The odd iron coffin was trundled out of the carriage by a series of Boos who disappeared down a swampy road. Iggy had spied the strange contraption the whole ride over and had still not surmised what its purpose was. The moss covered station nestled a little way from Rhapsody was adorned by swirling iron patterns, common in the ghost train's glory days. The platform looked solid, yet Iggy found some morbid delight in how spongy the stone felt beneath his talons and how everything looked hard yet wavered with ectoplasmic mist and was somewhat soft to touch like feeling a firm pillow. The ride over had been mostly quiet, this time Iggy had a chance to enjoy the sights; the crossing over into different plains of existence that flickered outside his cabin window. He particularly enjoyed seeing the world of rainbow static and the strange fleshy giants staring vacantly at them while holding large contraptions in hand. The giants would be almost in a trance; only their eyes flickered as their fingers twitched erratically to push buttons on some oddly designed devices. It was quite mysterious and exciting, like Iggy had caught a glimpse of a mysterious cryptid to include on a creepypasta archive.

He was dragged out of his daydreams by Ludwig, who had politely tapped him on the shoulder and gestured him to come with him. They trekked the muddy path along with the other passengers from the Spectre Express. As they kept walking, passengers parted down various streets and alleyways of Rhapsody while they remained on the main road towards Diabella's laboratory. The general atmosphere of the town was off. The revelry and laughter were still there yet the music and partying had fallen silent. Instead the sounds of machinery buzzed with life followed by ominous clanks and thuds. The flow of water echoed and churned with a sickening gulp. Yet neither Ludwig nor Iggy could surmise where the noise was coming from exactly. It just floated in the air. Bohemians living there were busier and focused, running about different buildings with purpose like they following secret, invisible instructions. They were simply ignored the few times they tried to stop someone to ask what they were doing. The lumbering giant insects in the mire were assisting as best they could, whether they were carrying large implements or assisting with moving people around. Ludwig and Iggy felt like they were in the eye of a storm, everything chaotic around them while they calmly paced towards their goal.

They watched strange metal pillars and structures hoist upright in the distance, each of an unusual design that Ludwig couldn't quite place. Iggy piped up excitedly "It's like those monoliths from the Dark Cities of Phantasmala!"

Ludwig recalled "Oh, that eldritch empire from that 'Catacombs & Cryptids' game you're so fond of."

"Yeah! Seriously Ludwig, you got to sit down and give the game a go. Its heaps of fun! I'll even help you make your character and choose a demon lord that suits you."

"Alright, I'll give it a go. If you're willing to teach me how it all works." Ludwig smiled as Iggy let out an excited, euphoric screech.

They crossed the old suspension bridge upon reaching the crooked tower within drained moat. Once in the main laboratory, Iggy immediately became distracted by observing the implements within. Most notably was that he had been reunited with the mysterious coffin that had arrived on the Spectre Express. Ludwig allowed Iggy his own time to marvel the laboratory, even he had to admit it was quite an intricately designed place with traces of different eras and methods present throughout its architecture. He felt like the laboratory had grown with more knowledge, more skillsets over an unknown period of time. Only one door remained particularly ancient looking, a strange wooden door at the edge of the room that led to Diabella's private chambers.

In all his time in Rhapsody and in the company of Diabella, he had never seen her living quarters. The small room was rather simplistic with a single metal bed, probably stolen from a hospital, and a large trunk under a window overlooking the Malevolent Mires. The walls however told him so much more. All over every surface were pictures from bygone ages. From fine portraits of nobles, tapestries, carvings, various wanted posters, newspaper clippings, sketches, any form of visual media since a medieval era was hung proudly on those walls. Each one depicted a different era in time and a different side of Diabella's life. Every picture told a different story. A different part of her life, sometimes she was noticed, other times she blended in the background but she was always there.

Ludwig was surprised, he assumed those with negative lives would be hiding from sight yet here was Diabella at the centre as some of the more infamous members of history, four in particular stood out for him. She had been the Countess Diabla whose manor still stood in King Boo's realm; rumoured to be a vampire as she never aged. The dreaded pirate Captain Morgan who was a scourge of the seas for many decades yet never caught. She was also the Copper Kitty, a coppersmith and bandit from the Wild West who rode a steam powered horse. At one time she was Madame Cog, a powerful gangster during the age of industrialisation. Although he never quite understood why she was remembered as a villain; perhaps because she stole the child labour of other factories then burned those factories to the ground to remove any competition.

He carefully noted one another recent clipping from a newspaper, judging from the date on the page it happened a little before the gangster era swept through most human cities. Diabella had even worked with the electricians to help lay the electrical grid for New Donk City. It appeared that Madame Cog was the last image before her timeline ended; probably around the time she turned to the mire. He saw the difference between Diabella and Shalazia in that moment. They both had negative lives, they both stayed in the game, yet Diabella moved forward and adapted with each change. Shalazia could not and it was ultimately her downfall. A part of him wondered what would have happened on Star Road had he not reminded Diabella of her modern self.

The portrait that caught his eye was hanging proudly on the wall opposite the bed so it was the last thing the occupant of it saw before sleeping. A couple were pictured, a scarred and giant woman with violet hair shaven on one side. She was stocky and athletic, looking out of place in the lace embellished ebon gown. Beside her was a short, fat nobleman, with a single, fang-like tooth jutting from his beaming smile, his wild white hair was tied back and his eyes were bright red, perhaps an albino? Like her, he was in his finest clothes, a dark suit with a gold and purple waist coat. A large red gem set in gold hung around his neck. They looked like they came from two different worlds yet they seemed so… happy… just happy to be with each other. A scrawled note tucked on the corner of the canvas read 'To my beloved knight, Astrapi. I will always adore and love you. From your sweet, spooky marshmallow, Agaricus.'

"Oh, hey! What are you doing here?"

Ludwig paused from hearing Magnifico's voice in the main room. He stopped his voyeurism of Diabella's life to join Iggy beyond her chambers. Sure enough, Magnifico and Scaramouch were there and confronting Iggy about his presence.

Iggy informed quickly so he could continue studying the mysterious casket "Ludwig wanted to see what happened to your queen. I'm just here coz I like this lab."

Scaramouch replied "You better not take anything, she won't be happy if you mess with her stuff."

"Is Diabella coming back?" Ludwig felt somewhat hopeful for a moment "Where is Gallileo and Fandango?"

"We don't know. We thought they went with you."

"They were, but then… they were gone. It was weird…"

Magnifico honestly answered "But what we do know is that they will be back at some point… Diabella always finds a way back. Why would now be any different?"

"Why is everyone in town acting so weird? I can barely get anyone to even notice me."

"The Shadow Queen paid us all a visit shortly after the sky stopped shaking. She told us what transpired, what Diabella had told her and that I was to expect a parcel to be delivered here the day you appeared in town again."

Scaramouch procured a parchment with writing that oozed purple sludge "Seems like Diabella made a deal with the Shadow Queen about moving the town so we're making sure everything is ready for the move." She remarked "The Spectre Express and warp pipe to Roguetown will be out of commission for a little while but we will repair the links once we're established. Are you going to come with us Ludwig?"

"No, my place is with my family for now but I'll be visiting once everything is connected."

"So can I have your apartment? It's a pretty sweet pad."

"Yeah, sure." Ludwig prodded around in his shell to procure a brass key then handed it to her "It's yours."

Scaramouch took the key daintily from his hand "Thanks… I will be washing this thoroughly. Seriously, why do you Koopas always put stuff in your shells!?"

Magnifico remarked "It's very convenient."

"Hey guys!" Iggy piped up as he stood over the coffin "You guys should maybe check this out… it's a little weird… but like a good, spooky weird."

The iron coffin had been delivered to the laboratory, placed in the main room where one couldn't miss it. The entire container was not tall or large, it was rather small. Layers of bindings, metal supports and strange cloth inscribed with depleted runes, made the coffin appear bulky. The only visible component was a glass window where the head of its occupant would lie. The glass window surrounded by bolts pulsed with an unearthly light. Out of curiosity, they lingered closer to see if anything was visible within. A skeletal hand bashed the window from the inside. It had fewer fingers than a human and talons which made Magnifico wonder. Without hesitation, she went to a table to retrieve a spanner, then to the bolts at the side of the coffin and undid them. Ludwig ensured the runic bindings were depleted of magic while Scaramouch and Iggy finished unfastening the iron struts. They finally threw the lid open without a care, releasing a flash of blinding light.

When her senses adjusted, she first saw the mist spewing from the coffin, then a single skeletal figure rising from within it; a familiar leather duster with the Steampunk crest resting on its lapel. Magnifico paused for a moment, studying the skeleton's beaked face, old helmet and headphones then nearly burst into tears as she threw her arms around him. "Figaro!" she wept "But how?"

Figaro answered, his voice rattling from deep within his new Dry Bones form "King Boo rebuilt me."

Scaramouch was shocked "You can talk now!?"

"He fixed me as best he could. Diabella sent my remains to him in the hopes that he could do something."

Magnifico felt a mix of anger, relief and confusion all at once "But why didn't she say anything to us?"

Scaramouch shrugged "Knowing her, she probably didn't want to get our hopes up."

"I've missed out on quite a lot, huh?" Figaro chuckled "It's fine, you can explain everything over coffee."

The laboratory rocked wildly before the strange pit in the centre of the room sprung a leak. Fetid sludge began pooling at the bottom, it stank of lost time from being trapped beneath the earth for too long. A few Snifits in hazmat gear and large burrowing beetles and worms waddled out of the nearby catacomb pipes that had spewed the foul slime. Some began surveying the damage, another looked up to see Ludwig, Iggy, Scaramouch, Figaro and Magnifico peering down.

"Figaro! Good to see you mate!" The Snifit waved "Sorry everyone, we've been securing the subterranean pylons for the move. Looks like we found a fault line. Not to worry though, we'll have all this cleaned up shortly."

Iggy was intrigued by the scale of the operation "What exactly are these modifications for?"

"You don't know? We're going airborne! It's been in the works for a few decades and finally, we're making it real!"

Ludwig did not share such enthusiasm "Doesn't it sound a little risky?"

"We won't know until we try, besides, everyone who doesn't want to be here is free to leave. Some have already relocated to Rogueport and the Twisted Manors." The team began to move back into the tunnel from whence they came, the Snifit waved back "Anyway, hopefully we'll see you up in the sky!" then pattered back down into the darkness.

With nothing more to do in the laboratory, they headed to exit so they could go find a café to have a drink and catch up. Scaramouch asked as they walked back across the suspension bridge to the main road in town "So, Iggy, are you staying on?"

Iggy tilted his head "Staying on?"

Figaro nodded "Yeah, are you staying in Rhapsody?"

"Well, nah, I got a lot of things going on back home. Need to take care of my Octo-chicken."

"Fair enough, you'll come hang out once the warps are back, yeah?"

"Definitely. This place is way better than hanging out at the Electrodome."

Despite the fact that Rhapsody and its citizens were safe, Ludwig couldn't shake his uneasiness. It seemed so peculiar how relaxed everyone was about Diabella, Fandango and Gallileo's disappearances. He also couldn't fathom how any of them could return now. But he couldn't speak against their optimism. It didn't feel fair to crush their happiness.