Sorry for the long wait for this chapter! Fox and his team will appear in this chapter, and answers will be given as to why they acted so weird in Chapter 15.

It was in the middle of the night and Jojora was walking through the woods. She turned back her head every few seconds or so, to make sure no one was following her. She wanted to do this in secret.

She eventually reached the burial ground for Watt. She stood over the dirt pile and started to tear up.

"W-Watt…please…forgive me…I am so sorry…" she whispered, noting a couple of teardrops that fell on the dirt.

"NO!"

This sudden shout made Jojora shriek and quickly turn around. She screamed when she saw Watt running right to her. She headbutted Jojora and the fairy screamed again when she fell into the now open dirt hole.

"AAAAAHHHH! WHAT THE!? WATT!? YOU'RE ALIVE!? PLEASE, GET ME OUT OF HERE! I SAID I WAS SORRY!" she cried. She then saw Watt peek over the hole with an angry expression.

"I want you to know what it feels like," Watt spoke in a voice more serious than Jojora had ever heard from her.

"Wh-what do you mean!? Please don't kill me! I-It was an accident, I swear!" Jojora pleaded for mercy.

Everyone else that went on the adventure with her peeked over the hole as well, giving her the death glare.

"This is what you deserve for being a selfish little bitch. You just never learn, do you?" Mario spoke.

"We knew that you killed Watt the minute you told us that hilariously fake story. You're a murderer. A psychopath. You're no different than Tatanga," Wendy said.

"No no NOOOOOO! I AM NOTHING LIKE HIM! PLEASE DON'T DO THIS!" Jojora cried even more.

"It's too late. Karma is a real bitch, ain't it?" Daisy spoke then laughed like a maniac and so did the others. Then they all started pouring the dirt in.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! SOMEBODY HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

"AH!" Jojora yelped and opened her eyes. She was in one of the hospital bedrooms and immediately saw morning light come in through the window.

Jojora hyperventilated a bit. It took her a minute to calm down and wipe the sweat off her forehead.

"Whew, it was just a…terrible dream…it meant…nothing…i-it had to…" she said to herself. She still had all this guilt about killing Watt and not telling the others the truth haunting her. No matter how much she tried to push it away, it was taking up her entire mind. She felt like she truly was a murderer.


It was a few minutes to 11 AM. Bow walked into the lobby of the news building and was surprised to see Fox, plus his gang, Falco, Peppy, Slippy, and Krystal, already there. All five of them were dragging huge bags of, what seemed to be, coins with them.

"WOAH! Hey you guys! Thank you so so so so much for doing this! Really, Planet Mushroom owes you its LIFE! Everyone else is going to be ecstatic when they hear the great news!" Bow cheered, never feeling so happy in a while.

"We don't ask for anything in return, Bow. We just want to help get things back to normal around here because I think it's incredibly unfortunate that this has to happen to so many innocent people," Fox said in sympathy.

"Wait, we didn't ask for anything in return!? Where the hell was I when this discussion happened!?" Falco exclaimed in shock.

"Shush, Falco. We're trying to be selfless, remember? Even though I don't know Mario and his friends all too well, it feels really good to help out in their time of need," Peppy said.

"Yeah! If we have the opportunity to help re-build this place and save people from the villains of the night, then we're gonna take it!" Slippy added.

"They all told me what happened and I really wanted to tag along and help as well. You probably know who these guys are already, but my name is Krystal. I'm Fox's girlfriend and I help out his team whenever I can," Krystal introduced herself to the boo.

"Nice to meet you! It's a really good thing you guys came today. Hoo…if you came last night…maybe that would've helped…" Bow softened her voice towards the end of her sentence and her facial expression turned concerned.

"Huh? What happened last night?" Fox asked.

"Tatanga and his army of freaks came over to the hospital and…th-there was pretty much a shootout that happened. Some were killed, parts of the hospital were destroyed…we weren't able to kill Tatanga and a few others but they ran away to who knows where…" Bow explained, remembering all the gunshots and close calls in her head as clear as day.

The other five gave her terrified expressions.

"Oh my god! That's completely horrible! This is a lot more out of control than I thought!" Peppy gasped.

"Holy…who the hell IS this monster!? I just…only a pure psychopath would stoop down so far to do this to people. There's a special spot in hell waiting for this guy," Fox responded in anger.

"He is a monster. I don't care what his reasons are for doing this or how he became this way…but he's a monster. He deserves every bit of pain that's coming to him," Bow agreed.

"Man…maybe we should've came right after Fox called you instead? We could've helped out and actually destroy that guy!" Slippy said.

Bow quickly shook her head. "No no. Don't start blaming yourselves. You didn't know it would happen. None of us did. We lost 9 people…Boo, Bobbery, Lady Sasa, Sushie, O'Chunks, Wiggler, Ms. Mowz, Shy Guy, and Toadia…plus Watt, who died on the actual adventure. It really could've been so much more but I guess I should be glad it wasn't."

The team looked at each other, shocked at the awful news.

"We are so sorry, Bow. Truly we are. If there is anything else we can do to help you guys, we'll do whatever it takes," Krystal said.

"Thanks, but you've guys done enough with giving us so much money. I'll make sure to tell everyone I can about this," Bow nodded.

"How about we do it ourselves? We really wanna visit the others and catch up on old times. Plus, I need to tell the gang something important. I'm sure this will give some people relief, especially at a time like this," Fox offered and the others nodded in agreement.

"Oh! Alright then! Just, um, bring the money bags with you and I'll take you there! It's about a ten minute walk from here," Bow replied in excitement. She was really glad that at least one thing was going right in a time of distress.


It was quieter than usual in the cafeteria. Last night was still on everyone's minds. Most people didn't want to talk about it, most people weren't even sure of what to say, most people didn't want to think about it, but the echoes of gunshots and screams were still ringing through their head. A few people crying were heard, along with the voices of others comforting them, and there was some murmuring going on, but other than that, most of them were keeping to themselves.

Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, DK, Yoshi, Birdo, Wario, Bleck, Tippi, Mimi, Toadiko, and Mona were sitting at a table, finishing up their breakfasts, and listening to Luigi's story, the same one he told Daisy about last night.

"…Luigi, why didn't you say anything to me after you saw Tatanga that night? I would've been able to track him down and stop him from doing anything else while we were in that same city!" Mario exclaimed.

"Because I didn't know he WAS the Tatanga you told me about! You never told me what he looked like! I just chalked it up to a random and strange encounter," Luigi pointed out.

"Oh…right, I guess that makes sense. Sorry. But, he was definitely taking a taxi to wherever the hell his spaceship was. I wonder what he was doing out there late at night, though?" Mario asked.

"Well, I guess it doesn't really matter, does it? I mean, he didn't do anything 'evil' that night you guys were there, as far as you remember, so it's probably better to not stress out too much about it," Yoshi said.

"I suppose. I'm just a bit shocked, that's all," Mario replied.

"Hey guys, can I, umm, sit with you all? I, um, woke up a bit late so I'm just now getting to my breakfast, heh," Pauline awkwardly spoke.

"Of course you can. Come sit next to me!" Peach happily offered. Pauline smiled in return and sat in the spot between her and Yoshi. The others had heard that she became friends and made amends with Peach and Mario so no one seemed to mind.

"Thanks. So, uhh, what are you guys talking about?" Pauline asked.

"We were just talking about how Luigi met Tatanga before a long time ago. It was on the streets of Chai City, and Tatanga lied to Luigi, saying that his name was Tadano instead," DK explained.

"Tadano? That's a…very specific name," Pauline said in surprise.

"Why do you say that?" Toadiko asked.

"Because, well, I doubt he came up with that out of the blue. I'm willing to bet he knows someone with that name and he just took it to keep himself undercover," Pauline deducted.

"Wow! That…actually makes sense. Wait, what if Tadano is Tatanga's twin? Both names are similar and like she said, I doubt that it's something he came up with on the spot," Mona said, impressed with Pauline's help.

"Even so, we still know nothing about this twin. We don't know if he's working with his brother, or if he's lost somewhere…though, Grunty DID see him with Tatanga in that spaceship of his so…I kinda wanna lean to both working together," Daisy said.

"I'm still trying to understand why Tatanga would cause such chaos to us. When I wanted to destroy every dimension, I was angry at everything because my love, Timpani, was taken away from me, and I just thought that life was meaningless without her. I used my anger to destroy my father's dimension, and ended up going power-hungry and out of control and attempted to destroy the other dimensions as well. I wonder if he has suffered a similar fate?" Count Bleck spoke in true curiosity. Tippi turned away from him, remembering that awful time.

"We have been over this hundreds of times, it does not matter how or why Tatanga is doing this! All that matters is that he needs to be stopped and killed! No questions asked, no excuses!" Birdo exclaimed.

"Yes, I understand that! HOWEVER, there may be a chance to bring him back to the good side! It happened with me and my team, so certainly there's a chance it can happen with Tatanga! Come on Mario, do you honestly believe he is too far gone at this point? Isn't that what you thought of me when you were trying to save all the dimensions back then? I get that you're all angry with him, I am too, and it's completely justified, but maybe the only way to get him to give up this insanity is to reason with him and figure out the origins of why he is doing this," Bleck explained his point of view.

"You have to admit, he is right to an extent. Mario, every villain you have faced had a background, a reason as to why they wanted to hurt people. Whenever that background was brought up to them, and whenever they faced their demons, they gave up and stopped their wrongdoings. This also applies to many other villains we've all seen before too. Obviously, if we MUST destroy Tatanga and his team, then we certainly will, but it's an option that we may just have to try, and it may be the safer alternative," Toadiko added.

"Damn, both good points! You two should be psychologists. Well, what do you guys think? Could it work?" Wario asked.

"I…I see where you're coming from, Bleck. You're right, I DID think that all hope was lost for you and your team back then. But, how would we track down his past? How are we supposed to know his reasons for world domination? We don't even know where his home is, where his family is, friends…we have to obtain info from people that know about him," Mario concluded.

"Daisy! Um, you were kidnapped by Tatanga for a few days a long time ago, right? You would know a lot more about him than the rest of us would, right?" Tippi spoke loudly, getting the idea.

"That's true. You guys would've definitely talked during that time you were imprisoned. Do you remember anything that he said to you that sticks out in your mind?" Birdo asked.

"Gosh, that was so long ago…I DO remember talking to him a lot, but I don't remember some of the exact words…let me think…" Daisy started replaying the memory of Tatanga kidnapping her years ago in her head.

FLASHBACK

Daisy was cowering on her bed, sobbing, as Tatanga taunted her with his expressions.

"You're pathetic. Getting all upset like a useless wimp, calling out for your mommy and daddy, aren't you supposed to be princess!? Princesses are supposed to be tough and able to stand up for themselves, right? How can you even call yourself one when you've done absolutely NOTHING to stop me or escape? You're not fit to run a whole kingdom, my lady. But don't worry, I'll show you the ropes once I'm able to marry you and make you my queen. Speaking of that, the wedding is being set up right now as we speak. All the citizens that are under my control will attend and will see us be officially crowned king and queen of Sarasaland. Doesn't that just sound so heavenly to you?" Tatanga scolded her like some bully.

"Just…stop it! PLEASE! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS!? WHAT DID I EVER DO TO YOU!? I don't…*sniff* understand…you don't have to be evil! There's no reason for this! It isn't fair to me nor to anyone else!" Daisy whimpered, covering her face in her sheets.

"Fair? Fair!? YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT FUCKING FAIR, DAISY!? All my fucking life, everything that has happened to me was the opposite of fair! My mom left me without even saying goodbye! She didn't give a fuck about me, she didn't care how I would feel! My dad clearly didn't want me either because he's called me a burden multiple times, ESPECIALLY since he would be the only one to take care of me! Then you have my brother…ho ho…isn't he the nutty one? He was always abusive to me, making me his punching bag, the bastard even stabbed me once! Thankfully, the idiot is in a mental institution in that hellhole of a city. In fact…the thought hasn't even occurred to me that I should really just blow that place apart. I mean, come on, who really has time to deal with a bunch of mindfucked people that sees things that aren't there or have random violent outbreaks? No one, duh! And those bullies…those damn bullies…they tore me down till I felt like I was nothing but a waste of existence. They called me every name in the book…they left their marks on me…heh, I can still hear and see them, shouting…giving me those dirty looks…pushing me…so you know what I did to solve the problem? I killed them. Slowly, but surely. It was so satisfying, watching their lives fade away as they cry and beg for mercy! Hahaha! I dare say that it was even hilarious! Now they knew what it felt like. They knew what I went through…and they paid the price for it. Same with my dad, he didn't give a shit about me, he sometimes pretended like I didn't exist, so therefore, I gave him that kind of karma back in return, by 'wiping' him away from existence! So interesting how things come full circle, isn't it?" Tatanga ranted, snickering every now and then, and also smiled the entire way, proving how sadistic he truly was.

"Oh my god, you're…DISGUSTING! I-I'm sorry that happened to you, but that doesn't give you the right to kill those innocent people! This has gone way too far! Revenge doesn't solve anything, Tatanga! Please…just…stop this…it isn't worth it!" Daisy pleaded, almost throwing up in her mouth because of what he said, and the fact that he acted proud of it certainly didn't help.

"It's not just about revenge, you idiot! It's also about power and control. Once I become king, the next step is to take over the world. When that happens, all power and control will be mine, and that way, I can make it so that nothing bad will ever happen to me and I can have things go my way for once. Besides, I've come this far, I've made it across so many boundaries that I've even managed to impress myself! Why the hell should I stop now? Seriously, I've already destroyed so much, so tell me, what's the point of stopping when I'm so much closer to achieving my goal?" Tatanga spat.

"I-It's not all about you, Tatanga! Think of how many people you've killed! Those same people have families and friends they love and care about! Don't you have anyone that you love or care about!?" Daisy asked. Tatanga suddenly gulped at this, making a somewhat concerned expression.

"There was one girl…but…she was killed…" he whispered, staring into space. He and Daisy noticed the immediate mood change and they both thought it was weird. Tatanga shook his head a bit and looked back at Daisy. "B-but, that's another reason why I need power and control! If I had those…I could've prevented her death…I could've prevented lots of things…ugh, but, I don't expect you to understand, Daisy. You're just some perfect little stuck up prude princess who had a wealthy and easy life, so don't you dare try to lecture me on what is right and wrong for me."

"Is-is that what you really think of me? Wow…you…you don't know me at all, Tatanga. It's not right of you to just assume that about me…" Daisy sighed, knowing that there's no way he'll listen to reason.

"Oh, shut up. I've met your type plenty of times. You can't fool me anymore. I'm done being deceived," Tatanga rolled his eyes and then smacked her. Daisy screeched and started sobbing again into her covers.

"Stop fucking crying already! It's what you get for thinking that you could fuck with my head, bitch!" Tatanga swore and grabbed her by the hair.

The door slammed open and in came a Snifit.

"SIR, SIR! WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY!" he yelled.

Tatanga let Daisy down and turned to him. "What? What's going on!?"

"It's Mario! You know, that plumber guy dressed in overalls and a red shirt? Paratroopas have reported back to us, and he's on his way here! He has surpassed and defeated all of our guards in the kingdom in such a short amount of time somehow!" the snifit exclaimed.

"GAHHH! DAMNIT! Okay, get everyone that you can and pack the weapons up, I'll meet you all at the back of the castle. We're gonna take a secret exit through the forest and head to the waters. There's a nearby island we can go to," Tatanga ordered.

Before anything else was said, a fire brother came running into the room.

"It's too late! Mario is already here, he's flying some airplane thing and firing missiles from it!"

Tatanga clenched his fist and took a deep breath. "…I see. So he wants to do air combat, huh? Not a problem."

END FLASHBACK

"So, this is all about power and control then, huh? Sick bastard. I guess he doesn't realize that some things in life are unpreventable!" Toadiko spoke in disgust.

"Daisy…he…hit you? That little…ooh, that just makes my blood BOIL!" Luigi yelled and pounded his fist on the table.

"Yeah, he was abusive in every way possible. But that's not the only reason why I hate looking back on that…it's also because I was just so weak and fragile back then. I did nothing to defend myself or even attempted to escape. I think it was at that point where I changed. The things he said and did to me left scars in my mind from then till now. I don't think he realizes that he is much worse than all those people who tormented him," Daisy said, rubbing her head since the thoughts of the past were damn near traumatizing.

"You said that he mentioned his twin brother being in a mental institution in that 'hellhole of a city'. Do you know what city he was talking about?" DK recalled.

"I'm pretty sure it was Chai City. If I remember correctly, he told me that he grew up there…and I'm pretty sure the name of the institute is called Northern Chai Mental Institution. I have no idea if it's still there, or even if his twin is still there, but Tatanga definitely has roots in that area, so there should be something to find!" Daisy responded.

"How would we get to Sarasaland though? The airports here in Mushroom City are shut down due to Tatanga. The nearest airport here that goes to Sarasaland is in Moonview City, but that's an hour away AND it requires a car, obviously, which none of us have right now! And it would take too long to get there by boat and back," Yoshi asked.

"We could try asking Kylie and Arfur. I'm sure they have plenty of cars at that big, high-tech, fancy place and I'm sure they will compensate for this situation," Mona suggested.

"Very true. So, who's gonna go over there then IF we're able to do this?" Mimi asked.

"I'm not sure. I guess we're gonna have to figure that out today, though!" Mario declared. Bombette suddenly came running up to the group.

"YOU GUYS! You'll never guess who just came to visit us!" she exclaimed happily.

"Well, spare us the suspense and tell us, bomb girl!" Wario yelled.

"It's Fox and his crew! Bow told me they all came here to donate money to help rebuild Mushroom City and wanted to visit all of us! They're outside! Come on!" Bombette excitedly broke the news and ran back along with some others.

"WHAT? FOX? Holy stars, I haven't seen him and his crew in years! How nice of them!" Mario spoke in joy, relieved that he gets to see another close friend in spite of all this chaos.

"Wait…Fox!? But they…" DK gasped, remembering the time he and the others faced their crew and they all attacked them for who-knows-what reason. Mario gave him a confused look.

"…Nevermind. Let's go see them!" the ape didn't feel like explaining the whole story to him, nor did he even have the time to. Everyone at the table quickly went over to the main hallway, except for Pauline who held her head and almost fell backwards. Peach noticed this and went back to her.

"Woah! Are you okay? What's wrong?" she asked sincerely.

"Ugh, it's my head…last night during the battle, I pushed Jojora out of the way of a falling ceiling panel and it kind of landed on my head. Thankfully, no bleeding happened, but I woke up with a severe headache. It went away as I got dressed and came down here, but now it's back…" Pauline groaned.

"Oh! I'm very sorry about that, Pauline, but that WAS really brave of you to do that! And speaking of pushing people out of the way of falling stuff, I never got to thank you for pushing me out of the way of that falling pillar back at the Spirit Temple, so…thank you," Peach remarked with a smile.

"You're welcome. You know, I've always respected you, Peach. You have everything I don't. Money, love, friends…I have none of that. I guess I was just jealous that you got everything that I wanted…" Pauline shamefully admitted.

"You CAN have all that, Pauline! You just have to know that you can't be cruel to other people to get what you want! That isn't how it works!" Peach said, really wanting to drill this into her brain because she truly does care for Pauline.

"…Yeah, you're right. I-I really am sorry for all the hell that I put you through," Pauline replied.

"I know you are. It's okay now. Let's go see Fox and the others!" Peach gestured.


A short while after Mario and some others reunited with Fox and his group, Krystal broke away to use the bathroom.

"Hi, excuse me! Miss? Do you know where I can find the restroom? This place is a lot bigger than I expected it to be…" Krystal called out to Jojora. The fairy jumped in surprise and turned around.

"Huh!? Oh. The bathroom. Right. Just go…down the hall to the right and it'll be at the very end on the left," she nervously replied.

"Cool. Thank you. By the way, I heard about what happened here last night. I'm very sorry you all went through hell with that monster," Krystal said as she looked at all the remaining debris that hadn't been cleaned up yet in the hallway.

"Oh…trust me…you don't even know the half of it…" Jojora sighed.

"It seems like everyone here is coping the best that they can, though. Were you on that adventure thing with Mario and the others to collect these relic things? Bow told me some of it on the way here. Apparently they can unlock something called a Crystal Star Rod that will for sure defeat Tatanga, right?" Krysal asked.

Jojora looked at her confusedly. "Y-Yeah I went on the adventure…w…why?"

"How far along are you guys? Just curious. I'm also sure you got to see some pretty amazing worlds and landscapes, huh?" Krystal gleamed. This girl's upbeat attitude was beginning to irritate Jojora.

"Yeah…they were kind of pretty, I guess…and we're about halfway done, if you must know…" Jojora said as she looked away to some other space. She suddenly noticed a few people looking at her while murmuring to each other.

"Interesting! Say, you know, after that bastard is defeated and the world is saved, which you know WILL happen no matter what, I say we celebrate with the biggest cake we can possibly make!" Krystal exclaimed in joy and excitement, the exact opposite of what Jojora is feeling right now.

"Wait, what? Cake? Are you…for real?" Jojora asked in disbelief. She whipped her head to the right and almost shrieked. She could've sworn she saw a glimpse of Watt from the corner of her eye.

"Yeah, cake! I know, I know, it isn't the most rewarding thing, especially after saving the world, but cake makes everyone feel happy and I feel like it's something that will appeal to literally anyone you can think of," Krystal continued, and kept going on about cake while Jojora looked everywhere else but her. She could swear people were looking and talking about her. Or was it all in her mind? Her head began to hurt as well, as Krystal kept blabbing on about irrelevant stuff. She saw another glimpse of Watt in a small group of people. No. There's no way she's alive. She could only imagine all the horrible stuff everyone was saying about her, even though there's no way the secret got out to everyone. Right? Is her mind still playing tricks on her? Her head began to hurt more.

"…so, you know, for the cake, my favorite will always be an ice cream oreo cake, but since you're the first person I'm sharing this secret with, I'll let you decide the flavor, because otherwise I'd definitely be concerned if ice cream oreo cake is something you don't like!" Krystal laughed a little, finally ending her talking. Jojora looked at her with angry eyes.

"Really? That's…that's what you're concerned about!? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!? THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE HERE GOING THROUGH ACTUAL, REAL TOUGH SHIT AND YOU'RE JUST STANDING THERE ALL CONCERNED OVER A FUCKING FLAVOR OF CAKE!? SERIOUSLY!? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" Jojora had never screamed so loud at someone in her life. Jojora thought in her mind, how the hell could she be worried about something as small as that when there are so many other things currently happening that need to be dealt with? She was PISSED at this ignorant girl. Everyone looked at her in shock at her random outburst.


Toadette was outside the hospital, behind it, looking into the forest that loomed ahead of her. In her hand was a gun. Those screams and bullet noises from last night never quit ringing in her head. She kept imagining and thinking to herself, what if they had actually shot her and Bowser Jr.? They were literally seconds away from doing so. She would've ceased to exist, and so would he. She had never been so terrified of anything in her whole life. Along with all of this, the main, bigger question she kept asking herself was just a simple word.

Why?

Toadette raised the gun forward, directly in front of her. She wasn't aiming at anything really in the forest, but she wanted to pull the trigger. She wanted to see something she's been curious about ever since last night.

So she did.

The loud blast scared her and made her fall down as the sound of the gunshot echoed throughout the vicinity. It felt so bizarre pulling that trigger. Even scary.

Suddenly, thoughts of last night played in her head immediately. She remembers so clearly those two Koopatrols pointing their guns at her and Bowser Jr. She remembered thinking that it was the end for her and him. She remembered her body being momentarily frozen in shock and horror when she saw the Koopatrols put their fingers on the triggers. She remembered hearing the screams of Lady Sasa, Sushie, and the Koopatrols all being shot repeatedly at the same time. She remembered that she thought she was gonna go deaf by how loud the constant bullet noises were, thinking that it would never stop.

Toadette couldn't control her breathing. She held her chest while breathing in and out extremely quickly and really wondered if she was going to die. She never felt so panicked in her entire life. After about a minute, she managed to calm herself down, and stood back up.

"TOADETTE!"

The toad gal jumped around and saw her brother running to her.

"T-Toad? How…how did you find me here?" she asked in surprise.

"Well, I couldn't find you in the hospital, so I went outside to look, and then I heard the gunshot…wh-why the hell do you have a gun for!? Where did you get it from? What were you shooting at!?" Toad yelled in fear, never thinking for a second that Toadette would shoot at something let alone wield a dangerous weapon.

Toadette started to cry. She dropped the gun and sobbed more into her brother's shoulder.

"I…I DON'T KNOW, OKAY!? I grabbed the gun f-from that room me and Bowser Jr. were in last night. T-Toad…I…I was just trying to see what it was like to hold a gun…to shoot…to aim it at something that's…that's not deserving of this. I wanted to see what it was like being behind the gun. I w-wanted to know what was running through those guys' minds as they shot up this place like it was a warzone! How…how do they do it? How can they just aim and pull the trigger at so many people without thinking about what an inhumane thing they're doing!? How can they live with themselves, Toad!? What goes through their minds when they lay in bed at night, reflecting on what they did!? I didn't aim the gun at anything, Toad…but…oh god, what if I DID hurt an animal!? I can barely stand on my legs knowing that I may or may not have hurt or killed something in that forest, yet those guys shoot our friends and keep walking on like it's a daily thing for them! I don't understand any of this! How do they handle it? Why are they like this, Toad!? WHY!?" she spoke between sobs.

"I…I don't know, sis…there are so many bad and messed up people out there…I don't think we will ever understand their way of thinking…" Toad said sympathetically. Last night, after the battle was over, she told him everything that happened in that room. It kept him awake for a while, wondering what it would be like if they had shot his own sister. He tried shaking off that thought so many times, but really, in this situation, one can't help but let their mind jump to millions of possibilities and 'could have beens', especially since there were so many close calls.


Waluigi and Rosalina were out in the garden by themselves.

"Such a lovely day outside…too bad it has to follow a treacherous night…" Rosalina spoke, watching the clear blue sky and bright sun.

"I know. I'm honestly surprised a lot of us got a long sleep last night. Tatanga and his stupid baddies…god, I hate him. Rosalina, I'm just curious, do you hate Tatanga? I ask this because you seem to be very against 'hate' if that makes any sense," Waluigi asked.

Rosalina turned to him, looking a little surprised at the question. "Oh, um, well…you are right that I am against anything that has to do with hating or hateful stuff, but for Tatanga…ugh…I don't know…sh-should I hate him? I mean, I really do try to see the good in everyone and everything, but…obviously, I can't stand Tatanga, and everything he's done and is doing so far is wrong, immoral, and disgusting. But, hating takes up so much energy and it would require me to care enough to hate him, and I'm just not that kind of person, you know?"

"Well, there's always an exception to everything, you know. Hating him is completely justified considering he just killed so many people last night and so much before that AND wants to take over the world. He is literally every bad quality you can think of, all put together into one person. There is nothing good about him, Rosalina! Yes, hate takes energy, but you can use that energy to further drive yourself to helping take him down. To me, it's just common sense," Waluigi explained further.

"Are…are you saying that I lack common sense?" Rosalina asked.

Waluigi gulped, thinking that he said his words wrong. "Oh no no no! I didn't mean it that way, I'm just saying, like…ugh, I'm so sorry…this is all coming out the wrong way and…I'm pretty sure I'm enforcing my opinions on you. I'm sorry. I swear I didn't mean to sound like that."

"It's okay, I forgive you…I also apologize because I think I jumped to a conclusion right there, heh. But as for Tatanga, all I know is, is that he must be stopped. Whatever the group's decision is to do with him, I'll support it because what he's doing is unlawful," Rosalina stated, admiring the big, red roses.

"Yeah, I forgive you too. Don't stress about it. Let's talk about something else, okay? I wanna get my mind off this right now," Waluigi said, stopping himself from going further because he knows he'll vent out a lot of anger.

"Alright. So…tell me more about yourself, Waluigi. I'm curious to know about your life since I only know the basic stuff, like your favorite color is purple, you like skateboarding, you actually HATE garlic despite your brother being in love with it, and you love to travel, and I'm sure there's a few more I'm forgetting," Rosalina suggested. Waluigi raised a brow at her.

"Oh! Wait, how do you know that stuff? Well, the purple one is obvious, but the others…?"

"Remember the Christmas party last year at Peach's? You were so talkative there, and even a bit loud too, especially at the dinner table, hehe. You kinda went on about your life when Yoshi asked you some question that had something to do with garlic bread, I think?" Rosalina laughed a little at that memory.

Waluigi snapped his fingers. "YES! That's right! I'm so sorry, my mind's a bit hazy from everything that's happened, but yes, I do remember that. Though, I'm pretty sure I was tipsy so that explains my talkativeness because I'm never like that at all!"

Rosalina laughed some more. "Really? You seem a bit talkative around me."

Waluigi blushed a little. "You think so? I…didn't even notice…"

"Oh yeah, I noticed! But go on, give me some details of your life. Anything."

Waluigi's expression became a bit more serious. "Hmm…okay then. I'll tell you a secret I've never told anyone before…I have body image issues. See, when I was younger, I was almost as fat as Wario. But, because I was the more shy one than Wario was, I was picked on a lot more, since, well, shy people aren't really known to defend themselves a lot. Each day I got angrier at everyone and myself too, and of course, Wario definitely didn't help either cause he actually joined in on the bullying sometimes! I couldn't turn to my mom or dad because I didn't want them to think I was weak…so I turned to anorexia and bulimia. You know what that is, right? Whenever I got the chance, I would force myself to puke and I sometimes skipped meals too. I did that for years without telling anyone. Towards the end of high school, I began to stop because I realized how thin I was getting and decided that it was enough. But…it was hard to stop. It became a habit and you know how hard habits can be to break, right? I eventually managed to stop my bulimia but, from time to time, I still get cautious of eating a lot of food throughout the day."

"Oh my…I'm really sorry you had to go through that, Waluigi. You didn't deserve any of that. No one does. The things people say really stick with you for years and years, doesn't it?"

"It really does. That's why…it kind of struck a nerve for me when you revealed my past of undereating to DK. Remember, it was right before we went to Peach's castle for the first gem?"

Rosalina's expression turned guilty as she immediately remembered that moment. "Yes…I remember. I'm truly sorry about that too, Waluigi. I had no right to just blurt that out. At that time, I didn't realize that it was a lot more serious."

Waluigi smiled at her again, letting go of that little frustration. "You're forgiven. I mean, hey, I've said plenty of worse stuff to other people, so what kind of person would I be if I didn't forgive you?"

Rosalina laughed a little. She grew very fond of his newfound maturity. "Thank you. We all have our flaws, don't we? But say…about Wario, does he treat you right, like a brother should? He's not abusive to you, is he?"

"Err…well, I wouldn't say 'abusive', but he definitely likes to mess with me a lot and be a total nag. We used to get into fights all the time when we were younger, but as we grew up, that slowly went away. Why do you ask?"

"Oh. I'm just curious because I'd be worried if you lived in a hostile environment, and I remember you telling me before that Wario told you that being 'bad' can get you whatever you want. Do you two live by yourselves?"

"Oh no, you don't have to worry about that! Trust me, Wario may be intimidating and rude a lot, but it's very hard to take him seriously. And yes, I remember telling you that back at the mansion, but if you really trace it down, it's technically my dad's fault since he's the one who taught that to Wario. And yeah, we live together, but without me, the house would be a literal dumpster considering I'm the one who cleans all the time!" Waluigi humorously replied. Rosalina laughed again.

"Hmm! Well, I think it's good that you like to clean! That's another thing I didn't know about you. This is getting to be very interesting," she smiled very brightly. Waluigi took notice of this and felt his heart beating faster than before. Being with each other at that moment temporarily took their minds off of the horror that ensued last night, which was what they wanted.

"So, uhh, now it's your turn. Tell me anything about yourself that I don't know," he shyly said.

"Hmm, ok. I lost my mother when I was very young…and I mean that literally. I don't quite remember where she said she was going, but I just remember growing up without her on my planet. To be honest, I don't remember much of my childhood…but that's one of the few parts that stand out in my memory. I've come to terms with the fact that I'll never see her again…but that's okay. It just wasn't meant to be. Other than that, as for personal interests…I like to draw and paint. I have so many papers back at my place that are drawings of things I've seen and remembered from the universe. I just find the act really relaxing, you know? It takes some stress off me since I put so much focus on the details and color and I get so immersed in the act. I also like to travel to new places and explore nature. Being in the wilderness and seeing the landscape spread out miles in front of you really makes you appreciate the beauty of this world."

Waluigi noticed how her expression brightened when she talked about her interests. He thought it was cute.

"Sorry to hear about your mom. Must've been absolutely terrible to lose a parent so young. But, um, I love to travel too, actually. Hiking is one of my favorite activities," he sympathized.

"Thanks. It took a long time to accept she's gone, but that's how life goes sometimes, right? Even in worlds far away from here," she responded, looking directly into his eyes. It was at that moment where she knew that they really understood each other a lot more than they originally thought. Waluigi walked to Rosalina and kissed her sweetly.


Bowser and his kids, plus Kammy, went into the room they slept in the previous night. The koopa king looked like he was ready to scream at someone.

"Alright, everyone has had their breakfast and woken up fully, right!?" he said in an almost angry tone. The kids quickly nodded their heads, scared for what they knew was coming. "Good. Now, let's do a play-by-play of everything that's happened with Roy, and please, feel free to jump in and correct me whenever I'm wrong. So…we leave, and then Morton, Lemmy, and Iggy get into a fight with Roy about the way he's been behaving, correct?" The three mentioned nodded their heads. "So, during this fight, Roy accidentally hits Nastasia and she falls down the stairs and dies. Roy is devastated by what he did so he goes to the roof and almost kills himself while you three do NOTHING to stop him from doing so. Bobbery arrives and helps Roy calm himself down. Some time passes by and Roy decides to find Tatanga and his goons. He finds them, he brings Dimentio over here to show him where we're located at, he kills Dry Bones possibly in order to officially become a part of the team, he and Dimentio tell Tatanga and the rest where this hospital is and…last night's events occur. Sounds about right?"

"Well, um, yes, but we didn't do 'nothing' to stop him, dad! Everything was happening so fast and we were so shocked by what happened that we just didn't know what to do or say at that point!" Iggy screeched.

"We were just trying to put some sense into him, dad! You saw how he acted to us before you left! We thought we were doing the right thing!" Morton cried.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY 'WE'!? You were the one who jumped at the first chance to yell in his face, Morton!" Lemmy accused.

"ENOUGH! You know what? All three of you are to blame for every single fucking thing that happened last night. If you idiots hadn't just left him alone and gave him space, and wait for ME to come back and deal with it, because I'm the fucking father of this household, then everything from him almost killing himself to the gundown from last night would have never happened! But no, you had to go ahead and pick a fucking fight, huh!?" Bowser let it all out on them, shocking the kids and even Kammy.

"Bowser…I don't think it's necessary to call them idiots…" Kammy nervously spoke.

"YES IT FUCKING IS! Whenever there is friction in this family, I'm the one that takes care of it because I've been through it all before and I know this stuff! They were in no fucking position to try to handle things themselves ESPECIALLY in the way they did it!" Bowser yelled in her face. Kammy hadn't seen so much rage in his eyes in a long time.

"Dad, you can't blame us for what happened with Roy! How the hell were we supposed to know he would go off the deep end like that!? IT'S HIS FAULT, NOT OURS!" Morton screamed.

Bowser made a loud growl and smacked Morton in his face. Everyone else shrieked.

"DAD! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?" Larry gasped.

"You fucking disgust me! Just even looking at you makes my blood boil! I don't wanna know you three anymore. I'm embarrassed to say that I have you as my sons. Just…leave me be," the Koopa King stated while he gave them the glare of death. Their dad was known for being harsh and extreme at times, but not to the point where he physically, verbally, and emotionally abused his kids. Bowser stomped out of the room and Kammy followed him, feeling sorry for the kids but didn't know how to help.

"I…I don't believe it…he hit you…how could he do that? H-How could he say that!? We didn't know…we…didn't know…" Iggy began to sob, feeling like a disaster.

"Please tell me that did not just happen…someone…please…just let this all be a nightmare…" Lemmy also sobbed.

Morton, however, felt angrier than anything. He refused to believe he and the other two were at fault here.

"That…THAT BASTARD! HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HE'S FUCKING TALKING ABOUT! GRAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH! ALRIGHT, COME ON, ANYONE ELSE HAVE SOMETHING THEY WANNA SPILL!? NOW'S THE TIME TO DO IT SINCE WE'RE ALL BEING BRUTALLY FUCKING HONEST HERE!" he screamed, still holding the spot where he was smacked.

"PLEASE JUST STOP THE YELLING! Please! Just…enough. No more…" Wendy pleaded. She was trying her hardest not to let out tears.

"Bowser Jr., you've said absolutely nothing so far. I really would appreciate it if you came to our defenses so I can know that there's at least one other sane person in this room," Morton rudely said.

"Hey! None of us in here are crazy! If you ask me, personally, I zink you zree had a role in Morton melting down and bringing Tatanga over here, but it's not 100% your fault!" Ludwig spoke.

"Gee, thanks, that makes me feel loooooaaads better!" Morton sarcastically yelled. "And quit speaking like that! Speak normally for once in your life! NOW BOWSER JR.! Please tell me that you agree with me; it's Roy's fault, not ours! Please let there be one person on our side!"

Bowser Jr. looked at him tiredly. Even though he got a long night's rest, he still felt exhausted because the drama kept going.

"Morton…I…I agree with you, okay? Let's just-"

Suddenly, he stopped when a mental flashback suddenly popped in his head from last night. The scene of him and Toadette cowering in the closet from the shooters played so vividly like he was back there again. The sounds of the bullets being shot was heard as clear as day and he heard the screams of Sushie and Lady Sasa echoing for what seemed like forever. Bowser Jr. groaned in agony as he rubbed both his temples in stress.

"Bowser Jr…? Are you okay?" Larry asked in concern, noting that he looked as if he was having a massive headache.

Bowser Jr. looked back at Morton and gave him an intense look. "No. I'm sorry, Morton, but…I don't agree with you. Dad is right. You should've left Roy alone but you didn't. You didn't…because of that…I…I don't know if I'll ever get that memory of me and Toadette almost being killed out of my head. I don't know if I'll ever unhear those damn gunshots and screams…because everytime I do, I feel like my head is going to explode. Everytime I hear a loud sound, I jump and get worried because I feel like the shooters are going to come back and get me for real. Last night, when we all went to bed, I swear, it took me forever to finally fall asleep. I kept fearing that if I fell asleep, I would be defenseless and those guys would come back and shoot me. I can't do this with you, Morton. I'm sorry."

That little monologue left everyone in there speechless as Bowser Jr. walked out of the room.


Diddy and Dixie were laying on one of the hospital beds together. Both stared into space as they held each other.

"It feels like we're never going to get out of this chaos. It's just one more disaster after another…and I always feel like we have to watch our backs every damn second of the day because you never know when Tatanga's goons are gonna come and get us…" Dixie said in a tone of depression.

"We will. It may not seem like it now, but I know we will. Dixie, we've been on rough adventures before, and of course none of them compare to how crazy and scary this one is, but we've never given up and always ended up prevailing in the end, right?" Diddy attempted to cheer her up a little.

"Yeah…you're right…but this is so much different from those adventures, Diddy. Innocent people weren't killed on those adventures and we weren't as stressed out as we are now. I'm sorry if I sound negative but you can't blame me after everything that's happened…" she sighed and turned her gaze to the ceiling. She secretly wished she was back on her island, away from this. However, she felt guilty for wishing this because she really wanted to help the others defeat Tatanga.

"I know. I understand that. But…Dixie…I wanna say this to you…when we save the world, and we will, I wanna get married to you," Diddy spoke with true sincerity. This caught her attention and made her look at him in surprise.

"Wh-what!? Did I just hear you right, Diddy?" she grew a smile.

"Yes. Marriage is what you want, right? Well, I can promise you that we'll have that once everything is over. Cross my heart."

Dixie's smile got even bigger and she started laughing in joy as she hugged him and he hugged her back.

"Yes! Yes! That is exactly what I want, Diddy! Gosh, I am so happy!" she cheered and instantly forgot all the stresses she had lingering in her mind from earlier.

"Hello!?"

The monkeys turned their heads to the door and saw an unexpected visitor.

Fire Bro.

"Oh, Fire Bro! Did you need something? What's up?" Diddy asked while he sat up.

"It's about Tatanga!" he yelped. An awkward silence passed by.

"…Okay? And? What about him?" Dixie asked in confusion.

"I've…seen him once before he took over the city!" he let out while twiddling his fingers.

"Really? When!?" Diddy asked, both now curious about this.

"It was a long time ago! I remember running away from home one night and ran into some forest. I got myself lost but I remember hearing a noise! It sounded like a cackle so I shrieked and turned around but then I saw this short figure only a few feet away from me. The moonlight shone enough to show me that someone was there but I couldn't make out the details, right!? So I ran and I hear the footsteps of this person chasing me! I ran even more and I got so scared, I didn't know what else to do! I ended up tripping and faceplanting into the ground. I don't know how long I was out for but I remember waking up and seeing someone that looked like Tatanga dragging me out of the woods. He said something to me…I think it was something like 'I saved you from those monsters back there'. Yeah, that was it! He then ran off for whatever reason and I went back home and that was it. Guys, he saved me from whatever was in those woods! He's not 100% bad! Well, I think," Fire Bro explained.

Diddy and Dixie looked at each other confusedly.

"Err, okay? Are you positive it was Tatanga though?" Dixie asked.

"Yeah! It looked like him and there's only one ugly purple alien in this world that looks like Tatanga, right!?" Fire Bro exclaimed.

"Well, as far as we know, because remember, there was that second Tatanga in that drawing we saw…" Dixie noted.

"Alright then. So…not to sound rude, but what was the significance of telling us that?" Diddy asked.

"Eh, I dunno. I guess I just wanted to get that off my chest, especially because what he said last night, you know, how he had a connection with most of us? I think that's what he meant by it! That's some freaky deaky stuff there!" Fire Bro replied.

"Yeah, I'll admit, that comment DID make me wonder a bit…but I don't know really know how good it will do us in the end. But, erm, thanks for telling us, I guess?" Diddy shrugged.

"No problem! And in case you guys ever get bored, don't be afraid to visit me, cause I have plenty of zany stories to share! Au revoir!" the maniac cheered and skipped off.

"…Well, I certainly hope that will be the most bizarre thing that will happen today," Diddy scoffed. Dixie giggled a bit.

"Sweetie, it's Fire Bro, what else do you expect from him?"

"Yeah, you're right, you can't really take him too seriously. And…speaking of Fire Bro, I'm really sorry that I accused you of falling in love with him before. It was wrong of me to jump to that kind of conclusion," he apologized and hugged her again.

"Don't worry about it, Diddy. I have no feelings for him," she responded sweetly.

But her concerned expression may have said otherwise.


It was approaching sunset now. Koops was outside in the courtyard, sitting on the ground against a tree, sobbing a little. Kooper found him as he was out for a walk and decided to approach him.

"Koops? Is something wrong?" asked Kooper and sat down next to him.

"Oh! K-Kooper…sorry, um, no, I'm fine. Just fine," he quickly said while wiping his eyes.

"Aw come on now, you can tell me what's bothering you. It really is better to not keep that kind of stuff in, trust me," Kooper advised. Koops sighed and dried his eyes.

"I just…feel like everyone expects me to be strong and unafraid for what's to come and try to brush off that drawing Mona and Viv found. I feel like Koopie just doesn't understand my mindset sometimes, how I'm still kind of a worrywart, how I do still get scared…everyone keeps telling me that I'll be okay and that I have to stay strong, but what if I can't!? I…I don't want to go back to being the weakling that I was before I met Mario, but I also don't want to overestimate myself. And…my dad…I really miss him. *sniff* I-I have no idea how he's coping with hearing the news of what's going on. I have no way to reach him. The telephones here don't work and all our cellphones were taken away by Tatanga when we were captured. I don't even know what to do, think, or say anymore…*sniff* I just don't want to be me right now…" Koops let it all out to him. Kooper was taken back and hearing the struggle in Koops' tone made him somewhat teary too.

"Oh…Koops…I understand that you're terrified. I get it. You have every single right to be worried and scared for what could happen on this mission. Hell, I'm pretty damn positive most, if not everyone here is worried and scared, but some are just better at hiding it than others. But Koops, when Koopie tells you to try to 'stay strong,' I'm sure she's just doing her best to try to help you get through this. There's unfortunately not much that can she do to help you try to be brave, because only you can do that yourself. But…believe me when I say that we all care about you Koops. You have the potential to destroy evil and prevail. I mean, remember that journey you went on with Mario and the others years ago? How you fought so many enemies and a freaking shadow demon!? There are millions of people in the world that wouldn't even have the slightest courage to do what you did. You prevailed. You stood up for yourself and you helped save the world. And…that's exactly what you're doing now, right? Just coming on this adventure with us was a huge risk alone, right? Remember when Daisy asked if anyone wanted to come on the mission to get the gems and how you volunteered and many others didn't? That took guts. And about your dad, I know you miss him terribly. I know. But right now, you have a choice, Koops. You could either stay scared and worried for what MAY happen, or you could try to be fearless like you did once before and be determined to help us win this battle. I know, it's easier said than done, but it all really starts with you, Koops. Your friends want you to be strong, not because they feel sorry for you, but because they know you CAN be strong and they see the real you. I know this might sound weird coming from me, whose been a douche for this whole mission, but after seeing everything that's happened, I just realized that I can't live that way, you know? Life's too precious to be going around and causing drama all the time…" Kooper spoke in the most genuine tone Koops has ever heard from him. That little speech sent chills down his spine and made him feel slightly better, so he knew he was serious.

"Um…wow…thank you, Kooper. That was really nice of you to say that. Do you really think that about me, though?" he asked.

"Well, I don't know you as well as Mario and the others who you went on that adventure with, but I know you well enough to see that you do have so much power and courage within you. You just need to know how to re-utilize it. Plus, I remember Mario telling me the story of that adventure and how he was so impressed with how you handled helping him collect the Crystal Stars and kick a bunch of asses! In fact, I think out of everyone, he praised you the most. Yeah, he was really blown away by how much you grew on that adventure. Truth be told, I've always been a bit jealous of you…taking down some demon that is no doubt 100 times scarier than Bowser, having a long-term girlfriend, taking the mayor's position at such a young age…you should really feel proud and confident about yourself, Koops. I mean it," Kooper continued his praise which also made him feel good inside.

"Aw shucks, Kooper. That is truly an inspiring thing to say. I guess you're right…I can't just sit here and wallow to myself all the time. That won't get me anywhere, right? I-I think I get it now. Like you said, that's no way to live. I don't think that's the life I want to live!" Koops said, having the ultimate epiphany.

"Yeah. We're gonna need all the power and courage we can get if we really want to beat this guy. Think positive thoughts, man. I know that sounds cheesy and cliché but I'd rather not spend the rest of this adventure being down in the dumps, you know?" Kooper chuckled, which made Koops do the same in turn.

"Yeah, I understand that. Thanks Kooper. I'm glad to have you as a friend," he said with a smile, looking into his eyes that showed pure honesty.

"You too. Once this is all done, we really should hang out more. I've been a bit of a loner recently anyways…" Kooper shyly admitted.

"Oh! Of course. I wouldn't mind that one bit," Koops accepted the offer. He had no idea his spirits would be lifted so quickly from Kooper of all people, but he really liked it.

Kooper made a sweet grin, feeling good inside about cheering Koops up. He wanted to latch onto that feeling forever. However, a sudden thought came to his head that made his grin fade away.

"Say, Koops…kind of a random question, but…what do you know about Fire Bro?" Kooper's tone changed to a more serious one.

"Hmm? Fire Bro? Um, not much, just that he's kinda loose in the head, heh. Why?" Koops asked.

"Because, last night, he-" Kooper suddenly paused and raised both his brows, making a confused expression. He looked at Koops who also looked just as confused.

"…Nevermind. Sorry. I was overthinking it. Don't worry about it," Kooper shrugged it off and looked away.

"Um, ok. Well, uhh, I better head to the cafeteria. Koopie's probably looking for me with dinner all ready. Thanks for everything, Kooper. You're welcome to join us for dinner if you want!" Koops offered as he stood up and helped Kooper stand up too.

"Y-Yeah, sure! I'd be more than glad to," Kooper replied happily. Koops smiled back at him again and started walking back into the hospital, but Kooper stopped him.

"WAIT! KOOPS! I…I need to tell you something."

Koops turned around in surprise. "Oh! What is it Kooper?"

"It's…ugh…something…that you need to know. Something that can't be kept a secret for any longer. You see, Koops…a long time ago…me and Koo-"

"KOOPS!"

Koops turned back around and saw Koopie at the entrance.

"There you are! C'mon! Dinner's ready! I know you're hungry!" she yelled.

"I'll be there in a second! Just go on ahead!" Koops yelled. Koopie nodded and skipped back inside.

Koops turned back to Kooper and said, "Is it okay if we talk about this later? I actually am pretty hungry."

Kooper tried not to show his disappointment, but had a tiny feeling of relief inside. "Yeah, that's fine. No worries."


Mario and Fox decided to skip out on the early dinner and talked to each other on the rooftop, staring out at the sunset. Mario told Fox the entire story of everything that's happened.

"…Wow…words can't even describe how…chaotic everything has been for you guys…" Fox was in both awe and horror at the story.

"Yeah, well, 'chaotic' is probably an understatement to describe it, heh. But yeah…this adventure is completely different to anything I've ever been on. It's so much more dramatic and treacherous. Sometimes I really felt like I, myself, was going to die or have a huge mental breakdown. I've been having this pounding headache all day from just thinking about what happened last night. Too many close calls…too many gun noises…sometimes I really wonder what it would be like to step into the villains' shoes for one day and see their mindset and reasoning for killing people and taking over the world. Because I sure can't understand it, nor do I think I ever will," Mario said.

"I know exactly what you mean, Mario. Trying to destroy people…just…why? What good does it do for anyone? What do they gain from it? Nothing. I think about it every single time a new baddie tries to destroy my world," Fox added.

"Yeah. But…other than that, everyone is really doing their best to pull it together. Despite the drama within the group, everyone has done a spectacular job in playing their part in helping get the gems and defeating the bad guys. We're kind of like a family now," Mario started to smile at the brighter side of this.

"Good! It's good that you have a nice support system beside you. My team is like that too. We fight like family, but we help each other like family," Fox laughed.

"Yeah, you guys are definitely one of the closest groups I've seen. By the way, I cannot thank you guys enough for bringing in all that money to help repair Mushroom City. Really, we owe you one."

"No no, you don't owe us anything. It's all on us. Even though we heroes live in separate worlds, we always do our best to help the other. Because that's what being a hero is all about. It's about always supporting one another no matter what the situation is," Fox stated boldly. Mario looked at him in inspiration. His words felt incredibly true.

"You're right, Fox. But still, thank you so much. I really do miss the days of us battling it out back in the smash mansion with the others. God, that was so much fun!" Mario laughed at those memories.

"Heck yeah! Remember when Captain Falcon would leave those love letters around for Samus to find? And when Samus took the letters the wrong way and would always go on a rant that it's code for a stalker trying to capture her!?" Fox laughed with him.

"Oh gosh, that ended on such a bad note! Hehehe! And also remember whenever Kirby lost against Marth, he would always eat all of his Dorito chips for revenge and Marth could NEVER guess who did it? HAHAHA! Whew…that's another family I loved being a part of…" Mario's stresses were temporarily ridden, remembering the fun times of being with his Smash buddies.

"Heh, yeah…everyday there was always such chaos…but the good kind, you know? Not like this kind of chaos. Not even close," Fox was deep in memory of those days too. He slowly faded his smile as he looked back at Mario. "By the way, Mario…did your friends tell you that they saw me and my group a few days ago?"

Mario quickly turned his head to him. "Huh? They did? They told me of no such thing!"

Fox's expression turned perplexed. "Really? Huh, I thought they would after what happened to us…"

"Wh-what do you mean, Fox? Tell me."

"Something happened in Corneria a few days ago. There was this monster that came from nowhere…like, it looked like something from a different dimension, honestly! It looked like a dragon, except its body was ice blue and its neck and head were fiery red. Well, appearances aren't deceiving in this case, because this guy burned down a building and froze another with ease! We blasted this beast as much as we could and we thankfully managed to scare it off because it flew back into the sky. However, Falco suggested that we chase after him and actually destroy him in case it comes back so of course we all agree and follow this dragon thing into outer space. It was so weird seeing such a creature being able to fly through the stars! We did our best to chase him and kept shooting at him repeatedly but he was too far away and our aim could only go so far. We flew our arwings as fast as we could but it still wasn't enough for some reason!

Eventually, we reached a weird planet I've never seen before…it was like…an ice planet that had magma on it…or was it the other way around? Anyways, we chased this being onto this fire-ice planet, which now makes sense because of his powers and the way he looks and…Mario, this is going to sound completely nuts but…I think this dragon wiped some of our memory! I don't remember a single thing after going to this planet! Obviously, I remembered my name, my family, where I came from, etc. but there's some stuff that I didn't remember! The closest thing I can remember to that event is that we were heading to the Mushroom Planet for some reason. Now, at this point in time, a lot of my memory was erased so I didn't remember more of the stuff than I do now, same with my team. So, like I said, heading to Mushroom Planet for some reason and went to Mushroom City, I guess, to see you possibly? I don't know. There's still some parts that are foggy. For example, I can't remember anything I did last Saturday, or what my favorite drink is.

We got to Mushroom City, and I do remember us being shocked at how ruined the place looked! After a few minutes, we ran into your friends who had arwings too. I immediately got suspicious and then I guess me and my team assumed that they stole them from our planet and were going to use them for bad so we battled them but they kinda beat us so we had no choice but to retreat…well, I retreated, but the others had their ships blown apart so I had to take them back home with me. I'm guessing that dragon's memory wipe ability thing isn't all powerful because a lot of the things that I forgot are coming back to me now," Fox explained his story.

Mario looked at him in terror and confusion. "Wow. So…um…very sorry that happened to you and your team but…your reaction to seeing people flying arwings is to just…destroy them?"

Fox rolled his eyes in embarrassment. "Yes yes, I know! It was a stupid thing to do! I made a mistake, okay!? But seriously, I'm surprised they didn't tell you. I remember seeing DK, Peach, Yoshi, and Luigi there, but everyone else I either didn't recognize or couldn't remember the names of."

"Hmm, I do agree that it is odd that they didn't tell me. I'll have to ask them about that later," Mario was now curious for the reasoning.

"Yeah…anyways, it's about time we head back to our planet. Despite everything happening, it was really great catching up with you, Mario. We will do our absolute best to come back as soon as we can to help you guys win this battle," Fox said and the two heroes hugged.

"Of course, Fox. Again, we can't thank you guys enough for giving us all this money. We really appreciate you coming here not just to do that but also checking up on us. You're a real friend, you know that?" Mario complimented. He really did forget all the stresses of saving the world and past drama for those minutes he was talking with Fox. It really did help clear his mind and made him relax.

"You're a real friend too, Mario. You're also one of the strongest people I know, so don't ever forget that, okay? It's okay if you screw up sometimes, that's just how life works. But don't ever let that get to you. Keep on fighting," Fox replied with equal encouragement.

"Fox!"

The two turned their heads to Krystal who was seen walking toward them.

"Oh, Krystal! What's up?" Fox asked.

"I-I was just looking for you. You all, uhh, set to head back?" she asked.

"Oh, yes I am! I was just about to head down too. By the way, are you okay? You look as if you wanna tell me something," Fox pointed out by her body language which Mario did not get.

"Huh? Why do you say that?" she replied in confusion.

"Because I know you better than anyone else. Come on, what happened?" Fox teased.

"Ugh, fine. It's nothing too major, but…um…you see…this girl earlier…I asked her where the bathroom was and then we started talking a little. I come to find out she was with your group, Mario, on the adventure so I asked her what it was like and stuff. Then I talked to her about what we could do once the adventure's done and then she just…screams at me! IN FRONT OF EVERYONE! I don't even know what I did! I really thought she was going to hurt me for a second there! I felt so embarrassed so I hid out in the bathroom for a while…" Krystal explained, looking distressed.

Fox and Mario looked at each other in surprise.

"What the hell!? Why would she do such a thing for? Did you get her name or remember what she looked like?" Fox asked.

"No…I didn't get her name…but, um, she was like a blue fairy of some sort with kind of a high pitched voice. Mario?" Krystal looked to the plumber for clarification.

"Ugh…Jojora…" Mario grumbled under his breath. "Yeah, I know who that is. I'm very sorry that happened to you, Krystal. Jojora is kind of known for having a short temper and a loud mouth. However, she was the one who witnessed our friend, Watt, die right in front of her, so I'm sure that played a part in her screaming at you. Don't worry, I'll talk to her and handle it."

"Thanks Mario. But remember, don't put this on your shoulders, okay? You all went through something traumatic yesterday so I think we both can understand that a lot of people are still very on edge right now," Fox said and looked to Krystal for her agreement.

"Y-Yeah. I don't hold anything against her. Don't worry about me, I'll get over it," she smiled.

"Good! Now Mario, we really must get back. We wish you and your friends the best of luck on your journey!" Fox said and patted the plumber on his shoulder. Mario offered to walk with the both of them out of the hospital. Everyone said their goodbyes to Fox and the gang, their moods slightly lifted from the wondrous deed they committed today.


A couple hours passed by and everyone who went on the mission, plus Arfur and Kylie, were in the security room. Mario wanted to hold a meeting before the day ended.

"Alright, looks like everyone is here. Before I begin, I just wanna say that I need to speak to Peach, Luigi, Yoshi, and DK after this meeting ends, privately," Mario spoke. The mentioned four looked at each other in concern. "So, tomorrow morning, we leave for the next gem. Kylie and Arfur, where will we be heading to next?"

"Well, if you wanted to keep doing it in the order you have been based on what Merlon said, based on my research, it would be in the Mystic Ruins, the world in which Sonic and his friends live," Kylie replied. Most of the others perked their ears as soon as they heard 'Sonic'.

"Wow! Um, okay then. This should be interesting! But, we really should be prudent while there because of what happened with Amy and Charmy…" Banjo said, having never met Sonic before.

"Yeah, I'd really like to know what the hell that was all about! I still remember seeing their eyes…there's no way that was the real them!" Goombario exclaimed.

"I don't see what the big deal is. They try anything on us, we beat the shit out of them, and move on. Don't try to make it any more complicated," Bowser bluntly spoke, looking tired in the face.

"How about the fact that there's probably something that 'took over' their body or something!? There's no way that was the real Amy and Charmy! We have to do everything we can to actually NOT hospitalize them, people!" Goombella pointed out.

"I agree with Goombella. That is most likely the case for why they did what they did. But whatever the case, we'll handle it like we always do. Arfur and Kylie, do you know where exactly in the Mystic Ruins the gem could be?" Daisy asked.

"I did some digging and the most I could find was an article that talked about a mystical emerald gem hidden somewhere in the jungle of the ruins," Arfur answered.

"Wait a second, the next gem we need to get couldn't possibly be the chaos emerald, could it!? From what I remember, Merlon said that there's an emerald gem we have to get, and, well, a chaos emerald fits that description perfectly!" Birdo pointed out.

"Woah…you're right. That would really blow my mind if that were to happen. That means that the chaos emerald has power in two different worlds," Bombette added.

"Well, you guys are gonna have to figure that out when you get there. But as usual, me and Arfur, and I'm sure everyone else remaining, will have 100% faith that you will get it. So, are we adding any more people to the mission?" Kylie asked.

"Oh no no! The amount of people we have right now is way more than enough! I'm sure everyone else here agrees, so therefore, there shall be no group consensus on this!" Kazooie declared. Some people nodded at this.

"I agree. A group this size is already too much to look after, but of course, we can't force any people out because that's not up to us. Does anyone want to actually opt out from doing the rest of the adventure? It's okay if you do, all of us would understand," Mario said. No one raised their hands nor spoke a word.

"Dearie, all of us have come this far, and even though it's been quite a rough challenge, I'm certain all of us will refrain from quitting and finish what we've started!" Flurrie boldly stated. Some nods were seen.

"Flurrie is right. We're sticking to this till the very end. We're pretty much halfway done anyways!" Wario added.

"It really warms my heart to see you guys so determined to complete this journey and stay by each other's sides all the way. That in itself deserves a reward!" Arfur complimented. "But now, me and Kylie would like to interject with something real quick that needs to be discussed. We've been discussing this earlier a lot. So, obviously Tatanga and the rest of his team know where we're located now and there's a good chance they'll come back again. Not only that, but a lot of the hospital is destroyed, which isn't convenient for most people here. So, we were thinking to relocate everyone here to a new hospital, just to be on the safe side. There's one we could go to in the northern district of Mushroom City, on Smokey Road. Mushroom Corporations has a few buses that will drive everyone there so it won't take too long to get every single person out of here. I've already put in a contact to the hospital and they said they will gladly take our people, and that there is a homeless shelter right next to their hospital, so the hospital won't be so overcrowded."

"I think that's a great idea, actually! You're right, Tatanga and his group will no doubt try again to kill us all so it really is better that we get out of here as soon as we can!" Vivian happily jumped on board with the plan and so did the others.

"Yeah, that is definitely for the best. Are we all okay with making this announcement tomorrow morning before we leave? I don't want to have to rush things and make people worry again," Mario asked and everyone immediately nodded.

"Oh no, I agree with you. Let's give these people an entire day's break from any more events happening. They need it. Hell, we ALL need it!" Kylie exclaimed and more nods were seen.

"Speaking of that…we were also talking about something similar this morning, Arfur and Kylie. We wanted to try to see if we can get some sense knocked into Tatanga's head by starting with his past. He has roots in Chai City, which is in Sarasaland. He may still have a twin there by the name of Tadano, most likely, and he may still be institutionalized. We know it's a long shot but if we're able to dig up something that may just make him stop this, then it will be worth it. But, we're gonna need your help because we know that Sarasaland is across the ocean, so we were thinking that you could possibly drive a couple of us to the airport in Moonview City to fly there, or to the harbor so we can take a boat there," Daisy explained.

The two aforementioned exchanged curious glances. They didn't expect such an almost out-of-nowhere plan from them.

"Wow! Err…well, I guess I don't see why we can't do that. I mean, I suppose that does make sense. You guys sure you wanna try this though? Do you actually think it has a chance of working?" Arfur unsurely asked.

"Well, we're not confident it will work, but at this point, anything may help. We really wanna try it though," DK reassured.

"Alright. If that's what you guys wanna do, then we'll help you too. So, who wants to do this little sidequest?" Kylie asked.

Before anyone could answer, the janitor's closet suddenly slammed open and out fell two characters. Everyone shrieked in fright.

"WOAH WOAH WOAH! SOMEONE GRAB A WEAPON!" Wendy screamed.

"What the hell!? How long have you two been in there!? Did you hear everything we said!?" Diddy screeched.

"You guys were eavesdropping, weren't you!? Mind giving us an explanation before any consequences take place!?" Kammy growled.

"HOLD ON! Chill out, peeps! Bow and I here have no evil intentions up our sleeves! I didn't mean to come out of the closet like that so soon, clumsy me, but we may as well explain why we were in there," Paper-Yoshi squealed in defense.

"Y-Yeah…sorry about this. He and I overheard you guys talking about holding a meeting and we really wanted to know what you guys were going to be discussing so we hid ourselves in there to listen in. Sorry…" Bow apologized with a frown.

"Sooo…why didn't you guys just ask us to join the meeting instead of eavesdropping like a bunch of creepers?" Mona asked.

"Well, um, because…I dunno, you guys just made it seem super top secret and such! Look you guys, me and Bow are tough fighters and we REALLY wanna help out in this mission thing any way we can. Just give us a chance!" Paper-Yoshi pleaded.

"Yeah! Both of us are tired of sticking around and doing nothing. We know we can help," Bow added.

"Hmm…well, I'll be the first one to say that you two definitely have the courage and abilities to provide much help in this, based off my experiences with you. I really don't see a reason why they can't help us, you guys," Mario said.

"Same here. Maybe you guys could do that little sidequest thing Daisy was talking about? I imagine just the two of them going shouldn't be too difficult because it's not like our group's mission, where we're practically jumping through obstacles constantly," DK suggested.

"I agree. Paper-Yoshi and Bow, if you guys wanna help, then I urge you to do that. You did hear everything that Daisy talked about, right?" Kylie asked.

"Yes, but I think we need a bit of a backstory first. Apparently Tatanga has a twin? Ugh! Let's hope the twin is the good and pure one!" Bow grumbled.

"Yeah, a little more info on that will do us good, but we'll take on the challenge for sure! Also guys…please, just call me Spike from now on, okay? Paper-Yoshi sounds so…uncool," Spike cringed, finally having enough.

"FINALLY SOMEONE SAID IT!" Fire Bro randomly yelled.

"Um, okay then…Spike. After this meeting is over, I will tell you and Bow everything you need to know," Daisy said.

"Excellent! So that's done then! Anything else that needs to be discussed?" Peach asked.

"Um…Gekikara visited me last night," Parakarry spoke. All eyes turned to him.

"What!? Just you? What happened? What did she say?" Bombette questioned in shock.

"It was…interesting, to say the least. She came to me and healed my gunshot wound on my leg. I had no idea she had that kind of power! We talked for a little bit and she granted me the power of…negation, I think? She said it will automatically cancel any kind of 'superpowers' someone has temporarily. I thanked her and I asked her who she really is because I was curious about her origins. In a nutshell, she told me that she is not a regular physical being. She is like…some kind of 'thing' that can move between dimensions. She told me that there are these portals to different dimensions that she gets through, just like the ones that we went through in the previous worlds. That's how she gets into our world, or…um, I guess dimension? She said that there are these interdimensional portals everywhere but some are impossible to spot, even with the stuff that Arfur and Kylie have at Mushroom Corps. She also said that her form that we saw her in is of a girl named Rena. This Rena died a long time ago and was a friend of Tatanga's and that she took on her form in order to see if Tatanga would stop what he's doing, but obviously that hasn't worked and it's also the only way she can communicate with us. That's pretty much it…I couldn't sleep for like an hour after that because all the things she said were running through my head and it kinda blew me away, you know?" the mailman recapped what happened. The others looked at him wide-eyed.

"WOW. If that didn't blow your guys' minds, then I don't know what will!" Yoshi exclaimed.

"Well, that actually kinda makes sense if you really think about it. Gekikara kinda appeared out of nowhere all the times we saw her and she was able to give us these powers somehow so…yeah, that was really nice of her to do that, healing your wound!" Mario said.

"But, her being the physical embodiment of Tatanga's friend who died a long time ago is a bit creepy, honestly…you sure we can put our full trust in her?" Pauline asked.

"She DID heal my wound, Pauline. And she granted us those powers. I'm willing to believe she's on our side at the moment," Parakarry clarified.

"I have to agree. I haven't really found a reason to NOT trust her just yet," Rosalina added.

"Uhh…who is Gekikara?" Arfur spoke with confusion.

"Oh! That's right, we forgot to tell you two about Gekikara. I guess that's something I'll have to explain as well after this!" Daisy pointed out.

"Hey, don't forget about us! We wanna know about this mystical, interdimensional creature thing too! Boy, is this getting exciting!" Spike cheered.

"Of course. Now, is there anything else people want to say before we adjourn this meeting?" Mario asked. Silence ensued. "Alright then! Everyone rest up because tomorrow we head back out to complete our mission. We'll be leaving at 10 AM sharp so make sure to not oversleep!"

"Me and Arfur will also be making the announcement about transferring everyone to the northern district hospital just before you all leave," Kylie added. Everyone understood and began to exit the room.

"WAIT, KYLIE!" Kooper yelled, stopping her in her tracks. "Your phones work at your building, right?"

"Yes, some do. Why?" she responded.

"I have a favor to ask of you…it's for a friend!" Kooper said.

Meanwhile, Mario quickly ran up to Jojora while Peach, DK, Yoshi, and Luigi waited behind to hear what he wanted to say to them.

"Jojora! Before I forget, I have to ask you, did you blow up at Krystal earlier today?" he asked.

The blue fairy froze in fear momentarily. She knew she was going to receive some kind of consequence for what happened earlier.

"Um…y-yes. Sorry, I…um…didn't mean to. I've just been so on edge lately…" she replied guiltily.

"I know, don't worry, I'm not going to scold you or anything like that. I know that seeing Watt practically die right in front of you combined with the events of last night must've taken a bigger toll on you than the others here. I just wanted to make sure you were okay," Mario said.

Jojora stared at him sadly as the memory of Watt screaming for help while she was drowning and her ignoring her played yet again.

"I'm…fine. I just need some more sleep," she stated and quickly walked away. Mario raised a brow.

"Alright, bro. Everyone else is gone. What's up?" Luigi asked.

The plumber turned around and said, "So, I talked with Fox earlier and he said that he and his team faced you guys in a battle a few days ago in Mushroom City. Is this true?"

The four exchanged worried glances.

"Yeah, that's true…but we only fought them because they accused us of stealing their arwings which is a lie because it was Kylie and Arfur that stole their arwings!" Yoshi wildly exclaimed.

"Err, yeah, for whatever reason, they didn't recognize us, which is why we were hesitant on talking with them. We thought it was very bizarre when it was announced that they were coming here to donate money to us, especially when we saw that they acted normal the whole time!" DK explained.

"Okay…so, why didn't you guys say anything about facing them then? Why am I just now learning about this?" Mario asked a bit intensely.

"B-Because there was already enough things going on and we didn't want to pile on another stressful event on top of all the other stressful events ya know! Don't get pissed with us now!" Luigi cried.

"Mario, did Fox tell you why he and his team didn't recognize us?" Peach asked.

"Yeah. To put it in short, a monster attacked Fox's world so him and his team chased the thing out of his world and to some other world and tried to defeat him but this monster wiped some of him and his team's memories somehow. He then told me that he and his team headed to our world for some reason that he still can't remember and ran into you guys and assumed that you all were enemies because you presumably stole some arwings from their planet. Their memories are back now, but some of it is still gone," Mario explained.

"What!? A monster wiped their memories!? Are we really supposed to just believe that?" DK exclaimed in shock and disbelief.

Mario shrugged in annoyance. "I don't know! But why would Fox lie though? He doesn't have any ulterior motives, plus he did a huge, great deed for our city so…I'm leaning more towards believing him."

"I still don't understand why they would attack us just because we have identical machinery as they do, but whatever…I'm willing to let that incident go," Luigi scoffed.

"I believe Fox, too. There's no reason for him to lie when you and him have been close for years now. If he truly was 'evil' all of a sudden, he would've tried to kill us when he and his team were here," Peach deduced.

"I guess that makes sense. Well, that's one mystery cleared out. How many more to go now? A thousand?" Yoshi sighed.

EOC.

This is my longest chapter yet, with over 15k words! I'll try not to make any future chapters as long as this one, lol. Next chapter will focus on the villains and Paper-Yoshi will officially be called Spike from now on.