Disclaimer: I do not own any of the material appearing in this story. The OC's belong to their respective owners.
The Night After Junko's Nightmare
Masaru found himself in a void. "Where… am I?" He wondered, exploring the void before him.
"You little brat…"
"Murderer!"
Masaru gasped, turning around and seeing silhouetted figures approaching him as they had angry and vengeful looks in their eyes. His eyes widened. He recognized them. Each and every one of these adults were the ones that he purposely slaughtered. Innocent adults whose lives were taken in Monaca's sick twisted killing game.
"No…!" Masaru grimaced as he saw one adult approaching him, holding a bottle of alcohol. He recognized him. His abusive alcoholic father that he killed.
"You damn brat!"
Masaru stiffened in fear, he backed away slowly as he tried to run away… but he tripped over a rock and fell flat on his face, as the adults crowded around him and reached out toward him, proceeding to beat him up.
"AAAH! I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY!" He repeated, shielding himself while tears running down his cheeks. "I'M SORRY I KILLED YOU ALL!"
He looked up as he saw his father angrily looking at him as he swung his fist to slug him in the face.
"AAAAH!" Masaru yelped, shooting up from his bed in a cold sweat and panting uncontrollably. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm himself down, then looked at his surroundings.
He was in his new room, specifically in the Winchester residence that he had moved into. He took another deep breath. 'Just a nightmare…" He mumbled as he looked at the digital clock by his bedside.
6:20 AM.
He sighed. He decided to go wash up as he went to the bathroom and started to splash water on his face while washing his hands, but as he did… he stared at his left hand. He pictured the innocent blood that he spilled at Towa City as he tried to wash it off, but as he tried, it wouldn't wash off, no much how much soap he applied to it, it wouldn't come off.
Masaru teared up, silently sobbing. "It won't wash off…"
Later in the morning…
During breakfast, Masaru, Nesta and Cardin were all sitting together in the dining room. However, Masaru was barely eating his breakfast as he was still thinking about his nightmare.
"Yo, Masaru. You okay there, bud?" Cardin asked.
Masaru snapped out of his trance. "H-huh?"
"You barely touched your breakfast, sweetie. Are you okay?" Nesta asked with concern.
"O-oh… I'm fine, mom. I'm still a bit drowsy from waking up early this morning." He said, gently rubbing his eyes.
Nesta opened her mouth to speak, seeming to know what's bothering him, but closed it, choosing to give her foster son some space. "If you say so, hon. But if there's anything you'd like to tell me, please let me know, okay?" She gave him a reassuring smile.
Masau smiled back a bit at her. "Sure thing." He proceeded to eat his breakfast. "Y'know, mom? Other than being a librarian, I'm also surprised that you're a really good cook too! This food is so good!"
Cardin grinned. "Told ya! Mom really does know how to cook well at home whenever she's not working at the library in town. I heard that Laura would even trade in one of her instant ramen cups for her cooking. Heh, can you even believe that."
Nesta giggled. "Thank you, sweetie." She said and looked at the empty chair where Laura used to sit. Oh Laura… I wish that you were here right now to see this… knowing you, I know you would be very quick to accept Masaru as your new brother.
A little bit later after breakfast…
Masaru sat down on the couch, looking through the TV to see what was on at the moment. As he did, he flashbacked to when Nesta introduced Cardin to Masaru.
"Hey Cardin, look who I brought with me."
"Hmm? A little boy?" Cardin asked.
"I'm not that little…" Masaru mumbled.
Nesta giggled. "The Future Foundation invited me over. They thought we would make the best foster family for him. His name's Masaru Daimon."
"Oh shoot, no way!" Cardin said as he chuckled. "So I've got a little bro now. Nice!" He ruffled his hair. "Welcome to the family, ya little squirt!" He teased.
"H-hey, watch the hair!" Masaru laughed as Nesta giggled.
"Name's Cardin, leader of team CRDL from Beacon Academy and firstborn child of the Winchester family!"
"I can see that, given how tall you are… how's the weather up there, big guy?" Masaru teased back, causing Nesta to snicker while Cardin looked at him with a smirk.
"Think we're gonna get along just fine." Cardin chuckled.
Buzzzzzz!
"Oh!" Masaru yelped in surprise, snapping out of his thoughts as he brought out his scroll that Nesta had given him.
"Hey, you up for meeting at Sojiro's cafe at 10:30?" - Nagisa
"Sure, that's… uh… somewhere in Toad Town, right? You live there… right?"
"I live near the Mushroom Fields, remember? Apparently dad wanted to live in the countryside to avoid the, as he puts it, "hustle and bustle" of Toad Town. Also helps his concentration with his fellow mechanics."
"Oh, right… wait, doesn't that GLaDOS lady live with you too? And that Cave thingy? And uh… those other two robots… WALL-O and ESTHER?"
"Yeah, but they mean well… and it's WALL-E and EVE. Anywho, Jataro was saying that Junko was going to give us a tour of the Mushroom Kingdom, along with Mukuro, Toko and Komaru."
"Alright, I'll meet you over there. I'm gonna ask Cardin if there's a shortcut to take that'll take me to Toad Town."
"Okay. See you there."
Masaru looked at the clock. 10:05. Might as well get over there. He thought as he got up from the couch. "I'm heading over to Toad Town to meet up with my friends!" He said.
"Okay!" Nesta said. "Oh! Wait a second, Masaru!"
"Hmm?" Masaru turned around as Nesta handed him some pocket money.
"Just in case if you want to buy something over there." She winked.
"Oh, thanks mom." Masaru smiled as the two hugged. "Oh hey, Cardin? Do you know a shortcut to where I can head over to Toad Town quicker?"
Cardin chuckled. "I know a spot."
Meanwhile, with Nagisa…
BGM: Overworld (New Super Mario Bros Wii)
"...Easier said than done." Nagisa mumbled as he walked along the path that Pietro had shown him. He wasn't warned about the mushrooms that were plentiful in the path. Big red mushrooms, orange, blue, purple, green, yellow… they all littered the area and it was making Nagisa quite disoriented.
"Okay, I swear… I passed this mushroom already! …Is this a mushroom? Gaaaah!" Nagisa groaned as the mushrooms were enough to make him walk off the path as he looked around. "Where am I…?" He wondered as he spotted a blue mushroom low to the ground.
Nagisa stared at the mushroom before him. "A blue mushroom…?" He wondered as he curiously reached out toward it.
"DO NOT TOUCH THAT MUSHROOM, YOU'LL DIIIIIIIIIE!" Captain Toad suddenly shot up from behind the mushroom.
"GYAAAAH!" Nagisa yelped, falling on his butt.
"Oh! Wait, I'm sorry… this one's perfectly fine." He hugged it and patted it with a chuckle. "...Say, you don't look familiar. You new around here, kid?"
"Thanks for the heart attack…" Nagisa grumbled. "But yes, I'm new here. I just moved to the Mushroom Kingdom after my father, Dr. Pietro Polendina adopted me. Anyway, do you know where Toad Town is? I'm supposed to meet my friends there."
"Oh, sure thing, kiddo! In fact, I was on my way there too! Since we're heading towards the same destination, I can offer to bring you there if you want."
Nagisa smiled. "Thank you, sir." He said as Captain Toad guided him through the Mushroom Path. "All of these gigantic mushrooms… I feel like this is a dream."
WHACK!
"YOW!" Nagisa yelped, holding on to his arm after Captain Toad smacked him with his walking stick.
"That hurt, right?"
"YES!" He said with annoyance.
"Definitely not a dream."
"Mmmph…" Nagisa mumbled as they continued to walk toward Toad Town. "Once we get to Toad Town, do you also mind helping me look for someone in this place called Captain Toad? Because I heard from Big Sis Junko that he gives free guided walking tours around the Mushroom Kingdom for tourists and that my friends are planning to participate on the tour since we're new around here."
""Captain Toad"?" He chuckled. "I think you just found him, kiddo! In fact, you're talking to him right now!"
Nagisa blinked. "O-oh! That's… that was easy."
"Mhm! I'm the captain of the Toad Brigade! We search high and low for treasures, and sometimes go on wild adventures with the Mario Bros and Team RWBY! …Although I heard RWBY is off in some… crazy adventure in the past. I'm just hoping Professor E. Gadd didn't do something crazy again that'll get Dialga upset."
…What's he even talking about? Nagisa sweatdropped.
"Ah, here we are! Toad Town!"
End BGM
BGM: Toad Town (Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story plus Bowser Jr's Journey)
"Whoa…" Nagisa said in awe. "So uh… can you show me where Sojiro's cafe is at?"
"Of course!" Captain Toad smiled as he guided him to the cafe.
Once there, Nagisa walked through the cafe where he also spotted the Hope Sisters, Toko, Komaru, Jataro and Kotoko already there.
"Hmm? Oh hey Nagisa!" Kotoko waved.
"Hey." Nagisa waved, and then the door opened up as they turned to see Masaru walking in.
"Hey…"
"Masaru! Are you okay? You're looking a bit bruised!" Kotoko said.
"Oh, that? Well…"
Earlier…
"Waaaah!" Masaru yelped as he fell out of the Warp Pipe, landing on his butt. "Mmmph! …Could've warned me about the landing…" He grumbled as he got up and stretched, then seeing a bunch of warp pipes in town.
"Uh… huh. Okay… maybe one of them leads to the cafe." He said, hopping in a warp pipe… only to end up in a flowery field, infested with Piranha Plants. "Nope!" He went back in and tried out a different Warp Pipe, which made him end up on a hill just near Toad Town. "No, that's not it."
Pipe number three sent him straight into the sewers. "Blegh! Maybe this will take me there…?" He wondered, using the flashlight on his scroll and looked up… to see a Buzzy Beetle falling from the ceiling and smacked him in the face. "D'oh!" He yelped, rubbing his face as the Buzzy Beetle casually walked away unapologetically.
He rubbed his nose as he continued to look around, spotting a few Gloombas and some Piranha Plants poking out of the Warp Pipes. He looked up to see some Swoops, which proceeded to swarm him.
"YAAAAAH!" He yelped as he ran back into the Warp Pipe and got back out, panting. "What's with these sewers?!" He said as he tried another Warp Pipe, which had him show up in someone's backyard. "Uh…"
He heard barking as he saw a pet Chain Chomp charging at him. "Yipe!" He went back in before it could tackle him. He tried another Warp Pipe… which took him straight into the Electrodrome.
"...Groovy." He said, noticing some Shy Guys and Koopas dancing around as he went back in, finding another Warp Pipe as he wound up at Peach's Gardens. "Oh hey, this looks rather lovely."
He heard growling as he looked to the side to see the Espinas growling at him. "Mmph! Nice… dragon…!" He whimpered and quickly went back in as the Espinas tried to tackle him.
Another warp pipe found him in another underground area where he saw coins above him and noticed a POW Block on the ground. "Huh… what does this do?" He wondered, gently tapping it. "Maybe if I kick it…?"
He kicked the POW Block, which in turn caused the place to rumble and the coins fell on top of him. "Ow! Ooof! Yow! Gah! OW!"
In the present…
"Warp Pipes are hazardous to my health…" He groaned.
"That's the thing with Warp Pipes. They're a tricky bunch. As long as you know which Warp Pipe is which, then it's smooth sailing." Captain Toad said.
"How?! They looked similar except for the colors! How can you tell them apart?"
"That's the neat thing. You don't! You just have to memorize which Warp Pipe is which!"
Masaru sweatdropped. "Great…"
"I take it we're all here now." Mukuro said.
"Yup, we are!" Captain Toad said with a grin. "Now then! Here we go! Let's head off to our first attraction!" He exclaimed as he walked off.
"Someone's excited." Masaru said.
"He was like that with us when we first arrived in Toad Town." Mukuro said.
"Pretty much." Junko nodded.
"Yeah, it was pretty cool how the Mushroom Kingdom was a lot bigger than I thought it was." Komaru said as they walked out.
"I'm still amazed that Class of 77 didn't get Captain Toad as their tour guide… it was Ibuki." Toko said.
"She was excited." Komaru snickered as they walked up to a Warp Pipe.
"...Oh no…" Masaru whimpered.
"Don't worry, this is a shortcut to our first stop!" Captain Toad then turned to Masaru. "By the way, you're lucky you didn't fall into the infamous Pipe Maze. Hoo boy, even the best explorers tend to get lost in there for practically days!"
"There's a Pipe Maze?" Masaru whimpered.
"Yup. It's so bad in there that people built underground restaurants and hotels down there to provide shelter for when people can't find their way back to their homes. The one who holds that record was Luigi, who got stuck down there for three weeks!"
Masaru paled. "...Oh no…"
"Three weeks? What the heck was he doing down there?" Komaru wondered.
"Probably a severe case of bad luck…" Jataro said.
"Off we go!" Captain Toad jumped into a Warp Pipe as everyone jumped in while Masaru hesitantly went in.
"Please don't be the Pipe Maze, please don't be the Pipe Maze…" He hoped as he hopped in.
Pause BGM
BGM: Peach's Castle (Fortune Street)
Everyone hopped out of the Warp Pipe. "Alright, first stop… Princess Peach's Castle!"
"Whoa!" Kotoko's eyes sparkled. "It's beautiful! Look at that mural, it's gorgeous!"
"Now, for you newcomers, this is where the fair Princess Peach lives all the time. Usually, the castle isn't available to visit for the common folk, but if you have an appointment with her, it's open. Otherwise, Peach tends to keep to herself. That said, if you're really good friends with the princess, she'll happily invite you in… or in some cases, you can just walk right in. She doesn't mind the company!"
"Or unless if you're Bowser and he just… blows up the castle like he usually does." Toko said.
"How often does this happen?" Nagisa asked.
"Oh… I'd say about… every week or so." Captain Toad responded. "Between you and me though, I think Bowser just kidnaps her just to get a rise out of Mario just so the two can clobber each other." He chuckled. "That's just my take on it though."
"You'd think she'd have better defenses." Junko said.
"Well, she does have the Ashen Wolves as her retainers, not to mention she has a new pet called the Espinas in her garden. Usually friendly, but doesn't take kindly to intruders it doesn't recognize."
That's what we're calling dragons these days? Masaru sweatdropped.
"Although, Peach is out of town. She's currently on a business trip in Sarasaland. But don't worry, she'll be back. While the castle itself is a massive tourist attraction, hardly anyone gets in. That said, the princess tends to visit Toad Town daily so you might have a chance to see her. She's a very popular princess!"
"Oh, that's nice." Kotoko smiled. "What's she doing in Sarasaland?"
"Princess Daisy wanted to show her something. I'm not sure what…"
End BGM
Meanwhile, in Sarasaland…
"Okay, you tend to fight with your frying pan, golf club and tennis racket… but I got something that will really drive the point home!"
"That would be…?" Peach wondered as Daisy grinned, tossing a halberd to her. "Wha…?!" Peach yelped as she caught it. "Daisy, no!"
"Why not? You're quite feisty in battle and, hell, when pushed past your breaking point, you're a beast! So I thought, hey… why not give you one of my weapons?"
"Daisy… I'm a white mage! I'm not some kind of warrior! Magic is my specialty… along with my usual choice of weapons. This halberd doesn't suit me."
"You're right, what I was thinking? This is usually my style." Daisy giggled, taking it away. "So how about… this~!" She handed her a broadsword.
"DAISY!" Peach yelled in dismay.
"...Too much? I can give ya a scimitar if ya want."
"Ooooh…" Peach groaned.
Back at the tour…
"Ah, I'm sure she's fine." Captain Toad waved it off. "Anyway, since Peach isn't here right now, we'll just continue the tour someplace else, come on!"
"A shame, really… the gardens are quite lovely." Mukuro said.
"Hey, is that a moat?" Masaru asked, looking inside and seeing some Cheep Cheeps swimming around. "Cool!" He said, as one Cheep Cheep breached up and proceeded to kiss Masaru on the face. "Ack! Mmmph! Get it off! Get it off!"
Kotoko immediately tried to pry the Cheep Cheep off as did the others, until they got it off as it smacked into Toko.
"GYAAAAAH! NO NO NO!" Toko tried to pull it off as Komaru pulled it off as the Cheep Cheep landed in the water. Anime tears ran down Toko's cheeks. "My first kiss should've been with Master, not a dumb fish…" She pouted.
"I'm sure the Cheep Cheep was just preparing you for when you kiss Byakuya." Komaru reassured.
Toko gasped. "You think Master will kiss me?!"
"Sure… when Brick Blocks learn to shoot fireballs."
Toko pouted. "Don't tease me like that…"
"You okay, Masaru?" Jataro asked.
"Uh… yeah… did that thing just kiss me?"
"Oh, don't mind them. That's just their way of saying they like you." Captain Toad said. "Cheep Cheeps are usually pretty friendly!"
"That's putting it mildly…" Masaru mumbled.
"Let's go!" Captain Toad jumped into the Warp Pipe as the others jumped in after him, where they would walk through Toad Town. "So this right here is the business district of Toad Town."
Resume Toad Town BGM
"Shops, restaurants, other activities, ya name it."
"Wiggler's Greenhouse, Koopatrol armory, Wrecking Crew… it's crazy." Nagisa said. "So many businesses tha-" He spotted an ice cream shop. "Haltmann Works Ice Cream Factory?"
"Yeeeah, I heard the owner of that place is making ice cream shops everywhere in the universe. She's quite busy." Junko said.
"Someone needs a hobby." Kotoko mumbled.
"The ice cream's rather good though. They got flavors for everything." Komaru said. "Like Pink Marshmallow Swirl!"
"Ugh… that one…" Toko mumbled.
"Oh come on, it's pretty good!"
"That one puts me to sleep, I swear…" Toko mumbled. "I swear it sings in my mouth… I prefer Four Rainbow Supreme."
"I wouldn't necessarily call it a supreme…"
"Oh come on! It's got green, red, blue and purple in it!"
"What kind of ice cream has purple in it?" Komaru asked.
"Huckleberry, obviously!"
"Personally, I prefer Black Cat's Blackberry Cheesecake." Mukuro said.
"Eh… it's a bit chalky for me." Junko said. "Personally, my favorite is the Burning Dragon Choconana Fudge. THAT is really good."
"...That's a thing?" Masaru asked.
"Ooooh, that sounds delicious~!" Kotoko's eyes sparkled.
"Meh, I'm more of a Fire Flower Mint kind of guy." Captain Toad shrugged.
"So many ice cream flavors to try… goodness…" Nagisa sweatdropped.
"Anywho, while there are a lot of restaurants out here that are pretty good… there's one that everyone likes to go to! Think of it as a hang out because I see a lot of huntsmen and huntresses go in there… it's either this or the cafe." Captain Toad chuckled as he pointed to a buffet. "That right there… is the Shy Guy Buffet! All you can eat!"
"All we can eat?" Masaru drooled over it.
"Yup! Think of anything you can have and it'll be there. Pizza, chicken fried steak, french fries, chicken parm, steak, bacon, ham, scrambled eggs, pork chops, Chinese food, vegetables, hamburgers, chicken nuggets, corn dogs, you name it. Pick a food, any food!"
"Hot dogs?" Masaru asked.
"They got it."
"Chicken cordon bleu?" Jataro asked.
"They have it!"
"Cotton candy?" Kotoko asked. "Ooooh, how about a chocolate fountain!"
"Yes and yes! The chocolate fountain is popular with the younger kids, especially with chocoholics."
"How about… casseroles?" Nagisa joked.
"Oh, they serve those too. Mushroom, hamburger, tuna, chicken stuffing… they have it all!"
Nagisa jawdropped. "You… you can't be serious."
"It truly is all you can eat… a never ending supply of delicious stuff! I can see why it's so popular!" Kotoko said.
"Now then, off to the next destination!" Captain Toad said as they walked off, although Kotoko felt herself drawn to Shy Guy Buffet.
"Come on!" Masaru grabbed her wrist and yanked her away.
"Whoa!"
"Aaaand next up, we have the Artist District where everyone is free to vandalize to their heart's content!"
"Ooooh…" Jataro said.
"It's popular with the Inklings. They have little Turf Wars here too!" Captain Toad said, walking around the district as Inklings and Octolings were going to town at the walls. They got closer to one mural where they spotted Namine and Demyx tagging a wall.
"Looking good, you two!" Captain Toad called out to them. "What'ya making this time?"
"Mushroom Bridge over a sunset." Namine said. "Just a little bit here…"
"Look at that concentration…" Masaru said.
"I keep forgetting Demyx is the one who got her into this." Komaru said.
"Really, he did? I thought it was the other way around." Junko said, shifting her eyes to see Team Skull tagging another wall. "...Or they did."
Captain Toad shrugged. "Well, this district is pretty much filled with creativity and vandalize to your heart's content."
"...I'm in love." Jataro said as Captain Toad guided them away while Nagisa and Masaru had to push and pull Jataro away.
"Next up on our tour, Coconut Mall! The most popular shopping area in Toad Town! It's even branched out to several locations in the world. Mushroom City, Vale, Mistral… I've heard they're about to open one up in Atlas! Let's see… I think they have one at one of Sarasaland's kingdoms… but regardless, it's a popular shopping area."
"Don't you have other stores in town?" Masaru asked.
"Yeah… but this one's the more popular place to shop at." Captain Toad said as they walked in.
"Whoa! I don't think I've been inside a mall before…" Nagisa said.
"Alright! We're gonna put this tour on hold for a bit. You guys can go look around and shop if you feel like it. Come back to the food court and we'll all resume our tour."
The Warriors of Hope looked at each other, and with a nod, the four of them took off running.
"Should we tell them that this place is also a race track?" Junko asked.
"Eh… let's not worry about that for now." He chuckled.
"Alright… you know what i'm thinking?" Masaru asked.
"New clothes?" Kotoko asked.
"Oh yeah! Let's see what we can find here!" Masaru smirked.
Several minutes later…
Masaru walked out of the changing room, sporting a new look. He was now wearing a red and black striped basketball tank top with the number 10 imprinted on both the front and back underneath a white zip-up hooded sweatshirt with red accents, a pair of blue damaged slim-fit jeans with a white double d-ring belt around his waist, a pair of dark red no-show socks, and a pair of red and white basketball sneakers with black accents.
"Hmm…" Masaru looked at the mirror and decided to remove the bandages on his cheek and right knee. "I don't need these any more."
"Looking good, Masaru!" Kotoko approached him as she now wore a pinkish white button-up dress shirt with a pink ribbon around her shirt collar underneath a very dark fuchsia bell-sleeve hooded sweater with short-length coattails and white, carnation pink, and rose red heart-shaped designs where the front bottom ends are folded upwards and held by buttons along with a short zipper with an oversized tag, a grey denim skirt with a pair of black biker short shorts underneath, and a pair of matching very dark fuchsia zip-up knee-high boots with thick and heavy black soles, pink accents, and white foldable flaps and hard rubber toe caps. She was also wearing a pair of black leather tactical fingerless gloves with dark grey hard silicone knuckle paddings and adjustable Velcro wrist straps, and had also discarded her damaged devil horns headband as she replaced it with a white bucket hat decorated a Fairy-type Pokémon symbol iron-on patch.
"Whoa…" Masaru looked at her in surprise.
"Ta-dah~!" Kotoko flashed a pose. "How do I look~?"
"Pretty stylish."
"I agree." Nagisa approached the duo. He was now wearing a long white tailcoat with cerulean inner linings, a loosely tucked-in cyan dress shirt with a brown and orange necktie and his matching scarf around his neck, a pair of dark grey jeans, a pair of black no-show socks, a pair of off-white moccasins with black soles, stitching, and tassels, as well as a cerulean belt with a silver buckle attached from behind. He also wore a black smart watch on his left wrist and a black leather belt with a silver buckle wrapped around the waist of his jeans.
"Look at you being all sharp." Kotoko teased, causing Nagisa to blush.
"U-Um… how do I look…?" Jataro spoke up as the trio turned to him. He wore a brown fitting button-up polo shirt underneath a beige button-up blazer with rolled-up sleeves that stopped slightly below his elbows, a pair of dark brown taper pants, and a pair of black shell toe sneakers with white stripes and accents. Jataro also wore a white analog wristwatch on his left wrist and a rust-colored necktie around the collar of his shirt. He also chose to keep his old white randoseru backpack which contained his tools and other art materials.
"That's pretty good! …Come on, man… you still have that face mask?" Kotoko asked.
"You know how conscientious I am about my face… even though my horrid mother was wrong…"
"I mean, yeah, but you're showing half of your pretty face already…"
"Oh, let him wear it. He'll take it off when he's ready." Nagisa said as Jataro nodded.
"I'm just sayin'." Kotoko shrugged as they went back to the food court where Captain Toad paid for their lunch and walked out of Coconut Mall.
"Alriiiiight! Next destination!" Captain Toad went toward a Warp Pipe and hopped in as the others followed him in, where they would arrive inside of a stadium.
Pause BGM
"Where are we now?" Nagisa asked.
"This… is Mario Kart Stadium." Captain Toad replied as they walked up to the stands to see the race track.
"Uuuuh… that track seems like it's going upside down…" Jataro said.
"Oh yeah, Anti-Gravity! That's pretty much the thing in Mario Kart these days… I think they're still trying to come up with a new gimmick. Not sure how you're going to go from Anti Gravity but whatever."
"Oh! It looks like there's a race going on." Junko said, watching several racers drive by.
"Oh, it must be a friendly competition." Captain Toad chuckled.
A Shy Guy ran over an item box and a Bob-omb appeared in his hand. "Take this!" He threw it.
"Wait…" Nagisa leaned forward. "Is that a-"
The Bob-omb landed in front of a Koopa, which exploded on him. "YOOOOW!"
Nagisa gasped in horror. "Oh my gosh, he killed him! What kind of sport is this?!"
"...You never played Mario Kart, have you?" Masaru snickered as the smoke cleared as the Koopa shook it off and kept driving like it was no big deal.
"Wait… what? He's alive?! …I mean, thank goodness, but… how?!"
"The items are non-lethal, even though it looks like some of them are. It's all in good fun!" Captain Toad said.
"Yeah. Pretty chaotic too." Mukuro said. "You should see Baby Park, that's when things get really messy."
"...Noted." Nagisa grimaced. "So uh… any place else?"
"Oh! Right!" Captain Toad nodded as he walked away with everyone dragging Nagisa away, and then they found another Warp Pipe.
"As you can tell, Warp Pipes are basically fast traveling around the area. Of course, you can always walk and get some exercise in, but if ya feel like moving fast and in a hurry, Warp Pipes are your best friends!"
"Riiiiight…" Masaru said as he looked up at a stadium, letting out a gasp. "Is this…?!"
"Mario Stadium? Yes. It's a baseball stadium and-" Masaru took off running. "H-hey!"
"He likes baseball." Komaru said.
Captain Toad chuckled. "That'll do."
BGM: Mario Stadium (Mario Super Sluggers)
Masaru ran into the stadium and saw a friendly game going on as Mario was up at the pitch. Leon was up at bat as a Lakitu was behind him as the umpire. Luigi and Yoshi were out at the fields as Koopas were at the bases.
"Wait a second… is that… THE Leon Kuwata?!" Masaru exclaimed in surprise. "I thought he was dead…"
Mario smirked, pulling back his fist and threw the ball, the ball catching on fire as Leon readied himself and swung the baseball, striking it dead center as it went flying into the air. Luigi and Yoshi quickly scrambled for the ball as Leon immediately started running.
Luigi screeched to a halt and turned to Yoshi, giving him a boost as Yoshi flutter jumped and tried to grab it, but it just went over his head. Yoshi, however, turned his head and used his tongue to grab the ball.
"OUT!" Lakitu yelled.
"Huh?!" Leon said in surprise before chuckling. "Heh, well, ya got me." He smiled as Yoshi landed and spat the ball out. "Nice catch, big guy!"
"Yo yo!"
"That was an amazing hit! That was incredible!" Masaru cheered loud enough to catch Leon's attention.
"Ah, seems like we gathered a small crowd." Mario said as Masaru climbed over the bleachers and walked up to Leon.
"The game's over, right?"
"Ah, we're just having some good fun." Leon chuckled.
"So you're the ultimate baseball player! I'm such a huge fan of you!" Masaru exclaimed. "I would always turn on a game and see you at your best!"
"Oh, really? Glad to see I still have fans."
"I wanna be like you, dude! Maybe we can play baseball together sometime, learn from the best of the best! You're an inspiration!"
Leon blinked and then chuckled. "Sure, I'm game." He said, pulling out a baseball and started to scribble his name on it. "Here ya go, signed by yours truly!"
"Leon Kuwata - Ultimate Baseball Player"
Masaru grinned. "Ooooh, I must be dreaming!"
WHACK!
"OW!" Masaru yelled, seeing Captain Toad with his walking stick. "What was that for?!"
"You're not dreaming, kid." He chuckled.
"Yeah, I know that!"
"Nice to see you doing well for yourself." Junko said to Leon.
"Yeah, sometimes they come out and hang with-... wait, Junko?" Leon tilted his head. "That you?"
"Yup."
"Huh… I didn't recognize ya right away. Going through a post-despair life crisis?" He teased, hearing Mukuro and Komaru snicker while Toko rolled her eyes.
"Very funny." Junko rolled her eyes with a chuckle. "Just thought I'd go back to my original roots as Ryoko before… that incident."
"Hey, more power to ya." Leon shrugged. "By the way, have you found Hifumi and Kiyotaka yet?"
"Not really… those two are the hardest to find."
"We're even helping her look but we're coming up with nothing!" Komaru said.
"They're probably still dead… those two were obnoxious anyway…" Toko mumbled.
"And yet… Celeste came back as a vampire…" Komaru said. "...I think vampires are undead, I'm not quite sure."
"They're probably her slaves then. They're a lost cause!"
"I doubt it." Komaru shook her head.
"What are they talking about?" Masaru whispered.
"Heck if I know." Kotoko shrugged.
"Anyway, I'm showing them around town. You guys have fun with your baseball game." Captain Toad said. "Let's go!"
"See ya later!" Mario waved.
"Have fun!" Luigi waved as well as they waved back and headed off, hopping into another Warp Pipe.
End BGM
Resume Toad Town BGM
"Here we are, Toad Park! The place where people come hang out and relax, unwind and just take in the scenery. It's pretty big too!" He said as the Warriors of Hope looked around, seeing how big the park truly was.
"Whoa… smack dab in the middle of town too? I'll take it." Masaru said as they went off to explore the park, and as they went further in, Masaru spotted a mocha brown newsboy cap on a bench. "Hmm?"
"Wow, talk about a worn out cap… this has holes in it." Toko said.
"Yeah, I agree… might as well pitch it." Mukuro said.
"Yup." Nagisa nodded.
"Totally!" Masaru agreed.
"Wait, hold on, time out!" Komaru said. "Let's not jump to conclusions right this second."
"Yeah, it could just be a fashion choice." Kotoko said.
"I think it's still useful." Jataro said.
"I agree. Perhaps someone just likes it that way." Junko said. Come to think of it, it could belong to a Faunus.
"Absolutely! Let's look for the owner!" Captain Toad suggested.
"Eh… if you say so…" Masaru said with Nagisa, Mukuro and Toko reluctantly agreed as the former picked the hat up. "Wonder who this belongs to?"
"PROPERTY OF: Kokoro Kinokoshi"
"Kokoro…?" Masaru wondered as they walked around the park, looking for the owner of the cap.
Pause BGM
BGM: Just Be Friends (Project Sekai: Colorful Stage! Ft. Hatsune Miku) (Start at 1:00)
"Wait… does anyone hear… singing?" Nagisa wondered as they followed the source of the music as they would see Chelsea, Ling and Kokoro doing a street performance together.
"Wait a second!" Komaru's eyes sparkled. "Are they performing "Just Be Friends" by Dixie Flatline and Luka Megurine?! Oh my gosh, I love this song!"
"They are?!" Kotoko's eyes sparkled as well. "Oh god, I love this song too!" She said as everyone else gave them a weird look. "...What?" She shrugged. "I used to be a big fan of Vocaloid, y'know?"
"...Okay, but I'm not surprised you know this song." Toko said.
"Aw come on, it's catchy. You'd probably love it too, Toki!"
"Probably not…" Toko mumbled, unaware of her head nodding to the beat and her right foot tapping.
"Your body is disagreeing with you~!"
"Gah!" Toko yelped, holding on to her head while using her other foot to step on her own.
As for the Warriors of Hope, they were more focused on Kokoro singing and dancing her heart out, they would realize that she looks just around their age. They also noticed Kokoro's ocelot ears and Ling's deer tail.
"Uh… interesting attire…" Jataro said.
"Oh, right, this is probably your first time seeing Faunus." Mukuro said.
"Faunus…?" Nagisa wondered while Masaru stared at Kokoro.
Goodness… she looks so pretty and cute. He blushed, realizing what he just thought. No! Stop, dammit! There's no way that you already have a stupid crush on a girl you've laid your eyes on for the first time!
Unbeknownst to him, Kotoko took notice of this and smirked, knowing full well what was going on. Heh, someone's admiring that girl~! She thought as she opened her mouth, but stopped. Eh, I'll tease him later.
She turned her head, noticing someone else was within the audience. It was none other than Mine filming the street performance using a professional 4K video camcorder that was also on a tripod. "Sis…?" Kotoko wondered as Mine was nodding her head to the beat of the song. I'm definitely going to ask her about that later…
End BGM
Once the song ended, the audience clapped and cheered for their amazing performance, including Captain Toad and his tour group.
"Hmm?" Kokoro spotted the cap that Masaru was holding in his hand. Is that my hat…? She wondered.
Mine turned off the recording. "Yup, definitely gonna be editing this later." She chuckled.
"I didn't know you were into videography!" Kotoko walked over to her.
"Hmm?" Mine turned to her little sis. "Oh, of course! Whenever I'm not a backup dancer for them or I'm not training as a huntress, I'm pretty much their official videographer. I film, I edit, I upload to their Lakitube channel, it's pretty great. Sometimes editing is a hassle but someone's gotta do it."
"You… think you can teach me that when we're home together? I know you're teaching me tai chi but… that actually looks pretty fun!"
Mine blinked. "Huh? I thought you didn't like media… given… well, how your biological mother forced you into prostitution, which, by the way, who the hell does that?"
"I know I've had a bad history with it… but maybe this could get me back into it on my own terms. Like, I could be a video editor like you and… maybe I could be a travel vlogger! It's obvious that there are other worlds out there aside from our own and Remnant, because… I thought the Mushroom Kingdom was just a fantasy world in a video game but… if this place is real, then that would mean places like Hyrule, the Pokemon World, Dreamland and other places are real too!"
Mine smiled. "Travel vlogging, eh?"
"Yeah! I want to give it a shot. Something about you filming that group just kinda… inspired me."
Mine grinned. "Well, alright then!"
Kokoro approached the Warriors of Hope. "Hey um, is that my cap?"
"Yeah, I found it on a bench." Masaru said shyly.
"Oh thank you! We were rehearsing a song when a Pidgeotto swooped in and stole my hat. I had to unfortunately do without it because it was time to perform." Kokoro chuckled as she took it and put it over her head. "There we go~!" She smiled as her ocelot ears twitched.
"Oooooh, so the holes were for her ocelot ears… that makes sense." Jataro said.
"We… thought it was a severely worn out cap and thought it'd be best to throw it away but some of us disagreed." Masaru admitted.
Kokoro giggled. "I can see that. But nope, definitely not worn out~!" She grinned, which was enough for Masaru to faintly blush again.
Gah… her smile is so cute… dammit! Stop having a crush on a girl you just met!
"Hmm? Oh, would you look at that." Chelsea said, noticing her younger sister chatting with the Warriors of Hope.
"What is it?" Akame asked as she, Yor, Loid, Anya and Yuri were also with her.
"I have to admit, your daughters are pretty spectacular." Yuri whispered to Yor.
"Told you!" She smiled.
"Chelsea? Hellooooo!" Akame waved her hand in front of her face.
"Huh? Oh, sorry. It's just… it's really nice seeing Kokoron interacting with other kids her age in such a long while. Come to think of it, this might be her first time… in my eyes, anyway." She said as she teared up. "That… that makes me so… agh, why am I so emotional right now?!" She waved her hands over her face.
"Aww, c'mere~!" Yor smiled, wrapping her daughter into a hug.
"No need to cry, Chels~!" Anya smiled.
Akame chuckled, rubbing Chelsea's back.
"Sooo, you probably saw my name on the cap, but I'm Kokoro Kinokoshi!"
"Mrow!" Yukina jumped up and landed on her shoulder.
"Oh, and this is my cat, Yukina."
Masaru snickered. "An ocelot owning a cat? That's pretty funny."
"Huh? …Oh!" Kokoro laughed. "Yeah, I guess it does!"
"A-anyway, I'm Masaru Daimon… or well, I guess it'd be Masaru Winchester now."
"Jataro Kemuri… or Sakura, that works too."
"Kotoko Usug-... wait, no, it's Strauss now."
"Nagisa Shingets-... no, Nagisa Pollendina."
"Oh, all four of you were adopted? Cool! Something we have in common!"
"Oh? You're adopted too?"
"Yeah. See that woman over there?" She pointed to Yor. "That's my mom."
"That's your mother?" Masaru asked. "...I thought that was the red head's sister."
"Nope, that's her oldest adopted daughter, and my adopted sister." Kokoro smiled. "Although I still go my Kinokoshi, I'm still trying to figure out if Kokoro Neves sounds better than Kinokoshi, ya know?"
"That's fair." Nagisa nodded.
"Yeah." Kokoro nodded as she looked at Masaru, both of them looking at each other as both of them had a faint blush. Huh… never noticed that he's kinda cute.
Ah geez, why is she looking at me like that?! …She does look rather cute up close. NO! Don't go there!
"Soooo! I hate to break up this newfound friendship, but we got a tour to continue!" Captain Toad said. "Later, Kokoron!"
"See ya." Kokoro waved as they started to walk away.
"You should go with them." Chelsea walked up to her along with Yor.
"W-wait, really?"
"Yeah, they're around your age, right? You oughta go hang out with them." Yor encouraged.
"Yeah!" Chelsea nodded as Kokoro softly smiled and hugged her family before running off.
"Hey! Wait up!" Kokoro ran after them. "Hey, is it alright if I hang with these guys until the tour's over?"
"Ah, sure! The more the merrier!" Captain Toad smiled as they walked out of the park.
Resume Toad Town BGM
"Next up, the Mushroom Kingdom General Hospital! Here, you'll find the best doctors in town. Yeah, there's a hospital in Mushroom City but they don't have the Ultimate Nurse with them." Captain Toad said.
"An Ultimate Nurse?" Masaru perked up.
"That's right. Her name is Mikan Tsumiki, and rumor has it the residents of Toad Town have a massive crush on her and they get themselves hurt on purpose just so they can see her. Of course, that's just a rumor but I wouldn't put it past anybody since… hey, even I have to admit she's cute."
"Ugh… keep it in your pants…" Toko groaned.
Captain Toad sweatdropped. "Eheheh… anywho! There are, of course, other famous doctors in the hospital. Mario who shoves pills down your throat, Peach who took an interest in physical therapy… she used to be Mario's assistant, but there was an incident that caused Peach to take up physical therapy."
"What was the incident?" Nagisa wondered.
"The famous bounty hunter in the galaxy, Samus Aran, had her spinal cord severed and lost the ability to walk. Peach took it upon herself to get her back on track and gave her an exoskeleton so she can walk normally. Though I've heard her spinal cord is repairing itself on its own… by draining energy, I think? Who knows…"
"Anybody else?" Jataro asked.
"Oh, right… let's see… there's Maria Torres who's a first responder and there's also Tomoe Tachibana who specializes in endoscopy. I also hear she's a ninja, but that's just a rumor." Captain Toad rubbed his chin. "What else… eh… that's about it, there's plenty of them but those five are the best, and heck, Mikan worked her way up to become head nurse of this establishment!"
"Wow… that's pretty cool." Junko said.
"Yup! Now let's go. To the residential area!"
"Wasn't there someone else who got kicked out of the hospital?" Komaru asked.
"Ah… I think there was. Think he goes by… uh… Medic, was it? Eh, no one's seen him in a while so I'm pretty sure everything's okay! …Though I think I've heard a rumor that he's doing experiments on Dust and… reverse engineering Aura. Buuuut that's just a silly rumor. Not like he'll actually do it! Anywho, to the residential area!"
The group walked into the residential area of Toad Town. "And this is the area where people live! Yeah, there's a lot of mushroom houses, but everyone knows where they live. In fact, there are a few huntresses who chose to live in Toad Town, actually! Yes, they have their dorms at Beacon, but they also come here if they want to decompress."
Captain Toad pointed to the Schnee residence. "Behold! The Schnee residence! For those uninitiated, the Schnee's original home lived on Atlas, but due to an explosion, they relocated to Toad Town after a Shroob invasion."
"I've always wondered… what caused the explosion anyway?" Kokoro wondered. "Was it a gas leak or-"
Captain Toad laughed. "Well, that's one way to put it."
"Oooh, so it was a gas leak?"
"By Wario."
Kokoro grimaced. "Ooooh…"
"Oh god, I'm glad we weren't there…" Junko grimaced.
"...Uh, Mario?" Nagisa tilted his head.
"No, Wario." Captain Toad corrected. "You'll figure it out!"
I don't get it… Nagisa thought.
"Anyway, next to them is their next door neighbor, the Belladonnas! They relocated from Menagerie after the SDC blew up, and wouldn't you know it, they became neighbors. Isn't that cute!" He leaned in close to them. "Rumor has it that Weiss and Blake like each other a little much, if you know what I mean."
"That's not true. They have Neptune and Sun." Mukuro said.
"Yeah, but rumors gonna rumor, ya know?" Captain Toad chuckled as they walked through the residential area. "And here we have a few apartments just down the block. This is where Class of 77 live, though not all of them live there. The Ultimate Gamer lives someplace else, which we will get to at a later time! Althoooough, I've seen the Ultimate Gamer tend to drop by with her boy here for some alone time~ Heheheh…"
"Oooh, they're that close in their relationship? Good for them!" Junko grinned.
"...Strange. I'm not hearing any obnoxiously loud music from Ibuki." Toko said.
"Oh, that's because she's busy making a dress for Rosalina." Komaru explained. "Something about a wedding… also, I think she's also restoring a book too. She wouldn't say what it is though…"
"How much restoring is she doing?" Toko asked.
"Heard she had Palutena revive them from some kind of ash and now they're in pieces. She's putting it back together."
"...Can't she just use different paper?"
"I asked her that, she said it wouldn't feel the same so she's doing it her way."
Toko sweatdropped. "I will never understand that dork…"
"Wonder what book she's making?" Masaru wondered.
"Hmm… I wonder if…?" Kokoro rubbed her chin. "It could probably be what I'm thinking of, but I could be wrong."
Captain Toad turned around. "Across the street is where the Future Foundation lives! Rumor has it that Kyoko and Makoto share a room together~" He raised his eyebrows a few times with a smirk. "They say they're not in a relationship, but everyone knows!"
"For better or for worse…" Mukuro sighed.
Junko patted a saddened Mukuro. "There there…"
"Aaaand a few houses to the left is where Toko and Komaru live… for some reason." Captain Toad said.
"I wanted to live there too, but nooooo, Master said he didn't want me anywhere near him whenever he slept!" Toko mumbled.
"Master?" Nagisa raised an eyebrow.
"It's a complicated relationship." Komaru said, patting Toko on the back.
"And a few streets down… you will find a base home to the Keyblade Wielders and friends! Sometimes Pyra and Mythra come hang out with them. Oh… and you have that base a few blocks down the street." He pointed to the Blood Gulch Base. "Just a warning, everyone who lives there is a complete psychopath in my opinion! …Except for Caboose, he's a sweetheart."
"Never a dull moment, huh?" Kotoko asked.
"Yup!" Captain Toad nodded and then pointed to a nearby home. "And over there… is where Team JINXY lives."
"Oh, I was wondering where they were hiding…" Komaru chuckled.
"Now then, allow me to show you some place that's out of Toad Town." He said as they walked over to a black Warp Pipe with firey decals just outside of town as they hopped in.
End BGM
They popped out at the other side, where they would find themselves in the Koopa Kingdom. "Wah! What the heck is…?!" Masaru yelped.
"Welcome… to the Koopa Kingdom. Or… Dark Land, Lethal Lava Land… whatever strikes your fancy at the moment."
"Goodness, it's so hot…" Kotoko said, fanning himself. "Wait, are those active volcanoes?!"
"Yeah, but we're fine. We're miles from harm!" Captain Toad said as they walked. "Heh, the part of the tour is basically this area, just to show ya where Peach gets taken whenever she gets kidnapped. By the way, don't mind the heat. You'll get used to it."
"Riiiight…" Masaru grimaced, seeing a river of lava nearby as he paled just looking at it.
"So… any other reason why you brought us here?" Nagisa asked.
"There's a town nearby that people tend to visit. A tourist attraction in the Koopa Kingdom." He pointed toward the town in question. "Behold! Solana Town!"
"Ooooh, that looks pretty inviting!" Masaru grinned as they walked toward the town, but as they did, Junko awkwardly rubbed her arm.
Mukuro noticed this. "You're still bothered by that, aren't you?" She asked quietly.
"You'd be too…" Junko mumbled as Mukuro rubbed her back as the Warriors of Hope, plus Kokoro, looked around the town.
"Over there, you'll see a few apartments, that's where a few of Bowser's top commanders live. Over there, you'll find various restaurants, a bowling alley even though ours is way better, an ice cream shop… it's a pretty big community!"
"I thought it was still the "Monster community"." Toko said.
"Yeah, then Bowser had enough of them trying to figure out a name for the town and took matters into his own hands. Named the town after his late wife." Captain Toad explained.
"...Wow, took the king of the virgins that long, huh."
"I dunno if "virgin" is the right word for him… he did have a kid with her." Komaru said.
"And yet, he hasn't remarried for a long time. He's back to virgin status in my eyes!"
Captain Toad sweatdropped. "And this is why you will never get laid…" He mumbled.
"Toko, Bowser would get a lot more bitches than you if he wasn't so focused on Peach." Junko said.
"WHA?!" Toko yelled in surprise.
"Oooh, gonna need a burn heal for that one!" Kotoko grinned while Mukuro tried to keep it together while closing her eyes and covering her mouth.
"Goodness…" Kokoro blushed.
"I can't argue with that one." Komaru admitted.
"Now then, on to our last spot!" Captain Toad headed off back to Toad Town with the others. "Now, you could make it there by walking… but there's a designated Warp Pipe for that!" He said as they headed over to a crystalized Warp Pipe that had a Smash logo on it.
"Whoa!" Jataro said. "What's this?"
BGM: Menu Theme (Super Smash Bros Ultimate)
"Welcome… to the Smash Mansion! I saved the best for last!" Captain Toad said. "Here is where select people fight to their hearts content in a Super Smash Bros tournament!"
"Oh wow! That's cool!" Masaru grinned. "...Are visitors welcome?"
"Oh, absolutely! Come on!" Captain Toad walked into the doors as they would see the Smashers going about their day, some of them chatting, some of them playing games, some of them watching TV, and a few were cheering on a few combatants.
"Wow… definitely the ultimate hang out." Nagisa said.
"Yup!"
"Oh, wish I was part of the Smash roster." Komaru said.
"What are you talking about?" Toko pointed to the roster. "You're already in there. That chameleon girl has the same voice as you do, so technically, you're in."
"...What? No, you're crazy. Ilia and I do not share a voice, thank you very much!"
Toko sweatdropped. "Do you even hear yourself next to Nijima?"
"Pfffft, nope. I do not share a voice with Makoto either."
"Are you kidding me right now!" Toko complained.
"Wooooow, this is amazing! And you're saying an Ultimate lives here?" Masaru asked.
"Yup, her name's Chiaki Nanami. She's pretty much a very capable fighter from what I've heard and her gaming powers makes her a force to be reckoned with. She'll keep you on your toes!"
"Cool! I wanna meet her, she sounds so awesome!" Kotoko grinned as they would see a Werewolf walk by. "Uh… what's with the Werewolf?"
End BGM
"Don't mind him." A voice said as they turned to see Alucard approaching them. "He just came over to get himself something to drink."
"...Why not get a drink at Castlevania?" Junko asked.
"Apparently, the self-proclaimed queen of Castlevania did away with any source of water if she could help it. She even managed to drain the lake surrounding the castle, and various ponds too. Because of that, several residents within Castlevania get thirsty and come to the Smash Mansion to quench their thirst."
"Huh? Why would the queen of Castlevania dry up the sources of water?" Komaru wondered.
"Ooooh, I think I know why…" Junko grimaced.
"My execution was graceful. It was how I envisioned I would go out. The flames danced around me. It was perfect. SO WHY THE EVER LOVING FUCK WOULD YOU THROW A FIRE TRUCK INTO ME?!"
"She's probably still upset that I took away her perfect death that she's campaigning to get rid of all sources of water near Castlevania."
Alucard sweatdropped. "I see… she does seem like quite the vengeful type…"
"She needs a hobby… has she thought about reading a book?" Komaru asked.
"I would not know. I refuse to be in the same room as that woman. And I think my father feels the same way."
Meanwhile, at the Smash Mansion bar…
"Let me guess. Celeste?" Rodin asked.
"You have no idea." Carmilla mumbled.
"Me no like lady." Frankenstein's monster said.
"I'll whip you up something extra special."
"...Should we do something about this?" Richter asked.
"Nah, let them. They're not harming anyone." Simon responded.
Back with the tour group…
"Alright, let's head back!" Captain Toad said as they headed back to Sojiro's, all of them waving goodbye to Alucard while Junko sheepishly poked her fingers together.
Back at Sojiro's…
"Thanks so much, Captain Toad!" Masaru said. "And ya know… I'm actually starting to like it here!"
"I agree." Nagisa nodded.
"Yeah, I like it." Jataro said.
"Best hang out spot ever!" Kotoko agreed.
"Knew you guys would love it." Captain Toad chuckled.
Masaru looked at his watch. "Oh shoot, I gotta head home for dinner."
"Hey Masaru." Kokoro walked over to him. "I had a fun time with you today!"
"Y-yeah, me too." Masaru chuckled as she hugged him, causing him to blush.
"Ooooh!" Kotoko smirked as Masaru awkwardly hugged her back as she broke the hug and walked out, waving at them and walked out. "Someone's got a cruuuuush~!"
"Sh-shut up!" Masaru blushed.
"Come on, you ought to ask her out." She winked.
"It… I don't think it'll work."
"Huh? Why don't you think it'll-..." She paused for a moment. "Excuse us for a moment!" She grabbed Masaru and dragged him outside, which caused Nagisa and Jataro to chase after the two.
"...Those four. They really do seem like they're changing for the better." Toko said, a small smile forming on her face.
"Aww, you're warming up to them~" Komaru winked.
"Wh-what?! No! I'm not… don't get any ridiculous ideas…" She mumbled, hearing giggling from Komaru and the Hope Sisters.
Outside…
"Okay, what's going on?" Kotoko asked. "Is it what all four of us did in the past?"
"That obvious?"
"Yeah. It is." Kotoko nodded. "Have you even told your family yet?"
"W-well… not really… I'm just afraid of what they'll say when I tell them "Hey, by the way, I used to kill adults in my old life because they all sucked". What do you think they'd do? My mom is the sweetest woman and… I don't want to see her crushed."
"...Masaru." Kotoko wrapped her arms around him and placed her forehead on his. "I totally understand. I was afraid of what my family would do to me… but when I came clean, they gave me the biggest hug imaginable. They understood why I did it and also acknowledged that I admitted what I did was wrong… even Big Sis Mine was understanding. They surprised me… so I get it, but you need to tell them sooner or later."
"I told Pietro about it… it honestly feels weird to call him dad, but I'll get used to it. Anyway, I told him and to my surprise, he put me on his lap and gave me the biggest hug imaginable. He said if he were in my shoes, he would've done the same thing. He's also happy that I turned over a new leaf." Nagisa explained.
"My father was the same way. I was surprised with how gentle he wa-... oh, sorry, Kotoko." Jataro grimaced.
"No, no… it's okay. Mine's helping me out with… that." Kotoko shuddered.
"Oh, okay. Anyway, he said he had a similar case with Akira, where he thought he was a troublemaker for what he supposedly did, but he started to grow an attachment to him and supported him over this Phantom Thief business. He said to me that he didn't care if I came from a bad lifestyle as long as I learned from it, and I did. Which is why he's so proud of me for paying for it."
"See? My parents, Pietro and Sojiro were supportive of us. I imagine your mother will be the same with you."
"But-"
"No buts, Masaru. You're going to have to tell them sooner or later… it's going to be difficult, but I know you can do it. And if you need help from all three of us… we'll have your back." Kotoko smiled. "We're the Warriors of Hope, after all. We're a team… and I imagine Kokoro will understand too."
Masaru teared up. "Thanks, Kotoko." He said, returning the hug. "I'll tell them… but… only when I'm ready."
"We'll cheer you on, bud. After all, we're in a new world. A new world that's giving us a second chance at life. We'll be with you no matter what, and I have a feeling your family will too." She smiled as she broke the hug as Masaru walked to the Warp Pipe and hopped in.
"...Was that the Warp Pipe to Vale?" Nagisa asked.
"I… sure hope it is."
At the other side of the Pipe…
Masaru hopped out and looked around, noticing that everything was snowy. "Snow?" He wondered as he saw a sign next to the pipe.
"Welcome to Mantle!"
"...Aw come on!"
Masaru hopped back into the Warp Pipe and went off to find the correct Warp Pipe. "Okay, this one for sure…" He said as he hopped in, and hopped out, finding himself back at Vale… but it was starting to rain. "Oh shoot!" He said as he started to run home, making it to his home right as it started to downpour.
"I'm home!" Masaru called out.
"Hey! Oh look at you, you have a new outfit!" Nesta smiled, hugging him. "Did you have a fun time at Toad Town?"
"I did. And I actually like it there."
Nesta giggled. "It's a pretty fun place. I'm in the process of making dinner. It'll be a few."
"Alright!" Masaru smiled as she turned around to walk to the kitchen. "...Hey, mom?"
"Hmm?"
Masaru opened his mouth to say what was on his mind, but hesitated. Instead, he smiled. "I love you."
Nesta smiled sweetly. "I love you too, honey."
Masaru walked into the living room and saw Cardin playing video games. "Oh hey, squirt. You wanna play Mario Kart?"
He grinned. "Oh yeah!" He said as he grabbed a controller and started to play.
Ding dong!
"Can one of you get that?" Nesta asked.
"I'll get it." Cardin responded as he walked to the front door, opening up as Ironwood was at the door. "...Uncle James?"
"Hey Cardin. Is your-..." He trailed off, seeing Masaru. "...Uh…"
"Oh, this is my new adopted brother, Masaru. Masaru, this is James Ironwood."
"Hey!" Masaru waved.
"Hello, nice to meet you."
Nesta walked over. "James? This is a surprise!"
"Hey Nesta… there's something I wish to talk to you. Alone."
"Can it wait? I'm just about done with dinner."
"You can multitask, can you?" Ironwood chuckled, causing Nesta to roll her eyes.
"Oh you…" She shook her head as she walked into the kitchen, Ironwood closing the kitchen door as the boys turned to look at each other.
Ding!
Nesta opened the oven and put the casserole on the stove. "So, what's up?"
"You… are aware of what's going on in Atlas, right?"
"Well… I've heard it's going under a miniature ice age. Is everything okay? I've been meaning to pay Atlas a visit to see if you and Esdeath are hanging in there."
"That's the thing… Esdeath is currently in an angry mood."
"What for?"
"There… was something deep within the Atlas Academy that none of us knew about. A secret lab… filled with hundreds if not thousands of orphaned Faunus children in test tubes."
"WHAT?!"
On the other side of the door, Masaru and Cardin eavesdropped by putting their ears behind the door.
"Yes… and when Esdeath found out, she about hit the roof."
"I can imagine she took it pretty hard…"
"Usually, it takes a lot to get her angry. I've seen her frustrated, but rarely do I ever see her lose her temper. Of course, considering she's an orphan herself, she has a soft spot for the orphans."
"She can relate to them since she's been down a similar road. Every time I visited Atlas, I would occasionally see her visit an orphanage and hang out with the kids."
"Indeed… which is why I believe we need to figure out who's responsible for this secret lab. For my daughter's sake."
"I-..." Nesta recomposed herself and gave him a determined look. "I'll see what I can do to help, James. We'll find out who's responsible for this together."
Ironwood smiled. "Thank you, Nesta. I appreciate it."
Behind the doors, Cardin frowned. No wonder why Esdeath's so upset… He clenched his fists in anger. Gods dammit… why…?! What kind of shithead in Atlas would do something so fucked up like kidnapping random Faunus orphans and doing some shitty science fair experiments on them?!
Cardin opened up the door. "We'll help out too." He said, a determined look on his face. "And not just me, but CRDL will help out too."
Ironwood looked at him in surprise. "How much did you hear?"
"All of it." Masaru said.
"You suck at speaking quietly." Cardin said, causing Ironwood to sweatdrop and hearing a snicker from Nesta.
"Of course, I'm to blame… what I heard caught me by surprise." Nesta sheepishly admitted.
"Like my big bro said…" Masaru clenched his fists in anger. "I also want to help you guys find these Demons who are responsible for this mess."
"Seems like they're not going to take no for an answer." Nesta said.
Ironwood shook his head, chuckling. "They definitely take it from you."
"What can I say, I got McGarden blood in me." She winked.
"By the way… where's Laura?"
Nesta sighed. "It's a long story…"
Shout out to DarkRebellion for coming up with this Gaiden idea! ...Okay, but seriously though, ever since the Mario Movie trailers, I can never unhear Keegan Michael Key coming out of Captain Toad.
Ibuki: *snickers* Same!