RECAP:
Upon returning from Sarasaland, Junior's group reunited with Toad and observed first-hand as Toad Town slowly began reconstruction after Contemno's attack. They journeyed on towards Merlon's house with the reassurance that the city and its people were healing. Not long after though, they were approached by the Broodals, who came to "talk."
Meanwhile, Mario and Bowser's investigation of the orphanage led them to an upstairs bedroom. Here, they discovered an old storybook titled "Legend of the Star Keepers." As fate would have it, Bowser was intimately familiar with this story of an ancient star legend. As he began reading it once more to Mario, Leanna arrived to report her discovery of the unnamed castle on her map.
While there was debate between them about the legitimacy of the book's legend, Mario made the discovery that the castle on Leanna's map matched the one in Bowser's book. Thus, he reasoned that his and Bowser's bodies were being kept at the mythical land's location in reality at Castle Olympus. But whether or not this was true remained to be seen.
"We need ta talk, peewee," said Topper.
"The only thing I want to hear out of you freaks is what you did with my dad and Rosalina!" Junior exclaimed. "And we're prepared to beat that information out of you if that's what it takes!"
"Yous? Beat us?! HA! DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH!" Topper taunted.
His round, egg-shaped torso jiggled as he broke out into hysterical laughter. Rango made pointing gestures at Junior's group with his index finger; counting them one by one.
"Uhhh…boss? Maybe we should uhh reconsida…," he suggested. Topper's amusement was immediately devoured by annoyance as he turned to Rango.
"Ehhh? Reconsida what?!"
"Well err…on account-a dere's about four of us and uhh…nine of dem."
"Pffft, dat ain't so much!" said Topper. "It's like Ma always said – qualuddy ova quannuddy!"
"You should listen to your scrawny pal there," said Roy as he shook his fist at them. "Unless you chumps got a death wish!"
"Oooh! Dem's fightin' wurds!" Spewart exclaimed.
"How's about yous make it easy on yaselves and just surrenda?" Hariet offered. "See, da boss ain't exactly in da besta moods lately; 'specially with us. But handin' yous guys ova ta him oughta put us back in his good graces."
Hariet winced as Topper turned and waved his hand back as if to slap her.
"IDIOT! WHATDJA GO TELLIN' 'EM DAT FOR?!" Topper scolded.
"W-well it's true, ain't it?!" Hariet defended in a panic.
"Well yous don't needs ta go tellin' da enemy 'bout it!"
"Uhhh…anyway…y-yeah, yous folks oughta surrenda!" said Rango nervously; steering the conversation back on-track.
"You're in no position to demand anything from us!" Peach argued as she pointed her tennis racket at them.
"Dat tears it! Enuff talk!" Topper shouted. "BROODALS! PULVARIZE DEM!" The four rabbits charged in to attack, but Junior's team was more than ready.
"Alright, gang! Here's the plan," Iggy started.
"Relax, Iggy," Junior stopped him. "This one'll be a cinch. Just put that big brain of your's to rest and enjoy the show."
"But I-"
"Here they come!" Goombella exclaimed.
Hariet jumped into the air and twirled; dropping a large bomb from the edge her pony-tail. Peach swatted the bomb out of the way while Daisy jumped into the air as well. She summoned Chomper with one wrist – who clamped down on Hariet's pony-tail - and yanked her forward. The female Broodal's face made direct contact with Daisy's kick and she was sent flying back down to earth at a dizzying velocity.
Spewart opened his mouth wide and fired a massive wad of goo. Larry intercepted the shot with his shield. The large Broodal then fired a continuous stream to hold his opponent in place.
"Sheesh, why do I get the feeling I've already been in this kind of fight before?" Larry wondered aloud.
"Don't worry. This'll be even easier than Petey," said Roy confidently. He lifted Larry up by his shell with one hand and sprinted straight towards Spewart; cutting a path through the sticky onslaught with Larry's defense.
As the pair drew closer, Spewart lowered his head and spun in place; surrounding himself with purple goo. Larry threw his shield down on the ground as he and Roy climbed aboard it and surfed straight across the perilous substance. Spewart was unable to react in time as the Koopalings finished closing the distance.
Roy launched the large Broodal high up into the air with a powerful uppercut. Larry pounced off of Roy's shoulder, clapped to summon one of his pistols, and fired half a dozen rounds at Spewart – who took the full brunt of the attack and fell to the ground right next to Hariet.
Rango tossed a series of duplicate yellow hats - lined with blades along the rims - straight ahead. Kooper retreated into his shell and spun in place. As the hazardous hats closed in on their target, the Koopa activated his Fire Shell ability and took off like a comet. His flaming shell torched each of the hats in one shot and emerged utterly unscathed. He didn't stop until he rammed right into Rango and sent the tall Broodal charred and tumbling backwards until he landed next to Hariet and Spewart.
Topper's own assortment of sentient hats spun in a circle; enclosing Junior within. A malevolent grin was plastered across the head Broodal's face as he savored his assured victory.
However, Junior transformed his paintbrush into a scythe and spun perfectly in place; his blade traveled in a circle of its own and sliced every single one of the hats cleanly in half; robbing them of their animation. Topper was stunned by this maneuver and panicked as Junior's weapon then turned into a hammer and clobbered him straight down into the dirt.
Spewart, Hariet, and Rango all staggered to their feet in a collective daze and quickly found themselves in a predicament. They were completely surrounded by Larry, Roy, Peach, Daisy, and Kooper.
"Fascinating…," Goombella said as she furiously scribbled in her notebook. "I've never heard of these Broodal guys before, but I couldn't ask for a better look at their abilities. Keep it up, guys! But don't let it end too soon, m'kay? I'm getting a ton of great data here!"
"Yeah, and sock 'em once for me, will ya?!" Toad cheered.
Iggy folded his arms and sighed. They don't even need me at all…, he thought to himself.
"What was that you were laughing about before?" Junior taunted as he pointed his brush at Topper. "Us beating you doesn't sound so funny now, does it?" Topper's face turned red as he erupted in a tantrum.
"Grrr…don't just stand dere, ya idiots! Earn ya keep, or else we'll neva hear da end of it from da boss!"
Hariet tilted her head back and whipped her pony-tail forward with a spike ball attached at the end. It plowed straight into the ground in front of her. She twisted her neck furiously; swaying the spike ball in a wide sweeping maneuver. Junior's group managed to jump over it effortlessly.
Spewart inhaled and prepared to fire another glob of his sinister substance, but Roy stepped forward and choked him out. The Koopaling lifted the Broodal up off the ground with one hand.
"That's enough outta you, pal." Roy reached down and plucked as large of a dirt clod as he could grasp in one hand and shoved it straight into Spewarts mouth. The Broodal gasped for air and flailed his dangling stubby legs helplessly. The Koopaling then curled his dirt-caked free hand into a fist and sent Spewart flying again with one punch.
Rango quickly created more copies of his hat, but they were blasted to smithereens one by one before they could even leave his hands. Larry was nonchalantly firing a shot from his pistol every single time the Broodal summoned a new one. He yawned from the tedium of the ordeal.
"C'mon, bunny rabbit. Pull another kind of trick out of your hat, will ya? I'm falling asleep over here," he said with boredom.
Peach stepped in and smacked Rango across the face with her racket; sending him backwards and landing on top of the unconscious Spewart.
Hariet struggled, but couldn't pull her hair free from underneath Daisy's foot. When the princess finally lifted it, the momentum of Hariet's tugging sent her tumbling back towards the growing Broodal pile.
"Are you kidding me? You clowns are supposed to be part of Contemno's elite inner circle?" Daisy wondered audibly. "What a joke!"
"Seems as though Contemno is losing his touch if this is the sort of help he's relying on these days," Peach added with a smile.
"RAAAAAHHH! SHUDDUP SHUDDUP SHUDDUP!" Topper roared furiously. He climbed out of the hole Junior had planted him inside of in a hurry and his green top hat duplicated itself a dozen times over in the blink of an eye. The shadow cast by the tower of hats upon the Broodal's head loomed over Junior, but the latter showed no signs of being fazed by this in the slightest.
Topper threw himself forward, but Junior's brush transformed into a sword. The Koopa Prince cut through the stack of hats. Topper landed face-down on the ground and prepared to spin on his stomach in an attempt to trip Junior with the remaining hats, but Junior rushed forward and punted Topper like a football before he could start his rotation. The lead Broodal landed at the top of his pile of defeated followers.
When Topper snapped back into attention, he was met with Junior's sword under his chin.
"Show's over, freaks," the Koopa Prince declared.
"Eeep!" Topper squeaked.
"Don't make me ask again. What did you do with Rosalina and my dad?"
"Dunno what da heck yur talkin' about."
"Don't lie!" Junior threatened as he brought the blade closer to the rabbit's neck. "I found one of my dad's arm bands on Shooting Star Summit. It was covered in your friend's disgusting sludge," Junior explained. "We know you had something to do with their disappearance. Talk."
"Grrr…," Topper muttered as he gritted his teeth.
"W-we took 'em ta Contemno!" Hariet blurted out. Everyone on each side immediately looked to her. "H-he said he wanted 'em brought back ta him. So we did. But…we dunno what he did wid 'em afta dat. Honest!"
"HARIET!" Topper scolded her again.
"Then where can we find Contemno?" Peach probed.
"Whadda ya nuts?! We can't tell ya dat!" Topper panicked. "Da boss would kill us!"
"I'll finish you off right now if you don't tell us, bunny boy," Junior reminded as he tightened his grip on the sword's hilt.
"H-he moves around a bunch! Da boss neva stays in one place fa too long!" said Hariet. Topper turned to her with eyes of daggers.
"HARIET, I'LL THROTTLE YA IF YA KEEP RUNNIN' YA MOUTH! SHUT YA TRAP!" he threatened.
"Maybe you should follow her lead," Larry suggested with a shrug. "Could save your life, man."
"Urrrrggghhh," Topper muttered. "Grrrrrrr….fine! Fine! I'll draw yous guys a map, okay?!" he offered at last. "Jus lemme get some paper outta my shirt pocket, capeesh?" Junior pulled back his weapon to acquiesce.
As promised, Topper reached into his pocket and fished around. However, Junior hadn't failed to notice the devilish grin that grew on the Broodal's face.
"BROODALS, FALL BACK!" he ordered as he threw a small pellet at his feet. A cloud of smoke quickly blanketed the field. The Broodals' airship flew back around, and the four rabbits jumped aboard.
The smoke dissipated as the ship turned and prepared to depart.
"WE'LL GET YOUS BACK FA DIS, CHUMPS!" Topper threatened as he turned the steering wheel.
"Shoot! They're getting away!" Larry exclaimed.
"Oh no they're not!" Peach denied.
Suddenly, her eyes began to glow pink, and an aura of matching color engulfed her entire body. A pair of pink angelic wings emerged from her backside. The gang recognized this as the mysterious transformation Peach had undergone during their battle with Midbus. Had she summoned this power at-will just now?
Without hesitation, Peach flapped her wings and took to the sky in pursuit; leaving her companions to watch from below in awe from the path between Toad Town and Shooting Star Summit.
Yessssss, that's right. Come to me, little princess, a voice rang through Peach's head.
She recognized it as the one that helped her break free from the ice before.
This power of ours…it's delicious, no? Let's make those fools suffer.
Peach nodded in agreement. She caught up with the Broodals' airship within seconds.
"Uhhhh…b-boss…?!" said Rango as he tapped Topper on the shoulder without taking his terrified eyes off of Peach.
"What is it, numbskull?!" Topper replied. He turned and joined his teammates in their shared horror. Peach thrust her arms diagonally across her body.
A large x-shaped fire appeared and sliced through the ship like butter. Topper, Spewart, and Rango took hold of a stray propeller – which defied all laws of physics and engineering alike - and carried them away from the carnage.
They're the ones who hurt Mario…, Peach thought to herself. They must pay for what they've done. They must DIE!
Good…Goooood, the other voice praised. That's right. The only way to satiate such bloodlust is with retribution. With this power of ours, we can kill all who have wronged you. Such is their fate.
A high-pitched scream snapped Peach out of her trance as she looked down. Hariet was free-falling and would likely not survive the drop from this height.
Down below, Junior and the others were scrambling over to try and prevent the gruesome death that was seconds away from unfolding.
No…that's not…, Peach thought as she placed a hand to her head and gritted her teeth. I can't just…
You can…, said the voice. You must….you will….Let it play out. It's what she deserves after all…
"NO!" Peach exclaimed.
The princess flapped her wings and flew down towards Hariet. She caught the Broodal just before the latter made contact with the ground.
Daisy used Chomper and Bitey's vines to bind Hariet's arms and hair together so as to neutralize her from posing a threat.
Hariet looked on in sheer disbelief as Topper and the others made no attempt to acknowledge her and instead used that detached propeller to fly off into the clouds and selfishly save their own hides.
Peach's transformation vanished, and the princess stumbled, then started to fall over. However, Roy was there to catch her.
"I gotcha," he assured.
A moment of silence passed as the gang attempted to process everything that had just transpired.
"…Well that was exciting!" said Toad.
"What're you so cheerful about? They got away!" said Larry.
"Yeah, and we still don't know where my dad or Rosalina are," Junior added.
"That's true. But, at least we were far enough away from town that nobody got hurt," Goombella offered.
"Yeah, and you might not have to wait much longer to get your answer, Junior. After all, they didn't all get away," said Daisy as she gestured to the restrained Hariet behind her.
"Oooohh, you're right! I take it back. This worked out pretty well for us after all!" Larry agreed as he rubbed his palms together.
"Fuhget it, chumps! I ain't tellin' yous nuddin'!" said Hariet as she wriggled slightly within her restraints.
"So what should we do with her?" Kooper asked.
"Well, she already said that they report to Contemno," said Iggy. "So not only is she bound to have valuable information about his operation, but we might also be able to use her as leverage to get the upper-hand on Contemno if we play our cards right. Hence, the only logical next step is to make her our prisoner."
"P-PRISONUH?!" Hariet panicked. "NO WAY! LEMME OUTTA DIS, YA CREEPS!"
"I don't know…is it really right of us to do this?" Peach asked as she re-gained enough strength to stand up on her own.
"Of course it is! Why wouldn't it be?" Daisy argued.
"Well…it's just that we're trying to make a positive difference in the world. We're supposed to be the heroes, aren't we? So how are we any better than Contemno if we hold someone captive against their will too?" Peach reasoned.
"Oh please. You did the same thing to my dad, remember?" Junior countered. "It's a little late for you to have a conscience about this sort of thing now."
"That's…," Peach started, but she simply didn't have the energy to finish her statement.
"Yeah, and besides, we need all the leads we can get if we're ever going to stop Contemno or save anyone else," said Larry. "We might never get a chance like this again. So let's do it. Let's milk bunny girl here for all she's worth and squeeze as much intel as we can out of her."
"Hmmm…it'll take some work, but I think I can put together a holding cell for her in my lab," said Iggy.
"More importantly, I'm starving!" Toad exclaimed.
"C'mon, let's get back to Merlon's before someone else comes along to pick a fight with us," said Junior.
The group prepared to head down the path when Peach suddenly crumpled to the ground. Roy raced over to help her up while the others looked back.
"Princess, are you alright?" Goombella asked, concerned.
"Y-yes…I just…," Peach replied weakly. "That last attack took a lot out of me. That's all."
"Here, I'll carry ya back," Roy offered as he hoisted Peach into his arms effortlessly.
"Thank you, Roy. You have my gratitude."
Utterly exhausted, the team set its sights once again on Shooting Star Summit; this time however, with their new captive in-tow.
"Those idiots! Just what the hell were they thinking?!" Omega exclaimed as he paced back and forth. Alpha gripped his own chin in contemplation of what they'd just witnessed.
"Something tells me the Broodals were acting on their own. I doubt Contemno would've ever authorized them to just attack Bowser Jr.'s group in broad daylight like that unless they had a specific objective in mind."
"But this is bad! Really bad! That idiot girl bunny got herself captured! She's gonna leak all sorts of top-secret info about us!" Omega panicked.
"Not necessarily," said Alpha, crossing his arms. "It depends how much she actually knows. It might've been worse if their leader was the one who was taken. But she's a step below even him. So, it stands to reason that she knows even less."
""How can you be so calm about all this?! We have no idea what those losers could learn about us from her!"
"Well, losing our own heads about it isn't going to help either, Omega," Alpha reasoned. "Anyway, this doesn't change our plans in the slightest. We just need to tail them and find out where they're taking her. Once we get a look at their base, we can work out a plan for extracting the girl before she says anything damming. We should probably report this to Tatanga as well while we're at it. Maybe we can even get some back-up for the extraction."
"You're not serious, are you? Tatanga's gonna blow a gasket when he finds out about this!"
"Why are you so worried about us? We had nothing to do with the Broodal girl getting kidnapped. It's their fault for being so reckless. We were just following orders when we saw it happen. That's no story, it's the truth. So we have nothing to worry about. If anything, the boss should look fondly on us for looking out for the organization's well-being as a whole by reporting this." Omega massaged his temples and sighed.
"Uggggh, FINE! Whatever," Omega agreed begrudgingly. "But you make the call. If I'm right and he decides to still chew one of our heads off, better your's than mine."
Alpha rolled his eyes as he whipped out his handheld communication device and dialed the number.
"I thought I told you to keep an eye on the prisoners. Not to engage them in combat," said Eris as she folded her arms and glared at Wart.
"In all fairness, ma'am, you did advise that I go in armed as well," Wart defended. "I'm afraid I simply failed to see the purpose of my visit to Contemno's heart kingdom if I was not permitted to gather data on the combat viability of Essence against them in the meantime."
Initially, Eris gritted her teeth and made a clenching motion with her hands; as if simulating her desire to choke Wart right on the spot for his blatant insubordination and back-talk. However, the woman closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and shook her head. It was difficult, but she managed to hold her composure with some effort.
"If we wanted you to fight them, we'd tell you that upfront," she explained in a calm tone that was quite uncharacteristic for her. "For the time being, we just wanted to make sure they're not up to anything while Contemno's finalizing the preparations for Phase 2. Can you at least tell me if you noticed any changes in their behavior at all?" Wart placed a claw to his massive lip.
"Now that you mention it, I believe one of those two mentioned they were in a hurry. Of course, they wouldn't tell me where they were going. So I haven't the faintest idea what they might be up to." This caught Eris's attention as her eyebrows narrowed and she glanced away.
"I was afraid of that…," she muttered softly. "She just can't leave anything alone."
"Come again?" Wart asked, puzzled.
"It's nothing. I'll look into it myself. Just…for the time being, return to your post, Wart. Thank you for your report. Dismissed."
Yet, it was Wart who stayed behind with slight bewilderment as he watched Eris abruptly brush past him and stroll down the hallway in a hurry.
Eris turned a corner and nearly collided with Contemno, whom was accompanied by Bastierge.
"Ah, Eris. There you are. I've been looking all over for you. There are some preparations I need to finalize with you before the big revelation."
Eris forced herself to meet Contemno's gaze, and it took twice as much effort for her to smile and run her fingers through her long hair.
"Oh! O-of course, but…I'm a little preoccupied at the moment. Can we do this later?" she asked as nicely as she could muster.
"You certainly seem distressed," Contemno agreed. "What seems to be the trouble?"
"Nothing, it's nothing," Eris said quickly. "I just…need to check on something, that's all."
"And what is so urgent that it requires your attention before anything else?"
Eris didn't have time to play this game with him. Not now. She didn't have the energy to pick and choose her words carefully as she seemed to be doing more and more with him lately.
"I assure you, it's nothing you need to be concerned with."
"Then why does it concern you so much?" Eris began to turn and walk away.
"Look, I'll only be gone a few minutes. So…why don't you wait for me here and I'll be right-"
Before she could finish however, Eris felt a cold, uncomfortable pinch.
She looked back and found a small purple chain wrapped around her arm. Her eyes slowly traced it back to Contemno's glowing glove.
"Now, now. You know how I feel about secrets. Besides, I cannot stand to see you in such a fretful state, my love. Not when we're on the cusp of finally making our dreams come true and righting the great wrong of the world. If nothing else, we're a team. So I'm afraid I must insist that you tell me what's going on."
Eris sighed. He'd gotten the best of her this time. Not that she came prepared to give her all this round anyway.
"It's Mario and Bowser," Eris confessed. "I'm worried they're getting…antsy."
"Is that all?" Contemno replied with a chortle. "They can get as riled up as they want; especially Bowser. They have no means of escaping from my heart's kingdom on their own. So I'm afraid I fail to see what the issue is or why you deem it to be so pressing."
"I sent Wart to check on them since it's been a while. He claimed they were in a hurry somewhere when he found them, but they didn't say anything more than that. I realize I'm being paranoid but…I just want to make sure they're not up to something."
Contemno didn't reply. As usual, that mask made it impossible to tell what he was thinking. Did he believe her? Did he think she was lying? Eris's eyes fell.
"I…just don't want them to try anything funny. Not with our big day coming up," she continued. Without responding, Contemno lowered his arm and the chain disappeared.
"Fair enough," he replied at last. "If it will truly put you at ease, you may go assess the situation."
"Thank you," said Eris with a humble nod.
"You see? Being honest with me isn't so hard, now is it?"
Mario, Bowser and Leanna stood outside of the orphanage in the ruined battlegrounds where the garden once stood. The crumbled fountain and dead topiary that once populated it were now lost to the giant rubble boulders and wounds in the earth; such wounds inflicted during the previous battle with Contemno.
"Allllright! Let's get this party started!" Bowser exclaimed cheerfully; raising his fists into the air in a stretch of triumph. "Goodbye heart kingdom and good riddance!"
"Hehe, not so fast. We still need the Kagi symbol in order to actually get out of here, remember?" Mario reminded him with a chuckle.
"Oh…right! Hey, Leanna! What's the hold up, huh?"
Leanna was the last to descend the staircase from the house down into the yard. She had her hands stuffed in her pockets and appeared to be lost in serious thought.
"You uhh…you still have those cards, right?" Leanna didn't answer. She didn't even look up to acknowledge Bowser. Mario's smile faded.
"…Is something wrong?" the plumber asked.
"Yeah, what gives?" Bowser added. "Hurry up and give us those symbols already!" Mario shot Bowser a quick glare that went unnoticed.
"No," said Leanna.
Bowser's eyebrows narrowed and he clenched his fists. A brief moment of silence passed. Mario and Bowser weren't sure if they'd really heard her right.
"…No? Whaddaya mean 'no'?" the Koopa King replied in a low voice. "What, is this the part where you double-cross us or something?"
"This won't work," Leanna said vaguely.
"What the hell are you talking about? You were the one who said we needed the symbol to make a portal and get outta here. You said we needed to know where our bodies were. You had the cards to give us the symbol and we know where we need to come out from. So what do you mean it won't work?"
"I also said you needed to use your bodies as a destination point. You need to be able to visualize where they are, so you need the mental magic part, remember?"
"Right, so we just think of our bodies in Castle Olympus and we can go there," said Mario.
"Have you ever been to Castle Olympus?" Leanna asked skeptically.
"Well…no…," Mario confessed.
"Exactly. That's the problem. If your bodies were at your home or somewhere you've been to a lot, you'd have no problem picturing it because you've been there probably hundreds of times before. But that's not the case. You've never actually been to this place. You have no idea what it looks like."
"We've got a picture of the place," Bowser argued, frustrated. "What more do we need?"
"You have an illustration of the castle itself. It's an artistic interpretation of a place whose actual existence is already questionable at best," Leanna explained. "But that aside, do you even know what the room inside the castle where your bodies supposedly are is going to look like? If not, how can you picture it? Besides, if any part of this place is real, it might still be very different in reality from what you're imagining it to be right now."
"…Well, it's not like we have much choice here. We have to try and make this work," Mario reasoned with a sarcastic laugh.
"No we don't. It's a stupid risk that's not worth taking," said Leanna. "I can't believe how close-minded you guys are being about this."
"Excuse me? For your information, it is worth taking because it's our bodies that are at stake here!" Bowser exclaimed. "I'm not staying in this stupid make-believe world any longer than I have to!"
"If you rush this and you turn out to be wrong, you won't get a second chance," said Leanna. "You do realize this, right?"
"But we could be right and-," Mario started.
"Or, you could be dead wrong!" Leanna cut him off. "Don't you understand? If you use the portal and don't end up exactly where your bodies are, your projections will disappear and take your minds along with them! You will effectively cease to exist, and if the curse is ever lifted in reality, you'll be brain-dead if your bodies somehow ever wake up at all!"
"Oh come on! I can't believe you're getting cold feet right now when we're so close to getting outta here!" Bowser exclaimed.
"I'm not getting cold feet! You two just aren't listening to me!"
"Leanna, why can't you just trust us?" Mario asked earnestly.
"Why can't you trust me?!" Leanna countered. "I taught you everything you know about this place! I took you in, trained you, and brought you this far to begin with. You think Contemno would have come along and done any of that for you?"
"Oh, don't go trying to play that sympathy card on us now, lady!" Bowser retorted. "We didn't ask you to do any of this stuff for us! Helping us was your choice!"
"Yeah? Well, maybe it's one I'm starting to regret. I thought you guys had more brains than this!"
Bowser crossed his arms and began tapping his foot, impatiently. He couldn't believe they were having this debate now of all times. They were so close to the finish line and now Leanna of all people was the one keeping them from crossing it.
Mario was trying his hardest to maintain his composure, but even his patience was beginning to run thin.
Leanna was sharing an equally frustrated sentiment, but for her own reasons.
Why couldn't she understand?
Why couldn't they understand?
"I'm telling you, this has to be it. It just makes too much sense!" Mario exclaimed as he pointed at the castle picture in the book for the umpteenth time.
"And I'm telling you that we can't be sure of that," Leanna argued as she pointed a finger at him.
"But if we don't try, we'll never know!"
"It's a huge risk, and if it doesn't pay off, you're screwed!"
"Why don't I just go first then? You know, like a test," Bowser offered haphazardly. "Would that satisfy you?"
"No! I keep telling you, you guys are being way too lax about this," Leanna reasoned as she gritted her teeth.
"We just don't understand why you're so against this all of a sudden," Mario emphasized, sounding utterly fed up with this monotonous argument at this point. "Ever since we met, you've wanted to help us get out of here. This was all your plan for us. Now we're here; we finally have our way out, but now you're suddenly against it?!"
"Ugggh! I keep telling you, it's not that I'm against it! You just don't understand the full scope of what's going on. So, allow me to spell it out for you again," said Leanna; reigning in control of the conversation rather harshly.
Mario and Bowser looked at each other skeptically, but remained quiet to listen.
"We don't know for a fact that your bodies are in Castle Olympus. And even if they are, you've never been there before. You don't know what this place actually looks like in reality. Therefore, the portal can't take you there if you can't clearly picture the place and the exact location of your bodies inside it. So, even if you're right and your bodies are at Castle Olympus, you still can't make it your destination point. That stupid picture is not enough. The fact is, you don't have enough information to pull this off successfully. Do you get it now?!"
Mario sighed.
"We know that! But-," he interjected.
"If I give you two the Kagi symbol right now and let you hop through those portals, there's no telling where you'll end up," Leanna continued. "And if by some miracle you do manage to make it to Castle Olympus, what if you're wrong and your bodies aren't there? You're just projections right now. So that means you only get one shot to make it back into your bodies. If you go to the wrong place, your projections and your minds will disappear forever if they can't reach your bodies."
"Well, what other choice do we have then?!" Bowser exclaimed, rolling his eyes and throwing up his hands. "Sit around on our butts and let you keep digging around blindly for some other clues just because you're too scared to take a chance?! For crying out loud, it's our bodies that are at stake here! We should get the final say on this, not you!"
"Or, you could trust me to do what I can with what I have!" Leanna argued. "If you're really that set on this stupid Castle Olympus place, then it only makes sense for me to go there in the real world first to make sure your bodies are actually there before you take the plunge! Otherwise, you risk throwing your whole existence away for nothing!"
"We do trust you, but we can't wait around that long," Mario reasoned, shaking his head in disbelief.
"That's right! We've got people out there who need us, and we've been away too long as it is!" Bowser added. "We need to get out of here and help them ASAP!"
"Well you won't be any good to them if your minds disappear for good just because you made a bad judgement call!" Leanna countered.
"We're no good to them just sitting here now because you're too scared to take the risk!" Bowser fought back.
"I told you already, I'm not-"
"WHY DO YOU EVEN CARE SO MUCH ABOUT US ANYWAY?! IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE FRIENDS!" Bowser roared.
Mario and Leanna both froze at this.
"…What did you just-"
"Yeah, you heard me!" Bowser ranted on. "We don't even know you! You just waltzed into our lives for no good reason and you've been bossing us around ever since! Well, I'm sick of it! We don't need the help of some nobody any longer! So just give us the stupid symbols so we can go home! Whether we make it back to our bodies or not, we'll still be out of your hair either way, right?!"
"Bowser!" Mario scolded him. Leanna immediately looked away and folded her arms. Mario noticed her bite her lip.
The three of them stood there silently for several minutes. Mario and Bowser were unsure what Leanna's silence was meant to imply. Mario in particular was bothered by her lack of response. He couldn't tell if she was hurting from Bowser's comment just now, or if she was simply choosing her next words carefully.
"…You're right, tubby. We aren't friends," Leanna said at last, but solemnly and with a defeated shrug. "How could we be? We told each other our whole life stories, and yet…we still know barely anything about each other."
"Leanna…we just-," Mario started softly.
"You've got people to look out for. I get it," Leanna finished for him as she raised a dismissive hand. "I may not know what that's like myself. But everyone's got their mission in life, I guess."
"Well, y-yeah…," the plumber agreed; rubbing his arm awkwardly. Leanna took a deep breath to gather her composure.
"Look, if you two are that dead set on this plan, I won't stand in your way," Leanna declared as her voice trembled ever so slightly. "I just hope you really understand what's at stake here."
The woman approached the two of them.
"Hold out your hands. Mario, take off your glove for a sec."
The pair did as they were told without a word. They didn't know what was coming next, so they couldn't imagine what they were supposed to say at that moment.
Leanna reached into her pocket and pulled out two pieces of paper with red markings on them: the Kagi symbols.
She placed them face-down in Mario and Bowser's palms.
"Remember how I talked about focusing your natural energy into specific parts of your body? Do that now. Send some of that energy into your hands." The pair exchanged hesitant glances, then closed their eyes and concentrated. It didn't take them long to piece together what was happening now.
Mario was fighting back tears with just as much effort as he could tell it was taking Leanna not to break down at that moment.
In the bitter silence of those seemingly endless seconds, Mario wracked his mind for something to say. He couldn't let this be how their conversation ended. Yet the words eluded him.
Ironic. He could speak full sentences for the first time in his entire life. But now he couldn't find anything to say to fix this mess he'd helped create.
Leanna placed her own hands on the backs of the cards and concentrated herself. The cards began to glow. Mario and Bowser felt a gentle warmth emanating from their hands. They opened their eyes and the light faded.
Leanna snatched the cards back and revealed that they were now blank.
"There," said Leanna, emotionless. "It's done."
Mario and Bowser looked down and sure enough, it was true. The Kagi symbols had been transferred to their hands.
"Thank you…," said Mario softly. He elbowed Bowser's side with force.
"Oof! Yeah, uhh…thanks…," Bowser joined in. Leanna's face didn't change. She still looked to be seconds away from breaking down.
"When you're ready to use them, just concentrate the energy into your hands. That'll create the portal. From there, just think about your destination point and jump inside."
"Got it," said Bowser. "Sooo...is this thing permanent…waterproof…or uhh…?"
"The ink will come off if you scrub it enough under warm salt water for ten minutes," Leanna answered simply; still audibly swallowing her emotion.
"That's a relief. I thought I was gonna be stuck with this thing forever, hehe," Bowser joked woodenly. Mario glared at him.
"Just remember everything I told you before," Leanna continued. "You can use these to come and go from this place whenever you want. But be sure to have a destination point in mind. Or, you know…don't; since you're too high and mighty to ever stop and think about the dangers of just jumping in somewhere blind."
Bowser clenched his fists at the thought of her trying to re-open their argument with that comment just now. He opened his mouth to say something, but Mario stopped him and shook his head. This time Bowser acknowledged him and stopped himself.
"But hey, you guys are practically celebrities back home, right? I'm sure you have nothing to worry about."
Leanna turned and immediately began walking away, having decidedly concluded her role as their magic instructor.
"So…what will you do now?" Mario asked after her. Leanna stopped, but refused to face him.
"That's none of your concern," she shut him down harshly.
"Aren't you going after Contemno?" Bowser asked; seriously this time.
"In time, yes. But unlike you two, I have to be patient if I'm gonna do it right. Then again, without you boys around for me to babysit, I…well, I'll just pick up where I left off." She turned back around to approach Mario again.
"…Oh yeah, and one more thing."
"Huh?" Mario replied.
"Leanna reached into her pocket and dropped something else into his hand: A few coins and…the vile of red serum he'd stolen from Contemno's lab! The plumber had nearly forgotten that Leanna took it from him back at the diner when they first met.
"What's this for?"
"The money you left me for the burgers the other day, and your vile," Leanna answered.
"But…you don't have to-"
"I don't need to make money in a fake world like this. And I never had any intention of keeping that from you. Nor was there anything at the orphanage I needed you to grab for me like I said back then. I lied about all of that."
"Say what?" Bowser inserted, baffled.
"I was just messing with you because I knew more than you. It gave me a good laugh. But the game's over. You two are all grown up now and you know the way out of here, don't you? So there's no reason for us to waste any more of each other's time. After all, we aren't friends, right?"
Mario and Bowser both fell silent. Whether Leanna realized it or not, they too were feeling the full, harsh weight behind Bowser's words moments ago.
Unfortunately, Leanna seemed to take their silence as an indicator to turn around and keep walking.
"Hey…! Hold on," Bowser called out.
"What is it now?" Leanna replied, annoyed. Bowser kicked at the dirt and scratched the back of his neck.
"I uhhh…Look, I didn't mean what I said just now about us not being friends. Sorry I said that."
Mario shot Bowser a blank look. It wasn't the most sincere-sounding apology he'd ever heard; rather forced in fact. But it was as good a start as any.
"Are you really?" Leanna probed, her harsh tone unchanged. Bowser raised an eyebrow and worked a muscle in his jaw.
"Of course I am. So what's that supposed to mean?"
"You got what you wanted, so it sounds to me like you're just trying to clear your conscience on your way out. But it's okay. You can wipe your hands clean of me. It wouldn't hurt me if you weren't sorry, you know," Leanna continued.
"Leanna…Bowser was just trying to-," Mario started.
"You don't have to worry about hurting me. I'm used to it."
"But that's not what I-," Bowser attempted.
"STOP ACTING LIKE WE HAVE SOME OBLIGATION TO EACH OTHER!" Leanna blurted out. "YOU WANTED A WAY OUT OF CONTEMNO'S HEART KINGDOM, AND I JUST GAVE IT TO YOU!"
"WILL YOU LISTEN?! WE JUST-"
"I ALREADY KEPT UP MY END OF THE BARGAIN!" Leanna screamed furiously over him. Mario and Bowser froze in an unsettling silence. "I gave you what you wanted! Now we're done! Let's just leave it at that." She croaked at the end of that last sentence.
Before Mario or Bowser could say another word, Leanna turned and hurried around the corner; vanishing behind the side of the house. A minute later, they heard the sound of her motorcycle roaring to life as she drove off in a rush.
Neither Mario nor Bowser knew what to do with themselves at that moment. Nothing seemed right.
They would be horrible friends if they just left now and abandoned Leanna while she was so distraught with misunderstanding. But at the same time, there was surely an equal chance that chasing after her would only agitate her further.
Perhaps it was Mario's better instinct that compelled him to believe they couldn't leave so soon. Leanna's warnings were haunting him now. She had a point. What if his instincts were wrong? What if they couldn't make it to Castle Olympus, or their bodies weren't actually there after all? They would cease to exist and no one else besides Leanna would ever know what actually happened to them.
Not only that, but Mario recalled Leanna mentioning before that someone needed to be there in reality to lift a curse for them. So even if Mario's instincts turned out to be right and they did find their bodies at Castle Olympus, how would they ever be free of this nightmare when they'd just driven away the only person they could rely on to help them out by filling such a vital role?
Bowser was feeling just as remorseful.
Why'd he have to let his temper get the best of him like that? Why'd he have to say something so blatantly untrue? Peach had taught him better than that. At least…Bowser thought he was better now. But how could that be true? He just pushed Leanna away the same way he drove a wedge between himself and Junior the last time he'd seen him.
Bowser knew he couldn't keep getting away with this. He needed to be better. He needed to be the father Junior deserved, the friend Mario needed, and the decent person Peach expected him to be. What difference did it make if he made it back in time to come to the rescue of the people he loved if Bowser still wasn't good enough for them?
At the same time, Bowser couldn't believe how easily Leanna gave up like that. Why would she believe him so easily when he'd said they weren't friends? She was too stubborn and hard-headed to just throw in the towel like that. Bowser was certain of that about her now. What he'd just said wasn't true in the slightest, and all three of them knew that.
They were friends. So why didn't Leanna fight harder for that?
Then again, after all she'd been through with her sister, Leanna's understanding of what it meant to have friends was surely questionable at best. Leanna was all alone in the world; hurting and distrustful. She needed people like Mario and Bowser to rescue her from such suffering, whether she'd admit it or not. But they'd failed her.
No. Bowser failed her. He caused this just like he caused all of the misfortune in his life. It was up to him and him alone to atone.
It wasn't Mario's fault. The world needed Mario, and they couldn't risk losing him. But someone like Bowser deserved to disappear. Maybe there was merit to his plan before. Maybe Bowser should try going there first on his own to see if it worked. If it didn't work and Bowser faded away, at least he deserved such a punishment.
The Koopa King turned to Mario and opened his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted.
"My my, what is it about this awful place that draws you boys to it?" a voice called out.
Mario and Bowser turned around in time to see Eris strolling towards them.
"I swear, you're like flies on manure when it comes to this orphanage."
"Eris!" Bowser exclaimed.
"What're you doing here?" Mario asked.
"Come now, is that really any way to greet someone who holds your freedom in the palm of her hand? Or to address a lady, no less?" Eris asked playfully.
"This is Contemno's heart kingdom. Only he has the power to let us out. Not you," Mario argued.
"Are you sure about that? I wouldn't be so assumptive about the powers the rest of us hold. We can do much more than you think."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Bowser probed. Eris tossed up her hands; shaking her head.
"It means exactly what it sounds like, you big oaf. Honestly, not everything I say has to be a riddle of some sort. Boy, it seems you two have been stuck in here for way too long. You've forgotten how to hold a civil conversation with anyone other than each other."
"If so, I wonder whose fault that might be," Bowser retorted sarcastically.
"Don't you have anything better to do than come here just to mock us?" said Mario.
"Of course, there's still so much to get done. We've got big plans, you know. Phase 2 is right around the corner." Mario and Bowser's eyes widened and they glanced at one another.
"'Phase 2?'" Mario parroted. "Just what are you planning now?" Eris smiled mischievously.
"Ohhh, I wish you could be there. It's gonna be big! The world as you know it is about to change forever. Too bad you'll be stuck in here and won't be able to see it for yourselves!"
"Yeah? That's what you think, sister! We're gonna bust outta here and squash whatever stupid plan you've got!" The Koopa King boasted. Mario gave Bowser a non-verbal gesture to stop talking, but he was completely ignored.
"Is that so? Do tell, just how are you planning on pulling that off?" Eris probed.
"Ha! It's easy! All we gotta do is just use this-"
"BOWSER, NO! DON'T TELL HER!" Mario exclaimed. Bowser immediately stopped when he realized his error.
Unfortunately, it was too late. Eris disappeared and reappeared behind them.
She snatched up Bowser's wrist and rotated it until she had a clear visual of the Kagi symbol on his hand. Mario rushed over to help, but Eris repelled him with a powerful blast of black aura.
"Well, well. It seems Wart was right. You two were up to something after all. How sneaky!"
Bowser tugged, but couldn't break Eris's grip on him for some reason, despite being twice her size. He attempted to throw a punch with his free hand, but Eris grabbed that one in time as well. The woman proceeded to knee Bowser directly in the chest. He crumpled over in pain.
"Is this a Kagi symbol? How cute! I haven't seen one of these in ages!" Eris recounted.
Mario raced over and jumped to deliver a kick, but Eris formed a black bubble in her hand and launched it right at Mario. Just before making contact, the bubble expanded and trapped Mario inside. Now he could only stand there and watch helplessly.
"How on earth did you stumble across these? Oh wait! Let me guess. Leanna gave them to you, didn't she?"
"So what if…she did…?" Bowser asked between hoarse breaths.
"You really shouldn't get mixed up with her, if you know what's good for you. She's nothing but a black hole; looking to suck up anyone and everyone who gets close and drag them down into a bottomless abyss they'll never escape from."
"How can you say something so terrible about your own sister?!" Mario exclaimed. Leanna turned to him as her mouth morphed from a playful smile into a menacing scowl.
"She's no sister of mine. Leanna is nothing more than a meaningless pest who lives in the past. That was where she was born, and where she still lives to this day. It's all she knows. She's incapable of ever being anything else."
"You're wr-wrong…about…her," Bowser said weakly. He slowly climbed to his feet.
"Is that so? And how would you know? Don't tell me she gave you her sob story about when we were kids," said Eris dismissively.
"She said you abandoned her," Mario recounted. "Just when she thought the two of you would be together again, Contemno came back and stole you away from her for good. He even put a curse on Leanna so she wouldn't be able to remember his name or face." Eris placed a palm to her face and laughed.
"You two are so misguided if you actually believe that nonsense! I grew up and moved on with my life. Leanna was the one who couldn't let go of the past. And for the record, it was me who put that curse on Leanna, not Contemno."
Mario and Bowser were dumbfounded by this.
"YOU HEARTLESS-!" Bowser exclaimed as he raced towards her. "HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO YOUR OWN FAMILY?!" The Koopa King threw a punch, but Eris summoned another black bubble and trapped him inside as he got close.
"My only family now is Contemno," Eris said simply. "Tell me something. Why is it you two are so desperate to escape from this place? Wouldn't it just be easier to stay here and accept your fate?"
"No, because we have people out in the real world we need to protect!" Mario answered.
"Yeah, friends and family! You know, people we love!" Bowser added. "Not that you would understand what that's like since you tossed out the only real family you had like garbage!"
"But I love Contemno. So tell me, how is my protecting him any different from your desire to protect the people you love?" Eris probed.
"You really are nuts if you think that's love!" Bowser denied. "Contemno doesn't love you! He only loves himself, and he'll throw you away the second you stop being useful to him! The same way you threw out Leanna!"
"If that's what you believe, then you really don't know us at all," said Eris with a chuckle. "Oh well. I must admit that I'm impressed. Your passion doesn't seem to have dwindled in the slightest in all the time you've spent here. Your spirits remain unbroken."
"That's right!" Mario affirmed. "There's nothing you or anyone else can do to sway us from the cause that keeps us fighting! We will get out of here and back to the real world, no matter what!"
Leanna folded her arms and gave him a skeptical gaze.
"Given the tenacity you've shown already, I certainly don't doubt that. But, you haven't forgotten about your heart lock, have you, Mario?" The plumber froze at this. "It's tied to your voice and memories, isn't it? So if you were to escape from this place without Contemno's permission, you stand to lose those things in the process. If that happens, then answer me this. What good you would really be then to the people you're so desperate to protect?"
"That's what he's got me for," Bowser inserted. Eris turned to him. "I'll be there to make sure he finds his way back to where he belongs in one piece."
"How naïve. You're such a child," said Eris with disdain. "But then again, you broke your own heart lock through nothing but sheer willpower alone. Talk about annoying."
"Damn right!" Bowser replied with pride. "Face it, there's nothing any of you chumps can do to stop us! We'll get outta here one way or another!"
"I'd be careful what you wish for, if I were you."
"Yeah? And why's that?"
"The real world has changed a lot in the time you've been away. You might not even recognize it anymore," said Eris cryptically. "So many precious little hearts breaking everywhere you turn. I doubt even the legendary Super Mario could put them all back together again."
"That sounds like a challenge," said Mario with a confident smirk.
"Cute. But you know, you don't exactly need to convince me of anything," Eris replied. Mario and Bowser exchanged confused glances.
"What do you mean?" Mario asked. The woman turned and began to walk away.
"When all is said and done, you two will learn the sheer depth of cowardice and despair that people can feel in their hearts," said Eris. "This world has become distorted, and the ones you're trying so desperately to protect have already begun to immerse themselves deep within the darkness where they belong. A terrible sin was committed long ago, and now you're all finally paying the price for it. If you really intend to stand against Contemno, then we'll be waiting for you on the other side of the distortion. Don't keep us waiting too long."
"Enough with the cryptic crap!" Bowser exclaimed as he pounded on the barrier that contained him. "What the hell are you talking about?!"
Eris glanced back at him and smirked.
She twisted her wrist and instantaneously, Mario and Bowser found themselves growing drowsy. Their vision blurred and sounds echoed. Eris's voice was the last thing they heard before succumbing to slumber within their bubble prisons. As their consciousness waned, they were left only with Eris's parting words amidst the darkness.
Once you lose heart, you'll find yourself lusting for the safe, familiar refuge of dreams soon enough.
Junior's group reached Merlon's house and entered as casually as if they were waltzing into their own home after an extended vacation. Roy set Peach down after she told him she had recovered enough to move on her own. Daisy waited outside with Hariet so the others could brace their host for the newest and most shocking development.
"Ah, you're back," Merlon greeted them warmly.
Junior instinctively embraced Merlon in an intimate hug without a second thought. Color filled his cheeks when he realized everyone was staring, and the Koopa Prince backed away sheepishly; using his need for a shower as an excuse to step out of their sight as quickly as possible.
"It's great to see you again, Merlon," Peach greeted him back with just as much warmth.
"Indeed. It fills my heart with immense relief and joy to see that you have all returned from your perilous journey safely. And I sense that you are not the only ones who have arrived before me this evening."
Goombella and Kooper exchanged greetings with Merlon and explained their desire to aid in Iggy's research from the basement. Merlon was happy to oblige to this and used his magic to increase the size of the house just enough to accommodate the additional residents.
Iggy took the lead on explaining to their gracious host of their unexpected encounter with the Broodals and their newfound captive. Initially, Merlon was less than thrilled at the idea of his home – which was meant to be a sacred, spiritual place - being instead used to confine someone against their free will. However, he slowly came around to the prospect once the Koopaling promised they would only extract information from Hariet without resorting to violent or torturous means. Once the terms were set, Iggy took Hariet down to the basement without saying another word to anyone.
"Well then, I suppose it's time to get started," Peach declared as she put her hands together.
"With what?" Daisy asked, while the others gathered around curiously. Peach scanned the room quickly to make sure that the only people present in the room at the moment were those whom she wanted to hear her.
"Well, it was Junior's birthday recently, right? I imagine that with everything that's happened recently, he never got a proper celebration, did he?" Larry and Roy looked at each other.
"Now that you mention it…no…I guess he didn't," Larry admitted as his face fell.
"Yeah…I mean, with his coronation gettin' canned and all…we never even bothered to at least throw him a birthday party," Roy added. "Sheesh…some family we are."
"Well, then it's no wonder he's been such a grouch lately," said Peach playfully. "Luckily, now is the perfect time to fix that!"
"Why? What're you planning?" asked Kooper.
"I'm going to bake one of my world-famous cakes!" the princess announced. This lit up the entire room.
"No way, for real?! I've always wanted to try one!" said Larry, already salivating at the prospect. Roy scratched his head.
"Is…now really a good time for this?" he asked.
"What do you mean?!" Daisy answered instead. "You guys saved me and my kingdom, and we just kicked some Broodal butt! That, coupled with our little leader's birthday is more than enough reason to celebrate!"
"Oooh, oooh! Can I help?!" Toad volunteered with his hand raised high in the air. Peach put her hands on her hips and glared at him.
"Are you kidding? Did you forget what happened last time? You nearly burned down the whole castle!" Peach recounted. Toad folded his arms and pouted.
"So I forgot the stove was on when I put the recipe book on top of it one time! Sorrr-ry!"
Daisy began gathering supplies around the kitchen while Goombella flipped open a recipe book. Meanwhile, Toad went off to sulk about being excluded from the baking event that was unfolding, and Larry and Kooper agreed to help collect ingredients from the fridge in order for Merlon to prepare a mysterious dinner that the mage was unwilling to describe as anything other than "magically delicious."
Before long, the kitchen was positively buzzing with excitement. Daisy organized ingredients while Goombella read off instructions. Larry chopped up the last of the vegetables, and Merlon sprinkled some sort of magic seasoning into the large stew pot that Kooper was stirring.
"You…gonna need any more help with that cake?" Roy offered awkwardly from the kitchen's corner. Peach was carrying a large mixing bowl over to the island in the kitchen's center, but stopped in her tracks. Though taken aback at first, she was pleasantly surprised to hear this.
"Well…certainly!" she affirmed with a friendly smile. "But, I must say I wouldn't have expected such an offer to come from…well…you, Roy," she replied. "Oh! B-but no offense, of course!"
Roy dismissed the notion with a wave of his hand.
"Bah, don't sweat it. I know I don't look it. And it has been a long time. But I used to help out the Mistress a lot with the cooking when my siblings were little, y'know," Roy explained. Now he had Peach's attention as she placed down the bowl and raised an eyebrow.
"'Mistress?'" the princess echoed.
"Yeah, back at the orphanage," the Koopaling clarified.
Daisy poured ingredients into the bowl - the measurements of each dictated precisely by Goombella - and began mixing them together.
"Ohhhh…that's right," Peach recalled. "I forgot that Bowser adopted you. What was that place like, by the way?"
Larry was within earshot when he heard this and immediately picked up the pace to get out of the kitchen as quickly as possible now that his own cooking task was done. That was a memory he was in no hurry to re-live.
"Well, it wasn't exactly a glamorous life. But I'd been in it long enough to get used to it," Roy answered.
"I'm sure the others were happy to get outta there when Bowser came to pick them up then, huh?" said Daisy, still stirring away merrily.
"Yep, they sure were. I don't think any of 'em were really there long enough to grow attached to it in a sense like I did," said Roy.
"What did you like about it so much?" inquired Goombella, as she looked up from the recipe book. The Koopaling froze suddenly.
"Well, uhh…I…," Roy trailed off as he seemed to suddenly be staring off into space; lost in thought. Daisy and Goombella stopped their respective mixing and reading when they were hit by the sudden silence.
"Roy…?" Peach called out to him a minute later.
"H-huh? Wha?!" The Koopaling snapped back to attention to find the three girls all staring at him with concern.
"Is…something wrong?" Peach probed.
"I-it's nothin'," he replied. "F-forget I mentioned it."
"You sure? You okay, big guy?" Daisy followed up, placing a skeptical hand on her hip.
'You okay, big guy?'
Now that was something he hadn't been asked in a long time. Yet it still hurt just as much for him to hear it now.
"Y-yeah, yeah. I'm f-fine. Just fine," Roy assured. The others looked to one another. They weren't exactly convinced, but they silently agreed that it wasn't entirely necessary to press the subject any further.
"Well…okay," Goombella spoke on their behalf. "But y'know, if there's ever anything you wanna talk about, you can always-"
"Listen, Junior's gonna be down soon so we better hurry up with this cake if we wanna finish in time to surprise him, yeah?" Roy proposed.
Peach, Daisy, and Goombella all shared looks of determination as they nodded and dove right back into their roles. The Koopaling turned around and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He was relieved to get them off the subject so quickly.
But he failed to notice that Larry was still watching him from the entry way; his sky blue eyes laced with unwavering suspicion.
Upstairs, Junior emerged from the bathroom as steam trailed behind him and dissipated in the bedroom. The Koopa Prince finished running the towel through his damp red hair and stopped in front of the mirror. He then rested the towel casually across the back of his neck. Despite having just come back from a palace of ice where his reflection was everywhere, this was the first time in a while that Junior really stopped and took a good, long look at himself. He placed his palm tenderly over his belly.
Likely thanks to all of the training and excitement he'd experienced since the night Contemno attacked the castle and set all of the events into motion, Junior immediately noticed that he'd actually managed to lose some weight. Some of the flab in his stomach had been trimmed away and his gut was smaller now. Even though he was still probably quite a ways off from being considered "in shape", Junior couldn't help but smile with confidence that Wendy would probably be just as proud of his physical transformation if she were here.
He then turned his attention to his biceps and gave off a modest flex. A lot had happened the past several days. But in spite of all of that, Junior was rather proud of all he'd accomplished: devoting himself to his magic training at last, learning Nimbelai, rescuing Daisy and saving Sarasaland; not to mention taking on the likes of Tatanga, Midbus, and the Broodals.
The Koopa Prince was rather impressed with himself at that moment. He felt on top of the world. Whoever was next to oppose him was in for the fight of their lives. In a sense, Junior couldn't wait to see what lied ahead next.
Unfortunately, a shadow was quickly cast over his optimism. Junior also realized that his hair had grown in enough to the point that without tying it into a top-knot as he usually did, Junior really was the spitting image of Bowser.
He grimaced. That came with an assortment of mixed emotions for him.
Opening the gateways to clarity with Merlon had helped Junior become much more accepting of both himself as an individual, and as the off-spring of a powerful and world-renowned king. Junior understood that becoming the next king meant embracing his heritage to a certain extent. And despite the baggage from his past, the Koopa Prince knew that he still had a deep love and respect for his father underneath it all. To that extent, there really wouldn't be anything weird about Junior deciding to leave his hair down for once and embrace his similarities to Bowser.
But on the other hand, Junior wasn't Bowser.
He may have been Bowser's son, but he wasn't a copy or a clone. Junior was still his own person at the end of the day. He had his own opinions; his own interests; his own dreams and goals; his own life to live. As he was growing more and more into his magic powers and his role as a mage-in-training with each passing day, Junior also recognized that he couldn't sacrifice his sense of identity for the sake of playing a part; even one as important as king of the Koopas.
To Junior, turning into Bowser meant falling into all of the same traps and making all of the same mistakes as his father, and there was no way he could accept that. Love be damned. Junior still carried a lot of resentment towards his father. Not just for keeping details about his mother a secret for so long. But also for prioritizing his decade-long rehabilitation with Peach and serving on the Kingdom Council over being a father or proper mentor for his son's coronation training.
Junior had since acquired the mental clarity to recognize his own mistakes he'd made in all of this, which did contribute to the way things were now. But even so, he alone was not entirely to blame.
The argument Junior had with Bowser still lingered in his mind. He wasn't happy with how they'd left things. But he wouldn't exactly take back everything he'd said that night either. More than anything, Junior just wanted a chance to talk with Bowser one more time and clear the air. He still had things he wanted to discuss with him.
That day would come soon enough. Junior would find and rescue his father no matter what it took. Then, he'd make them have a serious discussion about the past and the future alike. Bowser had to realize that it wasn't just about what he wanted for Junior or what the kingdom expected of them anymore. Junior intended to make Bowser understand that Junior had his own feelings and desires for the future as well.
But for now, the Koopa Prince knew he would have to put in the work to make that happen.
Junior finished drying himself off, slipped on the clothes Merlon had gifted to him, and ultimately decided to restore his iconic top-knot once more.
He had to follow his heart and be his own person; no matter who else he might see in the mirror.
Junior then used the towel to polish the handle of his trusty paintbrush and remove some smudges as well. It had received some scuffs and scratches from the battles it had seen thus far. And Junior was sure it would only incur more in the times ahead. But as long as he held this tool in his hands, anything felt possible. He could right the wrongs unfolding in this world and create a brighter future for himself, his comrades, his family, and the Koopa Kingdom.
Junior's chest felt lighter after taking this unexpected moment of introspection. Not to mention his breathing felt a little easier. He set the brush down against the wall by his bed and left the bedroom to descend the stairs.
"You could make all of this easier on yourself, you know," said Iggy; swiveling around in his chair and folding his arms.
"I said fuhget it! I ain't tellin' yous nuddin'!" Hariet exclaimed from within the square Plexiglas holding cell the Koopaling managed to put together on extremely short notice thanks to both Merlon's magic and his own techno magic as well.
"Yes, I know. I caught that before. That's all you've been saying for the past few hours, in fact."
"Well, get used ta it! Cuz I ain't gunna say nuddin' different!"
On top of his exhaustion from the excursion back from Sarasaland, Iggy's patience was running much thinner than usual. He knew this was dangerous because next to Ludwig, Iggy considered himself to be one of the more level-headed Koopalings.
That was precisely why he knew that he alone would have to oversee this interrogation.
Sure, the others might've been willing to help to some capacity, but Iggy knew there was a certain science to interrogation. Anyone else jumping in would just get in the way, to put it bluntly.
Despite his growing maturity, Junior was still far too young, had too short of a temper, and would grow impatient with the process far too quickly. Hariet wouldn't need to say much to start really pushing his buttons and get him side-tracked.
Larry was a similar case to Junior, though with only slightly less of a concern about the maturity factor.
Roy enjoyed being the muscle of their group a little too much. So he would likely resort to physical threats before long, even though Iggy had promised Merlon they wouldn't use such tactics. If they really needed a bad cop, Roy would be perfect for the role. But right now, they didn't.
Peach was level-headed enough, but after what happened to Mario and Toadsworth, she had far too much of an emotional stake in this whole affair to really be an effective interrogator in Iggy's eyes. She didn't have enough objectivity. Not that anyone could blame her for this though. Granted, she would take a bit more pushing than Junior before her emotions took the wheel. But it was still a risk that Iggy didn't deem worth taking.
Toad and Daisy were too unstable – for lack of a better term – to be trusted with effectively aiding in this task.
Iggy perceived Goombella to be the best possible candidate on-hand to assist him – given their similar levels of intellect. Unfortunately, she and Kooper had not been directly involved in this conflict with Contemno's forces long enough to effectively ask the necessary, informed questions and get the answers the team desperately needed at this point.
The Koopaling took no pleasure in thinking of his family and comrades in such negative oversimplifications. But the fact of the matter was that he needed to make headway on this as quickly as possible. He had gone without sleep too long already and knew he wouldn't be able to get any until he'd gotten something out of Hariet.
Thus, he had no time or patience to deal with anyone else's nonsense.
With a deep breath, Iggy pursued a revised and more calculated approach.
"Why don't we try this another way?" he proposed, clearing his throat. Hariet eyeballed him with skeptical disdain. Though the fact that she was meeting his gaze at all was a good start. "Your name's Hariet, correct? I believe that's what the Broodal in green was calling you."
"Yeah, dat's my name. What of it?" Hariet snapped back.
"My name is Ignatius. Although, everyone just calls me Iggy. You can do the same, if you'd like." Hariet blew a sharp breath and rolled her eyes at this.
"Oh brudda. Ya tryin' ta buddah me up now or what?"
"Not at all. It just seems silly for us to have any sort of conversation without knowing each other's names," Iggy answered simply. Hariet sighed, but didn't say anything more. Iggy took this absence of an objection to jump in with his next question.
"So, what's your relationship with the other Broodals?"
"Who da hell said I had feelin's about any of dem, ya sicko?!" Hariet exclaimed, insulted.
"I wasn't implying romantically," Iggy clarified. "I simply asked how you are related to them, is all."
"O-oh…," said Hariet, as her entire face went red with embarrassment. "Dey're family."
"So they're your brothers then?" Iggy reached for a clip board and began scribbling away. Hariet folded her arms.
"Dat's what I said, ain't it? And whaddya writin' dat down for? I told ya I ain't cooperatin' with no investy-gation."
"Something to know about me is that my mind is constantly busy with all sorts of random thoughts. If I don't write something important down, it's sure to get lost in the shuffle," Iggy explained with no change in his voice.
"And why da heck is dat important ta ya, weirdo?"
"It helps me understand you better. So, what's the pecking order in your group then?" Hariet's eyes widened at this.
"'…Peckin''? We's is rabbits, not chickens, idiot!" Iggy's eyelids narrowed at this. He hadn't exactly pegged Hariet as the intelligent one of the Broodals, but the fact that he would have to dumb his manner of speaking down even further for her to understand him was annoying, to put it mildly.
"It's a figure of speech. I'm asking who's in charge in your group," said Iggy. "I take it that the green one is the leader, given how frequently he was speaking on behalf of you and the other two."
"Oh, ya mean Toppa? Yeah, he's in charge," Hariet affirmed. Iggy immediately made a note of this.
"'Topper', eh? I get it, because of all the green top hats."
"Doy! It ain't exactly rocket science!"
It took more effort than Iggy was willing to admit to maintain his composure in the wake of the sheer hypocrisy of Hariet questioning his intelligence when just a second ago, he had to explain to her that the phrase "pecking order" was not referring to literal chickens. But, the Koopaling pressed on.
"What's your rela-" Iggy immediately cut himself off to avoid falling into the same pitfall as earlier. He was going to have to pick his words carefully if he was going to get anything substantial out of Hariet before sunrise at this rate. "I mean, do you get along with Topper?"
"Whadda ya mean? A course I do. He's my bruddah," Hariet replied as a matter of fact.
"Well sure. But I have brothers too, and we still fight every now and then," said Iggy. "Do you ever fight with Topper?" Hariet paused to consider this.
"W-well…sure. We fight every now and den. But yous just said dat yous do's it too. So who cares?"
"From the way he talked to you out there, that didn't sound like normal siblings bickering to me," said Iggy. "Topper seemed to be threatening you and singling you out quite a lot. Am I wrong?"
Hariet's face fell. She could recall it all quite vividly.
"Open yer eyes, dummy! Da next time boss calls for us, it'll be to show us da door! We gotta prove ourselves to him before dat happens!"
"IDIOT! WHATDJA GO TELLIN' 'EM DAT FOR?!"
"HARIET, I'LL THROTTLE YA IF YA KEEP RUNNIN' YA MOUTH! SHUT YA TRAP!"
"I dunno what da heck ya talkin' about," Hariet denied, with no change in her tone or expression.
"I think you do," Iggy argued. "Even when we're at our worst, my siblings and I don't yell or threaten each other the way I saw Topper do to you. That isn't normal. He doesn't respect you, does he?"
Hariet turned her back to Iggy.
"…I tought yous was gonna be askin' me about Contemno, not Toppa," she replied.
"You said before you weren't going to tell me anything about that," Iggy reminded her.
"I said I wasn't gonna tell yous nuddin'! Dat's all I said!" Iggy shook his head dismissively at this poor misdirection.
"We both know what you really meant by 'nuddin'. You knew we were looking for information about Contemno and his operations and you made it clear you weren't going to tell us anything about it. That's why I'm asking you about something different. But even when it comes to simpler questions about your family, you continue to dodge me. Why is that?"
"W-well…I…," Hariet stuttered. Iggy took immediate notice of her hesitation. While it was good that he was managing to break through her defenses, he knew he had to be careful not to apply too much pressure. Otherwise, she might shut down altogether. After all, coming off as a decent guy and winning some good graces with Hariet was far more advantageous than simply antagonizing her.
"But you know...we don't have to talk about either if you're uncomfortable. We can talk about something else."
"…Like what?"
"Whatever you are comfortable with. But only you can tell me what that is."
Hariet silently considered this, but still didn't turn around. Iggy rubbed his eyes and shot a quick glance back at his computer monitor. He couldn't interpret her silence as anything more than a roadblock for now. A few more minutes of silence passed.
"Alright, how about we just call it a night, then?" Iggy suggested as he rubbed his eyes again and sighed. "It's about dinner time and I'm needed at a surprise party upstairs, apparently."
Hariet still offered Iggy nothing but silence. In response, the Koopaling stood up, walked past her cell, and approached the staircase.
"Hey! Hold up! So dat's it den? We's is done?!" Hariet exclaimed.
"For now," said Iggy.
"B-but whatta bout me, huh? Am I suppose ta just starve ta death down here?!"
"Relax, I'll bring back something for you to eat," Iggy called down from halfway up the stairs.
Hariet's eyes widened and her ears twitched at this.
"..Y-Ya will? Ya mean it?!" she replied, practically salivating. "Why da heck would yous do dat fuh me?! I mean, I haven't told ya anythin' ya wanna hear!"
"That's true. But I feel like I know more about you now than I did when we started. That's something." Hariet said nothing once more. After the echo of a closing door trickled down and reached her holding cell, Hariet was all alone with nothing more than her thoughts.
"Why's it so dark down here?" Junior both wondered and asked as he emerged into pitch-black darkness on the first floor.
On cue, the lights flipped on.
"SURPRISE!" everyone exclaimed. Larry, Roy, Iggy, Peach, Daisy, Goombella, Kooper, Toad and Merlon were all lined up side by side in front of Junior; holding a delectable chocolate cake with eighteen candles glowing brightly. Merlon waved his hand and summoned a playful wave of confetti.
"What's…all this?" Junior asked, dumbfounded.
"We just wanted to do something nice for you," Larry answered.
"Yeah, we know things at the castle were pretty gloomy after the coronation and your test and all…," Roy added. "But you still had a birthday that we never actually celebrated." Junior rubbed the back of his head modestly.
"Gee, that's really nice of you guys," said Junior. "But honestly, it's okay. You didn't have to-"
"And don't forget that you've been totally working your tail off lately kicking butt left and right!" Goombella reminded.
"That alone is worth celebrating!" said Kooper.
"True enough, I guess," Junior agreed with a shrug and a small smile. "Thanks, guys."
"You should thank Peach. This was all her idea, you know," said Daisy.
Peach and Junior's eyes met, and they each blushed; uncertain of what to really say.
"Oh. Well, uhh…t-thanks, Peach," Junior said cordially.
"You're welcome, Junior. Happy birthday," Peach replied with a warm smile.
Struck by a realization, the Koopa Prince frowned and placed a hand over his stomach.
"But listen…I don't actually have to eat this…right? I mean, I just noticed I've actually lost some weight in all this and Wendy told me-"
"WHAT ARE YOU, A GIRL?!" Daisy exploded at him. "YOU GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW AND ENJOY WHAT WILL LIKELY BE THE BEST CAKE YOU WILL EVER TASTE IN YOUR KOOPA LIFE!" Junior backed away slowly, but Larry and Roy reached out and yanked him back by his wrists.
"H-hey! Hold on! L-let's talk about this, guys!" Junior panicked.
"Awww, what'sa matter, squirt? The future Koopa King ain't afraid of a little chocolate icing, is he?!" Roy taunted.
"Yeah, get over here and stuff your face, birthday boy!" Larry added.
Playful laughter filled the air as the group enjoyed a much needed moment of rest and comradery; the first they'd really had since first coming together.
There would be plenty of time tomorrow to continue their mission. But tonight was an occasion for celebration and merriment. After all, what good was it to have comrades if they couldn't enjoy moments of peace together as well?