"Judge, I have a huge complaint!" Softon shouted at a judge in a courtroom. The rest of the cast plus many others were also present.

"What is it? You can make it as long as you want, just so that I don't have to return to my wife..." The judged sighed.

Softon exhaled. "There have been no recaps for the last several parts!" Everyone in the courtroom gasped.

"Oh…that…well, can't the readers read the last chapter? Besides, the new pre-chapter gags are a hit. Ugh, I need some soup…" The judge swallowed a green-colored pill.

"But…but…"

"Ugh, how pointless. Somebody just do a recap so we can get back to the story…"

"I'll do it!" Tiger Mask raised his hand, went over to the bench, cleared his voice, and read the recap from a piece of paper.

"Let's see…Sir Bo-bobo's team escaped the castle…defeated Giga's heart…defeated Giga…freed the ghosts, Giga's heart, and the Obsidian Region…oh, and another High Spirit…Suzu joined the team…that's it."

The court room fell silent.

"Maybe we should do some more recapping after all…" the judge sighed.

"Whoo! I win the case!" Softon shouted in victory.

"Oh no!" Bo-bobo shouted.

"Oh no!" Heppokomaru shouted.

"Oh no!" Namero shouted.

"Oh no!" Serviceman shouted.

"Oh no!" OVER shouted.

"Oh no!" Suzu shouted.

"Oh no!" Chagecha shouted.

"Oh yeah!" The Kool Aid guy burst through the wall with a wide smile. The court fell silent again. He stared, feeling awkward. He slowly stepped out of the wall he broke out of and ran off. More silence ensued.

"Sooo…anybody wanna go see Ninjas on Ice?" asked Tennosuke (from the previous chapter) shyly. A bucket dropped on his head, making him pass out.

-X-

Third Prelude

(Part 1: Poor fool, he makes me laugh)

High above in the stars, Princess Patches was watching out her window, gazing at a constellation that formed what almost resembled a Wii remote. Her eyes were desolate and alone, yet calm and had hints of hope washed into them.

"Ugh…Princess Patches…" Dengaku-man slowly fluttered back to him, still wounded from his "accident" with Bo-bobo.

"Did he hurt you again?" Patches asked gently.

"Yep."

"Ah. Get inside. I'll get some stuff for you in a minute."

"Um, sure."

Dengaku-man flew inside. He laid down on the bed and looked back at Patches, who was still stargazing. He immediately noticed that something was different about him.

"Princess Patches is…unusually nice today…why?"

Outside, Patches let out a long-held sigh.

-X-

Softon's Room

Softon was lazing on his bed, clad in light blue sleepwear. He was gazing at an old photo that appeared to be burned. In it could be seen a teenage boy and a young girl. He placed it on his chest, releasing a sad sigh. He then reached for a newspaper clipping he found in the leisure section of the Crystal News. He skimmed it over, his face forming as if the apocalypse were coming at a moment's notice.

"Leviathan III came to town today…what does he want? He knows that the princess was kidnapped…oh, wait, he wants to find an heir for his throne and start a war…how pointless…they're no good, I tell you…"

"They obviously want revenge against the Don Kingdom for their resistance from the attack of the Demons of Armageddon that took place a decade ago. Out of all their emperors, the third is pushing their policy for unrestricted warfare the most." Yuko, in a nightgown herself, sipped some tea.

"And if he finds an heir at this time, if the heir agrees with his ways, then there wouldn't be much hope in stopping him."

"But there is no one whose power comes close to his…"

"No one other than the Sky King. The real princess has comparable strength as well.

Yuko raised an eyebrow. "Sky King?"

"You know about the Diamond Region, right?"

"Yes."

"Then you know that they have a secret of their own about their lineage. The royalty of the Don Kingdom does not know about it, and they agreed not to find out for themselves. But, you know, desperate times call for desperate measures."

"Oh!" Yuko nearly dropped her teacup.

"One of the current heirs of the Diamond Hair Kingdom seized control over it for her own sake, to get revenge against her four brothers. One of them is the Sky King. Take a good guess who it is."

"I already have a good feeling. But how did you find out?"

"I prayed to the Deity of Babylon to spy on them as I watched Sir Bo-bobo's progress. He has given me all the information I need."

"What did you get?" Yuko sat at Softon's side on his bed.

"Oh, the history of the kingdom-province and stuff like that. It is mainly all about the Sky King. Similarly to our heir of the kingdom, the descendant of the Sky King is declared in his name if he or she inherits his genetic code and powers. It's all about genetics at the end of the day."

"Uh-huh…I see. And the real princess? Do you have any thought who it could be, other than Don Pacci?"

Softon turned away and grimaced. Yuko put her hands on his shoulders and gave him a sympathetic look.

"Umm, sir? Giga found the girl you wanted. Why did you want her?"

"I…don't know. She kind of looks like…or maybe I was just delusional. Besides, I watched Giga's battle with Bo-bobo and he was killed. Looks like that girl won't be coming with me."

"The boy from the Maho Kaze Squad called her by name. Before, you were convinced that she was…"

"I've thought about it, and I've pretty much concluded that she's dead. There's no way she could've survived…Softon fell back, his face tightening. Yuko embraced him from behind.

"Yuko…" Softon turned back on his side, facing her.

"Master…this is a bit awkward, don't you think? I am your servant, after all…"

"Well…" Softon broke out of his personality, blushing. He pulled the blankets over them. "Do you have any more to ask?"

"Well, it's about Leviathan III, actually…" Yuko blushed.

"I feel really frustrated, so…I'll tell you if…"

-X-

Patches' Room

"Dengaku-man…I want to sneak out again for some information. Shall we try?" Patches gulped down some painkillers out of depression.

"That's Mama Luigi to you, Princess!" Dengaku-man shouted, wearing a green hat, overalls, and a blue shirt.

(Beep: Please Stand By)

"Dengaku-man…I want to sneak out again for some information. Shall we try?" Patches gulped down some painkillers out of depression.

"Bangoo!" Suddenly, out of nowhere, Rock from the Soul series charged and blasted Dengaku-man and Patches into the wall, transforming them into blobs on the floor.

"Oopsie!" Rock punched his head in a comedic fashion as his son Bangoo exploded for no reason in the distance.

(Beep: Please Stand By)

"Dengaku-man…I want to sneak out again for some information. Shall we try?" Patches gulped down some painkillers out of depression.

Dengaku-man didn't say anything. His wings, unknown to him, were written on in permanent ink. The words spelled out "space for rent," and Dengaku-man wore glasses to complete the look. An audience out of nowhere started laughing.

(Beep: Please Stand By)

"Den…gaku…glugh." Patches had collapsed onto the floor; he had taken too many painkillers. Dengaku-man sighed and used his magic to lift the princess onto the bed. The fairy grabbed a duvet from the closet and covered the princess with it, watching him sleep peacefully.

"He wanted to sneak out…but I can't do it alone."

Dengaku-man spotted one of Patches' dresses nearby and glanced at his wand. He smirked and flew over to the princess' dressing alcove.

-X-

Several minutes later, Dengaku-man, having used his fairy magic to disguise himself as the princess, was applying cosmetics. With powder as the finishing touch, he smiled and struck a pose.

"I really do look like the princess!" Dengaku-man smiled. The only obvious difference was his voice. Unfortunately, he didn't know any type of magic that would alternate his vocal pitch, so he had to make due. He walked awkwardly over to the fireplace (it was his first time walking, and in high heels at that), pushed the switch behind the painting of the hamburger, and stepped into the secret passage.

"Hee hee…this is kind of fun…except walking…it's like getting hit with an ostrich egg and rotten eggnog mixed together…" Dengaku-man giggled. He approached the end of the passage at the entrance to Softon's room. Being cautious, he levitated to the window that peeked into Softon's room. From the other side, he could hear faint moaning from Yuko and Softon.

"What are they doing?" he asked quietly to himself.

He could see the scene a bit clearer, and from what he saw, he shrieked and fainted. Softon perked his head up, having heard it.

"Softon-sama, what's wrong?" Yuko asked.

"Nothing…I thought I heard something…"

"Probably the princess finding out that I planted a stink bomb in her underwear drawer. It's no big deal." Yuko laid back down. "I'm exhausted…"

"Yeah…" Softon embraced Yuko from behind, and moments later, the two were asleep. Dengaku-man was shivering in a fetal position on the floor.

"Wahhh…what were they doing…princess, help meee…"

-X-

Patches' Bedroom

Princess Patches rolled over to one side, still sedated by the painkillers. Saliva was dripping from his mouth as he dreamed.

"Mmmn…Tiger Mask…gimme some of that hot luvin'…"

Gross…somebody get me iodine! The author screamed.

-X-

Secret Passage

Dengaku-man slowly got up, twitching. He saw that Yuko and Softon were asleep. Now was his chance to sneak inside. He tapped the button gently, making the platform swing to the other side. Despite the noise the turning made, Softon and Yuko still slept. Dengaku-man froze in place, hoping that they wouldn't wake up.

"Gee, those two must be heavy sleepers…"

Dengaku-man tiptoed off the platform, but froze from hearing Softon fidget. His heels made a loud clacking sound whenever he moved, so he quietly stepped out of them. He successfully tiptoed out of the bedroom, heels in hand, and into the dark hallway. Noticing the abundance in spotlights, Dengaku-man slid across the wall, across the locked door that led to the first floor, and into the storeroom.

"Phew…" Dengaku-man sighed, transforming back to his old self. He laid down on the burned portrait of the current family of the kingdom, sighing. He snooped around the storeroom for more clues, but found none.

"Wow, all these rich tapestries of history and there's nothing…" Dengaku-man sighed. He transformed back into Patches, re-dressed himself, and walked back out. He was about to move, when he was caught by one of the guards.

"Princess Patches! What are you doing out of your room!? Come to think of it, how the hell did you get out!?" the guard shouted. Dengaku-man squeaked in panic, too afraid to respond.

"Well, I'm sorry then, but I'll have to take you back." With that, the guard called forth another guard, picked the princess up overhead, went back to Patches' room, and tossed him back in. The guards closed the doors, and Dengaku-man transformed back after a minute. The real Patches was still asleep, cuddling a Weegee doll with him.

"Rrgh…I need to be more careful…" Dengaku-man sighed. "Why did I disguise myself anyway? I can just fly over the guards…" Dengaku-man placed the disguise clothing into a small sack and put it on his back. He flew back into the passage and into Softon's room, quietly snooping for information. The two were still sleeping, thankfully.

"If it's info on Bo-bobo's quest, then it's in here…" Dengaku-man thought. He snuck behind a bookcase and transformed quietly. He began looking for Softon's diary, but froze the second he heard Yuko and Softon wake up.

"Mmn…" Yuko moaned.

"What's the matter, Yuko?" Softon asked.

"I'm thirsty…" Yuko sighed, grabbing a vase of water and drank a good amount of it. Dengaku-man's face went pink at the sight of Yuko's body.

"Ah. You done yet?"

Yuko twisted a lock of her hair and frowned a bit. "Actually, sir, I believe I asked you about Leviathan III. You never answered my question."

Softon sighed. "Alright, alright. Listen well, because I'll only speak of it once. I'd prefer it remain confidential, if you know what I mean."

"Okay, shoot." Dengaku-man was all ears, quietly ducking beneath the case and behind the potted plant to hear while hiding.

Softon inhaled and exhaled. "Leviathan III arrived at Crystal Port in the southern part of Crystal Town today, as you know. I actually received the news from General Tokoro Tennosuke, the man I assigned to guard the High Spirit that was hidden in The Valkyrie Toy Box in the western part of Crystal Town. He's going to postpone his raid on town for a week due to the emperor's arrival. Anyway, the emperor went to Club 3001.5 to speak of his proposal of war with the chancellor of Princess Patches' castle."

"You didn't kidnap the chancellor?"

"I had to leave at least one castle official behind to risk going blow to blow with the emperor. I couldn't possibly leave the minister or the guards for that matter at risk."

"At risk?" Dengaku-man questioned, taking notes.

"Did you get any information about the talks between them?"

"Nothing yet. But the emperor wants to engage war, no doubt. The Yankee Republic down south is facing the same kind of dilemma, because the emperor is using them as a scapegoat of sorts. Now the president has to make some kind of alliance to resist as fast as possible."

"The president was with Bo-bobo, the last time I looked into the crystal ball."

"Yes, yes…it's starting to get annoying that the men I assigned to guard the High Spirits are failing dramatically. And Giga, especially! He was supposedly invincible, but that was all bullshit apparently!" Softon's temper began to teeter. Yuko massaged his shoulders to calm him down.

"Thanks for that…" Softon sighed, giving Yuko a small kiss on the cheek.

"You know, if the emperor's going to wage a war on the kingdom, then why don't you just drop your plans and free the High Spirits? We could just get out of here and worry about the kingdom later…"

Softon looked down. "It's just…well…you know what he's after."

"Yes, yes, but…"

The two of them looked down in silence, breaking the conversation. Dengaku-man shivered, excited, confused, and nervous. There was info on where Bo-bobo would go next, but the other plethora of information he had just gotten made his head spin.

"A world war launched by the Maruhage Empire!? And with all this hubbub in the Don Kingdom and Softon's doing…what is going on here!?" Dengaku-man reviewed his notes carefully, analyzing.

"But wait…Softon didn't kidnap the chancellor of the castle, and I guess that's the official that takes Princess Patches' place. But he kidnapped the others…this talk of 'risk?' What does it mean? It's as if he's…but he still kidnapped the princess! But then there's the re-emergence of some old rumor…Patches being a fake princess? If it's true, then who's the real one? And why has no one in the kingdom ever talked of it? This emperor is also making it confusing…what does he want from the kingdom!? Why a global-scale war!? Could it be-!?"

Dengaku-man tucked his notes away and shivered.

"Could it be that…Softon…"

"Eh?"

Softon glanced around the room; he thought he heard leaves rustling. Dengaku-man squeaked in fear and crouched away deeper into the bookcase.

"Alright, whoever's in there, come out now!" Softon shouted, re-dressing himself. Yuko did the same.

Dengaku-man trembled in fear, stepping out into the open. He appeared as if he wanted to break out in tears at any second. He curled into a ball, whimpering, and squinting his eyes.

"Princess Patches." Softon hissed. "I should've known. What the devil is wrong with those guards!?"

"Actually, sir…" Yuko sighed, making a face.

-X-

Second Floor Hall

"Frat boy party!" one of the guards shouted. All the guards of the castle started performing the conga and danced about. One of the guards (the Model from the Third Era) stormed into the room with a chainsaw in hand, chanting "Toga! Toga!"

-X-

Softon's Room

"Yuko, why didn't you tell me the guards were having a frat boy party?" Softon sighed angrily.

"Because you insisted on sleeping with me." Yuko made a "pfft" sound.

"F—k!"

Dengaku-man squirmed, not moving. He was about to move, when Softon's shout made him fall backwards.

"You're not going anywhere, princess! Just how the hell did you get in here!?"

Dengaku-man twiddled his thumbs. "Ahh…I, uh…I…the frat boy…"

Softon looked at the disguised fairy in suspicion. "You…sound different…"

"Oh, uh, I do?" Dengaku-man chortled nervously. "Must've eaten something weird! I kind of sound like Mama Luigi, don't you think!?" Right on cue, Luigi exploded somewhere else for no reason.

"Huh, must be a throat lozenge." Softon sighed. "Well then, you're going to have to go back to your room. I'll call the guards over."

Yuko suddenly came up with an idea. "Wait, Softon-sama! I just got an idea…"

"What is it?"

"If Tennosuke's raiding town, it's obvious that he'll drop a clue about where to go next. After all, he can't keep a secret to save his life."

"That's true." Then, for no reason, Tennosuke himself exploded back at the port!

Yuko swung over the bed and looked down at the disguised fairy. "Now princess, we have several important questions to ask you. Don't panic dear, they're just about what items we should leave for Sir Bo-bobo and his team if they find where the next High Spirit is hiding."

"Oh…okay." As Dengaku-man speculated, the High Spirit hidden in the Valkyrie Toy Box, Aerialis (Tenbobo/Bojiggler), exploded without reason…

Yuko fished out a piece of paper and a pen and handed it to the princess. Dengaku-man skimmed it over and saw that they all asked what Bo-bobo's team hated. He raised an eyebrow and sparked an idea.

"Alright then." Softon pulled out a list and began. "First, which one of the choices on that list does Sir Bo-bobo hate the most?"

Dengaku-man skimmed down the list:

Bubble Bath

Bell Peppers

Poison Afro-Cherries

White Bread

Dengaku-man circled choice "D." Softon then gave the next question.

"And what about the torpedo mage on his team? What does she dislike?"

Dengaku-man looked down again.

Idiots

Bloody murder

Frogs

Exploding tunas

Dengaku-man had thankfully learned of Bo-bobo's team from messages Bo-bobo sent him. He circled choice "B," and waited for the next question.

"Okay, and what about the Count of the Sapphire Region? What does he dislike?"

Once again, he looked at his choices.

Sweets

Don Patch 24/7

Fried pudding

Weegee

Dengaku-man circled choice "A." "And now, the robot the count created. What does he hate?" Softon asked.

The sun

The sun

The sun

Not the moon

Dengaku-man's eyes bulged in confusion. He circled choice "D" for variety, but he couldn't tell what would happen.

"Okay, now we have the mailman to discuss. What does he dislike?"

Enhancement

His own job

Voldo from the "Soul" series

La Centerola

Dengaku-man circled choice "A," and waited the next question.

"Finally, we have an illusionist, who just joined Bo-bobo's team. What is her dislike?"

Beards

Captain Battleship

Kittens

Processed food

Dengaku-man finished the trivia and circled choice "C." Softon analyzed the results and nodded his head in approval.

"Good, good. We're all set. Yuko, send the guards out immediately to deploy these items." Softon smiled in satisfaction.

"But sir, are you sure we should trust the princess?" Yuko was concerned.

"There's no need to worry. I trust him, I guess." Softon went outside to submit the list, and freaked out when he saw the frat boy party. The party immediately froze in place. The Model exploded out of fear.

"Will all of you…" Softon trembled in rage. The party immediately disbanded and screamed like little children, scurrying to their posts. Softon caught two of the guards and slapped their faces.

"You and the others are horrible at your jobs! And take the princess back to her room! What is wrong with you people!?" Softon screamed, bearing fangs.

"A-ah…yes sir…" The two guards replied nervously, holstering Dengaku-man above their heads and returning him to the princess' room. They tossed him inside, and Dengaku-man transformed right back to his original state. He thankfully still had his notes with him.

"Hah…that was painful…" Dengaku-man rubbed his head. He flew over to Patches' balcony, opened the doors, and flew out into the starry sky.

After a few minutes, Patches woke up, feeling groggy. He looked around and saw that Dengaku-man was missing.

"Huh? Where are ya Denny?" he asked. He then exploded for no reason, making his bed sheets catch fire.

End of Part 1

-X-

This particular interlude includes a "sidequest" for Bo-bobo's party, so Chapter 4 will not start for a bit. To compensate, it will be shorter than the other chapters.

The gag of this part: spontaneous combustion exploding.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, whatever!

FOOTNOTES

-La Centerola is an Italian opera rendition of the fairy tale Cinderella with certain adaptations.