Fiona carried on after Noelle's death. The Dark Crows had a new target… to visit a house that apparently has been abandoned for centuries…
(Crash!)
Fiona: "Ughh… hahhhh… hahhh…"
She looked at her hand… covered in blood.
Fiona: "…ghhhh… aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarghhhh!"
(6 hours earlier!)
Parzival: "The House of Mercuels?"
Edwardson: "Exactly… There might be info there about the black hole."
Fiona: "Hmm…"
Mona: "I'm coming along this time…"
Parzival: "Me too."
Edwardson: "Good… Take care of yourselves…"
Fiona: "Mhm."
They set out.
(2 hours later)
(Hours before the incident)
(Clack… clack… clack…)
(Bzzzzzz)
(Radio static)
Clown: "They… are… here… (grins)… you know what you're supposed to do… my doll…"
Clown of Envy: "Loud and clear…"
Clown: "You too… Miwa…"
Miwa: "Mhm…"
(Radio static)
(Bzzzzzz)
Clown: "Hehehehe."
(Tick… tick… tick…)(Dong!)
Parzival: "Ugh… you can hear the bell of Teron even from here…"
Fiona: "That bell can be heard over 500 kilometers. What did you expect…"
Mona: "Hmm…"
(Meanwhile)
Lady Natasha: "Hehe."
She placed the chess piece on the floor.
Lady Natasha: "I see you're angry."
Meliodas: "What's the meaning of this… Natasha… you're going too far… No one deserves this…"
Lady Natasha: "Hehehe… All for the solution, my dear… the solution to the black hole…"
Meliodas: "You will die for this."
Lady Natasha: "Sacrifices are always… necessary."
(Patch!)
Lady Natasha: "To find the lost prince…"
Meliodas: "Ghhhhhhh… This time you've gone way too far… This will be your death."
Lady Natasha: "I was willing to sacrifice my children and send them to their deaths to achieve my mission… Performed several experiments on myself to bear multiple children within years… multiple relationships… I don't only send other people's children to their deaths… my own as well… I'm fair…"
Meliodas: "…hahhhh… I'm leaving… This is too much… this is your last Dark Umbrella
Lady Natasha: "Hehehe…"
He left the room.
Clown: "What do we have here."
(Radio static…)
(Bzzzz)
Clown: "You're really annoying… I told you to take it slower."
Lady Natasha: "Oh… Master Clown, you're here."
Clown: "(Bzzzz)… of course… I'll take care of this Lady Mystery as well."
Lady Natasha: "Do you want to kill her too?"
Clown: "Naturally…"
Lady Natasha: "Hehehe… Well then, have fun…"
(Screams)
Clown: "Oh dear… your children are sad again."
Clown: "I know."
She opened her coat… and several faces fused together appeared.
(Screams…)(Mom!)(Aaaarghhh!!)
Lady Natasha: "Hehehe…"
Clown: "Disgusting… you really are creepy, you know that."
Lady Natasha: "Oh, come on… I just want them to stay with me…"
Lady Natasha grinned.
(Clack!)
Fiona: "Oh… damn it, I stepped on dog poop."
Parzival: "That's my foot."
Fiona: "Same thing."
Parzival: "You're mean…"
Fiona: "Nine-year-olds use 'mean'… are you undereducated or what?"
Mona: "(Sweats)… you two really can't stand each other, can you?"
Fiona: "Nope."
Parzival: "Well… I'd rather spend a night with an 80-year-old prostitute than talk to her."
Fiona: "I think the only ones you've dated are 80-year-olds because they're the only ones who'd say yes to you—younger women don't want to risk getting pregnant by someone like you…"
Parzival: "Okay, okay… you win. Can we move on?"
Fiona: "Nice."
They moved on.
Fiona: "Be careful…"
Parzival: "Oh, I'm so scared."
(Beep!)
A mouse squeaked.
Parzival: "Argh!"
Mona: "Uh… (sweats)"
Fiona: "(Silent)…"
Fiona just looked at him with a backward glance… bored eyes, as always.
Fiona: "Ah… whatever…"
They kept going…
Mona: "Soft egg."
Parzival: "Hey!"
Mona: "Soft egg."
Parzival: "Hmm."
Fiona: "Ahhh…"
She searched the rooms.
(Paintings)
Fiona: "Hmm… paintings…"
She looked over the tables and opened drawers.
Fiona: "Hmm…"
There was a candle.
Fiona: "An old candle… old, but very strong… and solid."
She pressed on it.
Fiona: "Solid enough to last this long…"
She sniffed it.
Fiona: "Hmm… I think it was used… there are traces…"
She went to the other cabinet…
(Opens it)
(Creak)
Fiona: "Hmm… what… the heck…"
A corpse—more precisely, a skeleton.
Fiona: "Why is there a skeleton in a cabinet…"
She searched a bit and found a photo.
Fiona: "Aha… there…"
She pointed her watch at the photo; the watch rewound. She took a pistol and shot the button, turning herself into a ghost.
Fiona: "Hmm… 1230… about more than 200 years ago then…"
The door opened… it was a man.
(Hahhhh)
Fiona: "Who is this man, why is he afraid… or rather… of what?"
He hid in the cabinet… the door opened…
Fiona: "Huh… ugh…"
It was a figure… a female figure with pale skin and a dark suit… blood from the eyes.
(Patch!)
Fiona: "A… Namesis… so… he was hiding from a Namesis…"
She returned to her body.
Fiona: "Seems this house really is cursed…"
(A couple of hours later, about 2)
(2 hours before the incident)
Fiona: "Did you find anything…"
Parzival: "No…"
Fiona: "What about Mona?"
Parzival: "No idea…"
They went a bit farther.
Parzival: "Where is she?"
Fiona: "Hmm…"
(Splop!)
Fiona: "Hmm."
Something fell on her nose.
Fiona: "Ugh… what…"
Parzival: "It's dripping… rain… ugh!…"
Fiona: "Ugh."
When she wiped it away… she realized it wasn't water… it was… blood.
Fiona: "Ugh…"
Parzival: "Wait a second…"
They slowly looked up.
Parzival: "Uggh, hahhh…"
Fiona: "… ugh…"
Mona's body… hung on the upper wall.
(1 hour earlier)
Mona: "(Humming)… hmm…"
(Clack!)
Mona: "What was that…"
She went into the room.
Mona: "Hmm… what is that…"
She went in… she found something… a piece of jewelry…
Mona: "Hmm…"
Something appeared behind her.
Mona: "Huh!…"
Before she could scream… something pierced through her chest.
Mona: "(Urk...….)… (bleargh)…"
(Grins!)
(Back to the present)(2 hours before the incident)
Parzival: "Ugh… Mona."
He took her down.
Parzival: "Hey… hey."
Parzival shook her.
Fiona: "Hmm… hahh…"
She checked her blood pressure.
Fiona: "…she's… dead…"
Parzival: "What… but… but… how?… so fast…"
Fiona: "A human life can end that quickly, unfortunately."
She closed her eye.
Fiona: "…ghhh… We have to be careful… something's here."
Parzival: "How can you say that so calmly… it's Mona… she's dead…"
Fiona: "What good is bawling now? We don't even know what attacked her… first find it and destroy it… then cry!!!"
Parzival: "Ghhhhh…"
Fiona: "This wound… is not normal… It must have been a really strong… being…"
They stood up.
Fiona: "We need to get out of here…"
Parzival: "What?"
Fiona: "We have to get… out of here—something… isn't right!"
(Crash!)
Fiona: "Huh!"
Parzival: "Ugh."
A door opened… something approached slowly… it was… a large hand… then the figure.
Fiona: "Ugh."
Parzival: "Ugh."
(Grrrrrr!)
Fiona: "Run!"
They ran.
Parzival: "Hahh… what is that."
Fiona: "I have no idea…"
They ran, fast.
Fiona: "Hahhhh…"
Parzival: "Hahhh…"
They hid in a room.
Fiona: "Hahhhh… hahh."
Parzival: "Ghhhhh…"
(Crash!)
It drew closer… She peeked through the door at something… then hid… the monster tried to look through the door with its huge eye.
Parzival: "Hahhh…"
Fiona: "Hhhh…"
(Thump!) (Thump!)
Fiona's heart pounded… for the first time… she was truly terrified… the being… apparently formed from many dead people and their emotions… She could hear the screams of their spirits inside it…
Fiona: "(Whatever this thing is… it's only evil.)"
Parzival: "Hhhh…"
They came out when they saw the being was gone.
Fiona: "Huh…"
Parzival: "Damn."
(Crash!)
Fiona: "Ugh."
Parzival: "Ugh…"
They turned slowly… it was right behind them.
Fiona: "Huh."
Parzival: "…ghhh…"
Just as the being was about to attack, something landed on it and tore it to pieces.
(Splach!)
Fiona: "Ugh."
Parzival: "What…"
It was a gentleman—or at least dressed like one.
(Bzzzz)(Radio static)
Clown: "Hahhh… just in time… hehehe."
Parzival: "What… hey, who are you…"
He came down.
Clown: "I've been waiting for you."
Parzival: "Hey, I asked you a question."
Clown: "Hmm?…"
His eyes glowed… he pointed his hand at Parzival's head.
Clown: "…Bang!"
Parzival: "Huh?"
(Splach!)
Suddenly Parzival's head exploded.
Fiona: "No… Parzival… no, no, no…"
She fell to her knees on the floor, trying anything to save him, but… there was nothing to be done.
Fiona: "No… no… no…"
Clown: "Relax… he was interrupting. I don't like interruptions…"
Fiona: "Damn it… what… ugh…"
She clutched at the wounds on her neck.
Clown: "Those wounds… you know them, don't you?"
Fiona: "You… are… the Clown?"
Clown: "(Grins)… (Radio static)
(Bzzzzz)
Clown: "Exactly… I am the Clown… Guardian of Wrath!… hahahahahah…"
Fiona: "Hahh."
Fear seized her.
Fiona: "What… do you… want from me…"
Clown: "…hmm…"
He grabbed her by the throat.
Fiona: "Urk."
Clown: "Don't address me so informally… how dare you… You ordinary human… dare… to talk to me like that… you should be on your knees right now… kissing my hands and feet…"
Fiona: "Urk… ghhhh…"
Clown: "Oh… wait a second… you're… aren't you… that mark on your neck… the moon and lip… tattoo… You've got a contract with that bitch… Holle, don't you?"
He dropped her.
Fiona: "Urk… (coughs)."
Clown: "Damn… then I can't kill you like this…"
Fiona: "Hahhh…"
He knelt slightly, took her by the hand and then the lower lip.
Clown: "…you're very pretty, my dear…"
The Clown looked at her.
Fiona: "Hahh…"
Clown: "Hmmm…"
He kissed her without her consent.
Fiona: "Mmmmm… mmmmmmm…"
She tried to fight back… then he threw her away.
Clown: "…and… drained."
Fiona: "Ghhh… urk!"
(Thump!) (Thump!)
Suddenly pain shot through her body.
Fiona: "Urk… ghh… aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargghhhh."
Clown: "Oh, pardon… I only put my poison in you… into your body… that way you'll die too… but without me getting my hands dirty…"
Fiona: "Urk… ghhhh…"
Clown: "… Farewell… Lady Mystery… oh, I mean… live well."
She collapsed to the floor.
Clown: "Hmm…"
(Bzzzzzzzz)
Clown: "Ah, goodness… I must say… I kind of regret that… didn't think I'd enjoy kissing her… Hah… there are plenty of women…"
(A few minutes later)
Fiona: "… (silent)"
(Thump!…) (Thump!)
Fiona: "Hahhh… hhhhhhhh…"
Frau Holle: "You're awake."
As before… multiple eyes and mouths…
Fiona: "What…"
Frau Holle: "It's me, my dear… Holle."
Fiona: "Why am I here… what… happened…"
Frau Holle: "You should actually be dead… but what the Clown doesn't know… is that I use my power to make sure you can live… through the ring you have…"
Fiona: "Ring?"
Frau Holle: "There's a lot of my blood in it… As soon as you die… the ring pricks you with a little needle… and pumps my blood into you… that's how you return…"
Fiona: "…oh…"
Frau Holle: "That must have been the Clown's plan."
Fiona: "Why would a Guardian show up?"
Frau Holle: "You think Guardians stay in their dark locks?… No, dear, you're wrong… That's not how it is… We Guardians can come to you as well… Well, the Clown is also half human… so it makes sense he does it more…"
Fiona: "Why is he after me?"
Frau Holle: "In hopes of getting the Card of the Mysterious—after all, it's one of the strongest cards…"
Fiona: "Hahh."
Frau Holle: "You don't age… you can return a bit with time, well, as a ghost… bullets… fire don't work on you… so…"
Fiona: "Hahhh… Parzival… and Mona."
Frau Holle: "Well… they're unfortunately dead…"
Fiona: "Can't I… can't I just… put your blood into them."
Frau Holle: "I wouldn't do that… You have a contract with me… you have a card with me… that's why you have my blood… but giving it to someone who's already dead… could bring forth a terrifying figure… I'm sorry, my dear."
Fiona: "Hahhh…"
Frau Holle: "What will you do now?"
Fiona. "This can't be a coincidence… sending us on missions this hard… without details… They planned from the start… to kill us… first Noelle… then Mona, Parzival… they wanted me dead too…"
Frau Holle: "Hmm."
Fiona: "…that must be… Natasha's work."
Frau Holle: "What are you going to do?"
Fiona: "… Hahh."
She stood up.
Fiona: "I'm going to kill Natasha…"
Frau Holle: "Are you sure?"
Fiona: "She will pay for this… Neither Noelle… nor Mona… nor Parzival… deserved to die like that…"
(A few hours later)
Lady Natasha: "Hmm?"
Fiona: "…Why so surprised."
Lady Natasha: "You're alive."
Fiona: "Mhm…"
Lady Natasha: "Hahaha… I see… you want to kill me… take revenge on me."
Fiona: "Exactly… By the way… Edwardson has disappeared."
Just… vanished.
Lady Natasha: "No… he hasn't… I sent him on a very distant mission…"
Fiona: "A distant mission… to kill Pinocchio—because I found his body there… Cruella… what did you do with her, where is she?"
Lady Natasha: "Too many questions at once… my dear."
Fiona: "Damn it, answer me."
Lady Natasha: "That's not important… if you want to kill me, just do it, go on… By the way… your parents… aren't dead."
Fiona: "Hahh… I know that… I know I was adopted… I already found out when I saw my aunt's notes and diaries."
Fiona aimed her pistol.
Fiona: "…if you insist…"
Lady Natasha: "…thank you…"
(Bang!)
Lady Natasha fell dead to the floor.
Fiona: "Hahhhh…"
(Click.)
Fiona: "…I'd better get out of here… Next stop… or rather, kingdom… Dukewood… There I can find out more… more about the Guardians… more about the black hole… more about Sora's realm… And about the Namesis as well as…"
She looked at her hands…
Fiona: "Where I really come from… who my real parents are… and which kingdom I'm from… I just have to know… what's going on…"