Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Amanda laid on her bed, holding Dolly the Bear. Her chin resting on the bear's head, the soft fur feeling a bit soothing.

Lots of memories from everything that happened played in her head.

{“This isn't the candy store…”}

{“Wow, great observation.”} 

{“Maybe you can take us some place else?”}

{“She wanted to! She literally didn't wanted to go there! So don’t act like she intended this!”}

She tightened the hug. The memories kept playing over and over. It wouldn't stop ever since she told her secret. “Make it stop.”

{“Wow, Amanda. That's… that's a nice birthday card. Do you want to give it to your friend now?”}

{“Are you serious?! She just had a breakdown and you still expect her to act like nothing happen because It's your stupid birthday?!”}

{“What happened wasn't his fault!”}

She sat upward, letting go of Dolly and placing her hands on her head and closing her eye tightly. “Stop it!”

{“Monster or not, she's still Amanda.”}

{“Or, she let us live. I was the last one of us kids to black out, I saw Luigi passing out, and all Mario did was block us with his body. Unless someone like Ridley came in and fought her, there's no way we were saved.”}

{“Why are you so insistent on defending her?! It's like she could do anything and you'll excuse her!”}

{“I don't want anybody to help her! I know this is for Wooly, but my answer is addressed to her!”}

{“She's the one hurting Wooly, and yet she has the audacity to act like she's the one suffering.”}

{“Did you not hear a word I said? She could be hurting as well!”}

“I said stop it!” She screamed, her bedroom glitching. “Make it STOP!” The room continued to glitch and get distorted.

Some of the items even started to malfunction, disappearing for a bit before coming back while she began screaming.

She gasped when she felt something jumping onto her lap. Her eyes bolted opened, lowering her hands and looking down.

She saw the Lonely Kitten. After the ‘We Can Share’, tape ended, she brought the kitten home with her to avoid being alone.

Just like that, her room fixed itself, and the memories finally left her alone. She gave a warm smile to the kitten. “Thank you.” She gave her a pet, hearing her purr.

She turned to her bear. “Dolly,” She began, making the bear turn to face her. “Do you think… things will be different this time?”

The bear was silent.

“Yeah. I like to think so too.” She smiled, hugging the bear again. “I know it hasn't been a day, but I already feel… doubtful.” A sigh. “I told myself not to trust anyone, and yet I still ended up giving my trust to someone.”

She gave both Dolly and the Kitten a hug. “I don't know what to do with myself. I always feel so lost, so confused, so… scared.”

She placed the bear to her right and got off her bed after Kitten leaped off her lap. “Wooly still hasn't returned. He probably won’t until they find the next tape… at the library.”

The memory of Wooly’s last moments flickered in her head, making her gasp in pain and place her hands on her head. “No!”

She saw his weak smile, felt his head pat, she could hear his struggling breathes, the hammer that had his brain matter appeared in front of her, she even saw the blood. Lowering her hands, she saw the stains there. Even some part of the brain.

Her breathing became frantic again, she struggled to stand, falling to the ground, hearing Kitten mewing in fear.

The world slightly glitched around her. “Stop! I don't want to remember!” She shouted, moving to her knees. “Get out of my head!”

The world corrupted again. Her screams and cries affecting everything again. Only for everything to suddenly stop.

Amanda took fast, rapid breaths. She felt Kitten snuggling up against her, attempting to soothe her. “I… I need to learn… to control it.” She pushed herself up, the illusion of the blood, the hammer, and the brain matter gone.

She picked up Kitten and turned to Dolly. “Sorry you had to see that Dolly and Kitten. I didn't want to scare you.”

The bear continued to sit there, still not responding, while Kitten meowed.

“Thank you for forgiving me. I'm glad I have you two.” She hugged the feline, then went to the bear, hugging it as well. “You guys make me feel less lonely. It'll make waiting a bit easy to do.” Her smile faded.

She put Kitten on the floor. “Waiting…” She whispered, thinking back to the audience that she had to wait for. The audience that had the most emotion and reactions to the tapes.

Specifically when it came to the squid kids. The worst reaction she ever had were viewers being scared of her. Never once had they ever glared at her the way Muriel did. Never once did they ever… hate her, the way Muriel did.

As for the best reaction, well, she couldn't really much list that. The most she's ever gotten was from Riley, and she wasn't the best example to use. But Mort treated her like if they were friends, like if he thought she wouldn't hurt anyone.

He treated her like if she was… human. Like if he saw pass the Entity, pass the horrible moments where she acted horribly.

Through the Entity, she was sometimes able to hear what he said when the screen was off. The team didn't noticed it, but the Entity would sometimes enter their world, just to watch them, to keep an eye and make sure they wouldn't do anything to the tapes.

For Amanda, she didn't needed much strength to be able to share ears with it, compared to if she wanted to actually talk to it when it traversed through the screen and into the real world. The world she wished she could be at again.

It was thanks to that ability they shared, that she managed to hear the true feelings the group felt towards her.

A lot of them feared her, which she expected, the turtle family hated her, which in all honesty… she couldn't blame them. She hated herself as well.

Muriel had more than simple hatred. She absolutely despised her. Her glares, her harsh words, her actions, her screams, her fights with Mort, it all reminded Amanda of how she felt towards Hameln Entertainment.

Amanda clenched her fists. For a comparison like that, it showed just how much resentment and hostility the squid girl felt towards the hostess. 

And Mort. He was a complicated one. Not because he was the only one who wanted to help her, but because he was hard to understand.

Amanda couldn't understand why he was so insistent on helping her. After watching so many others not give her much thought and just blindly follow her, it made her question his true intentions. Did he really wanted to help her just because he wanted to?

Or was there something more to it? Amanda had to remember that while she did wanted to trust him, trusting others could lead to downfall.

She trusted Kate, and she died. She trusted Sam, and they were taken away from each other, she trusted Hameln, and now she was trapped, she trusted Wooly, and he got on her nerves, then she trusted Riley, and got abandoned at the end.

If she trusted Inkling boy, what would happen next? Would he hurt her? Lie to her? Or worse… betray her?

She was either lied to, hurt, abandoned, manipulated, or controlled, by all the people who she once trusted, who she once loved.

And if she wasn't mistreated, she would lose the ones she trusted or loved.

When it came to Inkling boy, he was hard to label. Amanda didn't love him, she didn't even knew if she liked him enough to consider him a friend, but she didn't see him as a possible threat either.

She had no idea what he was to her. But the idea of getting hurt by or lied to by him… hurt her more than she'd like to admit.

With all these thoughts in her head, it made things harder for her. Harder for her to understand. Why did he want to help her?

She shook her head, sighed, and rub her left arm. “Maybe… if I'm patient enough, he'll come back. Maybe there's a chance… he won't abandon me. Like Riley did.”

Kitten mew, getting her attention. “Don't worry, I'm trying.” She sat on the floor, giving her pets. “Kitten?”

She looked up at the cartoon girl. Her head tilting to the side after letting out a mew.

“Do you think… he could be… a friend?”

The kitten's ear twitched, she replied with another mew and a nod.

Amanda giggled. “Had a feeling you would say that.”

She rested her head on her palms. “It's funny really.”

Kitten lifted up her head.

“I never once had this much hope on a viewer before. Maybe it's because of everything I've seen and heard. He even stood up for the Entity. Just for me.”

Kitten meowed.

“He does care for me, doesn't he?”

She nodded.

“I'm just so confused. I don't know what to feel. How to feel. Maybe if possible, when they help me treasure hunt… I could… talk to him.”

Kitten eagerly nodded, happily meowing.

“You really think that's a good idea?”

Another nod from the feline.

Amanda giggled. “Alright, I'll give it try.” She gave her a kiss on the head. “Thank you for being here Kitten.”

Kitten snuggled on her face, purring with affection.

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After the initial shock wore off, and after Mandy got the treatment he needed for his injuries from the car chase, the entire group exchanged all of the information they've gathered throughout the night, but they didn't share the experience they've had before meeting up.

The stranger informed them how she was close with Kate, and that the items they received in the package were part of her works. Adding how if she knew they were taking over her research, she would've been very proud.

“So, what's the plan?” Bowser wondered.

“If you guys want, we can get out of here. I know a place we can rest a while and… then we can figure out where to go from there.” The stranger offered.

“Where would we go?” Muriel asked.

“Kensdale.” She answered.

Mort's eyes widened. If they went to Kensdale, then they could find the Hameln company. And if they found the company… they could find Amanda.

{“I'm out there… somewhere.”}

“She's out there…” He whispered.

Mario turned to him. “What was that?”

“Okay,” He looked at the stranger. “If it means getting more answers, and taking down Hameln, then we'll do it.”

“Excellent. However, there's too many of you. I don't think we can all fit into my car.” The stranger pointed out.

“I would've offered my car but it… got destroyed.” Mandy tried to smile.

“Well, Luigi and I are definitely going.” Mario decided.

Inkling boy held Inkling girl's hand. “We're going too.”

She turned to him. “We are?"

“Remember what we talked about?” He leaned close to her ear. “There could be a chance you can save Wooly. If we bring the tapes with us, we can save him.”

She felt her heart pound. She did thought about it before the stranger arrived. She decided that if there really was a chance, she would take it. Even if it meant helping Mort save Amanda, as long as she saved Wooly, that was all that mattered.

She nodded. “Okay.”

Smiling, he looked back at the rest. “We're going.”

“Us too!” Both Villagers volunteered. “We can use our items to help with puzzles if needed.” Cletus added.

“And we can also store important items as well.” Brandine mentioned.

“I think Nana and I will stay home.” Popo declined.

“Yeah. Everything that happened was way too much.” Nana agreed.

“I'd join, but some of us have to stay behind and keep watch. You never know.” Samus picked.

“I'll stay behind too.” Mega Man said.

“Lucina and I can go.” Robin offered. “With her swordfighting, and my tactician skills, we could help in case danger arrives.”

“I'll go.” Ness lifted up his hand. “Someone has to keep an eye on the Inklings so they don't argue anymore.”

“Very funny.” Muriel rolled her eyes.

“I-I want to go too!” Lucas shocked everyone. “I-I don't want to stay behind and be afraid anymore!”

“I'll stay.” Young Link said.

“So will we.” Link added, with Zelda nodding.

“I wanna go too!” Bowser Jr. jumped with excitement. 

“Are you sure Junior?” Bowser asked. “Even after what happened?”

“It was scary. But I wanna be brave and strong! Like you! So can we go? Please!” He continued jumping with excitement.

“Alright. Only because I'll be going too.”

"Ridley's definitely staying. He's too big and will stick out like a sore thumb." Luigi advised.

“Alright, that's more than enough.” The stranger informed them, trying not to react when she saw the giant mechanical monster. “Let's go.”

---------------------------------------------------------

After making sure everyone had each other on speed dial, and after Lucina informed her dad of what was going on, and Robin informed his twin sister Ruby, with the Mario bros informing the others that they'll be gone for a while, they group had to deal with the next problem.

Fitting into the stranger's car.

Of course, she took the driver's seat, and Mandy took the passenger seat. But when it came to the rest, they had to figure it out.

Eventually, Cletus got the idea to go get Kapp'n. He felt bad for waking him up, but after a while, he drove the bus to them, ready to drive them.

“You guys can take the car, and we'll take the bus.” Villager beamed.

“I guess that could work.” The stranger said.

“We'll get in the car.” Mario chose.

"Alright. Hop in.”

“How long is this trip going to take?” Lucina asked.

“From here all the way to Kensdale?” The stranger struggled to answer. “Mandy and I got lucky that we got here before the sun rose, but since the sun is on the verge of rising, we'll have to be careful. So, estimate, it'll probably take a day or two.”

“Let's go pack some supplies.” Brandine nervously laughed.

--------------------------------------------------------

The drive was more relaxing than the group was expecting. Once they had the items needed to help them through the drive, with the Inklings convincing the stranger to place the package in the trunk of her car, they started the trip.

It didn't take long for everyone to fall asleep, finally getting the sleep they needed after the chaos that was last night.

For the entire day, the ones in the bus slept, chatted when they woke up, and listened to music that Kapp'n played on the radio.

In the car, Mario, Luigi, and Mandy discussed their information again, with the brothers explaining what the colored tapes contained after getting some sleep.

At one point, Mandy agreed to drive the car so the stranger could sleep as well.

When the sun began to set on the first day of the drive, Mandy handed the wheel back to the Stranger.

The drive continued in silence, the roads were starting to get slightly empty, which allowed both drivers to slightly speed up a bit.

Kapp'n made sure to remain behind the stranger's car so he wouldn't get lost.

The moon was eventually up in the sky, and the drive continued, with several stops being made for meals.

The Mario bros ended up falling asleep again. And when they woke up, outside was completely dark, and there were no other cars in sight.

“Hey, hope you a got a little sleep.” The stranger said when she saw them waking up. “You know, I was thinking, we should head down to the Kensdale’s library, you two can tell me what happened on the way.”

“I suppose. I mean, we've been driving for a day, and since we're going to be working together, might as well.” Mario said.

“I could tell you what happened to me when you're done. If you want.” Mandy offered.

“Sure,” Luigi began. “Now, where to begin…”

After explaining everything, the car grew quiet. 

“God, that's terrifying.” The stranger said. “I really hope we find some answers in Kate's office.”

"It was crazy, but we've actually handled worse." Mario chuckled. "Now, your turn." He looked at the Investigator.

"Well, shortly after you called asking me to do research on Kate and Riley..."

Once the story was done, the Mario bros exchanged looks. "Yikes." Both said.

"Tell me about it. Not only do I now need to watch my back and probably move, but I also need a new car."

After about another hour or so, a building came into view.

“Well, here we are.” The stranger informed the them. She parked her car somewhere hidden, unbuckling her seatbelt.

Kapp'n noticed and made sure to do the same thing with the bus. The kids couldn't wait to stretch their legs.

As soon as the bus was parked, they unbuckled their seatbelts and rushed to get out.

“Finally!” Cletus cheered, lifting his arms into the air. “Space!”

“Tell me about it.” Ness agreed.

“It was getting stuffy in there.” Lucas added.

“Will you be okay waiting here?” Lucina checked on Kapp'n.

He nodded. “I'll be fine. Go do what you need to do.”

Nodding, the group met up with the Mario bros where Mort looked at the trunk. The box with all the tapes and the items they got from the package were in there. “Do we get the box?”

“Yes. In case they could help.” Mario nodded.

“I'll unlock the trunk.” The stranger said. She took out her key and opened it, allowing the plumber in red to take out the box.

“Come on,” The Stranger began, walking towards the building. “Let's move.”

Chapter Text

“Ok, let's see if Kate's key ring delivers.” The Mask Stranger took out said key ring, using it on the door.

Once it was unlocked, she allowed the group inside, with her entering after Mandy entered.

With everyone inside the library, they gathered around, waiting in case the stranger had more instructions to give them.

“Listen,” she began. “there's something out there. It's drawn to the tapes, and it's very, very dangerous. Please be careful.”

Mort crossed his arms. (She’s talking about Amanda.) He thought.

“I know this is going to sound super paranoid. But after everything’s happened, we need to be careful. We can connect on a encrypted channel with these.” She dug inside her coat and took out several walkie-talkies.

She handed one to Mario, and the other to Cletus.

“You go see what you can find in Kate's office. The investigator and I will keep watch outside. I'll call you on the two-way if anything comes up.”

“Tell us anything that happens.” Mandy added. “Oh, and my name is Mandy by the way. An introduction is long overdue.”

“Didn't we agree not to introduce ourselves?” The stranger recalled.

“Yeah, but might as well since we have more members. Which mean if something happens, we'll have a higher chance of escaping or at least defending ourselves.”

“I suppose.”

The two opened the door and left the place, leaving the group to freely roam around.

Looking around, to the right were two bathrooms with a water fountain in between and a clock above the fountain, a desk with a computer right in front of them, to the left was another door, and behind the desk and computer were of course, the bookshelves.

Beneath their feet was a patterned rug with squares. Above them were dimly lid up lights. By the sides of one of the bookshelves was a machine.

“Okay, you kids go exploring, us adults are going to see if there's anything here we can find to continue our research.” Mario instructed, handing Mort the package.

The blue squid took it, needing help from Muriel due to the heavy weight. “Okay.” He nodded, turning to the other kids. “Move out.”

While the kids traveled into the shelves, the adults quickly made their way to the door on their left, finding it locked. Of course.

“Okay, so we need to find the key.” Luigi told them.

“Hey uh, did that mask lady ever told us that this library is open this late?” Bowser questioned. He was by the desk, nobody knew when he got there.

Mario turned to him. “I don't think so. Why?”

He pointed to the computer. “Because the screen is still on.”

The adults gathered behind him, startled to see he was right.

“Well this is perfect!” Mario rubbed his palms. “We can use this computer to see if we can find more research! Especially since we're in Kensdale now!”

“Looks like whoever used it last had a checkout thing going on.” Robin observed.

The screen showed the text, ‘Book Wyrm’ on top. On the bottom was a blue dragon like worm that was saying, “Hi, I'm Wendy Wrym, you own personal assistant! Scan a book using the scanner to look up its checkout history.”

Lucina began exploring the desk, finding a letter and a book called, ‘Greg the Grape 2: The Raisin's Curse’. The author was stated to be Whitman Whine.

Opening the book, she saw a barcode and what appeared to be red pen writing. The letters JP were written in the book, and underneath that was a red line.

She handed the book to Mario. “Try scanning this book. Maybe it could lead us to a puzzle. And if it doesn't, then let's see if this computer isn't frozen.”

He grabbed it and let it scan, the screen changing to show Wendy Wyrm holding a magnifying glass with her tail.

The tittle of the book appeared on the screen. The checkout history showed May 12th, Jun 29th, and Dec 7th. Behind the dates were other numbers. 18, 17, and 99.

“The computer works!” Luigi clapped.

“Oh, I also found this.” Lucina grabbed the letter and handed it to Mario, who took it and began to read it.

‘Hey Margret.

Found an odd tape in the book returns. Haven't looked into it myself but I was hoping you could take a look at it when you can.’

Bowser crossed his arms. “There's only one tape the person could be talking about.”

Mario continued reading.

‘It's in the locked cabinet, you remember the code right? Also, you might need to take a look at some of the books. I've been told some of them have been tampered with. I swear this is like the 5th time this week.’

Lucina put her hand on her chin. “So the pen markings I found could be something we could use.”

“Probably. And we have to figure out the combination lock for the cabinet.” Robin added. “Keep reading Mario.”

‘I had put them aside for you, but I think the new guy accidentally put them back into the library without looking. I hate to ask, but if you got a moment, could you look around the library and see if you can find them? There should be a history of these books in the library database. So use that to help you out in finding them. Don't stay up too late and have a good night!

~Sofie’

Mario lowered the letter. “Looks like we got books to look for.”

Bowser grumbled. “Why didn't we bring Ridley?”

Luigi nervously chuckled. “We said he would stick out like a sore thumb. And he wouldn't be able to tag along without being caught or spotted by bystanders.”

“If you want Bowser,” Mario began, placing the letter back to where it was found. “You can try to break the lock cabinet when we find it while the rest of us look for the books.”

“I think it's under the desk.” Bowser pointed.

Looking under, they found it.

“Perfect.” Mario stood up. “You can try to break it while we look for the books.”

“Each of us will search a aisle and look through as many books as possible.” Luigi informed.

“I can do that, I am a reader after all.” Robin nodded.

“Good thing Junior ain't doing that,” Bowser was heard saying. “He would've been bored after looking through one book.” He chuckled.

Suddenly, a loud crash of glass shattering echoed throughout the entire library, making Luigi scream and curl up.

“What in the world?!” Robin shouted.

“Let's check on the kids!” Mario ordered.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Minutes earlier…

The kids looked around the library, wondering where they had to go. While exploring, they saw the adults trying to open a door, but from what they could guess, it was locked.

Ness took a peak inside through the window that lead to the locked room. “Looks like the office the woman was telling us about.”

“I don't trust her.” Mort confessed. “Something about her just doesn't feel right. I mean, she wasn't even hired by Mario to help the investigator, so why is she joining us?”

“She did say that she knew Kate, and like the rest of us, she wants answers.” Muriel reminded him. “Also, can we place this box down? My arms are getting tired.”

“Yeah, let's just find somewhere to place it.”

They continued to walk pass the endless amount of bookshelves, finding a doorway that lead to another room.

Heading inside, they saw that it appeared to be the kids area. They saw more bookshelves, several desks and chairs, and even some posters that had Amanda the Adventurer on them. They saw a banner that read, ‘Kids Corner’, which confirmed their theory.

“We'll leave the box here.” Mort suggested.

They made their way to the back of the area, where they saw paintings of trees and clouds, more but smaller bookshelves, tables that had colorful chairs, what looked like two toy sets of a kitchen, each on the opposite side of a TV, a box that had different activities attached to it, the TV was rested on top of a small shelf that had a VCR, and a colorful rug underneath it.

They saw more posters, but didn't really pay attention since they just wanted to place the package down.

They placed the package onto one of the tables, exhaling with relief. “Much better.” Muriel stretched her arms. “Now we can fully explore.”

They left the area, looking around the bookshelves and even fumbling with the machine that turned out to be a printer.

They would sometimes peek at how the adults we doing, finding them using a computer after scanning a book.

They could hear Mario starting to read some sort of letter as they kept exploring.

Lucas found rotating shelves near the door of Kate's office, giving them several spins, not really paying attention to the adults as they continued to read the letter.

Brandine spotted Muriel gazing at something intensely. “Is everything okay?”

“I found the biggest thing I've ever wanted in my life.” She responded, not looking at her.

“Which is?”

Inkling girl pointed to the glass display in front of her. The pink haired Villager followed her finger, holding back laughter.

Muriel was looking at what appeared to be a plushie of Wooly on display. He was in a seated position, with a tape on his lap.

Under the display was a sign that had his picture. It read, ‘Hi! I'm KPL's mascot, Wooly!’. Next to the words was the Hameln logo.

“I want it.” She heard the squid girl say, lowering her arm.

Brandine looked around, the boys were still walking through other aisles of bookshelves, with Ness finding a different computer, turning it on, then putting it back to sleep, and the adults seemed to be reaching the end of the letter.

“You know… I could help you.” She put her hands behind her pink dress.

Muriel turned to her head quickly. “Really?!”

“Yeah. Us girls need to stick together.” She pointed at herself with her thumb. She dug around her dress and took out her bowling ball.

“Do you carry that everywhere?”

Brandine shrugged. “Maybe. Now, stand back.”

Muriel took several steps back. “While I highly appreciate this, are you sure we won't get in trouble?” She couldn’t hold back her smile. “Isn't this technically stealing?”

Brandine shrugged again. “Eh, we're not from here, and we'll probably be out by morning. So who's gonna know?” She glanced at the orange squid.

“It'll be our little secret.” She winked. “Girls can be bad too.”

Muriel couldn't hold back her excitement when Brandine lifted up the bowling ball and slammed it as hard as she could onto the display.

Glass shattered everywhere, and it was way louder than the two were expecting. It was hard for them not to flinch or scream when the glass shards flew everywhere.

When everything calmed down, both girls slowly opened their eyes, seeing shards of glass everywhere, but the plushie itself was fine.

What they didn't notice, was that when Brandine swung her bowling ball at it, the tape had unintentionally collided with it, being send flying and landing who knows where.

“It worked! Thank you!” Muriel jumped with excitement.

Brandine put the bowling ball away and grabbed the plushie, handing it to the squid girl. “There you go, consider it an early Christmas present.”

Inkling girl squealed with delight as she took the toy. He was much softer than she was expecting, which made it all the more better and all the more worth it.

She gave him a hug. “I bet the real one would've been way softer.”

Brandine giggled, already picturing the huge amount of love and care the squid girl would give Wooly if he was in the real world with them. “I'm sure of it.”

“What is the meaning of this?!” Mario yelled, his hands on his head, making the girls scream.

Bowser did his best to avoid stepping on any glass shards.

The boys came running. “What was that noise?! Are you girls okay?!” Lucas panted from exhaustion, his hands on his knees.

“Oh! Uh… there was a… accident!” Brandine tried to lie. “I was startled when a book fell and out of reflex, I threw my bowling ball!”

The two groups stood silent.

Mort wasn't a fool. He saw the sign, he saw the picture, and he could definitely see the plushie his best friend was hiding behind her back.

He wanted to facepalm and groan in frustration, but remained still.

Mario lifted an eyebrow, crossing his arms. “Well, whatever the reason, please don't cause anymore chaos. We're here to solve a mystery, not fool around.”

Nobody could tell if Mario actually believed the girls, or if he believed this whole situation wasn't worth the effort. But that question would eventually be answered.

“Okay,” He placed two fingers on the bridge of his nose. “I know this isn’t ideal, but for now, let's just move on.”

“S-So you know-”

“That you two basically just committed theft? Of course.” He rolled his eyes. “Okay, I'll say this, I have a problem, I'll admit that, but right now, our top priority is to figure out the next step in our mission to solve these tapes.”

“To be fair, that is a bigger and more important task than scolding two little girls for breaking and stealing property.” Lucina agreed, but not without frustration in her voice. “Though I will say, I didn't think you two had it in you to do this.”

“You do crazy things for a favorite character.“ Muriel said with confidence, no longer hiding the Wooly plushie.

“Ain't that the facts.” Mort unintentionally let out, thinking about the chaos he cause just because he wanted to help Amanda.

“In our defense,” Brandine lifted her hands up hallway. “it's just a plushie. Unless said plushie was for a charity.” She paused, thinking about it, then shaking her head. “But for now, since we don't know if the toy has any importance or value to the library, we can deal with this after everything is done.”

“Very well. But don't think we'll forget about this.” Luigi said sternly.

Villager sighed. “I'll see if I can find a broom.”

–---------------------------------------------------------------------------

With the glass cleaned up, and after a thorough search for cameras, the groups returned to what they were doing.

Mario's team ended up finding the books while Bowser tried his hardest to see if he could break open the safe.

He made progress, but not as much as Ridley would've if he was allowed to join. By the time the safe looked like it was about to break, the others figured out the code.

Once it was opened, they found a tape. It was titled, ‘Let's Plan a Trip!’.

“Let's give this to the kids.” Luigi said.

They went to the Kids Corner and found the kids fumbling with the items from the package, along with the other toys that were there.

“I see you kids are having fun.” Mario joked.

“We have to find something to entertain ourselves.” Ness replied.

“We found the first tape,” the plumber in red wiggled it. “let's watch it together.”

“Sure.” Mort accepted. He took the tape and everyone gathered around the TV.

The tape was inserted.

Static was heard, but the screen was blue until the intro played, showing the logo the kids knew all too well by this point.

Muriel looked away when she saw Wooly was blacked out, reminding her of his death. But with the plushie in her arms, she was able to take deep breaths and look back at the screen, the toy being tightly hugged.

Text was about to appear, saying how Sam was the creator of the show, but the screen changed to static, then what looked like bright lights you would see above an operating table appeared, with beeping being heard, then the show began.

Amanda was sitting on a couch in what appeared to be a living room. “Hi friends! I'm Amanda!” She hopped off the couch, her arms in the air. “Have you ever wanted to go far, far, away?” She asked. “Well we can!”

She looked around the living room. “At least in our imaginations we can…” She looked down, looking a bit upset.

She then gestured to something that was slightly off camera. “With my magic train!” She revealed, the camera zooming out, showing a toy train.

“If you could visit anyone in the world, who would you go see?” Amanda asked.

The cloud appeared, waiting for an answer.

“Let's begin.” Mort said.

“I'll answer this one.” Brandine volunteered, making her way to the keyboard. She stared at the cloud, then at Amanda, who was still waiting.

She typed the answer, ‘Wooly’, making Muriel smile.

The camera went to static, then returned to the show.

Amanda giggled at her answer. “Yeah!” She tilted her head, pointing to the screen. “If you could find him.” She said in a somewhat teasing tone.

Muriel flinched, her expression darkening, which made Mort more concerned, she wasn’t getting mad, she was getting something darker than that, her eyes showing hints of vengeance. But like magic, when she looked at the plushie, it eased her up.

Her dark expression quickly changed into a warm smile.

Amanda placed her hands together and rested her head on them. “I love to daydream about all the places I could have g-” Static. “-think of all the places we can go.” She extended her arms towards the room.

“She changed her line.” Ness pointed out.

The cartoon girl climbed onto the couch, standing on it. “Let's plan a trip!” She gestured to the drawings hung on the wall. “I've made pictures of all the places I want to go.”

The camera showed the drawings, then zoomed out, showing the entire living room.

Next to the couch was a table that had a lamp, on the other side was a piggy bank. A window was seen with the curtains closed.

“But wow, it's so dark in here.” Amanda pointed out. “Should I open the curtain or turn on the lamp?”

She waited for an answer.

Mort clicked the curtain.

She hopped off the couch and opened up the curtains, filling the room with a bright, lively, light from the sun. She turned to them. “That's much better! Now let's plan that trip! There are three places I want to go on my magic train today!”

She lifted up a finger. “First, I want to see the Eiffel Tower! Where can I do that?”

The camera turned to the drawings, waiting for an answer.

Bowser Jr. clicked on the drawing of the Eiffel Tower.

“We'll go to Paris on the magic train!” Amanda told them.

The camera zoomed out, and Amanda was now standing on the couch. “Hmm, it looks like a ticket to Paris costs 2 coins.” She looked at the piggy bank. “Let's see what I have in my piggy bank.”

She leaped off the couch and picked up the glass bank. “What's the best way to open this piggy bank?” She turned to the audience, showing them the item. “I can pull out the plug, or… I can SMASH it!” She lifted up a fist, waiting for an answer.

“Time to choose.” Mort said. “Knowing Amanda, she would probably like it if we let her smash it.”

“Regardless, smashing things is fun!” Bowser Jr. threw his arms up in joy. He went and clicked her fist.

She let out a giggle. “This is going to be fun! Goodnight, Mr. Piggy!” Slamming the pig down, she took out a massive hammer from nowhere and slammed it hard onto the bank, glass shattering everywhere.

“Looks familiar.” Brandine whispered to Muriel, who snorted.

The camera focused on Amanda's hand, which was holding five coins.

“Let's count them together! One, two, three, four, five!” She counted. “I have five coins. That's more than enough for our first stop! We just need to take away two coins. Can you count them?” Her other hand came into view, taking away two coins.

At the bottom left of the screen showed a drawing of a piggy bank, with a negative two next to it.

The camera went back to showing the living room.

“The next place I want to go is very special, because it makes me think of our friend Gretchen over there.” Amanda motioned her hand towards a handcrafted stand that had a doll dressed up as a stewardess.

The camera went back to the drawings.

“Let's go to the Isle of the Dead Dolls. Where can I find that?”

“That's easy.” Ness said, clicking on the drawing of Mexico.

“Our next stop is Mexico City!” Amanda said.

Focus went back to the living room.

“A ticket to Mexico City on my magic train costs 3 coins-” Amanda paused, her eyes expanding when she thought she heard something.

The team noticed it too, it looked like some sort of animal nose that was sticking out from under the couch. It briefly showed bits of its face before returning to hiding under the couch.

“What was that?” Luigi asked.

“I have no idea.” Bowser replied.

The hostess looked down, nervously trying to continue. “Ummmm… anyway… that ticket costs 3 coins.” She rubbed her hands nervously, trying to get her usual happy tone back, returning her gaze to the screen.

“So let's take those away from what we have.”

The camera went back to her hand.

“One, two, three!” Her hand took away each coin as she counted. “Oh no! That's all our coins! And I still have one more place I want to visit. We need some more money! What are we going to do?”

Three toys appeared from mid-air. A bear, a jester, and a rooster. Landing next to the cartoon girl on the couch.

Amanda moved her hands to them. “I can sell one of these for some coins!”

Focus went to the toys.

“Which one do you think will get us the most coins?”

“Hmm, if we were at a yard sale, which toy would we pick?” Villager wondered.

Lucina tilted her head. “Maybe the rooster?”

“Let's see.” Lucas clicked the rooster.

“Let's sell funny Mr. Rooster!” The hostess picked up the toy. “Someone gave this to me when I was feeling really bad and scared, and it made me laugh.”

She stared at the toy with a mild warm gaze. “I hope he can make someone else laugh.” She gave him a hug, letting him float into the air and coins fell onto her palms.

Focus went back to her palm.

“Wow, I got 3 coins from Mr. Rooster! Ok, let's see how much our next destination costs!”

The camera went back to the drawings.

“I love learning about history on my trips! Where can I take a tour and learn about… Jack the Ripper?”

"That's… an interesting thing to learn about.” Mario struggled to say. “But I guess everyone is different.”

“That's in London right?” Villager checked.

“Yes.” Robin nodded.

He clicked on the drawing of Big Ben.

“We’re going to London!” Amanda cheered.

The camera zoomed out.

Amanda was seen looking at her palm with an upset look. “A ticket to London is four coins, and I only have three.” She looked at the camera. “I don't know where I'm going to get more coins for my trip!”

She put her hands in her pocket. “I might as well not even go anywhere.”

Mort felt bad, unable to stop his face from making a sad look.

The hostess’ eyes widened. “Wait a minute! I have a coin in my pocket!” She took out her left hand, showing the coin she found. “Now I have four!”

She did a slight bounce without her feet leaving the couch. “That's enough for our last stop!”

Then, that strange looking thing came out from under the couch, it was a possum, and it was suddenly sniffing and approaching Amanda.

“No no no! Go away!” She demanded, trying to kick it. She looked at the audience with anger. “Get this weirdo out of here!”

The two struggled, with Amanda doing her best to save her coins while the possum continued to bother her.

Mort didn't wait, he jump straight into action, he clicked on the possum numerous times, hoping it would do something, which thankfully it did.

Possum jumped away from Amanda, looking at the screen in shock, its tail curling up before it left the screen.

Amanda watched it leave with anger, then the camera focused on her palm again.

“Wow, who the heck even was that guy?!”

“Wait, she doesn’t know who that was?” Cletus asked.

“Then that means that possum wasn't supposed to be in this tape.” Lucas theorized.

Muriel formed a small hopeful smirk. “Well, if he keeps bothering Amanda, he'll become my second favorite.”

Mort scowled. “Let's not start that again.”

Amanda continued the show. “He was going to take my coins!” She placed the coin she found onto her palm. “Good, all four are still there!”

“Let's count how many we need to pay for the ticket to London!” She began to take away the coins. “One, two, three, four!”

The camera zoomed out.

“Oh hey! It's time to catch my train!” She jumped off the couch and approached Gretchen, handing her all of the coins.

Amanda jumped into the train and it began to move in a circle. At first, she was smiling to an extent, but it faded almost immediately, being replaced with a mix of sadness and even disappointment. “This is fun, I guess.”

Her head hung. “But I really wish I could go see the world.”

Static played and the tape ejected, landing on the colorful rug underneath.

“Okay,” Mario began. “Let's look around and see if we can find anything that could help us figure out what the puzzle is.”

With everyone moving their heads in all directions, Luigi spotted the piggy bank. “Found it.” He picked it up, showing it to the team. They saw a label. 0/10.

“We're definitely going to have to get this filled to ten coins.” Mort believed.

“The let's rewatch the tape!” Bowser Jr. said. He grabbed the tape.

“I'll be in charge of the fast forward button.” Ness pointed to himself.

After inserting the tape again, he pressed the fast forward button, and it went to the part where Amanda asked who would they go see.

The cloud appeared.

“Hey, I'm curious about something,” Mario began.

“What is it?” Inkling boy asked.

“Since she's asking who would we go see, what if we typed Sam?”

“Her dad? You think she'll react?” Luigi questioned.

“Maybe. She did react when we typed Sam back in the ‘What is Family’ tape.” Muriel reminded them. “Let's give it a try.”

Nodding, the squid boy typed the answer, ‘Sam’.

The camera went to static, then returned to the show.

Amanda winced at the response. “Wait, that's-”

The screen suddenly showed static and a pair of legs walking down a hallway, static showed up again and the show went on.

“I love to daydream about all the places I could have g-” Static. “-think of all the places we can go.”

She climbed onto the couch. “Let's plan a trip!"

Ness pressed the fast forward button, and it jumped to her waiting for them to click either the curtain or the lamp.

The curtain was clicked again.

She hopped off the couch and opened up the curtains. 

Another fast forward, and now the camera was on the drawings. Once the drawing of the Eiffel Tower was clicked, Ness fast forward again.

Now, Amanda was waiting for them to pick if they wanted her to smash the piggy bank or pull out the plug.

“She had her fun last time, so let's pull out the plug.” Muriel decided.

“The way I see it, if you want us to ignore that you broke property for a toy, then I think it should be fair that we let her smash it.” Mort crossed his arms, giving her a playful but teasing smirk, which made her roll her eyes.

She hugged the toy. “Fine.”

“But first!” Mario lifted up a finger, where should we put the piggy bank?”

“Uh, I see an X next to the TV.” Lucas pointed. “Maybe it goes there?”

Mario placed the item on top of the X. “Alright, go ahead.

Mort clicked on her fist.

She let out a giggle. “This is going to be fun! Goodnight, Mr. Piggy!” After smashing it again, the camera focused on her hand, which was holding five coins.

“Let's count them together! One, two, three, four, five!” She counted. “I have five coins. That's more than enough for our first stop!”

At the bottom left side of the screen, a drawing of a piggy bank that had a plus five appeared.

“Pause!” Mario ordered.

Ness pressed the pause button.

“Did the piggy bank get anything?” The plumber in red asked.

Ness checked it, it said 5/10. “It worked!”

“Great! So the piggy bank is the puzzle.” Luigi smiled. “Alright, let's return to the show.”

Ness pressed the play button.

“We just need to take away two coins. Can you count them?” Her other hand came into view.

“No! Pause!” Lucas panicked, getting Ness to slam on the button. Thankfully, it was before she took away any of the coins.

“Take away the piggy bank.” The blonde boy advised the plumber in red.

Once the piggy bank was removed from the X, the show continue.

After Amanda took the coins away, Ness pressed fast forward, where the camera waited for them to pick a drawing.

He picked the Mexico drawing, then pressed fast forward again.

The camera then showed the toys.

“Alright, let's click on the rooster again.” Robin said. “Place the piggy bank back.”

Mario placed it back on the X while the show continued.

“Let's sell funny Mr. Rooster!” She picked up the toy. “Someone gave this to me when I was feeling really bad and scared, and it made me laugh. I hope he can make someone else laugh.” She gave him a hug, letting his float into the air and coins fell onto her palms.

Focus went back to her palm.

“Wow, I got 3 coins from Mr. Rooster! Ok, let's see how much our next destination costs!”

Ness paused the show. “How much coins is that?”

“8 out of 10.” Mario answered. “We just need two more coins.”

“But in the tape, Amanda only finds one extra coin. Not two.” Mort recalled. “So, how do we solve this?”

“Maybe there's a different outcome?” Villager theorized.

“Maybe. Press play Ness.”

After Mario removed the piggy bank, Ness pressed play and then the fast forward button, answering the question by clicking the Big Ben drawing.

“We’re going to London!”

The camera zoomed out.

“A ticket to London is four coins, and I only have three.” She looked at the camera. “I don't know where I'm going to get more coins for my trip! I might as well not even go anywhere.”

Another pause, and Mario placed the piggy bank back. The show was then allowed to play again.

Amanda's eyes widened. “Wait a minute! I have a coin in my pocket! Now I have four! That's enough for our last stop!”

The possum appeared, bothering the cartoon girl again.

“No no no! Go away! Get this weirdo out of here!”

The two struggled.

“What if we did nothing?” Muriel suggested. “Before you say a word!” She stopped her best friend. “Don't forget, we're trying to get a different outcome!”

“But not at the cost of her misery!”

“If it doesn't work, then I won't insult her on the next tape!”

“...Fine.”

They looked back at the screen, just in time to see the possum shove Amanda to the couch, spinning in the air, and the falling flat on his back.

After getting up, the possum went back to hide under the couch. Amanda frowned at it, until she noticed something about her coins.

“No no no!” She panicked, crawling to the coins, getting on her knees and picking up the coins. “He ate one of my coins!”

The camera showed her palm with three coins instead of four.

Amanda tightened her grip on her coins, her face full of fury, and for a moment, the group thought she was going to start a rampage. 

But instead, she did something they never expected her to do. She began wailing. She shoved her face onto the couch cushions, slamming her fists and flinging her legs.

It was an extremely hard scene to watch. The most they've ever gotten when it came to Amanda showing sorrow, was when she was she didn't wanted to enter the butchery, or when it came to talking about the lonely kitten.

So hearing her wail, actually wail in misery, made all of them feel bad for her. Even Inkling girl couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit bad for suggesting this. But at the same time, she thought it was kinda funny.

The same girl who murdered an innocent sheep, found a dead fox funny, and was able to send a monster after them just for making her mad, was over here wailing over some plastic coins for a pretend train ride.

Looking back at the TV, Amanda pushed herself up, sitting and slamming her hands onto the couch, her face pissed off. “I wanna go on my trip!” The audio distorted a bit.

Her emotion then changed from rage, to devastation. “Where can I find more coins now?” She hugged her knees, waiting for an answer.

“Uh… where would you find more coins?” Robin wondered.

“Hmm, when Brandine and I are in need of cash, outside of selling things, we sometimes look through the couch cushions.” Cletus thought of.

“See if that works.” Brandine advised.

Mort clicked on the couch.

Static.

Amanda looked at the screen, her expression a mix of joy and sorrow. “Wow, you're smart.” She stood up, her voice becoming a bit happier. “There's always all kinds of stuff in the sofa cushions!”

The focus went back to her palm, showing the three coins. It then showed Amanda placing three more coins onto her palm.

Muriel rolled her eyes. “See? If she didn't threw a tantrum, she would've figured it out sooner.”

“Hey, she didn't knew.” Mort scowled. “Plus, she got attack by a random possum that not even she knew existed!”

“Children,” Mario said sternly, getting both to quiet.

The rest of the tape played the exact way it played before, ending and then ejecting, falling to the floor.

Checking the piggy bank, it now said 10/10.

“We did it!” Mario pumped a fist into the air. He picked up the bank and placed it on one of the tables, taking a step back to see what happens.

The team watched as it began to shake violently, similar to the oven toy. It then combusted, with a pig squealing sound effect playing.

After blocking their eyes and avoiding the shards that went flying, the group saw the next tape waiting for them.

Mario went and grabbed it. “This tape is called, ‘Goodnight’.”

“We'll leave this tape to you kids,” Luigi began. “if you ever need us, just find us at the front of the library.”

“Oh!” Ness remembered something. “I found a computer that still works and isn't in use, you guys can use that if you want.”

“Thanks for letting us know.” Robin appreciated.

Mario handed Inkling boy the tape. “Good luck and be careful.”

“We will.” All kids said in union.

Chapter Text

When the adults left the Kids Corner, Mort inserted the second tape. It played static, and showed an image that went by so fast, nobody was able to figure out what it was, then the show began.

Amanda was still in the same living room from the previous tape, except this time, the items that were there before were gone. Which made the kids wonder if this was a different room or the same room.

Next to the couch was a shelf that had toys on it.

The hostess was sitting on the couch, her hands on her knees and her gaze looking to her left side of the room.

It was blink and you'll miss it moment, but Bowser Jr., Ness, Brandine, and Mort were able to catch that she wasn't smiling or excited.

She had an indifferent expression. Almost like if she was exhausted from the constant tapes they were playing.

Her expression quickly changed back to the happy one, spreading her arms and giving the audience a huge open grin. “Hi friends! I'm-” She placed a hand on her chest, then stretched her arms as she yawned.

“I’m Amanda.” Her eyes looked tired, and it appeared that she was even on the verge of falling asleep on camera, but she managed to wake herself up slightly. “Phew! It's late! Time to get ready for bed!”

She looked around, then had a lonely look. “I guess I'll get ready by myself…” She moved her head down, sliding off the couch, still having that lonely gaze.

It was a gaze that made Inkling boy and Bowser Jr. feel their heart squeeze at. 

Inkling boy never once liked seeing her upset. And learning everything they learned back at the stadium made him more sympathetic for her.

For the Koopa prince, he understood that feeling all too well. When trapped in a stack of meat, with only his eyes being the things that could move, he thought he was going to be alone.

Even though it only lasted for about a few minutes or so, it felt like an eternity. An eternity that made him worry he was going be alone. No friends, no family, not even the freedom to talk, move, or even think.

If that how he felt with just a few minutes, then he didn't want to image how Amanda felt being trapped in these tapes for, what he remembered Mario and Luigi informing him, from what they learned from the investigator, 15 years.

His attention went back to the show when he saw Amanda's eyes gained excitement. “Hey wait!” She pointed to the camera. “You can help me!” She suggested.

Her hands moved to her hips, where the camera began glitching while she spoke. “Before I can go to bed, I need to put away my toys.” She moved her hand to the toys.

She then placed a hand on her chest. “My d-” Static. “-told me once that it's always nice to have a fresh start in the morning!”

“She was going to mention Sam.” Lucas noticed.

“Looks like the show didn't let her.” Mort said with irritation.

Amanda recited her next line. “Let's see how many toys we have to put away.” She walked to the toys, then eagerly faced the camera. “Can you count them?”

She looked at the toys. The cloud appeared.

“I see four toys, so the answer is four.” Lucas went to the keyboard, typing the answer, ‘Four’.

A wall of colors showed up, then went back to the show.

Amanda did a small pounce and posed herself the way a frog would be. “Which toy should I put away first?” The camera looked like it was having issues again, but fixed itself as Amanda reposition herself, placing her knees on the ground.

The screen remained still. Which meant it was time for an answer.

“Does it matter the order we pick?” Muriel couldn't help but ask.

“I… don't think so?” Ness answered with a question. He clicked on the red block that had an X on it.

Static.

Amanda grabbed it. "X marks the spot!” She showed the group the block and then placed it with the other blocks.

The kids got a good look at the shelf. It was a 3x3 shelf. The blocks were in the bottom row on the middle shelf.

Amanda went back to her knees and hands. “One, two, three toys to go!” She counted, holding up three fingers. “Let's put away another one!”

Ness clicked on the frog.

The wall of colors.

Amanda picked up the frog and hopped to the bottom right corner part of the shelf, placing the frog there and then hopping back to her knees and hands.

“I gotta admit,” the blue squid began. “She's acting kinda… cute.” His cheeks flushed.

“I would say playful.” Villager debated.

“More like actually human.” The orange squid grumbled, before gently petting the Wooly toy.

The boys did their best to ignore her, continuing with the tape.

“Great work!” Amanda praised, looking at the camera. “We're on a roll!” She lifted herself up, using her hands to show how she was enjoying this before returning her palms to the floor. “Which toy should I put away next?”

Ness clicked on a strange looking bunny-like plushie.

Screen filled with colors.

Amanda crawled to the plushie. “We'd better put him in his home,” She picked him up, glancing at the camera for a moment. “before a hunter shoots his little ears off!” She went on, placing him directly on the middle shelf.

Inkling girl scoffed. “She was doing so well on acting like a normal child.”

Amanda lifted up a finger. “One more to go! Let's do it!”

Ness clicked the basketball.

Screen got filled with colors again.

Amanda went ot the ball, grabbing it and bouncing it three times. “Boing boing boing!” She played with it before placing it on the bottom left shelf inside a green basket.

Static. This tape in particular had so many moments where static tried to fill the screen or distort the audio.

“That was a lot of work!” Amanda spoke, standing up. She jumped. “Now I'm all set to get ready for bed.” She walked off camera, with the focus staying on the shelf for a few seconds.

It then transition to Amanda in the bathroom. There was a tub on the left with red curtains, a sink in the middle that had a red stool next to it, above the sink was a cabinet door that had a cup of toothbrushes and a soap bar, and to the right was the toilet.

The tub and the toilet had eyes and were moving like they were breathing.

“What should I do first?” Amanda wondered putting a finger to her chin. She moved her head to the utilities behind her, then moved her head back to the camera. “Brush my teeth, or wash my face?”

A cloud appeared.

“Hmm, whenever I do my nightly routine, I usually brush my teeth first, then wash my face.” Lucas told the others.

Mort nodded. “Okay, then that's what we'll type.” He typed the word, ‘Teeth’.

The screen zoomed in to the cup of three toothbrushes.

“Ok, which toothbrush do you think I should use?” Amanda was heard asking.

Brandine stood up. “I say this one.” She clicked on the lavender one.

The screen went to Amanda standing on the stool, holding the brush. “Nice choice.” She smiled. “I love lavender!” She stared at the brush and then focused on the group. “Now, will you help me find the toothpaste?”

The screen slightly darken as she asked, then returned to being bright.

“Is it in the medicine cabinet, the bath tub, or… the toilet?” She pointed to each option with the toothbrush.

“That's an easy one!” Bowser Jr. smiled, clicking on the cabinet.

“Is it me, or are all of us starting to have fun with this?” Ness asked with a chuckle.

Muriel gave an unimpressed stare. “It's you.”

The kids remained quiet.

“What a way to ruin the fun.” Bowser Jr. murmured with aggravation.

Back with the show, the focus went to the cabinet door, where it opened and Amanda was seen reaching for the toothpaste.

Inside the medicine cabinet, were a bunch of different bottles. They were either lotions, shampoo bottles, or maybe skin care stuff.

After grabbing the toothpaste, the camera zoomed out and the cabinet door closed, where the kids gasped when they saw the possum from the previous tape.

He was on the spot where the cabinet door was covering when it was open, looking like he was stuck to the wall. A flicker of static made him disappear, and another flicker of static made him reappear right next to Amanda.

She flinched and stared at him as he slammed to the floor. “How did you get in here?!” She shouted. “Who even are you?! Go away!”

While shouting, the possum began to attack her, causing her to leap onto the tub, trying to use her legs to keep it away.

“What is with this thing?!” Mort shouted.

Muriel smiled. “I don’t know, but I like him.”

“A little help here, please.” Amanda requested, trying to keep the animal away with her legs.

“You don't need to ask twice.” Villager said, watching Inkling boy click on the animal.

Thanks to that, Amanda was able to give it a hard kick with both legs when it almost climbed on top of her.

Possum slammed to the floor, getting up and leaving with its ears down, like he was upset that he failed to bother the cartoon girl.

Amanda watched him leave. “That freak tried to eat my toothpaste! Euaghhh! That's disgusting!” Taking a deep breath, she turned to the sink, where she began to brush her teeth.

She hummed peacefully, spiting it out when she finished. After rinsing her mouth and spitting that out, she spoke. “Ok, time to wash my face!”

Splashing of water was heard, and through her body movements, she splashed her face about three times.

“Well,” she began, turning to the screen. “I guess I'm all done in here. Time to put on my PJs and hit the sack!” She lifted her arms and smiled.

The screen malfunction again, but it managed to transition to her bedroom. There was a big pink bed with two pillows. One white, one pink. Her blanket was also pink. On the bed were three sets of PJs.

On the left wall was a window with its curtain closed. In front of the bed was a chair that had a pink teddy bear sitting on it.

To the right of the bed, there was a bedside desk that had a lamp.

The walls looked beige and the floor looked like a pale shade of pink.

Amanda walked in. “Which PJs should I wear tonight?” She extended her hand towards her bed, her attention on the choices.

The camera focused on the three picks. There was a pink PJ with a strawberry, a black PJ with a smiley face, and a green PJ with a sad thunder cloud.

“Hmm, if she was in the real world, and if we had a sleepover, I would go for the pink one with the strawberry.” Brandine admitted.

“Man, imagine if that were possible.” Mort said a dreamy voice. “Think of all the fun we would have playing with her. Introducing her to the other fighters, showing her around, and imagine if she were to actually fight in the stages with us.”

“I would actually love to see her fighting skills!” Bowser Jr. excitedly added.

“Her final smash would definitely be her demon form.” Cletus said.

“I would adore drawing with her!” Brandine clapped. “And if we did had a sleepover, I would love it we did each other's hair!”

Muriel listened with disbelief. (Are they serious right now?! If she was able to visit the Stadium, she would set the whole thing on fire just because she didn't get a cookie!) She rolled her eyes. (Unbelievable.) 

Her eyes moved to the Wooly toy. (If you guys were in the real world, I would focus on you. I would love making you peach pies. And while the others are busying with Amanda, I would make sure you never feel scared or worried again.) She softly smiled, gently stroking the toy sheep's ear.

Inkling boy shook his head. “Anyway! If that's what you want to pick Brandine, go ahead.”

“Oh right! We got a bit distracted.” She giggled, clicking on the pink PJ.

The screen glitched for a bit, and it showed Amanda now fully changed, smoothing out her PJs and then climbed onto her bed.

She rested her arms on her legs, her stare was at the camera for a bit before her head hung down. “It gets awfully lonely in here at night.” She spoke softly, almost with sadness, returning her stare to the camera.

She rested on her palms. “It makes me think about what's hap-” Screen of colors. “-about things I don't want to think about.”

She looked back to the ground. “I'm not even sure what's real.” Her voice became almost inaudible at the last word, the screen having the red static that it had back with the ‘Everything Rots’ tape.

Like the previous times, the screen fixed itself, and Amanda went back to her usual happy voice. “But I guess we all get a little scared at night, right?”

“I know I am after everything.” Lucas whispered. “Which is why it feels nice to have happy moments like earlier.”

“Agreed.” Bowser Jr. nodded.

“What are you afraid of?” Amanda questioned, sounding genuinely curious.

The cloud appeared.

The kids froze, unable to think of an answer.

“What do we say?” Ness asked.

“Allow me.” Muriel stood up.

“Don't-”

“I'm not going to type anything rude if that's what you're thinking.” She reassured him. “Hold Wooly.” She handed the plushie to Lucas and went to the keyboard. Taking a deep breath, she typed her answer, ‘Amanda’.

“Wait… are you're serious?” Her best friend asked.

She slowly nodded. “I hate her because not only she's abusive and cruel… but she can be… terrifying.”

“Yet you always insult her.” Bowser Jr. reminded her.

“Because they say to never let them sense your fear.” The orange squid replied. “And even though he's gone, I want to be strong and brave for Wooly.”

The kids didn't knew how to respond to that.

Another deep breath later, Muriel allowed the answer to confirm.

Static.

“Me?” The hostess pointed to herself. “You really think I'm scary?” She placed her hands on her chest. After a pause, she bursted out laughing, her palms on her bed and her legs kicking with joy.

Muriel clenched her fists. “She would find it hilarious that someone's scared of her.”

“Maybe she thinks it's silly to be scared of her.” Ness theorized.

“Of course an evil psycho won't understand why people are afraid of them.” She looked away from the kids. “And you guys talking about how the best of friends you'll all be isn't helping.”

Mort sighed. “She's not evil nor a psycho. And who knows? Maybe after we get her out of there, she could be different.”

“Even if she were, it won't remove all the memories I have of what she's done.”

Another static played, getting their attention.

“Thinking about something you're afraid of can give you nightmares. Especially when there's no one around to help you think of nice thoughts.” Amanda crawled under the blanket, resting her head on the pillows.

“I try to be a big girl and sleep with the lights off,” Her eyes moved to the ceiling. “but it makes me feel so… alone.”

Her head moved slightly to face the audience. “What do you think? Should I just turn off the lamp and be a big girl? Or maybe you can find me a nightlight?”

Static. 

“Please hurry back soon!”

The kids jumped back. She was actually sending them off to find her a nightlight. The show had become more interactive than before. What made things worse, was the lights all around them suddenly turned off, like a blackout had happened.

“Let's not keep her waiting!” Mort said. “Let's go get her that nightlight!”

“I'll join you!” Lucas volunteered. “Here's your toy back by the way.” He handed the squid girl her Wooly plushie.

“I'm coming too.” Villager joined.

The boys left the area, searching around to find any sort of nightlight.

The rest of the kids continued to stare at the screen. Amanda was staring at them, a frightened and pleading expression on her face.

“I'm a big girl who doesn't need a nightlight.” She was heard saying, her voice unsure.

Still feeling the venom roaming around her body, Inkling girl felt herself giving in to her intrusive thoughts. “Exactly. You're a big girl.” She spoke in a near inaudible whisper. “So you don't need a nightlight.” She began to approach the screen.

Brandine noticed and grabbed her shoulder. “Muriel don't.”

“I'm a big girl who doesn't need a nightlight.” Amanda repeated, her voice soft.

“Why not? Why do all of you guys suddenly care about her at this point? She's the reason we're all going to have nightmares and trauma when this is all over. I get that we need to work together, but the way you guys act like she's this 100% innocent victim is becoming too much.”

“We're not back at the safety of our home, we're at the library, in a place we don't know. It took a day to get here. We shouldn't risk anything. Besides, we already took a huge risk when I got you that toy.” She formed a pleading expression.

“Please, just… try not to let your rage consume you. I… I know the things she's done are… questionable, but we shouldn't let that blind us to the fact that the colored tapes showed that there could be more to her.”

The orange squid sighed. “Fine.”

Brandine smiled and continued to wait for the boys. “Have you guys found the nightlight yet?”

“No, but we're working on it!” Mort called to her.

-------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, with said boys, they were still looking around the library. 

Running footsteps were heard approaching them. Mario, Luigi, and Robin were seen using fire magic. “What happened?!” Luigi was shaking with fear. “Why did the lights go off?!”

“It was an effect of the tapes.” Cletus answered. “But don't worry! We just need to find a nightlight and everything should return to normal.”

Mario lifted an eyebrow. “A nightlight? Where are you going to find a nightlight?”

Then, Lucas spotted something, a blue light.

“There!” He told the others.

“Perfect!” Mort beamed, rushing to it. It was a moonshape nightlight. He carefully unplugged it and smiled at the two. “Let's go give this to Amanda.”

As they boys ran back to the Kids Corner, Mario stood there, baffled. “These tapes…”

“What about them?” Robin asked.

“I think they're getting stronger.”

–-------------------------------------------------------------

Back with the others, Muriel continued to glare at the screen. She wanted to keep Brandine's words in mind, but her heart, now covered with vengeance and poison, was ordering her to make the cartoon girl pay. 

She felt her frown getting bigger, her anger boiling to the point she thought she was getting a fever. (They may easily forgive her, but not me. I want to try. I really do. But I cannot get pass the trauma she's caused.)

Looking at her Wooly toy, she thought back to all the times she made him suffer. The times she made him afraid. The moments she made her friends scream and beg for their lives. “You know what? Screw it.”

“What?” Brandine asked, her eyes widening when Muriel slammed her palm to the screen, where the lamp was located, making the screen of colors appear. “No!”

The bedroom became almost hard to see when the lights were turned off.

“Dolly? Are you still out there keeping watch?” Amanda questioned, trying not to sound scared, her fingers tightening around her blanket.

The camera focused on the pink bear. Then it zoomed out.

“Okay… goodnight.” Amanda closed her eyes. Not even a second later, that same possum appeared, grabbing the bear and taking it away.

“No! She needs that!” Bowser Jr. cried.

Amanda was heard gasping in fear, lifting up her upper body, her eyes wide, using her pupils to look around. She laid back down, trying to sleep.

“We got the nightlight!” Mort was heard announcing. The boys arrived, with Mort's excited smile changing into a startled look. 

They watched as a dream cloud appeared next to Amanda, at first, it showed a cute drawing of her with the sun, then it changed to multiple things. Her head tossing back and forth, showing she was struggling and suffering.

The cloud was covered with blood, with slight items being visible, like a door handle, the sun developing an eye, what looked like surgeons doing a surgery, another drawing of Amanda looking scared when a sudden pair of eyes were watching her, static, more blood, and even a slight image of the butcher was seen at one point.

The cloud suddenly vanished, and everything got quiet. Until Amanda launched her body upward, screaming in sheer agony and fear.

The tape then ended there, ejecting, and the lights were turned back on.

The kids remained standing. While several felt horrible for her, and others were a bit terrified themselves by what she dreamt of, Muriel felt satisfied.

“Muriel,” Mort began. “What did you do?”

“What makes you think it was me?”

He jerked his head to her. “Who else would it have been?!” He flung his arms up. “Who else would hate her that much that they want her to suffer?!”

Inkling girl rolled her eyes. “She can commit murder, animal abuse, torment us, try to kill us in her demon form, taunt us,” She listed, using her fingers to count. “but god forbid if I dare let her have a nightmare.” She gave him a disappointed stare. “Glad to see you priorities haven't changed.”

Ness stood in between them. “Remember you guys, if we're going to get through this, you two need to stop acting like the tame version of Amanda and Wooly. You guys are meant to be best friends. Not enemies.”

“Yeah, and plus,” Bowser Jr. began. “I'm the one who could've been trapped in that world, but you don't see me insulting her or giving her more trauma.”

The squid girl loudly groaned. “You all at like she did nothing wrong! I'm sick of it!”

“Don't get me wrong,” Villager began. “I'm not saying she's innocent, because she isn't. But what we're trying to say is that if we're expecting to solve this, and if you want to save Wooly, we all have to make sure she doesn't hate us.”

“Think about it,” Brandine started. “if you keep this up, she won't want to bother with us anymore. She might even appear in her demon form to kill you, and then what are we going do?”

Muriel exhaled sharply. “You guys act like she can hear us. Or remember us.”

“We've never said it outright, but we have noticed it.” Ness spoke up. “She reacts to certain answers, and don't forget how she behaved when she saw Bowser comforting his son that one time.”

“You really think she could actually see and hear us?” Bowser Jr. wondered.

“It would explain the times she appeared in demon form, and the moments where items are randomly placed somewhere.” Ness added. He turned to Muriel. “Which means that if she remember us, she'll remember how you are towards her. And if that's the case, she's still giving you the chance to make things right.”

Muriel looked at her Wooly toy.

“Do you think Wooly would want you to treat her like this?” Ness asked. “He sees her as a friend, and if he was here, would he be happy with what you're doing?”

“...No.” She dryly answered.

“Then it's settled.” The boy in the red cap decided. “You can still feel how you feel, but don't let it make things harder for the rest of us.”

“If she doesn't test my patience any further, then I'll try harder. For Wooly.”

“Good enough.” Villager accepted. “Let's see if we can figure out what the next puzzle is.”

“Look!” Brandine pointed. The box that had numerous activities for them to had moved onto one of the tables.

“That must be the next puzzle.” Muriel stated. She placed the Wooly toy on the table and examined it fully.

There was a tic-tac-toe game, two sides had circles to slide around, and the last side had pictures with panels they could spin to create different people with different outfits.

“We're going to have to watch the tape again. This definitely calls for attention to detail.” She picked up the toy and went back to the others.

“Then let's not wait.” Mort nodded. He grabbed the tape and inserted it again.

This time, while watching the tape, all the kids tried their best to focus on the items that were seen in the background.

On the first part of the tape, after helping Amanda put her toys away, Ness paused it when she walked off. “Okay, which side of the box could be for this?”

“Maybe the tic-tac-toe one.” Lucas guessed. He went to the box and stared at the side that had the game. “The question is, do we match the shelf?”

“What do you mean?” Inkling girl asked.

“Well, from where Ness paused it, if you look carefully, there's different types of circles and Xs. So maybe,” he flipped some of the X panels over, turning them into circles.

In the middle of doing the tic-tac-toe puzzle, the kids nearly screamed when they heard the walkie-talkie playing static.

They had forgotten that Cletus had it in his pockets. He took it out. “What is it?”

“Just checking in,” The Mask Stranger told them. “Everything's still pretty quiet out here, but we shouldn't stay too long.” She advised. “Try to find those tapes, okay?”

She ended the transmission.

“Try to find those tapes?” Mort scoffed. “We're watching those tapes!” He laughed. “That lady has no idea what we're doing.

“I honestly think this show has changed us all and we haven't noticed it.” Ness confessed. “The way we're all are starting to behave in ways none of us could imagine is crazy. Alright, what's the next move?”

“Hmm, well, for now, we can leave the game the way Lucas placed it.” Mort decided. “Let's continue watching the tape and see what we can do.”

When the tape continued, the team kept an eye on details. On the part where Amanda opened the medicine cabinet, Ness paused the show. “Okay, which side fits for this?”

“I'll do this one.” Brandine went to the box, looking at the remaining sides. “I think it’s this one.” She stared at one of the sides that had circles to slide around. “The pictures on the bottles she has match these. The sun, moon, two flowers, and I think ice.” 

“If we match the display on screen, it could work. Try it.” The blue squid suggested.

She slid the circles around, often looking back at the screen for help. Once they were a match, a small noise was heard. “Does that mean I did it?”

“You know,” Lucas began. “I didn't notice it, but that same sound played right as the stranger called us.”

“Then that has to mean we’re on the right track.” Cletus nodded. “Let's continue.”

After watching more of the tape, they got to the part where Amanda asked them what they were afraid of.

“I wonder,” Bowser Jr. began, heading to the keyboard. He typed the answer, ‘Wooly’.

He heard Muriel snort. “Really?”

“I'm curious.” He responded.

Static.

Amanda's eyes were half closed. “Oh yeah, he's really scary.” she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

The tape continued, and when she asked for the nightlight, this time, Muriel didn't move. “Go ahead.” she said, ignoring the glare Mort was giving her.

“I'm a big girl who doesn't need a nightlight.” Amanda was heard saying.

“You may be a big girl, but there's nothing wrong with a nightlight.” Mort said gently, lifting the nightlight to the screen.

Everyone gasped when it disappeared from his hand, entering through the screen and was now in the show.

“Thank you.” Amanda said in a sleepy tone. She closed her eyes, smiling as she drifted away. “Goodnight… Mort and Muriel.”

“How does she-”

The tape ejected, stopping Muriel mid sentence.

“Did she just-”

“She remembers us!” Mort said a bit too excited. “She actually recognized us!””

“Then that means with the previous tapes, she heard us… and saw us.” Muriel whispered, coming to a realization. 

Memories of their conversations and arguments played in her head.

{“Remember the red tape?”}

{“Yeah, it had a news broadcast talking about the disappearance of Sam Colton.”}

{“And it also mentioned how Rebecca is the voice of Amanda, and Sam is her dad.”}

{“Meaning there's a chance seeing Bowser Jr. having his dad caused her to remember moments with her dad before he went missing.”}

{“Wow, I didn't think she was actually capable of feeling. She's the one hurting Wooly, and yet she has the audacity to act like she's the one suffering.”}

{“Did you not hear a word I said? She could be hurting as well!”}

“You guys were right.” Inking girl added in a whisper, her eyes moving to stare at the toy. It meant Wooly must've heard and seen them too.

“But why did she only mentioned the Inklings?” Bowser Jr. placed a claw on his chin. “Why didn't she mentioned the rest of us?”

“Maybe she's implying that the Inklings have the most impact on her?” Ness thought of. “They are the ones who show the biggest emotions out of the rest of us.”

“Hmm, if that's the case,” Brandine began, her eyes moving to the squid kids. “Then you two actually have an effect on her.”

Both kids looked at each other with widened eyes.

“Mort has a positive effect on her, it's probably the reason we were spared whenever a restart happened.” Ness included. “While Muriel on the other hand, has a negative effect on her. It could be why she decided to kill Woo-” He covered his mouth, gasping. “S-Sorry! I shouldn't mention that so casually!”

“No. It's alright.” She sighed, her gaze going to the toy. “If I'm the reason she killed him… then I must take responsibility.”

She inhale deeply through her nose, letting out a long exhale through her mouth. “Like I said earlier, I will try harder to make sure she doesn't hurt Wooly as a result of my hatred towards her. I won't make any promises, but I'll try.”

“If what we're saying is true, then the fact that she still let you live during those attacks, and she still said goodnight to you even after you forced her to have a nightmare. That's really something.” Brandine pointed out.

“Yeah… I thank her for that. But it's going to take more for me to start actually being genuinely nice to her. For one, I want her to be nice to Wooly.”

“We'll see.” Mort replied. “But for now, I just can't believe she remembers us. And the fact that we might have the biggest impact on her.”

“Well, while it may be a good thing that she remembers us, we won't go anywhere unless we solve the next puzzle.” Brandine placed a hand on her hip. “We've only solved two of four. And the tape didn't really show other items we could use to solve it.”

Bowser Jr. grew excited. “Then let's randomly guess!” He ran to the box, going to the side with the people and clothing. “If we hear the noise, then that means we solved it! So let's just guess and see what happens!”

He began flipping the panels, the other kids gathering around him. They watched as he tried multiple options. Finally, after what felt like thousands of attempts, they heard the noise.

A tape then appeared out from the top of the box.

“I did it!” The Koopa prince cheered. He climbed onto the chair and jumped to grab the tape. It was titled, ‘Let's Practice Patience!’

“Do you think something will happen if we fumble with the other side?” Muriel questioned. She made her way to the last side of the box. “I'll try my best. No, we'll try our best.” She looked at her toy. “Right Wooly?” She smiled, then began moving the circles around.

After a few random attempts, a noise was heard, and to the surprise of everyone, another tape appeared, but instead of it coming out from the top, it came out from the side, above the circles with the flowers.

It was a orange tape.

“The colored tapes!” Villager gasped.

“We have to get the grown ups!” Lucas said. “They're definitely going to want to see this if it has more information!” He ran out of the Kids Corner.

“I wonder what this has in store for us. Considering that it has the word patience, I find it ironic. Amanda makes it clear she has none.” Muriel spoke.

“This tape better be a miracle worker.” Mort wiggled it. “Because you my friend, really love to test mine today.”

“Same goes for you.” She snapped back.

--------------------------------------------------------

Minutes Earlier…

Mario typed away at the keyboard, finding way more information than he was expecting. 

As he was doing that, the others were trying to see if there was anything hidden with the books, looking for more puzzles and scanning other books, trying to see if Wendy Wrym would give them something.

“Yeah, we're currently doing more research.” Luigi was heard speaking through the walkie-talkie. “We managed to find a bit more about Kate being a librarian. We even found an article that shows her picture.”

“You managed to find more information that what I provided?” Mandy asked through the encrypted channel.

Luigi shrugged. “Not a lot.” He turned to Mario, who was printing an article. “Outside of that she and Sam would hold events here at the library. We unfortunately haven't gotten access to Kate's office yet, but we're trying.”

“And what about the kids?” The stranger asked. “What are they doing?”

“They're in the Kids Corner section of the library.” The plumber in green answered. He wanted to let her know that they were watching the tapes, but decided against it, his gut telling him to keep that private. “They're looking for the tapes, but haven't found a single one yet.”

He heard the stranger sigh. “That's alright, I actually talked to them earlier, telling the to find the tapes. Like I told them, we shouldn't stay here for too long. Good luck.” She ended the communication.

Luigi placed the device next to Mario, who grabbed the article he printed out. “I would ask why you lied about the tapes, but I feel like I can understand.”

“Yeah. Not only is my gut saying not to, but if the tapes are going to be like the ones we found previously, especially when remembering how the lights went out during one tape, then it's best if we get all the information we can.”

Mario went back to the computer. “Hmm, outside of the article that I printed out, which states how Kate and Sam had events here, and since it had her picture, I figure it could be useful, there's not much else. Outside of a lists of events that they held.”

“At least we got something. It’s better than nothing.”

“How's everything going with you guys?” Mario called to the others.

“Not well,” Lucina began, closing a book. “nothing seems to have anything hidden or something important that could help us.”

“Well, if you guys can't find anything, you can check in on the guys back at the stadium. See how they're doing.”

“Great idea Luigi!” She smiled. She placed the book back and took out her phone, sending a text to her father, asking how things were going.

Footsteps were heard running. “Guys!”

“Lucas?” Mario guessed.

The blonde boy caught up to them, resting his hands on his kees. “We… we need you guys… to come over.”

“What for?” Luigi wondered.

He took several breaths, finding the water fountain and making his way there, gulping down as much as he could, then wiping his mouth.

“We found a colored tape.”

—-----------------------------------------------------

“I brought them!” Lucas was heard.

“He told us you found a colored tape?” Luigi asked.

“Yeah. We're going to watch it before we move onto the next tape.” Cletus confirmed.

“Well, now that we're all gathered, let's give it a watch.”

“Junior, get off the table.” Bowser requested.

“Okay dad!” He grabbed the orange tape and leaped off the table, handing the second tape to Brandine, who stored it in her pocket.

The Koopa prince went to the VCR, inserting the colored tape.

The screen remained blue for a bit, static played for a second, then footage played. It showed three people in a storage closet of some sort. Two women and a man.

A TV was behind them. The three were siting and discussing something, with the dark skinned woman looking through papers. “Holy hell. How long have you been cataloging these?”

The blonde woman on the right spoke. “Since I caught a sigil on a swing set in the background on the ‘Let's Play Pirates’ episode.”

“That’s Kate!” Mario pointed.

“Huh?” The kids asked.

He dug inside his pocket, taking out a printed article and showing it to them. We managed to get more information here, and I found an article that has her picture.”

The kids looked at the image of the article and then at the TV screen. It was a match.

“If I had blinked, I would have missed it.” Kate continued. “But here's the thing, there wasn't a single reference until the acquisition. This is the complete log of all the references I can make out, and most of them are subtle, but they're there and lots of them.”

The man next to the dark skinned woman began talking. “And usually paired with a message encouraging kids to ignore their parents or do something harmful.” A slight pause. “Again, it's subtle. It's not something that's overtly dangerous, not in the context. And it's always under the guise of a new adventure.”

The woman pointed to the TV behind them. “And you know, this kid was also watching the show at the time of his disappearance?”

Kate nodded. “Totally engrossed his parents said and then just gone.”

“No police evidence, not even footprints trailing on.”

“No, nothing, like he just vanished.” Kate confirmed. “That was over eight months ago.”

The man spoke up. “And now this other kid, Lauren. Same story.”

The team gasped. “Lauren?! The one from the first orange tape we saw?!” Brandine covered her mouth.

“So what's next?” The woman questioned.

“That's what we need to figure out.” Kate answered. “I mean, obviously we can't say anything it's a kid's show, for Christ's sake. We'd sound insane.” She slightly laughed, crossing one leg over the other.

“But it's not.” The man stated. “These are- These are not good lessons. Every episode has some very harmful instructions.”

“Tell me about it.” Muriel agreed.

“If they knew about the stuff we've gone through.” Lucas added.

The man on the tape went on. “And there's a thread of content that runs across all of it. References to Belial, to Mara, to Iblis. Every world religion has a figure that tempts and manipulates and deceives.”

“The chants!” Robin and the Mario bros said in union.

“Bye yell, Pie man, and Baa Lamb!” Robin recalled. “So they were trying to get her to summon something!”

“Those bastard.” Mort snarled.

“According to Kate's log, in the last 20 weeks of this kid's show, there have been over 40 mentions of these entities.” The man went on. “It's alarming!”

Everyone in the tape went quiet. The man then lifted up a finger. “I want to bring Peter into this. If you two are comfortable.” He suggested. “This is really his area of expertise.”

The two women looked at each other, coming to an agreement.

“Okay, let's get him to review the episodes that you've already recorded.” The man stood up, going to the camera. “I will cut the meeting recording-”

The screen got covered with static, then a blue screen.

“Is that all?” Ness wondered.

“The tape hasn't ejected, so there's probably more.” Bowser said.

The screen then showed the same people from earlier, this time, a new additional person was with them, the one they assumed was Peter.

On the screen behind them, was the blue tape the crew found. They saw it was paused when Rebecca was given something to sign, the man across from her, and the woman in a lab coat behind them.

“Wait! If they had that tape, how did it get to us?!” Muriel shouted.

“This is getting more confusing.” Lucina ran a hand through her hair.

“How old is she here?” Peter was heard.

“About five…” The woman answered.

“FIVE?!” The crew screamed.

“She was only five?!” Luigi trembled.

“I can't even imagine.” The woman added.

“They provided two original tapes of the show, and they say there are more.” Kate informed the others. “Over the next few nights, I'm going to start combing those. For more coded language, the puzzles, the anagrams. They seem to connect it to the cult.”

“A cult?” Mort lifted an eyebrow. "They seriously think this is related to a cult?"

"What do you think all this could be?" Lucas asked.

"I'm not sure. But I wouldn't pick a cult."

"What about the chants?" Robin recalled.

"Just in case, we're going to have to do more research." Mario decided. "Cause to be fair, there could be more to things than just labeling them a cult."

"True. We'll figure it out afterwards." Robin agreed.

“And based on what we have, I'm convinced that this is the lastest iteration.” Kate continued. “Of the one Caroline's family has been tracking for generations.”

The dark skinned woman, Caroline, nodded in conformation.

“The information we already have about the group ties it back to a religion that hasn't been practiced publicly in damn near-"

Static interrupted the tape, playing for a few seconds, then returning.

“So we're saying that this production company has been around since the Middle Ages.” The man tried to clarified.

The Smash Brothers team tensed up.

“Is that what we're saying?” He looked at everyone, waiting for a response.

“Either that,” Peter began, his arms folded. “Or they're-”

Another wave of static, and a blue screen.

The tape fixed itself. 

“But why her specifically and why here?” Kate questioned.

The man pointed to the screen. “I wish we could get our hands on that contract.” The screen flickered, like if it was shut off, but fixed itself almost immediately. He turned to Kate. “I think that would be-”

Another blue screen.

When the tape went back to the room, it was now just Kate, Peter, and Caroline. The TV was off.

“-don't even have any conclusive evidence that would suggest she's still alive.” Peter finished whatever the tape cut off.

Inkling boy winced. Was he talking about Amanda? Or Rebecca? If he was, hearing the words that they had no proof she was alive hurt him to the core.

“But she's in there Peter. I know she is!” Caroline tried to convince him.

Peter shook his head. “Whatever information Kate is getting is fragmented at best.” He argued, his hand at Kate's direction. “And that's if it actually is Rebecca.”

Another wince from Inkling boy. They were talking about Rebecca.

Kate leaned slightly forward. “It has to be! I-”

“So no!” Peter interrupted her. His gaze was at Caroline. “Caroline, we don't know. We have to hit the pause button on this.” He advised, with the woman shaking her head in disbelief. “We can't do anything that would give away what we're doing.”

Caroline stood up. “Excuse me, I'm sorry. Are you in charge here?” She demanded, her fists on her sides. She flicked a finger a him. “So what's the plan then, Peter?” She said his name in a taunting manner. “We just keep meeting and talking?”

She moved her hands outward in a somewhat shrug pose. “What's our goal exactly?”

Kate moved a hand toward her. “Look, I want to try too Caroline, but we have to proceed with caution.”

Peter lifted up his hands. “We don't even know what state she's in. Or if we could even get to her. It's been almost 15 years.”

Even though the Smash Bros team knew that already, it was still a fact that made them all tensed up.

“She might not even want out at this point!” Peter theorized.

“Excuse me?!” Inkling boy shouted in rage. “What do you mean she doesn't want out?! She wants nothing more than to get out of there!”

“Easy Mort,” Muriel placed a hand on his shoulder. “Maybe somehow they didn't notice how she behaves. Or watched the tapes like we did.”

Growling, he tried to calm himself.

“You don't know that!” Caroline argued.

“You don't either.” Kate pointed out.

“Bottom line is, it's not safe.” Peter warned the two.

Caroline sighed and sat back down.

“I mean, are we going to talk about David, or are we going to pretend he's-”

Caroline held up a hand. “I'm not waiting around!” She decided. “If they're coming for me, they're coming for me.” She gestured to Kate. “She's made contact with Kate.”

Peter slightly hung his head, his hands on his knees. “But we don't even kow that it's her.”

“Why is he so doubtful?” Bowser Jr. had a sad look. “Does he really think there's no point in even trying?”

“I don't like Amanda, but even I'm agreeing to at least put some effort in helping to extent.” Muriel said.

“It is, but she's too volatile.” Kate told Peter. “That's the tricky part. We don't know where she's coming from.”

“Kate, we've been working on this for 14 years.” Caroline reminded her. “Please.”

Peter shook his head. “This is a terrible idea. We should be lying low, not diving in!” A pause. “You know what? This meeting’s over.”

He got up and went to the camera. “We're gonna take a break, and we're all just going to come back when we can-”

Another blue screen, and this time, the tape was ejected falling to the floor. 

“Yeesh, is that how I would sound?” Inkling girl hesitated, her grip slightly loosening on the Wooly doll.

“...Sometimes.” Inkling boy answered. “But I give you credit for at least saying you'll try. It's not much, but you have tried.” He turned to her. “At least you ain't slapping me.”

She wince and buried her face onto the wool on the toy's head. “I… I'm not proud of that. But, there are moments where you need to understand that she can't be excused. No matter the circumstances.”

He exhaled through his nose. “And you need to learn that Wooly isn’t fully innocent either. I mean, when she had a breakdown during the second version of the neighborhood tape, he didn't even bother to comfort her.”

“What would've been the point? She probably would've pushed him away or gotten madder. So really, what would've been the point?”

“He still could've tried. I don’t think Amanda would behave the way she does for no reason. Maybe there's something deeper to both of them.” He turned to Brandine, who knew what he wanted.

She took out the tape. Handing it to him.

“Do you guys want us to stick around?” Robin offered.

“We'll be fine, you guys keep doing research.” Bowser Jr. waved his hand, dismissing them.

“Alright Junior, call us if you need anything.” Bowser patted his head.

“Before we head out, may we take the original colored tapes?” Mario requested.

“Go ahead, like we were going to watch those again.” Villager said.

Lucina felt a vibration. She took out her phone. She read his reply, getting a bit nervous, but didn’t say anything.

“Good luck and be careful kids.” Mario told them after collecting the tapes, leaving the area, the others following.

Once they were gone, Inkling boy looked at the tape. “If there is something deeper, we need to figure out.”

--------------------------------------------------------------

“Okay gang, keep looking through these books, there has to be something here we can find.” Mario instructed his team. “Since we still have these tapes, let's see if we can find a way to get these tape out into the world.”

“Are you sure that's a good idea?” Luigi worried. “Don't get me wrong, if everyone knows about it, then it could help us take down Hameln, but it could also put all of us in deep danger.”

“Luigi, we're already in deep danger just by being here. We can't back down now. Let's not be like Peter.”

His younger brother wince. “Y-You're right.” He shook his head. “Sorry about that. I need to be more brave. I agreed to do this, so I should stick to it.”

Mario gave him a proud smile.

Lucina continued to stare at her phone.

“Is everything okay?” Robin checked on her.

She showed him her phone. Allowing him to read Chrom's message.

His eyes slightly widened. “We need to show this to Mario.”

She nodded.

Robin ran to the plumber in red, grabbing his shoulder.

He turned his head. “What is it?"

“Take a look at this.”

He grabbed the phone, reading the message.

- Chrom: I wish I could say things are looking good over here. But I'm getting a bit paranoid. Fox, Falco, and Wolf have told Link and Zelda that they sometimes see a couple of white vans slowly driving by. And they have the logo of that company you've told us about.’

Chapter Text

A day earlier…

Tom and Victoria made their way inside Steven's office. ”You called sir?” Victoria questioned.

Steven spun his chair, his gaze throwing daggers. “Remind me what you two told me last night?”

“That we finished the job?” Tom guessed. "Or that you don't have to worry about Mandy?”

Steven chuckled, but it didn't reach his eyes. “Finish the job you say?” He snatched the mug on his desk and launched it directly at his head, where he thankfully avoided it, the loud shattering of glass booming through the room. “If that were the case then why is his phone still active?!"

“What do you mean?!” Tom shouted.

Steven dug inside his desk, taking out his phone. “When I saw that pest was going to be trouble, I decided to hack my way into his phone, checking activity. And would you look at that?!” He showed his screen to the two.

“His phone becomes active after you two report that he was burned alive!”

“Sir, he was. We saw him crash. We saw the explosion. There's no way that could've been him.” Victoria calmly told him.

“Oh really? Then explain the phone call?!”

He played the audio.

Click.

[“Are you okay?! I was about to call you!”]

[I’m fine. Surprisingly. But I lost my car. I don't know how I'll be able to catch up.”]

[“Share your location. I'll come get you.”]

[“Are you sure? Won't that put you at risk?”]

[“Like I told you before, we're already at risk by doing this. Share your location.”]

[“Alright. I've send it.”]

[“Thank you. I'll try to get there as soon as possible. Do your best to hide. I don't want you getting hurt.”]

[“I will. If you need a landmark, look for a burning car. Shouldn't be too hard to find.”]

[“I'll keep that in mind.”]

Click.

“That definitely sounds like he was burned alive!” Steven roared. “You morons didn't even bother checking if he was actually dead! The higher ups will have my head if I let that pest get away with the information!”

“Boss we didn't think he was able to escape!” Tom told him.

“You useless thug! Do something right for once and bring him to me!”

“Where was his last location detected?” Victoria wondered, fixing her glasses.

Steven fumbled with his phone, showing them his screen. “At his cilent's home. After that, he either turned off the phone, destroyed it, or the battery died. I haven't been able to get his location since.”

“Which means there's a chance he may not even be there anymore boss.” Tom warned. “So what would be the point?”

Steven rubbed his temples. “You blockhead.” He growled. “If you can't get Mandy, then his client is the next best option!”

“We'll send reinforcements to bring him into custody.” She told him. “Let's move Tom. We got a pest to exterminate.”

“I already got information on the client.” Steven revealed, taking out a folder and tossing it on top of is desk. “Gather a total of seven to eight employees, have them stake out the place. We will get our hands on those two brothers and anyone else who might've gotten involved.”

He placed his hands on his desk while Tom grabbed the folder and opened it, Victoria took a peek. 

Inside the folder, was a picture of Mario and Luigi, with their information underneath their photo. There were other pictures and information as well, which Tom and Victoria looked through.

“From what I gathered, the place those two own also holds children, which means once we take them down, and get them into custody,” Steven connected his hands together, blocking the bottom half of his face, grinning maliciously. “those children could possibly be Hameln’s newest resources for future projects.”

---------------------------------------------------------

Present day…

“Have you guys spotted Mandy or the brothers?” Tom asked through the device.

“Not yet. All we see are the residents who live there. But Mandy himself, along with the brothers are nowhere to be seen.” A man responded.

“I think some of residents have spotted us.” A second mentioned.

“Shit. If we're not careful, it could cause trouble.” A third warned.

“Guys, focus.” Victoria ordered. “Doesn't matter if we get spotted, what matters is that you find the ones we're order to capture.”

“Yes ma'am.” First and Second said.

“By the way,” Third spoke up.

“What is it?” She asked.

“We got a word that someone named Riley was recently taken into custody. Apparently they were the ones who send the tapes to the location you're at. Should we hand them to Hameln for questioning?”

“Yes. Anyone who gets involved, or tries to take us down, needs to be terminated. Just like Kate.” She responded coldly.

“Copy that.”

“So what's our next move?” First asked Victoria.

“Split into two teams.” She began explaining. “Tim, Justin, Ryan, and Jake, you guys can sneak around, try to find the best spots to sneak in or to plant hidden cameras. I suggest that Nathaniel, Jeremy, and Avery knock on the front door and distract the residents.”

“But they spotted us.” Second, or Jeremy, reminded her.

“Were all of you spotted?”

“I don't think so.”

“Then send the ones who haven't been spotted to knock.”

“Will do.”

---------------------------------------------------

- Mario: Lucina showed me your message. Do not back down. Make them think you don't know anything, get them to lower their guard. Then, send any of the non-humans out to scare them or to damage their vans. Make sure it's a fighter that can't be mistaken for a human in a costume. Do whatever you can to protect our home.’

That was the text message Chrom got. But unfortunately, after reading it, as he was about to make his way to Dedede and Meta Knight, a knock was heard at the door, which made him freeze.

He didn't need to think who it was. Following Mario's advice, he decided to open it to avoid drawing in suspicion.

At first, the conversation was… normal. To say the least. It was three people. Two men and a woman.

The first guy, who introduced himself as Nathaniel, was a white man with coal black hair that was shaved at the back. He had hazel eyes and wore black round glasses.

The second guy, who called himself Ryan, was a dark skinned man with brown hair that reached his shoulders, he had a beard and what looked like a scar on his right arm.

Then there was the woman. She said her name was Avery. She had pale brown hair, freckles on her face, had a nose piercing and her nails were painted red.

All three were wearing a uniform that matched an investigation team.

“Good evening sir.” Nathaniel had greeted. “We're looking for two brothers. Mario and Luigi. Are they home?”

Chrom didn't know how to respond. He feared no matter his answer, it wasn't going to end well. Regardless, he told himself to remain as calm as possible. “May I ask why you three are looking for them?”

“I understand how this can come off as odd, but I assure you, we mean no harm.” He dug inside his chest pocket. “We work with the private investigator Mario hired. Mandy is his name.” He handed the man a card.

Chrom took it, reading it. To the untrained eye, it looked real. It was enough to fool any innocent bystander who didn't know any better. “I see.”

“Mandy left behind some important information, may we come in and drop them off? Or perhaps we can wait for the brothers if they're not home?” Ryan asked.

“Uh…” Chrom gulped. He had to think fast, and smart. If he let them in, they could easily raid the home, but if he declined, it might provoke them to do something that could put everyone in danger.

He then got an idea. “Sure. Come in. I'll make you guys some coffee or tea while we wait.” He moved to the side.

“Thank you! Coffee sounds absolutely delightful!” Nathaniel said a bit too excited. The three made their way inside, following Chrom to the living room couch. The same couch the massive team had sat on the day prior.

“Make yourselves comfortable. I'll be back with the coffee.”

“Thank you sir.” Ryan grinned. “Take all the time you need.”

Chrom made his way to the kitchen, making as much noise as he could to convince them he was getting everything ready.

In reality, he was sneakily sending a text to Dedede and Meta Knight. He texted them to sneak out through the window and to damage their vans, adding that if possible, scare off any other employee that could be lurking, explaining the situation as quickly as possible.

When the text was sent, he rushed on making the drinks, then carried the tray back to the living room, putting on a fake smile.

“Here you are.” He placed the tray down. “Pick any cup.”

All three grabbed their cups and began to drink. 

Though, since Chrom made it in a rush, it didn't taste the best, but it wasn't terrible to the point they spit it out.

Chrom could tell from their eyes that they didn't like it, which almost made him laugh. But he kept his cool, even making sure that he had a cup of his own.

“So, about the investigation you guys are doing,” he began. “exactly what is the information Mandy forgot?”

“Apologies sir, but we can only disclose that information to the brothers.” Ryan told him, putting the cup down. “Are they home?”

“Not at the moment, but like you said, just drop them on the table and you an be on your way.”

“We'll wait if that's not a bother.” Avery replied, trying to finish the cup as fast as possible.

“Of course it's not. We can wait all night.” Chrom smirked, knowing that at that exact moment, two fighters were probably on their way to damage some vans.

-------------------------------------------------

After getting their orders, Dedede and Meta Knight snuck out of the stadium, making sure to remain hidden.

In case of an emergency, Ridley was watching from the roof, while Charizard was hiding, waiting for the signal to attack.

“There.” Meta Knight pointed.

The penguin king spotted one of the vans.

“Alright, let's show these rats how we deal with them.” He tightly gripped his hammer, the two heading to one the empty vehicles.

Meta Knight's sword shined, his wings spread, and with several swift movements, he was already finished.

Dedede widen his eyes. He didn't just slash the tires, he slid up the entire van! Parts of it even fell to the ground. It was so fast, the alarm didn't go off!

“Why am I even here?” The penguin king asked. “Wait,” he noticed something. He placed his hammer on the ground and went to the destroyed van.

“What is it?” Meta Knight asked.

Dedede picked up a folder. “What's this?” He opened it, the round knight landed on his shoulder, trying to look.

Both gasped when they saw the contents of the folder. It was information on some of the ones that watched the tapes. Somehow, Hameln figured out which of the fighters were the ones that watched the tapes.

The folder had Mario, Luigi, Inkling boy and girl, the Villagers, Lucina, Robin, Ness, Link, and Zelda.

What made things more concerning, was the information. It labeled their name, where they were from, their relatives or loved ones, even their ages.

“This is bad!” Dedede tried not to shout.

“We must eliminate all the vans at once!” Meta Knight leaped off his shoulder, taking his sword out. “Let's make haste!”

“Hold it!” Dedede grabbed him by the wings as he was about to take off. “We can destroy another van, but not all. Not yet.”

“Why not?”

“If we destroy all the vans, it could lead to us getting caught. Fox said that there was an estimate total of around seven employees. From what Chrom texted me, three are inside. He's distracting them.”

“If they try anything, Ridley will stop them.” Meta Knight reminded him, using his sword to point at him.

“That is true. But we need to be careful still. Let's move to the next van. I'll be showing this to Link and Zelda when we get back inside.” He stuffed the folder in his robe, grabbing his hammer and making his way to another empty van.

Giving his hammer a spin, he slammed it right onto the nose of the vehicle, where it began to immediately sound it's alarm.

“Let me.” Meta Knight spoke. With a quick and swift swing, the van was silenced, and half of it fell to the ground.

“I'm so glad you were picked for this.” Dedede softly laughed. He then paused his laughter. “You know, I wonder.” He went to the van, looking around, finding a second folder. He grabbed it.

Opening it, he felt the knight perch on his shoulder again.

Like the previous folder, this one had several papers. Each containing some sort of experiment or a list of theories or possible methods that the employees probably wanted to try.

Some where graphic, while others were… tamed. Still horrible, but not as intense as the others.

One experiment talked about moving one's subconscious into an object or animal. Several involved mutilation. Most contained surgery or injections.

“What is this?” Dedede shivered.

“We must report this to the Mario bros at once!” Meta Knight jumped off his shoulder. “But first, they say three times a charm. Shall we?” He offered, using his wing to point to a third van.

King Dedede put the second folder inside his robe, making sure none of the folders got crushed or wrinkled.

“Let's.” He nodded.

--------------------------------------------------

“Did our car alarm just go off?” Ryan asked.

“Maybe a wild animal startled it.” Chrom suggested. “We get several animals around here sometimes. I hope your van wasn't damaged.”

“Pardon me for asking this,” Avery began.

“Hm?” Chrom responded.

“May I be excused? I need to use the powder room.” She gently blushed.

“Of course. I'll get someone to guide you.” Chrom stood up and left the room.

After he was out of view, Nathaniel took out his phone, texting Victoria.

- Nathaniel: Did the van alarm go off?

She replied.

- Victoria: It did. Tom was sleeping and I was keeping track on the others. So neither of us saw what happened.

“Damn it.” He said under his breath.

He put his phone away when heard footsteps.

Chrom reappeared with Peach by his side. “She'll take you the bathroom.”

Avery stood up. “Thank you.” She smiled.

Chrom sat back down while Peach lead Avery up the stairs. Once they reached the bathroom, Avery turned to the princess. “I'm sorry, but… you're not going to be standing by the door right?”

“It's to guide you back when you're done.” The princess informed her.

“I understand. But I like to have privacy. I'll call for you when I'm done.”

Peach didn't wanted to move. Chrom told her that she wasn't suppose to let her out of her sight. However, she could say she would leave, but in reality, she could hide. With her idea, she smiled and nodded.

“Alright then. My name is Princess Peach. Just call for me.”

“Thank you. I really appreciate it.” Avery returned the smile. She closed the bathroom door and placed her ear by it.

She heard the heels fading, and that's when she got to work. She dug inside her pocket, taking out a small circular device. “If we can't get the brothers, then I suppose we can start with the children.”

-----------------------------------------------------------

The tape was inserted. It showed a hand, then static, then the show. It looked like they were in a backyard of her home. They saw the fence behind her, a table to her left that had a pair of eyes, paint buckets, several tools.

“Hi! I'm Amanda!” She waved. “Isn't it nice to be out-”

Suddenly, a familiar animal slid onto screen. “And I'm Wooly!” He winked.

Muriel squealed so loud everyone had to cover their ears, even the adults that were at the front of the library heard her.

They were slightly worried that even the stranger and Mandy heard her, even though they were outside.

“Wooly's back! He's alive! He's actually alive!” She jumped with joy, unable to hold back her happiness. She stared at her plushie. “You're alive Wooly! I'm so happy!”

But that quickly faded when Amanda's gaze became enraged, she let out angry screams and tackled him without hesitation. He was heard making noises of struggles.

For Inkling boy, the sight was actually pretty funny.

Muriel was heard screaming as well, being held back by Cletus and Lucas.

Static filled the screen. And the two were now standing side by side again.

“Hi! I'm…” Amanda paused, looking at the ground before going off script. “No!” She turned to the animal. “I don't want you here! Don't you get that?!”

He slightly backed off. “But Amanda, I'm your best friend.” He told her, his attention moving to the camera.

“My best friend?” She snarled, getting closer, making the sheep close his eyes, bracing himself. “All you do is get on my-”

Static. The two side by side again.

“Hi, I'm Amanda!”

“And I'm Wooly!”

“It hasn't even been a minute! And she's already causing problems!” Inkling girl shouted, pulling away from the boys.

“Same goes for you.” Mort snapped.

She glared at him, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. “Stay calm. Stay calm. Stay… calm.” She exhaled slowly, opened her eyes, and looked back at the screen. “As long as Wooly's back, I'll be fine.”

“Don't forget the fact that they can see and hear us.” Ness reminded her.

“I know. And like I said, I'll try my best.” She responded.

Back at the screen, Amanda gave Wooly an annoyed look, before looking back at the camera. “Today we are working on a very special project! It's a project that will take a lot of patience.” She moved her arms out while explaining.

“Patience is a very good quality to have.” Wooly chimed in with a smile.

“Indeed it is Wooly.” Muriel nodded.

Amanda glared at the sheep, who looked away with nervousness, fiddling with his fingers. 

All of a sudden, audio began playing, but it didn't sounded like it was from the tape, it sounded like it was from the library.

The hostess took a deep breath. “Patience is a very good quality to have.” She copied his line. “It means staying calm, even when something… or SOMEONE… bothers you over and over again.” Her head slowly moved to face the animal.

Wooly moved his head to face the screen, a dumbfounded look on his face. He then looked down, looking upset, rubbing his right arm.

“Don't listen to her Wooly.” Muriel reassured him. “You can never be a bother. In fact, my patience is being tested by her right now. She's the real bother.”

Wooly was unable to hold back his smile. Ever after being gone for about a day, she still gave him the same amount of care.

His smile faded when he sensed Amanda reacting to her words. She clenched her hands tightly, but kept her smile.

“Pause.” Mort requested.

Ness paused the tape.

“Does anyone else hear that?”

Listening carefully, the kids heard it. The audio. Turning around, they were startled to see several monkeys.

One was on the table that was covering its mouth, the other on the kitchen set that was covering its eyes, and the final on the desk that was in the middle of the Kids corner covering its ears. That wasn't all, a sudden lamp was next to the TV.

“Are these the next puzzle?” Lucas asked.

“Maybe. But first, let's see where that audio is coming from.” Cletus said. He followed the noise, noticing it was getting louder by the monkey that was covering its ears.

“Who put a radio here?” He asked, spotting it.

“Nobody did.” Muriel told him.

“Then how did-”

“Are you kids playing music?” Mario peeked his head in. “I thought I heard someone talking, then I heard music. What are you kids doing?”

“We were watching the tape and this just appeared out of nowhere.” Villager explained, lowering the radio.

“Careful with the volume, we don't want others to know we're here.” Mario advised, returning back to the front of the library.

With the volume now down, Villager went back to the rest of the kids, where Ness pressed the play button.

Amanda took another deep breath. “Today, we are building a birdhouse so more birds will come to the yard.”

Wooly looked around, looking a bit drowsy. “Why are we out here before the sun is up?” He looked at the sky. “It's so dark outside.”

Ness paused the tape.

“What is it?” Lucas wondered.

“If this lamp here appeared when the tape began,” he turned to the monkey covering its eyes. “and if the three monkeys are covering one of the senses, maybe these are related to the tape in some way.”

Muriel tilted her head. “What's your guess?”

“Wooly said it's dark out, and if this lamp is next to the TV, I wonder,” he flicked the lamp on, everyone jolting when the screen got covered in static.

“I think it worked!” Muriel pointed.

Ness pressed play.

When the static went away, Amanda and Wooly screamed in pain, covering their eyes. “Uhh! Ahh! My eyes!” “Ahh! Are you trying to blind me?!” They shouted together.

Ness paused the tape again. “Let's see if that effects the monkeys.” He went to the one covering their eyes. He gave it a touch, and it let out a whimper, removing one of its hands from its eyes, the noise making the kids yelp.

“Well, at least it works.” Brandine hesitated.

“Anyway, let’s continue.” Ness pressed play.

"I can't wait to see what birds come to visit.” Wooly said, looking up at the sky.

“What's your favorite kind of bird?” Amanda asked, her arms out.

A cloud appeared.

"I'll answer.” Cletus said. He went to the keyboard. “I wonder if she'll react if we put specific types of birds.” He typed in, ‘Raven’.

Static.

“I like those too!” Amanda smiled. “Let's get started!” She turned to the table next to her. “The first thing we have to do is cut the lengths of the wood to the right size.”

Both her and Wooly looked at the screen, with the sheep looking uneasy.

“What tool should we use for that?” She asked.

The camera moved to the top of the table. It had a saw, a hammer, and a screwdriver.

“Time to pick.” Brandine went and picked the saw.

“Right! We'll use the saw to cut the wood!” Amanda said. A sound effect of a saw being used was heard.

The camera zoomed out to Amanda holding the tool. 

Wooly turned to her. “Uhh, Amanda?” She looked at him. “Shouldn’t we have some kind of supervision when we're using tools?”

“Thanks for the tip Wooly.” She said in a nice tone, but her eyes rolled, showing she wasn't going to follow. “Now let's cut that wood!” She aimed the saw to the ground, making Wooly flinch and back off, his ears going up in fear.

“You have to have a lot of patience and make sure you measure everything before you-”

The tape fast forward itself. It was now daylight, and Amanda had her hands on her knees while Wooly looked dozed off.

“Wow, that was hard work!” She stood up straight. “Ok, now we have to put the pieces together with nails.” She informed them.

Wooly looked to the left, his eyes expanding with shock, he looked at the screen, then lowered his body halfway to the ground while looking at the fence.

Muriel snickered at the sight. “Poor fella. He's so tired he didn't noticed the time skipped.”

“What tool should we use for that?” Amanda questioned the audience.

The screen moved back to the table, showing a nail gun, a wrench, and a tape measure. At the same moment, loud thudding noises were heard, making Ness pause the tape.

The kids looked at the ceiling, wondering if there was something above the floor they were in, roaming around, watching them.

“What was that?” Lucas began shaking.

“I don't know. But if there's something here, we really need to be careful.” Inkling boy replied. “Let's head back to the tape.”

He pressed play, then clicked on the nail gun.

“That's right!” Amanda beamed.

The camera zoomed out. Amanda was now holding the nail gun. “We'll use the nail gun to attach the pieces!”

In a sudden motion, she aimed the nail gun towards Wooly, who's ears went up and his eyes widened with fear. He dropped his body to the floor. At the same time, Muriel was heard gasping, ready to start shouting.

“Pew pew pew!” Amanda playfully mimicked the noises, thankfully not actually shooting the nails at the sheep.

Seeing that no actual harm happened, Inkling girl managed to stop herself from shouting, taking a deep breath.

Static showed up, and it looked slightly brighter. Amanda was sitting on the floor, her eyes closed, she almost looked like she was sleeping.

Wooly was beside her, his hands connected, watching her with a peaceful smile.

Then, the possum was seen, in the background. He was behind the table, hiding from the two, then grabbing a piece of wood with his mouth and disappearing.

“If that thing bothers her again-”

“Who's the one who has to calm down now?” Muriel gave him a playful, teasing expression, holding back laughter.

Amanda opened her eyes. “This project is taking a long time,” She began. “and we have to do everything very carefully.” Her head moved to directly stare at the camera. “What does it help to ha-”

“Patience!” Wooly extended his arms, interrupting her.

“Oh Wooly,” Muriel began. “You're my favorite and all, but you should know that it's rude to interrupt someone.” She said, mainly to the plushie. She sounded a bit like a mother scolding their young child.

On the screen, Wooly looked a bit ashamed, like if he heard her, but tried to keep his smile. Amanda on the other hand, gave him a displeased and annoyed look as he gazed at the camera then back at her.

She stood up. “Come on, you got this!”

Wooly lowered his arms and ears.

“Do we say patience?” Bowser Jr. questioned.

“That's right! Patience!” Amanda cheered.

“That's what I just said...” Wooly told her.

“But you interrupted her Wooly.” Muriel repeated.

“Now it's time for some color.” Amanda went on. “Let's paint the birdhouse!” She swung her arm over her chest.

The screen went to the top of the table. There were three colors. Red, blue, and lavender.

“Oh! I would love to see her use lavender!” Brandine clapped. She clicked the third bucket.

Static.

“I love lavender!” Amanda said.

The camera zoomed out. Amanda had her hands together. “Ok, so what tool should we use to paint the birdhouse?”

The focus went back to the table, showing three tools. A paintbrush, a hammer, and a pair of scissors.

Brandine clicked the paintbrush.

“Good job!” Amanda praised.

The camera moved to Amanda kneeling down on one knee, using the brush to paint the birdhouse. Wooly was standing next to her, holding a brush of his own.

“This is going to be so pretty!” Amanda told the sheep.

Muriel's eyes slightly sparkled. “Oh wow, are they actually going to have a bonding moment?”

Before anyone could answer, the possum leaped onto Wooly’s head, making him scream in terror while sending his paintbrush flying into the air and startling Amanda.

She fell back to the grass, dropping her paintbrush. Her eyes widened.

“Hey!” Muriel raised up her voice. “What gives?! You stupid animal?!”

“Oh now you hate him.” Mort snapped.

The possum jumped off Wooly and landed on the table. “What the-!” He panicked.

Amanda became aggravated. “Ok this patience thing is going too far!” She slammed her fists to the ground. She looked at the screen, pointing to the possum, full of fury. "Get him to go away!”

“For once, you don't have to ask!” Muriel went to the screen, trying not to slam the screen to get the critter to leave.

The possum looked interested in the bucket of paint, but thanks to the squid girl, he made a startled noise, looking at the screen, holding the bucket, then placed it down and made a noise as he left.

Amanda's expression soften a bit. She exhaled in way that told the kid she was trying to keep herself calm. She looked at the screen. “I'm getting really sick of that guy.”

She cheered herself up. “Come on, let's paint this birdhouse!”

After a few flickers of static, the show transitioned to the duo standing next to each other, the birdhouse perched on top of a stick.

“Wow,” Amanda moved her hands to her cheeks. “that looks great!” She praised. “Now we just need to be patient while we wait for some birds to show up and use the house.”

Right at that moment, several birds flew in, chirping while landing on the birdhouse.

Brandine connected her hands together. “Cute!”

Wooly pointed to the birdhouse. “Look!”

Amanda herself brighten up. She gave a radiant beam that would even make the sun envious, at least that's what Mort thought when seeing her smile that wide.

She watched the birds with wide happy eyes.

“They’re so pretty.” Wooly went on, placing his hands together, resting his head on them. “And their chirps are so… quiet, so… peaceful.” He closed his eyes.

“Aww, little one is about to fall asleep.” Muriel smiled.

Everyone felt themselves forming a smile at the scene, not noticing that the radio's volume was slightly increased on its own.

The peacefulness of the scene didn’t last long, Their attention went to what looked like a cat climbing up a tree, the hopping to the fence.

Amanda saw the cat, turning to it, then looking at the screen. “Another activity that takes a lot of patience is hunting!” She pointed to the cat. “Look at Ms. Cat hunting the birds!”

Wooly became uneasy and worried.

“She is being very patient.” The cartoon girl continued.

“She's getting really close to the pretty birds Amanda,” the sheep warned her, getting her to look at him with an annoyed look. “s-should we warn them?”

In the background, the strange looking cat slid across the fence, her gaze never leaving the birdhouse. Three kittens literally rolled on screen, letting out high pitched noises, stopping when they bumped into their mother.

Amanda looked at the camera. “What do you think? Should we warn the birds? Or let Ms. Cat keep going?” She lifted her arm with each choice she gave. “Ms. Cat and her family have to eat after all.”

She waited for an answer.

The kids exchanged a look that asked the same question. Who where they going to pick? “The birds.” All the kids said without hesitation.

Mort clicked on the birdhouse.

Static.

The birds flew away and the cat let out a somewhat deep meow as it slammed to the ground face first, a loud bang being heard, followed by more bangs when the kittens fell to the ground, they were still making high pitch meows.

The kids couldn't help but let out roars of laughter when they saw the cat fall and heard the noise, to them, that was comedy gold.

The cat got up and hopped away, the kittens rolling to follow their mother.

Amanda and Wooly watched. She folded her arms, facing him. “Wow Wooly, great idea to warn the birds.” She sounded like she wanted to say ‘I told you so’.

Wooly began jerking around in panic. “I-I didn't mean-”

She moved her arm to the birdhouse. “And now nobody's using the birdhouse.” She moved her head to look at it. “We're going to have sit here all day waiting for them to come back.” She turned her head back to him, giving him a struggling smile. Her eyes looked like they were on the verge of twitching.

Wooly gave her a smile. “That's going to take a lot of-”

“Don't say it…” she warned.

“Patience!” He jumped with joy, running off almost immediately when Amanda tried to strike him but missed.

He laughed even when she chased him.

Static filled the screen and the Hameln logo appeared, playing its tune and ending the tape. It ejected and fell to the floor.

“I gotta admit, outside of her screaming and tackling him, that tape was actually… tame.” Muriel confessed.

“But we still haven't figured out the puzzle yet.” Bowser Jr. said. “We need to figure out if we can find the part for the remaining two monkeys.”

“Also, was that photo always there?” Lucas asked, pointing to said photo.

Everyone turned, there was a photo on the wall that had the Entity. It had warning saying not to tests its patience.

“If that wasn't there before, could it be a hint of something?” Brandine wondered. “Like we have to test Amanda's patience or something?”

“It's not idealistic, but we're have to try.” Mort sighed.

“Alright, maybe if we all tested her patience, it won't hurt so much.” Muriel told him. “I would do it all myself, but if she can… hear and see us, like I've been saying, I'll try harder to be… decent to her.”

“Fine. Let's try it.”

Ness picked up the tape and inserted it again, and like always, he was in charge of the fast forward button.

It got to the part where Amanda asked what their favorite type of bird is.

Ness typed in, ‘Swan’.

“I like those too!” Amanda smiled.

Another fast forward, and it was on the part where they had to pick between the saw, the hammer, and the screwdriver.

“Okay, if we're meant to test her patience, let's see what happens if we pick the wrong answers.” Villager clicked the screwdriver.

Static.

“How would we cut wood with THAT?” Amanda questioned.

He clicked the hammer.

Static.

“Guess it's a good thing we're learning about patience today.” Amanda responded, holding back her annoyance.

He clicked on the hammer again.

Static.

This time, the outlines of the hammer and the screwdriver were left behind, with only the saw being available.

“What can we use to cut the wood?” Amanda asked, sounding tested.

The saw was clicked.

“Right! We'll use the saw to cut the wood!” The hostess said. A sound effect of a saw being used was heard.

The camera zoomed out to Amanda holding the tool. 

Ness fast forward the tape.

It went to the choices between a nail gun, a wrench, and a tape measure. 

“Alright, let's do this again.” Brandine clicked on the wrench.

Static.

“I guess you COULD use that, but there's a better tool.” Amanda advised.

She clicked on the tape measure.

Static.

“Look, I'm doing my best to have patience with you…” She said.

The wrench was clicked again.

Static. The outlines of the wrench and tape measure were left behind.

“What can we use to put the pieces together?” Amanda asked, her mask starting to slip.

She clicked on the nail gun.

“That's right!” Amanda beamed.

The camera zoomed out. Amanda was now holding the nail gun. “We'll use the nail gun to attach the pieces!”

Another fast forward, showing the three buckets of paint. Red, blue, and lavender.

“Doesn't matter with this one.” Inkling boy said, picking blue.

After another fast forward, the camera went to the three tools. A paintbrush, a hammer, and a pair of scissors.

“Let's see if this does do something.” Muriel clicked the hammer.

Static.

“I think that would get pretty messy.” Amanda warned.

She clicked the scissors.

Static.

“Ok, I get it.” Amanda spoke up. “The theme is patience.”

The focus then went to her face, she looked ready to start destruction. “It doesn't mean you have to keep testing mine!” Her audio corrupted when she shouted.

The orange squid covered her mouth to prevent the laughter from escaping.

“I know you want to laugh.” She heard her best friend say.

“S-Sorry. It’s just funny to me.”

“I don't get you. You say you're scared of her, then insult her and laugh at her.” He rolled his eyes.

“Hey! I already said it! They say never let your fears see that you're scared of them!” She shouted.

The camera went back to the table, now only having paintbrushes.

“What tool should we use to paint the birdhouse?” She asked, trying to sound happy again.

Inkling girl clicked the paintbrush.

“Good job!” Amanda praised.

The camera moved to Amanda painting the birdhouse. “This is going to be so pretty!” 

The possum leaped onto Wooly’s head, making him scream and startling Amanda.

“What the-!”

“Ok this patience thing is going too far! Get him to go away!”

“Okay, if we're going for different outcomes, what would happen if we let the possum do what he wants?” Brandine wondered.

“Let's fine out.” Muriel said.

This time, when the possum showed interest on the bucket of pain, they allowed him to grab it, shaking it like maniac and getting pant everywhere.

It covered both Wooly and Amanda. They gasped and tried to block their mouths so paint wouldn't land inside their mouths.

“Right there!” Lucas pointed.

Ness paused the tape and went to the monkey covering his mouth, it let out a scream, getting the kids to yelp and jump in fear.

“At least it worked.” Inkling boy said. “But not in the good way.”

Ness went back and pressed the play button.

When the possum flung all the paint out, he left the screen, taking the bucket with him while Amanda and Wooly shared a distressed look.

Amanda looked at herself. “Oooohh, what a mess!” She cried, shaking her arms. “I don't even want to do this anymore!” She crossed her arms, her expression becoming impatient and pissed off. “Forget it!”

Wooly leaned a bit close. “Come on, Amanda!” He tried to encourage. “How about a little, patience?”

She growled in response, slowly moving her head to him. But instead of going violent, she just jerked her head away.

Wooly nervously laughed. “Let's get cleaned up and paint this birdhouse.” He looked at the birdhouse with a worried gaze.

After a slight flicker of static, the show transitioned to the duo standing next to each other, the birdhouse perched on top of a stick.

“Wow, that looks great!” Amanda praised. “Now we just need to be patient while we wait for some birds to show up and use the house.”

Several birds flew in, landing on the birdhouse.

Wooly pointed to the birdhouse. “Look! They’re so pretty. And their chirps are so… quiet, so… peaceful.” He closed his eyes.

“Pause,” Muriel requested.

Ness obeyed.

“Wooly mentioned how it's peaceful and quiet, so maybe that's a clue to solving the next part.” She turned to the direction of the monkey covering its ears.

That's when they heard the radio playing audio again.

“Should we raise up the volume this time?” Bowser Jr. questioned.

“Yeah. Let's see what that does.” Inkling boy nodded.

Both he and the Koopa prince went to the radio, raising up the volume to the loudest possible, even making their own ears slightly hurt.

“What are you kids doing in there?!” Bowser roared from the front of the library.

“It's part of the tape dad!” Bowser Jr. called to him.

“Let's head back.” Mort said.

They returned to the TV, seeing that it was covered in static.

After Ness pressed play, Amanda and Wooly flinched and covered their ears, groaning in pain.

“It worked!” Ness paused the tape again. “Now go lower the radio!”

Inkling boy and Bowser Jr. went back to the radio, where the Koopa prince tapped on the monkey, who let out noises while Mort lowered the volume.

“Much better.” He sighed with relief. 

When they returned to the TV, they heard something. Villager took out the walkie-talkie. “Stranger?” He asked.

“Hey guys?” She spoke. “Mandy and I think we saw something out here, but it was too fast for us to really see.”

“Really?” Lucas asked. “Did you see the direction it ran to?”

“Unfortunately no.” Mandy responded.

“Be on the lookout for that… creature… I told you about.” The stranger warned. “We don't need to run into that… thing.”

She ended the transmission.

Inkling boy sighed. “That creature is Amanda. She's not a thing.”

“To be fair, the stranger probably doesn't know that.” Muriel defended. “Regardless, we got all three monkeys to react, let's see what-” her gaze moved to the VCR. “Did we just get another colored tape?”

The team followed her gaze and saw it. The blue tape.

“We'll get adults when we finish this tape.” Villager said.

Ness pressed play.

Amanda saw the cat, turning to it, then looking at the screen. “Another activity that takes a lot of patience is hunting!”

He fast forward the tape, and it got to the part where she questions if they should help the birds or the cat.

“Same answer?” The blue squid asked.

“Same answer.” They all agreed.

He clicked on the birdhouse.

Static.

The birds flew away and the cat slammed to the ground face first, then the kittens fell afterward.

The kids laughed at the sight again.

After another fast forward, the tape ended and ejected.

While Mort reached for it, the sounds of monkeys were heard. They turned and saw all three monkeys now stacked up on each other.

“Uh…” Lucas trembled as he took the tape.

The monkeys let out a loud scream, getting the kids to flinch.

“What tape is that?” Brandine asked.

“It's called, ‘Let's Treasure Hunt’.” The blonde boy read.

“We’ll get to that later.” Muriel decided. “I'll go get the adults.”

----------------------------------------------------------

“I got a text.” Mario informed her team.

“What does it say?” Lucina asked.

“It's from King Dedede. He said he and Meta Knight destroyed three vans, and there's two left. But one has two people, and the other one is empty, but they believe the destroyed ones are enough to leave a warning.”

“I just can’t believe they're stalking our home.” Luigi said in disbelief. “Do you think they've caught on?”

“Mandy did told us about his investigation, and how his boss Steven made it clear he wasn't supposed to take my request.” Mario recalled.

“That’s true. I'm glad we took the package with us. And that we fighters know how to defend ourselves.” The plumber in green stated.

Another ding. Mario checked his phone. “Another text from Dedede.”

“What does it say?” Robin asked.

Instead of reading it, Mario showed it to them.

- Dedede: We found something disturbing in one of the vans. It was a folder that has information on some of you guys. I'll send you pictures. Give me a sec.

More dings. It was the photos he took. The group became horrified. Seeing their images on those papers, their information, their privacy… it felt like a nightmare they couldn't wake up from.

Another ding.

- Dedede: We looked through the other vans we damaged, and we found more folders. One has a list of experiments, and the other has information on the investigator that you hired. Make sure to warn him.

“We really need to hurry.” Robin said, trying not to sound concerned.

“I'll say.” Bowser agreed.

“Guys!” They heard Muriel call.

Mario quickly put his phone away. “What is it?”

“We found another colored tape.” She let them know.

“Is that so? We'll be right there.” Mario told her.

“Is everything okay? You guys look a little tense.” The orange squid noticed.

“W-We're fine. Just stressed out.” Lucina lied, putting a fake smile.

“...Alright. If you say so.” Muriel doubted. “You can tell us if anything's going on. We're supposed to work together remember?”

“We know.” Luigi smiled. “Head back to the Kids Corner, we'll meet you in a bit.” He gently nudged her.

“Alright I guess. Don't take too long.” She left the area.

Mario turned to his team. “We have to do something. Fast.”

“What's your plan?” Bowser wondered.

“If we can get the footage uploaded, we'll be able to show the world what Hameln's been doing. Not only will that give us time to think, but it'll also get them off our backs. They have some of our information, they have information on the kids for crying out loud!”

“How will we move the footage from the tapes?” Luigi asked.

“I don't know yet. But I'll figure it out. For now, let's head to the Kids Corner. We got another tape to watch.”

-------------------------------------------------------------

After the adults met up with the kids, the tape was inserted. It showed Sam looking at a piece of paper.

A voice spoke off screen. “-and you'll look straight into the camera here. And smile.”

Sam glanced at the man, then at the paper. He slightly shook his head, letting out an exhale. He moved his head up to face the person. “If I do this, you'll let me see her?”

He looked back at the paper.

“We'll have to get clearance for that.” The man responded. “But let's just say that doing this will improve your chances.”

“Liar.” Inkling boy hissed.

Sam moved the paper to his lap. “You know you just can't keep me in here.” He looked to his left, then back at the person. “I don't know what you're trying to achieve, but people are going be looking.”

“Ok, I'm all set.” The man spoke over him. “We can go ahead with your statement now.”

Sam stared at the paper again, moving it to the side. After a while, he looked back at the camera, putting an obvious forced smile. “Rebecca, honey, I am so produ of you.” He began. “And… and I know that our…” His eyes darted to the man recording, quickly going back to the camera.

“Our friends… are taking care of you while I'm away.”

“The articles we've read always said he abandoned her.” Luigi remembered.

“I knew that was a big fat lie.” Mario snarled.

“From what Sam said, he never even left. He was locked away.” Brandine added.

“And they lied to Rebecca saying he went away.” Inkling boy mentioned.

“What… what monsters.” His best friend included.

“You can tr-” a pause. Sam's forced smile faded, he tightly closed his eyes. He couldn't do it. His stare sharpen. “I'm not going to tell her to trust you. You got me locked up in here, and you want me to act like everything’s okay?”

“That's what they're good at.” Bowser Jr growled.

“This is kidnapping.” Sam shook his head. “It's-It's coercion.”

“Just say what's on the paper, Mr. Colton.” The man instructed.

“This is kidnapping!” Sam repeated, slamming his finger down. “It's coercion! It's-”

“Mr. Colton, if you wish… one of my associates will gladly provide you with a copy of your signed contract. You agreed to this.”

“No he didn't!” All kids yelled.

“How was he supposed to know that the contract would lead to this?!” Inkling girl shouted.

“They say read the contract, but let's be for real,” Robin began. “They didn't place any of their horrible acts anywhere in that contract.”

“I did not agree to lie to my daughter.” Sam corrected.

A pause, then the sound of a device played.

“Operations South Corridor. Go ahead.” A voice on a radio spoke.

“This is gonna take some time.” The man replied. “Mr. Colton isn't exactly cooperative today.” He added, saying the word cooperative like if he was dealing with a troubled child. “But I got something. I'll bring over the tape for editing.”

Sam glared at whoever was recording, looking away afterwards.

“And you've recorded all proceedings?” The voice on the radio asked.

“Still running.” The recorder answered. “Can you send someone down for the lock-up protocol?”

“Lock-up… protocol?” Lucina struggled to ask.

“Are they going to… lock him up somewhere worse?” Luigi shivered.

“Copy that. What's your authorization number?”

A cough. “Five. Four. Three. Alpha. Tango. Alpha. 6. 7.”

As he listed the number, Sam looked like he was trying to listen carefully, taking a mental note of it.

“I pray he somehow found a way to use that number.” Brandine whispered.

“Security escort will arrive in 90 seconds.” The radio voice informed. “You have clearance to stop recording.”

“Alright, Mr. Colton.” the man began. “If this is how you're going to behave, we'll do what we can with what you gave us.”

The tape ending there, with Sam giving one finale stare to the camera, his eyes never lighting up or softening.

When the tape ejected, everyone was silent for a bit.

“Sam… that poor man.” Lucina rubbed her arms.

“If I was in his shoes, I'd stop at nothing until my son is back with me.” Bowser growled. “And from the tape's we've seen, he definitely tried everything in his power, but high chance… lost.”

Luigi picked up the tape. “We'll hang on to this. Thank you for telling us about it.” He moved his head to the other adults. “We need to gather as much as possible if we're going to expose them.”

“Once this gets shown to the world, I want be in the front row when Hameln gets taken down.” Mario said.

“Us too.” Everyone agreed.

Chapter Text

“So what's next?” Ness questioned after the adults returned to the front of the library, taking the colored tape with them.

“We still got that tape to watch, so let's go for it.” Brandine reminded him.

Lucas went to the VCR and inserted the tape.

The screen flickered and glitched a bit, and when the show arrived, it played for about a second before it glitched again and finally went back to normal.

“Hi-i-i-i-i-i-i-i I'm Amanda!” The hostess lifted up an arm. She was holding a shovel.

“And I'm Wooly!” The sheep jumped into the air.

“Today we are playing bandits!” Amanda lifted her shovel into the air. She turned to Wooly. “Come on, where'd ya hide the loot?” She aimed her shovel at him like if it were a sword.

He lifted his arms to defend himself, his ears shooting up. He lowered his arms. “Careful, or you'll break it!”

Surprising everyone, Amanda didn't get mad, she instead laughed. “Wooly, you're a pretty boring bandit.”

He looked down with hurt. “Aww.”

Muriel looked at the Wooly doll. “You're not a boring bandit, you're just too sweet to be a bandit.”

“I would love to play bandits!” Cheered Bowser Jr., lifting his arms in the air. “It would be so much fun!”

“I would join!” Cletus clapped. “And I would let you and Amanda borrow my shovels!”

“Bandits hide all kinds of things in the woods!” Said Amanda, bringing their attention back to the screen. “It's fun to go look for treasure!”

Wooly lifted up an arm. “But you should probably tell someone where you're-”

“Never tell anyone where you're going!” Amanda interrupted him, making him flinch. He looked at the audience with worry. The screen began to flicker as Amanda continued speaking. “They might get to the treasure before you do!”

The screen fixed itself. Wooly sighed, looking down.

“These are the types of lessons that guy from the orange tape mentioned.” Lucas recalled. “Not telling those around you where you're going can lead to so much disaster.”

“Which is probably what she wants.” Muriel spoke. “And I'm not saying that to be rude. I'm saying that because of the whole kids disappearing thing.”

The camera zoomed into Amanda, who moved a hand to her mouth, like if she was going to whisper. “There's a legend that there is a special toy,” she looked around. “hidden deep in these woods!”

She reached for her pocket, taking out a map and lifting it to the screen.

After several flickers, the camera showed the map. It had tons of drawings of trees, a skull on the upper left that said ‘DANGER’, a red X, and a blue arrow pointing upward with a N.

“Which direction should we go to find the treasure?” Amanda asked.

A cloud appeared.

“Hmm, my guess is that they're meant to go north, but what if they went in another direction? Would that lead to anything?” Inkling boy wondered.

Bowser Jr. went to the keyboard. “Let's give it a try.” He typed in, ‘West’.

Static filled the screen, then a screen of colors showed up. 

The show returned, with Amanda lowering the map. “I think you're right!” She put the map away. “The bandits played a trick on us to try to keep us away!”

She turned and began walking. “Let's go!”

Wooly followed her and they made their way West.

The screen transition to them in a dark area of the woods. Amanda was digging around the ground with her hands while Wooly was catching up to her. “Amanda, I don't like it here.” He had his hands together, looking around the area in discomfort. “Are you sure this is where the treasure is?”

For a moment, the screen of colors appeared, but it was brief and it didn't covered the entire screen like it normally would.

Amanda faced the sheep, putting a finger to her lips. “Shhh, Wooly, look.” She pointed to the dirt. “There's a mound of dirt!”

Wooly got closer to her.

“It must be where the treasure was buried!” She began to dig. With each chuck of dirt she removed, she let out a grunt.

The sheep watch with worry, seeing her reach into the ground.

“This… isn't treasure…” Her voice was slightly breaking.

Wooly leaned over, trying to see what she found.

The camera moved to the hole. Showing what looked to be a pile of clothes.

“Wait a minute…” Cletus began. “Are those… Sam's clothes?”

Inkling girl shook her head. “No… there's no way those are his clothes.”

“But they match the clothing he was wearing from the colored tape we saw.” Brandine pointed out.

Bowser Jr. covered his mouth. “Oh my god.”

The screen then moved to face upward from within the hole, showing Amanda covering her mouth, her eyes showing pain, hurt, heartbreak. It was like she saw her father's dead body, which the clothing pretty much was.

Even for Muriel, seeing her make that face was… hurtful. While she despised her, she had to understand that Amanda was still a kid.

Not just any kid. A child who was once filled with happiness and joy before she was probably taken away from her dad at the age of five.

And while she was slightly older than when she lost her dad, it didn't meant that the pain went away.

No child, in fact, no living being, could get over losing a loving parent, no matter the age or the situation.

“I… I didn't think she could make an expression like that.” The orange squid confessed, though it wasn't directed to anybody. It was a statement that just had to be out there. That had to be said.

The screen brutally malfunction, showing a tint of red. When the show returned, Wooly was seen approaching Amanda, who hadn't moved or said a word.

More static played.

Wooly stared at Amanda, who finally moved when she saw him reaching for the shovel, moving the dirt back into the hole.

As Wooly covered the hole, Amanda never removed her hands from her mouth, only blinking and sometimes moving her eyes to the sheep.

After a few shovels of dirt was placed back, Wooly said, “You what else is fun, Amanda?” He tried to have a smile. “Burying things!” He gestured to the hole.

“Yeah, Wooly.” She finally said something, her voice trying desperately not to crack, her mouth remaining covered.

She moved her hands from her mouth, to her shoulders, her eyes still showing the pain she was feeling. “Sometimes you just have to bury things.” She moved her gaze upward, but her eyes went back to the hole.

Lucas felt his mouth quiver. "If I had found… my mom's clothing…” He covered his mouth. “I would also…” a whimper escaped his mouth.

“It's okay.” Muriel got close, her hand on his back.

Wooly threw in one final batch of dirt, getting the screen to flicker with static.

It transitioned back to them in the dark area. Amanda was still looking at the now covered hole, with Wooly holding the shovel, looking at her. He slightly poked her with the shovel, getting her attention.

“Come on Amanda!” He began walking away, a smile on his face. “Let's keep looking for that treasure!”

Amanda glance at the pile of dirt. She slowly followed the sheep, giving the pile one final glance as the screen darkened.

“Wooly…” Inkling girl began. “You should've comforted her to an extent."

“See what I mean?” Mort turned to her. “He's not 100% innocent either. He glossed over the fact that Amanda saw her dad's clothing.”

His best friend couldn't reply. She didn't have anything to say, she just hugged the doll, not making eye contact with anyone.

“Which way should we go to find the treasure?” Wooly was heard asking, taking the map out of his wool.

If what had happened didn't occur, the orange squid would've found the scene cute. But right now, her mind was all over the place. She hated how she felt so bad for Amanda, even after all the loathing she's displayed.

At the same time, she knew where this hatred came from. It was stem from her fear. She did confessed that Amanda scared her. And it was moments like these that made her question herself.

Did she really hate Amanda? Or was all this hatred just a result of her fearing the girl? There was a sense of actual hatred in her, she did not like how Amanda would treat Wooly.

But Muriel had to admit, the more tapes they watched, the more she started… getting it. If she was in the middle of witnessing the items of a murdered loved one, and her best friend reacted by smiling widely and technically ignoring it, she too wouldn't be too happy with them.

She stared at her Wooly doll. She was so confused by her emotions. By her thoughts. She wanted to keep hating Amanda. She didn't wanted to feel bad for her, she didn't want to believe that she could excused.

Everything that was happening was making both her head and her heart hurt. She loves Wooly. That was easy to tell. But with Amanda? She once knew the answer. She hates her. She wants her to pay… or… wanted? She had no clue anymore.

She wanted to scream, to toss another brick at the TV. She just wanted to reach into the TV screen and yank Wooly out of there, leaving Amanda behind.

Yet, a part of her feared that she would regret leaving the cartoon girl behind. She placed her hands on her head. Feeling a migraine. (What am I feeling?! Why can't I get my thoughts and emotions on track?!)

“Muriel!” Mort cried, seeing her fall to her knees.

(Stop it! Makes these thoughts stop! I can't take it anymore!) She mentally yelled. She gasped when she felt a pair of hands grabbing her wrists.

“Are you okay?” She saw her best friend giving her a concerned gaze. “You're crying.”

She blinked. “I… I am?” She moved a hand to her eye, sure enough, her finger came back wet. When had she started crying?

“Is everything okay?” Villager worried.

“You suddenly fell to your knees.” Brandine added.

“I paused the tape so we could check on you.” Ness included.

“Do you need a break?” Bowser Jr. offered.

“Did you… have a mental break down?” Lucas guessed.

Inkling girl couldn't answer. If she was honest, she didn't know the answer. And that was the issue. She… didn't know anymore.

Back at the stadium, and in the beginning of this library journey, she knew how she felt. She knew what she thought.

Now… she didn't know her own mind nor emotions. Learning more than she was expecting, and seeing more emotions and more honesty from Amanda made her question her actions and attitude back at the start of all this.

Muriel placed her hands on her knees, the Wooly doll slowly sliding to the floor. She wanted to say something, but nothing came out.

“We can take a break if you want.” Bowser Jr. repeated his offer. “You can head to the water fountain and get a drink.”

She shook her head. “I'm fine.”

Mort half closed his eyes. “Liar.”

“Really. I'm okay.” She insisted. She grabbed the toy and stood up. “Just… had a bit of a mental fight with myself.”

“I… get those moments too.” Lucas admitted.

“I'll be fine.” She told the kids. “Let's get back to the tape.”

“Muriel-”

She lifted up a hand. “I'm fine Mort.”

“Just know, we're always here to listen.” Ness informed her. He pressed play.

The screen showed the map again.

“Okay, should we just stick with north?” Bowser Jr. asked, wanting to forget about the heartbreaking clip they saw, and about Muriel's breakdown. “Or should we try another path?”

“Let's try another path. Maybe we'll find something funny or wholesome.” Lucas suggested, wiping his remaining tears.

Nodding, the Koopa prince typed, ‘East’.

Static then a wall of colors.

When the show played, Amanda was holding the map again, her head down before she lifted it up. “I don’t know if we'll find anything over there,” she put the map away. “but it sounds like an adventure to me!”

She turned and began walking. “Let's go!”

Wooly followed her as they traveled East.

The screen transition to the two in front of water. Wooly immediately covered his muzzle. “Ew, did you leave some eggs in your backpack Amanda?”

“She… didn't bring a backpack.” Ness said. “At least, I don't see a backpack on her.”

“If she does have one, at least we know how she's able to take out items from nowhere.” Villager replied.

The screen slightly flickered.

She shook her head. “No Wooly, that's what swamps smell like!” She motioned to the liquid in front of them. “It's sulfur!”

Wooly sightly looked away. “Yuck! If there's any treasure in this swamp, it can stay here!” He walked away, still covering his muzzle.

Amanda followed, laughing at him.

It transition back to where they started.

“Which way should we go to find the treasure?” Amanda asked, taking out the map. She lowered it and took a look.

The camera went to the map.

“Well, there's no other path, so let's go with North.” Inkling decided.

Bowser Jr. typed, ‘North’.

Static and then a wall of colors again.

Amanda lowered the map more. “I think you're right!” She put it away. “Let's go!” She turned and began walking, Wooly following behind.

The screen transition to the duo standing beside three red markings. A circle, an X, and a square.

“Oooh I have a good feeling about this!” Amanda stated, her head moving around with excitement. Her hands went to her cheek, her eyes showing giddiness.

She lowered her hands. “Where should we dig for the treasure?”

“Well, they say X marks the spot!” The Koopa prince clapped, clicking on the X.

The screen corrupted again as the show continued. 

Amanda jumped with joy and Wooly gave them two thumbs up. “Yes! That marking matches the one on the map. Let's dig!”

Behind them, the possum fell to the floor, landing on his back, startling both of them. For Amanda, that startled feeling faded and was replace with annoyance.

She turned to the camera, aggravation written all over her. “Great, here we go again.”

“Seriously, who is that guy?” Wooly asked.

Static played.

The possum got up and left the screen.

Another static.

The possum appeared again and then swiftly left.

A third static.

The possum was clinging onto a tree, swinging to the camera, then swinging away.

Static again. 

Possum swung from a vine behind them

More static.

The kids yelped when the possum was right on the camera lens, sniffing it. He glanced at the screen, then went away.

Static yet again.

Possum rolled straight onto a tree, crashing into it and falling on his back. Like the other times, his eyes landed straight on Amanda.

He turned to his feet, pouncing right on top of her, with the shovel thankfully being the barrier between them.

Wooly flinched and showed signs of panic, but just stood there, watching with concern instead of helping the hostess.

“Okay, what is that thing's problem?!” Mort yelled. “He's always targeting Amanda! And she doesn't even know who he is!”

“A little help here?” Amanda requested, trying to fend off the critter.

“This time, I'll do it.” Muriel shocked everyone. “From what I can see, Wooly isn't going to.” She went to the screen and clicked on the possum.

Static.

The possum shot its body straight upward, then fell on his stomach. Amanda stood up, staring at the screen with a slight smile. “Thanks for your help!”

She looked at the unconscious animal, which the camera focused on.

Her shoes entered the frame. She gave it a light kick, triggering it to suddenly wake up and jump scare the audience with a loud scream before running off.

Wooly's ears went up, then back down. “That guy's going to give me a heart attack.”

Amanda made a thoughtful gaze. “Hmm. Maybe I should get him to come back.”

Wooly's eyes stared at her with shock. “What?”

“Let's dig!” She ignored, getting her shovel ready.

Static.

“Ok, bandits, let's get to digging!” She lifted her shovel up.

“Amanda, I don't have a shovel.” The sheep let her know.

“Bandits should always come prepared.” She advised. “I guess you'll have to use your hands.”

Wooly looked down. “Awwww…”

“I mean, she's not wrong.” Cletus stated.

The two began to dig, grunting with each pile of dirt they removed. The more they digged, the deeper Wooly’s body went inside.

Eventually, he wasn't visible anymore.

Amanda stabbed her shovel into the ground, going on her knees and reaching deep inside the hole, trying to get the treasure.

“We did all that digging for THIS?!” She took out what appeared to be a plushie that was hard to figure out what exactly it was. “Maybe this was important to someone once,” She dangled it over the hole. “But not anymore. Ugh.”

She dropped the toy back in the hole, standing up. “Come on Wooly,” She turned and started walking off screen. “Let's get out of here.”

“Uh, is she not going to get him out first?” Muriel questioned.

The camera went to Wooly, who was looking up. “Uhh… Amanda?” He moved his hands to the sides of his mouth. “A little help here?” He waved his arms, trying to get her attention.

He tilted his head to the side. “Are you still up there?” When he got no response, he looked down, letting out a sigh.

“Aww, poor little guy.” Muriel couldn't hold back. “I'm not happy with what he did, but still, I can’t stop myself from loving him.”

The camera focused outside of the hole. Credits began to roll, giving credit to Sam Colton for creating the show, and credit to Rebecca Colton for voicing Amanda.

The screen flickered with green squares, then the logo of Hameln appeared, but before the jingle could finish, static played over it, and to their surprise, Amanda appeared.

“Actually you know what?” She suddenly interrupted the tape. “No!” She shook her head. “I'm not done treasure hunting!”

The screen became slightly dark. “I really thought we'd find something special! And you didn't help me at all!” She angrily pointed at the screen, then swung her arm away.

The screen got covered with red static.

“What's going on?!” Lucas panicked.

“I don't know!” Ness responded, rushing for the pause button. To their horror, the screen was putting up text like ‘NO USE’, ‘IMPOSSIBLE’, ‘0 ESCAPE’, ‘TIMES UP’, and ‘CANT STOP’.

“Not again!” Muriel screamed, protectively holding the Wooly doll. It brought her back to the ‘Oh No! Accidents’ tape. She could see Wooly pleading with them to help him while Amanda tried to use the saw on him.

“So you better find something good for me!” Her audio became disoriented as she crossed her arms. “Do you have a treasure out there that will MAKE ME HAPPY?!”

The Entity appeared from behind the TV, clawing the screen and then holding its hands out, ready for whatever treasure they would give.

The kids backed away.

“When did you get here?!” Lucas trembled.

“That thing isn't Amanda?!” Ness freaked out.

“They're different?!” Muriel shrieked, tightly hugging the Wooly plushie again.

“Tick tock! Tick tock! Tick tock! Time's running out!” Amanda warned them in a playful voice.

“What do we do?!” Brandine panicked.

“Mort! You're the Amanda expert! Do something! Or suggest something!” Muriel screamed.

“I don't know what you want me to do! I don't know much about her!”

“Talk to her! that worked last time!”

“O-Okay, you guys try to find something, I'll… see what I can do.”

The group split up, trying to find any toy that would make the cartoon girl happy in any way.

Mort turned his attention to the Entity, to Amanda.

“I'm getting tired of waiting.” She said, her face impatient.

“A-Amanda?” He tried. “What can we do to make you happy? What is your definition of a treasure?”

“Tick tock! Tick tock! Tick tock! Time's running out!” Amanda continued.

“Amanda, please. I know you can hear us. I know you can see us. We want to help you. We really do.”

“I'm getting tired of waiting.” She said, seemingly ignoring him.

“Amanda!” He cried. “We're sorry that you found the clothes of Sam! We didn't know going west would lead to that!”

“Tick tock! Tick tock! Tick tock! Time's running out!”

“Come on Amanda… I know you can hear me.”

“I'm getting tired of waiting.”

Tear began filling his eyes. “Listen to me Amanda, even if you do restart us, or…” his eyes moved up to the Entity. “Let this demon kill us, just know, I won't have any regrets trying to help you. And if things restart, I'll keep going. Until my last breath.”

“Tick… tock…” Amanda repeated, but she began slowing down. Her gaze remained sharp, but when looking deep into her eyes, Inkling boy wasn't sure if he saw a flicker of emotion.

After a second of pausing, she went back. “Tick tock! Tick tock! Tick tock! Time's running out!”

“I don't think she'll listen.” Muriel spoke up from behind him.

Turning, he saw a bear in her hand.

“We can't find much.” Ness sighed.

“We can't leave the Kids Corner!” Lucas panicked. “I tried! But it's like there's an invisible force!”

“We tried calling for the adults, but I don't think the walkie-talkies work!” Cletus alerted them, shaking the device. “This demon is stronger than we think!”

“Tick tock! Tick tock! Tick tock! Time's running out!”

“I thought I would get through to her.” Inkling boy hugged himself.

“Let's pray for the best.” Ness said.

After placing the stuff bear on the claws of the Entity, the kids waited.

Villager heard the walkie-talkie activate.

“Kids?” The stranger called for them.

They didn't response, it was like they couldn't respond. For some reason, all of their voices refused to come out.

“Children?!” Mandy was heard calling.

The kids remained frozen, watching the Entity sniff and stare at the bear. The TV screen became a blue screen, Amanda wasn't there anymore.

They heard the cracking of the bones as the Entity continued to examine the toy, even giving it a lick.

“Kids are you okay?!” Mario's voice echoed through the library.

Then, the Entity ripped the bear to shreds, letting out a growl of displeasure.

The kids huddled together, tightly closing their eyes, unable to move or scream.

“Kids! Get out of there!” The Stranger, Mandy, and the Mario bros screamed.

The Entity launched itself at the kids, its mouth wide opened, and everything went dark and quiet.

---------------------------------------------------

“Do you think they got the message?” Dedede asked.

“Hopefully.” Meta Knight answered. “Otherwise, we're going to have to get violent.”

The two had snuck back inside the stadium, waiting in their room. A knock was heard, and Dedede went to open it.

“You wanted to see us?” Link asked.

“Get in! Quickly!” He motioned with his hand.

After Link and Zelda entered, the penguin looked both ways, closing the door. “You two need to see this.” He took out the folders, handing them to the elf couple. “I already send photos of these to the Mario bros. I haven't gotten a reply yet.”

Link opened up the first folder while Zelda opened up the second folder. Both becoming full of terror when reading the context. 

“We need to plan our next steps carefully,” Dedede advised. “if they already got this much information on some of us, who knows what else they're capable of.”

“Why wait?” Meta Knight pounder. “Ridley is more than ready to swoop down and take control.”

“If they're able to send tons of employees, then they can send more if we get rid of the ones we have currently.” Link told the knight.

“We fight for a living yes, and back in our worlds, we sometimes have to… dispose of enemies, but in this case, we could risk being seen as murderers.” Zelda warned. “Let's not forget the research we did with the Mario brothers.”

“I recall.” The knight let out a breath. “These people, if you can call them that, they're seen as a company that made a beloved children's program.”

“Some people have come forward with concerns, but they're still powerful enough to stalk us, so we need to tread carefully.” Zelda added.

“So what's our next move?” Dedede wondered. “Just sit around and hope they get scared enough to leave?”

“We've damaged three vans, if that's not enough, we should send Wario to gas them with his bike.” Meta Knight suggested. “Or, my first idea stands, we let Ridley deal with them. Sometimes blood on the floor is the best option.”

“For the idea with Wario, that'll be a last resort.” Link decided. “As for Ridley, maybe not go for death yet. But he could be used to scare them.”

“If he was willing to fight that demon thing that attacked the children, then he'll be more than willing to scare off several employees.” Zelda agreed. “From what we know, Chrom is distracting three our of seven.”

“Then he shall search for the remaining.” Meta Knight decidded.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Outside the stadium, Victoria kept track of the ones sneaking around outside, she grabbed her communication device. “Found any easy entrances?”

“Hmm, not much. Everything seems locked up tight. Almost as if they were expecting us.” Jake responded.

“If they were expecting us, then that snitch of Mandy must've told them about our little car chase.” Tom theorized.

“We know why neither he nor the brothers are home then. They've must've evacuated, taking everything with them.” Victoria included.

“Where’s Jeremy?” Jake was heard asking.

“Uh, he said Avery send him a message, so he went to the van.” Tim answered,

“He wasn’t supposed to split from you guys.” Victoria growled. “He better have a good reason.”

“So what now?” Justin asked. “Do we just take whoever we can?”

“I would contact Team 2, but that could put them at risk.”

“I have an idea.” Tim spoke up. “But it's going to require Team 2 to get out of there.”

“Do what you-” Victoria paused when she thought she saw a massive shadow fly above the van. “What the?”

“What is it?” Tim asked.

Victoria removed her glasses, giving them a clean before putting them back on, lowering the van's window, sticking her head out.

“Everything okay?” Jake questioned.

Silence.

“Victoria? You there?” Jake kept asking. “Tom? Is she there?”

He picked up the device. “Yeah. I believe she saw something.”

“Tom…”

“What is it?”

“Someon- No. Something is watching us.”

He looked out the window, his eyes expanding and his mouth hanging. The two saw Ridley standing on the roof of the stadium.

He wings were spread, and his tail lashed loudly against the pavement. He let out a mighty roar, getting Tom to scream and Victoria's eyes to sparkle.

“What the HELL IS THAT?!” Tom screeched.

“I have no idea but it makes me wish Hameln found this building first!” She responded, putting her head back in the van. “That thing could make Amanda's demon tremble in fear! Think of what we could've done!”

“Who care about that! We gotta get out of here!” Tom cried. He grabbed the device. “Team 1! Get back in your vans!

“What happened?!” Justin worried.

“There's a liberal demon monster thing on the roof!”

“So that's what the roar was!” Jake laughed, before immediately shutting himself up once he realized what it meant.

“What about Team 2?” Justin asked.

“They'll have to figure it out!” Tom shouted. “I ain't sticking around and becoming some monster's snack!”

“If only we could find a way to bring it with us.” Victoria thought out loud. “I wonder if any of our experiments would work better on it than on Amanda.”

“For crying out loud Victoria!” Tom slammed his fists on the wheel. “I've done questionable things, I'll admit that, but god damn she was just a child!”

“So was Adrian.” She spat back. “But you had no problem giving him up. Now did you?” She lifted an eyebrow, silencing him. “Exactly.”

“Watch out!” Jake was heard warning through the walkie-talkie. A loud metal slam was heard, and this time, both employees screamed.

Ridley had tackled the van's roof, letting out another roar.

The employees sneaking around ran to their vans, only to crash into one another when they saw the damage. “What the hell?!” They yelled.

“This is coming out of our paychecks.” Jake said, getting punched in the gut by Justin.

“Will you get serious for once! If we don't get out of here, we're going to DIE!”

Ridley's head turned to them, growling. The employees began scattering around like the rats they were, screaming when Ridley roared again, flying towards them.

“Guys!” Jeremy was heard calling through the device. “I got two kids in my van! Let’s get out of here! Now!”

“Our other vans are destroyed idiot!” Justin yelled, avoiding another attack from Ridley.

“Where the hell is Team 1?!” Tom yelled.

–-----------------------------------------------------------

20 Minutes Earlier…

Avery was glad he circular device was small enough to slide underneath the bathroom door, and with its hidden camera, she kept an eye on it with her phone.

It rolled around the floor, sliding under other doors, until it rolled into a bedroom. But not just any bedroom. She saw the Ice Climbers.

“Perfect.” She smirked. She made the device roll out of the room, and after checking if the area was clear, she activated it.

Meanwhile, in the bedroom, Nana sat on her bed, with Popo sitting next to her. “I'm scared.” The child in the pink coat confessed.

“I’m scared too.” Popo admitted. “But we need to be strong.”

“How?!” Nana shouted. “Three of those scary people are inside our home! I heard Dedede and Meta Knight talk about it!”

“I managed to get a peek,” Popo began. “Chrom seems to be trying to trick them. I couldn't hear much, but I was eventually pulled away by Link, who told me to not step out of our room.”

“It's been what? Several hours?” She guessed. “If not, it feels that way.” She laid on her back, her eyes on the ceiling. “I just want this to be over.”

Popo turned to her. “Nana-”

“I wish we never got those tapes!” Nana went on. “I just want to wake up from this nightmare and have everything back to how it was.”

A knock was then heard.

Both kids flinched.

“Link?” Popo called.

No answer.

“Zelda?” Nana asked.

Still nothing.

The one in pink began shaking while the one in purple got off the bed, heading to the door. 

After opening it, Popo looked both ways, having to do a double take when she thought she saw Wooly at the end of the hallway.

“Who is it?” She heard her twin sister asking from behind.

“Am I… seeing things?”

Nana peeked over her shoulder, looking out into the hallway, her eyes immediately landed on the cartoon sheep.

He was waving at them, a finger to his lip, signaling them to not make a sound, while his other hand was in a follow me movement.

“N-No.” Nana backed away. “There's no way.”

“That's what I'm thinking.” Popo agreed. “Something's not right about this.”

“Come on kids.” They heard Wooly encouraged. “Don't you two want to have an adventure? Or be somewhere safe for now?”

“Y-You're not Wooly!” Popo shouted. “He isn't real!”

“Aww, you guys would've preferred Amanda? If I knew, I would've asked her to come.” The sheep responded.

Nana could swear her heart was on the verge of exploding. “Go away! You're not real! We know you’re not real!”

Taking another peek, Popo saw that the sheep was gone. For a while, it seemed as though they won.

Exhaling with relief, Popo closed the door.

“You want to play hard to get?” Another voice asked, getting the Ice Climbers to scream and turned. Instead of Wooly, now stood Amanda. “Then fine.” She smirked. “I love a good game of follow the leader.”

Before the two could run, a sudden spray of fumes hit their face, making them cough harshly, nearly falling to the floor, wheezing.

Amanda laughed. “This could've been avoided!” She mocked, laughing again before she began glitching.

That's when it occurred to the two. They were right. Both Wooly and Amanda were fake. They were holograms.

Popo managed to get a glimpse of the circular device underneath Amanda before she swapped back to Wooly.

“Now, are you ready to play?” He asked.

Popo wanted to scream, but all of sudden, her fears were gone. She felt… calm. No, she felt… happy.

Her mouth formed a smile she didn't make. Her eyes sparkled with excitement that wasn't hers.

Nana felt the same thing. Both girls stood up, eagerly nodding.

Wooly connected his hands together. “Great! First, we have to sneak out of here.” He instructed them. “Do you girls know of any exit that isn't guarded? We can't have the adults knowing we're going on an adventure.”

Nodding, the Ice Climbers opened their bedroom door, looking around, before leaving the room, with the hologram of Wooly following.

Deep inside, the girls were sobbing. They wanted to yell for help. They wanted to stop themselves form whatever they were doing.

But the fumes that they inhaled seemed to put them in a trance. Was it happy powder? Or something similar?

All they knew is that the fear they were meant to be showing was now replace with joy and excitement that wasn't theirs.

It made them think this obvious fake was real, and now they were going to show him any possible unlocked window or door.

After tons of hiding and sneaking around, the Ice Climbers showed Wooly a window that was located near the DLC hallway.

“We don’t really pay attention to these guys,” Popo unwilling revealed. “Except for maybe one or two fighters, but other than that, these windows are basically always unlocked or forgotten about.”

“And we don't really have it guarded either.” Nana added.

“Nice to know!” Wooly beamed. “I'll make sure Amanda knows about this! In case you girls would like your other friends to join us.”

“We'd love that!” Nana clapped. Behind her forced smile, she was begging someone to come and see what was happening.

Wooly went to the window. “How about you girls open it?”

Nana went to the window and opened it widely, peeking out and looking in all directions. “All clear.”

“Then let's head off before an adult comes by.”

Nodding, the girls took out their hammers and summoned enough ice to form a slide, which they took to get to the ground.

Wooly slide down after them, laughing all the way.

“Alright! Now follow me! I have a magic portal for us to go through!” He began leading them away, both girls trying desperately to fight off whatever trance they were in.

After more sneaking around, they managed to make their way towards the front, with Popo automatically reaching for Wooly, which he noticed and jerked away. “S-Sorry! But no physical contact for now. What is it?”

“There’s someone guarding nearby. Be careful.” She unwilling warned.

“Oh! Thanks!” Wooly smiled. “How about this, you girls can show me the safe path. The portal is near here.”

Nodding, the two lead Wooly through several trees and bushes, avoiding Charizard, who was still waiting in case he was needed.

Once they passed him, Wooly was back to being in charge. “There it is!” Wooly pointed to the undamaged van. He then noticed the other damaged ones. “Uh… what happened here?”

“It’s a warning.” Nana confessed.

Before the hologram of the sheep could ask, a loud roar was heard, and the trio saw Ridley on the roof.

“Wh-What is that?!” Wooly freaked out.

“Ridley.” The Ice Climbers confessed.

“Hurry! Into the portal!” Wooly ran to the door.

A man opened the van doors, grabbing the girls from their hoods and yanking them inside, slamming the van doors shut.

Right at that moment, a loud metal bang was heard, and he saw Ridley on top of the van Tom and Victoria were in.

“Shit!” He snapped. He took out his phone, texting Avery.

- Jeremy: I got the kids! Gather the other two and let’s make a run for it! This place has experiments of their own!

-------------------------------------------------------

Once the hologram was deactivated, Avery tried her best not to show fear. Through the eyes of the fake Wooly, she saw Ridley.

She flushed the toilet to make it convincing that she used the bathroom, and after washing her hands, she exited. “P-Peach! I finished!” She called.

The princess appeared. “Let’s head back to the others.” She said with a smile.

“D-Did you not hear that roar?” Avery asked.

“Oh yes. We sometimes get wild animals. But don’t worry, as long as you’re not here for criminal reasons, you have nothing to worry about.”

Avery clenched her pants. She swore that the way the princess said everything with a sweet voice and bright smile would even make Amanda on edge.

What the hell was this place?!

Back downstairs, the men were standing up. “Avery! Finally!” Nathaniel said with a fake smile. “We should probably get going! We heard something outside and we must check it out.”

“Of course.” Chrom responded. “Do let us know if there’s any more information Mandy left behind. We’ll be more than welcoming.”

“Y-Yeah. Thanks.” Ryan nervously chuckled. The three wince when they heard another loud roar, followed by screams.

The trio ran to the front door, yanking it opened.

“What's going on out here?!” Nathaniel yelled.

Chrom calmly stood behind them, drawing his sword, getting their attention. “This is your only warning.” His eyes show a thirst for blood. “Don't you ever mess with this stadium, or our residents.”

He aimed his sword at Nathaniel’s neck. “Now leave while you still can.” He lifted his fingers, snapping them.

Another roar, and Charizard came out from his hiding spot, he blew fire to one of the destroyed vans.

The employees panicked and ran to the two remaining vans.

Meta Knight flew out from his window, wanting to leave them with one final mark.

Charizard, Ridley, and Meta Knight gave one final swipe at the vans as they speed off, leaving tire marks in their place.

“And stay away!” Chrom bellow at them.

Once the two surviving vans were gone, the residents began celebrating.

“Great work everyone!” Link clapped. “Best part, they have no idea we have the folders with their research.”

“I'll go let everyone know that coast is clear.” Zelda smiled.

Chrom took out his phone sending a message to Mario.

- Chrom: We managed to successfully scare them off! I don't think we'll have to worry about them returning. Finish up what you guys are doing and make your way back so we can celebrate.

---------------------------------------------------

The adults finally broke through the invisible barrier that was preventing them from entering the Kids Corner.

They fell to the floor, toppling on top of each other, before Bowser shoved everyone away and running to the TV.

The kids were still clinging to each other, all on the floor, knocked out.

Bowser went to his son, shaking him. “Junior! Can you hear me?! Junior!”

The small prince stirred, groaning in pain. He slowly opened his eyes, rubbing his head and struggling to sit up.

The other kids slowly began waking up next, with Muriel gasping and frantically searching for the Wooly toy.

“Wooly! Wooly! Where is my Wooly doll?!” She panicked.

Everyone began searching for the doll. Lucina ended up spotting it on top of a book that was called, ‘5 Ways to Hide a Hammer.’

The book was opened. When she picked up the doll, she saw a literal hammer inside the book. “Huh?”

“Did you find it?” Robin asked from behind.

“Yeah, along with a hammer.” She showed him the opened book.

“Strange. That wasn't there before.” He grabbed the tool. “Maybe it could be use for a puzzle?”

“Maybe.” She shrugged. She went to the squid girl. “Found him. He seems okay.” She handed her the toy.

“Oh thank god!” She took the doll and hugged it tightly. “If I had lost you again, I'd be heartbroken.” She continued snuggling onto the toy.

“Did… did we restarted?” Cletus questioned, rubbing his head.

“I think we did.” Brandine responded. “The last thing I remember was giving the Entity a toy, but it didn't like it and I guess… it attacked us.”

“WHAT?!” Bowser roared. “That thing tried to hurt my son again?!”

“We're okay dad!” Bowser Jr. reassured him. “We just need to make sure we avoid restarting again.”

“Start from the top,” Mario began. “what happened?”

The kids took the time to explain everything. Once they finished, Mario exhaled. “Okay, so looks like talking to it won't do anything anymore.”

“I got a reaction though!” Inkling boy shouted. “I saw it in her eyes, she had a reaction! But she's… like a wall. It hard to get through to her.”

Muriel sighed. “Well, if she isn't going to listen, what's your next move?”

“I don't know. But I'll figure it out.”

“Hey, Lucina found a hammer.” Robin told them. “Maybe it could be used for something?” He handed the tool to Villager.

“Since we restarted,” Brandine began, moving her head around, noticing the piggy bank from the first puzzle. “what if we smashed the pig?”

“If we do, will it give us the second tape?” Ness wondered.

“Let's find out.” Villager picked up the pig and placed it on one of the tables. He lifted the hammer up in the air and swung it own as hard as he could.

The piggy bank squealed loudly, and the glass shards went everywhere again. Instead of a tape however, they saw a train track part.

“Weird.” Mario confessed.

“It's probably like the previous tapes.” Mort theorized. “Which means there's a chance we could find different versions of the tapes we've watched.”

“Oh god,” Muriel felt her body tense up. “that didn't do so well last time.” She tightly gripped the toy. “I… I can't stand another tape that might have Wooly getting murdered again.”

“D-Don't say that.” Luigi tried to calm her. “You never know, if there are alternatives to these tapes, it probably won't be so bad.”

“I hope so.” She blinked her tears away.

“Speaking of the tapes,” Lucas began. “Do we have to find the first tape again?”

The adults groaned.

“Let's go search the books.” Bowser grumbled.

Chapter Text

Amanda held her shovel. The Lonely Kitten was walking beside her. Normally, she'd be smiling, but this time, she was unreadable.

{“Listen to me Amanda, even if you do restart us, or… let this demon kill us, just know, I won't have any regrets trying to help you. And if things restart, I'll keep going. Until my last breath.”}

Those words kept playing over and over in her head. “He sounded sincere.” She told Kitten.

The feline lifted up her head, letting out a mew in confusion.

“I know, I said I would talk to him.” She sighed. “But right when I had the chance, I didn't take it.”

Kitten meowed.

“Yeah yeah, I should’ve tried. But… I guess a part of me wasn't ready.”

Kitten's ears fell to the side.

“Hey, I'm working on it.” Amanda joked.

They approached the hole, where she lowered the shovel. Immediately, she saw Wooly grab it, climbing out of the hole with a big smile. “Thanks Amanda!”

“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes. “There. I got you out. Now if you'll excuse me.” She swung the shovel over her shoulder, walking away.

“Amanda? Hey! Wait! Where are you going?!” He ran after her, following her back to the dark area of the woods. “Uh, Amanda? Why are we back here?”

“What do you mean we? Nobody told you to follow.” She moved her shovel to the mount of dirt, digging it away.

Wooly grabbed her wrist, trying to stop her from digging. “Amanda-”

“Let go.”

“Just listen-”

“Let. Go.”

He closed his eyes, breathing in hard, then opened his eyes. “What's the point?”

She remained quiet, yanking her wrist away, going back to digging.

“Why bother with this?” Wooly asked again. “You said it yourself, ‘sometimes you have to bury things’.”

Amanda paused with her digging. “Is it a crime?”

“Huh?”

She straightened up. “Is it a crime for me to want something, anything, from my dad?” She finally faced him. “Unless there’s a deeper reason why you don't want me to have anything from him?” She lifted an eyebrow.

Wooly gulped. He literally couldn't tell if Amanda knew more than she lead on.

He wanted to find the right words to prove he wasn't hiding anything. But that would mean he'd be lying to her. Again.

“If you got nothing to hide, then let me at least have this… just for a few minutes.” Her voice lowered to a whisper. “...Please?”

The sheep's ears droop. “Do you… need help digging?”

Amanda continued to dig. “I'm fine.” A few more digs later, and the pile of clothes was taken out.

She rested on her knees, the Lonely Kitten sat next to her. She let out a mew of sorrow, looking at Amanda with worry.

“Dad… Kate… I wish I could still talk to you guys.” She held the outfit close to her, shutting her eyelids, trying not to cry. “I feel so alone, so lost. If you guys were still here… I would've been… normal.”

Wooly wanted to get close, to comfort her, and tell her it was okay. But he stayed on his spot, not saying a word.

The trio remained silent for a while, only the sound of the wind blowing against the trees being heard.

Amanda slowly opened her eyes, looking at the clothes once more. “Dad…” she didn't say more. Just gently placing the clothing back into the hole, her eyes shining and glassing up.

Kitten rubbed against her leg, getting a pet. She stood up, grabbing the shovel and placing the dirt back once more.

Once the hole was covered, she gently tried to smooth the dirt. “I'll try to visit you everyday dad.”

Wooly felt broken. He wished he knew what to say to her. There was so much he wanted to tell her. So much he wanted to explain.

But he knew if he did, Hameln would find out. It was nearly impossible to keep anything a secret from them. They watched his every move, heard every word, saw every action. The scariest moments were when he knew they saw or heard, but don't do anything about it.

Those were the moments were Wooly truly felt like a sheep. A helpless lamb that was right in front of a predator, seeing their teeth bared and their saliva dripping from their mouths, ready to pounce.

He hated Hameln. He hated everyone who worked for them or supported them. He may have been created by them, but that didn’t meant he wasn’t willing to go against them. He’d been wanting to fight against their strings for years.

Shortly after meeting Amanda, it didn't take long for him to see just how messed up the company was.

“Wooly?” He lifted his head when he heard her voice, his ears lightly lifting up. “Can you honest with me?”

“Uh, sure.”

“I mean, actually honest.” She faced him again. “Which means you don't hide anything.”

He gulped again. “O…kay?”

Amanda put the shovel over her shoulder. “Just how long are you planning on testing me?”

His ears shot upward. “Wh-Where did that come from?!”

She shrugged. “I don't know, maybe because of all the times when you say you're my best friend, but when I need you the most, you just smile and act like nothing is wrong, ignoring me. Yet when I demand that you get away from me, you leech yourself onto me.”

“Amanda, I only try to act like nothing's wrong because I thought it would help you.” He answered. “Even when I do try comfort, it doesn't do anything, you go right back to abusing me or treating me like a nuisance.”

“Really? Alright, then answer my next question. What did my demon mean when it said you were putting on a, what did it say? Oh yeah, spineless act.”

“You aren't letting that go are you?”

“I already told you, I don't forget things easily like you. So,” she aimed her shovel at him. “Will you finally start talking?”

He lifted up his hands in defense. “Look, I'm not hiding anything.” He tried to convince her. “And even if I were, why would you want to know?”

Her stare darkened. “Remember what I told you after the ‘Everything Rots’ tape?” She took a step closer, making him take a step back. “I'm choosing to trust you because there's a chance squid boy sees me for me.”

“I-I remember that.”

“Do you?” She challenged. “Because you always act like you forget everything I say after I say it. If you want me to believe when you say you're my best friend, then how about you start acting like one?” She lowered the shovel.

“Only if you start acting like one as well.”

A scoff. “You really think I'm going to treat you any better? After everything I just told you? This is what I mean. You forget what I tell you as soon as its said.”

“It's not that I forget, it's just that… well… we can't call each other friends if only one person's putting the effort.” He took a deep breath. “Not that we've ever acted like friends to begin with.

Amanda placed a hand on her hip. “Look, think about it this way,” she turned, ready to walk. “once we get out of here, if you can't tell me the truth, how do you think orange squid is going to feel if she finds out you're keeping things from her as well?”

That made Wooly's eyes widened, his ears jolting up again. If Muriel found out what his purpose was, why he was made, she wouldn't take it well.

She thought Wooly was an innocent sheep. She saw him as an adorable companion that she would move mountains for. He was someone she would do anything and everything for, even fight her own best friend.

It was because she loves Wooly so much, that she's willing to fight the Entity, blinding it in the process, she was willing to stand up against Amanda. She wasn't afraid to do or say anything if it was for him.

She… she was someone Wooly wanted to be loved by. Someone Wooly deeply wished he had in his life.

All he ever gotten was insults, beatings, orders, threats, glares, jabs, and overall, actions and words that made him feel… useless. Inadequate. Ridiculous. Unwanted. Unloved. Worthless.

Nothing more than a puppet on strings meant to move and talk only when the ones in control of the strings said so.

But when he met Inkling girl. When he first saw that smile. First heard those words,

{“I already found my favorite character!”}

It felt more than just a child who loved him because he's a sheep. It felt like someone who met their platonic soulmate. Like two puzzle pieces finally finding their missing half and connected instantly.

Even after Amanda murdered him, he didn't know how, but there were moments were for a split second, he saw her smile. He felt her touch.

While he was brought back in the ‘Let's Practice Patience’ tape, he was somehow able to see her before that.

To make things more confusing, he even had memories of the things she thought of. He heard her voice. He heard their voices. Their conversations.

{(If you guys were in the real world, I would focus on you. I would love making you peach pies. And while the others are busy with Amanda, I would make sure you never feel scared or worried again.)}

He could recall how even thought he felt like he was floating through a void, waiting to be brought back, he felt her gently stroking his ear.

{“I hate her because not only she's abusive and cruel… but she can be… terrifying. And even though he's gone, I want to be strong and brave for Wooly.”}

{“Do you think Wooly would want you to treat her like this? He sees her as a friend, and if he was here, would he be happy with what you're doing?”}

{“...No. If she doesn't test my patience any further, then I'll try harder. For Wooly.”}

He remembered his eyes shooting wide opened shortly after hearing that conversation, waking up in Amanda's backyard shortly before the tape began playing.

And while his vision was slightly blurry and mainly covered in darkness while being in that void, there were moments were he caught a glimpse of them. Of her.

Her smiles, her gazes, her eyes showing all the emotions she couldn't say. He felt her warm hugs, her tears. He felt her struggling.

But how? How did he managed to see and feel all that? He didn't know, but he wanted to know.

There were so many things he had to keep track of. So many thoughts and ideas he had to stay silent about to make sure things didn't go south.

Keeping an eye on Amanda was hard enough.

But what would be his next move if he got Inkling girl involved? To be more precise, what would be his next move now that he did got her involved? 

Whether he'd like to admit it or not, she was already involved. From the moment she watched the first tape, she and the others were sucked into the toxic, endless web that was Hameln.

It didn't matter who you were, what you did, or how you were, if you watched a tape, Hameln would start watching you, especially if you weren't an easily lead child.

But Wooly wasn't a fool. The kids that were watching weren't you typical kids. They were different, unique, and special.

Three traits Hameln would love to get their hands on.

He tightly balled up his fists. (If they dare try to lay a finger on her… I won't care what they do to me. I'll do everything in my power to protect her.)

“Not if I get my hands on her first.” A unrecognizable voice whispered to him. “In fact, I won't use my claws, I'll use my teeth. I bet she'll taste marvelous.”

Wooly loudly gasped, jerking his head everywhere to find the source of the voice, but he couldn't find anything.

Outside of the woods, he saw Amanda giving him a confused look, her head slightly tilted, and the Lonely Kitten sitting next to her, her tail swishing.

“Seriously, what's going on with you?” She asked. “I swear, it's like there are moments I ask or say something and it sends you on a frenzy. Get a grip will ya?”

She didn’t wait for a response, she walked away. Kitten stared at Wooly for a bit, wondering what had happened, then followed her.

Wooly swallowed hard, feeling his body shake. (I… I have to come clean.) He thought to himself, following the hostess. (Amanda's right, one day I have to confess. Not just to her, but to Muriel as well.)

He fiddled with his fingers. (But if I do… what will I do if neither of them take it well? For Amanda, I know what to expect, but for Muriel? As much as I love to bond with her outside of the screen, I need to remember that… we don't really know much about each other.)

He stared at the cartoon girl, looking at the back of her head. (Would it better to tell the truth after getting out of here? Or…)

He looked back down to his fingers. (Or would it better to admit everything before being rescued? Even if it means being trapped here alone as punishment?)

He shook his head, he was developing a splitting headache. It was something he would have to figure out on the way.

Right now, he had to focus. Not on whatever his mind decided to torture him with, not with that voice that threatened someone's life, and definitely not on the squid girl he had grown too attached to within a span of almost three days.

No. He had to focus on Amanda. His focus was always meant to be on Amanda. Nobody else. That’s his purpose. His sole reason for existing.

He was about to open his mouth, ready to try to start a conversation with her, but then he felt it. The sensation that was starting to drag him like if he had strings.

He observed Amanda. She didn't seem affected. She continued walking, sometimes looking down at Kitten, giving her a smile.

Which meant only one thing. The kids didn't insert another tape. Wooly was being summoned. 

And he had to find an excuse to get away from Amanda before he would be yanked away like if someone put a vacuum behind him.

“Uh, Amanda?”

She didn't turn around nor stop walking. “What?”

“I um… need to go somewhere. I'll meet you at your place okay?”

She paused with her walking. “Exactly where are you- HEY! COME BACK HERE!” When she turned, he had already taken off, not caring about her screams and shouts.

She snarled, ready to toss that shovel if she had to.

Kitten mewed with confusion.

“Tell me about it.” Amanda agreed. “If he thinks I don't catch on to his strange behavior, then he really does need brain surgery.” She stabbed the shovel into the ground. “Whether he likes it or not, if he is hiding something, I will find out.”

------------------------------------------------

The adults continued searching for the code, while the kids remained at the Kids Corner, playing with whatever they had.

The Villagers were playing with the oven, Muriel was on the kitchen set pretending Wooly was her helper, Mort was fumbling with BlabBot, making him say random things, Lucas was with the box with lots of activities, Bowser Jr. was on the other kitchen set, and Ness was reading some of the books.

All of the felt slightly relaxed as they played. It mad everything feel… normal again.

“Hey guys,” Inkling boy began, getting their attention. “when we're done with all this, what's the first thing you'll be doing?”

“What do you mean?” The female Villager asked. 

“Well, when we finish all this, that means both Amanda and Wooly will be out of the tapes, which means they'll be in the real world with us.”

“That's what we're hoping for.” Villager said,

“And well, I was thinking…” the blue squid scratched the back of his head. “They probably won't have anywhere to go. So… I was thinking… you know…”

Muriel lifted up an eyebrow, giving him a knowing look. “You're considering asking Mario and Luigi if they can live with us?”

He blushed with embarrassment. “Maybe?”

She giggled. “Honestly, I wouldn't mind that.” She looked at the toy. “I would love nothing more than to be by Wooly's side everyday.”

“And having Amanda live with us would be quite the trip.” Villager smiled. “She would definitely love to use the training room. And sandbag would be the perfect outlet for her if she needs to let off steam.”

Brandine gasped with excitement. “And for her first night, we can have a massive sleepover! Where all of us Smash kids welcome her!”

“Oh! And we could play bandits!” Bowser Jr. jumped. “I just know the Koopalings would love to play with her!” His eyes widened, and his excitement drained.

“What is it?” Ness asked.

“I… I just noticed that dad and I left the Koopalings behind. They weren't even involved when we first watched the tapes.”

The kids looked at each other, only realizing that as well.

“Well, I'm sure you can explain everything when we get back.” Villager advised.

“Let's not jump to far ahead though,” Ness spoke up. “While it's great to plan what we'll be doing after saving Amanda and Wooly, we need to focus on what's happening right now.”

“Ness has a point.” Lucas agreed. “So until the adults bring us the first tape, we should continue distracting ourselves.”

“Yeah.” Mort sighed. “Just thought it be nice to talk about how things will be once we get them out of there.”

Muriel smiled. “Don't worry, there's nothing wrong with that. I just hope Amanda can control herself when she’s out of the screen.”

“If she can't, we have tons of fighters that can help her.” Lucas said.

“And like I said, sandbag will be her outlet.” Cletus reminded her.

“My main question is,” Inkling boy pointed to the plushie. “How do you think Wooly will react when he sees you with that?”

Now it was Inkling girl's turn to blush with embarrassment. “It'll be slightly awkward to explain. That's for sure.”

All the kids softly laughed.

------------------------------------------------------------

The adults eventually found the books that had the numbers, and as they were about to try to figure out the code, Mario heard his phone ding.

He dug inside, taking it out, reading Chrom's message. His eyes lit up. “They did it.”

Everyone turned to him. “Say that again.” Bowser requested.

Mario showed the the message. “They did it! They actually chased them away!”

The adults were unable to hold back their excitement, they clapped and jumped with joy.

“This is great!” Luigi grinned. “With them off our backs, we'll be able to finish this investigation in peace!”

“Let's not get too ahead of ourselves though,” Robin advised. “We still need to figure out how we're going to transfer the footage of the tapes to a hard drive.”

“Does anyone even have one?” Bowser noticed.

The adults grew quiet.

“I'll go ask Mandy if he has one.” Mario left the library.

“In the meantime, I'll see if I can somehow get the footage into the computer. There has to be some way to do it.” Robin said.

“What if we recorded it?” Lucina suggested.

“We need the footage clear.” Robin told her. “Otherwise, people will think we faked it. And we need to have them know it's real.”

“True.” She nodded.

“I'll put the code on the safe for now,” Luigi spoke up. “That way the kids can continue watching the tapes while we work.” He knelt down and began putting the code.

Mario returned, smiling.

“Did you get the drive?” Bowser asked.

He lifted up the USB. “Good thing Mandy told me he always keeps extras for backup.”

“Perfect!” Lucina smiled.

The locked cabinet was heard opening. Luigi grabbed the tape, standing up and searching for paper and pencil.

Once he found it, he wrote down the code. “We ain't looking for these damn books again.”

The others snorted or laughed.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

“Has anyone seen the Ice Climbers?” Zelda asked.

Everyone she asked shook their heads.

“Last time I saw them, they were in their bedroom.” Palutena informed her.

“But I checked their bedroom, they weren't there.”

“Maybe they snuck out?” Dark Pit suggested.

“Doubt it. They know the dangers of the Hameln company. There's no way they would sneak out before hearing that the coast is clear.”

“Unless they got curious and took a peak?” Rosalina theorized.

“That… could be a possibly.” Zelda tried to accept. “But… what worries me is that nobody has seen or know where they went.”

Bayonetta ran to her. “Zelda! Come quick!”

“What is it?”

“Just follow me! Now.”

Following the bounty hunter, Hyrule's princess was guided to the DLC area, where she was shown the opened window.

Immediately, she saw the slide made of ice. “N-No… please don't tell me…” She slowly got closer to the window, looking out of it, seeing the slide reaching all the way to the ground.

“I found this slide while you were asking around for them.” Bayonetta explained. “I don't know much of what's going on, but from what I heard, this doesn't seem good.”

Zelda covered her mouth, feeling her body tremble. “Link! Link! Get here quick!”

In under a second, the heroic elf ran in, Chrom and Peach were with him. 

“What is it?” The elf asked with panic.

“I think the Ice Climbers are missing!”

“What?!” All three shouted.

“Bayonetta found this slide! I think they used it to leave undetected!”

Chrom placed his palm on his face. “I literally told Mario that everything was solved. And now you're telling us this.”

“There's no way they snuck out.” Link refused to accept. “They watched the tapes, they knew the dangers.”

Others began running in. 

“We heard screaming!” Samus said. 

“What's going on?!” Mega Man asked.

“The Ice Climbers are missing!” Everyone exclaimed.

“What? How?” Mega Man questioned.

Zelda pointed to the slide.

“Wait…” Samus began. “No… there's no way that happened…”

“What?” Mega Man turned to her. “Tell us!”

Samus took a deep breath. “Chrom,”

He looked at her, removing his palm from his face.

“The three you distracted, they were definitely Hameln employees right?”

“Who else would they be?”

“And from what we discovered when helping the Mario bros, they're notorious for luring children away like in the tale of the Pied Piper,”

“You're not saying-”

“Didn't one of them said she needed to use the bathroom?” Link questioned, interrupting Mega Man.

“Yeah, but Peach was watching her.” Chrom explained.

“It's true. She wanted me to leave, but I pretended to leave.” Peach confirmed. “I originally hid behind in one of the storage rooms nearby, but she didn't leave the bathroom. But she was in there for a long time.”

“Something definitely lured them away.” Samus continued. “If the employee was in the bathroom for a long time, then something must've been used.”

“If they got kidnapped, then there's a chance other kids could get lured away.” Mega Man concluded.

“We have to keep an eye on the other kids!” Zelda cried. “We did everything we could, but two kids still got abducted!” She began tearing up. “Who knows what those horrible monsters will do to them!”

Link went to her, giving her a hug. “There, there.” He began soothing. “We'll figure things out.”

“We need to report this to the Mario bros.” Samus decided.

“He's not going to be happy.” Chrom sighed. “But we need to step up.” He crossed his arms. “We'll get Ridley and Charizard to remain outside in case they come back. And I'll gather all the kids.”

“Who should watch over them?” Peach questioned.

“I'll ask if Pit or Dark Pit could do it. We need to increase our security. We cannot let any other child get abducted.” Chrom walked off.

“This wasn't supposed to happen.” Zelda sniffed, tightening the hug.

Link gently stroke her hair, giving her a kiss on the head. “It'll be okay. We'll figure out where they are and get them back. I promise.”

“I'll go help Chrom gather the kids.” Peach dismissed herself.

Bayonetta crossed her arms. “I’ll be outside helping Ridley and Charizard. I'll be more than willing to fight alongside them.”

“Thank you.” Link appreciated.

“Samus and I will gather up the research the brothers made copies off. I think it's time we get the internet involved.” Mega Man thought of.

“But what if that makes Hameln come after us with stronger forces?” Zelda began worrying, pulling away from Link.

“Please,” Samus rolled her eyes. “If they think they can out beat the fighters they have, then they better get tons of bodybags ready.”

------------------------------------------------------

Nana tried her best not to cry, she tightly held her sister, who had her arms wrapped around her protectively.

By the time the van arrived to wherever they were taken to, the fumes that controlled their minds faded, and they were able to feel what they really felt.

They were dragged out of the van, having their hammers snatched away, being ordered to shut up, sometimes even seeing the employees lifting up a hand to get them to quiet. 

And at once point, Popo ended up with a swollen cheek after defending her sister when one of the employees couldn't stand her sobbing.

Once yanked inside, they were locked in a room that ony had a mattress and no windows.

But there was a mirror.

Behind said mirror, was a different room. A room that several of the employees were standing in, with Steven and another man with them.

“Well?” Tim asked. “What do you think?”

The man stared at the girls, squinting his eyes. “Steven?”

“Yes sir?”

“Do you still have the files on that client?”

“Yes. I made copies to give to the employees, which they've told me they lost.” He growled the last word.

“It wasn't our fault!” Justin defended. “We already told you what happened on the drive here!”

“Hmm,” The suited man began. “Yes. I recall Steven informing me of the story you all told him when you were placing the girls, and I must say,” he slowly turned his head to the employees, making them gulp. “it's incredibly fascinating. I must know more about the experiments they're doing.”

“Oh no!” Jake shook his head. “I ain't going back!”

“Who said I was sending you back?” The man inquired. “If you guys can't even handle several experiments, then I wouldn't want to image how you'll handle bringing me said summoned experiments.”

The employees looked away.

“Here you are sir.” Steven handed the man the folder.

He took it, opening it. “Hmm, those two girls aren't in these files.”

“We know, the ones that are weren't at the building.” Avery informed him.

“We think they evacuated.” Victoria stated. “They probably left with the brothers and with Mandy.”

“Hmm, I guess these two could be used for practice testing.” The man continued to flip through the pages.

The door to the room then slammed opened, starling everyone except the man and Victoria.

“Mr. Hameln!” An employee shouted, sweating from excessive running.

“My, Ricardo, you seem tense, what seems to be the problem?”

The employee, Ricardo, went to the CEO of Hameln. “The latest report!”

“Ah, so you finally looked at how the lamb's doing?”

“Yes! With all the things that's been happening, I haven't had a good look until now. And… you really need to look at this.” He handed him a printed paper.

The man took it, reading it. He smirked. “Ah, now this is interesting.”

“What is it sir?” Tim asked.

“Looks like my little lamb forgot that every time a tape is inserted, our computer automatically reports everything that happens within and outside the TV when the tape is playing.” He returned to the folder, flipping through the files once again. “Not to mention, it also captures their activity when the tapes are off.”

The man pointed to the files of the Villagers and the Inklings. “I want more research done on these kids.”

“Which ones sir?” Victoria questioned.

He tapped on their images. “These. They seem to have the most potential. Also, it seems as though one child actually traverse into their world, but was released shortly afterwards. Get me information on that child.”

“Right away sir.” Victoria nodded. “I'll have Anthony and Audrey get to it.” She looked at her clipboard, writing it down.

“What's so interesting about these kids?” Jake couldn't help but ask.

"According to the report, these two that like to dress up as squids, are extremely fond of our darling Lamb and Experiment.” The man answered. “And the brunette and pink haired ones give me a feeling that they could be proven useful.”

“Should we summon the lamb?” Avery asked.

“Indeed. From what the reports caught, both the Experiment and the Lamb have started growing fond of the kids, the ones dressed up as squids specially.” The CEO chuckled. “I'm eager to hear his excuse.”

He closed the folder and tucked it under his arm. “Gather several employees to prepare the transition room,” he turned his gaze to the crying sisters. “Those two girls are going to help us lure in the rest.”

-----------------------------------------------------------

“I'm scared Popo!” Nana sobbed.

“I'm scared too. But we can't give up.” Popo replied. “We can find a way out of here. I know it.”

“How?! They took our hammers!” Nana reminded her. “I don't want to be here! I wanna go home!”

“Nana-”

A creak. The girls gasped and turned, seeing a horde of employees walk in. A total of eight entered. Six men and two women.

Popo stood in front of Nana. Hammers or not, she wasn't going to go down without a fight. She would do anything possible to make sure she and her sister got out of there alive.

“Alright, half take the purple one, the rest of us will take the pink one.” Ryan instructed the staff.

“Got it.” A female employee nodded.

“NO!” Popo screamed, giving one of the employees a hard kick. “Run Nana!” She ordered, trying to fight.

Her sister tried, but was easily grabbed and overpowered.

“NANA!” Popo screeched.

“This is why we're separating you two!” The staff that got kicked hissed.

“Don't worry you'll be reunited soon.” Another said, dragging a screaming and wailing Nana out of the room, the others three following.

Popo continued to scream for her sister, until a cloth was shoved on her mouth. “Close you eyes,” Ryan said in a soft whisper. “Count down from ten,”

She tried to move his hand away from her, but the other staff held her down.

“You might feel a little pinch.” Were the last words before Popo saw him take out a needle, while feeling the female staff unzip her winter coat, and then everything went black.

-------------------------------------------------------

Nana continued to sob and struggle in the staff's grip. “No! Let me go! I wanna go home! I wanna be with my sister!”

“Will you shut up?!” An employee ordered, tightening his grip on her arms. “God! This is why I'll never have kids!”

“Like any woman would give you a chance anyway.” Another rolled his eyes.

“Very funny.”

“Would you two cut it out?!” A female staff shouted. “Let's just get this girl ready and start working.”

Reaching a door, one of the employees used a key card, unlocking a door. They continued to drag the wailing girl.

Inside the room, Nana saw an operating table, something that looked like a helmet, a computer, a TV with a VCR, and some sort of machine.

“Alright, on three,” The one grabbing her began. “One, two, three!” The three employees holding her tossed her onto the operating table.

The female employee worked with the one who shouted at her to shut up, restraining her wrist and ankles.

“Popo!” Nana continued to wail. “I want my sister! Let me go! Someone help!”

One of the male employees got the machine ready while the other moved the mouse next to the computer, getting it to turn on.

“Alright, if we're going to do this, which body should they be transfered to?” The female asked.

“Let's see, judging from their attire, maybe something with fur?” The one on the computer suggested, typing something, which loaded different models of bears, wolves, cats, dogs, and other animals with fur.

“Go with bear cubs.” The one by the machine decided. “And make sure their fur matches their coat colors.”

“You got it Carlos.” The one on the computer nodded, typing more things on the computer, clicking several files.

“Popo! Help! Somebody!” Nana continued to bawl.

The one by the machine, Carlos, sighed with irritation. “We need to shut this brat up. Brad!”

“On it,” the one who helped with the restrains nodded. He grabbed a mask and with the female staff's help, placed it over Nana's mouth.

“No! I don't want this! Let me go!” She tried to scream.

Brad activated the anesthesia, getting the sobbing girl to let one final wail before her body went completely limp.

“Finally.” Carlos was heard saying with relief. “Tiffany, you can finally get to work.”

The female, Tiffany, nodded. She went to the helmet while Brad flicked the TV on, turning to the one on the computer. “Are the models done Paul?”

“Just finished.” He responded, turning his chair. “The question is, will this work? We haven’t done this since that Jordan kid several years ago.”

“That was shortly before we had to lay low.” Brad growled. “Curse that bitch Kate. And her equally stupid friend Joanne.”

“Relax, they've been dealt with remember?” Tiffany stated, removing Nana's hood and placing the helmet on her head. “Is everything ready?”

Paul turned back to the computer, doing one final check. “Yep. Everything looks good to go. Should we give the the gift to talk?”

“We'll check with Mr. Hameln about that.” Carlos answered. “For now, let's just get this brat inside that world. I hope the other team had a way better workspace.” He ran a hair through his dyed dark blue hair.

“Alright, on your command.” Brad turned to Tiffany, crossing his arms.

“You put the right amount of anesthesia right Brad?” She double checked.

“Who cares if I did?!” He snapped. “Carlos and I just wanted her to shut up! So if she feels anything, serves her right honestly.”

She sighed. “The men I have to deal with.” She looked at Carlos. “Go for it.”

Smirking, he hovered his hand over the lever. “Time for my favorite part of the job.”

Chapter Text

Being summoned wasn't anything new to Wooly. He was used to the routine by this point.

Report on whatever Amanda said or did, lie to Hameln on why progress is slow, isn't happening, or changed, get ordered to do whatever it was they wanted, then be dismissed, sometimes with a threat.

Then, he would return to Amanda, which sometimes lead to more questions, and more lies. But with Amanda, he lied with good intentions. Or, that's what he told himself. He would only lie to her so he could continue keeping note on how to tell her everything one day.

He was so used to this routine, that he could easily doze off and know exactly when to nod, shake his head, or answer with one worded phrases.

This summon was no different. He did what he knew he had to do, and it wasn't until Mr. Hameln said something so off-script that Wooly began paying attention.

“With that being said, are you ready to guide the future newcomers?”

One of his ears went up. “Newcomers?”

“Precisely.” He crossed one leg over the other. “We've gotten new recourses and decided to hand you not one, but two assistants to help in your watch of our darling Experiment.” He lifted up two fingers.

“Uh, Mr. Hameln sir, pardon my words, but I don't think adding more watchers will be a good idea.” Wooly spoke. “Amanda can barely tolerate me, so what makes you think she'll handle more?”

“Ah, but that's precisely the point Little Lamb. Think about it, with more watchers, it'll be hard for her to lash out on only one, which means she'll try to lash out on each, but can also get leashed down since it'll be three against one.” He explained. “Which means it'll be easier for you.”

“For me?” Wooly pointed to himself.

“Indeed. With two additional watchers, she'll be distracted on them. Which will give you more opportunities to carefully observe her, and report to us. And it also means you'll be spared by her hands more often. It's a win-win!”

(Is it really?) Wooly thought, a serious look on his face. (He's basically saying that Amanda will have even less privacy and more eyes on her.)

“What's with that look on your face?”

Wooly flinched, not realizing he failed to control his expression. “N-Nothing! I was just… uh… wondering if those newcomers will even do a good job.”

The CEO chuckled. “Not to worry Little Lamb, my employees will make sure they're loyal to us, no matter how long it takes.”

“I see. So… when will they arrive?” Wooly asked.

“When the new tape is ready.”

“New tape?” Wooly tilted his head.

“You heard right. We're creating a new tape to insert your helpers.”

“Uh, we haven't had to do a new tape in years. And our show is no longer running on broadcast. So… what's the purpose?”

The CEO chuckled again, leaning forward on the chair. “But you do have viewers? Don't you?”

“What are you-”

“The report here says that the previous tapes have been found and watched, but currently, we don't know where.” He opened the folder and took out said report, flipping it so it be visible to the sheep. “And from what I've read, you and the Experiment have your eyes on two specific watchers.”

“I can explain-”

“Ah,” he lifted up a hand. “I'm not finished.”

Wooly closed his mouth.

“I must say, there’s truly something special about the blue haired boy for someone like her to trust him. And I've never seen any viewer show this much loyalty and favoritism towards you. It's almost comical.”

He flipped through the files, leaving it on the paper that had information on the Inklings. “So tell me, when do you plan on luring the two?”

“I-I only said that to get Amanda off my back!” He lifted his hands, shaking his head. “I didn't actually mean that!”

The man cackled, his head being flung back. It was honestly unnerving. It was the kind of laugh that made Wooly both terrified but infuriated.

Once he stopped laughing, having to take a deep breath after wheezing, the man looked back at the sheep in the screen. “Oh Little Lamb, you are a funny one. Don't worry, I'm not mad that you've grown fond of a watcher.”

He leaned forward again. “If anything, I'm actually quite proud.”

Wooly flinched, lowering his hands. “Y-You are?”

He slowly nodded. “After reading the report, and seeing just how much viewers we've gotten, it gave me a marvelous idea.”

Wooly was scared to even ask what that idea could be, so he remained silent.

“Due to us having to lay low after… circumstances,” he snarled at the word, took a deep breath, and proceeded. “We unfortunately had to do lots of tedious actions to make sure our company didn't go under, however, there's a golden opportunity we've been given, and I'd like to take it.”

Wooly continued being quiet.

“If the two newcomers are a success, then we'll do everything we can to lure the other viewers to us, but here's where my master plan comes into action.” He flipped through the files. “Once we’ve gotten all of the new subjects, we'll make a whole new show. And this time, we will not repeat our mistakes.”

“A new… show?’ Wooly trembled as he questioned.

“That's right Little Lamb. A new show where these ones will be the stars. With how unique they appear, and from what my employees have told me when they went to their home, there's an endless supply of sources we could use!”

He sounded excited. Too excited, as he explained.

“They even have demonic experiments of their own! Which means with the right words, and the right amount of funding, we could create a new and better show! One that will get us back to the top. One that will sweep all the nonsense that skank of Kate tried to do.” He went back to snarling.

Wooly looked away. Kate was someone special to Amanda. She just wanted to help. But like so many others, she failed.

Then, he heard a snicker. "But I will admit, it's hilarious how she thought we were a cult. How pathetic and ridiculous of her."

Wooly normally wouldn't agree with monsters like Hameln, but even he had to agree that the cult theory was a bit overused.

Though he didn't blame Kate for that, he blamed the people she teamed up with.

“And with these subjects as the star of the show, nobody will suspect a thing. Since this time, we won't have a pathetic parent in our way. And you, Little Lamb, will be rewarded for getting the orange haired one to adore you.”

“Wh-What? What do you mean rewarded?”

“Well, once the show is made, and once our subjects are in the tapes, you will be granted the gracious gift I'll bestow upon you, the gift of leaving these tapes and moving to the tapes with the orange haired girl!”

Wooly's eyes widened. But not with joy, with pure shock.

“And when you're with her, you'll get all the attention and love you so deserve! And with you by her side, she'll never want to leave.” His face slightly darkened.

Wooly tried to stop his quivering body. “And… what will happen to… Amanda?” He dared to ask, knowing the answer already.

“Why care? She's been complicated since day one.” He rolled his eyes. “Besides, those demons I was told about, they seem much more resourceful and powerful than her. Which could grant us such flawless results.” His eyes grew a dreamy but vile look, one that only a monster capable of destruction could have.

The sheep felt disgusted. The way he talked about all this filled him with endless horror, vomit, and guilt.

Wooly hated all this, but it didn't meant he wasn't going with it. He was still helping them, still giving them what they wanted.

“Now, all we need to do is see if the transition is a complete success, and we'll get straight to work, and of course, you'll be helping with the luring.” Mr. Hameln went on, getting the sheep's attention. “The only issue is that my ridiculous team made a horrible impression on those back at the building. So I'll need to figure out how to convince them to join us.”

He closed the folder, standing up from the chair. “Regardless, even if they're complicated after our offers, we'll find a way. We're a company who gets the results we want. After all, who wouldn't want to follow us to fun?” He chuckled.

Wooly wanted to scream. To yell and throw every insult in the book. He wanted to shove his hands through the screen and give that monster a piece of his mind.

“That concludes the summoning. So don't you worry Little Lamb, once we get our newest project in the works, we'll dispose of our Experiment and you'll be free to live the happy life you earned.”

“W-Wait!” Wooly called. “What if the viewers can’t be lured in? Y-You don’t know what they’re capable of.”

The CEO smirked. “How cute. Look, I’m already being extremely forgiving for you attempting to hide the fact that the two of you have concerning conversations when you think nobody's watching, don't risk your reward Little Lamb.”

He tucked the folder under his arm. “I'll accept your excuse that you said those words to calm down the Acolyte. But if you wish to be fully forgiven, do what you're told. Help the newcomers adapt, and then lure in the viewers. Understand?”

“Sir, this plan won't-”

“Do you understand?” His eyes showed murder. “Don't forget that we're the reason you even exist. Without us, you're nothing. So, be a good little sheep and once the newcomers arrive, prepare them and the Experiment for the new tape they'll appear in.”

He slammed the door as he left, the tape ending there, playing static and ejecting.

Wooly droop his ears. This wasn't good at all. Hameln was getting more and more monstrous, more vile, more insane as the minutes ticked.

He may be a sheep, but that didn't meant he was a fool. Wooly knew Hameln all too well. That ‘reward’ the CEO promised, was too good to be true.

Which meant it was 100% a lie. It was words meant to make him obey. To give him false hope so he could easily be swayed into doing what they wanted.

If this was happening during the first few weeks or months after his creation, then there could've been a chance he would've believed him.

But he'd been in these tapes for years. Long enough to know what was a truth, and what was a lie. For Hameln, is was basically impossible to get anything true from them. All they were capable of, was lying.

Wooly knew that Hameln would make a grave mistake if they did moved him to the new show they wanted to create.

By adding him, it would be a constant reminder to anyone who's seen ‘Amanda the Adventurer’, especially if he kept his name and personality. It was trick.

(I have to warn Amanda. No, not just Amanda, I have to warn everyone.) He decided, rushing off to find the cartoon girl.

It was now more important than ever that she knew the truth, or at least some of it. He had to act fast and smart.

Not just for her, but for the Smash kids as well. If he was going to be the reason for Muriel being trapped in a neverending prison, then he would be more than willing to give up his entire existence just to be the reason she avoids that faith.

--------------------------------------------------

At first, all Popo felt was fluid flowing in her body.

She got blinded by bright lights. She heard the monitor detecting her vitals. She felt more jabs of needles.

She felt her body float around, like if it wasn't hers anymore, like if her soul was pulled out of her body.

She felt it all, saw bits of it, then… it stopped. Everything just stopped. And when her eyes opened, she found herself in a brightly colored world she didn’t recognized.

But that wasn't all, when she pushed her body upward, she felt… different. While she was thankfully still able to feel, think, and overall, behave alive, something about her felt wrong, off putting.

She tried to stand up, only to fall back to the ground, and that's when she saw it. Her hands, weren't hands. They were… paws?

Her eyes widened and she began panicking. She tried to scream, but it came out as a roar. Spotting a body of water, she tried to make her way to it, struggling to walk on fours instead of her usual two.

Once her eyes gazed at the water, Popo was able to get her answer. She wasn't in her actual body, she was a bear cub. A purple one to be exact.

Around her right ear, were white cotton balls that were from her hood, except it was now in the form of an eggplant.

She took several steps back, letting out more frighten roars and cries that a bear would make. She felt her tears falling onto her fur.

She went on her stomach, placing her paws over her face, whimpering and sobbing softly.

She then felt a hand, making her yelp and jump away. Her breathing unstable and her heart pounding hard to the point her chest began hurting.

“I-It's okay. I know you're scared.” A calm voice told her.

Shaking her head, Popo was able to figure out who was in front of her. It was Wooly. Not a hologram, the real one.

He gave her a small smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. In fact, his eyes showed that he was expecting her, or was told of her arrival.

She let out a bear noise. Trying to ask him what happened.

Originally, Wooly was making his way to Amanda's home, but when he heard the sounds of a bear, he knew what it meant.

He tried to reach for the animal, understanding when she flinched and backed away. “I won't hurt you. Can you talk?”

Popo tried to respond, but only bear noises came out.

“Hmm, looks like they didn't give you the ability.” Wooly took note of. “But don't worry, everything will be okay. I can show you around if you'd like.”

Popo tried to stand on her twos, struggling before falling on her stomach.

“Looks like you're not meant to be anthropomorphic like me.” He said. “But it's okay, I'm here to guide you. Let's go.”

Popo did her best to get up, slowly following the sheep. It was a bit of a challenge walking on all fours, but it felt like something in her clicked, as she got the hang of it shortly after a few steps.

She used her new muzzle to touch the sheep's arm, getting his attention. “What is it?”

Popo tried once more to speak, and miraculously, she managed to get something out. “N… Na… Nan… a.”

“Nan… a? Nana?” Wooly guessed.

She frantically nodded her head. “Nan! Nan! Nana!” She was able to get out.

“Nana… that's one of the names that belongs to the kids that watched the tapes.” Wooly noticed, spotting the hope in the cub's eyes.

He paused his walking. “Are you… Popo?”

She frantically nodded again.

He gasped, covering his mouth. When Hameln said newcomers, he was expecting made up characters like himself, not one of the Smash kids!

“Oh my god.” He said through his covered mouth. “H-How did this even happened?!” He placed his hands on his head, his ears shooting up.

Popo let out whimpers, tears forming.

“I-I'm so sorry this happened to you. I… I can’t even imagine.” He fiddled with his fingers, wondering what he could do.

“Nan… na.” She managed to say again.

“Don't worry. I'm sure she's somewhere. Do you… need a hug?”

Popo sat upward, letting the sheep wrapped his arms around her. She returned the hug, letting her tears drop onto him.

“Nana.” She said fluently, sniffing.

“Shh, it's okay. We'll find her. I promise.” He tried to soothe her. “In the meantime, let it all out. I'm here.”

Being a cub, Popo was a bit bigger than Wooly, not by much, but it was still easy to notice. As a result, she had a bit of a struggle burying her muzzle into his wool. He really was soft. Muriel would've love it.

“Everything will be alright.” She heard the sheep say. “I know things are horrible at the moment, but I swear, things will get better.”

Popo couldn't help but wonder what the sheep was thinking.

The way he said these promises, sounded like someone who was ready to go to war, to fight for what they promised.

To Popo, Wooly was just an innocent sheep. There's no way he could actually figured out what happened to her. He must've been just as scared as she is.

Surely, he reacted the way he did because he couldn't believe something like this was possible. That had to be the case. Right?

Regardless, she continued to hug the sheep, feeling him shake. It convinced her more that he was just as terrified and worried as she was.

In reality however, Wooly wasn't shaking due to fear, he was trembling out of rage, fueled with fury.

(Hameln… you bastards!) Wooly thought, tightly shutting his eyes. (Mark my words, I will tell Amanda and the kids everything! We'll take you down! Even if it cost me my life!)

---------------------------------------------------------------

All Nana felt was pain. Agonizing pain that lasted forever. Electricity stabbing her entire body, her screams being silenced every time she tried to let one out.

She felt what she feared was a scalpel being used on her, along with needles injecting her with something she didn't know what it was.

It was all torturous. She never once wished for death until that moment.

When it finally stopped, she thought that was it. She thought those were her last moments. That she was never going to see her sister again.

When her eyes fluttered opened, she had assumed she was in the afterlife. Seeing the bright blue sky, the white clouds moving, feeling what she assumed was fresh grass underneath her weight.

Nana felt… off. She wasn't sure how to explain it, but she certainly knew something was strange about her.

When she pushed herself upward, she spotted buildings with eyes bobbing left and right, like if they were dancing.

Not only that, she saw trees also moving side to side, with eyes as well. The world felt… oddly familiar.

At the time, she couldn't pin point why, but it felt like she's seen this strange place before, which confused and concerned her at the same time.

When she tried to get up, she wobbled, falling on her backside. When she tried to stand up again, she was able to spot her hand, or paw, to be exact.

Like Popo, she freaked out. Gasping and letting out screams that would come out from a bear.

She tried to observe her full body, but couldn't see much. While trying to examine her new body, she didn't notice how she was on top of a hill, only to trip over a rock and tumble down the entire way, rolling like a ball.

To make things worse, as she rolled down the hill, she couldn't see a girl exiting one of the stores, she was carrying a basket of apples, greeting a kitten that was waiting for her outside.

“Let's go Kitten. I can't wait to make some delicious apple ju-”

CRASH!

Kitten did the classic startled cat sound while leaping into the air.

The basket of apples went flying and the apples scattered all over the place, while the two girls rolled and slammed hard onto a nearby tree.

When Kitten came back to the floor, landing on her feet of course, she rushed over to the tree, seeing both her caretaker, and a… bear cub?

She tilted her head to the side, wondering where the cub came from. She had pink fur, with white cotton balls on her left ear, in the shape of an eggplant.

She was on top of the cartoon girl, her left bottom paw on her cheek, her right upper paw on her leg, and her small tail on her hair. 

They were a complete tangled up mess. Both of their eyes spinning in a circle before they got fixed.

But what concerned Lonely Kitten the most, was the look on Amanda’s face after she processed what had happened. Oh she was so ready to skin that cub and wear the fur as a coat!

“Get. Off. Me. RIGHT NOW!” She screeched, bits of her face began to morph into her demon form, and her hands transformed into black claws.

With a single grab and swipe, the pink cub was now underneath her, letting out frightened bear noises.

Amanda made sure her clawed hand was tightly around the cub's throat, squeezing it to make her wheeze for air. “I don’t know who you are or where you came from, but if I hate that possum guy, then I definitely hate you!” She lifted her other hand, ready to kill.

Nana shrieked in terror, only to feel a set of small paws landing on her stomach. She opened one eye, noticing a kitten.

She mew in protest, as if she were telling the hostess not to hurt her.

“Why not?!” Amanda demanded. “I've had enough of annoying animals! I will not tolerate another one!”

Kitten continued to mew in protest. Unable to understand her, Nana continued to fear for her life, struggling to breathe.

For Amanda however, because of her love for the kitten, she was able to understand her. Kitten was telling her how she can sense that the bear was genuinely frighten for her life, and that the collision was high chance an accident.

The hostess stared back at Nana. She could see the terror in her eyes, the shining effect that tears leave.

Her demon eyes went back to her regular human eyes, and she slowly let go of the cub's neck, getting her to gasp for air.

Amanda got off Nana, brushing off the dust from her clothes. “You're lucky Kitten saved you.” She growled. “Stay away from me and we won’t have any problems. Got it?” She motioned for Kitten to follow. “And you owe me new apples.”

She began walking off, but stopped when she saw that Kitten wasn't following. She turned. “Kitten?”

Lonely Kitten tried to help Nana sit upward, mewing with worry, like if she was asking if she was going to be okay after that.

Nana wiped her tears with her paws, trying not to scratch herself. She looked down at the feline, sniffing before trying to give her a pet.

Amanda was about to jump into action, until she saw the cub actually giving her companion gentle pets. She almost assumed the cub had the mind of a human with the way she was petting the cat.

Growing a bit suspicious, she walked back to the cub, her arms crossed. “You're not an actual animal, are you?” She lifted an eyebrow.

Nana paused the petting, with everything seemingly calming down, she finally had the chance to fully observed who almost killed her.

And when she finally realized who was in front of her, she used her other paw to point, her eyes going wide. She let out startled and surprised bear noises, getting Amanda to take a step back.

“I'm sorry what?” She tilted her head. “Are you trying to tell me something?”

Nana continued to point at the cartoon girl. She wanted to ask so many questions. How was she there? Was she the real deal or a hologram? How did she get into this world? Did this mean Wooly was real as well? If so, where was he?

Where was Popo? What tape where they currently in? How was the world when a tape isn’t being played? How did she feel about the other Smash kids? What did she think of Mort specifically?

Those were just some of the questions she wanted to ask, slightly getting a bit excited at the idea of getting answers from Amanda herself, until she noticed how Amanda was giving her a confused look.

Oh. Right. She was in a bear's body. Of course she wouldn't recognize her, let alone know what she was trying to ask.

Her head droop. There was so much she wanted to know, but couldn't ask. So instead, she just took a deep breath, wishing she could at least ask where her sister was. If she was here to begin with.

When Amanda saw tears forming on the cub’s eyes, and upon hearing the whimpers, she began to feel a bit terrible.

This cub didn't seem at all like Wooly nor the possum. She seem like an actual lost and scared animal.

She took a few steps closer. “Hey,” she got the cub's attention. “sorry about earlier. I'm not used to… whatever that was.” She scratched her neck. “You took me by surprise you know?”

Nana sniffed, wiping her tears again, feeling Kitten snuggle against her.

Amanda gave her a small smile. “If Kitten likes you, then I'll give you a chance.” She cleared her throat. “Hi my name's Amanda!” She put her arms behind her back. “What's your name?”

Nana wanted nothing more but to answer, but after her numerous attempts, she knew there was no way she could respond.

However, she still wanted to give it a try. She took a deep breath, begging for her vocals to work with her. Just this once.

“N… N…”

“Uh huh.” Amanda nodded.

“N… Na… na.”

“Okay.”

“Nan… a.”

“Oh! I think I got it!” Amanda beamed. “Are you trying to say, Nana?”

The pink cub nodded.

“Huh, that sounds familiar actually.” The cartoon girl put a finger to her chin, trying to figure out where she heard that name before.

After a while, she shrugged. “Eh. Maybe I'll remember it one day. But for now,” she stuck out her hand. “Nice to meet you Nana!”

Nana placed her paw on her hand, unable to hold back a small smile when the hostess shook it.

“Let me show you around!” Amanda offered, ending the handshake.

Nana nodded, struggling to move her body to all four paws. Kitten mew in joy, leaping onto Amanda's shoulder, purring against her cheek, making her giggle.

“Yeah, yeah, you're happy that I spared her life.” She playfully rolled her eyes, before scratching behind her ear.

Nana walked beside Amanda, using the opportunity to gaze at her surroundings. This realm was more brightly colored than what the tapes showed, but it wasn't painful to look at.

The way the buildings and trees continued to move and sway even when a tape wasn't playing was a bit off-putting, but not too disturbing.

Nana looked up at Amanda, who looked back at her. “You need something?”

The pink cub nodded.

“Okay, what is it?”

Nana tried to get her vocals to work again. “P… Po…”

“Mhm.”

“Po…Po.”

“Hm, are you trying to say, Popo?”

She nods.

“Okay, so you're Nana, and you're looking for someone name Popo? Is that correct?” Amanda double checked.

Another nod.

“Unfortunately, I don't know anyone by the that name.” The hostess shook her head. “It sounds familiar, but I can't put my finger on it.”

“Amanda!”

Nana saw the cartoon girl's eyes swap immediately to annoyed, her eyelids were half closed, and her once bright expression became dull. “Ugh. Just when I was starting to have fun.” She rolled her eyes.

Wooly caught up to her, his hands on his knees and panting. “I've been looking for you! We need to tal-” His eyes landed on Nana, who immediately saw Popo.

“Nan! Nan!” Popo tried to cheer, immediately recognizing her sister.

“Po! Po!” Nana tried to return the cheer, the two running to each other, sitting down and giving each the tightest, no pun intended, bear hug imaginable.

Wooly watched the sight with a smile while Amanda had to do a double take, wondering if she really was seeing things right.

“Okay, since when did two random colorful bears even get here?” She asked.

“To be fair, that possum guy appeared out of nowhere as well.” Wooly pointed out. If there was one thing he literally had no clue about, it was the possum character. Not even he knew who he was or why he was there.

“I guess.” Amanda rolled her eyes again. She put her hands on her hips. “Let me guess,” she spoke to the purple cub, getting her attention. “You must be Popo?”

A nod.

“Nana here was asking for you.”

Popo smiled brightly at her sister, who returned the smile with a few tears. They hugged a bit more and then pulled away, going back to their fours.

“Now,” she turned to the sheep. “what did you wanted to talk about?”

Wooly took a deep breath. “We… we can't talk here. We have to go somewhere else.” He looked at everyone. “All five of us.”

“Even Kitten?” Amanda lifted an eyebrow.

The sheep nodded. “Trust me, what I have to say is… something you're not going to like. So you'll need Kitten to help you cool down.”

Amanda gave him a distrusting look. “I wonder what you have to say.”

“Come on. I know a place.” Wooly waved his hand for the to follow.

The girls began to take his lead, with the Ice Climber Cubs continuing to be happy to see each other again.

“What good would telling her do?” That same unrecognizable voice whispered to him.

(Amanda has to know.) He thought in response. (Especially since Hameln seems to be getting more unhinged.)

“She's going to permanently murder you as a result.”

(So?)

A chuckle. “Such a pathetic sheep. If she kills you, who will warn that tempting squid girl?”

(I… I have a backup plan for that.)

“And what would that plan be?”

(That's for me to know, and for whoever or whatever you are, to never find out.)

----------------------------------------------------------------

“Wooly, we've been walking for what feels like hours,” Amanda began to complain. “Where is this stupid spot you want to show us?”

Wooly rolled his eyes. “Would you relax Amanda? We've been walking for only five minutes, and trust me, this spot is closer than you think.”

Amanda crossed her arms, giving more distrusting looks to the sheep.

They reached one of the few buildings that didn't have eyes, a building that meant they were never meant to enter.

“Wooly, you do know these building are off limits right?” Amanda pointed out. “Believe me, I've tried. The doors never open.”

“That's because you're not supposed to enter.” Wooly told her matter-of-factly. He took a deep breath, bracing himself for what he was about to do. Grabbing the doorknob, he felt it jamming.

He leaned close. “It's Wooly, I'm here to prepare a report.” He said in audible volume, wanting the girls to hear.

A sound of unlocking was heard, and the door opened. Wooly turned to the girls. He saw Popo and Nana surprised, Kitten looked worried, and Amanda…

She was hard to read. She was a mix of shock, distrust, rage, and maybe a hint of betrayal.

He hated seeing that expression. It was something he'd seen numerous times by this point. A face he'd seen every single time he'd lost her trust.

To make things worse, he probably only had one chance to convince her that he was still a friend, and never an enemy.

Hameln was going to see this. This was going to get reported, and the fact that he decided to show this building to her right after a summoning was a sure guarantee of him being coded out of existence.

Did he care? Not anymore. Was it a risk? Absolutely. Would it be worth it? Certainly.

If the Ice Climbers were unfortunate enough to be thrown into this realm, then he wouldn't want to imagine the possible bigger hellhole that Hameln has planned for the Smash kids.

This was something he should've done years ago, he knew that. But now that things went from dangerous to down right death defying, there was no more time to waste. Amanda had to know, for her own sake, and for the sake of the others.

“Ladies first,” he gestured with his arm.

When walking inside, Amanda wasn't sure what to expect, but it wasn't a small room with grey walls and a grey floor, only containing a table and a chair. In front of the table was a huge curtain that was either blocking a mirror or a window.

“This is what was locked up?” She asked, her hands on her hips. “What's so special about it?”

“Well,” Wooly began, closing the door behind him. “it's because this is the only private room we have.”

She turned to him. “Private?”

“Meaning we can say, discuss, or confessing anything we want without them finding out or hearing us. Other buildings that have no eyes also lead to this very same room. So while there are different buildings that lead here, this is the only room to go to.” He went to the chair, pulling it out. “If case any of you girls want to sit.”

Amanda leaned on the wall. “I'm good.”

Popo and Nana nodded in agreement, sitting on the floor, where Lonely Kitten joined them.

“Okay.” Wooly sat on the chair. “Now, first, I know you girls have several questions, and I'll try to answer them.”

“I got plenty.” Amanda said, her face full of confrontation. She made her way to the table, slamming her hands on it, making him flinch. “How long have you've known about this room?”

“For years.” He answered.

“Those words you said to unlock the door, what did you mean?”

Wooly took a deep breath. Now was his chance. All he had to do, was come clean. All he needed to do, was tell her the truth.

“She's going to kill you.” The voice from earlier repeated his warning. “Whatever backup plan you have won't work. You know how she is.”

(Get lost.) Wooly mentally ordered. (I need to tell her.)

“Not if I stop you.” He heard the voice growl.

(Don't-)

“Wooly!” Amanda shouted, snapping him back to reality. “Answer my question.”

“Uh… those words don't mean anything.”

She scoffed. “Really? So saying you're going to prepare a report means nothing? It's just random words that miraculously work? Give me a break.” She glared at him. “If you're going to lie, make it believable.”

He lifted up his hands. “Wh-What I meant is that those kinds of words mean nothing to me! But they seem to be some sort of code for the door!”

“And you just happened to figure it out?”

Wooly wanted to slam his head to the table. Why was it so hard to confess?! More innocent lives were at stake! And he still couldn't bring himself to help by telling the truth of what was going on!

“I-I don't think I'm ready to talk yet.” He admitted, avoiding eye contact.

Amanda began laughing. “Pathetic. And here I thought you were finally going to prove that you are a friend. Guess I was wrong.”

“I am a friend!” Wooly tried to convince her, standing up. “I showed you the room! You heard me say the code!”

Nana got closer to the table, nudging Wooly. “Yes?”

She wanted to ask if anyone could enter the room. If they just needed to say that they were preparing a report to enter. But unfortunately, she couldn't.

“I think she wants to ask something.” Amanda guessed, receiving a nod. “Think you could try to sound it out?” Her voice was gentle towards the pink cub.

Nana took a deep breath. “R… ro… roo…”

Wooly tilted his head. “Room?”

She nodded.

“You want to know about this room?” He asked.

Another nod.

“What about this room?” 

“C… co… co…”

“...Code?” Wooly guessed.

She nodded.

He put a hand on his chin. “Room. Code. Let's see.” he thought for a bit, then came to a conclusion. “You want to know if the code for this room works for everyone?”

A happy nod.

“Interesting.” Amanda spoke up. “It seems when you cubs are calm, and speak extremely slowly, you can say several words. But when you're scared or panicking, only bear noises come out.”

“Well, I'm not entirely sure if the code will work if you girls try it. But I still said it in case you ever want to give it go.” Wooly answered.

Popo got closer. She took a deep breath, trying to say something as well. “A… an… an…”

“Keep trying.” Amanda encouraged.

“An… ot… th… er…” She kept trying. “An… ot… th… er..”

“...Another?” Wooly guessed.

Popo nodded.

“Oh! I think I got it!” Amanda snapped her fingers. “They want to know if there's another way to get through without the code.”

Both cubs nodded.

“There is actually.” Wooly confirmed. “And… it requires that I show you something.” He dug inside his wool, taking out a book. “This is my journal.” He placed it on the table.

Lonely Kitten jumped on top of it, her tail swishing.

“How long have you had this?” Amanda questioned, gently moving Kitten and picking up the blue journal.

“I got it about a month after being brought here.” He answered.

“And exactly how wil it give us access to this room?”

“There's a page that isn't attached to it, saying I have things to report on. Slide it under the door, and it'll unlock.”

“Hm. So we can enter this room whenever we like?”

“Pretty much. But if you use the paper method, you will have to write something down. Piles of paper will appear and under the covered up window, will be a hole to place the paper in.” Wooly explained.

“I would ask how do you know, but you said that you, ‘aren't ready to talk yet’.” She said in a mockery tone, doing the air quotes, rolling her eyes. “But I will say,” she looked around the area. “Showing this to us is a good start.”

She looked back at the journal. Debating if she should open it or leave it closed.

“I give you permission to read it. All of it.” Wooly granted. “And if you want, I can make a copy of the page so you won't have to use my journal.”

All girls stared at each other. Then they silently agreed.

The hostess placed the journal back on the table, sliding it to the sheep. “I ain't reading it. If I want the truth, I'm getting it through you. As for the copy of that page, I'll take it.”

Nodding, Wooly opened up his journal to a blank page, writing down the exact words, tore the page, folded it, and handed it to Amanda. “You can come here anytime you want a private chat. With or without me.”

She took the note. “...Thanks.” It was almost inaudible, but Wooly heard her, making him smile.

“No problem.” He put his journal away. “Let's get moving, the kids will eventually find the first tape.”

The Ice Climber Cubs looked at each other with worry. If they inserted the tape, would they get to appear? And if they did, would they recognize them?

Maybe somehow, they'd be able to use this strange room to find a way to talk to them? Or find a way to communicate with each other?

Wooly opened the door, allowing them to leave first. Not a second after the door automatically locked behind him, they felt the feeling.

The strings were being pulled.

“They found it.” Amanda stated.

“Uh, Amanda?”

“What?”

“The cubs seem to be getting pulled as well.”

“Huh?” She turned to the cubs, seeing them getting gently pushed and pulled, the two trying to fight it.

“What the? But they just got here! What's going on?!”

Wooly felt his heart pound. He recalled Hameln telling him to prepare them for a new tape. Something he didn't do.

Instead of preparing them, he showed them the forbidden room. Now they had to figure out where to go, and pray that they automatically knew the lines they never practiced.

—-----------------------------------------------------

Mario took out his phone, sending a quick text to Mega Man. “I wish he tagged along, he would've helped with moving the tapes to the hard drive.”

“We could ask Kapp'n to pick him up,” Luigi suggested. “Or maybe someone else can drop him off? Like Wario?”

“It took us almost two days to get here. We can't wait that long.” Mario disagreed. “Which is why I'm sending him a text asking if we can video call so he can help us out instead.”

“I'm just glad the worse of it is over.” Lucina sighed, sitting on the chair next to the computer. “I was really scared that things were going to be irreversible.”

“By the way, we gotta deliver the tape to the kids.” Robin reminded Luigi.

“Oh yes! I almost forgot!” He grabbed the tape from the desk and made his way back to the Kids Corner.

He saw the kids still playing with the items they had.

When they saw the familiar green attire, they all turned to face him.

“You got the tape?” Inkling boy asked.

“Yep. Here you go.” He handed it to him.

“Thanks.”

“How are things going with you guys?” Brandine wondered.

“Here and there.” The plumber in green answered. “There was a bit of chaos earlier, but it's solved now.”

“What happened?” Inkling girl questioned.

“Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you kids since it’s over.” Luigi sat on one of the chairs, the kids gathering around him. “Lucina got a message from her dad, it was a warning that Hameln employees were stalking the stadium.”

The kids gasped.

“But don't worry! Thanks to Mario's advice, they were able to scare them away! So everything’s fine now.”

“Thank goodness.” Villager sighed with relief. “Wait, how did they even know where we live?”

“It's probably because of the private investigator.” Ness theorized.

“You're not wrong.” Luigi confirmed. “On the way here, Mario and I were told his story, and it wasn't pretty. Long story short, after he took our case, he met the stranger, then Hameln was after him, but he thankfully lost them. Which means they probably had information on him, which lead to them finding us.”

“Or maybe,” Mort began. “it was the stranger.”

“What do you mean?” Luigi asked.

“What are the odds that after the investigator took your case, that stranger appears, and after we follow her somewhere far away, our home gets invaded!”

“Bad timing?” Lucas tried.

“That, or… she's in on it.”

Luigi shook his head. “Doubt it. If she were, we've would've been dead by now. Along with Mandy.”

“Not unless we're supposed to be distracted.” The blue squid crossed his arms. “What if she wants us to figure out what we need to figure out? And when we know too much, that's when she'll strike? Or report?”

“Now now,” Luigi stood up. “I'm not going to lie, she is a mysterious woman, but let's not start pointing fingers.”

“I agree.” Ness nodded.

“Well, unless she can prove herself to be innocent and that she's not involved with them in anyway, I'm not trusting her.” Mort confessed. “Something about her is just… suspicious. I don't know why.”

“It's alright,” Luigi placed a hand on his shoulder. “I understand why trusting others may be a bit difficult for you.”

“Unless you're a cruel, abusive, but somehow still sympathetic murderer named Amanda.” Muriel taunted. “Then you get all of his trust in under five seconds.”

He was about to start arguing with her until he saw the smirk on her face, which made him laugh. “Looks like her humor is rubbing off on you.”

She shrugged. “You can believe that if you want.”

Luigi smiled. “Glad to see you two have improved since the previous tapes. Keep it up. I better head back to the others.”

“Thanks again for the tape.” Mort said.

“No problem.” As he was making his way out of the Kids Corner, his shoe ended up accidentally kicking something, getting him to look down. To his confusion, there was a tape. “Huh?”

Bending over, he picked it up. It was titled, ‘Amanda's Picnic Party!’. “When did…?” He looked around, wondering if there was a hidden puzzle that they didn't know they solved, but everything looked the same.

He returned to the kids. “Uh, I found this. Maybe you kids can watch it?”

“Another tape?” Lucas questioned, taking it. “I don't remember this one.”

“Maybe it's because we restarted?” Muriel guessed.

“In that case,” Mort put the tape he held on the table. “Let's watch that one first.”

“Good luck. Call us if you need anything.” Luigi said, leaving the area.

Chapter Text

Lucas inserted the tape, the kids wondering what this new tape was going to show them. Like the other tapes, it played static for a bit.

It then showed the backyard, where the table had a picnic basket in the center, plates were laid out, along with cups.

On the plates, were a multitude of food. It was similar to the ‘Everything Rots’ tape, except they were in the backyard on a picnic table instead of on the floor in the middle of the woods.

“Hi friends!” Amanda greeted as usual. “I'm Amanda!”

“And I'm Wooly!” Wooly chimed in like always.

“Today is a special day!” Amanda began, giving the viewer a huge grin. “Because not only are Wooly and I having a picnic, but we're also welcoming new friends that joined our neighborhood!” She announced, extending her arms out.

“New friends? As in, new characters?” Muriel asked.

“Maybe this tape was before the show was removed?” Lucas wondered.

“Amanda,” Wooly was heard, she turned to him. “I hope our friends won't be late to the picnic party.” he looked around. “We prepared so much for them! I wouldn't want them to miss it!”

She looked around as well. “You're right Wooly!” She looked at the screen. “Sometimes friends can be late to events, and that's okay!” She lifted her arms into the air. “It just means you're not as important to them as they say you are!”

“Uh, I don't think that's what it means Amanda.” Wooly told her, having an uneasy look on his face.

Amanda lowered her arms when he spoke, she looked annoyed, but it changed to surprised when the sound effect of a doorbell was heard. She then got excited, her hands curling up. “They're here! Let's go and welcome them!”

She hopped off the bench, making her way off screen, with Wooly following shortly afterwards, both smiling.

The screen played static and showed the two by the front door of the house. Another doorbell sound effect played.

As they stood in front of it, Amanda turned to the camera. “When friends pay you a visit, it's always a good idea to greet them with a big smile and a happy tone.”

Wooly nodded as she informed the audience. He looked at the camera. “And if they allow it, a big hug is also a good idea!” He spread his arms opened, maybe even offering one to Amanda.

“Aww Wooly!” Muriel squealed. “I would give you all the hugs in the world if I could!” She hugged the plushie.

“Wooly, getting a hug from you would be like getting a hug from a cactus” Amanda jabbed, her eyelids half closed.

Wooly droop his ears and lowered his arms. “Aww.”

Amanda made her way to the door, opening it and moving the side. She turned to the camera. “Say hello to our new friends!” She beamed, her attention turning to the characters as her arm gestured towards them. “Meet the cub sisters! Polly and Nancy!”

Two bear characters then entered. One was purple and the other was pink. Both had fluff on their ears, it was in the shape of an eggplant. Both smiling widely and even giving a wave to the camera while Amanda closed the door.

Wooly went from upset to happy when he saw them entering. He connected his hands together as his ears slightly lifted up.

Lucas noticed Bowser Jr. shaking slightly. He wanted to ask if he was okay, but didn't say anything.

“Welcome friends!” Wooly clapped, lowering his arms while still smiling.

Amanda went in front of the cubs. “If you could invite a friend to your home, who would it be?”

A cloud appeared. Having a total of seven lines.

“Oh wow! So this tape really is part of the journey!” Ness said with surprise.

“I'll answer!” Muriel volunteered. She excitedly went to the keyboard, typing the name, ‘Wooly’.

Static filled the screen, and Amanda made a somewhat annoyed and aggravated expression.

Wooly on the other hand, was stunned before brightly smiling at the answer, his ears going up with joy as he connected his hands again. “Aww! That's really nice of you! I would be thrilled to visit your home friend!”

Muriel placed her hands on her cheeks, letting out a happy noise. “Wooly, you are so cute! I can't handle it!”

“You really do love him.” Villager chuckled.

Amanda rolled her eyes. “What a waste of an invitation.” She stated, crossing her arms. She lowered them and continued with the show. “Now that our friends are here, let's go have that picnic party!” She rose up her arms and grinned.

Static covered the screen and it transition to the backyard.

This time, everyone was seated. Amanda and Wooly were in front of the table, sitting next to each other, while the cub sisters were on the other side, sitting next to next to each other.

The backyard now had multicolored balloons, several streamers hug by the fence, even the birdhouse from the ‘Let’s Practice Patience‘ tape was seen. It was painted lavender, just like how Brandine wanted it to be.

A radio was on the floor, where music was heard being played.

Then, by the fence, the kids saw what appeared to be a possum tail hanging over the fence, swinging around the streamers before it moved off the fence.

“Don't tell me that thing is going to bother her.” Inkling boy scowled.

“It better not.” Inkling girl frowned.

“It's fun to have a picnic party to welcome your new friends!” Amanda continued the show, turning to face the camera. “Especially if you've been wanting to make new friends!” She turned back to the table, where the camera transition to the side of the table.

“Okay Polly and Nancy, pick any plate of food you want!” Amanda offered, giving the two a big smile.

The cubs looked at each plate, trying to decide on which meal to grab.

As they continued observing, Amanda turned to the camera. “Looks like these sisters can't decide what to start with. Maybe you could help them?”

The camera went to bird's eye view, showing three plates. “Which meal would they start with?” Amanda was heard asking. Her hand becoming visible as she pointed to each option. “The honey buns, the peanut butter sandwiches, or the fruit salad?”

The show waited for an answer.

“Looks like it's time to pick.” Ness said. “What should we pick?”

“I don't think it matters.” Cletus believed. “But since these two are bears, they would probably like the honey buns since you know, honey.”

Ness clicked the plate of honey buns.

The screen flickered.

“Yum! I love honey buns!” Amanda cheered. The camera went back to the side of the table, where everyone had their plates. Each of them having three honey buns with a cup of milk next to them. “This is going to be so yummy!” She rubbed her palms with excitement and hunger.

At the edge of the table, while everyone was getting ready to dig in, the nose of the possum was seen sniffing the table.

The camera then zoomed out to show the backyard, where the possum leaped onto the table, getting Wooly to scream and fall of the bench while Amanda gasped and jumped away, the cubs remained on their seats, just widening their eyes.

“Not you again!” Amanda yelled, pointing to the possum as he grabbed some of the honey buns, making his noises while also staring at the other items on the table, looking excited.

She turned to the camera. “Get him out of here! NOW!” She ordered, stomping her foot.

“Why does he always bother us?!” Wooly cried, pulling his ears.

“Hurry!” Lucas begged when he saw the Inklings going to the TV.

“Get away from them!” Both shouted, hitting the screen where the possum was.

Static filled the screen, and the possum turned to face them, his ears falling to the side as it looked like he was about to surrender. However, instead of doing that, he suddenly took off with the picnic basket.

“Huh?!” Amanda gasped when he ran off.

“Did we fail?!” Muriel worried.

“Alright! That's it!” She turned to the animals. “Polly and Nancy! You stay and keep watch! Wooly! Let's deal with that guy!”

Wooly nodded and the two ran off screen.

The show transition to what appeared to a different bedroom, it looked like a guest room. There was a plain bed, beige walls, a sand color floor that had a round blue rug in the center, a long lamp next to the bed, a window behind a drawer, and several toys laying on the floor.

The possum ran into, the basket in his mouth. He looked around, making more noises, then he let out what sounded like a scared noise when Amanda and Wooly ran in, he leaped onto a drawer.

“I don't who you are, but I've had enough of you!” Amanda shouted. “Give us back our picnic basket you weirdo!” She threw herself at the animal, grabbing the basket and trying to pull it out of his mouth.

She grunted as she struggled, with the possum making struggling noises of his own, attempting to keep his grip.

“A little help here!” Amanda ordered, looking at the camera while still tugging.

“This better work!” Inkling girl said, hitting the screen.

Static filled the screen.

Amanda was able to pull the basket, along with the possum. He fell to the floor, but not without a spin.

“Now get out of here!” Wooly ordered, pointing to the door.

The possum made a sad noise before walking off, both characters glaring at him as he slowly left the room.

Amanda sighed with irritation, her attention moving to the window. “If only the window was opened, would've been funny to see him fall out of it.” She stated.

“Uh, let's get back to our party.” Wooly said nervously.

Static filled the screen and they were back to the backyard.

Polly and Nancy were still sitting there, waiting. When Amanda and Wooly returned, they got happy, waving at them.

“Hi friends! We're back!” Amanda cheered. “And we got our picnic basket back!” She placed the basket back on the table. She looked at the camera. “Now let's finally have that party!”

The show transition to the side of the table again, with the characters now eating the honey buns, all of them enjoying the snack.

“Mmm, that's really good!” Amanda smiled. “We should have the PB sandwiches next!” She suggested.

Despite not having human hands, the cub sisters were able to grab the honey buns with their paws, eating them with a warm expression.

Wooly was seen drinking his milk. “I love having picnic parties.”

"Let's make a toast!” Amanda grabbed her cup, lifting it into the air. “To new friends!”

Wooly grabbed his cup, and the cubs sisters used both paws to grab their cups, all of them clanking their cups.

“To new friends!” They all cheered.

They continued to finish their snack, even going for the other snacks while chatting amongst each other.

The screen then transition to the Hameln logo, where the jingle played and their slogan appeared.

When the tape ejected, the group was left with mixed results. On one hand, it felt like the other tapes, but on the other hand, something about it gave them… a feeling they couldn't describe.

For Lucas, he noticed ow Bowser Jr. was basically frozen throughout the whole thing, outside of his trembling, he didn't take part in anything.

“Let's see if there's a puzzle somewhere.” Brandine said. She gazed around, her eyes quickly landed on what looked like a dollhouse on the table. “There we go.”

The kids made their way to the table, minus Bowser Jr., which they noticed.

“You okay there?” Lucas asked.

“Y-Yeah. There’s just this strange gut feeling I'm getting.”

“When did it started?” Ness wondered.

“When those two bear characters appeared.”

“Really?” Muriel asked. “What was it about them?”

“I… I don't know. But seeing them made me randomly think back to when I thought I was going to be stuck as a pile of meat.”

“What? How?” Mort began worrying.

“I-I don't know. It just did.” He tried to calm his frantic heart. “It doesn't help that they were pink and purple, they had an eggplant shape thing on their heads, and they're even sisters!” He placed his hands on his head, “It's like if they're inspired by the Ice Climbers or something! I mean, even their names start with the same letters as theirs! A P and a N!”

The kids stared at each other with questioning looks. "That… has to be a coincidence.” Lucas prayed. “Luigi told us things are fine back at the stadium. There's no way he would lie!”

“Let's all try to calm down.” Ness advised. “We can tell the adults this once we finish this puzzle. For now, let's take a deep breath, and try to focus. You guys solve the puzzle. I'll be here with Junior.”

While Ness helped the Bowser Jr. calm down, the others went back to the dollhouse, where the pink haired Villager noticed something.

“This dollhouse… it's Amanda's house.”

“Is it?” Inkling girl asked.

“Take a look. Her bedroom, the bathroom, the kitchen, the living room, the guest room we saw, even the backyard!” She pointed at every location. “Though I will admit, it's a very pretty dollhouse, I would honestly love having it.”

“If Muriel's allowed to take the plushie, then you're allowed to take the dollhouse.” Mort told her.

“Okay, so we definitely have to do something with the rooms if this dollhouse is the puzzle.” Villager theorized.

“Amanda mentioned something about wanting the window open when the possum took the basket. So maybe each time they're somewhere, we have to do something with the dollhouse?” Lucas wondered.

“Okay, so they were in the backyard, in front of the door, and then the guest room. So those are the rooms we need to focus on.” Cletus pointed out.

“Let me insert the tape again.” Lucas went to the tape, grabbing it. He turned to Ness and Bowser Jr. “Will you be able to handle the tape?”

“I-I think so.” The Koopa prince answered. “I've gotten this far, and my dad and I have been through worse, so… I gotta be strong. Like dad.”

“Alright, but if it becomes too much, just let us know.” The blonde boy told him, inserting the tape again.

The kids sat down as Ness made his way to the fast forward button. Inkling girl startled the Koopa prince when she placed the Wooly toy on his lap. “In case he can help you calm down. I know he helps me.”

“You sure?”

“Yep. Just give him back afterwards.”

“And if I don't?”

“Then you and I are going to fight to the death when we get back to the stadium.”

Junior snorted, laughing softly. “Deal.”

The tape showed the backyard.

“Hi friends! I'm Amanda!”

“And I'm Wooly!”

“Today is a special day! Because not only are Wooly and I having a picnic, but we're also welcoming new friends that joined our neighborhood!”

“Before you fast forward,” Muriel began. “We have to wait until they head to the front door. Just in case.”

“Alright.” Ness replied.

“Amanda,” Wooly started. “I hope our friends won't be late to the picnic party. We prepared so much for them! I wouldn't want them to miss it!”

“You're right Wooly! Sometimes friends can be late to events, and that's okay! It just means you're not as important to them as they say you are!”

“Uh, I don't think that's what it means Amanda.”

The doorbell was heard.

“They're here! Let's go and welcome them!”

The two made their way off screen.

“Pause.” Villager requested.

Ness paused the tape.

“Let’s see if interacting with the dollhouse does anything.” He stood up, heading to the dollhouse. “Just in case,” he checked to see if there was a doorbell.

After finding it, he pressed it, the tiny sound of it slightly echoing around the Kids Corner, it sounded pretty, but at the same time, it gave Junior a stronger gut feeling, to the point it slightly ached.

“Now, let's see if opening the door does anything.” Villager continued, opening the door. A creaking sound was heard. “See if that did anything.” He turned to Ness, who pressed play.

The screen played static and the two were by the front door, with them getting startled that it was already opened, the cub sisters were also stunned.

“Look!” Mort pointed. “The front door is opened!”

“So the dollhouse does affect it. Noted.” Villager nodded.

Amanda was heard giggling. She turned to the camera. “Looks like our friends were just as excited as we were!” She turned to the bears. “They opened the door without us knowing!” She turned back to the camera, placing a hand over her mouth, giggling at her thought.

“Uh, it's not a good thing if people open your doors without your knowledge or permission.” Wooly tried to inform her. “That could lead to a lot of dangerous problems.” He turned to the camera as he said it.

“He's not wrong.” Lucas agreed.

Amanda gave Wooly an annoyed look, then she brightened up and moved the side. “Say hello to our new friends! Meet the cub sisters! Polly and Nancy!”

The cubs entered the home, smiling widely and giving a wave to the camera while Amanda closed the door.

Upon seeing them, Junior hugged the Wooly toy, hoping it would help him.

Wooly went from worried to happy when he saw them entering. He connected his hands together as his ears slightly lifted up. “Welcome friends!” He clapped, lowering his arms while still smiling.

Amanda went in front of the cubs. “If you could invite a friend to your home, who would it be?”

A cloud appeared.

“I already answered Wooly.” Inkling girl said. “So who should we put?”

“What if we…” Inkling boy went to the keyboard. He typed in the name, ‘Sam’.

Static filled the screen.

Amanda sighed with sadness, looking down. Wooly and the cub sisters also got upset at the answer. “If only that were possible...” She murmured. “It would make me so happy if I could see him again…”

She shook her head and put on a smile. “Now that our friends are here, let's go have that picnic party!”

Static covered the screen and it transition to the backyard.

They saw the possum tail hanging over the fence, swinging around the streamers before it moved.

“It's fun to have a picnic party to welcome your new friends! Especially if you've been wanting to make new friends!”

The camera transition to the side of the table.

“Okay Polly and Nancy, pick any plate of food you want!”

The cubs looked at each plate, trying to decide on which meal to grab.

“Looks like these sisters can't decide what to start with. Maybe you could help them?”

The camera went to bird's eye view.

“Which meal would they start with? The honey buns, the peanut butter sandwiches, or the fruit salad?”

The show waited for an answer.

“Check if the dollhouse has anything.” Ness said after pausing.

Villager stood up and made his way to the toy. He looked at the backyard, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

But he did noticed how on the floor of the backyard, where the plates of food and the basket. Next to the items, was a bottle that looked like it had a skull on it.

He picked them up and looked at the paused screen. He set up the plates in the right order, then placed the basket next to it. He looked back at the bottle, grabbing it. “Do you guys think this will do anything?”

The kids huddled around him.

“Is that supposed to be poison?” Brandine asked.

“If it is, let's use it on the possum.” Muriel decided. “I want to see that pest get what he deserves.”

“Damn Muriel,” her best friend began. “I think Amanda's sinister ways are also rubbing off on you.”

“Oh like you wouldn't do the same thing.” She playfully rolled her eyes.

“Very funny.”

“If we're going to use it, which plate should we use it on?” Villager questioned.

“Well, what if we went with the sandwiches this time?” Ness suggested.

“How do we know if it works?” Bowser Jr. wondered.

“Maybe the bottle can be opened?” Lucas debated.

Cletus moved his hands to the cork, and to everyone's surprise, it was removable. It came off with a pop, and a green fume exited from it.

The kids did their best not to smell it as he aimed the open part onto the sandwiches, where another fume of green came out and surrounded the sandwiches.

When it was done, Villager placed the cork back and placed the bottle down. “I'm going to go wash my hands just in case.” He said.

“We'll wait.” The orange squid told him.

He left the Kids Corner and a few minutes later, came back, still shaking his hand dry before rubbing them on his shirt. “Okay, let's get back to work.”

Ness pressed play and pressed the sandwiches as the kids sat back down.

The screen flickered.

On the plate where the peanut butter sandwiches were, there was now a green aura around them.

“Yum! I love peanut butter sandwiches!” Amanda cheered. The camera went back to the side of the table. 

“Uh… Amanda? Are these safe to eat?” Wooly asked.

“Oh Wooly, you’re so silly.” She giggled. “Of course it's okay to eat!”

The nose of the possum was seen sniffing the table.

The camera then zoomed out to show the backyard, where the possum leaped onto the table, getting Wooly to scream and fall of the bench while Amanda jumped away, looking prepared, the cubs remained on their seats, just widening their eyes.

The possum grabbed the sandwiches, making noises.

“Oh no!” Amanda said in a sarcastic voice. “He's going to ruin our picnic party! Better stop him quickly!”

“Why does he always bother us?!” Wooly cried, pulling his ears.

“Let's see what happens if we do nothing.” Mort said.

After a while, the possum shoved two sandwiches in his mouth, swallowing them before grabbing the basket and taking off with it.

That's when Amanda reacted. “Hey! Come back here! Alright! That's it!” She turned to the animals. “Polly and Nancy! You stay and keep watch! Wooly! Let's deal with that guy!”

Wooly nodded and the two ran off screen.

“Pause!” Muriel ordered.

Ness pressed pause.

“I want to try what she mentioned in the previous watch.” She stood up and went to the dollhouse. She opened the window that was in the guest room. It made a falling sound effect after she opened it.

“Okay, let's continue.” The orange squid said.

Ness pressed play.

The show transition to the guest room. The window was now opened wide. The possum ran inside, but this time, he sounded out of breath.

He leaped onto the drawer again when Amanda and Wooly entered.

“I don't who you are, but I've had enough of you! Give us back our picnic basket you weirdo!” She threw herself at the animal, grabbing the basket and trying to pull it out of his mouth.

She grunted as she struggled, with the possum making struggling noises of his own, attempting to keep his grip.

“A little help here!” Amanda ordered, looking at the camera while still tugging.

“Let's see what happens.” Mort said. He clicked on the possum.

Static filled the screen.

This time, when Amanda tugged, Wooly ran to the possum, giving him a hard shove. The possum let go of the basket, coughing harshly, the poison taking affect.

His body jolted upward, he grabbed his neck, and just as expected, he fell backwards, falling out of the window.

Amanda handed the basket to Wooly, looking out the window. She softly laughed. “Well deserved.” She looked at the camera. “Hopefully that teaches him to leave us alone.” She smiled brightly.

“Let's get back to out picnic party.” Wooly said.

Static filled the screen and they were back to the backyard.

Polly and Nancy were still sitting there, waiting. When Amanda and Wooly returned, they got happy, waving at them.

Amanda was seen holding a plate of newly made sandwiches. “Hi friends! We're back! And not only did we got our picnic basket back, but I made us replacement PB sandwiches!” She held up the plate to show it off while Wooly placed the basket back on the table.

She looked at the camera. “Now let's finally have that party!”

The show transition to the side of the table again, with the characters now eating the sandwiches, all of them enjoying the snack.

“Mmm, that's really good!” Amanda smiled. “We should have the fruit salad next!” She suggested.

“I love having picnic parties.” Wooly said.

"Let's make a toast! To new friends!”

“To new friends!” They all cheered.

The screen then transition to the Hameln logo, where the jingle played and their slogan appeared.

The tape ended and then ejected, falling to the floor.

“Now, let's see if we unlocked anything.” Inkling boy looked around.

They then heard a noise. Moving their attention to Bowser Jr., they saw him holding his stomach, he looked full of discomfort.

“You okay?” Muriel checked.

“Not really. My gut feeling got intense.” He confessed.

“Let's get you to the water fountain, then we can talk to the grown-ups.” Brandine offered, helping him stand.

“Here. You can have Wooly back since we finished the tape.” Junior handed the plushie back to Muriel.

“Thank you, now we won't have to worry about battling to the death.” She joked.

He snickered at her comment. “You're welcome. Cause if we did, you'd be beaten to a pulp.”

She laughed. “Yeah right! For Wooly, I would make you fear to be in the same battle stage as me!”

Now it was his turn to laugh. But it didn't last long, he moved his hands back to his stomach. He felt Brandine carefully place her hand on his shell. “You guys can look around and see if the tape left anything. And don't forget to put the dollhouse in the package. I'm taking it home.” She guided the Koopa prince slowly out of the Kids Corner.

“Oh my god Brandine!” Cletus flung his head back in laughter.

------------------------------------------------------

After the first watching of ‘Amanda's Picnic Party’...

“They watched the tape sir.” Ricardo told Mr. Hameln.

“Excellent. And since they're obviously going to complete the puzzle, they're going to make things much easier for us.” He spun his hair around. “And what makes things better, they had no idea that special tape recorded everything. Unfortunately, I didn't learn much. But it's call when they watch the tape again.”

“Shall I send employees back to the stadium?”

“Yes. And make sure it's not the same team. They already embarrassed me with their failure. If we're going to collaborate with those people, we need to have them understand our values.”

“Are you sure they'll be willing to talk?” Ricardo doubted.

Mr. Hameln shrugged. “Doesn't matter. We'll still getting our resources. So even if they don't cooperate, we got what we wanted, and I have an idea on what to do once we get what we want.” He smirked with vile intentions.

“Very well, I'll send a small but effective team right away. Oh, and before I forget.” He dug inside his lab coat, taking out a folder. “Here's the extended research you wanted from Anthony and Audrey.”

The CEO took it. “Wonderful. You're dismissed.”

Ricardo gave him a small bow and left the room.

Mr. Hameln spun his chair back to the recording the tape got. “Such pathetic but highly potential children indeed.” He tossed the folder onto the table. “They are much smarter than they know. Love watching that toddler dressed as a turtle immediately figure out who the cubs are. Humorous.”

He chuckled, standing up. “Just you wait pretty in pink,” he began, staring at Brandine. “Thanks to the hidden microphone in the tape, I was able to learn that you love that dollhouse so much. So I'll make sure you get to live in an exact replica once you're in my grasp. I can hardly wait.”

------------------------------------------------------

During the second watching of ‘Amanda's Picnic Party’...

“Okay,” Tiffany began, taking out the device she got from Avery back at the facility. “I just need to lure in more children, and we'll be all set.” She moved a hand to the microphone attached to her headphone. “Paul, is everything set?”

A click.

“Yeah. Our van is ready to take whichever kid you can lure.”

“Alright. Let's get this show on the road. We have to be careful.”

Another click.

“Don't worry, unlike the previous employees, we're fully hidden, and from what I see, that demon isn't on the roof anymore. So we're in the clear.” Brad said with confidence.

“Are you sure about that?” Carlos was heard asking. “It literally appeared as soon as you mentioned it.”

“Dang. It was probably just sleeping then.”

“Concentrate guys.” Tiffany ordered. “We can't get distracted.”

“Sorry.” All apologized.

“Okay, I got a text from Mr. Hameln.” Brad said. “He said that kids are currently solving the puzzle, they right now unlocked the front door, so let's get moving.”

----------------------------------------------------

“Why do we have to be all in one room?” Iggy questioned, laying flat on his back, his arms and legs spread on the floor.

“Remember what Zelda and Chrom said?” Young Link began. “She said the Ice Climbers possibly got kidnapped. They spotted an ice slide at the DLC hallway, so we now have to share a room until they believe things are safe again.” He reminded the Koopaling.

“Still!” Iggy shouted, lifting his arms in the air. “This is sooooo booooring!” He whined. “I wanna roam around! Especially since we're finally allowed to stay up this late!” He began flailing his arms and legs. “What good is staying up late if we can't even do anything to have fun?!”

“Give it a rest Iggy,” Ludwig rolled his eyes. “Just because the adults aren't telling us to go to sleep, and father isn't here, doesn't mean we can goof off.”

“Who said you were in charge?!” Iggy argued, sitting upward.

“As the eldest, father trusted me to watch the rest of you whenever he can't, you know that.” Ludwig recalled.

“Boo!” Iggy crossed his arms.

His twin brother, Lemmy, snorted at his comment.

“Just because you seventeen doesn't mean you're the boss of me!” The fifth Koopaling in line shouted, flailing his arms again.

“This is why I'm glad you get stuck with babysitting duties.” Wendy spoke up.

“Can you all just please take this seriously?!” Pit demanded. “Were you guys even paying attention?! We were told that employees of a demonic company literally kidnapped two of our fighters! Not to mention everything else that happened when those tapes were watched!”

“We heard.” Morton said. “But we weren't around when… whatever you guys did was happening. We were asleep.”

“I… I don't even want to know how all seven of you slept through all that.” Young Link replied with concern.

“This whole thing is just ridiculous.” Dark Pit said with irritation. “Why do we have be here with these kids? We're mature enough not to fall for whatever scheme those employees did with the Ice Climbers.”

“We're meant to keep watch of the younger ones.” Ludwig explained. “Especially if you're related to someone like Iggy.”

“HEY!” Iggy shouted.

“I have to agree with him though,” Larry placed his palms on the floor. “sitting here and doing nothing is pretty boring. We weren't allowed to bring anything since Chrom and Zelda rushed us here.”

“Dark Pit and I could get you things to play with.” Pit offered.

“Or, they could go to bed!” The dark angel shouted. “I don't get why they have to stay up!”

“You really think we'll be able to sleep after what happened?” Young Link challenged. “I doubt it.”

He scoffed. “Fine! We'll get these kids stupid toys or something! Let's just get this over with!” He stormed out of the room, with Pit following.

“Bring snacks while you're at it!” Morton called before the door was slammed shut. “If we're going to pull an all nighter, we should at least avoid doing it on an empty stomach.” He added, patting his stomach.

“I just don't understand why father didn't bother to tell us what happened.” Ludwig sighed.

“Hey, we were sleeping.” Roy Koopaling defended.

“Still, be nice if he at least told us something.” Wendy stated.

“He probably didn't say anything because he knew Iggy here would cause more problems and chaos.” Lemmy pointed to his twin.

“Why are you all going against me?!” He whined.

“Because out of all of us, you're the craziest.” Larry answered instantly.

“Hmph!” He crossed his arms.

-------------------------------------------------------

Pit hummed away as he made peanut butter sandwiches for the kids, making sure there enough to get them satisfied.

Dark Pit groan as he made his way to the kitchen, holding a box of random toys he grabbed from the attic. “Think this will be enough?”

Pit looked inside the box. There were coloring books, robots, cars, dolls, horses, books, and tons more. “Should be.”

All of a sudden, a doorbell was heard. “Huh?” The angel questioned, tossing the knife in the sink and making his way to the front door.

Instead of opening it, he took a peek out the window. He didn't see anybody, which made him more concerned.

“Who is it?” Dark Pit asked from behind.

“I don't know, but can you go deliver the sandwiches while I investigate?”

“Do I have to?”

“Yes. Otherwise they're going to get more rowdy.”

Dark Pit groaned again. “Fine.” He made his way to the kitchen table, seeing what looked like a small bottle laying on it's side.

“What's that?” He asked, grabbing it. Looking at it, the bottle had the letter Z on it. “A sleeping potion?” He chuckled. “Clever. With this, they'll fall asleep and we'll be able to help the others instead of being stuck on babysitting duty.”

He let out a breath of relief. “I guess Pit isn't as stupid as I thought.” He tossed the bottle into the trash, picking up the plate and making his way upstairs.

-------------------------------------------------------

For a while, the kids remained in their spots, not saying much. They then heard the sound of a doorbell.

“Who's at the door at this hour?” Ludwig questioned.

“Morton,” Wendy began, placing her hands on her hips. “Don't tell me you snuck into dad's phone and ordered yourself food again.

“I didn't do anything! Honest! How could I when dad ain't even here?!”

“He has a point.” Roy Koopaling agreed.

“Then who could it be?” The eldest Koopaling questioned.

“I highly doubt the employees are back.” Young Link doubted. “They must've learned their lesson.”

“Unless they didn't?” Wendy questioned. “From what we've been told, those guys are stubborn.”

“Let's go see!” Iggy jumped with excitement. “Anything excuse to finally leave this bedroom!”

He booked it for the door, but was instantly grabbed by Ludwig, causing him to run in place, his legs still in a running motion even though he wasn't moving. “Don't even think about it.”

Lemmy and Larry roared with laughter at the sight.

“Let me go! I wanna do something fun!” Iggy whined.

Pichu, who was there the entire time, resting on the bed while fixing the flower on her ear, felt it twitch.

“What is it?” Toon Link, who was also there the entire time, asked.

The door then opened, and Dark Pit entered. He had a box full of toys in one hand and the plate full of PB sandwiches in the other. “Here.” He dropped the box on the floor and placed the plate on the drawer that was in front of the window.

He crossed his arms. “Hopefully this will make you runts quiet for a bit. I'll be back with your drinks.” He left the room again.

“Oh! Peanut butter sandwiches! My favorite!” Morton said with joy. He grabbed three sandwiches and sat on the ground, scarfing them down like nothing.

“Save some for the rest of us.” Roy Koopaling chuckled, grabbing one sandwich.

The kids lined up and grabbed a different amount of sandwiches. It was shocking that there was enough for everyone.

When Ludwig handed Pichu a sandwich, she was about to take a bite until her nose caught a whiff of something. She made worried noises, slightly backing away from the snack, looking unnerved.

“Is everything alright?” The eldest Koopaling checked, taking a bite of his sandwich.

She shook her head, pushing the sandwich away.

“If she don't want it, I'll take it!” Iggy snatched it from his older brother, shoving it in his mouth, licking his lips afterwards.

Pichu continued to make worried noises, something about the snacks didn't feel right. It gave her an instinct to be wary.

She smelled something off when it was handed to her, but she didn't knew what it was. All she knew is that it didn't felt good at all.

She hopped the bed, making her way to the door, where she nearly got hit in the face when Dark Pit shoved it opened. “Got your milks.” He said, not noticing the mouse Pokémon leaving the room.

The dark angel placed the tray next to the now empty plate. “You guys didn't wait.” He commented.

“Bring us more will ya? Those were really good!” Morton rubbed his stomach.

“Whatever.” Dark Pit rolled his eyes.

As he was about to leave the room, Wendy decided to speak up. “Pardon me,”

He turned to her. “What?”

“Who was at the door earlier? We heard a doorbell.”

“No idea. Pit asked me to bring you guys the sandwiches while he went to check. I'll ask him.” With that, he left the room.

“It better not have been the employees.” Young Link prayed.

Ludwig yawned. “Well, whoever it was, I don't hear any chaos, so we're probably fine.” He grabbed one of the cups, taking a big gulp.

The other kids grabbed their cups as well, enjoying the refreshing milk.

However, shortly after the milk was done, several of the Koopalings began to feel different. Their vision began to slightly blur, their head was spinning, and their body felt lightweight. Almost like if they got drunk or drugged.

“Ugh.” Roy Koopaling rubbed his head.

“You okay?” Lemmy checked, placing the empty cup back.

“No. I feel… I… feel…” Roy Koopaling couldn't finish, he fell to the ground, hearing the muffled cries of the others.

“I'll… go get… help.” Ludwig tried to run to the door, only to collapse as well.

Wendy fell to the floor shortly afterwards.

“What's going on?!” Young Link panicked.

All of a sudden, Larry had the urge to check the window. When he approached it, he saw it was already wide opened. Who had opened it? When was it even opened to begin with?

Regardless, he took a peek. Out of nowhere, he felt the biggest smile form on his face when he saw a dark skin girl in the distance, waving at him.

He turned to the others. “Guys!”

“What?” Morton asked while Young Link and Toon Link checked on the knocked out Koopalings.

“How about we go on a adventure?”

Young Link felt himself unwilling smiling. “An adventure? Sounds fun!” Then, he felt his eyes widening, and he shook his head. “I mean! No! There's no time for an adventure! We need to get the adults now!”

“No!” Morton blocked the door. “They'll just ruin the fun!”

“Fun?! None of this is fun!” Toon Link argued. “Move!”

Lemmy was shaking with worry. “W-We really should get the grown-ups!”

“Aww come on!” Iggy elbowed him. “An adventure is waaay more fun!”

“No!” Young Link shouted, trying to stop the happy feeling that was flooding his body like venom. “W-We're getting the adults!”

He shoved Morton out of the way and ran out of the room, Toon Link and Lemmy following.

In reality, Lemmy wanted to join his brothers, but seeing his other relatives knocked out like that was more powerful than the childish urge to go on an adventure.

“We can't let the adults ruin our fun!” Morton told the others.

“So don't.” A female voice suddenly spoke.

The Koopalings turned, seeing a dark skin girl suddenly inside the room. When and how she got there was a mystery. “I say let's get moving before they come back.” She advised with a smirk.

“Okay!” Iggy agreed. “I've been wanting to get out of this room!”

“Great! First, lock the door and barricade it with anything possible, like this drawer.” She began instructing, the three Koopalings eagerly following her without question.

Larry locked the door while Morton and Iggy worked together to push the drawer do the door, making sure it was under the doorknob so it wouldn't easily be moved.

“Now what?” Larry asked.

“We should be getting a rope toss at us right about…” The girl turned, looking at the opened window, where a hook was thrown inside the room. “Now.”

She turned back to the Koopalings. “Tie this to the bed, and then we can climb down and start our adventure!”

“Yay!” Iggy clapped. He grabbed the hook and tied it the leg of the bed, making sure it was heavy enough so it wouldn't get dragged. “Ready!”

“Who are you by the way?” Morton asked, making his way to the rope, ready to climb down first.

She giggled. “Right! How silly of me.” She put her arms behind her. “My name's Amanda! Nice to meet you friends!”

------------------------------------------------------

“So let me get this straight,” Mario began. “Luigi found a new tape, you kids watched it, Bowser Jr. got a painful gut feeling, and now you want me to contact the stadium to see if the Ice Climbers are fine?”

Bowser Jr. and Brandine nodded. He wiped his mouth after gulping down tons of water from the fountain. While he was chucking down the water, Brandine took the time to explain to the adults what had happened.

“Not gonna lie,” Luigi began. “the similarities she told us he spotted are a bit unnerving. It wouldn't hurt to check.”

“But if something did happen, why didn't they say anything? Or called?” Mario wondered.

“Unless it happened after they thought everything was fixed?” Robin theorized.

“I hope not.” Mario sighed. He took out his phone, speed dialing Chrom. He put the phone to his ear, waiting.

The call was eventually picked up.

“What is it Mario?” Chrom asked.

“I have a request.”

“Which is?”

“Can you check on the Ice Climbers?”

A pause. A long, silent, pause.

Mario could swear he could practically see Chrom sweating, like if he was trying to think of a cover up.

“Wh-Why?” He hesitated.

“The kids found a new tape, and in that tape, there were two characters that gave Bowser Jr. a gut feeling,” he began explaining. “See, those two cubs have similarities to Popo and Nana, so he wants to know if they're okay.”

Another long pause.

Chrom was heard taking a deep breath. “I… I’m sorry.”

“...For?”

“Put me on speaker.”

Mario obeyed.

“Is Bowser Jr. there?” Chrom was heard asking.

“Yeah. I'm here.” Junior responded.

The other adults gathered near to hear Chrom. “What exactly is you're gut telling you?”

“Well, it gave me a feeling that something happened to Popo and Nana. Like a feeling that reminded me of when I got trapped in the world of the tapes.” He explained.

Chrom was heard taking another deep breath. “You… you might be right.”

“What?! Father what do you mean?!” Lucina begged.

After another pause, Chrom revealed everything. He told them how after the fight, the Ice Climbers were missing. That they were kidnapped by the Hameln employees, so they’ve gathered all the kids into one room, with others watching them.

Mario nearly dropped his phone after hearing the confession, the other adults were freaking out, Brandine covered her mouth, and Bowser Jr. felt his gut feeling going away, which made him worse.

“Nobody was supposed to go missing…” The plumber in red muttered. His cap shaded his face.

Luigi reached for his brother, “Mario-”

“NO!” He jerked away. “This wasn't suppose to happen! No child was suppose to go missing! We failed! I failed! If I had just thrown that package away! None of this would've happened! I should've listened to your warnings!”

“Hey!” Bowser snarled. “Cut it out! We haven’t failed! We still have a chance to fix this!” He snatched the phone. “Listen up!”

He could sense Chrom jolt at his shout. “Keep an eye on the other kids! Make them wear a hidden camera or something! If those rats come back, then find a way to track any of the kids that get taken!”

“I suppose that could work.” Chrom responded. “But I'm not sure if Link and Zelda will agree to that.”

“Well then make them agree! It's the best I can think of!” Bowser roared.

“I-I'll see what I can do.” Chrom said. “Is there anything else?”

Mario took his phone back. “The photos that Dedede send me a while ago, does he still have the folders?”

“Folders? What folders?”

“When you guys were chasing the employees away, he told me that he found folders containing information on some of us, he even send us photos. And in one of those folders, he found a list of experiments.”

“I could ask him. Is there a reason you want to know?” Chrom asked.

“Tell him it's because my team is getting ready to publicize everything we've discovered about Hameln.”

A pause.

“Got it. I'll tell him right away.”

“Thank you. And if you go with Bowser’s idea, please. I beg of you. Let the kids know about the plan. And be extremely careful going forward.”

“We'll do our best.” Chrom promised.

The call ended there, and Mario harshly inhaled and exhaled. “This wasn't supposed to happen.” He ran a hand through his hair, his hat almost falling off.

“Popo and Nana are missing?!”

The group turned their heads, spotting the rest of the kids there. From their guess, it was Lucas who asked.

Muriel felt her eyes sting. “No… there's no way they're missing. We took the tapes. There's no way they were lured away.”

“When did you kids get here?” Mario demanded.

“A while ago.” Villager confessed. “We couldn't find anything after we finished the previous tape, and when Brandine and Junior didn't return, we got worried so we came to check.”

The others nodded.

“We didn't mean to eavesdrop. We really didn't. But… is it true? The Ice Climbers are missing?” Inkling girl asked, wiping her forming tears.

“From what Chrom told us… yes.” Luigi hated confirming.

“Oh no.” Lucas said. “How did that even happen?”

“According to Chrom, they were lured away by something, but they don't know what.” Mario answered.

“Which is why I suggested they place a hidden camera on the kids or something.” Bowser said. “If they ain’t using the tapes, then they're using other ways. And we need to figure it out.”

“I just started thinking,” Lucina spoke up. “even if they do put a hidden camera or a tracking device, what's the next move? Do they just follow them? Fight back? What's the plan Bowser?”

“She has a point.” Robin agreed. “If they follow, it could lead to more harm than good. If they fight back, who knows what could happen. Let's not forget that since the Ice Climbers are missing, and there's chance they're in the tapes due to Bowser Jr.’s gut feeling, we need to be careful.”

“I didn't think that far.” Bowser growled. “I just said whatever came to my head.”

“Perhaps we could still make it work.” Mario theorized. “Ridley can fly after them and keep note of their whereabouts.”

“You really think that could work?” Mort asked.

“If Ridley can find where the kids are being taken, he can give that location to both those at the stadium and to us. Which means when we're done here, we can all meet up as one and head to that location together.”

“And if we're all together,” Luigi began filling in the blanks. “then we'll have an even higher chance on taking down Hameln!”

“Which means we can save Amanda and Wooly!” The Inklings cheered in union.

“But what about the kids?” Lucas wondered. “Do we leave them there to wait and suffer? Or should Ridley get them?”

“First, Ridley can share the location, then if possible, he can go back and try to retrieve them.” Mario decided. “I need to send a voice message to Chrom to let him know about this.” He took out his phone.

“If Ridley's going to infiltrate wherever Hameln is, he should probably take someone with him just in case, but I don't know who.” Ness suggested.

“We'll figure it out.” Luigi stated.

“Should we tell the stranger and Mandy about this?” Lucina asked.

“No!” Inkling boy yelled, almost too quickly. “Mandy is one thing, but the stranger? No! She can't know any of this!”

“Why not?” Robin asked.

“I don't trust her.”

“We've already talked about this.” Luigi reminded him. “We have to work together if we're going to get through this.”

“Plus,” Inkling girl began. “if we tell the stranger, we can keep note of how she reacts. Which would help prove if she's trustworthy or not.”

“...I suppose.” He crossed his arms. “But still, I don't want her to know everything.”

“We're going to have to tell her.” Mario informed him. “I know you don't want her to know, but it's important that everyone knows. Especially if we plan to come together as one to take them down.”

Inkling boy couldn't argue with that. After all, just because he didn't trust her, didn't meant the others felt the same way.

It was clear he was the only one who didn't trust her, and if the majority agreed to tell her, he couldn't do anything.

He sighed in defeat. “Fine. You can tell her.”

“Let's head back to the Kid's Corner.” Ness advised, placing a hand on his shoulder. “We still need to watch the first tape.”

“Yeah. We do.” Mort responded, still having distrust in his voice.

“At least you can kinda understand how I felt when all of you guys act so nice to Amanda after everything she's done.” Inkling girl jabbed.

“Let's not repeat ourselves for the billionth time.” He jabbed back.

As the kids left, Mario turned to the others. “I'll be in the aisle recording my message, any of you guys can call the stranger and Mandy and let them know of what's going on.” He placed the device next to the computer and went on his way.

Lucina grabbed the walkie-talkie. “Mandy? Stranger?”

She heard slight static. “What is it?” The stranger questioned.

“Can you two come inside the library for a bit? We have something to tell you guys. Something that'll be better to tell in person.”

Silence. Then, another slight static.

“Alright. Mandy and I are on our way.”

------------------------------------------------------

Inkling boy grabbed the ‘Let's Plan a Trip’ tape and inserted it.

It started the same way it did when they first watched it, and it eventually showed Amanda sitting on the couch. “Hi friends! I'm Amanda!” She hopped off. “Have you ever wanted to go far, far, away? Well we can!”

She looked around. “At least in our imaginations we can… with my magic train!” 

The camera showed the train.

“If you could visit anyone in the world, who would you go see?”

The cloud appeared, waiting for an answer.

“Who should we type this time?” Ness asked.

“Since we typed Wooly and Sam,” Muriel elbowed her best friend. “What if you typed in Amanda?”

She noticed how he didn't reacted. In fact, he seemed like a statue. His face was unreadable, but it was clear something was in his mind.

“You okay?” She checked.

“Hm? Oh! Yeah. Just deep in thought.” He answered.

“Is it because of earlier?”

“You could say that.”

“Hey, I get that you don't trust her, but if she really is trying to help us, we need to let her know.”

“I know, and I want to give her the benefit of the doubt, but I can't get over how she just showed up without explaining anything!” He confessed. “I mean, she can't even give us her name! We're supposed to just follow her, she suddenly thinks about bring us here out of nowhere, and there's so many questions!”

“You agreed to come here.” His best friend pointed out.

“The idea of saving Amanda brought me here. Even if the stranger didn't get involved, if there was a way we could come here, I'd take it for Amanda.”

“To be fair, that is the main reason we all agreed.” Villager chimed in. “We only agreed so we can continue this mystery.”

“You did it for Wooly. Not because you trust the stranger.” Mort included.

“You got me there.” Muriel accepted. “And I get why not knowing anything about her would raise suspicion and distrust, but what I don't understand is that… well, when you think about it, we only got into this situation because we trust two random characters we met through tapes.” She realized. “So, how is trusting them any different than trusting the stranger?”

The kids winced at her observation.

“I’m not saying I trust Amanda, because I don't. But I do trust Wooly. He wanted to warn us about something, and we never figured out what it was.” She motioned to them. “And since you guys seem to trust Amanda,”

She moved her arms to signal the Kid’s Corner. “here we are in a library in the middle of the night that never seems to end unless we’re done with whatever we have to do.” She lowered her arms. “Which makes me wonder, how come we're fine trusting two characters we barely know to the point we're here, but we can't trust a woman who's claiming to help us?”

“That's… a fair point.” Ness accepted.

“But here's the difference,” Mort began. “Amanda and Wooly have proven that there's more to them than the tapes want us to know. The stranger literally appeared with no explanation and she expects us to trust and follow her without question.”

“Another fair point.” Villager nodded. “And at least for Amanda and Wooly, from how they've been reacting and how they've been trying to break free from their scripts, they really want us to help them.”

“The stranger hasn't done anything to help us at all! Outside of bringing us here.” Mort argued. “But like I said, we probably would've still figured out a way to get here even without her help!”

“Now that I think about it, Mandy would’ve brought us here if we asked him.” Brandine pointed out.

Mort aimed his arms at her. “Exactly! Point proven!”

“So what do we do? Confront the stranger?” Bowser Jr. asked.

“No.” Muriel decided. “Luigi already said it, we have to work together. And if I have to force myself to be decent towards Amanda, then you have to force yourself to be decent with the stranger.” She poked his chest. “I say that’s a fair deal.”

He scoffed. “Fine.” He gently pushed her arm away. “But if I'm proven right, I get to say ‘I told you so’.”

She rolled her eyes. “Alright deal.”

“Great!” He beamed. “Now let's get back to the tape. Where did we left off?”

“Right now Amanda’s asking who would we go see?” Ness informed him.

“I figured since we tried Sam and Wooly, what if you typed Amanda?” Muriel repeated her suggestion from earlier.

“Okay.” Inkling boy went to the keyboard. He typed in, ‘Amanda’.

Static filled the screen.

Amanda lowered her arms, her eyes losing emotion. “Do you really think you could that?” She asked coldly.

The kids didn't know what they felt, but hearing her ask that made them feel negative. Was she hinting she was giving up hope that they would find her?

Static filled the screen.

Amanda shook her head, then placed her hands together. “I love to daydream about all the places I could have g-” Static. “-think of all the places we can go.”

Ness cleared his throat, fast forwarding the tape.

She waited for them to pick between the lamp or the curtain.

“Do you think anything would happen if we pick the lamp?” Cletus asked. He clicked on it, and the kids were startled when they heard the sound of a train whistle.

Ness paused the tape. They turned to the source of the noise, spotting sudden train tracks scattered on the floor.

The stations were of all the drawings she drew.

“This wasn't here before.” Ness said.

“Maybe this is the next puzzle?” Brandine guessed.

“Let's finish the tape and figure it out.” Muriel said.

After pressing play, Ness fast forward the tape.

It went to the part where they had to click the drawing of the Eiffel Tower.

Another fast forward, then Ness clicked on the drawing of Mexico City.

Once again, he fast forwarded, then clicked on the drawing on Big Ben.

Fast forward, then he clicked on the rooster.

Rinse and repeat, and it was now the part where the possum began bothering her for the coins, which they successfully shooed him away.

Once he went away, she continued the show. “He was going to take my coins!” She placed the coin she found onto her palm. “Good, all four are still there! Let's count how many we need to pay for the ticket to London!” She took away the coins. “One, two, three, four!”

The camera zoomed out.

“Oh hey! It's time to catch my train!” She jumped off the couch and approached Gretchen.

However, this time, as she was taking the coins out of her pocket, a familiar sheep walked into the room.

“Wooly!” Muriel squealed. “I didn’t know he was in this tape!”

“Is it because we did the toy train puzzle?” Brandine asked with a grin.

“I wonder how this is going to go.” Cletus said.

Wooly stood behind the cartoon girl. “Hi Amanda!” She silently gasped and turned, startled by his sudden appearance. “Whatcha doing?”

Amanda glanced away, her eyes still surprised. “I…” It was almost as if he wasn't supposed to be in this tape, that not even Amanda herself knew how to salvage this.

Of course, being who she was, her surprise changed to annoyance. She rolled her eyes, sighing. “I was going to go on a trip.”

“Ooooh. It's fun to pretend you can go places, isn't it?”

Amanda motioned her hand to the train. Maybe even offering the sheep to join her?

Wooly turned to one of the empty carts. “Ahhh!” He happily accepted, his back now to her.

“Is this tape going to end wholesomely?” Muriel asked with hope.

Amanda shoved Wooly into the cart. “Oof!” He fell head first into the cart, his legs wiggling. “Hey! Amanda! This isn't funny! Amanda!” His muffled voice shouted.

The train began to move, and the hostess was watching, still having anger in her eyes. But instead of the train going in circles, it rode off screen.

“Nevermind.” Muriel rolled her eyes. “Should've seen that coming.”

Amanda lifted her arm, a vile smirk on her face. She began laughing while Wooly's muffled cries continued to be heard.

The tape ended there, ejecting to the floor.

“Alright, let's see what this train set gives us.” Bowser Jr. went to the set, getting on his knees. “If this is related to the puzzle, what do we have to do?”

“If the stations are related to the drawings she did, then what if we made the train travel to the places she wanted to go?” Mort believed.

“Just in case, we can even make sure the trains goes in the exact order she listed.” Lucas advised. “So Paris first, then Mexico City, and lastly, London.”

“Let's get to work then!” Brandine smiled.

----------------------------------------------------------

Larry was the last one to climb down. He moved his arms up and down as he followed Amanda, giggling with excitement.

Morton and Iggy were ahead, both equally excited. “Adventure! Adventure! We're going on a adventure!” Iggy chanted.

Amanda lifted a finger to her mouth. “Shhh. If a parent or grown-up hear us, our adventure will be ruined.”

Iggy slammed his hands to his mouth. “Sorry!”

“I have a question,” Morton lifted a finger.

“And I have an answer.” Amanda smiled.

“How come we're able to freely roam around now? Didn't the Ice Climbers had to use some sort of ice slide at the DLC hallway or something?”

Amanda continued walking, her gaze slightly at him. “Let's just say those silly animals that kept watch are napping.” She giggled. “After all, sleep is a very important thing.”

“Who needs sleep when adventure awaits?” Iggy cheered.

Amanda lead them to the front of the building, checking to make sure the coast was clear. “Um, just in case, that fire breathing dragon isn't around right?”

“How would we know?” Iggy asked.

“Hmm, then let's try to hide amongst the bushes. There's a portal nearby that will take us to our adventure.”

Just like with the Ice Climbers, Amanda snuck around with the Koopalings, making sure to avoid being detected by Charizard, who turns out, was sleeping as well.

Upon seeing him asleep, Amanda was heard giggling. “Looks like the dragon also got put to sleep.”

After more walking, they ended up reaching the van, where Paul opened up the back doors. “Alright, jump through the portal!” Amanda cheered.

Chapter Text

Before the ‘Let's Plan a Trip’ Tape…

“That was fun!” Amanda laughed. “Normally I don't like doing new tapes, but I gotta admit, it was nice.” She turned to the cub sisters while Wooly was cleaning up the picnic table. “Though, I don't know why I called you girls Polly and Nancy. Those aren't your names.”

Popo and Nana both shook their heads.

“Strange.” Amanda noted. She turned to Wooly, “Any idea Wooly?”

“Why ask me?”

“I dunno.” She shrugged. “Since you tend to keep secrets from me. Like the inside of that building for example.”

Wooly flinched. “W-Well uh… if you want, we can… go there.”

“Why? So you can pretend that you're going to tell me something and then chicken out at the last minute?”

“I don't intend to keep secrets.”

“Then why continuously do it?”

“It's… complicated.”

“Of course it is.” She rolled her eyes. “Who knows how many times we're going to repeat ourselves before we finally get somewhere.”

Wooly looked upset.

“See what I mean?” That voice began. “Telling her won't do anything. She already distrust you. If you tell her now, she'll only hate you more.”

(Stop it.) Wooly mentally ordered. (I'm stick of everyone telling me that my choices will lead to nothing but problems.)

“Well, they're not wrong.” The voice taunted. “Look at where your choices lead you. She hates you, you broke the friendship between two squid kids, you’ve helped a group of child traffickers for decades, and now you're the reason two more kids have been brought here.”

(I had no idea Hameln brought them! That wasn't my fault!)

“You think nothing is your fault.” The voice mocked. “How shameful. Can't believe your the specimen I'm attached to.”

(Wh-What?)

“Wooly!”

He let out a frightened bray, nearly falling on his backside.

“You did it again! Seriously, how many times am I going to have to snap you out of… whatever you go into?”

“S-Sorry. I-I think it's about time I… say something. I mean it this time.”

“Sure.” She said with distrust.

“I swear Amanda, I will tell you a few things.” He gave her a intense stare. “If I lie, or back out, then… you can murder me again.”

“I'm sorry?!” She flinched. “What nonsense are you blabbing about?!”

“I'm serious Amanda. I'm willing to give up my life if I refuse to tell you anything. Big or small.” Wooly vowed.

As they spoke, Popo's eyes landed on the possum. He was watching them from the guest room. Since the tape ended, the poison wore off.

(Who is that guy?) She wondered. (I don't remember seeing him in any of the tapes we watched.)

During the ‘Picnic Party’ tape, the Ice Climber Cubs were hyper confused when the possum showed up.

They had so many questions. They wanted to know who he was, where he came from, and how long Amanda and Wooly knew him.

Instead of behaving confused, they were scripted to act surprise instead, and surprise they were.

The purple bear couldn't help but wonder if the possum was looking at her and her sister, or at Amanda and Wooly.

(Maybe we could somehow talk to him. Figure out who he is.) Popo thought. (If we could somehow understand him, maybe it could help us understand this world a bit more. Which means there's a small chance we could find a way to escape!)

Nana saw the excitement in her sister's eyes. She wondered what she was thinking of. For her, things were a bit awkward since it felt like Amanda and Wooly forgot they were there to begin with.

“Alright. I'll bite. And I will remember what you’re willing to give up Wooly.” Amanda turned to the cub sisters. “You two want to tag along?”

Nana was about to nod, but stopped when she felt Popo's paw being placed on top of hers. Knowing what her sister wanted, she shook her head.

“Take care of Kitten while we're gone.” Amanda requested. “Let's go Wooly.”

The sheep waved at the sisters as they entered her room, where he put everything away before leaving the home with the hostess.

With the house now empty, Popo decided to use the advantage to search for the possum, who she assumed was still in the guest room.

Nana followed her sister, letting out bear noises. Of course, they could understand each other. “Is everything alright?”

“I'm going to see if we can talk to that weird possum.”

“Why?” Nana tilted her head.

“If we're going to be trapped here, we might as well try to get some answers. Starting by knowing how he is. If we can learn more about this world, then we can find a way out. Which means we can help Amanda and Wooly.”

Entering the home, Popo decided to sniff around to see if she could smell the animal, but she didn't need to, as the possum himself appeared, climbing down the stairs that lead to the second floor of the home.

The sisters were expecting him to start his chaotic ways, but instead, he just stared at them, almost as if he was examining or observing them.

For a while, the three animals just stared at each other. No words said, no actions made, just breathing and tension.

Not knowing what else to do, Popo decided to make the first move. She wasn't sure if the possum would understand her, considering they were different animal species, but she figured she still try.

“Who are you? And can you… understand me?”

No response. The possum sat down, his tail curling up.

“Had a feeling you couldn't.” Popo sighed.

The possum stood up, motioning his head for them to follow, making his way out the door.

“Should we follow?” Nana asked.

“Like I said, if we're going to be trapped here, we might as well get some answers. Let's go.”

-------------------------------------------------------

Wooly allowed Amanda to enter the building first, letting the door close and lock behind him. “Okay, now we can freely talk.”

Amanda pulled the chair and sat down. “More like you can freely talk.” She crossed her arms. “Now, start talking. I only agreed to come here because you said you were finally going to start telling me things.”

“It's… going to be hard to tell you everything.” Wooly hesitated.

“Enlighten me then,” she moved her hand. “tell me what you can tell me. Especially if you want to prove that you are a friend.” Her gaze sharpened. “Or are we going to repeat the same dialog over and over?”

Wooly felt his heart pound. “N-No. I'm…” He inhaled sharply and exhaled slowly. “I'm going to try to tell you something.”

He dug inside his wool taking out his journal and placing it on the table.

“Wooly, I already told you, I'm not rea-”

“It's not for you to read.” He clarified. “This is in case even after I tell you the truth, you decide to end me permanently.”

“You really have a lot to tell, don't you?” She questioned.

Wooly nodded. “The worst part? I don't even know where to begin. But what I will say is that, if you kill me, my only request is that you somehow find a way to show this journal to Muriel.”

Amanda began laughing. “Seriously? And if I don't?”

“Then I should've seen that coming. But I had hope that you would grant me one wish. And that wish is for Muriel to know the truth if I can't tell her myself.” He answered.

“You really are silly Wooly.” She mocked.

Wooly didn't look at her. He was afraid to look at her. But it was now or never. He even betted on his life. So there was no going back.

He turned to finally look at her, she was impatiently waiting. “Amanda,” he began. “just know that everything I’ve ever done, said, or told you, was always with the intention of helping you in any way possible.”

“Get to the point.” She demanded, sounding bored.

“You know the cub sisters right?”

“Duh. We literally saw them minutes ago.”

“Do their names sound familiar?”

“A bit actually. But I can't put my finger on it.” She placed a hand on her cheek, trying to recall where she heard their names before.

“The reason they sound familiar, is because… they're some of the kids that were watching the first tapes.” Wooly admitted.

“Really? I don't recall luring them in though.” She responded. When she said it, she sounded… disappointed. A tone that made Wooly extremely unnerved.

Amanda never once reacted when it came to luring kids in, she always saw it as a chore. Something that she was forced to do and never had fun with. But not because she had a heart, but because she found it so tedious.

After all, why have fun bringing in kids if they were just going to be shoved into an object that was incapable of doing anything?

Yet for the first time ever, she had emotion. And it was the good kind. For her to sound disappointed in the kids that were brought in, it meant that she actually had plans on luring in the Smash kids.

Wooly had a feeling which one in particular she had thoughts on luring in. He knew better than to mention it. “Uh, okay then. Wasn't expecting you to sound so… indifferent.” He nervously scratched his arm.

“Anything else?” Amanda asked, ignoring his comment.

Wooly looked at her with a dumbfounded look. Was she really going to ignore the fact that two kids were lured into the show?

He moved on, deciding not to bring it up. “Uh, well, another thing I need to confess is that, I have been talking to your demon when you aren't around.”

“So what did it meant by your spineless act?” She immediately asked. “And what have you two been talking about?”

“The Entity believes that I'm stronger than I act. And I don't know why.”

“You? Strong?” She snorted. “Please, if that were true, you wouldn't behave like a coward whenever I snap.”

“But… there are moments where I say and hear things that don't sound like… well, me.” Wooly brought up.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, remember when you ran off after seeing… the turtle kid and his dad?”

Amanda jerked her gaze away. “How could I forget?”

“I wanted to catch up to you, but you demon grabbed me. It started lecturing me about how I was-” he stopped himself. (I can't tell her my purpose yet. I know if I do, she'll kill me. And there's so much I need to tell her before that.)

“Lecturing you about what?” Amanda asked.

“About how it was tired of you going off-script during that tape. And it ordered me to get you back in script.” He managed to think of.

Amanda rolled her eyes. “Typical. But that doesn't really answer my question.”

“I'll get there.” Wooly reassured her. “After the Entity threatened me, it felt like something hidden within me began to… break.”

“Break?” She questioned. Her voice began to sound genuinely curious.

“Yeah. It was like something inside me to burn or snap. It felt like I was tired or fed up with everything. I've always felt as though I was treated like a prop. Like both a convenience and an inconvenience. Only given a positive attitude if I… earned it.”

Amanda didn't respond. But she did started to related in a way. She somewhat understood what that was like.

Hameln treated her like an item. A test tube. Like if she was anything but human. They treated her like a toy. Something that was made with the sole intention of fulfilling their sick, twisted desire to use children for whatever sick pleasure they took in exploiting children for money.

“And I won't lie,” Wooly continued. “there are moments I really want to swap roles with you. To scare you once and a while, so you can understand what it's like to live in fear. To feel like nothing more than a disposable item.”

“You really think I don't live in fear?” She challenged. “Or that I have no clue what it's like to feel worthless?”

“Be glad I never went with it.” He somewhat snapped. “You want to know why? Because I'm not like Hameln. I care about you. And even if you don't view it the same way, I'll always see you as a friend.”

Amanda felt her heart twitch at that.

“Which is why I decided to bottle up my emotions, anger, and resentment.” The sheep went on, his tone becoming more stern.

“It's no wonder you love the orange squid.” Amanda spat. “You both hate me.”

“I don't hate you.” Wooly clarified. “I already said it. I always saw you as a friend. But because of how you treat me, it's hard to act like a friend towards you.”

Amanda kept her arms crossed.

“But with the Entity… that's completely different. I always felt as though there was something inside trying to escape.” He looked at his hands, opening and closing his palms, like if they would change at one point.

“Like if I got enraged enough, maybe whatever I was feeling would come out. And who knows? I could even be like you.”

The cartoon girl saw something flicker in the sheep's eyes. Was it excitement? Eagerness? Or something else?

“Because of that, sometimes I would end up saying things that don't sound like me. But it would come out in my voice. And it… scares me.”

Amanda stood up. “Wooly,”

He looked at her.

“I'm no expert, but it sounds like there could be a demon hidden inside you.”

His eyes expanded beyond belief, and his ears were straighter than an arrow into the air. “Wh-What?!”

Amanda shrugged. “It's just a guess. You mentioned how you would say things in your voice, but it doesn't sound like you. What would you say?”

“Uh, I don't remember much, but during that encounter with the Entity, I think I said something like…” He closed his eyes, trying to remember.

“Since you decided to do yet another ridiculous choice, allow me.” He heard the voice offer.

Wooly slowly opened his eyes, not realizing how his face, specifically his eyes, were slowly changing. “Keep testing me, and you'll be the one that'll be squirming on the floor. Funny how you're scared of me, but still decide to torment me just because I'm a small sheep.” He managed to repeat.

Like before, he covered his mouth, his eyes widened. He moved his eyes to Amanda, who was returning the shocked stare. “Wooly…”

“Like that!” He cried, putting his hands on his face, covering his eyes. “I don't know where those words come from! They just happen!”

Amanda approached him, grabbing his wrist, which she pulled away from his eyes, which were now back to normal, being filled with tears.

“That's why your demon thinks I'm putting up an act. But I'm not! I literally freak out every time something like that happens!”

Amanda lowered his arms. “And what about the things you hear? What are those voices like?”

Wooly sniffed. “They sound like a voice that whispers in my ears. And somehow, I can talk to it through my thoughts. It would tell me things like… there's no point on telling you the truth. Since you'll kill me afterwards.”

Amanda gently squeezed his arms.

“The voice would make me question my actions, make me think about those around me getting effected by what I do.” Wooly kept going. “It's why I sometimes get send into a frenzy. There are moments where you bring up something that gets that voice to start whispering.”

Amanda moved her grip to his shoulders. “Wooly, listen to me, and I don't care if you or whoever that voice is doesn't believe me, but I… I actually do care. To an extent.”

Wooly perked up a bit. “Y-You do?”

“Yeah.” She replied. “I'm not good at showing it, and while I do mistreat you, it's because I don't trust you. There was so much about you that I didn't know about. It made me think I had to be wary of you.” She confessed, pulling away from him.

“The way you kept all this from me, the moments you always act like nothing's wrong whenever I need comfort, the days where I literally harm and yell at you, and yet you kept acting like we're close, only to go off and hide more things from me, the times where you always force me to be happy…” she hugged herself.

“It made me wonder if everything was an act. Like if you were only putting up with me because that's what the script wants. I began thinking that you secretly…” she covered her mouth, which began shaking violently.

“Secretly what?” Wooly dared to ask.

He heard her take a deep breath. “That you were only pretending to be my friend, so you could secretly find a way to control me. Like Hameln.”

That confession hurt more than the saw entering his brain. Amanda wasn't fully wrong, but she wasn't entirely right either.

In the beginning, Wooly obeyed every command Hameln gave him, but when he first met Amanda, he saw how scared she was. How alone she felt. How vulnerable she truly was in this prison.

Seeing those tears, hearing her tell him how lonely she was, and hearing her laugh for the first time when he tickled her, made him realize just how innocent she really was, and it was that moment that made him want to help her, to save her.

On his first weeks after being coded, Amanda was extremely nice. She was playful, friendly, and saw him as a companion. She trusted him. She loved him.

And yet, he destroyed that. Instead of telling her right away, or acting like a friend whenever she needed the comfort, he left her alone. He forced her to smile. He shoved her back into the script even when she had a breakdown.

So he couldn't blame her for when she started to behave with hostility a few months after he was coded into this world.

To make things worse, Wooly knew that even after her confession, he was still going to lie to her. He already lied about what he and the Entity talked about. He told her bits of the truth, but that didn't equal the full truth.

Seeing the way she's letting her walls down, telling him her deep emotions, made him fear what she would do if he had the courage to come clean about his partnership with Hameln.

Wooly took a step closer to her. There were so many times he wanted to reach out, to hold her, to hug her, but knew if he did, she would push him away.

But this time, he wasn't afraid of her aggression, he was afraid if he even deserved to hold and comfort her.

Amanda had been through a lot. But… so has he. She didn't know it yet, but Wooly had gone through hell for as long as this world was allowed to exist. 

But to him, his pain didn't matter. Why? Cause it was always labeled as being a coward. A wimp. A crybaby.

“Are you really going to try to make her feel better when you're the reason she turned out like this?” The voice began whispering.

(Not now.) Wooly inwardly ordered. (She needs me. So of course I'm going to help her.)

“Ah, so only when she needs you do you decide to act like a friend. Hilarious.”

(If Hameln wasn't always breathing down my neck, I would've behaved better!)

“Whatever helps you sleep, Little Lamb.”

“Don't call me that!” Wooly accidentally shouted, smacking his head with his hands, startling Amanda.

“Wooly!” She grabbed his wrists again.

He took quick rapid breaths, his eyes starting to sting from tears. He couldn't see Amanda clearly due to the fluids fogging up his vision.

“Did… that voice return?” She asked.

He nodded.

She sighed, letting him go. “Like I said, I'm no expert, but it sounds like there's a demon inside you.” She went back to the chair, sitting on it. “When I first learned about the Entity, I had similar experiences.” She told him. “The whispering, the sentences that weren't me, and… the nightmares.”

Wooly saw her slightly tremble.

“The only way I was able to get it to stop, was when it was let out for the first time.” She stared at him in the eyes. “So if there really is a demon inside you, one way or another, it will come out.”

Wooly gulped. “I-I’m not ready for that!”

Amanda stood up from the chair. “Is there anything else you're ready to tell me?”

Wooly fumbled with his fingers, a habit of his that he couldn't recall how he developed. So much to tell, so little time.

The doors were then suddenly pushed opened, the the feeling of the strings began to pull the two.

Wooly grabbed his journal and put it away.

“Well, looks like we're going to have to continue this later.” Amanda stated.

---------------------------------------------------------

Popo and Nana did their best to find the possum, but couldn't find him. Until Popo caught a whiff of him.

They followed the scent to the woods, right on the part where the circle, X, and square were drawn on the ground.

“We know you're here!” Popo called. “Come out! We followed you like you wanted!”

Nana looked around, hearing rustling amongst the trees.

Then, possum appeared. He fell from one of the trees, landing on his stomach, before making his usual noises.

“I know you can't understand us, but why did you want us to follow? Who even are you?” Popo demanded, trying to make angry bear noises.

Possum went to the square drawing, digging with his claws until his whole body was inside the hole, only his tail remaining outside.

He was heard making another noise and jumped out of the hole, holding some kind of black box in his mouth.

He plopped it in front of the girls.

“Does he want us to do something with it?” Nana asked.

Popo gave the box a small kick, but it did nothing.

Possum used one of his claws to draw on the dirt. Watching him draw, the cub sisters were able to make out a building.

“Does he want us to meet him at a building?” Nana tried to guess.

“I think so.” Popo replied.

After a bit more drawing, the cub sisters were able to recognize the building. It was the building that Wooly took them to.

“How does he know about that building?” Nana asked.

“How does anyone know about that building?” Popo questioned. “Wooly said he's know about that building for years, but never said how he found it.”

“He said he wasn't ready to talk.” Nana reminded her.

“I know but-” Popo sighed, putting a paw on her face. “This whole situation makes me dizzy.”

Possum nodded.

“Did you just understood me?”

He shook his head, copying her movements.

“Oh, I think he studied your body language.” Nana theorized. She looked back at the drawing. She used a claw to draw a clock and a question mark next to it. “Hopefully he can understand that I'm asking when should we head there.”

The Possum stared at the drawing, then used is claw to draw again. He drew a tape.

“My guess is after a tape watching.” Popo told her sister.

“We'll see what we can do.” Nana looked at the Possum. “We'll see you there.” She pointed to the drawing. “Hopefully we'll figure out who you are.”

Possum nodded. He suddenly jolted his head upward. He felt the strings on him, it was time for him to bother the hostess.

Possum slid the black box to them with his nose, then scurried off in a hurry.

“Should we tell Amanda and Wooly that we're going to meet with him later?” Nana asked as her sister carefully picked up the box with her paw.

“I don't want to keep secrets from Amanda, we know how she feels about that, but for now, I suggest we wait until after we've met with that strange possum.”

--------------------------------------------------------

Present Time…

The stranger was at a loss for words after Mario's team explained what had occurred. They informed her of the kidnapping, showed her the photos that King Dedede send them, and told her about the attack Hameln mad against the Stadium.

When she was told about the kidnapping specifically, she felt the air being sucked out oof her lungs. It was a tale she never wanted to hear again.

For a while, she said nothing. She couldn't even remember what was even aid after hearing the horrible events.

One minute she was inside the library, being told everything, the next, she was back in her car, with Mandy beside her.

Everything went faster than a blur after she was told the truth. She didn't even recall heading back to her car.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Mandy asked, bringing her back to reality.

“I… I don't know. I can't even remember what happened.” She confessed, a hand on her mask.

“After they told us about what happened to the sisters, you froze. Even when they asked you endless questions, you just froze.” Mandy informed her. “After that, you just told them you needed air and left the library, I had to apologize to them and come after you. Do you really not remember any of that?”

She shook her head. “No. It just… went by too fast.” She admitted. “Like if my mind was trying to block everything I learn out.”

“Miss, why won't you tell them what you told me?”

She looked at him. “What good would that do?”

“It would help them trust you.” He answered. “If you tell them that you're trying to gather as many people as possible to take down Hameln, then I'm sure they'll start to understand why you're so mysterious.”

“Mandy, I'm no fool, I know they don't trust me.”

“So why not tell them?”

“Tell me, what made you notice they don't trust me?”

“It's all in the eyes.” He revealed. “In their eyes, when they were asking you endless questions, their eyes showed growing distrust when you wouldn't respond.”

“Exactly.” She agreed. “It's that exact reason why I can't tell them anything.”

“What? How does that make sense?”

“The boy. The one with blue tentacles.”

“What about him?”

“The beauty about this mask, nobody can tell where my eyes go. As a result, I can easily focus on one's face whenever anyone talks,” she began explaining. “therefore, I've seen his stares. He doesn't only distrust me, he dislikes me.”

“What? Why? You literally haven't done anything to him!” Mandy argued.

She crossed her arms. “They watched the tapes. The Mario brothers told us what happened, how he trusts her and wants to save her. And that's the biggest problem. He thinks she can be saved. Because of that, if I told them why I want to find the tapes, they won't take it well.”

“What do you plan on doing? You could tell me. I promise I won’t say a word.” Mandy vowed.

“Are you sure? Mario hired you to investigate.” She reminded him.

“Yes, but, I technically already did my job. So, I guess I'm just tagging along so my boss or Hameln won't find me.” He scratched the back of his neck. “Plus, I don't mind being a part of taking down that company. Like I told you, they took my siblings away. The way they took away your brother.”

The stranger turned to the window by her seat, staring at the night sky. “Very well then, the reason I want to find those tapes, is because I want to destroy them.”

“Destroy them?”

“I was told that if I destroyed the tapes, I could get my brother back.”

“Really?!”

“But I'm not sure if they're telling the truth.” She quickly added.

“Truth of not, I would take it!” Hope filled his voice. “I would take any chance if it meant getting my brother and sister back. So if we need to destroy those tape, I'm all in in!”

“It's easier said than done,” she turned back to him. “due to the kids wanting to save those two, there's no way we'll be given the tapes. Let alone given the chance to destroy them without a fight.”

“I get it, but those two need to learn that it's either save tons of innocent lives, or save two that… probably will do more harm than good.” 

“And what do you think they'll pick?” She tested.

Mandy knew the answer, but it was painful to say. “From the information we've exchanged, it’s easy to guess. Those kids would never take the destroying the tapes path, especially if it means destroying all of them.”

“Those two… are too close to the cartoon characters. To the point people wouldn't know if it was consider toxic, loyalty, or obsession.” The stranger commented, sounding a bit unnerved. “Telling them that gathering the tapes to destroy them will get them extremely protective, just like the monster I warned them about.”

She tightly held her hand together, her throat tightening. Her heart starting to beat faster than it should. “If Mort and Muriel keep going down the path of trying to rescue two characters that are beyond saving at this point, then they’re just going to become the exact way that monster is when it comes to the tapes.”

“Not only that, they'll end up dragging those around them into a pit of suffering. In a way, they already had. Two kids were kidnapped after all.” Mandy added with a sigh, his head filling up with the last moments he had with his siblings.

The way they refused to look away from the screen. How he made his way back to his room to do his own thing, only to hear his mother screaming.

He could still remember the TV playing as his mother was sobbing hysterically in the living room while his father was out of the house, looking for his brother and sister. He could still hear the exact words Amanda had said during all that chaos.

{“It's always a good idea to sneak your friends away for adventures!”}

He let out an angry exhale. Now knowing 100% that it was her and that company that lured them away, made him want to destroy those tapes as an outlet.

“I'll have to find a way to be alone with those tapes. Even if it means running off with them.” The stranger continued.

Mandy clenched his hands. Something had to be done. “We have to find a way to rescue them from their toxic one-sided bond with those two characters.”

Even if Mario and his team didn't see it, the stranger saw it.

She saw the danger, the upcoming upcoming horrid future that awaits for the kids if they insist on rescuing two characters who wouldn't bring any joy to the real world. All it would lead to is them being trapped in the show themselves.

That's what Mandy believed.

She clenched her pants. “Mandy,”

“Yes.”

“We have to drive to Kate's place.”

“Huh? What for?”

“To talk to Riley.”

“But you tried that already. She kicked you out.”

“We have to try!” She shouted. “Those bastards have information on Mario and his team! Which means they might have info on Riley! Even if they don't want to get involved, I won't forgive myself if anything happens to them!”

She looked out the window. “And if they attacked the stadium, then they'll attack Kate's home, which means they’ll attack Riley.”

Mandy bit his lip with nervousness. If they got Riley on their side, it could help them. But Riley made it clear, she didn't want to be involved. At all.

But maybe after explaining everything, she would listen. “Since this is your car, you go and get Riley, I'll stay behind.”

“What? But what if something happens?”

“I'll stay in the bus the team took.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. You go get Riley. You never know, you might even save their life by doing so.” Without a response, he stepped out of the car.

The stranger paused for a bit, but eventually started the car and gave him a wave before she drove off.

Mandy watched as her car disappeared, then quickly made his way to the bus, startling Kapp'n, who was napping.

As he entered the bus, a figure loomed around the area, bones cracking at the slightest movement as it watched them.

If there was one thing the Entity was good at, it was stealth. It knew how to sneak around without being spotted, unless it ran in front of whoever was nearby.

Thanks to its stealth, it was able to get close enough to hear, but far enough to avoid being detected.

It let out a hiss. (I knew they were nothing but trouble.) It made its way back into the library making sure it wasn't caught.

It watched as the one in red was on some device. He seemed to be talking to someone as the one in green was using a computer.

The Entity noticed the colorful tapes besides the computer, it heard someone on the phone giving them instructions it couldn't care less about.

(These fools,) it thought, watching them all.

Seeing the woman with blue hair tightly hugging the man with white hair, the way she buried her face into his chest, seemingly crying about something was quite amusing to the Entity.

The giant turtle man, the one who made Amanda go off-script when he was comforting his miniature version, was trying to get the door to the office open, but he couldn't. He was heard grumbling something, even banging the door several times.

(They have no idea what that pawn is planning to do.) It finished its though, heading to the Kids Corner. (It seems both sides have the complete opposite goals. It'll be fascinating to watch once both goals crash into each other.)

Entering the Kids Corner, the Entity watched as the kids were playing around with a toy train, smiling as they watched the train move around, the whistle blowing.

The Entity focused its attention on the Inklings. It saw how the orange girl was holding the Wooly toy, making it slightly curl into itself.

(She has no idea that sheep is a hidden abomination. Worse than me.) It tried not to let out a hiss, thankfully remaining quiet.

Upon looking at the blue squid, the memory of when it was overpowered by Ridley played in it’s head. It could still hear the promise Mort made.

{“I swear on my life, I will do whatever it takes to prove to you that I care about you Amanda.”}

It didn’t believe him, wanting to kill him when it was free, but it only stopped when Amanda spoke up. She confessed that she trusted him.

The Entity wanted to snarl. (What's there to trust?) It mentally wondered. (Anyone who gains her trust only destroys her in the process. He will be no different.)

As it continued to watch, the memory of the previous restart played. It heard Mort's final vow before it attacked.

{“I won't have any regrets trying to help you. And if things restart, I'll keep going. Until my last breath.”}

The Entity felt itself grow slightly warm. (Such a pathetic fool. He keeps saying nonsense he clearly doesn’t mean. And yet… it affects the target.)

It shook its head, its claws tightening around the walls, trying to hold back its loud breathing to avoid detection. (No! You mustn’t fall like Amanda! So what if he saved you from that mechanical enemy?! You could've easily destroyed it!)

Another memory played.

{“What's so special about about him? You, the one with serious trust issues, give in so easily to him? Why is that?”}

{“You literally saw that he wanted to help you when you got out numbered by a group of kids.”}

{“That's because he thinks I'm you. If he knew we were two different beings, he wouldn't have bothered. Just like how he won't bother with you after what you've done.”}

The Entity almost let out a hiss when the memory ended. It didn't want to admit it, but it was wrong.

During the ‘Let's Hunt for Treasure!’ tape, even after revealing that the two were separate beings, he still wanted to help.

And with it sneaking around whenever it wants, it would overhear him remaining loyal to Amanda. He was even getting his orange friend to slowly like her.

(What is your end game boy?) The Entity thought. (If you plan to do anything malicious to Amanda, I will not let it slide.)

With a silent growl, it snuck its way back into the cartoon world.

----------------------------------------------------------

To say Iggy was a complicated one would be the understatement of the century. From the moment the Koopalings were brought in, Carlos, Brad, Paul, and Tiffany tried to remove what they assumed were their turtle costumes, only for Brad to get scratched on the face real hard by said crazy Koopaling.

The attack was so intense that blood squirted out, he covered his right eye, screaming in agony.

Brad wanted too kick Iggy to the wall, but the fifth older twin easily dodged, using is claws to strike his leg. Making more blood spew out, and causing him to fall onto his other leg. 

Iggy used the opportunity to jump and use the back of his shell to stab the employee on the back, making him scream.

Morton and Larry watched in awe. They knew Iggy could fight, in fact, they all could, but so see Iggy let out his inner Bowser was a sight they never thought they'd get to see.

But they didn't get to see much since Carlos and Tiffany roughly grabbed them and began to drag them away.

“Hey! Let go!” Morton ordered, using his claws to stab Tiffany's arm.

She screamed in pain, slapping him as a result. “Whoever gave you these costumes needs to be put down!”

Iggy's eye twitched at the sight. “So you have chosen death.” He let out a war cry, yanking his shell out of Brad, making him scream again.

He charged at the woman, who took out what appeared to be a needle, but Iggy wasn't one to be easily detained.

With one swipe, the needle was smacked away from her, and parts of her skin was also ripped off from the swipe.

She cursed under her breath, using her other hand to try to stop the small amount of blood leaking from her injury.

“We need backup! Now!” Paul was heard requesting through a device.

“Run brothers!” Iggy ordered. “I'll deal with these guys!”

“Iggy!” Larry cried.

“Come on!” Morton grabbed his wrist, yanking him as he began running.

“No! Iggy! We can't leave him!”

“Trust me! I'm more concerned about leaving the employees alone with Iggy!”

“After them!” They heard Brad order.

“This is not the adventure we signed up for!” Larry screamed.

“But I sure as hell will take it!” The Koopalings heard Iggy shout in reply before they rounded a corner.

“Where's Amanda?! She guided us here! So she should help us get out!” Larry screamed as he tried to keep with with Morton.

“I'm starting to think we were tricked!” The fourth Koopaling turned another corner, continuing to hold onto his second youngest brother's wrist.

A siren began blasting, and red tint began to fill the hallways. “Code Red! Code Red!” A female robotic voice began to announce through speakers. “Two Specimens are on the loose! Lock all the doors and prepare for a full lockdown!”

“Keep running! We have to get out of here!” Morton shouted.

“I'm trying! But I'm getting tired of running!” Larry cried. “Why didn't we bring our clown cars?!”

As they kept running, the two ended up finding themselves at a dead end, where not long after, their only way of escape was covered by employees.

Larry hid behind Morton, sofly cryng. “I wish we never trusted that girl!”

Morton tried to remain calm as the criminals closed in on them, their shadows looming over both of their small bodies.

------------------------------------------------------

“Specimens?!” Iggy yelled when he heard the robotic voice. “We are not specimens!” He dodged another attack, only to be grabbed by to security guards. “Let go of me!”

“Hurry! Get him detained Stan!” One of the security guards ordered.

Stan took out a needle of his own, which Iggy noticed. “Over my dead body!” Iggy screamed, giving the hardest bite he could onto Stan’s arm.

The employees swore they heard what sounded like bone cracking when his teeth pierced through the guard's skin.

He dropped the needle and let out a screech of anger and pain.

“You stupid mongrel!” He snarled, using his other arm to slam the Koopaling to the wall, holding him by his throat.

Iggy used his claws to rip his skin off, and while he saw Stan being in huge pain, he kept his grip, tightening it even.

“I got the muzzle!” Another employee announced as they ran in.

“Place it on this thing Audrey! Hurry!” The other guard ordered.

With a nod, she made her way to Iggy, who tried to swing at her, but with his oxygen being limited, he started to move slower.

With the muzzle on him, Stan turned to the other guard. “Get the needle Alex.”

Nodding, he picked up the needle from the floor and was about to jab it right onto Iggy’s head until a loud voice boomed into the hallway.

“And what do you all think you're doing?!”

Everyone turned. “Mr. Hameln sir!” They all shouted.

“We have everything under control! Don't worry!” Stan tried to reassure him.

The CEO deactivated the siren, and the tint went away.

He crossed his arms. “And how is holding our special guest by the throat with a muzzle over his mouth having things under control?”

“Special guest?” Paul asked.

“You heard me. Release him. At once.”

“But sir-”

“Did you not hear me Stan?”

The guard muttered under his breath, letting go of the Koopaling.

“And take that muzzle off.” The CEO ordered.

“With all due respect sir, if we take it off, he could wreck havoc again.” Audrey warned.

“And suppose I replace you with actual obedient employees? What then?”

Flinching at his threat, Audrey tried to remain calm as she removed the muzzle.

Iggy, unable to control himself, immediately tried to give her a nasty bite, causing her to shout in panic and back off.

He laughed hysterically as a result.

“Oh I like him.” Mr. Hameln chuckled. He turned to the man who was standing next to him throughout the event. “John, be a dear and take him to the room where the other… children await.”

“Yes sir.” John nodded. He made his way to the Koopaling, who quickly got his bloody claws ready. “Easy there. We have your brothers in a room. I'm just going to bring you to them.”

“You better.” Iggy said with a slight scowl.

“If you'll follow me.” John began walking, with Iggy tailing behind. “If you like, we can prepare a bath for you. I'm sure you don't want to reunite with your brothers while being covered in blood.”

“Nah. I'll be fine.” Iggy declined. “One, I don't like baths, and two, with these blood stains, I'll have an amazing story to tell!”

John let out a genuine snort. (He's psychotic. No wonder Mr. Hameln wants to hang onto him instead of wasting him on the show)

After a bit of walking, John stopped in front of a room. He took out his key card and swiped it on a reader.

A beep was heard, and John opened the door. Iggy braced himself for a trap, but his surprise, Morton and Larry were actually there.

“Iggy!” Both cheered, rushing to hug him, not caring about the blood that coated his body. “We're so glad you're okay!”

“Of course I'm okay! Those weaklings don't know who they're messing with!” He laughed, returning the hug.

“You three make yourselves at home. “ John said with a smile, closing the door, another beep being heard.

“So what happened?” Larry asked.

“I should be asking you guys that.” Iggy replied.

“Well, after we were cornered, we thought that was the end of it.” Morton began. “But suddenly, the one we think is the boss showed up and saved us. He brought us here and said you would be brought shortly after.”

“Well here I am!” Iggy boasted with pride.

Larry laughed. “Yeah. And we're so glad.”

“Your turn, what happen? Morton questioned.

“I bit them.”

Larry's eyes widened at Iggy's confession. "You bit them?"

"What, was I not supposed to fight back?"

"No, I mean why did you only bite them once?"

"My taste buds refused to deal with that again."

Morton held his stomach as he rolled on the floor with laughter.

Larry used that opportunity to look around. They were in what looked to be an actual bedroom. Except the walls and floor was painted into a way that reminded him of a hospital or clinic patient room.

There was a bed big enough for the three, no windows outside of the one that was on the door, a bathroom, a closet, a TV, some toys that were all Hameln related, a table and chair, and what he assumed was a camera that was at the corner of the room.

(Something doesn't feel right.) The second youngest Koopaling thought. (From what we were told, the Ice Climbers were kidnapped by these guys. And we were kidnapped as well.) He began putting the pieces together. (Does that mean Popo and Nana are somewhere in here? Maybe in a room like this?)

“Anyway,” Iggy began. “As much as I hate them, I'm gonna take a bath. Don't want these blood stains to give me whatever sickness those morons might have.”

Morton and Larry laughed as he made his way into the bathroom. Not long after the door was closed, they heard the water running.

Then, as if they were waiting, the door was heard beeping, and a employee walked in. Thankfully, it wasn't any of the ones that Iggy fought.

“The one with blue hair,” she said.

“Y-Yes?” Larry asked.

“Come with me, the employees that attacked your brother want to give you an apology.”

----------------------------------------------------

Popo and Nana made their way to the building. Once they saw that Amanda and Wooly were roaming around, they had a feeling the tape ended, which meant it was time to meet up with the Possum.

There was one problem, they had no idea how they would enter the building. Amanda was the only one that had the written note, which meant unless they asked her for it, they would have to try to say the code to get inside.

Reaching the building, they saw Possum on the roof. He leaped off and landed on his feet, both thrilled yet surprised that they actually showed up.

Using his tail, he suddenly shoved it in his mouth, getting Nana to gag and Popo to wince. He pulled out what looked like a piece of paper, shaking it dry and then sliding it underneath the door.

The sound of it unlocking was heard. Possum opened it and made his way inside, holding the door for the girls.

Once inside, the Possum closed the door. The Ice Climber cubs saw the pile of paper and the pen that Wooly told them would appear if they went with the note method.

He leaped onto the table, his tail making a shape of a box while he tilted his head.

“He's asking if we have the box.” Nana guessed.

Popo moved her paw to her eggplant headpiece, thankful the cotton was thicker than it looks, and took out the box. She placed it on the table.

Possum made a happy noise, fumbling with it for a bit. A sudden bright flash then appeared. It was only for about two seconds, but it was enough to make the sisters fear they would go blind as a result.

When the flash went away, the possum took the biggest deep breath possible, exhaling with so much relief. “Finally.”

The sisters gasped. “We understood you!” Both shouted, then they covered their mouths. “And we spoke! As in, actually spoke!”

Possum nodded, using his tail to grab the box and balance it on the tip of his tail. “This device grants us temporary speech.”

“Temporary?” Nana asked with sorrow.

“I know, I got disappointed too.” He scowled. He laid on his back, still on the table, his tail now playing around with the box. “My guess is that this box was meant to be for the walking, talking, batch of wool, but both he and Hameln forgot about it.”

“Okay, first things first, who are you?” Popo questioned.

“I go by many names.” Possum answered. “Possum, Chickenscratch, and Weirdo are just a few.”

“Is there a name you want to be called?” Nana wondered.

“Well, you can stick to Possum. But if there's one name I like, it's Jordan.”

“Jordan? Alright. Then that's what we'll call you.” Nana smiled. “Nice to meet you Jordan. I'm Nana and this is my twin sister Popo.”

Possum, or Jordan, let out a laugh. “The cartoon devil said your names were Polly and Nancy.”

“I think that's what the tape wanted her to call us.” Popo guessed. “But those aren't our names. And we don't want to be called by those names either.”

“Got it.” Jordan nodded.

“How do you find out about this building?” Nana asked. “Did Wooly showed it to you as well?”

“Ha! He wishes!” He grinned. “When you have this kind of body, it's easy to sneak around.” He winked. “I overheard him say the code a while back, watched him once slide paper under the door, so I figured I'd copy him.”

“And how did you discover this box?” Popo wondered.

He turned to lay on his stomach. “When you can't talk to anyone, the best option you got is to mess around with literally anything this world allows. And I for one,” he placed a hand on his chest. “love to dig holes in the yard.”

His tail tossed the box up, where he caught it with one of his front paws. “When I found this bad boy, I wanted to see what it does, so I brought it here with me and discovered it grants me the privilege the talk once again.”

He became irritated. “But only for a good solid ten minutes.” He tossed the box up again, catching it with his tail. “It must be old as well, there are moments where I only get five minutes or less.”

“How long have you've known Amanda and Wooly?” Nana asked.

“A couple of years. But they like to pretend I don't exist. Man! You should've seen the cartoon devil's face when we first met! Priceless!” He laughed.

“Why did you ask us to come here?” Popo questioned, sounding a bit confrontational. Which got him to stop laughing.

Possum returned the attitude. “I was nice enough to share this with you, and you repay me by interrogating me? How rude!”

Nana got in between them. “Let's not fight! Please!”

Popo bared her teeth. “I don't trust him!”

Possum placed a hand to his chest again, faking being shocked and offended. “Well I never!” He scoffed. “That's the last time I let you speak missy!”

“I can't tell if you're playing around or being serious.” Popo growled.

“May I have the blessing of knowing why you don't trust me?”

“There's something you're not telling us. Unless you tell us why you brought us here, my guard will remain up.”

“Not a good enough reason.” Jordan replied before chuckling. “However, I wil give you credit, you seem much smarter than I was expecting.”

“Huh?” Nana asked.

Possum placed the box back on the table and leaped off. “I see your sister managed to figure out that I didn't only bring you here just to chat.” He sat on his fours. “Correct me if I'm wrong, which I'm not,” he said smugly. “but you two were trapped in here, were you not?”

“How do you know that?” Nana demanded with worry.

“Why do you think I want to be called by a human name?” He tested, lifting an eyebrow.

The sisters grew silent. “Are you saying that you-”

“Got trapped here too? Yep.” He nodded at what Nana was about to ask. “Which is how I right away figured out you two aren't made from scratch.”

“Does this mean there are others in these bodies?”

“Don't know.” He scratched the back of his head. “I sometimes think the trees and buildings that have eyes could be others. But I'm not fully sure.”

“Does that mean there's a chance Wooly is also a trapped soul?” Nana worried.

Jordan blew a raspberry. “Nah! That walking ball of wool is more like a loyal follower to those rats that put us here.”

“I'm sorry?!” Popo shouted.

He playfully put a paw to his mouth. “Oops! Looks like I said too much!” He snickered. “Let me guess, he's acting too much like a coward to say anything?”

Both girls couldn't deny that.

“Here’s a tip,” Possum lifted up a claw. “find that blue book of his. I've read it, and let's just say…” he began circling the sisters. “I'd start letting out those bear instincts you girls now have.”

“What's that suppose to mean?” Popo ordered. “How much do you know?! How much does Wooly know?!” She wanted to sound angry, but her tone shifted slightly. Her tears began to crack her voice, and her shouts were getting mixed with dread.

Jordan crossed his arms. “More than you think Purple Bear.”

“Wooly… there's no way he's a follower for Hameln. He can't be one. That's just not possible.”

“You can believe me or not, but just know to be careful.” Possum said. He made his way to the stacks of paper, grabbing one and using his tail to write.

“I will say this, once you find out the truth, I don’t want to imagine what'll happen when the girl in orange finds out she's been worshiping a Hameln follower.”

“What does that-” Nana let out a bear noise. Time ran out.

Jordan crumpled up the paper and shoved it in his mouth, choking, but managing. He grabbed another piece of paper, writing down something.

The sisters watched as he made his way to the hole, sliding the paper in it. Exactly what Wooly informed them they had to do.

After a few seconds, the doors were heard unlocking again.

Possum motioned with his head. It was time for them to get out of there.

The girls followed him as he opened the door, only for them to spot Wooly standing on the other side, his hand in the air, signaling that he was about to grab the doorknob.

The Possum smirked, turning to the girls. Even though they couldn't understand each other anymore, they knew exactly what he was saying.

“This is going to get interesting.”

Chapter Text

Minutes Earlier…

Mr. Hameln watched the recording the cameras caught over and over again. It was hyper amusing watching his employees struggle to get a grip on what he assumed was a child in a strange turtle costume.

When he first saw them on camera, he wanted to pay it no mind, but after seeing Iggy fight like a madman, that's when he saw the potential.

He knew the employees would damage Iggy if he didn't intervene. And after he took the time to read the updated information Audrey and Anthony managed to get him, it only increased his interest in the Smash Kids.

“Should we give the ones that accompanied the craze one the privilege we gave to the sisters sir?” John asked.

Mr. Hameln snorted. “Please, those two aren’t nearly as entertaining as the crazy one. It be such a waste.” He turned to his right hand man. “No, just throw them into the bodies of whatever item you see fits.”

“And what about the crazy one himself? Do we place him in the show? Or keep him around?”

“Honestly, I'm not so sure. With his craze, he could be quite useful with our tech. But with his energy, he could also be a massive help to the lamb.”

“Should we summon him?”

The CEO nodded. “We shall.”

-------------------------------------------------

Present Time…

The silence was deafening. For a while, it was just the Ice Climbers and Wooly staring at each other, both looking like they just got caught stealing snacks from the kitchen after bedtime.

Jordan continued having his smirk.

“What is he doing in here?” Wooly finally spoke, pointing to Possum.

Popo and Nana looked at each other, wondering what to do. Turning to the box that was left on the table, they looked at Jordan.

He was about to make his way to the table until the curtain that was covering something opened by itself, and Wooly got sucked into the room, the door behind him slamming shut and locking.

“Oh no…” He muttered. He looked at the three. “There's not time to explain! But you three have to hide! Now!” He ordered, getting up.

Possum grabbed the box and used his tail to tap on the cub sisters’ shoulders. With nothing else, they hid under the table, hoping it was good enough.

Wooly tried to smoothen his wool and stood in front of what the curtains revealed. A giant screen.

A few seconds passed, and the screen showed a man sitting on a chair, the sisters didn't recognize him, but Jordan did, unable to hide back his snarl, which Nana silenced by slamming her paw onto his mouth.

“What is it that you need?” Wooly asked.

“I've called you to let you know that you did an exceptional job on getting the Experiment and the new Testers ready for the new tape.” Mr. Hameln praised. For Wooly however, he knew it wasn't genuine.

Nothing genuine ever came from Hameln. They would only praise to get you to believe they cared.

“Also, from the report that you submitted before we summoned you, it seems the new Testers have adapted quite finely to the world. Which is excellent.”

Wooly masked his confusion. He didn't make any new reports, but knowing the trio under the table, he had a feeling one of them made a false report. How else would they have gotten in without his voice?

He didn't knew if them saying the coded sentence would work, but he had a feeling neither of them gave it a try.

And he was with Amanda the whole time before he was summoned, so she didn't give them the note.

(They're better have answers when I'm done here.) Wooly thought, feeling a bit pissed off and confrontational, clenching his hands.

“Make sure to redo the tape again.” Mr. Hameln spoke up, making one of the sheep's ear lift up.

“Again? Don't the viewers need to reinsert the tape for that?”

“Correct. But we're going to add new things to the tape, so they need to watch it again.”

“But if the tape is already with them, how do you plan on adding things without them noticing?”

“That's where you come in Little Lamb.”

Wooly gulped. He didn't like where this was going.

“We need you to convince our little Experiment to have her demon do its thing.”

“You want her to attack them?!” Wooly gasped.

“Precisely. We don't fully understand it ourselves, but what we do know, is that the demon connected to her has the ability to seemingly restart everything from the beginning. When it happens, we'll make sure the updated tape gets summoned to them.”

“I-I don't think I'll be able to-”

“I'm not asking.” The CEO warned. "You stated that you're going to lure in the orange girl and her blue friend. And don't forget how you promised the Experiment that the orange one will become her new outlet. So getting a demon restart their progress should be nothing.”

Wooly struggled to hold back his fear induced reaction. The Ice Climbers and the Possum definitely heard him!

“I already told you-”

“Silence!”

Wooly jolted.

“You speak when I’m done! And last time I check, I wasn't finished.” The CEO hissed. He cleared his throat and took out the folder from his suit. “By the way, I got updated information on several of the viewers. Along with more detailed reports.”

He showed off the folder, getting Wooly to sweat. “It looks like red shirt boy and his friend pretty in pink are quite the skillful duo. Knowing way more survival skills than Experiment learned in her lifetime!”

He opened up the folder, flipping through their documents. “Ah, here we go. Orange girl. Nicknamed Muriel. Just as I suspected, she fully trusts you, but doesn't trust Amanda. And she seems to be willing to do anything for you. A perfect specimen.”

He flipped to the next page. “And the blue boy. Nicknamed Mort. Yes. He’s the same way, but with our darling Experiment. Another perfect specimen. I just know with your help, we won't need to kidnap them. They'll come on their own accord.”

Wooly wanted to turned to see how the trio was doing, but remained still. He wasn't ready for the nuclear explosion that was going to happen when this summoning was over.

“Oh? Now what's this?” Mr. Hameln lifted an eyebrow with curiosity. “Looks like in one of the tape watching, they began discussing about some stranger,” he smirked. “and the blue boy doesn't trust her.”

Wooly remained silent.

“I wonder who this stranger could be? They never mention how she looks. But it is mentioned that they're at a library. Question is, which library are they at?”

The sheep couldn't tell if the one in charge actually didn't know, or was mocking him by pretending he didn't know.

“Hmm, well, I'm sure after more tape watching, and with you keeping an eye on them while the Testers keep our Experiment distracted, we'll figure it out.” He closed the folder.

“Are you planning on luring them in last sir?” Wooly asked, feeling his throat tightened.

“Precisely.” He nodded. “We just need to collect a few more test subjects from the stadium, get rid of evidence and all the witnesses, then we'll proceed with getting our hands on the final subjects.”

“What do you mean by ‘getting rid of the witnesses’?” Wooly dreaded.

Mr. Hameln gave him a vile smile. “Little Lamb, don't concern yourself with that. Just do what you're good at. Being an easily lead sheep that obeys our every command and helps lure in our test subjects.”

He stood up from the chair. “We'll be adding the new content to the tapes soon. Once you detect it, get the demon to restart. This concludes our summoning. You're dismissed.”

Wooly’s ears droop as the screen got filled with static, before shutting off. Meaning the tape had ejected.

He closed his eyes, bracing himself for the disaster that he knew was coming. His eyes jolted wide open when he thought he saw a bright flash.

He turned, seeing Nana looking hurt, Possum had a face that wasn't pleasant, but wasn't negative either.

If he knew about this room, then what else did he already know about?

Then there was Popo. Lord did she look so ready to fight. All traces of an innocent little girl was gone at that moment. Replaced with nothing but violence and bear instincts. It gave him flashbacks to when he lost Amanda's trust the first time.

“I-”

“How could you?” Popo demanded.

Wooly’s eyes widened. “I understood you!”

Possum used his tail to grab the box. “This bad boy you probably forgot about.” He gave it a spun. “You got estimate five to ten minutes.”

“If you and your sister let me explain-”

“You're a liar!” Popo screamed, her forming tears flying out of her eyes. “You're a traitor! A backstabber! It explains how you knew who I was when I first got stuck here!”

“Popo listen to me-”

“Why?! So you can keep lying to us?! I can’t believe you've been pretending to care this whole time! And you're even using Muriel's love for you to lure her in?! What's wrong with you?!”

Wooly felt bits of him cracking, not from sadness, from rage. “I would never use Muriel!”

“I literally just heard that guy say you’re going to lure in Mort and Muriel! You're going to hand her over to Amanda to use as an outlet!”

“I only said that because Amanda held a knife at my throat!” Wooly confessed.

“She what?” Nana trembled.

“I-It was after she witnessed the turtle boy-”

“Bowser Jr.?” Popo asked, slightly calming down.

Wooly nodded. “Y-Yes. It was after she saw him being comforted by his dad, when she… went off-script.”

The Ice Climber Cubs recalled that moment too easily. Amanda said her lines with a emotionless voice, and the way she stared at Wooly after he reminded her about needing a parent's help when it was time to bake the pie.

That was for the ‘In the Kitchen’ tape. After that, when they were watching the ‘In Your Neighborhood’ tape, she tried her best to keep her happy voice, but she couldn't. She rushed the ending once again, asking for the cookies to be sent to Kate before abruptly ending the tape.

While that was happening, they remembered how Junior needed endless comforting from Bowser. It was after he got trapped into the cartoon world.

It then occured to the girls, when Junior explained how it was when he was trapped, he said he was in the body of a useless prop.

He couldn't do anything. Couldn't move anything. Couldn't even think or feel anything. It made them wonder about what they asked Jordan. If the buildings or other items were also children trapped in this world.

And since they figured out that Wooly was working with Hameln, there was a chance he knew the answer.

“After watching his dad care for him, Amanda ran off.” Wooly continued. “I chased after her and found her at her house. One thing lead to another, and she held a knife to my throat.”

“So you offered to lure in Mort and Muriel in desperation?” Nana guessed.

He nodded.

Jordan scoffed. “Sure you did.”

“I wasn't happy with what I said, but it worked. She backed away and we were pulled into another tape. But I promise- no, I vow on my life, I don't ever plan to lure Muriel into this prison.”

“So all those moments when you act scared of Amanda, the times you made it seem like you were going to warn us about something, it was all an act?” Nana struggled to ask, tears forming.

“No! I swear! None of it was an act!” Wooly took a step towards her, but she took a step back in fear.

“How can we trust you?” Popo asked. “After everything we heard. It doesn't feel right to believe you. Let alone trust you.”

“I understand. I was going to tell you everything, but it wasn't supposed to be like this.” He placed a hand on his face. “I get it if you girls won't ever forgive me, but please,” he lowered his hand. “don't tell Amanda anything. I want to be the one to tell her.”

“At least we know why he acts like a coward when it comes to telling the truth.” Jordan spoke, his tail swishing after placing the box back on the table.

“I deserve that.” Wooly sighed. “And since we can finally talk, who even are you? How do you know about this room?”

Possum smirked, grabbing the box. “Sorry, I don't speak to rats nor their followers.” He ran out of the room, using his tail to open the door.

Wooly flinched at his statement. He looked back at the girls. “Popo and Nana-”

“Don't.” Popo pleaded. “I need a moment. Or are you going to report this to your boss?” She growled.

“No! If you would just-”

“Answer me this,” she interrupted him. “the buildings and items that have eyes, are they tapped children?”

Wooly looked away. His mouth forming a line. He closed his eyes, letting out air through his nose, he reopened his eyes but continued to look away. “Yes.”

“I had a feeling. And Junior could've been one of them… all because of you.” Popo muttered the last part.

Her tears began slowly falling from her eyes. “I can't believe this whole time, we've been mislead by a wolf in sheep's clothing.” She headed for the door. “No wonder Amanda treats you the way she does. You deserve it.”

She turned to the sheep. “I wish Mort helped her when she wanted to give you surgery.”

“Popo!” Nana screamed in both terror and rage.

Without another word, the purple cub left the room, letting out a sorrowful bear noise.

Nana turned back to the sheep. She could see his mouth shaking, his eyes becoming red from holding back tears.

She could see the guilt and remorse he had built up. All the lies, the secrets, the emotions he felt, it was bottled up.

Part of her thought her sister went too far with her words. She understood why she felt betrayed and lied to, but there was a part of her that wondered if there was more to the story than what they heard.

She fought her fear and went to the sheep, placing a paw on his arm, getting him to look at her. “I'm… sorry for what my sister said.”

“It's alright. I… deserve all the hate.”

“Bits of it yes, but not all.” Nana responded. “Look, I'll admit, part of me is scared of you now, knowing you're part of Hameln’s team, but I'm willing to hear you out."

“I’m not a part of their team.” He told her.

“I'll believe you once my sister and I get the entire truth, but on one condition,”

“I think I know what you're going to say.”

“If you want us to give you another chance, you need to tell us the entire truth, with Amanda around.”

Wooly droop his upper body. “I knew it.”

“If you meant what you said, that you're not a part of their team, then you would be willing to tell all of us the truth.” Nana removed her paw. “Until then, Popo and I will be a bit wary of you.”

She headed for the door, giving one final look to Wooly. “If not for us, do it for Muriel.” She saw him straightening up. “I know if she was the one trapped, she would stop at nothing until you're proven innocent. So do the right thing for her, and show that her adoration for you isn't for nothing.”

With that, she left the room, feeling her vocals fading away. Time had ran out again. As she tried to find her sister's scent, she gave one last look at the building, hoping to see Wooly, but she didn't.

She saw the door close instead. (He probably wants to be alone.) She theorized. (Wooly, I still have a small candle flame of hope for you… don't blow it out…. please…)

--------------------------------------------------

All Larry could remember was following that lady to another room, and then everything suddenly went black.

He remembered feeling something when it went black. It was… pain. He felt sharp, excruciating, bone breaking, pain that lasted for a few seconds.

Then, when he opened his eyes, he was greeted with what he thought was a bedroom. It reminded him of the room he and the other kids were in.

Was everything that happened a dream? But if that were the case, why couldn't he feel his limbs?

He was able to move his eyes, but nothing else. He didn't feel his body. He tried to move in anyway, but couldn't.

He tried to speak, but it felt like his mouth was missing. He wanted to think of a way out, but not even that happened.

It was like he was incapable of doing anything. Like if he were in a vegetative state. His eyes frantically moved around.

He then heard footsteps. Someone was walking by.

“I ask them to do one thing. One thing!” It sound like a girl. 

The door was opened, and Larry saw her. Amanda. She walked by with a Kitten following behind, only for the feline to pause, turn, and notice him.

“I didn’t ask for much!” Amanda continued walking, not noticing Kitten had stopped. “I just wanted them to take care of you! And then I find you alone here!” Her voice slightly faded as she kept walking.

Kitten took slow, cautious, steps towards Larry. She let out a meow. It sounded like if she was checking if Larry had been there before.

The second youngest Koopaling wanted to answer her, but nothing could come out. He had no idea what even happened to him.

Amanda then reappeared, searching for Kitten. “There you are!” She said with a smile. She entered the room, her eyes landing on Larry.

At first, it seemed like she froze, then it went to an indifferent reaction. “So another kid got trapped here huh?” She crossed her arms. “Don't recall luring anyone in.”

Larry wanted to ask what she was talking about. Little did he knew, that the bed that was in the guest room of the ‘Picnic Party’ tape, now had a pair of eyes, his eyes. And above the bedframe, was his hair.

The blanket was now the color of his shell, and it had white triangle designs that was meant to be his spikes.

He was moving in a way that seemed like he was breathing.

Amanda sighed. “If Wooly and I aren't the ones luring in these kids, how do they keep coming?”

Kitten meowed with hesitation. Asking Amanda if she thinks Wooly might have an answer.

“Wooly’s starting to tell me the truth. So if he knows what's going on, he might finally tell me.” She told her. “Come on, let's go find him.”

-------------------------------------------------

Wooly felt like a wreck when he finally left the room. After Nana left, he broke down. He went from shaking with fear, to bawling his eyes out, to suddenly screaming and destroying the table and chair.

He even ripped up the curtains and tried to destroy the screen, but no avail.

He pulled on his ears, hard, not caring that it hurt. He screamed louder than ever, feeling his body change as he did.

He almost passed out in there. The screaming and bawling was taking all of his energy, and when the voice began speaking to him, it made things worse. He thought about Amanda's theory.

If he really did had a demon inside him, then at that moment, it was trying to escape. The voice was encouraging him to continue, to let out all the bottled up rage and resentment he held.

He was telling the sheep to destroy more than the room. To hunt down Popo and punish her for her cruel words.

Wooly begged the voice to leave him alone. But the voice only laughed. “I'm attached to you. You can’t get rid of me.” Was how the voice replied.

It got the point where he began to smash his head on the wall, screaming more, not caring about the blood he was leaving behind as a result.

It wasn't until his vision began to fade and his body started growing weak when he finally seemed to snap out of it.

He didn't know how long he locked himself in there, but when it felt like everything was let out, he panicked when he saw the state of the room.

He couldn’t believe that he did so much damage. Seeing the damage made him break down even more.

He fell to his knees, loudly crying into his hands. (What's wrong with me?!) He thought to himself. (Why can't I just be a good sheep?! Why am I such a useless crybaby?! Why can't I do anything right?!)

{“I want to be strong and brave for Wooly.”}

Wooly gasped when he heard Inkling girl's voice. He jerked his head everywhere, wondering if that was a memory, or a hallucination.

He began seeing her smile, his body felt warm, like if she was hugging him. Similar to when he was in that void.

Like magic, that warm feeling, and remembering her words, he began to feel better. His tears slowly dried up, and his breathing steadied.

He wobbled a bit when standing up, placing his hand on the wall to catch himself. Strong and brave. That's what she wanted to be for him.

Wooly wanted the same thing the other way around. If Muriel was going to try her best to be brave and strong for him, then he'll do his best to be brave and strong for her too.

With a deep breath, he slightly stumbled his way to the door, losing balance more than he would like to admit, but succeeding in the end.

And when the door finally opened, the bright sun caused him to let out a hiss as he covered his eyes. 

Had the sun always been this blinding? Or was he in there for way longer than he thought?

Shaking his head, and slowly opening his eyes, feeling his pupils adapt, Wooly closed the door behind him, making his way back to Amanda's house.

He had a condition to fulfill. If he was going to help the ones trapped in here, then he had to start by regaining their trust, and to do that, he had to think back to Nana's condition.

No, he had to think back to way before that. When he himself made the promise to help Amanda.

He wiped his head, and his hand came back with blood. His head hadn't fully recovered yet, and parts of him wondered if he should've tried to fix up the room before leaving, hoping it would fix itself somehow.

“Wooly!” He heard a familiar voice call.

His ears shot upward. He turned, seeing Amanda waving at him, Kitten was next to her.

Normally, Wooly would've been either scared or over the moon with joy to hear Amanda call him first, but after his mental breakdown, he currently felt… nothing.

But he put on his best smile and tried to make sure his head was clean before heading her way. “Hey Amanda!” He said in a happy tone. “What can I do for you?”

“I was looking for you.”

“You were?”

She nodded. “I think a new kid got stuck here.”

Genuine emotion filled the sheep's body. “P-Pardon?”

“Follow me,” Amanda began making her way back to her house, with Wooly having no struggle following.

When they made it back to her house, the cartoon girl lead the sheep to the guest room, where she pointed to Larry.

Wooly gasped, covering his mouth and his eyes widening.

{“We'll be adding the new content to the tapes soon. Once toy detect it, get the demon to restart.”} 

(So that's what he meant.) Wooly thought after recalling Mr. Hameln's words. (By new content… he meant kidnapping more kids.)

Everything then hit him like a train. The conversation repeated in his head, the words now fully making sense.

{“We just need to collect a few more test subjects from the stadium, get rid of evidence and all the witnesses, then we'll proceed with getting our hands on the final subjects.”}

{“What do you mean by ‘getting rid of the witnesses’?}

{“Little Lamb, don't concern yourself with that. Just do what you're good at. Being an easily lead sheep that obeys our every command and helps lure in our test subjects.”}

Without thinking, Wooly grabbed Amanda's face and made her face him, not caring her eyes showed she was ready to behead him. “Amanda, listen to me!” He shouted, getting her eyes to shift in tone. “I need you to gather the cub sisters and meet me back at-”

He let her go, his breathing suddenly becoming painful. He placed a hand on his chest, taking a few steps back.

“Wooly?” He barely heard Amanda say. “Wooly? What’s wrong?”

He placed his hands on his head. His heartbeat being so loud he wondered if it was ripped out and being held right in front of him.

If he wanted to tell the truth, he would have to go back to… that room. The room that he destroyed. The room where he suffered a breakdown.

He didn’t want to go back. At least, not yet. But it was the only room he knew that was completely private.

If it was still damaged, Amanda would ask questions. She already had endless questions, she didn't need to ask more. And if he told her what he did in that room, he would have to tell her why it happened, which meant she would have to know about what Popo and Nana found out.

If she found out, she would lose it. She would not only kill him herself, but maybe even send the Entity to help her kill him.

The Entity, how would he convince her to summon it to restart the group? Especially if there's no way to avoid telling her what the cub sisters discovered?

Would Amanda even give him a second to explain? Would she even let him live to tell the tale?

No, of course she wouldn't. She may have said she cares to an extent, but that would definitely change once she learned the truth.

And then what? Just helplessly hope that she actually does his last wish on finding a way to get the journal to Muriel?

Muriel… how would she react to all this? By this point, so many thoughts were filling Wooly's head that he was afraid an aneurysm was building up.

It made breathing harder, getting him to grab his throat, believing someone was choking him. Maybe Amanda?

Speaking of Amanda, was she calling for him? Wooly didn't know. He couldn't tell if the muffled audio was her or just memories playing.

He felt his eyes burning with tears, his lungs aching from lack of air, his chest painfully constricting, sweat being let out more than his tears.

His vision began to dim and swirl, making it hard to see anything clearly. He shut his eyes so tight his eyelids hurt.

He heard a sound that went all over the house, not knowing it was him. He didn't knew when he started, but he was crying out in pain, letting out wheezes in between.

He felt a pair of hands roughly shaking him, heard more muffled screams and shouts, but it didn't get through the loud ear bursting sound of his own heartbeat.

His loudly gasped for air, falling to the floor, the world was spinning, the floor underneath him felt like it was going to swallow him whole.

His body was vigorously shaking, and he couldn't stop the heavy amount of fear that was drowning him.

He heard more screams and cries.

He felt his body being moved. For a while, he thought Amanda lost her patience and was ready to dismember him.

Instead, he was placed somewhere soft, like a mattress maybe? And felt a blanket being wrapped around him.

While it was muffled, he heard Amanda speaking. “You are safe. I'm here.” He heard her repeat over and over again. “You can handle this. You are strong.”

The words started to get clearer bit by bit. The loud bumping of the heart began to slightly lower in volume.

“Breath in, hold it in for a while, then breath out.” Amanda continued advising. “You can handle this. You are safe.”

Wooly saw his vision becoming slightly clearer when he opened his eyes, his lungs were no longer hurting, and the chest tightness loosened up.

“It's okay.” Amanda was heard, this time fully clear. “You are safe. I am here. Just take a deep breath, then exhale.”

Wooly was able to finally process his surroundings. He was in Amanda's room. She had wrapped her blanket around him.

To his surprise, the Ice Climbers were there, both looking concerned. When he turned to face Amanda, she looked worried. Kitten was next to her.

Wooly had to blink several times to make sure he wasn't seeing things, even rubbed his eyes just to double check.

His vision wasn't tricking him. These girls had helped him. Did he had a panic attack? If so, he felt… ashamed.

He wasn’t supposed to show his emotions. He wasn’t allowed to show emotions. If he did, all it would lead to is insults along with emotional and mental abuse.

He tightly gripped the edges of the blanket, his mouth slightly quivering again.

“Feel better?” Amanda asked.

“Y-Yeah… I guess.” He removed the blanket, his body instantly getting smacked with sudden freezing temperature. “I-I'm sorry you had to deal with that.”

Amanda lifted an eyebrow. “Why are you apologizing? You were having a panic attack, I wasn't going to let you suffer with it alone. Believe me,” she looked away. “it's never a good idea to deal with stuff like that by yourself… but what can you do if you don't have a choice?”

Wooly gave her a guilty look. He wanted to be there. He really did. But it was risky. He… he wasn't supposed to get attached to her. But regardless, he did anyways.

As a result, he's now paying the price. 

“Amanda-”

“At least you're better now.” She spoke over him. “I got worried so I called for Popo and Nana to help.” She gestured to the sisters.

“With the help of my crayons and paper, they were able to draw what to do to help you.” She revealed.

“You two… wanted to help?” Wooly asked.

The cubs nodded.

Grabbing a paper, Nana did her best to grab several crayons, attempting to draw Lucas, sliding the picture to them.

“The blond viewer.” Amanda understood. “I think his name is… Lucas.”

Nana nodded.

“He gets panic attacks too?”

Another nod.

“Believable.” Amanda said. “I've heard the things he's said when he was talking to the turtle boy. Something about how his family was taken away.” She recalled. “And when we found… dad's clothing, I heard him whimpering, saying something about his mom. Someone I wish I had.”

The room grew silent.

She shook her head, turning to Wooly. “So what was it you wanted to say? You know, before you had your… panic attack.”

Wooly gulped. It was now or never. “I… I was going to ask if all of us could gather back in that… room.” He said the last word in a murmur.

“Again? How many times are we going to have to go there today?” She asked in a whisper.

Wooly sighed. “A lot.” He hopped off the bed. “I uh… have something to request Amanda.”

She got off the bed, Kitten leaping off after her. “What is it?”

“Do you think you can call your… Entity?”

She gave him a look that made it clear she was wondering if his mind was working or if he really lost it.

“I-I'll explain on the way!” He reassured her. “Long story short, those pair of eyes we saw in the guest room… the viewers need to see it.”

The cub sisters tilted their heads.

“I'll quickly show you.” Wooly said, leading them to the room. This time, he didn't enter, letting the two step inside.

He heard them gasping. It was obvious they recognized whoever this Smash Kid was supposed to be.

“Is that…” Popo asked, her paws covering her muzzle.

“Larry?” Nana finished for her.

When Larry saw them, he wanted to react. Their colors and headpiece of an eggplant was too recognizable for him not to notice.

However, due to whatever happened to him, he felt nothing when he saw them.

For the sisters, the moment their eyes landed on his sky blue hair, they knew right away who he was.

Popo covered her eyes, crying softly. Nana got close to her, snuggling up against her.

At the same time while that was happening, Amanda went to Wooly, her arms folded and a look of skepticism. “If the viewers have to see this kid, why do I need my demon?”

“We need them to restart.”

“What? Why?”

“They probably won't insert the tape unless they restart.” He answered. “And if we want them to see that a new kid got stuck here, they have to restart, and only your demon can do that.”

“...Okay? But why exactly to they have to see this trapped kid specifically?” She extended her arm to the bed, which Wooly didn’t dare follow, not wanting another panic attack to happen.

“Be-Because… that kid… might be someone they know.”

Amanda flinched. “You really think so?”

He nodded. “Which is why I think it'll be a good idea if you can get your demon to restart them. That way we can carefully observe if they recognize the details like the sky blue hair.”

Amanda glanced inside the room. “Seeing how Popo and Nana are reacting, and from what you told me, that kid is definitely someone they know. The thing is, I don't remember any watcher that has sky blue hair.” She made a thoughtful face. “The only one with blue hair is…”

She felt her face slightly growing warm. “Well, you know who. He's the only one that I know has blue hair.” She nervously rubbed her left arm. “And I know for a fact that isn't him. So if a kid who wasn't even watching got trapped in here…”

Her soft expression turned into one that was slightly shaded. “Then they're getting worse. And they no longer need us to lure in children.”

Wooly nodded. “Which is why I suggested we… you know… go there. And why I figured your Entity should restart them. If they recognize the kid, it might help them.”

Amanda nodded in understanding. “Alright, I'll see if I can get my demon to restart them. In the meantime,” she looked around, as if she was expecting to spot some sort of hidden camera.

She leaned close to Wooly's ear. “Head back to the hidden building with Popo and Nana. Take Kitten with you, I'll join you in a bit.”

“Okay, but there's a tiny problem.” Wooly responded.

She moved away. “What is it?”

The sheep gave a uneasy kick to the floor. “They don't… like me at the moment.”

“What do you mean they don't-” Amanda facepalm. “Ugh! Wooly what did you do now?!”

“I'll explain soon! But for now, they might not listen to me if I asked them to follow me.” He confessed. “Also… when you arrive, sorry if the place is a mess. I'll try my best to explain without… breaking down again.”

Rolling her eyes, she entered the room, clearing her throat to get their attention. “Alright listen up! I don't know what happen, but you two better put whatever Wooly did to the side and follow him. Otherwise, I'll be wearing two new fur coats in the next tape. Am I clear?” She put her hands on her hips.

Nana trembled while Popo gulped. Both nodding.

“Good. Now follow Wooly. I'll be back in a bit. Oh, and next time I ask you girls to take care of Kitten, don't lie and say you will. I won't be so forgiving the next time I find her alone.” With a murderous smirk disguised as a playful smile, Amanda left the bedroom and then the house.

Wooly nervously chuckled. “Th-That's Amanda for you.” He tried to joke.

Popo rolled her eyes, getting close to the sheep and shoving him hard with her paw.

“Ah! I'm going! I'm going! Sheesh.”

-------------------------------------------------

When the Stranger arrived at Kate's place, she was expecting to approach the door and get yelled at by Riley.

What she wasn't expecting, was to see the door already opened. But that wasn't the most concerning part. What got her the most tensed, was seeing how the door was kicked opened. Like if someone broke in.

She cautiously entered the house, her shoes echoing with each step she took. The floors creaking somewhat loudly.

The lights were off, and each room looked trashed. Drawers were flung opened, papers were all over the floor, several windows were broken, pictures that were once hung on the wall now on the floor or destroyed, the bed showing signs of a struggle, and the worse pieces she found, where bullets.

There were also signs of a fight, from shattered dishes, a bloody knife was on the kitchen floor, what looked like a piece of fabric that was torn off, a table that was broken in half, meaning someone was probably shoved or thrown on it, and a chair laying on its side, with half of the legs broken.

She wondered what had happened for the home to become this way. Was it a robbery? Did Riley get into trouble?

Or worse… was this Hameln's doing?

She wanted to call for Riley, but didn’t wanted to alert anyone that could possibly still be around.

Making her way up the stairs, where the creaking got louder, she found the attic. It was the most damaged out of the entire house.

It was clear that if it was Hameln's doing, they were looking for the items Riley had mailed to Mario and his team.

The floor was practically ripped off, like if they were expecting to find something hidden underneath. Any article, letter, or evidence that Kate had that was left behind, was either gone, shredded, or on the floor, with shoe prints on them.

“Oh Riley…” The stranger quivered. “They kidnapped you. Even though you tried to not be involved.” She felt tears forming. “I was terrified this would happen. I'm so sorry Riley.” She covered her mask with her hands, softly crying.

After a while, her sorrow became fury. “I won't let them get away. I'm… I'm done being a pathetic pawn!”

She stormed out of the house, not caring if there were any hidden pest watching her. She now had three goals in her mind.

1) Destroy the Tapes

2) Get her brother back

And Lastly, her newest goal.

3) Find and Rescue Riley Park

----------------------------------------------------

It all happened so fast. One minute the kids were watching the train ride along the tracks, where it pushed out a tape.

Then before they knew it, they heard a loud bang, followed by the shriek they heard back at the stadium, letting out a scream when the Entity appeared out of nowhere.

Upon waking up, the kids weren't surprised when they saw the adults panicking and checking if they were okay.

Like the previous restart, Muriel became a mess when she didn't see her Wooly toy, and thankfully, Bowser found him. He was laying on top of a tape that was on the table where the hammer was located. Just like before.

Checking the book, Bowser saw the hammer was back inside. He grabbed it, holding onto it while handing the orange squid her toy back.

Once their headaches were gone, and after taking seats on the chairs, the kids explained what happened.

Just like them, the adults were highly confused.

“Wait, why would you restart if you weren’t watching a tape?” Mario questioned.

“We're wondering that too.” Ness admitted.

“Not gonna lie, I thought the Entity appeared to kill us.” Muriel spoke up, tightly hugging her Wooly doll.

“I'm so confused.” Cletus confessed. “We weren't watching any of the tapes, so why did the monster show up to restart us?”

Before anyone could take a guess, a thud was heard. Moving their heads to where the noise came from, they saw a tape laying in front of the TV.

“Did it fell?” Brandine wondered.

Lucas made his way to it. “It's the Picnic Party one.” He told them.

“Looks like that's the first tape now.” Mort concluded.

“I highly doubt the Entity restarted us so we can watch it again.” Ness tried to joke.

“Unless Amanda wanted that?” Inkling boy theorized.

“Why would she want that?” Muriel questioned.

“I'm not sure. But let's not forget what happened in the Treasure Hunt tape. They're not the same person.”

“Unless the tape has more than you kids think?” Luigi tried to guess. “But it wouldn't explain why you had to restart. You kids could've just reinserted the tape.”

“Unless they weren't going to.” Mario added. “Which means Amanda just gave you a clue if she was the one who ordered the Entity to restart you kids.”

Mort felt himself smiling widely. “She helped us! Which means she trusts us!”

“Wow. If that's the case… I don't know what to say.” Muriel said in disbelief.

“Maybe you can start with apologizing.” Her best friend gently elbowed her.

“Now you're asking for too much.” She teased.

The two softly laughed.

“As long as you kids are fine, that's all that matters.” Mario stated. “But if Amanda's going to be randomly restarting you- if it was her, to give you clues or to try to help, then things are getting more dangerous as we speak.”

“Especially since Hameln has already bothered our stadium.” Luigi added with a shake. “And the fact that they have the Ice Climbers in their grip.”

“Have you guys made any progress with your plan?” Villager wondered.

“Yeah. I was on a video call with Mega Man, he was explaining to Luigi and I how to get the footage when we heard the shriek.” Mario informed the kids. “I abruptly ended the call and we came rushing over.”

“The invisible barrier was in the way for a bit, before we all fell to the floor again.” Lucina included.

“Just in case, we’ll watch the tape with you kids.” Bowser offered. “And I ain't taking no for answer.”

“Regardless, it probably is a good idea that we watch the tape together.” Ness agreed. “If our theory is correct, and Amanda did restart us to give us a hint, then with all of us watching, it'll help us figure out what she's trying to tell us.”

Luigi picked picked up the tape and inserted it into the VCR.

It played static for a bit.

The backyard appeared, where the table had a picnic basket in the center, plates were laid out, along with cups.

“Hi friends! I'm Amanda!”

“And I'm Wooly!”

“Today is a special day! Because not only are Wooly and I having a picnic, but we're also welcoming new friends that joined our neighborhood!” She announced.

“Amanda,” Wooly began. “I hope our friends won't be late to the picnic party. We prepared so much for them! I wouldn't want them to miss it!”

“You're right Wooly! Sometimes friends can be late to events, and that's okay! It just means you're not as important to them as they say you are!”

Mario was heard snorting. “Still teaching kids bad lessons.”

“Uh, I don't think that's what it means Amanda.”

The sound effect of a doorbell was heard. She then got excited, her hands curling up. “They're here! Let's go and welcome them!”

Both made their way off screen.

“You know what to do.” Cletus told Ness.

He nodded. “I'll make my way to the pause button.” He went to the TV and pressed pause, signaling the kids to get started.

The adults watched as they went to the table, where they saw the dollhouse.

“Pretty.” Lucina couldn't stop herself from saying.

“I know right?” Brandine giggled. “I’m taking it home when we're done.”

“These girls.” Mario pinched the bridge of his nose. “I think they've been watching too many Amanda the Adventurer.”

Luigi couldn't hold back his chuckle. “Looks like they're adapting to her mischievous ways.”

“Okay, last time, we rang the doorbell and opened the door,” Lucas recalled. “do we repeat our steps? Or do something else?”

“Hmm, we didn't unlock anything last time, so maybe if we…?” Mort reached for one of the windows on the first floor, pulling it up.

The sound effects of the window opening was heard playing.

“Would anything happen if we still rang the doorbell?” Brandine asked.

“Try it.” Inkling boy encouraged.

She pressed the doorbell, the pretty sound echoing throughout the library.

“So that was the noise we heard.” Lucina softly commented.

“You guys heard it?” Ness asked.

“Yeah. But we didn't say anything.” Robin admitted.

“Okay, just in case, what if we opened another window?” Mort reached for the second floor, opening another window, the sound effect playing again. “Let's see what this does.”

They went back to the TV, where Ness pressed play.

Bowser Jr. held his stomach again. The gut feeling had returned. This time, it filled him with more dread than before. He had to put his hand on his mouth after getting a bad taste in his mouth.

“You good there Junior?” Bowser asked.

“Not really.” He confessed. “I don't feel so good.”

His dad picked him up. “I got you.”

Back on the TV, it played static, showing the two walking through the hallway instead of being at the front door.

Wooly paused, his ears moving up when he saw a window wide opened. “Uh… Amanda? Did you open this window?”

“Nope!” She responded off-screen with joy. “Must've been you Wooly!”

“It changed!” Muriel pointed.

“So depending on what we fumble with, it'll affect the tape.”

Wooly fiddled with his fingers, still looking at the open window. “I didn't open it.” He said softly. He made his way to the window, closing it and even locking it. 

He turned to the camera, an uneasy smile on his face. “Heh heh, remember kids, always check if your doors and windows are closed and locked.”

Another doorbell sound effect played.

“Wooly! Hurry up! Our friends are waiting!” Amanda called, making him look elsewhere.

“Coming Amanda!” He looked back at the screen. “If you ever see a door or window open or unlocked, but don't remember doing it, always let an adult know. You never know what dangers lurk around.”

“Great lesson.” Mario nodded.

Wooly ran off, and the screen transition to the two now by the front door.

Amanda turned to the camera. “When friends pay you a visit, it's always a good idea to greet them with a big smile and a happy tone.”

Wooly nodded. “And if they allow it, a big hug is also a good idea!” 

“Wooly, getting a hug from you would be like getting a hug from a cactus” Amanda jabbed, her eyelids half closed.

Wooly droop his ears. “Aww.”

Amanda made her way to the door, opening it and moving the side. She turned to the camera. “Say hello to our new friends! Meet the cub sisters! Polly and Nancy!”

Two bear characters entered.

Right away, when the adults saw them, they thought about Chrom's words and Bowser Jr.’s gut feeling.

“We know they were kidnapped… and we know about the gut feeling Bowser Jr. had, but we never really thought about if… they were kidnapped to be…” Luigi couldn't finish what he wanted to say.

“Trapped?” Mario finished for him.

His younger brother nodded.

“Wait!” Lucina spoke up. “You think those two might be-”

“Popo and Nana?!” Everyone else shouted in union.

They noticed how the cub sisters looked directly at the screen, like if those were their actual names.

“They heard us!” Ness pointed out.

Bowser Jr. jumped off his father's arms, running to the TV, placing his hands on it. “Is it really you Ice Climbers?!”

Amanda and Wooly looked at each other with shock while the cub sisters got closer to the screen.

"Popo! Nana!” The other kids called.

“J…Jun… Jun!” The pink cub tried to speak. “Lu…Luc… Luc!”

“M…Mor…Mort!” The purple managed to say. “Mu… Mur… Mur!”

“It is them!” Lucina cried.

Brandine covered her mouth. “They really were kidnapped to be trapped in these tapes.”

“No wonder Amanda sent the Entity to restart us!” Cletus shouted.

Wooly moved his eyes around with hesitation. “Uh… w-welcome friends!” He clapped, trying to get the tape back in-script.

Amanda went to the cubs, slightly struggling to pull them away from the screen. “Come on girls.” She said gently.

Popo somewhat struggled in her grip. “Ne! Nes!” She let out.

“Cle! Clet!” Nana cried. “Bran… dine!”

“That's enough girls, you'll scare our viewers.” Amanda said, trying to sound playful, she shoved them back to where they were meant to be.

She took a deep breath and turned to the camera, smiling. “Sorry about that friends! Now where were we? Oh right! If you could invite a friend to your home, who would it be?”

A cloud appeared. 

“We have to get them out of there.” Mario said. “We need to get all the kids out of there!”

“You think others are trapped there?” Luigi asked.

“If Popo and Nana were lured away to be trapped, then it would explain the constant disappearance of the other kids.”

“Gods,” Lucina whimpered. “Then Lauren, and the other children… who knows how long they’ve been in there.”

“We really need to take down Hameln.” Robin said.

As the adults discussed, the kids debated on who's name they should answer with. Muriel had already put Wooly, and they already tried Sam.

The kids looked at Mort, silently telling him they knew who he wanted to put, giving him permission.

He went to the keyboard, typing in the name, ‘Amanda’.

Static filled the screen.

Amanda pointed to herself, similar to how she did in the Goodnight tape. “Me? You would really invite me over?” She asked in a sweet voice.

She put her hands behind her back, slightly moving her shoe in a circle on the floor. “I don't know what to say. That's so nice of you.”

Inking boy felt his heart flutter and skip a beat. His cheeks warmed up and his stomach began to twist in knots. He placed a hand on his chest, trying to ease the pounding, fearing others would hear it.

She gave a warm smile to the audience. “Thank you.”

Inkling girl saw the pink color on her friend's cheeks, it made her mentally laugh. (He has such a big crush on her and he doesn't even know it.) She rolled her eyes while smiling.

Amanda continued with the show. “Now that our friends are here, let's go have that picnic party!”

Static covered the screen and it transition to the backyard.

Everyone was seated. By the fence, the possum's tail hung over the fence, swinging around before it moved off.

“It's fun to have a picnic party to welcome your new friends! Especially if you've been wanting to make new friends!” Amanda beamed.

The camera transition to the side of the table.

“Okay Polly and Nancy, or should I say, Popo and Nana.” She slightly gazed at the camera, giving it a wink before looking back at the cubs. “Pick any plate of food you want!” She offered, giving the two a big smile.

The cubs looked at each plate, trying to decide on which meal to grab.

“Looks like these sisters can't decide what to start with. Maybe you could help them?”

The camera went to bird's eye view, showing three plates.

“Which meal would they start with?” Amanda was heard asking. “The honey buns, the peanut butter sandwiches, or the fruit salad?”

The show waited for an answer.

Ness paused the show. “We've already pick two choices, there's only one left.” He turned to Villager. “Check to see if there's anything different you could do.”

Nodding, Villager made his way to the dollhouse, looking at the backyard area. Like before, he saw the plates of food, along with the bottle with a skull on it.

“Let's see what happens if we pick the fruit salad this time.” Villager decided, opening up the bottle and letting the fumes float around the salad.

After washing his hands like before, they returned to watching the show. Ness pressed play, then clicked the fruit salad.

The screen flickered.

The green aura around covered the salads that were served.

“Yum! I love fruit salads!” Amanda cheered.

The camera went back to the side of the table. 

“Uh… Amanda? Are these safe to eat?” Wooly asked.

“Oh Wooly, you’re so silly.” She giggled. “Of course it's okay to eat!”

The nose of the possum was seen sniffing the table.

The camera then zoomed out to show the backyard, where the possum leaped onto the table, getting Wooly to scream and fall of the bench while Amanda jumped away, looking prepared, the cubs remained on their seats.

Unlike before, they weren't surprised anymore, they now looked at the Possum with a bit of worry.

The possum grabbed one of the salad bowls, making noises.

“Oh no!” Amanda said in a sarcastic voice. “He's going to ruin our picnic party! Better stop him quickly!”

“Why does he always bother us?!” Wooly cried, pulling his ears.

The adults were considering doing something, but didn't when they saw how the kids weren't reacting.

After a while, the possum dunked his face into the bowl he grabbed, chowing down on the fruit.

Once finished, he tossed the bowl, his muzzle being covered with the colors of the fruit he devoured.

He grabbed the basket and took off with it.

“Hey! Come back here! Alright! That's it!” She turned to the animals. “Popo and Nana! You stay and keep watch! Wooly! Let's deal with that guy!”

Wooly nodded and the two ran off screen.

“Pause.”

Ness obeyed Lucas’ request.

He went to the dollhouse. “What should we try this time?”

“There isn't much else to try.” Muriel believed. “If we open the doors, the possum will probably escape, and if we open other windows, he could escape with that as well. So we should stick with our previous pick.”

Lucas opened the window that was in the guest room. It made a falling sound effect.

They went back to the TV.

“What kind of kid's show teaches children to poison animals?” Mario wondered.

“A show that lures kids away.” Bowser answered.

Ness pressed play.

The show transition to the guest room. The window opened wide.

Bowser was heard gasping. Bowser Jr. let out a frightened yelp.

The room looked the same, except for one thing. The bed. Seeing the sky blue hair, the blue blanket, and the white triangles made it too easy to guess who it was.

It didn't take long for the others to also catch on.

“Is that-”

“Larry!” Both Koopa king and prince shouted.

“When did they take Larry?!” Mario demanded.

“That means they went back to the stadium more than once!” Luigi panicked.

“We have to warn them!” Robin added.

“But didn't father said the children were being watched by others?!” Lucina recalled.

Bowser Jr. held his stomach again. “Ack!”

“Junior!” His father went to his aid. “Are you having another gut feeling?”

“It hurts! More than the last one!” Junior cried out.

“We gotta check on the stadium!” Robin advised.

Bowser picked up his son again, gently rubbing his stomach. “It's okay Junior. Try to slowly breathe. I'll massage until it eases.”

As everything was happening, the possum ran inside the room, out of breath. He stared at the bed, looking at the bulging pair of eyes.

Ness, Mort, and Muriel, who were still paying attention while the others were focused on Bowser Jr., saw how the possum looked taken aback by the sudden inclusion.

But he couldn't focus on it much, leaping onto the drawer when Amanda and Wooly entered.

“I don't who you are, but I've had enough of you! Give us back our picnic basket you weirdo!” She threw herself at the animal, grabbing the basket and trying to pull it out of his mouth.

She grunted as she struggled, with the possum making struggling noises of his own, attempting to keep his grip.

“A little help here!” Amanda ordered, looking at the camera while still tugging.

“You know what to do.” Mort said.

His best friend went to the screen, tapping on the possum.

Static filled the screen.

Amanda tugged and Wooly ran to the possum, giving him a hard shove. The possum let go of the basket, coughing harshly.

His body jolted upward, grabbed his neck, and fell backwards, falling out of the window.

Amanda handed the basket to Wooly, looking out the window. “Well deserved.” She looked at the camera. “Hopefully that teaches him to leave us alone.” She smiled brightly.

Noticing the panic going on behind the ones watching, she looked at the bed. “I hope no other friends of yours comes here.” She muttered, looking at the floor. The screen slightly glitched and played slight static when she spoke.

“Let's get back to out picnic party.” Wooly said, getting the screen to fix itself.

Static filled the screen and they were back to the backyard.

Popo and Nana were still sitting there. Both making bear noises, implying they were discussing something when the camera wasn't on them.

Amanda and Wooly returned. “Hi friends! We're back! And not only did we got our picnic basket back, but I made us replacement fruit salads!” She held up the bowls to show it off while Wooly placed the basket back on the table.

She looked at the camera. “Now let's finally have that party!”

The show transition to the side of the table again, with the characters now eating from their bowls, all of them enjoying the snack.

“Mmm, that's really good!” Amanda smiled. “We should have the honey buns next!” She suggested.

“I love having picnic parties.” Wooly said.

"Let's make a toast! To new friends!”

“To new friends!” They all cheered.

The screen then transition to the Hameln logo, where the jingle played and their slogan appeared.

The tape ejected and then fell out.

“You kids do what you have to do, I need to call Chrom!” Mario rushed out of the Kid’s Corner, taking out his phone. “If they did returned to the stadium, I need to know if they went with Bowser's idea!”

“I gotta get back to the computer,” Luigi stated. “I'll call up Mega Man so he can finish explaining how to move the footage.” He left the Kid’s Corner.

“How do you feel Junior?” Bowser checked. pausing with the caressing.

“The gut feeling is still there.” His son confessed. “I think it's trying to warn me about the rest of my siblings.”

“Then we gotta head to Mario.” He exited the Kid's Corner, taking his son with him.

“Will you kids be fine?” Robin checked.

“Hopefully.” Villager replied honestly.

“We're not sure if Amanda will send the Entity after us again.” Brandine added.

“She didn't meant us harm.” Mort defended. “Remember, she only send it to restart us, and look what happened. We discovered the Ice Climbers and Larry need our help. So if the Entity does return, we shouldn't worry too much.”

“Easy for you to say.” Lucas commented.

“Robin and I can stay.” Lucina offered.

“We'll be fine.” Mort reassured her. “I already said it, if the Entity comes back, we'll know why.”

The two nodded and left.

“The whole Amanda sending the Entity was a theory Mort.” Ness reminded him. “We don't know for sure if she did helped us.”

“Regardless, restarting help us.” He replied. “Let’s see, last time we watched this tape, we did the train puzzle. So we gotta watch the ‘Let's Plan a Trip’ tape again.”

Right on cue, Robin reappeared, a tape in his hand. “Thankfully, Luigi wrote down the code, so we don’t have to worry about that anymore.”

He handed them the tape. “Good luck, and be careful.”

“Same for you guys.” Ness said.

“One thing!” Mort said, getting Robin to pause. “Did you… tell the stranger what happened with the Ice Climbers?”

Robin nodded.

“How did she reacted?”

“She didn’t.”

“Huh?” All the kids asked.

“She didn't reacted at all. Just stood there, not saying a word. Even after all of us asked her endless questions, she didn’t answer. Just said she needed air and left.” Robin told them.

“She didn't react to the fact that two kids got kidnapped?” Muriel double check.

“Maybe she didn't know what to say?” Lucas suggested. “Robin said she needed air, so maybe she was too shock to say anything.”

“Or maybe, she didn't reacted because she knew that was going to happen.” Inkling boy muttered.

“No, we're not going down that path again.” Ness stated. “We have to work together, not point fingers at each other.”

“Well until she tells us why she didn't reacted, I'm keeping my theory on her being connected to Hameln in some way. She isn't trustworthy.”

“Remember what we agreed on,” Inkling girl placed a hand on his shoulder. “If I have to try to be decent to Amanda, then-”

“Then I have to try to be decent to the stranger.” He finished for her. “I know.”

“Good. Thanks again for the tape Robin.” She smiled.

“No problem.” Robin nodded. “Again, good luck, and be careful.”

“Same for you guys.”

While Robin walked away, and while Ness inserted the tape, Muriel looked at her Wooly doll. She thought back to the theory of Amanda helping them.

She got closer to the ear of the doll. “If somehow, someway, you can hear me, tell Amanda… thank you for helping us discover what happened to the Ice Climbers.” She whispered. “And tell her, that while I appreciate her helping… I won't apologize for hating her.”

Despite everything, she couldn't get pass the fact that the hostess killed Wooly, nor the times she put them through traumatic events. They were memories that'll never go away. No matter how much she tried.

Inkling girl was willing to slightly move on, if Amanda truly was trying to help. But she wasn’t ready, nor did she ever think she'd be ready, to forgive and forget everything Amanda had done.

Of course, she wouldn't say that to the others, she knew them too well by this point. With her biggest enemy being her own best friend.

Yet bits of her, felt ashamed that she was still hostile towards the hostess. She tightly held her shorts as she felt bits of her blood boil.

Most of her still resented Amanda. After all, she didn't leave a good first impression when they first met. And throughout the first set of tapes, all she did was act like the villain of the show.

Even now, with the new set of tapes, she still acted like the villain sometimes. At the same time, she also acted… like a kid. Which is what she is.

She hadn't improved anything with Wooly, which enraged the orange squid, but she was acting more- well, barely in her eyes, like an actual child who's just mischievous rather than evil or psychotic.

Considering that Muriel had a mental breakdown when wondering how to feel about her, she figured half of her was ready to move on, while the other half wanted to have her suffer and pay.

For now, she would have to put her mental battle on hold. They had a tape to rewatch.