Disclaimer: I don't own Smash Bros. The series itself belongs to Nintendo.
Author's Note:
In light of recent world events, the following episode (plus the next one that's gonna be a special event) contains especially impactful subject matter. Not for the butthurt people. Readers' discretion is advised. Even though the event of this episode is based on what happened in Paris, thoughts and prayers go to the people of all Europe, especially Belgium.
Unlike the last episode, this episode feature two Original characters of mine: one of them is my main titular character Casey Trésor from my first ever original novel, Casey Trésor and the Book of Wonders, currently under development. The second one is Serena l'Eclair, Hunt's sister from SSBHD.
You can also see both characters as the main OCs of the new fanfic Gaming Guardians of the NX Worlds.
Super Smash Bros. 3D
Deal... or no Deal... in 3D
About Episode:
Jenn's rescue mission for Princess Peach leads her and the Smash Bros. away from London, to Paris, to unexpected twists. Back in the Nintendo World's past, the real kidnappers of Zelda are unveiled, and in Nintendo World's present day, Bowser Jr.'s Airship gets hijacked.
xxx
APPEARING IN THIS EPISODE
MAJOR CHARACTERS
OCs (Original Characters): -Jennifer 'Jenn' Dimentio, Dr. Andre Dimentio, Amiir Black
SBs (Smash Bros characters): -Dr. Mario, Luigi, Zelda, Link, Fox Mc Cloud, Falco Lombardi, Samus Aran, Pit, Kirby, Palutena, Rosalina, Ike, Pikachu, Peach, Bowser Jr., the Seven Koopalings, Robin/Grima, Ryu, Bayonetta, Wolf O'Donnell.
Minor Characters
OCs (Original Characters): -Mr. DeMonsera.
Nintendo Characters: - Kamek, Pigma Dengar, Leon Powalski, Andrew Oikonny.
Guest Characters
OC: Casey Trésor (Casey Trésor series - my original novel, Gaming Guardians of the NX Worlds)
OC: Serena l'Éclair (NX World - Super Smash Bros. HD, Gaming Guardians of the NX Worlds)
Game Characters: Anne (Bravely Second: End Layer)
xxx
Nintendo World: Avenue of Silver Trees (Flashback)
Palutena never saw it coming.
It felt like a punch in the guts. A hot punch crafted by the fires of Hephaestus. Palutena never thought Rosalina would join the dark side.
But she did.
Rosalina donned in a black dress as black as the tar pits of the Underworld with drops of gold as design edges. Its shades, as fuzzy as the River Styx. The immobile marching line of Silver Trees that surrounded her and her partners didn't do much help either.
"Rosie?" Palutena asked, "Rosie, what are you doing?"
"What she should have done a long time ago." spoke a voice coming out of her. A female voice. She didn't sound like Rosalina at all. She had an accent and a wicked wit.
Rosalina floated before Palutena, Ike, Link, and the princesses Peach and Zelda. The swordsmen drew their swords out.
Next thing they knew, a powerful gust of wind knocked them off their feet and sent them flying through a wall. Palutena gasped. Pit and Kirby watched the two brave heroes succumb to unconsciousness.
"Rosalina!" Palutena shouted at the goddess.
"We have to go Palutena!" Zelda warned, "Now!"
"Hurry!" Peach shouted.
"But—"
"No time to explain!" Zelda turned around and clasped her hand. A light ball formed between her fingers. She shot it and a portal forged out of nowhere. She turned to the group, "Rosalina is unstable! This is dangerous!" she said.
"What's gotten into you?" Pit shouted at Rosalina from inside his Mystery Box, "Palutena! She's gone insane!"
"Insane?" Rosalina said, pulling out a smirk that sent a shivering cold down the goddess and the angel's spines, "I wouldn't call myself that. I'm more than determined."
The two swordsmen managed to get back on their feet. They were in severe pain.
"Determined to do what? To hurt us?" Pit shouted.
"Not just to hurt you." Rosalina spoke with a gentle tone. She then waved her wand. "Determined to take you all down!"
"Guys!" Peach said, "You have to remember! It is NOT—"
Instantly, a portal ripped open from behind Rosalina and a powerful vacuuming gust caught the heroes like a raging storm. It started yanking on the goddess and the angel. The two princesses stood their ground. So did the swordsmen. But they couldn't hold out long. The Shulk Amiibo was yanked out of Palutena's grasp and so was the Mystery Box with Pit and Kirby in it.
"NO!" she screamed and so did Pit and Kirby. The heroes never saw that coming. The Amiibo vanished into the portal and disappeared. Palutena watched as the Mystery Box was shrinking into nothingness, into the great abyss…
"NOOOOO!"
xxx
Nintendo World: Location (Flashback, couple of hours earlier)
"Palutena!"
Palutena snapped out of trance. She was back in Hyrule Castle. She turned to her side but couldn't see Pit.
"Pit?"
"Down here!"
Palutena noticed she was still carrying his Mystery Box. Pit and Kirby were still trapped inside it.
"Are you okay?" Pit asked her.
Palutena turned to Rosalina. She wasn't with her. Neither was Ike and Link. They were still searching for that mysterious guy in the cloak around the castle, she recalled. Palutena had already looked and couldn't find anyone.
She turned back to Pit, "Uhh, yeah." She dismissively said, brushing a lock of her green hair, "Everything's fine. Why?"
"You were daydreaming again." Pit said. Kirby nodded in agreement.
Palutena blushed. She sure has to stop that daydreaming, she thought. They had a mission to think about.
The trio rejoined the goddess back at the center of the castle. "We've searched the place everywhere." Ike said, "No sign of him."
"Who in the Dark World could it be?" Link wondered, "And why would he have Zelda?" he then grumbled, "As Hylia my witness, I will make that dark wizard pay for this!"
"You think it's Ganondorf's doing?" Ike asked.
"It's not Vaati or Ashera, that's for sure." Link said, "Both of them were sealed away from our worlds, remember?"
"Right." Ike said, "Then who else could be behind this?"
Suddenly three sigils appeared on walls before the heroes. One looked like a moon with an eye. The second symbol looked like three pairs of eyes shaped like fish on a necklace-looking line. The third symbol… looked like a Kanji symbol that meant 'Destruction'.
"Guys…" Pit whispered uneasily. Kirby made a gulping sound. Palutena didn't like what she was seeing.
"Okay what kind of game is this?" Ike whispered.
"The kind everyone wants to play." spoke a male voice. The heroes took position and drew out their weapons. Ike and Link got their swords, and Rosalina and Palutena got their wands.
They saw no one.
"Show yourselves Gerudo thief!" Link raged.
The person speaking laughed out loud. "Gerudo thief? Look again."
Link spun around. Standing in front of them was the man in the black hooded cloak.
"Do I look like a Gerudo thief to you?"
"How about you show your face and we'll find out?" shouted Pit from the Mystery box. Kirby squealed in agreement.
The man obeyed. He pulled the hood down to reveal his face: silver cropped hair that hid his matching eyebrows, a young face, and a piercing green eyes that was flickering, struggling to become red, like fire.
"Satisfied?" the man said.
xxx
Our World: Hotel d'Angleterre; Paris, France
"So what if you're all different?" Jenn said to the Smash Brothers at the Hotel suite, "You're all animated! And very popular in the entertainment AND game industry!"
"And what does that mean exactly?" Pit asked her after a moment of silence from the group.
"It means everybody loves you!" Jenn said.
Everyone just stared at Jenn: Mario—as Dr. Mario—Luigi, Zelda, Link, Falco, Fox, Samus, Kirby and Pit. They were all gathered by the dining table, occupied with bubbling beakers and test tubes shooting up smokes and bubbling liquids of all kind of color and texture.
Dr. Mario turned back to his friends, "Find me another test subject." He said and they all dispersed out. Link and Pit went to the left side of the suite by the living room, bathroom and bedrooms, while Samus and Fox went to the right by the kitchen and washer and dryer place where they found the Ratatta before. The rest of the cast started cleaning up the mess they had made.
Jenn let out a heavy frustrating sigh. She never thought she'd find herself in a tough spot. Nowhere to go. Nowhere to leave. She dreamed of a trip to Paris in the arms of a hearthrob boyfriend on a romantic stroll by the Eiffel Tower or on a dinner date from across it; not trapped in a secluded hotel room with animated video game characters after those damn terrorists caused another breaking-news terror attack that put the entire city under lockdown.
And here's the worst part: the Smash Bros. were worried. Not worried about the terrorists. They were worried about their images. Their 3D appearances in a foreign land. That wasn't a problem in New York before. Why is it a problem now? They were wasting time. Precious time! Princess Peach was in trouble. Chances are she's with Bowser Jr., and his airship has moved from London to Paris. Her father was still in Amiibo form! They had a mission to focus on and time was running out!
"Look guys," she said with another frustrating sigh, "Making potions to change apeparances isn't gonna help."
Falco grunted a sarcastic laugh. "Oh-ho! We're not making any potions here, dearie!" He turned to Dr. Mario for confirmation, "Are we?"
Dr. Mario shook his head.
"We're turning to science. Not magic." Zelda said.
"I heard of this drug that can turn people into bulged up beasts with biceps." Pit said, "I think they call it steroids! If they can make formulas like this, imagine changing our appearances!"
Kirby nodded in agreement. "Uh-Huh!" he squealed.
"The whole world knows about steroids." Jenn said sarcastically.
The Smash Bros. paused to look at Jenn in utter amazement. "Really?" Dr. Mario said, "Because Little Mac and Villager would definitely needs some."
Jenn tightly choked her father's Amiibo figure in her curled fingers without a thought. "Guys!" she grinded her teeth, "We didn't come all this way from London to Paris to get stuck here. We have a mission to complete!"
"Right." Luigi said, "We have to find Peach."
"Exactly! Thank you!"
"Just as long as this experiment is done." Luigi turned back to Dr. Mario, "Are we getting close? Are we getting close? Are we getting close?"
Dr. Mario rolled his eyes. So did Jenn.
"Why do you think Bowser had his minion Bowser Jr. move his Airship from one place to the other?" Link asked.
"Because Bowser Jr. has Peach!" Jenn snapped, "Okay? He's always wanted Peach because according to her, she's his 'Mama', and if Bowser said online that he didn't do it, then his son is the next suspect." Jenn said, "Which is why we have to get to him!"
"Why not check his FaceBook account to confirm it?" Pit asked.
"Oh?" Jenn's eyes lit up then she pulled out a Joker of a smile, "Oh wow Pit! That's an excellent idea. Why didn't I think of it before?"
Pit brushed his shoulders off haughtily.
"Let's go to his FaceBook profile to find out right now!" she pulled out her phone and went on FaceBook. She typed in Bowser Jr. Tons of Bowser Jr. lookalikes started popping up. "Oh look! BowserJr001, BowserJr002, William Bowser Jr, Martin Bowser Jr., Bowser Jr Galarza…"
The Smash Bros. exchanged questionable looks, as if to say, There's a Bowser Jr. Galarza?
"Oh look!" Jenn said, "There we are! Bowser Jr. With an official tag on it." She tapped on the link. "Let's see what he posted on his Wall today, shall we? Ah-ah-AHEM: 'Today is a good day to play with my Clown-Copter without my Dad nagging on me again. Hashtag #Blessed.' Oh look! 16,000 Likes already."
Pit stopped smiling. "I'm beginning to think you're sounding sarcastic."
Jenn shut off her phone angrily. "YOU THINK?!" she snapped, "No criminals on their RIGHT MIND would brag about a royal KIDNAPPING on Social Media, you birdbrain! This is the real world and criminals here are smart! Not stupid!"
She walked away.
"Hey, I'm a bird, you know!" Falco squawked, "That's insulting!"
Jenn threw a dismissive hand, "Whatever guys, I gotta go. Can't waste anymore time here."
The Smash Bros. turned to Jenn in shock, "Wait, you're going by yourself?" Luigi asked. "What if those terrorists attack again?"
"That's what I've been trying to tell you." She said, "The Mastermind behind the attacks is dead now. So we should be safe. Besides, Palais Garnier is not far from where Bowser Jr.'s Airship is according to Palutena." She turned to Pit for confirmation, "Right?"
"Right." Pit nodded.
"I'll come with you." Fox approached Jenn.
Jenn lit up, "Really? Thanks! I appreciate the lookout!"
"Hey, you're part of the team." Fox said, "And it's my duty."
"Good luck Fox!" Falco then joked, "Don't let the French hunters catch you!"
Fox dismissed him with a hand toss. The duo departed, leaving the rest of the gang on their science experiment.
"Okay." Dr. Mario clasped his hands, "We're ready for our 63rd attempt to perfecting our formula. I still have most of my ingredients. Any more test subjects?"
Link dropped a Raticate on the table. The wild Pokemon struggled to break free. Pit and Falco quickly helped Link pin the wiggling Pokemon down. The rest of the heroes stared jaws open.
"Holy hot wings! That's a mammoth of a creature!" Pit said.
The Raticate snapped its jaws.
"Apparently it's the grown up version of that rat we lost." Link said with an exhausted huff, "Ain't no way we're gonna lose this one now."
xxx
Nintendo World: Bowser's Airship
"This is a rather difficult situation to explain, Your Junior Filthiness. But as soon as I entered the bunk, there she was! Like a Christmas present! And it's not even Christmas yet!"
Kamek escorted Bowser Jr. across the ship's deck toward the ship's room belowdeck. He JUST had to leave the ship for one second in Kamek's and the Koopalings' care to take care of his dad's business and already, they were up to something.
"That better be a Christmas present." Bowser Jr. Grunted in distrust, "Because I specifically told you NOT to let anyone in on the ship, except if it's the minions!"
The seven Koopalings had made a circle around the belowdeck's room. As soon as they saw the kid Koopa, they spread out to make room for him. To them he was like the big boss. And BJ, though as younger than the rest of the crew as he was, felt superior than anyone of them.
"Bowser Jr., you're just in time." Larry said.
"I don't want any excuses." BJ said, "If it's not the minions," he looked down, "then who broke into my—"
He stopped talking. It was like a Christmas miracle.
Princess Peach was belowdeck. She was tied up. Gagged with a white towel, bound to the wrists in chains, and on her knees like a poor tortured soul. She stared at BJ, grunting and making pleading noises that sounded like a mouse in distress.
Usually BJ would be esctatic to see his 'Mama' in here. But right now, that felt like a joke. No challenges to get to her. No Mario and Luigi in the way. He wondered, why was she here like this?
"Was Dad—"
"Nope." Kamek replied.
"He had no idea." Roy K. added.
"Probability would suggest an 89% to 95% chance of inane shock and his lower orifice would acquaint the floorboard of this ship." Iggy said and everyone turned to stare at him.
Iggy sighed in defeat, "His jaws would drop."
"You could have just said that!" Wendy snapped.
Peach squealed through her gagged mouth.
"Oh, Can it, girlfriend!" Wendy said, "We finally caught you! Just accept it."
"No." BJ said.
Everyone turned to him. "No?" the Koopalings said. Peach cocked her head curiously, "Mhn?"
"Yea, I said no!" BJ said, "This is suspicious!" he turned to Peach, "How did you get here?"
Peach struggled to speak. BJ glanced at the Koopalings and gave a signal: two finger-snaps and a finger point at her. Lemmy magically morphed a ball with his wand and chucked it at Peach, smacking her head hard. Peach shrieked through her gagged mouth.
"NOT Dodgeball you Pinball eyeballs!" BJ said, "Ungag her! When I snap my finger twice, I mean ungagging the captive!"
"Oh, sohhwwy!" Lemmy sounded retarded.
"Allow me." Ludwig jumped into the hole to where Peach was and removed the gag off her mouth.
"You better speak, princess." Ludwig said, "Is this some kind of April Fools' prank?"
"Ludwig!" BJ interrupted, "Let me speak." He turned to Peach, "You better speak, Princess! Is this some kind of April Fools' prank?"
Ludwig looked back at BJ, feeling utterly insulted. Peach, sharing the same thought, narrowed her eyes at BJ too.
"Didn't he just said the same thing?" she said.
"Look Mama, it's my Airship!" BJ said, "Speak or lose your tongue!"
Peach was about to open her mouth to speak when suddenly BJ's whole surrounding felt heavy in his head. He felt like his brain was being seized by a vise. He tried to move but he couldn't move any faster. Turning to a half-circle, which was supposed to be done in a second, felt like a minute. His vision were blurry and cloudy. His feet and weight felt heavy under. Was it some spell?
"Well aren't you just a cheeky little spoiled brat?" spoke a woman's voice.
BJ tried to ask who said that. Even uttering the words was difficult. Was this what having a seizure felt like?
"Your mother didn't raise you right, did she?" the woman scolded.
"Wh-who…" BJ struggled to breathe.
"I brought this woman here on this ship. From here on in, it is my ship. And I want you to play a very important role for me." She said, "Fail, or I banish you to the Netherealm. "You do NOT want to meet my pet dragon. He hasn't had a proper lunch for half a century. And all nine of you would be very much satisfying."
BJ could sense his heart being squeezed by an anvil and he was choking. He had never felt so terrified in his life. His eyes flickered back and forth. In that half a ten minutes of slow-down time, Peach, who had tried to talk, wasn't talking anymore. Bloodshot eyes of terror reflected his own. The others shared the same gaze. They were hearing things too.
Who the heck was that?
"Oh, and not one word to the outsiders searching for her." Spoke the telepathic woman, "Whenever they ask, you… work… alone."
Right when she said that last word, a scream filled his ears. The scream of some demon beast, that made time speed up again and release the tension in the airship. Everyone, except for Peach who was already on the ground, dropped on their knees in sheer terror, gasping for breath.
"What… what… what was THAT?" asked Wendy, flailing her hands like a damsel in distress.
"I don't know…" Ludwig quavered, "…but I've never been so scared in my entire life. Like ever."
"No kidding." Morton said. "I can't even speak!"
The Koopalings turned to him with puzzled looks.
"Well, technically speaking, of course."
BJ himself couldn't speak. He turned to Peach. She tried to stay calm but she couldn't either. But he couldn't tell that she knew that woman's voice. She must've had an encounter with her in the past. That woman was her real kidnapper. Not his dad.
xxx
Nintendo World: Hyrule Castle (Flashback)
"Who are you?" Link asked, "And where is Zelda?"
The man smiled. He strode down the hall, casually, without a care in the world that two swords, a staff and a wand, were pointed directly at him for an attack.
"The man you see before you is a good man." He let out a disgusted scoff, "Too good for comfort. It makes me sick up to the point that I had to get rid of his spirit and take over his body permanently."
"Wait…" Pit paused, "You make yourself sick? How is that possible?"
"If you don't eat your vegetables everyday, you can make yourself sick." Palutena said to Pit.
Pit rolled his eyes, "I don't need another lecture, Lady Palutena. I know I was supposed to eat my carrots last week but I did not! Please let it go!"
"Take over his body? What are you talking a—" Ike took a long pause, realizing what the man meant. He lowered his sword, took a step back and shook his head in disbelief, "No. No…! Not another one of you. Possessed people like Micaiah."
The man laughed, "Yes."
"What?" Rosalina said.
"Who's Micaiah?" Pit asked, "Is she pretty?"
"Are you a demon, like Lyon?" Ike asked, "A goddess, like her? Any birds on your shoulder?"
"Worse. I have a chip on my shoulder. And unlike them, I am a dragon." The man said, "My name is Grima."
Ike's eyes widened. He raised his sword up high again.
"What's going on?" Link asked, already on alert with the others when Grima said he was a dragon.
"Grima…" Ike growled, "The Fell Dragon of Ylisse. So the legends are true about you. You brought terror to the land of a good friend of mine Chrom. He had a daughter, and a best friend, and you killed them both!" he paused uncomfortably, "…using his best friend's body."
Link, Palutena, Rosalina and Pit turned back to Grima. All were ready to fight. Pit even pulled out his bow and arrows despite being in a box. Kirby hid behind Pit, quivering in terror.
"Looks like someone has done their homework." Grima said, "I'd give you an A as your final grade, but that future was changed. Damn you, Robin and Lucina. Luckily I've gone back in time to the time I won over humanity and changed it. I killed Robin, took over his body, but I'm looking for more powers. So here I am."
"Then what's your business here in Hyrule then?" Link asked, "Did you had something to do with Zelda's kidnapping?"
Grima laughed, "Ohh, not just Zelda. The lovely Princess Toadstool too. Or was her name Peach? See, people need to just stick to one name. It's rather ungrateful of a person to change their name when people they know finally get to know the old name."
"I know right?" Pit agreed, "One time, during one of his phases, Hades called himself Pluto." He laughed, "That's so hilarious! Last time I heard of the name Pluto, it was the name of a dog! A dog! And it belonged to a mouse named Disney! Wait, no, it wasn't Disney. Disney was the name of the world he came from. It was errr…"
Pit trailed off noticing everyone staring at him. Kirby cocked his head on one side. Grima frowned.
Pit cleared his throat, "Sorry. Carry on."
Palutena turned back to Grima, "What have you done with the princesses? What do you plan on doing to them?"
"I will gladly share my villain's monologue to you," Robin spread his arms low and floated up until he vanished into thin air, "…if you can find me in the Dark World."
His evil laughter faded with him.
"The Dark World?" Rosalina turned to the heroes, "Is it safe?"
"We've faced many more challenges than the Dark World." Palutena said, but Link shook his head, "No, the Dark World isn't safe."
Rosalina gasped. Link turned to her, "But you must not fret, Rosalina. We have to stay together!"
"Yes!" Palutena said, "We have to keep calm."
"And prosper!" Pit said.
"We're doing this for Pit, Kirby, Shulk, and the princesses." Ike said, "And we need you to join us."
Rosalina glanced back and forth at Palutena, Ike, and Link.
Palutena could tell she was unsure of this. She then turned to Pit and Kirby, trapped in that Mystery Box. If they don't stop Grima and save Peach and Zelda from his clutch, Pit, Kirby, and Shulk would be turned to Amiibos forever. With Shulk's Mystery box being missing, he may very well be a goner, or close to be.
Rosalina let out a heavy sigh, "All right." She said, "I'm in. For Pit, Kirby, Shulk, and the princesses."
xxx
Our World: Champs-Elysées, Paris
"So this is the famous Arc de Triomphe." Fox said, admiring the scenery of Champs-Elysees, but unable to keep his eyes off the Arc. He then noticed the lack of crowded folks on the streets and cars passing by.
"But for a famous city, doesn't look quite populated." He said, noticing of a passersby who was taking a picture of him. He looked away, blushing. "I'm beginning to think I should've stayed back at the hotel." He muttered.
"It used to be full of people." Jenn said, "But after the attacks, it's natural. They're just scared."
"That reminds me of when Cornelia was attacked by Androids." He said.
"Androids?"
"Yeah." Fox nodded, "Old creations from Andross's experiments. That was before he was banished to Venom. My father told me all about it. One time his androids seized the capital city of Cornelia, killed a bunch of people there… it was really horrible. No one could trust each other." He said, before turning to Jenn with a smile. "Don't worry Jenn. Paris is gonna be back to normal soon, just like Cornelia did."
"I sure hope so." Jenn grumbled, pounding her fists, "Gosh, I wish I was in the army. I'd make those guys do a barrel roll six feet under a river of tar pit for what they did."
Fox raised his eyebrow, "Oh wow! Sounding like a female Falco. Should I call you Falcette now?"
Jenn laughed. She did sounded like Falco. "I actually sound more like Jace. He got vengeful at one point too."
"No argument there." Fox said.
The duo stopped at the Place de la Concorde. Jenn's jaws dropped, "What the-"
"What?" Fox said, turning to the direction she was facing.
The duo were standing across the street to see a young man with spiky hair in a red embroidered shirt, loose fit jeans and high tops. He was standing at the Obelisk surrounded by tons of girls, tossing over fliers at them. Cars passing by angrily honked at the spectacle.
"Well, speaking of the devil!" Fox said.
"Is that Jace?" Jenn gasped, "He's causing a major traffic scene!"
"Well, that's Jace all right." Fox soon noticed the man's blond spikes, "…if he wasn't blond."
"Or in disguise to hide his facade." Jenn argued before waltzing toward him, "Hey!"
The young man turned to the approaching Jenn.
"Jacen Riders! You are in BIG trouble!" she shouted.
Usually Jace would panic or come up with some justifiable excuses; but this time he wasn't. He just gave her a flirty gaze.
"Whoa…" He walked toward her and Fox. The fangirls followed him in large groups. He opened his mouth to speak.
"Êtes-vous un cadeau venue du ciel? Parce que je vais vous chérir comme toujours."
Are you a gift from Heaven? Because I will cherish you as always. In French.
That made Jenn pause. And blush. She had just heard the young man speak fluent French, but with a hint of British and French accents in it. Definitely not Jace.
"Yep. That's not Jace." Fox confirmed.
"Oh my gosh. Uhh..." Jenn hesitated, "Je ne parlez... La Francaise? I don't... speak French."
"English?" he asked. Jenn nodded, "Uh-huh."
The young man let out a huge sigh of relief, "Finally! Someone who can speak my language." he muttered.
"So you're not French?"
"Nope. Born uhh... American." He tried to sound like one.
"Then what's with the weird accent?" she asked.
The young man scowled, "It's not weird."
Jenn crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows.
"Okay, it's weird. But not my fault! I moved to France when I was 15... against my will." He then grinned the same mischievous grin just like her cousin's. "But on the bright side, girls here find it sexy."
"Right…" Jenn said.
"Hey, Madame!" A young girl snapped at Jenn, "Dégagez! Je veux prendre un selfie avec Mon trésor!" she turned to the blond Jace, "Mon poucet de rêve."
Jenn scowled. She didn't get the first part but she knew what poucet de rêve meant: A dreamy Hop-o-My-Thumb! If there was a chance to puke, it'll be now.
She watched the young girl take a selfie with the young blond Jace-lookalike. Next thing the heroes knew, all the girls wanted a selfie with him. He didn't hesitate to take them each and everyone. And that was Jenn and Fox's cues to leave.
(-)
The duo were not too far from the Palais Garnier.
"It's so weird to see an actual lookalike of a person you know so well." Jenn said, "Would it be weird to actually meet your own lookalike?"
Fox gave Jenn an obvious look. "Yes." He said, "And his name was Wolf O'Donnell."
"Wolf?" Jenn scoffed, "Please. You two are like comparing a Blackberry to a smartphone. You're ages away."
"But I'm wise." Fox said pompously.
"…which comes with age."
Fox's jaws dropped.
"Not what I meant by that!" Jenn quickly added.
Fox shook his head. Something soon caught his attention. It was a flier, taped to a small store window.
"Looks like someone is throwing a party." Fox ripped the flier off the window and read it, literally butchering the French accent with his English, "It's at the Boise de Boo log? In some mansion called Casey Tree-sore."
"It's Le Bois de Boulogne!" spoke a young girl's voice. "And it's Casey Tresor!" she sounded very fluent in French too.
Fox turned to Jenn, stunned. Jenn reassured him with a headshake. She didn't speak. Especially with that accent. She and Fox turned around and they saw a young girl, probably 12 or 13. Just as they faced her, a flash hit their faces.
Jenn gasped and rubbed her eyes. "Whoa!" Fox, not used to camera flashes, jumped back, "Agh! I'm blind!" he furiously rubbed his sore eyes.
The girl lowered the smartphone she had on hand. She had taken Fox's picture.
"Excuse me?" Jenn tried to angrily scold her but she couldn't. The girl looked about 4'5'' in height, had light brown wavy hair, heart-shaped light-colored face, blue eyes, and a smile that would make any cranky person smile back; which is why Jenn couldn't help but not be confrontational. The girl had on a fur white cape-like dress, matching purse, brown boots, and a red knitted beanie. With her smartphone still on hand, she started tap-tap-tapping away on whatever snapshot she took of Fox. Maybe saving it on her FaceBook account.
"Fox Mc. Cloud," the girl said, "if you're going to be a Frenchman, you need to learn to speak like a Frenchman. Because THAT accent is a trainwreck!" she said, "Hashtag #EpicFail! Aaaand Send."
"What the—How did you—" Fox was at a loss of words. He quickly ducked behind Jenn. Jenn laughed and so did the girl.
"Okay, so uhh…" Jenn scratched the side of her head, "Funny story. Who the hell are you?"
"Serena!" she stretched out a hand, "Serena l'Eclair! Future celeb journalist and Fashion Guru of the future! Gossip Girl in the present! Nice to meet you!"
Jenn reluctantly shook her hand. "Same."
"Celeb journalist?" Fox asked.
"Yeah! I stalk famous people!" she said, "Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Prince Royce, Matt Pokora…" She turned to Fox, "…and now you!"
Fox ducked behind Jenn once again.
"I'm surprised that you guys DON'T know who Casey Tresor is. He's an uber-talented creative YouTuber!" She turned back to her phone and did some swiping, "We had a one-on-one chat last week and we had Froyos and Macaroons at Hugo and Victor's, and he's the hottest wizard ever. Had tons of adventures. We took tons of pictures and I posted them all on Instagram! Wanna see?" She pulled out a photo of him and her from her Instagram account.
Both Fox and Jenn instantly recognized Casey. "That's the Jace lookalike!" Fox said.
Serena appeared confused.
"We just saw him on the street!" Jenn enlightened.
"Whaaaat?!" Serena said. "So you DO know him?"
"Yeah!" Jenn said, then paused briefly, "Well, barely… he just reminds me of my cousin is all."
Serena smiled, then turned around to leave when something clicked in Jenn's head. It was about something Serena said.
"…wait, whoa back up!" she shouted. Serena froze for a moment before turning around back to the duo.
"I'm sorry." She said, "But did you… did you just say that this guy Casey is a wizard?"
Serena gasped and slammed a hand over her mouth, "I shouldn't said a word. He swore me to secrecy." She turned away, "Ohhh gosh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
"No it's okay!" Jenn said.
"NO!" Serena snapped, "I'm sorry, okay! I'm not telling you anything anymore! I'm sworn to secrecy! No more truths! NO MORE!" she turned around. But instead of walking away, she stood there, back facing Jenn and Fox, arms crossed, and foot tapping with impatience. It's as if she was dying to do a Serena tell-all TV Exposée on this guy Casey.
Jenn and Fox looked at each other. Both could tell from the smiles they exchanged, they wanted dirt and everything on him. They nodded at each other and turned back to Serena.
"We do have a question though." Jenn began. Serena turned back around.
"Where is Hugo and Victor?" Fox jumped in.
"Yes." Jenn said but then turned back to Fox, "Wait, what? No! Wrong people!"
"Not people. A bakery. It's right behind you." Serena revealed, "They sell the BEST Macaroons in town. You will feel like you're on Cloud 9 with one bite."
"I love that Cloud 9 Feeling…" Fox said, "Back home, we call it Magicant." He dashed into the store.
Jenn turned back to Serena but Serena turned her back on Jenn again, not willing to talk; but not willing to leave either.
"Would it help if I brought you some Macaroons too?" Jenn asked after a moment of quiet, "As payment?"
"That would be most appreciated." Serena said and Jenn ran into the store.
xxx
Nintendo World: Bowser's Airship
"Wait… you kidnapped Peach?" Bowser asked BJ.
BJ nodded.
"That's great!" Bowser cheered to the news, "how did you do it?"
"Well I…" BJ slowed down. BJ was a notorious liar, but he had never lied to his father before. He turned to the Koopalings for advice. They all agreed with headshakes. He shouldn't tell Bowser anything about what was happening. With the princess in the airship, and that weird woman's voice speaking to everyone's mind on the ship…
But BJ didn't know how to hide that truth. He turned back to the phone without hesitation.
"I can't tell you."
"Bwuh...? You can't tell me? Wuh-HEY! I'm your father! I have the right to know don't I?"
"Oh yeah?" Junior retaliated, "Then where are you right now?"
(-—)
On the other side of Europe, Bowser was just about to tell his son where he was when he was suddenly cut off. A gun was pressed to the side of his neck. Bowser was very familiar with guns: though they were mostly lasers, they could burn through skin, and would take weeks to heal. But the ones from the Real World? He heard they could kill an elephant.
He turned to the gun wielder: it was that senile old man Amiir. Bowser gulped and turned back to the phone.
"I'm circling around New York City!" He said.
(-—)
Back in BJ's Airship, Bowser Jr. suspiciously raised his eyebrow. "New York? My phone is picking up your call from Glendor Kingdom, Dad."
"So I was in New York City fifteen minutes ago! Big whoop!" Bowser snapped.
"Then what are you doing in Glen—"
"IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!"
BJ didn't expect that answer from his dad.
"None of my biz— Ok Dad, NOW you just picked my interest."
"Arigato-Gosaimasu! Byeee!"
The line went dead. BJ froze, stared at the phone. Then stared at the Koopalings.
"What?" asked Iggy.
"What did he say?" Wendy asked.
"He went Japanese on me." BJ revealed.
The Koopalings gasped and looked at each other. Only the Koopalings and BJ—and even Peach knew from the stunned flickering of her eyes—that when Bowser was nervous about something, he'll always go Japanese on anyone.
BJ suspected his airship hijacker. He was furious.
(-—)
Back in Glendor, Amiir removed the gun from Bowser's neck, releasing him.
"And why can't I tell my kid that I'm in Glendor on a plot to take down a kingdom?" Bowser complained, "I'm a villain too you know?"
"You may be," Amiir said, "but you're a joke of a villain."
That comment was a slap in the face to Bowser. "What... did you say?"
"Bowser, you only kidnap princesses. I take down cities. Look at New York 2001. My doing. Now it's Glendor's turn."
"Was Paris your doing too?"
Amiir scoffed, "no. France is weak. That's for amateurs. Now that your job is done, go to the throne room. I'll tell you your next assignment."
Bowser rolled his eyes, but went to his destination anyway. Amiir followed with his gun grasped in his hand.
(-—)
"Koopalings!" BJ said, "We need to find out what's going on. We have to know who is this chick hijacking my ship and making our lives miserable. We need to team up!"
"Team up for pounding!" Morton pounded his fists together.
"And mashing." Roy added, before turning to Morton, "For once we agree on something."
Morton just grunted.
"Let's get to work, minions!" BJ said, "I want ALL of us to feel safe in our own Airship! Nobody should mess with the Koopalings but the Koopalings. Break?"
"BREAK!" the seven Koopalings shouted back and the group spread out.
xxx
Nintendo World: Hyrule Castle (Flashback)
"Remember everyone." Link said, "The Dark World is full of illusions, temptations, and blackmails. Whatever kind of evil you face there, do not give in to what they could offer you. But I wouldn't worry since most of it are false pretenses."
"Meaning they might not all be true?" Pit asked from the Mystery Box.
"No," Link said, "it means the Dark World can uncover things you care about the most and use it against you to do their bidding. Just don't let them know anything about you. Don't let your guards down."
"All right. Let's go in." Palutena said.
The heroes turned to the sigils. In an instant, their bodies was swallowed into the designed sigils and they vanished in a flash of light.
(-)
Nintendo World: Dark World (Flashback)
As soon as they entered the Dark World, the gang were greeted by a strange environment. A forest of warmth and enchantment.
"Whoa… look at all those Gold!" Pit gazed at the golden Mushrooms growing on ground, "It's like—"
"Don't you dare say Heaven, Pit!" Palutena scolded. Pit clammed his mouth shut. "There is nothing heavenly about this place. It's just a place full of temptation and idols. Don't give in to their powers." She turned to Rosalina, Link and Ike, "Same goes to all of you."
"Come on Palutena, when have we ever botched a mission?" Ike said.
"LOOK OUT!" Pit shouted.
Everyone turned around. Immediately Link drew out his sword and blindly went for a stabbing. The blade ran through a human flesh. A little girl's flesh. She shrieked in pain and dropped into her pool of blood.
Link gasped, "Oh my gosh, I killed a human."
"Not, human." Palutena waved her hand over the body. The body disintegrated into its true form.
"A Risen." Palutena said, "Rotting corpses from the Age of Grima's terror in Ylisse."
"I HATE this guy's game!" Pit said.
"Come on everyone." Palutena said, "we have to split up. Link and I we're going this way, with Pit and Kirby in the box. You guys will be going that way. Protect my friend would you?"
"With my life, goddess." Ike said.
The gang split up as instructed.
Ike and Rosalina continued on down the road. The trees around them were tall and seemed to be made of silver. The growing Golden Mushrooms were of many shapes and forms. The whole Dark World seemed very unlike any other Dark World the characters have ever been.
"That's hard to believe this place is dark." Ike said, "Looks more like a Christmas festival in Crimea."
Rosalina nodded in agreement. "If this is Grima's idea of temptation, it is working."
Suddenly three figures appeared before Ike and Rosalina.
Ike drew his blade.
The middle dark figure waved his hand and the bulky swordsman froze in place.
"No!" Rosalina pulled out her wand and was about to recover Ike when her wand got snatched out of her hand and landed into the second shadowy figure. She was unarmed.
"Come quietly, Rosalina." spoke Robin/Grima, "And make a deal with me."
"Ahem." The second dark figure cleared their throat. It sounded like a woman under the hood.
"Forgive my rudeness." He grinned, "Make a deal with us."
Rosalina gulped, looking on, as if she had no choice.
xxx
Our World: Hugo and Victor's Bakery, Paris
Fox stepped inside the bakery and was suddenly overwhelmed by the smell of almond and sweet vanilla: two of Fox's favorite flavors. Childhood memories quickly flooded back into mind.
"My gosh…" he breathed in the scent, "It's like Heaven. It's like back home."
He walked to the front counter, " 'scuse me ma'am."
The woman turned to him and let out a huge gasp.
"Hi, how's it going? I'd like—"
"OH MON DIEU! VOUS ETES FOX! FOX MCCLOUD! MADAMES ET MESSIEURS! FOX MCCLOUD EST A LA PATISSERIE!" she started shouting nonsense in French.
Fox knew from the way she sounded, he was in trouble. He turned around and went for the exit but the next thing he knew he got cornered, surrounded by European customers. All started snapping pictures of him, saying stuffs to him with huge smiles on their faces.
"Erm, I have no idea what you guys are…uhh…" he hesitated, "…talking a… me no parlez Francais!"
Suddenly everyone stopped talking at once. Their stare looked straight at Fox.
No, not Fox. At someone else behind him.
Fox turned around to see a fat bald man with droopy eyes and a corny smirk. He wore a gray business suit. He smiled knowingly at Fox.
The crowd started to whisper amongst each other.
"What? What is it?" he turned to the fat man, "Who are you?"
The fat man laughed, "Looks like we have a celebrity in town!" he said.
"Monsieur DeMonsera!" gasped the clerk. She left her counter and started shaking the man's hand wildly, "Je suis très enchantée de vous voir, monsieur. Tres enchantée!"
Fox frowned. He didn't understand a word of it.
"She's thrilled to see me in person, Monsieur." The fat man said, "Or should I call you Fox?"
"I'm sorry, have we met before?" Fox asked.
"In this body? Nah." The fat man pulled out of his pocket something that looked like Fox's Reflector. Fox gasped. Jenn entered the bakery at that moment, when the fat man pressed the button.
"Hey Fox!" Jenn said, "Who is—"
A huge wave of blue filled the bakery. Everyone had frozen in place.
Fox looked around, stunned. He turned to the device. "This is a SFZ-4805 Time Freeze device." His eyes looked up from the device to the fat man, "That means…"
"…that I'm not from around here?" the fat man pulled out a prescription pill bottle and popped in a capsule down his throat. "Bingo." he said and instantly, his body transformed. From live-action to 3D animated like that.
Fox's eyes widened, instantly recognizing the man was not a man anymore. He was a pig. A hateful pig.
"Pigma Dengar…" he snarled.
xXx
Navi: HEY! LISTEN! I'M BAAAAACK! And we will be right back after a SHORT BREAK!
xxx
Our World: Hugo and Victor's Bakery, Paris
Fox and Pigma stood face to face with each other.
Fox stepped forward him, "What the hell are you doing here?" he asked.
"Offering an olive branch." Pigma said.
"Is it thorny and imbued with poison?" Fox snarled, "You betrayed my father. And you dare coming back here for an apology? Where is your friends?"
"Now I'm not at liberty to discuss this information."
"Yeah you're right, because everything that comes out of that snout would be a lie."
"Really? Even if I told you that I now proud owner of this bakery as an actual citizen of this Earth world?"
"Oh really? Congrats man! Guess what I've been doing? Ruling over Israel as the famous King David, son of Jesse!"
Pigma cocked his head on one side, "Really? I thought James was your father."
"I'm lying, scum! See? I'm pretty good at it too." Fox pulled out his gun and pointed at Pigma. Pigma jumped back, startled and hands raised up, "Wuah!"
"Unfreeze my friend and everyone else here in this boutique or you'll feel the burn of my laser gun going through your skull."
"Wait! I really AM not here to fight! Can't you see I'm unharmed?"
Fox narrowed his eyes.
"I just want to help your friends!" he then pointed at his pocket, "Can I… can I show you something?"
"What? A bomb? If I know any better I'm sure you work for those ISIS freaks and Amiir Black."
"I don't work for those Earthling terrorists. I want to work with you!"
Fox raised an eyebrow, "What?"
"Y'see I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with," he turned to Jenn, "the lovely blond here, but, it seems that your friends are having trouble finding a way to convert their bodies into Earthlings' bodies. I happen to have the formula. Dr. Andross crafted it, perfected it, made pills out of it, and before he could use it on his army to launch a full assault on Earth, I stole a whole supply of it, as well as the formula! That's how I'm able to, y'know, blend in as Monsieur deMonsera! Weird name right? I should be called Monsieur Dengar."
"Don't bother. I don't want your formula. We don't need it."
"Really? Because they should be here helping you and your friend if they had mastered it by now." He said.
Fox paused.
"Come on Fox." Pigma said, "It's my olive branch to you. A way to make peace. And to say I'm sorry."
Fox put his gun away, "Where is that formula?"
Pigma smiled. He dug his hands down his pocket and pulled out a phone.
"The formula is in your phone?"
"Yes-yes. Everything is digital now." Pigma started typing on his smartphone furiously before showing Fox the readout, "See?"
Fox glanced over. It looked like a 38-page document, filled with hypotheses, formulas, experiment entries, conclusion, results… it definitely looked legit. The title: "Morphing Pill - Way to change appearance and blend in with Earthlings. By: Dr. Andross Oikonny."
"I can send it to you through a texting app called WhatsApp. As in whasssuuuup! Oink!" he snorted, "Huh? This would save your friends painstaking time to make a formula that would eventually have a hoooorible side effect, when they could do something better with the time they have."
Pigma had a point. His Nintendo friends have been stuck in that hotel room for almost three days with no meals and drinks, and even until now, no one has succeeded in making that stupid pill to change their appearane. No one except for (ugh) Andross.
Fox sighed, "I dunno…"
"Do it, and I'll let you have all the macaroons in this store," His corny smile widened, "You know how much you love macaroons. Especially the ones back at Cornelia City."
Fox's eyes lit up. "Ugh, you got me!" he grumbled, putting away his laser gun, "Fine." He patted on his jacket and his pants, "But I don't have my phone. Send it to Falco's phone. 917-234-4781. Tell him it's from me. If he found out it's from you, he'll do a barrel flip."
Pigma grinned. "Thanks old papa's friend!" he went on his App, did a couple of tap-tap-tapping on his cell and it beeped. "Done!" he showed the readout to Fox. Message sent, with the attachment.
"You promised huh? No tricks!"
"As promised." Pigma popped another pill and he morphed back into the bald man he was. Then another button press from the device that froze everyone in the store, and time was flowing back again.
Jenn almost tripped, and looked around. She turned to Fox. "Wait… I thought I saw a pig."
"No pig here!" Pigma laughed, "Just an old owner of this bakery! Ho-Ho-Ho-Ho!"
Fox shook his head.
Pigma cleared his throat, turning his gaze to Jenn, "Are you by any chance, a friend of Fox Mc Cloud?"
"Uhh, yeah!" Jenn said, smiling, "How did you know?"
"Just a hunch. Just a guess." The bald man said.
"Right." Fox said, "Just a guess."
"Any friend of Fox is a friend of mine!" He turned to the counter lady, "Mademoiselle! Bring in your best macarons box you have in stock for Fox and his girl! On the house!"
The counter lady went to the back of the bakery. Noises of falling objects, breaking glasses, squeaking sounds and all kind of kitchen noises were heard. Next thing the heroes knew, the counter lady came back with a black box with HV on it.
"Coffret Prestige." Mr. DeMonsera said, "A sweet mix of dark and milk chocolate, with seasonal flavors of caramel. It will abuse your tastebud like no one's watching! A 90 Euros value!"
Fox and Jenn stared at the macarons. Fox could feel a drool hanging from the corner of his lip. "Ma…ma…miiiiia." He groaned sultrily.
"Ho-Ho-Ho-OINK!" Pigma snorted.
Fox and Jenn looked back at Pigma. Jenn turned to Fox who looked like he got busted. She turned back to Pigma and almost choked out a laugh. "Did you just snorted?"
Pigma crossed his arms, "You want me to charge you for the macarons?"
"No we're good." Jenn started leaving for the exit, "Hey, can we get an extra box? It's for a friend."
Pigma sighed, turned to the clerk and nodded. She went to the back once again and came back out with a second box.
"Thank you!" she said and left with the box. Fox narrowed his eyes at the bald man-disguised pig, giving him the 'I'm watching you' gesture before leaving the store.
xxx
Nintendo World: Bowser's Airship
Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings reconvened.
"Any signs of an intruder?" BJ asked.
The Koopalings shook their heads.
BJ growled, "Now I really don't feel safe!" he spun around, as if searching for the evil goddess, "QUIT HIDING FROM ME, YOU JEZEBEL! SHOW YOURSELF!"
Silence fell on the Airship. Just the gushing sound of winds and the crying of birds migrating from the west.
Lemmy turned to his Koopalings troops, "Maybe the evil woman has stopped messing with m—"
"EEEEEEEEEEE!" Lemmy suddenly screamed bloody murder as the ground under him turned to some black quick sand and he dropped into it like it was a hole. The black quick sand vanished. Then more black quick sands formed under the feet of every Koopalings.
Ludwig tried to escape from it, but two skeletal hands grabbed his ankles and pulled him in. Soon Roy K., Wendy, Larry and Iggy got swallowed into the quicksand too. Only Morton and BJ were left.
"Wuh…where did they go?" Morton stuttered.
BJ shook his head and shrugged. He's never felt so terrified before. Then just like that, BJ felt heavy in his body again. His head seized by a vise, and time started slowing down again. BJ was on his knees and so was Morton.
"What bloody failure you're all have been." The telepathic woman spoke, "I didn't even shared to you what you were supposed to do for me, and already you're plotting to take me down?"
"Quit messing up my mind, evil witch!" BJ screamed. "What do you want from me?"
The telepathic woman sighed, "Unbelievable. I thought I made it clear that this is my ship. That is all what I want. I want nothing from you."
"You want my ship!" screamed BJ, "Take it! Just leave me and my crew alone!"
"Sadly we can't."
"What?" BJ said, "We? There is MORE of you?"
"You broke the contract by trying to go against us." The telepathic woman said, "Time for you to pay up."
As soon as the woman stopped talking, time returned to normal again, and BJ and Morton felt like themselves again.
But the ship soon got new shipmates. Dark portals formed out of nowhere and four Nintendo characters shot out of the portals. Three of these characters were hiding under black hoods. One of them was a girl. A prisoner.
Another princess!
"Zelda?" Morton gasped.
Princess Zelda looked around, bewildered. One of the black hooded Nintendo character knocked her down on her heel and with a shriek, dropped on the wooden floor.
BJ and Morton tried going toward her, but the second black hooded character pulled out a laser gun. The two koopas froze up.
"Not one step." Spoke a grunting voice.
BJ and Morton gulped.
"Take them away, men." The voice under the hood spoke.
BJ and Morton turned around and were greeted by a blow in the skull. BJ dropped on the ground and darkness soon filled his vision.
xxx
Our World: Outside Hugo and Victor's Bakery, Paris
Serena took a satisfying sigh of relief. She had one delicious snack. And on top of that a cup of frothy chocolate in addition. Snack time has never been so relaxing.
"Are… you going to speak anytime soon, Serena?" Jenn impatiently asked.
"Right." Serena set her chocolate cup down, "A promise is a promise." She sighed once more, "I really hope I don't get hunted by the Dark World for this."
"Dark World?" Jenn asked. Already she didn't like the sound of it.
"Casey told me that anyone who knows or gets associated with him will be targeted by the Dark World." Serena said. "You ever heard of them?"
Jenn heard of the Dark World. From Legend of Zelda. She never thought it was a real thing too.
"Is is like Hell?" Jenn curiously asked.
"Worse." Serena then stuttered, "Y-You know what? Nevermind. Forget I ever brought those guys into the conversation. Let's focus on Casey. I already told you he's famous right?"
Jenn nodded.
"Well, he's famous for being a hero. He once defeated a pair of witches and took back his home with the help of a magical book. Him and that book recently saved our world."
Jenn found it hard to believe, "What? No way."
"Oh, no way?" Serena scoffed, "Well he has proofs! On his YouTube account. That's right. He documents ALL of his adventures in his Vlog! That's pretty badass of him."
Jenn scoffed, "Yeah right. He must've done his Vlog using CGI technology. So old-school."
Serena stepped back, appalled. "Excuuuse me?"
"CGI technology. Computer Graphics and everything?" Jenn winked, "Trust me. He's a phony. It's fake."
Serena scoffed in disbelief. Crossing her legs, she pushed her plate and cup aside and leaned in so close to Jenn from across the table, Jenn could practically smell the macaroon off her mouth.
"A hunky heartthrob named Jacen Riders saved his girlfriend from a giant Donkey Kong on top of the Empire State Building in New York; and LIVE footage of the rescue went viral and was shown all over CNN and World News. Was THAT fake?"
Jenn was silent, realizing that girlfriend Serena mentioned was her.
Serena leaned back, "Yeah, I didn't think so." She sipped on her cocoa.
"Okay, point taken." Jenn then mumbled under her breath, "…and it's cousin. Not girlfriend." She turned back to Serena, "So what about Casey?"
"As I've explained, his book is magical. It contains some spells and they are some pages in the book that do special things: like letting you travel through time and opening up portals."
That picked Jenn's interest, "Really? You think he can help me—" Jenn held back, "…find something? I kinda lost it and I'm trying to get it back."
Serena nodded, "Sure! Yeah, I'm pretty sure. If you lost it, he can definitely find it for you."
"Great!" Jenn jumped off her seat, "Then take me to his mansion."
"Wait, what?"
"Take me to Casey's mansion. He's having that party tonight right? Perfect time to see him."
"But it's a private party." Serena said. "And tickets are all sold out! You don't have an invitation!"
Jenn smiled, "Serena." She said, "He's seen this face already." She waved a finger around her face, "Trust me. He'll get me inside his mansion."
Jenn leapt off her seat and entered the store to find Fox there. His mouth was literally fulled with macarons from the box he got from Mr. DeMonsera.
"Fox?" she said.
"Wuh?" Fox mumbled.
"Swallow these cakes up!" she said with a mischievous grin, "We're going to a party."
xxx
Nintendo World: Bowser's Airship
"Great job men." Spoke the man in the hood, "Take them to where they are to be sustained."
Zelda never thought she'd be kidnapped by terrorists. One minute she went out of the hotel room helping out Pit and Link to search for more rats for Dr. Mario's experiment so that they can change their appearance, then the next minute, she was surrounded by these men.
She thought they were Ganondorf's men. But the way they looked was nothing like Ganondorf. And they were rough with her when she tried to break free. They put a bag over her head, knocked her out, tied her up and threw her in some spaceship that could travel across dimensions. She was at their mercy.
If this were the forces of ISIS on the attack, then it's no wonder people of this world were afraid of them.
"Are you from ISIS?" she asked as she watched two robust men drag away the unconscious Bowser Jr. and his Koopaling friend Morton out of the ship.
The man in the hooded robe laughed, "Don't be ridiculous, Princess. ISIS don't know how to fly spaceships into different dimensions."
Zelda looked back at the man in the hood, "Wait, what? They don't?"
"Look, toots. People in this world don't have advanced technology like we do, okay?" spoke the second man in the hooded robe, "Look at these men! Do they look like they were born from Earth? Earthlings?"
Zelda looked back at them. "Uhh…"
"Can we just show her who we are?" spoke the third man in the hooded robe. "Because we don't got all day for some guessing game."
The two other cloaked figures nodded. The leader turned to the men with the guns. The men with the guns put away their weapons and pulled out from their belt pocket a capsule pill. They popped one in their mouth and their bodies instantly morphed into Nintendo characters: two armed robots!
Zelda gasped. "Armed robots? These are from Fox's home in Cornelia." She turned to her captors, "Wait a minute. You're not Ganondorf! You're—"
The man in the hooded cloak removed the hood off his head. So did his crew. Zelda gasped, realizing these guys were not human.
"Star Wolf…" she gasped. Standing before her was Wolf O'Donnell, Leon Kowalski, and Andrew Oikonny; the notorious Star Wolf team. But they were one member short.
"Well," Wolf O'Donnell smiled. "It looks like Fox educated you on who we are huh?"
"Are you still upset over the fact that you DIDN'T get an invitation to the latest Smash Bros. game?" Zelda said, "I mean you still on probation for what you did and you gonna jeopardize that by KIDNAPPING A MEMBER OF THE SMASH BROS. COUNCIL!"
"For the LAST TIME, my Laser gun do NOT KILL PEOPLE!"
"Really? Tell that to Snake. Oh, wait a minute. He DIED from the wounds coming from YOUR GUN!"
"MEN!" He screamed at the robots, "Take her away! And make sure you gag her!"
The robots shoved a handkerchief down Zelda's throat. She started screaming through it as she soon got dragged away by the robots. She struggled, trying to break free. Trying to be brave.
She finally spat the handkerchief and yelled, "You're not getting away with this O'Donnell! LINK! HELP!"
"Your telepathic communication ain't gonna work here, girlfriend!" shouted Leon.
Andrew glared at Leon.
"What? It's true! It's not gonna work! Link is in Earth and we're in Bowser's kid's Airship!"
Andrew rolled his eyes and walked away.
Leon turned to Wolf, "Sheesh what's with his attitude, heh Wolf?"
"Hush up, Kowalski. I got to have a private chat." He pressed on the communicator in his ear, "It's important."
Beep-beep!
"It's done." He spoke.
"Excellent." Spoke the telepathic woman, "Now that should guarantee you a spot to the NEXT Smash Bros. game."
Wolf smiled, "Good. So now you're going to your next phase of the plan?"
"Bingo." She said.
"Before you go." Wolf said, "don't forget to say thank you to Pigma. Once again, he betrayed Star Fox. Right, Dengar?"
(-)
Pigma Dengar in his live-action bald man looking form, pressed his ear and spoke.
"Mission complete." He snorted, "I can't believe Fox actually gave me Falco's phone number to send him that formula."
"You sure you didn't give away the real formula?" Wolf was heard from the earpiece.
Pigma snorted, "Naaaah… just some trojan bug that sends out a signal to my phone, allowing me to track Falco's device's location by Global Positioning System. That's how you got to capture Zelda in the first place! Duhhh."
"Right." Wolf laughed, "My, my. The perfect price for getting some stupid box of macarons from an ex-Star Fox member! Ohh Fox, once again you got duped. Just like your weak father."
He started tapping on his communicator device on his face. Falco's phone location showed up on the map.
"We got you all now, Smash Brothers."
Wolf and his crew laughed, along with the telepathic woman's voice.
xxx
Nintendo World: Dark World (Flashback)
Ike blinked his eyes open and just like that he was once again able to move.
He stumbled forward, sword in hand. He looked around. No sign of Rosalina.
"What the—? Rosalina?" he shouted, "Goddess? Where did she—"
He turned and jumped back, startled. Standing face-to-face with him was a man in a dark robe. The man stripped the hooded robe off him. He was in a black karate uniform. His Japanese face revealed red glowing eyes, red spiky hair, dark headband, and a killer determination.
Ike had never been so scared in his life; but he stood strong, pulled his Ragnell blade out and posed for combat. "You!" he shouted, "Who are you and what have you done to—"
The man charged at Ike and grabbed him.
(-)
The blood-curdling screams of Ike followed by the beating and stripping of flesh echoed through the silver trees, catching Link and Palutena's attention.
"What was that?" Link asked the goddess.
"Sounds like fighting?" Palutena said.
"That was Ike!" Pit said. "He's in trouble!"
"Go! Go!" Kirby yelled out and the gang ran into the grotto.
As soon as they reached Ike, they saw him on the ground. He lay on the ground like a rag doll. His armor was ripped off his body, revealing his chiseled flexed chest and muscles covered in blood. His face was bruised with flesh wounds. One eye was shut tight. His hair was a mess. Even his pants were torn. He was severely violated.
Link gasped at the ominous smoke extracting off Ike. It looked just like that Kanji symbol they saw.
The gang ran to him and saw more horror. His chest was also carved with that same Kanji symbol.
"That's where the blood is coming from!" Palutena shouted.
Pit and Kirby looked away, cringing. Blood was SO not their friend.
"Oh my god, Ike, are you okay? Please talk to me!" Palutena pleaded.
Ike groaned in response.
Link drew his blade out and stepped forward, "WHO did this?" he shouted. "SHOW YOURSELVES!"
"That Robin guy." Pit sneered, "HE did this."
"Why?" Link shouted, "Why? We demand answers!" he then shouted out through the dark skies of the Dark World trees, "WE DEMAND ANSWERS!"
xXx
Anne: And you shall get some answers… after a SHORT BREAK TIME with TEA and ME! …oh, I'm sorry? You want to read more? Well, you will regret dissing me!
xxx
Our World: Trésor Mansion, Bois de Boulogne, Paris
The party crowd filled every marble corner of the mansion's living room.
An upbeat techno song was playing in the background. Lots of guys and girls in party wear were dancing and cheering. All were dressed as if it was Prom Night. It actually brought back memories for Jenn.
She, Fox and Serena strolled into the room, all dressed in formals. Jenn had on a fancy red evening gown and white forearm gloves that went to her elbows, while Serena had a fierce violet mini-dress on and tiny gloves that fitted her wrists. Fox looked like a suave 3D anthropomorphic 007 Agent.
"I haven't been at a festive party like this since Prom night!" Jenn lit up.
Fox turned to her with a confused look, "Prom Night? What's that?"
"It's… kind of like a celebration of life." Jenn said.
"More like a celebration of surviving four years of high school." Serena turned to Jenn, "What's that like?"
That question surprised Jenn, "Wait, you don't know what Prom is like either?" she asked.
"Hey, I'm French!" Serena said, "I know Casey bragged about throwing a Prom night at his academy, but I never got the chance to get in!"
Fox let out a dramatic gasp. He patted on his tux in search for something. "Noooo…"
"What?" Jenn asked worriedly.
"I don't have my macaroons!"
Jenn rolled her eyes.
"I can't believe I left them in the car!" Fox panicked.
"Fox, you don't need the Macaroons." Jenn said, "We got plenty of foods to—"
Fox was already out the door. "…enjoy." Jenn finished her sentence.
"You can't deny the delicious taste of macaroons. So many flavors…" Serena said, licking her lips, "That limited edition I devoured, have you tried it? It's not just Vanilla. It's Vanilla Toffee."
"Serena, I don't have time—" she paused, "…wait, toffee?"
Serena nodded. Jenn could feel the drool hanging on the side of her lip.
"Well look who finally showed up!" a male voice spoke. Sounded like Jace's but with that French and British accent. Jenn froze.
"Hey Serena!" Casey said from behind Jenn. "Bonjour."
Jenn gulped.
"Hi Casey! So good to see you!" Serena giggled, finding joy in seeing Jenn in an awkward position she just put her in: a drool hanging on her lip while a cute guy was right behind her.
"Well that's my cue to leave!" Serena said, taking steps back and waving, "I gotta go catch up with Fox. Hopefully I'll be able to find a piece of that… Toffee-flavored Vanilla Macaroon in that Macaroon Box he bought at the store. Oh! And did I mention those limited edition Macaroons have a piece of Mint jelly in its center."
"Mhn!" Jenn grunted in frustration. Such delicious sound. Such torturous hungry thought.
She pushed her lips into her mouth to suck the drool back in before turning to Casey. She muffled a "Hiiiiii!"
"Hello beautiful." Casey said, "You got a little…" he waved a finger to the corner of his lip.
Crap! He saw the drool! Jenn's face turned bright red. Total humiliation!
She slipped the glove off her hand and wiped the drool with her arm.
"Sorry." She whispered.
"Care for some White Wine?" he offered, "Hold out your hand."
"Oh…" she frowned, "I'm sorry. But I don't see any white wine in your hand and I don't drink alcoh—"
He snapped his finger and like magic a glass of white wine formed into Jenn's hand. She jumped back at the sight of the glass filled with a bubbly pearly liquid she was now holding.
"It's non-alcoholic." He said, "Learned my lesson about alcohol drinks the hard way."
"Ohhh. You really are a wizard."
"I see Serena spoke a lot about me." He said. He stepped toward Jenn, but Jenn stepped back. The idea that she and Casey were gonna be an item was like she and Jace were gonna be one. It was creepy and it made the feisty spirit in her rush back into her again.
She hold out her hand to stop him from taking another step. "Yeah. She did." She said, sitting the glass on a table near her, "As a matter of fact, we need to talk." She then pulled out a gun from her gown—Fox's laser gun and secretly pressed it to Casey's chest, "…in private."
Casey looked at the laser gun, stunned. He wasn't expecting that at his party. But then looked at Jenn and smiled again, as if he was used to this. Jenn wasn't. She frowned.
(... ...)
Casey and Jenn entered a fancy suite that looked like it belonged to some old greek myth professor.
Before her was a small office area. A bureau, with the bust of Julius Caesar on a mahogany desk, an ancient quill next to it, and many small ancient trinkets. Three chairs circled one side of the desk, while a swivel chair was on the opposite side. Behind the office she saw a wall of books.
She looked out the top-to-bottom glass window to see a spectacular view of Paris. By that window was a grand king-size bed. Or Emperor sized bed, she couldn't tell. It was layered with a lot of quilts and sheets. Anyone who could sleep in it would probably be snoring like a newborn baby.
She turned behind her to spot ancient statues, knight armors, paintings... behind her, a Medusa Mirror hung on a wall. She jumped at the sight of it.
Medusa didn't look like the Medusa she knew-the one from Skyworld. But she indeed was similar. Gorgon face and hair of snakes, but more human than animated.
"Oh thank goodness gracious, Casey!" a tiny voice spoke in the room. Jenn looked around for the source.
"You will not believe—hey!" the tiny voice squealed again. It sounded female and very cheery, "Aren't you allowed to have any visitors here?"
"Yeah, but that fair maiden is an exception." Casey replied, facing the office area. That's when Jenn saw the person speaking. It was a moth, the size of a crow.
"Eeek!" Jenn jumped back, startled.
"Why does she have a weapon?"
"Relax," Casey said, "she's not gonna shoot."
Jenn tightened her grip on the laser gun, "Don't test me pretty boy."
Casey turned to Jenn and dismissively brushed his fingernails over his suede blazer jacket, "So," he began, "Are you just gonna enjoy the view," he pointed by the window, "or are you just going to shoot me, get my fortune and be done with it?"
"No." Jenn said, "But for a teenager, I don't see this place as being your room."
"Belonged to my father." Casey said, "Adoptive father."
"Who's your real one?"
"Should I be asking the questions here?" he asked, "You know, since y'know, we're your hostages."
"Hostage?" It took Jenn a moment to realize she was still holding Fox's laser gun. "Oh right." She put it back under the holster strapping her leg.
"Oh sorry, where are my manners?" Casey turned to the moth, "Jenn, this is Anne. Anne. Jenn. She's a Crystal Fairy."
"Cryst-Fairy." Anne corrected.
Casey turned to Anne, "If a diamond is forever, then you're like a crystal."
Anne blushed and looked away to giggle.
"Are you always like this to girls?" Jenn said.
"When they're casual dates."
"Am I a casual date?"
"If you let me take you on a romantic dining table for two?"
"Are you going to call the police?"
"Psht! No. Check it out."
He turned to the bedroom, snapped his finger and pointed.
Nothing.
He glanced at his finger. "That's odd."
"Casey? What's wrong?" Anne asked.
"I don't know. My magic was working a while ago." He started searching through his pocket.
"What the—" Casey gasped, noticing his item of importance was missing.
And Jenn knew exactly what he was looking for. And she had it, clutched behind her back.
"Looking for this?" she said, pulling it out from her back. It was a piece of paper, ripped from a book; and it was glowing gold and shimmering with silver writings.
Anne's face swelled like an angry bee, "You snake." She raged at Jenn. Jenn gave her a haughty look.
Casey went for the paper, but Jenn was too fast for him. She yanked the laser gun back out and pointed at him. He froze and raised his hands.
"I know about hostages' tricks, Casey Tresor." Jenn said, then aimed the laser gun toward Anne, "And don't even think about coming toward me you freak of nature."
Anne scoffed, "Me? Ha! Have you seen your hair?"
Jenn put the paper in her pocket and went for her hair, unsure of how it looked.
"Check the mirror." Anne advised.
Jenn was just about to do that, when she froze. She grabbed the paper again and raised her laser gun once more, "Ha! I'm not falling for that trick, Crystal Fairy!"
Anne threw her arms in surrender. She hated being called that.
"If you don't cooperate with me, I can destroy this piece of paper in a heartbeat." Jenn said, "Now what did Serena called it again? Golden Page?"
Casey pursed his lips and sighed. Yep. Jenn meant business.
"Yeah, you're right." she went on, "Serena told me everything about you. Not your moth-looking companion. Just you."
Anne's jaws dropped.
"She's a gossip girl that one." Jenn went on, "Based on what I know about you, you recently just found a magical piece of paper from out of the nowhere-the one I'm holding right now-and decided to keep it to yourself, and now you're using it to make yourself popular. That's how you became famous on YouTube. So famous, even Justin Bieber and Ryan Higa can't touch you."
"So I'm assuming you're also working for the Dark World?"
"God, no! What's with that Dark World nonsense?"
Casey raised his chin up. He glanced at Anne, who glanced back.
"Okay, I know about the Dark World," Jenn caved, "but what I'm trying to say is that we have something in common."
Casey casually stuffed his hands down his pockets and waited for that explanation. Anne crossed her arms, her wings flapped quietly.
"One: you remind me a lot of my cousin. And I mean a LOT. So no thank you. I can't date you. Two: your discovery is approximately around a year or two after my cousin stole a 3DS that turned out to be a portal to the Nintendo World. And three: you and my cousin have two items that seem to connect to other worlds. And now evil forces are out to get you guys for those properties."
Casey rocked back and forth in his heels. "Sounds like we have a lot in common."
"Isn't that what I just said?" Jenn blatlantly said, "I just need you to help me find someone. Help me find a portal."
"And if we don't?" Anne asked.
She pinched the piece of paper with her fingers together, ready to tear it in half. "Then it's good bye to your charming spells."
Casey said nothing. He still rocked back and forth in his heels without a care in the world. He turned to Anne and Anne turned to him. Both smiled.
"Look, you're both charming and cute and all, but I have no problem ripping that piece of paper into shreds if you don't cooperate, okay? So what's it gonna be huh?"
Casey bit his lower lip. His charming playa smile still remained. Anne cocked her head on one side, looking cutesy herself.
"Nothing?" Jenn scoffed, "Okay then." she ripped the page into pieces. The glow in it had stopped once she did that. She tossed the scattered papers aside.
"You left me no choice, pretty boy and moth girl."—Casey said nothing but Anne frowned at the insult—"I asked for your help. You didn't deliver. So game over for you! You lost in the game of love! Which I utterly find disgusting since you are the obvious spitting image of my cousin." Jenn shook her head, turned around and walked away. "I'm outta here."
"You're about to miss the best part of this whole evening, Belle Rose." Casey said.
Jenn stopped at the door.
"That's Beautiful Rose in French, by the way." Casey added.
Jenn turned around to scold him more when she froze. Casey had the Golden Page on hand! How did he get—
She looked under her feet where the torn pieces of the paper was. They were all gone. It's as if they had reattached themselves on their own.
"What the—" she was at a loss of words, "how did you—"
"Ever heard the expression, a magician never reveals his secret?" Anne asked.
Casey snapped his finger and pointed at the bed once more. Instantly, that side of the room morphed into a dining table for two. Two chairs and a table between them. Chilled apple cider in a stainless steel bucket of ice, a rose in a vase, and a waiter right by the table, ready to take the order at anytime. All set up by the window overlooking the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe.
"Something wrong?" Casey asked, casually studying Jenn's stunned face.
"How did you—I tore that piece of paper!" she shouted, "What the... f...f…fu…"
"Fudge? Yeah, that is definitely on our dessert menu. It's German and toffee-flavor. Your favorite. Hope you're not allergic to pecan. They may have it."
"I choked on a pecan once."
"Let it go, Anne. That was last week."
"Yesterday wasn't last week."
Jenn shook her head, "Damn it, Casey!" she yelled, "I'm not here for fudge!"
"Okay." he said, "Chill. You should have just said so." he snapped his finger and pointed again. In an instant, everything vanished, reverting back to the bed that once was.
"If you're looking for a portal." Anne said, "What does that have to do with Casey and whatever your cousin did?"
Jenn paused. She couldn't keep her face straight. She was about to choke, broke into tears. Casey noticed it and his demur changed. Anne got goo-goo eyes all the sudden.
"Ohhh no…" Anne gasped.
"...hey. What's wrong?" he approached her and placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. As soon as he did that, Jenn's feelings of guilt rushed into her and she lowered the laser gun. She should have told Jace. She should have explained to him what happened to Dad. He would've helped.
She turned to Casey. Sincerity and concern was painted all over his face. She couldn't take it anymore. She had to come clean.
She dug into her pocket and pulled out her Dad Amiibo.
Anne gasped at the sight of it, "Ohh my…"
Casey stared at it. She couldn't tell if they were startled by the discovery or they weren't. But it seemed like they were in between.
"My dad got turned into an Amiibo. A coin did this to him." she said. "I lied to my cousin because I didn't want him to worry and get into more trouble like he did in the past! That's why I traveled all the way to—"
"Wait..." Casey pointed at the Amiibo, "that's your dad?"
Jenn nodded.
Anne and Casey looked at each other again, "It all makes sense now." Anne said.
Jenn cocked her head on one side, "What? What is it? Do you two know something?"
"We do." Anne said to Jenn, then to Casey, "This is what I was going to tell you about when you came in. He's been restless."
"Who's restless?" Jenn asked.
For the first time since meeting him, Casey Tresor didn't look like a human Pepé le Pew without the ugly B.O. He finally looked serious. Dead serious.
"Hold on." he went over the office desk, opened the drawer and pulled out a small mahogany box with a key on it. He jiggled on the key and it clicked open.
"You might wanna hide your gun." He warned Jenn.
"What?" Jenn frowned. She raised it to point at him again, "Why?"
"Uhh, because you're about to get busted?" Anne said just as Casey swung the lid open.
"Finally, it's about time!"
Jenn heard a voice and it made her drop the gun. Could it be…?
Casey reached inside the box and pulled out another box. A glowing transparent, translucent box. And inside that box was Jenn's dad!
"Look Jacen!" he called Casey that, "I demand to know what is going on? I'm done with this cock and bull story you're blabbing about! I need the whole truth! What the hell did you do to me?"
Same old Dad. Always bickering when things don't go his way.
"Dad!" Jenn shouted.
Dad turned around and his face glowed at the sight of his daughter, "Jenn? Jennifer? Is that you?"
Jenn couldn't hold it much longer. She broke into tears as Casey carefully handed her Dad's mystery box to her.
"Yes Dad! It's me!" she sniffled.
"Ohh honey don't cry. I'm right here." His voice sounded high-pitched and minuscule, but it was her dad. It was Andre Dimentio.
"Yeah but... but you're so small."
"And so adowable!" Anne squealed out baby sound, "Awwww, I wuv family weunion!"
"He's been on both our cases 24/7 ever since I found him." Casey said, "He's been accusing me of being the baddest naughtiest boy in the history of humanity, I didn't even know what he was talking about back then! I have my butler to lecture me on stuffs like that already!"
"Does he keeps calling you Takashi Yashida?" Jenn smirked.
Casey let out a heavy frustrating sigh, "Ohhh my gawd, CONSTANTLY! I'm not even Asian!" he turned to Dad, "I'm not Asian, old man!"
Dad let out a shrill gasp, "How DARE you speak to your ojisan this way! You ARE Asian! From your mother's side! And cut it with the British French accent!"
"He says that too." Casey muttered to Jenn.
"And he keeps calling me demon!" Anne hissed.
"Because you ARE a demon!" Dr. Dimentio complained, "How dare you Jace, to be friend with a demon spirit like this one! She's all mothy! A giant moth of horror!"
Jenn laughed, "It's okay, Dad! This is not Jace! You just met his clone and his Crystal Fairy."
"Cryst-Fairy." Anne muttered under her breath.
Dad looked back and forth at Jenn and Casey, "SIMON?" he croaked, "I KNEW IT!"
Casey rolled his eyes. "Yep. Keeps calling me that too." he sarcastically said.
"No! Not Jace! Not Simon! This is Casey! Casey Tresor."
It took a while for Dad to respond with an "Ohhh..." followed by a bashful, "my bad."
A loud shattering noise from downstairs caught the group.
"Uh-oh. Someone broke a glass." Anne said.
"Wanna go check for me?" Casey asked. He pointed at the windows and they magically open, "Make sure you blend in. Don't let them know what you are."
Anne took flight out the window, "Kay-kay!"
The windows soon closed by itself.
"But wait a minute..." Jenn turned to Casey, "Rosalina and Palutena said that it would take 48 hours for his Mystery Box to disappear and for Dad to remain Amiibo stasis forever. But it's been MORE than that!"
"Wait what?" Dad gasped, "Jenn, PLEASE tell me what's happening and why am I in a box? I'm trying to ask this young man-"
"Well it's not-"
"'Scuse me? I'm speaking. To my daughter!" Dad interrupted.
Casey threw his hands up in defeat.
Dad turned back to Jenn, "I was holding that coin, right? When your Nintendo friends told me not to do it because it was cursed. I think I should have listen to them."
"Uhh, you think?" Casey said sarcastically. Dad gave him a cold scowl.
"Dad, listen!" Jenn said, "If we haven't found you, even if we did found you, you would've been gone! Palutena and Rosalina said the Amiibo curse by the Smash coin must be broken with the power of four princesses-Peach, Zelda, Rosalina and Palutena-and Jace's 3D Screen! But we have to do that in less than 48 hours or it would lock you in that mystery box forever and I might not be able to get you back again! But so much has happened Dad, we missed the deadline! Nonno died first of all..."
"What..." Dad croaked, "no..." He went on his knees, "not papi."
"...and I got fired from my position at Nintendo for being a no-show and for conspiracy with you..."
"WHAT?" Dad yelped.
"But those are not as important right now! What's important is that I failed you!" Jenn sniveled, dropping onto her knees, "I brought shame to the entire Dimentio family!"
That made Casey rolled his eyes.
"Oh come on Jenny." Dad said, "I wouldn't say that. Just ask Jace. He would agree."
"Again, not Jace." Casey said.
"My actual nephew Casey. Not you."
"Sure is an upstanding guy." Casey commented.
Jenn took pause, toying with her fingers, "uhh, Dad? Tiny minor details. No big deal. Jace... he doesn't know about... what happened to you."
"WHAT?" Dad screamed.
"Oh come on! Don't be so quick to judge! If my body was in Amiibo stasis like yours, would you tell Jace and put him into all kind of mess again? AFTER WHAT HE WENT THROUGH WITH SPACE PIRATES?"
"YES!" Dad yelled, "Because he's family and family don't keep secrets from each other!"
"Oh." Jenn uttered.
"Yeah! Oh! AND They SUPPORT each other through thick skins! Would he HIDES from you that, God forbids, he's gone on a trip to find that madman terrorist Amiir Black and make him pay for the murder of his father and the design of the 9/11 attacks?"
"YES!" Jenn said, "Because when he thinks he's brave he's being stupid instead! That's why I didn't tell him!"
"...oh." Dad uttered finally. Awkward silence.
Casey raised a hand up, "I had encountered pirates too you know?"
But father daughter looked at the young mage briefly. But then they turned back to each other again. "Wait you said something about the mystery box going bad after 48 hours?"
"That's what I was trying to say to you guys." Casey said, "I've placed a protection spell on your Mystery box."
Finally, father and daughter's attention got picked. "Oh?" They said.
"Yeah!" Casey said, "Your box was losing its color when I found you. So I asked my best friend to teach me a few preservation spells. The one I managed to learn so far is the one that last six months. So badabim badaboom and it worked!"
"Really? You did that?" Jenn gasped.
Casey nodded.
"Wow, young man! I love you already!" Dad said. "Thanks!"
Jenn choked back her tears, "you saved my dad's life. And against your will you kept him close. So thank you."
"No problem. But remember I casted the spell last month and after trying to flirt with you with what's left of my powers, I'm all drained out of it."
"What? You flirted with my daughter?" Dad grunted.
"Calm down Dad." Jenn said. "I turned him down."
Casey nodded in agreement. Dad let out a sigh of relief. "Good, because that would've been creepy."
"Anyway," Casey said, "you guys only have five months left to keep him close."
"Actually," Jenn handed the box back to Casey, "can you keep him just a little while longer?"
"What?" both men shouted and whined. "Why?"
"Because we're trying to find Peach. Someone kidnapped her and we suspect Bowser Jr.; and the Smash Bros. and I suck at keeping important items close."
"I am NOT an item. I am your father!" Dad shouted.
"Yes Dad. But right now, you're an item." Jenn said, "Remember when you told me to keep that Mercedes car keys back in high school when you went out to run some errands and I was supposed to park Downtown? And the company's phone when you were remodeling your office? And your Amazon credit card when you were going out on your date and you put me in charge of ordering pizza from Papa Murphy's?"
Pause.
"Yeah, I think you should keep me for a while." Dad said to Casey.
Casey sighed in defeat, but took the Mystery Box from Jenn anyway, "Great. Five more months of torture. Hope it's worth it." He said.
"I'll just be on my way. I'll see you later Dad!" Jenn turned around to leave.
"Wait, Jenn!" Casey called out. She turned around. "What about that portal? And aren't you forgetting something?" he nudged his head secretly and Jenn noticed what he was pointing at: Fox's laser gun. Still on the floor. Exposed for anyone to see!
"Oh! Right!" she ran and scooped it faster than she could, but Dad caught sight of it.
"Wait, was that a gun?" he turned to Jenn, "Jennifer Ruby Dimentio! Did you just BOUGHT A GUN?!"
Jenn was out the door in a flash, "Borrowed!" she shouted.
Casey followed her, turning to Dr. Dimentio, he whispered, "Long story." Then departed.
"JENNIFEEEEEEEEER!"
xxx
Our World: Outside Tresor Mansion, Bois de Boulogne, Paris
"It's a simple spell." Casey said to Jenn and Fox outside his mansion by the most forested area of the park.
With a snap of his finger, a golden apple appeared to his hand and he offered it to Jenn.
Jenn frowned at it, "An apple?" he said, "What am I, Snow White?"
"No." He said, "but they aren't kidding when they say she's the fairest of them all." Casey whistled. "Phew! She is FINE! If she wasn't twice my age and my mother's best friend, I'd…"
Casey hesitated, noticing Jenn raising her eyebrows and Fox staring back in disgust.
"Anyway!" Casey cleared his throat, "It's a Wishing Apple. You just don't eat it. You just need to repeat the wishing spell written on its instruction, take a bite out of the apple and the portal will open up before you in no time."
"And where is the instruction?"
"The stalk itself is its instruction." Casey reached for the fruit and tugged on its stalk. The stalk was revealed as a tiny scroll. "Whoa…" Jenn breathed.
"I know right?" Casey said, "The spell can only works once a day, and the portal will remain open for an hour. Once you go through the portal and you're way past its due time, you're gonna have to wait the next day, Earth Time, to open it up again."
"Got it." Jenn nodded. Casey then warned, "But don't eat the whole thing!"
"What will happen if we do?" Jenn asked with a curious grin, "Will I fall into a…" she chortled, "…Sleeping Death?"
"No." Casey hesitated, "Maybe. Look, I've learned my lesson before regarding magic. So I just don't like messing with it."
"And yet you didn't hesitate to woo me with a couple of tricks."
"Hey, it was only a couple of tricks! Nothing extreme!"
Jenn laughed. He tried to stay serious but couldn't. He laughed along. Fox glanced back and forth at the duo. "Honestly, watching you two is like watching the worst romantic comedy movie ever."
Jenn rolled her eyes, returning to her convesrsation with Casey, "Sorry about the gun pointing earlier. I didn't think you knew my dad. And now I'm gonna get a screaming match with him again once he gets out of this curse."
"Hey, don't worry about it!" He said. "I had my shares of feisty ladies in my past. So... anyway, good luck with everything. Got a party to continue hosting. And an old man to babysit."
Jenn laughed and so did he. Fox scorned. "Good luck on your journey, Jennifer." Casey called her before walking away, "Hey you stay perky Foxy!"
"It's Fox!" Fox corrected, but Casey didn't care.
Fox turned back to Jenn, "Glad to hear Dr. Dimentio is okay, but..." Fox looked confused. "You had a gun? How?"
"Check your holster."
Fox did. He couldn't find his laser gun. "What the...?" He turned to Jenn, "How did you—"
Jenn handed him his laser gun. Fox took it. "Sticky little fingers."
"At least my fingers ain't covered in gooey macaroon and spit. Ew, wash your hand next time." she wiped her hand on her dress.
Fox blushed.
"Okay." Jenn put the apple and its instruction away to her purse, "We may not have the 3DS with us, but we got a portal spell to travel to the Nintendo World for the time being! Now let's go rescue Peach."
"Guys! GUYS!" a voice shouted out from the sky. It was Pit.
"Pit?" Fox said, "hey man, what's up?"
Pit dropped in front of them. He was out of breath.
"Emergency!" He said after catching his breath, "Major emergencies!"
xxx
Our World: New York City, New York
"This is so typical of you, Rosalina." Palutena raged at Rosalina.
Both goddesses were back at the Plaza Hotel suite where Jace, Hunt, Jenn and the Smash Brothers resided. Pikachu was there also, snuggling in Rosalina's lap like a purring cat.
"Pika..." he purred while Rosalina gently brushed his electric fur.
"I don't know how many times do I have to say I am sorry." Rosalina let out a defeated sigh.
"Doesn't matter how many times you said it." Palutena snapped, "It's not going to change what happened between us."
"Of course it won't." Rosalina said.
"Then why should I forgive you for stabbing me in the back? Why should I forgive you for breaking our promise? Oh, that's right. I forgot. You're just plain selfish."
That got Rosalina shot to her feet. The startled Pikachu got knocked over.
"Now you just stop right there, goddess of the light! If that is what you righteously claim to be!" she snapped back, "I was NEVER selfish! My SACRIFICE was completely selfless! I should be angry for what happened and what I did. NOT you. ME!"
"Oh cut the bull-"
Palutena stopped talking, staring back at Rosalina in shock, "...wait, sacrifice?"
Rosalina put her hands over her mouth. She turned around, not daring to stare back at Palutena.
"What are you talking about?" Palutena asked.
The curious Pikachu looked back and forth at Rosalina and Palutena. Luma hovered next to the Pokemon, listening in to the intense conversation.
Rosalina let out another sigh, pulled out her wand and waved it in the middle of the room. A ripple of color formed before the four Nintendo characters. It looked like the Dream Portal from Mario and Luigi Dream Team.
"What is that?"
"My Memory Portal." Rosalina said. "It will reveal to you all, in details, what really happened that fateful day… …"
xxx
Nintendo World: Dark World (Flashback)
Three figures appeared before Ike and Rosalina: Robin/Grima, and the two other unseen figures.
Ike drew his blade out, but Robin/Grima froze him with a wave of his hand.
"No!" Rosalina pulled out her wand to recover him but the second shadowy figure snatched the wand off her hand with a wave of her hand too. Rosalina was unarmed.
"Come quietly, Rosalina." Robin/Grima said, "And make a deal with me."
"Ahem." The second dark figure cleared her throat.
"Forgive my rudeness." He grinned, "Make a deal with us."
"I'm not making any deals with any devils unless I find out what plan you have for…"
She trailed off as the two other figures removed the cloaks off to reveal their faces: it was Evil Ryu and Bayonetta!
Robin/Grima waved his hand and a crystal ball appeared before the group.
Rosalina gasped at what she saw: her home of Comet Observatory.
"No…" she gasped.
"Ohhh yes," spoke Bayonetta as Robin/Grima made the crystal ball disappear. "We can see in your eyes, darling. Love and concern for the people living in your grand palace in the infinite sky you call space. What is their name again? Lumas?"
Rosalina stood silent.
"Oh, I'm sorry. We should probably introduce ourselves heh? The name is Bayonetta. And this is…"
Evil Ryu coldly glared.
"…well," Bayonetta chuckled, "he's such a gentleman; never really good at proper introductions. Call him Ryu for now."
"What do you want from the Lumas?" Rosalina demanded, "From me?"
The three villains looked at Rosalina like she had gone deaf earlier.
Robin/Grima let out a disappointed sigh, "A deal. Come on keep up." He turned to Bayonetta, "Isn't that what I said earlier, or was I not making any sense?"
"Sweetie, you never get to the point." The woman said. Evil Ryu nodded in agreement, his face remained dark. "I mean come on, get to the point. We can't keep the poor woman waiting."
Robin/Grima groaned, "All right fine. Here is the deal. We need you in our ranks. You're much more powerful when it comes to manipulating light, darkness, and space time continuum than your beloved BFF Palutena. Now that one? She's way too spitfire to manipulate and really suck at—"
Bayonetta looked back at Robin/Grima.
"Fine, here's the deal." Robin/Grima cleared his throat, "We let the princesses go, IF and only IF you submit yourself to us and do the dirty work."
"And if I refuse?"
Robin/Grima chuckled, "Oh-Oh-Ohh…"
He made something else appeared to his hand again: it was a Blue Luma. The Blue Luma looked around, startled at its sudden change in surrounding. It made a panic sound.
Rosalina gasped, "Luma?"
The Blue Luma turned to her. "Wady Wosawina! What's gon' on?" the Blue Luma hovered to Rosalina, "Where am—"
Robin/Grima grabbed the Blue Luma and crushed it with his bare hand like a balloon. Rosalina jumped back with a scream, breathing hard. She stared back at the villains with tears streaming down her face.
"Now what an unfortunate turn of event this turned out to be." Robin/Grima said.
"What did you DO TO MY LUMA?" Rosalina charged at Robin/Grima, when all of the sudden, Bayonetta snapped her fingers and two binding chains shot out of a pool of darkness and grabbed Rosalina by the arms and legs. Rosalina struggled but the more she did, the tighter the bindings became.
"I killed him." Robin/Grima said, "Duh. So to recap. You either do us a favor, or you pay the price. So far, that was your first missed payment penalty with interest. Wouldn't you agree Bayonetta?"
Bayonetta looked back at Robin/Grima.
"Okay, you know what? I was never good in math anyway, so let's just say you missed your first payment, period. Do your job, or it's collection time at the Comet Observatory."
"20 Lumas payment for every time you disobey the crew's command." Bayonetta stepped toward Rosalina and brushed a finger across her shoulder, "So don't mess with a Witch."
"And a dragon." Robin/Grima then turned to Evil Ryu, glaring at him, "And a freak."
Evil Ryu looked away. His eyes narrowed over the distance. He had spotted something.
"Bloooood…" he drooled and left the group.
"Seems that he's no longer interested in our deal. So," Robin/Grima pulled out a smirk. "What do you say? Do we have a deal?"
Rosalina darkly stared back.
"I need to see Peach and Zelda first." Rosalina said, "I want to see if they are okay."
xxx
Nintendo World: Dark World (Flashback)
Palutena's healing magic tingled all over Ike.
Ike was no longer wounded, but he felt some pain as he struggled to stand. Link helped him up.
"Thank you… Goddess Palutena."
"Are you all right?" Link asked. Ike nodded. "Yeah?"
"Who did this to you?"
"Some freak named Ryu!" a female voice spoke. All turned around and they saw Peach and Zelda.
Peach ran to the group first, like a cheerful child. She hugged everybody, including Ike, whom she barely met. Peach was that type of princess. Super-friendly. Zelda was friendly too, but gentle, calm and brave in spirit. She and the group exchanged hugs too. It was a nice Nintendo family reunion happening.
"You're okay!" Palutena asked Peach and Zelda, "What happened?
"It's a long story, but right now we have to go." Zelda said.
"But we can't." Link said, "Rosalina is still missing. We have to find her first."
"No, we can't!" Peach said, "You have to trust me! We…we still can save Pit and Kirby and… we still can save your friends!"
"But not without Rosalina!" Palutena said, "the power of the priestesses of Light and the 3rd Dimensional Screen from the World of Earth are needed to save Pit and Kirby!"
"Y-Yes but—"
"Heyy!" Pit pointed, shouting "she's here!"
All attention turned on him then at what he was staring at. Rosalina stood before them. Peach and Zelda looked fearful.
"We found you again, Rosalina!" Palutena went toward her, "We were worried about—"
Ike barred Palutena with his arm from taking another step, "Stop." He said.
"What?"
"Something is wrong." Ike said.
Pit observed, "Yeah something is wrong." He said, "Rosalina looks all glamorous and we're not. I think she's blending in to the theme, don't you think so Kirby?"
Kirby shook his head in disagreement then turned back to Rosalina and hid behind Pit.
Rosalina donned in a black dress as black as the tar pits of the Underworld with drops of gold as design edges. Its shades, as fuzzy as the River Styx. The immobile marching line of Silver Trees that surrounded her and her partners didn't do much help either.
"Rosie?" Palutena asked, "Rosie, what are you doing?"
"What she should have done a long time ago." spoke a voice coming out of her. A female voice. She didn't sound like Rosalina at all. She had an accent and a wicked wit.
Rosalina floated before Palutena, Ike, Link, and the princesses Peach and Zelda. The swordsmen drew their swords out.
Next thing they knew, a powerful gust of wind knocked them off their feet and sent them flying through a wall. Palutena gasped. Pit and Kirby watched the two brave heroes succumb to unconsciousness.
"Rosalina!" Palutena shouted at the goddess.
"We have to go Palutena!" Zelda warned, "Now!"
"Hurry!" Peach shouted.
"But—"
"No time to explain!" Zelda turned around and clasped her hand. A light ball formed between her fingers. She shot it and a portal forged out of nowhere. She turned to the group, "Rosalina is unstable! This is dangerous!" she said.
"What's gotten into you?" Pit shouted at Rosalina from inside his Mystery Box, "Palutena! She's gone insane!"
"Insane?" Rosalina said, pulling out a smirk that sent a shivering cold down the goddess and the angel's spines, "I wouldn't call myself that. I'm more than determined."
The two swordsmen managed to get back on their feet. They were in severe pain.
"Determined to do what? To hurt us?" Pit shouted.
"Not just to hurt you." Rosalina spoke with a gentle tone. She then waved her wand. "Determined to take you all down!"
"Guys!" Peach said, "You have to remember! It is NOT—"
Instantly, a portal ripped open from behind Rosalina and a powerful vacuuming gust caught the heroes like a raging storm. It started yanking on the goddess and the angel. The two princesses stood their ground. So did the swordsmen. But they couldn't hold out long. The Shulk Amiibo was yanked out of Palutena's grasp and so was the Mystery Box with Pit and Kirby in it.
"NO!" she screamed and so did Pit and Kirby. The heroes never saw that coming. The Amiibo vanished into the portal and disappeared. Palutena watched as the Mystery Box was shrinking into nothingness, into the great abyss…
"NOOOOO!"
Ike readied his sword, "Not on our WATCH!" with all his might he ran toward the items flying into the portal and threw a sword slash at it. The only thing he was able to hit out of the portal's trajectory was the Mystery Box with Pit and Kirby. The Mystery Box fell on the ground. But Ike got pulled into the portal, screaming.
The portal vanished, swallowing Ike and the Shulk amiibo with them.
"Ike!" Link shouted. Ike was gone.
Palutena ran to the Mystery Box and picked up Pit and Kirby's Mystery Box, "Are you guys okay?"
Pit and Kirby were hugging each other on the ground. They nodded to Palutena, unable to utter a single word.
"Oh…" Rosalina said, "You want another round?" she waved her hand in a philharmonic fashion.
"We have to leave NOW!" Zelda shouted, "Take Pit and Kirby with you! DO IT!"
It took a while for Palutena to stare at Rosalina with total anguish and betrayal. She couldn't believe her closest friend would do something like that. Just as Rosalina ripped open a sucking portal again, Palutena went after Peach, Zelda, Link, Pit and Kirby. They fled into the portal and the portal disappeared, swallowing them whole.
xxx
Our World: New York City, New York
The Memory Portal shrunk before the two goddesses until it vanished into nothingness.
Pikachu looked at the Luma questionably, "Pika?"
The Luma lowered its head down in sadness.
Rosalina made her wand vanish. "So now you see why I did what I did."
"My gosh..." Palutena finally spoke after a long moment of silence, "I didn't..." she gulped, "I didn't know."
"Of course you didn't." Rosalina said, "I couldn't tell you. I was in the Dark World and communication with each other was not possible. Even if we could..."
"...you would risk everything."
Rosalina hung her head in sadness. Palutena approached Rosalina and hugged her. The two maidens stood still, embraced for quite some time.
Then Palutena pulled away, "But..." she said, "but what about Pit and Kirby? How did we-"
Palutena stopped to notice Rosalina's faint smile.
"You did this." the goddess of Skyworld said, "It wasn't just Peach, Zelda, and my power that did this. You helped out too." she paused dramatically, "You gave up your powers to them when they made their escape. That's why you asked those loons permission to see them. To transfer your powers to them."
Rosalina's brief silence said it all.
Pikachu looked back at Luma for confirmation and the Luma nodded with a smile.
"That's why we need the 3rd Dimensional Screen. It alone can restore my powers so that we can save Jenn's dad and then we resume our quest to save Shulk." Rosalina fixed her eyes out the windows into the bursting Manhattan city, "I wish I could have done the same for Shulk." Rosalina sadly stated.
"But Rosie." Palutena called her that, as a nickname, "None of us had the 3rd Dimensional Screen until recently." she paused, "I'm sorry I was hard on you."
Rosalina shrugged.
"Hey," Palutena perked up, "Don't worry about a thing, all right? Once Jenn gets the legendary item from her cousin, and saves Peach, it'll all be over soon."
"Lady Palutena?" Pit's voice telepathically filled the suite with sheer panic, "Can you hear me? Lady Palutena?"
"Slow down Pit! I'm right here. What's up?"
xxx
Back in Paris…
"It's Zelda! We've lost her!" Pit said.
"WHAT?" Palutena's telepathic voice echoed in shock.
"How did that happened?" Rosalina's voice telepathically joined in.
"I don't know! We were trying to find Peach from Bowser's Airship, we found his junior kid, we were given a false lead to Peach, next thing we knew Zelda disappeared!"
Jenn glared at Pit. She then gave the rest of the group that same stare. The characters caved.
"Is that what reaaaally happened?" Jenn asked.
Pit hesitated, "Okay fine. We were at our hotel room this entire time."
"You guys didn't get to Bowser Jr.'s Airship?" Palutena sounded shocked.
"Oh we did." Jenn said, "Just me and Fox. They," she pointed at the Smash bros. "…were too chicken to go." Fox nodded in agreement.
"HEY!" the Smash Bros. barked at the same time.
"They are terrorists and judgy people all over the place!" Falco said. "And we had to do something about blending in without raising suspicions!"
"You couldn't blend in with a box of macarons?" Fox pulled out another one from his Macaroon box and took a taunting bite. Falco growled under his breath.
"I'm kidding." Fox said, "Actually, there is something I should show you. Where's your phone?"
Fox and Falco walked away.
"Then what happened to Zelda?" Rosalina asked telepathically.
No one was willing to say anything. Link let out a defeated sigh and volunteered, "She only wanted to help us get another Raticate for our experiment." He said, "I advised against it but she insisted. Gah, I should have told her to stay back! I wasn't there to protect her!"
"It's not your fault Link." Luigi said, "You didn't know whoever kidnapped Peach would strike again."
"But how do we know it's the same people who kidnapped Peach?" Link said, "They didn't leave a message THIS time."
Kirby who had the TV on suddenly started jumping up and down, pointing at the screen, "Wayoh! Wayoh! Wayoh!" he squealed for attention.
"Kirby, now isn't the time!" said Jenn, "We have to come up with a—"
The image of a great palace surrounded by heavy police traffic and FBI agents instantly made him stop talking. On the left side of the image it said BREAKING NEWS. On the far right side it was a CNN News Report. But the most captivating part of the image was at the bottom: GLENDOR GREAT PALACE SEIZED BY TERRORISTS!
"Oh my god!" Jenn shouted.
The Smash Bros. all huddled to the TV, staring in shock.
"Another terrorist attack?" Dr. Mario said. "Ohhh…" Luigi fainted.
"Y'see?" Falco said, trying to prove a point, "You see? This is why we're doing what we're doing!"
"Oh my gosh..." Jenn said. "Glendor is not that far from Ireland. And Jace, Hunt and Maple are there for Maple's great-uncle's birthday! I hope they're safe."
"Wait, they're there in Glendor?" Fox asked.
"Not Glendor. Ireland!" Jenn then let out a heavy sigh of relief, "Thank god he's not even in Glendor. I just pray that the terrorist is not that evil Amiir—"
The TV switched to a different image: it was Amiir Black's mugshot. He was staring at her with cold eyes. She stared back, frozen by its gaze.
"…Black." she whispered.
xxx
Our World: Tresor Mansion, Bois de Boulogne, Paris
"Can we turn on the news? I'm getting bored over here! And hungry!" Dr. Dimentio whined from inside his Mystery Box at the mahogany table of Casey Tresor's fancy bedroom.
Casey let out a heavy sigh, "I don't have a TV in this office."
"But you do have it downstairs." Dr. Dimentio said. "Your guests are gone, and you are clearly staring at your phone doing God-knows-what-you-do-on-FaceBook, and if I remember correctly, anyone can watch the news online."
Casey paused. He and Anne looked at each other again, then turned back to Dimentio.
"So yeah, I want to watch the news." Dr. Dimentio said.
Casey sat up from his bed. "Damnit. I forgot you worked for a high-end video game company." he said. "You know you're starting to get annoying right, old man?"
"I'll have you know, young man, that I am much older than you'll ever be."
"And how old are you old man?" Anne asked him.
"Ha!" Dr. Dimentio snorted, "Like I'd tell you, Crystal moth."
"It's Cryst-Fairy!" she raged, "Why is it so hard to say that?"
Casey went into BBC News website. On the cover page was the terrorism happening in Glendor's Palace.
"Great. More terrorists." Casey said.
"When will they stop terrorizing people?" Dr. Dimentio said.
"It's awful isn't it?" Anne said.
"Tell me about it." Casey replied, "When I watched my home been invaded, I thought I'd—"
Casey stopped. Dr. Dimentio turned to his attention. "What?" he asked, "What happened to your home?"
Casey shook his head, "Not important." he went to close the door, locking himself and Dr. Dimentio in the room, "I promised your daughter I'll keep you safe." he smirked, "Lucky for you I know a protection spell that will work on this mansion."
"I thought you were drained out of your powers." Anne said.
"Not when I have my Book of Wonders."
"Book of Wonders?" Dr. Dimentio said, "Isn't that that colorful weird book you put in that hidden secret room behind the bookshelves?"
Casey grinned, "Well, aren't you quite an observant little fell—err… old fellow."
"Watch it with the old jokes." Dimentio scorned. Anne and Casey laughed. Casey reached underneath the desk and tapped on something that made a click sound.
The click sound was followed by a loud groaning sound. The bookshelves that served as the wall behind the duo split up in two. The first half plunged down to the ground while the second half scrolled up, revealing a secret narrow room.
Tiny beams of bright light shone from the ceiling of the chrome-looking chamber and a golden pedestal that revealed… no book.
Casey froze. He went to the golden pedestal.
"What? What is it?" Dr. Dimentio asked, sensing something was wrong.
Anne flew into the middle of the room, startled.
Casey reached a hand out to the golden pedestal in the room, empty of books.
"It's gone." He concluded.
"Are you sure?" Anne asked.
"Yes I'm sure!" Casey replied, "It's gone!"
"Maybe you misplaced it."
"No I didn't." Casey did. He rummaged through everything: documents, folders, other books, office items… nothing. He turned to Dr. Dimentio and shook his head. "Damn it. Damn it. Damn it! I don't know what I did with it."
"So what's so special about that book anyway?" Anne asked.
"It's more than just a book. It's—" he paused, "It's my birthright."
"Birthright?" Dimentio asked.
"I was…" Casey took a deep breath, "I was born with the power to read its contents. With it I could defeat all kind of evil. Even the ones from the Dark World. Passed down from my family's generation of heroes. But it also contains a portal. A way to head back home. My real home. To my real family."
"No kidding." Dimentio said.
"So those magic tricks weren't just for show." Anne asked.
Casey moved his hands to the back of his head and took another deep breath.
"All right, calm down young man." Dimentio said, "We have plenty of time to find where the book is. Right now, let's just count our blessings that we're safe and we might not need that protection spell after all."
"Oh I beg to differ." a voice spoke in the room. A female voice.
Casey and Dr. Dimentio turned around, startled. The only female in the room was Anne. But she didn't speak. She just stood there in the middle of the room, appearing rather shady.
No she wasn't appearing rather shady. She WAS downright shady.
"Anne?" Casey called her.
A smirk crossed her lip, "Just because you find yourself in a quiet place, doesn't mean it can all be safe." A woman's voice came out of her again.
"I know that voice." Dimentio confessed, "I heard it before! I KNEW she was EVIL!"
"Stop messing with me Anne." Casey said.
"Anne is dead." She said.
Violet sparkles suddenly formed over the Cryst-Fairy, then her moth-looking fairy wings grew to bat wings. The bat wings collided into one ball of creepy bats and formed into a human. The human dropped on her heels. Her appearance startled Casey and Dr. Dimentio.
"Oh my god." Dimentio gasped.
"You're…" Casey stammered. "Morgana?"
The woman adjusted her glasses and brushed her jet-black bobcut hair, "Wrong witch, pretty boy." she spoke with a seductive voice.
"That's Bayonetta." Dimentio said, noticing clutched to Bayonetta's hand a magical book. "And she has your book!" he said.
"You stole my book?" Casey asked.
"Borrowed." Bayonetta corrected, "Not steal. I do love it by the way. It's quite a page-turner." She flipped through a series of silver pages. Some pages were golden. "The golden patches on its top and bottom corners, the unique golden pages, the silver scriptures, the animated hardcover though… is that aurora borealis?"
"Give it back!" Casey lunged at her.
"Casey, don't—" Dimentio shouted but too late.
Bayonetta backflipped and to Dr. Dimentio's shock, Casey froze in place. He was enveloped by a violet circle with a hand clock ticking over him.
"Ooh. Sss… so close." She said, casually walked toward Dr. Dimentio's box and picked him up. She turned back to Casey who was still frozen solid.
"What did you do to him?" Dimentio said. "And were you that Crystal Fairy Anne this whole time?"
"No." Bayonetta scoffed, "I killed Anne during the party. That broken glass you heard. That was me. She was working with me though, so you won't miss her much. BTW, that spell on pretty boy? It's called Witch Bob-Omb. Would only last for 2 minutes until he explodes."
"What?" both men gasped.
"Oh relax… I'll reverse it." She said, "If he cooperates of course."
"What do you want?" asked Casey.
She turned to the frozen teen wizard. "Just came to pick up a friend. It's almost past his curfew."
"Curfew?" Dimentio said, "Do I look like a 5-year old to you?"
"No, but you do sound like one with that high-pitched tone of yours." Bayonetta said.
Casey choked back his laughter. Dimentio didn't appreciate that insult and the mocking laugh.
Casey snapped out of it and got serious again, "He's not yours for the taking. Give him back!" he shouted.
"Yeah, no…" Bayonetta replied, "If you really want him back, it's gonna cost you."
"My book? My home?" Casey said, "Bring it on, witch."
Bayonetta raised her eyebrows under her glasses.
Dimentio gasped, "But Casey, you can't give up your only way home for me!" he then turned to Bayonetta, "Just take me in instead, would you? Give him his book back and then we can all frolick into the sunset."
"No way old man!" Casey said, "I made a promise to your daughter! Besides, I've lived life without magic before and I've been in Paris most of my life, so I can do it again."
"I don't recall asking for your permission." Bayonetta said to Dimentio, but then she scoffed, "And that wasn't what I had in mind. If you don't give Dimentio up to me, you will lose more than just your magic and your home."
She crunched hard on the Mystery Box. The box crackled and Dimentio screamed in panic. Casey gasped in terror.
"…you will lose him too." she snarled, "I will kill this old man right here. Right now. Right in front of you. And my plan with the princesses would be for naught."
"The princesses?" Dimentio gasped. Realization dawned on him. "Oh my god, you're the kidnapper."
"Duh." Bayonetta confirmed, before turning back to Casey, "So what's it gonna be?"
Casey looked back at Bayonetta. He turned to Dimentio, who was shaking his head, as a way to tell him to just give him up to her. It was his only choice to at least keep Dimentio and Casey's Book of Wonders alive and intact.
"You know I'd love to say that I have all day to hash out our feelings," Bayonetta said, "But the Witch Bob-Omb don't wait for no one. Only 10 seconds left. Tick…Tock… Tick… Tock… Tick… … …tock…"
"OKAY! ALL RIGHT-ALL RIGHT! You win!" Casey shouted.
Bayonetta smirked. She snapped her finger and Casey dropped on the ground, gasping for breath and bleeding in the nose. Dimentio let out a heavy sigh of relief.
"Guess you haven't dealt with many feisty girls in your past after all." She said, "So let it be a lesson to you, wizard. Don't mess with a witch!"
With another snap from Bayonetta's fingers, Dimentio's surrounding disappeared, as Bayonetta took him away from Casey into the depth of darkness.
xxx
ON THE NEXT EPISODE
- The Golden Ball is broken.
- Heroes and Villains are held hostage by the terrorist Amiir Black. They must work together to survive.
- Hunt makes a bold move to save his friends.
xxx
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Next Episode: The Scroll of Secrets in 3D (part 1)
