PHASE 10

Forever Fortune

(Morning, in Toad Town)

Innkeeper: Get-OUT!

(Jonas goes flying out of an Inn; he lands, dazed and confused.)

Jonas: I think…I might've over paid…

Jonas: …Ughhh…Why am I doing this again…ert?

Goomba: Because you got no job, right? You needed something to do, right? Jumped into this a little too fast, right? Getting kicked out of Inns, just because they don't like you? Didn't know about the Shy Guy uprising years back?

(Goomba has suddenly appeared)

Jonas: Ert, what?

Goomba: There was a time when a large group of Shy Guys plotted to overtake Toad Town, with some General as their leader. But do you know who stopped them?

Jonas: Ert…

Goomba: Mario! It's Mario! Who else would you expect! He does everything, doesn't he? He's the great one, right? Everyone knows his name, but no one knows our names!

Jonas: Well, ert, my name is-

Goomba: I don't care. We have no identities…it's…it's…like…we're all-COME BACK!

Jonas: (Scurrying away) Ert, very sorry. Must be on my way…ert.

Goomba: Don't forget me, my friend. The world is waiting for us to rebel. We just-

(Goomba's voice drowns out. Jonas scurries through town, ignoring nasty looks from Toads. Switch to Celistar. "The Group" has reached a river.)

Penter: We've finally made it…this is the Kappa River.

Wes: Kappa…

Penter: It is a very old river. All the way back to when the Kappa's launched their great attack.

Celistar: Kappas…Koopas…?

Penter: No, they are different. The Kappas are another species. They live far up this river. More then a century ago, they launched an attack on the Castle. Fortunately, a blizzard occurred right when they attempted to attack. They are now a near extinct species, due to the freezing cold that killed so many of them.

Celistar: Why haven't I ever-

Penter: As I said, they are near extinct. And, they are insane savages.

Celistar: …

Wes: (Looks on with a strange look)

Penter: Anyway, we need to get across this river. Celistar, you need to leap across.

Celistar: WHAT?

Penter: I SAID YOU NEED TO LEAP ACROSS.

Celistar: This River is almost…20 Feet…

Penter: Yes?

Celistar: (Stares at Penter for a few seconds.) I can't jump THAT far.

Penter: You're father is Mario…of course you can.

Wes: (Imagine a Koopa's face, when he learns that he has been traveling with Mario's daughter.) Awk.

Penter: Hm? What?

Wes: You're…you're Mario's daughter?

Celistar: I knew this would happen SOMETIME.

Wes: I…I… (GULP)…but…you…are our Kingdom's princess. I must get accustomed…you are no different…then anyone…else.

Celistar: (Looks annoyed.)

Penter: I am glad you are accustomed to our Kingdom, Wes.

Wes: Yes. I'm okay…it's…nothing… (Still looks tense)

Celistar: Don't act like that. My father only…defeated…bad Koopas…

Penter: Yes…bad…Koopas… (Has a look on his face)

Celistar: Why are you-?

Penter: No more time for questions. The search is still on, and once we are in the Forever Forest, we can hide.

Wes: Hide?

Celistar: Yes. We're escaping from my obsessive Mother and her group of slaves.

Penter: Their not slaves, Celistar. They simply love to work for your mother.

Celistar: Their mindless.

Penter: Yes, yes. We still need to cross the river. And YOU Celistar…you still need to jump.

Celistar: As I said, it must be at least 20 feet-

Penter: It doesn't matter. I'm sure you'll make it across.

Celistar: And what if I fall in?

Penter: You'll wash up at the Chesim Dam. And we'll be able to fish you out.

Celistar: You've got to be kidding.

Penter: No. Now jump! Oh wait…give me your backpack…

(The usual hesitation. Celistar looks in. A cheep-cheep with teeth looks back. Celistar almost says something, but decides not to complain. She takes the jump-and-)

Wes: Uh oh.

Penter: I am sure-

(WUMP)

(Celistar just barely lands-on her stomach. The rest of her body below that is in the water. Not for long-)

Celistar: AHH OUCH!

(Celistar leaps out with amazing speed, her knees with bite marks all over them. She falls to the ground in a comical fashion.)

Celistar: There. Your great idea worked. Now how are YOU going to get across? Feel like swimming?

Penter: No. The current is too strong. We shall be using this.

(Penter pulls a retractable ladder out of his backpack, and-retracts it. Penter and Wes cross-Wes with a little nervousness-while Celistar looks on, too shocked and angry to move.)

Celistar: What-what-what-what-what-what-

Penter: Come on. A few more steps into the forest.

Celistar: What-what-what-what-what-what-

Penter: Celistar, you need all the chances you can get to train.

Celistar: What-what-what-what-what-what-

(The group enters the Forever Forest. Scene switches to the Apprentice, who is also entering the Forever Forest, from the Shrub Lands.)

Apprentice: Heh heh. The only problem left is how I'm going to cross that blasted river…

(Back to Jonas, now continuing to scurry through Mushroom City)

Jonas: Rebellion, ert, that guy must have been kidding…ert.

(Speed change to night. Back to Forever Forest)

Penter: That was fast.

Wes: What?

Celistar: The fire…we started it surprisingly easy.

Penter: It is a forest, after all. But be careful. We must not burn down the forest. And we are only making this because the trees block out the smoke from escaping.

Celistar: We shouldn't burn down the forest? Are you SURE?

Penter: Many incidents have happened…Cel…are you still mad about the river?

Celistar: No.

(Slow fade to darkness. Celistar's nightmare. It's back. Celistar is running through the castle…six…tripping…opening the door. And the figure turns. It has a mask of gold. It is a Mask of an eternal grin. Melded like…something familiar. The mask…it resembles something…but Celistar can't make it out. Then…the figure speaks.)

Mask ?: Celistar…Celistar…you're d-

(Instant blackness. Celistar wakes up with a scream. Everyone else stays awake, through some strange sleeping powers. Celistar blinks. And desperately tries to remember the mask.)