Reunited
Chapter 19: Fire and Ice
Beldam raises from the shadows in the Flower Fieldhouse, seeing a purple Crazee Dayzee standing onstage staring at the pink jewel affixed in the center of a pendent hung around her neck. She looks up at the shadowy figure that has just arisen, and laughs.
"So, you want my jewel too, huh? Well, you'll get it over my dead body!"
"That can be arranged," Beldam answers sarcastically while not even bothering to make eye contact with the plant girl, instead keeping her eyes locked on the pink jewel within her pendent.
"Err... ever since I found this jewel, everything about me has gotten better! I'm tough, I'm a heartthrob, and I'm the greatest opera starlet Plit has ever known! And I won't let you change that! You will make for a suitable dress rehearsal before the big show!"
Beldam merely charges up a ball of ice, which she heaves at the Dayzee, who deflects the attack back at her with her pendent.
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The party of five that is Goombella, Vivian, Koops, Ms. Mowz, and Eggo stands just outside the Flower Fieldhouse, listening for any kind of indication of who or what might be inside. They can clearly tell there's a fight waging on, and they suddenly hear a shout from inside, "Hold still, you stupid flower!"
"I know that voice!" Vivian exclaims, realizing who it is though she's not sure why exactly she should be happy that it's Beldam of all people inside. The five charge inside and there see that Beldam is in the midst of taking a beating from vines that are emerging from the floor and being seemingly controlled by Insanee's dancing. The flower spots the five as they enter, as does Beldam.
"Vivian!" Beldam shouts to her younger sister. "Get over here and help me with this stupid thing!"
The heroes are a bit dumbstruck at seeing Beldam there, much less asking for their help. But either way, the heroes oblige, and soon the six are all working to stop Insanee Dayzee. Goombella jumps in for a Headbonk on the flower, but is caught by one of the diva's vine-like creatures which wraps around her feet and thrusts Goombella headfirst into one of the seats, knocking her out. Eggo whips out an egg and throws it toward Insanee, but the plant retaliates via having a vine slap it back at the Yoshi, knocking the fighter to the ground and into unconsciousness. Koops comes charging in to tackle the Dayzee, and meets the same fate as the Goomba did. Ms. Mowz decides to try to sneak up on the flower using her small size, but that results in one of the vines using her for a golf ball.
Vivian looks at her sister, who begins throwing balls of ice at the Dazee. Vivian joins in and soon the flower is being bombarded by both fire and ice. The vines move in front of Insanee to protect her, and suddenly said vines begin to cave inward, going into the purple Dazee and beginning to emerge from her wrists and consume the theater.
"You... you will not escape here alive!" she shouts as the vines begin to shake, making the building rumble as if there is an earthquake occurring directly beneath it. Both Vivian and Beldam try continually to get in a strike, but the rumbling floor causes all of their shots to be horribly off focus. Seeing this, Beldam begins to shake uncontrollably, much to Vivian's shock as she wonders what her sister is doing. Suddenly, Beldam explodes into a cloud of purple vapor as Vivian merely stares in awe. The cloud of gas floats over Insanee and reforms into Beldam, who on her way falling downward causes freezing rain to emerge from her hands, doing severe damage to the plant that is Dazee. The vines begin to shrivel up, and Dazee stumbles over her own feet and lands in a heap on the floor as the vines retract back into her wrists. Dazee pulls herself to her feet, as she does Beldam grabs the pendent and rips it off of her, causing the chain to cut her neck a little. Beldam then freezes her hand over and uppercuts Dayzee, knocking her out cold.
"Beldam, since when can you do that!"
"I've learned a few new tricks, what can I say? Now then, Vivian, I've got something to tell you about the death of your stupid friend."
"Hmm?"
"Mario was weakened when he fought Bowser. That's why he lost. That's why he died."
"How do you know?"
"Who do you think did the deed? I'd gone into Bowser's Castle to take care of some business. I ran into him in the hallway there. We fought, I left, and he went on to fight Bowser."
"You mean... well, Beldam, can we have that jewel? We need it for something very, very, very important."
"No, Vivian. No you cannot. My needs are far more necessary to carry out."
And with that, Beldam hits her freezing uppercut on her younger sister, leaving Vivian lying along with the others. She charges up a ball of ice and considers finishing them off, but instead scoffs before leaving the building through the door. Little does she know that another being awaits on the rooftops, ready to strike at her.
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Doopliss rides in an old carriage drawn by Mastadooms (his choice; he didn't like the idea of horses drawing his carriage, so he went with those instead). He finally reaches his destination, a small town in the wilderness by the name of Brookebell. The name for this town is a bit misleading as there is not a brook anywhere near the town, but there is an old bell tower behind\ which is a colossal sword: the remnants of Exor.
"This is the place," Doopliss tells the driver, a Koopa Troopa by the name of Kook. The carriage stops, and Doopliss steps out, a shock to the people of this town that is not even remotely famous.
"Greetings, people," he says as the townsfolk begin to crowd around him and his carriage. "I am here to run an inspection on that bell tower. A source told me that there is something inside it I may be interested in."