Disclaimer: I do not own any of the material appearing in this story. The OC's belong to their respective owners.
Sometime Before Blumiere Opened the Void…
"Mmm…" Blumiere walked away from the aftermath after destroying his home. He opened up the Dark Prognosticus. "Let's see, ah… this is the prophecy that will destroy all worlds." He said and kept reading it. "The void to consume worlds… born out of a Chaos Heart." He tipped his hat down. "I do not like this… but a world without Timpani is meaningless." He solemnly said. "The Dark Prognosticus is the key." He mumbled as he looked into it. "
"In order for the worlds to be destroyed, the individual must have a party in order for it to truly work. One, a warrior. Two, an experiment. Three, a pleaser of crowds. Four, one who can bring an army to your side. The more you have in your party, the more you are likely to succeed with this plan."
"A pleaser of crowds…?" Blumiere wondered. "What does that even mean?"
"Ahahahaha! Perhaps you should ask around!"
"Who said that?" Blumiere wondered as he turned around.
"Up here." A voice said as Blumiere looked up and saw a familiar jester.
BGM: Dimentio, Charming Magician (Super Paper Mario)
"Who are you?"
"Me? I am the pleaser of all crowds, master of dimensions, a charming individual! I am… Dimentio! Remember the name well."
"The pleaser of crowds?"
"Yes. I definitely fit the bill, don't I? I could easily please any crowd. I could be a reporter, a celebrity! Perhaps a government official who gets his five minutes of fame after being elected before immediately being hated the moment he's in office. I can be anything you desire… but I prefer being a jester. It's much easier to please a crowd that way."
"I do not need a jester to accomplish my goal. Farewell." Blumiere said and then walked off.
"Oh? You don't want me in your party? I may know a thing or two about your prophecy that you want to fulfill!"
"Pass."
"Hmhmhmhmhm… he'll come around. They always do."
End BGM
"Now, where do I find this warrior… surely, someone out there will have the muscles."
Meanwhile, in a different world…
BGM: To the Drawing Board! (Battalion Wars)
"Alright, yeh wee men! I'm gonna say this once! We are at ta heart of teh enemy! They do not know we are about to knock their arses off their blocks and show them we mean business! This will be a piece of cake, since we are a squadron of a thousand! The enemy will fall easily! Do I make myself clear!"
"SIR YES SIR, GENERAL!"
"Mhm! Dern right I am! Now let's get to crackin' some heads at the first crack of dawn! They won't even know what'll hit them! Ooh-rah!"
"OOH-RAH!"
End BGM
"General O'Chunks… might if I have a word with you?" One of his advisors asked.
"Hmm? What be troublin' ye?"
"Well… I'm not exactly sure if this is a good idea. I know we have a thousand soldiers, but do you think an ambush would work?"
"This war has gone on long enough. I'd say it's teh perfect strategy to give us teh advantage and gives one step closer to winnin' this thing."
"But surely there's a better option."
"Nah. We're goin' at the crack ah dawn!"
"Very well… you are the general." The advisor nodded and walked off, but he had a scowl on his face.
Later that night, when everyone was asleep…
The advisor snuck out of his tent and quickly made a run for it, heading straight into enemy lines. "Halt! Who goes there!" An enemy soldier aimed a spear at him.
"Relax, I come in peace. I wish to speak to your general."
"…Very well. Come with us."
"He's doing what?!"
"Yes. General O'Chunks is going to attack you guys at the crack of dawn… I didn't like this and thought there was something else, but he wouldn't listen."
"So you'd rather sell him out instead of seeing it through? This is highly unexpected from one of his advisors."
"It may haunt me for the rest of my life, but I'm willing to pay the price. General O'Chunks has lead us to victory many times… but now this is where I draw the line."
"Very well, we will strike soon."
"May the gods have mercy on us…"
Early at the crack of dawn…
"Alright, let's move it!" O'Chunks declared as everyone woke up. "Now let's give 'em 'ell! This war is ou-… do ye hear that?" He wondered.
"General, look!" A soldier pointed up in the air as he looked up and saw cannonballs raining down on them.
BGM: Ready, GO! (Super Paper Mario)
"TAKE COVER!" O'Chunks yelled as the cannonballs exploded into the ground where the shrapnel completely decimated a few of the soldiers as the enemy would then come running in with tanks. "Ahahaha! Leave these tanks to me, boys! I'm gonna give 'em a good proper chunkin'!" He said as he jumped ahead and started pummeling the tanks easily.
It wasn't until he destroyed the last tank and pulled out the soldier from within. "Alright! Ye thought ye could have stopped us with yer ambushin', but ye don't mess with teh general!"
"Why do you think we attacked you so early in the morning? Your advisor… he ratted you out!"
"Me advisor? Pah! He's one of my loyal men!"
"Not loyal enough… look behind you!" He said as O'Chunks turned around and saw his troop have been completely decimated.
End BGM
"WHAT IN BILGIN' BOG RATS?!" O'Chunks yelled, dropping the soldier. "What happened to me squad?!"
"You call yourself a general… but you're a bad one at that. We knew about your plans so we counter attacked. Face it… you lost."
"No… no no NO NO NO!" O'Chunks yelled, punching the tank in frustration. "I've been bamboozled by me own adviser?! Rrrgh… that two timin'…!" He snarled and then turned around, seeing weapons all aimed at him.
"You've lost, general O'Chunks. Now you're going down with your men."
"Rrrgh… SURPRISE BOMB ATTACK!" O'Chunks yelled, throwing a flare down and blinding them all as he made a run for it.
"Hey! Where'd he go?!"
"Leave him be. He's a disgraced general now."
O'Chunks kept running until his legs gave in as he slammed into the ground. "'Ow… 'Ow did this happen!" He grumbled as he heard footsteps in front of him. "Who goes there!" He yelled as he saw Blumiere approach him.
"I see that you're a general… or that you used to be one."
"Bah… what of it! Who are you?"
"I am Count Blumiere… and I am in need of a squadron. You seem to be the right man for the job."
"Hmph! So what? I've got places to be."
"Where are you going? You've been disgraced after all." He pointed out. "Why, if I'm not mistaken… it looks like you lost a fight that you could have easily won, correct?"
O'Chunks looked down. "Yeh… Yer right about that…"
"A once proud accomplished general… reduced to nothing. One battle lost and that's all it took. You may seem like a war hero, but you're nothing more than-"
"Alright, I get it!" O'Chunks grumbled. "So what do yeh want."
"I can make the traitor pay, I can make everything pay." Blumiere explained. "I wish to build a brand new world where we can live in harmony and in peace. Nothing can go wrong… and nobody will betray you."
"Hmm…" O'Chunks mused. "Build a brand new world, eh? And how are ye gonna do that?"
"By destroying everything with the Chaos Heart."
"Destroying what with the WHO NOW?" O'Chunks said in surprise. "Are ye sure that's a good idea? Destroyin' worlds is a bit overkill!"
"Not unless you have a broken heart."
"So this is all for love? I 'unno about this…" O'Chunks rubbed his beard.
"But can you imagine a world where you don't have to live with your own failure? You can lead your own army again and not have to worry about being betrayed."
"…Oh, that is temptin'. What the 'ell. I'm in!"
"Good. Now let's get a move on."
Later, in a different world…
"I have no real purpose." A girl said in a monotone voice, looking down on the ground as Blumiere and O'Chunks were in front of her. "I was supposed to be a Pixl made by the ancients… but, they abandoned me because I was nothing more than a failed experiment…" She quietly said.
"How exactly are ye a failed experiment?" O'Chunks asked. "Ye look like a wee little lass to me!"
"Well… this is what I could do…" She said as she slowly started to turn into her spider form.
"WHAT IN THE FLAMIN' HOG WASHIN' BALONEY?!" O'Chunks yelled, flinching in surprise. "Was teh neck crack really necessary?!"
"Fascinating!" Blumiere mused, not seeming to be bothered at all. "Can you do anything else?"
"Mimimimi… I can do this…" She said, shooting out rubees. "They're called rubees… they've been my only friend…"
"Weaponized crystals! Me eyes have seen everything now!" O'Chunks exclaimed, still in shock over what he had just witnessed earlier.
"Mimimi… that's all I can do…" She said as she turned back to normal. "Wait, actually... I just remembered I have this too." Mimi said, suddenly turning into Blumiere.
"Hmm! That's not a bad look!" Blumiere mused.
"That's terrifyin'." O'Chunks mumbled as Mimi turned back to normal.
"I… I haven't had interaction with anyone for so long… 1,500 years, to be exact."
"What is your name?" Blumiere asked.
"Failed Experiment. That is what I've been called… and they forgot to turn me off…"
"So you've been here all alone…" Blumiere mused. "What was that you said as you transformed?"
"Mimimimi? It's nothing more than a soft cry if anything…"
"That is a perfect name for you. Mimi."
"M-Mimi?" Her eyes widened in surprise. "You… you're naming me?"
"I am giving you a true purpose, Mimi. One where you can roam around and be free. You are not useless in my eyes."
Tears started to form in Mimi's eyes. "O-Oh… I… thank you…!" She said. "Mimimi-"
"How about we turn that sad cry into something else? I see it as… joyful laughter."
"I see it as sheer terror!" O'Chunks shuddered.
Mimi let out a giggle. "Thank you…" She said as she ran up and hugged Blumiere tightly as he responded by gently patting her on the head.
"Come Mimi, we are going to make a perfect world together."
"Oooh, I am on board for that! Three cheers for the count!"
"Oo-rah! …How's that?" O'Chunks said as Blumiere let out a chuckle and walked off.
At a different world…
"I'm tellin' ya… I think we're goin' in circles!" O'Chunks said.
"No… I think we're going the right way." Blumiere responded.
"And how do ye know that!"
"Have faith in Count Blumiere, O'Chunks. He knows what he's doing!" Mimi said with a smile, as the smile was enough to make O'Chunks' skin crawl.
"Mmph… r-right."
It was then that they heard a small cry. "Hmm?" Blumiere wondered as he walked over to the source, where the duo would go after him as they would soon find a Swoop caught in a trap.
"Oye! It looks like the wee thing has been caught in a trap." O'Chunks said. "Poor thing."
"Who would do something horrible like that?" Mimi solemnly asked.
Blumiere walked over to the Swoop and then gently freed it. "There you are, little one." He said gently. "You are free."
The Swoop looked at him and happily flew around Blumiere in gratitude. "Aww, it likes you!" Mimi smiled.
"Cute!" O'Chunks grinned as Blumiere let out a hearty chuckle as they walked off where the Swoop would follow them, its eyes focused on the Count.
Later that night, after finding a good camping spot…
"Zzzz…" Blumiere slept soundly in his tent, unaware of the Swoop above him admiring him. The Swoop would notice it was starting to glow as it quickly flew to a corner and glowed brightly before the glowing stopped.
"…Well, that was unexpected."
"Zzz… mmm…?" Blumiere opened his eyes and awoke from his sleeping bag. "Who goes there?" He wondered as he looked around and saw a woman approach him. "Who are you?"
BGM: Jolene (Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door)
"I am the one who you saved from that trap."
"…Swoops shape shift? First I've heard of this."
"I am not sure how it happened either, but I am no longer a Swoop… and I don't think I can change back into it."
"Fascinating. Do you have a name?"
"I've been called Nasty by the ones who've trapped me."
"Nasty…" Blumiere rubbed his chin in thought. "How about… Nastasia? I say it suits you."
Nastasia blushed. "Y-yes, that works perfect, Count Blumiere…" She said. "You have my undying loyalty… and my love."
"…What was that second part?"
Nastasia froze, sweating nervously. "U-um… nothing! D-don't worry about that part. It just slipped out. I'm not… I'm not sure where it came from."
Blumiere chuckled. "Do not worry about it. I saved you and now you are swearing loyalty to me? Very well."
"I will do my best to serve you, my lo- my count." Nastasia blushed again. "So um… if you don't mind me asking… you… you wouldn't happen to be… available, would you?"
Blumiere tipped his hat. "My heart has been taken from me. Her name brings heartache and misery… Lady Timpani… she was taken from me. I've searched everywhere for her… but I could not find her. Nothing can bring her back…"
"O-oh…" Nastasia looked down. "I… I am so sorry."
"Which is why I'm planning on destroying all worlds. Life is meaningless without her."
"A-all worlds? S-surely… don't you think you're overreacting? One world, I understand but… all worlds? Maybe reconsider… perhaps you've missed a spot. Maybe Lady Timpani-"
"No… it must be done."
Nastasia looked down solemnly. "If that is what you wish… my count."
End BGM
A few days later…
"A hero will fall into despair and will succumb to the temptations of the Chaos Heart." Dimentio said by himself, floating in midair and on his back. "That is what was written in the Light Prognosticus. I wonder why it was on the very last page? Perhaps they forgotten something… or maybe it was a last minute addition. Prophecies are truly a fickle thing… maybe they decided to throw it in and thought it might stick? But it is truly something to think about. Who is this hero… and why do they succumb to the Chaos Heart? And why do I want to see this for myself?"
"Ahem!" A voice said as Dimentio sat up and turned to see the others.
"Ah! If it isn't the one wanting to destroy all worlds!" Dimentio grinned.
"I've looked for anything else that described a Pleaser of Crowds, but I found nobody that fit that description. It was then that I remembered you."
"Ahahahaha! It feels nice to be remembered."
"Dimentio, will you help us in destroying all worlds?"
Dimentio flashed a smirk. "I knew you would find reason! Allow me to be the one to help you out in the time of need, Count…"
"Bleck. It is Count Bleck."
"I will be sure to help out, my dear Count. You have my undying fidelity." He said, bowing down and flashing a smirk, chuckling darkly to himself.
"Excellent." Bleck nodded. "We are good to go with this prophecy. BLEH HEH HEH HEH, BLECK!"
"Soooo…" Dimentio let out a chuckle. "When do we start?"
It's gonna get doozier! ...Wait, is that even a word?
EDIT: Added in what Megan reminded me of. Thanks!
