Only Zeth was on the roof, and he was bonded to it with dark chains. He looked sad, and watched Olly's group come up the stairs.

"About time...We were wondering when you would finally show up...It's too late, you're out of time..."

"No, we're not." Olly held out the noodles. "Here, I made this for-"

Zeth smacked it out of his hand. "We're not hungry, Olly...You should have come sooner...Now your friend is gone, lost to the darkness forever..."

Antasma found a good little overhang and hung off it so he could sleep.

"I think we should leave him alone until nightfall," Olivia said. "Why's he sleeping right now anyways? Why not wait until nighttime?"

Olly smiled at her. "He's a bat, and they're nocturnal. And based off how dark that room the villains were trapped in was, I'm going to assume he hasn't been able to sleep for a while." He looked back to Zeth, and picked up the container. "Zeth, you should try."

"Zeth...?" He asked. "Now you're giving us unreasonable names? You really don't care for Olive..."

"What, no! I care about Olive, and that's why I'm trying to make you remember. You have to!" Olly opened it. "Come on, Zeth. Try. Don't be like you are. You have to recognize this, right? Your mothers made this for you all the time! It was your favorite! Remember Darethend? He-he forced you to torture people! You found out you could steal their magic a-and you went crazy because of the negativity you were forced to take in!"

Olivia could tell Olly was on the brink of crying. "Olly..."

"Y-you have to remember something! You wanted me to help, and now you're just telling me to give up? I know Olive is still in there, and I know Zeth is too! Please, you have to know something!"

"We devour pure hearts...W...why pure?"

Olly calmed down a bit. "Zeth...? Are you okay?"

"We're...darkness...We take pure souls into the darkness...But Luigi didn't turn dark..."

"I think you just gave the Chaos Heart a crisis," Dimentio teased.

His eye color flickered from black to blue, and he grabbed his head. "G-get out of my head..."

"Olive?" Olly asked.

Zeth shook it off and growled at Olly. His eyes were still Olive's eye color. "Look at what you've done! You made us drop our guard!"

Olly held up the noodles again. "Hurry up, they're getting cold."

He began breathing heavy and backed away from Olly to the best of his ability. Fear and confusion was written on his face.

"I think I just triggered something."

"St-stay away from us! We have no idea what you've done, but it's witchcraft! Vile sorcerer, begone from us!"

"Zeth, you need to calm down. I'm only here to help. At first, I was selfish and only wanted to help my friend. But now, I want to help you too. You've been hurt, badly, and nobody deserves that, evil or not."

Olly looked back at the rest of them. Fawful was talking to Princess Shroob, Mimi was enjoying the sunset, and Magic and Magica were talking as well. Olly turned back to Zeth and smiled.

"I think, the real reason you want pure souls, is because you're trying to undo the corruption that was put on you by Darethend. But if you just remember, then we can all stop Darethend together." He held up the noodles again. "What do you say? You can still say no."

Zeth stared at the noodles, then back up to Olly. "W-w...we don't know! We don't know, we don't know, we don't know!" He grabbed his head, metal claws screeching against his head. "What's going on with us...What did you do?!"

Olly frowned. "I get it. the past can hurt. I'm sorry for trying to force it onto you. I should have just let you out, but I decided to try and help Olive instead. I should have been more focused on my other friend. I'm sure you and I could have been friends, Zeth, if we met under different circumstances." Olly touched the chain, and a pain struck his arm. "Ow!"

"Forget us, you need to get out of here..."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Darethend is heading to the Mushroom Kingdom right now. He managed to get us to tell him about the Rift. We're only a distraction. He's probably already there. We belong here, not in your world. Leave us."

"I get it. But I'll feel bad if I never get to see Olive again...But I understand what you're telling me. You want me to deal with my problems, and not yours." Olly put the noodles in front of him. "This is only if you change your mind."

Olly floated over to the rest of them.

Olivia looked at Zeth. "I believe in you." She joined Olly.

"Apparently Darethend is already on his way to the Rift. We need to get there, now."

Olivia nodded. "Yeah. No more time for hanging around."

Mimi stopped leaning against the wall. "What? When did he go there?"

Olly frowned. "I don't know. But he's on his way, and likely almost there. We need to head out. Now."

"But we don't have a plan," Dimentio said.

"His magic is strong," Peter agreed. "We can't beat him like this. Olivia can't even control her magic yet."

"We have no time!" Olly yelled. "If we stick around any longer, our kingdom, our world, will be gone forever!"

Dimentio backed into the wall. "S-snake...Here. On the roof...Giant snake..."

Everyone looked. There was in fact, a giant snake. It was a grey-toned forest green, with lights lining its body. Olly found it kind of strange that it wore a golden masquerade mask with purple eyelashes. It looked directly at them and then slithered closer. It looked almost like a bunch of wooden blocks being held together. An unfamiliar magic surged from it.

"That is a pretty big snake," Magic said. "Give me a second, I can take it out."

She fired a fireball at its face, and it closed it eyes when the fire came in contact with it. It opened its green eyes again and hissed.

"That did nothing."

Peter summoned a shield between the group and the snake. "That should hold it back."

It spiraled up its body and destroyed the forcefield with one swipe of its tail. Next came a giant cat, which bore a similar look to the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. It also matched the wooden toy look, with a theater projector roll around its neck.

"What do we have here? Are mew here to stop Madame Grape too?"

"Grape?" Dimentio asked. "I know a Grape. But we don't have any time, let us through."

"No, I don't think we will. You attacked Light Fang! Madame Grape won't have mercy on mew!"

Antasma finally woke back up and flew from his perch to the rest of the group. "SCREEK! Vat is the meaning of this?! SCREEONK!"

"Puppet strings," Dimentio muttered. "You're puppets! Grape's a Puppet Master!"

The cat slowly blinked at him. "She's a what?" He jumped into a position that looked like he could pounce at any moment. "Madame Grape will be pleased to find another like her!"

"Purrjector Cat, let me speak to them."

Olly didn't recognize the voice, but Dimentio seemed to. Dimentio dropped his fighting stance. A woman came, riding on what looked like a lion with a blue mane and spotlight covers around its head.

The lion crouched down and she got off. She came right up to Dimentio and stared at him.

"You again. Are you trying to get in my way?"

"Grape, nice to see you again. But now you've gotten in our way. You see, we were just leaving and-"

She tapped his forehead with her scepter. "Why make everything about you, hm? You sound so selfish. But...I don't recall you ever having a tail." Her gaze went to his arms next. "It can't be...No. You can't be Darkle. You have a neck, and a tail. If you were anything like my pets and I, you would at least look the slightest bit similar. More so than that."

"Darkle?" Olly asked.

"Did I say you could speak? No? Then hush." She took off Dimentio's glove. "Oh?! What is..."

"Give that back."

She handed it back to him. "Abomination."

"What was that? Say it again, to my face."

Grape shuddered. "How are you even alive?"

Dimentio growled.

Olly knew what was coming at this point. "Dimentio, calm down! It's not worth it!"

Dimentio tried to attack her, but Light Fang and Purrjector Cat blocked him. Grape backed up a bit.

"Call off your abomination at once! I only want to talk!"

Olly and Olivia pulled Dimentio off of Purrjector Cat, and Mimi grabbed him from them.

"I'm so sorry about that," Olly said quickly. "Dimentio can have a bit of a temper sometimes, and he's really self-conscious about his hands and face. A bit of trauma is behind them."

"Oh, then I apologize."

"What's Darkle?" Olivia asked. "Sounds really cute! Like...sparkle!"

"Don't compare my abilities with that teal counterpart!" She cleared her throat. "Apologies. I've had a bit of an issue recently with Sparkle. Accursed light magic...Anyways, I wanted your help with something."

"Sure, what's the matter?" Olly asked.

"You see, I have a few...partners I usually work with. But when I was brought here, I lost contact with them. I need to let them know I'm alright, but I've apparently been weakened. I can't even open a portal back home."

"All of our magic has been messed up here. But I know how we got here, we can take you back with us."

"You're going to trust her?" Dimentio asked. "Magica called her a villainess. She's rotten, just like the rest of them."

"Just like you used to be?"

Dimentio fell silent.

Olly faced back to Grape. "I'll help you. I just hope you and Dimentio won't be at each other's throats the whole time..."

Zeth stopped eating the noodles. "Who's this? She looks rich."

Grape had a bit of a smile visible in her eyes.

"This is Grape, and she's here to help."

"Are you trapped? Oh, who would do this to a poor animal." Grape went over to the bonding.

Zeth flinched away from her hand. She grabbed the chain and tore it off the pole. It vanished in her hand, and the rest of it disappeared as well. Zeth got off the pole and flicked his wrists.

"What are you? So curious..." Grape reached for his head. "Some sort of four legged creature, but what kind-"

He tightly grabbed her wrist. "Don't touch us..." He released her, shoving her back a bit.

"Oh, alright. No need to get physical. But don't touch me either, and it'll be even."

They all headed back to the Rift, which looked more like an infected cut now, rather than ripped paper like it had before. Grape floated to the front of the group and tucked her right hand behind her back, then faced them.

"I am truly sorry it's come to this, but now you'll be trapped here forever."

"Wh-what?" Olly stuttered. "What are you talking about?"

"I knew it," Dimentio stated. "You were playing us."

"Yes, unfortunately." Grape tapped her scepter to the bottom of her mask, metal clinking. "I never really thought I would stoop as low as to do such a thing, but did you really think I would trust you while you're working with Magica?" She motioned a hand towards Magica.

"Hey, leave her alone!" El defended. "She didn't do anything to you! She was just doing what she thought she was right!"

"Oh, really? Then why did you stab me in the back? Why did you betray me, Magica? I trusted you. For once in my life, I actually trusted an outside source, and you just proved everything I was taught to be correct. Congratulations, Magica, you have just shown me that I can't trust anyone. 'Don't get attached unless you're looking to get hurt.' That's what he always told me."

"He?" Mimi asked. "Are you talking about your dad?"

"Well, he's not really my father, since I'm not a Bunchling like him, but I suppose he still counts in that criteria. He did raise me. But yes, I am talking about Rex, the leader of the Elder Bunch. I'll spare you the details about my life and just get to my point."

Zeth prepared to charge her if needed.

"I'll make sure none of you can follow me. I'm going to seal up your way home."

"What? But you just said your magic didn't work here," Olly reminded.

"People will do anything for a little lie. Amusing how easy it was to deceive you. Honestly, you need some common sense. Dimentio, King Boo, and Antasma were right to be suspicious of me, I was never planning on joining your parade. Again, I apologize for raining on it, but I have a band to care for, and revenge to take." She snapped. "Disco, Fang, Purr, Spot; deal with these delinquents for me, will you? I'll call you back once I'm certain you've reduced them to noting but confetti for our next show."

She backed through the Rift as the Darkle creatures blocked it from view. Zeth turned around and kicked Disco Feather straight away. The disco ball-bodied bird bounced around a bit when kicked, but recovered rather quickly.

"We rewrite stories with Madame Grape!" Disco Feather claimed.

Purrjector Cat drew his claws. "And mew stand in our way, so now mew will face the Sour Bunch's full wrath!"

"Why aren't we doing anything to them?" Mimi asked.

"Because, you're fighting fire with fire." El flew to the front of the group. "You're battling dark magic with dark magic. You need to fight it with water; you need to douse it with light magic of the same strength."

"What are you saying?" Princess Shroob asked.

"Cover your eyes."

"What?" Olly questioned.

"Cover your eyes, it's about to get bright in here." El's star began to glow white. "You messed with the wrong group, Grape! Meteor Shower!"

They covered their eyes right as El was engulfed in light. Lots of crashing could be heard, followed by whimpering and the quick footfalls of the Darkle pets fleeing.

"Okay, you're good now."

Olly uncovered his eyes and saw a bunch of burnt grass with steam flowing from the patches.

"What happened? What did you do?"

"Meteor Shower. It's my most powerful move. Sorry you couldn't see it, I just don't want anyone going blind."

Dimentio was back to himself, and Fawful had a bit more pep in his step. Olly looked at Zeth, who was frozen in place.

"Zeth? Zeth, are you okay?"

The darkness holding his arms, legs, and neck together flickered away, and he collapsed in pieces.

"Ah! You killed him!"

"Oh no," El gasped. "I-I'm so sorry I had no idea that was going to happen I-"

He repaired himself, the darkness instead replaced by the same blue color as Olive's eyes. He was dazed for a minute before shaking it off.

"Nng...Olly? What happened? Where are we?"

"Olive," Olly said gently.

Reighlah ran up to them. "Olly! Is this the Rift you were telling me about? Did you stop Darethend?"

Olly shook his head. "But we stopped Grape from sealing it shut."

Reighlah prepared to attack. Princess Shroob took that as a threat and summoned an energy ball.

Olly flew between them. "Woah, woah! Hang on there! Reighlah and Princess Shroob are both on our side." He faced Reighlah. "You need to stay here. I don't want something happening because your kind come to our world. Darethend is already in our world and I don't want anything else happening."

"I get it." She put her shield and sword away. "I understand you desire for harmony. Good luck." She bowed.

"Thank you. We'll try."

They all left through the Rift, Reighlah waving them off.