Chapter 12:
With the battle having ended, Mario and Luigi went to work checking up on Goombella and their other allies. Aside from a few bumps and bruises, the allies had gotten through that battle relatively unscathed. Taking stock of themselves, they could feel the fatigue setting in for them now that the adrenaline had worn off. Still, their super-powers had prevented them from suffering any real injuries in the fight, though they were very thankful both that that Sephiroth had quit the fight when he did and for Nanaki's appearance, for they felt that the outcome had still been in doubt and even if they would have won, it would not have been without cost, for they had been going through super-powers very quickly. Once everyone had been checked out, it was time to get down to business with Goombella beginning the conversation.
"So, what happened with Sephiroth?" she asked Mario and Luigi. "Is he finally dead?"
"Doubtful," Mario answered. "He jumped down a shaft inside a building into what looked to be a field of turquoise energy far below the surface. He then looked over at Nanaki, who seemed to know more about Sephiroth than anyone else present. "And this…leonine creature assisted us in the fight."
"He helped us too," Koops added.
"Who are you?" Luigi asked, approaching Nanaki. "And thanks for the help against Sephiroth."
"My name is Nanaki," the red leonine creature answered, inclining his head with a bow.
"Why did you help us in the first place?" Goombella asked. "Also, how did you know we were the good guys and what do you know about Sephiroth? We know he's bad and all, but even with this fight and Mario's previous fight against him, we're still going in pretty blind."
"Your first fight?" Nanaki queried, casting a surprised glance at Mario.
"I fought him on our world, Hylia," Mario answered. "He was tough then, but not as tough as he was now. Even then, though, I only won because I got lucky and from the looks of it, he had come back wrong initially."
"I see," Nanaki answered, still surprised that Mario had fought Sephiroth before and not only lived to tell the tale, but had actually won. Looking to Goombella, he then continued, "Well, to answer your first question, I helped because I saw the Supernova Limit Break that Sephiroth had used and in going to investigate, I saw you fighting those other creatures," Nanaki replied.
"Limit Break?" the Marios asked in unison.
"A Limit Break is a special attack that can be used at certain times when you get extremely angry, take a lot of damage, or are in a desperate situation where you need to go beyond your limits in order to win," Nanaki explained. The others looked at each other, questioningly. "Sephiroth's Limit Break is called Supernova, where he unleashes an explosion of incredible power, said to be hotter than that of an aforementioned supernova. Any fighter that fights in a lot of battles on this world has a Limit Break. My most powerful Limit Break is called Cosmo Memory. Some people, myself included, have multiple Limit Breaks, though people like that are rare now since the world has been at peace for centuries. Using stronger Limit Breaks requires more anger and/or damage to be sustained in battle."
"Unfortunately, it seems as if you all are incapable of using Limit Breaks," Skolar interjected, appearing from behind Mario and looking at the party. "Such techniques seem to be limited to people from Gaia or those who have been exposed to Mako, quote unquote therapeutically."
"So chances are that Bowser and the surviving Koopas may be able to utilize Limit Breaks of their own," Mario concluded.
Skolar nodded. "We would be foolish to discount that possibility."
"And what about Materia?" Koops asked. "Can we use that?"
"I don't know," Skolar answered. "It's crystallized Mako but I don't know how well it would work, or if it would work, with someone who has no connection to the Lifestream."
"Anyway, getting back to Goombella's questions, I could sense the Mako infusion and even the Jenova cells inside of them," Nanaki explained. "One of my more canine and even leonine properties is my sense of smell. As for what I know of Sephiroth, a little over five hundred years ago, Sephiroth attempted to merge with the Lifestream by summoning a meteor to inflict a wound to the planet."
"Why would that help him merge with the Lifestream?" Goombella asked.
"And what is the Lifestream?" Kooper added.
"The Lifestream is an ethereal substance that flows beneath the surface of the planet," Nanaki explained. "It often appears as strands of flowing bluish-green luminescent fluid flowing as a whole, which is where it gets its name. It is said to contain all of the memories, knowledge, and emotion of everyone who has ever lived on the planet. Mako and Materia are made from the Lifestream. Materia is merely crystallized Mako."
"Mako?" Mario asked.
"It is basically liquid Lifestream," Nanaki stated. "There are caves and other areas around the world where Mako springs forth from the surface. You can even sometimes find Materia near these Mako springs."
"Would we be able to use Mako?" Koops asked, looking to Skolar and Nanaki.
"I don't know," Skolar answered. "While Materia is crystallized Mako, it may still allow those who are not part of Gaia to use it since not everyone on Gaia was close to the planet."
"But how was Sephiroth able to use Mako and Jenova enhancements on Bowser and the Koopas on Hylia?" Luigi asked no one in particular. "Even with the Jenova cells being revived when he was, shouldn't the Mako have been gone since it's not linked to his cells?"
"From what I heard from Cloud, and even Rufus Shinra, Mako can accumulate inside a person's body if the person has been exposed to a sufficient amount of it," Nanaki answered. "Without knowing the spell used to revive him or its properties, I can only speculate. If Sephiroth had Mako in his body, which he must have, he probably accumulated enough inside himself that he could simply give some to those, Koopas was it?"
Mario nodded.
"…Koopas that you were fighting earlier." Nanaki then paused before continuing, "As for why a wound to the planet would help Sephiroth merge with the Lifestream, it is because when the planet is wounded, virtually the entire Lifestream flows to the site of the wound to attempt to heal it. This happened when the Jenova meteorite crashed into the planet and formed Northern Crater twenty-five hundred years ago and later five hundred years ago, to a lesser extent, during Meteorfall, where the Lifestream assisted a defensive spell called Holy in stopping a meteor the size of this planet's moon from crashing into the planet, though Midgar was destroyed and reduced to ruins in the process."
"So Sephiroth basically got everything he wanted by jumping down that shaft," Luigi concluded in a gloomy tone.
"Not necessarily," Nanaki answered. "When he fell into the Lifestream the first time, Sephiroth was unable to merge with it, leading me to believe that it would have taken a lot of time for him to do so, if it was even possible at all for him to do so without causing a wound or other phenomena that would cause the Lifestream to gather into one place. Many have called Mako and, thus, the Lifestream the lifeblood of the planet. If that is the case, then he may well have been absorbed into the Lifestream and been unable to retain his sense of self if he tried to merge with the Lifestream the slow way. He was only able to really spread himself out and cause the Geostigma disease after the Lifestream came to help Holy stop his summoned Meteor. There is a library in Kalm that has a history of the world so you can find out more about Meteorfall and the Geostigma Crisis there. You can also find out a lot about the world and its history if you go there. It even has some of the newer discoveries about the Cetra in there. It would also be wise for us to get into a town as well. The wild areas are not always safe and you can oftentimes run into monsters out here."
"It'll also allow us to plan our next move," Goombella suggested.
Mario and Luigi nodded in agreement. "Then let's go to this Kalm," Mario stated. "We'll also be able to buy any needed provisions for the journey ahead."
The others agreed and the group then looked to Nanaki. "It's to the east," he told them. "But first, I have to do something for a moment." He then gave a loud roar that caused the party to cover their ears for a few moments. Not long after, they heard two similar roars off in the distance. Waiting a few moments, the party spotted two smaller red leonine creatures that resembled Nanaki running over to him. Mario figured that they were Nanaki's cubs. When they arrived, they stopped and sat down.
"We heard you Dad," one of the cubs stated.
"What is it?" the other finished.
I want you two to head back to your mom at Cosmo Canyon," Nanaki answered. "Something has come up; something bad. This is too big for children like you to handle alone and I would feel much better if you were safe with Mom."
"What's happened?" the cubs asked in unison.
"Sephiroth is back," Nanaki answered. "Go back to the canyon and alert everyone there to the situation. Spread the word. Also, be alert for large bipedal turtle-like creatures. They are enhanced with Jenova cells and Mako. In essence, they are much like SOLDIER, whom you have heard of in stories and history. If you see them, stay away from them. They are Sephiroth's allies and are powerful. Also, alert the others about those creatures as well. Spread the word. If you run into military or police forces, alert them to the situation too. I don't know when I'll be back home or if I'll be able to stay long if I do get back. Just stay safe."
"Will do, Dad," the cubs assured him. They then gave loud roars before running off. Once they had departed the scene, Nanaki then led the group to Kalm. As he did so, though, Nanaki could not help but notice another smell carried by the wind. He looked back but saw nothing before continuing towards Kalm. No one but Luigi noticed the hesitation, but that hesitation put the younger Mario Brother on guard.
Indeed, not too far away, a ripple appeared in the air as Mario and his allies followed Nanaki to Kalm. A part of him was tempted to teleport to Bowser's current location but he thought better of it. He wanted to get a lay of the land and, if possible, a map of this world as well since Bowser and the Koopas knew just as little about this world as Mario did. He made certain to maintain his invisibility charm as he followed Mario at a distance, hoping that Nanaki did not sense him. Feeling the wind, he realized that the wind was at his back, meaning that his smell would be carried down wind. As such, he trailed off a bit and ascended, hoping that the Marios' new ally would lose his scent and not view him as a threat. Either way, he needed to learn more about this world if he were to be able to help Bowser in his goals, especially since he felt that their use to Sephiroth may well have come to an end.
Meanwhile, many miles away near a mountain range, Bowser and most of his surviving forces reappeared in an area of grassland and took stock of themselves. The remaining Magikoopas were already casting healing spells on Bowser Jr. and Larry in order to revive them as well as heal the other Koopas that had been injured in the fighting. Bowser's children immediately rose up and looked around, not recognizing the surroundings, though that did not mean much to them at the moment since they pretty much did not recognize any landmarks on Gaia.
"What happened?" Bowser Jr. asked anxiously, noticing that there were far fewer Koopas present than he remembered coming to Gaia with. "Did we win?"
"No," Bowser answered succinctly. "Mario's allies beat us and Mario must have beaten Sephiroth or at least fought evenly enough for him to survive the fight without suffering too great an injury."
"Where is Sephiroth?" Larry asked.
"Terrific question," the Koopa King growled in answer. "He never returned from his fight against the Mario Brothers, but I get the feeling that he's not dead; not by a long shot."
"So what's the plan?" Larry asked.
"I'm trying to think of one," Bowser answered with a groan. He then sat on a stone that conveniently looked like a seat for some sort of monster and took a few moments to gather his thoughts and plan his next move. There was no question that they had taken it on the chin from Mario and his allies. Most of their forces had died in the fight near Midgar, Sephiroth had seemingly cast them aside, and they were currently on the run.
"I can't raise Kamix onboard the Starship Mario," one of the Magikoopas blurted.
"No!" Bowser roared. Things had just gone from bad to worse. It was then that one of the surviving SOLDIER Koopas looked around and noticed that there was a Koopa missing.
"Where's Kamek?" the SOLDIER Koopa Troopa asked.
The group looked around and tried to find the Magikoopa leader but could find no trace of him. The Koopas began to grow concerned.
"I don't get it," one of the SOLDIER Magikoopas said. "He was still alive and present in the fight when the call to retreat was given."
Bowser and his children could only exhibit a collective sigh. The battle had not gone how they had envisioned. They had envisioned a complete victory with their new powers, or at the very least being able to inflict damage to Mario's forces. Instead, this battle had been an unmitigated disaster. The Koopa King considered his options, of which there were very few. He had no idea where they were and were without any support from the Starship Mario. He could either wander aimlessly and hope to find some settlements and also hope that the people here were advanced enough technologically to allow them to get back up to Starship Mario, or they could stay where they were and build a small settlement for themselves and resign themselves to never getting off this world. Eventually, Bowser made his decision.
"We'll wait here for a bit and get some rest," he told the others, in answer to Larry's earlier question. His sudden statement caused the others to turn towards him. "Once we get some rest, then we'll decide on our next course of action. Either way, I think we all can agree that it's best to not try to chase after Mario at the moment."
The others could not help but agree with their king's sentiment since the disaster had been so great. As such, the Koopas just sat down and decided to rest, with one of Bowser's children and a Magikoopa keeping watch. If anything dared to attack them, at least there would be a warning.
Meanwhile, Mario and his party were quickly approaching the town of Kalm. From this distance, the town looked to be only as advanced as a mid twentieth century Earth town. While there were roads leading into the town, the party noticed that there were no vehicles on these roads indicating that the technological level may not have been as high as initially believed, at least in terms of engineering. Still, they could see the lights in the town so they knew that it was not uninhabited, though the small size of the town did make it seem smaller than most other towns. To Mario's eyes it looked smaller than most towns he had visited in the Mushroom Kingdom.
Nanaki led them into the town where they found that, indeed, it was sparsely populated, with only a few houses, an inn, a shop, a library, and a bar. There were a few people walking to and from various places, with several people seemingly heading into the bar at the far end of town located on the second floor of a large building. The closest building was an inn but Mario was not interested in stay the night. His main focus was planning their next move, which meant that he wanted to go someplace where he would not draw too much attention to himself.
As if he was reading Mario's mind, Nanaki suggested, "We should head to the bar. It has enough people and noise in there so we can make our plans for dealing with Sephiroth and Bowser while not drawing too much attention to ourselves. Besides, up above said bar is an item shop and a Materia shop. What better way to see if you can use Materia than to buy some and try it out?"
The others nodded in agreement and proceeded to make their way towards the large building with a staircase on its outside.
Not too far behind the group, just outside the town, was Kamek, still under his invisibility charm. He had breathed a sigh of relief that the red leonine creature had not smelled him, nor Luigi actually having managed to spot him, but he still took great care to not make a sound on the chance that the creature or one of Mario's allies might be able to hear it. As such, he waited outside the town for a few more minutes before finally entering.
Once he was in the town, he looked at his surroundings and saw various people going to and from numerous buildings. He quickly spotted the inn, a library, the watchtower and the large building near the back of the town that housed some shops and a bar. It was times like this that he wished that he had brought a Sneaky Parasol with him, for while he was did know some spells that could allow him to disguise his appearance, it was not his greatest talent and he was much better at casting such spells on others than himself.
Scanning the town some more, he did not see the Mario Brothers, their allies, or Nanaki, but he had a feeling that finding the Marios and their plans would not be the most important thing he could do for Bowser at the moment. As such, he went to work searching for a library or any sort of bookstore that might have a map of the area or, even better, the world and possibly a history of Gaia that he and the rest of the Koopa Troop could study and either use to carve out a little niche here or potentially find a way to get back to Hylia and the Koopa Kingdom.
Meanwhile, Mario and the others had already made their way to the bar. Remembering from his first trip to Kalm, so long ago, Nanaki remembered that the bar was in the lower part of the building inside a tunnel inside the large building. Guiding the group to the bar, he saw that it was sparsely populated, though there were still a few patrons. Mario looked for a series of tables that was out the way and would not draw too much attention. Seeing just what he wanted near an alcove to the left, he and the group made their way over to the tables and sat down. Once the group had sat down, they got to business.
Each member of the party drew out their cell phones and activated them, bringing up maps of Gaia on their small screens. A red X marked the party's current location inside of Kalm. Eldstar, Skolar, and Klevar soon appeared from behind Mario to take a look at the map. Nanaki also leaned in to take a look at the cell phones.
"That map looks to be pretty accurate," he noted. "A part of me is surprised you have technology that advanced, though I probably shouldn't be since you appear to come from another world."
"Actually, the starship we came on was built by a star-like people called Lumas," Mario explained. "While the phones came from the starship, they were built on Hylia, the world we came from. From what I've seen, it's likely that Hylia and Gaia are comparable in technology, with Gaia maybe having a bit of an edge in some fields like genetic engineering." The plumber then got back to business. "Okay, we're here," he said, pointing to Kalm on his map and highlighting it. As he did so, the rest of the phones had Kalm highlighted on their maps as well. "Let's assume that Sephiroth survived and is planning his next move. What are the currents of the Lifestream? Is there any way to know where Sephiroth went? Would he have any special attachment to a certain location where we can begin the search or, even better, is there anywhere that has any hard information on him that could help us in our next fight or if he somehow manages to merge with the Lifestream?"
"The currents of the Lifestream have never really been mapped ever since they changed after the Meteorfall incident," Nanaki answered. "No one has ever needed to do so since people no longer use Mako energy for their needs."
"So there's no way to know where it flows and where Sephiroth would surface, assuming he would surface at all?" Goombella asked.
"Not necessarily," Nanaki answered after thinking for a moment. "While there's no way to know for certain where he would surface, or even if he would surface, if he would, there are a few places where he may do so, each for different reasons. His original home was Nibelheim, on the Western Continent. However, it holds no real sentimental value for him and the Mako reactor that held the body of Jenova no longer does so. From what we know, all remnants of Jenova, save for the cells in Sephiroth and the Koopas we encountered, have been destroyed.
"The most likely place for him to surface is North Crater, on the Northern Continent. Another place is the Forgotten City, which is also on the Northern Continent. It was once the capital of Cetra civilization. Sephiroth once thought that Jenova was a Cetra. Instead, Jenova was a being that arrived from an asteroid two thousand years ago, the impact of which created the North Crater. The Cetra attempted to fight Jenova but were taken to the brink of extinction before they finally managed to seal it. The remnants of the Cetra then assimilated into the rest of human society."
"Are there any Cetra left?" Goombella asked.
Nanaki shook his head. "No. The last known Cetra died over five hundred years ago. She was a dear friend named Aerith Gainsborough. She was murdered by Sephiroth in order to stop her from casting Holy and also to hurt Cloud, another friend from that time."
There was a moment of silence before Goombella chimed in, "So, let's find out where this North Crater is. She proceeded to punch in a few commands on her cell phone map.
The others did likewise and, unsurprisingly, the map zeroed in on the northernmost section of the planet. The map highlighted the crater on what looked to be the north pole of Gaia and labeled several points of interest around it, such as Gaea's Cliffs, the Whirlwind Maze, and even the Northern Cave deep inside the crater. There was also a mark for the Forgotten City to the south of the crater. They highlighted that and soon saw its location marked on the map.
"So these are the two places he's most likely to appear, if he does at all," Mario stated, turning to Nanaki.
"He'll have to if he wants to actually create a wound that will cause the Lifestream to coalesce around in order to heal," Nanaki stated. "He needed to use the Black Materia to summon the meteor to the planet last time. Even with his ascension, he needed a body and the Materia in order to summon Meteor. And the Black Materia was taken to Northern Cave by Cloud and the party during the prelude to the summoning of the meteor. If the Black Materia is still intact, it'll be there."
"That cinches it in my book," Mario concluded. "He'll likely appear here."
"But what if the Materia is gone?" Luigi asked. "What would he do then?"
Nanaki gave a sigh. "I don't know," he answered. "While he was defeated in Northern Cave during Meteorfall, he was still able to make contact with the Lifestream and spread his negative emotion through it, creating a Negative Lifestream and also the disease Geostigma. The Lifestream also did converge around Midgar during that event so chances were that he was able to at least gain more strength and influence over it, even if he could not merge with it completely. The good news, though, is that there is some evidence that the Black Materia may well have been destroyed when it was used. No one has seen the Materia since Sephiroth used it five hundred years ago. However, we can't count on that to be the case."
"Let's say the Materia is found and is used by Sephiroth to summon a meteor," Vivian interjected. "Would there be any way to stop it?"
"Yes," Nanaki answered. "We could use the White Materia to summon Holy, a spell that could be used to destroy the Meteor. However, we'd have to use it quickly, for if it's used while Meteor is too close to the planet, it would still create a wound or at least require the assistance of the Lifestream to stop the Meteor, which Sephiroth could then merge with and become a god."
"Then we'd better get going now," Yoshi Kid declared. "We've gotta stop Sephiroth right here and now."
The others nodded in agreement. It was not long before a waitress arrived at their table and asked them, "Hello, is there anything I can get for you?"
Not wanting to be disrespectful, but also not wanting to drink anything alcoholic, Mario replied, "What do you have that's non-alcoholic?"
"We've got the usual stuff," the waitress answered. "We have a variety of sodas, fruit juices, and some non-alcoholic beer."
"May I have some diet soda?" Mario asked.
"Could you make that two?" Luigi added. The plumbers then looked around to see if the others wanted anything. In the end, Goombella, Koops, and Sushie wanted some water while Kooper and Lakilester wanted some soda. They then made their orders with the waitress.
"Sure," the waitress answered with a not so subtle wink towards Mario and Luigi. The plumbers did not respond immediately as Mario simply said, "Thank you."
The waitress then went off to fill their orders, a little disappointed that the Marios did not seem to take an interest in her. Back at the table, the group then waited for their orders to be filled while they continued to make plans.
"We're going to need some more items for this quest," Luigi cautioned. "We used up a number of super-powers when dealing with Sephiroth."
"And we used some items against Bowser's forces," Goombella added.
"There's an item shop in the building at the top of the staircase above the bar," Nanaki suggested. "They also sell some Materia up there, too, so we'll be able to see if you can use Materia."
"Sounds like a plan," Mario stated.
"What about Bowser?" Lakilester asked, changing the subject. "We can't just forget about him."
"One huge task at a time," Goombella responded. "Right now, Sephiroth takes priority."
"Bowser should not be ignored," Eldstar cautioned. "While Sephiroth is the primary concern at the moment due to his power and his plans for not only this world but also every other world he learns about, Bowser has been infected by Jenova cells and could very well be under his thrall, if not be strongly influenced by him. We're already beginning to see some changes in Bowser, not the least of which was his hesitation to retreat despite the losses he sustained."
"Bowser never retreats unless he has no choice," Goombella stated.
"Not so," Eldstar corrected. "Bowser may be loath to retreat but he's no fan of taking needless casualties. I was surprised that he waited so long to fall back when the battle turned against him outside of Midgar. He's on an alien world with no known way back to Hylia. When victory looked to be highly difficult to nigh impossible, he should have retreated so he could get accustomed to his new powers then come back when both he and the rest of his forces were stronger. Now, he is in far worse shape than he was when he first arrived and even if he and his forces do get accustomed to their powers, it may be too little, too late."
Mario considered what Eldstar had said. The Star Spirit had a point. Bowser may have been impulsive at times but he was not stupid. More than that, he did not like wasting the lives of his soldiers, something his soldiers deeply respected him for. Either way, though, he wanted to have everyone when he faced Sephiroth again. Both of his fights against the former SOLDIER had come down to the wire and he had required luck the first time he fought the silver-haired fighter while the second fight was left unresolved, despite Sephiroth retreating. He then took a deep breath and calmed his mind. Sephiroth may have been a difficult foe, but he was not unbeatable. He had done so before and he could do it again; especially if he had help from Luigi and the rest of his friends. For now, he'd just enjoy his soda and then get the necessary items for the journey ahead.
Indeed, it was not long before waitress returned with the party's drinks. Mario and Luigi received their sodas and began to drink as the rest of the party got their drinks. There was something special about this soda, for as he drank it, Mario could feel himself being rejuvenated. Luigi drank his own soda and noticed the same thing. Nanaki looked over at them and smiled. "Some of the sodas here have healing properties similar to that of potions," the leonine creature explained. "Many people come here not to partake in alcohol, but to get some refreshment from these sodas after a hard day's work in the mines."
"Could we get some for the road?" Mario asked.
"We can ask when the waitress comes back," Nanaki replied.
"How are the sodas working for you?" Mario asked Kooper and Lakilester.
"They're great," the two exclaimed.
"And I'm also feeling far more refreshed from this than I would have thought," Kooper added. "Is there something special in them?"
"If there is, I don't know exactly what it is," Nanaki answered. "It's good to see that they work to refresh you as well. Hopefully you'll be able to use Materia as well.
It did not take long for the party to finish their drinks. Soon, the waitress returned and Mario asked for two sodas in bottles for each of the party members. The waitress nodded and added it to their tab and then departed and they waited for the sodas.
While Mario his allies were in the bar, Kamek was inside the library doing his best to study the history of this world and find any famous landmarks or points of interest that could help Bowser and the remaining Koopas carve out a niche here or more. More importantly, though, he had found a map and quickly stuffed it in his robe as surreptitiously as possible for while he was invisible, the physical disappearance of a map that was in plain sight would alarm anyone who caught sight of it. Realizing that he would not be able to read in the library and get any real information while invisible, but not wanting to draw any attention to himself, even though the library seemed to be sparsely populated, he went into a bathroom stall, removed the invisibility spell, and then departed.
Returning to the main wing of the library, he began searching for textbooks and other sources of information that could help him, while surreptitiously taking out the map so he could mark important locations on it for Bowser and the others. Upon finding them and using various spells to transmit the information to himself, he proceeded to learn a basic history of the planet, mostly starting with the rise and fall of the Shinra Electric Power Company. He found it quite fascinating, especially the fact that several Shinra bases were either landmarks or abandoned areas that would serve as perfect bases of operation for Bowser's forces while they tried to adapt to life on Gaia. Checking the books and his map, Kamek marked the locations of abandoned Mako reactors that would be good places for the Koopas to hole up while they got their bearings. After he was finished, he put the books back and proceeded to leave the library.
Once outside, he scanned the town for the item and Materia ships, knowing that if Bowser and his remaining forces wanted to carve out a niche for themselves, getting a supply of Materia and possibly some armor would go a long way towards helping them out. Looking at the staircase that led up a stone hill, he saw what looked to be some shops on the top of the hill. Think that that would be a good place to start, he went over to the staircase and climbed it. Once at the top, he was clearly able to make out a sign that read Item and Materia Shop. Grinning, the Magikoopa proceeded to make his way towards the shop so he could stock up on items, weapons, and Materia for Bowser's forces.
Back at the bar, Mario, Luigi, and the party received their sodas, dubbed Special Sodas by the waitress. Goombella took a taste of hers to see if it was any good. Her face split into a grin after tasting it and she quickly put the cap back on the bottle so it would stay fresh. Even better was that it seemed as if these sodas had multiple servings in each bottle. This would make their trek much easier.
Once the waitress gave Mario the bill, he looked at it and noted that it said 3200 gil. Wondering what gil was, he looked over to Nanaki and asked, "Is gil the currency on Gaia?"
Nanaki nodded. "It is. It consists of small coins that are either gold or silver."
"Would standard coins do?" Kooper asked, producing a Mushroom Kingdom coin.
"I don't know," Nanaki answered. "If it has enough gold or silver in it, it may suffice but I can't be sure." He then gave a kind smile and said, "Don't worry about it. I'll pay for this one. I've got plenty of gil so this won't be a problem."
"Thanks," Mario answered. "I'll pay you back once we get some gil."
Nanaki then proceeded to pay the waitress the tab, as well as leave a good tip. Once they were finished, they proceeded to leave the bar and head up the stairs towards the Materia shop.
Once they reached the top of the stairs, they scanned the three shops and, seeing that the Materia shop was the one in the center, they proceeded to make their way into the store. Once inside, they promptly caught sight of Kamek, causing the party, and the Magikoopa to gasp in shock.
"Kamek?!" Mario, Luigi, and several of their allies blurted in shock.
"Mario?!" Kamek immediately retorted in shock.
The Magikoopa was in the process of buying several pieces of Materia, though the heroes did not know that the jewels in his pocket were the now rare and powerful Materia that would grant its user magical abilities. Nanaki took one look at him and alerted the others, "He has Materia, and lots of it!"
That was all Mario needed to pull out his Fire Flower and attack Kamek. Kamek, however, had other ideas and decided that a retreat was in order. Before Mario could even fire, Kamek teleported out of the shop, and away from the town, returning to where he sensed his king and the remaining Koopa forces were located.
Meanwhile, Mario and the others rushed out of the shop to try to chase down Kamek, hoping he just teleported out of the shop and they could catch up to him, but when they exited the shop, they could find no trace of the Magikoopa. Giving a brief sigh, Mario then went back into the store so he and his party could stock up on Materia and other items that could help them down the road.
When they reentered the store, Mario and the party scanned the selection of Materia and saw that the store had the Poison, Earth, Heal, Sense, and Steal Materias. Nanaki, who knew a lot more about Materia than they did, offered a brief explanation of the various Materia present. "The Materia here that you want will be the Poison, Earth, and Heal Materias. The Sense and Steal Materias, while useful in some regards, allowing you to sense the health of an opponent and also steal any items it has on it, respectively, are not going to be as useful for us if you can't use Materia. As for the Poison, Earth, and Heal Materias, they allow you to cast, Bio, which is a poison spell, Quake, and also cast status-healing spells, respectively."
Mario considered Nanaki's suggestions and studied the Materia along with the others. Eventually, the party came up with a decision. "We'd like at least two of the Earth and Poison Materias please," Goombella stated for the rest of the party.
Nanaki nodded and went up to get the Materia, with him getting a Heal Materia as well. A part of him was surprised that Mario's allies did not want a Heal Materia, but he did not press them on it. He suspected that they had some items that could either cure them of negative status conditions or render them immune to such conditions altogether. Once the purchases were made, they proceeded to make their way outside the shop and that was when they got down to the business of what to do next.
"We have to go after Kamek," Goombella declared. "We didn't detect him enter Kalm either behind us or in front of us, which means that he may well know our plans. Considering that Bowser was helping Sephiroth, we have to expect that he's going to do his best to hinder us so we can't have him nipping at our heels."
Several others nodded in agreement, but Mario was more skeptical. The last thing he wanted to do was split the force but he was not oblivious to what Kamek or Bowser could do, especially if they got a good lay of the land. Still, Sephiroth was not someone he wanted to fight alone, or with only a few others for support. He had the bad feeling that the next time they faced Sephiroth, the former SOLDIER would be even stronger despite the beating he had taken in the last fight.
Seeing that Mario had not given a response, Luigi went over to Mario and told him, "We have to do it. We have to stop Sephiroth but we can't just let Bowser carve out a niche for himself here."
"There's also the prospect that Sephiroth could influence him since he now has Jenova cells in him and has undergone Mako infusion as well," Eldstar added. "It would be best to ensure that Bowser does not make his way to any inhabited settlements and take them hostage, forcing a confrontation with him on his terms."
Eventually, Mario nodded in agreement. "Okay, but who will go after Bowser?"
"I'll lead the group that goes after Bowser," Luigi declared, something that surprised the allies, though Mario just smiled knowingly.
"I'll go with him," Vivian added. "And you, Bow, should go with Mario. He won't need two phasers to help against Sephiroth and you can make multiple people go intangible. I, on the other hand, can only drag one person into the shadows, but my Fire magic can affect multiple foes."
Both Mario and Luigi nodded in agreement."
"I'll go with Mario," Nanaki declared.
"Hold on," Mario cautioned. "I think you should go with Luigi, just in case Bowser evades his group and you have to play a cat and mouse game with him."
"But you'll need me to guide you through the lands of the Northern Continent to get to the Forgotten City and even North Crater," Nanaki contested. "And not only that, but there's the prospect of even getting there in the first place. You'll need an airship for that."
"I've got the next best thing," Mario stated, pulling out his phone. He then dialed Dribble and Spitz and waited for a few rings before the phone was answered.
"Hey Mario, what is it?" Spitz asked.
"Can you come down to meet us just outside of the town of Kalm?" Mario asked. He then pushed a few buttons and added, "You should be receiving coordinates right now. I also sent a map to you that should have our overall destination as well."
"We got 'em," Spitz answered. "How many passengers will we be carrying?"
"Maybe seven, all told," Mario answered.
"If that Boo girl can phase some passengers, we should be able to accommodate you all no problem. Anything else?"
"Yes, tell Goombario and Ms. Mowz to give you an assortment of items. We'll be facing another battle with Sephiroth if all goes well so I'll want to be prepared."
"Got it. We'll be down in a flash."
With that, Mario hung up the phone. Once that was finished, Mario turned to Nanaki and told him, "While I'd love to have your help against Sephiroth, especially if things go south, I can't shake this feeling that we'd be better served if you go with Luigi. With Dribble and Spitz, I'll have both a map and transport. Luigi only has a map. You will need to guide him should Bowser get too far ahead or become stronger than expected. Also, we're going someplace that won't have people, or shouldn't at least. Luigi, on the other hand, may come across some people. You could help him interact with them and show them that we're not hostile."
Nanaki could see the wisdom in Mario's plan and nodded. Mario then sighed. He really did not like the idea of splitting up this force, but there was little else that could be done. He did not want to leave Bowser alone to do whatever he wanted on this world and Sephiroth was too dangerous to allow him to recover. After a moment, the allies decided how the party would be split. Lady Bow, Koops, Flurrie, Yoshi Kid, Watt, and Admiral Bobbery would go with Mario to the Forgotten City while Kooper, Bombette, Parakarry, Sushie, Lakilester, Goombella, and Vivian went with Luigi and pursue Bowser. Once the parties were assembled, they proceeded to make their way to the town's exit, each party wishing the other luck in their endeavors.
Meanwhile, inside the Lifestream, Sephiroth and Aerith were on a collision course for each other, though neither was aware of the fact yet that they were getting close. Still, Aerith was hoping to encounter him quickly so she could deal with him before he regained his full strength. Much to her surprise, and excitement, she sensed a dark presence approaching the Forgotten City on the Northern Continent fast. Focusing her attention on that presence, she rushed off towards the Northern Continent in order to intercept this presence, hoping that Sephiroth had not had a chance to recover from his previous fight.
Sephiroth, on the other hand, was just trying to reach North Crater and hopefully find some remains of the Black Materia used to summon Meteor a little over five hundred years ago, as well as a chance to recover from his previous fight. He had not expected Nanaki to show up, which troubled him. He began to wonder who else from Cloud's party might wind up still being alive to interfere with his plans. What was worse was the fact that he knew that he needed to merge with the Lifestream if he was to defeat the Mario Brothers, for even while he held a physical advantage over them, their Star powers allowed them to even up the fight, and he could tell that they had access to other powers that they had been hesitant to use since they were not accustomed to them just yet.
Extending his senses through the Lifestream, he could feel himself approaching the North Crater when he felt another presence approaching. The presence was familiar and he drew his sword, steeling himself for a fight. And a fight was indeed coming, for a few seconds later, he saw the form of Aerith Gainsborough appear before him in the distance, the young woman looking to be armed with a staff. He stopped and he gripped his sword as he assumed a fighter's stance. Despite his fatigue from the battle against the Mario Brothers, the former SOLDIER was ready for a fight and would not be an easy opponent to take down.
"So, you're here," the Sephiroth began as he studied the young woman he had murdered over five hundred years ago in order to prevent her from summoning Holy to stop Meteor, and also hurt Cloud Strife. "I can't say I'm all that surprised that you would be the part of the Lifestream that would try to stop me."
Aerith took one look at Sephiroth's seemingly bedraggled appearance and gave a smirk. "And I must say I'm a little surprised to see you like this. You've seen better days."
Sephiroth did not deny it. "Yes, and I will see them again soon."
"I won't let you summon another Meteor, Sephiroth," Aerith declared forcefully as she held out her staff, ready to fight. "This ends here."
Sephiroth could only grin. "Then I will hurt Cloud once more," he stated as he held up his sword and then charged Aerith, beginning the fight for the Lifestream.