Chapter 23: Another Fine Mess

"Alright. We're ready to go." Nazz said. Everyone brought back-packs of their own(everyone that could actually hold one).

"Good." Double D said and they proceeded out of the doorway and into the streets.

"I'm still a little worried about this place." Jimmy confessed.

The truth was they all were.

"There's no time for fear." Double D said.

They reached the pipe after a long search underneath the city.

"So, who wants to go in first?" Eddy asked.

"I'll go." Double D said.

"Double D? I've never gone down any pipe like that before. Does it hurt?" Eduardo Jr. asked.

"I don't know how it would affect you. Here." Double D held the little Yoshi. "We'll go down at the same time."

"Ok."

Double D stood on the pipe's rim and jumped. He felt like he had jumped into another new world altogether. Everything around them turned dark…

Finally, they both emerged in a different place.

"…is this it?" Eduardo Jr. asked, opening his eyes.

Double D inspected the few areas. There appeared to be some old houses near him. The surrounding landscape was disturbing: dead grass covered the ground, with dead trees every now and again. Otherwise, the place was surrounded by a dark forest filled with even more dead trees. There was a creepy moon overhead them. Crows and ravens gave them grave looks from atop the trees, observing them closely.

"…this town is disturbing." Double D said.

A few minutes passed by as they waited for everyone else.

"Where's everyone else?" Eduardo Jr. asked after a while.

"Very good question." Double D responded, looking around but saw nothing. "This isn't good. We should go back."

Before he could reach the pipe, Goombella, Jimmy, Eddy and Rolf popped up.

"What took ya?" Eduardo Jr. asked.

"Something's up with that pipe." Eddy said. "It only let us through here for some reason. Gonzales and the rest of the guys went back to Frankly's to find a way in. He told us to start without 'em."

"Excuse me?" A new voice asked.

They looked and saw what at first appeared to be a life-sized rag doll. Then they realized it was living and was wearing cloths all over. Its face was concealed by a hood, allowing two yellow glowing eyes to pierce through.

"…can we help you?" Double D asked.

"Maybe… but maybe not. If you're adventurers, then that's good news, but…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Talk so we understand ya!" Eddy demanded.

"I'll explain-"

He was interrupted by a creepy, distant steeple bell.

"What was that?" Eduardo Jr. asked.

"Oh no! Who will it be now?" The man looked as if he wanted to say more, but he was cut off.

Purple clouds appeared and circled around the unfortunate person.

"Whoa!" Double D exclaimed as they stood back.

When the clouds dissipated, the man vanished.

"What happened to him?" Jimmy shivered.

Double D had a very serious expression. "I believe it was dark magic. A spell must have caused him to disappear. I-"

Double D stopped suddenly when he heard a snorting noise.

He looked to his feet. "A pig?"

A little pig looked back up innocently.

"O-o-o-o-oh m-m-m-my! This pig! It's that guy!" Jimmy shivered.

"He-who-wears-a lot has become a pig." Rolf said.

"What's with this place?" Eddy asked.

"Oh no…" An old voice said. "Freddy, not you too."

"Who's there?" Double D pointed into the air ready to cast a spell.

"Calm yourself, traveler." The old voice said.

A new figure approached them. He was dressed similarly, only his eyes where blocked by a large gray beard and eyebrows.

"Dude, what's goin' on?" Eddy asked.

"This place is the wrong place for a story to be told. Follow me into my home." He said.

The group followed the old man down a path. As they walked, they saw more pigs wandering around. This continued until they walked into an old-looking house, with a room so dark, Goombella had to turn on the light in her helmet.

"I had best tell you travelers this: get out of town. This place is cursed."

"What? No, we're not leaving now." Eddy said. "Now tell us, what the heck's with the pigs?"

"You are as brave as you are stubborn." The old man groaned and sat down "I shall explain everything. This town is cursed. Using dark magic and disturbing our town's very time-flow, a monster living in a dark place turns us one by one into pigs. I understand that said curse works on a steeple bell. Everyone hour, the bell tolls. When it does, another pour soul becomes entrapped as a pig."

Jimmy fainted and remained stiff on the ground. Goombella tended to him as the conversation continued:

"I see. How many people are in this town?" Double D asked.

"This town's population as of now is 19 residents, and including yourselves, 10 guests."

"And out of the total, how many have become pigs?"

"After doing a count, and the addition of Freddy, count is currently 11."

"Then if a person is turned into a pig by the hour, then it started only 11 hours ago. Which means, provided no one else gets here…"

"We merely have 18 hours max to fix this curse before we all become pigs!" Double D shouted.

"EEK!" Jimmy shouted, awakening suddenly.

"Guys, I think Jimmy's in no condition to go." Goombella noted.

"Rolf sees." Rolf said. "He and Jimmy shall stay here."

"But Rolf, we need you." Double D said. "Out of all of us, you're the strongest!"

Eduardo Jr. scoffed.

"Rolf needs to tend to the people-who are swines." Rolf said.

It was true, he was a farmer.

"…very well." Double D said. "Jimmy should stay here as well."

"…..okay." Jimmy shivered.

"Goombella, Eddy, Eduardo Jr.: we're going to Creepy Steeple." Double D said.

"Creepy steeple?" The elderly man asked. "That is the dreaded place where the cursed bell tower is."

"All the better." Double D said and everyone gasped. "We can get the crystal star and break this curse."

"Double D?" Eddy asked. "Why are ya brave all of a sudden? The last I remember you, you were a wimp!"

"People's lives are at stake!" Double D grabbed his collar. "I cannot afford to be cautious anymore! For the sake of those who suffer under the curse, and all of the missing people!"

"Ok, ok, don't have a conniption!" Eddy shouted.

"We have no time to loose, we have to keep going!" Double D said. "How do we get to Creepy Steeple?"

"You travelers are fools… at the end of the town, proceed beyond the gates and venture into the woods. You will know when you are approaching the Steeple because the area surrounding it is completely dark."

"Thanks." Double D said, running out of the house and back into the town.

"Are we ready to go?" Eddy asked.

"Yes." Double D said.

They spent 30 minutes preparing.

"Listen." Double D said to his group. "All of you need to understand what I'm about to say. We have an 18 hour max period. Anywhere within those hours, one of us might become a pig. As long as you are human… or Goomba, or Yoshi, then you still can help us. We must do whatever we can to keep this from occurring."

Everyone nodded.

"Then we should go."

"Goodbye." Jimmy whimpered.

"Don't worry." Double D tried to calm him down.

"How can I not? What if I become a pig?"

"…I'm not sure." Double D said truthfully. "If anyone becomes a pig, then someone else here will keep them safe."

"Can we go now?" Eddy said impatiently.

"Yes, let's go."