Chapter 5: A Kingdom of Sweets and Valentines
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Somewhere Underground, Nearbye City
{A rose by no other name}
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The trio of mysterious figures inside of the dark observation room watched the various video tapes captured from their hidden cameras around Faraway. From the Hospital footage of BASIL fighting the bully kid, to Kel and his dream self battling with The Maverick in the plaza parking lot. They carefully checked through every second of footage, taking notes on the details of the battles and the subtle interactions between dream and reality. The room behind the observation room was filled with strange machines and monitors all being worked on by the main point of attention in the dead center was a stasis tube holding Sunny asleep within. Life support systems and a unusual device around his head. In front of the tube was a large ring-like portal device hooked up to the stasis tube. The three figures looked down at their work. The Subject's avatar vessel OMORI had denied their request, and now they had to take extra measures to accomplish what needed to be done.
"the Subject's own dream manifestations show much promise…"
"Yes...they have exactly what we need to for humanity's perfect future."
"Shall we begin the next trial run with the sample we obtained from the hospital?"
"Hmm, seems risky with a fresh sample…very well begin test 2!"
The figure gestured for a worker outside to activate the machine outside. A sparkling blood sample was inserted into a slot and a switch flipped, the machinery hummed to life as the strange sparkling red sample began to shimmer. The portal frame sparked and fumed making the room smell of a strange indescribable odor opened up a rift. Sunny began to twitch and shudder inside his containment tube as a obnoxious looking person emerged from the portal much to the wonder and awe of everyone around to see it. The figure looked around with a indignant glare and placed her hands on her hips with a irritated expression.
"What is the meaning of this? who dares disturb me during my royal beauty sleep?" SWEETHEART huffed, noticing the three watching her from above. The three shadowy figures murmured in awe and interest at their newest success taking down notes,
SWEETHEART noticed the window above her and sneered. "You three! I can see you you know! I demand you tell me why I'm in this pitiful slum this instant! or else I'll have you hauled off to THE DUNGEON."
The first figure stepped forward from the dark revealing a middle aged man with a blond beard and rounded glasses, behind him was a tall elderly man in his fifties with a grey moustache and a fake glass eye and a young looking Asian woman with black hair and a scar above her cheek.
"My apologizes your highness, I am Dr. Rayburn Simmons, one of the founders of our little organization D.R.E.A.M. along with my colleagues Dr. Shwartz and Dr. Yen, it's our little passion project really to be honest I'm kind of proud of how-"
His ramble was cut of by a punch in the arm by Dr. Yen and a earned irritated glare from her. Dr. Ray rubbed his arm and continued. "Let me get to the point, we want to run some tests on you and hopefully introduce the world to our work, er help them see our way of things. Can you do that for us SWEETHEART?"
SWEETHEART looked offended at this offer and turned her nose up at them. "Firstly you will address me as your highness or my queen you filthy peasant! and second of all, what makes you think that you have the audacity to order me around? I will be the one doing the ordering…this is what true authority looks like!"
As a demonstration SWEETHEART snapped her fingers, a second la group of SPROUT MOLES, small bulbous creatures with sprouts growing from the top of their heads poured from the portal awaiting her command.
SWEETHEART smirked to herself and looked around the room at the lowly scientists with a vicious sneer. "Show these simpletons how a ruler maintains order." With a snap of her fingers the Moles got to work immediately, pressing buttons, unplugging wires and rewiring them and driving everyone else in the room out, causing mayhem. All the while SWEETHEART reclined on a large pink dias that more SPROUT MOLES had shoved in through the small portal frame. When she was done the machinery lay in ruin and the scientists had all been piled into the observation room as the Donut Duchess let out her obnoxious signature laugh.
"OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! excellent...I suppose that will have to do for now...but I digress…Guards! lock these three peasants in THE DUNGEON!" She shouted dramatically pointing at the observation room.
A SPROUT MOLE cautiously approached her and cleared it's throat "Er, pardon my interruption your majesty but…we d-don't have a-a dungeon here...y-your highness maybe we could use that large roo-" SWEETHEART said nothing but a simple flick of her finger was all it took for the unfortunate mole to be apprehended by two armored guards and tossed into the observation room turned prison cell with Dr. Ray and the others. "Of course the big glass room will make a excellent DUNGEON! I'm glad I thought if it..." she looked around at the lab with a frown, this strange place wasn't what she had in mind for a castle.
"Tsk tsk, this hovel is unfit for one as dignified as me but with some renovations I will make this dingy place my new kingdom…" SWEETHEART pondered to herself, ignoring the protests and banging of the doctors in the glass room.
Dr. Shwartz pointed accusingly at her with a clenched fist "You can't do this! we sent you here we can send you back from where you came!" But his threat went unheard as SWEETHEART was already opening a slightly ajar secret doorway on the far end of the room. The two scientists glared at Dr. Ray.
"Please tell me you remembered to lock the front door when you came back last night." Shwartz said
"Oh course I did! I just...Oh my God...I just realized the damage she could do..."
Dr. Yen wrapped her hands around Rayburn's neck and shook him around. "You idiot! you son of a-"
SWEETHEART pushed open the metal door and was immediately greeted with a view of a massive bustling city from her view within the small canal tunnel she was in. Her initial startled look of bewilderment eventually turned to a haughty grin forming on her face as she formed a plan in her head. "Why settle for living in a sewer? when I could have a whole city as my new kingdom! a entire city bowing down to me! Look out new world! your new ruler has arrived! OHOHOHHOHOHOHOHOHO!" the donut princess laughed to herself as her gathered army of loyal subjects prepared to set out into the unknown...
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Sunny's house
{Royal Invitation}
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Sunlight seeped through the blinds of the empty house as OMORI slept peacefully in the center of his mat. His rest was disturbed by a loud knocking on his door. Grumbling to himself he slowly made his way down the stairs to the front door and opened it, he was too tired to care if anyone questioned why a pale boy was living by himself in a house for sale...he was ready to just stab the next door salesman that tried to sell him useless junk. At the front door however he was greeted by a SPROUT MOLE wearing a postal hat dragging a overstuffed postal bag behind it. It caught it's breath before handing him a letter in it's mouth.
"Attention loyal citizen! you have been invited to formally attend a grand ball to celebrate the liberation of Nearbye City into the NEW SWEETHEART EMPIRE! failure to comply will result in a one way trip to the NEW DUNGEON, thank you for your time, all hail EMPRESS SWEETHEART."
OMORI watch the mole slowly heave the heavy bag to deliver another invitation to the next door neighbor. OMORI looked at the mysterious letter in his hand, He was well aware of Sweetheart in the real world, after all the one in HEADSPACE was directly inspired from her. But this SWEETHEART shouldn't even exist here, she was lost with everything else when HEADSPACE broke, and the Empire the mole spoke of. As much as OMORI was reluctant to leave the house he needed to know what was going on, if he could find his friends, they could get to the bottom of this and find out how SWEETHEART got here in the first place.
...
"Local Faraway news here with a interview with the strange creature that appeared today delivering invitations to everyone, excuse me sir...or ma'am can you tell us what your doing?"
"I am *huff huff* delivering royal...invitations...here you go...ahem, Attention loyal citize-"(sounds of a car hitting something and letters flying everywhere)
"Oh my god! are you ok? should we call an ambulance?"
"*Groan* I think...I'm *Gasp* dying...tell my kids I-I love them...blegghhh..."(dies dramatically)
"Is he dead? no wait he's just knocked out...well anyways, back to the weather! it looks like the next few days are going to be sunny..."
...
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Faraway park
{Friends having a big picnic}
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The friends were hanging out at the park again on another beautiful day after a rainstorm. BASIL was taking photo's of the park while KEL, AUBREY and HERO were trying their best to teach their real world counterparts SKILLS.
"Ok, check this out!" KEL instructed, as he stood in front of AUBREY.
[KEL used ANNOY]
[AUBREY became ANGRY]
AUBREY started glowing red and gave a aggressive thumbs up to KEL. he turned to his real world self.
"Ok now you try it, just like I did." KEL said
Kel looked over at Aubrey and prepared himself for whatever clobbering she was about to give him. "Hey! hey! hey! hey! hey!" he shouted over and over at her. Aubrey just stared at Kel like he had just grown another head and rolled her eyes.
"Hmm, needs some work…how about you try hitting each other? that usually works!" his dream self suggested
Kel almost slipped turning so fast to look at him, warily eyeing Aubrey's nail bat. "You...you want me to hit her? like throw my ball in her face? look, she might not have a problem doing that but I don't want to lose my kneecaps! so can we try something else please? maybe something less violent?" Kel pleaded
Aubrey gave him a dirty look and held up her bat to emphasis her point. "Yeah, do that and find out what will happen...try it, I dare you."
Sitting nearby, MARI, Hero and Basil sat by watching the others try to help their real selves learn defense abilities instead.
"Basil? could you hand me the basket for a second?" MARI asked.
Basil looked up from his Photo Album to look at MARI and handed her the basket, he wasn't used to seeing her alive again, even if this was a imaginary version of Mari it still made him uneasy.
"Um s-sure…do you notice anything weird going on? I noticed a letter at our doorstep today." Basil said pulling out a letter from his back pocket. MARI looked confused and fished through her basket to find a identical letter inside.
"Huh? when did this get here? I don't know how but...I thought I saw a SPROUT MOLE carrying around a bag earlier..." MARI brought out the letter with a pink heart seal on it. Hero examined the two with one of his own. "Yeah...looks just like that, it would seem everyone's been getting these letters." Hero said.
MARI opened it up carefully and waving out the overwhelming strawberry scent inside, and read it aloud...
"Dear stupid adoring subjects, (That's not very nice...)
In lieu of my conquest of Nearbye City and the trivially ease of overthrowing your pathetic bureaucracy, I the magnanimous and generous SWEETHEART extend a invitation to all the citizens of the pitiful town of Faraway to enjoy a all night long grand ball to celebrate the first moments of my glorious new empire, (Sounds like fun...) any citizens who do not attend or meet the required standards will be sent to THE NEW DUNGEON for the rest of their pitifully short lives,(How terrible!) otherwise come and enjoy the endless tofu buffet and bask in the magnificence of yours truly in a night you'll never forget or else. Grand Ball starts at around eleven o clock to dawn of next morning. All guests must be wearing at least one article of pink clothing to enter.
…from your gracious new ruler EMPRESS SWEETHEART. OHOHOHOHOHHOHOHOHOHO! (Did she really have to include the laugh in there too?)"
KEL and the others had stopped their training session to listen in on the invitation. AUBREY looked disgruntled and crossed her arms. "SWEETHEART? but when we last saw her inside HUMPHREY. she was a maid for those SLIME GIRLS...how did she get out?"
"Sweetheart? from that tv show? did Sunny make a dream version of her too? I thought he didn't like Sweetheart" Aubrey asked
"She's mean! reaaaaaally mean! She tried to get HERO to marry her and put us all in her dungeon when he wouldn't." KEL replied
HERO looked away embarrassed, his cheeks a bright red. "Yeah... please don't remind me of that, she's a lovesick maniac."
"Hero? where is Nearbye city?" BASIL politely asked.
"Nearbye...that's the massive city complex a hour away from here, it shouldn't take long to get there." Hero answered.
KEL pounded his fist and put on a determined look. "That SWEETHEART, always up to no good! c'mon guys we gotta stop her!"
The dream friends gathered round to make up a plan, turning a bright yellow. while the real world friends looked a little uneasy.
"Hey guys we don't want to rain on your parade and all, but we can't really do much in a fight, much less against someone from your world, we could get seriously hurt or killed..." Hero interrupted gesturing over to the everyone else and their lack of weapons aside from a basketball and a nail bat.
The rest of the dream friends seemed disappointed, the yellow outline disappearing off of them until MARI walked over from behind and gave Hero a hug from behind making a chill to run up his spine from her touch.
"Come on Hero! when you put your mind to something you can do anything! just like the HERO I know, besides we need a big strong man to save us if we get into big trouble." She rubbed a finger along Hero's shoulder with that smug look she used to tease him with when they were younger. Kel covered BASIL'S eyes to keep him from witnessing her flirting advances on his brother. KEL gagged a little while Aubrey snorted a trying to hold back a laugh. MARI giggled when Hero's face turned beet red and he hid his face in his hands.
"Unfortunately, I'm afraid I can't come with you right away, I need to do some things first, but you'll see me soon enough…catch you all later!"MARI beamed as she got up and left in the direction of the bus stop.
After she left, Hero gathered all the confidence he could muster as he rounded up everyone around the park's tether ball pole. "Alright well looks like we're doing this, let me just talk to mom first to see if I can borrow her car but we can't fit everyone inside."
He turned to Basil who became nervous from the sudden attention he was getting. "Basil see if you can ask Polly if she can take the rest of you guys." Basil nodded and ran home.
Hero looked at everyone and finished "Afterwards everyone meet up back here. Though…I feel like I'm forgetting someone…have you guys seen-" Hero felt a tug on his shirt, he turned and jumped when he saw a familiar monochrome boy stared back at him. "Oh OMORI! you scared me! what are you doing out here? did you want to come with us to SWEETHEART'S party?"
OMORI nodded silently and sat down at MARI'S picnic basket next to BASIL, it would seem that everyone was already aware of the situation, sparing him from a lengthy explanation. Afterward the plan was set, everyone split up for the day to prepare for a road trip to Nearbye City…
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Nearbye City, central square
{Welcome to Nearbye City}
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The City of Nearbye was a sprawling metropolis full of tall buildings and bustling with people of all kinds, it was also the city that Sunny moved to after he left the hospital. But after SWEETHEART took over the city with her army of SPROUT MOLES, the outer streets of the city became mostly abandoned. People were to afraid to leave their homes and the ones that did attempt to fight the invading forces found they were unable to physically harm them and were knocked out to be dragged to the NEW DUNGEON under the police station. Large pink banners with hearts flew from the rooftops, posters of SWEETHEART were plastered everywhere and patrols of HAROLDS, LUCIUS' and MARSHAS, SPROUT MOLE soldiers clad in medieval attire out looking for offenders to their Empress's wishes. In the center of the city where the tallest building stood was a massive gathering of people all attending SWEETHEART'S gala. Sitting on a throne on top of a massive pile of love letters and offerings was the Donut Duchess herself, basking in all the praise she was receiving.
"OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! Yes! shower me with the praise and compliments that I deserve! Bow to your Empress!" SWEETHEART commanded
AUBREY and BASIL sat in the backseat with Aubrey while Kel sat with Hero upfront while he drove them to the city, it wasn't actually that far from home like Hero said, it being only a few miles away from where they lived. Behind them, Polly drove her car closely to the other car. HERO sat in the front with her while Basil, OMORI and KEL all sat in the back keeping an eye out for trouble. Just ahead of them the city's border had been turned into a makeshift toll booth. The SPROUT MOLE at the booth motioned for the cars to stop for a inspection, the dream friends ducked out of sight while the guards checked the vehicles, when they finished the inspection, both cars were let through.
"What are these things?" Polly asked looking around uneasily at the guard patrols.
HERO watched a pair of policemen open fire on a HAROLD and a MARSHA, their bullets passing through them like they were nothing, the police frantically reloading their pistols while the two HEADSPACE monsters closed the distance to attack, but as soon as the cars passed close enough to the officers their shots were suddenly able to harm the SPROUT MOLES, the sudden impact of the bullets causing them to fly backwards into a trash pile. HERO took note of what he saw for later.
"Those are SPROUT MOLES, they're pretty common back home and not very intelligent, they've been known to become vicious when they get lost, but I've never seen them so organized before, SWEETHEART must've tightened up security from last time." HERO commented
The cars passed by giant pink statues and flying banners, the central building looked like it was in the process of being painted pink as heart shaped spotlights lit up the dusk sky. Kel looked out the window and marveled at the sights. "I gotta say this SWEETHEART sure knows how to throw a party… how did they even take over so fast?"
Aubrey joined her other self in looking out the window. "OMORI says that SWEETHEART shouldn't even be here, so how did she end up in the real world in the first place?"
In the other car, KEL pressed his face to the window and made funny faces at people they passed. "Maybe she was here this whole time and we didn't know about it?" KEL said.
Basil idly cleaned his nails, trying to ignore OMORI'S emotionless gaze on pressing down on him, he had been silently staring him down since he got in the car making the flower boy extremely uncomfortable. "Doesn't Sunny live here? I-I hope nothing bad happened to him in the takeover. Do you think we can go visit him when we're done?" he quietly asked, thankfully not noticing OMORI glare at the name of The Dreamer. Polly nodded and focused on the road, "We can try, but we don't even know where he lives yet." Basil sighed sadly, continuing to gaze out the window as the sound of loud obnoxious music drew closer…
Hero parked the car just outside the crowd of party goers, "Hey guys…I may have forgotten to tell you but…we have to dress up for the party to get in." everyone watched Hero open the trunk of his car and brought out a dozen Sweetheart Halloween costumes. He could feel the judgemental stares from the others when he brought out the costumes for everyone.
"…They were for sale for seventy percent off at the retail store…what was I supposed to get for five teenagers and four kids?" he
As everyone put on the costumes, KEL waddled around in his costume wearing the pink wig and dress backwards and making ridiculous faces with his tongue out. "i'M SweEtHEarT aNd i'M a biG dUmB MeAnIe BuTtFaCe!" KEL imitated Sweetheart, doing a goofy dance, grinning the whole time.
HERO gave a disapproving look at his younger brother, "KEL, quit goofing around and put your costume on properly-" Surprisingly, AUBREY also joined in the fun with her own impression doing a dramatic pose the best she could in her costume. "Oh…woe is me! I, Sweetheart have no friends because I'm a mean prick who smells worst than Kel!" she said doing her best SWEETHEART impression. A second passed before the two kids bursting into laughter together.
Kel sniffed under his arms "I…I don't smell…Hero do I smell?" Hero leaned towards his brother to hand him a deodorant he had also bought. OMORI watched the comical scene with a pensive stare. ("KEL and AUBREY getting along? The world really has gone mad hasn't it?") BASIL took a photo with his camera when no one was looking…placing the wholesome scene in his album for later.
...
"Come on Basil, can you come out please?" Polly asked,
"No…I…I can't...the doors locked" Basil lied
Polly sighed, Basil had shut himself inside the car and locked the door, refusing to come out. BASIL walked up to the car door in his oversized Sweetheart costume and knocked "Basil? please We promised we won't judge you could you come out? i made KEL promise too."
"Please no…I really don't want to…" Basil replied
"Please? It's probably not as bad as you might think it is." Polly
After a moment, Basil slowly opened the car door and stepped out. Basil stood in his Sweetheart costume with a mortified look on his face like he was about to cry. The costume was two sizes too small, although he was the smallest and thinnest of the friend group, his arms bulged out of the sleeves and the dress barely covered up his legs. Aubrey felt bad for him, it was like that one Halloween they had years ago where all she had for a costume was a amazon box from the dump that she cut holes in for her arms and legs. She put a hand on his shoulder and looked over at him with a understanding sympathetic look. "Hey, you look way better in that costume than I do to be honest..."
BASIL put a hand up to his mouth and looked down at his own loose fitting costume which covered his legs and dragged on the ground when he walked. Their costumes must've gotten swapped somehow when they were changing. "Uh oh...I think there might have been a mix up." BASIL said, Later on he offered to swap with his real world self which he eagerly agreed to.
With everyone in costume save for Polly who stayed behind to watch the cars, the gang in their makeshift disguises walked confidently as they could towards the entrance to the Ball. At the entrance, a SPROUT MOLE with a tape on mustache and sunglasses sleepily eyed the approaching group. His eyes widened so much his glasses fell off.
"M-my lady! I-I swear was not asleep on the job!" he blinked a bit trying to get the sleep from his eyes. "Wait...are there are seven? no…twelve of you?" the guard took a moment to count then groggily shook his head. Clearly sleep deprived from having to admission guests all day non-stop.
HERO stepped forward and flipped the costume's hair with a visible sparkle [HERO used CHARM] "Let us in this instant I won't have you sent to the NEW DUNGEON…peon." HERO said in the best SWEETHEART impression he could muster. The Mole bowed profusely and opened the gate without a second thought. "Thank you Empress! your generosity and kindness are truly endless just like you! that's why there's...uh eight of you...I mean, all hail to you EMPRESS SWEETHEART and your clones!" As the group hurried on inside the guard dozed off to sleep when he thought no one was looking.
The party was packed to the brim with people all lining up to give EMPRESS SWEETHEART gifts and tribute, the title of Empress was something that she found appealing now that she ruled a city instead than just a castle in a forest.
Hero did a count of everyone once they found a open space. "We should definitely stay together and find a way to- wait where's KEL?"
everyone looked around but the Dream Kel was nowhere to be found. "Dang it KEL… (sigh) let's worry about him later, he'll be fine." AUBREY groaned. The group continued around the large gatherings of party goers while avoiding the SPROUT MOLE patrols and the frequent groups of them dragging people off to the NEW DUNGEON. many of them were normal looking people while some were dressed head to toe in Sweetheart merchandise, diehard fans no less.
While they felt bad for all the people that were going to live the rest of their lives in a cold cell they couldn't stop now. That's why they were here to put a stop to SWEETHEART'S antics once and for all. The last thing that stood between them and SWEETHEART was a wall of the SWEETHEART'S conscripted bodyguards placed in a wall formation around the tribute pile at the building's base to keep the crazed fans at bay. Aubrey huffed and tugged at her costume's sleeves
"Great! just fucking great! how are we suppose to get to her now? there is no way we can fight all those armed guards at once." Aubrey yelled in frustration
"Hey, language..." Hero said.
"Is now really the time for that? I'm just saying there's too many guards." Aubrey shot back
AUBREY nodded along with her "She's right, as strong as we are we can't take on all of them, we'd be TOAST for sure if we tried." HERO looked at the wall trying to come up with a solution until AUBREY spoke up. "Maybe a ULTIMATE ATTACK would work?"
HERO snapped his fingers "Great idea! it's been a while but our combined power we should be able to blow through them no problem!" OMORI the dream friends gathered into a fighting position as the group released their energy absolutely decimating the obstacle blocking the way, thankfully they weren't too injured but they were at least out of the way.
"Holy fucking shit! that was awesome!" Aubrey exclaimed.
"Language..." Hero once again reminded her
"Bite me Hero! you aren't my dad!" Aubrey shouted
"You really are nailing the Sweetheart impression." Kel commented, laughing to himself
"Shut up Kel!" Aubrey bopped him on the head with her fist.
Two parents and their child stood before the Empress holding a meager basket of goods. "But Empress! w-we don't have anything else to give you! this is all we have!" a father pleaded before the garish pink throne EMPRESS SWEETHEART sat on.
She looked down on them with a uncaring expression at the few loaves of bread in the basket before her. "It is now? really? I'm disappointed…almost disappointed enough to have you…sent to the NEW DUNGEON!"
She snapped her fingers to summon her guards but a ordinary SPROUT MOLE appeared instead. SWEETHEART glared furiously at the mole "I said I wanted guards to take these worthless peasants away, WHERE ARE MY GUARDS?"
The mole shrank back in fear and spoke slowly trying it's best to not further incur her wrath "Y-your O-o-omnipotent Highness, the human guards are…busy excavating new floors to the DUNGEON… and the ones that are free are currently occupied with the newest batch of prisoners. We-we simply can't fit anymore p-people down there!"
SWEETHEART snarled and was about to snap at it when a familiar voice caught her ear. "SWEETHEART! stop this madness!"
Looking down from her throne to find the source of the voice, eight figures all dressed in costumes similar to hers stood before her in open challenge, she was outraged at these imitators daring to copy her style. "Who are you to impersonate me with those weak imitations of yours truly? The magnificent and splendorous SWEETHEART? well? explain yourselves before I make you!"
HERO removed his wig as did everyone else. Immediately SWEETHEART'S expression changed from disgust to delight. "Could it be? my beloved HERO? and there are two of you now?" she gasped. Hero tried ask what she meant when she let out her signature Ojou-sama laughter.
"OHHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! you've come back to me my one true love! my knight in shining armor! my HERO!"
The real world friends looked at HERO confused, he blushed and looked back at them trying to ignore SWEETHEART'S lustful gaze now bearing down on him. "You two know each other?" Basil asked,
HERO rubbed the back of his head "More like…forced to, this was what I meant when I said she was lovesick for me." SWEETHEART laughed again as if to punctuate the fact before she interrupted him. "I remember you denying me your hand in marriage once..." She said lazily twirling her scepter around. "But that was long ago, now I being the generous and benevolent ruler I am now will grant you this offer once again…abandon your peon friends and be my new husband ruling beside me! that also means you too, other lesser Hero...he can be our servant!"
But everyone had already made up their minds, standing defiantly in place. "No, we came here to stop your reign of terror and that's what we're going to do!" Hero shouted up at her. With a unimpressed sigh SWEETHEART snapped her fingers, several dozen armed guards appeared to surround them. "Guards! take these imposters to the NEW DUNGEON!"
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Nearbye City, NEW DUNGEON
{Mission ImpossiKEL}
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KEL took a deep breath as he stuck his head in the fondue fountain much to the dismay and horror of many of the onlooking guests watching this kid in a sweetheart costume dunk himself in the chocolate fountain. When he resurfaced his whole face and pink wig was covered in chocolate, KEL couldn't help but feel a bit giddy from the sugar high he was on, and the best part was that no one had stopped him yet. "This is the coolest party I've ever been to!" he exclaimed and ran off to another part of the party laughing like a maniac.
"Guards! take these imposters to the NEW DUNGEON!"
The sound of SWEETHEART'S voice shook KEL back to reality. Poking around a table, He saw his friends being taken to a large building with neon lights hung above it saying NEW DUNGEON. "Oh jeez, looks like I gotta do what I do best and save everyone again!" he whispered heroically. KEL sneaked as best as he could in a dress behind the building to a back door where several armed human guards wearing painted pink riot armor and holding comically small axes meant for SPROUT MOLES stood guard.
One of them noticed KEL hiding behind a trash can and pointed the axe at him. "Hey! kid your not suppose to back here!"
Panicking, KEL tried to imitate SWEETHEART as best as he could to convince them to let him in. "No? it is I the beautiful SWEETHEART…I command you to…let me in...ohohoh...ho?"
The guards stood dumbfounded for a second. Before they could react, KEL used his RICOCHET SKILL to hit all of them and knock them out. KEL tore off the costume superhero-like revealing his checkered shirt underneath. "Wow...people in this world are really weak if they can't take a hit like that..."
KEL tossed off the Sweetheart wig into a trash can and paced around outside the locked door. "Alright now if I were CAPTAIN SPACEBOY how would I break into a prison? His eyes locked on to a vent in the wall giving him a idea. "Of course! he'd go into the vent just like in the movies! aw yeah sneaking time let's do this!" He scrambled up to the vent and wiggled inside sang a tune from a movie about impossible spies he and Kel watched earlier that week.
The cell that everyone had been thrown into was in the process of being turned into a larger cell through manual labor, as a result of many guards being busy on the surface twenty four-seven, prisoners were forced to work on the expansion despite the constant threat of a cave in.
"This Blows! I thought we were going to fight her?" Kel grunted as he swung the pickaxe into the wall.
AUBREY wiped sweat from her forehead and sighed "Did we have to be wearing these costumes too? mine's getting sweaty and gross…I hate this...I *hic*...I..." AUBREY sniffed and started crying into her dress.
HERO went over to comfort her, straightening out her hair for her while wiping the tears from her eyes "Don't cry AUBREY, everything's gonna be ok…OMORI will find us a way out of here like he always does." AUBREY calmed down and nodded, giving him her best smile.
Meanwhile, OMORI sat next to MARI on a picnic blanket that was in the cell with them where they provided food and snacks for the other prisoners. For some unfathomable reason that perhaps not even OMORI truly understood, MARI had the unusual quirk of setting up picnics just about anywhere she went. But they always were in places that were most convenient for him and his friends. MARI also seemed to be wearing a Sweetheart costume.
"So MARI…how did you get here before us? and why are you in a Sweetheart costume?" Basil asked. MARI looked at her apparel and playfully shrugged.
"Oh I would tell you but it's a secret…as for my outfit, we coincidentally both had the same idea when it came to disguises." MARI said gesturing down to her cosplay
"SWEETHEART was…not to pleased to see her fans giving me more attention then her…she said I was a imposter fraud and had me thrown in here...personally I think she was jealous that people preferred my impression of her." she said fishing around her basket to hand a prisoner a bowl of apples much to everyone's bewilderment. Basil sighed and walked back to rejoin the group in working. He hoped that wherever KEL was right now...as strange as it sounded, that he has a plan to get them out of here.
KEL did not have a plan, as far as his first impression this was going to be a easy rescue mission just like in the movies just break in, but then what? Things became more complicated the moment he looked into the first room below him, The guards appointed inside were human all wearing vests painted with pink hearts and ribbons, it would look ridiculous and funny if it weren't for the rifles they totted around. KEL carefully listened in on the guards conversation below…
"So you hear about the new recruits for the security team? civilian conscripts from what i've been told." a guard asked
"Bunch of basement dwelling weebs who practically worship that SWEETHEART woman…ugh do we have to wear…these? Kevlar vests and girly ribbons and hearts do not mix!" a second guard complained.
"Empress's orders, anyone caught without uniform is going to the prison cells below us." the first guard said
"Can't we just fight them? all she came here with are those Mole things, I men come on! they don't even have arms!" the second threw his hands up in exasperation
"We tried, bullets just phased through them like they were ghosts, nothing works unless they hurt each other."
"So we can't even hurt them now?! great! what's next they'll have us using bows and arrows instead of guns? and what about the mining operation under us?"
"I don't know about this who expansion thing, If we dig any further the building might collapse or…"
the second guard threw his helmet into the ground and clenched his fists in frustration. "Man fuck this! this is bullshit! I signed up to do our city some good not play dress up or some shit."
"Hey watch your tone! they might be watching us and I don't want see any more of my men get put down there to rot." the first guard warned pointing to a security feed showing the prisons.
...
("So that's where everyone is being locked up…bingo.") KEL thought to himself, maybe this will be easy after all. Once the guards left the room He tumbled out of the vent and started looking for a key to open the cells. He noticed the collection of screens showing the prison cells and his friends.
"Worry no longer, KEL has come to save your butts from evil once again!" he triumphantly whispered before checking the console.
"Uh which one which one...what would bigger me do?I know! I'll press all of them at the same time! heh, I'm a genius." He began to press as many buttons and switches on the control panel as he could, sweeping his arms over them, dancing on top of them, slipping and smashing them with his face and the like.
The loud commotion caught the attention of a passing patrol of several HAROLDS and a human guard. They burst into the room with swords raised, the man pointed his pistol at KEL who stood with his ball ready. "Hey, you wouldn't shoot a kid right? why not shoot them instead?" KEL said nervously with pointed blades and the shaky gun being pointed at him.
The man slowly lowered his gun away from KEL and took aim at one of the unaware SPROUT MOLES. Surprisingly the shot connected and the HAROLD turned black and white dropping to the ground and vanished in a puff of smoke. the other moles were too startled by this sudden betrayal to react as a ball smashed one into a wall and another bullet took out another. KEL cheered and put up his hand for a high five, while the man looked at his gun then back at KEL before pulling out a radio. "This is charlie two o five we've found a way to counter the SPROUT MOLE threat, I am escorting the VIP to the rendezvous point asap." KEL didn't understand a word he had said or what a 'VIP' was before he was picked up and rushed out of the building.
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Nearbye Police Station
{the Gauntlet of deadly terror...and tofu}
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Cell doors suddenly swung open all around the lower floor catching all of the prisoners attention. Hundreds of inmates, wrongly accused civilians, offending SPROUT MOLES, and even some former security flooded out of the jail cells to freedom. When the dust settled the last one's left behind were the Dream friends and the real world friends all standing in a now empty cell. MARI got up and dusted herself off rolling up the picnic blanket, basket and all before she walked out of the cell without so much as a care in the world.
"Well looks like KEL figured it out after all! I hope he's not hurt somewhere...I'll go find him and then meet you all back in Faraway, then I'll check up on BASIL and Polly and tell them your all right, see you all soon!" MARI said cheerfully as she rounded the corner towards the emergency exit.
Kel was about to join the others when he noticed Hero sitting on the floor away from everyone else with a uncharacteristic depressed look that he was all too familiar with. Kel sighed and sat next to him. "Hero, she said she'll be back again…it's not like she's going to vanish for good." Hero took a deep shaky breath, eyes foggy with barely restrained tears…
"I'm fine Kel don't worry about me." Hero said
he had been this way ever since MARI showed up and Kel had been meaning to find the time to talk to him about it but with all the chaos he never had the chance. Kel placed his hands on his brother's shoulders and made him look him in the eyes with a serious expression.
"No...no your not, you've been avoiding her ever since you found out who Mary really was, that's...ugh you need to talk to me Hero! what's wrong? why won't you let me help you!?" Kel almost shouted that last part, though he didn't mean to.
Hero sighed and looked up at Kel. "I know I know shouldn't feel this way…but I still can't get used to seeing her again after so long. After what happened to her…the real Mari…I…I don't think I can keep pretending she's gone when she sounds so much like her…what if something happens to her? I-" The dream friends suddenly appeared behind them to comfort him along with Aubrey and Basil. "Hero...I believe MARI is strong enough to handle whatever is out there." Basil said, "And I think she would want you to be strong for her."
Aubrey leaned in and rubbed his head messing up his hair. "C'mon where's the Hero I know? If depression was a guy I'd kick it's ass."
AUBREY joined in with a big warm smile and a hug, a bright yellow aura showed all around her. "Don't feel so down Hero! We've been together for only a few days and I believe in you! you can do it!" [AUBREY used PEP TALK].
Basil timidly smiled at him. "As long as we got each other we can get through this…everything is going to be ok."
"Can you forgive me after everything I've done?"
Hero remembered the last words Sunny had said at the hospital before he moved away and wiped a tear from his eye. "Your right, I can do this…for my friends..man that sounded so cheesy." Everyone in the room laughed together and huddled in for a group hug. As they prepared to ascend the stairway to SWEETHEART, Kel looked at him with his confident smile "We're right behind you bro…lead the way."
[Hero learned SMILE]
...
The climb up the stairs was a long and tedious journey with fighting at literally every turn. SWEETHEART'S loyal subjects and zealous fans where fighting off military squads entering through the windows in a attempt to take the city back. these battles would hamper them every step of the way but with the dream friend's SKILLS and prowess in battle they blew through whatever got in the way, eventually making it up to the last floor. A large group of SPROUT MOLES stood between them as the last line of defense. Kel readied his basket ball. it wasn't really a effective weapon against armed people but he was pretty good at throwing it around, he did break someone's nose with it once. he stepped up to the front of the group.
"Hey guys! we made game plan for this on the way up, let HERO and I handle it! Aubrey, OMORI and AUBREY! make a break for it when I give the signal."
OMORI squinted at him wondering who made tagged him as leader, but prepared himself regardless. Kel threw his ball at the nearest group of SPROUT MOLES bowling them over like they were pins and getting their attention.
"HERO, do that charming thing!" Kel shouted. HERO did a twirl and gave them a charismatic smile, his body sparkled as he used his good looks and charm to woo the crowd away from everyone else.
[HERO used CAPTIVATE]
In a instant the group of defenders forgot about the door they were supposed guarding and rushed at HERO in a frenzy, much to his dismay.
"Kel? is this part of the plan? Kel?!" he shouted as the crowd of armed SPROUT MOLES chased after him out the back door, Kel Hero and Basil following close behind to make sure he was alright. The remaining three members, Aubrey, her dream self and OMORI rushed to the door and pushed it open. to a large building-top courtyard where SWEETHEART was sitting on her throne waiting for them looking smug as ever.
"Well well well if it isn't the two HERO fans and another petty impersonator with no attention for detail...comes to show that no one can match my immaculate looks." Aubrey felt insulted upon being criticized on her look, just because she had pink hair didn't mean she was trying to imitate SWEETHEART. "S-shut up! were gonna make you give everyone their lives or else were gonna beat you into the ground!"
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Nearbye City, Skyscrapper
{World's End Regicide}
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EMPRESS SWEETHEART laughed and fanned herself, unfazed by the threat. "Are you threatening me? ok sure, I'll just go back to my castle in PYREFLY FOREST and leave you all in peace- No! how dare you threaten me the Perfect and fabulous SWEETHEART you senseless brute! It seems the NEW DUNGEON wasn't enough to hold you and your peasant friends, so I'll make sure to lock you all up in the NEW TORTURE CHAMBER after I finish putting you in your place!"
She snapped her fingers, several SPROUT MOLE guards appeared on the sidelines blocking any sort of exit. Both Aubreys readied their weapons, OMORI pointed his knife at the Donut Duchess with steely intent, her reflection gleaming in the blade. SWEETHEART put on a smug face as she brought out her heart scepter that unfurled into a spiked chain mace. "You want to fight me? despite knowing how hopelessly outmatched you are? I almost pity you fools for what you've gotten yourself into-" SWEETHEART frowned in bewilderment when she heard Aubrey suddenly start laughing. "What is so funny?! why are you laughing? you should be quaking in fear at my-"
"Is that it? your just gonna sit up there while you get your subjects to do your dirty work? wow your so scared that we'll whoop your ass that you won't even get off your throne!" Aubrey jeered, wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes. AUBREY and OMORI looked at one another in confusion. "Come on, didn't you say you were going to beat us up like, twelve seconds ago?"
SWEETHEART was quick to respond "Well I...yes! yes I am! after I have my guards restrain you and-" Aubrey yawned and looked uninterested. [SWEETHEART became ANGRY]
"Blah blah blah more talk no action, 'I'm SWEETHEART and I'm a filthy [CENSORED]!" Everyone gasped in shocked, while The Donut Duchess's face turned bright red at the vulgar insult thrown in her face. Aubrey was clearly enjoying her time in the spotlight. "Yeah I called a dirty [CENSORED], you want to take us down so badly? then get off your spoiled ass and fight us yourself!" Aubrey sneered menacingly, pointing her nail bat at EMPRESS SWEETHEART with a malicious grin. SWEETHEART Leapt forward with a haughty laugh with her heart mace in full swing…
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{}Battle start!{}
What will AUBREY and friends do?
Fight!
What will AUBREY DO?
AUBREY used CHEER!
AUBREY became HAPPY
Aubrey became HAPPY
What will OMORI do?
OMORI used SAD POEM
OMORI became SAD
What will Aubrey do?
Aubrey attacks EMPRESS SWEETHEART
EMPRESS SWEETHEART takes 23 damage!
it was a dull attack…
EMPRESS SWEETHEART swings her mace!
AUBREY takes 68 damage
OMORI takes 43 damage and loses 32 JUICE
Aubrey takes 33 damage
AUBREY uses a BIG RUBBER BAND
EMPRESS SWEETHEART takes 23 damage
EMPRESS SWEETHEART'S DEFENSE fell
OMORI used STAB
IT HIT RIGHT IN THE HEART!
EMPRESS SWEETHEART takes 78 damage
{"Insolent children! you'll never dampen my spirits!"}
EMPRESS SWEETHEART became HAPPY
EMPRESS SWEETHEART can no longer become ANGRY or SAD
EMPRESS SWEETHEART slaps AUBREY
IT HIT RIGHT IN THE HEART!
AUBREY takes 86 damage
AUBREY became TOAST
OMORI attacked EMPRESS SWEETHEART
It was a moving attack
EMPRESS SWEETHEART takes 65 damage
Aubrey attacks EMPRESS SWEETHEART
EMPRESS SWEETHEART takes 32 damage
{"You dare to challenge my rule? I'll put you in your place peasants!"}
EMPRESS SWEETHEART became ECSTATIC
EMPRESS SWEETHEART boasts about her many, many talents
OMORI used a PRESENT
it wasn't what you wanted
Aubrey became ANGRY
Aubrey attacks EMPRESS SWEETHEART
IT HIT RIGHT IN THE HEART!
EMPRESS SWEETHEART takes 68 damage
{"Your still standing?! }
EMPRESS SWEETHEART became MANIC
EMPRESS SWEETHEART insults everyone!
OMORI takes 87 damage
Aubrey takes 67 damage
Aubrey became ENRAGED
OMORI did not succumb…
Aubrey used Pepper Spray
EMPRESS SWEETHEART takes 500 damage
{"My eyes! my beautiful eyes! what have you done to me? I can't see!"}
{It burns! someone get me some water this instant!"}
EMPRESS SWEETHEART swings her mace wildly
the attack whiffed
Aubrey used HOMERUN
EMPRESS SWEETHEART takes 9999 damage
{I lost again? but...I'm SWEETHEART I-I never lose!"}
{You...you'll pay for humiliating me! if it's the last thing I do!}
AUBREY'S party was victorious!
Aubrey learned HEADBUTT
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SWEETHEART collapsed on the floor rolling around clawing at her eyes. Aubrey dropped her bat and ran over to the piece of TOAST on the ground where AUBREY once stood
"AUBREY! AUBREY oh my god! what do I do? how the hell do I fix her!?" she panicked picking up the piece of TOAST like it would break at any moment.
OMORI stood by watching Aubrey panic over a easily fixable situation with a neutral expression. Strange, normally anytime one of his friends became TOAST they would be automatically revived at the end of a battle, another strange way that this world worked.
"She is not dead…only TOAST." he said calmly. Aubrey shot a concerned glance at him, grabbing him by his shoulders almost shaking him back and forth.
"But we bring her back right? how can we do it?! how? tell me!" she almost yelled at him with growing concern.
Instead, OMORI glanced over to the door just as everyone else burst onto the balcony. HERO ran over to them looking like he had just run a marathon. "Hold on! I'll (huff) be right with (huff) you!"
HERO trudged over to them and used his HOMEMADE JAM SKILL to bring AUBREY back, Aubrey sighed in . Out of the blue, a spotlight flashed them in the face as two helicopters came into view and hovered over the rooftop. Several armed military forces in black uniform landed and surrounded them.
"Don't move or we'll shoot!" a soldier shouted pointing a very real gun at the dream friends as they huddled around each other in fear.
Hero put his arms in the air "Wait wait hold on don't shoot them they're with us! we took care of SWEETHEART! she's no longer a threat!" he frantically explained pointing the still writhing SWEETHEART. The former Empress hissed and glared at the soldiers with a enraged look in her swollen stinging eyes.
"NO! don't. let. them. escape. I command you to take them to the DUNGEON no! execute them on the spot! off with their heads! I command you to obey!" she screeched pointing a shaky finger at everyone.
The strike team paused for a moment looking down at the deposed and disarmed Empress on the ground, two of them grabbed a hold of her from each side and began to drag her away much to everyone else's surprise. SWEETHEART desperately looked around in disbelief.
"W-what is the meaning of this? I-I demand you release me this instant! I am your Empress!" She sputtered
The squad leader turned towards the gang and lowered his weapon motioning to the rest of the firing squad to do the same. "Thank god that disguise plan worked, you have no idea how good it feels to finally see that tyrannical psychopath behind bars where she belongs...and trust me, it sounds like a life sentence in Nearbye asylum to me."
the rest of the group watched as SWEETHEART kicked and screamed threats and profanities as she was restrained and pushed into one of the helicopters.
"You kids should be lucky we decided to come up here after we saw the commotion with SWEETHEART at the ball, several of us decided we didn't want to be her royal guards anymore so we started a riot and secured the building with the only things stopping us being those mole creatures and her loyal fans, I think you should be thanking this young man right here for making this possible."
He gestured to the helicopter where out stepped KEL grinning from ear to ear wearing a Sweetheart costume. "Heya guys! miss me?" he made finger guns at them.
"KEL!?" Everyone exclaimed at the same time as he rushed over to them with a bright yellow outline.
"Yeah! hey! guess what? it turns out, real world people can't hurt things from our world unless they have one of us nearby which kinda makes sense on how SWEETHEART took over so easily…these guys were sick of her bossing them around so I convinced them to be on our side and help them fight back!" HERO ran over and embraced KEL in a hug "I know you just helped save the city and probably the whole world but please don't ever go off and do something dangerous like that again you hear me?" KEL chuckled and returned the hug.
"Alright bro I promise I promise geez you always get so clingy when I get hurt." Hero and the others watched as the sun rose over the horizon, they would have to go home soon but at least they could enjoy the sunrise together…
"KEL…Is that…chocolate on your face? and why are you still wearing that SWEETHEART costume?" AUBREY asked
"Huh? this? I wanted to make fun of SWEETHEART to her face before we beat her so I found this costume." KEL explained
"Uh huh...what about the chocolate?"
"Chocolate fountain..."
"Oh...wait a minute, dang it KEL! you didn't tell us about the chocolate fountain?!"
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Nearbye city, D.R.E.A.M. HQ
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The door to the observation room finally opened as the three scientists and few dozen SPROUT MOLES tumbled out "Fresh air finally! I never want to see or eat tofu ever again!" Dr. Ray exclaimed.
Ignoring the scene his fellow scientist was making DR. Shwartz walked over to a wall mounted phone. "Hello? Yes this is Dr. Shwartz T. Wilhelm, (sigh) yes MOLLY we need you to see the lab fixed up pronto! I know your prototype isn't ready yet just send it over! yes…I will pay you with a bag of chips when it is done…yes I know you like the cheesy flavored ones...goodbye."
Dr. Shwartz hung up and brought a hand up to his temple trying to alleviate the headache he was experiencing. He turned towards his two friends "You two…see if you can fix up the lab after ROBOHEART finishes her job, and get those things under control…and find me a Melatonin."
Dr. Ray looked down at the chaos as th now LOST SPROUT MOLES began trashing everything around them. Shortly after the doors to the main room opened and a loud clanking sound could be heard. The LOST SPROUT MOLES turned towards the door to see a metallic figure resembling SWEETHEART towering in the doorway. ROBOHEART charged up it's weapons and opened fire with a missile barrage.
"SSdtIHNvIHNvcnJ5IGFib3V0IHRoaXMh"
It's barrage of missiles drove out out or destroyed most of the pests in a blaze of fire. After it's weapons were spent ROBOHEART trudged off back to MOLLY to recharge. The onlooking scientists watched in disbelief as their hard work was blown to smithereens, this mess was going to take a while to clean up…but thankfully they had plenty of resources to replace what was lost.
OMORI wandered the now empty streets of Nearbye by himself.
Tomorrow is another day
Good night