Peach and the heroes all paused, for once truly seeing how helpless Tippi was. She didn't look like a villain right now. She looked like a victim. Someone who needed help.
Bleck slowly approached her, voice calm and steady. "Why... why must it have to end like this...?"
"That's him! I-I hear him!" Pierre chimed on the other side of the wall, pressing his ear to it harder and smiling slightly. "I hear him!"
"SHH!" Ms. D hushed. "They'll hear you."
Countess Tippi looked up at the Pixl, only instead of expressing anger, there was only regret and pain. "Blumiere... When you vanished, I looked for you. I... tried so hard. I hurt so many. I never gave up looking... I searched and searched..." Tippi trailed off, looking down and forcing a small laugh. "....But I never found you. Without you, the world held no meaning or joy to me. There was nothing left for me without you... So I used the forbidden prophecy of the Tribe of Ancients to end all worlds. I wanted to destroy everything that had taken you away from me. I destroyed your tribe... your home... I wanted to destroy everything..."
Pierre's eyes softened at the mention of Blumiere's name. He slowly looked down, remembering all the pain she too had felt when Blumiere was lost the first time. Back then it was easy for him to focus on his own pain, but look at her. She loved him so much that she was willing to end everything for him. It wasn't the right thing to do by any means, but the fact that she loved him was clear as day. Even now, nothing could change that.
See AlsoSister - Anonymous_DarkLight - Super Mario Bros. (Video Games) [Archive of Our Own]Thank You and Goodnight! - Chapter 55 - ICanSingNoRequiemThank You and Goodnight! - Chapter 56 - ICanSingNoRequiemLuigi And The King - Chapter 16 - 2000pepperAnd... Pierre knew his son loved her too. More than Blumiere had ever loved him. He knew his son's feelings for her, even before he was a Pixl. Even before the tribe dragged him away. The time he spent with Timpani, those months were perhaps the only months Pierre could ever recall when his son truly seemed happy.
That's what mattered to him. At least now it was. Before, it was easy to put safety over happiness, but he could see now. He could see... love should come first.
"But I'm here now! N-no one can keep us apart anymore... Don't you see?" Bleck asked, sounding hopeful, his memory clearly having returned.
Pierre sighed and slowly pushed the portrait forward, making a small crack he could peer through, secretly watching the heartbreaking scene.
"What are you doing?!" Ms. D questioned in a hushed voice. "They'll see you!"
"I just... want to watch. That's all," Pierre whispered back.
"I...it's too late now," Tippi breathed, looking down in shame. "Countess Tippi has done so much evil... she's hurt so many... It must end." She stated, briefly looking up at the Pixl with a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "J-just knowing that you are still alive... And knowing that the world you still live in will continue... It gives me peace. I don't have long to live. You must end my game before The Void destroys all..." She trailed off.
"But...we're finally together again..." Bleck whispered, floating closer.
Pierre's eyes softened, even more, when he looked up above the entire scene and to the corner of the room, where a certain jester was waiting, twirling what looked to be some sort of magic projectile around his finger, eyeing the Countess herself.
His blue eyes went wide, as he looked down at his son and Tippi.
He wasn't about to let them be separated again.
"COUNTESS! LOOK OUT!" Mimi cried as the jester threw the projectile. The Countess quickly turned her head to see it coming for her, then squeezed her eyes shut and looked down, waiting for the blow to hit.
But it didn't. Instead, she heard what sounded like someone teleporting right next to her.
She waited a moment, then opened her eyes to see who, but Pierre, facing her with wide eyes, the projectile having just hit him in the back.
He paused, just standing there for a moment, then brought a shaky hand to his hood, taking it off and showing his face to her.
The once bright, vibrant blue in his eyes had faded to a now dull grey.
Everyone could see a light smile brush across his now uncloaked face.
"Y-You...?" Tippi questioned, looking up at him with wide eyes, feeling a collection of emotions.
Pierre just stood there, smiling when he suddenly collapsed to the ground, allowing his eyes to shut, earning gasps from just about everyone in the room.
Peach covered her mouth while King Boo, Mario, and Daisy all gasped.
And Ms. D pushed the portrait to the side, slowly stepping out into the inner sanctum with wide eyes, trying to process what had just happened.
"P...Pierre?" Bleck whispered, floating past Tippi and down to him.
The Pixl's good eye suddenly went wide. Because he remembered. He finally remembered... everything.
