Adventuring Group: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, DK, Dixie, Goombella, Kooper, Bombette, Parakarry, Lakilester, Koops, Koopie, Flurrie, Spike/Paper-Yoshi, Vivian, Boshi, Bowser, Larry, Wario, Pauline, Mona, Jojora, Starlow, Luvbi, Kody
Hospital group: Toadette, Bleck/Blumiere, Tippi/Timpani, Toadsworth, Fly Guy, Toadessa, Toado, Dr. Nokano, Morton, Lemmy, Ludwig, Bowser Jr., Tadano, E. Gadd, Clawdia, Katia, Kenneth, Toodles
Mushroom Corps.: Arfur, Arfur's boss
Island group: Tatanga, Beldam, Roy, Doopliss, Dimentio, Mimi, Diddy, Fire Bro/Konnor
Moon: TEC
Traveling to Blackstone Tower: Grodus
Fort Koopington: Rosalina, Monty Mole
ST. TOADOFSKY'S HOSPITAL
"JUNIOR!" Morton called out as him, Lemmy, and Ludwig ran over to him and Toadette, who were standing by the entrance to the courtyard.
"Oh! Hey, guys. Uhh...I did something kinda stupid…" Junior said as he hung his head in embarrassment.
"Uh oh. What was it?" Lemmy asked.
"I told Fly Guy that Tadano was let out, which led to him freaking out and screaming as loud as possible that Tadano was let loose, which then freaked everyone else out, and now...people are going to get super paranoid about it!" Junior explained. The three koopas widened their eyes.
"Goddamn! Well, your first mistake was telling Fly Guy, of all people, that Tadano was let out! The dude is a loose cannon. Well, not as loose as Fire Bro, but still!" Ludwig criticized.
"Crap, and I was wondering why a lot of people were acting all hysterical on the way down here…" Morton grunted.
"Tadano came and talked to me. He wanted to kill himself and wanted me to join him. I said 'no' and got so scared by how weird he was acting, so I just ran away, but when Junior and I looked back, Tadano was gone. He also mentioned something about going 'manic' since the world is screwed anyways!" Toadette explained. The three koopas got wide eyed again.
"Wow, that's just disturbing! I'm sorry he said that to you...wanting you to join him to commit suicide? How the hell could he say that after what happened to you!?" Lemmy cried.
"Fuck! This is definitely another Fire Bro situation. We've searched all of the second floor, and some of this floor for him or clues of his whereabouts, but found nothing yet. Bleck and Tippi are also looking for him, and we were told to knock him out and drag him back to his cell, and also figure out who let him out," Morton said.
"What is this mess about Tadano now!? Please tell me that this is an exaggeration or that it's under control!" Toadsworth shouted as he approached the group with Dr. Nokano, Professor E. Gadd, and Toodles.
"We were just talking abou that. Unfortunately, it IS true. Someone let Tadano out and he's now on the loose, probably going to cause chaos. Bleck and Tippi are on the search for him," Morton informed.
"Good grief...and I was wondering why I saw so many people freaking out on the way over here!" Dr. Nokano exclaimed.
"This is just absolutely pitiful! This place is proving to NOT be a safe haven like I was told it would be! First we have terrorist koopas raiding and shooting up the place, then we have a psychopathic alien twin of an even more psychopathic alien on the loose around here!? For heaven's sake, will someone get this damn place under control for once!?" Toodles angrily criticized.
"Lady, we are doing our BEST here! So much of this shit happening is way out of our control! And if you don't like it, then there's the door; find some other place that has a large enough space with food, water, and hospitable care!" Morton angrily retorted. Toodles narrowed her eyes while crossing her arms.
"Hmph. Fine. I just hope that no one else gets killed then. I swear, I had enough nightmares these past couple nights about people here getting killed. How do you all even handle this so calmly!?" she asked.
"We've more or less adapted to it by now. Believe me when I say that we've seen a lot more crap than what happened here a couple days ago…" Bowser Jr. shuddered. Toodles looked at him in fright.
"I, unfortunately, can't contribute too much since I don't have an invention that tracks down maniacs. HOWEVER! I do have a taser, or stun gun if you wanna call it that instead, that shoots out electric bolts from more than 10 feet away. Stuns the sucker into submission!" E. Gadd cheered and tossed the stun gun to Morton.
"Nice, and badass! I'm so glad you're here, E. Gadd. Would've preferred to have you here way before, but what can ya do," Morton complimented.
"Yes, of course, but I was working on so many things during this madness. Plus, finding you guys was an adventure in and of itself!" E. Gadd explained.
"Oh god, let's not be reminded of the trek to get here. What with the bickering of that weird koopa family and my feet hurting the whole time, plus that yellow star sprite telling us that nonsense tale of how she got a bit part in that atrocious kids movie 'Alice in Whackoland' and getting paid 3,000 coins for the part. 3,000 coins is nothing compared to my 3 million!" Toodles obnoxiously ranted, provoking eye rolls from the others.
"Well, quite nice to know that our terrible situation has brought out the humbleness in you!" Toadsworth scoffed at her in sarcasm. Lemmy tried to not bust up laughing at him.
"Okay, time to get serious now! We all need to split up and look for this guy. Who knows what the hell he's planning, but we can't risk this situation getting any worse than it is. If Tadano decides to strike...people in this hospital are going to riot and we'll never hear the end of it, even if we capture or even have to kill him. They've been through too much and they are, understandably, exhausted with it," Dr. Nokano stated in frustration. Everyone else nodded.
"Yeah! C'mon, bros, let's do this. You too, Toadette...you're coming with us," Lemmy declared. Toadette nodded, still with a worried expression, and held Junior's hand.
"Dr. Nokano, I shall inspect with you. There are some things I wanna discuss with you as well...in private…" E. Gadd gestured. Dr. Nokano looked surprised and a little suspicious at this.
"Oh! Okay then. Well...let's walk and talk then…" the doctor said with a little bit of worry since he had no idea what E. Gadd wanted to discuss.
"Looks like you're stuck with me. Jolly good," Toadsworth said in sarcasm again, not excited to cooperate with her. "Let's check out this floor and in the basement, shall we?"
Toodles crossed her arms in frustration. "Fine then. But, please tell me, you smashing old toad...how much do you make being Princess Peach's caretaker?"
Toadsworth stared blankly at her. "I'm...not her blasted careta...oh, just come on and quit blabbing about money for once!"
Tippi and Bleck were on the rooftop, finishing looking for Tadano on there, but not even a clue of his whereabouts were seen.
"DAMNIT! For some reason, I thought he'd be up here...contemplating suicide or hatching up a plan. I really hope he hasn't escaped and is off somewhere in the city!" Bleck yelled in frustration as he looked out into the partly-destroyed and desolate city.
"Contemplating suicide? Goodness, Blumiere, I didn't realize you were thinking that dark about the alien!" Tippi said in surprise from his choice of words.
"I'm just done with all this nonsense. It's exhausting. It's old. I can't even do a locator spell to find him since that's one of the spells I just can't get right for some reason...let's just go back down…" Bleck sighed in defeat.
"Blumiere, try not to get so down. I get why you are, but, you mustn't let it get to you so much. Have you tried figuring out who it could've been? Like, any potential list of suspects?" Tippi asked.
"Timpani, dear...it could've been ANYONE in this place. Do you know how many people are here? Anyone could've had any reason to let him out. Plus, it would take forever to interview EVERYONE here just to figure out who it was that let him out. I do hope the others are having better luck than we are…" Bleck sighed again, more irritable this time as the two went down the stairwell. Tippi sighed a little as well. They were getting let down with no luck to his whereabouts, along with the paranoia seeping of what he and potentially the person who let him out could do. But then, Tippi had a 'light bulb' moment when she remembered something.
"Blumiere...do you remember when that little toad boy came down to the basement on the day that you were gonna head out to Tatanga's island?" she asked.
Bleck looked to her with some intrigue. "Yes, I do. Why? Do you think he did it?"
"Well...I'm not sure. He just lost his parents and was so sad about it...but I have to wonder something, though...why on earth did he go down there? Why down there of all places in the hospital?" Tippi questioned.
"Hmm. Probably because he knew or saw that Peach and Mario went down there?" Bleck shrugged.
"Maybe so, but I just have a weird feeling about that kid. I think we should go find him and talk to him, see if we're able to get anything out of him," Tippi suggested.
"Well, I suppose it's the best lead we got right now, so alright. Uhh, do you remember what the kid's name is, or what he looks like?" Bleck asked.
"I don't think I ever got his name, but I remember what he looks like...green spots on his mushroom cap and long, dirty blonde hair. After we all left the basement, I think I saw him hang out with another toad girl that looks his age. She had purple spots on her mushroom cap and had long brown hair," Tippi described.
"Good! Well, let's begin the search for the both of them, shall we? Let's start on the sixth floor and work our way down," Bleck stated, and so the search for the two toad kids began. However, their search lasted almost instantaneously when they entered the sixth floor and saw the same purple-spotted toad girl that Tippi just described, over by a soda machine.
"OH! Blumiere, I think that's her! Let's hope she knows where the boy is!" Tippi screeched in excitement, and the pair rushed on over to her.
The toad girl was startled when she saw the two run to her. "Woah! Uhh, what's up with you guys!?"
"Hi there, didn't mean to scare you. We just, uhh, I've seen you hang around a little toad boy with blonde hair who lost his parents when the hospital was raided. Do you know his name and where he is right now?" Tippi asked kindly, as to not distraught her any further.
The toad girl looked perplexed at them. "Uhh...well...his name is Toado. But, um, no, I don't know where he is right now. Why?"
"Okay. By the way, what is your name? And any ideas of where he could be? Or any spots that he hangs out at usually?" Bleck questioned.
"M-My name is Toadessa...um...but no, I don't really know, sorry...why do you guys wanna know so badly!?" she started seeming scared.
"It's just very urgent that we know where he is because we need to talk to him about some things," Bleck urged, now getting frustrated again. He made another step towards her. "Toadessa...if there's ANYTHING you know or are hiding about this Toado...you NEED to let us know. Please. Time is at stake here for what we're dealing with. We can't reveal too much right now, but once this is all settled, we'll tell you everything...but we need to know about Toado."
Toadessa looked down, now looking a little sad. "If-If I tell you where Toado is...will you, um, promise not to tell him that I told you?"
Tippi and Bleck looked at her with a little bit of fear since she worded that so oddly. She was definitely keeping a secret for this kid.
"We promise! Nothing bad will happen to you. We won't let it!" Tippi swore.
"Okay...umm...on the fourth floor, at the end of the hallway where the mental patient rooms are...there's a room where there's a bunch of junk in it. Toado likes to hide in there...he's also hiding his friend in there too," Toadessa admitted. Bleck gasped a little.
"A friend!? Did he tell you who this friend of his is? A description, a name…!?" he urgently asked.
"Y-Yeah...the friend's name is Toadie. Toado told me that Toadie let Tadano out of his jail cell, and he wants to protect her from being punished for doing that, so he's hiding her in the junk room," Toadessa revealed further. Bleck and Tippi were even more confused now.
"Uhh, what!? So...this Toadie let Tadano out of his cell...your friend, Toado, somehow knows about that...and is protecting her for some reason?" Tippi questioned, caught off by how bizarre this was turning out.
"Yeah. He didn't really tell me much about it...but he really wanted me to keep it a secret, so I did...I just feel so sorry for him because of his parents, so I don't wanna cause any more trouble," Toadessa answered, now looking guilty.
"I see...have you met this Toadie girl before? Do you know why Toadie let Tadano out of his cell?" Bleck asked.
"No. I just heard about her from Toado. I don't know why Toadie let him out, but Toado told me that it was all gonna be okay, and that Tadano wouldn't hurt anyone," Toadessa added.
"My god...okay, thank you Toadessa for telling us this! And, like I said, we promise won't tell Toado about this! It'll be our secret!" Tippi declared.
"And Toadessa, I recommend that you distance yourself from Toado. Being around him might get yourself into trouble. I know you wanna be there for him and feel sorry for him because of his parents, but he's doing things that he shouldn't be doing," Bleck added who was also a little scared for the girl's life now, since Toado was getting himself involved in a sticky situation. Toadessa nodded, and looked down again, feeling even more guilty now.
Tippi and Bleck rushed down the stairs to the fourth floor. They entered the main floor and headed towards the mental patient wing.
"So, you're just as confused as I am, right? Why on earth would this girl named Toadie let out Tadano, and tell Toado, someone who she probably doesn't know too well?" Tippi asked.
"A little bit...well...I'm not even sure what to exactly think about all this. Everyone in this hospital should know not to let him out! My guess on what happened is that Tadano somehow persuaded this Toadie to let him out of the cell. Toadie then feels guilty about doing it, so she tells Toado what she did...so Toado decides to protect her because he knows that what she did is going to cause sheer panic, so she's hiding her out to protect her from a riot," Bleck theorized.
"That guess is better than mine...but I don't know...this STILL seems very off to me. I guess we'll find out if those kids are in that junk room," Tippi said as the two entered the mental patient wing. The pixl butterfly observed the whole area. "Hmm. You know, I had no idea this place even had a zone for mental patients. I thought it was just strictly for medical issues."
"Yeah, this hospital caters to patients with medical or mental issues. I remember reading up on this place...the people who have mental issues that are of more of a severe nature are placed in the Mushroom Kingdom Mental Institution. I wonder if that place got destroyed too, cause I think it's only a few blocks from this place…" Bleck informed as the two walked down the end of the hallway, where it got more quiet and no employees were walking around, creating an eerie atmosphere. They reached the end of the hallway, where there was an old, rusty door that clearly hasn't been properly cleaned in a long time in contrast to the rest of the doors there.
"Here it is...you ready?" Tippi asked.
Bleck leaned into the door, pressing his ear against it. "Hold on...do you hear that? I hear people talking in there!"
Tippi gasped then leaned in too. "Oh! Erm...can you understand what they're saying?"
"I don't think so...but...I hear two voices...one definitely sounds like a little boy, and the other...sounds like Tadano! He has to be in there!" Bleck shrieked a little.
"What do we do then!? How are we gonna do this!?" Tippi panickedly asked.
"I've got an idea. We're gonna have to go full force on this. Barge in, demand to know what's going on, use some of my magic to hold down Tadano, and take it from there. If Tadano really wants to put up a fight and put everyone here at risk...then we're gonna have no choice but to kill him. We can't play it safe with him anymore," Bleck stated then grabbed the door knob, both of them now a little nervous for what they're about to find out.
SHIVER CITY
11:43 AM
Pauline went back and forth from one end of the house to the other, searching for Penelopuin in frustration and slight desperation.
"Where the hell could that woman have gone!? She must be hiding out somewhere outside this house. Fuck. I know she's up to no good...I feel it in my gut. Been through too much shit to not investigate this!" Pauline talked to herself frustratedly, walking over to opposite the laundry room where she checked the first time outside. She reached the end of the hallway and was about to open the door that led outside, but was suddenly spooked when she saw Penelopuin open the door and walk in.
"Oh! Penelopuin...I've been looking for you!" Pauline yelped.
The Bumpty didn't look surprised at this, but rather, very annoyed. "Oh, you have? What is it that you want?"
"What were you talking about outside with those other penguins or bumpties, or whatever the hell you guys are called!? It looked like you were arguing, and you guys kept pointing back to the house!" Pauline demanded.
Penelopuin looked offended at this now. "I beg your pardon!? That is none of your business! Who do you think you are, being all nosy and coming in here like some big shot!?"
"If it concerns friends and I, then yeah, it IS my business. Let me tell you something, princess, I've been through far too much to not feel that something is definitely up here. We've been blindsided numerous times by people who we thought were our 'allies,' and there's not a chance in hell that we're taking that risk again. So, again, I'm gonna ask you...what were you and your little friends talking about outside earlier!?" Pauline stated as she got more heated, but so did Penelopuin now.
The Bumpty narrowed her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "Hmm. Well, what are you going to do if I don't tell you what we talked about!?"
Pauline scoffed a little, then made a smirk. "I think it's best that you don't find that out. Trust me...we can do this the easy way or hard way. If you're truly up to no good, then my friends and I are gonna take you down so fucking fast, your head will spin, so don't even think about trying it."
Penelopuin kept her eyes narrowed as she chuckled. "Wow...check you out...you know, I know plenty of men that would love to just tie you down and rape you."
Pauline nearly fell to her knees when she said those last few words. Her heart started racing. Her eyes widened. Her body began shaking.
"What...wh-wh-wh-WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY!?" Pauline screeched and backed away a little.
"You heard me. Now...be a nice little girl and stay the fuck out of my business...or you and your friends will meet a gruesome end," Penelopuin stated in such a harsh, raspy, and merciless tone, and then went back outside.
Pauline started feeling weak and panicky. She tried to walk towards the nearby bathroom but she ended up stumbling a little. She held her chest as she was finding it hard to breathe, especially since she was now getting flashbacks of the tragic event that she experienced.
Vivian came into the hallway and spotted her. "Pauline, there you are! Were you able to find Penelopuin?"
Pauline made no response and ran into the bathroom, lifted up the toilet seat, and vomited. Vivian looked scared from this.
"PAULINE!? What's going on!? What happened to you!?" the shadow siren shrieked.
Pauline sat back down and leaned against the wall, still shaking and started to cry. "P-Penelopuin...she...we can't trust her...she said that...she knew men that would…t-t-tie me down and...r...r...rape me!" she proceeded to vomit again.
"WHAT!? SHE SAID THAT TO YOU!? Oh my...where is she now!?" Vivian became angry and disgusted that she would say something so vile to her friend.
"Out the door to the left...she's up to something, Viv...we're not safe here!" Pauline answered while panting and trying to get herself to calm down.
Vivian clenched her fists and went out the door. She stepped a few feet outside and looked around the vicinity for Penelopuin. Nothing in sight...there were footprints on the snow, but so many of them overlapped each other that it was hard to tell which direction she went in, or if it was even Penelopuin's anyways.
Vivian went back inside to be by her friend, thinking that she'll do a search for her later. Vivian hugged Pauline to comfort her and to calm her down even further.
"It's okay, sweetie...she has no idea what she's got coming to her!" Vivian declared.
11:48 AM
Boshi entered back into the guest room he was just in earlier with Yoshi. He peered in to make sure no one was in there.
"Hello!?" he yelped. No response. "Cool. I'm taking advantage of this bed so I can sleep 'till we gotta leave!"
He ran over to the bed and body slammed onto it...but also hitting something under the covers.
"OOH!" yelled a woman's voice. Boshi shrieked and jumped right off. The person under the covers pushed them off and glared daggers at the dino. It was Flurrie!
"WHAT THE FUCK!? YOU WERE UNDER THERE THIS WHOLE TIME!?" he screamed.
"Of course I was! I was taking a nice siesta since all that scrumptious food made me tired a bit. I take it you were trying to do the same?" Flurrie asked with a look of discomfort.
"Uhh, yeah! That bed is like a cloud, and I'm laying on it before we have to go, so move over!" Boshi demanded. Flurrie scoffed in disgust.
"Most certainly not! I do not wish to share this bed with you! You're gonna have to find some other bed!" the wind spirit spat. Boshi growled at her a bit and rubbed his nose.
"Fuck, man! Why ya gotta be so selfish!? It's not like I'm gonna try to do anything to you! I just wanna relax and chill the hell out!" he retorted.
"...Nevermind. Just take the bed. I'll leave then," Flurrie rolled her eyes, having enough of him, and started to get up off the bed.
"No, don't. Now you're gonna make ME feel guilty. Goddamn! It's times like this where I REALLY wish I still had some cocaine with me to at least let me chill the hell out," Boshi grunted in annoyance. Flurrie gasped a little when he said that.
"Stop talking like that! Cocaine is no laughing matter. It kills your body overtime and relying on it is a poor way to get through life," she lectured angrily.
"NO SHIT! I KNOW THAT! I've just been having the cravings for it! I'm still going through withdrawals, but maaaaan, I just NEED something to make me feel relaxed!" Boshi yelled, gripping his head and began pacing the room impatiently.
"Yes...I'm aware of that. I've been there before. I used to have a coke addiction," Flurrie admitted with a sigh. Boshi stopped his pacing and looked at her in shock.
"WHAT!? Really...you? Madame Flurrie? Damn, sucks...but also interesting! Lemme guess, the acting industry pressured you into doing that?" he asked.
"Something like that. It was a very brief addiction, but still awful. That's why I got so emotional when I saw you high on cocaine when that incident with that poor Toadiana girl occurred. You reminded me of me during those days...absolutely dreadful...and you should be ashamed for even WANTING to go back on that horrid drug!" Flurrie explained.
"Oh, knock it off with your superiority complex! You say you've gone through it too, so you of all people should know how hard it is to resist the temptation! Plus, the world may end...so why not have a little fun just in case it does? There shouldn't be any shame in that!" Boshi spat and tried to rationalize his stance to her. Flurrie made another frustrated sigh and was about to say something else, but then looked to her side, as if she was thinking about something very deeply.
"What? No witty comeback? Ha! Can't deny that I've made a great point!" Boshi boasted.
Flurrie looked back at him and made a little smirk. "You know what...you're actually right, Boshi. Nothing wrong with having a little fun before the world potentially ends."
Boshi looked confused at her sudden change. "Uhh...thanks? Wait, what the hell just happened here? Why'd you change your mind all of a sudden?"
"Because I can't hide it anymore, Boshi...I lied to you. I'm still going through a coke addiction...it's to the point where I managed to snag some cocaine just in case I felt the end was truly nigh," Flurrie revealed, providing further shock to the blue dino.
"HOLY SHIT! Damn...you little deceiver! Hahaha, see, I knew you and I weren't that different when it comes to outlooks on these kinda things," Boshi snickered then walked towards her. "So...uhh, you mind sharing a little with me?"
Flurrie's smirk grew bigger and more seductive-like. "Hmm...well...I can...but I want you to do something for me first…"
Boshi was now smirking as well and licked his lips. "Ooh, and what is that, Madame? I think I'm liking where this is going."
"Come closer to me," Flurrie seductively spoke and moved back a little on the bed. Boshi chuckled in excitement and walked to the edge of the bed.
"This close enough? Or...want me to come closer?" the dino flirtatiously responded.
"Little bit closer. Onto the bed, dear," Flurrie commanded, still keeping her smirk.
"Hmmhmm, yes ma'am!" Boshi got on the bed and sat on his knees, now only inches away from her. "What next? What do you wanna do to me? Or...what do you want ME to do to you?"
Flurrie giggled at his attempt to be flirty. "Well...what do you want to do for the cocaine, dearie? Tell me. Tell me your wish."
"Ooh! Wohohoho...Madame Flurrie! I didn't realize you could be so raunchy! Hrrrrr!" Boshi purred and laughed. "Well...my wish is for me to be all over you...I mean...who can resist those luscious lips?" he spoke while moving his head closer to hers.
"So...you'd be willing to do 'that' for the cocaine, my dear?" Flurrie's voice turned to a whisper as her lips and his lips were only centimeters apart now.
"Of course...my dear! Haha. You make an irresistible offer," Boshi then sniffed Flurrie then laughed in delight. "Mmmmmm! Helps that you smell ohhhh so fine!"
"I see...well then...go down…" Flurrie still whispered. Boshi looked shocked again at her.
"Woah! Down...as in...down 'there?'" Boshi gestured.
"Of course. What are you waiting for?" Flurrie said as she touched his shoulder and rubbed it.
"Hoho...my my, Flurrie! This is a side of you I never thought I'd see!" Boshi laughed again and proceeded to move his head down her body. Before he was able to get 'too far down,' Flurrie grabbed his head with both of her hands, startling him. He looked up in confusion.
"Uhh...what are you doing?" he asked.
"Look at yourself. Willing to 'get it on' with a woman you barely know and who is significantly older than you. Get some help, and get yourself together for once. By the way, I never had cocaine on me...the fact that you automatically believed me without any proof just shows how truly desperate you are. You CAN overcome it, you just don't want to, because you'd rather escape the world than deal with reality. Truly pathetic and pitiful. Get your act together, Boshi," Flurrie stated then shoved herself off the bed and exited the bedroom, leaving Boshi completely blindsided and stunned by the unforeseen act she just pulled.
11:53 AM
"So, if you don't mind me asking, what brought you two together?" Luvbi asked as she, Starlow, Parakarry, and Jojora sat back down at the dining table to talk and relax.
The mailman and fairy stared at each other awkwardly, then gave a weird laugh.
"Uhh...well...I'll be blunt about it, we connected over me nearly killing myself. Parakarry saved me from trying to drown myself and was so kind and gentle to me that...ya know...I couldn't help but develop feelings for him really quickly from then on!" Jojora admitted. Starlow and Luvbi stared at the two completely wide-eyed.
"Woah! Wow! Uhh, well then! Quite an...uhh, interesting way to begin a relationship!" Starlow commented, trying to come off as polite as possible.
"I know, it was under 'abnormal' circumstances, if you wanna call it that...but this journey really brought us two together. It's one of the very few good things that has come out of this mess!" Parakarry cheerily added on, making Jojora blush a little.
"Well, I'm glad you two were able to form a nice relationship from all that. This group is VERY tight-knit...no wonder why you guys manage to keep yourselves relatively sane during this mess!" Luvbi exclaimed.
"Yeah! Well, it's also due to the fact that we've been through it all...like, literally ALL. We've been through numerous conflicts within our group such as love triangles, keeping secrets from each other, power dynamics, some of our broken pasts coming to light...then you got all the battles we've fought, all the injuries we sustained, all the mental, emotional, and psychological torture we've had to endure, so many of our friends dying...honestly, at this point, it's hard to think of something horrible that we HAVEN'T been through!" Parakarry explained so casually, giving Starlow and Luvbi the wide eyes again.
"Boy! Well, remind me to never underestimate you guys. Still, it's awful that you guys had to go through so much in such a short span of time. I really hope this will get written into the history books of the Mushroom Kingdom too, because if you're gonna go through all THAT, you should be honored and recognized for it for generations down the line!" Starlow pointed out.
"Yeah, but it's made you all quite resilient, more connected, and stronger so I suppose that's a plus to all that. I must admit, I completely underestimated how much horror was happening with Tatanga and you guys...E. Gadd only gave us some brief summary of what was happening. I just thought that most of Mushroom City was destroyed, and that was it, and that you all were on some adventure to tear him down. Then our arrival at the hospital happened...then the raid from those assholes...yeah, threw me for a total loop, but I'm glad that we're able to help," Luvbi remarked with a small smile.
"We're glad too, and yeah, it's been a chaotic ride for us. Some people aren't ever gonna understand the shit we had to deal with...but at the same time, I don't think I want other people to experience it. It's too traumatic, and we're gonna need some MAJOR therapy once we're done!" Jojora exclaimed with a tired laugh at the end.
"And speaking of Professor E. Gadd, how'd you two get involved with him? I had no idea you two were his assistants...actually, I didn't even know you two were friends! I heard about you two from other adventures that Mario went on, but I didn't know you were friends," Parakarry questioned.
"Oh yeah! Luvbi and I actually connected on social media a few years ago through our love of the Spyro the Dragon video game series. We were in a Spyro group and talked to each other here and there on the posts and such, and we both eventually found out that we adventured with Mario and his friends in the past! It was such a neat coincidence. We talked and had so much other stuff in common, like Boo Biscuits being one of our favorite sweets, shipping ShadowxAmy over SonicxAmy, and our most favorite music artist being Toadaylor Swift. Eventually, she ended up visiting me and staying for a few days, and I visited her for a few days, and we did back and forth every few months or so.
As for E. Gadd, I also connected with him on social media a while back...he made a post saying that he needed help with some big, crazy project that were the guns that he made for you guys back at the hospital...and some other stuff that I don't think I can say yet. It looked interesting and I was up for something new, so I figured why not? So, I messaged him, telling him I'd like to help however I can. We talked for a long while, then he invited me over to his place, and I got to see all of his cool and weird inventions, like a robot spider that you can send off and it'll bite into someone of your choosing which'll poison them, an electric yo-yo that gives a big zap to anyone that is hit by it, and bottles of 'holy water' that give a nasty sting to anyone's skin that has the misfortune of getting it spilled on! Yeah, the guy is very creative and a hard worker, but so odd!
Anyways...I invited Luvbi here to help on the project, and she was interested so she came and helped, and ended up liking it...and this was all during the time this disaster happened with Tatanga, so our help couldn't have come at a better time!" Starlow told the story.
"Yeah, E. Gadd's inventions piqued my interests immediately. My favorite of his is called the Monty Mole Zapper. Since his lab is underground, he gets those damn moles popping in every so often and wrecking his stuff, so he made the Monty Mole Zapper, which zaps Monty Moles and blasts them to the other side of the planet the second they intrude in his space! Harsh, but necessary to get work done without any pesky distractions!" Luvbi added further, which blew Parakarry and Jojora away.
"WOW! I didn't realize E. Gadd was so devious and crafty! Man...I swear, that guy could create ANYTHING he puts his mind to! Well, we're definitely glad we have you guys with us. Here's to hoping the rest of this mission won't be as chaotic as everything before!" Parakarry happily exclaimed.
11:57 AM
Bowser wandered around aimlessly through the house in a haze, ending up in the laundry room. He sighed and walked over to the tiny window in there, which peered towards the west of the area. He looked out and saw a mother and a father Bumpty building a snowman with their little boy Bumpty. The family looked like they were having a fun time, since they were laughing and talking happily. That view brought Bowser to tears as he became immediately jealous since he longed for that kind of life now where all he did was just love and have fun with his kids along with having a partner to share that experience too.
"Bowser?" Goombella softly spoke while entering the laundry room.
Bowser jumped a little and wiped his eyes when he saw and heard the goomba gal walk in. "Oh! Goombella...what's up?"
"Hey...this is, like, a really stupid question, but...how are ya holding up? And where's Larry?" Goombella politely asked.
"Larry's hanging with Kody. I'm giving them alone time to bond more. And, uhh, I dunno, feels like I'm barely holding on. I'm always feeling angry and sad at the same time...I'm surprised I didn't strangle my ex-wife's bastard of a husband yesterday...the way he spoke to me was fucking sick and demented," Bowser spat.
"God...that's right, your wife's family is at the hospital now. Man, Bowser...you're really putting up with so much. I gotta commend you for, like, trying your best to be so strong during all this! You're going through probably the worst kind of hell out of all of us. You're a really good father, you know," Goombella complimented to try to cheer him up but that didn't work since Bowser just rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"No, I really am not, so don't try to pity me or make me feel better. Goombella, you must've known what horrible shit I've done to this kingdom so many times. I put my kids in danger sometimes too when it came to conquering the kingdom. I raised them that way, to think that the only way you can get through life is to be cruel and insensitive, because all people ever do is hurt and disappoint you.
And now look where I'm at. Lost two kids and my partner in crime, one kid decided to join Tatanga all because I've neglected to change how we treated him, and my ex-wife returns in my life with her stupid, happy family. It's what I deserve, Goombella. This is my life now so I gotta adapt to it the best that I can without wanting to explode at everything. Fuck…" the koopa king explained and then leaned against the dryer and started crying again. "I...I don't wish anything that I'm feeling on anyone. This is just hell...this is fucking torture...I'm so tired of crying and being angry, but I just can't stop...feels like it's never gonna end…"
Goombella teared up a little at his heartfelt and self-destructive speech. She looked down as she gathered her thoughts, hoping that she wouldn't make him feel more upset with what she wanted to say to him.
"Um...you know, I can kind of relate to what you're feeling, Bowser. I lost my dad when I was 14. He died in a car crash on his way home from work. From what was told to my mom and I, he was about to exit the freeway, when this other car swerves into the exit lane at the last second and ends up hitting his driver's side of the car. My dad lost control of his car and swerved off the exit lane. His car rolled down the small hill...and...and kept rolling until it landed into a creek.
Witnesses called the police and an ambulance...but it was too late...my dad either died on the spot or he succumbed to his injuries before help could arrive...um...naturally, my mom, me, and everyone else in our family was devastated at this. He essentially disappeared from our lives in just one day...for 14 years I grew up with him, and his life was taken away in the blink of an eye.
Wanna know the worst part, though? They never caught the person who swerved into him. Either the police from my town were really incompetent or whoever this person is was that good at escaping. Justice never being brought to us definitely didn't help our closure on things...especially not for my mom. It's, like, so sickening that someone out there had the audacity to do a hit and run. I think that was the first time I truly saw how cruel this world can be.
Ever since that day, my mom went into a severe depression and she's been in it 'till this day. She barely talks to me. She never came to my high school graduation. She doesn't do much around the house anymore. It got to the point where my grandparents had to step in and try to raise me from that point forward. We've tried getting her into therapy, but, like, she keeps going in for a while, then stops for a while. I can't even count how many therapists she's seen. I got therapy through my school and another place that my school counselor recommended me to.
It reached a point where, not too long after I graduated high school, I had enough and I moved to the dorms at U Goom. I feel for my mom, I get it, it's heartbreaking...I still cry myself to sleep sometimes these days...but there comes a point where you need to take control of your life. Where you can't let it affect you as much anymore. That's the route I chose, and when I told my mom what I was doing all she said was 'Okay' and gave me a bunch of money for the expenses...and that was it.
I call her every now and then to check up on her, but it's pretty much the same talk everytime, and she likes to keep it short and sweet. My grandparents are taking care of her now and it really doesn't feel like she's ever going to be back to the way she was. That's why I try to be, like, all preppy and vibrant whenever I can. I don't wanna be like my mom who's remained at rock bottom for years. I still love her of course, but...I just can't deal with that constant energy anymore. I know my dad was a part of her life for so many years...but I can't deal with how my mom's turned into a zombie. I don't know what to do. I feel like I've tried everything. But, I know I have to keep going forward with my life.
So...umm...Bowser, what I'm saying is...even though our situations aren't, like, exactly the same...you're doing the best that you can. We ALL see it. You could've easily become like my mom and just let life go by...but you haven't. You're taking charge and you're still looking out for your kids. That takes SO much courage and honor considering what you're going through right now. And no, you don't deserve any of this crap. We all have seen the changes you've made, Bowser. You're a good person at heart! Don't get down on yourself...please don't, because if you keep doing that...you're gonna end up like my mom, and you don't wanna be there. Trust me...you don't," Goombella spoke from the heart while getting emotional and teary-eyed throughout.
Bowser took in her speech with surprise. He didn't think that Goombella of all people would open up to him like that. It brought him to tears again, feeling horrible that Goombella had to go through something just as traumatic, especially at such a young age. He looked at the small mirror hanging beside the door leading to the outside of the house and took a good look at himself. He looked like a disaster, but started to not feel like one as he really took in Goombella's words.
"Thank you for telling me all that, Goombella. You...you didn't have to, but...thank you," the koopa king said as he still stared in the mirror.
"You're welcome. And just remember, Bowser...like, you were made to be a king for a reason! You're powerful and fearless! Just use those traits for good. I know you thought for a long time that being 'good' is equal to being weak and cowardly...but it's not. My friends prove that it's not," Goombella added with a smile as a tear rolled down her cheek. She excused herself and left as she felt a crying session come on.
"Yeah...I was meant to be a king for a reason…" Bowser repeated as he still stared into the mirror, smiling just the tiniest bit now. But, the smile went away as an unnerving feeling grew in his stomach as he kept staring into the mirror.
12:02 PM
Bombette walked to the bathroom on the second floor, but was almost knocked over by Kody who ran ahead of her to the bathroom.
"HEY! What's up with you!?" she shrieked.
"I gotta go reeeaaalllyyy bad! The one downstairs is taken too! Please let me go first! That breakfast is really coming out strong now!" Kody yelped as he 'danced' uncomfortably.
"Ugh, fine, go ahead. Try not to be too long though, because I feel mine making its way down pretty strong as well!" Bombette huffed.
"I can try...but no promises!" Kody replied and quickly went into the bathroom and shut the door.
"Hmph. I hope they have an air freshener in there, at least," Bombette commented. Peach popped out into the hallway and approached her.
"Bombette! Have you ran into Mario!?" she asked urgently. Bombette was a little startled by how panicked she seemed.
"Uhhh, no! Why?" the bomb replied.
"Okay, because he's rounding everyone up for a group meeting. There's something he and I have to tell you and it's VERY important!" Peach added.
"Oh boy...when someone says something is 'important,' that usually means we should start freaking out and be on alert for the smallest thing out of the ordinary," Bombette sighed, getting tired of hearing constant awful news.
"Well...yeah, that's true. I think we're at the point where it'd be considered 'weird' if we got something that was actually good news!" Peach affirmed, then led her to the child's room she was just in with Mario. A few minutes passes by, and nearly everyone gets into the room.
"Okay. Is this everyone?" Mario asked as he shut the door and locked it.
"Looks like it!" Kooper answered.
"Wait, I don't see Kody! Anyone know where he's at?" Koops asked.
"He's still in the bathroom...I have a feeling he'll be in there for quite a while," Bombette tried not to snicker. A few grossed-out expressions were made from the others.
"Oh...lovely. Well, um, it's actually good that he's not here, because I also wanna talk about Kody!" Larry spoke with a hint of nervousness in his voice. All eyes immediately turned to him.
"Wait, what about Kody!? Did you find out something about him that we should be cautious about!?" Bowser quickly responded while raising his voice, feeling the need to protect his son already.
"Uhhh, maybe! But, do you wanna talk about what you two have got to say first?" Larry asked Mario and Peach.
"Well...hold on now actually. Does anyone else have anything they also wanna share since we're all here? Now's the time to do it!" Mario announced, looking at everyone. Pauline slowly raised her hand.
"Pauline? What's up?" Peach asked, making all eyes point to Pauline.
"I...it's about Penelopuin. But...um...I'd rather not go first, if that's okay?" Pauline shyly asked, looking very sickly.
"Pauline, what happened to you? Did you get hurt?" Wario asked.
"N-not exactly, just...let Larry or Mario say what they need first, then I'll tell mine. I just need to form my thoughts real quick," Pauline stammered as she tried catching her breath.
"Hey, do you want me to say it for you, if this is too much? I don't mind!" Vivian whispered to her.
"No no, it's fine. I can do it. I just need to think about what I'm gonna say first," Pauline replied, looking as if she was trying not to vomit again.
Mario looked deeply concerned for her now, but obeyed her command. "Okay...we'll let Larry go first, then Paulie, then Peach and I. What did you find out about Kody?"
Everyone turned to Larry again. He spoke, "So, I think I caught Kody in a lie. Last night, I'm positive that my brothers, excluding Junior, and Kody were up to something because I woke up at 11 to use the bathroom and get some water, only to find them not in our room still, and our dad's handgun was missing. I searched for them for about a half-hour, including in the cafeteria, but no luck, so I came back and they were all sound asleep in the room and my dad's handgun was back where it was.
So, this morning, I talked to Morton about where they were last night and what they were up to. Morton says that they were in the cafeteria snacking on sweets until, I guess, a little after 11. I asked Kody the same question earlier and he said the same thing. If they're telling the truth, then that means we must've just missed each other when I was out searching for them and they were heading to bed. The thing is, though...I still think they're lying. I know for a fact I saw that gun missing. Morton thought I was half-asleep when I saw it gone, and I kind of was, but still...I remember clear as day it not being where it was. They were up to something, and when we get back, they're gonna tell us what they were doing.
And there's something else with Kody too. His story is that the koopatrols raided his house, killed his parents, then they offered him and his brother a position onto the koopatrol team, his brother says no and gets killed, then Kody agrees to join so he doesn't get killed as well. Well...he's changed the story a little bit. When I was talking to Kody earlier about last night, saying that he feels like he may as well have killed them too. I asked him what he meant by that, and he looked totally caught off guard. He elaborated on that, saying that he feels like he could've saved them when those guys came.
So, I tell him that he shouldn't beat himself up for not being able to save his family, since those koopatrols were tough and brutal. He then makes another comment under his breath, saying that he wonders if things would've been different if he had just stayed at home. So, I ask him...are you saying you weren't home when your family was killed? And are you sure they're all dead if you weren't there to witness it? Because that's what his statement was implying. Kody freaks out again and shouts at me, saying that he's positive that they're dead and to quit talking about it. So...I drop it...but now I can't help but shake the feeling that there's something about his story that he's either lying about or not telling us," Larry explained. Some of the others looked freaked out from Larry's story, while some others looked peeved.
"My gun was missing for about a half-hour last night...you think Kody, Morton, Ludwig, and Lemmy have something to do with it...why am I just now hearing about this!?" Bowser angrily asked.
"Because I wanted to talk to Kody about it first, dad! I wanted to make sure their stories match, and they do...but something is still WAY off! And I'm talking about both last night AND Kody's story of his family getting killed!" Larry explained. Bowser still didn't look too satisfied with that answer, but he calmed himself down a bit.
"Well, fuck! Did we make a mistake letting him out then!?" Boshi shrieked.
"I really hope we weren't duped again, because if we were, then I'm not putting my trust in anyone outside this group so easily ever again," DK huffed while shaking his head.
"Same here. This shit is getting REALLY old. It may as well be the Fire Bro situation all over again!" Dixie cried, tugging at her hair in stress, remembering when Fire Bro screwed with her mind.
"It could just be trauma from witnessing his family getting killed in front of him. Trauma can affect the memory in odd ways sometimes. I do agree that it's pretty weird he's changing the story a little bit...but I don't think it's, like, a conclusion we should automatically jump to!" Goombella theorized.
"That's true. I didn't consider that...but I just REALLY feel deep in my gut that, at the very least, there's something that Kody's withholding from us!" Larry admitted.
"Anyone else thinking what I'm thinking? That Kody might have actually killed his family? Perhaps he was forced to do it by the koopatrols!?" Kooper brought up a discomforting, yet useful take.
"I was thinking that too. Maybe Kody WAS forced to kill his family, but he can't admit it because of the trauma, or because he thinks it'll make him look suspicious," Luvbi added on to the theory.
"Or...he's another Fire Bro and enjoyed killing his family, all the while putting up a good front to fool us all!?" Mona provided a theory almost quite the opposite of Kooper's.
"Crap, man! I really hope I didn't make a mistake in trying to save that kid. I wanted to truly believe him…" Parakarry sighed and felt upset that he may have been tricked by someone he wanted to give a chance to. Jojora rubbed his shoulder in hopes of calming him down.
"We all wanted to believe him...whether we wanna admit it or not. I agree with Goombella that we shouldn't jump to a conclusion about Kody just yet, but we all should still be cautious of him and watch his every move. We really can't be too careful with him now, especially after what Larry told us," Mario advised, looking a little disappointed that the kid may very well be lying to everyone.
"I agree! Now, if that's all concerning to Kody, let's move to Pauline. What happened to you, sweetie?" Peach politely asked, as she could tell Pauline was pretty distraught. Everyone turned to her again.
Pauline took in a deep breath and put on a tough face. "Alright. So, me, Vivian, and Kooper were checking out one of the kids' rooms and talking, then all of a sudden, we see Penelopuin and three other Bumpties outside the window, who looked like they were arguing and they kept pointing at the house. I got really suspicious of this real quick, so I tried to track Penelopuin down to see if she was up to no good. I think I searched the whole house and even outside a little for like 20 minutes before I was able to find her. When I did...when I saw her...my gut feeling about her being up to no good was correct.
I asked her what her and her 'friends' were talking about outside. She got real defensive and avoided answering the question, so I kept pressing her...that was when she told me…" Pauline clenched her fists and controlled her breath as she tried to find the strength to say what she had to next.
"It's okay. Take your time," Mario assured her in comfort.
Pauline nodded, then became a little choked up. "She said that...sh-she knew plenty of men that would love to tie me down and...r...rape me."
Everyone else gasped in horror and widened their eyes at those awful words.
"What the fuck!? That sick little bitch! I can't believe she would say that to you!" Lakilester yelled.
"Oh my god...okay, definitely safe to say that we CANNOT trust Penelopuin at all!" Koopie shrieked.
"I knew there was something off with her! We need to do something then. Hold her down and demand she tell us what she knows, or she'll be the one to meet a gruesome end!" Luigi declared.
"Does this mean we can't trust the mayor either? I wonder if that's why he said Shiver Snowfield was blocked with snow and was being cleaned up...it was to slow us down from getting the gem!" Koops pointed out.
Pauline gripped her dress as Vivian held her shoulder with care. "I think Penelopuin is either 'infected' like Sonic and his friends were, or something to that effect. Those words she used...she had to have known that saying that would put my guard down because of what happened to me in the past...that it would trigger me. Which means that she knows about us somehow...well...probably…" Pauline spoke as she held back her tears. Everyone stared in horror some more when they all connected the dots as to why Pauline was so struck by those words, apart from Boshi whom she already told.
"God, Pauline...I'm so sorry!" Daisy said as she cried along with her and gave her a hug.
"This is just horrible! So, what do we do now then with this information!? And I wonder if this is all connected to the gem or the Crystal Palace!?" Flurrie wailed.
Mario wanted to cry a little as well, seeing how hurt Pauline was, along with how it looked like him and his friends were already being thrown into the chaos so quickly once again. "I promise that we'll handle Penelopuin as soon as I tell you guys what you need to know. She won't get away with it, and whether she's 'infected' or not, we'll deal with that matter when the time comes. God...feels like everyone we run into has some hidden agenda…
But, now, let me say what I have to say, then we'll take care of Penelopuin. First things first, it's about Bleck. A couple days ago, he went to Tatanga's island all by himself. The reason he went there is because, in case anyone here doesn't know or doesn't remember, Mimi is imprisoned there and he wanted to try to save her. He told me not to tell anyone because he didn't want to get people in a panic, but now I think it's important enough that you guys know, for what else I'm about to tell you.
He walked to the castle most of us were imprisoned in at the start of all this, and in the basement of that castle is a teleporter that connects to Tatanga's island. He took it and went in to find Mimi. He went there and found Mimi, still alive, but in a prison cell. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to get to her, because Tatanga, Dimentio, and Doopliss stopped him and tried to kill him but he was able to escape, thanks to Bleck revealing that Dimentio stole the Star Rod from Star Haven and is planning to betray Tatanga with it. This threw everyone off, of course, so we're hoping this will cause a HUGE rift on their team and slow things down with their progress."
"Oh, good! And, as weird as this sounds, I hope Tatanga is smart enough to realize that Dimentio is a deceiver or trickster, or whatever term you wanna use, at his core and kills him. That'll be one less bastard we'll have to deal with when we get over there," Kooper exclaimed.
"True, but...eh, I think it was kinda dumb for Bleck to go all by himself. I mean, I know he has magic powers and all, but it would've made things easier if he had some people with him," Spike noted.
"I know what you're saying, but it's far too risky for anyone who doesn't have magic or massive strength to be there at this moment. Hell, Bleck is actually lucky he got out alive, because he told me that they performed another spell on the island, where anyone who has magic powers is automatically weakened when they set foot on there, so...hopefully when we get the Crystal Star Rod, we can counteract that," Mario countered his opinion.
"Great. More surprises they're throwing at us. Anything else? Did he see Roy there!?" Bowser asked.
Mario shook his head. "No, I'm sorry, Bowser. Nothing about Roy. He didn't get a chance to see him."
Bowser sighed sadly. "Mmm...well, I guess that's that. Is there anything else then?"
"Yeah, there's a few other things that Bleck discovered. Tatanga destroyed the teleporter right after Bleck escaped, so now, no one's able to get to the island via that. We're gonna have to storm the place by the arwings or boat...but more than likely, the arwings. The second thing he discovered was that Fire Bro is on the island now. Bleck doesn't know when exactly he arrived there...but he's there, going to help out Tatanga and tell them who knows what about us. So, they have an extra maniac on their team now," Mario continued. Everyone else looked either annoyed or disgusted at this.
"Seriously!? Well, I shouldn't be too surprised, because he's a legit psychopath who likes to screw with everyone's heads," Jojora grunted.
"All the more reason to kill him then. I mean it when I say that, the second I see him, I'm killing him. There's no going back from all the shit he's pulled," Kooper angrily stated as he got a little red in the face.
"You don't mind me helping, do you?" Yoshi asked with a little smirk.
"Of course not!" Kooper enthusiastically replied, happy inside that Yoshi wasn't being distant from him since he was the brother of a killer after all.
"Fire Bro...or Konnor, may be a psychopath that knows a lot about us, but in the end, there's not a whole lot he'll add to Tatanga's team. He doesn't have the magical powers that Tatanga's teammates have. I'm not exactly sure what he's even trying to accomplish or how he'll make himself stand out, but he'll probably end up getting himself killed. Oh well, not a big loss then. Is that all from Bleck?" DK asked.
"There's one more thing!" Peach spoke. Everyone looked to her now as she turned to look at DK and Dixie. "When Bleck saw Mimi in the prison cell, there was another cell in there, and there was a person in the cell. He said he didn't get a good look because they were laying on their side and their back was turned to him, but...um...he's pretty sure it was Diddy Kong! Which means he didn't die when his arwing crashed!"
Everyone's faces were in shock but also incredibly relieved. DK and Dixie almost cried at this, being the most excited out of them all.
"WHAT!? So...oh my god, so that means Rosalina didn't kill him!? Oh my god, this is amazing!" Dixie cheered and caught her breath.
"God...so my nephew really could be alive still...this is fantastic news, you guys!" DK cheered along and hugged Yoshi in celebration.
"Not 'could be', DK. Is still alive. Peach made a point saying that it doesn't make sense for Diddy to have died in the crash, then have his body wash up, then have his body put in the cell. He's definitely alive, we just gotta hope that he still will be by the time we get there! Same with Mimi!" Mario clarified.
"Wow! You know, I didn't even think about Diddy surviving that arwing crashing into the ocean...but the small possibility that he DID survive makes sense. The arwing didn't explode, and it didn't crash too far from the shore, so even though he's imprisoned on the island, I'm really glad he's alive at least, and there's a chance to save him!" Parakarry praised in hope.
"Yeah. So, we've got that good thing going for us now, let's all hope and be positive that Diddy and Mimi will still be alive when we get there!" Peach stated while Mario got the Mayor's backup laptop and opened it up.
"Okay guys, I gotta move on to the last thing I wanna discuss so we can save time. I'm gonna show you guys a video, and I found this video on a place called the Dark Web. Anyone ever heard of it?" Mario asked. Some of them looked discomforted, some of them shook their heads, and a few others nodded.
"Yeah! It's where criminal activity stuff goes on like human and sex trafficking, money laundering, hiring hitmen, and so on. I've never been on there myself, but I did some research about it. Why were you on there for?" Koopie asked with a curious look.
"Well, the reason why I was on there was because of Banjo. The main reason why Banjo and Kazooie came to the Mushroom Kingdom was to show me a video that they put on a flashdrive, that they found while taking a peek into the Dark Web. The same day they came to show me the video was the same day that Tatanga attacked and held us prisoners. Banjo wasn't able to give me the flashdrive until the day that he left back to his homeworld, because he figured it was the perfect time to do it since Kazooie was dead and there wasn't anything else left for him to do in this world, and it was the main reason he came here in the first place.
I saw the video all by myself, then I told Peach, Luig, and Daisy about it...and now I'm telling you all about that video and another one I saw on the Dark Web. The two videos have to do with Mushroom Corporations. I know we're all suspicious of that company and Arfur by now, because they've done things that made no sense, like hiring Fire Bro on with them even though there's no way that they DON'T know of his past, because c'mon, it's a government organization...they do extensive background checks. Along with that, giving some of our people guns when the first raid happened at the other hospital even though none of them who were given guns had any experience with them, and also not having a lot of reinforcements and security to protect us from those raids in the first place, plus having some of you guys held captive there when this mess with Tatanga started based on some flimsy excuse from Merlon.
I confronted Arfur about this and I knew I got him where I needed him. He didn't even deny the video's existence. He didn't even excuse or deny all the shady stuff I brought up to him. So, because of all this, I told him I wanted to talk to his boss, and figure out what the hell is going on here and what their agenda is, because we need to know if they're truly on our side. But, if you ask me right now...I don't think they are. I'm gonna show you guys the video that I saw by myself a while back. After this, we'll talk about it a bit, then I'll show you the second video," Mario explained as he put up the video in full screen so everyone can take a look at it. He held the laptop and everyone moved in closer to see.
(NOTE: If you wanna 'see' the video fully to rememorize what it was all about, it's in Chapter 86 towards the end. I'm gonna just summarize it in the following section because I feel it'd be odd and repetitive if I just copy/pasted the video here, plus it'd make this chapter way longer than it already is.)
Everyone was silent during the video as it showed the title MUSHROOM CORPS. - MARIO - BLOOD EXPERIMENT. Everyone gave each other weird looks and some whispers were heard as Professor Fungi was now shown, saying his monologue in the beginning, discussing how strange and intriguing Mario's body is for all the things he can do, such as wall kicking, backflipping, and throwing Bowser with ease from just grabbing his tail. It then goes to him talking about how the company tracked Mario down, drugged him, then brought him to the lab to test his blood and DNA to see what's in it that makes him superhero-like.
"What the hell!? That's a total invasion of privacy! And it's fucking disgusting too!" Luvbi spat.
"God...so Mushroom Corporations really IS a scummy place…" Bombette commented in horror.
The video then shows Mario and Pauline lying unconscious on a silver table with their clothes off, lying underneath a white, with only their heads exposed. Pauline shrieked at this.
"WHAT THE HELL!? They did that to me too!? WHAT DID THEY DO TO ME!? MARIO! WHAT THE FUCK DID THEY DO!?" she screamed and started crying again as Vivian held her again.
"Just...just keep watching, Pauline...they tell everything…" Mario responded as a tear fell from his eye, feeling her pain, and completely understood why she reacted that way.
The video shows Professor Fungi again explaining and comparing Mario's blood and DNA to another human's blood DNA and blood, which would be Pauline to showcase how 'superhero-like' Mario really is.
"I don't understand how this is legal! They literally capture you, drug you, and perform experiments on you without your permission! This is beyond sick!" Koops exclaimed.
"It's a government organization...people in that field can get away with so much more than most others, unfortunately," Mona sighed and cringed at what she was seeing.
The video cut again to show a very tall koopa, who was lying unconscious on a table, with Professor Fungi in the foreground explaining how he'll inject Mario's blood into Kris, the koopa, to see how his body reacts to it.
"Uhh, what? What do they expect will happen exactly? That he'll gain superpowers from Mario's blood or something?" Goombella questioned.
The video then shows Fungi injecting Mario's blood into Kris, who then reacts violently to the injection. The scientists in the room tried to hold him down, but failed as Kris threw them across the room and thrashed the whole place and even killed a couple of the scientists.
"Goddamn! Does this mean you can't donate blood then, Mario!?" Boshi asked.
"Will you shush and just keep watching!?" Dixie spat, thinking he was trying to make a joke out of it.
"What!? It was a legit question!" Boshi growled.
The video now cuts to Professor Fungi, who looked bruised all over, sitting in a room with Merlon. The two argue for a bit, then Merlon talks about how Peach, Daisy, Rosalina, Waluigi, Yoshi, Birdo, Toad, Toadette, Dixie, DK, Goombella and Luigi were key to be protected for when Tatanga attacks. Merlon doesn't elaborate on why those 12 needed to be protected, just that it may be a 'random coincidence' or it could lead to a 'deeper reason' for it. Fungi asks Merlon if he saw, in the future, if the world was saved from Tatanga. Merlon makes no response, just stares into the camera, and the video ends there.
Everyone was in deep surprise and anger from what they just saw.
"I don't fucking believe this. So, this just confirms that we can't trust Mushroom Corporations at all now! I think they wanted us to believe they were on our side by providing us that hospital in the beginning, then helping move us to the other hospital after it was destroyed!" Wario shouted.
"I wonder if they did the same thing to us when they captured and...ugh, drugged us when Tatanga started destroying the city? Kylie DID tell us that we were in there for 3 days before we woke up...anything could've happened in those 3 days!" Yoshi said, feeling sick from the video.
"For fuck's sake! Is there ANYONE outside of our fucking group that we can trust anymore, not counting Kody!? I mean, seriously, this is inhumane! Hell, Merlon's probably just as guilty because it was probably his fault for putting it in their heads that the company needed to capture you guys all because he 'saw the future' or whatever kind of bullshit!" Bowser roared.
"Yeah, what the hell was up with Merlon saying that you 12 needed to be 'protected' from when Tatanga started attacking!? Why the 12 specifically too...especially because, well, Toad and Birdo are gone!" Mona pointed out.
"I think that's actually answered in the next video. I'm gonna pull it up right now…" Mario said as he clicked back to get the other video up.
"Wait! I just remembered something!" Spike spoke, bringing all attention to him now. "When Arfur was driving me and Bow to Moonview Airport to go find Tadano, I asked him what his company was all about, since it was so secretive and stuff. Everything that he told Bow and I...that was on this video! Almost word-for-word! Which means that Arfur KNEW about all this! I asked him how the hell he knew that Mario's blood was different from another human being, because that implies that they tested blood from ANOTHER human being in this world...and it looks like that human was Pauline! Arfur told me to keep it a secret too! Now I get why, because he knew it would ruin him and his company's reputation, and it would make them untrustworthy! He also told me that he wasn't involved in any of these kinds of experiments...but he may have just said that to make himself look good!"
Pauline looked like she was going to puke again. "God...those sick bastards! They can't get away with what they're doing! It's completely immoral!"
"And Arfur wanted it to be kept secret...which makes him, like, just as bad as the company. There's no way Arfur wasn't NOT involved in this, considering how much he knows about it. He's definitely lying," Goombella concluded.
"Well, what does the next video talk about!? Is it pretty much the same thing that we just saw!?" Starlow asked.
"Kind of...well...just look and see for yourself. A bit of a warning though...there's something in this that'll horrify you guys even more," Mario said, getting everyone's nerves all worked up again. Mario made the second video full screen and everyone leaned in again to see it. The title "MUSHROOM CORPORATIONS - THE INSIDE LOOK" popped up, then cut to Fungi sitting in an office.
Fungi talks about how they hired Fire Bro as a bounty hunter to track down Kris, the koopa who was injected with Mario's blood. Fungi mentions how the company did an intensive background search on Fire Bro, and explains that, despite the background searching showing that his name is actually Konnor Korpus who came from a mental institution and who also changed his identity to a generic Fire Brother, they hired him on and kept him the entire time.
"What in the...so, this just confirms that Mushroom Corporations DID know about Fire Bro's past, but didn't care! They even LET him hang around us for such a long time! More of us could've easily been killed by him!" Koopie pointed out.
"Those selfish assholes...they knew this whole time, and they let him travel with us. Birdo would've still been alive if it weren't for them!" Dixie cried.
Fungi continues, mentions how he knows he's going to be terminated because of his Kris experiment going haywire, but doesn't care, and will reveal the truth about the company. He tells about how Tatanga will wreak havoc unto the world in the years to come, which would be present day now, and that he knows why the 12 aforementioned people are needed to be protected when Tatanga strikes.
He describes that Merlon did a black magic ritual that showed him the 12 have bloodlines connected to the heroes from the past that put their power into the gems that sealed the Crystal Star Rod. He says that Birdo is connected to Aqua, the water hero. Peach and Daisy are connected to Plata, the weather hero. Goombella is connected to Dayaman, the earth hero. Toad and Toadette are connected to Emery, the nature hero. Dixie is connected to Sonow, the ice/snow hero. DK is connected to Rakd, the dark/shadow hero. Waluigi is connected to Zarp, the electric hero. Luigi is connected to Hess, the fire hero. And Yoshi is connected to Parle, the hero who controls time. However, Fungi questions why Mario and Wario were not shown in this ritual, as they are blood-related to Luigi and Waluigi, and also questions what happens if any one of them dies.
Fungi goes on to explain more as to why some of the descendants are different species compared to the actual species depicted in legends and fables described from the 17th century, but deduces that it's due to interspecies mixing over the generations. Along with that, he says that he thinks Hess went to Planet Earth to live the rest of his days thereafter he created the gem to help protect the Crystal Star Rod, and that it's probably not a coincidence that Luigi and Mario are now back in the Mushroom World, where it all originally began.
Fung then says that he thinks those 12 are needed specifically because the company wants to clone them, as they've already successfully cloned objects, and are now moving on to living species. Mario paused the video.
"I think that might answer your question about why they captured the 12 at the beginning of this," the plumber said, noticing the bewildered and perplexed expressions on everyone else's faces.
"I'm the WHAT!? A...a descendant of some mystical being...from hundreds of years ago? Seriously!?" Luigi shouted, clearly having a hard time taking that in.
"Whoa, okay, this is, somehow, getting WAY freakier by the second! Now this guy is telling us that the 12 are descendants of the mystical heroes who protected the Crystal Star Rod, and that's why Mushroom Corporations captured them...but then Fungi thinks that the 12 were actually captured because Mushroom Corporations wanted to clone them!? WHAT!? This is seriously hurting my head!" Parakarry yelled in frustration.
"I...I don't know if I believe this!" Yoshi cried, scratching his temple hard also in frustration. "I mean, uhh, if this really is true...then why did Birdo die!? If she's actually a descendant of a mystical hero...well, I mean, isn't that implying that she's needed for when we get the gems!? Or, does that even make any sense!? Or is it some divine prophecy that says she's needed for the gems...or...AGH! THIS IS TOO MUCH!" the dino began crying, so Flurrie held him to calm him down.
"Yeah, please don't tell me you guys are actually believing this! First off, there's no proof, and secondly, I think there would've been something by now that would've shown or told you that you guys ARE descendants of these mystical beings!" Luvbi added.
"I'm finding it hard to believe too. I was thinking of asking Merlon's son, Merle, who lives in Starborn Valley, not too far from here. I'm sure he could do something that'll give us more clarity on this," Mario responded.
"I think that's a good idea. Since Merlon is dead, Merle would be the next best option to help us figure out this mess," Bombette co-signed on that thought.
"So...a superhero is my ancestor...uhhh...wow. Okay. Sure. I mean, let's say if that IS the case...why would THAT be the reason for Mushroom Corporations to capture us, drug us, and keep us in there for 3 days? Perhaps for the same reason they did for Mario and Pauline, to test our blood to see if it was special so they could...I don't know, I guess use it for cloning like that professor said?" Dixie theorized.
"I just wanna say something...this is probably the most complicated adventure I've EVER been on!" Lakilester commented.
"Uhh, you've only been on one adventure, though?" Koops pointed out.
"So? It's still complicated as all hell! I mean, damn, I'm sure not even rescuing all the Crystal Stars or the Pure Hearts were as complex as this crap!" Lakilester continued.
"Quite true. That adventure with the Crystal Stars was relatively straight-forward," Flurrie agreed.
"I'm gonna continue the video now. This next part is gonna shock you guys...that's all I'm gonna say," Mario steered the conversation back on track and pressed play.
Fungi grabbed the camera and was about to head out to show how horrible the experiments were, but the sound of loud footsteps was heard beyond the door. Fungi was heard freaking out. Everyone watching became nervous for what was about to happen. The door then slammed open. Everyone screamed when they saw the person.
"WHAT THE FUCK!? THAT'S...PROFESSOR ELVIN GADD!" Jojora shrilled.
"What the hell is he doing there!? Does he work for them!?" Spike asked.
"Aaaaaand my point still stands about this adventure being WAY too complicated!" Lakilester recalled.
"Is E. Gadd about to kill him!?" Daisy shrieked.
The video continues.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!? AND...oh no, you're filming this!? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR DAMN MIND!?" E. Gadd angrily yelled.
"No, I'm not! I'm exposing the truth about this company so people will know what kinds of corrupt stuff happens here! This is all WRONG! You know it too, Elvin! You need to get out while you still can! You were only hired on for that project, so you still have time to make up your mind about this place and either leave as soon as you complete the project before they pressure you to join permanently, or just leave right now and hide away! You're a smart man, you know what to do and what's right!" Fungi yelled as he still held the camera.
E. Gadd sighed and shook his head. "You know I need the funds for my OWN projects, correct? That's why I'm doing this...but you...you've gone too far! The boss knows about the other video you made, he made Merlon tell on you! He knows you're trying to expose this company and so now...it's just too late for you!"
"I can't believe you, Elvin...you know what? You're just like the rest of them. I thought you were different. I thought you had a mind of your own. Guess I was wrong!" Fungi said in disappointment.
"I do have a mind of my own...but I'm sorry, Professor Fungi, I can't help you. You dug your own grave," E. Gadd said with sadness in his voice, clearly not wanting him to be gone.
Then, another person stepped in. It was a tall, buff-looking toad with yellow spots on his 'mushroom head.'
"Sorry to keep you waiting...I had to make sure this was loaded since I failed to check in the office," the toad spoke as he was wiping down his revolver.
Fungi was then heard crying. "Boss...no...you're really gonna do this!? Kill me!? I mean, uhh, think about it! No one's gonna believe me if I tell them about this company! Just let me go! Blacklist me! Make me unemployable!"
"Wow. You must confuse me for some idiot, Fungi. Tsk tsk tsk! I know you have video evidence of what we do here, so I can't let you escape into the world with that...even IF you don't bring the video evidence with you!" the toad boss spoke teasingly and cocked the revolver.
"Boss...no...Toadari! Think about what you're doing! I have a family! If you kill me, they're gonna know and it'll be viral news! Your company will go down forever!" Fungi tried to change his mind, but it wasn't working since all the boss did was just laugh at him.
"Oh, Fungi, you are such a fucking fool. We'll just make your death look like an accident. We've done it before...and you were there when it happened, so don't start with that crap. You could've gone so far here...rose up to an executive position...double your pay...became famous for the experiments we're doing...but no. You gave all that up just because you thought you could be the hero and take us down. I mean, really? We're one of the most powerful organizations to ever exist. You really thought it'd be that easy?" Toadari mocked him.
"Well...it always starts from the inside, doesn't it?" Fungi scoffed a little. "But whatever...at least I know I'm not a corrupt son of a bitch like you. You're gonna burn in Hell!"
"Well, I suppose it's a good thing I don't believe in Hell then!" Toadari laughed then pulled the trigger. A loud bang was heard, a little bit of blood splattered onto the camera screen, and then the camera dropped to the floor, along with another loud thud that was Fungi's body falling to the floor.
"Too easy. Elvin...please clean this up and do away with that camera of his. As I said, I'll make this look like an accident. I'll let his family know tomorrow that he's dead and offer them a monetary gift as our condolences," Toadari politely spoke, then was seen walking back into the hallway.
E. Gadd walked towards the camera and picked it up. He looked into the screen and then made a curious expression. He opened his mouth as if he was gonna say something, but then closed it. The video then ended there.
"Holy shit, that must be Arfur's boss then! Right!? And...and he just kills Fungi like it's no big deal!?" Daisy shrieked.
"Well, this all the more proves that Mushroom Corporations is probably just as bad as Tatanga is. I mean, look at this crap. They do experiments on people without their permission, they knew about Tatanga taking over the world far in advance yet didn't do anything until now to stop it, they knew about Fire Bro's past yet they kept him on and let him be in our group, their boss kills Fungi all because he threatened to expose the company for all the awful stuff it does. We can't trust this place from now on. I'd even go so far as to say that we may even have to consider taking it down when we get the Crystal Star Rod," DK noted.
"True! But then, you also have to think...they also kinda helped us at the same time. They provided us the arwings to fly to the locations to get the gems...the guns DID help when we were fighting off the koopatrols...they helped patch up Koops when he got stabbed by Charmy in Hyrule...they also let Koops call his dad when he really wanted to...but that just confuses me even more. What the hell is their agenda then!? Are they just playing both sides?" Mona recalled in stress.
"I think we should be looking at something else...you two! Starlow and Luvb! You work with E. Gadd, wanna tell us anything that we should know!?" Bombette yelled, pointing to the two. The two girls looked freaked.
"W-Wait! Hold on! We didn't know about E. Gadd working there, honest! We're just helpers!" Starlow cried as she began to shake.
"Really? So, E. Gadd never mentioned ANYTHING about Mushroom Corporations then?" Pauline asked with her hands at her hips, looking very pissed off.
"Hold on here. What are you trying to insinuate exactly!? I don't like that kind of tone!" Luvbi spat, also getting pissed off.
"Now's the time to be honest with us, you two. If you know anything of E. Gadd that's even remotely suspicious, then tell us! Don't protect him!" Vivian demanded.
"And since when does E. Gadd have helpers too!? I thought he did all his stuff by himself!" Larry pointed out.
"We swear, NOTHING with E. Gadd was suspicious! And nothing about Mushroom Corporations either! I was just invited to work with E. Gadd on those three guns he made that he handed out because I was interested in helping him create new things, and I asked Luvbi if she wanted to come along because working with E. Gadd was fun, and she said yes! That's why we were both helping E. Gadd, and that's why we're here now! We promise we're not up to anything bad!" Starlow explained and whimpered a little
"Can I just say something about the video real quick? I mean, I know it looks bad because E. Gadd was there, but, like...if you really think about it...who uploaded these videos to the Dark Web? Someone had to! And it must've been E. Gadd! Did you all pay attention to his face at the end? I think he agreed with Fungi about the company, and it only makes sense that HE was the one to upload the videos since he had the camera and Fungi was dead!" Goombella explained her thoughts.
"Hmm. Okay, that makes sense...but then, why upload it to the Dark Web? Why not a regular streaming website?" Jojora questioned.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
The loud knocks on the bedroom door startled everyone. The doorknob then rattled. Wario ran over, unlocked it, and opened the door.
"OH! Hey guys! Are we having a meeting?" Kody cheerfully asked.
"AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!"
The high-pitched scream of horror in the foyer scared the holy hell out of everyone from the upstairs, where they just finished having the meeting. It sounded like the mayor's wife! Everyone quickly and frantically ran downstairs, with all of them knowing immediately that it can't be good. They ran to the living room and shrieked at what they saw.
It was the dead body of the mayor. He was bleeding from his head and a broken bottle of Vodka was struck into his torso. Bits of glass from the Vodka bottle were all around his body.
"WHO THE HELL DID THIS!? IT MUST'VE BEEN ONE OF YOU!" Penelopuin shrilled in pure rage, pointing at everyone.
"What the hell!? This happened almost exactly like the last time I was here…" Mario whispered to himself, immediately knowing something was off about this.
"I-I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS! MY HUSBAND IS DEAD! OH MY GOD…" Penelopuin cried her heart out and fell to her knees.
"Holy shit! But, wait a second, what makes you think that one of us did this!?" Wario shrieked.
"BECAUSE YOU ALL SHOW UP, AND THEN NOT TOO LONG AFTER, MY HUSBAND IS MURDERED! THAT'S NOT A COINCIDENCE!" Penelopuin screamed angrily as she struggled to stand back up.
"Okay okay, we can see how you'd think that based off of the timing, but come on! WHY would any of us do this!? We have no reason to kill him!" Goombella screeched, trying to get her to see things more rationally.
"How the hell should I know!? I don't know the majority of you and what you're like! Stay here, all of you! I'm calling the police!" Penelopuin angrily demanded and ran to the dining room.
"God, this is so fucked up! Was this an accident!? If it was an accident, now's the time to speak up because this will impede our progress to get the gem!" Daisy commanded, looking at everyone in the group.
"How on earth could this have been an accident!? LOOK AT HIM! The bottle is stuck into his body! This was complete murder!" Luvbi pointed out.
"I know, I just...I'm trying to make sense of this! I honestly can't see any of us killing him! Unless he was trying to kill one of us first!? But...I also doubt THAT!" Daisy frantically spoke.
"I doubt that too. Something is REALLY off here. We all show up, then a few hours later...the Mayor is killed? Then you have Penelopuin...this smells like a setup, if you ask me!" Larry exclaimed.
Mario walked on over to the Mayor's body and carefully examined him.
"Mario, what are you doing? Don't touch the body, you'll leave fingerprints!" Yoshi yelped..
"I'm not touching him. I just...hmm…" Mario closely looked to the Mayor. There was no doubt that he was dead. But, it all just seemed so bizarre in the way that it happened. The plumber turned around and spoke, "Kooper. Bombette. Parakarry. Lakilester. Do you remember when we came to Shiver City when we needed to get the final Star Spirit? Do you remember that, not too long after we came, we all thought the Mayor was dead and I was blamed for it, even though he just ended up slipping and hitting his head?"
The four nodded immediately. Bombette spoke, "Oh yeah, how could we not? That was totally absurd the way that it happened! Back then, I knew IMMEDIATELY that something was way off, and I'm having that same feeling now!"
"Yeah. So, whatcha saying then? We're dealing with a 'copycat' killer? I mean...there's only a few people outside of our group that actually witnessed how it happened! The way the Mayor was killed is almost identical to how he slipped and fell!" Lakilester added.
"If we're dealing with a 'copycat' killer...or however you wanna put it...what is the point of killing the Mayor in almost the exact same way that he 'died' the last time you guys came here?" Jojora questioned.
"I have no idea. But, I feel in my gut that this is some kind of setup. Let's be real, none of us did this, and there's no way that the Mayor would attack anyone that would result in one of us killing him in self-defense," Mario said then his expression turned into when he realized that they were all being tricked once again.
"Hey, where's Pauline? She was just right next to me! PAULINE!?" Mona called out for her.
In the dining room, Penelopuin frantically reached for her cell phone on the table and dialed a number. She held it to her ear and it rang a few times before someone answered.
"Yes, hello? Hello!? Can you hear me!? It's Penelopuin, I-"
CRASH!
Penelopuin shrieked as she heard what sounded like bottles and glass shattering on the floor. She turned and saw that it was Pauline who shoved a bunch of their alcohol bottles onto the floor, breaking most of them.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?" Penelopuin screeched, dropping the cellphone.
Pauline charged towards her, pushed her up against the wall, and held her neck.
"I don't know what kind of fucking mind game you're trying to pull here, but you're not gonna get away with it! We all know you killed your husband!" Pauline yelled in her face. Everyone else came into the dining room and saw the scene.
"Pauline! What are you doing!?" Peach yelled.
"Tell us what you're up to and why you killed your husband! What the fuck is going on here!?" Pauline asked, gripping her neck tighter now.
Kooper walked over and grabbed a kitchen knife from the table, pointing it towards Penelopuin. "You heard her. Tell us, or else I'll dig this knife very slowly into your chest."
"Eeeggghh...FINE! I'm not Penelopuin, I'm a Duplighost!" she revealed. Some of the others were not surprised, but some not too much.
"Figured as much. And is the Mayor a Duplighost too? What are you trying to do here exactly!?" Mario demanded.
"No...he's the real deal. We were planning to set up a murder scene to get you all into trouble and delay you from getting into the Crystal Palace. You all have NO idea what you're going to get yourselves into by going up there!" the duplighost hissed.
"Yeah yeah, we've heard the same old spiel before about how we're screwed if we go to this sacred place! You guys need to come up with something new if you wanna scare us off!" Wario scoffed.
"Who are you working for then? Is it the Crystal King? Is he back!?" Parakarry asked, fearing that it may very well be the case.
The duplighost laughed at him. "KING? Not the right word I'd use! Hehe. We foresaw your arrival. We were in the process of taking over this region and making it our own. The process is already far underway! You guys ruining our plan is only just gonna hold us back a little bit...but it won't be enough to stop our takeover. At least half of the town is filled with us duplighosts now!"
"So...uhh...you ARE working for someone...but it's not the Crystal King? And if half the town is filled with duplighosts now...does that mean you killed those people too!?" Yoshi questioned.
"No...just the Mayor. We gave some of the people here an option, including Penelopuin. Either be killed by us...or go to the place that's much more miserable than this place is. A place where they'll still live...but be drenched in misery from the eternal quagmire that invades that other forsaken place!" the duplighost continued, which began confusing the others.
"What other place is this exactly!? Tell us!" Bowser shouted.
"Hehehe...that's enough from me...you won't be getting anymore out of me! Especially since my friends will be here any second to help me out!" the duplighost cackled.
"Okay. Guess we don't need you anymore then. Thanks for your help," DK spoke bluntly, then grabbed the Duplighost by the neck and twisted it, killing him instantly. The ape then threw the duplighost to the floor.
"WOAH! DAMN, DONKEY KONG!" Kody shouted in surprise at that sudden kill.
"Nice job, but next time, let ME do it," Pauline grumbled.
"Sorry. It was in the heat of the moment," DK shrugged.
Bangs were then heard on the front door.
"IT'S THE POLICE! OPEN UP!"
"Oh hell no! I never trusted the police before, and I sure as fuck ain't gonna do it now!" Boshi cried.
"YOU GUYS! FOLLOW ME!" yelled an unfamiliar voice from the living room. Everyone turned around to see a short koopa who was in a broken egg. A few of the people in the group immediately recognized this person.
"JR. TROOPA!? Is that really you!? Holy crap, you haven't aged a bit since we saw you last!" Bombette exclaimed.
"What the hell are you doing here? Are you working with the Duplighosts!?" Mario asked.
"AHA! I KNEW I SAW THIS PUNK OUTSIDE!" Lakilester screamed in victory.
"I'm not working with them, no, but you need to follow me now! This city isn't safe for you guys! I'm gonna take you on a secret path to Starborn Valley!" Jr. Troopa urged.
"Okay, uhh, what!? Jr. Troopa what the hell is going on here exactly!? This isn't making any sense!" Kooper said with frustration.
"I promise I'll explain everything when we reach Starborn Valley, but we need to go NOW!" Jr. Troopa urged even more as the bangs on the front door got louder and it sounded like the door was about to break off.
"Screw it, let's just go! We can't waste anymore time!" Luigi commanded, and everyone followed suit. Jr. Troopa led the group out the backdoor, into the open backyard, and into the forest, then headed eastward.
"I gotta take you guys through this forest to get to Starborn. They won't be able to see us as easily if we're in here, but we have to stay quiet!" Jr. Troopa said as he walked ahead quickly.
"Uhh, who is he again, Mario? His name sounds so familiar," Peach whispered.
"Do you remember when I was trying to get all the Star Spirits to save you from Bowser, and also when I told you of a kid that followed me the whole time and tried to defeat me? Yeah, that's him. Jr. Troopa. And, for whatever reason, he hasn't aged at all. More surprises keep getting thrown at us, I see…" Mario explained.
"Hey, Troopa! Can you at least tell us why you were spying on us, and why you ran away from me when I saw you earlier?" Lakilester asked a bit obnoxiously.
"I was making sure you guys were legit, and not Duplighosts. Plus, well, you charged after me! I thought you were going to kill me, dude!" Jr. Troopa explained.
"Ah. Fine. That's fair. But...you can't TOTALLY blame me since we haven't had the best…'interactions' in the past!" Lakilester chuckled but also cringed at those memories of trying to fight off the kid.
Towards the back of the group, Larry was catching up Kody with what they discussed earlier.
"Woah! Damn bro, so this company y'all thought was helping you out...they're actually NOT on our side and have their own wicked agenda going on!?" Kody shrieked at the wild info he was receiving.
"Pretty much. It's so fucked up how they messed with us the whole time, thinking we could rely on them to be our allies...apparently not anymore!" Larry added.
"Yikes. That's just sad. Can't trust anyone anymore, I guess! What else did you guys talk about?" Kody asked as he couldn't help but notice Dixie gave him a dirty look from the corner of his eye.
"Oh...nothing much else...just, uhh, our friend, Bleck, went to Tatanga's island to try to save our other friend, Mimi, but ended up also finding another friends of ours, Diddy Kong alive, thankfully. But, however, he wasn't able to save them and was ran off the island and the teleporter leading TO the island was destroyed, but not before he was able to see that our psychopathic former ally, Fire Bro or Konnor, is now on there too, helping out Tatanga," Larry summarized.
"Damn. That's too crazy to believe! Wow...uhh...anything else?" Kody pushed for more info.
Larry looked a little uncomfortable at him continuing to ask. "Um, no. That was it basically."
Kody looked back and saw that Dixie was still giving him a dirty look. "Uhh, hey, is there a problem here!?"
"Nope. There won't be a problem as long as you're legit with us," Dixie rudely replied.
"Huh? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Kody asked confusedly.
"It means...if you're planning on doing anything to screw us over...don't even try it. Because we WILL destroy you instantly," Dixie raised her voice.
"Dixie, come on! Don't do this right now!" Larry tried to calm the situation.
"WHAT!? What do you mean!? Wait...were you guys also talking about me in that room!?" Kody gasped at this realization.
"So what if we were? Wow, look at you! So frightened! Afraid that we found something out about you?" Dixie spoke very passive aggressively and got in his face a little.
"Okay, I don't know what the hell your deal is, but you better back off!" Kody became angry and pushed Dixie in the shoulder.
"DON'T PUT YOUR FUCKING HAND ON ME!" she screamed and then shoved Kody to the ground.
"Will you guys keep it down back there!?" Mona called out from the front, drawing everyone's attention towards the back.
"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!" Kody screeched, and threw a bunch of snow mixed with dirt and leaves into Dixie's face, then leapt off the ground and ran off deeper into the forest.
"AGH! YOU ASSHOLE! GET BACK HERE!" Dixie roared, wiping and spitting the stuff from her face and chased after him.
"Goddamnit! WHY!?" Daisy yelped and chased after the two along with some of the others.
"HEY! Don't go too far, there's a frozen lake over there!" Koops called out.
Kody ran as fast as he could in complete panic mode, but before he knew it, he began sliding down a small hill and rolled a few times, finally landing on the frozen over lake on his shell. He groaned in pain as his whole body hurt from falling and from landing on the ice. He slowly sat up and gasped in terror when he realized where he was at.
"Oh no! This isn't good! Uhh…" Kody cried and started having trouble breathing. He held his chest as he did his best to calm himself, but it didn't work since he heard the ice begin to crack. He looked up and saw Dixie in view.
"S-STOP! THERE'S A FROZEN LAKE HERE!" he shouted to try and save her.
But, it was too late.
Dixie did try to stop herself right before the small hill, but she lost her balance and fell down anyways, rolling down the hill, and landing on the ice next to Kody. The ice beneath them immediately broke through, sending them into the freezing waters.
BLACKSTONE TOWER
Grodus walked along a forest trail, deep in the rural lands of the Mushroom Kingdom, just outside Mushroom City. He checked his map every so often just to confirm that he was indeed going the right direction. The path went uphill a little bit and Grodus looked up. Before him was a very tall, very old, dilapidated black tower with vines all over. It looked like it could easily crumble.
"We're here! This is it. But, wow...this place is definitely ancient," Grodus spoke as he felt incredibly nervous and overwhelmed by the architecture, but also relieved, since he traveled all the way from Rogueport to get here, via the boat across the ocean, then hotwiring a car to drive here via his magic book, then walking along the long and windy trail. His walking became a little slower as a feeling of fear washed over him, as he didn't know what to expect exactly going in there. Oddly enough, the tower gave off a welcoming vibe for some reason. Even though Grodus felt scared, he also didn't feel turned off by this place for some reason.
He approached the large double doors and slowly opened them both, shining the daylight in. Two big blue flame torches were seen in the foyer, one on the left, and one on the right. It was a large foyer with many doors on the wall opposite of him very close together, then there were staircases on both the left and right side that led to a small second floor that also had a bunch of doors.
"What the hell...okay, this is pretty weird…" Grodus noted, observing how this isn't what he expected upon entering an old, creepy tower. He looked all the way up and he couldn't even see the ceiling, which means that there wasn't enough light to see it, or the room's height is extremely tall. It almost reminded him of the Palace of Shadow. The torches, the height of the room, the creepiness factor, the architectural similarities, although this tower looked like it was only built from wood.
The doors slowly shut as Grodus went inside more, scaring him a little, with now only the torches lighting up the vicinity.
"Okay. Someone had to have been here recently if these torches are still lit. Crump? LORD CRUMP!? ARE YOU HERE!? IT'S ME, GRODUS!" he yelled. His voice echoed in the room, but no response of any kind was heard.
"Damnit. Do all these doors lead to different places in the tower? That's gonna take forever!" Grodus grumbled impatiently as he looked at all of them, deciding which one to start with.
But then, there was one door he saw that made his heart almost stop.
The door had an indentation of Grodus on it, as if someone carved a drawing of Grodus into the door. All the other doors were blank.
"What the hell!? C-Crump!? Did you do this!? HELLO!?" he screeched, now getting even more nervous. The bizarrity of Grodus, an image of himself, being carved on a door in a place that he's never visited before made him all the more uncomfortable and scared.
He slowly approached the door and reached out for the knob. He grabbed it, now feeling nearly petrified but also knowing in his gut that he had to figure out why his image was on a door and what it led to.
He turned the knob and opened the door. The light from the torches showed that it was just a small room with nothing in it with another blank door on the opposite side. Grodus slowly stepped in, prepared for anything to jump out at him. When he got all the way in to the room, the door suddenly slammed shut by itself, scaring him, and making the room pitch black.
"SHIT! UHHH...crap, what was the spell to make it light!?" Grodus panicked, nearly dropping his magic book.
"Grodus…"
He heard this. It was a shout but it sounded far away.
"H-Hello!? WHO'S THERE!?" he yelled.
"It's really you...help me!"
"Oh my god...CRUMP!? CRUMP, IS THAT REALLY YOU!? TELL ME WHERE YOU ARE!" Grodus shouted, now getting a little excited at potentially finding his friend.
The other door that was on the opposite side suddenly opened and it shone a bright light. Grodus almost felt blinded by it. He walked towards it and slowly became horrified as his eyes adjusted to the light and realized what he was seeing.
"Oh my god! No, this...NO! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS PLACE!? CRUUUUUUUUMP!" he screamed and was suddenly drawn into the other room by a force.
EOC.
Next chapter, Bleck and Tippi do a showdown with Tadano, the gang tries to save Dixie and Kody from the icy waters, more is explained about what's going on with the Shiver Region and how the Crystal Palace is involved along with more of the Palace's history being uncovered, Rosalina tries to reveal her true self and past to Monty, and as always, much more! Next chapter will be uploaded on or before Monday, October 26. Thanks for reading!
