Chapter 3: The Mysterious Boxes
It was too late for anything. Mallow, Toad, Peach, and Luigi fell into the lava. There was no one saving them, no happy ending for them, they were gone. Mario still didn't know the tragic knews yet, because he was still unconscience. He finally woke up in a room with one window, cheap bunk beds, and a toilet. It was almost like a jail cell, but without any bars. Infact, there wasen't a door.
"How'd I get in here..." he thought to himself. Then he remembered his friends in that big area with all the Dermas, and then he got hit in the head. He reached behind his head and felt as if he had a bump there. "But what happened after that?" he said once again to himself. Then he heard a bang against the wall, and he vigilently walked towards the wall. He placed his ear on it, then suddenly it slid open, and he fell down. He looked up and saw that he was at the feet of the woman who knocked him over, but he didn't know that, because he didn't see her. Her face was still covered by the mask, and she looked back down at him.
"Mario..." she said, and walked into the room. The door slid down again. "We meet again." she said smiling.
"Who are you, and where am I? Where are my friends?" he asked with anger in his voice. She looked towards the window.
"You are still at Derma Island, Mario. And your friends? I think they're in a better place then this." she said said smirking not answering his first question. Mario got up.
"So they're safe?" he asked. There was a pause for a moment, then she continued.
"There is no safety..." she said. All of a sudden the wall slid open and a Derma walked in.
"What shall we do with the boxes, Miss?" he asked and acted as if Mario wasen't there.
"Throw them all in the lava as well, but exept one. We might need one of the creatures, Rujor." she said. Rujor nodded, and left as the wall slid behind him. Mario thought to himself.
"That was Rujor from the airship, he must be one of the leaders here, and what about those boxes..." he said to himself. Then the woman spoke again.
"You shall stay in here, and dont try anything funny." she said to Mario. She then walked out of the room. Mario ran up to the wall, but bounced to the ground. The wall woulden't slide up.
"There has to be a switch on the other side to lock and unlock this wall." he said. He then looked around, and spotted the window. He climbed on the bunk beds, and used his classic super jump to reach it. He pulled himself up, and jammed it open. Unfortunetly, he coulden't fit. All that pasta he was eating wasen't helping his diet, and wasen't helping him go through the window either. "At least I'm getting some air." he said and waited at the window hoping someone friendly would walk by.
Time past and Mario was very tired, when he finally heard something walk by. He peered up, and it was a Derma. He coulden't see much of the Derma because the room he was in, or should I say dungeon he was in was in the basement so the window was only ground level. The Derma, which sounded and was Derma spoke up.
"She told us to drop all the boxes but one into the lava, it might be helpful as she said." Rujor said speaking to a crowd of Dermas holding boxes. Luboori then stepped forward.
"Why do we have to take them off their island, they would be perfect slaves!" Luboori said smirking as the crowd laughed. Rujor wasen't the least bit smiling, but no one could tell because thier faces were still covered by the hoods.
"Luboori, the creatures would attack if we didnt take them off first! Now enough with the fooling around, lets keep moving!" he shouted. As they all walked by, one of the Dermas whispered in another Derma's ear.
"The four digit code for the island is 1669 right?" he asked. The other one nodded, and before you know it, the crowd was gone. Mario then sat on one of the beds.
"1669..." he said to himself. He though about a lot of things at the time, though. He thought of his friends and he though of what the woman said.
"There is no safety..." he repeated her words slowly. He knew that meant something. He also knew that Luboori back in the airship was trying to finish something important about them.
"The darkness is important to them..." Mario said to himself. He knew something was going on, and they needed to figure it out.
Back in the Mushroom Kingdom, Rin and Kin were incharge of keeping things in order while the Chancellor was still at the hospital.
"Do you think he's ok?" asked Kin. Rin stood silent, looking outside. Kin tilted his head.
"Rin, listen to me. You scaring me now..." Kin asked nervously. Kin turned around.
"Were all going to die..." he said with a low, deep voice. Kin's eyes widened.
"Rin! Stop it! Don't say that! That is not true! I never had that much courage in life, but I have enough courage to put up with whatever comes next! Are you listening to me? We have to be brave! Never think on the negative side!" Kin shouted. Kin then touched his lips, not beleiving he just said that. Rin then turned around.
"Your right, I must not think negative. Im sorry, Kin. But I am proud of you, and this is the way I like to see you." Rin said smiling. Kin dropped a tear, and hugged his brother.
"We will always be here for eachother, and I know why your thinking negative. Hope seems lost, but I bet Mario and Luigi will find Tao, Toad, and the Princess! I also bet that they will find out whats going on and stop it!" Kin said smiling. Rin nodded, and they both awaited for whatever comes next.
All of a sudden, they heard a scream come from outside. Rin and Kin ran outside, and everything was calm. Then, they heard the scream again and it came from one of the homes. Rin and Kin ran into the home and found Koopa Troopa's and Goomba's invading the home. They were jumping on tables, knocking over furniture, and cornered the two frightened mushroom parents on one end of the kitchen.
"Help our children!" the mother shouted. Rin told Kin to run upstairs and find the children, and he would take care of the creatures downstairs.
"Right away, Rin!" Kin said with courage in his heart. He was still scared in the inside, but that coulden't stop him now. He ran upstairs and saw a Koopa reaching under the bed and a little girl being attacked by a Goomba. Kin rammed his spear into the Goomba, killing it. The little girl watched as Kin ran towards the Koopa. The Koopa was reaching for the little boy, and Kin had to protect him. Kin kicked its shell off and it rolled down the stairs, then he rammed the spear into the Koopa. He thought he was done, until he heard Rin scream for help.
"Rin, are you ok? Im coming!" Kin shouted and ran downstairs. The creatures were gone, but the parents were ganging up on Rin. "Hey! What are you guys doing?" Kin asked them with a puzzled look on his face. Right before his eyes, they turned into Koopa with gold and silver shells. "What!? This was a trap!" Kin shouted. He then threw his spear at one of the Koopas, but it bounced right off. He ran upstiars, and the kids became Koopas too.
"Kin! Be careful!" Rin shouted, but the Koopas knocked Rin out before he could say anything else. Kin followed soon after with a knock out punch by one of the Koopas. The Koopas came out carrying their bodies, and saw Dermas coming into town with boxes in ther arms.
"We found some of them running around by the fields." one of the Dermas remarked. All four Koopas nodded, and they ran into other houses, so they could invade more families.
At the same time this was happening, Tao woke up in a dark room. He coulden't see anything around him.
"Hello? Anyone here?" he asked waiting for a reply. No one answered. He felt around the walls until he found a bump. It was a door knob. He was about to turn it, but then a voice startled him.
"I woulden't do that if I were you, Tao." it said. Tao shivered.
"Why not? And who are you?" he asked. The voice then replied.
"I am King Derma, Tao. Behind that door, well, lets not open it." King Derma said. Tao stomped his feet.
"Ive had enough of you damn Dermas! What the hell is a Derma anyway?" Tao said dryly. King Derma laughed.
"Derma means skin, my dear child. You see, after we kill people, we need to survive by ripping thier faces and skin off and placing them on our own. It is gory for anyone to see, so we hid our faces. But soon, everyone will follow the Dermas!" he shouted. Tao frowned.
"No they won't! You just wan't everyone to attack eachother until there is no one left, so you can recivilize your own planet! That is your idea, isn't it?" Tao told him angrily.
"You know too much!" King Derma shouted with fury. "Prepare for your doom!"
"That wont work! How will you recivilize? You need one person with your own blood to survive so you can clone them. You can also change thier sex! But you probably ate your relatives, and you have multiple bloods because of your skin condition inside of you, your not human! Plus, you need your own blood so they can listen to you when thier cloned!" Tao shouted. He is a very wise little mushroom boy.
"Exactly...." King Derma said. All of a sudden, the door jammed open and two Dermas came in and grabbed Tao's arms. He tried to struggle free, but they strapped him to a table with wheels and carried him off. King Derma laughed evily. Tao was raced down a hall with boxes stacked against the walls. They were moving, and Tao wondered what they were. Then, he had an idea.
"Excuse me, but one of your boxes just jammed open, and something is running around!" Tao lied. The two Dermas ran to the end of the hall, looking around. They pushed the table when they zipped across the hall, so the table started moving by itself. Tao closed his eyes as the table banged against the wall and the straps loosened. He jumped off and he sped down the hall as his little blue mushroom head bobbed up and down as he ran. He took multiple turns, and ran inside an elevator. He pressed the button to go down. Inside the elevator, their was a box. It was moving also. "What the heck, let me check it out." he told himself. He banged it until he finally made a hole. He peered inside, and to his surprise, a little green Yoshi with innocent, tearing eyes and an upset face was laying down. It was just a baby, so it curled up in the corner of the box when it saw Tao's eye. "Oh my god....those bastards..." he said, trying not to cry. The elevator stopped, and opened to a hall with a door at the end and a small little machine to punch in buttons. Tao banged the box and freed the Yoshi. The Yoshi was scared after all its been through, but it trusted Tao and leaped into his arms. Tao walked over to the door. He coulden't open it, and he banged it. "Hello?" he asked. "Anyone in there?" Mario then turned his head towards the wall.
"Hello? Get me out! Anyone!" Mario shouted with relief.
"Mario, is that you? Its me, Tao!" he shouted with delight. Mario ran up to the wall.
"Open the door!" he told Tao. Tao paused, and then spoke.
"I can't there's no door knob or keyhole or anything! Just a little machine to punch in some buttons." he said dissapointed. Mario then thought for a minute. Then he jumped up remembering what the Derma said outside the window.
"Try typing in 1669!" Mario shouted. Tao then walked up to the machine, and typed it in. Suddenly, the door slid open. Mario ran out of the room happily. "Woohoo! Im free!" he shouted. He thanked Tao, and asked about the Yoshi.
"The boxes they are carrying, they have Yoshi's inside! I found this one in the elevator!" Tao told him with an unhappy look on his face.
"Oh no! They wan't to throw all the boxes into the lava, we have to hurry and rescue the Yoshi's!" Mario shouted. They both ran and took a turn in the hall, and saw a door. They heard an ear splitting scream on the other side of the door. Mario reached his hand out to open it....
It was too late for anything. Mallow, Toad, Peach, and Luigi fell into the lava. There was no one saving them, no happy ending for them, they were gone. Mario still didn't know the tragic knews yet, because he was still unconscience. He finally woke up in a room with one window, cheap bunk beds, and a toilet. It was almost like a jail cell, but without any bars. Infact, there wasen't a door.
"How'd I get in here..." he thought to himself. Then he remembered his friends in that big area with all the Dermas, and then he got hit in the head. He reached behind his head and felt as if he had a bump there. "But what happened after that?" he said once again to himself. Then he heard a bang against the wall, and he vigilently walked towards the wall. He placed his ear on it, then suddenly it slid open, and he fell down. He looked up and saw that he was at the feet of the woman who knocked him over, but he didn't know that, because he didn't see her. Her face was still covered by the mask, and she looked back down at him.
"Mario..." she said, and walked into the room. The door slid down again. "We meet again." she said smiling.
"Who are you, and where am I? Where are my friends?" he asked with anger in his voice. She looked towards the window.
"You are still at Derma Island, Mario. And your friends? I think they're in a better place then this." she said said smirking not answering his first question. Mario got up.
"So they're safe?" he asked. There was a pause for a moment, then she continued.
"There is no safety..." she said. All of a sudden the wall slid open and a Derma walked in.
"What shall we do with the boxes, Miss?" he asked and acted as if Mario wasen't there.
"Throw them all in the lava as well, but exept one. We might need one of the creatures, Rujor." she said. Rujor nodded, and left as the wall slid behind him. Mario thought to himself.
"That was Rujor from the airship, he must be one of the leaders here, and what about those boxes..." he said to himself. Then the woman spoke again.
"You shall stay in here, and dont try anything funny." she said to Mario. She then walked out of the room. Mario ran up to the wall, but bounced to the ground. The wall woulden't slide up.
"There has to be a switch on the other side to lock and unlock this wall." he said. He then looked around, and spotted the window. He climbed on the bunk beds, and used his classic super jump to reach it. He pulled himself up, and jammed it open. Unfortunetly, he coulden't fit. All that pasta he was eating wasen't helping his diet, and wasen't helping him go through the window either. "At least I'm getting some air." he said and waited at the window hoping someone friendly would walk by.
Time past and Mario was very tired, when he finally heard something walk by. He peered up, and it was a Derma. He coulden't see much of the Derma because the room he was in, or should I say dungeon he was in was in the basement so the window was only ground level. The Derma, which sounded and was Derma spoke up.
"She told us to drop all the boxes but one into the lava, it might be helpful as she said." Rujor said speaking to a crowd of Dermas holding boxes. Luboori then stepped forward.
"Why do we have to take them off their island, they would be perfect slaves!" Luboori said smirking as the crowd laughed. Rujor wasen't the least bit smiling, but no one could tell because thier faces were still covered by the hoods.
"Luboori, the creatures would attack if we didnt take them off first! Now enough with the fooling around, lets keep moving!" he shouted. As they all walked by, one of the Dermas whispered in another Derma's ear.
"The four digit code for the island is 1669 right?" he asked. The other one nodded, and before you know it, the crowd was gone. Mario then sat on one of the beds.
"1669..." he said to himself. He though about a lot of things at the time, though. He thought of his friends and he though of what the woman said.
"There is no safety..." he repeated her words slowly. He knew that meant something. He also knew that Luboori back in the airship was trying to finish something important about them.
"The darkness is important to them..." Mario said to himself. He knew something was going on, and they needed to figure it out.
Back in the Mushroom Kingdom, Rin and Kin were incharge of keeping things in order while the Chancellor was still at the hospital.
"Do you think he's ok?" asked Kin. Rin stood silent, looking outside. Kin tilted his head.
"Rin, listen to me. You scaring me now..." Kin asked nervously. Kin turned around.
"Were all going to die..." he said with a low, deep voice. Kin's eyes widened.
"Rin! Stop it! Don't say that! That is not true! I never had that much courage in life, but I have enough courage to put up with whatever comes next! Are you listening to me? We have to be brave! Never think on the negative side!" Kin shouted. Kin then touched his lips, not beleiving he just said that. Rin then turned around.
"Your right, I must not think negative. Im sorry, Kin. But I am proud of you, and this is the way I like to see you." Rin said smiling. Kin dropped a tear, and hugged his brother.
"We will always be here for eachother, and I know why your thinking negative. Hope seems lost, but I bet Mario and Luigi will find Tao, Toad, and the Princess! I also bet that they will find out whats going on and stop it!" Kin said smiling. Rin nodded, and they both awaited for whatever comes next.
All of a sudden, they heard a scream come from outside. Rin and Kin ran outside, and everything was calm. Then, they heard the scream again and it came from one of the homes. Rin and Kin ran into the home and found Koopa Troopa's and Goomba's invading the home. They were jumping on tables, knocking over furniture, and cornered the two frightened mushroom parents on one end of the kitchen.
"Help our children!" the mother shouted. Rin told Kin to run upstairs and find the children, and he would take care of the creatures downstairs.
"Right away, Rin!" Kin said with courage in his heart. He was still scared in the inside, but that coulden't stop him now. He ran upstairs and saw a Koopa reaching under the bed and a little girl being attacked by a Goomba. Kin rammed his spear into the Goomba, killing it. The little girl watched as Kin ran towards the Koopa. The Koopa was reaching for the little boy, and Kin had to protect him. Kin kicked its shell off and it rolled down the stairs, then he rammed the spear into the Koopa. He thought he was done, until he heard Rin scream for help.
"Rin, are you ok? Im coming!" Kin shouted and ran downstairs. The creatures were gone, but the parents were ganging up on Rin. "Hey! What are you guys doing?" Kin asked them with a puzzled look on his face. Right before his eyes, they turned into Koopa with gold and silver shells. "What!? This was a trap!" Kin shouted. He then threw his spear at one of the Koopas, but it bounced right off. He ran upstiars, and the kids became Koopas too.
"Kin! Be careful!" Rin shouted, but the Koopas knocked Rin out before he could say anything else. Kin followed soon after with a knock out punch by one of the Koopas. The Koopas came out carrying their bodies, and saw Dermas coming into town with boxes in ther arms.
"We found some of them running around by the fields." one of the Dermas remarked. All four Koopas nodded, and they ran into other houses, so they could invade more families.
At the same time this was happening, Tao woke up in a dark room. He coulden't see anything around him.
"Hello? Anyone here?" he asked waiting for a reply. No one answered. He felt around the walls until he found a bump. It was a door knob. He was about to turn it, but then a voice startled him.
"I woulden't do that if I were you, Tao." it said. Tao shivered.
"Why not? And who are you?" he asked. The voice then replied.
"I am King Derma, Tao. Behind that door, well, lets not open it." King Derma said. Tao stomped his feet.
"Ive had enough of you damn Dermas! What the hell is a Derma anyway?" Tao said dryly. King Derma laughed.
"Derma means skin, my dear child. You see, after we kill people, we need to survive by ripping thier faces and skin off and placing them on our own. It is gory for anyone to see, so we hid our faces. But soon, everyone will follow the Dermas!" he shouted. Tao frowned.
"No they won't! You just wan't everyone to attack eachother until there is no one left, so you can recivilize your own planet! That is your idea, isn't it?" Tao told him angrily.
"You know too much!" King Derma shouted with fury. "Prepare for your doom!"
"That wont work! How will you recivilize? You need one person with your own blood to survive so you can clone them. You can also change thier sex! But you probably ate your relatives, and you have multiple bloods because of your skin condition inside of you, your not human! Plus, you need your own blood so they can listen to you when thier cloned!" Tao shouted. He is a very wise little mushroom boy.
"Exactly...." King Derma said. All of a sudden, the door jammed open and two Dermas came in and grabbed Tao's arms. He tried to struggle free, but they strapped him to a table with wheels and carried him off. King Derma laughed evily. Tao was raced down a hall with boxes stacked against the walls. They were moving, and Tao wondered what they were. Then, he had an idea.
"Excuse me, but one of your boxes just jammed open, and something is running around!" Tao lied. The two Dermas ran to the end of the hall, looking around. They pushed the table when they zipped across the hall, so the table started moving by itself. Tao closed his eyes as the table banged against the wall and the straps loosened. He jumped off and he sped down the hall as his little blue mushroom head bobbed up and down as he ran. He took multiple turns, and ran inside an elevator. He pressed the button to go down. Inside the elevator, their was a box. It was moving also. "What the heck, let me check it out." he told himself. He banged it until he finally made a hole. He peered inside, and to his surprise, a little green Yoshi with innocent, tearing eyes and an upset face was laying down. It was just a baby, so it curled up in the corner of the box when it saw Tao's eye. "Oh my god....those bastards..." he said, trying not to cry. The elevator stopped, and opened to a hall with a door at the end and a small little machine to punch in buttons. Tao banged the box and freed the Yoshi. The Yoshi was scared after all its been through, but it trusted Tao and leaped into his arms. Tao walked over to the door. He coulden't open it, and he banged it. "Hello?" he asked. "Anyone in there?" Mario then turned his head towards the wall.
"Hello? Get me out! Anyone!" Mario shouted with relief.
"Mario, is that you? Its me, Tao!" he shouted with delight. Mario ran up to the wall.
"Open the door!" he told Tao. Tao paused, and then spoke.
"I can't there's no door knob or keyhole or anything! Just a little machine to punch in some buttons." he said dissapointed. Mario then thought for a minute. Then he jumped up remembering what the Derma said outside the window.
"Try typing in 1669!" Mario shouted. Tao then walked up to the machine, and typed it in. Suddenly, the door slid open. Mario ran out of the room happily. "Woohoo! Im free!" he shouted. He thanked Tao, and asked about the Yoshi.
"The boxes they are carrying, they have Yoshi's inside! I found this one in the elevator!" Tao told him with an unhappy look on his face.
"Oh no! They wan't to throw all the boxes into the lava, we have to hurry and rescue the Yoshi's!" Mario shouted. They both ran and took a turn in the hall, and saw a door. They heard an ear splitting scream on the other side of the door. Mario reached his hand out to open it....