Author's Note: *big gasp* Okay-everyone-now-I-have-a-completely-good-and-valid-and-acceptable-reason-for-not-updating-lately-and-that's-because-I-have-had-the-horror-of-what-we-fanfictioners-and-pretty-much-anyone-related-in-some-way-to-fanfiction-will-understand-that-I-have-had-the-dreaded-hiatus-so-yeah!

Mario handed over a small sack filled with coins and smiled at the shopkeeper as he took his purchased products. "Thanks a lot, Phil!"

The Goomba nodded. "No prob, Mario. If you ever need anything else - "

"Call you," finished Mario, grinning as he turned to leave. "I got it!"

However, the hero had barely started walking when something feathery, green and black collided with him.

"Wha... Mr. L!" exclaimed Mario crossly, gesturing at all his dropped items. "I swear, I try repaying Luigi back for all the shopping he's done, and then his alter-ego literally SLAMS into me! What the heck's wrong with you?!"

"Tuba wombat alphebatise tap dance!"

"I mean, I don't see why you can't just at least PRETEND to TRY to control yourself when fly- what did you say?"

"Whippersnapper ninety-nine!" sang L... or at least what Mario assumed to be the engineer. Taking a closer look, he saw that the man's clothes were all on the wrong way, his wings were white, and...

"Is that... your cap?" asked Mario, pointing at the headwear tied round the other's neck.

"Kinky hootnanny!" screamed the derpy Mr-L-yet-not-Mr-L. Then, he leapt to his feet, did a perfect pirouette, touched his toes with his hands, then turned into a water bucket filled with raspberry jam.

Mario's eyes widened in shock. He didn't know just what to do or say, so he settled for scrambling to his feet and discarding the Fire Flower and Shroom Shake still clutched in his hands. Approaching the bucket slowly, the red clad plumber hero was granted a shock when, in a burst of amaranth flames, that derpy Mr. L appeared once more, smiling innocently.

Shaking, somewhat unnerved, even though by all standards he should have been in peals of racaous laughter, Mario stepped back warily. Then, he whirled around, and completely regarding his dignity or reputation or shopping, bolted.

"I swear, when this fanfic ends, Shade is gonna be in for a beating alright..." murmured Dimentio.

Mimi and O'Chunks turned around, both with confused looks on their faces.

"Whudja say, Dimen'io?" asked O'Chunks.

"Ah... nothing," said the jester hurriedly.

Mimi blew a pigtail out of her face huffily. "Where in the worlds could Rightway be?!"

"Yeh can't use some crazy magic 't track 'im, ey, Dim?" O'Chunks seemed to be desperate. Though, admittedly, they all were starting to get so.

The jester shook his head. "I cannot. I have tried valiantly, like a knight beating down an unconquerable enemy with his shield, but the magic surrounding Rightway is far too chaotic to be considered trackable. If that is even a word."

O'Chunks looked around, sighing furiously. If he had hair on his head, he would have run a hand through said nonexistant hair. Seeing as he didn't, he cracked his knuckles instead.

That was about the time Mario bolted past.

"Wha... Mario?"

"Whussat Maria?!"

"Mario!" called Dimentio. "Could you backtrack for a bit?"

A slightly wild look in his sapphire eyes, Mario turned and walked shakily towards the three minions. "Y-yeah...?"

"What's with the cuckoo look, silly?" giggled Mimi.

"It... it's Mr L... I dunno what's wrong with him but-"

"He looks like something ripped out of Shade's overractive imagination?" supplied Dimentio dully.

Mario nodded frantically. "That sums it up."

Dimentio smirked and drew his wrench, spinning it before letting a few sparks explode. "Where did you last see him?"