Commander Video was tired. Not the "I need a nap" kind of tired, but the kind of exhaustion that comes from being a two-dimensional icon sprinting through a multi-dimensional world for eternity.
"I’m looking for the rhythm," Commander Video beeped, his subtitles flickering.
Commander Video didn't need a second prompt. He started to run.
He tumbled through a kaleidoscopic tunnel of sound, landing face-first in a land of vibrant, high-definition curves. This wasn't his usual blocky neighborhood. He was in the , and for the first time, he felt... bouncy.
"Who goes there?" a voice boomed. Out of a giant, sentient mushroom stepped . He wasn't attacking; he was wearing a tuxedo and holding a baton.
"The rhythm is broken, lad," Merman sighed, gesturing to the horizon where the Nefarious Unknighted was draining the "Future Legend" energy to power a giant, joyless metronome. "The world is becoming static. If the beat stops, we all freeze."
As he sped through , his feet hit the ground in perfect sync with the bassline. Sliding under jagged crystals and leaping over Whiz-Bangs, he felt the world wake up. Every time he kicked a "Yield" sign, a chime echoed through the valley, turning the gray grass back to neon green.