House of Baloo 2, 3

22.

THE VOID, CASTLE STYGIAN

"Yeah, so just got a quick ping from Dynamo? We've had a little insubordination... Yeah, according to his report, our Mr. N took on a hero-fighting initiative.... I accept full responsibility. It was my administrative breakdown that allowed this..." Anastasia said.

"I see, remarked Count Stygian... Well, what's done is done. This prophecy will not be fulfilled without sacrifice."

Anastasia lowers her head.

"So, 'K... Um, and just another quick update on Owo... Yeah... She, um, also left the castle."

"Did she, now? Well, Count Stygian will leave you to dispense the minion discipline."

"Count... Um, you seem...a bit different today. New monocle? Or did something happen?"

"Count Stygian feels fine... Leave me..."

"Oh, um, of course, yeah... Please excuse me."

Anastasia leaves, then Stygian holds his hat over his face.

"Could that Pixl have been...Timpani?"

He shakes his head.

"No, no. Completely impossible. I should know that better than anyone. Besides, it's far too late to do anything now. The prophecy has been set in motion, and no one, not even I, can stop it. No one can stop this now..."

Stygian leaves with the Dark Prophecy.

...

X and the others come out of the dark blue door, then they immediately go back to Merlon's house.

"Oh ho! The heroes return! Tell me, do you have the seventh Pure Crystal?"

They walk up to him.

"Well... Maybe you should take a look at it, Merlon..." Tippi said.

X takes out the Pure Crystal.

"Mmm... Hmm? What... What happened to it?"

"The Void had consumed that world...and left the Pure Crystal like this..."

"Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... I do not feel the typical energy from this. Even if you set it into a Crystal Pillar it will do nothing. What do we do?"

"Oh... But then...how do we save him... I mean... How do we save... everyone... from destruction?"

"To stop this prophecy, we must defeat Count Stygian, who started all of this... But to do that, we will need all eight Pure Crystals, as the Light Prophecy says. We are between a rock and a hard place..."

"Ah ha ha. The forlorn group of heroes, how they cry! The tears flow like sad chowder!" A voice said.

Dynamo appears.

"D-Dynamo?! What are you doing here?"

"Oh, bad news for you! There is no way in this world to restore the Pure Crystal... Yes, sadly, your hard work was all...in...vain."

"Are you serious? That...really stinks!"

"Ah ha ha. Yes, it does, and that's why I decided to give you a consolation prize..."

He puts X, Neon, and Zephyr in a block, then snaps his finger. This causes an explosion that damages the trio, as Merlon and Tippi watch in fear. The trio suddenly disappears.

"What...just happened?" Merlon asked.

"X? Neon? Zephyr?" Tippi said.

"X? Where'd you go? X!"