The Count gave Dimentio an utterly lost, almost betrayed look, but then shrugged it off, not wanting to waste any more time than necessary. He himself had read each and every page of the dark book. He knew the rules.

Betrayal was a feeling he was used to. After all, his father had betrayed him by sending Timpani away. It wasn't uncommon for those closest to him to turn their heads away. 

"Very well," He stated, gripping his staff in his right hand. He could only hope that this would end quickly before the heroes arrived.

And Dimentio could only hope that this would end quickly before the void finished its destructive path.

No magic was allowed for this fight. Only weapons. Dimentio quickly summoned a sword and held it tightly in his left hand, glaring across the room at the count. This hopefully wouldn't last long.

The Count nodded, signifying that he was ready to begin. So Dimentio held his sword forward and pointed it at the Count. The blade was a shiny silver, the handle black. He hoped this wouldn't be too difficult, as he had never fought with a sword before. But how hard could it be, right?

Meanwhile, the heroes were progressing through Castle Bleck, having just gotten past O'Chunks and Mimi. But instead of Peach, Bowser, Mimi, and O'Chunks nearly dying, they were alright. The bad guys simply gave up when beat and stayed down, while the heroes all progressed together. There was no Dimentio to slow them down through the third section of the Castle, so they were progressing faster than the Count had planned for.

They basically sped through the room Dimentio should have been guarding, bringing them forward to the Inner sanctum in no time at all. The three heroes and Timpani all quickly arrived and pushed the large doors open.

Only to see the count easily pinning Dimenito down while the jester squirmed and scowled, for once not wearing his mask.

"Pathetic," Count Bleck remarked, pressing his staff into Dimentio's back. "Do you yield now? asked Count Bleck."

Dimentio squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, clearly much smaller and weaker than the count without his magic. He was clearly losing this-

"Blumiere?" The small Pixl accompanying the heroes asked.

This gave Dimentio the window he needed. As the Count pulled back in confusion upon hearing that name, Dimentio swiftly kicked him back, got up, and held his sword to the Count's throat, trembling slightly. "Give it up," Dimentio stated, keeping his voice as steady as possible.

But the Count wasn't looking back up at him. He didn't reply at all. Instead he just... looked lost.

"Um... Count?" Dimentio asked, his eyes softening slightly in confusion. "Do you yield...? It is a simple yes or no answer."

The Count still didn't answer. It was almost as of he didn't even hear Dimentio. 

"T...Timpani?" The Count asked, voice soft and gentler than Dimentio had ever heard it before. Dimentio paused in confusion, then followed the Count's gaze to see the three heroes and a pixl, all standing in the doorway and watching them.

Luigi was not with them.

Dimentio slowly dropped his sword to the ground, listening to the hard, cold metal clang and clash against the floor. He then brought his hand to his face. His exposed face.

People were looking.

People saw him.

He couldn't hide now. No matter how much he wanted to.

"... I yield," The count whispered, still looking at Timpani.

"Wait, what-" Dimentio asked, looking back down at the Count when he suddenly felt something dark form from within his chest. It burned. It hurt. 

He dropped to his knees and desperately his ears as the hags screamed and screeched in his mind. The room seemed to be getting darker to him. It was like his insides were tearing him apart. 

He just wanted it to stop. He wanted the pain to stop.

Why would the pain never stop?! Why did everything hurt all the time? Why wouldn't the wind ever leave him alone? Was this all he was meant for in life? Was this all that was ever there for him?

At this moment, he couldn't even remember the good times. He couldn't recall a single moment that he wasn't in pain. He couldn't remember the field of flowers or the feeling he felt when Luigi sang his song. He couldn't remember any of it. Just pain, pain, and more pain.

"Stop..." He whispered. "Please, please make it stop,"

"SOMEBODY HELP HIM!" Mario cried, rushing forward and grabbing Dimentio's shoulders as if he was trying to steady the jester, who was on his knees and plugging his ears, trying to stop the screaming in his head. Tears ran down his grey face, out of his mismatched eyes. It hurt so bad.

"T-The void will only disperse when the one controlling the Chaos Heart is dispatched," The Count shakily explained, quickly standing up with a horrified expression on his face. "W-What have I done?! How could I let you take... how could I..."

"Pure Hearts," Dimentio squeaked, ignoring the hatred he felt towards himself for choosing to do this. Why couldn't he had just trusted that the heroes would come and let them fight the count? "You... must use... Pure Hearts."

Mario nodded, then looked back at Bowser and Peach. They all seemed to understand, and together pulled out all the pure hearts they had collected all this time, using them to try to neutralize the Chaos Heart from within.

But it didn't end things. It didn't destroy the heart.

"W-What?!" Tippi explained in confusion as Dimentio still writhed in pain on the ground. 

"I-It must have not worked because there isn't enough love to back them up," She nervously exclaimed. "T-There's too much fear in the room. The Chaos Heart is strengthened by feelings of fear and hate. But the Pure Hearts needed love.

Tippi then looked up to the Count, fluttering slightly closer to him. There were tears in his eyes as if this moment was flying by all too quickly. It was hard to even process what was going on.

"I..." The Count started, clearing his throat. "I think... there's only one thing left we can do..."

He looked down at Dimentio. Without the man in green to host the power of the heart for him, it was too much. The heart was going to tear him apart.

"... We must hurry. Please just... hang in there Dimentio." The Count begged, his voice and personality seeming to change. He didn't sound like he did before. He then turned and waved his arms, making a large doorway appear.

He quickly opened it and rushed through, all the heroes following behind him and leaving Dimentio alone in the inner sanctum.

Dimentio didn't have it in him to hate them for leaving him behind. He didn't have it in him to feel anything actually. He could only focus on the pain. Because that's simply all there was.

"Count?!" Nastasia suddenly exclaimed, running into the inner sanctum with Mimi and O'Chunks behind her, disappointed to only see Dimentio in there. "Dimentio? What happened?! Where's the Count?!

Dimentio didn't reply. He just shakily used one of his hands and pointed to the door. The minions all nodded and quickly ran through it, not one of them staying behind to be with him in his time of pain. Not that he was surprised. 

Meanwhile, the Count took everyone to a large alter. It almost looked like it was set up for a wedding. The winter air was ice cold. Gentle snowflakes fell from the grey skies above, sparkling slightly. 

Peach and Bowser frowned slightly, remembering this place. It was the place they were forced to be married all that time ago. The place where the Chaos Heart was summoned.

"|The Count then turned to Tippi, holding his hand out. "Timpani..." He whispered. "I... it's you."

To this, the Pixl lightly smiled. Though no one could tell, since she was a Pixl. "It's me," She replied. "It's me, Blumiere." 

He lightly smiled at her, then tilted his head to his hand. "Then... then you must come with me. Quickly."

"'Ey, Count! What're yeh doin'?!" O'Chunks asked as the rest of Team Bleck besides Dimentio rushed into the scene. 

The Count looked up from Tippi and softly smiled at his minions. His loyal, loyal family which had stayed by his side all this time. "My friends.... we will use the Pure Hearts again, this time to banish the Chaos Heart. All we need is true love... And that is something I am lucky enough to possess... But... With the Chaos Heart gone, the Pure Hearts and those linked to them... They may cease to exist..."

"You mean you might go away? B-But I don't want you to go!" Mimi exclaimed, suddenly sounding very fearful. Her lower lip began to quiver and she began to tremble. But Count Bleck didn't return her fear.

"All of this is my fault. The price is mine to pay... I do not have long to live anyway. But you, Timpani..." The Count trailed off, turning to the Pixl and frowning. "It pains me to know this may cut your game short... Still... There is no other way to end this."

"I know, Blumiere... I know..." Tippi whispered in a gentle, understanding tone. She wasn't afraid either.

"Timpani-" The Count started when she shushed him.

"Don't say another word... As long as I am with you, nothing else matters." Tippi assured, fluttering onto his shoulder and resting on it.

Then the world began to rumble. The end of all worlds was upon them. It was happening.

So, the couple rushed off to the alter, leaving the rest behind so it was just the two of them now. 

Once they were there, it was like time paused for a moment. "Timpani... there were so many things I wanted to say to you...but I could not find the words," The Count started. "I have thought about you every moment since you disappeared... But I have caused you so much suffering..."

To this, Tippi lightly giggled. "Perhaps...my life would have been more carefree without you, that is true..."

"But I had to be with you, Timpani. I will never apologize for that..." The Count stated.

"I know, Blumiere. And I love you..."

The world began to go dark.

"And I love you, Timpani... Hundreds of thousands of years from now, that fact will not have changed..." 

The ground rumbled and shook. 

But amongst the rumbling and breaking, there was the sound of bells. Sweet, peaceful bells giving Blumiere and Timpani their blessing.

And then, there was white. The Couple held each other, and the whole world seemed to go white. They were alone, no one else around for miles and miles. Timpani looked around herself, then down at her hands. She had hands once again. She was... human.

"Timpani...do you remember the promise we made to each other that day?" Blumiere asked, grabbing her hand and looking around at the infinite white

 "Yes, I remember..." Timpani trailed off, looking around, mesmerized. This wasn't the Overthere. But it wasn't the Underwhere either. Where were they? Between life and death, perhaps?

 "If there was a place where we could be happy together, we would find it." Blumiere clarified.

Then, a train seemed to roll up as a station suddenly formed, its doors opening. Out stepped a man with a black suit and a cane. 

Death.

He held two tickets out to them.

"Will... you come with me to that place now?" Blumiere asked, looking down at Timpani.

 "Blumiere... Of course... I will always be with you..." Timpani promised, taking her ticket.

It should have been a beautiful moment.

But... there was a problem.

"... Wait a minute," She muttered, looking down at her ticket, then looking over at Blumiere's. "Why does mine say 'Overthere' while his says 'Jaydestown?"

To this, Death just shrugged and turned away from them. "It's where the gods determined each of you would be best suited. 

"Separate?!" Timpani exclaimed. "No, no, no! No way! Is there any way he can go to the Overthere with me?! Any way at all?!"

"I'm afraid not..." Death trailed off. "We can't send souls who have done what he had done to the Overthere... I'm sorry."

Timpani shook her head, horrified by the fact that they could be separated once again when an idea suddenly popped into her head.

"Then send me down to Jaydestown with him. Where he goes, I go."

Death paused to think it over, then lightly smiled in amusement. He loved mortals and the love they had for each other. Rejecting the Overthere to be with the one she loved. Now THAT was a good story. Even if it meant that they'd both likely turn into worker shaydes. 

So, he took Timpani's ticket back, and handed her a new one, also labeled for Jaydestown.

And that was the end of that.

Or, it should have been. But it seemed the train had one more soul to pick up.