FRED

The wind howled as the trees located at the edge of the street began shaking and moving in an almost dancing motion. Fred zipped up his hoodie as he crossed the street towards Spindrift Cafeteria. The night sky was a dark blue with no stars in sight. The wind was stronger than yesterday, and the slight mix of rain and snow that had fallen upon the town earlier was almost a guarantee that a blizzard was coming.

Fred opened the door and crossed the threshold and was met by a warm rush and a smell of coffee, hot cocoa, hamburgers and pancakes invaded his nostrils. Or whatever Bob-ombs had that allowed them to smell. It was a good sensation that immediately made Fred Hungry. The cafeteria was packed that night: Bob-ombs, Koopas, Bumpties, Gloombas, Goombas and Crazee Dayzees ate and talked amongst each other while the retro sounding song, coming from a dusty old jukebox, livened the place up. It was a complete contrast from the cold and windy outside world.

He took a place at the bar, between a grubby looking Bumpty and a Crazee Dayzee who was flirting with one of the bartenders; by the way she acted and was dressed, Fred suspected she was a working girl who hadn't landed any work that night and was looking for a late meal. He felt sorry for her.

"What can I getcha, sonny?", Fred's thoughts were interrupted by the bartender, a Doogan dressed in red overalls with a green jacket and a yellow hat. He looked kinda funny. Fred ordered the usual - a hamburger with extra cheese, no pickles, a few fries with mayo and a root beer. He ate quietly as he scanned across the room, as if looking for a familiar face. He hadn't made as many friends as he liked, just a few of his colleagues from the factory he worked at, and he was sure they didn't consider him their friend. Fred and his wife had arrived to Fahr Outpost almost 4 months ago, after he had been offered a management position at the local ice factory. Life in The Fahr (as the town was known) wasn't all that different from life in Shiver City; the weather was cold and the people colder. Fred was OK with this, but his wife wasn't. She had an annoying habit of stealing Fred's credit cards and going on day-long shopping sprees. That was another benefit of living in The Fahr: there weren't any big shopping malls, just and couple of stores and a small outlet, where everyone shopped, that sold everything but high couture and the luxury brands his wife was in love with. Still, life in The Fahr was happy, to an extent. Fred was making good money and the relationship with his wife seemed to be getting better and better, they had even begun talking about having children! Yet every day after her got off work, his mind wandered to other places and other ideas…

Ever since he was a child, Fred longed for a different life than what he had actually achieved. He wanted to live somewhere warmer and less cold. He didn't like the cold. "Maybe Delfino?". He had heard about the island's famed Pianta Village, a warm place with giant mushrooms that never got cold and where everyone welcomed foreigners. Yes, he could just drop everything and travel to Delfino and get a job as a boatman. It couldn't be that hard, he was willing to learn new stuff. Of course he'd first have to travel to Shiver City and then to Toad Town and then to Rogueport as he'd never be able to afford a plane or cruise ticket to leave from Toad Town. He could take his wife with him, but would she be willing to go…?. "Are there even Bob-ombs allowed in Delfino?", he asked himself.

Fred finished his hamburger as he watched the Crazee Dayzee exit the cafeteria in the arms of a Koopa wearing a business suit.

"Yo Fred!", he turned around looking for whoever had called his name. Another Bob-omb wearing a red jacket and a Trapper hunting hat took a seat next to Fred, where the Crazee Dayzee had just been. Rob was another worker at the ice factory and the closest Fred had to a friend. Just like Fred, Rob wasn't from The Fahr; he had been born in Sarasaland and came to the Mushroom Kingdom when he was a teenager. He had worked as a builder in Poshley Heights but left his job and settled in The Fahr.

"What are you up to, Fred-O?"

Fred shrugged; "not much, just hungry. You?"

"I saw the way you was lookin' at that Dayzee, playboy. See anythin' you like or what?"

Fred frowned. "You do know I'm a married man, right? I have no reason to be lookin' at other women". Rob chuckled, "I know, I know. Just teasin' you. What are you up to tonight?".

"Not much, just… thinking".

"About?"

Fred hesitated before answering; "leaving this town". "Ah", Rob nodded. Right then and there, Fred told Rob all that he had been thinking; leaving everything and moving to Delfino and his thoughts on whether or not his wife would join him (or even approve). Rob simply nodded and shrugged. Fred took out some coins and paid for the meal and the two left the warmth embrace the cafeteria had to offer. The wind had stopped but it had started to snow. Rob was the first one to break the silence as they walked crossed the corner of Poshley St. and Toadstool.

"So Delfino, huh?"

"Yeah. Sounds silly I know. But here it's just so cold and I'd like a change of things. I never dreamed I'd spend my life living out in the coldest parts of this kingdom. Making ice for a living, no less".

"So you wanna leave The Fahr?"

"Sounds silly and too dreamy, I know. But I feel like this life isn't for me you know. I mean I know I got a lot going on in my life, but I still think…"

"I know what you mean. I too have been thinking of going to other, faraway lands, and maybe I will".

"You have?", Fred didn't expect to hear that from Rob. For a brief second the thought of him and Rob traveling through the Mushroom kingdom, and other places, like a a couple of lifelong pals, crossed his mind. But he quickly shrugged it off.

"I've been wanting to return to Sarasaland for as long as I can remember. I've seen what I needed to see here in the Mushroom Kingdom; as beautiful as it is, I wanna go back home".

Before Fred could say anything, Rob began telling him all about his life on Sarasaland. Located towards the southeast of the Shiver Region, it was a hot, humid country known for its mixture of vast desert landscapes and lush green rainforests. It was ruled by Princess Daisy, and consisted of four separate countries referred to as 'kingdoms'. Rob had been born in one of these kingdoms, Birabuto. Located in the south of the realm, it was a dry, desert town known mostly for the pyramid ruins it housed; "allegedly built by a strange alien", Rob told the awestruck Fred.

Rob then began talking about the adventures he'd had. He told Fred about that one time he had to save Sarasaland from a weird, purple creature from another planet. "This dude had hypnotized all the inhabitants from the realm, allowing him to control them. He also managed to get his claws on the most powerful guards of the four kingdoms, up at that time". Fred's jaw was on the floor. Did Rob really do this and had gone on all these adventures? It sounded so crazy!

"This dude also had a robot! I had to face him off while riding on an airplane. He shot missiles at me but missed! Then I fired more missiles hitting him!". After the battle was done, Rob had managed to rescue Princess Daisy himself and had even gotten a thank you kiss from her! Rob then began rambling about the time he had travelled to the past and, with the help of his baby self, had rescued Sarasaland from yet another alien invasion. That's when Fred started doubting.

"So what you're saying is that you're the savior of your home country?"

"Well I don't mean to brag, but yeah!", Rob chuckled; "I guess that's what I'm saying!"

Fred frowned; "but wouldn't your country miss you? I mean, if you're its savior, why are you here in the cold Mushroom Kingdom working on an ice factory?"

"Well I'm definitely going back. It's just a matter of when. Besides, Princess Daisy has my personal number and she knows when and where to reach me". Rob stretched out before turning towards Fred and hesitating.

"Now that you mention it, I do kinda miss it. Yeah. I think I'm going to do it. I'm gonna go back to Sarasaland". Fred came very close to ask Rob to let him come along but before he could mutter up the courage to ask him, Rob turned to him and, as if he had read his mind, asked him:

"Maybe you'd like to tag along? I could use a partner for my adventures"

Fred didn't say anything. He wanted to do something different, and even if Rob was full of shit, he'd still be able to leave the cold Fahr. Of course, this also'd meant leaving his wife. Or he could ask her to come with, but would she want to do it? What if she just laughed at his face? Also, would Rob allow him to bring his wife? Before he could mutter up an answer, Robb asked him:

"Do you know what a Crystal Star is?"

Fred had heard the term before but he didn't knew what exactly a Crystal Star was; he did put two and two together and knew it was a star made of crystal. And that it could be worth something. A bulb went on in his mind.

"I've heard rumors about one being hidden here in The Fahr. Ol' Smooch told me a strange group similar to a mafia had infiltrated the town. Hey I have an idea! Why don't we search for it? Something that fancy-sounding must be worth a lot of money. What do you say? The night is young, let's go find that Crystal Star". Fred wasn't sure, his wife was expecting him. "C'mon man, let's go! For the hell of it!", Rob pulled his sleeve. "I guess a little adventure won't kill", Fred sighed and joined his pal.

They crossed Dragonspiral St., the town's main and biggest avenue, in aa walk that took them almost 40 minutes. Fred saw his watch and noticed it was almost 10pm, his wife surely would've noticed his absence by now, but didn't dare to say anything that would kill the mood. Rob was apparently very excited and looking forward to this. They reached their destination: the warehouses in Unknown St, a dank, deserted place and one of the lowest, cheapest neighborhoods in The Fahr, and the one with the highest crime rates. A dark, empty street with a few buildings here and there, just as decrepit looking as the warehouses, which were surrounded by an old fence. Rob led the way and helped Fred climb up the fence; he had thought about blowing an entrance up, but didn't want to cause a commotion.

"Are you sure this is where you heard a Crystal Star was hidden?".

"Positive, Smooch told me some weird dudes had been seen roaming these warehouses. What better place to hide something as valuable as a Crystal Star than in the lowest hood in town?".

It did make sense, but Fred wasn't so sure anymore. One part of him wanted to go home to his wife and the other wanted to follow the spirit of adventure. His thoughts were interrupted by a strong gust of wind that Fred swore howled his name. The snow stopped.

They walked by a row of decrepit looking warehouses, all painted in the same rat-is grey color with black roofs. A creepy looking sight. They walked amongst the warehouses when a rattling noise caught their attention.

"Look! There"

Fred looked up at where Rob was pointing and saw light coming from a small window in one of the warehouses. This one had a small, smudged red X painted on one side.

"C'mon!", motioned Rob. Fred was both dreading and looking forward to this "adventure", simultaneously praying that a guard would find them and keep them from going through with this foolishness, and that they would find the treasure they were after.

Fred allowed Rob to get on top of him to reach for the window. After a few moments that seemed like an eternity to Fred, Rob was able to open the window and jump inside, leaving Fred alone. This made Fred nervous, he looked around as the wind howled again, even stronger again. He shivered in his hoodie and boots as a rustling noise caused him to jump and scream startled.

"Geez!", Rob said while opening the window; "scream a little louder won't you?! Maybe that way someone will hear us!". Fred blushed and followed Rob into the warehouse. Three lanterns hanging from above keep the place lit. And it was warm, which seemed odd to Fred. The small warehouse was made-up of four walls, one small window and was full of dusty boxes, all with the same red X Fred had seen on the outside. He also noticed a trap door on the floor, which he found suspicious.

"Come on", led Rob, "we need to be as quiet as possible. Maybe that Star is in one of these boxes, let's look". They walked around the warehouse, looking for anything of importance or that could be sold for a relevant profit. They managed to open up one of the boxes and found nothing except weird white uniforms with a red X; "what was this red X? Could it be associated to some kind of organization?", Fred asked himself. Then he remembered what Rob had told him about a weird mafia in town and felt a shiver run through his body.

He turned towards the trapdoor; it wasn't covered in dust like the boxes, so Fred thought someone had used it recently. He found himself pulling it open. It was heavy but he managed to do it.

"What are you doing?!", he heard Rob exclaim, but ignored it. He felt something deep inside tell him they would find what they were looking for if they entered. Surprisingly, it was Fred who led the way; the room he found himself in was damp, "an underground passage", he assumed, with nothing but a desk with a computer and a chair. Next to it was a locked chest.

"Rob, get down here. Take a look at this", Fred called out. But didn't got an answer. Suddenly, the room felt quiet, very quiet. This made him nervous and gasped when he heard a distant clap! sound, as if a door had slammed shut. But nothing. No signs of Rob. He went up the stairs to the warehouse to look for him and gasped when found it empty. Had someone followed them? Had Rob just abandoned him? Fred felt his heart sink at this thought.

Then, the trapdoor slammed shut and the startled Fred turned around. The last thing he saw was a pair of strange red eyes wearing round orange glasses and a red uniform with a white X. The creature lifted his arm and fired his gun right between Fred's eyes. He was dead before hitting the floor.