Well, it's been a while :D Not much of a story behind it, except homework and a side project. I'm back though :P Thanks to Stardown for proofreading as usual :)

Chapter 26: Twenty-three And Infinity

No! You can't do this, not again! I will not allow it!

Luigi hastily flipped backwards a good distance away from the imposing figure and Starlow followed suit, having had the jump scare of her life. He clutched at his chest as he tried to calm his racing heart. Nothing could have prepared him for a surprise of such magnitude, even if he was supposed to have gotten used to such things by now.

You have got to be kidding me... Luigi breathed heavily as he struggled to understand why, let alone how, Waluigi was standing in front of him. Not only was the place invisible and unknown to all but ghosts, but he was also within a ghostly dimensional crevasse where he supposedly was being tested. Was this Waluigi just another ghost conjured for another riddle, or was it the real deal?

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Luigi gathered enough focus to shout at the potential apparition.

"Why, visiting Waluigi's dearest cousin, obviously," Waluigi smirked as he spun around in an exaggerated motion, tossing the cloak behind him. "For this is a very unique opportunity, you see. All by your lonesome with no one to rescue you this time around." He straightened up and stroked his sleek mustache, looking very proud of himself.

"Oi, so this is the one you've been telling me about…" Starlow let out an exasperated sigh. Waluigi was mentioned a few times before during their adventures, but he usually paled in comparison to Wario. "HEY! BUDDY! Sorry, but we have no time to entertain loons like you, so move it!"

"Yellow bowling balls should keep quiet when Waluigi is talking!" Waluigi barked at Starlow, startling her once more.

"Bowling ball?!" Starlow fumed in outrage. "Why, listen here, you telephone pole! I've got half a min-" Luigi raised his hand, cutting her off.

"Look, I can play whatever game you want later. We're really on a tight schedule and frankly, I'm not in the mood for any of your crap, cugino!" Luigi spoke calmly but firmly. A part of him knew that it was to be an exercise in futility, however, for another part of him knew something was up. He could feel a slight agitation stemming from within him, specifically his ghost companion. Bow lay silent within, and she seemed a little off. Perhaps it was Luigi's strong connection to Starlow that let him tap into her feelings, or perhaps she was letting him know on purpose, to serve as a warning of some sort.

Waluigi raised his hands and tilted his head upward in a dramatic fashion. "You think this is a game?" he enthusiastically shouted. "Waluigi is here to claim his destiny, his throne, and the love of the beautiful maiden of the desert!"

Oh boy, this crap again... Luigi couldn't help but let out another sigh as he rubbed his forehead. He hoped it was simply a test of patience, but that was just wishful thinking.

"I know that by saying what I trigger a chain of events whereby we continue this conversation, but what?!"

"Today is the day history forgets about your pathetic existence!" Waluigi declared with a smirk as he pointed towards Luigi, who looked at him with a deadpan expression.

"I don't think history needs your help on that front," Luigi chuckled in a self-deprecating matter. Starlow approached him and whispered.

"Why don't we just beat him around and be on our merry way?"

"Believe you me, I'm this close to doing just that…" Luigi answered back in a barely audible voice.

"Hey, losers! Eyes up front!" Waluigi took note and stomped angrily on the ground, before quickly re-assuming his theatrical persona. "Perhaps my guest party member would have cleared the confusion about what is going on at this very moment." The tall man cracked a sinister smirk and raised his hands slowly upwards. "Come forth, partner!"

"Partner? That's the silliest thing I've ever hea-"

Luigi got caught off guard by the piercing feeling from inside of him. It felt like something was trying to rip him open from the inside, as if his soul was being tugged at. He winced in pain as he tried to hold his ground, only for a sudden storm to violently brew up. It seemed like Waluigi wasn't hamming it up for no reason. Luigi grabbed onto his hat as he struggled to hold his ground against the forceful wind. He pulled in Starlow and grabbed on to her as well, doing his best to ignore the intense pain he felt coming from his chest.

Once the storm settled, a new figure made itself apparent: the King himself had graced them with his presence, in his own realm no less.

"You!" King Boo yelled as he pointed at his nemesis, ire and hatred sparking from his eyes.

"One pronoun? Such eloquence is unprecedented for a King." Luigi rolled his eyes and laughed. "I thought we had a more special connection by now."

"You dare intrude upon my domain?! You must die!" the King shouted. He prepared to charge towards Luigi, only to be held back by Waluigi.

"Easy now," Waluigi said. He and King Boo exchanged a few glares, only for the ghost to halt his assault and turn back, cursing under his breath. "That is better." Waluigi crossed his arms and smiled, satisfied.

"Well, that explains how you came here," Luigi said, crossing his arms in turn. "So, what now?"

"Didn't you hear Waluigi earlier? The time is right for his destiny to be claimed!" Waluigi said with confidence as he looked down, his hands flashing a sinister white glow. Soon after, his body slowly rose up, whipping up strong gusts of wind as the flash's intensity crept further, gradually engulfing the room. "It takes two to tango!"

"One of us isn't leaving this place alive today," King Boo declared as he floated towards Waluigi. "Prepare yourself, vermin!"

Luigi and Starlow exchanged glances and then nodded, kick starting their own merging as they beheld that of the opposition.

Tango we shall, it seems...

It was afternoon by the time Mario and Vivian made it to the Ahmir Plains on their way to what Yújin dubbed "The Navel". It was supposedly a cave of challenges that tests those that are worthy and presents them with a symbol of such worthiness. The symbol itself was crucial to being admitted to the tournament that would decide the ruling body of Crimson Bay. Such notion sounded stupid to Mario. He was never a big fan of politics and was simply content keeping the peace, any excuse to head out on a grand adventure. He did, however, find the tournament itself to be quite endearing. After all, the representative had to be strong, yeah? Such a powerful foe had to be a delight to face off against. It was perhaps the lone element that made the entire trip worthwhile, barring the fact that he was doing it for the second start fragment. What might happen to him was never his concern. What might happen to Vivian due to their precarious situation, however, was all that had any sort of priority to him. He never let his friends and companion come to harm because of him, and he wasn't about to start letting that happen.

Such ruminations did not stop him from enjoying the surrounding area. The Ahmir Plains, as its Sarasan name implied, was a captivating shade of orange. Unlike Tawny Woods, it felt a lot more easy on the eyes and soul. The atmosphere was peaceful and serene, with a gentle wind blowing and the trees and shrubbery dance to its soothing tune. The multitude of brick blocks and question blocks filled Mario with a sense of nostalgia. He could almost picture himself taking a small break just to go about smashing said blocks, collecting coins and other power-ups. The only thing missing from such a delightful tribute to the past was Luigi at his side, and perhaps a few monarchs that were forcefully turned into animals and desperately needed his help.

Vivian, on the other hand, had her own share of troubles to think about, and as such, didn't spare the delightful scenery any thoughts. For starters, she was eagerly, and equally nervously, awaiting nightfall for a chance to speak with the Shadow Queen. Chances are that the Queen would be as cryptic as she could get away with, but some form of answer was better than nothing. She never felt the need to think about such things before. Who and what she was did not matter to a 'slave' of her older sister's whims. At least it did not until she met Mario. Alas, that was all she could think about currently, and what might happen to Mario if they don't gather the fragments fast enough. Another thing that worried her was the mysterious intruder that spied on her and the Queen within the shadows. The pressure of being alone with Mario never subsided. One day has barely passed and she was already cracking under the pressure. She wished she was with four or five more people so she could lag behind and slink in the shadows, unnoticed. Not that Mario would have any of it. He frequently stopped just to check on her and maybe strike up a conversation to make her feel at ease. For that reason, a part of her was secretly overjoyed that she had such a chance, to be alone with Mario. It was why she had to be straight with him and share what it was that troubled her. There was no doubt in her mind that Mario knew she was troubled. Ever the empath, he was always receptive to other people's troubles, though not his own. The only reason he would not prod her for answers is because he wanted her to do it herself, to grow out of her shell and open up freely.

A few awkward and uneventful minutes passed by as they strolled through the plains. Mario hummed a cheerful tune, completely at ease, as if nothing was going on. Vivian twirled her hair anxiously, trying to think of a good way to break the silence.

"Umm… Mario…" the words barely escaped Vivian's lips, but they were enough to reach Mario.

He turned around and looked at her. "Hmm?"

The siren instinctively looked away, her shyness getting the better of her. "There is something… I need to tell you…"

"By all means, go ahead," Mario smiled, slowing his pace so he would be walking next to her. "What's troubling you?"

"I…" Vivian hesitated for a moment, as she wasn't sure what kind of reaction she should expect. She then took a deep breath and spoke. "Remember when I left for a bit earlier?"

"Yeah, you seemed troubled by something, and it wasn't just the Podoboos." Mario chuckled a little, no doubt to ease her up.

"Uh, yeah…" Vivian chuckled nervously but carried on. "I sensed a weird presence within the shadows, so I dove to investigate…" she paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts, then continued. "I met the Queen in there…"

Mario tilted his head and shrugged. "Not surprising. She did seem intent on tailing us," he said in a calm manner, almost as if he resigned to the Queen's unwelcome presence.

"It wasn't the Queen that I felt, however…" Vivian spoke under her breath. Mario simply turned his gaze back to her.

"Who was it then?"

"It was a Ninji… It seems he was spying on us.

Mario crossed his arms and pondered for a moment.

"Seems like the other khan was eager to know who Yújin would be employing," he reasoned for a moment before shrugging again. "Meh, they can spy all they want. It won't change our objective."

"Aren't you worried that they might attempt to intercept us here?" Vivian voiced her concerns. Ninjas and honor didn't seem like a correct combination to her.

"Yújin would have mentioned it. He himself vouched for the other Khan. Worse comes to worst, we'd just deal with them like any other obstacle." Mario put his hands under his head and looked upwards, a confident smile spread across his face.

"I guess that's alright then…" the Shadow Siren smiled a little. Mario's own smile always brought one to her. "There was one thing I didn't really understand though." she rested her hand against her mouth as she spoke.

"What's that?"

"There was this unbearable smell of garlic fouling the shadows. I'm not sure where it came from…"

Garlic... Mario mused. Such a smell was terribly familiar. There was perhaps one person that was so closely associated with such a smell.

"Ah, such things bring me back," he spoke, voice full of happy memories.

"Of… Wario?" Vivian knew who was talking about, as he was a frequently discussed by Mario but she felt inclined to inquire.

"Yes, actually. He consumes so much garlic that it is part of his natural aroma by now."

"But would he be able to spy on us from within the shadows?"

"Eh, I doubt it," Mario said firmly. "Last time we spoke, he mentioned going to some other dimension to get a bottomless coin sack or something." He shrugged at the notion. Money was the only motivation Wario ever needed to do anything, but it didn't matter to Mario. The only thing that counted was the adventure itself. "I can't wait to hear about his adventure whenever he's back!"

Vivian couldn't help but laugh. The hero and role model of an entire kingdom was barely able to contain his excitement at the thought of a story. It was such things that made Mario seem a lot more approachable, despite his status.

"If you're convinced it is not your cousin, then maybe the smell was coming from the Ninji..." Vivian voiced her opinion, sounding quite unconvinced. Mario reached out and patted her on the shoulder.

"Don't overthink it. Wario doesn't do spying. He charges through things the same way Bowser charges through walls," Mario declared, sounding proud for a reason Vivian couldn't figure out. "He might not be the most refined guy in the world, but he's reliable, fun-loving and-"

Before Mario could finish his sentence, an extendo boxing glove zoomed past him and Vivian, narrowly missing his face.

"-nice?" Mario gazed at the mechanical arm zoomed past him before it started to retract, bringing his vision back to its source.

It looked like a stocky lab professor with a large mechanical helmet of sorts. He stood on top of a floating brick block.

"Are you alright, Vivian?" Mario turned to her and asked. Vivian simply nodded, still partially startled from the suddenness of it. "Hey, buddy! What's the big idea?!" Mario shouted at the mysterious man. He couldn't make out any of his features from that far away, except his clothes and helmet.

The three of them stood silently for a few moments, as if anticipating something. The mysterious assailant somehow changed his attire after a puff of smoke broke up. The burly man now donned a red painter beret and thick round glasses, along with a painting stand that popped up about the same time.

Ignoring Mario, the man started vigorously painting on his stand, only for a giant stone block to fall from the sky. Mario dodged the first one, only for another one to drop off immediately after, one which he narrowly avoided.

What's up with this guy? Mario thought to himself as he pulled himself away from the second block. At the very least he doesn't seem to be aiming at Vivian...

A third block dropped in unannounced, but Mario had gotten the idea and dodged the third one with ease... only for a powerful shoulder tackle to connect painfully with him and sending him flying and skipping a few times across the grass. Unable to compose himself, Mario ignited his arms in a burst of flames, the force of it great enough to stave the speed he was being propelled at. He flipped twice in the air before landing on his feet.

Vivian immediately teleported to his side through the shadows.

"Are you okay?!" she asked, full of worry.

"I'm fine; don't worry about it," Mario smiled as he wiped his face from the dirt that it accumulated. "Such a fine tackle though..." Mario's smile crept into a proud smirk for some reason.

Vivian turned to the not-so-mysterious assailant. He had changed into a different outfit once more, one that was predominantly purple and yellow. He even donned a feather-topped purple mask of sorts.

"W-what do you want with Mario..." Vivian asked, unable to stop shaking. The man was too imposing for some reason. She felt more at ease around Bowser.

The mustachioed man stood silent with his back turned to them for a few moments, before finally speaking.

"Stouter than an iron burrito... Studlier than a snow tire... Silent, but deadly... I am..." he suddenly turned around, striking a pose by leaning backwards a bit and raising his arms diagonally towards the sky. "The Purple Wind! Wah-hah-hah!" He declared proudly as his pearly-white teeth gleamed under the sunlight.

There was an awkward moment of silence where Vivian stood dumbfounded. Mario, however, simply stood up and dusted himself. He then started laughing, adding further confusion to Vivian.

"Ha ha, you got me there," Mario tried to hold himself from laughing as he spoke, partially failing that. "Not only did you get a new costume, but you added one more verse to your catch-phrase. Priceless!"

Vivian tilted her head, completely lost and oblivious to the situation. Mario knew who this man was, the same one that assaulted him out of nowhere and made him eat dirt a few seconds ago.

Wario's expression turned into a scowl as another puff of smoke enveloped him, returning him to his normal yellow shirt and purple overall attire.

"Priceless?! What do you think this is, you jackass!" he shouted at Mario, who simply continued laughing. "I'm not your clown, nor am I here to entertain you!"

Mario wiped a tear that snuck out from his hard time guffawing. "Non volevo, cugino. How have you been?"

"How I've been?!" Wario roared in anger. "I've been cheated and lied to, and now I'm forced to babysit for some ninja losers. How do you think that makes me feel?!"

"So, you're the one I sensed within the shadows..." Vivian concluded, her voice barely audible.

"That means you're the West Khan's representative..." Mario rubbed his chin as he pondered. He then smiled. "This is great! We can go get the proof symbol thing together, and then we can have a friendly duel."

"Fat chance. I'm not having any friendly nothing with you losers. I've got multiple bones to pick with you, cousin!" Wario declared and pointed at Mario. "There is only one way to settle this."

"C-can't we talk about this?" Vivian asked, but deep down, she knew that it was futile. If Wario was anything like Mario, then this was inevitable.

"Stay out of it, missy! This is between us!" Wario glared at her, causing her to reflexively sink a bit in the shadows.

Mario put his hand on her shoulder and nodded, signaling his agreement with his burlier doppelganger.

"A-alright... If you insist..." Vivian reluctantly nodded and moved a safe distance away from the both of them.

"I've been itching to do this ever since I came back from the Shake Dimension..." Wario grinned maliciously as he cracked his knuckles.

"The Shake Dimension? Is that like some sort of cafe bar?" Mario hopped in place and flexed, warming up. "Also, you've gotta tell me the story behind those costumes!"

"I'll tell you with my fists!"

A puff of smoke swiftly enveloped Wario and out came Thief Wario at breakneck speeds, rushing towards Mario. Mario had anticipated such technique as it was Wario's bread and butter usually, except it wasn't that fast before. He moved aside as if dodging a raging bull, only for Wario to turn into Cosmic Wario and jump up high. He soon started firing a barrage of laser projectiles at Mario.

Mario jumped over the first, ducked under the second, and pulled himself to the side to avoid the third beam. Finally, he jumped up and fired a barrage of fireballs. The flames and the laser beams exploded when they came in contact, whipping up a cloud of smoke that obscured Mario's airborne advance.

Wario, however, knew what Mario was up to and turned into Dragon Wario. The extreme weight caused him to drop down to the ground almost instantaneously, digging a crevice in the grassy field. He took a deep breath and shot sizzling torrent of blue flames at Mario who still didn't land.

Mario, being blessed by the Firebrand, simply pushed against the flames, trying to contain it. While it did work in the sense that he did not get damaged, it did not do much when it came to having it subside. Instead, the flames simply kept pushing Mario upwards, higher and higher. With sheer force of will, Wario put extra oomph in a big exhale, causing the fire to flare up and catapult Mario even higher. Without wasting any time, he turned into Wicked Wario and took to the skies at great speed, catching up to Mario, turning back into the Purple Wind, and hammering him as hard as he could.

Mario dropped down extremely fast, crashing into the hard ground, and Vivian couldn't help wincing at the collision. It seemed that Mario had been forced deep in the ground since she wasn't able to see his body on the floor. Wario, on the other hand, simply narrowed his eyes, turning into Dragon Wario, and dropping instantly.

"Come out of there, you shrimp!" he shouted as he breathed his intense blue flames into the hole in the ground. Mario had spun around while covered in flames before he smashed through the floor, digging a tunnel through it.

The ground rumbled for a few moments, before the torrents of fire forced themselves from the floor akin to a geyser. One, two, three, and yet Mario still didn't show up. This only served to anger Wario some more. He turned into Genius Wario, allowing him to see the underground tunnels that Mario and the blue flames formed. Mario was, unsurprisingly, right under him, biding his time reading to strike. Wario was having none of that of course. He reverted to his normal guise, slammed his fists together, and then unleashed a mighty Earthshake Punch, ripping through the floor and collapsing a large area around him... only for a large two headed fire dragon turn burst through the floor.

Mario's signature move burned through the mud and grass, turning everything into cinders, and it promised to do the same thing to Wario, had he not swiftly assumed his Dragon guise and attempting to stave the raging beast with his own flames. Mario, however, had other ideas: he quickly let go of the twin-headed serpent and jumped behind Wario, grabbing him by the tail. He then engaged in something that was akin to a hobby of his: spinning and tossing large opponents by their tails. While Dragon Wario was indeed extremely heavy, he didn't quite rival Bowser.

Mario swung his rival-cousin around a few times before letting him fly off, only for Wario to assume his Wicked form and halt his momentum in mid-air, before finally landing.

"You better start taking this seriously!" Wario said as he reverted to his normal form. It was very obvious to him that Mario was purely on the defensive, most likely studying Wario's new fancy moves and abilities.

Mario simply laughed and clapped vigorously. "Bravissimo! Truly impressive, Wario!"

"Less yapping, more smacking! I don't have the whole day." Wario glared back at Mario, but even his stern expression couldn't betray his true feelings. He had missed such tussles, even if he wouldn't openly admit it. "Since you're still insisting on being passive, I'll give you a good incentive."

"We got all the incentive we want. We can fight to your heart's content during the face-off." Mario reminded cheerfully. "We should save our strength for it."

"You don't get it, do you?" Wario asked firmly. "This is never about that stupid tournament, or any other thing. This is as it has always been: PERSONAL!" Wario growled and pulled out a knob of garlic, downing it in a few chomps. A flash of light soon engulfed him and out of it came Wario-Man.

After a quick but mandatory pose, Wario-Man charged at lightning speed towards Mario, seemingly disappearing into thin air and immediately appearing behind Mario, ramming him with his powerful shoulder and sending him rocketing away. He then took flight and caught up to Mario, performing a hard-hitting headbutt, sending Mario farther upwards. Wario wasn't letting down, however, he flew after him at greater speed and grabbed him by the neck in mid-air. He glared at his cousin for a few seconds as he tightened his grip, before finally giving Mario a taste of his own brand of medicine. He spun Mario around three times and threw him behind.

Mario shot down from the sky at frightening speeds, his destination being a question block hanging about.

*OOF*

With a great heavy thud, Mario groaned in pain as he back cracked against the hard block. Vivian could only pull her hat over her face as it was too much to bear.

Mario shook his head and pulled on his left shoulder, shifting it in place. As his vision cleared, however, he noticed something he hadn't seen in years... A Cape Feather floated down, slowly and gently, right in front of his face.

Mario smiled as fortune had smiled upon him. He grabbed the feather and stood up. Feeling the familiar jolt of power coursing through him, the feather disintegrated from hands and he got the stylish cap attached to him. That wasn't the only thing that had occured, however, for as soon as he transformed into Cape Mario, Vivian got dragged back inside him, much to the surprise of both of them.

"What happened?" Vivian asked, having just realized what had occured.

"I'm guessing Power-Ups work differently when we're bonded," Mario shrugged. "Don't worry too much about it. Everything is going to be alright."

Vivian could imagine him smiling as he said that, and it was enough for her to nod.

With the playing field even, Mario took to the skies where Wario was still leviating about.

"Miss me?" Mario smirked and crossed his arms proudly.

"You see? This is what pisses me off about you!" Wario shouted at his rival. "What was in that block could have been a stupid Fire Flower or a Mushroom, maybe even a Carrot, but NOOOOO! It had to be the one thing you love the most. Literally everything is handed to you on a silver platter. And that just plain PISSES ME OFF!" With a mighty roar, Wario resumed his assault.

The two of them clashed at high speed in the skies, to the instrumental sounds of loud bangs and sparks of friction each time they smashed into each other. Punch for punch, kick for kick, a headbut for another. There was one thing that was certain: the fact that both of them were enjoying themselves. Even Wario, amidst his rage and slight bitterness, the 'mock' battle kindled a kind of joy and satisfaction that wasn't easily achieved by anything else.

"It is truly amazing how far you've come since the last time we talked. Now I really need to hear all the details about your recent adventures." Mario said as he pulled a small distance away from Wario.

"Approval from you makes me want to barf!" Wario replied dismissively. He could feel that his garlic empowered form was drawing to an end and he felt like he needed to end it on a high note. "Let us finish this, cugino!"

"If that's what it takes to hear it from the horse's mouth," Mario shrugged and smiled. One attack, one man standing. It was the dream of any warrior worth his salt.

Mario began to spin rapidly with his fists outstretched. He gradually picked up speed, whipping up increasingly violent winds around him. He finally lit it aflame, finding himself in the center of a violent whirlwind of fire. Spinning at tremendous speeds, Mario launched himself at Wario. Wario, on the other hand, simply charged head on towards the impeding elemental drill, splitting into four copies of himself that collapsed upon it.

The combined force of four Wario-Men provided a match for Mario's violent tornado, but a match was all it was. Neither of them could overpower the other, and Wario was dangerously close to reverting back to normal.

Suddenly, and very briefly at that, the flame tornado smudged out of existence. It was rapidly shifting in and out, changing from red to black. Mario, and Vivian by extension, felt a slight pain and an overly unpleasant feeling. Wario recombined into one individual and stood for a moment, watching the ensuing chaos as the tornado bent out of shape, before finally fizzling out of nowhere.

Mario's Cape Feather's power dissipated and he fell unconscious. He plummeted down to the ground. Wario-Man glared at the falling body for a few seconds, but then rushed in to intercept him before he collided with the floor. He did, however, drop Mario off with a thud as he touched the ground.

Mario slipped back into consciousness and rapidly scanned the area around him. Their battle left a bit of a mess in the surrounding area, from burn marks to a couple of holes and crevices. He then took note of Wario-Man who flew a few paces away from him.

"I suppose I have to thank you for intercepting my fall." Mario smiled at his cousin as he stood up. "So, thank you!" It was pretty obvious to Mario that the only ready he didn't face plant into the grass was that someone caught him, the rude drop-off notwithstanding.

"Bah, keep your petty thanks. You owe me big time," Wario barked at him and then threw something at Mario, who quickly caught it with his right hand. "And now you're going to owe me a lot more!" Having said that, Wario reverted back to normal and shifted into Wicked Wario, before taking off and shouting "Have a rotten day, CHUMPS!"

Mario took a look at the item that Wario tossed him: A small badge of sorts. It was the symbol he was after in the Navel.

"Well, it looks like our little scuffle hit a few marks," Mario said cheerfully, and Vivian exited his body.

"I suppose... But what happened exactly? It felt as though I was forcibly being ripped apart at my core..." she mused aloud, resting her hand on her mouth.

"My only guess is that conventional Power-Ups are a no go when we're bound, at least for longer than 10 minutes." Mario shrugged, sounding slightly disappointed. "But eh, we have enough powers to go around, yeah?"

"I can't really argue with that... We should probably head back to the Crimson Bay and Inform Yújin."

"Now there's an idea. We might as well get something to eat and rest a bit before the main event."

Slightly further away from the Ahrmir Plains...

"Master Wario, if I may voice my humble opinion... Why did you help him out by giving him the emblem..." Goodstyle asked the still airborne Wicked Wario.

"Elementary, my dear Goodstyle. The more he owes me, the more he has to pay," Wario smirked evilly. "That, and he doesn't have a lot of time. Didn't you see his hair and mustache? Talk about pathetic."

"He did seem to willingly take all the affliction onto himself. That lass must mean a lot to him."

"No just her, literally any and everybody. What a tool," Wario scoffed in disgust. Mario's goody two-shoes nature was too overbearing. "But it's garbage like this that makes him a worthy rival, power wise at least."

"You're not so different after all, Master Wario." Goodstyle mused.

"Hey! Don't you dare push it!"

*Click*

The lock on the large gate faded along with the key as soon as the Princess pulled it out, and with a loud creek, it pulled itself open.

To their surprise, the room behind the gate was unguarded, or rather, it was occupied by a pile of skeletons. Unlike Dry-Bones or similar undead creatures, however, these ones were inanimate and extremely brittle, even from the looks of it. One touch would suffice to turn them into dust.

Okay... This is weird. Peach thought to herself as she looked around. The weathered drapes, the termite-eaten wooden chairs, and the mostly smudged out emblem. She started at it for a few seconds but was unable to make out what it represented. There was an abundance of weapons and arrows, all of which had seen a better time, in addition to four rooms that stretched slightly in the otherwise straightforward hall.

It was a gatehouse, no doubt, and its denizens had expired ages ago. Mustering a bit of courage, along with the occasional mental shove from Bowser, Peach carefully opened the gatehouse's first room.

As the door slid open with a rather loud creek, Peach could make out the numerous bunk-beds that occupied most of the room. Almost all the beds were occupied but she wasn't about to uncover what was resting under those blankets. Other than the beds, there was no other point of interest, so the princess moved on to the next Room. It was a very similar image, nothing of note and nothing more out of the ordinary than it already was. And so was the third and fourth room.

Not a soul, alive or otherwise.

"Why would they keep a guard out if the whole thing is empty..." Peach asked quietly.

"Bah! Who knows. This is just the Gatehouse, the good stuff, and the guy we're after are obviously deep inside," Bowser scoffed. He felt like he was getting cramped within her and she was too slow and cautious.

Peach rolled her eyes and sighed in frustration, but heeded his words and moved on forward until she left the Gatehouse and found herself at the bailey of the fortress.

Looking right, she took note of the weathered turret stationed on top of the bailey, while to her left was the stables. Curious as to whether anything was alive by that point, she slowly approached the wooden building. It was dark and unnerving.

With a nudge from Bowser, Peach put one of her King Tribe abilities to use. She conjured a small ball of light that did a good job of easing her up. Even with her enhanced night vision due to her transformation, she still preferred to see things a lot more clearly with the help of some light.

Finally getting close to the stables, she started to make out an extremely repugnant odor. Peach forcefully pinched her nose and stepped in to where the various steeds would be kept.

Ah! The Princess stifled a yell as the obvious Yoshi skeleton hung on top of its horse door. Peach covered her mouth with her hands and tried to compose herself.

"Can it, princess, or there would be no reason for me to be here..." Bowser stated, less aggressively than usual, as if to not hurt Peach's feelings beyond his simple statement.

The only explanation Peach could muster was that the poor creature starved to death, hanging on the door.

The princess swallowed with some difficulty and moved on to the next stall, which was thankfully empty, as was the third and the fourth. The smell got worse with each step, signifying that whatever waited in the fifth and final stall was the definite culprit, and it also promised to be quite a shock.

Peach steeled herself in preparation for whatever was in there and put her light orb carrying hand in front of it fist. She then slowly inched her head closer and over the horse door...

What was behind the door was too overbearing for anyone that had known a Yoshi in their life: the disarticulated bones of one lay in the middle of a basin of sorts. Said basin was filled with the obvious liquefied and partially dried up remains of the flesh that the skeleton carried.

Peach looked away in horror. The presence of the basin indicated that this death was deliberate on somebody's part. What for, however, was up to anyone's interpretation. For Peach, it felt like some sick sport, perhaps even an experiment. Whatever it was, it was unforgivable to her.

"Get a grip on yourself. This is far from over," Bowser said curtly. No matter the situation, he wasn't going to mince meat or sugar coat any truths. Time was a luxury they could not afford and it was wasted on such pointless emotions. "There is something about that knife that is strangely familiar." he added, in an attempt to snap her back to reality and their objective, whatever it might be.

Peach wanted to take a deep breath and calm herself, but the stench of decay had other eyes. She pressed a little harder on her nose and let go of the light orb, letting it float freely with support from the palm of her hand. She inched closer to the knife, her heart racing faster and faster.

My lord?! ….. There ... to b. an..er way …. We're .ut o. time... Y.. can't! I w... let …. you...

As soon as she touched the dagger, a stream of thoughts rushed to Peach's mind and overwhelmed her. The light orb she created scattered to the winds as she grabbed her head, trying her best not to scream. Thanks in part to Bowser restraining her from the inside, she managed to stifle her cries of distress. The skeletal structure turned into dust the moment she realized she was holding the dagger in her hand.

The princess was breathing heavily, the stench a non-factor in her lungs' decision. She swallowed and struggled to stand up.

"Are you sure you're feeling ship-shape?" Bowser asked, slightly concerned, if mostly for his own well being.

"I-I'm fine... Don't worry about it..." Peach gritted her teeth as she declared her stance, although nobody, least of all Bowser, would believe for one second. She shambled towards the exit and back to the bailey's slightly fresher air.

Peach pulled out the dagger, and with slight difficulty, she conjured up another ball of light. The task was decidedly hard, as she was not of stable mind anymore but she managed to hold it together in the end.

With her vision clearer, the princess was able to gaze at the dagger held in her hand. The instrument to the Yoshi's demise. It had a broad curved blade and an hourglass shaped handle. Said black colored handle carried an embedded emblem, one that was strangely familiar.

"I-I'm sure I have seen this emblem before, but where..." Peach tried to remember when she saw such a motif but nothing came to mind.

"Keep it with you. We might get some use out of it," came Bowser's reply from within. She could imagine him folding his hands and tilting his head as he answered.

She would have preferred to get rid of it altogether, but circumstances demanded otherwise, so she begrudgingly pocketed it and took a look around, hoping to plan her next destination.

From where she stood, she could spy a well a few feet away from her, and a small building that looked like the perfect place to house a kitchen or too. A little beyond that, however, was a large staircase going up, to the Great Hall, no doubt. It would be the best place to hold a hostage, or at least find some sort of useful information.

Walking forward and past the well, Peach could notice the scattered skeletal remains of those that had been once residents of the fort. The well itself was filled with the piled up bones. The trail seemed to carry on to the kitchens, but she knew better than to approach, not after what they found in the stables, and if the stripped clean bones had anything to say about it, it certainly would not be a pleasant venture.

The princess continued her slow and steady steps until she was staring at the stairs that spiraled upwards. She had been going up and down stairs for most of her life, yet she never felt this uneasy about it before, not because said stairs might crumble at any given second, but mostly because of what could be waiting for them up there.

After what seemed like a torturous eternity, Peach finally made it upstairs. A medium sized door stood in front of her, and to her left was the curtain wall, looking as fragile as every other part of the fortress. She placed her hand on the decrepit wooden door and pushed. The door creaked, but obeyed her forward motion, opening just enough for her to slip in.

For a battle-oriented fortress, the Great Hall had been impressive, at least a few decades back. Five lines of tables extended along the majority of the rooms. Suffice to say, they had seen better days as well. The majority collapsed due to termites, while a good number was smashed and splintered up. At the end of the room, Peach could spy the dais where the Lord's table was situated. It wasn't spared the decay nor the termites, but it held up much better than the other common tables and still stood up, stripped of its pride but otherwise still standing. Along the walls were a series of regal portraits, all women it seemed.

Peach walked closer to the portraits and took a closer look.

Adeline Cordelia Toadstool: 1877-1900

Amelia Cordelia Toadstool: 1900-1923

Toadstool... Peach wondered about the name and whether or not it was a coincidence. She could feel Bowser's glare at the whole situation from within. Moving on the next pair of portraits, Peach stared intently at them:

Carmen Cordelia Toadstool: 1923-1946

Isabelle Cordelia Toadstool: 1946-1969

"It seems all these queen types only ruled and lived for 23 years and not a second more," Bowser declared out of nowhere. He wasn't wrong, however. It couldn't have been a coincidence.

"You're not wrong there... I do wonder why, though," Peach replied as she studied the features of the queens of old. They had remarkable similarity, from the golden locks to the sapphire blue eyes. They did have one thing in common, however: The Liberalis Stone brooch hung to their chests without fail.

There were two portraits left, and Peach swallowed with difficulty, unsure what the last two portraits were going to reveal.

She moved closer and shone her light upon the next painting.

Ludmilla Cordelia Toadstool: 1969-1992. She was the one notable exception in a line of almost look-alikes. Her ebony black hair and her pale skin contrasted with each other, but it did nothing if not increase her striking beauty. Her golden eyes only served to add more to her bewitching appearance. Like those before her, she too carried the Liberalis.

Suddenly, after looking into Ludmilla's portrait for a few seconds, Peach let out an ear piercing scream as she dropped her knees and put her arms on her head.

My Lord?! Why are you doing this? There has to be another way.

We're out of time. It has to be this way…

No! You can't! I won't let you...

Peach collapsed on the floor... And the rest was silence!

MaviMario: Thank you for letting me know, the lines were lost when I uploaded the document xD

Well, this chapter was actually nice to write, if a little difficult. Things are heating up and the next chapter is going to be packed as well. Since the outline of it is ready and all, it won't take forever this time :) thanks for reading and have a nice day!