AN – The song "Without You" by David Guetta ft. Usher reminded me a lot of Tippi and Count Bleck as well as Bobbery and Scarlette, which is where this oneshot came from.

I hope you enjoy! :)

Without You

"Blumiere?"

"...Mm?"

She smiled at me. "Hello sleepyhead. Are you finally awake?"

I smiled back. "Morning, love."

She giggled. "Good morning."

I grunted as I sat up. I gradually got my bearings and remembered the room we were staying in. It belonged to a kind, old couple that were much like us; the odd couple out. One was a Swooper and the other was a Ladybird.

And much like us, people frowned down upon them because they were different. Their species were supposed to be enemies, after all. But they didn't let that get to them and eventually, they got permission to marry.

That was what I hoped for myself and my lovely fiancé, Timpani.

But unfortunately, it wasn't easy getting a marriage license in a realm that would accept us. For the most part, wherever we went was met with disdain, apathy and even fear, on a few occasions.

I was a part of the infamous Tribe of Darkness, so it was somewhat understandable why they'd be afraid of us. But for obvious reasons, that meant we couldn't live in those realms which housed those apprehensive individuals.

We had thought about moving to this realm but it wasn't quite the peaceful paradise we were looking for, as it was a huge city. As such, it was too noisy, big, bright and crowded for the both of us.

I just hoped we would be able to find peace and get married soon, away from any and all watchful and judgemental eyes.

Much like those of my father...

"Blumiere?"

"Hm?"

"Are you alright?"

I sighed and attempted a smile. "I'm fine, milady. I'm just worried about where we're going to go after this..."

She smiled sadly and caressed my face. "It's going to be fine. No matter how long it takes, we'll find a peaceful realm and we'll get married. So long as we're together, we can accomplish anything. Right?"

I smiled more genuinely. "That is correct."

She giggled. "Now let's go. I'm quite hungry and have heard of this restaurant nearby that is open for breakfast."

I chuckled. "Alright. Let's thank Mr. and Mrs. Swoop and go get some breakfast."

She smiled and nodded before getting up, and I could see that she had already packed our bags. I chuckled again. "Eager to get started I presume?" I asked her, gesturing to our bags.

She grinned. "Of course. I wouldn't want my husband to be to have to pack all of his fancy clothes when he just woke up!"

I laughed. "Did I really sleep in that late?"

She chuckled. "Yes. You did."

I smiled. I still couldn't believe she was really here and in my life. I was very fortunate to have her as my future wife.

"I love you Timpani."

Her still present grin softened into a loving smile. "I love you too, Blumiere."

I walked over and gently kissed her lips.

"And I promise to always be with you..." I whispered to her.

Her eyes teared up, as they always did when she was getting emotional. "As do I..."

We embraced and whispered:

"Always..."

"Timpani..."

I groaned, slowly opening my eyes.

I gradually recognized the dark, vaulted ceiling, the black walls, the small lit candles and the gloomy atmosphere of my secret bedroom in Castle Bleck.

I frowned, the pleasant after effects of my memory still lingering.

"Count?"

I looked up and saw my assistant, Nastasia, standing beside my bed and glancing worriedly at me.

"Are you alright?"

"...I'm fine, Nastasia."

"...It was another memory of... her, wasn't it?"

I frowned, both at the mention of my dream and Nastasia's comment.

"Yes it was."

"...Do you wish to talk about it?"

I shook my head. "No. Thank you for offering, though."

I saw her swallow. "May I ask... what the dream was about?"

A little annoyed that she was still asking me about my dream, I grumbled, "I don't believe that's any of your business..."

She flinched and I immediately felt guilty. She was only trying to help. She may have unrequited feelings for me and sometimes acts upon it unnecessarily, but she hasn't tried to force her feelings unto me or, Overthere forbid, tried to brainwash me into liking her back.

"I apologize, Nastasia. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I just request that you know when to stop asking questions about my past, for I prefer not to talk about it."

"I understand, Count. And I apologize too. I tend to let my curiosity get the best of me when I shouldn't."

I smiled. "It is quite alright."

Then I quickly got to business and asked, "Now, how are preparations coming along?"

She donned a serious face and told me, "Fine, Count. Mario and his pesky friends are proving to be a problem for they've just gotten the second Pure Heart."

I frowned. "That sure was quick..."

"I agree. What do you wish to be done about them?"

I stood up, my cape flowing around me. "Inform everyone that Count Bleck has called them to a meeting in an hour's time."

She nodded. "Understood. But why an hour?"

I looked away. "I... just need a moment to myself."

She paused before nodding. "Understood, Count. I will inform everyone of this meeting right away."

She turned around and was about to leave through the door that appeared when she stopped and, without turning around, told me:

"I hope your heart heals soon, Count."

Before I could respond, she had left and the door vanished, leaving me alone.

I frowned, troubled, my dream still running through my head.

I walked over to a concealed balcony, opened the door and stepped outside; attempting to clear my mind.

But all it could seem to think of was my beautiful fiancé, who had vanished what seems like an eternity ago.

"Timpani..." I whispered, burying my face in my hands.

"Bobbery!"

I quickly glanced up from the ship's wheel to see my beautiful wife, Scarlette, calling out to me from the docks.

I grinned under my mustache, eager to see her again after three months of sailing.

It was unfortunate, but she couldn't come with me on my voyages for she gets seasick rather easily, forcing her to stay home. And being a renowned sailor, we're often separated for long periods of time.

Our souls never drift apart, though. She always waits faithfully for my return and does her very best not to complain, for she understands better than anyone how important the sea is to me.

Almost as important as she herself is.

During my musings, my ship had pulled into the docks and she stepped aside to give me room to secure the ship and undock. I did so as quickly as possible, wanting to see her again after what feels like an eternity.

After making sure that my ship was anchored and tethered and I sent some of my dock crew to unload the cargo, I purposely kept my back to her. It's a part of a little game we play. I pretend to be indifferent and allow her to "surprise" me.

I heard her walk up behind me and felt her nuzzle my back.

"Hello, handsome."

I closed my eyes, enjoying the feel of her being against mine. "Hello, beautiful."

"How was your voyage?"

I sighed. "It got stormy a week in and I had to delay my delivery by a day."

She gasped. "Oh goodness, that must've been troublesome."

I nodded. "It was."

"But if you had to delay your voyage for a day, how come you still arrived back here on time?"

I turned to face her, smiling gently. "I couldn't bear the thought of leaving you alone for a single day longer than I had to."

She smiled as well. "Oh Bobbery, you have to be the sweetest Bomb-omb to have ever lived."

I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling of her nuzzling my cheek. "I love you, my darling Scarlette... I love you so much, it almost hurts."

"Shh..." She whispered. "I love you too."

We sat there nuzzling each other, before I gently kissed her and told her, "We'd best meet up with Podley. He's probably wondering where we are."

She giggled. "Yes, I agree. Best not to worry the poor man."

I chuckled. "Yes, best not to."

We chuckled as we headed towards the bar, trading banter and conversation back and forth...

And I never once suspected that that time at home would be the last time I'd ever spend it with Scarlette.

I slowly opened my eyes, feeling tears brimming in them.

Oh Scarlette...

I slowly sat up as more tears ran down my face at the thought of how during my next voyage, Scarlette would contract the disease that killed her before I could even say goodbye...

"Bobbery?"

I looked up to see my shipmate, Captain Cortez, peering in on me worriedly from the doorway.

"Are you alright, mi amigo?"

I sighed. "I'm fine, old chap. I just..."

"Had a bad dream?"

I stayed silent. The dream wasn't bad, per say. It just brought forth plenty of bittersweet emotions and feelings.

"...I dreamt of Scarlette..."

"Your late wife?"

I nodded.

He made a thoughtful sound. "Well, Bobbery, I don't know what to tell you since I've never had that kind of loss personally, but your time with the red capped amigo, Mario, has helped hasn't it?"

I nodded again. "My time with Mario has certainly helped. And I suppose one could say my soul has even healed from my time with him."

I walked out of my cabin and over to the starboard side of the ship.

"...But ever since that strange void in the sky appeared, I've been really sad and always thinking of her..."

He floated over to me. "What do you suppose that means?"

"...Well, I know that supernatural things and beings exist, such as yourself and that Shadow Queen lass we fought."

"Yes."

"And so..."

I glanced up at the sky.

"Go on."

"Well, maybe the reason the void appeared was because of similar reasons as me."

"You mean someone's lost someone that they truly loved and are now heartbroken?"

"Yes."

He glanced up at the sky.

"Well, amigo, your theory certainly has merit. I just hope that the void can be stopped."

I smiled. "Don't worry, chap. I believe Mario would be able to handle it."

"You believe he might be dealing with it right now?"

"I'm certain."

He smiled a toothy grin. "Yes, you might be right."

He floated over to the center of the ship. "But in the meantime, get ready. We're about to dock at Keyhaul Key."

I nodded and took my position at the steering wheel.

And soon, we could spot the tropical island on the horizon...

Making sure that the ship was on course, my thoughts began to drift away to my wife again...

"Timpani! What did you do with her? I must see her!" I shouted at my father, who was staring back at me with a calm expression on his face. But I knew my father well enough to know that this "calm" expression meant he was angry.

"Still your tongue, Blumiere... Can't you see you've been duped by a dirty human? You have brought shame to my name... and to the entire Tribe of Darkness!"

"And so what if I did? That doesn't matter to me! She's my entire world!" I told him, tears brimming in my eyes; my mind beginning to race with the possible fates that could've befallen her.

"Well, then it will interest you to know... that she no longer resides in this world." He stated coolly, an almost smug expression appearing on his face.

"What... What do you mean by that?!" I asked incredulously, the tears threatening to fall.

"This is the price those who resist their own fate must pay, my son."

"She... No... It can't be so!" I screamed in denial, the tears now beginning to flow freely down my face.

"Someday you will see, son. Our kind and humans must never mix." My father had said, staring at me without blinking, without moving, as I collapsed to the floor on my knees and began sobbing unashamedly...

"Oh Timpani... My love..." I whispered as my eyes were now filling with tears.

I can still remember how the very next day, I snuck out of my father's castle with a hastily thrown together pack and had spent the next six months traversing all across the different realms and dimensions, desperate to find Timpani.

But I couldn't find a single trace of her.

It was only when I returned home, defeated, exhausted and heartbroken, did something begin to change within me. I had become cold and unpleasant during my travels, growing more so each passing day.

And then I heard of the Dark Prognosticus.

When my father found out that I was studying the Prognosticus, he was horrified. He even tried to "apologize" to me for doing what he did.

But I knew my father well enough to know that he was just trying to prevent me from wiping out all of existence.

But something inside of me was permanently damaged by my love's disappearance. And I knew that nothing could heal my broken heart.

Not my father, not my goals, not my friends; both old and new, nothing could repair what Timpani's disappearance had done.

And even after I had saved Nastasia, even after I had met O'Chunks, even after befriending Mimi and even after I recruited Dimentio, I was broken inside. My grief was substantial enough that it soon turned into something else.

It turned into rage.

I started to blame more than my father for letting what happened to Timpani happen. I started to blame everyone and everything.

Thoughts like "How dare those dimensions refuse to accept us" and "If I can't be happy, then NOBODY can" began to fill me head and then consume me.

And I'm still not entirely certain where they even came from.

A part of me was and still is confused as to how I became so nihilistic for it wasn't like me. It was almost as if the thoughts were manifesting on their own.

But none of that concerned me. What concerned me at that moment was destroying everything that had taken Timpani away from me.

And so, my plot to marry the Koopa King and the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom; thus, creating the Chaos Heart which in turn would create the Void that would eventually consume all dimensions, began.

But now, as my plans continue forward and I am still left alone, I'm beginning to doubt that creating the Chaos Heart had been the best idea.

No, I know that doing such a thing was unprecedented and would most certainly doom everyone; man, woman and child, to a horrendous fate...

But it was too late for me. Everything had already been set in motion. There was no going back.

I sighed. Still, if Timpani found out what I was doing...

No. I thought, shaking my head. Timpani is gone. It doesn't matter what she, my father, my friends or anyone else thinks.

I clenched my fist.

The only thing that matters now is finishing what I started...

A tear suddenly slipped down my face, as a particularly painful memory hit me.

It was one of Scarlette's birthdays, her 20th one I believe, and I remember that that was the day I gave her an engagement ring as a birthday present.

I'd set it up in such a way that it would be subtle, but still memorable.

First, I'd handed her a box with directions on a piece of paper in it. Once we'd arrived, the ring was resting on top of a strawberry cupcake.

I can still remember her shocked face when she first saw the ring, her wide smile as she realized what was happening, and then her tear-filled eyes as she simply yet profoundly answered with, "Yes. I'll marry you Bobbery!"

I sighed. We had been married for 29 years when she died. In fact, our 30th wedding anniversary was only two months away when I came back. And her 50th birthday was a month before that.

I can still remember the raw emptiness, guilt and loneliness I had felt. I thought that it was my fault. I thought that if I hadn't been at sea, my wife might still be alive. But to tell the truth, I didn't think it was truly my fault.

What could I have done? I wasn't a doctor. I didn't have any prior medical knowledge. I only knew how to handle minor injuries and illnesses, like cuts and the flu. But I was so lost and overwhelmed with grief and sorrow that I didn't know what else to think. I felt like I had to blame something for letting my wife die.

And I guess that "something" happened to be myself and my sailing.

I became afraid. Afraid that if I was to keep sailing, something else would happen. Afraid that I'd never be able to enjoy sailing again. And worst of all, I was afraid that I would be disgracing my wife's memory if I kept sailing.

And thus, I stopped and secluded myself to Podley's bar and my home.

I had long since moved out of my old home on the West Side of Rogueport after she died, instead going to a simple, one-bedroom house on the East Side.

My old house held too many memories; memories I didn't wish to visit.

And I stayed that way for an entire year.

But then a miracle happened in the form of Mario.

He was my saving grace, per say, and he helped me forgive myself and the ocean for Scarlette's death. During my adventure with him, an old flame had rekindled within me. That flame was what originally drove me to sail, to tell tall tales and most of all, to enjoy life.

And me going an entire year without sailing must've saddened Scarlette, for she knew how much the sea meant to me.

But she meant more to me than the sea.

That, I have no shame in admitting.

And now, without Scarlette physically here, the sea and my new friends and memories are the only things keeping me going.

"Mi amigo?"

I looked up at Cortez, gazing down at me.

"Yes, lad?"

"We've almost reached Keyhaul Key. Be prepared to disembark."

I nodded and turned my attention to the fast approaching island.

Without you... I am lost and I am vain... I lamented to myself, tears threatening to fall down my face. And I will never be the same... without you.

I wasn't sure what I was doing anymore or what I was even doing it for.

Timpani was gone. If she is dead or somehow still alive, I'm not sure. But I am almost certain that I'll never see her again.

Without you, I can't win and I can't reign...

I just stood there, taking in deep, shuddering breaths in a feeble attempt to calm myself.

I will never win my game, without you...

We had long since pulled into the island's port and had settled in, chatting with old friends. We discussed the weather, the ocean and everyone's wellbeing as well as the strange Void that everyone was seeing everywhere.

It was rather troubling.

And the more I thought of it and my theory as to why it seemed to correspond with my sudden memories and dreams of my late wife, the more disturbed I grew.

"Cap'n Bobbery?"

I looked up from my musings to see an acquaintance of mine, Pa' Patch, standing there before me.

"You a'right, mate?"

I sighed. "I'm alright, lad. I just have some thoughts running through my head."

"About the Void?"

I nodded.

"Well, I ain't no supernatural theorist, but I know enough to know that that there Void was most definitely made by a desperate soul."

"You believe so?"

"Yes. I was readin' about stuff like that after it appeared and I grew interested in a story about the 'Dark Prognosticus'. Wanna here it?"

I attempted a shrug.

"A'right. It goes something like this..."

I won't run and I won't fly, I will never make it by... without you...

I had long since been crying, flashes of my time spent with Timpani racing through my thoughts.

But even then, those thoughts felt like a distant past, as if they were merely sand in my hourglass slowly draining away and falling into an abyss...

An abyss that they won't ever come back from.

It felt like the more I moved forward with my plans, the more I lost my mind. It felt like I would eventually succumb to madness and forget everything...

Even my beloved Timpani.

The very thought frightens me to my very core.

I can't rest and I can't fight... All I need is you and I...

Without you...

I had been listening to Pa' Patch's stories for a few hours until he decided to get some sleep. I agreed with him and we both bode each other good night, and went our separate ways.

But I couldn't stop thinking about what he told me, about the Tribe of Darkness and their enemies, the humans. And what the legends said about the Four Heroes, the Dark Prognosticus and the Void made sense in a conflicting sort of way.

It was too confusing, but at the same time, it wasn't.

And it was giving me a headache.

I tossed and turned on my berth, trying to get comfortable but to no avail.

I eventually sighed and got up to take some sleeping pills to finally allow me to get my rest when I passed by the window.

And out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Void.

It had grown bigger.

My eyes widened and I momentarily forgot my headache, my musings and everything that had been troubling me just now and stared out the window.

At the Void that had grown to be as large as the moon, whereas before, it was only just large enough to make out.

And my thoughts began to drift towards Scarlette...

How her smile always seemed to light up my world. How her beautiful eyes gazed with such love upon me whenever we were together. How she never complained about my long and lonely sailing voyages. How she always kissed me with such tenderness...

I can't erase the blame, so I'll accept that we're almost the same...

The same in mutual love. Mutual respect. Mutual adoration.

And without you... I don't feel right, but I can't quit now...

And yet, I can't take one more restless night...

Without you...

I won't soar and I won't climb, for if you're not here, I am paralyzed...

Without you...

I looked out over my balcony railing, at the Void. At the black hole I had created.

That would consume everything.

I can't look for I'm so blind...

I've lost my heart and my mind...

Without you...

And I felt remorse.

But I couldn't stop it.

But it would consume everything...

I am lost...

There was no longer any doubt in my mind that Pa' Patch was right.

The Void would continue to grow and eventually consume all worlds and dimensions until the Four Heroes stopped it.

I am vain...

And I was also now certain that somewhere out there; far, far away from this world, from Rogueport, from Keyhaul Key...

Was now suffering in the same way I suffered from my wife's death...

I will never be the same...

And I bowed my head...

Without you...

And I prayed for who had lost their way and was out there.

Without you...

My love...

AN – Thanks for reading this and I hope it wasn't too depressing.

Anyways, if you want to, feel free to leave a review. :)