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.: 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

MUSHROOM CORPORATIONS

A paratroopa came into Toadari's office.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" he asked, observing the boss staring intensely at his phone.

"Yes…Paraklyde, you know about that 'mission' I sent Arfur on? The one where he must kill one of those annoyances or he'll be killed himself?" Toadari asked as he still stared at his phone.

"Yes, I remember you telling me. Why? Did he go through with it?" Paraklyde asked in suspense.

"I…I don't think so. See, I have his phone tracked, obviously, and it shows him going into the woods just outside that hospital. It showed him stopped in one spot for a few minutes…and now the phone is heading back into the hospital. Extremely odd. Why the hell would he go back into the hospital after murdering one of those fools?" Toadari questioned.

"Huh. What are you trying to say then, boss? You think he chickened out and is trying to join them? Or…" Paraklyde guessed, fearing the worst.

"My gut is telling me that…no. I don't wanna say just yet. Paraklyde, go to the hospital and check out the entire area for Arfur or for any trace of him. If he has indeed tried to align with them…then we must take some very drastic measures," Toadari ordered.

"Will do. But, what if they killed Arfur instead? What do you wanna do in that scenario?" Paraklyde brought up the more controversial subject.

"If Arfur did indeed die from them…Paraklyde, I think you already know what to do in that case. Send them a message. Make it a subtle but deadly one. Make it to where they'll drive each other crazy and put their defenses down. To where they'll get lost in their grief even more and make themselves more miserable," Toadari commanded as he set his phone down and looked at him sternly.

"Sir yes sir. I already know who the target will be. It's about to get wilder than ever over there," Paraklyde said with a growing smirk.

"Excellent. Now go! Don't waste too much time doing it!" Toadari said, and off the paratroopa went out to carry out the deadly deed. Toadari got up and also exited his office. He went to the elevator and pressed the 2nd floor button. Once he reached the 2nd floor, he stepped out and entered a large laboratory. He went towards the back, flashed his key card and entered a room where Tadano was chained to the wall via his legs.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH! LET ME OUT RIGHT NOW! I'M NOT SOME FUCKING PET PROJECT YOU TRY TO EXPERIMENT ON!" the alien barked.

"Ohhh, but you are! Come off it now. You're the twin of the world's most deadly villain. You could be useful for sooooo many things, you know!" Toadari taunted.

"NO! LET ME GO! YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET ANYWHERE WITH ME! THERE'S NO POINT IN CAPTURING AND EXPERIMENTING ON ME!" Tadano screamed.

"Yes, there is! You'll see in due time. You'll see very clearly how important you are to our work…"


ST. TOADOFSKY'S HOSPITAL

Lakilester and Bombette were sitting at a table in the cafeteria having breakfast with Parakarry coming over, looking clearly irritated.

"Uh oh, what's up, mailman? Did someone cut you in line? Or someone give you crap for taking the last muffin?" Lakilester asked jokingly.

Pakararry huffed and slammed his tray down on the table and dropped to his seat. "No. Something's been bugging me. It's about Jojora."

"Oh boy, did you two break up? What happened? Tell us all the details!" Bombette stated.

"Yeah! Unless it involves intimacy, then keep it subtle on that part," Lakilester added.

Parakarry rolled his eyes a little. "No, it's not that, it's…ugh! Yesterday before Merle came over, Jojora very heavily implied that she would tell a news outlet about the secret of Mario and the rest being involved in Boshi being arrested once this is all done. I told her that was ridiculous and it's better being kept off a secret, and that we ALL have dark secrets. Jojora got defensive and said we don't have secrets as dark as that. Then we went back and forth and I got so mad at her for doing and saying that about my friends.

Now, I don't know what to feel or think! I thought she changed, I thought she became nicer and more understanding. But, am I wrong? Was I just expecting too much from her after I saved her from her suicide attempt? Would this be a dealbreaker, you guys?"

Lakilester looked surprised from this reveal, whereas Bombette looked peeved.

"What in the hell? There's no reason for her to be leaking that secret out to the public! First of all, her job might not even be a thing anymore after we beat Tatanga, and second of all, that's so shitty to just do that after we've all worked together and bonded over, well, LITERALLY EVERYTHING! Yes, I know what they did to Boshi was awful, but that was also a long time ago and they clearly feel bad for it…plus Boshi was an atrocious person. So what? I can't believe she's really thinking about doing THAT of all things right now!" Bombette frustradedly ranted.

"For real. I think that just says it all right there, that she cares more about her career than her personal relationships. Some things are better just kept hidden away. And I'll be honest here, I'm not sure how you two even got together in the first place. I know you saved her from drowning herself when you guys were in Sonic's world, but…was that it? Or did it start from a hookup or something?" Lakilester questioned.

"Yeah, I saved her from drowning and…uhh…I dunno, I guess we just kinda bonded from that? I mean, she kissed me kinda randomly right before we left to stop Dark Rosalina from getting into Tatanga's island. And ever since then I've been intrigued by her and wanting to get close to her and I was excited that I finally got a girl to be interested in me, even to where I lost my virginity to her…and then this happens! God, I hope I didn't give it up to the wrong person!" Parakarry also ranted in frustration and rubbed his forehead in stress. The last two sentences made Bombette and Lakilester nearly drop their jaws.

"Woah woah woah. Hold up there. You…you lost 'it' to her? Already!? I mean…sorry, I didn't realize you two went THAT far already! Damn. Congrats, I guess? Not sure what to say to that," Bombette responded with a nervous giggle.

"Ohhhhhh boy, Parakarry. The first time, for most people, is really everything. Let me guess, did your feelings become deeper for her after that encounter?" Lakilester asked from a place of knowing.

"Um…yeah. I think so. I'm not saying I'm in love with her now, but…I felt a stronger attraction to her after that. Why?" Parakarry nervously replied.

"Damn man. Coming from personal experience, and to others I've talked to about this, your first time with someone is really unforgettable. It deepens the connection between you and the other person. Makes both of you feel like the other person is so special and meaningful to you. I mean, I get why you two did it. Times are rough, the end is potentially nigh, so why not try to get one in in case we go?" Lakilester responded with an understanding tone.

"Well…crap. Crap! Okay, okay, I know that in the grand scheme of things that it's not gonna matter in the long run, because it's still early and if things end, I won't be hurt THAT much. But man…I feel stupid for feeling like this! We're in a stupid apocalypse and here I am worried over my first time being with someone who I may not end up even being with soon anyways!" Parakarry cried and rubbed his eyes. Bombette and Lakilester could feel his distress.

"Don't say that about yourself. You can't help how you feel! And Parakarry, listen to me: the first ever person that you're with romantically is, more often than not, not the one you end up being with in the long-term. With Jojora, really think about how she acted about our friends. Is that even the kind of person you wanna be with? You know, someone who gossips about your friends to others for her personal gain? She's already shown her true colors!" Bombette caringly advised.

"Yeah! And imagine what would happen if that gossip gets exposed to the public and our friends hear about it. They're gonna get mad at Jojora, and maybe mad at you, and that'll cause such a huge rift between you all! Man, if this isn't the biggest red flag ever, then I don't know what the hell is!" Lakilester added.

"Um…so…you're saying I should end it? Before…uhh…our feelings get deeper and we get even more hurt?" Parakarry asked as he was very deep in thought.

"I think you should. If it's already starting out like a hot mess, then it's gonna end like a hot mess. Just do it. You'll save yourselves greater emotional pain," Bombette stated.

"Errr maybe talk it out with her before making a final decision? I mean, I know it doesn't look good, but give the woman a chance to speak her side first. If you go up to her and just plain tell her that it's over, I feel like that'd be even more disastrous than coming to a mutual agreement about ending it," Lakilester suggested while giving Bombette the side eye.

"I just don't want to see Parakarry get screwed over! I've always thought Jojora was totally neurotic when I first met her when we were all imprisoned in that smelly castle. She got a little nicer as everything progressed from there on, but it's clear she's just not romantically compatible with Parakarry. And that's okay! Someone better is out there for you!" Bombette defensively spoke.

Parakarry sighed depressingly and drank his milk. He set the carton down and felt like he wanted to cry.

"Um…have you guys ever had to break up with someone before? How did that go, if you don't mind me asking?" he softly asked.

"Yes, but you already know who I had to break up with: Bruce. And you already know how he kept refusing to take that and…well…you already know that whole story…" Bombette responded and looked away with a guilt-ridden expression.

"I've broken up with two women before. First one was named Lakiluna. She wanted something more serious whereas me, well, I didn't know what the hell I wanted at the time so I broke it off. Second one was…Lakilulu," Lakilester revealed. The other two gave him confused looks. He continued, "It was the most back-and-forth relationship that probably ever existed. We each broke up with the other at least 3 times. We made each other sooooo mad constantly, but we also understood each other like no one ever did. That's why it was so hard to let go and then…yeahhhh…Lakilulu broke it off with me, then she died right after that…"

"Oh. Man…Lakilester, I'm sorry, I'm being too emotional right now, I didn't mean to bring that up for you," Parakarry said, feeling even crappier now.

"No no. It's all good. Basically, what I'm saying is…as much as I still love Lakilulu, to be perfectly honest, a relationship like ours would've never lasted for a long time. Don't let yourself get to that point, Parakarry. Don't fall in love with just the emotion of love, fall in love with who you know will be the right fit for you, even if it might not be Jojora," Lakilester wisely advised as his eyes watered up. Bombette leaned her head on his shoulder for comfort, whereas Parakarry nodded and the tears finally fell from his eyes.


Jojora approached Pauline who was getting soda out of a vending machine. Pauline noticed her and looked a little startled.

"Um…hi?" Pauline awkwardly spoke.

"Uhh…hi…umm…look, okay, I'll just come out and say it, I need someone's advice on a problem I have. I'm just now realizing that I have NO friends here, so I really really need to speak to literally anyone about this! And I need it to be, like, right now because I'm supposed to meet Parakarry in the courtyard soon to talk about it!" Jojora stated in clear stress. Pauline looked taken aback by how urgent she sounded.

"Wow. Okaaayyy…uhh, what's the problem you have then?" Pauline asked as the two took a walk down the hallway.

"It's Parakarry. And me. We had a fight. It was about that thing that the others did, you know, with Boshi and planting drugs in his car and calling the cops on him and getting him arrested. Such a shitty thing to do, ya know? Anyways, him and I got into an argument about that because I was like 'that would suck if a secret like that were to be leaked to the public' and I also said 'if any other group of commoners were to do something that fucked up, they wouldn't have gotten away with it the way they did' and that the whole situation came off as kinda classist since Boshi was clearly low on the totem pole and, well, they weren't. Because they're heroes and veered upon as celebrities. You know?

Soooo then, Parakarry totally was against what I said, because you know, he's been friends with those people for years and is completely loyal to them despite having such a screwed up secret! He then accused me of spreading that secret to media outlets and we got so mad at each other that we just…uhh…stopped talking. And now I feel so awful because I really didn't like that we fought and I didn't like how he got so mad at me but I'm also mad at him for getting so damn mad and for him saying I sounded crazy! So…what the hell do I do to try to fix this? Any suggestions? Please! I'm so lost right now! I don't want this to be the end already when we just started being so close to each other!" Jojora revealed in such a rapid fire and rant-y way that it made Pauline feel overwhelmed, confused, and surprised all in one.

"WOAH. Okay. Slow down there, frost fairy. Geez, that was a full novel right there. Let me think for a second…" Pauline said with a nervous chuckle.

"Well, you know, my feelings are hurt and I know I hurt his feelings which makes me feel even worse, so I just need SOMETHING to help, you know? I really like him. He's funny and strange but in a fun kind of way, not the strange but super awkward to be around kind of way, you know? Plus, I don't know, I do find it attractive that he cares so much about his friends. I kind of like that loyalty. I wish I was more like that…" Jojora huffed and played with her pink ponytail hair in stress.

"Gosh, I totally forgot you had pink hair underneath that cap of yours. I can't remember, did you dye it like that or were you…born with that?" Pauline asked with intrigue. Jojora looked offended.

"I was born with it! Now back to the topic at hand please!" the ice fairy barked.

"Right, okay. Uhh…so…you brought up that it would suck if their secret were to be exposed to the media outlets. Now, why did you say that for?" Pauline questioned.

"Because, um, well, you see, I brought it up because…aaaaaggghhh! DAMNIT! Okay, the thought about leaking that info to news outlets DID cross my mind. But that doesn't mean I'm going to do it! It was mainly just a hypothetical situation I was putting out there!" Jojora admitted while cringing at herself.

"And why would you even wanna do that then!? That's so unnecessary, Jojora! You know, not everything needs to be exposed to the public, even when it comes to high profile people. It's such an invasion of privacy and it ruins people's lives because, thanks to the internet, that crap will stay up and ruin people's lives forever!" Pauline scolded.

"You don't think I know that!? Pauline, I was mostly just frustrated at the fact that Mario and his inner circle of friends did something so heinous and criminal to Boshi, someone who already has a record with the police. That's so unfair to ruin someone's life like that, no matter how appalling they are. That's what I was trying to get across to Parakarry, but his friendship with them blinds him a little, and he kept saying stuff like we ALL have dark secrets, but I also told him that most people don't have secrets THAT dark!" Jojora shouted in frustration.

"And I partly agree with you. What they did was really messed up. But, again, that doesn't need to be told to the public. Plus…this is Mario, Peach, Luigi, and Daisy and whoever else involved in that we're talking about here. One awful thing doesn't invalidate all the good they've done for the kingdom. As for other people not having secrets as dark as that…well…that's something you might never know for a fact, Jojora. Because I'll tell you a dark secret of mine.

When I was in high school, this one girl accidentally bumped into me and I fell into a puddle after it had stopped raining. Some people laughed at me and I was convinced that she did it on purpose, even though she apologized so many times. So, I took revenge and spilled nail polish on her yellow sweater when she wasn't looking. My friends and I laughed at her, then she found out and broke down crying. Found out later she attempted suicide. Found out even later that the sweater was given to her by her grandmother right before she passed away and that the girl was being bullied by others constantly. And wanna know the most screwed up part about all that? I acted like I didn't care still. Deep down, I did, but that was just one of many messed up things I did in my past," Pauline recalled and sat down on a chair to rest a bit and drink her soda.

"Wow. I mean…yeah, that IS messed up and all, but that doesn't even compare to planting drugs in someone's car and calling the cops on them. What they did was ILLEGAL, what you did wasn't! It was just petty high school drama for you!" Jojora pointed out. Pauline looked a little annoyed and looked down the hallway.

"Fine. You're right, it doesn't compare. So I'll tell you something that does then. When I was…raped…I was so angry and hurt over what that guy did to me. I told him 'no' so many times and he pressured me to keep drinking so I could be 'in the mood' so I wasn't able to get away easily…fast forward…I tell everyone what happened, and no one believes me when I said that he raped me. I was either blamed for it or not believed at all by my parents, my friends, my teachers, even one of the school counselors. I was SO angry at him and everyone that I ended up smashing the hell out of his car with a gold club. Broke all his windows, keyed the sides of the car, slashed his tires, smashed his headlights…I was caught and brought in by the police. I told them the full story but they weren't really sympathetic. I mean…I'm not angry at them for not being sympathetic, because they had to look at this case specifically at face value, my rape wasn't a factor in it.

So, because I was 17 and it was my first criminal charge, I was given kind of a light punishment doing community service for 6 months. The guy's family pressed charges against me and he got a restraining order. My parents paid his family for the car in an attempt to make up for what I've done, but they were livid with me. That was the point in my life where my parents were officially done with me. The second I went off to college, they cut all contact…sorry…I'm getting off topic now. What I'm saying is…that's the darkest thing I've ever done and you're the only person I've told that to," Pauline recalled another awful memory as she stared at the floor the entire time, trying with all her might not to get choked up.

Jojora was horrified and sympathetic to Pauline's trauma. "Oh my god…that's…Pauline, I'm so sorry you went through that. Truly! I hope that asshole gets his karma in the end. No one deserves to be used like that. But…also, Pauline, you did something out of vengeance, understandable vengeance at that! You were 17 and didn't know how to process all that trauma, so it makes sense WHY you committed that crime!"

"That doesn't matter, Jojora. In the eyes of the law, what I did was illegal. Point blank. So, what I'm trying to tell you is…whatever dark secrets someone has…whether it's justified or understandable or none of that…everyone is entitled to that privacy and we ALL have reasons for why we do what we do. Really think to yourself if this is something that'll split you and Parakarry apart, and if this something is really worth telling to the world. Because, if you ask me, it sure as hell isn't," Pauline stated.


Wario and Mona were on the rooftop, basking in the morning sunlight, lying close together.

"Next time we should watch the sunrise together. I've never done that before, but I've always wanted to do it. It's always been sunsets for me, but never sunrises!" Mona said with excitement.

"Hell yes. That sounds gorgeous. Man…you know something? I never really appreciated how beautiful the sky is in the morning when it's pink-ish mixed with the blue. Makes me really damn glad we didn't die back there, Mona. We got a second chance at life…we absolutely can't waste it now," Wario spoke with a big, bright smile on his face as he was entranced by the somewhat cloudy morning sky. The clouds scattered and trailed everywhere, creating unique formations with the sunlight peeking through thousands of spots.

Mona couldn't help but smile greatly and turned on her side to face him. "You're totally right. We shouldn't waste it. So…what's something you wanna do with this second chance?"

Wario turned his head to her, still smiling. "Well…there are LOTS of things I wanna do…things that I've been too lazy to try to achieve…or too pessimistic about…"

"Yeah? Well…go on…name some of them," Mona flirtatiously spoke, scooting herself closer to him.

"So! This is gonna sound so wild and 'out there' but, I really want you to hear me out on this! This thing is at the top of my list!" Wario exclaimed.

Mona giggled. "Okay. Go on, let's hear what this wild thing is!"

"I…I wanna find a magic spell that can bring my brother back to life! A resurrection spell. I really wanna try it," Wario revealed. Mona's expression turned to fear and confusion.

"Uhh, WHAT!? A…a resurrection spell!? FOR WALUIGI? Wario, that's not possible! You can't just resurrect someone from the dead! Once they're gone, they're gone. I'm sorry, I know you're still in pain from losing him, but there's nothing you can do for Waluigi," she stated. Wario looked away and clicked his tongue.

"Yeah, I am still in pain. But, Mona, come on, just think about it. With all the magic that's in our world, how the hell is there NOT something for a resurrection spell? It's had to have been done at least once in this world!" Wario exclaimed. Mona couldn't even begin to believe what he was spewing.

"Wario…I mean, sure, fine, I'm sure there's some more hardcore, dark magic spells that are on the level of resurrection type of stuff…but think about what you're saying here. You're bringing back someone from the DEAD. Do you remember when we found out Watt died? Rosalina and Kammy were talking about how it would be wrong to resurrect Watt because of how it would disrupt the natural order of the world, and that the magic required to do it would kill the user if they just make one simple mistake. AND, if even if you did bring Waluigi back, who's to say he'll come back exactly the same!?" Mona recalled and tried to put that info into his head.

"Yes, Mona, I remember that conversation. I also remember Rosalina saying that Watt dying of natural causes was a factor in a resurrection spell not going to work. My brother being killed by a magical bolt of lightning caused by an interdimensional being obviously not of this world is, by far, one of the most UNNATURAL ways someone could ever die!" Wario pointed out, then crossed his arms and faced the ground, holding on to this piece of hope as hard as he could. "This could be a golden opportunity to bring back the only family I have left…well, the only family that would care about me at least. Plus, you, me, and Bowser came back to life thanks to Troopa. According to what I heard, intense magic wasn't used for that ritual, so it could easily be the same for Waluigi."

Mona shook her head and began getting frustrated with him. "Wario…we technically weren't brought back to life. We weren't officially considered dead, because our brains were still active shortly after we lost all consciousness. I'm guessing the magic counts that as a factor of us not being dead, so that's how we were able to regain consciousness so easily with the spell. Totally different from Waluigi being deceased for days now.

And I know Waluigi was the only one in your family who truly loved and cared for you…but you also have us, you know! We're your friends. We're here for you. We got your back, no matter what. So don't think you're gonna be alone and that you'll face everything on your own."

Wario glanced at her depressingly then looked back up at the sky. "I'm just…fuck. I don't know. To be honest, I've never been that close with the popular gang. You know…Mario, Peach, Daisy, Luigi, Yoshi…those guys with their inner circle. I'd be invited to their big parties and bashes, but would rarely hang out with them outside of that. But who can blame them? I'm not the nicest guy and I hated paying for stuff like coffee hangouts or dinner dates, so…I'm just an acquaintance to everyone pretty much. Good enough to be at their exclusive events, but not great enough to be any of their close friends. But it is what it is, I guess."

"Really. Don't say that. They DO care for you and you've helped so much with things. Please, Wario…you really aren't alone. You got us. You got me!" Mona said and held his hand gently. Wario looked down to see their locked hands and he smiled a little.

"Hmm. You know…we never talked about that kiss between us at the Mayor's mansion. That was…uhh, yeah, pretty out of nowhere, don't you think?" Wario recalled with a chuckle.

Mona blushed and also chuckled. "Oh yeah. I partly did that because I really wanted you not to turn to drinking. The other part of it was, well, because I've been wanting to recently."

Wario was blushing now as well. "Yeah? Kissing a cheeky, tubby guy like me?"

Mona giggled at him. "Oh stop. You're just simply attractive to me. I don't question it or overthink it."

"Hehe! That's awesome. I find you…EXTREMELY attractive. Always have. But never pursued because I figured you'd never go for someone like me," Wario said with excitement.

"People can surprise you. Now…let's stop talking…" Mona demanded and leaned in to kiss him and he kissed back.


The koopalings were sitting together at a table in the cafeteria, all of them noting that an open spot for their dad with food they got for him was still empty.

"Dad sure has been gone a long time. Wonder if he had to take a massive #2?" Lemmy snickered.

"It might just be me on constant high alert, but something feels off. I feel like he should've come back by now. Something had to have happened," Larry said with worry.

"Let's wait another five minutes and don't assume the worst, guys. He's probably talking with one of the others," Ludwig said.

"Well, he also needs to hurry so he can come and eat, because don't we have a meeting soon before you guys leave?" Morton asked.

"Yeah, we do. Like in an hour I think," Larry confirmed. "Are any of you coming this time?"

"I am!" Junior yelped, bringing all eyes to him. "I don't wanna miss out on helping obtain the last gem we need. Man, we're close, you guys!"

"That's good. Glad you're going back! You're so damn brave, you know that? For real. You're 15, Junior…dad raised a warrior, that's for sure," Morton complimented. Junior felt ecstatic from his words, whereas Larry was surprised to hear such praise from him.

"Thanks, Morton. That, um, means a lot…" Junior shyly responded with a wide smile.

"I think the rest of us will stay here still and help man the fort. But yeah, just one more mystical item and Tatanga is history! To think it'll all be over soon after all the shit we had to go through…it's, um, gonna be way different when we can go back to living normally again," Lemmy said while getting a little emotional and sniffled. The brothers all went quiet as they knew exactly what he meant what with so much loss and trauma.

Fly Guy and Petey Piranha ran up to their table.

"Hey, you guys! You really need to check on your dad! He's having a super duper mega ultra meltdown in the stairwell right now!" Fly Guy exclaimed. The brothers immediately gasped and their nerves shot.

"WHAT? WHAT HAPPENED!? WHAT'S GOING ON WITH HIM!? TELL US!" Larry frantically demanded.

"He wouldn't tell us a thing! We heard him yelling and crying in the stairwell so we went in there to check up on him, and he told us to go away! He needs to be calmed down otherwise NO ONE's gonna wanna use that stairwell!" Petey answered.

"Damnit! What the hell could've possibly happened with him this time!? You know what…how much you wanna bet it has to do with Katia and her annoying husband and daughter!?" Morton yelled.

"Well, whatever's the reason, please get him to relax. The gang will need all his strength and concentration for the final gem. And I mean that with all seriousness because I truly hope he's okay!" Fly Guy stated.

"We know. Thank you!" Larry responded with a nod then led his brothers over to the stairwell with urgency.

Larry opened the door and immediately saw Bowser in the corner underneath the set of stairs, crying into his lap.

"DAD! What happened to you!? Are you hurt!?" Larry screeched and they ran over to him.

"Oh…damnit! The Propeller head and giant piranha plant told you, didn't they!?" Bowser yelped as he wiped his eyes.

"Heh, yeah, they did…but I'm glad they did! Dad, what the hell is going on? Please tell us! Don't keep it inside!" Junior pleaded.

"Oooooooh…o-ok. Ok. Sorry I made you boys panic. I just…IT'S FUCKING KENNETH!" Bowser screamed, his voice echoing through the tall stairwell.

"Kenneth!? AGAIN? I fucking called it! What did he do!?" Morton said.

"He, uhh, god! He has no ounce of damn sympathy in his body! He kept trying to insult me and tear me down, saying some bullshit like 'I'm dead in this town' and how I'm gonna go back to my old ways after this is all done. GRAAAHHHHH! Ohhhhhh…you boys don't realize how much I wanna FUCKING rip him apart! I am literally using all the control I could possibly muster to not fucking destroy him! He's the most apathetic person I've ever met in my entire life!" Bowser angrily vented, horrifying the kids to the bone.

"What in the hell!? Okay, what is that bastard's deal!? Why can't he just leave you alone!?" Ludwig cried and was outraged for his poor father.

"I don't know, son…I-I just don't know what to do with him…I mean, I KNOW what he's trying to do. He's just trying to get me to blow up and attack him, then play the victim afterwards. I see right through him. He's a goddamn monster! I just…boys, I really wonder if he manipulated and abused Clawdia to be with him…they seem so off together…" Bowser shakily spoke, trying to calm himself down as Junior and Lemmy went to go hug him.

"Even if that was the case, dad, Clawdia still did a horrible thing by leaving all of us. Everyone's responsible for their own actions. But I'm so sorry he did that to you, dad…there's gotta be something we can do, but I'm not sure if we can just kick him out of here?" Larry said and welled up seeing his father broken down again.

Meanwhile, after hearing all of this, Morton's expression slowly turned to anger as he became red in the face and clenched his fists. "You know what…I'm gonna do something about this. He thinks he's miserable by just being here? I'll show him what's coming if he doesn't leave!" He then began to storm out of the stairwell.

"MORTON, STOP!" Bowser screamed, stopping him in his tracks. "Don't…please don't do anything violent. It'll just make everything worse."

Morton exhaled, looking annoyed now, and tried to calm his temper, then spoke, "I wasn't going to. I was going to find him and set his ass straight. You guys can come with me if you want!"

"I'll go with him. Junior and Lemmy, stay here with dad. Ludwig, do you wanna come?" Larry instructed.

"Yes, I wanna be there when he gets rightfully put in his place! LET'S GO!" Ludwig excitedly yelled and the three ran out of the stairwell to begin the search for Kenneth.

They got into the hallway and Morton aimlessly veered off to the right…but then, his search came to a halt. Not because he had already found Kenneth, but because he saw Clawdia and Katia heading out into the courtyard.

"THERE! We'll talk to them and see where the fuck he is!" Morton commanded and booked it to the courtyard.

Clawdia and Katia walked to the left side of the courtyard to go look at a small patch of daffodils. Morton caught up to them, making Katia shriek when she saw his angered demeanor.

"WOAH! What do you want!?" Katia yelped.

"WHERE IS HE!? YOUR STUPID HUSBAND, KENNETH!?" Morton screamed at Clawdia.

"Wh-what!? Uhhh, h-he should be in the cafeteria getting us some apple juice! Why? Why are you so angry, Morton!?" she frantically answered.

"Kenneth keeps making our dad feel like dirt! I don't know what in the hell he's saying to him exactly, but your husband sure knows how to just not leave a grieving father alone! I don't understand how you could be with someone so vile and sociopathic!" Ludwig yelled, drawing eyes to them.

"What? He's just, uhh, saying 'stuff' to Bowser? I'm confused!" Katia commented.

"He's picking fights with our dad. He told our dad that he's 'dead in this town' among other vile things. And that's not the first time he's done it, either! We are SO sick and tired of dealing with that asshole! I get it, he doesn't like Bowser, and he doesn't have to, but for crying out loud, JUST LEAVE OUR DAD ALONE ALREADY!" Larry raised his voice and was on the verge of breaking down into tears. Katia looked horrified at this whereas Clawdia looked moreso deeply saddened.

"Oh my god…you guys, I-I had no idea! I'm so sorry! I'll tell him to knock it off and stay as far away as possible!" Clawdia shrieked.

"Right. You had noooooo idea. Sure. Okay. Like we're supposed to believe anything you say!" Ludwig spat.

"I…I think I can believe it!" Katia nervously spoke. Everyone looked to her in surprise. "My dad can get pretty nasty when he wants. It's like, um, when he dislikes someone for whatever reason, he goes out of his way to make them feel like crap! I don't know why he does that!"

"Katia…that's not true, don't say that. She's only saying that because she and Kenneth like to bicker every now and then!" Clawdia grunted.

"Wow. Look at that! Katia has more common sense than you! Where she inherited THAT trait from, I have no clue!" Morton insultingly said.

"Seriously, did you lie to us about how you two met!? Come on! You're standing there pretending like all of this is so horrible, but we see right through your bullshit! I swear, I KNOW I shouldn't care about that, but you had to have known that he'd be like this! Why aren't you doing anything to get him off of Bowser!? You're not powerless! Do you even love him!? DOES HE ABUSE YOU AT ALL!?" Larry continued to raise his voice as his body shook.

"Tell us the truth of everything. Why are you with someone so apathetic and vile? You've been with him for years. No one hides a side like that to them for so long. So, either he has some split personality shit going on, or there's something else happening here," Ludwig added.

Clawdia began to cry as she buried her face in her hands. "I'm just…I'm so sorry for all of this…o-okay…I'll tell you guys everything in detail…looking back on it…I…I left out some important parts when I first told you our story…"

"There's a shocker. Now come on, get to it then! We don't have all day! And like Larry said, we SHOULDN'T care about this, but we've been pretty much forced into this situation, so on with it!" Morton demanded.

"O-Okay. Here it is…"

FLASHBACK

"As I've told you before…I used to occasionally sneak out of the castle late at night to experience life in the city. Go for late night walks by myself. People watch. Observe the beautiful city lights. I was desperate to be out in the modern day world, so I took the only chance I had to do it.

I went to a bar called Podlena's Bar a few times. It was always open till 3am so I'd be there till closing then sneak back to the castle before anyone even knew I was ever gone…among other stuff I did. After the first two times I went to the bar, on the third time, that's when Kenneth approached me and we struck a conversation."

Kenneth walked on over to Clawdia who was drinking a Chuckola Cola and watching the television in the corner, showing late news of events happening in the Mushroom Kingdom.

"Hey there," he spoke, startling her a little. She faced him and was immediately struck by how handsome he was.

"Oh! Um…hi. Can I help you with anything?" Clawdia nervously asked.

"No no. It's just…well, you see, I'm one of the managers of this bar and the last two nights you came here all by yourself. And here you are again alone tonight. I know that sounds kind of creepy, but I'm a very observant person and have a photographic memory. I've never seen someone go to a bar all by themselves continuously!" Kenneth answered humorously, eyeing her up and down. Clawdia blushed a little and tried not to look directly at him.

"I kind of like to be alone. Sounds weird, but it feels refreshing to me to be on my own and do my own thing for once," Clawdia responded and took another sip of her cola.

"Oh yeah? Alone in a popular bar? Kind of an oxymoron, don't you think?" Kenneth teased. Clawdia giggled and blushed some more.

"Yeah, I know that also sounds weird. I just like being in the city and seeing the hustle and bustle of everything. It's such a nice change from where I'm from. Feels like I'm a part of the world for once. And…wow, yeah, hearing all that coming from my mouth sounds VERY weird when it's put into words!" Clawdia laughed some more in surprise at herself. Kenneth laughed a little too.

"Nothing wrong with some weirdness. But now I'm curious…if you don't mind me asking…what's your story then? What's a beautiful woman like you doing here, all alone in the city so late at night? Why specifically? You have a whole lot of mystery surrounding you. Kinda wanna solve it," Kenneth flirtatiously spoke. Clawdia couldn't help but smile excitedly and looked into his eyes. He seemed incredibly intrigued and she liked that, but at the same time she didn't because there was so much to unpack to someone she just met.

"Oh gosh. If I told you my story, we'd be here till next year. I'm sorry…probably not a good idea, especially since I don't wanna keep you from your shift," Clawdia said with disappointment and was about to leave from her stool, but then Kenneth lightly touched her arm.

"No, it's okay! I don't mind listening to your story at all. I've got lots of time to kill, plus, my shift just ended," he urged. Clawdia stopped herself and was a little confused as to why he was so eager to listen to her, but at the same time she liked that. He continued, "Hey…we're at a bar. Apart from a therapist's office, this is the next best place to get the bullshit off your chest, and I consider myself a very good listener. So…go on. I'm all ears for you!"

Clawdia giggled again, but then shook her head. "I mean…I don't know. See, the thing is, once you know who I really am, you're not gonna be interested in my story. Trust me. You're better off not getting involved."

Kenneth looked even more intrigued now while scoffing a little. "Woah! What's that supposed to mean? You a criminal or something?"

"Well…no…" she replied while looking down in embarrassment.

"You a druggie? Alcoholic? Mental illnesses? Physical illnesses?" Kenneth questioned. Clawdia found his prying to be quite bizarre, but she truly couldn't help but like that he was interested in knowing about her.

"No no, none of that. Gosh…" she nervously chuckled.

"Then I don't see how I would not want to know your story. I'm a simple guy. As long as you're not doing anything illegal, you can't scare me off," Kenneth said firmly. Clawdia looked into his eyes and she knew he was dying to know now. She sighed, took another drink, and began to say what she never thought she'd have to say to anyone.

"So…I'm sure you know of King Bowser Koopa, right?" Clawdia asked.

"Yeah, of course I do. Guy is totally obsessed with wanting to be the true royalty of the Mushroom Kingdom over Princess Peach for some reason. Why? Are you affiliated with him?" Kenneth asked.

"Um…yes, actually. I happen to be his wife," she revealed in such a way that she seemed ashamed. Kenneth gasped then chuckled. Clawdia saw the numerous emotions upon his face. It seemed like a combination of horror, shock, humor, and confusion.

"WOAH. You, uhh, you're kidding, right? You're the wife of Bowser? THE Bowser!? And…don't you and him have, like, 7 children too?" he asked intrusively. Clawdia sighed again.

"I'm sorry, I knew this was going to be too much for you. I'm gonna leave now," Clawdia huffed then was about to leave from her stool, but Kenneth touched her arm again.

"No no! Please stay. I'm just…you know, surprised at that. Come on, you just told me you're the wife of King Bowser Koopa! You can't expect me to NOT be so shocked at that plot twist?" Kenneth pointed out with a hearty chuckle. Clawdia calmed herself and sat back down, realizing that it was indeed a fair point.

"Okay. You got me. Sorry, I guess I was just on defense mode and tried to protect myself from any harsh reactions."

"No need to apologize. I can understand that since Bowser isn't really most people's cup of tea. But now this just deepens the mystery. Why on earth is the wife of King Bowser Koopa in a bar at midnight all by her lonesome? Feel free to be as honest as possible. No judgments from my end since we all have a reason for doing what we do," Kenneth said in a way that made her feel comfortable to speak her truth. It was something she wanted to vent to someone, anyone, for the longest time, so this was the golden opportunity to free her inner struggles.

"And so…I told him everything. It all just spilled out that one night. Every little detail I've been holding in from expressing my true thoughts and feelings over how my life was back then. I want you boys to know that I do not, for one second, regret birthing and raising you, nor do I regret having married Bowser. I just felt so trapped in that castle. It felt like my whole life up to that point where I met Kenneth was just playing the role of only being a mother and wife. But, as I've told you boys previously, I wanted more from life. I wanted to explore. Figure out other interests. For the first time in years, I felt like so much weight had lifted off my shoulders since I got everything out of my system, and Kenneth really heard me and made me feel like I wasn't crazy…"

"...so when the kids are put to sleep, I tell Bowser goodnight and excuse myself to go to the reading room of the castle. He falls asleep at 10 o'clock every night and I always read for an hour then go to bed with him at 11. He hated me reading with the light on when he tried going to sleep in our bedroom, so I used the 'reading room' to my advantage. It ended up being a 'code' for me sneaking out of the castle and taking a nice walk down to the city and exploring around for a few hours, then coming back right into bed with him…as if nothing ever happened. I haven't been caught yet, and I'll be totally honest…I find it kind of thrilling. I get to do what I want when I want down here. You know?" Clawdia finished explaining. Kenneth had a grin on him as she wrapped up her story.

"Wow. Look at you! Such a badass woman trying to fulfill her needs and wants. Damn! That's truly impressive and admirable, Clawdia. I mean…god. If you're TRULY feeling trapped, you know…there's nothing wrong with walking away from everything," he said pressingly. Clawdia felt taken back from how forward he was.

"Walking away? Um, you make it sound so simple, but it really isn't. I can't just walk away from Bowser and my kids," Clawdia responded.

"But how else will you untrap yourself? How will you truly feel free? And feel happy and just be who you were really meant to be? Clawdia…you told me your story for a reason. I don't blame you at all for feeling the way you do. Being married and birthing kid after kid, then raising them day in and day out…god, even just saying all that sounds exhausting! Tell me, does Bowser even help to raise them? Does he treat you properly?" Kenneth questioned, which made her quite emotional now even though it helped affirm her thoughts.

"Of course he helps. I mean…I do more work than he does, but it's not like he just does nothing. And he treats me fine. He isn't abusive towards me, if that's what you're implying," Clawdia said.

"Uh huh. Don't you think you're setting those bars pretty low there? You say he doesn't do nothing when it comes to the kids. Okay? More than nothing is good, but a father should always be doing his absolute most when it comes to his own kids. And treating you just 'fine'...yikes. No wife should only be treated just 'fine' in a marriage. He should be celebrating you daily and treating YOU like his queen…which is ironic if you think about it. He's a king and you're supposed to be the queen, yet, that's not your title, is it? Nor are you even treated like one. Wow. Sounds to me like he's just tolerating your presence. That's a recipe for disaster right there!" Kenneth further specified as he looked disgusted from what he was hearing from her.

"Tolerating my presence!? I…" Clawdia was gonna make a retortment, but that phrase struck her mind for a moment. That phrase summed up her true feelings over her predicament. She felt tolerated. Not celebrated.

"What? Are you okay?" Kenneth asked, noting her odd reaction.

"I…um…sorry. Wow, look at the time, it's almost 2am now! I should be getting back. Thank you for hearing me vent," Clawdia spoke hurriedly then rushed to get out of her seat.

"Woah woah! Clawdia…I'm sorry if I said something hurtful, but to me, I think everything I said was the truth. That this isn't the life you want anymore. That you want to feel untrapped. That you want to be celebrated. That Bowser's wants and needs aren't compatible with your wants and needs. And that's perfectly fine. You deserve your happiness, but that happiness won't be where you're living," Kenneth said in hopes of calming her down. Clawdia looked as if she was gonna cry.

"I…y…thanks again for hearing my story. It means a lot. Now I really have to go!" she struggled to get out a response and rushed out of the bar.

"Kenneth said I was tolerated, not celebrated. I don't know how, but he put into words everything I've felt for so many years. It's as if I was just strolling through life. Like I was being an impostor to my true self…and also an impostor to everyone else. That was the night it all truly clicked for me."

Clawdia entered her and Bowser's bedroom. The koopa king seemed sound asleep. She tip-toed her way to the bed and got under the sheets.

Bowser groaned a little and turned over to her, startling her and making her freeze.

"Oooh…hey…did…did you just now get into bed?" Bowser tiredly spoke.

Clawdia felt nervous to respond, but she had to come up with something on the spot.

"No. I got into bed after reading. Then I got up again to get some water and use the bathroom," she said.

"Oh…okay. Hey, I know I've asked you this before, but next time you leave the reading room, can you please make sure the window in there is closed all the way? Morton said a few bees got in there yesterday and it scared him. He's allergic to them, remember?" Bowser asked bluntly. Clawdia tried not to roll her eyes at him.

"Of course I remember he's allergic to bees, Bowser. He's my son, how could I possibly forget? And you've never asked me previously about the window. I'll make sure it's shut, but you've never asked me about it before," Clawdia annoyedly replied.

"Oh…I swear, I thought I did. Oh well. Nighty night then," Bowser shrugged it off and turned back over to go back to sleep. Clawdia sighed as her eyes welled up, not getting Kenneth's words out of her head.

"I went back again the next night. I couldn't stay away after everything we talked about. And, well, that began the 2 year affair on my end with Kenneth…"

"You're back!" Kenneth yelped with excitement upon seeing the tall koopa lady wearing a knee-length gorgeous pink dress at the bar. Clawdia smiled widely and walked on over to the counter.

"Back I am. I, um, wanna apologize for just up and leaving last night. It was a lot to think about and process," Clawdia said. Kenneth couldn't help but smirk and chuckle.

"Don't apologize. You needed to vent and let out all that frustration and anxiety and confusion. You want what you want, at the end of the day. People change. The change in you is that you want to move away from being an unappreciated housewife living in some Medieval castle with Medieval traditions to someone who wants to have more independence and feel all the love she deserves," Kenneth said in a seductive manner while looking deep into her eyes. Clawdia couldn't help but blush hard and felt her heart pound.

"You read me like a book. When does your shift end?" she asked while grinning.

"Just a few minutes, actually. And I wanna take you somewhere…somewhere I think you'll like," Kenneth spoke with excitement.

"Ooh. Sounds like a surprise! I like surprises. Can't wait!" she cheered.

"We did stuff that I've never done before. That second night, we drove all throughout Mushroom City, getting lost looking at the city lights and cool buildings that he wanted to take me to. Then we did activities that I never got to do. Ice skating. Gambling. Wine tasting. Stargazing. It all felt so amazing and surreal, because…sorry to say, kids, I've never done anything like that with Bowser. From the beginning, our relationship felt like a transaction, where we just fell for each other and moved so quickly so soon and before I knew it, I was raising a family and became a stay-at-home. I know it happened over the course of many years, but looking back on it, it feels like it all occurred in the blink of an eye…"

"MY GOODNESS! I can't believe I didn't crack the ice considering how tall and heavy I am!" Clawdia laughed heartily as she sat down to take off her ice skates. Her and Kenneth were at a public outdoor ice rink.

"Oh knock it off. You're not heavy and the ice is stronger than it looks. You were completely fine the whole time. And now you found a new hobby!" Kenneth chuckled and sat next to her.

"Well, I'm quite tall for a koopa woman so I know that adds to my weight…but, um, yeah, I was SO worried over nothing. It was so fun! We'll have to do it again," Clawdia giddily cheered.

"Absolutely. And we'll do much more fun stuff like this…" Kenneth said then leaned in to kiss her. Clawdia hesitated for a moment, but then kissed him back. She felt the passion and thrill flow throughout her body and she felt like she was truly alive again.

"I fell for him hard. It was a life that felt like a dream come true, a life that only existed in my imagination up until that point. I didn't want to lose that…but I also didn't want to lose you all too. I truly didn't. My love for you kids was still strong, but I also knew that conflicted with my life at the castle. I felt more enthusiastic for life, but at the same time, more confused than ever since I wanted to have this kind of life, but didn't want to just up and leave my old one.

Then I became pregnant with Bowser Jr."

"Are you positive it's not mine?" Kenneth asked in a serious manner. The two were at his apartment, her having just revealed that she's pregnant.

"I'm positive. Kenneth, we've been 'safe' everytime we've done it. I wasn't 'protected' when Bowser and I did it a while back. And that was just one time. It has to be his," Clawdia assured. Kenneth looked peeved.

"Great. When was the last time you two did it? And WHY were you even doing it with him!? I thought you weren't happy with everything there!?" he angrily questioned. Clawdia felt a little scared from his harsh reaction.

"Please calm down, Kenneth…the last time we did it was a few nights before I met you. I swear. So about three months ago," she answered.

"Really? That long ago? You're not even showing! C'mon, Clawdia…" Kenneth groaned.

"Some women don't visibly show three months in, Ken! Geez. All the times I have made love since I met you were ALWAYS with you. Never Bowser. Please believe that!" Clawdia urged and held his arms. Kenneth still didn't look satisfied.

"Well…what are you gonna do now then? You gonna keep it?" he asked. Clawdia looked disturbed by that unexpected question.

"Wha! What do you mean by that exactly!? Are you implying I should a-abort it!?" she shrieked.

"I mean…Clawdia…how much longer are you gonna live this double life? You're with me, but you're pregnant with Bowser's kid. That man is intercepting our love life. It's disgusting!" Kenneth spat.

"Ken, I…I wanna be with you, I just…" Clawdia began to choke up as she felt so caught in between everything and was truly trapped.

"You just what? Don't know what to do? I'll tell you what to do. You came to me for a damn good reason: because you wanna escape that awfully boring and submissive life you have at that wretched castle. You still can walk away from it all, you know. I will protect you in case anything bad happens. You can always stay here with me. You have a home here. I'll help you find work. We can continue going on our adventures together. Please…" Kenneth pleaded and kissed her forehead.

Clawdia wiped her eyes and nodded a little. "Okay. Okay. Um…I…I'll do it. But, Ken, first things first…I HAVE to go through with this pregnancy. It's his and he needs to have it. Once I give birth, then we will officially be together exclusively. Does that sound like a deal?"

Kenneth didn't look too happy at that, but shrugged then sighed. "Fine. It's a deal. I wouldn't want any offspring of his in my home anyways."

"So, I gave birth to Junior. Shortly after that, I became pregnant with Katia. Then, right after that, was when I told Bowser about everything. That was the night where we last saw each other until we came here to the hospital. That was the night both of our lives changed…and I absolutely hated that I dumped all that mess on him. I hated how I handled it. There are a million ways I could've treated it better…but the past can't be changed unfortunately.

That night forward, I lived with Kenneth and we began our lives together officially."

The couple got back to Kenneth's apartment from the doctor's, both of them unable to contain their excitement.

"It still feels so surreal! We're having a baby girl…and…we can be together as a family without any other trouble finally. It's so much to take in!" Clawdia exclaimed, holding her belly and kissing Kenneth.

"Exactly. I'm so happy for us, Clawd. We both got everything we've ever wanted. Our dreams finally come true. We can finally breathe and start living!" Kenneth spoke with great relief and a wide smile.

"Definitely. Well…actually, I got ALMOST everything I ever wanted," Clawdia commented, her expression turning neutral. Kenneth quickly became confused and annoyed.

"Wait, what is that supposed to mean!? What is missing!?" he cried.

"Oh! No no, sorry, everything between us is all I wanted. I was talking about my family. They disowned me because I wanted to be with Bowser. But now that I'm not…now that I'm with you and we have our OWN child…I just really wonder if they'll change their minds!" Clawdia explained.

"I see. You got with Bowser when you were 18, right? Damn…so, it's been around 10 years since you saw them then. And no one from even your extended family tried to reach out to you? That's…unfortunate…" Kenneth replied somberly.

"Yeah. Wow. You know…I didn't even think about how many years it's been since I last saw them. I mean, I knew it's been a long time, but it didn't hit me exactly HOW long it's been. I, um, I wanna try to see them and reconnect. I also wanna have them meet you! I know they'll like you," Clawdia urged. Kenneth smiled a little.

"Okay. We can try that. But if they still reject you…you always have me," Kenneth said as he held her hands.

"A part of me was also truly hoping my family would take me back, or at least try to rebuild our relationship, since I was no longer with Bowser at that point. To be honest, kids, cutting ties with my own family really added to my isolation and feeling of being lost in life. I was only 18 when I left home to be with Bowser. That's still a kid. You're still growing up so much at that point. You don't know what you truly want at that age. That was me being on my own for the first time ever and I had to grow up so quickly…"

Kenneth drove Clawdia to her family's house. Everything was exactly how she remembered it the last time she saw it.

"Do you know if they even still live here?" Kenneth questioned.

"Yes. That's my dad's van in the driveway there! He still has that ugly tan colored van after all these years, still, hehe," Clawdia chuckled and got a little excited, but was way more nervous.

"Alright. You ready to do this?" Kenneth asked, noticing she looked incredibly on edge.

"I, um, well, I'm as ready as I'll ever be," Clawdia responded with a nervous chuckle then got out of the car, and so did Kenneth.

Clawdia led the way to the house as she felt herself become more and more nervous with each step. She got to the front door and knocked on it. Kenneth was a few feet behind her, leaning against the wall. She felt her heart pound. She almost didn't want to do this, but she knew she had to.

The door was heard opening and she felt her heart almost stop. In view came her mother who both froze when they locked eyes.

"Oh! Oh my goodness…Cl…Clawdia?" her mom gasped.

"M-Mom! Yes, yes, it's me! Um…gosh…it's been so many years, hasn't it!?" Clawdia teared up with joy.

"Yes it has…oh my, so many years! But, what are you doing here?" her mom confusedly asked.

"I, um, I am no longer with Bowser! I left him and I'm with Kenneth now, over there!" Clawdia excitedly pointed to him, who awkwardly waved from afar. Her mom looked incredibly bewildered. Clawdia continued, "And we're expecting a child too! A baby girl! Mom, everything's been such a whirlwind towards the end of my time with Bowser. But then I met Kenneth and…and it ended up working out for the best for me!"

"Oh wow, dear, that is…um…amazing for you…" her mom replied, still in shock and confusion.

"Who's at the door? Who are you talking to!?" a man's voice was heard in the house.

"DAD!? DAD, IT'S ME, CLAWDIA! PLEASE COME OUT AND TALK TO ME!" she pleaded. Her mom looked nervous now.

"Clawdia!? What in the world!?" he shouted then rushed to the front door. He also froze when they saw each other.

"Hey dad," Clawdia choked up and couldn't help but smile in excitement. "I-I was just telling mom th-that I'm not with Bowser anymore! That man standing over there is Kenneth, and we're expecting a baby girl! Boy, have I got a hell of a story to tell you…"

Her dad looked at Kenneth with a mix of frustration and confusion, then looked at her. "What the hell. You really expect us to just come back together just because you're with another man!?"

That line immediately shattered Clawdia's heart.

"Wh-what do you mean!? The reason why you guys were so angry with me was because I ran away to be with Bowser! B-But now I've changed! I left him because that wasn't the life I wanted, then I met Kenneth, and now I'm happier than ever! Please dad…please hear me out!" she begged for his mercy.

"No. You're such a goddamn fool! The second you walked out the door with Bowser was the second you lost your family FOREVER! We warned you so many times not to get involved with that fucked up family, but you refused to listen to reason! You're an embarrassment to the entire family! There's a reason why we haven't reached out in all these years!" her dad angrily yelled to her face. Clawdia couldn't believe how horrible he was being to her. Her hopes of reconnection were vanishing quickly.

"BUT THAT WAS A LONG TIME AGO, DAD! I WAS JUST A KID BACK THEN! I didn't know what the hell I was doing! Please…please don't do this! I wanna be back with you guys! I don't wanna miss any more years! PLEASE!" Clawdia shrilled and broke down crying.

"I said no. You made your choice, now you deal with the consequences, and those consequences will last the rest of your life. Don't bother trying to contact us again," he stated then was about to walk away until Kenneth said something.

"Wow. Walking away from your daughter over one mistake she made all those years ago? Yeah. Real good parenting job you're doing there. Must feel nice disowning your own daughter like she's just trash," he spat. Her father shot him an angry glare.

"YOU MIND YOUR OWN FUCKING BUSINESS! You have one minute to get the hell off my property or else I'm calling the cops!" he screamed then walked off.

"NOOOOO! DADDY, PLEASE! Mom…mom, please do something!" Clawdia screamed.

"I…no, honey, your father's right. You made a terrible mistake after so many warnings. I wish you and Kenneth nothing but the best for your lives. But please don't ever come back here again," she spoke softly then proceeded to close the door on her.

"NO! NOOOOOOOOO! PLEEEEAAAAAASE! MOMMY! DADDY!" Clawdia screamed and fell to the ground.

"God…Clawd! Let's get out of here. They aren't worth it. Okay? These selfish pricks don't deserve you," Kenneth urged.

"B…But…Ken…w-why don't they understand!? I-I WAS JUST A KID! I didn't know any better! WHY CAN'T THEY SEE THAT!?" Clawdia cried into his shoulder. He held her and then glared daggers at the house.

"They don't see that because they're both narcissistic jerks who only care about keeping up appearances. Like I said, they don't deserve you. You're better than this bullshit. C'mon, Clawd, let's get the hell out of this dump," Kenneth stated then brought her back to the car.

"And that was the end of that. Ever since that day, I've been with Kenneth and we raised Katia. Our marriage isn't perfect, I know that. But he gave me a home and made me feel truly important and loved. And now we are here, and I think I know why Kenneth is acting this way. He's scared. He doesn't want me to be around you guys because he views this as my old life and he tried so hard to get me away from that after I vented to him about everything. He doesn't think it's possible for me to be with him and Katia but also try to be a part of your guys' lives, but of course, only if you'll let me…which, I don't think you do…but I understand why."

END FLASHBACK

Larry, Morton, and Ludwig took that story in and looked at each other with a mix of frustration, sympathy, and sorrow.

"Um…please say something? Anyone?" Clawdia nervously asked, noting the awkward silence now.

"Claw…mom…I mean…gah, I don't even know what to call you at this point. Look, I'm sorry your family disowned you, I really am. Nobody deserves that just because they wanna be with someone. But Kenneth…your husband has been nothing but vicious to Bowser ever since he got here. He picked the WORST fucking timing ever to hurt dad's feelings when he's grieving over losing Wendy and Iggy. Hell, add in Roy and Kammy too for that matter! It's hard to unsee Kenenth as a cold person when he's been like that the entire time here.

I know this situation isn't ideal for him. And that's fine. But that still gives him no right for him to say all that awful crap he's been saying. He needs to go! Because if Kenneth keeps picking at him…well, you already know what will likely happen. This is Bowser we're talking about here. Add in the grief and…yeah, you're just asking for mayhem to happen," Larry stated.

"I know. You're right. As much as I don't want to go…it's the best thing to do for everyone. When I see him, I'll tell him. Okay? I'll tell him that we need to leave ASAP," Clawdia admitted whilst on the verge of sobbing.

"Can't he just be the one to go to the lakehouse and us stay here, mom? We know where it's at. Honestly, I'd rather be here because we have SO much food and help here! At the lakehouse, there's nothing! Yeah, shelter, but food is limited and the nearest hospital to the lakehouse is like 30 minutes, and that's by car! We don't have a car right now!" Katia protested.

"You know we can't just do that. We have to stay together, sweetie!" Clawdia affirmed.

"So, when you see Kenneth, lay it on him hard that he needs to go. Because if you don't, I can promise you that the message will not get across to him! Someone like that needs to hear it loud and clear!" Morton demanded.

"Well, don't you think 'laying it on him hard' might make things worse? Guys, I'll just tell him, he'll listen to me without me needing to be so upfront about it!" Clawdia assured, but Morton refused to take that.

"NO! Put your foot down with him! Do it or I will! Now, we need to get back inside because we have a meeting!" Morton demanded further then stomped off with Larry and Ludwig following behind.

"You wanna know something I just realized? When she was talking about her father…umm, doesn't Kenneth also sound a lot like her father too?" Ludwig pointed out.

"Uhh, what are you trying to say, exactly?" Larry responded in confusion.

"I'm saying…ugh, I don't know. I'm obviously no therapist or psychologist but her dad and Kenneth seem so similar. They both are abusive. Clawdia's practically in a relationship with her father! So disgusting. Isn't that what they call 'daddy issues' these days?" Ludwig explained.


10 AM

Everyone slowly gathered into the hidden basement room. Mario spotted Yoshi and walked up to him.

"Hey you! How are ya holding up?" Mario kindly asked.

"Eh. All over the place, honestly. Hung out with DK, Toadette, Dixie, and Goombella for a bit last night and had a nice time. Then fell asleep. Then woke up crying. Then barely dragged myself out of bed. Coffee helped awaken my drowsy and droopy self. And now I'm here. So…perhaps not BARELY holding on…but not FULLY holding on either," Yoshi explained in a slight humorous manner with a shrug.

"I get it. It's unfortunately gonna be like that for a long time. But hey…I know we haven't hung out one-on-one in a while, but after this is done, you and I are gonna go on a mini-adventure and escape this hellhole! Only if you want to, of course," Mario proposed with some excitement.

"Yeah. Yeah! I'd really like that. Throwback to the good ol' days of running through the plains and collecting stars and beating up nasty koopa troopas!" Yoshi cheered with a laugh, and Mario laughed along too.

"Heh! Something like that. Glad you agreed to come! Looking forward to it," the plumber cheered and patted him on the shoulder. He then walked back to Peach, Luigi, and Daisy and was about to speak to them until Mona ran up to the group of four.

"Hey, you guys! Talk real quick before we start the meeting?" she asked with urgency.

"Oh! Sure, what's going on?" Daisy responded.

"It's about Wario. We were talking on the rooftop earlier and he kept saying how he wanted to try to resurrect his brother with whatever kind of magics he could get his hands on. I told him 'no' of course and how resurrection magic could EASILY backfire, but he seemed pretty deadset on it. I know it's just the grief talking through him…" Mona explained.

"Oh my! Yeah, that's definitely the grief talking. Just give it some time and he won't be thinking about that option anymore," Peach assured.

"Yeah, I wouldn't take what he's saying too seriously. Like you said, it's just the grief talking. No way in hell would he ever go to such a far length to do THAT of all things," Luigi added.

"I know. It's just that, there was something else he said that stood out to me. I think the underlying reason for him saying all of this is that he doesn't wanna be alone. Well…actually, he literally said that to me. I told him that he won't be alone, that he has me and you guys…but then he says that he's just an acquaintance to you guys. So…my request here is, could you guys help him feel like he's your guys' friend? I think it could really help him with his grieving, especially with his drinking problem as of late," Mona proposed. The other four looked sympathetic and understanding of her plight.

"Drinking problem? Uhh, how much has he been drinking lately?" Peach asked in surprise.

"Not a heavy amount, but nothing little either. I'm just afraid of him going down a route of alcoholism because of this. It's so self-destructive, and it's not what Waluigi would want of him!" Mona answered.

"Wow. We had no idea, Mona…damn. I feel kinda bad now. I mean, we never considered Wario to be a close friend, we just considered him as a longtime acquaintance I think since, you know, we've gotten into some conflicts before what with his attitude and greediness. I know that's kind of gone away recently, but man, that's so sad to hear about that. We'll try being an actual friend to him!" Daisy recalled.

"Yeah! With how long we've known Wario, there's no reason why we shouldn't try to be a friend to him now since we know so much about him too. We can definitely do that, Mona," Luigi added. Mona smiled with relief.

"Excellent! Thank you guys. This really helps," she cheered as everyone else began to enter the room.

"There you are! Where were you?" Jojora yelped as she went up to Parakarry.

"Uhh, what do you mean?" the mailman confusedly responded.

"We were supposed to mean in the courtyard to talk things out! Why didn't you show up?" Jojora questioned.

"Oh crap. I forgot about that. Sorry! But to be fair, I don't think we ever set a specific time for that…" Parakarry said in embarrassment.

"Really? So…are we not ever gonna talk about it then?" Jojora said with defeat in her voice.

"Uhhh…we'll talk right after this meeting is done, okay?" Parakarry said with a clear loss of what to do. Jojora reluctantly nodded and crossed her arms, not looking too hopeful.

Vivian noticed Koops and Kooper came in together, looking like they were having a friendly conversation. She looked excited at this.

"Well, look at that! I think they managed to work things out! Or are trying to at least," Vivian said in excitement towards Bombette.

"Koops and Kooper? Oh yeah, I saw them walk out of the hospital together earlier. I was wondering when they would have a talk between them, and it looks like they did," Bombette replied with a smile.

"Yeah! It takes a lot of power and courage to try to move past that kind of pain, you know? I know it can't be easy. I don't wanna tear down Kooper or anything like that, but he did put Koops in a world of hurt," Vivian observed.

"Oh yeah, I know what you mean. Look, I've known Kooper for years, he can be a real jackass when he wants to be, but it's just a cover up for his insecurities. Poor guy has had it rough with his family since he moved out right after high school to Koopa Village. Didn't know what direction to put his life in. I helped him a little, but he also wanted to be super independent. People like that are fragile. I'm not excusing what Kooper did, but the guy had to pretty much reset his life when he moved. That can make even the most stable person make questionable decisions," Bombette explained.

"Oh wow. I had no idea about that…I mean, of course, I knew about Fire Bro being his brother, but didn't know the specifics of Kooper's life. I'm starting to notice that A LOT of us here have come from broken homes…" Vivian pointed out.

Bowser walked into the room with Lemmy and Junior. The koopa king leaned against the wall, looking irritable and exhausted. Larry, Morton, and Ludwig came in shortly after.

"Hey dad! We took care of the problem for you. Okay? He won't be bothering you any longer," Larry assured.

"Oh yeah? What did you guys do?" Bowser curiously asked.

"We talked to Clawdia. We were extremely adamant on her telling him that they need to leave. She also told us the entire story of how and why she got together with Kenneth and why she stayed with him and yadda yadda yadda…oh, and something about how her family still disowned her even after being with Kenneth. I kinda feel sorry for her, but I kinda don't, you know?" Ludwig summarized. Bowser closed his eyes and looked away from his kids.

"Okay. Good. Thanks for doing that," he spoke while choking up a little.

"It'll be okay, dad! He'll get what's coming to him. You're so far above that bastard in every single way!" Lemmy said to try to cheer him up.

"I know he will. I'm just…I'm so tired. Really tired. I'm using every last bit of my energy and strength to carry on and finish this adventure. When we're done, I'm taking a month long rest," Bowser proclaimed.

"We understand, dad! You've done so much for us. Don't ever forget that we love you and you deserve the best!" Junior supportively cheered and hugged him. The other boys joined in too and Bowser couldn't help but cry a little in pure warmth and love.

"MARIO!" Dr. Nokano yelped and ran over to him, holding a paper in his hand. "This was specifically addressed to you…well, and kind of me. I read it already and you should too."

"Oh?" Mario uttered in suspicion, hesitantly grabbing the paper. "Who wrote this?"

"A little girl named Toadessa. She's the one who got strangled by the Toado kid and that was part of the reason so many people went into an uproar and left, including her, while you guys were gone," Nokano informed.

"Oh! Okay. But why the hell would she write to me? Kind of strange…" Mario said as he opened the letter.

"Because she wanted to tell YOU that she and the others that left made it safely to the hospital they went to in Rose City. This was sent via a paratroopa mailman from that city about an hour ago. I'm glad they made it safe there, because to be honest, I thought they'd run into trouble or get lost getting there!" Nokano admitted.

"Wow…they really made it there all by walking. Damn. That's commitment! And I'm glad they made it safe too. And…oh…says here in her letter that she wants me to make it known to the people here that there is the option to go to the Rose City Hospital for anyone else who feels like they're not safe enough at this hospital. Hmm. I mean…I almost feel like it's pointless to even do that because we're almost done. Just one more gem, then we defeat Tatanga, and that's a wrap…" Mario said with major hesitancy about this situation.

"I agree, but, in my opinion, it might do some of the people here a favor to throw them a bone because things really did get heated up while you guys were gone. We don't want that to happen again," Nokano suggested.

"Alright. I'll tell the people about it before we leave. Thanks," Mario said with slight uncertainty, then he turned to the group. "Alright! So, is everyone here? We'll make this a quick meeting," Mario announced, making the room quiet down.

"I'm here, I'm here! Sorry I'm late, wanted to get caffeinated real quick!" Wario shouted as he ran in.

"No need to apologize! We're happy you made it!" Peach responded in the kindest way she could.

"Uhh…thank you?" Wario raised a brow at her odd over-politeness.

"I think you're also missing that goomba girl who always wears that dirty explorer's hat, and that mini yoshi kid, the one who thinks he's some big shot fighter," Toodles comically added.

"That's Goombella and Spike. And I dare say that that kid IS a pretty big shot fighter, considering how he beat down so many enemies twice or even triple his size! Makes me regret not getting into karate in my youth…" Toadsworth commented.

"Okay, we'll just start the meeting without them, and I'll catch them up after we're done. So! First things first, Merle left earlier this morning and wishes us the best, naturally. He's back to 100% so we don't need to worry about him anymore. Secondly, as you all know, we have one more gem left. This final gem is located in a place called Blackstone Tower and it's located in the countryside, around 30 minutes from here via driving. I've arranged to use one of the hospital's ambulances to have all of us ride the vehicle to the tower. For those that want to go, after this meeting ends, I'll give you guys about 20 minutes to prep yourselves before we head out.

Honestly, I'm also not sure what to expect at this tower. I've never heard about it until very recently, and Merle's descriptions of it were kinda cryptic and vague, but as always, we'll go in there and power through whatever comes our way. Then comes the plan after we get the final gem, which is this: we get all 9 gems, obtain the Crystal Star Rod…and we storm Mushroom Corporations. We'll be unstoppable with that item. They are NOT to be trusted at all and they provide as much of a danger to our world as Tatanga does. We're taking them out first, then we go straight for Tatanga. Then…all of this will be over. Are there any questions about this plan? Comments? Concerns? Objections? Anyone?" Mario spoke then left it up to the group for additional discussion. Silence befell the room for a moment, but then Bleck raised his hand.

"What will we do about Rosalina? I know she hurt you all and she caused so much destruction, but I really think she could be of a great help in the final battle. We don't have to make a decision right this moment, but it is something to think about since we are nearing the end," he proposed. A mixture of expressions from everyone were seen that Mario observed. Some looked discomforted, others looked pissed, and the rest seemed to look understanding of getting her back.

"I do agree with that, Bleck. She's the most powerful person in our group, so having her as backup will help and make everything a million times easier. I just…you know, the pain she caused is still so fresh with us. What do the rest of you think?" Mario asked.

"I think she should come back!" Toadette shouted. Some eyes darted to her. She continued, "Remember guys…Rosalina only went 'dark' when Waluigi got killed right in front of her. That caused her to go off the deep end, like it would anyone! I know it got SO out of control, but we also know that Rosalina feels terrible about it and would do anything to make it up for us."

"Fair point…but who is to say she won't get like that again if she sees one of us die in front of her next time?" Kooper countered, with other eyes now darting to him. "I'm not saying this because I have anything against Rosalina, and I really don't! But the matter of the fact is this: if what happened last time were to happen again…we have no way of stopping her. Whatever that magical orb was that Frankly used on her is destroyed. The Crystal Star Rod might not be enough to stop her. Or…hell, it MIGHT be enough to stop her, but it could actually kill her instead! I feel like it's such a big risk on top of all the other crap we have to deal with."

"Yeah…both are very fair points…" DK quietly commented, thinking about how much he still cares for Rosalina, but can't ever forget her trapping Diddy on Tatanga's island.

"I feel like she would've learned her lesson, though, after something so traumatic. No way would she let herself do that again. We have to try to trust her!" Parakarry said in defense.

"Hard to trust someone after they nearly killed all of us. I understand it wasn't ENTIRELY her fault due to the magics taking over her, but you can't blame us for being very weary about it," Dixie responded, also thinking about Diddy.

"Okay. Like Bleck said, there doesn't have to be a decision made now, but I urge you all to think about this between now and the time we get back," Mario spoke, hoping to prevent any heated discussion. "So, now, unless anyone else wants something to add, I call this meeting adjourned and-"

Mario was interrupted by the clearly frantic Goombella and Spike rushing into the room, with blood clearly being seen on Spike. The others were greatly startled by this.

"WOAH! What in the world happened to you two!?" Starlow shrieked.

"FUCKING ARFUR, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED!" Spike screamed, putting everyone into total shock.

"What do you mean by Arfur!? What did he do!?" Daisy demanded to know.

"He tried to kill me!" Spike revealed, now horrifying the others. "It was because of what he told me in that car ride to Moonview Airport, you know, the secret of them doing experiments on people and shit, then I told you guys about that, then somehow his boss knew and demanded that Arfur kill me or he'd kill Arfur!"

"But Spike got him good. Arfur's dead now," Goombella revealed further, still horrifying some of the group that it went that far. "It all happened near a pond in the woods. We dragged his body into the pond, that way, Arfur's boss or any henchmen won't find clear evidence of his murder out there."

"Oh my god…well, I mean, I guess that's good since you're both alive! But wow, about Arfur…just when I thought he couldn't sink any lower," Luigi said.

"But you guys are okay though, right!? You two aren't hurt!?" Koops asked concernedly.

"Yes, we're fine. I got a cut on my arm, but it's no big deal," Spike answered.

"Excellent. You guys were smart to hide the body. Unfortunately, this means that Arfur's boss will no doubt catch on eventually and…well, do whatever he can to fuck with us now. Man…his boss put Arfur in a position of kill or be killed. If that doesn't confirm him as some crazed psychopath, I don't know what does, Mario affirmed. "Spike, are you okay enough to go with us, or do you wanna sit this one out?"

"Hell no! I'm going! Yeah, what happened was intense and beyond messed up, but it was in self-defense and I'm not gonna let it ruin me!" Spike cheered.

"That's the spirit! There's our dino boy!" Lakilester laughed along with a few others.

"I also took his golden knife and handgun from him, so we have that added to our arsenal. I'm not too, like, skilled at using a gun. Who wants to take it?" Goombella asked, as she put the golden knife in her pocket. Pauline raised her hand.

"I'll take it. I've done target shooting a couple times before, so I think I can get a good aim with this one," she spoke and took it.

"Nice! AAAANNND…I also snatched his phone to look for any useful info about the company! But, of course, it's password protected. Any chance our favorite mad scientist could hack into it somehow?" Goombella asked with a smirk while holding out the phone.

"Haha! I'm sure I could figure out a way inside! It'll take me a while, not TOO long, so I don't know if you guys wanna wait for me or…?" E. Gadd asked while taking the phone.

"No no. Do your thing while we're gone and just relay the info to us when we come back. The sooner we get the last gem, the sooner we can get started on Mushroom Corporations. Alright guys…if that's all of it, then let's begin to make our way out. I'm gonna do an announcement thing in the cafeteria right before we leave. You all don't have to be there for that. Now…let's finally finish this crazy quest, shall we?" Mario spoke.


10:50 AM

Mario and Peach walked together to the cafeteria, with Peach reading the letter from Toadessa.

"Wow! They traveled all that way on foot to Rose City, and made it safe and sound. Sounds exhausting, but, hey, they made it. They got what they wanted," Peach commented.

"Yeah…sucks that they feel that strongly about this place being too dangerous that they have to walk a half a day's worth to another city. But what can you do? People are people and they'll do what they feel is right when they're determined enough," Mario added with a worried expression.

"Yeah. Hey! You know, I was thinking…why don't I do a speech in the cafeteria? I really wanna talk to the people and hear it from their own princess about this," Peach suggested. Mario stared into space, still looking worried. "Mario? Sorry…if you really wanted to do it, you can, I just-"

"No! I mean, yes, of course you can, Peach. Sorry, I'm distracted by something else. Uhh, Spike. He nearly got killed because, well, remember when we met with Toadari and I told him about the experiments done on me? That's how Arfur got put into that predicament. Toadari told him to kill Spike or he'll be killed. I feel horrible that Spike had to be put in that situation in the first place…and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I feel sorry for Arfur a little. He was played perfectly like a pawn in Toadari's plan," Mario revealed guiltily.

"Mario, don't go there! You couldn't have known it would come to that! And I doubt Spike would be upset at you over that. You're his friend. You're everyone's hero! We all know you try to have the best intentions! Please don't beat yourself up over this," Peach said in an attempt to cheer him up and touched his cheek. Mario smiled a little at her and kissed her.

"Thanks. That helps a little," he responded.

"Hey, Kod! You coming with us again?" Larry asked as he was walking his family next to him to the lobby. Kody looked a little annoyed and sad.

"Um…no. I'm gonna sit this one out, if that's okay with you guys," he replied plainly. Larry looked a little sad now too, since he knew he was still upset with him.

"Of course it's okay. Just promise me that you'll stick by my brothers in case anything crazy happens here. Please?" Larry kindly asked.

Kody nodded a little without looking directly at him. "Sure. I'll make sure to stick around."

"Kody, just know that we got you, okay? You've got every right to be mad at us, but we still will have your back for whatever you need!" Lemmy said in full support. The other brothers nodded in agreement.

"Thanks. Much appreciated," Kody quietly replied with a tiny smile.

"What about you, Junior? You going this time around?" Ludwig asked.

"Yes, I want to come! I want to help again, especially 'cause this is the final gem we need to get! I'm honestly a little excited!" Bowser Jr. cheerfully answered.

"There you go, son. But don't get TOO excited, okay? Who knows what kind of twisted, scary, illogical crap we're going to experience this time around!" Bowser humorously pointed out.

"Yeah, I mean, you guys had to go through a mirror world AND an underworld for crying out loud! I don't even wanna imagine what could top that!" Morton added with a nervous chuckle.

"Sooo I couldn't help but overhear that Bowser Jr. is coming this time. Does this mean you're gonna come again too?" Dixie excitedly asked to Toadette. The toad gal blushed a little.

"Absolutely! But not just because Junior is going, of course, but I wanna help be there to finish this. I know it's what Toad would've wanted. He would've wanted to see this all the way through, so I'm mainly doing it for him!" she proclaimed. Dixie smiled greatly at her with tears in her eyes.

"Awesome. I love you, you know that? You're the greatest friend anyone could ever have!" Dixie complimented. Now Toadette was the one who became teary-eyed.

"Aww, stop! Don't be so cheesy!" Toadette laughed and the girls hugged.

Yoshi smiled from seeing this then turned to Luvbi and asked, "You coming as well? We'd understand if you didn't want to."

Luvbi looked completely neutral and glanced at Starlow, who clearly looked eager to go. "I…sure. I'll go. Look, I still don't like what has been revealed to me and a lot of your guys' actions on this adventure are very questionable to me, as someone who's practically on the outside looking in…but I also know this is extremely important and any additional help will be of use no matter what. So, I'm in."

"SWEET! Glad to hear you're with us!" DK cheered. "And hey, that's fine if you don't agree with everything we do, you're your own person with your own thoughts and feelings. We don't take it personally."

"Thanks. I, um, appreciate the maturity from you guys about this," Luvbi said with a smile.

"Parakarry? So, uhh, are we gonna talk about this now then, before we leave?" Jojora asked. Parakarry looked at her nervously then crossed his arms.

"Y-Yeah. Let's, uhh, go to the stairwell where it's quieter and more private," he suggested, then the two went in, not wanting to let it all out but it had to be done.

"Okay. So…uhh…you wanna start?" Parakarry asked, now even more nervous.

"Err, sure, I guess. Look, Parakarry, I'm sorry that I came across as conniving when I was talking about your friends and their secret. I didn't mean to make you think that I was going to spill their info, I was just frustrated that those people, who are in a way higher tier than the rest of us, got away with something so heinous. You know I'm right about that! That doesn't mean they're bad people, and that doesn't mean I don't like them. So, can we just please move past this? Please!?" Jojora explained and pleaded towards the end. Parakarry stayed silent for a minute, still looking incredibly nervous and processing everything.

"Umm…well…" Parakarry muttered, now looking everywhere but at Jojora.

"What? Parakarry, please say something! Come on!" the ice fairy yelped, the suspense killing her.

"I…um…yeah, this isn't gonna work. I'm sorry. We're done," Parakarry blurted while cringing at himself. Jojora nearly fell down at this surprise.

"WHAT!? Parakarry, you can't be serious! COME ON! You're gonna break up with me over one issue that could easily be worked through!?" she shouted.

"Y-Yes. I talked about it with my friends and it really helped me make my decision. This is a HUGE red flag, Jojora. I can easily see this becoming a constant issue in our relationship if we were to continue any further, so…uhh…I'm saving us from severe heartbreak by just ending it now!" Parakarry affirmed, trying to stand his ground.

"Wait a second here. Is this coming from YOU or your friends!? What the hell kind of crap did they put in your head!? Karry, for ANY relationship to last for the long-term, you have to work through issues like this! This isn't even a HUGE issue, at that! You really wanna make this your decision over something so small!?" Jojora angrily questioned.

Parakarry couldn't even look at her directly as he became upset and wanted to cry. "Yes. I'm sorry, Jojora. It's over. Like I said, I'm just saving us from the pain before it becomes any more serious. I really am sorry."

He then quickly left the stairwell, leaving Jojora completely taken aback and crying on her own now. She couldn't believe the wild turn this whole situation took.


Peach walked into the cafeteria and stood on one of the benches.

"EVERYONE! MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION, PLEASE? THIS IS YOUR PRINCESS SPEAKING!" Peach shouted as loud as she could. Everyone in the room looked towards her and quieted down.

Peach began, "Hello. I just want to talk to you all for just a minute. As I'm sure a lot of you know, we have just one more location left to get the final gem, then we can head over to where Tatanga is located and end this madness once and for all. I know it's been absolute chaos from the beginning till now, but I'm asking you all to hold on just a little bit longer. I know we've experienced so much violence, death, and betrayal, and believe me, it keeps my friends and I up at night, knowing how much we'll miss our beloved who died and how much pain we had to suffer through all because of one person's actions.

I also know it's easier said than done to hold on. I know so many of you are angry and sad about what's happened here. I know you're angry and upset with us because you feel like we should be doing more to protect everyone. And we understand that anger and sadness. We truly do! At a time like this, with so much death and tragedy, it's the hardest thing ever to process so many wild emotions and properly grieve.

However, as the princess of this kingdom, I am asking you to please…be patient and hold on for a little longer. We're almost there, you guys. Very very soon, this nightmare will finally be overwith and, um, well, I can't say we'll go back to being normal before all this happened. No. Normalcy won't exist after this is done. The memories and the trauma will still live in our minds forever, unfortunately. But…we can rebuild. We can start again. We can unite and help one another to carry on and not be defeated by the tragedy that struck us.

With all that being said…there is a letter that was sent to Mario. He read it, then I read it. I have it right here in my hand. The letter is from a girl named Toadessa. She's one of the people set out to go to Rose City's hospital because they felt it was safer there. And then, well, they made it safe and sound! Which I'm glad that they did. Now, Toadessa's letter basically informs us that the route they went on was safe for them and she requested that we let you all know about this information, that way, you guys can choose to go there as well if you truly desire to do that.

So, we are honoring her request and you guys have the choice to leave or stay. There are no hard feelings if you choose to leave. If you truly believe that you'd be safer going to Rose City, then you'll have no judgment from us. My one thing I wanna add to that is this: as I said, we ARE very close to finishing this. Of course, at the same time, literally anything could happen here between now and the time this all ends. I ask that you all be fearless in whatever choice you make. You are all amazing citizens of this wonderful kingdom and you have the right to express yourselves the way you want and make the choices you see to be best fit for yourselves and your loved ones.

Thank you all for listening to me talk. Now, if you'll excuse us, we are heading out to ace this final location!"

The crowd fully listened in and many nods of understanding and agreement were seen, along with some bright smiles and tears brought to others' eyes. A lot of the people clapped at her speech and Peach felt truly honored to give that speech.


11:09 AM

Mario hopped into the driver's seat of one of the hospital's ambulances. With him went along Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, DK, Dixie, Goombella, Koops, Kooper, Bombette, Parakarry, Lakilester, Spike, Vivian, Bowser, Larry, Junior, Wario, Pauline, Mona, Jojora, Starlow, Luvbi, and Toadette. Everyone else saw them off, gave their hugs, and waved goodbye, wishing the best of luck to obtaining the final gem.

"There they go. And here we stay. I hope they all survive in getting that final mystical item…but that's just very wishful thinking, isn't it?" Petey asked.

"Unfortunately, it is. The past few places they've gone to, they've lost people. And since this is the final location they're heading to…yeah, safe to say it's gonna be one hell of an insane ride to get that item," Toadsworth answered with fear in his voice as he saw the ambulance drive out of view.

"Right then. Dr. Nokano…could I have a word with you in private, please? It's about someone in this hospital who poses a threat…" Morton discreetly asked, making sure no one was watching him. Nokano looked a little scared from this news drop.

"Oh! Uhh, okay. Tell me everything!" the doctor said as the two went inside the hospital.

APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR LATER…

12:16 PM

The hospital group were just outside of a break room, where another murder had just occurred.

"So, you're saying you walked in and just found him like this? Was there anything else you saw!?" Toadsworth interrogated a toad nurse who had just seen the bloody sight of a dead body.

"N-no, there wasn't! I came into this room because someone said they saw him walk in here, and I needed him for something, so I walked in and...god..." the toad nurse described in pure horror and started to cry.

"We just saw him alive too! So this must've happened extremely quickly! The killer knew exactly what they were doing..." E. Gadd said with disgust.

"Just fucking why!? Why can't this ever end!?" Kody sobbed with fear in his trembling voice.

"So, who in the world would've killed him then? And why specifically him!?" Bleck shouted in anger.

"I'm pretty sure I know who did this, and I think I know why too," Morton said with an immediate lust for vengeance.

"Morton…are you talking about who I think you're talking about?" Lemmy asked in fear.

"Yes. It makes the most sense," Morton responded as he stared upon the body of Dr. Nokano, who lay in a puddle of blood with his throat slit along with a stab wound in his arm.

EoC.

This story has reached the 1 million word mark AND is now 9 years old. Wow! Thank you guys so much for keeping up with this story for so long! The end is inching closer as the next chapter begins the Blackstone Tower arc, the final location for the mystical gems! The arc will have 9 chapters total and at least four characters from the main/traveling group will die.

Next chapter, the mystery investigation of who murdered Dr. Nokano goes underway as the hospital gang tries to keep it under wraps in hopes of not causing any more distress among the people as one suspect is interrogated plus the contents of Arfur's cellphone are unveiled, Dimentio blindsides Tatanga when he uses his magic to change the island, and the main/traveling group enter the mysterious Blackstone Tower and discover that this place is absolutely nothing like they've ever encountered before as deep traumas from the past come back to torment them in the present. Thanks for reading! Next chapter will be uploaded on or before Sunday, May 8.