Chapter 12: The Return to Nimbus Land

Dawn cracks on the Mushroom Kingdom; with the sun slowly spread its rays across the grasslands. Dew has set on the grass' blades, with the sun shining through the drops, making them shimmer brightly. In a humble little wooden house on the far end of Toad Town, Alex is currently working on breakfast, flipping a flat piece of batter in a pan with a spatula while whistling a tune to himself. He then places the pan down onto the stove top to let it warm up so he can flip it again. The boy has been up for two hours now, with the Mario Bros. still sleeping soundly in their room. "Almost done...I'm surprised how easy it was to make pancakes in this world, even though the ingredients are substantially different than on Earth." Once he is done talking to himself though, he looks up at some of the batter that has stuck to the ceiling, its gooeyness slowly dripping down onto the counter.

"Heh, I'll make sure to clean this all up after I've eaten." He says with an embarrassed smirk before he looks back down at the pan and continues to whistle. After a minute or so more work, the last pancake is done, and as he uses the spatula to move it onto a plate where the other six are at Mario comes into the room. The plumber lets out a quiet yawn due to just awakening, stretching his arms into the air as a couple smacks of the lips alert Alex to his presence. The boy turns his head, his warming smile being the first thing Mario sees once his vision has come into focus. "Oh...Mooorning Alex." The plumber says, a second yawn coming on and causing his pronunciation of the "o" in morning to get stretched out.

"Greetings Mario. Did you sleep well?" The boy says in a cheerful tone of voice. "Yeah, for the most part...The soreness in my muscles made it difficult to fall asleep at first, but once I got over it nothing woke me up throughout the night." While he talks, Mario sniffs the air, a tantalizing aroma entering his nose and giving him a glazed expression as his tongue sticks out slightly. "That smells delicious..." Like a zombie, the plumber lumbers over to the counter and takes one deep sniff in over the pancakes, his pupils widening as he wraps his hands together and presses them against the right side of his face. "You made these Alex?" He says upon regaining his composure, surprised by the fact that someone of the boys age could make something that smelled as good as those pancakes do.

"Yep. I had to work out a few kinks due to how this planet's eggs and milk are like, but in the end I think I got what I wanted. But yeah, go ahead and serve up. Just make sure to leave two for Luigi, alright?" With a complying nod, Mario and Alex get some plates and utensils out and head to the table with their pancakes to eat. Inevitably, Luigi gets up and comes at as well, and after his brother fills him in on the details he goes to get his own plate so he can fill up on those delicious pancakes. But as he lowers his arm after closing the cupboard door, his sleeves gets stuck on some of batter on the counter, his body being jerked back into the cabinet door once he tries to rush towards the table.

"..." Not knowing just why this has happened, the man in green gets on his feet and tries again, only for the same thing to happen. When Alex and Mario take note of this, they glare at Luigi with their eyelids at a slant. Surprisingly though, Luigi's next effort results in him tearing away from the batter and...Promptly runs into the table with enough force that both he and it crash onto the ground, taking the rest of his friend's meals down with him in the process. Mario and Alex stare at each other with little emotion for a few seconds, then move their heads to look at Luigi with a hint of disappointment over the fact that they couldn't finish their pancakes off. The man in green is stuck against the wall with his head spinning and his rear end sticking into the air, the broken pieces of the table scattered around him and the bitten pancakes placed on his chest.

After the heroes work together to clean things up, they leave the house with their stomachs barely filled due to them having to split the remaining pancakes amongst themselves. Luigi's in particular is already starting to growl, the man in green placing his left hand on his belly and rubbing it with his body barely able to walk straight. "I really need something to eat..." He bemoans. "We will grab a few Shroom Shakes later. Right now, we need to hurry on over to the lab to see how Driad is holding up, and then find out the location of the next temple." Mario responds, and with that his brother decides to just bear through his hunger pains for now. A quick trip through the green pipe outside their house brings the heroes back to Toad Town, where an uneventful stroll takes them back to E. Gadd's lab.

As they walk down the staircase, some clatter is heard coming from the bottom along with E. Gadd pleading to someone. Hurrying to see what is causing the commotion, the heroes are both shocked, horrified, and glad to see Driad swinging around like a maniac across the pipes on the ceiling. They are shocked because they didn't expect their friend to be this energetic upon being revitalized, glad that E. Gadd managed to save him, but horrified because there are what appear to be bullet holes above them and the professor currently has a tranquilizer gun in his right hand. Mario and Luigi run over to the old man, while Alex flies up and tries to calm his friend down with his hands put in front of his chest. "E. Gadd, what the heck are you doing?" Luigi yells out in disbelief.

"Trying to calm your friend down, after I got enough sunlight in him to get him back to normal he accidentally got into my special fertilizer and went bonkers. I've been trying to tranq him for the last hour or so, but it is a good thing that he hasn't destroyed any of my-" As Alex thrusts forward to try and grab Driad, the Crayzee Dayzee swings out of the way while laughing excitedly, a section of the pipe he was just on coming down and breaking some empty beakers along with the table that they were placed on. "...Never mind then." E. Gadd nonchalantly says as he fires a shot at Driad, which misses and puts another hole through the ceiling. "What type of tranquilizer darts are you using?" Mario says, having a hard time believing that a dart with a thin needle should be capable of piercing any metal surface.

"Darts? I'm using bullets here." E. Gadd's calm announcement causes Mario to drop his jaw in utter shock. "BULLETS? ARE YOU INSANE?" "Oh, like you have never used bullets before Mario. Besides, I need something thick to get into Driad's vines so it will work properly." The professor says, firing two more shots in rapid succession that of course fail to hit their desired target. Luigi ducks and covers his ears, the boom coming from the gun being too loud for him to handle. Alex decides that it is too dangerous up in the air for him to stick around, and quickly lands on the ground before he is accidentally struck by a ricocheting bullet. After ten more seconds of continuous firing and missing, E. Gadd clicks the trigger to find that his ammo supply has been emptied, so he flings it over his left shoulder and dips his right hand into his pocket protector.

He pulls out a small latex bag filled with fertilizer and wiggles it up in the air in front of him, using two of his fingers to unseal it so the scent can travel to the Crayzee Dayzee. "You're gonna feed him more of that stuff? We don't need him rampaging across town Mr. Gadd!" Alex points out. Driad smells the succulent scent and twists his head around to look at the bag of which it is coming from. With his frenzied eyes now wide-open and his face frothing at that mouth, he leaps down and swipes the bag right out of his hands, though E. Gadd doesn't even bother to put up a fight. The flower warrior dumps the fertilizer into his mouth, and after shutting his mouth he instantaneously falls onto his back with his eyes still open and a goofy grin adorned on his face.

"Well, glad that is out of the way. Now let me get you up to date..." E. Gadd says, placing his arms behind his back and moving towards a nearby table as the heroes wonder about the professor's lack of care in regards to Driad's current condition. "Ummm, Professor...Is Driad going to be ok?" Alex asks first. "Ohohohoho, yes, he will be fine. I gave him a light dose of sleep medicine, he will be back up in a few minutes, and should be back to his normal self. Anyways, I came up with something to solve his energy problem." E. Gadd pulls a plain ol' clay pot off the top of the table and holds it out in the palms of his hands. Luigi scratches the top of his cap and leans in to see what is so special about a pot filled with dirt.

"Umm...What are we looking at exactly?" The man in green asks, lifting his head to look E. Gadd in the glasses. "Its my latest invention, the S.P.P.F., or the Solar Panel Pot for Flowers in full. I installed some solar panels into the inside of this pot that'll send out the ultraviolet rays necessary to energize Driad's body so long as he sits in the dirt. All he will need to do is press this small button on the rim of the pot and VIOLA, he will never have to worry about losing sunlight at night ever again! It is such a shame that Driad is the only floral based lifeform afflicted with this condition. I could see the properties of this pot being of great value to the populace otherwise..." Luigi takes the pot from the professor's hands and nods to thank him for doing this. Mario and Alex do the same, uttering the words "Thank you for doing this" in unison.

The man in green turns around and walks over to his brother. "I'm going to go drop this off at the house. I'll be back in a few minutes, ok?" "Mmm-hmm." Mario responds. The man in green leaves the lab, and after he has typed something up on his computer E. Gadd turns around and holds his left hand out. "Now then, if you may hand over the iGadd I can give you the location of the next temple. I must admit, the place that this one is near should invoke some nostalgia for you Mario." The plumber pulls the device out of his overalls and tosses it off to the professor, who nearly fumbles the catch before placing it into the computer so the data can be transfered over. It only takes a few second for the process to unfold, and the device is returned to Mario with the map screen already on.

The plumber holds the iGadd up to his face so he can get a better look at the dot. But the name of the town next to it causes him to grin from ear to ear. "Well I'll be darned..." Curious as to just where they will be going next, Alex walks over to the side of his friend and leans his head over to check the map. "What is it Mario?" He says at first, but a glance of the name allows him to understand just why the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom is reacting the way he is. "Nimbus Land? Well isn't this a surprise?" After he has spent a few moments remembering the adventure that took him to that town, Mario notices something off about where the dot is located. "The next temple is floating in the sky? How can that be?"

"I'm surprised that you are questioning that Mario. The next temple is the...Err, Sky Temple. No fancy name this time around, just simple and to the point. As for why its floating as far away from Nimbus Land as it is, I cannot answer that. I'm also afraid to inform you that I have no hint to give you this time around, so this'll have to be something to figure out on your own. But I know you will accomplish your task." "Just one problem..." Alex says with his left hand raised. E. Gadd turns his head to look at the boy with his head tilted. "Yes? What is it Alex?" "To get to Nimbus Land, aren't we going to have a long trip around the Mushroom Kingdom to get to Bean Valley where the beanstalk to there is at?" "I thought you would say that, so I planned things out ahead of time. I called up the taxi service in Nimbus Land and told them that you wished to go there. They were delighted to agree, saying that they owe you a lot for bringing their Prince back to them. If my calculations are correct, the taxi should be outside my lab in ten minutes."

Mario bows his head forward to thank the professor for going through the trouble of getting them a ride to their next destination, and Alex does the same as well once his friend has finished. As the plumber puts the iGadd away, Driad shows signs of movement, a tired grumble coming from his mouth as his head is lifted off of the ground. "My head...What have I been doing?" Almost immediately, Alex turns his head to the left with his eyes looking ready to drip. He then runs forward and pokes Driad on the shoulder to get him to turn around. When the Crayzee Dayzee does this, he is quickly greeted by a two-finger smack on the forehead by his friend, causing his somewhat tired body to stumble back a couple of steps. "Don't you ever think of doing something foolish like that ever again Driad!"

Driad's response to that statement is to take his left vine and smack his friend against the bottom of his chin. Of course, seeing as he just got up the strength of his blow is equivalent to that of a piece of paper. "..." The flower warrior stays silent, blinking his eyelids a few times as he moves his vine arms to the front of his face. He seems confused. "What happened?" He asks. Though his question was not directed towards Alex, the boy feels like he should answer it anyways, and once he has the Crayzee Dayzee's attention he explains the events that transpired since he went unconscious. When all is said and done, Driad is overcome with an immense feeling of guilt, blaming himself for the emotional strain that he assumes his friends went through.

"I...I'm sorry. Had I realized the consequences that my attack would've brought, I would never have used it...Can you forgive me?" "There is no need for apologies Driad. After all, had you not done what you did, none of us would be here right now." Mario interjects, his compassionate heart unwilling to let his friend beat himself up over such a minor issue. "Well, when you put it that way...Thanks Mario." The flower warrior says, a light blush appearing on his cheeks to compliment his smile. "So you don't remember your neurotic episode?" Alex ponders. "My wha-?" Driad dumbfoundedly states, his mouth agape with a puzzled look in his eyes. "Ok good." The boy quickly responds, turning his body around to strike up a conversation with Mario to change the subject before his flowery friend pursues things any further.

"Now that Driad is well, shall we wait outside for our ride?" "Yeah, lets-a go!" The plumber enthusiastically responds, with Driad having nary a clue as to what is going on. "Wait, where are we going?" "I'll explain once we get outside. We will see you later Professor, ok?" Alex says, beginning to walk to the stairway as he waves his hand out to the elderly man. "Very well, I wish you all the best of luck. Ohohohoho..." With the heroes departure, the professor gets back to work. Once outside, they find Luigi has already come back and was waiting for them to return with the front of his foot tapping against the ground. "That was quick." Mario says to grab his brother's attention. "Yeah, well you know me bro. Ah, I see Driad is feeling ok now." Luigi says once he turns his head to look at the others.

"Yep!" The flower happily says. "So where are we going now?" The man in green asks. "The Sky Temple, it's near Nimbus Land." Alex answers. "Oh, so that city in the clouds you talked about before Mario?" "Mmm-hmm." The plumber responds. "So when is our ride getting here?" "Hopefully soon." The boy responds in a somewhat impatient tone of voice, grumbling under his breath as he holds his arms behind his head and glances up towards the sky for any sign of a taxi. "Actually, its coming now. Over there!" Mario says, pointing one finger due south so his friends can see what he is saying. Coming towards them is a two-tier red Taxi cab that is suspended off of the ground by a big, fluffy cloud. It swerves back and forth through the air until the person driving it sees Mario and moves the vehicle around so the door inside is placed in front of the group.

The door then slides open, and waiting for them in the driver's seat is a cloud person wearing blue jeans, a black police officer outfit, and a blue leather hat. He leans his head to the left while keeping one hand on the steering wheel, using his other hand to take his hat off to the esteemed hero of the Mushroom Kingdom. "It has been a long time, Sir Mario. Do you remember me?" "...I'm afraid I don't." The plumber embarrassingly responds after pausing to try and remember the taxi driver. "Ahahaha, it's alright, I'm not offended. I was the one who rode you and your friends over to Bowser's Castle to stop Smithy." With the mention of the events that revealed his significance in Mario's life, the plumber snaps his fingers and finally recalls who the driver is.

"Ah, so that's who you are. I didn't recognize you with that new attire of yours." "Hey, like I said, it's ok. We can catch up on the way there. I don't mean to be rude here, but I actually got a busy schedule to uphold today, so we need to make a quick line for Nimbus Land before the bells can toll. So if you and your pals can just hope right in, we shall be off!" Not wanting to be a bother to the cloud man's plans, the heroes enter the Taxi in a single-file line, the doors closing behind them once Driad has entered. At that point, the group splits in two, with Alex and Driad going to the upper row while the Mario Bros. take the bottom row so they can speak with the driver. Before they can though, he de-activates the brakes on his lovely vehicle and begins to lift off. Once it has levitated off the ground enough, the driver shifts gears and the Taxi zooms off into the sky towards their destination.

As Alex sits on the fluffy seat closest to the stairway, he leans his body towards the window and presses his hands against it to look down at the ground below. "You really can't say you know your planet until you've seen it from above...Even on Earth, I've never once flown this high. Don't you find this all to be breathtaking Driad?" When the Crayzee Dayzee stays silent, Alex turns his head around to see what is up. On the other side of the cab, Driad is staring down onto the ground, kicking his feet against the back of the seat in front of him with a dreary look on his face. "Hey...You ok?" The boy asks, lifting himself up off the seat and standing beside his friend with a hand ready to pat the back of his head to try and cheer him up. From the corner of his eye he notices this, and weakly lifts one vine up to stop him without saying a word.

"...Have you ever had a dream before?" The flower asks, his eyelids drooping down as his somber tone brings about a melancholic atmosphere into the room. "I've heard about them, how they are visions experienced during sleeptime. But up until last night, I never had one. I don't know what caused it to happen, or why I couldn't stop it...Whatever the reasons, the things I saw were...Disturbing." "...What happened in it?" Alex asked, a bit reluctant to do so due to how his friend is feeling. "I...I shouldn't tell you, but...No, maybe you can understand what I'm going through. In my dream, I was a monster...I couldn't speak, I couldn't control myself, I could only watch...Watch as I murdered hundreds of innocent people and creatures without remorse, their blood staining the wooden claws that I wielded..."

"The events were repeated over and over again until I woke up...But each time through things got more and more violent, until eventually my heart was heavy to the point that it should've died out, and I almost felt like throwing up...It was horrid, but at the same time it felt familiar...Alex, is there anything you have to say about all this? Am I going insane, or are these dreams trying to tell me something about myself? Please, I beg you to ease my mind..." But as much as the boy wanted to cure his friend of his despair, he was incapable of relating to his experience. He couldn't tell him to ask either of Mario Bros. about this, for that would be a betrayal of the trust he has put on his shoulders. "...I wouldn't worry about it Driad. Dreams aren't real, and what you went through is actually called a nightmare anyways. Tell me, how much sleep have you gotten throughout your life?"

"Umm...Now that I think about it, I don't really sleep that often. Why do you ask?" Driad inquires, his tone being a bit more upbeat than it was just a few seconds ago. "Well, a lack of sleep does have the side-effect of worsening the dreams you have when you finally do succumb to slumber. Don't worry about it, what you saw has no chance of happening in real life, and even if there is a chance I'll be there to prevent it from happening." The boy puts one hand out in front of him, waiting for his friend to shake it to seal the promise he just made. His spirits uplifted by Alex's re-assurance, the Crayzee Dayzee quickly shakes his hand with his left vine, a gentle smile adorned on his face as he does so. "Thank you Alex." "Not a problem, Driad."

By the time the two of them had finally finished talking, the Taxi has arrived at Nimbus Land, the gears creaking as the vehicle grinds to a stop. "We have now arrived at Nimbus Land, birthplace of Prince Mallow and the home of the famous Cloud 9 Burger. Our next stop for today will be-" As the driver speaks over the intercom, Alex and Driad go to the bottom floor of the vehicle and meet up with the Mario Bros., and they all thank the driver for his generosity before they exit through the open door. The Nimbusians standing outside look at the famous mustachioed man and instantly swarm him once he steps onto the cloudy surface, each one of them asking for either autographs or pictures. It takes the blaring sound of the Taxi's horn to break the mob up and get them to board the vehicle, the driver giving Mario a thumbs up before he shuts the door and flies on his way.

Now that they have arrived at the city in the clouds, the heroes save for Mario take a moment to take in the sights. There are a few wooden huts with stitched together palm tree leaves covering the rooftops, a series of bartering stands where the populace can trade for materials native to the lower regions, and a giant refurnished palace whose entrance is being guarded by two cloud people wearing armor with spears in hand. Even with the sun now closer to them than before, there is a cold breeze flowing through the air that keeps their temperature at a normal level. "Man, I hope Sky Temple has the same atmosphere as this place...It would be a nice change of pace from the other two temples, that's for certain." Alex says with a smile on his face. He then turns to the plumber, who has pulled out the iGadd to check the map again.

"So Mario, you gonna visit Mallow while we are here?" The boy says, the plumber grinning and letting out a small chuckle upon hearing his friend's kind gesture. "As much as I would like to see how he has been faring after all these years, he is a member of royalty now. He is probably involved in politics now, and would thus have no time to spend to see me..." At that very moment, Driad notices the guards conversing with each other, the one on the left staring at the heroes as he leans towards the other one. When they finish, they each nod their heads and begin to walk over to them. Luigi has joined his brother in looking at the device, and as such the group fails to notice the guards coming. "So where is the temple?" The man in green asks, as the Crayzee Dayzee fails to grab their attention from behind.

"According to the map, it should be over there." Mario says while turning his head to the left and pointing in that direction. "Guys, the guards are coming this way!" "Well that's odd, because I don't see anything. And there's no fog out, so the temple can't be concealed, can it?" "Can you even hear me?" "It could be hidden Alex, we have no way of confirming whether it is or not." "SERIOUSLY?" "Luigi, you have anything to say on the matter?" Mario asks, at which point Driad facepalms when the guards finally show up next to them. "Excuse me fair sir, but are you by chance the famous Mario of the Mushroom Kingdom?" The guard on the left asks. Hearing their voice causes the plumber to put the iGadd away and look at them, while Luigi and Alex salute those two brave souls.

"I am he of Mushroom fame, and to what do I owe the honor of having you two loyal guards approach me?" Upon being complimented by such a hero of renown, the two guards place the tips of their right fingers on their lips and giggle to each other, before catching their immature behavior and returning to their more professional posture. "We were ordered by Prince Mallow to greet you upon your arrival. He also said that we were to take you and your friends into the palace for a meeting." "Alright then, can you guide us inside then?" "It would be our honor, Sir Mario." The two guards say in unison, turning their bodies around and beginning to march back towards the palace with the heroes following behind them not long afterwards.

When they are inside, the are instantly greeted by some golden statues of Mario, the Koopa King Bowser, Princess Peach, a young Nimbusian with striped pants, and a doll with a cape. "What are these here for?" Driad asks as he has but one moment to glance at them. "These are statues of the esteemed heroes who freed our land from the rule of that insane woman Valentina. Our Prince is among the statues, as you can see." The guard on the left says. "It was also the first adventure Mario had where he had both the Princess and Bowser's assistance in defeating a villain." Luigi adds to the conversation. "I can guess who those two are, same with the Prince...So who is the doll?" "His name is Geno...Well, that's the name he chose to take while in that body. In actuality, his name was unpronounceable." Alex says, using his broad knowledge of the planet to answer Driad's question.

"Geno huh..." The flower whispers, his body pausing for two seconds before he continues on his way. "What a nice name." After a few more minutes of walking through hallways filled with royal decor, retainers and butlers, the heroes finally make it to the throne room, where a cloud person is standing on the miniature stairway with his body facing the throne itself. There are three tarps on the wall behind it, the left showing the elegant Queen Nimbus, the center one the regal King Nimbus, and the final one on the right showing the young Prince. "My esteemed Prince, your company has arrived. We shall now take our leave..." The two guards says, bowing their heads while bending down on one knee in respect for their sire. After that, the walk out of the room to let him have his time with the other heroes. When the Prince turns around, his full appearance is revealed. His sky-blue/white striped puffy shorts kept in place by a red-brown belt with a silver oval in the center. His dark-pink shoes compliment the same colored curled bundle of hair on the top of his smiling head.

Without exchanging a word, Mario and Mallow walk over to each other and shake hands, acting simply like friends who haven't seen each other for only a week. "How have you been Mallow?" The plumber asks to break the ice between the two of them. "Things have been great for me here Mario! Ever since we defeated Smithy all those years go, I've-" As the two friends catch up on their own lives, the other three heroes discuss their relationship. "I don't get it, shouldn't this reunion be a little more emotional? I mean, from the sounds of things Mario hasn't seen Mallow for years, yet they speak as if they've been keeping in contact all this time..." Driad asks. "It's like this Driad. When they started their adventure, Mallow barely had any confidence. It was through that journey that Mallow was able to find his parents and better himself by modeling himself after the man whose exploits were truly something to believe in. I guess to put it in a less confusing way, by the time everything was said and done, Mallow found a 'brother' in Mario. I'd imagine this reunion is a bit emotional for him when you take that into consideration, but he wants to show his maturity to his 'brother' by not crying."

"Plus there is also the fact that it rains whenever he cries." Alex is quick to say at the end of Luigi's little explanation. The man in green turns to the boy with his eyebrows slanted in annoyance. "I was going to say that..." "Well I should've been the one to cover that issue. Seriously Luigi, it is scaring me how differently you are acting lately, what with you being courageous and...Deep." The boy responds. "Well you know-" Before Luigi can defend himself, Mario turns around and points his hands towards the group. "Allow me to introduce you to my friends." He says towards Mallow, the young Prince still laughing after hearing a riveting tale from his friend. "Guys, this is Mallow, the Prince of Nimbus Land." Mario says, repeating already established information out of courtesy for his friend's royal title.

"My name is Alex Whiter, it is a pleasure to meet you." "My name is Driadius Carnation Aloevera Liondande the First, but if that's too hard to remember you can just call me Driad." "And Imma Luigi, number-a one! ...Well, when you take my brother Mario out of the equation anyways..." "Well, even though I heard about all of you from E. Gadd already, I'm thankful that would politely introduce yourselves to me." Mallow responds, bobbing his head and walking forward to shake the hands of his new friends. When he starts off with Alex, the boy has something to say to him. "Wait, so you've spoken to the Professor?" "Yep! He lived in Nimbus Land for a few months to do some research on our culture, and once he left my Mom and Dad have him their number just in case he needed to ask us about anything else. We received the call last night, and he told us everything we needed to know about your 'Elemental Overlord's Prophecy' quest. When he said that the next temple was going to be near our fair city, I asked my parents if I could join up with you guys once you arrived, and they reluctantly said yes. So I told the guards to look out for you all, and the rest is history from there."

By the time Mallow has finished his greetings, he walks back up to the throne real quick and pulls out a thick, twisted stick from behind it. Mario quickly recognizes it, his eyes briefly widening in surprise. "Wow, your old Froggie Stick. I can't believe you've kept that after all this time." He says. "Well of course. My old father gave this to me, so I've kept it as a memento. That, and its been some time since I've used attack-based weather magic so I'm going to need to help circumvent that problem." The young Prince says before putting the staff into his pants. Confused by his mention of another father, Driad stutters for a few seconds and looks at Alex for some answers, but the boy responds with "Mallow was adopted by a frog and raised thinking he was a tadpole. It's a long story Driad."

"Anyways, speaking of this so-called Sky Temple...I think I might know where it is. Follow me." Trusting in the guidance of their new partner, the heroes follow Mallow through the palace until they arrive back outside. They then go to the edge of the city and look out towards the horizon. The Prince turns his head to the right to look at the Clock Tower, which is about to strike noon. "Alright...Just a little longer..." When the big hand reaches 12, the bells toll, and all of a sudden a wavy formation appears in front of the other heroes. Within seconds, a stone temple materializes, its structure suspended in place by four jet engines attached to both sides. "Whoa!" The heroes say in awe. Mallow is unaffected by the event though, as he turns around and snaps his fingers in front of his face.

"Bingo! Just like every other day!" He says with enthusiasm. "How come it wasn't around before now?" Mario asks the young Prince. "Dunno. No one has been able to figure out the cause, only that the temple vanishes once it hits 1'o'clock. With such a short period of time, no one has really paid it any heed until now." "..." Alex gives things a little thought, and without any effort he figures something out. "The temple appears at the strike of noon, A.K.A. HIGH Noon. The temple is HIGH in the Sky...Argh!" "What is it Alex?" Driad asks. "I bet the Elemental Overlord made it so the temple appears only at noon just so someone's mind would be blown when they figure things out like I just did..." The boy grumbles with an annoyed scowl on his face. "So how are going to get across?" Mario asks. "Just give me a moment..." Mallow says, 'cracking' his knuckles before moving to the very edge and raising his arms above himself, his upper body detaching and hovering in place while a magic disc spreads out between the two halves.

"I command you, oh great skies above! Heed my call!" Dark clouds start to form over Nimbus Land, as magical energies begin to gather in Mallow's fingertips. "Beckon to my will!" Thunder and lightning emerge from the clouds, their size and sound stronger than anyone could've anticipated. "I am your lord, your master, your king!" Five tornadoes suddenly spawn between the temple and the city. "YOU WILL MOVE AT MY COMMAND, YOU WILL HALT AT MY COMMAND! THE STORM FLOWS IN MY VEINS, AND I UNLEASH ITS FURY UPON THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO DEFILE MY WILL!" Inside Mallow's now glowing eyes, the forces of nature stir. From floods to fires, earthquakes to tropical storms, all of these disasters swirl within him as the storm outside continues to intensify. As the heroes begin to panic, even Mario looks ready to run off in mortal fear. "!" The young Prince's pained grunt finally signifies the activation of his technique...

And suddenly, all the dark clouds and tornadoes vanish, as Mallow's eyes and fingers return to normal. He then begins to gently swing them back and forth, a series of clouds moving across the sky to form a long, wide bridge to the temple, all the while he whistles a melody to put himself at peace. Once he is done, his body fuses back together and he claps his hands together to congratulate himself on a job well done. When he turns around, the heroes look absolutely dumbfounded. "...What. Was. THAT?" Mario blurts out. "You mean the storm? Oh, that wasn't really there, it was just an illusion I had created for added dramatic effect." Mallow says, brushing off his friends disbelief like it was nothing. "..." Silenced by that explanation, the heroes begin to walk on towards the temple, Mallow turning around to join up with them without saying anything himself. "We will never mention this again..." Alex murmurs to himself. Thus, they get on the surprisingly solid cloud bridge, ready to conquer the third of seven temples...

Next Chapter: The Memories Beneath the Truth