Authoress' Notes: Here we are at the DOUBLE DIGITS! I never thought I'd get this far, not by a long shot! "BOA" was strictly meant to be a one-shot type of thing, but all the support, gratitude, and inspiration from my fans motivated me to keep going! I really appreciate you guys; I don't think I'd ever get around to ever finishing this story if it weren't for you, so THANKS! After going through some scripts and testing dialogue, I've come to the conclusion that "BOA" might (keyword: MIGHT) make it all the way up to Chapter 20! And the sequel is still up in the air, so I'll get back to you on that.
Random Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!
Better Off Alone
Chapter 10: Vessels
...The Crystal Stars of lore were once a wondrous thing to behold. Each one held a specific trait and power unlike any other. They followed the commands of anyone who welded them, whether their intentions good or bad.
Diamond, the Star of Courage, Emerald, the Star of Grace, Gold, the Star of Strength, Ruby, the Star of Beauty, Sapphire, the Star of Fortitude, Garnet, the Star of Cunning, and Crystal, the Star of Knowledge... According to ancient charts and readings, these were said to be the characteristics of each star, although proof was seldom found.
As for the coveted Amethyst Crystal Star... Few have ever seen it and those who've lived to tell about its magnificence are never believed. It was claimed to sparkle in a countless display of purple and black, the color of shadows.
This star was the most powerful of all its brother and sister stars, being rumored to have the ability of changing time and space to suit its wielder's desires. A thief once tried to steal this star and use it to his own needs, but ended up destroying himself in the process.
The demon saw how much of a problem this was and sealed the star away in a dazzling chest with red and gold emblazoned upon its latches. It was the duty of Lightning and Tundra to guard this chest with their very lives and keep its whereabouts locked away in the Palace of Shadow. But word eventually leaked out and thieves from worldwide came to take the box from her domain.
The constant onslaught of scoundrels in and out of her territory continued for centuries until the demon finally had enough. She would seal away the Amethyst Crystal Star in a place where no one would ever find it... in the body of her youngest daughter.
After Ember's unexplained birth, the infamous star's existence disappeared into fable and all began to wonder if such a treasure even existed. Rumors and hearsay brought little Ember into question quite a few times, but her connection with anything pertaining to the Amethyst Star was always dismissed as a preposterous joke.
One would say Ember is merely a vessel for the Amethyst Crystal Star, holding it as a revitalizing item for the demon come the day she was dethroned by another force. This star was also the key to the demon's power; if by any chance it was ever shattered, the demon and all her subjects would fall prey to its destruction.
It was a cold, brisk morning outside. Vivian watched the huffs and puffs of her breathing materialize into small clouds of hot air in the frigid climate. Mario was busy making some last-minute preparations before going to the moon, while the others stood around the area waiting or looking for the cannon they were supposedly using to get to the moon.
It was then she began to think about what they were doing: Blasting themselves off in some gigantic cannon to the moon like it was no big deal whatsoever? How would they get back? What if they missed the moon and landed on a comet, or something? What if the cannon's firepower wasn't strong enough and they ended up crash-landing in Glitzville?
She began nibbling her gloves and rocking back and forth, humming to herself in frightened anticipation. Vivian was so preoccupied with her thoughts, she didn't even notice Koops behind her.
"Good morning, Vivian," he greeted, followed by a soft blow to his cup of steaming Koopa Tea. "Feeling better?"
Wordlessly, she nodded.
"What's wrong? Sure you're okay? You're shaking..."
A deep blush on her face, she didn't face him. "I guess I'm just a little nervous."
"About what?"
Vivian didn't like to be questioned about things. She was either afraid of what she would say, or how the other person reacted to it.
"...going to the moon..." she suddenly said, as if the rest her sentence had been cut off by something inaudible.
"Well, don't worry about the details. If the X-Nauts got here all the way from the moon, then so can we," Koops consoled.
He had a point. She knew most of the X-Nauts' hideout by heart and from what she saw, they didn't own any spaceships or flying machines. That's when it struck her...
The teleporter! That's how the X-Nauts came back and forth from the moon and Earth! And she knew where that was, so they would be able to get back home!
Upon this realization, Vivian faced the Koopa. "You're right... We can get back... Thank you."
"Uh... sure..." Koops replied, watching Vivian walk away. She sure was a strange one... but a cute, strange one...
Goombella, standing on the edge of town, approached the mayor with a look of curiosity on her face. "Okay, so how do we do this blasting off thing exactly?"
"It's simple. Easier than simple. We load you into cannon, cannon explodes, you sent to moon. Simple," said the Bob-omb.
"And where're you gonna get the firepower to do that?"
"We're Bob-ombs; we are the firepower!"
"Oh, yeah," Goombella stuck her tongue out. "Duh, shoulda thought of that..."
Waffles hopped through the thick snow and over to the official. "If you guys got a cannon, then where is it? You'd think it'd be here somewhere..."
"Cannon is here! Don't worry about it!" General White laughed, walking up. "We're also making a few final preparations, but you'll see it soon."
Seemingly appearing out of nowhere, Ms. Mowz twitched her tail. "Hmm, a dazzling trip through the stars and to the moon. Sounds a little bit cheesy, if you know what I mean..."
Waffles gave her a puzzling look. "Are you tryin' to say the moon's made out of cheese?"
Goombella scoffed. "Don't try talking to her, Waffles. She's impossible!"
"Am I, Goombella? Am I impossible... or am I improbable?"
"It means the same thing!" spat the Goomba.
"...Or does it?"
"Ugh!" Goombella pulled on her neckerchief in aggravation.
Suddenly arriving on the scene, Mario stopped the skirmish and handed out all sorts of items to each partner. Vivian, to her surprise, received a Stopwatch. Now she had two items in her possession: her new Stopwatch and the Boo Sheet everyone assumed she'd sold long ago.
By now, everyone was starting to gather around Mario in the middle of Fahr Outpost, some still looking around for the Bob-omb's mortar.
"Okay," Waffles turned to the mayor after getting the sign from Mario. "We've got everything we need and we're ready to go!"
"Good. We launch now then," the mayor nodded to General White, who retreated to an igloo with two other important-looking Bob-ombs.
No sooner had General White entered the 'igloo', an alarm went off. "ATTENTION! ATTENTION! All cannon operational systems are GO! I repeat, all cannon operational systems are GO! Vacating the premises shall be imminent! Loitering is not an option! I repeat, LOITERING IS NOT AN OPTION!"
The party watched Bob-ombs scatter about the area, some staying where they were. Those who weren't moving were probably authorized and were supposed to be accounted for.
"Geez, he makes me want to leave," Koops muttered.
Waffles scratched his head. "No kidding."
"You all stand here. Don't move. No moving or you might lose arms!" the mayor strictly instructed before strolling away.
"How rude!" Flurrie pouted. "Now what could he possibly be talking about?"
Before anyone could answer, the ground opened up beneath their feet and everyone fell in with several yelps of surprise. The massive cannon rose up from inside the large hole, turning and tilting as General's White's assistants tried to synchronize it with the moon. It finally stopped a few degrees off, tilted upwards, to the left, more upwards, and stopped.
"Cannon secured!" reported an assistant.
"Good! Open the hatch!" ordered the general.
"Hatch opening ready, sir!" said the second assistant.
Upon seeing the large hatch open, the mayor blew a loud whistle. "Alright! Everyone in cannon! NOW!"
Hundreds of Bob-ombs stampeded into the main area and dove inside the cannon's firing slot. They clamored and stirred about, occasionally shouting things like "BA-BOMB!" and "KA-PLOOIE!"
"Initiate closing the hatch!"
After a second, an assistant replied, "Hatch closing complete, sir!"
"Are you ready, General White?" the mayor from outside called.
"And willing!" replied the white Bob-omb. He glared down sternly upon his assistants at the controls. "Coordinates set! Latitudes and longitudes marked! Destination: the moon! Focus in and make sure you're not off by an inch! One mistake and we can send these guys hurdling to Mars!"
"Yes, sir!" nodded a Bob-omb. He quickly tilted his telescope a few degrees west.
"Coordinates locked, sir!" said the other, scanning the control panel. "Permission to fire?"
"Okay, now on my mark..." the white bomb hunkered down, a concentrated scowl on his face. "Get ready..."
"Yes, sir!"
"...Hold your positions..."
"Yes, sir!"
"FIRE!"
"YES, SIR!"
The sound of the cannon's firing was ear-shattering, while the resulting debris and soot of the explosion blew out into the sky. The natives not participating in the detonation could've sworn it was snowing black frost from all the ash in the air. Even with this, everyone, including the parachuting Bob-ombs gently floating towards the ground, celebrated their incredible success. They jumped about with cheers and shouts of "Good luck!" to Mario and friends, who were already out of sight...
Vivian didn't have any memory of what just happened. All she knew was one second, they were huddled together inside the cannon and the next, they were dusting themselves off on the craterous surface that was the moon. From what she could tell, everyone seemed a little dumbfounded. But other than that, they were perfectly fine.
"Well," Goombella stopped to cough from the settling dust of their rough landing. "Here we are. This is the moon, alright."
Bobbery shook soot off his hat. "I do say, what a riot! Although, it does feel quite refreshing to get a blast like that now and again..."
Koops gazed up at the constellations of multiple Fire Flowers, Mushrooms, and even other Stars. "Hey, look at those stars... I never thought there were constellations of those up here..."
"This is no time for stargazing!" Waffles interrupted, pulling his head out of a crater. "We need to find those snotty X-Nauts and get the princess back! Right, Gonzales?"
With a confident nod, Mario turned to walk off, the steadfast troop close behind.
The octet walked, bounced, and skipped weightlessly along the moon, avoiding intergalactic enemies consisting of Moon Clefts and rogue Z-Yuxes. It wasn't too long before Mario spotted a large, glowing building a few miles away from their location and decided it'd be best to check it out. Finding a hidden pipe, they transported to the mysterious structure and went inside.
Surprisingly, they were confronted by two strange-looking X-Nauts of another color. They were called Elite X-Nauts, according to Goombella, and proved much stronger than the regular X-Naut. But they were no match for Mario's mighty Power Smash and were soundly defeated in no time.
After the Elite X-Nauts were sent running, Goombella noticed a map on the wall. Going up to it, she read, "'Layout of the X-Naut's Fortress: Level 1, Sublevels 1, 2, 3, and 4.' " She stopped and with a snicker, read the big red words scribbled on, "'Don't forget which elevator to take, Knuckleheads!' "
"These oafs aren't exactly Grade-A material, are they?" Bobbery thought outloud.
"Okay," Goombella faced the crew. "We know this place is pretty big and crawling with X-Nauts... So, I think it'd be best if split up and look for the princess, instead of tiring ourselves out by looking in one room at a time. Any other ideas?"
Silence. No seemed to oppose, so Goombella went on. "Then, that's that. Mario, you come with me..."
"Hey!" Waffles shouted.
Goombella rolled her eyes. "What, now?"
"See, you did it again!
"Did what again?"
"You always pair up with Gonzales like you're the leader, or something! Why can't I ever team up with him? Or better yet, let him decide!"
"Waffles, I'm just pairing up everybody by their respective other! Don't you like Ms. Mowz as your partner?"
The Yoshi paused. He couldn't deny that he didn't enjoy Ms. Mowz's company, as she was the one responsible for teaching him how to make the most of his attacks, such as laying more eggs at once to throw at enemies, how to stretch his tongue longer to reach more evasive foes, and how to cause a stampede of his own kind without getting trampled in the process. And it wasn't like the white rodent didn't enjoy teaching him to efficiently use his attacks...
"...Fine..." Waffles huffed, trying not to show he was happy about the Goomba's decision. "But only because I don't think you and rat would get along fine... I'm actually showing a bit of sportsmanship here by letting you do this!"
"Whatever," Goombella shrugged. "Anyway, we'll all cover this level, then take the elevator and go our separate ways. Mario and I will get Sublevel 1, Flurrie and Bobbery can cover Sublevel 3, Ms. Mowz... wherever she is... and Waffles have Sublevel 2, and Koops and Vivian are Sublevel 4. Everybody okay with that?"
Everyone agreed again, satisfied with their alliances. Koops was ecstatic, getting to work with Vivian and all, but tried not to show it. His stubby tail eagerly wagged back and forth against his shell, making an odd thumping noise as the group walked along. Annoyed, he reached behind and grabbed the excited tail. He looked over to see if he could talk to Vivian a bit, but frowned as he realized she was lagging behind the group again.
"Hey, Vivian... Try not to trail too far behind, okay? We don't want anyone getting lost in here," he gently cautioned as she slowly tread by him.
Vivian halfheartedly nodded, not even sure of he'd said... She was beginning to have cramps in her lower midsection and it was really starting to bother her. She wasn't in much pain, but she also wasn't capable of taking a full breath of air without causing a sharp muscle spasm in her lungs and side...
Koops on the other hand, couldn't help but notice how Goombella's pairing up each partner had worked out so well. As clear as it was, it took him up until right then and there to realize everyone had their own special friend to identify with.
Flurrie and Bobbery, with their unorthodox habit of speaking in an entirely different dialogue than the rest of the party, seemed perfect for each other. They related on many levels, enjoying stage performances, experiencing a high-class lifestyle at one time in their lives, and finding the natural growth of undisturbed land pleasurable.
Not having Ms. Mowz around all the time didn't bother Waffles; she just seemed to reappear when needed and with his vigorous attitude, that suited the spunky Yoshi just fine.
Mario and Goombella led the way, like usual. Since the two had met each other first, there was always a hint of a specific amiability between the two that no one else in the posse could ever match. It made prefect sense that they pair up with one another.
Then he thought about himself and Vivian. If anything, they were the most similar pair in the party.
...They were so similar, and yet... so different.
Sure, they had the same attributes and interests... but Vivian was a rare, prominent Shadow Siren... while he was an ordinary, everyday Koopa. She was part of a nearly extinct species while his kind came by the millions in population and variety. ...That's how they were different and that's how they were set apart from one another.
Koops began to wonder... what if Vivian'd been born a Koopa like him? Would they be equals then? As strange as it seemed, he actually found himself interested in her atypical appearance and breed. Unlike other Koopas, she was so soft to hug and he was always fond of cuddling things. Koopley once said it was hereditary from his mother... Despite what unseen preference attracted him to Vivian's kind, it didn't bother Koops in the least bit.
Finding a blue Elevator Key and placing it in the elevator's components, Mario and company rode down to Sublevel 2, only to be ambushed by a small assortment of Elite X-Nauts and the occasional Z-Yux. Of course, the enemies were easily beaten and the quest continued.
Realizing the other elevator leading to Sublevel 3 and 4 wasn't working, everyone agreed it was time to split up and look for the missing key. Each person went their separate ways, fighting a few random X-Nauts and Z-Yuxes, which appeared to be their experimental pets.
It wasn't long before everyone got back to the elevator, altogether possessing a red and green Card Key, a few items claimed from beaten X-Nauts, two badges Ms. Mowz found on a different level, and two crumbled up pieces of paper that stated some kind of code and how to work three switches on another floor.
...Vivian didn't feel very well. Every since they'd arrived on the he moon, she'd been going through wave after wave of constant sickness... and they hit her hard. Her stomach felt like it was twisted in knots and her internal senses were going crazy, but she didn't know what for. Sometimes, she found herself suddenly flinching or jerking away sharply for no reason. Her heart pounded hectically against her chest, panging her insides even more. She could feel its incessant banging as a lump in her throat and nearly a blockage for her restless breathing.
Not only that, but the further the others went, the sicker she became. Her stomach was trying to force up food. She could feel it pushing and thrusting irritably inside, demanding her to let it flow out in a gush of disgusting vomit. With a painful frown, she clamped her mouth shut and squeezed her belly region in pain. Eyes beginning to tear, she trembled and shook, sometimes sputtering restrained coughs.
A few of the partners noticed how strange Vivian was acting and occasionally stopped to ask about her odd behavior.
"Yeah, I'm alright..." she would woozily respond. "I'm just a little... nervous... That's all, I'm just... nervous..."
But she wasn't alright... and her nausea was starting to get worse. Vivian didn't know what was going on. This queasiness was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. It felt like something was trying to escape her body... like she was being ripped apart by it from inside out. And she only hurt around her abdominal area; everything else seemed fine. Regardless, she went on. Whatever this illness was, Vivian refused to make a scene over it. Everybody was probably tried of her shirking her duties and not participating in fights as much as they did. This time, she'd keep quiet...
Then it hit her... the irresistible urge to throw up. Covering her mouth with both hands, she let out a strangled muffle and abruptly stopped walking.
Hearing a soft noise, Koops was the first to look back. "Vivian, what's-?"
He didn't have time to finish as Vivian interrupted with a loud gag, splattering thick, black liquid all over the ground. Her outburst was followed by a mixture of disgusted grunts.
"Oh, man!" Startled, Waffles jumped away.
Goombella frowned. "Vivian... what's... what's the matter with you? Are you okay?"
Vivian scowled at the strange, black gunk as it slowly oozed across the floor like the rotten remnants of a busted Poison Shroom. Choking on her own vomit, she frantically coughed a few more times, spitting up more of the dark fluid with each quivering gasp.
"If I didn't know any better," Bobbery's face contorted as he stepped away. "It looks to be the remains of Trial Stew or possibly a Poison Shroom."
"But no one in their right mind would eat that," Koops said. "She's just sick, that's all. Maybe we should stop."
"But, we gotta go save Peach before something else happens to her!" Waffles argued.
Flurrie gave him a stern look. "But they're those ghastly X-Nauts everywhere. We can't leave her here..."
"Then, she's gotta suck it up and stuff it in!"
Goombella took that time to intervene. "Waffles, she just threw up!"
The rambunctious Yoshi threw himself in her face. "Well, what else can we do, genius? I don't see any of you comin' up with any ideas!"
"...I'm fine..." stuttered Vivian in a low tone.
Waffles whipped around. "What?"
"...I said I'm fine..." she repeated, staggering to stand. "It's not that big a deal... I throw up all the time, you know that..."
"Do you think she's still poisoned from Keelhaul?" queried Bobbery.
"No, she should've got over that a long time ago..." said Goombella, frowning.
Vivian stood, trembling. "I'm fine... Really... N-no problem... See?"
Goombella didn't seem entirely convinced, but sighed. "...Well... we've got a lot more ground ahead of us to cover, but we'll slow the pace a little for you, okay?"
The Shadow Siren nodded lethargically, holding her side. Waiting until they turned to leave, Vivian collapsed with a painful grunt. Feeling someone's presence, she slowly glanced up to see Koops still holding back for her.
"...Oh, Koops..." she gasped, taken by surprise. "I was only resting... that's all... don't..."
Carefully, he reached around her front and lifted her onto his shell. He didn't care what Vivian said; she needed help and he wasn't going to fall for her "Oh, I'm all right, don't worry about me" bit. He was surprised at how light she was on his back. The siren couldn't have weighed any more than 10 or 15 pounds.
"...You're carrying me...?" came her hushed voice.
"...Don't worry. Just take it easy for now."
"You know... you don't have to do this..." Vivian started wiggling. "I can walk myself..."
Koops grabbed a hold of her waist and shifted her to another position. "No you can't, Vivian... Relax and let me do the walking, alright?"
"I'm not sick..." she coughed and feigned a smile. "Seriously, I'm fine... Please let me go... I... I don't want you to think I'm a weakling, Koops... even though... you probably already do."
Koops paused for a moment, feeling shame bear down on him. Vivian actually thought she was a weakling?
"Do you really think that?" he asked.
"Think what?"
"That you're a weakling?"
"...Well, this is like, the third time I've gotten sick over something that's probably really stupid, so..." she weakly laughed.
Koops shook his head. "Vivian, if you're vomiting up poison, then something's wrong. And... you're not a weakling. You're anything but... Putting up with your sisters, so much stress, that stupid Piranha and now this... I'd say you're more like an inspiration..."
"An inspiration? To who?"
"To all of us," responded the Koopa as he began walking again. "To think, you came to your senses and joined up with us... All on your own, too... It takes a strong person to do that."
He stopped again, feeling Vivian tighten her grasp around his neck. She nuzzled him and made a soft, purring noise in the process.
That sound... what was it? It was a very odd, unusual drone, nothing of which the likes Koops'd ever heard. It was the first time Vivian had ever done something like this. It reminded him of an animal's growl, content and quiet, relieved of all its tension and fright.
"Thank you, but..." she stopped her melodious purring. "Don't tell anybody about this, okay...? It's our little secret, right?"
Koops wanted to ask, 'Why?' Why didn't she want anyone to know when she was in pain or not? Vivian was always so insecure of herself, never wanting to admit when she was hurt or frightened. But to have her express these feelings to him exclusively made Koops feel... special...
He turned and smiled. "Sure, Vivian... You're secret's safe with me..."
Their expedition continued as they went on through the fortress. No one even seemed to notice Koops carrying Vivian on his back, or of they did, they didn't bother asking why. They fought more X-Nauts and Z-Yuxes, found valuable items, traveled back and forth between floors, worked their way around the X-Nauts' strange mechanics and lab equipment, and discovered secret passageways leading to new destinations. It became apparent once they reached the machinery area that something was waiting for them at the end... Something big.
Traversing through an abundance of gears, knobs, and switches, they pushed, smashed, blew up, and broke nearly every button they could, hoping it would open a door or trigger a certain lever in order to get through to the end. Unfortunately, Vivian's condition seemed to be worsening the further they went along. She had now begun to gasp for air and groan loudly with every move Koops made. She'd also started squirming uncomfortably on his shell and squeezed his shoulders in obvious pain.
After what seemed like hours of repetitive button-smashing and getting lost in the various apparatus, Mario finally hit the one button that unfurled a stairway connecting to yet another door controlled by a Card Key he currently had in possession. Their objective was at last revealed and everyone decided that no matter what lay behind the presumed final door, they'd triumph over it and save Princess Peach once and for all. But as they walked up the flight of stairs, their feet clanking against its thin, metal substance, Vivian let go of Koops' neck and roughly pushed away.
"Vivian?" he called back, confused at her sudden desire to get away from him.
"...I can't go in there..." she whimpered, clutching her sides. She continued backing from others, slowing shaking her head and trembling. "...It hurts bad..."
"What hurts?" asked Bobbery.
"...Everything..." Vivian grimaced, backing down the stairs. "Can't go... go in..." She suddenly felt the air from her lungs starting to deplete... She coughed violently; bits of dark liquid sprinkled on her gloves and the stair above her.
Goombella looked at the door. "Whatever's making Vivian feel so sick must be behind these doors..."
"If that's the case, we shouldn't force the poor dear in," said the Cloud Spirit.
"How come Vivian never has to do anything?" Waffles grumbled. "I bet she's just faking it!"
Waffles soon found his assumption to be entirely mistaken as Vivian unexpectedly collapsed, almost falling off the stairway.
"Vivi--" Koops panicked.
"I'm okay..." she jumped up in alarm, shaking. "I know it sounds like... I don't want to fight... it's not true... but I just can't right now... If only you knew the pain I was in..."
"Eh, don't worry about it," Waffles halfheartedly muttered, shrugging at the Shadow Siren. "We've made due without you before and we can always do it again!"
Mario nodded and Goombella smiled. "It probably won't take too long anyway."
"And you can wait out here, darling," Flurrie added.
"Okay..." she smiled weakly.
Koops felt the urge to add in his two cents. "Once we're done... we can...uh... celebrate back on Earth..." he paused, smiling as he realized something. "...and we'll have Couple's Cake, too... okay?"
Right on cue, Vivian's rim lifted in curiosity. "...Really?"
He paused again. "...Sure. Why not? You like those, don't you?"
Koops was wrong... Vivian didn't like Couple's Cakes; she loved them, especially when she ate them with Koops. It was the most delectable thing she could remember having ever since that Jelly Ultra the innkeeper gave her, which she also shared with him.
Bobbery suddenly cleared his throat. "Well, if that's all settled, I say we go forth and end this madness once and for all! Who's with me?"
Waffles laughed. "You know, old man, that's the first smart thing you've ever said!"
"I beg your pardon? Why, you little--"
"Stop fighting! Save that for the X-Nauts!" ordered Goombella.
"Good luck in there..."
"Thanks," the Koopa responded. Vivian lowered her head.
"...and be careful..." came the barely audible whisper.
Koops looked up, believing he heard something. "Huh?"
She turned away. "...Nothing..."
"...Are you sure you'll be alright out here... all alone?" Flurrie asked.
The last two words made Vivian flinch at the realization of what she was choosing to be... all alone...
"...Yes..." she finally answered. "...I can hold my own... but thank you... I'll be here... waiting..."
And that was it. She'd made her choice and nothing else could possibly change it now. Mario stuck the Card Key in, the doors opened, and they disappeared inside the eerie light emitting from it. The doors closed behind them as Waffles lastly trotted in. The sleek, computerized sound of their closure seemed so much louder than before... and it echoed in the empty machinery area, signaling she was alone again... Like she always would be...
Feeling weary, Vivian fell over again...
Koops squinted his eyes. "Man, why is it so bright in here?"
"Maybe they ran outta ideas and they're trying to blind us, or something," Waffles snickered.
"Buh! Buh huh huh huh!" came the oh-so-familiar guffawing of a certain X-Naut minion.
"Oh no..." Goombella rolled her eyes.
"Not that oaf again!" sighed an irate Flurrie.
As promptly assumed, Lord Crump stepped out of the blinding light, his arms crossed smugly. "Lemme guess... You came here looking for your precious Princess Peach? Well, tough luck! She's already gone by now! What a shame you didn't get a chance to say goodbye. She really was looking forward on meeting with you."
Bobbery's fuse fizzled angrily. "So, this was all a trap, then!"
The young Yoshi stepped forward. "What'd ya do with the princess, you four-eyed freak?"
"...FOUR-EYED FREAK?" Crump angrily repeated. "Hey, kid! This ain't Keelhaul Key! You'll address me as Lord Crump: Superior of the X-Nauts! And what we did with the princess is none of your business!"
"Then we're gonna have to force out of you, aren't we?" Goombella challenged.
"Fine! Pry all you want! You're getting nada outta me!" He turned to a familiar-looking robot and climbed into it. At the controls, he spoke again. "Unfortunately for you, this is our newest product! I present to you Magnus von Grapple 2.0!"
"Yeah, right... That's just that stupid robot thing with a new coat of paint, isn't it?" Goombella scoffed.
"What? Oh, you're gonna wish you'd never said that, loser!" Crump bellowed his usual disjointed laugh as he operated the android to move forward. "I'm going to make sure this battle will be you're last! And a painful one, too!"
Vivian had broken her promise already; huddled in the corner of Sublevel 2's vents, listening to the loud air rush by in order to drown out her labored breathing.
She lifted her head in the darkness. It soon dawned on the siren she had to avoid that room at all costs, for it was the cause of her pain and suffering... Vivian lowered her head again, this time from fatigue rather than pain.
...Deep down, Vivian knew Peach was in Sublevel 4, but the others had no idea what was going on...
She knew Grodus was planning on bringing the Shadow Queen back from her grave and needed the Crystal Stars in order to get to her, but what he didn't know was that the plan was all a trick. The Shadow Queen wouldn't obey him, this Vivian and her sisters knew. All he needed to do was release her from her grave and Her Highness would handle the rest. But then it hit her...
Mario only needed one more Crystal Star to open the Thousand-Year Door and Grodus had it... What if... What if... the final star was behind that door... and Mario got it... and the Thousand-Year Door...? They couldn't go through there! They'd all be killed!
By now, her internal senses were going haywire; the very ends of her hair heatedly standing on end. Sweat dampened around the rim of her hat, making her already irritable curls worsen. Something bad was about to happen. She could feel it...
Could this be the reason why she was in so much pain? Because the Thousand-Year Door was about to be opened? Yes! That had to be it! Her body was hurting as a sense of foreboding, an omen!
...Maybe... maybe she could prevent it... She knew where Peach was and... and she could bring her to Mario... and they'd all be so happy... and Koops...
"Once we're done... we can...uh... celebrate back on Earth ...and we'll have Couple's Cake, too... okay?" Koops' voice replayed though Vivian's memory, making her blush.
She pictured it in her mind: Everyone'd go back home, smiling all the way... she and Koops would have Couple's Cake, never to worry about Beldam, the Crystal Stars, Grodus, or any of this 'legendary treasure' garbage again.
That's what she'd do... Save the princess herself and bring her to Mario... and she'd get so much praise... It'd more than compensate for her absence in battle...
Not thinking a second thought, Vivian disappeared, emerging in front of Sublevel 2's elevator. She still hurt a bit, but it was worth it if it meant making this stop. Scanning her surroundings, she carefully entered the elevator and room it down to Sublevel 4. Getting out, she staggered over to Peach's room. Maybe if she could get her to the teleporter upstairs and away from this place...
The princess of the Mushroom Kingdom sighed as she sat on the side of her small, humble bed in the lonely room, thinking deeply about her fate... About what Grodus was planning on doing to her and wondering... hoping that Mario had at least received her last mail from TEC before he was shut off forever by those awful X-whatevers.
Choking back a sniffle, she buried her face in her hands and began quietly weeping. It was all so confusing... Why was she always the victim? The main target? The damsel in distress? She was tired of it; sick and tired of it. What'd started out as a fun holiday vacation for her and Mario soon turned into her being held hostage as a plot for world domination. All she wanted was to have fun for a change. Exploring new worlds and seeing new places without fear of something going horribly wrong... Was that too much to ask for?
Her lamenting was interrupted by the sound of doors opening and closing. Looking up, she saw Vivian, who she assumed was another one of those X-goons come to question her about the map and the Crystal Stars.
"Oh! Who are... who are you? G-get away!" Nearing hysterics, she grabbed a pillow from her bed and tossed it at Vivian, missing and hitting the wall behind her. "You work with those awful, nasty X-things, don't you? Well, I don't know where the stupid map is, so just leave me alone!"
"No... please," Vivian coughed, holding her chest. "I'm not... with them... I'm... I'm trying to help you..."
Poised to throw another pillow, Peach stopped. "Help me?" she frowned and sniffled, hastily wiped away her tears. "I don't believe you... Why would someone like you want to help someone like me, anyway?"
"Listen Peach... Grodus... is planning on doing something... something awful with you... He's... going to..."
"Use me as a vessel to bring back an ancient demon from the grave and take over the world?" Peach muttered, as-a-matter-of-factly.
Vivian looked up. "How'd... How'd you know...?"
"Someone already told me," she answered, suddenly going quiet. "He... told me all about Grodus' plans and the Crystal Stars... I know everything... Everything he's planning on doing..."
The siren stifled a cough. "Then, please... please come with me. I can help you escape from this place..."
"How? Aren't we on the moon?"
"Mario... He's right upstairs... fighting for the last Crystal Star as we... as we speak," Vivian sputtered.
Clasping her hands together, Peach's face lit up. "You mean... Mario's here? Right now? Really?"
"Yes... There's also... a teleporter on another floor... that connects back to Rogueport... and I can take you there... because... I don't want any of this... to happen... to any of us..."
The princess smiled. Standing up, she cautiously approached Vivian, a wary hand outstretched. Knowing she meant no harm, she stood still as Peach gently stroked her hat and fingered her curls.
Once familiarized with her, Peach's smile broadened. "Well... you don't seem like an enemy... You're actually kinda cute. ...Thank you... um..." she paused. "I'm sorry. I don't think I quite caught your name..."
"It's... it's..." Vivian rapidly gasped. She then stopped to catch her breath. "My name's Vivian..."
"Okay... Vivian. But..." Peach took note of her strangled panting. "What's wrong with you? You look so sick..."
Vivian quickly turned her head and gagged. "Don't worry... about me... It's nothing... serious... I think... I think I know what's... wrong with me... but... I'm not sure..."
"Well, I'll make sure you're treated by the finest doctor we have once I get home, okay? You said you were a friend of Mario's? Are there anymore of you?"
She nodded. "Yes, but now's not the time for that... I have to get you out of here..."
"Does Mario know I'm here?"
"Not in this room, no... But I'll try... to protect you until I can get up... with him again..." Vivian held out a trembling hand. "Now, please..."
The princess nodded. "Yes."
Peach took her hand and squeezed hard in concern. In that instant, that very moment, Vivian could literally feel her feelings flow through her.
She felt her fear of being kidnapped from Rogueport, her worry that no one would ever find where she was being held, her confusion of what would become of her body, her anger at the X-Nauts' cruel intentions...
The siren looked at Peach sympathetically. "...You've been through... a lot... haven't you?"
Peach returned the gaze. "...You have, too. I can see it in your eyes."
Vivian drew back and blushed, embarrassed Peach had seen the face hiding underneath her hat.
"Once you've been kidnapped as much as I have, you can tell these sorts of things... It's kind of like a sixth sense or something," the princess whispered sadly. She slowly looked up and smiled. "But I thank you for caring... and for understanding... It's not easy being me."
Her eyes glued to the floor, Vivian nodded and tried not to blush again.
Peach was such a pretty lady... and friendly, too. She probably hadn't heard the slander of how Shadow Sirens were evil, carnivorous snakes who'd steal a baby's soul in a heartbeat... or maybe she did, but the purity of her magnanimous heart decided to disregard it...
Now she saw why Mario and the others wanted to save her so badly.
Snapping out of her discomfiture, Vivian tenderly pulled Peach towards the door. "...Maybe if we leave now... I can get you... to Mario before anyone catches us..."
A look of dogged determination crossed her face. "I'm ready. Lead the way."
Now the two felt closer than ever, in spite of their sudden friendship and awkward differences. The siren and the princess walked out the automatic door together, never once looking back into the prison Peach had lived in for so long. Vivian felt so proud and confident for herself. She was finally accepting responsibility, something Beldam said she'd never have the strength to do. She only hoped she was doing the right thing...
Unfortunately, as Peach and Vivian reached the elevator, it was opened from the other side by none other than Grodus, accompanied by two X-Nauts and three X-Naut PhDs.
As fast as lightning, before Vivian could even blink, he reached out and snatched her wrist, squeezing it tight in his grasp. "I see... So Beldam was right; you ARE a traitor!"
"Let her go, you!" Peach attacked Grodus, pulling on the staff in his other hand.
Although surprised her strength, the X-Naut leader responded by flipping his staff to its pointed side. Peach threw herself against it and cut the palm of hand; drops of blood dotted the ground, a piece of her torn glove left amongst it.
"This is a deplorable act on your part, you horrid thing!" He spat in Vivian's face, shaking her by her arm. "How dare you try and sabotage my plans! X-Nauts, seize the princess!"
"Right away, sir!" the duo of subordinate X-Nauts responded, surrounding Peach and restraining her.
Frustrated, Grodus threw Vivian to the ground, as she responded with a loud, painful grunt. "So, you've joined up with Mario, have you? I'll see to it that you understand what consequences you've just brought upon yourself..."
Teeth bared, Vivian faded into the shadows before Grodus could continue.
"...Not even that will help you now!" he roared. Spinning around, Grodus aimed his staff at the wall behind him as Vivian reappeared in time for the strange aura to hit her.
"W-what the...?" Vivian flinched as a cold tremor ran through her body. Gritting her teeth, she tried to disappear again, but found herself unable to. She then looked around and realized she was trapped in a transparent, green bubble of some sort. "What... What'd you do to me?" she demanded.
"The effects of my Shield Guard are quite versatile, wouldn't you say so?" the superior asked, his question dripping with sarcasm.
Vivian glowered underneath her hat at his smug comment.
"Actually," he groomed his white collar. "You may prove to be more useful now that you're obsolete to your sisters and the Crystal Star plan, as well..."
The siren's anger soon became confusion. "What are you talking about?"
Grodus turned away, fingering the orb of his staff. "Yes, well... your naivety exceeds your comprehension, does it? You don't seem to understand..."
"Understand WHAT?" Vivian snarled.
"...That you and your sisters are a page out of history." He turned his head just so she could see the devious glint in his glass eyes. "You are practically a living, breathing piece of ancient times past... Not to mention there are many powers residing in you, some of which you don't even know you possess."
Keeping her eyes on Grodus and his lackeys, Peach slowly began to inch away from the X-Nauts and dashed over to the elevator, grabbing a large canister from the wall beside it. With a frustrated grunt, she hurled it with all her might at the superior.
Without so much as turning his head, Grodus spun his rod about and smashed the canister against the door leading back into Peach's captivity room.
"I am surrounded by bumbling imbeciles!" he shouted. Without a moment to spare, he directed his prized staff at the princess and trapped her in another green bubble.
Peach pounded against the sphere's resilient surface. "Oh, you... you thing, you! Mario won't let you get away with this! Your plan will never prevail!"
He turned back to the siren and went on. "Ever since I learned of the Shadow Queen's existence and power, I've sought all types and kinds of sources in order to learn more about your kind. I know all about the Crystal Stars and their different powers... but, dear sweet siren... Did you know? There is an eighth Crystal Star that is said to be more powerful than the others and can give its owner unlimited power and strength."
Vivian looked down for a moment in deep thought.
An eighth Crystal Star? ...It was on the tip of her tongue and yet she couldn't remember... The only thing she could come up with pertaining to this 'eight Crystal Star' was that it was a rumor started by somebody in hopes of trying to trick the Shadow Queen into thinking either someone else made another Crystal Star, or it was actually one that had been made prior to the ones she created. But it was only a rumor and Lillian always told her it was just a myth. If anyone knew anything about this additional star, it had to be either Beldam or the Shadow Queen herself.
After a while of awkward silence, penetrated only by the faint beeping and clicking of the fortress' computerized system, Grodus spoke again. "Of course, why am I asking you this? You don't know the truth..."
Vivian was staring to get annoyed at Grodus' jeering. "What truth? Tell me!"
"You're the perfect specimen to test my theories on," Grodus continued, disregarding her question. "We shall study your form and see what makes your powers of combustion and how they are fashioned inside you."
Vivian inched away in fear until she felt her back against the side of her imprisoning globe. "No... No, you wouldn't... You can't do that..."
He stepped closer. "Why not? I still need your other sisters to do my bidding, but as the rogue runt, you'll do nicely. We will collect samples, manage charts, and put you through scientific tests of stamina and intellect. And after a long, extensive research on your bodily functions, I could possibly make a clone out of your DNA... Then, I could have my own army of you malevolent creatures as my pets to obey my commands and help build my new empire... Of course, you might not survive the cloning process, but... we all have to make sacrifices, don't we?"
She kept shaking her head. "No..."
"Don't worry about the details; it'll be for the good of your dying species. With only three of you in existence, it'd be easy to extinguish your entire race merely killing you off..."
"NO!" In pure alarm and instinct alone, Vivian's hands flared up and she shot fire toward the advancing Grodus outside the bubble. In a heated display of blazing fire and the residue of the broken safeguard, Vivian not only managed to shatter Grodus' Shield Guard, but through some unexplained way or another, she soon felt her flaming fist connecting with the side of Grodus' face... and hard.
And in a flash, it was over... Vivian had no clue of what just happened, or how it came about. All she knew was she'd broken through Grodus' spell and was now surrounded by a wall of her own element. She felt fire on the very tips her hair, but it didn't seem to be burning it up...
"Yes..." came the leader X-Naut's voice. Vivian could barely make out his trembling image among the heat of her fire. "Your power is formidable... Even more so than your older siblings... And we can hone it, train it, and make it a lethal threat to all who oppose you!"
The fire parted, as if on command, and Grodus stepped through. Vivian was surprised to see the entire left side of his face and staff were badly scalded, his white collar terribly singed. The firestorm disintegrated, leaving most of the small hallway black with ashes and smoldering cinders. The fivesome of X-Nauts now looked a lot like Elite X-Nauts, due to their white coats and bodies burnt in the inferno. Fortunately, Peach hadn't been harmed, as she was still trapped inside Grodus' charred shield.
Suddenly feeling drained, Vivian's tail lost balance and she fell to the ground, her body starting to ache again. She looked at her scorched gloves in awe.
Did she really do all that? That attack... it wasn't even a spell... It didn't even have a name to it and was far too powerful to be either a Shade Fist or Fiery Jinx... What was that?
"Siren, you hold a great power deep inside you," Grodus answered, as if reading her mind. "And as long as you are alive and in good health, it gets stronger as you get older. You don't know how to use yet and won't for another millennia or so... But why wait that long if I can just take that force and put it to good use now?"
Vivian struggled. She could feel herself starting to succumb to the aftereffect of her flaming eruption. "...What? ...what's wrong with me...? Please... Please tell me... Why am I hurting so much...?"
"Being the Shadow Queen's last creation, you are a very special one indeed. She created you from the Ruby Crystal Star's attribute of beauty and bestowed upon you the element of fire. But what few know is that you also hold the very thing that countless Bandits and thieves have traveled the world for..."
"...What... are you saying?" she breathlessly coughed.
The commander's eyes glimmered again as he coolly fingered his rod's orb. "The Amethyst Crystal Star... the strongest one of all... the acclaimed treasure of Rogueport... now restsinside your very beating heart!"
...Vivian's mouth dropped open as the last part of Grodus' sentence began to sink in. All was unnervingly quiet for a moment...
No... It wasn't true... The Amethyst Crystal Star? Inside her?
...It was all a legend... The stupid thing didn't even exist... and she had nothing to do with it!
She... she was a Crystal Star...? No...! She wasn't! She couldn't be...! It didn't make sense!
"You're lying..." came her shaky voice. "That's not true! I'm not a Crystal Star! You're lying!"
"Believe me, siren, it's true. Why do you think you're in so much pain? Hmm?"
"Why should you care?" came the ominous growl.
"I pity you, siren; it seems you're in denial. Haven't you realized it yet? You're in pain because of the star dwelling inside you. It's reacting to the Crystal Star upstairs and the closer you get to it, the more it reacts and the more you suffer!"
"Stop calling me 'siren'!" Vivian snapped.
There was that feeling again... That feeling of uncontrollable rage...
Once again, her hands caught fire and her hair hovered menacingly behind her in a wall of flames. Without a moment's notice, she let the fire burst from her hands and towards Grodus like before. This time, she was intercepted by the X-Naut PhDs' own method of attack. All together, they cornered her and threw their weird potions and concoctions at the ground, stopping the blaze in a large burst of smoke.
"Your power is fueled by anger, fear, and rage," said the overlord. "Like wildfire, it spreads and grows as your emotions change for the worse... And I can put that power to good use."
"Stop it!" Peach pounded against the Shield Guard. "Haven't you done enough damage already? Leave her alone!"
Vivian glared at Grodus through the smoke. "How dare you actually try and use me as one of your twisted experiments! I swear, I'LL KILL YOU!" she snarled in a demonic voice.
Grodus chuckled at the rage in Vivian's now demented face. Apparently, he was able to see through the smoke, as well. "So it's all true... You're acting just like the legend said: 'Never trust the youngest spawn, for if you feed her anger and fear, she will revel herself a snake in woman's clothing...'"
Vivian lunged forward with another volley of flames. "SHUT UP!"
She would kill him...
Murder him...
Rip him to pieces...
Spare no mercy...
...Why was she thinking like this? She felt teeming with energy... and the desire to grab hold of something and let loose her fury until she just couldn't any more...
The superior countered with his own round of fire, which were blue in comparison to Vivian's. The resulting explosion was disastrous, sending nearly everyone in the room in a wall.
"...Grodus, dude!" coughed one of the weaker X-Nauts, as the smoke settled. "I think it's time we wrap this up and hightail it outta here with the princess!"
The leader glared at him. "...What?"
"Sorry, dude... I mean, SIR! But I've just been informed that Mario has successfully defeated the 2.0 version of Offensive Mechanism #52: Magnus von Grapple!" the foot solider confirmed, referring to one of the X-Naut PhDs' communicators.
"...Very well, then," he turned to Vivian. "You put up a great fight, siren, but you will learn to heed my commands soon enough..."
"NEVER!" Vivian attacked again, this time by ramming herself into Grodus.
In a one swift motion, he grabbed a hold of her wrist and flung her into a nearby wall. With Vivian stunned, Grodus spun his staff about and summoned four Grodus X. The strange, triangular creatures surrounded and harassed their target. Try as she might, Vivian couldn't attack them as they whizzed about, continuously slashing into her skin.
Just as she thought she was about to grab one, Vivian quickly realized she was once again trapped inside Grodus' Shield Guard.
"This nonsense ends here!" he barked. "You will learn to obey me whether you like it or not! X-Nauts, grab these two and follow me. We are to meet Beldam at the Thousand-Year Door, posthaste! Is that understood?"
The X-Nauts saluted. "Yes, sir!"
Vivian angrily thrust herself against the Shield Guard, growling and snarling like a wild animal. "I WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS!"
Regardless of her threatening remarks, Grodus and his assistant X-Nauts carefully transported Vivian and Peach's bubbles to the second Sublevel.
"No, this can't be happening..." Peach watched in horror at the scene unfolding before her. Vivian was acting like a savage beast, Grodus' plan was coming together and she found herself unable to do anything about it...
It wasn't long before Vivian tired herself out and fell over from exhaustion. Blood was smeared where she'd been thrashing into the bubble's side.
Grodus scoffed at her depleted form. "She may be powerful, but her vigor needs more work... No matter, though. We'll focus on that after we get inside the Thousand-Year Door..."
Tears blurred Peach's vision. "Mario..." she whimpered. "Please... save us... Make this bad dream end... Please... You've got just got to..."
The elevator doors opened as Mario and Goombella stepped out, followed by a worried posse.
"...This is Sublevel 4, the only place we haven't looked for Vivian yet..." Goombella glanced around. "But what happened here?"
Bobbery joined her in scanning the area. "Seems like a fight of some sort broke out down here."
"And somebody even tried to torch the place!" Waffles added, noting the singed walls and floor.
Suddenly spotting something on the ground, Mario went over to pick it up. He then brought it to Goombella to see exactly what it was.
The Goomba turned to him. "Mario, what's that thing?"
Flurrie perked up. "What's what?"
Goombella took the object from Mario and examined it. "It looks like... a sash or some piece of silk..."
"Let me see it," Ms. Mowz zipped past her and snatched the item away. Twisting it about in her paws, she sniffed it and her face suddenly became knowingly grave.
Koops saw this and panicked. "What's wrong?"
"...This is no sash..." muttered the mouse. "It's a piece of fabric torn from Peach's very gloves..."
"Crud!" Waffles stomped the ground. "That must've been why Four-Eyes attacked us in that piece of junk upstairs: to keep us from getting down here!"
"But... I smell fear in them..." continued the rodent. "It's an awful, twisted sort of fear..."
"And is that... is that blood down there?" Goombella questioned the others, her voice with a tinge of disgust in it.
Koops looked down. "Blood?"
Ms. Mowz sniffed the air again, her face still grim. "...Something terrible just transpired here..."
"Terrible?" Bobbery questioned. "What do you mean by that?"
"A dreadful, evil power was awakened in this very room... Unleashed in a wrath of pain... and I'm afraid Vivian had something to do with it..."
"You don't think... you don't think she got hurt, do you?" came Koops' hushed inquiry.
"I'm not sure..."
Goombella turned her up lip in thought. "Now, why'd she go and do something like this? She said she'd wait for us outside..."
"Maybe she was forced down here against her will..." mused Flurrie.
"You see? I knew we shoulda made her come with us!" Waffles blurted.
Bobbery walked up from the hall's furthermost side. "Well, there's nothing left in that room. Why not try that one? Peach could possibly be hiding in there."
Mario led the way into the unknown room to the hallway's other part. It was pitch black and no one could see a thing. Ms. Mowz's nose started twitching, but suddenly stopped, as the vague scent inexplicably faded from the area.
"I don't think there's anything in here, Mario," sighed Goombella. "Maybe Vivian's..."
"You..." said a computerized voice. "You are... Mario... are you not...?"
Shocked, Flurrie looked around. "What on earth was that?"
Waffles stood poised to fight. "It must some kind of mechanical X-Naut or something!"
The lights slowly turned on, revealing the room to be completely empty, other than a rather large electronic machine taking up the entire left side.
"I am sorry... My internal unit... shut down... Now running on back-up power... But back-up power... failing..." uttered the computer.
"What is... that?" Koops asked no one.
"I am... TEC..." answered the machine. "This organization's mainframe... and... processing unit... I am glad you're here..."
"Why's that? So you can vaporize us?" Waffles inquired, still ready to fight.
"No... that is not my reason... You are the only ones... who can stop this insane plot now..."
"Plot? What plot?" was the question on everybody's lips.
Goombella looked up, sensing the conspiracy's weighty significance. "Hey, TEC... I need to ask you something really important... Do you happen to know of someone being here earlier? A princess, maybe?"
TEC was silent for a moment, as the screen blinked on and off in a desperate attempt to stay operational. "...Yes...Princess... taken away... Grodus has taken her... to the Thou... sand-Year Door... Ember... tried saving her... but it was... futile..."
"Ember? ...Who's that?"
A fuzzy picture appeared on TEC's fading screen. It seemed to be a bird's-eye view of the hallway before, the camera being posited in the far right of the wall and near the door leading to TEC. The image was distorted and vague, but a few figures could be seen moving around on it. Goombella suddenly realized one of them.
"Hey... That one over there..." she walked over to TEC's far right side and gestured on the keyboard. "That one's... is that Vivian?"
Waffles jumped on the keyboard and squinted. "Yeah... I can see the hat! That's definitely her!"
"This is...Ember... You call her... by the name of... Vivian, correct?"
"Yeah, but why'd you call her that?" asked the Yoshi.
The supercomputer blinked again. "...Not much time is... left... Please observe..."
The others gathered around TEC's screen and watched as Vivian and another figure walked to the elevator, but were stopped as someone exited it. The other figure grabbed Vivian's arm and shook her several times before throwing her on the ground. The screen then flashed and went black, suddenly showing another scene later on in the confrontation. Vivian and the figure were fighting, with fire and smoke in the corridor and around the camera. Her mouth could be seen moving from time to time, but the camera has no sound and hearing any dialogue was virtually impossible. Before anything else could take place, the picture went black again, this time, not turning back on.
"That is all... I can show... I'm afraid..." TEC fizzled. "Please... save the princess from Grodus... I beg of you..."
"But how are we going to get back home?" asked Bobbery.
"There is a... teleporter upstairs... barely functioning... She is... with Ember... as well..."
"You mean... Grodus took Vivian, too?" Koops tightened his fists in anticipation, hoping this wasn't true, yet expecting the answer to be 'yes'.
TEC got straight to the point. "...He plans on manipulating her... as an experiment... in order to duplicate more... Shadow Sirens of... her age, but with... her sisters' caliber... so he can raise them... anew... All details... are in my hard drive...prior to Ember's departure..."
Flurrie's eyed widened in shock. "That's absolute madness!"
"We can't let him do that!" Goombella shook her head.
Waffles sprinted for the door. "We've gotta get back and stop that creep from doing who-knows-what with Peach and Vivian!"
"I will cease all functions... in order to power the teleporter upstairs... It's... the least I can do... for you... But promise you'll... promise you'll save Peach for me... and tell her..."
TEC stopped.
"Tell her... thank you... for me..."
"...Sure, TEC... We promise," nodded Goombella.
The lights in the small room flickered and dimmed as TEC quietly muttered, "You must... go now... before... it's too... late..."
The lights flickered again, then went completely out, shrouding everyone in darkness. They suddenly turned on again, but in a deep, warning red color. TEC's CPU system was no longer blinking...
"Come on!" Waffles ran, nearly tripping over Mario's feet, as he made a beeline for the elevator. We've gotta get back to Rogueport before Grodus does!"
Bobbery followed, his fuse lit. "That scoundrel's gone too far this time!"
Flurrie brought up the Bob-omb's rear. "Yes, this nonsense must end!"
"Wait!" Goombella called. "Don't take it to the wrong floor! Remember, TEC said it was on Sublevel 2!"
Koops sighed, knowing it'd all come down to this... not only was he running off to save the princess, but Vivian's safety was at stake as well.
He gritted his teeth, knuckles starting to go numb from their tight squeezing.'What could she possibly be thinking?' he thought to himself. 'Why didn't Vivian just stay put like she said she would?'
"Koops..."
"Huh?" he whipped around to face a solemn Ms. Mowz.
"We need to be careful..." uttered the mouse, her tone darker than ever. "Something is amiss..."
Koops frowned. "Ms. Mowz, I don't have time for riddles... We need to get back to Rogueport and save Vivian!"
"Rushing into this sort of thing is foolish... We have to..."
"I know, but the longer we wait here, the more likely Vivian..."
"Vivian is not the only on who needs saving!" she unexpectedly shouted, causing Koops to flinch. "Listen to me... If you don't look before you leap, you could be walking into certain death!"
The Koopa glared at her. She returned the glower full force. "I know you don't want to admit it, but Vivian's not what you thought she was... She's a demon, Koops; a full-fledged and very dangerous one...Despite her age... Vivian has more power than all three of her sister did combined... and Grodus probably knows this... That's why he captured her..."
"She's not a demon..." was the reply upon Koops' turning around. "Vivian's just a little different... She..."
"Your denial will be the death of you and Vivian if you don't heed my word! Ignorance isn't bliss when it comes to these terms..." she began backing away into the shadows. "...But I can't stop you, Koops... No one can but yourself..."
Koops walked to the door, not looking back. He watched the others scramble in front of the elevator, either trying to open it or arguing over whether the teleporter was on Sublevel 2 or 3. "I can make my own decisions now, Ms. Mowz... and I don't need anymore help..."
"...You say you don't need any help and yet you do..." she whispered. Koops exited the room, the automatic doors closing behind him. "You're going to need all the help you can get... that and much, much more..."
Authoress' Notes: OH NOES! Vivian got caught by teh evil overlord guy, Grodus! XD I tried to make the TEC scene as sympathetic and informative at the same time as I could, especially since I can't remember EXACTLY everything he said. I guess you could say I sorta ad-libbed it a bit, but if that weren't the case, this entire thing would be a total snooze to read. :P