Authoress' Notes: Bwahaha. I have officially succeeded in making one of the the most-hated characters in "PM2" even more loathed. Anyway, I was planning on having the story done by Christmas, but since that won't be the case, this is my present to all who choose to read it. And because I'm a loser, I might post "BOA2" on February 10th, the day "SSBB" comes out. But don't expect any quick updates after that, lol. Only 1 more to go! Can you feel the tension rising?!


Better Off Alone

Chapter 29: Bittersweet


Ms. Mowz sipped her Koopa Tea and sighed. It was so warm and refreshing, especially accompanied with the cozy setting of her shop to compensate for the cold, lingering rain making such a mess outside. She looked out a nearby window out of curiosity and narrowed her eyes. ...What she thought was a small drizzle half an hour ago had become a big, wet downpour.

A female Toad sighed. "...That Lakitu came out of nowhere, wanting my job. I mean, I tried to work with him and all, but we both did things so differently. He folded sheets that way, I made the bed this way... We were really out of sync and I couldn't concentrate, so I quit. I'm really glad you offered me this new job."

"As am I. From what I've heard, you're a very trustworthy girl. Anyway, I'm sorry, darling, but I must get going. I'm needed elsewhere, you see."

She smiled. "Oh, yes, ma'am. I understand. I guess I should be going home..."

"Nonsense!" bellowed the manager. "You can stay right here until the rain clears up! Can't have you out there catchin' a cold, right, Ms. Mowz?!"

The badge thief cleaned out an ear and frowned. "...Indeed. Now if you'll excuse me..." In the blink of an eye, she'd switched her plain, black mask for her trademark masquerade mask and dashed for the door.

"And you're sure I can have this job? I mean, I've been an innkeeper for a pretty long time and I might not be the best shopkeeper..."

"Not a problem at all... Er, your name eludes me at the moment..."

"Swee T., ma'am."

"Ah yes," she nodded. "Expertise comes with time. As the new recruit, I expect you to do your best, for I will not be returning from this mission."

"Huh?! You mean you're not coming back?! How come?!"

She bowed. "I regret to inform you that my time here is up. You've been a fine friend, and I truly appreciate all that you've done for me, but I must move on..."

"Well, I guess that's understandable! Farewell, then! And good luck in all you do! I'll miss ya!"

"Oh..." Swee T. frowned. "But we just met, and now you're saying I'll never get to see you again?"

"Don't worry. Even if I'm gone, this is still my shop, and I still greatly value your work. Who knows? Maybe you'll catch me on the flipside one day..."

She smiled sadly. "...Do you think I'll make a good salesperson?"

"Of course you will. When people hear you're a descendant of the Toad Hero, I assure you business will be booming."


It was pouring down rain when Koops and Koopie Koo busted into Koopley's house. Koops shook off the rain and coughed. Koopley, who'd been watching TV, flinched upon their entrance.

"She's... she's... she's not out there..." Koopie Koo gasped, ringing her ponytail out.

"Who? Who's not out there?"

"V-Vivian..." panted Koopie Koo.

"Yeah, what about her? She and Koops go out for a walk and when I get here, they're both missing! What's going on?"

"It's a long story, Dad, but right now, I gotta find her." Koops turned to leave. "I'll be right back!"

"Oh, no ya don't!" Koopley grabbed his son by the hood. "Can't you see how bad this storm is? It's way too dark, wet, and dangerous out there! You kids could end up getting hurt! You're both staying right here until this all clears up!"

"But Vivian--"

Koopie Koo shrugged. "Koops, face it; she's gone. We've looked everywhere... three times!"

He shook his head. "No, she has to be out there somewhere! We gotta keep looking! She can't have gone too far!"

He struggled against his father's unyielding strength and soon, seeing as it was useless, quickly slipped out of his jacket and bolted out the front door. Unfortunately, he missed the first step and tripped over himself, falling down the stairs and landing in a big mud puddle.

"Ouch..." he moaned, rubbing his shell.

"Oh no!" squealed Koopie Koo. "Koops, you almost broke your neck! Get back in here before you really hurt yourself!"

Koopley shook his fist. "Yeah, or before I do it for you!"

Ignoring them both, he was about to dash down the path to Shhwonk Fortress when something in the muck caught his eye. Its golden, beaded structure commanded his attention as he reached over and fished it out of the mud.

"What?" Koopie Koo looked at the item. "What is it? What's that?"

"...Flurrie's necklace."


Almost an hour later, there was a knock at the door, with someone madly ringing the doorbell. Startled, Koopley hurriedly ran to answer it, almost being run over by group of seemingly random people. As a weary Koopie Koo and frustrated Koops sat up from the couch, they quickly realized them as Mario's partners. All four were soaking wet from outside, but they'd made it, nonetheless. To Koops' surprise, even Flurrie and Bobbery--both who'd been unreachable--were with them.

"My, that trip certainly was ghastly!" said Bobbery. "It wasn't easy, but at least we all got here in one piece!"

"We would've gotten here sooner if a certain somebody didn't keep getting us lost!" grumbled Goombella.

"So I made a couple of wrong turns on the way... Big deal!" spat Waffles. "Like the old man said, we're here!"

Koopley raised an eyebrow. "Yeah... But why are you here?"

"It's okay, Dad. I sent for them," sighed Koops.

"I was pressed for time, but I finally managed to get in contact with Flurrie and Bobbery liked you asked me to," said Goombella. "You wouldn't believe all the people I had to call and all the phone numbers I had to write down!"

He smiled sadly. "Thanks, I appreciate it. And I'm really glad you could all make it here on such short notice."

"Yeah, dude! So what happened with Vivian? Is she okay?" asked Waffles.

He shrugged. "I don't know."

"You don't know? Whaddya mean you don't know?!"

"I mean, I don't know. She's... gone."

Flurrie gasped. "Oh no... You mean... departed?"

Koops shuddered, the very thought making him sick. "No... I mean she's vanished. She just disappeared, and I have no idea where she could've gone. I think she might've been kidnapped."

"Why do you say that?" asked Bobbery.

Koopie Koo held up Flurrie's dirty necklace. "Because he found this outside."

Goombella gasped. "Flurrie's necklace! Something must've happened to her; she never goes anywhere without that!"

"Ooh, whoever did this is gonna get a fistful of... of...! Of something!" grumbled the feisty, little Yoshi.

"Before we do that, there's something I need to tell you guys. You see... Ms. Mowz came by a few days ago and... said some things..."

"Oh, you mean the whole 'your ancestors were part of the Four Heroes' thing? Don't worry, we already told them that!" beamed Goombella.

"No, no... It's something else."

"Something else?" questioned the Cloud Spirit. "What else is there?"

Koops flopped back down on the couch. "I think you all should sit down. This might take a while..."


The storm outside show no signs of letting up as Koops told the legend of the Crystal Stars to his friends. Curious, even Koopley and Koopie Koo hung around to hear it. Needless to say, everyone was in shock when he finished.

"Wow..." mouthed Goombella. "So, Vivian was made from a Crystal Star, and is a princess?!"

"And her sister was in love with your great-great... er, whatever?" asked Waffles.

"And we're each bonded to a different Crystal Star?" questioned Bobbery.

"Not to mention sweet, little Vivian heralds yet another Crystal Star? One more powerful than all the others combined?" Flurrie shook her head. "Dear me, this is outrageous!"

"Koops, I never knew," said Koopie Koo, sounding impressed. "No offense, but you're the last person I would've thought was descended from the Stalwart Koopa... er, I mean, Kevin."

Koopley crossed his arms and laughed. "Tell me about it. I guess that explains how I almost single-handedly defeated Hooktail... I may be strong, but I didn't think I was that strong. It's very flattering, really."

"Maybe..." grumbled Koops. "But Vivian's still missing."

"I doubt we can get far out in this mess," said Bobbery looking out a window. "A storm like this would be unsailable in the high seas. We should wait it out."

Koopie Koo put a hand on Koops' shoulder. "Yeah. Meanwhile, you should get some rest. As a matter of fact, we all should."

Everyone nodded and agreed until Waffles spat out, "Can we at least eat before we go to bed?! I'm starving!"

"Waffles!" growled Goombella.

"Well, I am!"


Tucked snugly in bed, Koops let out a deep, depressing sigh. He never realized how empty the room was without Vivian at his side. Even with all of his friends staying the night, their presence did nothing to quell his loneliness. Bobbery and Flurrie slept downstairs on the couch, while Koopie Koo took the room that once belonged to her; the one that Vivian was allowed to stay in before she realized Koops' was more inviting. Waffles and Goombella were sleeping at the foot of his bed, awkwardly wrapped in their blankets and pillows, the result of a small scuffle before they finally tired themselves out and went to sleep.

It had to be at least a quarter after midnight and he was wide awake, staring at the ceiling. He absentmindedly moved his arm across the bed, but was disappointed to only feel cold sheets next to him. How he missed reaching over and touching Vivian's warm, fluffy hair... She was always nearby when he went to sleep.

He pulled back his hand and turned to face the other way. This new position helped a little, but not much. Another sigh escaped him as he pulled the covers over his head and tried again to get some sleep. He just hoped Vivian was somewhere safe and warm in the dreary downpour of outside. Then again, hope could only do so much...


The rain from last night may've been bad, but it sure let the most beautiful things behind. The forest shimmered and sparkled with the remains of the fresh shower it received earlier. The sun's rays tricked through the wet leaves, reflecting off them to make the grass glisten as if it was full of tiny, discarded diamonds. The dark, angry clouds had parted and disappeared, only leaving happy white ones to lazily float by, all going somewhere yet nowhere.

Ms. Mowz's nose twitched, smelling the damp air. It was morning; the perfect time to find a certain runaway and bring her to her senses. She closed her eyes in reflection, thinking about the stranger who'd started this whole mess in the first place. Of course, it wasn't like she didn't know who it was. She may've been a bit dumbfounded when Koops first mentioned her the other day, but she knew the culprit all too well now.

While she calmly strolled through Shhwonk Fortress, she took her time in admiring the scenery. Out of all the dark, dangerous places she could've run off to, it was good thing she found solitude in such a serene place. She finally came to a small opening in the last fortress that led to a soggy underground full of Fuzzies. She sniffed the damp air for a second, took two more steps, and found a strand of distinctive, pink hair hanging from a sapling. At that moment, her sensitive ears began to twitch as she heard someone sniffling, occasionally coughing.

Closing her eyes, she ran the strand of hair under her nose and sighed. "Vivian, it's time for you to come out now. There's no use in you hiding any longer."

"...Go away..." said a voice from nowhere. "Just... just leave me alone..."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, for you must do one last thing... for your friends."

"I don't care. I have no friends... Only backstabbing cowards who're full of lies!" She started crying.

"Please try to understand. What you saw last night was only a small mishap. Yes, it's true that Koops and Koopie Koo were very close friends when they were younger, and he almost developed a passion for her... but he didn't. After seeing you, he realized that he shared his love with another. Perhaps it wasn't clear at first, but it's plain to see now that he really does love you."

"No, you were wrong... Wrong about all of it. Koops doesn't love me. He was just... using me. ...Probably like and you and everyone else."

"I assure you no one's trying to use you. We're all still your friends, and will be for as long as we are able... Maybe even longer, if it's possible."

"Liar!" she hiccupped. "You were all just waiting for me to let my guard down! Then you'd... you'd..." Her crying resumed.

"Vivian, have we ever once turned out backs on you? Have we ever left you to fend for yourself? Even when we knew you were once against us, we still took you in. That's because we knew you had a good heart and only wanted to be acknowledged."

She listened for the response of her wispy voice from the shadows, instead hearing a soft sigh.

"...But Koops is descended from the Stalwart Koopa. ...And he killed Lillian... Then this happens. ...Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it's not true."

"How would you know?! You weren't there! You didn't see it with your own eyes!"

"And neither did you."

"..."

"Would you rather have enemies who're trying to be your friends, or friends you only think are your enemies? ...Come out now. You've been misinformed, I'm afraid, and I'm here to tell you everything." She narrowed her eyes. "...Or you can just stay down there and wallow around in the darkness forever, never knowing what could've been. Choose your answer wisely."

After a minute or so, the Shadow Siren reluctantly rose from the shadows behind a tree, refusing to look her in the eye.

"...What?" she growled, animosity dripping in her tired voice. She had an eerie way of showing her depression, as everything around the tree suddenly became enveloped in darkness with her appearance.

"Vivian, the Stalwart Koopa had nothing to do with Lillian's passing. If anything, he would've fought to keep her alive."

"...That's not true. Koopas and Shadow Sirens don't mix. It's... not the way things go."

"It's not?" She pulled out an old letter. "Then I shall read this, a letter from the Stalwart Koopa to Lillian, and see if you still think so."

The siren grumbled and crossed her arms, turning until only a curl of her cotton candy hair could be seen from behind the tree. She disapproved of the whole thing entirely; there was no way anything sent from that slaughterer could be of any importance!

"Dear Lillian,

We finally did it, just like I said we would. We beat the Shadow Queen and the Shadow Sirens fled upon her defeat. But in the fight, the wench managed to curse us with the Crystal Stars. I got the blue one. Dunno if that means anything. If I let it stray too far from me, my soul gets trapped in a black box, or something. After that, we were forced to disband so we could hide these dumb things. We each chose a place to take ours and made a map to find them in case they were ever needed again, but I don't know where it is now... Not like I can use it.

In our last few hours together, Goombertha was in tears, Aaron barely said a word, and Teresa ignored me the whole time... I'm guessing they're already dead now, so at least they're at peace. I just wish I could've been able to say more than 'Don't lose the blasted things!' before we split up..."

For a split second, Vivian had to admit she was a little surprised the Stalwart Koops was referring to Lillian so casually. Curious, she almost approached, but suddenly snapped herself out of it and quickly resumed hiding, sniffling and wiping away a stray tear.

"...So what?" she huffed. "That doesn't prove anything..."

"But wait, there's more..." replied Ms. Mowz, continuing the letter.

"Ironically, I lost the map to Keelhaul Key, so I've been sailing the ocean for weeks trying to find it so I can dump this stupid thing. And Nero's no longer me. We got lost, so he flew off in search of food, and I haven't seen him since. I think he might be dead, too, the knucklehead.

I know you're gone, but I feel like you still deserve this. I'm so sorry for my behavior before. I really wasn't serious about our affair when we first met, and I feel awful about how immature I acted. You may've found it charming, but I could've been a lot more passionate if I'd known much I'd grow to love you. Really, I'm literally bawling as I write this. Life's just not worth living if you're not here with me. It's too bad it took me 'til now to see that.

I can see Captain Cortez's ship about a mile off now, and I'm hoping he can put me out of my misery. I'm tired, sick, and haven't eaten in days, so I'll tell him to make it swift. Here's to hoping I'll get to see you again somewhere in paradise, the great beyond, or whatever. Maybe then, we can start over."

...There was an awkward pause before Vivian shyly peeked from behind the tree, unsure of what to say. Her mind was in a whirl, her emotions were all mixed up, and she still had those aches and pains from last night. All that put together with a foreboding feeling of disbelief and she found herself with a big, fat headache.

"So... You mean...?"

"Yes. The Stalwart Koopa didn't kill Lillian. As you can see from this letter, he actually loved her."

Vivian timidly ventured forth, taking the letter with trembling hands and reading it her herself over and over again. Unable to see any sort of flaw, she tilted her head in confusion.

"But she said... She said you were the enemy... And Koops, he... It doesn't make any sense..." She rubbed her head with a hiss of pain.

"Although they expressed it in a way different from you and Koops, the two loved each other just as much. They would want nothing more than be together again, and in order for that to happen, you must forgive your partner and uphold your duty."

She smiled weakly and read the last parts of the letter again, tears in her eyes. "...He really did love her. H-he... he really did..."

"Yes. And now that you know that, you probably now know not to believe what some stranger tells you. Whoever said such nonsense was obviously lying--"

Before she could finish, a sudden wave of nausea hit Vivian hard, causing her to collapse with a soft moan.

The mouse wasn't at all surprised or concerned by this. Refusing to move from her spot, she calmly asked, "Hmm, are you all right? You don't seem to be... up to snuff today."

"...Oh, I don't know what happened..." she responded, woozily sitting up. "I... just lost... my balance... I think all of this is going to my head..."

"You've been feeling like this for quite some time, haven't you?"

"Well... yes..."

"...Do you suddenly feel the urge to go somewhere? Or like something is missing? A strange feeling? Sixth sense, perhaps?"

"Yes... Actually, I do..."

"That's the Amethyst Crystal Star, the one that resides in your very soul." Vivian's face blanched as she experienced a swift feeling of déjà vu. Her words sounded almost exactly like Grodus' back on the moon. "I understand you don't believe it exists, but I'm hoping that letter gave you an insight of the matter at hand. Never have I once kept anything from you, and I don't intend on starting now. Besides, how could I be lying if I guessed all of your symptoms correctly?"

Despite her having a good point, Vivian was still a little skeptical. She'd never seen the Amethyst Crystal Star and Lillian said herself it was only a myth. Everything she'd ever heard on it was always an assumption, a tall tale, or just plain nonsense. Ms. Mowz could tell by her puzzled expression she'd need more proof.

"Yes, yes. I know you think it's simply a 'myth' or an 'illusion', but that's only because it's been hiding within your body ever since the day you were born. Before then, all knew it was quite real."

"...But that's impossible. I'm already a Cryst--" She abruptly stopped, mouth agape.

"A what?"

"..." Vivian only stared at her. Her eyes may've been hidden, but the horror could easily be seen on her face.

"In case you haven't guessed, I already know. About the Crystal Stars, the Stellar Beings... everything. I know it all."

"Y-you do?"

"Of course. ...Although, how is not of your concern at the moment."

"But I... I didn't want anyone to know. It's bad enough being what I am, and all..." She huddled herself together in shame. "Oh, what was Mother thinking...?"

"Only of her power sources. She was planning on letting you rule with it one day, but then she was defeated and it was never taken out. Obviously, you two soon became one."

"That would explain a lot. From all the weird stuff that's been going on. I should've figured it out sooner, but..."

"The Amethyst Star has always been doing its best to keep you alive while, at the same time, looking out for any missing Stars. I'm sure anything you experienced that was out of the ordinary was of its doing." She turned around. "Remember back on the moon?"

She lowered her head, ashamed of her manic actions against Grodus. "...Yes."

"That display was of the Amethyst Star, not yours. It gives you tremendous strength when it senses you're very angry or frightened. Of course, that was only a fraction of its power."

"That does happen sometimes," she replied, looking at her hands. "When I get really upset, it's like I can't control myself... And things just end up broken and smashed... I never could figure out how it happened. It was all... a blur."

Ms. Mowz nodded, her back still turned. "Now that we're on the same page, does this mean you're willing to give the 'backstabbing cowards' another chance?"

She flinched at that name, realizing how harsh it sounded. "I... I'm really sorry about that. I was just a little--"

"No need to apologize. Now, about that favor..."

"Favor?"

"Yes. We, as your friends, require your help to defeat our greatest adversary yet: the Great Enemy."

"The Great... Enemy?"

"Exactly. Judging from your unstableness and fainting spells, the unity of Crystal Stars has been broken. Not only is one missing, but they all are, therefore, the Amethyst Star is reacting seven times more than usual. That can only mean one thing..." She faced her. "Someone has stolen them from the Thousand-Year Door."

"But how? Didn't Mario seal them back with the map before he left? Until they run out of power again, only he can remove them."

"There's no doubt the perpetrator has some magic up their sleeve. Somehow, they must've bypassed those restrictions and forced the Crystal Stars out of their proper places. And unless they're returned, havoc and destruction will surely commence. We must journey to the Frozen Palace and put an end to this before the world falls under the veil of darkness once more."

"The Frozen Palace? Where's that?"

"It's where our destiny is... And the Crystal Stars. All I can say is one certain individual has gone about changing the Shadow Palace to suit their own needs..."

A look of determination crossed her face. "And it's up to me to stop this Great Enemy?"

"I never said that. Since Mario is gone, only with the all seven of us will the Crystal Stars be gathered again. In this dire hour, only when all of us combine will we be able to match the strength that he had with the Stars."

"That may be true, but I... I can't let you guys go back there. It's even more dangerous than before. ...I'd never forgive myself if Koops--" She slapped a hand over her mouth and blushed.

Ms. Mowz eyed her. "Hmm, I'm sorry? Did I hear what I think I just heard?"

"No! No!" She pulled her hat down over her face. "...I don't even wanna think about him! Just forget it!"

"I see you're in a bit of a predicament. You're an innocent, honest lover who's been let down so many times... It's difficult to tell if the one you've fallen for has fallen for you. Am I right?"

Vivian turned away, the sight of Koops and Koopie Koo kissing so passionately still fresh in her mind. And the words of the mysterious cloak weren't helping much, either. She sighed, running a frustrated hand through her hair.

"I don't know..."

"Well, the decision is all up to you. I'm sure Koops would love to know of your whereabouts, but for the sake of your privacy, I won't tell him if you don't want me to."

"...Please don't."

"Very well, then." She started walking off. "As for me, I plan to join up with the others so we can work out another plan. You have you own path to follow."

"But I thought you needed me. Didn't you say everyone had to come together for us to win?"

"We do, but I refuse to force you into it. Even if you did come, your Crystal Star will only work if you put your mind into it. Yours is obviously conflicted at the moment, so I'll let you be. Wish us luck, as I do the same for you."

She was about to ask something else, but it was too late; in the blink of an eye, Ms. Mowz had completely vanished. Feeling depleted, she sat in silence for a moment, reflecting on everything the mysterious rodent had said. Then she began thinking about the others and how much they had to fight during their journey... She couldn't just stand by and let everyone fight her battles for her; they'd already been through more than enough.

Besides, she was part of the Ruby Star. The two were as close as parent and child. That had to count for something. Maybe that and the power of Amethyst Star together could get the others back. Then it'd only be a matter of time before the Great Enemy would fall to the sheer force of all eight Crystal Stars.

...It seemed like a good plan, and it'd probably work if she could pull it off flawlessly. So her mind was made up; no longer would she wait around while other fought her battles for her. It was time to show her worth and redeem herself in the eyes of those who once fought against her. She'd prove to everyone, especially herself, that she what she lacked in strength, she made up with effort...


"Gone?! What do you mean she's gone?" demanded Koops.

"Vivian has left to not only rectify the wrong that's been done, but to challenge the Great Enemy all by herself," calmly explained the mouse.

"And you didn't try to stop her?!"

"Honestly, I persuaded her to go, as she refuses to talk to any of you until she redeems herself."

"And why not?" asked Flurrie.

"Well, let's say last night, she was treated to seeing the sight of Koops and Koopie Koo in a little game of... mouth-to-mouth."

Koops' face paled. "...S-she saw that?"

"I'm afraid so, and that's exactly why she ran off. Despite her trust in all of you being broken, I managed to regain a small amount of her reliance, but she now feels like she owes you all an apology for being so easily swayed into thinking you were all against her."

Goombella frowned. "Koops, you actually... kissed Koopie Koo?"

"Hey, you two-timer!" growled Waffles. "I thought you were with Vivian! Some friend you are! You're the reason she ran away in the first place!"

Bobbery raised an eyebrow. "I have to admit, that is a bit on the side of treachery, dear boy."

The Koopa hung his head. "B-but it wasn't my fault! It... it was an accident! It meant nothing to me, I swear!"

"Now, don't go jumping to conclusions," said the mouse. "It was all a big misunderstanding. Everyone involved was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Koops was roped into it by the same person who mislead Koopie Koo and tricked Vivian into thinking she was unwanted."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Goombella.

"To put it simply, it was sabotage. Whoever did this wanted to get Vivian as far away from us as possible, and most likely plans on killing her."

Koops stood up. "All right, that settles it."

Waffles scratched his head. "What settles what?"

His question went unanswered, as Koops ran upstairs and into his room. It wasn't long before he appeared again at the top of the stairs, to everyone's surprise, wearing Kevin's outfit. He was even toting his trusty sword.

Koopie Koo's eyes widened. "Koops? Don't tell me you're gonna..."

"I'm going after her. It's all my fault she's like this. If I'd only told you two the truth from the beginning, this wouldn't have happened." He gripped the sword tightly, dragging it downstairs. "I need to fix this. I mean... what would've Kevin done?"

"Koops, have you gone mad? I can't allow you to do something so crazy," said Koopley. "Listen to your old man. I don't want to you to make the same mistake I did..."

His son didn't face him. "I'm sorry, Dad, but I've got to start taking responsibility for what I do. It's not your fault Mom died... it's mine. And losing Vivian's my fault, too..."

"You're crazy!" spat Waffles. "You said it yourself last night; that Great Enemy guy ain't jokin' around!"

"Waffles' right," said Goombella. "There's no telling how strong he is. We need to come up with a plan before we do anything rash."

"This isn't rash..." Koops muttered, approaching the door and slowly opening it. Everyone stared at him in confusion. Ms. Mowz's eye glinted as she noticed a quick, almost demented glance from him. "This is!"

Before anyone had a chance to stop him, he had already leapt out the door. Retreating into this shell, he spun over to the lone pipe in the middle of town and swiftly jumped into it.

"No, Koops! Wait! Don't you dare--!" called Koopley, but he was already gone. "...Well, that's just perfect. And I thought I was the impulsive one..."

Goombella grimaced. "Oh, boy. This can't be good."

"Now, why'd he go and do that?!" asked Waffles. "It's not like him to be so headstrong! That's my job!"

Ms. Mowz chuckled. "Oh, well I wouldn't put it past him. Like they always say, love makes you do the craziest things."


Authoress' Notes: Lol, I guess everybody forgot about the nice Toad who helped Vivian out earlier, since you all kept thinking Aaron was related to Peach and/or Mario... Huh. Weird, but whatever. Feel free to keep guessing Teresa's if you want!

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Here she was: Queen Lorelei, ruler of the Western Kingdom, being chased by a pair of mangy mutts. From the way things were going, she feared the chase would end with her their teeth snagged in her neck. After years of being pursued by the trio of greedy hunters on a regular basis, she felt her long life had finally come to an end. It was just as well; she'd begun to falter in her old age.

Covered in an old, wet cloak, she slid down the steep, frozen hill, pushing through the snow and ducking behind anything she could. The two remaining Chomps were far behind, but could catch up easily if she let them. This pushed her to keep going.

Down and down the slope she went, looking back only to hear the Chomps closing in. She couldn't see them over the mounds of snow that separated them, but their barking... It taunted her with its echoing. It was as if they were all over the mountain. She kept running.

She darted through trees, past confused Frost Piranhas, and across several vast plains of snow before coming to a stop. Knowing she was fighting a losing battle, she could go no further. She felt her spirit break as she realized that leading her off the mountain was all part of their plan. She wouldn't escape them this time.

A small blanket in her arm stirred and she quickly placed it on the ground, hurriedly throwing snow on top as a means of hiding it. The heap of snow trembled and shook until the blanket emerged. Confused, it looked at her in bewilderment.

"What's going on? Where're you going?"

"Away," she whispered, taking her cloak off, revealing her tall, limber structure.

"How come?"

"Shh..." She looked up, seeing the Chomps in the distance. "I want you to stay here and whatever you do, don't move."

She began to leave and it followed, whimpering, "But they might get me...!"

"No, no." She gently wrapped it back in the blanket and threw more snow on top. "Stay here. You'll be safe until I return."

"...But I'm scared."

"Don't be. I'll come back for you." She twinged, knowing that was a lie. This would be the last time they'd see one another.

"You promise?"

"...I promise." She threw her discarded cloak on a tree and managed a sad smile. "Do you promise me to be good?"

Confident, it smiled. "Yes, ma'am."

"Promise me you'll stay strong and brave. And that you'll remember who you are and where you came from, for nothing will ever be as vital. And..." She blinked back tears. "No matter what happens to you, me, or this crazy world we live in... we'll always be together."

"Yes, ma'am."

"And I want you to know that I love you. I always have, and I always will. Never forget that."

It hugged her. "I love you, too... Mother."

The Chomps were only feet away, getting closer by the second. Giving her offspring one last kiss, she ventured across the wide, bare terrain, not once looking back.

The child watched her go off into the snow, worried and uncertain. Further and further she went, until she could barely be seen. She completely disappeared from view as she found refuge over a mound of snow. But just as it appeared she'd found sanctuary, there was an explosion in the distance.

...Then all was quiet.