Chapter in two parts, otherwise it would be far too long.
My only advice: imagine yourself in a Mario game, and the effect will follow.
Chapter 24 - The final Battle Part 1
Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock
The sound of the clockwork was the only thing that broke the silence in which she was always immersed. Over and over again, it repeated itself in an infinite loop of ticks and tocks, enough to make you lose your mind. Time flew by like a star across the galaxy. She couldn't stop it, couldn't fight it... Couldn't even hope to escape it. Because no matter where she went, it would always catch up with her and lock her in its eternal loop, far from reality, far from everything she had come to know and love. It was a never-ending battle... No one could escape time or its influence.
Huddled in the corner of her cramped cell, Cinder was depressed. Imprisoned at the top of this tower overlooking the castle of her worst enemy, Time, she was prey to her thoughts and to the heavy solitude that sometimes-played tricks on her. Her heart was in pieces since she was locked up here again... Isolated, where no one could ever find her. At least, that's what her Tick-Tock tormentor liked to repeat, to crush all her hopes of ever regaining a semblance of freedom. He had made her hope, he had made her believe that she could be free and have control over her own life... But this was just another manipulation by a King who was particularly fond of mental torture. She felt so stupid to have had the faint hope that he was sincere, to have thought she had seen a glimmer of benevolence in him for just a fraction of a second. But her gift of clairvoyance had been cruelly lacking.
"You're too stupid..." She moans between sobs after resting her head back against the wall.
Tick-Tock excelled in the art of manipulation, he was the embodiment of evil, as she had learned the hard way after all those long years of servitude. Trapped within these walls, she had seen many of his subjects chastised in the most horrible ways for no reason at all. Some had lost faith in their monarch, while others had lost their minds altogether. Yet he'd never physically harmed her before, which gave Cinder hope that maybe he wasn't so bad after all... Always looking for good in everyone she came across. Unfortunately, she'd been sorely mistaken about him. Because, contrary to what she thought, not everyone deserved redemption.
It was a judgment that now had a detrimental effect on her, as she languished once more at the top of this tower, forever a prisoner of the endless ticking and whims of a King as deceitful as he was malevolent.
Running her fingers slowly over the many lines she had marked on the white wall to situate herself in time, Cinder recalled the day he had granted her a wish. One wish, and one wish only. Tears filled her green eyes as she relived that powerful moment, still feeling the happiness that had enveloped her when he had offered her freedom. Something she had never experienced before! She didn't even know what it was, having lived in this kingdom for as long as she could remember. Without a name, without an identity. The red-haired girl knew absolutely nothing of the outside world apart from the little stories she had managed to obtain in exchange for a few songs for Tick-Tock. Stories that had allowed her to dream during these moments of solitude, to imagine what the world outside these limits was like... Until this famous proposition.
A freedom that he had, of course, conditioned, otherwise what was in it for him? He had to get something out of every deal. The King never gave anything away. So the deal was that he would give her a certain number of hours to discover the other territories, a world that had been totally unknown to her until then, to discover other landscapes, other sounds and see new faces. In exchange, she was to swear eternal loyalty to him and become his personal singer, forever imprisoned in these cursed places. His Star... His treasure. A most difficult dilemma, but in the end she'd signed the contract out of a thirst for freedom, hoping he'd show a little leniency by giving her a little more time.
And this was the result. Now she was stuck here forever in the service of this monster... Without a single extra second to bid farewell to her friends.
"I'm sorry..." Cinder sniffed sadly then put her hands into fists at her forehead at the pain forming in her chest. It was distressing, almost torture as she saw Bowser's wounded face again just after she'd disappeared back into that gloomy place. There was nothing more painful than witnessing that... That look of incomprehension, that sadness when she had placed her watch in the center of his palm to give him one last message. Not even a second to tell him! Tick-Tock had no mercy.
She looked up with teary eyes at the wall, which was completely filled with lines that testified to her great loneliness in this empty room. She missed her cozy little basket, all the comforts it had afforded her. She had never been happier in all her life in Bowser Castle... A place that many considered hostile, but which for her was a true refuge. A home, a place where she felt safer than anywhere else in the universe, far from this prison. She missed her friends enormously. She had met so many people since Bowser had captured her, and it was partly thanks to his selfishness that she was now able to give meaning to the word friendship. Just like love, a most surprising feeling... Of extraordinary power.
Because of her isolation from the rest of the world, she had learned songs to sing whenever Tick-Tock asked her to entertain him or his inexpressive puppets. He loved her calming power. He used it when he was so angry. Sometimes, he would take her to an ancient amphitheater to put on a show and show his friends the extent of his precious collection, which he jealously guarded in his kingdom. She was obviously one of them, presented as the priceless masterpiece. Some had even tried to haggle with him to obtain it, notably King Boo, but they always ended up being duped by the stingy King who was so attached to his collection that he would destroy anyone who dared go near it. She lost count of the number of unfortunates who had been turned to stone to appear in the great hall... A warning to all those who would seek to defy him.
That's what she was, an object of value used only to entertain when the mood took him. Dressed in her usual white dress, Cinder reached for her pointed stone to make a new mark on the wall in front of her. After a few strokes, her heart clenched violently in her chest, causing her to drop the stone and bounce to the floor at her feet. The pain was throbbing as she clung to the memories she had of Bowser Jr like a lifeline, the only thing that didn't send her completely into despair. In a way, this child had saved her from her nightmare. Even if it was for a predefined time, she had savored every moment spent by his side. In all those precious hours of freedom, he had shown her that there was more to life than malice and spite, that there was also kindness where you least expected it. A light in the darkness... That's what he was.
"You've shown me what friendship is. I will be forever grateful to you, Junior. You'll always be in my heart. I'll never forget you..." Cinder whispered softly with emotion after sketching Bowser Junior's silhouette on the wall and then running her fingers over it with an emotional smile. Remembering the softness of his round cheeks and his most adorable teasing gaze.
Her first true friend, and probably her last.
The day before, she was sure she'd heard his little voice as she sang to soothe her pain, but she was all alone in her cell. No one was with her. Convinced that she had hallucinated, the woman had continued her melancholy song, waiting for King Tick-Tock to visit just to have a little company. Soon overcome by tears, she curled up again against the wall, burying her head between her bent knees until she heard drums echoing in the distance. These drums had the peculiarity of announcing an important visit or a confrontation, sometimes punishment. It was rare to hear them, but generally they were not a good omen, which intrigued Cinder who got up to approach the huge dial to see what was going on outside and activate the drums.
Shyly approaching, she leaned over to look down at the infertile lands and the white castle, mist forming on the window in front of her. The view allowed her to see a broad, ash-blackened horizon. The dial was made of glass, bringing a source of light into her cell as well as offering her this view of the fallen monarch's devastated lands. Nothing grew, everything was dead. Destroyed by Tick-Tock's greed. Bowser's castle wasn't all that different, except that there was lava as far as the eye could see and living creatures populating it... A hundred times better than this deserted place where evil and chaos reigned. The big black needles passed calmly in front of her face as she searched with her eyes for the reason for this sudden agitation.
Then her heart clenched violently in her chest as her green eyes fell on a familiar figure walking alongside the King of Time, escorted by his army of puppets. Advancing along the long central path leading to his hilltop prison, the fire-breathing turtle that made her heart skip a beat moved through the desolation. Was he really here? Or was she still hallucinating? Cinder was afraid to believe it, but as she placed her hands on the cold glass, she felt the familiar sting of tears at the warmth that invaded her instantly. Sketching a feverish smile, she followed the escort down after being swept away by relief. Quickly followed by a feeling of dread, for he didn't know what he was getting into! It was dangerous! However, her joy soon replaced all her fears as her smiles grew bigger and bigger on her once again radiant face. Incredibly happy to see him again.
Was he there for her? To get her out of here? Could he be?
"Bowser ..." Cinder murmured hopefully as her heart raced, her hands lingering on the icy glass so as not to lose a crumb of the scene unfolding right before her eyes. Excited but also terrified at the thought of him being hurt by Tick-Tock in some way. Anguish finally spread through her belly as she watched in horror the golden chains at his wrists, quickly realizing that the great Bowser, King of the Koopas, had been trapped.
"No ..." She whispered in fright, her eyes wide.
"Tick-Tock!" Cinder banged her fists against the glass of the dial but no one could hear her at this distance.
Bowser had no choice but to follow the escort since he was unable to speak or even fight. Forced to obey without question, it was really embarrassing... He wasn't used to it. He cast a few suspicious glances at the two rows of marionette guards who were leading them to the end of an endless alley, then returned to Tick-Tock who continued to gesticulate. He had a furious urge to spit fire at him. On all those odious creatures! How dare they disrespect him like that! Frustrated, the spiny turtle had to be patient and wait for the right moment to reduce them all to ashes. Behind him, he could feel one of the guards hitting his spiny shell to force him forward. Which was totally unnecessary, given that he was walking at the same speed as them... Was he suicidal or what?
"Humpf, mhm, pff!" He tried to communicate, fiddling with his chains before violently clenching his fists at the mocking laughter of the King.
"You have to articulate, I can't understand a word you're saying!" He sang with a pirouette, his left hand to his non-existent ear. He chuckled when he saw the now harmless turtle's enraged expression before continuing in the same mocking tone; "oh but yes, I forgot. You can't talk anymore! It's good for the ears because you tend to talk too much for nothing."
Bowser growled lowly at this rude character who was seriously getting on his nerves. How the hell had he stayed alive this long? He wondered as he looked up at the winding trees on either side of the main alley. They were all charred, their few misshapen branches pointing in random directions. The peculiarity of these trees was that they all had a watch in the center of their trunk, which had a strange yellowish sheen and indicated a different time. Perplexed by the strange appearance of these trees, the Koopa was astonished to see puppets frozen by time in the bark. They all looked frightened... Caught in the act. Hardly surprising with a King as sick as Tick-Tock. This one was missing a few nuts!
"Time is running out! The clock is ticking and I want to get my puppet throwing game on before dinner tonight! It's so exciting!" Tick-Tock exclaimed with excitement.
As in space on arrival, clocks were suspended in the air along with other mechanisms linked to this invention. Floating quietly around them in this eerie pink and green atmosphere of silence, the clocks always indicated a different time... As if each one came from a different universe, or a different era. Forever trapped between the space and time of these mystical places. There was no sound other than the ticking of all those clocks, the drums and footsteps of hundreds of puppets all marching to the same annoying rhythm. It was almost frightening, but Bowser was never afraid of anything. Nobody intimidated him! And certainly not an army of wooden pieces led by that other crazy guy with the high hat and the madly laugh. The latter suddenly stopped and turned towards the irritated Koopa to remove his silence spell with a simple wave of his cane.
"You insolent little brat! How dare you work your pathetic magic on King Koopa! You've just made a terrible mistake, I'm going to-" However, Bowser didn't have the chance to continue his threats as Tick-Tock quickly shook his index finger at his dazed face.
"Blahblahlblah ... There are words coming out of that naughty mouth but I don't understand anything at all! You wouldn't want to fight without being able to do your small flames, would you? You'd be at a serious disadvantage, and that would be regrettable, don't you think? Well, not for me, maybe I should reconsider my decision to let you do the talking after all..." Indicated the King after taking his chin between his fingers in mock reflection, his mischievous grin widening at Bowser's over-confident expression.
"I don't need my fire to rip you to shreds! I'll knock and then we'll talk! Untie me now!" The turtle yelled, baring his teeth. He was almost surprised when the King complied and he finally regained freedom of movement. His wrists were aching from the tightness of those chains! He clenched his fists to loosen them, but when he once again felt the brazen puppet's spear on his carapace, he turned abruptly to grab the weapon then snapped it in two with a roar.
"You look so serene about winning, so why are you picking on my poor soldier? He was only having fun. It wasn't very nice of you to break his toy. Now he's useless! I've got to get rid of him." Sighed Tick-Tock who after rolling his eyes, threw his cane in the direction of the puppet, transforming it into one of those deformed trees. Freezing him forever in time like the others before him.
"This is a stupid thing to do! All you had to do was give him a new spear, preferably a stronger one, and the problem was solved. No wonder you'll soon have no one left in your kingdom if you get rid of them without thinking." Bowser crossed his arms over his breastplate with a raised eyebrow, somewhat affected by this punishment. Well, he didn't have any advice to give because he burned his Koopas alive... But at least they had a second life as Dry Bones! They were still useful even after the punishment.
"What, for? It's more fun to do that." Tick-Tock shrugged with a chuckle at this proposal, which he found ridiculous. And then what, next time he'd tell him not to pick on his puppets? Joke.
Exhausted by this sterile face-off, the King of the Koopas rubbed his eyes before letting out a long sigh. He was even worse than a child... Worse than he was! Kamek was right all along, there were far worse people than him in the universe, and yet it was extremely difficult to recognize him as the self-proclaimed greatest villain in history! He was about to say something when the alarm clock on his feet ordered him to move on, calling him a heavyweight with no pressure whatsoever. His throat was seriously itching as the familiar heat of his fire rose from his stomach, about to spit a jet of flame down his back. Even Mario didn't play with his nerves this much... He'd managed to find something stronger than himself. To say the least! Clenching his claws so as not to be tempted to shoot him on the spot, Bowser looked up at a huge wooden Comtoise clock standing on the hill in front of him.
This clock was so large that it overshadowed the castle at his back. The gilded pendulum swung much more slowly than any other model, kicking up little furrows of dust as it passed. High atop it, the impressive dial showed the exact time in Roman numerals where two black needles crossed. It was beautifully sculpted with a snake winding around the base and up to the surround several hundred metres higher. Curiously, the base of this clock was missing. And on closer inspection, there appeared to be a passageway behind the pendulum reflecting the unusual light of this place, a thick golden light chain with a padlock blocking access to it.
"What's in there?" Bowser asked with a jerk of his chin in the direction of the clock.
"It's none of your business! Concentrate instead on your future face-to-face with my beautiful creation. You'd better start warming up if you don't want to lose in the first few seconds..." Tick-Tock replied lightly before realizing that he had communicated a piece of information. Oh no, he'd been a little careless on that one.
"Your creation?! I thought this fight was between you and me!" The Koopa behind him immediately snarled. His thick eyebrows gradually furrowed as the King laughed with a touch of nervousness, which was really starting to worry him about the nature of this fight.
What was the trick?
"Against me?! Pfff, you really haven't been listening to anything I see. Make an effort to concentrate! I never said it was against me. Can you imagine? The simplest fight in the universe... I wouldn't stand a chance against the big brute Bowser that everyone dreads! You need someone your own size, otherwise this fight wouldn't be worth a damn ... Think about it." He replied with a nonchalant shrug, tapping his finger to his temple, his toothy grin annoying the giant turtle even more.
"You tricked me!" He exclaimed in surprise, thrusting his foot violently into the ground. The King was outraged.
"We made an agreement and you signed it verbally! If you don't honor this contract, then you'll automatically be declared the loser and your castle will be mine! With everything in it, of course." Tick-Tock conjured a contract out of thin air then held it up to Bowser's furious face, and there was indeed his signature on the bottom right-hand corner of the yellow sheet. It was written so small, he couldn't even read the lines!
"Give it to me, I can't read without my glasses." Bowser reached for the contract with his claws but the King hurriedly snatched it out of the air before he could tear it up. No way! He was almost there.
"You think I'm stupid?! So, you forfeit?" The latter asked while rubbing his hands in excitement, waiting for the words that would definitively seal his fate.
"Never! I'll tear him to pieces, your fighter. He'll never be a match for me! Let him show himself and face me! Where is he? Enough suspense, let's get it over with!" The King of the Koopas impatiently raised his arms and spun around in search of his supposedly stronger future opponent. Since he had set foot in this place of misfortune, he had seen no one likely to fill this role, enough to maintain his over-confidence.
"He's right over there." Tick-Tock announced darkly as he pointed to the end of the alley with a long, hooked finger.
At the end of said alley stood a figure. Human-sized, shorter than King Tick-Tock. Bowser squinted at the new figure that had just magically appeared as they approached to see that it was indeed a woman dressed in black. No, not exactly... The human was made entirely of obsidian and stood perfectly still at the end of the long alley leading to the giant Comtoise clock at the top of the hill. Despite her unusual appearance, the Koopa could still describe her clothing which resembled a long, knee-length coat. Her wavy hair was medium length, stopping just below her shoulders. Her big, inexpressive eyes stared at them for a long time, while King Tick-Tock spoke again with an evil sneer.
"At the end of this fight, I'll determine whether you're worthy of this award or not." He said before raising his arm towards the mysterious obsidian figure standing in his way to give her the relief.
"Are you kidding me?! I've fought tougher guys than this. It'll be over in no time." Bowser exasperated with a chuckle, but immediately closed his mouth when the woman made her very first move.
The human snapped her fingers, then the drums instantly stopped playing their repetitive rhythm. A long silence followed. Staring at Bowser without the shadow of a fascial expression, she lifted her arm back to release a kind of black smoke that slid across the charred, piece-riddled hillside. The smoke dissipated and then snaked its way through the abandoned parts and pieces of metal lying in the ground around the Comtoise clock in the center of the area. Beside him, King Tick-Tock laughed devilishly before disappearing with a pop of sound, leaving him completely alone in the alley to face his fate. The ground began to tremble more and more as large platforms rose from the earth to allow spectator puppets to watch the battle from the air, soon joined by Tick-Tock on the one with a moving mechanism.
"My dear friends, we are gathered here today to witness the destruction of Bowser, King of the Darklands that will become ours with his defeat! Thanks to my magnificent creation, we will soon become the Masters. No one will stop us! Let the battle begin!" He shouted into a microphone, raising his arm to all his soldiers who cheered in unison.
About to threaten Tick-Tock, Bowser pointed a claw in his direction but found himself at a loss for words as the pieces on the floor began to come together. Quickly. The smoke gathered, taking with it gears, mechanisms, nuts and other metal plates it found in its path, until it took on the ferocious appearance of a creature found only in children's stories. Jaws snapped shut as the last piece of the puzzle fell back into place, allowing this titanic creature to stand on its hind legs. His electrifying green eyes landed on the tiny turtle that had provoked him earlier, its mechanism creaking as it lowered itself to his level to blow white smoke at him through the two holes acting as snouts.
Its sharp claws landed on either side of Koopa intimidated by the creature's appearance, which strongly resembled that of a dragon but without the wings. Its body was sinuous, just like the snake depicted on the Comtoise clock on the hill! He concluded that it was the guardian of the place. The one who repelled intruders, the one who protected his treasure from all those who would try to take it. With his snout just a few centimeters from the turtle, the snake dragon suddenly opened his mouth to roar at him, the wind produced by his howl blowing everything in its path. The frightful scream was mechanical, a cross between a railway bell alarm and a clock striking twelve.
The dragon returned to his hind legs and slapped his long metallic tail on the ground, this slow movement allowing Bowser to see that in the center of his chest was a star behind glass. It wasn't a star of invincibility, but a star of energy! The kind used to power mechanisms as imposing as this one ad infinitum. They could be found just about anywhere in the galaxy, except that they were quite rare to find and were often protected by guardians similar to this clockwork dragon. Well, he had no choice but to grab it now! Without a star, this thing was ineffective. Putting his foot back to raise his fists in front of him, Bowser followed the gigantic creature that had just wrapped itself around the Comtoise clock, digging its sharp claws into the wood to support its weight.
"Hey Bowsy! It's doomed! Oh, and did I forget to mention that there won't be any mystery boxes for this fight? Hahaha!" Tick-Tock chuckled ruthlessly above him on his small motorized platform, a ship's platform with a large dashboard.
And indeed, with a quick glance he noticed with annoyance that there were no mystery boxes in the open-air arena. Not a single one, which would seriously complicate the task even for Bowser. He'd fought against bigger, stronger opponents before, but never anything like this. Its size was beyond comprehension... The menacing creature slapped its tail on the ground in impatience as its luminous green eyes rested on the turtle preparing to fight. Looking for the first opening to strike. His golden body was armored, covered with the metal parts she'd picked up all over the dusty land during assembly. Clockwork wheels spun continuously on his back as white smoke continued to billow from his mouth, enveloping him in a thick mist.
"Face me!" Provoked Koopa again on the ground to force the dragon down from its perch.
Which he did without delay.
With a frightful roar, the creature leapt to the ground, sending shockwaves that swept through the surrounding trees and rocks. Bowser may not have been the most agile, but he knew this type of attack because he was adept at it himself, so he dodged the first waves and then blew his fire onto the dragon's shoulder, intending to melt the metal. His jet of flame looked tiny compared to the size of the machine... However, it was powerful and he didn't hesitate to move it along the mechanical body, hoping to do enough damage along the way. His aim was to reach the star in the center of his chest. Fiercely, the King Koopa unleashed his incandescent fire on the creature, which responded by throwing its paw at him. Not being fast enough to dodge, he found himself trapped by its steel claws before being thrown dozens of meters away.
He kicked up a cloud of dust on impact with the ground. He barely had time to straighten up before the dragon caught him again and threw him across the alley, extending its long claws as the Koopa unleashed its roar in threat. He got a response but a much louder, more deafening one. The sound was so powerful that it vibrated the platforms suspended in the air, causing the puppets to cheer the creature after their King urged them to react in favor of the beast. The snake dragon was unstoppable. Striking the turtle with his tail or claws, he had no trouble destabilizing his opponent and making him bite the dust. Literally. Bowser was no match for a machine of his stature. Without Power Up, he had no chance of countering his attacks or even repelling him. He was at the creature's mercy, battered from the very first minutes of the fight to the point where he began to doubt his abilities.
"It's over! The castle is mine!" Tick-Tock marveled after seeing the out-of-shape Koopa being swung through the air and then hit by the dragon's paw to send him to the other side of the arena.
Bowser was seeing double. Groaning on the ground, he slowly straightened up on his arms to squint at the creature that suddenly covered him with its shadow. One of his carapace spines was broken, and a pink scratch ran down his right cheek to his thick chin. Another scar to add to his collection, which had grown steadily over the years. He met the beast's electrically feisty gaze, never showing fear or weakness to his adversary. He would remain dignified to the end! But he would never forfeit. His dignity was at stake! As was his castle and Cinder's life... This last thought motivated him to stand up and face the dragon squarely, fists clenched at his sides as he held his enraged gaze in that of the mechanical creature. He was enveloped in its mist as its claws sank in on either side of him, using the moment to breathe its fire into his face.
And the reaction was immediate. Roaring in surprise, the dragon swung its tail violently at Bowser, sending him crashing straight into the white wall of the castle, its carapace making a huge crater as it fell to his knees. Weakened, he grunted under his breath then raised his head as the creature's claws came down on him. Unfortunately, he had no time to throw himself to the side to avoid it. His strength was failing him, and he could barely stand upright... Hit and kicked without being able to catch his breath, the King of the Koopas sensed that he was about to lose. It was all over. There was no hope left... He was going to lose everything in this last fight.
Now he knew how Mario felt when he faced him.
The dragon tilted its head back before unleashing a blast of electricity on everything in its path. His green eyes glowed intensely as he swept the area with his deadly jet of electricity, razing everything including the last standing trees and the suspended clocks he pulverized. Soon, the area was nothing but a smoldering void, with craters in the ground with each impact from Bowser, who was now lying on the ground after taking this violent gust to the face. This electrocution was the final blow for him. Tick-Tock had succeeded, he had finally won. He'd won a fight that wasn't evenly balanced at all, because not only was he an outstanding cheat, but he'd also managed to fool him. He'd been fooled at his own game... He'd found someone stronger than he was, and he'd lost it all in an instant because of his self-confidence. Because he'd always thought he was unbeatable.
Eyes closed, Bowser remained on the ground as smoke rose all around him. Ash settled on his green carapace, then in his scraggly red hair, waiting to feel the presence of the clockwork dragon above him to put an end to it all. What was the point of fighting... What was the point of struggling, he didn't stand a chance anyway. Motionless and groaning, the great Koopa bowed his head in despondency. All hope seemed lost when suddenly he heard hurried footsteps coming in his direction. Light, irregular, someone was running straight towards him. The opaque smoke prevented him from seeing what was nearby, but the King felt the presence of someone to his right. Puzzled, he turned in that direction and opened his mouth in surprise when his eyes fell on the silhouette of a young woman with blond hair.
Here we stand ...
Worlds apart, hearts broken in two, two, two
Sleepless nights
Losing ground, I'm reaching for you, you, you
Peach stood beside him with a Super Hammer Power Up, holding the object firmly in her right hand as she stared down at the menacing beast above them. As the smoke cleared, more silhouettes appeared on either side of the downed Koopa.
Feelin' that it's gone
Can change your mind
If we can't go on
To survive the tide love divides
The two mustachioed brothers, each with the same Power Up as the princess, stared down the mechanical dragon. The latter growled, passing his tail through the mist as he rose to his full height to cover them all with his shadow.
Someday love will find you
Break those chains that binds you
Bowser finally returned to his feet to stand upright between the humans who had finally agreed to join him in this common cause. Casting a dark look in the direction of the intimidating creature, he felt a surge of adrenalin coursing through him.
True love won't desert you
You know I still love you
Though we touched
And went our separate ways!
The four now-teamed characters exchanged knowing glances, ready to finish the job and retrieve their trapped friend from atop the clock.
Now, the fight could finally begin.
To be continued ...
We've come to the end, and now it remains to be seen who will win this final confrontation! It's not a foregone conclusion, I'm telling you!
VP