PREVIOUSLY ON MUSHROOM WARS…

"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.

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"So, tomorrow morning, we leave for the next gem. Kylie and Arfur, where will we be heading to next?" Mario asked.

"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.

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"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." Arfur said.

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"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.

"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.

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It was morning, around 9:30 AM. Announcements were made throughout the hospital to have everyone gather in the cafeteria for a special meeting.

"Please, into the cafeteria everyone! I promise that it's not bad news!" Peach reassured, motioning the people to come into the room.

"Is that supposed to make us feel any better?" Morton groaned and rolled his eyes at her. Iggy bumped his elbow into his arm.

"Stop. Don't make things worse right now. Just shut it. Please," he demanded.

"Why the fuck should I? Have you even thought about what will happen once all of this shit with Tatanga is over with? Will we even be part of the family anymore? Are we gonna be kicked out? I still think this is all bullshit. Dad is angry at the wrong people!" Morton questioned and stomped into the cafeteria with his siblings.

"Let's just not think about it right now, okay!? I really think we all just need time to heal. No more anger. No more drama. I'm fucking done with it all," Lemmy stated.

"Me too. Zere is more zan enough drama as it is. We have no choice but to let it all go for now," Ludwig added.

"Let go of what exactly? Dad hitting me? Easier said than done, bucko," Morton pointed out.

"Morton, I swear to god, JUST STOP. Once we leave for the next world, you can rant about it all you want, but for now, just zip it! Understand!?" Bowser Jr. demanded. Morton gave him a scowl.

"I'm done talking about this too. Look, the meeting is about to start. We should get up there with our group, guys," Wendy said, motioning Bowser Jr. and Larry to go with her where the adventure group was at, at the front of the room, separated from everyone else.

"We'll see you guys later, that is, if we don't say goodbye after the meeting is done," Larry said to the other siblings. Ludwig, Iggy, and Lemmy nodded while Morton shook his head and looked elsewhere.

"Viv, dearie!" Flurrie called out as she walked into the cafeteria over to the Shadow Siren.

"Oh! Hey Flurrie! Did you sleep okay?" she asked.

"Much better than the night before. I'll admit, I was worried I would go a second night with little sleep and end up having bags under my eyes, but thankfully, my fear has been averted. How about yourself?" the diva asked in return.

"Eh…I slept okay, I guess. No nightmares, thankfully. I'm pretty prepared to finish this quest once and for all," Vivian said with confidence.

"Good, good! But, I have to ask you though…and I apologize because I believe I've kind of neglected this for a while…but, how are you doing overall, you know, with your sisters returning to the dark side like many years ago?" Flurrie asked in true concern. Vivian turned a little pale in the face.

"Oh…right…my sisters…honestly, Flurrie…I don't know how to feel about it. In a way, I'm not surprised because I've always had this underlying fear that they would go back to being evil. But, at the same time, I'm upset because I hoped that it was for real, them being good. My life finally being free of evil and drama. I trusted them again. But now…I just feel so betrayed. It really hurts. I've been trying to hold it in and push down these awful feelings, but…I…I don't know how much longer I can do it…" Vivian started to get teary eyed. Flurrie could hear the pain in her voice and almost made her teary too.

"Oh dearie, come here!" Flurrie gave her a hug and the shadow siren immediately hugged back. "You don't need to hold in those emotions to appear strong! Letting it all out is the best way to deal with the pain. I'm so sorry I didn't ask you of this before…"

"*sniff* Don't be sorry, Flurrie…we were all distracted with the adventure and Tatanga…besides, I didn't wanna deal with it nor think about it…but now I think I do. Now I know that I can't ever trust them again. They…I think they ruined me…" Vivian sobbed some more.

"Koops!" Arfur shouted as he walked over to him.

"Oh, hey Arfur! What's going on?" Koops asked.

"I have something that I need to show you back at Mushroom Corporations. Don't worry, it's nothing too serious. We must go there now, though," Arfur said. Koops gave him a look of confusion.

"Uhh…okay? Why me though? It does make feel a little concerned no matter what if you don't tell me what it is…" Koops shyly admitted.

"It's a surprise, Koops. It's a good surprise! Trust me, you're gonna like it!" Arfur gleefully responded. The joyous emotion that came from him made Koops feel a little less worried.

"Can I tag along? This DOES sound important, and, well, I wanna be there with my boyfriend during this good surprise," Koopie spoke, grabbing a hold of Koops' hand.

"Oh! I guess I don't see why not. We must leave now, though. I'll drive you to the building, and don't worry, I'll make sure you get back with the group for the next world," Arfur gestured and led the way out for the two Koopas.

Meanwhile, Mario stood up on one of the tables in the front of the room and made the loudest whistle he could. Everyone else quieted down and looked to him.

"Thank you everyone for your attention. Now, we are calling this meeting to discuss a few things. The night before, as we all remember, Tatanga and his group attacked us and killed several people here, along with destroying parts of the building. My group and I know how they found us here, but the 'how' isn't the most important part of that right now. What's most important is that we must acknowledge that, because they know our location, we are no longer safe from his harm. I can guarantee all of you that he will attempt to come back and strike again. This now leads to two things. The first thing is that, my group and I will be back going back out there today and retrieving the rest of the gems that Daisy told you all about a few days ago. We are very determined to obtain them as quickly as possible, we only need four more, and we'll be set to go. We ask that you remain patient with us and give us your thoughts and prayers for the rest of this adventure. I can promise you that we will not let you guys down," Mario spoke. Some nods were seen along with smiles. The civilians trusted Mario, the longtime superhero, so his words gave them all hope for the future.

"And the second thing…" Kylie spoke, stepping in. "We are moving locations to the other hospital in Mushroom City, the one in the northern district on Smokey Road, I believe it's called St. Toadofsky's Hospital? We are moving today, because as Mario said, Tatanga will definitely strike back, and to make risks as low as possible, we must do it today. I urge you all to pack whatever things you have immediately. My company has buses that are right outside that will transport you all to the hospital. Luckily for us, the hospital there is still active with a large staff offering their support for us, so we'll all be in much better condition than here. There is also a homeless shelter next to it, so the place won't be too overcrowded."

Some cheers and sighs of relief were heard. Everything is going to be okay for these people. This definitely pleased the heroes.

Daisy stepped up on the table next to Mario. "So, uhh, as you all heard her say, please get your things and get to the bus as quick as you can. The rest of us who are going on the adventure will be leaving right now. Wish us luck, you guys! We'll do everything in our power to get this done ASAP!" More cheers were heard and the mood for most people was uplifted.

"Excellent! Guess that vision of the hospital going down in flames turned out to be false, huh Bleck?" Mimi asked in joy.

"Yes…indeed so. Perhaps it was just a dream after all. I suppose I shouldn't have taken it so seriously. Oh well, no matter. Off to the new hospital then," Bleck sighed and put a smile on his face.

"Bleck…I'm sorry, Blumiere, your smile…I felt like I haven't seen that in so long…it's beautiful…" Tippi said.

"Tip- Timpani…thank you. Those heroes, they really instill a belief in me that everything will be okay no matter what happens. Even though we lost Nastasia and O'Chunks…I have this feeling, like some kind of truth that everything will turn out the way it's supposed to, in our favor. I haven't felt like this in a long time," Bleck replied, still keeping his smile.

"Of course, and Nastasia and O'Chunks…they wouldn't want us to be all doom and gloom about the situation, would they? No. Definitely not. We will thrive," Tippi responded.

"Loving the positivity, guys. Need more of that in this crazy world," Toadiko chuckled.

"Alright, gang, let's get ready to roll. Is everyone that wants to be here, here?" Daisy asked, doing somewhat of a roll call. She counted herself, Mario, Luigi, Peach, Rosalina, Wario, Waluigi, Yoshi, Birdo, Toad, Toadette, Diddy, Dixie, DK, Goombario, Kooper, Bombette, Parakarry, Bow, Goombella, Flurrie, Spike (aka Paper-Yoshi), Vivian, Bowser, Kammy, Wendy, Larry, Bowser Jr., Pauline, Mona, Banjo, Kazooie, Fire Bro, and Lakilulu. The only ones that were missing were Koops and Koopie but they would still be tagging along once they reached Mushroom Corps.

"Looks like we're all accounted for! I'm ready, much more ready than ever before, to win this," Mona proudly stated.

"Same here. Gotta keep 100% focused on the end goal, no side drama and immaturity allowed!" Goombario declared. Goombella gave him a smile.

"Yes, we'll be done with all of this before you know it. I still wanna be there when Tatanga is defeated. I wanna see the face he makes when all the crap he has put everyone through comes back to get him," Pauline said, looking more determined than ever.

"It's a little strange…as dangerous and crazy this adventure has been and is going to be…I'd still rather be doing this than laying back, eating garlic, and not doing much with my life. I feel like I'm making a difference," Wario said in realization.

"You ARE making a difference, Wario. We all are. Every effort we put into saving the world brings us one step further to kicking Tatanga's ass out of this world!" Diddy cheered.

"As weird as this might sound, I truly do feel honored fighting with you guys and help saving your world. I feel like I'm a part of a family…which…is beautiful because…well…I don't have much of a family at the moment besides Kazooie…" Banjo admitted.

"Please tell me you're not gonna start crying now, Banjo? …Even if it is true?" Kazooie sighed in slight embarrassment but gave him a warm smile.

"Awww, come here, you big, furry, handsome, bear, you!" Flurrie gave him a big hug which startled him (and Kazooie even more).

"Of course, you guys. We are family. We fight together. That's the kind of bond that can never be broken," Luigi said and looked happily to Mario who gave him a big nod.

"As much as I love this gushy, empowering stuff, we should get going now. Who knows how long this next world will take?" Bombette asked.

"Right. We'll go now. Oh! As for you two, Spike and Bow, Arfur will drive you to the Moonview Airport to get to Chai City once we arrive at the building," Kylie ordered.

"Sweet. Can't wait to uncover more mysteries and hopefully beat some bitches down!" Spike cheered.

"Let's hope this will all be worth it, though…" Bow whispered.

"Dixie! Before you leave…" Tiny shouted, running up to her sister and hugging her. Dixie became emotional quickly and hugged her back. "Good luck out there, and please be careful. You guys too, Diddy and DK!"

"Of course, sis. You know we'll power our way through this stuff. We're pretty much unstoppable," Dixie laughed a little to cheer the both of them up.

"I know, I know, but I just can't help but worry when you guys are out there, battling who-knows-what and dealing with all kinds of other drama. It's a little scary," Tiny admitted.

"We'll find a way to deal. It's really no biggie. But…hey! Why don't you join us, Tiny? You're pretty strong yourself, too!" DK pointed out.

"As much as I want to…I'm really burnt out on these long quests for justice. Besides, the three of you together is enough to make me trust that it will all turn out okay somehow," Tiny assured.

"If you say so…but, you're right, you can definitely trust us. Nothing can stop the Kong trio of me, my loyal and awesome girlfriend Dixie, and my cool and immensely tough uncle DK!" Diddy cheered, prompting laughs from the other kongs.

As the group began to leave, Lakilulu stopped in her tracks when she heard a familiar voice call her name.

"Eh?" she uttered, and turned around only to find Lakilester some feet in front of her.

"So, uhh, you're really doing this thing with those guys? Trying to be a hero and save the world like I did years ago?" asked Lakilester in a conniving way.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean exactly? Why are you asking me like that?" Lakilulu replied.

"I just wanna get it into your head that you probably have no idea what you're getting into. Seriously Lakilulu, I know we kinda broke things off at that dumb game show a while back, but I worry about you. I couldn't help but got paranoid when you ran off with those guys the previous time," Lakilester clarified.

Lakilulu gave him a disgusted look and shook her head. "Excuse me!? Lakilester, mind your own business! We're not together anymore so quit worrying about what I do!"

"I can worry if I please! Lakilulu, come on, admit it, you're just doing this so you can make yourself look good to people. You don't HAVE to help them save the world, you know. I'm sure one less person isn't gonna make a whole difference in defeating that alien guy. Besides…I won't lie, I kinda miss you. Any chance we could try again?" Lakilester asked. Lakilulu grew impatient and frustrated with him.

"WHAT!? MAKE MYSELF LOOK GOOD!? Screw you! I'm doing this because I want to help! I want the world to be saved! I want to prove to myself and others that I can be strong and useful! This adventure is the opportunity to do that! Besides, it gets me away from scumbags like you! It's official, Lakilester. I NEVER EVER EVER WANT TO GET BACK WITH YOU, EVER AGAIN! You treat me like shit and I deserve way better than you!" she yelled, becoming red in the face. Lakilester looked a little shocked. He definitely wasn't expecting that from her.

"…I see. Fine then. Go. You're only gonna get yourself killed anyways. Idiot!" he spat and floated off.


Meanwhile, Arfur brought Koops and Koopie to one of the bedrooms in the Mushroom Corps. building. In it was a kind of home phone located on a small dresser.

"Koops…Kooper told me about how you really wanted to speak to your father. He requested for me to give you a chance to speak to him and so…here you go. This phone works. You can talk to him as long as you want," Arfur happily presented to him. Koops' face lightened up with joy.

"W-Whoa Nelly…Kooper…did this!? That was so nice of him! Th-thank you Arfur! This means the world to me!" Koops started to cry a bit.

"You're welcome, but you should really be thanking Kooper. He really is a nice man," Arfur said.

"Of course! We'll give him our thanks next time we see him! I know Koops wanted to speak to his dad so badly after the disaster but never got the chance to…so, this is perfect, to let him know he's alive and well," Koopie said cheerfully.

"Right. Well, I'll let you have your talk. I'll let you know when the others arrive if you're not done by the time they get here," Arfur said and exited the room.

Koops excitedly picked up the phone and dialed the number. It rung a few times, but as soon as Koops heard the sound of the phone picking up, his heart started racing.

"Hello?"

"D-Dad!? Oh my god, dad! It's me, Koops!"

"Wha…K…Koops!? My son, Koops!? This is really you!?"

"Yes, it's me dad! Really me! I'm okay! I…I am so sorry for not contacting you earlier…things got so messed up here recently…"

Koops heard his dad sobbing a little over the phone. He could tell it was tears of joy, which, in turn, made him cry too.

"You don't need to apologize, son! I've been keeping up with the news in Mushroom City! I've been worried to death about you, calling your phone non-stop, but I guess it must've been destroyed, yeah?"

"Y-Yes it was. I was captured…along with my friends. We managed to escape but then…other things happened. So much has happened and I-I am so so sorry I didn't get a chance to call you earlier…I've been dealing with so much!"

Koops cried even more that he almost dropped the phone. Koopie walked over to him and pat him on the shoulder.

"Please, son…I understand. No apologizing. The fact that I know you're safe and sound is everything to me. Is Koopie with you too? Is she alright?"

"Y-Yes, she is! She's here with me right now actually! She's been supportive and stayed by my side throughout this whole catastrophe!"

"Good! Very glad to hear that, son! She's definitely a keeper, heh heh. At least you have her to help you. I won't lie, son…every single godawful thought was running through my mind about what might be happening to you…I could barely sleep most nights since that incident in Mushroom City. I just couldn't bear to live if I knew that…you were gone…I can't lose you too…not after what happened with your mother…"

"You'll never lose me, dad. I'm right here with my girlfriend and my friends. We're saving the world."

"Saving the world? Huh? What's that all about? Are you on another adventure with Mario and his friends again?"

"Heh, it's a bit of a long story, dad…but I'll tell you everything."


Everyone else arrived at Mushroom Corporations. Arfur met the group outside.

"Alright! This is where we continue to the next world. Spike and Bow, follow me inside. Everyone else, you know where to go. Good luck to you all on retrieving the next gem," he said.

"Yes, thank you! And good luck to you two with finding out anything you can in Chai City," Rosalina said.

"Thanks, we're gonna need it. I just hope I'm as prepared for anything that could happen as I like to think I am…" Bow nervously spoke.

"SEND US A POSTCARD!" Fire Bro randomly yelled, prompting some laughs and odd looks from the others.

Spike and Bow split off with Arfur from the main group to a different part of the building whereas everyone else went their usual route towards the arwings room.

"Arfur, I have to know, how long have you been in this business for? How long has this place even existed? Just what exactly is this company all about?" Spike asked.

"I'm unfortunately not allowed to tell you everything about us, but I suppose I can give you the basics. Mushroom Corporations has existed ever since the 70's. We are a highly technological and secretive organization that mainly conduct tests and experiments on…err…specific things. We also have security maintenance on every part of Mushroom City and try to maintain order as best as we can. Obviously, we failed on that part with Tatanga, but to be fair, he did come out of nowhere. I've been a part of the company for nine years now. I was able to fit in pretty quickly," Arfur explained.

"Huh! Very interesting! Why are you so secretive though? I mean, I've never heard of this company till all this started. What's the point?" Bow asked.

Arfur struggled to respond. He opened a door to some small car garage and led the two to what was presumably his car. They all got in and Arfur started up the ignition.

"…I don't know if I'm qualified to even answer that, Bow…but…I guess the most I can say is…one of the reasons we're so secretive is that…well…we sometimes conduct experiments on people. Not dangerous experiments, per se, because, most of the time, the people willingly volunteer to be experimented on," he revealed, driving his car out of the garage. Spike and Bow made an uncomfortable expression.

"Experiments on people? Wow…sounds super sci-fi…and shady," Spike said.

"I must agree, though some of the things I've seen from said experiments are pretty fascinating. For example, take a simple mushroom. When eaten, the ingredients of a mushroom react differently depending on which species consume it. For humans, the reaction is out of this world. It pretty much gives them superhuman abilities, like for example, being able to jump higher than usual, run fast for longer periods, lift very heavy things, etc. This explains why Mario becomes pretty powerful whenever he eats a mushroom, and same with other humans who have eaten mushrooms before and gone on quests like Luigi and Peach," Arfur went further into detail as he drove out into the city streets. The three looked at the rubble on the streets in despair, also noting how it seemed like the entire city was abandoned.

"I see. Pretty interesting stuff! Any chance you guys have created some kind of robot that can quickly clean up these streets?" Bow half-jokingly asked.

"Wait a second here, how do you know that mushrooms react differently with humans than with other species? The only way you would know that is if you…did experiments on Mario? Right?" Spike pointed out.

Arfur gave him a side eye of concern. Awkward silence ensued for a whole minute.

"…I think we should drop this topic. Look, we're getting on the freeway now. That was easier to get out than I thought it would be," he nervously spoke.

"No, I don't wanna drop this! This is getting to be very suspicious! Tell me, Arfur, have you guys experimented on Mario before, involuntarily!?" Spike demanded to know now. Bow became nervous too.

Arfur sighed in frustration. "The information that I'll tell you does NOT leave this car, understand!?"

Spike nodded, also becoming nervous at that statement. He started to think that maybe it was better to drop it.

"Y-Yes, I understand…but…this is starting to sound kind of creepy now…" Bow commented.

"When Mario first came into our world, saved Princess Peach, and defeated King Bowser Koopa, our entire world was astonished by his efforts, especially Mushroom Corporations. The company was so fascinated by this human being who managed to do what no one in this world could possibly even think of. The company had to know about Mario, about who he was, how he got here, how he was able to do the things he did. So, Mushroom Corporations spied on him for some time. The company wanted to know more about him, they wanted to see how useful of an asset he could be, not to just for the whole world, but to also our organization. So, as time went by, he managed to defeat King Bowser Koopa many more times, along with saving the princess, and even saving the world.

That was the final price. We had to get him in to our organization no matter what. Our levels of interest were completely maxed out. So, three years ago, someone from the company snuck into his house and, well, basically drugged him to make him stay asleep for a few days. They took him to our company, and they ran multiple tests and experiments on him. The results they found from the tests were astounding. His blood and DNA…there was something very 'off' yet incredible about it. I don't remember the exact details, but his DNA contained something that was not in the average human being's DNA. They weren't sure what to call it. A deformity? A genetic mutation? Everyone questioned it, so we did another test. They transferred some of Mario's blood to a different kind of species, to see if someone that's common in this world, would obtain the superhuman qualities that Mario has.

…They made a huge mistake. One of the worker's relatives volunteered for the experiment. It was an abnormally tall Koopa guy, with crystal-colored eyes. I think his name was Kris. Anyways, the experiment with the blood transfusion ended up in a disaster. Something completely unpredictable happened. As soon as the blood transfusion was complete, he began to violently shake and screamed uncontrollably. The workers tried to hold him down but Kris threw them all back and acted out in an incredibly violent manner. He destroyed the lab and killed a few of our employees. He went on a massive rampage and escaped our facilities. No one had any idea why the experiment went wrong. Security forces tried to track Kris down but were unsuccessful at first, so they had an arrest warrant spread for Kris throughout the country, noting his level of danger being very high. Weeks passed by and the police department in a town called Crescent Lake, located about an hour east of Mushroom City. One of the police chiefs saw a koopa that matched the description of Kris and knew it was him because of his crystal eyes, however, something was very odd about him. The chief described Kris' skin as 'dark' and 'shadowy' and he was attempting to destroy the town. Kris threw fireballs at houses that came from his hands, he moved things around with his mind, and he repeatedly stomped on the ground which caused an earthquake for the town. The police there knew he had to have delved into the black magics during his runaway, because, well, what other explanation is there for him to have done that?

Anyways, police force managed to shoot him down, though they had to bring out the big guns because he was almost indestructible. He died and was cremated almost immediately at the request of his relative that worked here. We made the news keep very quiet about this incident, only a few news stations reported about the destruction of the town, but these stations gave vague descriptions of the perpetrators such as possibly being 'town raiders'. We vowed to keep our lips sealed about the experiment to our graves. Mario's blood…it contains something that's not of this world, nor do I think it's something of his world that he came from either," Arfur explained the whole story.

Spike and Bow looked at Arfur in shock. They never expected something so dark to happen from this guy whom they thought was just your average, nice, blue-collar guy.

"My…god…THAT'S HORRIBLE! But, how could you guys just do that to Mario? Experiment on him without his permission!? That's immoral!" Bow yelled.

"If it makes matters better, I wasn't involved in that experiment at all. I just knew what happened based on documents that were written to record the experiment and word-of-mouth. I didn't agree with the capturing of Mario, but I couldn't say anything in fear of being looked down on by everyone else," Arfur said.

"Holy shit, this is pretty screwed up stuff, man. I have to ask though, did you guys do the same to Luigi, Daisy, Peach, Rosalina, DK, Waluigi, Yoshi, Birdo, Toad, Toadette, Dixie, Goombella, and Fire Bro? Why or how did you choose or get them to save us from Tatanga's castle?" Spike questioned further.

"It was in some kind of prophecy foretold by Merlon. Look, I was just following orders for that one. I have no idea why it was those 13 specifically chosen to save Mushroom City, but it was kind of an end of the world scenario, so we panicked. Well, actually, Fire Bro isn't included in that '13' because he was already with us by the time Tatanga came around so it was just those 12," Arfur got more impatient and frustrated with the constant questioning.

"Ok. Sure. Whatever. But…hold on here…one more thing…how did you guys know that Mario's blood was different from a normal human being's blood? Last I checked, the human beings in this country, let alone this planet, are an extremely tiny handful. Literally the only human beings that exist in this country are the ones that are involved with saving the world," Spike pointed out.

Arfur gave Spike a quick, dirty yet suspicious look which made the yoshi uncomfortable.

"I'm done talking about this. Please, no more discussion about this. You guys have to promise me that everything we talked about does not leave this car," Arfur demanded. His face turned red a little bit.

"I promise…" Bow answered nervously.

"Yeah…I guess I promise…" Spike answered in annoyance and crossed his arms. The remainder of the car ride was filled with more awkward silence. At least everyone had the beautiful scenery to look at on the freeway of the ocean to the left and green hills to the right, such a contrast compared to the gloomy, dank, and messy scenery of most of what's left of Mushroom City.

About an hour passed and they arrived at Moonview Airport.

"Here we are…off to some city on what may be the biggest hunch in the world…" Bow whispered to herself.

"Here, take this card. It's my debit card. The pin number is 0110. Buy the tickets with it and buy whatever else you want with it. Also, take this pre-paid phone. I only bought one so make good use of it. I put in my phone number in there so, when you get back, call me, and either me or Kylie will pick you up," Arfur said as he handed both items to Spike.

"Sweet, thanks. We don't know how long we'll be though," Spike said.

"That's fine, take all the time you need to get the answers you want. Look, I know this is a huge longshot coming from those guys, but…I can't help but get this gut feeling that you two will definitely find something there," Arfur said.

"Let's hope you're right. Thanks Arfur. Wish us luck," Bow said. The two get out and went into the main building while Arfur drove back to Mushroom City.


The gang of heroes was all amped up and ready to go to the next world. Koops and Koopie joined the group right before they were all gonna leave.

"Hey Koops! You seem to be in a very good mood," Mario noticed.

"Yeah! You guys didn't just come back from having sex, did you?" Wario asked invasively. Everyone closest to him looked at him in either disgust or confusion.

"Uhh…no. Not at all. I just got off the phone with my dad actually! I told him everything that was happening and he was beyond happy to hear that I was alive and okay. I really needed to hear my dad's voice again, he really filled me with the courage to keep going on with this adventure," Koops spoke, getting a little emotional again.

"That's great! I'm happy for you, Koops! How is he holding up?" Mario asked.

"He's hanging on, but I think after talking to him, he's in a better place. I told him I'm on another adventure with you and my friends saving the world, and he knew I'd be okay because he trusted you to get the job done, after seeing what happened with The Thousand Year Door," Koops answered.

"Aww, that's awesome! Well, guess I'm gonna have to say thank you to him after this is overwith!" Mario heartily laughed. "Very glad to hear he's doing well."

"Definitely! However, we should also be thanking Kooper over there! He told Arfur of how Koops really wanted to talk his dad, and made Kooper pretty much made it happen!" Koopie said.

"Huh? I heard my name being called. What's up?" Kooper asked, walking over to the group.

"Kooper, thank you so much for getting me to talk to my dad. It meant the world to me. You're a true friend!" Koops joyfully spoke and gave him a hug. Kooper smiled brightly and hugged him back.

"You're very welcome. Being on this journey made me really think about how I treat others and how it's no fun being a nuisance to people. I really wanna help people now more than ever," Kooper said with radiating confidence.

"Yes, THANK YOU. And I'm happy to hear that after everything," Koopie said somewhat cryptically. Kooper's smile quickly faded, remembering what they both had done.

"Alright guys! If you're all ready to head out now, proceed to the arwing room and I'll direct you to the portal where the next gem will be. For those of you who remember from last night, the sixth gem is located somewhere in the Mystic Ruins in Sonic the Hedgehog's world," Kylie spoke. Everyone nodded and quickly headed off to the room.

"Hey Bowser! I couldn't help but, like, notice dark circles under your eyes. Everything okay? Get enough sleep?" Goombella asked.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it. I'm just ready to get this shit overwith," Bowser bluntly replied.

"It's just family drama, Goombella. We'll take care of it as always," Kammy added with equal bluntness.

And so, the gang blasted off in their arwings to the next world, being more prepared for anything that could come at them. However, little did they know that the some of the drama and chaos would be coming from their own group…

Meanwhile, Tatanga saw the group through his orb on the Scepter rod.

"Getting a huge boost of confidence after that battle, I see? Well…whatever. From now on, I must focus all my efforts in getting my weapon done. No more playing around with them until it's finished, and I will not sleep until it's finished either!" the alien yelled in determination, taking yet another Genso pill. He had dark circles beginning to form around his eyes and seemed tenser than ever.

EOC.

Next chapter will begin the next arc! Woohoo! I am EXTREMELY excited to write it because this arc will be much longer than the others, this arc will be 100 times darker than the previous arcs, every single character will go through some kind of hell, the Sonic characters will be making frequent appearances, and there will be at least one character in the hero group who will die by the end of the arc. Stay tuned!