The groups along with Bowser and his minions rode across the air on the battleship as they slowly approached Peach's Castle.
"Hmm...so the rats have decided to come and bite." Aimi said watching this. "Paper Planes! Deploy!" she called out as paper planes started deploying to attack the battleship.
"Incoming! Firing Squad, ready your weapons!" David said.
The firing squad then started firing Bob-ombs at the paper planes sending them crashing down below as they got closer.
"Of course. Seems I must sink the ship myself." Aimi said. "As sharp and quick as a mighty sword." she said before tossing the fan as it cut right through the ship.
"She cut through my battleship...with a paper fan?!" Bowser said.
"That's Ai for you." Mayumi said.
"Time to abandon ship!" Jexi said as they jumped off the falling battleship and landed right outside of Peach's Castle.
"Whew. We made it. Now we just need to get inside." Mayumi said.
They headed to the front door, only to see it was locked.
"The door's locked." Vashyron said.
"No problem. Luigi's probably found the key to the castle by now, so he could be on his way here with it." Hope said.
"And speak of the devil, there he is now!" Moltar pointed out as a kart came riding into view.
"All of you...I have to come clean...I could not find the key!" Luigi said, unaware of the key being in the kart's tailpipe.
"Um, I'd say the key was closer than you thought this whole time." Kabuki said.
"Huh?" Luigi said as Kabuki pulled it out. "Oh...yeah. I guess I did-a find it."he said as they unlocked the door. However before they could set foot inside, the whole castle started to shift and change before their eyes before it stood there as an exact copy of the origami castle Litmus had made.
"Whoa, Olly and Aimi are not messing around anymore." Mayumi said.
They stepped right into the castle as Aimi stood there.
"Welcome to the Origami Castle, my invited guests." Aimi said.
"Ai… So, you came to greet us personally?" Mayumi asked.
"It would be rude not to." Aimi said.
"Ai… You know this isn't right. Please, come to your senses while you still can. I'm here to take you back. Let's go back home together, Ai." Mayumi said.
"Mayumi...I am home. The knights...my king...they all need me." Aimi said. "The Lost...that is my home."
"Ai, your family has been worried sick since you disappeared. I don't know what happened in Nagoya, but as you are now… There seems to be only one way I can figure out the truth." Mayumi said.
"The truth...The truth is the universes are corrupted. They need to be fixed. But if you cannot understand it...then I, Aimi Fujimura, the Knight of Beauty, will make you understand." Aimi said, drawing her fan. "But...I'd rather not have these others mess with things. Stapler!" she called out as a large dog with a spiked collar and sharp teeth jumped out from behind the doors.
"Gah! That's him! The mutt who bit down and stapled me!" Bowser said.
"We'll focus on the guard dog, Mayumi. You bring Aimi back home to us." David said.
"Grr...how many times must I say it. I belong to the Lost!" Aimi said. "Sharp as a blade!" she said, rushing at Mayumi as they clashed, sword on fan.
"Shadow Blade!" Mayumi said as she formed a wing on her arm and performed an uppercut.
"Sturdy as a shield." Aimi said using the fan to block as it took the attack.
"So...that's how your style works." Mayumi said.
"Yes. By uttering elegant phrases, I can bestow any property I desire onto my fan." Aimi said. "Like this...as sharp and quick as a shuriken!" she said, tossing the fan at Mayumi.
Mayumi thought fast and switched to Adamantine Armor. She blocked the incoming fan strike as it returned to Aimi.
"Hmm...seems I have to get tougher. Ultimate Color Fighting Sacred Art! Multi Fan Property!" Aimi said as the fan split into six separate fans that floated around her.
"Aimi, listen. I need you to fight this. This isn't you, and you know it yourself." Mayumi said.
"Or maybe you didn't really know me at all." Aimi said as she remembered her time in the Lost Universe. "All I remember from that time...is how I ended up lost and afraid. Surrounded by the beasts until…" she said remembering a man approaching her.
"You really shouldn't be here. It's dangerous for someone like you." they said. "Are you...lost? It's okay...we all are."
"I...see. Who...who are you?" Aimi asked, being both scared and a bit interested.
"My name is Barl. And you can think of me as the ruler of this world. The Ruler of the Lost." he said.
"Lord Barl...he saved me from the horrors of that place. I will not rest until I see his vision come to truth!" Aimi said.
"Ai… I understand that you have suffered deeply since you were gone. But...how did you end up there? Me, your family, that's what we all want to know." Mayumi said.
"I don't know...but...I'm glad I was there. Because now...it's given me a purpose. We'll make all of these universes beautiful!" Aimi said, launching all six fans at Mayumi.
Mayumi took all of the hits as she stepped forward. "Soul Fist!" she said as she shot an energy shot at Aimi.
"Not good. I can't block spiritual attacks." Aimi said as the attack hit her.
"Aimi… I understand your plight. I don't know how your heart was closed, but no matter what it takes, I'll reach into it and pull you back from the brink! Finishing Shower!" Mayumi said as missiles started firing from her body.
"So...many…." Aimi said. "My lord...I'm sorry." she said as the attacks all hit her as she was sent flying before landing on the ground.
"Ai…" Mayumi said as she reverted and went to check on her.
"Damn it… I'm so sorry, Lord Barl. I couldn't do it… I failed you...beauty has no place here." Aimi said.
"That's not true, Ai… I still haven't given up on you." Mayumi said as she took out an origami swan.
"Th-that's…!" Aimi said. "You… You still had it? After all this time?"
"That's right, Ai. I've always held onto it, on the promise that we would meet again." Mayumi said.
"May…" Aimi said. "So...you went and remembered...even after that fake invitation I sent you."
"To be honest, I didn't think it was you. Although you did surprise me." Mayumi said. "But why us? If it was for any old reason, then there was no need to go through all of this."
"It wasn't meant for that entire group...just you. I wanted you...to see the beauty we were trying to bring so maybe you could be spared from his judgment." Aimi said.
"Ai… I appreciate the thought. But I couldn't just back away. Just as you have a group of your own now...I have mine. They're all my friends too." Mayumi said.
"Yes...suppose they are." Aimi said. "My lord…" she said before passing out.
"Ai… I'm sorry it had to be this way. But I can only hope that when all of this Knights of the Lost business is over, we can be on good terms again, like old times." Mayumi said.
"Okay...we've taken care of the dog." Hope said as the dog growled. "Sit!" he shouted as the dog just lied down and whimpered.
"Agh...finally!" Bowser said having returned to his normal paper form.
"Now...Olly is the only one left." Litmus said. "Hopefully...we can stop him before it's too late."
"Got it. Aimi… You just take a rest here. We'll be back soon." Mayumi said.
Aimi laid there in silence as she thought back on happier times with her and Mayumi.