This last awakening, the last time that Elodie would ever regain consciousness to see her champion, was by far the easiest and most comfortable transition she had yet experienced. It felt like waking peacefully after a long sleep that hadn't been intended, to hear the songs of sparrows outside the window with the blankets still pressed up to one's shoulders.

When she opened her eyes, the first thing that she registered was the Thousand-Year Door. It was standing open.

"Elodie."

Mario's voice was strained; not at all what she had expected. Even before she turned his way did he add, "Peach has been taken into the Palace of Shadow by the X-Naut leader. She's to be used as a vessel for the demon's spirit."

Whatever lingering softness had been singing in her soul was gone, to be replaced by a horrified gasp. If the demon possessed Peach… if it regained a body… would its spirit be invulnerable to destruction once again?

Elodie did not know the answer to this; nor would she let the world find out its answer. The demon had to be destroyed here and now, or everything—everything—would have been for nothing at all.

"Then we have no time to waste," replied Elodie. She brushed her hands upon the scarlet dress she wore and strode in the direction of the doorway. Over her shoulder, she continued to speak. "Allow me to walk with you, Mario. The labyrinth beyond conceals many traps, and I am familiar with most."

"Most?" she heard Koops's voice squeak from somewhere far behind.

She did not respond, although she did pause to allow the adventurers to catch up to her quickened stride. It was entirely possible that the Palace of Shadow had received changes or additional puzzles since her last visit, especially if the Shadow Sirens had been active for all the time that Elodie and the Shadow Queen alike remained dormant.

But she did not say as much, for the sake of Mario's companions. For the first time since they had met, it seemed doubt was gnawing at their subconscious.

As Mario caught up with her and they continued their hurried pace, Elodie said, "You know there is no going back now, do you not, Mario?"

He nodded. The fire that was present in his blue eyes once again reminded her of her husband: the man she loved, whom she went to hell and back for, and for whom she would do so again.

"I know," he answered, and the fortitude in his voice reflected that in his eyes. "I've been prepared for it ever since we set out."

Elodie returned his nod, comforted by his determination. "Good."

Then they passed through the darkened doorway side by side; the darkened doorway of many shadows.

The first number of corridors and hallways, Elodie recognized. She was able to navigate Mario and his companions through many traps: rings of fire, spike pits embedded in the ground. There came a point where a riddle was presented, but it was one that Ingrid had solved within the first thirty seconds of their encountering it, one that Elodie still remembered the answer to.

Throughout all of this, Mario had been quiet. Tense. He was not normally talkative, but his silence was ever the more potent now.

"We will make it in time," said Elodie, placing all her charm in these words.

Mario sighed and readjusted the red hat that sat upon his head. "I hope so. Otherwise the Mushroom Kingdom will begin to decay."

This was the first mention that Elodie had yet heard of where he hailed from. One eyebrow delicately raised, she declared, "This is one of the kingdoms that has arisen in place of the ones I once knew, then? What is it like?"

"Peaceful, for the most part. Princess Peach is the ruler of that land, and most of her denizens are simple folk with good lives."

Elodie did not miss the inflection with which he had said 'most.' Trying not to sound as though she was snooping—although she would admit to some curiosity—she asked, "Who are the ones causing trouble? It seems like there must be at least one person out there…"

Even though she was not looking at him, Elodie could tell that Mario was rolling his eyes as he answered, "The Koopa King, he calls himself: Bowser. He's a menace who's been attempting to kidnap the princess for years. When she first went missing, I thought maybe he had been behind her disappearance…"

"You once told me that this wasn't the first time Peach had vanished."

"The majority of her kidnappings are because of him. He's been looking for Peach recently too. We even ran into him during our time in Glitzville."

This last was cause for concern. If this Bowser character was someone who held as much determination as Mario—which it seemed like he was, based on the many kidnapping attempts—then it was possible that he might have been tracking Mario for a while, and had discovered the entrance to the Thousand-Year Door as a result…

"How dangerous is he?" she asked.

Mario glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "Enough to be a pain."

Elodie's lips pursed. Considering that they had the leader of the X-Naut group, Beldam and Marilyn and Doopliss, Gloomtail, and the Shadow Queen still ahead of them, she was not too reassured with this response.

At long last, they seemed to have reached the heart of the labyrinth. It had taken a goodly amount of time and effort—and a few battles against rogue spirits—but at last, they were facing the Hallowed Tower once again.

Elodie paused ahead of it, her silver eyes scanning the stone courtyard. This had been the courtyard she had once grown up in, that her mother would plant flowers… the change upon it was absolute. There were no flowers, nor any other sign of life. The fountain that had once sat as the centerpiece of the courtyard now led into a moat that surrounded the base of the palace. The stones of the building were a dark blue, almost navy, almost black. It seemed utterly unwelcoming: a proverbial ghost town.

"Strange, isn't it?" she mused, more to herself than to Mario or any of his allies. "The passage of time…"

Based on the expressions being passed around, it was clear that they realized this place held some sort of significance to Elodie. But they also saw the melancholy accompanying her person, and no one said anything…

Or rather, no one save for Vivian, who looked down to the ground and murmured, "I'm sorry."

The guide blinked and turned around to face the woman who had once been a sworn enemy and remarked, with neither kindness nor ferocity, "What for?"

"For being part of… this." The last word was said with a feeble gesture across the entire courtyard. "Now that I realize what great evil the Shadow Queen is, and that I never meant much to my own sisters… only recently have I realized my sins in their entirety."

Noting the intensity of the conversation, Mario gestured some of the others forward so they could begin scouting for a way across the moat, leaving the two spirits on their own.

Only once they were alone did Elodie reply. "You seem to be attempting to make up for it now, at least."

"Is that enough to acquit me?"

"It depends on who you ask. The wrongs your sister did to me are too great for me to ever forgive her. If I had more time in this world, more insight to your motivations, more vision regarding your assistance towards Mario… I could've forgiven you, perhaps."

Vivian was still, wringing her hands. They were covered in white gloves much like Mario's always were. "I suppose… that will have to be enough."

There was a great heaviness in her voice, one that Elodie was somewhat surprised to note. Her eyes were downcast, towards the place where her ghostly form connected to the ground; and then Elodie realized that whether this quest succeeded or failed, one way or another she was soon to depart the world for forever.

But Vivian… might not be. She might still draw breath when it was all over.

And only Elodie could remove part of the guilt from her shoulders now.

"For whatever it is worth, you have my respect. And even some of my admiration," she said. She walked past Vivian, silver eyes glued upon the castle still standing ahead of her. "You are willing to fight your own flesh and blood for the sake of the rest of the world. Just as I once had to do."

Elodie turned around and softened the normally stern look that she gave the specter. "Speak to me again after we have finished our task. Forgiveness is… it would be a kindness to both of us."

The other woman began to smile, but before she could say anything at all, Elodie simply nodded and returned her attentions to Mario. He had managed to get himself and Yoshi across the moat, but they were apparently having trouble opening the great door leading into the palace.

"What's wrong?" asked Elodie, trying not to frown.

"This crap door ain't budging!" Yoshi grunted. He threw all of his weight against the doorframe—which wasn't a lot in the first place. He huffed and started rubbing his shoulder. "There's gotta be a key around here somewhere…"

Elodie stepped forth, narrowing her eyes. One simple spell allowed her to walk over the air and join their side; the display of magic both made Yoshi's eyes widen and caused him to grumble, "Woulda been nice to have that ability myself…"

She returned to Mario's side. He was quiet, inspecting the keyhole: but it was not an ordinary key that would fit the lock. It was in the shape of a star.

A shaking of the cavern disturbed what had been a peaceful inspection. The water splashed from the moat onto the ledge where the three were standing—Elodie yelped and was forced to lunge out and seize Mario's shoulder to keep herself from falling into the water.

Then she heard the roar: it was not the sound of the Shadow Queen, bellowing curses. It was the sound of an animal, one marking its territory, claiming its place. And the vibrations that ran through the ground at the ferocity of its cry could only mean one thing.

"Mario," said Elodie, after the noise had died down and the water was calm once more. "I think we know where Gloomtail will be."

His eyes followed the direction in which she pointed; past the next room. Then he looked at the keyhole—and sighed. "Hooktail had guarded the Diamond Star. It only makes sense its brother would guard this key, in the shape of a star…"

"My mother always did have a darker sense of humor," said Elodie lightly. She took Mario's and Yoshi's arms and repeated her earlier enchantment, guiding them back to the main area of the courtyard where everyone else was waiting.

"Will Bonetail not be in this labyrinth?" asked Goombella.

Elodie thought for a moment before shaking her head. "I do not believe so. The demon allowed her pets to fly freely; Hooktail wished to ravage my home as a way of pleasing my mother. Gloomtail was fiercely loyal to her and wished to remain nearby. But Bonetail… he was the oddest of the three, with no direct allegiance towards my mother or his siblings. There's no telling where he may be; he may have already been defeated. I cannot say."

Koops shuffled his weight back and forth like a rocking chair. "Oh… g-good. So—so we'll only have one hungry dragon to kill, then?"

"I would believe so," said Elodie. She offered the lad a kindly smile, though she realized it would do little to assuage the terror in his heart. "Koops, you have the ability to attack from a distance. I would suggest you stick to that strength."

He exhaled and nodded; Elodie then scanned the faces of the others standing next to herself and Mario. "It would be wise to keep Vivian in the back lines as well. Her charms and enchantments may yet save the rest of us, should she remain unhindered. The rest of you fight well in close range. Perhaps you should accompany Mario and watch his back."

The adventurers nodded. Satisfied with this general plan, Elodie turned to Mario—her face turned pink as she noticed the amused upturn to his eyebrow, as well as the way he was leaning back with crossed arms.

"My apologies," she murmured, her gaze traveling to the floor. "I did not mean to be presumptuous or take command…"

"No, do not apologize," he replied, holding a hand up. "I agree with everything you said. I will take command of those who will charge forward with me. Where will you be?"

"Likely in the back shielding you, healing injuries, and curing poison. Remember that Gloomtail's claws are laced with toxins."

Mario nodded. "We won't forget. You can take command of Koops and Vivian. They can each take care of themselves, but there's no being too careful with an unknown entity like this."

So it was that the nine challengers turned and began to face the passageway behind which the dragon was likely resting. Mario and Admiral Bobbery took the lead, keeping tight hold upon their war-hammers. Elodie was directly behind, lighting the darkened passageways with brief spurts of mage-light from her hands. Miss Mowz seemed to be taking advantage of the darkness, morphing into it as easily as a shadow herself. The only signs of her were the glints of her daggers and that of her dark eyes.

After what seemed like ages of creeping through desolate hallways, they reached a large doorway. It was larger than the others that they had passed through already, and there were intricate designs coated in silver. There seemed to be a chill emerging from the very wood… one that Elodie was more than familiar with.

"A great darkness lies beyond that door," she said, taking care to keep her voice calm and low. Her silver eyes inspected each face, yet she found only fortitude back at her. "Are we prepared fully? Once we open those doors…"

"We're ready!" exclaimed Goombella in a hushed whisper. She lunged out and squeezed Mario's arm before shooting him a nod.

Mario smiled, though it was grim. "Then let's go."

Without waiting for anything further, Mario swung open the door and charged inside. Goombella, Flurrie, Yoshi, and Admiral Bobbery charged in after him, leaving Miss Mowz to camouflage inside and Elodie, Koops, and Vivian extra space.

The moment that the door slammed behind them, there was a great roar. Sitting in the midst of the chamber was Gloomtail; he was a dragon of great size and strength, with black scales and electric green eyes. The tips of his claws were that same bright green, proving that they were poisoned. Even as Mario and the others began skirting around him, the dragon raised himself and, through a voice full of grit and rumbling, declared, "No one will pass through me. Your journey ends here."

His eyes locked onto Admiral Bobbery, who had taken a position suggesting a flank, and released a spurt of hot breath in his direction. Even though it was nowhere near where Elodie was standing, she could still feel its heat coat her body.

The old admiral raised his hands to protect his face and sprinted behind a column, blocking most of the fire. Locking eyes with Mario, he shouted, "Go on!"

As the leader of their group, Mario knew exactly what he meant. Taking advantage of Gloomtail's distraction, he threw himself forth and slammed his war-hammer against one of the dragon's claws.

Elodie was grateful that most of her powers had been restored to her, for it meant she was able to do her part to protect the front-line fighters from the dragon's breath. She was not focusing on dealing damage during this time: her fight had been completed one thousand years ago.

Now, it was Mario's turn. And it was her duty to assist him as best she could.

The dragon had plenty of attacks planned, just as everyone expected. The dragon was able to utilize his size and strength to curse its challengers, to overwhelm them with fear: a few times, Elodie heard Koops or Yoshi or Miss Mowz scream in terror, and it took a swift counter-curse to get them back on their feet and in fighting shape.

Mario, meanwhile, was taking great command of his companions. He coordinated attacks just as Arthur once had; maneuvered in combat with a poise and strength that Matthias prized; utilized the Crystal Star's powers in perfect openings just as Serene once wielded her charms; and his wisdom, just as Ingrid's, was indisputable. All at once, Elodie could see—this hero of hers had the best qualities of all the heroes from the bygone age.

The dragon did not stand a chance once Mario rallied all of his partners to his side for a final attack once again. It had already been weakened, battered; it had done some devastating damage to Madam Flurrie, Goombella, and Admiral Bobbery, but they were back in the fray once more after Elodie had regained enough energy to cast her anti-toxin healing spells.

Each of the five warriors had unique fighting styles, unique attacks: and they charged and hit Gloomtail all at once at Mario's command. Miss Mowz also reappeared from the shadows to join, and Koops and Vivian also contributed—

Gloomtail shrieked, a devastated and outraged bellow, and fell over backwards. With one of his dying breaths, he gagged… before spitting out a small wooden chest.

Everything was quiet for a moment as each person stared at the dragon's fallen form. Its limbs, much like Hooktail's, were twitching.

It was Mario who stepped forward and whammed the war-hammer upon Gloomtail's skull one last time. There was no response: it was dead, once and for all.

"Well," said Elodie, wiping her hands upon her dress. "That was eventful."

A few weak chuckles met her offhanded statement, but Mario's was not one of them. His focus was already on the wooden chest that it had regurgitated—covered in slimy mucus and dragon spit.

Elodie flinched as Mario held out a gloved hand, preparing to brave its rather unsanitary condition. Trying not to cringe, she extended her own hand and cried, "Wait! Let me at least clean that for you."

She heard him laugh softly as a short ray of light was expelled from her fingertips, bathing the chest in question. The goop upon it began melting away. Only once it was clean did she gesture Mario forth; with a nod, he opened its lid and took out whatever was inside…

Sitting in the palm of his hands was the small star-key, the one that would surely open the castle of the place that Elodie once called home. It sparkled even in the dim light of the cavern.

Elodie sighed and ran a hand through golden-white hair. She had not stepped foot inside that place since she sprinted from her mother… what warm, good emotions she might have felt upon remembering her childhood home years ago were gone. Now all that there was, was fear and betrayal.

Such disquiet was not unnoticed by Miss Mowz, who raised an eyebrow and asked, "Something wrong, dearie?"

The spirit glanced sidelong at her. "It's this place. It pains me to see it like this. I am… unsure if I am ready to lay eyes upon the inside of that castle again. But I realize I will have to be."

Someone placed a hand upon her shoulder: Koops. There was a newfound determination in his eyes, almost as though it was easier for him to be strong when others needed him to be.

"Let us go on," said Elodie, though she placed her own hand atop Koops's own. She knew that her skin was still cold compared to everyone else's, but he did not flinch away. "Time is not our ally."

So it was the nine adventurers began to return from whence they'd come.