Mario, Luigi, Banjo, and Kazooie were having a late lunch out on the first floor patio, discussing their respective adventures and lives.
"…And then Grunty comes back AGAIN for a third time so we have to do another crazy and random-filled adventure that involves those jigsaw pieces but we had to do it with cars and other pieces of machine contraptions this time. Not fun stuff, though, the adventures were a great way for me to lose weight so I suppose I can't complain too much!" Banjo heartily laughed.
"Yeah, only for you to gain it all back again a week later!" Kazooie barked. The brothers giggled at her while Banjo shot her a death glare.
"Wow! Three huge adventures defeating that enormous witch. Geez, that woman really had it out for you guys, huh? Remind you of someone, Mario?" Luigi asked teasingly. Mario playfully rolled his eyes.
"Eh, it's whatever. Grunty will probably, somehow, come back again sooner or later through mystical or demonic ways and we'll be doing the whole platformer adventuring conquest for justice and righteousness yet again. What about you guys? How many adventures have you guys been on now, 75?" Kazooie asked somewhat jokingly.
"Hell…it FEELS like it's 75 at this point. I do wonder though, what happened to your sister, Tooty? You guys didn't mention her at all when you were talking about the second and third adventures," Mario asked.
"Oh! Right. After I saved my sister from Grunty, Tooty got paranoid about being captured again and went to go live with my parents in my hometown called Grasslands, about an hour from Spiral Mountain. Of course, I found out after she literally packed her things overnight and went off, so that got me a panic attack…" Banjo explained.
"Yeah, I still can't believe she did that! When we couldn't find her, we told our friend, Mumbo, and asked him to look around. He put up some missing posters all over the place of Tooty pretty quickly. It wasn't until way later on when Banjo decided to call his parents and they told him Tooty was staying there from now on and they got into a 24 minute heated argument about it. Ha! Banjo got so upset that he threw the telephone into the fireplace and burned it down! Teeheehee!" Kazooie reminisced and laughed.
Banjo blushed in embarrassment. "Err…yeah…I don't have a very good relationship with my parents…that's another long story. And really, Kazooie? 24 minutes? How the heck do you remember the exact amount of time of the argument?"
"It's okay, you don't need to explain it. But wow! I guess that clears some things up. But, your place…Spiral Mountain…I've never visited there myself, but I've seen it, and it seems really peaceful and isolated. Such a nice contrast to where we live…" Mario said then began to look deep in thought.
"Yeah, that's why I moved there. My hometown, Grasslands, was a very cramped and busy town and I just grew tired of it so I paid for a few people to build me a house in Spiral Mountain and I moved myself, Kazooie, and Tooty in there because I was also desperate to get out of my parents' house. Tooty wanted to try living away from mom and dad for a while and see how it went, but obviously, that didn't work out for too long," Banjo added.
"Mario, bro, you're not thinking of…m-moving there, are you?" Luigi asked in suspicion.
Mario shrugged. "Maybe. It's the perfect getaway from our crazy lives in our own world. No more dealing with a hundred villains and looming apocalypses. No more worrying about Bowser coming to kidnap Peach. Just…peace and quiet. I could build a house there…perhaps more. You, me, Peach, and Daisy could live in them, and anyone else who would want to join. It seems ideal."
Banjo smiled at his growing excitement. "Yeah! You could be our neighbors! And trust me, you'll love it. Nothing but pure serenity."
"Yes, please consider it, because it gets boring dealing with only this fuzzhead every single day!" Kazooie cackled.
"Do you want me to throw away all the birdseed in the house?" Banjo threatened.
"Uhh…gee, Mario, this is a little too sudden. Um…let's just discuss this later, okay? Err, Banjo! Kazooie! So, I don't think you two ever told us how or why you guys showed up in the Mushroom Kingdom," Luigi pointed out. The pair looked at him intensely.
"Oh! Right! Us showing up in your world at the worst time possible, heh heh, yeah…woo, that's a story to tell years from now, huh?" Banjo nervously laughed.
Mario raised a brow. "I suppose. So...?"
"We wanted to take a tour of the Mushroom Kingdom. We found a way to get to your world so we decided to get out of the house for once and check your place out because we've never been there before. Very gorgeous and colorful world, I must say! Those mushrooms on those Toads' head look very appetizing too!" Kazooie quickly explained. Banjo immediately nodded in agreement.
"Yes, yes! And you guys are more than welcome to come to our world and even spend the night at my place, just to get a feel for it, you know?" Banjo offered.
Mario slowly nodded while Luigi smiled but it quickly faded. The brothers looked at each other then back at the pair.
"Uh huh. I see. Sorry that you came at the worst time. I promise, despite what you've seen and heard, the Mushroom Kingdom is not like that every day!" Luigi snickered.
"No worries, we understand that. But, we really wanted just an excuse to have a mini-vacation and we thought your place would be perfect to do so. That's pretty much it," Banjo reaffirmed.
"Okie dokie. Also, I may just take up on the offer to visit your place too," Mario said.
"Cool! By the way, you're both boyfriends of those princesses, huh? When are you all getting married?" Kazooie asked. The brothers blushed in response.
Later on, almost everyone regrouped back in the lobby seating area.
"We all here? What's the big emergency again?" Wendy asked.
"Wait…hold on…we're missing a few people. Where are Rosalina, Waluigi, and Goombella?" Daisy pointed out.
"I don't know where Goombella is, but for Rosalina and Waluigi…we shouldn't bother them right now. Trust me on this," Wario answered and gave a wink. Everyone looked at him confusedly.
"Uhh…why, exactly?" Koopie asked in worry.
"Like I said, just trust me, okay? We shouldn't bother them at this time. I'll explain later, but please, let's continue this meeting," Wario urged.
Daisy still had a look of uneasiness on her face. "Uhh, if you say so I guess? So, has no one seen Goombella then?"
"We tried looking all over for her, but no luck. No one has a clue where she went off to!" Flurrie said.
"I highly doubt she left the hotel all by herself. Ugh, I got kind of a bad feeling about this, you guys…" Parakarry gulped.
"We'll try searching for her later. Or, we can even ask Vector to check the security cameras to find her. But for now, let's get this meeting overwith. So, myself, Peach, Mona, and Birdo saw Blaze the Cat earlier, one of Sonic's friends. We tried getting information out of her about the wedding and whatnot, but…something happened. She said she knew nothing that we already knew and freaked out a little. She got into her car and drove off. But…when the four of us were talking about Blaze, all of a sudden, she comes back our direction, driving full speed and almost hits us! It's safe to say that she's on…uhh…the evil side, I guess? Not really sure what to call it, but we can confirm that she isn't to be trusted," Daisy told the story. Shocked expressions from everyone else were made.
"But that's not all of it! As I jumped out of the way, I banged my arm real bad against one of the cars. Hurts like a bitch! I can't believe she tried to kill us!" Mona exclaimed, holding her right arm with her left hand.
"Good god, that's horrible! Wow…these guys are definitely not playing around here, are they?" Diddy asked.
"Absolutely not. We're dealing with pure and vicious psychopaths here and I have more proof of that," DK spoke and everyone turned to him. "Right after I got settled into my room, Rouge the Bat visited me. Right from the start, I knew something was very off. She started taunting me and provoking me, and, well, eventually…we got into a huge fight. A physical fight. I'm not that much hurt, thankfully. I ended up throwing up her out the window, but when I looked out, there was no body on the ground so I'm assuming she flew away."
More shocked expressions from the others were seen.
"Holy…this is crazy! Why are these guys trying to hurt us!? What exactly are they planning!?" Toad screeched.
"I don't think any of us know, but my gut is telling me it's something very catastrophic…" Goombario replied.
"Wait, you guys, it happened to Pauline and I as well!" Vivian shouted, bringing attention to her. "We went out for a stroll through the city and decided to stop at a shop just to look around and kill time. All of a sudden, Charmy Bee comes out of nowhere and tries to pick a fight with us! He provoked the both us and…um…but Pauline totally destroyed him! Yeah, I thought Charmy was going to kill me right then and there, but Pauline saved me and beat him down. He managed to get away still, but if it weren't for her, I'd probably be dead by now," Vivian embellished the story, which made Pauline give her a confused look.
"Wow! Way to go, Pauline! Great job with the ass kicking!" Kooper cheered.
"Yeah, seriously, that was really brave of you to do that for Vivian!" Luigi added.
"Are you alright though? Your leg is bleeding and bruised!" Jojora pointed out.
"I'm fine. I asked Sally for a first aid kit right before we all got here. I can still walk fine and the pain isn't that bad right now," Pauline answered.
"And here I am! Here you go, Pauline," Sally spoke, handing her the first aid kit. "So, I couldn't help but overhear pretty much everything…so it's true…more of my friends have definitely gone psycho, huh?"
"I don't know if that's the correct way to put it, Sally. Something is inside them that has turned them to, practically, evil monsters. We just don't know what it is yet," Mario answered.
"And if more of Sonic's friends have 'turned' than we thought…then that means the only 'normal' ones left are you, Tails, and Vector," Dixie said.
"Doesn't Sonic have more friends than that, though? Like…uhh…Shadow?" Larry asked.
"Yes, there's Shadow and Silver. I'm trying to think of who else he hangs out with frequently…perhaps Cream the Rabbit, but I'm really drawing a blank on other names," Sally said.
"At least we know who to look out for now, should we ever run into those guys," Koops said.
"God, this is still too much to take in. The wedding and my friends…just what in the world is going on here?" Sally asked in distress.
"Don't worry, we'll figure all of this out, we always do! That's our job. Leave all the hard work to us, okay?" Yoshi reassured.
"We promise that we'll find some answers, Sally. We won't let you down," Koopie said.
"Wait…I just realized something…DK, Pauline, and Vivian, when you guys were, uhh, 'facing off' against Rouge and Charmy, did you notice their eyes? Were they bloodshot?" Daisy asked.
"Yes, Rouge's were," DK answered.
"And so were Charmy's. Why?" Pauline asked.
Daisy widened her eyes. "What…well…Blaze's eyes weren't bloodshot, like, at all. I thought that was the indicator that they were 'evil' but I guess not…very odd…"
"Okay, this is making less sense now. So, all my friends who are now, erm, evil, have bloodshot eyes except for Blaze? How does that work?" Sally asked in confusion.
"I have no idea. We all thought she was completely normal when we were talking to her, then THAT happened…" Birdo said.
"OOF!" Kammy squealed, falling to the floor.
"WOAH! You okay, Kammy!? What's wrong!?" Wendy shrieked.
"Ugh…I don't know…I feel weak all of a sudden…I feel drained…" Kammy spoke tiredly and began to sweat.
"What the hell? Could it have been one of them? Are they using magic on Kammy!?" Lakilulu shrieked.
"And the mystery deepens…" Parakarry commented.
"Here, I'll take you back to the room, Kammy. Is this meeting done? What are we gonna do about Goombella?" Bowser asked, picking up Kammy.
"Sally, can you ask Vector to check all the security cams and look for her? She's a pink goomba with blonde hair that wears an explorer's hat, very easy to pick out," Mario requested.
"Of course, I'll get right on it!" Sally nodded and went off to the security room.
"As for the rest of us, let's continue searching the hotel for Goombella. She may have just fallen asleep in one of the rooms, or perhaps gotten lost in the city. Some of us should go out into the city and look for her," Daisy ordered.
"You really think she would've wandered out into the city?" Vivian asked in worry.
"I'm leaning towards no, but we have to be absolutely sure that she's safe. I'd really rather not think of what else could've happened to her…" Daisy sighed.
"You mean…her being taken away from those guys…or…or possibly…" Toadette stopped herself and closed her eyes in fear.
Sally ran back to the group. "Okay, notified Vector about Goombella. Anything else?"
"Wait! I just got an idea. Sally, do you think Doctor Eggman could be behind this?" Toad asked.
"Oh! Of course, Doctor Eggman! He's usually behind all the shit that happens here, so it has to be him, right?" Mona asked.
Sally's face turned into worry. "No. It can't be him. Eggman is dead, you guys."
Everyone almost jumped at that shocking comment.
"What? Dead!? How!? Why!? WHEN!?" Wario gasped.
"He died of a brain aneurysm, according to the local authorities. A couple of runners found his body in the forest near here, Evergreen Forest. This happened a few weeks ago. My friends and I went to his funeral just to see if it was a joke, but it wasn't. It was real. His body was there…lifeless…" Sally explained.
"WOW! I don't believe it! Of all the things to kill him though…a brain aneurysm? I know he was a horrible person and all, but that's just a sudden and terrifying way to go…" Kazooie shivered.
"Wow…dead…well, at least after this is all overwith, you all can permanently live in peace now," Yoshi said.
"Are you positive he's dead though? Like, ACTUALLY dead? This is Eggman we're talking about. Any chance he could've faked his death somehow?" Mario asked.
Sally shrugged. "Not a clue. Don't know how he would do it. I don't know him as well as the others do. Anyways, I gotta get back to the desk. You all should look for your friend, Goombella, while it's not too late in the night." She then left. The group started talking and gossiping in worry amongst each other except for Mona who followed Sally.
"So…uhh…how exactly do we begin this search for Goombella then?" Jojora asked.
"Let's wait around here for a bit to see what Vector finds on the camera, then we will go from there. If Goombella is shown on camera, then we could track her down in the last location she was in," Mario proposed. Everyone else nodded to this agreement except for Bowser.
"Kammy looks bad, so I'm gonna take her to the room and watch over her for a bit. Let me know when you guys find Goombella. I'm in room 322," Bowser stated and helped Kammy over to the elevator with the kids.
Meanwhile, Mona caught up to Sally. "Hey Sally! I have to ask you something, do you have any kind of pain reliever medication on you? I would ask Kammy to use some kind of magic healing on me but that thing that just happened with her makes me think she might not be up for it…" she asked.
"You mean for your arm? It hurts that bad?" Sally asked uncomfortably.
"No shit it does! I haven't been in this much pain in so long! Ugh, please, Sally, if you have something, please let me take it. I won't be able to sleep tonight with how much it hurts right now," Mona pleaded.
"Okay okay! Here, follow me," Sally gave in and led her to a supply closet. She handed Mona a pill bottled titled 'Jiben.'
"Take 3 now and another 3 right before you go to sleep. It's a somewhat stronger version of Ibuprofen, but it'll make you tired more easily," Sally said.
"Sweet, thanks Sal! Wait a second…what about that pill bottle over there?" Mona pointed to another one labeled 'Quick.'
"Oh! That one…um…yeah…you don't wanna take that one, trust me…" Sally immediately became nervous.
"What? Why?" Mona asked as she snatched the pill bottle.
"Because…um…it has wild effects. I bought this a while back from the black market because I was convinced that these pills have incredibly quick healing power and I wanted to give it to my friends whenever they were fighting against the guys and needed a quick healing. I tested it myself after having sprained my ankle one day and it actually worked! My ankle felt completely fine within a couple hours. But, the thing is…the side-effects were completely crazy and scary. I was having vivid hallucinations, nightmares, and my body felt like it was burning up inside. My vision also became blurry at times and it was hard to breathe too. I-I really thought I was going to die at a point there! I wouldn't want anyone else to go through that…so, I kept the bottle in case of emergencies but I haven't used it since and you shouldn't either!" Sally warned.
"But this IS an emergency though! If I'm gonna fight those bitches soon, then I'm gonna need full power! I can handle a few weird side effects!" Mona pouted.
"WHAT!? Did you not just hear anything that I told you!? It's dangerous, Mona! I'm positive that if you take the Jiben pills now, it'll be fully healed by the wedding!" Sally exclaimed in fear.
"Anything disastrous could happen at anytime between now and then. If these pills work as quick as you say they do, then I'm gonna need them. I'll handle the side effects," Mona tried her hardest to sway Sally and even herself.
"But…oh…fine, whatever then. Take one pill right now then. But…don't say that I didn't warn you," Sally cryptically spoke. Mona popped one of the Quick pills into her mouth.
"Why are we going to the computer room, again? Shouldn't we stay in the lobby with the others?" Parakarry asked.
"Because I think that's the only place we haven't checked for Goombella in the hotel. Plus, she's a braniac, ergo, it makes sense that she'd be using the computers! Also, this will kill some time," Bombette answered excitedly.
"What? Geez, talk about being super black-and-white. So, by that logic, since I'm a mailman then that clearly means all I do is deliver and read mail in my day to day life, right?" Parakarry snarled.
"Don't you? I mean, I remember you telling me that you work 6 days a week and spend your one day off reading fanmail from people all over the world!" Bombette recalled.
Parakarry sighed in defeat. "…You're right. I live a very bland life."
The two entered the computer room, but there was no sign of Goombella nor anyone else at all.
"Welp, she's not here either. Guess that's out the window…" Parakarry sighed again.
"Wait, hold on, this gives me an idea…" Bombette spoke as she headed to one of the computers.
"Huh? What are you doing, Bombette?" Parakarry asked.
"Remember that story Sally told us earlier, the one about the missing raccoon boy, I think his name was Vanko? And that old lady was freaking out about him, saying he was in the basement and in her room? I'm curious to check out the story of that…" Bombette said as she began typing into the Google search engine.
"Uhh, so? This has nothing to do with Goombella, Bombette! This is just a waste of time!" Parakarry exclaimed.
"Well, Parakarry, it got me thinking…what if that old lady actually wasn't crazy? What if Goombella wandered into the basement and got attacked by that raccoon boy and is being held captive there, or possibly worse?" Bombette looked to the mailman in suspicion.
"No! No no no! You heard Sally, the basement has been checked multiple times and they have found no one down there! Bombette, you are going off on a very, VERY flimsy story right now. There's literally no point in doing all of this," Parakarry shouted while shaking his head.
"You really think that? Well, it's just that, what happened with that old lady really reminded of those horror movies where someone is convinced that said monster or serial killer exists and no one believes them until, BOOM! The monster or killer shows up and slices everyone one by one and the person was right all along," Bombette explained her reasoning.
"Err, okay? But this isn't a horror movie! I honestly think that lady is schizophrenic and you're taking this way too far," Parakarry objected.
"Holy crap! Look at all these articles here…the missing teenage raccoon boy named Vanko. Look at this one from a week ago, it says that Vanko Rumirzo, age 18, reportedly ran away from home last week after getting into a horrible dispute with his father, Vesper Rumirzo, age 40. The father says that he and his son got into a very heated argument over things regarding his job and his deceased wife. Vesper Rumirzo states that he feels awful about the things that were said in the argument and that he just wants his son back more than anything in the world and that he's deeply sorry for making him run away. Vanko Rumirzo was reportedly last seen in the area around Clearwater Hotel by a couple of eyewitnesses right before midnight, the exact same day his father said he ran away. The police have searched thoroughly in that area, but no luck as of yet," Bombette read from the article outloud.
"Wow! Ok then…so, um…alright, if this Vanko is still alive, then why would he be in the basement of this hotel? Why there out of all the places to run away to?" Parakarry questioned.
"I'm not sure. Maybe it's the perfect hiding spot for him. But, now I'm more curious than ever to check out that basement. If Goombella went into there and if Vanko is also in there…she might be in grave danger…if she's still alive, of course…" Bombette said with a shiver.
"Don't say that. Please don't say that. We have to have hope that she's still alive, no matter where she is!" Parakarry cried.
"I know, you're right. I'm sorry. There's just a lot of 'what ifs' going around in my head right now…" Bombette said as she began to walk back out into the hallway.
"So, what do you wanna do then? Do you wanna try to check out the basement right now?" Parakarry asked.
Bombette paused for a minute, deep in thought. "…No. Let's wait for Vector to give us an answer on what he found from the security cameras. We can ask him if he saw Goombella enter the basement at any time today."
Vivian was helping Pauline to her bed in her room.
"Really, Viv, you didn't have to walk me here, my leg isn't hurting that much anymore," Pauline insisted.
"I know, but, I just wanted to be absolutely sure you were fine. Not just physically but also…the other stuff, you know?" Vivian said.
"If you're implying that my feelings were hurt from what Charmy said, then you'd be dead wrong!" Pauline smirked and giggled. "But, thanks for your help. I just need to lie down for a bit and need more quiet, I couldn't do it in the lobby. It does make me wonder though…what about you? Is everything okay with you from what happened earlier?"
"Oh…" Vivian muttered and looked to the ground. "I won't lie, what he said did bother me a bit. It all sounded similar to what my sisters have been yelling at me for all my life. I'm practically used to it by now so that's why I'm not even close to crying, but…it still hurts inside."
"Don't let it get to you. None of it was true. He only said that to break you down and make you defenseless. Trust me, I know, I've had my fair share of being 'evil,'" Pauline stated.
"You're right. I can't let that get to me, but it's hard, possibly one of the hardest things to do in this life…" Vivian sighed and sat on the bed.
"I have to ask you something, Viv…you totally embellished that story of us fighting Charmy. It wasn't all me that fought Charmy, you know. Why did you do that?" Pauline asked.
Vivian looked to her and smiled. "Because I wanted everyone in the group to know that you really have changed. You seem so genuine now compared to before, almost like a completely different person. What I did was so everyone could see the real you and let go of the previous image they had of you."
Pauline looked at her in both surprise and joy. "Wow…Viv…no one has ever done something so kind to me before. Thank you…from the bottom of my heart."
Bowser brought Kammy to his room and laid her on his bed with the kids tagging along.
"Kammy…this sudden…whatever the fuck this is, is it a spell casted on you?" Bowser asked.
"It…it has to be…no other explanation…has to be one of those bastards, one of them knows how to do magic," Kammy said between pants.
"Great. More magic to fight against. That's always fun," Wendy groaned in sarcasm.
"Kammy, can I do anything to help!? I still have Rosalina's magic powers copied into me. What spell should I use?" Larry frantically asked.
"Ugh…I…can't remember the healing spell…ergh…one of you go find Rosalina and tell her to come here so she can heal me…" Kammy pleaded.
"I'll try to find her. Anything else we should do?" Bowser Jr. said.
"You two, Wendy and Larry, go back to the others in the lobby. I'll stay in here and watch over her. Now!" Bowser demanded. The kids quickly nodded and scurried off.
"Th-thanks…really appreciate it…" Kammy said in gratitude.
"No problem. By the way, where's your wand?" Bowser asked.
"It got destroyed in that fight against Tatanga and his gang of dipshits. However, I always carry a backup wand just in case stuff like that happens…but I don't know where it went. I either lost it here or at the hospital…" Kammy explained.
"I see…" Bowser became nervous at the thought of someone stealing her backup wand and doing all kinds of magic with it. Bowser walked around the room, thinking, but suddenly stopped when he saw a beautiful portrait of a sunset beach. He stared at it intensely, reminding him of a special time, very long ago…
FLASHBACK
Bowser and his wife, Clawdia Koopa, were relaxing and laying on the sands of Gelato Beach. A gorgeous sunset loomed before them as the waves calmly crashed onto the shore.
"Ahhh…this is the most perfect way to celebrate our first wedding anniversary, is it not, dear? Just you and me on the beach, getting away from the hustle and bustle of Mushroom City for once, and being together forever…pure paradise!" Bowser said cheerfully, keeping on a bright smile and soaking up the sun.
"Yeah…paradise…just the way I've always envisioned things to be…" Clawdia replied with a hint of worry.
"Something wrong, dear? Want me to get you more wine?" Bowser asked.
"No no. It's not that, it's just…um…the kids. I hope they're alright," Clawdia said, drinking more of her wine.
"Why wouldn't they be alright? We've got Kammy looking after them! As cranky as she is sometimes, she's very good at being, practically, our caretaker. Besides, half of them are just babies, so it's not like they're gonna cause havoc or anything. As for Ludwig, Lemmy, and Roy, they usually just keep to themselves in their own rooms," Bowser scoffed heartily.
"I suppose you're right. I have to ask you, Bowser…do you want more kids? I know we both wanted a lot so we can keep alive the royal Koopa lineage for many generations, but, should we stop now? What is it that you want?" Clawdia asked.
Bowser looked at her with confusion and content. "How come you're asking that? Well…7 is a good number to stop at, I suppose. There's a reason why they call it 'lucky 7'!"
"I ask because I just found out that I was pregnant yesterday, honey. I wanted to surprise you for our anniversary today," Clawdia revealed and looked to him almost without emotion. Bowser didn't take too much notice of her expressionless face as he immediately became excited.
"Oh! Wow…this is…this is great! Okay! I…I guess we should've had this talk before, but…this is okay! It's doable! I'll gladly welcome an 8th child to the family!" the koopa king cheered.
"What should we call our kid this time?"
"If it's a girl…Katia. If it's a boy…Bowser Jr. It's definitely time for a junior to enter the family."
FAST FORWARD ONE YEAR LATER…
"I don't believe this, Clawdia! I DON'T FUCKING BELIEVE THIS!" Bowser raged and kicked down a chair from the dining table. The setting was at his castle this time. "HOW COULD YOU CHEAT ON ME AND LIE ABOUT IT FOR ALL THESE FUCKING YEARS!? I HAVE BEEN NOTHING BUT FAITHFUL AND LOYAL TO YOU!"
"I…I'm sorry, Bowser…I was just too deep into the marriage and I tried to keep it hidden deep down so it wouldn't ruin everything, but…it was killing me inside. I couldn't keep it in forever," Clawdia sobbed.
"Oh, and that's supposed to make it fucking okay!? Keeping it a secret for all these years!? THIS WHOLE FUCKING MARRIAGE AND RELATIONSHIP WAS A FUCKING WASTE OF TIME, CLAWDIA! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME AND OUR KIDS!? WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO THINK ONCE THEY KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE!?" Bowser screamed even louder and got red all over his face.
Clawdia continued to look at the ground and sobbed. She was terrified to look at Bowser. "I-I'm sorry…for everything…I'm such a fool…"
Bowser tried to calm himself down. "Clawdia…look at me. Look me in the eyes and say that you love me. Y-you do love me, right? If you do, then…how could you do all of this?"
Clawdia slowly looked up to Bowser. She was frightened by his red face and watery eyes. He looked like a disaster. She was horrified by what she had done to him.
"I…I do love you, Bowser…and the kids…" she finally spoke.
Bowser wiped his eyes and took in a deep breath. "Okay…so…please…give me something. Just tell me one reason why you would do this, after so many years of being together. It makes everything that we've worked for and accomplished together completely pointless!"
"Because…Bowser…I…I'm not IN love with you…"
Bowser felt his heart drop at that statement. He wanted to die at that second. He couldn't believe something so painful and tragic was happening to him.
"Wha-what!? But…how!? Why!? When did this happen!? All those times you told me you loved me…were they lies!? WERE YOU EVER EVEN IN LOVE WITH ME AT ALL!?"
Clawdia looked away and dried her eyes with a tissue from the dining table. She was scared to answer any further.
"…You're in love with him, aren't you?" Bowser spoke. Clawdia looked back at him in realization of what he had figured out.
"…Yes. I have been for a long time…"
It was one hurtful sentence after another that shot Bowser in the heart. He cried even more and fell to his knees. He was finding it harder to breathe. More than anything in the world, he wanted the pain to stop. It was so overbearing that it felt like the pain was going to kill him at any second.
"Y-y-y-you…I don't know you anymore…wh-who are you? Who am I?" Bowser questioned to her and himself, wondering deep down if he screwed up somewhere along the line that may have caused this to happen.
Clawdia didn't respond. She stood there, still staring at the ground again and was sobbing a little less.
Bowser tried to stand back up but he just fell back to his knees. He looked at Clawdia in pure agony and hurt.
"Get out."
Clawdia heard those words and looked at him immediately.
"Get out of this castle. Never come near me nor my kids again. I never wanna see your face again. Ever. Leave," he quietly demanded.
Clawdia wanted to say something, but she knew, at that point, anything would set him off. She left to go pack her things. Bowser let the rest of his body fall to the floor as he cried harder than before, watching his entire world fall down around him and forever changing him.
END FLASHBACK
Bowser sat down on the floor as a tear rolled down his cheek, remembering that godawful time. He hadn't visited that memory in such a long time, and now he remembers why. The pain, even just from the memory, was incredibly hard to bear. It was the first time in his life where he had been hurt so incredibly bad.
However, it also made him think of another memory…
FLASHBACK TO THREE YEARS AGO…
Bowser was seen at a lake on a board walk, dragging a big bag with him. As soon as he reached the end of the board walk, he started taking out each item from the bag, one by one, smashed them against the railing, and threw them into the lake.
They were all items that reminded Bowser of his ex-wife, Clawdia. Things that Bowser destroyed consisted mostly of framed pictures that they took together years ago, some of them just the pair, and some others them and the kids. He let out a roar everytime he smashed a picture against the railing, releasing his pent up rage. He then got out a gorgeous, emerald vase that Clawdia bought for him for their first anniversary of being together. He was hesitant on destroying such a beautiful thing, but he knew he had to do it, because everytime he looked at it, he would be reminded of Clawdia. He smashed the vase against the railing and saw all the little emerald shards fall into the water and sink. He threw the rest of the vase into the water and that was finally it. Bowser let out a deep exhale and smiled. He looked to the night sky and felt free for once in so many years. He finally felt alive again.
"Whew…wow…this feels actually…pretty amazing. I can't believe I held on to that stuff for so many years. I was such a fool to ever think she'd come back into my life. But, if she does…then I'm not letting her," Bowser said to himself. He felt incredibly empowered in that moment. He turned around to start heading back home but almost jumped when he saw a black-hooded figure standing a few feet away from him.
"Oh! Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you! I just saw you at the end of the boardwalk and was wondering if everything was alright? I saw you smash those things and throw them into the lake," the figure spoke.
"Uhh…yeah, everything is just peachy. But, hey, kid, don't tell anyone you saw me here, okay? Don't need any more drama happening in my life," Bowser said.
"I'm not a kid! Just because I'm short doesn't mean I'm a kid!" the figure snapped.
Bowser rolled his eyes. "Whatever! Just keep this a secret, okay? Now, if you'll excuse me, I gotta get back home!"
"It's not whatever! Seriously…after all that I've done and you people still see me as a kid…this is ridiculous…" the figure ranted to himself.
"Wow. Issues, much? Sounds like you need a therapist!" Bowser growled.
"Says the guy who kidnaps Princess Peach over and over again for no good reason all because he has a stupid fetish for her! Seriously, if it didn't work the first time, it's not gonna work the 50th time!" the figure yelled.
"Oh, you've gotta be FUCKING kidding me! Listen here you little piece of shit, I'm giving you one chance to fuck off back to whatever kind of shithole you came from. Tonight is DEFINITELY not the night to piss me off," Bowser threatened.
"Heh. You underestimate me, Bowser. I'm not scared of you. You're a joke in the villain world. You really need to quit while you're at it."
"In the villain world!? What the fuck!? Are you a villain yourself!?"
"Yes, I am. I've had my fair share of kidnapping a princess too, you know! However, I've actually learned my lesson, unlike you, and am planning something far bigger than you could ever imagine."
Bowser stepped back a bit and got a little nervous. "…Who the hell are you?"
"I gotta go now. See you around, Bowser!"
The figure then ran off. Bowser saw him hop into the passenger's side of a black car and then the car immediately drove off.
END FLASHBACK
Looking back at that memory made Bowser realize something.
Knock knock knock!
"Oh! Uhh, coming!" Bowser yelled as he stood up and rushed over to the door. He opened it and saw a bit surprised to see who it was.
"Hey Bowser! I just wanted to check to make sure Kammy was okay," Peach nicely said.
"Oh! Yeah, she's fine. She's just resting now. Thanks for coming by…" Bowser replied. He quickly realized his eyes were still watery and hope Peach wouldn't notice.
"Of course. I know we're obviously not the closest people ever, but I do care about what happens to you guys," Peach said with such a sweet tone that it made Bowser want to cry a little more. He felt that he didn't deserve such kindness.
"Right. Gotcha. I…I care about what happens to you too…a-all of you…" he shyly revealed.
"Bowser…is something else bothering you? Is it your other kids back at the hospital? I heard things got kind rough when we got back from Rusty Bucket Bay…" Peach noticed.
Bowser sighed and wiped his eyes with his arm. "It's a couple of things. Can I talk to you about them?"
"Of course you can. I'm a good listener."
Bowser and Peach talked in the bathroom. Bowser told the whole story of him and Clawdia, then the one about him meeting the figure on the boardwalk.
"My god…Bowser…I had no idea you went through such pain…I can't believe she did that to you!" Peach gasped.
"Even to this day, I still can't believe that all happened. She threw all that on me at once and expected me to just understand it completely. I don't think I've been the same since then. Never had a new love enter my life. Clawdia was the only woman I've ever loved, the only woman I've ever been with…it was impossible for me to imagine a life without her. The thing is, for so long after that, a part of me wanted her to come back. A part of me wanted to give her a second chance and have us be a complete family again…" Bowser sniffled.
"That's understandable. It's hard being apart from someone when you've been with them for so many years. But, since she hurt you that bad, then that means she isn't the one for you. If she was your soulmate, she wouldn't have betrayed you and cause you to have a total meltdown."
"No, I know that. I get it now. I've just been holding on to that pain for so many years…I just wish that I had let it all go sooner…"
"At least you finally did."
There was a long pause between the two. Peach felt a little overwhelmed by his story, never seeing this side of Bowser before.
"Bowser…" she spoke, realizing something. "…is that why you kidnap me all the time? Because…you want to replace Clawdia?"
Bowser looked at her in guilt and in surprise. She figured him out. She figured out the thing he's been burying inside of him for so long.
"Yes. You're exactly right. That, and I've just been lashing out at the world from my problems. God…I'm such a horrible person…"
"No, don't say that. You're not! Bowser, the way you opened up to me just now…if you were a horrible person, you wouldn't be doing this right now. There's a reason why you're telling me all of this!"
"My track record of kidnapping you and fucking things up in the Mushroom Kingdom says otherwise…"
"Stop. Please, just stop bringing yourself down. You're better than that. Far better."
Another long pause ensued.
"I…I'm…s…sorry Peach. For everything that I've done."
Peach smiled. "I accept your apology."
Bowser slowly looked to her. He knew she was being genuine and that made him feel warm inside.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. Now, um, the person in the lake story…you're positive it was Tatanga?"
"Absolutely. Him talking about kidnapping a princess before has to refer to him kidnapping Daisy. I have no idea why he was around there in the first place. I don't think he was stalking me…"
"Wow…what a coincidence…"
"Tatanga wasn't kidding around when he said that he had a connection with most of us in the past. He knew us before we even knew him…"
Peach made an expression of fear and slowly covered her mouth with her hand.
"I-I should get going now and see if anything was found on Goombella."
"Okay. I'll stay here and keep an eye on Kammy in case she gets worse. Thank you, Peach, for listening and understanding me."
"Anytime, Bowser. We don't have to be enemies anymore, you know. We've been through a lot and I know the real you now."
Bowser gave her the tiniest smile. Telling someone that story lifted his spirits up a little.
Peach was walking back down to the lobby when she ran into Mario, Luigi, and Daisy.
"There you are! Where did you run off to?" Luigi asked worriedly.
"Oh! Sorry, I went to go check on Kammy, and, uhh, kind of ended up talking to Bowser longer than I thought I would…" Peach awkwardly replied.
"You should've told us where you went, we were all getting worried," Mario said, grabbing Peach's hand. She gave him a guilty smile.
"I know, I'm sorry, the thought to check up on them just popped in my head and I felt like I had to go," she said.
"It's okay, we understand. So…IS everything okay with Kammy?" Daisy asked.
"Yes! She's just resting in bed right now. But, guys, I have to tell you something about Bowser…we ended up talking about his past kind of, and he told me that he also met Tatanga three years ago. He didn't know it was Tatanga when he met him in person then, but there was something that caused him to remember that memory and he's positive that it was Tatanga who he ran into!" Peach explained.
"Woah! What? That's crazy! Man…I thought I was the only one who encountered Tatanga before he decided to show himself to the world again…" Luigi said.
"What!? Hold on here, when did you meet Tatanga before?" Mario did a double take.
"Oh…right, I forgot to tell you…I told Daisy this story the night of the shootings. Remember when we were vacationing in Chai City a long time ago? I kind of got lost on the way back to the hotel and I bumped into this hooded figure…obviously, I didn't know it was Tatanga back then, but I do now because I saw his face back then and connected the dots eventually to now. Nothing bad happened, we just talked, but he seemed kind of upset…and I think someone hurt him right before I bumped into him…" Luigi explained.
"Damn, Luigi…well, I guess it isn't that important. Doesn't really help all of us in the end, does it?" Mario questioned.
"Just curious, what caused him to remember that, Peach?" Daisy asked.
Peach didn't want to reveal such a dark secret from Bowser to her friends. She felt that it wasn't her place to do so.
"Let's just say that, Bowser has more of a heart than I ever thought before. I don't see him as a monster anymore."
DK went back to his room real quick to get a bottle of water from the mini-fridge as he was getting thirsty. As soon as he got in, he almost shrieked when he saw a tall and dark figure standing by the broken window.
"My…you've got such incredible power. I'm very impressed, DK. You nearly killed Rouge. I'm not even upset or angry, I'm just stunned by your determination to kill the bad guys," the figure spoke in a very husky voice.
DK shut the door and prepared for another fight. "Who the hell are you? Are you with Rouge and the others?"
The figure turned around and revealed himself to be a tall, raccoon-looking, green-furred male with piercing blue eyes.
"Call me V. Rouge told me all about the power you wield, how much pain you gave her…and she loved every second of it. She was so intrigued by your animal instincts that it convinced me that I had to see you, and I'm very much liking what I'm seeing. You, my good friend, have everything what it takes to be the perfect villain. You've got the mesmerizing looks, the massive strength, and the wits to conquer anything you want in this world. You're…you're perfect," V spoke practically in praise as he walked to him.
"Stop. Just fucking stop it! I will NEVER be a villain. Ever. And if you think for one second I'm gonna join your team just because you're 'sweet talking' to me, then think again, buddy," DK growled and clenched his fists.
"Oh no, I know I can't convince you to join our team, DK. You're far too much in the light to be that easily persuaded. That much is sure. However…you have a darkness within you. I can sense it all around you. It's so…loud, like it's just itching to come out!" V spoke, brushing his hand against DK's cheek. The ape turned away and felt a little scared. He wanted to beat this guy down, but at the same time, he felt like he shouldn't for some reason.
"We all have a dark side to us. Most of us just choose to not let it overpower us, you know, because we're actually not psychopaths?" DK taunted.
V snickered and grinned at him. "How adorable. You, thinking that just because we're villains means that we're psychopaths…how…predictable. But, DK…your darkness feels so different. It's ready to burst. It's so massive and wild that it even unnerves me just a little! Come on, DK…don't stand there and tell me that you haven't ever thought about it before? Thought about being on the bad side for once…being unstoppable and unbreakable…you're severely limiting your powers, DK. You're not using them to your full potential! And the only way to do that…is to give in to your dark side. You're a wild animal, DK. Embrace it."
DK got more and more frustrated with this guy. He was irking him to no end. He was very close to giving him a beatdown, but he kept stopping himself. This guy felt much different compared to Rouge. He felt more sinister and more vicious.
"…What did you do to Sonic and his friends? Why are they like that now?" DK asked.
"Why are they like 'what' exactly? Are you talking about more powerful? Ha! Well, if you have to know, DK…I poisoned them. It's been a plan in the making for a long time. I wanted to have the world's best team of villains ever and what other way to do that than to turn everyone's favorite super heroes into super villains? I mean, it's brilliant! They still retain all the same qualities as their original persona, but only stronger and smarter. Why haven't other villains thought of this before? Hehe…and no one else is ever going to see it coming. They're gonna think that their favorite heroes are turning against them all of a sudden and will destroy everything they love. It's already sounding like music to my ears!" V laughed and was definitely excited at those thoughts.
"God…you're sick! So, wait, Charmy and Amy…they adventured with us for a while, but turned 'evil' much later. That was you too, I assume?" Dk asked.
"Oh yes. Charmy and Amy…I got to them right before they left this world into yours. They were the first to get a taste of my poison. It was mostly a test, but obviously it worked. I managed to do it on Sonic too, not too long after. I watched him ever since I infected him and the process took a few days for him to completely convert into being an all-powerful villain, and the same lengthy process happened to Amy and Charmy, it looks like. Days went by and I managed to create more advanced poisons that would expedite the process. I used it on Rouge, who only took a few hours to completely turn. Everything is going my way, DK! It's all turning out the way it's supposed to be. I've never felt more 'right' in my entire life," V spoke with enthusiasm.
"No. You're not gonna win, V. I can guarantee that. You think you got this in the bag, you think everything will turn out in your favor, but you're wrong. Good will always destroy evil in the end," DK stated.
"You say it like it's a fact, DK."
"That's because it is. My friends and I will kick your ass and stop whatever it is you're trying to do. We will win."
V sighed and looked at him sympathetically. "Poor, poor DK, so deluded in his own way of thinking…I guess we're gonna have to change that, won't we?"
"Wh-what do you mean!?"
V got out a large syringe and quickly stabbed it into DK's arm. The ape screamed in pain and terror while V injected a purple liquid into his veins.
"Come on DK, you really thought I was going to come all the way here and NOT get you on my side? Please. I'd be a fool if I didn't do that. You're a dire necessity and don't you ever forget that," V said nonchalantly and took the syringe out of his arm. DK fell to the ground and started shaking a little.
"It will hurt for just a minute, but afterwards, you'll feel stronger than ever. DK, I'm doing you a favor, this is where you belong. You've pushed it down so much your whole life that you've completely convinced yourself that you were born to be a hero," V said and kneeled down to DK's still shaking body.
"Ugh….ahhh….you…son of a….AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHH!" DK screamed again and threw up a little on the floor.
"That's it, almost there! Now I have the perfect team assembled! All I have to do now is wait till the wedding and then the show can finally begin!" V exclaimed in joy and laughed heartily.
DK stopped shaking and panted deeply. He looked at himself in the mirror and saw his eyes turn bloodshot. He gasped but then made a confused expression.
"Ooh! Is it done? DK, have you finally turned?" V asked.
DK took another half-minute staring at himself in the mirror. V wasn't sure what was happening now. DK then slowly stood up and stared at V. He then made an evil grin and began to laugh.
"Yes…YES! EXCELLENT! I finally got you, DK. You're mine now. You're finally at the place where you need to be," V cheered and patted DK on the shoulders.
"Yes. Thank you for doing this to me. What shall I do now?" he asked in a deeper voice than before.
"Cause however much havoc you can until the wedding, basically. You have your own rules to abide by now, my friend. The others will occasionally assist in the causing of havoc as there are hidden mics and security cams all over this place that are linked back to my quarters, so we can see and hear everything, just in case those guys come up with a plan to destroy us, we'll be one step ahead of them," V said.
"Good. Can't wait to get started," DK said, still keeping his evil grin.
Goombella slowly opened her eyes and everything was a blur for a few seconds. She could immediately feel her head aching and pounding. Her surroundings un-blurred and she shrieked when she realized where she was.
A dimly-lit prison cell. She wasn't sure if she was in an actual prison, but she knew that Espio had to have taken her there after knocking her out.
"Oh…OH GOD! SOMEONE HELP ME PLEEEEEAAAAAAAAAASE! IS ANYBODY THERE!? PLEASE GET ME OUT OF HERE!" Goombella cried as loud as she could.
"Scream all you want, kid, but no one's gonna hear you. Well…no one that will save you, at least!" Sonic tauntingly spoke, walking into view.
"S-Sonic…" Goombella muttered.
"Awwww, look at you, all trapped, weak, and defenseless. But, you should be used to that, right? Isn't that what your species practically is? They get crushed to death by Mario all the time…don't you just wish you were someone else for once? Someone, perhaps, better looking, stronger, and actually HAS arms?" Sonic continued to taunt her which made Goombella feel more disgusted and angry.
"You…why the hell are you doing this!? THIS ISN'T RIGHT!" Goombella screeched.
"Isn't it obvious? You idiots entered our world, thinking you could just come in here and claim what's yours, and that everything would be all fine and dandy. But you're completely wrong. We're gonna have lots of fun with you guys. Prepare to be in a world of pain, missy, because I can personally guarantee you that, even if you somehow were to make it out of here alive, you will NEVER be the same," Sonic said threateningly and walked off.
"No! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! SOMEBODY HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Goombella screamed further. Her voice echoed throughout the entire place, signifying that she was truly isolated.
EOC.
Next chapter is going to be EXTREMELY dark. There's a certain scene in there that will definitely unnerve you. Warnings will be put at the beginning of the chapter and again right before the scene. The only thing I'm going to say is that it contains a type of assault. It's something that I have NEVER done before in any of my fics and it's extremely risky, to the point where I have a feeling I'm gonna get some angry responses.
