Author's Note:
First things first, I'm so sorry for how long it took to get this chapter out. No, I'm not dead and no, the story is not canceled. It's far from over. Much like the rest of the world, I've been facing significant changes in my personal life lately due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Don't worry, I'm not sick or anything like that. But I've had so many changes to adjust to that finding time to sit down and work on writing Son of Bowser has been challenging to say the least.
When I did find time to write, I soon discovered that it was difficult for me to find a good stopping point. I was never satisfied with ending this chapter off at any specific moment for some reason. So, because this is pretty much the finale of this little "arc," I decided to cram in as much content as I could. This chapter will probably stand as one of the longest in the story overall. I hope the length sort of makes up for how long you all have had to wait. Thank you so much for your patience. That being said, I don't plan on making every chapter this long going forward. The next one in particular will definitely be shorter, so hopefully you won't have to wait as long for it.
Again, I sincerely thank all of you for your patience in waiting for this update. I can't promise there won't be any more hiatuses in the future. But rest assured that I haven't lost any passion for writing this story. In fact, I've already got most of the ending bits in my head. The challenge is just finding the time to get my ideas down on paper and clean them up so it's enjoyable to read. I have no plans on canceling Son of Bowser anytime soon. But if that day ever comes, I WILL make an announcement. I won't just leave you guys in the dark forever about whether or not this story is continuing. If I've gone quiet, it probably just means I'm still hard at work on making the next chapter as good as it can be. No news is good news!
With all that being said, I hope you enjoy! Thanks for your continued support!
RECAP:
Continuing his training under Merlon, Junior was able to open the final two gateways to clarity: the gateway of fear and the gateway of insight. At last, he was ready to begin his magic training and then join the others in their quest to commandeer the airship at Bowser's castle.
Meanwhile, Larry, Roy, Iggy and Peach found themselves locked in fierce combat with Lemmy, Morton, Wendy and Eris. Using their new techniques they learned from studying under Merlon, the four were able to keep their foes at bay and escape from the garage to regroup. It was decided that finding the master key was of the utmost importance, so they quietly hurried off to Bowser's living quarters to begin their search.
Unfortunately, their efforts were in vain as the master key was nowhere to be found in Bowser's room. That left only one place left to search: the royal archives. Unbeknownst to them, Eris overheard their plans and set off to make preparations of her own.
It soon became apparent that reaching the royal archives would be easier said than done. The once familiar halls of the castle the Koopalings previously called home had now become treacherous enemy territory as Morton, Lemmy, and Wendy patrolled tirelessly in search of their targets. It would take quick, expert thinking and flawless, silent moving to get the group past them without getting into another fight. Yet, Iggy was up for the task. For the time being, their careful execution was paying off. By ducking under and behind furniture when available, sticking close to the shadows, and muffling the sound of their footsteps with the floor rugs, Larry, Roy, Iggy and Peach navigated the castle without getting detected.
Yet Larry's heart ached as he stealthily maneuvered around the "enemy." These weren't actually enemies. They were his family. He couldn't stand to see three of his siblings being controlled this way. As he crept quietly through the blind spot in Morton's vision, it took everything he had not to run up to his big brother and give him a hug. He couldn't stand to watch them suffer like this. He had to find a way to save them. There just had to be a way. But still, he knew this would have to wait. He'd have to come back for them later. All Larry could do for the time being was hope that Lemmy, Morton, and Wendy stayed alive until he could return to free them from this enslavement.
Utterly exhausted, the group reached the minuscule entrance to the royal archives and squeezed inside the room single-file.
For carrying such a prestigious title as "royal," the archive room hardly looked the part. In fact, it was little more than a cluttered, dusty mess. Boxes and chests were scattered all about haphazardly. But since the room itself was so tiny, all of its contents were forced to scrunch together into a collective, disorganized hoard. There was barely enough room for Peach or the boys to stand anywhere without stepping on someone's toes.
A perfectly planned, well-organized, and expertly executed search of Iggy's intellectual design was sure to be the most efficient way of finding the master key in this mess. Unfortunately, the group didn't have the energy, space or time to come up with anything like that. Without so much as a syllable of communication, they began to shuffle around and dig aimlessly in the mess. At first, Peach had cautioned her companions to not make so much noise while searching as this was sure to get them discovered again. But after the third or fourth attempt on her part to remind them, she too abandoned her effort and searched without any regard for her own volume. Caution would have to fall by the wayside in favor of speed.
Roy shifted a box of junk aside when something caught his attention. It was a mild thump followed by a muffled hum. He thought he was hearing things, until it happened again, and again. Suddenly there was an interval between thumps and hums. It was consistent, and annoying at that. Roy turned around and immediately spotted the source. It was a wooden chest that shook and jerked around. There was something alive inside.
"Guys, over here!" Roy called out as he summoned the others.
"Did you find the key?" Larry asked.
"No, but check this out." Lucky for them, the chest wasn't locked. After Roy lifted the twin hasps, the lid of the trunk flew wide open in the blink of an eye. A blur of motion shot out from inside.
"I'M FREEEEEEEEEE!" a voice screamed. "I'M FREE! I'M FREE! I'M FREE! OH THANK THE STARS ABOVE I'M ACTUALLY FREE!" The noisy creature fell to the ground just as quickly as it had emerged from the chest and landed directly on top of Roy. The rest of the group examined the former prisoner for a moment before speaking.
It was a rather ordinary looking Paratroopa, but with lime green shoes. The only distinguishing feature about this one in particular which set him apart from his hundreds of identical brethren aside from his off-colored shoes was the red plastic pail atop his head. Peach had assumed this was just a random accessory from the chest that had accidentally accompanied him on his way out. But it soon became apparent that this item was actually quite important to the Paratroopa when the latter hastily adjusted it on his head; the thin handle resting on his nose just below his eyes.
"Oh you gotta be kiddin' me!" Roy exclaimed angrily. "Not this loser!"
"Any chance we can shove him back in there?" Larry added as his eye lids narrowed. Peach was shocked to hear them talking so cruelly about one of their own. Even Iggy seemed annoyed as the Koopaling shoved his glasses up and rubbed his eyes with his hand.
"N-NO! Please! Not again!" the Paratroopa stammered as Roy plucked him up by his shell with one hand.
"Now wait just a moment!" Peach interjected. "Who is he?"
"Trust me, princess. This goon's no one special," Roy answered rather vaguely. The pail gave off a faint rattling sound as the Paratroopa shivered nervously. His eyes were wide with an abstract mixture of fear, sadness and pure anxiety. He looked rather pathetic and helpless, but Peach sympathized with him. Iggy took notice of this and volunteered an explanation of his own with a reluctant sigh.
"This is Corporal Paraplonk, Peach," Iggy started. "Don't let his title fool you though. He's part of a trio of pitifully low-level minions; we're talking really low, even for King Bowser's army standards. In fact, I'd wager they got their military credentials from the back of a cereal box." Paraplonk was still so shaken up that he didn't react to the insults being hurled about him in the slightest.
"Even so, he's still a Koopa, isn't he? Sure, he might lack ability on his own, but that's still no reason to treat one of your own kind so poorly," Peach criticized.
"His lack of ability isn't what he and his group are infamous for," Iggy corrected. "Do you remember the Blorbs outbreak that happened in the Mushroom Kingdom a while back?"
"Of course," said Peach with a nod.
"Then you'll also recall that during that time, Fawful was wreaking havoc all across the land. But instead of helping King Bowser or even defending the throne in his absence as any loyal minion would do, these jokers had the gull to actually switch sides and betray King Bowser to save their own skins as they shoved him into a safe when his back was turned. Suffice it to say, when the crisis was resolved, they were blacklisted and became infamous in the Koopa Kingdom for their utter lack of loyalty to the throne."
"B-but that was so long ago, Iggy! We've changed! Honest!" said Paraplonk.
"You expect us to believe that?" asked Larry incredulously as he folded his arms.
"Of c-course! When the scary man in the mask and lady in the dress came here, my partners and I tried to defend the throne in the absence of both King Bowser and Prince Junior!"
"'Defend,' huh? Was this before you hid in that chest like a coward?" Iggy probed.
"No! Not at all! The evil lady stuffed me in that chest and went about her business. Why, I don't even know what happened to Private Goomp or Sergeant Guy after that!" Though nobody noticed, Peach nodded her head slightly. That did sound like something Eris might do, given the impression Peach currently had of the woman's character.
"And it never occurred to you to try opening the chest since it wasn't locked?" asked Larry.
"Well I um…I mean…I was just…just…biding my time! Yeah, that's right! I figured I should stay low and wait until you guys showed up. Then I would know for sure that it was safe!" Paraplonk explained. The skeptical looks he was receiving from the Koopalings didn't suggest that they believed his story in the slightest. "You…did come here to save us…right?"
"That's none of your business, pale-brain," said Roy.
"Aw c'mon, you guys! Lemme help! I know my pals and I did some bad stuff in the past, but this is different. We can help this time! You need our help!"
"Oh? What makes you so sure about that?" Iggy asked as he raised an eyebrow.
"B-because…everyone else in the castle has been captured and turned into these mindless zombies. There's no one else you can trust."
"We don't need anyone else's help. We're managin' just fine on our own," Roy argued as he turned around and went back to searching. Larry and Iggy silently followed his lead, but Peach hesitated. She wasn't sure who to believe. Paraplonk looked at her with desperate, moist eyes and a quivering lip.
Peach had spent enough time around Bowser's henchmen as a prisoner in this castle to know what the Koopa Kingdom's denizens were like. On their own, the typical Goomba or Koopa Troopa were not very powerful; nor could any of them honestly be expected to exude much confidence or motivation. If they were supposed to be a collective military force, they lacked training, discipline, and mental fortitude at the very least. In fact, it was pretty normal for Bowser's troops to act cowardly. There was also the fact that Peach knew all too well just how selfish and cruel Junior and the Koopalings typically acted in general, no doubt as a result of their upbringing under Bowser. She simply couldn't arrive at any other conclusion than the idea that the Koopalings were dismissing Paraplonk too quickly this time.
"I think we should hear him out," the princess spoke aloud.
"If you really wanna listen to that yahoo, go ahead," said Roy, not even looking up from the box he was examining. "Just don't expect any of us to. You don't know him like we do, princess." Peach frowned, but accepted that she was alone in her stance. She turned back to Paraplonk and kneeled down to his level.
"What can you do to help us, Corporal Paraplonk?" she asked as warmly as she could. This helped put Paraplonk at ease, but only slightly it seemed.
"I…uhh….well…," the Paratroopa hesitated. He fell silent for a minute. But just when Peach was about to come to her own abrupt dismissal of him, what he said next surprised her. "I CAN TELL YOU WHERE THE MASTER KEY IS!" The Koopalings froze in their tracks and all turned to him slowly.
"What was that?" Larry asked.
"T-the key…that's…I mean, that's what you're looking for right?" Paraplonk asked.
"How could you possibly know that if you were locked in that chest until now?" Iggy countered.
"T-the scary lady…in the dress…she mentioned something about a key. She said it was important to make sure you guys never got your h-hands on it," Paraplonk explained. Roy punched the wall nearby.
"Dammit! You're saying she was eavesdropping on us!?" the Koopaling exclaimed. Paraplonk nodded quickly. "Uggh I was wondering why we never saw her on our way down here. She must've found us at some point but stayed away to get the upper hand!"
"But how could you have known what key Eris was referring to? The ships have never activated the protocol that requires the master key until now. I highly doubt that anyone in this castle even actually knows about the key's existence besides us, let alone traitors like you," said Iggy rather harshly.
"W-what are you saying?" Paraplonk replied.
"I'm saying, I don't see why we should trust you when you've already proven in the past that you can't be trusted, yet you somehow know all about the key that we're looking for, despite the fact that you also claim you've been cooped up in a wooden chest here in the royal archives ever since Contemno and Eris first arrived at the castle. Your story makes absolutely no sense if you ask me."
"I…I only know about the key because of the scary lady, I swear!" Paraplonk defended.
"Does it really matter how he knows about the key?" Peach offered. "In case you've all somehow forgotten, our backs are up against the wall right now. There's no other choice. We need to secure the master key at all costs. If Corporal Paraplonk can offer us even the slightest lead on its whereabouts, I think we should take it. If nothing else, we need to start searching more efficiently. Rummaging around in here blindly is getting us nowhere, and we don't have much time to play around with."
"She's got a point…," Larry admitted. Paraplonk blushed and rubbed his neck, smiling sheepishly. He must've felt good to be praised for once, even if it was indirectly. Roy plucked him up by his shell once again.
"Alright, fine. If you're so clever, tell us where the master key is, runt."
"H-hold on a minute," Paraplonk objected. "F-first you gotta promise to do something for me."
"No we don't," Larry denied. "We don't owe you diddly squat."
"B-but that's what friends do for each other. They help each other out, r-right?"
"Whoever said we were friends with you?" Iggy objected. Peach shook her head, annoyed. She lightly smacked Roy's wrist; just enough to make him drop Paraplonk without actually hurting her comrade.
"Honestly, you boys are ridiculous!" she exclaimed. She knelt down again and smiled at Paraplonk. "Now then, Corporal Paraplonk. What do you need us to do?"
"F-follow me and help me recue my f-friends," he answered.
"Okay, and who are these friends of your's?"
"P-private Goomp and S-sergeant Guy, ma'am."
"We can find your stupid friends, but we don't need you slowing us down," Roy objected. "Just tell us where the key is and where we'll find your pals, and we'll kill two birds with one stone."
"It would be easier if I just showed you. F-follow me," said Paraplonk. He flapped his wings and took off out into the hall in a hurry; leaving not even a second more for debate.
Peach approached the doorway, stopped and looked back at the Koopalings.
"Coming, boys?" she asked, though her tone made it sound more like a demand rather than a question. In spite of the visible disapproval shared in each of their expressions, Larry, Roy and Iggy followed her out the door.
Junior repeatedly tapped his claw on the wooden window sill as he stared longingly out the window. This was driving him nuts. He was itching with excitement to put his new abilities to the test, and he also couldn't help but worry about the others. They should've been back by now. Something was definitely wrong. The Koopa Prince sat up and hopped off the sofa in a hurry.
"Going somewhere?" Toad asked nonchalantly as he sipped his tea and flipped a page in his magazine without even glancing up from it.
"I've waited long enough. Let's go after them," said Junior.
"You can go if you want to. I'm staying here," Toad objected calmly.
"What, you're not coming?"
"No way, Jose. I already saw for myself what that Contemno guy can do. No way am I crossing him again."
"You don't want to help Peach?"
"Eh, she's been doing self-defense training for the last couple of years. She can take care of herself."
"Sheesh, isn't it your job to protect the princess or something? Some bodyguard you turned out to be, ya lazy fungus!"
"Relax. Don't get your scales in a bunch. I'm sure they're on their way back right now anyway."
"Yeah well, I won't know that until I check it out myself," Junior declared as he approached the door.
"I figured you might say something like that," said Merlon as he descended the staircase. Junior quickly abandoned his exit and turned to face him.
"Merlon…," he started slowly as the fortune-teller approached him. His shoulders sunk with guilt. "I know you said I need to be patient and have faith in my bros and…I do. Really. It's just…I'm really worried about them. I need to know they're okay."
"I understand. Now that you've completed your training, I see no reason for you to remain here," said Merlon.
"You mean…"
"I trust your intuition. They might be in need of your assistance as we speak. Go to them now if that is what you wish." Junior smiled and nodded.
"Right!" The Koopa Prince turned to face the door again, but Merlon stopped him just before he could rocket out of the house.
"However, before you leave, I have a gift for you," said Merlon as he handed Junior a flat, soft package. It was wrapped in light blue wrapping paper with a pattern of stars all over. Junior eyeballed the package curiously as he slowly began to unwrap it. "You celebrated a birthday recently, yes?"
"Uhh…yeah. It was a few days ago," said Junior. He eyed the present with remorse. "Didn't get much time to celebrate it though. Y'know, with everything that's happened. But…still. You didn't have to get me anything, Merlon. It's fine."
"I insist you take it. You have made tremendous growth in the short time we have been together, Prince Junior. Therefore, I believe it is customary for you to wear such growth with pride." Curious, Junior tore through the wrapping paper. Inside was a black undershirt, a dim gray wool vest, Prussian blue trousers, a red sash, and a thin brown leather belt. Altogether, the ensemble slightly resembled a ghi.
"Woah, a new outfit?" Junior guessed.
"It is attire traditionally worn by apprentices to masters of magic," Merlon explained. "After all these years, I was never fortunate enough to find an apprentice of my own, sadly. But of all the people I have given instruction to in my time, I consider you to be the most worthy of such a title, Prince Junior."
"...Me?" Junior repeated, beginning to blush.
"I know fully well that current circumstances would never permit you to remain here until you have reached the status of master, as would be customary. Be that as it may, this outfit signifies that you now walk the path of a full-fledged mage. You must continue your training on your own from here. But I do hope you will come back and visit soon so that I may hear all about your adventures." Junior gave him a genuine smile and bowed.
"Thank you, Merlon. For everything. I'll make you proud," said Junior.
"I know you will." Without warning, Junior rushed over and hugged him. He didn't care if Merlon expected it or not. "Oh, there is something else I wish to say to you before you depart. Will you listen?"
"Aw c'mon, old man! Just let him go already!" Toad protested.
"No, it's okay. I'm sure it's important," said Junior, somewhat reluctantly.
"Remember what we discussed before. Though the powers which extend from your own body are strong, I urge you to seek out a conduit."
"Conduit…right. Uhh…heh, can you remind me what that is one more time?" Junior asked sheepishly.
"Of course," Merlon agreed, unfazed by this. "It is a tool mages use to amplify their powers; something through which the magic energy can be channeled. The most common example would be a wand. Prince Junior, do you possess any such item?" A puzzled expression overtook Junior's face as he pondered this for a moment. Then he lit up with an idea.
"Yeah! I've got something in mind. It's back at the castle."
"Excellent, I suggest you make an effort to locate your conduit as soon as you arrive." Junior nodded.
"Will do. Anything else?"
"Hmm…well, I was unsure of when would be the right time to reveal this to you. But I am anticipating that this might be the last time we meet for a while. Therefore, I will tell it to you now."
"What is it?"
"While I was overseeing your training in the Realm of Refuge, I was contacted by a mysterious entity."
"You mean like the one I have in my dreams?"
"Not exactly. I can't explain it in so much detail as my encounter was brief. All I can say is that someone - or rather, a disembodied voice - contacted me and urged me to deliver a message to you."
"Who was it?"
"Sadly, they did not reveal their identity to me. Though they assured me that what they had to say was solely for your benefit."
"Why didn't they just say it to me directly then?"
"Alas, I do not know. The person's time with me was short as I could sense their power was fading by the second. I can only assume this person simply had no time to divulge much extra detail."
"Alright, so what was the message?"
"'Go to the master study room and find a small box lying abandoned on the emerald rug. It is addressed to you personally. The item inside is valuable, but dangerous. It is only to be used as a last resort; in a life-or-death situation.'" Junior waited in silence for moment.
"Is that it?" he asked at last. Merlon nodded.
"I am unsure of the full context myself. But hopefully you can make better use of the message."
"Get my conduit, pick up a box in the master study, and find the others. Got it!"
"Good luck, Prince Junior. Go forth and do not falter in the wake of adversity. You may very well be all that stands between our world and a future of irreparable ruin." Junior nodded and sprinted out the door into the shadows of the night.
"So where are your stupid friends?" Roy asked as he caught up to Paraplonk, who was hovering just ahead of the group.
"Last I saw them, they were in the throne room. Eris was there. I think she might be holding them prisoner so I need you guys to help me rescue them," Paraplonk explained.
"Not until you tell us where the master key is. We ain't got time for charity work," Roy objected.
"The master key is in the t-throne room," said Paraplonk.
"Where?" Larry probed.
"T-there's a secret compartment behind King Bowser's chair. T-that's where the master key is."
"Behind his chair?" Larry repeated and he placed a claw to his chin. "Well…I guess that would make sense. It's somewhere close to him at pretty much all times." Meanwhile, Peach and Iggy were carrying up the rear as the group strolled down the hall.
"Peach, don't trust a word this guy says," Iggy whispered.
"Don't you think you're being a bit paranoid?" Peach argued back softly.
"No, not in the slightest. I'm telling you right now, there's something very wrong about this."
"Well what other choice do we have?"
"I know that. All I'm saying is, I'm certain this is a trap. Just keep your guard up, okay?" Peach sighed and shook her head.
"If you say so…"
The full moon gleamed brightly in the evening sky as Junior approached the castle. In a cosmic way, it felt good to be home, even though he knew there was nothing but trouble waiting ahead. The Koopa Prince swallowed the bittersweet sentiment, made his way around back, and hopped over the moat. Eyeing the immense stone wall before him, Junior spotted an open window.
"Perfect!" he said excitedly. The Koopa Prince closed his eyes and put his hands together to pray. There was no telling what kind of danger was waiting for him inside. But with the training he'd received from Merlon, he was confident he was ready for it.
At last, he could feel the warm, swirling sensation in the pit of his stomach. Junior crouched down as low as he could, then immediately rocketed straight up high into the air with dizzying speed; grabbing onto the window's edge with ease when he reached it. To think that Mario had always made jumping look so easy over the years. But now Junior could easily surpass him with a little more training. With the physical magic power Junior now possessed, gravity was little more than a mild annoyance than anything.
Junior lit the torch on the wall nearby and found himself back in his own bedroom. Now he was thankful he always kept his window open.
Surely this was the only place in the entire building he could've possibly felt safe. Yet Junior still felt compelled to only grab the essentials and be on his way without dwelling here for long. The Koopa Prince snatched up an olive green shoulder bag from his closet and scurried around the room to pack it up in a hurry with his Switch, a few snacks, and his magic text book that Kammy and Ludwig had given him. Junior lingered a moment to stare solemnly at this item in particular. Those lessons felt like so long ago now. He couldn't help but scold himself now over how much time he'd wasted when he should've just studied before. Regardless, the book was sure to come in handy now. If only Ludwig and Kammy could've been here to see what he'd learned about magic since then. Junior only hoped they'd be proud of him.
Closing the bag, Junior prepared to head out when he suddenly tripped. His annoyance melted into relief when he saw what had snagged his foot.
"Oh yeah, this'll do just fine," he said with a smile.
Ascending the stairs, Junior entered the master study room on the next floor up. The air was freezing and sent a chill slithering across his arms. There was a lingering sense of dread in this room, but he couldn't tell why. What were his now-honed senses trying to tell him? Or maybe it wasn't his power at all. Maybe it was his memory.
This was Kammy's favorite room in the entire castle. She spent more time in this study than even her own living quarters. The latter was primarily used by her for sleeping, but the witch had dozed off in the master study hundreds of times. Nobody really knew why Kammy loved this room so much, not even Bowser. If anyone ever needed to find her, it wasn't hard to do so. It was obvious where she was. She was always in here reading, meditating, sipping tea, or napping. She often requested to have her meals brought up here because she claimed her bones were sore, so she couldn't always make it down to the dining hall. Junior remembered the Koopalings morbidly joking years ago that Kammy would die in this room one day. They were young and stupid back then so they didn't know any better. But now, Junior wished that had come true. Kammy probably would've preferred that, honestly. Going peacefully in your sleep in a place that was special to you, that was a much better way to go out than being murdered.
The Koopa Prince didn't think about this too long, as he quickly discovered a small brown package on the floor nearby. As the mysterious voice had instructed, it was addressed to him. Junior carefully lifted the box's flaps and peered inside. His expression fell and he sighed. Junior was surprised by what he found, but at the same time, he wasn't. Although, he didn't immediately believe this could possibly help him now of all times, and especially not in a life-or-death situation. Still, there wasn't much reason for Junior to distrust the message he received from Merlon, and it couldn't hurt to bring this item along anyway. He stuffed the contents of the box into his bag and rushed out the door.
Now, it was time to find the others.
Paraplonk lead Roy, Larry, Iggy and Peach into the throne room. To their bewilderment, it had received a thorough cleaning since they were here last. The damaged structures had been repaired and the floors were swept and cleaned. The room looked pristine; as though their first encounter with Contemno had never happened. Kammy's corpse was nowhere to be seen, which made Larry's stomach twist into a knot.
"Ah, there you are. Nice of you to drop in," a familiar voice greeted them. The group froze dead in their tracks as their jaws dropped. Sitting comfortably in Bowser's chair was Eris. Her legs were crossed and her head was propped up by her hand as she stared down at them smugly.
"Eris!" Larry exclaimed.
"What the heck's goin' on here, pail-brain!?" Roy shouted angrily as he stared at Paraplonk. The latter didn't respond. The Paratroopa just looked straight ahead at Eris with hopeful eyes and flapped his wings to approach her slightly.
"I-I brought them here. J-just like you asked."
"Say what!?" said Roy.
"So you did," said Eris as she sipped from a glass of wine she'd been holding in her other hand.
"S-so now will you let my friends go?" Paraplonk chirped timidly.
"You rotten little…you sold us out!" Roy continued, though nobody seemed to be responding to his outbursts.
"Yes, I suppose your usefulness has ended," said Eris. She snapped her fingers and suddenly two hostages appeared out of thin air in front of them. One was a Goomba dressed in a blue outfit resembling a court jester, and the other was a lime green Shy Guy. The chains that had bound the pair together disappeared, so they were free to embrace with Paraplonk.
"Corporal Paraplonk!" they greeted cheerfully in unison.
"Private Goomp! Sergeant Guy! Thank goodness you're okay!" he replied. Roy roared and prepared to charge at them, but Larry, Iggy and Peach all held him back.
"YOU STINKIN' WORM! I SHOULDA GUESSED YOU'D DOUBLE-CROSS US! YOU NO GOOD, TWO-TIMIN'! LEMME AT 'EM! LEMME AT 'EM!"
"Chill out, Roy!" Larry warned him.
"So I was right then, this was a trap," Iggy surmised calmly. Eris sipped her wine again.
"Bingo. Shouldn't have taken a brainiac like you to figure that out though," she replied.
"But why?" Peach asked as she looked at Paraplonk. "How could you do this to us?"
"I-I'm sorry, guys. I didn't have a choice. She had my friends held captive and I just-"
"Oh you're gonna be sorry in about two seconds when I get my claws on you!" Roy threatened as he continued struggling to get free.
"Trust me, this isn't much of a surprise to us," said Iggy. "Out of all of Bowser's henchmen you could've possibly used to catch us, it only makes sense you'd go for the ones who's loyalty to the throne is already questionable at best."
"Actually, any of your little stooges would've worked," said Eris. "It just so happened that these dolts required the least amount of motivation. Zero sense of loyalty to their lousy king, the ferocity of a newborn puppy, and the fact that separating even of one of them makes their little troupe instantly fall apart at the seams. I couldn't have asked for better bait."
"Yeah, yeah, we get it. These guys are scum. So what happens now?" Larry asked.
"H-honestly, guys! We didn't want to hurt you! It's just that-" said Paraplonk.
"Shut your mouth, traitor!" Roy stopped him.
"Whatever happens next is up to you," said Eris cryptically.
"What does that mean?" Peach asked. Eris snapped her finger again. Out of nowhere, Morton, Lemmy and Wendy all swooped down from above and circled the group.
"You could try fighting us again if you really want to. After all, you got lucky and slipped away last time. But the question is, are you feeling lucky enough to try that again?"
"You bet we are!" Larry challenged.
"You sure about that? You'd better think carefully. Sitting here slugging it out with us isn't gonna get you any closer to finding your little key, now is it?"
"So, you did overhear us earlier…," said Peach.
"You were trying to steal one of those airships, and now you need the key to do it, am I right?"
"Tch, like we'd ever tell you anything!" Roy exclaimed.
"Drop the façade, big guy. It doesn't work on me," said Eris. "Besides, you have no chance of winning this little game now. Not while I hold all the pieces."
"What makes you so confident you've beaten us?" Peach asked. "We've already surprised you before."
"True, but I find it hard to believe you'll be able to outsmart us this time if you stumbled into my trap so carelessly," Eris explained. "I ripped that spineless turtle-fly away from his pathetic friends so he'd do my bidding. Then I stuffed him in the chest knowing you'd 'rescue' him like the goodie-goodies you are. All he needed to do was lure you here with the promise of something you needed. That way, you'd follow him, even if you didn't trust him. You had no other choice. All I had to do was say I'd let Private Dumb and Sergeant Dumber over here go free and pail-head would be at my beck and call. Not one of my more elaborate plans I'll admit, but it got the job done. But as for you, I highly doubt you'll be able to capture lightning in a bottle twice. That's how I know I've won, among other reasons. But now that you're here, we can get down to business."
"You mean turning us into your slaves like you already did with our brothers and sister, right?" Larry asked.
"Of course. But before that, there's something I'm dying to know. I won't be satisfied until you tell me."
"What?" Roy asked.
"Why did you come back here in the first place? Why try to steal an airship? Just where were you trying to go?" she said with a scoff; mocking the very idea.
"What makes you think for one second we'll tell you any of that?" Larry stopped her. Eris reached behind the chair for a brief moment. When it returned, she held a glistening, golden key in between her gloved fingers.
"Because I'm prepared to make it worth your while. You need this key, and you won't leave until you get ahold of it. It just so happens that I'm willing to part with it. All you have to do is tell me what I want to know," said Eris.
"But why would you do that?" Peach asked. "You just said you were going to make us your slaves. So what would be the point of giving us the key at all? It's not like you have any intention of letting us go."
"And what do you care what we were plannin' to do? You've got us now so we're not goin' anywhere. It's over," said Roy.
"Oh come on! You're all taking this much too seriously! Lighten up!" Eris said with a laugh. "I mean, yeah. It's over for you. You've lost. That much is pretty clear. And the brainwashing is inevitable. That'll come soon enough. But just let me relish in the moment! After all, what's the point of winning if I don't get any enjoyment out of it?"
"'Enjoyment?' Is all of this just a game to you!?" Larry exclaimed angrily.
"Of course it is! You're no real threat to Contemno or me or any of us for that matter. We're already getting what we want. So what's the rush? Why skip right to the part where we turn you into our slaves? Talk about boring! I'm just trying to spice things up a bit; you know, make it actually interesting."
"You're so twisted!" Peach objected. "Toying with us the way you are and acting without any consideration for how many lives you've already ruined. How can you honestly expect us to think lightly of this situation after all that!? What's wrong with you!?" Eris chuckled ominously.
"People have been asking me that for years. I'm just in it to enjoy myself, you stick in the mud."
"…What?" Peach ask as she froze at this eerily simple response.
"After all, life's short and we all die in the end anyway. Might as well have some fun. That's always been my philosophy. Right now's no different. What, did you think you were on some grand crusade to save the world? Too bad, because there's no world left to save. We control all of it."
"You don't really expect us to believe that. You're exaggerating at best," Iggy accused.
"Go out and take a look for yourself. That is, if you can escape from me first," Eris challenged. She snapped her finger once again. On command, Morton, Wendy and Lemmy all summoned their weapons. "It would be boring if you surrendered without a fight. I expect you to struggle. In fact, I demand it."
"You're insane…," said Peach.
"Glad you noticed." She held out the key in front of them one more time. "If you can take this key from me and leave this castle with your lives, maybe I'll consider you worthy prey and not just play-things." Larry, Peach, and Roy summoned their weapons as well. As tired as they all were already, round two was here. As they each prepared to face the same previous opponent, something unexpected happened.
Morton shoved Roy out of the way and swung his fire hammer down on Peach, who blocked it with her open parasol. Larry hopped over an incoming ring from Wendy, and as he recovered, Roy was pelted by a rubber ball as Lemmy stared him down from a distance.
"They switched!" Iggy exclaimed.
With the others distracted, the Koopaling found himself face to face with Eris, who stood up and slowly descended from the chair.
"We didn't come as far as we did just by relying on a single strategy," Eris gloated. A black bubble encompassed the key, and Eris casually tossed it over her shoulder as it landed in Bowser's chair. A new series of items materialized in Eris's free hand. They appeared to be large needles with containers of an ominous red liquid attached to each one. Without warning, Eris threw the needles like darts. Iggy ducked, but quickly realized she wasn't aiming for him.
He turned and watched in horror as each of the needles stabbed Paraplonk, Goomp, and Sergeant Guy. The trio fell to their knees and shook in visible anguish. Red veins slithered across their limbs like spiders and their eyes were consumed in blank crimson voids. Whatever transformation they had just undergone, Iggy gathered it was identical to what had happened to his siblings.
Eris casually flicked her wrist. The trio took off together in a charge towards Iggy and overwhelmed him. Within seconds, he was pressed firmly against the wall. But something caught his eye.
Eris tossed the empty wine glass aside. A small shattering sound muttered in the distance as it collided with the wall. Iggy struggled to suppress his fear as he watched a shadowy aura envelop Eris's arm and turn her entire limb into a black sword.
"You…just said you didn't rely on just one single strategy, right?" Iggy asked between breaths. Eris didn't respond. "That's good." The Koopaling stretched his neck out and bent over as far as he could. He chomped down into Paraplonk's arm. This created a chain reaction as the Paratroopa released his grip on Iggy and stumbled back; shoving his comrades aside and causing them to also loosen their hold. Iggy was able to break free just long enough to reach up and swipe his claws at a rope attached to the wall behind him. The material severed and seconds later, a large chandelier crashed down on top of the trio.
"Because neither did we," Iggy finished. Eris laughed at his rebuttal. Suddenly she rushed towards him. The Koopaling reached for a tall, brass floor candle holder and used it to counter the incoming blade.
"Not bad, four-eyes. But let's see what you're really made of!" Iggy rolled his eyes.
"As if I haven't heard that name before…"
Peach delivered a couple of hardy blows at Morton, but he was barely fazed by them. It became quickly apparent that she lacked the raw strength needed to challenge him. The only person on their team who was immediately qualified for the task was Roy, but he had his own problems to deal with right now. It couldn't be helped. Peach could only keep hammering away at Morton with everything she had. She opened her parasol to block Morton's attacks, but she knew this wouldn't hold forever. They had to think of something fast. Peach only hoped she could keep Morton at bay long enough for them to come up with a strategy.
Larry jumped and sprinted as fast as he could to get away; only managing to dodge Wendy's rings by sheer luck and nothing else. He blindly shot behind him with his pistol and missed. The ring sped up as it flew closer. Larry's heart skipped a beat when he realized the wall at the opposite end of the room was quickly approaching. Wendy would have him cornered at this rate. But instead of halting or even changing direction, Larry instead continued running straight ahead.
As soon as he reached it, the Koopaling jumped towards the stone structure. His feet touched the wall, then he quickly bent his knees and spring boarded off of it into a mid-air backflip. Thankfully, it didn't take long for him to adjust his sights. Seconds later he was in position for the perfect shot. Larry hastily pulled the trigger and fired a magic bullet. It collided with the flying ring. The impact sent it flying in the opposite direction. Wendy barely dodged it in time before immediately retracting it.
As soon as Larry landed though, Wendy was already on top of him; gripping her other ring and swinging it madly at him. Larry dodged for his life. If that ring so much as grazed any part of him, he'd be done for. He seized a single second of freedom to smack his pistol with his free hand and transform it into his trusty shield. This would make it harder for Larry to dodge Wendy's advances, but it at least gave his own body more protection.
His insurance didn't last long, however. The shield collided with the ring, and the former was encapsulated within and crushed to pieces. Larry ducked, dodged and hopped away from Wendy's attacks. His heart was racing. He was defenseless now.
Lemmy wasted no time launching his barrage of rubber balls. Roy clapped his hands and slammed them down on the floor in front of him. As he lifted his arms straight up, Roy pulled up a solid wall of rock to shield himself from the incoming assault. The wall held as each ball bounced off, but they immediately returned to Lemmy's side. Roy wracked his brain as he tried to determine what his brother's next move would be. He poked his head out from behind the wall to take a look.
Lemmy clapped his hands. A cloud appeared just below for him to stand on. All of the rubber balls were instantly transformed into Spinies, which curled up into their shells.
That must be his Lakitu Stance he always bragged about in training, Roy thought. Guess I'll get to see it in action now…
Lemmy thrusted his hand forward. The Spinies ricocheted towards Roy with blinding speed. Roy retreated behind his barrier. As the Spinies collided with the rock, large cracks began to form all around. They hadn't gotten through yet, but this wall wouldn't hold for long. The Koopaling quickly jammed his fist into the center of each crack as they formed. Chunks of stone repelled the Spinies all the way back at Lemmy. The latter flew around on his cloud to dodge them. Neither side let up on their offense. Lemmy fired Spiny after Spiny, and Roy countered each one by launching a rock at them. When Roy's wall was completely gone, he rolled out of the way and used his physical magic to immediately build another. This was getting him nowhere, but it was all he could do until he could think of something better.
Iggy's candle holder clashed with Eris's sword multiple times. His makeshift weapon was long enough that he didn't really have to exert much effort beyond angling it when he was using it for defense. Unfortunately, defending himself was about all he could do. The candle holder didn't lend itself well to swinging or slashing around like a sword without causing its holder to stumble from the weight of the motion.
What do we do!? he thought as he glanced around the room between exchanges with his opponent. Things were not going well.
Morton yanked Peach's parasol clean from the princess's hand and slugged her across the face. Peach was sent flying across the room from the attack. She was out cold as she landed and her body sprawled out lifelessly on the rug. Morton strolled over to her casually and hoisted Peach over his shoulder triumphantly.
Larry grabbed Wendy's wrists with each of his hands, jumped, and pushed with both legs to launch himself off of her chest in a similar fashion to his wall jump moments ago. Wendy was shoved back a bit, but recovered quickly. She threw both of her rings simultaneously. Larry slid under one of the rings, but he failed to keep track of where the second one went. When he noticed, it was too late. The ring had soared the long way around his blind spot and approached from behind. The ring collided with Larry's leg and the Koopaling was engulfed in a golden light.
When the light faded, Larry found his legs had been tightly bound together within the ring. Standing up or even moving was impossible. The ring Larry had dodged earlier circled back around and tapped his forearm. After another flash of light, the Koopaling found his wrists were now cuffed together. He had been caught. All he could do now was sit hopelessly and watch as Wendy approached him.
All at once, the Spinies immediately retreated to Lemmy's side. Roy ran out from behind his wall, clapped, and swung his arms in a diagonal motion across his body. A cylindrical stone pillar jutted out from the top of the wall and shoved Lemmy off of his cloud. But not before Lemmy released his Spiny army once more. This time, they scattered in every direction. The projectiles began to bounce off the walls, floor and ceiling in a pinball fashion. Roy tried to avoid the Spinies as they reached him, but it was futile. There were just too many and they were coming from all directions. It was impossible for Roy to avoid them all.
The cloud managed to catch Lemmy before he hit the ground. Roy took blow after blow from the Spinies, but stood firm. They persistently whittled away at the Koopaling's defenses until he was battered and bruised enough to drop his guard. Lemmy jumped high into the air and raised his hands. The Spinies came together and combined into one large Spiny. With the flick of his wrist, Lemmy brought the large Spiny down directly on top of Roy, who was too stunned and fatigued to even try avoiding it. He was pinned to the ground under its weight, and Lemmy sat atop his creation proudly.
Iggy was the only one left standing. With one hardy swing, Eris smacked the candle holder clean out of Iggy's hands and forced him up against the wall; her sword at his throat.
"Looks like it's game over, four-eyes.," she said confidently. Iggy looked away. He refused to look into her eyes. Doing so would mean admitting defeat. Iggy couldn't let her get to him. There had to be something he could do. His eyes raced around the room, but he found nothing. Morton, Wendy and Lemmy gathered their defeated opponents in the center and encased them together in one of Wendy's rings. She threw another in Iggy's direction, but he did nothing to avoid it. Accepting his defeat, Iggy's arms were bound tightly to his sides. Eris poked him with her blade and forced the Koopaling to walk shamefully towards the others.
"Not bad, though I'd be lying if I said I wasn't expecting more out of you," said Eris smugly. She shrugged. "Oh well, it would seem the game really is over now. I've had my fun, but it's time to get back to work."
Another handful of injection needles materialized between her fingers as Eris stalked towards her prey. Peach, Larry, and Roy gradually came back into consciousness and took turns struggling in vain to break free.
"Why don't we start with you, four-eyes?" she proposed as she watched any remaining shred of hope fade from Iggy's pupils. She threw one of the needles like a dart. Iggy shut his eyes and winced.
Suddenly, a piercing ring sliced through the air. The needle was sent flying in the opposite direction as it landed on the floor; the red contents spilling out with the shattering of the glass vile. A figure landed and slid a few inches in front of Iggy. Eris's eyes narrowed as she glared at him.
"You guys kept me waiting too long," a familiar voice said. The other three turned to look at him. Spreading his feet apart and twirling his paint brush before letting it rest on his shoulder, Junior now stood before them, smirking. "Figures I'd have to come bail you out."
"Junior!" Larry exclaimed.
"Heh, nice timing, squirt," Roy praised with a chuckle.
"What're you doing here!?" Iggy asked as his heart rate eased back into its normal tempo. "Shouldn't you be training!?"
"I finished with that, so I figured I'd come check things out here. Good thing I did or who knows what might've happened!"
"Well we're certainly glad you did," said Peach. Eris continued to stare silently at Junior, feeling particular disgust upon seeing his new attire.
"Nice pajamas, little prince," she mocked. "I was wondering where you were. Finally decided to wake up from our nap, did we?"
"Again with the kid jokes?" said Junior. "Come up with some new insults, will ya? I haven't known you very long and I'm already sick of your routine." Eris gritted her teeth. She didn't like what she was seeing in the slightest.
It's not just his outfit…, she thought. There's something…different; a certain aura about him. And those eyes…they're not the same as they were before. There's no fear in them anymore. I don't like the looks of this at all.
""Are you guys okay?" Junior asked without looking back.
"It's been a long night…," Roy admitted. "But we're managin.'"
"Well, don't sweat it. I can take things from here."
"Hold on, you mean by yourself?" Iggy asked. "Are you out of your mind? There's no way you can-"
"Relax. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't ready for this," Junior assured with a smile. He twirled his paintbrush as the tip of it began to glow in a golden light. It transformed in the blink of an eye. All of a sudden, Junior was now wielding a scythe.
"What the…?" Larry began.
"Hmm, weird. I wanted a sword," said Junior, although he didn't sound the slightest bit worried by this development in reality. "But, I guess this'll do." The captives winced when Junior swung his blade at them without warning. It severed the ring that had bound them with ease. They helped one another stand up slowly. None of them had much energy left at this point, but they didn't have much choice other than to fight once more. Roy cracked his knuckles and rotated his shoulder.
"Alright, let's do this," he said.
"Just stay back," Junior halted them in their place with his brush. "I'll handle this."
"Careful, we don't want to hurt the others too badly," Larry warned.
"Yeah, obviously. What happened to them anyway?" Junior asked.
"We're not sure exactly. They're under some kind of mind control. We're gonna get it too if we don't get out of here."
"I'll hold them off. The rest of you get to the airship. You did find it, right?"
"Of course, but there's a problem. We need the master key to get it running," Iggy explained.
"Master...key…?" Junior repeated. His sibling pointed at the key trapped in a bubble, which was now resting on Bowser's chair. The Koopa Prince's expression remained skeptical.
"Without that key, there's no getting out of here. It's all or nothing at this point," said Iggy.
"If you say so," Junior accepted with a shrug.
Eris folded her arms and decided to stand back and observe. The prince had changed since she had last seen him. Perhaps it was worth waiting and seeing if there was any substance to his new appearance. If it kept the fun going even for just a little bit longer, who was she to complain?
Morton, Lemmy and Wendy had them surrounded and inched closer. Junior's scythe transformed again. This time it became a large mallet. He challenged Morton's own head-on as it approached. To everyone's surprise, Junior managed to force his towering sibling back, spun around, and slugged Morton in the chest with all his might. The Koopaling was sent flying back and crashed into the wall.
Wendy and Lemmy prepared their weapons and attacked Junior together. The Koopa Prince leaned from side to side, hopped, and shuffled around to dodge all of the rings and Spinies; his feet gliding across the floor like ice skates as he moved with a deliberate momentum that none of them had ever seen. When did he become so quick on his feet?
Junior's brush turned into a cane and caught one of Wendy's rings before it caught him. He tossed it to deflect one of Lemmy's Spinies, then back flipped to avoid a few other Spinies closing in on him. His brush then turned into a spear, which he used to skewer several Spinies in a row like a kebab. Next, Junior sped forward and jumped high into the air. He used his new spiked staff to whack Lemmy off the latter's cloud; sending him soaring straight into the wall. After his collision and swift fall back to earth, Lemmy struggled to push himself up off the floor with his arms, but collapsed.
Wendy clapped her hands together. Half a dozen gold rings appeared along each of her arms. She spun on the tips of her high heels and formed a golden tornado. It spewed rings rapidly at Junior like a turret. Before he could do anything, Peach jumped in and blocked the onslaught with her parasol.
"What're you doing? I just said I-"
"I know what you said," said Peach. "But I refuse to sit by and let someone else fight my battles for me." The Koopa Prince was taken aback by the determination in her eyes when she glanced back at him. "I've already lived my whole life that way. Not anymore. We're in this together, no matter what you say." Junior shook his head as if to shake off the sentiment of the moment.
"Fine. Do what you want. Just make sure you keep up when we make a run for it," said Junior. Peach gave him a nod and hardened her stance. Two rock pillars appeared at each side of her parasol; widening its area of coverage. Roy, Larry and Iggy stood close by.
"You guys too?" Junior asked, though he already knew the answer deep down.
"What kind of subjects would we be if we left our king to do all the fighting?" Larry asked with a smile.
"And besides, it's going to take all of us to get that key and escape with our lives at this point," said Iggy. "But if you don't mind, Junior, I have a suggestion." The Koopa Prince nodded. Larry and Roy leaned closer as Iggy whispered the plan to them all.
"Yeah, that's good. That should work," Junior approved. "Just watch your aim, alright Larry? I don't need a magic bullet in my hip." Larry chuckled at that.
"No promises," he retorted. With Wendy distracted, Junior, Larry, Roy, and Iggy sprinted out in opposite directions from behind Peach's defense to execute their plan. Junior clapped, hopped, and transformed into his spike ball form as he rocketed across the room towards Eris. She thrusted her arm forward and blasted him away with an enormous black aura pulse.
Roy thrusted his arms up and created a tall stone pillar that deflected the spike ball in a different direction. Eris tried to follow the course of Junior's flight, but something else caught her attention. In the corner of her eye, she spotted Iggy trying to sneak the long way around her as he neared the throne. A black bubble formed in her hand, and she threw it directly at Iggy, who ducked to avoid it. He took several steps back to avoid several more bubbles until his shell was against the wall; Eris slowly closed in on him; her eyes filled with malicious intent.
Roy didn't waste any time as he immediately ran across the room and created another pillar. This time however, Larry was standing on top of it. He jumped off the top, took aim, and fired a bullet at the spike ball. The impact caused it to change course again. The ball fell straight down into the eye of the golden tornado and clobbered Wendy hard into the ground. Her tornado of rings disappeared instantly.
"Bullseye," Larry said proudly as Roy caught him upon his descent back down to earth. Junior uncurled from his ball form and stood back. He wasted no time collecting his unconscious sister. There was no telling how much time he had left, but he needed to pull off this last crucial step before she woke up.
Junior, Larry and Roy lined the unconscious Wendy, Lemmy, and Morton up against the wall, where Roy restrained them with stone braces, similar to how Contemno had trapped them here previously.
"No way are these gonna hold them when they wake up," said Junior.
"Then we better make sure we're gone before that happens," said Roy.
Eris choked Iggy with one hand and lifted him off the ground. He kicked and struggled but couldn't get free. Her grip was too strong, and Iggy could feel the air being sucked from his lungs by the minute. Peach swung her parasol at Eris from behind, but the latter anticipated her attack.
"Not this time, sweetheart!" she taunted as she twisted around, reached out, and choked Peach as well. Junior, Larry and Roy rushed over. "I wouldn't get involved if I were you," Eris warned. "One more step and I snap their necks." Junior clenched his fists. What should he do now?
"Give it up, Eris!" Roy threatened. "You're all alone now, and if you really think you can hold Peach and Iggy while fighting the three of us, you've got a death wish."
"Is that so!?" she replied with a laugh. This annoyed Roy more than it disturbed him. Black veins sprouted from Eris's hand and glided across Peach's neck; slowly encompassing her body. Her breath grew short and her vision blurred. Reality faded away. She could feel everything going dark.
Was this what it felt like to lose all control? Is this what Morton, Wendy, and Lemmy felt? Or was this death? Toadsworth knew that feeling now. Was it her turn to join him? Peach could faintly hear Junior, Larry, and Roy calling out to her. But their voices grew softer and blended together into distorted noise. With her senses disabled, Peach was about to give in to the unknown that awaited her. Suddenly, a sharp heat flooded her senses. The chill of the abyss melted away. Pink light consumed the shadows and returned her vision to reality.
Peach immediately looked around and found herself cocooned inside a large pink bubble of some kind. Eris had released her grip on Peach's neck, but was now struggling to pull her hand free from the bubble. The princess curled up into a fetal position, then immediately stretched her limbs out wide in an "x" pose. The sharp pang of glass shattering encompassed the room as pink shards of the bubble flew off in all directions before disappearing. Eris slid a few feet, but managed to keep her balance. All of the inhabitants of the room froze to look at her. Peach looked down and examined her hands.
That power…what in the world was it? she pondered. But before anyone could raise the question aloud, Iggy spoke up.
"Guys, c'mon! Let's get out of here!" He exclaimed as he gripped Peach's wrist and took off towards the door. He was now carrying the key in his other hand, which he'd managed to procure in the chaos. Junior, Roy and Larry weren't far behind. Unfortunately for them, neither was Eris.
"Oh no you don't! I'm not through with you yet!" she warned. Her hands began to glow a violent red color. When they met the floor, a giant crack severed the entire room in two. The castle began to quake around them, and a pool of red liquid immediately poured out from the crack as it began to fill the flood the grand hall. Eris stopped once she reached the doorway.
Larry glanced back one last time and couldn't decide what was more terrifying, the river of red liquid that was now chasing them down the hall, or the fact that Eris wasn't. She just stood there and crossed her arms, smiling menacingly. The red river rushed straight past her, yet she wasn't fazed by it in the slightest. She stood firm like a rock over the ocean. Was it magic that was allowing her to defy the laws of physics this way instead of being swept up in the current? Larry didn't have time to think about this as Roy grabbed his hand and motioned for him to catch up.
The group raced down the staircase as more and more liquid jetted out from holes in the walls, adjacent hallways, and open rooms all around them. At this rate, the entire castle would be flooded in minutes. Yet, Iggy noticed there seemed to be something almost…sentient about it. The way this liquid conveniently burst out wherever they just so happened to be. It was almost as if the liquid could sense where they were in the castle and was able to immediately target them.
With the flood now up to their ankles, the group barged into the garage and made a beeline straight for the airship Iggy had been working on previously. Roy released Larry's hand and stood back. His brother turned to acknowledge him.
"Roy, what're you doing!? C'mon!" Larry exclaimed. Roy clapped his hands and made a wide sweeping motion with his arms; building an enormously tall stone wall that encompassed the entire length of the warehouse-like basement. This halted the flow of red doom, but it was sure to only be a temporary solution.
"I'm gonna try to slow this stuff down!" Roy called back.
"But-"
"Go, go!" Larry hesitated, then turned and rushed over to grab the ship's ladder. Despite the liquid slowly climbing the wall as it rose and began to overflow, Roy hurried past the ship and shoved down a large red lever on the wall. A series of cogs stuttered, then slowly began to turn; lifting the grand metallic door leading to the outside. The sun was just beginning to rise in the distant horizon, and now the ship had a clear exit. Roy just hoped they'd get the ship moving in time.
"Alright, here goes nothing!" Iggy announced as he jammed the key into the slot on the ship's control panel. To his horror, the key dissolved into ashes the second he turned it. Although it could've been fatigue, Iggy swore he heard Eris's laugh echoing in the room as it happened.
"What just happened!?" Peach panicked.
"The key…it was fake…," said Iggy.
"FAKE!? WHAT DO YOU MEAN FAKE!?" Larry exclaimed.
"Eris gave us a fake key! She was playing us the whole time!" said Iggy as he punched the control panel in frustration.
"Well...what do we do now!?" Peach asked.
"Let's bail! We need to get outta here!" Larry exclaimed.
"How!? The castle's already flooded with that red water and it's probably filling up the garage outside as we speak!" said Iggy.
"Hold on…you said we needed a 'master' key to get this thing to work, right?" Junior spoke up at last. He was completely calm, which horrified all three of them.
"Y-yes, but-," Iggy started. Junior gently pushed him aside and eyed the key slot curiously. He put his index claw in his mouth and sucked on it for a moment. Peach slightly winced in disgust at the sight of this. The Koopa Prince then proceeded to reach for the slot with his now-moistened claw, but Iggy grabbed his wrist.
"What're you doing!?" Iggy exclaimed.
"I've got an idea, just watch!" Junior argued.
"No, stop! You're just gonna get it stuck in-" before the Koopaling could finish, Junior jammed his claw directly into the key slot and twisted it. The entire control panel and monitor lit up green instantly and the engine roared. A new message displayed on the screen.
SECURITY SHUTDOWN CODE 97Y-J OVERRIDE INITIATED. ALL SYSTEMS READY FOR LAUNCH.
Iggy's jaw dropped. Junior tugged and with a little effort, pulled his claw free. Peach and Larry shoved Iggy into the captain's chair.
"How did you-"
"Iggy, c'mon! Get us out of here!" Larry demanded. Shaking his head, Iggy snapped back into reality and rapidly pressed buttons and pulled levers. Suddenly, a panel in the roof opened up and the chair elevated itself up to the deck above outside.
"Hang on to something! This is gonna be close!" he warned as he turned the steering wheel furiously. The ship vibrated around them as it began to move. It rocked slightly and the sound of crashing waves could be heard when they emerged out onto the main deck. Half of the garage was now submerged in the red ocean. Even though it was now pouring out of the castle like a waterfall through the garage exit Roy had opened, even more liquid was pouring in from the hallway to keep the water level consistent.
Soaking wet, Roy swam, then gripped the ladder. He slipped and struggled, but continued to fight as he slowly hoisted himself up the violently swaying vehicle. Peach and Larry caught him just as he lost his grip on the ladder and pulled him aboard. The ship spun around and around as though it were caught in a whirlpool. The red waves pushed and pulled the ship all around the garage. Iggy wrestled with the steering wheel and fought for control. Just as the ship was about to crash into a wall, Roy summoned a stone pillar from the wall itself at the point of potential impact. The structure extended and launched the ship back out towards the center of the room like a pinball.
Iggy capitalized on this small burst of controlled momentum and activated the ship's lower propellers. The ship sailed towards the exit and picked up speed under the red water's current as it approached.
It was do-or-die now.
Junior, Larry, Peach and Roy each found something to hang onto for dear life. Iggy knew that if he couldn't finish getting the main thrusters warmed up in time, they'd plummet right off the mountainside. But there was no turning back now.
"Brace yourselves!" said Iggy as he yanked on the lever to power the thrusters onto full throttle. The airship tipped forward as the current carried it off the cliffside. Gravity sent its crew collectively tumbling forward near the bow, aside from its captain, who was strapped into his seat.
The airship fell into a nosedive.
Peach felt her heart stop.
Time seemed to slow to a standstill in Roy's eyes.
Larry felt weightless and anticipated himself beginning to hover in mid-air at any second.
Junior shut his eyes and tried to regain his focus.
Iggy gritted his teeth. His cheekbone twitched as a single drop of sweat rolled down his face.
Suddenly, an explosion roared as fires burst from the ship's thrusters. Everyone flew back to the opposite end of the ship as it took flight and soared smoothly into the air.
Not long after, it reached the desired altitude. Peach gasped for air after holding her breath. Roy adjusted his glasses, and Larry waited for the room to stop spinning before sitting up. Junior stood as soon as he regained the feeling in his legs.
"Is everyone alright?" Iggy asked. Despite being battered and disoriented, everyone affirmed that they were all still alive. Junior stared at the key slot on the control panel. "You mind telling me what the heck you just did back there?" The Koopa Prince lifted his claw.
"When you said we needed a master key to get the ship running, I guess I thought that was suspicious," said Junior.
""Why?"
"I've never heard of any 'master key', and I'm the prince so you'd think Dad would've mentioned something that important to me of all people, right?"
"Yeah, that much makes sense," said Larry.
"But how did you know to use your claw?" Iggy asked.
"I actually didn't know for sure that would work. But I saw a keyhole like that years ago," Junior explained. "That was a little magic trick Dad taught me once. He knows how to make keyholes that use his claw as the key."
"So you're saying the master key doesn't actually exist?" asked Larry.
"No, it does," said Junior as he shook his head. "It's just not a normal key." Iggy cupped his chin to ponder this.
"Then, I suppose it's possible all we needed the whole time was King Bowser's authorization to unlock the controls. You know, physically."
"But Bowser ain't here, obviously. So why did it work for Junior then?" Roy inserted.
"That part's easy enough to figure out. Junior probably has the same claw type as his father. It just makes sense this would work for him if Bowser can do it that way too." Junior smiled at this.
"Well, I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say we're grateful to you for showing up when you did and thinking on your toes like that," Peach praised. The Koopa Prince's smile faded, but only slightly. He gave her a small nod. Junior knew the two of them still had a lot to work through. But at least now they would actually get the chance.
"Seconded," Roy agreed. "So what now, Iggs?"
"Slow down, big bro. Let's catch our breath first," said Iggy with a chuckle. "I've already set our coordinates for Sarasaland and the ship's now running on autopilot." The Koopaling stood up from his chair, stretched, and yawned. "It'll take at least a day of flying to get us there. I suggest we all get some rest in the meantime. There's no telling what's waiting for us at our destination."
"Is there a first aid kit on-board somewhere?" Peach asked.
"Over in the drawer," Roy answered. "Why?"
"Let's get those burns treated. Might help you sleep easier." Roy nodded. Junior turned and prepared to exit the room when Larry grabbed his shoulder.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"The sleep quarters below deck," Junior answered. "Coming?"
"Don't even think about going to sleep yet. After seeing all that stuff you did back at the castle, it's obvious we've got some serious catching up to do!"
"We do?"
"Yes! That was nuts! Your training! You gotta tell me how you learned all that stuff so fast!"
"Heh...yeah. Sure," Junior said with a smile as the two exited the control room.
Iggy lingered for a moment as he stared out the window. He watched the earth slowly rolling past them as the rising sun gradually brought color and shape back to the land. Despite his exhaustion, Iggy had no idea how he was going to sleep in the slightest. There was too much to think about; so much about their enemies and those powers they understood so little about. What was to become of Lemmy, Morton and Wendy now? Eris's words were still fresh in his memory.
What, did you think you were on some grand crusade to save the world? Too bad, because there's no world left to save. We control all of it.
"No world left to save." Just what did she mean by that? The Koopaling had a chilling suspicion that things were about to get a lot harder from here.