Interlude 3
Later, at the x-naut base, Grodus was talking with the shadow sirens.
"Beldam." he said. "You have failed me. Not only didn't you get rid of that Mario, but now I learned he already has three of the crystal stars."
"I'm sorry, but we failed just because he is stronger than we initially thought." said beldam.
"You realize we x-nauts must open the door first, don't you?" said Grodus
"Of course." Said Beldam. "We'll definitely defeat him next time. We have a weapon that will bring him to a quick and certain end."
"I trust your words, though I rapidly lose my patience." said Grodus
"Don't worry sire. Leave it to us." said Beldam. She then turned to her siters and said: "Let's go my lovelies. Marilyn, Vivian." She then disappeared into the shadows.
"Uggh... guh." said Marilyn and followed.
Vivian didn't say anything and followed.
Meanwhile, Peach is still in her room.
"I'm bored". she said. "These x-nauts haven't come back to ask about the map. I wonder…"
Suddenly, the door opened.
"This must be TEC again." said Peach and left the room. She soon reached the computer room.
"Hello princess peach." said TEC
"You always call me without notice" said Peach. "what do you want today?"
"I'm sorry princess Peach" said TEC. "I want you to go and ask sir Grodus something."
"What? You want me to ask him something?" asked Peach
"Yes" said TEC. "recently I received information that brought a certain… issue to my attention.'
"You are the perfect computer." said Peach. "How can there be something you don't know?"
"I am unable to access data that is not connected to my CPU or otherwise recorded." said TEC. "That's why I need to know what sir Grodus is thinking on that issue."
"But how can I ask him? Even if go, they'll catch me and send me back to my room."
"Indeed" said TEC. "However, you'll find a soldier's room one floor up. Use the elevator. There you can find a uniform. You'll dress up and go to ask sir Grodus."
"so, I'll be disguised?" asked Peach who didn't like the idea. She thought for a minute and said: I suppose you won't take no for an answer, right?"
"You suppose correct" said TEC
"Fine" said Peach "What do you want me to ask this Grodus?"
"I will tell you." said TEC
After Tec told her, Peach left the room and said to herself: "Seriously what is TEC thinking? He is a weird computer."
She took the elevator TEC told her about and went one floor up. When she arrived, she heard TEC's voice. "Wait princess Peach. There are guard in the vicinity."
Two guards passed in front of the elevator. After they had left, the door of the elevator opened.
"Now princess Peach go the room with the green lamp above the door on your left." said TEC
Peach found the room and entered. There she found a uniform in a locker.
"Am I supposed to wear this ugly thing?" she asked
"That is correct." said TEC
Peach went into a dressing room in the room to dress up.
"Ughhhh. Offff. This uniform is awfully tight. And it smells a bit." she said. Eventually, she said: "I don't know how, but I got into it. I can barely breathe though."
Peach left the room dressed as an x-naut and went into Grodus' room where she found him.
"Excuse me sir Grodus." she said
"Yes, what is it? Speak!" said Grodus
"it's about princess peach. What do you plan to do with her going forward?"
Grodus looked at her suspiciously and said "Something is wrong with your voice x-naut."
Peach gulped.
"Perhaps you need a throat lozenge... oh never mind." said Grodus. "About princess Peach? I don't have any interest on what that woman has to say. Keep her to her room, but don't ever, ever treat her roughly, understand? Whoever does will answer to me. Tell the others"
Sir Grodus turned around to leave, but Peach said: "But why in the world are we keeping her?"
"That is not your concern." said Grodus. "Don't forget your place you impudent worm. We need the legendary treasure to conquer the world. Don't forget that."
"Conquer... the world? Legendary treasure?" said Peach who was really confused.
"Something is definitely weird about you." said Grodus
"N... No. Nothing weird." said Peach who was really uncomfortable. "Roger or whatever. Please excuse me."
Peach left the room and returned to the soldier's room where she found the suit.
"Phew. This was awkward" said peach. "What was all that about conquering the world? Really nasty. I wonder if it has anything to do with those crystal stars."
She went into the dressing room and changed back to her pink dress.
"My classic pink dress. Why would I wear anything else?" she said
She then returned to the computer room and said:
"TEC, you horrible machine. So, your goal is to conquer the world?"
"Of course." said TEC. "After all, that what I was built for."
"But that so horrid. How could you…?"
"Princess Peach allow me to ask you something. Do you like the world you live in? There are many problems. Many sorrows. Do you like that world?"
"Of course, I do." said Peach. "Nothing is perfect, but I like the good parts. There are many sorrows, but there is also Joy."
"Is that so?" said TEC
"TEC, how do you plan to conquer the world? And what's with the legendary treasure?"
"I' m sorry princess Peach" said TEC." I'm afraid I cannot tell you. Answering these questions is prohibited by Sir Grodus."
"But…" said peach. She then thought and said: "At least I must inform Mario about this awful plan. Let me use your communicator."
TEC remained silent for a few moments and then said:
"I suppose I can allow that. Please use the communicator."
Peach wrote a message and then said:
"Send it this instant!"
A sound was heard and TEC said:
"The message has been sent. You've had a busy day. Please go back to your room.
"O… okay." said Peach and left the room
"Good night princess Peach." said TEC. He then turned off the lights and fell asleep.
Meanwhile, many miles away, Bowser and Kammy koopa who were always one step behind Mario and his friends, arrived in the great tree. When the punies saw them, they were terrified.
"That thing is humongous."
"Everybody hide! Save yourselves!"
"Are you sure there is a crystal star here?" asked Bowser
"Yes, your rudeness" said Kammy koopa. "We just need to find it."
"What were those shrimp-sized things?"
"These are some punies. One of them should know about the crystal star." said Kammy koopa. "However, they are afraid so they're hiding. We need to find them."
They started looking into the bushes. They found a few punies, but they were too scared to answer. Eventually they found the puni elder. When she saw them, she shouted:
"BEGONE!"
She then came out and said:
"You are one of them, right? One of the evildoers. You want the crystal star."
"I knew it my lord." said Kammy Koopa. "This ugly thing knows where the crystal star is. Tell us."
"How rude!" shouted the puni elder. "How dare you call me ugly thing you old crone? I' m the puni elder."
"Oh my god. I almost had a heart attack." said Kammy koopa. "Don't shout like that. "I'm too old for that stuff."
"You are both old and ugly." thought Bowser, but he decided not to say it to avoid further trouble.
"Yes, lord Bowser? You look as if you are dying to say something." said Kammy Koopa
"Uh…. No. Nothing." said Bowser. He then turned to the puni elder and said: "Now let's move on. You! Elder-thing. Where's the crystal star? And don't pull rank again. Your answer will determine your fate."
"Elder-thing?" said the puni elder. "Anyway, you're too late. The crystal star is gone."
"W… What?" said Bowser who was shocked
"Exactly, you rude thing." said the puni elder. "We gave it to a mustachioed guy named Marty-o. He wanted to find a legendary treasure to rescue a princess. What was her name? Oh yeah. Princess Pinch. He was off to save that lucky lass."
"It's Mario. Not Marty-o." said Kammy Koopa. "And it's not princess Pinch. Her name is princess Peach. However, we're missing the point. Mario took the crystal star. He wants it all for himself. Princesses, treasures, stars, you name it. Does his greed never end?"
"Mario always steals everything from me and ruins my plans." said Bowser. "When I find him, I'll destroy him. I swear it!"
Let's leave Bowser and Kammy koopa for now and go back to Mario and his friends who at that time were ready to leave Glitzville and were greeting the people they made there, including Jolene, Rawk Hawk and even king K and Bandy Andy who Mario restored by putting them in Grubba's machine an running it in reverse.
"So, you must leave." said Jolene
"Yes." said Mario "We have to rescue princess Peach.
"And find the remaining crystal stars" said Goombela
"And find the treasure." said Bobby
"I understand. The we won't delay you." said Jolene
"Gonzales." said Rawk Hawk. "I want to tell that I'm not gonna battle dirty from now on. I'll train more, get some vitamins and win the championship fair and square. And I'm not gonna lose again. When life Rawks you, you Rawk her back."
"Really thanks G-man." said king K. "Without you I'd still be a lifeless blob. I'll never forget you. And I'll also stay here a little longer. King K is Back."
"Now that Grubba is out of the picture I'll take over running the Glitz pit." said Jolene. "I'll always keep a spot open for you. You're welcome here anytime. You have thousands of fans and they'll absolutely love it if you make a comeback. Until then good luck in finding the rest of the crystal stars and travel safe."
"I will." said Mario
"See you guys." said Flurrie
They took the blimp and left Glitzville. They soon arrived back at Rogueport. As they were headed for the sewers to return to the thousand-year door Mario received a mail.
"Who is it from?" asked Bobby
"I hope it's not another threatening mail." said koops
"No. It's a mail from princess Peach." said Mario after opening it. He then read:
"Dearest Mario,
I have uncovered something terrible. these things… the x-nauts plan to take over the world. That's why they want the crystal stars. I still don't know what they do, but you must collect them all. I'll learn what I can.
Princess Peach"
"They want to take over the world? That doesn't sound friendly." said Koops
"Definitely not." said Flurrie
"We must stop them." said Goombela
"And learn their plans." said bobby
"We will eventually." said Mario "Now for the thousand-year door."
They went into the sewers and reached the thousand-year door. There Mario held aloft the third crystal star. The map came out of Mario's pocket and started shining as usual. Eventually a big old building appeared on a small village on the map and on it appeared a red crystal star.
"That's where the fourth crystal star is." said Koops
"We should take it to professor Frankly, I'm sure he can read it." said Mario
"yeah. We should let him know what princess Peach's e-mail said." said Goombela
Later, after our friends had returned to professor Frankly's house an told him everything, he gave a shout so loud that it was heard in the whole district.
"WHAAAAAAAAAT?"
"The group who kidnapped princess Peach is bent on total world conquest?" he asked after he regained his coolness.
"Exactly prof." said Bobby
"And to do that, they need the legendary treasure." said Flurrie
"Hmmm. The situation has gone far more serious than initially thought." said professor Frankly. "I'll bring you up date. I've been researching what this legendary treasure could be. One book I came across held what I what I thought to be a preposterous theory. However, now I' m afraid we have to take it seriously."
"What did it say?" asked Bobby
"It said that the treasure could actually be the great cataclysm. The one that a thousand years ago sank that town underground."
"Really? Then these jerks want to release it and use its power to take over the world?" asked Mario
"It's difficult to say what they will do and why, but we must consider the possibility." said professor Frankly. "If this is true then we have to get all the crystal stars before them and not let them near the treasure. It's all that matters because of they do, then once again this town… No, the entire world could be destroyed."
"So, we need to find the next crystal star super quick. Do you know where it is?" asked Bobby
"Yes. It appears to be in Twilight town." said professor Frankly
"Twilight town?" said Koops
"To tell you the truth, I don't know much about that place myself. Only rumors" said professor Frankly. "As its name implies, it's a town that's permanently dim and eerie. I think there's a pipe under the west part of town that can take you there."
"Then we'll go there and get the crystal star." said Goombela
"Good luck." said professor Frankly
Mario and his friends went into the sewers and searched for the pipe. Eventually, the found a pipe with a sign next to it that wrote: "To Twilight town"
"This is it." said Mario
"Yes. Let's go." said Goombela
They entered the pipe. However, the pipe rejected them and send them back in Rogueport sewers.
"What just happened?" asked Koopa
"The pipe sent us back." said Bobby
"I didn't know it could do that." said Flurrie
"Me neither. I've never seen anything like it in all my years at this job." said Mario
"Let's go back to professor Frankly." said Koops. "He may know what's going on."
They returned to professor Frankly's house and explained the problem to him
"So, you can't go through the pipe to Twilight town?" asked professor Frankly
"Yes. We tried, but it brought us back." said Flurrie
"How odd." said professor Frankly. "I'm afraid I don't have the foggiest idea what you should do."
Professor Frankly thought for a minute and said:
"I got it. I heard that a fellow from twilight town named Darkly lives here in Rogueport. If someone know how to get through the pipe, it's him."
"Where can we find him?" asked Bobby
" As his name implies, he loves dark places. Search in dark places for him." Said [professor Frankly
Mario and his friends started looking. It took a while so let's just skip to the part where they finally found him in a dark alley. He was a green guy with brown clothes and a shadowy body.
"I'm Darkly." he said. "Can I help you?"
"Yes. We need to get to Twilight town, but we can't get through the pipe." said Mario
"it's simple. You need to have something that has your name written on it." said Darkly. "You don't have anything? Come on. Everyone does."
"We don't" said Mario
"Oh, it's okay. I 'll just write your names on your clothes. What's our name?" asked Darkly
"Mario." said Mario
"Okay" said Darkly and wrote Mario name on his overalls.
"I'll l write your partners' names too."
And so he did. After he was done, he said:
"I don't know what errand brings you to Twilight town, but I hope I goes well."
"Thanks for the help." said Bobby
They returned to the sewers and this time, they went into the pipe without trouble.
So, I' m done with interlude 3. Next will be chapter 4. Please write reviews to let me know what you think of my work.