Something Wrong? (Skepnoblade)

Chapter 9

"What just happened?" A dazed Skeppy shakily stood up, staring at the slowly fading rainbow in the air and Techno's flaming hair that began to lose its glow. His eyes fluttered shut and the pink-haired boy collapsed.

"W-Wilbur? What do I do?"

"Well." said Wilbur. "Well, you could - could..." speech failed him. What do you say when your brother just went magic-wacko on you and his fiance? And then, even worse, a cobra unicorn went magic-wacko on everybody?

"Well. Whatever you do, don't touch him." Wilbur whirled around, meeting Philza's steady gaze. 

"Hi Dadza..?" 

Philza rolled his eyes. He reached out a hand, and Skeppy, in wonder, watched Techno's body rise up in the air. "Back to the castle, let's go."

Skeppy opened his mouth-

And then...

"WIIIIIIILBUUR!!!" A small figure raced up over the low hill toward them. "I SAW EEEEEEEEVERYTHIIIIING!"

Wilbur facepalmed, and Techno opened one of his eyes. Then he saw Tommy, and closed it again.

Tommy barreled into Philza, making him wheel his arms around to keep balance, and Techno began to fall.

In one fluid motion, Techno flipped over and landed on his feet. 

Then, seemingly a movement only noticed by Skeppy, he stared at his feet in surprise that immediately changed to relief.

What was that..?

He decided to forget about it and demand answers from the King.

"What was that? How'd you do that? What did Techno just eat to become crazy and all those unicorns?!"

Wilbur looked up. "You don't want to know - it's our curse."

"Curse?" The word that would normally send shivers up anyone's spine made Skeppy even curiouser. "What curse?"

"Oh dear gods." Techno sighed. "I'll explain it in the castle."

"You will definitely NOT be explaining anything!" Philza narrowed his eyes. "What you will be doing is explaining to ME what the fuck just happened!"
He blinked for a couple moments until he realized what he had just said.

Techno almost smirked. Almost. 
"It was Skeppy. He brought the crystal." tattled Techno, making Philza look at Skeppy. "Traitor" he mumbled.
"Really? 'Twas you? Well then, guess you'll come with us."

-------

"So. Curse. Once upon a time, a bunch of land-pirates came to the forest surrounding the castle."

"The forest where I found-"

"Yes." Philza sighed. "We don't say it out loud."

"Please continue."

"Sure. Those land-pirates came upon an old witch and told her that they were looking for a magical tree because some prophecy told them that's where they should build their castle.
Well, the witch was nice, so she showed them the tree and soon enough, the castle was built."

"This castle? You guys are descendants of pirates?!"

"Yes, this castle, and no, those pirates all died, along with their descendants, many years ago. 
So. The castle. 
Many years later, when the original pirates died, their ancestor, some gal named Captain Puffy happened upon the tree. She, like you, decided to bring some to the castle, but the witch's daughter stopped her. She told of great horrors that the magic of the tree would bring and how the whole place should be forgotten for the good of us all. Of course, Puffy was a land-pirate's daughter. Deciding that no witch would tell her what to do, she then and there ate some of that sap."

"And? She became all golden-glowy like Techno?"

"Well, almost. Because the witch had told her not to, the magic acted unpredictably - turning Captain Puffy crazy. Legends say her magic was purple poison, turning everything to dust. The witch was killed then and there, and some of the villagers were harmed. It was all stopped by a fly who landed on Puffy's face and her magic coiled out to kill it, touching Puffy too. Everything turned to dirt and blew off in the wind. That's why the soil in that one village near us is a dusky purple color.
And also, the witch, upon dying, cursed all who live in this castle, to be forever drawn to that tree and made all items, upon being brought inside the castle, to gain sentiency. Also, all who died here become ghosts. If you noticed, the ghost leader was the Captain herself."

Skeppy did recall it being someone who had a cutlass and really awesome fluffy hair.

"I- maybe?"

"Well. Now you know our secret. Feel free to, after the marriage, to go back to your castle and never come here again." Philza looked... dismayed. Crushed.
The cat was out of the bag and he was sure what was to come. 
Screams, slammed doors, and never coming back. The grayness that spread slowly from room to room, as inhabitants left and never returned. The castle was lonely - and dying from it. 

And there was absolutely nothing that Philza could do. 
Any more children and he would have no time for his Kingly duties. 
A husband? Who would even bother with this mess?

Skeppy had been a last resort - and now even that shred of hope was gone. 

He could mentally see the grayness taking over Skeppy's sky-colored room, from the color of forget-me-nots to the color of forget-me-pleases. 

Skeppy gasped. "Y-your boot! It's - uh - gray?"

Philza shook his head, dispelling the gloom. His boot turned back to green. "Nothing. Just the castle acting up."

Lie. The last time the castle had really acted up was when Nikki left. The curtains pulled her back, the bed moved farther from the door, the rugs would move. The whole castle reached out to her, wouldn't let her go. She ran from there. Ran. 
The castle cried for days. Any water would run twice as fast and twice as much. The moss grew a forest on the walls and the grayness spread to all the rooms adjacent to hers. 

It was terrifying. And he knew - it was obvious - that the castle had taken a shine to the diamond boy. It would die watching another loved one leave.

Also Philza thought that Techno was also going to die of it. For the same reasons.

Just a hunch.

And then-

"I don't think I'll leave. I like it here." Skeppy looked like he had made a hard decision, yet was content with his choice.

"Really?"