Adventuring Group: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, DK, Dixie, Goombella, Kooper, Parakarry, Lakilester, Koopie, Flurrie, Spike/Paper-Yoshi, Vivian, Bowser, Larry, Wario, Pauline, Mona, Jojora, Starlow, Luvbi, Kody
Imprisoned in Mirror-Crystal Palace: Koops, Bombette
Hospital group: Toadette, Bleck/Blumiere, Tippi/Timpani, Toadsworth, Fly Guy, Toadessa, Toado, Dr. Nokano, Morton, Lemmy, Ludwig, Bowser Jr., E. Gadd, Clawdia, Katia, Kenneth, Toodles, Tadano
Mushroom Corps.: Arfur, Toadari (Arfur's boss)
Island group: Tatanga, Beldam, Roy, Doopliss, Dimentio, Mimi, Diddy, Fire Bro/Konnor
Moon: TEC
Blackstone Tower: Grodus
Fort Koopington: Rosalina, Monty Mole
FORT KOOPINGTON
Rosalina knocked on Monty's next door neighbor's door. She had to get to the bottom of this mystery of why Monty was suddenly acting so off otherwise it was going to drive her crazy.
The door opened and out came a middle-aged looking female Noki.
"Oh! Good day to you, missy. My my, we don't get folks like you around here very often! What can I do ya for?" she politely asked, also looking surprised by Rosalina's appearance.
"Hello there. Um, gosh, how do I even start this off…" Rosalina awkwardly spoke, not feeling sure if this was even the right choice to make. "I'm, uhh, new to this neighborhood and I became friends with your next door neighbor, Monty, and he-"
"Oh, good ol' Monty! Yes, the poor boy goes back and forth between being a recluse and a happy-go-lucky outspoken fellow. Though, I certainly can't blame him because of...well...oh dear, my deepest apologies! I believe I spoke a little too much, hehehe! That's something he and I have in common!" the Noki cut her off and ended up cutting herself off before revealing much more.
"Were you going to mention his fiancee? He already told me about that. That she, uhh...committed suicide?" Rosalina guessed, hoping to find some clarity.
"Oh, he did!? Wow! Goodness, that must mean you two had quite the bonding experience if he revealed that to you so soon. Hmm, but, he is also pretty naive and chatty, so maybe...oh well! Anyways, erm, that is odd that he puts it that way because I could've sworn he said that the poor lady ran away with that other girl who had lived in the house to your left...I think their names were Montara and Toadaska," the Noki woman recalled. This information made Rosalina nearly gasp. Toadaska was the name of the girl whose journal she found when she found the house.
"What...um...see, I thought the same thing. At first he told me she committed suicide three years ago, then she ran away, and when I brought that up to him, he, uhh, just changed his behavior and sent me away from his house," Rosalina brought this to the forefront, which clearly stunned the Noki woman.
"Oh dear! That is indeed strange, especially since I'm pretty sure it was almost two years ago, not three. It happened just before Halloween of 2011, I think. Perhaps the trauma of all that just messed with his mind. It is a very sore subject for him after all...but...there was never a funeral for Montara as far as I knew. Then again, she came from Sarasaland with Monty so that may be why. But, I have certainly always wondered that there was more to the story of her just committing suicide or simply running away...I never questioned Monty about it because I truly don't believe he had any ill will towards his lover and it would make him deeply upset so I've kept my mouth shut," she said with true concern as she looked towards his house. Rosalina was growing more suspicious now since Monty got the dates wrong of when his fiancee 'disappeared.'
"Please, ma'am, if you know anything at all about what happened to his fiancee, please tell me. I wanna help Monty out. I can tell he is such a kind soul, I just...I don't want to lose that...not now…" Rosalina pleaded, on the verge of tears. The Noki lady looked very taken back by Rosalina's great care for someone she's only known for a short time and couldn't help but figure that there was a deeper issue going on with her than what appears, but she could also tell Rosalina's soul was just as kind.
"Dear, you've got quite the heart of gold! The world could certainly use more of that right now. I will help, but there's only so much I have to offer. Here's what I remember happening: the night that Montara ran away or killed herself, I heard lots of shouting from Monty's house. He sounded so angry, but I couldn't make out the words he was yelling. I went outside to see what was going on, but as soon as I got out the door, Montara ran from Monty's house and over to Toadaska's house.
I ask Montara what on earth is going on, but all she said was 'I'm leaving.' I started to worry quite a lot so I walked over to Monty's house and knocked on the door. He didn't come out. So I knocked a few more times and I yelled for his name. Nothing! So, I go over to Toadaska's house and knock on her door. Nothing as well. I got a little scared, and I wasn't sure if I should've called the cops. I mean...I didn't, but I sometimes wish I did because I felt it would've cleared things up.
I go back to my house and Monty comes out. I can tell he's been crying. I ask him what's wrong and he says to me...god, it was just horrible...he says 'Montara ran away to go kill herself. I have to go find her.' He then ran off into the fields, towards the beach. I couldn't believe it at all. None of it made any sense. I had known Monty and his fiancee for a few years at that point, and they were very much a happy couple deeply in love. I've never gotten the impression anything was 'off' between them.
Looking back on it, I knew I should've called the police. I get angry at myself for not doing that to this day. I ended up falling asleep on my couch, as I was waiting for Monty to return to talk to him and see what was really going on. I go back to his house and knock on his door, and he answers this time. I asked him what on earth happened last night. I can tell he's been crying again. And...oh...all he says to me is that Montara killed herself and saw her body float away into the ocean. He cried and I cried with him. Ever since that day, I've never asked him what really went on that night that she 'killed herself' because I don't want to dig up any awful feelings for him.
But, I've just always wondered if there was just something he wasn't telling me...something he was hiding. Now, I'm not at all saying that Monty drove his fiancee to suicide or he hunted her down and killed her or anything of that matter. It just puzzles me by how it all happened the way it did. I truly feel in my heart that there was something deeper going on that happened that night," the Noki woman told her story from her perspective of the events that traumatized Monty. Rosalina was a little shocked by the story, but moreso than anything was saddened by the tragic events that befell two lovers. It made her want to cry.
"Wow. Y...Yeah, I do agree with you, that there is something Monty's hiding. But, why do you think she would go to Toadaska's house for? Were they close friends?" Rosalina asked, wanting to know more about this particular part of the story because she was staying in the same house Toadaska stayed in, thinking she could find a clue to the mystery.
"I saw them talk every now and then, but I'm not sure if they were truly close friends. I know Toadaska had a complicated relationship with her boyfriend. I'm sure he was abusive. I offered my help, but she insisted that she could take care of herself and it wasn't that big of a deal. Sigh...another instance of me not calling the police when I should've. I'm a big believer in leaving people to their privacy no matter what...but...I suppose there's always an exception, you know?" she added on, expressing guilt from her inactions.
"Don't get yourself down on that. Sometimes you can only do so much to help people until they're able to help themselves," Rosalina sympathized for her woes, hoping it'd make her feel better. "Is there anything more that you remember from that night? Anything that could seem significant?"
"Um...no...unfortunately not, my dear. I know everything I've said was pretty vague, but I'm hoping it'll aid you in helping Monty somehow," the Noki shrugged with a small smile, noticeably getting teary eyed. "You know, I can tell that you are a caring person with a very soft, yet big heart and that's exactly how Monty is, so, you know, you may just be able to get through to him. Holding onto a secret for that long must be damaging to his mental and emotional health. That might be the true reason why he's still so sheltered now."
Rosalina choked up at her thoughtful words and was on the brink of crying. "Thank you for your kindness, and...and thank you for your help about Monty. It means a lot! I know we're just strangers, but really...it means a lot."
The Noki nodded and was also very close to crying. "Of course, my dear. Do whatever you can to get him to open up...but don't go too far. As I said, people can only be helped so much until they learn to help themselves."
"I agree completely! Okay, I must be on my way now. By the way, what's your name? So I'll never forget this conversation," Rosalina asked.
"The name is Nikolette. And yours is Rosalina, right?" she asked. Rosalina was very surprised by this since she hadn't mentioned her name to her.
"Oh! Y-Yes, it is! How did you know that?" she asked.
Nikolette chuckled as she wiped her eyes. "I'm occasionally up to date on the news in our world. I'll admit, it took me a bit to figure out who you are, but as soon as you started talking about how much you cared and wanted to help Monty, it clicked for me. Now, dear Rosalina, help out our dear Monty...then go back and help out your friends. You don't need to explain why you came all the way here for, because I already know. When people come to Fort Koopington, whether it's just for a vacation or to live permanently, the main reason is that they're always escaping from something. I should know that because I've done it myself!"
Rosalina was even more stuck by how knowledgeable Nikolette was about her and why she came here. She laughed a little bit, not knowing what to say, and nodded at the Noki then waved goodbye.
The space princess then ran over back to her house as she had to check something that'll hopefully add even more clarity to this mess. She ran up to the bedroom and looked for the journal that she wrote in. She flipped through the pages back to where Toadaska wrote her entries to see if there was something that Rosalina missed upon reading the woman's writings. She skimmed through the entries and nearly shrieked when she caught something that matched up with what Nikolette was saying. She read the entry out loud to herself:
October 28, 2011
This is it. This is the day! I'm so excited and happy, but also a little scared. I get to be free of this monster. I'm done making excuses for him. I'm done making excuses for myself for why I should still be with someone who treats me like dirt but then does a 180 whenever I threaten to leave. I just didn't want to be alone. I gave up everything to be with him...but I'd rather be alone and all on my own than be stuck in misery.
I have a friend helping me out tonight. My now ex-boyfriend won't be back until very late, so we're making it happen tonight before he gets home from work. My friend is helping me escape to a women's shelter in the next town over. I never heard of this place till my friend told me about it and really let me have a reality check of what needs to be done. I have to do it. I'm going to do it.
I'm taking a few things with me, but everything else, I am leaving behind, including this journal. I want to completely move on from this life and start a new one. If I bring this journal and keep writing in it, I feel like I'd just keep being reminded of how I used to vent my thoughts onto here when I was still living here. It's time for a massive change. All I need to do is wait patiently.
I don't care if he finds this journal. In a way...I kinda hope he does because maybe it'll make him see how vile he was to me. Maybe it'll inspire a change in him. Maybe not. But, either way, I'll be out of his life, and he'll be out of mine. Forever. Here's to a brand new me.
Rosalina dropped the journal when she pieced together that the 'friend' in question was Montara. It had to be. Nikolette saw her run over to this house on that night she 'died.' But, why was there angry screaming coming from Monty's place? She knew there had to be more to this. And Monty was the final key in solving the mystery.
Rosalina ran back out of the house and over to Monty's house. She banged on the door.
"MONTY, PLEASE OPEN UP! PLEASE! We need to talk about Montara and Toadaska! You need to tell me what happened that night between you and your fiancee! Why were there screams coming from your house!?" Rosalina frantically yelled. She waited for a minute and no response was heard. Rosalina huffed and banged on the door again. She really wanted to use her magic to bust open the door, but she had to hold herself back and let Monty do it on his own. She felt it could scare Monty if went down the magic route.
"Monty, I know you're in there and I know you can hear me! Please open the door, you don't need to be afraid to talk to me! You can tell me anything, just like I've told you everything about my past! Please don't shut me out. You don't wanna sink further into that darkness. It's not worth it," Rosalina pleaded and tried to get him to turn his mind around.
The doorknob suddenly turned very slowly and the door opened a little. Out peaked Monty, who looked like he had just been crying.
"I...Rosalina...I-I'm so sorry...I dragged you into my mess a-and...I should've never entered your life! I'm so sorry! Just go! You should go!" Monty crumbled into a sob and stumbled away. Rosalina refused to do this and walked on in.
"Don't apologize! Just tell me what happened. It's okay to be vulnerable and genuine with me, Monty. I make an oath that I will never tell anyone what happened. Okay? You can put your trust in me!" Rosalina spoke as kindly and openly as she could as she followed the frantic mole into his living room. Monty plopped onto the couch and cried into his lap.
"No...I...I just...I don't want to say it...OH GOD, I-I-I DON'T WANT TO SAY IT OUT LOUD! I know I should b-b-b-but…" Monty tugged at his temples and began to rock back and forth in agony.
Rosalina saw this and it struck a chord within her that made her want to cry too. She walked over and knelt down to him. "Monty...you can tell me. I believe in you. Let it out. I won't judge. I won't tell. I'm not afraid of what you want to say, because I know you have a heart of gold...just like me. We're alike in that way."
Her comforting words calmed him down a little and he nodded. "Y-Yeah...you are...we are very kind a-and giving people, aren't we? Heh...hehe. Um. O-Okay. I'll...um...I'll tell you what happened that night…"
"It was a few days before Halloween. Two years ago. I told you it was three years ago when the incident happened...but, um, I'm just a really bad liar. Anyways...we were setting up some Halloween decorations in our house for a small party we were gonna have at our house. It was in the evening. We were talking about who to invite, when suddenly I mentioned Toadaska and, um, everything went south from there…"
"I'm so excited for this party! It's been such a long time since we've seen our friends. Everyone's been so busy doing the adulting thing. Sometimes makes me wish I was still a teenager! Just sometimes though. We get more independence as adults. Which I love, of course!" Monty excitedly spoke as he poured out candies into a big bowl. Montara snickered at his cheeriness.
"You kidding me? I hated being a teenager. The school I went to was such trash and I got into that awful relationship where-" Montara spoke the opposite of Monty, but then stopped herself when she mentioned a part of her life she didn't want to think about again.
"Oh. Tara...I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to bring that up for you! I didn't even think about what I was saying and I just, ah god! I'm sorry, honey. Please don't be upset with me!" Monty shrieked in a panic.
"I'm not upset. And don't be sorry, sweetie. I just...sometimes I wish I had a regular teenage life. My parents probably broke a record for the world's messiest divorce and I had the worst judgment possible when getting with a guy who was abusive right from the start and...ugh...god, Monty, I'm sorry, I'm sounding like such a pity party right now! I didn't mean to bring the mood down," Montara went on a bit of a tangent and dialed it back before she got too emotional.
"Hey hey, it's okay! You're in a far better place now. It's all okay, Tara. You didn't bring anything down. You're with me now, and everything is just happy happy!" Monty tried to cheer her up and held her hands. She smiled at him and sighed dreamily.
"Of course. I love my life now. How could I not?" she giggled and kissed him.
"Heh. By the way, Tara, I saw you and Toadaska talking to each other this morning. What was that about? Is she okay? It probably has to do with her jerk boyfriend, doesn't it?" Monty questioned. Montara's face suddenly fell and she looked shook.
"Ohhh...uhh...it was...n-nothing important. I went out for some fresh air and I saw Toadaska on a walk and we just talked for a minute. That's all," she explained in a clearly nervous manner. Monty looked confused at her sudden change in demeanor.
"Um, okay? You sure that was all? I saw her hug you and she looked happy about something. Wait a second! Did she end things with her boyfriend finally!? Is that what it was!? Was it!?" Monty questioned further with a little excitement and hope for the girl.
Montara looked as if she had no idea what to say then her expression quickly turned to a happy one. "Y-Yes! It happened. Finally. Haha."
Monty took a step back, knowing that there was something VERY off now. "Honey...are you lying to me? You're acting very strange since I mentioned Toadaska. What is really going on here!? Please tell me! You can tell me anything, you know!"
Montara winced a little and began to look upset. "I...uhh...god...okay, I'm just gonna come out with it. I'm helping Toadaska run away later on tonight. There's a women's shelter in the next town over, in Monstro Town and I was gonna walk with her to the station and pay for the shuttle fare to get there, along with a little extra in case she needed to get food for herself."
Monty looked horrified at this reveal. "Wh-what!? Why...why are you getting yourself involved in that mess? I don't like that, Tara! That seems dangerous! And how are you even gonna get her there!? We don't have a car!"
"You know why I'm helping her! No one helped me when I was in that awful relationship before! I had no one to turn to, and I'd hate for Toadaska to go through the same thing! And I'm gonna walk through the fields to get to the station, it'll be quicker than going on the sidewalks!" she pleaded her case and began to get upset.
"But this is DANGEROUS though, Tara! You two are just gonna run off and that's it!? You really think that Toadaska's boyfriend isn't gonna snap and chase after you two!? And why am I just now hearing about this!? How long have you been planning this for!? When were you gonna let me know!?" Monty raised his voice, getting noticeably agitated.
"She and I talked about this a few weeks ago, Monty. She's ready to go now! She's tired of living this miserable life with that asshole! We formed a plan to do it tonight because her boyfriend is working the late shift. He won't be home until the early morning. I also didn't tell you until now because...uhh...well, I was afraid you'd be totally against it! But this is something I REALLY wanna do for her and you don't have to help if you don't want to, but I promise it'll be completely fine! It won't take long at all to get her to the station and then come back!" she urgently explained. Monty shook his head and started pacing around the room, looking pretty stressed.
"How are you so sure it's gonna be fine!? What if he comes back home early and catches you two!? What if he suspects us of helping her leave and begins to harass us!? Did you even think about that!? I don't want chaos in our lives, Tara! That's why we moved here! Don't you understand that!? Imagine what he'll do to us if he suspects us! He abuses her, he can do just as bad or possibly worse to US!" Monty began to get into a panic and raised his voice further.
"Monty...pl-please calm down! Stop raising your voice! I already told you why I'm doing this and it's gonna be done!" Montara began to get scared of his huge panicking.
"I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU'D MAKE THIS DECISION WITHOUT EVEN TELLING ME!? I THOUGHT WE NEVER KEPT SECRETS FROM EACH OTHER!? I DON'T WANT US TO BE IN DANGER, TARA! THAT'S WHY I'M SO UPSET! I CAN'T POSSIBLY CALM DOWN BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS THAT THIS CAN GO WRONG!" Monty went into full out screaming as he pulled on his temples. Montara backed away and began to cry.
"STOP IT! STOP YELLING! STOP BEING SUCH A JERK!" she screamed back, began to hyperventilate, and she ran out of the house.
"Wha-wait! Where the hell are you going!? STOP RUNNING! TARAAAAAAA!" Monty screamed and chased after her, but ended up tripping over a dining chair and hit his head on the floor. He yelled out in pain as he held his forehead where it began to throb.
"Aaaahhhh damnit! Oh...OH! SHIT, I'M BLEEDING! AHH!" Monty cried as he saw a little blood on his hand. He felt dizzy as he struggled to stand himself back up. He fell back down on the floor.
"I was soooo stressed and mad and hurting that I ended up fainting on the floor. I have no idea how long I was out for. I eventually woke up and started to panic again because I realized that Tara was still gone. I imagined all the worst things possible...I...I just still can't believe she'd drop all that on me right then and there...I mean...I know why she did that. I don't blame her at all for doing it. I just wish she would've told me! We were meant to be together forever and...but...I could've handled it so much better…
I ran outside to look for her. I went into the fields and then...oohhhh god...I found Toadaska but…"
Monty ran into the dark fields, relying only on the light from his flashlight. He heard crying from a distance. He ran to where he heard the crying and saw Toadaska in the grass some feet away, near the edge overlooking the ocean. He ran to her.
"HEY, HEY! TOADASKA! Where is Montara at!? She said she was gonna help you leave! Where is she!? WHERE IS SHE!?" Monty screeched. Toadaska scooted away from him as she kept crying.
"Sh-sh-sh-she said you were screaming at her a-a-and you scared her and…" Toadaska tried to speak through her sobbing.
"Wh-wh-what!? No! No no no no no no! NO! We had an argument about helping you because I didn't like how she kept it a secret from me till just now a-a-and she...wh-where is she!? PLEASE TELL ME!" Monty begged for a straight answer. Toadaska cried even more.
"I...I'm so sorry M-Monty...she came to get to me and told me that you were screaming at her and s-s-so we left earlier than planned. W-We ran through the field to get to the station because it was quicker to get to...then...then she started running all over the place. She was hyperventilating so much that I thought she was gonna have an anxiety attack...and...th-then she tripped over some rock and she fell down and r-rolled off the...the cliff…" Toadaska explained then began to fully cry into her lap. Monty dropped his flashlight and looked over the edge. From what little he could see in the dark, all he saw was waters and rocks down below. No body.
Monty fell backwards onto the grass and hyperventilated until he broke out into tears and cried into the grass.
"That was the hardest I've ever cried. It felt like I was crying for hours. It felt like I would never stop crying. I could literally feel my heart break into tiny pieces. God, Rosalina...my-my world ended that night. I just can't even put it into words how horrible it was. The love of my life was gone instantly and...it was all my fault. Had I not gotten so mad, she'd be here. She'd be here, and we'd be living our best lives still. To this day...I blame myself for what happened. Not her. Not Toadaska. Me. Me! It was my fault, Rosalina! I let my emotions get the better of me! All I had to do was listen and be more understanding but I couldn't even do that! Me yelling at her triggered her into a panic and it messed her mind up! It messed my whole life up because I was so stupid!"
What seemed like an eternity passed by as Monty's crying began to slow and he looked to Toadaska, who just stared out into the ocean.
"You...Toadaska...you need to go," Monty whispered. Toadaska slowly looked to him with fear in her eyes.
"Monty...I...I'm so sorry. Please...if you wanna scream at me...swear at me...make me feel like shit...please do it. Please do it! I deserve it! I caused this!" she pleaded.
"No. I'm not gonna do that. This wasn't your fault. This was mine. All mine. But, you need to go. Get yourself to that women's shelter in Monstro Town. Do you have any coins at all?" Monty asked as he was barely able to stand himself up.
"Umm...y-yes. She gave me some coins. I put it in my bag here. I just brought with me some clothes and toiletries. That's all I really need," Toadaska replied as she was also barely able to stand herself up, clutching onto her satchel.
"Good. Good...I'll...I'll walk you to the station...we better go now...I know that the last bus is going to leave very soon because it's getting late...so...we better go…" Monty said as he kept staring at the ocean, feeling frozen in time.
"Monty...y-you don't need to come with me. Please. I've done enough damage. Go back home and tell her family that I caused her death. I know you've been through so much in your life, Monty...you don't need any more of that…" Toadaska spoke with such care that Monty knew she was being genuine with what she was saying.
Monty took in a deep breath and then exhaled as he choked up again. "I'm walking you to the station, Toadaska. Let's go."
Monty wiped his teary eyes with tissues as he kept choking up. "I took her there and watched her leave on the bus to her new life. I hope to the stars she's happy where she's at. I really do. Then I...then I went home and sat on the couch and I'm pretty sure I didn't fall asleep. I just sat there until morning came. I sat there and I just didn't move at all. I couldn't move. I didn't wanna move! I didn't wanna live the next moment of my life without Tara. My future with her went away so quickly...so rapidly...I didn't wanna believe it…"
Rosalina cried a little at his tragically gut-wrenching story. "My god, Monty. I am so unbelievably sorry about your fiancee! That's...like you said, can't put it into words…" His story of loss reminded her of losing Waluigi. She tried her damnedest to keep it together. "Um, if it's okay to ask, what happened after that? You told her family and your family about it? What about the police? And Toadaska's boyfriend?"
"I called the police and gave a statement. I told them the whole story. Nothing much else could be done because there was no body to be found. It was all only by my word. I think the police may have talked to Toadaska because I included her of course, but I'm not sure if they ever did. I don't have the phone number to the women's shelter and even if I did, I think Toadaska would be better off not getting involved in this life she had to leave behind.
I told Nikolette about what happened and she tried her best to comfort me, but I was pretty much like a zombie for some amount of weeks afterwards. She did her best, though. I'm truly grateful for that. But I just wanted to be alone for the most part. I slowly got back to my old self as the months went by, but I was never the jolly guy like I used to be. No way. Not without my Montara. Couldn't do it.
As for Toadaska's boyfriend...he came over the day after it all went down and asked me where Toadaska was. He seemed mad and I knew he was gonna be interrogating me and potentially beat me in for information...but I didn't care at that point. I just didn't care. I told him everything; Montara and Toadaska's plan to escape, mine and Tara's fight, Tara falling off the cliff into the ocean, and me helping Toadaska to the station. I didn't care what he did to me after I told him that. But...he looked sad after that story. Very sad. The only thing he said in response to everything I said was a simple 'I'm sorry' and then he went back to his house. Not too long after that, he left town. Kinda wonder if that whole thing made him realize the error of his ways.
Then for my family and her family...I called her family and...I also told them the full story. But they blamed it all on me. They were screaming and raging and crying and blaming everything on me. Said I was good for nothing...worthless...should've done more...should've been a better fiance...should've not been such a loser...they let me have it. I called my family and told them the story and what Montara's family said to me and...well...they didn't blame it on me, but they also acted like what Tara's family said wasn't a big deal. Pretty much told me to get over it.
I haven't spoken to her family nor my family since. But their words haunt me all the time. Some nights I can't even sleep because I just keep thinking about it. Because I know it's true. It's so true, Rosalina...it hurts so much because it's true! I try to convince myself that they're just angry and making me the enemy because of their pain so their words couldn't be true...but they ARE true! They are!
So...so that's why I lied to you about her, Rosalina. Why I said she killed herself first...then I said she ran away. I didn't want you to think that about me too, Rosalina. I already have enough people in my life thinking that I'm the bad guy for this case, I didn't want another one thinking it too!" Monty explained it all and broke down into more tears. Rosalina hugged him and cried into his shoulder.
"I know you're not the bad guy, Monty. I can tell that you loved Montara with all your heart. None of it was your fault. I know Toadaska knows that too. She knows that too."
MIRROR-SHIVER REGION FOREST
The Mirror group hastily handed all the weapons back to their counterparts.
"L-Look, we're really sorry about your loss! Truly! We know how that feels! But we aren't the ones you should be angry at. Take that anger and use it to defeat the Crystal Queen and Merle!" Mirror-Daisy said with encouragement in hopes of lightening up the situation.
"SHUT UP!" Daisy barked and clenched her fists. "Don't fucking tell us to calm down when we just went through literal hell to find your friend while at the same time losing OUR friend! We did what you guys asked for, we lost one of ours, so now you listen to us. No exceptions, otherwise we're gonna have an even BIGGER problem here!"
"Okay. Okay! We get it. We'll follow your orders. Whatever you want us to do next, we'll do it," Mirror-DK said with total compliance.
"The thing to do next is find Rinot Pajouro! My dad, Wario, and Mona are dying! Go to his cabin and get him here so he can heal them with the Rainbow Herb and close the way to the Underworld! NOW! There's not a second to waste!" Larry angrily commanded.
"Okay! I'll go and get him. Luigi, follow me as well! We'll be quick!" Mirror-Mario responded with urgency and ran off with his brother into the forest.
Mirror-Bowser walked up to Bowser, who had been sitting on the ground and shivering and looking faint.
"Well, damn. If this isn't a heartbreaking thing to witness," Mirror-Bowser spoke as he knelt to his counterpart, looking sympathetic to the poor and weakening koopa king.
"I-I f-f-feel so fucking weak and nauseous...th-this is what dying feels like, doesn't it? Ahhh...the fucking pain from these damn bites is shooting through my whole body…" Bowser spoke while choking up.
"You're not dying, dad! Don't say that. Rinot will come fix you any minute now and then we can get out of here. O-Okay? I...I can't lose you too...I just can't!" Larry spoke while trying his best not to break down crying. This made Mirror-Larry tear up as well.
"Um, if you don't mind me asking...did you guys also lose Iggy and Wendy in your world?" Mirror-Larry asked. Larry looked at him angrily, not wanting to talk about that right now of all times, but bit his tongue.
"Yes. We lost them in the shootout at our hospital. We also lost Roy to Tatanga. He's on their side now. Same as you guys, I take it?" Larry asked.
Mirror-Bowser nodded as he started to sob. "Yes. I completely failed as a father and let him down. Our family alienated him and I-I take that blame. I had every opportunity to mend things with him, but it's too late now. So, I gotta do what's right and help end this nightmare however I can. It's the only thing I can really do right now to help make things better."
That speech made Bowser cry further as he truly missed Roy, Iggy, and Wendy. He had bottled up his emotions as best as he could since he left the hospital to explore the Shiver Region with the gang, but he wanted to let it out now, especially if he was going to pass on.
"T-T-T-Tell me...is there anything positive going on for me and my kids in this w-w-world? Anything remotely good? Please...my family is ripped apart and my goddamn ex-wife is back in the picture with her own fucked f-f-family…" Bowser pleaded as he shivered and gripped onto his son's hand, who became further emotional at his father's deteriorating state.
Mirror-Bowser looked a little confused at him. "Ex-wife? Is your ex-wife Clawdia?"
"Y-Yeah. That's her. Why? Why do you ask it like that?" Bowser asked.
"Oh...because...err...we're together in this world," he revealed. Larry and Bowser were stunned by this piece of unexpected info.
"Wh-what!? You're together in this world!? How!? Why!? She ruined our family and left for another man! Unless something different happened in this world?" Larry angrily questioned.
"Yes, she did do that in our world too! She got together with a man named Kenneth and had a daughter with him named Katia, but they broke up some years later, and Clawdia just very recently got back together with dad. Kenneth and Katia showed up at the hospital only a few days ago too, so it's been hard to deal with the tension from them," Mirror-Larry explained.
"I know it sounds insane, but we're doing our best to make it work out. It hasn't been easy, but with Clawdia coming around and talking things out and bringing all our emotions to the table...I don't think there's much wrong with trying things again," Mirror-Bowser added.
Bowser shook his head and chuckled at them. "God. That IS insane. Getting back with a woman who fucked you and your family over...y-you must be desperate to not be alone...good thing I'm not like that in my world…"
Mirror-Bowser gave him a dirty look, but also bit his tongue. "It's not that black-and-white. This adventure with these people I've grown with has shown me that nothing is EVER that black and white. I understand why you hate my choice, though. I completely get it. We may not have the exact same personality...but it's pretty damn close."
Bowser looked at his mirror counterpart with regret for being so crude to him. "I'm s-s-sorry. I just...who the fuck am I kidding...my world has changed so much that I just don't know what to do anymore to protect my family. And if I die...that makes things for my kids even worse...that's the last thing I ever want to happen."
"You won't die, dad. Rinot will be here any minute to heal you. Just hold on a little longer! Please!" Larry begged as he still cried. The bond between father and son brought tears to their counterparts and warmed their hearts.
Wario sat down on the snow with Mona and some of their friends standing over them.
"You two, talk to me. How bad is it right now?" Mario asked as he knelt to the pair.
"I'm f-f-f-fucking freezing, Mario. You, uhh, you know the feeling you get when you eat s-s-s-something cold like ice cream and you s-s-sometimes get a brain freeze? W-Well...imagine that damn brain freeze taking over my whole body. It's...it's getting so hard to breathe right…" Wario tiredly spoke as he clutched his chest. Goombella sniffled and leaned her head on his shoulder to try and comfort him a little.
"God, Mario, it's bad. It's really bad. I feel so weak right now and my vision is getting blurry. It should've been me that stayed in the Underworld. I'd just be one less person to slow everyone down and worry about. I don't know what Boshi was thinking...I know he screwed up badly, but...was it really worth all that?" Mona questioned as she was sweating profusely. The others looked at each other with scared expressions, not knowing what to even say about the bomb that Boshi dropped back there.
"That was just typical Boshi. I appreciate him sacrificing himself, but to cause a shitstorm like that on his way out...that was beyond fucked up what he did. Way beyond," Daisy commented while shaking her head, looking embarrassed.
"Was any of it true, though? Or do you guys think he was just trying to provoke Yoshi into shooting him?" Kooper questioned.
"We'll talk about that later. That's the last thing that should be on our minds right now," Luigi demanded as his mouth quivered and his expression looked sick. Dixie crossed her arms, looking sad yet uncomfortable and awkward after that horrid reveal.
"Well...w-w-whatever the reason is...I just wanna say...thank you guys for having me along in this crazy mess of an adventure. Heh. It's been the wildest rollercoaster of our lives, hasn't it?" Wario chuckled, hoping to make his potential end not too gloomy.
"It has, but don't say that like you're going to die! Because you won't. You'll be healed from whatever's going on in your guys' bodies and we'll continue on like we always do," Pauline tried to uplift the miserable situation as best as she could.
"Don't say it like you're for sure going to be done, my dear! We are asking you to fight a little bit longer. We're your friends, sweetie. Some of us may not be exactly close with others, but we've all bonded so much beyond the messes we've been dealt with. And I know that's what Waluigi would've certainly wanted for you. He was such a noble man, and you have that trait too. Just don't let the outside forces get to you," Flurrie spoke as she teared up, remembering her short bond with Waluigi. Wario held Flurrie's hand and nodded at her as he cried.
Vivian walked over to Yoshi, who was just hanging by a tree, overlooking the sad scene, but also seemed distant and lifeless.
"Hey. This is gonna sound dumb, but, um, are you okay? I...I'm so sorry for what Boshi did to Birdo when she lost her memory. That is just awful beyond words! I knew he was a troublemaker but...I didn't realize he could sink so low," Vivian nervously spoke since she knew the dino was in a very fragile state.
Yoshi took a minute to respond as he kept looking past her at the slowly dying three. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it, then opened it again. "He lied to me. He...got close to me and...still lied to me about everything. I wanted to get close to him and...and gave him a chance to be close to us and...he threw it all away because he's a deadbeat druggie who dug his own damn grave."
Vivian nodded a little, understanding his anger and why he shot him. "He screwed with your mind while you were very vulnerable. That's...that's so sickening. You're right, Yoshi. He did dig his own grave." The shadow siren was a little shocked at herself saying such serious and dark words, but she shook it off, not really caring how cold she felt about these kinds of situations anymore.
Yoshi smiled just a tiny bit, still looking past her. "You're the first person to say that. You...out of everyone. The others were just silent the whole time we went back to this world. They didn't wanna talk about it. But, I guess...is there really anything to talk about when I did what I had to do? I don't think they're pissed at me for that. But you...you put it perfectly into words. You of all people."
Vivian smiled a little back at him, liking that he noticed her being more open about these kinds of things. "Don't get me wrong, I feel bad that he had to go...but someone had to do it. I suppose it makes sense that it was him. But, Yoshi...what he said about Dixie planting drugs in his car and everyone keeping it a secret...was that actually true? Or he was just spouting off a bunch of nonsense in the moment?
Yoshi finally took his eyes off of the group and slowly looked to her as tears fell down his cheeks. "Yes. All of that was true."
As all of this was happening, Kooplinia observed her entire surroundings. She looked and felt completely lost and overwhelmed.
"Goodness! I don't remember the lake being this big all those years ago. And...oh my...I completely forgot to ask what year it is. I'm afraid to know of the answer…" Kooplinia whispered to herself in an anxious manner. Mirror-Lakilester went over to her, noticing her franticness and her being obviously out of place.
"Hey! Who are you? I don't remember you being with Mario's group before they went into the Underworld!" he asked. Kooplinia was startled and tensed up.
"Oh! I...I am Kooplinia. I'm from the Underworld. I was stuck there for years and years because of my alternate other half, the Crystal Queen and an awful warlock named Merle sending me down there," she nervously explained. The lakitu backed away a little and gave her a strange look, as others in the vicinity caught this and looked to her in surprise.
"WHAT? Kooplinia...as in the same Kooplinia from the story that Merle told us? About the Crystal Palace's origins?" he shrieked.
"Now how on earth is THAT possible!? Those events happened in the 17th century...unless you're a type of ghost, much like the Crystal Queen!?" Mirror-Luvbi yelled in disbelief.
"No, I'm not! In the Underworld, you can't die and never age. I was subjected to torture and isolation all those years I was down there. I'm glad I'm out of there now, but...I know this is the 21st century I'm in...so I'm afraid to know what's different now compared to when I was living here," Kooplinia said as she still nervously scanned her surroundings, feeling completely lost still.
"Hey. We'll help you figure out being here now. There's definitely a lot to acclimate to, but we'll help you through it!" Mirror-Parakarry politely said. Kooplinia made a small smile at him, yet looked clearly a little uncomfortable.
Mirror-Mario power-walked to the cabin with his brother following close behind.
"We're in danger with them now, aren't we!? You saw how pissed off they looked. They just lost another one of their friends!" Mirror-Luigi said in a panic.
"Yes, we ARE in danger and we WILL fight back if they try anything. I get it, though. We've been through the same shit over and over that I don't blame them for being short with us," he replied.
"Yeah...I get it too...I just hope that they'll fight with us to end the Crystal Queen and Merle. They're the true villains here. Not our counterparts. Leave them be in their own world. They've got nothing to do with us in the long run," Mirror-Luigi said.
"I'm starting to see that now too. We were all definitely played by those two. Cunning act of deceit, but we'll get the last laugh when we take them down," Mirror-Mario spoke with confidence as he saw Rinot's cabin in sight.
"I just can't believe that, all of this time, there was this parallel world of ours...with people who look exactly like us. I mean, I guess I shouldn't be TOO shocked since we knew of there being different worlds and such, but still, so creepy yet kinda cool to think about!" Mirror-Luigi commented.
"Yeah. Makes me wonder if there's an infinite amount of parallel worlds or realities out there. Hopefully one of those has our world not being taken over by some desperate alien," Mirror-Mario added as the pair walked up to the cabin door and knocked on it.
"RINOT! It's us, Mario and Luigi! We need you to come back to the lake, we have the Rainbow Herb!" he shouted. The brothers waited about a minute for any type of response, but nothing was heard.
Worry immediately set in. They had to get this done now. There was no time to waste. Mario knocked on it again, louder this time.
"RINOT! Come on, open up! Please! We need you right now!" he shouted. After another minute of silence, the pair looked at each other with fear.
"Oh god, do you think something bad happened to him!? What if the Crystal Queen and Merle knew that he was gonna help us and had him captured or even killed!? We're screwed if that's the case!" the green brother shrieked and went into full on panic mode. That thought definitely crossed Mirror-Mario's mind, but he refused to entertain it. Mario urgently opened the door and ran in, looking for any sign of life.
"RINOT! RINOT! ANSWER ME!" he screamed and ran all over the cabin with his brother also looking everywhere possible. Everything in the cabin looked untouched. It wasn't a good sign at all.
"Oh god, Mario, he isn't here! Those three are going to die very soon if we don't get Rinot to do whatever spell he needs to do with the Rainbow Herb!" Mirror-Luigi cried.
"Fuck! I know, I know! We...uhh...w-we're just gonna have to tell them the truth, that we can't find him! We have no time to look elsewhere for him! Unless…" the plumber looked at the shelves of books of magical spells, thinking that maybe he could snag one of the books and use a spell from there to perform with the Rainbow Herb. "Unless we use a spell from one of these books and...no...no! I don't wanna use the wrong spell and mess anything up with the Rainbow Herb! We're just gonna have to tell them the truth, Luigi. It sucks and...and they're probably gonna start a fight with us...but we have no other choice. Get yourself ready for it. No way are we getting out of this situation that easily."
Spike saw the Mario and Luigi counterparts run back towards the group...but no sign of Rinot. The paper dino jumped up and sprinted over to them the second he saw this.
"HEY! Where's Rinot at!? Why isn't he with you!?" he demanded to know, grabbing the attention of everyone else.
The brothers stopped and hesitated to speak for a split second. Larry quickly became mad, jumped up, and ran over to them while yelling, "WHERE IS HE!? TELL US!"
Mirror-Mario looked away in shame as he spoke, "We searched his cabin and he wasn't there. We have no idea where he is!"
Everyone else looked at him in horror when he revealed this. Mario sprung up and looked at them in disbelief.
"Are you...are you telling us the truth right now? Did you actually go over there and search his cabin!?" the plumber yelled as he clenched his fists, preparing to throw down in case there was something more going on here.
"WE'RE NOT LYING! He wasn't there! There wasn't any trace of him or where he could've gone! We are so sorry!" Mirror-Luigi yelled and felt truly upset for them.
"No...NO NO NO NO NOOOO! RINOOOOOOOOT! WE NEED YOU! COME HERE RIGHT NOOOOOW!" Larry screamed into the air as he cried again.
"Oh god, what do we do!? We can't just stand around like this! We have to look for him!" Starlow shrieked.
"We don't even know where to begin! He could be anywhere!" Jojora pointed out.
"It's...it's over, son...it's over...there'll be no time to find him…" Bowser faintly spoke as his eyes became heavy. Larry saw this and ran back over to him.
"NO, DON'T SAY THAT DAD, PLEASE! JUST...JUST...PLEASE HOLD ON A LITTLE MORE! PLEEEEAAAASE! I NEED YOU! MY BROTHERS NEED YOU! YOU CAN'T GO!" Larry shouted while crying into his dad's shoulder.
"I...I don't wanna go, son...but...I...can barely move...and...everything's starting to look...dark...it's...it's my time to go...I...love you...son…" Bowser could barely let out the words as his eyes fully shut. Larry screamed again as the moment he knew the time had come for his dad to go and it hit him hard. Mario tugged on his hat, pulling it off his head as he also cried at the scene, and the others joined in on the grievance.
Wario held Mona's hand as he stared out into the sky, also succumbing to the same situation.
"At...atleast we'll go together, Mona...and...we'll see my brother again…I'm gonna...miss...you all…" Wario spoke his final breath through his tears as the icy feeling completely took over his whole body and was now impossible to move and breathe. His head collapsed to the snowy ground.
"W-Wario, no! Goodness...and...M-Mona!?" Flurrie sobbed and looked over to her, who had also nearly stopped moving.
"Wario...ah...so...this is what dying is like...I'm scared...I'm...I…" Mona slowly closed her eyes as her breathing came to a slow.
"NOOOOOO! NO NO NO NO! FUUUUCK! I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!" Daisy roared in a rage of tears and pounded the snow. Everyone was an emotional wreck at this tragic scene. After all the horrors they had to traverse through...and they lost their three friends just like that.
"They're not dead yet," loudly spoke a familiar voice.
Everyone looked to where the voice came from and it was the one and only Rinot who was walking towards the group.
"YOU! WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN!? YOU BLEW IT! IT'S TOO LATE! THEY'RE GONE BECAUSE OF YOU!" Spike screamed into his face.
"Did you not hear me? I said...they're not dead yet," Rinot calmly spoke as he took the Rainbow Herb.
"How the hell do you know that!? We saw them go right before our eyes!" Koopie yelled.
"The brain is active for an average of 7 minutes upon 'death.' They're not considered to be dead yet...which is why the spell will still work," Rinot confidently spoke and walked over to the deceased three.
"Wha...wait...wait! You're saying they can be alive again!? You can get them back! H-H-How are you so sure their brains aren't 'dead' too right now, though!?" Lakilester pointed out.
"Because...I just know," Rinot cryptically answered and waved his left hand over the Rainbow Herb that he held in his right hand.
"Ohhhhh when we are above the trees...we'll see this for what it is…" Rinot began to sing as the Rainbow Herb glowed. Everyone watched closely as he continued, "And now we're right down in it, all the work we've given it, is no longer divided up. Show me all of your hiding spots. Spirits...bring forth your reinvention and make these beings anew."
The herb glowed brighter and suddenly, rays of green light from above came circling down towards the group. Everyone watched in amazement as the rays of light shone beautifully all around them. The rays of light eventually shot into Bowser, Wario, and Mona, making their bodies glow a bright green briefly. Another ray of green light shot into the lake, turning the whole waters green for a few seconds, then the lake immediately froze over again.
The Rainbow Herb fell apart and disintegrated into the air as Rinot laughed a little and removed his hood. He then faced everyone and the group was massively surprised to see who had been under the hood this whole time.
"Oh my god! You're...you're Junior Troopa! It's been you all along!" Peach shrieked.
"Yes, that's my true name. Junior Troopa. If you're wondering why I went under an alias this whole time, well...very long story short, when I was a little kid, I was becoming incredibly good at performing magic and spells very quickly. It came so naturally to me! But, because of this, a lot of the cityfolk thought I was like Merle, who had used his magic for bad, but I tried telling them that I was nothing like that, but so many of them refused to listen to me. I didn't want to leave this region because I had grown to adore it so much, more than my old hometown, so I built a cabin in this forest and have stayed there for the past few years and changed my name to a scrambled version of my original name, haha," he explained, providing more intrigue and understanding than shock now.
"Wow. Wow! Of course...Rinot Pajouro is an anagram of Junior Troopa! Like, I can't believe I didn't notice that in the first place!" Goombella pointed out.
"Hehe. I think it's safe to say that you all are not the enemies here. We've all been played. The true enemies are the Crystal Queen and Merle. If it weren't for them, we wouldn't be in this predicament in the first place! But, on a more positive note, these three are okay now. They will live," Junior Troopa spoke in a more cheery tone and gestured to the fallen three heroes on the ground, who began to move and wake back up.
"Oh! D-Dad!? DAD! You're...oh my god, you're okay! Ha, you're okay! OH GOD I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH, TROOPA!" Larry cried and ran over to his dad and hugged him.
"Oh...wha...hey...son? What's...I'm...alive? I don't feel any pain anymore...this can't be...the afterlife...is it?" Bowser spoke, seeming all disoriented and looking at everyone, who looked ecstatic to see him alive.
"No no, dad! You're alive! You're alive! Rinot...I mean, Junior Troopa saved you before you were fully dead! You're not going anywhere!" Larry cried with pure happiness and laughed a little.
"Junior Troopa...you!?" Bowser gasped, looking at the nearly grown koopa. "Holy shit! What are you, some kind of miracle wizard in this world!?" this made some of the others laugh as Bowser stood himself up. "Well! Thank you. I feel completely better! Wow. Damn."
"Wario, wake up! You too, Mona! You're all better now! You're healed, dearies!" Flurrie happily shouted as shook the pair. The two slowly came to and were also disoriented.
"Wa...Waluigi? OH...what the...am I in heaven? Or hell!?" Wario nervously asked, immediately looking freaked out.
"No, dude, you're back with us in the Mirror World! You're all healed up now thanks to Junior Troopa, who was Rinot Pajouro this whole time!" Lakilester answered. Wario caught his breath and laughed a little.
"You healed us!?" Mona yelped as she scanned her surroundings, feeling a little out of place. "With...with that Rainbow Herb, right!? RIGHT? I'm still on the mission to get the gems with my friends!?"
"Yes, yes! You're back with us! You're here!" Daisy laughed and weeped a little as she hugged Mona along with Peach. Flurrie and Dixie helped Wario up and many others came in for a group hug.
"I'm here...I'm alive...I'm...I'm fucking alive!" Wario almost went into hysterics as he felt completely energized from feeling 100% pain-free and not slipping away into death.
"We're so glad to have you all healed, you three. We almost lost you, but I'm so thankful that we didn't. Us losing people is becoming too much of a norm," Dixie said with a depressing sigh, still having her mind stuck on what happened back in the Underworld with Boshi.
"This is truly a miracle! Too many of our people have been lost. We owe you our deepest gratitude, Junior Troopa! Without you, they wouldn't have survived and we'd be completely stuck!" Parakarry cheered and the others nodded in agreement. Troopa smiled brightly.
"Don't mention it. Now, I know you guys want to celebrate this awesome occasion, but we've gotta settle the score with the Crystal Queen and Merle right now before any other craziness happens," Troopa stated.
"I also wanna say that we're happy for you guys! I know we didn't get off on the right foot and I know it's been a mess navigating through all this, but we truly do support you all and will help however we can. We're all fighting for a common cause and, working together, we can get this done easily!" Mirror-DK spoke with clear genuinity.
Mario nodded at him. "Thank you. We appreciate that. And Troopa is right, we have to get this done right now. Let's head to the Crystal Palace and finish this!"
The large group hurriedly headed back up the Shiver Mountain to end this battle once and for all.
Starlow rushed over to her counterpart. "Hey. Hey! Hey there. Umm, can I ask you a question...S...Starlow? Other Starlow? Counterpart Starlow?"
Mirror-Starlow looked at her weirdly. "Yes? What's up, my other half?"
Starlow awkwardly chuckled. "Hehe. Wow. So weird talking to someone that looks exactly like me. And is that really what my voice sounds like? Huh...uhh, oh, anyways! Um, this is gonna sound so odd but...you seem very intense compared to me. Like, it's almost like we look the same, but our personalities differ so much. Uhh, if it's okay to ask, did something awful happen to you in your world?"
Mirror-Starlow shot her a cold look and nearly stopped in her tracks. She closed her eyes and exhaled greatly. "Wow. You're pretty observant, aren't you?"
"Oh! I, uhh, try to be, heh. It was just so, like, kind of scary seeing you talk to me the way you did when we all first ran into each other sooo it just made me wonder if anything super traumatic happened to you in this world. But if you don't wanna share, I totally understand!" Starlow spoke as delicate as she should as she knew her counterpart was hiding something dark.
"I...I'll tell you about it when we're done. The only thing I'll say right now is that I was almost forced to do something that I never, in a million years, wanted to do...and I was also almost killed for refusing to do that thing," Mirror-Starlow revealed. Starlow gasped a little, letting her mind run wild with what could've happened to her.
Koopie nudged Dixie a little. "Hey. How ya holding up there?"
Dixie glanced at her then looked away with a sad expression. "Horrible. Just when I have hope that Diddy is still alive and things were looking up a little...THAT happened back there. I just...god. God! Koopie...I'm so sorry you had to hear all that. I'm sorry you had to see that I'm a huge screw up all throughout this journey. I know Boshi was a huge bastard and all, but he didn't deserve what I did to him all those years ago. I was in a very dark place back then and I just…"
"You don't need to explain in detail. Really. We've all done awful shit in our pasts that we're ashamed of. Some of us just don't want to admit it or have had good luck in those things not being brought to light," Koopie kindly assured.
"That...not to sound rude, but that doesn't make me feel better. I mean, thanks for being understanding but...I'm just...not a good person. I cheated on my boyfriend for some stupid psychopath, I planted drugs in Boshi's car and got him arrested for it, I slapped Toadette because I was being an idiot about keeping my cheating a secret...Koopie...I'm really, REALLY not a good person. And...I'm not even mad at Yoshi for telling Boshi about that...I was the one who demanded that he and the rest of our friends kept that a secret," Dixie began to sob.
"I wasn't trying to make you feel better just by saying that. Sorry...what I meant to say was...from someone who also cheated on their boyfriend and made myself look like a total bitch in front of everyone...I get what you're going through. You have no judgment coming from my end," Koopie said, sympathizing and empathizing with her self-torture.
Dixie wiped her eyes and smiled at her a little. "Thank you. Means a lot to me. I just hope everyone will feel the same way, but I'd understand if they didn't. As for Yoshi...I can't even imagine what he's feeling and thinking right now. That was a huge bomb Boshi dropped on him. I wanna talk to him, but...it's probably for the best that we wait until after this is done to do that."
"Well! This has turned out to be the adventure of a lifetime, hasn't it?" Mirror-Mario spoke to his counterpart in an exhausted manner.
"Big understatement there. Just when I thought that things couldn't possibly become any more mind-boggling and screwed up after everything we've been through...we enter a parallel world, nearly kill our parallel counterparts, enter a goddamn Underworld, learn that one of our acquaintances took advantage of Birdo's mental state, and are being mindfucked by an ancient ghost Queen and her psychic wizard companion," Mario replied as he chuckled a bit at the ridiculousness and unbelievability of it all.
"Yeah. Sounds like an anime show gone horribly wrong, doesn't it?" Mirror-Mario also chuckled at that sentiment. "But, nonetheless, I saw the love you guys have for each other back there. How distraught you all were over those three nearly dying. How loyal you are to one another. That just confirmed to me that, even though we're from different worlds, we're very much alike in that regard."
"Yeah! It makes sense too. This is a Mirror World after all...almost everything is going to be the same one way or another. I'm just glad that we came into a world where our counterparts weren't actually evil or that the world wasn't turned into some wasteland. At this point, I know there's like an infinite amount of parallel dimensions, realities, worlds out there, however you wanna label it. I'm just glad that this is the one we came into, because I can't imagine how much crazier any other parallel world could be," Mario said a little cheerily.
The group arrived at the palace, preparing for a showdown. They entered the first room and immediately saw the Crystal Queen sitting on the floor, crying into her lap.
"The jig is up, bitch! We know you and that warlock, Merle, are the ones fucking with our heads and taking over the Shiver Region in our world!" Spike yelled.
"Y...Yes...it's been me this whole time...all of it was me...I opened up the door that changed everything between the two worlds...but...heh...but it's not too late. I still can reign. You...all of you...you may think that you're going to win...just because you've figured it all out...but you're in for the fight of your life," the Queen spoke as she slowly stopped her crying. She then stood up and slowly raised her head to look at the group.
"We know. But wanna know something you don't know? I closed the hole that you and Merle opened. The one to the Underworld. And I got your precious Star Stone back at my cabin. So...this'll all be WAY easier if you just surrendered. I've got my magics and these people here are some of the fiercest warriors I've ever met. You're done for. Let's not drag this out further than necessary," Junior Troopa cockily said.
"Hmm. You are really a great pain, you know that? No wonder why you were outcasted from the city. Such a little juvenile delinquent like you belong in those homes designed for useless orphans!" the Queen angrily spat. Troopa turned red at this.
"Wow. You're a real...ooh...I'm gonna hold myself back because I know what you're trying to do. You belong in the Underworld. Actually, if there's a dimension that's somehow worse than the Underworld, that's where you belong. Medieval trash!" the teenaged koopa retorted as his blood boiled at her vile statement.
Kooplinia stepped forward ahead of the group. "Wait please. Before anything happens...Kooplinia! You must remember me, right? I am your counterpart. Yes. I'm real. I didn't age in that Underworld that you and Merleon threw me in, because I was to be tortured in there for all eternity. That's how that world works. I suppose you didn't expect to see me here after all these decades, huh?"
The Crystal Queen gasped at her appearance. "Kooplinia! You...you escaped that world. Well I'll be damned! I didn't even think about the possibility of you returning to this world when I had that Underworld portal opened. I thought you'd be far away from where you were originally sent to. My my, this is becoming quite the annoyance…"
"You should've killed me when you had the chance. You and Merleon! But now you're paying the price for it. Now, tell me this instant, did you kill my Kooprik? Or was it Merleon? I want to know the full story! TELL ME!" Kooplinia screamed as she started to weep.
The Crystal Queen snickered at her, taking clear pleasure from her emotional pain. "Really? It's been centuries and you still wanna know about that pathetic man? Fine. I'll tell you the story. We've got time anyways...plenty of it. Hahaha…"
"I'm sure you remember us going to Merleon, remember, Kooplinia? Not too long after I came into this world and your precious Kooprik suggested that we go to Merleon for help on potentially getting me back to my own world? Yes. We'll begin the story from there, just so your feeble friends can know how I truly came into power. This will be a continuation of the story I was telling this dastardly group about when they first arrived in this world..."
Merleon brought the Crystal Queen, Mirror-Kooplinia, and Mirror-Kooprik into his cabin that lay at the end of the village below the Shiver Mountain. The three looked visibly discomforted when they saw the great amount of magic books, charms, potion bottles, and even some bones scattered about. There were also a few pentagrams drawn on the walls and a few other books that clearly had to do with black magic.
"Um...so, Mister Merleon, what we're about to tell you is going to sound completely unbelievable but, honest to the gods above, we are absolutely serious and in dire need of your help," Mirror-Kooplinia spoke with true urgency. "See, my...uhh...the other woman that looks exactly like me came from a different world behind the Crystal Palace atop the Shiver Mountain, and her husband, who looks exactly like my Kooprik right there had trapped her in this world, preventing her going back to her original world, so-"
"I know exactly why you're here and exactly what's going on," Merleon interrupted as he grabbed a black book with funky-looking designs on the cover and sat down at a table with a crystal ball on it.
"You do!?" the Crystal Queen spoke with instant excitement. "So, you know how to get me back then!?"
"Yes...I do…" Merleon cryptically spoke as he slowly opened the black book. "You, my dear, have entered a world that mirrors the world you originate from. In simpler terms...welcome to the Mirror World. One of many, many, MANY parallel-type of worlds in this universe."
The three looked immensely creeped out by this revelation.
"What on earth do you mean by many worlds!? You're saying that there are 'doors' to other types of worlds besides this world and the one she came from!?" Mirror-Kooplinia shrieked.
"Precisely, though I'm not sure if 'door' would be the accurate way to describe entrances to other worlds...but I deeply digress…" Merleon replied as he flipped through the pages of his black book. "That door you entered to come to this world, it is a 'portal' created by the ancients of long ago. Ancients who had the most mystical magic known to mankind at the time. They were experimenting with their magics to try and explore other worlds, and they successfully did…
...But the problem was, they didn't know how to permanently eradicate these entrances. They feared that, with these entrances open, anything could come into their world from the other worlds and cause pure chaos, and that these dimensions would eventually bleed into one another to where life in each world would become nothing but wastelands and battlegrounds of creatures beyond our imagination.
So, they had to settle with creating 'doors' to these other worlds to prevent the interdimensional bleeds from happening. There was just no way they could eliminate the ways into the other worlds, so they had to make do. That 'door' in the mountain behind the Crystal Palace was created with their magic to seal the entryway between this world and your world in order to prevent the interdimensional bleed. It can't be destroyed. It can be opened, but whoever opens it, must be the one to close it, unless you get some black magic involved.
When that door is opened, though...because this is a 'Mirror' world...everything that is 'reflective' in both worlds comes to life, so to speak. Your reflections will no longer simply seem like a reflection, it will seem as if there is an actual twin of your own staring back at you. Events and conversations that happen in front of mirrors likely won't be the exact same actions and conversations in the other world nor will they be happening at the exact same time. Minor differences in personalities and origins will be apparent in your mirror counterpart. Just to give you a debrief on how these worlds work."
The three stood there wide-eyed at the explanation. They were disturbed by how access to these other dimensions are, apparently, right under their noses.
"That is just...that's insane to think about! All of this time there's been a door to another world...who knows what kind of beings could enter it!?" Mirror-Kooplinia shrieked.
"This is all so overwhelming. I just simply cannot believe I'm trapped in a different dimension! Everything that I own is back in my homeworld! I'm nothing here. Nothing...god…" the Crystal Queen choked up in horror.
"Wow...so, uhh, what are you going to exactly do in order to get her back?" Mirror-Kooprik asked.
Merle was heard chuckling a little as he tapped his fingers on the book. "You wanna know something? Something that I already know about you, Kooplinia from the other world?"
"Y-Yes? What is it that you know about me!?" she nervously responded.
"I have psychic abilities. Powerful abilities. And the second I laid my eyes on you, I got the most peculiar and heart-wrenching read on you. You were a ruler back in your homeland. Married to a selfish man who didn't want the best for you. Who had trapped you here in order for him to receive all the blessings and wealth for himself. You were supposed to be there receiving all those wonderful things too. You were supposed to be a true Queen," Merle changed his tone of voice to a more intense one. Hearing all those things made the Crystal Queen tear up a little.
"Ooh...wow. Yeah, you're truly right. All of that was taken away from me because he wanted to be a selfish bastard and not honor the commitment between us. Which is...which is why you NEED to help me go back, so I can teach him a lesson!" she demanded as she cried a little more, but then quickly softened her expression upon the realization of something. "Or...perhaps I can't teach him a lesson if I were to go back…"
"Why would that be?" Mirror-Kooprik asked.
The Queen looked down in shame and sniffled some more. "I poisoned him with Arsenic, with a drink I gave to him. I don't know if he ingested enough for it to be fatal to his body, but...I was just angry with how he was treating me, a-and...and I hate being disrespected! I cannot stand it! Especially when it's with someone I truly love!"
The other Kooprik and Kooplinia looked at her in horror and backed away a little.
"Y-You poisoned your own husband!? MY GOODNESS! That is unbelievably cruel! Well, you certainly were both cruel to each other then! That's not a happy union between husband and wife, king and queen, by any means!" Mirror-Kooplinia yelled.
"That is indeed cruel...but as you said, Queen, he disrespected you deeply. Someone of royalty should never be treated that way. Ever. Even if it's someone who is also royalty. You did the right thing," Merleon spoke in support of her decision. The other three looked at him, completely blindsided by him saying that.
"WHAT? You seriously want to argue that attempting to murder someone just because they disrespected you is justified!? I don't care if someone is royalty, that doesn't deserve that kind of punishment!" Mirror-Kooprik argued.
"Why do you agree with what I did? It was indeed cruel to commit such a heinous act!" the Queen asked, seeming creeped out now.
"You have a cruel, cold nature within you. I can also see that from my abilities. It's a nature that's willing to burst out into the world and really take control of your life the way you deserve to have it. That's why you attempted to murder your husband. Because he betrayed you and made you feel like dirt.
Your husband did all that because he was threatened by you. He knew you were more cunning and brash than he was, and he wanted to tear you down any way he could. He was terrified that you would eventually run the Shiver Region by yourself one of these days if he were to become deathly ill or even pass...because he knew that you had the intelligence and boldness to handle it. That's why he trapped you in this world. Not only did he want you to vanish, he wanted you to second guess everything about yourself and make you vulnerable and weak," Merleon explained his stance with the same intensity. The Crystal Queen slowly stopped crying and really took his words in. It made her rethink everything that happened to her the past 24 hours.
"What? That...uhh...okay...I think this has gone on for quite enough now!" Mirror-Kooplinia said uncomfortably.
"All of you...follow me. I wanna show you something," Merleon stated.
"His words felt so right to me. That was the moment when I actually no longer felt sad about what I did to my husband. Because everything that Merleon said about me...I loved. I took it in. I began to embrace my qualities. I thought about it so many times about how Kooprik would always belittle me however he could, and as Merleon said...it was because he was threatened by me. That's when it clicked. That's when everything took quite the turn when he brought us to the forest…"
The four traveled to the forest and went over to the frozen lake.
"See the beauty of this region? It's exactly like the one in your world, right, Queen?" Merleon asked, gesturing to the trees all around them.
"Yes. Everything is the same...and I love that. That's one of the reasons why I wanted to become Queen of the Shiver Region, so I could help preserve the beauty of this cold land and not let it become a wasteland," she replied admirably.
"Uhh, I really don't understand what's going on here, Merleon! So, are you able to help her go back or not? This all seems so strange!" Mirror-Kooprik worriedly pointed out.
"Yes, why on earth are we coming out here for? Unless you have to do your spell out here?" Mirror-Kooplinia asked.
Merleon formed a smirk and chuckled again as he looked to the Crystal Queen. "Well...I don't think it's a coincidence you came into this world by your lonesome. Your desire to be the Queen of the land can happen here. I can make it happen here. I can give you everything that you've ever wanted in your original world. This region needs a proper ruler to set the peasants here straight. They think that because there's no ruler here, that they can do whatever they please and tear down the forest to build more houses. They think they're unstoppable and above it all. You can change that. You can still become the Queen that you long to be."
The other three were beyond shocked at this speech yet again. This was not turning out at all how they expected this to.
"What in the world are you trying to do here!? NO NO! We do not need a ruler for the Shiver Region! Everything is fine here without one! I don't know why you're changing this around, but I certainly don't like it!" Mirror-Kooplnia yelled in frustration.
"Aren't you two homeless right now? Hmmm...maybe if the Crystal Queen ruled here, she could possibly demand that you be housed somewhere in the village? Or maybe even get a small cottage built for the both of you? It could work in your favor!" Merleon suggested and chuckled again.
"I...well...that WOULD help, but...like Kooplinia said, this region doesn't need a ruler! The people here should be free to do as they please! That's what the Mushroom Kingdom was built upon; independence, liberty, and freedom. All of us citizens were meant to just have ONE king and ONE queen of this country. Adding more into that...well, you're just gonna start creating a dictatorship!" Mirror-Kooprik argued, liking the idea of not being homeless anymore, but also not liking how this was being executed.
"Oh, come off it! There's nothing wrong with a little bit of control! Besides...having TOO much freedom makes you less aware of particular threats that you could come across," Merleon spat.
"Oh, is that so? And what are these 'threats' that you speak of?" Mirror-Kooplinia groaned while rolling her eyes.
Another chuckle was heard from Merleon.
"Me."
The other three looked off put that response.
"You? W-Why would you say that!? Is it because of your magic!?" Mirror-Kooprik asked.
"Precisely. You see...the magic I have...I have it to make things fun. Add a little chaos into people's lives. I don't use it for good or bad, so to speak, but I definitely use my magic to make this life of mine a little less dull. After all...that IS what we, as Mushroom Kingdom citizens, have in our lives to be grateful...freedom to do what we want!" Merleon mocked what Kooprik spoke about earlier. The couple looked at him in pure disgust.
"My goodness, you are absolutely insane! Okay, I have had it, we are leaving this situation! Kooplinia, I'm sorry, but we can't involve ourselves anymore in this disaster!" Mirror-Kooplnia angrily spoke and grabbed her husband's hand to leave.
"Not so fucking fast," the shaman's tone changed to a more sinister one and snapped his fingers. The two were stuck in place now.
"What in the!? Why can't we move!? WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO, MERLEON!?" Mirror-Kooprik yelled as he and his wife were immobilized in their legs.
"You're not getting out of this 'disaster.' I'm gonna make a change to things around here, and it's all gonna start with HER," Merleon pointed to the Crystal Queen, who made a gasp. She had no idea what to think or say at that point.
"With me? Wha-what are you gonna do exactly!? I have a feeling you're not actually going to send me back into my world!" the Queen yelled.
"You're right. I'm not going to. But that's because you'll be the Queen of the Shiver Region in this world instead. Anyone that rejects you can go...right...into there…" Merle gestured to the lake. A black mist came from his hands and hovered over the middle of the frozen lake. It swirled in the air faster and faster until it broke through the ice, creating a large hole.
"What!? You're gonna have us drowned in that freezing lake!? Y-You're an absolute monster! I knew people like you were up to no good, with your demonic magic and whatnot!" Mirror-Kooplinia angrily spat.
"Not exactly, you ignorant fool. Know how I talked about other worlds earlier? Well...I just created a portal to another one called the Underworld. You think this world is scary? Hehehe...the Underworld is much scarier and rougher than you could imagine," Merleon revealed, further provoking anger and fear into the couple.
"WHAT!? YOU...YOU DEMON! You have all this magic power and you're using it solely for evil purposes! You will rot in Hell!" Mirror-Kooprik lashed.
"Shut up. Or else I'll use my magic to rip out that tongue of yours so I won't have to hear your annoying voice!" Merleon threatened, then turned to the Crystal Queen. "Now then...what do you say we begin a new fun life in this world? You become the Queen, I will help with anything you need, and you will get your life back. Do we have a deal?"
The Queen looked frightened, but also had a clear desire to get her life back and she definitely wanted to do it without Kooprik.
"Come on now, my queen...even if you were to go back to your own world...how would you deal with everything upon return? If Kooprik survived you poisoning him, surely he would've told everyone about it and you would be shunned. Outcasted for life. Lose everything. Word would spread like wildfire. You don't wanna be a nobody, now do you?" Merleon spoke so connivingly that it really got underneath the couple's skin, but the Queen didn't see that. To her, he made very valid points. The life she always wanted wouldn't be possible if she were to return to her homeworld after the crime she had committed.
"ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! STOP THIS MADNESS, YOU GIANT TROLL!" Mirror-Kooplinia screamed at him.
"Now that was a big mistake you made right there," Merleon whispered in response, then snapped his fingers. She was suddenly flung over to the frozen lake as if she was being pulled by an invisible force. She slid on the ice to the open hole and screamed for her life while her lover begged for mercy for her. She eventually slid into the frozen water and was sucked down below.
"NOOOOOOOOOO! KOOPLINIAAAAAA! YOU...YOU MURDEROUS BASTARD! YOU DARE TO DROWN HER ALL BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS RIDICULOUS!?" Mirror-Kooprik roared and cried.
"Oh...you foolish man, I didn't drown her. She was sucked into the Underworld. Care to join her?" Merleon said teasingly with another chuckle. Mirror-Kooprik's blood boiled and he saw red at that point.
"The only person that should be in the Underworld is you...you heartless, disgusting, treacherous, vile, worthless excuse of a man! When your day to die comes...I hope you will suffer greatly and slowly," the koopa spoke with pure rage.
"So...I'll take that as a 'no' then!" Merleon just shrugged that off, then reached into his cloak, and suddenly threw a dagger at him. The Crystal Queen jumped and shrieked at this as the dagger sunk deep into his chest. The koopa let out a wail and fell onto the snow. His body jolted a little as he coughed up a little blood and then he slowly stopped moving as his head rolled to the side and his eyes forever locked onto the Crystal Queen.
"Oh my goodness...this...I…" the Queen was at a complete loss for words and covered her mouth in disgust.
"Sorry you had to see that, but it had to be done. They were annoying and were just gonna get in the way of things. Now then, my Queen...give in to your nature. Accept your fate. I can make you the ruler of this land for all eternity, even beyond death," Merleon said as he grabbed her hands and got close to her, making her more frightened.
"What? B-Beyond death!? How can I still be a ruler if I'm dead, though!?" she questioned.
"Simple. You become a ghost. You will still be hailed and worshiped as a Queen even though you'll be just a spirit. You know what the Boo species is, right? They are prevalent throughout the kingdom and no one bats an eye at the oddity of a race of ghosts wandering around. So you'll be just like them," Merleon assured, which did bring another valid point to the table, which also made the Crystal Queen the tiniest bit more fond of the idea of being a ruler in this world.
"Okay. Okay. Well...um...what will happen if I don't agree to this?" she asked.
Merleon shook his head and sighed. "Come on now. This is an offer that you'd be foolish to refuse. But...if you DO refuse, well...let me show what your life will be like if you wish to not take that path!"
He grabbed her by the wrist and the pair suddenly flew into the open hole in the frozen over lake. It all happened so fast, that she had no time to react.
"He took me to the Underworld and...well...he didn't outright say it, but it was apparent that I would be subject to the horrors of the Underworld if I said no to his offer. But I'm glad I said yes...because I saw what was in that Underworld. Monsters disguised as regular villagers. Trees coming to life. Snakes of different sizes were everywhere. The snow was gone and the heat felt just dreadful. We tried to look for you, Kooplinia, while we were in there, but you must've hidden yourself away so quickly. Such a shame because maybe...if you had chosen to be a part of this master plan...you wouldn't have had to suffer all those years in the Underworld.
I love the power that I've been given. I love being a ruler for all these centuries. I love having all these creatures be a part of my home. So, I'm glad I said yes, and I have no regrets in doing so. But now's the time to move to the next phase of my ruling; Move myself and my creatures to the other world so I can keep reigning. And none of you will stop me."
Kooplinia's eyes welled up greatly and tears flowed down her cheeks.
"You...you just let him die. You didn't do anything to stop Kooprik from being killed! You...OOOOOHHH! I WISH YOU HAD NEVER CAME INTO OUR WORLD! THIS ALL STARTED BECAUSE OF YOU!" she screamed in pure rage.
"It's time to beat this bitch down! No more screwing around, no more storytelling, this ends NOW!" Pauline yelled as everyone prepared for battle.
"I don't know why you're so mad at her for...it was my ancestor that directly killed her, after all!" said a familiar voice that echoed throughout the room.
"Oh, great. It's fucking Merle. I'm not surprised he decided to show up during this time, though. The Queen isn't strong and brave enough to fight on her own she's gotta have her warlock pal join the fun!" Troopa spat as Merle appeared in a puff of smoke next to the Queen.
"Still your tongue, you little brat! You shouldn't be talking because you're doing the same thing with these fools!" the Queen hissed.
"Not exactly. I'm doing this on my own free will. Helping these guys is just a big bonus!" Troopa playfully replied.
"Hmm. I see you've got quite the army with you, Rinot. But we've got a bigger one!" Mirror-Merle revealed, as a large number of Clubbas, Swoopulas, and Duplighosts flooded the room all behind him and the Queen.
"Not surprised by that either. We knew you guys wouldn't go down without a big fight. So let's get this show on the road, shall we?" Mirror-Mario said as he grabbed his handgun from his backpocket, ready to fire at will.
"Yes! Let's begin the show...BY DOING THIS!" Mirror-Merle yelped then snapped his fingers. The mirrorwall in the room suddenly shattered into hundreds, possibly thousands of pieces and they all flew towards the group of heroes. They all screamed and ducked for cover, some of them covering others with their own bodies.
"FUCK! AWAY!" Troopa screamed, and the remaining glass pieces that didn't already fall on the ground suddenly flew towards the Queen and her group, slicing and cutting many of them.
"AGGGGHHH! OW...is everyone okay!?" Vivian cried as she felt a few tiny glass pieces cut into her skin, but nothing major. She looked to her right and screamed again as she saw Koopie with a big shard in her neck.
"Ah...oh...he...help…" Koopie cried out as she stumbled everywhere, overwhelmed by the sudden pain.
ORIGINAL SHIVER MOUNTAIN
Koops led the former prisoners of the Mirror-Crystal Palace into the hidden room within the Shiver Mountain, where the spirit of Madam Merlar resides.
"Okay, we're all in here! Now, you go and save your friend and we'll wait in here for your return. We know you and your friends will be successful!" Herringway optimistically spoke.
"Got it. Um, you, Dino...if anything happens somehow, protect them however you can, okay? You're the strongest one here. I'm hoping those guys won't figure out that they need to remove this Star Stone from the slot in order to get into here" Koops ordered as he brought out the Star Stone to put in the slot just outside in order to seal the room.
"I'll do the best I can! Now go! Time is at stake for your friends. We'll be fine here!" the Albino Dino demanded.
"But please also do your best to be careful. We've lost so many as it is already. This predicament we're in can't get any more bleak," Penelopuin pleated, becoming emotional again over her own loss.
"Of course. I'll be perfectly honest, though...this is probably the toughest stuff that I...that we've ever had to deal with as of yet. But, I thought the same thing about the last battle we had. And the one before that. And the one prior to that one…" Koops pointed out to himself and the others.
"That just means you got what it takes to overcome the crap that's happening now! Don't overthink it and second guess yourself, because that'll be your biggest downfall in trying to win," Perrie suggested.
"You're right. I can't let myself get like that. Thanks, guys! I'm out of here now!" Koops said with a confident smile and was about to leave, when suddenly…
"KOOPS, STOP!" yelled a female voice, startling Koops who had turned around.
"Huh!? Who was that!? Who said that!?" he yelped.
"Me! Madam Merlar, the one who helps guard the Crystal Palace in this world!" she said as a purple-cloaked woman came into almost clear view for everyone to see, surprising them all.
"Oh! That's right, you're an ancestor of Merlon! What is it?" Koops asked.
"I know you need to help your friends in the Mirror World, so I'll be quick about what I need to say to you: my power is severely limited outside of this room. From what magic I can do in here, however...I've seen something that you need to know for when you go back to the Mirror World.
Merle in the Mirror World is not the Merle that he's supposed to be. He mustn't be killed! The star kids in Starborn Valley in that world have no magical protector for them and their village! If he were to be killed, Starborn Valley would be greatly vulnerable to any future potential attacks on them. That village MUST be protected at all times! Those star kids will eventually grow up to become an adult star in the night sky, helping to provide the light in that world and preventing darkness from ever reigning and shrouding their planet," Merlar explained urgently. Everyone looked incredibly confused by this.
"HUH!? What the hell do you mean that Merle isn't Merle in that world!? You're saying that one of the Duplighosts copied him and has pretended to be him in that world for who knows how long!?" Perrie asked.
"Not exactly. Merle in the Mirror World has been possessed by that world's Crystal King for a long time now. That's why he's been doing all those sinister acts in that world! That's why his personality is much different to the Merle in THIS world! In a Mirror World, it's certainly possible to have minor differences in personality traits and whatnot...but nothing to that extreme of an extent! Killing the Crystal Queen will bring out the Crystal King in his true form then you'll be able to defeat him!" Merlar added.
Koops was beyond taken back from this as his anxiety rose. "Oh my god...a-are you absolutely sure that he's been possessed, though!? When Merle in this world told us the story about the origins of the Crystal Palace and the Mirror World, he made it seem like the Crystal King in that world...or, uhh, I guess 'Kooprik' would be more appropriate, was completely normal and a good guy! That's how it came off at least, that he wasn't remotely evil!"
"I'm positive. I can't get an accurate read of why Kooprik in that world is the way he is right now in his spirit form, but I'm almost certain that something happened in the 17th century in that world that made him become that way. Probably right before his death. But, no matter what the reasoning is, you need to go and inform your friends about this! Your friend, Bombette, as of right now is also still alive and is somewhere in the depths of the Mirror World's Crystal Palace, but there's no more time to waste! Good luck!" Merlar spoke and then vanished. Koops booked it out of there, put the Star Stone in its slot which made the staircase rise and seal the room, and then he bolted up the mountain.
EoC.
Next chapter is the final chapter of the Crystal Palace/Mirror World arc! Next chapter will be the all out bloody battle between the heroes and the Queen's army. Also happening in the next chapter will be the uncovering of the final piece to the mystery of what really happened after the Crystal Queen entered the Mirror World in the 17th century. Next chapter will be uploaded on or before Sunday, July 11. Thanks for reading!
