-...-
Finally making it through the enemy filled marsh, the Heroes arrive at the tall opposing Castle before them.
"This is Toadworth's Castle? It looks stunning the more close we get." Mimi said in awe at the Castle.
The Heroes have finally made it! They just hope now that they could get inside and get the Pure Heart from Toadsworth. But things never have been that easy for Dimentio.
Chapter 2-2:
Tricks, Treats, Traps
The large Castle stood there omniously in the marsh with the vines climbing high up the Castle's walls but being much closer to the Castle the Heroes saw the windows were unclear and everything through was blurry.
Dimentio floated to get a closer look through the window but something large and dark purple passed by the window but it was too blurry to make it out.
Dimentio floated back down onto the ground thinking about what he had saw.
Could that have been Toadsworth? We don't really have much clue what he looks like? Dimentio thought to himself.
Nassie then flew next to Dimentio. "Well what did you see in there?" She asked.
"Not to much. But something large and purple. He really is a recluse with those windows they're too blurry to see though them properly." Dimentio said pointing at the windows.
"How are we going to get inside?" Piccolo questioned looking at the door. "I'm pretty sure a recluse would also keep their doors tightly locked."
"BOOM TIME!?" Boomer yelled with enthusiasm.
"No! Bad Boomer! We already said you can't do that." Thoreau scolded.
Mimi looked at the door. "Then what do we do? Can we really risk getting Toadsworth mad at us? We do need that Pure Heart or whatever it is called."
"Does anyone know how to lockpick?" Thoreau asked but the group shaked their heads. "Well there goes that plan." He said disappointed.
Dimentio then decided to try and teleport in and with a snap of his fingers he teleported.
Right into the Castle wall with a crash as he slid down it. Mimi laughed again at Dimentio as he slid back down onto the ground. "No teleporting in either." He said as he got up up from the ground.
"Great! Just great!" Mimi said annoyed as crosses her arms. "How we going to get in now!?" She yelled.
"Let's just blow up the door! SSS-BOOM!" Boomer cheered hopping someone was in on his idea.
"Boomer no!" Thoreau said. "Usally I would be on board with your blowing up ideas but. We don't want this Toadsworth mad at us for destroying his door."
"Hey! The worlds are at stake! A few broken doors are just the price to pay for their sake." Boomer argued.
"Um guys?" Piccolo said.
"Not now!" They both said.
"Hey you two! Would you two just lis-" Nassie tried to say but she was interrupted.
"WE SAID NOT NOW!" They both scream.
"Now as I was saying no blowing up the front door!"
"But it's the perfect plan! SSS-POOM!"
"Well we don't really need that plan anymore." Dimentio said.
"Wait what?" They both said as they look at the others to see the door were open.
"Wait...How?" Thoreau asked.
Mimi rolled her eyes. "The door was unlocked." She sighed. "Who even leaves their own door unlocked like that? That's just asking to get robbed."
"Well. Who cares." Dimentio said waving for the others to follow him inside.
The others follow after Dimentio into the Castle.
-...-
Once stepping inside the Castle they took a look at the interior of the Castle. The floor was covered in black and white checkered flooring with a red carpet along the floor. With white marble walls along the Castle with the windows blurred out just like outside.
But interrupting them taking in the Castle's design was a low growl.
Hearing the growl they turn to see where it was coming from only to be greeted by a large dog like beast with six legs. It was dark purple with blue spots on it's skin with sharp striped spikes on top of it's head. But it didn't seem to have any eyes but it still noticed their presence. It growled at them again showing off it's sharp teeth as it then charged towards the group.
In a panic the Heroes quickly moved out of the way to avoid it's sharp teeth. "Nassie would you be a dear and identify it?" Dimentio asked.
"'K. That's a Gnaw they're Toadsworth main guard dog to keep other out of the Castle by kicking them out. But...I think something is off about it..." Nassie explained.
"Off how?!" Mimi said as she ran away from the Gnaw.
"Like something is bothering it! Other then us breaking into the Castle." Nassie said.
"Well we can figure that out later. Let's escape to the Next to avoid it." Dimentio said snapping his fingers to travel to the Next to avoid the Gnaw.
But...It was also in the Next.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" Mimi screamed as the Heroes decided to run away from the Gnaw as it chased them.
"SSS-POM! Let's just blow it up!" Boomer yelled.
"What no you can't do that!" Nassie argued.
"Why's that? Would it make Toadsworth mad or something" Thoreau asked.
"No! Gnaw's have very tough skin nothing can even harm them. So it's very pointless." Nassie explained.
"Oh." Boomer and Thoreau said together.
The Heroes continued to run until they reached a door a quickly opened it and shut it behind them to escape the Gnaw.
-...-
Dimentio and Mimi were taking a bit to catch their breathe and coming back from the Next while the Pixls just watched them concerned as they didn't have any lungs of their own.
But they didn't really have much time before a stern like voice was heard.
"Now what do we have here?"
They turn to see where the voice had came from to see a young woman walk towards them. She wore a dark purple with dress with the only light part of it being the light purple dots that were on the dress. Around the collar area of the dress was a red gem keeping the high collar together. And the hair it looked dull...Like she hasn't been taking good care of it. But from the looks of it...Maybe it had been previously blonde. She pulled up the long light purple gloves that went along her hands and arm as she approached closer to the Heroes giving them a stern look.
"I don't recall Toadsworth ever inviting any guests." She said.
"And who are you?" Mimi asked.
"My name doesn't matter. But I am recently hired to deal with pests as that beast is clearly failing at it's job." The woman said looking a bit annoyed at the Heroes. "Pests like you."
"But we need to meet Toadsworth to get the Pure Heart!" Nassie argued.
"A what?"
"Pure Hearts to stop the Void? You know the looming thing outside? The thing that's going to destroy all Worlds!" Thoreau said getting a bit annoyed with the woman. But at least the feeling was mutual.
"Intruders would always try and justify their breaking into this Castle. Such a pain." She said as she massages her forehead.
"Well the door was unlock. Which we can only blame you for that." Dimentio said with a smug look.
The woman got more irritated. "Alright listen here you clow-" Whatever she was going to say was interrupted by loud banging on the door.
They all backed away from the door as the banging from it got louder and louder. The woman glared as them. "Now look at what've done!"
"Us!? We didn't do anything!" Mimi yelled back at her.
"Other then us breaking into a Castle." Piccolo responded.
"With the door being unlocked the whole time I don't know if that counts." Thoreau says.
The woman rolled her eyes. "Whatever! Just go to the upper floor over there." She pointed towards some of the doors that were up a few stairs. "With you gone up there I'll go to calm it down then it'll stop it's annoying barking and trying to break down the door."
They look at each other unsure. "You sure that you will be able to calm it down? I mean it did see us here." Nassie questioned.
"Do you have a better plan?" She asked.
They didn't really have one. "Not really but we do need that Pure Heart. Or did you not go outside to see the large hole in the sky?" Dimentio asked with a smirk.
"Yes,yes the Void or whatever it is called. If it would get you pests to leave!" The woman groaned. "I hate my job..." She muttered.
Dimentio and the others walk past the woman and ignoring the banging from the door. They wondered how such a big beast couldn't have broken down the door already but they couldn't worry about that now. Climbing up the steps they go into the first door nearest to the steps.
-...-
Entering the room looked like a small study with a red carpet in the middle and some bookselves holding different kinds of books. There was a wooden desk in the room with a book laid open on the desk. Dimentio heads towards the book to have a look at it.
But there were no words in it. It was completely blank.
Dimentio waved the others over to check out the book. "What? No words? That's strange." Mimi said looking at the book she then picks it up to get a better look.
"What could th-" Mimi could get out what she was going to say the carpet they were standing on opened up like some sort of trap door as Dimentio and Mimi fell through. The Pixls panic as they all floated down after them.
-...-
Mimi fell face first onto the hard brick ground as Dimentio gently floated down onto the ground. "I hate this place." Mimi muttered as she got back onto her feet.
"Why is a trap like that even in a study?!" Nassie questioned.
"SSS-POM! Didn't expect that! Is this Toadsworth a fan of traps or something?" Boomer questioned.
"I dunno but how are we going t-AAAHHH!" Piccolo was in the middle of saying before she started screaming. They looked to what Piccolo was screaming at to see creepy shadow like hands rise from the ground as they menacingly got closer to the others.
"Whoa! What kind of freaky things is Toadsworth keeping here?" Thoreau asked eyeing the creepy hands.
"It's pleanty creepy already. Ugh...Whatever they are...They make me feel uneasy..." Nassie said.
"Uneasy?" Mimi asked.
"Like the feeling coming off of whatever that is...We shouldn't touch them. At all. No matter what!" Nassie explains.
"Well if our dear Nassie is telling us to not touch whatever they are then we shall not touch it." Dimentio cheered.
"Well how do we deal with them?" Mimi asked walking backwards as the hands got closer to them.
"Try dealing with them with those rubees that you throw and Dimentio use your magic." Nassie said.
Dimentio and Mimi both nod as Mimi throws her rubees towards the creeping hands. And along side her Dimentio blasts his magic towards the hands as well. Once it hits them they fade away into the shadows.
"Glad they're gone." Nassie said.
Then the room shook and a pipe appeared behind them leading upwards. "At least we're not completely trapped." Dimentio said.
"But you can teleport."
"I couldn't teleport inside of this Castle. I most likely couldn't teleport out of the trap."
"Fair point."
They then leave the now empty room through the pipe.
-...-
"I'M GOING TO GIVE THAT WOMAN A PIECE OF MY MIND!" Mimi yelled storming out of the room with the others following behind her.
Mimi spotted the woman leaning against the wall with the door still banging.
"Oh. Why are you out?" The woman asked with her hand against her mouth but Dimentio could swear he heard a muffled laugh from her.
"Oh don't play dumb with us! You told us to go to one of those rooms so you can calm down that Growl thing! And it was a trap!" Mimi yelled but the woman looked unfazed by her.
"Oh right it was." She said with a slight smile.
"It must of slipped my mind."
Mimi's eye twitched at that answer. "Look here! Just show us where Toadsworth is and we'll leave since you want us gone so badly!"
"Right. Need Pure Heart or whatever it is. Don't know don't care. Maybe try the furthest door upstairs." She says.
"Fine." Mimi turned away walking to the furthest door upstairs with the others following her.
"I dunno about that woman. She seems a bit..." Nassie says trying to think of a word.
"Untrustworthy."
"Suspicious."
"Someone I want to strangle."
"Now calm down Mimi. You can do that later." Dimentio said with a smirk as they went up the stairs and walk towards the furthest door and go through it.
-...-
Entering through the door they come across a large room with a shining glass chandelier hanging from the ceiling there was also a piano in the middle of the room as well. It was a ballroom.
"Hmm no Toadsworth he-" Dimentio was saying but was interrupted by a shadowy hand reaching out from him through the walls.
Suddenly the walls then had shadowy creeping hands reaching out for them.
They all backed to the middle of the ballroom to avoid the hands but they kept reaching and reaching towards them.
"What now!?" Mimi yelled as one of the hands almost grabbed her but she smacked it with her rubee.
"Hmm." Thoreau looked over at the piano and looked under it. And sees a crack on the floor under it.
"Ah ha! Boomer! Boom time!" Thoreau yelled to his friend.
"BOOM?! YES! SSS-BOOM!" Boomer quickly flew under the piano and lit his fuse and with a loud explosion the crack was gone and the piano destroyed.
"NOOOO! THE PIANO!" Piccolo screamed.
"It was a necesarry sacrifice my dear Piccolo." Dimentio said as he grabbed her and jumped down the hole avoiding being grabbed by the creeping hands.
Mimi and the other Pixls followed behind him down the hole.
-...-
Jumping down the hole the Heroes arrive in a storage room with boxes and crates everywhere in the room.
"I hope we ditched those things." Mimi said.
"Oh that poor piano it was innocent..." Piccolo said if Pixls could cry she would be crying by now.
The Heroes investigate the storage room to see if they could find any trace of Toadsworth.
Thoreau found something being covered by some old fabric covers he pulls it off to reveal an old portrait. On the portrait was an Toad with brown spots on his mushroom. He wore a red vest and had a brown mustache. And next to him was a little girl. She has blonde hair on top of her head was a crown that looked a bit big for her but she didn't seem to mind and she wore a bright pink dress.
"Hey guys take a look at this!" Thoreau yelled.
Everyone walked over to Thoreau to see the old portrait.
"Huh is that the missing Princess?" Mimi asked.
"Most likely." Nassie said.
"Huh? Missing Princess?" Thoreau questioned.
"SSS-POM! Right you don't know Toadsworth lost this Princess he looks after which caused him to lock himself up in his Castle." Boomer answered.
"Oh..."
Then through out the storage room barks were heard. The Heroes looked a bit confused by the barks.
"Barks in here?" Piccolo asked.
"It's very musical." She chimed.
"I don't think that's the main issue Piccolo." Nassie said.
"But should we find out where those barks are coming from?" Mimi asked looking around the storage room.
"Eh we got all the time in the world." Dimentio answered.
"We really don't." Nassie said looking a bit annoyed.
In agreement everyone looked around to find out where the barks could be coming from.
Dimentio pushed some crates aside with the help of Thoreau and behind them trapped in a cage was dog like creatures similar to Gnaw but much smaller and instead of dark purple skin it had blue with dark purple spots and no spikes on their heads either. Three of them were trapped in the cage letting out barks and whimpers.
"Hey! Over here!" Thoreau yelled out.
They all went over to Dimentio and Thoreau to see the trapped creatures.
"Oh! Those are Gnips. They're also Toadsworth's guard dogs but...Who locked them up?" Nassie wondered.
"Well I have an idea." Mimi said.
"That woman or whats her face!"
"Most likely she lead us to a trap...Twice! SSS-POM! I don't trust her!" Boomer flapped his pixl wings.
"Well allow us free them then." Dimentio cheered as he noticed a bright blue key hanging on a hook above the cage. He picks it off the hook and puts it into the keyhole and turns the key.
The cage door falls down and the Gnips rush out of the cage and tackle Dimentio to the ground with happy barks. Dimentio blinks for a moment processing what just happened and slowly gets back up and pets one of the Gnips.
One of the Gnips barks near a door far off to the side in the room trying to open it and the other two Gnips follow the Gnip trying to open it as well.
"Oh let me get that for you." Thoreau said opening the door for them and the Gnips run through and up the steps.
"I guess we follow them?" Nassie suggested.
"BOOM! Yeah!" Boomer yelled following after the Gnips and the others follow after him.
-...-
Where the stairs lead was a trap door when they pushed it upwards they heard a scream.
"AAAHHH! STAY AWAY FROM ME YOU DUMB PESTS!"
They spot the Gnips barking and trying to bite the woman from earlier.
Mimi laughed. "Haha! Take that!"
"You what did you do! I locked up those beasts to keep them out of the wa-" With a final bang the doors fall down and Gnaw stands there growling at the woman.
"Y-You stand back!" She backed away slowly as the Gnaw growled at her.
The Gnaw growled and made chase as the woman ran in terror from the Gnaw.
"STAY AWAY FROM ME YOU PEST!" She said as she ran out of the room with Gnaw chasing after her.
"Heh seems like that Gnaw knows who to chase." Mimi smugly said.
The Gnips happily bark and started pushing the Heroes towards a wall. "Huh?"
One of the Gnips pushes on the wall and it the wall turns with the Gnip.
"A secret passage!" Nassie yelled in suprise.
Mimi smiled and gave the Gnip a pat on the head. "You're a good Gnip."
The others decided to give the other Gnips some pets as well or well the best Pixls could pet with any actual hands.
The Gnips now happily petted bark with joy and our Heroes waved goodbye to them as they pass through the secret passage hopefully they could find Toadsworth as they head deeper into the Castle.
-...-