Adventuring Group: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, DK, Dixie, Goombella, Koops, Kooper, Bombette, Parakarry, Lakilester, Spike/Paper-Yoshi, Vivian, 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., 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 woke up from her deep sleep. She slept in the guest bedroom of Monty's house. She turned her head and saw the clock. She was surprised to see that it was 11am. She groaned a little, not wanting to sleep in that late. She pounded her fists on the bed, and slowly started to cry, wishing Waluigi was next to her in that bed. She couldn't remember much of her dreams right then and there, but she remembered seeing Waluigi and her friends and remembered feeling all sorts of contentment.
"Damnit…damnit!" she yelled and ran her hands through her hair, feeling her heart shatter all over again. She wiped her tears and slowly dragged herself out of the bed. She was a little mad at Monty for not waking her up earlier, but she also knew that it wasn't his job to. She exited the room and walked to the kitchen and saw Monty making himself a cup of coffee. Monty jumped when he locked eyes with her.
"Oh! Rosalina, good morning! I just woke up a few minutes ago. Did you sleep well? How are you feeling?" Monty politely asked.
"I'm…okay," Rosalina responded with a shrug, not wanting to burden him with her prior heavy emotions. "I'm surprised I slept in that long. I don't usually do that."
"Oh! I think I know what you mean. I used to be a morning person, but after Montara passed, I hated getting up early. I wanted to be in my dreams where she and I are still together. I hated being awake in this world without her. Maybe that's what happened to you? You think?" Monty suggested.
Rosalina felt it hit her again, because he was right. She subconsciously didn't want to wake up so she could continue being in those pleasant dreams. Her eyes welled up again as she walked to the dining table.
"Yes. I, um, I don't even know why I'm so shocked at that. I slept so much when I was at the other house. Didn't want to be awake and face reality. But I have to face reality if I want to heal quicker," Rosalina spoke as she choked up a little and tried to hold back any more tears.
"Yep, exactly. But it's okay to feel that way! It's part of the healing process. Coffee? You want?" Monty said.
"Sure. Coffee sounds nice right now," Rosalina answered with a small smile.
"Alrighty. Have you thought about potentially returning to your friends? I know you said you would sleep on it. So…you've slept. Well?" Monty eagerly questioned.
Rosalina rested her chin on her hand and let out a sigh. "I still don't know. I think you were right, that it might be too soon. But what's stopping me from being fully against not going is that…I wanna still help fight, and I wanna make things right. I wanna show everyone that I can help and be a true ally. That they don't need to be afraid. I understand why they feel the way they feel, and it's perfectly justified. But, I truly want to go back and help finish this. They need me, and I need them. I've bonded with those people, and they've made my stay on this planet so wonderful and comfortable, because I was originally gonna just stay in the galaxies and visit every so often."
Monty's expression turned into a very sympathetic one as he grabbed her mug and walked it over to her.
"Here you go. Drink up. After that, I wanna show you a couple of things. It's important that I show you," Monty urged as he set the mug down. This struck a major curiosity in Rosalina.
"Oh? What do you have to show me?" she asked as she took a sip of her coffee.
"Well…um, I suppose I can show you one of the things right now. Hold on tight for a sec!" Monty nervously responded as he twiddled his fingers and ran off to his room. Rosalina became a little nervous herself now, not wanting to deal with any more wild surprises, but she didn't think it would be that bad with what he needed to show her.
Monty came back and tossed a folded up piece of paper onto the table in front of her.
"What's this?" she asked.
"It's…um, a suicide note. From Montara. I found it about a week after she passed, hidden in one of the drawers of my office desk. She, um, she dated the note, she wrote it two weeks before she died. I found it because I wanted to declutter and clean out all the rooms to get my mind off the pain…w-when I found that. I, um, I couldn't bear to throw it away, because it just…I don't know. Still messes with my head to this day that she was planning on doing that when I thought things were great between us. I keep trying to think what I did wrong to make her wanna end her life and be apart from me. I thought I did everything right to be the best boyfriend I could!" Monty explained as he teared up.
Rosalina unfolded the paper and spoke, "Monty…don't you dare say that. You did your best, and you were enough for her. You have to get your mind out of that line of thinking." She then read the letter out loud, "Dear Monty, I'm writing this to you because I decided to end my life. I'm exhausted thinking of my past, how horrible it all was with my family and my ex. I try not to think of my past, but random flashes come every now and then and I can't help but dwell on those memories and constantly think of how I wished it would've gone or what I should've done differently in those situations.
I'm tired of being haunted by those memories. I've tried so hard to be happy with you, and while, you are indeed the best thing that's ever happened to me, I'm afraid that it isn't enough for me to keep on living in this cold, miserable world. I'm sorry if I've ever upset you or hurt your feelings…I don't deserve to be forgiven by you. You're too good for me. You deserve someone more stable and less closed off.
This is goodbye."
Rosalina was brought to tears again after reading that gut-wrenching note. Reading that made Rosalina realize that Montara must've really suffered some serious trauma for her to write everything out in this way. She felt horrible for her, knowing that her abusers won, in a way, because she succumbed to the trauma they inflicted upon her.
"Wow. I…I don't know what to say, Monty…" Rosalina softly spoke while choking up. Monty looked away as he began to sob, then Rosalina continued, "...but, she wrote this two weeks before she died from falling off the cliff. Why so long? When someone writes a suicide note, they do it immediately after it's written."
Monty sniffled and grabbed a napkin to wipe his eyes, then spoke, "I think she was having second thoughts. I remember those two weeks before she died. I took her on a trip to go whale watching, then saw a movie, then went out to a fancy dinner. That day really reignited the spark between us…it felt like the early days of us falling in love all over again. So, I think that's what made her stop…until that argument.
I think she made an impulse decision to end her life when she was running with Toadaska out in those fields. Think about it…those cliffs aren't hard to see from afar. You'd have to literally go out of your way to go to those cliffs. I know Montara was in a fragile and emotional state when she was running, but, um, m-my theory is that, that's when she made the choice to kill herself. She ran towards those cliffs and…ended it."
Rosalina folded the paper back up and grabbed a napkin to wipe her tears as well. "I see. That does make a lot of sense. Um, so, what's the other thing you wanna show me?"
Monty took the paper back and said to her with a shaky voice, "Finish your coffee and I'll show you. I'm gonna…go to my room real quick."
A short while later, Monty and Rosalina stepped outside the house and onto the street.
"Follow me. It's this way," Monty ordered and led the way northwestward towards the beach.
"Where are we going?" Rosalina asked, taking in the salty air, warmth from the sun, and the calming sounds of the waves crashing onto the shore.
"To show you something beautiful. It's a bit of a surprise. Just keep following along now," Monty responded with an excited smile.
The pair walked on the beach and continued heading left. They kept walking for a few minutes until they reached a cove that blocked the other side of the beach.
"In here. The tide is low right now, so no need to worry about the water getting in here," Monty said as he entered.
"Okay…um, Monty? What are we doing in here? What is it that you wanna show me that's in here?" Rosalina questioned, now getting confused.
"Look at these stones on the ground. Look at how glossy and glassy they are. Some are different colors. Look, this one is green! And this one looks rainbow-colored…" Monty spoke in wonderment as he scooped up a pile of colorful-looking rocks and handed it to her. Rosalina was astounded by the abnormally-colored stones. They stones felt glass-like, as she smiled viewing a pink and glassy stone in her hand, the biggest one of them all. The stone was almost heart-shaped, which added to the enchantment.
"My goodness, these are all so colorful! And so glassy…how are they like this?" Rosalina asked.
"I did some research. About a century ago, this beach was considered to be an 'unofficial' water dump site. It's where people dumped their trash, appliances, and even glass. Over the decades, the crashing of the waves broke down the glass and pottery and tumbled those pieces into small and smooth and colorful stones that look like they could be jewelry! This is the only place in the Mushroom Kingdom where a beach has thousands of these gorgeous stones laying around," Monty explained, astounding Rosalina even further.
"WOW! I had no idea ocean water could do such a thing! That's just incredible. To think that these beautiful stones we're looking at now are from decades ago…from a bunch of people's careless actions of polluting the environment…" she said while feeling the smoothness of the pink stone in her hand, giving her a warm feeling. She then looked at Monty a little confused and asked, "But, why specifically did you show me this? I know there's a deeper reasoning for coming down here and looking at pretty stones."
"Well, the point I'm trying to make across, in a very VERY roundabout way nonetheless, is that this place is so unique. It's the closest thing to paradise that we're ever gonna get to. Fresh ocean air. Little congestion. Natural beauty of the planet all around us. Despite the horrid memory of losing Montara, I still love it here. I can't imagine being anywhere else. If there is a heaven out there, I bet this is what it would look like…and…a-and I hope Montara is there too. I mean, I'm sure she is. She has to be! She's too good of a soul to not be in a heaven. You know?" Monty responded, slowly turning his head to the ocean with a big smile.
"Y…yeah. I know. Well, I mean, I'm not sure if there is THE heaven that is talked about in religious texts, but I'm positive there are heavenly dimensions beyond this physical world. But, I'm not sure what point you're trying to get at here," Rosalina replied, feeling more confused now.
"Point I'm trying to make is this: Let this place be your therapy, Rosalina. Please…don't go back to Mushroom City so soon. It's too soon. I can tell you're not ready yet. But that's okay! There's nothing wrong with not being ready. But, when you ARE ready, I wanna go with you. I know that contradicts what I said about me wanting to stay here, but I also wanna help the world. I'm not afraid…well…sorry, I shouldn't say that I'm not afraid of dying because that'd be a lie. I should say…I'm LESS afraid of dying than I used to be. Especially if it's for a great cause.
So, when you go, I wanna go too. And if I succeed with living and helping out, then I'll come right back here and live out the rest of my life, trying to be the best person that I can be. If I don't survive…then that's okay too. At least I contributed, and I get to be with Montara in whatever heavenly dimension she's in. So, as crazy as all that might sound, it's a win-win for me. What do you think?" Monty clarified, coming off as very confident in his stance about what he wants.
Rosalina loved Monty's spirit, but also wished he didn't come with, because he's too pure of a soul to join her and endure such a grueling, violent, and traumatic journey. He's suffered enough already. But she also knew that she couldn't stop him. Monty's an adult, and he can make his own choices.
"Well…I wanna go back to them soon. I don't wanna wait too long to come back. I don't wanna miss out on anything they need help with. You know?" Rosalina asked.
"I know what you mean. But you have to think about your friends, Rosalina. What do you think your friends want and need? I'm sure they want to see you again, but they also need time to heal and time to process. You can't make the situation all about yourself. Going back prematurely might make things worse," Monty added and that made it click for Rosalina.
What he just said brought a chill down her spine and made her eyes well up again. She had been so focused on herself and wanting to get herself back into the swing of things that she hadn't considered what her friends' thoughts and feelings were about her. Monty was right. Just like how she needed time to heal and process, her friends also needed that healing and processing. It's something that can't be rushed nor forced.
"My god. You're right. You're…you're absolutely right. It was so selfish of me to make this whole situation all about me. I can't believe I didn't realize it until just now. I…damnit! I can't go back yet. As much as I want to…it's too soon still…isn't it?" Rosalina spoke while choking up, feeling ashamed and embarrassed.
"It's okay! Don't get down on yourself. It's all okay. It's part of the process, you know? Hehe. But please don't get too down. In the meantime while healing, I can show you the beauty this town has to offer. This is just a small glimpse of that beauty. Let me be your tour guide! I know this town like the back of my hand! You know, I never knew how that expression came to be…why specifically the back of a hand?" Monty said with encouragement. Rosalina nearly chuckled at his last sentence.
"I would love to see this…this coastal, scenic town as a whole. I think it would really help," she replied as she wiped her eyes and smiled, feeling such warmth and gratitude for Monty's kindness.
TATANGA'S ISLAND
Diddy heard footsteps approaching the cells while he was nodding off to sleep. His nerves kicked in, wondering what's gonna happen this time. He rubbed his eyes and scooted himself towards the cell bars. He quickly became confused as he saw a koopatrol approach the cells, although he didn't have his headgear on.
"What the? Uhh, who are you?" Diddy asked.
"Hmm. What's going on?" Mimi mumbled, also awakening from nodding off.
"Wow. So, you survived the crash! WOW. What a coincidence. You and I end up in the same place after everything. Funny how that ended up working out, huh? It's like a dark comedy going on here!" the koopa spoke while cackling a little.
Diddy felt creeped out by him and was even more confused. But something about him felt very familiar somehow.
"HUH? Do I, uhh, know you?" the chimp responded nervously.
"Of course you do. I practically stole your girlfriend. Remember that?" the koopa answered snidely with a devious smirk.
Diddy's expression slowly turned into horror when he put the pieces together. He knew why his face and voice were familiar.
"Oh…oh my god. You're Fire Bro. H-H-How in the fuck did you end up over here!?" Diddy shrieked as he slowly stood up.
"Wait a second, what!? Fire Bro!? F-From the hospital? That same Fire Bro?" Mimi questioned.
"What the hell are you two talking about? My name isn't Fire Bro. My name is Konnor. The brother of Kooper. But…you knew that secret already, didn't you?" Konnor said, looking as if he was trying not to laugh.
Diddy tightened his grip on the bars and became angry. "Oh yes, I remember. Koopie told us that secret. How you were, unsurprisingly, in an insane asylum and then broke free. Changed your face. Changed your name. Hid your true self 'till you couldn't hide it anymore. God, you are a waste of space."
"What the? Y-You did all of THAT?" Mimi shrieked in disbelief.
Konnor smiled giddily. "Of course I did. I changed who I was to thrive in society. We all do it, you know, in some way, shape, or form. Some of us are just more obvious or honest about it than others!"
"Oh, don't make this into some special life lesson, you piece of shit! How the hell did you get here!?" Diddy roared.
"If you MUST know…I followed Count Bleck here. Then I stayed here because, well, this is where I truly belong. This is THE place where we get to fuck up the whole world. But, you already know that I love to fuck things up, Diddy. Don't you? I mean…I caused a rift between you and Dixie. Goddamn! The fact that your girl was so easily stolen by me just proves how fragile your relationship was in the first place!" Konnor explained with a creepy smile the whole way through. Diddy saw red now.
"YOU SON OF A BITCH! WHEN I GET OUT OF HERE, I'LL FUCKING TEAR YOU OPEN MYSELF! WHAT IN THE FUCK DID I EVER DO TO YOU!?" he screamed.
"Oh! You didn't do anything to me, Diddy. I just love creating chaos and seeing people suffer. I can't lie…I actually get off on it! Gives me such a rush!" Konnor replied enthusiastically.
Mimi caught her breath as she stood there, frozen in horror at his casual psychoticness. "My god…you are an absolute monster. I can't believe you were with us this whole time when all of this started!"
"Yeah. A real true fucking psychopath knows how to hide his true self until the time is right. You're damn right you belong here, you scum. But you're not gonna survive this. Trust me, it'll all come back to get you in the end. And I'll be there to see your end…and I'm gonna enjoy it," Diddy harshly spoke as he looked him dead in the eyes.
"Wow. You're really confident that I'm going to meet my end, aren't you? Is it because I'm one of the bad guys? You think just for that reason I'll die?" Konnor said as he slowly walked towards his cell.
"No, not just for that reason. Because you're a sick bastard who doesn't deserve to live. The worst kind of bastard that loves seeing people be hurt. Like I said before…a waste of space," Diddy spat, not at all intimidated by him creeping closer.
Konnor's odd smile didn't go away though. "Hmm. That's just your opinion though…but there is truth in there. And that truth is, yeah…I love seeing people be hurt. Especially when it's you!"
Konnor quickly reached into his pocket and then stabbed Diddy in the shoulder. The chimp screeched and fell backward as he immediately gripped onto his left shoulder.
"WOAH! WHAT DID YOU DO!?" Mimi screamed and jumped in fright.
"I made him suffer even more. That's all. I'll be seeing the both of you real soon! Tata!" Konnor cheerily responded and walked away.
"Wha…Diddy! DIDDY! WHAT HAPPENED!?" Mimi yelled.
"Agh, the fucker stabbed me in the shoulder! Oh god…I-I need something to stop the bleeding!" Diddy responded as he was groaning and crying on the ground.
Mimi had an idea, but she scrambled around her cell to find the thing that would help…but she eventually found something. A sharp-looking stone. She grabbed it and cut into her dress, tearing off a somewhat large piece.
"HERE, DIDDY! Can you reach this from your cell!?" Mimi said as she extended her arm out from the last space between the cell bar and the wall.
Diddy scooted back to the front of the cell and saw her arm with the dress piece. Diddy extended his right arm out and just barely snatched the clothing. He gave a huge sigh of relief as he pressed the clothing against his wound.
"Thank you…thank you…oh…fuck, as if things couldn't get any worse…"
Dimentio was in his room, sitting on his bed, endlessly tapping his fingers on the sheets as he desperately tried to conjure up a plan to get him out alive and succeed Tatanga.
"Oh god oh god oh god…okay, Dimentio, quit fucking panicking! You're acting like a raging lunatic who's off his meds! Just…hoo…I need to calm my mind. The best solutions are created when there is no desperation involved. Just remain calm, cool, and collected. That'll be my key to figuring this mess out," Dimentio nervously spoke to himself.
The Star Rod was on his bed too. He so badly wanted to begin his wreck of havoc with the legendary item, but he knew diving into it head first without any proper planning would be detrimental.
"Alright…alright! I may have it. The Star Rod grants any kind of wish, so, logically, I could wish to take over the world without any issue. Yeah. Yeah! For crying out loud, why didn't I think of that earlier!? BUT WAIT! No. That's too easy. No no no. Yes…WAY too easy. The Star Rod couldn't possibly be used that easily for evil purposes after what Bowser did with it a long time ago. I have to make sure it can be used for my desires and that there's not some magical block," Dimentio erratically spoke and then got into a meditative state. He calmed himself down and slowed his breathing.
"Forces of darkness, unveil the limits put upon this object of light. Show me the truth, make it happen with all of your might!" Dimentio chanted, then his breathing got faster as he felt a pressure on his whole body. He continued in Latin, "Copiae tenebrarum, limites huic obiecto lucis detege. Ostende mihi veritatem, fac totis viribus contingere!"
The pressure became overwhelming on Dimentio's body. He let out a yell as he felt like he was being crushed by some invisible force. He turned his head to the Star Rod and shakily reached his hand out to grab it. He yelled again as he saw a red flash appear from the Star Rod and then the rod suddenly exploded into hundreds of tiny pieces.
"WHAT THE HELL!? WHY!?" the jester screamed in pure surprise as his heart raced, feeling a strike of terror in his body.
"H-How could it have gotten destroyed!? That makes no sense! The Star Rod is supposed to be indestructible! It's…wait a second…" Dimentio stopped freaking out when he realized something. "Oh my god. It's a fake. It's a goddamn fake! That means…shit….that means the real one is either in Star Haven and those damn Star Spirits made some decoy in case someone were to come and raid again…OR…I'm being fucked with by someone here via magical means. Hmm…and who's the only other two people here who can use magic? Tatanga and Beldam. Guess it's time for a witch hunt!"
Beldam was heading down to the storage room, feeling very eager yet nervous to get out of there. She truly wanted to escape this ever-growing feud between Tatanga and Dimentio since she not only knew she'd be killed in the thick of it, but also her heart wasn't in it any longer to partake in world domination. She had already lost Marilyn because of this, she didn't want to lose herself as well…and even Vivian.
Beldam snuck past the few koopatrols that were in the weapon room. She dashed to the door of the storage and quickly went inside.
"Doopliss! You in here? Beldam whispered.
"Yes! I'm by the machine," Doopliss quietly whispered.
"Oh good. Are you ready to begin this? Because I sure as hell am!" Beldam impatiently spoke as she walked to the wrecked teleporter.
"Definitely. Aaaaand…I'm sure THIS pretty little item will help!" Doopliss excitedly said as he revealed a familiar-looking wand to Beldam.
"WHAT THE? That…that looks like the wand Bowser used when he came here! How the hell did you get that!?" she shrieked.
"I saw Tatanga order some koopatrols to go out in the waters to fish it out of there, since that's where it dropped last. One of those poor suckers nearly drowned, but of course, Tatanga didn't care! Heh. Then I spied on him putting it in his room. So, I got in there while he was out, and searched his room, and then found it in his safe. I was luckily able to get it open and snatch it!" Doopliss explained.
"Wow…I didn't know he even had a safe. How did you know the code to open it?" Beldam asked.
"Honestly, it was sheer luck. I used his birthday month and day as the code and it opened; April 6! So, 0406. I swear, he makes it TOO easy sometimes…" Doopliss snickered, then continued, "By the way, you should've seen what else was in that safe! It looked so weird, I think it was-"
"Okay okay, Doopliss! Tell me about it later, I really wanna get out now," Beldam cut him off and got closer to the teleporter. "Okay, we need to begin this now. I'm gonna start the chant, and when I say 'GO' point that wand at the teleporter," Beldam commanded.
"Okay, fine. Roger that. Yeah, let's get out of this depressing hellhole!" Doopliss cheered.
Beldam was about to recite her spell, but suddenly, the door to the storage room slammed open, frightening the two.
"WOAH! WHO'S THERE!?" Doopliss screamed.
In came Dimentio, who looked livid. "What's going on in here!? What are you two doing!?"
"D-Dimentio! Were you looking for us!? What do you need!?" Beldam shrieked.
"Yes, I was, actually! And- wait. Why do you have that wand? Is that the same wand Bowser had!?" Dimentio yelled, pointing to Doopliss.
"Uhhhhhh…no…" Doopliss nervously replied, hiding the wand behind his back.
"Pathetic! DOWN!" the jester yelled, then snapped his fingers. Doopliss and Beldam were pushed and held down by some invisible force.
"OOH! Dimentio…wh-what are you doing!? What do you want from us!?" Beldam cried.
"Are you on his side? Are you fucking with me!? Were you trying to restore this machine!?" Dimentio angrily questioned.
"Agh…Dimentio…let us go! We're on no one's side here! We just wanna leave!" Doopliss pleaded.
"I don't think so. You either join my side and I'll let you live. Or, I'll tell Tatanga about this and have him punish you justly. OR…I can have him punish you, and THEN I can kill you myself. Those are your three options! PICK WISELY!" Dimentio yelled.
"Ugh…damnit…we'll…we'll join you…" Beldam said in defeat, now on the verge of crying.
"Excellent. I knew you'd pick wisely. Now…hand me that wand. After tonight, this place will no longer be the same, like a fortress being overtaken from the inside out!" Dimentio proudly spoke.
"You and your stupid, annoying similes…" Doopliss grumbled.
Tatanga came back to his room from his nightly patrol to ensure everything was running smoothly. He closed his door and went over to his safe.
"Fuck this. I'm not waiting any longer to eliminate him. The longer I wait, the more he gets to plan his next move. This has to end tonight," Tatanga whispered to himself as he put in the code to unlock the safe. He opened it then gasped at what he saw…or rather, what he didn't see.
"What the hell!? That…that's still there…okay, but what happened to the wand!? OOH! THAT FUCKER! That's it. I don't care if this potentially messes with my plans anymore. He needs to go down…"
MUSHROOM CORPORATIONS
Arfur approached the door to his boss' office and was extremely nervous. There had to be a big reason for why Toadari called him immediately after the meeting with Mario and Peach was done. He opened the door and walked on in.
"Hey, Boss? What's up?" he spoke, attempting to not come off as shaken up.
"Please have a seat. I need to discuss something important with you. Something that Mario told me that sure spooked me quite a bit," Toadari commanded in a very firm voice. Arfur gulped and his palms got sweaty. He walked to the chair and sat down all the while praying to the stars that this wasn't going to be anything bad.
"Wh-what did Mario say that was so, uhh, spook-worthy?" the doogan shakily asked.
"Well…I wanna confirm that he and his friends are definitely onto us. They questioned me about Fire Bro, about why his friends were captured here the days before Tatanga struck, and why we aren't doing more to help protect their people. I think I managed to alleviate their suspicions a little, but I can tell they still don't fully trust us," Toadari reported.
"Oh man! Yeah, that's the same stuff Mario questioned ME about. But, looks like you did a good job at making them back off! Well, for now, at least," Arfur cheerily replied, hoping he could leave any second now.
"Yeah. For now. But likely not for long," Toadari's voice changed to a more serious one along with his expression. Arfur caught this and his whole body tensed up.
"Wha…w-was there something more!?" Arfur yelped.
"Yes. Mario told me some very confidential information. It was something so out of the blue…because I really thought I had a reliable team that could keep everything this company does a secret. Well…maybe I shouldn't say 'team.' One person spilled a deep secret. A secret about how Mario was taken in for experimentation of his blood and DNA, and the experiment on Kris," Toadari revealed as he rested his arms on his desk and looked the doogan dead set in the eyes.
Arfur wanted to die right then and there. He knew exactly what he was talking about. His heart raced and he became more sweaty.
"Oh…uhhhmmm…s-s-sir…th…that…um…he…I…I…" Arfur tried to respond but his mind was all over the place in a state of panic. He was terrified of what his consequence would be for this dastardly mistake.
"Arfur…why on earth would you tell ANYONE, even Mario or his friends, about what goes on inside here!? Do you not realize what you've done!? You broke the protocol. You put us at a greater risk of being taken down. You…you betrayed the company…and even me. You are a traitor. You've grown a bond with those people and, my god, that's why you did it. You don't belong to their circle, you belong to US," Toadari spoke very sternly as he clenched both his hands.
"I…o-oh god, T-Toadari…I am so s-sorry! I'm so ashamed! I just…um…I-I felt bad for them because they've been through so much and were so lost, s-so I just gave them…uhh…SOMETHING. A tiny piece of info. They were questioning me about it and wouldn't stop, s-so I just gave them…that info…" Arfur stammered with pure fear taking over his body. He knew he wasn't going to get off so lightly from this.
"Wow. Look at how weak you are, and look at how you've formed a connection with those people. I told you before all this began, do NOT get emotionally invested in those people. Because now look where it's gotten you. Betraying our secrecy…AND lying! Remember when I asked you over the phone if you revealed any kind of secret info to them, and you told me no? How unprofessional. How…traitorous. How horrifying! I relied on you to get this job done properly. I expected there to be a bump here and there…but not of this magnitude," Toadari scolded as he slowly stood up from his chair. Arfur began to hyperventilate and cry as he truly felt bad for what he did, but also because of how terrified he was of the repercussions.
"T…Toadari…I…I can fix this. Please! Please don't let me go! I'll do anything you want to fix this! PLEASE!" Arfur begged for mercy.
"Arfur…I'm just…still stunned and taking this in. You know damn well what happens when one of our staff reveals confidential info. I don't have to remind you of what became of Professor Fungi, right?" Toadari recalled, now looming over the doogan, which struck more fear into him.
"I..I-I know. I remember. B-But please, PLEASE PLEASE let me fix this! Give me one last chance! PLEASE, TOADARI!" Arfur screeched.
Toadari was silent for a minute as he slowly sat himself back down. A small light of hope shone in Arfur as he thought Toadari may have decided not to punish him now.
"Alright. One last chance. But…if you wanna regain my trust and stay here, you will need to do this one task for me," Toadari said as he opened one of his desk drawers.
"Of course! Like I said, I'll do anything to make up for what I've done," Arfur replied in desperation and wiped his eyes in relief.
"The task I want you to do is…" Toadari spoke as he got out a golden, shiny knife and put it on the table. "Kill one of them with this knife of mine. I don't care how bloody and messy it gets. Kill Mario or one of his friends, take a picture of the body to show me the evidence, then dispose of the body however you please."
Arfur's heart sank again as his expression regressed back to terror. "W…wait! WHAT!? Kill o-one of them!? Are you serious!? Toadari…this…that's inhumane!"
"Maybe so, but you know what, Arfur? You broke the biggest rule of all, so now, if you wanna save yourself and regain my trust, you will do this task for me. Show how truly loyal you are to this company, and to me. This is the only way out for you. However, because I understand this is such a huge weight to carry…I'll give you 24 hours to decide. By the end of the day tomorrow, I will need an answer from you on what you wanna do. If you say yes, you will be given an additional 24 hours to carry out the task. If you say no…well, I can imagine you already know how THAT will end up being.
Arfur, I'm severely disappointed in how you ended up like this. Not once in your almost 10 years of being here have you ever committed such a traitorous act. We are advancing civilization as we know it, making everything happen in our favor, and creating a world that'll be better than it already is. And you wanna take that away all because of a bond you let yourself make with those people. You knew what the stakes were from the get go. Don't act so surprised at this. 24 hours, Arfur. You have no one to blame but yourself for this predicament you're in," Toadari scolded further, making Arfur feel the lowest he's ever felt. Arfur cried again and sunk his head into his lap, abhorring the position he was in, because he didn't want to end an innocent person's life but he didn't want his own life to be ended either. There was no easy way out of this one.
ST. TOADOFSKY'S HOSPITAL
Daisy entered a conference room on the second floor, nervous to speak with Luigi and let everything out. She hoped to the stars that it would work out. She hoped that this catastrophe wasn't going to ruin them. She leaned against one of the tables and slowed her breathing. She needed to stay calm during this talk or else saying anything based off of impulse may make things worse.
Luigi entered the room next, startling Daisy a little. She turned to him and couldn't help but smile a little at his appearance.
"Hey. How are you doing?" Daisy asked, noting his just-as-nervous expression.
"Been better. You?" Luigi replied as he crossed his arms.
"Same. Sorry. That was a dumb question. I just honestly don't know what to say to start this off…" Daisy admitted, nearly laughing out of nervousness.
"Me neither, but, we gotta start it off somehow," Luigi added with a hint of a smile.
"Right. Yeah. So…okay. I'll just come out with it. Why end our relationship over something that doesn't have anything to directly do with us? You know I love you still, and that, nothing bad was happening between us anyways. There was no reason for you to end it, Luigi! All I was doing was trying to help. Pushing me away makes things worse! Why do you even do that? Do you think you can just take on all of that alone? This can't end over some trauma!" Daisy began the necessary conversation and became a little more emotional as she spoke.
"I just…Dais, I didn't know how to process everything that's been happening! All the damn violence we've had to witness just keeps replaying in my head and I'm sick of it! And I'm so angry. I almost died too. It feels like a never-ending hell in my mind and…ah, I-I don't know how to explain it, Daisy! Okay!? I just wanted to be left alone! I got tired of everyone checking up on me and trying to comfort me! Plus, everyone else had their own trauma to deal with, adding mine to that would just make things worse!" Luigi exclaimed as he kept repeatedly rubbing his forehead out of stress.
"Oh, stop that bullshit! I don't care if your trauma adds to mine, and I sure as hell think everyone else wouldn't mind either! Luigi, we are partners. We help each other through the rough times no matter what the situation! Yes, I know, this situation is nothing like any other couple has ever experienced before, but you can't face all that on your own. You don't NEED to do it on your own. Just…just be with me! Talk to me! I love you so much, Luigi…I don't wanna lose you, you mean everything to me!" Daisy raised her voice and started crying towards the end. Luigi could literally feel her pain and raw emotions from the words she spoke. It struck his heart and made him well up.
"Dais…I…I love you too…I just…I don't know what I'm doing, okay!? I'm so exhausted from everything. I know I'm not the only one that's suffering, but I don't know how to deal with that pain besides just blocking people out! I've barely even talked to Mario since the shooting happened! I don't wanna be an emotional burden to people! I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE RIGHT FUCKING THIS IS TO DO OR SAY TO ANYONE ANYMORE!" Luigi screamed at the end and broke down in tears. Daisy hugged him and cried with him.
"Luigi…h-hey…it's okay. None of us know what the hell we're doing. Okay? We just gotta be together through it all. It's no one's fault. It's not my fault. It wasn't my fault…it wasn't my fault…the explosion happened and…" Daisy said, then began to ramble a little as she kept hugging him. Luigi looked at her in confusion.
"Huh? What are you talking about? What explosion?" he questioned.
Daisy wiped her eyes and shook her head. "I-I'm sorry. I lost my train of thought. I-I was, um, thinking about something else for a second there…" she explained while flashes of her accidentally shooting Toadaro popped in her mind, adding to the emotional intensity.
"Oh…um, about that guy you shot? The guy who begged you to shoot him and you didn't want to…but you did?" Luigi asked.
Daisy cried a little more and looked away. "Yeah. That. That'll replay in my head until the day I die. Sometimes I wonder 'why me?' Why was I chosen in that situation to do that? But then I recently realized, if it wasn't me, it would've been someone else. Or…maybe not. I don't know. I just keep telling myself that it wasn't my fault because it's the only thing I know that'll help me feel better about that."
"Good. Because it wasn't your fault. You shouldn't think anything else from that situation," Luigi said with a little warmth in his tone as he stopped crying and held her hands. Daisy looked up at him and felt that warmth in her body from his comforting touch and his understanding expression.
"Luigi…can we please not let this stuff rip us apart again? Please? I know it's hard, but it'll be less hard if we just stay together and be open about everything," Daisy spoke in a softer voice but also a bit more pleading.
"Yes. I wanna do that. I'm sorry for being so cold to you…I never want that to happen again," Luigi responded with hope and kissed her, and she kissed back. It was a moment of pure passion and love that felt so invigorating and bonding, like everything was back on track for them.
Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, DK, Dixie, Goombella, Koops, Kooper, Bombette, Parakarry, Lakilester, Spike, Vivian, Bowser, Larry, Wario, Pauline, Mona, Jojora, Starlow, Luvbi, Toadette, Bleck, Tippi, Toadsworth, Fly Guy, Dr. Nokano, Morton, Lemmy, Ludwig, Bowser Jr., E. Gadd, and Toodles, filtered into the hidden basement room with Merle in tow, ready to see this expectedly whimsical magical ritual.
"Hey you. Where were you at? I looked all over the hospital for you and Koops and was starting to get worried!" Vivian spoke to Goombella, startling her.
"Oh! Uhh, I was just…Koops and I were just, like, at the graveyard, by Koopie's and Flurrie's graves and just…y'know, chatting and crying," Goombella nervously explained.
"Oh, okay. Well, you guys gotta be sure to be careful if you go out that far from the hospital. After that koopatrol raid, I've been so cautious and hyperaware of my surroundings. But at least you weren't alone, so that's not too bad…but still!" Vivian advised in clear worry.
"Yeah, I know. We just wanted to be…like, left alone in…silence and stuff to grieve for Koopie and Flurrie," Goombella added, still sounding nervous and now feeling incredibly awkward since she knew Vivian and Koops had a fling not too long ago and wasn't positive if Vivian still had feelings for him or not.
"I get it. But don't forget that it's okay to be in the company of your friends sometimes too! Helps the grieving, in my opinion," Vivian replied with a comforting smile.
"Of course. I know not to push you guys away, and I'm sure Koops does too," Goombella said and forced a smile as she glanced over at Koops who was speaking with Parakarry. The koopa glanced over at her as well and smiled brightly at her. Goombella felt embarrassed now and wanted to just hide away forever.
Larry looked all over the room and wandered a little. "Hey, is Kody here? Has anyone seen him? Is he coming?"
"I doubt he's coming here. Why do you ask?" Morton responded.
"Because I really want to talk to him. I feel horrible about how that shit went down last night! I feel like I just betrayed him, you know? I hope he doesn't try to harm himself…" Larry worriedly answered.
"Just give the kid time to be alone. I get why he's pissed. You guys came at him hard and threatened to kill him practically if he didn't fess up. I feel like you all should know by now that trauma can severely fuck up a person's memory," Ludwig stated.
"Really? You guys weren't there with us when he changed his story and we caught the mistakes! We had to keep our guard on because of everything we've been through. I'm not gonna have this become an argument again," Larry replied frustratedly.
"Son, we'll find Kody after this. I wanna apologize to him as well because I honestly do feel bad for making him think that I would shoot him. Okay? And yes, please, no arguments. We don't need that right now," Bowser spoke in an exhausted voice.
"Maybe he doesn't wanna be found. He's been through a lot. Just putting it out there that it probably won't be easy getting to him," Lemmy pointed out.
"Just let it go for right now, Lar. Let him come to you, if anything," Morton said, attempting to calm him down.
"And what good will that do? I'm not gonna wait forever for him to may or may not come to me. That's ridiculous!" Larry spat and shook off his brother's suggestion.
"Dude, that's not up for you to decide. He was the one who showcased his trauma for everyone to witness since he was forced to. You're being selfish right now," Morton responded while shaking his head in disapproval. Larry became madder at his brothers and the entire situation but he held himself back since this meeting was more important.
Jojora approached Parakarry and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to her and didn't look too enthralled to see her.
"Oh. Hey. What's up?" the mailman asked blandly.
"Really? That's all you have to say? Can we talk about us after this?" Jojora responded annoyedly.
"I'm not sure what there is to talk about. Seems like everything was needed to be said earlier," Parakarry said with a shrug.
"What!? Are you being serious!? We can't just leave it at that! That was a pretty serious argument if you ask me!" Jojora exclaimed.
"Yeah, it was, but there's no way I'm gonna change your mind on the matter, so let's just forget it ever happened," Parakarry responded dismissively.
"What…Parakarry…come on. I genuinely feel bad for how that went down. We NEED to talk," Jojora urged.
"Can we just save it for tomorrow morning? I don't wanna do this at all today. I'm serious," Parakarry stated with a hint of anger now. Jojora looked like she was going to cry.
"...Fine. Tomorrow morning. Meet me in the courtyard," Jojora said then walked to the other side of the room.
"What the hell was that all about?" Bombette whispered to him.
"I'll tell you later. Let's just say that she really pissed me off earlier," Parakarry answered.
"Okay, if everyone is here that wants to be here, we can begin. Everyone, step to the sides. I need to sprinkle out some powder onto the floor…" Merle ordered and everyone followed as he got a brown bag and began pouring out a blue, sparkly powder. He poured out the powder in the shape of a diamond and then stood in the middle of it.
"To the ones who are connected to the heroes of the past…please step forward and stand right behind the powder lines…also known as the ones who began this journey in Mushroom Corporations, apart from Mario," Merle commanded. Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, DK, Dixie, and Goombella stepped forward.
Dixie turned to Toadette and spoke to her, "Toadette, step forward. You're also a part of this. You're part of the lineage of the heroes who created the gems. Remember from yesterday?"
Toadette jumped a little then stepped forward. "I-I am!? Oh, that's right. I am. Sorry, I'm still processing…how I'm practically related to a god…man."
Merle breathed in deeply through his nose, then exhaled greatly out his mouth and spoke, "Gods of light, we seek ye's showing of the connection brought unto these people, descendants of the gods of yore who saved this very same world from centuries past. Tell us everything that we should know. Reveal the secrets from your sacred glow. We shall not fear ye for we are doing our part. Let the magics show this is coming from the heart! Unveil the answers we seek! LET IT RAIN BEFORE OUR FEET!"
The room shook and everyone gasped and was startled. The light dimmed and the blue powder glowed. The glow began to shine brighter and brighter until the glow encompassed the whole room.
"My goodness, this is a little scary! Are we going to die as some side effect of this?" Toodles hollered.
"Of course not! He's not using black magic for this, so don't worry…at least…I don't think he is," Bleck assured with not too much confidence.
The room then disappeared and everyone was floating in a blue void.
"WOAH WOAH WOAH! WHAT'S HAPPENING!? WHAT'S GOING ON!? WHERE AM I!? WHERE DID THE ROOM GO!?" Lakilester shrilled in immediate panic.
"Calm yourself. The ritual is working," Merle assured.
Suddenly, nine bright and different colors appeared and shot to the aforementioned 8…plus a few others.
A platinum-colored ray shot at Peach and Daisy. A gray ray shot at Goombella. A green ray shot at Toadette. A light, crystal-blue ray shot at Dixie. A black ray shot at DK. A yellow ray shot at Wario. A red ray shot at Luigi and Mario. A pearly-white ray shot at Yoshi. A dark, sapphire-blue ray shot at Kooper. Everyone's bodies glowed bright in their respective colors.
"WOAH! What the!? Why is it shooting at me!? Am I connected to one of the heroes then!?" Kooper shrieked, making the others gaze in astonishment at this discovery.
"Yeah, what the hell is this!? Please explain!" Wario added.
Merle's body shook a bit and he began to pant as he spoke, "Ahhhh…Kooper…they're speaking to me now…you are a distant relative to Birdo's family tree…and since Birdo is a descendant of the hero, Aqua, that also makes you a blood-related descendant. And Wario…since you're Waluigi's brother, and he is connected to Zarp…that makes you the prime connection now since he is now longer here with us…"
Kooper looked extremely shocked at this. "What!? I-I'm a distant relative to Birdo!? But how!? How distant are we talking about!?"
"Birdo's great great great grandfather, Birdrino, and your great great great grandmother, Kooprissia, had a very momentous love…and conceived your great great grandmother, Koopanya. They couldn't remain together because of how the world viewed inter-species relationships at that time, so Kooprissia was meant to raise Koopanya on her own, and Birdrino left her to her own devices. Any evidence those two were together was destroyed," Merle explained.
"Woah. Now this just took a wild turn!" Lemmy commented.
"Really…my god…I-I remember seeing a picture of Koopanya a long time ago. I remember thinking she looked a little different from a typical koopa, but I never said anything. Wow. I never would've known!" Kooper spoke, still processing everything.
"That's pretty amazing! I mean, all of this is! So…wait a second, how does Rosalina fit into all this then? She was captured with the others at the start for examination of her blood because of being related to the heroes of the past, so which hero is she connected to?" Mona questioned.
Merle closed his eyes, seeming to be overwhelmed by the ritual. "Rosalina…ooohh…she is…oh my goodness…she is connected to it all! No. I'm sorry. I mean…wait…what am I seeing right now!? Where are you taking me!?"
"Merle, what's wrong? What's going on!?" Mario asked. Merle hyperventilated a little, and then the setting changed, startling everyone again. They were outside in the woods, some amount of feet away from a tall and black tower that loomed over them.
"WOAH! Where are we now!? That's a creepy looking building!" Starlow yelped.
"Okay…okay! It's showing me the location where the final gem lays now. The dark gem. Here. Or, rather, in there. That building is called Blackstone Tower. No one is permitted to go in there…but you all must in order to finish this journey," Merle said, pointing to the tower.
"Oh wow. I've heard about this place, how it's haunted and how people have gone missing in there. Should've expected the last place to not be any less rough than everything we've dealt with so far!" Bowser Junior recalled.
"So what's the story behind this place? It can't be as simple as us going in there and finding the gem at the very top, right?" Pauline questioned, looking creeped out by the tower. It was clearly old, falling apart, and just gave a very eerie and dreading vibe.
"This is the place where a vile dragon nicknamed 'Darktail' originated from and caused mayhem unto the world in 1665. The nine heroes of yore defeated the dragon and sealed it away forever in this tower. However, the tower could not be destroyed, as there is a power over it that's just as powerful as the Crystal Star Road. This tower contains an entrance to the Underworld…yes, the very same Underworld some of you here entered back in the Shiver Region," Merle answered. Some of the others groaned or look frightened at this.
"You're telling me we have to go through that annoying hellscape place AGAIN!? GRAH! Fine, but the next tree that attacks me, I'm burning that fucker down!" Bowser yelled.
"A…what? You're saying that a tree attacked you!?" Tippi responded confusedly.
Merle continued, "No no! You won't need to enter the Underworld from the tower to get the gem. No. It's…it's not in the Underworld. The heroes of yore sealed all the darkness and evil within this tower, and the dark gem was created and put in there as a means to control that darkness and evil. It is indeed at the top of the tower! Only ones with hearts of goodness can take the gem and have the gem's power still maintain that control over the darkness. You all must find your way within this tower and find the gem. I will say to you…it won't be easy. The tower is a maze…it's…it's nothing like you've ever experienced before…you will be faced with challenges that deal with your past traumas…ergh…I'm sorry…the dark, horrid energy from this place is quite unnerving for me…"
"Huh? What are you saying? Our past traumas we have to face? Why would we do that in Blackstone Tower?" Peach asked in a mix of confusion and fear.
"It's…ooh…it's a mystical place with…erm…a mind of its own, to put it simply. Gah. Away! Take me away from this wretched area!" Merle commanded and the setting changed again to another void but this time it was a void with the nine colors everywhere; platinum, black, gray, sapphire, crystal-blue, yellow, green, red, and pearl.
"Wooooaaahhh, so pretty! Reminds me of the time I tripped out on acid and everything was in technicolor! Haha, oh man, those were some fun rave days," Fly Guy hysterically spoke as he gazed in wonder all around him.
"Wow. We literally didn't need to know about that," Spike commented.
"Merle, you mentioned 'Darktail'. Darktail as in…uhh…ancestor of Hooktail, Gloomtail, and Bonetail? You know, the dragons my friends and I fought a long time ago when we were collecting the Crystal Stars?" Goombella recalled.
"Y…yes…the dragon 'Darktail' is an ancestor of those same dragons you fought…but this Darktail was a dragon so vicious, evil, and soulless, that legend says it came from the Underworld and tried to invade our world with its army of offspring, but of course, that failed. Legend also says that an offspring of his resides in that very tower…but no one knows for sure, though," Merle answered as he rubbed his head, now looking as if he was hurting.
"Oh, of course it does. Can't have a location with a mystical item laying inside without a big, bad boss!" Jojora scowled.
"Hey, are you okay? You look like you're about to pass out!" Dr. Nokano pointed out in concern.
"Y-Yes…sorry…the ritual takes up quite a lot of my energy…and…OH!" Merle suddenly shrieked when a white flash appeared from him. Everyone was startled yet again and shrieked when they saw 9 figures appear before them.
"AGH! Who are you people!? Don't hurt us!" Koops yelped.
"Do not be afraid. We are the nine heroes speaking from beyond. It's a pleasure to meet all of you, especially you 11, the ones who are descendants of us," spoke a humanoid female with long, straight, dirty blonde hair with blue eyes who wore a platinum-colored dress.
"Oh my! A-Are you…you're my ancestor…you look so much like me and Daisy!" Peach yelled in both fear and wonder.
"Yes, I am. The books of yore call me Plata, the one who controls the weather, but after the sealment of the Crystal Star Rod, we all fled to various regions of the universe to live out normal lives to ensure no one knew of our knowledge of the gems. I changed my name to Peonie when I lived a regular life. I married into the royal family of the Mushroom Kingdom in the 17th century. That is how you and Daisy became princesses, generations later. You came from me. Your lineage started with me," she explained.
"What the hell…s-so…wow, I had no idea! I mean, I don't think I could have anyways because that was obviously so long ago, but man! This is incredible!" Daisy cheered and laughed a little.
"And you two, the brothers who helped save this wonderful kingdom time and time again," spoke a humanoid male who was short but very slender sporting a red and green striped shirt with blue jeans with blue eyes, brown hair, and a faint mustache, directing his attention to Mario and Luigi. "I am your ancestor. The books call me Hess, the one who controls fire and heat…but my human name was Pietro. I escaped to live on Planet Earth in a country called Italy. Should be no surprise, though, because you both are full Italian."
"Wow! So…wow. I'm sorry, I can't speak right now because all of this is so…it's hard to take in all at once…" Luigi responded, feeling overwhelmed.
"So, all origins come back to the Mushroom Kingdom. Our ancestors' origins…and here we all are now. It's like we were destined to always come here, just to save this world from Tatanga," Mario said, figuring out the pieces to the puzzle and smiled a little.
"You're exactly right," spoke another humanoid male, who was tall but seemed overweight and had a thick, black mustache with a bald head who also sported a yellow and purple-striped shirt with dark jeans. "You all were always destined to come back here, to be the saviors this world needs at this time. We knew the world would suffer an apocalypse of a similar nature like the one in 1665, so that's why the gems are spread out the way they are, so only the true heroes would succeed in getting them. And Wario…look at me. I am yours' and Waluigi's ancestor. The books call me Zarp, the controller of electricity, but my human name was Walessandro."
Wario teared up and stepped forward to him and spoke, "Oh my god. P-Please tell me…can you, um, bring Waluigi here, so I can see him? Please!? You have the power to do that, right!?"
He shook his head while looking sad at him and responded, "Unfortunately, we cannot do that. This ritual was to call for us only, bringing another spirit down here from a dimension beyond requires much more power and energy that Merle here does not have at that moment. But, I can tell you this much: Where Waluigi is at right now, he's happy and safe, and is watching over you, all of you in fact! He's cheering you on and has much love and appreciation for each and every one of you."
"Aww, that's so amazing! We're so glad to hear that!" Parakarry cheered and patted Wario on the shoulders, who cried in joy upon hearing that.
"Th-thank you. That's really good to know that he's somewhere else and he's doing so good there. That really helps," Wario spoke through his crying and nodded happily. Mona gave him a side hug and teared up as well.
"Hey! Does the same go for Toad as well? And all our other friends who passed? Are we allowed to ask where their spirits are even at?" Toadette questioned intensely.
"Yes, Toadette, the very same applies to your brother and all your other friends. They all couldn't be happier at the progress you've all been making. My name is Emery, the controller of nature and everything natural, but when I lived my life as a regular toad, I changed it to Toadeenery. I combined the word 'greenery' and 'Toad' and made it into that, because, you know, I'm all for preserving and protecting our natural green lands! And obviously because of the spots on my head," he heartily spoke with a bright smile. He was a toad with green spots on his mushroom and wore a green vest.
"Good. Good! It's, um, good to meet you…wow…you must be my great great great great great great grandfather then? Or is there another 'great' or two that should be added in there?" Toadette nervously chuckled.
Toadeenery chuckled back at her. "I think one more 'great' sounds about right! Ha. But as for where their spirits are…well, we can't say specifically…not because we don't want to, but because it's hard to make a label for where they are. Calling it 'Heaven' doesn't sound right, but they're definitely not in Hell, or any kind of dimension like that. They're right where they need to be, at peace, and watching over you all. The closest I can call it, is that they're in a dimension beyond this one that is as close to being 'heavenly' as one can get."
"Okay. I'm so happy to hear that! I'm glad they're in a place that's better than here," Toadette cheerily responded as her eyes welled up with relief.
"And you are…? Your color is gray…the gray gem was a gray diamond from the Spirit Temple…" Goombella asked.
"Dayaman, the one who controls the grounds and the earth. Regular name is Goombond. You and I are very similar! I've always been interested in architecture and the history behind it, and I know you are too," he answered enthusiastically. He was a light gray-ish goomba with short, dirty blonde hair.
"Woah. That is very similar to me. You…you're, like, very similar to my dad too…h-he also liked architecture…" Goombella choked up.
"Yes. Your dad is in that same heavenly dimension your friends are in. He is so proud of the woman you've become!" he said in praise, which brought her to more tears.
"Th…thank you…I needed to hear that…oh…" she responded and felt faint from the powerful emotions striking up. Vivian held her and gave her a side hug.
"And I'll have YOU two know that your beloved Diddy is still alive on that island. That crash into the ocean didn't kill him. Him and Mimi are awaiting your guys' arrival so they can be set free and fight alongside you all," a chimp-looking female with piercing blue eyes and wavy blonde hair spoke to Dixie and DK. This struck hope and relief in everyone.
"I KNEW IT! YES, I KNEW IT! OH MY GOD….thank you so much for telling me that! I just knew he wasn't dead somehow, even before Bleck told us what he saw when he went to the island!" Dixie cried in pure joy and hugged DK.
"Of course! And before I forget to introduce myself, my true name is Sonow, controller of ice and snow, but I named myself on the Mushroom Planet as Delilah," she continued with a wide smile from seeing her descendant so ecstatic.
"And my name is Rakd, but I went by Shade on this planet. Some called me Shadey Kong as a nickname. It's an honor to meet my descendant in person," said an ape with a soft and husky voice that looked exactly like DK, although his fur was a slightly darker color than DK's.
"It's…um…an honor to meet you too! And you're the controller of darkness, right? I've always thought of that as an 'evil' thing, but I guess not now," DK asked.
"No. Darkness isn't an evil thing. That's just a label the world put on it. Light cannot exist without dark, much as dark cannot exist without light. Both are needed for the world to operate in its most balanced manner. If dark or light didn't exist, there would be nothing to fight and strive for. The world would become one shade of a color and, well, it'd be boring. Don't be afraid of the darkness outside and within you…but don't let it consume you. You shouldn't let light consume you either," Rakd/Shade responded.
"Why shouldn't we let light consume us? What does that even mean? You're saying we shouldn't be the good guys?" Luvbi questioned.
"Not at all what I'm saying, but you will soon see what I mean. You need to experience it for yourself," Rakd/Shade cryptically replied.
"My dear Yoshi…" spoke a male and pale-white dinosaur who took a few steps towards the green dino. "I know you're grieving over your beloved right now. I know it's unbelievably difficult to process and power through those emotions. But just know that you are strong and can make it through…and that Birdo is rooting for you so much to not give in and win it for her. My name is Parle…but you can call me Yosukshi."
Yoshi nodded and cried while wiping his eyes. "I-I know. I know I can do that, b-but I'm just so angry you know!? What am I supposed to do to not ruin myself in the process!? I don't wanna make any mistakes in this. I just want her back…but I know that can't happen…"
"It's okay to be angry. The healing process is not going to be a linear process, so throw that idea out the window. Mistakes are going to happen no matter what, so don't try to be a perfectionist about that either. My one recommendation is…don't alienate yourself from your friends. It's okay to have alone time, but don't push anyone away. Your friends are your support, and you have the kind of support that'll last a lifetime," he suggested calmly and seemed to understand everything he was feeling. Yoshi nodded and was met with a side hug from DK and Dixie.
"And last is you…Kooper!" shouted a female koopa with brown hair and blue-green eyes. "I'm Aqua, controller of water. Alternative name is Kooploch. And yes, you are indeed a very distant relative of Birdo! The bloodlines you share are almost miniscule, but just enough for your connection to be prevalent to each other and to me."
"Man this is so crazy! I mean, in a good way, of course! But….damn. That also means that my brother, Konnor, is also connected to you too?" Kooper said in an epiphany.
"That is correct. Konnor is the one standout in the bloodline who has chosen a path of destruction and villainy. He must be killed as his very presence in this world is one of a major threat. I'm sure you all know this by now, but he's very cunning and apathetic. He'll do anything to get his way AND to also cause chaos in the process of it," Aqua/Kooploch stated.
"We definitely know. And don't worry…I'll make sure he's in the ground. He WILL pay for all the shit he's caused," Kooper responded determinedly.
"All of you…as was said, it's destiny that you all are here, saving the world from an apocalypse. You're close to the end. This is the time where your true inner hero will shine through. Make it count. Make it worth it," Hess/Pietro said.
"We have to go now…the magic is fading…but please, never give up on each other, AND yourself! You'll need each other through the remaining rigorous trials that remain!" Plata/Peonie encouraged.
"The world is counting on you all. Fight until the very end. We wish you all nothing but the best of luck," Rakd/Shade said and gave a nod towards DK.
"OH!" Merle screeched and fell backwards. The spirits faded away and the setting returned back to the room.
"MERLE! ARE YOU OKAY!?" Mario cried and ran to him.
"Hold on. Don't get too close, everyone!" Nokano ordered and felt his neck then his heart.
"H-He's okay, right!? That didn't, um, hurt him at all, right!?" Starlow shrieked.
"He's still alive, there's a pulse, but I wonder if that ritual was too much for him? That seemed to take quite a lot of magic and energy!" Nokano answered.
"Well, whatever the case may be, we need to get him out of here and monitor him!" Toadsworth demanded. DK picked Merle up and led the way out.
"Hey! Does anyone feel really weird all of a sudden?" Toodles asked.
"What do you mean by that exactly?" Pauline questioned.
"I mean…like, feel an urge to just…go completely insane for no apparent reason?" Toodles specified, confusing everyone else even further.
"Oh! I feel like that constantly! BUT YOU'RE RIGHT! I'm feeling it even more now! Oh man! WHAT A RUSH! WHAT A…wait…no! It feels wrong, though! WHAT IS THIS!?" Fly Guy shrieked and felt panicked.
EoC.
Next chapter is where the zany fun is! There will be a short scene at the beginning of the chapter on Tatanga's island, but after that, the chapter will be completely comedic, but don't worry, the story will still progress. Next chapter will be uploaded on or before Sunday, January 30. Hope you all had a great holidays, and here's to a brand new year! Thanks for reading!
