Authoress' Notes: Okay, well, here's Chapter 4, and I'm proud to say that this story's coming along very smoothly, just keep the reviews and good comments coming!

Better Off Alone

Chapter 4: Compassion

The stars sparkled brightly over Keelhaul as Koops and Vivian made their way back to camp, the Koopa guiding the way. He stepped through the bushes, lifting branches and moving shrubs out of Vivian's face and out of her hat's reach. Other than the occasional rusting of bushes, everything was quiet and calm, the night air warm and soothing. Vivian almost regretted going back to the others, as she wouldn't be able to spend any personal time with Koops without anyone coming up and making a scene. It wasn't long before the two stood on the outskirts of the campsite, behind a few trees and shrubs. From what Koops could see, most of the crew had already gone to bed, leaving only Mario, his party, Flavio, and few other Toads sitting around a large bonfire. Koops also noticed Goombella standing near the edge of the forest, looking for something.

Vivian broke Koops' train of thought with a soft whisper. "Koops..."

"Yeah?"

She squeezed his hand tighter. "Thanks for staying with me back there... It was... so sweet of you... So, thanks. I feel better, now..."

"Oh... um... you're welcome..." he smiled shyly.

Hearing voices, Goombella walked through a bush and into the two. "Hey, where have you guys been? I was just about to go looking for you."

"Oh, we just had some time alone together near the shore. It's... it's no big deal," Koops replied, uneasily.

Goombella looked up to see Vivian massaging Koops' hand in her grasp. "Some time alone?"

"Yeah... We just talked about some things..." Vivian blushed.

"Did this 'talk' include holding hands?" she asked, a grin on her face.

"What? Oh..." Realizing she was still holding Koops' hand, Vivian suddenly yanked away, going red in the face again. "No... It's not like that..."

Koops nodded quickly, trying to back her up. "Yeah..."

Goombella smiled. "Hey, it's all right, don't worry about it. This never happened, okay?"

Koops nodded. "Okay..."

Vivian fiddled with her gloves. "Okay..."

Goombella went back to camp, Koops following her. Vivian reluctantly tagged along, not completely ready to face the others. She just wanted to be alone with Koops for a while longer...

Seeing Goombella coming back with the missing duo, Mario smiled and waved at the trio.

"So, Koops and Vivian finally decided to come back, huh? I was really starting to think you two had eloped, or something," Waffles joked.

Flurrie sighed. "Sweetheart, that really wasn't called for."

"I hope you and Vivian already ate before you went off like that," Goombella said, walking towards a tent.

"Why?" Koops whiffed the air, catching the scent of Shrooms. "Hey, wait... Where are the Super Shrooms? Weren't you guys cooking some when I left?"

"We don't have anymore food right now. You guys just missed the last serving," Thriff T. shrugged, coming out of his tent.

"What? Why didn't you call me?" Koops asked, a slight hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Sorry, I didn't know you two had left. Besides, it's first come, first serve. Until we can find a way to get back to Rogueport, only one piece of food for everybody," Thriff T. explained. Putting away his supply of Mushrooms, he zipped up his tent and headed for bed.

"I think that's only fair, since I think we might be here a while. We've got to make this stuff last, y'know," Goombella added.

Koops sighed and turned to the Shadow Siren. "We're just going to have to go to bed without food... Sorry about that..."

"Well... I have this..." Vivian fingered around the rim of her hat and pulled out the Jelly Ultra she had received from the innkeeper back in Rogueport.

Koops looked at the Shroom in awe. "Is that... a Jelly Ultra?"

Vivian became anxious. "Yeah... Is that bad?"

He smiled. "No, in fact, it's great! How'd manage to find one of those? They're very rare."

"Oh? Well, I actually got it from a friend..." she replied, smiling at the thought of the friendly innkeeper's amiability.

"Well, this 'friend' of yours must've been pretty rich in order to get one of these for you," Flurrie said.

"Why, those ghastly things cost about 400 coins! Of course, Flavio could buy dozens of those if he wanted to," the entrepreneur claimed, polishing his prized Skull Gem.

"Ooh! Ooh! Vivian, can I have some, please?" a Toad asked.

"I want some, too! I hardly got any grub to eat!" another proclaimed.

Goombella shook her head. "That's being greedy! You guys already got your food!"

Vivian handed Koops the Jelly Ultra. "Here, you can have this."

"Well... you can have some, too. You didn't get to eat anything either, so we'll share it."

She smiled meekly. "Oh, no... I'm not really hungry anyway..."

"Are you sure?" Koops looked worried.

Vivian looked at the ground, her stomach growling loudly. "I'm sure..."

"Well, I think your stomach disagrees with you..."

"No, forget about it. I can eat tomorrow," she said, hugging her waist.

Koops frowned. "Why can't you eat now?"

"Well, I'm more tired than hungry..." Vivian lied, rubbing her arm uneasily.

"...Okay..." Koops finally gave in, but instead of eating the Jelly Ultra, he carefully hid it in his coat's pockets.

Goombella looked at the sky. "Hey, Mario, it's getting pretty late, don't you think? We should call it a night."

Standing up from the bonfire, Mario nodded.

"All right, guys! Time to hit the sack! We got a big day tomorrow, so let's get some sleep!" ordered the headstrong Goomba, as she pushed people off to bed.

Groans and grumbles of disagreement were uttered amongst the unwilling crew as they reluctantly retreated to their tents. Vivian watched as everyone zipped up their sleeping bags for the night and Mario put the fire out, unsure of where she was supposed to go.

"Vivian? Come on, it's time to go to bed," Goombella spoke softly, knowing how gentle she had to be with her.

"I don't where I'm supposed to sleep..."

"Waffles is the only one with a free tent, so you can room with him," she directed her to Waffles' sleeping quarters.

Koops watched Vivian carefully as she joined Waffles in his area, feeling slightly dejected, since he also had no one else to room with. Maybe she didn't know...

Inside the tent, the little Yoshi unrolled his sleeping bag on the floor. Vivian stayed off to the side, watching him uneasily.

Seeing her, he raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing in here?"

"...I thought I was supposed to share this tent with you. Goombella told me no one else is staying in here, so..."

"So? I specifically told her that I always go it alone, so I don't know what the heck she's talking about. Sorry, but I'd like it better if you weren't in here."

"...Well... okay..." she sighed, used to being rejected.

"Then, see ya in the morning," Waffles opened the door to his tent and let Vivian out, not at all ashamed of his decision.

Going out into the warm night air, Vivian looked around for a comfortable place to sleep. Everybody else had already gone to bed, leaving the campground pitch black and deserted.

It was always like this; Alone in a dark place, with no one to care for her...

No one to tell her it would be all right the next day...

No one to help her in her time of need...

No one... because she was always alone...

Vivian heaved a sigh, continuing to look for somehwere she could rest. Almost on cue, Koops went to his tent's door to pull it closed, just as she walked by. Seeing her pink-and-white hat barely stand out in the thick darkness, he called out to her.

"Vivian? What're you still doing out here?"

"Um... Waffles already had someone else sharing with him, so I couldn't sleep there..." Vivian answered, not wanting Koops to know she'd been put out.

"Do you want to stay with me? No one else's in here," he held open the flaccid tent door.

"Okay..." Excited at her sudeen change of luck, she stepped inside.

Zipping up the door behind her, Koops pulled out the Jelly Ultra. "Here, I thought you might want this back."

Vivian took the Jelly Ultra and looked at it, then faced Koops. "...Why are you being so nice to me...? Is there a reason, or..."

"I'm being nice to you because we're friends, and that's what friends do for each other."

Vivian found herself overwhelmed by his answer. "Really?"

"You deserve this just as much as you deserve everything else," he continued. "Actually, why don't we share it? It'll be out little secret. Plus, I wouldn't feel feel right eating it whole when it's rightly yours."

"Okay..."

Koops took the Jelly Ultra and pulled it apart, taking the top and giving Vivian the stem. Not entirely sure of what it would do, she gently nibbled on hers.

"The only bad thing about this stuff is that they're really messy if you don't eat them right," Koops said, taking a bite out of the cap. He rubbed the leaking Jammin' Jelly between his fingers.

Vivian continued to softly chew on the stem, sucking the Jammin' Jelly on the inside. "It's pretty good... Actually, it's really good."

Soon finished with his share of the Jelly Ultra, Koops pulled out a handkerchief from his jacket and cleaned his hands. Seeing Vivian was done with hers, he carefully wiped her gloves clean.

Vivian could feel her heart begin to race as he tenderly rubbed her hands with the other side of his handkerchief. It felt strange for someone to actually care for them, as they were usually Beldam's main target for punishment.

"See? You liked it and so did I, so it was useful to both of us."

"No one's ever been this nice to me..."

"I don't see why. You're really nice to be around," Koops responded. He pulled out two sleeping bags from a wooden box, handing one to the Shadow Siren. "Here, this one's for you."

"Thanks." Vivian accepted the bag. She wasn't sure how to unroll it, so she followed Koops' example.

Finished setting it up, Koops yawned and tucked himself in. "Well, good night. We'll need to really rest up for tomorrow so we can find the Crystal Star."

The siren flinched, as she felt an awful chill of realization sting her body. It was almost as if Beldam was in the tent with her, ready to strike at any moment. She had completely forgotten about the Crystal Stars, along with the fact that it was up to her to steal them from Mario...

Koops sat up. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing... nothing's wrong..." came her quiet response. She continued unraveling her bag, sliding her slim body inside. Its shape matched hers almost perfectly, giving her a better sense of security and freedom. She rested her head against her bag's pillow, breathing a sigh of anxiety and turned to face the wall.

"If you say so..." mumbled the Koopa, half asleep.

After a few tense moments of her sister rampaging through her mind, Vivian managed to close her eyes and finally relax. For some strange reason, she felt Koops being there had something to do with her falling asleep so quickly and easily...

Warm, damp mist heavily covered the foliage of Keelhaul, dotting the entire island with fresh drops of dew. The faint cries of seagulls could be heard in the distance, along with the soft flow of the receding tide on the beach. The small camp was calm and tranquil, the entire group peacefully sleeping in their tents.

"All right, everybody! Rise and shine! C'mon, wake up! Let's go!" Goombella circled through the camp, demanded the crew to awaken.

Koops sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Goombella... please... people are trying to sleep..."

Grabbing Koops' blanket in her mouth, she yanked it away. "We need to get up and start looking for the Crystal Star! If we wait too long, the heat'll be intense!"

"Mmmm..." he grumbled, turning over and withdrawing into his shell.

She kicked his shell over. "Oh, get up already!"

"Go away..." Koops grumbled from inside.

"Fine, then..." Picking up his shell, Goombella walked over to a pool of knee-high water in the camp and promptly dropped him in.

Seconds later, he jumped out in a panic, a Nibbles at his heels. Once he was back on dry land, he shot Goombella an angry look. "What's your problem? I could've drowned!"

"Then, when I say 'Get up!', I mean it!"

Koops grumbled to himself as made his way over to the tent he and Vivian had shared the night before, looking for the Shadow Siren.

"Vivian? You awake?" He lifted up his discarded sleeping bag, only to realize that Vivian was no longer there, or in the tent, for that matter.

Goombella's persistent yelling had already woken up most of the others. Some had left camp and were busy washing up in a nearby stream, while others lined up in front of Thriff T.'s tent for his limited supply of Super Shrooms.

Going back outside, Koops scanned the vicinity. "Vivian?"

Waffles walked up, a Super Shroom in hand. "What is up with you? Do you like missing meals?"

"Waffles, have you seen Vivian?"

"Not since last night, when I kicked her out of my tent," he replied, taking a bite out of his Shroom.

Koops narrowed his eyes. "You kicked her out of your tent?"

"You know, when you say it like that, it makes me look like the bad guy..." Waffles replied, nonchalantly.

"Waffles, how could do something like that?" he demanded, feeling sorry and irate for Vivian at the same time.

"Look, you and I both know she didn't want to be there in the first place. Besides, she ended up staying with you, so what's the big deal?"

Koops turned off towards the jungle, frustrated. "That's not the point!"

"Whatever..."

Walking through the bushes, Koops squinted in the bright glare of the sun's rays and looked around for any Putrid Piranhas or Fuzzies. Goombella had mentioned earlier that it was pointless to fight either one of them in large groups. Finally convinced he was in no danger, Koops stepped over a few fallen braches and continued on, seeing some Toads eating Keel Mangos and cleaning themselves in a tiny river. Amongst the laid-back sailors, he spotted Vivian near a tree, holding several strange-looking fruits in her arms.

"Vivian?"

Hearing her name, she turned around. Seeing Koops, a shy smile found its way onto her face. "Hi. Good morning."

"Where've you been? I didn't see you at camp, and I was starting to get worried," Koops admitted, hoping it didn't appall Vivian that he was looking for her.

"Sorry, I was getting these for some Toads earlier this morning, but then I thought... If we can't get any Super Shrooms, we can eat these. They're not much, but it's better than nothing."

Taking one, Koops fumbled with it in confusion. "How do you eat it?"

Vivian laughed. "I don't know..."

"It's okay. We'll get Mario to smash it with his Hammer, or something."

"I guess we could try that..."

Walking back to camp, the two could hear shouting gradually getting louder as they neared camp. Passing by his tent near the edge of the forest, they saw what it was; Flavio and Pa-Patch in a heated argument about who was more useless in helping out when the Embers sank the boat.

"And wut did 'ou do, huh? Stand around, wondering if the ghosts 'ad any money?" Pa-Patch grumbled.

"Flavio did no such thing! 'Twas I who tried to calm the crew, you frightening thing! I didn't see you exactly 'fighting the good fight', as you rogues say," Flavio retorted.

"'Ou can't fight ghosts! They're dead! But oi guess a Fancy Pants lioke 'ou wouldn't know that!"

Flavio stood in an angry shock. "Excuse me...? Fancy pants?"

"What? Want me to say it again? FANCY PANTS! FANCY PANTS! FANCY PANTS! FANCY PANTS!"

Flavio shook his fist in anger. "Flavio demands satisfaction!"

Goombella stood between the two. "Guys, stop it!"

"Well, he's the 'un 'ho'd started it!" Pa-Patch spat.

"I don't care who started it, I'll finish it!"

"Wow, Goombella really knows what she's doing," Vivian said, as Koops put some Keel Mangos in his tent.

"Yeah, if it weren't for Mario, I think she would be our leader," he laughed at the thought.

Making sure Flavio and Pa-Patch were separated, Goombella walked over to Koops. "Hey, just so you know, we'll be leaving to explore the island soon."

"Isn't it a bit early?"

"It's best for all of us if we go before the sun gets too high and raises the temperature."

Koops sighed. "Okay, okay..."

"Do we need to bring anything?" Vivian asked.

"Just your own items. Y'know, the ones we got back in Twilight Town?" Goombella answered, walking over to an inattentive Mario.

Seeing everyone was there, Mario walked off into the forest, his posse following close behind in a certain order. Goombella stayed near the front with the red-clad plumber, Waffles followed her, after him was Flurrie, then Koops and Vivian brought up the rear. Being in the back made Vivian nervous, since a Putrid Piranha could easily ambush them.

"Don't worry about it. They won't come back here without attacking Mario first. He'll take care of them," Koops reassured her.

Not fully convinced Koops was right, Vivian slowly reached out and took his hand. "...You don't mind, do you?"

Koops didn't turn around to showing his blushing face. "No... I don't mind... It's probably safer this way..."

As the group continued on, Vivian caught sight of a few Putrid Piranhas in the bushes, but she paid them no mind. When Koops was around, she felt like nothing in the world could hurt her.

Authoress' Notes: Okay, so I lied. Consider this chapter as a buildup to something bigger. No plot twists for the public until I don't know when, but there will be some before the story ends. And yes, I skipped the part where Mario fights the Embers because it has nothing to do with anything! I was really planning on having Mario and the guys go and kill Cortez by the end of this chapter, but I changed my mind, since I thought of a better idea. So, yeah, Chapter 4 is accomplished and Chapter 5 is in the works.