André returned to the cumulonimbus that was Darkrai I. The frightened little fly passed the gaseous barrier of the indigo cloud and was met with the Nightmare King's imposing form. "André, why have you returned without the Chiptoon? Don't tell me it got swallowed by a toad or something!"
"We couldn't get to the Chiptoon! There was this creepy man in black who kept stopping us! We had the lighthouse where it was surrounded, but then there was this huge explosion of Fear Chi! All my minions got wiped out!"
"YOU FOOL!" Darkrai bellowed with a flash of lightning. "I know it was Marshadow! That spike in fearbending was obviously him!"
"I-I know! He was with these two goils! One of them had paint, and another was a Bubble Dreamer! In fact, she looked kinda familiar…"
"Familiar or not, I expect you to crush them next time. Until then, go get those Chiptoons!"
"Why do I gotta do everything myself?! It'd sure be a lot easier if your pallies helped me!"
"I shouldn't need to waste my Nightmare Generals on such a simple task! They have more important matters to deal with, and that's destroying the Bubble Dreamers! If more of them decided to team up with this elusive duo, I doubt things would be any easier for you. Now, GO!"
"Yipe!" André perked up and buzzed out of the storm cloud.
"Do you honestly expect that little fly to be of any use?" A thin, lithe man of pale-gray skin and a black cloak formed out of the dark mist. His silver-golden eyes were like an eclipse. "Finding the Chiptoons would prove no hassle to me." Waves of black sand stirred around him and formed into black horses with glowing golden eyes.
"Because in the event those brats reform the Protoon, I must absorb more fear from the hapless mortals and become strong enough to combat Marshadow. A duty I'm certain you'll do best, Pitch Black!"
"And besides, the Bubble Dreamers will most likely gather friends and search for the Chiptoons on their own." Spoke a man with long black hair, a white cloak, and spikes along the middle of his mouth mask. He had dark eyes with white pupils. "That said, we can at least send André some assistance."
Wielder of the Zanpakutō Tatarforas
ÄS NÖDT
"The Bubble Dreamers are close friends with several powerful KND operatives." A spider woman lowered down from a web. Her legs were metal wires and she looked doll-like with black button eyes. "So, we can't afford to waste too many soldiers."
"Fortunately, Beldam, I was able to persuade certain Bubble Dreamers over to our side." Pitch said. "Do you know about Planet Drool?"
"The dreamscape of that Max boy?" Äs asked. "One of the strongest Bubble Dreamers?"
"That dreamscape is being corrupted by another Dreamer who calls himself Minus. His ambition to ruin his classmate's dreams was quite… tasty."
"Then make sure Max's fellow Bubble Dreamers share the same fate! Quit wasting time and go! I have a feeling my son will return for Round 2…"
"Yes, My Lord!" the Nightmare Generals chorused. Pitch rode away on a black horse, Äs rode on some flying thorns, and Beldam swung away on a web.
Madotsuki's House
Madotsuki and April stretched out of the painting and returned to the calmness of the former's night-lit home. Mado pulled out Marshadow and the Chiptoon, resting them on the bed. "What happened, Marshadow?" April asked. "Did the Chiptoon give you a burst of power or something?"
"I'm not sure… but in that instant, I think I could feel every one of that Arthur guy's fears. But at least I didn't break it this time…"
"Did you recover some strength?"
"No… I still feel really tired."
"Well, it should be safe to carry you with the Chiptoons, at least." Mado figured. "Let's start looking for the next one!" She lifted Marshadow in her arms as his form glimmered once more.
April stared into Mado's window. The image of an elegant manor surrounded by hedge gardens appeared. April painted the image on the canvas, connecting it with Arthurton. The girls touched the dreamscape of Mirror Manor and were whisked inside.
Dream 3: Mirror Manor
Mission: Search for the Chiptoon in the mysterious manor.
Act 1: The Dark Foyer
Mado and April set foot in a dark, bricked chamber with flowers scattered about. Using Glow Paint to see, they walked forward cautiously. "Hee hee hee!" A jack-in-the-box sprung out, but it posed no harm. When it retracted, Mado jumped on and allowed it to spring her up, retrieving a Blue Paintball power-up. They found a line of jack-in-boxes, but these ones sported knives and pumpkin heads. The girls attacked these monsters and had them Bubbled. They walked by a white box afterward that didn't seem to do anything. April realized she could paint it and restore another jack-in-box. This one sprung Mado up to grab another blue ball. "Another paintball?"
"No, this doesn't feel like paint. Maybe we could use it for something." They walked a bit more forward and found a vine wall. April climbed it up and found a green ball. She punched her Glow Fist to the left and saw some platforms. April told Mado to come up as they used her Hover Bubble to float across said platforms, having to take down Doomtoons. The last platform had a red ball. They returned to the ground and followed the path to a sealed door. There were three holes in the ground, fit for the balls they found. Once they were inserted, the door opened.
"Hehehehe!" Hearing a snicker behind them, the girls turned. There was a strange, grinning boy with brown hair covering his eyes, goat horns, and a top-hat with yellow roses. He had a white shirt and a brown coat hanging down his shoulders. He was bouncing a pocket mirror in his hand, gold with a fancy flower pattern. "You won't get much farther without this~"
"Who are you?" April asked.
"I'm the one who should be asking that. You two don't belong in this world."
"I'm a Bubble Dreamer." Mado said. "We're looking for an electrical orb thingy. Have you seen anything like that anywhere?"
"Wherever it is, it's certainly not in this room. But you won't be getting anywhere without this~"
"I mean, the door's already open." April turned to confirm this. "We can at least go-"
"Wait!" Marshadow popped out. "I sense something really bad on the other side. We shouldn't go through."
"Oh…then, would that help us get through?"
"Possibly." The boy teased. "But I'm not just gonna hand it to you for free-"
Mado stretched a bubble to catch the pocket mirror and bring it over. "At least let me finish my dialogue! I didn't even get a chance to run away. Oh well. Just don't get in that girl's way too much." With that, the strange boy vanished into the darkness.
The girls shared a curious glance before proceeding through the door. Nothing seemed to attack them as they walked up a staircase, faint light shining in from windows above them. They could jump onto the windowsills and follow a pathway of windows, discovering a hidden cage. Once the Electoons were freed, they proceeded up the stairs and into another doorway. They stepped on a pinkish floor with decorative patterns. There were jack-o-lanterns around the floor, flower vases, and some paintings. Some of the pumpkins were alive and tried to attack them, only to be Bubbled and put to sleep. The following door was locked, but it seemed that several objects that looked like keys were hidden in the background. They could use Jenny's magnifying glass to check them.
One was sticking out of a vase, but it was actually the crank of a jack-in-box, which tried to attack them. After defeating it, they checked another key sticking out of a painting, but it was another jack. The third "key" was behind a pumpkin, but it was a friendly jack-in-the-box. This one actually handed them a key, and their journey continued. They entered a hallway of mirrors, which led to an apparent dead end, but there were platforms leading up to a higher layer. This passage led leftward until they had to jump up to a third one, going rightward. This passage ended at a painting of an eyeless girl. "I really hate the blonde painting's eyes. If you ruin them for me, I'll let you pass."
"That sounds horrible!" Mado cringed.
"I guess this is our traditional horror level of the mission." April figured. "We might not have a choice, Mado. Don't worry, it'll be alright."
"I hope so…" The girls nervously returned down the hallways and back to the previous room. The painting on the far left depicted a cute blonde girl with pink eyes. April painted her fist white and punched it at her eyes, whiting them out.
"AAAAHH! You scum! You blinded me! You're gonna pay for that!" The painting suddenly splattered into blackness, which began to spread and cover the room. (Play "Suspense" from Rayman!)
"Wait, we're at the Danger Zone already?!" April exclaimed.
"I knew this was a bad idea!" Mado quickly bolted up the corridor, April scrambling behind as the blackness spread after them. When they raced through the mirror hall, their reflections ran out of the first one, the duo jumping the hazardous clones. Reflections jumped out of the following mirror, so they simply ran under, and they jumped once more over the third mirror's reflection. On the second floor, the reflections doubled, so Mado used Hover Bubble to safely float over, resulting in other clones hovering as well. After crossing the third hallway, the eyeless girl snickered evilly and opened a way for them to pass.
Mado and April jumped up some small platforms with the blackness pursuing, punching down Doomtoons on some. One platform had a white jack-in-box, which April colored in so it could spring them to vine wall. They had to jump between small vine segments to ascend higher, eventually reaching a path that led leftward—though April first punched her Paint Fist rightward across the chasm to break a hidden Electoon Cage. Pumpkin Jacks dropped and ambushed them, the girls making short work with their Blue Paint power-up. Blackness suddenly enveloped their path, but they could duck and crawl under a narrow gap. There was room to stand again as they kept running, but reached a dead end. Mado Bubbled some butterflies to make bouncy platforms to carry them up.
From the top, they could jump some windowsills and reach another stable path. Nothing seemed to obscure them on their escape—until the Strange Boy whooshed by and swiped the pocket mirror. He tried to run into the darkness, but Mado caught up and stretched a bubble to take the mirror back. She quickly rejoined April as they ran for a doorway, going in and slamming it shut. They kept running until they—"OW!" bumped into a strange girl and knocked her down. (End song.)
"Uh-oh. Sorry!" April apologized, helping her to stand. "We have a bad habit of bumping into people lately…"
"It's fine…" The girl said. She had light-brown hair with a pink hue that reached down to her thighs, a lacy long-sleeved white blouse, a navy-blue skirt, knee-high white socks, and pink Mary-Janes. Her cherry-red eyes brightened at seeing the object in Mado's hand. "My pocket mirror!" She quickly snatched the golden trinket away.
"Oh? It's yours?" April asked.
"Yeah. I'm not really sure why, but… this is important to me." She hugged it to her chest.
"You're not really sure?"
"No, but… Who are you two? Do you live in this mansion?"
"Not really." Mado answered. "I'm a Bubble Dreamer. Is this your dreamscape?"
"Dreamscape? So, this is… a dream?"
"Are you okay?" April asked. "You seem kind of absentminded."
"I think I have amnesia. I don't even remember my own name. I've been trying to search for clues in this mansion…"
"Maybe we can look her name up online?" Marshadow suggested.
"Where's the fun in that?" April giggled.
"Ah!" The girl jumped. "What's that thing?"
"This is Marshadow." Mado answered. "He's a Firstborn. Do you know what those are?"
"Uh…nope. Doesn't ring a bell." She smiled modestly.
"I'm kinda fuzzy on it myself." Mado smiled. "I also have amnesia."
"Is that why you're here, too?"
"No, we're looking for something. Have you seen an electrical ball anywhere? Sort of looks like this?" She reached in her window and withdrew the Chiptoon.
"That looks very pretty! I wonder if Queen Egliette may have something like that."
"There's a queen in this mansion?"
"Well, not quite. She's actually in this mansion." The girl stepped aside, revealing a small mansion built into the wall.
"Ah…" April cocked a brow in curiosity. "It's so tiny."
"Don't worry. I have an extra bottle of potion." She held up a bottle of pink liquid. "We each just need one sip of this! Oh, but before we go… I don't think I caught your names."
"I'm Madotsuki!"
"And I'm April Goldenweek."
"Goldenweek… That's a really pretty name!"
"Thanks! Though, I'd like it if we had a name to call you."
"Let's just call her Girl." Marshadow suggested.
"Uh…Girl?" Girl blushed. "Well, the queen calls me 'my girl' anyway, so that's alright. Anyway, let's drink up!"
Girl took the first sip of the potion before handing it to April. They watched as she miniaturized to a doll size, smiling at her cuter size. April drank next before handing it to Mado, who fed a portion to Marshadow before drinking some herself. Once all four were down to doll size, they could enter the smaller manor. (Play "Viennese Blood" from Pocket Mirror!)
Act 2: The Queen's Ball
The entry corridor was far more bright and lively compared to the building they were just in. There were several pairs of foxes and rabbits gracefully dancing, but as they were blocking the way, the girls had to jump over them. "OW!" Mado burned her head against what appeared to be an upside-down, floating candle.
"Well, that's hardly safe!" April shouted.
"It's not like we're supposed to jump around here…" Girl inferred nervously.
"I see a canvas up ahead. Just hang in there." They jumped a few more dancers while avoiding the candles. Once they reached the canvas in question, April painted a cookie to replenish Mado's health. In the following room, a Nutcracker soldier shot a rifle at them, the trio dodging as they worked to KO him (Girl's pocket mirror could be used to deflect attacks). A rabbit/fox couple was bouncing on a giant red ball, the girls jumping over it while they were airborne. After KOing another Nutcracker, they had to jump a series of balls over a spiked floor, relying on Mado's Hover Bubble to safely land in-between the couples' bouncing. "This feels like a crazy Zootopia convention." April remarked.
They arrived at a platform, from which they could jump up a stairway of upside-down candles, the undersides serving as stable footholds. They jumped onto a hanging table with cakes and pumpkins, but Mado was hit by a Doomtoon hidden behind the sweets. They watched for and took down the sneaky monsters before facing their next obstacle: some Nutcrackers riding on up-and-down chandeliers. Girl used her mirror to deflect their bullets back, allowing them to jump the vacant chandeliers. They were level with the windows, a sea of stars among a purple sky surrounding the mansion. The trio jumped to grab the curtain of a taller window, climbing up to another table of sweets. There was a star-shaped hole in the wall. "I wonder what goes in here?" Girl said.
"Looks like a star." Marshadow replied obviously.
"I meant where we could get one."
"There's plenty of stars in the sky." April pointed through one of the windows.
"Those are a little too far to reach."
"Not if I use this!" Mado used her magnifying glass to zoom in on a particularly big star with five points. The star was brought into the mansion as they could place it into the hole. Three chandeliers lowered, forming a staircase to an Electoon Cage. After freeing the creatures, the girls had to jump across some flipping candles, in which only their undersides were safe to stand on. The candles let up to another table of sweets. There was a monochrome cat digging into a cake, so they used the magnifier to examine her. Kittentia flipped out of the cake, holding a pumpkin keychain in her teeth, with a car key attached. She flipped out the window and landed in her new pumpkin convertible.
"Attention everyone! The waltz will end in three more minutes!"
The sound of the regal voice resounded across the ballroom. Far across the vast dance floor, there was a throne, on which rested a queen. She was an impish ragdoll with a large red crown, raggedy purple dress, and pink hair. Her large, wide eyes were rather crazed, hypnotic, and colorful. Suspended above her throne was a huge, electrical orb of a soft-blue color. "As you all know, the grand prize will go to the best dancers of the waltz! As for the others, well… You know what will happen." A shadow cast over her eyes.
"Is that the queen?" April asked.
"Yep! She's quite a doll, isn't she?" Girl giggled.
"I bet I can find a kinship with her."
"How come?"
"Oh, long story~"
"But look at that Chiptoon!" Marshadow pointed. "It's huuuuge!"
"Actually, we are doll-sized, aren't we?" Madotsuki remembered. "Come to think of it, how do we get back to normal?"
"All we'd have to do is leave the dollhouse." Girl answered. "Still, it seems like the queen is planning to give it away as a prize. It's gonna be difficult to reason with her."
"How are you and the queen acquainted?" April asked.
"Earlier, I just kind of wandered into her dinner party. Luckily, she admired my intelligence, so she didn't execute me."
"I see… not very reasonable, huh?"
Madotsuki observed the slope they were standing above, leading down to the posh ballroom floor. "Hey, maybe the three of us can win this waltz!"
"How?" Girl asked. "Do you know how to dance?"
"No, but I bet we can get creative." Mado removed her boots. "We can use this ramp to give us a boost!"
"Ah, I get it!" April removed her shoes as well.
"I'm not sure I follow…" Girl replied confusedly as she took off her Mary-Janes. "Isn't it illegal to be shoeless before the queen?"
"No, just sockless." April winked. "And besides, I don't see any of those animals wearing any. We'll follow your lead, Mado!"
All three girls held hands and formed a chain. They slid down the ramp and onto the dance floor, gliding on their socks! A rabbit/fox couple tried to block them, but they leapt and flipped with Girl leading the charge. They ducked and slid under a table, quick-jumped over two pumpkins, then flipped over a ball and under a bouncing couple. Mado led the slide again, swiftly skiing under some Nutcrackers on chandeliers as they failed to shoot them. They leapt over two jack-in-boxes as they sprung out in celebration, then three, followed by four jacks, before sliding to a graceful halt before the queen's throne.
"Good gracious! What was that brusque performance?! Is this how your parents taught you to waltz, child?"
"We're sorry, Your Highness." Girl shirked. "I was only following her lead."
"And just who are these two, anyway? I don't recall inviting them to my ball!"
"These two requested an audience with you. They're looking for something important."
"That gives you no right to let them in my palace without permission. I could have you executed for interrupting my ball. But, as it happens… that was quite an impressive performance you've just displayed. The way you so boldly flew past the competition was quite eloquent. It is decided! The title of Best Couple shall go to this trio! Guards! Execute the losers!"
The troupe of Nutcrackers cocked their guns and aimed. "W-WAIT!" Girl cried. "Don't-!" (Play "Evening Stroll" from Pocket Mirror!)
The guns fired and filled the animals with lead. Stuffing blew out of them as the foxes and rabbits collapsed on the polished floor. The girls weren't too traumatized, given that they were toys, but the action left them shock-ridden regardless. "Now, this presents another problem." Egliette said. "The prize is to only go to the best 'couple,' to which there are three of you."
"Technically, a couple can be more than two-" April tried to say.
"Silence! In order for this to be fair, one of you must sacrifice."
"Please, Your Majesty!" Girl pled. "That orb belongs to them! It's called a Chiptoon."
"The Chiptoon, as you call it, landed on our doorstep. It is ours to do with as we desire!"
"Couldn't we at least talk to Fleta?"
A dark veil fell over the queen's strict visage. "You know very well what will happen!"
"We don't have time to argue about this!" April stated. "We'll take it by force if we have to!"
"April!" Girl panicked.
"How dare you threaten me?!" Queen Egliette stood from her throne in a semi-imposing fashion. "I shall have to execute you all by my own hand! You'll pay for your insolence!"
Boss fight: Queen Egliette
The queen released golden scissors that flew to either side, the girls merely needing to duck or jump. She made a whistle and ordered her soldiers onto the field. One of the Nutcrackers caught April by surprise and grazed her shoulder, before she turned to throw punches at it. Mado and Girl took the two Nutcrackers on the right, the latter bouncing one's bullets back at its head while Mado defended her from the other. Once the three Nutcrackers were KO'ed, Egliette hung herself on some strings and swung over the battlefield. As she swung to and fro, scissors launched at them, but Girl bounced one of them back up and chopped Egliette's strings during her swing. Once Egliette fell, she was struck twice by Mado's bubbles.
The queen returned to her throne and commanded some of the fallen couples to get up and dance along the field, knives grown in place of heads. The girls jumped them, but the last couple tossed scissors that cut Mado's hip. Another trio of soldiers marched up to shoot them, but this time, pumpkins dropped from the ceiling. The extra hazard made it difficult to combat the soldiers, with April taking a stomach wound and a pumpkin bumpin' Girl's head. The Nutcrackers were KO'ed, prompting Egliette to swing over the battleground again. Instead of scissors, the queen dropped pumpkins, but rather than explode, the pumpkins would stack. The girls let them form a tall stack until Mado could jump up and shoot two bubbles against the queen. The pumpkins all popped afterward, with one of them dropping a Red Paintball. April promptly picked it up.
Egliette swung away and returned atop a huge ball. She balanced and rolled the ball toward the girls, but a jack-in-the-box had landed on the opposite side. April used the box to spring up to Egliette's level and punch her off the ball, her Paint Fist soaked with red paint. April landed atop the ball and tried to roll it over Egliette, but the queen jumped back to her throne. Once more, she threw scissors that were meant to fly at the girls, but because the queen was drenched with April's Target Paint, the scissors returned and impaled her against the throne. (End song.)
"Uck…how dare you treat the queen this way! Mark my words, you'll suffer a fate worse than death!"
"Egliette! Egliette! I wanna read a story!"
"Oh, you've done it now." Egliette stated.
The rumbling of the mansion was accompanied by a shrill, childish voice. The roof was torn open as a gigantic child of yellow-green eyes loomed over the dollhouse. She had strawberry-blonde hair under a dark-pink headband and a pink puff-shouldered mini cardigan. "Egliette, what're you doing?!" With cranky eyes, she reached down and tore the scissors off the throne before lifting Egliette into the air. The doll queen was about the size of the girl's chest. "Why did you get stuck in the chair?"
"…" Egliette seemed to say nothing.
"What? You mean that girl and her new friends weren't playing nice with you?" The child glared down at the trio reprovingly. "And why is she making new 'friends,' anyway?"
"No, Fleta, it's not what it looks like!" Girl yelled up, Mado and April terrified by the inevitable threat. "I was helping them look for something they lost! It's that ball right there…"
"You mean this Shocky Ball?" Fleta curiously picked up the Chiptoon, "This is mine! I'm not gonna share it with some strangers trying to steal my friend!"
"Fleta, I only just met them! You're still my best friend!"
"Then how come you always leave?! How come you don't like playing with me?"
"Well, because… you always throw tantrums every time you lo-"
"I DON'T LOSE!" Their eardrums were ruptured by her shout. "I let you win! I let you win because you're dumb and bad at games!"
"Hey, you can't talk to someone like that!" Mado shouted.
"You can't tell me what to do!" Fleta reached down and grabbed Mado by the hip, raising her to her cranky visage. "Friend-stealers should just go in the garba…?"
Having been pulled out of the dollhouse, Madotsuki stretched back to normal size and crushed Fleta beneath her weight. "AAAH!"
"Sorry…" Mado pushed herself off the smaller girl. Marshadow slipped out of her window in the process, the Firstborn lain on top of Egliette, whom he was about the size of.
Marshadow looked over and spotted, "Hey! The Chiptoon!" He jumped to grab the gem. "AAAAAAHHH!"
He ruptured with power as Fleta and the dollhouse were blown away. April and Girl stretched back to full size, struggling to withstand the force. Marshadow experienced a storm of complex feelings, from violent rage, confusion, and mental pressure, the spoiled desires of a little girl, and for a moment, he experienced total blindness.
By the time it was finished, darkness surrounded them. They appeared to be on the same brick ground as before, but not a trace of anything else remained. Girl lay sickened on the ground, her pocket mirror dropped beside her. "Girl, are you alright?" April asked, lifting her head up.
"Uhh…" Her cherry eyes peeped open with an exhausted sigh. "I feel kind of…"
"I guess that was a little too much for her…" The strange boy stepped out of the shadows. "Oh well. She should be fine. But it looks like you have what you came for, so you guys can be on your way."
"Girl, who is this guy?"
"I…I don't know." Girl managed to sit herself up, glaring at him. "But I feel like… you have something to do with my missing memories."
"I wonder if he's some kind of Nightmare?" Mado said, readying her bubble wand.
"Whether I am or not, my business is with that girl." The boy grinned. "You have no business getting involved."
"Yes we do! We can't just let you torment her dreams!"
"For all you know, maybe she deserves it. Maybe she's a terrible criminal getting her due punishment. Maybe she's trying to deny her past self. That's why her name is gone and her memories are scattered."
"But how… Is that really who I am?" Girl wondered.
"It's just a theory. How could I know? I'm just part of the dream, in the end. A dream that'll never end unless that Protoon is fixed, right? So, don't you have more important things to do? Don't waste your time anymore, and I won't waste yours. See you around!" He gracefully slid back into the dark.
April helped Girl to her feet. "Girl, do you want to come with us? I don't know what's happening to your dream, but it could be dangerous to stay."
"It's okay, April. I'd hate to trouble you guys, anymore."
"It's no trouble." April smiled. "We're Kids Next Door. Protecting people is our job!"
"Kids Next Door? That sounds pretty cool! But I have to stay. I have to learn who I really am." Girl bent down and picked up the pocket mirror, staring at her reflection. She smiled at April and Mado's reflections behind her. "But I'm glad to have met you two." She turned to them with a warm smile. "I hope we can meet again in the Waking World." She then faced down at Marshadow, who was holding and staring at the blue Chiptoon. "I hope you find what you're looking for, too." Marshadow looked up as Girl squatted down. "Somehow, looking at you… I get a sense of calmness."
"Well, shadows are supposed to be serene." April inferred.
"But I'm a Nightmare Spirit, not a Shadow Spirit."
"Maybe, but I can feel all my worries disappear around you." Girl grinned. "Hehe…and by the way, don't be mad at Fleta. She's nicer than she lets people believe. I bet you and Egliette would be great playmates, Marshadow!"
"Heh…I guess so."
Girl stood up and stared in her mirror. Behind her was a Portal Pedestal… but it seemed to be invisible in reality. "I think I see an exit. Follow me." She stepped backward, the others following. Mado looked into the mirror and saw the pedestal in question. She spun a portal into being, Girl mesmerized as it materialized.
"Thanks, Girl!" April smiled. "Hehe…I hope we learn your real name someday! I bet it's as pretty as Goldenweek!"
"I hope so, too! See you later!" Girl watched as her new friends swirled into the portal, soon to exit her dream.
Madotsuki's House
Once they had emerged from the painting, the friends relaxed on the bed once more. "You seem to be a lot better, Marshadow." April said.
"Yeah, kind of. I guess finding the Chiptoons really is helping!"
"We took some damage from that battle though." April drew on a canvas in the room and made a giant cookie. The friends shared it to recover their strength. "What about you, Mado? You haven't said much since the explosion…"
"Oh yeah, I'm alright. I've just been wondering… what kind of past Girl could have that she'd want to forget."
"Oh…" April could tell that wasn't the only thing on her mind.
"April… just how terrible was it? What… happened to me?"
"I mean… I could tell you if you want. But I'm not sure if telling you would make the memories come back or not…"
"Back on Halloween, when I saved Haruka from that creepy Nightmare… I got flashes of a pair of hands and a knife. And I felt afraid. But I…"
April waited for her to continue. "…Never mind." Mado sighed. "You don't have to tell me now. Maybe I should try to find out on my own. Like Girl…"
"Okay." April shared a smile with her friend. "Then should we search for the next one?"
"Yeah!" Mado picked Marshadow up as he tried to focus another vision. Even if there was a lot she wanted to forget… maybe there was a lot Girl wanted to remember, too. Maybe there's something… that I really want to remember…