Chapter 68: Desperation

5:30 P.M.

Castle?

Ike, Marth, Miru, Roy, along with Makato's siblings, finally arrived at the castle. Haru and Flora were awfully confused about what the castle now looked like just hours ago.

"It looks a little bit different than it used to. . . strange." Haru rubbed his invisible hair chin.

"It looks more like a labyrinth if you ask me," Miru spoke. Marth nodded his head along with Roy. Ike noticed the fine details of the castle looking like a maze on the outside. Just imagine how long it would take to get to the main part of the castle.

"He's making my job even harder than it already was." Ike glared at the twist and turns of the labyrinth.

"I didn't know you worked part-time, Ike," Roy said.

"The more you know. . ."

"So are we just gonna stand here or are we going to admire this ugly labyrinth?" Marth asked the group, slightly annoyed.

"Yes, we don't have time for that, let's continue," Flora said. Everyone followed her orders and walked up to the gates of the castle. Right in front of it showed a sign that said, Please grab the stamp card to proceed. Marth saw the stamps and noticed its number of stamp cards that were on the small brown table.

"Guys, there's only four. Only four of us can go." Marth looked amongst the group.

"Look! There's a condition at the bottom." Roy pointed below the sign that was next to the table. No Siblings Allowed.

"That coward!" Flora exploded hitting his fist on the table.

"Hah! Who cares! Let's just sneak in!" Haru grinned, as he slowly tiptoed his way to the entrance. "Tiptoeing in my- Ahhhhh!"

"What the?!" Ike and Marth exclaimed. Haru just fell into an unknown booby trap that sent him to who knows where. The booby trap closed by itself as if it wasn't there in the first place.

"Well, Mikoru really wants no siblings. . ." Miru said.

"That coward! He thinks he can keep us out?!" Flora clenched her fist so hard that mini sparks of lightning surrounded it. Everyone around Flora took two steps back away from her, just in case. "Why I outta-Kyaaaaa!" Flora fell into an unknown booby trap as well.

"Flora!" Roy and Miru exclaimed.

"She has such a high pitch scream!" Roy said.

"I did not see that coming. . ." Miru sighed sadly. There was now only four of them and the gate magically opened.

Ike grabbed a stamp card and led the group, "let's just get this over with! I don't have time for games!"

They all grabbed a stamp card and entered the Labyrinth. After a five minute walk into a long path, they stumbled upon two routes they must pick. The left side pointed MIKORU and the right side pointed MAKATO.

"So which side?" Roy asked the group.

"Mikoru." Miru said.

"Yes, I agree with that." Marth said.

"Are you guys really that dumb?" Ike glared at each and every soul they had in their hearts. All of them immediately had the chills right after. "Obviously, the Makato side! She's there!"

"Ike, baka! That side could be a trap!" Marth argued.

"Hey, Ike, where are you going?" Miru asked him. Ike went ahead of the three and entered the Makato side. Once he did, the Mikoru side was immediately locked with steel bars. Everyone was forced to follow Ike.

(oOoOoOo)

Marth, Roy, and Miru caught up with Ike. There was a question that kept them from moving forward. They would have to choose either A or B to continue their path. If the answer was wrong, there would be consequences.

"Question 1, what was Makato's most embarrassing moment?" Ike spoke the question out loud.

"Ooh! I love multiple choice!" Roy cheered. The group took the time to read the choices that were given to themselves. A: When Makato was drunk during the Five Day Knock Out Spell. B: When she couldn't tell the difference between a biscuit or a scone.

"Oh. . . I remember." Ike murmured.

"Hahaha! I remember that!" Marth laughed, referring to choice B.

"But, which is it?" Miru asked.

"The drunk one of course!" Marth said.

"Yea! Let's go with A everyone!" Roy said.

"Oi," Ike stopped the process of them having a stamp to the answer A. Ike showed his scary side and pointed the opposite answer. "The Answer is B."

"But-" Roy was caught off from Ike.

"It's B! No buts!"

In the end, everyone was forced to make their answers B by stamping their cards with B. They continued their journey for a couple of minutes and made to a stopping checkpoint that told them that was the wrong answer.

SORRY! The answer was A! Sacrifice one member.

"Yea, I saw that coming. . ." Marth murmured to himself.

"Sacrifice? If you ask me, it should be Ike. He's the one who thought B was the right answer!" Roy snapped.

Miru nodded his head slowly. "Yea. . . I agree. . ."

"Go on Ike!" Roy pointed to the door where the sacrifices were supposed to be discarded. "Take your punishment-"

Ike grabbed onto Roy's cape and swung him into the sacrifice door by force. Roy's body crashed through the door and he was never heard from again. Only his scream that was left of his existence.

"Roy!" Marth exclaimed.

"Uh. . ." Miru didn't want to say anything.

"Roy is the sacrifice. . . is there a problem?" Ike gave death glares to his fellow members. Miru and Marth eagerly shook their heads.

"Good, let's keep going. . ."

(oOoOoOo)

Forest

"After my demon rabbit is done braising, I'll check on the eyeball witch stew!" Kirby had his own meal plan to himself in the middle of the forest. There wasn't a demon in sight for Kirby had ate them all who stand in his way. Kirby jumped on a giant black pot that was supposed to be cooking his eyeball witch stew. Kirby used his hand thing to scoop a little bit of the stew for a taste. "Mmh! Mmh! Mmh! It's almost ready! I need to add something that would bring out that BURSTIN FLAVOR!"

Kirby hopped out from the pot and looked around the forest. He spotted a bush that had a faint golden glow behind the bushes. That caught Kirby's attention quickly, as he made his way to the bush. When Kirby arrived at the bush, he pushed the bushes aside to see a tall glowing woman that looked too good for this world.

"Ah! Perfect!" Kirby smiled brightly, "a goddess should do the trick! That golden flower on her head will bring the natural aroma of the eyeball witch stew!"

"Man, I can't find a Golden Flower Goddess anywhere. . ." Sonic sighed, walking in the forest. His eyes came upon a faint golden glow from the horizon and Sonic made his feet do the talking. Once he got to that mysterious golden glow, he noticed Kirby was there. And Sonic was just in time before Kirby could dump her into his nasty looking stew.

"Kirby! I knew you were stupid, but that's taking it way too far!" Sonic jumped in the air and kicked Kirby before the Golden Flower Goddess became an ingredient. Sonic grabbed the GFG just in time and placed her on the ground. She seemed to be sleeping. . .

"You almost turned the Golden Flower Goddess into a seasoning!"

"What do you think I was trying to do?!" Kirby shouted angrily. "Now I can't have that holy flavor I always wanted!"

Sonic sighed and turned his attention at the GFG. "So where's the switch button?"

Kirby peeked behind and pointed to her giant flower on her forehead.

"That could be it. . ." Sonic tried pressing the button that somehow triggered the GFG to burst into a full golden light with flowers surrounding her presence.

"It worked! Whoa!" Sonic exclaimed.

"I AM THE GOLDEN FLOWER GODDESS, THE ONE WHO CAN DESTROY ALL EVIL." The GFG spoke with a deep yet ladylike voice.

(oOoOoOo)

Labyrinth

Each question was considered a checkpoint. Only misleading traps and twisty paths lead their ways. Marth, Ike, and Miru finally made it to question number two.

"UGH. Finally, we're here. What's the next question?" Marth said as the three of them stared at the board with the question written on it.

Question 2: What animal was Miru before he was a human? A: A fluffy blue cat. B: A fluffy small bird.

"Ah! I know this one, I swear!" Miru excitedly raised his hand. "I was a fluffy small bird!"

"Well that question was easy, let's stamp our cards to answer B," Marth said.

"Hey." Ike coldly interrupted their sweet talk. "Don't you remember? When Miru first came here, he was a cat."

"Huh?" Miru was in the process of stamping his card.

"Ike, what are you saying? He was clearly a bird!" Marth said. Marth paused his thoughts for a second while staring at the somewhat angry mercenary. His suspicion grew.

'Wait a second, since we've entered the labyrinth, Ike has been acting strangely. . . Wait, is he doing it on purpose?'

"Stop it. Enough! This isn't funny anymore! I know that you know the right answers!" Marth said.

"That's why I'm saying Miru was a cat before he turned human," Ike responded with a smirk.

"Um. . ." Miru interrupted their conversations. "Maybe Ike was right. I think I was a cat. My memory must be off." Miru didn't want to see them fight at the time they were on right now.

"See, even Miru knows he was a cat. Let's go." Ike stamped his card to A and they all went to the door A.

Wrong! The Answer was B! Sacrifice one member!

'I knew it. . .' Marth sighed mentally.

"Ahehehe. . . If it can't be helped. . ." Ike face Marth evilly. Marth sweat dropped and backed away from Ike.

"Um. . . why are you staring at me like that?" Marth asked. "Wait, are you making me the sacrifice?! Wait! Don't do this!" Marth had his back against a wall. He had nowhere to run nowhere to hide. Ike cracked his knuckles as he looked down upon his so-called, friend.

"Think about Makato. Every sacrifice is needed. . ." Ike replied.

Miru closed his eyes and thee screams from Marth came in like a bomb. The noise quieted down and Miru opened his eyes. "I think I'm next. . ." Miru murmured.

"Let's go, Miru. You're gonna have to help me with the questions. . ." Ike walked ahead of Miru. Miru watched his back and nodded slightly to himself.

Since then, Ike and Miru were getting the right answers. The more answers they got correct, the closer they become to their wanting path.

"This must be the last one. . ." Miru stared at the number 100 that appeared for another multiple choice.

"Thanks for the help," Ike said.

"No prob-" Miru was then knocked out from Ike's butt of the sword to the back of the neck. Miru collapsed and Ike continued to answer the question by himself.

"Sorry, man. You'll just get in my way. . . I gotta make it look like I was the only one who cared for her. . ."

Question 100: What is Makato's second favorite food? A: Cinnamon Rolls? B: Cinnamon Buns? C: Cinnabon's Cinnamon Rolls?

'How am I supposed to know?! Damnit! I just had to knock out Miru at such a bad time!' Ike hated himself for doing so. Now he was stuck on the last question. Ike calmed himself and eyed each of the given answers. "I'd hate to do this. . . but I have no other choice. . ." Ike grabbed his sword and was about to do his Final Smash against all of the selected doors.

"GREAT-!"

Seconds Later. . .

"Yes, I did it." Ike smiled to himself, walking into the correct path. A sign pointed at the direction that Ike was going to written, MAKATO.

"Makato! I'm coming for you!" Ike hurried his steps and ended up jogging to the door that Makato was in. He made it to the door and opened it wide to see Makato's pink buns and long hair facing him. Her dress was a long white gown that covered her feet as she stood there facing the window. Ike walked up to her as he ran his hand through his hair for his hard work. "Heh, the moment of truth. . ." He slowly walked up to her with his sword on his shoulder, acting like the hero he was before and placed his right hand on her shoulder. "Makato, I'm here to rescue you-"

"BLEEP BLOP," Makato responded like a piece of technology.

"I know, you're out of words, right?" Ike smirked and spun her around. Ike's smile went from 100 to 0 real quick. "What the hell?"

"SoRrY, YoU'Re PRincEeSs iS iN AnOtHeR CAstLE." The mechanic Makato responded. Her mouth showed the words SELF-DESTRUCT. Ike knew there wasn't a point escaping the five-second countdown and sighed as he scratched his hair.

"Well. . . shit-"

(oOoOoOo)

Mikoru heard explosions from the other side of the castle. "I'm assuming those idiots fell for the Makato Route. Hahaha! Now, they're gonna start all over! Hahahaha!"

Ike was now outside of the labyrinth. The same place where he started with the others before he betrayed them.

"Ugh, I really don't want to start all over. I doubt she's even in there. . ." Ike sighed and kicked a nearby pebble.

"Need a hand?"

Ike recognized the voice immediately and turned his head around to see Sonic and Kirby with a mythical being behind him.

"Oh, Sonic and hellspawn. . ." The mercenary looked up to see the giant woman staring at him. "What's that?"

"The Golden Flower Goddess," Sonic said. "We can use her and defeat Mikoru for good."

"About that. . ." Ike shook his head and patted Sonic's back. "Mikoru's not here. I've been into the castle already. He fooled us all."

"Wait, what do you mean he's not here? Speaking about here, where are the others?" Sonic remember the others following along.

"I got. . . No clue. . ." Ike trailed and shook his head.

"Bummer. . ."

"Yea, we got separated so. . ." Ike came up with a lie within a lie. Kirby shrugged and burped from his leftover meal.

"You guys can keep searching somewhere else. Look for Mikoru. I'm going to look for the others. . ." Ike said.

"Um, okay. Let's go, Kirby." Sonic turned the other way while Kirby followed. The GFG stood there with wide eyes.

"I SENSE EVIL HERE." The Golden Flower Goddess spoke. She pointed at the labyrinth to the top of the castle.

"But Mikoru's not there, Goddess." Ike glared at her and she immediately zipped her mouth shut.

"That's right, know your place. . ." Ike shooed the goddess away so he continued his plan. "Mikoru will die by my hands. Not some dumb goddess or friends to help me."

(oOoOoOo)

"We're here, darling. Out of the forest." The witch said. Makato got out of her back and thanked her. Before she could even walk away, the tall woman placed her hand on her shoulder to keep her from leaving. "Now, I do recall you promising me an angel. . . hmm?"

"The villagers! There are monsters here too?!" Makato cried. She turned to the witch and hugged her tightly. "Please save the villagers!"

"You're begging me to do your dirty work?"

"I don't know how to fight. . ." Makato said with a frown.

The witch pointed her blue guns at incoming monsters. "Whatever, I better get my angel after this! Also, stay close if you don't want to die." The witch jumped into the sky and began her fighting which looked like a dance. Makato was amazed from her sight.

"Whoa. . . when she fights, it looks likes she's dancing. She reminds me of Sonic and Snake combined. . ."