When I looked closely at the Mini-Marios, I recognized them as widely-known symbols representing enthusiasm for knowledge, due to their energy and their former central role in the very first Contendo Week. One of them gave me a pink letter that was written by Lily before the tread:
Dear Wart,
After a discussion with Sonic, I've learned that some childhood companions threw turnips at you, in which you swelled up due to your root vegetable allergy. Not only that, they made you believe that being devoted to someone only leads to no good, which explains why you wanted to confiscate all of our stuff. But you realize that there's nothing with being a fan as long as no one gets carried away. In fact, those frogs shouldn't have attacked you since they can't change who you want to be. Whatever you do, don't listen to them, because you only wanted to learn so much about the wonders of history when you were a fan during your past.
And about that Pikachu plushie you took from me; I just want to let you know that I had that same toy when I was little before I was separated from my parents. When you took it away from me, I felt pretty dejected at first, but after I "recovered", I heard that you didn't mean to hurt us since I was told that you used to be an open-minded fanatic until you were ridiculed by the frogs and civilians at Subcon a long time ago. While it's true that you didn't follow the king's duties when you used to be his servant, we know that you focus so much on your hobbies since you've been quite lonely; you had a hard time making friends, which driven you spend time alone with no one to appreciate your loyalty of all you learn about and love. However, I want to let you know that there are "geeks" who develop to have a profession and learn perseverance and self-reliance.
Now the reason why we didn't leave you alone and tempted you to have fun with us, like the time when we participated in a quiz show, or fought enemies in an arena, is because we wanted you to have good friends who really take a shine on you, and to prove that there's nothing wrong with being a fan who enjoys his or life, especially that we were actually paying for goods for provide money for the poor. You know, not all conventions are just about entertainment and pleasure; Contendo Week is known for its connections with charities, like the Triforce Society, supporting those in need. So for that reason, we're hoping that you would get everyone involved again, since it's really okay to be a "geek" who shows respect.
Your deep friend,
"Lily Pad"
When I finished reading, I began to regret how I insulted everyone and took away all of their toys. For the whole time, they appeared to be more temperate and less compulsive towards the special guests; not only that, they seemed to want to learn just as much as me, meaning that I wasn't the only one with a truckload of information. For that reason, I was determined to make things right again; leaving behind the Mario toys, I brought Roy's bag of toys and cast a spell to make a portal to Bowser's castle for the crew and I to enter. From the portal, we landed on the hallway and looked for the dungeon where Mario and his group were locked inside.
Meanwhile, at the living room…
"Guards, is there any sign of that bag?" spoke Bowser.
"At the Mushroom Kingdom, we have searched every home and biome," stated one of the Koopa knights. "But the bag was nowhere to be seen."
"I made it clear that if that bag isn't found by dawn, I will have the prisoners roasted into ashes if it's the last thing I do, *turns to Roy* am I right, Roy?"
Roy didn't say a word. In fact, he began to look down, in which in a surreal manner, he felt sorry about how he bullied the kids at the con, mistreated his caretakers Little Mac and Kenny, who gave him lavish treatment and even bought him an excessive amount of toys and cards, cheated on Virginia, who was really nice to him and even bought ice cream for him, and last, but not least, acted selfish on me when I was having a turnip allergy set by the bullies. Furthermore, he accepted the fact that HE was the one who threw toilet paper at his own house, in which he simply blamed it on the boxer and gator. Far along, he decided to go to the secret basement where he unlocked a green spikey safe, which contained that Chrono Trigger Frog toy; but why was he doing it? Was he turning over a new leaf? Only time would tell.
In the interim, when it was already dawn, the crew and I became surrounded by another of Bowser's guards, who suspected us of intruding out of nowhere; we convinced them that we were going to bring back the bag to Roy. Understanding our thoughtfulness, they led us to the execution chamber, where the king was about to combust the threatened jailbirds, who were put in giant cages.
"Wart!" cried Lily. "We're over here!"
"Wait, stop!" I yelled at the Koopa King, who was breathing in like a puffer fish. "Do not burn them! I have Roy's bag!"
Bowser precipitously stopped. "Wart, is that you? Long time, no see, old friend."
"Do you remember when we used to be bad guys who worked together on evil schemes like flooding the Mushroom Kingdom and selling stolen paintings?"
The dragon turtle's eyes narrowed. "Humph, it also appears to me that you later turned from villain to just antihero. Now, why did you take my son's sack of toys?"
"Oh, that." Then, I started to cry, yearning for mercy. "I-I-I only stole it because your son has this frog toy, that I wanted SO BADLY when I was a little frogling! P-P-Please understand how sorry I am, to be a fool to commit this kind of silly mistake that Mario and my friends didn't make!"
Mouser covered his face with his paw and lied, "I kept telling that fat, foolish frog that we shouldn't have broken into that kid's room, but does he listen to me? No-o-o…"
"Ye never told him that, ye pig-headed liar!" objected Clawgrip.
"Be quiet, or I'm going to have to fight you again!"
"Enough!" shouted Bowser, crossing his arms. "So, Wart, what you did was DUMB, trying to take the bag in order to get the toy you want, and that made Roy accuse those plumbers and runts for doing it! If you admitted this mistake earlier, I would've let it go, since you were the last of my allies! And since you did it late…Well, I'm still going to have to forgive you, so don't ever steal from us again. Be thankful that you used to be a good friend, as I would NEVER do the same to anyone else, no matter how nice they would be."
Then, Roy Koopa showed up, with his hands behind his back. "I have a confession to make."
"Yo, that doesn't sound like Roy," Mac told his companions in the cage.
Roy continued, "I never thought I'd say this, but since there were certain people who were actually so nice to me throughout the week, I just want to say that I'm totally sorry for my horrible behavior, this time."
Everyone gasped like fish out of water.
"Why are you apologizing to your enemies?" argued his dad. "You know that being mean to others is the Koopa way!"
"No, Dad. Doesn't mean they're opponents doesn't mean that I have to mistreat them all the time, especially when some of them were being NICE to me! And just want to let you know, I'm the one who threw toilet paper at the house, not Mac and Kenny." He then walked towards me. "Thanks for teaching me that I can't want everything all the time, Wart."
"Huh?" I spoke, with my eyes broadened.
"When you took my bag, I somehow understood how a lot of fans felt when I took whatever of theirs, particularly the cards. It'll be a lesson I won't forget." He then brought me the Frog figure. "So I want you to have this."
The toy was placed on my hands. "For me? W-W-Why you shouldn't have! At first, I thought you put it in your bag."
"No, I put that toy in a safe under the secret basement so that none of my siblings would try to take it from me. You know how greedy they can be. But after some thinking, it's best that you keep it."
"Well, thank you so much for the gift!"
"That was a very nice thing you did, Roy," said Mario. "You know, being selfless is a great way to make friends because that way, you'll be even happier when you make others happy. When there's all of the stuff you want, they gradually lose their appeal and eventually their whole meaning; giving, on the other hand, will make you satisfied even longer since everyone each has some form of value."
"Okay, enough chit-chat," grumbled King K. Rool. "Can we get out now? We're proven innocent, you know!"
"I can't take any of this change-of-heart malarkey anymore. You prisoners are now free to go!" declared the Koopa King. "I guess for now on, before my son and I accuse you for doing something that you didn't do, we'll have a jury to gather evidence."
When the prisoners and my crew were set free and have left the castle, before I exited, I mentioned a long-forgotten person who had loved Bowser before her time ended. "If Rosaria Silvestriano discovered that Roy Koopa, as well as you, finally did something nice for a change since forever, she would've been so proud, right, old buddy?"
"Rosaria?" wondered Bowser. "Just who the heck is she? What absurd dream you have; after all, you came from a dream world."
That was when I assumed something: sometime before, Bowser must have buried her wife's valuables somewhere and drunk a disremembering potion, in order to end his pain over a lost one forever and move on with his evil life. Those weren't smart things to do, but there was nothing I could do about it now. Incidentally, I was told by King K. Rool that Bowser actually wasn't the one attacking Lily's ship; if not…then who did? Putting it aside, I cast another portal for Mario, my friends and I to return to the area of my home. There, we saw the Froggish Tenors who picked on me when I was little.
"You five again." I croaked.
"I can't believe he brought the host, in which we're probably in trouble. Look, about those turnips we threw at you…it was all a joke, you know?" gulped Regol.
"Oh, it's not about that, it's about how you see geeks as unlikable people, you know, those obsessed with a hobby or intellectual pursuit. But what if you used to enjoy toys, reading books, or all of that stuff?"
"What are you taking about?" asked Fred. "Are you playing a trick on us?"
Mario called the Mini-Marios. "Come on out, my friends!"
The toys showed up, waddling like ducks. One of them said, "We-a love you!"
The Froggish Tenors couldn't believe their eyes. What they saw were those wind-up toys, they began to deny the fact that they wanted to make their own when taking wood shop. From blueprint to blueprint, they kept failing on this kind of project due to some drawbacks like legs that wouldn't walk without falling, and the tendency to fall apart due to a weak build. But when they finally got the toys they wanted without having to make them, as a result, they admitted that they wanted to play with Mario figures without waiting in line to get them only to end up with nothing. When they knew that Mario didn't punish them and instead did something nice, they simply hopped away with clear guilt.
Then, the plumber and I made a special agreement that couldn't be rejected: I would have my rotting hut fixed and remodeled, followed by better furniture and beds; not only that, my crew and I would get a special breakfast tomorrow, in exchange of reopening Contendo Week for one more day and returning the confiscated toys, including Lily's Pikachu plush doll. First, I gave back the doll to the babysitter and apologized for being harsh on her before. In response, she hugged me tight as rope and thanked me for doing the right thing. Next, with the help of Stanley the reporter, Mario and I made a commercial on TV to have the viewers to contempt everything I said earlier and explain the true meaning of the word "geek" and how there is nothing wrong with being one since it's not about being unlikable; learning from the guy with the red cap, nerds should be honest on what they enjoy instead of hiding their selves; it's considered okay to be a proud kid, whether brainy or frisky, to signify the importance of nostalgia and freedom apart from the stiffness of adulthood.
On the next day, my crew and I have woke up in new beds that were made with bow-springs and cotton, and covered with better blankets; then, we saw the walls that have been cleaned and repainted in a brighter green, my skin color to be exact. When we got to the dining room, a Shy Guy chef appeared and brought us chocolate-hazelnut and banana crepe, the breakfast we've always wanted since forever. At first, we thought all of what was new was just a product of sub-consciousness, but when we ate the thin, rolled-up French pancakes, we couldn't imagine their taste; they turned out to be very delectable as they were sweet and nutty with a slight hint of bitterness from the chocolate; when we added the maple syrup that came along, the food became even more delightful with the extra liquid and saccharinity.
When we got outside, we took a good look of our house remodeled with windows, a better roof and door, and best of all, a hot tub in the backyard, where we could bathe in hot water to soothe our cramp-riddled muscles and joints. When we saw the Toads who were responsible for the home improvement, we rewarded them with some green gems, which made them happier than Waluigi smashing a toy in pieces.
Later, as I have promised as part of the agreement, I brought back the fan convention in Toad Town, wherein everyone invited were dressed up as their favorite heroes and villains in the Mushroom Kingdom. For example, I was portrayed as the Koopa King, my crew was dressed up as the Koopalings; there were also the babysitter, the boxer, the gator, Ginny, Suzibeth, and Louie wearing overalls (for the males) like the Mario Bros. or dresses (for the females) identical to those of the princess. I also became the last exclusive host, to justly contrast my reluctance, which was gradually decreasing, thanks to the help of all of my friends, especially Lily.
Meanwhile, Roy Koopa had proven himself changed for the better...just for one day, of course. Since yesterday, instead of bullying the fans, he came to see Virginia to apologize for cheating on her in the first place. "What I did was unfair and undeserving, and that is why I want to say how sorry I am for being the biggest jerk in town. To make it up for it, I am willing to bring you a good gift and play fair and square on our next card game." He showed the girl the Impa action figure and passed it to her like how he promised earlier.
"You finally fulfilled your promise, Roy!" she gasped as she received the figure. "Thank you! I am so glad that you're choosing to be nicer than before. This way, you'll be able to make friends even more. And do you know what else could happen?"
"Eh?"
Virginia slowly got closer to the Koopaling and kissed her in the cheek. Consequently, Roy blushed and nearly felt like fainting out of romance. Then, she continued, "I just want to let you know that I'm sorry too, for staring at you in the first place; even when I realized that you tricked me, I still had feelings for you, since I did like your pink sunglasses and your sweet talk; plus, I didn't think you were always bad since you could've been a truly charming fellow if you chose to be a friend."
"Gosh, thanks. What do you say we go skateboarding sometime later, at your world? I learned how much you love skating."
The purple-haired girl smiled. "Sure!"
Later, Mona showed up to see Roy. "Say, I like how you're turning over a new leaf. But I wonder if you still hate Mario."
"I still do," replied Roy. "But for today, I'm going to put that aside and spend time with my latest friend…the proper way."
In due course, with his Magnus model, the Koopaling decided to start a friendly action figure battle with Virginia, who fought with her Impa figure; they claimed attacks, imitated action noises, and smiled, in the progress of their true friendship.
Meanwhile, while I was playing with Lily, Little Mac, and Kenny during a public card tournament, Mario came to see me for a talk. "You've been-a wondering why we were to give that Frog toy as the prize for Fast Friday, right? That was because we wanted you to appreciate Contendo Week since years ago, you were the one who came up the idea of this week-long event!"
"Really, I did?"
"Of course you did! According to a documentary, when you were young, you would always make posters representing how you would like it if all worlds were celebrating each other by wearing costumes, playing with action figures and cards, and doing activities respecting distant culture and the history of the greatest heroes of all time."
"And do you know what else?" added Ginny. "You were smoking on the first two attractions; first, during the quiz show, you managed to get tons of questions correct, putting yourself on par with Miss Tigerlily."
"Just call me 'Lily'," the babysitter responded, smiling.
"Okay, Lily." She then continued, "Anyway, there was also the time when you were at the arena using your Bubble Beam to take down those monsters, putting your team in the lead in general."
"Not only that," added Louie, "You also used your magic to play with the actors on stage, helped capture a thief…"
"…assisted Lily to win Blurry Match, and saved Mario and the group from being burnt by King Bowser!" added Suzibeth. "Overall, we're so glad you came here, because you demonstrated how much potential you have when it comes to taking part of the event."
"I couldn't have said it better myself," I replied.
During this last day, we all began to sing a revision of the Contendo Week song from the first day:
[Trumpets are played by several Toads.]
[Kenny]
Returning to Contendo, the place for fans,
Now that we're back, let's thank the green man.
Since today's the last day, let's make the most of things,
It's time to finish now, with lots of good zing!
[Me]
Why does it have to end, with my frown?
I realized how fun it was, in every town!
I wish that it would last MORE than a week,
With the explanation that I now love geeks!
[The Following]
(Sonic) There's always next year!
(Ness) We'll be there!
(Calem) Don't ever stop us!
(Pallas) It's who we are!
(Roy Koopa) Maybe there will-
…be some Pikmin!
(Virginia) And perhaps even-
…ink shooters!
(Little Mac) But we ain't coming back for no toys and stuff!
(Lily) We're contributing for the needy, and that's just enough.
[Everyone]
Glad that we could made it; we had some fun,
The con now lasts for six hours 'til it's done,
Since we joined the games, we've been so surprised,
An exclusive figure has been the Nobel Prize.
[Wart]
This has been the week when I changed my character,
Now I want to spend time with all geeks together.
[All]
Contendo is the Golden Age of Fans.
Anyway, on the final entry on my diary…
Day 7: After I saved Mario and my friends from the arrest, I brought back Contendo Week for one more day. During the last day, I played cards with the babysitter, boxer and gator, Roy became nicer to everyone, especially Virginia, who seemed to become his girlfriend, and later, the Froggish Tenors returned to apologize for throwing turnips at me. And in case you were wondering earlier, Virginia gave Nabbit a Mini Luigi Toy, as a promised reward for recompensing himself extra from Wednesday. Furthermore, I have finally realized what the true meaning of geek is; back then, I used to hate fans for being obsessive and neglecting their chores, kind of like me years ago. Then, I realized that being a geek is not about to urge to get merchandise, being picked on, being alone, or even about biting heads off chickens at a carnival, it's about self-reliance and how we enjoy our hobbies and show our passion towards an intellectual pursuit.
The End