34. The King’s Request

Today's code uses Caesar Cipher.

Flight Sanley

It took days for Shelly to find an airport that allowed 9-year-old girls in swimsuits, but it paid off. Hers and Gonshiri's clothing were worn and tattered, and the few passengers on the plane avoided them. "Boggly Forest better be worth this." Shelly said angrily.

"I'm starting to wonder the same thing." Gonshiri replied. "Traveling with you is joyless."

"You didn't have to buy a ticket, you don't get to complain. Sigh…" Shelly rested her head on her hand. "Even if we do make it to the forest, what'll I do afterwards? I'm sure a bunch of Minish live there that'll support you."

"True, but you can always shrink down to our level, and be my servant." The princess smiled wryly. Shelly said nothing for a few seconds, and from her perch on the human's shoulder, Gonshiri could sense her downtrodden (though scowling) expression. "You only have five seconds to make a comeback, otherwise I win."

"Blah, blah." Shelly replied uninterested. "Not to get too personal with this, but… how many of your people actually care about you?"

"That's a matter of opinion." Shiri said, with a raise of a brow at this question. "My mother tries to raise me to be an excellent princess, I have perhaps a thousand teachers, servants are obviously under my orders… Of course, many of them are being paid, I assume. I don't… have any normal friends, if that's what you're implying."

"How do you feel about that?"

"I never minded. But what is it to you? How many human friends do you have, or 'care' about you?"

"I'm the Fourth Grade President at Gallagher, you can only make that position by having a ton of friends, so yeah."

"I thought presidents were chosen because of their ability, not their popularity?"

"We're kids, Shiri, we don't care about people's skills or responsibility, we elect based on if they're cool or not. And a lot of people think I'm cool, I'm the princess of a desert. Granted, I've misled them into thinking I'm rich, when really my dad just created a giant sandcastle and declared himself king of that backsand country, even though we have no authority whatsoever. …Sigh." She leaned her head against her knuckles.

"I surmise the cliché occurrence where you're a large-headed bully who boasts about being better than all your peers, when really you've nary a penny."

"My cousins have a lot of stuff." Shelly informed. "'Course, I never get to touch or show it to anyone. Sigh, to be honest, Shiri, this sack of dough is the only decent money I ever got. Otherwise, I rely on the allowance of less-graders to buy me lunch. Not enough for a new set of clothes." She tugged her sticky swimsuit. "Don't get the idea I'm jealous of you, Shrunken Violet, but you're lucky to have a whole tribe to give you stuff."

"Only because I'm the rightful princess. I don't mean to console you, either, but consider it an honor that your human peers respect you enough to make you president. You may have claimed to have money, but that promised nothing on their end. I would like to think the students of Gallagher wanted—albeit a bad choice in my opinion—a strong leader with gusto like yourself."

"Well…" Shelly smiled slightly, "these feet of mine won many a soccer game. My team would've lifted me in the air if my knights weren't bodyguarding. …Do you think… they're wondering where I am right now? If they're worried?"

"That'll be up to you to figure out. …Well, it looks like our flight is ending. Don't unbuckle yourself at the last minute, Shelly."

After arriving at Kochi City, Shelly quickly blended in with the hundreds of tourists and townspeople. "This brings up an interesting question, Termite, can you speak Japanese?"

"The only reason I speak English is because of an English Jabber Nut. Minish produce Jabber Nuts of all kinds of languages, unfortunately it's only safe for Minish to have one. We also have a type that speaks our language, Picori, for humans."

"So no Japanese. Well, whatever, I'm sure I can speak their language one way or another."

Although she couldn't read the sign, Shelly entered a store with a design of a Japanese robe. This was the clothing store. "Ā, kon'nichiwa, shōjo. Sore wa hijō ni kyōmibukai ishōdesu. Anata wa manga no pōzu shite imasu ka?" the clerk asked her. ("Ah, hello, little girl. That is a very interesting outfit. Are you posing for a manga?")

"And you plan to translate him how?" Gonshiri asked.

Shelly smirked slyly and pulled out a red ruby and gold coins from her treasure sack. "OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHH!" The Asian man's eyes went wide, his mouth an "O".

"That's right." Shelly nodded. "Show me all your garbs and I'll make a decision."

Of course, despite her status as a princess, Shelly didn't want anything fancy. She walked out of the store, very comfortable in her purple T-shirt and shorts that matched her swimsuit, which still lied underneath. "No shoes?" Gonshiri asked.

"Hey, it's weird to go around in a swimsuit." Shelly admitted, wiggling her toes. "But being barefoot is healthy. Okay, enough sightseeing, let's look for these Boggling Woods."

"My teachers told me they exist along the northern side of Kochi. You could see if a bus will take you."

Shelly glanced at her still-loaded sack of gold. "If they don't, something tells me they're gonna start today."

Alaska; Minish CND Training Course

Timothy and Hikari regretted agreeing to do this with Rupert, and Rupert himself owed Timmy a debt of 40 dollars. The snow was cold on their tiny bodies, even clothed in the Minish coats they were offered, the snowflakes were as large as boulders. Rupert never liked winter, he hated the frigid cold (and on an unrelated level, no looking at older girls in swimsuits at the pool). Regardless, they endured every bit of this cold. Their skill with Pikmin had improved terrifically: they now had 41 Reds, 60 Yellows, 52 Blues, 40 Wings, 53 Whites, 40 Purples, 41 Rocks, 32 Musics, and 20 Ghosts (10 of which were still alive). The sun was blocked by thick snow clouds as Team Rupert marched out for their third day of training.

"Well-p, after two days and multiple tries, you passed each Battle and Treasure Course with near perfect marks." spoke Jetta Tarka, the Drill Sergeant of the CND Training Base, a large and buff Minish girl with a gray coat. Rupert embarrassedly mistook her for a boy at first, and made his friends promise not to tell. "I must say, I've never known a couple of human runts to be as talented with Pikmin as you. Your next test combines all of the regular obstacles – but based on your prior experience, it should be no problem. Simply utilize your Pikmin skills and reach the goal. This test will also observe your ability to breed a new Pikmin type, as you will soon see. If you've successfully passed, I will highly recommend you to the Supreme Leader as honorary operatives."

"THEN we'll finally get to go home, right?" Timmy whined.

"You could've gone home whenever you wanted."

"I was talking to Rupert."

"Yeah, yeah, we'll go home." Rupert eye-rolled. The truth is, he insisted on staying at the training base until he made an efficient amount of progress. Then he could proudly tell his parents the good news, to make up for how long he's been missing. And of course, Timmy and Hikari had to stay with him in case he got eaten. "Bring it on, Coach! This is the one gym class I'm used to!"

"You've got 20 minutes to reach the goal with as high a score you can get." Jetta smirked. "Good luck, soldiers." (Play "Valley of Repose" from Pikmin 2.)

Stage 43: Plain of Crystals

Mission: Pass the MCND Training Course!

Team Rupert took 15 Reds, 11 Yellows, 14 Blues, 10 Whites, 5 Purples, 10 Ghosts (5 alive), 15 Musics, 80 total. They approached some grazing Snow Bulborb, which were Dwarf Bulborbs with white backs and blue spots. Easy enemies to take out with Purple Pikmin, but they held off on collecting for now. The team journeyed up a mound of snow before descending down the other side. A short way to their left, there was a large (to them) light-blue Chaos Emerald perched on a platform, with a light waterfall pouring on it from the side of a cliff. Because of the water, none of the other Pikmin could touch it, and the platform was too small for Blues to be thrown on. The Ghosts also couldn't touch it because the Emerald was glowing.

The trio proceeded to what seemed like a campsite, with snoozing sled hounds, a tent, some discarded bags, and while they expected a fireplace, a bar heater was rested in a dry area of snow, its bars glowing a fiery orange as the tinies could feel its heat. It started to make their coats feel useless, they wanted to dispose of it soon. In fact, close by in this dry area was a light-blue Onion. First, Team Rupert used their Yellow Pikmin to break the electric bars protecting the heat bars. There were three heat bars that sloped like large stairs. With the electric bars gone, their Reds were sent to begin work against the heat bars. The heater was disabled, so they expected the new Onion to come to life. …It didn't.

When they observed the stair-like fashion of the bars more closely, they realized they could set their Music Pikmin on them. The maestro stood at the front, the kids made sure their unbloomed Pikmin were around. The friends vigorously danced to the "Freezeezy Peak" soundtrack from Banjo-Kazooie, remixed with the squeaky vocals of Magenta Pikmin. The song filled the light-blue Onion with Christmas spirit, and they watched with joy as the Onion sprouted from the ground. Landing on all three legs, the Onion released a single seed. The ice-blue Pikmin felt cold on Rupert's hands when he plucked it.

Team Rupert discovered Ice Pikmin! These chilly buddies can freeze and walk across water, and anybody is allowed to follow their paths! However, any water spaces will unfreeze after a minute, unless they're walked over again, so be careful. In large groups, Ice Pikmin can briefly freeze enemies! Just keep them away from fire and they'll serve you well!

They called their Music Pikmin down, then the kids began the work of harvesting the Frosty Pellet Posies. 20 Ice Pikmin were collected, making 100 total. Their first objective was to go back to the Onions and switch out their Yellow Pikmin for 11 Wings. Returning to the tall snow mound, they stayed above it and followed along the left, getting above the ledge where the waterfall poured from. An Armored Cannon Larva emerged from the snow, so the crew tested their Ice Pikmin to attack it. The beetle froze at brief intervals during their beatings, giving their Ghost Pikmin a chance to attack and defeat the creature. They let the Music Pikmin carry it back for sustenance, then Team Rupert threw their Ices onto the base of the waterfall, freezing it with enough hits. The ice shook and threatened to burst free, so the Wings were sent to pick up the Chaos Emerald (Common Rarity) and take it back.

With that, the friends continued on the path beyond the campsite. A large pool of water prevented any other Pikmin from crossing, but each Ice Pikmin froze a path as they walked across, and the other ground Pikmin could cross as well. The team wandered into a field of Eeno, snow-made creatures that took the form of moving mounds, but would reveal their eyes and mouths if the kids got close. They chucked large snowballs, meant to bury their Pikmin, and while the act wouldn't kill them, the Pikmin had a chance to let their flowers bloom. Regardless, the snow monsters were annoying, so the kids plucked their Red Pikmin to do away with them quicker. Defeating the Eenos would break the monsters into irreparable pieces, but Pellets or nectar eggs would be dropped.

The friends used their Pikmin Radio to summon the Music Pikmin back from the Onions—they now noticed the annoyance with having to keep Ice Pikmin here to freeze the water pool. However, in the wall on the pool's left, their Pikmin could walk up a snow mound and dig a tunnel through a weak spot of the snowy wall. The tunnel came out on the other side of the pool, and the snow they dug through fell out and now served as a slope to this hole: a shortcut was made. The Music Pikmin could come through, and they continued their journey to a larger area of water.

They used the Ice Pikmin to create an ice-path to one of many small islands, where the other Pikmin crossed to. There were Pellet Posies stationed on tall jagged rocks that the Wing Pikmin could grab, but they didn't bother. Timmy decided to take 10 Ice Pikmin and freeze a path along a snaky part of river between some walls, while Rupert and Hikari used the other 10 Ices to freeze a path to the next island, steadily making their way across the lake. One of the islands had a Frosty Blowhog that they tossed their Red Pikmin to battle, but they were thrown off and some ended up frozen by its Ice Breath. (It should be noted Ice Pikmin can't affect ice enemies). After they managed to defeat the creature, Timmy returned and told them he needed Red Pikmin, so he took 8 of them.

Timmy had discovered a Goron's Ruby (Seal of Brotherhood) on a ledge at the end of the snaky river, and needed to bring the Red Pikmin along the frozen path, because the ruby was fiery hot. Just as well, the Ices had to keep the river frozen while avoiding touching the ruby as the Reds were carrying it. Rupert and Hikari crossed to the next island, but by this time, Skeeterskates were skiing around and shooting water globs at their Pikmin. The Pikmin panicked and ran into the water, forcing the duo to call them back, and as expected, Ice Pikmin were the best with dealing with the water spiders, for they could never sink and the monsters froze instantly. However, another flaw arose: if a monster was defeated while frozen, it would shatter and couldn't be carried back. Oh well.

Rupert saw a treasure underwater: a Water Element coin from Luigi's Mansion. It was emitting bubbles magically, so they knew only the Blues could touch it. 10 Blue Pikmin were thrown underwater to carry it up a slope to a piece of land above the surface—from here, they needed the Ice Pikmin to create a path back to the shore. While Rupert took care of this, Hikari sent the Wing and Ghost Pikmin to battle a Puffy Blowhog hovering by the next island. By the time the Water Element coin (Life's Treasure) was returned, all three kids regrouped with all their Pikmin. They crossed the rest of the lake to an enclosing between huge snow mounds.

They overlooked a flowing river with many large ice chunks, and they had to keep their Pikmin close together as they jumped their way up the flowing ice. The team jumped off on a left enclosing partway up, but further up was a large cage. Hikari took the five Ghost Pikmin up the river and sent them through the cage's bars, but 10 were needed to carry this red top-hat (Note of Distinction) – which looked like Chopper's hat from One Piece. Rupert and Timmy decided to throw their 5 Green Pikmin in the river, so when they became Ghosts, they could carry the hat up and out of the hole above the cell, and fly all the way to the Onions.

The group entered a large field where Frosty Blowhogs, Hairy Bulborbs, and Swooping Snitchbugs roamed. They used the Purples to wipe out two Bulborbs, defeated three Blowhogs with Blues and Reds, and took out two Snitchbugs with Wings, letting those respective types have the remains. On the right of this field was a long, wide road swarming with Bulborbs, Blowhogs, Dweevils; so many enemies, it would take forever to defeat them all in such a close range. Thankfully, a Music Pikmin stage was nearby, so their 15 were gathered on it. They chanted the "Homecoming Hijinx" song from Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze, and their thundering, high-pitched notes caused an avalanche that buried every monster under mounds of snow. The Pikmin army could walk up atop this heightened ground, bypassing every dead enemy and reaching a beautiful blue rose (Selfless Guard) half-buried in the snow. The White Pikmin dug it out and carried it back with great haste.

"Rupert, I know you're probably having fun, but our 20 minutes might be almost up." Timmy pointed out.

"Crud. Well, we can at least finish with more Ices." In the previous field, there was a Pellet Posy worth 20 Ice Pikmin, so 20 Ices were needed to carry it. Hikari also chose to run back and check on the ground Pikmin crossing the lake—turns out, an alternate path led over and around the lake, from the end point, back to the starting point, but Ice Pikmin were needed to cross the lake again. Hikari later returned with all of their Pikmin after the Ices got their fill, then the kids followed an enclosed pathway from the field. Jetta Tarka was waiting for them inside a cave, so they thought this to be the finish line. (End song.)

Stage Progress: Red: 49. Yellow: 60. Blue: 60. Wing: 46. White: 53. Purple: 60. Ghost: 20. Rock: 41. Music: 40. Ice: 40. Total: 469.

The Minish Drill Sergeant was scribbling a message on a leaf. The three adventurers eagerly awaited her response. "So do we pass?" Rupert asked her.

"I dunno, Runt." Jetta answered. "You'll have to ask him." A Minish in a blue coat and black pointed hat marched out from behind her. "Fellas, this is Supreme Leader Numbuh Hundred Acres."

"SUPREME LEADER?!" The team was caught off guard.

"I told you I would recommend you. Didn't say if I already did." Jetta smirked.

"So you're the humans that were involved in the Dressrosa Operation?" Lenari questioned. "The one who helped destroy that factory?"

"If knocking out a little girl counts for doing that, I guess…" Timmy was still confused about that whole scenario.

"I don't know the story behind that myself, but these kids know their Pikmin." Jetta informed. "They've got a surplus, and they found a bunch of colors just by wanderin' around their neighborhood. For humans, these kids are pretty good."

"And the three of you… aren't affiliated at all with the Human Kids Next Door?" Lenari asked them.

"Nope." Rupert shook his head. "We just kinda wandered into your, eh, tiny world, and we picked up quickly." Though he could feel Timmy and Hikari's stares, wanting to explain their end of that story.

"But according to their report, they were trained by Sappo and Gibli from Virginia." Jetta reminded. "They said those two were captured by someone named Shelly, 'for stealing their princess.'"

Lenari gasped. "You mean Shelly the… Sand Castle Princess?! You mean you three encountered her?"

"She's kind of our school bully, so we encounter her on a regular basis." Timmy informed.

"Wait, did she really capture you guys' princess?" Rupert asked.

"Yes. …Sigh…" Lenari turned away. "The truth is I'm supposed to be her bodyguard. Ever since she was kidnapped on Christmas, I've exhausted everything trying to track her kidnappers. Then a few weeks ago, our spies reported finding her at Sand Castle. But she was always hidden or guarded, and we could never get around to making a plan because of Pikmin shortage and…"

Team Rupert could tell Lenari was stressed by the sound of his voice, worried for his princess. "Um, Mr. Lenari? Since we're good at Pikmin, maybe we could get your princess back." Rupert said.

"Or we can try to break in normally." Timmy reasoned. "You know, normal size. Since we're humans."

Lenari chuckled, smiling at the trio. "I have to be honest, though… I was pretty sour about humans after our princess was kidnapped. But after seeing what you guys do… I think I made my decision."

"What decision, Mr. Leonard?" Hikari asked.

"Heheh. Nothing that concerns you." Lenari closed his eyes, thinking back on the two human leaders who requested an alliance. "Anyway… after I fill out the paperwork, some Minish will come to take you to the Tree of Beginning. You'll officially be honorary Minish." Rupert, Timmy, and Hikari exchanged proud smiles. "But just in case, take these as a gift from me." He handed them all whistles made of a golden wood.

"Extra Pikmin Whistles?" Rupert said.

"These Gold Whistles are given to expert Pikmin users in our group. You'll be able to bring 200 Pikmin with you. …Just be careful not to lose any, okay? You guys have a heck of a surplus." With that, Lenari left.

"Well, with that outta the way, I understand you runts want to go back to your homes now." Jetta recapped. "Just say the word and we'll ship you off on our Bigonions."

Timmy and Hikari looked expectantly at Rupert. Their leader smiled and nodded. "Take us home."

Boggly Woods

A gentle breeze softly rustled the white leaves, which grew from trees of grayish-black bark. The moment Shelly stepped into the forest, her feet had never known greater ease. She enjoyed the feel of the soft, white flowers under her soles, between her toes. The chilly feel of the wind blew away all her woes. Looking up at the milky yellow sky beyond the swaying leaves, Shelly felt very drowsy. "You want to watch where you step, Minish live here, too." Gonshiri said.

Shelly shook out of her trance and looked down. There were tiny beady eyes looking up from below the grass. "What the heck is with this forest?" Shelly ruined the moment by asking. "Why's it so weird-looking?"

"My knowledge is only based from my forced studies, but I believe the Boggly Woods are closely connected with the Dream Realm. The Puni tribe studies the art of dreaming, how denizens in the Dream World are born wholly from mortal thoughts or from pieces. I still don't understand why the elders would want me to come here, but maybe I'll find out."

"Where do these Puni guys live? Not the Minish, I mean."

"I'll ask." Gonshiri leaped off Shelly's shoulder and vanished below the white flowers from the latter's vision. In this forest of black stems, Gonshiri approached a group of Minish. "I am Gonshiri, Princess of the Minish Tribe. I seek the race known as Puni and wish to know the direction of their residence."

The Minish, who wore black and gray robing, were silent, staring blankly while glancing at each other. They then pointed upward at Shelly, so Gonshiri deduced the Minish were terrified of the monster. "It's all right, she's under my control. She won't bite or step on anyone on purpose."

The Minish made quiet gestures for one of their group to go forward. That Minish looked worriedly, but he complied. On Shiri's instruction, Shelly bent down and held her pinky beside the Minish. When the tiny creature climbed on her nail, Shelly lifted it to her face. The creature stared very closely into Shelly's narrowed left eye. Shelly's eye was black and shiny. It reflected the Minish's image like a mirror. He gestured the human to lower him down on the ground. He spoke in gestures to his people, and they nodded. The Minish plucked flowers from the ground and soared across the breeze through the forest.

"They approve of you." Gonshiri said, getting back on Shelly's shoulder. "Try to keep up." (Play "Boggly Woods" from Paper Mario: TTYD.)

Stage 44: Boggly Woods

Mission: Find the Punies.

Act 1

Shelly jogged around the forest paths to keep up with the tiny, flying flowers that breezed around tree after tree. After walking miles of desert, the feel of such soft ground under each step was a delight for Shelly. Unfortunately, since most of this was flora, her sandbending wouldn't be put to much use. Which means Gonshiri had the upper hand with her superb bending. Pale Piranha Plants popped out of the ground in attempt to munch the human, so using her wooden sword (which still had a sakura petal), Shelly sliced the black-and-white plant monsters. Shelly overlooked a cliffside, but Gonshiri began jumping up the ladder-like steps of a large tree. Shelly climbed the tree herself to get above its branches.

The Minish Princess nimbly leaped across each large branch, but it was harder for Shelly's large and unbalanced feet. The human flinched when a Pider – a large black-and-white spider with a round body – dropped and dangled over the gap, so Shelly cut his web to let him fall. After chopping down a series of Piders, she made it to a huge Pider Web where the Minish were trapped. Piders were crawling toward them, so Shelly sliced the stems of the web that were latched to the branches, climbed the trees on either side to slice those stems, while Gonshiri detached the stems on higher, smaller branches. The Piders collapsed to the ground while the Minish were free and kept flying. To cross this chasm, Gonshiri extended a gray-and-white vine from a tree with her plantbending. Shelly grinded across the zigzagging vine, having to shift her head left or right when Piders dropped.

Shelly landed in a field of white bushes, but the path forward was blocked by a large gray beehive. "This is a Jabbi Hive, actually." Gonshiri informed.

"You don't know I was thinking otherwise!" Shelly yelled defensively.

"Yes you were. Jabbies are types of insects that live here, and according to my studies, they're very wild in groups. I wouldn't go near that nest without an offering."

"I have one right here." Shelly smirked at Gonshiri.

"Don't even think about it. I believe they enjoy mushrooms, however."

There were plenty of trees growing around the area. Shelly kicked one, shaking it as an egg dropped out, splatting on the ground. "Whoops." She kicked another tree, a coconut bonked her head. "Ow! Should that even grow here?!" She kicked one more tree, a red mushroom came down. "Well, look for someone to give it to." Gonshiri told her. Shelly looked around the bushes until she saw a pair of staring little eyes. She shook the bush, and a Jabbi baby came out; it had tiny wings, a little pointy mouth, and was gray-bodied like everything else. The Jabbi took the mushroom and flew back to its hive. An alarm light, which Shelly just noticed was attached to the nest, lit green, and the entire fortress shifted sideways. Shelly marched into an open area of the forest, void of many trees with a great view of the white plain.

Clefts posed as gray rocks, then charged at Shelly when she got close. She could easily pick up and throw the creatures away with her earthbending. Within the grass, Shelly discovered a sealed black trapdoor with an "X" crossing. She lifted a Cleft in her bending and bashed the hatch open with the creature's spikes. She discovered a sock inside, though still had no idea what these were for. Shelly continued across the field and arrived at an area with tall, thin, black trees. The only passage through this area was over a long and narrow chasm, but a tree was perched on the ledge across. Shelly saw a thin, weak spot in the lower part of the tree, so she grabbed one of the Clefts to throw it spikes-first against the spot. The tree tumbled toward Shelly and served as her bridge.

Unfortunately, she couldn't follow this route as a Jabbi Hive was securing the area. There was a staircase on its right side, but if Shelly stepped beyond the security line (in the form of a line of white flowers), a swarm of Jabbi would fly out and sting her 'til she's bulgy. The entrance to the hive was on the bottom, like a cave on the ground. Shelly looked up and saw a boulder suspended directly above it on two branches. Shelly grabbed another Cleft with her bending and threw it at the boulder, making it fall over toward the ground and block the hive's entrance. As for the Jabbies wandering around the area, Gonshiri swatted them away with extended vines from the ground, and Shelly could safely march up the stairway. Rather than follow the path that turned a left corner, she noticed a narrow walkway between the tall black trees, which led over the side of the path to the Jabbi Nest. The bark was oddly textured in this enclosing; they looked like letters, and each tree had a few. PLQ LVKV LV WH UVE HIR UHKX PDQ PLV WHUV

Shelly climbed a ladder to a dangling branch with some white leaves, in which Gonshiri used her bending to stretch another vine-rail, which led over the current path she was supposed to follow. Shelly grinded across, grabbed a sock that was suspended in midair via a bubble, and jumped off to a tree stump that was over a short chasm. (If they followed the route normally, Shiri could've stretched a vine over the gap). Another Jabbi Nest sat at the other end of this passage, and with all the Jabbies snoozing on the ground, Shelly sensed that touching the ground would wake them all.

Starting from this tree stump, Shelly jumped a series of bushes that Gonshiri reshaped and fortified with her bending – though the prickly plants tickled Shelly's feet, so she had to jump quickly before she stumbled off. From the second bush, Shelly had to jump and grab a dangling branch, then she waited for Gonshiri to grow a large flower platform, swinging to it before the branch snapped. Shelly jumped a stairway of three flowers, then Gonshiri extended a vine-rail to a small rock. Shelly briefly grinded, then stopped perfectly on the rock before overshooting. Shelly used her earthbending to lift the small rock with herself on it, setting it on a tall stump that was too far to jump to. From there, she grabbed a thin ledge along the right wall of trees, climbing across before setting her tippy-toes on a long, thin rock. Said rock made small, snaky turns before it led to a corner path from the right of the Jabbi Hive. Shelly could safely step off and keep going.

This next passage featured a creek of neon, soapy substance, which produced bubbles that floated in the air. Shelly walked through the shallow creek, feeling her feet become soapy and slippery. A dead end lay at the end of the creek, so Shelly would have to jump her way up the large bubbles. The flying Minish flew around the bubbles that were deemed sturdy enough, so Shelly memorized them and bounced up. She bounced a secret route of sturdy bubbles to grab a sock inside one, then bounced her way to the ledge. This path was very long, leading to a tremendous tree of the same dark-gray bark and white leaves. But on the way, Jabbies were perched on stumps, looking every which way for intruders. Gonshiri would have to grow bushes to a large enough size so Shelly-

"Screw all this stealth crud, I'm goin' head on!" Shelly bolted to the first Jabbi and punched it in the face, knocking it out. The alarm on the distant nest blared red, making the sound of a police siren, and the princesses saw a thousand Jabbies scramble out.

"Uuuugh! You blundering fool!" Gonshiri and Shelly ran forward as Gonshiri punched and kicked every Jabbi sentry she could using her bug-like speed, while Shelly kicked and sliced the creatures with her sakura petal sword. Jabbies swarmed all around the human princess, they were furiously nipping Shelly's head, she withstood all the shots and frantically flailed her sword. Gonshiri extended some bush vines to swat the bugs away from her friend, desperate to swat others away as well, and when Shelly had her vision back, she resumed striking Jabbies.

The under-a-thousands were still coming, so Shelly whipped out her Sand Wand to whack Jabbies along with her sword. Shelly ran away from the swarm to recompose herself, then looking at her Sand Wand, she had a crazy idea and aimed it at the ground. A mound of soil rose up on her command, so she threw it around and knocked away incoming Jabbies. She made good use of the soil and took down Jabbies as she ran toward the base, with Gonshiri protecting her with extended bush vines. As the routine drew on, the number of Jabbies in the air were falling, all of them lay dizzy on the ground with their wings twitching. However, the gate on the side of the nest was still blocking the path, so they realized a single Jabbi was still fluttering around. Shelly ran to deal the blow with her Sand Wand. The alarms stopped and the gate opened.

On this final route to the Boggly Tree, another Pider Web was connected via two trees, and their Minish guides were stuck. "Perhaps it's a good thing we rushed it after all." Gonshiri said. Before the Piders could dine on the Minish, Shelly used her Sand Wand to slam the soil against them, tearing the web down. The Minish flew and landed in the grass close to the tree, so the princesses quickly joined. (End song.)

The silent Minish looked up at Shelly with disbelieved stares. They shook their heads disapprovingly at her reckless action. "Don't make those looks at me, I saved your butts, didn't I?"

The Minish knew this, of course. They smiled and bowed their heads in gratitude. "I agree." Gonshiri understood them, jumping down to their level. "While Shelly isn't very bright, she is strong, and you can rely on her to help you if she desires it. And, if I must say…" Gonshiri turned to the giant human with a smile, "Picily ki, picani, picidili micori ki!" The Minish made silent laughs at this.

"Whaddyou MEAN the doctors transmitted my fat into what existed of my brain?!" Shelly shouted with anger.

Gonshiri giggled for a moment—then was struck with shock. "You…You understand Picori?"

"Of course I—" Shelly froze. She was stunned by herself. "I…I do?"

The Boggly Minish exchanged glances and confirming nods. They took flight with their flowers and vanished up the Boggly Tree. Shelly and Gonshiri looked weirdly at each other. "Well, um… let's get going." Shelly said, following the smaller princess to the huge tree.

"Excuse me? Helloooo?" Gonshiri yelled, gazing up the towering bark. "We are looking for the Puni Tribe. Is anybody home?"

A pair of little eyes peeped out of a bush. "Wh-Wh-Wh-What is that?" it asked with a squeaky voice. "Is that a bully?"

"As a matter of fact, I am." Shelly spoke proudly. "So gimme your lunch money, because these feet aren't for show." She stomped the ground.

"Shelly, don't say that!" Gonshiri yelled. She turned back to the creature, "Ahem, it's all right, this monster isn't going to hurt anybody. Now if any more of you are hiding, I implore you to come out."

Shelly watched as more little eyes peeped out from the bushes, before they all came out. They looked bigger than Minish, but still rather small. They were roundish, mouse-like creatures with tiny legs, no visible mouths, gray bodies of various textures, and antennas with round colored balls at the ends of them. The balls were mostly yellow, but Shelly saw green, pink, and others in the mix. They all stared up at Shelly with wide round eyes, full of either wonder or terror. Gonshiri spoke, "It's quite all right, ladies and gentle Punies. I am Princess Gonshiri of the Minish Tribe, and this is my escort. She rescued me from imprisonment and she is very well-trained."

"Yes, Princess Gonshiri, we always knew you would be coming one day." The Punies scrambled out of the way when an older, hunched one of their group appeared. The Puni Elder's body was drooped like a gray robe, and he had a purple antenna dangling in front of him. "It was prophesized that the Minish Princess would ride here on a terrifying steed. However, before transactions conspire, we do not want such a behemoth stomping every which direction. There is a stump with Minish Dust over there." Shelly looked at said gray-colored stump on her right.

"Screw that!" Shelly stated. "Look, man, I had a long and exhausting journey with this whole thing, I rescued the princess, so at the very least, I'm not turning tiny in front of a bunch of mice."

"I AM A WOMAN!!" the Puni Elder screamed, growing to Shelly's size and scaring the girl. He- I mean, she shrunk back to normal right after. "And both of you snarky little lasses need to learn some respect. To start off, little brats should not be bigger than their elders, otherwise it detracts from the affect of calling you a little brat. Now get in the stump, you overgrown brat!"

Shelly huffed with anger, stomping over to the stump with Gonshiri following. She planted both feet on top of it, let Shiri bend the Minish Dust, and shrink Shelly into their world. The Punies all gathered to look at her—the scary monster was a lot less imposing. Shelly, on the other hand, was now creeped out at all the rats' large staring eyes. "There, I'm the size of an insect now!" she yelled at them. "Are you happy?"

"OF COURSE I'M NOT HAPPY!" The Puni Elder puffed to giant size and scared both princesses. "Because you're still an ungrateful brat! Both of you are. But I guess that's to be expected. I would hope you two learned a thing or two about yourselves on this journey."

"All I learned was that Princess Chipmunk is worse than a whistle in your ear." Shelly stated.

"And Her Royal Sandybutt possesses the worst form of company." Shiri countered. "But this is completely off subject. I am only to understand your people are friends with the Minish Royal Family. For that reason, I entreat you to-"

"YOU'RE A MONGREL!" Elder turned giant. "I WILL TALK AND YOU WILL LISTEN! Do not forget, we are in Japan, and Japanese kids obey their elders!" She shrunk to normal. The Elder turned to her Punies, "Well, what are you all standing around for? Staring is rude! Go inside and clean up the tree!" The hundred-plus rats scampered inside, their feet making little squeaky sounds at each step. A few of them stayed behind to listen.

"May we come in, too?" Shelly asked with fake politeness.

"Don't be impatient, Missy, you'll have your chance for a drink." The Elder walked past the girls with a calmer aura. "I must say, the two of you are impeccably stupid for not noticing. Your attitudes are so unbearably similar."

"What the crud are you talking about?"

The Elder was silent for a minute, her back facing them. "Princess Lánshelly Johnson the Second and Princess Gonshiri… the two of you are sisters!"

Silence followed. They all stood still. The two needed time to process this info; their miniscule brains weren't prepared. Then: "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Their eyes turned a ghostly white.

"You mean I'M RELATED TO THIS BLOATED BUFFOON??" screamed Shiri.

"I'M RELATED TO THIS TINY TERMITE?!"

"THIS IS AN OUTRAGE, I TELL YOU, AN OUTRAGE!!"

"HOW COULD THIS POSSIBLY HAPPEEEEEEN?"

"It's a tale many of us know." Puni Elder began. "It was about 18 years ago when Sandy's mother, a descendant of the Quartzite Family, took him on a small vacation…"

Europe; 18 years ago

Empty plains surrounded the western side of Europe. A towering mountain range surrounded an even greater tree. A slim mother in a purple dress, yellow shorts purple eyes, brown hair, and no shoes led her son across the country to this great tree. "But Moooooom, why couldn't we just go to the BEEEACH?"

"We go to the beach all the time, Sandy, try something new!" his mother, Roxy said brightly. "We're learning about our family heritage!"

"But why doesn't ANDREW get to come?"

"Because since you and I are the only earthbenders, it'd make the trip a real chore for them!"

"I can't make a sandcastle in THIS dump. Where are these Minish, anyway?"

"They're around—watch where you step. My friend set her house up for us a few miles over, we'll rest there and go to meet the Minish tomorrow."

"Whatever. Mind if I pee?"

"Hehe, okay. Catch up soon!"

Sandy walked a few steps to the left for a good spot to do his business. A certain spot caught his attention: a band of tiny, green bugs, as tall as ants, were dancing merrily around a small green fire. A female among these creatures yelled for everyone's attention, indicating the giant human child gazing over them with wondering eyes. They assumed he was a child that wandered out of town, so the Minish excitedly waved 'Hi's and 'Hello's to him.

Seconds later, a stream of yellow liquid rained all over the party, dissolving the fire and giving the bugs an awful smell. Sandy smiled smugly and began the walk back. "I'm coming, Mooooom!"

The female Minish looked the most enraged of all of them.

That night, Sandy was fast asleep. He felt rather odd as the night drew on; the ground he lay on was uncomfortable, he felt a dizzy sensation. He woke up. "Wh…"

"Rise and shine." said one of many angry Minish surrounding him with spears. Sandy barely had time to view his somehow-ginormified room before the guards dragged him out.

He was brought to the very top of the Tree of Beginning and pushed onto the ground before a stairway, where the Minish Princess in the purple leaf dress and pink flower crown glared at him with resentment. "Well, if it ISN'T the overgrown monkey that likes treating my people like a urinal nut." She spoke with a high voice.

Sandy got to his feet, "And who might YOU be, R-R-R-Royal Chipmunk?" he asked in his regal tone.

"I am Princess Lánshelly, heir to the Minish Throne, and YOU had the GALL to URINATE on me and RUIN my birthday party! LET ALONE my new DRESS!"

"Well excuse me if I have no resent on drowning a couple of annoying TERMITES."

"You SHOULD have resent, because NOW you're AMONG these termites, who plan to give you the full course of royal punishment. UNLESS you bow where you stand and offer your sincerest apology."

"KING SANDY apologizes to NO ONE." He closed his eyes and turned his head.

"If you DON'T apologize, I'll see that you spend the REST of your days here. You will never speak with your silly-minded human friends again, and shall be walked over and crushed upon like we who you've chosen to torment, every day."

"Your brain is naturally smaller than mine is, so I'll try to make this simple." Sandy marched up the stairway with absolute sureness. "I'm a human, you're an undersized chipmunk. I'm the king of a beach, which means my kingdom is automatically bigger than ALL of your people combined. And the moment my mom realizes I'm missing, she, my brother, AND my cousins will charge in here and stomp all of you to dust." Lánshelly fixed her glare harder when Sandy stopped right in front of her. "So I, possessing the more SUPERIOR of power, hereby order you chipmunks to bow to me, and MAYBE I'll reconsider stomping all of you the moment I'm bigger."

"…" The princess snapped her fingers. "Leave us, guards. I'll carry out the punishment myself." With very frightful looks, the guards backed away. "Alright, you…" Sandy took light steps backward, seeing the ocean of rage in Lánshelly's eyes. "Let me show you what happens to those who deem themselves higher than me…"

Minutes later-

"AAAAAAUUUUUGH!" The Minish citizens jumped aside when a strange ball began rolling down the forest of giant flowers. When it stopped, it appeared that Princess Lánshelly and King Sandy were going mano a mano. Gripping each other's arms tight, trying to pin the other down. Shelly got on his back and tried to bend his arms behind him, but Sandy grabbed her between his legs and tried to slice her like scissors. They became pretty tangled after a while, until both just couldn't move. The anger on their faces faded into happy, joyous smiles. "HA HA ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

Current time

"And from that moment on, the two became lifelong, childhood friends." continued the Elder. "Lánshelly allowed him to revert to normal size and back—but needless to say he made use of his normal size in getting back at Shelly."

"Uuuuuuuuhhh…" Shelly and Shiri were wobbling like ghosts. They couldn't process the fact they were related.

"Elder, I think they wanted a longer flashback." a Puni named Punio said.

"I'M AN OLD LADY!" Elder puffed giant. "YOU THINK I REMEMBER EVERY SINGLE DETAIL?!" She shrunk down and continued. "So anyway, the two became very close over the years, both still ordering the other to give in and bow to them. Then, when both were 18, Sandy was the one to do so. He was normal size when he got down on both knees, and showed Shelly a, erm, giant ring with a green butterfly emerald. One week later, Sandy and Her Highness were at the altar, and became the first recorded Human/Minish couple in history. They were together for 2 years 'til they were 20, ready to conceive their first child. I remember that day very well…"

Sandy and Lánshelly were the same tiny size when it happened. They got under the leaf blanket of Shelly's bed, kissing each other—

"WE DON'T NEED TO HEAR THAT PART!!" the princesses screamed.

"Oh, fine! Bunch of whiny… Well, you know how it ended. It was almost fate that they would bear two daughters: one human, and one Minish."

"YOU MEAN WE'RE TWINS?!?"

"Well, of course. Didn't you ever ask each other's birthdays?"

Nine years ago

Baby Shelly and Gonshiri Johnson were furiously tugging on a tiny rattle, both wanting to shake it more than the other. "You have to take her away, Sandy." Lánshelly told him.

"But why? Why can't our daughters grow up together?"

"A human growing up in the Minish World is just too unreal. They need to get adjusted to their own kind; if Shelly II is smaller than every human, or Shiri is bigger than every Minish, they just wouldn't feel comfortable. It doesn't mean they'll never see each other." The Minish Queen smiled. "We'll wait a few birthdays, then we'll finally bring our girls to meet."

Sandy returned the smile before both looked at their daughters. Shelly II succeeded in claiming the rattle, bashing Gonshiri's head with it.

Now

"So Gonshiri stayed with her mother in Europe, while Sandy took Shelly to South America. 'Course, he let her attend Gallagher in Virginia, where she stayed at her uncles' house, and that really…"

"GRRRRRR, EERRRRAAAAAAH!" Both girls were on the ground trying to strangle the other.

"I REFUSE to acknowledge your genetically mutant blood IN MY VEINS!!" Shiri exclaimed.

"YOU THINK I DO?! I MIGHT SUFFER A DRAMATIC SHRINK-SPURT BECAUSE OF YOUR CHIPMUNKISM!"

"AAAAAAAHHHHH—GYYYAAAAAAAAHHHH!" They rolled all around the tree, and wouldn't give up with trying to choke the other. They would never accept that the two of them were sisters. Never in a million years.

Three minutes later

"Hahahahaha ha ha ha ha!…" After getting their bruises bandaged, both girls relaxed on the foot of a giant tree root.

"Now that I had some time to think about it," Shelly smiled, "having a little sibling follow my footsteps sounds pretty neat."

"Excuse me, but how do I know you aren't the little one following MY footsteps?"

"Uhhhh, because in reality, you're only a centimeter big, therefore my footsteps will be the ones being followed. I can already picture it:" Shelly held her hands forward. "I'm just an average human girl, walking 'cross the hall, down the sidewalk, unaware that my pipsqueak sister is doing her very best to follow, wanting more than anything else to be like the powerful, strong girl she looks up to. I mean, looking at it the other way around just looks sad."

"Well I'm afraid that's JUST how it is, because I will NEVER look up to you, bigger than me or not, you are a hopeless mammal that should give everything you got just to be like me. You should do everything I ask, carry me places, fix my baths, bring me food, only then will I teach you the secret of baring my intelligence."

"Have my brain shrunk and be genetically mutated into a chipmunk?"

"Yes, but you've already done the same, but mutated into an ape, so you're already on the wrong path."

"Well it's NOT gonna happen, Pintbrain." Shelly lied back with a proud smirk. "Because I will ALWAYS be bigger than you."

"My brain is the largest, most fearsome piece of intelligence on the entire-"

"ARE YOU TWO DONE?!" The Puni Elder shot to ginormous size, scaring the girls, then she minimized.

The twins shook back to their senses as Shelly asked, "So wait, if my dad and her mom planned for us to meet, why did Dad kidnap her?"

"Ahhh, yes… Why? That must be the thing you are wondering." Elder said. "You see, the two of you belong to a number of important families. The Minish Royal Family… the Quartzite Family… and…"

Two years ago…

Seven-year-old Gonshiri was currently in one of her many regal classes, so she never noticed the troupe of Pikmin carrying an envelope. A giant letter was carried to Lánshelly's throne, so the queen read it eagerly. Dear Lánshelly, Sandy's handwriting began, this desert feels so barren without your charm to warm me. Your daughter has fastly asserted herself as Queen of Cleveland Beach and Gallagher Elementary. She takes after the both of us quite well. I'm sad to say she has not demonstrated any earthbending, but as she insists on getting sores on her feet, perhaps I am speaking too early. Either way, if I could handle Your Highness, this little monster is no trouble for Yours Truly. Hope to hear from you soon. –King Sandy

A couple weeks later, a single Wing Pikmin brought Sandy a tiny leaf. He used a magnifying glass to read it. Dear Sandy, I'm sorry if this got to you a little late. We Minish don't have the most effective mail-to-humans system. Regardless, it is nice to hear that Shelly is quickly finding her way in life. Gonshiri, albeit possesses the natural spoiledness of a princess, has a long way to go, and continuously slacks off with her studies. However, I am proud to say our daughter is a terrific plantbender. I would say she is like her mother, but according to the elders, her chi is very special: she has the ability to revive dead plant matter. It's a power that few of us Minish Royals are born with. I will be excited to see Gonshiri develop such a power. I am also contemplating a date when our children should meet. Let me know what you think when you write back. –Lánshelly

Sandy smiled, hearing from his beloved wife. He put the leaf under his shirt and waved the Wing Pikmin good-bye. "King Sandy!" His knight, Sir Shovelot walked in with a salute. "You have a visitor! 'Tis your elder brother, from the Holy Land!"

"Big Brother Andrew, eh?" Sandy smiled wryly. "Oh, mercy me, to be in his presence. …Fix some mangoes for us and bring it to the guestroom."

"Yes, Sir!"

Sir Shovelot had two mango smoothies prepared and brought to the two men. Sandy looked out the glassless window of his sandcastle and smiled peacefully at the clear desert sky. Meanwhile, his older, stronger brother sat on the sandcouch, head tilted directly down over his smoothie. "Couldn't bother with coffee, could you?"

"Juice feels more… beach-friendly." Sandy shrugged. "So, um, Andrew, great to see you and all, I know it was a long journey, but I have a small question." He held his thumb and index an inch from each other for emphasis. "Why are you wearing a frying pan over your head?" (Play "Eclipse Gate" from Fairy Tail.)

"…" Indeed, the muscular man with the white sleeveless shirt and tan skin wore an old frying pan over his head. "…Our father, Reggie is dead, Sandy. I've just been made King of the World."

Sandy spit out his juice. "The King-?…"

"The Octogan's powers became too much for our father, so the worst happened. I'm under a lot of pressure right now, Sandy. The Octogan reads that the Apocalypse will happen in two years. Within that time, I have to get my armies organized, but there are so many problems. The White Lotus Revolutionaries, this 'Ragaj Gnik', not to mention this Twenty Key Prophecy. I must continue what my ancestors started: bringing this world's denizens into my own Spirit World, where they will live in peace long after this world's fall. To end the Dimensional Fusion that caused all of this chaos."

Sandy looked down with a foreboding chill. He knew this for a while… that their father was the King of the World, they were descended from a long line of World Leaders. Their father never saw a strong leader in Sandy, his brother Andrew was bigger and stronger. So only Andrew joined his father to Mt. Mariejoa, where he learned the ways of The King, including all three forms of Haki. Sandy was angry and jealous of his brother, so he established dominion over his neighborhood's beach, and insisted it was not pretend. Now Sandy created this giant Sand Castle in Sand Kingdom, declaring himself the king of this country. But Sandy knew at least the World Government's history: 4,000 years ago, they sensed the end of the universe through a device called the Octogan, an extremely powerful item once discovered and hidden by a man named Acnologia. As a child back then, the very idea frightened Sandy, but he had believed it was a myth as he grew into his teenage years. But Andrew's presence here… now…

"So what are you doing?" Andrew asked, his helmeted head looking up. "Are you and that insect continuing this horrid bestiality of yours?"

"Just a second!" Sandy proclaimed angrily, stomping his foot. Andrew made it clear before that he didn't like Lánshelly for what she was, especially now that she and Sandy were married. He didn't come to their wedding, nor did their father. "Just because you've become an overly-devoted Man of God, and THINK you're God Himself, don't say a word about my wife! Lánshelly is a wonderful woman, and I miss her every second! And even more so, she is the mother of your nieces, so if you disrespect her, you disrespect your fam-"

Andrew smashed the table with his mighty fist, shaking the castle. He stood and stomped angrily to Sandy, "YOU disrespect your family! Marrying that FILTH… Those Minish are evidence of the Dimensional Fusion! The force that threatens our universe to the very core. All denizens of that Fusion are unholy beings!"

"This 'Dimensional Fusion' stuff is a load of NONSENSE!" Sandy proclaimed. "A bunch of universes combining together and creating a universe-wide catastrophe? I admit, these made scary kids' stories, but you can't possibly believe they're true!"

"The Octogan has never LIED to us! It is the most powerful gem that sees beyond the timeline's boundaries! It knows the force which combined our universes, why that force will end up destroying us, and it is the only way we can survive! The gods have been deceived into thinking a 'Twenty Keys Prophecy' will be the key to everyone's safety, but they are wrong! Because we have seen beyond the Time Gate! A force more powerful than anything this universe knows! That force will bring a worse cataclysm than the Apocalypse! This is why the Twenty Keys cannot come together, why we must go against the gods and declare ourselves our own God. But many of this world's fools fail to listen! Siiiigh…" Andrew looked down and plopped the 'face' of his pan into his hand. "Sandy… you must understand. Understand why our family is what it is. The Apocalypse is real, and with the Octogan, I have seen it. I've never been more afraid, Sandy, but I cannot show my fear in front of the World Leaders. I…I need my brother."

Even through that helmet, Sandy could tell when his big strong brother was upset. He could feel his inner turmoil. Sandy smiled comfortingly and hugged his brother. "It's all right, Andrew. I…I really would like to help you. But what have I got, besides a bunch of sand?"

Andrew stood up straight and began to walk away. "I should return to Mariejoa. I am sorry for troubling you."

"HEY!" Sandy yelled impatiently. "When I said that, you were supposed to tell me a way I can help!!"

Andrew stopped. "…I sense an incredible war coming. The White Lotus will attempt to thwart our plans. We need an unstoppable army. My fellow Leaders have a solution. …The Grand Inferius. It is an ancient dark spell that can revive the dead to perfect, healthy, invincible, and controllable form. Imagine a zombie movie where all the zombies are crazy powerful."

"You want me to help build an army of zombies?" Sandy asked with a very questionable look.

"No. But the spell requires a number of steps to create such an army. There is a key component I need: a legendary Fruit of God, whose juice can be harnessed to create the Elixir of Life. Along with several other components, they can create the most powerful army of undead. That kind of army is the only one that could fight the White Lotus, and give us enough time to enact our Spirit World Project. Unfortunately, that fruit has been extinct for centuries. …Perhaps… if you knew a way…" And so, Andrew walked away slowly. It was times like these, Sandy always thought his brother could read his mind. Andrew stopped, "Oh, and should you ever wish to contact me, you will address me as King, not my name. …I would not like some people to know who I am."

As he turned the hallway, a kickball lightly hit his helmet. It bounced back to seven-year-old Shelly, in a swimsuit and bucket crown. "Oh? Hi, Uncle Andrew!" She kicked her ball the other way and chased it.

Dear Lánshelly: I think it would be best for our daughters to meet as soon as possible. Something very crucial has come up, I cannot explain, but I'm sure our daughters will be delighted. –Yours Truly, Sandy

Dear Sandy: I'm not sure if now is a good time. Gonshiri is very deep in her studies, so pulling her away now wouldn't be helpful. But don't worry, I'm sure they'll get to meet soon. Maybe until they're both a little more mature. –Yours Especially, Lánshelly

Dear Lánshelly: I understand that Gonshiri's studies are important, but it never hurts to take a break once in a while. Just as well, as the princess, it should be important to know the history of both sides of her family. Knowing the pridefulness that exists in both our blood, I'm sure she will enjoy her studies a lot more if she knows. I await your reply. –Sandy

Dear Sandy: I know you're very excited, but I really think we should hold off a little longer. We're facing a shortage of Pikmin at the moment, so my first priorities as Queen are to help reproduce. I hope you understand. –Lánshelly

Dear Lánshelly: I'm certain we can work around this. My older brother, Andrew is very delighted to meet his long-lost niece, and is excited to teach them both their family history. We would be happy to care for Gonshiri while you help your kingdom. –Sandy

Dear Sandy, I know what you're trying to do. One of my Puni agents was at your castle, he told me about your meeting with King Andrew. You want to use my daughter's power to revive the God Fruit, you're going to use her to help the World Government. Sandy, I knew for a while that you were related to those people, but I still wanted to trust you, and you proved that trust until now. When you write back to me, I want you to tell the truth. –Queen Lánshelly

Dear Lánshelly: You're right, it's true. When my brother mentioned the extinct plant, I thought for sure Gonshiri's power could work, and I wanted to help him. But I feel I must ask, what did you mean when you made that point about trusting me? Is there a problem with my family being part of the World Government? –Sandy

Dear Sandy, I didn't mean to imply anything, but the World Government is cruel to us Minish. Because of their lunatic theories about the Dimensional Fusion and Apocalypse, they like to kill us or enslave us when they can. I love you, Sandy, but I don't want Gonshiri to associate with them. –Lánshelly

Dear Lánshelly, I admit that my brother is very aggressive, and I strongly disapprove of how he talks about your people, especially in regards to our children. But deep down, Andrew just wants what's best for everybody, he wants to protect us. I admit, I was jealous that he surpassed in this business when I didn't, and I've grown away from that over time, but he is still my brother. I can tell when someone like him is scared or upset; I thought this Apocalypse was a joke as well, but he seems more knowledgeable in the matter. Lánshelly, I promise to protect Gonshiri before he does anything rash, but maybe we should consider his plan. For the greater good. –Sandy

Sandy, I won't let my daughter become a tool of mass destruction. In fact, we are starting to become afraid that the Government is overseeing our letters. I'm sorry to say this, Sandy, but I think we should stop communicating, and I don't think our daughters should meet for a long time. But if you decide to rethink your priorities, when you decide that your daughters are more important than helping your brother's insane plans, then I encourage you to write to me. Until then, good-bye, Sandy. –Your wife, Lánshelly

Present time

Shelly and Gonshiri were speechless. The Punies noted their horrified looks. The sisters slowly turned to look at each other. Gonshiri faced forward and spoke with a frightful stutter, "So, King Andrew—my uncle…" She corrected herself. "He wants to use my power to create an Inferi Army?"

"You know what that is?" Shelly asked.

"My history teachers taught me about it." Shiri spoke with noticeable fear in her eyes. "Roughly 6,000 years ago, a powerful army of undead was awakened, and nearly destroyed the plains of Planet Avalar. The zombies were commented as being perfectly healthy, but flesh that felt unreal, and with their indestructible bodies, their martial arts, magic, and element bending was for their controllers to use as they please. I believe the dark wizard who commanded such an army… was named Zeref the Black Cloud. It was the very first recording of dead being brought to life on such a terrific scale. In time, the spell called 'Inferio' was created to command lesser 'Inferi', but that catastrophe came to be known in history as 'Grand Inferius.'"

"And Uncle Andrew… is trying to recreate that catastrophe?"

"I'm afraid it is so." The Elder answered hoarsely. "Not only does he want as much power as possible, but, I assume, it is his means of forcing the people to accept this Spirit World Project of his. A Zombie Apocalypse, a Spatial Apocalypse, no matter what catastrophe, the citizens will want to survive. Of course, the only other way to survive is to find the Twenty Keys, and guide all denizens through the Time Gate. However, we have feared what King Andrew said may be true. We do not know of the force he speaks of behind the Gate, nor can we confirm the Octogan's credibility. We have only grown up on what Polokus has told us. A powerful Dream Spirit who, along with another of dark intentions, knew of the Twenty Keys Prophecy. He has taught our ancestors his teachings. To this day, we believe that fulfilling the prophecy is the key to saving this universe. Of course… I cannot prove such a prophecy to you girls, now. What is your belief?"

Shelly and Gonshiri couldn't believe any of this. The fact they were sisters was crazy enough, but… this 'Apocalypse', this Inferius, what King Andrew wanted to do… Shelly shook her head, "Who was this Dream Spirit of 'dark intentions'?"

"His name is Bill Cipher, and many times has he appeared throughout history, albeit subtly. Polokus told us of his powers… he possesses vast knowledge, knowledge which stems from his ability to see from any image of himself. Such as an American one-dollar bill." That comment made Shelly's heart skip a beat; all of the one-dollar bills she stole from less-graders. "It was Bill who told the gods this Twenty Key Prophecy, but as they have learned across time, Bill Cipher is a demon. And no demon would do something kind, such as passing knowledge, without desiring a price. That's why the Twenty Keys Prophecy is feared by many, including the gods. However, Polokus has told our ancestors, and many denizens of the Dream Realm, that the Twenty Keys must be found, and the Time Gate opened. Nobody, not even the gods, know what will happen once it's open. So the decision to find, or not to find the Twenty Keys is up to you."

"Just what are these Twenty Keys?" Gonshiri asked.

"Seven Lights and Thirteen Darknesses. This very moment, the Twenty Chosen Ones are on their journeys. One of them will be coming here shortly, as our prophecy reads. It is your decision, whether or not you wish to aid him."

Shelly and Gonshiri exchanged serious glares. "Shelly… I think we should help him. I may not be kind, nor am I a great princess… but I will not be used for Uncle Andrew's evils. If the Punies believe it is in our best interest to find the Twenty Keys, we should."

"Yeah." Shelly nodded. "I don't know why my uncle's putting his hope in some octagon, but he sold me away with this crazy zombie idea." She faced the Elder. "So who is coming here? Which of these Seven or Thirteen Darklights or whatever?"

They felt a footstep quake the earth. "He is here now." The Elder spoke. (End song.)

The light, though thundering footsteps, which belonged to a normal-size human, came from around the tree. Shelly and Gonshiri slowly approached, their mouths in 'o's. Their minds knew only wonder and excitement. Who was this mysterious hero? Who, along with nineteen other people, would supposedly save the world? The answer would soon be apparent, when the girls stepped around the tree root.

"Yaaaaaaaawwwwn." The seven-year-old with brown skin yawned, very tired from the journey. His yawn echoed in the ears of the tinies. Shelly immediately panicked. This was the one surprise that she definitely couldn't take.

"JESSIE?!?!"

Dickson Household

Rupert eagerly rushed into the tree stump in the yard across the street. He looked at his Pikmin briefly, and nodded in thanks. He entered the stump, and puffed back to normal size with the help of Minish operatives. After all this time, it felt so weird. Rupert was so used to his tiny size, it was the greatest adventure of his life. Being back to normal size would take some getting used to. Regardless, he was excited to run to his house and tell his parents everything. His father would be proud of him, his mother would be so happy, and boy did he have lots to tell them.

"MOM, DAD, I'M HOME!"

His father was sitting on the couch, his face buried in his hand. "You're finally back, huh?" he said after a moment of silence.

"Uh… yeah." His father didn't seem happy to see Rupert at all. Definitely not the reaction he expected. "Weren't you wondering where I was?"

Chad chuckled softly. He sat up, smiling at his son. "It's almost ironic… your mom says I don't have faith in you. Yet, I'm the one who kept saying you would come back okay. …She didn't believe me."

"Whaddyou mean? Dad, where's Mom?"

As a response, Chad flipped on the news. "It isn't your fault, Kiddo, but… just watch."

"Breaking news, all the way from Washington D.C., a sudden massacre inside President James' School for the Seriously Uneducated! Students everywhere are running away in fright, as the school seems to be under attack by a ghost!"

Presidents James' School

"The World Government is our Lord. The World Government is our savior." The children droned on.

"Ooo-hoo-hoo!" Li'l Gideon laughed gleefully. "Bill Cipher is an excellent teacher! Hm-hm, but only thanks to your marvelous mentoring skills, Mr. President." He made his cute and bubbly face.

"I wouldn't sell dear Bill short." James McGarfield replied. "Even though he is on the one-dollar bill! HA HA hahahahaha!" He and Gideon laughed.

"You know, I've always had a fondness for teaching." Bill Cipher replied, leaning on his cane casually. "I even considered teaching a class, but I just didn't have the credentials. Granted, I was a substitute at Harvard Law School for a time, one of my favorite students was-"

The walls suddenly burst open, and blue fire shone through the smoke. Emily Phantom looked less like a human, and more like a demon. "Where is my baby?…" she panted hard.

"Ho ho! Looks like we got a specter problem here!" Bill perked.

"I know you took him away!" Emily spoke venomously. "He was playing with his Gallagher buddies and you kidnapped them! Give him BAAAAACK!" A powerful Ecto Ray flew from her lungs.

"AAAAAAAHHHH!" Bill Cipher was struck in the eye, the tip of his body dispersing.

"RUUUPEEEEEEERRRRRRRT!" The children screamed from Emily's fury, all of the mesmerized students were awakened and fleeing.

"NO! COME BACK, YOU LITTLE TERMITES!" Gideon screamed. "OBEY ME, NOW!"

"You're a hot piece of work, you know that?" James grunted, helping himself up from the force.

"GRAAAAAAH!" Emily lunged at the president, clutched his neck, but James grabbed her arm in his Armament Haki hand.

"I may have been afraid of hags like you when I was in diapers," James began, struggling to push her away, "but that was before Ah hit the Big Four-Six! This country's ruled by a NEW man now, and his name is JAMES!" He socked her in the face with an Armament punch, sending her against the desks.

Emily watched as Bill Cipher reformed above her. "Oh, right, you're a ghost! You can touch me. But that also means that I CAN TOUCH YOU, TOO."

His eye glowing blood-red, Bill lowered down, looking closer into Emily's monstrous eyes. The woman felt herself whirling in an ocean of despair. Spiders latched her from all sides, tore her limbs, her organs were harvested by skeleton scientists, her heart and brain were minced through a juicer, and her soul was lost in the bowels of Hades.

The ghost woman was on the floor, more pale than before, her face frozen. Bill licked his fingers in his nonexistent mouth. "A little spicy, but definitely been sitting out a while. I'm not cleaning that up."

"No problem." Gideon said. "VIOLET! SCARLET! CLEAN-UP!"

The cat women walked on all fours with blank, glowing blue eyes. They picked Emily up in their teeth and carried her away.