Z/N: Check out the story I'm co-authoring with BladeBrandierCTCD, What the Soul Holds.

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The time passed silently into afternoon, maroon sky tinting the attic floor.

Neither Courage nor The Computer said anything. Courage sat on the floor, unmoving.

When Muriel called for him to come get supper, he jumped, and looked around, frightened.

"It's just Muriel." The Computer spoke for the first time in an hour, with as soothing a tone as he could manage.

Courage fidgted nervously, spared the Computer a terrified glance, and fled downstairs to his mistress' call.

Water. So pliable, yet so strong. So bending, yet resisting. It could be cut through, and keep coming. The Queen of the Black Puddle slid easily through her element, enjoying the cool feel of it. A smile spread across her lips at the memory of her earlier hunt. Those two...a bit like water. Pliable, yet strong. But were they as deep as the liquid surrounding her? Such fun.

Such fun. But, a frown eased onto her features, that man-he was with others. Doing something. Checking the density of the ground? For what? For...what..?

No matter. The dog always took care of those things. She kept the underwater danger to a minimum, and the dog took care of threats from terra. It was such a lovely system, and he didn't even know he was a part of it. So fun. Beneath her, fresh bones stirred from the current.

Courage was torn between staying with Muriel, and returning to the Computer. He sat on her lap until she fell asleep in front of the tv, and then dashed up to the attic.

"I've been waiting." The Computer said wearily. "I've had an idea. It's not a very good one yet, but it's the only thing we have. It will be hard,"

Courage nodded.

"and dangerous,"

Another nod.

"and risky,"

Nod, again.

"and involve getting the undine's help."

Nod-, no, frantic shaking of the head.

"It can't be helped! If they think this place is haunted-"
"It is!" Courage whined.

"But if they know that, they'll go build their mall elsewhere."
"They will? But how are we going to get the Black Puddle Queen to help us?"

"Now, that's the hard part.."

Scraping, from the above world. She opened eyes, red at first, then they deepened to black.

The dog was doing something. She had been resting. But, anything the dog was doing promised to be entertaining. The undine launched herself into the water, heading for the surface.

It had taken Courage a long time to get the Computer down from the attic without Muriel or Eustace noticing. He drug the monitor the last few feet of the extension cord's length, and bent down, panting.

The Computer gave him a minute before demanding to have the robotic arms attached. Courage whined, and hurried to comply.

A metre away, the Queen of the Black Puddle was watching them, smiling. This was odd. What in the name of Calypso were they doing now?

Courage jammed the last arm in with a grunt, and stood back to admire his work.

The Computer swiveled his monitor on the stand, and surveyed the arms, clenching the claws together. "Yes, yes, this will do very well. Good. Now, the next part of the plan."
Courage walked closer to hear.
"When she comes up here-" The Computer indicated the spot in front of him, "I'll grab her and electrocute her."
Courage looked worried.

"Just enough to stun her. Then I'll keep her captive, while you tell her what we want."

Courage nodded, full of determination.

"Well, get her up here."
Courage looked worried again. "Um, how?"
The Computer's monitor blinked. "How? ...How...Well, just do something. Insult her."
Courage nodded hesitantly, then ran a few feet away to the water pump, and dug up a dress and wig. He put them on, and strutted around, making whining noises.

The Computer looked ready to strangle him.

"That is so stupid.."

"Is that supposed to be me?"

"Apparently, but the twit obviously doesn't know-"

The Computer froze, and slowly swiveled around.

Courage stopped mincing, and let oout a scream, sending the disguise flying.

The Queen of the Black Puddle studied them. "That was a horrible impersonation."

The Computer was the first to recover. He swept the robotic arms around, launching them at the undine. She looked surprised, and Courage let out a cheer of joy-

Inside the house, Eustace tripped over the long black extension cord. He landed on his face.

"OOF! Who put this here?"

Grumbling, he stood up, and yanked the cord out of the socket. "Stupid cord."

The Computer gasped, and fell lifeless.

Courage looked at him, then slowly, turned his attention to the undine.

She smiled.

He screamed.

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