Where were they? WHERE HAD THEY GONE! Mimi! O'Chunks! These echoed around Nastasia's Head as she staggered in the dark after the Flip. Her bonhomie which she had after evacuating all the staff in the bowels of the Castle having evaporated in that there was no sign of her fellow minions.
It could only be Dimentio. But where was he?
Her eyes adjusted to the gloom. She was in the Great Hall, or what was left of it as there was a faint purple flicker from the sky through the holes in the roof.
And there he was. Lit by his own glow, resplendent in his top hat and cloak. But there was the butterfly Pixl. Tippi. Timpani - it could be no one else. But there was someone else - she squinted - The Man in Red.
Sensing no time to waste, she Flipped towards Bleck.
He hadn't noticed her appearance as he was in full flow. Any hopes she had that he was free of the influence of the Dark Prognosticus died when she saw the tome hovering to the left of the Count.
There he was reunited with his love, lost over time and space. She felt that she was intruding but to the Count and Tippi no-one else in the universe existed.
He held his hat over his face.
"You know the answer, dear Timpani... Count Bleck does not have to tell you... But the hour has grown too late. You should know that by now"
Count Bleck, not Blumiere - never while that tome existed.
"Blumiere... ... My love, Blumiere... Or rather, Count Bleck... The only way we can stop this is to defeat you... And that is exactly why Mario and I have come here... To stop this.
Nastasia gasped. No No! Anything but this! But there is no other way.
"BLEH HEH HEH HEH! BLECK! Very well! But I will also do what I must! Count Bleck is the deleter of worlds! My fate is written in the Dark Prognosticus! Do not think for a moment that I will hesistate to strike you down. ALL NOW ENDS!"
"Blumiere...my Blumiere..."
Count Bleck turned towards Nastasia, apparently noticing her for the first time.
"Leave me, Nastasia. I will deal with these two ALONE."
"B-But..." though it was a relief. But where would she go? It was clear Dimentio could track all their motions and control where they Flipped to.
"Count Bleck demands it! I will not say it again..."
"Yeah, right away, Count."
-
She almost welcomed the lurch as she Flipped to gods know where. She could smell damp stone and pitch blackness as she landed.
"Nassy?"
"It's me, O'Chunks. Um ah, it really IS me not Dimentio playing his games - oh no that't exactly what he's say-"
"Nastasia, you came back!" Mimi shouted, not bothering to mask her relief.
"Yeah guys. It's me 'k? Um... I think Dimentio is fiddling with how we flip. Um er, where are we?
"Ach, Mimi and I have been looking around this cell and there's no doors. I remember this place - Nassy took me here to help with Luigi - it's that Room Without Doors he used the go on about!"
Of course where else would he send them. It was exactly what Dimentio would do.
"Nassy, have you seen Dimentio?"
"No, but I know he's behind the interference with Flipping. I've, uh been here before. I know this is one of his places 'k?"
It would be useful to have some light here. She remembered the candle that the Toad child had given here.
"O'Chunks, have you got your flint and steel?"
"Aye, I always have it on my belt"
After a few attempts they got the candle lit. There was less light, more of a shape to the darkness. It was that awful cell. Very funny, Dimentio.
"What are we gonna do now Nassy?" Mimi piped up.
What are we going to do? She genuinely had no idea where they would end up. She knew Mimi could Flip but what about O'Chunks?
"This is the Room Without Doors. The only way is to Flip or be Flipped in and out of here. Unless one can create a portal. I can Flip another person but not two-"
"Don't worry!" Mimi interrupted "I can Flip O'Chunks"
"?"
"Aye it's true. She's done it twice!"
"Well I'm uh, impressed. I only knew you could Flip over short distances! And you managed to Flip O'Chunks?"
"Aye! But it's nae something i'd do for fun!"
Nastasia took a deep breath. There seemed to be a plan for now.
"'k, I have an idea. The Count is in the Great Hall. This means we have to focus on the Great Hall - but near one of the doors - we don't want the Count to see us. O'Chunks, you'll need to focus too - it'll make it more likely all of us will end up in the same place."
O'Chunks coughed.
"Um Nassy? If yeh say Dimentio is fiddling with yeh Flipping, how do yeh know we'll get out of here?"
"I don't 'k? But I'm out of ideas and I don't hear any other plans 'k" She found herself snapping.
"Um..well I think that Dimentio is...busy. I don't want to know what he's planning but we need to be with the Count, even if he doesn't want us with him. We can't do anything here!"
"Aye! And we're still Team Bleck."
Despite herself, Nastasia felt herself smile.
"We haven't got long 'k? Let's all hold onto each other. We need to open our minds 'k? So we can make sure we're thinking about the same place. Mimi! on the count of three - one, two, three -!"
And with a CRACK all three Flipped from the cell.