~ Present Time ~

The train doors opened and Dimentio stepped off, being ushered through along with a group of other recently departed souls, each looking around in confusion, some wondering where they were and what had happened to them. But he was not one of them. He knew exactly where he was. He knew exactly what had happened.

Everyone was ushered into a large room, where there were papers to be signed, promising them a life in the Underwhere. Promising them freedom, safety, warmth, everything Dimentio had ever wanted. Promising no more pain.

So of course, he signed without even giving it a second thought, as did everyone else. He was ushered through another set of doors, along with the other souls.

The train from earlier, the one that brought Timpani and Blumiere down to Jaydestown, had already gone through the process. They already had become who they were now. When before they were something, now they were nothing more than two worker shaydes, mining into the ground and building up the wall around the river of Twygz. Even though they were next to each other, they didn't look at one another. They didn't speak, or listen, or even think for that matter.

Their skin had turned to a dark grey, almost black color. Their eyes were white. Their hair was jet black. You could only tell who they once were by the shape of their faces. Even their outfits had been replaced with the standard worker shayde black overalls, white undershirt, and miner boots.

~ Music Start ~

As the shaydes all worked and mined, Jaydes stepped out onto her castle balcony, Luvbi next to her. Up there, she smiled at the sight of all the shaydes laboring in the city she built, somewhat proud of the throne she made for herself.

All the shaydes were no longer in pain because of her. All this land was made because of her. The heat, the lights, the atmosphere, all her. She made this home herself. With or without love, it didn't matter. What mattered was that it was beautiful and that the wall was strong.

Who cared if Luvbi hated it. Someday she would learn to appreciate all of her mother's hard work, right? Someday she'd learn to be grateful for everything she did for her.

As more shaydes signed their lives away to join the cause, she couldn't help but feel proud. Proud for giving all these useless souls purpose. Proud for giving them work to do. Proud for giving them meaning.

Grambi could never make something like this. He was such a pushover that he just led the Overthere by himself. Sure, he had the sun, but Jaydes had a city of workers. She worked hard to make this a wonderful place for Luvbi, while Grambi just sat there, blessed with the fact that the place he lived was naturally already perfect.

But this perfection? This was earned. She had to lead and work for this. 

Jaydes: Why do we build the wall
My children, my children?
Why do we build the wall?

Blumiere, Timpani, and the rest of the shaydes emptily answered, still working as they did so.

Shaydes: Why do we build the wall?
We build the wall to keep us free
That's why we build the wall
We build the wall to keep us free

Jaydes: How does the wall keep us free
My children, my children?
How does the wall keep us free?

Again, they answered exactly as she had programmed them to.

Shaydes: How does the wall keep us free?
The wall keeps out the enemy
And we build the wall to keep us free
That's why we build the wall
We build the wall to keep us free

Jaydes: Who do we call the enemy
My children, my children?
Who do we call the enemy?

Shaydes: Who do we call the enemy?
The enemy is poverty
And the wall keeps out the enemy
And we build the wall to keep us free
That's why we build the wall
We build the wall to keep us free

Jaydes: Because we have and they have not
My children, my children
Because they want what we have got

It was just an endless cycle of work.

Shaydes: Because we have and they have not
Because they want what we have got
The enemy is poverty
And the wall keeps out the enemy
And we build the wall to keep us free
That's why we build the wall
We build the wall to keep us free...

Dimentio went through the process with the other new souls after signing the papers, being handed the standard uniform, and being sent someplace to change. He didn't protest, however. He just followed the crowd and did what he was told now since there was no point in fighting.

After he changed, he could hardly even recognize himself. He had still yet to become a shayde, but without the mask and without his usual jester attire, he hardly felt like himself.

Once everyone was changed, they were all ushered to a new orientation room, where they would be turned from souls into shaydes by the queen herself.

Jaydes still stood out on her balcony, speaking out to those working on the wall before leaving to deal with the new recruits.

Jaydes: What do we have that they should want
My children, my children?
What do we have that they should want?

Shaydes: What do we have that they should want?
We have a wall to work upon
We have work and they have none

Jaydes: And our work is never done!
My children, my children!
And the war is never won

Jaydes and Shaydes: The enemy is poverty
And the wall keeps out the enemy
And we build the wall to keep us free
That's why we build the wall
We build the wall to keep us free!

Jaydes then turned around herself, leaving Luvbi alone out on the balcony as she went to deal with the next ground. Dimentio's group.

Shaydes: We build the wall to keep us free...

~ Music Stop 4:00 ~

Luvbi swallowed, looking down upon all the workers. She never liked the idea of them being used like this, but it wasn't like she could do anything to change it... so she just sat by and watched her mother continue to make more and more worker shaydes, 'giving them purpose' and whatnot.

Jaydes then stepped into the orientation room, where Dimentio and the group of newly departed souls waited for further instruction.

"All the papers have been signed?" She asked them in a booming voice. The room fell silent as everyone nodded.

"Perfect..." She stated. As if on cue, a set of doors opened, and she walked through. In front of those doors were two D-Men there to help guide the new souls.

"A'IGHT! HERE'S THE DEAL!" The first D-Man stated as the queen stepped through those doors. "WE'RE GONNA FORM A LINE! ONCE YOU GET THROUGH, THE QUEEN WILL TURN YOU INTO SHAYDES, AND YOU'LL BE FREE! ONCE YOU DO THIS, THERE'S NO GOING BACK! GOT IT?"

Everyone more or less nodded along in agreement, seeing as there were no other options, and they formed a line. Dimentio found himself in the middle, but slightly closer to the back end, giving him more time to think about this.

Freedom. It sounded nice. And it was so warm down here... so warm and safe. 

Perhaps this could be a good thing.

This was a good thing, right?

The pain was finally over. He was free.