It was almost midnight and the burials for the nine perished and beloved heroes were officially completed. Everyone else that was inside the hospital came out to pay their respects. Many people shed tears and murmured amongst each other. To the main heroes, this felt like the longest and most grueling night of their lives.

"O'Chunks…I'm still finding it hard to adjust to him being gone. I keep feeling like I'll see him everytime I turn around…" Tippi said, staring at his grave.

"I know, and as much as we don't want to…w-we have to accept that he is gone. But we WILL avenge his death, I promise you that, Tippi. Dimentio is a dead man. I want him to know what this feels like," Mimi angrily spoke, feeling rage inside of her now.

"The next time I see Dimentio, I WILL kill him. No holding back. It's clear at this point that nothing will knock some sense into him and realize that there's no reason for him to do this. But at least we were able to prevent my vision from happening tonight," Bleck declared.

"I…I don't wanna lose you guys, either. You two have been so kind and caring to me over the years that…I'd be lost without you two," Tippi cried.

"Oh, Tippi! You'll never lose us! We'll always be by your side till the very end, okay? That's a promise!" Mimi tried to sound uplifting for the frail pixl, trying to push her vengeful feelings aside for a moment.

"Yes, she is right. We'll always have each other's back. I'm willing to make that promise as well…for the rest of my life," Bleck added and smiled at Tippi. His heart started beating faster.

"Just fucking great…we lose Watt from the old gang and now Sushie…NONE OF THIS IS FUCKING FAIR! I swear to god, I will rip that fucking alien's head off with my bare hands!" Kooper lashed out.

"You're right, it's not fair, which is why next time we get into battle with Tatanga, we eliminate all our fears and show him what we got, even if it means we die, we'll die for our friends…actually, not just for our friends, but for the world," Parakarry said, understanding Kooper's anger. His right leg was in a small cast, covering the bullet hole from earlier. However, he was still able to hover in the air just fine.

"Y-Yeah, I agree with you. I would've gone in and fought myself, but…all of those Koopatrols with those guns really intimidated me. One bullet through you and that's it. You're done, just like that," Bombette noted although she still felt weak for not going in and fighting.

"No offense, Parakarry, but just going in there and attempting to kick his ass is a bit foolish. You need to have a plan before doing anything hasty. Our friends would want us to succeed and live through this," Goombario said.

"He's right. Take me for example…I just turned invisible and went on in to take down Tatanga, but I didn't even think anything through! I just tried to kill him with no strategy in mind! If I did…maybe Boo would've been alive still…" Bow sniffled.

"Don't say that! You did what you could. Let's face it, that was probably the scariest battle any of us had ever faced. A lot of us were caught off guard and there really wasn't much time to think anyways!" Lakilulu said in comfort.

"All those bullet noises though…they keep ringing in my head. I still feel like I'm partially deaf or something because it was just so loud. God, this is like something that only happens in nightmares," Lakilester said.

"Ms. Mowz and Bobbery…taken away from us just like that…I don't know if I'll ever get over this…" Goombella said while sobbing on Vivian's shoulder.

"I know, I know…those two were some of the bravest and most inspiring people I've ever met in my entire life. I-I remember visiting Rogueport last year and running into Bobbery. He told me a story where he traveled out to sea with a few buddies and they accidentally discovered a small island where there were these old war machineries scattered about along with a few worn out boats and bunkers. He took many pictures of it and named it Battle Island. He was so excited when he told me the story because he hadn't trekked on an actual foreign island in so long that it just made me smile with joy, seeing him like that…I'll never forget it..." Vivian reminisced outloud, smiling as another tear fell.

"And Ms. Mowz…everytime I ran into her, she would always brag to me about this new rare badge she found and try to get me to buy it and then I would shout at her and we would get into an argument…heh, that honestly never got old. It's just awful and even terrifying to think that these are people that we'll never see again for the rest of our lives. This isn't something you ever get over," Paper Yoshi also reminisced outloud.

"I agree, but I'm quite certain that the only thing we can do now is try to move on and save the world from that disgusting pig! It's what they would want from us. We must try to stay strong no matter what!" Flurrie exclaimed.

"Y-Yeah. Stay strong…it's hard b-but we all have to do it if we want to prevail. Right Koops?" Koopie asked.

"Um, r-right. This may be the hardest thing I'll ever do in my entire life, but I think it will be worth it…" Koops replied with a small smile.

"Can't believe that Lady Sasa is actually dead…that's another one from our group, gone. I'll be honest here, I'm kinda gonna miss her singing. It lifted up the mood a bit," Diddy said.

"Yeah, I have to admit that as well. She was honestly just a cool person to be around with overall, you know? I'll definitely miss her. May she keep on singing her heart out in the afterlife," DK replied in agreement.

"Despite how cheesy that sounded, I will miss her too and will hopefully remember to buy one of her albums in the future," Dixie laughed a little.

"Heh…but I'm really glad you three are especially alright. I wasn't TOO worried whether something bad happened, but the thought definitely lingered in my mind, you know? Anything unpredictable could happen but it's a humongous relief to see you guys safe!" Tiny exclaimed and hugged her sister.

"Likewise, Tiny! Those worlds we went through were no joke, and I imagine the next ones are going to be tougher. I'll even go as far to say that it's harder than the times we went on those adventures to defeat K. Rool in the past. It's almost life changing. I've learned so many new things about myself and others from this adventure and I don't regret going on it one bit," DK said with hope, trying to keep the mood from being totally gloomy.

"Amen! Looking back on who I was before all of this happened, I am disgusted with a lot of the things I said and did. I was just being a brat for no good reason. And I noticed a better change in some of the other people in our group too. As much as it sounds weird to admit it…Tatanga was right. We HAVE gotten stronger because of him, and I'm not talking physically wise," Dixie pointed out and made sense of the alien's words.

Diddy put his hand on her shoulder and smiled at her. "Dixie…I don't think you were a horrible person in the past. Yeah, there were times you got a huge attitude but it doesn't define you as a person. However, I can also see you've matured a bit, so that just makes me love you even more." Dixie gushed at Diddy and the two shared a romantic kiss.

"I am such an idiot! He tricked me, making me think there was something behind me. If that hadn't happened, he would've been dead…and this all would've been over…" Mario grumbled as he was angry and disappointed in himself at that moment.

"Mario! Don't beat yourself up over it, okay? No one is mad at you or blames you for it. Well, I don't at least. But if someone does, then who cares? At least you had the guts to fight that stumpy bastard and actually hurt him!" Yoshi overheard the plumber's complaining and tried to cheer him up.

"…Y-You're right. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get all down on myself there. I can't dwell on one mistake forever. That would be weakness. That's exactly what Tatanga would want. Thank you, Yoshi…I know this may not be the best time to say this, but I'm sorry that we haven't hung out at all recently…err, well, before all this chaos happened I mean. I know, that's kind of random for me to say, but that thought just now came to me," Mario grew a smile.

"Don't be sorry, Mario. I know that sometimes friends are really busy or unintentionally drift off. However, you can buy me some Burger Queen to make up for it though!" Yoshi joked and the two laughed a little.

"Wow! Both of you smiling AND laughing! That's something I haven't seen in a while. This adventure has definitely turned all of us pretty gloomy to some extent, but that's to be expected after everything we've all been through," Birdo said while walking over to the two.

"Yeah, you have a good point there. And just think, we're only halfway done! I don't even wanna imagine what else is in store for us…" Mario sighed as he realized there was still a long way to finish this journey and most likely more hell to endure.

"Daisy, I just wanted to let you know that you did amazing in that battle! You were so courageous and determined. I'm really happy for you," Luigi complimented and kissed her forehead.

"Thanks, Luigi. I just had to do something you know? You were great too. But I should've used my Timeslow ability…that would've helped so much! I guess with everything going on then and there, my mind was all over the place and I couldn't focus. Well…guess it doesn't matter now. But there's one more thing I also realized…we forgot to ask Tatanga about Merlon. Remember when Arfur told us that he had saw on the cameras that Beldam and Marilyn captured him? They obviously took him to his hideout on that island. I just wanna know if he's still alive or not," Daisy brought up a subject that was certainly almost forgotten by the others.

"Merlon…yes, I remember it now. I do hope he's okay too. But do you really think Tatanga would give you an honest answer about him though?" Luigi asked.

"I don't know, honestly but whatever's happened to him, I hope he's okay. Who knows what kind of torture he's being put through right now…assuming he's still alive…" Daisy replied in concern.

Kylie, Arfur, and a bunch of security Toads suddenly ran over to where everyone else was.

"GUYS! Is everything okay!? We heard a bunch of gunshots and screaming from the building! We would've came earlier but a bunch of fallen trees in the woods were blocking our path in the cars so we had no choice but to get out and trek around the mess!" Arfur exclaimed, widening his eyes at the amount of blood, debris, and dead Koopatrol bodies he had already seen.

"To put it simply, Tatanga and his team of freaks came and tried to destroy this place and everyone in it. We all managed to kill most of his team but Tatanga, that guy wearing a white sheet, and that ugly floating guy ran off. They also managed to kill nine people…" Mona explained.

"Aaaaand that was probably Tatanga's team that made those trees fall in there. I guess they know where your building is too," Larry added.

"WHAT!? Holy…I…I knew that had to have been it. All that screaming and gunshots, it sounded like a total war zone! I'm so sorry, you guys. How badly damaged is the hospital interior?" Kylie asked.

"Well, there's a few holes in the walls, along with a huge hole in the ceiling in the middle of the entrance hallway, and a hole in the ceiling in the floor above that…but, err, otherwise, I guess the hospital's still doable enough to sleep in tonight…" Rosalina answered.

"God…what a tragic disaster. How did he even find you guys here anyways!? This place was well hidden!" Arfur asked, distraught at the debris he saw inside the entrance hall.

"My son, Roy, found the villains and told them where this place was. He's on their team now," Bowser bluntly revealed and stomped back inside. Arfur and Kylie looked at each other in shock.

"Listen here, everyone. What happened tonight was a godawful mess, yes, and we've lost people that we've all loved and care about. However, we still cannot let Tatanga get the best of us. We WILL take him down and prevent this world domination from happening, even if it means we'll die trying. I know from what you guys saw or heard tonight shows that he and his army are powerful and possibly terrifying, but we must rise above that no matter what. We won't get anywhere standing down and cowering in fear. This story must go on and it will finish with all of us prevailing," Mario spoke with every single person listening to his words. They felt a bit better and even encouraged after that speech.


Luigi and Daisy entered one of the patient rooms, ready to get some shut eye.

"Okay, so how are we going to do this? The hospital bed isn't big enough for both of us to sleep in and I doubt you'd wanna sleep on the hard floor either…" Luigi said, but Daisy was off somewhere else in her own mind.

"Daisy? Don't tell me you've fallen asleep already! You haven't even sat down yet!" Luigi cried.

"Huh? Oh, no, I'm awake. I'm sorry. It's just…do you remember what Tatanga said before that fight started? He said that he had some kind of connection to the majority of us in the past…I'm assuming he meant that he's interacted with most of us before, at some point?" Daisy questioned to Luigi, trying to figure this little riddle. Luigi's expression turned a bit worried.

"S-sounds like it to me, I guess. But, um, does it really matter though?" he asked.

"Well, perhaps not, but I would find it really strange that others have interacted with Tatanga before. Obviously, me and Mario had a 'connection' with Tatanga years ago when he kidnapped me, but I'm curious about others," Daisy said while rubbing her chin and pacing all around the room. Luigi turned away from her and walked towards the hospital bed.

"Luigi? Is something wrong? W-why did you go there just now?" Daisy noted his sudden change in behavior.

"I…I've talked with Tatanga before, Daisy. It was many years ago, but it was a few years after your kidnapping happened," Luigi reluctantly admitted.

"WHAT!? Why were you talking with him!? He didn't hurt you, did he!? How come you never told me about this?" Daisy repeatedly questioned in shock.

"I never told you, because I figured it was irrelevant! We didn't get together until a few years after I spoke with Tatanga and you told me about your kidnapping story with him way later on! I didn't connect the pieces till just now. I'm almost positive it was him who I spoke with that day…" Luigi exclaimed.

"…I'm sorry, Luigi. I didn't mean to blow up on you like that. I just didn't see that coming at all. But, you just spoke with him, right? No fighting or anything like that? And…how could you have connected the pieces just now? Did Mario never tell you of the story about Tatanga kidnapping me?" Daisy asked more.

"He did tell me the story, but I was never shown a picture of him nor did he really describe what he looked like so I was just given the details of his actions only. And no, there was no fighting nor anyone getting hurt. But now that I think about, he did give off kind of a creepy vibe when I met him…" Luigi said.

FLASHBACK

Luigi was walking out in the city streets of Chai City, Sarasaland. It was getting to be late and Luigi was getting a bit freaked out since he promised Mario he'd be back at the hotel at 8, but it was a half hour past that time, and he had heard rumors that Chai City had a big gang violence problem, especially in downtown, and that was where he was at.

"Ugh, I am so stupid! How could I just lose track of time like that!? Especially since I left my wallet in the freaking hotel room!? GAH! So I pretty much wasted 40 minutes of my time checking out various books, having to actually STOP myself from reading one of the books entirely, having to listen to the clerk complain about his house getting an ant infestation and pretending like I care, AND having to clean off the bottom of my pants cause some kid spilled a smoothie on me! Who the heck even lets people have drinks in bookstores anyways!?" Luigi complained outloud.

"Excuse me, sir?" called out a male voice. Luigi stopped in his tracks, hearing the voice, but not seeing a person. He turned around and saw a short person wearing a black hoodie, his face fully covered.

"Oh! Uhh…c-can I help you?" Luigi nervously asked, hoping this wasn't a gang member.

"Can you spare me some coins so I can hitch a taxi to the outskirts please? I…I have nothing on me…and I REALLY need to get to my ship…I mean car," he said.

"Huh? If you have a car, then why didn't you just drive it to wherever you were going so you didn't have to ride a taxi back?" Luigi asked.

"Because…um…it's being, uhh, fixed right now and…I made the mistake of going into the wrong place at the wrong time around here. I can be so stupid sometimes…" he harshly said to himself and unveiled the black hoodie. Luigi widened his eyes when he saw the guy's face. His skin was purple, his eyes were big, and his ears were big and elf-like. However, Luigi also noticed his right eye was slightly black and bruised, and the skin around it was bruised and had what looked like dried blood on it.

"Holy crap! Who did that to you!? It wasn't a gang, was it?" Luigi shrieked.

"…Let's just say that there are some people in this world that need to be 'weeded' out as soon as humanly possible. They are the ones who are the reasons why people have nightmares in the first place and why the world will never be a peaceful place to live in," Tatanga cryptically stated.

Luigi wasn't sure how to respond to that. All he thought at that moment was that this person seemed kinda messed up in the head.

"Where are your parents at? You should call them so they can pick you up and get you out of here," Luigi tried to change the subject.

Tatanga shook his head. "They're both gone. My brother is in some kind of mental institution. It's just me. Please…just give me 20 coins. I have no one to lean on…"

Luigi, being the generous, naïve, and sympathetic person he was, agreed to give him the coins.

"I'm so sorry all of that has happened to you. You don't have any other relatives you can stay with?" Luigi asked.

"I should really get going now. Thank you very much for the coins, sir. You've been a great help," Tatanga purposefully ignored his question and stashed the coins in his pockets.

"…Right. Um, be very careful next time, okay? By the way, what's your name?"

Tatanga looked at him as if Luigi said something he wasn't supposed to.

"…It's…Ta…Tadano," he very hesitantly said and walked the opposite direction from where Luigi was going.

END FLASHBACK

"That was so long ago and so brief, I'm surprised I remember every detail at all. But why did he say his name was Tadano? At least, I think that's what it was," Luigi said.

"It was probably just a fake name he came up with on the spot. But, I am curious to know if both his parents are actually gone. I wonder what they would have to say about everything he's doing now…and I had no idea he had a brother either! Well, whatever, I suppose it doesn't matter. Thank you for telling me though," Daisy gave him a hug and Luigi hugged back, both wanting to drift asleep in each other's arms.


Peach and Mario were walking on their way to one of the rooms to get some sleep, but suddenly Toadsworth stopped them from behind.

"Master Mario and Princess! I must ask you to stop for just a moment!" Toadsworth called out. The couple turned around to see him.

"Yes Toadsworth? Is something the matter?" Peach asked.

"I have a suggestion to make, regarding your adventure to collect those gems. Would it be not such a bad idea to take the day off tomorrow? I understand that time is very precious in saving the world and all, but think about it; everyone is exhausted and emotional over what happened tonight, and I'm sure you and everyone else who went with you experienced similar things too! Give yourself a day to recharge and heal. I know it sounds risky, but I truly do believe it will do everyone good in the long run," Toadsworth explained.

"A day off? The whole day? It…sounds tempting, but…" Mario was incredibly reluctant since the sooner they get back out and start the hunt for the gems again, the better.

"I think he's right, Mario. Taking one day off from the mission wouldn't be such a bad thing. We've all worked very hard to earn some time off anyways! Think of it as working at a grueling job for seven days straight, and then FINALLY getting the day off to relax!" Peach said, making an odd comparison, trying to convince him to say yes.

"It would alleviate some stress as well, so you don't have to think about going back tomorrow morning right now. Master Mario…I am pleading that you do this. Just one day. I am confident it will be helpful for everyone," Toadsworth added.

Mario looked at Peach who nodded with a smile, he then sighed. He truly wanted to go back to do the mission tomorrow but he knew in his heart that it may be best for everyone if a day break is taken. He didn't want to be selfish.

"…Alright, we'll take tomorrow off to rest and recover. I suppose it wouldn't be that big of a deal…" Mario finally answered. Peach cheered and clapped.

"Very good! I knew you would make the smart decision. I shall inform the others about this. You two have a well rested night now!" Toadsworth said his goodbyes and walked off.

"Oh, don't look so down, Mario! Even heroes need to relax and munch on sweets every now and then!" Peach giggled. Mario couldn't help but smile at her and laugh as well.

"I just want to be 100% sure we take down Tatanga before he takes US down. A whole day of not finding the gems is a whole day that Tatanga gets another step ahead in his plans," Mario groaned.

"Didn't you just say we will beat Tatanga no matter what? Don't focus on the negative! You worry too much!" Peach pointed out.

"Heh, I do worry a lot, don't I? But, well, can you blame me?" Mario smirked.

"I suppose not…but I just want you to clear your mind of Tatanga for tonight AND tomorrow, okay? Don't even mention his name! We all deserve time to relax!" Peach exclaimed while wrapping her arms around her lover.

"Alright, I guess I can do that. Besides, it gives us a chance to be together again. We haven't had that in a while," Mario then kissed Peach and she grinned at him.

"Exactly! Now let's get some sleep, okay? I don't want any ugly circles forming around my eyes!" Peach gestured and the two ran off.


Koops was sitting on the hospital bed while Koopie got everything ready for their sleep tonight. They made sure they slept in one of the first floor rooms.

"I don't know if I'm ever gonna get over losing Ms. Mowz and Bobbery…I really don't want anyone else close to me in my life be gone just like that. Losing my mom was hard enough…" Koops said as a couple tears fell from his eyes.

"Oh, Koops…I'm gonna be honest with you, it's something that you'll never truly get over. People that were close to you, that made a big impact in your life…that's something you're always gonna remember for the rest of your life. But, that's a good thing! That means you cared about them a lot and there was a deep connection between you guys," Koopie said in comfort, hoping to cheer him up.

"I know, I know…it's just…I don't know if I can handle losing any more of my closest friends…I don't know what will happen to me if that will happen…especially if I lose you!" Koops sniffled and hugged Koopie.

"Don't think about that, Koops! You'll never lose me, okay? I'll always be by your side, no matter what happens," Koopie promised which helped the troubled koopa feel slightly better.

"Th-thanks, Koopie. Right now, I'm just worried about my dad too. I wonder if he's even heard of what happened…I have no way to reach him!" Koops thought of his dad and was stressing about that too since he was hundreds of miles away.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

"Hey! Um, Koops? Can I speak to you for a second please?" Vivian asked. Koops nodded while wiping his tears away with his arm. He walked right outside the door while Koopie got back to setting everything up.

"I have the picture here, the one that Grunty drew. Do you still want it? Would you feel better if you kept it?" Vivian held out the picture in her hand.

"Um, no, that's fine. It wouldn't really make a difference if I had it or not…I'm still gonna fall out some window and end up getting hurt or worse…" Koops sighed now stressing about that too since he just now remembered this.

"Will you PLEASE stop saying that!? Koops, I know this worries you a lot, but we are all going to do everything we can to prevent this from happening, okay!? And that's only IF it does happen! Being all negative isn't going to help anything!" Vivian raised her voice, which surprised Koops.

"S-sorry! I just have a billion things on my mind right now. I don't even know if I'm able to sleep tonight…" Koops sighed again.

"Well, try to sleep, okay? We all need it. And I understand having stuff on your mind, but we all really need to get some rest. Our bodies and minds are exhausted and not sleeping will just make it worse," Vivian said.

"I understand. Thank you for, um, checking up on me. I'm glad to have you as a close friend, Viv," Koops said with a little smile.

"Of course, Koops! It's what I'm here for. Sleep well!" Vivian waved goodbye and walked off. Koops walked back into the room and saw Koopie standing still with her arms crossed.

"Everything okay with you two?" she asked.

"Yeah, she just wanted to know how I was doing. I guess it's time for bed…" Koops replied.

"Wait! Koops, did…did I ever tell you that…I, um, was a friend of…well, actually, more of an acquaintance, to Tatanga before?" Koopie asked.

"Huh? Y-You were!? When did this happen?" Koops replied with shock.

"It was years ago, when I lived in Sarasaland with my family, before I had moved to the Mushroom Kingdom. We were in high school together. We would talk every now and then, but whenever we did, it was just…ugh, chaos! I'm surprised Tatanga didn't recognize me when he came here or when he captured all of us. Or…maybe he did but just didn't want to acknowledge me for whatever reason…but he must have though! He said that he had a past connection with most of us…" Koopie exclaimed.

"Wow! You and Tatanga…I had no clue at all. Did anything bad happen between you two?" Koops asked.

"That depends on how you view the word 'bad'. It never got to the point where he hurt me or threatened me, but…let's just say he drove me crazy at one point," Koopie rolled her eyes at the memory she suddenly got.

FLASHBACK (This one takes place before the Luigi flashback, and before Tatanga's mom left)

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

Tatanga got up from the couch from watching TV and opened the door to see a somewhat younger Koopie Koo storm in.

"Okay, what the hell was that all about!? Do you not realize how stupid of a prank that was!?" she yelled.

"What on earth are you talking about? What's going on?" Tatanga innocently asked.

"Oh do NOT act like you don't know! Tell me something, what were you trying to prove by sending me a text message saying to meet you inside the Chai Kingdom Mental Institution, begging me for help, and when I get there, I find your stupid twin brother all of sudden screaming his head off and accusing me of looking through his window every night!? He even threw a fucking water bottle at my face! I demand an explanation!" Koopie shouted.

"WOW! He did all of that!? Damn…he's still crazy as all hell…" Tatanga laughed a little while shaking his head.

"ANSWER ME! WHY DID YOU DO THAT!?" Koopie yelled louder this time.

"Okay okay! It…it was a test. I sent you that text to make you come to the institution and hoped that you would accidentally 'run' into my brother there and see if he's improved. I guess not now…" Tatanga sighed in disappointment.

"WHAT!? So this was all just a trick, using me as a pawn to go see how your brother is doing all because you're too much of a wimp to go see him yourself!? You're freaking pathetic!" Koopie shouted in disbelief.

"YOU SAW HOW HE WAS LAST TIME! We both went in to see him a few months ago and he just lost it like he thought we were about to kill him! I-I couldn't stand to see him like that again! It was terrifying, seeing your own blood relative charging at you, ready to take you down…I don't wanna go through that again," Tatanga shivered at that awful memory.

"You know, do you ever wonder why people always pick on you and treat you like shit? Because you let it happen! You don't have the guts to stand up for yourself and fight back! Yeah, seeing your brother like that is scary, but nothing is going to happen unless you, yourself, go see him and stop being a coward! That's your own BROTHER for crying out loud!" Koopie told it like it is to him. This really pissed off Tatanga to the core.

"Get out. NOW," he angrily spoke. Koopie gave him a glare, not intimidated by him at all, but left anyways.

END FLASHBACK

Koops dropped his jaw at her story. "Oh my god! So, Tatanga really does have a twin after all…that confirms that the picture is accurate! Why didn't you say anything when Mona first showed us the picture?"

"Because…I…I wanted to believe that his twin was still locked up in that institution and that he isn't involved with Tatanga in all of this right now. I mean, there is just no way that he would ever do this with him…his twin is not trustworthy at all. He's unpredictable and unstable. There's too much risk involved with having him along. I didn't want to make anyone panic," Koopie said.

"Oh…I…I see then. Well, I just really hope his twin isn't tagging along to help defeat us. I still can't believe you were 'sort of' friends with Tatanga though…all of this stuff is seriously making my mind ache," Koops groaned.

"I know, I almost can't believe it either. To think that someone you talked to a few times such a long time ago, someone that I felt somewhat sorry for, ends up killing people and trying to conquer the world…that's bone chilling. This all happened in my junior year, I left Chai City with my family right before senior year started so I don't even know if he graduated from school…" Koopie said.


"Dad, are you ever gonna NOT look at me like I'm a huge disappointment? I said I was sorry! I was a total idiot for starting that fight with Roy! But you can't blame me for him going to the dark side!" Morton pleaded as he, Bowser, Kammy, and the rest of the kids found a random room to sleep in.

"THAT'S BECAUSE YOU ARE A DISAPPOINTMENT! Not just you, Iggy, and Lemmy too! How could you two just stand there and let THAT happen? That fight was the breaking point for Roy! If you had used your damn brain for once, Nastasia and Dry Bones would still be alive and Tatanga wouldn't have another person on his team! I just…I don't want to speak to you anymore right now. I'm tired as all hell and my head is pounding," Bowser shouted in frustration and immediately laid down on the floor.

Lemmy's eyes became watery. "D-dad…we…w-we are just so s-sorry. We didn't know what to do. Please don't stay mad at us forever…"

"I really think we all should get some sleep now. Please, no more fighting and crying. We've dealt with enough of that for one day," Kammy advised.

"She's right. We can continue this in the morning. I'm so tired I'm having trouble keeping my eyes open…" Wendy said then yawned.

"I just hope that, wherever Roy is, he isn't being tortured by that scum. I know all of us despise what he did, but I also know that we can't help but care for him too. If, and when, we see Roy, we must do whatever it takes to get him back to our side. He doesn't belong there," Larry said. Everyone else agreed in their minds and eventually drifted off to sleep.


Kooper and Fire Bro decided to share a room together for the night to sleep in.

"I'm gonna be honest with you here, I really don't think I'll be able to get to sleep, as much as I want to. I'm still somewhat traumatized by what happened earlier…and I keep thinking about if one of the bullets hit me instead…there were so many close calls in that battle that I-I just want to find some way to erase it from my memory! I feel like I'll just keep on reliving it in my mind for the rest of my life!" Kooper exclaimed in panic.

"I hear you, buddy! But it won't do any good freaking out about it right now! Here, sit down, let me tell you a story that always put ME to sleep when I was younger," Fire Bro gestured. Kooper raised a brow at him but sat down anyways.

"Okay, here it goes…once upon a time, in a happy and fun filled place named Star City, lived a family of four Koopas; a mom, a dad, and two twin brothers in their early teens. One day, the parents went out to do some grocery shopping, leaving the kids by themselves to watch each other. This made one of the twins formulate a plan he's been thinking about for a long time now. You see, this twin had enough of his 'other half' always bullying him and belittling him. The parents paid more attention to one twin than the other. The one that was always 'looked over' had a feeling it was because the other one was more 'normal'. The 'popular' twin was a star athlete, had a girlfriend, great grades, many friends…basically everything going for him, except for the fact that he was a bit of a cocky bastard. Whereas the other twin had average grades, few friends, was terrible at sports, very shy, and locked himself inside his room more times than not, but he was a little nicer than his brother. He was also starting to date this one cute girl but he had seen her getting a little 'touchy-feely' with his jerk twin at the same time. But he had enough now. His mind snapped. As his brother was watching TV, he went into the kitchen and grabbed a butcher knife. He very carefully tiptoed to the couch, with his brother's back facing him. And then…when he was finally close enough…SLICE! His slit his throat within an instant! Blood poured out his wound like a waterfall! The other twin grinned with satisfaction at his demise! Then, later on, when the parents came home, they find the twins watching TV, but of course, their backs were facing the parents so they didn't know what happened immediately. They called out their names to help bring in the groceries but there was no response. The parents then walked over to the couch…and SCREAMED! They saw the dead twin sitting right there, lifeless! Blood was all over his clothes, the couch and the rug! Meanwhile, the other twin was sitting there, watching TV like nothing had happened. He then turned his head to his parents, smiled, and asked them…'Hi mom and dad! How was your grocery shopping?' And then…the rest was history. He was sent to an insane asylum and remains there to this day, thinking that he did nothing wrong at all. THE END!" Fire Bro told the story in a somewhat comical fashion.

Kooper just sat there with his jaw dropped. "Dude…what the fuck is wrong with you!? How the hell is that supposed to help me sleep!? And why the hell would you tell such a story at a time like this?"

"For me, I find horror stories SUPER exciting! Yeah, whenever I can't get to sleep, I just go on my computer and read a random one! I get suuuuuper scared but excited reading everything that's happening, to the point where it wears me out and I end up getting sleepy! Maybe that just doesn't work for you?" Fire Bro explained.

"Uhh, NO IT DOESN'T! Well, not to the average person at least! Geez…but…um…hold on just a second…where did you get that story from? Did you make it up?" Kooper's tone suddenly changed.

"Nope! Someone told me the story a loooong time ago! Why do you ask?" Fire Bro retorted with a smile.

"Because…just curious. It doesn't matter. We should get some sleep now," Kooper almost seemed like he was going to say something else, but backed out. His nervous expression certainly didn't help that either.

"Alright then! Sweet dreams! Here's to hoping we get a nice 8 hours of sleep!" Fire Bro cheered and turned the light off.


"Your head still aching, bro?" Wario asked as he put an ice pack on the back of his head, where Waluigi hit his head from Doopliss magically throwing him up against the wall.

"Yeah, but it's been getting better though…thanks," Waluigi sighed.

"No problem. You know, when I couldn't find you when all that shit happened…I was really panicked to the point where I think I started to hyperventilate a bit. My mind was so focused on finding out where you were while also focusing on not being killed while ALSO focusing on killing the stupid villains that I really thought that my mind would, like, shut down or something!" Wario said.

"I'm sorry, bro. I didn't mean to make you worry. Truth be told, I think I was being a little bit selfish. I tried to save myself and Rosalina, but didn't even think about taking you in the supply closet with me. I'm really sorry…" Waluigi said and looked away from his brother in disappointment.

"What's this? Waluigi apologizing TWICE in less than a minute? Alright, you must be a clone or a twin of the real Waluigi, right?" Wario teased. Waluigi laughed a little.

"I mean it, man! It's just, I really think this adventure has actually changed me for the better, you know? I'm being honest right now," he said truthfully.

"I know, I know! Waluigi, I've seen the person you've become. It's a bit odd since I'm so used to having you be rude for no reason and shout random obscene comments, but…you're sure it's the adventure that changed you…and not a certain blondie?" Wario smirked.

"You mean, R-Rosalina? Well, I mean, she's awesome, crazy beautiful, smart, tough…she's honestly the total package. I've been thinking about her so damn much ever since that Pokemon World…I know that she would not like me to be the person that you just described…the old me. Thinking about it now, I don't like the old me either! She's taught me so much…" Waluigi grew a huge smile as he talked about her. Wario smiled a bit too, also noticing that he was blushing.

"So…are you in love with her then?" he asked.

KNOCK KNOCK!

"Hello! Um, Waluigi? Can I speak to you for a moment please…alone?" Rosalina spoke from the doorway.

"Oh, yes, of course! Wario? Is that alright?" Waluigi asked.

"Why wouldn't it be? You two go on ahead! I'll just head off into the bathroom and wash my…um…face…" Wario ended the sentence awkwardly and walked out.

Rosalina walked toward Waluigi. "So, are you doing okay? That head injury isn't anything fatal, is it?"

"No no, I'm fine. I guess I should consider myself lucky, heh. It could've been a lot worse!" Waluigi exclaimed.

"Right. Well…I just dropped in to say goodnight. I'm sleeping with Toad and Toadette tonight since they feel more comfortable having me in their room. And there's one other thing…I really feel like I've grown so close to you. I've never been this connected with someone before in my life. I just wanna say…I'm really glad that we've bonded in this treacherous journey. Whenever I'm with you, I feel more safe than ever…along with being happy and fearless. So…thank you for that, Waluigi," Rosalina said in such a caring and heartfelt voice that it made Waluigi gush inside.

"W-wow. Um…it's no problem, Rosalina. I really do think being with you has helped me change into a better person as well," Waluigi nervously replied, feeling all warm and tingly inside, not sure how to explain this feeling.

The two then shared a kiss that quickly turned into a romantic make out session. Despite everything that's happened, those two felt that everything was perfect at that moment. They felt beyond happy just being there together, like the world just seemed at peace right then and there.


As Parakarry was ready to get to sleep, he heard a figure walk into the room he was in.

"Huh? Is someone there? Oh god, please don't be a Koopatrol!" Parakarry shrieked.

The light flicked on and Parakarry gasped, but it then turned into a sigh of relief when he saw that it was Gekikara.

"Oh! It's you…whew! Gekikara, right? What's going on? How come you didn't show up when we got the gem?" Parakarry asked.

"I was busy taking care of some things, but I did see that you all obtained it. Much congratulations to you guys. You all know how to work together now very maturely. You guys are completing this journey so much quicker than I had expected at first. Well done. However…I DID see what happened here earlier as well. Incredibly tragic…too many innocent lives lost…" Gekikara said, shaking her head at the memory of the shootout.

"Wait a second, you SAW that whole battle!? Why the hell didn't you just come in and help us!?" Parakarry yelled in sudden anger.

"Because I wanted to see you how all would handle this battle. This is something that none of you guys have ever taken on before, correct? A battle with both firearms and magic…very nightmare-like," Gekikara replied.

"Nightmare-like? Oh, cut the bullshit! You didn't want to help us because you're working with Tatanga, aren't you!? You even admitted to being a friend of his last time we saw you!" Parakarry shouted.

"Careful! I see that cast on your leg. You were shot, weren't you? Here…let me fix that…" Gekikara put both of her hands on to Parakarry's leg that was shot. She closed both her eyes and then a 'flashing' sound happened.

"What the!? What are you…WOAH! Why does my leg feel so different?" Parakarry asked.

Gekikara removed the cast off his leg and the paratroopa saw that the bullethole wound was no longer there.

"What…? B-but how did you…IT'S GONE! I can't believe it! Th-thank you so much! My leg feels like it's stronger than ever!" Parakarry started to laugh in joy.

"Don't mention it. Now then…you shall be the one I grant this next power to. This one is called 'Power negation'. Using this will cancel any kind of 'powers' an enemy has temporarily. When you want to use it say the word 'NEGATE' and make sure your body is facing towards the enemy and it will be done. Like the other powers, this one will take a lot of energy out of you for a short while so use it sparingly," Gekikara said.

"Wow! O-okay, cool! I've always though having superpowers was kind of lame and overrated, but now that I actually have one, it's super exciting! Thanks so much!" Parakarry squealed in excitement.

Gekikara smiled at him. "I must now get going. Please tell the others about this power."

"WAIT! I have one question to ask you, first…who exactly are you? There is no way you are a regular being. I have to know!" Parakarry pleaded.

Gekikara's smile faded. "Oh…well…fine. I'll tell it to you in a brief summary. This person you see me as…this is not my regular body. My true self is not a physical being. The girl that you see in front of you, her name is Rena, and she died a long time ago. I took on her form to taunt Tatanga. I wanted to see if he would rethink his decision to take over the world just by seeing 'me' but no luck yet. That, and the fact that taking on a person's form is the only way for me to communicate with you guys, otherwise I'd just be like a ghost with no voice. I do, however, have a few other plans to take care of with this body specifically…but none of that concerns you guys at the moment."

Parakarry widened his eyes a bit. "Woah…so…okay then. But, what is your 'true self' if I may ask? Are you from another dimension? How did you get here? How did you even know where to find us and that all of this was going on?"

"I am from another dimension. You know those portals that you guys went into to get those gems? Well, there are portals like that everywhere. The ones you guys go into are easy to find and can be detected with advanced machinery. However, others are almost impossible to seek out. I came in through one of those 'harder to find' portals because I travel frequently between each dimension. I see all. I hear all. And I wanted to make good use of my powers so I wanted to help a group of people that are bent on saving this world for the greater good. Well…at least that's my intention right now anyways," Gekikara explained.

"Holy crap…I had no idea about that. This is seriously mind blowing…so…this may sound kind of stupid, but…does that mean you're kind of like a god then?" Parakarry asked.

Gekikara giggled a little bit. "I really must get going now. Good luck with the rest of the gems."

EOC.

Next chapter will have the gang taking a day break from all the stress, adventuring, and fighting, but of course the drama still continues! Mario Party Deluxe will be updated within the week, and I have something very important to say on that new chapter too!

By the way, the story that Fire Bro told Kooper in this chapter was not random at all. You'll see what I mean…