Chapter Three: Geppetto

Pinocchio's rampage continued on and on, the violent deaths he caused fueling him. He continually moved south, unapologetically murdering his fill in every village he came across. When his route had become obvious the people fled their towns before Pinocchio could get there, heading to the west or east. Many, however, did not leave for various reasons: age, disbelief in the story of the living puppet, a loved one that stayed, or the hope that Pinocchio would not come through their town. Most would end up dead.

It was a hard shock for Geppetto when he heard what was happening, but Jiminy's terrified insistences finally convinced him. When Geppetto came to accept the hard truth he realized quickly the secret behind Pinocchio's path through the land: he was coming home. He was coming to kill Geppetto.

But Geppetto wouldn't flee- he wanted a chance to convince Pinocchio to stop what he was doing.

"Fine then! Fine then!" Jiminy shouted angrily. He stood on a table. "I thought you understood how serious this is, but you clearly don't. He chopped up his chum without any remorse!"

"I don't care." Geppetto said in his wheedling voice. He petted Figaro, who was trembling after hearing Jiminy's news. "He's my little boy. My little wooden head. I will talk to him."

"But even if you do…" Jiminy slapped his forehead. "He's killed so many…would it be right to…?"

A small sound of bubbly sorrow came from behind Jiminy. It was Cleo the goldfish.

"Alright then. We should at least consult the Blue Fairy on this." Jiminy decided. "I'm not sure how to get her here, though…"

"I'm already here." The Blue Fairy emerged from a layer of shadows created by the outcrop of a wall. Her dress was a darker blue than usual, and her generally gentle, cheerful face now held its own shadow.

"Oh! Ah…Blue Fairy!" Jiminy bowed. The Blue Fairy did not smile at all.

"So…it has come to this. The Red Fairy has gained another pawn…in the very puppet I brought to life." Her lip curved downwards slightly as she spoke.

"My Pinocchio…what has happened to him?" Geppetto kneeled in front of the Blue Fairy.

"As I said…" A flash of irritation sparked the Blue Fairy's voice. "He has become a pawn of the Red Fairy. She has imbued him with unholy magic, increasing his speed and strength. He now wields an axe and murders innocents across the land, in turn increasing the will of the Red Fairy. …He is without hope."

"No!" Geppetto gasped. "No…there must…"

"Who is this Red Fairy?" Jiminy asked. "She's the one behind this?"

"The Red Fairy is untouchable. Do not even begin to dwell on it." The Blue Fairy sighed. "She is a force of nature like I am, only able to strongly affect this world through proxies that she gains, also as I do. Nothing can harm her just as nothing can harm myself…we fight an eternal war."

"Uh huh…I don't follow. But essentially, you're sayin'…Pinocchio's just going to continue killing people? You can't do anything?" Jiminy said accusatorily. The Blue Fairy glared at him and he fell down.

"My direct powers are limited. You should know that- I used the last of my power for this moon on rescuing you from the puppet master." The Blue Fairy approached Jiminy and he began to scoot back just as Lampwick had from Pinocchio. She pointed at him. "I am not the one to be blamed here. That would be you: Pinocchio's conscience."

"What…but I?!" Jiminy gaped.

"You have failed utterly as a conscience…the boy you were meant to protect has become a genocidal maniac." The Blue Fairy waved her wand. "It is over for you."

"No! Wait!" Jiminy yelled. He threw his hands up.

The Blue Fairy pointed her wand at Jiminy. There was a sharp cracking sound and he seemed to instantly dissolve into the air.

"As for you…" The Blue Fairy turned her wand towards Geppetto. He flinched wildly. "I would suggest you flee this place. The bug was correct: Pinocchio is coming here to kill you and your animals. The Red Fairy had told him that once he finished you that he would no longer be bound by any strings- his ties to the material world would be cut, and he would gain further power as a real boy. He believes these words with all of his petty heart."

Geppetto shook his head in shock and despair.

"I will return to this world in a month, at which time I may be able to put an end to this madness. Until then, however, I cannot bear to stay here and witness the coming death." The Blue Fairy began to float towards an open window. "Escape and hide…this will all end…eventually."

The Blue Fairy turned into a speck of light and floated away. As she left darkness settled over the house, and a stifling silence blanketed all. Figaro and Cleo looked to see how Geppetto was reacting, but he was making no moves at all. Eventually, after a couple of moments, his face hardened and he stood up.

"No…I won't…I won't run." Geppetto turned away from his pets. "I won't let Pinocchio kill any more in order to find me…I'll end what I created myself…it's the only way."

A week passed. Despite Geppetto's bold exclamations it seemed that he made absolutely no preparations for his confrontation with Pinocchio. Figaro waited and watched, but the only things that Geppetto ever returned home with were foods. There were no weapons of any kind- unless, perhaps, a frozen chunk of meat could be used with blunt force…but even still, it would be absolutely useless against Pinocchio.

One night there came a knocking at the front door. Geppetto took a quick peek through a window and saw that it was Pinocchio- finally here to kill his father. Geppetto grabbed Figaro and ran into a small closet underneath the stairs. He hunched up, shushing Figaro who was angrily struggling, since Cleo had been left behind in her fishbowl.

Ten seconds passed before the door was smashed open. Pinocchio walked into the house, swinging the axe by his side, and looking around the old home he hadn't been at in nearly a month. Geppetto watched Pinocchio closely through a small hole in the door, and Figaro struggled to peer out as well.

"Papa?" Pinocchio looked around the house, his wooden head swiveling while the rest of his body stayed still. "Where are you, Father? I'm finally home."

Geppetto held his breath.

"I want to tell you all the things I've done…" Pinocchio tugged a little at his new fox-fur cape. "All the things I've accomplished…" Pinocchio walked further into the house, and ultimately out of Geppetto's sight.

There was a small gasp and then a terrified bubbling sound.

"Cleo! It's you!" Pinocchio exclaimed. Geppetto listened as Pinocchio's footsteps became quieter and quieter, approaching poor, trapped Cleo in the fishbowl.

Geppetto tensed his body.

"I've missed you…" Pinocchio stuck his hand into the fishbowl, reaching for Cleo so as to crush her. Geppetto heard the sound of the water splashing, and he reached into his pocket. This was it.

"Sorry Figaro…but I couldn't risk getting close to him." Geppetto lit the match, dropped it onto Figaro, and pushed the door open. Figaro's fur burst into flames and he shrieked, blasting out of the closet and towards the closest source of water in the house- the fishbowl. Pinocchio turned around just as Figaro leaped at him, colliding with him and the fishbowl which fell onto the floor and shattered.

The water splashed onto the floor as well as Cleo. She flopped about and struggled to breathe the starchy air. Pinocchio ignited almost immediately, dropping his axe and becoming a screaming form of flame. Figaro fell against Geppetto's crafting table and lighting it on fire. His and Pinocchio's screams began to combine into a horrifying duet.

Geppetto wandered out of the closet, slowly stumbling over to Pinocchio. His wooden son, once gentle and pure, was now a terrible but also beautiful vision of red wood.

Geppetto held out his arms in the manner of an inviting hug, and Pinocchio rushed towards him. Geppetto grabbed and held tightly, standing bold as Pinocchio screamed right into his ear and the flames consumed him whole.

The entire cottage was on fire and Geppetto could hardly feel it- the sheer despair of losing his house, his pets, of killing his son, and the intense pain of a fiery death. No, Geppetto could only feel himself drifting away- drifting away into the cold sky with the cleansing smoke.

The End