serenity-cant-sleep

[babybells123]

Noorhelm Nation (if you’re still alive) how are we feeling?!!

[kaitoujokerscans]

Reminiscence Diamond Memory CH3

<3> Prism Island

Prism Island is a theme park that takes up the entirety of an uninhabited ocean isle. In the past, a man who drifted to this island after being stranded discovered a beautiful rainbow that formed at the spring in the middle of the isle. He was taken by its splendor and visited the island on occasion even after having been rescued, eventually moving there permanently with his family. In time, the island was developed, then bought by a certain affluent individual who turned it into a theme park, with the rainbow over the island serving as its main attraction. The theme park was dubbed "Prism Island", and for a time it was a popular destination for visitors from all over the world. However, there was no route to Prism Island other than the exclusive ferry from a nearby wharf, which could only carry so many guests. The number of visitors thus decreased due to the inconvenience, and it eventually joined the ranks of other discredited amusement parks. Even when the park changed hands to the present owner some years ago, there was still only a thin stream. In the daytime, that is...

About one week after the party at Nabakov's manor, Queen stood on the deck of the "Rainbow #3" ferry to Prism Island disguised in a pale green dress. "Now which ride should I start from?" She cheerily examined the spread-open pamphlet. Beside her was Roko, who was for some reason bedecked in frilly clothes.

"We're not here for fun. Our target is 'Beyond Twilight'."

"I know. But can't I play around just a little?"

The ship's speaker relayed details about Prism Island. The ferry now only operated for two round trips twice per day, morning and night. The running information that played during transit was intended to promote the park's attractions. However, the guests were as few as usual, with barely any groups beside Queen and Roko on board. Queen hummed as she gazed out over the calm ocean.

"This costume really is embarrassing, though..." Roko tugged at his clothes with his ears. The cutesy clothes made it hard to believe that he was a super dog.

"Ho ho, they look great. Our current facade is the daughter of a rich man going on her first thrilling adventure with just herself and her dog, after all." Queen suddenly adopted a polite manner of speech and feigned a chuckle. The wind blew, swaying Queen's blond hair under her straw hat. Her trademark twintails were loose. In this costume, Queen appeared to be a normal girl.

"I don't think a well-off girl would drop by a deserted theme park."

"Whatever."

Roko sighed just as an announcement came over the speakers. "Land ho, folks!"

Looking over the railing, Queen and Roko could see a small island in the boat's path. In the center of the island was a rocky mountain surrounded by a forest. That alone would have marked it as an ordinary island, but what made it notable was the medieval castle-like building beside it. "There are three main draws at Prism Island. The Attraction area includes numerous rides, including a merry-go-round, ferris wheel, coffee cups, and roller coasters. The Show Stage area puts on American westerns, space operas, and even Japanese period dramas to entertain visitors. The very centerpiece is the Prism Cableway that covers the circumference of the island. If you go around the park via the clear glass cable cars, you'll feel like you're walking on air! Please live it up and enjoy youself! The ship will reach shore soon. See you later, and have a blast!" The announcement said as the boat gently glided to the pier. A old yet still prominent violet-colored gate with "Prism Island" written on it stood at the end of the port. Beside the gate were people in hippo costumes waving towards the dock. These seemed to be the Island's original mascot characters.

Approaching the island, even Roko began to get excited. "It would have been nice if Master could have come with us."

"Grandpa really would enjoy this even more than us." Just imagining Silver Heart boisterously acting much younger than his age amused Queen.

"Where is Master right now?"

"He's at a reunion of his old thief friends. He's probably drinking alcohol and telling tales of his exploits." Heiress-styled Queen strained a smile and hung her head. The ship docked and the guests on the deck poured out toward the entrance. "Well then, let's get to the Underground Casino's entrance... or so I'd like to say. Word is that the mechanism to enter the Underground Casino is by one of the attractions, right?"

"Yes, but it seems very dodgy. It could be in any area."

"So that means we have to go around the entire place! Ah, what a predicament~ I wonder if we can ride every single ride in all the areas in just one day~♪" Queen skipped jauntily, not even hiding her enthusiasm.

"For goodness' sake..." Roko followed after Queen, his frilly clothes rustling as they headed toward the wharf.

§ § §

Around the same time, a boy was being berated by a burly man backstage at the Show Stage area. "C'mon, kid! What are you dallying around for! Get that moved quickly before the show starts already!"

"I-I'm sorry..." The boy apologized and picked up the show props that had fallen off the pushcart. The burly man went away clicking his tongue, and the boy bit his lip as he pushed the cart. "For crying out loud... why do I have to do this grunt work..." came Spade's voice as he talked to himself. Clad in plain overalled work clothes and his trademark crest of hair hidden with a hat, no traces of his usual intrepid self could be seen.

Why was Spade doing this? Of course, it was all for "Beyond Twilight". Spade's plan was to enter Prism Island's inner workings and sneak into the Underground Casino from there. To that end, he and Dark Eye had tried to enter Prism Island as workers, but Spade had gotten a fever during the critical interview process. Frail though he was, he was assigned to transport various items from storage. He had planned to make full use of his handsome features to investigate the park as a guide, but had instead landed a position where he would have no contact with visitors. On the other hand, Dark Eye's disguise was well-received, and they were now playing a stage part as a mysterious masked performer.

Cheers came from the stage. The hero show must have started.

"Kyokyokyo! I have arrived! This Prism Island place is quite the wonderful amusement park~!" Dark Eye's apparently well-practiced lines came from the stage.

"Well, I guess I'll look for things on my own..." Spade cautiously perused the backstage as he pushed the cart. He had memorized the park map on his first day of work as well as the emergency exits and staff passages. He already knew the shortest routes for transporting props. Thanks to that, he had time to look for the entrance to the Underground Casino. "I haven't investigated this building yet..." Spade approached a backstage shed. It was built to not stand out and wasn't on the map. Unless someone was extremely vigilant, they wouldn't even notice it. He tried to turn the knob on its only door, but his hand was stopped by a firm sensation. What's behind here...? Spade pressed his ear against the door to listen.

"Just what are you doing there~?" came a voice from his back.

Spade turned around to see a slim, pretty-looking woman atop an electric scooter. She was attractive enough to be mistaken for a model or actress. She wore a light pink suit fitted to her body with a park employee badge on her collar. The electric scooter was one specially provided for upper management to roam the park with.

"If it isn't Ms. Flamingo. I seem to have mistaken where the storeroom was." Spade answered coolly.

The beautiful woman called Flamingo said with a smile, "New boy, you've got quite the poker face... just what I like♪ But you'd be better off not being in this area." Miss Flamingo was the head of security at the park. She was also rumored to be a direct subordinate of the owner. In other words, she would know about the Underground Casino. Spade had made it one of his objectives to get close to Flamingo.

"Huh? Why would that be?" Spade played dumb, tilting his head.

"Ho ho ho. The owner's told me to strengthen security. He says notices have come from phantom thieves," Flamingo said as she glanced around.

"I see. That sounds problematic." Spade feigned ignorance, his confidence growing. There really is something inside this shed...

"Boy. I've been watching you work, and you have some promise. How about it -- would you like to work under me?" Flamingo gently smiled at Spade.

This was the chance he had waited for. If he worked under Flamingo, he would have more opportunities to approach the Underground Casino. The moment Spade was about to accept, Dark Eye's voice came from the stage. "Kyokyokyo! What are you doing!" The audience was screaming.

"...!?" Spade's eyes instantly contracted. Dark Eye's words were no act. That was the voice of someone in real trouble. Spade ran to the stage without a moment's hesitation. Flamingo shouted something behind him, but he didn't hear her words.

§ § §

"Okay, let's go in here next!"

Around the same time, Queen was at "Psycho Apartment" in the Attractions area. Located slightly further from the extravagant central plaza, it looked like an archetypal haunted house. Whether or not it was unpopular was impossible to tell, but nonetheless there was nobody around it. Passing through the eerie, decrepit, rusting indigo entrance, they found a round coaster car screeching on the rails at the end of a dim passage. The car was meant for them to ride in as they looked around. As Queen jumped into the car, a safety bar suddenly came down over her head, confining her body. Queen let out a small shriek.

"What's the matter?" came Roko's voice from inside the rectangular basket set beside her. As pets were forbidden inside the park, Roko had entered in hiding.

"Nothing."

"Queen, are you scared?"

"Wha- No! I was just a little surprised. Now let's have some fun!"

"Hey, should we really be doing this? We'd better hurry up and find the entrance to the Underground Casino..."

"Just a little is fine. The casino won't open until night anyway."

They heard a clanking sound, and the car began to move. The ride course exhibited several different settings, including a graveyard and a haunted mansion. However, possibly due to patchy maintenance, there were exposed mechanisms all over and the lighting didn't hit the right places; it was hardly a good ride.

"No wonder they have so few visitors..." Queen mused. The next moment, the car rocked with a clanking sound. The rails ahead split into two paths, and Queen's car alone slid down a separate route. "What's happening!?"

"Something's off. Be careful!" Roko jumped out of the basket and surveyed their surroundings. Queen placed her hand over the handle of her sword hidden under her skirt. The car continued down the tunneling path, when suddenly the light of the torches on either side were silently extinguished. "...!" The place went completely dark, making it impossible to tell left from right. The safety bar stiffened and the car sped up. Queen was held down in her seat, trapped. "W-What is this!"

"Ho ho ho..." came a voice from the car's speakers. It was an eerie muttering voice, indistinguishable as male or female. "Phantom Thief Queen, so good of you to come. I am Owl. I welcome you." The moment Owl spoke, the car stopped with a thud.

"Aaaaah!" Right after, Roko yelled out, his cry becoming more and more distant.

"Roko!?" Queen shouted, her hair brushing against her mouth. How...? Could it be... I'm stopped upside-down?

"Ho ho ho... how does it feel to be alone in the darkness, unable to tell up from down?" The voice issued from the speaker yet again.

"..." Queen silenced herself and concentrated on the voice. Nobody seemed to be nearby. "Where are you? Show yourself!" Queen strained her eyes desperately looking about, but her surroundings were so pitch black that she couldn't even tell what direction she was facing.

"I'm already right in front of you."

"!" The voice had come not from the speaker, but in person, close by. "Grr...!" Queen tried to take out her sword, but she was confined by the safety bar and couldn't move.

The voice came even closer. "Phantom Thief Queen, in the darkness, you quite literally cannot move..."

Right after Owl spoke, a sharp pain ran through Queen's body. In the darkness, her consciousness drifted away.

§ § §

Still in his work clothes, Spade arrived at the Show Stage and jumped onto the stage proper. "What's wrong, Dark Eye!?" he shouted.

"Master Spade...!"

At the bottom of the open-air, semicircle-shaped amphitheater was a blue concrete platform. It was a simple stage with an overhanging ceiling and speakers on either side. Several dozen scattered visitors watched from the seats.

He could tell that they had been in the middle of a hero show, but the heroes had all been defeated. Dark Eye, who had been playing the villain, was wrapped up in the middle of the stage. Standing beside Dark Eye was Shadow.

"Shadow Joker...!" Spade exclaimed in surprise.

The tip of his umbrella trained on Dark Eye, Shadow began to speak. "Heh, I knew you'd be close by if this bandage fiend was here, but... I don't need a flunky like you. Isn't Joker here yet?"

"..." Hard eyes fixed on Shadow, Spade cast off his hat and work clothes. Spade in his white coat appeared from within. A pattering of applause came from the sparse crowd. They still seemed to think that this was part of the show. Spade spoke quietly. "I do have a name. It's Spade. Can you at least remember that?"

"I don't need to. I only think of you as the pretentious guy hanging at Joker's heels."

"Aren't you the one scampering at Joker's feet?"

"What'd you say...?" Shadow raised his umbrella.

"Do you want to fight me?"

"You sure about this? This bandage fiend can't move."

"Let Dark Eye go right now!" Spade drew his gun from the holder at his hip and pointed it at Shadow.

"Ice Shot!"

"Bloody Rain!"

The two beams met, then reflected off each other. Loud cheers came from the audience. The next moment, Spade and Shadow jumped in the same direction. Spade's trademark Ice Shot was capable of condensing cold air to the max, then firing it into a beam that could chemically react with the surrounding air to instantly freeze anything. By limiting the intensity, the amount

of cold air could be changed to just enough to cool down a heat source. Ice Shot kept freezing Shadow's grounding and the walls behind him. On the other hand, Shadow's Bloody Rain kept crumbling Spade's footing, meticulously limiting where he could attack from. As the two of them dodged each other's attacks, the distance between them shortened. However, not only did both of them have precise aim, they could both predict the other's movements and kept barely evading attacks. The two of them surged with more drive than usual -- possibly because each saw the silhouette of Joker in the other. Spade and Shadow maintained their distance as they leapt, keeping eye contact between them.

"Not bad..."

"You too..."

At that moment, something rushed above their heads. "...!" They simultaneously looked up. One of the giant cages kept above the set meant to be used for the hero show was falling towards the stage. The pair scrambled out of the way.

A high-pitched voice rang out. "So you were Phantom Thief Spade, boy! Give it up!" Above the cage was Flamingo riding her electric scooter. The scooter had been customized to hover in the air with jet propulsion. Her dramatic, hero-like arrival had the audience in an uproar once again. Fitting her position as security boss, Flamingo brandished a long whip and snapped it against the ground. An electric current ran through the whip and sent a shock into the floor.

"Blast, this is obnoxious!" Shadow hissed, right before countless cages began to descend from above. "Hmph, I'm pulling out for now!" Shadow jumped to the side and ascended into the skies with his spinning umbrella. Spade was about to escape as well... before catching sight of Dark Eye, still bound and unable to move.

At this rate, Dark Eye's going to be caught in a cage... In no time at all, Spade ran up to Dark Eye.

"Kyo kyo! You can't, Spade-sama!" A cage hurtled towards them from above. Judging that both of them would be caught if nothing was done, Spade attached Balloon Gum to Dark Eye's body and pushed them away. "Spade-sama!"

"Get away, Dark Eye!" The cage sped past Dark Eye and fell over Spade. He was trapped with nowhere to go. "Ghh..."

"Ho ho ho, I've caught myself a darling boy!" Flamingo smirked on her scooter above the cage with Spade inside.

Dark Eye was rising high into the sky thanks to the Balloon Gum. "Kyo kyo, Spade-samaaaa!" Dark Eye's cry rang through the air.

"Now then, the show's over. I've captured the phantom thief!" Flamingo announced, eliciting a loud round of applause from the audience. The clapping persisted, drowning out Dark Eye's desperate yell.

§ § §

A piercing steam whistle blew as the night ferry departed the shore. Its visitors gone, Prism Island ceased to operate as a theme park, the little gaiety left soon turning to silence. Yet once the ferry went back with the evening guests aboard, a new side of Prism Island was revealed. The castle in the middle of the island was illuminated with red lights, and like a metropolis after dark, the attractions lit up with the same colors of neon lights as they were during the day. However, the phenomenal sight was only displayed to the Underground Casino's guests. Of course, as the casino shifted big money around, it was also outfitted with flawless security.

In a large room at the top floor of the castle, a roulette spun steadily. A small white ball skid around the roulette wheel, its rattle echoing off the walls.

"Owner. Both Queen and Spade have been caught," came Owl's voice from beyond a dark curtain.

"Just so..." the man referred to as 'Owner' responded as he watched the spinning roulette. He set fire to two notices with a lighter. Spade and Queen's advance notices slowly turned to ash. "Owl, has a notice arrived from Joker?"

"No."

"I see how it is... I suppose he really has no intention of coming..."

"What shall we do with the captured two?"

"Let's use them for a wager sometime. Well then... if he won't come, I'll have to make the first move..." The roulette's ball clattered into the spot marked with a 0. "Dealer takes all." The man's eyes glinted from beneath his mask.