tJfaJ: Chapter 20

"Well, of course… obviously…" Merlee laughed as she sauntered down from our pedestals. The game show disappeared around us as soon as the digital face had declared the heroes to be correct. "No one could copy me!"

I felt my hands clench into tight fists. "IDIOTS! I mimicked her perfectly! You know it!" I took a deep breath and sighed, shifting back into myself to sweep my pigtails back into order. I glared at the heroes and the stupid witch that stood just between us. "…I guess I'll have to congratulate you… by tearing you to little bits like stupid confetti!"

I felt the demon snatch control, and my head twisted around violently. I shot up into the air, towering over all the others as they cowered before me. I let a few choked moans slip out. All this back and forth and back and forth from one form to another and back again was really starting to take its toll on me.

As Mario and Peach took their attack stances, Merlee shrieked and sprinted out of the room. "I will cheer from over here!" She called as the doors slammed shut behind her, sealing everyone else inside. "Rah! Rah! Woosh-bing-bah! Kick her in the knee! …if she has one… does she?"

I laughed to myself, hearing the monster demonically mimic me. "She's a fast one, isn't she?" We hissed in unison. "Oh, golly, well… whatever! I'll finish you off first!"

With that, I attacked. I rushed towards them—effectively scattering hero from Princess from butterfly. I began spitting my rubees this way and that, sending up giant waves of them and knocking both heroes up against the far wall. A few times, they made the mistake of trying to hit me again, but they continued to rebound right off.

"Mimimimimimi!" I laughed, scampering up the walls and hanging overhead on the ceiling. I spit my rubees down into the floor below. The Princess screamed and ducked under her parasol. I almost laughed—until I noticed my rubees rebounded off of it. Guess it was good for something after all. Whatever—I continued my assault on them for a while, until the demon snatched control and forced me down from the ceiling, scrambling unsteadily for the ground until she was able to chase violently after them.

Suddenly, we stopped. The demon screamed as we reeled backwards, three heads absolutely spinning in dizzied, pained confusion. "What was that?!" The demon shrieked at the top of her lungs.

"Why can you damage me?!" I screamed to the heroes. Not like it did a lot of good—they seemed equally stunned. "I'm supposed to be all INVINCIBLE! Count Bleck's power was supposed to protect me!"

"Rah! Rah! Whoosh-bing-bah!" Merlee cried from outside the door. "You can hit her now, dear! For this is no normal cheer! This cheer is magic—woo! Her magic barrier is through!"

The demon shrieked in rage, splitting my ears with the monster's inhuman wail. "When did this happen?!" I demanded, trying in vain to shove the demon's hysterical self further back into my subconscious. "I feel completely naked! How could you?!"

I screamed as claws grabbed my pigtail and threw me out of the way. I slowly picked myself up, watching the demon take control and attacking the heroes with no mercy. It seemed like it was too late, though—I couldn't see anything, but I could still feel that we were getting hit. Hard.

My shoulders kept aching, and I noticed the demon was clutching painfully at hers every time she screamed. My memories raced back to Castle Bleck, when Dimentio and Nastasia had first laid eyes on my monster. I remembered fighting Dimentio, being trapped in the box… then Dimentio accidentally breaking one of the monster's legs off.

I panicked immediately, trying to unscramble my dizzy mind and count up the hits. Three, if I was correct. They'd ripped three legs clean off—and unless I was mistaken, I had just felt a fourth. They were over halfway through with us. If they managed to wrench loose the last two, we wouldn't be able to do anything. They knew that.

"Yes, yes! Our team's the best! Gooooo team!" Merlee sang from her hiding spot.

The demon shrieked, hurling a few rubees her way before turning back on the heroes. "STOP!" I shrieked, trying to snatch back control while still trying to beat the heroes off of us.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" She shrieked, hitting me and attempting to throw me aside. "GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

"You're going to get us killed!" I screamed, weakly hitting her back what little I could.

The demon tried to say something, but whatever it was came out as a scream that mixed with mine as another leg was yanked out of place. The monster crashed to the ground, its final leg scrambling madly for hold on the tile flooring. In the demon's shock, I managed to gain full control. I shot out waves of rubees from the ground, spitting even more from my mouth. I couldn't let those heroes get near me.

They looked beaten—we'd obviously been formidable foes. However, it was impossible to ignore that they were nowhere near as beaten down as I was.

I didn't give up though. I never stopped firing rubees. I never stopped trying to get up. I don't think I even paused to catch my breath. I didn't realize how broken and bleeding I was. I just had to win this.

I couldn't though.

In all honesty, I don't remember how it happened.

I continued my attack, on and on, wearing myself out. Then, suddenly, the Princess found a way to break through the waves of rubees using her parasol. I remember it hurt when she hit me. I don't remember if I screamed or not. I just remember pain, then lying on the floor.

I think I was kind of on autopilot. I was just watching a movie as the demon turned me back to myself and shrieked words of fury at the heroes for their victory. With that, she had teleported us outside.

We only made it just outside the Mansion. She screamed at me, demanding why we weren't able to get back to Castle Bleck. I think I offered her a response—I simply didn't have enough strength, magic, anything. I don't remember if I said it outloud.

A mile or so from the Mansion grounds, I collapsed. I scrounged up enough power (after nearly two hours of lying there motionless) to conjure a paper and pen and teleport a note to Nastasia. I was brief with my message. I didn't have the strength to go into details.

"I messed up… bad…"

------------------------------------

It was hours later when I had gathered enough strength to pull myself underneath some of the overhanging trees. It was getting dark, I was scared, and I wanted to go home.

How could I, though? Even after my powers had returned to me—I hadn't even considered returning to the Castle. I was too ashamed.

What would Dimentio think of me? What would Nastasia say? Would Count Bleck even allow me to return home?

Something appeared before me—off in the dusk of the approaching night. I shrunk back, hugging my knees to my chest. I knew who it was. I would know the Count anywhere.

He glided towards me, staff grasped firmly in hand. His red eye shown down on me as he towered over my humble form. "…Mimi." He stated.

"…hey, Count…" I mumbled, hugging my knees tighter.

He knelt down before me, just as he had the same day he had agreed to let me stay, with that same gentle glow in his eyes. "…what are you doing out here, Mimi?"

I shrugged. "I dunno…"

There was silence for a moment.

"…sorry I messed up…" I murmured, my voice growing quieter and quieter.

"That is quite alright, Mimi." The Count said, firmly but gently. "I am completely satisfied to find you alive and well."

I glanced up slowly. "…really?" I asked, unable to hide the hope in my voice.

The Count nodded. "Really." He promised. Rising up from the ground, he offered me his gloved hand. "Now then… if you would like to accompany me back to the Castle, I believe I have a new piece of our story for you…"

-----------------------

"…let me think…" The Count said to himself as I clambered into bed. He took a seat beside me and stared off into the dark sky outside my window. "…where did our tale leave off?"

"Blumiere woke up in a human's house." I immediately supplied. "And the girl was being nice to him just to be nice."

Count Bleck smiled and nodded his head. "Ah, yes, that is correct… Well, after that incident, Blumiere eventually recovered and went on his way home. However, he did not stop seeing this strange girl. He snuck out of the castle many nights to venture down into the woods of the valleys and sit and talk with the human."

I smiled, nestling down into my covers. "That's so romantic…" I sighed. "He's sneaking out to see her…"

"Indeed…" The Count agreed. "All was not well, though… The girl noticed, one night, that something continued to keep him from her… 'You're late…' she had informed him, as if he was not already aware. 'Did something happen?'"

Count Bleck paused to make sure I was listening, then continued. "'Yes.' Blumiere had replied. 'My father caught me. Sneaking out of the castle wasn't easy after that.' The girl was obviously very worried by this. She had bowed her head and looked away from Blumiere. 'I was worried you wouldn't come…' she whispered into the woods."

"But, he did come." I interrupted.

The Count nodded. "Yes, and the girl was very glad that he did. Blumiere was confused, though, why she would worry so about such a thing. 'You are a strange girl…' he had mused to himself. 'You know what I am, and yet, you do not seem afraid…'

"The girl, having heard Blumiere's quiet words, shook her head in denial. 'I don't care what you are.' she firmly declared. 'I just wanted to see you… is that… is that so wrong?' Blumiere, of course, was shocked even more that this would be her fears. She was afraid, not of Blumiere himself, but of the possibility that she may be separated from him. 'No. No, of course not.' he gently assured her. 'I wanted to see you too.'"

"Aw!" I sweetly interrupted. "That's adorable!"

The Count smiled at me, nodding his head. "Establishing that each of them wished to be with the other, the girl gently took Blumiere's hands in hers and pulled him to the base of a large tree. 'Blumiere… do you mind if I sit next to you?' she asked him meekly. Blumiere took a seat in the grass, pulling her gently down beside him. 'Please do, Timpani… Let's return to our conversation… I must know more of you…'"

I blinked. "…Timpani? Who's that?"

The Count's attention snapped towards me suddenly, as if he had only just realized that I was in the room. "…pardon?"

"You said 'Timpani.'" I clarified. "Who is that? Is that the girl's name?"

Count Bleck slowly nodded his head as he turned away from me. "…yes…" He said—quietly, and after a long time. "…Timpani was her name."

I smiled. "Why didn't you say it from the beginning? It's such a pretty name!"

"…Indeed it is…" The Count agreed. He was getting quieter and quieter, it seemed. Then, suddenly, he rose. He floated over towards me, pulling the covers up around me and gently stroking my pigtails. "Goodnight, Mimi." He called as he moved towards my door.

"Wait!" I called, bolting upright in bed. "That's it?! That's all you're gonna say about the story?! They didn't even do anything yet!"

"Goodnight, Mimi!" Was the only answer I received as my lights clicked off and the door shut behind the Count. I huffed, flopping back into bed. Fine. Let him be that way. I don't care. If he won't finish my bedtime story properly, I'll just lay here all night.

I won't even sleep… at all…

…Good Grambi, I was tired…