Somewhere Over the Rainbow

by KholdstareV

The next Paper Mario epic! Follow Mario and his friends from TTYD as they embark on a journey to the land of the Gods to revive an ancient, guardian magic. Intrigue seeps in as a conspiracy concerning this magic's true power begins to surface...

2. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

- Victims on a Cruise -

Verdugo hopped on his bunk and stretched. "Aw man, this is AWESOME! We're on the Elation! And we all got a room away from those crazy girls! Just us men, hangin' out, doin' manly things..."
"Yeah, manly things..." Koops said, letting out a belch.
"Excuse me moment, gents, but I have to use the lavatory," Bobbery announced, walking into the small bathroom.

"So, Verdugo..." Koops said, sprawling onto his bunk. "Did Mario ever explain why he named you 'Verdugo'?"
"Yeah. He said he wanted to give me a Hispanic name cuz he said Gonzales, his Glitz Pit fighter name, is Hispanic, too. He also said the word 'verdugo' has two meanings - one being 'tree branch' like my green coloring, and the other being 'executioner', which is an awesome fighter name! Plus, it sounds cool! 'Verdugo'..." he repeated, admiring the sound of the name. "So, you got a baby at home or something?"
Koops smiled to himself. "Yup. Got an egg that's gonna hatch in a few months..."
"So... I don't get it... how exactly does a girl Koopa lay an egg? Did you have anything to do with it at all?"
Koops chuckled. "Hehehe... yeah, believe me. I played a BIG part in that..."
"What did you do? What??"

At that moment, an explosion boomed from within the bathroom! The door flew open, and out of a thick cloud of smoke walked Bobbery, laughing. "Ha HA! Those enchiladas..."
Koops grimaced. "That's just wrong..."
Verdugo began rolling on the bed laughing.

---

"Oh girls, it's just fabulous to be traveling with you all again!" Ms Mowz exclaimed, throwing her bag beside her bunk and hopping on.
"I know, it's pretty unbelievable, isn't it?" Goombella said.
Flurrie piled her several suitcases next to her bed. "Indeed, it is. Oh, and is Mario just about as handsome as he ever was? What a prize! Too bad he's all crazy about his Princess Peach..."
"Oh, I know!" Ms Mowz said. "I don't want to think bad thoughts, but if Peach could just somehow leave the

picture..."
"Yeah!" Goombella cried. "Let's sabotage!"
Vivian sat down on a little plastic stool. "Oh, c'mon. Mario's happy with Peach. You should just accept it."
Goombella rolled her eyes. "Oh, Vivian. We were just joking! Besides, you canNOT tell me you don't have feeling for Mario. It was like, SO obvious when we were on out last adventure!"
Vivian had actually thought about Mario a lot since they last traveled, and she realized that she didn't actually love him as she thought she did. She figured that since he was the first person who ever treated her nicely, she mistook the happiness that blossomed within her for love. Of course, she did love Mario - as a person, and as a friend - but true love was something she had yet to find. And with her newfound confidence, she believed she was certainly ready for it...

Vivian then realized that Goombella was still waiting for a response. "Umm... of course. I do love Mario."
"Then do you want to help us boot out Peach?" Flurrie said playfully.
"No thanks. It's nice to see Mario is happy with Peach."
"Yeah, I guess it is..." Goombella thought. "Besides, those frat boys back at the University - Omigosh! Hottest guys EVER!"
"Hmmhmm..." Ms Mowz giggled, remembering her own college days. "So Flurrie, how's the showbiz?"
"Oh, wonderful!" Flurrie exclaimed. "The play 'Paper Mario' has become the highest-engrossing play in the past 50 years! I'm actually quite surprised that little ragamuffin Doopliss didn't stay on tour..."

"Doopliss...?" Vivian asked, remembering the last time she'd saw him the day before.
"Yes, remember him? I actually kind of respected him. Very energetic actor, he was! But one day, he just ran off, saying something about how life on stage was just empty without his true love..."
"True love?" Goombella asked. "Doopliss is in love? Aww! That is so CUTE!"
"I know," Ms Mowz said. "Who'd have thought that little nobody was actually capable of loving?"
"I wonder who the unlucky lady is!" Vivian said with a smirk.
All the girls laughed playfully.

---

Mario and Peach had put all their stuff away and were relaxing in their adjacent bunks.

"Isn't this lovely, Mario?" Peach asked from her bed. "Two days on a luxury cruise, just you and me in sharing a room..."

When she didn't hear Mario respond, she glanced over and saw him reading a magazine. "Mario? What's that you're reading?"
Mario looked up at her. "Oh, this? It's a magazine about video game visuals. Geez, these 3-D graphics are pretty amazing."
"What, like 3-D houses and trees?"
"No, like... 3-D characters."
3-D characters a concept Peach associated with much. "Hmm... well, we wouldn't expect to see many 3-D 'characters' in a world like ours, huh?"
"Nope, definitely not. That's why it's all just so interesting! I sort of wonder what it would be like to have a full 3-D body, like my counterpart from Super Mario 64! Wouldn't that be cool?"
"Yeah, I suppose... but don't hope too much, Mario."
"Don't worry," Mario assured her, but he soon found himself looking upon the pictures in the magazine with a certain envy. He forced himself to close it and drop it on the ground. "So, what were you saying?"
"I was saying how nice it was to be sharing a room with you..."
"Oh, right." Mario said. "Say, wanna come sit over here in my bed?"
"Love to," Peach said flirtatiously, walking over.

---

Several hours had passed. Everyone had all eaten dinner together - Salisbury Shroom with Birdo Egg's Benedict - and had a great time. During the voyage, they all pretty much did their own thing. They would lounge on the deck, sit in the hot tub, watch the ocean... Verdugo and Koops especially had fun in the video arcade, and Mario found himself stopping by the ice cream machine several times. The girls generally hung out in the bar and casino, though Goombella had taken an hour to watch the talent/comedy show, featuring a Toad that blew up balloons with his ass o0.

By about midnight, everyone had finally settled down and returned to their rooms. All except Mario, who was just finishing up his last-minute snack/buffet for the night. And Vivian, who was relaxing on the lower rear deck, watching the boat's wake widen across the water and disappear into the black horizon.

---

The rear of the ship had an upper and lower deck. Doopliss stood alone on the upper deck, leaning against the railing and looking over. Normally, people stood on the upper deck to get a view of the wake that the boat left on the ocean's surface. But Doopliss wasn't looking out at the ocean. She was staring down upon the lower deck, at the lone girl staring out at the ocean. And as he did, his heart melted in his chest...

"Oh Vivian..." he whispered to himself. "If only I could have a second chance..."
Looking at her from behind, he admired her beautiful pink hair blowing in the wind. Damn, everything about her was just so perfect!!
He observed the way she just stared out at the disappearing ocean. Even from behind, she almost looked sad...
And it made Doopliss feel sad as well.

"Why? Why did we have to meet that way? All because I found that goddamn Crystal Star... Jesus, that thing messed with my head. Turned me into a fuggin' beast! Didn't even notice a perfect girl when she was right in front of me..."

Indeed, when Doopliss first saw Vivian alongside Mario, she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, and he immediately fell for her. However, fear of having his Crystal Star taken away overcome that feeling, and like an idiot, he had tried to kill her.
After that, he joined the Shadow Sirens because he thought maybe he'd get a chance to see Vivian again, even if the attention he got was negative. Plus, shortly after joining, Beldam told him that the Shadow Queen might be able to use some magic spell to bring Doopliss and Vivian together. This was motivation enough for him to agree to help. Then, when he had witnessed the Shadow Queen's awakening, his hopes were unbelievably high that he just might get his heart's desire... and then Mario and Vivian defeat her 10 minutes after she was freed!
After that, Doopliss had simply become a wreck. When Vivian moved to Twilight Town afterwards, he spent the next several months trying every chance he could to talk to Vivian. He would often surprise her and make her angry just to get her attention. He finally got the idea of becoming the Shadow Sirens' housekeeper, just to be near her, but when he learned she was leaving for another adventure the next day, he followed her. He gathered up all the money he'd earned while performing the play "Paper Mario" and bought himself an Elation boarding pass. And now, there he was...

At that moment, Vivian began to turn her head slightly. Was she turning around? Oh snap! Doopliss quickly jumped back and ducked down on the ground to avoid being seen. After several seconds, he finally stood up again, and peeked down. She hadn't even turned around, and was still just looking out at the ocean.
Doopliss then became angry with himself.

"Why did I even bother to board this damn boat? To just look at her?! And get all flipped out if she looks at me?! I can do that at home!! What the hell's my purpose here if all I'm gonna do is look? I'm just prolonging the inevitable..."

Doopliss continued to just stand there, happy to be able to see the girl he loved, yet so sad knowing that looking was the most he'd ever be able to do...

But then, something entered his mind. An idea...
He was a Duplighost! He could change his entire physical appearance, could he not?
What if... he could change his appearance to look like the handsomest guy in the world? Yeah! He'd be able to talk to her then!
It was a perfect idea! In fact, he kicked himself wondering why he'd never thought of it before...
But that day would come tomorrow. For now, he was content just standing on the upper deck and staring down at his dream girl...

---

Mario was just finishing up his midnight snack/buffet when he spotted Vivian. He decided to join her and maybe have a little chat.

Mario walked out of the restaurant and up to Vivian. "Hey!" he called to her.

Vivian turned around and smiled gently. "Oh, hi Mario!"
Mario took a spot next to her and stared out at the black horizon. "You doin' alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks..."
"It's kinda late to be just standin' out here, don't you think?"
"It's kinda late to be passing through the buffet line, too!" she said with a laugh.
Mario laughed too, but then became rather serious. "Hey, Vivian? Can I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
Mario looked down as though he was afraid his question would upset Vivian a lot, but he finally sighed and said it. "Yeah, it's just that, I couldn't help notice some... similarities between you and... The Shadow Queen..."
Just that name made Vivian feel nervous, but she figured Mario had a good reason to wonder about that. "Yeah? What about her?"
"Well, I was just wondering... Were you actually...?
Vivian could tell Mario knew what he wanted to ask, but wasn't sure how to put it, so she answered for him...
"Yes, Mario. We're both Shadow Sirens. And yes... for a long time, I'd been involved in the plan for her rebirth. I was her subject... basically, her slave."
"So, no family relation?" Mario asked in a comical tone.
But Vivian didn't take it as a joke. "No... I never knew my parents. I don't even know about the reproductive process of Shadow Sirens... but one things for sure - If I do have a mom, it's not the Shadow Queen."
"Oh..." Mario said. "...Were you alive when the Shadow Queen was first sealed 1,000 years ago?"
"I was very young when that happened, but yes, I was alive. Don't remember much, though. I'm just talking based on what Beldam's told me..."
"Oh..." Mario thought. He was silent for a while, but spoke again a little later. "Ya know, I kinda dig the older chicks!"
Vivian laughed and shoved Mario playfully. "Oh c'mon! I'm not THAT old..."
"Hmm, so your still basically in your Shadow Siren teenage years, eh?"
"Yeah... but to be honest, my childhood wasn't much fun. From the time I was little, Beldam began raising me with ideas of raising the Shadow Queen. That's pretty much the only thing I was taught all my life."
"But... if that's true, why did you end up joining me to fight against the Shadow Queen?"
Vivian smiled and turned to him. "...Because you're the nicest person in the world."

Mario smiled. "Thanks." He then looked at her apologetically. "Listen, sorry if I upset you by asking about that..."
"That's OK." Vivian said. "The Shadow Queen's dead now, and I'm finally free to live however I want..." she sighed and looked back out at the ocean. "She's gone, and she's never coming back..."
Mario nodded, then stretched his arms and yawned. "Well, I'm gonna turn in. You?"
"Pretty soon, but not yet."
"OK," Mario said, patting Vivian on the shoulder. "Take care, alright? See you tomorrow morning."
"You too. Good night, Mario!"

Mario turned around and began to walk towards the staircase leading to the sublevels where his room was. As he walked, he caught sight of something white suddenly slip from view on the deck above. Thinking it was just his tired mind playing tricks, he promptly disregarded it and continued walking...

---

The next day started out great, with one big exception - Vivian had woken up feeling mysteriously ill and decided to stay in bed for a while longer. She insisted that everyone not worry about her and go have fun, a promise which they all heavy-heartedly kept. They first enjoyed a buffet breakfast to begin the day. The group only seemed to get together to eat though, for once everyone finished their plate, they'd wave good-bye and go off to enjoy themselves. There was just so much to do on that one ship, it was ridiculous!

Mario was in the arcade, busy playing House of the Dead with Verdugo, when Peach suddenly came running. "Mario!" she cried. "Come quick! You HAVE to see this!"
"Hang on Peach. We're tryin' to kill this stupid bat d00d... Oh crap! Verdugo, SHOOT THAT BAT!!"
"I'm tryin'! There's too many! Oh my God, they're gonna KILL ME!!"
Peach rolled her eyes. "Mario, I'm sure little Verdugo here can take care of this bat monster by himself."
"Are you KIDDING me??" Verdugo protested. "I can barely survive even with Mario helping me! Mario, shoot the body! SHOOT THE BODY!!"
"Yeah," Mario told Peach. "I should stay, cuz if I leave now, Verdugo'll get pretty upset..."
"Hmm..." Peach said. "I guess that's true, seeing as Verdugo SUCKS at this game!"
Verdugo looked up at her. "Whaddja say??"
"I said you SUCK!"
"Oh, I'll show you, you crazy bitch... Gimme that, Mario!" He snatched Mario's gun out of his hands and proceeded to shoot like crazy with both guns. "That worked," Peach said. "C'mon Mario!"
"Ugghh... OK." Mario said. "Good luck with that, little man!"
"Yeah, sure..." Verdugo answered back. As Mario left, he could see Verdugo was losing badly.

Peach led Mario back to the sublevels and into their room.
"What is it you wanted to show me?" Mario asked.
"This," Peach said, motioning towards an old piece of paper on the desk. "Come take a look."
Mario walked over and looked at the paper. He recognized it immediately. "Hey, isn't this that map that Toadsworth found in the castle storeroom at the end of the game?"
Peach looked at him curiously. "What game?"
"Never mind..." Mario said.
"Well, anyway, yes. This is that map. I don't remember packing it in my suitcase before we came, but I just found it in there earlier today. I figure maybe we can look at it while we have it."
"But Peach, we've looked at it already! We've tried to find where it leads, but nothing on the map is labeled. All it shows is a bunch of random, unnamed landmasses and an 'X' on one of them. Didn't we give up the search already? Nothing on the map is clear at all..."
"Nothing on the map was clear," Peach said quietly, "But look at THAT..."

Mario leaned in closer and looked at the spot where Peach pointed.
The landmass where the 'X' was drawn now had a name. In neat cursive writing was the word Morteva.
"Oh wow..." Mario said. "The treasure is actually on Morteva? The place this boat is headed right now??"
"Yup." Peach said. "And that's not all. Check this out..."
Peach turned the Map over, and written on the back was a poem that Mario knew hadn't been there before. He read it aloud to himself...

Protector of the Sky
Grounded by the eye
Of the ever-growing beast
Which the light is its feast...

Born from dark hearts
We seize the Gods' arts
We live to see die
The Protector of the Sky...

"Hmm..." Mario thought to himself. "That sure is an... interesting poem."
"I know." Peach said. "Creepy, isn't it? I wonder who wrote it..."
"I kinda wonder what exactly is the 'Protector of the Sky', too..."
"And who does the 'we' refer to?"
"I dunno, but whoever they are, they really have a problem with this 'Protector of the Sky'..."

An idea came to Peach just then. "Say, Mario? Don't you think it's a really odd coincidence that all this has appeared on the map at the same time we're actually going to the place where the map points to?"
"Yeah, I was thinking about that. Of course, we wouldn't even be here right now if Vivian hadn't gotten us on the boat in the first place..."
Peach then grew nervous. "Mario... I'm kind of worried. This all seems too coincidental. Do you think Vivian is trying to... lure us into trouble?"
Mario was offended that Peach would even think that. "Of course not! Vivian's our friend. She'd never do that! Besides, she got those boarding passes in a letter from an anonymous person. They said they'd meet us when we docked at Morteva."
"OK." said Peach. "Maybe that guy has some answers... but still, I'm worried."
Mario didn't say anything, but he was secretly a little worried, too. He took the Map and began to read The Poem over again. He tried to memorize it, for he could tell its words were hiding a message that would become crucial to know later on...

---

Goombella and Bobbery were lounging around by the pool. Goombella was working on her tan, and Bobbery was just kicking his feet in the water. Goombella took off her sunglasses for a minute to reach for her bottle of lotion when she saw the hottest human guy she'd ever seen walking towards her (What he looks like is up to you to decide!). Stunned, she immediately laid back down and pretended she didn't see him.
"Hey," she heard the guy say.
"Huh?" Goombella said, acting surprised. "Are you talking to me?"
"Yeah," the guy said. "Listen, can ask you somethin'?"
"What is it?"
"You, umm... you're friends with Vivian, right?"
Goombella suddenly felt extremely disappointed. This guy obviously just wanted to talk to Vivian. But hey, she was delighted to help hook Vivian up with this guy! Or rather, she would have been delighted...
"You wanna know where she is?"
"Yeah..." he replied.
"I'm sorry, but she woke up totally sick this morning. She looked really bad, so she's still in bed, I'm sure."
"Oh..." the guy moaned. "Umm... well, that's cool. I mean, cuz... I'm training to be a doctor... yeah, that's right. I can, err... take care of her."
"Awww, that's so sweet! She'd LOVE that! OK then, she's in Room 666. You can use my key to get in. It's right there on my towel."
"Alright. Thanks a lot!" He picked the key up. "You know, you're pretty cute for a Goomba."
She could feel her face turning red. "Heehee! Thanks. I'm Goombella."
"Nice," he said. "I'm Atlan."
"Wow, cool name!" Goombella said shyly.
He laughed ."Well, thanks again, Goombella. Later!" He then began walking towards the sublevel staircase.

Once he was gone, Goombella sighed and daydreamed. Wow, Vivian was a pretty lucky girl to have a guy like THAT taking care of her!
Bobbery had been listening the whole time, and when Atlan was gone, he immediately began laughing. "Aye, girls your age are so funny! All it takes is a fine-looking young man to make you totally senseless! Hahaha!!"
Goombella looked at him, annoyed. However, she knew that what he'd said was totally true.

---

Flurrie and Ms Mowz were walking along the pool deck together. Ms Mowz was eating a vanilla ice cream cone, and Flurrie was eating a piece of lettuce.
Ms Mowz scorned. "Honestly, Flurrie! You're on vacation! Why not let yourself go a little bit? Have some ice cream, or chocolate, or pie or something!"
"Ugh," Flurrie said, munching her lettuce. "Just hearing those words makes me feel fat. Besides, I've already lost so much weight, it'd be a shame to have it all just come back again!"
"Well for goodness sake, how can someone made of paper be fat? Can't you just turn a little sideways to look thinner?"
"No, because when I turn, I may look thinner to some people, but I'm still large to others! It's paper optics, Ms Mowz."
"Oh, whatever. I'm just saying, you should at least take the opportunity to eat a few delicious junky things while you can. Unlike poor Vivian... I don't think she'll be able to eat for a while - she almost gagged this morning. Poor girl is so sick..."
"I know, it's terrible. Sick on a cruise ship. Talk about cruel fate... Is it motion sickness perhaps?"
"I don't think so. I mean, I'm no nurse by any means, but it seemed FAR worse than just that."
"Well, I do hope she gets better. Maybe I should have one ice cream cone, for Vivian's sake!"

However, Ms Mowz wasn't listening. "Oh, Flurrie! Look over there! Look at that boy Goombella is talking to!"
Flurrie looked over and saw an extremely handsome young man talking to Goombella as she lay by the poolside. "Oh, wow. Goombella's got herself a winner there!"
They watched from afar as Goombella motioned towards something on her towel. The guy picked it up, said a few more things, then began to walk towards the sublevel staircase.
"Did she just give him her room key??" Ms Mowz asked in disbelief.
"I believe so!" Flurrie said. "But Goombella knows Vivian is sick in there! Didn't she tell him?"
"I don't see why Goombella would forget..."
Flurrie got a sly look on her face. "Wanna follow him?"
Ms Mowz giggled. "My goodness, you're talking like a high school girl!"
"Aren't we all at heart?"
"Hmm... I suppose. Let's go!"

Staying a good distance away, they followed the guy down the stairs to the lower levels and outside the door to Room 666. They peeked around the hallway corner and watched as he clumsily tried to open the door with the key.
"Hmm... that is one fine specimen of a man! He gives me butterflies!" Flurrie said.
Ms Mowz nodded with a smile. "Who do you think is more handsome - this boy or Mario?"
"Hmm... well, I'd say this boy, just because he's younger and has a great body. Though... in terms of age, I'd have to go with Mario."
"My thoughts exactly. But you know, even older women like us still like to look at those hunky young boys once in a while!"
They both chuckled amongst themselves.

At that moment, the guy finally got the key in right and opened the door. Once he slipped through, Ms Mowz and Flurrie ran up to the door just as it closed. "Hello... you're Vivian, right...?",was the last thing they heard before it shut.
"So, the boy just wanted to talk to Vivian after all, hm?" Ms Mowz practically whispered.
"I suppose. I have to admit, though, that Vivian has got to be just the cutest thing I've ever seen. Oh, I don't think even I was ever that beautiful..."
"Mmmm... isn't it strange? Vivian is so much prettier than us, yet she's probably a couple hundred years older!"
"Oh, I KNOW! Isn't that just the weirdest thing?"

Flurrie happened to look down and saw something on the floor. "Oh, what's this now?" She reached down and picked it up. It looked like a magazine clipping. "Oh," she told herself. "It's just part of an article on Merluvlee's cleavage..."
Ms Mowz was looking at the back of it. "Wait, Flurrie! Look at the other side!" She took the clipping out of Flurrie's hand, turned it around and handed it back to her. On the other side was the picture of the same man they had been following minutes before. He was in a very manly pose.
"Well, this is strange. Isn't this that man we just saw?"
"I think so... do you think he's perhaps some sort of famous model that happens to be on the same boat as us?"
"Maybe. But even so, a man that carries a magazine snippet of himself is just SO low class!"
"Yes I know! Though... could he have been carrying that around for another reason?"
"Like what?"
"Err... I don't know. Just thinking irrationally. But still, he's been in there alone with Vivian for about 5 minutes now. What do you think they're doing in there?"
"I'm not sure, but whatever it is, I'll bet Vivian's feeling better already, being alone in a room with a boy like him!"

Just then, they heard the sound of a door opening. They turned around and saw the door to Room 667 open. Peach, who was holding a piece of paper, and Mario walked out. They were both surprised to see Flurrie and Ms Mowz standing in the hallway.
"Flurrie? Ms Mowz? What are you two doing here?" Mario asked.
"Just chillin'," Ms Mowz said coolly.
Peach glanced at the paper in her hand. "Well, is Vivian feeling OK? We really need to ask her something..."
"No," Flurrie said glumly. "She's still very sick as far as we know, but some gorgeous stud just went in there a few minutes ago and the two haven't come out since!"
"Oh, really? Well if she has a guest, it might not be a good time..." Mario said.
"Oh, it's nothing!" Peach argued. "The guy's probably just a doctor! He won't mind if we go in and talk to her." She then turned to Flurrie and Ms Mowz. "Do either of you have your key to the room?"
"I have mine," Ms Mowz said. "But I don't know if you want to disturb them right now. Part of me thinks he's no doctor..."
"Yeah. He's a model, see?" Flurrie showed Peach and Mario the magazine clipping.
"What about Merluvlee's cleavage?" Mario asked, confused.
"Oh, whoops!" Flurrie giggled, turning the paper around.
"Oh, wow... he's hot!" Peach exclaimed. Mario kind of looked away when she said that.
"So, you still wanna just barge in there and talk to her?" Ms Mowz asked. "I personally think they should have some privacy."
"Hmm... I'm not sure what to do," Flurrie wondered.

Mario, Peach, Flurrie and Ms Mowz all stood outside Room 666, wondering if it'd be better to just walk in or simply listen from behind the door.
"Let's just listen," Mario said. "I do think Vivian and that guy deserve their privacy..."
"If they deserve their privacy, why do you want to listen?" Peach asked slyly.
"Uh... errr... You know what I mean!" Mario blurted.
"Oh, I agree! let's just listen a wee bit," Flurrie insisted. "I don't want to disturb the two, but I just HAVE to nourish my curiosity!"
"Yeah," Ms Mowz said. "Besides, we'll get a chance to see if the guy's single!"
Peach, Flurrie, and Ms Mowz all bunched up near the door and listened. Mario hesitated a bit, then finally joined them. All four listened to the muffled voices from beyond the door...

Atlan sat himself in the plastic stool beside Vivian's bed. Vivian lay there, with one hand on her stomach and one on her forehead. Her face was a darker shade of purple than normal, and her cheeks were no longer rosy as they once were. However, she'd been able to smile faintly, seeing as she now had the aid - and loving company - of Atlan.
"How you feelin', Viv?"
"Not a whole lot better than when you asked me 2 minutes ago!" she laughed.
He laughed too. "Hey, I'm just a little worried, that's all. Now, uhh... open your mouth. I wanna take your temperature."
Vivian opened her mouth. Atlan took a thermometer from his pocket and put it under her tongue. He waited a few seconds and then pulled it out. It almost seemed like he had a bit of difficulty reading it, but he finally announced, "Umm... 201.4 degrees."
"WHAT??" Vivian exclaimed. "My fever's THAT high?? I should be dead right now!!"
"Huh?! Oh, wait!..." Atlan said, fumbling with the thermometer. "For a second I thought the red part meant something different. Let's see, umm... 98.6 degrees."
"Oh, OK..." Vivian sighed, relieved.
"Sorry, I did say I'm only training to be a doctor."
"Right, that's OK," Vivian said, smiling a bit.

Atlan stuck the thermometer in his pocket and folded his hands. "Well, you're temperature's normal... right?"
"Yeah," Vivian said.
"But you say your head and body hurt?"

"Yeah..."
"Can you describe this pain you feel everywhere?"
"Well," Vivian began, "It almost feels like... something's living inside of me. Like... something within me that's the same size as me... I know, that's a really weird description, but that's actually almost exactly what it feels like..."
"No, not weird at all. Very descriptive," Atlan said, writing something on his notepad. He then reached into his other pocket and pulled out a stethoscope. "OK, now I'm gonna measure your heartbeat."
"My... heartbeat?" Vivian asked.
"Of course." But Atlan then looked a bit unsure. "Uhh... that IS what this thing is for, right?"
When he saw Vivian staring at him like he was stupid, he then began to laugh, as though at his own joke. Vivian, reassured, laughed too.
"Alright, now let me just listen here..."
"No, wait. Atlan, I really don't think you should-"

But Atlan had already pressed the end of the stethoscope on Vivian's chest. He waited for several seconds, almost a minute, but he heard nothing.
"Ummm..." he wondered. "I'm pretty sure I'm pressing on the right spot..."
"I think you are," Vivian said lowly.
He pressed harder, moving the scope around slowly, but still hearing nothing.
"Well," he said with a chortle, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you didn't have a heart!"
Vivian pulled her hat down a little. "...I don't."
Atlan looked at her, confused. "...But, how can you not have a heart? All living things have hearts, as far as I know."
"I'm not a natural living thing," she said. "I'm a Shadow Siren. Shadow Sirens don't have hearts..."

Atlan could tell she was feeling a bit glum, so he put his stethoscope away. He then put his hand on her forehead. "Vivian, you're gonna be OK. It's just, uhh... good old-fashioned sea sickness. Just drink some water, eat some healthy food, and, umm... if you have to gag, do it over the side of the boat!"
Vivian giggled. "Hmhmm... thank you, Atlan. You've been really nice."
"Hey, glad to help," he said. He then moved his hand from Vivian's forehead and rested it on her hand. "You know, you're... really pretty."
She turned her head towards him, and her sick frown became a weak smile. "Really?"
"Yeah... You gettin' off at Morteva?"
"Mmmm... yes..."
Alan could tell she was very tired. "Let's meet up when we get there. You'll be all better by then!" He then took his hand and slipped it under her curl of hair. "C'mon beautiful, let me see those eyes..."
He used his fingers to gently move her hair aside, and when he did, he lost his heart at once.
He found himself staring into the most beautiful bluish-purple eyes he'd ever seen. The way they sparkled... it was almost hypnotic. He could've leaned in and kissed her right there...

Vivian could see that Atlan was beginning to succumb to the seducing effects of her eyes. She hated to do it, but she quickly brought her hand up and covered her eyes up again. Atlan appeared to snap out of a trance after that. "Oh! Uh... s-sorry."
"It's OK," Vivian said. "Listen, you'd better go. I really need to sleep."
"Yeah, get lots of sleep..."
"Alright. Thank you Atlan."
"No problem, Viv." He then got up to leave. "Get better, OK? See you later, dollface."
"OK, good-bye..."

---

Flurrie, Ms Mowz, Peach, and Mario had been listening beyond the door for several minutes now.

"Vivian, you're gonna be OK. It's just, uhh... good old-fashioned sea sickness. Just drink some water, umm... eat some healthy food, and... if you have to gag, do it over the side of the boat!"

"Hmhmm... thank you, Atlan..."

"Hmm..." Ms Mowz thought. "This 'Atlan' fellow... I guess he really IS a doctor after all."
"But then why would he be in a magazine snippet like this?" Flurrie asked aloud, looking at the picture in her hand.
"Who cares!" Ms Mowz said. "That means he's available!"
Mario just shook his head. "Well, you figured out what you wanted, right? So, I think we ought to just leave 'em alone now."
"No, wait!" Peach said. "Quick, come listen!"

"You know, you're... really pretty."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You gettin' off at Morteva?"
"Mmmm... yes..."
"Let's meet up when we get there. You'll be all better by then!"

"Oooooooooo!!" Flurrie and Ms Mowz exclaimed simultaneously.
"Looks like Vivian got herself a helluva date!" Peach said with a laugh.
"It's too bad that the two are sort of digging one another," Ms Mowz said, "But still... could you not be happier for our little Vivian?"
But Mario was getting a wee bit annoyed. "That's wonderful, but really, her relationships are her own business."
"Oh, Mario!" Flurrie said. "Let us be curious!" She and the other two girls stuck their ears by the door again, but Mario just chose to stand by.

"It's OK. Listen, you'd better go. I really need to sleep."
"Yeah, get lots of sleep..."
"Alright. Thank you Atlan."
"No problem Viv. Get better, OK? See you later, dollface."
"OK, good-bye..."

"Uh-oh..." That was the only thing Peach managed to say before the room door suddenly swung open. Atlan was daydreaming so much that he'd pretty much closed the door before he realized Flurrie, Ms Mowz, Peach and Mario all standing around him, staring curiously. He suddenly stiffened, as though he had just done something horribly wrong. It was a very awkward moment indeed.

Flurrie then handed him the magazine clipping. "Umm... excuse me sir, but I think you dropped this."
Atlan looked at it and suddenly became very wide-eyed. He snatched it and stuffed it in his pocket. "Thank you Flur-, uh, umm... ma'am!" He then quickly squeezed between Ms Mowz and Peach and walked hurriedly down the hall.
As Atlan passed Mario, he gave him a very strange look. It appeared to Mario that Atlan recognized him... like from a bad memory or something. It made Mario very uneasy. Before he could say anything, though, Atlan was gone.

"Well, he was a pretty timid fellow..." Ms Mowz said.
"You think we should go in and talk to Vivian?" Flurrie asked.
"No!" Mario said assertively. "We've already eavesdropped and totally freaked out her, umm... friend! If you all wanna go in and bother her about it, go ahead. I'm leaving. I still gotta finish that game of House of the Dead..."
And with that, Mario was off.
"Well, I still have some VERY important things to ask Vivian. In private," Peach said, clutching the paper in her hands.
"OK, well go on in and ask her, dear!" Flurrie said.
"And do mention that Atlan boy for us, OK?" Ms Mowz exclaimed. And with that, the two were down the hall and gone.
Peach hesitantly opened the door to Room 666. She saw Vivian in her bed, still looking absolutely dreadful. Was it really just sea sickness as Atlan had diagnosed? She sure hoped so...

She walked into the room slowly and sat down on the stool next to Vivian's bed. Vivian looked as though she was trying to sleep, but could only get her eyes closed. She would occasionally groan and hold her stomach like something was eating her insides. God, she looked terrible. It was almost heartbreaking to see the usually happy-go-lucky Vivian so sick and depressed. Peach almost considered not bothering her and just leaving her alone...
No, she would only be a minute. She had to ask Vivian about the Map.

"Vivian?" Peach asked silently.
"Ugghhmmm... Atlan?" she asked.
"No, it's me. Peach."
"Peach?" Vivian turned her head towards her. "Oh... hi Peach." She tried her best to smile.
"Hi Vivian. How are you?"
Vivian sighed. "...Not good."
"Oh... Well, I hope you get better soon..." Peach knew she couldn't just continue this small talk, so she immediately got to the point. "Vivian, I have to ask you something..."
"Hmm? What is it?"
Peach took out the Map, unraveled it, then lay it flat on the bed. Vivian struggled to sit up so she could take a look.
"Umm... it's a map." Vivian said quietly.
"Yeah. Toadsworth and I found this map in the castle storeroom, but when we found it, all it showed was a bunch of unnamed landmasses, with an X on one of them..."
"Mmhmm..." Vivian moaned, nodding.
"But now, the landmass where the X is now labeled Morteva."
"Oh," Vivian said, intrigued, but still confused.
"And not only that, but this poem just appeared on the back too..." She turned the Map over so Vivian could read The Poem. When Vivian saw the words, she brought her hand up to her forehead and plopped back down. "Oh... Peach, the letters all just look like blurs to me..."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'll read it to you." Knowing that Vivian's illness probably made her intolerable of high volume, she recited The Poem in a low, quiet voice...

"Protector of the Sky,
Grounded by the eye
Of the ever-growing beast
Which the light is its feast...
Born from dark hearts,
We seize the gods' arts,
We live to see die
The Protector of the Sky..."

Vivian nodded with each line Peach read. When Peach was finished, Vivian began to think really hard.
"...Strange poem, isn't it?" Peach asked.

Vivian then turned her head. "Peach... what does any of this have to do with me?"
Peach could sense some impatience in her voice. "I'm sorry, it's just, well... it seems like such a strange coincidence that these words would appear on the map while were actually taking a boat to the place that the map points to..."
"Yeah..." Vivian grumbled.
"So... I was wondering if it had anything to do with the letter and the boarding passes you got in the mail. You say you received them from an anonymous person... do you have any idea who?"
"No."
"That seems kind of suspicious, doesn't it? I mean... you claim you have no idea who sent this letter to you, and you invite everyone onto this cruise ship, then these messages appear, and..."
Vivian then sat up, angry. "Are you implying that I'm deceiving all of you? That I'm trying to lead you all into trouble or something?!"
"No, not at all! I was just curious..."

"Peach, just go. I'm really sick, I'm really tired, and I'm really over this whole map thing. I'll admit, this is all a really weird, but... I know nothing about it and I have nothing to do with it! Now just leave me alone! Please!!"
"Vivian, really. I hate to bother you, but if you could just-"
"GET THE HELL OUT!!"

Vivian's anger made Peach's heart swell with guilt and fear. She was so surprised that she quickly nodded, snatched the Map, and hurried out of the room without another word.
Once Peach was gone, Vivian groaned and plopped back down again, shedding a tear before forcing herself to try and sleep. Indeed, the Map's symbols were very mysterious, and The Poem was even stranger still. In the end, though, the last thing she thought about before dozing off was Atlan...

Doopliss ran into his room, smiling from ear to ear. "W00t!! OMG it worked!" He happily jumped on his bed and sighed. "I KNEW this was a brilliant idea!"
Doopliss held up the picture of the male model that he had found in a magazine in the ship's lobby. Knowing it was the perfect plan to talk to Vivian, he had ripped it out and used all his Duplighost-ness to take the guy's shape. He then snuck into the infirmary and stole a thermometer and a stethoscope, because he thought the whole "training to be a doctor" story would help snag Vivian's respect much faster. Then, when he found out that Vivian was actually sick in her room... OH BABY! The time he spent in there taking care of Vivian had been the greatest moment of his sad life!

Oh yeah, it really had been. His little doctor charade didn't go over so well, but still... he had rubbed her hair, touched her hand, spoken to her so gently... Damn, it was nice! And those eyes... Jesus, when he saw those eyes, he knew his life was headed in a better direction from then on. They were that magical, really. Honestly, could things have been more PERFECT!?

"Looks like things are finally looking up for old Doopliss...!"

However, while the event had been absolutely beautiful on the outside, deep down, it really made him very sad. Seeing Vivian so sick... How could he have told her it was just sea sickness?? For God's sake, she looked like she was dying! Seeing her that way just made his heart break...

There was also something way deep down that didn't really surface. Vivian only saw Atlan... but she would never know it was Doopliss. Was it really the same? Could Doopliss really say that Vivian was falling for him? Doopliss? Or just Atlan...
Doopliss thought about this for a second, but it never really bothered him. At the time, he was still delighted that he'd finally talked to her in a friendly way, even if Vivian didn't know it was him...

---

The rest of the night went smoothly. Everyone ate their dinner of Cheep-Cheep Caviar and Shroom Brulee (without Vivian, of course) and spent the rest of the night mostly chillin' by the pool and just doing their own thing. The next day, they would arrive at Morteva.
And their adventure would truly begin...

At about 11 o'clock that night, everyone happened to meet up at the bar and began to just sit about and talk.
"So, what'd everyone do today?" Mario asked.
"Well," Koops said. "Bobbery, Verdugo and I had a contest to see who could lean over the side of the boat most without chickening out."
"Agh, you chaps had an advantage there!" Bobbery complained. "You have arms to help keep your balance!"
"Who won?" Goombella wondered.
"Verdugo," Koops and Bobbery announced simultaneously.
Verdugo held his head up, proud. "I fell off two times!"

Goombella then smiled. "Well... I don't think the boys would be too interested to hear about this, but... girls, I met the HOTTEST guy today!"
Flurrie and Ms Mowz looked at one another and giggled. "You mean that 'Atlan' boy?"
Goombella's eyes went wide. "What? How'd you guys know??"
"We met him too!" Flurrie said. "Ms Mowz, Peach, Mario and I! He's a doctor and went to take care of Vivian."
"I know, that lucky bitch!" Ms Mowz laughed playfully. "I ought to pretend I'm sick tomorrow morning so I can get him to take care of ME! I do hope he would before we have to dock tomorrow..."
"What happened between Vivian and Atlan?" Goombella asked, extremely curious.
"I think they arranged for a date when we get off at Morteva!" Flurrie cried.
"Omigosh! Seriously?? She is SOOO lucky!"
"Well, you know what? Good for her," Ms Mowz said. "She's a good girl. She deserves a good man like him. Speaking of which, I do hope she feels better by tomorrow..."
"Yeah, me too." Everyone said simultaneously.

Everyone held up their glasses of wine (milk for Verdugo) and gave a toast. "To Vivian," Mario said. "We wouldn't all be here right now if not for her."
"To Vivian..." they all said. They tinked their glasses together and drank.

By midnight, everyone was about to get ready for bed. They all stood outside their three rooms, ready to say goodnight.
"You know what?" Goombella said. "I don't wanna disturb Vivian. Girls, why don't we just get some spare blankets from the maid and sleep on the floor of the guys' room?" Everyone agreed it was a good idea.

Koops happened to be standing near the door to the Room 666 when he heard noises coming from beyond. "Umm... guys? I think I hear something going on in there. Maybe Vivian's not asleep?"
"I wouldn't risk it," Peach said. "Even if she isn't... she was feeling REALLY grouchy earlier today."

"Well," Mario said. "I don't wanna wake her if she's asleep, but if she is awake..." He held up a glass of wine that he had been holding. "I think maybe some light alcohol will do her some good."
"OK," Peach said. "She might be awake, but who wants to go in and give it to her?"

Verdugo walked up to Mario and reached up for the glass. "I can give it to her!"
"Umm... aren't you a little young to be handling alcohol?" Mario asked.
"No! I'm not gonna DRINK it!" he protested.
"Well, OK... but Vivian's probably still a little cranky, so try not to bother her too much, alright?"
"OK! It's not that big a deal!" he said. He took the glass in his hand. "I'll be careful. I promise."
"Alright." Mario stretched his arms and yawned. "Well, I'm ready to hit the sack."
"Me too," Peach said. "Let's go to bed Mario. Good night everybody!" The two then walked into Room 667 and closed the door.

"So, you ladies are sleeping in our room, then?" Bobbery asked.
Goombella, Flurrie, and Ms Mowz all nodded, too tired and buzzed to respond.
"That's cool," said Koops. "I think we actually have some spare blankets in the closet, so no need to ask the maid." He then turned to Verdugo, who was still holding the drink. "You gonna join us when you give that to Vivian?"

"Yup!" he said enthusiastically.
"Alright then," Goombella said. She handed Verdugo her room key. "Don't knock. Just go in. If she's asleep, you can just leave the wine by her bed. If she's awake, well... I'm sure she won't mind if you just give it to her."

Verdugo accepted the key. "Alright, cool."

Koops then used his key to open the door to Room 668 and walked in. Everyone followed behind, and once they were all in, the door slammed shut. Verdugo was left standing in the hallway alone, with the glass of wine in his hands. He looked down at the liquid in the glass. "I wonder what this stuff tastes like...?" he wondered to himself. He slowly and steadily lowered his long tongue into the wine, and the second he got some on his tongue, he brought it quickly up into his mouth. Upon swallowing it, he nearly gagged. "YEEEECH! Oggghhh... Geez, how do the grown-ups drink this stuff!? It tastes like medicine... mixed with crap!" He wisely decided not to try any more after that.

Verdugo walked over to the door to Room 666 and listened. Indeed, someone was moving around in there. Vivian really wasn't asleep after all! He took out the key and was ready to insert it into the lock, when suddenly, every light in the hallway, one by one, went out. He was left in the dark, and although he was ashamed to admit it, he was still just a baby, and was kind of scared of the dark.
"But that's OK," he told himself. "Vivian's real nice. She'll make me feel better and tell me there's nothing to be afraid of!..."

Verdugo inserted the key into the lock, turned it, and heard the latch unlock. He then reached up for the doorknob. However, as he did, his vision suddenly became blurry. He felt really light-headed and almost toppled over. "What the he-? What's up with me tonight, man??" He shook his head several times, let his tongue hang out, and stood still trying to take deep breaths. After several minutes, he finally felt fine again. Not 100, but good enough. "Whoa... that was freaky..." he said. He took one more disgusted look at the wine in his hands before reaching for the doorknob once again.

Verdugo opened the door slowly and carefully until it was all the way open. The room was very dark, and his eyes were still in the process of adjusting to the darkness. However, he could still hear that sound. It sounded like a faint breeze, accompanied by... whispers? Sure sounded like it. The noise was beginning to make him feel nervous, so he called out quietly, "Vivian...?"

Verdugo took a few steps into the room, holding the glass in both hands. He was shaking pretty badly, and it seemed like the incessant sounds were echoing louder as if in response to his growing anxiety. "Vivian?" he called out again.
When his eyes finally began to adjust, he saw something moving in the middle of the room. Scared, he closed his eyes and opened them again. Whatever it was, it looked like something large and wavy...
Verdugo blinked several times, closed his eyes tightly for a few seconds, and opened them again. That did the trick. He could now see a bit more clearly in the dark ahead of him...

Vivian was standing in the middle of the room, her back facing him. She stood with her arms limp at her sides. And her hair... her hair was flitting about, like some unfelt gale was blowing them about in slow motion. It almost seemed witchlike. Verdugo wasn't sure whether to be happy to see her or fucking freaked out. He held up the glass in his shaking hand, and said in a voice barely above a whisper, "Vivian? I have something for you..."
When Vivian didn't answer, he took another step closer. He then realized that Vivian was staring into a mirror. Curious, he slowly leaned his body over sideways so that maybe he could catch her reflection in the mirror. Seeing past her freakishly waving hair, Vivian's face slowly came into view.

Her mouth was twitched into a sharp-toothed grin and her eyes glowed red like bloody fire.
Her eyes then shifted, as though she saw Verdugo's reflection in the mirror.
When Verdugo saw that, his eyes grew wide with fright and he screamed. Vivian whirled around and hissed wickedly at him, her demon eyes piercing his very soul.
She then opened her mouth so wide it was like a snake unhinging its jaw...
And from her throat escaped a devilish face, shrouded in black mist, heading straight for him!

Verdugo totally lost it. He dropped the wine glass from his hands, screamed and ran out the door. He didn't hear the glass land on the ground, but that was the least of his concerns. He ran over to the door of Room 668, running in such panic he nearly crashed into it. He widely pounded his tiny fists on the door. "Help! Help me! Open up!! Hurry!! OPEN UP!!"
The breezy whispering sound suddenly escaped into the hallway and shrieked louder than ever. Verdugo turned his head and saw the horrible face, riding a stream of black mist, coming through Vivian's door and into the hallway. It turned and began to advance towards him, screeching like a banshee.
Verdugo began to cry and pounded on the door like a total madman. "OPEN THE DOOR OPEN THE DOOR OPEN THE DOOR!!" he cried at the top of his lungs.

Finally, the door opened slowly from within. He used his paper-ness to squeeze through the second the opening was large enough, and proceeded to run into the room crying and screaming. He ran past Koops, who had opened the door for him, and accidentally tripped over Ms Mowz, who was sleeping on the floor. He tumbled several feet, then began rolling on the ground, covering his eyes, screaming uncontrollably.

"Verdugo? What the hell happened?!" Everyone ran up and gathered around, trying to calm the crying baby Yoshi down, but he was utterly inconsolable. "NO! NOOO! Don't kill me! Don't let it KILL ME!!" His tears were soaking the carpet, and his wild kicking was keeping everyone that tried to help him at bay.
Koops finally went in close and gave Verdugo a fresh slap on the face.
"Holy crap! IT SLAPPED ME!!"
"What are you talking about, Verdugo? It's just me!"

Verdugo suddenly calmed down and opened his teary eyes. "K-Koops?" he asked, surprised. He looked around and saw Bobbery, Flurrie, Ms Mowz and Goombella all standing around him, looking extremely confused and concerned. "Wha-wha... where'd it go?"
Flurrie opened her arms. "It's OK, Verdugo darling," she said softly. "It's just us. We're here for you."
He promptly leapt up into her arms. She embraced him and cradled him softly as he continued to sob. "It was horrible!" he cried. "H-horrible..."

Mario and Peach then came running in, woken up by all the noise. "What the heck's going on in here?" Mario asked.

He then saw Verdugo crying in Flurrie's arms, and right away, he knew something wasn't right. Verdugo never cried, and NO ONE would want Flurrie to hug 'em like that! "Verdugo, what happened?! Are you OK?!"
Verdugo was blubbering too much to speak properly... "M-m... m-m... m-monster!" was the only word he managed to blurt out.
"Where??" Peach asked. "In Vivian's room?"
As Verdugo's crying began to soften, he nodded slowly. Mario ran into the hallway and saw the door to Vivian's room was open. Walking quickly, yet alert, he stopped right outside the door and flattened himself against the wall. He then quickly jumped in front of the door and looked in.
He saw nothing.
Examining a bit further, Mario found Vivian sound asleep in her bed.

What could Verdugo possibly have seen? Vivian was just asleep, and he certainly didn't see anything else in the room that could've looked like a monster. In fact, Mario looked at the plastic stool near Vivian's bed, and on top of it was the wine glass that Verdugo had volunteered to leave for her.
It was empty.

Mario became suspicious. Judging by the scene, the only explanation could be that Vivian had been awake, Verdugo gave the wine her, she drank it, then she feel asleep. And about this supposed 'monster'... Verdugo definitely didn't seem like he was lying. But what other explanation could there be?
Unless Verdugo took a sip of the wine himself...

Mario walked back into the room. Verdugo had settled down now, but he was still badly shaking and everyone was around him trying to console him. When Mario reentered, Verdugo looked up at him as though asking if Mario saw the monster.

Mario thought about whether to ask Verdugo about the monster he'd seen, or if he'd drank any of the wine. He knew that this was a question of trust - Verdugo had promised not to drink any, but was he really that trustworthy? He was just a baby, after all. But then again, what if he kept his promise, and really had seen a monster? Mario wasn't sure what to think at first, but he eventually decided to give Verdugo the benefit of the doubt. "Alright... Verdugo, are you OK enough to tell us what you saw?"
Verdugo was still breathing heavily, but he looked a little better. He nodded his head. "Yeah..."

Everyone sat silently as Verdugo described the scene he'd seen in Vivian's room. "Well, I used Goombella's key to get into the room, and it was really dark in there, so I couldn't see a thing... but then, I saw Vivian standing there..."
Mario was about to object, for he'd seen Vivian sound asleep in her bed when he checked just a minute before, but he restrained himself and let Verdugo continue.
"...I called to her, but she didn't say anything. Her hair was flying around all weird, like she it was underwater or something. So anyway, I saw she was looking in a mirror, so I leaned over to see her reflection, right? And when I do, I see her eyes are all red and she's got sharp teeth like a vampire! Then she turns around, opens her mouth, and this freaky face comes out of her throat and starts chasing me! I ran the hell outta there and banged on the door, but the face followed me! Then Koops opened the door and I ran in. That's what happened..."

When Verdugo was finished, everyone in the room began to whisper and talk amongst themselves. The room was filled with feelings of fear.

"Vivian tried to kill you?" Goombella asked.
"Is she alright?" Bobbery wondered.
"Are you saying Vivian was the monster? Or the face that came out of her throat?" Flurrie inquired.

Everyone was throwing questions at Verdugo left and right, and trying to keep up answering them was just making him nervous again.

"QUIET!" Mario ordered. Everyone immediately did so. Mario walked up to Verdugo and knelt down beside him. "Verdugo, I have just one question... What did you do with the wine when Vivian attacked you?"

Verdugo tried to remember. "I... I dropped it. Yeah. When the scary face came after me, I dropped it and got my ass outta there."
"But Verdugo, I just went in there, and I saw Vivian sound asleep in her bed... and ON TOP of that, I saw the wine glass sitting on the stool by her bed... empty."
Verdugo looked up at him, confused. "What? But, that can't be true! You're lying! You don't believe me! ...Wait, wait! I remember when I dropped the glass, I didn't hear it land! Maybe Vivian caught it or something and drank it and..."

As Verdugo rambled, Mario smelled a hint of alcohol in his breath. "Verdugo, did you drink the wine?"
"...Uh, yeah. I had a little. It tasted like crap! How can you guys LIKE that stuff!? Anyway, maybe she caught it and-"
"Verdugo... I told you not to drink any of the wine! You're too young for it!"
"What?! I am not!"
"Yes you are! It can have a VERY hard effect on someone as young as you. It can even make you see things."
"...S-see things?"
"Yeah, weird things. Maybe even... a monster."

Verdugo looked up at Mario in wonder. "...You think maybe there was no monster? That I just saw it cuz I drank some of the wine?"
"I'm sure of it."

Verdugo sighed a sigh of relief. "Whew! That makes me feel better..."
Mario stood up. "Well good. I'm glad we cleared that up. OK then, I think we all need some sleep. Tomorrow's the big day!"
Everyone agreed and began to get ready for bed. Mario and Peach said goodnight to everyone and walked to their room. In room 668, where everyone else slept, they all said goodnight and turned the lights off.

But Verdugo still lay in his bed, looking up at the ceiling. Maybe the monstrous Vivian he'd seen really had been a hallucination? But still, it didn't make sense. What he SAW maybe wasn't real, but what he DID was. He really dropped the wine, and he didn't hear it land, and Mario claimed he'd seen the glass empty next to Vivian's bed. It just didn't add up...
However, before he went mad thinking about it, he fell asleep.

Mario and Peach were walking to their room when Mario took a long hard look at the door to Room 666, where Vivian slept. It was still open.
"Oh Mario..." Peach said. "It's OK. Verdugo just had a little drink and saw something that scared him, that's all."
"Probably," Mario said. "But something's still not right. he said he dropped the glass... How could it end up empty on Vivian's stool? Maybe Verdugo's screaming woke her up, she saw the wine glass on the ground, picked it up, put it on the stool, and went back to bed? I really don't know..."
"So what are you gonna do then? Peach asked.
Without answering her, Mario carefully walked into Vivian's room. Staying as close to the door as possible, he looked over at Vivian in her bed. She was still sleeping soundly.

But that's not what Mario went in there to see, or rather, to look for. He got on his knees and examined the carpet. He felt all around on the ground with his hands, being sure not to miss a single square inch. He was looking for a stain. A wine stain. If he found one, his hypothesis could prove to be at least possible.

However, he found none.
If Verdugo had really dropped the wine, but there was no stain on the ground... what could have happened? Could Vivian really have caught it in mid-air, drank it, and went to bed? But she'd have been awake when Verdugo went into the room, right? Doing what? Attacking him...?

Mario was baffled and worried. He didn't want to, nay, couldn't believe Vivian would EVER attack Verdugo, or anyone for that matter. But the whole issue was just so odd...
He took one last look at Vivian, making sure she was sound asleep, before leaving and closing the door behind him...

BING BONG! BING BONG!

Attention Elation passengers! Hope you enjoyed your trip! Our next destination is lovely Morteva! We will be docking in precisely 1 hour. Weather forecast predicts sunny and clear skies all day long with an average temperature of 85 degrees. Good day and enjoy the rest of your vacation with the Elation cruise line!

BING BONG! BING BONG!

The gentle sound of the bell woke Vivian up, She listened to the announcement, and she became filled with anticipation - they were going to be docking in one hour! She quickly jumped up and floated towards the table where her hat was. She picked it up, put it on, and began to reach for her key.

It was at that moment, she realized - She wasn't sick anymore. She felt great, actually! Talk about lucky! In fact, no longer worried about her health, she began to think of Atlan. He promised to see her when they got off the boat... She hoped he would. Humming merrily to herself, she grabbed her key and her boarding pass and began to head out the door. On the way, she spotted an empty wine glass on a stool near her bed.
What was that? She hadn't left her room at all yesterday after coming back from breakfast, and she certainly didn't remember drinking any alcohol... maybe the gang had left her some? Well THAT was thoughtful! But still, she didn't remember drinking anything...
"I must have just forgotten. I was so out of it yesterday..." she told herself. Without a second thought, she floated out the door. Once in the hall, she headed to the door of Room 667 where Mario and Peach were and knocked. No one answered, but she heard voices from beyond the door.

"What do you think it could mean?"
"I don't know. It's all so strange, and the incident last night just makes it all so much weirder..."
"Hang on, I think someone just knocked on the door."
"Who do you think it is?"
"The maid, maybe?"
"Yeah probably... umm... WE'RE BUSY RIGHT NOW! COME BACK LATER, PLEASE!"

Vivian wondered what they were talking about, but she decided to leave them alone for the time being. She instead floated over to Room 668's door and knocked. It turned out it was already unlocked, though. She could hear all of her friends talking on the other side, so she figured she'd join them. She opened up the door and walked in.
The second she did, all conversation in the room suddenly stopped.

"Hi everybody!" she said happily.
Everyone was silent for a while until Bobbery finally spoke up. "Err... why, hello Vivian. You feeling better today?"
"Oh, yes! Much better! I woke up feeling fine!"
"Well... that's nice to hear."
Everyone was still looking at Vivian, not looking particularly happy to see her. In fact, she sensed some fear in all their glares.
Vivian wanted to change the subject, though. "Umm... so, who left me the wine yesterday?"

Verdugo, who was sitting in his bed, raised his hand. "I did," he said.
Vivian floated over to give him a hug. "Thank you Verdugo! That was really nice of you!"
But when she got in close, he suddenly backed away.
Vivian knew now that something was out of place here. "Umm... is something wrong?" she asked.
Everyone looked at one another, not saying a word. Vivian was starting to feel hurt, and even a little scared. Why was everyone so afraid that she was there? Had she done something wrong?
Koops at last broke the silence. "Sorry Vivian, we're just a little spaced out this morning. Plus, we're all just really excited that we're docking at Morteva in about an hour! Ain't that right, guys?"
"Oh... yeah!" Everyone said.
Vivian the room one more suspicious sweep. "Well, OK. I'm gonna go get some breakfast. Anyone wanna join me?"
"No, that's OK..."
"I ate already..."
"I have gas..."
"Oh, alright then," Vivian muttered. "See you when we dock!" She quickly floated out of the room and closed the door behind her.

A few seconds later, there was a knock at the door. Ms Mowz got up to answer it. It was Mario.
"Hey Mario!" they all said.
"Hey everyone. Listen, I just saw Vivian going down the hall. Was she just in here?"
"Yeah," everyone said.
"How was she feeling?"
"She certainly looked a fair amount better than she did yesterday," Flurrie answered.
"Oh, that's good. Well, I know I told you all about the whole wine stain thing earlier this morning, bu maybe I shouldn't have. I really don't believe Vivian did anything last night..."
"Easy for you to say!" Verdugo protested. "I was hoping maybe what I saw really was just a hallucination from the wine, but after hearing that, I don't think so anymore! I really think Vivian's onto us!"
"Hey now, don't jump to conclusions, sweetie!" Ms Mowz told him harshly. "Being somewhat of a spy myself, I say we observe her a little while longer, acting like we would normally. If she doesn't seem to be up to something, we can assume that we've merely been mistaking up to this point."
"And if she does...?" Goombella asked.
"Depends on her intentions. If she really is plotting against us, then we must surprise her and do to her exactly what she plans to do to us. An eye for an eye... see what I mean?"
"Well, if didn't know better," Verdugo said, "I'd say last night, she tried to kill me..."
Ms Mowz looked down. "Very well. If we find any proof of betrayal on Vivian's part... we may have to do her in."
No one liked the idea of that. It was just such an abrupt statement on Ms Mowz's part. However, they couldn't do any more or less than reluctantly nod in agreement.

"So..." Mario asked, "Should I go follow her and see what she's doing?"
"No," Ms Mowz said. "Let her do her own thing for a while. We mustn't appear too observant of her actions. She'll grow suspicious, whether or not she's on the side of evil."
"But what kinds of things should we look out for, hmm?" Bobbery wondered.
"Well, it's hard to say at this point, but... there is one sure-fire way to know if an ally is truly an enemy in disguise..."
"What?" everyone asked.
"...If you see them condoning with or having any sort of relation with an enemy from the past, then you KNOW they are not on your side..."
"So..." Koops asked, "If we see Vivian talking with a bad guy that we've met before, then we know she's bad?"
"Precisely. Let's just observe, keep out eyes open, and hope we see nothing like that..."

---

Vivian floated gleefully towards the Elation infirmary, eating a bagel. She was hoping to see Atlan before they docked so they'd have a better chance of meeting up when they did. When she reached the door, she knocked and waited. The door then opened up, but much to Vivian's dismay, an old Toad nurse answered. "You sick?" she asked in a low, impatient voice.
"Umm... no, thank you. I was uhh... looking for Atlan? He's a doctor on this ship, right?"
"No honey. I'm the only medical staff on this boat. Unless this 'Atlan' guy is just another passenger, you ain't gonna find him here."
"Oh... OK. Sorry to bother you. Thank you!"
"Yeah, sure... oh, and by the way, I'm missing a thermometer and a stethoscope. Seen 'em?"
"Umm... no."
"Alright then. Keep an eye out, would you honey? Bye."

Vivian went to the bow of the ship and leaned against the rail, looking out at the water. She could see Morteva growing on the horizon. All her thoughts, though, were about Atlan.
All this time, she'd thought he was a doctor in training that worked on the boat. She thought maybe one of her friends had reported her sick, and he just came along to help her on business. But... if he was just another passenger, how did he know to come take care of her? Unless he was actually looking for her, which was a bit of a freaky thought... The whole issue confused her, yet she still longed to see him again...

Morteva was growing closer and closer, and from this vantage point, it sure looked like a lively place.
There also appeared to be some sort of magnificent structure floating in the sky directly over the landscape. What could that have been?

Vivian sighed and turned around to head back to the room when she saw something suddenly slip around a corner and out of view. It looked white and flowy... a towel caught in the wind, maybe? Yeah, it had to be...

When Vivian got back to the room, Goombella came running up to her. "Hey Vivian, have you heard? They're having a last-hour comedy show in lobby! Wanna go?"
Vivian could have certainly used some comedy at the moment. "Sure! Is everyone else going?"
"Yeah, all of us are! We were waiting for you to come along, too!"
"Oh, OK. Let's go!"

The gang all walked to the lobby of the ship and noticed most of the seats for the comedy show were full. However, the last row was all empty. Upon closer inspection, it was noticed that the seat numbers were 101-109.

The group didn't put a whole lot of thought into who was to sit where, but they eventually all had a seat. In order from seat 101-109 was Verdugo, Koops, Goombella, Peach, Mario, Ms Mowz, Vivian, Bobbery and Flurrie. Shortly after they all sat down, the comedy show began.

The show was pretty funny overall. One of the Hammer Bro comedians told a lot of good on-liners dealing with relationships between men and women, one of the better ones being "Married men live longer than single men, but married men are usually a lot more willing to die!" Another good act was a Paratroopa who said a list of good pranks to pull on people - a particularly funny one being "Hand someone a bowl of wasabi and a spoon, and tell them it's green tea ice cream!" And yes, there was also the Toad that blew up balloons with his ass. .

Somewhere within the last ten minutes of the show, Goombella's mind started to wander. She almost felt as though some outside entity was forcing thoughts into her head, thoughts that she wouldn't have wanted to think about...
Suddenly, an image flashed in her mind. She saw everyone in the room, screaming in agonizing pain. Their cries rang in her ears until she was sure they would start to bleed... and then, the painful screams of all her friends beside her... And then, a horrible pain shot up her body, and the final thing she heard was her own scream sounding in her ears...

Finally, Goombella snapped back to reality. The show was almost over, but she was shaking and trembling madly at the image she had just seen in her head. It had seemed so real... yet she had no idea what it was that caused such terrible pain to everyone in the room...
She then knew it was a premonition. Everyone in that very room was meant to suffer a horrific fate...

Koops and Peach, who were sitting beside her, noticed her shaking and sweating uncontrollably in their seat. "Goombella?" Koops asked. "Is everything alright?"
"We have to get out of here..." Goombella said in a worried voice.
"Why?" Peach asked. "Are you feeling OK?"
"We have to go..." she said, hurriedly hopping out of her seat. "We have to get out of here NOW! Something terrible's gonna happen!"
Everyone sitting in that row and even some people in the rows ahead heard her. She was totally frantic.
"What's the matter Goombella?" Mario asked, slightly worried.
"We have to GOOO!!" she cried, running out of the lobby and out onto the deck of the boat. All of her friends looked at one another and quickly followed her out.

Everyone found Goombella leaning against a rail, still shaking and sweating. They surrounded her and tried to make her feel better.
"It's OK," Mario said. "It's gonna be OK..."
"No..." Goombella said. "Everyone in there... something bad's gonna happen."
"How do you know?" Bobbery asked.
"I saw it... I saw something. It just flashed before my eyes. Everyone in the audience, screaming in agony... and then all of us, too... and I felt this horrible stinging pain shoot up my body... I know it was a premonition."
"Oh Goombella," Vivian said. "Being a magical being myself, I can tell you that premonitions are usually just lapses of an overactive imagination, and never turn out to be true. Real premonitions are VERY rare, and only a few people ever get them."
"Well I know mine was real! I just know it! Don't any of you believe me?"
No one said a word. Goombella knocked her head against the railing and sighed. Everyone could tell that something really had freaked her out a lot.

"Well, no point in going back in now," Mario said. "The show's gonna be ending soon... and besides, I kinda wanna see ourselves dock at Morteva. Speaking of which, check it out!"
Everyone looked off the edge of the boat. About a hundred yards of ocean separated them from a vast, beautiful land with a lively port town and a humongous wild land in the distance.
"Check out that mountain!" Verdugo cried, pointing at a huge peak that towered over the land. "It's like a volcano, but it's covered in ice! Isn't that awesome?"
"And look at THAT glorious building, on that cliff over there!" Flurrie cried. "It looks like an ancient Greek Temple!"
Peach was looking up in the sky when she gasped. "Oh my... look at THAT!" Peach pointed up and everyone looked.

Suspended directly overhead was an enormous tower of various grays and golds. It seemed to bask in the glory of the sunshine, and its presence appeared almost God-like. "What do you suppose THAT is?"
"No clue," Ms Mowz said. "Sure looks like there'd be some neat badges in there, though..."
Even as the Elation pulled into the harbor and prepared for docking, all nine of them still found themselves staring at that magnificent structure in the sky...

BING BONG! BING BONG!

Attention passengers! We have now docked at our destination - the beautiful and serene land of Morteva! Home of the Gods themselves! (Also the world's number one supplier of pie!). Be sure to have your boarding passes handy when exiting the boat, and please be sure to have it when you come back on. If you plan on staying for a while, don't worry. The Elation makes round trips around the ocean all the time, so when you're ready to go back home, just wait for our next arrival. Until then, have fun in Morteva, and enjoy the rest of your vacation with Elation cruise lines!

BING BONG! BING BONG!

This was it! They had arrived at Morteva at last! They were all eager to disembark and go exploring right away, but first, there was the matter of Vivian's mysterious pen pal. Whoever had sent her the letter and boarding passes was supposed to be waiting for them on the dock. He promised he'd explain everything when they arrived. It was then that everyone remembered that while they all were on vacation, they were also on important business...
"Let's go find this guy!" Mario announced, hurrying down the stairs towards the dock. Everyone excitedly followed, without a single negative thought in all their heads...

However, on their way down, Goombella stiffened.
And not a moment later, the sound of a hundred agonizing screams rang from within the Elation's lobby.
Mario looked at Goombella nervously, then at the door to the lobby. The door burst open and several people ran out crying their heads off. What the hell had just happened in there??

Mario ran towards the door. "I say we go in there and see what's going on!"
"NO!" Goombella said. "Something really bad's happening! I know it! Let's just ask one of these guys that just ran out!"
Verdugo ran up to a crying Ratooey and wrestled him to the ground. "Alright Rat Boy! Tell me just what the HELL is going on in there! ...And why's your underwear hanging out the back of your pants? Stop your blubberin' and SAY something, dammit!"
The Ratooey squeezed his eyes and tears leaked out from the corners. "The comedians... they... did the worst thing... EVAR!"
"What? What did they do?!"
"Well... every seat was installed with a secret hook in the cushion, and when the show was over... they pushed a button, and... RIP!"
"Rip?" Mario asked. "The hooks sliced everyone open??"
"No, worse..." the Ratooey sputtered. "They all hooked onto everyone's underwear and... gave everyone... ATOMIC WEDGIES!!"

"Oh, God..." Mario couldn't help but feel relieved, yet very disturbed at the same time. All of them did.
"It's a good thing you guys weren't in there..." The Ratooey continued, "Those hooks lifted everyone by their undergarments about five feet off their seats!"
"Whoa!" Verdugo said. "Wicked!"
"Easy for you to say, bucko..." The Ratooey got to his feet and walked all funny and bow-legged. "Oh God, it hurts... I'm never riding this cruise ship again. Whoever directed THAT act needs to be shot..." And with that, he headed down the stairs. Everyone walked out of lobby holding their areas and walking funny, groaning in agony.

Flurrie looked at Goombella. "You mean to tell us you had a premonition of everyone in that room getting atomic wedgies?? And I thought it was something serious..."
But Goombella wasn't listening. She was staring wide-eyed into space. "Oh no..." she muttered.
"What is it Goombella? What's wrong?" Mario asked.
She looked at everyone one by one as she spoke. "Haven't you heard? Atomic Wedgies are more than just a stupid thing that immature comedians do. They are an ancient form of punishment that trace back to the days of the Mushroomian Empire. It is said that if you manage to cheat your way out of an Atomic Wedgie, you will be marked... and an Atomic Wedgie will come to you, no matter where you run, or where you hide..."
"Oh sure," Bobbery laughed. "Now tell me little lass, who exactly ensures that one gets an atomic wedgie?"

"Atomic Wedgie. You have to capitalize it, Bobbery."
"Err, right... So who exactly ensures that one gets an 'Atomic Wedgie' if they avoid one when they're meant to get it?"
Goombella turned her head and look up into the sky. "The Atomic Wedgie God..."

"Oh!" Peach said with a smile, "So there are Gods for fire, ice, water, earth, and... Atomic Wedgies?"
"Precisely."
"Now honestly," said Ms Mowz, "Why are they called 'Atomic Wedgies' anyway? The word 'atomic' refers to atoms that build up our universe. I just don't see how yanking up a person's trousers relates to that."
"It's quite simple," Goombella reasoned. "'Atomic' actually is an old Mushroomian word meaning 'energy', and this was long before the atom was discovered, mind you. When wedgies became a high form of punishment in the Mushroomian Empire, they were so forceful that they were appropriately named 'Atomic Wedgies'. Therefore, 'atoms', being the universe's smallest units of energy, were named after the Atomic Wedgie itself."
"Oh..." Ms Mowz said, not sure what to say to that.

"Sooo..." Mario said thoughtfully, "Since we were meant to be in there when the Atomic Wedgies happened, we're all just... magically gonna get wedgied at some random time?"
"No. The Atomic Wedgie God likes to come up with 'designs' to torture victims that escape his wrath."
"Like what?"
"Well, if I had to guess, I'd say it has to do with our seat numbers... You know, we sat in seats 101-109. Therefore, the person sitting in seat 101 would suffer it first, and the one in seat 109 would be the last... If that's true, then Verdugo can expect to get a wedgie pretty soon. Of course, that IS just a guess..."
"But half of us don't even wear pants!" Flurrie protested.
"The Atomic Wedgie God will find a way..."
"But we weren't wearing pants in the comedy show! We wouldn't have gotten a wedgie anyway! We would've just gotten-"
"A hook up the ass," Ms Mowz finished. "You know, suddenly, an Atomic Wedgie doesn't sound so bad..."

"How bad of pain can we expect?" Mario asked.
"Well..." Goombella said ominously, "...In the olden times, Atomic Wedgies were so bad that they were known to stop the victims from breathing for several minutes... some even choked to death after inability to breath afterward. Therefore, when you get one, it's also said to be called your... Final Respiration..."
Koops chimed in. "Umm... Well, I've heard that you can get 'em so bad that your sexual organs get screwed up for life. So... I dunno, I'd probably call mine my... Final Masterba-"
"Shut up, Koops!" Everyone yelled.

"But what about me?" Vivian said. "I don't even have a... well, you know..."
"Legs?" Mario asked.
"Well yeah, I don't have legs, but that's not what I was talking about-"
"Panties?" asked Bobbery.
"No, that's not what I meant either..."
"Feet?"
"No..."
"Nerves?"
"No!"
"Pie?"
"No!"
"A lovehole?" Verdugo asked.
Everyone looked at Verdugo stupidly. Vivian groaned. "Yes Verdugo, a 'lovehole'..."

"Yo, Flurrie doesn't have one either!" Mario exclaimed, pointing.
Flurrie laughed. "Oh, you jester! Of course I do!"

Everyone stared at her. All the males were especially creeped out. "So..." Bobbery said. "You mean to tell me you float around naked all the time... and you actually have one?"
Flurrie looked around. "Why, of course..."
Koops had to run over and throw up off the side of the boat.

"Well, anyway..." Goombella said. "I've researched this a lot, so I know what I'm talking about. You don't have to believe me, but just be careful. That's all. Especially you Verdugo. Watch your pants, OK?"
"Yeah, sure," he laughed. "I'll look out for the Scary Atomic Wedgie God!"
"Well, all that aside, let's head down and get off at the dock," Mario told everyone. "There's someone there I'm sure we're all curious to meet... right Vivian?"
"Yeah..." Vivian replied. As they began to head down the stairs, Vivian noticed she was getting strange looks from everyone...
Especially Verdugo, though he seemed to be focused on his underwear as well...