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, Toado, Dr. Nokano, Morton, Lemmy, Ludwig, Bowser Jr., E. Gadd, Clawdia, Katia, Kenneth, Toodles, Tadano, Petey Piranha
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
TATANGA'S ISLAND
"PEEKABOO!" Konnor yelled, kicking the door open to Dimentio's room. He wasn't in there, after checking for the fifth time now.
"Maaaan, where is this guy!? I feel like I've been searching for hours now! That damn magician wannabe is so annoying, with his weird metaphors and always disappearing and his smartassery. I'm surprised Tatanga AND his friends haven't tried to kill him yet! I mean, geez, who would want someone so obnoxious on their team?" he rambled to himself as he walked down the hallway.
"PSST! YOU!" shouted a feminine voice from down the hall. Konnor nearly jumped and saw Beldam peek her head around the corner.
"Oh! Me? Yes, me! Hi!" Konnor cheerily replied and galloped on over to her.
"You're looking for Dimentio, right? Tatanga sent you to find him?" Beldam asked.
Konnor narrowed his eyes a little and tilted his head. "Errr…what's it to ya?"
"Well…if you're looking for him…I know where he is. Just follow me," Beldam whispered and gestured to come along.
"Um, okay? So…you're just gonna give him to me that easily?" Konnor questioned in a suspicious manner.
Beldam slowly turned to him and nearly chuckled. "Why do you ask it like that? I hate Dimentio. The sooner he's gotten rid of, the better. But only Tatanga can make that happen. Doopliss and I are powerless against him."
Konnor still looked suspicious at her. He crossed his arms and spoke, "Really. I…no. No! No fucking way. It's too easy. This is a damn trick!"
"Damn. Told you he wouldn't fall for it!" Beldam shouted. Konnor's nerves immediately amped up as he knew he was in a trap. Dimentio appeared from a white flash and giggled.
"Oh well, it was worth a shot! Hello. So…I see Tatanga found a new pet to boss around and make him do his dirty work. And you seem to be enjoying it too…yet I'M the wannabe here? Haha! You couldn't be any more pretentious if you tried!" Dimentio taunted.
"Wh-what the hell is this!? How'd you know I was coming for you!?" Konnor yelped and backed away in fright.
"Oh, you poor fool. I practically haunt these halls, like a forever wandering ghost in an old mansion! And this…this is me figuring out who you really are!" Dimentio cheerily replied and snapped his fingers. The entire setting turned into a green and wide room, making Konnor shriek and fall down backwards.
"WHAT THE!? WHERE AM I!? And what the hell do you mean by figuring out who I really am!?" the fire brother frantically questioned. Doopliss and Beldam popped into this room as well.
"There is something up with you. You stand out from all the other koopatrols and you have an air of creepiness surrounding you, slick. No way in hell does someone go so out of their way to be one of Tatanga's henchmen without holding some dark secret. Believe me…we've had it happen to us recently with a koopa named Roy…" Doopliss cryptically said.
"SCREW YOU! I just wanna support Tatanga's cause however I can! I don't understand how that makes me suspicious! You're just overly-paranoid because you know he's onto you and you know you can't win. You're so fake and boring, you know that?" Konnor angrily spat. Dimentio just laughed at his insults.
"Woah woah! High on the defense there, are we? See…where you're at right now is a place called Dimension D. A place where my powers are amplified. I could easily kill you right now, but…I'm honestly TOO curious to find out your secrets, like a child awaiting to open presents on Christmas!" the jester taunted.
"Wha…uhh…so, what are you gonna do to me then if you're not gonna kill me?" Konnor asked nervously.
"Simple. I'm gonna take a ride into your mind! Don't bother trying to resist!" Dimentio said, then zoomed towards Konnor and put both his hands tightly on Konnor's head. Konnor screamed in horror as he felt his mind being invaded. Dimentio cackled as his body jolted as if he was being electrocuted. A small explosion was then seen, blowing each other away.
"Woah! Dimentio, are you okay?" Beldam shrieked.
"Agh…yeah…I…woah…hold on! I see it! I see him! His past! And…what the…good god! You've done so much heinous stuff! Murder…manipulation…deceiving…false identity…you are a ceritifiable psychopath! MY GOD! This is…agh…more overwhelming than I anticipated…" Dimentio responded as he saw glimpses of Konnor's past in his head and was noticeably in pain.
"Woah. That's quite a lot for this guy. Damn! Dimentio, what has he specifically done? You said false identity. Is he some kind of mastermind?" Doopliss questioned.
"Yes…I mean…he pretended to work alongside Mario and his crew for a while…pretending to be their ally…and…fuck! He's not actually a Fire Brother! Not originally…he used witchcraft to turn himself to the Fire Brother species…tried to kill his brother, Kooper…sent to an asylum…escaped under the new identity…became a bounty hunter for Mushroom Corporations…killed a couple people…and now he's here. What. In. The. WORLD? You are perhaps one of the biggest con artists to ever exist! You fooled and deceived so many people! And you probably plan to do the same to Tatanga! Absolute madman, you are…" Dimentio explained, completely taken aback at this horrifying discovery. Beldam and Doopliss were stunned to hear this.
"Really? That's beyond insane! You did all that and haven't gotten imprisoned or killed…I…I don't know if I should be sickened or impressed…" Beldam commented.
Konnor groaned and slowly got himself up. "You…you would know all about deceiving…you sick bastard! So now you know my past. Big deal. You gonna crucify me for it?"
"No…no…in fact…I will use this to my advantage…IMPERIUM!" Dimentio shouted and Konnor screeched again, gripping his head.
"What are you doing to him this time?" Doopliss asked.
"He'll be under my control now. Someone so cunning and resourceful…someone like that can't be running around so freely. It's too dangerous and risky. But now, my friends, we are currently in the best position possible to take down Tatanga! He'll never know what's coming now. I have a plan that I've also fully crafted. First thing in the morning…we carry it out."
ST. TOADOFSKY'S HOSPITAL
Kody was with Bowser and the Koopalings in one of the conference rooms.
"I looked for you guys everywhere when things were going really weird. When I reached the 4th floor, I wanted to check to make sure that Tadano was still in there and that someone didn't let out due to the craziness…but I guess they did. Sucks!" Kody explained.
"We know who did it, though. It was Arfur's boss, Toadari. Now, why he wanted Tadano in the first place, who the hell knows. But he's on our hitlist now," Morton said.
"He was already on our hitlist, but this just made him a bigger target. That whole company is one giant loony bin! I can't believe it was also right underneath our noses this whole time too. That's the biggest mindfuck of them all, I think," Ludwig exclaimed.
"Just goes to show you that we really can't trust anyone outside of our circle. This whole catastrophe has really shown me how cruel and cold this world is. I knew the world was messed up, but I didn't realize it was on such an insane level of awful!" Lemmy criticized in disgust.
"At least we're making it less messy. Trying to at least. Which is why I wanna say to you, Kody, I'm sorry I forced you to spill everything. I was just so tired and angry of being screwed over and losing people. I didn't want it to happen again, so…that's why I did what I did. I was just trying to protect my family and friends," Bowser spoke sincerely and exhaustedly. The koopalings nodded in agreement and looked to Kody sympathetically.
Kody slowly crossed his arms and had an expression of disappointment. "Yeah…I really don't like how that was all handled. That was so fucking painful to remember and say everything that happened. I mean…I get why you guys were suspicious…but I tried so hard to keep my story hidden for a reason. I didn't wanna deal with the pain again. It hurts so much to remember how it all went down…like, I couldn't even sleep after I told you guys what happened."
"And we feel horrible about it, Kody! We really do. And we are so sorry you lost your family. That must be the hardest thing to handle. But we're letting you know that we ARE here for you no matter what! We'll help however we can, okay?" Bowser Jr. kindly assured.
Kody looked to him and smiled a little, then looked to Larry which then his smile faded immediately. "I also didn't like how you went against me, Larry. You acted like you wanted to be my close friend…then you flipped a switch when I told my story. How am I supposed to trust that you won't do anything like that again?"
Larry looked distraught and felt terrible for what he did. He knew Kody had every right to feel betrayed. Larry spoke, "I-I'm sorry, Kody, I just…I didn't know what to believe at the time. You kept switching your story and I got so suspicious…I mean, I get why you were inconsistent about it, but, um, just like my dad…I was really looking out for my family and friends too. But I am sorry that I betrayed you like that."
Kody sniffled and looked down. "I know why you guys do what you do. I'm not dumb. You gotta protect each other more than ever with all this crap happening. But I guess I'm too new to be a part of that. Sucks because I have nobody. Maybe I'm better off that way."
"Kod, come on! Don't get like that. We ARE here for you. You've got every right to feel hurt, but don't let that stop you from being with us. We can move past this together. We've got you! And if anything, we CAN sort of relate to what you're going through because, you know…we lost family too," Morton pointed out in a softer, sympathetic tone that was unlike him.
"I know. I just…I need time for myself to think and…whatever…" Kody mumbled with a shrug, looking as if he was about to cry. He then quickly left the conference room. Larry started to choke up.
"Damnit. DAMNIT! You guys…is it always gonna be like this? Hurting people and us getting hurt? Even when we have the best intentions!?" he questioned. Junior gave him a side hug.
"Unfortunately, I think it will always be like this, son. This is a type of Hell we're in right now. A type of Underworld might be the better word for it. Honestly…if you really think about it…this world really isn't that much different from what we saw in the Underworld when we were in the Shiver Region. I know that sounds bleak, but with everything that we've gone through, I can't help but feel like the pain will never go away. The only way to keep it from consuming us is for us to stick together as a family.
Morton, Ludwig, Lemmy, and Junior…you guys weren't there when this happened and I think I mentioned this earlier, but I nearly died back there. I was on the brink of death until Junior Troopa's mirror counterpart saved my life. I didn't want to go because I didn't want to leave you guys without your father, without any guidance. But now that I've been given a second chance, I don't want to waste it. I'm telling you all right now that I love you guys and will do everything in my power to protect you. I know I'm not winning any father of the year awards for all the dumb crap I've done in the past…but that was the past. All that matters is what we do now, and what we need to do is band together as a family. Put aside our differences. Love one another and accept each other as they are. Okay?" Bowser spoke who also was on the verge of choking up, but he had to convey his message of hope to his kids so they could understand that family was the most important thing they needed at this point in time.
The four who didn't know of this looked horrified at the news of him almost dying. Junior looked so upset that he started crying.
"No! Oh my god…I-I don't wanna think of not having you anymore, dad…you can't die!" Junior yelled and he and Larry hugged Bowser, and the other three joined in, all crying but feeling the power of love that bonded them in that moment.
"Ohhhhh I'm so happy you two worked everything together! Wait, everything IS fine, right? Right!?" Peach asked in both cheer and worry to Daisy and Luigi. The three plus Mario were sitting outside in the courtyard. The pair laughed at her.
"Yes, Peach, everything is fine. We talked it out and we're back on track," Daisy assured.
"Oh yayyyy! I was so scared for a moment there! Like, I was starting to think that it would've been one more awful thing to add to the list of…well, awful things that have happened!" Peach exclaimed with relief. The other kept laughing at her heartily.
"Ohhh man, I'm glad to hear that too. But wow…look at that moon. It's a full one tonight. So big and bright!" Mario commented, pointing to the glowing moon in the starry sky.
"Yeah. I just now realized we haven't really taken the chance to just stop and admire the beautiful sky. It's calming. I didn't realize so many stars could appear in the sky at once. Wow…that's at least a million of them you can see right now," Luigi said in amazement.
"So…um, gotta ask, in the morning we head out to get the final gem?" Daisy asked, wanting to know what the next objective is.
"Yeah, maybe late morning or early afternoon. I looked up the directions to Blackstone Tower right after we were done in the basement. It's actually not that far from here. It takes three hours by foot to get there, and it's out in the countryside. But I wanna see if we can snag one of the ambulance vehicles to drive there so it'd be easier, because it takes only 30 minutes to get there via driving," Mario answered.
"I've never even heard of this Blackstone Tower place before, and you and I have lived here for so many years now!" Luigi pointed out in surprise.
"Yeah, it's kind of out of the way and I've read that it's forbidden for anyone to enter there. But we gotta go in there if we want to finish this. Just think, you guys, we're so close now. One more gem…and this nightmare can finally be over. All the insanity we had to endure…no more of it. We'll be able to finally properly rest and move on with our lives," Mario said with hope in his voice as he had a faint smile while looking into the night sky.
"Just one more. We've gone through so much and sooooo much has happened! We've been in this apocalypse for two or three weeks I think? Feels like two or three years because of all the people we've lost and places we've been. It's still so surreal to me!" Peach exclaimed with an immense struggle to process every single treacherous event they've handled.
"This Blackstone Tower place though…the way Merle described it was pretty creepy. He said that we'll be facing our past traumas, and that the place has a mind of its own. But…how? How would exactly that work? What do we even do to traverse that?" Daisy anxiously questioned.
"We'll figure it out when we get there, Dais. We're not gonna know all the answers beforehand, we're just gonna have to figure it out along the way like we've pretty much been doing with each area," Luigi said in assurance, observing her anxiety over wanting to know about this eerie place.
"Exactly. I hate the not knowing part as much as you do, Daisy, but we have to go in there pretty much blindly. Look…if we can survive a damn mirror world AND a freaky underworld, we can survive some old tower of terror," Mario joked somewhat with a chuckle.
Daisy smiled a little, nearly chuckling herself but it quickly faded away. "True. But it's also safe to say that not all of us will survive."
Those words made Peach look away in discomfort, even if it was the truth.
"I agree. Not all of us are gonna make it. I hate saying that, but that's just the reality of what's happening. But whoever of us is left standing will be the ones to end this, and if I die before that happens, well, at least I'll die knowing I tried and helped," Mario stated in raw confidence.
Yoshi, Toadette, Dixie, and DK went into the liquor store across from the hospital.
"Soooo Yosh! You still in the mood to break a bunch of shit!?" Dixie teasingly asked.
"Yeah…yeah! Damn, look at all these glass bottles! So big…AND BREAKABLE!" Yoshi cheered as he grabbed a giant beer bottle.
"You sure you don't wanna take a swig of any of these before breaking them into a zillion tiny pieces?" DK asked with a chuckle.
"Umm, I don't think drinking alcohol and then bashing the bottles is quite the best combination of ideas…" Toadette commented.
"Oh just a sip wouldn't hurt! Toadette, I know you're underage for drinking, but none of us will tell anyone if you drink a little!" Dixie said with excitement as she opened up a Chuckola Cola bottle, drank a big gulp of it, then threw it at the wall, shattering the bottle into mostly medium-sized pieces.
"Really, Chuckola Cola? Pffft, lightweight!" Yoshi teased and grabbed a Vodka bottle, chugged some of it, then threw it at the wall.
"Lightweight? Does Chuckola Cola not have a lot of alcohol in it?" Toadette questioned.
"A miniscule amount. Now….huh-ho! Look at this beauty…it's called Grand Cru, a high-quality red wine! I don't think you usually find these at liquor stores, but oh well! DRINK UP!" DK said with amazement at the higher-end product and gulped some of the wine down then threw it at the wall.
"Nice, DK! Let's see what else is here…uhh…oh? A drink called Psycho-Blubb? Never heard of this before. It's purple-y and fizzy…let me taste," Dixie spoke with curiosity and took a sip. She made a look of disgust immediately after, prompting the others to laugh at her.
"Wow! That bad, huh?" Toadette asked while giggling.
"Geeeeez it tastes like sour fish! YUCK!" Dixie pouted and threw the bottle at the wall.
"Man oh man, what I wouldn't give to bash something like this over Fire Bro's head…HWAH!" Yoshi spoke in a more serious manner and threw it with more power at the cash register this time, both shattering the bottle and knocking the machine down.
"He deserves a lot worse than that. Use the glass pieces to cut his body parts off, then throw them in the ocean for the sharks to feed on!" DK added humorously and threw another beer bottle at the wall.
Toadette grabbed a Vodka bottle and opened it then sniffed it. She looked away in disgust, "Really? How do so many people drink this when it smells so bad in the first place!?"
"You're pretty much supposed to ignore the smell, to be honest. But just take one sip…and no more after that! We still gotta have some responsibility over a minor!" Yoshi answered with a shrug.
Toadette nervously took a sip of the Vodka and swallowed it, nearly gagging on the bizarre taste. Dixie and DK busted up laughing at her.
"Oh my god! Toadette, your face, you look like you're about to puke!" Dixie shouted mid-laughter.
"MAN! How do you guys drink that stuff!? It smells bad enough, but then that taste…YUCK! I'm never drinking alcohol when I become of age!" Toadette spat then threw the vodka bottle across the room.
"Yeeaaahhh…that's what I said when I was your age. Then I became of age and wanted to experience club and bar life. Whew, those were some crazy few years! Won't go back to it again, but I'm glad I got it out of my system," Yoshi recalled and heartily laughed.
The sound of the door opening startled the four and they all turned to see who came in.
"GOOMBELLA! Oh, uhh, hey. How are you?" DK awkwardly spoke.
"I'm…fine. I guess. What are you guys doing in here? Drinking it up?" Goombella asked as she observed all the alcohol bottles scattered about or broken.
"Kind of. Not Toadette, though. We're being responsible adults so you don't need to worry about that!" Yoshi eagerly responded. Dixie held in her laughter.
"To be totally honest, Goombella, we're in here breaking a bunch of stuff. Kind of a way to release all our anger and stress from everything. Do you wanna join us?" Toadette asked. Goombella narrowed her eyes and looked freaked out for a split second there, but then it softened and she looked impressed by the situation.
"Yes. I do. I wanna, like, break and smash a bunch of crap! I-I've done a very stupid thing as well…so this will be perfect for me to just let it all out and make me feel less like a sad sack of crap…BECAUSE I'M FUCKING TIRED OF FEELING LIKE THAT!" Goombella suddenly screamed at the end, then immediately ran to one of the counters, snatched a cheap beer bottle, opened it and took a few big gulps and then smashed the bottle against a sign advertising for cigars.
"Woah! Sounds like you gotta release a whole lot of pent up rage. NICE! What's this stupid thing you said you've done if you don't mind me asking!?" Yoshi excitedly asked.
"I…I'd rather not talk about it. I just wanna focus on, like, channeling my anger towards smashing the ever loving crap out of these yucky beer bottles! GAH!" Goombella huffed and threw another one at the wall.
"Yeah! Nothing wrong with going a little apeshit for one night! OOGA OOGA OOGA!" DK cheered and pounded on his chest like a true primeape. The others laughed at him and carried on through the night letting out their inner wild temporarily.
THE FOLLOWING MORNING - 9 AM
Everyone was filtering into the cafeteria, getting their breakfast.
Goombella slowly walked towards the cafeteria, feeling down and groggy. She felt a tap on her shoulder. The goomba gal annoyedly sighed and turned around.
"Yes? Oh! Mario, hi. Good morning," Goombella said, turning her tone around to a more polite one.
"Hey, morning! Meeting in the basement in that hidden room in exactly one hour, okay? I've already told a few of the others, but I'd appreciate it if you spread the word if you can," Mario stated.
"Of course. I'll let them know if I run into them," Goombella responded with a nod.
"Thanks! And…are you okay? You look…umm…like…"
"Like I've been hit by a bus?" Goombella joked with a chuckle. Mario nearly chuckled as well, not wanting to offend her. "I'm fine, Mario. I just didn't get much sleep last night."
"I understand. But is there something else? You look really down, Goombella. I mean, I know it's obviously because of everything happening, but if it's something besides that, I'm always here to be someone to vent to!" Mario kindly offered. Goombella faked a smile and looked down.
"I'm fine. No need to worry about me. I'm gonna go get some food now. See you later," Goombella firmly spoke and quickly headed into the cafeteria, feeling bad about turning down Mario like that.
When she got further in, she saw Koops not too far away in line. The koopa was looking everywhere, clearly seeming bored while standing in line, but then he ended up locking eyes with her. His face instantly lit up and he cheerily waved hi.
Goombella forced a smile and waved hi back, then slowly staggered back out towards the exit.
"Hey, Goombella! Where you going? You not eating breakfast?" Koops shouted, but Goombella ignored him.
Goombella became slightly panicked as she didn't want to speak to Koops just yet, but this panic was worsened when she nearly bumped into Vivian. The shadow siren stopped her.
"Oh, good morning! How did you sleep last night?" she politely asked.
Goombella's eyes widened as she stammered, "Wh-why do you ask that?"
Vivian noticed her awkwardness and became confused. "Umm…just a curious question, that's all. I know a lot of us haven't been sleeping properly because of, well, everything of course. I somehow managed to sleep 7 hours last night, which is way more than the past few nights, luckily! How about you?"
"Oh…uhh…6 hours…I think…I, um, like, need to get some fresh air," Goombella replied distraughtly and quickly walked off.
"Goombella, what's going on with you? You should really eat something!" Vivian yelled in concern.
Goombella stomped down the hall, nearly starting to cry, when she was stopped once again by another familiar face.
"GOOMBELLA! Stop for a second! I just saw that with Vivian, what the hell is going on with you!?" Spike demanded to know.
"Oh god it's just…I did something so stupid, Spike, a-and…damnit, I just need someone to vent to, b-but can you PLEASE promise me you won't judge?" Goombella pleaded while choking up.
Spike saw how serious this was and immediately became worried. "Of course I'm not gonna judge, whatever it is. Just please tell me everything, don't hold anything back!"
"Okay okay…let's go to the courtyard and talk privately…I can't be in here right now…" Goombella pleaded some more and the pair walked off towards the outside.
"Is she okay?" Bowser asked to Spike, while stopping on the way to the cafeteria, noticing her looking distraught.
"Uhh, yeah, she just needs some air and sunshine. It's all good!" Spike hurriedly assured, and the pair sped up to get to the courtyard.
"Pfft, well THAT was a very unconvincing lie. Now I'm curious to know what's really going on!" Morton commented.
"Just leave it alone, son. It's none of our business," Bowser stated, truly hoping Goombella was okay. He felt a kind of bond with her since they had that deep talk at the Mayor's mansion in Shiver City.
"Dad? You okay there?" Larry asked, noting his concerned expression.
Bowser shook his head and looked back to his kids. "Yeah. Uhh, you guys go and get your breakfast and find us a table, I'm gonna go use the bathroom. Don't forget to get food for me!"
"I really hope they're serving drinks other than milk this morning. The milk here is soooo watered down and tastes like it has already expired!" Ludwig randomly complained.
Bowser went into the men's bathroom and went into one of the stalls to do his business. After a minute, he flushed and exited and went to the sinks to wash his hands. He heard someone push the door open full force which made it hit the wall, startling Bowser a little. He looked up and froze briefly when he saw Kenneth, the one person he didn't want to see.
"Oh, joy. You again. I'd really like to know how we keep running into each other considering that this is exactly NOT what we want," Kenneth spoke with clear disgust.
"Ditto that. I'd rather keep on pretending that we don't exist to each other, because it's one of the few things that's keeping me sane in this damn place," Bowser frustratedly stated, trying his hardest not to get too heated up.
"Sane? Is that how you describe yourself? You know…after having kidnapped the princess and wrecking the kingdom so many times?" Kenneth questioned interrogatively. Bowser's blood began to boil.
"And what the fuck is that supposed to mean exactly!? Why are you trying to start shit with me!?" the koopa king yelled.
"Because to call yourself 'sane' is just laughable. Bowser, I see right through you. After Tatanga's gone, IF you guys even succeed, I already know how everything after go. You'll take a break, hide away from the public eye for a while, and then before you know it…you'll be back to doing the usual kidnapping and destruction crap all over again. It's in your blood. I mean, good god, it's anyone's guess as to why it took Clawdia so damn long to leave," Kenneth spat so vilely that it made Bowser see red.
"YOU LITTLE SHIT! Okay, you are three seconds away from getting your face broken if you don't knock your shit off and fuck off! I don't know why the hell you're being such a douche to me when I've literally done nothing to you! Oh, wait, I'm sorry, is it because we're living under the same roof during a goddamn apocalypse!? Boohoo, get the fuck over it, you damn whiner. If you hate it that much, which you clearly do, then just leave already and quit your bitching for once! No one's asking to stay here!" Bowser yelled and used all his might to not pummel him.
"And there you go again, resorting to violence. I'm only here cause it'd be too much of a trek to get to our lakehouse, where we'd finally be at peace away from these constant invasions of lowlives and your kids messing with my daughter. But now I'm starting to ponder if obtaining that peace would be worth the trek? I mean…come on, this is an unfavorable situation for the both of us, Bowser. It's bad enough you lost a couple of your kids, but now THIS? I think I'd be doing you a favor by urging Clawdia and Katia for us to leave already," Kenneth responded in the most passive aggressive manner. Bowser's blood continued to boil and his face turned red while he clenched his fists, digging his claws into his palms. He held on for dear life to not maim this prick.
"You have the fucking audacity to say I'm resorting to violence when you come in here and intentionally try to attack me AND my family!? FUCK YOU! DO NOT MENTION ANYTHING ABOUT MY KIDS! But, you know what? You're right! You WOULD be doing us a favor by leaving so I don't have to deal with your condescending bullshit anymore and you can be free to go be miserable with your own family elsewhere! I mean, for crying out loud dude, you are SERIOUSLY unlikable! How the fuck did Clawdia fall for you anyways? Seriously, you've been nothing but an asshole since you got here! I mean, geez, if that's how you are in daily life too…then I actually feel sorry for her and your daughter! Must be hell having to hear you be a whiny, moody bitch all the time!" Bowser yelled further with increasing rage.
Kenneth laughed a little then became noticeably angry as well. "Wow. Why is it that you care how Clawdia fell for me? I thought you didn't care about any of that? You know what…you're fucking dead in this town, Bowser. Single, friendless, grieving father who's been overshadowed by some alien who no one has ever heard of before when it comes to the 'evil mastermind' department."
Bowser stepped towards him and looked him dead in the eyes. "I know what you're trying to do, and it's fucking disgusting and psychotic. If you ever try to talk to me like this again…I will fucking destroy you. You understand me?"
Kenneth showed a hint of fear but responded normally, "Loud and clear. Now, get the fuck out of my face."
Bowser huffed greatly, shoved Kenneth aside, and stormed out of the bathroom and then ran to the stairwell. He kicked the door open and screamed as loud as possible. He punched the wall several times, then pounded the floor as he began crying till he eventually just let his whole body fall to the floor, feeling like absolute dirt.
Koops got his breakfast and went to find a table to sit at to eat. He wandered for a minute and saw Kooper waving him down.
"Hey, Koops! Sit near me, there's a spot open!" Kooper cheerily yelled.
Koops froze for a second, feeling himself tense up. That feeling of betrayal and anger still lingered within Koops when it came to Kooper. He never got to properly express everything he felt about Kooper cheating with Koopie and the whole ordeal about Fire Bro being Kooper's psychotic brother since Kooper was in a coma. He definitely felt bad that Kooper got hurt the way he did, but he still felt weird about things…especially since with Koopie being gone. It was a messily complicated situation he hated being in.
Koops slowly walked over to Kooper's table, glancing at him then looking away, then glancing back at him. He got to his table, but then walked past as he became incredibly nervous and choked up. He stopped himself, took a deep breath, and immediately turned around to walk back to the table and sat down next to Kooper.
"Hey. Thanks for joining me. Here…I'm really sorry about Koopie…and Flurrie, for that matter," Kooper softly spoke, handing him a napkin to dry his tears. Koops took the napkin and looked away, not wanting to show Kooper a whole bunch of emotion on his face.
"Um, thanks. You know…I really don't want to talk to you…but I know I have to. I can't avoid it forever. So…uhh, we should do this then. You know…talk it all out. Let out everything on the table," Koops firmly stated, still not wanting to look at Kooper as he wiped his eyes.
"I know. I'm definitely the last person you wanna talk to, but we gotta do this, Koops. Probably somewhere quieter though. Would be weird to have this kind of conversation in a crowded and noisy room," Kooper suggested.
"Fine. We'll walk around the block. It's the most silence we're gonna get," Koops affirmed in a strict manner and got up to lead the way out. Kooper sighed and slowly got up to follow him, nerves just as high as Koops' was, perhaps even higher, since he was prepared for Koops to potentially explode on him, not that he wouldn't blame him for doing that.
The pair stepped out and walked out onto the sidewalk leading into the city streets.
"So…um…how are we gonna start this off?" Koops nervously spoke, still looking away from Kooper.
"I'm honestly not sure. I've actually been mentally preparing to talk to you in my head for a while now…but now that we're here…all that mental preparation hasn't made this any easier like I hoped it would," Kooper revealed and chuckled out of embarrassment.
"Yeah. This isn't easy by far. But…we gotta start it somehow. So…um…I can begin. When Koopie died, did you feel your heart break?" Koops asked, now facing Kooper. He slowly turned to Koops, clearly even more nervous but not too surprised he asked that.
"You mean…did I have feelings for Koopie still and when she died, it felt like I got heartbroken?" Kooper questioned.
Koops nodded. "Yeah. I guess that's a better way of putting it."
Kooper shook his head. "No. Any romantic feelings I had for Koopie were gone by the time they passed. Of course, I was still devastated that she died, Koops. But she belonged to you. She always has. And I will ALWAYS regret what I did."
Koops looked ahead now and his eyes welled up. "Then why did you try to take her from me? Why, Kooper? She was one of the few things in my life that made me feel special and wanted. And you wanted to take that away. Just why!?"
Kooper's eyes also welled up as he began to sniffle. "Because you and her had such a genuine and special bond, Koops. I wanted that! I've never had a relationship with someone where I truly felt connected to the other person. I…oh fuck, Koops, this is so awful…I…I used to look down on you."
Koops whipped his head at Kooper again with a look of confusion and anger now. Kooper saw this and became more upset.
"Wait, Koops, PLEASE let me explain everything. P-Please! So, I thought that you didn't deserve Koopie because…you were so shy and awkward a-and…I was so fucking jealous! I remember thinking to myself…'how does Koops get to have an amazing girl like Koopie, and I get to have no one?' And I'm not saying that's an excuse for what I did! Not one bit. I was also jealous of your relationship with your father. You and him were so close…and my relationship with my parents is very strained. I wanted that too. Koops, I wanted to BE you. I wanted everything you had. The love between you and your father, and your girlfriend…it was so unique and strong. I wanted that so badly.
I'm just…really sorry for everything, Koops. I'm sorry I betrayed you and hurt you. I'm sorry for what my brother did to your mom. I'm sorry this is the predicament you're in now. If I could turn back the clock and undo it all, I definitely would. But I can't, so…here we are. Feeling the worst we've ever felt," Kooper let everything out as he wiped his eyes with his arms throughout. Koops had a look of immense surprise when he heard all of that.
"Wh-what the hell? You…jealous of ME? And you also looked down on me!? Wow…that's…umm…" Koops was at a loss for words.
"Fucked up on so many levels?" Kooper finished for him. "Yeah. I used to be a lot like Boshi, to be honest. No regard for other people's feelings and being very selfish. But I'm really trying to stray from that, Koops. I really don't think I'm like that anymore, but I know the damage I've done is a lot to heal from."
"I don't think I'll ever heal from it, though, Kooper," Koops said as his walking slowly came to a stop. Kooper stopped as well.
"And I'd understand if you can't ever fully heal from it. I did a godawful thing. But I just wanted you to know that I do regret it and am sorry for everything," Kooper added as he weeped again.
"I, um, I can tell you're trying to be better…and do better," Koops softly admitted as he stared out into the ruined streets. Just that sentence alone made Kooper feel the tiniest bit better. Koops continued, "I still loved her, Kooper. Even after everything…I still loved her…how does that work? I was so angry at her and wanted her to suffer…but when I saw her body…ohhhh my god, I could practically feel my heart shatter! I didn't want her to be dead! I wanted her to wake up and hug me and kiss me a-and j-just be with me again! I feel like a monster for feeling the way I did a-and…oh…oh! FUCK!" Koops raised his voice and gripped his shirt as he began to hyperventilate while crying and fell to his knees.
"Koops, KOOPS! Breathe! OKAY? JUST BREATHE IN AND OUT SLOWLY! Calm your breathing! I-Inhale…exhale…inhale…exha-ale…" Kooper shouted as he grabbed Koops' shoulder, nearly making him hyperventilate himself.
"OHHHHHH GOD MY WHOLE DAMN BODY HURTS! Th-this is hell…is…is this dying feels like? Cause I feel like I'm going to…" Koops cried further and tried to slow his breathing, feeling a pain in his chest.
"You're not gonna die, Koops. You're not gonna die. It'll hurt for a long time, but that's because you loved Koopie with all your heart. The pain will get smaller and smaller, but it never goes away. That pain is a reminder of how much you loved her, even after everything.
Koops…I understand if you will never forgive me…but I'm here for you for anything. So please don't ever forget that. Don't go through the pain all on your own," Kooper spoke with encouragement as his own heart was breaking seeing Koops being so destroyed.
"Agghhhh…th…thanks…um…c-can we please just…sit here for a bit? I-I really don't wanna go back inside yet…I'd feel claustrophobic…" Koops urged as he sat himself down on the sidewalk edge.
"Of course. Take as much time as you need." Kooper said with sympathy as he sat down next to him.
Koops looked a little towards Kooper and spoke through his weeping, "Kooper...I, um, it's gonna take me a long time to really forgive you for what you've done. But, um, I'm gonna try to work through that. Okay?"
Hearing that made Kooper all the more relieved and felt a weight come off his shoulders. Kooper let out a cheery sigh as he wept a little.
"I completely understand, Koops. Thank you."
Goombella and Spike were walking in the woods behind the hospital courtyard, with Goombella telling everything that happened between her and Koops the day before.
"...so we grieve at the graveyard, cry and yell and whatnot…then Koops kisses me…and I kiss him back. I was so shocked that he did that! But, to be honest, I kind of liked it. It felt nice. I don't know if it was just because we were both so emotional, but it really felt exciting and we had a connection there. Then, like, we went into the woods and, um, did it.
I know how crazy all this sounds. Like I said, we were both SO emotional and wanted to feel good for once! But now that I look back on it, I don't know if it was the right thing, because I think Vivian still has feelings for Koops, and this whole debacle might make Koops develop feelings for me! And I don't wanna hurt Vivian or Koops and this is all just….AGH! I fucking hate this!" Goombella exclaimed.
Spike looked beyond stunned and a little freaked out at her story. "God…damn…what in the f…I mean…look, I'm not gonna sit here and judge this. Okay? We're in a heavily emotional time right now, so I understand not all of us are thinking straight. And the fact that we're walking in the same woods you two had sex in makes it even weirder! But, Goombella…I really think you should just not do that again. It'll just make things more complicated between you two and Vivian. Not only that, but we REALLY don't need another love triangle in our group, there's been like five others already!"
"I know, I know. I just wanted to feel good and safe a-and…loved. I won't go into too much detail about it of course, but during the 'act', I honestly felt protected with him and like I bonded with him more than I ever had before. Spike, it felt SO genuine and nice, but I know I can't keep continuing doing anything with him because it'll hurt Vivian! I feel so ashamed and stupid…" Goombella yelled as she sobbed and kicked some grass.
"Don't say that about yourself. I think it's natural to want to feel like that when you both were SO vulnerable. So, I think I get it. But it sounds like you're saying you're also developing feelings for Koops?" Spike pointed out.
"I…gosh, I think I am. Maybe. I don't know! It's so confusing and annoying and just…I wish I never had done that. You're right, all it did was just complicate things. This whole damn adventure is complicated! EVERYTHING IS COMPLICATED!" Goombella shouted to the heavens in pure stress, scaring some of the birds away.
"Now THAT is a statement I couldn't agree more with!" Spike cheerily cosigned with a chuckle. "So, here's what I think you should do: we're almost done with getting all the gems and beating Tatanga. Don't do anything like that again with Koops until this is all done. After that, have a long and good talk about your guys' feelings towards one another and what to do with that. My thinking is that Koops is still gonna be grieving over Koopie for a long time and may try to get close to you as a way to deal with that grief. I don't think it's a healthy way to cope for him, but then again, I'm not a therapist so what the hell do I know. But just be very careful about how you proceed with this, okay? The last thing that we want to happen is both of you hurting each other, and that'd be a whole other layer of pain to deal with!"
Goombella nodded and held back her tears. "You're right. This has to stop at least until this is all done. I have to be strong about it. Thanks for listening to me cry and scream and whine about all this…and thanks for the advice. It helped."
"Anytime, Goombella! I try my best to give the best life advice possible…despite the fact that I'm still basically a kid and I've never been in a relationship before. So…yyyyeaaahhh…I'm definitely FAR from a therapist!" Spike said then laughed about that observation and Goombella followed.
"Hehe! True that, but, like, I think it helps that you come across as a little older than your age too," Goombella commented.
"Hmm. I like that! Great to know!" Spike cheered, then the cheeriness quickly faded when he saw a pond come into view on their walk and talk. "Uhh…hold up here, how far into these woods are we? I don't remember seeing a pond last time we were in these woods! Then again, we were being hunted down by the gothic demon witch version of Rosalina, so I wasn't paying too much attention to my surroundings."
"Well, that was mostly happening in the eastern part of the woods, we were walking in the western part of the woods. But yeah, you're right, I think we ended up walking too far. Let's get going back," Goombella corrected, now getting a little nervous since she hadn't realized they walked so far into the woods.
"Hey, you guys!"
The voice scared the hell out of the paper dino and goomba gal. They quickly turned around to see a familiar figure who they weren't quite wanting to see anyways.
"OH! Arfur! What the hell are you doing all the way out here for?" Spike asked perplexedly.
"I could be asking you two the same thing. I was heading to the hospital to visit you guys to tell you about the final gem, because I realized I had forgotten to do that, then I saw movement in the woods, so I headed over here to see what was happening…and now here we are," Arfur explained, but the other two still didn't feel comfortable with that reasoning.
"Oh. Um, right. Okay. Sure. We were just…talking, and, um, like, just needed the fresh air but we got distracted with our conversation and ended up going too far, so…we're heading back now," Goombella nervously responded with visible discomfort.
"Cool. I'll head back with you guys," Arfur stated.
Spike conveyed his annoyed expression to Goombella, then led the way back. Goombella side-eyed Arfur with a suspicious and worried look and started tensing up.
"Wow, you two! Tension over here became so thick so quickly!" Arfur taunted with a chuckle, which just pissed off Spike greatly now.
The dino turned around and yelled in his face, "Okay, what the hell are you REALLY doing over here, Arfur!? I'm getting the feeling you're up to something!"
Arfur looked a little frightened, but then his expression turned serious very quickly. "You're right. I am up to something." Then he got a gold knife with his left hand and pointed it at Spike, then got out a handgun with his right hand and aimed it at Goombella.
"WOAH, ARFUR! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!?" Goombella screamed and jumped back.
"Goombella, I'm giving you a chance to run right now. Go. This is between Spike and I," Arfur ordered as he glared daggers at the dino, who looked back at him in horror and confusion.
"WHAT!? Wh-what the hell is this even about!? Arfur, please just stop what you're doing and we can just talk this out!" Goombella pleaded.
"Goombella…you heard him. Go. Save yourself. Whatever the hell this is, it IS between him and I. Go!" Spike demanded so he could ensure Goombella's safety. Goombella started crying again, wanting to stay, but she ended up fleeing the scene.
"Good. Less blood on my hands," Arfur commented, now confusing Spike even more.
"Okay, Arfur, what the hell is this about!? Why are you pointing a knife at me and a gun at her? Why are you going to kill me!?" Spike demanded to know.
"You told your friends about that secret I told you not to tell when I was driving you and Bow to Moonview Airport. You know…the one where we experimented on Mario? That thing where I clearly told you that that info doesn't leave the car? Which means you lied and betrayed me!" Arfur angrily revealed. Spike's expression was now just pure horror, as he didn't think Arfur would find out about him spilling the beans.
"Oh! Arfur…l-look, man, that was some scary stuff you guys were doing! Those are my friends and I trust them with my life, and Mario needed to know what had been done to him without his consent! But, uhh, wait a second here, you're actually going to kill me over me spilling the secret!? Dude, that makes no sense! There's something else here that you're not telling me!" Spike pointed out.
"Trust me…it'd be better if you let me kill you. Better for your friends too, since they should all be used to everyone close to them dying so it wouldn't be too much of a distraction!" Arfur spat.
"You asshole! Why the fuck are you being like this!? Arfur, this isn't you, man! You don't just go trying to kill people you know! You're obviously being forced to do this! Just put the gun and knife down and we can talk about this, we can try to protect you!" Spike tried to reason with the doogan, but the poor guy started shaking and weeping.
"SHUT UP! There's no protecting me! I-I can only protect myself now! And…AND THIS IS ALL YOUR FUCKING FAULT, SPIKE! IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOU RUNNING YOUR BIG MOUTH, WE WOULDN'T BE IN THIS PREDICAMENT!" Arfur screamed as his entire body started shaking.
"SO YOU ARE BEING SET UP THEN!?" Spike solved the mystery here. "Just…please calm down! Take a deep breath! We can figure this out, just please put the fucking weapons down! PLEASE!"
"No. No! I-It's over, Spike…it's all over! This is the end!" Arfur whimpered as he inched closer to the dino.
"It's not fucking over! If you quit letting yourself be played like a pawn, then you might actually have a shot of escaping your damn workplace and being free! Come on Arfur, is this really what you want to do!? Kill someone for your stupid job!?" Spike yelled and pleaded to get the doogan to see things straight.
"I DON'T WANT TO BUT I FUCKING HAVE TO! I HAVE NO CHOICE! AAAAAGGGGHHHHH!" Arfur roared then charged for Spike. The dino jumped out of the way, but still got cut a little by the knife on his left arm. Spike cried out but then quickly tripped Arfur, faceplanting into the grass and dropping his weapons. Spike lunged for the gun, but Arfur quickly retaliated by punching him in the face.
Arfur then got on top of Spike and began to repeatedly punch him. Spike screamed and called out for help, but he knew what he had to do to truly save himself. Spike saw the gold knife from the corner of his eyes and reached with all his strength to grab it and stabbed Arfur in his side.
"OOOOHHHHH!" Arfur shrilled and fell over. Spike got on top of him and then stabbed him in the chest several times as the dino screamed with pure rage and blood spurted out everywhere.
Spike stabbed Arfur for a final time and took it out as he hyperventilated and fell over on the grass. Arfur coughed and gurgled blood for a few seconds, then his head rolled to the side and his eyes slowly shut.
Spike dropped the knife when he saw that Arfur was now dead and that blood was all over himself. He kept hyperventilating as he shook with horror at what just occurred. It all happened so fast and the adrenaline kicked in so much that he had trouble fully processing the treacherous event.
"SPIKE! WERE YOU HURT!?" shouted a voice.
"AGH! GET AWAY!" Spike screamed and scooted himself away from where he heard the voice. It was Goombella running over to him.
"STOP, IT'S ME! Spike, I saw everything! Look at me! Okay? LOOK AT ME! YOU'RE OKAY! SLOW YOUR BREATHING!" Goombella shouted and knelt in front of him to calm him down.
"THAT…THAT…OH MY GOD I JUST FUCKING KILLED HIM! I-I-I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THIS HAPPENED!? WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED!?" Spike screamed as he pulled on his temples, still hyperventilating.
"SHHHHHHH! YOU NEED TO QUIET YOURSELF! Please, slow your breathing! It was going to be either you or him, and the bastard was going to kill you because he was forced to by his boss most likely! You were in the right to kill him, plus it was in self-defense!" Goombella assured.
Spike manually slowed his hyperventilating and gripped his chest as he slowly looked over at Arfur's body and gagged at the sight.
"Ohhhhhh fuck…Goombella, what do we do!? We obviously have to tell the others, b-but now there's a target on my back because I spilled the secret AND I killed Arfur!" Spike cried.
"Listen to me right now: we have to get rid of the evidence. We can't just carry this body out to the hospital to be cremated or to the cemetery to be buried, because we will easily be seen. So…we're gonna drag his body into the pond here. Okay? Spike!?" Goombella instructed to the dino who kept staring in horror at the dead body.
"Uhh…y…yeah. Okay. Fine! Let's hurry and get this overwith!" he yelped and got up.
"Wait. I wanna search him real quick…" Goombella said and began to feel Arfur's pockets.
"Search him for what!? What do you think he could have that'd be so important!?" Spike frantically yelled.
"AHA! Got it! His cellphone! It has to have crucial information on here regarding his work! Once we're done with this, we need to tell the others what happened and show them his phone! Now come on!" Goombella urgently spoke, then the two grabbed each leg and dragged him into the pond. Spike cried again as he truly felt awful for having done the deed, but as Goombella said…it was going to be either himself or Arfur. So it needed to be done.
EoC.
Next chapter, Goombella and Spike tell the horrid news of what occurred and the gang tries to investigate Arfur's phone, the koopalings get into a very heated debacle with Clawdia over Kenneth's cruelty, Parakarry and Jojora attempt to work things out, Mario receives a letter from someone who used to remain at the hospital, the group begins their trek out to Blackstone Tower, where the final gem lays, and as always, much more! Oh, and another character dies. Lol.
Next chapter will be uploaded on Wednesday, April 6, which is this story's 9th anniversary of its creation. Thanks for reading!
