Petuni pitter-pattered across the shining forest floor of Boggly Woods that morning, dodging the gaze of the aggressive Clefts and Dark Puffs as she went. She knew the route well – though a steep cliff made traversal difficult for most passerby, the savvy little Puni knew of an alternative path that led straight to Flurrie's house. Thus, thankfully, even one as small and squishy as her was more than capable of making a spur-of-the-moment trip out to see the matronly spirit.

…Even if she knew Punio would scold her for it. Actually, Flurrie would've scolded her for it too, but… well, it was easier to ask for forgiveness than permission! Besides, Punio was already busy for the next few hours, since he was once again being lectured by the Elder for doing who-knows-what. Petuni could've waited around for him, but she was bored right then, so…

Naturally, that meant it was time for an adventure! And so, the little Puni excitedly made her way forward. Upon eventually approaching the pink-roofed house, she sidled up next to the door and gave it a loud bonk with her side.

Yet, no response came. Not entirely unexpected – Flurrie was a busy woman. Petuni had come knowing that Flurrie wasn't currently out on any sort of extended travel, yet that still didn't mean that the wind spirit would always be at home. It was quite common for her to leave for more local business with her troupe, even during the early mornings. …Though, just in case the cloud spirit simply hadn't heard her, the little Puni thudded against the door a second time and then yelled:

"Flurrieeeeeeee! Doooooooplissssss! I'm here to plaaaaaay!"

Still no reply. Yet, she could faintly hear movement from beyond the door – was someone home after all? …Were they ignoring her? If it were Flurrie, Petuni had no doubt that she would've at least called out, but, since nobody had…

It must've been the other resident. What the heck, what a bootyhead, leaving her hanging like that!

"Dooooooooooplisssssssssssss! C'moooooonnnnn!" She hollered out the likely offender's name as she impatiently tippy-tappied her toes upon the grassy ground. "I'm boooooreeeeeeed! Let me in!"

At her continued cries, the sound of footsteps grew closer. Then, finally…

The door opened. The sheet-clad creature in question grouchily stared out from beyond the doorway and squinted his eyes as he took in the visage of the itty-bitty slug before him.

"Hey, I'm busy here! I've got to head to work here in a few, I don't have time for games right now! Go bother your brother or something!"

At his words, Petuni began to pout and kick at the ground. "Buuuuut, buuuuut… Punio's always doing other stuff these days! The Elder never stops lecturing him since she wants him to be ready to lead the tribe and things. He said he'd play with me soon, but then he went and got in trouble again…"

"Well, I'm 'doing other stuff' too! So get lost!" Doopliss growled and turned his body back towards the home's interior as he threatened to close the door.

The Puni looked up at him dejectedly, her eyes huge and begging. Seconds passed as the Duplighost stared into her face without either party moving. But then…

"Fiiiiiiiineeee, you big meanie…"

Petuni turned around slowly, staring at the ground as she moved to leave. Her steps were slow, lethargic… as if all in the entire world had rejected her. She began to walk into the tall grass, her small body nearly vanishing from sight beneath its long tendrils, when…

"Ugh… okay, I get it! You're such a baby sometimes, you know that? I guess you can come on in…" Doopliss sighed as he held the door open. "…I'm still getting out of here in a few minutes, though. Lemme finish chowing down and then I'll walk you back. Geez…"

Even though Doopliss was acting as though he were doing her a favor, Petuni had already known – this dramatic Duplighost needed to hike right up to the Great Tree in order to access the pipe system anyways. If he had to make the trek to work regardless, then he might as well spend it having fun with her!

"Yay!" She spun around and gave a little bounce. Though she would've preferred to do something a bit more exciting, this was better than nothing. She really, really liked playing with Doopliss - he always had weird stuff to say, and sometimes she could even get him to join in on games like "The Floor is Lava!" with her.

And so, having successfully convinced him, she jovially skipped beyond the doorway and into Flurrie's residence.

After Petuni followed Doopliss around the house for a bit – and after she snagged a bite of the waffles he'd been having for breakfast – the two eventually made their way out into the forest. Petuni ran a slight distance ahead of her walking partner, singing a little song as Doopliss commented on the silly lyrics.

"The itsy-bitsy Pider crawled up the water spout~!" She cheerfully called out the words without a care in the world. "Down came the rain and washed the Pider out~!"

"This one again? How many times is this guy gonna try the same thing?" Doopliss remarked. "He should've figured something else out by now! …Get a grip, Slick! C'mon!"

"Tee hee hee! He's doing his best. Besides, Punio's always telling me that you should never give up! …Out came the sun and dried up all the rain~!"

It was all silly drivel, but Petuni was having an absolute blast regardless. And so, as she continued trotting forward and singing, she didn't even notice as the air began to stir before her…

"Wha!?" Doopliss gave a start as his eyes fell upon the strange rift forming directly in front of the happy little Puni. "Wait, hold up, what the hey!? Petuni, stop! Get back here, behind me! Something's weird!"

"And the itsy-bitsy Pider climbed up the spout a- …huh?"

By the time she noticed what was happening, it was far too late.

The space tore asunder and a man, clad in jester's attire, reached straight out of the rip in reality and wrapped his hands around her body. Then, giving a teasing little "ah ha ha!", he smiled coolly at Doopliss and suddenly pulled the panicking Puni in through the hole.

"D-DOOPLISS! HELP ME, HELP ME, HE'S GOT ME!" Petuni cried out in pure terror as she struggled against her kidnapper's grip. And yet, it was futile – she vanished alongside him, whisked away into another dimension, to a place where none stood a chance of finding her…

Just like that, she was gone.

Still, the pixelated hole remained. …A green, otherworldly sheen reflected its mysterious depths.

"PETUNI!? Wait, Slick, bring her back! What're you doing with her!? Quit it, she's not even a princess or anything special like that!" Doopliss called out as he leapt forward, his arm outstretched. "Hey! Hey, come ON, this isn't cool!"

"Ah ha ha, but she's important to you, is she not? …Well, why don't you come in and retrieve her? The door is open - be my guest!"

Mouth agape, Doopliss stared into the beckoning void. He took a few steps back and shook his head as he considered just bolting… but then, instead, he looked in the direction of Flurrie's house. After staring and pondering for just a few moments, his face reflecting the full spectrum of emotions, he eventually gave a big gulp and steeled himself.

"Flurrie'll flip when she hears about this…"

Then, with a nervous sigh, the Duplighost clenched his fists and leapt straight through the hole. It closed behind him with a sense of finality, sealing him deep within.

Not a trace remained of the pair.

It was still true that the model train store was a beautiful place, filled with a sense of whimsy that inspired a childlike wonder in any who visited. However, as Vivian sat on the floor that day, poking idly at one of the trains as she switched it on and off and watched it circle around the tracks she'd set up, again and again… she couldn't help but wear a deep frown across her face.

Goldbob still hadn't shown up.

Once more, hours had passed since the arranged meeting time had arrived. The sense of excitement and duty she'd felt the day before was nowhere to be found. Her fellow employees appeared to have already lost all interest in the idea of filming - the cashier had gone back to his spot behind the front counter, where he was flipping through a volume of manga and occasionally cackling at the contents. The second X-Naut… actually, she wasn't even sure where the second X-Naut was. He'd said something about taking the trash out, but he'd disappeared with it long ago and hadn't returned since…

Though they'd come up with something of a rough script, they'd still wanted Goldbob to at least take a look at it before they started filming for real. …The store was due to officially open in a few days. They'd intended to get everything done before then - that is, before they had to work around crowds of people and worry about not interfering too much with the store's normal business hours. And yet, without him there to fulfill his role, Vivian was starting to question if they'd get anything solid done at all.

"Mmph…" Vivian grumbled in frustration as she stopped her toy train. She picked it up, turning it round and round as she ran her fingers along all the intricate little details. This tiny one was called the "Perplex Express" and, according to the guidebook, was apparently in use somewhere around the world for entertainment purposes rather than for travel. It was so very cute, what with its little dining car and engine room…

But, despite how adorable and fun it all was, she really couldn't just sit around and play with trains all day. …Especially not for two days in a row. She really had been excited to get to work – even if it was just a commercial, it meant she'd finally get the chance to film something new. This wasn't how things were supposed to go.

"…You good over there? You're making some real funky noises." The X-Naut peered over from beyond his manga.

"Oh, sorry. I am, but… Really, I can't help but wonder." Vivian sighed. "Do you think Goldbob's ever going to show up…?"

She was starting to doubt it.

"Yeah… I dunno, this really is starting to get annoying, isn't it? Like, filming this thing shouldn't even take that long…" he grumbled as he turned around and began to dig through a drawer. After a moment, he pulled out a rectangular device – his communicator. "Lemme try to get in touch with Bow, alright? Hold on…"

Vivian could hear a ringing from his device. …But the ringing eventually stopped without anyone ever picking up. The cashier let out a little groan, then tried again…

"Nope, no answer. …Dang, I hope she's even carrying it. Lord Crump said he tried to get her to, but…" he complained as he scrolled through his contact list. "Man… stupid ghosts, why've they gotta be so bad with technology…"

Vivian giggled just a bit. Really, she understood that well enough. She knew they'd been handing a bunch of the newly produced little devices out to all the employees, but she still hadn't picked one up for herself. From what she'd seen of Crump's, with the touch screen and all the confusing little icons, it just looked way too complicated.

She'd always had trouble with stuff like that. It was one of the reasons she'd never gotten a Mailbox SP, though they were also just really expensive. Since the X-Nauts were giving them out for free, she really should've tried to carry and use one, and yet…

The soldier muttered beneath his breath as he continued with his attempts. Though Bow wasn't answering, she wasn't their only boss – and so, he picked a different recipient. The device rang for a few seconds, leaving the two waiting… and then, finally, the newest contact picked up.

"Oh, hey, yo! Yeah, uh, we've been waiting over here for a loooong time again today, and this guy still totally isn't here… Nah, we haven't heard a peep. …Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Yeah…" he spoke as he tugged lightly at one of his ear flaps. "Yep, Viv and Kip are here, too. …At least, I think Kip's still here, I haven't seen him in a sec. …Oh, gotcha. So that's where he went. Roger that!"

With that, he hung up.

"Is something happening?" Vivian stared at him, a bit concerned. Was someone else coming over…?

"Sounds like we're free to go for the day. Lord Crump's given us the go-ahead – I guess he's already in the area for business stuff, so he's gonna stop by for just a second. Sounds like Kip went out for a snack run in town and ran into him." The X-Naut shrugged. "Let's start turning everything off and packaging things back up. …I'm gonna run the vacuum through here real quick. Let's get the place looking all nice and spiffy again, yeah?"

"I see." Though he seemed rather flippant about it, a hint of disappointment tugged at Vivian's heart. …What about the commercial, though…?

Given, she agreed that there wasn't much more they could do. Even if Crump were able to get in touch with Goldbob, there was a good chance he still wouldn't make time for them.

And so, Vivian got up and quietly put her chosen toy back inside its box. She then switched off the room's main display, thus putting a stop to the miniature Excess Express's continuous laps around the walls. After that, she moved back to the employee area – it was there that she threw away any waste that remained on the tables, put the strewn-about guidebooks back in their rightful spots, and then turned out the light…

As the two of them finished packing up, the bell at the front door gave a little jingle.

"He seriously didn't show again, buh huh? Man… that sucks, but who knows what he's up to. It's Goldbob, after all," Crump snorted as he entered the shop. He held the door open after him, allowing the metal dome tagging along behind him to hop right on in.

"Vivian." Grodus nodded at the shadow as he acknowledged her presence. Then, turning to the cashier, he gave a similar greeting: "X-Naut."

"Oh, Grodus? You're here, too?" Vivian awkwardly nodded back.

"That's correct. We were seeking Bow just now, but it appears that she's not in. …How troublesome. Know that I will address the situation with Goldbob properly when I next meet with her, but… well. At this point, who knows when that will be." He sighed in irritation.

Lady Bow was gone…? Given, just like with Goldbob, that wasn't exactly the most surprising thing ever – though Bow did usually at least give some sort of indication of where she was going and why. She was haughty and independent to a fault, yet she did respect her workers enough to at least let them know when she would be unavailable.

"I mean, it's not a huge deal or anything. I can send one of the guys out to check on her later tonight, to see if she's back and all that." Crump shrugged. "In the meantime… are either of you down for a treat? If you aren't working, there's this one bakery that I've been wanting to give a go, buh huh huh! It's real close! You wanna go take a peek?"

"No, I truly don't, but…" Grodus sighed. "That's not an answer that you're going to accept, is it?"

Crump chuckled in confirmation. "Buh! Buh! Buh huh huh huh huh! C'mon buddy, I know you got some time! Even if you can't eat any cake, it's still good to get out and, I dunno… socialize? Like, as in, do stuff that's not just work?"

Grodus rolled his eyes. Yet, Vivian gave an enthusiastic clap, a smile forming upon her face.

"Oh, you're talking about that new shop that opened recently, aren't you!?" she questioned as she regained some of her positivity. "'Flour Power Bakery', right? I've been wanting to try that out! I keep thinking it would be wonderful to take a bite out of one of those strawberry shortcakes in their display window, hmm hmm hmm!"

She'd even heard the chef had moved there all the way from the Waffle Kingdom! Their sweets had been getting really popular with the Poshley Heights residents lately. …Though, the idea of a large man like Crump hunkering down with a dainty little cake in front of him was honestly a funny thought.

As she opened her mouth to ask what kind of treat he wanted to try, a chime sounded from Crump's pocket.

"Oh, uh, crud. Lemme take this reaaaal quick…" He reached and grabbed his communicator, pulling it out and pressing it to the area just beneath his right horn. "Oh, hey! We were just looking for you a bit ago. We've got a few- …buh? …Wait, wha, are you serious!? That's… real bad, isn't it?"

Vivian's daydreams of eating a beautifully decorated strawberry shortcake vanished from her mind as Crump's tone turned quick and harsh.

"…Yeah, you got it! We'll be right there - I'll start making some calls on the way!" The X-Naut general turned towards the door and immediately made to leave. "Guys, we've got an emergency! Bad news from Bow – Grodus, Vivian, c'mon! We've gotta get over to the office, on the double! She's gathering up everyone she can!"

Vivian's heart sank. "What's going on…?"

Bow was haughty and demanding, but she wasn't easily rattled. If even she were calling something an emergency, then it had to be legitimately bad.

"Doopliss and Petuni have gone missing!"

Crump quickly confirmed Vivian's fears.

As they arrived at the office, the yard was in chaos. Countless people had formed into groups all over the area – the Boos, Flurrie's troupe, the X-Nauts, the town's Bumpties… All were standing by, each party looking to their respective leaders as they awaited further instructions.

Flurrie and Bow were both floating before the crowd, where they were talking to Pennington as he nodded with vigor. The wind spirit's face was completely pale with a mix of frustration and worry… Meanwhile, Lady Bow's gaze reflected a fiery cocktail of rage, irritation, and absolute determination.

"Urrghhh… this is such a headache!" the specter complained. "If it turns out that they're just goofing off somewhere, I'm going to slap the living daylights out of both of them!"

Flurrie shook her head. "I daresay that's not it. Doopliss hasn't done such a thing in ages, he's really rather well-behaved these days… It's very much not typical of either of them disappear from all their usual spots without saying a word. Punio said he met with darling little Petuni this morning, and I bid Doopliss farewell before I left. It's unthinkable that they would simply vanish for this long!"

Vivian frowned. …Just what had happened…? They… they really were missing? Just like that?

"I do believe this needs a detective's touch!" Pennington nodded. "With me on the case, you'll have nothing to worry about, dear madam. Yes, indeed, I shall identify the culprit posthaste!"

With an excited sparkle in his eye, the Bumpty detective broke off to go speak to his nearby group of waiting kinsmen. Meanwhile…

"Put me down, now!" Grodus barked, hopping from Crump's arms before the other man could even lower him down to the ground. "Bow, explain! All this is quite the drain on resources for the sake of two mere affiliates, is it not? Did you at least do a preliminary search of the area before calling upon every person you know?" He scoffed.

"Yes, of course I did! Still your tongue, idiot," Bow huffed. "You heard what Flurrie was saying to Pennington just now, right? Her people and the Punis have already combed all over without finding hide nor hair of them! This is legitimately bad – we need Doopliss, he's supposed to be in the middle of several jobs, both for us and for Flurrie!"

"This truly isn't like them. Not at all…" Flurrie frowned. "Doopliss was meant to appear on set early this morning, but he never arrived. My troupe and I have already scoured the area for hours, but not a trace was found. His belongings remain at my house, so I don't believe that he'd simply leave… and the newest edition of his favorite comic is releasing tomorrow! The poor dear was talking so very excitedly about it just last night, and I just…"

Flurrie let out a sniffle. Gently, Vivian drifted over and wrapped the poor woman in a hug.

"Ugh! The Boos and I searched a bit on our own this morning, but we didn't see anything either. None of the residents knew a thing - and you know how much Doopliss stands out!" Bow spat.

And yet, Grodus remained skeptical. "The Duplighost can transform, can he not? …Are you entirely certain that he isn't responsible for this in some way? I do recognize him, you know. In fact, I recall that he used to work beneath Beldam." The former overlord glowered. "She once mentioned something about him turning the people of Twilight Town into pigs by harnessing the power of the Ruby Star. …For the sake of a mere 'prank.' Pray tell, does that sound like the sort of thing an upstanding citizen would do? I'd be quite concerned about the safety of that Puni, if I were you…"

Vivian felt sick to her stomach. …No, she'd seen how Doopliss and Petuni had interacted lately. She refused to believe that he would do anything to her. That he would harm her…

…He wouldn't… right?

"He wouldn't do such a wretched thing!" Flurrie raised her voice, a fury sparking beyond her eyes. "Not as he is now, absolutely not! His behavior is far different from back then – and besides, you are one to speak of such a thing! Do shut your horrid mouth!"

Vivian startled, having not ever really witnessed such an outburst from Flurrie before. …But the cloud spirit quickly quieted, then shook her head.

"…I am sorry, but… Please. Just… do believe me. I have a most awful feeling about all of this…"

"Fine. …I understand the situation." Grodus sighed as he gave in. "Are you in need of more manpower still?"

"Yes, the faster we can get this wrapped up, the better. If they're truly in some sort of trouble, then we want to find them quickly," Lady Bow confirmed. "Gather as many of your X-Nauts as you can and have them comb the surrounding area – focus in on the outskirts of Poshley Heights and Riverside Valley. I'll see about sending messengers out to our partners in the Glitz Pit as well. The Boos will head out to Twilight Town and search the steeple, and …Vivian!"

Vivian nervously chewed her lip as she responded. "Ah, yes! Please, tell me how I can help. I'll do anything I can!"

"Do go to Rogueport and check if either of them have been sighted there. I know the area's plenty unsavory, so hopefully they haven't stepped into the wrong alleyway or something. Ugh…" Bow groaned for the umpteenth time, then paused as she thought. "If I recall, aren't you also acquainted with a bunch of the locals? Get them on the lookout as well!"

Vivian nodded vigorously. …The names and faces of people she could question flew through her head. Professor Frankly… probably wouldn't know that much about this incident. He was wonderful for geographical information but had been spending an especially large amount time indoors lately due to his Palace of Shadow research. …She could ask the Piantas, maybe? Visiting them always made her anxious, but, if she had to…

…No, actually. She had an even better idea for her first stop.

"Welcome to you and yours! Have a seat! This is Podley's Place, a trendy spot where folks can relax no matter how dark their disposition," Podley greeted her as she approached the counter. "What can I get for you today?"

If there was anyone out there who would be aware of the chatter amongst town – and of any odd happenings, kidnappings, or attacks within - it would most likely be this man. Though she'd be hard-pressed to say that Podley was somebody that she truly trusted, he most certainly had his ear to the ground.

Vivian quickly lined up next to two already-drunken Bob-ombs as she hovered before the counter. Though the sounds of Flavio's voice carried through the air behind her, she paid him no mind – she simply didn't have the time.

"Um, hey, Podley! Sorry, I'm not here for any drinks…" Vivian started to explain. "Have you seen a strange creature in a white sheet and a party hat today? Or have you heard anything about someone like that…?"

"Hmmmm…" Podley paused in thought. "I can't say I have, little lady. You're looking for Doopliss, right? The star, Doopliss? I've heard of him, yes, but… here? No, nothing like that."

Vivian frowned. …Podley had been her best bet, and yet her search was already off to a poor start.

"You a fan or somethin', girl? Fat lotta luck finding someone like that in a place like this, heheh! Or do he owe you somefin'?" One of the Bob-ombs chuckled to her side. "Weeeell, that don't surprise me. I always heard Duplighosts were no good… You sure he ain't sneaking 'round right under your nose?"

Again, someone mentioned that possibility. Again…

"He wouldn't!" Vivian hollered. Doopliss cared for Petuni! He wouldn't do anything truly bad to her…

…

However, Vivian couldn't stop herself from pondering the idea.

What if… what if he'd gotten tired of his new life? Doopliss did still have a bit of an impulsive streak. …Back then, when he'd transformed the Twilighters into pigs… it really had just been because he'd been bored, hadn't it? What if… what if fragile little Petuni had said something that angered him, and then things escalated just a bit too far, and he…

She gulped. …She… didn't want to think about that.

Her expression fraught with worry, Vivian thanked Podley for his time and turned to make her way up the inn stairs. She'd search for Ms. Mowz next, then go out to the docks and talk to the sailors… and then, if she still didn't have anything, she'd force her way before Frankie and Francesca. And then maybe she'd go see Ishnail, and then Wonky in the underground, and then maybe even Merluvlee…

Doopliss and Petuni had to be okay. She and the others would find them. They just had to, they had to, they just had to…!

Chapter image: www tumblr com/thegroduschronicles/769710591500812288