Chapter 6: Three Days of Excess
Part 9: Sarah Picks a Side
(Day 3: Morning)
Edd awoke on the floor of Cabin 001 with a groan, yawn, and stretch. He crossed to the window and squinted at the light coming in through the window from the sun rising over the horizon.
Oh, dear, he thought to himself. I've slept in – again! I must have dozed off whilst searching for any possible remedy for Vivian's state. So far, all I found was a golden needle, but what good would that do?
Edd took a pause as he realized where he was. The petrified form of Vivian lay on the bed, just as Edd had left her the previous night.
No, this is no time to be dawdling, he thought to himself. I cannot give up just yet – I refuse to believe it is impossible to reverse Vivian's condition. Courage, Eddward.
Edd slowly climbed to his feet, and had just barely began brushing any dirt and/or dust off of his clothing when the door suddenly burst open, startling him. It was Kevin, and he was in a panic – the first time since Eddy launched his "booster shot day" scam at Peach Creek Junior High School to exploit the jock's belonephobia (fear of sharp objects), which was only foiled by Edd himself revealing that there were no scheduled inoculations that day. In his panic, he had failed to notice the laces on one of his shoes was coming undone.
"Double-Dork?! Man, am I glad to see you! Which is something I NEVER thought I'd end up sayin'," said Kevin.
"Beg pardon, Kevin?" asked Edd, confused.
"I thought I was one of the last ones left!" explained Kevin, with a very uncharacteristically worried tone in his voice. "Nazz is gone! And that turtle dork Koops, too! Oh, and that dino-kid as well! Heck, even the train's entire staff is gone!"
"Bohemian!" shouted Edd, with a mix of terror and aggravation. "Why, oh, why does this situation continue to escalate to such exponential degrees?! First we receive a 'sticky, yummy' threat, then Doopliss is unmasked as the perpetrator whilst assuming the alias of a well-known celebrity in this world, then Jimmy disappears, and more recently, Vivian has turned up petrified! And just when I thought our locomotive excursion could not have gone any worse!"
"Well, if it helps any, I did find the squirts," said Kevin, cueing the appearance of Jimmy and Sarah/Bridgette by the door; Jimmy himself was clutching Plank in his hands, with the piece of wood now bearing a worried expression.
"Don't ever call me a squirt," grumbled Sarah/Bridgette.
"To my understanding, today is the third and final day of our excursion," stated Edd. "Today is the day in which we are supposed to procure the penultimate Crystal Star. And yet, a distressing pattern has yet again emerged. Whenever we solve one crisis, another one – more devastating than its predecessor - takes its place!"
"Well, let's not explode into a full-on panic just yet," said Kevin. "Let's check the control room and see if the engineer's still there. If not, then we can explode into a full-on panic."
"I concur," stated Edd. He reached down and picked up Vivian's petrified form.
"You're takin' her with ya?" asked Kevin.
"Of course, Kevin," replied Edd. "I refuse to abandon her, what with the locomotive staff and passengers – among them our dear comrades – having disappeared."
This statement struck a chord with Jimmy, as he turned to look at Sarah/Bridgette, who was currently tapping her foot impatiently. And I can't leave Sarah, either… I know my Sarah has got to be in there somewhere. I just KNOW it.
The young group made their way to the door of the cabin when Jimmy turned to face them.
"Excuse me," he said. "Do you mind if I check something real fast?"
"Of course, Jimmy, but make haste and exercise strict caution," said Edd. "We certainly do not need to face any further mishaps."
With a nod, Jimmy darted off and made his way to Cabin 004, where he found Ghost T. "sitting" on the bed.
"Oh, you again kiddo?" said the ghostly Toad. "What is it this time?"
"I needed to talk to you," said Jimmy. "Something really freaky is happening!"
"Yeah, I noticed," said Ghost T. somewhat dryly. "I mean, someone or something tried to up and snatch me just last night! But hey, I'm a ghost. Intangible. So they couldn't take me, no sirree Bob."
"Who was it? Or, who were they?" asked Jimmy.
"Well, I don't know. It was pitch-black, so I couldn't see anything," remarked Ghost T.
"This is just so bad… So much is going on, and I still have a bad feeling about Sarah," lamented Jimmy. "It's bad enough she doesn't remember anything, but she just… isn't herself. She refuses to talk to us, except to yell or insult us, and the more I think about it, the more I think there's something other than amnesia that's responsible for her face-heel turn."
"Like what?" inquired Ghost T.
"I don't know," replied Jimmy.
"Whatever it is, though, don't give up on her just yet," said Ghost T. "She's probably just lost in there somewhere. But you know the saying about being lost – eventually she'll find her way back."
This statement seemed to reassure Jimmy slightly, though not completely.
"Thanks, I guess," said Jimmy. "I guess I just really needed to talk it out with someone."
"Eh, glad I could help," said Ghost T. "Now, um… you'll be headed to that Poshley Heights place pretty soon, right? Shouldn't you head back and start packing for when you get off the train?"
"I can't right now," said Jimmy. "I'm still too unhappy."
Jimmy morosely sat down onto the bed and pulled out the two torn halves of his Ace of Hearts card.
"What's that you've got there?" asked Ghost T.
"A card," said Jimmy. "Ace of Hearts."
"Looks like someone ripped it in half," noted Ghost T. "What's the story behind it?"
"It was part of a pair," explained Jimmy. "I was able to get a ticket to this train by playing a game of poker and winning in the top seven with a pair of aces, one of which was this Ace of Hearts. I figured I'd keep this one with me, hoping it would bring me good fortune. But the fortune I have been getting is anything but."
"Yeah, I'll say," remarked Ghost T.
The somber mood was broken when Jimmy noticed that the room had suddenly gone dark.
"Um… is there a solar eclipse, or did you close the shades while I was talking?" he inquired.
"Uh, kid…" said Ghost T. "There's no eclipse, and the shades are open."
Jimmy and the ghostly Toad looked toward the cabin's window… and discovered an enormous cluster of Smorgs right outside.
"JUMPIN' JEHOSHOPHAT!" Jimmy screamed. "THEY TURNED OUT THE SUN!"
"What ARE those things?!" asked Ghost T.
"Those are Smorgs!" said Jimmy. "We saw 'em back at the station!"
"Then how'd they get all the way here?!" asked Ghost T. "Did they stow away or something?"
"I gotta warn the others!" exclaimed Jimmy. "Wait here; it should be safe for even a little while!"
With that, Jimmy made to rush out of the room, accidentally faceplanting into the door.
"…owie," he groaned, as Ghost T. rolled his eyes at the sight.
Jimmy peeled himself off of the cabin door and shook his head before opening the door and madly dashing out of the cabin, slamming the door behind him.
"Eh, what are these things gonna do to me? I'm intangible," mused Ghost T. nonchalantly. He "sat down" onto the bed as the Smorgs began to strike the window attempting to break in.
Out in the hall, Jimmy was almost immediately greeted by Sarah/Bridgette, Kevin, and Edd, who now had Vivian's statue strapped to his back and was carrying Plank in his left hand.
"GUYS! IT'S THE SMORGS!" the pale boy screamed.
"Yes, we know, Jimmy! We've seen for ourselves!" noted Edd. "We must locate the remaining passengers and staff!"
"But we don't know where they could be!" said Jimmy.
"Maybe they're tryin' to deal with these… things!" said Kevin.
"Oh, my! Well, then, time is of the essence! Let us locate them immediately!" said Edd, referring to the passengers and crew.
Wasting no time, the group of Peach-Creekers made their way to the rear of the train and arrived at the storeroom. Edd opened the door and immediately the group found themselves faced with a horde of Smorgs.
"GOOD LORD!" yelled Edd.
"MERCIFUL GOLLY-JEEPERS!" screamed Jimmy. "THEY BROKE IN! WHAT DO WE DO?!"
"WHAT ELSE, FLUFFY?!" Kevin shouted back. "WE PUSH 'EM BACK OUT!"
Kevin whipped out his bike wrench and charged toward the Smorg swarm.
"Kevin! Are you mad?!" called Edd.
Ignoring Edd's shout, Kevin slammed his bike wrench down, aiming toward the Smorgs – who responded by jumping out of the way. One Smorg, however, spotted Kevin's loosening shoelace and, seizing the chance, bit down and pulled back, sending Kevin tumbling to the floor.
"KEVIN!" screamed Edd and Jimmy.
Kevin tried to climb to his feet, only to discover he was immobilized by the Smorgs, who pulled him backwards, intending to absorb him into their swarm. Unable to wriggle free despite his best efforts, Kevin flailed his arms in an attempt to grab something. He eventually succeeded – unfortunately, it was Sarah/Bridgette's foot.
"Let go of m-EEK!"
Sarah/Bridgette fell to the ground as well, dragged by Kevin as the Smorg swarm continued to absorb him. Despite her cartoonish level of strength, she found herself unable to free herself from the now-completely-submerged Kevin's desperate grip, and could only shout as the Smorgs began to absorb her as well.
"SARAH!" yelled Jimmy.
"GET ME OUTTA HERE!" screamed Sarah/Bridgette.
Jimmy darted forward and reached out to her, and just barely managed to grasp her hand.
"PUSH WHILE I PULL, SARAH!" yelled Jimmy.
Only Sarah/Bridgette's head and arm were visible by this point; however, Jimmy refused to release his grip on her.
"NO!" screamed Edd.
In his own desperation, the sock-hatted boy dropped Plank onto the floor and grabbed Jimmy's other hand.
"Hold on, Jimmy!" yelled Edd.
Sarah/Bridgette emitted one last troubled squeak as she was absorbed into the swarm; Jimmy, still clutching her hand, was the next, and despite Edd's efforts, Jimmy was quickly consumed by the swarm.
It was no use. Despite all his best efforts to free his comrades, Edd knew there was no possible way to accomplish this. Like with Sarah/Bridgette, Jimmy was determined not to release his grip. The Smorgs quickly ripped Vivian's petrified form off of Edd's back and absorbed her. Finally having exhausted his own strength, Edd finally caved and allowed himself and Plank to be consumed by the monster horde…
XXX000XXX000XXX
Edd felt the push of a strong wind as he slowly regained consciousness. The Smorgs had deposited him onto his stomach, his face tilted to the side, and the feel of a smooth, yet hot, metallic surface. As he opened his eyes, he caught sight of the mountains in the distance amid the desert scenery, all appearing to be moving at a hundred-plus miles per hour as the train sped along the tracks. With this sight, it registered within a matter of seconds that Edd was no longer inside the comforting walls of the train; he was now on the roof! After a gasp of shock, Edd, hoping to avoid doing anything foolish, slowly rose to his feet, battling the wind gusting in his direction; his hat and clothes danced in the gale. As he caught sight of Jimmy, Kevin, and Sarah/Bridgette, they began to stir as well... just in time for Edd to discover the Smorg horde in front of them, now in a "tower" formation.
"Good heavens!" exclaimed Edd.
Following Edd's gaze, the three Peach Creekers turned to find the Smorgs waiting for them. Inside the tower…
"DAD!"
"Eduardo?!" exclaimed Edd.
"GET US OUTTA HERE!" came the voice of Eduardo Junior.
"Does this mean I won't get that promotion?!" came the voice of Ratooey.
"LITTLE BUDDY?! THAT YOU?" came the voice of Koops.
"I deduce that this is a most unfortunate wrinkle!" came the voice of Pennington.
It was a horrible sight. The hostages taken by the Smorgs, all screaming for assistance as they struggled against the Smorgs; some Edd knew, others he had recently befriended.
"Oh, dear, this is truly a horrifying debacle!" exclaimed Edd. "But- where is Vivian?"
"And where's Nazz?" asked Kevin.
"We're up heeeeere," came what sounded like the voice of Nazz, in a taunting, sing-song voice.
Edd and his friends all looked up, and saw a discovery most shocking – Nazz was standing atop the Smorg tower, holding Vivian's petrified form as a ransom.
"What the- Nazz?!" asked Kevin. "How'd you get up there?"
"Nazz?" replied Nazz. "Really, now, what kind of a name is that? I can't imagine going through life with such an embarrassing name."
"Say what now?" said Kevin. "Nazz, you've been actin' real weird these past few days!"
"Oh, no no no no NO, dear," said Nazz, her voice now distorted.
'Wait a minute!" piped up Jimmy. "Nazz doesn't have blue eyes!"
"Goodness, you're correct, Jimmy!" said Edd. "And she's quite averse to contact lenses, as well!"
"I'd ask if you little brats could be any more gullible, but you'd probably take that as a challenge," laughed Nazz. "Oh, fine, I'll give you the rundown. After all, I can give you at least that since you took the trouble. For starters, I AM NOT NAZZ."
"Not Nazz?!" exclaimed Jimmy.
"An imposter right under our noses!" spat Edd.
"Ah… Eddward, was it?" laughed 'Nazz.' "I remember YOU. How long has it been since we last met? Boggly Woods, if I'm correct."
"Boggly Woods?" inquired Edd.
"Ugh, you brats are slow," groaned 'Nazz.' "Perhaps this will trigger a clue: Mwee-hee-hee-hee-hee!"
"That shrill cackle!" exclaimed Edd, as he realized who was speaking to him. "BELDAM!"
"Correct, dearie!" cackled Nazz/Beldam, in a blend of both voices. "'Tis I, Beldam, leader of the Shadow Sirens! 'Twas I who had been possessing your dear Nazz, all to sabotage your adventure and keep you from claiming the final Crystal Stars. And I must say, it worked…"
Nazz/Beldam reached into Nazz's shirt and revealed a hidden piece of jewelry: an ornate amulet with a chain of golden beads and a blood-red medallion hanging from it.
"…like a CHARM!"
"Is that-?" began Edd.
"Lovely, isn't it?" laughed Beldam. "And quite useful, I might add."
"You foul, loathsome witch!" Edd shouted.
"Why, thank you," laughed Beldam.
"You just could not resist stirring chaos and causing extreme pain, could you?" Edd shouted, enraged.
"What can I say? It gets me off," laughed Beldam.
"Why, you… YOU ARE ROTTEN DOWN TO YOUR FROZEN, DEVILISH CORE!" Edd screamed, now fully enraged.
Indeed, neither Jimmy nor Kevin had ever before seen the normally kindhearted and gentle Edd in such a volume of rage; Kevin, however, was beginning to agree with Edd.
"I DEMAND YOU RELEASE VIVIAN AND RESTORE HER ORIGINAL STATE THIS INSTANT!" Edd screamed, readying his rod.
"YEAH! And while you're at it, give us back Nazz, too!" demanded Kevin, readying his wrench.
"Aww, do you little humans want to play hero and save your precious girlfriends?!" Beldam taunted. "Now, now, let's not be hasty. There's some unfinished business that needs attending to first. Perhaps you've surmised, I didn't act alone. Using your dear friend's body as my host, I recruited some… assistance for my cause. Of course, Doopliss got sloppy and allowed himself to be unmasked. But he wasn't my only apprentice in this endeavor."
Looking in Sarah/Bridgette's direction, Beldam then commanded, "WAITRESS! It's time to take my orders! Come!"
"Ha ha, yes!" exclaimed Sarah. She approached the Smorg tower and turned to face her shocked former acquaintances with a sneer."
"S-Sarah?" stammered Jimmy, heartbroken, tears forming in his eyes. "You mean-?"
"Yup!" she responded proudly.
"She's been on MY side all along, twerp," bragged Beldam. "Carrying out MY orders. I shouldn't be surprised you hadn't noticed."
"Two-faced traitor!" snapped Kevin, pointing his accusing finger at Sarah/Bridgette.
"Yeah, it was my own little way of gettin' back at ya 'cuz ya wouldn't stop DRIVING ME CRAZY!" snapped Sarah, a sneer forming on her face as she crossed her arms.
"Sarah… please tell me it's not true…" said Jimmy.
"I bet you'd like it that way, wouldn't ya?" taunted Sarah.
Jimmy's heartbreak quickly transitioned to anger and fury. Screaming at the top of his lungs, he whipped out his Super Hammer and charged toward the cluster of Smorgs, only to be forced to stop and shield himself against the mighty wind.
"A little hasty, are we?" taunted Beldam, contorting Nazz's face into a sinister grin. "So rude; I haven't finished yet."
"You release these innocent persons immediately!" Edd snapped. "They have absolutely nothing to do with your plans!"
"Perhaps, but they only have themselves to blame for being in the wrong place at the wrong time," retorted Beldam. "Although I must say, your resolve, however futile, is rather… admirable. Tell you what, I'm feeling generous. What say you to a little wager?"
"A wager, hm?" said Edd. "Very well, then. If my comrades and I emerge victorious, then you are to release the hostages, leave Nazz's body, and restore Vivian to her original state."
"And if you should fail, then you and your pathetic little friends shall join Vivian as stone statues forever lost to the desert sands," countered Beldam.
Edd pointed his finger at the cluster of Smorgs, ready to cast the first spell that came to mind.
"NO!" shouted Kevin. "No way, man! You light 'em up, and they'll all burn to death!"
"Then what do you suggest, Kevin?" yelled Edd in response.
"What else? Hand-to-hand combat!" said Kevin.
"Very well, then!" said Edd. "We shall fight hand to hand!"
Kevin belted out a war cry and slammed his wrench at the Smorgs. They began to back away, but at too small a pace to be sufficient.
"Kevin! I have an idea!" said Edd.
"Make it fast, Double-D!" said Kevin, who was still whacking at the Smorgs.
"Turn around, quickly!" said Edd.
Kevin turned around and saw Edd charging in his direction, his open hand outstretched and his gaze focused on Nazz/Beldam atop the cluster. Taking the hint, Kevin reached out his free hand and grabbed Edd's outstretched hand, and with a shout, spun the sock-hatted genius around. Edd let out a battle cry of his own as Kevin spun him around; the sock-hatted boy then kicked into the air, making impact with the Smorg tower, knocking over a large chunk; the loose Smorgs flew past him off the side of the train, squeaking all the way. Kevin then sent Edd back onto the train roof, and Edd readied his rod once more. The nerd and the jock shared a knowing, determined nod and charged at the Smorgs, swinging their makeshift weapons. Some of the Smorgs attempted to grab the boys, only to be swept aside by the rod and wrench. As Edd and Kevin continued their onslaught, Jimmy was faced with his own challenge; a rematch with Sarah.
"And now, to you, twerp," she sneered. "You gonna hit me or what? Oh, that's right – Mommy told you never to hit girls. Oh, boo-stinkin'-hoo. You scared or something? Is Baby gonna cry? Does Baby want his binky?"
"No, no, and NO!" yelled Jimmy as he readied his hammer, the fury pushing through his tears blowing in the wind.
Jimmy swung the hammer at Sarah, but she dodged at the last second and grabbed him, forcing him toward the edge of the roof as he struggled. The pale boy allowed the adrenaline to flow through his small body enough to summon the strength to finally throw Sarah off of him and onto the metal roof. Sarah climbed to her feet and balled her hands into fists as she struck a fighting stance; Jimmy quickly reciprocated.
"Hah, yeah, I'd love to see ya try, twerp," chuckled Sarah.
However, her overconfidence quickly cost her a move, as she had barely finished her taunt when Jimmy charged forward and grabbed her.
"WHERE'S MY SARAH?!" he shouted as she struggled. "I WANT SARAH! I MISS SARAH! GIVE HER BACK!"
At this, Sarah seized an opportunity and kicked Jimmy in the stomach area, causing him to double over in pain. "Owie!"
"Oh, just give it up already!" she snapped.
Jimmy looked up at her; her hair was significantly messed up from the fight, and the wind blew her hair over her eyes, leaving only her smirk visible.
"No way, traitor!" Jimmy retorted.
Sarah growled and grabbed Jimmy once again; the pale boy's rage had reached a point where he was ready to explode, as Edd had just done mere minutes earlier. At last, Jimmy finally snapped and experienced another adrenaline rush; summoning immense strength he didn't know he had, he forced Sarah off of him and down to the ground, pinning her down face-first.
"LOOK AT YOURSELF, SARAH!" Jimmy screamed, his anger once again mixing with anguish and heartbreak. "SEE WITH YOUR OWN EYES THE MONSTER YOU'VE BECOME!"
Suddenly immobilized by Jimmy's grappling hold, Sarah gazed at her reflection on the polished surface of the train's roof. As she stared, her rage quickly dissolved into sadness and guilt, tears forming in her eyes as the reality of her situation began to set in. These train workers, from the conductor, to the engineer, to Dot T., to Chef Shimi, they were her de-facto family… They had taken her in after finding her unconscious in Cabin 004… they gave her room, board, and steady part-time work, despite her young age… and now, thanks in part to her misguided machinations, they were struggling to survive after being absorbed by a monster, atop the very train she had come to view as her home and swore to protect as such… No… what have I done?
Edd, for his part, decided it was time to confront Beldam directly. And there was only one way to do this…
"Kevin! I require altitude, please!" called Edd.
Taking the hint, Kevin nodded in agreement – at this point, it didn't matter who would be the one to save Nazz; and plus, he still needed to atone for leaving Eddy for dead at sea. Kevin placed his hands on the metal roof, palms up, while Edd mustered a leap forward in Kevin's direction. Right on cue, Kevin caught him and flung him upwards, where he landed atop the Smorg tower and came face-to-Nazz's-face with Beldam.
"Persistent, aren't we?" mused the icy Siren. "We would seem to have that in common."
Edd despised that shrill voice. While she may have resembled Nazz on the outside, inside of her currently resided naught but the pure evil he hated the most. With a shout, Edd took his rod and slammed it on Nazz/Beldam's head, after which he took note of the jewelry around Nazz's neck.
"That's the Charm of Life!" he exclaimed. "So THAT'S how you're doing this!"
"Ah, quick on the uptake, for once," laughed Beldam. "Yup, I can possess anyone who wears this charm, on and off. And yes, I am the bearer of this ancient talisman, far superior than even the Eye of Wisdom."
"Oh, is that so?" Edd clapped back, pulling his hat backwards to reveal the Eye of Wisdom on his forehead. Stepping backwards to allow himself some distance between himself and Beldam, Edd then stretched out both arms toward her.
"Take this!" he shouted. "INCINERATE!"
The power of flame welled up quickly inside Edd, magnified by his talisman. His own two eyes glowed a bright reddish-orange, as they, his arms, and even the Eye of Wisdom all released an intense burst of fire aimed directly for Beldam, who growled defiantly...
KABOOOOOOOM!
Kevin was suddenly knocked off his feet as he, Jimmy, and Sarah all looked up to see an explosion of fire atop the Smorg tower. Edd, knocked backwards, surprisingly landed feet-first on the metal roof of the train, while Nazz landed unconscious nearby, the Charm of Life still dangled; the force of the explosion managed to dislodge Beldam from Nazz's body completely, leaving the blue-hatted Siren open for attack.
"Die, you fork-tongued witch!" shouted Kevin.
The shovel-chinned jock rushed Beldam; unfortunately, the Siren had anticipated this and threw him onto the surface of the roof, pointing her index finger at him as though ready to cast a spell to execute him.
"There's only one way to end this now," came the sudden voice of Sarah. "Lemme at 'em!"
Sarah broke free from Jimmy's grappling hold and charged toward the now-unguarded Smorg tower, delivering a swift kick to the base. The Smorg tower fell to pieces, as the passengers, train staff, and remainder of Edd's group became visible. The Smorgs crashed onto the roof and scattered upon impact.
Beldam seized this opportunity to make her escape; amid the commotion, she reached down and ripped the Charm of Life from Nazz's neck.
"Thank you, dear," she sneered. "I couldn't have done this without you."
"Not so fast!" shouted Sarah.
Beldam looked up and saw the Peach Creek kids advancing on her; she nonetheless maintained her sinister sneer.
"Who are YOU, you old hag?!" demanded Sarah.
"How dare you- is that any way to speak to your master?" snapped Beldam.
"Master?!" snapped Sarah incredulously.
"Dearie, all that time you thought you were talking to Nazz, you were actually talking to ME, Beldam of the Shadow Sirens," stated Beldam. "You proved to be quite useful, too… even more so than Doopliss."
"You… you… YOU TRICKED ME!" shouted Sarah, tears forming in her eyes once again. "How am I supposed to face my friends now?!"
"Of all the unconscionable, abhorrent, dishonest, false-hearted…" began Edd, who was just too angry to finish the thought. "Accept your loss, Beldam, and honor your end of the deal."
"Not bad," sneered Beldam. Then, lowering the volume of her voice, she whispered, "I expected nothing less from the bearer of the Eye of Wisdom. Lord Grodus will be pleased to hear his suspicions of the hero's identity have been confirmed. Now I have more pressing matters to attend to. Until we meet again… Hero of Legend."
With this, Beldam, clutching the Charm of Life in her hand, tilted herself to the side and tumbled off the roof of the train. Edd rushed over and gazed down at the desert scenery rapidly passing by; but he saw no trace of the ice-cold Siren.
Several groans and sighs of relief could be heard from the now-freed hostages. Kevin rushed to the unconscious Nazz's side, while Eduardo Junior jumped into Edd's arms and Koops pulled Jimmy into a bro-hug, all as expressions of thankfulness for their rescue, all as a shell-shocked and guilt-ridden Sarah stared off in the distance, crying. While embracing his Yoshi-child, Edd remained fixated on Vivian's petrified form.
I don't understand, he thought to himself. We have defeated Beldam in combat, and as per the terms of our agreement, she was to restore Vivian to her original state. Perhaps I should have expected as such. Beldam is not the honorable type. Oh, Vivian, please… I beg of you, please come back to me…
Suddenly, Vivian's statue shook, the grayness of the stone dissolving to restore her original coloring, and her pink hair flowing in the wind as she returned to life.
"…urggghhh…" she groaned.
"Vivian!" Edd exclaimed. "You've returned to us!"
Vivian began to cry as well. "Oh… it was horrible… Beldam, she-"
"I know," said Edd, pulling her into his and Junior's shared comforting embrace. "Everything will be okay…"
As Edd comforted Vivian and Junior, he could make out the ritzy establishment of Poshley Heights in the distance.
"We will be arriving at our intended destination of Poshley Heights shortly now," he reassured them.
Jimmy, meanwhile, approached Sarah, hoping to offer her some comfort and dissolution of guilt.
"…Sarah?" he said meekly.
"Just… don't, don't look at me," Sarah sobbed.
Jimmy hesitated for a bit, before trying again. "Sarah-"
"DON'T LOOK AT ME!" Sarah screamed.
She ran off past Edd's group and the train's passengers and crew and re-entered the train through the sunroof in the storeroom, bawling all the way, unable to face her locomotive family after all that she had done…
End of Part Nine