Blackstone Tower: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, DK, Dixie, Toadette, Goombella, Koops, Kooper, Bombette, Parakarry, Lakilester, Spike/Paper-Yoshi, Vivian, Bowser, Larry, Bowser Jr., Wario, Pauline, Mona, Jojora, Starlow, Luvbi, Grodus
Hospital group: Bleck/Blumiere, Tippi/Timpani, Toadsworth, Fly Guy, Toado, Morton, Lemmy, Ludwig, Kody, E. Gadd, Clawdia, Katia, Kenneth, Toodles, Petey Piranha
Mushroom Corps.: Toadari (Arfur's boss), Tadano
Island group: Tatanga, Beldam, Roy, Doopliss, Dimentio, Mimi, Diddy, Fire Bro/Konnor
Moon: TEC
Fort Koopington: Rosalina, Monty Mole
TATANGA'S ISLAND
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
Tatanga went to his bedroom door and opened it.
"Hey! Beldam…what's up? What are you doing?" the alien yelped.
"Have you been sleeping this whole time!? Come on, Tatanga! You're gonna miss the most important moment of your life!" Beldam spoke in excitement. Tatanga looked incredibly perplexed.
"Uhh…WHAT? I haven't been sleeping, I've been…wait, Beldam, what in the hell are you talking about? Wait a second, is the weapon done already!? No way!" he asked in equal excitement.
"Well…just come on down! No need to wait any longer!" Beldam responded somewhat hesitantly.
"Okay? Beldam…what's happening here? Something feels very off right now, and you're acting really strange," Tatanga replied, suspecting foul play now. Beldam led the way and Tatanga nervously followed her.
The shadow siren didn't respond and just kept walking towards the main room where the weapon was being constructed.
"Beldam, come on, quit being secretive! Tell me what's happening here!" Tatanga demanded, now getting impatient.
"We're here, Tatanga! Come on in…we're all waiting for you! This is your day!" Beldam responded still with excitement.
"What the…" Tatanga now started getting irritated at how he wasn't getting a clear answer, but as soon as he entered the main room, he gasped and nearly collapsed when he saw what was before him. The weapon was completed. All the koopatrols looked to him, as if they were all awaiting his arrival, and they all looked beyond stoked to see him…along with Dimentio, Doopliss, and Konnor.
"HEY, SLICK!" Doopliss cheered and gave him a big hug. "We did it! It's finally done! Your weapon is finished and you are officially one step away from being the literal king of the world! Congrats, man!"
"OH! Uhh, th-thank you! WOW! It's…IT'S BEAUTIFUL! You guys did an amazing job!" Tatanga cheered and stared in awe at the massive rocket-looking weapon that stood before him.
"Hey now, it was all you that did it, Tatanga! Your ideas, your creations, your orders…it all began with you. You're such a genius!" Konnor cheerily complimented.
"Thank you! I mean…yeah, I'm pretty clever for doing all this, aren't I? Especially in such a dire time…right before those pests get all the gems and try to nuke me…" Tatanga laughed.
"Hey now, don't worry about them. This is all about YOU now, Tatanga. It's always been about you, Tatanga, and that's how it should be! I was an idiot for trying to go against you! I'm sorry for that, Tatanga. I will be completely and utterly loyal to you till the very end, like a soldier swearing an oath to his king!" Dimentio praised.
"Oh? Dimentio…you, uhh, you actually mean that? Seriously?" Tatanga said in shock at this sudden change in behavior from him.
"Of course I do! I would be an idiot taking a risk with his life to go against your plans! I came here to join you and I said I'd help you and fight with you, so I'm doing it! I'm keeping my word!" Dimentio happily affirmed.
"Wow. Um…god, Dimentio, I don't know what to say…" Tatanga responded, still in shock and speechless at the jester's new ways.
"You don't need to say anything. Now go to the weapon! This is the moment we've all been waiting for!" Dimentio urged in excitement. Tatanga laughed a little and walked up the stairs to the control panel for the weapon where he saw someone completely unexpected.
"Hey you. Glad we're able to be with each other at the perfect moment where your life TRULY begins," spoke a gorgeous and familiar toad girl with shiny black hair and side bangs.
"What the! RENA? Th-this is really you!?" Tatanga shrieked.
"Of course it is. Why wouldn't it be? I'm real. As real as ever!" Rena giggled in joy.
"Oh my god! B-But I thought you died in the car crash!? How could you be here!? Unless…wait! You're Gekikara, aren't you!?" he yelled and reached out to touch her but she pulled back.
"No no. I'm not Gekikara. It's really me, Rena! I survived that car crash, Tatanga. I was in the hospital for a while, and I guess rumors spread around school that I died, but I didn't. I'm sorry I wasn't able to let you know beforehand…but I guess better now than never!" Rena explained then smiled brightly at the end. Tatanga felt his heart pound as he smiled as well.
"Oh wow. Man…I…I'm so glad you're alive, and…but, why won't you let me touch you, if you're real then?" the alien asked, wanting to truly feel excited about all of this.
"Shhh. Save those thoughts. You can have me however you want, but first things first, Tatanga…press that red button. Then you'll have everything you've ever wanted," Rena commanded, pointing to the control panel.
"Oh…right. That's right! This begins now! I can't believe it…I'm finally going to rule this forsaken world! I've waited too damn long for this moment!" Tatanga cheered and then pounded the red button. The sound of the weapon beginning to blast off was heard, nearly deafening him, but he was so impressed by the fantastic display of the weapon launching into the air that he didn't care.
"OH MY GOD, IT'S GOING! IT'S GOING! IT'S FUCKING LAUNCHING! THIS IS IT, GUYS! I'M FINALLY GOING TO…" Tatanga exploded in joy at first, but then immediately stopped at the first sight of something off. "Wait…why is it coming back down? Did you guys not triple check to make sure everything was done properly!?"
Tatanga turned to his people and he got startled as everyone in the room gave him the death stare. The atmosphere turned heavy.
"Wha…wh-what's going on here!? Why are you all looking at me like that!?" Tatanga shrieked.
"You really thought this was gonna go your way, wasn't it?" Dimentio asked as he walked over to him. "Having your weapon complete…have everyone love you and obey your every command…taking over the world and making it your own…quite the wild dreamer, aren't you?"
"Wh-what the fuck are you talking about!? WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW!? SOMEONE ANSWER ME!" Tatanga screamed, now getting a little scared.
"What's happening right now is…you being killed in the hands of your own people. You failed, Tatanga. No more games. No more twists and turns. It's time for you to go," Dimentio said with a victorious smirk.
"Wha…NO! I KNEW SOMETHING WAS UP! YOU FUCKING BASTARD, DIMENTIOOOO!" Tatanga roared and tried to attack him, but Dimentio just laughed and pushed him down the staircase. All the koopatrols roared in anger and attacked Tatanga, stabbing him with various tools and weapons, slowly bleeding him out as the alien screeched in agony.
"Hahaha! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! It's my turn to take over now. The idiot really thought he could best me!" Dimentio cackled with joy as he snapped his fingers and the illusion of Rena disappeared into thin air.
"No…no…gragh…p…lease…this…was my dr…eam…" Tatanga uttered, in shock from the massive pain from all the stabbing, then stopped moving altogether.
"God…what a bloody mess…" Beldam said in slight disgust, looking away from the gory scene.
"It's what he gets, Beldam. Do NOT feel any type of pity for him. It needed to be done now because this cannot wait any longer. We are just hours away from the beginning of the end of this pathetic world! Don't get soft now!" Dimentio stated. Beldam nodded, but clearly felt a little bad for how this had to go.
"So…what do we do now then? I mean, the weapon isn't actually 100% complete yet…" Doopliss said.
"When they're done taking turns at stabbing and slicing him, take his body to the ocean and dump him in there. Let the sharks feast on his remains. I'm gonna go to his room and see what goodies I can find in there!" Dimentio cheered then merrily walked off into the hallways.
The jester reached Tatanga's room, ready to rummage through it, but he got the shock of his life when he saw someone in there.
"Hey there, Dimentio! Whatcha looking for!?" Tatanga asked with a big grin on his face.
Dimentio's heart nearly stopped and he was also nearly speechless. "WHA…WHA…WHAT THE FUCK!? TATANGA-"
The jester was suddenly zapped with a black, electricity-like ray and he was sent into the wall and slid through the ground. Dimentio was still alive, but felt immediately drained of all energy.
"AGH…OH…TA…TANGA…WHAT…DID YOU…DO TO ME…" the jester cried, out of breath.
"Dear Dimentio, I present to you what is called a Ztar," Tatanga spoke with a wicked smirk as he held a black star in his hands. "Think of this as the polar opposite of a magical star that Mario uses to save Peach every time that dumb blonde is kidnapped by Bowser. Or…perhaps a better example would be the polar opposite of the Star Rod…which I also have with me. This is what I've been keeping in my safe all this time. You've just been drained of all your magics, you sick son of a bitch. That Tatanga that went out there? Yeah, I used the power of the Star Rod to turn one of the koopatrols into me.
I know what you've been up to, Dimentio. I've known all this time. I've been listening all this time. You are the biggest fool I've ever come across. You can only think you are the world's smartest deceiver for so long…until someone comes along and plays you at your own game."
"Ohhh…fu…ck…you…you…s…till…won't…win…" Dimentio barely let out his words.
"Wow. Even in a defeated state, you're still cocky as hell. That's gonna change soon though," Tatanga threatened, loving the image of Dimentio struggling to breathe and move.
"TATANGA!" Beldam yelled from across the hallway, witnessing the entire altercation. Doopliss ran to the scene and gasped at what he saw. Beldam continued, "What the hell…where'd you get that Ztar from!? How did you plan all of this!?"
"Beldam. Hehehe…wouldn't you like to know? I'm sure you know the name of HEXANA?" Tatanga teasingly responded.
Beldam widened her eyes in horror. "What…h-how do you know of her!? How did you get her to give that Ztar to you!?"
"WHAT!? Okay, who the hell is Hexana!? Someone fill me in here because I am just lost now!" Doopliss yelled.
"I suppose I can give you that. But, you guys…man. You SERIOUSLY thought that I wouldn't have backup plans like this? I've thought of every single situation, every single angle, every single hypothetical that could screw me over. That's the difference between Dimentio and I. Dimentio assumes he'll get things done in his way based off of his wit alone, whereas me…I may not be as cunning as him, but I think things more properly than he does.
Now, onto Hexana…well, oddly enough, it all started with Grodus…"
FLASHBACK
"When we were staying at that cabin in Star Crystal Woods in Sarasaland to finalize our entire plan, you know, the same one where Doopliss and I found Dimentio, Grodus and I were already having problems seeing eye to eye. I was getting so pissed with him, because we already had the Northern Knight's Castle location set up and ready to go and he kept complaining about everything the entire time! I know you guys know of that. However! I kept tabs on him, because I just couldn't trust him because he just seemed so unreliable and ungrateful that I brought his body back. The night before we left for Northern Knight's Castle, I overheard Grodus speaking to Marilyn about a woman named Hexana, and that Grodus wanted to see this woman to obtain powerful black magic skills. I knew right then and there that Grodus was up to no good…"
"HEY! MARILYN!" Tatanga yelled, startling the large shadow siren in the kitchen. "You two aren't as quiet as you think you are. I overheard Grodus wanting to obtain black magic. What the hell is all that about!? Is he planning to use that against me!?"
"GUH! G-Guuuuhhhh…." Marilyn yelped, looking a little intimidated.
"DAMNIT, MARILYN! TELL ME THIS INSTANT! Look, he's given me nothing but crap ever since we got to this cabin and I just can't trust him now! For this world domination plan to EASILY work, I need you ALL on my side. Understand me? Tell me where he is!" Tatanga demanded, now getting red.
"Guh. Guh!" Marilyn shouted and motioned the alien to follow her. The two exited the cabin and went for a long walk in the woods. About 20 minutes passed by, then a trail was seen, and from that trail onward, the trees looked completely dead and a feeling of dread and terror came over Tatanga when he saw how different the area became.
"Marilyn…what…where are we? Are we in a different forest?" Tatanga asked hesitantly. Marilyn kept motioning him to follow her through the now creepy forest. Tatanga braced himself and continued forward, not knowing what exactly in the hell he just got himself into.
"Marilyn, please answer me! What the fuck is happening here!?" Tatanga angrily shouted as Marilyn stopped at a large bush.
"SHHHHH! Guh!" Marilyn motioned ahead behind the bush. The alien saw what she was pointing at and saw Grodus from afar approaching a black cabin. He knocked on the door.
"Wha…Marilyn…what's he doing? Did you send him here!?" Tatanga asked and Marilyn nodded. She grabbed Tatanga and pulled him a little closer to the scene.
The door opened and out shone a dim light from the inside.
"Well well now…look who it is. The robot who thought I was a silly old crone," spoke an eldery-sounding shadow siren woman. She was as tall as Marilyn, but as slender as Beldam, and wore a red-striped witch hat, and had long, straight dark red hair.
"Yeah…look, Hexana, I'm really sorry for how I behaved before. I was being arrogant and dumb. But, I, um, I REALLY need your help. I'm in a situation that I don't know how to get out of. Please. I need your help. I'll do anything!" Grodus pleaded.
"Goodness…your desperation is just sickening to listen to. Come in then! Let's make this quick!" Hexana urged and Grodus walked on in, then she shut the door.
"What the hell!? Is he referring to me!? What exactly is he hoping to get from her!?" Tatanga cried in massive shock.
"Guh…guh!" Marilyn yelped, and walked from the bush towards the cabin. Tatanga followed her and the two were underneath a slightly ajar window. They heard their conversation.
"So, Grodus…tell me your horrid situation in brief," Hexana stated.
"Well…you know how previously I was just living my life as a head, right? Well, Tatanga came along and brought my body back, something Lord Crump never did for me…but I had to help Tatanga in his plans of taking over the world for exchange. Of course, I said yes, because I wanted to live normally again, but…he's been treating me like dirt ever since. He's no different from Crump. And I'm sick of it. I want to break away from this mess, but not empty handed," Grodus explained.
"Hmm. I see…yes…Tatanga…the purple-ish alien…mmm…that guy is stirring up an apocalypse that the world will never have experienced before. But, what is it that you want exactly? To simply escape from him? You must be specific and direct," Hexana affirmed.
"I…um, I can't wish for him to be killed, can I?" Grodus asked. Tatanga gasped and covered his mouth in horror from him saying that.
"WHAT THE FUCK?" Tatanga loudly whispered in anger. Marilyn put a finger to his mouth, indicating that he needed to stay silent.
"No. That's not what I do. Grodus…you know very well I can make anything happen besides making a person die. I may be a witch, but I don't sink to those kinds of depths," Hexana bluntly answered.
"Right. Of course. Well…hmm…okay. How about this: I want to obtain black magic skills. He has my scepter. Without it, I have no magical powers. I want to, at the very least, defend myself in case he tries to attack me. Or if I decide to just escape. Please?" Grodus said.
"Hmm. Alright. I can make that happen for you. Black magic it is! BUT…you know the deal, Grodus. This is an exchange. I'll give you a book of everything you need to know to perform black magic, but…" Hexana lead on, forming a smirk and making Grodus sigh sadly.
"That's right. I have to give up something. Well…what do you want me to give up?" he asked.
"That you will never find true love for the remainder of your living days. You will have no romantic significant other in your life. That's what will be cursed upon you if you choose to go forward with this transaction," Hexana revealed. Grodus looked away in disgust, while Tatanga dropped his jaw.
"Wow…so…no love life for black magic…damn, that's pretty extreme," Grodus said in frustration.
"Maybe so, but the possibilities are endless with black magic skills. You can set yourself up for a life of luxury, Grodus…but everything always comes with a cost. I'm actually surprised that you didn't say something like wanting Tatanga to fail in his master plan," Hexana pointed out.
"I…yeah…I'm not gonna ask for that, because…I still wanna see the world suffer…at least…I think I do…" Grodus said while being deep in thought.
"Not too late to change your mind," Hexana said.
"No no. I'll go through with this. I've never had a lover anyways in all my life, so I'm sure I'll be fine going the rest of my life without one," Grodus affirmed.
"Hmm. You say that now…but, well, you've made your choice! FACTUM EST!" Hexana screeched and lightning struck the cabin. Tatanga shrieked while Grodus jumped in fright. A black book appeared in a puff of smoke on the floor in front of Grodus.
"It is done! There is your book with everything you need to know and do for black magic. Your fate is sealed, Grodus. Do with it what you will now," Hexana said as Grodus picked up the book and smiled a little.
"Thank you. I'll be on my way. This will be the last time you'll see of me," Grodus stated and proceeded to exit.
"Hmm. Is that so? Don't be so bold with that statement now…" Hexana chuckled. Grodus nearly stopped in his tracks upon hearing that, but still left. Tatanga saw him head out of the forest, then dashed to the front door with Marilyn chasing after him.
Tatanga intruded into Hexana's cabin and yelled, "HEY! Your name's Hexana, right!? What the fuck was up with that just now with Grodus!?"
"GUUUHHH!" Marilyn shrieked in panic at the alien's impulsivity.
Hexana turned around and cackled at him. "I knew you were listening in on us the entire time. Hello, Marilyn. You brought Tatanga here for me to grant a wish of his, I take it? Does Beldam know you're here?"
Marilyn shook her head as she looked a little scared. "Guh…"
"Wait. A wish? You can just do that for me too!?" Tatanga asked, getting a little excited at this sudden turnaround.
"Of course. I can do it for anyone…but, as you've heard with Grodus, it comes at a major cost. And that 'cost' typically relates to something personal and true with that specific person. With Grodus…there was an inner desire to not be lonely, as he's been that way his entire life. So, for him to obtain black magic skills, he had to take the price of never finding true love, thus cementing his loneliness into fate. Grodus sure seemed confident in his decision, and he may have come off as not caring about never finding true love…but, that's just a mask that people like Grodus love to put on for the world. A person like him, someone who's dwelled in the realm of villainous crimes for so long…they're not gonna show their vulnerability so easily.
Now, for you…I already know within your heart what's personal and true that would just be oh so gut-wrenching for an exchange of power. You probably already know what that is, so…tell me what you want, and I'll set the price for it. Of course, the only request I will not do is have someone be murdered," Hexana stated with a smug look the whole look. Tatanga became a little nervous, as he didn't want to have to give up anything big.
"Well…damn. Should've known it wasn't gonna be that easy. Are you a shadow siren like Beldam and Marilyn are? Are we…are we in a different dimension right now!? I don't even know how I got into this disturbing place! I just kept following Marilyn and everything turned into something straight out of a twisted horror movie!" Tatanga exclaimed.
"Yes, I'm a shadow siren just like them. I'm sure you know of the Shadow Queen, yeah? Well…where there's a queen, there's a princess. Some call me the Shadow Princess. I'm not as cruel and reckless as the Shadow Queen, but I suppose that's not saying much since she's a murderous and selfish being at her core. As for where we are…well, we are in the shadow dimension as we speak that can only be accessed via magic from a shadow siren in a specific location. As soon as you're done here, it's best that you return to your own dimension, because…hehehe…let's just say this forest of horrors you're in right now is one of the more 'tamer' parts of the shadow dimension," she explained.
Tatanga tried not to show any fear, but he also heard the scary story of the Shadow Queen and how she almost destroyed the world years back. He wanted to get the hell out of this place ASAP but he needed something to return with.
"Right. Damn. Uhh…okay…so, I can't wish to kill Grodus because, well, he's obviously going to try to betray me and…hmm…alright. Hexana, give me something that'll drain any magical powers out of someone. Something that'll deplete their energy. Something that won't kill them, but will leave them in a useless and extremely vulnerable state. I don't know of any magic spell that'll do anything like that. I'm still kind of a beginner, but I need something strong in case anyone with magical skills tries to destroy me and my plan," Tatanga spoke, prepping for what he needs to exchange.
"Hmm! I see. I know of something that will do exactly the trick. It's called the Ztar. It's a black star that takes away any energy and magics a person wields. Does exactly as you described. You know of the Star Rod, yeah? Well…think of this as the 'evil' version of the Star Rod, minus the wish granting. That's about as close of a comparison I can explain to you," Hexana answered.
"A Ztar!? Really? I thought those things were just items in folktales and legends. Wow…didn't think they'd exist in some form," Tatanga commented in surprise.
"Folktales…legends…lores…everything in those exists or has existed. They never come from nowhere. Now…because this is such a powerful and sacred item…this exchange will require you to give up TWO things instead of one!" Hexana revealed. Tatanga furrowed his brow in shock.
"WHAT!? You've gotta be kidding me! So, Grodus gets one thing to give up for himself and I get TWO!? How is that fair!?" he yelled.
"Whoever said that something like this was supposed to be fair!? Hehehe…come on, Tatanga…you want the help or no?" Hexana teasingly asked.
Tatanga sighed in annoyance and rolled his eyes. "...Fine. What the hell are these two things I have to give up then?"
"The first thing is this…you cannot kill Grodus, whether directly or indirectly. The curse placed upon him will have him suffer in loneliness for the rest of his living days. That alone will make his life in a state of misery, no matter how much Grodus puts on a front," Hexana answered.
Tatanga rolled his eyes again. "Really? Fine. Whatever. Grodus can't be killed. Good for him. I'll still make his life a living hell. What's the second thing?"
Hexana's smirk grew bigger now. "This is the second thing: your plan for taking over the world will happen. However…once it does, Tatanga, everyone who has worked for you to make it happen will rebel against you. Your teammates, your workers…all those people will try to take you down, and no one else will join you in your cause. It is up to you to fend them off however you can. You will be all alone in dominating the world. Ironically enough…that's always what you wanted in the end…but that comes at a major cost, of course.
What do you say?"
Tatanga made a gulp as his nerves shot a little. He liked the idea of making his plan happen, but didn't like having to deal with everyone in his circle go against him right when everything would commence.
"Well…crap. I mean, uhh, by the time THAT happens…I should, you know, be strong enough to fend practically anyone off. You know!? I guess it's not a horrible thing. Yeah, not ideal…but not horrible…" Tatanga rambled a little, nervously pulling at his shirt.
Hexana chuckled at him. "Hmm. Taking over the world as just one person…doable, I suppose…but, man, having no one to help you maintain that position…hmm…"
"Okay, just stop! I know what you're trying to do. But, you know what? You're right. Doing it by myself is all I ever wanted in the end. With all of these tools with me…no way will I fail. I'll take the deal!"
Marilyn looked shocked at his decision as Hexana chuckled again.
"FACTUM EST!"
END FLASHBACK
"And that's how I got this precious thing. After that, I told Marilyn to NEVER make a peep about what happened, and if she did…I would know and, well, I'll be upfront about it Beldam…I told her I would kill her. Sorry, but that kind of secrecy must be kept hidden at all costs. That's why I never killed Grodus when I easily could've. Believe me, I wanted to, but his stupid 'curse' prevented me from doing so. So…I just drove him out by berating him even further. Then he pulled that stupid 'trick' of having Barry tamper with the weapon which pissed me off even more to the point where I was gonna try to fucking kill him anyways, curse or no curse, because I just had it with him altogether.
So…Beldam…Doopliss…now you know everything. I've had a backup plan the entire time and knew Grodus' whole game. A tiny part of me wanted to keep him still just in case he'd change his mind and his black magic skills could come in handy…but, probably for the best that he ended up leaving. So, what do you think about all of this?" Tatanga finished his story in pure pride.
Beldam looked stunned at everything he told her as a couple of tears rolled down her cheeks. "You…oh my god…Marilyn kept that from me this entire time…a-and…you threatened to KILL her if she spilled!? You…you are…"
"What? I'm what, Beldam!? Come on…spill it. I'm not who you thought I was. Right? I mean…you had to have known deep down. After all…you clearly weren't FULLY committed to all of this since you helped Dimentio out…same with you, Doopliss!" Tatanga accused. Beldam and Doopliss' nerves shot through the roof, knowing that it may have been the end for them as well.
"WH-WHAT!? Helping Dimentio as in…what happened with your clone? That's what you mean, right?" Doopliss asked.
"Of course that's what I meant. Unless I'm missing something here?" Tatanga replied.
"You…yes. You are," Doopliss' voice became less shaky as he tried to turn this around in his and Beldam's favor. "Dimentio forced us to go with this plan of his otherwise he'd kill us. We knew something was up with him and we told him that it was a horrible idea to go against you, but of course, Dimentio being Dimentio, he wouldn't listen and formulated his own plan! He even brainwashed Konnor to join! Brought him to Dimension D and somehow mind-controlled him to follow his every command.
Not only that, but Dimentio told us that he got into your safe and stole the wand that Bowser brought with him when he attacked! It's in his room somewhere! Believe me, Tatanga…we knew Dimentio had his twisted ways of fucking with us…that's why we had no choice but to join him. But, Beldam and I are on your side still. We just didn't want to die. Yes, it made more sense to just tell you what was happening…we were just worried that an all out war would happen between you two and that the original plan would be ruined entirely."
Beldam couldn't believe the lie Doopliss was spewing as she tried to control her sobbing. She wanted out of this forsaken situation altogether.
"Really!? I mean…I figured it was him who somehow got into my safe and took the wand…Dimentio, I'm surprised you didn't take the Ztar. Hmm. Actually…probably wouldn't have worked for you anyways because that item was meant for ME, so…yeah. Doopliss, I believe you. Beldam…I'm giving you a pass because I know you're still grieving over Marilyn. But do not test me any more. I mean it," Tatanga said in surprise.
"What…no…he's…fucking…lying…like a…sheep in…wolves' clothing…" Dimentio exhaustedly spoke.
"SHUT IT! Your game is over. You're gonna suffer and be in your own personal hell until the last tiny piece of life from you is gone," Tatanga spat in his face.
"So! Tatanga, what happens with Dimentio now? What do we do?" Doopliss asked.
"Well, first things first…Dimentio's gonna visit an old pal of ours…"
ST. TOADOFSKY'S HOSPITAL
12:17 PM
"How bad is it in there?" Toodles asked, extremely hesitant to peer inside the break room to see the murder scene of Dr. Nokano.
"Well…not as bad as we've seen here previously, I suppose. I know that isn't saying much considering all the crap that's happened, though," E. Gadd answered.
"I see. So, who in the world would kill the damn DIRECTOR of this hospital of all people then!? That's so…I'm not sure if 'random' would be the correct word for it…" Toodles said in disgust.
"Your guess is as good as anyone else's. I don't think it was a random kill, though. Someone with such an important position as Dr. Nokano's…at a time like this…he was a target for a specific purpose. Had to be," Tippi responded with heavy suspicions about the awfulness and bizzarity of this death.
"He was so nice and helpful too! None of this crap makes any sense. At this point, we're all gonna get killed if Tatanga isn't destroyed soon. This is all because of him…he indirectly caused so many more people to be killed…" Kody upsettingly spoke.
"Well, I've been eavesdropping on the koopaling klan in the room, and me thinks they know who it could be. Thus begins the murder investigation!" Fly Guy revealed.
"Oh! Huh. Soooo…how would this work then? We find out who the killer is, then we execute them? Is that where you guys are at?" Petey questioned.
"Pretty much. Someone like that who kills an important person for no specified person is clearly dangerous to have, whether they're inside or outside the hospital. I'll be the one to execute the execution if no one else wants to do it!" E. Gadd gracefully volunteered for the decision.
The group saw Toadsworth, Bleck, Morton, Lemmy, and Ludwig come out of the breakroom with the stricken nurse.
"So, ma'am, listen closely…I know what you saw was horrifying, but you cannot, under any circumstances, tell anyone about this, okay? Not yet at least. Because word will spread and it's gonna get everyone so antsy once again and it'll just be a repeat of last time with them rioting and such," Bleck advised.
"R-right. I'll do that, b-but, um, what do I tell the other staff then!? They're gonna be looking and asking for him!" the toad nurse frantically pointed out.
"Tell them that he's busy with other duties…or, uhh, that you just can't find him. Okay? I know, harder said than done, but as Bleck said, this has to be kept under wraps no matter what!" Toadsworth adamantly spoke.
"O-Okay…but, w-what will you do with his body then?" the nurse asked.
"Cremate it and clean up the scene. We'll still put a grave out for him to honor his memory later on, but we have to hide the 'evidence' before anyone else discovers it," E. Gadd promptly answered.
"Right…okay…um…thank you guys…I'll, um…go now…" the nurse responded, still shaken from the horrific sight.
"Here, I'll walk back with you to wherever you need to go," Toodles helpfully suggested and walked away with the nurse.
"So, what's the next step right now?" Tippi asked.
"First things first…I think I know who killed him. I'm gonna go find that person and figure out why he did it. Someone needs to clean this crap up and cremate the body in the meantime," Morton instructed.
"Wait a second. You said 'he'. Tell us who it is!" Tippi demanded.
"Kenneth. I'll explain why later, but we need to find him now. My brothers are coming with me, the rest of you stay and clean the scene," Morton answered, stunning the others with that revelation.
"WHAT? Kenneth!? That's Clawdia's husband, right? I mean…good grief, I've seen him act pretty menacingly before, but to outright murder the director…someone must've made him explode…" Toadsworth said in a freaked out manner.
"I'm coming with you! He's gonna need to be 'provoked' to spill, and I am batshit insane enough to do just that!" Fly Guy excitedly shouted.
"Fine. But that's it! No more! We gotta do this now!" Morton yelled.
"You guys please be careful. I really don't want anyone else to die…especially not you guys…" Kody pleaded. The koopalings nodded understandingly and off they went with Fly Guy.
"Alright then. Let's get to work on this!" E. Gadd commanded.
12:36 PM
Morton, Lemmy, Ludwig, and Fly Guy finally found Kenneth on the rooftop, looking over the city by the edge, looking clearly irritated by something. Kenneth's head turned towards the four and he groaned at them.
"Oh, what the hell do you guys want!?" he shouted.
"THERE YOU ARE, KENNETH, YOU CRAZY FUCKING MURDEROUS PIECE OF SHIT! Hiding from the law, are we?" Fly Guy angrily spat as he went towards him. Kenneth was immediately confused and now pissed off.
"What the hell!? What is your deal, you whackjob!?" Kenneth yelled, but Fly Guy suddenly zoomed to him using his propellor and punched him in the face. The koopa fell to the ground and cried while holding his nose. The koopalings ran to Kenneth, and Ludwig put his foot on Kenneth's chest to prevent him from getting up.
"AAAGGH…WHA…WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE!? YOU TRYING TO KILL ME!?" Kenneth screamed.
"Depends on what we find out about you. We just found out that Dr. Nokano is dead. Throat slashed and a stab wound on his arm. You were the last person to see him AND I remember very clearly that he pissed you off. Perhaps you got so pissed off to the point where you just 'snapped'!? You are a ticking time bomb after all!" Morton spoke relentlessly. Kenneth looked horrified at this news.
"WHAT!? That guy is dead and…a-and you're fucking blaming it on ME!? Just because I got pissed off at him!? This has to be a stupid prank!" he shrilled.
"Not at all. Does this look like a damn prank to you? So, tell us what exactly happened between you and him, otherwise it's about to get REAL ugly," Lemmy threatened and got into his face. Kenneth began to sweat and panic.
"You guys…please, seriously, stop! I didn't kill him! I swear! This is all just a huge misunderstanding! LET ME GO!" he cried.
"Then what happened with you two after I left the room earlier!? Nokano didn't come with me, and I heard you yelling at him some more as I was going down the hall! SPILL!" Morton angrily demanded.
"Spill what!? I'll tell you what we said, but it's not gonna help anything…BECAUSE I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"
REWIND…
11:11 AM
The hospital gang had just finished saying goodbye to the heroes and all went back inside as Morton and Dr. Nokano walked and talked together.
"My goodness…so, Kenneth really says all that vicious crap to your dad, all the while knowing damn well Bowser's been grieving probably the most out of all of us!?" Dr. Nokano said in shock after having just been told the nasty things Kenneth has said recently.
"Yep! And, since you are the director of the hospital, I want YOU to tell him that he needs to get the hell out of here, because he is INTENTIONALLY causing trouble for my poor dad, who has also done nothing to him in the first place! I'll be there with you to help in case he gets violent, but Dr. Nokano…he needs to go. He knows what he's doing. He's gonna keep poking at my dad until he explodes and he hurts Kenneth, and then Kenneth will play the victim and make my dad look bad. I already know exactly how this is gonna go down!" Morton intensely explained to drive home the point of kicking him out of there.
"Right. God, that's just sickening that he would do that and…and possibly even enjoy it, sounds like. Yeah, someone like that can't be here. This hospital is supposed to be a safe haven for EVERYONE and if Kenneth doesn't want to follow the rule…well, he'll have to find somewhere else to stay if that's how he's gonna do this. Alright, I'll lay it on him. Do you know where he is?" Nokano asked with some subtle discomfort and disgust at how ice cold and unsympathetic Kenneth was being.
"Honestly…I'm not sure. We'll check the courtyard because I saw Clawdia and Katia there right before we had the meeting, so he might be there now too with them," Morton suggested. Nokano nodded and the two quickly walked to the courtyard to settle this insane situation once and for all…but they didn't have to do any searching at all since they saw Kenneth come into the building from the courtyard.
"KENNETH!" Morton shouted, now getting heated already again. "Has Clawdia talked to you yet?"
Kenneth stopped in his tracks, looking confused and annoyed. "Uhh…haven't spoken with her since we got up this morning. I went to go get some drinks for her and Katia, but they're not out there in the courtyard. Why!?"
Nokano leered his eyes at him. "Come with us. I need to speak with you privately about something urgent."
"Great. What could it possibly be about?" Kenneth groaned and rolled his eyes.
"I think you already know!" Morton commented as the two followed Nokano to the end of the east wing and approached a break room.
"Hello!? Anyone in here!?" Nokano yelled out into the break room. Nothing was heard and no one was seen. "Excellent. Come in here now."
"Okay, seriously, whatever this is, let's make it quick, because I have to look for my wife and daughter! I have no idea where the hell they are! They said they'd be waiting in the courtyard!" Kenneth complained as he entered the break room with Morton, then Nokano locked the door.
"My dad told me everything you said to him earlier. You're fucking disgusting and a legit psychopath," Morton spat, which startled Kenneth for a split second but then enraged him.
"Excuse me!? You…of aaalllll fucking people, calling ME disgusting and a psychopath!?" he shouted and stepped closer to him.
"Enough!" Nokano shouted and glared Kenneth down. "You need to leave, by the end of the day. You are causing nothing but trouble here in this hospital for no damn reason. I'm saying this as the director of this place! I don't care if you dislike Bowser for whatever personal reasons you have, but you will not make him feel worse than he already is! Especially when he's lost so much and ESPECIALLY when he's helping to save our world!"
Kenneth looked highly offended at this. "You've gotta be fucking kidding me. Kicking ME out all because Bowser keeps getting in my way and acts like he's done nothing wrong!? This is so stupid!"
"QUIT ACTING LIKE A FUCKING VICTIM HERE!" Morton screamed in his face as his own face turned red. "Don't play dumb! You know exactly what you're doing by saying the most vile shit to my father! I want you and your family gone! I don't care where you go, but you did this to yourself by being the most unsympathetic asshole I've ever met in my life!"
"We'll give you some supplies so you won't leave empty handed…but you need to go. Grab your wife and daughter and leave. There's enough madness happening here as it is; we don't need you adding more to it. I've reached my patience limit," Nokano added firmly.
"Wow. Kicking someone out of a supposed 'safe space' all because someone's feelings got hurt. This is beyond pathetic at this point. Whatever. I'll find them and we'll get the hell out of this joke of a place," Kenneth scoffed carelessly. Nokano was both creeped out and disgusted by how passive aggressive and cruel he was being.
"Good! I hope we never see your faces ever again!" Morton yelled and looked like he was about to cry and so proceeded to stomp out of the room. Nokano was about to follow him, but then he turned around to face Kenneth again one more time to say more.
"You know…before you go, I just wanna say something else. I've seen and heard the way you talk to your daughter. What kind of father just picks at his own daughter like that? Why do it? Why be so incessantly harsh towards her?" Nokano questioned. Kenneth rolled his eyes once again.
"Why do you care? Last time I checked, this was all MY personal business, not yours! You're kicking me out anyways, so don't fucking worry about my family dynamics!" he spat.
"You know…one day, you're gonna regret all those cold words you say to your daughter. One day, she may be gone before you leave this world, and you're gonna regret not appreciating her more and wishing she was here to love her right. So…if I were you, I'd switch up your attitude fast. Otherwise, that girl is gonna grow up to become even more resentful of you and have her own emotional problems into adulthood," Nokano advised as he became emotional, thinking about his own late daughter the entire time.
"I thought you were supposed to be a doctor, not a goddamn therapist. Like I said…MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna be getting out of this dumpster fire. This place is probably gonna get burnt to ashes anyways," Kenneth continued his relentless bullying then also pushed past Nokano to get out of the room.
"God…I don't understand how someone can be so narcissistic and cold…how do some people live their lives like that?" Nokano questioned to himself as his eyes welled up. As he was about to leave, he saw an unfamiliar person charged into the room.
BACK TO PRESENT
"Okay…so, let's say all of that is true…then why the hell did you come up here then!?" Fly Guy asked.
"Because I was looking for Clawdia and Katia still, and when I couldn't find them, I just…I just went up here to think to myself for a bit about that encounter. Okay!? Now can you please let me go!?" Kenneth explained further.
"Hmm. What do you think, Morton?" Ludwig asked. Morton stared at him suspiciously, his anger fueling from being unable to just let go of everything he's said to Bowser.
"It's…it's still not adding up. Wanna know what I think really happened? I think that you got so angry at Nokano for kicking you out, that you two got into a tussle and you ended up killing him, thinking that you had nothing to lose since you were going to get kicked out anyways," Morton theorized, stunning Kenneth even further. "Come on! Take him with us! I have an idea where we can put him!"
"WHAT!? YOU ARE INSANE! WHY THE FUCK WOULD I KILL NOKANO AND STILL REMAIN HERE!? WOULDN'T I TRY TO ESCAPE IF I ACTUALLY KILLED HIM!? YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG GUY, YOU IDIOTS!" Kenneth screamed as the Koopalings and Fly Guy dragged him towards the stairwell.
12:57 PM
E. Gadd, Bleck, and Petey walked back into the break room where Kody, Toodles, Toadsworth, and Tippi were cleaning up the mess from the scene.
"Hey. No one looked like they suspected anything as you brought the body down there?" Toadsworth asked.
"Didn't look like it. We had the body covered, of course, on a stretcher, so to others, it looked like just another body to add to our ever-growing graveyard of corpses!" E. Gadd chipperly responded, weirding the others out.
"Yep. Just another day in the apocalypse. That's our new normal. Hooray…" Kody groaned sarcastically.
"I appreciate the dark humor, but let's cut it back just a tad for our dear Nokano who was the main guy to keep this place running. I wonder who will take over his position…" Toadsworth suggested, not wanting to keep the mood too bright for the mourning.
"We also finished up cleaning this nasty mess. Ugh…now I see what janitors have to go through!" Toodles said tiredly.
"Yep. Now it looks like nothing ever happened. People ARE going to wonder, though, about Nokano's whereabouts. Have we thought about what to do with that?" Tippi pointed out.
"We'll have to announce that at a much later time, especially since we don't know who killed him. I certainly hope that those koopalings are right in whomever their suspicion of who the killer is…but if not, anyone could be next. As if we don't have enough to worry about anyways!" Bleck said in pure stress and sighed while rubbing his forehead.
"I may know who it is, actually," E. Gadd announced as he got out Arfur's phone.
"Oh! Seriously!? Who is it? And how do you know?" Kody questioned.
"So…umm…well, follow me into the basement room…quickly…" E. Gadd said in a lower voice, making everyone nervous now. E. Gadd led the way out and over to the basement door, went down the stairs and into the filing room then into the hidden room.
"Okay, if we're down here, I assume that it has to do with Mushroom Corporations, right?" Kody asked.
"Correct. There actually isn't much on here…looks like just texts between colleagues, pictures of unimportant documents, links to his social medias…but…I spotted something that caught my eye. There's a 'Notes' app on his phone, I'll tell you what he put in here," E. Gadd said then cleared his throat.
"In case anyone outside of Mushroom Corporations gets this phone…in case you are reading this…this means that I am dead.
Today, I have to make a decision to either be killed by my boss, Toadari, or to kill an innocent person from Mario's group. I told Toadari that I would kill Spike, but I wasn't completely confident in choosing that path. I don't wanna kill Spike, but I don't wanna die either…but, I have a feeling, if I DO somehow go through with killing Spike…I'll likely end up dead anyways. So, to anyone that finds this, here's what you need to know about Mushroom Corporations.
Toadari has Tadano, who is Tatanga's twin. I'm not exactly sure what he's planning to do with him, but it can't be something good. I overheard some coworkers say that he'll be a test subject for cloning experiments. That wouldn't surprise me if that ends up being the case.
The 9 gems and the Crystal Star Rod. The plan once Mario and his friends get the legendary item and kill Tatanga, is for our company to swoop in, grab the Star Rod, and begin our own 'world domination.' The Mushroom Worlds will be enslaved to our bidding and everything will be extremely authoritarian. Wealth classes would be further divided. Heavy surveillance everywhere. Strict guidelines to follow and punishments will be given if people attempt to rebel against the system. No one will have their own individuality. It'd be basically a 24/7 policed state.
But, what happens right after that is the plan to kill Mario and all his friends. They pose the biggest threat to the company. After all, they were the ones to retrieve all 9 gems and beat everything that came their way. So it makes sense that Toadari would want them killed straight away, and he'll do it with the Crystal Star Rod. It'd be the easiest way to off them all. If those heroes are gone forever…the world is truly doomed. We need them.
Lastly…there's me. If I were to die, there is a paratroopa by the name of Paraklyde that would take over. I'm not 100% certain of this scenario, but I know that Paraklyde is much more vicious and cunning than I am…so it makes sense that Paraklyde will take over. I'm a double agent for Toadari, essentially. He needs someone who appears less threatening and outwardly friendly to be the one to spy on the Mario gang, so to speak. But when I'm gone, all bets are off. I just KNOW that Toadari will send in Paraklyde to do any dirty work that he requests, because Paraklyde will do it without hesitation.
For anyone that sees this, please stop Mushroom Corporations however you can. They're just as dangerous as Tatanga, if not, moreso! Because they have so much resources and manpower. They're just waiting for the perfect moment to strike," E. Gadd read the notes outloud, unnerving the others.
"Wow…I mean…I guess none of that is TOO surprising since we kinda figured that that was the route that place would end up going once Tatanga is gone, after everything we've learned. Except for that part about this Paraklyde guy, though…sounds like the stakes are upped since Arfur IS gone," Tippi pointed out.
"Good grief! So, what you're saying is, there's two plans going on concurrently: one to kill half the world and make the other half one person's slaves, and the other one to make the entire world enslaved and obey to their commands. Putting it like that, it's essentially the same type of endgoal for them!" Toadsworth yelped in horror.
"And I just realized something else: Arfur's dead now. Which means this Paraklyde is in. Which also means we HAVE to destroy Mushroom Corporations before we do Tatanga. Because if not…we'll be easily blindsided by them after the battle with Tatanga is finished. We'll be too exhausted and vulnerable after such a, presumably, gigantic and rough battle, that they could easily destroy us in our weakened states, take the Crystal Star Rod, and begin the execution of their own plan.
I know we all had agreed upon taking down Mushroom Corporations first and then Tatanga the day after those guys came back from the Shiver Region, but this is literal, solid evidence that this must be done the second we retrieve the star rod," Bleck stated urgently.
"For sure! Then there's the thing with Tadano…do we try to save him from them? I know you guys view him kinda negatively now after everything he's done, but the poor alien's been unfairly kidnapped and being tested on! He doesn't deserve THAT kind of treatment!" Petey exclaimed to promote a little sympathy for the guy.
"True. That boy needs a mental institution, not a test chamber!" Toodles commented in support.
"Agreed. We'll help him out of there however we can. Now! One more thing I wanna show you guys, there's one video on his phone that Arfur filmed. It's…well…I only watched the beginning part of it and…just take a look!" E. Gadd sounded a little nervous as he switched to the video on the phone. He showed it to everyone and Arfur in the video spoke.
"Hey there. If you're watching this…I'm already dead. Right now, I'm walking over to the hospital to kill Spike. It was either that, or be killed by my boss. And to be honest…I don't know if I can go through with it. I don't know if I have it in me to kill a person. I'm afraid of what happens after we die. VERY afraid. But…well, this is the moment of truth.
I'm filming this in the hopes of someone finding this phone. I've written stuff in my notes app that you should check out. I'm better at writing stuff from my head than just verbalizing it in the moment. One thing I will say right now is this: if Mushroom Corporations were to be destroyed by whomever can do it…the absolute most important place to do so is in their basement. There is a machine in that basement that can warp anyone to a different dimension. I'm telling you right now that that machine MUST be destroyed.
That machine is Mushroom Corporations' emergency exit plan. If all hell breaks loose there, that is what they will use to escape and bring whatever they can with them. Especially if Toadari uses that machine…hoo…it's game over. He's bright enough to easily start all over and make a new life and master plan for himself. They just recently completed it and I don't think it's been properly tested yet. But still…
There's also a, uhh, I guess, 'monster' in that place. A toad woman who was previously homeless was captured by the company and was tested for cloning. Her 'clone' ended up being a monstrous version of the original woman, acting like some vicious creature from the wild. I highly recommend defeating her as she will no doubt stand in your way too.
Those are the two main concerns to worry about when destroying this company. Obviously, the third concern is Toadari. Then fourth would be Paraklyde, who's practically Toadari's right-hand man whenever Toadari wants to get certain things done ASAP.
If you by some chance see this, please spread this video. Do what I was too cowardly to do. That's all I ask! Now then…I'm gonna…try to do this and…umm…i-it's probably best that this would be my end. I have no family. No friends. My life's been all about work since I came here from Rogueport a bunch of years ago. This is probably the only true escape from this job. I don't know what's gonna happen when I see Spike…I'm just gonna…um…wing it and act purely on my impulses. Goodbye."
The video ended there with Arfur very clearly about to cry. The room was silent for a moment after that haunting video.
"Wow. Again…wow. Scary. I'm not shocked that they have a backup escape plan, but a freakin' dimensional warp machine? That's clever. They've thought of everything!" Kody said with a fearful tone.
"Of course they would have a high-tech escape plan! Of course! They're evil masterminds obsessed with total control of the population! How else are they supposed to feel good about their miserable selves!?" Toodles dumbfoundedly yelled.
"Damn. At least Arfur was helpful in his final moments, and I had a feeling infiltrating that place wasn't going to be so straightforward. We've got our work cut out for us big time," Bleck commented, seeming more annoyed than worried about this new info.
"Jolly good. More obstacles in our way. Pah! I guess that's Doomsday for ya. All the other times our world's been threatened…I guess those were just the 'previews' for this one. Who'da thunk we'd ever have to face TWO big baddies instead of just one though!?" Toadsworth groaned.
"Yeah…this is basically the war of our lives. Terrible thing, ya know. Never accomplishes anything good for the majority. That's why when the Great Mushroom War of 1940 happened, the global economy was reported to have fallen into a deep depression that took years to recover from. So much loss. So much destruction. So much trauma and grief.
But…erm…anyhoo, I'll dig deeper through Arfur's text messages to see if anything pops out that could be useful to us. For now, it is the waiting game until they all come back, and then, we plan for Mushroom Corporations!" E. Gadd said.
"Hold on a second here. I just thought of something. Arfur mentioned a guy named Paraklyde as being Toadari's 'right-hand man'. Arfur says this Paraklyde does whatever Toadari asks him to do without hesitation. So…Arfur gets killed by Spike. Shortly after that…Dr. Nokano is suspiciously murdered with no trace of concrete evidence of who could've done it," Tippi recalled.
"What are you trying to say here? That, uhh, this Paraklyde killed Dr. Nokano? Wouldn't that be a little too random?" Petey questioned.
"You're right, it would be. It's just a theory I'm throwing out there, though…but think about it you guys. Dr. Nokano had no reason to be killed by anyone here. If my theory is correct, though…we're in more danger than we think right now."
REWIND AGAIN…
Nokano was startled by a paratroopa barging into the break room and being pushed down so quickly and out of the blue.
"OH! WHAT THE HELL!?" Nokano screamed. The paratroopa punched Nokano in the face and got out a platinum-colored knife. Nokano immediately realized what was happening and punched him right back in the jaw. The paratroopa yelped but managed to quickly recoil and stab Nokano in the arm. The doctor screamed in pain, but his mouth was quickly covered by the paratroopa as he shoved the doctor down to the floor again and slit Nokano across the throat. The doctor's eyes bulged as he gurgled and coughed up blood and his grip on the paratroopa's arms tightened as the horror from seeing the paratroopa's determined expression was imprinted into his final living moments.
"The name's Paraklyde, by the way. My boss, Toadari, sends his love!" the paratroopa spoke and laughed a little at the doctor's demise. He removed his hand from the doc's mouth, then quickly left the room. Nokano's eyes slowly closed as a couple of tears rolled down his face, realizing that he was the victim of a random, senseless, and sadistic crime.
Mario drove the ambulance to the Mushroom Kingdom countryside, some minutes outside the Mushroom City city limits. The road he was on became more woodsy and an apple orchard was also seen up ahead as he slowed down and came to an eventual stop on the side of the road.
"Okay, this is the trailhead to the tower, you guys. It's about a two mile walk from here to there. Let's do this!" Mario announced and everyone nodded as nerves were high once again, but a tiny spark of excitement was felt as well since this was the final location they had to go through. Everyone got out of the ambulance and began the trek on the trail as it led into the woods.
"Great. Another woods to walk through. Be on your toes in case another tree comes to life and tries to swallow us whole!" Lakilester joked.
"...so, then she tells us that she tried to reconnect with her parents since she figured she's with Kenneth now so they would accept her again. They didn't, which I guess practically forced her to stick with Kenneth for all these years. She then says that she thinks the reason Kenneth is acting like such an asshole is because he doesn't want her to reconnect with all of us since she tried so hard to be apart from us in the first place, and thinks that it's not gonna end well for all of us.
That's the story she told me, Ludwig, and Morton. Morton told her that she needs to tell Kenneth that they all need to leave the hospital because he's bringing nothing but trouble, and that it won't end well if he keeps picking on you, dad. So…we'll see if they're actually gone when we get back," Larry explained Clawdia's backstory to Bowser and Junior from the moment they left the hospital. Bowser looked like he was about to laugh and weep at the same time, whereas Junior looked a little horrified.
"Wow! Dad, I had no idea Clawdia's family disowned her just so she could be with you. That's honestly horrible. And to think that they STILL didn't take her back after everything…wow…" Junior commented in clear sympathy.
"Yeah. We were two youngsters head over heels for each other, thinking we were each other's world and that everything was a perfect, fairytale romance. We were both 18…god…" Bowser said as his eyes welled up once again and he shook his head, looking frustrated. "There is one thing I will say in defense of Clawdia. She had a point that things change so much from when you are 18. That's still technically a kid. You're still growing, learning so much about the world, and just barely starting real life.
All of this could've been avoided if she had just spoken her mind. Yeah, it would've been just as devastating…but at least I wouldn't have been so fucked in the head from it, and you kids would still have a motherly connection because I doubt she would've just up and ran away if she just admitted her true feelings that night."
"Yeah. And I don't want you to think I'm making excuses for her, dad! I really am not. I just wanted to know her since I never got the chance to even remember seeing her. I've always been curious to know what my biological mom was like…think I got my answer now," Junior explained worriedly, realizing that he might not ever have a proper relationship with Clawdia, not just because of what she's done, but because Kenneth would be in the way.
"I know, son. I understand where you're coming from. I think it's only natural that you'd want to know your mom, even if she hurt the whole family. But, this damned Kenneth…based on her story, I'm thinking she feels obligated to be with him because she thinks he 'saved' her from a lifestyle she no longer wanted. I still just don't see it between those two. Proclaiming that they're star-crossed lovers, when all I see is just some dysfunctional family unit. Pathetic. They're not even attempting to keep up appearances," Bowser said snarkily.
"Sounds about right to me. Junior, you're probably gonna hate hearing this, but it might be best to just let go of Clawdia. It's clear Kenneth can't stand ANY of us, not just dad, and it's also clear that Clawdia won't stand up for herself and let go of Kenneth. We don't want you to get dragged into their mess. It'll be hell if you do!" Larry advised.
"You're right. It really would. Kenneth says all this awful crap to dad and…a-and mom just does nothing about it. She just acts like it's not a big deal. That's not right," Junior spoke as he also started to weep in the realization that he has to distance himself from his own mom because he refused to accept that treatment for his dad.
Bowser saw the pain in Junior's face and it made him all the more emotional. "It isn't right, Junior. Look…I'm not gonna sit here and say I'm innocent in this situation, because I'm not. I was in way over my head too during the time I was with Clawdia. But, Clawdia is not in her right mind to be with anyone. I think she's the type of person that NEEDS to be with someone to feel loved and wanted, so…yeah, it's unlikely she'll ever put her foot down with Kenneth or even leave him.
And another thing I wanna say that's kind of off-topic from this…you boys are 18 and 15. You're still very young and are gonna learn so much about yourselves and the world. Take my advice…NEVER rush into anything and always take time to get to know yourself and the people you're with. You have so many good years ahead of you. Never take anything for granted. Always treat people with respect. I know I haven't been the best example of those life lessons for a very long time now, but I'm trying to really turn things around. I don't wanna lose any more of you guys, but please, don't lose yourselves either."
"You're our dad. I'd say you're doing the best that you possibly can for us. I think that's all any kid can ask for," Larry kindly responded and patted him on the arm with Junior nodding in agreement. Those words tugged at Bowser's heart.
Jojora looked behind her and saw Bombette, Kooper, and Lakilester talking amongst themselves at the back of the group. She got a little heated and went towards them.
"WOW! So, you and Koops are practically all good again!? Man, I'm so happy for you guys! So awesome of him to forgive you for all the hurt you've caused!" Lakilester cheered. Kooper and Bombette gave him a dirty look.
"Wow. Passive aggressive much?" Kooper snarled. Lakilester turned red with embarrassment.
"OH! Shit, I'm sorry, man! I meant that in a good way, really! I was just, ya know, touching on the fact that he's able to forgive after, ya know, everything? Sorry, I'm talking out of my ass right now. Please carry on!" he rambled awkwardly, making Bombette snicker.
"What we're trying to say is, we're happy for you both, and we hope it continues like that. That's all!" Bombette simplified it for him.
Kooper snickered as well and smiled. "Thanks. And yeah, look, I know I screwed up big time with what I did to Koops. I caused so much pain that can't ever be taken away. The mature thing to do is to own up to my shit, apologize, and try to amend things however I can. It's a miracle that Koops is even trying to let me in…I don't deserve it…"
Right after Kooper finished speaking, Jojora approached the three, clearly looking pissed. "Hey. You three!"
Bombette looked freaked by her sudden appearance. "Uhh…yes? Can we help you?"
"So, I take it you know about Parakarry and I splitting up, right? You know, cause he's not here walking with you guys!" Jojora aggressively asked. The three looked uncomfortable and confused now.
"Um, yes? He told us that and said he wanted some alone time, so he's walking alone. We're respecting that, obviously!" Lakilester spat.
"Interesting. Because he also told ME that YOU GUYS pretty much told him to end things with me. Why!? What the hell is the issue here!? Why are you trying to invade our business!?" Jojora raised her voice, drawing looks from some of the others.
"Are you serious right now? Can we not do this please!? Seriously, we're about to enter a fucking tower of death, and this is what you wanna fight about now!?" Kooper retorted.
"Well, it's obvious what you guys think of me now, because you know, I thought we bonded after all of our trauma and battles we've been through together, but noooo you had to influence Parakarry to ruin something good!" Jojora continued yelling as the four were becoming more behind from the rest of the group.
"We're the ones that ruined something good!? Do you, like, hear yourself right now!? We're not the ones who threatened to expose a secret from the past all because you want to still have job stability in the future!" Bombette reproached.
"Oh my god, it was ONE issue that could've easily been worked through! That happens in ANY relationship! Sorry I'm not the perfect girlfriend that you all thought I'd be!" Jojora's yelling started to turn to crying as her voice began to choke up.
"You know damn well that's not what we're trying to do. We were simply giving him advice on the situation! We told him that it's a red flag that you'd threaten to expose a secret of his friends to the public…you know, the same friends he's been close with for YEARS now? Come on Jojora!" Lakilester explained and hoped it would get through to her head that it wasn't anything totally personal against her. It was friends looking out for a friend.
"What are you guys trying to say then? That I'm conniving? That we're not compatible? What!?" Jojora cried further, trying to make sense of everything.
"We're not saying you're conniving. As for being incompatible…that's something you'll have to talk to Parakarry about. We're not making a call on that," Bombette answered, softening her frustration with her upon seeing how sad she was getting.
"That being said, sometimes when it comes to careers, it CAN clash with the lifestyles of you and your partner. That's something to remember!" Kooper advised.
"I know that! It's just…being a gossip reporter, part of the tabloids and social medias…that's all I've ever known for so many years now. It's what got me financial security and an online following. It's something that I can easily fall back on once this mess is done with. I won't be screwed. That's why I brought that up to him. I really wasn't going to for sure do it! It was just…something that crossed my mind…" Jojora explained further as she sobbed a little. The other three really felt for her struggle and now saw where she was coming from.
"I get it. It's what made you successful and it totally makes sense that you'd wanna hang on to that. But, if your job is gonna create chaotic drama within your relationship from you exposing Parakarry's friends' secrets to the media, then I can tell you right now that relationship is doomed to fail. That's why we said what we said. It's all up to you what you wanna do with that, Jojora. You're your own person so you need to figure that out, and that's only even IF Parakarry wants to try again," Bombette responded in a helpful and mature manner. Jojora nodded a little and wiped her eyes, feeling a little bit of heartbreak in that moment.
"Hey, Spike. How are you doing?" Mario asked as he walked over to him.
"Hey, Mario. I'm doing okay, I think. Still surreal that I killed Arfur, of all people. I mean, he helped us for so long and then he turned out to be some kind of double agent…then…THAT happened back in the woods and…god…is it wrong that I actually feel bad for him?" Spike asked with a guilty expression.
"What do you mean by that? Feel bad for him, how so?" Mario questioned.
"Because he was a pawn played and used by his boss. Under total control by some other person. He would've been eventually discarded by his boss so easily if he had actually killed me. How sick can one be to use Arfur like that, as if he was just a toy in a fucked up game?" Spike clarified. Mario didn't want to admit it since he hated how Arfur spied and kept secrets from him and his friends, but he saw where Spike was coming from.
"I mean…yeah. I'm sure Arfur didn't expect it would go down the route it did. He knew what the nature of his job was, though, and seemed to not mind it too much to not do anything to simply leave beforehand, so I can't FULLY feel sorry for him. But still, his boss…the fact that people like that run top-tier companies…very bone-chilling…" Mario commented with a hint of anger.
"Definitely. I still can't believe I even did it. My mind's still processing it, I think. It's just…like…you think to yourself when something as scary and quick as that happens, and you ask yourself 'Hold on. Did that really just happen? Did I really kill someone I personally knew? Were they actually about to kill me?' I mean, I know we've killed enemies before, but this one feels way different. We knew him. We had a connection to him! Even after all the shady shit…we still knew him…" Spike elaborated.
"I get it. It makes sense, Spike. The best thing to do is not beat yourself up over doing what you had to do to survive. Don't let your mind trick you into doing that," Mario advised, then sighed as his own guilty expression formed now. "Also…I wanna apologize to you, because I pretty much got you into that situation, Spike. I was the one that told Toadari the secret of me being experimented on. If not for that, he wouldn't have put Arfur in the position of kill or be killed, I bet."
Spike looked to him with a little bit of shock, but also in understanding. "Oh. Mario…you don't need to apologize. I know you. You were trying to do what you thought was right. If it wasn't gonna be me, it would've been someone else. Don't beat YOURSELF up for that, okay?"
Mario smiled a little at him and the two chuckled. "Thanks. It's obviously never my intention to put any of you guys in danger. You guys are pretty much my family, and I would die to protect you all."
Spike's smile grew a little more. "Same here. Don't wanna get too sappy and all, but I really hope I get to keep these friendships for years to come! And, just curious, I take it the same applies for Bowser and his family?"
Mario glanced behind him to see Bowser chatting happily with Larry and Junior and the three looked so right and warm just being together. He then looked back at Spike and responded, "Absolutely. He's come so far."
"I see the tower up ahead, over there. Damn…creepy as hell. I know it shouldn't really creep me out since we've been through the creepiest shit ever, but still!" Wario pointed to the black, looming tower that got ever so closer as the group inched closer and closer.
"Reminds me of a more gothic version of my mansion. Which means, expect there to be ghosts and supernatural crap galore. Oh joy!" Luigi sarcastically cheered. Wario chuckled at him.
"I still can't believe you have ownership of that mansion even though it's more haunted than Big Boo's Haunt. Woulda thought you'd have it demolished by now!" Wario commented.
"Eh. I keep being indecisive if I wanna sell it to some crazy fool who doesn't mind hanging with ghosts, clear out all the ghosts for real this time and renovate it entirely, or just have it be demolished…even though I doubt it'd stay demolished anyways. I'll think about it more once the world is saved from doom and destruction," Luigi responded merrily with a shrug.
"Hmm. Any plans for what you wanna do after this is done? Like, any place you wanna celebrate at or escape to and just take a looooong break?" Wario asked.
"Kind of. Been thinking about taking Daisy on a vacation to somewhere peaceful and far away. Not sure where yet. Gonna ask Mario and Peach to see if they wanna do the same. You and Mona should come with us! It'd be a fun couples trip, you know?" Luigi cheerily suggested. Wario looked at him with a surprised look.
"Oh! Um, really? With you guys? I…yeah, totally, I appreciate that," Wario was a little taken aback with excitement at this.
"Cool! We'll plan for it thoroughly after we win. I'm excited. Never done anything like that before. A couples' getaway!" Luigi spoke with the same excitement. Wario greatly smiled at this, then it slowly faded when someone came to his mind at that moment.
"Yeah! You know…Waluigi would've loved doing something like that as well…WITH Rosalina…you know? That would've made it perfect," Wario added as his smile and the excitement was now gone. Luigi caught this and wasn't sure how to properly respond.
"Um…it definitely would've been perfect with them coming along too. But, Waluigi would want you to have fun with Mona, and with us. You deserve it," Luigi tried to bring him back up. Wario nodded at him, smiling a little again, but then it quickly went away yet again.
"You ready for this, Viv? Last go around and then the final fight begins!" Pauline said, hyping up the last gem to retrieve.
"As ready as I'll ever be. I still keep thinking about Beldam…and…god, this is gonna sound so wretched of me to say it out loud, but when I see her, I have to kill her. She betrayed me and helped Tatanga destroy so many lives and things. She can't be trusted anymore," Vivian admitted, then let out a great sigh, feeling weird and shook that she heard herself just say that.
"Are you kidding me? That's not wretched at all! She needs to go. Plus, wasn't she 'good' for a while after she helped the Shadow Queen? Yeah, then she went back to her old ways so easily. That's not a sister. That's an enemy," Pauline said dumbfoundedly since she couldn't believe Vivian was so hesitant on thinking that way.
"I know. She broke my trust and there's no way to get it back after this. I think I'm just, you know, so sad that it had to be like this. For a while there, when things looked like they were patched up between us, I was really happy that things were normal again. But then, Tatanga wanted his own team to help destroy the world, and she just took that opportunity…she never actually changed. It was just a facade the whole time," Vivian added, getting a little emotional, but refused to cry since she felt more anger in her than pure sadness.
"Exactly. If you need help with doing that…you know I got your back," Pauline affirmed with a smile. Vivian nodded at her with a victorious smile back.
"Here we are! This is the place: Blackstone Tower," Daisy announced as the group stopped a mere few feet away from the large, double doors. They all looked up at the tower that loomed over them. Everyone felt creeped out by just the appearance of it and how tall it was. It was about as tall as Peach's castle.
"Wow. Can only imagine what's lurking in there…" Toadette said in discomfort.
"Um, why is it called Blackstone Tower when the exterior is all wood? Am I missing something here?" Koops questioned.
"That's, uhh, actually a good question. No idea what the answer is, but, we'll probably find out inside via mystical or illogical means. You know, the usual stuff that we encounter in every location!" Mona heartily responded, making Koops giggle.
"Alright, guys. Just keep it in your heads that we are VERY close to finishing this! But, don't get too cocky. As usual, be hyperaware of the surroundings and try to stay close to each other if possible. Here we go…" Mario said as he went forward and opened the double doors slowly, revealing a large foyer-like room with multiple floors visible with numerous doors leading further inside the tower. Two torches on the opposite ends of the foyer were lit, lighting up just enough of the vicinity to get the gist of what the entrance room looked like.
Everyone slowly and nervously entered into the room, gazing in awe and fright from how eerie the place looked, and from the amount of doors there were. The same feeling of dread and discomfort that they felt when they entered the Mirror World and Underworld was felt here as well.
"What the hell!? Look at all those doors! Is this place supposed to be a maze or something?" Dixie asked as the doors closed by themselves when everyone got in, startling some of the group.
"Uh oh…it didn't lock by itself, did it!?" Starlow yelped and ran back to the door to try to open it. Was shut tight. "No! Looks like we're stuck here!"
"Okay, don't panic. We're here to find the last gem so exiting this place is actually the last thing we need to have on our minds right now," DK calmly spoke.
"Right. So, the question is, which door do we start off with? Are we gonna split up to make it go by quicker or should we all try one by one?" Luvbi asked.
Mario stepped forward towards one of the doors as his expression turned into a perplexed one.
"Mario? What's up? What do you see?" Luigi asked as he stepped towards him.
"What in the- that's…look at this door. There's…there's a drawing etched on there. A drawing of me. How is that possible!?" Mario shrieked, pointing to the door. The gang gathered around and some gasps were heard when they indeed saw a scratched-in drawing of Mario upon the door.
"Okay, that's definitely creepy! And…WOAH! Look at the other doors! Drawings of all of us, looks like!?" Yoshi screeched, pointing to the other ones. Everyone became confused and more scared now.
"What the fuck is this!? How are there drawings of us on these doors in a place we've never been to!? Was someone expecting us!?" Bowser yelled.
"Must be. What did Merle say when he showed us this place with his magic? He said…ugh, what was it…that…it IS a maze and that we'll face our past traumas here…but, how the hell would that work?" Daisy recalled, approaching a door with her drawing etched on it. She felt the drawing and had a sudden feeling of faintness come over here. She stood back and gripped her chest, finding it a little hard to breathe properly for a second there.
"Dais, you okay? What just happened?" Peach asked.
"There's…ugh, there's a reason why our individual drawings are on each door. Merle also said that this place has a mind of its own. It's calling for us. Each of us has to go in our own door and, um, I guess, face our past traumas," Daisy said as she calmed her breathing down.
"That makes sense. It's so weird being in here, seeing all this, but, like, it's obvious what we have to do. This is a path we must take individually this time around!" Goombella added, walking to her own door, feeling terrified of what lays behind it.
"R-Really!? All by ourselves!? Guys, I-I don't know if I can do this if it's just me!" Starlow cried.
"Starlow, I'm sorry, but there's no going back. You felt the entrance door, it's locked shut. We HAVE to go through our own door. It's the only way through this place and the only way we can get the last gem and end everything," Mario commanded as Starlow started to weep. Toadette held her hand.
"Hey. It's okay. Just be strong and don't let this place get to you, okay? You will survive this!" she softly told the star sprite in hopes of lifting her up.
"I-I-I know I have to be strong, b-but…man, we're really doing this, aren't we!? I have stuff from my past that I REALLY don't wanna face again!" Starlow cried again as she wiped her eyes.
"None of us want to face stuff from our past, Starlow, but if it's the only way through, then we have to do it. Everyone, go to your doors. See you all on the other side! Whatever happens, remember, like Toadette said, don't let this place get to you! It may have a mind of its own, but we've been through more than enough to handle whatever crap this place throws our way!" DK instructed, then everyone nodded and found their door with their drawings on it. Nerves were incredibly high once again, as no one was sure how they would handle going through their traumas again and what exactly it would entail to surpass them.
Luvbi took in a deep breath, then quickly opened her door, which led to a small, dark room. She went in, then Starlow tried to follow suit. Luvbi caught this from the corner of her eye and spun around.
"Starlow! What are you doing!?" she yelled.
"I…" Starlow was about to respond, but she just stopped in the doorway. Luvbi looked confused and freaked now.
"What? Why are you just standing there now!?" Luvbi asked.
"I…I'm actually TRYING to move right now! But I can't! I can't go in the room!" Starlow revealed, scaring herself even more now. Luvbi widened her eyes a little and stepped away.
"My goodness…this place has certainly thought of everything!" Luvbi shrieked.
"I told you, Starlow! And I knew it. This must be done individually! You gotta go to your own door. We believe in you! You'll make it through!" DK said. Starlow couldn't help but cry again, but she understood the objective and slowly made her way back to her own door.
Peach saw this and truly felt for her, but there was nothing more that could be done. She calmed her own body and entered her door, bracing for whatever was gonna be thrown her way.
The room was dark and small. She closed the door behind her and walked forward slowly.
Dead silence in the room. The only thing she could hear was her own footsteps and her breathing. She felt her heart pound a million miles a minute.
"Oh god…um…wh-what do I do now!? Hello!? Shoot!" Peach cried and began to feel claustrophobic too. She kept walking forward and her eyes adjusted to the dark a little and she saw another door ahead. She reached out for the knob, grabbed it, turned it, then opened it and a bright light shone through, nearly blinding her.
"Woah! Uhh, hello!? What is this!?" Peach said and walked forward, seeing nothing but a white light. The second she stepped into the doorway, she blinked, and the setting immediately changed.
She was in a dimly-lit girl's bathroom. She shrieked and stepped back.
"WHA- HOW DID I GET HERE!? HELLOOOOOO!? MARIOOOOOOO!" she screamed and panicked.
"SHUT UP, YOU IDIOT!" yelled a young girl's voice.
That voice made Peach freeze for a second. She recognized that voice, and upon hearing that, she immediately knew where she was. It all clicked right then and there.
"Oh my god…no! NO!" she cried, covered her mouth, and began to cry.
"Please stop! I never did anything to you!" cried a 12 year old Peach on the other end of the bathroom. She was backed into a corner by three other girls.
"Wow, you really are dumb, aren't you!? You know what you did! You told the teacher that I stole her money! So that also makes you a SNITCH!" yelled one of the girls.
"W-Well you shouldn't be stealing other people's money! That's not right!" Peach cried.
"It was none of your business in the first place! And now I've got detention for two whole weeks and my parents are SOOOOO mad at me that they've also grounded me for two weeks too!" yelled the girl as she stepped closer to her.
"Yeah! Your family may be suuuuper rich, but you're just a stupid, annoying little rat! You don't even know how to do math right! I saw the grade you got, you have a D! That's pathetic!" spat another girl.
"I-I was just trying to do the right thing! And please stop calling me stupid! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" Peach shrilled and cried more, fearing for her life now.
"We're not gonna leave you alone, we're gonna give you the punishment you deserve! Stupid rat, stupid rat, STUPID RAT!" yelled the third girl who then grabbed Peach by the shirt and held her up against the wall. The first girl then smacked her twice while the second girl laughed at Peach's torture.
"NOOOOOOO! STOP IT! OH MY GOD, STOP!" screamed adult Peach who charged into the scene to intervene, but the second girl all of a sudden punched Peach in the neck and knocked her down to the floor.
"OHHHH! Agghhh…damnit…" Peach yelled out in pain, holding the right side of her neck. As she tried to get up, the girls dragged her to one of the stalls and plunged her head into the toilet then they flushed the toilet. Peach screamed and managed to push herself out of the toilet and then hit her head on the stall door. Peach yelled out in pain again, but it seemed as if the girls were gone, thankfully.
"Owwwwww! Grah…I…I'm not dumb…I was doing the right thing!" Peach shouted as she slowly got up. She went back out into the bathroom and saw 12 year old Peach cowering in the corner, crying her eyes out.
"Oh! Hey…it's okay. They're gone. Don't listen to what they have to say. You're not dumb! You did what was right!" Peach spoke upliftingly to her younger self. She reached out to touch her, but younger Peach suddenly got up and ran to the sinks.
"Hey! Please don't leave! I…I don't know how to get out of here…" Peach whimpered, following her to the sinks. She jumped when she saw it was her grown up self at the sinks now.
"What the!? H-Hello?" Peach yelped.
The Other Peach cried again into the sink as she got out a pair of scissors and began to cut her hair.
"My friends all betrayed me! They knew my husband was cheating on me for that whore and they said NOTHING!" she hysterically yelled. Peach slowly and nervously walked over to her.
"Hey…listen to me! It was all a huge misunderstanding! Mario was under a magical spell, he still loves only you! Okay!?" Peach tried to calm her down. The Other Peach stopped crying and cutting her hair and slowly turned to the actual Peach. She backed away a little when she saw her 'doppelganger' had a scornful look upon her face.
"Really…is…is that why…IS THAT WHY MARIO HANDED ME DIVORCE PAPERS!?" the Other Peach screamed into her face, making the true Peach scream back in pure fright. "I'M NOTHING NOW! I MIGHT AS WELL KILL MYSELF!" The Other Peach aimed the scissors and was about to slit her own throat, but the true Peach tried to take the scissors away.
"STOP! KILLING YOURSELF ISN'T THE ANSWER!" the true Peach shouted, attempting to grab the scissors, but the Other Peach screamed in rage again and stabbed Peach in the left arm. Peach cried out in more pain as she backed up into the wall and slid to the floor, holding her bloody wound.
"OWWW! Oh my god oh my god oh my god…YOU…STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Peach screamed as the Other Peach walked to her.
"YOU'RE NOTHING! YOU MIGHT AS WELL DIE BECAUSE YOU'RE DUMB AND NO ONE LOVES YOU! RAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHH!" the Other Peach roared and aimed the scissors down at her. The true Peach kicked the Other Peach in the stomach, knocking her down against the wall and dropping the scissors. The true Peach then lunged for the scissors and stabbed the Other Peach in the heart.
"OH! Aaaaaaagggghhhhh…you…you…you're not…ooh…fit to run a whole kingdom…if you were…why do you let…people like Bowser and Tatanga take over?" the Other Peach asked through her coughing and gurgling of blood.
"Um…because…all I want is peace for the kingdom. I want its citizens to live in harmony and know that, um, there's never gonna be a threat for their lives when it comes to a war. But…I see now…if I TRULY want peace…fighting back is sometimes the only way out…" Peach responded, horrified at the sight of seeing her own self slowly dying, but also knew that this was the tower messing with her.
"Is that what you really think? Pah! That's so stupid and naive!" spoke Bowser's voice from nearby. Peach whipped her head behind her, being startled from hearing him.
"Bowser!? Are you here!?" Peach called out and stood back up. She looked back at her other self and saw she was no longer breathing and moving. She grabbed the scissors from the body and took it with her.
She exited the bathroom and found herself in another familiar area. It was a dungeon in Bowser's castle where Peach lay behind a cell and Bowser was taunting her.
"Stupid and naive to think Mario will rescue me and stop you from destroying the kingdom!? You don't stand a chance! Please, Bowser, all you have to do is stop and we can just walk away from each other forever!" the Other Peach pleaded as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Wow! More stupidity and naivety coming from the kingdom's very own princess! Makes me question the overall intelligence of the Mushroom Kingdom's royal family, you know? Plus, come on, just hear yourself! You really think a short man who does plumbing for a living will stop ME, a giant, strong koopa who towers over him!? Quit living in a fantasy!" Bowser berated.
"Why do you have to be so cruel!? I just don't understand! Wha…what are you gonna do with ME then!? If Mario can't beat you…a-are you going to kill me!?" the Other Peach questioned, and was terrified for the answer. Bowser formed a grin and laughed at her.
"Ohhh no no no, princess. Killing you would be a waste to my whole plan. Instead…you will be…hmm…what's the perfect word for it…my obedient slave! Yes. You will do what I want, when I want it! After all, a young, airheaded woman like yourself should be used to being a submissive little plaything anyways!" he revealed in pleasure of seeing her mortified. The Other Peach and the true Peach felt sick to their stomachs at the same time upon hearing that. They collapsed to their knees and nearly puked at such a sexist and revolting statement, made worse by the fact that Bowser laughed again at her disgust.
The true Peach gathered herself and looked up. She was in the cell facing Bowser. This transition startled her again, but she had to keep herself calm if she wanted to escape.
"Bowser…you…you don't mean that…" Peach spoke as she glared daggers at him.
"Of course I do! Otherwise I wouldn't have said it, dummy!" Bowser spat.
"No. You're only saying this because you're desperate to make yourself feel as powerful as possible! You're also trying to replace your wife who left you for another man, leaving you all by yourself to raise your kids and wonder where you went wrong!" Peach unveiled confidently. Bowser looked horrified from those words.
"Wha…how…h-how do you know about my wife!? MY EX-WIFE!?" he screamed.
"She dropped the bomb on you that day she left you! She told you she found someone else and didn't want to live this life anymore, so she left you and gave you no time to process anything! That was the day this all started. That was the day you took your anger out on everyone and wanted to prove to people that you weren't one to be messed with, that you were perfect royalty and that you had the most power out of everyone! You used that pain to torment others and got so addicted to the power and pleasure of hurting people that you just couldn't stop for YEARS!" Peach let him have it as it noticeably angered him further and further until he looked like he was gonna blow.
"STOP IT! SHUT THE FUCK UP! YOU KNOW NOTHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!" Bowser roared at the top of his lungs, piercing Peach's hearing. She covered her ears and shut her eyes, feeling the hotness of his breath.
Then dead silence once again. Peach opened her eyes and raised her head. Another different, but familiar setting she was in this time.
She was in the room where Mario and the partners had fought the Shadow Queen years ago. The same room where she was possessed by the Shadow Queen. Also where the Shadow Queen's crypt lay. But, where the crypt originally lay was, in place, a possessed Peach who was sitting on a throne-like chair at the end of the room. Peach was more creeped out this time seeing another 'doppelganger', with the difference being her dress was all black now.
"Hello, Peach. I bet you're wondering what in the hell is going on here? Muh huh huh huh huh…" Possessed-Peach spoke.
"Well…um, I'm in the Blackstone Tower…facing my past traumas…I'm still confused on how this all works, but…I think I'm getting it now," Peach nervously responded.
"Right. The traumas of your past…people underestimate the difficulties of truly facing one's own trauma. They think that, since it's a distant memory, it won't be too big of a deal…but ohhhh how wrong are they! Muh huh huh huh huh…the traumas are one of the most significant events in our personal history that make us into the beings we are today. Our flaws, our strengths, our quirks, our fears…it all hugely stems from the traumas we endure," Possessed-Peach confirmed.
"Y-Yeah. And, um, I take it I'm here in this room because…one of my traumas was being possessed by a 1000 year old demon and trying to kill my friends AND take over the world?" Peach guessed.
"Muh huh huh huh huh…you are correct, my dear. But! Let's not pretend that you didn't like the feeling of being possessed and having aaaalll that lucious power…" Possessed-Peach snickered as she got up and started walking over to her.
Peach tilted her head in confusion as she heard blood dripping her wound. She held her wound again and asked, "What? What is that supposed to mean!?"
"What I mean…is that, there is a tiny part of you that just LOVED the rush of having all that magic and power within you. You were invincible, Peach! You were truly a QUEEN just for a little while, instead of just being a meager, soft, forever-princess who has to rely on some average guy to save the day. Come on…there's nothing wrong with admitting that you at least liked having all of that luxury," Possessed-Peach clarified as she danced around the room. Peach couldn't believe the sickening words that she was trying to lay onto her.
"N-No! Absolutely not! I remember that time, it was so awful and scary! I had no control of myself…all I felt and thought was just destruction and chaos! That's not who I really am! I didn't like any of that one bit!" Peach yelled.
"Wow. Look at you, trying soooo hard to convince yourself that you're this pure angel who wants the best for everyone. Muh huh huh huh huh…my dear, it is, in fact, the most realistic thing to actually LIKE having even just the tiniest bit of that darkness within your soul…that tiny part where you want to have total control and power over anything you desire. Where you want to feel unstoppable. Don't push it down. There's a reason why you were the perfect vessel. I unlocked the part in your heart where you craved the darkness. It's always been there, I just exposed it to the outer world. And you can have it back," Possessed-Peach tauntingly spoke to her with an undertone of excitement as she slowly stopped dancing around and approached her.
"What do you mean I can have it back? As in, um, me being possessed again?" Peach asked.
"Exactly. Look at you right now…you're damaged…" Possessed-Peach pointed to her wound on her arm. She touched the wound and Peach felt a cold chill flow throughout her body as the wound sealed itself.
"WUH! What'd you just do!?" Peach yelped.
"I healed the wound. See? All better now. My dear…you can be invincible once again if you just let me in once more…really think about it. You'd have all the power you want. No more dealing with annoying, subpar 'villains' who want to make the world their own. No more relying on men to save the day. You'd no longer be a princess…you'd be a queen. Have the kingdom fit to your true wants and needs. Just let me in. It's okay to embrace that darkness," Possessed-Peach said as she brushed the true Peach's hair and seemed so polite about the entire thing. Peach looked like she was deep in thought the whole time.
"I mean…you're right…I wouldn't have to deal with the stress of other people taking over the world and whatnot…" Peach commented.
"Exactly! No more stress. No more crying. No more panicking. No more leaning on others. It'd be aaaallll about you. Just let me in again, Peach. It won't be as scary this time," Possessed-Peach eagerly agreed and put both of her hands on Peach's shoulders. The chill ran through her body again.
"Oh my…that's…actually soothing…" Peach softly spoke as if she was getting into a trance.
"Yes, yes. There you go. That's the darkness and power seeping into you, little by little. Now, you just need to completely give in, and this will all be over. Come on. Don't delay what you want, Peach!" Possessed-Peach also spoke softer as she seemed to be getting excited over Peach's presumed submission.
Peach gave a hint of a smile and looked into the Possessed-Peach's eyes, who looked soulless.
"You know…I really gotta say something first…you ARE right about one thing you said…" Peach spoke, her smile growing more.
"Oh yeah? And what is that?"
"That I was the perfect vessel. Perfect because I'm strong enough to not let myself be fooled into going down a dark path!" Peach unveiled and suddenly slashed Possessed-Peach's throat with the scissors. Possessed-Peach screeched and gurgled on the dark red blood that spilled out from her wound as she collapsed to the floor.
"You know, Blackstone Tower…the REAL Shadow Queen was more menacing than this weak imitation," Peach said into the air and giggled as she went to the door and exited.
Once again, the setting changed and Peach walked into a long, dimly-lit corridor that seemed to go on to the left and right directions for quite a while. She also saw that it split off into other corridors some ways down as well.
"Great. Looks like I'm in the actual maze part now! HELLO? Guys…can you hear me!?"
EoC.
So, this chapter gives you a taste of what the Blackstone Tower arc will be like. Each character in Blackstone will be given their own 'journey' into their own traumas, and we'll see how and if they manage to overcome them. Next chapter, tensions are high once again at the hospital as the characters struggle to keep Nokano's death a secret along with the Koopalings + Fly Guy taking the issue of Kenneth into their own hands via drastic and potentially questionable measures, plus, Clawdia has a major meltdown when she finds out what's going on with Kenneth, and the past traumas of Mario, Yoshi, Dixie, Goombella, Lakilester, Bowser Jr., Jojora, and Mona are shown. Next chapter will be uploaded on or before Sunday, June 12. Thanks for reading!
