Authoress' Notes: I've slaved over this chapter for about 2 1/2 weeks now, so be nice and give me a lot of praise for this one! Please!

Better Off Alone

Chapter 5: Pain

As the group traveled on the thick forest, they soon found that the search to find the next Crystal Star would be a lot more complicated than first imaged. Before they even got halfway through the jungle, they coincidentally came in contact with the missing and most-likely assumed dead sailors; Bobbery, Four-Eyes, and Skipper. Unfortunately, the trio was trapped on a rickety bridge by a pair of fuming Embers with no way off. Being the honorable supporter he was, the salty Bob-omb threw Skipper and Four-Eyes off the bridge to safety, running off with the flaming ghosts. While Four-Eyes and Skipper retreated to camp, Mario and his posse went off to find Bobbery, soon realizing he'd been mysteriously trapped in a tree by the duo of Embers. What ensued after defeating the fiery phantoms was a long game of give and take, involving the will to fulfill Bobbery's last request for his Chuckhola Cola, which Flavio had authority of. Following a lot of considerable confusion, Bobbery eventually received his desired beverage, and agreed to repay Mario for "bringing him back from the departed". Now, after an exhausting expedition in the searing heat, Mario and his expanded party returned back to camp for a well-deserved rest before going onwards.

Koops wiped the sweat off his brow. "Geez, Mario... I think we're lucky we all haven't had a stroke by now..."

A hot Goombella nodded. "Same here..."

"I say, I'd have to agree," Flurrie sighed, trudging along.

Bobbery walked along near an untroubled Mario, not at all affected by the heat. "Sorry for troubling you lot so dauntingly, but at least that's all behind us now.

"Easy for you to say; you didn't even do anything..." Waffles grumbled.

"Hey, Vivian, how're holding up?" Koops asked, looking back at the quiet Shadow Siren.

Sweating and weary, she nodded. "...I'm okay..."

Reassured of her safety, Koops turned back to walking with the others. On the other hand, Vivian quietly remained lingering in the back, tired and hungry. Continuously leering at the ground in fatigue, she then noticed a few flowers; a small cluster of white lilies near the edge of other various flora. Upon seeing them, she immediately stopped following the group. Looking at them long and hard, her face slowly turned somber as realization replayed an awful memory through her mind.

Going over, she stooped down and gently caressed the flowers, unaware of the danger lurking behind her...

"There's the camp! Finally!" Waffles spat.

Goombella rolled her eyes. "Oh, please... We weren't gone that long."

"It wasn't how long we were gone; it was all the stuff we had to do in-between then!"

The Goomba scoffed, unable to think of a formidable retort.

"Vivian... Why are so quiet? Are you okay?" Koops asked.

Not getting a response, he turned around just in time to see Vivian crouching near the ground, a large Putrid Piranha looming over her.

"VIVIAN, LOOK OUT!" shouted Koops.

Startled, Vivian quickly sat up and let out a bloodcurdling scream as the poisonous Piranha Plant violently seized her arm.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion... Vivian's sight began to blur, her hearing started to fade out... She could still feel the Putrid Piranha's razor-sharp teeth puncture her arm like knives and the ice-cold poison seeping through it. Her face was in a painful sneer as she struggled to break free, but it was futile. She soon felt herself become drowsy and faint and the poison taking effect...

Her head began to spin... She could hear distant and garbled speech... and slowly felt herself fading away...

Thick, green poison oozing from the side of her arm...

Small uncontrollable tremors throughout her body...

A throbbing headache that was gradually getting worse...

It wasn't long before she lost consciousness and her body went limp, her arm still snug in the Piranha's mouth...

...Sometime later, she was lying in a bed back at camp, everyone crowded around her, with Koops by her side.

He gently stroked one of her gloved hands. "Vivian... if you can hear me, squeeze my hand..."

Goombella peered over hisshoulder. "I think she's unconscious. We should let her rest..."

Bobbery sighed. "I say... this is most unfortunate. I feel sorry for the poor lass. A bite from one of those things can really take a toll on you..."

Waffles nodded. "Yeah, man. But, how bad is it?"

"I'm pretty sure it's not fatal, but it could still have some serious effects if not treated properly," answered Goombella.

Koops continued to hover over her anxiously. "Vivian, please say something..."

Her name... Did someone just say her name?

Was... someone talking to her?

She couldn't tell; the words were distorted and blurred. Aside from her name, she couldn't make them out...

Despite not being able to accurately see or hear, Vivian could tell she was lying in a bed... and someone was holding her hand.

Turning her body to the side, Vivian tried to make out who was it was, but this caused a sharp stinging in her injured arm and a pounding headache. Feeling this, she tried to move to another position, but still felt uncomfortable. She soon found herself in a slight panic as each movement she made resulted in awful pain.

"Try to not to let her move too much. It'll increase the poison flow in her arm," Goombella advised, watching her struggle.

Putting his hands on Vivian's chest, Koops tried to calm her down. "C'mon, relax. You're okay now..."

"...Koops...?" she mumbled drowsily.

He smiled vaguely. "Don't worry... Everybody's here for you."

"...Everybody..." she mumbled again, her body unstable and jerky.

"Just take it easy... Relax."

Vivian coughed and wheezed uncontrollably, her chest rapidly heaving as she struggled to breathe.

She could feel her stomach starting to cramp...

Her lungs felt like they were on fire with each breath she took...

It felt like cotton was lodged in her throat...

She had begun to break out in a cold sweat, and she could feel herself slowly fading in and out of consciousness...

Wrapping one of Thriff T.'s Ice Storms in a cloth, Koops gently placed it on Vivian's forehead, resulting in a frown under her hat from the sudden chill.

Koops gave Goombella a worried look. "Do you think she'll be okay?"

"She got bit pretty badly, but at least it was only on her arm. Just keep her cool and relaxed and I think she'll be fine."

"She won't... She won't die, will she?"

"I doubt it. The wound's very minor and we already gave her one of the spare Tasty Tonics. I think her body can handle the rest."

"But someone has to stay here with her. We can't just leave her like this..." Koops pointed out, uneasily.

"Don't worry! We'll look over Vivian for you guys!" a Toad sailor happily volunteered.

A Bob-omb sailor stepped forward. "Yeah! It's the least we can do while you're away."

"Thanks, but I think it'd be better if one of us stayed. We need to keep her as calm as we possibly can, and knowing her, she might feel a little intimidated by you guys if none of us were around," explained Goombella.

As the discussion of what to do over Vivian's condition continued, Koops sighed and looked down, distraught with grief. This whole mess was all his fault and because of his carelessness, one of his own friends had been severely poisoned... Not only that, but it just had to be poor Vivian, who seemed so undeserving of such a punishment. With his back still turned to the others, he quickly brushed his face in his hands, trying to wipe away any advancing tears.

"The poor dear... I absolutely hate seeing her like this..." He heard Flurrie say.

"Yeah. It must really suck to be poisoned like that," Waffles added.

A Toad sailor shook his head. "Don't talk like that! There has to be something we can do!"

Suddenly, a determined look made its way onto Koops' face as he turned to the others. "I'll stay with her."

Upon hearing his voice, the entire party looked at him. "What?"

"But Koops, we might need you out there," said Goombella.

"Don't worry about it. I'd probably just get in the way--"

"But don't you think it's kinda stupid to go with only three people? I say we should stay until Vivian gets better, then we can all go!" Waffles blurted out.

"Yeah, the Crystal Star can wait. We'll all stay and help out, okay?" Goombella gave him a hesitant smile, almost positive he wouldn't take "No" for an answer.

"No, this is my fault. I... I should've been watching her more closely..."

"Oh, c'mon, man! Stop beating up on yourself! It's nobody's fault! It just happened, okay?" Waffles retorted.

Koops faced Vivian. "...But why'd it have to happen to her?"

Goombella was just about to say something, when she noticed, as Koops' head was turned to the side, there was a small tear sparkling in his eye. Seeing this, she bit her lip and eyed the others...

Waffles scoffed. "Come off it, man! We're staying and that's--"

"Guys, I think we'd better go," Goombella firmly said.

"What?"

Goombella looked up at Mario. "If Koops wants to stay that badly, I think we should let him. It's not fair to make him come if he doesn't want to."

Mario rubbed his chin, as if he were in deep thought.

Waffles pouted. "But Gonzales, we haven't even been in that cave yet! We're might need everybody on this one!"

"...Well, I don't mean to intrude in on anything, but it would be my honor if I could take Koops' place instead," Bobbery offered, bowing in respect.

Waffles turned around. "Huh?"

"Do you mean to tell us that you'll fill in for Koops?" Flurrie asked, taken by surprise.

"What he's doing for Vivian... I find it heartwarming and honorable. Why, I would do the same for my darling Scarlette..."

"But still!" Waffles protested.

"Still nothing! Since Bobbery joined us, we can afford to go without Koops and Vivian!" Goombella retorted.

Reluctantly, Flavio stepped up, polishing his Skull Gem in irritation. "Then do I have to go anywhere sometime soon or not? Your procrastination annoys Flavio!"

Walking towards the jungle, Mario motioned for the others to follow him. Apparently, he had made up his mind about what he wanted to do and was satisfied with Bobbery's substitution.

The Yoshi followed him, joined by the others. "All right, fine! If it's okay with Gonzales, it's okay with me!"

"...Fine, but if anything unpleasant is to befall Flavio, I shall personally demote you as captain, Mario!" the capitalist complained, reluctantly following.

"Yes, we understand. Just don't get lost, you rich fool," Bobbery grumbled.

Goombella watched as the others left, then went over to Koops. "You sure you're gonna be okay with this?"

"Yeah... I don't want to hold up anything, so you guys just go on ahead."

"All right. Don't just work yourself too hard, or we'll have to take care of you when we get back," she laughed.

Watching Goombella ran to catch up with the others, Koops went back inside the tent to check on Vivian. From he could see, she was sleeping, but made a cringing response every few seconds.

Placing his hand on her gasping chest, he carefully rubbed it. "It's okay, Vivian. I'll make sure you get better..."

Words... That's all they were... Words...

...Or were they something more than that?

Vivian felt as if she'd been pulled out of her own body, her mind drifting aimlessly in a dark void of no return.

It didn't seem possible. Was this all a dream? Or reality...?

She squinted her eyes tight as she tried to make out the blurs in front of her...

"You're not just gonna lay there all day, are you?" someone asked.

That voice... it seemed so familiar. It was distant, yet... so playful and juvenile. Who was talking to her?

Vivian blinked again. "Who... who are you...?" she asked lethargically, her voice in a higher pitch.

"Wow, Vivi, you must've hit your head harder that I thought," came the bouncy reply.

Vivian closed her eyes again, putting her hands over her face in a tired frustration. When she removed them, her vision gradually became clearer, revealing the blurs to be the surroundings around her. Lush, green trees in a wide-open field of flowers, with a clear, blue sky up above. Feeling another presence nearby, she turned to her side to see a girl who looked almost exactly like her.

Donning a green-and-white hat, soft bangs of lime hair loosely swept across her forehead from under the brim of her hat, concealing her eyes. The rest gracefully flowed down her shoulders and to her waist, unrestricted and pure. Like Vivian's pink cheeks, her's were a faint rose color; her lips were that of a soft magenta hue. A white lily was placed on the rim of her hat, a happy smile on her face.

"I don't think it was anything serious, Vivi. Here, let me help you up," the other Shadow Siren offered, holding out her hand...

Now standing up next the other girl, Vivian finally recognized who she was...

"...Wilwian...?"

Vivian also realized her voice didn't sound right. She spoke with the tone of a toddler, mispronouncing her words unintentionally and not understanding her own thoughts. Looking up at Lillian, she began to understand what was going on. She had gotten smaller, not only in size, but in age. Her hat was now too large for her and sat in an odd position on her head, preventing it from falling in front of her face.

"Vivi, what's wrong?" Lillian asked, stooping down to her level.

Tears of agitated confusion ran down her puffy cheeks. "My head hurts..."

Lillian ran her fingers through her hair, looking for any bumps or bruises. "Well, I don't see anything. Whatever hurts, it'll go away soon"

"Okay..."

"Hey, I know what'll cheer you up! You wanna make some flower necklaces?" she asked, rubbing her sister's shoulders.

Wiping the last of her tears away, Vivian slowly nodded.

"Okay, then..." Taking Vivian's tiny hand, Lillian led her over to a large field of white lilies, similar to the one placed in her hat.

Picking up a lily, Vivian examined it closely, then gave it her sister. "This one's pretty..."

Lillian smiled and took it, adding it to two others she'd already gathered. "Flowers are special like that; if they're taken care of properly, they grow to look gorgeous and attractive... Just like you."

A look of shock crossed Vivian's face. "I'm gonna turn into a fwower?" she asked, innocently mispronouncing her "L".

Lillian laughed at her naiveté. "No, silly! I mean you're gonna grow up and become beautiful like a flower!"

She giggled childishly. "Oh! Oops!"

Lillian held up a small ring of three lilies over Vivian's head, placing it around her neck. "There, that should fit perfectly."

Smiling, Vivian fawned over her new fragrant necklace in delight... Then she noticed Lillian was no longer sitting with her. She looked down in confusion to see her older sister lying on the ground.

Bewildered, she crept over. "Wilwian?"

Lillian didn't respond, her body slumped in an awkward position. She laid there, on the cold, hard soil, blood seeping from underneath her lifeless body.

Vivian gently tugged on her hat, tears trickling from her upset eyes. "Wilwian... Wake up..."

Seeing she wasn't moving, Vivian began to panic. More tears clouded her vision as she looked for another way to wake her. She pushed against the Shadow Siren's body, hoping with all her might that she would awaken and play with her once again.

"C'mon, Wilwian... Pwease..." Vivian huddled over his sister's cadaver, crying.

But she remained unmoving on the ground...

Feeling something in her hand, Vivian fingered Koops' palm, mumbling in her sleep. "...No..."

Koops looked at her, worried and confused. "Vivian?"

She squeezed his hand tighter, a pained expression on her face. "...Lillian..."

"Lillian? ...Who's that?"

It then occurred to Koops that Vivian might've been hallucinating under the influence of the poison. Wrapping another Ice Storm in a cloth, he placed it on her head and continued stroking her hand. Almost as if on cue, she groggily sat up in bed, unstable and woozy. Koops couldn't help but smile.

Vivian massaged her head in pain. "Ouch..."

"You okay?" he asked, helping her sit up.

"I'm okay... I just feel a little... tired..."

Koops put a hand to her forehead. "Your fever's going down. You had us worried, you know..."

"Sorry..."

"That's okay. Just as long as you're all right..."

It seemed awkward, almost uncanny, how some things fell into place in certain ways; Vivian had to admit that her relationship with Koops was a perfect example, although she wasn't exactly sure what it was yet...

But no matter how awkward it was, it made Vivian feel happy... like she used to be with Lillian.

Later that night, Mario and the others returned to camp, successful with finding the illustrious Sapphire Crystal Star. Seeing as Vivian had recovered, they couldn't wait to tell her about their adventure.

Waffles bounced up with excitement. "Man, you missed all the action! Okay, so we went through Pirate's Grotto and did some stuff, right? Then, we saw the evil pirate king, Cortez!"

"But he wasn't evil at all. He just wanted to protect his treasure and he thought we were after it," Goombella continued.

"We helped Mario show up that ruffian for the lout he was, but in the end, all was mistaken and we resolved the problem," Flurrie added, brushing back her hair.

"And to top it all off, you remember Four-Eyes, right? Well, he was actually that stupid Crump guy! So, we all trashed his sorry butt and Cortez agreed to let us use his ship to get back to Rogueport!" Waffles explained.

Lying on a pillow, Vivian nodded and smiled faintly. "Sounds like you guys had fun..."

"Well, since we have a ship now, we're sailing back to Rogueport in the morning... Unless you need more rest..." Goombella looked at the Shadow Siren, who shook her head.

"No, I can go tomorrow."

"Well, in that case, I'm going to bed!" Waffles announced, walking out. "See you freaks in the morning!"

"I think we should all have a nice lie-down; it's been a long day," Flurrie agreed, also leaving.

"You think you're alright now?" Koops asked, standing up.

"I'm feeling a lot better, really."

"Well, while you were asleep, I got one of the sailors to get you these." He pulled out a small bouquet of lilies, the exact ones she'd been admiring earlier.

Vivian tried her best not to frown, but the flowers made her more sad than happy. "Thanks, Koops. That's really sweet..."

"Okay, then. I'll let you rest now." He turned to walk out the floppy tent door, proud of his good deed.

After making sure she was alone, Vivian sat up and stretched, rubbing her eyes and getting a better perception of the lilies Koops'd left for her. Reaching for the small, white flowers, she hugged them fondly.

"Lillian..." she whispered, a small tear dripping onto one of the folded petals.

Outside, the members of the crew were celebrating their final day on the island, while others either sat back and watched, or went to sleep in their tents. Koops sat by himself near the edge of the campsite, watching the others carouse. For some reason, he didn't feel much like partying...

Goombella walked over to the secluded Koopa, bringing him a fresh Super Shroom. "Here, you've really earned it."

Koops forged a smile. "Thanks..."

"Oh, now, what's wrong?"

"Nothing... I guess I'm just still worried about Vivian."

Goombella sat down. "What's there to worry about? She's fine, you saw her."

"I know, but I have a really bad habit of being bothered over things like that."

"Well, don't. Vivian's fine and we're going home tomorrow, so relax a little."

Koops stood up, walking towards the sandbar. "...I just need to clear my head..."

"Okay, just don't stay out too long..." Goombella advised, a hint of worry in her voice.

"Sure..." he whispered, not really hearing the Goomba's words.

Strolling awkwardly through the foliage, Koops made his way to the sandbar, which looked as eerily beautiful as it did the last time he was there with Vivian...

A sigh of exasperation escaped his lips as thoughts of the Shadow Siren ran through his mind again. It was evident that going to the beach wouldn't help in quelling his mind into forgetting about he, he concluded, starting to leave. But just as he wrestled back through the thick vines and leaves, he saw her. Almost like a mysterious apparition, she appeared out of the shadows, sitting herself on the sandbar and facing the vast sea.

Turning back to face the object of his affection, a loving smile found its way onto his face as he gazed at her adoringly from the safety of the thick undergrowth. She looked so tranquil under the moon's subtle glow, as she mournfully huddled over something. He could only look on in awe, as she was unintentionally posed in an almost sad, yet elegant picture of lament and pain. Her sleek figure glimmered in the soothing moonlight, coloring her body a brilliant shade of sparkling lavender; her vague outline glowed like a mystical force. Getting closer, he noticed she was holding several small flowers close in her arms, the same ones he left her earlier. His interest now peaked, Koops inched even closer, clumsily pushing through the shrubbery.

"Lillian... I miss you so much... Why'd you have to leave me like this...?" she sighed, looking at the bouquet.

Koops immediately realized the name; it was the same one she'd been whispering in her dreams. Now completely interested, he moved along the shrubs in anticipation, but he eventually lost balance and tripped over a large tree root.

"OOF!" he grunted loudly, the wind knocked out of him as he fell.

Startled by the sudden noise, Vivian dropped her lilies and disappeared into the shadows.

Limping out of the bushes, he called out, "Wait... Don't be scared. It's only me..."

A few seconds passed before she reappeared from the murky gloom, her face red and puffy. "Oh... Hi, Koops..."

"Hi..." He made his way over, picking up the flowers and handing them back to her.

As she reached for the lilies, her gloves ran through his fingers... And at that moment, just for a split-second, Vivian felt a calm warmth emitting from his hands. She couldn't make out exactly what it was, but it made her feel somewhat... loved...

Koops sat down. "I heard you in the bushes... About Lillian."

Vivian perked up at the sound of her deceased sister's name. "You did?"

"I'm really sorry. If I knew these flowers reminded you of her..."

"...No... It's not your fault. You didn't know..." she responded, slightly surprised he'd been spying on her.

"Was she a friend of yours?" he asked, slightly embarrassed from asking a stupid question.

"She was my older sister..." she replied, holding the lilies close to her chest.

"Oh..."

"It's been almost 10 years since I've seen these flowers..." Vivian whimpered quietly, her voice starting to quaver, "...and they're the exact same kind Lillian used to pick for me... She always told me that lilies were a symbol of beauty, hope, and life... Just like she was to me..."

Hearing trembling gasps, Koops looked at her. "You okay?"

She quickly nodded her head, turning her face away. On the soft moonlit ground, he could see tears glistening as they fell from underneath her hat.

The Koopa turned his attention towards the night sky, a sad smile on his face. "I know you really miss your sister... It's such an awful feeling... To lose someone so close to your heart..."

"...What?" She lifted her head, surprised from his sudden dialogue.

A bloom from one of the lilies drifted dejectedly in the sea's bumpy current. Koops watched it continuously waver up and down. "You feel like there's no tomorrow... And yet, it comes... Just like it always has and always will. And you end up having to face it without that person..."

Two more hot tears fell from Vivian's eyes... But they were carefully wiped away as Koops took his hand and caressed one side of her face, using his finger to catch the tear on her other cheek.

"You feel lost and lonely, like no one in world cares for you... But, that's not true, Vivian... You've got us... Mario, Goombella, Flurrie, Waffles, Bobbery... and me..." He blushed. "We're all here to help you..."

Vivian looked at this kind Koopa, her eyes full of hurt and confusion.

Koops' eyes widened in shock as he realized she was now holding him fondly in her arms...

Vivian buried her face in his jacket, squeezing countless tears out of her tired eyes. She wrapped her arms around his warm body, rubbing his sturdy shell and pulling him close.

Slowly, he returned the hug, as she continued gently sniveling. "Oh, it's okay. Just cry it out... It'll make you feel better."

After a few more minutes of crying, she began to calm down and eventually relax. It wasn't long afterwards before Koops could hear her soft snoring. Delicately repositioning the Shadow Siren in his arms, her laid her down on the soft grass, careful not to wake her.

The stars twinkled brightly that night, adorning the sky with their presence. A warm breeze gently swept through the trees and over the calm shore... For the first time in what seemed like forever, she wasn't alone. As the lilies fell to the ground, the ocean's ebb gently carried them out to sea... Tears sparkled in the nighttime glow. Together in the moonlight, they embraced in passion... Looking up at the glittering beauties, Koops could feel his own heart swell with happiness, not only over the gorgeous sky...

...But for a newfound love...

Authoress' Notes: After a bit of researching, I have taken the time to make up a name for Koops/Vivian pairing! I think ShadowShellshipping sounds good! A bit of a tongue twister, but it's just a thought. Nobody out there probably even cares. Monkey Icicle Pops. :P