Chapter 12: Night Terrors"I'm not surprised you would come all this way for the little kid." Stitches said. "I remember seeing how devastated you looked when they said good-bye." "That's because I never got to say good-bye." Grey sighed. "We just... let Puzzleman take them to Fate knows where." Stitches sighed. "Young Princess... it wasn't our fault, and certainly not yours, that he took those two out from our realm." Oaken quietly held and tightened his friend's hand in comfort, as the monster king spoke. "We didn't let him take them. Neither of us could have known, not even you." Grey nodded and made it seem like she felt better, but she was still hurting. A few minutes later, Mr. Stitches lead the two kids turn after turn, and the duo wondered what was down the other corridors. "So, princess, bitten any king's fingers lately?" "You're still upset about that?!" Grey asked. "You had me locked in a cage and poked me! You were being very annoying!" "Why is there so many branching paths?" Oaken asked. "To trap trespassers, and send them back to the start. Very convenient portal system." The stitched monster said. "T and I made all these branching paths to make sure we don't be disturbed when one comes across this place." "How do you know where to go?" Grey asked. "Follow a set path with special paint, and soon, the paint isn't needed and it's as simple as walking in your home." Stitches smiled. The trio soon heard the sound of keys loudly clacking and machines whirring. "How goes the search, hun?" Mr. Stitches asked as he leaned against the door frame. "65% close to Masked Kid 745 and Elizabeth." T. bur replied, not taking his eyes off the screen. "I'll stop soon, and let the machine continue the search on it's own while I sleep. I'll need to feed it more of 745's DNA to keep the search going." "I almost lost them once, I'm not going to lose them now!" The shark said. "What do you mean by that?" Grey asked. T. Bur looked at the princess in disguise, and shook his head. "It's time you and Oaken got some sleep, Princess." He puts a fin on her shoulder as he passed her. "You'll need all you're energy tomorrow morning." "What it because of the accident...?" Grey asked. "That's a discussion we want to have, when we find the kid and Elizabeth." Stitches said, following the shark. That night, Grey and Oaken slept in sleeping bags in a spare room. However, Grey's dreams were less than hopeful. She opened her eyes and found herself in a vast white wasteland. Nothing but floating appearing and disappearing blocks and a massive stary void could be seen ahead of her. As she started walking, she could hear whispers all around her. "Hello...?" The princess turned, only to find no one. As she resumes to walk, she smacks into an invisible wall. "Ow..." Grey groans as she rubs her nose. "Guess I can't go this way, anymore." She places her hands on the invisible wall, pressing on it, and banged her fist as hard as she can. No dent. "If I can't get passed this glass wall, maybe I could find the end." Grey decided aloud. Keeping her hand on the wall, Grey walked along the wall to the end. Despite being a sturdy wall, she could hear a shrill scream clear as day! She looked in the direction of the scream, and she felt her heart drop to her stomach... It was Mouse and Elizabeth facing off against what she assumed was a more demented version of Puzzleman. Her blood felt like it froze when she saw her friend's own streaming out their wounds, leaving dark indigo puddles as they stepped. "Green Boots! Green Boots- I mean, Mouse, I'll be right there!" Grey shouted. She turned to run, but slammed into another invisible wall. "Ow..." Grey whimpered, covering her nose. But as she turns to the left, she jumped as her hand met another wall. "You gotta be kidding me..." Turning again, and the same thing. The princess started breathing heavier as her heartbeat quickened. In a panic, Grey started slamming against the walls from all directions. Grey felt powerless watching Mouse get weaker and weaker. And the Puzzleman set a blast of energy through the poor kid's chest. "MOUSE!" The disguised princess shrieked at the top of her lungs. "NO!" Grey woke up in a cold sweat, waking Oaken with her shout. "Huh?! What's happening?! A-are we in danger?!" But when the former hero say his friend, his expression softened. Slowly and quietly, Oaken scooted closer to Grey, and remained there until Grey calmed down. When her heart stopped racing, she sniffled, and rubbed her watery eyes. Meanwhile, Mr. Stitches found himself back at his crumbling castle, kneeling before the masked kid who bested him. "Oh, who am I kidding?" Stitches sighed. "End it, child." He's accepted his fate. "The responsibility... is now yours." This kid will be the new evil leader. "At least I can finally... rest." But to his surprise, the kid dropped the hilt, and they too, fell to their feet, and cried. "No..." Mouse sobbed. Elizabeth looked at her substitute hero with remorse. "It's alright, kid. It's over..." She sighs. "I'm sorry I made you got hrough this." "W-what?! NO!" Mr. Stitches stammered. "NO! NO! NO! YOU HAVE TO!" He could feel the blood drain from his face. "You will doom us all!" The hilt rolled her eyes. "Come on, dude! Give it a rest. Don't you think the world would have ended by now?" "...You do not... understand..." Stitches's heart was beating out of his chest. "You useless fools." A familiar voice growled. That voice shook the monster king to his core. "Who the-" Before Elizabeth could finish, Puzzleman appeared before everyone! "Do you have ANY idea of what you have caused?!" He growled. "The unbalance YOU have brought to this world!" "Y-YOU?!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "You are behind all this?!" "OF COURSE I WAS!" The dice head snapped. "I've been trying to guide you all this time, and you do exactly the opposite! YOU ARE WORTHLESS!" Realization hit T. Bur like an out of control carriage. "You must be the one that has been poisoning Stitches's mind for all these years! I KNEW he wasn't mad!" "So the hero cycles are your doing!" Princess Cereza glared through her mask. "The destruction of the world..." Elizabeth thought aloud. "That was just a lie, wasn't it?" "A... lie?" The not-so mad king felt like he was going to vomit from this realization. "This runt has ruined everything! Hundreds of years of harmony, gone..." There was a collective gasp as he teleported between Mouse and Stitches. "Just so you could feel like a little HERO?!" Puzzleman grabbed Elizabeth, summoning the blade, "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT, KIDDO." And plunged it right into Mouse's heart. Silence... The demented game host pulled the sword out, and everyone watched as the child fell to the floor, surrounded by their pooling blood. "Look at what you've done, Salle... All this, because you couldn't finish them off." Puzzleman sneered at Stitches. "Th-they weren't supposed to be the-" "And yet, you allowed them to do it, anyway." Puzzleman snaps his fingers, and everyone in the arena was slain with a crack of thunder. Stitches felt frozen and helpless. "Now, I'm going to have to start all over..." Stitches heard one last thunderclap as he woke up. He panted as he looked around. His shark husband turned to face him. "Another nightmare, dear...?" T. Bur said in a groggy tone. Stitches nodded. "Felt just as real as the others." The shark put a fin on the burlap king's back. "Wanna talk about it?" "Puzzleman murdered Mouse... right in front of us..." Stitches murmured. "He used Elizabeth to pierce their heart... I couldn't... I couldn't do anything! I just... watched..." He sobbed. "I feel like we failed the-" T. Bur stopped Stitches and held his hands. "That is enough!" The shark said sternly. "We've come too far to feel like failures." Stitches held his husband close. "We will find 745 and Elizabeth... and we will find them alive." "You're right, babe." The burlap king smiled, and nods. "I'm really glad you didn't listen to me."CH 10: Under the GraveSnow crunched underfoot as Grey and Oaken wandered through the Long Woods. Every breath the two kids took were visible puffs. And the snow seemed endless. Although monsters have joined the side of good, the real threat to them were Zompos, zombie moles who live underground, and only fight when they're disturbed. Unfortunately, the only way to get rid of them is to whack them with a huge hammer. The only one who has a big mallet was Oaken, given to him by Bachi in case of emergencies. But the merchant knows that the disguised princess would make better use of the weapon than him. Grey gently kicked his toes to the manor steps, knocking the snow off his red boots. Walking inside, ghosts were hovering back and forth with underhero business or hanging out with friends. The human children waved to the specters passing by. Oaken felt chills down his spine and looked at the ghosts nervously. He knew they're harmless now, mostly, but ghosts always made him anxious. He wasn't sure why. Back to treading through the snow, now was the time to really be careful. "Watch the ground as you step." Grey warned. Oaken nods. "If a Zompo pops up and grabs you, whack it with a hammer!" "And if you get attacked?" Oaken asked. "Toss it to me so I can whack it, of course." Grey answered. "Right." The brown-haired boy nodded. "Um... Hey, if you don't mind me asking, where did you get the name Grey?" Grey paused for a moment, thinking back on his first battle with Mouse and Elizabeth. *"Hold it right there!" Grey Kid snapped. He held his rapier to Mouse's throat. "You are the one who took the legendary weapon of the hero! Give it to me, immediately!" Mouse gulped, feeling a shudder go down their spine. "Ah! Do you know what this means, kid?!" Elizabeth asked. The smaller masked kid tilted their head in confusion. "You have a rival now!!! You're one step closer to becoming a true hero!" "SILENCE! I'm no one's rival! You're not strong enough to even be called MY rival!" Grey sneered. Elizabeth was clearly amused by this kid's attempt to be tough. "He's so full of himself, too!" Elizabeth joyful demeanor changed, as she sobbed happily. "I'm so proud of you, kid." "Enough!" Grey snapped. "You will give me the weapon or you will die here!" Elizabeth scoffed at this. "Sure, bring it on, Grey Kid. Let's see if you're 'worthy'." The hilt then proceeded to laugh. "Um, excuse the intrusion, but are you perhaps... fighting, by any chance?" A chubby ghost asked. Grey, unphased and unmoving just shouted, "Stay out of this, you blob." "Just like I thought! AHEM!" The ghost turned to the ghost party and shouted, "YO! YOU GUYS!!! THERES A FIGHT OVER HERE!!!" A huge cluster of ghosts gathered and started chanting "FIGHT!" over and over. Grey lowered his weapon and groaned with annoyance along with Elizabeth.* "Elizabeth called me Grey Kid when I blocked their path, and... I guess the name stuck." Grey explained. Suddenly, a hand popped out of the ground and grabbed Grey's ankle. The Zompo emerged and groaned, holding on to Grey's leg with both claws. Oaken grabbed his hammer and slammed it on the zombie mole. The undead creature let go, leaving a scratch in the process. Grey and Oaken ran for the trees as the monster was dazed. Sitting high in the branches, Oaken and Grey were able to catch their breath. Blood was dripping from the Grey Kid's wounded ankle. He noticed this and wrapped a bandage around it and downed a potion. "Thank Fate those things don't carry a deadly virus." Grey sighed. He looked at his bandaged ankle. "Think it'll leave a scar?" "If it's deep enough." Oaken said, scratching the back of his neck. "... Do you... want a scar?" Grey smiled and nodded. "They're cool! It shows how tough you are, and that you're a survivor." "I never thought of scars like that before." Oaken said. "I always thought they were just marks, not a symbol of bravery." "Whether it's surgical or from a fight, all scars have a story." Grey though aloud. Grey got up on the branch he was on and looked around, trying to remember the path he took for the icy pond. "This way!" The Grey Kid pointed, then he started jumping off branch after branch, and motioned Oaken to follow. The scarfed boy did, the best he could. I was never good at climbing trees. He thought to himself. Maybe I did when I was the hero. But, I don't want to think about that. I make a good living with Mr. Bachi and I don't want to ruin it with unwanted memories. As Grey jumped off the last tree, landing on his feet, and Oaken fell on his face. Thankfully, the snow cushioned the impact. He got up, wiping the snow off, and followed Grey to the lake. Bright flashing lights could be seen and blaring music was heard as the duo got closer to the Oblivion Party. "I'm sorry, kiddos, but only ghosts and bats are allowed in this party." The bouncer ghost said. "Princess! Oaken!" Bella exclaimed. The little candle held by a disembodied hand flew over to the ghost. "You can let these two in they're my friends!" "We're not here to party," Grey waved his hand. "We just need to pass by to the lake." "Permission to pass, granted!" The ghost moved out of the way. "The lake is dead ahead." "Thank you." Grey bows his head. The two children walked past the flashing lights and blaring music. Some ghosts were chatting happily and loudly, and others were singing horribly. Grey steps on the lake, and immediately starts slipping! "WHOA!" He shouts as he falls on his hands and knees as he tries to pick himself up, to little success. The brown-haired boy hops down, and the same thing happened! Except Oaken falls on his butt. "You- whoa..." Oaken tried to stand up as he spoke. "You fought Mouse and Elizabeth here?! How-?!" He feel on his face. "I d-didn't have this hard a time when I was here ab-bout almost year ago...!" Grey said as he slid to the other side of the lake. He sighed with relief as he got back on the non-slippery ground. "Grey! GREY!" Oaken screamed as he slid towards the Grey Kid. Slamming straight into him. "Sorry..." The former hero chuckles sheepishly. "It's fine, wasn't the first time you fell on top of me, I don't think it'll be the last." Grey got up and dusted himself off. "R-really?" Oaken looked at the rogue in surprise. "Yeah." Grey said. "But, that's a story for another day." The disguised princess started walking to the mausoleum. "How do you know that T. Bur and Stitches are under there?" Oaken asked, following him. "Best to search the obvious spots first." Grey replied. "If they're not here, we search under the bleachers near the ice skating rink." He clears his throat and speaks firmly. "This is Princess Cereza Castana, sole heir to the Chestnut Kingdom. I have a guest, Oaken the former hero." The kids waited... and waited... and waited... "Maybe you didn't say it loud enough." Oaken suggested. "Oh, maybe they're not here." Grey sighed. And as the two were about to leave, there was a loud rumble and stone grinding noise as the stone coffin moved to the side, revealing a set of stairs. The grey hooded child looked closely down the stairs. He heard a door open, followed by a voice. "Princess?" That familiar voice... That voice belonged to the once evil monster that used to terrorize the Chestnut kingdom. Of course, that was not of Stitches' choice, as he peered out of the stairwell. "T. Bur knew you'd be coming." "I found his encrypted note." Grey nodded. The patched up monster turn to Oaken. "I just didn't know you'd bring the former hero." "I didn't know it was a crime for my friend to make sure I didn't get hurt." Grey smirked. "Though..." He shows the former evil beast his bandaged ankle. "Too late for that." Mr. Stitches stepped out of the way, gesturing to the stairs. "We have a lot to discus. T. Bur suspects he's close to finding the kid and Elizabeth's location." Grey and Oaken walk down the stairs, followed by Stitches as the grave slowly shut, as if it never moved.Chapter 6: DespairGrey walked quickly, pulling the scarfed boy by the wrist, practically dragging him along. "Prin- Grey, I think we can slow down." Oaken suggested. "The guards are probably far enough that we can rest." But the suggestion fell on deaf ears, Grey didn't slow down, nor did he want to. Because he knew that if he were caught, then it's all over. He'd be found out and never allowed to be by himself again. The duo crossed cold rivers and carefully slid down slopes. Grey's feet started to get sore, so he led Oaken to a bundle of bushes, perfect size for two children to hide under. Now, this was the proper spot to rest. "Where... where are we going again?" The brown haired boy asked. "The Stitched Castle. I want to find at least a clue on where Stitches and T. Bur went." Grey explained. "If we find those two, we find Green Boots and Elizabeth." "Wish they at least left us a hint to where they're going." The brown-haired boy panted. "Then again, those two probably didn't plan on or want anyone following them." "They left... thinking they could do it themselves. But they've been gone for nearly a year!" Grey added. His face was slowly getting more pained. As Oaken spoke about how Stitches and T. Bur could find Mouse and Elizabeth by themselves. As Grey's mind spiraled further and further into despair. Doubt started to outweigh his hope. Maybe he can't find them. "Grey...?" The disguised princess didn't respond. "Hey, we'll find-" "IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME!!!" Grey finally snapped. "If... if I had taken Elizabeth, Green Boots wouldn't have gone missing... They would have... But why them? Of all people... why did it have to be them..." Grey's hands started to shake along with his voice. Not knowing what else to do, Oaken held on to Grey's hands. "You would've been the one who was lost. Now, I may not know or remember what happened between you guys, but what I am absolutely certain of, is that those two are safe and alive." "How could you know that...?" Grey asked between sobs. "Because like you, I have complete faith that they're okay. And you losing faith like this doesn't match who you are." Oaken said. "This isn't like you! Not too long ago, you were determined to find the Masked Kid and Elizabeth. You can't give up now!" Grey felt like she was slapped in the face from what Oaken said. "Y-you're right..." He sobbed. "I'm sorry... I'm just... so tired..." He was indeed tired, not just tired of waiting, but also physically exhausted. He just rested his head on his knees. Oaken rubbed Grey's back to comfort her. The brown-haired boy looked around one more time to make sure that they weren't being followed. Knights would probably have search dogs hunting them down. Oaken looked for a path that would guarantee a secure hiding place. However, this led him to fall into an unexpected hole with a yelp. "Oak?" Grey looked around and fell in the same hole his friend fell in. He fell with a reactive squeal, but at a certain point, he felt gravity shift as a trapdoor opened up. "Where are we...?" Oaken asked. Grey blinked a few times as memories flooded back. "We're in the old minions shortcut!" The dark-haired child motioned for Oaken to follow. An aminoguana looking at a clipboard marched through the halls. The three bumped into each other. "Be careful, young ones!" He grumbled. "Oh, sorry, Francis!" Grey apologized as he helps the old lizard up. "It's fine, just be careful, masked... princess..." Francis was about to say 'kid' but he quickly changed the word and tone, upon seeing the young princess' face. "Sorry, it's late, and you kids should get some rest. There's some space in the apartments if you wanna sleep. Children like you two need as much rest as you can get. Again, sorry for bumping in to you." "It's alright, I wasn't paying attention." Grey laughed. Now that Frankie mentioned it, he and Oaken were getting tired. He looked at the elevator and lead the brown haired boy there and pressed the first button. The two waited in silence as the elevator slowly descended. Once the doors opened the two walked out and headed to the left. Grey opens the door marked 1-A, and Oaken heads to the door marked 1-B. "Good night, Grey." Oaken smiled. "Night." Grey responded. He shut the door behind him. "Hope you don't mind me using your room, green boots. I have to be at my best to find you and Elizabeth." He looked around the room, there wasn't much in the way of decorations. There were a few posters, and some hoodies hanging from a steel rack, and shoes just piled underneath. The sheets on the bed were tossed to the side, as the last time the owner of this room was here, they were on their way to battle Grey from a letter falsely signed by Stitches. Looking back, he did feel bad for tricking them and nearly killing them. Grey finally laid down on the bed, feeling pained but hopeful. With a tear roll down his face, he shut his eyes, and finally fell asleep.CH 4: Sneaking OutBack at the Chestnut Kingdom, Princess Cereza looked out her bedroom window with a crestfallen look. All she could think about was her friends she knew for a short time. She gazes into the sunset as if Mouse and Ellie would suddenly appear over the horizon. It's been months since their disappearance. The princess felt hopelessness clutch her heart. But she refused to let it completely take hold of her. Some people would tell her that it was just a few days and to just forget about them, but what would they know? They weren't the ones who masqueraded as a masked kid to find the hero's weapon and wanted to battle Lord Stitches. Cereza thought about writing again to Mouse and Ellie, but she's started running out of interesting things to talk about, to her at least. And the unsent letters were starting to pile up. She can't keep doing this... She can't keep sitting here and do nothing! Cereza then looks at her Grey Kid outfit. Feeling the smooth glass-like surface of the mask, made her get a sense of nostalgia. Oh, how she longed to go venturing as the mysterious Grey Kid again. A knock on the door made the princess hid the costume in her closet. "C-come in!" Cereza tried to hide the panic in her voice. The door opens and She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Oaken walk enter the room. "Oaken... Thank the gods its just you!" "Yeah, I asked the guards if I could visit, and they told me you were in here." The brown-haired boy said. "What were you doing?" "Oh, you know... Staring our into the sunset for what feels like years... You know, princess stuff!" Cereza grimaced. "You're still thinking about them, aren't you?" Oaken frowned. "It was that obvious?" Cereza asked. Oaken just nodded. "I just... I just feel so helpless. I want to help, but I don't know what to do..." Tears were threatening to fall, but she refused to acknowledge them. "I haven't felt this helpless since Stitches kidnapped me. Back when he was a puppet to that dice head..." She breathed out. A tear finally fell from her face. Despair started to sink in, but not for long. Her sad face shifted into one with determination. Like a fire started in her heart. Her mind was set! She knew what she wanted to do. "I want to be the Grey Kid again." Cereza said with a firm tone. Oaken just stared at the princess. "I want to be the Grey Kid again." She repeated. "I know this is selfish, but I'm desperate to see them again. I never even knew Green Boot's name." "So, when do you plan to sneak out?" Oaken asked. "Tonight, you don't have to go if you don't want to." Cereza said. "But just know, you're not stopping me!" "But what if I want to go with you?" Oaken asked. As Cereza writes something, she pauses and turns to her friend. "Are-are you sure?" The dark haired boy nods. "Okay, while I'm getting ready, guard my door. Knock three times to warn me when someone approaches." Understanding his task, Oaken leaves the princess' room, allowing her to get changed. Her gown neatly hung in her closet, and the grey hoodie took it's place. She always felt comfortable in it anyway, she's long since washed it. The red gloves and red boots fit nice and snug. Placing her crown on her desk, She hides her face with the horned mask. Finally her rapier, she always felt secure holding this weapon. Cereza checked the tip to make sure it was sharp. Princess Cereza was now the mysterious Grey Kid again. After no warning knock, the disguised princess opened the door, and tapped Oaken on the shoulder. "All set!" She whispered. Oaken followed Cereza inside. "Remember, not to call me by Princess Cereza when I'm like this. I'm just Grey." "Got it!" Oaken nodded. Grey tied his bed sheets together and threw it down his window for Oaken, since he doesn't have a hoodiechute like Grey. He looked at his unsent letters and decided to take the small pile with him, tucking them into his pouch. The Grey Kid sat on their window sill as Oaken got ready for his decent. Just as Grey was about to take off, she heard her doorknob shaking, leaping off the window as quick as she could, as the door opened. One of the knights looked around her room, looking for Cereza. Pulling the sheets off her bed, only to see a bunch of pillows that looked like a person was sleeping. He looked under her bed and desk, in her closet. "Princess? Princess!" The knight looked out the window as Grey hovered to the ground. "You! Grey child! Stop at once!" You've got to be kidding me! Grey thought to himself. Thankfully, Oaken hid himself under the bushes until the knight looked away. Grey looked back, just in time to see the castle light up, and Oaken catching up to her. "I bet you they think I kidnapped myself!" Grey laughed. Oaken smiled at that, and followed the grey kid into the woods behind the castle. The guards, although to far away to catch up, chased after them and split up.