~ Present Time ~

"No... Timpani... don't..." Bleck muttered, lying on the ground on top of Flipside tower, shivering as if he was having a horrible nightmare, his voice breaking. "Please... how could you... I don't want this... I... You... Why..."

"Hey! Blecky boy! Snap out of it, will ya?!" Daisy shouted, picking him up, causing him to suddenly snap awake.

"...Huh?" He muttered, looking around in a confused manner. "W-what happened?"

"You appeared to pass out..." Mario explained. "Once we got back from the Overthere. You nearly gave Pierre a heart attack."

"Yeah," King Boo added. "Merlon had to take him back to his house to 'calm him down.' Peach went to put the last heart in the pillar. Are you okay?"

Bleck seemed to pause as if he was trying to remember something. "Um... I'm alright... I'm sorry for startling you..." He trailed off, clearly distracted.

"Timpani... Is that a person's name you were saying? Were you remembering something from your past?!" Mario asked, almost sounding excited.

"....No... It's nothing... Nothing at all..." Bleck murmured.

Everyone exchanged awkward glances when Daisy finally let him go and cleared her throat to break the awkward silence. "So, should we go to the old guy's house? We should probably tell the guy with blue eyes that you're not dead. He was really worried there! It was almost funny!"

"Pierre was worried?" Bleck questioned. "Why...?"

"I don't know. I think he's just the type of person to get worried when someone gets hurt. Let's let him know you're okay!" Daisy chimed, leading the group down to the elevator and to Merlon's house.

Once they arrived they were lucky enough to run into Peach, who just got back from putting the last heart into the pillar. "Oh, hey guys! Bleck, I'm glad to see you're up!" She chimed, smiling at the Pixl.

"Thank you," Bleck breathed. "It's good to see you, Peach."

The blonde smiled in response as Daisy knocked on Merlon's door. However, before she could even finish, the ancient opened it with a concerned look in his yellow eyes.

"Yes?" He asked.

Daisy stood on her tiptoes and peered around him to see Pierre on the other side of the room, facing away from the door and trembling, keeping his hood up and nervously biting at his nails. 

"Is... he okay?" Daisy questioned.

"He'll be just fine," Merlon assured, eyes softening. "He's just a little worried about Bleck."

"Why?" Bleck asked, causing Pierre to suddenly whirl around, a hopeful expression in his blue eyes. 

"Bleck?!" He asked, a glimmer of hope in his voice. As soon as he spotted the Pixl, his eyes went wide, his voice rising in pitch, the joyous feeling returning to it. "BLECK! YOU'RE OKAY!" He cried, blue tears welling up in his eyes.

"Are you crying?" Bleck asked as Pierre stood on the other side of the room, vibrating slightly.

"...No," Pierre squeaked, sniffling and smiling the biggest smile, even though no one could see it. "I'm just... so happy you're okay."

"Yes, yes. We're all grateful. But I fear for all the poor people of this world who must continue to look at the sky and worry. We must act quickly and ease their hearts and minds!" Merlon exclaimed.

Bleck looked at Merlon and paused, stilling and going silent as if he was deep in thought.

"What's wrong?! W-what troubles you, Bleck?" Pierre asked, stepping closer, eyes still expressing how grateful and relieved he was. His voice was soft and gentle, however. Lacking in the energy it usually held.

"The prophecy..." Bleck quietly trailed off, looking up at Pierre. "Do...do we really have to destroy Countess Tippi to stop it from happening?"

Pierre's eyes showed that his smile had slowly faded, giving him a more concerned appearance as he drew backward, falling silent. So, Merlon took this opportunity to answer the question for him. "Much of the dark prophecy has already come to pass...but stop it we must. It was by Countess Tippi's hand that the Chaos Heart was summoned, bringing this peril. Without her, the prophecy's power will wither, and all worlds can avoid their ends." He stated.

There was a heartbroken expression in Bleck's good eye. Pierre could see it clear as day.

Bleck remembered her... didn't he.

Pierre could tell.

Did he remember him?

Hopefully not...

"Yes... I suppose you're right... I guess we always knew that, didn't we..." Bleck murmured, sounding upset and disappointed.

Pierre was starting to get a bad feeling about all of this. It was getting harder to ignore the growing worry.

"Bleck? Is something the matter? What is it?" Peach asked, looking at the Pixl with concern and empathy in her eyes.

"Umm... it's, nothing... It was nothing... I'm fine! Let's go!" Bleck said, his voice returning somewhat back to its normal state.

However, that didn't stop everyone in the room from being concerned about him.

"...Very well, then. You must head back to the black tower in Flopside. There... you will find the door to Castle Tippi," Merlon stated. "We will follow-"

"M-merlon, My friend. May I speak with you?" Pierre suddenly interrupted, causing everyone to turn and give him a confused look.

"Umm... sure, my friend," Merlon shrugged, turning to the heroes. "You run along. We'll meet you at the tower."

The heroes all shrugged it off and left the house, knowing now that it was normal for Merlon and Pierre to have their own private conversations. They were ready to move onward to the final part of their adventure when Daisy paused, looking at the now-closed door to Merlon's house.

Curious...

"Daisy? You good?" Peach questioned, cocking her head to the side and looking at her friend with a confused expression on her face. Daisy froze for a moment. She heard talking on the other side of the door, but she was unable to understand what was being said.

However, she could most definitely hear something going on. She wasn't like everyone else. She wasn't one to just let some things go. When she was curious about something, she intended to figure it out.

"Umm... yeah!" Daisy lied, turning and smiling a reassuring smile at Peach. "I just... I'm gonna ask the ancient guy something real quick. I'll meet you all at the door! You go ahead!"

The other three heroes seemed to exchange confused glances, but then shrugged it off and went onward, leaving her alone. Once they were all gone, including Bleck, Daisy pressed her ear to the door to Merlon's house, listening in on the conversation going on inside.

"What are you guys hiding..." She whispered to herself under her breath.

"My friend, my friend, you need to calm down..." Merlon's voice assured on the other side of the door, sounding kind and gentle.

"How?!" Pierre seemed to squeak in response, voice sounding shaky and filled with worry. "I've had a growing feeling that something bad is going to happen to him. And as time goes on, it only gets worse. I can't keep pretending this is okay! I can't keep pretending that I don't care! The pressure of keeping this secret is tearing me apart!" He seemed to cry, voice desperate. "I can't keep ignoring who I was. I can't run from myself! Wherever I go, the memories will never leave me!"

"Interesting..." Daisy muttered, continuing to listen in.

"Pierre, calm yourself." Merlon urged. "You must. It's his destiny. We've decided that he was fit for this role long ago-"

"We didn't decide, YOU decided. I only went along with it because I thought he'd be safe! But I'm scared! I-I'm scared, Merlon." Pierre cried, voice getting softer and softer. "I'm scared..."

"Hush..."

"N-No..." Pierre whispered, voice breaking. "... I can't lose him. Not again. Please, try to understand. H-He's my son. It's hard enough that he doesn't know. It's hard enough seeing him see me as nothing other than your friend... but losing him? I-I can't do that."

"Son?!" Daisy whispered, slowly putting two and two together. She had to bring her hand to her mouth to hold in a gasp as Merlon and Pierre continued talking.

"My friend..."

"Please, Merlon. Let me go instead. I know that dimension. I know the way! I can help them instead-"

"Pierre. You know Tippi would kill you on sight..." Merlon breathed. "She'd finish the job, and I don't want to lose you. You're my best friend..."

"I DON'T CARE!" Pierre shouted, shocking Merlon. He actually shocked himself as well. He didn't often allow himself to yell. He didn't like hearing himself yell. "I...I can't let him continue down this path. What if I lose him before I tell him?" Pierre squeaked, voice soft and broken sounding again. 

Merlon and Pierre both seemed to pause on the other side of the door as Daisy waited for a response. Eventually, Merlon finally said, "That's quite enough, Pierre."

"Please..." Pierre seemed to whisper when Daisy suddenly heard footsteps approaching. She quickly stepped to the side of the house and hid around the wall as Merlon left and walked off, leaving Pierre all alone.

Daisy waited until Merlon was long gone before taking a deep breath, summoning all her confidence, and stepping inside, crossing her arms and looking at Pierre, who was facing away from the door with his hood down now, nervously biting at his nails, just like before.

"Ehem," Daisy cleared her throat, causing the cloaked man to flinch and whirl around, Blue eyes going wide as soon as he saw her.

"D-Daisy!" He stuttered, forcing a happy tone and smile. However, he couldn't cover the blue tear lines clearly lining his face. "I-I thought you were all hearing towards-"

"I heard everything," Daisy interrupted, causing the man's blue eyes to go wide in fear.

"H-Heard what?!" He nervously laughed, trying his best to play it off. 

"EVERYTHING," Daisy repeated. "I heard everything."

"O-Oh..." Pierre whispered, nervously laughing more and more. "That! W-Well none of that was real. M-Me and Merlon were just... just rehearsing for a play! Y-Yeah! A play!"

"Save it. So you're Bleck's dad?" Daisy asked, lightly smirking. "Wow. Well, I guess that would explain the panic attack."

"Y-you.... oh no," He squeaked, biting his fist and beginning to nervously pace around Merlon's house. "Oh... no-no-no. Y-You weren't supposed to hear that! Merlon's gonna kill me!"

"Pffft, what? Why would he do that?" Daisy asked. "Why didn't Bleck tell us you were related-"

"BECAUSE HE DOESN'T KNOW!" Pierre snapped, freezing. He seemed angry for a moment, but then slowly calmed down, eyes softening. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap. I-I just... you can't tell Bleck. P-please!"

"He doesn't know he's your son?!" Daisy questioned. "Why?! Why wouldn't you tell him?!"

"Because I...I... I was a horrible, h-horrible person." Pierre breathed, hands shaking. "I... and Merlon thought it would be best if Bleck simply didn't know! Eheh..."

"Why not? I'm gonna keep asking until you give me some real answers. Wouldn't he want to know?" 

Pierre paused, then sat down with his back to the wall, hugging his knees to his chest. "...Me and Merlon believed... that Bleck would be a lot happier... i-if he didn't."

Daisy paused, then sat down across from him. "Why...?" She asked, voice actually gentle and kind now, which was almost strange to hear coming from her. Gentle and kind was more of Peach's thing.

Pierre looked up at her, desperate to speak. He had never been allowed to speak to anybody other than Merlon about his past. He had pretty much been forced to change all his ways, pretending to be an ancient like Merlon, when in reality he had grown up with a completely different set of beliefs.

He eventually gave in, too emotionally weak to stop himself from finally speaking. "... Bleck... was not always Bleck. He was my son. Blumiere..." Pierre explained, softly smiling at the memories. "He was kind... loving... and so full of life. Everything I ever wished I was, and everything I strive to be now,"

The guy lightly smiled at the warm thoughts of his son, but that smile faded as he was brought to the reality of what had happened to that beautiful child. "It was just me and him. His mother left us when he was very young, so he was all I had. The tribe never let me show it... but he was my everything. He was my reason for getting up in the morning. My reason for living. But... the tribe never taught us how to love. I... simply didn't know how to be a good father. I... didn't know how to give him the love he deserved." He breathed, looking down.

"The tribe... they couldn't deal with who he chose to love. So... they tried to make me... make me kill him. Twice, actually. As his father, t-they said it was my job to discipline him if he were to break rules. The first time they tried making me do it, I got on my knees and begged them for another solution, thus leading to the scar on his eye. But... the second time... they wouldn't make any more deals. I had to kill him. A-and when I couldn't... they did it for me," He sniffed, looking down and squeezing his blue eyes shut, holding in tears. 

Daisy gasped and put her hand over her mouth as a few blue tears slowly fell from Pierre's face, though she could tell he was desperately trying not to cry. "I... when I found him it was too late. He was going to die. So... I found Merlon. Merlon said he could save him... but not his body or his memory." Pierre explained, wiping tears and forcing a soft smile. "I'm grateful every single day for the second chance he gave me. The chance to be the person I always wanted to be."

Daisy's eyes seemed to soften as she leaned forward. "But... I still don't understand why you didn't remind him? If... If you've known all this time,"

Pierre closed his eyes and seemed to bow his head in shame, shaking slightly, voice squeaking as if he was going to break down any moment now.

"I... didn't want him to remember me," Pierre admitted, sounding oh so small and weak. 

"I was going to tell him... but when I first saw his Pixl form... when I first saw that monocle over the eye I ruined... I was reminded of what I had done to him. I asked Merlon to fix it, but he said that he couldn't heal emotional scars like that." He explained.

He let out a defeated sigh and looked up at her, eyes glassy. "That me... the one who gave him that scar... that wasn't the me I wanted him to know. I wanted to be... a kind and loving soul. J-just like Blumiere was. I was inspired by him. So... Merlon and I agreed that it would be best if I was simply a friend. T-that way Bleck would never have to feel weighed down by what I had done. Merlon has been kind enough to take me in... helping me blend in and making sure I don't end up saying anything."

"But... doesn't Bleck deserve to know where he came from?" Daisy asked. "I'm sure he's curious. If you knew this all along, why wouldn't you tell him? Don't you think he deserves to know?"

"... Of course I do," Pierre admitted. "And sometimes... I want to tell him. I want to tell him and try to search for forgiveness. But... I'm afraid. I was lucky enough to be given this second chance, and there was no way I was just going to throw that away. And b-besides... Merlon thinks it would be best if Bleck continued to not know. Otherwise, he might back down and refuse to help us fight Countess Tippi. Which is why you cannot tell him. Please."

"But-"

"PLEASE!" Pierre begged.

"Fine! Fine! I won't tell him!" Daisy breathed, holding her hands up. "But only because YOU should."

Pierre's eyes seemed to soften as he let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you... hero. Thank you."

Daisy paused, then smiled and nodded, standing herself up and heading for the door. "Well... I gotta get going. My friends need me."

She was about to walk out and leave him, when Pierre let out a small, "Wait."

She paused in the doorway and looked back down at him, raising an eyebrow. "Yes?"

Pierre's big blue eyes were still wide and glassy, but she could tell that he was lightly smiling again through them. "Just... protect him," Pierre whispered.

Daisy slowly smiled, then nodded. "I will," She promised. "Will you tell him?"

Pierre seemed to freeze, not answering her question. She decided to leave once it was clear she wasn't getting an answer, finding her friends and leaving him all alone.

"We'll see..." He whispered after she was long gone, softly smiling. "We'll see...."