CHAPTER 25: EVIL RETURNS

It was weeks before the great battle between Nightmare and Raphael. Siegfried had left Ostreihnsburg Castle with the Soul Embrace, hoping to destroy Soul Edge and never have to be Nightmare again. As for the frog, well, no one cares really. All that was left was Chinpoko, who found living in the castle all by himself quite nice.

"Ah, yes. Nothing like living in a place all by yourself without some stupid ass serial killer to baby-sit. I'd guess it's time to make myself another martini, the guests for the party are about to come, hehe." Chinpoko truly was living the life. He had a king's robe covered with dollar signs over him, sun glasses and a cane made of chrome. On his wings were several rings. His neck was covered in bling. He had turned that dusty, crumbly castle into a mansion. He had set up a pool in the backyard, high definition televisions, with an Xbox 360 for each one.

Er, I mean, PS3! PS3! Don't hurt me, Namco!

So, Chinpoko was living the pimp lifestyle. The crushed armor of Nightmare was still there, he used that as wall decorations. He sat upon the throne he had got made for himself, and heard the doorbell ring.

"Look's like my homies are here. Come on in, you're all welcome!"

The door bust open, and several black gangstas and rappers came in, led by a man clothed in white, holding a scythe. Chinpoko met them at the door.

"Wassup, homies?" Chinpoko asked, holding up his wing for a high five.

"Yo, wassup, dawg! I see you're chillin' like a villain, my man!" the man with the scythe said.

"Fo' schizzle, Zasalamel," Chinpoko said, turning on his cane.

"Back to you, my nizzle!" Zasalamel laughed.

Some black guy pointed to the armor on the walls. "What's this, dawg?"

"Eh, some white guy lived here once. He wasn't cool. He was cramping my style," Chinpoko said. "But he doesn't live here anymore."

"Man, that's not ghetto," Zasalamel said.

"Not ghetto at all, man," Zasalamel's homies said.

"Yo, wanna check out my pool? It is SO gangsta!"

Really, do any of you understand what these guys are saying? Can I have a black guy translate for me? I mean, I'M writing this and I don't know what they're talking about. Dammit.

As they were about to walk outside, a chilled voice rang through the air.

GET OUT.

"What was that?" Zasalamel asked. Everyone drew their guns, aiming them sideways.

OUT OF HERE. I MEAN IT!

"Tell me I didn't hear that, dawg! Not cool!" One of the homies said.

I SWEAR TO GOD, I WILL DEFEAT YOU IF YOU DON'T LEAVE! LEAVE OR ACCEPT MY CHALLENGE!

"Listen, dawg. Be cool. Be cool. Maybe we can work something out. Ummm…..any idea what we can work with here, guys?" Zasalamel asked.

Everyone was silent.

I WANT A BODY. A HOST. AN EARTHY VESSEL TO CONTINUE MY FEAST OF SOULS.

Everyone froze. Chinpoko dropped his cane.

NOW! DO SO OR YOU WILL FACE MY MIGHTY CHANCE OF VICTORY!

"Man, this guy sounds so white," one guy said.

All the guys grabbed the armor off the walls. Chinpoko looked around, and realized what was about to happen.

"No. No, come on, guys, not the armor…..you don't know what that means to me! That means I'll have to deal with him again……come on, dawgs! Be cool! Be ghetto! Aw, what the hell does ghetto mean anyway?" Chinpoko complained in disgust. He threw all his pimp-wear and sulked in the corner.

FOR ALL THESE WEEKS...I HAVE KEPT THE REMNANT OF MY SPIRIT ALIVE THROUGH THIS ARMOR...THE MEMORIES OF SIEGFRIED SCHAUFFTEN KEEP MY BEING CONSCIOUS...IF I CANNOT BECOME A POKEMON MASTER, I SHALL TAKE SIEGFRIED'S PLACE AS THE AZURE KNIGHT!

The armor was thrown into a pile. Zasalamel, stepping forward, suddenly got an idea. Smiling, he said, "Okay, dawgs, time to step back. I took magic lessons during my time at Hogwarts. Okay." Holding out his hands, he spoke in a ancient and incomprehensible tongue.

"atosinoialskdfjiaonifohibnoiasifdgoiasoinbipaisdnboiansdiblkcjoasidn!" Zasalamel cried.

Lightning pierced the bright blue sky, striking the armor. The earth shook, and a bright flash occurred. Everyone closed their eyes. When they opened, the clouds went dark.

"Dammit, so much for the pool party," one of the black guys said.

Standing before them was a demonic knight in blue armor. His red eyes pierced through the evil helmet. In one hand, he held a strange, demonic sword with a green, disturbing eye. The other hand was mutated, deformed; on his shoulder he had a monstrous mouth with humongous teeth gaping for blood and flesh.

"Haha! It worked!" Nightmare laughed. Lunging upon Zasalamel, who didn't move, he cleaved the guy in two. Everyone stepped back in fear.

"Oh my God, he killed Zasalamel!" Stan cried.

"You bastards!" Kyle screamed.

Nightmare, or Ash Ketchum, let out of monstrous cry of laughter. Rained seemed to pour down, in a desperate attempt by nature to cleanse the earth of this new foul creation. All too fruitless.

"Anyone else?" Nightmare-Ash asked.

"Um, no, I think we were leaving." And before you could say "cracker!", they were out of there.

"Ah, Chinpoko! There you are!" Nightmare-Ash walked over to the cowering, sobbing bird hiding in the corner. "Do not worry, I will not be as stupid as your previous master."

"You…you won't?" Chinpoko asked.

"Of course not," Nightmare-Ash said, with his mutated fingers crossed.

"Well then," Chinpoko said, bowing, "What can I do for you, master?"

"FIND ME A TRUE HOST! This body is temporary, it will not be able to last. Go, Chinpoko, fly! Find me a body, find me souls….."

And he added with a grim note,

"And find me Siegfried!"

Will Zasalamel ever come back from the dead? Will he come back to life? Will he be resurrected from the grave? Will this new evil demon, Ash, win in this fight against all that is good? Or will Siegfried survive his never ending hatred? Find out in the next episode of Nightmare's Happy Sunshine Story!

Meanwhile……

"Ugh, where the hell am I?" Zasalamel said, now fully in one piece.

"Dammit! Not again!" This has been happening to him for centuries. Ever since he learned the arts of evil black magic from the Florida Gators college basketball team, he had been in a constant cycle of reincarnation, or in this story, constant revival. It really got monotonous and a little annoying after the first, say, 10,000 times it's happened.

"I hope this new Nightmare will help me in my gangsta plan! Fo' schizzle!" With that, he left the castle.