Chapter 4, Old Acquaintances
Author's notes: This story so far has been incredibly fun to write. The only hard part was trying to make Beldam seem like a real person, instead of just one of those pure evil cartoony bad guys. Did I do a good job? You tell me. P.S. Chicken Miasma, to be an X-Naut, you have to be wearing a uniform, X-Nauts are not a species, they're people in uniforms.
Back to the story.
Vivian was back to the same old. Her body ached from head to toe, but this time, she had the triumphant satisfaction of knowing that she had taken her sister for a serious ride. This was probably the last time she would ever have to feel like this. She needed to do something for fun, she was bored. She decided to go to the fortune teller's. Did I ever mention that they were about a quarter of a mile from Rogueport? No? Well, here, I just did. She needed a job, but maybe the fortune teller could help her out with that. She ducked into the pipe, and ran straight into… Mario?
"Hey, we don't want any trouble," said Goombella.
"Hey, Beldam's not around, is she?" said Vivian.
"What does that have to do with anything?" asked a small blue Yoshi, who I'm going to randomly name Bob.
"I only did bad things because she would hurt me if I didn't. Finally, I beat her into the ground. Twice," replied Vivian.
"Well, we can't say we're not happy for you," said Flurrie, who Vivian knew from her movies.
"Wait, are you Madame Flurrie?" asked Vivian.
"The one and only," said Flurrie.
"Wow, big fan," said Vivian.
"Always glad to hear it," said Flurrie.
"Well, I should get going," said Vivian.
"Stay in touch," said Goombella.
Now that that's over with, Vivian had experienced so many emotions in the last 30 seconds. First, fear, then relief, then admiration. But now, she had to get going to the fortune teller's. She found her way there, and paid for a crystal ball reading.
"Hmm…" the fortune teller gazed into her ball, the entire room turned dark, and Vivian felt a chill run down the back of her spine, "You will be visited by an old acquaintance. My ball says you used to work together, and you thought you'd seen the last of her."
"Oh, well, that's… well, that doesn't look good then," said Vivian, her mind in a haze. How many times must she go through this before it would be over?
She walked home, her mind full of fear. Looking over her shoulder every 10 seconds or so, she always saw nothing. She got home, and told Marilyn about this development.
"Guh, guh, guh (I guess she'll keep going until she gets the better of you)," said Marilyn. Just then, they heard a woman's voice at the door.
"Anyone home?" came the voice. It didn't exactly sound like Beldam, but Beldam was always quite good at voices.
"What do we do?" asked Vivian.
"Guh! (Don't you remember? You're stronger than Beldam, If you're expecting her, that makes your job that much easier)" was Marilyn's reply.
Vivian walked to the door ready for a fight. She unzipped the door (remember, they're still in a tent) and saw… Hooktail?
"Hooktail! You don't know how good it feels to see you! I thought you were dead!" said Vivian, relieved.
"Well, you just make a few noises, fall over, bring up the crystal star, who's going to argue?"
"Wow, so why'd you let him take the star?" asked Vivian.
"He would have really killed me if I'd kept going. I figured why die and give up the star when you can just give up the star," Said Hooktail.
"Good point," said Vivian, "Come in."
"Umm… small problem: big self. I can't exactly fit," said Hooktail.
"Oh, yeah," said Vivian, embarrassed, "I'll come out then."
They started walking, when Hooktail came in with, "So what have you been up to all these years?"
"Well," answered Vivian, "A few days ago, Marilyn and I finally left Beldam. Then yesterday she and I got in a big fight and nearly killed each other. And now I think she wants revenge."
"You know, my brothers and I were always rooting for you do leave that horrible slave driver. More than once I considered assassinating her, but I thought you'd be upset. You needed to realize how bad you had it yourself," said Hooktail.
"Well, now I have it good again, and I'm even seeing someone," said Vivian.
"Really? What's he like?" asked Hooktail.
"Well, he's (insert description you used before) and really nice. He didn't even seem phased when Beldam showed up during our date and I beat her up," said Vivian.
"Well, that's good. I might even find someone now that I'm no longer guarding that crystal star and living off Koopas that try to kill me," said Hooktail.
"Wow, we haven't seen each other since way back in the days, have we? And this time there's no Shadow Queen to breathe down our necks," said Vivian.
"Yeah, we should do this more often," said Hooktail.
"So what have you been doing with your spare time?" asked Vivian.
"Well, I've been working as an oven at various restaurants," Hooktail told her.
"I'm still looking for work," Vivian admitted, "I'd probably have money coming out my ears if Beldam hadn't lost all the money Marilyn and I earned investing in Enron. It's so low; it'll go back up eventually, she would say. She heard that as a stock tip, buy low, it will go back up. Most people realized that Enron was a sinking ship and that you should invest when it's low but not in crap so deep it's saying hello to corn. Nonetheless, I'm bound to get back to work eventually," ranted Vivian.
"You're telling me… I lost hundreds of dollars in Nortel stock. Thankfully, I made it all back up with Brandis Global Equity mutual funds," said Hooktail.
"Really? Who's your financial security advisor?" asked Vivian.
"(insert random name for advisor from Professional Investments)," said Hooktail.
"Really? Have you got their card?" asked Vivian.
"Yeah, right here," said Hooktail, pulling out a card.
"I'll have to give them a call," said Vivian.
"I'd say so," said Hooktail, "So, I'd better get going. I have to see my therapist. All the Koopas I had to make my dinner eventually gets to you. Never mind that I told them I enjoyed it just to get in their heads."
"Oh, bye then," said Vivian. Walking away, she felt happy. Wow, Hooktail. That brought back memories. Memories of beer bashes with the "prisoners" left to "rot" in Hooktail's "dungeon". How clueless the Shadow Queen was. Memories of the two of them collaborating to make the best flame-broiled burgers (veggie burgers. Why? Because I said so). Why had they drifted out of touch? They had promised to write, but never had. They needed to do this again. That was fun, that was relaxing, that was—
Vivian was jolted out of her thoughts by a bottle breaking over her head. She turned around to face Beldam.
"Look, how many times to I have to beat you into little tiny pieces before you get the point? We're done. You've been nothing but mean and oppressive, and I've had enough," said Vivian.
"You're coming home with me. You belong there. We can never raise the Queen without you. Is that what you wanted to hear? We need you. There, I said it," said Beldam.
"You just come in here and expect me to instantly forgive you? Especially after you just smashed me with a bottle? You've got another thing coming," said Vivian.
"Of course I don't expect you to forgive me, I've done nothing wrong. I smacked you around because you needed it," said Beldam.
"When? When we lost to Mario, even though what we were doing was wrong anyways? Even though I was the last one standing? I didn't see you hitting yourself," said Vivian.
"It was your fault! You should have been protecting me!" said Beldam.
"So all my thoughts were supposed to revolve around you? Is that it?" screamed Vivian.
"Yes! Now you get it. I am the superior being!" said Beldam.
"Well, scereeewww yooooou (say it out loud, and you'll get my point)," said Vivian, "I'm smarter, stronger, and I do what's right!"
"Well, if you're not going to come willingly, I'm prepared to use force," said Beldam.
"Oh, please not this again," said Vivian, "Haven't you learned that I don't want to come back and that you can't make me?"
"Oh, we'll see about that," said Beldam, legions of X-Nauts forming behind her.
"Yeah, you're brave, what is that? 100 to 1?" sneered Vivian.
"You had to go there, didn't you," said Beldam, "Well then, boys, LET'S GO!" Vivian instantly felt the thud of dozens of boots on her body. She tried to fight back, Fiery Jinxing all her foes. To her amazement, it worked. They all scampered off. All except Beldam. Beldam struck from behind with a baseball bat, the same one as before, cracking Vivian in the skull. Beldam swung again and Vivian blocked like before. She raised the bat up; Beldam had lost control. She was about to pull the bat out of Beldam's hands when she felt an X-Naut come from behind with a large stick. She fell to her knees, coughing up blood. She lay in a crumpled heap, and heard her sister's voice, "Come with me!" Vivian shook her head. Beldam struck her with the bat again, "Come with me!" Vivian again shook her head. Beldam struck her again, "Come with me!" And again, Vivian shook her head. "Forget about this, she's not going to give up. Let's just go," said Beldam.
Begin Playing Rock and Roll Suicide by David Bowie, and read fairly slowly.
Vivian lay, defeated. She had narrowly avoided losing her freedom, but at what price? She slowly tried to get up, failing at first, then trying again. This time, she succeeded, but barely. She walked home, slowly, wincing with the pain that came with every step. Anger filled her mind, sadness filled her body. Sadness and pain. She thought she was done having to suffer physical defeat at the hands of her sister. At least this time she had not been mentally beaten, she hadn't given up. She was still free of her sister's dictatorship. But what if Beldam had continued? Would she eventually have given up? If this continued, would she give up? No, she told herself, it couldn't be true. She would always stay resilient. But even she must have a breaking point. Where was it? She reached home, and sat down. She told Marilyn what had happened, and Marilyn gasped in shock. "Guh! (Oh, my! Are you alright?)"
"I'll be fine. It's not like I haven't been here before. If anything, I think Beldam's lost her touch," Vivian chuckled. How she wished she could be telling the truth, her entire body writhed in pain. Marilyn brought her a glass of water; all the blood loss can leave people dehydrated. Vivian thought about what to do now. Should she run away? No, Beldam had found her here with no problem, she could likely do it again. Maybe she could get protection. No, that wouldn't be any good. Having to travel everywhere with people tagging beside her. She could have Beldam arrested. No, she needed to keep all her dignity. Having her arrested might make it seem like she couldn't handle it herself. And besides, the police force around here was incompetent. They could seemingly only catch someone once they had already been beaten down and left ready for easy pick-up by their would-be victims. But what about payback? Yes, Beldam only seemed to understand force. She needed to go all out and make her sister see that she was not just going to take this, she wanted to end it. She resolved that once she was better, she would find Beldam herself, and make her pay.
END OF CHAPTER!