It was June of 2018. School was coming to a close, though the sun seemed to be just coming out. Each day the thermometer read nearly ninety-five degrees Fahrenheit, an unbearable temperature for most students. This was especially true for Waffle-Dee, a resident of the small yet established Waffle Kingdom. Waffle-Dee stared blankly at his science test, sweat pouring down his circular batter body. It seemed that his eyes were unable to focus, all he could feel was the intense heat.

“Get to work you little brat!” Paulo Henriquez shrieked, bringing Waffle-Dee back to sense, “If you don’t get over fifty percent on this test you’ll have to go to juvenile!”

Paulo Henriquez had huge bulging muscles, which seemed to pulse with his rectangular jaw. It is true that Waffle-Dee wanted to do well in school, but he felt Paulo Henriquez was a little too harsh as times. Paulo Henriquez was a new teacher who transferred from Texas just this year. But before that he was across the globe fighting in the World War. Maybe the war is what made him so rough. Thinking about this, Waffle-Dee seemed to be zoning out again. Then he heard a loud beeping noise, which he immediately recognized as the voice thing.

“Yo yo yo, Waffle-Dee, you have to come down to the office my boy!” said the unmistakable voice of the school’s principal.

Waffle-Dee was saved! He immediately stood up and marched out the door. The air in the hallway was cool on his skin; refreshing compared to the stuffy classroom. Waffle-Dee took a deep breath and headed down the hall; nothing the principal had to say could be worse than the wrath of his teacher. When Waffle-Dee made it to the office, the principal beckoned for him to come in.

“Yo yo Waffle-Dee, there’s a visitor for you, just go into that room over there. Yeah that’s the one.”

When Waffle-Dee entered the room, he was surprised to see the golden hair and small hands of president Donald J. Trump. The president stared intently at Waffle-Dee as he sat in one of the comfy office chairs. Trump scrunched up his wrinkly orange face, whatever he needed to talk about was important.

Then Trump raised a hand, “I have come to tell you something very important, Waffle-Dee, yes very important indeed. It seems as if the local pyramid is on the brink of eruption. Now, if lava flows down this pyramid, it could destroy the entire kingdom! Just think about all the taxes I would be missing out on! I came to ask you to enter the pyramid and stabilize it.”

Waffle-Dee was shocked, he didn’t want to deny the president, but he also didn’t want to risk his life by entering an active pyramid.

“But why, Mr. Trump, must I enter the pyramid. Can’t you hire some of your professional military people to do this?” Waffle-Dee stuttered.

“Why, that’s a good thought!” remarked Trump, “But you see, I have sent the entire military into space to prepare for space war. North Korea recently sent a satellite into space; we need to be ready for anything. So that’s why I had the brilliant idea to use the power to deduction and pin you down as the least important person in the country. You see, nobody will care when you die. I mean, have you seen your grades? They’re totally gross.”

Waffle-Dee was taken back, did Trump really believe he is the least important being in the country? Maybe if he was successful, Trump would change his mind. Then, he might be able to visit the white house in Washington! Waffle-Dee had made up his mind.

 “I’ll do it!” he said, with a firmness in his voice.

 Two days later, it was time for Waffle-Dee to enter the pyramid. The pyramid was located just north of town, directly beside the local Taco Bell. As Waffle-Dee came closer to the pyramid, his stomach twisted tighter. He could hardly imagine what types of horrible things could be inside.

Waffle-Dee learned all about the pyramid in history class, supposedly the illuminati had built it over four hundred million centuries ago. The illuminati were a group of elites, with a singular goal to control the everyone on earth. They had crafted said pyramid with nothing but tape and popsicle sticks. However, the finished product seemed to be made of sandstone.

The last thing Waffle-Dee wanted was to meet the illuminati, so he slowed down his pace just a little. But Waffle-Dee knew he had nothing to worry about; the illuminati was destroyed hundreds of years ago by a flying cat.

When Waffle-Dee finally reached his destination, dread dropped over him, the scene was even more creepy than he imagined. All vegetation in the area ceased to live. The luscious green jungle quickly transitioned to a barren wasteland, with nothing but a tall, sturdy pyramid in the middle. Finding the entrance was no chore, the entire pyramid was solid except for a tiny inlet, requiring Waffle-Dee to go on his hands and knees.

Upon entry Waffle-Dee could see nothing except an endless dark abyss. Waffle-Dee kept on crawling through the cramped tunnel, with no real goal in mind. Though it was likely a few minutes, the journey into the pyramid felt like hours. That is until Waffle-Dee saw a light at the end of the tunnel. His heart leaped, giving him the energy to transition into a power crawl.

When he got there, Waffle-Dee noticed he was in a dimly lit room, the only light source being torches. When he squinted, he saw that the walls and floors were made of green gold, a famous material of the illuminati. The next step was to find the core of the pyramid and put out of the magma.

Waffle-Dee assumed he would have to deactivate the pyramid from the center, but he wasn’t entirely sure where that was. This meant the only way he could be successful was by sheer luck. Waffle-Dee started to browse a maze of rooms and halls. His heart stopped whenever he opened a door, only to find another empty room. The scariest part was that Waffle-Dee had no recollection of the directions he turned, making escape a daunting task.

 But then Waffle-Dee heard a faint sound, “Reeeeeeeeeeee…”

Waffle-Dee turned in the direction of the noise, thinking it could be coming from the core.

 The volume slowly built up with every step, “Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!” getting closer, and closer “REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!”

Waffle-Dee felt as if his brain was about to explode. He cupped his hands over his ears, wondering why he was running towards the strange noise. The door in front of Waffle-Dee burst open, making him fly onto his behind. Waffle-Dee saw an urban hipster with glasses, combed hair, and a thin beard. He was clad in a dark green robe which concealed his arms and legs.

The man bolted towards Waffle-Dee, a disgusting expression across his face. Waffle-Dee’s first reaction was to get up, and dash in the opposite direction. But Waffle-Dee felt his feet smash into each other, and his body rolled back on to the cold floor. The man had reached Waffle-Dee, he placed his hands around Waffle-Dee’s neck, and all went black.  

When Waffle-Dee woke up, he felt handcuffs digging into his wrists. His body felt limp, like it was dangling in the air. Waffle-Dee looked around, his arms were chained to a wall made of green gold! The room was completely empty except for a cloaked figure perched in the corner. The figure turned around, revealing his urban hipster face. Waffle-Dee knew this would be the end, there was no way he could escape his chains. The man stared into Waffle-Dee’s soul, making him feel uneasy and nauseous.

“Who is your leader?” he hissed.

Waffle-Dee knew that it wouldn’t matter what he said, the man was sure to kill him anyway. But maybe the man knew Trump, he was the president after all.

“I was sent here by President Donald J. Trump, to deactivate the pyramid before eruption.” Waffle-Dee responded.

The man scratched his head in puzzlement. Waffle-Dee wasn’t sure if he was confused about the Trump part or the eruption part.

“Eruption, but I have lurked in this pyramid for years.” The man whispered to himself.

This surprised Waffle-Dee, who could this man be? Why has he been here for so long?

“Who are you?” Waffle-Dee asked.

“My name is Mr. Cliffordio” replied the man, “I had no choice but to go into hiding after the illuminati was destroyed 500 years ago. You see, I am the very last of my kind. It has not been easy living here for so long, I have survived off nothing but rats and spiders. Rats and spiders are not very pleasant meals if I do say so myself. I thirst to see the outside world once again. Then, once I acquire the most powerful item in existence, I will have my ultimate revenge! But what does it matter to you, your time has come to an end.”

Waffle-Dee clenched his fists and shut his eyes. He could hear the low breaths of Mr. Cliffordio, likely just a foot or two away. This was truly the end. What will America think of him, he had never completed his job. Maybe he was the most worthless person in the country…

“BAMASHAMABAAMAMA!” A huge rumbling noise was coming from the floor, the pyramid was erupting!

“Noooo!” Shrieked Mr. Cliffordio, as he pulled at his hair, “So it is true, the pyramid is erupting. But I’ve been in here so long that I forgot the way out!”

This gave Waffle-Dee an idea.

Waffle-Dee spoke, “I can deactivate the volcano, that’s why I was sent here in the first place!”

Mr. Cliffordio stroked his chin in deep thought, debating his next move.

“Fine!” said Mr. Cliffordio.

Mr. Cliffordio rummaged into the pockets on his robe, pulling out a small golden key. He fed the key through a small hole on Waffle-Dee’s handcuffs, creating a satisfying click. Now free, Waffle-Dee started towards the door, Mr. Cliffordio close on his tail.

“Where is the lava?” asked Waffle-Dee.

“Down the hall and to the left.” Mr. Cliffordio replied.

 Waffle-Dee and Mr. Cliffordio glided down the green gold hall. Soon Waffle-Dee could feel heat on his left arm. He quickly turned his head to see an open door, revealing a giant pool of lava. Waffle-Dee knew that this was the right room. If he could stop the lava, it would be impossible for the pyramid to erupt! But Waffle-Dee had no resources, how could he be successful? Waffle-Dee thought, the only thing that could stop lava was water. But where could he get water? This would prove most difficult, the only thing that could make water are clouds, but clouds live in the sky. There was no sky in the pyramid, the pyramid was dark and gloomy.

“Well,” Cracked Mr. Cliffordio, “How are you gonna stop this lava, the pyramid will erupt any minute! Then, I’ll be burnt into a submarine!”

 Waffle-Dee thought about the last sentence, burnt into a submarine, that was it! Submarines lived in the water! Waffle-Dee knew if he could find a submarine, he could find water. There was no doubt a submarine would be in one of these rooms.

Waffle-Dee dove back out the door and into the hall. His shoes squeaked on the green gold as he scouted each room. Every door looked exactly the same, meaning there were no visual cues which could help him find a submarine- Waffle-Dee stopped in his tracks. One of the doors was only accessible by walking down a small flight of stairs. Waffle-Dee sprinted, slamming open the door with all his might. He was not disappointed. The room was large and dark, yet it was unlike any previous room. The walls were not made of green gold, but of stone.

This was not a room at all, it was a cave, and in this cave there was a giant striped submarine! But most importantly, the submarine was sitting in a large pool of pure water. Waffle-Dee inched towards the water, his eyes glistening. The large red stripes on the submarine were beautiful…

“What do you think you’re doing! Go stop the lava!” Mr. Cliffordio impatiently shouted from the doorway, “You do realize an erupting volcano is one of the most dangerous things on the planet, almost as dangerous as me!”

 Waffle-Dee turned and opened his mouth, “Why do you think you’re so dangerous, you said you sat in this pyramid for hundreds of years!”

But this statement only made Mr. Cliffordio stronger. A sinister aurora surrounded him, and shadows covered the whites of his eyes.

“You do not know my true power...” hissed Mr. Cliffordio.

 Waffle-Dee didn’t question this, there was something spooky about Mr. Cliffordio. Even if he deactivated the pyramid, Waffle-Dee still didn’t know how he would survive. He cupped his hands and scooped some water. The water was crystal clear, some of the purest water he had ever seen.

Waffle-Dee slowly carried the water back to the lava. When he poured it out through his fingers, the water made a low hissing noise, like a green snake. The bright red lava quickly turned to a dark shade of gray. Waffle-Dee watched as the once small gray area spread like falling dominoes throughout the entire lava pool. A smile spread across his face, he had stopped the pyramid, just like he set out to! Waffle-Dee wondered what reward the president could give him for being so successful, Trump was one the richest people alive! But Waffle-Dee felt as if he was being watched. He slowly turned around, only to see the dark figure of Mr. Cliffordio looming over him.

“Hiyaaaaa!” Screamed a loud voice.

 An orange shadow crashed through the roof, leaving a large hole. It was none other than Donald J. Trump, forty fifth president of the United States. Trump looked at Waffle-Dee, then to Mr. Cliffordio.

“Donald Trump,” Mr. Clifordio cooed, “you came to save your friend, how thoughtful.”

 Trump looked surprised but was quick to defend himself.

“If one thing’s for sure, it is that this kid isn’t my friend. I thought he would fail his job, and the pyramid could have destroyed one of my local Trump towers! A more important question is how you survived; I was certain you had perished along with the rest of the illuminati.”

 Mr. Cliffordio closed his mouth and tilted his head down. His right hand formed a fist, and he pushed it against the palm of his other hand,

“かめはめ波 !” Screamed Mr. Cliffordio with a thick Japanese accent.

Mr. Cliffordio glowed with power, and his once short dark hair became a spiky neon yellow. Donald Trump jumped into a ready position, but it was too late. Mr. Cliffordio swung his arms, creating a bright blue beam of light right in Trump’s face. Trump was flung back to the green wall like a barbie doll, where he lay lifeless. Mr. Cliffordio made it look so easy; he never even broke a sweat. Fear came over Waffle-Dee as Mr. Cliffordio turned to him.

“I have no time to waste with the likes of you!” Scoffed Mr. Cliffordio. “It is time for me to come out of hiding. Have fear my child, for the world will soon be much different.”

And with that Mr. Cliffordio flew up into the air with a blast of smoke. His sharp hair cut right through the ceiling, causing debris to plummet to the ground. Waffle-Dee ran up to Donald Trump, taking a knee on the dusty ground.

“Trump!” Waffle-Dee shook Trump’s limp body back and forth, tears rolling down his eyes.

“Hey sonny,” Trump coughed, “there is something I must tell you before I go. Mr. Cliffordio will be unstoppable if he gets his hands on the legendary power paw. The power paw is an ancient artifact left behind by aliens, the illuminati have tried to acquire it many times before. Go, go to the summit of power, 100 miles north of here. You are our only ho… BLAHGARGHLHUFF!”

Trump’s eyes went still, and his heart stopped. He was dead. Waffle-Dee tried to hold in the tears, but they were unstoppable. Waffle-Dee sniffled, then thought of Mr. Cliffordio. His hands clenched into fists.

The next day, Waffle-Dee couldn’t focus on his schoolwork once again. All he could think about was Mr. Cliffordio and the summit of power. Waffle-Dee knew that if he couldn’t stop Mr. Cliffordio the world would be doomed. But if Mr. Cliffordio could one shot Donald Trump, how would he be able to beat him? Waffle-Dee saw Paulo Henriquez approaching, and quickly pulled out his math textbook. But it was too late, Paulo Henriquez had already seen Waffle-Dee was not working.

“Hey Waffle-Dumb!” Paulo Henriquez barked.

Paulo Henriquez slammed his beefy arms onto Waffle-Dee’s desk. The last thing Waffle-Dee wanted was to have to deal with Paulo. He clamped his eyes shut and braced himself.

“I heard about what happened with Trump.” Paulo Henriquez sighed, “There is something I have to show you.”

Waffle-Dee was surprised yet delighted. He had never heard Paulo say anything that wasn’t mean before. But what would Paulo have to show him? Waffle-Dee followed closely behind Paulo as he traversed the winding halls of the school. Paulo took him past the office, and into the kindergarten hall. Waffle-Dee was very puzzled by this, to his knowledge there were only kindergarten classes in this hallway. Waffle-Dee bit his tongue to prevent himself from questioning their destination. The last thing he wanted was for Paulo Henriquez to get angry again.

Then Paulo stopped, not in front of a door, but a solid brick wall. Paulo clenched his fists and took a few steps back. Then he charged at the wall with full force, his fists shattering the brick as if it were glass. Waffle-Dee took a few steps back as well, terrified Paulo Henriquez would turn on him at any moment. After a few moments the entire wall was gone, except for dust and rubble piled on the once shiny hall floor.

Paulo Henriquez spoke, “We are here, I believe this will help you in your quest.”

Paulo waved his hand towards the room behind the brick wall. The walls and floors were made of solid steel. Paulo walked into the room, among hundreds of weapons of destruction. Waffle-Dee could see giant blue rocket launchers, glowing kryptonite, metallic laser guns, hoverboards, and many explosive weapons. But the main attraction was a giant flying saucer in the center of the room. The saucer was a shiny tinfoil texture, with red, blue, and green lights blinking across the top.

“You’re probably wondering why I want to help you,” explained Paulo Henriquez. “The truth is, me and Mr. Cliffordio have a deep history with each other. After fighting in the World War, Me and Mr. Cliffordio were teaching partners in Texas. We were basically best friends, he would teach the kids in grade 6/7, then pass them on to me in grade 8. But it wasn’t all so happy for long. Eventually, word got out that Mr. Cliffordio used to be part of the illuminati. I knew that the cops would be on him fast, I was scared I would never see him again. I thought that there was good in Mr. Cliffordio, the illuminati was in the past. I decided to confront him so we could run away together. But as it turns out, I was wrong about him. We met in a dark alleyway somewhere in the city, and I explained my plan. Mr. Cliffordio just smiled at me, and pulled out a glowing red katana...”

Paulo Henriquez pulled up the leg of his pants, revealing metal and wires. Waffle-Dee’s jaw dropped with shock.

“He sliced my leg off, and I never saw him again...”  Paulo Henriquez finished.

Paulo stared at the ground, filling the room with complete silence. This was the first time Waffle-Dee saw emotion from Paulo Henriquez. Waffle-Dee felt bad for him. This is why he was so mean. He had no trust left for anyone anymore. His whole friendship ended up being a total lie.

“What are we gonna do?” Said Waffle-Dee in an Italian accent, breaking the silence.

 Paulo Henriquez looked up to Waffle-Dee, resting his muscular hand on his shoulder.

“Trump was right. We need to make it to the summit of power and stop Mr. Cliffordio from getting the power paw.”

Waffle-Dee was not surprised by this answer. If the power paw was really as powerful as Mr. Cliffordio thought, the entire world could be destroyed.

“But Mr. Cliffordio left almost a day ago now, how could we possibly make it there before him?” Waffle-Dee asked.

Paulo Henriquez chuckled, “I daresay that won’t be a problem, take a look at this!”

Paulo pointed his beefy arm at the giant UFO, a huge grin on his face. He seemed very confident in his UFO.

Paulo Henriques elaborated, “This is the KFSeeker 8000, the fastest ship in all of America! I once used it to escape three door to door salesmen at once!”

Waffle-Dee suspected Paulo knew exactly what he was talking about. He followed Paulo’s lead and loaded the KFSeeker with all sorts of dangerous weapons and devices. Paulo Henriquez even had a katana of his own, which glowed a strong blue when unsheathed. Waffle-Dee was mesmerized by the beautiful light of the katana, dancing in the darkness of the room. Paulo said that the blue symbolized the ocean, one of his favorite places. Apparently, he used to visit the ocean frequently as a kid, and would watch the dolphins swim through the water.

Paulo explained that he was always at peace at the ocean, just watching the waves crash against the sandy shore. But with his electric leg, it was impossible for Paulo to visit the ocean anymore. If the electricity and the water collided, Paulo would be shocked to death. This was just another reason to despise Mr. Cliffordio.

“You’ll need this,” said Paulo Henriquez once they were inside the Seeker, throwing Waffle-Dee a winter coat.

Waffle-Dee sat down in one of the many chairs located on the ship, and Paulo plopped down in the pilot chair. Paulo flipped a bunch of switches, turned a bunch of dials, and punched a big red button on the wall. The ship suddenly came alive, revealing the many paintings and TVs located across the walls. Waffle-Dee assumed Paulo used his many televisions to watch the Buffalo Sabre games. Some of his classmates were spreading rumors about how Paulo once burn tried to burn down the Montreal arena out of anger, the Buffalo Sabres had lost that night.

Paulo grabbed the steering wheel, and Waffle-Dee could feel the entire ship shake. Paulo Henriquez yanked back on the wheel, and Waffle-Dee felt his body flip upside down as the KFSeeker shot straight through the roof.

“What does Mr. Cliffordio plan to do with the power paw?” Waffle-Dee asked.

They were flying through space on the KFSeeker, nearly five thousand miles per minute. The KFSeeker was so fast that it was impossible to only move one hundred miles forwards. So, Paulo Henriquez’ solution was to fly around the earth multiple times until they could successfully land at the summit.

“The illuminati’s goal was to have absolute control over the planet,” Paulo Henriquez responded. “But I do not believe Mr. Cliffordio seeks this goal any longer. Mr. Cliffordio has no attachment to this world. Once he gets the power paw, I’m certain he will use it for nothing but the destruction of the earth, if not the entire solar system.”

Waffle-Dee answered with another question, “But how does that work? I mean, what can the power paw do to destroy the planet? Does it have like a giant laser or something?”

“I don’t know,” said Paulo Henriquez. “This is just a story. The only information you need is that Mr. Cliffordio getting the power paw is very bad.”

This frightened Waffle-Dee. He remembered all the times he went to Taco Bell back on earth. If Mr. Cliffordio was successful, Waffle-Dee may never get Taco Bell ever again! He was now more determined than ever to put an end to Mr. Cliffordio’s plans.

Paulo shouted with joy, “We’re here! Well, we’re seven miles away, but it would take another four hours to line up exactly with the top. We have no time to waste!”

Waffle-Dee got up from his seat to arm himself for battle. Paulo Henriquez equipped him with a rocket launcher, laser gun, and bullet proof vest. Paulo also suggested to take a nuclear bomb, but Waffle-Dee insisted it was too heavy for him to carry everything. As for Paulo, he took nothing but a winter coat, and his shiny blue katana.

While packing, Paulo stopped with his katana halfway sheathed. His eyes were stuck to the warm blue glow of the blade. Finally, he slid the katana the rest of the way in, making a smooth metallic sound. When he walked out the door, Waffle-Dee was grateful for the winter jacket Paulo had given him, the ground was wrapped in a thick coat of snow. Waffle-Dee grasped for his hood but noticing that the snow was only coming down lightly, he decided against it.

“There it is.” Paulo Henriquez said with a pinch of fear in his voice.

Waffle-Dee knew Paulo was referring to the summit of power, which was surely at the top of the large mountain in front of them. Waffle-Dee could hardly believe that it was only seven miles to the top; this was not going to be an easy journey. Paulo started to head up the mountain and Waffle-Dee was fast to follow along. As they walked, they left behind a trail of fresh footprints. Waffle-Dee took note that there were no other footprints along the slope, save a few pawprints clearly left by wild animals. Maybe Mr. Cliffordio hadn’t made it here yet. However, if he did come there was no way he would miss the fresh tracks they were leaving behind.

Waffle-Dee’s legs ached from the steep incline. He was delighted to see that they had reached a flat area, decorated with trees, bushes, and rocks. Paulo continued onto a small path through the woods, making Waffle-Dee fill with disappointment; he was hoping for a break. Unfortunately, the forest path wasn’t much easier compared to the hill. It was true that Waffle-Dee’s legs got a break, but the many roots and bumps kept him on his toes. At one point Waffle-Dee nearly stumbled onto his face after encountering a large root hiding under the snow. When it came to keeping balance, it didn’t help that his hands were occupied with the rocket launcher.

Though the journey was tedious, Waffle-Dee still stopped to admire a deer, standing like a statue within the trees. The deer was a dark shade of brown, with a white stripe across the top of his head. Waffle-Dee was in awe, for he had never seen one in the wild, filling him with determination.

“Keep on going!” Paulo Henriquez roared from the trail ahead.

Waffle-Dee realized he wasn’t moving and continued on his way. After they got through the forest, Waffle-Dee and Paulo Henriquez found themselves close to the top.

Paulo Henriquez turned to Waffle-Dee, “This is the final stretch, we shouldn’t stop now.”

Though Waffle-Dee was tired, he agreed. The snow seemed to be picking up now, making it harder to see their destination. The snowflakes kept blowing into Waffle-Dee’s eyes, and so he decided to pull up his hood. The hood felt damp on his head, it must have been enveloped by a light coat of snow. The duo kept on walking, determined to stop Mr. Cliffordio, and save the planet from chaos and destruction.

With their vision impaired by the snow, it felt like they were travelling for days. But eventually they reached the top of the mountain. Other than snow the top was bare, save few lone bushes here and there. Though it was still falling, the snow seemed to slow as they stepped up to the peak, revealing a breathtaking view of the landscape.

To the south Waffle-Dee could see a vast forest, extending for what seemed like forever. He imagined Mr. Cliffordio lurking through the trees as he made his way to the summit.

The west was home to more mountains, with sharp peaks twinkling in the snow. When Waffle-Dee turned north, all he could see was a lone pedestal, right at the edge of the summit. The pedestal was brown, possibly due to rust. But what was this pedestal holding? The power paw!

But where was Paulo Henriquez!? Waffle-Dee turned around, searching for bulging muscles. He finally found Paulo to the east, standing at the edge of the peak. Paulo was completely still. His hand was at his belt, gripping the handle of his katana. Waffle-Dee wondered what Paulo was looking at, and so he hobbled over to the edge. Out towards the east Waffle-Dee saw the ocean. He could see the waves extend and retract from the water, a beautiful sight. Waffle-Dee thought he saw the glimmer of tears in Paulo’s eyes, though it might have been only his imagination.

“I think I found the power paw!” Waffle-Dee squeaked in attempt to break the silence.

“Then we shall take it and put an end to Mr. Cliffordio once and for all.” Paulo Henriquez spoke with thick determination in his voice.

Paulo Henriquez took full strides towards the brown pedestal, with Waffle-Dee close behind. They stopped together, staring down at the pedestal. The power paw was a vibrant red, surely made of rubies. It was coated in small yet powerful diamonds, located on the tip of each finger. Just looking at the power paw Waffle-Dee could feel its power.

Paulo Henriquez extended an arm, gripping the glove in his beefy hand. Paulo lifted the paw with ease. When he tilted the glove right side up, what seemed like a small piece of paper flew out and drifted to the ground. Waffle-Dee bent down and picked it up. To his eyes it seemed like a regular piece of paper, until he flipped it the other way around.

On the paper there was a small dog, nothing too irregular. But below the dog there was text printed in a black arial font, Cliffordio Coin 1$. Waffle-Dee’s heart seemed to stop; how could this have gotten here? Waffle-Dee turned around slowly. There he saw Mr. Cliffordio standing, a dark silhouette on the southside of the mountain. As Mr. Cliffordio stepped forwards, Waffle-Dee could see his hair was still yellow, and that he was dressed in the same robes as before.

“Well, well, well…” Mr. Cliffordio sneered, “You thought you made it here on time to stop me. When will you learn you are much too weak to defeat me. Do you really want to end up like your good friend Donald Trump?”

Paulo Henriquez was quick to respond, “We have no time for greetings Mr. Cliffordio. This is your last chance to surrender.”

Paulo Henriquez threw off his winter coat, and unsheathed his katana with a piercing clash. Mr. Cliffordio followed by tearing off his green robes and tossing them into the snow. Waffle-Dee expected Paulo to charge, but instead he lowered his muscular body to one knee, staring into Waffle-Dee’s eyes.

“Run Waffle-Dee! If I fail Mr. Cliffordio won’t think twice about killing you as well,” Paulo Henriquez whispered into Waffle-Dee’s ear.

As soon as Paulo stood up again, Waffle-Dee darted down the mountain, sliding in the thick snow. But Waffle-Dee did not have the heart to abandon Paulo. He looked back at the summit, thinking of any other options. He saw nothing except for a bush… That was it!

Waffle-Dee climbed back up through the snow. He wished he had brought gloves, for his fingers felt numb due to the extreme cold. Once Waffle-Dee had backtracked the few feet he had travelled, he sat himself neatly behind the bush. He was close enough to smell the fresh minty scent the bush produced, yet far enough away to avoid getting spotted by the others. Waffle-Dee squinted through the branches to see Paulo Henriquez standing in ready position, facing a smug Mr. Cliffordio.

Underneath his robes Mr. Cliffordio wore a blue dress shirt and navy blue dress pants.  Waffle-Dee was puzzled as to why Mr. Cliffordio would wear such attire, but dropped the thought immediately, realizing there were much more important things to focus on. Mr. Cliffordio swung his arm, unsheathing his own katana from the thick belt holding up his pants. Mr. Cliffordio’s katana glowed blood red, Waffle-Dee assumed this to symbolize death.

Mr. Cliffordio and Paulo Henriquez charged full speed at each other. Their katanas met with a large clash and a burst of purple. Paulo Henriquez took a defensive position as Mr. Cliffordio swung, creating another burst of purple smoke. Both ends demonstrated immense skill as the fight went on. It felt as if the battle would never end, each attack was always either blocked or dodged. Every time Mr. Cliffordio swung at Paulo Waffle-Dee winced in fear, only to be relieved by an astounding play. Some of the plays were so astounding that Waffle-dee couldn’t help but admire such skill; he had never seen anything quite like this.

At one point Mr. Cliffordio took a quick jab at his opponent. Paulo was quick to react, but not quick enough; the red blade skimmed the edge of Paulo Henriquez’ shoulder, creating a deep red gash, and forcing Paulo to drop his weapon into the snow. Paulo clenched his teeth together in attempt to hold back the pain. Seeing this, Mr. Cliffordio saw an opportunity for the finishing blow. Mr. Cliffordio jumped back, gripping the handle of his katana with both hands, and raising it above his head. With a flash of red, Mr. Cliffordio steered his katana towards Paulo.

Waffle-Dee felt as if time slowed down as the katana fell towards Paulo’s face. But then it stopped. Paulo Henriquez had caught the katana mid swing between his two open palms. Mr. Cliffordio fell back into the snow, now completely defenseless. Paulo seized the red katana in his thick fingers, inching towards Mr. Cliffordio. Mr. Cliffordio looked like a lost parrot covered with snow. Paulo Henriquez lifted the katana as if to swing, but directed it back into its resting place along his belt.

“I cannot hurt you.” Paulo spoke gently to Mr. Cliffordio, “Don’t you remember when we used to teach together, the good times we had?”

Mr. Cliffordio was silent, staring at Paulo through his rectangular hipster glasses.

Paulo responded for himself, “I know there is still good in you, Michelangelo. Why don’t you just give up. I’m sure we can get teaching jobs, maybe even move back to Texas…”

Paulo Henriquez extended his muscular arm towards Mr. Cliffordio, in hopes that he would accept the offer. Mr. Cliffordio was silent, but placed his small bony fingers into Paulo’s grasp. Paulo lifted Mr. Cliffordio to his feet, a small grin across his face. Mr. Cliffordio opened his arms, and the two teachers embraced each other. Mr. Cliffordio slowly moved his pale hand around Paulo’s back, grabbing the handle of the katana-

“Swish Crunch!” Went the katana, as Mr. Cliffordio maneuvered it from the sheath into the backside of Paulo Henriquez.

“You are right,” said Mr. Cliffordio, holding the katana in Paulo’s backside, “I have too fond of memories of that school in Texas. I need to kill them once and for all!”

Paulo Henriquez eyes popped from his skull. He opened his mouth as if to respond, but couldn’t find words. Mr. Cliffordio turned the katana inside Paulo Henriquez and ripped it out with another crunch. Still holding the katana, he strutted towards the brown pedestal. Mr. Cliffordio laughed a terrifying laugh, only before sliding his hand into the power paw.

It was over. Mr. Cliffordio stretched his fingers within the gauntlet, then extended the pointer finger into his left nostril. With a flash of bright light Mr. Cliffordio blasted into the air. He was home free.

 Waffle-Dee stood up and sprinted towards Paulo Henriquez. He could hear Paulo breathing heavily. Waffle-Dee dropped his weapons into a snowbank, and instead picked up Paulo’s katana, glowing a dark blue against the bright snow.

“I’m sorry…” Paulo gasped, “I should have finished him off when I had the chance…”

Waffle-Dee had no reason to forgive Paulo, it’s not like it mattered now that Mr. Cliffordio had the power paw. Waffle-Dee propped the bulky, muscular body of Paulo Henriquez onto his shoulders. His eyes focused on the large hole in his back, and pool of red left behind in the snow. Waffle-Dee turned east and headed down the mountain.

They glided down the slope through the thick snow, filling Waffle-Dee’s boots. The snow was cold, yet somehow Waffle-Dee already felt cold, making it neutral to his skin. When they reached the bottom, Waffle-Dee looked out at the vast ocean. The waves splashing against the snowing shore put Waffle-Dee at ease as he lay Paulo Henriquez on the ground. Paulo Henriquez slowed his breaths back down to a normal pace. Together they sat, watching waves fly across the water. Paulo Henriquez seized and unsheathed his glowing katana, holding it in front of him with shaky fingers.

“The ocean is just as I remember it…” Paulo croaked.

Paulo closed his eyes and went still. Waffle-Dee watched as the blue faded from the katana, leaving the blade a dull grey. Then Waffle-Dee felt cold, even colder than before. Puzzled, Waffle-Dee turned his head to the sky. The spot where the sun once lay was occupied by nothing but thin air. The entire earth was completely dark.

This must have been Mr. Cliffordio’s plan, to destroy the sun. Without the sun the entire solar system would perish. Mr. Cliffordio had won.

The End