrong?"

Edd sighed again. "The world's about to end, Marie. And we're trapped here. And our only chance, however slim it may be, lies with people we don't even know. And to top it all off, your sisters and my friends are also somehow here in town as well. If only we could go look for them…"

Marie looked away for a moment, understanding what he meant. "For all I know, they could have no idea what's going on. If we don't succeed, we might be killed, and the people we care about will be resigned to this world's fate as well. It's a lot to have thrust upon your shoulders, don't you think?"

Marie hung her head low, frowning dejectedly. "Yeah…"

Suddenly the sound of Jim's voice echoed throughout the room as the Bomber leader waltzed in with Link, Tatl, and the other gang members in tow. "Alright, all of you! Gather round!"

Edd and Marie turned around and walked over to the others. "Alright guys, I've been workin' on some weapons for us to use when we get to the Skull Kid," Jim began as he held up some freshly-made slingshots and pea-shooters. "The Deku have their own projectles, so this is for the rest of you!" He began passing out the weapons to the gang members around him. "Are you all clear with the plan?"

"So let me see if I have your plan understood correctly," Edd stated. "When the clock strikes midnight, the Clock Tower will open up a passage to the top to where the Skull Kid is hiding. You, Link, Tatl, Marie, Number Two, and I will proceed up to the Clock Tower and engage him with peashooters and slingshots. The rest of you are going to hole up here and guard the fort. Hopefully our ambush is supposed to be enough to convince the Skull Kid to let up and reverse the moon's trajectory. In the event that we are…unsuccessful…" a solemn silence momentarily dominated the conversation. "…The rest of you, as well as whatever survivors there are from Team One will escape the town through the East Gate and head towards…uh…"

"Ikana Canyon," Jim finished. "The mountains there might be enough to shield us from the moon's impact. If we fail in the thirty or so minutes after midnight, it might give us enough time to reach the canyon."

Somehow, Edd and Marie doubted that was true. However, they kept their thoughts to themselves as Tatl suddenly said, "Guys, it's almost time…"

The whole group then looked up at the clock next to the fairy. Two minutes 'til midnight. "Alright guys, let's go!" Jim hollered, unlocking the door and rushing outside.

Number Two followed right behind, while Link, Tatl, Edd, and Marie all gave each other reassuring looks before going as well. The rest of the Bombers gang watched them go before turning to each other. "So guy," Number Three said. "Who's up for hiding under those beds?"

Once Team One was outside, they chanced a collective glance at the moon, which now almost took up the entire view of the sky. Edd gulped. Either this works or we're all dead, he thought grimly.

XXXXXX

Eddy, Ed, May, and Lee all met up by the Stock Pot Inn just seconds after their quarry left, and of course were completely unaware of this as they sighed dejectedly. "No luck, huh?" Lee mused.

"Nah, you?" Eddy grumbled.

Lee shook her head. "Maybe they ain't in town anymore. Tomorrow we're going to search outside this place."

Lee then grabbed the door handle, but to everyone's surprise, it was locked. "What the…?" Lee started.

The eldest Kanker sister began jiggling the door handle, pushing against it, and banging it with her fists, but no one answered. "Oh, great!" Eddy whined angrily. "This is just great! Now the guys at the inn ran off too and left us all here to sleep out in the cold!"

Ed continued to be off in his own little world, but May happened to turn her head and saw shadows making their way towards South Clock Town. "Hey, guys!" she said, catching her companions' attention and pointing towards the fleeing silhouettes. "Maybe that's them!"

The other three turned towards where May was pointing and saw them disappear around the corner. "No time to waste! After 'em!" Eddy declared, taking off with the others in tow, Ed laughing stupidly as they ran.

XXXXXX

Team One was almost all the way down the stairs when the Clock Tower suddenly chimed loudly, signaling midnight. But this time it did something else as well. The bulbous top of the tower began reaching towards the moon on a long wooden beam, the clock faces rising with it. And all the while, fireworks exploded around it, as if the town was desperately trying to cheer itself up in the face of impending doom. Finally the moving parts of the structure tipped onto the side, exposing the clock to the sky and turning it into a platform. Beneath the structure, a wall fell, followed by another, and another, until a set of stairs had formed that led inside the Clock Tower. Once this was done, the fireworks stopped.

Breaking out of their trance, Jim, Edd, Marie, Link, Tatle, and Two all began running as fast as they could towards the tower, passing by the irate construction leader, who was busy yelling at the moon. "Cowards! Not a one of you stayed! My apprentice will be disgusted with all 'o you! If you're gonna fall, then fall already!"

They reached the tower, heaving themselves onto a platform that led to the stairs. Once everyone was together, they paused, Jim looking to his companions with a determined gaze. "You guys ready for this?" he asked firmly.

Two held up his slingshot and grinned. Link and Marie both nodded. After a moment of hesitation, Edd swallowed his fear and nodded as well. Tatl responded last. "Alright! Come on, let's go stop that Skull Kid!"

They then ran up the stairs and into danger. At the exact same time, Eddy, Ed, Lee, and May entered South Clock Town. Eddy glanced over at the Clock Tower just in time to see someone enter the tower. "Look, over there!" Eddy pointed. "Let's get 'em!"

They too, unknowingly, went racing towards imminent danger.

XXXXXX

A silent Skull Kid, floating overhead with his arms crossed, greeted the kids as they reached the top. "Skull Kid!" Jim cried. "You little jerk! You've been causin' a lotta trouble lately, and as leader of the Bombers…"

"Oh shut up, will you?" Skull Kid interrupted. "Wow, you're even less fun than I remember."

Suddenly a dark ball of light with wings shot out from behind the Skull Kid. "Sis!" Tael cried desperately to his sister.

"Tael! Get away from the Skull Kid, now!" Tatl answered firmly.

Tael flitted in front of the Skull Kid and said, "Swamp…Mountain…Ocean…Canyon…Hurry…the four who are there…bring them here!"

Before anyone could blink, the Skull Kid backhanded Tael with a displeased growl. "Keep your mouth shut, stupid fairy!"

Everyone recoiled in shock at the Skull Kid's actions, particularly Tatl, who shrieked in horror. "Hey! That's my brother, Skull Kid! Don't you dare hit him!"

"I concur," Edd yelled, uncharacteristically angry. "Treating your own friends in such an abusive and hostile manner is unacceptable! Have you no conscience?"

"Yeah!" Marie added, a menacing edge in her voice. "Your attitude's rotten, kid! Why don'cha come down from there and see if you're so cocky after I'm through with you!"

"If you have any sense of reason, you'll return us to normal right now, Skull Kid!" Link yelled.

"Ha! What can you do, 'specially without this?" the Skull Kid retorted smugly, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a light-blue ocarina. "You're all just a rose without thorns! You can't do anything against me! Or that, for that matter…"

Skull Kid pointed dismissively at the approaching moon, which was now even larger than before. "But if you think you can do somethin' about it, then be my guest!"

With that, the Skull Kid clenched his small fists and screamed towards the heavens. The mask's eyes lit up as Edd, Marie, and Link all felt the magical aura emanating from the sinister headpiece. Then, to their horror, the moon actually started falling faster. Edd widened his eyes in fear, but Jim held his ground and brought out his peashooter. "Alright, Skull Kid! You asked for it! Fire at will!" Jim cried, shooting his peashooter at Skull Kid's face.

The little pebble harmlessly bounced off the mask. Two brought out his slingshot and fired a rock at the Skull Kid, who swatted it nonchalantly out of the air. "Is that all ya got?" Skull Kid taunted with a laugh. "I'm not even impressed!"

This was the Deku's sign to attack, Link firing first, followed by Marie. The bubble shot towards Skull Kid, who tried to swat them aside as well. However, considering these weren't made of solid material, the bubbles just popped, leaving a sticky residue on Skull Kid's arm. "Oh, yuck! What is this?!"

Edd finally summoned up a little courage and fired a bubble as well, and its aim was true, smacking Skull Kid directly on the mask's face. The goo got in his eyes, and the little imp let out a cry of anger as he tried to pry the stuff off his mask, his grip on the ocarina loosening. Link leaned over to Jim. "Jim, shoot your peashooter at that ocarina."

Jim looked up at where Link was pointing and aimed his peashooter accordingly. Skull Kid yelped in pain and shock as he felt the pebble strike his forearm, dropping the ocarina in his surprise. Link leapt towards the musical instrument and seized it. And suddenly he stopped moving altogether. Meanwhile, Skull Kid had succeeded in pulling the goo off the mask and glared murderously at Jim. "You'll pay for that, punk!" he screeched in fury.

Suddenly the Skull Kid began charging a ball of energy in his other hand before hurling it at Jim. "Boss, look out!" Number Two cried, throwing himself between Jim and the oncoming energy ball. However, the energy struck Two with such force that it threw both of them back, and they tumbled over the wall and into the darkness below. Edd cried out with shock and horror and leaned over the side. "Jim! JIM!"

There was no answer in the darkness. Jim and Number Two were gone. Meanwhile, Marie was frantically shaking Link's arm, shrieking at him to snap out of his catatonic state and receiving no response. Edd whirled around and glared at the Skull Kid with a look of intense hatred that was wholly uncharacteristic of the young preteen. "You…you horrible, loathsome, heartless little bully!"

"Now now, no need to be mean!" Skull Kid sneered. "I can play nice! Ya want your silly hat back? Here, take it!"

The Skull Kid took off his straw hat and unceremoniously tossed Edd's beanie back at him. "It'll keep ya nice and warm in hell!"

Despite himself, Edd picked up his cherished beanie and put it back on his head, feeling a small sense of relief at being reunited with his most important piece of clothing.

"Hah…ah…jeez, I wasn't expectin' so many stairs!" came an unexpected voice from the direction of the trapdoor.

"Someone's outta shape, eh, dreamboat?"

Edd and Marie suddenly froze. Those voices…they can't be, they thought in unison.

Sure enough, four familiar figures suddenly walked onto the platform. "Where the heck are we?" Eddy said, throwing up his hands.

"How should I know? You led us up here!" Lee snapped.

"Yeah, Eddy!" May added.

"I like to dance with chickens!" Ed yelled in his usual out-there voice, grinning stupidly.

"Ed? Eddy?" Edd managed to gasp.

"Lee? May?" Marie uttered in shock.

The four of them suddenly looked up at their voices. "Double D! We found you!" Ed cried in absolute joy, seeing Edd and running towards him with his arms outstretched.

"Ed! No no no, wait, wait, wait!" Edd cried, putting his hands in front of his face, not wanting to be touched by as dirty a fellow as Ed.

Ed, of course, didn't listen, and wrapped up Edd into a bear hug. May happened to do the same to Marie, ignoring the middle Kanker sister's cries of protest. However, the smarter individuals immediately noticed something off, namely Eddy and Lee. "Wait a sec," Eddy said suspiciously as he approached Ed. "Ed, drop!"

Ed immediately complied, and that's when he suddenly noticed Edd's current condition. Before Edd could blink he found himself pinned to the ground by Ed, with a furious Eddy standing over him. "Who are you! What've you done with Double D?!" Ed demanded.

"Yeah, make like a canary and sing!" Eddy snapped.

"Hey! Who are you and what've you done with my sister?" Lee demanded while May kept Marie pinned against the ground.

"I am your sister, you dweebs! Lemme go!"

"Ed, release me at once! You don't understand! We don't have time for this!" Edd cried. "We have to prevent the end of the world!"

"What the heck are you talkin' about?!" Eddy demanded.

"Look up."

Eddy did so, and immediately all color drained from his face. There above them was the moon, leering dangerously close to the Clock Tower. Edd calculated it was a mere mile from the earth now. "HOLY GUACAMOLE, IS THAT THE MOON?!" Eddy screamed in horror upon seeing its terrifying face literally almost on top of them.

Lee, May, and Ed all noticed Eddy looking up and followed suit.

"JESUS CHRIST IN A GO-KART!" Lee screamed.

"OH MY GOSH! IT'S GONNA KILL US!" May shrieked, letting go of Marie in her shock.

"DOOM!" Ed yelled.

The Skull Kid finally spoke, gaping at them in shock. "Are you for real?! I spent three days bringin' this thing down, and you mean to tell me you just now noticed it?! I can't believe the nerve of you people!"

"What are we gonna do what are we gonna do what are we gonna do?" May shrieked in terror, tears coming to her eyes as she grabbed a hold of Lee.

"C-Calm down, May! H-have some dignity, will ya?" Lee yelled back, trying to hide the fear evident in her own voice.

Suddenly the soft sound of music reverberated through the air, cutting through the horror and despair like a knife through butter. Everyone looked towards Link, who had a tuba with five different-sized heads and was playing a strange melody on it. "Ha!" the Skull Kid sneered. "Playing your own funeral music? Fat lot of good that'll do…"

Skull Kid never finished his sentence, as there was a sudden blinding flash of light, and everything starting swirling around until it vanished into a white nothingness, the sound of clocks ticking all that could be heard as time began to reset itself.

7