EPISODE 4-3

"That's the tricky part of this whole situation," said Merlon. "The ancients designed the Pure Hearts to counteract the Chaos Heart. If the Chaos Heart doesn't exist, the Pure Hearts shouldn't either."

Count Bleck leaned back in his seat and thought about what Merlon had told him. He had been talking to Merlon for only a short while, but he had already absorbed more information about the Pure Hearts and the Light Prognosticus than he could retain. He glanced out the window. It was open, to let a gentle breeze in. The breeze felt nice in the otherwise stuffy library room. Count Bleck turned his attention back to Merlon.

Merlon continued, "But as long as love exists, the Pure Hearts have power. As long as evil exists, the Chaos Heart still has power. It's a struggle that will continue until the end of time itself. I can't tell you where the Pure Hearts are now that they've fulfilled their initial purpose. The Light Prognosticus is not showing me that far."

"I see," said Count Bleck. "So what you're saying is…"

"We're in uncharted waters," finished Merlon. "If the ancients looked this far, I haven't found their prophecy yet."

"I suppose that means I won't find the answer, then, doesn't it?" Count Bleck said sadly.

"I wouldn't say that," Merlon encouraged. He smiled reassuringly and added, "Just because we haven't found the answer yet doesn't mean it isn't somewhere to be found."

"Well, then, what do you recommend? Count Bleck has run out of ideas."

"I recommend for you to keep doing what you're doing," said Merlon. "I have a feeling that you're already on the right track, even if it doesn't feel that way. I have the instincts of an ancient. I can sense these things."

Just then, Tippi fluttered in through the open window. "Excuse me," she said. "I'm back!"

"Wonderful, exclaimed Count Bleck with pride. Have you finished the mission already?"

"No," said Tippi. "The Shy Guys don't have the sky anymore, so the others are getting a head start on taking it back."

"I suppose you'd like to go join them?" Merlon asked.

"Actually," said Count Bleck, "I have more questions on my mind that I would like to ask… more about the Pure Hearts and such."

"Not a problem," said Merlon. "I should have all the answers you need… somewhere in here."

Bowser's Castle loomed over the landscape, a powerful structure of intimidation, designed to strike fear and terror into the hearts of all who approached it. It was perched on an enormous rock shaped like the King Koopa's head, surrounded by a moat of molten lava, and built out of volcanic bricks adorned with spikes and gargoyles. Bowser's Castle was a castle that demanded respect, and if you were smart, you gave it.

Mimi, Dimentio, and O'Chunks were standing on the far side of the moat, hidden behind a clump of dead trees. There was a bridge leading across the lava moat to the castle. There were also Koopatrolls crawling all over to make sure nobody but the members of the Koopa Troop used that bridge.

"It's real easy," Mimi said, thinking out loud. "See, um, Dimentio can sneak in easy because he can disappear and warp around like he does all the time, and I can just turn into a Koopatroll and walk around in plain sight, unnoticed. And O'Chunks can… um…" Mimi scrunched up her face in careful thought. "Hmm… Oh! I know! Um, does anybody have a bed sheet?"

Dimentio and O'Chunks exchanged glances.

"Dimentio, can you go get one?" Mimi asked sweetly.

"Yyyyyyyes, very well," he said. "I shall return in a moment." He disappeared.

Mimi bounced energetically on her feet as she waited for him to return. O'Chunks waited until a decent amount of time had passed before he said, "Uh, so, I was just wonderin'—"

"Ssh!" Mimi interrupted. "Waiting."

"All right, then."

Dimentio reappeared with a large white sheet. "I brought this back from the castle," he said.

Mimi snatched it eagerly. "Gimmie!" she squeaked. She pulled a handful of children's markers out form her pocket, spread out the sheet, and began to scribble. Then she ripped two holes out of the sheet.

"You're welcome," said Dimentio. "Happy to do it."

Mimi threw the sheet over O'Chunk's head. "There!" she said happily. "Perfect camouflage!"

Dimentio came up behind Mimi and peered over her shoulder at O'Chunks. He was completely hidden under the white sheet. Mimi had scribbled a crude drawing of a Goomba onto the front center. Above the drawing were two eye holes, a good four inches below O'Chunks's actual eyes. It was lopsided and cross-eyed, hovering a good three feet over his feet.

"So, how's it look?" asked O'Chunks. "Am I hidden?"

"Um, yes," said Dimentio. "Hidden like an Easter egg. They'll never find you. We're all set."

"Ready to go get the sky?" asked Mimi.

"I'm as ready as a rising loaf of bread," said Dimentio. "Let's get this finished, already."

They carefully crossed the bridge. O'Chunks was walking as softly as he could to avoid suspicion. Of course, that's the same as saying a Fuzzy was being as calm as he could. But of course, if anything was going to give him away it wouldn't be his heavy footsteps.

Mimi's disguise was actually passable. She looked exactly like a Koopatroll, right down to the spikes, armor, and spear. She already had her tough guy walk down from her transformation into a Robbo Craw back in Rogueport, and it applied very well here. Dimentio, though he was nowhere to be seen, was following close behind. They weren't sure if he was invisible, or just very well hidden- under the bridge, or behind the sheet, or even above everyone's heads. Dimentio could keep himself out of sight. It served him well.

"This is the door," Mimi said when they reached the end of the bridge.

"Yeh don't say," said O'Chunks. He reached out for the handle.

Mimi squawked and slapped his hand away. "No, no! Stop!"

O'Chunks pulled his hand back. "Ey!" he said. "Just cause yer a girl don't mean yeh can slap the thunder!"

"You almost gave us away!" Mimi hissed as loudly as she dared.

"What'd I do?"

"Goombas don't have arms!"

O'Chunks gasped. "Oh, great bog-flies on a mule! Yer right! I've made a terrible mistake!"

Mimi tried the knob and opened the door. "We're okay. Nobody saw us. Now, let's get inside and find that sky. Dimentio, you coming?"

From somewhere indiscriminate, Dimentio's voice called out, "I'm right behind you… all the time…"

"Okay," said Mimi. "Real creepy. Thanks for that."

They walked down the main entry hall of Bowser's castle. It was massive, it was grand. The walls were made of the same volcanic stone that made the outside appear so imposing. Every few feet a bright, steel torch affixed to the wall gave out a pool of light. There was a red carpet lining the stone floor, wooden doors with steel knockers, and gnarled metal chandeliers held by Shy Guys, with Bowser heads gripping the candles.

"Wow," said Mimi. "What a castle. I bet we could get some great decoration ideas for Castle Bleck."

"Mimi, focus."

"Oopsie! Sorry." Mimi looked around. "Was that Dimentio? Where are you?"

She wasn't looking where she was going for a split second. They rounded a corner and ran into two other Koopatrolls and two Hammer Brothers.

"Hey!" shouted a Koopatroll. "Watch where you're going!"

"Oopsie," said Mimi again. "Uh, I mean, why don't you watch where you're going? I got places to be in this here castle, and lots of tough guy work to do!"

O'Chunks groaned under the sheet. Someday he and Mimi would have to have a good, long talk about learning to talk like a tough guy. He made a mental note to have that talk with her sooner rather than later.

"Ah, don't start anything, Frank," said the second Koopatroll. "He's just mad 'cause he found out his daughter's going out with some scumbag."

"Oh, gosh, I'm sorry," Mimi said, concerned. "Um… I mean… uh… well, don't take it so hard, and, um as long as you're there for her she'll come around?"

"Thanks," said Frank. "That's really good advice."

One of the Hammer Bros was eyeballing O'Chunks. He looked him up and down carefully. Finally, he said, "Something's not right here."

The other Hammer Bro looked, too, and said, "Yeah, you're right."

"Oh, uh, I can explain that, see—" Mimi began babbling

"Why aren't you at your post?" the first Hammer Bro demanded. "All the Goombas are supposed to be around the vault with the Koopa Troopas!"

"Oh," said O'Chunks lamely. "I, ah, was just headin' over. Had teh pick up somethin' from… uh…."

"All right, then," said the Hammer Bro, completely clueless. Then, to the others, "Come on, guys. Let's finish this round and clock out. Its Edible Food Day in the cafeteria- don't wanna miss that."

They continued on their way. Mimi watched them round the corner, and as soon as they were gone, let out an enormous sigh of relief.

"Wow, that was a close one!" she said loudly. "I can't believe it, we were like, soooo close to getting caught!"

O'Chunks shoved his hand over her mouth. "Keep quiet! There's still time fer that yet."

"Oh, right."

After navigating the corridors of the castle slowly and carefully, they came across what had to be the Vault Room. It was a metal door, with a giant lock on it, surrounded by Goombas and Koopa Troopas standing guard at every opportunity for a twenty-food radius. The door itself was flanked by two Clubbas, who appeared to be sleeping.

"Good," said Mimi. "We're at the door. Now, how do we get in?"

"Very carefully," said Dimentio's voice. They heard the telltale snap of his fingers, and all of a sudden all three of them were on the other side of the door.

"That's a nice trick," said Mimi, looking around in surprise. Dimentio was hovering above them.

Dimentio bowed. "Thank you," he said. "I can solve any problem… with magic!"

O'Chunks lifted the sheet and looked out from under it. "Is it good to come out now?" he asked?

"Yeah," said Mimi. "Wow, this really is the big vault, isn't it?"

The room was enormous, to say the least, and had to have the entire Koopa Kingdom's treasury stored in it. Unfortunately, it was mostly in coins, so Mimi saw no real value to it. Aside from coins, there were other things of value- badges, trading cards, treasure chests, ? blocks, and… da ta TA! Pieces of the sky were piled up on the far side of the room. Cloudy chunks, sunny chunks, denim chunks from Yoshi's Island, blocky chunks from Lineland, and any other kind of sky you could imagine.

"Whee!" Mimi clapped her hand. "We did it! We found the sky!"

Without thinking, she tore across the room, dodging piles and chests, until she could dive headfirst into the sky and soak in it's victorious goodness.

"…So I believe you'll be quite happy with the new security measures the Magikoopas have taken to protect the Royal Treasury, Your Nastiness," said an old woman.

Mimi jumped and dove under the sky. Dimentio disappeared. O'Chunks draped the sheet back over his head. Bowser and Kammy Koopa just came out from a secluded section of the vault, where they had apparently been looking at something.

"Yeah, it's pretty good," said Bowser. "But it would be great if it were great. Can't you make it any more… secure?"

"But, Your Pickiness," Kammy pleaded, "We've upped the security by an exponential factor of seven. I can't even think of any area we've missed. Don't worry, nobody is going to come after your treasures."

Bowser wasn't watching where he was going, and bumped into O'Chunks.

"Oh, excuse me," he said, and continued on his way. Then, a split second later, he turned around and said, "Hey! I haven't authorized any Goombas to be in here! And you're… you're just a drawing on a sheet! No, no, this doesn't add up at all."

Bowser ripped the sheet off O'Chunks.

"YOU!" he snarled. "I remember you!"

"Aye," said O'Chunks. "I bet yer still clutchin' yer bruises from the last time we met."

"What?" Bowser sneered. "The way I remember it, I mopped the floor with your scrawny little hide!"

"You listen 'ere," O'Chunks said declaratively. "No one ever 'ad the chunks to take out the master of all chunks! Yer jes' a namby-pamby I 'ad teh go easy on."

"What are you doing in my vault?"

"Takin' back what don't belong to yeh," O'Chunks struck a pose. "On a mission from me Blecky-boy hisself!"

"I'd like to see you try," Bowser said proudly. "I've got so much in this vault it'll take you a year just to haul it away, if I let you. Which I won't!"

"Eh?" O'Chunks dropped his pose. "No, no, I was jes' talkin' about the sky."

"The sky?" Bowser glanced at the sky, where Mimi was hiding. "Oh, yeah. That. No, you can't take it. It's a principle thing."

"Then I guess we're gonna have ta settle this like real men," said O'Chunks. "GRA-GOOGLY!"

"RAAAARGH!"

Kammy took a few steps back. "Uh, Your Ferociousness, I don't know if this is the best time to be getting into—"

"You stay outta this, Kammy," Bowser snapped. "This is between me and Blo'Chunks!"

Mimi hid her head under a piece of cloudy sky. "We should have just called Mario," she moaned.