The Joyverse

Startsville

Nega-Sector W were called to investigate a strange phenomena that had occurred in Startsville. They could see it clear as day from their ship: it was an enormous, golden-orange bubble with a bulbous, yellow smiley face within the center. The bubble seemed to have enveloped the entire neighborhood.

The team of four landed a short distance away and approached it. "Where did this come from? What is it?" Yllas asked.

"It looks like someone blew the world's biggest bubble! How cool!" Ynohtna cheered.

Yevrah approached the bubble and poked his fingers through it. He held his breath and dipped his face in. "Whoa!" He pulled himself out in a shock.

"Are you okay?!" Ynohtna asked.

"Th…That felt… pretty good!" Yevrah faced them with his expression lit up.

"It's clearly poisonous, let's get out of here." Ibyf suggested.

"Did it at least feel breathable?" Yllas asked.

"Yes, it is! I didn't really get a good look at the inside, but it still felt amazing! Come on, guys, let's go in!"

"Well, you seem pretty excited, so I don't see why not!" Ynohtna beamed. "Whaddya say, guys? Expedition time!"

"We can't just go in there without a plan!" Yllas argued. "What if we go in, but we can't get out?"

"And worse, what if that giant smiley face decides to eat us?" Ibyf asked.

"How about this?" Ynohtna began. "Me and Yevrah will hold onto rope and go in, and you hold onto the other ends and wait out here? If you feel us tugging the ropes a lot, it's a sign to pull us out."

"Sacrificing your lives feels much more beneficial."

Ropes were tied to the boys as they began their brave venture into the bubble. The girls couldn't see them past the bubble's exterior, despite it appearing see-through. Maybe all the other residents were inside this bubble, yet invisible also? The girls waited outside for an hour, worried for how their friends were fairing, but their communicators couldn't reach them.

"Huh? I think I feel tugging." Yllas said. "We should probably pull them—AAAH!" She was yanked into the bubble.

"Yllas?!" Ibyf gasped. "Uh-oh…" Knowing she would follow next, she dropped her rope, watching it be yanked into the bubble. "No way am I going in there!" the Nimbi decided as she made flight back to the ship. "I'm getting me a bunch of sacrificial lambs—I mean, fellow operatives, and having them do the work for me-"

Just as she arrived at the ship, a yellow bomb launched at her from behind it and exploded, trapping Ibyf in a laughing fit.

A man in gardening clothes lifted Ibyf and carried her to the bubble, throwing her inside. The man had a rather cute, puffy face that would mistake one to think it was filled with more air than blood. He pulled out a pink cellphone and reported, "Captain Ydnam, the children seem to love our Happytime Bubble! They can't bring themselves to leave."

"Oh, the people of Startsville are an easy audience! Joy and laughter are their full course meal~. We won't truly make a difference unless we test them on more corrupted towns."

"I have no doubts that they'll work splendidly! My only concerns are if the DNK and Galactic Navy will try to ruin my bubbles. Do you think they would understand if we explain?"

"The DNK can be just a little bit stubborn, so we'd have to settle them down first. I'm hoping at least Aluben managed to reason with them, but they might be just a tiny bit peeved at her for You-Know-What. What we'll need to do is produce a bunch more Happytime Bubbles and Joyify several DNK towns in one fell swoop. Once they understand the peace of our manifested Dream World, they'll surely accept this solution."

"Then let's get started right away! Maybe we can surprise them all on Halloween!"

"Tee hee hee hee! I guess I'd better drink a ton of coffee! I'm counting on you to give my visions breath, Sir Prize."

Sometime later…

Ynohtna EiznekCm was relaxing blissfully in a pink bathtub. The bubbles were yellow smiley faces that popped into giggles. "Isn't this place the best, Ynohtna?" asked his cousin, Ydnic, who was resting in a corresponding bath.

"It sure is! I don't even remember how I got here, but it's so clean! In fact, how long have we been here, anyway?"

"Oh, that doesn't matter, silly! We can stay here our whole lives and nothing will-"

"THERE YOU ARE!" A cloud of darkness swept through the bathroom's entrance: Ibyf Thgirbluf burst in and pummeled Ydnic with Fear Spheres. "Ynohtna, get your butt out of that tub!"

"I-I-I-Ibyf?" The sight of his Nimbi friend sparked a little reality in him. "W-Where have you been?"

"Trapped in a torture chamber! Get out of there!" Ibyf grabbed and forcefully dragged Ynohtna out.

"Wait, I'm nakey!"

"Then get dressed!" She shoved him in the dressing room. Ynohtna came out with a clean set of clothes.

"Ibyf, what's going on?" he asked as she resumed dragging him.

"We're getting out of here! Let's search for the others and get moving!"

They made their way through an action stage of giant soaps, bathtubs, and other cleanliness items. They rescued Yllas and Yevrah amidst the paradise and used their tops to advance further through the level. However, it seemed they wound up traveling in a complete circle and ended up back in the bathroom.

The kids began to question the exit's whereabouts when they heard a soothing voice. "Come on, kids, don't ya wanna stay here?" Standing over them was the bathtub Ynohtna was resting in, using shower tentacles to suspend itself up. It had a cute, innocent-looking face. "The outside world is filthy. Bugs crawlin' in the yard, dust filling up your house, but this place is always clean!"

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to take a nice bath…" Ynohtna said.

"We're not taking any more baths!" Ibyf shouted. "Where's the exit to this dump?!"

"This is no exit, little tykes~ Not so long as the master of this realm is enjoying himself." The bathtub replied.

"Well, where's the master?" Yevrah asked.

"He's right here~" The three looked at Ynohtna. "This Happytime Bubble was created from his dreams, and it sustains itself with his joy."

"Happytime Bubble?" Ynohtna questioned.

"Don't you remember?" Ibyf asked. "We were investigating that giant, disgusting bubble when we were trapped inside! I've been fighting for my life against those bright-faced demons!"

"But if you're the 'master' of this place, then you have to set us free!" Yevrah shouted.

"But I… it's so nice here… Are you sure you want to-"

"Ynohtna, open your eyes!" Ibyf yelled. "This is a villain's trap! We have no idea what's happening outside, but we need to get out of here! Maybe this can help!" She looked him directly in the eye and used a Scare Stare.

The domain grew dark as the bathtub became monstrous. Their first boss battle was against Sudslor, who attacked with high-speed shower jets, slid soap traps along the floor, and blew strong bubbles that could trap them. Ibyf's fearbending caused a pile of manure, a can of worms, and a garbage can to appear. She could carry the items up some waterspout platforms and throw them into the bathtub to damage it. Three hits would cause the tub to overflow with filth and collapse.

However, the mud and trash dramatically increased and began to flood the room. The others were trapped in the filth, but watched as Ynohtna climbed a huge shower curtain to escape. "Ynohtna, you have to jump in the dirt!" Ibyf yelled. "It might be the only way we can escape!"

"But it's so gross! I liked the other way better!"

"You're gonna take a mudbath and you'll like it!" Yevrah tossed his bladed top up and sliced the curtain, causing Ynohtna to drop in the muck. Though his vision and body grew blotted, his mind grew open again.

The enormous bubble began to rupture from the outside, its golden-orange glow filling with dark cracks. The POP of the bubble sent a shockwave across the land, but Startsville was now free. "I think I remember now." Ynohtna said. "Startsville was covered by that bubble, and… Wait! Where's Ydnic?!"

"Kids! What happened here?"

A man in a military uniform approached, alongside some soldiers from NUG (Nations' Unified Guardians). "General Nalon Kroy!" Yevrah gasped in recognition.

"Hi, Mr. Kroy!" Ynohtna greeted spritely. "What brings ya here?"

"I came here to destroy the Happytime Bubble, but it looks like my job was already done. Did you kids have something to do with it?"

"Supposedly, Ynohtna here was the source of the bubble." Ibyf answered. "I used my fearbending on him to weaken the illusion."

"So, he was the source."

"But where did that bubble even—AAH!" Nalon suddenly snatched Ynohtna up. Before they could question him, Nalon's hands glowed gray, and Ynohtna's eyes grew dull.

"Sorry, kid. Just a safety precaution." Nalon set Ynohtna down.

"Yes, General Kroy. I understand." Ynohtna responded drolly.

"What did you do to him?" Yevrah asked in masked worry.

"I don't know how long you've been in there, but the Smiles Pirates have been nuking towns all over the world with those things. It's Halloween right now, in case you're wondering. Each of these Happytime Bubbles has someone serving as a core, so I've been searching and using my new power on them."

"Your power?" Yllas asked. "I don't remember you having any abilities."

"The details are confidential, but I've been given the ability to wipe people of their emotions. I was able to destroy two other Happytime Bubbles by doing what I just did."

"How long is Ynohtna going to be like this?"

"Until I say otherwise. So long as Sir Prize doesn't have joyful people to prey on, his plans won't come to pass. Men! Move out!"

The soldiers returned to their ships and left the scene. Sharing worried looks, the Nega-W operatives managed to get in contact with Moonbase and received a lift.

Nerehc was grateful to finally see them alive after a month of imprisonment in the bubble. To go on from General Kroy's explanation, the Happytime Bubbles began appearing around the world about three weeks prior, and nearly all their operatives had been trapped inside. They were either caught in the explosions or were trapped in trying to rescue them.

"The mastermind of this operation is Sir Prize, a member of the Smile Pirates. That's what Aluben told me, anyway. Supposedly, he's a psychicbender that can replicate dreamscapes in the real world."

"So, he can make dreamscapes, and use the 'owners' of those dreamscapes to sustain them." Yevrah recounted.

"I understand." replied the droll Ynohtna. "I was tricked into going to Startsville. I was worried for my cousin's wellbeing and didn't consider that the trap was set for me. But, then… was Ydnic herself in on the trap?"

"He's a lot more logical like this. Not bad!"

"Then we need to search for Sir Prize and bring him down." Ibyf said.

"Shouldn't we try to break the other bubbles?" Yllas asked. "Your fearbending really helped Ynohtna out."

"It doesn't change that we've been trapped in there for a month! Just let General Kroy destroy the other bubbles."

"To be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about the general's methods." Nerehc said. "I mean… are you really fine with Ynohtna like this?"

"Hmmm…" Ibyf stared at Ynohtna. "His positivity was annoying… but I will admit it has benefited us. And I can't help but wonder where he acquired such an ability…"

Habarga

General Kroy's next target was the Happytime Bubble that had enveloped Habarga, the town in Nega-SA's snowy desert. As he approached the looming bubble with a bright brain symbol, Kroy stared at his own hand, emitting a soft gray glow, in concern.

"Those bubbles are made with happiness and cherished dreams." A woman with purple hair and horns spoke to Kroy. She had black garb with gold rims, and she was holding a bottle of gray, inky substance. "So long as they lay trapped in their own minds, they are ignorant to the world outside. I've brought you a gift to shatter their false reality."

"I don't accept gifts from strangers."

"I'm no ordinary stranger." The figure smirked. "Let's just say, I'm a spirit of emotions and truth. These bubbles are an eyesore, blinding people from their true reality and their true feelings. I want to destroy them… but I can't do so alone. I need the power of a mortal who believes in true justice. Your body will be the perfect vessel of this power. It is the only way to destroy them. Or will you really let the pirates' crimes go unpunished?"

"And what will happen to me?"

"I assure you that it will do you no harm. However… I would appreciate it if we could work together some day~"

Kroy stared at the potion. After a moment of contemplation… he took it. "Justice is worth any risk."

General Kroy boldly entered the bubble. This dreamscape resembled a typical fantasy world with dragons, castles, wizards, fauns, and other aspects. (The music for this level was "Sunny Villa" from Spyro.) As one could expect, Nalon's guns and brutal combat heavily contrasted with the fantastical setting, but this didn't stop him from murdering the magical fauna.

"Woohooooo!" While walking by a river area, Nalon saw a mermaid flip out of the water, performing nimble swimming maneuvers. She had sky-blue hair and a light-purple bra; it was actually Asigan Atoihs. "AH!" Nalon grabbed her by the tail. "Hey, let go of me, buster!"

"Shut it!" Nalon held a gun to her. "Are you the owner of this bubble?!"

"Bubble? What bubble?"

"Who's that hurting Princess Asigan?!" an elf pointed.

"It looks like a man from a colorless shooter game! Shoot him!" The elves shot arrows at Nalon, who retaliated with his gun. Asigan bent water up to cut his arm and escape, surfing upriver.

"I better warn Prince Oemor about him!"

Nalon fought his way through the fairytale kingdom. His next encounter was with Anaigrom, who crafted princess and prince dresses in her tailor store, which also had a built-in tavern with all kinds of brews. The sodas powered her poisonbending, so Nalon shot bullets to destroy the bottles. Still, Anaigrom proved to be a very vigorous opponent.

"Stop! Who are you?!"

Nalon turned to a pair of large ogre girls in the entrance. "I recognize that man." Xedni said. "It's General Kroy from the army. He's Nollid's dad!"

"Where's the owner of this dreamscape?!" Nalon grabbed Ana's ankles and threw her into the wall.

"Oemor is." Ikik replied. "Ever since we got trapped in that bubble, he fell in love with this world. He reimagined us to fit the part of this world, but he turned us into ogres! What a jerk!"

"Tell me where Oemor is. I have a way to snap him back to reality. Doing so will destroy this bubble."

"Nuh-uh, you ain't destroying my bar!" Anaigrom charged him, but Ikik intercepted her.

"Anaigrom, we need to go back home! Xedni, take him to Oemor's palace."

"Got ya!"

Nalon followed Xedni through another portion of the level. Instead of a laptop, she had a spellbook that opened like a laptop, but she could use it like one. However, she could go no further when a twin-tailed red dragon swooped down to attack. She held the dragon off while Nalon ran ahead.

The general made it to Prince Oemor's chamber. Fantasy creatures pumped out of the scrawny, purple-haired nerd's head like a cartoon machine. The mermaid, Asigan was swimming within a wall river. "Oemor! It's him!"

"Huh?" His dorky eyes opened. "That's the scary man? What does he want?"

"I'm here to tear down this scrap book fantasy. It's time for you to wake up."

"But I am awake. Nothing keeps me awake like good fantasies! There's so many worlds in so many books, I don't think I could ever get tired!"

"Oemor has such a wonderful imagination!" Asigan hugged her prince. "He's so cute and smart! I'm so lucky that he joined my sector-"

Nalon shot the mermaid in the head, horrifying Oemor. "That imaginary girlfriend won't protect you. None of this will!"

Enraged, Oemor imagined up a giant hippopotamus with cloud feet. The hippo retreated to the sky, leaving a stairway of clouds for Nalon to follow. The hippo would eat flying tweeter-bears and shoot cannonballs from its rear. When a tweeter-bear flew by Nalon, he shot the creature with his missile launcher. He steered the missile with the bear trapped on and drove it around to the hippo's mouth. The hippo would be tricked into eating it and explode.

For the following rounds, the hippo flew like a rocket and released a cloud trail, and it released firework missiles. The formula was basically the same until Nalon destroyed the hippo. Oemor fell to the valley below and was caught by Nalon, crashing into a soft blanket of grass. Nalon pressed his hands to Oemor's head and drained his emotions away.

After a while more, the Happytime Bubble crumbled. The operatives of Nega-SA returned to their normal forms, including Allebmoog, who couldn't remember what she was doing. "General Kroy!" Xedni ran over. "What did you do to-"

"Guys!" They saw Asigan rush over, now in her normal clothes. Nalon stepped aside to reveal a dull-faced Oemor. "Oemor… what happened to you?"

"Hello, Asigan. I apologize for all the trouble I've caused."

"Oemor…" Asigan put a hand to his forehead, checking for a fever.

"Do you remember anything?" Nalon asked.

"I got lost in that fantasy world, but… Mister, what happened?"

"I destroyed the bubble by erasing his emotions."

"What?! How could you do such a thing?!"

"Did you not want to escape?"

"Well, you're gonna put his emotions back, right?"

"I see no reason to do that."

"EXCUSE ME?! Look at him, he's dead inside!"

"I see it as an improvement. His feelings were wasted on fantasies and illusions, but maybe now he can put his psychicbending to more productive use."

"And what was wrong with loving fantasies?! He may get a little too absorbed in them, but it was adorable! You have no right taking that love away!"

"You mean the love for that mermaid who looked like you?"

"W-what?!"

"That love was merely hollow feelings." Oemor said. "Please excuse that."

"Now, if you'll excuse me." A helicopter dropped a ladder down for Nalon to hold onto. The general was carried away, leaving Nega-SA to look sympathetically at Oemor.

Windmill City (Play "Windmill Hills" from Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze!)

The following day, Moonbase got a report from Nega-$: they had infiltrated a Smile Pirate base and learned that Sir Prize was planning to nuke Windmill City. Located in Napaj, it was a vast and gorgeous town with countless windmill towers. The soil was rich and the grass around the dirt roads was lush.

The Nega-W ops searched town for any clues to the villain's whereabouts, with Yllas and Yevrah splitting into a pair, while the other two left separately. "Hey! Let me go, you jerks!" They heard shouting and ran around a windmill.

A short girl with freckles and pigtails was being pinned down by three taller bullies. The short girl wore a black T-shirt that said "Gimme!", a brown skirt, and darker brown boots.

"You're gettin' a mega wad this time, Akasim!" stated a girl with a blue torn vest and white undershirt. Okoruk had short pinkish hair. "Better open wide!"

Akasim tried to hold her mouth shut, but one of the other girls, Urahiu, used a magic wand to expand and forcefully open Akasim's mouth. Urahiu wore a black witch's robe and had a cactus crown around her dark hair. Okoruk began to mold a giant wad of spit with her waterbending, threatening to fill Akasim's mouth with it.

The Reprah twins tossed their bladed tops and cut the bullies. "Get lost!" Yevrah yelled.

"Who are these chumps?!" Netas, the other bully, asked.

"Didn't expect her to bring backup." Okoruk said. "We'll be back for you!" The bullies made a retreat.

Yllas went to help Akasim up. She was a few inches taller than them. "Hey, thanks! You kids new in town, I've never seen you before."

"We're DNK operatives." Yllas answered. "I don't suppose you know anything about Sir Prize?"

"Surprise? Wait, are you tryin' to prank me?!" The girl jumped back.

"No, take it easy!" Yevrah laughed. "He's a villain. Here's a picture of him." He held up a wanted poster of the puffy-faced man in gardening clothes.

"Ew! I woulda remembered seein' a creep like that."

"Well, thanks anyway." Yllas said. "Be careful not to get caught by those jerks."

"Not a problem!" Akasim embraced them in a hug. "I deal with those guys every day, but it's nice to have people havin' my back!" She quickly pulled away and ran off. "Okay, see ya later!"

"Well, she's a fun one." Yevrah figured. "If the bubble explodes here, you think she's meant to be the master?"

"Don't be stupid, she just said she's never seen him."

"Well, Ynohtna never met him, so how did he know what his dream looked like?! Obviously, Sir Prize sneaks into peoples' dreams! Maybe he's also a Bubble Dreamer."

"Fine, but that girl isn't even an operative. At least most of us are famous, so he'd be able to…" Yllas felt around her pockets. "Yevrah, did I drop my tops?"

Yevrah perked up and looked around. He felt in his own pockets. "Mine are gone, too. But we just used them when… Hey, you don't think that girl stole them, do you?!"

"When she hugged us? That bitch!" Yllas punched her palms in anger.

"Let's get after her!"

The twins made their way through a pretty fun action stage of windmill platforms and flying flags. The enemies were objects that were enchanted by local mages, such as brooms and trashcans, along with other bully mages. For being such a peaceful place, there was quite a handful of rude people. The twins also sent a call to Ibyf and Ynohtna, informing them of the issue.

They eventually tailed Asakim to a farmland, and she was indeed playing with their tops. "Hey, Girl!" Yevrah yelled. "You got something of ours?!"

"YA!" she yelped. "Shiznuggets!" She tried to run into the farmhouse, until a Scare Scream compelled her to stop.

"So, I take it this is the girl you told me about?" Ibyf said as she lowered from the sky.

"My, what's all that racket out here?" A vibrant-faced man with tannish skin and brown hair stepped outside. He wore a black top and jeans and looked to be in his mid-teens. "Oh, dear. Asakim, what's going on?"

"Incubator, these jerks just showed up and started hurting me!"

"This brat stole our weapons!" Yevrah argued.

"Alright, alright, why don't we all settle down?" Incubator chuckled. "Asakim, you need to return their toys."

The girl huffed and puffed her cheeks before begrudgingly returning the tops. "Stealing things that aren't yours is petty." Ynohtna said.

"No one asked you!" Asakim argued.

"You'll have to excuse her." Incubator patted the child's light-brown hair. "This little rascal swipes anything she can get her tiny hands on."

"Quit talking to me like that! I'm 15 years old!"

"Fifteen?!" Yllas exclaimed. "Wow, you're tiny!"

"Are you her brother?"

"Not exactly." Incubator released her, but was still shown the death glare. "My family adopted her, so we've been together since childhood. We sure didn't grow together well! If only she would drink her milk!"

"I don't want nothin' that comes out of a cow's breast!!"

"Hmm…" The spritely teen aroused suspicion in Ibyf. "Mr. Incubator, there's something we need to warn you about."

They introduced their selves as DNK ops and explained their mission. Incubator's positive visage grew worried. "So, what happens if we get trapped in the bubble?"

"Unless we can find the bubble's master, we'll be trapped in a sickening 'sweet' paradise for eternity. The 'master' would have to be someone with a positive outlook… so, I can't help but think it could be you."

"Me? But how would Sir Prize even know me?"

"We can't be sure, but we think he searches for targets in the Dream Realm and determines where they live in reality. I know it sounds complicated, but…"

"All that matters is," Ynohtna began, "if Sir Prize intends to trap this town, then any and all positive people should evacuate. Doing so will cause his bubble to disappear."

"This all sounds like a load of crazy talk." Asakim argued.

"It is quite a thing to learn out of nowhere." Incubator agreed. "In any case, I can't just leave my farm behind. It's at least nice to know the Happytime Bubbles aren't designed to kill. If we wind up being trapped, I'm sure you young go-getters will save us!"

"Yeah, but it's gonna be an utter pain." Yllas stated. "I guess we oughta just search for Sir Prize before he sets the bomb off."

"I'll try to keep an eye out for him, too. It shouldn't be too hard to miss a balloon-faced villain!"

The operatives let the two be and returned to town… but it was only after they were far away that Ynohtna called their attention to something: "We neglected to show him Sir Prize's wanted poster in our hasty explanation."

"We did?" Yllas asked. "You think that's why he wasn't too convinced?"

"How did Incubator know that Sir Prize has a balloon face?"

"Oh, yeah." Yevrah noticed. "Maybe Akasim told him before we caught up?"

"Then he would've already known who we were." Ibyf said. "Hmmm…perhaps we should investigate them a little further." (End song.)

The kids searched until nightfall, but couldn't find any signs of Sir Prize. They decided to take turns sleeping so they could continue the search through the morning. It wasn't until about -4:30a.m. that Ibyf caught sight of something curious.

She watched in secrecy as Incubator seemed to climb in a truck. The Nimbi followed quietly as he drove through town, down a breezy canyon, and into what seemed like an abandoned mine. Ibyf called Yevrah down to join her as they made their way through another level. The mine was patrolled by, not only Smile Pirates, but what appeared to be clones of Asakim. They were incredibly cheery and all possessed airbending.

The kids found a chamber where more Akasim clones were growing in tubes. "Ah…this one's almost ripe." Incubator was rubbing a tube with a smaller clone, likely newly developed. "I'll wake you up earlier… Asakim will love to have an actual 'little' sister. But first… it would seem we have guests."

"!" Ibyf and Yevrah were suddenly trapped in a bright yellow bubble, the latter resisting the urge to burst into laughter. "Surprise!" None other than Sir Prize revealed himself, holding a condensed Happytime Bubble. "Now, how did you little sour-faces escape my bubble? Ydnic told me it should've been inescapable! Or did that mean general drain him of his joy?"

"Sir Prize, hahahahaha!" Yevrah laughed. "It's you! And you're working with, hehehehehe!"

"Incubator, what is this place?!" Ibyf demanded. "Why are you making clones of Akasim?!"

"Because, although she is a naughty child, she is still so precious." Incubator rubbed the smaller clone's tube tenderly. "This town seems peaceful on the outside, but underneath, the people are spiteful and cruel. Always at each other's throats. This town needs more precious children like Akasim. My parents joined the Smile Pirates long ago, hoping to save this dour town. And years ago, we began collecting Akasim's blood, to produce even more of the precious girl. They used the clones to spread smiles to other dour towns… but those toxic heathens murdered the clones. They murdered Akasim's precious family."

"Haha, does she know about this?!" Yevrah asked.

"The time to surprise her draws near. Sir Prize's next Happytime Bubble was, indeed, made with Akasim's dream. Her dream to have an enormous family that loved her. She will be the core of this bubble, and the people that bullied her will learn happiness!"

"And we'll make sure you learn you love it!" Sir Prize stated. "Commander Wodahs is already taking care of your friends."

…

Wodahs was a white Moebian hedgehog with blue streaks in his hair and roller-blade shoes. Wodahs took the form of a more divine hedgehog and used his rollers to chase and out-maneuver them. When he scratched the kids, a strange medicine would seep into their blood and cause them to grow woozy. When Yllas sliced him with her tops, Wodahs would spray himself with a gas that would repair the cuts.

"Are you some kind of poisonbender?!" Yllas questioned.

"I was given the power of the Mythical Hedgehog Fruit, Model: Baixian!" Wodahs replied in a loudish, tender voice. "I can cure any illness with my medicines. At least, I wish I could, but my cures are only temporary. Even so, I'll do what I can to help realize Lady Ydnam's goals!"

His semi-natural gases were so soothing that they were losing the will to fight. Ynohtna had learned to evade and endure against strong opponents, but his current emotionless state caused him to pass out long before Yllas did.

Meanwhile, Sir Prize retreated to another room to begin charging energy in his Happytime Bubble. Ibyf destroyed the bubble they were trapped in, but ushered Yevrah to escape the mine with her. "We need to try and take Asakim away! We should at least be with her when the bubble explodes, so we'll have a chance to stop it!"

Incubator chased them out of the cave and up the trench. Little did they know they had already fallen for his second trap: the sun began to rise over town. Incubator turned into a divine rooster with an orange head and wings, with a dark-cyan body. "COCK-A-DOODLE-DOOOOOO!" Surging with Light Chi, Incubator fired a powerful golden ray at Ibyf and Yevrah. The light blinded and overwhelmed them as they passed out.

"The Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Alectryon was created from a legendary rooster. Its lightbending increases 100-fold when it greets the morning sun! Didn't you wonder why I waited this late to check on my clones? I knew you kids would follow me. Now, let's enjoy Akasim's world together…"

Within the next few minutes, Windmill City was enveloped in the Happytime Bubble.

DNK Arctic Prison

During Nega-W's mission, Arctic Prison was invaded by a muscular man with a goatee who looked like a genie. He fought his way relentlessly through the defenses and operatives until he located Aluben's cell. He tore open the bars of her cell and seized the smiling former dictator. "Ah! Is this a rescue, perhaps?"

"Not in the slightest! But the army doesn't trust this prison to hold you."

The genie held her tightly and made flight across the arctic expanse. Though she could now use her bonebending, she was unable to do so with this man, and he ensured there was no escape for her.

Aluben was taken to a NUG fortress within a dark rainforest. Under a soldier's orders, the genie, whose name was Nivlek, kept Aluben bound as General Kroy approached her. "Aluben… according to our intel, we're given to believe you serve Emperor Ydnam now."

"Yes! Are you enjoying Sir Prize's Happytime B-"

"Shut it!" Nalon punched her face. "You're going to tell us everything you know about the pirates and help us put a stop to their operations!"

"Never!" Aluben's dented face was still vibrant. "Toxic adults like you need to be cured!"

"The only one getting cured is you." Kroy threatened to clasp her with his glowing gray hand.

Aluben's pupils shrank, her forced smile masking her fear. She felt something horribly familiar about his chi.

Fortunately, Nega-$ were already alerted of Aluben's capture and had infiltrated the NUG base using stealth and teamwork. They made it to Aluben's holding room around the time Kroy arrived. "I can't believe the army has a genie working for them." Acificap whispered.

"I recognize that man." Leic said. "I knew him from when I was alive! Nivlek used to be a chimney cleaner who hated his job and eventually refused to work at all. When he died, I heard that he was given the Genie's Curse: he has to grant the wishes of a thousand people. Hehe, I never thought I'd encounter him here!"

"But if he's a spirit, aren't you allowed to fight him?" Ssiew asked.

"Yes, I am!"

"What if we take his magic lamp?" Hgielar suggested. "Heck, we could wish Sir Prize's plan is foiled!"

"Why hasn't the army already wished that?" Lorac asked.

"Because genies can only do what any normal human can do." Acificap answered. "Even if they are really strong, they can't magically make problems go away. They also can't automatically gain knowledge just by wishing for it. So, if they wanted to find Sir Prize's hiding place, they couldn't wish to know where it is."

"I guess genies aren't as all-powerful as people say. Anyway, here's the plan:"

Before Nalon could sap Aluben's emotions, the kids would cause a blackout and throw the soldiers off. Leic would swoop in and attack Nivlek, freeing Aluben, and Ssiew would drop from a ceiling vent, hanging from vines, and pull her away.

Another soldier took the lamp and ordered Aluben's retrieval. As the genie flew through the base in search of her, Leic would keep attacking him, swarming Nivlek with butterflies from his Zanpakutō, Flutterwing.

The kids managed to escape with Aluben back to the van, speeding through the jungle. Aerodactyl seized the van in his talons and took flight. General Kroy and his soldiers boarded warplanes and pursued them. "Daring New Kids! Hand over the prisoner at once!" Kroy ordered through speakers.

"She was under our custody!" Lorac yelled. "And we weren't gonna let you wipe her emotions!"

"You must know what a menace she is! Or does this mean you are allying with the Smile Pirates as well?"

"Yes!" Aluben chirped.

"No!"

"If you don't hand her over, the N.U.G. will officially see you as an enemy!"

"Like you didn't already! We're going to stop the Smile Pirates, but we're still hoping Aluben can be our friend, too."

"Your feelings are meaningless. It's time we finally disciplined you kids!"

"General Kroy! A new bubble was just reported in Napaj!"

"What? Maybe Sir Prize is still nearby. Alright, I'm going to investigate. Commodore Tterb, you take care of them!"

Inside the base, Nivlek's orders had been changed to destroying the angel boy. He attacked Leic with great ferocity, breaking and bruising the angel's tender skin without remorse. "I still remember you." Nivlek hissed. "Running all around town and helping people with that sweet little smile. Never asking for a single penny. Even as you grew sick and dying, you were always shining, like a scorching desert sun that burns my eyes. Children like you make me sick.

"Maybe some time off will help you!" Leic withstood the damage and impaled Nivlek with his sword. He poured the last of his power into converting him into butterflies. "I know the comfiest cage in Underworld Prison! Butterflies, show him the way!"

"Curse you, Leic! Curse you and the sun you were born under!!" The butterflies scattered as Leic helped herd them to the Spirit World.

Sisterhood City

Windmill City had been changed into a world all about Asakim. She had immediately bonded with her army of sisters and embraced her role as a queen. The trio of Okoruk, Urahiu, and Netas became loyal servants that filed her nails and did her hair, the air of this world making them abandon their negative feelings. Still, whenever Asakim looked at the former bullies… she would feel a small tinge of guilt.

Sir Prize and Commander Wodahs left the bubble, leaving Incubator to look after it. Wodahs was kind enough to treat Nega-W's injuries before leaving. However, Ibyf would soon break free and fight her way through this world. She located Asakim and enforced her fearbending over her, trying to explain the truth of this world.

Incubator fought the Nimbi, using the lightbending that came with his rooster form. His power wasn't as strong as it was in morning, but Ibyf struggled to damage him. That's why she only chose to target Asakim. As the fear overtook her, the dreamscape grew dark, and the Sisters began to look at her with spite. "We were only created to like this girl?" "I don't even know her." "She's 15, but she looks like a brat. Why were we modeled after her?"

"Hey, brat!" Asakim turned and flinched, seeing an angry Okoruk Trio. "I don't know what you doped us with, but you ain't gettin' away this time."

Asakim's natural instinct was to run away. But Ibyf's words rang in her mind: this was all a dream, a dream they could never escape from unless Asakim accepted her true reality. In reality, she didn't have sisters, she had no friends, and no one loved her outside her annoying adoptive brother. She was a naughty child that stole from people and got beat up in return. As much as she enjoyed her bullies serving her, and having sisters to play with… it felt so wrong and creepy. The stress in her mind was piling up. It became unbearable and she wanted to wake up. So, she stepped forward and allowed the bullies to spit in her mouth.

The Happytime Bubble ruptured and popped, setting the town free. Twilight had fallen, causing Incubator's lightbending to weaken. Ibyf shot a glare at the rooster and entered Dark Angel Fury, growing wings made of dark-red Fear Chi. She went all out against Incubator and KO'ed the rooster.

Ibyf disabled her Fury and rested on the ground, panting to regain her stamina. Akasim threw up after Okoruk finished her punishment. The pigtailed girl looked to Incubator and approached him shamefully. The sister clones hadn't disappeared… so, he really had been producing copies of herself.

"It's you again." She and Ibyf looked to General Kroy. "Tell me… who was the owner of that bubble?"

Asakim gulped at the scary man. "It was him." Ibyf pointed at Incubator. "This man had a complex and possessed twisted love for his little sister. He even went as far as to have her cloned. You'll also like to know he was affiliated with the Smile Pirates."

Kroy looked to the Sisters in a disgruntled way. "Men, take him into custody. The clones, all of them!"

When the soldiers approached the clones, the Sisters fought back with airbending. Kroy marched to the real Akasim, who hid behind Ibyf in fear. "Hey, this is the real one!"

"Doesn't matter. She's coming, too!"

"I don't wanna!" Akasim blasted a gust of air at Kroy's face.

Yllas and Yevrah slid by on their giant tops, snatching the two and escaping the army. "Ynohtna's already back at the ship!" Yllas said. "Let's report back to Nerehc!"

"We won't let him take you, don't worry!" Yevrah assured Akasim.

The girl in question twisted her head back. The soldiers were loading Incubator onto their ship. Akasim looked to her brother with guilt. "If I tried harder to make friends… would you not have gone crazy?"

With Nega-$

The Bandit Van launched missiles to take down the NUG planes, but the only one remaining was Commodore Tterb's. Tterb flew above the Aerodactyl before jumping out of his plane: he morphed into a woolly rhinoceros and crushed the dinosaur's head beneath his weight. A dizzied Aerodactyl fell to the ground, but kept his friends safe in his talons to make the landing as smooth as possible. After landing in a field, Hgielar stepped out and returned Aero to his Pokéball.

The woolly rhino landed as well and faced the group. "Is that a metahuman power?" Acificap glared.

"A Devil Fruit made from an ancient rhino. That's what I was told." Tterb answered. "Why do you want to befriend that piece of scum? She and her mother before her terrorized the universe. You should've already done away with her."

"I would like it if you don't associate me with that woman, anymore." Aluben requested in a creepy sweet way. "I only seek to spread joy under Captain Ydnam's name. And once I am away from here, I intend to assist Sir Prize as well."

"You think serving those cultists is any different? You're a tool to their twisted ambitions either way, and a tool that needs to be broken." The rhino charged at Aluben, who tried to grab his bones in defense. The rhino's ancient fossils withstood her grasp, so Aluben and the gang evaded. Tterb rammed the van and blew it several meters away.

"You will redact those comments now." Aluben's brows twitched in spite. Tterb would keep charging her, but Aluben would leap onto his head and grab the long horn. She channeled her chi through the fossil, but was shaken off. The rhino flipped and tried to impale her against the ground, Aluben dodging. The horn pierced the ground cleanly. Aluben climbed onto his belly and managed to split the ribs, the points poking through the belly just a bit. As the battle drew on, Aluben got a better feel for the rhino bones. She grabbed him from several ankles and broke the bones underneath, but took several headbashes and stomps in turn. Aluben willed her bones to launch away and pull her with.

Once away from her enemy, Aluben willed her bones to repair, helping herself up. Tterb withstood the bones puncturing his own body, facing her in fury. The commodore charged at Aluben with the sole desire to pierce her for good. Aluben mustered up a great surge of chi and jumped over the rhino's horn. She planted her hands against his head and willed his very skull to cave in. The act of doing so felt like trying to squeeze a heavy boulder in the palm of her hand, but still Aluben succeeded. Commodore Tterb's brain was crushed by his own fossil, and he fell over dead.

Hgielar fixed the van back upright. The thieves looked over the commodore's dead body in concern. Things were already tense with the army, but they won't overlook a killed officer. "Look! Pirate ships!" Acificap alerted them to a small fleet of flying ships.

Lorac looked through binoculars. "The Smile Pirates."

"Don't worry, they're only here for me!" Aluben beamed. "You guys should probably go."

"After all the trouble we went through to save you?!" Hgielar yelled.

"Well, you're already in trouble for that! At least I can take all the blame for killing an officer."

"They're probably gonna hold us responsible, anyway." Acificap reasoned. "We can't really let the pirates have you either. After what Sir Prize has done, they're our enemies!"

"Then it's only best you let them take me so they won't attack you! Besides, I'm sure you'll learn to see our way eventually. The Smile Pirates and the Daring New Kids… They both want to spread joy to everyone."

"Hm…fine." Lorac complied. "I guess we'll meet again."

The Nega-$ Thieves fled from the scene. Leic would soon return to his Gigai and question how things went.

Somewhere over Napaj

Sir Prize and Commander Wodahs sailed away on the latter's ship. Wodahs professed his admiration for Sir Prize's creations, but Prize is still distraught that General Kroy is ruining his bubbles. These bubbles were produced with a culmination of Prize's psychicbending and Captain Ydnam's Bubble Dreaming. She had Bubbled away the negative feelings in his dreamscape to amplify his positive imagination.

And of course, it was thanks to Captain Ydnam's Bubble Dreaming that he could travel the dreamscapes and concoct his bubbles based on them. But being completely joyful wasn't enough to sustain the bubbles. Several years ago, the Smile Pirates had procured a sample of blood from the Emotion Spirit, Mesprit. Sir Prize was given the blood to further amplify the joy within his bubbles.

Even with that power-up, it was exhausting to create so many bubbles, but it would be worth it to bring forth a joyful world. Sir Prize thought back to his childhood: his older brother, Eoj Prize, was an abusive asshole that loved trying to "pop" young Nhoj's head. But where his brother showed him scorn, his classmates showed sympathy. Nhoj had lots of supportive friends in school. He wasn't super close with all of them, but they were very good people. Most of them, at least.

Indeed, he used to know General Kroy in elementary school. He and his gang of bullies always tried to be on top of everybody, and that mentality hadn't died even as he joined the army. Still, Nhoj hated his brother more… He was such a toxic and unjoyful person. The world would be happier without people like him… so, Nhoj didn't hesitate to lead him to his death. He had used his psychicbending to put Eoj in an illusory, almost drug-induced trance. He manipulated his brother into walking out in front of a truck and being run over.

Sir Prize was scared out of his reminiscing when something struck the ship. A fleet of DNK ships were closing in, some of which were from DNKG (the Daring New Kid Guardians). Among them were Nega-SA, Nega-L, and Nega-V. Sir Prize recognized them as sectors who had escaped his Happytime Bubbles. He made bubbles based off Oemor, Ikuyim, and Nosam's dreams (the latter of which was all about worshipping Lorac). But because of General Kroy's interference, those three had lost their passions.

"Perhaps this is my chance to undo Kroy's damage and restore their joy! I've been saving my best bubble for a situation like this. Allow me to show you… my own personal Happytime!"

The operatives cringed in disgust when it seemed like Sir Prize's very head began swelling. Like the balloon it was, it inflated, growing large enough to envelop them all. Though it was merely an illusion conjured by his psychic, the result was nevertheless real: Prize's head exploded into a Happytime Bubble.

Sector Nega-W returned to Moonbase and dropped off Akasim. But as they were reporting to Nerehc, Ininap reported they had lost communications with the fleet sent to ambush Sir Prize. Their satellites brought up a visual: a Happytime Bubble had burst into plain view and bore Sir Prize's joyous visage. Ibyf suspected that Sir Prize himself was in that bubble. If that bubble was based off his own dream, then it shouldn't hold if Sir Prize left. He must be planning to fully joyify all the operatives inside before leaving.

Nega-W decided to return to Napaj, take the risk, and fly into the bubble… but General Kroy was not far behind. The dreamscape within was called the Park of Fun Surprises, a vast amusement park with Sir Prize balloons and millions of bubbles.

Sir Prize himself appeared as a giant ringleader, washing waves of his vanilla psychic over the operatives. The waves were designed to alter their minds and make them believe they were Sir Prize as well, to forget who they once were and their past grudges, just to embrace the laughter.

The Nega-W ops managed to evade the waves, but Ibyf was still too exhausted to confront him. Meanwhile, Nalon fought his way through the amusement park, determined to take the villain down once and for all. He was confronted by Wodahs, but fortunately, an ally appeared to fight him in Nalon's stead: Raseac Atnalamid of the Black Lotus. The plantbender fought well with the medical hedgehog spirit, leaving Kroy to make it to Sir Prize.

Nalon greeted the villain with the full force of his arsenal. Missile launchers, miniguns, laser shotguns, and as a bonus, Kroy was able to imbue his Apathy Chi into his weapons and chip down Sir Prize's joy. Kroy's Armament Haki was nothing to scoff at either: it was no wonder they called him "Steelman." He was hard as steel and nearly immovable.

"You've always been like this, Kroy… always cold and toxic! You think you're a just man, but all you love is war, murder, and violence all for your twisted justice! Look around! I'm trying to make people happy! I'm ending all despair! Tell me, is THIS what you'd rather see?!"

Nalon faced up: Sir Prize had brought down a sea of bubbles, containing all the negative aspects that Captain Ydnam Bubbled away. The dirty politics Prize was forced to learn about, the corruption within NUG, the fear of the Apocalypse, down to the awful people Prize would encounter day-to-day. He crushed Kroy with the weight of all his anxieties, the kind that compelled Prize to do just what he did to his brother.

General Kroy plowed through the fears and flew up to Prize's head. He squeezed his head like the balloon it was and brought him to the ground. Prize reached his right hand to grab him, but Kroy fired a sawblade rifle and severed the hand. "It's petty emotions like this that cause wars and despair to happen. Your desire for joy and happiness, and your fear for destruction and darkness… Everyone should just throw these emotions away. Abandon them… and just do as you're told. Only then can the world know peace!"

Kroy mustered up an enormous surge of Apathy and overwhelmed Sir Prize. The Apathy spread across his Happytime Bubble and began to dull all of the operatives. "…What?"

It was then Kroy noticed numerous eyes appearing around the air of the dreamscape. They were Ibyf's eyes, conjured and multiplied by her fearbending. The operatives looked up into the nightmarish eyes. "It's true… emotions do get in the way. People always make irrational decisions for the dumbest reasons. But I learned a long time ago… life is just boring when there's no joy. It's tasteless if we don't cry for people we lost. It's sour if we can't feel proud for saving the world. And if we let villains like you decide how we should feel… I couldn't hold in my anger."

The apathetic operatives began to feel a tinge of fear: the fear that either Kroy or Prize would erase their emotions completely. Their toneless states couldn't fully register the fear… but their logic compelled them to agree. Ikuyim "enjoyed" having adventures because she got to learn more about geography and the world. Oemor "loved" reading fantasies because creativity was healthy for the brain. Nosam "loved" Lorac because she was simply an admirable and talented person. And were they to lose these feelings, they would be no more than husks.

The operatives faced up at General Kroy with spite hidden under their gray eyes. Altogether, they raced up and assaulted Kroy with the force of their bending and strength. Kroy withstood as best as he could, but was already too exhausted from the battle. "Damn you! Stop! If you brats don't stop now, you WILL become enemies of the N.U.G.! No, the entire Galactic Navy! Mark my words, you'll never see a happy day again!"

"Whatever, Dad." His son, Nollid raised his wand at him. "At least we won't become zombies. Sectumsempra!"

A white slash cleaved Nalon's neck, but he still had enough will to withstand it. Still, as the kids overpowered him, Nalon's hold on Sir Prize began to wane. The dreamscape rumbled with the forces of apathy and joy. As Nalon's own anger grew, emotions began to return to the operatives. The general became unable to control his own emotions, and those around him would cause further interference.

The clashing powers caused the Happytime Bubble to plummet to the earth and explode. Sir Prize lay with a stone-cold expression, his mind having turned to mush. And Nalon Kroy merely lay dead from the fall, blood leaking from his mind.

All of Sir Prize's bubbles dispelled, setting the DNK and their towns free. The operatives needed some time to rest as their own minds and emotions reassembled. Nollid and his mother, Latsyrc paid their respects to the fallen man of the house in an apathetic fashion.

Captain Ydnam visited her subordinate's dreamscape. Sir Prize's amusement park had been reduced to an utter wasteland, damaged beyond repair. "Oh, dear… even I'm not sure what to do about this. With this much clutter… you're better off dead, Sir Prize. Oh, well! First, I have other matters to tend to!"

The Emperor of the Smile Pirates was a pudgy woman with a light-blue gown, blonde hair curved up like horns, and a white furred scarf. Ydnam woke up and walked out onto the deck of her flagship. "Captain Ydnam!" With pure delight, Aluben ran up with open arms.

"Aluben!" Ydnam embraced the girl like a loving mother. "I'm so glad you made it back!"

"Me, too! But it sounds like all of the bubbles were destroyed…"

"Sir Prize's joy wasn't strong enough. But at least that sour Nalon won't be bothering us, anymore. Still, it doesn't seem like the DNK appreciate our cause, yet."

"Do you think we'll really be able to spread joy to the universe? There are so many bad people still out there…"

"Well, if we can't… we'll just have to put them all to sleep. After all, there's no greater bliss than dreams. If the real world can't be happy, then their only option is the Dream World."

Their flagship, the Sleeping Sands, was golden with sails shaped like hourglasses. Wherever it flew, golden sand, enchanted by Ydnam's bending, would sprinkle below. Everyone the sand touched would grow drowsy and sleepy. After leaving Earth, the ship returned to New Aruhtaz. Most of the planet's surface had been converted into a gold desert, where the denizens lay in blissful slumber. Just seeing them made Ydnam sigh with comfort. If only everyone could sleep as soundly as they could.

Underworld

Nalon Kroy awoke in a dark place. Standing over him was a purple-horned woman: the same figure that gave him his power. The woman was casually flipping the vial of gray chi in her hand. "I expected someone to kill you, but I didn't expect all those operatives to outright destroy you. They really hated your guts~"

"What is this… Am I in Hell?!"

"Yeah, but I swiped you before the Reapers could get their hands on you. But I'm sure the 'powers that be' will be onto me at any moment. So, if you'd still like to be relevant, let's make this quick."

"Relevant? Who do you think you are?!"

"It's Torrelasell. And I serve a higher power."

"Higher power?"

"Far higher than that little military you once served. And I'd like to offer you a chance to be a part of it. How would you like to spread your justice to the multiverse?"

Nalon cast a glare at the woman… but even he was intrigued. "What would that entail?"