WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CHAPTER CONTAINS A SCENE OF RAPE/SEXUAL ASSAULT. THERE WILL BE ANOTHER WARNING WITH THE BIG, BOLDED WORDS 'BEGIN SCENE' RIGHT BEFORE THE ACTUAL SCENE OCCURS, AND AGAIN IN THE BIG, BOLDED WORDS 'END SCENE' AS SOON AS IT ENDS. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

PREVIOUSLY ON MUSHROOM WARS…

"Ooooh, this is an interesting one! This question is personal and relates to your group, this should be fun! True or false: Someone's partner has cheated on them for someone else in this room. Once all is revealed, there will be inevitable doom!" Grunty asked in excitement.

Everyone else in the audience turned their heads to each other in concern.

"Oh, that's easy! True! Mario was the one who cheated on Peach for Pauline, but he was under a love spell so it's all okay now!" Bombette quickly answered.

"Correct…even though those aren't the people I was talking about in the question…heeheehee! All I can say, is that this girl did some 'things' with this other guy years ago…while she was still with some other guy!" Grunty snickered, seeing the others with confused and worried expressions bringing her some thrills.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"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."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Another one of these! Excuse me while I quickly sneeze! ACHOO! Anyways…who was the one that paid Mona to sneak into Bowser's Castle and set fire to their basement? Was it…Mario…Waluigi…or Parakarry?" Grunty asked. Everyone dropped their jaws at this.

"WH-WH-WH-WH-WHAT!? THAT WAS YOU WHO DID THAT!? I THOUGHT SOME SERIAL KILLER WAS IN THE CASTLE WHEN THAT HAPPENED!" Bowser Jr. screeched.

"You…you caused the fire? You destroyed most of the stuff in my basement? You…you…I can't even think of a word to describe you right now…" Bowser seemed to be holding all his anger in.

"Y-you actually did all of that, Mona? You…could've gotten in so much trouble…" Jojora whispered in shock.

Mona hung her head. "Yes…that was me. It was three years ago. I was offered 100 coins to do it…I-I was desperate for money at a brief time back then…p-plus, that was also right after you kidnapped Peach and tried to destroy the world for like the thousandth time so, at the time, I thought it was well deserved karma…"

"You do realize someone could've been killed, right? If that fire spread in the middle of the night while we were all sleeping someone could've gotten killed!" Kammy yelled.

"I'm less sure about this answer but…I think it's Parakarry…" Bombette reluctantly answered.

"…Peh…lucky answer…" Grunty grunted. Gasps occurred again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"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," Diddy 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.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"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.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Vector approached the large group, all of them waiting for some good news.

"Alright guys! So I've reviewed the security footage as in depth as I could and the very latest one I could fine was Goombella exiting the hotel's front doors at 4:26pm today. After that, the camera outside the doors show her heading off straight into the city," he informed. Everyone looked at each other in confusion and fear.

"Huh? Are you sure? I don't remember seeing her leave during that time, and I clearly remember being at the front desk during that time as well!" Sally exclaimed with more confusion than the others.

Vector shrugged in sympathy. "That's just what the footage showed me, Sal. I gotta get back to the room right now, but I really do hope you guys find your friend!" he then quickly went back.

"Um, okay then? So…why in the hell would Goombella wander off into the city all by herself? That literally makes no sense!" Kooper cried.

"Yeah, I really don't get that. The only thing I can think of is that she might've saw one of Sonic's friends and followed them and ended up getting lost in the city," Kazooie said.

"Or they captured her…" Jojora blurted. Everyone shot a glare at her.

"Don't you dare say that! Now you're gonna make us all freak out!" Goombario yelled.

"Why the hell not!? You were all thinking it, so don't you dare deny it! It's very well a possibility that she got captured by those freaks! I'm not going to just sit here and sugarcoat it for you!" Jojora angrily retorted.

"Alright guys, PLEASE calm down. Let's not make a scene right now. We just have to figure out what we're gonna do now…" Parakarry sighed in frustration.

"I have an idea. How about let's have the group split in half. One half searches through the city, STICKING TOGETHER, and asking around to see if anyone saw Goombella. The other half stays here in case Goombella ends up coming back before the other half of the group does. The group that goes out to look for her…I say, give yourselves an hour. Whether or not you find Goombella, report back here. It's getting very dark soon and we can't risk having anyone getting lost or into trouble. Sound good?" Mario suggested. Everyone else immediately hopped on board with the plan.


Yoshi, Birdo, Diddy, Dixie, Fire Bro, Larry, Wendy, Wario, Goombario, Bombette, Parakarry, Lakilulu, Banjo, and Kazooie decided to split off from the other characters in order to check the city streets for Goombella.

"Ugh, I feel like I'm New Pork City right now. Where do we even check for Goombella out here? Why would she be out here all by herself anyways again?" Wendy questioned.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. I really doubt she would wander off by herself into a city that she's never been to before. That'd be so…out of character," Goombario said.

"You say it as if you know her so well, Goombario?" Diddy asked in suspicion.

"I don't. But, something just feels WAYYYYY off here…" Goombario gulped in fear.

"Man! I really wish I knew a spell that could somehow locate her. I really need Rosalina and Kammy to teach me more stuff, ASAP. And actually, speaking of Rosalina, are you ever gonna tell us where she and Waluigi are, Wario?" Larry asked with a suspicious face. Wario gave him a smirk.

"They're in a safe place together right now…that's all you kids need to know!" he snickered.

"Uhh, HELLO!? Half of us in this group aren't kids, you dunce! Just spill the beans!" Dixie shouted.

"I identify as a 13 year old girl sometimes, so make that one less adult in the group!" Fire Bro randomly added. Everyone stopped walking and gave him a strange look.

"…Did I just hear you, right? You…uhh…wow, I feel like I shouldn't be surprised at this point, but man, you really manage to outdo yourself on the freakiness spectrum sometimes!" Kazooie cringed.

"Tell me about it. I feel like I'm inside one of those adult comedy cartoons everytime I'm around him," Birdo said with a scoff.

"Yeah, it's very hard to take him seriously! Though, I suppose it's better to have some comedic relief in the group in times like this," Yoshi noted.

Bombette ran over to a bench, hopped on it, and shouted, "HEY! HAS ANYONE SEEN A SUPER SHORT, PINKISH-SKINNED CREATURE!? SHE HAS A BLONDE PONYTAIL AND WEARS AN EXPLORERS' HAT! DON'T ASK ME WHY SHE NEVER TAKES THAT OFF, BUT HEY, AT LEAST IT MAKES HER VERY RECOGNIZABLE!"

"Holy shit, it's a bomb! Someone, call the FBI and defuse it before it blows the whole city up!" yelled a random guy, pointing frantically to Bombette.

"Hey, screw you man! I'm not THAT powerful, even with my Mega Bomb move!" Bombette growled.

"Excuse me, sir? Have you seen my friend, Goombella? She's…um…she looks like a…uhh…how do I explain this in detail…god, I SO did not prepare for this!" Lakilulu panicked.

"You said Goombella? Does she look like a circus-performing freak of nature like you?" the guy spat and laughed.

"WHAT THE FUCK!? YOU PIECE OF SHIT! TASTE MY WRATH!" Lakilulu exploded and performed her 'Hurricane' move on the guy. The guy screamed as he was blown many feet away and ended up falling onto the sand on the beach.

"Really, Lakilulu? Was that really necessary? You couldn't have just let it go?" Banjo asked.

"I'm tired of people walking all over me like that, Banjo! He deserved it for being such an asshole! Besides, he's just some random guy I'm never gonna see again, so who cares?" Lakilulu scoffed and flipped her hair.

"I have to agree with you on that one. Sometimes you just gotta let people know the consequences of being an egotistical jerk the hard way, you know?" Parakarry added.

"I suppose. Makes for a very satisfying life too, I imagine," Banjo shrugged.

The group kept walking into the city, casually checking alleyways to see if Goombella was in them for any reason, but no luck as of yet. They kept walking for another ten minutes but stopped when they saw a familiar character outside of what looked like a bar and a dance club.

"Hey, look! That's Knuckles the Echidna, isn't it? Should we ask him for help?" Yoshi asked.

"I don't know, Yoshi…after what we've seen and heard from Sonic's friends, we can't be too careless about just having a potential enemy help us," Banjo said.

"How else are we gonna find Goombella though without some kind of help? We've had zero luck so far with these stupid and judgy people out here, at least with Knuckles, if he's not all wacko, we'll have a better chance because I'm sure he recognizes a few of us and will be comfortable enough to help," Bombette said.

"I'm done with wondering. Let's just get this overwith," Goombario stated in determination and stomped over to Knuckles. "Hey! You're Knuckles, right? The name's Goombario. Recognize some of my friends?"

"What the? Who the hell are…WOAH! Hold on a sec. Yoshi? Wario? And…I think it's Birdo, right? What are you guys doing here? I mean, not that I'm not excited to see you, but, um, what's going on? Where's Mario and your other friends?" Knuckles spoke nervously and confusedly.

"Yes, my name is Birdo. Nice memory! But, listen here, Knuckles, we'll explain everything later. We are in a HUGE rush right now. We are looking for our friend, Goombella, who wandered off into the city and may possibly be lost. Have you seen her? She's slightly shorter than you, has kind of bushy eyebrows, pinkish skin, wears an explorers' hat, blonde ponytail, brown shoes, and talks with a valley girl accent. She's of the Goomba species. Please tell me you know what they are, right?" Birdo specified nicely.

"Oh! Why didn't I think of those details when I was talking to that guy?" Lakilulu huffed.

"Because…ugh…must…resist…urge…to…say something hurtful!" Wario kept himself from yelling at her.

"Goom…bella? Huh…let me think here…uhh…oh! Ok, from what you said, I think I DID see her earlier! Yeah!" Knuckles spoke with a stroke of realization. The group became very excited at this. "I was standing out here a half hour ago, waiting for my date to arrive, then all of a sudden, I see this short girl who fits the description of what you said, heading into the bar! From what I noticed, she looked kind of panicked? I couldn't tell if she was running away from someone or looking for someone...but, I didn't say anything to her because I didn't want to get involved in whatever business she was up to."

"YES! This is good! Thank you so much, Knuckles! You're the man!" Goombario cheered and immediately ran inside.

"WAIT A SECOND HERE! GOOMBARIO, COME BACK! Don't we have to pay to get in!?" Dixie screeched.

"Oh no, it's fine, there's no cover right now because it's still early. You guys can go in there and look for her, but I can't promise that she's actually still in there," Knuckles assured.

"Awesome. Thanks again for your help, Knuckles. We truly do appreciate it!" Yoshi complimented.

"WAIT! You guys, I still wanna know what's going on here and why you guys are here! Plus, if Mario and his other friends are here as well, I'd like to meet them again too!" Knuckles pleaded.

"Don't worry, buddy, I'll explain everything to you…over drinks?" Wario winked.

"Heh, alright, I suppose that's fair enough," Knuckles winked back.

The group got into the bar/dance club and were a bit overwhelmed by how many people there were already.

"Wow…this is gonna be tough. How are we going to do this exactly?" Kazooie asked.

"We're gonna have to split up and search for her. It will be the quickest way. Meet back here at the entrance in ten minutes," Goombario commanded and went off into the crowd.

"Goddamnit, that tiny boy is gonna get himself lost in the crowd! Come on, Yoshi!" Birdo shrieked and the couple went after him.

"You guys go on ahead. I got a MAJOR urge to use the bathroom so I'll catch up in a bit," Diddy said, kissed Dixie on the cheek, and ran off.

"Same here. Where are you gonna be at?" Wendy asked to Larry.

"I'm gonna check the second floor, it might easier to search up there because that floor overlooks the entire dance floor. Meet me up there once you're done," Larry said and the two split off.

"Guess we're gonna have to boogie our way into finding her, eh Dixie!?" Fire Bro giggled and dragged her towards the dance floor.

"Wait, Fire Bro! Don't tell me you're gonna do what I think you're gonna do…" Dixie gulped.

"Guess we'll find our own route to search around. Come on, we don't have much time to waste!" Banjo gestured to Kazooie and the two went off to the area away from the dance floor.

"I suppose I can hover around the place for a better view of finding her. Wish me luck!" Parakarry said and flew off.

"God, how can these people stand such loud noise!? I feel like my ears are going to explode!" Lakilulu cried.

"Have you never been to a dance club before? It's always like this!" Bombette assured.

"No, I haven't, but now I know to not ever go to one because this is the opposite of fun!" Lakilulu started to get a little panicky. A bunch of 'boom' noises were heard from the dance floor which made Lakilulu scream in fright.

"HOLY SHIT, WHAT IS THAT!? IS SOMEONE SHOOTING OR BOMBING THE CLUB!?" she yelled.

"Calm down, it's just the sound effects of the music! I think it's the bass! Everything is okay!" Bombette tried to calm her down.

Lakilulu was finding it hard to breathe now. "No…oh god…the noises…they sound just like the shootings of that night…AAAAAAHHHHH, I NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!" she then ran off in terror.

"WAIT, LAKILULU, STOP! DON'T GO OUT THERE ALL ALONE!" Bombette shouted and then ran after her.

"Shot of whiskey?" offered Knuckles.

"Damn straight! Love that shit!" Wario happily accepted. He looked to the dance floor and saw everyone having a blast and going hard. "Geez…everyone there is in their own little zone…having the time of their lives…being safe and sound…not knowing the kind of hell and torture my friends and I are going through that would ruin their night…"

"Damn. Sounds like you guys are going through something pretty intense. I do believe now is story time," Knuckles said, sliding over his whiskey shot glass. Wario looked at it and smiled.

"Hoo…where the hell do I even begin?"

Meanwhile, Fire Bro was dancing to the beat and having a good time.

"C'mon, you know you wanna get down with me!" he cheered.

"This…this isn't an appropriate time for that, Fire Bro…we still need to find Goombella!" Dixie worriedly said, looking all around her.

"It will only be just for a few minutes! There's nothing wrong with having a little fun!" Fire Bro squealed in joy. He grabbed Dixie's hand and twirled her before she could even stop him.

"Woah! H-How did you do that so quickly!?" she said in amazement.

"I'm a pro at dancing! Watch this!" Fire Bro then did a headspin on the floor. Everyone around him cheered and clapped for him. Dixie was even more amazed.

"WOW! You're really good! Um, okay then, I guess…we can dance. But only until the song is over!" Dixie said and put a smile on, actually having a good time for once in what it felt like forever.

Larry went up to the second floor. It wasn't as big as the first floor so it was easier to search but still no luck. He went to the railing to look over the dance crowd, but couldn't spot Goombella anywhere.

"Sigh…Goombella…where are you…I really hope you're okay…" Larry said depressingly. He then noticed something else. "Ugh, great, and they're playing a trap song now too. Yawn. Actually…let me try something…hmm…uhh…CHANGE!"

Larry flicked his hand towards the direction of the DJ and saw wave of blue magic fly towards the DJ and hit him. Larry shrieked, thinking that he hurt the DJ, but he didn't. Instead, the DJ just changed the song to one of Larry's favorites, the electro-pop song "Reflection" by SNSD.

"Woah…I…I totally just did that! Awesome! Hehe, and I didn't even have to think about it that much! Hmm…" Larry started to get some new ideas now.

Woo!

I see my reflection, hey

Oh oh oh, oh oh oh

I quickly take one step and I'm pushin' the door

That's right, it's too hot, come on now, just give me some more

My body desires having some fun

Oh, having some fun, hey, having some fun, oh woah!

Oh~ I want to have fun

Ah ah ahhh~ I'll wait for you right here

Crazy for you, I'm crazy for you

Oh woah! It's a dream-like heaven

Oh woah! Deceiving the entire world

Tonight, I have the spotlight to myself

So tight, so tough

I can see my reflection

An instant connection

A perfect affection

I see my reflection, I see my reflection

Let's get deeper, deeper, and deeper more

I am falling into a dangerous situation

I can't return, I'll keep spinnin' around

Spinnin' around, spinnin' around, oh woah!

Oh~ What do I want to do?

Ah ah ahhh~ It's a sinful love

Crazy for you, I'm crazy for you

Oh woah! Putting on a sweet mask

Oh woah! I feel like I'm getting closer to you

Tonight I'll live up to your expectation

Good girl, bad girl

I can see my reflection

An instant connection

A perfect affection

I see my reflection, I see my reflection

I'm into the zone, oh yeah

Falling into a, everything you do,

Xanadu-like illusion

Reflectioooooooooooooon!

So tight, so tough

Oh woah! It's a dream-like heaven

Oh woah! Deceiving the entire world

Tonight, I have the spotlight to myself

So tight, so tough

I can see my reflection

An instant connection

A perfect affection

I see my reflection, I see my reflection

I see my reflection

I see my reflection

I see my reflection

I see my reflection

I see my reflection

I see my reflection

I see my reflection

I see my reflection

While the song was playing, Fire Bro and Dixie got closer and danced with each other happily and enjoyably. Everything that was troubling them was forgotten temporarily. It felt nice to just have fun for once, for them.

After the song ended, Dixie fanned herself, getting too hot from all the dancing and body heat of the other people around her.

"Whew! That was great! I'm actually glad you got me out here!" Dixie laughed. Fire Bro blushed in response. The next song, Animal by SNSD, another electro-pop-dance song, started playing and the crowd cheered.

"OOH! I LOVE THIS SONG! PLEASE, DANCE WITH ME FOR THIS ONE!? PLEASE!? NO MORE AFTER THIS, I PROMISE!" Fire Bro begged with puppy dog eyes.

Dixie had a mixed expression. She looked all around her for the others in case they were looking for her and Fire Bro, but she didn't see anyone.

"Oh…um…alright! Just one more, okay?" Dixie laughed again. Fire Bro brought her close and twirled her again.

Glancing at me from the shadows
I know you're watching me, hey, hey
In just a bit, an extraordinary and classy
Dinner will be served, hey, hey

Yeah, welcome hunter of love
A lover caught in a trap
I'll make you fall in love with me
So, just be prepared

The prey is the target
I'll bring you down and never let you go
Ah ah ah I'm an animal
Ah ah ah a wild animal

Should I make it rage? Or put it to sleep?
The beast inside
Once tamed, it's easy to control
Let's have some fun, my prey

Yeah, come into my territory
So come next to me

The prey is the target
I'll bring you down and never let go
Ah ah ah I'm an animal
Ah ah ah a wild animal
Prepare yourself, obey
I wanna control everything about you
Ah ah ah I'm an animal
Ah ah ah a wild animal

Get wild
The heroine will (Oh whoa)
G-g-g-get wild
The heroine will
Get wild, get wild!

With an invisible trap
Once our eyes meet, it's the end
Ah ah ah I'm an animal
Ah ah ah a wild animal
The prey is the target
I'll bring you down and never let you go
Ah ah ah I'm an animal
Ah ah ah a wild animal

Oh oh oh I'm an animal
Oh oh oh a wild animal

Fire Bro and Dixie continued to dance and have fun and were practically touching bodies at this point. By the time the song was almost over, they slowly stopped dancing, and moved their faces closer to each other. They kissed for a few seconds, but Dixie pulled back and shrieked in shock.

Fire Bro was shocked as well, but in a good way. "Woah! That…that just happened! Amazing!"

"Oh-oh my god…wh-what the hell am I doing!? What is wrong with me!?" Dixie started to freak out.

"Dixie, what's the matter? Aren't you having fun? Can we kiss again? That made my heart race!" Fire Bro excitedly said.

"N-no…I-I need to get out of here…I'm sorry, I can't be here!" Dixie cried and ran through the crowd to get out.

"DIXIE, WAIT! COME ON, I THOUGHT WE WERE HAVING FUN!" Fire Bro yelled and ran after her.

Wendy got out from the bathroom and began to head back to the main bar area, but stopped when she heard someone do that 'checking you out' whistle at her. Wendy immediately got irritated and turned around, ready to yell at someone.

"Well well well, aren't you a rare beauty around these parts?" Shadow the Hedgehog asked as he stepped towards her. Wendy almost dropped her jaw. THE Shadow the Hedgehog complimented her and initiated conversation with her. One of Wendy's deepest secrets was that she always had a little crush on Shadow for a long time. She loved the fact that he didn't like to express his emotions so easily and that he was a bad boy with a husky voice and pure power, and now that he's here in person, speaking to her, it made her swoon inside.

"Y-y-y-y-you! You're…Sh-Shadow…the hedgehog…um…wow…I don't know what to say…" Wendy was practically starstruck. She hadn't felt so speechless since, well, practically never.

"What's your name, and what species are you? I've never seen your kind around here before. Are you from this world?" Shadow asked in curiosity. Wendy was trying her hardest not to fangirl or even express any giddy emotion.

"M-my name is Wendy…Koopa. My species is, uhh, koopa. I'm from my own world called…uhh…err…well…I guess there's not a specific name for the world, so I-I guess I can just call it the Mushroom World…heh…" Wendy awkwardly answered, sweating a little.

"Wendy…such a lovely name you got. It's a special and unique name you rarely hear these days. And…you said you're from the Mushroom World? Mushroom…as in…Mario?" Shadow asked.

"Y-yes! I'm here with Mario and friends. It's, um, a very VERY long story why we're here…we're kind of on a mission to save our world…and…um…stuff like that…" Wendy's heart was racing. She was clueless what to do, say, think, etc. He's a lot better looking in real life, she thought to herself, and the way he speaks, his huskiness yet being somewhat soft at the same time, really attracted her.

"Huh. Interesting. So…you're saving your own world…by coming to OUR world?"

Wendy hysterically laughed, then stopped when she realized she sounded ridiculous. "Err, yeah, hehe, like I said, it's a very long story…I…um…I should be getting back to my friends right now, actually…"

"Hold on a minute here, why don't you explain to me what exactly is happening with you guys? Maybe I could help," Shadow offered. Wendy really wanted to go find her friends because she couldn't be 100% sure she could trust Shadow after everything that's been happening, but, if Shadow was innocent, he could be a very useful ally.

She gave in.

"Okay…I have to be quick though because…I-I gotta get back soon…"

"No worries. Here, there's a private room where we can speak so we're not interrupted by the music and people," Shadow gestured and opened a nearby to a small and dimly-lit room. Wendy gulped, wanting to go in there, but not at the same time. She chose to go. Shadow followed and closed the door.

"Uhh, what kind of room is this? Doesn't look like a storage room…" Wendy asked, still very nervous.

"I think it's a room for couples to have their, you know, 'private time'…" Shadow smirked. Wendy gulped again.

"O-Oh…I, um, guess that makes sense then…hehe…" Wendy then sat down, feeling her knees shaking. Shadow sat down next to her, very closely.

"Okay, Wendy, tell me everything you can. I'm listening," Shadow spoke more heartfelt this time, making her swoon more inside. He sounded a little romantic but Wendy had to remain focused on the conversation at hand.

"Right…um…yeah…so…us, traveling here…you see…our world is…um…oh crap, wh-what were we talking about again!?" Wendy panicked a little, making herself look like a fool now. Shadow snickered a little.

"You're funny. And very gorgeous. Any man would be extremely lucky to have you," Shadow said, putting his hand on her shoulder. Chills ran down her entire body. Her heart beat even faster now.

"Th…thank you…you're very kind…and…handsome yourself…" Wendy said, getting the courage to look him in the eyes finally. His eyes were gorgeous and looked right into hers. Wendy didn't even have the strength to say anything in that moment because she was so mesmerized by him. Something about him made herself lost into Shadow. It was something so bizarre yet amazing that she had never felt in her entire life nor could she explain it.

The two got closer and ended up kissing slowly and passionately for a few seconds. Wendy pulled back and slightly gasped, realizing what just occurred.

"Oh! W-we just…" she uttered. Shadow snickered again.

"Hmm. That was really nice. Why did you pull back? Wait…was that your first ever kiss?" Shadow asked, slightly shocked.

Wendy looked away from him in embarrassment. "Y…yes, it was. I know, it's stupid…"

"I don't understand this. How can a woman as gorgeous as you not have been kissed before? I mean, you're very good at it too," Shadow complimented and rubbed her shoulder. This made Wendy feel a little better.

"You really think that? Wow…no one's ever said that to me before…" Wendy genuinely felt grateful and happy from what he was saying.

"I also don't understand that. But…I guess we don't have to worry about that right now. May I kiss you again?" Shadow sweetly asked. Wendy didn't respond but kissed him immediately anyways. The two kept going for another few seconds until Wendy stopped again when she just now realized something.

The real Shadow the Hedgehog would never do something like this; hitting on a girl, hang out in a crowded place, making out with someone he just met…it felt incredibly off. She then knew exactly what was happening.

-BEGIN SCENE-

"What's wrong now?" he asked.

"Oh…my god…I-I'm sorry, but…I have to get back to my friends! They, uhh, th-they need me!" she began to panic and tried to leave but Shadow grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Wait, what!? Hold on here, you're just gonna up and leave, just like that?" he raised his voice.

"Shadow, please! I'm really sorry, but I have to go right now! It's an emergency!" Wendy cried.

"NO! You…you bitch! You lead me on like that only to just run away and forget this all ever happened!? No one does that to me and gets away with it!" Shadow yelled and pushed Wendy into the wall.

"OWW! Uggghh…YOU BASTARD! I'M GETTING OUT OF HERE WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!" Wendy shrilled.

Shadow rushed to the door, locked it, and intensely stared at Wendy.

"Not on my watch. You're mine now, Wendy. You should be thankful that, for once in your life, a man wants all of you," he stated and snickered again.

"STOP IT! YOU'RE NOT SHADOW! LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE!" Wendy cried and tried to run around him, but the hedgehog was too fast and he pushed her down to the floor. Wendy started to cry a little.

"You're right, Wendy. I'm not Shadow. I am someone that is far more powerful and cunning than that son of a bitch will EVER imagine to be," he spoke with a very threatening tone as he got on top of her and pinned her down. Shadow seemed light at first, but his weight on Wendy's body made it seem like he actually weighed a ton and she found it hard to breathe or even more.

"AAAAAAGGGGHHHHH! NO! PLEASE STOP THIS! SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP MEEEEEEEEEEE!" Wendy screamed in horror and cried more.

"No one's gonna hear you, Wendy! They're all out there having fun in their own little world, not giving a damn about what kind of fucked up shit is happening to worthless people like you. Plus, this will be your first time doing it, right? So, why don't we make it as memorable as possible?" Shadow snickered again and kissed her neck all over.

"PLEASE DON'T DO THIS! PLEEEAAAAAAASE! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP MEEEEE!" Wendy screamed further but nothing was working. She struggled to get out of his grasp, but he was too strong.

"I promise it'll hurt only for a second! Come on, don't look like that. This stuff is always fun. Once you do this, you're gonna wanna keep doing it as much as you can. It's like an addiction, but a good one, you know? The pleasure never stops with the people you're 'connecting' with. One day, you will understand," Shadow spoke while kissing her whole body now. Wendy closed her eyes, still crying, and prayed in her mind that she wouldn't die in this moment. She thought that this could potentially be the end of her.

Then it happened.

-END SCENE-

"I don't believe that! You're telling me that you have to go on this very long and grueling journey to obtain a mystical item to fight this bad guy and save the world? You can't just go there and try to destroy them, like, right now?" Knuckles questioned, downing another shot of whiskey with Wario.

"Yeahhh…not gonna work like that, bud. The whole island him and his friends are on is surrounded by a magical force field. Plus, who knows what kind of defenses that guy has…after what happened two nights ago at the hospital with the shooting and all…it's better to have every kind of weapon we can obtain for the final fight. Only a handful of people were killed that night, but I can only imagine how much higher the death toll would be when finally facing off with him at the island," Wario said tiredly, resting his arm on the table and his head on his hand.

"Jesus…really sorry, man. But, at least you're doing your part to save the world. I think it'll all work out in the end," Knuckles said with confidence.

"Thanks. But…I have my doubts if we'll win this. With so much time this is all taking and so much drama in the group, it all just seems so hopeless at times, you know?" Wario said, then made a big yawn.

"Don't give up, man. You'll make it through. Your efforts will be rewarded eventually. I learned that from working with Sonic and the gang, fighting Eggman all these years," Knuckles tried to lift his depressing spirits.

"I suppose…ehh…hey! You said you were here on a date, right? Who's the lucky lady?" Wario recalled.

Knuckles smirked. "It's kind of embarrassing now, actually…I'm pretty sure she stood me up. She was supposed to be here 45 minutes ago and no sign of her. Fun times in the dating world."

"Sorry to hear that, I've been there before…" Wario sympathized. He then grunted and rubbed his temple. "Ugh, god, why do I feel drunk right now? I only had two shots…"

"Maybe you're a lightweight?" Knuckles guessed.

"No, I've had alcohol before. It takes A LOT to get me drunk, trust me…"

"You wanna step outside for some fresh air?"

"No no, I just…ooh…now I feel woozy…what the hell is going on with me?" Wario held his head and tried to stand up on the ground but fell over. Knuckles yelped and caught him before he hit the ground. A few others nearby looked at the scene in concern. Knuckles noticed this and tried to brush it off.

"Hehe, no need to, uhh, worry! He just had too much! I'm getting him out of here!" he said to the people and carried Wario out of the place by the shoulder.

"Erggghhh…wha…what's going on…where am I going…" Wario muttered.

"You don't need to worry about that right now. Just relax. Everything will be fine soon enough…" Knuckles cryptically said.

After re-checking the second floor and the overview of the dance floor, Larry decided to head back towards the entrance area as a new song played called Wicked Blood by Sea Wolf, this time being indie rock.

We met in the east
Poured in like a flood
You're the whispering kind
Dark sapphire blood
You're a vision of veils
All shimmery white
Like a backdrop of sails
All aglow from the light
Of the wonder behind
At a starry night

In the mountain's song
In the blue jay's call
My heartbeat flows
In crystal water falls
You were so beautiful
In your elegant bed
You'd have my blues
For your Nantucket reds
I'd wait in the dark
Balanced on a thread
So I'd wait in the dark
Balanced on this thread

And under the church-light
You stand there
With your wicked blood and your curls
Yeah, under the church-light
You stand there
In your fur and your pearls
These lines were here
Long before we came around
Yeah, these lines were here
And there's an ember in the rafters
And it's going to bring this whole thing down

In the neon mist
I heard you breathe
An exquisite sound
Some secret symphony
Your silken skin
My fingers rough
In the midnight dim
We went home and touched
Beneath the chandeliers
And your Persian's dust
Beneath your chandeliers
And your Persian's dust

And under the church-light
You stand there
With your wicked blood and your curls
Yeah, under the church-light
You stand there
In your fur and your pearls
These lines were here
Long before we came around
Yeah, these lines were here
And there's an ember in the rafters

There's an ember in the rafters,

There's an ember in the rafters,

There's an ember in the rafters,

There's an ember in the rafters,

There's an ember in the rafters,

There's an ember in the rafters,

There's an ember in the rafters…
And it's going to bring this whole thing down

Larry met up with Parakarry, Diddy, Banjo, and Kazooie on the ground floor.

"Hey! Have you seen everyone else?" Kazooie asked.

"No, actually. No Goombella. No anyone else. Very weird…they didn't all leave, did they?" Larry began to worry.

"They couldn't have. We agreed to meet back here in ten minutes…and it's been ten minutes!" Banjo pointed out.

"Yeah, I've got a really bad feeling about all this right now. Has no one seen ANY of them? Not even Dixie?" Diddy asked.

"No…I don't like this at all. I've even double checked the whole place, but not one sign of Goombella or anyone else. This doesn't make any sense!" Parakarry exclaimed.

Suddenly, Larry gasped when he saw Wendy run from the bathroom area towards the exit.

"WOAH! WENDY, WHERE ARE YOU GOING!? HEY, STOP!" Larry yelled.

"What was that all about!? It looked like she was running from something…or someone!" Kazooie freaked.

"Oh god, what do we do!? WHAT THE FUCK DO WE DO!?" Parakarry cried.

"CALM DOWN! Larry, hurry and go check on Wendy to see what's going on with her. Kazooie and Parakarry, check through the place one last time just in case we missed the others. I'll go check outside for them to see if they're waiting out there," Banjo instructed. The others nodded and went off. Larry ran ahead of Banjo and chased after Wendy.

Banjo checked the entire area outside the bar/club but no sign of the others. He looked to the right and saw someone who he somewhat recognized.

"What the…? Is that…um…what's her name…Blaze the Cat?" Banjo whispered to himself. He saw her in front of an alleyway not too far away from the bar. She was talking on the phone with someone, pacing back and forth a bit. Blaze and Banjo's eyes suddenly met when she looked up towards him and she immediately froze and stopped talking to the person on the phone. Banjo immediately got nervous, not knowing what to do now. Blaze suddenly dashed into the alleyway beside her, throwing off Banjo.

"What the!? HEY, GET BACK HERE!" he called out and chased after her. He ran into the alleyway, trying to avoid all the broken objects on the ground. He kept running until he reached the end, Blaze nowhere to be found.

"What the hell? Where could she have gone?" Banjo shrieked and then turned around. He jumped in fright when he saw Blaze standing right there in front of him.

Blaze shook her head at Banjo and smirked. "It takes a lot of courage to go after someone like me in a dark and dank place like this. I give you props for that, but, at the same time, you're definitely going to regret coming after me in just a few seconds."

"Wh-what do you mean!? Stay back! I'm warning you!" Banjo got in a fighting stance, but he was still nervous.

Blaze snickered at him. "You're too cute to take seriously." Then, in an instant, Blaze pulled out a small dagger and stabbed Banjo in the chest with it before he could even move an inch.

Banjo let out a screech and looked down at his wound in horror. The pain shot through his whole body within seconds. He fell backwards onto a pile of trash and clutched his wound, trying to stop the bleeding.

"I told you that you would regret coming after me, did I not?" Blaze taunted.

Everything from Banjo's point of view faded to black.

Back in the bar/club, Yoshi, Birdo, and Goombario escaped the huge crowd on the dance and made it back towards the entrance as another song called 'Out of the Woods' by Taylor Swift started playing.

Looking at it now

It all seems so simple

We were lying on your couch

I remember

You took a Polaroid of us

Then discovered (then discovered)

The rest of the world was black and white

But we were in screaming color

And I remember thinking…

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods?

Are we in the clear yet?

Are we in the clear yet?

Are we in the clear yet?

In the clear yet?

Good

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods?

Are we in the clear yet?

Are we in the clear yet?

Are we in the clear yet?

In the clear yet?

Good

Are we out of the woods?

Looking at it now

Last December (last December)

We were built to fall apart

Then fall back together (back together)

Your necklace hanging from my neck

The night we couldn't quite forget

When we decided (we decided)

To move the furniture so we could dance,

Baby, like we stood a chance

Two paper airplanes flying, flying, flying

And I remember thinkin'

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods?

Are we in the clear yet?

Are we in the clear yet?

Are we in the clear yet?

In the clear yet?

Good

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods?

Are we in the clear yet?

Are we in the clear yet?

Are we in the clear yet?

In the clear yet?

Good

Are we out of the woods?

Remember when you hit the brakes too soon?

Twenty stitches in the hospital room

When you started cryin', baby, I did, too

But when the sun came up, I was lookin' at you

Remember when we couldn't take the heat

I walked out and said, "I'm settin' you free,"

But the monsters turned out to be just trees

And when the sun came up, you were lookin' at me

You were lookin' at me

You were lookin' at me,

I remember, oh, I remember

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods?

Are we in the clear yet?

Are we in the clear yet?

Are we in the clear yet?

In the clear yet?

Good

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods?

Are we in the clear yet?

Are we in the clear yet?

Are we in the clear yet?

In the clear yet?

Good

"GOD! I felt like we would be stuck there forever! Everyone kept trying to grope me as well! Do clubgoers usually do that?" Yoshi yelled in disgust.

"I've got so much sweat on me too…AND IT ISN'T EVEN MINE! How do these people not get claustrophobic?" Birdo questioned.

"I'm sorry guys…I shouldn't have ran in there…I just really wanted to find Goombella…" Goombario sighed in disappointment.

"Don't worry, it's fine. Let's just step outside for some fresh air and wait for the others to come, alright?" Yoshi tried to make him feel better. Before they could move though, Diddy, Kazooie, and Parakarry ran up to them.

"Hey guys! No luck, I assume?" Parakarry asked.

Birdo shook her head. "Not even close. You too?"

"Well, not only can we not find Goombella, we can't find everyone else too! We've searched all over so many times now!" Kazooie panicked.

"Yeah, the three of us met up here with Banjo and Larry a few minutes ago. We saw Wendy run outside for some reason so Larry followed her. Banjo told us to re-check the place to find everyone else and he went outside to look out there, but, it looks like this is it. What in the hell is going on here!?" Diddy frantically explained.

"I swear, if they all decided to head back to the hotel without telling us…ugh! This is so annoying. Let's just go outside, they might be all hanging out there," Birdo said in frustration. The six stepped outside and looked all around for the others. Nothing.

"What the hell! I'm getting very freaked out now. None of this makes any sense!" Goombario exclaimed.

"BANJO! BANJOOOOOOO! WHERE ARE YOU!?" Kazooie shouted.

"Shit…what do we do!? Should we just go back to the hotel and see if they're there?" Yoshi asked.

"We probably should. We've checked all over the place for them multiple times. The only other place they would be at now is the hotel. Let's hurry," Parakarry suggested.

"WAIT! Why would Banjo be at the hotel, though? He wouldn't just run off to there without trying to find ME first…" Kazooie said in fear.

"I'm not sure, sweetie. Maybe something scared him off or…um…look, I don't know, we just have to go back now because clearly none of our other friends are here anymore!" Birdo exclaimed stressfully. The group ran off back where they came from. The sky was now almost completely dark.


Koopie was in her hotel room, just getting out of the bathroom. She headed to her bed to lie down for a bit until she heard someone banging on her door.

"What the hell…? Who could that possibly be?" she asked to herself. She went to the door, opened it, and Kooper immediately rushed in.

"Hey! Koops isn't here, is he?" he frantically asked.

"Uhh, no!? Kooper, what's going on? Why do you look so freaked out?" Koopie asked.

"Koopie…I-I…um…here, can we go out onto the balcony? It's so hot in here!" Kooper urged and quickly went out onto the balcony. Koopie put her hands to her hips.

"Kooper, what the hell is going on with you? Explain right now, please!" she demanded, reluctantly stepping outside with him.

"I can't hold this in anymore, Koopie…it's been killing me, keeping this secret hidden from Koops. I can't be his friend knowing what we've done to him behind his back!" Kooper said in panic.

Koopie stood back in fear. "You're…you're talking about…me cheating on him…for you…no! NO NO NO! Not now! Don't you even think about it!"

"Why not!? Koopie, I can't just hang around Koops and do all these nice things for him and have him not knowing that we both betrayed him a long time ago! We HAVE to tell him the truth and I prefer to do it sooner rather than later!" Kooper yelled in stress.

"First off, the biggest and most important reason we can't tell him is because we are, right now, on a mission to save our world from being taken over and ruined by some fucked up, egomaniac! Secondly, no, I want to bury everything that happened between us and I will make damn sure that it won't happen again!" Koopie stated angrily.

"Oh, believe me, it's NOT going to happen again. But, Koopie, you can't just bury the truth deep down inside of you forever! He has to know. If I were in Koops' shoes…I would want to know if my lover betrayed me. Yeah, it will hurt, but at least it's out in the air and no one has to keep secrets or lie to each other anymore," Kooper said.

"Stop. Just…please, fucking stop it! You know, I actually did forget that what we did ever even happened until you decided to show up and randomly act all crazy about it. I'm still not doing it. He and I have been happy for years now and we've had very few heated arguments, something that most couples can't even say," Koopie proudly spoke.

"Oh come off it already! You're really gonna stand there and tell me that what we did doesn't bother you in the slightest!? That, you don't have even just the tiniest gut feeling that Koops should know about what we did behind his back?" Kooper crossed his arms and looked at her intensely. Koopie sighed and looked away from him.

"This is going to ruin us…I don't want that…he's the only guy I've ever been happy with in my entire life…" she said softly.

"Koopie, you love Koops, right? You want to have an honest and loving relationship with him, right?" Kooper asked. Koopie scoffed at him.

"What are you, some kind of marriage counselor!? ENOUGH, KOOPER! This conversation is over!" Koopie yelled in his face.

"Fine. I guess I'll have to tell him myself then," Kooper threatened. Koopie clenched her fists.

"You wouldn't dare."

"I would. This will be MUCH easier if you do it with me. Koopie…I'm trying to be a better person and me being honest and open with my friends about everything that I've done wrong in my life…that's a part of that. You have to understand."

Koopie sighed. She felt sick in the stomach at that moment.

"…Alright. Let's make a deal. We tell Koops about it AFTER we save the world, okay? Telling him right now would just distract him from everything that's happening."

"Hmm…uhh…well, I guess that's fair enough then. Okay, you promise?"

"I promise. And Kooper…you're right about wanting an honest and loving relationship with Koops. One of my dealbreakers for a relationship is having a person cheat on me, and it's been like that for so long. What kind of person would I be then, knowing that that makes me so hypocritical? God…what the hell is wrong with me?"

"I think the better question is…what the hell is wrong with us? How could we do such a vile thing to one of our closest friends?" Kooper sighed and got teary eyed.

The balcony next to theirs was Vivian's, who had everything from the open screen door from her listening closely. The information she had just heard shocked the life out of her.


In the pool area, Koops was all by himself sitting on the pool's edge with his legs dipped in the water.

"I really hope Goombella is okay…I don't know what I'd do if she was hurt…or worse…" he said to himself.

"KOOPS!" yelled Vivian from the doors.

Koops turned his head around quickly and noticed that the shadow siren looked worried. "Vivian! What's wrong?"

Vivian stood there in an awkward silence, wanting to say something but she held back at the same time.

"Nevermind. Th-this was a bad idea. I'm sorry! Forget this ever happened!" she cried and ran back inside. Koops HAD to know what was up now. He got up from the pool and ran after her.

"VIVIAN, WAIT! What is going on? Please tell me!" Koops yelled, catching up to her.

"No, I'm sorry! It isn't my place to do this. Forget you ever saw me!" she weeped.

"Viv, you're scaring me now! What the heck is going on with you? It must've been dire because you came all the way here to tell me!" Koops pointed out.

Vivian sighed and looked at him, very much regretting choosing to tell him the horrible truth. But, it was too late to turn back now. Koops is gonna wonder forever what she is so upset about until she actually tells him.

"O-Okay…maybe it's for the best…um, Koops? You know that we are good friends, right?" Vivian asked.

"Of course I know that. That's not even a question. Why?" Koops asked in return, tilting his head.

"Because…I just heard something awful that happened behind your back and…umm…m-my first instinct was to tell you right away because these people weren't going to tell you until after the adventure was over…and I don't know how I would live myself knowing what I know now and keeping it a secret forever, especially after what happened to Peach with Mario and Pauline!" Vivian spoke at a frantic pace.

"Uhh, what!? Vivian, what the heck are you talking about!? You're really scaring me now! Who are these people? Just please tell me already!" Koops demanded with a fearful expression.

"Koops…the conversation I overheard was between Koopie and Kooper…they were talking about how they cheated on you a long time ago! They were discussing about whether to tell you or not, but they agreed to tell you once this mission is over!" Vivian just let out the truth. Koops dropped his jaw, widened his eyes, and stepped back. Vivian got scared, not knowing what kind of disaster is going to happen. She felt for Koops though, and got teary eyed when she saw the amount of pain on his face. It was horrifying. She never saw him like that before.


Mona lied on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She huffed in frustration.

"My arm still fucking hurts! It's been an hour since I took the pill. What gives? Sally better not have been exaggerating how quickly these 'quick' pills work…maybe I should take another?" Mona asked herself. She opened the pill bottle and took out another pill.

"I suppose just one more couldn't hurt…but no more after this!" she stated and took the pill. She swallowed it immediately.

"I'm also not experiencing any kind of weird side effects either…come on, how dangerous can pills like these possibly be? This isn't ecstasy we're talking about here!" Mona scoffed. She lied back on her bed.

"Mmm…wait a second…oh! I can feel the pain lessening now! Awesome! Wow, okay, these really do work very quickly! Hmm…I'm sure she won't mind if I take some of these things with me on the journey…" Mona schemed in joy. She closed her eyes and got herself comfy, excited about her arm finally feeling better. She rested there for a minute then opened her eyes again. She screamed as soon as she saw that she wasn't in her room. She looked all around her in fear and then eventually realized where she was at.

"I-I'm in Bowser's basement! What the fuck am I doing here!? HOW IN THE WORLD DID I GET HERE!?" Mona screamed in terror. She stood up and looked everywhere she could for an exit.

"Wait…wait! Th-this has to be a hallucination from the pills! How the fuck do I stop a hallucination though?" Mona asked herself, feeling slightly less afraid knowing that this had to be fake but it definitely felt real to the point where she was even questioning if it was an actual hallucination.

She then saw fire that popped up out of nowhere that started spreading throughout the basement. Mona gasped, realizing exactly why she was here out of all places.

"Oh my god…I'm back at the night of when I set fire to Bowser's basement three years ago!" she shrieked. "Shit! I've gotta get out of here!"

She couldn't escape through the door as the fire spread near there. She quickly found another way out, it was a small window that led right onto the grass outside. She climbed up on a washer and pushed the window open. She struggled to get herself out but she eventually did. She shut the window and calmed herself down.

"Whew…god…I never wanna remember this night ever again…I still can't believe I did something so fucked up…" Mona said in tremendous guilt. She stood up and saw, in the distance, two familiar-looking characters chatting with each other.

"Huh? Who's that?" she whispered, walking closer to the pair. The two looked like they were in a heated discussion.

"Wait a second, I think that's Fire Bro! What's he doing here? FIRE BRO!" Mona called out. The two figures whipped their heads to her in surprise. Mona shrieked when she realized that it WAS Fire Bro, but was also shocked when she saw that he was talking to someone who she didn't expect at all.

"WHAT THE!? TATANGA!?" she yelled and fell backwards.

"OH!"

Mona yelped and opened her eyes again. She was back in her room on the floor.

"Ooh…ow, I must've fallen off the bed…what the hell was that, though? Was that a dream or an actual hallucination? Just what in the fuck actually happened just now!?" Mona questioned to herself. She stood up and dusted herself off. It looked like she was back in reality now so she calmed down a bit.

"Ugh…well…at least all the pain in my arm is gone…I should wash my face…" Mona sighed and went to the bathroom. She flipped on the light switch, turned on the water faucet, and splashed water into her face. When she looked back up into the mirror, she screamed when she saw an eyeless Sonic the Hedgehog standing to her right.

"He took away my innocence…HE'LL TAKE EVERYTHING FROM YOU TOO!" 'Sonic' yelled in a very deep and echo-y voice. Mona screamed and fell to the floor, shielding her eyes from the disgusting sight. She slowly looked back up. No one was there.

"Okay, now what the hell was that!? Oh god…I don't think I CAN handle this…" she stood back up and caught her breath. She then heard a glass smashing sound outside the bathroom.

"What the…who's there!?" she called out. She slowly exited the bathroom and went towards the bed. Nothing seemed out of place. Well, that is, until she saw someone out on her balcony, standing on the edge of the railing. She widened her eyes, eventually recognizing who it was.

"Koops!? What the hell are you doing? GET BACK!" Mona yelled and went over to the glass sliding door. She got it open and was about to open the screen door until she saw him looking at her. She froze in fear when she saw him crying, but his tears were of blood.

"It's…it's over for me, Mona…" he said. He then stepped off the railing and fell down below.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! KOOOOOOOOPS!" she screamed, slammed open the screen door and ran to the railing.

No sign of Koops down below.

Mona slowly backed away back into her room, more scared than ever now.

"This…this is all a hallucination. I-I-I need to get the hell out of here…" she stuttered and turned around to run out but stopped and screamed again when she saw a burnt Bowser Jr. standing in the way.

"Why did you do it, Mona? Why'd you kill us all in that fire!?" he yelled. She back away and turned around only to see Lemmy, also looking charred.

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT, MONA! YOU KILLED US!" he yelled.

"YOU STUPID BITCH! I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR THIS!" Larry yelled, appearing behind her as well.

"WHY DID YOU DO IT, MONA!? WHY DID YOU DO IT, MONA!? WHY DID YOU DO IT, MONA!?" these phrases kept repeating and echoing as everyone in the Koopa family appearing as burnt bodies slowly walked to her, repeating it louder and more menacing.

"STOP! GET AWAY FROM ME! YOU'RE NOT REAL! LEAVE ME ALOOOOOOONE!" Mona got in the fetal position on her bed, closed her eyes, and covered her ears, but she could still hear them shout.

"YOU KILLED US, MONA! YOU KILLED US! YOU KILLED US! YOU KILLED US! YOU KILLED US! YOU KILLED US! YOU KILLED US! YOU KILLED US! YOU KILLED US! YOU KILLED US! YOU KILLED US! YOU KILLED US! YOU KILLED US! YOU KILLED US! YOU KILLED US!"

Then everything was silent. It was all over.

EOC.

The drama is still continuing to escalate! Next chapter, a couple of reveals are told to the group which causes even more chaos, and we finally get to see Bow and Spike doing their little side quest as well. The next chapter will be uploaded around the same time, 12pm PST, next Thursday.