The World Rings, Night 15: Unbound

The silence and darkness was a stark, refreshing contrast to everything that had happened. Index felt damp, and realized she was half-submerged in a shallow golden sea. The sky was pitch-black, and Index was alone, her feet stirring the waves as she walked forward. She walked for a long time, not bothering to count the minutes, even with her Perfect Memory. Eventually, she could make out a figure in the distance. Picking up the pace, she drew closer and could make out the person's shape. Her green skull was bowed, facing the golden water.

Calliope turned to face Index and smiled. "I gUess I'm still caUsing more troUble… aren't I, Scheherazade?"

Index transformed into the golden-haired Keeper of Stories. "I never wanted anyone to find out. I didn't want to believe it was true… but now that I'm here, all I can ask is 'Why'?"

"I woUldn't expect anyone to remember." Scheherazade faced up at the sky as the vision appeared: Kodama of Sector JP picked up a strange egg. She stumbled on her feet and almost dropped the egg, but when she caught it, the egg cracked open slightly, exposing what she recognized as Hoopa's eye. That was when a Zoni flew in and quickly resealed the egg with timebending. "When those children visited the God ProdUction three years ago, they nearly hatched Hoopa's egg before its time. Of coUrse, mine and Caliborn's chi was already prevalent in that space, albeit in small doses. That very Zoni was infected with a piece of oUr chi, and when it Rewinded Hoopa's egg, the poor Firstborn was infected by that chi."

"And that's why Hoopa held the power to rewrite history."

"Yes. However, I felt none of my brother's personality within Hoopa's soUl. And yet, I still felt obliged to watch after this Newborn in case the worst shoUld happen. So, I allowed myself to reincarnate as yoU, Scheherazade. However, the Dark Chi inside Hoopa is not the same as oUr chi, and I did not really sense it before. Regardless, it woUld seem this darkness is triggering some UnnatUral feelings inside of Hoopa, desires that coincide with my brother's old ideals. Regardless, there may yet be time to repair the Universe Book before everything is destroyed."

"Quit talking so casually!" Index shouted in anger. "Even if we stop Hoopa and repair the universe, everybody knows who we are now! We'll never have a moment's rest! I mean, who asked you to reincarnate inside me, anyway?! Why did you NEED to?!"

"I'm sorry! Look, I promise I'll leave yoUr soUl after this is over!"

"It's too late for that, don't you get it?! All our hard work trying to bring peace to the universe has just been extinguished! People were just barely getting adjusted to this new era, still trying to process the fact their entire universe was destroyed, and then reborn all over again! Yet, even after all of that, their worst nightmare just shows up on the news! 'Look everyone, the being that threatened your existence is back from the dead! He's unkillable, just like everyone said he was! The Kids Next Door didn't destroy him AFTER all!' It doesn't matter if we cure Hoopa's darkness or not, anymore… because the entire universe will fear us!"

"Hmmm… perhaps yoU're right." Calliope closed her eyes and bowed her head. "Maybe it was wrong of me to cUrse yoU with sUch a fate… bUt the fact is, Hoopa was already infected by oUr chi. And it was thanks to my inflUence that yoU were able to form a connection with him. If yoU had not… then perhaps nobody coUld control him."

"Hmm… you're right." Index sighed in defeat. "I guess it was my fate… there was no way around it."

"No. BUt, after eons of stUdying other Universes, I've drawn some essential principles from many of them. And one of those is… always have faith in yoUr friends."

"Index, can you hear me?!"

The Keeper gasped, whipping around to meet with Goombella's eyes. "Goombella?" She glanced right and noticed Eri, her red eyes trembling in fear. "Eri, too?"

"You were just talking to yourself. I was getting worried…"

"Oh…" Index bowed her head in shame. "Sorry."

"It's alright. More importantly… where are we?"

They were standing on a rocky cliff, much like the ones at Bowser's Castle, but the sky was completely different: it looked as if an ocean were looming over the heavens, flapping softly like a flag. It was divided by ripped edges, and each section depicted a different world. "Those are… the Original Worlds."

"They are?!"

Index reached under her habit and pulled out a golden page. This page, which described the Tragedy of Planet Wisp, was slowly beginning to tear. "The universe is beginning to rip apart. Its energy will leak into other universes unless we fix the Universe Book."

"RAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Their hearts jumped at this thundering cry. In the distance, a body of darkness was flashing over Bowser's Castle, struggling to tear off the Light Chains binding its six arms. "THESE CHAINS… CANNOT HOLD HOOPA FOREVER!"

"Those chains were meant to hold Hoopa in case his Unbound form ever got loose. We have to reunite the Seven Rings before he escapes!"

"I…I can't, anymore." Goombella sighed, anger plaguing her features. "I'm done."

"What do you mean you're done?"

"Do you think it's easy being your Tattler? Reading giant Power Level after giant Power Level, always feeling like a petty mushroom compared to you tall and powerful humans… and other species? I know I'm not supposed to compare myself to others, but it's impossible given my position. I just can't do it, anymore. I couldn't study Bowser's level without passing out, so if I even glance at Hoopa, I might go in a coma. Sorry, Index… but there's nothing I can do from here on."

"I'm sorry you had to be dragged into this, Goombella. I've made things worse for everyone. But we have to find where our friends are." Index approached the cliff, overlooking the distorted abyss. "There is one good thing about this, though: now that Hoopa is Unbound, so are the World Rings."

Elsewhere in the space, Deku was able to wake up Lotte. "Deku?…" She looked right and noticed Cheadle cradling Maria in her arms, and The Riddler posing on another ledge as he gazed at the horizon, hands on his hips. Lotte helped herself up as she approached him. "So, when that Ciel kid asked you about Scheherazade's identity… is that how you knew, Eddie?"

"Yes, Lotte."

"Riddler… why?" asked Deku with strong disappointment. "Didn't you know what would happen?"

"In truth, I did not. I saw myself revealing this news via my Observation Haki. It was my natural instinct compelling me to do this."

"Grrrr!" Cheadle growled. "Why would you think this was a good idea?! What good could possibly come out of this?!"

Riddler cracked a smile. "I'm glad you asked, Chancellor Yorkshire. There are TWO positive outcomes that could come of this!" He whipped around and raised two fingers. "For instance, our World Rings are now in an awakened state! My Wisdom Ring allows me to answer as many questions people can throw at me in a day (provided they're from different people), amplify my Haki, and allow me to detect lies! Deku's ring allows him to crush the dreams of OTHER people (so, don't touch him), and Lotte can now freely allow the fictional characters into our world without the need of her Ghost Whispering."

"I can?!"

"Yes, but the act of doing so will terribly exhaust your power. Regardless, my instinct tells me it will prove very valuable to us."

"Hasn't your instinct caused enough trouble?!" Cheadle shouted.

"Well, my instinct will be the only thing that gets us out of it. For now, should we not try to locate our comrades?"

"And what's your big plan for that?" Deku asked.

Maria's communicator rang, the weary princess answering it. The others gathered around to listen. "Everyone, this is Index. Do you all read me?"

"I read you, Index." Maria replied. "I'm with Deku, Lotte, and Miss Yorkshire."

"AHEM." coughed Riddler.

"And Riddler too, I see. I'm with Eri and Goombella."

"This is Nagisa; I'm with Morgiana, Killua, and Alluka."

"We'll need you two to get us back together." Index instructed. "Use your Soul Bonds to track down my location. Once you do, Maria's group can find their way to us afterwards."

"Good idea." Nagisa replied. "We'll try to get to you quickly."

"Yeah, so call forth the Power of Love!" Killua remarked, Morg shooting him a glare. Alluka, who was halfway in her brother's shirt collar, giggled and clapped.

Morgiana held Nagisa's hand as the Soul Bond appeared from their hearts. They held the bond and could sense Index and Goombella's location. "There they are. Let's go, Nagisa." (Play "Studio Time Rift" from A Hat in Time.)

Stage 11: The Scattered Pages

Mission: Reunite the Seven Ring Hunters.

The Soul Bond seemed to be drawing Nagisa's group into a large floating page that depicted the Triforce. When they entered, they appeared to be in the skies of Hyrule, the fields burning as demons and robotic Guardians marched forward. Thankfully, the kids were situated in the sky, safe from the destruction, following a road of floating pages. "This must be a story from Hyrule's history." Killua figured.

Shortly after they set foot on a giant page, bombs dropped from the sky, missing them by a few feet. A trio of Lakitu were above them, brimming with red aura as they dropped explosive Spinies. "These must be Bowser's minions!" Nagisa deduced, kicking Tempest Kicks up at the creatures. "And that aura looks like Louise…" The Lakitus swiftly evaded the kicks, then Killua began to grab the Spinies with his yo-yos and chuck them up to destroy the Lakitus.

"Big Brother, I wanted to ride the clouds." Alluka said sadly. Then, to their surprise, the three Lakitu clouds rematerialized beside them.

"How did she do that?!" Morg asked.

Index contacted them and answered, "The awakened Ring of Wishes allows Alluka to manifest her own desires. However, they don't last long, and they'll drain her energy, so use it sparingly."

"You heard her, Alluka." Killua said as they hopped in the clouds, using them to float over the warring fields. The Guardians fired blue beams to the sky, the kids having to maneuver around them as they lasted indefinitely. Cannons were floating around the space via mini propellers, shooting raging Bullet Bills that flew as fast as actual bullets. They dodged the Bills by the beats of their hearts, but their clouds were beginning to fade away.

"Morgiana!" Nagisa jumped out to grab his girlfriend and use Moon Walks to keep them afloat.

"It's okay!" Nagisa looked down in shock when flaming wings emerged from Morg's ankles, the Fanalis holding onto him. "Even if I don't transform, it seems like I can use a little of my Red Lion traits."

"Hooray for the power of love!" Killua remarked, using his hoverboard to float. The three kept flying until they could enter another page.

Now they had entered a world of trees of incredible size, for this page described the First Age of KND. They were currently venturing along a gigantic tree that was floating sideways. The tree was slowly rotating clockwise, requiring the three to consistently step left whilst avoiding branches or walls. Killua and Morg attempted to simply fly, but the tree shot rapid lasers from the top and forced them to stay down. There was a point where they had to wait for two Wall Jump walls to rotate by, the three making quick use of them to reach the higher ledge lest they would be brought down.

They had to go up two more Wall Jumps, and the next segment was guarded by Hammer and Boomerang Bros., whom were also infected by the angry aura. The Koopas threw their projectiles at dangerous speeds, Nagisa using Iron Body to shield Morg from falling hammers, but their enhanced strength was steadily breaching his defense. As Killua was hastily dodging rapid boomerangs, Alluka said, "I wanna throw boomerangs too, brother!" A boomerang spawned in her hand. "Yaaaay! Don't miss, Boomer-chan!" She tossed the toy with surprising speed and accuracy, conking each Koopa in the head and KOing them as they fell into the abyss.

"You know, I wonder if this tree was the first treehouse designed by the KND." Nagisa commented. "I mean, after the Tree of Beginning."

"Worry about that when it's not trying to drop us." Killua remarked. They reached a segment where the tree was twisting left and right at different intervals, and they were required to follow a narrow path between some walls. The path would curve whenever it was time for the tree to change direction, and the trio managed to keep between the walls without falling. They could finally enter a page to Bowser's Castle, bringing them to Index.

"Phew! That wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be." Nagisa sighed, recalling a much worse level from the KND's history. "Okay, Maria, you guys can start making your way to us!"

"Roger Dodger!" Maria replied perkily. Cheadle carried her as they followed their Soul Bonds to the abyss. Lotte flew over the chasm and used magic to draw in floating pages. The group would stand on each page as Lotte would release the spell, letting it float back to its original position. Eventually, they entered a page depicting Fairy World.

The second they landed on a giant pink, glittery cloud was when a horde of Magikoopas began bombarding them with spells. Lotte threw up a Protego, but it was easily shattered by their might. "Riddler, hold Maria!" Cheadle passed the princess to him as she ran out and began to attack the Magikoopas with Haki punches and kicks, the dog Mobian making use of her instincts to dodge their spells and strike with precision. "AH!" A Magikoopa was able to shock her, but Lotte cast her own spell to stun it. The stun quickly wore off, but Deku jumped the Magikoopa, causing the mage's wand arm to break. As he cried in pain, Cheadle flew up to kick the Koopa unconscious.

"Did I break his arm with my World Ring?!" Deku asked in fright.

"It seems like it. Try to keep your distance." Cheadle told him. The group followed their bonds to an edge that had a tree with one star. Riddler held Maria up to "Boop!" touch the star, and it sparkled to life as it flew down and sprinkled a rainbow slide. It stopped a few feet down.

"Follow me, I can sense the path." Riddler gave Maria back to Cheadle and demonstrated the accuracy of his instincts. The others got on the slide and followed him, shifting their bodies in alignment with him to dodge the holes or barriers that would appear along the slide. The rainbow became flat and wide, but even as they got back on their feet, the four continued to slide. Several page portals opened around the field, so the group tried to slow and compose their selves to avoid going in the wrong portal.

Cheadle saw that Maria's Soul Bond was going into one of the portals. "This way!" she yelled to the others before skiing into that portal. The group followed Cheadle into a worrisome image of a black hole.

Looming in the distant heavens was Zathura, the black hole swirling and threatening to suck everything in. Smaller vortexes opened and began to draw the group in. "La, la, laaaa…" Lotte hummed a song that was in synch with the area's music. "La la, la, la la… laaa…" Her song summoned the Space Spirits, and she asked them to close the black holes. She kept the rhythm going as they proceeded, the vortexes sealing whenever Lotte got near. Koopa airships hovered over the path as Koopatrols dropped down, intending to ram the Hunters with their spiked heads. Lotte simply lowered her tone to make vortexes spawn around the Koopas, sucking them up.

"Do you think Louise is controlling the Koopas somehow?" Deku asked.

"It would appear this is the result of her awakened Ring of Rage." Riddler replied.

When they reached a dead end, seeing the Soul Bond direct them upwards, Lotte sang and willed a black hole spirit to raise its vortex upwards, while still drawing them in. Lotte repeated this with each of her friends one at a time (mostly to avoid having Deku touch them) until they were all set on a higher platform. It seemed that the portal would be a straight journey across an empty path, which was good because Lotte's voice was starting to hurt. However, small portals began to open around the path at random locations, shooting Bullet Bills at a rapid pace.

Riddler and Cheadle used Observation Haki to reactively dodge the bullets. Cheadle was weighted down with Maria in her arms, and wrapping her arms tightly around the princess, she ducked and braced herself as Black Hole Bills were pelting her back. "Miss Yorkshire!"

"I'm fine, Maria. Your safety is all that matters to me."

Lotte was quickly casting spells to combat the Bills. She yelled, "Deku, how're you holding up?!"

The powerless hero was swiftly maneuvering his hands and touching each sentient bullet, causing their bombs to become duds as they passed out on the ground. "I feel kind of bad for doing this. I mean, a bullet can only live so long, you know?"

"Well, maybe this way, they'll have a chance to reflect upon their life." Lotte replied with a sweatdrop.

They were able to make it to the page portal, which depicted Bowser's Castle. As soon as they entered, they were reunited with Index and Nagisa's groups. (End song.)

"Deku-san!" Eri's face beamed as she joyfully ran up to hug him.

"Don't touch me, Eri-chan!" Deku panicked, the girl halting immediately. "Or else your dream will be crushed!"

"Oh… okay." She bowed her head in sadness.

"Well, it would wear off after you give back the ring." Index mentioned.

"RAAAAAAAHHH!" Everyone whipped in the direction of the castle as Hoopa continued to struggle. "Scheherazade! Get these chains OFF ME! I will NOT allow you to bind me!"

"So, that's what Hoopa really looks like." Killua commented. "I knew I didn't like that kid."

"How do we stop him?" Lotte asked.

"We have to unite the seven World Rings, and that means finding the Yellow Ring of Fate." Index answered.

"What does that ring do?" Nagisa asked.

"The Ring of Fate is one that only Scheherazade can use. Essentially, it gives her the power to decide fates. She can decide when or how someone will die, decide who someone will marry, or decide which planets will explode."

"Sounds pretty messed up!" Killua stated.

"I know it is. And that's why Scheherazade used it on herself a long time ago. She decided that she will never use the Ring of Fate on anyone except herself and Hoopa. Otherwise, it's immoral to decide anyone's future for them. One of our most holy laws is the thread of fate that binds people and guides them to destinies, and I would never taint that law."

"But why Hoopa?"

"Because I thought I could use it to destroy Hoopa's darkness… but this ended in failure because Hoopa is immune to his own World Rings. Once the Universe Book is restored, I can sing a special lullaby designed to put Hoopa to sleep and soothe his mind."

"Hang on, if only you can use the Fate Ring, why hasn't it come to you already?"

"Funny thing about the Fate Ring." Index smirked. "It doesn't directly fly to the Bearer, it flies to a certain place where the Bearer is going to go. If I were to guess, it's at Bowser's Castle. However, I think you guys deserve to know something. Now that my identity has been exposed to the universe, I know that more and more people are going to try to capture me and Hoopa. Naturally, that will endanger my friends, too. That's why I plan to use the Ring of Fate to banish myself to a place where no one can find us, or at least until I can find a cure for Hoopa-"

"Don't even think about that!" Nagisa shouted.

"Hm hm hm! I thought you would feel that way, Nagisa." Index said with a grateful smile. "But seriously… you'll become a social pariah if I'm around, even to the Kids Next Door."

"You can't leave!" the leader spoke passionately. "The four of us have been a team ever since we joined the KND! We fought in the Viridi War, Enies Lobby, went to New Galaxia, and we survived them all together!"

"I was trapped in a card-"

"Ignore that part! Index, I swear if you leave, then I'll search the whole universe until I find you! If you will Fate to make you impossible to find, then I'll challenge Fate. I'll take it by the neck and force it to take me to you!"

"Nagisa, your girlfriend's right behind you." Goombella remarked.

"No worries." Morgiana smiled. "I'll stay by his side until we find you, too."

"Guys, I appreciate the gesture, but it's not going to-"

"They aren't lying, just so you know." Riddler inferred, a twinkle in his glasses. "They truly intend to scour the universe for your sake. A feat which they WON'T perform for my riddles."

"So, either way, you're kind of screwing up our lives!" Nagisa grinned. "The choice is would you rather doom us to endless, lonely searching, or spend the rest of your days fighting bad guys alongside the people you love?"

At that point, Index couldn't think of an argument. She was so sure of her decision, and hoped that her friends would accept her sacrifice in return for safety… Then again, even if they did accept, the villains already knew she was part of their team. They would still go after them and demand information. "Oh, what was I thinking? After all, we're the Kids Next Door. Sectormates are practically drawn to each other like magnets. Especially if we're in trouble."

"Well, funny you should mention that." Morg replied. "It seems like if we plan to make it to Louise, we'll have to brave through Bowser's Castle and all his soldiers. I think we're going to need some extra firepower."

She and Nagisa locked hands, forming their Soul Bonds. "So, Index…" Nagisa began. "If we can use the Soul Bonds to track our friends, can they use it to track us?"

Index beamed, seeming to read his mind. "Y…Yeah! Now that your World Rings are awakened, you'll be able to draw your friends to your location. Just focus your feelings and call for their aid!"

"Sounds like the cheesiest thing ever." Killua remarked with a smile. "Let's try it. Hook me up, Bro!"

With that, Nagisa and Morg extended their hands to the others, focusing their chi as Soul Bonds brimmed from their hearts. Drifting into the sky, the operatives gently clasped their bonds and began to tug on them like ropes. "Okay, I'm basically tugging on Gon's heart." Killua said. "It feels weird, yet it feels nice."

"Akko, Sucy, can you feel me?" Lotte asked, eyes shut as she focused. "Hurry to my location! I hope you don't get lost."

"Come on, Ochaco." Deku pled. "Kacchan. Iida. I need you all together."

"Please, hear me… Mom and Dad." Maria whispered to herself.

"GWAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRR!" Another deafening roar shook the world, yet this one seemed more akin to Bowser's than Hoopa's.

Lotte noticed her crystal ball started blinking, so she quickly put it on the ground and turned it on. "BIG NEWWWWWS! King Bowser lies weakened on the ground! His loyal subjects surround him with looks of scorn! Is the royal Mustached Girl his long-awaited match?! This reporter seeks to find out!"

Bowser was bleeding from the mouth, panting as he glared at little Louise Mario. His minions were all brimming with red aura, and he could sense only cold feelings in their hearts. "My minions… What…What have you done to them?"

"I altered their feelings a little bit." Louise smirked. "Each one of your minions has that tiniest ounce of hatred for you, and I magnified that hatred. Honestly, I had no idea it would work, but I'm sure glad it did! You don't need to worry, King Fuck, because I'll take GOOD care of them when I'm done with you."

"Big 'Scuse Me, little lady!" Louise turned as Big Bird approached her, the camera revealing her image to the universe. "Do you think we could have an interview with you once you're all finished there?! Are you really Mushroom's long-lost princess? How did you get this powerful?! Care to try your hand at that giant genie that's wrecking everything?"

Louise shot over, grabbed the bird by the collar, and brought him down to her level. "Make sure your cameras are rolling. I've got a message for all the villains in this universe!"

Big Bird rolled his finger, gesturing Elmo to keep filming. Louise snapped her fingers, and taking the cue, one of her Bonneters began to play music on a stereo.

Louise jigged her body up and down and began to sing. "I'm not the damsel in distress!" She threw Big Bird elsewhere and leapt on Bowser's head. "I'm not your girlfriend, or the fright-ened prin-cess." She grabbed and twisted Bowser's neck at each syllable. "I'm not a little bird who needs your help to fly." She used the P-wing to take flight once again. "Nope! I'm… the bad guy."

She grabbed one of Bowser's horns and flipped his entire body before yanking it clean off his head, the king screaming as blood spilled. "Each and every villain better see…" Louise grabbed her gun and shot numerous Koopas in the knees. "This wretched king and ALL his crones have knelt… be…fore… me!"

Caesar Clown, Shigaraki, Jack Spicer, and his Brotherhood agents watched the news in horror. Doflamingo and the Corporate Presidents (including a certain mouse king) were frightened by her actions. Even Vaati felt the slightest worry. "So, I'm not your teammate or your partner in crime. WHAT AM I, boys?!"

"She's… the bad guy." The Koopas chorused weakly.

"Man, she looks even worse now." Deku said, taking note of the throbbing veins in Louise's forehead.

"If this goes on, Louise could end up being destroyed by her own rage." Index replied.

"Even if our friends all get here, will they really be enough to subdue her?"

"I don't really know."

Glaring sharply at the screen, Maria clasped her Soul Bond more firmly than ever. Somewhere within this distorted space, inside Mushroom Castle, Queen Peach and her husband could feel the light tugs on their hearts. "Mario… we can't let this go on, anymore. We have to help our daughters."

"Hm…" Mario nodded seriously.

"Oh, it's MAGIC!" Louise stroked the ground with her Paint Staff. "How simply TRAGIC!" She engulfed the Koopas into the staff's goop. "To watch you shrivel up and die." When the Koopas sank in, the Bonneters shot their heads with guns. "Oh, it's thrillin'…" She zipped past Hammer Bros. and slit their necks with a knife. "Killin' villains. I destroy their homes and then I watch. Them. Cry. UAH HA HA HA HA!" The Hat Ships blasted cannons around the castle. "'Cause I'm the bad guy!"

"Grrrr! We can't keep waiting!" Deku shouted. "We should try to break in there now!"

"Not to worry!" Riddler perked up. "I can see the cavalry has arrived!"

"Huh?" Goombella asked.

"We now arrive at the SECOND benefit to this catastrophe! Introduciiiing…!"

A beam of light pierced the heavens and struck the ground before them. They could feel immense power radiating from it, and when it cleared, a human-like figure was seen squatting, before rising to full height. He wore a black suit, a black tie, a wide-brimmed black hat, and had an eye-patch over his left eye. His right eye appeared to be brimming with pure frustration and anger. "Will one of you please tell me… what the hell DID YOU DO NOW?!?"

"Who is this man?!" Eri asked in fright.

"His name is-" Riddler tried to answer.

"I am Zedekiah Strong, leader and founder of the IDA!"

"The who?" the others chorused.

"IDA. Inter-Dimensional Agency. …Ring any bells?"

Everyone remained dumbstruck. ". . . . . . . . . . . . . Oh, I remember!" Index beamed. "They're the ones who gathered the Dimension Rebels in New Galaxia!"

"Ohhhhhhhhhh." Nagisa drawled. "Man, I just do not remember anything from New Galaxia."

"All I remember is never to visit it." Lotte remarked.

"Whether you remember me or not doesn't matter! There I was, enjoying my retirement, relishing in the peace between the universes, when suddenly, THERE'S A DISTURBANCE! And where does it come from?! THE GAMEVERSE! Where else?! Your blasted universe can't go a damned decade without having a crisis, but dragging other worlds into it is too far!" The Riddler was slowly creeping up behind him. "You better have a blasted solution or I'll have half a mind to drown your entire realm in DIMENSION ADHESIVE!"

The Riddler softly placed his hand over Zedekiah's mouth. "Shhhhhhoooooooo…"

"What the frick are you do-"

"Shhhhooooo…" Riddler brushed his hand around the mouth in a soothing fashion, but Zedekiah was anything but soothed. Some romantic dinner music started to play, and this only added to his discomfort. "Mr. Strong… let's have a little… heart to heart."

"I don't want any of our organs to interact, good sir."

"You may have heard of me, but my name is Edward Nigma, The Riddler. I am the wisest man in the entire universe, he who guides astray souls. I will admit that I am partially responsible for this tiny little mess… but only because my instincts tell me that the benefits outweigh the costs."

"What good are your damn instincts compared to mine?!"

"Very good, my interdimensional friend! If I do recall correctly, you once amassed a band of rebels from across the multiverse in order to combat the dreaded Lord English. Well, what's preventing you from doing it again?"

"Because it causes dimensional distortions that will only make this situation worse! The only reason we did it the first time was because Lord English already fucked things up! Not to mention, if too many people knew about these other dimensions, they would try to find them and cause even MORE chaos! That's why the IDA had to steal their memories after that whole mess; hell, you all are damn well lucky we let you keep yours."

"That's nice, Mr. Strong, but I'm going to need you to give those memories back."

"What?! Weren't you just listening to a word I-"

"You don't need to bring the Originals to our world, you just need to restore their memories. It will only last for a short time, Mr. Strong. Just restore their memories and we will take care of the rest."

"And how the hell am I supposed to trust you? What could you possibly be planning?!"

"Just do what he says." Index ordered. "I think I understand what Riddler is trying to do."

"Yeah, what is it, Index?" Nagisa asked.

"Remember when I said that the Dimensional Rebels also had the Rukh? That means the Rukh also exist in the Original Worlds. If I can summon those Rukh as I've been summoning yours, I can become even stronger! And we might need that in case Hoopa breaks free."

"Rukh?" Zedekiah asked. "You mean you can actually see those things?"

"You betcha."

"Sigh, of course you can. After all, people can pretty much do anything in this universe. Alright, I'll return their memories. But if we end up having another multiverse crisis, I'm holding you kids responsible!" Zedekiah proceeded to sock Riddler in the face and vanish with another beam of light.

"Hey, Goombella, what was that guy's Power Level, anyway?" Deku asked.

"Duuuuuhhhh…" Goombella had turned pale and passed out again.

"He's THAT strong?!"

"Guys, look!" Maria shouted, pointing skyward. "I see ships!"

"Yeah!" Lotte smiled, recognizing a particular one. "They look like ours!"

Once the ships had gotten low enough, their teammates showed their selves: Sector LN flew off the Stanship on broomsticks, Gon Freecss leapt off a Sheikah ship, Sector U.A. leapt off a ship with U.A.'s logo, and even Sector $ managed to find them. "Well, I guess we weren't the only sector invited!" Carol said. "We came here following some weird spirit thingy from Ciel's heart."

"That was me!" Index grinned. "I'll explain what that is later."

"Hey, Killua, we saw you on the news!" Gon shouted, rushing up to his friend. "I can't believe you went to take on Bowser without me!"

"Baka, we came here to save Maria and Louise!"

"Lotte, we were so worried about you!" Akko squeezed her best friend in a hug. "I didn't peg YOU for the reckless type!"

"I, uh, learned it from you, I guess." She blushed.

"DEKUUUU!" Ochaco flew up to embrace him with tears in her eyes.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!!" Deku rapidly shook his hands. "I have a curse that drains peoples' power when I touch them!"

"YIKES, thanks for the warning." Akko hid behind Lotte, not wanting her Magic Deficiency to get any worse.

"Deku, it only works when you touch them with your hands!" Index stated. "The rest of your body is safe."

"Greetings, children!" Riddler introduced himself. "I'm sure you've heard of me, but I am The Riddler, and it was thanks to my wisdom and guidance that your friends have survived."

"We have a wanted poster of you." said Diana Cavendish, presenting it.

"So do I, as a matter of fact." Tenya Iida held up his own.

"DAMMIT, why don't you kids ignore my crimes and acknowledge my teachings for a change?!"

"Hey, Index." Prince Raleigh approached the nun, firmly clasping tiny Ciel Phantomhive in his left hand. "Somehow, I feel like this guy is responsible for blowing your secret. Any way you'd like me to punish him?"

"Well, I… er…" Feeling nervous, Index noticed that all the operatives were gazing at her. "Wait… you guys do know who I am, right?"

"Well, we're kinda confused." Carol replied. "But I'll hold off on asking questions until we stop that thing."

"I don't think I've ever seen the real Lord English anyway," Gon followed with an innocent smile, "so I'm not scared one bit!"

"So, what's the plan, anyway?!" Bakugo asked in infuriation. "Do we just storm the damn castle or what?!"

Index smirked and nodded. "Yes! I know the last World Ring is somewhere in the castle. We have to retrieve it AND stop Louise. There will be a lot of soldiers in the castle, but I think with our Soul Bonds, we'll be able to charge through them all!"

"Soul Bonds?" Akko asked, cocking a brow.

"Let us show you." Morgiana smiled, she and Nagisa focusing their power on all the operatives. (Play "Hashire" from Hunter X Hunter!)

Everyone shone with pink aura as Soul Bonds linked the hearts of every member of the team. "Whoa, this feels so weird." Tsu said, holding her bond. "Ribbit."

"Deku, why is ours pink?" Ochaco asked, holding her bond.

"Oh, that!" Deku turned red, sweating dramatically. "Uh, it just means our bond is SUPER strong!"

"Hey, our bond is pink too, Diana!" Akko noticed.

"Hm, so it is…" Diana couldn't help but flush as she held it.

"Hey, Killua, I feel strangely powerful all of a sudden!" Gon said as both boys clutched their pink Soul Bonds.

"You ready to go wreck some Koopas, then?" Killua smirked.

"You bet!"

"Then show these losers what you can do!"

"Okay…" Gon faced the Koopa Kore with determination. "First comes Rock!" He balled his fists as they hardened with Haki. "Rock…" The Haki spread to his body as it turned red. "Paper…" It formed the "XX" symbol on his chest. "SCISSORS!!" His spiked hair brimmed like fire, and an intense aura began radiating off his form.

"Whoa!" Nagisa exclaimed, feeling a mild chill down his spine. "He can use Haki Fury just like Maddy!"

"So, this is Conqueror's Haki, huh?" Ochaco said with slight weakness. "I guess I should keep away from him, too."

"Deku-san…" Eri began as she climbed onto Deku's shoulders, careful not to touch his hands. "I'm going to hold onto you as long as possible… I'll keep helping you until the end!"

Their Soul Bond was allowing her Quirk to come forth again. As power flowed through Deku's veins, he smiled at her and replied, "Thank you, Eri-chan. I promise I'll protect you!"

"I hope the Shiny Rod doesn't tire out this time!" Akko declared, whipping out her treasured wand as Diana clutched it as well.

"We should only use as much power as necessary." Diana replied as the rod transformed into a bow. "Besides, I'm certain you have a few tricks up your sleeve."

Grrr… At this size, I'll be as good as useless. Sebastian… where are you… Ciel thought to himself.

With that, all the five sectors faced the castle, their very bonds filling them with power and confidence. "We're coming, Louise!" Maria promised, trusting Yorkshire to carry her through. "And Mom and Dad are coming, too."

At the same time, a R.O.A.D.S.T.A.R. was en route to Mushroom World. Cheren Uno was following his own Soul Bond. "Calliope… you have some serious explaining to do."