Reunited

Chapter 7: Shaman of the Sea

The woman stands on the deck of a ship, watching her men procede to set up control of the area so that they can soon bulldoze over the hotel in hopes of aquiring... a particular treasure.

Just a bit more work and we should be able to get to that jewel. And then... we'll be prepared for whenever that mass-murdering rogue pirate shows up.

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Popple and Peasley dock in Seaside Town and walk off of the boat. "We finally made it!" yells Popple before running off toward the Sea(which, despite its name, is actually a cave and is not even within the sea, but rather next to it). Once inside of the cave, they see a Shaman, who is standing at a stack of crates that slightly resembles a table.

"Ah... more guests. It has been ages since I've had any customers."

"Hmm... are you Merlon, or merely a relative?" inquires Peasley upon laying eyes on the Shaman.

"Hmph. I am neither. I am merely of the same race as he, a Shaman. Merlon is a disgrace to all of us true Shaman and our cause, as is every other member of his family."

"And how is that?" asks Popple in response, "I haven't known them to do anybody wrong."

"No, they themselves do not. However, they offered assistance to that now-dead fool Mario."

"First of all," breaks in Peasley, "I fail to see why exactly this would be so horrible anyway. Secondly, what do you call the fact that you sold the guy equipment and items? Seems a bit hypocritical to me."

"First of all, that wasn't me. There's more than one guy who works here, ya know. Secondly, the reason it is so horrible is because Mario was, and all of those little so-called "partners" of his are, abusing many of the species of Plit. When was the last time you saw him stand against a Toad in favor of a Goomba? He never did.

"Point is, Mario played everyone, making them think he was a hero for the common man. Wrong. He stood up for Toads because they reminded him of humans. The man couldn't even keep a job! Some pirate stopped in here one day and mentioned that a cousin of hers from Earth told her about all kinds of occupations the man had, and he was fired from every one. A demolition crew, a typing teacher, a doctor, a carpenter, a tennis referee, and much more.

"And that's the thing: people on Earth weren't afraid of Mario. But the people here are, all because of the fact that he's punked out some guys like Bowser and Smithy and such. That's the thing: Bowser wasn't all that tough, yet people seem to think he was, and Mario needed tons of help to beat villains like the Shadow Queen and Smithy and Cackletta and such. The only villains the guy has beaten alone who are really all that impressive were Wario, and that's probably due to Wario wasting time using Mario's stuff rather than his own, and Donkey Kong, but that was only after DK'd beaten Mario on Earth years earlier."

Peasley opens his mouth to say something, but then closes it, realzing he has no way to respond to what has just been said. He sighs and walks toward the sea(as in the actual thing, not the cave) as Popple turns to the Shaman.

"Right, well, I'll take two Pick-Me-Ups and a bottle of Maple Syrup."

"Thank you for your patronage. So, I see he is realizing what I said?"

"Absolutly. Thanks for the help."

Popple hands the Shaman a handful of coins, which are counted afterwards.

"Thanks for the tip."

"No prob."

Popple walks off in the direction that Peasley went, snickering all the way.