~ Present ~

"Okay, that was funny" King Boo smirked as everyone arrived back in Flipside, another pure heart in tow. "I think that was probably the highlight of my year."

"Shut up," Mario spat, still exhausted from all the exercise, as Peach giggled to herself.

The poor prince was clearly tired from all the adventuring. And the fact that King Boo was constantly making fun of him certainly didn't help.

"So, what do we do with the heart thingy now?" King Boo questioned, looking at the sparkling object which Peach was holding. "Sacrifice it to the void so it will leave us alone?"

"No," Bleck breathed, trying not to laugh at King Boo for even thinking something so ridiculous. "We don't sacrifice pure hearts. We need to put it where it in a heart pillar and find more."

"Ughhhhh, but this is so exhausting!" King Boo complained. "I mean, one adventure was fun, but I don't know if I can take much more..."

"Exhausting?! EXHAUSTING?! You've barely even been doing anything!" Mario exclaimed. "You're just floating around and following us! And you're a ghost! DO YOU EVEN GET TIRED?!"

"Well, not physically, but listening to you complain about me has been very energy-draining," King Boo yawned. "It gets old after a while, Prince Mushroom."

"Guys, quit fighting," Peach begged. "We need to find Merlon and let him know we found another pure heart."

King Boo raised a ghostly eyebrow as Mario rolled his eyes and groaned, remembering the weird old dude who made him go on this exhausting journey. "Ah, right. That dude..." Mario mumbled.

"Hey, you will treat 'that dude,' with respect," Bleck stated. "He's an ancient."

"Oh, I can tell he's ancient," Mario breathed, lightly smirking to himself.

"Wh- hey!! What did I just say?" Bleck scolded. "Treat him with respect! He's been nothing but helpful! Without him, we'd most definitely be doomed."

Mario rolled his eyes as Bleck lectured him, apologizing now because he wanted to, but because he felt he had to. "Alright, alright. I'm sorry-"

"HEY, GUYS!!" A familiar, happy, young voice called from the side. The heroes all turned to see a familiar red-cloaked man standing on the other edge of the tower, happily waving almost with too much energy. His hood was down again, so everyone could see his bright, glowing smile. He was eating what looked like a croissant. They could tell he had food in his mouth by the way his cheeks appeared to puff out and by the muffled voice.

"Whoa, who the heck is that?" King Boo asked, pointing at him with a confused expression on his ghostly face.

"That's Pierre..." Bleck stated, sounding almost bored. "He's Merlon's friend."

"That I am!" Pierre chimed, rushing over and bowing, nearly tripping as he did so. "I see you've found another hero. It is of the greatest pleasure to meet you, great ghost king. Would you like some of my croissant?"

King Boo briefly eyed the croissant Pierre was holding out to him, then used his finger to push it away, slightly disturbed as Pierre had already taken a bite out of the food. "Um... I'm fine, thank you." 

"Hmm? Alright, more for me then~!" Pierre beamed, taking another bite and chewing happily. Peach didn't even know it was possible to look happy while having a mouth full of food, but here she was, seeing it before her very eyes.

"Umm... Pierre. Hood." Bleck quietly reminded, making the guy quickly jump and flip his hood up as if he just realized it was down.

"Right, right, right, right, right! Heh... forgot about that! Well, let me put that pure heart away for you!" Pierre added, gently reaching down and taking the pure heart from Peach. "Merlon is just resting at the moment, so he left me in charge just in case you guys came back! Isn't that cool?! It's like... I'm someone important!"

He took the object and started running off. "You guys wait here! I'll be right back!!"

And just like that, the guy left.

They all watched as he rushed into the elevator, pressing the button about seventeen times, then getting in once the door opened up and happily waving back at the heroes as the doors shut.

"...Can he give me just a fraction of his energy?" Mario questioned. 

"Ah. If only," Bleck laughed. "If only."

Peach paused, furrowing her brows slightly as she thought about the mysterious red cloaked man-child. He seemed odd. Like a teenager who had too many cups of coffee. She knew Merlon was an important person... but Pierre? Was he really just his intern? What was his deal?

"So... Pierre?" Peach asked, looking down at the Pixl. "What's HIS story?"

Bleck didn't have even pause to answer.

"Him? Oh, he's Merlon's friend!" Bleck quickly replied with a chime. 

"Yeah, I know that. But... they seem to have a weird relationship..." Peach trailed off, trying to figure out why Merlon would even need an intern.

"You mean like frienemies?" Bleck whispered, making his voice much quieter as if he was afraid of Merlon or Pierre overhearing. "Because I agree. They tend to fight every once in a while."

"No, no. More like father and son... Are they related or something!?" Peach asked with a slight gasp.

To this, Bleck fell silent, just staring at the hero like this was the most preposterous, ridiculous, outlandish thing ever suggested. 

Pierre and Merlon?! Related?!

"NO!" He eventually cried, the shock of hearing such a thing finally melting away. "THEY AREN'T RELATED! They're friends. FRIENDS! They're not father and son. That's crazy!"

"Oh. Sorry then. I was just curious as to who he was." Peach shrugged, still feeling curious. So he really was just Merlon's random friend?

Bleck just stared at her a moment, then floated closer and gently placed himself onto her shoulder.

"Well, I've never really told anyone this but...sometimes I too wonder who he is. I've heard so much about Merlon and his achievements. Where he came from, who he descended from... but I know so little about Pierre." Bleck eventually admitted, sighing.

"Wait, huh?" Mario questioned, somewhat surprised. "You don't know who he is?"

"Well, all I know is that, 'He's Merlon's Friend,' and that he's been Merlon's friend for as long as I can remember," Bleck admitted. "I mean... yes, he has magic and he clearly knows about the prophecies and stuff, but he never really told me about himself. I use to be really curious. I'd ask him questions about himself all the time, but all he'd ever say was, 'I'm Merlon's friend. That's all that matters..' I didn't even figure out his age until recently when it accidentally slipped off his tongue."

"Really?" Peach asked, more intrigued. "How old is he? He looks to be in his early twenties. Maybe late teens."

"Well, ancients are weird that way. They stop aging once their bodies declare them at their maximum potential. Pierre said he was a few thousand years old-"

"HOLD UP, A FEW THOUSAND?!" King Boo exclaimed, floating closer and inserting himself into the conversation. "DANG, That guy looks INCREDIBLE for his age."

"Wait, he can't be a thousand!" Mario cried. "He looks and acts like a child!"

"Well, ancients age differently," Bleck shrugged. "Don't tell him I told you though. Merlon got pretty upset when he heard that I found out, so I don't think he'd be too thrilled if he heard you found out too."

"Really? Why?" Peach questioned. That seemed like such a strange thing to get upset over. Especially for a person like Merlon, who seemed to never actually get upset unless it was something silly like tracking mud into the house.

Maybe he was just insecure because he looked so much older.

"I've always assumed it was just a weird ancient thing," Bleck shrugged. 

"Well... do you know his job? Is he really just Merlon's intern?" Peach questioned.

"...I mean, yeah. He doesn't really do anything else. Although there was this one time a few months ago when he tried to make it as an actor!" Bleck beamed, holding in a laugh, which made his voice seem a little strained. "It was really funny. We filmed a video for an audition for an old western/space-styled movie. I think he was auditioning for the role of some sort of space cowboy. He was super into it, but eventually, Merlon came in and told him he couldn't send the audition tape in because it showed his face. That was a sad day for him." 

"I'm gonna need to see him in a space cowboy outfit for research purposes," King Boo stated, leaning forward and holding his hands behind his back, a serious expression on his face for once.

"I think Merlon threw it out..." Bleck trailed off.

Peach slowly nodded, putting her hands together and lightly laughing at the idea of Pierre auditioning to be a space cowboy. It honestly sounded like something he would do. "SOOO, he's not Merlon's son then?" Peach asked.

"Well, I don't think so. I mean... their eyes are different." Bleck pointed out. "And they sound way different. Plus, different body types."

He was about to go on, explaining how he used to have a theory that they might have been brothers if anything since they seemed to have that kind of sibling relationship, but that it was very unlikely since they never indicated that they were related in any way. However, he was cut off by the sound of another dimensional door forming right before the group's very eyes.

"...Well, whoever he is, he's clearly invested in helping us," Peach chimed. "Let's see where this next door leads-"

The world around them suddenly began to rumble again as the void above them all grew larger and larger, striking more fear into all the heroes.

"The void grows..." Merlon suddenly breathed from behind the group, causing both Mario and King Boo to jump and hug each other at the sudden arrival. 

It took them a moment to realize what they did and let go, casting dirty glares at one another. King Boo stuck his tongue out at Mario, then turned his attention to the ancient who seemed to just appear out of nowhere.

"Who the heck-" King Boo started, when Merlon held up a hand to silence him, which the ghost king did find slightly rude.

"It seems The Void has expanded once more... Time is short." Merlon calmly stated in a professional manner, which was much different from Pierre's laid-back, childish attitude. "I see you've found another hero."

"Yes," Bleck nodded. "He's King Boo. We've already given Pierre the pure heart we just collected. He put it away and opened up the next dimensional door for us and everything."

Merlon looked past them and nodded in approval at the new doorway which had appeared. "Well, shall you be off-"

"WAIT!" Pierre cried, teleporting onto the tower in front of the door, holding out his hands, somewhat out of breath. "WAIT!"

"What is it now," Bleck questioned when Pierre reached behind himself and pulled out a simple fishbowl, holding it out to the heroes with wide eyes. "I stole this from a kid!" Pierre breathed, miraculously STILL sounding happy.

That wasn't a phrase you heard all that often. Especially not with that super excited tone. He sounded like he was just told he got free tickets to a waterpark.

"Excuse me?!" Merlon asked, sounding almost upset. "Why in the worlds would you-"

"Oxygen!" Pierre breathed, still seeming somewhat out of breath like he had just run three miles. "They need oxygen for the next dimension!"

"Why are you so exhausted? Didn't you just have a ton of energy not long ago?" King Boo questioned.

"It takes a lot of energy for him to teleport," Bleck explained. "Especially further distances."

Everyone else just exchanged confused glances as Pierre stood there, holding the fishbowl out, slowly catching his breath. 

"Pierre... they don't need a-" Merlon started.

"You don't believe me?" He asked, his blue eyes seeming to get smaller as if he was a tiny bit dissapointed. "See for yourself then!" 

The red-cloaked man suddenly turned around and swung the doorway open, revealing the endless abyss of outer space. He paused a moment, then shut the door and turned back to the heroes, holding the fishbowl out to them again, his eyes lighting up and crinkling in the slightest to show that he was beaming. "You can use this as a space helmet."

"How... did you know that?" Merlon asked, walking closer in a slightly confused manner.

"I just... I've been- You know... when I was looking for-"

"Shhh, my friend," Merlon interrupted, lowering his voice to a whisper. "You may explain to me when they're gone."

"A-alright," Pierre breathed. "Okay, okay, okay. J-Just take this!" Pierre urged, shoving the fishbowl into Peach's arms.

She nervously looked down at it as Merlon began dragging Pierre away by the arm. "Good luck heroes!!!" Pierre happily cried as Merlon took him off. "And if you ever change your mind and need a croissant, the bakery in town makes the BEST baked goods! I ten out of ten would recommend!!!"

The heroes all watched in silence as the two ancients faded from view, not sure how to feel.

"... How the heck is that supposed to help us?!" Mario demanded, pointing at the item in Peach's hands. "It's a FISHBOWL! A LITERAL FISHBOWL"

"...Well, we can use it as a space helmet. Like he said!" Peach chimed, placing it on her head and giggling.

"I don't think that's gonna work..." Mario trailed off.

"Welp, I don't think we have much of a choice..." King Boo snorted. "Must be rough to need oxygen. Couldn't be me."

"We get it, you're a ghost!" Mario scoffed, crossing his arms. "You don't need to keep pointing it out."

"Guys, just stop fighting. We've got another pure heart to find," Bleck urged, looking at the next door.