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No Author's Note Today:

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Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the story idea and any OCs.

Chapter 36:
The Count, the Pixl, and the Man in Green

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The red hero and his butterfly pixl friend resume with their journey. They have travel through many halls and doors, searching for Count Bleck. Eventually, they reach the top and found a stairway leading to the final door. With a deep breath, Mario entered where he was lead to the Inner Sanctum, the room where the final battle will be held.

"I feel...I feel something very, very powerful..." said Tippi "...Is it the Chaos Heart?"

"Bleh heh heh heh heh heh..."

Laughter filled the air. Mario look up ahead to see the master mind of this whole thing, Count Bleck, and his female assistance standing on top of some platforms.

"I see you've come at last!" said the Count. "So you really are the hero of the Light Prognosticus."

"Count...Bleck..." said Tippi.

"But you are far too late to stop the Dark Prognosticus and me...Count Bleck! All worlds will soon end. Come to grips with that now, for you cannot stop it. I suggest you make yourself comfortable and enjoy this one, final spectacle!"

"But...why? Do you really want to destroy everything? Why would you do this this?! How...COULD you do this?!"

"Count Bleck does not care about any world! They are all meaningless. Better that I destroy them! Better yet, I shall make it as if they never existed at all!"

"If the worlds have no meaning, was our meeting meaningless as well? Answer me, Blumiere!"

The Count tilted his hat over his face. "You know the answer, dear Timpani...Count Bleck does not have to tell you... But the hour has grown too late. You should know that by now..."

"Blumiere...My love, Blumiere..." Tippit said sadly. "Or rather Count Bleck... The only way we can stop this is to defeat you...And that is exactly why Mario and I have come here...To stop this."

He laughs. "BLEH HEH HEH HEH! BLECK! Very well! But I will also do what I must! Count Bleck is the delete of worlds! My fate is written in the Dark Prognosticus! Do not think for a moment that will hesitate to strike you down. ALL NOW ENDS!"

"Blumiere...My Blumiere..."

Count Bleck addressed long time assistance. "Leave me, Nastasia. I will deal with these two ALONE."

Nastasia looked surprise. "B-But..."

He turned to her. "Count Bleck demands it! I will not say it again."

She sighed, defeated. "...Yeah, right away, Count."

She flipped out of the room, leaving the Count to deal with Mario alone. Once she was gone, Count Bleck turned back to the hero and his pixl.

"Are you prepared, hero? Out duel will be worthy of the last clash the world will ever see!"

And so the fight began. Count Bleck was the first one to attack. He conjured up a glob of dark magic and hurled it at Mario. The red man easily dodged it and used the multiple platforms to reach the blue villain.

When he tries to land a jump on him, he was suddenly pushed back by some strange force field. At first Mario was confuse. He shook it off and tried again. When he did, he was met with the same results.

"How laughable!" said Bleck. "Is that all the heroism you can muster? Let me show you true power!"

"Our attacks...aren't doing anything!" Tippi realized. "He's being shielded by the Chaos Heart."

Mario dodged another shadow blast attack before making his way up the platforms again. He landed on top of Count Bleck only to bounce off him. He landed on the ground with an annoyed growl.

"You can't so much as tug on the cape of Count Bleck! You have failed!"

"Mario, your attacks aren't working at all..."

"Bleck! I expected more potency from the hero of prophecy!" He opened his cape. "I will watch your game end, and then your precious worlds will end soon after!"

Count Bleck started to form a huge vortex of dark energy. With his attacks useless, Mario couldn't do anything but stand there and watch.

"IS this...the end?"

"Oh, COME ON! You're giving up already?"

That voice...It was all too familiar in Mario's ears. The red hero and Tippi turned behind them where the voice came from. To their surprise, the king of koopa Bowser was stepping towards them.

"Come on! Man up a little. You never give up this easy when you attack MY castle!"

Count Bleck stopped his attack and focus his attention on the others heroes. "Bleh heh heh heh heh heh… So you ARE alive, then!"

Bowser wasn't the only to appear. Peach and Luigi walked up from behind him. Mario smiled; he was glad to see that his brother and friends were alright.

"We would never let you destroy everything, you awful count!" said Peach.

"That's right, Princess," Luigi held a determined stance and locked eyes with the Count himself. "W-We're not going to let this happen. We're going to stop you no matter what it takes."

'Luigi…' The Count thought as he looked down at the green man. 'Truly, I have been wasting your talents. But are you really strong enough to go against me?' He closed his eyes and sighed. 'Deep down, I hope you are.'

"You're all here…" Tippi said. "But how?"

"I fell through the floor before I got flattened by the ceiling." Explained Bowser

"I fell through, too, and landed right on Bowser!" Peach said. "It was a surprisingly soft landing…"

"Uhm? Oh, I don't know what happened, Bro, but the princess found me out cold." Luigi said. "But we're all here now, so let's do this!"

"You heard him!" said Bowser. "Now you've got to deal with all of us!"

Count Bleck placed a hand on his chin in thought. "Bleh heh heh heh heh heh heh… "When the four heroes are united…" It is all as foretold." There were a few flashes. "What…What's this?"

"What is now happening to…Count Bleck?!" Peach asked.

'And us for that matter?' Luigi thought.

For some strange reason, all four of them were glowing. The pure hearts appeared from their hold and hovered in the air over them.

"The Pure Hearts…" said Tippi.

The eight pure hearts shine brightly. Magically, they hover over to Count Bleck who was protected in his barrier. Without warning, it broke into pieces, leaving him expose.

"Bleh heh heh heh…huh?" The Count said, confuse and surprise at what just happened. "My barrier…it's gone?"

"Four heroes unite, their hope burns forth light to shatter the walls of blight" quoted Tippi. "Just like Merlee said…"

The Count tilts his hat over his face. "So be it...says Count Bleck! But don't celebrate just yet. Your precious worlds aren't safe until my last breath!" His cape flew open. "Let us finally end this! Now the true battle begins...with Count Bleck!"

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"BLEHHH!"

That was the cry of Count Bleck after Mario and the other heroes finally deal the last blow. The Chaos Heart came out from his hold and landed softly onto the ground. The heroes approach it as the count teleport himself to the ground, completely defeated.

"Ex…Excellent…"

Nastasha reappeared next to him. "Umm…Count?"

"You have won…Now finish Count Bleck…Dispatch me and the Chaos Heart will disappear. The prophecy will be undone…"

Tippi fluttered over to him. "Why does it have to end like this…"

"Timpani…When you vanished, I searched long for you. I never gave up looking…I searched and searched…" He shook his head. "But I never found you…Without you, the world held no meaning or joy…So I used the forbidden prophecy of the Tribe of Ancients to end all worlds. I wanted to destroy everything that had taken you away from me…"

"Blumere?"

"Count Bleck, please stop…"

All heads turned to the speaker of that voice. To the heroes' surprise, it came from one of their own. With all eyes on him, Luigi stepped forward.

"Luigi…" Mario said, completely confuse on what his brother was doing.

Without a word, Luigi made way towards the count. He felt a strong pull coming from the Chaos Heart, like it was trying to draw him in with promise of great power. But he simply ignores it and kept on walking. Once he was by the Count's side, he fell down on his knees.

"Count Bleck...please... you have to stop this." Luigi pleaded. "Timpani's still alive, there's no point to destroy all worlds anymore. You can be together again, just like you wanted."

Mario and the others couldn't believe their ears. Luigi...was one of Count Bleck's minions? This whole time? A sly look developed on Bowser's face. He was about to say something to Mario but Peach quickly stopped him with a stern glare. Now was not the time for that.

"He's right," said Tippi. "I'm here now... No one can keep us apart anymore...Don't you see?"

"Luigi…Timpani…" Count Bleck sighed. "I'm sorry, but… it is too late. Count Bleck has done so much evil...It must end. Just knowing that you, Timpani are still alive…And knowing that the world you both still live in will continue…It gives me peace. I do not long to live. You must end my game before The Void destroys all…"

"But...we're finally together again..."

Luigi cased his head down as tears begin to build in his eyes. Nastasha was also saddened by the scene before her. She turned her head slightly, only to catch a glimpse of something in the distance. She looked up and gasped,

"Luigi, Count... look out!"

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Ending Note:

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Countdown to the end - 4

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Review :)

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