Lemmy Koopa walked outside amidst a throng of people that said all things to him, but they were not his focus at the moment. Peering across the forest of tents and "temporary shelters" he saw his adversaries perched atop a hill: Ludwig Von Koopa with Roy Koopa standing behind him. Many people shouted at the duo for their perceived failure to rule, but others, having undergone much and gained wisdom, sensed something else was afoot especially seeing both of the former kings together.
"Kind of risky coming here." said Lemmy with a frown. "A lot of people don't like you guys and would rather see you offed. Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"
"Cause then you'd be prepared." Roy shouted.
"Yeah, that would be better." Lemmy admitted.
"However, considering your haste to meet our persons, it is implied that you knew of our arrival before any said communication." said Ludwig, his voice amplified by a simple magic spell. "How could this advance knowledge be known aside from magical spies?"
"Your faces are kind of known everywhere." said Lemmy.
"Unfortunately this does not answer the question." said Ludwig.
"Did you bring a bunch of spies from the Amura with you?" Lemmy asked.
"What would the purpose of that be?" Ludwig asked. "Being telepaths, we already know of events before they transpire."
"Yeah, Liz is really good at that." Lemmy said. "She knows when attacks are going to happen, and to be honest it's a little suspicious since, you know, she's an Amura." Xavier suddenly moved behind her. "We all watch each other though, so it's all good. The thing that confuses me though is this enemy you're fighting: who are they? Are they just the UmNaru, or is it someone else? We had a few UmNaru attack us from the Valley of the Koopas since there were some undead with them. What are you guys doing in there?"
Ludwig did not like where this was going, especially after seeing Xavier in his current state; his son did not seem like his normal self. He needed to break this current game of charades, and to do that he decided to do a risque move.
"Oh, we do indeed have someone going through the valley." said Ludwig. "Though it is entirely unintentional that those of evil who do not...cooperate attack those settlements not caught in the current conflict. Here is the reason." With a wave of his wand, Ludwig cast a scry spell again, but this time the image took over a large portion of the sky above. And seen within were the dead marching down the eastern eaves of the valley, many thousands in all along with the dead kings which is what drew the crowds attention. Lemmy's eyes went wide at the sight.
"The headaches those of you had felt merely hours before is the beginning of the revolution against the one who has controlled the family." said Ludwig. "And subsequently, yourselves."
"You are sending the dead here?!" Lemmy asked.
"Not so, as they are headed eastward." said Ludwig. "Soon the rule of those above will be ended, and this world will obtain its long sought freedom. I must ask why you would believe an individual such as myself would bring the walking necropsy here into the citizenry when they are largely unaware of such activities currently taking place?"
Lemmy did not respond; the words did not come and for some reason he couldn't think of any. Most people seemed confused as to what was going on, though a few in the know knew what was going down, and decided to largely say nothing, aside from one or two shouting about the Amura's plans.
"Is it due to my failure to disclose the UmNaru's influence over my person during my days as king?" Ludwig asked. "Hardly a surprise, considering their degree of control during those days, though this has waned as of late."
"I wouldn't even bother trying to tell them." said Lemmy. "It's just, too complicated and they wouldn't get it."
"I do have faith for the mental capacity of the remaining citizens of the Koopa Kingdom." said Ludwig. "And, considering these times and the passing of the so-called 'End of the World,' I believe such explanations not only holds merit to our listeners, but is wholly deserved for their ears. Their systematic control over the monarchs during the past centuries, including King Bowser and my own person-"
"You know, I don't like it when other people try to direct my kingdom, especially when they're not a king anymore." said Lemmy. "I need you to leave before people start freaking out. Oh yeah, I don't want your kids staying here anymore either, a lot of people don't. It would be good if they found a better home."
"This would be a possibility if my eldest son were not currently under mental control due to a power, ironically uncontrollable by yourself." said Ludwig.
Lemmy again did not respond, but Xavier stepped forward shaking his head. "Bunch of shit." he muttered. "I'm not controlled by anyone. All the Amura are blind and controlled, aren't they? I've watched my sis and realized how blind she is to everyone's suffering out there, always having to do her duties instead." He got uncomfortably close.
"Back off." Elizabeth warned him.
"Why should I?" Xavier asked. "You're just another...enemy around here." He moved and swung his wand at her, but Elizabeth dodged and instead cast a spell at his legs, and he suddenly collapsed to the ground crying in pain. Lemmy turned towards Elizabeth but Ludwig caught the Koopaling's neck in an invisible grip and raised him into the air. With another spell from his melding wand, Ludwig managed to remove the Wand of Koopa from Lemmy's shell as Lemmy grabbed onto the Wand of the Earth, preparing to defend himself. But he was too late as a gust sent him flying against the back wall, dropping the Earth Wand in the process.
"Do not touch it!" Ludwig warned Elizabeth and she backed away as Lemmy struggled to get up. As Ludwig cast a suspended animation spell around the Earth Wand and encased it inside a rectangle of Naru magic, Lemmy bolted for the Wand of Koopa until he and the wand suddenly disappeared altogether with a flash. Ludwig blinked: that was not what he expected.
"Wha? Where'd he go?" Roy asked. Ludwig traced his younger brother's magic signature and found a fading trail of magic headed towards Genlic. "Damnit." Ludwig muttered. He wished that Iggy Junior's despellizer was finished, otherwise Lemmy might have been saved and the fight averted. "It appears that Koopa has chosen to re-consolidate his strength rather than face us in conflict. This necessitates an attack upon Genlic as soon as possible."
"What the hell's going on?" came a cry and many similar, with Lemmy's signature trail left visible for all to see. Xavier blinked and wondered what the hell had happened to him. Elizabeth met with Toadette who ran out to the balcony with a number of people.
"Lemmy has been transported by the master of the UmNaru into Genlic." Ludwig explained. "He is thus the next target along with Genlic itself. I will go to assist those who will conduct the upcoming invasion. I suggest continuing the ruling council as before albeit without Lemmy present, instead consulting my daughter Elizabeth, Lemmy's former right hand Koopa."
"Well, we need someone who knows this background stuff to tell everyone what's going on." Liz said to her dad. "Because I don't even know the total picture of this war you guys are fighting."
"Very well." Ludwig teleported the Earth Wand back into Erzembar alongside its Spirit Wand cousin.
"I'll do it." Roy offered. "I know most of it."
"The former King Roy will explain to you the hidden war that our monarchy is currently engaged in, and will serve to protect the kingdom from future attack from the UmNaru or otherwise. I am now off to prepare for the assault upon Genlic. Thank you for your attention and understanding." Ludwig disappeared, leaving Roy to himself and a number of people shouting a variety of words at him. Deciding to get a better vantage point, Roy teleported onto the balcony and looked at Xavier, who was still on the ground. "Get up." Roy commanded. "Known stronger homos than you. Get up. Don't disgrace your family."
"Fucking..." It was his uncle again, but judging the amount of faces looking at him, he decided to get up. "I don't know what the fuck I just did, alright?"
"So? We're fighting a war." Roy said. "Shit happens. Get up, beat up, heal up." Roy turned to the crowds, and Xavier rolled his eyes and sighed with annoyance. Elizabeth caught sight of a Koopa running through the crowds trying to shout something at them. "Hey Roy! It's Morton! The little one. He says the UmNaru are coming!"
"What? Is that this mind shit again?" Roy asked.
"...yeah. He just told me. They're coming out of the crags." said Elizabeth. The crags to the left had a number of creatures coming down them in the distance and here heading in their direction, along with figures with long black robes with hoods.
"Tryin' to stop me from talking." Roy muttered.
"I'm sending Amura in." said Elizabeth. "I don't know how much they have left though."
On a hill some distance away, Roy saw someone standing there looking towards him. He looked vaguely familiar. "Who's dat..." he wondered.
Elizabeth looked in his direction and cast a scry spell, but when he saw who it was Roy snorted to himself. "No shit." he said out loud. Good thing Ludwig left him in charge. "They brought Morty back. I'm gonna take care of him."
"Incoming!" shouted a voice as a fireball had been launched at the castle.
The end of the valley had been reached, with the crags opening up to the familiar view that Vincent had thought he'd never see again. It was the beginning of all his nightmares, and yet he walked now with greater ones, albeit to most other people. Their numbers made his struggles fail in comparison, though their own problems eased his pain for it seemed that everyone had their own issues to overcome. Still...
"Frozen again." Valerian commented. "Frozen in sleep, frozen in awakening."
"What happened to it?" King John ran past him to the castle, with the wall that once faced them having collapsed long ago along with other damage done by the pole shift. "My castle! Surely this must have been a prank, a skit! What of the treasury, the instruments, the music? Who could have done this..." John slumped forward.
"Let us search the magic repositories." said Alexander. "And see what remains, as any aid against the greatest enemy shall be of use." Many of Alexanders men then entered the castle along with others from different eras. Vincent walked forward into the former garden of the castle, now a snowy derelict largely buried in ice. Even the altar that had burned most of his family was now deep under and would take much work in uncovering.
As Vincent walked past the largest mausoleum, its door suddenly smashed open and flew outwards across the snow. Out stepped a tall woman with spiky blonde hair pointing upwards as well as below her neck. Like the others, she had the gift of life given to her and Vincent began to realize how binding that spell had been.
"What in the hell happened here?" she asked. "And where is Bowser?"
Morton Koopa Sr. recognized her immediately and stepped forward. "Clawdia," he began, "It is the end. We now march against Koopa."
"The last battle?...so it is the end." Clawdia realized.
"Bowser was never buried inside of his tomb." Morton continued. "Neither is he with us on this march. His fate remains largely unknown."
"I don't know where he is." Vincent admitted, wondering if he should talk to Ashley.
"And you are?" Clawdia asked.
"Vincent, a son of Roy." he said nonchalantly.
"My Roy?!" she exclaimed. "Then I haven't been dead for too long after all! Oh, Roy was my favorite, I wish I could hug him again."
"Then you must be my grandma." said Vincent. "Well, its a long story, but we're going to Genlic...and we really should get going now. I don't like hanging around here too long..."
"Genlic...the Blood King is trapped by them." said Clawdia. "The Blood King...it's Larry! It's just like how Bowser fell into their trap, even with his intentions..." She trailed off, too sad to see her own children caught up in the old political games. The dead began to exit the mansion with a few goods in their hands.
"We have acquired wands long neglected by our successors." said Alexander. "It is fortunate they were so ignored and forgotten."
But Vincent was quiet, a sense of foreboding sweeping over him. After a moment of silence, he stepped forward and the others made notions and followed him as Morton filled in Clawdia, Bowser's wife of what had occurred since their partial resurrection.
They moved into the former Koopa Kingdom, with the volcanic clouds gradually decreasing towards their right as the crags widened. The sky was covered with a layer of bright white cloud and snow fell amongst the ruins of what remained. Twisted metal and stone, the remains of buildings not devoured by nature stuck into the sky at every angle with the ground long buried by snow and ice at an unknown depth. The snow now accumulating was a little deep, running to Vincent's knees and he constantly used wind magic to clear the path ahead of him. The whole area was quiet save for their footsteps and the occasional gust of wind. No one else was seen in the frozen waste, not even a corpse which Vincent now figured were buried below them.
At length, they reached a large body of water that stretched in both directions before them, but the ruins continued even into the sea...this was the sea? It was much closer than Vincent had remembered it, back when he was held hostage at the castle. The pole shift seemed to change many things that, in his struggle for survival he did not notice at first. But this could not be ignored: the sea had crawled inland, far inland. The south of the old kingdom had less snow than the north, which made him remember seeing a map of the new world some time after his initiation into the Amura.
"That means..." He took his new wand and tried to cast a scrying spell. His vision suddenly changed and it seemed he was quickly flowing over the ocean in front of him into the distance, but looking down he saw that his body was not there and that the spell in this form was no longer vicarious, but had a direct effect. After a moment, he stopped himself from moving as he realized that what he was looking for was not there. During his imprisonment, he remembered being able to see Genlic from the castle windows, being situated across the sea at a distance but now it was gone. Vincent dispelled and his vision rapidly returned to his body and he almost fell over backwards. "This thing is powerful." he managed to say.
"What did you see?" Morton asked him.
"Genlic is not there." Vincent replied. "The world has changed."
"In the dance with Naru, the land moved to new homes." said Inauro. Vincent suddenly remembered that Lemmy had given him a map of the new world before his visit to Ludwig's Castle. That's where he saw it! He immediately threw off his pack and searched for it. "Dur dur dur..." He felt stupid, but at the same time he felt that the power of the wand still had an influence over him, muddling his thinking. Retrieving the map, Vincent unfurled it and looked for the old Koopa Kingdom. He saw that part of it, the northern half was now in the polar circle, having rotated roughly 90 degrees counterclockwise. Genlic had also rotated counterclockwise and was now closer to the equator. "It's farther away than I thought." Vincent admitted.
"This is a map of this new world?" asked Cameron Koopa, the father of Morton.
"I was told it was drawn before the pole shift." said Vincent. "I guess they knew where all the plates would go."
"Then that is where we will go." said Cameron.
"Hey Vincent!" came Elizabeth's voice. "We're having a lot of trouble here..." In his mind, Vincent saw the UmNaru besieging Lemmy's Castle with their mages and creatures, and those inside the castle erecting a magical barrier around the place to neutralize their attacks. But the majority of the populous camped outside were caught in the attack and were fighting desperately to save themselves, with only a few Amura and those from the castle free to help. Roy was seen punching a large dark Koopa in the face and sending him down an embankment. It seemed Koopa was beginning to go all out to retain his control.
Vincent turned and looked at the dead army for any ideas.
"We see what you see." said Beneth Koopa, a tall bald headed king with a wrinkly face. "And I see a purpose built come to light." He took out his magic wand and it lit up before a small rumbling was felt around the area of Lemmy's Castle. Deep below the surface in the tomb of Beneth, numerous towering crystals lit to life and, congregating their mass of energy together shot upwards through the soil and to the surface unawares. The UmNaru suddenly halted and one by one dropped to the ground faced with mental and physical pain that corroded their bodies from the inside out. Morton fell to the ground in agony as his body completely fell apart and collapsed in a pile of flesh and bone. Roy was not spared however and felt his skin burning, but the pain was far less than experienced than with the Wand of Koopa. "You ain't coming back from that." Roy spat. "Rest in pieces Morty."
"What the hell happened?" Vincent cried out, not able to put his head around it.
"It would seem the new kingdom has taken residence within my castle." said Beneth. "Since hearing the call, I have watched over their progress. Their panicked minds do not understand the workings of the light and manifested darkness to them through their fears. The harmonizer will protect them during this last battle."
"Indeed, the mechanics of Koopa will come into full use with our presence." said Marthos. "We must cross the sea to the eternal fortress, and do battle with those under the control of Koopa before gaining entry."
Several kings then stepped up and using the magic in their wands, manifested into existence strange platforms that rose above the ground by some kind of levitation. Ushered by them, Vincent jumped on one of the platforms along with the "cabinet" he had chosen for himself. Others in the back cast their own spells, and in front of him he saw the ocean water suddenly part to both sides for a distance, creating a bit of an artificial tunnel to pass through. Yet another spell was cast over everyone and Vincent found himself surrounded by a whitish bubble.
"We shall bend the hands of time to hasten our journey." said Marthos. "All that remains is your command."
Vincent took a look with his mind at what his cousins were up to. Lemmy's Castle had calmed down, though Beneth's "harmonizer" was now perpetually running to keep out the UmNaru who would have tried to counter attack again. Erzembar was also being attacked by the UmNaru, though with the pyramid's technology this seemed to be less of a threat and they were successfully being held at bay.
"Okay, let's go." Vincent said, giving the command. The platforms moved forward on their own and traveled towards the parted ocean waters with an increased speed, and Vincent anticipated the cold water hitting his skin. But as the platforms submerged and the water hit him, it washed around the bubble created around him instead and he found himself in a world under the ocean no colder than before. Behind them, the armies of the kings were somehow walking faster, and were able to keep up with their speeds which were much faster than running speed. It was a combination of ancient Naru spells that had been lost to time.
The rest of the city that had been lost to the pole shift was now clearly visible to them in a state of dilapidated damage. What was seen previously before the shift was also apparent, albeit now with the effects of the sea taking its toll on the former infrastructure of Koopa City. Passing through one of the broken streets was to Vincent like traveling through some kind of museum that he learned had existed during those times, except now stood as an image of the past that slowly fell away to the new world that took shape everyday. He felt himself get a better idea of how the city used to function if the buildings were more upright and were filled with people. Vincent began to imagine the complexity that went into building a system like the old kingdom, and he began to realize how easy it was to get one's self "lost" in such a system.
"So that's what it looks like." said Ashley's voice inside of his mind. "I always wondered how they lived."
"It feels like they weren't in touch with reality." said Trent. "That's what the buildings say. They didn't build with nature, but against it."
"Yeah, the materials there, metal alloys rusting like that and rock...a lot of that, what remains intact anyway looks like it was mostly cosmetic." Iggy Junior added in. "They probably didn't measure the resonant frequencies for any of this, and see if they worked with their own frequencies. It's like they were built to stop what nature intended and with little else in mind, so yeah, Trent is right."
"But...what were they thinking to build stuff like this?" Ashley asked.
"They were living inside of their dreams." Vincent responded. "Inside of their own heads. I saw a lot of the older people act like this. They only help others out if it matches what dream is in their head, but their dream is their number 1 desire. Liz's mom is like this. One foot in their minds, one foot in reality to make what's in their minds become real. Our race lives inside of their heads...but all dreams end. I don't think the adults understand that. All dreams end. They just keep going and going and going. I saw that a lot with the UmNaru."
"They don't understand that the only thing that grows and never dies is spirit." said Trent. "Everything else dies or transforms." This caused some introspection among the dead, as many had borne witness to their lives falling apart while others had been through prior pole shifts and knew the truth now spoken.
"Things grow, build, decay and die." Trent continued. "What matters is now. Now is the only time that can change time."
"We march now to change the future." said Marthos. "So your generation of our race can be free of the illusions wrought and webbed by Koopa, and point to the road of liberation. I sense an increasing brotherhood among your kind, a selflessness not as apparent in our earlier years. What this source may be, perhaps as star spirits from the heavens, then it is a welcome reprieve from our friend's above. This would not be the first time."
Vincent was silent, not wanting to tell them of the future of the Koopa race he overheard over the "thought waves," but the dead were now all talking to each other in the back about such things; they had already read his mind and knew what lay in store for the Koopa's in the future. Eventually, Marthos slammed the handle of his hammer on the platform. "Silence! The will of the star spirits, those more wise and enlightened than ours is not for us to challenge, lest we be as children revolting against the order of parents. In their light, we are as such. This is the end of time, the time of the Koopa, long awaited within the annals of history. To expect any less is foolishness. Let us instead clear the way for the new race to prosper. As a future Spirit King once said, everything dies and transforms, but only the soul survives and evolves."
Trent shook his head. "I'm not-"
"I sense it." said Marthos. "Already married to the concept, it is all but spoken and made so. Perhaps, with the barring of the three wands it will entail different responsibilities than in the past. Already you are willing to use your strength for the attack despite all difficulties to one's self, a sign of a star spirit incarnate."
"Even if I wanted to, I can't use the Spirit Wand because its under the influence of Koopa." said Trent. "New ones would have to be made and there's no time for that right now. I have my own wand that I can use."
"Then we shall press our attack as is." said Marthos. "We already are drawing close to the fortress." Vincent saw that the buildings had disappeared while they were talking and were replaced with sand and rock, along with debris fields that spanned in either direction, wreckage of the tsunamis that hit the coastlines. Ahead, in the distance an island of rock with a large black fortress was seen coming closer to them.
Inauro nodded. "Now is the time to attaaauuuugh!" He suddenly flexed about wildly along with a number of troops in an apparent attempt of mental control. The bubble around Vincent started to flex and blink and he began to cast his own protection spell with his new wand.
Inside of Genlic, a corrupted Larry Koopa snickered to himself as his plan was so far flawless. "Death at sea!" he said out loud. "So close yet so far! This is where the armies of history will rest, right at my doorstep!"
The bubbles broke and the sea rushed into its place, sending them all into the water. Vincent finished his incantation moments later and a new bubble surrounded him, allowing him to float in the middle of the water, but the dead, losing their traveling platforms fell to the sea floor below. Marthos then took his hammer and thrust it downward with himself to the bottom, and immediately there was a loud boom and a wave of force was sent at supersonic speeds at Genlic. It broke out of the water and slammed into the fortress, rocking Larry from his feet and onto the floor. The mind control spells now broken, the dead regathered themselves and recast their protection spell, again surrounding themselves with air bubbles. The spires of Genlic started to glow white and clouds formed above them, an apparent attempt to strike them now imminent.
"Prepare the attack!" Inauro shouted and his men brought with them parts they had carried with them all along and they began to assemble their weapon. Others of older stature began casting Naru class spells of protection against mind magic.
"Ashley, watch what he's doing!" Vincent said, but immediately after a spire upon Genlic fired a white bolt of magic at the party. Perhaps out of impulse, Vincent hovered forward and tried to block the beams path with his wand before it could enter the water. The beam halted to his amazement, though the power behind the attack combined with the wands power was not easy to maintain.
"So that's how they do it..." Ashley murmured. "Hold on Vincent! We're going to-" Another spire fired directly at Erzembar, then curved slightly midair before it traveled straight through the Temple of Marthos. The upper portion of the temple collapsed upon itself, sending a rain of enormous chunks of rock to the running denizens below. Trent, having since deflected the UmNaru attackers immediately sent himself out to help and attempted to deflect the falling stones from hitting anyone.
"Now!" Inauro ordered and the weapon, resembling a barrel type launcher unleashed a stream of intertwining magic that exited the water and directly hit the spire attacking Vincent. In a flash, the spire snapped in half and fell onto the roof above.
"What?" Larry turned and saw that Inauro had destroyed the so-called indestructible. It seemed they had become impervious to any form of mind magic. "Shit."
"There is a secret way inside of Genlic." said Valerian. "If the quakes have not destroyed it. This way." A number followed Valerian to a sheer cliff face that stuck into the water, the edge of Genlic Island and began to look for the way inside.
Larry knew that attacking the dead again would make him lose spires, so instead opted for a different strategy. He fired a beam from another spire at the Temple of Erzembar, and Ashley and her crew rocked for a moment. "Is this thing ready yet?" she asked.
"Just about!" came the cry from one of the Amura magicians working on the device. "But we can't fire with this thing blocking our path!" Indeed, the beam was specifically targeting them, and while blocked by a barrier from Trent for the time being, another spire was preparing to fire.
"This is where I come in." said Iggy Junior. "It is finally ready. Despellizer activate!" He turned a lever and after a moment the spire beam suddenly retracted its path many kilometers away by some invisible force until it came to a dead stop in the far distance.
"Nice!" Ashley exclaimed.
Vincent in the meantime had also been reading Inauro's mind and decided to try the spell for himself. It was a type of melding magic of Naru base, but with his new wand that would be no problem. Reciting the incantation in his mind, the wand fired beams from both ends that met in front of him and intertwined about themselves as they shot towards the spire firing at Erzembar. On impact, the spire shot out electric arcs but it was not enough. Vincent modified the spell and the new beam successfully broke the spire, sending it falling onto the roof as well. Valerian's men meanwhile were using earth magic to blast the ground at the foot of the cliff, sending large amounts of dirt into the water behind them. Evidently, the door was buried.
"The entrance lies buried, but not far from the surface." Valerian said, confirming his thoughts.
The other spire fired at Erzembar, but fell short of its intended target due to the despellizer. Copying what Inauro and Vincent had done, Ashley fired their weapon, and it traveled alongside the beam until it hit and destroyed the spire with a moderate explosion. Only a few remained. "Now we just need to get in." she said out loud.
Suddenly, Valerian and his men were sucked into the ground by an unknown force. "Valerian!" Vincent shouted and immediately went after him along with a number of kings and queens, including Clawdia. They were spit out by the raging current into a very large room that was rapidly filling up with water. The walls were similar to those found on Genlic's exterior and Vincent knew that they were finally inside. At length, the pressure found its equilibrium and the water stopped flowing inside. Vincent looked around for an exit and saw the room was actually several stories tall with exits high above them. Balconies encircled the perimeter, and on those a number of figures were seen running across shouting out orders.
"UmNaru." Valerian noted, and at that they all attacked at once, sending fireballs, iceballs and even electricity into the water. Before the bolts hit however Vincent levitated himself out of the water and repeated the spell back at them, with bolts attracting themselves to any reachable target. Dozens of UmNaru were electrocuted simultaneously and most fell to the ground dead. By that point, the kings and queens jumped up to the second level, some simply jumping out of the water while others forced a stream of water to the level before freezing it while Vincent and a few others merely teleported. The remaining UmNaru retreated out of the room. "There are UmNaru in here." Vincent told Ashley. "Hurry up, will you?"
"Coming!" Ashley replied. "Vincent is already inside!" she said out loud.
"Then we ourselves must be moving." said Ludwig, coming into the room with a despellizer under his arm. "The second despellizer is now built and ready for use. Though regrettable that the first could not be finished in time for the conflict with Lemuel, this outcome I imagine will be quite different. Let us now gain entry into Genlic."
Ashley cast the melding spells and the weapon shot out towards the eternal fortress. The intertwining beam hit one of the upper levels and blasted its way through the outer wall, shaking Larry and prompting him to immediately head for the blast zone.
"It is a success." Ludwig blinked, amazed that something had been finally found to destroy it. "With a hole in the magical defenses of Genlic, we can now teleport." They all began to teleport inside en mass. Ludwig himself disappeared and reappeared inside the black fortress with a look of wonder. At length, he huffed. "It has been some time since my previous visit." he commented. "Yet it is still a wonder the solution for breaking this unknown substance has been found, at least magically speaking."
"Can we worry about that later?" Ashley said, looking down the hall.
"As you wish." said Ludwig. "Though this puzzle had long remained unsolved for centuries."
"He's coming." she said, and moments later Larry appeared at a distance in front of them. There was a faint purple glow in his eyes, reminiscent of UmNaru control. "What is this? Back for retribution?" Larry pulled out the Blood Wand ready to cast a spell to imprison them, but Ludwig then activated the despellizer and by the time Larry attempted to cast the spell, the wand suddenly fizzled at the tip.
"Huh?" Larry blinked, then suddenly he yelled out in pain as the mark of Amura burned his skin, now free to work its magic as the spells of control over him disappeared. He dropped the Blood Wand and clutched his hand, stumbling backwards in a stupor, his mind under revolution.
"Do not touch it." Ludwig instructed, after resisting feelings of his own revenge against his younger brother. As with the Earth and Spirit Wands from before, the Blood Wand became entrapped in suspended animation and was then teleported to Erzembar. "I must say that Iggy Junior deserves the credit in this situation." Ludwig admitted. "As without such a device, a battle would have been inevitable."
"We got rid of the UmNaru for now." Vincent told Ashley.
"We're on the upper levels." Ashley said to him.
"All that magic disappeared though. Is that the despellizer?" Vincent asked.
"Yeah, Ludwig activated it." said Ashley, looking at her dad who seemed absorbed in his own thoughts, though the pain had subsided.
"Looks like I failed." said Larry. "And Iggy, and Penny, and Lemmy, the master puppet. And..." He looked down the hall and found Mona staring back at him. "The wands are a prison." he continued. "Chosen to wield power, you become his slave in return. When he gave me that wand, he just made me the ultimate slave to his will, just like he was. The monarchs are the losers while everyone else walks free." He snorted. "I should have seen it. We all should have seen it. The Wand of Koopa? Really? I knew it, but did nothing. It stayed in the back of my mind and something would always keep it there if I tried to pull it out, someone asking me something, something happens to interrupt me, all of it. So my thoughts were controlled despite what I tried to do. Does any of this matter then?" He stood up. "If everyone's thoughts were controlled, then does any of this matter?" He looked back at Mona, and noticed a legion of the dead standing behind her and she seemed completely oblivious.
"Mona, don't look behind you." Larry told her. "Just walk towards me."
"...okay." she nodded and did so, but couldn't help but turn around after reaching him. "Holy crap." Her face went pale at the sight but no other words could escape her mouth. At the front of the pack was Vincent who merely looked at them. Hidden within the pack was Clawdia who merely looked on as the situation unfolded. Though wanting to make herself known to her children, her better judgment told her to let things take their natural course.
"I guess you've come to rip my head off." said Larry.
"A just punishment for what you deserve." said Valerian.
"Except you would be doing Koopa's bidding." Larry pointed out. "And be no better than the puppets we all are. Were, rather. All of Koopa's spells do not work here, not even his little lightning shows he likes to do. If you act, it's out of your own free will."
"Indeed, we are puppets of our own upbringing." Marthos said, appearing from the back of the crowd.
"So you're Marthos." said Larry.
"One whose thoughts were controlled cannot be blamed." said Marthos. "For it was not one's true intention. There are those with us who do not understand this principle, the cause of the effect who would harm you."
"And they wont." said Vincent. "They wont hurt anyone here. They were lost in a world they couldn't control."
"Finally, someone else gets it." said Larry.
"Despite being appointed as head, I feel it wiser to leave the position to you." Marthos said to Larry. "For this is a matter controlled by the living."
Larry frowned. "After what happened, I just feel like resigning actually."
Ludwig stepped forward. "The Earth monarchs are replaceable, even the Spirit monarchs are replaceable, with their positions being filled albeit temporarily by our prodigy. However, your person is currently irreplaceable and I strongly urge you to reconsider your decision. The only alternative in my view would be myself, and my person is not specialized in intricate family politics such as yourself. Furthermore, your position is not suited for children, even as a temporary substitute due to the intricacy required which the majority of adolescent minds are not developed enough to handle."
"I came to see if you were alright." said Mona. "Not to see you quit."
Larry laughed. "If that's what you want." he said to her before turning to the others. "Then, my first order as a free koopa is that as long as Koopa exists, then the monarchs will no longer exist. No more Earth, Spirit or Blood kings or queens. It's the wands that made them, made them like this." He pointed to his horned head. "And I know this is Naru blood that runs in the family line, so all of this is just an excuse to keep the Naru's power over the "slaves" until Naru does return. But they will never return, so what's the point of them now? The entire point of the wands was to activate our Naru genetics so their millenia old policy can continue. Not anymore. I will not let any of our kids grow these horns just to have their thoughts directed, and I would also bet that the new race had those genes culled out of them a long while ago."
No one said anything. "There are no gods, only koopa's." said Larry. "A so called god such as Koopa must be destroyed."
"That's what we're going to do." said Vincent. "But I think this would be a smart time to get some rest. I'm exhausted and haven't slept since visiting Ludwig's Castle."
"I do not understand the value my old construction may now have." said Ludwig. "Save as a shelter, considering the dilapidated state it is now in, and I do not wish to imagine what has been vandalized since my last visit."
"To visit the core and see what we haven't been told." Vincent said bluntly. Ludwig shifted his weight in annoyance, but with an army of dead behind the youth, he decided to stay silent and keep his thoughts to himself.
"There's another one here." said Ashley.
"Yes, the original." said Larry. "If you want to look at it, I'll let you. But for now, I'll take you up on that offer. The despellizer has basically made all of Koopa's spells worthless so he can't attack us here. The only problem is Lemmy, but I don't think he'll do anything to him. He's already been pretty useful to him so far. Let's get something to eat."
"The dead do not sleep like the living." said Inauro. "But we will honor your wish and protect you against any UmNaru who might attack during your slumber." Indeed, the cloudy sky was already darkening and many were beginning to get hungry.
"There is a way to get a full nights rest in only a few minutes." said King John. "Mmm, 10 minutes to be more precise. Perhaps 15 minutes for those indulgent in dreams."
"But how can we trust that our party will not be harmed during the process?" Ludwig asked.
"By me saying that you will not harm or take advantage of any of us in this room." said Vincent. "I like this idea better. Leaving Lemmy down there for half a day is just a bad idea. That's what I feel."
"Yeah I agree." said Ashley. "We should get down to wherever Koopa is as soon as we can."
"It is a simple trick of the mind." John smiled. "Found on this planet, and not on that giant comet. You will all go under simultaneously and then awaken as if you had just blinked, and yet be fully rested! Do you wish to try?"
Larry sighed. "It isn't the first time today I was mind controlled, I guess it's not the last. Yeah sure, hit me with your stuff." Ludwig then adjusted the despellizer to only allow magic from John, as the rest had been blocked automatically.
At that, John cast a purple spectrum spell and Vincent felt his head droop towards the floor until his eyes shut and he knew no more.
Vincent opened his eyes and felt too relaxed to move. Evidently he had fallen to the ground, though didn't feel hurt. Turning his head, he saw his compatriots in similar positions, and most were attempting to get up.
"Did you rest well? Hehheh!" John asked, seemingly dancing in place. At least Lemmy's genetics had an origin it seemed.
"Yeah..." Vincent slowly crawled back onto his feet.
"That felt like having a 15 hour power nap." said Larry, also getting up. "And I'm not going to complain about that."
"That was the best nap ever." said Mona. "Is it time for the 1 minute breakfast?"
"We can eat on the way there." said Larry. "Getting to the bottom of Genlic will take longer."
"And what's down there?" Vincent asked as he tried to get Ashley up.
"The Tomb of Koopa." said Larry. "But I have a feeling he's not really there. That's too easy."
"Then let's find out." said Vincent, and after getting the others up they all proceeded down the hall rather leisurely, most still trying to wake up. Vincent took off his pack and rummaged through his food, and ate a few slices of bread before drinking from his canteen. The others did the same, as Ashley had expected a long mission inside Genlic fighting the enemy and had packed accordingly. Larry himself stopped by his old room and picked up a few more things to eat. Eying his journal sitting on the desk, he decided to take that with him too.
At length, they reached a wall that housed several light elevators. Larry stepped inside one but nothing happened.
"Ah right." Ludwig muttered and readjusted the despellizer. "That should suffice." But Larry was already gone. Mona followed afterward along with the rest of them behind her. Vincent found his body suddenly demolecularize and shoot downwards at rapid speeds before he re-solidified again. They were in a small dark room barely lit, and everyone took out their wands to light up the area in front of them. It seemed to be some kind of storage space.
"This actually isn't it." said Larry, and he walked over to one of the sidewalls. Using his mark of Amura, he waved his hand over the wall and it suddenly parted like ice melting on a hot day, revealing a secret light elevator. "This way."
In small groups they entered the elevator that brought them much lower in the ground than before. When arriving, they found themselves in a well lit room, an orange and red ambiance permeating from crystals set upon the walls. They were upon a balcony that slowly descended itself around the room like a spiral, and at the bottom in the center of the room was a very long coffin seemingly made out of concrete and elaborately decorated with a variety of symbols and writings. Surrounding this on the walls in each cardinal direction were etched a single symbol different than the others. Pillars took up the diagonal quadrants, each with a variety of writing etched on the four sides of each.
"This is obviously not it." said Ashley.
"You're right, this is way too easy." said Mona. "With this guy being so secretive, he probably set up a bunch of traps."
"I know its some kind of puzzle, but I never got the time to figure it out." said Larry. "I never got the time to redirect my thoughts to this room, I mean."
"Why don't we just open the coffin?" Vincent suggested, and scanned the object for any magical traps that may be on it. However, he detected a number of transparent barriers surrounding its exterior. "There are spells around this." he said.
"This room is magically sealed from any outside influence." said Marthos. "And is indeed built like a puzzle. The barriers come from within, designed to halt any perpetrators and raiders in mind. There are many secret paths and intricate code written in lore now lost, every path designed to illustrate core truths discovered by its creator. But the sinister motive was this: that in the time one used to unravel the discoveries, that Koopa would've used to sufficiently prepare himself to meet the infiltrator. Such a "normal" route to the self proclaimed father is rather stringent on our time. Therefore..."
The hands of Marthos glowed a number of colors, and stepping forward he reached out to touch the lid of the coffin. He was met with an invisible force that jolted the ground before the magic barrier harmonized with his hands, and the lid of the coffin shifted with dust shooting in all directions. Marthos pushed the lid aside and seeing what lay within, laughed loudly.
"What is inside?" Inauro asked and everyone moved in to take a peek. Inside was no corpse, but instead in the center lay a single gold coin. Laughter erupted in the ranks of the dead.
"That is a classic trick." said Morton.
"That was the same thing I used!" Rendell Koopa claimed. "Right upon hill devornum!"
"You leave a single coin like this, he knew they were after treasure." said Alexander. "A penny for beggars?"
"Thieves are all on the search for treasure." said Morton. "But the rich life is not found in front of you, but within you. This is the lesson."
Vincent reached inside and picked up the coin, which was emblazoned with ancient symbols that he could not read. However, he didn't notice a plate underneath the coin, and it suddenly rose upward and the whole coffin began to shake. Everyone backed away and the coffin raised up off of the ground upon a long stone block that rose into the air at a great height until it revealed a cavity within. A stairwell was seen descending into darkness and the entire massif stopped at the top step. Surrounding the block were more carvings in ancient.
"Now you understand the illusion of wealth." Inauro read aloud. "But this was merely the first step. Continue forward if you dare."
Larry scratched his head. "I feel that a lot of this is beyond us."
"Be that as it may, you are the gatekeepers to an era of freedom." said Marthos. "An era that may only be brought about with the defeat of Koopa. Do not misjudge potential you have yet to discover within you."
"I keep getting manipulated, but whatever you say." said Larry.
"It would seem the despellizer has no effect upon this room then." said Ludwig. "Upon reflection, it would appear to be logical to counter a despell through a variety of mechanisms to preserve an important room such as this. Nevertheless I shall keep the device on my person in the event it may prove useful."
"I would just keep it activated period." said Larry. "You never know when it'll be handy.
"Ready?" Vincent asked, looking behind him.
"Go for it." Larry replied, and with that Vincent began his descent down the steps followed by the others behind him.
