Day 7
1 Day Remains...
--
The next morning, everyone woke up with a single thought on all their minds - The Rainbow World Cup was finally going to happen the following day. This was a thought that none of them bothered to express, however. That day was supposed to be meant for practicing on the different variations of Rainbow Road in order to prepare for the Rainbow World Cup, but every single one of them simply lacked the will to do so. Hell, they all seemed to lack the will to do anything. Most of them spent the day lying in bad, and just thinking. Either that, or just allowing themselves to be crushed by their own sorrows. Never in all their years had the Mario Kart team seen such a woeful time...
As a matter of fact, if any of them were looking forward to anything, it was to hear Mario's diagnosis that was supposed to be ready that day. They'd spent the entire period of sunlight, just waiting. Not even Luigi and Daisy left to go pick up their son from the infirmary. All they did was wait, along with everybody else...
Until finally, in the late afternoon, Toadette entered the Resting Quarters and announced that they would all be heading over to the infirmary to check up on Mario's status, as well as Peach's. At last, the entire team was given the will to get their lazy, depressed asses up and out of the Resting Quarters. This was news they all needed to hear...
It was about 8:00 o'clock pm. Toadette was leading the racers down the hall of the Double Dash HQ towards the infirmary. They were all eagerly awaiting Mario's health report. Many of them, especially Luigi and Daisy, were on the verge of tears, fearing he might be dying. It was a natural fear for them to have, seeing as death seemed to be such a common thing to them as of late. Secretly, none of the other racers were very hopeful that Mario was going to survive either.
Toadette, however, seemed rather indifferent about it. If they didn't know better, they might've even said she looked like she didn't care whether he survived. She looked as though she already knew his fate and had accepted it, yet wasn't willing to share it with anyone else.
When the team reached the infirmary, Toadette opened the door and held it open for everyone to walk through. As they all did, they saw Peach sound asleep in her hospital bed, her leg still up in her cast, which was still tagged with all their friendly autographs. Baby Mario was asleep on her chest. Baby Luigi was nowhere to be found at the moment. Careful not to disturb them, they turned their attention to the bed next to hers.
There lay the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom himself. He, too, was asleep, lying on his stomach. Perhaps he still had yet to wake up? How long was he going to be out? Was he ever going to wake up? His hat and shirt were off and hung on a nearby coatrack, and wrapped tightly around his torso was a large white bandage. There appeared to be some faint red stains marks seeping through. Oh, they hoped he would be OK...
"Doctor??" Toadette called out. "Are you in here?"
A few seconds later, the Ratooey doctor came walking through a nearby door. He opened his eyes wide when he saw everyone standing there. "Oh, my! Hello everyone. Sorry, I was just watching over Baby Luigi. I just put him in the playroom. Anyway, did you come here to ask about Mario's condition?"
Yoshi nodded and squealed softly. "Y-Yoshi...?"
The Ratooey nodded. "Yes, there's nothing to worry about. His condition isn't critical."
Everyone sighed in relief at this news, and for many of them, it was their first smile-inducing moment that whole day.
"What the hell happened to him?" Bowser then inquired.
"I don't know exactly what happened to him on the boat, because I wasn't there of course. However, he's suffered some pretty bad injuries to his midsection. He's broken several ribs, and even a very slightly ruptured lung. He also suffered some deep puncture wounds in his back. Something stabbed him and even pierced through to his spinal chord, causing a few spliced nerves. Thankfully, though, he won't be paralyzed, as is what usually happens in such a situations. All in all, it's nothing to worry about. He's already a strong man, so he'll completely recover in a relatively short time."
Another wave of relief swept over the team, and they revealed their feelings in a chorus of more sighs and gleeful shouts.
"Will he be able to race in the Rainbow World Cup?" Toadette asked, interrupting the celebration.
"I beg your pardon?" the doctor asked.
"The Rainbow World Cup," Toadette repeated. "The biggest annual racing event in the world. This coming match is said to be the 'Race of the Century'. We're scheduled to race in it tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? Oh dear..." The doctor moaned, looking at the sleeping Mario. "I don't know if I can allow that. He's going to recover, but certainly not by tomorrow..."
"But we can't do the Rainbow World Cup without Mario!" Daisy protested. "He's the reason we're called 'Mario Kart'! He's been looking forward to it for so long!"
"Do you have ANY idea when he'll be completely recovered?" King Boo asked. "Tomorrow night, maybe? C'mon, he's gotta be all recovered by tomorrow night so he can at least celebrate with us!"
The doctor looked at Mario once more. He then picked a clipboard up off a nearby desk and read through it for a minute or two. He finally put it down and sighed. "Will he be well enough to race by tomorrow night? To be completely honest, I just don't know at this point. We'll just have to wait and see. When it comes time to head off to the big race, we'll check and find out if Mario can race with you. However, right now, there's just no saying. If it's any compensation, Peach just got her blood transfusion yesterday, and her leg is healing nicely, so she may actually be able to join you tomorrow. As for Mario, though..."
Toadette closed her eyes and shook her head, causing her braids to swing to and fro. "You know what? That's fine. There's someone else I can ask anyway. A far more dependable source."
The doctor looked confused. "Excuse me? Who else could you possibly ask?"
"I have my sources," she said. "Thank you Doctor, but I have to get back to work. Take good care of Mario, OK? Good-bye." With that, Toadette turned around as walked out through the door out of the infirmary.
"Geez... Toadette sure has gotten weird ever since she became Vice," Wario said aside to Paratroopa. "What do you think's gotten into her?"
Paratroopa simply shrugged. However, he thought he might have an idea who she might have been referring to when she said she had a far more reliable source than the doctor to hear of Mario's fate. The same person was probably responsible for her strange behavior as well...
Birdo made some nasally noises in the form of a question.
"Yeah, what we do now?" DK asked.
"Well, we've found out everything we need to know about Mario, I guess..." Bowser figured. "So, I guess we just go back to the Resting Quarters and get all hyped up for the Rainbow World Cup?"
"For Christ's sake, does anybody realize that Waluigi died yesterday?!" Wario blurted out. "You guys could show a little sympathy! The guy was my brother, after all..."
"You never really acted like it before," Bowser snapped. "Besides, maybe people dying is a subject that's just a little touchy for some of us. You think about that? HUH?!"
"Hey, you shut the hell up!" Wario weakly retaliated.
"You never should've said anything in the FIRST place, you son murderer!"
With all the shouting going on, Baby Mario had woken up to see what was happening. It was a wonder neither Mario nor Peach had woken up. They must have been on some strong medication.
"Everybody, please!" Daisy shouted, "Can we just try to think rationally here for a second?! If you all still want to find out who the true killer is behind this whole thing, I say we just go back to the Resting Quarters and talk about it there..."
"If we're gonna talk about this mystery," King Boo said, "I say we get Toadette involved. She knows loads more about the inner workings of Double Dash than any of us."
Paratroopa then barked a serious question.
The question itself was enough to make everyone freeze, as though time itself had stopped for but a second...
Daisy finally added, "Err... I don't think we should go that far. Asking him would be just... too far. At least for now."
"What do you mean 'for now'?" Bowser asked. "The Rainbow World Cup is coming tomorrow! We don't have all that much time left!"
"What big turtle dragon mean?" DK wondered. "Why Rainbow World Cup too late?"
"Umm... I ... I dunno, alright? I just know!"
"Well, OK," Daisy asked, "What do we do then?"
"Pardon me for stating the obvious," Bowser said, "But I think if we're to get to the bottom of all this crap, we'd have to have a chat with Mr V."
That was stating the obvious, alright. No one could argue with that. However, sometimes the obvious does need to be stated.
"So what do you propose we do then?" Daisy asked. "Just waltz into his office and strike up a conversation? Be like 'Hey Mr V! How ya doin? Listen, we gotta hear what you know about the murders that have been going on! Can you be a pal and tell us?"
"Well honestly, why can't we just do that?" Wario asked.
Birdo looked at him like he was an idiot and made a few suggestive Birdo-hole sounds.
"Well duh, I know THAT," Wario assured. "What I mean is, why does it have to be that way? Does he really have to be that scary that we can't even talk ta him or anything? He is our President. We should be able to, you know, talk to him about stuff..."
"Maybe Mr V isn't all that scary as we sayed before?" DK asked with a shrug.
"Maybe..." they all secretly thought.
"Well, alright then. Let's go to his office and have a word with this freak, shall we?" King Boo shrieked. He began to float towards the door leading out of the infirmary. Everyone reluctantly followed behind initially, except Daisy and Luigi.
The two stood in the infirmary for a short while, standing between the two beds in which Peach (with Baby Mario) and Mario slept soundly. They continued to stand there even after the door to the infirmary closed and cast the large room in silence. A hauntingly uncomfortable silence.
Daisy finally turned to Luigi. "Umm... Well, I guess Baby Luigi's still in the playroom. Should we maybe take him with us?"
Luigi didn't say a word. He continued to stare down upon Mario. There was a strong emotion protruding from his eyes, but Daisy wasn't quite able to pinpoint what it was.
"Or maybe..." she added, "The doctor can still look over him for a while. At least until we're done with this whole thing..."
Luigi still didn't answer. His intense gaze was still fixed on Mario.
Daisy finally gathered up the bravery to ask the question. "Luigi, is everything OK?"
Luigi was slow in responding, but he eventually turned away from Mario and looked straight at her. His eyes usually shone with the inner joy of doing the right thing, and were often tapped with a touch of feminism. That luster was all but gone now. His eyes were black and angry, almost as though trying to force some unspoken guilt upon her. Daisy felt it. She really did, and it scared her.
"...What did I do wrong?" he finally asked.
Daisy was confused. "What? I don't know what you mean-"
"Did I not show enough compassion, or what?! Is there not enough fire in me to satisfy your wild side?!"
As Luigi's hateful glare slowly became watery, Daisy looked down at Mario...
And then frowned in guilt. "Oh Luigi, I... I'm so sorry..."
"Are you?" Luigi asked firmly. "Are you sorry you violated the sanctity of our marriage?"
"Yes Luigi, I really am! Believe me, it was all an impulse! I didn't know what I was doing..."
"I don't care," Luigi said. "Just... tell me what I did wrong!"
Daisy raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? You didn't do anything wrong..."
"Then what didn't I do right?! Just tell me what I have to change about myself so you never get another 'impulse' to make love to my brother!"
Daisy was at first swelled up with guilt and pity for Luigi, but now she was becoming frustrated. "Luigi... I'm the one who cheated on you... and YOU'RE the one offering to change?! Honestly, if anything prompted me to do what I did, it was for this very reason! You don't ever fight for what you believe in! You always try so hard to see things from other people's point of view so you never have to fight. Well you know what, honey? That's a beautiful trait for a man to have, and I'm happy you're like that, but... Would it kill you to convert some of your moodiness to anger once in a while? Act like a fighter sometimes? I'm a woman, Luigi, and women can only feel attracted to a man that they feel safe with!"
Daisy could tell her words were making Luigi feel bad, so she softened her tone. "You saw us last night... didn't you?"
Luigi nodded slowly.
"And I bet you didn't do anything to put a stop to it. You just stayed in your bed and cried yourself to sleep, didn't you?"
Somewhat shamefully, Luigi nodded.
"See?" she asked, gently touching his arm, "You hold back to even fight for yourself. How can I trust that you'd be able to fight for me...?"
Luigi looked at her, his eyes now filled to the brim with tears. He swallowed heavily and smiled a little. "Yeah... I understand what you mean. Thanks Daisy."
"No problem," she replied, pulling him close. "So next time I do something like that, just do something outrageous...like threaten to kill Mario or something!"
Luigi laughed a little at that remark, but it quickly faded into a frown. It wasn't the same frown he'd worn a minute ago. It was as though HE was now the one feeling guilty. But for what...? Daisy didn't know.
Regardless, the two were able to take hands and walk out the infirmary door, heading for the President's office. They evidently had unanimously decided that it was OK to leave Baby Luigi in the playroom. Right now, their focus was the solving the Double Dash conspiracy, and that was something the babies needed no part in...
Within minutes, Daisy and Luigi found themselves nearing the door to the room labeled 'VICE PRESIDENT'. As they approached the crowd, Wario turned to them, looking puzzled. "Where the hell did you two go?"
"That's none of your business," Daisy quickly replied. "Now why are we outside the Vice President's office? Mr V's not Vice anymore, remember? He's the real President!"
"We know that, Little Miss Smarty," Bowser growled. "But Petey says Mr V's in here cuz Toadette's working in the President's Office."
Petey nodded assuringly.
"But... Toadette's not the President," Daisy said.
"We KNOW that, you witch! God!" Bowser snapped gruffly.
Luigi stepped forward slowly and raised a finger. "H-Hey!" he stammered. "You watch what you say to my wife!"
Bowser was so surprised by Luigi's reaction that his first instinct was to just grin and chuckle to himself. He then raised his hands and said, "OK, OK... Sorry there, Green 'Stache!"
Luigi nodded and Daisy smiled lightly.
"OK, so what we do now?" DK asked, trying to keep quiet so Mr V wouldn't hear from the other side of the door. "We knock and say hello?"
Yoshi decided that was a good idea. He crutched over to the door and tapped on it a few times. They gave Mr V about a minute before realizing he wasn't going to answer.
Paratroopa flew over and pressed his ear against the door. The others waited to hear what he had to say. However, his report was blank. He heard nothing.
Birdo shrugged and spewed some noise out of her hole.
"Well, we didn't plan on just walking in anyway, you ho-bag," Bowser said. "I say we just bust down the door and surprise him!"
"Oh, hey, I've got a better idea," Wario announced. "Yo King Boo, you can float through stuff, right?"
King Boo raised an eyebrow. "Uh, yeeeah..."
"Why don't you just float through the door and, ya know, tell us what you see?"
King Boo grimaced and looked at Wario like he was a complete moron. "What?! Fuck no! I was honest with you about this before, and I'll be honest again - that guy freaks me the hell out! He's clearly on a more supernatural level than I am! Who knows what he could do to me?!"
"Mr V, supernatural?!" Daisy asked, bewildered. "OK, King Boo, you're just sounding nuts now."
"Yeah!" Wario argued back. "What makes you think he's 'supernatural'?"
"I just know he is, OK?!"
"Shh!" DK ordered, putting his finger to his lips. "You too loud! Mr V will know we here!"
"Oh, he already knew we were coming here before he even came here!" King Boo said. "I'm tellin' you, that guy ain't normal!"
"Aw, quit bein' such a baby and get in there!" Wario demanded. He thrust forward to push King Boo through the door, but he ended up going straight through King Boo himself and smacking his face against the wall.
"Please do this?" Daisy pleaded. "For us?"
King Boo was still looking like his stance was firm. However, when he caught a glimpse of Bowser mockingly brandishing his vial of holy water, he quickly regrouped. "Alright, I'll do it. But nothing better happen to me! I still wanna spend a few more years on Earth. I at least wanna see Nintendo win the console war..."
And so, everyone nodded silently and waited for King Boo to prepare to fly through the door. The preparation period wasn't long. Not wanting to prolong the inevitable, King Boo swiftly flew forth and disappeared into the door...
Everyone waited for his response. They waited several seconds, but they heard nothing from him. Did he see Mr V? Had Mr V done something to him? What was happening on the other side of that door...?
A sudden outburst from King Boo made them jump. "Hey! What's this, a joke? This office... it's empty!"
"WHAT?!" all the racers replied, perplexed. Had King Boo just said the room was empty? But that couldn't be right!
The door to Mr V's office suddenly opened, and King Boo was seen holding the door open. The room appeared to be naught but your usual office room, complete with a desk piled with many papers, as well as a computer that was turned off. It seemed to lack the grandeur of the President's office, but still...
And the large armchair behind the desk sat conspicuously empty. Where was Mr V?
Luigi reached for the light switch as he walked in, but was surprised to find that there wasn't one. The only light in the office was that coming the moonlight which shown through the window. There was no other source of artificial light to be found in the room. How strange...
And yet, as they all walked into the mysteriously empty office, they couldn't help but feel they were being watched... observed... by something unseen that could see them. It was the feeling that made their hair stand on end...
Paratroopa, who was the most animalistic of the bunch, could really feel his sixth sense going out of whack. He whimpered softly and, ironically enough, stayed close to Bowser to feel somewhat safe. Yoshi, Birdo, and DK could also feel something that the others were unable to sense. Indeed, something very creepy was lurking in this room...
"Well, we're in the office of the infamous Mr V," Daisy said, "So now what?"
"Maybe we should look around. Who knows what kind of treasures the guy has lying around?" Wario mischievously recommended. "May as well grab a souvenir or two while were here. Maybe he's got gold...!"
"Maybe he hiding?" DK asked softly. "Maybe we try and say something, and he come out?"
"Let's just look around for a couple minutes..." Daisy whispered aloud. "Maybe we'll find something relating to the mystery."
Daisy had evidently become the self-appointed leader of the group, and frankly, no one really saw fit to argue with her. As a result, they all began to search around the dark, vacant office.
Wario, strangely enough, was having a very odd feeling of déja vu. Snooping around an office at night, looking for something... When had he done this sort of thing before?
Luigi was opening the drawers on the side of the desk, seeing if anything interesting was inside. To his surprise, most of them were empty. Now, he wasn't sure how much work a President actually had to do, but he at least expected there to be something in ONE of these drawers. Hmm...
Just when he'd gone through every drawer, he found the very last one he looked in to reveal a prize - a piece of paper. Curious, Luigi picked it up and glanced at it.
The second he pulled the paper out of the drawer, he got a terrible feeling in his stomach. He suddenly felt very cold... Looking around his shoulders, all he saw were his fellow racers busy searching around the room themselves. Not wanting to look at this paper alone for whatever reason, he called out to Yoshi, who was looking in some sort of cabinet.
"Hey Yoshi," Luigi said just loud enough or Yoshi to hear.
Yoshi turned towards Luigi and, puzzled, pointed to himself. "Yoshi?"
"Yeah, come look at this I found..."
Wobbling a bit on his crutches, Yoshi bounded over to Luigi. The two then looked at the paper. They were both stunned by what they saw...
It was a screenshot of the Character Selection screen, showing the faces of all the racers. However, the faces of Yoshi, Peach, and Mario were each marked with a little red X in the corner of their respective box. The faces of Diddy Kong, Koopa, Bowser Jr, Toad, and Waluigi were crossed out completely by one large red X. It was clear - This was a record of the racers who'd been injured and killed so far in Double Dash. Mr V had been keeping track of it all. But why...?
A sudden cry from Daisy made everyone immediately stop what they were doing. "Hey, who closed the door?!"
Everyone looked at towards the door, which they were sure had been left open. Indeed, it was now closed. Paratroopa, who was nearest the door, flew over and tried to open it. It would not budge.
"What the hell?!" Bowser exclaimed from the dark, "Nobody saw it close?!"
Nobody could come up with a reasonable explanation. Not only was it strange that nobody knew who had closed the door, but also that nobody had even seen it happen. What was going on...?
All was silent, and all was still. Everyone was too afraid and puzzled to say or do anything. They all merely stood around, wondering what was going to happen...
"Welcome, racers."
A voice suddenly sounded from within the darkness. It made everyone begin to tremble in cold sweat. There was no mistaking it - Mr V.
"Why do you intrude so boldly into my office? Especially when there's a Rainbow World Cup tomorrow that you should be preparing for?"
Daisy was initially the only one brave enough to speak. "Umm... Mr V?" She had no clue where the voice was coming from, so she could only spin and look at every corner of the room as she spoke. "We didn't mean to intrude. We just... came here hoping to find something... anything... that could help us find out who's been killing the Double Dash members. Please, we know you know something. Help us..."
Silence.
"...You wish to know who's been killing Double Dash members, do you? Well, you could say I know something about that. Hmm, one might say I know... EVERYTHING about that."
Bowser was growing infuriated. "Stop talkin' in riddles, ya fruit! Tell me who the hell killed my son, or I'm gonna kill you SO much it won't be funny!!"
"Hmhmhm... I'd like to see you try, Bowser. You don't even know where I am."
"Err... Y-Yes I do!"
"Is that so? Perhaps you could point me out?"
"Umm... sure. You're right over... there!"
"That's a chair."
"Ohh-hoho, smart guy, huh?! I know what to do with smart guys... I swear, I will rip your balls off with my bare claws!"
"Heheh... Who said I had balls?"
"Guh-WHA?! Oh, that's IT! You're goin' down, ya here me?! DOWN!!"
While DK and Wario struggled to keep the enraged Bowser at bay, Luigi held the picture he had discovered over his head. "Mr V, tell us what this picture means! Right now! We demand answers!"
More silence.
"...Yes, I will help you solve this mystery. However, I will only guide you. It will be up to all of you to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Is that clear?"
Everyone reluctantly answered 'yes' in their own way. They weren't sure how they could say no to this man, especially considering they didn't even know where he was. His voice... it just came from everywhere and nowhere at the same time...
"Very well then. I will explain where you must go and what you must look for. Ask no questions. Just do as I say. Now, you shall divide into three groups. This is because these accidents were not all caused by an individual, but rather by three different parties. The first two accidents were caused by one. Group 1 shall investigate this by visiting Toadette in her office. She will tell you more..."
"Toadette caused the first two accidents?!" Daisy asked.
"I said not to ask questions. Now, I believe you all have figured out by now who is responsible for the third accident, them being Wario, King Boo, and myself. This can be traced back to the culprit who caused the first accident. Group 2, to learn more, return to the Resting Quarters and look underneath Mario's bed. You will find the clue you need..."
A wee bit more silence, as though Mr V was making sure everyone understood what he was saying.
"The final group... Shall be composed of just one of you. That one shall stay in here with me. I will explain the fourth accident, as well as any other questions you may have. Again, however, only one of you may stay here. The rest must divide into two groups; one of four, one of five, and carry out the other objectives. Understood?"
"...Understood..." was the hesitant reply from everyone.
"Very well. I leave it to you to divide into your respective groups. Remember, Group 1 will be composed of four people and will inquire Toadette about the first two accidents. Group 2 will have five people, and will return to the Resting Quarters to find the clue under Mario's bed that will explain the cause of the third accident. Group 3 will consist of only one, and that one shall stay here with me to hear all the rest. Now, take your time and group up."
The next ten minutes or so were spent discussing how the team was going to divide it's nine members into the groups that Mr V had ordered for. Mr V didn't say a word as they did so. He clearly wanted them to sort this whole situation out for themselves, which seemed unusual for him. Or, was this something to be expected? None of them really knew. The man was so mysterious...
At last, the nine members all divided up into their separate groups:
Group 1, which was to speak with Toadette about the first two accidents, consisted of DK, Yoshi, Birdo, and Paratroopa. DK was desperate to know the truth behind Diddy's death, and Yoshi sure as hell wanted to know who was responsible for his own injuries. Birdo was worried about Yoshi, so she stuck with him. Paratroopa never gave a reason for his involvement in this group, but it was assumed that it was because he craved knowledge about Koopa's death.
Group 2, which was to return to the Resting Quarters and retrieve a clue that would help answer the secret behind the third accident, had Wario, King Boo, Bowser, Luigi, and Daisy as members. Bowser was practically dying to know why his son had been killed, and as a result, he pretty much dragged Wario and King Boo along, despite their oppositions. Luigi and Daisy were willing to go along with any team, so long as they could obtain answers.
Group 3, which was to perform the coveted task of staying along with Mr V and asking questions, consisted of Petey. He was the only one who actually witnessed Waluigi's death, and the fact that he'd had a private phone call with Mr V meant he had a wee bit more of a connection to him than any of the others. It wasn't much of a connection, but it was something.
"Very well," said Mr V approvingly, seeming to survey the selection. "Now, carry out your objectives. When you feel you've learned all you need to know, return here. I'll be waiting..."
"You ever gonna get the guts to show your face?" Bowser called out.
"...Perhaps if I knew which face to show..."
Bowser groaned and shook his head. "Ugh... Just forget it."
"Alright then. Go on. All of you."
The door to the office suddenly swung open, seemingly on its own. Not in the right mindstate to ask questions, everyone immediately flooded towards the door.
"...Except you, Petey. You stay here, remember?"
Petey grumbled and fell back, allowing the others to head through the door and out into the hallway. Once they were all out, the door slammed shut again, trapping Petey in the dark, quiet, and anything-but-vacant room...
Toadette was busy preparing for the Rainbow World Cup. It was a task that demanded a lot of paperwork. She didn't mind doing it all, though. Anything to keep her mind off the horrible things she's discovered about Double Dash's inner workings ever since she'd obtained the Vice Presidency. Ever since she'd learned the things Mr V had revealed to her...
She almost jumped out of her skin when a sudden tap on the door broke the silence of the room. It took a her a second to register the fact that someone was at the door.
"C-come in!" she called.
The door opened, and in walked DK, Paratroopa, Yoshi, and Birdo. The expressions on all their faces depicted pure seriousness.
"Umm, is something wrong?" she asked.
DK stepped forth. "Toadette, we comed to ask about the accidents."
Toadette shifted her eyes to and fro. "...The accidents?"
Birdo made some loud hole-noises, as though exclaiming "Yes, the accidents, you stupid woman!"
Toadette had begun to tug nervously on her left braid. "I... What makes you think I know about them...?"
"Yoshi," Yoshi replied. "Yoshi..."
Toadette looked up at him with eyes filled with fearful wonder. "Mr V...?"
All of them nodded. Except Paratroopa. He remained conspicuously quiet and motionless.
Upon hearing Mr V's name, Toadette appeared to reluctantly let her guard down. She had to sit there for a few seconds with her eyes closed, and just think to herself. None of them knew what it as that was bothering her. It was as though she knew everything, but was too ashamed, or afraid, to admit the truth. Or perhaps she herself hadn't yet accepted the truth... What could it possibly be?
At last, Toadette slowly stood up. She walked around the desk and over to the computer, where she turned it on. She gave it a few seconds to let it start up, then clicked on an icon on the desktop. A page opened up, filling the screen with a jumble of words and diagrams.
Toadette then had to look away. Whatever it was on the screen, it was too much for her to look at. Quickly, she walked back around the desk to her armchair and sat down. She stared down at her lap and swivelled the chair around so she was facing the window, away from her friends. She did nothing more.
All four of them were intrigued and confused by her actions. Did she, perchance, wish for them to see what was displayed on the computer for themselves? Was all that they needed to know in that computer file?
Maybe Toadette really did already know the truth of it all, and really was just too upset by it to reveal it herself.
Reluctant, yet deathly curious, Yoshi began to crutch his way over to the monitor to have a closer look. Birdo followed close behind, almost afraid of what might be revealed. DK slowly followed, and a noticeably hesitant Paratroopa stayed several paces back and preferred to observe from a distance.
As so, the four began to read. And what they read shocked and deeply saddened them all...
The door to the Resting Quarters swung open and slammed against the wall with a bang. In stalked Bowser, who was eager to find the clue that would help explain the motives behind the DK Mountain accident. He immediately ran in, bent down near the first bed, and lifted the covers hanging off the side to see underneath. "Damn..." he muttered. After clambering back up, he began to run towards the next bed. "C'mon!" he called to the rest of the group as they entered the room. "Start looking for that clue!"
Luigi and Peach walked into the room not far behind. "Umm, I think Mr V said the clue was under Mario's bed," Luigi said over to Bowser.
"Well then which on IS Mario's bed?!" Bowser shouted back. "It's not like these beds got names on 'em!"
"Which bed did he sleep in last night?" Daisy wondered.
"How the hell should I know?!" Bowser called back.
Luigi and Daisy simply looked at one another and began to look underneath the beds as well. There were only 19 beds, so it wouldn't take long to find.
Wario and King Boo were lagging a bit behind, somewhat reluctant to enter the room. However, they were both still very curious about this clue they were seeking. Being the ones responsible for the accident in question, they wondered exactly why Mr V had wanted them to assassinate Toad in the first place, even though they had ended up killing Bowser Jr by accident instead. How would this supposed clue help them figure it out?
Luigi suddenly called out. "Hey, what's this?!"
Bowser and Daisy quickly stood up to see what Luigi was talking about. They saw him reaching under one of the beds, then watched as he stood up with a dagger in his hands. He held it up for all too see.
Bowser stared curiously at the dagger for a second. It was kind of ironic to see Luigi standing with a dagger like that. It drove him to him laugh. "Haha! Careful with that, Luigi. Knives aren't toys. They're only for BIG men! You don't want to cut yourself and get a booboo, now do you? You don't wanna-"
"Can it, Bowser!!" Daisy snapped, promptly shutting Bowser up. King Boo was secretly cackling to himself as well, but quickly stopped when Daisy gave him an angry glare.
She walked over to Luigi to have a look at the dagger. It's blade was about 6 inches long and had a black handle. This was no mere kitchen knife - it was the weapon of an assassin, no doubt. There also appeared to be some sort of memo attached to the handle. Curious, Luigi lifted it up to read it. Daisy looked over his shoulder, and the two read it together.
Bowser, who was too lazy to take five frickin' steps over to them, called out. "Is something written on that paper, or what? What does it say?"
Luigi and Daisy looked up and answered in unison. "I KNOW..."
Bowser and King Boo both raised an eyebrow. "You know?" King Boo asked. "You know what?"
"We dunno," Luigi said with a shrug. "That's what it says."
"Sooo... is that the clue?" Bowser asked stupidly. No one even bothered to answer.
"What do you make of it, Wario?" Daisy asked, looking over at him. However, Wario didn't say a word. He was staring at the dagger with the strangest look on his face.
He couldn't explain it. Looking at that dagger with its memo attached... It was like déjB vu had just up and kicked him in the nuts again. Why did it look so familiar?
Suddenly, a light bulb flashed in his head. "Oh damn..." he said faintly. "I'm remembering something."
Everyone immediately was quiet. They were deathly curious as to what it was that he remembered as a result of seeing this dagger...
"That dagger..." Wario recalled. "I remember about 3 nights ago, I had that dream where Mr V told me to kill Toad. In the dream, an invisible hand handed me that dagger and told me to use it. I don't know why I so readily agreed. Maybe subconsciously, Mr V was telling me why Toad needed to be killed, and I understood completely. Either that or I was just fuggin' freaked out as hell and couldn't say no. Regardless, I put the dagger in my pocket, and that was it. Then, when I woke up a few minutes later, the dagger was in my pocket for real. It was then that I went to do it..."
"But you ended up chickening out, right?" Bowser recalled.
"That's the thing. I still don't remember what happened in Toad's office that night. One thing's for sure, though - I did go in there with the dagger, and there was no memo attached to it. Then, when I left the office, I didn't have the dagger anymore..."
"Hmm..." Luigi thought, "Maybe you left it in there for some reason?"
"Seems that way," Daisy decided. "I guess that means while you were in there, you wrote this memo and attached it to the dagger, then left it in the room. But, why would you do that?"
"That's the question," Wario said. "Why did I want to kill Toad? And what was that I evidently 'knew'? And why the hell don't I know it anymore?"
"I still don't get why you chickened out then, only to try and kill him later on DK Mountain. What the hell were you thinking?!" Bowser asked.
"I didn't chicken out!" Wario protested. "I just... I dunno, I still don't remember! I think something happened in there that made me have to postpone my assassination attempt. Again, though, I have no idea what!"
"Well," deduced King Boo, "The fact that you tried to kill him on DK Mountain even after that suggests that you still subconsciously agreed with Mr V's reasons as to why Toad needed to die. Why else would you do something like that?"
"Probably the same reason you helped me do it," Wario replied, "Cuz Mr V's freakin' scary!!"
"Oh yeah..." King Boo shamefully moaned.
"No, wait. King Boo, I think your onto something!" Daisy exclaimed. "Maybe that knowledge really IS still locked away in Wario's head somewhere! Maybe if there were some way to unlock it. Someone we could ask... Wario, what was your mindstate after you walked out of the office that night?"
Wario scratched his head and tried to recall. "Umm... I remember I was really tired, really pissed off about something, and there was a lot of really annoying Spanish running through my head..."
"I say we ask Mr V. Once he knows we got the clue, he'll tell us all the rest, I bet," Luigi suggested.
"I dunno if he'll do that for us. He wants us to solve the mystery on our own, remember?" Daisy reminded him.
"Maybe we could just jar Wario's memory a bit?" Bowser said. "I know some techniques my grandmama taught me to make people remember anything they've forgotten!"
"Are they painful?" Wario asked nervously.
"Pssh! Better believe it!" Bowser cracked.
"Anybody we know speak Spanish?" King Boo wondered, who was clearly thinking on a different wavelength. "Maybe one of the mechanics in the DDG? I dunno. Just throwing stuff out there..."
They were all at a loss. What could they do to answer the question of what happened to Wario while he was in Toad's office that night?
"Aw, screw Mr V!" Bowser eventually blurted. "Wario, we're joggin' your memory!" He quickly walked over and grabbed Wario by his overalls to prevent him from running away. "King Boo! Get your ass over here and help me!"
"I don't have an ass anymore..." King Boo remarked.
Bowser snorted. "Well, whatever the hell it is you have, get it over here!"
King Boo quickly agreed and flew over to Bowser's aid.
Wario was shaking already. "W-What are you guys gonna do?!" he stammered.
"Just a couple things," Bowser assured. "Be prepared for a little discomfort, though. King Boo! Grab Wario by his feet and hang him upside-down, 10 feet off the ground!"
Wario gulped. He already didn't like how this was sounding.
Luigi and Daisy, meanwhile, were off to the side discussing amongst themselves. They hoped maybe they could answer some questions that Wario's memory alone might not be able to. "What I wonder is how did the dagger end up under Mario's bed?" Luigi said.
"Yeah, I was wondering about that, too," Daisy replied. "I mean, I don't think he had anything to do with the DK Mountain accident. Why would he?"
"Who knows? Who knows why anyone in our team would want to do anything like that?"
"Hmm... I just don't know..."
"I'm just assuming that if Wario was brave enough to admit it, I'd think Mario would have too. We all know Mario's twice the man Wario'll ever be."
"Well, he is kinda regarded as a hero. He'd have more to lose if he let something like that slip..."
"Wait, so you DO think Mario had something to do with it?"
Daisy shook her head and closed her eyes. "Like I said, I just don't know..."
King Boo had Wario hanging upside down, 10 feet above the floor, just as Bowser had instructed. Bowser took out a small marble and placed it on the ground right below Wario's head.
"OK," Bowser began, "Here's what's gonna happen - We're gonna drop Wario so his head lands square on the marble, and hopefully, it'll crack his skull against his brain so hard that it'll trigger his brain to release the memories! And this is scientifically based on absolutely nothing!"
Wario shuddered and prepared for the worst.
Bowser then took a deep breath and shouted, "DROP HIM!"
King Boo released Wario's legs. He yelped as he fell the 10 feet, and grunted in pain as his head struck the marble on the floor. He fell on the ground in a big heap, too dazed to stand up. Bowser walked over and King Boo floated down to see if he was OK.
"Do you remember anything?" King Boo asked, turning Wario over.
"Cuz if not, we can always try it again!" Bowser added.
Wario had to viciously rub the small spot on his head that had landed on the marble to relieve the pain. While he did, he groaned in frustration. "You fat tub o' fat! I don't remember anything at all! That's gotta be the stupidest thing I've ever agreed to do!"
"Even stupider than agreeing to kill Toad, only to end up killing my son instead?" Bowser said seriously.
Wario was about to reply, but he eventually decided there wasn't much to say. As much as he hated to admit it, he did owe Bowser for making such a grave mistake. The least he could do was let Bowser try again. Hopefully, Bowser would learn that his idiot grandmama's methods of memory revival didn't work. "OK Bowser, you wanna try again?"
"If you want to," Bowser said. "Alternatively, we could try something else."
Wario was pleased to hear that. He really didn't want to do that again. "Oh, sure! What else could we try?"
"Weeell, there's one method I know. I don't remember exactly, but I remember it involves a stethoscope, an electrical outlet, some aluminum foil, and a whole lot of paper towels..."
"Paper towels? For what?" King Boo asked.
"Duh. To clean up the mess!"
Wario covered his face with his hands and wept softly.
"You know what just occurred to me? The same night the accident happened, Toad committed his suicide, right?"
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's right. What are you trying to get at?"
Daisy was trying to fill in the gaps of her theory with her own logic as best she could. "Well, let's just say Wario left the dagger with the attached memo in Toad's office for Toad to find. When he woke up, he saw the dagger, read the note, and knew someone was trying to kill him. He would've been completely sure of it after he almost got run over by that no doubt set up boulder on DK Mountain..."
"Ah," Luigi deduced, "So you think maybe Toad knew Wario, or Mr V rather, was onto him, so he just killed himself because he knew he couldn't outrun it?"
"Maybe, but I'm still trying to think more along the lines of 'why'..." Daisy said thoughtfully. "You see, why would the message 'I KNOW' mean anything to Toad? I'll tell you what I think - I think Toad did something bad that Mr V didn't approve of. The message probably told Toad that whatever he'd done, he was now being targeted for it. He then probably felt so guilty that he killed himself, hoping for forgiveness..."
Luigi raised an eyebrow. "...How on earth did you devise THIS theory?"
"Beats me," Daisy replied with a shrug. "Maybe I'm just over-thinking that anyone's innocent anymore."
"Ah, I see," Luigi agreed. "But still, you think Toad really killed himself because he felt bad for something he did?"
"It's possible. I mean, you know how moral of a person Toad was. He'd feel terrible if he ever did anything wrong to anyone..."
"Well, if Toad's as moral as we all thought, how could he do something so terrible as to make him want to kill himself? Hell, what do you think he could've possibly done?!"
"Well, I... You know what? Just forget that. I don't know what I was thinking..."
At that moment, a loud SNAP! CRACKLE!! POP!! filled the air. Daisy was so surprised she yelped and grabbed Luigi. The overhead lights flickered and almost seemed to burn out before slowly coming back on. A faint ssssizzle how sounded in the room.
Luigi and Daisy looked over and saw Bowser and King Boo staring at Wario, who looked like he'd just matched wits with an electric wire. He appeared to be wearing a stethoscope that was covered in aluminum foil, the tip of which had been jammed into an electrical outlet. Smoke wafted from his ears and nose, and his bloodshot eyes made it look like he'd just gotten his brain fried. Well, in truth, that's kinda what actually happened. It was the stupidest-looking thing in the history of ever.
King Boo carefully pulled the stethoscope's earplugs out of Wario's ears. Wario still did not move. He didn't even blink. He was in such a state of shock that he was drooling out of the corner of his mouth. Bowser knelt down in front of Wario and gave him a fresh claw slap across the face. It snapped him out of it slightly.
"You remember anything yet?" Bowser asked.
Wario's wide eyes slowly looked up into Bowser's. He stared for a long time. It was impossible to tell what Wario was trying to say with that glare. They were almost afraid he was gonna pounce on Bowser and rip his tongue out.
But to their surprise, a tear had begun to form in Wario's left eye...
And slowly, somewhat jerkily, Wario nodded.
"Y-Yeah..." he muttered. "I remember now... I remember everything..."
"Tell us," Bowser insisted, a haunting seriousness in his voice. "Tell us everything you remember! In the meantime, King Boo! Get those paper towels over here and clean up the mess! And some clean underwear! Hurry up! Ugh, it smells like rotten ASS over here...!"
Petey stood alone in the dark office of Mr V himself. It was all silent, save for the clattering of his big teeth. He was so nervous he wanted to fly out the window right then and there. He stood his ground, though. He knew this conversation with Mr V had to be done, no matter how scary it might have been...
"Petey Pirahna..."
Petey screamed loudly, but quickly threw his leaf arms over his big mouth and shut himself up. Then, clearing his throat, he replied with a small utterance in plant talk.
"Before we begin, there is something I need for you to do. It will make this whole affair much easier for the both of us."
Petey didn't understand what he meant, but he nodded anyway.
"I need for you to reach into the top left drawer of my desk and take out the bottle of pills inside. Once you do, please take one. You'll find out what it's for after you do."
Petey naturally questioned this.
"If I tell you what will the pills do, then it will lead to many more unnecessary questions. Do as I say. I promise it won't be harmful to you in any way. Just trust me."
Considering Mr V was such a mysterious guy, Petey found it odd that he would be demanding so much trust so suddenly... Meh, ah well. Can't argue with the President! Petey quickly nodded and waddled over to the desk, where he located the top left drawer and pulled it open.
Nothing was inside. Petey looked up from the desk and voiced this in his native tongue.
"Empty, you say? My apologies. Look again!"
Petey looked back down into the drawer. To his amazement, there lay a small orange bottle of pills laying against the side of the drawer. Petey screamed again and jumped backwards. He wasn't gonna deal with this Temple of Optics crap! This was just too much!
"Come now, Petey... I just put it there when you weren't looking! I do it all the time! Oh, and I remember the Temple of Optics from the Paper Mario IAS, too. That part was pretty wild, wasn't it?"
Petey's huge mouth hung open in shock. Had Mr V just read his mind then, too? Aw, now he was REALLY outta there!
"Petey, no! I demand you take one of those pills! No questions! Understood?!"
Petey slowly backed away from the drawer, furiously shaking his head. He was just too freaked out. He couldn't stand the idea of speaking with Mr V, let alone taking one of his pills. Who the hell knew what would happen to him? It scared him just wondering about it.
"Petey! Get back there and take the pill! Now!!"
The sound of Mr V's voice shouting at him drove Petey to the breaking point. He finally screamed out loud and began to make a run for the door.
"PETEY! STOP IT THIS INSTANT!!"
With that, an invisible fist socked Petey in the throat. It caused him to stumble back right into the desk and land on his behind. Petey was so shocked he hardly made any effort to stand up after the blow. He just sat there, staring into the darkness out of his non-existent eyes, which if they had existed, would've been wide with fright at that moment.
"...I apologize Petey. I didn't want to hurt you, but you left me no choice. But at least we understand one another now, correct?"
Petey just nodded. He couldn't do much else.
"Good. Now, take as much time as you need to do this. Just take that bottle of pills, open it, pop one into your mouth, and swallow it. Can you do that for me?"
Petey nodded slowly again. However, he still wasn't moving, and he wasn't reaching for the drawer above him.
"Here, I'll help you out," Mr V insisted. Overhead, Petey could hear the sound of a cap popping, and not a second later saw a small white pill fell from above and right into his leaf arm.
"There you are. Now all you have to do is swallow. Then we can begin. Is that clear?"
Petey stared at the pill in his hand, then into the darkness of the office. Not knowing where to look or how to respond, Petey simply gave another nod.
"I appreciate it. Now please, proceed."
Petey did just that. Not bothering to give the issue much thought anymore, he finally found the courage to rear his head back, drop the pill in his open maw, and let it slide down his throat. Mere seconds after doing so, he could feel his body growing numb and tingly. His bulbous head wobbled from side to side, trying to retain consciousness. His efforts were in vain, though, for he eventually toppled over, hitting his head hard on the wooden ground before falling fast asleep...
...
The next thing Petey saw surprised him more than the time he found out Darth Vader was Luke's father, which is a pretty big deal. He found himself standing in a barren desert wasteland, with not a single living thing in sight, save for the conspicuous trail of flowers that grew at his feet. Looking ahead, he noticed that the flower trail grew from the rocky desert terrain itself and created a trail of beautiful colors that ran all the way out to the horizon, where the sun was just beginning to rise. Or perhaps set? He wasn't sure, but wherever he was, he knew he wasn't on planet Earth anymore.
A shadow suddenly cast across the horizon, and Petey noticed a small figure walking through the foliage towards him. The glaring sunlight at its back made it difficult for Petey to see, but as it finally came close, Petey found it to be something rather... odd. It was a small man, maybe four feet tall, wearing a leprechaun suit with a pancho over it. On its head was what looked like a German spiked helmet. Strangely enough, its face was blocked by a shifting cloud of mist that seemed to float perpetually in front of the face as a way of keeping it unseen.
The strange little man made no hesitation to speak. "Hello Petey. Welcome to the place I call home."
Petey recognized the voice right away - Mr V. However, was this little Mexican-German leprechaun really Mr V?
"Are you kidding me, man?!" Petey asked. "Mr V...? But you can't be Mr V! You just can't be!"
Petey then threw his leafy hands over his mouth. "What the-!" he muttered to himself. "...What the hell's this crap comin' outta my mouth?!"
'Mr V' chuckled almost playfully. "It's English. Get used to it. It's the only language I allow to be spoken here. Besides, it makes it easier for the readers to follow the conversation."
Petey slowly lowered his arms away from his mouth. "Readers? What the heck are you talking about?"
Mr V just shook his smoky, misty head and stood at attention. "...Well Petey, suffice to say that, despite what you might be thinking, I am Mr V. This isn't my real shape, of course. I just figured my preferred shape would be a bit much for a coward such as yourself to handle, so I decided to experiment a bit to make it more suitable. I'd say it worked out nicely. This combination of Earth cultures mixes quite well, does it not?"
Petey just laughed and shook his head. "Pssh. Whatever, man..."
Mr V nodded. "Whatever indeed. Let us begin, shall we?"
"Yeah, alright! Let's get started," Petey agreed, clapping his leaves together.
"Glad to see you're ready. Now, I will let you say the first words. Ask me any one question you have right now, and we will carry on from there."
Petey didn't have to think long about his first question. He bore down upon Mr V's small stature and said, "OK then Mr V. I got just one question - Are YOU the one behind the accidents?!"
Mr V just laughed deeply again. "Heh. Quite a vague question, as I suspected. But then again, I don't blame you for asking that. As for my answer, I will say this - I am mostly responsible for the accident that happened on DK Mountain, and I was indirectly involved with the Daisy Cruiser catastrophe. Other than that, no. I had no part in the Wario Colosseum or Mushroom Bridge tragedies. Of this, I assure you."
Petey clearly didn't believe a word of it. "Oh yeah? Well the who DID cause those first two accidents?"
"Do you really want to know at this point?" Mr V wondered. "After all, that's precisely what Group 1 is investigating, and what Group 2 is destined to find out soon enough. You should take this opportunity to ask me about details that they otherwise wouldn't be able to obtain..."
"Screw you! I'll ask whatever questions I want!"
"Your call, I suppose. However, I recommend giving a lot of thought to the matter. Time stands still in this particular place, so you literally have all the time in the world. So please, just take the time to ponder over what questions really matter..."
Petey was already frustrated. He really wanted all the bare-boned facts and nothing much else. However, maybe Mr V had a point... Mr V clearly knew a lot. Seriously, a LOT. Perhaps it would've been better to ask about other things first? Like, what was Mr V's involvement in the Daisy Cruiser accident? That might've been a good one to ask next...
Petey pondered over what question he should ask next. There were just so many, he couldn't decide which to start with. Mr V waited patiently for Petey to make a decision. After all, like he'd said, they quite literally had all the time in the world that they needed.
At last, Petey opened his mouth to speak. "OK Mr V, I think I'm kinda curious about the Daisy Cruiser accident. See, cuz I was at first pretty sure it was Wario that was gonna be the next to die cuz I saw Bowser threatening him. But then, it turns out Waluigi dies right before my eyes! Or, wait. I don't have eyes. Oh, and I didn't actually see him die. I kinda turned away... But whatever, you see my point! I wanna know the details behind the Daisy Cruiser accident, please!"
"The Daisy Cruiser accident, you ask? Very well then," Mr V said, adjusting his spiked helmet slightly. "The formula for this incident began brewing back at the time of the Mushroom Bridge disaster. You see, Peach's hospitalization from her leg injury greatly depressed Mario, mainly because he was unable to have sex with her. On the other hand, Daisy was upset at Luigi for being such a coward during the disaster, and for being a weak person in general. Mario's sex drive and Daisy's desire for a stronger partner brought the two together, and ultimately, led them to having an affair. Luigi caught them in the act, and not knowing what to do, began to contemplate getting revenge on Mario. I took the opportunity to magnify his thoughts and scope of revenge, thus leading him to dream of killing Mario during the next race..."
"Aha!" Petey interrupted. "So it WAS all your fault!! You bastard!!"
"Please! Let me finish!" Mr V ordered, holding up a small hand to quiet Petey down. "...Considering Luigi's heart was rather weak, I was able to manipulate his feelings with relative ease. I had him secretly convince DK and Birdo that Mario was the one responsible for the Wario Colosseum accident, which as you know cost Yoshi his walking ability and Diddy his life. DK and Birdo agreed to help Luigi carry out his plan of sabotaging Mario on the Daisy Cruiser..."
"Waitwaitwaitwaitwait!" Petey stuttered. "MARIO caused the Wario Colosseum accident to happen?!"
"No!" Mr V replied roughly. "Now let me continue! Mario woke up early the day of the Daisy Cruiser race to inspect the ship on Daisy's behalf, while Luigi, DK, and Birdo secretly followed him. Once he was done and off the ship, Luigi and DK loosened the bolts of the curving staircase near the pool. They planned to have Birdo team up with Mario as the driver, so that when the two reached the staircase, Birdo would stop the car, jump out, and leave Mario and the kart on the staircase so that it would eventually collapse. Thus, Mario would be injured, or perhaps even thrown off the side of the boat..."
Mr V stopped for a second, just to make sure Petey didn't plan on interrupting. Petey appeared to be listening, so Mr V adjusted his pancho a bit and continued. "When it came time for the race, all went as planned up until Birdo abandoned Mario and kart on the stairs. It turns out Luigi and DK hadn't loosened the bolts quite enough, and he was able to retreat before the collapsation. However, the babies then came driving and got stuck on the stairs themselves, pitting them in danger of suffering Mario's intended fate instead. Mario ran up to rescue them, and as he did, the stairs finally broke loose, and the babies ended up being thrown overboard while Mario suffered a sharp metal beam to the back..."
"Ooohh..." Petey muttered. "That explains the busted staircase Waluigi and I drove down..."
"You see," Mr V resumed, "Mario was actually meant to die and the babies were never meant to have any part in it at all. However, I took their fates into my own hands at that moment in time..."
"OK, so let me get this straight," Petey blurted, "You DIDN'T want Mario to die, but you DID want the babies to be thrown overboard?"
"Precisely."
"Why the hell would you want that to happen?! And, wait! What does Waluigi have anything to do with this?!"
"Let me finish and you'll know, you vision-impairing beast!" Mr V remarked. "I had the babies thrown overboard so that eventually, the boat would have to be thrown in reverse in order to safely retrieve them. I had to time it exactly so that you and Waluigi would be fired up the funnel at the exact moment Daisy threw the boat's motor into reverse..."
Petey gawked and stared at Mr V with his mouth hung open. "Are you serious?! DAISY's the one that did it?!"
"Out of desperation for own son and nephew, yes," Mr V said. "I'm sure you know all the details from there on, so I'll spare you. As you can see, what began as a misguided sexual affair eventually led to Luigi wanting some revenge upon his older brother. However, despite his initial not-so-devious intentions, his plan would have killed Mario. Make no mistake about that. After taking matters into my own hands, of course, that did not happen. Instead, you can probably say I transferred his fated death to Waluigi instead. So, there you have it. Any questions, Petey?"
Petey was still standing there in total disbelief. He couldn't understand why Mr V would do so much elaborate crap just to have someone killed. In fact, that was his next question. "Just the one question I already asked, Mr V- why did you want WALUIGI to die?!"
Mr V lowered his smoggy black head slightly. "Because, as the former Items Commissioner of the Double Dash team, he's the one that planted the dynamite on the Blue Shell that demolished Mushroom Bridge."
"WHAAAT?!" Petey gasped. "But... But why would that make you wanna kill him? I mean, I know that's terrible but-!"
"It's not the fact that he blew up the bridge that matters!" Mr V almost screamed. "It's the sole fact that he allowed himself to be influenced by the most heartless person to ever hold a position of power...!!"
Even though Petey couldn't see Mr V's face, he could almost tell that Mr V was filled to the brim with anger. Petey slowly took a few steps back, just to give him some space.
Mr V had to shake off a bit of his rage and sigh before he could resume speaking. "I apologize for flying off the handle like that, Petey. It's just... Well, if you had my job, you'd be pretty depressed by this whole situation as well..."
"Which job?" Petey wondered. "Vice President? Or President?"
"Neither," Mr V answered almost ominously. "I mean my true job..."
Petey was awfully curious about what Mr V meant by this. However, he was also curious about the whole mystery in general as well. Aye, so many questions!
Toadette continued to sit in her chair, turned away and facing the window, staring out into the night. They could only guess what the expression on her face might have been at that moment. Paratroopa, for reasons unknown, could not bring himself to read the word-processed document on the computer screen before him, and backed away slowly, whimpering to himself.
Thus, DK, Yoshi, and Birdo read the computer document on screen quietly to themselves. They each read at their own pace, but regardless, the message was the same to them all. This is what the document read:
--
It's just two weeks until the Rainbow World Cup! What an honor to be racing in Nintendo's biggest annual racing event! Rumor has it that the team we'll be racing against will be the cast of the F-Zero series. That's hardly fair - those crazy machines can move like, 600 mph! But that's OK, cuz those vehicles aren't made for tracks like Rainbow Road. At those speeds, they'll be flyin' off the edge at every turn! Should make for a pretty interesting race! Well, even though admittedly,. we may lose, it'll still be an honor to have raced in such a high division against a team of truly qualified racers. I'm so excited about this, I'm gonna begin preparations right now! Maybe I'll give Capt Falcon a call and wish him good luck, just for the heck of it!
I talked with Capt Falcon yesterday, and I gotta say, the conversation was less than fun. Through and through, he made me think a little bit about... certain matters. The races he and his team participate in are so entertaining partly because of the risk involved. Cars crashing, things exploding... Craziness! He also informed me that the Rainbow World Cup is rigged so that the more popular team always wins. I guess that explains why the F-Zero team has won it every year for the past 3 years. I created Double Dash 3 years ago, and now's our chance at glory by winning that Cup! Oh man, how glorious it would be to win that...
Mr V called me today and gave me a warning of some kind. Told me not to let my position as President get to my head or some BS like that. That I shouldn't thrive for publicity just for the sake of winning something. I dunno. That guy... He used to freak me out, but I barely listen to anything he says anymore. The guy's crazy, no doubt about it. 100 whacked out in the head. He seems to forget sometimes that he's the Vice President, and that he doesn't actually have to right to tell me how to run my own team. Still, I gotta wonder why he would say stuff like that... Meh, no I don't. Screw him. I'll be dead before I listen to another word that monster says. Methinks it's time for a new Vice pretty soon. But who to recruit...?
Talked to Capt Falcon again today. We're both real pumped up for the Rainbow World Cup - just a little more than a week away now! Yeah! But... he said something that got me thinking again. He recommended that maybe I oughtta bump up the risk factor of my races so that maybe we could be matched in popularity come time for the actual event. Pretty ridiculous, I gotta say. Double Dash has always been about total safety, and there being as little risk as possible - only implied risk. I look at the Safety Award we won just yesterday afternoon, and it reminds me of all that Double Dash stands for. Of course, the more I think about it, I can kinda sorta see where he's coming from... Besides, have you seen the size of that Cup? Man, how I'd love to get my hands on that beauty...
One week before the Rainbow World Cup. Despite my earlier self-debating, I've decided to take Capt Falcon's advice. Being my head automechanics, I've hired Koopa and Paratroopa to slightly loosen the bolts securing the wheel of one of the Turbo Yoshis. So, if anyone happens to use that kart during the Wario Colosseum race today, there's the possibility of a little spill happening. And, as cruel as it seems, since Mario is the chief Safety Inspector of the league, I can maybe just blame him if anything does end up happening. That would sure get our popularity boosted! Maybe if this goes well, I might plan a few more mishaps to happen within the week leading up to the Rainbow World Cup, hopefully boosting our popularity enough to match that of F-Zero's! Oh, the excitement! I can almost feel that trophy in my hands!
...Oh my God. How could this have happened? My intended little spill... This can't be true. I never wanted this to happen. Yoshi... I'm sorry, Yoshi. And Diddy Kong... Oh, Diddy... How can I ever forgive myself? This whole plan was blown completely out of proportion, and I dragged Koopa and Paratroopa into all of this, too. And because of it, one of our youngest racers is dead... I refuse to believe it. There's nothing to do now expect put it behind me, and be more careful in my next attempt... Yes, I'll try again. I have to perfect this art of causing mishaps to bring out publicity rating up. As much as it pains me to say, the death of Diddy DID give us quite a boost... But it's not enough. Just a little more, and we could match F-Zero. Yeah, just a little more...
Mr V called me again. He was saying all this stuff about how bad he felt for Diddy and Yoshi, and how he knew how much I wanted the publicity. No doubt, the bastard is trying to make me feel guilty. I already feel bad enough without that lunatic telling me. Screw him. Screw him to Hell. He doesn't understand...
No... Not again. That bomb shouldn't have been that powerful. Is dynamite really that powerful? But those sticks are so small... Dear God, I've done it again. I've broken her royal highness's leg, completely destroyed Mushroom Bridge, and... caused the death of yet another racer. Koopa, I dragged you into my plot, and now I've killed you. If I could speak to you right now, I'd beg for your forgiveness. This just isn't going as planned. I have to stop this... But, the ratings. Oh, the rating... We've matched F-Zero's publicity now! Yes! I've reached my goal at last! Now we have a fighting chance at winning the Rainbow World Cup! ...Hmmm... Perhaps... If we could just... boost them up a wee bit higher... we'd surpass them. Then, we'd be guaranteed to win. But, is it worth it? After all the damage I've caused already...? Yes. I just have to be extra careful this time. Perhaps just an extra large barrage of fake boulders on DK Mountain. Yeah... that should be enough to bump our ratings just high enough...
Mr V called again. He said how he'd warned me not to let this happen. What the hell does he mean by 'this'? I swear, if he calls me again, I'm gonna find some way to trace the line to his location and fuckin' strangle him. I hung up on him without a second thought, before even letting him finish. Weird thing is, I thought I still heard his voice even after I did... Naw, this whole thing is just getting to my head. I've made a promise to not risk anymore death. I just hope all goes as planned, and that Mr V stays the hell out of my business...
I woke up this morning and found something pinned to my desk. My plans to increase the number of styrofoam boulders rolling down DK Mountain - stabbed into the desk by a dagger. And a small memo attached to its handle... Oh no. They know. They know what I've been doing... They know my awful ideas to give us a chance to win the Rainbow World Cup. Oh, please no... God, help me. Whoever knows, please let them forgive me enough not to tell the others. I'm deep enough shit as it is...
Another death today. Bowser Jr... That giant, flaming boulder. It wasn't mine, but I can't help but feel it was after me. Yes... I should've been the one crushed to death beneath that thing, not Bowser Jr. He never did anything wrong. Me... I've done all the wrong anyone could possibly do. I know it. They're onto me. I've gotta do something about this... The ratings... higher than F-Zero now. Perfect. We'll win for sure. Yes, we'll win the Rainbow World Cup for sure. Yeah... We'll win it. I know it. I just know it...
Mr V... He's not human. He's after me. To punish me for what I did. He warned me, but I didn't listen. Now, he's after me. He won't stop until I'm gone for good. I know... My existence is a plague to Double Dash now. My unforgivable acts... They've been evil. That's all there is to it. They've been pure evil. I've killed... I've committed murder. I've sinned. The fact that I'm alive only means further suffering for Double Dash, the team I created so I could race with my sister. Toadette, my little sister... I love you so much. I don't want this for you. I don't want this for anybody. Mario... I'm sorry for what I've done to your name. I'm sorry Yoshi, Peach, Diddy, Koopa, Bowser Jr... I'm sorry to everybody. I will put an end to this. The least I can do for all of you is have the will enough to end this myself. Please, forgive me. And please, win that Rainbow World Cup that I desired so much as to cause all of this...
...Mr V... Thank you...
--
That was all there was. DK, Yoshi, and Birdo had long since been in tears. When they finally finished, they turned towards Paratroopa, who was crying to himself as well. It was clear why he'd avoided reading this - it revealed the truth that he had been responsible for Yoshi and Diddy's accident. Yoshi and Birdo glared at him in a somewhat sad and angry disbelief. Yoshi himself was so upset he almost toppled over on his crutches.
DK was particularly struck hard by this news. However, instead of going absolutely ape on Paratroopa like was half-expected, he instead buried his face in his large hands and sobbed heavily.
They realized, too, that Paratroopa wasn't the one to blame. It was Toad. Toad... their perfect President, had let the lust of a trophy and his power to achieve it overcome his true kind spirit. It was utterly unbelievable... a disheartening example of what power and desire to win could do to someone. And to think, this whole horrific display of human frailty and despair had evolved solely because Toad had wanted to race with his younger sister...
The four looked at Toadette, who was still turned away in her armchair, staring out at the night sky. They understood her feelings now, too...
No, they didn't. They couldn't even possibly begin to understand what she was feeling. Her own loving brother... A murderer. The reality must not have even seemed a reality to her. At least not yet. She appeared lost in a dream. A dream of better days in the past, before Double Dash had taken its turn for the worst at the hands of her brother...
They wondered, should they talk to her? Console her? Or just leave her be? It was hard for them to come to a decision. The poor girl must've been in such distress...
Mr V was acting awfully secretive about his 'true job', whatever the hell that meant, and Petey knew it. But then, if he wanted to keep it a secret, why had he mentioned it in the first place? He should've known it would make Petey curious. What an idiot!
"Petey, if you're so curious about my true job, why not just ask? I've already said you can ask me whatever you need to."
Petey snapped out of his thoughts. He'd forgotten for a second that Mr V could read his mind. "Huh? Oh, umm... alright then. I'm curious about your 'true job' and stuff. What do you actually do?"
Mr V looked up into the orange-glazed sky for a second, as though asking some higher power to forgive him for the secret he was about to reveal. He then lowered his head again, looked at Petey, and began.
"For nearly three years, you knew me as your Vice President, and just recently, I became your President. However, in truth, my position is much higher. It is something that is very difficult to explain, especially for an inferior-minded being like yourself..."
"Hey!" Petey shouted, "You callin' me stupid?!"
"Precisely."
"...Oh. OK. Carry on."
"Thank you. I shall. You see, I don't fully exist in the physical world. My real home is here in the subconscious, the land in which the only borders are those separating people's minds. Spiritually, I am of a much higher level than that of any living thing on Earth. You might even say I'm a sort of... god."
"Whoa! No way! YOU'RE God?!" Petey gawked. "Wow! Can I have your autograph?"
"No, you don't understand Petey. I may be a god by your standards, but I'm not THE God. The REAL God is of such a high rank in the universe that even I have never met It. I merely do the job It requires of me. However, I can still give you an autograph if you'd like, but only later."
"Meh, forget it. Have a word with the REAL God, and we'll talk."
"...Moving on. Now, I've described to you more or less what I am, so now to explain what I do. You see, the planet Earth is naught more than just one of God's experiments with life. Very few planets in the universe at the moment have life on them, for God is still experimenting with it. As a result, It has left a guardian deity on each experimental planet to oversee the progress of life on each. As you can probably tell by now, I was the one left in charge of overseeing Project Earth. My primary job is to maintain the balance of good and evil in this world. For example; if a tyrant begins to abuse his power for personal gain, I see fit to destroy him."
Petey had trouble believing that. "What?! So you can go around and kill any evil, power-abusing person you want, and yet George W Bush is still alive over there in the US? What's up with that?! And where were you when Hitler was killing off all of those people in the Holocaust and stuff, huh? Why'd you let him kill 6 million+ people before doing something about it?!"
"Trust me, Petey. I wanted Hitler dead as much as anybody during that time. However, it's not as easy for me to kill as you might be thinking. It's not like I can just say 'Die!' and suddenly, poof! They're dead! I can only influence their mind and the mind of those around them to cause them to die. I'll spare you the details, but I was very pleased to have eventually made him die by being run over by a pack of angry sheep."
"Sheep?!" Petey questioned. "But... That's not true! He took poison and killed himself!"
"Hehe... Nope. That's just what his followers said to make his death seem noble. In reality, it was sheep that did him in."
"Ah..."
"Indeed. And George W Bush is pretty corrupt, but he'll be out of office soon, and he'll surely never be re-elected again. On top of that, I haven't seen such hilarious strings of political cartoons starring a US President since the days of Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis. If anything, it's worth it to keep Bush around just for that! Ha!"
Petey just stared blankly. "You're one freaky guy."
"Thank you. I get that a lot."
Petey's big mouth curved downward into a frown. "So, if that's true... then how did you become the Vice President of the Double Dash team?"
"Simple. I manipulated Toad's mind into believing that I'd been elected."
"That's it? But why would you feel the need to do that?"
"I'm going to be straightforward with you - Toad was the one who caused the first two accidents earlier this week. He is the one who caused the deaths of two racers, and the consequences of his actions has resulted in the death of three others, including himself. And he did it because he'd been desiring the Rainbow World Cup for so long that when he finally realized he had the power of the Presidency he could use, he was willing to even put people's lives in danger to obtain it. I forced my way into the position of the Vice President 3 years ago upon hearing of his rise to power, and I'd been hot on his tail ever since."
Petey was left utterly speechless by Mr V's words Did he say that TOAD had been the one behind the first two accidents? All because he wanted to win the Rainbow World Cup?!
"It's not just that he wanted to win the Cup, but that he also had to power to do what he had to in order to win it."
Petey had to let that settle in his mind for a few minutes. Mr V understood that it was a difficult thing for Petey to process, so he waited patently for Petey's next statement.
Petey then asked a question. "But... Why Toad? Why did you feel the need to go after him? Surely, there are other more corrupt people on the planet that you could've been targeting instead..."
Mr V laughed. "Oh, you simple plant! Who said I could only target one person at a time? Being a somewhat 'multi-dimensional' being, I can exist within the minds of as many people as I'd like. See, even as I'm talking to you at this moment, I'm also over in Cuba trying to aid in Castro's assassination. Man, he's been a tough one! Thankfully, though, I've managed to get him infected with testicular cancer. He'll be dead from it in a few years, assuming he doesn't die of old age, first..."
"Testicular cancer?!" Petey asked. "But, I heard-!"
He stopped himself. He knew what Mr V was going to say, so he just bothered not finishing.
"Well, I hope you've learned a lot here..." Mr V said diligently.
"I have. Maybe I've learned a little too much..." Petey moaned.
"Hoho, don't worry. You'll forget it all with time. Speaking of time, we still have infinite amounts of time left. If you perhaps have a few more questions about, say, Lakitu's whereabouts or something related, feel free to ask! Otherwise, I've covered all that's truly necessary to know at this point, so I can wake you up and we can wait patiently for the rest to arrive..."
Petey rubbed his big head with his leaf arm for several seconds. His tiny brain was currently overloaded with information, and he needed to let it be absorbed before asking his last few questions. Mr V merely waited patiently.
Petey was eventually ready for some more info. Hopefully, this would be the last batch he would get. "OK Mr V. Got just a couple more questions."
"Alright. Shoot," Mr V replied coolly.
"K. First question - what happened to Lakitu? Where'd he run off to?"
"Toad has sent him on an all-expenses paid vacation to Isle Delfino, which he was promised would start directly after initiating the countdown for the Mushroom Bridge Race. It was all part of Toad's plan to increase the risk factor of the races. You see, the reason Toad caused these accidents to win the Rainbow World Cup is because the Cup is generally awarded to the more popular racing team. Because Double Dash's ratings were lower than those of your rivals, the F-Zero team, Toad hoped that bumping the danger level of the races up would boost ratings. So, on top of his elaborate accident schemes, he also sent Lakitu away to make the races overall more dangerous. Don't worry, though - Lakitu will return tomorrow afternoon in time for the Rainbow World Cup."
Petey was at first surprised to hear the their rivals for the Rainbow World Cup were going to be the F-Zero cast, but eventually decided that was irrelevant to the point. "Ohhh... That makes sense now," he said. "See, I was wondering why Toad would think that a bunch of accidents would give us a bigger chance at winning that Cup..."
"Indeed. Anything else?"
"Yeah," Petey continued. "You know the day after the Mushroom Bridge blew up, someone locked us all into an 'Employees Only' room and basically forced us to talk about the accidents? Oh, wait. You know, like, EVERYthing. So yeah, who arranged all that stuff?"
"Yes, I know what you're referring to. The one who arranged that meeting was actually Mario himself. Like the rest of you, he was merely thirsting for knowledge out of fear that he or his close friends might be the next to die. He denied arranging the meeting because he wanted to avoid suspicion from everyone else. I observed the conversation, and in fact, it was then that I began to influence Wario's mind into wanting to kill Toad. I'm also the one who opened the door for you all to leave when I was sure you'd discussed enough. Oh, and King Boo wasn't invited because Mario knew he'd be able to fly through the door and allow everyone to escape that way. Yup."
"Awesome. Stuff's starting to make sense now!" Petey chirped excitedly. "Now I got a couple more questions about you, Mr V. Answer honestly!"
"I shall," Mr V promised.
"OK, I've been thinking a little about this lately, and I think it's BS that you had no part in the Mushroom Bridge accident. So, don't lie to me - you did something to make things work out the way they did. Whaddja do?!"
"Hmhmm... You're more clever than I thought Petey!" Mr V laughed. "Alright, I'll be honest - I did slightly sway the fate of that disaster as well, similar to what I did on the Daisy Cruiser. The explosive Spiny Shell was originally going to strike Luigi and Daisy, but I provoked Luigi and Daisy to pull off a Mini-Turbo that ultimately shot them out of its path. From then on, by influencing the minds of Mario, Peach, and Koopa, I managed to get Koopa killed, for he was my main target. I wished to annihilate him for his and Paratroopa's falling under Toad's command to rig the Turbo Yoshi that led to Yoshi's injuries and Diddy's death. Just doing my job of maintaining justice in the world."
"Ohhh... OK." Petey said. "But, what about Paratroopa? You said he helped rig that car, too!"
"Well, Koopa and Paratroopa were best friends, of course. I figured it would suffice to simply kill one, which would thereby sentence the other to an even greater punishment - being forced to live with his guilt, as well as the knowledge of his best friend's untimely demise. Koopa was in a far more desperate situation when Mushroom Bridge exploded, so I decided it would be easiest to have him be the one to die, and Paratroopa be the one to live."
"I see. I see. Interesting..." Petey said thoughtfully. "So, You were targeting not only Toad, but also those who fell under his influence and did his bidding?"
"Exactly. They only did what Toad told them to do because they were bribed. Anyone willing to put others' lives in danger for the sake of money is evil in my book. And my book is official."
"I get it. So that's why you stuck around for the Daisy Cruiser race. So you could finish off Waluigi for what he did on Mushroom Bridge. Or rather, what he tried to do?"
"You're smartening up, Petey. Well done."
"And Wario's whole 'flaming boulder' thing on DK Mountain was one of your plots to assassinate Toad, done through Wario, right? So why didn't that work out? Why did Bowser Jr end up dying instead? Weren't you watching over it to make sure it went smoothly and stuff?"
"I was, but sadly, I couldn't interfere. I'd have influenced Toad to jump right out of the kart and stand there to allow the boulder to run over him. However, Toadette's loving hope that he would survive wouldn't allow me. Love - especially the family kind - can create barriers like that. Makes things very difficult sometimes. Of course, at that point, Toadette didn't know about her brother's crimes. Even if she had, though, I doubt she'd have taken down her barrier of love to allow me to do what I hoped to do. I suppose it doesn't matter anymore, though..."
"Well, it wasn't a TOTAL failure, was it?" Petey asked. "I mean, wasn't that near-death experience the last thing that drove Toad to commit suicide?"
"Hmm... Yes, I suppose it was."
"Yeah, so that accident DID kill Toad! Indirectly, I mean. Regardless, it was still a success, yeah?"
"Why... Yes, you're right! Heh... Thank you, Petey. You may even be more intelligible than I."
"Really?"
"Well... no."
"Aww..."
"Besides, it's hard for me to overcome that fact that I killed an innocent child in my attempt to reach my goal. Sure, Bowser Jr was bound to become a bumbling fool like his father, but still... I suppose all that matters is I've finished what I came to do."
This statement of Mr V's confused Petey. "But... Mr V. If you've done your job, why are you still hangin' around here? Why do you want us to know all the answers so badly?"
"Because..." Mr V explained, "By knowing these truths, it will lead all your lives in a better direction. After all, that's what I'm here on this planet for - to oversee the life of Project Earth. Additionally, I hope to see you win the Rainbow World Cup. Under the circumstances, it would be just awful if you were to not win it. After all, it was Toad's lust for that Cup that caused this string of heartbreaking events to happen at all. As Chief Justice of the world, I must see to it that you win that Cup at all costs. And believe me - this knowledge you are obtaining will give you the will you need to win!"
Petey smiled at the thought. "Yeah! We ARE gonna win the Rainbow World Cup! Don't worry, Mr V! We'll make sure everyone's deaths and injuries and sorrows and all that crap won't be in vain! We's gonna be victorious!"
"Yes! That's what I like to hear!"
"Uh-huh! Besides, ain't no way we can lose - We got a frickin' GOD backing us up!"
Mr V was silent for a little while, and as was Petey. The two just stood there in the field of flowers sprouting up from the desert landscape. The sun hadn't moved from its spot on the horizon. It was still just sitting there, waiting to set. Or rise. Petey didn't know.
Mr V at last asked, "So, ready to wake up?"
"Ehh... Just about. One more question, though."
"Absolutely."
"Yeah. It's just... Why did you choose that get-up?!"
Mr V examined his clothing; A leprechaun costume with a pancho draped over, all topped off by a German spike helmet on his mist-shrouded head. "Well, it's... complicated to explain. You see, in order to give you the true reason, I'd have to break the fourth wall. No, completely demolish it. Utterly blow it to dust. You wouldn't want that, would you?"
"Pssh! I don't care! Just at least gimme a clue or something!"
"OK, OK. My articles of clothing represent the ethnicties of someone... Very important to me..."
"Who?!" Petey urged. "And while I'm at it - What does the 'V' in your name stand for, anyway?!"
"I've already said FAR too much!" Mr V replied quickly. "You will wake up now!"
Petey crossed his leaves over his chest. "Aww, fine. Bastard..."
"Good-bye Petey. I will see you again soon..."
The sun across the horizon then quickly began to set, and as it did, all the light in the surrounding landscape began to disappear. The world faded to pitch black, and Mr V's form seemed to sink away into the darkness itself. Within moments, all was dark, and all was silent...
And the next thing Petey knew, he was awake. Back in Mr V's office. The light was on, and the door was wide open. These signs alone were enough to tell Petey that Mr V was no longer there. Where he had gone, Petey didn't know. However, Mr V's last words rang in his head over and over and over again...
"Good-bye Petey. I will see you again soon..."
"Umm... Wario? What the hell are we doing here?" Bowser asked.
"Just shut up and trust me!" Wario demanded.
"I thought you were gonna tell us what happened to you in Toad's office that one night..." King Boo added impatiently.
"I will!" Wario said. "I just need to confirm something first."
"What do you plan of confirming by coming to the DDG?" Daisy wondered.
"WILL YOU ALL STOP ASKING QUESTIONS AND JUST LET ME DO WHAT I GOTTA DO?!" Wario screamed.
Luigi stared blankly at Wario. "...Why?"
"URGGGHHH!!" Wario groaned. "Just gimme a minute, alright? I'll tell you everything in just a sec. I just gotta find..."
He stopped. He stared across the room at one Repair Guy in particular, as though he had some secret ties with him. He quickly began to walk over, and the rest followed, wondering what was up.
Wario stopped when he was but a few feet from the Repair Guy, who was wiping down the hood of Toad Kart with his back turned to them. He must've sensed that he was being stared at from behind, for he quickly turned around. When he saw Wario standing there, staring at him through confused eyes, the Repair Guy merely stared back at him in silence. Despite the mask covering his face, it was clear that this Repair Guy recognized Wario from somewhere.
Wario was the first to speak. "Hello..." he said slowly. "Do you... know me?"
The Repair Guy nodded faintly. "Jyes."
Wario appeared quite surprised by his utterance. "You... speak English?"
"I been... estudying," the Repair Guy replied.
Wario nodded in approval. "What is your name?"
The Repair Guy was silent for a short while, as though struggling to decipher Wario's question. Eventually, though, he answered, "Jyustin."
Wario nodded again, then grew a bit more serious. "Where did you meet me?"
"Ehh..." Justin mumbled. "I meeted jyou in... the office of Toad."
"When?"
"Three nights... past."
"Do you remember what happened?"
Justin was silent again, searching for the words to say. He was really having trouble with this conversation, but he was trying. "Ehh... Jyou goed in the office of Toad, and jyou seed a paper, and a... computadora..."
"...Computer?" Wario asked.
"Jyes, computer," Justin continued. "And jyou look much mad. Next, you try kill Toad, and ehh... I stop jyou."
"How?"
"We, ehh... we fighted."
"Who won?"
"...'Won'?"
"Umm... who winned?"
"Winned? Umm... Me. I kick jyour ass."
"Heh, oh," Wario said with a laugh.
"Jyes. When I beated you, jyou taked your... eh..." Justin didn't know what word to say, so he made a hand motion like that of stabbing something with a knife.
"Knife?" Wario helped him out.
"Knife!" Justin exclaimed. "Jyes, you taked the knife, and jyou put it on the desk."
"Was there something on the knife?"
"On the knife...? Jyes. A... ehh... little paper."
"This one?" Daisy called over. Justin looked, and he saw her holding up the very same knife and memo that he'd remembered from that fateful night. "Jyes! Jyes! Is it!"
Justin then remembered something else. "Oh! Also, there was other paper. Jyou ehh... stab knife in the paper."
"What was it?" Wario wondered.
"I no know," Justin shrugged. "A paper. It have a mountain, and... much rocks."
Wario nodded in understanding again.
Justin then asked a question. "Where jyou find... that?" He pointed at the knife and memo in Daisy's hands.
Being the one who found it, Luigi answered. "Under Mario's bed."
"Mario's... bed? Oh, OK," Justin replied, as though it made perfect sense to him.
"Why?" King Boo then asked.
Justin began the answer to that with another question. "Jyou know that.. Toad, ehh... committed the... suicido?"
"That he committed suicide?" Bowser responded. "Yeah, we know."
"The policia... they finded that knife in his... pocket," Justin said. "They gived it to me, and I gived it to Mario..."
"Ohhh..." Luigi said. "That explains it, then."
"So, you confirm whatever it was you needed to comfirm, tubby?" Bowser asked Wario. Wario, who seemed content with what he'd learned nodded. "Yup, I think so. I'll explain it all on the way back, alright?"
"Sounds like a plan," said Daisy, who was eager to hear his tale.
Wario then turned back to Justin, who was still staring at him. "Anything else?"
Justin scratched his chin for a second, then nodded. "Jyes. One more thing..."
"What is it?" Wario wondered.
With that, Justin reared back his fist and socked Wario hard in the gut. Wario got the wind knocked out of him and bent down, gasping for air. While his head was down, Justin followed up with a sharp uppercut that knocked his head right back up again. Then, while Wario was dazed, Justin whipped around and delivered a roundhouse kick to the face that sent Wario flying back right into the body of a nearby Heart Coach, causing it to smash into pieces!
"Puta gorda..." Justin uttered before going back to work on the Toad Kart.
Luigi and Daisy stared wide-eyed at Wario's flailing body in the wreckage, and Bowser and King Boo broke out into laughter. "Holy crap!" King Boo exclaimed. "I don't think even Mario coulda done that!"
Bowser walked over and gave Justin an enthusiastic high-five. "You, little dude, are my HERO!"
Justin just laughed and resumed working afterwards. Wario quickly climbed out of the pile of shattered wood and ran his ass outta the DDG. The rest followed, hoping to hear the details of Wario's fateful night in Toad's office two nights ago.
Justin watched then leave. Once they were out the door, he laughed to himself again. "Aye aye aye... Que locos! Hmm... Me pregunta que va a pasar ahora..."
After taking a minute or so to regroup from his shock of what he'd just read, DK walked around the desk towards Toadette's armchair. He wasn't sure why - to talk to her? About what? What would he say? He had no idea why, but he just felt compelled to at least show some sympathy towards her.
He crawled over behind Toadette's armchair and positioned his large frame there. "Toadette OK?" he asked softly.
Toadette didn't answer.
"Toadette OK?" DK repeated.
More silence from Toadette. She didn't even turn her chair around.
"Toadette...?" DK asked once more. He reached out his big hand and gripped the top of the chair, then slowly turned it around himself. As he did, Toadette came into view.
Her cheeks were wet with lines of tears.
When Toadette found herself facing her four fellow racers in the office, she quickly turned her face away and tried to hide it with her hands. However, this only made her begin to cry even more. Without a word, she just continued to bawl, her hands concealing her turned away face. DK felt so guilty for having put her in this position that he quickly reached for the chair again to rotate it back around.However, Toadette reached out and touched DK's large hand with her own.
"No..." she sniffled, "It's OK. You don't have to..."
DK merely nodded and lowered his hand.
"What was it you were asking me?" Toadette asked, pretending that she was fine.
"I just ask if Toadette is OK?" DK replied.
Toadette put her hand down on her knees and stared down into her lap. The way her braids hung down over her face made her look so cute and innocent, it almost made their sympathy for her double.
"Yeah..." she said without looking up. "I'm OK..."
Yoshi, Birdo, and Paratroopa had all walked over to try and maybe console her as well. Despite what she said, they knew she was completely torn apart inside. By all accounts, they couldn't blame her. Hell, they couldn't really blame her for the state of denial she was in, either. They were all hesitant to believe these harrowing new truths...
Birdo said some soothing words through her nasal hole. Toadette looked up and smiled slightly, but, quickly looked back down in her lap again with that sorrowful look on her face.
"Yoshi?" Yoshi asked in his native tongue. Toadette nodded her head slightly in response, causing her braids to swing to and fro.
"I do..." she said quietly. "I do believe it... But at the same time, I don't. I mean, I believe that he really did do all those things, but... Maybe I just haven't accepted it. Or maybe, I just won't ever understand..."
Paratroopa barked something that sounded like he was trying to make her feel better about something, but in actuality, it only caused her to bury her face in her hands again. "Oooohh.. But it IS my fault! Toad would've never even started Double Dash if I hadn't made it so obvious that I wanted to race in the Mario Kart Grand Prix with him..."
She resumed crying again as she continued to speak between deep breaths. "...Ever since I was little, I'd seen him driving those karts and throwing those shells and slipping on those banana peels, and... it all just looked so fun. I tried to hide it, but Toad could see right through me. He knew it was my dream to be a part of Mario Kart. To race with him... Heh, he just has this way of knowing what people's ambitions really are..."
A quivered sigh.
"Or, he HAD a way of knowing..."
She finally finished off by saying, "He wanted that Rainbow World Cup for me. I know it... I just know it..."
Unable to say anymore, Toadette kept her face shielded with her hands, looking down into her lap, and shaking her head ever so slowly. Her hands evidently weren't enough to sustain the steady streams flowing from her eyes. They leaked between her fingers and dripped onto her lap.
DK, Yoshi, Birdo, and Paratroopa knew that it was time to just leave her be now. They'd found out what they needed to know, and shared their feelings with Toadette. That was all that had to be done. It was time to return to Mr V's office. Without another utterance between them or Toadette, they began to head towards the door...
However, just as they reached the door, they were quite surprised to see Wario come busting in, followed closely by the rest of Group 2. What were they doing here? What had they found out? Oh, there was bound to be a lot of information trading in the near future...
The first thing everyone noticed as Group 2 walked into the room was the expressions on their faces. Wario, who entered first, looked morbidly depressed; like he'd just revealed a deep, dark secret. Daisy and Luigi followed behind, their faces a mixture of sadness and disbelief. Perhaps whatever Wario had been talking about had upset them?
King Boo floated in next. He seemed rather indifferent, and if anything, more confused than distressed.
Bowser came in last, looking quite angry about something. "You're a fucking liar!" he snarled at Wario. "I mean it! That's seriously the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard in my life!"
"I swear to you, I'm telling you the truth!" Wario argued back, seemingly ignoring the fact that Toadette and all of Group 1 were watching. Wario and Bowser began a heated argument that, thankfully, didn't get too physical. King Boo stupidly decided to intervene and ended up getting caught up in the quarrel as well.
Meanwhile, Yoshi hobbled over to Luigi and Daisy. "Yoshi?" he asked, wondering what the fuss was all about. Luigi and Daisy clutched one another's hands and looked at each other with sad eyes. They then looked at Yoshi, who was eager to hear what they'd found out. Birdo, DK, and Paratroopa all huddled over to hear as well.
"...We think we know who caused the first two accidents..." Luigi said lowly.
When Paratroopa heard this, he shut his eyes and promptly turned around.
"...We think... it was Toad," Daisy quivered, biting her glove as a way to keep herself from crying.
To their surprise, none of Group 1 seemed shocked by this news. As a matter of fact, Birdo slowly nodded her head, then uttered something through her piehole.
"Yes," DK added, "Toad keep diary in his computer. Tell about accidents. He make them happen."
Luigi looked at Daisy with a serious face, which she returned. Whatever it was that these two had had such trouble believing a few moments ago, must have been proven true by that statement.
"So Wario's story..." Daisy almost whispered.
"It's true," Luigi responded, looking over at Wario.
Releasing Daisy, Luigi walked over to where Wario, Bowser, and King Boo were arguing and promptly broke it up. "Hey, Wario!" he shouted above the voices, "Why'd you lead us here?"
Wario seemed to snap out of the angry fit he was in. "Huh? Oh, yeah! I was gonna look for something real quick..."
"What for?" King Boo asked. "We've already been pretty much convinced that your story's true. I mean, Toad being the culprit is... pretty hard to believe, but..."
"For God's sake!" shouted an exasperated Bowser, "He's BSing! Ain't no way in hell Toad was the killer! Mario, maybe! Or maybe Peach! Or maybe someone totally unexpected like that stupid Repair Guy! Hell, I'd believe it was frickin' Franklin D Koopsevelt before even beginning to SUSPECT it was Toad! There's just no way in hell that-!!"
"FOUND IT!!"
All the members of Groups 1 and 2 ran over to see what it was Wario had found. They saw him reach one of the desk's many drawers and pull out an ordinary-sized piece of paper. The first noticeable feature of this paper was the hole in the middle. It looked as though someone had taken a knife and stabbed right through it.
The members of Group 2 all understood right away - in fact, someone HAD stabbed a dagger through this paper. It had been Wario himself! After getting verification from Justin that his memories were indeed true, Wario had told his group the tale of what had happened that night in Toad's office. He explained the paper he'd found, the computer document he'd skimmed through, and his plan to kill Toad for what he'd done. Then the fight between he and Justin... and at last, Wario's last-ditch effort to get the message to Toad that he wasn't going to get away with his evil ways, by attaching the "I KNOW" memo to the dagger's handle and stabbing the dagger into the document on the desk.
Yes, this paper Wario held now was that document. A document describing Toad's plan to increase the number of foam boulders that would be sent tumbling down DK Mountain. A plan that Wario and King Boo had foiled in order to make room for their fiery boulder assassination attempt...
They studied the paper closely. The upper half of the paper sported a crudely drawn sketch of DK Mountain with several brown, crayon-drawn boulders on the slope. The bottom half contained a written description of the plan. It was nearly illegible, however. It must've been written in quite a hurry. On top of that, the hole that had been created by the knife had punched out many of the words.
Regardless of what the description might have said, it didn't matter. They all knew. This was Toad's plan to hopefully compensate for the wrongs he'd done by setting up the first two accidents. However, no matter what he could've tried to make better for the future, there was just no way he could've avoided the past. What he'd already done. In the end, the past had caught up with him, and caused his untimely demise... And all to win the Rainbow World Cup. It was all just so unreal...
It now made almost perfect sense to all of them, but there was still a lot of exchanging of info to be done. Additionally, they still didn't know anything about the Daisy Cruiser accident, nor anything about Mr V or his connection to the entire ordeal. These were things Petey was meant to find out, right?
Yes. They would return to Mr V's office now, and begin the information trade. It was still unknown to all of them why Mr V seemed so intent on them understanding everything, but again, perhaps this was something Mr V had discussed with Petey.
Ugh... They could only imagine what position poor Petey must've been in at that moment. Having to endure the past half-hour or so with that psycho man-thing person. They had to get back to Mr V's office for Petey's sake, too!
"Let's head back to Mr V's office now and start sharing what we've learned," Luigi announced, summing up what everyone was thinking. They all unanimously agreed and began to herd out of the room into the hallway.
Everyone, that is, except Toadette, who was still sitting in her armchair facing the window...
As everyone filed out into the hallway, Daisy noticed Toadette sitting quietly in her armchair. Her head was down, and she looked as though she could have been crying not long ago. Daisy could imagine why - how horrible must it have been to find out that her own brother had been behind all the madness that had happened the past week? Especially considering how close the two had been. They'd been like the perfect sibling bond...
"Hey guys?" she called back to the rest. However, most of them were already making their way down the hall and didn't hear her. Not too surprisingly, Luigi had stayed behind with her. She was a bit surprised, though, to see DK come walking back in as in response.
"What happen?" DK asked.
"Umm... About Toadette..." Daisy said quietly, trying to make sure Toadette didn't hear. "Is she OK?"
"No..." DK moaned sadly. "She sad that Toad was the bad killer person."
"I could've guessed. Poor thing..." Daisy said. "But still, you think maybe we should bring her along?"
"I dunno," Luigi budded in. "Don't you think it might be a bit much for her Ya know, considering what we're gonna be talking about?"
DK shrugged. He wasn't sure, though he appeared to agree with Luigi.
Daisy, however, was thinking on a different wavelength. Without asking for anymore opinions, she walked over to Toadette and stood in front of her. It took a short while for Toadette to notice Daisy standing there. When at last she did, she raised her head and looked Daisy in the eye.
Daisy was immediately heartbroken. That look in Toadette's eyes... she'd surely been crying. A tear was still working its way down her swollen, red cheek. It was like looking into the eyes of a pleading baby who'd just lost her mother.
Or brother, as the case may be...
"Yes... Daisy?" Toadette choked.
"Toadette," Daisy said softly, "This is sort of a hard question for me to ask you, but... Please don't be offended if I..."
"It's OK, Daisy..." Toadette interrupted as politely as possible, holding up her hand. "I'll go with you to Mr V's office. I'll partake in the information trade."
Daisy was quite surprised by Toadette's apparent change of heart, but it was a pleasant surprise nonetheless. Luigi and DK felt the same way. Whatever it was that made Toadette make the decision she did, they were just glad she made it.
Toadette had to take a second or two to wipe her cheeks dry. After that, she promptly hopped her tiny body off the chair, ready to walk with her three friends to Mr V's office. And that's exactly what they did.
Mr V's office was already heavy with commotion by the time the four arrived. When they did step in, all conversation slowed down quickly. Bowser, King Boo, Wario, Yoshi, Birdo, and Petey all welcomed Daisy, Luigi, and DK into the room.
However, all went dead silent when Toadette came in behind them. Toadette seemed to suspect this would happen, because she didn't even flinch. She merely walked in and took a seat on the floor near Yoshi and Birdo. "Well?" she asked. "We gonna start sharing what we know or what?"
"Toadette?" Bowser asked in a noticeably worried tone, "You're gonna join the info trade?"
"Why not?" she asked. "I'm stuck in the middle of this whole mess just like everybody else here. No reason why I shouldn't, ya know?"
Everyone looked at one another, shrugged, and nodded enthusiastically.
"Alright," Toadette announced with a nod, "Let's talk."
And talk they did. For the next forty-five minutes, that was all that was done and heard. Whirlwinds of thoughts and theories, converted into the form of the spoken word and spread about like sprinkler water, absorbed by the sponges that were others' brains. The Earth itself seemed to stand still as the discussion went on. At points, it was shocking. At other times, frightening. Sometimes maddening. Infuriating. Saddening. And, at times, utterly heartbreaking.
Yoshi, Birdo, Paratroopa, and DK did their best to recollect and share Toad's disturbing virtual diary. Toadette, who admitted to having read the diary several times over, and Wario, who had skimmed through the diary during the night of his break-in, helped out. The roots of Toad's troubled ambitions really helped get the discussion going.
Yes, Wario did tell everyone the tale of his intrusion on Toad's office that one night, now that he remembered everything that happened. Daisy, Luigi, Bowser, and King Boo all did their best to point out things he forgot to mention on his first run-through, but obviously, no one would remember better than him. Well, except maybe Justin, but he wasn't there.
Perhaps the most interesting of all the news, though, came from Petey. His private chat with Mr V had definitely been an enlightening one. His knowledge to share ranged from the Daisy Cruiser accident to Mr V's true identity.
Toadette herself proved to be a big contributor to the discussion. She shared with them some of the private conversations she'd had with Toad, including the last words he and she had ever spoken to each other. It all just made so much sense now...
Yes... It all made sense now. Every last detail. Every little question any of them could possibly pick out had a clear and definite answer to it, it seemed. And yet, while the information trade had it's share of teary and anger-inducing moments, they all couldn't have ended up more content. Because now, they understood... Understood the whats, wheres, whens, whos, whys, and hows of it all.
They understood one another as well. Perhaps some serious grudges could've still been held, but if anyone were to point a finger, it may as well have been at themselves. There was something else they had all come to terms with through this discussion - that they were all guilty. Each and every one of them, in one way or another, was at fault for all the terrible things that had happened, even those not directly influenced by Toad in the first place. No innocents at all... It was a startling truth, but a truth no less. A truth they were all sad, yet strangely content, to have discovered.
And yet, even as the string of conversations came close to its inevitable end, there were still a few trifling things that just did not have a definite answer. The biggest of them was, why had Mr V wanted them to know all this? Why had he arranged this whole ordeal in order for them to gather and share all this information? Why did he want them to understand...?
Also, judging by the fact that the lights in his office were on, and that none of them had heard his deep, soul-chilling voice during the past forty-five minutes, they all secretly wondered where he had gone to. However, no one actually voiced this question, perhaps because for one reason or another, they were just afraid to.
There was also one more question that burned deep within everyone's mind, and not because of lack of information of the past, but of the future - What now? Now that they had all this knowledge, what were they supposed to do? Continue living as they always had, as though it never happened? No, that couldn't be it... But still, what was there left to do? If anyone knew the best course for them to take now, it was Mr V. Again, though, he seemed to have all but vanished. Just one more question they'd have to wait for to be answered...
"Well..." Luigi gurgled mid-yawn, "That was quite a discussion..."
"Tell me about it," Bowser grumbled. "I still can't believe Toad was the killer this whole time. Dammit, why didn't I eat him when I had the chance?!"
"I know. It's so sad..." Daisy muttered, walking into Luigi's embrace. "Who'd have thought our sweet little Toad would do that?"
Paratroopa shrugged and barked lowly. He was clearly still feeling guilty that he'd allowed himself to be bribed by Toad.
"So, he did it just cuz he wanted a trophy, eh? Jeez, talk about low," King Boo cracked.
"Hey, don't say that about him!" Toadette yelled defensively. "He wanted it for me! I know it! So go ahead and blame me for everything if you want, but don't say anything about him, OK?!"
An awkward silence followed for a short while.
"Yoshi..." Yoshi said, reviving the conversation once again.
"I dunno. He's one freaky guy, that's for sure," Wario replied. "Speaking of which, wonder where he's at?"
Birdo honked and snorted out of her hole.
"Wherever he go, I miss him!" DK admitted. He received many confused glares, but behind all those glares, there existed a deep sympathy as well.
Petey nodded and asked a question in plant language. The question made everyone look around in worry.
"I sure hope they're both OK by tomorrow..." Daisy said hopefully.
"Yeah!" Bowser shouted, "What's a Rainbow World Cup without Mario and Peach, huh? Something not worth my time, that's what!"
Toadette then stood up from her seat on the ground. "Well everybody, this has been quite an enlightening night for all of us. I hope we all take this knowledge to heart, and remember it for when it will become useful to us sometime in the future. Mr V, wherever he's gone, obviously wants it that way, so the least we can do for him is just keep it all stowed away. Now then, we've all got a Rainbow World Cup to get ready for tomorrow, and the first step to getting ready is sleep. So, as Vice President of Double Dash, I order you all back to the Resting Quarters! Stat!"
"Ugh... Yes, Your Majesty!" King Boo uttered sarcastically as he floated out the door. Without any further comments, they were all filing out the door of Mr V's office and into the hallway, ready to head back to the Resting Quarters.
Toadette was the last one out. As she got ready to close the door, she took one last sweep of the office. Hoping to find something, maybe? She wasn't so sure herself...
Letting out a tired yawn, Toadette eventually turned off the lights and gently closed the door of Mr V's office before starting over to her own to get to bed. Tomorrow was going to be a big day...
While all the others had gone off to the Resting Quarters to go to bed, Luigi and Daisy had to make a small detour first. A detour to the infirmary to pick up their son, as well as Baby Mario. And, maybe to say a few hopeful words to Mario and Peach, too.
Luigi opened the infirmary door and held it open for Daisy to walk through.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
"No problem," Luigi replied, closing the door behind him as he walked in himself. The two walked towards the child's playroom where the doctor had said Baby Luigi was. The doctor was already gone for the night, it looked like, for all the lights were off and it was quiet as death. It made them worry that Baby Luigi was left unattended. The again, he'd spent all of last night in the infirmary without supervision, so they probably had nothing to worry about, but still...
As they headed towards the playroom, they did happen to see Mario and Peach's beds over yonder. They kept moving, though, and soon approached the playroom door and quickly opened it.
The light was still on in there, so they could easily see what was inside. To be honest, there wasn't a whole lot - a few of those tinker toy sets and a pile of stuffed animals. It was there they found Baby Luigi, curled up in the lap of a big stuffed rabbit, fast asleep. Sighing in relief, Daisy walked over and gently picked him up. She held him against her chest and was careful not to wake him up.
"Good to see Jr's lookin' OK," Luigi said, "But where's Baby Mario?"
"Still sleeping with his mom, maybe?" Daisy thought.
Luigi shrugged. "Better check and see." He turned off the playroom light, closed the door, and led Daisy and the snoozing Baby Luigi over to he cots where Mario and Peach slept.
Upon approaching Peach's bed, they both peered into the darkness to see if Baby Mario was still sleeping soundly against his mother's bosom. They had nothing to worry about - he was still there., and he hadn't moved an inch.
"Should we take him back to the Resting Quarters with us?" Luigi asked.
Daisy looked at Luigi with a raised eyebrow. "Are you kidding? Of course not! What kind of creep takes a baby away from his own mom?"
"Oh, right. Sorry..." Luigi moaned, rubbing the back of his neck.
Luigi and Daisy proceeded to slowly look back and forth between Mario and Peach. Peach with her suspended leg cast... Mario with that large red-stained bandage wrapped around his torso... It almost looked as though being awake would've been too painful for them to bear.
"I really hope they're well enough tomorrow..." Daisy said rather hopelessly.
"Same here," Luigi responded, eyeing his brother's limp body. "The least I can do for Mario right now is just pray for him, considering what I tried to do to him..."
He bent his head down in shame and closed his eyes tightly. Daisy knew what it was that was bothering him, and it made her feel guilty as well. While keeping Baby Luigi to her chest with her right arm, she reached out her left hand and placed it affectionately on Luigi's shoulder.
"Don't blame yourself for that, Luigi," she assured him. "I shouldn't have done what I did either..."
Luigi shook his head slightly. "I know..." he replied in a depressed tone, "It's just... Petey said that Mr V manipulated our minds to make the accident happen according to his will, and that his will was to have Waluigi die instead of Mario. I just keep thinking... What if? What Mr V hadn't been here? What if he wasn't the justice-keeping deity that he was? Would Mario really have ended up dying by accident? Would I have really killed him...?"
Daisy shook her head too, but for different reasons. "Oh Luigi. I honestly doubt any of this stuff would've ever happened had it not been for Mr V being Vice in the first place."
"I don't think so," Luigi replied darkly. "Toad's reason for doing what he did had nothing to do with Mr V. If anything, Mr V was trying to protect us... Yeah, that's what he was doing. He was trying to protect the innocent, and rid us of the corrupt. That's what his job is, right? Isn't that right?"
Daisy was somewhat reluctant to take Luigi's words to heart. After a minute of thinking about it, though, she came to realize that he did have a good point. Maybe he was right...
"Maybe," was Daisy's only reply.
Luigi looked at Daisy with a faint smile, but then turned his gaze down to Mario once more. He stared into the closed eyes of his older brother, hoping maybe to see what was draped behind them.
"Thank you, Mr V..." was the last Luigi said to himself before turning away. Daisy didn't quite hear what he'd said, but she probably could've guessed. Not having any more business in there, the two silently walked out of the infirmary together, secretly hoping that Mario and Peach would be all better by the next day...
By the time Luigi and Daisy made it back to the Resting Quarters, everyone was pretty much asleep already. It was about half past midnight, so naturally, they were all needing sleep. The only one who was still awake was Bowser, who was just crawling into bed when he spotted Luigi and Daisy walk in.
"Where the heck were you two?" he asked.
He then spotted Baby Luigi in Daisy's arms. "Oh..." he quickly added before plopping down and closing his eyes.
Daisy lay Baby Luigi in his bed and pulled the covers up over him. He was so deep in dreamland that he didn't even bat an eye. Luigi stood by Daisy, and the two stood there for a second admiring the sight of their sleeping son. For some reason, it had just occurred to them that he'd almost died just yesterday. Had it not been for Mario's brave actions, he very well could have...
Or was it Mr V to thank for saving their son, for having manipulated Mario's mind? They weren't exactly sure what to think anymore. All that mattered to them was that they were all still alive and well, and that they'd live to see tomorrow...
...And within the next half-hour, Luigi and Daisy had gotten into their own beds and dozed off, dreaming about the big day that would come tomorrow...
Toadette sat in the armchair of her office, with a blanket in her lap and a pillow resting behind her head. The lights were off and there wasn't a single sound to be heard. It was the perfect environment to fall asleep in, but Toadette wasn't quite ready for sleep yet. Why not, she couldn't explain.
She merely continued to stare out her window, observing the stars in the sky. She could barely make out the skyline of Mushroom City over the horizon, which looked like a bed of sparkling stars fallen to Earth itself.
And yet, Toadette wasn't looking among the stars to admire their beauty. She was looking for something. Someone... Someone who had gone. Someone who she was afraid may never come back...
Why did this possibility scare her? Was it perhaps someone she cared for? Or at the very least deeply respected? People come and go throughout life. It's but one of the many facts of life itself. However, seldom does it truly make one worry that they'll never see someone again...
Surely... It takes a very special someone to trigger a fear like that...
Despite Toadette's best efforts to find the one she was looking for, she eventually, and inevitably, drifted off to peaceful sleep...
