Hello Everyone...
I know it's long overdue and I cannot apologize enough for the delay. That said... I have finished this story and will have the last chapter posted in the next couple days.
I was hoping to have this chapter up last week but my internet crapped out.
DAY 730- CONT'D
During the fall I expected to slam hard into the stone floor. I even closed my eyes anticipating the SPLAT! But instead I landed painlessly on my shell. Sitting up I froze surprised that my entire body remained unharmed despite the long fall. The impact was akin to falling backward onto a bed even Jimmy walked away without a scratch.
Remembering Loki's explanation regarding King Koopa's bewitchment, I couldn't help watching Jimmy frantically vanish and reappear in the same place with pity. The mushroom wasn't aware of the room's curse. It means he didn't have complete control over Master Kamek's mind.
"W-Why can't I get out of here," Jimmy cried nervously.
"King Koopa made it impossible to get out of the pit once you fall in," I answered standing up. A giant red iron door sat at the other end of the pit. "The only way out is through the dungeon."
Jimmy's heart sank looking hesitantly at the door. Worry filled his face and his hands shuffled against one another absentmindedly. "What kind of monsters are in there and where does it lead?"
"Huh," my hand hit my chin. "I don't recall hearing anything about monsters." I never thought to ask Loki since I never considered the people of this land, monsters.
I didn't think there would be any considering the time limit and room filling with lava. I mean King Koopa wouldn't risk the welfare of his soldiers but then…
'Does anyone beside me have fire resistant armor' I asked myself before continuing out loud, "I don't think there'll be any monsters.
"King Koopa probably isn't too concern. If a person makes it through the dungeon, then he probably realized he'd have to fight them personally since King Koopa's throne room is on the other end-."
"Koopa's throne room," Jimmy whispered vanishing through the red door.
"Wait Jimmy," I shouted watching a timer appear counting down from 300… 299… 298… I ran after him. "We need to work together!"
As soon as I crossed the threshold, the iron door slammed shut behind me. Luckily the timer displayed the countdown inside of the chamber. However it was already down to 291… 290… 289…
The dungeon was created with large white stones at the landing. Walking to the edge I saw that the path split into top, middle, and bottom section with an open air elevator moving up and down. A large lava pool sat directly beneath the moving platform and I notice small lava pools broke up the bottom path. It implied that the room will flood from the bottom up. I looked at the door and saw the timer dropped to 265… 264… 263…
I jumped across the elevator entering the middle path and as I ran I found myself narrowly avoiding the elevator. Somehow I ended up back at the start. Timing the elevator again, I rode it to the bottom section stepping over the lava pits. Moving forward again, I almost busted my chin on the elevator again. My king's bewitchment sent this unlucky participant back to start once again. Time continued counting down 230… 229… 228…
Jumping on the elevator, I rode it to the top landing and hurried watching the ground extending further as I ran. Luckily I arrived at the next set of options without incident. Once again it separated into a top, bottom, and middle path with another elevator bridging the gap. I took the top path again.
The hallway continued expanding as I rushed approaching another elevator. I decided to try the top path again thinking, 'Hey maybe King Koopa made the top path the right path through the maze because he thought an intruder wouldn't figure it out.' However, as soon as I cleared the elevator onto the platform, I found myself back at start. Time ticked down to 192… 191… 190…
I reentered the maze and quickly followed the top path to the third elevator. Knowing the top path wouldn't work again, I dropped to the middle path but once again found myself back at the start. Ignoring the timer this time, I quickly returned to the path knowing the pattern was top, top, bottom.
Hurrying through the bottom section, I was relieved that I haven't encountered any creatures. I knew my king wouldn't risk the wellbeing of his citizens. However, as I neared the end of the third hallway a large red glow appeared. I felt the heat on my chin. Luckily there was another elevator. Naturally I jumped but my speed had me going too fast and my momentum carried me to the top landing which sent me back to start. Repeating the route again, I jumped a little sooner. My speed had nearly overshot the elevator sending me into the lava pit. Reflexively I gripped the end of the platform stopping my descent.
I climbed onto the elevator then leapt to the middle landing. Instantly I was back at start again. My head found the timer at 136… 135… 134… then it shook disappointedly. My king made that jump nearly impossible. I guess it's the reason he didn't have monsters in here. The dungeon's pretty tricky on its own.
'No wonder Darklandians avoid it,' my head said. 'I'd be dead if I didn't have the speed I considered a superpower.'
I'm convinced Mario has it too. It explains why he's the only one who got through this dungeon. Hurrying I ended up timing my next jump when the elevator reached the ceiling. I landed on the bottom path but instead of it extending when I moved forward I found myself on the middle landing. There was a tiny hole in the ceiling and in the floor branching into three separate paths.
I chose straight stepping over the hole in the ground finding myself back at start again. Rushing through the maze, I managed to catch up in time to see Jimmy take the lower path. He vanished. I quickly followed.
"Jimmy," I shouted appearing back at the start but the mushroom was already gone. I guess he already reentered the maze. The timer hit 103… 102… 101… before I followed the path again. I arrived to the section with the holes in time to see Jimmy go up. He vanished like moments before when he took the lower path. I froze.
'Did he just go back to start,' I thought. 'How does King Koopa get through here if moving forward sends you back to start?'
"There is only one direction left," I said turning.
The ground reversed mirroring the hallway with the hole in the ceiling and in the floor instead of the large lava pit I had to leap over in order to get here. I went forward but found myself back at start. I hurried back along the path climbing into the ceiling then back at start. Into the dungeon again, I arrived to my spot and went down but ended up at start once more. The timer fell to 81… 80… 79…
Retracing my steps, I spoke out loud, "Top, top, bottom, bottom, left…" I froze again realizing it was another move forward situation. It dawned on me to turn "right."
The ground reversed again but instead of mirroring the previous landing with a hole in the ceiling and in the floor the path extended toward another elevator with a lava pit and three landings on the other side. Stepping forward I found myself at start once again. It was odd since I only took one step forward. The timer ticked 66… 65… 64…
Running back into the maze, I was surprised I hadn't caught up to Jimmy since last time. At the very least I should have passed him at least once more but I hadn't seen him at all roaming these halls. I made it back to the landing with the elevator. Recalling that I went back to start just stepping forward, I turned around again watching the chamber mirror the previous one with the elevator and 3 landings on the far side.
Considering my king's pattern so far, I turned to the right instead of moving forward. As I did, the room reversed again. However, I saw the entrance again but this time the door was on the landing after the elevator. I motioned forward but my conscious gripped me saying one word, 'Jimmy.'
Despite what he put me through since coming to this world, I couldn't leave the mushroom to his fate. Perhaps, I wanted him to answer for his crimes or maybe I just couldn't imagine a living creature be burned alive if I could help it. My body turned around again and I found myself starting the maze anew. The timer ticked to 35… 34… 33…
"Jimmy! Jimmy," I yelled moving to the elevator. "Come back to start! I found the way out!"
However, Jimmy hadn't returned and I watched the counter tick to 26… 25… 24… Reentering the maze, I hurried along the path but couldn't find the mushroom. As I went to turn left the second time, I found him crying into his hands curled in a ball.
"I… I don't understand," Jimmy sobbed. "I've gone every way I could think of."
I got lucky. All we had to do is turn right and we'd be near the end. "Jimmy, I found the way out," I said reaching forward since Jimmy was in one spot. However, the mushroom jumped forward at my touch. We were both sent back to the entrance, "Damn it, Jimmy!"
"W- What," he stammered. "Why'd you sneak up on me?"
"I found the way out," I answered seeing the time hit 19… 18… 17… "Come on. Follow me."
I led the mushroom through the path and was a few feet ahead of him when he tripped at the second elevator. Instead of getting up, Jimmy broke into tears. It was clear that he had given up. I couldn't blame the fungi. I felt defeated a few times and wanted to give up too.
Searching for some way to motivate the mushroom, my hand reached inside my shell and found the envelope that started this whole mess. It made me smile.
"Jimmy get up," I asked bending down. "Soon the war will come to its end and the 8 kingdoms will be united." The mushroom looked at me through swollen eyes. "Princess Toadstool invited King Koopa to her birthday party. Change is in the air.
"Did you know that's King Koopa's dream," I asked muffling his sniffles. "He enslaves people so they can actually see what life is like inside the Darklands." He stared disbelievingly at me. "You may not believe it but it's true. There isn't crime in the Darklands," I said reaching my hand out.
"B- But he kidnapped us," Jimmy questioned but he didn't completely dismiss my words.
"I know," I said in a chuckle falling to one knee. "Jimmy get on my back. I'll explain while we get out of here." The mushroom complied wrapping his arms around my neck while I hooked his legs between my arms and sides. "King Koopa kidnapped us because it is the only way to have people visit the Darklands…
"Since people don't come here willingly," I said hurrying to the first bottom path. "But his citizens all have a home, don't worry about freezing at night, fight in the streets or steal from each other."
I jumped to the elevator in order to work my way to the 2nd bottom path but Jimmy started panicking as we were attempting to clear the lava pit. He pulled my neck back disrupting my timing and forcing me to grab the middle section. We were both teleported back to the start. Luckily we were still together but ended up falling backwards before the elevator.
"That's not true," the mushroom seethed behind clenched teeth. "He made me a latrine. A toilet…" anger filled his voice. "He made my life a nightmare!" He yelled staring at his gloved hands.
I walked over and slapped him across the face. "It's true. You had to see it when Master Kamek took you to the museum." Jimmy paused recalling some memory I wasn't privy too but softened his face. "Or you must have noticed seeing servants and soldiers walking side by side in the castle." I frowned finishing, "I mean Master Kamek even taught you, a slave, magic."
A smile creased Jimmy's face. "Yeah. Only royalty get to practice magic in the Mushroom Kingdom."
"After a person gets to experience life in the Darklands, the king does free them," I explained seeing happiness return to Jimmy's face. "Bain, Ed, and Simon were all freed." Life filled the mushroom's eyes. "They even got to leave the Darklands."
"Really," Jimmy jumped to his feet excitedly.
"Yeah," I was happy for the mushroom. His enthusiasm renewed his spirit and mine. "They even became citizens of the Darklands." Jimmy's spirit began deflating. I may have told him a bit too much. "They chose to become citizens." He looked at me suspiciously so I reached out my hand. "And we will too."
His eyes soften and confidence entered his face. "Ye-." Suddenly an alarm cut him off drawing both of our attention to the timer. "It's zero! How are we going to get out now?"
"Do you trust me," I asked falling to a knee.
"Yeah, Baldo," he replied reaching out.
"Then hold on," I pulled the mushroom letting him ride piggyback like I did previously.
I ran into the labyrinth as fast as I could while declaring which path I went. "Up. Up. Down." A sigh of relief escaped my mouth as lava slowly began filling the maze from the lower level instead of flooding the chamber all at once like a bursting dam.
Luckily the lava rose only as high as the top of my boots. King Koopa's enchantment worked as he said preventing the lava from burning my feet. However, I couldn't slow down even though being protected up to my shoulders because of the fungi on my back. Judging by the tension in his arms and legs tightening around, I concluded that he probably isn't protected at all. It means I really only have until the lava reaches my upper leg.
"It's hot Baldo," Jimmy said responding to the heat rising above the red liquid.
Despite his fear, Jimmy's arms didn't tighten around my neck as I leapt under the 2nd elevator declaring "Down" sticking the landing on the bottom path. We ended up in the middle section. "Left." The room reversed. "Right. Left." The room shifted again and again. "Right."
The front entrance appeared again but this time we were rushing toward it. "Back" I leapt onto the elevator. "At" I left the elevator. "Start" I exclaimed in midair. In the middle of landing on the final stretch of the dungeon, Jimmy shouted.
"No," he yelled releasing my neck.
My hand reached back grabbing his. "Jimmy," I called out. The mushroom leaned dangerously over the edge but instead of letting me pull him forward, Jimmy kept trying to pull away.
"Let go," he cried out.
"But you'll fall," I cried feeling his hand started slipping from his glove. "We're going to be freed remember."
Tears filled his remorseful eyes during his struggle to get away. "You were right. I was the monster."
It happened so fast. Jimmy thrust his free hand forward into my chest. His glove gripped my shell's collar while Jimmy's hand slid out. Instead of reaching for my free hand, the mushroom's gloveless hand grabbed his gloved one. Flailing desperately to catch Jimmy, I failed watching the mushroom fall toward the lava.
"Jimmy! Jimmy," I shouted. "No!"
My eyes flowed as the magma rose as the mushroom descended toward it. His face wasn't filled with pain, fear, or rage. Instead Jimmy's eyes were closed and his face portrayed a look of content. He didn't even cry out as he touched the red sea. Maybe King Koopa was right. Maybe the air was too hot and he died before touching the liquid. I mean King Koopa was right in that there was no splash.
"Goodbye, Jimmy," I said sincerely. I apologized, "I'm sorry I got you captured" before going through the exit.
I entered a dark hallway with a soft glow at the other end. The darkness was so thick the stone walls, ceiling and floor that usually comprise the castle were not visible. Despite the light permeating the darkness from the other end, my eyes would not adjust making it impossible to distinguish where they separated against the shadows. The whole hall was disorienting.
With only one option, I walked straight toward the light finally emerging into King Koopa's throne room from behind the stone chair. Morton stood facing the main entrance looking worried. I guess since no one goes through the dungeon they wouldn't know where the exit was.
"Hey Mort," I called out weakly. I felt all the energy drained from my voice after watching Jimmy's sacrifice.
The turtle turned excitedly toward me. Any trace of worry left his face however his expression quickly changed into concern when we made eye contact. "Bawdy, yo okay," he asked continuing when his eyes traveled past me. "W'ere da mushwoom?"
My head shook solemnly reinforcing my words. "H-he didn't make it."
"Swerves'em right," Morton replied angrily.
"No, it didn't," I countered but did not elaborate. To Morton's credit, he didn't ask me to. Instead my friend's eyes found my collar.
"Whut's on yo shell," he pointed.
"It's one of Jimmy's gloves," I replied seeing the fingers tucked loosely in the collar. "I'm surprised it didn't fall off." I grabbed the hand warmer around the wrist area but when I pulled the fingers gripped tightly on the shell. "Mort, the glove's holding on! It's like Jimmy's hand is still in it." I pulled harder but the grip held firm.
"Weally," Morton asked grabbing the glove as well. Using our combined weight Morton and I finally managed to pry the glove free but it released with so little resistance I fumbled into Morton dropping the glove.
Instead of falling limp like gloves should do, the flanges on the glove stiffened propping the garment on five legs. It started scurrying sprinting around the floor. The momentum only carried it a few seconds at a time. By the time I reacted, it ran up the body of a large clock. Chimes rung throughout the throne room so loudly that Morton and I had to cover our ears.
The clock stood on four legs like a grandfather or grandmother clock does on Earth. Wood ran about eight feet high on the sides and a single pane of glass composed the body. Behind the transparent glass revealed a set of tubular weights, chains and a slow swinging pendulum comprising the guts of the piece. Instead of the brass colored weights and pendulum used in the clocks on Earth, these parts were white reminding me almost of a beard.
Black numbers etched like Roman numerals appeared around its circular face. The top of the clock resembled more of a mantle clock than a grandfather clock. Pressing into the face, the glove became a thin clock hand. A thin hand moving rapidly appeared on the side of the wooden body.
Completing a rotation, a minute hand appeared on the clock face and a slightly thicker hand appeared on the other side of the wooden frame. After a few more clockwise rotations, an hour hand appeared on the mantle while a third hand, the thickest, appeared on the grandfather clock frame. It moved slower than the other two. Eyes and a mouth appeared on the mantle clock portion above and below the minute and the hour hands creating the illusion of a mustachioed clock.
"Well, well, well," the clock spoke (or would it be chimed) staring at me and Morton while the second hand rotated around its face. "I never thought you'd last this long under King Koopa's foot, Footstool."
"Um… What do you mean," I responded before thinking of a more pertinent question. "And who are you?"
"Just another humble piece of furniture like yourself," the clock chimed softly as it spoke. "My name is the Ultimate Count Down, final form of Count Down."
"Count Down," I responded reflexively.
Morton's teeth gritted. "Cowant Down was won of Smitty's wenchman," my friend elaborated. "Bhut king dad and Maweo destwoyed'em."
"Oh no," Count Down countered. "They only broke me. My core remained intact."
"Broken," I said. "How were you repaired?"
"Silly footstool," Count Down grinned. "Don't you know time heals all wounds thanks to that gullible mushroom. He's the reason I'm here today."
"Ta mushwoom, fixed'em," Morton growled.
"You're wrong," I answered narrowing my eyes.
"Oh, about what," the clock stared expectantly.
"Everything," my hand found the hilt of my sword. "First, Jimmy broke free of your manipulation. He wasn't as gullible as you think. And second, the reason you are repaired is…
"BECAUSE KING KOOPA IS KING," I exclaimed attacking using my sword to destroy the hour hand.
The clock wasn't expecting my initial attack but quickly recovered sending me on the defensive. Luckily Mort followed my lead striking the smaller minute hand when it reached at me. Only the swift moving second hand remained, as Count Down staggered away from us and may have gritted its teeth (or I guess grind its gears would have been more appropriate).
"You two are faster than I expected," the clock's voice contained pain. "I won't be able to hold back against you two."
The second hand sped around his face then did the deafening chime when it hit the XII. Morton and I had to cover our ears again watching as the minute hand reformed. As the chime continued, the second hand passed the minute hand causing both hands to speed up rotating swiftly. Once they overlapped at the XII, the hour hand appeared again.
"I going to need my army," Count Down grinned as the chiming stopped. "Destroy them."
This time the hour, minute, and second hands lined up on the XII. Instead of the deafening chimes, twelve Bob-ombs exited from the clock's abdomen. They charged us in a single file line.
Holding my blade in front of Morton, I said, "Don't worry, Mort. I'll block them while you attack."
Morton attempted to protest but I ignored him chopping at the oncoming explosives. Lucky seemed to be on my side today as the Bob-ombs didn't explode on impact. I was able to attack and return the bomb as a projectile back at the big old clock.
However, as I neared the last two mobile explosives, their speed slowed disrupting my timing. They detonated in front of me sending me flying but my fire resistant armor protected me just as I had thought it would. I received very little damage only knocking the wind from me.
Morton followed up by slashing Count Down's wooden body. His sword-like claws whittled at the clocks frame. Mort's strike caused the clock to cry out momentarily separating the clock from us. The second hand rotated backwards and as it did Count Down's gouged body became whole again.
"Bawdy, whut just hapwin," Mort asked.
Propping to my knees, I pressed the bone sword into the ground using it to support my weight. "I don't know," I replied stepping beside the turtle.
"You'll never defeat me," the clock chimed.
Recalling the Bob-ombs slowing down and the wounds healing, I shouted excitedly, "Mort! He's controlling time!" I know the clock was my enemy but I couldn't help myself. He was using the time magic that I wanted to learn. "I'm a little jealous."
"Whut? T'at doesn't make swense," Morton responded confused.
"He turned back a few seconds because it was only few seconds when you scratched him," I answered.
"Bhut, t'at doesn't make swense," Morton sounded even more confused. "Why dozen he do t'at awe ta time?"
"Because he's limited," I explained. "Depending on the injury, he must need seconds to turn into minutes and then minutes into hours."
"That's very perceptive of you, Footstool," Count Down commented. "I didn't expect you to figure me out so quickly."
I prepared to attack again when I realized a plan. "Mort we have to stop time," I said taking off my shell.
"Bhut, how, Bawdy," the Koopling asked watching my armor hit the ground.
"Plan Javelin," I answered lifting my sword. "I know we can do it. We just need our opening."
A smirk filled his face. "Yeah, Bawdy."
"How will stripping help you," Count Down laughed when I rushed the giant clock. It countered with moving its minute had to IV and the hourly one to XII. Four Bob-ombs exited the clock.
Count Down sped up time causing the bombs to explode faster than last time. The heat burnt my skin without the protection of my king's armor but I didn't have time to lick my wounds heading into the flames.
"Removing your armor was a mistake, Footstool-," Count Down's gloating was interrupted.
My speed increased dramatically as I emerged from the explosions. I moved so fast now that the extra weight was lifted off my shoulders that even time couldn't keep up. Instead of attacking the dials on Count Down's face, I attacked the hands protruding from his body while Morton attacked his face from the other direction. We managed to destroy the clocks minute and hour hand.
"Fools! It's pointless," Count Down shouted pulling back from us. "Haven't you learned anything!"
"Mort, now," I yelled. "Plan Javelin!"
Without missing a beat, Morton rolled forward as I jumped over him like a ball toward the clock. Morton uncurled and spiked me like a volleyball. I uncurled flying through the air like Superman pointing my sword at our enemies face. Armed with only its second hand, the clock attempt to protect itself but my bone sword pierced the thin hand pinning it against the 55 second mark on Count Down's face.
"Bawdy, wook out," Morton shouted.
"Looks like this was your Final Count Down," I told the clock pulling away leaving my sword embedded in its face.
"No! No, how could this be," Count Down asked getting engulfed in Morton's flame. "How could I lose to another piece of furniture? Just you wait…
"I've seen it many times throughout the many years I hid in the castle. King Koopa will lose interest in you and eat you. History repeats itself given enough time-."
Once the flames finished engulfing the clock and subsided, only a pile of ash and my bone sword remained. "Humph, yo' times hup," Morton said wiping his chin.
"Fool," I said speaking to the pile of ash hearing Loki's words echoing in my head. "I'm not just another piece of furniture. I'm the most powerful piece of furniture in the Darklands."
"Yo' okay Bawdy," Morton asked falling on his tail.
"Yeah," I replied putting on my armor. "Thanks Mort. How about you?"
"Yup, no pwoblem," he replied cracking his shoulder. "A wittle tired."
"I know what you mean," I replied returning to the pile of ash. Lifting the hilt of the bone sword, heat radiated the length of the sword from tip to tip. Morton's fire must have been intensely hot since I could feel it through my gauntlets. If not for my king's enchantment, I wouldn't have been able to touch the sword yet.
"Wow Mort that was an incredible fire blast," I said approaching the worn out turtle "Maybe as powerful as your dad's." Putting my sword away, I reached down. "Good fight," I smiled, "Our first real victory."
"Yeah," he answered widening his mouth into a toothy grin after the words sunk in. His energy renewed and prompted the koopa to his feet "Yeah, Bawdy, we won!"
Suddenly Master Kamek appeared in his usual cloud of smoke. His face was full of concern. "Footstool, where is, Jimmy?"
"I'm sorry Master Kamek. He sacrificed himself to protect me… and to protect the kingdom," I answered watching the wizard's worried face gradually transform into sadness. "He was a true Darklandian in the end." Kamek's legs began to falter barely giving me and Morton time to catch him.
"Thank you, Morton," the wizard said kindly to the lummox before turning to me with the same disappointed stare he had when my clock blew up in his face. "Baldo, return to King Koopa's room until he returns.
"Stay there until his majesty returns," Kamek ordered. "I cannot look at you right now."
"Bhut-," Morton started but stopped when I put my hand on his shoulder. He looked my way then nodded.
"I understand Master Kamek," I watched Morton help the wizard into a chair he conjured.
When I motioned away, Roy and the other Kooplings arrived in the throne room each followed by their own battalion. However, as much as I wanted to stay and recap what happened, I knew today's battle wore everyone out. Besides Master Kamek used my nickname instead of job title, I wanted to get out of there before he realized his mistake.