Well hello again readers! I think Mr. Krupp is completely dry and I am eager to get out of this giant toilet I am stuck in because I am getting sick of this place. But first some replies are in order.
Trimaxion: Well, it's inevitable that the boys will see Poopypants again and I have a specific moment in the future in mind that I really want to elaborate on in this response but can't because it'll ruin the impact. I was looking forward to the boys finally seeing who Edith's crush was (especially after so much teasing these past few chapters) and now the mystery thickens!
I had to keep that moment of him getting to remember Edith and his excitement over it within me for so long. You could say that chapter 9 was almost meant to be centered around that exact moment... or not. But yeah, CU deserved that moment of happiness despite that he can't get to directly interact with her like he wants to.
Ah yes, our control jerk freak–I admit that the drill scene wasn't my favorite, but it shows what happens when he decides to be intentional with those storms. I know Krupp's anger seems like his biggest flaw in this tale, though I'm trying to keep in mind that it's not his only one. I suppose that the dream shows that he does still long for Edith and what happened still affected him... you could say that a part of him wants to go back to how he used to be, and that a small part of him is faintly aware that what he's doing is wrong. I mean it would have to be possible if your canon self was able to become CU if the theory was 'you would have to be willing to be hypnotized/want to be that person in order for that to work.' It was one of my favorite scenes to do, to be honest–both as someone who enjoys using the senses and imagery and for the internal conflict it presented.
The assumption of Billy and Lisa being her kids was something that crossed my mind, but I don't think future circumstances will let that happen (unless it automatically happens). Also neither of them look like her or share any of her physical traits. Well, we got more roller coasters in this story to ride on and I enjoy the reactions from this site and on Archive of our Own. Also I apologize for getting the song stuck in your head, but it's got to be better than... something else I'd imagine.
Glowworm 56: I'm a sucker for a good romance myself, especially one that seems insanely impossible (Like I like Erik/The Phantom with Christine from 'Phantom of the Opera' but only in fan fiction when the writers can make the pairing work. I struggled with that in my Aladdin inspired AU). The canon pairing of KruppXEdith was SO unexpected and I can't get enough of it myself due to all the potential (You'll get a gold mine of that over at Archive of our Own)! I would scream that to him too... but hopefully we won't have to wait for the inevitable reunion for too long. We are still stuck on day 6 and the fateful moment is getting closer with each chapter.
Professor P helps provide an interesting source of humor in times where it MIGHT not be ideal, so it's a matter of 'Well what can I do with THIS guy?' Especially since I'm using a version closer to the movie and has Nick Kroll's easy to hear in your head voice. Honestly, if there ever will be a character that will somehow take all the seriousness away from a scene it's going to be him–trust me, you'll find out what I mean a little later on.
I think that if you were royalty then you would have to have a more formal name (and I still don't get you one gets 'Bill' or 'Billy' from William, to be honest with you. How do you get 'Dick' from Richard?) I've heard of that story a lot but I'm struggling to remember if I read that story in it's entirely or not.
That dang cow somehow always popping up! :D I had a feeling CU WOULD tell the cow about remembering something if he was going to go off and tell a lot of other individuals. Oh that reminds me!
"Hey Krupp!" HolyMaiden24 turned to the annoyed principal as she held her laptop out in front of him to reveal the face of Glowworm56 (who was safely away from the large toilet prison). "This reader has a joke for you! It would mean a lot to them if they told you."
"Hey don't I know you from somewhere?" Krupp struggled to think about this as the reader told him the joke:
"A mother is trying to wake her son up for school. 'What's the use? The kids and the teachers all hate me. Give me two reasons why I need to go to school?' 'Well first off, you're forty five years old, and secondly, you're the principal.'"
Both the writer and the reader bursted out laughing as Krupp shot them both a dirty look. "Oh ha-ha–you think you're real funny, do you?" He asked Glowworm56.
"Yeah, and so would a certain someone." Glowworm56 snapped her fingers and Krupp became Captain Underpants in an instant. "Ah-ha! Greetings citizen!" He waved at the reader. "Why are you trapped in that strange device?"
The reader repeated the joke and the superhero bursted out in delightful laughter.
Ok, now to the story for reals this time!
Chapter 10-Whoops
The boys had looked everywhere for Captain Underpants, but even though he would be the most easiest thing to spot he was nowhere to be found. They finally went into the guest bedroom to see if he showed up there, but no such luck.
"Where the heck is he?!" Harold threw his hands out as George took the ring out again and thought for a moment. "The one time we need him and we can't find him!"
"I think I have an idea." George replied as he went to the bathroom. Harold followed him and watched as the boy turned one of the nozzles of the sink and a jet of water came out. WIthout saying a word, the boy calmly stuck the ring under the water and waited.
Moments later, a set of familiar red lights zipped into the room and went into the ring.
"Huh." Harold was impressed as George turned the water off and wiped the ring dry with a towel. "We should have thought of that earlier–would have saved us the trouble."
"It's lazy, but effective." George agreed. As soon as George was sure the ring was dry to the touch, he snapped his fingers and out came Captain Underpants a few seconds later. He was cross legged as he hovered a few feet up in the air, but to the quiet surprise of both boys, he seemed withdrawn and depressed as he had one hand under his jaw and stared off at nothing in particular. They were so used to him being cheerful all the time that it was a little unsettling.
"Uh, are you ok?" Harold asked in concern. It took a moment for Captain Underpants to realize where he was and who he was with when he finally noticed the boys. In an instant he let out a surprised "Oh!" and moved his hand from his jaw before he had a huge smile on his face that seemed less honest and more like a mask as if to hide something. "Good to see you boys again!" He waved before frowning. "Is this about the ballroom? I didn't mean to yell!" He quickly apologized.
"That's not why we summoned you." George replied as Harold carefully took the photograph out of his pocket. "Well, maybe." He admitted before adding. "We remembered that you yelled that you remembered someone. Was it Edith?" He asked.
"It was." The adult admitted as his smile became more relaxed and more genuine.
"What exactly did you remember?" George inquired.
"Well," Captain Underpants thought for a moment. "It was night time, there were lights all around me... and I was dancing with her, but she looked younger. And happier." He added. "The memory made me happy, but it made me feel something else. Except I don't know how I could describe it." He frowned but then smiled again. "But it was a really nice feeling."
The boys shared a knowing look before Harold took the photo and hid Edith with his hand in case Captain Underpants would get the wrong idea about the image. "Do you recognize the man in this photo?" He asked.
The boys watched as Captain Underpants moved closer to them and stared at the photo as long and hard as he could with an expression that was meant to be serious, but the way his eyes squinted and the way he pulled off an exaggerated frown of concentration made him look comical instead. "I have to admit, I've never seen him before." He confessed.
Harold stared at Captain Underpants in disbelief as George slapped his head. "Really? He doesn't look familiar to you?" He asked. Was the adult really that stupid and could not see the resemblance?
"Nope." The adult shook his head.
"Have you looked in the mirror at any time?" George pointed to the mirror and Captain Underpants looked. "Yes, I can see myself." He grinned as he struck a pose. "And I look quite dashing!"
Despite his frustration, Harold fought the urge to laugh as he held the photo next to the mirror. "Ok, now look at yourself, then look at the man for a few seconds, then back again." He instructed. A comparison had to work in this case.
Captain Underpants did as he was told. He looked at himself, then at the photo, then back again. "Boys, I don't understand what this is supposed to do." He admitted as he gave them a questioning look.
George and Harold let out a loud groan of frustration at the adult's stupidity.
"Wait!" George took the photo and looked at it carefully before he not only hid Edith, but also the top of Benjamin's head where his hair was. "Ok, now?" He asked as he held the photo up. "Do what we told you to again and look carefully at his face."
This time when Captain Underpants obeyed he realized what he was being shown. "Oh, you mean to say that he looks like me?!" He pointed to himself as his eyes widened in surprise. He looked at the photo once more. "Wait, so do I have a twin, or–"
"We think he might be you!" Harold finally threw out what the boys wanted to tell him. "I mean we aren't sure, but you look way too alike for it to be a coincidence."
"Well if that is me, I certainly have odd taste in clothing." Captain Underpants admitted as he looked closer at the photo. "What am I–I mean what is he looking at?"
"We'll let you know later." Harold admitted as George quickly put the photo in his pocket. Moments later there was a knock on the door from the bedroom. "Hey guys, are you about ready to go?" Billy asked from behind the door. "There's a couple of places we can check out."
"Oh?" Captain Underpants perked up at this. "Where are you boys off to this time?" He asked as George quickly turned one of the handles to the sink. Before Captain Underpants could get an answer, the boy stuck the ring under the water and the hero vanished in an instant.
"That didn't work as well as I'd hoped." George sighed. "It didn't trigger another memory out of him."
"Yeah, I'm afraid to say it, but maybe he won't be as much help as we had hoped for." Harold admitted before looking at the sink. "You know, we need to test to see how long we can hold our breath underwater as humans when we get back."
When the children went into town, the boys were impressed with the new decorations. "It looks like you guys threw around a bunch of toilet paper." Harold snorted as he pointed to the long paper decorations that almost looked like the item in question.
"I guess." Billy let out a giggle.
"And all the flowers?" George asked as he eyed all the colorful plants that were everywhere no matter where he looked.
"Well, because it's spring." Lisa admitted as she adjusted a stylish lilac colored hat that she was currently wearing on her head. "And... something about rebirth? Renewal?" She shrugged as her hands dropped to her sides. "Something about change, I think."
They all went through many stores and carefully planned out how to prank Ms. Gambino with the help of the royal siblings who enjoyed the idea of getting into some mischief. The boys enjoyed their creativity and input over all the possibilities the siblings came up with and they looked forward to putting the plan in action because of that. They went to a lot of stores where they could collect some very useful supplies and when the siblings admitted how some unfamiliar or common items could possibly be used in the pranks, the boys were eager to use them as soon as possible. The trip made them wish that the siblings could remain friends with them for beyond how little time they had left in the kingdom upon the surface.
The children then went into the toy store to find some additional tools to use. As they did, they talked about the comic the boys made.
"I hope you guys make more comics of Captain Underpants!" Lisa grinned at the boys while holding some fake dog poop and having a bag of recently purchased pranking equipment hanging on her shoulder. "I couldn't get enough of him!"
"Yeah, our classmates would love him." Billy smiled as he eyed some fake spiders. "We need more positive role models nowadays."
The boys snickered. "I don't know about him being a role model." Harold admitted but then he frowned as he realized something. "The thing is... that might be our only comic of him."
"Why?" Billy was surprised as Lisa frowned. "You guys have something good–"
"We want to keep writing about him!" George admitted. "It's just–" He stopped and sighed as he shared a look with Harold. "We have to leave after the festival tomorrow. And where we go is a place where people might not understand him or find him as funny as you guys find him to be." He frowned as he realized just how little time there was left for them all. "I don't think the comic book would survive the trip alone." He realized that the paper would not last underwater and it would be destroyed the moment it would touch the water's surface. In fact it was almost eerily like how Captain Underpants himself would return back to the ring the moment he made contact with water. Why exactly was it that he couldn't touch water?
"So we want you to keep that comic." Harold added. "We know he'll be well loved and cared for by you guys." And honestly, who else could they trust to take care of the comic? At least it would be a final parting gift and they could live in the knowledge that someone could at least keep one of their comics, away from hands that would be eager to tear it up into pieces.
Billy and Lisa stared in shock at the two. "I'm sorry, it's just how it is." George shrugged as he and Harold went over to look at some toys as they both tried to mask their feelings. Meanwhile the siblings stared at each other in dismay. Were they about ready to say farewell to the boys when they actually weren't ready to?
Both sets of children silently looked though the sections in the store and they dreaded the moment they would have to part ways for their own reasons. The siblings had grown to enjoy the company of the boys and because they treated them as equals and not as someone high above them like most would. They didn't expect them to always behave–they brought joy into their lives when they needed it. The boys had also grown to enjoy the company of the siblings for being open to their sense of humor and for not trying to bring them down–they were also a lot of fun to hang around with.
But unfortunately for George and Harold, the bright and wonderful world above was a place they knew from the beginning that they would eventually have to leave. Gone would be the new friends and gone would be the warmth of sun, the fun, the compassion, and the encouragement from others. They had a mission to focus on and for all they knew, they would be locked away forever–trapped in the dark and separated from their means to create and express themselves as well as from each other–if all went wrong.
There was one thing they could at least feel secure about–all these children of the surface world would never ever have to directly encounter Krupp face to face. The mere idea of it was unpleasant, and with their newfound friendship with the siblings, it was now important that the two would never find out about the true identity of the adult who was mean to George and Harold. Or better yet, that Krupp would never discover the friendships the boys made with them.
"Ugh, rough waters last night–I could barely sleep." A customer complained to the owner as she brought a stuffed rabbit to the counter. "Also my husband's friend complained that he could hear a woman singing her head off and she kept him awake near the lighthouse in the dead of night no matter how many times he yelled out for her to stop. Sometimes I wish we could get of here."
"Too bad about the oil drill last night." The owner sighed as the woman took paper money out to pay for the animal. "The thing was caught in an explosion and then a storm came to try to knock that ship over when it came to check the drill out."
George, Harold, Lisa, and Billy froze and looked up in alarm.
"Yeah, I heard it came mere moments after the drill was destroyed, as if the king under the ocean just happened to be nearby." The owner continued with a snort that indicated that he didn't believe in the myth while he accepted the money and gave the woman her change back. "I mean it's good there was no oil, but on the other hand it's not looking good for this town. No oil, no jobs, no money."
"I can't imagine what's going through King Mason's head right now." The woman was sympathetic as the owner put the rabbit in a paper bag. "Too worried to think of the festival I bet. Who the heck would pay to have an oil drill all the way out there if there was so little chance of there being any oil to begin with?"
The children were horrified upon hearing this for their own reasons. The siblings realized that nothing was ok, despite what their father would want them to believe right now, and that things were getting much worse than they had thought. The boys realized that Krupp was aware of that issue somehow and now had another reason to be mad at the humans, which could make their mission harder than it needed to be-it was all too easy to picture just how angry he must have been.
"You don't think our letters made things worse?" Billy nervously asked Lisa as she stared at him with wide eyed horror.
"Oh man, this can't possibly get any worse." Harold gulped as he looked at George. "It's only a matter of time until–"
"Hey what are you doing there?!" The owner saw a teenager stuffing some items from a shelf into his pockets instead of leaving them out in his hands or arms. "Hey!" The man snapped his fingers as he went around the counter to get to the teen.
"Oh no." George felt his heart stop and he and Harold watched as Captain Underpants was summoned out on accident yet again. "Oh hi guys, what's up?" He grinned and waved when he turned around to see them.
Lisa snapped her head up when she heard that familiar voice that sounded a couple of shelves close by. "He's here!" She exclaimed to her brother, who was more interested in what was about to occur.
The teen snapped his head up in alarm and quickly snagged one more item before hurrying away as fast as he could. The customer hurried towards the door to try to block him, and even Billy tried to run and grab the teen's shirt upon lunging at him, but he was too slow and fell to the ground.
"Stop thief!" The owner yelled as he pointed to the teen and hurried after him.
"A theft?!" Captain Underpants was immediately alerted to what was going on before he had a determined grin on his face before flying off after the young thief. "Don't worry, I'm here to help!"
"No wait!" George cried out as he and Harold were forced to run after the adult. Meanwhile the teen had managed to knock the woman aside as hard as he could and escaped through the door and the store owner was after him a few seconds later.
In that moment Billy looked up and Lisa watched the door as a huge blur of red, white, and peach rushed though the door without it opening and seconds later their friends hurried after it. It was a fast moment, but to the siblings the blur looked oddly familiar.
"STOP!" Harold yelled at Captain Underpants as he and George hurried to catch up to him. "He's not a kid and he can't see you, remember?! You'll just pass through him!"
Captain Underpants skidded to a halt in mid-air and turned around to face the boys. "But he's getting away!" He protested as he threw his hands out towards the teen and the store owner who was running after him.
"You can't do anything if you can't physically grab him!" George frantically pointed out. "I'm sorry, but this is something you can't do, no matter how much you want to!"
"But what if I want to help out?!" Captain Underpants was now torn between going after the criminal and arguing with the boys. "Isn't there a way you can make it so that I can be seen by adults and not go through you?!" He pleaded to them.
"We don't know!" Harold admitted. "We don't even know where the ring came from in the first place!"
Captain Underpants opened his mouth and was about to say something when all of the sudden he noticed something behind the boys and then cheerfully waved at it with a smile. "Oh hello, Your Highnesses!" The boys were confused by the sudden change of his tone until they realized what he was saying and turned around.
Lisa and Billy were standing several feet behind George and Harold and were staring at Captain Underpants in complete and utter shock. Billy's jaw dropped and his eyes were close to popping out of their sockets while Lisa's face gained a spectacular blush when she caught sight of the adult man in just a cape and underwear.
Both Lisa and Billy were sensible children at this point in their lives. They knew fact from fiction, they knew the myths around the kingdom were just myths, and they knew that George and Harold's superhero was a character they had made up. They did not expect to see that the man the boys were arguing with–the man who possessed the voice that had been encouraging to Lisa–was in fact a living breathing version of the superhero in all his underwear wearing glory. A person who was also flying a few feet off the ground which should not have been anywhere near possible and yet it was happening before their very eyes.
"Is–" Billy stammered as he pointed a finger to the adult. "Is that–guys am I nuts or is that your superhero flying right beside you?"
The words that ran through George and Harold's horrified minds would have gotten them (as well as the writer if she ever revealed them, because she was trying to keep this story as kid-friendly as possible) in deep, deep trouble. Of all the things they had feared up to this point, this was one of them.
"Why yes I am!" Captain Underpants happily confirmed to George and Harold's dismay. The superhero's cheerfulness then faded when he realized what was happening. "Oh... uh... whoops." He gulped as Lisa's eyes widened as she fully realized who the owner of the energetic but kind sounding voice was.
"It was you!" She exclaimed as she slapped a hand to her cheek and pointed at Captain Underpants. "You're the voice from the library and the ballroom! You were the one who suggested that I should have read the comic!"
Both boys stared at Lisa when they heard this before staring at Captain Underpants as their horror increased. "What does she mean by that?" George demanded as steadily as he could while the adult began to nervously sweat.
"Well, I wanted to help you guys be friends with Princess Lisa, since you were already friends with Prince Billy!" Captain Underpants tried to explain as he held his hands up. "And she didn't look happy, so I tried to encourage her to read your comic–without being seen!" He added. "I mean it worked out alright in the end, right?! But this was before you told me about the–"
"Stop it!" George panicked and quickly and angrily cut Captain Underpants off before he could reveal anything else. "You already said enough!"
"We told you not to let them see you!" Harold cried out. "But talking to them behind our backs?!"
"Uh, what's going on?" Lisa asked in confusion as she wondered what Captain Underpants was about to say before he was cut off.
"Oh no, we can't fix this!" Harold groaned as he held his head as his panic began to rise. "We can't explain this to them! We'll have to explain everything!"
"Explain what?" Billy asked as Lisa stared at Captain Underpants in wonder. "That your– I mean that Captain Underpants is somehow real? But that's incredible!" he grinned at the superhero. "Weird, yeah. But incredible!"
"No, you don't–ARGH!" George cried out in frustration before turning around to face Captain Underpants. "Why do you have to be so dumb and impulsive and not consult us about things first?! Do you have any idea how many times you could have gotten us into trouble?! Like just now?!"
"But I didn't mean to!" Captain Underpants protested as he felt hurt by George's words.
"He's right!" Harold pointed out and the discovery of what happened the night before and a bunch of other things were getting to him as well as the realization that their friend was probably going to be more of a danger than they had realized. "Maybe it's better that you can't follow us back home and can't be seen by adults! At least we won't have you to ruin things at the last moment!"
Captain Underpants stared at the boys in shock, as did the siblings who were surprised at how mean the boys suddenly became. Having both boys angry at him was not a pleasant experience, but this? "You don't mean that." He tried to protest as he shook his head in denial. "You don't–"
Harold–not wanting to experience this–grabbed George's hand and they both ran away. "Don't you dare follow us this time!" George yelled at Captain Underpants.
"No wait!" Captain Underpants protested as he reached a pleading hand out to them. "George! Harold!" He cried out, but the boys didn't listen and he was forced to watch as they hurried away from him. "Come back!" He cried one last time, but it was hopeless.
Hurt by their words and now upset with himself, Captain Underpants withdrew his hand and let out a depressed sigh as his face fell. "I just want to help you boys." He quietly confessed as he dropped from the air and stood upon the ground.
"Why can't we control him?!" George asked as he and Harold hurried to try to find water to drop the ring in. "Why dos he have to be so stupid?! And why does it have to be finger snapping of all things?!"
"We're running out of time!" Harold moaned as he tried to look around. "We can't figure out what's going on with him around! He doesn't even remember who he is!"
George let out a scoff. "Well it's not like we can go back into the past to figure out where everything went wrong for everyone." Moments later, George felt Harold grab him by the shoulder and he came to a stop. George turned around to see that Harold had something on his mind, as if he had an incredible thought.
"Maybe there is." Harold gulped before explaining and looking George in the eye. "That fortune teller could help us."
"The one from yesterday?" George was a little skeptical of this. "Are you sure you–"
"Just listen to me!" Harold shook George's shoulder. "She knew more than she let on! We have to go to the boardwalk, find her, and get her to confess! She might even know why Krupp banned us from the surface world!"
George hesitated before nodding. "Ok, but we got to do this on our own." He turned to a bus stop that was nearby.
Meanwhile Lisa and Billy were staring at Captain Underpants in both wonder and in sympathy. The superhero that they thought was made up until just now was sitting on the edge of the curb and rested his head in his hands in a very dejected manner that made him seem slightly child-like. Just moments ago he had been the most energetic and joyous grown-up that they had ever seen and despite his oddness, he invoked a sense of ease within them. Seeing him sad and depressed felt wrong–like this wasn't how he was supposed to be and that the world would probably explode because of that. It wasn't a happy sight for either of them.
"How is it no one is noticing him?" Lisa looked around to see that no one on the street was so much as giving the man a second glance or freaking out at the sight of him. Meanwhile, Billy stared at Captain Underpants and thought for a moment before he approached him and sat down next to him. The adult didn't have the perfect physique like other superheroes that the boy read about and he seemed pretty heavy looking for someone who could be able to fly, but his large size made the boy feel tiny in comparison to him. Billy could almost sense a sort of power about the man, but it made him feel safe and even in the man's depression, there was still a friendliness to him. It was almost no wonder he would be someone who would rush to a child's aid and try to fight for a righteous cause.
"Um," Captain Underpants turned around to see Billy giving him a shy look. "How did Harold and George... did they bring you to life or... I mean how is this possible?" He asked. "Were you real the whole time?"
Captain Underpants was about to answer, but then he remembered everything the boys told him yesterday and shook his head. "I already got in so much trouble with them." He confessed. "I broke my promise to them and the last thing I want is to make things worse for everyone." He really messed up big time with this. Plus the boys were the two that he knew the longest ever since... he first awoke? He didn't know what to call that, but he felt a strong connection with those boys and for it to break–he had no clue what he would do, but he couldn't imagine himself living in a world without them. The idea of it being otherwise was just wrong to him.
It was Lisa's turn to approach the strange adult. "Did you really mean what you said about when you talked to me?" She asked as she held her hands together. "Why would you risk that if they didn't want you to be seen by us?"
"You shouldn't be worrying about adult things." Captain Underpants admitted to her. "You should be worrying about whatever kids should be worrying about right now."
This made Lisa think back to what was written in the comic. And so, Captain Underpants made sure that all the kids were safe, happy, and would act like the way kids should act because he fought for truth, justice, and all that was pre-shrunk and cottony. Oh wow, she had no idea how true those words would be. "Well thank you." She gave him a kind smile. "I guess I did need it at the time. And it would have been harder to to be friends with George and Harold if I didn't read the comic." She frowned. "I don't know what's going on, but what they said to you wasn't nice."
"Yeah, maybe if we talk to them, we can get them to try to apologize to you and save your friendship with them." Billy added. "I don't know what's going on, but we can try to respect their privacy. We won't ask what's going on if it bothers them so much."
"You would do that?" Captain Underpants' eyes lit up as he moved his hands away from his face and stared at the kids in disbelief.
"Well yeah, you must mean a lot to them and they clearly mean a lot to you." Billy said. "Why else would they have made that comic? Plus I don't think you're dumb if you went out of your way to help my sister out when she needed it." He smiled as he got up and stood beside his sister. "Let's go find them and maybe we can try to fix this."
"That sounds like a wonderful idea!" Captain Underpants then smiled with relief as he got up on his feet. "Oh that's right!" He realized he forgot something as he pointed a finger in the air and, to the surprise of the siblings, he bowed before them in a dramatic flourish as he went as low as he could while his arm went up to the sky as high as it could go. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you face to face, Your Highnesses!"
"Oh, uh," Lisa blushed as Billy awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "Just call us Lisa and Billy. No need to be formal, uh, Captain Underpants." She let out a small laugh as she found herself saying those words out loud.
"Alright then!" Captain Underpants straighten up and put his hands on his hips as he grinned at the two. "Then I shall respect your wishes and refer to you by your names!" He then frowned. "By the way, where did George and Harold go?"
"Oh no!" Billy freaked out and he and Lisa hurried down to where the boys went while their new friend flew after them. "They shouldn't be on their own!" He stated as he looked around to find the two.
Moments later and a couple streets down, they finally caught sight of the two. Except both George and Harold were seated on a bus that was already speeding off from a nearby bus stop. Both of them didn't notice the others as they were too focused on wherever they were going.
"Oh nuts!" Lisa panicked as she, her brother, and Captain Underpants came to a stop. "That bus could have gone anywhere!"
"We can't go after them all day, we'll get in so much trouble!" Billy panicked before turning to the bus stop to see a few individuals waiting to get on the next bus. "Come on!" He waved to his sister and they went across the street and went to the nearest individual they could speak to.
"Excuse me?" Lisa approached a young woman as she wrote something down in a notebook. "Do you know where that bus went?" The woman looked up from the notebook, stopped what she was doing, and smiled at the princess. "Yeah, it went to the boardwalk."
"Oh man it's going to take awhile before we can go over there!" Billy grumbled.
"There should be another bus coming to take us to a place close by that area, Your Highness." A man told the prince.
"It should be coming in about another half hour." A woman with a painting told the children as her son stared at Captain Underpants in amazement.
"I don't know if we have time and we might need to make a phone call." Billy nervously tapped his foot as he crossed his arms against his chest. "I don't know if Jacob will be ok with that or not."
"You could go after them yourself since you can fly, right?" Lisa turned to Captain Underpants. "Or you could you take us with you?" Her eyes shone with excitement at this. "Can you do that?!"
"I can't." As much as he wanted to take the children with him, the superhero frowned and shook his head. "I can't actually touch anything and I'd just go through you. In fact I can't be seen by anyone except children who are good of heart. Or at least that's what the boys told me." He thought about this.
"That would explain a few things." Billy looked around to see that no one was staring at the strange man or trying to get him away from him and his sister–no one but one boy who quietly observed the conversation they were having. "But I don't know if I feel like I'm 'good of heart' if I can't do something to help my kingdom. In fact I don't know if there will even be a kingdom to watch over, what with the way things are going."
"Yeah, me too." Lisa admitted with a sigh. "We might have made things worse with those letters like you said."
"Hey don't say that!" Captain Underpants frowned at the children. "I think it's good that you can see me! In fact, maybe that means you both will make good rulers some day!" He then smiled with confidence at them. "Ruling a kingdom isn't easy, but as long as you try to stay positive, determined, and are willing to accept help, then I'm sure you'll do fine! You have each other and you have a lot of friends and subjects willing to help you, like these fine citizens!" He gestured to the people on the bus stop. "Any act of kindness or help will take you far! Just don't beat yourself up or take more than you can handle! Take it one day at a time and be confident and smile!" He added.
The siblings stared at the adult with new admiration. "Wow... that's uh," Billy was impressed. "That actually sounds like good advice. Thank you." He smiled.
"Yeah, it does." Lisa agreed before she frowned. "Hang on a minute. How do you know any of that? Have you had experience before?" She gave the adult a curious look. "You couldn't have been around us for that long."
Captain Underpants pointed upward and was about to reply, but then he realized what Lisa meant and was just as puzzled as her. "Uh... huh." He scratched the top of his head. "How would I know that?"
"I hope she's in there." George stared at Madame Miyuki's tent.
Harold let out a sigh as he began to think back to what he and George said to Captain Underpants. "When this is over, we need to apologize to Captain Underpants. I'm starting to regret that we yelled at him–he was really hurt."
"Yeah, but we had to say something and he was about to blurt out our biggest secrets." George pointed out. "Look, we'll make it up to him once we're done. This is more important right now."
Harold nodded and accepted this before they went in.
To their relief, the boys found Madame Miyuki petting her iguana inside her tent. "Well, I'm glad to see that my sign hasn't said something utterly disgusting yet." She smiled before turning around to face them. "I had a feeling you would come back today."
"How exactly did you know about Captain Underpants?" Harold began.
"And how did you know that we aren't human?" George asked.
"The bracelets gave you away." The fortune teller confessed. "I have clients who use them or at least they used to. Fortune telling tends to be a nice way to make a little side money, but my true professions lay with those who are part of the supernatural, like you. In fact I used a bracelet similar to your own, but it had the reverse effects and allowed me to visit your kingdom. As for your companion, I sensed a positive energy from your ring and it took me a moment to realize someone was inside it, which was why it was interfering with my readings. Also reading your fortunes gave me some knowledge about him." She chuckled. "To think that your greatest creation would be him of all individuals. I do love the irony of it all."
"But if you can see the future, you can see the past too, right?" Harold asked as he took the ring and the photograph out. "Madame Miyuki, we really need your help. We need to know if Captain Underpants has a connection with the man in this photograph."
"And we need to know what happened ten years ago that caused our king to cut us off from the surface world." George pressed. "No one is happy back home and we need to put a stop to his stupid rules once and for all."
Madame Miyuki took the photograph and gave it a sad smile as she stared at it for a few seconds. "Ah yes, the incomplete fairy tale." She mused before looking at the boys. "Yes, I can show you what happened ten years ago. But I'm afraid the problem started long before that exact moment and it all ties to one individual. An individual who is fated to be linked to you two, no matter what timeline, universe, dimension, or era."
This confused the boys. "What does that mean?" George asked.
"Well, the long version would be too confusing–and hard to handle–but the short version is that you were fated to encounter this man in the photograph since birth." She said as she set the photograph down.
Madame Miyuki took out a pillow which she set down in front of the crystal ball on the boys' side of the table. "Keep your hands wrapped around the rope of the ring's necklace." She instructed.
The boys sat down and the woman helped the boys entwine the rope around their wrists before resting their arms on the pillow. "I have to warn you about something." Madame Miyuki cautioned. "What you discover may not be pleasant and may not have a happy ending. Are you absolutely sure you want to discover the truth?"
"We have to know everything we can!" Harold determinedly told the fortune teller. "Don't hold anything back. We want all the details."
"Just the ones we need!" George added.
The fortune teller paused before guiding their hands to the crystal ball until they could touch the cool surface. "Ok then." She took a deep breath. "Clear your minds and gaze into the crystal ball." The boys watched as the crystal ball began to slowly light up. "Close your eyes." She instructed and the boys did so.
"It'll all be over when we get to the end." The fortune teller's voice echoed in their minds as everything around them began to fade. "Do not be afraid."
NEXT TIME: The boys get to witness some back story while some of my readers get to revisit a few familiar scenes from a new perspective. Also a huge chunk of 12 has already been done so hopefully it will come sooner rather then later.
I had to make this short for the sake of my readers. I didn't want to overwhelm you.
Poor CU... I'm going to be horribly punished for making him sad, aren't I? I can see both sides of the issue, even in the canon version.
In case it was on your mind at the time, yes I was reminded of that Old Spice Man during that scene with the mirror when I looked at it again. Also, I've actually did what George did and tried blocking the top of both Krupp and CU's heads in real life for the fun of it. The thing is that even if you do so, it's still easy to tell which persona is which based off the expression (at least until you get the moments when Krupp is genuinely smiling and you can see a bit of CU in him).
So I have to confess something. I'm not good at coming up with pranks, but I decided to do something fun instead and have contest for all my readers–two lucky readers will get to decide how the kids will prank Ms. Gambino.
One reader from fanfiction dot net and one reader from Archive of our Own will NOT ONLY have the chance to help write out a small part of the story but I will also let your Captain Underpants OC have a cameo for one chapter, which will be during George and Harold's last day on the surface (my only condition is that the OC can not be directly related to any of the canon characters–no crushes, cousins, nieces, nephews, secret brother or sister, etc. By canon, I mean the characters that were created by Pilkey/Dreamworks Animation). And you WILL get credit for this.
All you guys have to do is submit a prank idea within your review. The prank HAS to be kid friendly and it has to be a prank that could be possible back in the 1930s. I will decide based on if it would be a prank that the boys would definitely pull off. I will announce the two lucky winners at the end of chapter 12. If you are selected and you would like the inclusion of your OC in this story, you must immediately tell me the necessary key details before they can appear in chapter 13.
Now if you excuse me...
The writer took out some gold covered gauntlets after closing her laptop. "Ah my inner Legend of Zelda nerd saved the day yet again." She smiled before putting them on, and turned to Captain Underpants. "Now then!" And to the surprise of the Waistband Warrior, he was picked up by the writer as if he weighed as much as a feather to her. "This toilet gag isn't funny anymore!"
"Citizen, what are you doing?" He asked, but the writer turned to a wall and walked towards it with the man hoisted above her.
"FREEDOM!" She yelled and hurled Captain Underpants into the wall, causing it to shatter and fill the porcelain prison with light when he soared through the new hole.
"Oh sweet air of the outside!" She cried with relief after escaping through the hole and landing next to a very dazed but unharmed Captain Underpants, while George and Harold stood close by with amused looks. "Ugh, I really need to clean off." HolyMaiden24 smelled her hair and grimaced. "I smell awful! The things I go through for humor!" She shook her head.