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Author's Note:

This took longer than I wanted to update, but the wait is over and the chapter is finally posted.

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Disclaimer: This following FanFiction story is a fan-based parody. "Mario" and all of its respectable characters are all owned by Nintendo and created by video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Please enjoy; favorite and review whenever you want.

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Chapter 79:
Koopalooza Festival

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The last two days of preparations went by in a blur for the townsfolk of Koopalis. Rain came down on them within that 48 hour time period, but it did nothing to stop them from working. By the time the hour of the festival come around, everything was in set and ready for the numerous of tourists expected to attend the five days long event.

The first festival day was busy. Many of the tourists had arrived the night before and checked themselves in to one of the many stay in lodges. These visitors had traveled far, over a day's travel from places like Koopatrolis, Koop City, and even Koopa Town. Others had arrived in the morning, having coming from other nearby settlements such as Shysburg and Goomba Hamlet.

Like the Mushroom Kingdom, Wipe Pipes were the main form of transportation. Unfortunately, there weren't as many within the Darkland. Even after using one, there may be some necessary traveling before reaching the next town.

The Koopalooza officially starts at eight but within the hour, the streets were flooded with shoppers. The busiest area was the main hub where a band and dancers were entertaining the crowd. A few tents were set up there as well, with games, prizes and good food to be served all around.

By the time it all end around nine, everyone had retreated to their respective beds satisfied. Store owners and their employees left feeling tired from the day's work but returned with energy to start all over the next day.

…

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

…

"Luigi! Come on,"

The plumber in question paused from what he was doing and turned around to the person calling him. The caller was Wendy; with her were three familiar faces he hadn't seen in a while – Kohana, Koren, and Goombaline.

The three old friends had arrived yesterday hoping to attend the Koopalooza Festival. What they didn't plan on was seeing Wendy there; that was a surprise on both ends.

"You girls can go on ahead without me," he told them. "I'll catch up later,"

"Alright, but don't take too long," Wendy said. "Come on, girls,"

"Bye, Luigi,"

"See you around,"

"We'll see you in a little bit,"

The three friends giggled and temporarily waved him good-bye as they followed Wendy through the castle. Luigi waved back and continued on with his work which was feeding the Piranha Plants.

He wasn't in any rush. With or without him, Wendy would appreciate her time with her friends. After the failed assassination plot, she had completely lose touch with them. No visitors were allowed within the castle and they all had to move to this new castle. Neither she nor the others knew were they would be going; Bowser and his council members kept that information until after they got there.

Since then, they haven't been in much contact with each other so he could only imagine Wendy's surprise when she actually saw them again in months. Unfortunately, he hadn't been around when it happened but the three were currently staying within the castle as Wendy's guests.

Last night, the four friends had stayed up late getting caught up with each others' lives. It was passed midnight when Wendy returned to their bedroom, tired yet excited all the same.

A gentle nug draws back his attention. Sasha, the Putrid Piranha Plant, cooed softly as if she was trying to remind him of something. Luigi blinked before he realizes he had stop mid-feed.

"Opps, sorry," He fed her a piece of meat which she gladly took as he pats her softly her head. "Must have space out,"

A soft purr told him he was already forgiven. He feeds her one more piece before moving on to the next. It didn't take long before all the plants were fed – well, all except one.

Luigi stood in front of the center fountain, a half filled bucket of meat in one hand and a piece of meat in the other. Blaze, the Lava Piranha Plant, was stationed in front of him, growling threateningly.

"Come on, Blaze; we've been through this many times before," He talked as he toss the meat in the air.

Blaze caught it and snorted at him as it chews and shallows its food. Luigi frowned at that; the large Piranha plant had proven to be a real challenge. No matter how many times he attempts to befriend it, his results always come back negative.

He sighed and tosses a second piece. Perhaps he should just give up. Blaze obviously has no intensions on befriending anyone; who was he to force himself onto it.

He reached for the last piece when an idea came to mind. Blaze snarled at him, already getting impatient. He placed the bucket down on the floor and held it the meat out.

"Blaze, I'm not going to hurt you," He told it. "I just want to be your friend,"

Slowly, he started stepping closer to the Lava P. Plant. Noticing its personal space has been invaded Blaze immediately started growling, a fire ball already forming inside its mouth. Luigi stopped at what he thought was a reasonably distance. He then did something no one would do in front of a dangerous Piranha plant.

He closed his eyes and waited.

It was a big risk; Luigi knew that – Lava P. Plants were dangerous for a reason. Regardless of that reason, he was willing to give his idea a try. Blaze wouldn't let anyone near it because it wasn't the trusting type. So perhaps there was a way he could show it that he can be trusted.

He took deep breath to calm his body down; tension will only bother the plant more. As his body began to relax, the burning flame in Blaze's mouth slowly decreases in size. It wasn't until the plumber was completely relaxed that it disappeared in general. Sensing no type of danger around, the Lava P. Plant leans in with caution and examines the still plumber.

Luigi could feel the plant's hot breath around him but made no move to stop it. After a few moments, he felt the meat in his hand has been grabbed and taken away from him. He opened his eyes to see Blaze with its back turned, eating the meat.

He smirked; he was definitely calling that a win.

…

…

Just like yesterday, the Koopalooza festival was in full swing. The air was filled with good music, loud party games, the delicious smell of food, and laughter of children. In general everyone was having fun.

Luigi was strolling down the street in a casual manner. There were a lot of things that caught his eye as he passes by them, but none of them really caught his interest at the moment. He wasn't in any hurry to play them all; he still had four days after all.

As he made his way through Town Square, his attention was drawn to the stage placed in the very center. At this moment, the band had stop playing to host a Jeopardy game. Four contestants were each standing behind a lectern; among them was Iggy.

Curious, the green plumber made his way to the front of the crowd. As he got there, he took note of their score. Iggy had the highest of 18 points, but another contestant – a blue Shy Guy with glasses, wasn't far behind him with 17 points. The other two contestants, a Goomba and a Boo with a brown cap, were behind the two with 7 and 8 points.

"And that, folks were the end of round two," The announcer appeared, a red shelled ParaKoopa with a bow tie and a microphone. "And now to the final round; the Final Jeopardy…

"In this round, each contestant makes a final wager with his/her entire score. Contestants enter their wagers onto their lectern. After that, I as the host will reveal the Final Jeopardy clue. The contestants have 30 seconds to write down their responses on the electronic display. A correct response adds the amount of the contestant's wager to his/her score, while a miss, failure to respond, or failure to phrase the response as a question (even if correct) deducts it.

"The contestant with the highest score at the end of the round is the day's winner. Did I make myself clear?"

All four challengers nodded.

"Now, for any late comers, let's review the grand prize once more, shall we?"

A hostess appeared, rolling a cart onto the stage. On the cart was a 10 gallon fish tank filled from bottom to top with candy pieces. Star Candies, Mushroom Drops, Coco Candies, Honey Candies, Gum Drops, Lime Candies, Lemon Candies, Chocolate Truffles – all those sweets where mixed beautifully inside that glass tank.

"Candy?" Luigi tilts his head in confusion. It was a usual grand prize for Iggy to compete for; especially since he wasn't too big on sweets.

'Something tells me he isn't competing for himself,' He thought.

"You got this, Iggy,"

"Yeah, you're the smartest guy around."

Turning his head towards the side, he noticed Morton and Larry were here, cheering Iggy on. Morton had a camera with him, probably playing on posting this up on his web show. Larry, on the other hand, was jumping with exciting. A slight blush seemed to have appeared on the light green Koopa's cheeks as he adjusted his glasses.

'Yup, he isn't competing for himself,'

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~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

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Luigi didn't stay to see who won the Jeopardy game. Instead, he continued his casual stroll with his search for Wendy. He decided to look through the West district since it was the main marketing district and the busiest around town.

"Yo, plumber!"

Pausing from his leisurely walk, he glanced over to the direction he thought he heard someone was calling. He searched through the crowd until he spotted someone waving him over. He smiled slightly and walked over to the restaurant "Steak and Sake" where Ludwig, Kanary, and Roy were sitting at.

"Good evening, Luigi," Kanary greeted him. "Are you enjoying the festival?"

Luigi nodded and took a seat next to Roy. "I am, thanks for asking,"

"Shouldn't Wendy be wit' you?" Roy asked.

"She went ahead with her friends. I was just looking for her now. Any chance you guys seen them?"

"We did but that was over an hour ago," Ludwig answered. "We have no idea where they went now,"

"But… since you're here," Roy perked up. "Might as well take a break; this place has some of the best drinks in town."

"Isn't it too early to be drinking?"

Roy shrugged. "Eh, it's six 'o clock somewhere," He chugged some of his drink before offering him some. "Want some?"

Luigi considered it for a moment. He wasn't a big drinker but he would like to try some of the traditional drinks they serve within Darklands. From what little alcohol he had tried so far, Darkland's drinks are heavier, darker, and consist of a lot of Ale.

"I won't drink that if I were you," Kanary warned him. Both Luigi and Roy looked at her with confusion.

"Uh? Why not?" Roy asked. Ludwig scoffed at him with a 'you idiot' look.

"Roy, you must be really drunk if you forgotten that Koop-Ale, especially the High Grade version, is very lethal to humans,"

"Lethal?" Luigi repeated, astonishment written on his face.

"Oh shell, I did forget," Roy mumbled next to him.

"What a minute, you mean you guys actually drink poison?"

Kanary nodded. "There are some poisons that don't affect us Koopas so we consume them like any other luxury."

"Goombas and Shy Guys can't consume them as well so bartenders all over Darkland are required to know what they can or cannot serve to certain customers." Ludwig explained.

"Good to know where I stand with you, Roy," Luigi said.

The purple Koopa shrugged. "'Ey, what do you expect? Wendy's my sister and you're the guy that's nailin' her; you should naturally always assume I'm tryin' to poison ya."

"Thanks for the heads up," He told him as he looked through the menu. "I think I'll have something else…something non-alcoholic and less…lethal."

Roy returned to his drink. "Okay, but jus' to let you know Koopa – Kola is NOT made out o' real coal,"

"Okay, so sodas are out of the question,"

…

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In the end, Luigi settled for some nice harmless Koopa Tea. He took it to go as he resumed his little hunt. Upon approaching a water shooter booth, he noticed the shell of a certain Koopa heir.

Junior was there playing with two other Koopas and a Shy Guy. The goal of the game was to squirt water into the tiny hole to make a toy bear go up the pole. The one who can get their toy to the top the fastest will receive a prize.

It only took a minute before a winner was announced and it didn't really surprise Luigi that Junior was the one cheering in victory. The game operator came around and handed him his prize, one of the few he had already won. As the crowd dispersed, Luigi approached him.

"Well, you're having fun,"

Junior turned around and smirked. "You bet; wanna play me?"

"No thanks, I'm good," He declined.

"Your lost," Junior shrugged.

Luigi rolled his eyes. "Any have you seen Wendy around?" He asked.

The young koopa smirked. "Aw, is the little plumber missing his master already? Didn't have her around to dress you up today?" He mocked.

The plumber smiled. "Something like that,"

"You guys are so weird," Junior shocked his head.

Luigi tilted his head in confusion. "Guys?"

"You, Ludwig, Iggy… sometimes Dad" He answered as he jumps out of his seat. "You guys always act like idiots when around the girls; it's weird."

"Oh that," Luigi smiled. "You'll understand once you're a little older,"

"Pfft, I doubt it," Junior scoffed. "When I get a girlfriend, I won't be acting weird like you guys,"

The green man laughs. "Something tells me puberty is going to hit you hard one day,"

"Pfft, whatever," Junior grabbed his prizes off the ground. "I don't know where Wendy went; she probably went shopping or something with her friends,"

Luigi humed in acknowledgement, his mind thinking of a list of places Wendy might be. He glanced over at Junior who seems to be having trouble carrying all his prizes at once. A small stuff whale fell on the ground; Luigi picked it up for him.

"Luigi!"

The plumber looked over to where his name was called. He smiled when he saw just the Koopa he was looking for.

"Hey Orabelle," He greeted her.

"You're just in time," She told him "I just found this really cute shirt that'll look perfect on you."

She grabbed his hand to lead him to the store she was at when she noticed the stuffed whale in his hold. She paused and blinked in confusion before a smile appeared on her pink lips.

"Aw, did you get a prize for me?" She cooed.

"Uh?" Luigi glanced down at the stuffed animal then look up again. Wendy had an appreciative look on her and he didn't have the heart to break it. So…he lied.

"Why, yes I did," He told her.

"Hey jackass; that's mine!" Junior yelled behind him.

Luigi puffed but ignores him as he gives the whale to Wendy. The pink Koopa cooed and cuddled the stuff animal to her chest.

"Aw, that's so sweet of you," she said.

"Oi, didn't you hear what I just said," Junior continue to shriek.

He was heard alright; they just didn't care. Wendy pulled the plumber closer and whispered in his ear. Within seconds, the plumber was blushing red as she told his hand into his own.

"We'll see you later, Junior," Luigi parted with him as he let Wendy lead the way.

The Koopa heir stood there unimpressed as he watched the two go. He scoffed and started walking away with the rest of his prizes in hand.

"Weirdo,"

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~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

…

After playing the model for Wendy and the girls for almost two hours, Luigi find himself dining on some scrumptious Frozen Lucky Fruit Tart at the Party Store and Bakery. The green man felt like a kid again as he enjoys his frozen treat. And he wasn't the only one; Lemmy was acting the way with his own frozen treat.

"What you're eating?" Luigi asked him. He was sharing a table with Lemmy while the girls shared one for their own.

Lemmy swallowed what he had in his mouth before answering, "Banana Split Pop," He licked his lips. "What about you?"

"Frozen Fruit Tart," He told him.

"Wanna trade?" Lemmy asked, offering to give his second pop for some of Luigi's tart.

"Okay,"

Luigi split his tart in half for Lemmy's second banana pop. Suddenly, the kitchen door opened and Kelly appeared out of it, skillfully carrying three plates of dessert with one arm. She walked over to the girls table and presented to them.

"Here we are ladies," She said, as she placed the sweets on the table one by one. "A Lovely Chocolate Sorbet, a Blackberry Nectarine Pie, a Skinny Red Velvet Poke Cake, and a low calorie Fruity Shroom Parfait…enjoy!"

Eyes twinkled with anticipation upon seeing the gorgeous dishes. With seconds, there was a sound of silverware against each other follow by the moans and groans of pleasure.

"Wow," Koren gasps into her Blackberry Nectarine Pie. "This is good,"

"See, I told you," Wendy gloated, enjoying her Lovely Chocolate Sorbet. "And the best part, you don't have to worry so much about what you eat."

"Remind me to stop by here before we leave," said Goomba with her Fruit Shroom Parfait. "Wish they have a place like this back home."

"You know, this will be great with some wine," Kohana said between bites of her Red Valvet Cake.

"An excellent suggestion," Kelly said. "Maybe I recommend a glass of our Goomba Vine Wine? We have a special sale on it."

"Alcohol? At a bakery?" Luigi asked from over his shoulder.

"There's no law against it around here," Kelly winked. "Although you do have to be of legal age to purchase it,"

"I'll have a glass,"

"And me as well," said Goombaline

Kelly wrote down their order. "Two glasses of Goomba Vine Wine," She turned to Wendy. "And you Mrs. Wendy?"

"Fruity Punch," She said smoothly.

Kelly nodded and turned to Koren. "And you Miss?"

Koren blinked at her question before glancing down at her plate. "Uhm, just some water will be good,"

Her friends look to her with some surprise. "You sure, Koren? You usually enjoy wine," Goombaline said.

She nodded. "I'm sure,"

"Alrighty," Kelly wrote it down. "How about you two gentlemen?"

"I'll have the Fruity Punch as well," Luigi said.

"And you Lemmy?" She asked the orange Koopa.

The short koopa blinked before swallowing. "Uhm…you chose,"

"If you insist," Kelly smiled and headed back into the kitchen. "Be back soon,"

As she left, Wendy and her two other friends turned back to Kohen. The green shelled Koopa simply poke at her dessert under her friends' glaze.

"Are you okay, Koren?" Kohana asked gently.

"Yeah, you've been acting weird for a while now," Goombaline joined in.

"I'm fine guys," She assures them. "Really I am,"

Unfortunately for her, she didn't sound all that convincing. Wendy frowned; she had noticed that Koren had been withdrawn yesterday but dismissed it for something else. Now she was worry that something may be wrong.

Kelly returned a minute later with their drinks in hand. Wendy reached for her own before speaking, "You know, Koren… you don't have to be afraid to tell us anything. We're your friends after all,"

"Wendy's right. If you're worried about something, you can turn to us," Kohana tried to encourage.

Koren seemed conflicted about the offer. She bit her lower lip debating with herself. After a few moments, she left out a deep sigh.

"Alright, I'll tell you." She said softly. "I… wasn't really going to say anything but…"

She bit her lip again, trying to choose her words carefully. "Wendy you weren't there but…you guys remember the club we went to, about three weeks ago?"

Kohana and Goombaline nodded. "Yeah, we did. Kohana and I left early but you stayed to wait for Cole right?"

"Right, well…I didn't exact wait for Cole."

This got several looks of confusion among the group. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…I left before he got there."

"You left?" Kohana asked. "As in you walked home?"

"Not exactly," Koren said, growing very nervous. "I kind of left…with someone else,"

Surprise overtook confusion. Eyes widen while mouths make a perfect 'O' shape. It took a moment for the information to sink in before someone asked,

"How…did that happen?"

Koren kept her head casted down. "After Kohana and Goombaline left, I kept on drinking as I waited for Cole. Things started to get blurry and before I knew it, I woke up next to someone who was not Cole."

"Does Cole know about this?" It was Wendy that asked; her voice surprisingly gentle.

"No," Koren admits to it shamefully. "It was a one-time mistake and I didn't want him to worry."

"Lying about it doesn't really help either." Goombaline said gently.

"I know,"

"Well, if that's all you're worry about, than the solution is easy." Wendy spoke. "Talk to Cole and try to work things out with him."

Koren, however, shook her head. "It's not that simple,"

"Why not?"

"I-I went to the doctor a few days ago." She paused for a moment to catch her breath. "It turns out…I'm pregnant."

Another round of silence fell upon the table. The only sound that can be heard was the normal sound of business as customers came in and out of the store.

"I thought you were on the pill?" Kohana asked.

"I missed last's month which was why I went to the doctor."

She nods in understanding.

"So how far along are you?" Goombaline asked.

"Over two weeks,"

There was a bit of a pause between around them as questions were carefully thought out.

"It's not Cole's, isn't it?" Wendy asked.

"It could be Cole's," Koren tried to reason with some hope. "We both haven't been very careful this past month."

"But it could still be that other guy's," She cut in. "It falls within that time period. You don't want Cole to unknowingly raise a kid that might not be his, do you?"

Koren moaned pitifully and buried her face in her hand, her dessert long forgotten as it slowly starts to melt.

"I don't know what to do," She cried. "I want to tell him, I really do…But I don't want to lose him."

Wendy and the others didn't say anything. They had always known Koren to be a fun-loving, carefree individual. Sure she had enjoyed drinking a little too much but, no one could have guessed that it would lead her to this predicament. Wendy placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. She couldn't really imagine the pain and worry that she's feeling. All she could do now was offer her the best advice she could think of.

"Koren…"

BANG!

The sudden bash of the store entrance interrupted her and caused everyone inside to jump in the air. They looked over, wondering what the cause of the ruckus was. They saw a Koopatrol, one of the many guards of the castle. He standing in front of the door, panting quite heavily as if he had been running for a while.

"Lady Wendy! Lord Lemuel!" He pants "I was sent by the King himself to retrieve you."

"The King?" Luigi questioned. The guard turned to him, and recognized him immediately.

"Uh? Oh, Master Luigi; forgive me, I did not see you there." He apologized swiftly. "The King has requested your presences as well."

The green man blinked. "He did?"

"Yes, sir; an emergency summons has been issued. All high ranking clan members are required to attend. All of you, please, return to the castle right away,"

"This sounds serious," Luigi commented "You know what this means,"

"Yeah," Lemmy smirked "We better eat fast,"

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Ending Note:

I hope everyone enjoy the solar eclipse on Monday.

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