Numbers of the Night

[RedDragon]

I'm with Lisa, FINALLY. I've been waiting, thank you. Now I wait paitently for the next one.

 

[TogetherAgain]

<blink> Patiently? PATIENTLY? Nyssa, how can you wait PATIENTLY? I'm sorry, but all my PATIENCE in waiting for this story has been long spent over the TWO MONTHS, EIGHT DAYS, FOUR HOURS, AND THIRTEEN MINUTES between chapters thirteen and fourteen! Come on, Count, tell us more!

 

[RedDragon]

Lisa he doesn't need peer pressure. He needs positive reinforcement. Great story Count.

 

[The Count]

Chapter 15.

Twas a while before Edward finally awoke. Trying to gather his bearings, he fumbled about in the dark, unable to move. "Looking for something?" came a familiar female's voice.

Yes, this was the Goblin Queen herself. Most of his armor had been removed, but he was still clad in his grayish uniform. The belt with all its numbers hung high from the cragged ceiling above. "Wouldn't want you to have an unfair advantage now" was all she had to say. He could feel her legs wrapped around his own, her goblin growth firmly on top of his lower body preventing him from getting up. She gently rubbed Mr. Grimness's shoulders, softly cooing: "Why resist? Join my kingdom and we can rule together."
Edward: "Can't... let you... win."
Rebecca, somewhat angered: "You'd fight to stop me from regaining my own home?!?"
Edward: "If it hurts my friends... yes..."

She delivered a swift punch to his stomach. "All fright then, get up and fight."
She moved off to the other side of the throne room waiting for the battle to start. She smiled a sly smile before flaking away a few of the scales on her left arm. "You're not the only one with a life meter boy-o."
Edward, regaining his footing: "True, but at least I still have my heart."
He checked what was the inner compartment of his chestplate, scared for a split-second. He sighed after finding the marble 0 still connected to his internal wiring. He also had his bat-blaster and two Bat-Tanks, but his visor had been deactivated.

Edward: "If that's the way you want it, then let's dance."
Soon after the fight was well under way. Without his visor, Mr. Grimness had to trust his instincts and trust that he lept out of the way whenever an opposing blast was aimed at his body. With only two Bat-Tanks remaining, he'd have to conserve his energy and make every shot count.

As the fight wore on, he noticed something curious about Rebecca's hits... It seemed that she was shooting arcs of darkened energy, made of a black band layered above a grim gray edge, both upon a beam of white light. These darkbows as Edward had come to know them were odd in and of themselves... But what was weirder was the fact these darkbows were issued from the glowing jewel in the middle of the goblin's crown. "So if I aim for the jewel..." Edward thought, and sure enough... A few blasts later, he sensed that Rebecca's life energies were lowered to match his own.

The goblin monarch spied her own meter and noted that it was already a quarter lower than when they started. "OK, let's see how you handle this." The darkbows were now bouncing off the rocky walls of her throne room, splitting off into three separate rays of dark glowing light. Edward did his best to dodge these, either sinking low down to the ground or attempting a jump to leap over the harmful waves. Some he was able to outmaneuver, though he still got rocked by the tailend of the black bands. Noticing that their meters were about the same in how much was left, he decided this was the moment.

Mr. Grimness uncapped the first of his Bat-Tanks and absorbed the contents, refilling his life energy readout. Revitalized, he was able to charge his bat-blaster and create more powerful shots. This would give him a fighting chance against the dangerously dancing darkbows. He zigged left and shot to his right... She darted forwards, spun around, and fired twice... The duo were at it for quite a while.

Once Rebecca's meter was at three-quarters drained, she unleashed the full rage of the crown's potential. The darkbows were now shot in their individual energy component forms at straight angles from the crown's jewel from where she stood in the center of the room. With every passing second, she kept spinning to fire at her enemy. Realizing that his own reserves were at their lowest possible point, Mr. Grimness reached for his last Bat-Tank pouring its contents into his very soul.

Reenergized for a second time during the conflict, Edward seized the moment to make his final charge. He'd keep jumping in between the waves, charging his bat-blaster and firing only when the crown's jewel was in plain sight. This continued for at least five more turns... With the fifth and final turn being the decisive shot. After that last shot, Rebecca's meter was completely destroyed, leaving her weaker than she had ever been. Frightened by the scene, Edward rushed to her side attempting to save her. Her body kept struggling, until the crown was rejected from its spot around her head and the duo dematerialized into the darkness leaving this realm behind.

The crown shattered and exploded, releasing a blinding flash of light, just as the throne room's ceiling crumbled and the entire lair was reduced to rubble.

 

[RedDragon]

Wow! Cool! Cant wait to see what happens next.

 

[BEAR]

Cool story, Ed!

 

[TogetherAgain]

<eyes wide>

More. Now. Please. Please oh pretty please. Now.

 

[The Count]

You want more? Well... There's only 1 more thing I need to finish the story... No, 2 things... No, 3 things...
Ah ha! Sorry, got carried away.

Anyway, what I need to finish the story.
1 Decide what to do with the main characters. But I think that's already taken care of.
2 A good enough counting song, going from 1 to 10 preferably, to insert into the final musical number.
Can't think of any myself... Any suggestions?

 

[The Count]

*Author's note: Thanks to Diana (JaniceFerSure) for the lyrics.

Chapter 16.

In the final moments before the underground throne room collapsed in on itself, Mr. Grimness's belt fell down to his feet. He caught it, along with Rebecca, pushed the button and were both transported to safety. Edward rushed Rebecca's cold corpse to the enfermerary at the Count's castle, hoping there'd be at least some small flicker of light within her.

The next day... Soft bells were ringing from high on up among the bricks of the belfry. Rebecca had been spared the grip of Death's cold hands... But she wasn't sure what to do next.
Rebecca: "I'm sorry to have caused you and your friends so much grief Edward... I..."
Those were her last words before the bells finished tolling, just before her body quietly disappeared into nothingness. Edward could still hear her voice from time to time.

Yes, this was a bitter-sweet victory. The numbers had been restored to his friend's vault, but Rebecca was no longer upon this earth. Edward paused over the sketches for his new batch of creatures down in the workshop... While he answered a curious voice's question.
Edward: "Yes, that one's supposed to be you. Don't worry, you'll be brought back as soon as I finish making up my mind and get to building them." With that, he rolled up his plans and walked upstairs. His feet treaded upon the carpets of the halls, while peering in the well-lit rooms.

Mr. Grimness wondered where the Count could be. His friend wasn't in the vault counting the numbers... Wasn't up in the belfry counting the bells or the bats... Wasn't in Edward's study...
And then Mr. Grimness looked upon his own collection of figures. So many friends here he thought. "Hmmm, wonder if..." Edward's thought were interrupted when he heard the Count calling him to come outside. There he found a welcome sight. Of course, without his bat-visor, he had to rely on what sight he had left and the Count's guidance. The white smiling skulls were all placed upon the archway above the castle's doors where they belonged. And as if that wasn't all, Prairie Dawn showed up to help put the skulls there.
Prairie: We've got another surprise for you Mr. Grimness. Hit it!"
The Electric Mayhem was waiting their signal down in the makeshift music pit out on the lawn next to the eerie entrance.

Before Edward knew it, the music started up.
Dr. Teeth, at his jazzy-sounding keyboard: You told me you could count.
You said there’s nothing to it.
Well, if you’re so good at counting,
Let me hear you do it.
Count: 1 ...
Prairie: 2 ...
Edward, joining in: 3 ...
As they sang out each number, the same number plastered on all of the skulls above the doorway lit up, fading once the counting chorus dropped off.

Dr. Teeth: Mercy, is that the best you can do?
You’ve got to count it higher
Electric Mayhem: Count it higher.
Dr. Teeth: I’d like to know who told ya you could stop at 3.
You’ve got to count it higher.
Electric Mayhem: Count it higher.
Dr. Teeth: Baby, if you want to count with me.


Let me hear you count again now
Dr. Teeth: Let me hear you count again now.
Janice: 1 ...
Lips: 2 ...
Animal: 3 ...
Dr. Teeth: Higher!
Zoot: 4 ...
Dr. Teeth: Higher!

Floyd Pepper: 5 ... Agh!

Dr. Teeth: You’ve got to count it higher.
Electric Mayhem: Count it higher.
Dr. Teeth: 5 just isn’t good enough at all you see
You’ve got to count it higher.
Electric Mayhem: Count it higher.
Dr. Teeth: Baby, if you want to count with me.


Dr. Teeth: Now, let’s just try it one last time.
Upon which... Some more familiar faces joined in, appearing on the rooftop landing of the castle to sing out each number while that same number lit up on the skull below them. Edward walked a little bit forward so he could at least adjust his head up to where all the different voices were coming from and follow them, from left to right while standing in front of the castle's gaping jaws.

Miss Piggy: 1 ...
Fozzie Bear: 2 ...
Scooter: 3 ...
Rizzo the Rat: 4 ...
Gonzo the Great, with Camilla the Chicken: 5 ...
Statler and Waldorf: 6 ...
Beauregard: 7 ...
Sam the Eagle: Oh, 8 ...
Rowlf The Dog: 9 ...
Robin the Frog singing, while Uncle Deadly held up the skull with the 10 in his clawed hands: 10

Dr. Teeth: You went and counted higher.
Electric Mayhem: Counted higher.
Dr. Teeth: You really went and counted all the way to 10.
You went and counted higher.
Electric Mayhem: Counted higher.
Dr. Teeth: Now go back to 1 and start to count again.


Dr. Teeth: Are you ready?
Kermit The Frog, coming out from the corner tower and singing with Miss Piggy: 1 ...
Fozzie Bear: 2 ...
Scooter: 3 ...
Rizzo the Rat: 4 ...
Gonzo and Camilla: 5 ...
Statler and Waldorf: 6 ...
Beauregard: 7 ...
Sam the Eagle: All right, 8 ...
Rowlf The Dog: 9 ...
Robin the Frog and Uncle Deadly, both: 10

Dr. Teeth: You went and counted higher.
Electric Mayhem: Counted higher.
You counted counted counted higher
Dr. Teeth: You counted counted counted, huh!
Electric Mayhem: You counted counted counted higher

Count: You really are so good at counting!
Dr. Teeth: Yeah, and their singin' ain't too bad either! Heh, heh.
With that all the Muppets partied till they were too tired to move... But they didn't care, they were celebrating the Count's castle being complete and open to all Muppets and their friends once again. Edward was a little sad at the friends who weren't there, but he knew the time would come... Very soon now, that their Sesame Street friends would join them both in person and by representation in the figure collection.

This was the ending Mr. Grimness wanted for his counting comrade... A counting party to add up all those numbers of the night.

 

[TogetherAgain]

This deserves one thing.

<standing ovation>

Will hopefully post a more detailed response tomorrow, depending on homework and several other factors.