After five years…
"Jenny, Belle, Karl, you'll never guess what!" Tim wrote in an email "I'm finally headed back for Rougeport! It's been a long five years, and all I've been thinking about is being able to listen to the last of the tales from that storyteller, if he's still around. I sure hope he is…
Anyways, since it has been five years, I don't honestly expect us to continue playing games of these tales like we did when we were kids. So you don't have to go and pretend just to make me happy. I wouldn't mind visiting some of those places mentioned though, if it's possible. And I would be thrilled if you guys would come with me.
I'm sailing alone, besides the driver of course, my parents couldn't afford to come, but couldn't stop me from coming either. I should be arriving later today, or early tomorrow. Can't wait to see you guys
Love from Tim, the Toad, strong of voice but shy of arm"
His ship pulled into the dock, and Tim breathed in the heavy scent of Rougeport. It was stinky, but it was home. He was home at last. He spotted his three friends waiting there for him and grinned.
"Finally back!" he called joyfully, jumping onto the dock.
"Oh my gosh! Tim!" Jenny said "have you grown!"
"Maybe a bit" Tim replied
"I don't think he looks different" Belle said
"How's life been for you?" Karl asked "see anything exciting? Do anything exciting?"
"Not really" Tim said "what about you?"
"I visited Boggly Woods" Jenny said
"I went to Twilight Town, not really worth your time though" Belle said "Don't bother going."
Tim laughed at this, and turned to Karl "what about you? You go anywhere?"
"Still waiting for a ship to take me to Keyhaul Key" he said
"I've got my sights set on Petal Meadows at the moment. I want to see where the Toad Hero came from for real, and maybe check out the Castle that hung around nearby" Tim told them
"If you ever want to head up to Creepy Steeple" Belle said "I wouldn't mind coming with you. It's the only exciting about Twilight Town. Got a few nice Boos hanging around."
"I'll probably have to take you to Boggly Woods" Jenny told Tim "the Punies there know me, and you need a Puni to get access to the warp pipe."
"Man, I've got so much ahead of me!" Tim laughed "but first things first. I need to go see the story teller. I've got a story to finish."
His three friends laughed nervously at that. "Yeah…" Karl said "about that… we kind of already finished it without you. You don't mind right?"
Tim shook his head "I would have felt terrible if you had spent five years waiting for me just to finish some stupid story. Don't tell me about the ending though, I want to hear for myself."
Tim's friends nodded, and let him go to find the storyteller.
After hearing the story, he headed to Petal Meadows, words still ringing fresh in his mind.
"The strong Toad held his star and continued his arduous journey. But eventually the miles took their toll upon him and he collapsed."
He was nearing home, but he felt weak. He wouldn't make it. He wouldn't make it.
'I can't hold on any longer' the Toad thought, before falling to his knees. What a terrible way to die, here on the ground in the middle of nowhere. The star could be taken by anybody who passed by.
"A travelling healer happened by and saved his life but the Toad knew his fate was to be trapped in the box when the star was gone."
"There you go, all better, ready for journeys yet to come!" the healer said with a grin.
"Thank you" the Toad said, but the look on his face was grim "but I fear even you cannot save me from my fate." He let out a meek laugh, "all heroes have their enemies, and mine refused to let me live my life in peace…"
"So he asked the healer to hide the star in a secret place known to no one..."
"My life will end soon enough, and I fear, even though you have saved me, that I will be unable to complete my task" the Toad's voice was sorrowful. He looked at the healer, and pleaded: "please, if this is to be my last request, I must ask you to take this star, and hide it where no one can find it."
"But where can I hide it?" the healer asked
"The Castle over there" the Toad replied "no one would dare even go near it, so the star will be safe."
"But what of you? What will happen when you no longer have the star?"
The Toad shook his head "trust me, you do not want to know."
The healer nodded and left the Toad, taking the star with him.
"HA!" the Toad laughed to the skies "if these are to be my last words, then hear them well demon! I have foiled you! Foiled you even with my dying breath! Trap me in whatever you want, but my job is done!"
And with that a black box appeared, and it stole his soul and trapped it inside. But the Toad was content, even if he had to spent the rest of eternity in a crammed box, he would live with the knowledge that the demon was defeated, and would stay that way for ages to come…