Main group: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, Toadette, DK, Dixie, Goombella
Hospital group: Kooper, Bombette, Parakarry, Lakilester, Koops, Koopie, Flurrie, Spike/Paper-Yoshi, Vivian, Bleck/Blumiere, Tippi/Timpani, Toadsworth, Boshi, Fly Guy, Toadessa, Toado, Dr. Nokano, Bowser, Morton, Lemmy, Ludwig, Larry, Bowser Jr., Wario, Pauline, Mona, Jojora, Tadano, E. Gadd, Starlow, Luvbi, Clawdia, Katia, Kenneth, Toodles, Kody
Mushroom Corps.: Arfur
Island group: Tatanga, Beldam, Roy, Doopliss, Dimentio, Mimi, Diddy
Moon: Grodus, TEC
Fort Koopington: Rosalina
Elsewhere: Fire Bro/Konnor
"We are so glad that you're still with us, Toadette. I know I haven't been the bestest friend to you, but I just want you to know that I love you, and you can always count on us for anything!" Dixie spoke heartfeltly to the mushroom gal, holding her hand while she lay in a daze in her hospital bed. Daisy, DK, Yoshi, Peach, Goombella, and Koops were there as well.
Toadette faintly smiled as a tear fell down her cheek. "I know. I love you all too! I'm so sorry that I scared you guys...I-I just didn't wanna deal with this anymore...seeing Toad and everyone else die...I got so tired of it all and I was hurting so bad a-and I just lost hope...I'm just so tired of crying and losing the people we love."
"I know, sweetie. I know losing Toad was the thing that did it for you, and I can't blame you one bit for doing what you did. We're not angry at you. We just want you to be here with us and trying to keep on fighting!" Peach shakily spoke as she wiped her watery eyes.
"B-But, I'm not as strong as you guys are...that's the thing. I tried to kill myself. That's the weakest thing anyone could ever do…" Toadette sniffled.
"Toadette...I'm gonna tell you right now that that's complete and utter bullshit," DK stated. The others looked surprised at how blunt he was. "You've done so much that a kid your age would never be able to handle! You and Toad are 15, right? Yeah! Both of you are so strong and bold for your age! You two helped us get what we needed. You both could've easily stayed behind the whole time and let everyone else do the work, but no. What you and your brother did and had to deal with took major guts.
So, don't say that. Don't even think that! You and Toad are very strong. They may have taken Toad away from us, but that doesn't take away the fact that you ARE strong, Toadette, and so was he. Yeah, you had a moment of weakness, but that doesn't change anything about how strong you are."
Yoshi was astounded by the ape's speech and spoke, "Wow, DK...I was gonna say something similar to her, but I think what you said completely trumped everything I'd say." Everyone chuckled at this and DK gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder.
"Thank you. You don't know how much that means to me. You know...I know I've been depressed lately and have actually been thinking about ending myself even before Toad died...but, I really AM glad I got saved. I wanna live for Toad...and to help finish what we started. So...thank you, DK, for finding me, and thank you to all of you of course for always being there for me!" Toadette said in complete sincerity, which brought everyone joy and they all knew she meant it when she said she was glad to be alive. It was something to always be grateful for.
"Of course. We're always here for anything! You're never alone, Toadette. We're a family and I really hope that it stays like that for the rest of our lives," Daisy said with a nod.
"That's a lifetime commitment that I think we can all try to strive for!" Goombella chuckled heartily.
"I get it, wanting to end yourself, Toadette," Koops spoke. "I've thought about it for so many years. I grew up pretty much alone...my parents divorced, then my mom moved away and was murdered...I fell in love with Koopie only to find out that she cheated on me and hid it for years...it was all I thought about except for during two events that happened in my life. The first event was helping Mario save the world from the Shadow Queen a while back. I found my dad, met some amazing friends on the way, helped defeat the enemies that got in our way, and became really sure of who I was.
The second event was, um, well, this! Going back on this adventure really made me remember how I became the person that I was back when I was helping find the Crystal Stars. Then the whole cheating thing was revealed and I lost my mind for a bit, and I'm still not happy how I went about that, along with finding out that it was Kooper's brother, Fire Bro or Konnor, that did it, but anyways...um, I wanted to just end myself when those fiascos happened, but I'm really glad I didn't, because I don't wanna leave my dad behind, and I don't wanna leave you guys behind too. This is definitely a family I wanna be with for as long as possible.
Umm...sorry, I just realized I made this about me now, and I didn't mean to. Sorry Toadette. I just wanted to empathize with why you felt that way."
"Hey, don't sweat it about making those mistakes, okay? This is a VERY hard time for all of us! We're ALL happy you're alive, Koops," DK assured. Koops smiled at him.
"Yeah. And you're not being self-centered, Koops. You're one of the least self-centered people I know!" Toadette also assured. Koops was starting to tear up now.
"It's hard not to think about ending it, though. With Birdo gone, it's hard to just keep going on without her when I just wanna, you know, uhh...all I wanna do is just be with her and nothing else...but I know she'd want me to keep fighting because that's who she was," Yoshi started to tear up as well from mentioning his beloved. Daisy rested her head on his shoulder while Toadette reached for his head.
"I know, Yoshi. Birdo was such a force of nature, and you two just fit together so perfectly. But yeah, she would want you to keep fighting, even when things are so hard and painful...just gotta keep fighting," Daisy spoke as she began to get a little lost in thought about her fight with Luigi. It was the second time he acted so cold to her. The first was after fighting King Boo, but this time seemed a lot worse.
Later on, everyone left the room to go get dinner. Koops and Goombella walked together.
"Hey, Koops. When you were, like, talking about how low you felt and wanting to kill yourself...I'm sorry if it ever came off like me and the others didn't care. We do...I especially know that I do! It's just a really fragile topic that so many of us don't know how to properly handle. It's interesting...I kind of thought about going into psychology to become a counselor or therapist when I went into U Goom, but then changed my major to archaeology not too long after I enrolled at the university because I just got so invested in the history of certain places and environments and Professor Frankly made it seem like so much fun," Goombella reminisced, which made her eyes teary at the mentioning of Frankly.
"Oh! You don't need to apologize, Goombella. Thank you, though. I know I have a lot of issues, and so I just keep things bottled up because I feel like I'm annoying people if I try to vent," Koops responded.
"It's not annoying, Koops. We ALL need to, like, vent and get help sometimes. And it doesn't make you weak either, so I don't want you thinking that too," Goombella assured him.
"Yeah, you're right. I know I'm not weak. I may need lots of therapy for my issues...but I'm not weak," Koops proudly affirmed, which made Goombella smile at his confidence. "I really can't wait to see my dad again and tell him everything that's happened. He'd be so proud of me and talk so much about how I've grown."
"Yeah, he definitely would...but, when you say 'everything,' are you also gonna tell him about Koopie and Kooper?" Goombella asked.
"Yeah, I have to. I'm gonna tell him literally everything. Including my mental breakdown. It's not a pretty part of my story, but it needs to be told so my dad knows how much I hurt and how I overcame that pain. He might detest Koopie after that, but I'll do my best to have him go easy on her since she lives next to us still and I just don't want there to be any drama and I know Koopie and Kooper are sorry for what they did," Koops clarified.
"Oh...well, that's kind of you to do that after being hurt by them. I'm glad that's the route you're going down on," Goombella said with another joyous smile for the growing koopa.
"Hehe, thanks. By the way, Goombella, speaking of my father, I just realized that you've never really told us about your own parents. What's the story with your family?" Koops asked.
"My parents...ooh, yeah, err, that's, like, a long story saved for another time, haha," Goombella got a little awkward at that. "But, really Koops, we seriously need to hang out again once we're done with this mission. Whether it's just with only us, or with the whole gang, we need to make up on the time that we lost that we didn't hang much before this happened!"
"Yeah! I'd like that. Kind of my fault for that, though. I'm bad at communication, and there are times that I just wanna be alone...but you're right. We need to catch up on that!" Koops heartily cheered.
"There you are!" Pauline shouted as she walked towards Boshi in the parking lot. He was laying on top of another car, looking as if he was napping, but actually wasn't.
"Huh? Oh, Pauline! What do you want? Come here to throw some massive shade my way?" Boshi grumbled at her appearance. Pauline angrily scoffed at his obnoxiousness.
"You know, I totally could, but that's not why I'm here," she grunted while flipping her hair back. "So, yesterday, you were talking with Yoshi about some 'personal' stuff. I heard most of it, but I swear to you, I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, I just happened to be nearby when you guys were talking."
"Mmmhmm," Boshi grumbled as he sat up to talk to her directly. "So...you say you weren't trying to eavesdrop...but you listened to our conversation in secret. That's the literal definition of eavesdropping."
Pauline rolled her eyes again. "Fine, I guess I WAS actually eavesdropping! But, not intentionally. I just came over here to tell you that I can relate to not being wanted and having no one believe your issues, or want to help you."
"Hmm. Go on…" Boshi looked a little intrigued now.
"So...this is gonna get really personal, but I'll make it a quick story. I was raped when I was 17 by a guy I thought I could trust. When I told my friends about it, none of them believed me, because I was known as the school slut. I even told my parents, and, well, they had the same reaction. They turned it around on me, making me out to be the bad guy, saying crazy shit like 'Oh, well, you must've been aggressive and persuasive with wanting to have sex with that guy, because we know you're sexually active and you like to flaunt it whenever you can!' I was just livid at that point, and...you know, I wanted to kill myself. I had nobody that believed me.
I talked it out with the guy that raped me. I told him to admit what he did and tell everyone about it because no one was believing me. He refused to do it, because in his words, 'What I did wasn't rape. You wanted it so badly and I gave it to you. You should be glad that a clean-cut guy like me is giving you sex since your reputation around here is in the shithole.'
When he said that...I just had a mental breakdown. I cried myself to sleep every night for weeks and I just...lived up to that title of being the crazy slut because I felt hopeless in getting people to believe me, and seeing that what happened to me was traumatic. I've had MANY failed relationships because of this...I use sex to get a guy to like me, and it all just crumbles apart after that so quickly.
That's why I'm sure you've heard about me using magic to screw with Mario's mind to make him fall in love with me. I wanted him so badly because he saved me a long time ago and it just felt so comforting being with him. He was so non-judgmental, mature, and caring...I've been obsessed with him for years. That's why I've been trying to get with him despite knowing that he's with Peach, and will always be with Peach, and he SHOULD be with Peach! I'm not like that anymore. I realized that just because my life is so fucked up, it doesn't give me the right to fuck with other people's lives. All it does is just make things worse.
So...yeah, I went on a tangent there, but...I'm a loner just like you because of unfair stuff that happened to me, but no one ever wanted to believe or reach out a helping hand to me. That's why I've been kind of laying low in the group ever since that secret of me and Kammy Koopa messing with Mario's mind was let out, because I'm afraid I'm just gonna fuck things up again and I'll be shunned this time around," Pauline told her story while pacing around and got a little choked up during it.
Boshi was silent for a minute, processing that tragic story. "Woah. Goddamn. Pauline...I had no idea you went through such awful crap! Man, I'm so sorry. I guess that makes sense now, though...we're both pretty broken due to our crappy upbringings."
"Yeah. I seriously hate my parents. Haven't spoken to them in years. They could be dead for all I know now, but...it is what it is. I'm not my parents, and I refuse to be heartless, narcissistic, and money-hungry like they are. I mean, shit, I'm just now realizing I was kind of acting like them before when I tried to make Mario get with me and when I first went on the mission with them, and even way before that...god...no wonder why they couldn't stand me. I brought it all onto myself, being a vapid whore who'll probably be forever alone," Pauline cringed at remembering the days she was out of control and cruel to others.
"Damn. That's how my parents were too! Wow, look at us, Miss Pauline...we have a lot in common than we ever thought we would," Boshi snickered.
Pauline rolled her eyes again, but a little playfully this time. "I suppose so. The first thing I'm doing once this shit is done is that I'm getting major therapy. This new generation we're in is all about self-betterment, and I'm so glad it's knocking some sense into those of us who are in DIRE need of it."
"Yeah, I think I'll do therapy too...though, I dunno if a therapist could handle all the trauma and crap I'll dump onto them!" Boshi laughed, and it made Pauline laugh a little too.
"Well, that's why they're therapists, Boshi. They're equipped to deal with anything and everything. I'm sure all therapists have heard the most tragic life stories ever," Pauline said and jumped on the car to sit next to Boshi.
"True...but, uhh, hey! So, I take it you also heard me calling out Yoshi and his group of friends for being a lot more corrupt than they appear? You know what I'm talking about, right?" Boshi asked, curious to know if there was anyone else that agreed with him about this subject.
"Oh yeah, I did, and I agree that that group has their own shady secrets and dealings that they keep on lockdown from the public. But...I mean, I get it. I have some dark secrets that I wouldn't dare reveal to anyone as well. We all do it, and I like those guys, but...their 'holier than thou' attitude gets a little old. But, then again, those guys have an image to maintain; the purely good superheroes that help keep the kingdom from the hands of evil...so, I get it. I can't blame them for being like that," Pauline replied with a shrug.
"Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. I think I can relate to that because people think I'm crazy and an asshole, so I intentionally act like a crazy asshole sometimes because, I dunno, I guess I assume people will think that of me no matter how nice I try to be," Boshi responded also with a shrug and plopped his back down on the roof of the car.
"Yeah. Reputation is everything to most people," Pauline added with a frustrated sigh.
"For sure...oh! By the way, Pauline...why did you come over here and tell me this story of yours? Like...I don't mean to sound rude, but how come you're just over here, telling me your story, and hanging out with me when I've been nasty to you?" Boshi asked.
"Because I know how it is to be lonely and have people see you as less than them, and I'm tired of the pointless fighting. We're a team! We don't gotta be friends, but at the very least, we should tolerate and be cordial with each other," Pauline explained.
"Hmm. Yeah, I think I can do with being tolerant then. Thanks. Feels nice to relate. Not a big fan of sharing feelings, but...this time, it felt nice," Boshi responded with a smirk and a nod.
"THIS is the kind of food you're serving? Good grief, this is a hospital, not some low-end fast food restaurant like Burger Queen!" Toodles cried in disgust at the food selection in the cafeteria to the food workers.
"Uhh, lady? You do see that they have plenty of salad, carrot sticks, broccoli, and like, so many other veggies and fruits?" Kody pointed out.
"Yes, but look at those french fries! Beyond greasy and salty! And those Jelly Shrooms, why on earth are they COMPLETELY coated in jelly!? Aren't Jelly Shrooms supposed to be about 25% covered in jelly? Who are the cooks here!?" Toodles annoyingly complained.
"Why, I just so happen to be one of the cooks here, ma'am!" Fly Guy shouted, who flew up next to her from out of nowhere. "And if you have a problem with the food here, then feel free to take your saggy, old gluteus maximus over to the four star restaurants on Overpriced Avenue instead! OH WAIT, THAT'S RIGHT, ALL THOSE RESTAURANTS WERE OBLITERATED BY THE PURPLE ALIEN DEVIL FROM PLANET JACKASS, SO GET OVER IT GRANNY!"
"MY WORD! I have never been treated with such disrespect and childish behavior! I'll make sure to write a nasty review on Yelp when I get the chance!" Toodles growled at him and stomped off.
"Uhh...I hope she realizes that he doesn't ACTUALLY work here? He doesn't even have a work uniform on!" Bowser Jr. commented and cringed at that odd interaction. Him and Kody were walking over to a table to eat their dinner.
"Do you know those two at all?" Kody asked.
"Kind of. The lady is Toodles. She's a rich snob who thinks that just because she was born into wealth that she's better than everyone else. The other guy is Fly Guy who is...well, pretty crazy and makes no sense half the time, but he isn't AS crazy as that Fire Brother that escaped," Junior explained as the two sat down next to Morton, Ludwig, and Lemmy.
"Hey Junior. Made a new friend?" Lemmy asked.
"Uhh, yes! Guys, this is Kody. He's the one that was with those koopatrols, but was actually forced into it, and Parakarry helped save him from being killed by one of us," Junior explained.
"Yep. That's me! 'Sup, guys?" Kody cheerily said and put out his fist for the others to bump it.
"Uhh...what are you doing?" Ludwig confusedly asked.
Lemmy snickered at him and fist bumped Kody. "You're only 3 years older than me, Lud, but you're completely out of touch with this generation!"
"No I'm not...I'm just...don't care!" Ludwig pouted.
"Heh. It's all good, bro. Where's your dad at? I'd like to meet King Bowser Koopa. I heard he's gotten a lot nicer recently!" Kody asked.
Morton looked annoyed at that comment. "Our dad is with our other brother, Larry, resting from an 'episode' he had earlier with our crazy mother. He's just been through a lot, just like us. We lost our brother and sister yesterday...then before that, we lost our longtime friend, Kammy Koopa. So, yeah, maybe a slight change in personality because of that, but he still doesn't take shit from anyone and won't go soft on anything."
"Morton...you don't have to sound so rude," Junior sighed.
"I understand. I'm sorry for your guys' loss...I mean, really, I wanted NO part in all of that...but they were going to kill me if I didn't go along with it, so I just pretended to be okay with it. It wasn't until all hell broke loose that I decided to take advantage of the situation and knocked out one of those guys, and I stopped him from killing a few of your friends," Kody explained himself, feeling a little hurt and sad because he truly didn't want trouble.
"Yeah, we know, we heard about that," Morton said while crossing his arms, keeping that same annoyed expression. "We also heard about how they killed your whole family. That's awful. I can't imagine how hurt you must be."
"Yeah...thanks. I try to push the emotions away because I'm just so tired of crying and feeling hurt, but man...I don't know what I'm gonna do once things go back to normal. I won't have a family or home to even go back to…" Kody started sounding more sad and hung his head over his food.
"Don't you have relatives you could live with? I'm sure they won't mind taking you in," Ludwig asked.
"I could...but they're not the nicest people. They're so self-absorbed and heartless. I wouldn't be able to handle it for long," Kody answered.
"Mmm. So...how did they kill your parents and brother? Was it instant or did the koopatrols make them suffer?" Morton blurted. The brothers looked at him in shock and disgust, and Kody nearly choked on the fries he was swallowing while he asked that.
"MORTON! You can't just ask that! What's wrong with you!?" Lemmy yelled.
"I'm sorry. I don't know why I said that. We're just all in a weird mood with everything happening and our mother's crazy family being around us," Morton bizarrely spoke, not even seeming legitimately.
"Uhh...it's...okay? And what do you mean by your mother's crazy family?" Kody asked all the while feeling uncomfortable and awkward.
"Long story short, our mother cheated on our father, and she's here with the guy and has a daughter with him, and they're here telling their side of the story with how and why the cheating went down, and it's just not making things feel better for any of us, especially for our dad," Ludwig summarized. Kody dropped his jaw.
"Holy crap! That's completely insane! I'm so sorry for you guys. Your poor dad must be totally broken by all this," he exclaimed.
"More like shattered...but yeah. We're doing the best we can to hang in there," Junior said with a depressing sigh.
"Yep. By the way, Kody...you were wearing a koopatrol suit when we put you in the basement cell. Did you throw it away?" Morton asked from the left field.
"Uhh, no, I took it off and I left it in the cell. I don't know if they just left it in there, but yeah. Why?" Kody asked, still clearly looking uncomfortable.
"Just curious. Anyways...Lem! Lud! We gotta go do that thing I talked to you about earlier. Let's go now," Morton demanded as he got up from the table.
"Uhh...the what now?" Lemmy asked in confusion.
"You know...that 'thing' I told you earlier," Morton said with a wink.
"That 'thing?' The...oh! Yeah! Lem, you remember, right? We talked about it, uhh, right before we got here!" Ludwig caught on while nudging Lemmy.
"Uhh...no- I mean, oh, yeah! The...thing. Hehe. Yeah, we should totally go do that now!" Lemmy awkwardly laughed.
Bowser Jr. looked at all of them suspiciously. "What's going on here? What are you guys up to?"
"We gotta go deal with a private matter real quick. Don't worry, it's nothing bad or anything," Morton kept it vague, which definitely didn't calm Junior's suspicions.
"Uh huh...well, are you guys gonna come with me to visit Toadette later then?" he asked.
"We probably will. We won't be too long! See you guys later!" Morton shouted and waved, then the three quickly left the cafeteria.
Junior sighed again and shook his head. "Kody, I am SO sorry about that. Morton's kind of known to not have much of a social filter."
"I-it's okay. Really! I know you guys are going through a lot, so...I'm not mad. Really, I'm not! I completely understand cause, ya know, I lost my family too...so...you don't need to apologize…" Kody spoke a little quickly and nervously. Junior noticed his body shaking a little and he also noticed Kody doing his best to hold in his tears.
"Uhh, so what was THAT about!? What 'thing' are we doing exactly!?" Ludwig asked to Morton, who was speed-walking over to the basement.
"Yeah, what exactly is so important that just the three of us have to do!? And why were you being all weird with Kody!?" Lemmy demanded to know.
"I'll tell you in a sec. Just keep following me," Morton stated.
The three entered the basement and went down the stairs. They walked down the hall towards where the cells were. They passed by Tadano's cell and briefly peered in through the bars. The alien was just sleeping on the floor, all sprawled out. Morton then led them to where Kody was kept. He opened the door and there it was, Kody's koopatrol armorsuit still there laying on the floor. He went over to it and started searching through it.
"Wait, THIS is why we came down here!? To search through that!? Morton, what are you hoping to even find!?" Lemmy yelled.
"I don't know, to find something incriminating!? I actually don't think it was a good idea to let Kody out so soon, that druggie dinosaur guy kinda had a good point when that discussion happened earlier!" Morton yelled while still searching through every inch of the uniform.
"What, you don't believe him, then? I mean...I get why you wouldn't totally trust him just yet, but come on! We can't just assume that everything he's told us isn't true and that he's really up to no good! That wouldn't be fair, especially if he really IS completely innocent!" Ludwig exclaimed.
"Yeah, and if he really was up to no good, he wouldn't be hiding anything suspicious in his damn outfit! That'd probably be the LAST place to do it!" Lemmy added.
"I DON'T FUCKING KNOW, OKAY!?" Morton screamed and threw the outfit at the wall, startling the other two. "I just...god! I think I'm only doing this to get my mind off of Clawdia and her dumbass family...the whole thing is just fucked up on so many fucking levels!"
"I figured that's what this was about. C'mon, Morton! Let's get out of here and drop this thing. I'm pretty sure we can trust Kody. He doesn't give me a weird feeling in my gut unlike Fire Bro," Ludwig said.
"And we know that it's screwed up...like, so screwed up to the point where I can't even believe someone who appears SO sane would do something so...ya know, insane!" Lemmy added in total agreement.
"Yeah...I can't wait till that alien bastard is killed, and all this is done and over, so we can get the fuck away from those losers. At least now we know why our family is so screwed up though, Bowser had no help from a maternal figure to help keep him sane and raise us. I mean, yeah, Kammy was there to help, but she had no kids of her own, so she didn't know how to be a mother figure, but that's not her fault," Morton ranted a bit as he left the cell and went back towards the stairs.
Just as they were about to go up, they heard a yell and various things drop on the floor down the hallway to their left.
"What the hell?" Ludwig blurted in surprise.
"We should go check that out, someone might be hurt," Morton said and led the way down. He walked over to the room where he thought the noise came from and opened the door. He found a koopa who had bandages and gauzes all over his body. The koopa screamed in surprise.
"WOAH! C-Can I help you!?" he shrieked.
"Are you okay, dude!? What's going on in here!?" Morton asked.
"N-Nothing, man! I...uhh, been hiding- I mean, staying in here ever since the attack yesterday because I was hurt badly and this room had so many first aid kits and I can't walk that well!" he said, coming off as very urban-sounding.
"Well, why didn't you just call out for help or something like that? The nurses and doctors would've fixed you up way quicker and better!" Lemmy suggested.
"Because...uhh, well, I imagine that there would've been way too many people needing help and attention, and it probably would've taken too long for me to get my wounds tended to, so...yeah! That's why I'm here!" he explained, sounding very panicky.
"Well, still, you need a doctor or a nurse to check your wounds, you know, to make sure they weren't infected and stuff like that…" Ludwig said, who also seemed confused by his odd choice to stay in the basement.
"Hmm. You also sound kind of familiar. Have we ever met before?" Lemmy asked with a hint of suspicion.
"N...no...n-not that I know of at least!" he replied, becoming clearly more nervous.
Morton looked over to the right and saw a supply closet door slightly open and through that space he saw something that caught his eye. He ran over to the supply closet, threw the door open, and saw a koopatrol uniform.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS DOING HERE!?" Morton screamed.
"LOOK, MAN, I CAN EXPLAIN!" the koopa yelled.
"LEMMY! LUDWIG! HOLD HIM DOWN!" Morton commanded. The two ran over to the koopa and pushed him to the floor. They held both his arms down.
"I KNEW IT! You were with them, weren't you!?" Lemmy cried.
"AGGGHHHH! PLEASE LET ME GO! JUST LET ME GO AND I SWEAR I WON'T COME BACK! I'LL NEVER DO ANY SHIT LIKE THIS EVER AGAIN!" he screamed for mercy.
"I don't think so. Now, first things first, explain yourself! Why the fuck are you down here, even so long after we killed your gang?" Morton angrily demanded.
"Ugghhh...I got hurt when all that shit went down, and I was bleeding out pretty badly from my wounds, plus my leg got kinda twisted, so I knew I wouldn't be able to make it far if I just tried to run from the hospital! So, I hid myself here, took off my suit in case anyone found me, and bandaged myself. I spent the night here 'cause I hoped my body could feel better to walk away today, but my leg still hurts like hell!" he explained.
"HA! Look at you, trying to be all slick, and thinking that you could survive after the shit you and your stupid gang did. This is your karma!" Ludwig scoffed in his face.
"Well, Morton? What do we do? Should we just kill him? Should we tell Mario...or dad!?" Lemmy asked.
"No...no. This actually gives me a brilliant idea!" Morton exclaimed with an excited smirk.
TATANGA'S FORTRESS
"Beldam...is Marilyn being killed making you have second thoughts about all of this?" Doopliss asked. He was in her room, sitting next to her on her bed. Beldam looked straight ahead at Marilyn's bed from across the room the entire time.
"What makes you say that?" she asked without looking at him.
"I'm just getting that feeling from you. I dunno...I'm probably just talking out of my ass like I usually do…" Doopliss shrugged. Beldam made a tiny chuckle.
"What do you want me to say, Doopliss? How do you want me to feel? That bitch killed my sister. If anything...it's all the more reason to keep doing this, to kill those assholes and avenge Marilyn," she said with a hint of anger as she gripped the bedcovers.
"Oh yeah, I agree with that! I guess what I'm really trying to say is, Beldam...you know I'm here for you no matter what, and I will follow you in whatever you wanna do. I know we have our differences and we like to argue a lot, but I also know that this is what we both wanted. To get our second chance at taking over the world. I'm not a believer in coincidences, Tatanga came to me first for a reason! And I knew that, deep down, you wanted to complete what we tried to start, which is why I told Tatanga that we should recruit you and your sister, along with Grodus...but he wimped out so forget him I guess," Doopliss explained, coming off as truly sincere.
"I know. I never say this, Doopliss, but I appreciate you a lot. Without you here, I'd honestly feel kind of out of place. Grodus...never cared for him that much, though, I do sympathize with him a little. Always kinda felt Tatanga was a little too harsh on him...but I could also tell that Grodus' heart wasn't in it, unlike before," Beldam was equally sincere in her reply.
Doopliss smiled at that. "Thanks. Not to toot my own horn, but I think I know you better than you realize."
Beldam managed to form the smallest smile through all the sadness and anger she was soaking in
"Doopliss...I AM having second thoughts," she admitted. This caught the duplighost's attention. She continued, "Tell me something to make it stop. Anything you can think of."
"Hmm...okay. I'll tell you the story of how Tatanga found me and how I joined him. I know I told you before, but I think telling it to you again will make you realize that this is the path you wanna be on," Doopliss said with a little excitement.
Beldam slowly looked to him now. "Okay. Tell it to me again."
"Alright. So, one day, Tatanga found my Steeple and just walked on in like he owned the place. He knew exactly what he was going in there for and he didn't even seem to have a care in the world if he got hurt or killed by my traps, or even by me!"
FLASHBACK
"It's been years since I've had a visitor here!" Doopliss yelled as he was watching TV in his room at his Creepy Steeple, seeing someone jump into his room from the corner of his eye.
"You're Doopliss the Duplighost, am I correct?" Tatanga asked with a hint of nervousness.
Doopliss made a mischievous smirk as he turned off the TV. "Depends on who's asking and for what reason."
"I've heard a lot about you. You're very cunning and powerful. Your 'doppelganger' technique is extremely impressive and useful!" Tatanga complimented as he cautiously stepped forward towards him.
Doopliss sighed as if he had gotten bored already. "Okay, enough with the asskissing, slick. What is it that you want exactly? The last time someone came in here out of the blue, they wanted to pick a fight with me, but only because they wanted a Crystal Star. Is that what you're trying to do? If so, then tough luck, because I don't have SHIT you can take from me!"
"Oh no! I'm not here to pick a fight, really! I actually came here because I wanted to know if you were interested in trying to take over the world again?" Tatanga asked. Doopliss leered at him while he got off his couch.
"Destroy the world? Okay, what the fuck is this!? Did Mario send you? What the hell is your game here, and who the hell are you, slick!?" he yelled.
"My name is Tatanga. To put it plain and simple, I want to take over the world much like you and your friends tried to many years ago. I've got a plan that I'm positive will succeed, but it'll be much easier if I've got some buddies by my side to help!" Tatanga explained with somewhat of a desperate tone. Doopliss looked at him in total disbelief.
"Huh...ha...hahahaHAHAHAHAHAAAA! This has got to be a prank, right!? Come on, you cannot fool me, THE ULTIMATE PRANKSTER! Fuck off, young one! You've clearly got some issues you need to sort out!" he spat.
Tatanga got pissed off at this, but tried not to show it. "I know I've got issues. Don't we all, though? I mean...think about it, Doopliss. Most, if not all, of our issues come from the world and how it is! Wouldn't you like it to fit more into your vision? I mean...isn't that what you were trying to do with your friends back then? Hell, isn't that what you were trying to do when you were turning the people of Twilight Town into pigs? When was the last time you even did that? When was the last time you ever even pulled a prank!?"
Doopliss licked his lips and looked at him annoyedly. "I know what you're trying to do. Get me to get all triggered and buy into your weak plan. This is just pathetic. Begone! You're a waste of my time!"
"How am I a waste of your time? What time of yours am I even wasting? You watching TV all day long? Not putting your skills to good use? Tell me. I mean...come on Doopliss! Someone who was clearly hellbent and so dedicated to ruining the world doesn't just do a complete 180...especially when they're given a second chance at doing it!" Tatanga questioned. Doopliss got even more annoyed, but this time it was because Tatanga made a good point. Doopliss had been lounging about in his steeple for years, doing nothing with his life.
"...Fine. You got me there, slick. But then...tell me something now. Let's assume that this isn't actually a prank and that you are 100% serious about taking over the world. Why should I follow your lead? What resources do you even have to do this?" the duplighost questioned in return.
Tatanga made a little smile, knowing that he was beginning to get him to come around. "You should follow my lead because I have an outline of such a simple, yet gigantic plan: Destroy half the world, and make the other half cater to my...or, rather, OUR needs. I've got in touch with many koopatrols who have worked for King Bowser Koopa in the past and have managed to recruit many of them into working for me, because Bowser has gone soft these days. Many of them are highly intelligent too! They're a big part of why Bowser had such intricate and complex plans in the past. Without them, Bowser would be absolutely nothing...I mean...not that he's ever even had major success with executing his plans anyways!
I've also got a base of operations. Well, two of them, actually, but one of them is on an island, which is the main one where the big weapon to pull all this off is being built. The other one is a front which connects to the island. It's got a teleporter that'll transport us TO the island! How convenient and cool is that?
And...to top it all off, I plan on bringing more people to join me in my crusade. People that I know you've worked with before. Sir Grodus. The Shadow Sirens. And...there's another guy named Dimentio, but you never worked with him before, but he nearly destroyed every single dimension to exist a while back, but Mario, of course, beat him before he could do it. I've got leads on where these guys are located and, let me tell you Doopliss...I'm pulling this plan off with or without you...but with you, things'll go much smoother and easier for us."
Doopliss looked a little impressed by his determination and accomplishments thus far for this "plan." The mentioning of his past "allies" also piqued his interest even further.
"Hmm...I see...well, you got the base of operations, so that's good. Every ruler needs that, along with a team which you're also striving for...hmm…" Doopliss said with a smirk as he walked around Tatanga, eyeing him down. Tatanga got a little uncomfortable since he was trying to figure out what the duplighost was thinking.
"Uhh, and, it would help even more if you knew where Sir Grodus and the Shadow Sirens were. Plus, since they know you, if you joined me, it would be more incentive for them to join as well since they'd feel more comfortable doing it," Tatanga added. Doopliss walked an entire circle around the alien and stopped right in front of him again.
"Yes, that does make sense. I know where the Shadow Sirens are, since I occasionally keep in touch with them. As for Grodus...I wouldn't exactly call him a friend to me, moreso an acquaintance, considering we barely spoke to each other when that Shadow Queen mess was going on, and I have no idea where he's located now. But yes...having a dynamic team like that...well, wouldn't that just make things fun?" Doopliss snickered and still kept his wicked smirk.
"Well, in any case, I'm sure we could find Grodus if we looked hard enough. Well, Doopliss...what do you say? I know this is all a lot to take in in such a short amount of time, but this is something that the world needs. This planet is Hell, and it deserves to be destroyed like the disgusting piece of shit it is...but the ones who see that...the people like you and I, who see the world for what it is, and want to kill it, we deserve to see it die and make whatever remains as a part of our vision. After all...that IS why you joined the Shadow Sirens in their quest to cover the world in darkness, right? You saw how fucked up this planet is.
Isn't that why you also turned people into pigs? I've heard your excuse for that was that the people in Twilight Town are so depressing and boring, so you turned them into pigs to wallow further into their misery. So...yeah. Think of helping take over the world as one big prank...except that this prank lasts forever and affects everyone on the planet," Tatanga managed to dig a little deeper into Doopliss' psyche, which impressed him just a little bit more.
"Well...I don't know if I would compare a prank to taking over the world….but I think I get what you're saying," Doopliss said. He then leered his eyes and disappeared into thin air.
"WOAH! Doopliss!? Where'd you go!?" Tatanga shrieked.
A bunch of purple smoke exploded in front of him, blinding Tatanga for a second, but then the smoke revealed to be Tatanga. The alien shrieked and almost fell backwards, since he was not expecting Doopliss to just do that. It also felt weird and even a little scary seeing himself.
"WHAT THE!? Doopliss? Why did you copy me for!?" Tatanga yelped.
'Tatanga' snickered at his fright. "Take a good look at yourself, Tatanga. This is the person you are, trying to take over the world, trying to do what every 'bad guy' has tried and failed to accomplish. You sure this is what you wanna put yourself through? You sure this is the person you wanna be?"
"Wh-what is this!? What are you trying to do exactly, Doopliss!? Do you not wanna join me!?" Tatanga started getting panicky.
"I'm just making sure that this is something you truly want to do, and that you're not just doing this out of spite, or anything of the matter. Just take a good, long look at yourself, though. This is the face the entire world will see when they realize that their world is being invaded and their lives are no longer theirs. Think you can handle that? Think you can handle your image being tainted for all eternity?" 'Tatanga' questioned, now standing real close to the real Tatanga. It was making Tatanga feel extremely uncomfortable being so close to a copy of himself. He saw how devoid of life his eyes looked. The permanent expression of defeat, exhaustion, and desperacy on his face.
"I've...I've got nothing left to lose, Doopliss. Trust me. By the way...this isn't my first time doing something like this...I've tried taking over the Sarasaland Kingdom before...failed, of course, but I've learned from my mistakes. I know exactly what I'm doing," Tatanga spoke, fighting through the discomfort, and coming off as truly sincere and determined.
'Tatanga' smiled in acknowledgement and then snapped his fingers, turning himself back into Doopliss the duplighost.
"Very well then. Take me with you and show me your base of operations. From that point on, I'll make my decision. If I say yes to this, then we'll find Grodus, the Shadow Sirens, and this Dimentio and become the most unstoppable team that the world has ever known. BUT! Before we leave..."
Doopliss suddenly skipped on over to the bell and hit it hard, making a loud, booming, and echoing ring throughout the region.
"OOH! My ears..." Tatanga cringed in slight pain from the ringing in his ears
Doopliss snickered a little at him and then said, "For pigs the bell tolls!"
END FLASHBACK
"...So, he showed me this island and the tower we were in previously, and I was incredibly impressed by his work ethics, his attention to detail, his determination...it all felt so right being by his side. I'll admit, though, I had a lot of doubts in the beginning, but now...not so much. The weapon is almost done and we'll accomplish what we tried to do with the Shadow Queen, Beldam. This is our time!" Doopliss finished his story. Beldam smiled a little and wiped her eyes.
"Thank you. That story helped a little. Tatanga knows how to make us feel so important and included," she said.
"Yeah. But I have to say...it does feel like he doesn't like to utilize me that much. I mean, I know I don't have actual magic powers like you and Dimentio do, but still...but, oh well. It's for a grand cause. But, Beldam...don't get down on yourself just because your sister died, okay? She was a powerful woman who just had rotten luck with that space witch coming here all juiced up on the dark magics. None of it was your fault. You are too strong of a woman to doubt yourself, even now. You and I...we got this. No matter what!" Doopliss spoke with sincere encouragement. Beldam smiled a little more. He did a great job at putting things into a better perspective for her.
Meanwhile, Roy knocked on Tatanga's bedroom door.
"Hey, Tatanga? It's me, Roy! Can I come in real quick?" he asked.
"Sure! The door's unlocked!" Tatanga yelled. Roy entered and immediately noticed the heavy bags under Tatanga's eyes.
"Woah...Tatanga! You been sleeping at all!? What's going on?" Roy asked.
"Of course I have! I got 2 hours of sleep last night. But, why does that matter!? Those moronic heroes are clearly getting closer and closer to infiltrating us, so I've been up all night making damn sure everything with the weapon is going smoothly! Even the Koopatrols have been working non-stop! Actually, they should be on their 30 minute lunch break right now, but that's all they get for today!" Tatanga erratically spoke.
"2 hours of sleep isn't enough, though! I don't want you to end up killing your body before your plan even goes into action, Tatanga…" Roy said, exaggerating his worries as he walked over to Tatanga's bed and sat on it, all the while subtly looking all over the room for any sign of the keys to unlock Mimi's and Diddy's cells.
"Cute of you to be so concerned for me, but I'll be fine! I've been taking the Genso pills, so I feel wide awake still! Really…and if anything, this'll prepare me for when I'm the true ruler of the world, because I'll have to constantly be alert to make sure EVERYTHING is going perfectly!" Tatanga frustratedly assured as he scratched hard at his head.
"Uh huh...well, okay, I trust you then...so, uhh, what was the plan for Diddy and Mimi again? Are we gonna torture them or something?" Roy changed the subject, still slyly looking all around the room for the keys, but there was none in sight.
Suddenly, the door slammed open, and in came a koopatrol.
"SIR, SIR! WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY! IT'S ANOTHER INTRUDER!" he frantically screamed.
"WHAT!? ANOTHER FUCKING ONE!? WHO IS IT!? WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE!?" Tatanga yelled as he immediately jumped up from his bed and grabbed his scepter.
"It's a guy wearing a white top hat, a white coat, a white cape, and a big red brooch! I saw him coming from the storage room on my way to lunch break!" he described.
Tatanga huffed and dug his nails into his head in anger. "Fuck. FUCK! THAT'S COUNT FUCKING BLECK! I CAN'T BELIEVE ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE TWATS CAME OVER HERE ALL BY THEMSELVES! YOU'D THINK THOSE IDIOTS WOULD KNOW BY NOW!"
"What should we do, sir!? Want us to gun him down!?" the koopatrol asked.
"NO! I'll handle him myself!" Tatanga yelled as he walked down the hallway towards Dimentio's room and banged on his door. "DIMENTIO, OPEN UP! IT'S AN EMERGENCY!"
Dimentio came to the door a few seconds later. "Hey, what's going on!? What kind of emergency!?"
"Your arch-nemesis, Count Bleck, decided to be the next fool in line to infiltrate us all by himself!" Tatanga informed. Tatanga dropped his jaw in awe. He seemed rather excited by this notion.
"Count Bleck!? That...oooh...I think I know why he's here. Tadano must've told him that Mimi's here, which led HIM here! He's asking for a death wish!" Dimentio cackled.
"Yes, and he will die by OUR hands! Come on!" Tatanga demanded. "You, Koopatrol! Back to lunch break for now! Don't let anyone else know of this just yet!"
"ROGER!" yelled the koopatrol and headed down the opposite way. Beldam and Doopliss came out of the room.
"What's going on? Why all the yelling!?" Beldam asked.
"Bleck is here, and we're gonna stop him! Doopliss! Come with me and Dimentio so we can destroy this bastard. Roy! Stay with Beldam, and you two go to the south tower to make sure his buddies aren't trying to infiltrate as well!" Tatanga instructed.
"SWEET! This should be fun!" Doopliss cheered in excitement. Roy nervously gulped, secretly hoping that Bleck would do a number on this place, but wasn't exactly confident since Bleck was easily outnumbered.
Bleck exited the storage room after having teleported from the castle to the storage room. Before him loomed the giant weapon that was, presumably, going to be the main thing that would execute Tatanga's plan.
"My god...look at this thing. No wonder why he's so confident about all this. If this thing was just a simple nuclear missile, it could easily wipe out just the entire Mushroom Kingdom alone!" Bleck whispered in awe. He saw numerous tools from the floor to the scaffolding above, from power drills to large, electrical appliances that he didn't even recognize to various design plans of the weapon and what it entails inside.
He then thought of performing a magic spell to screw up their progress, or possibly even make the entire thing kaput...but he immediately counteracted those thoughts with more rational thinking.
"No no...I can't. I wouldn't even know where to start with this thing. Hell, one wrong spell, and the entire island blows up, killing everyone on here, including myself and Mmi, and also making a rogue wave that'll destroy Mushroom City even more, along with other towns on the coast, and probably kill more others as well. Plus...I came here for Mimi. I can't waste any time finding and saving her right now," Bleck said to himself to get him away from the temptation of destroying the weapon in that moment. Unbeknownst to him, though, a koopatrol saw him gazing at the weapon from afar…
Bleck quickly walked through the maze of hallways. He had zero clue where he was going, so he just followed his instincts. He made a couple turns, and as more minutes went by, he got increasingly nervous since he needed to find Mimi and get her out of this hellhole before he was found.
He came across a hallway that sloped down a little to his left. He peeked around the corner and saw the bottom of a couple cells at the end of a small room. This had to be it! He carefully walked down the sloped hallway and as soon as he got a better sight of what was in there, he smiled in relief.
"Mimi! MIMI! It's me, Bleck! I'm getting you out of here!" Bleck yelled.
Mimi was on the verge of falling asleep, being up against the wall. She heard her name being called by an all too familiar voice. She opened her eyes and looked to her right. She saw Bleck through the bars, which immediately woke her up in shock and joy.
"BLECK!? You're here!? Oh my god!" Mimi shrieked.
"Yes, I'm here to get you out! And…" Bleck stopped when he noticed another person in the cell next to her. The person was laying on their side with their back facing Bleck, clearly asleep.
"What the hell...is that Diddy Kong!?" he yelled in confusion.
"BLECK!"
Bleck whipped around and was met with a force pulling on his body, and flying him into a wall back into the main hallway, smashing the side of his face a little.
"Aggghhhhhh…." Bleck groaned, holding his temple in pain as it started to bleed out, and stood himself up, only to be met by Tatanga, Dimentio, and Doopliss standing before him.
"NO, BLECK! DAMNIT!" Mimi cried.
"Ergh...hey...Mimi, what's going on?" Diddy tiredly spoke, hearing the noises that awoke him.
"Diddy! Bleck's here, he's trying to save us, but they got to him!" Mimi informed.
"What!? Oh shit! BLECK! BLEEEECK! HEY, IT'S ME, DIDDY! I'M STILL ALIVE!" Diddy screamed.
Bleck backed away a little from the three. "Well, shit. I was hoping I'd get through this undetected...but, I suppose that was just wishful thinking."
"I'd rather call it foolish thinking...but if the shoe fits, slick!" Doopliss cackled.
"Ohhhh, Count Bleck...for fuck's sake! Do you and your friends NEVER give up!? I mean, seriously, come on now! If you're gonna storm this place at least have EVERYONE come here at the same time rather than just sending one dumbass at a time!" Tatanga groaned in frustration.
"I came here on my own accord to save Mimi! And who is that other person in the cell next to hers!? Is that Diddy Kong!?" Bleck yelled.
"Maybe it is...maybe it isn't...either way, you're not gonna save them. I tried to kill you once and I failed, but this time I won't! Your game ends here, Bleck, for there is no 'restart' for you!" Dimentio threatened with excitement.
"You know I'm not going down without a fight! IGNIS!" Bleck shouted, putting his hands out in front of him.
But, nothing happened.
"What the…!?" Bleck cried in even more confusion. Doopliss, Dimentio, and Tatanga just laughed at him.
"Ohhhhh man, I was SO waiting for you to do your little magic tricks! See, Bleck...I learned my lesson after what happened with your witch friend. Me, Beldam, and Dimentio recovered the shield that protects this place ALONG WITH...an additional spell that weakens any being from the outside who wields magic within them. Now, unfortunately, your magic isn't completely gone since a spell like that is so completely above us, but still...you're practically useless. But, maybe...maybe the REAL reason you came here is because you knew that we'd destroy you and you wanted an excuse to die because you knew deep down that you're just a pathetic, hopeless thing who won't get anywhere in life because he's married to a fucking PIXL!" Tatanga laid into him hard. The words stung Bleck a little on the inside, but he refused to let it show.
"I see...okay then…" Bleck whispered. Then he made a bolt back to where he came in from.
"OH NO NO! I DON'T THINK SO!" Dimentio yelled and shot a magic blast at him, hitting him in his back, propelling him forward even more and hitting the ground.
"COME TO ME!" Tatanga roared and shot a static ray from his scepter.
Bleck quickly turned around on his back and saw the static ray come right towards him.
"DEFLECT!" Bleck shouted, putting his hand out in front of the ray. It worked! The ray bounced back towards the right, and hit the wall, then continued to bounce back and forth on the walls back to the trio.
"OH SHIT! UHH, DISSIPATE!" Tatanga yelped in sudden fear since he wasn't expecting and shot a small blast from his scepter which hit the ray and 'disintegrated' it.
"AGGGHH! GET BACK HERE, BLECK!" Dimentio roared in impatience and shot himself towards the Count.
"Ugh...ACCELERATE!" Bleck groaned as he stood himself up and immediately began running. The spell worked because he felt slightly more energized and he was running quicker than usual.
He remembered exactly the way he came in, so he made the twists and turns as effectively as he could and looked back every few seconds, only to unfortunately see Dimentio get closer and closer to him.
Bleck looked back in front of him to see that he was about to enter the big room where the weapon resided. He became excited since he was now close to escaping.
But then, purple smoke exploded out of nowhere in front of him, and from that smoke popped up another Count Bleck.
"WHAT THE HELL!?" Bleck screamed, coming to a sudden stop, almost falling over. The 'other Bleck' immediately grabbed the actual Bleck by the neck and held him in the air.
"Look at how ugly, desperate, and menacing you really are. You missed out BIG TIME on an opportunity to join us!" 'Bleck' spat and made another cackle. The real Bleck could barely let out any words since his airway was being blocked. 'Bleck' then threw the real Bleck at a wall, then hitting the ground once again.
"Ohhhhh...fuck...agh…" Bleck groaned in major pain. He looked up from the ground and saw the trio head right to him. He knew that he was doomed.
"Enough playing around now. Looks like this was ALL for nothing, huh? Too bad...so sad. You could've been a great ally, but no...you decided to join Mario's stupid team, despite him beating your ass a long time ago! You know what they say...it's always the emotionally fragile people that go back to their abusers," Tatanga teased as him and the other two began charging up a magic blast from the scepter and their hands respectively.
"I'm on Mario's side because….agh...because it's the right side! I'm not that angry and senseless person anymore who blames the world for all their problems!" Bleck said in defense.
"Hmmm...yes...but wanna know what's REALLY pathetic and senseless? You, dying at the hands of people who you once were exactly like...my dear Bleck, what you've done since getting with Tippi is NOT LIVING! The Bleck that commanded a powerful group and had such raw courage to destroy the dimensions was UNSTOPPABLE! But now, like a warrior turned soft and child-like...you shall die in the shell of your former shelf," Dimentio spoke as his energy ball grew bigger.
Bleck laughed a little and shook his head. "Really...you wanna talk about pathetic and senseless? You wanna talk about being who I once was? How about you, Dimentio? You're still playing your old games and trickery. You plan to betray Tatanga with the Star Rod you stole from Star Haven! TATANGA, YOU ARE BEING PLAYED!"
Tatanga pulled his scepter away a little. "What? Why do you speak of such...randomness?"
Dimentio's usual smirk broke into a shocked and horrified gasp for a split second. Bleck caught this and knew that he got him.
Dimentio put back on his smirk and laughed as if it didn't affect him. "Oh, Bleck Bleck Bleck...I've learned my lesson of betraying people! I would never do that again because I've learned that being on the same page and having the same goal is EVERYTHING! It's too risky looking out for ONLY one's self!"
"Really? So...you're telling me the Star Spirits lied then? After all...I DID visit them and they told me EVERYTHING! You came to Star Haven and wrecked the place and stole the Star Rod in hopes of betraying Tatanga and taking over!" Bleck continued the verbal beatdown on exposing Dimentio's never-ending trickery.
Dimentio's smirk broke again for another second longer this time. Bleck caught it again too, satisfying him greatly.
"Dimentio...what exactly the fuck is he talking about!?" Tatanga asked in total confusion.
"OH MY GOD, WHO CARES!? LET'S JUST KILL THIS BASTARD ALREADY!" 'Bleck' groaned in annoyance. But, the real Bleck acted quick. He grabbed a rock nearby and bashed the 'fake Bleck's' right kneecap. He screamed in pain, fell to the ground, and accidentally released his energy ball away from Bleck and towards the other two, blowing both of them away and hitting the walls.
Bleck made a break for the door to the storage room, running the fastest he's ever run before. Tatanga got up from the ground and saw this.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! YOU SON OF A BITCH!" the alien roared in rage and shot another magic blast from his scepter towards him. Bleck reached the door in time and got in, which made the magic blast hit the door, exploding it into pieces. Bleck hit the red button, activating the teleporter and got on the platform.
He turned around to see Tatanga heading for him with fire in his eyes, but Bleck knew that he was safe since he'd be out of there any second now.
But then...out of the corner of his eye...he saw an all too familiar face hiding behind a bunch of boxes. He looked more carefully and saw that it was Fire Bro!
"What the hell!? FIRE BRO!?" Bleck yelled in complete shock and slight terror.
"Hehehe! Bye bye!" Fire Bro giggled and waved at him goodbye.
Bleck was then teleported out of there before he could even make another reaction.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! FUCK FUCK FUUUUUUUCK! GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Tatanga screamed and stomped on the ground like a child. He then shot yet another magic blast at the operating machine where the red button was, destroying it completely, and making the teleportation machine now useless.
Doopliss turned back into his regular form as he ran towards Tatanga. "TATANGA! You destroyed the teleporter! Why!? Wouldn't it be easier to have that around in case of an emergency!?"
"NO FUCKING SHIT I DESTROYED THE FUCKING TELEPORTER, YOU FUCKING DUNCE! I DID THAT BECAUSE I'M TIRED OF THOSE FUCKING LOSERS COMING IN HERE AND DISTRACTING ME FROM MY FUCKING WORK!" Tatanga screamed at the top of his lungs in Doopliss' face.
"Oh...okay...you don't need to swear…"
While this was going on, Roy was impatiently pacing around the south tower room with Beldam watching him.
"Roy, what is your problem? You're acting pretty strange!" Beldam pointed out.
"I just...uhh, I just feel so useless being up here without a weapon of any kind! You have your magic and I have nothing! I'm gonna go look for a weapon, I'll be right back!" Roy spoke in an obviously nervous manner and ran off.
"Ooooookay?" Beldam was confused by this sudden change in behavior.
Roy ran as fast as he could through the maze of hallways. This was his chance to find the keys to free Diddy and Mimi, but he had to act fast. He made it to the hallway where all the bedrooms are. So close! He ran to Tatanga's door and shoved it open.
Roy panickedly searched through Tatanga's room for keys of any kind that he could find. Under the bed...nope. In his drawers...nope. In his closet...nope. In his various books dedicated to the arts of being an evil mastermind...nope.
"FUCK! WHERE COULD IT BE!?" Roy cried, pulling at his skin in frustration. He looked around frantically to see any other spot he could find where the keys could possibly be. The only spot he found was a safe...but there was no way he would put a key in a safe of all places...would he?
He then heard Tatanga shouting through the corridors. That was his cue to get out. He ran out and shut the door quietly. He then saw Tatanga coming up the hallway, looking beyond pissed off.
"Tatanga, what happened!? Did you kill Bleck!?" Roy asked, now curious to see what made him so visibly angered.
"NO, I FUCKING DIDN'T! THE BASTARD ESCAPED SO I DESTROYED THE TELEPORTATION MACHINE BECAUSE I'M TIRED OF THIS BULLSHIT!" Tatanga yelled in his face, then went into his room, and slammed the door shut.
The news of that struck Roy with horror and made him want to cry. His one chance of him, Diddy, and Mimi escaping was now gone. He needed to tell them...but he was beyond terrified to let them down.
MOON/X-NAUT FORTRESS
Grodus rolled over constantly in his bed, trying to sleep comfortably, but nothing was working. He kept pushing his last conversation with TEC away in his mind...but that also wasn't working.
"Shit. I can't do this anymore," he whispered to himself. He kicked off the covers and laid himself up.
"TEC? Can we talk please?" Grodus asked. Silence for a whole minute that he waited for a response. He sighed in frustration and got up from the bed.
"TEC! Answer me. I want to talk to you. I know you're probably mad at me, but...I just...really need to talk to you," Grodus asked a little more firmly. Still silence.
Grodus got a little more frustrated, but he could understand why TEC was giving him the silent treatment. The way he yelled at TEC for telling him about Lord Crump must've hurt his feelings.
He exited the bedroom, quickly went through the hallway, and entered TEC's room. "TEC...hey. I'm sorry for how I acted earlier. Truly. Can we please talk? I wanna talk more about Crump. Please," he pleaded mercifully.
TEC's screen lit up. Grodus made a sigh of relief, finally getting through to him.
"Grodus...what is it that you want to talk about exactly, concerning Crump?" TEC asked in a strict tone.
"Firstly, I wanna say...the reason why I acted the way I did when you told me about Crump...well, that's because I don't really know how I'm supposed to feel about Crump! He betrayed me for such a long time...but then wants to make an apology video...and then you want me to forgive him and look for him despite the fact that he left two weeks ago to some faraway place...I just didn't know how to process it all…" Grodus admitted with a little shame.
"I can understand that. But, Grodus...let's compare the situation with you and I. When Princess Peach was here, I fell for her and wanted to help her. You saw that and tore us apart, shutting me down complete. That can be considered an act of betrayal...yet, I forgave you for that. I forgive you for this too.
Now, Grodus...you say you don't know how you're supposed to feel about Crump. I think you do, you just don't want to admit to either me or yourself. So, I ask you, Grodus...how do you truly feel about Lord Crump? It's okay to be honest. There will be no judgment on my end," TEC said with an in depth analysis of the situation. Grodus agreed with everything he said and, in a way, Grodus made himself look like a hypocrite because he wanted TEC to forgive him, much like how Crump wanted Grodus to forgive Crump.
"I feel...I still feel pissed off at Crump. I wanna smack the holy hell out of him for what he did to me. But...umm...I also sort of miss him and liked having him by my side. He was a loyal companion and I want that in my life still. I...I kind of want to forgive him, but I don't know if I'm ready yet…" Grodus admitted from the heart.
"That's okay. It's okay to feel the way, Grodus. However...since you do feel that way...and since no more time should be wasted...it's time for you to go find Lord Crump," TEC declared as a large map printed out from a slot on the other side of the room.
"What!? You mean...as in...NOW!?" Grodus yelped in surprise.
"Yes. I have printed a map that shows the location of where he is heading. The place called Blackstone Tower in which there is, supposedly, a sacred item worth millions. The route I have printed for you is the quickest route there. It'll take you there in less than 24 hours if you leave now and if you have your book of magics with you along the way.
It's very strange, though...I have this feeling of 'knowingness' happening within me. This 'knowing' feeling is that, I know that Lord Crump is still alive and, at the bare minimum, there is a clue for his whereabouts waiting at Blackstone Tower. As odd as it might sound...the same 'knowing' feeling is very similar to when I knew without a shadow of a doubt I was falling in love with Princess Peach," TEC expressed in a rare, heartfeltly way.
Grodus grabbed the map and examined it, then formed a small smile. "Yeah. Look at that, TEC. You've learned so much from just one person, Peach. I won't lie, I designed you to have complete obedience to only me and nothing else...but I suppose...no matter what creation someone makes...that creation will always have its own individuality and feelings towards particular things. I was a fool to think that making a creation dedicated only to me wouldn't have its own layers and thought process."
"You're wrong, Grodus. I learned that from both you and Peach," TEC corrected. Grodus' smile grew a little bigger. He really felt warm inside from how nice TEC was being to him, despite him still feeling like he didn't completely deserve it.
"Thank you. That...that truly means a lot," Grodus got a little emotional from that.
"Of course. Now go. Find him, or at the very least, find a clue that leads to his whereabouts," TEC stated.
"Right! I'll be as quick as I can, TEC. The next time I return, I won't be empty-handed. Besides, it would kill me inside knowing I have an opportunity to potentially get Crump back, but don't take it," Grodus said then left the room.
"Goodbye, Grodus. And good luck. I'll be seeing you soon. Detachment of fortress is currently at 75%," TEC spoke.
EOC.
Next chapter, you'll see how Rosalina has been coping since being 'exiled' from the group and from coming down from spiral towards darkness, Morton makes a questionable move concerning the koopatrol in the basement, Roy clashes with Mimi and Diddy when he breaks the bad news of the teleporter being destroyed, and at the end of the next chapter is when the new arc will start! Along with that, also at the end of next chapter, there'll be two more mysteries starting up. Yes, folks, the mysteries continue on piling up! LOL. But, don't fret, literally all on-going mysteries will be answered by the end of the story. I know exactly where the direction of the remainder of this story is heading towards.
Thanks so much for reading, and to all my USA readers, happy Independence Day! Next chapter will be uploaded on or before August 1.
