Main/Adventure group: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, Birdo, Toad, Toadette, DK, Dixie, Goombella, Fire Bro

Monster truck group: Koopatrols/Rebels

Hospital group: Goombario, Kooper, Bombette, Parakarry, Bow, Lakilester, Lakilulu, Koops, Koopie, Flurrie, Spike (aka Paper-Yoshi), Vivian, Bleck/Blumiere, Tippi/Timpani, Toadiko, Toadsworth, Professor Frankly, Boshi, Fly Guy, Tiny, Toadessa, Toado, Toady, Dr. Nokano, Kallan, Bowser, Iggy, Morton, Lemmy, Ludwig, Larry, Wendy, Bowser Jr., Toadiana's mom and dad, Wario, Pauline, Mona, Jojora, Tadano, Professor E. Gadd, Starlow, Luvbi, Clawdia, Katia, Kenneth, Toodles

Mushroom Corps.: Arfur, Kylie

Island group: Tatanga, Beldam, Roy, Doopliss, Dimentio, Mimi, Diddy

Moon: Grodus, TEC

Fort Koopington: Rosalina

More of the gang showed up to Kooper's room, rejoicing in the fact that he's come back from his comatose, and also giving him the full story on what he's missed since he went into the coma.

When all was told to him to catch up on everything that he's missed, Kooper took a minute of silence and took in all the insanity that has happened.

"Holy. Shit. So...Waluigi was killed by some interdimensional man from Freezeflame Galaxy...Rosalina was practically exiled because she killed Diddy and nearly killed you all...you guys were on the hunt for my brother and Tadano, and now they're captured in the basement...Mimi is currently captured on Tatanga's island...Dimentio stole the Star Rod from Star Haven and is planning to backstab Tatanga at any moment...there are some Koopatrols out in the streets, riding a monster truck and destroying everything in their path...and now...Bowser's ex-wife, Clawdia, is here with her family which made Bowser go berserk and run away?" Kooper summarized in disbelief.

"That about sums it up. Completely crazy, isn't it? Sounds like a bad soap opera!" Daisy said.

Kooper then busted up laughing. Some of them were off put by him finding it comical.

"How could you possibly find all of this funny!?" Jojora asked in disgust.

"Hahaha...no no! I'm not laughing because it's funny, I'm laughing because...MAN! All of that stuff happened in the couple of days I was out!? Goddamn! This has to be the most complicated adventure any of us have ever been on!" Kooper exclaimed while laughing a little more.

"Heh. Ain't that the truth! We're all hanging in there, though, the best that we can. Yoshi and Mario out looking for Bowser, but I'm sure they'll find him rather quickly," Toadsworth informed.

"Oh yeah, Bowser would be pretty easy to find. But, do we really think those koopatrols are gonna do the same thing that Tatanga and his guys did to us at the other hospital!?" Kooper asked with a fearful tone.

"Absolutely. We can't take any chances and let our guard down. Because, if those guys come here and raid us like what happened with the last hospital...that's it. Everyone will have nowhere else to go. I mean, sure, there's grocery stores for food and drinks and stuff, but places that will have immediate care for injuries won't be available nearby for people that need it the most," Mona explained.

"Right. Makes sense. So...what's the plan now, then? Do we wait for Mario and Yoshi to get back here with Bowser, or…?" Kooper asked.

"Well…" Luigi spoke a little nervously. "To put it straight, we wanted to know if you were comfortable coming with us to confront your brother, along with Tadano. We were gonna go down to the basement and demand that they tell us everything about them; what they've kept from us, what their intentions are, if they've hurt or killed anyone else, and so on."

"Oh…" Kooper whispered, indeed looking a little uncomfortable at that notion, but the confrontation needed to happen sooner or later. Now that it was confirmed that Fire Bro IS Konnor, this fired him up to let some of his feelings out towards him.

"Ok. I wanna do it. I wanna face him and ask what the fuck is going through his head to make him do all this shit," Kooper angrily stated.

Koopie Koo smirked at this. "Perfect. On our way down, we're gonna go get the Koopalings and see if they wanna come. Let's do this!"


Mario, Yoshi, and Bowser came back in to the hospital, with Bowser still walking a little wobbly from the alcohol. The people around them gave him dirty glares and were murmuring comments to one another.

"Yeah yeah, spare me the judgments! Sorry, okay!? I had a mental breakdown! I have a whole bunch of crazy family shit happening right now and I had no idea how to handle it!" Bowser exclaimed, hoping to alleviate a little bit of concern from the folks.

"You call that a mental breakdown!? Try a PSYCHOTIC MELTDOWN! I would know because I have those every other Tuesday!" Fly Guy hissed.

"Hey, propellor head! Here's something you can do that'll be worth your time: FUCK OFF!" Bowser barked.

"Okay, Bowser, enough! Come on, you've done enough damage for today. Just let it go!" Yoshi yelled.

"I don't wanna let it go! I want to let it NOT go, you hear me!?" Bowser drunkenly yelled to the dino's face.

"Uhh...no, not really," Yoshi replied, not having a clue of what he's trying to say.

"Why the hell is King Bowser here anyways!? Why is Mario so comfortable with him being here!? Don't you remember what he's done to the princess and to the kingdom in the past!?" Toadiana's mom protested. Mario did his best to not roll his eyes and huff at her, because he truly did not want things to escalate to a mini-riot like earlier.

"Bowser is here because he's been of great help in our mission to save you all from Tatanga. He's powerful and bold. Yeah, I know what he's done in the past, but we're focusing on the present. Whether you all like it or not, he's here helping us. What happened earlier was related to a family matter. I'm sorry you guys saw that, but Bowser is on our side this time around! Deal with it because he isn't going anywhere!" Mario stated. Everyone else looked taken aback by how much the kingdom's protagonist was standing up for the kingdom's antagonist.

"Well, uhh, hey! If Mister Mario says Bowser is on our side and is helping us, then we should follow his word! He IS our superhero after all!" Toado Nomaki cheerfully made a point to everyone.

"Yeah! Super Mario wouldn't go against us like this! He's not like that!" Toadessa added.

Some people were seen nodding in agreement. Others were seen shrugging. Some others didn't seem to buy it still, but looked as if they needed to accept the way things were. Bowser smiled a little.

"Dang, Mario! The more you keep sticking up for Bowser like this, the more I'm gonna think you two are BFFs!" Yoshi joked and snickered. Mario couldn't help but laugh a little as well and nudged Yoshi a bit.

"I'm just saying what needed to be said. I'll admit though, it's been pretty interesting figuring out why Bowser is the way he is. I kind of want him to tell us more of his past, to be honest," the plumber replied, which intrigued Yoshi.

"Hmm? Is that so? Well, I think it'd be a pretty interesting tale too...but also pretty dark and sad, I'll bet!" Yoshi added.

Bowser saw Larry from somewhat afar, walking towards the entrance. He stopped as soon as he locked eyes with his dad. He then made a serious expression and gestured for him to follow Larry back to, presumably, the room they were all in before. Bowser took note of the dark right eye and dried blood around his nose.

"Oh! I, uhh, gotta go now guys. Thank you both for everything! I mean it!" Bowser said then quickly walked away to catch up with Larry.

"A thank you from Bowser, and he meant it! Wow. It's so trippy seeing him be all nice now, you know?" Yoshi noticed and laughed again.

Bowser followed Larry into the room they were all in previously. He saw two new people in there, an adult male koopa and a very young female koopa. He immediately that they belonged with Clawdia.

"Hey, guys. I'm back. I know you're all mad at me, but...you know...there was no excuse for all that shit I just did. I'm sorry you saw all that," Bowser spoke, noting that his kids were trying to ignore him or gave him looks of disgust. The one that struck the most was Bowser Jr., who was hanging against Wendy, looking hurt and depressed.

"Wanna know where he went after you lost it and ran off, dad?" Wendy asked in a pissed off tone. "He told us he went to the rooftop and wanted to jump off, just like what Roy went through! Toadette found him and brought him back down here to us, but man...if she wasn't there…"

Bowser closed his eyes, letting a tear fall down his cheek. He began to cry as the thought of his youngest son committing suicide would kill Bowser as well.

"I...god, Junior, I am SO sorry for everything I yelled to you. I reacted horribly to the situation. None of this was your fault, Junior. I'm not mad at you," Bowser spoke from the bottom of his heart. Bowser Jr. believed his dad's words, but that didn't make the hurt go away just yet. He nodded a little at his dad, but kept hanging by Wendy's side.

"Dad...what the FUCK were you thinking running off like that!? AGAIN!? ANYTHING COULD'VE HAPPENED TO YOU OUT THERE! WHAT IF YOU DIED OR-OR YOU GOT HURT AND WEREN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT BACK TO THE HOSPITAL!? HUH!?" Larry exploded in both anger and tears at him.

"YEAH! What's gonna happen if you DO die!? We don't know how to take care of ourselves without you! We need you to help protect us! You're the strongest person that we know!" Lemmy cried, also in tears.

"I know...I know. It was a stupid mistake I made, and you guys have every right to be furious at me. Take all your rage out on me if you want. I deserve it. But...I will NOT make that mistake ever again. That's a promise I can make to you all. I can't just focus only on what I want when I get emotional like that," Bowser said, attempting to stand completely straight.

"Oh my god! Dad, did you drink alcohol while you were out there!? I can smell something bad on your breath from here!" Ludwig pointed out.

Bowser looked at everyone in shame and made a great sigh. "Yes...a little bit. My mind was everywhere and, for some stupid reason, I thought alcohol would help things, but it didn't. I stopped myself before getting completely wasted."

"God, dad! Just...this is all too fucking much…" Larry shook his head and tugged on his hair a little, feeling overwhelmed.

"Uhh...hello?" said the adult male koopa from the back. Bowser looked to him. "Hey. Sorry if we're getting caught in all this, but, uhh, since you're here, I'll introduce myself. My name is Kenneth, I'm Clawdia's husband, and this here is our daughter, Katia. We've already introduced ourselves to the rest of your kids."

The way that man spoke just really irritated Bowser for some reason, most likely because he was the one that Clawdia was cheating on him with, and Kenneth probably revelled in the fact that she chose him over Bowser.

"Oh...hello. Yeah, sorry about all this. I was just being an idiot. Uhh, pleasure to meet you! Both of you!" he awkwardly spoke, trying not to let his irritation show.

"If it makes you feel better, dad, I was a little on your side during that, but, it also ended with us wanting to split apart once Tatanga is gone!" Morton blurted. Bowser looked at him in total surprise.

"What!? What the hell do you mean by 'split apart'!? What happened here while I was gone!?" he shrieked.

Larry grunted at Morton and rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Morton? That had to be revealed NOW? We'll talk about it later with you, dad, you know...when it's just US."

Bowser held his temples, beginning to get a massive headache. He really, truly, deeply regrets having that meltdown earlier, because it caused all sorts of other problems that seemed like weren't going to get resolved easily.

Clawdia stepped forward a little, clearly nervous to speak with so much tension in the air. "Ok, so, everyone, I know this is the kind of situation that we'd all rather not deal with, but, as I told most of you earlier, it was going to happen sooner or later. We all need to learn to just cohabitate with each other until all this mess with Tatanga is finally settled. Not saying we have to be friends or even hang out with each other, but let's just, at the very least, tolerate each other's presence. Does that sound fair to everyone?"

No one said a word, but they all nodded, although Morton, Larry, Wendy, and Iggy were giving clear dirty looks towards her.

"I don't even know if there's, like, anything we can even do or say to make this any less awkward," Katia said somewhat jokingly.

"There isn't. We all know what happened in the past between our parents. It's shitty, it's fucked up, it's fucking chaotic, and it's aggravating. But...like Clawdia said, we just gotta cohabitate and deal with the fucked upness of it," Morton replied in frustration.

Kenneth made a little smirk at this. "I'm sure this'll all work out fine in the end. Like the old saying goes…time heals all wounds."

That smarmy comment made Bowser really wanna punch the living hell out of him. He's only seen him for less than 5 minutes and already he wanted to kick his ass out of here. But, he held himself back. He had to.

There was a knock on the door and then it slowly opened, revealing Yoshi in the doorway.

"Hey, Bowser? Sorry to bother you again, but we found Konnor and Tadano. They're in the basement and we're interrogating them. Do you and your kids wanna come?" he asked.

Bowser and the kids looked surprised about this, while Clawdia, Katia, and Kenneth looked confused.

"Holy shit...uhh...yes! We do! Right guys? Who wants to go see Konnor and Tadano, and who wants to stay?" Bowser asked. The kids were immediately all up for seeing them, though it was probably just an excuse to get their minds off of Clawdia.

"Uhh, should we be worried? What's happening exactly?" Clawdia asked.

"Don't worry, it's nothing that we can't handle. You guys just stay away from the basement, okay? You're all safe!" Bowser quickly said then got out of there with his kids, thankful that he doesn't have to stare at Kenneth's smug face any longer as well.


The group went down into the hospital's basement and followed Dr. Nokano down a corridor into a section of the hallway where there were a few, what looked like, large jail cells. Tadano was in one of these "jail cells" and Fire Bro/Konnor was in the one next to him.

"So, what's up with the prison theme going on here?" Toadiko asked.

"Decades ago, this place used to be a prison. It was then converted to the hospital that you all see now, but as you can tell, some remnants of the prison remain," Dr. Nokano informed.

"Interesting! Perfect for psychopaths like you two, you gonna act like criminals, then you're gonna be fucking treated like criminals!" Boshi manically laughed.

"Oh, fuck you, you worthless, druggie piece of SHIT! Go back to that rat-infested, poverty-ridden neighborhood that you belong in!" Fire Bro spat. Boshi turned red and ran up the bars.

"HEY, LISTEN HERE, YOU LITTLE BITCH! I MAY HAVE DONE SHADY SHIT BEFORE, BUT I HAVE NEVER KILLED SOMEONE AND NEVER WENT UNDER A NEW IDENTITY LIKE SOME FUCKING COWARD!" he screamed.

"Ha! You're setting the bar veeeerrrrryyyy low there, moron! You're BARELY that much different than my crazy ass!" Fire Bro laughed his head off at him.

"Yeah, that's fine, after all, you ARE entitled to your WRONG opinion, jackass! But, hey, at least you have some self-awareness going on! Probably the only thing you'll ever have going for you now!" Boshi retorted. Their bickering made everyone else either cringe or roll their eyes.

"Okay, stop it, you two! You're acting like two high school kids! Let's just get straight to what we ACTUALLY came down here for!" Daisy shut down their childishness.

"Wh-wh-why am I captured as well, though!? I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG, I SWEAR! I DIDN'T HURT MIMI NOR DID I GET HER CAPTURED BY TATANGA! PLEASE BELIEVE MEEEEEEEEEE!" Tadano cried and fell to the floor in tears.

"We already told you why you're in there, Tadano! As of right now, you can't be trusted. I'm sorry but this has to be the way it's done to protect everyone else," Koopie said.

"But...but...you guys...I only went to see Tatanga to try and stop him...that's all…" Tadano sobbed onto the floor in mercy and defeat.

"And you really thought you had the power to just do that, all by yourself!? Why, just because you're his twin, his blood!? He won't stop just because his brother begs him to. Believe me, I would know something about that," Vivian spoke, relating her experience with her sisters to him.

"Hehehehe...hi there, Tadano. Remember me? I certainly remember you...and I'm sure you also remember me killing that atrocious-looking koopa nurse and wanting YOU to take the fall for it because you're so easy to manipulate and fuck over!" Fire Bro neurotically yelled and laughed again.

"DON'T TALK ABOUT MY MOM LIKE THAT!" Koops screamed, going from zero to 100 almost instantly.

"Koops...don't. Breathe. Don't let him get under your skin. That's exactly what he wants," Mario advised, holding his shoulder.

"Oh? Was that your mother I killed? Seriously!? HA! We live in a very small world, don't we, my good sir!? Wow. You would think that, one being injured at the hospital, they'd get her under control and healed and all better...but no. Guess it wasn't meant to be, huh, Koopsy?" Fire Bro taunted, and everyone else was sickened by how much he enjoyed tormenting Koops.

"JUST SHUT UP! I HOPE YOU ROT IN HELL!" Koops screamed again, beginning to cry.

"No such thing as a Hell. It's something that was written by people centuries ago who had their heads so far up their asses to keep the population under control...but looked at how THAT worked, huh!?" Fire Bro scoffed and kicked dust in his cell.

"Okay, spit it out now, Fire Bro, or should I say, Konnor! Dixie told us everything that you told her. What else do you know? Or...what else have you done!? Have you actually been working for Tatanga this whole time!?" DK demanded.

Fire Bro rolled his eyes as he continued to walk circles in his cell. "I already told my lover there everything about me! But...even if I HAD kept some secrets to myself...what makes you think I'd give it up to you so easily, hmmmmm? C'moooonnnn...don't pretend I'm not smart!"

"I'm not your fucking lover! You-you manipulated me! You made me feel sorry for you and I ended up getting feelings for you and...god, you're a monster! You should've been killed over Diddy!" Dixie cried.

"Hey. The ONLY reason you're alive right now is because of information you have that we need. That's it. Other than that, you're fucking nothing. You don't deserve to be alive after all the shit that you did," Pauline harshly stated.

"Yeah, and especially after hurting poor Kallan...he's still pulling through right now, but, if you're still alive after Tatanga is defeated, you're gonna be rotting in a cell in an ACTUAL prison for the rest of your life! And that's only IF we decide not to kill you till then!" Peach added.

"Konnor? Konnor...hey, do you see me? It's your brother, Kooper," the koopa nervously spoke, walking to the cell. Fire Bro made an intrigued expression.

"Woah! You're awake, Kooper! Haha. It must've been nice being in a coma and having everyone cry over you and worry for you...doing all the hard work out there for you. Just like before when we were younger. Hmm...maybe I shouldn't have pushed you down those stairs," he said with disdain.

"God, you're completely lost. This is really the road you wanna keep going down on, huh? Even after what you did to me when we were kids...even after getting the treatment that you needed...for fuck's sake, Konnor. My parents were right to disown you completely and pretended you never existed! I wanted to see you so badly and talk things out with you! I wanted to forgive you for hurting me, but now...I don't. I can't forgive someone who doesn't wanna change," Kooper said a little emotionally, truly feeling despair for losing a brother.

Fire Bro snickered at him and fell to the ground on his rear. "Just shut up, Kooper. Quit it with the sentimental act. Just like me, you're putting on a facade for the whole world to see. You've never given a damn about anyone besides yourself! It was always all about Kooper, Kooper, KOOPER! That's why you fucked over Koops with his girlfriend. That's why you look down upon anyone that you deem unworthy to be your friend. The real you will show up once again, sooner or later. After all...it did for me, didn't it?"

Kooper became more and more creeped out and disgusted by the more he talked. It was like watching not even an actual person get off on causing hell.

"Konnor. Listen to me, we are gonna make your last days here a living hell if you don't tell us whatever else that you know. I can promise you that we will NOT hold back on hurting you. We are tired. We are pissed off. We are DONE with taking all these blows. You understand me!?" Mario angrily stated, holding a death grip onto the cell bars.

"Oh, I understand you! Which is why I don't care if you kill me. No, really, I don't! You guys would forever be in the unknown about the other secrets I have...IF I have any!" he cackled in joy.

"You say that now, but wait till the pain hits ya! I think this is the perfect time to unveil my weapons, wouldn't you all agree?" E. Gadd said with a giant smirk. Everyone turned to him in suspense.

Starlow brought over a large, white bag. "These are gonna blow your guys' minds! Literally, and well, metaphorically! Hehe."

"Just be very careful with these things...we don't want 'accidents' to happen around here!" Luvbi warned.

E. Gadd opened up the bag and brought out the first weapon. It was a yellow, bulky handgun-looking weapon.

"Uhh...so...you brought us some generic handgun that's been painted yellow?" Wario asked.

"DON'T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS, MISTER WARIO!" E. Gadd yelled and pointed it at his head. Wario yelped and everyone else gasped. "This is quite literally a stun gun! Pull the trigger and out comes a big spark of electricity. This spark will zap your enemies and 'stun' them, leaving them paralyzed for a short time! It won't kill them unfortunately, but it will hurt like the seventh circle of Hell, and the 'killing' part will be left up to you guys to do manually!" He then tossed the gun to Wario, who yelped again when he caught it.

"Uhhh...thanks? Very interesting? Helpful? I don't really know what I'm supposed to say!" Wario grunted while checking out his gun, kind of liking it now.

"Words mean nothing, actions mean everything! NEXT!" E. Gadd spoke nonsensically, and dug in the bag for the next one, getting out a blue, bulky handgun-looking weapon. "Now this has the power of ICE! Pull the trigger on this one, and a large snowflake will pop out, and POOF! The snowflake will explode upon impact of the target, and will make the target freeze all over! The cold will strike their body like icicles, but will leave them alive to feel the wintery pain. It'll wear off if they're able to find an open spot where the sun shines or somewhere that's warm." He explained, then tossed it to Bombette.

"Cool, thanks! See here, Fire Bro? Hurting you more and more and more is the key here. You're gonna be in so much fucking pain that you're gonna BEG us to kill you. Just watch and be amazed at how wrong you will be," Bombette taunted, aiming the gun at him. Fire Bro made no response, but did look a little taken back.

"And, finally...the big one!" E. Gadd shouted in excitement, bringing out a larger gun in the color purple. "This is the coolest one of them all. Upon striking the target, the target will go blind! Shoot them anywhere on their body, and the blindness will occur. It lasts for only a few minutes so make it count!" He then handed the gun to Spike.

"Oh sweet, thank you! But, E. Gadd, why not just make weapons that...you know, kill the enemies instantly?" Spike asked.

"Well...as we've all seen just now, and like Bombette had just said, hurting the enemy is the key, NOT killing them immediately. For the ones who wish to intrude on the side of good, their karma will be ultimate pain and suffering before the strike of death. The bad guys wanna come and destroy everything we love? Well, then let them get their comeuppance in full force. This is what they get for FUCKING with the wrong people!" E. Gadd speeched, weirding everyone out with his bizarre choice of words and phrasing.

"Uhh...okay, sure, sounds good!" Luigi spoke, hoping to break the awkwardness that E. Gadd just caused.

"Thanks, E. Gadd! We really appreciate these additions. Now then...back to Konnor!" Mario said, turning back to glaring at the murderous man. "We're giving you 'till tomorrow morning for you to figure out what you wanna do. Either tell us everything else that you know and be spared pain and death, OR...we go down the torture route till you either end up giving us the info anyways or till you succumb. Might sound godawful of me of all people to be telling you all that, but you've left us with no other choice. No more fucking around. You've got till 9 AM. This sound good to everyone?"

Nods were seen and "Yes"'s were heard, although some were unnerved by how drastic and lethal everything was becoming in terms of what they all had to do to get what they want.

Fire Bro gave a very pissed off look to them all. "Well, fuck. You think you got this AAAAALLLLLL figured out now, don't you!? DON'T YOU!? YOU PIECES OF SHIT! YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET AS FAR AS YOU THINK YOU WILL!"

"That's what you think. You're just one tiny, unstable menace who thinks they've got everything under control. But..hoohoo! Wait until you see your whole world crash down upon you, little boy!" Bowser cackled.

"Hey! Wh-wh-what about me!? I'm telling you guys that I haven't done anything wrong! Just because I've been at the same place that that psychopath over there has been doesn't mean that I'm guilty of doing bad things!" Tadano cried.

"We'll figure out something for you. But, don't worry...you're not gonna face the same fate that Konnor will," Tippi said.

"...Unless we find out about even more crazy shit that you did! OR if you lied about any part of that story about going to see your brother with Mimi!" Lakilulu added.

"I...I didn't lie...you guys...please don't leave me here…" Tadano began to sob again.

"We have to, for now at least. It's for the best. So...Konnor, and even you, Tadano, think about what you wanna do. The second we figure out you're fucking with us, it's game over. Let's go, everyone," Mario commanded, representing the total exhaustion from the group. Everyone was at their wits end with the constant drama and deaths.


"So...THAT was intense," Goombario recalled on the events in the basement, now walking to the cafeteria with Kooper, Bombette, Bow, and Lakilester.

"Biggest understatement of the year right there. You okay, Kooper? I know seeing your brother like that must've been hard," Bow said.

"Yeah...I'm fine. It IS hard, but I gotta remember that he is everything that I'm against now. It's kind of sad, too, when you think about it. He had an opportunity to turn his whole life around when he got sent to that mental institution, but he decided to embrace being a psychopath and fall deeper into the rabbit hole," Kooper responded with a sad sigh.

"Don't feel sad for that bastard! Remember, he's a murderer. Just because he's your brother, doesn't mean you should go soft on him! He's just as bad as Tatanga!" Lakilester reprimanded.

"I know, I know! Trust me, I will never go soft on him. I may have missed a whole bunch of shit when I was in that coma, but I will still stick by your guys' side no matter who is opposed to us," Kooper proudly stated. Lakilester smirked and patted his shoulder.

"Man, Kooper, I missed you! It felt so weird not having you around for a while!" Goombario laughed.

"Heh. Speaking of not being around...anyone know where Parakarry is?" Bombette asked.

"I saw him leave with Jojora to somewhere else. Man, ever since I saw them kiss, those two have been wrapped around each other's fingers! Haha," Lakilester answered.

"I never would've expected those two to get together of all people...but hey, it's their life!" Bow shrugged.

"Oh...I see...well, I ask that because...Parakarry brought up something earlier when we were going to see Waluigi and Diddy's graves. It was about that secret that Rosalina exposed about Goombario and I when she was trying to kill all of us," Bombette nervously brought up the topic.

"Oh! I think I remember that. She said that you, um, made a guy commit suicide a long time ago?" Goombario said unnervingly. Everyone got a little tense just then.

"Yes. She did say that. And...uhh...I think she was right…" Bombette looked down in shame as she admitted it.

"What do you mean? How the hell do you MAKE someone commit suicide!? Doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of 'suicide' if someone makes you do it?" Lakilester questioned.

"Because...okay...will you guys promise to still be my friend after I tell you this? It's...it's really, really bad…" Bombette said, still looking away from them.

"Hey, Bombette, look at us. It's okay. You can tell us anything and we'd be here for you no matter what," Kooper spoke in encouragement.

Bombette made a deep sigh as tears began to form in her eyes. "O-OK. OK. So...do you guys...remember that guy named Bruce from Koopa Village? The one that was captured at Koopa Bros. Fortress?"

"Bruce...yeah! You're talking about the guy that was obsessed with you, right? What happened with him!?" Lakilester asked with a little shock.

"Well, one night, he-"

Bombette was then interrupted by a familiar voice, calling for Goombario.

"Wait! Did you guys just hear that?" he yelped.

"Yeah, I think I heard someone call your name!" Bow confirmed.

"Has anyone here seen our son, Goombario!? Anyone!?" yelled a familiar male voice.

"Hey...Goombario, that sounds like your dad!" Kooper pointed out in surprise.

"OVER THERE!" Lakilester yelled, pointing towards the lobby area. Goombario almost fainted at the sight of seeing his Goompapa, Goomama, and his sister, Goombaria.

"Oh my- uhh, hey! You guys!" Goombario was reluctant to even run over to them and talk to them based on how they ended things, but he figured he owed it to them since they travelled all this way.

"OH, THERE HE IS! OUR LITTLE BOY!" Goomama cried with joy and tears and ran up to hug him, then his sister and father joined in on the hugging.

"Umm...wha...you guys are here. Why? What's going on? How did you even find me!?" Goombario was at a loss for words.

"We're here because we were scared for you, DUH! Ever since that monster attacked the city, we had no clue if you made it out alive or not!" Goombaria said.

"Son...we wanted to find you because we still care for you. I know things between us practically blew up the last time we talked, but I couldn't stop wondering if you were alive or not. Goombaria here found some comments on an Internet forum discussing Tatanga's attack, and she found comments that said people were gathered at St. Toadofsky's hospital, and Mario's group was in there too, and they made a list of who was a part of his group, and you were there! So, we HAD to make the drive to see you to make sure you were still alive!" Goompapa explained.

"Oh wow. So...yeah, I'm here. Totally and completely alive. Doing just fine," Goombario said a little irritatedly.

"I hear your quest to save the world is soooo much more dangerous than the last time you went with Mario, though! Is that true? I also saw that some people who went with you guys also died! Is that also true!?" Goombaria obnoxiously asked.

"Well, Goombaria, you see, it's-"

"Speaking of Mario, where is the man? I would love to speak with him and see how he's doing with handling all this mess!" Goomama interrupted, looking for the plumber now.

"Mom, he's probably-"

"OH! Those are your friends over there, aren't they!? Yeah! I remember them! Hey folks, come on over here! Don't be shy!" Goompapa excitedly cheered, waving them down. Kooper, Bombette, Bow, and Lakilester awkwardly walked on over to the family reunion.

"Uhh, hi there, Goombario's family! This is a, uhh, pleasant surprise!" Lakilester spoke, feeling weird talking to them given what Goombario said about them recently.

"Indeed it is! You guys are looking after our precious Goombario, aren't you!? By the way, weren't there more of you? I remember us holding a dinner for Mario and all his little friends after rescuing all the Star Spirits and getting rid of Bowser, but I clearly remember there being more of you!" Goompapa said.

"Well, one of the missing people is Parakarry, who is...well, busy with 'something else,'" Bow said, trying not to giggle cause she knew he was busy being with Jojora.

"And the other two people, Watt and Sushie...well, they're dead. They were killed by Tatanga's henchmen," Kooper added. The three made a look of horror on their faces.

"Oh my god, that's sooooo bad! I'm so sorry, you guys! They were such cool and strong girls too!" Goombario cried.

"My goodness...I see! My condolences to you all! Well, then this just proves all the more reason for why we came here! Goombario, we're taking you home with us!" Goomama stated. Goombario dropped his jaw, absolutely NOT expecting that to be the reason they came.

"WHAT!? You're-you're serious!? What the...NO! I refuse!" he yelled.

"Excuse me!? Goombario, WE are your parents, you will do as we say! You may be almost 16, but you're still considered a minor, and you're not emancipated either, therefore what we say GOES!" Goompapa angrily said.

"Okay. This has to be a joke, right? Do you guys NOT remember the argument we had the very last time you saw me!? I got sick and tired of you always letting Goombaria get away with everything! I got sick and tired of you guys NEVER celebrating or even, at the very least, acknowledging all the high grades and academic awards I achieved at school! You guys ALWAYS undermined me, and that's why I ran away!" Goombario shouted.

"I have a feeling this is gonna turn messy real quick…" Kooper whispered to Bombette.

"Son...we know this. We know that we messed up. We're not perfect parents! We're sorry for how we treated you. It wasn't until you were truly gone that it finally hit us how badly we were treating you. We went into counseling for our behavior. We promise you, we're better now!" Goomama admitted with tears in her eyes, being genuine about this.

"Yeah, Goombario! It's all gonna be okay now! I miss my big brother being around the house, teasing me, and me teasing you back! It's not the same without you," Goombaria said straight from the heart.

"Son, please don't tell me you actually wanna stay here in all this chaos happening? People are dying left and right! This is so much bigger than the adventure you went on years ago! With us, you have a safe haven!" Goompapa pleaded. Goombario wanted to believe they changed, but he also thought that it was possibly too little too late.

"That's funny, considering you guys easily let me go with Mario on that adventure back then. And don't say that that's different from what's happening now, my friends and I could've easily died on that adventure too! You guys just let me go, knowing that there could've been a million things that could go wrong!" Goombario spat.

"Why are you trying to argue with us, honey? We want you safe with us! Forget about the past mistakes! We love you and want you with us. This Tatanga mess is SO much bigger than anything Bowse has ever done! That's why we're practically begging you to come with us!" Goomama pleaded now as well, beginning to sob.

"Where is Mario? Maybe he can knock some sense into your head, because I know he's a very sensible guy! Though, then again, I can't imagine Mario of all people letting you travel with him this time around," Goompapa scoffed.

"Actually, Mister...um...Goombario's dad, Goombario has been with us and Mario and some of his other friends on these missions to defeat Tatanga, and he's been a major help. He can kick major ass, he's very knowledgeable, he's fearless, and he doesn't take crap from anyone. He's grown so much since the first time we adventured with him! He handles himself very well!" Kooper interrupted to praise his friend, letting the family know that Goombario isn't some weak kid. Goombario couldn't help but smile big at Kooper's help.

"Oh? Really? That's…" Goompapa looked as if he didn't believe Kooper. "Well...son, please explain to us why you so badly want to stay here and help, despite being in constant danger. We want to try to make things work with you!"

Goombario sighed in annoyance and tried his best to keep his patience with them. "I'll tell you everything I've been through with my friends on this new adventure, and why I want to stay and finish. Come with me. Let's take a walk."


"What is it, Yoshi?"

Birdo followed the dino to an isolated spot in the courtyard and sat down.

"Sit. I've got an idea to get your memory back!" he excitedly said.

Birdo looked at him a little annoyedly. "Yoshi...I really don't think anything is gonna help my memory. Plus...I have to tell you somethi-"

"Just trust me, Birdo! Please. Do you trust me?" Yoshi asked, holding out his hand for her. Birdo forced a smile, feeling some guilt over getting intimate with Boshi, and just feeling so lost in general. She reached out her hand and grabbed his, sitting down with him.

"I trust you, Yoshi. So, what are you going to do?" she asked.

"I'm going to sing you a song from your childhood. Birdo, you told me before that your mom taught you to play the piano when you were a kid. You ended up not liking it that much, however, you told me that there was one song that your mom sung to you that you couldn't help but both sing and play through it masterfully! The song is called Savior," Yoshi explained. Birdo looked confused yet surprised, legitimately interested by the fact that she was able to sing and play the piano.

"Really? Wow! That's...pretty cool...umm...so, wait, are you saying you're gonna play the piano for me then? Where the hell are you gonna find one?" she asked. Yoshi laughed at her.

"No no, I have no idea how to play the piano, but I am going to sing the Savior song to you! Might sound weird, but I think it might help bring back at least some distant memories, which could help bring ALL your memories back in the long run. I don't know...but, I think it's worth a shot, and you, being my lover, are 100% worth it!" he stated. That last sentence stung a little, making her feel even more like crap now since she kissed Boshi.

"Oh...okay then. Um, alright. Won't hurt to try this. You can start whenever you're ready," she said, preparing herself to listen carefully to the lyrics.

"Okay. Oh, and just so you know, I'm a very mediocre singer, but please try to bear with my off-key vocals!" Yoshi said humorously, making Birdo laugh a little. Yoshi cleared his throat and then began.

"Hm hm hm hm hm hm hmm...hm hm hm hm hm hmm...hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hmm…

Those dreams are happening again, the ones I had every night

Now I've come to know how, how precious life can be in this woooooorld

Everything has a special scent all because of yooouuu…

I want to give you all of the dreams that you want

I'll be your Savior from the sky

Like the first snow in Winter, like the sunshine in Spring, I'll be there when you need me

I'll come to you, we'll give this a try" Yoshi sung the first verse and chorus.

Upon hearing this, something sparked within Birdo. The lyrics he sang rang a familiarity to her. The rhythm, the lyrics, the meaning...it seemed like she somehow had listened to this song before. She began thinking deeply about how she could've heard it even though she has no memory of ever hearing it.

"When the witch of the Ice World, from those crazy fairytales

Blows cold wind in front of us one day, don't be afraid I'll protect you

I promise you, that we'll be able to overcome it all together

When I'm with you, I'm not scared of anything, no

I'll be your Savior from the sky

Like the sea in summer, like the sky in late fall, it's a dream that begins

As soon as you open your eyes" Yoshi sung the second verse and second chorus.

Birdo felt a nice tingling within her body. She remembers more now. She remembers the music that went along to this song. She remembers the exact rhythm. She remembers the exact keys to the piano that she would play to this song. She visualized herself playing the piano along every note Yoshi was singing and it all came to her so naturally and all at once. She then remembered her mom singing this with her and teaching her to play the piano. She could hear her voice in her head, singing along with Yoshi. It was such a wonderful yet shocking feeling that it made her cry a little in joy.

"The things that I want to do with you are increasing ever more now

I'm just afraid that the time that we have is simply not enooouuuggghhh!" Yoshi sung his heart out in the bridge, surprising Birdo with his impressive vocals. She then saw a flash of her mom's face, singing to her at the piano. There was another flash, but this time, the image of her mom stayed. She was looking up at her mom, who was showing her how to sing and play the piano to the song.

"Mommy…?" she uttered as tears fell down her cheeks.

"You try the rest now...go on! I'll sing the lyrics, and you play," she spoke so softly and sweetly.

Birdo looked down and saw a piano in front of her. She immediately played the keys to the rest of the song as she heard her mother sing and Yoshi's voice sing together with hers.

"I want to give you all of the dreams that you want

I'll be your Savior from the sky

Like the first snow in Winter, like the sunshine in Spring, I'll be there when you need me

We'll fly away together

When I'm with you, I'm not scared of anything, no

I'll be your Savior from the sky

Like the sea in summer, like the sky in late fall, it's a dream that begins

As soon as you open your eyes…"

Birdo started crying in joy and sadness. She remembered the song by heart. She knew how to play those keys as if she had done it a million times.

"M-Mom...this song...I've played it before…" she uttered, still in shock at everything.

"You have. You are a very quick learner, honey!" she laughed heartily.

"What does the song mean, though? Why did you write this song?" Birdo asked.

"This song is a reminder that there is always someone or something watching out over you and the people you love. No matter what trouble happens in your life...no matter what path you take in your life...you'll always have love and light showing you and your friends the way," her mom said, and brushed her hand against Birdo's cheek. That sensation made Birdo feel pure bliss throughout her whole body.

"Birdo…?" Yoshi's voice was heard.

Birdo gasped. Suddenly, all the memories of everything she had lost came back. From the time she was a kid, up to now when she helped out her friends on the battle against Tatanga.

"Birdo, are you okay!? Say something!" Yoshi shrieked in worry, since she was just staring into space from his point of view.

Birdo blinked and gasped again, and fell over to the grass.

"BIRDO! What's going on with you!?" Yoshi cried, crawling over to her.

Birdo looked at him and started to laugh and cry. "Y-Yoshi...I'm okay. I-I remember now, I remember everything!"

Those words make Yoshi's heart flutter and explode with the upmost happiness he has ever felt in a while.

"Birdo!? You're really really back!? I...oh god, I love you so much! I'm so happy you're here again!" Yoshi cheered a little hysterically and started crying too. They kissed each other a few times and held each other in their arms.

"I love you too, Yoshi...I was so worried I'd be lost forever!" Birdo cried, feeling the same amount of bliss Yoshi was feeling.

"You WERE lost, but I found you! I found you and I'll never let you go!" Yoshi declared. At that moment, all worries and fears were gone for them. Their world became just a little bit brighter in a time of despair and gloom.


"So, why did you bring me here? You're getting me kind of worried now," DK asked Larry, whom he brought to an empty employee lounge.

"I've been thinking lately...what happened with Rosalina and how she went out of control with her powers...I'm really scared that that might happen to me! Because remember, I still have her powers copied into me due to Gekikara's magic. I don't wanna become addicted to using magic and have it affect me negatively, you know? I-I'm not saying that I'll go there, but...it just scares me based on how Rosalina spiraled down," Larry said worriedly.

"Okay. I can understand that. But, uhh, not to sound rude, but what do you want ME to do about it?" he asked confusedly.

"Well...do I have your permission to use the Mimic ability on you? I would gain your strength! I'd be so great and useful in combat. It makes perfect sense to use my ability on someone who is naturally strong!" Larry said excitedly. DK was surprised at this revelation, not expecting him to ask that kind of question.

"Oh! Um...well, are you sure? I mean...the next time you get in a fight with your brothers, one simple hit to their face can put them in the hospital!" DK slightly joked.

Larry frowned, and looked away in embarrassment. "So, you heard about that fight we had after Bowser ran away then, huh?"

"Yeah. That, and the bruises around your nose kind of say it all," DK pointed out.

"Ah. Well, I promise you that I'll keep my temper under control around them! Plus, it's mostly Morton that gets under my skin, so I'm doing my best to avoid him anyways. But, please, DK...this will be REALLY helpful for protecting you guys. Please?" he pleaded.

DK smirked then laughed a little at his pleas. "Okay, okay. I trust you, Larry. Go on!"

Larry jumped for joy. "Awesome! Thank you so much. Okay...MIMIC!" He said as he went up to him and touched his arm. He felt a huge wave of energy rush over his body, almost knocking him down.

"Woah! You okay? Did it work!?" DK asked.

"Umm...it should have! Let's test this…" Larry went over to one of the round tables and used both of his hands to lift it up. He laughed in victory, beyond excited that he was as powerful as DK now. He then threw the table up a little and caught it with the palm of his right hand like a waiter. "YES! It works perfectly! Thanks again, DK!"

DK chuckled at his joyfulness. "Anytime, Larry. I'm gonna go get something to eat now."

"Wait! Quick question, first. How are you? You know...with Diddy dying and Rosalina...you hanging in there?" Larry asked as he put the table down.

DK wanted to cry at the mention of both of their names but held it back. "Yeah. Hanging in there. I'm still very sad and a little mad, but...I'll be alright. I'm just trying to keep my mind occupied on other things, because if I don't...I'm gonna cry then I won't be able to stop."

Larry nodded, understanding his emotions. "I get it. It's really rough losing both people you love. But...at the end of the day, all we really can do is keep marching on, right?"

"Yep. Keep marching on. We can cry and worry and be pissed off all we want, but at the end of the day, the only thing that'll keep us going is us marching onward and trying not to look back."


"Wanna know something weird?" Dixie asked Tiny. The sisters were sitting out in the courtyard, staring into the field beyond. "Everytime I turn around or turn a corner, I still expect to see Diddy there. I know we split up before he...but, it just doesn't seem real that he's actually gone."

Tiny rubbed Dixie's shoulder and rested her head on it. "I know you still loved him, sis, but the shock of Diddy being gone will wear off and you'll get used to it. I know that sounds bad, but you will move on somehow, and I'll be there every step of the way to help!"

Dixie smiled a little at her. "Thanks, sis. I know it'll get better, I mean, it just has to! Things can't get any lower than this. And I hate having these conflicted feelings about Rosalina, too. A part of me wants to punch the holy hell out of her what she's done, but the other part of me wants to feel sorry for her and get rid of all her pain. It's crap like that that makes me wish things were sometimes black and white."

"Yeah...but nothing is EVER black and white though, you should know that by now! Nothing. But, hey, to make things a little better for you...what do you say about me going with you on the next mission?" Tiny asked, excited to see Dixie's reaction. Dixie made an even bigger smile to that.

"Really? You mean it!? Tiny...honestly, that would help so much with things! I need my big sis around more than ever now," Dixie cried a little and gave her a hug.

"Definitely. I don't know what the hell I was thinking before, being so intimidated by going on another adventure...I mean, it's not like I've never done it before!" Tiny laughed and so did Dixie.

"Yeah...it'll be a big help for sure. Especially to get my mind off of how that bastard, Fire Bro, fucked with my mind. I wanted to believe the things he said and be his friend, but he ruined it by being a backstabbing liar and killer. God, I'm so stupid for ever even hanging around him so much!" Dixie yelled, getting angry at herself.

"Hey, stop! Look at me. You're NOT stupid. You are smart. Brave. Tough. Quick. You and I share so many of the same qualities that makes us unstoppable on these quests. Sis, don't EVER second guess yourself, okay? Just because some guy you had feelings for lied to you and messed with your head, doesn't change ANYTHING about who you are," Tiny said, lifting her spirits up again. Dixie nodded at her words of encouragement, and gave her another hug. She felt beyond thankful for her sister making her feel strong again.


"This is the room! I've noticed that no one ever goes in here," Jojora excitedly said to Parakarry, as they entered a small office supply room on the 6th floor. She then locked the door.

"Uhh, okay? Is there something in here that's a surprise for me?" Parakarry asked, looking around the room in confusion.

"Yes...kind of," Jojora said, and turned Parakarry's head towards hers and kissed him. Parakarry pulled back in surprise.

"Woah! Hehe. Um, Jojora, why did you really bring me up here for? Are we having a secret makeout session!?" Parakarry excitedly asked.

"Parakarry...with so much craziness that's been happening, with so many of our friends dying, it's been giving me so much to think about. There's a chance that we could die too, at any second. It feels like the fucking apocalypse, honestly!" Jojora exclaimed.

"Yeah, that's understandable to think that. I mean, given that Tatanga will potentially kill off so many people, I think that makes this situation pretty apocalyptic. But, what are you trying to get at here exactly?" Parakarry asked, a little nervous to know her true intentions.

"In case we do die...I don't wanna miss out on one of the best things in life. It's something that I haven't had in a long time and I've been craving it quite a bit lately. The thing I'm talking about is making love," Jojora bluntly spoke. Parakarry was blown back from that out-of-nowhere response.

"Woah. You...uhh...wow. Hehe. Jojora, that's, uhh-"

"Parakarry, will you 'do it' with me? I brought protection. I know this all sounds crazy, but, I really don't wanna take the chance of dying without having that amazing experience of connection again. The last time I did it, the guy turned out to be an asshole, but with you, you're not like that at all. Get what I'm saying?" Jojora explained further, which definitely piqued the mailman's interest. He couldn't help but blush with excitement.

"Makes sense to me! Okay then, let's...well, actually, can I share something before we do this, Jojora? I've...uhh...never done 'that' before with anyone…" Parakarry revealed, looking embarrassed. "I know, it's pathetic. I'm an adult with a decent career and my own place and I've never gotten that far with any woman I've tried to date, and I don't do hookups either!"

"It's okay. I don't care if you've never done it before. It doesn't bother me. All the more reason to do this now then, though, right? Your first experience with someone who likes you a lot and cares about you," Jojora sweetly understood his worries, which helped him be more comfortable with the situation.

"Aw thanks! That really means a lot. Really. So...alright! Let's get to it then, shall we?"


KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

Peach opened up the door to her and Mario's patient room. Peach tried not to show her disgust when she saw who it was.

"Oh...it's you two. What is it?" she grumbled.

"Can we come in for just a minute, please? We both would like to talk things out with you and Mario," Toadiana's dad pleaded.

Mario walked up to the door. "Talk things out? I'm assuming in a mature manner?" he said impatiently, not in the mood for more arguing.

"Yes. We're here to apologize and vent about some things. Can we please come in? We promise that we won't be long!" Toadiana's mom also pleaded. Peach obliged and let them in.

"We both wanna say that we are so, very sorry for how we acted earlier. We started a ruckus and it all stems from our little girl dying...we were taking out our rage on you and it created an even bigger mess," Toadiana's dad said with tears coming out from both his eyes.

"Yeah, we were idiots to say the horrible things we did! Not only that, but we're also idiots for not even putting ourselves in your guys' positions. You two do so much for the kingdom, and us regular folks wouldn't even know the first thing to do if we were a superhero or a princess! Hell, we'd be terrified at any choice to make!" Toadiana's mom admitted. The mournful parents held each other as they cried a little, making Mario and Peach feel deeply for them.

"We accept your guys' apology! And, listen, I can't imagine ever losing your own child...that must be the worst thing in the whole world to go through. Having to lose the life that you both made...knowing that there was so much more in store for her...knowing that she had her whole life ahead of her...it's horrible! I don't blame you for being mad at everyone and everything!" Peach cried a little with them, sympathizing with their emotions.

"Yeah, I bet it's incredibly overwhelming to handle your loss. We are truly sorry for that...um, what are your names? So we can know each other a little better," Mario kindly asked.

"My name is Toadoro and my wife's name is Toadinya. Thank you both so much for understanding us," Toadoro was beyond happy for this mutual interaction.

"I know it must be so difficult for you two and your friends to go through this mess. A lot of other people think it's just a walk in the park to save the world, that they'll get do-overs if they mess up, or they just think beating the bad guy is as simple as some stomps to the head, but it really isn't, is it?" Toadinya asked.

Mario shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. Your friends die along the way, you get hurt, you discover things about yourself and your friends that can be either amazing or horrible, and most of all, you just become tired in every aspect of your being from all the losses, pain, and drama, but you know you have to push on still, and so you do, until your ultimate goal is accomplished."

"Man...the way you put it into words, you make it sound like a world war or something close to it!" Toadoro chuckled uncomfortably.

"It pretty much is. It's a war to keep the world safe from someone dangerous and violent," Peach added on to Mario's statement.

"Yeah. It's horrifying, isn't it? To think that this is the world that our girl experienced...and that all the other kids here will continue to experience...no kid should ever have to witness a world so chaotic and cruel! It messes with their mind permanently," Toadinya said.

"While we're on the subject of kids, have you two thought about having one? I mean, think about it. A superhero and a princess making a baby...that'll be one successful and brilliant child right there!" Toadoro chuckled again. Mario and Peach looked at each other and laughed a little awkwardly. Both of them have actually thought about it before, but never actually spoke to each other about the subject.

"Yeah, you two will have such a beautiful kid, if you choose to go down that route. You're both leaders, and are loyal, headstrong, giving, and charismatic," Toadinya added.

"Aww, thank you. It is something that we'll definitely discuss. But...we shouldn't fear for the children having to grow up in a case like this. As parents and family members, we should always remind them that there are better parts to the world. There are so many amazing things that a child can experience and grow up with, it's just up to us to do our best to show that to them," Peach spoke with such wisdom that it made Mario gaze at her the whole time, feeling like he was falling in love with her all over again.


"...my goodness, son! You...you went through all of THAT!? Excuse my language, but I am very shocked that you aren't dead!" Goompapa yelled as they were making their way back to the entrance from their walk.

"I mean, good grief, Goombario! So many of your friends have died and you go through hell...and you still wanna stay to deal with more of that!?" Goomama was in disbelief at her son's story.

"I thought his story was pretty cool! Well, except for the friends dying, of course, but wow! You really have gone so far since the last time you adventured with Mario!" Goombaria cheered for him.

"Speaking of Mario, he's changed quite a bit as well! He seems a lot more stoic and serious and closed off! He barely even spoke a whole sentence to me when we saw him!" Goompapa pointed out.

"Yeah, he has changed a lot, but that's because there are millions of things on his mind right now, so he probably didn't feel doing any catching up in that moment...but yeah. He's the leader of our group so he takes on the toll of carrying the weight of the world, practically," Goombario said.

"I see. Hmm. I suppose that makes sense. So...you are for sure staying then, huh?" Goomama asked.

Goombario smiled and nodded. "I'm not going anywhere. This is where I belong, you guys. I know I'm still a minor, but I've proved to these guys that I can help greatly, and I really want to stay here and help win the big fight, just like last time. I still love you guys. I don't think I'm even mad at you all anymore, but...I really need to be here."

Goompapa sighed in disappointment and started to cry a little. "O-Okay, son...I suppose it wouldn't be right of us to force you out of here...after all, you really do seem to fit in here so well. You've toughened up so much as well! You're not our little boy anymore."

Goomama began to cry too. "Son, we love you too, so much! As much as I think you should still be back with us, I understand and can even tell that this is something that you're destined to be a part of. Just like the first time when you saved those Star Spirits."

"Oh, big brother! I'm gonna miss you like crazy again! Just, um, please promise us you'll at least consider coming back once you kick Tatanga's butt and save the world?" Goombaria asked, giving him a hug.

Goombario laughed a little at her. "Of course, I'll definitely consider it. It was honestly great seeing you all again."

"You too, son. You too. I know we didn't end things right the last time, but I promise you, if you come back, things will change for the better. Love you, Goombario," Goompapa gave him a hug, which made him cry more, making Goombario cry a little now.

"Please, do be careful still, okay sweetie? I hope you believe me when I say that we are all so very proud of you!" Goomama said and hugged him.

"I believe you, don't worry. I love you guys as well!" Goombario held back from crying too much because he knew he wouldn't stop if he started. "N-Now then...you guys should go. It's getting dark."

His family nodded and said their goodbyes, then left through the entrance.

Kooper walked up to Goombario. "That looked like that went well. You doing okay?"

"Yeah...I can tell they've changed, Kooper. I know I'm always so hesitant about giving second chances, but I guess there's always an exception, isn't there?" Goombario asked, not taking his eyes off of his family walking away.

"Yeah, always. You know, Goombario, it's really brave of you to stick here with us, fighting until the end, especially since you're only a teenager. You're gonna go places when you get older, trust me!" Kooper complimented, making Goombario wanting to cry more in joy.

"Heh...thanks, Kooper. At least now, I have another thing to look forward to once we beat Tatanga," Goombario said with a bright smile, really deeply considering going back to his family.


"That's the place they're all at, huh?" asked a rough sounding koopatrol. Him and his group were checking out the location from a block away.

"Yep. That's where that bitch killed Kooparius is at, along with all her dumbass friends! And, this time, we'll be the ones to get rid of them all and take this place as our own! HAHAHAAAA!" yelled a crazed koopatrol.

"What do you mean by 'this time'?" asked a younger sounding koopatrol.

"Pretty sure he's talking about when Tatanga and his lackies tried to raid that other hospital, but failed massively. Shit, I'm surprised Tatanga himself didn't get killed! Mario and his friends fucking dominated them that night, for the most part!" answered an urban, edgy-sounding koopatrol.

"Haha yeah, that was fun watching that shitshow in the dark. The problem with Tatanga's plan that night, was that he clearly didn't plan that whole thing out. He acted on impulse and just went in without a proper strategy. Us? We're gonna do it the right way. We may not have the numbers like Tatanga did, but we have the strategy to make this successful," said the rough sounding koopatrol.

"So, uhh, what is the right way then? What is even our strategy!? You guys told me before that Tatanga's guys had a bunch of guns, but we only have a few on OUR hands!" stressed the younger koopatrol.

"Man, do you always have to question everything we do? Just shut up, lighten up, and do what we tell you!" said the edgy koopatrol.

"Helps that we got a new person who wants Mario and his underlings to crumble, though. Those guys really screwed you over, didn't they? And they call themselves heroes!" scoffed a female koopatrol.

"Damn right. I don't give a flying fuck if those assholes rule the kingdom with their two-facedness. I want them to SUFFER," Toadim said angrily, clenching his fists.

"Haha, excellent! For right now, we plan our attack. Then, we launch our attack first thing in the morning. They're not gonna know what will hit them," said the rough koopatrol, snickering in excitement.

EOC.

NEXT CHAPTER IS THE BIG 100! Woohoo! So...as hinted at before, the next chapter is going to be an absolute bloodbath. There's also a good chance that you'll end up hating me, because A LOT of characters are going to be killed off as well, LOL. Since next chapter is going to be so big and chaotic, it'll take me a little longer than usual to write it all, so expect an update by the end of March. Thanks for reading!