~ Third Person POV ~

"HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT WAS HIS FAVORITE VASE?!" Mario exclaimed as he walked out of Merlee's large mansion next to Peach and Bleck, pure heart in hand.

"I told you not to break it," Peach laughed. "You're such a clutz sometimes, your highness."

Peach continued giggling while Mario wore an annoyed expression on his face, feeling somewhat humiliated after what he had just gone through. "Okay, but he didn't have to get all angry and start, and I quote, 'chunking things,'" Mario sighed, holding up air quotes.

"It's sort of what he does," Bleck explained. "It's his name and everything. But do not worry, you seem unscratched! ...For the most part."

"Unscratched? UNSCRATCHED?! HOW'S THIS FOR UNSCRATCHED!" Prince Mario exclaimed, rolling up his sleeve and revealing a tiny bruise on his elbow. 

"Mario, don't you think you're overreacting just a TINY bit?" Peach giggled.

"No. I am not," Mario spat, crossing his arms while Peach smiled a soft smile at him. He wanted to stay upset... but with her smiling like that, it was hard to stay mad. "Alright... maybe a TINY bit," Mario admitted, pulling out the pure heart. "But... I'll admit. It was interesting to be ON the adventure instead of just being rescued. That was... intense, but also a little thrilling. I could almost say I enjoyed it," He chuckled. 

"See! I knew you would!" Bleck beamed. "Now come along. We need to return the pure heart to Flipside and open the next door! Our journey awaits!"

______

"Ummm, Countess," Mimi muttered, walking up behind Countess Tippi and clearing her throat, back in that dark inter sanctum in Castle Tippi. "Nassy informed me of a brief memo from Chunky. She said that HE said, 'Ay lassie, I dun mezzed up real bad'" Mimi explained, shapeshifting into O'Chunks and imitating his voice almost perfectly. Then she turned back into herself. "The heroes keep getting past us. Should we send Nassy out again?" She questioned in an almost worried tone.

Countess Tippi continued facing away, but briefly turned her head to the side, a small smile on her face. "Hmm... No. Countess Tippi will send..."

She suddenly clapped her hands together as if summoning someone. "DIMENTIO, would you be a doll and come to Countess Tippi?" She asked almost sweetly.

Before she even finished her sentence, the jester teleported right next to her, making Mimi jump slightly upon his arrival. "And so I arrive, like a sudden windstorm at a kindergarten picnic!" He beamed. 

Tippi nodded at him and smiled in return. "It's about time you got involved in the action, Dimentio. So some action you'll have! Dispatch the heroes!" Tippi commanded, turning away.

Dimentio nodded and quickly bowed, holding his arms out as if she were royalty. "Your wish is my command. Besides, this fool sounds like an amusing challenge. Now if there is nothing else, I'll just be on my way. Ciao, my count...ess." He replied, voice slightly faltering at the end. 

And just as soon as he arrived, he left, teleporting away with a chime.

Mimi waited until he was gone, letting out a sigh of relief. She didn't know why, but she always had a little bit of a bad feeling about him. "Well, that should hopefully take care of these silly heroes," She breathed, composing herself. "I'm gonna go get Nassy and take care of the last few little boos who've yet to join our side. I'll report back soon!" She stated, running off.

Countess Tippi nodded, then scoffed to herself, slowly walking in the opposite direction as Mimi, down the long, empty hallways. "Heroes... Trying to save these pathetic old worlds. Teeheehee~! Their efforts are in vain. No one can stop Countess Tippi!" She laughed, only for her laughter to suddenly fade, being replaced with a much more melancholic expression.

"Just as no one can ease the tempest that rages in my suffering heart..." She whispered.

______

Meanwhile, on the other side of the castle, someone was finally waking. 

"Ohh... oww... everything hurts," Daisy muttered, rubbing her head and slowly sitting up, her eyes fluttering open. She blinked a few times as the dark castle which surrounded her came into focus. "What the... where am I?" She muttered, standing up and turning around herself. "Dark walls... dark ceilings..." She squinted her eyes and looked down the halls, seeing no one. 

"No people... how delightful!" She smirked, giggling to herself. "Whoever lives here really needs to brighten the place up. What's the mood they're going for with all this black? Haunted Mansion? Phantom Maner? Tower of Terror!? .... Probably the last one. I'm definitely feeling like I got caught in the twilight zone..." She snickered.

She laughed to herself when suddenly a small voice cleared their throat from behind her, making her jump and cover her mouth, immediately shutting up.

"Hey, orange girl!" A small Boo called as Daisy whirled turned around to see two little boos.

"Oh. Um... wazzup bad guys." She awkwardly mumbled. "Um...Ya doing alright?"

The first boo held up its little arms and shrugged. "Yeah, we're doing OK. Good to see you made it! (Figured she was done... Gal is tougher than she looks.)"

"Um, I heard that," Daisy scoffed, crossing her arms. "So say, have you seen Mario or Peach perhaps? Or even King Boo?"

"Nope, not so much," The second Boo started. "You're the only one we found lying around here. Hopefully, they're both OK. (Get a load of this moron! Who cares about her friends?)"

"Again, I heard that," She replied, voice dryer and lower as if she was annoyed. But they just continued talking as if they were completely ignoring everything she had said.

"Well, all our friends and family got captured. And that's not all! Some... weird voodoo magic made them all turn evil or something. We're probably next! (Why is this idiot so calm?! We're behind enemy lines!)" The first Boo exclaimed.

"Ah. Voodoo Magic. Sounds... fun," Daisy muttered, brushing herself off. "Well, I hate to break it to you, but I can't help you there. I've never messed with any sort of voodoo."

"Well, you don't have to...Daisy, old buddy! What about maybe getting out of here? We're thinking maybe you open up a path for us...and we all bail. Watcha think?" The Boos asked both asked.

She paused dusting herself off and looked at them with a blank expression for a moment, then broke out into a fit of laugher as if what the boos just said was hilarious. "PFFFT, since when were WE buddies?! And BAIL? No no no no no, I don't BAIL. I've gotta save the prince. If Mario's in here, then you bet I'm gonna find him and save him."

The two boos paused, then exchanged mischievous glances, floating a little closer. "Man...wow. Did NOT expect that. All those stories about Great Daisy's daring exploits... We'd heard you were the defender of the helpless! We have no one else!" The first boo exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah, save it. I'm not foolish enough to fall for that kind of garbage. Here, tell ya what, I'll take you two with me, and if we happen to come across an exit while I'm searching for Mario, I'll let ya out. Deal?" Daisy asked, shrugging.

Something about Daisy, she wasn't quite so gullible. 

"Oh. Wow... didn't expect that..." The second boo muttered. "But okay. Deal! (Whoa, that was waaaaay too easy. What a sucker!)"

"We're right behind you! (But the second the going gets rough, we BAIL!)" The first boo chimed.

"I still hear you guys..." Daisy muttered, shrugging off their little insulting phrases. "But okay. Let's a-go!

She started forward, searching the halls of the castle. However, it was very big and very confusing. After walking through a few hallways and passing a few doors she finally hit a dead end.

"Uh... Shouldn't we look for another way out, maybe?" The first boo suggested. "(This girl's useless.) If we stay put, somebody is definitely going to spot--"

The boo suddenly froze and dropped down as if it got really dizzy.

"Agh... HAIL TIPPI!" The boo exclaimed, making Daisy jump back, the other boo quickly hiding behind her. The brainwashed boo them floated away, joining a group of brainwashed boos with two girls standing in the middle of all of them.

"CHERI!!!! NOOOOOOOOO!" The remaining boo exclaimed from behind Daisy.

"Ah, there you are," Mimi chimed, looking right at Daisy and smiling an evil smile. "I've been looking ALL OVER for YOU~!"

"YOU!" Daisy exclaimed, getting into a fighting stance. "I recognize you! From the wedding, right?"

"Yep!" Mimi chimed. "You weren't really a team player back there. We'll have to fix that,"

"Team player? It was a wedding, not a football game!!" Daisy snapped back while Nastasia raised her glasses, making a flash of light shine, forcing to boo behind Daisy to get dizzy too.

"No, no, no, no," Daisy muttered, as the boo seemed to get dazed.

"HAIL TIPPI!" It exclaimed as well, joining Cheri and the other boos.

"NOT YOU TOO!" Daisy shouted, narrowing her eyes at Mimi and Nastasia. Then she eyed all the boos behind them, all seeming to back the two girls up. "Dirty traitors," She harshly whispered. "All of you."

"Oh, well that was mean, now wasn't it," Mimi giggled, snapping her fingers. "You know what, just for that, I'll have you guys hold her down while Nassy scrubs her brain? Capiche?" 

"Yes Ma'am!" All the boos replied, their voices almost sounding robotic. Then they all approached Daisy, grabbing her and holding her down so she couldn't move. It was surprisingly easy for them to grab ahold of her since they clearly outnumbered the girl in orange.

She began to desperately try thrashing against them in an attempt to escape. "What the- HEY!! LET ME GO OR SO HELP ME, I WILL DROP KICK YOU!"

"Aww, golly, you're quite a fighter, aren't-cha? You've got a good spirit, I'll give you that!" Mimi chimed, walking closer, voice sounding cheerful. "But you're priorities aren't straight. Lucky for you, my good friend here can fix that!"

"LET ME GO!" Daisy commanded, glaring up at them. "Just you wait! Peach will come for me! She'll come for me, and TAKE YOU DOWN!" Daisy spat in full confidence.

"Debatable," Nastasia laughed, readjusting her glasses. "Goodnight."

Then, a small flash of light came from her eye, and the room went dark.