Authoress' Notes: Heh heh! So many of the Reviewers were scared the story was over, since the SQ was dead. That made me laugh. I still have lots to write, so it's not done yet!

Better Off Alone

Chapter 15: Ostracized

She let out a long sigh, disappointed at the scene before her. After going on a long journey with so many life-changing experiences, this was all she had to go back to?

Vivian felt unfulfilled; like she was back to square one, with no hope of ever escaping Beldam's anger in one piece. Twilight Town was exactly the same as last time, if not slightly darker. The residents were still spacey as ever and the crows were still cawing mindlessly, eying her with unspeakable intentions. The lighting was still creepy-looking and the closeness of the moon didn't make it any better. The trees were still dead, with weeds still sprouting around some places, and everybody still refused to treat her as an equal. ...She was accepted, but not welcome.

Comparing things to how they once were on the outside, the siren realized how she hated this place with every inch of her body... It was so cold and barren, dark and weird... Perhaps she could try to convince her sisters to start living in Rogueport, or something.

...She suddenly clutched Flurrie's necklace in fear as a horrible scenario flashed before her...

What if Beldam and Marilyn left Twilight Trail and had gone elsewhere? How badly would Beldam punish her for betraying them? And what would she do if she saw her sister wearing the very necklace she took away so long ago?

Vivian wanted to leave Twilight Town... Leave and never return... But a Shadow Siren like herself had nowhere else to go, and her friends were probably sick of the whole 'inferiority complex' matter. She had to face her kin's wrath eventually and dragging it out would only weaken her with fear.

Heaving another sigh, she started her trek to the outskirts of town, but suddenly stopped. The necklace was too precious to get caught up in the middle if there was a squabble. She'd be crushed if anything happened to it. So, to ensure its safety, she removed the golden jewelry and placed it inside her hat's rim. She wasn't worried about it falling out; her curls would keep it in place.

Content with her plan, Vivian continued through town, soon having to take various shortcuts, twists, and turns to the one place she called home.

The faster she got this over with, the better...

Only a bag of leftover Mushrooms slug across his shell, Koops neared his lovely hometown of Petalburg. It seemed like forever since he breathed in the sweet smell of Petal Meadows and took in its bright atmosphere. Butterflies were as plentiful as ever and the grass was always the greenest around that area. The babbling brook brought back memories of how he always dawdled about, without a care in the world. That all changed when Hooktail came...

About that time, her dreaded castle passed his peripheral vision, forcing him to stop. It still loomed about in the background with its gruesome visage, being an ancient structure of evil, and all. He could still smell her rotting victims' carcasses whenever the wind happened to blow from its direction.

...But Hooktail was gone, no longer a threat to his village. Why was he worried over her stupid castle? It wasn't like she could exact revenge. Satisfied, he continued walking. Maybe he'd have the whole thing torn down and used to make more houses upon becoming mayor...

He continued on to town, finally reaching its main entrance. Everything seemed pretty much the same. Other than the fact that Hooktail no longer hovered about, not a thing had changed. Although, Koops couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched... A few townspeople either standing around or working on their gardens were giving him strange looks. It made him feel really uncomfortable as they watched his every move, stopping in the middle of their conversations and daily business as he walked by.

What was the problem, anyway? Did something happen? Were they angry because he never paid them a visit? Was it some kind of surprise party, or something?

Did they even recognize him? Maybe they thought he was an outsider... Had he really changed that much in his absence? What if he'd been gone so long, they actually forgot who he was?

Their staring was just about to get to him when...

"Koops!"

He and the townsfolk perked up to the sound of his name. Straight ahead, a joyful Koopie Koo ran to him, her arms wide open.

The villagers looked on in confusion. Surely she was mistaken... This new suave-looking Koopa who just strolled into town was actually the timid, little Koops who left awhile back? He looked... different. Very different... Some had to confess to one another they didn't even notice the bad eye and bandage he sported.

Koops hated to admit it, but he didn't find himself all that excited to see the spunky girl... Something about her seemed so phony now that he'd returned. He still found it hard to forgive her after the episode in front of Mario and Goombella upon their departure. It was really embarrassing to not only have your girlfriend attack you, but bring her assault on your two new best friends. He remembered how her saying he wasn't ready to leave yet crushed what little confidence he had... and in front of the famous Mario. He decided to let bygones be bygones after Hooktail's downfall, but was surprised to find a little part of him never let it go...

He also came to the realization how much he really had changed. The old Koops would've nearly had a heart attack at her screaming his name, not sure if she was mad or otherwise. Now, he was somewhat blank and unmoved by her calling him. He wasn't scared, nervous, or panicking in the least. He merely sighed as she bounced over.

"Koops, you're home!" she squealed, giving him a hug. She was too excited to notice how emotionless he acted.

Returning the gesture, he cringed at hard her shell was. He didn't like the fact that a simple hug was more hurting than comforting...

Vivian was nowhere near this hard. No, her skin was soft like a baby's bottom, if not softer. Maybe being around a Shadow Siren and not a Koopa made him more affectionate towards softer things...

"Well, well, well! Look who finally decided to show his face around here!"

He looked up to see his father and Kroop making their way over. At their presence, he smiled.

"Who do you think you are, walking in here all cool, calm, and collected like that?" Koopley playfully hit his son's arm. "Are you trying to outdo your old man, huh?"

Koops blushed. "...I haven't changed that much, have I?"

"Of course you have," added the mayor. "You and that, er... Murphy friend of yours have been gone for a pretty long time. Heh heh. For a second, I thought you were one of those hoodlums from 'Ropeport'."

"I think you mean 'Rogueport'," corrected Koopley.

"Eh... same difference."

Koopie Koo decided to butt in. "So? Tell us about it! Where did you go? What did you do? When did you do it? Who did you meet? And how come you never called?"

"Well, it's a really long story... It might take a while to tell..."

"Then tell it over dinner!" she tugged on him. "C'mon! C'mon! Everyone's just dying to see the hero back in Petalburg!"

It wasn't long before other residents began flocking to the returning hero and savior of their town. Many of them clamored for handshakes and the story of his adventure working with the famous plumber. Others even asked if he had any souvenirs in his sack, and continuously called him 'the new hero', referring to the stalwart Koopa of lore. ...He never noticed how many desperate people lived in this place...

"Welcome back, Koops!"

"Great job with saving the world and all!"

"Did you get Mario's autograph? Please say ya got one!"

"I can't believe you put the smackdown on Hooktail! You gave her one for me, right?"

"This town can only get better with you around! You're not moving anytime soon, are you?"

"What're your plans for the future? Plan on settling down anytime soon? Are you going to have kids and name after the enemies you've fought?"

"Dude! If you ran for mayor, you'd totally get my vote!"

It was so frustrating with all the stupid things he was asked to comment on. Koops was tired; he just wanted to go home, have a light snack and take a nap. So, he saved the world... Big deal. It was really Mario to thank, not him. But he didn't express his irritability and played along with the crowd's pleasure. Who was he to act like a sourpuss and deny them the 'sweet little Koopa across the street' they knew and loved?

...But despite the tacky dialogue and silly questions, it was still great to be praised for all his hard work. Even though he lost sight of the objective more than a few times along the way, he resolved the problems and ended up a better person because of it.

He could only hope the streaks of sunlight amongst the dusty trails to his home were his mother proudly looking down him...

...So she was back in this desolate dump of a home once again... Wonderful.

She shivered, not remembering Twilight Trail as cold or dark before she left. All the other places she went were much warmer... Well, there was Fahr Outpost, but that didn't really count.

The dark shack she and her siblings resided in was completely empty, void of any life. Crazee Dayzees were strangely scarce, while Boos hovered about in large clusters. This usually meant something bad was about to happen...

"I don't see why you bothered to come back here," someone muttered.

Turning to the sound of her oldest sister's annoyed voice, Vivian was startled to see her and Marilyn standing idly amongst some dead trees, the middle sister supporting a large bag of supplies.

Eyes plaintive, she cautiously approached. "...I came back because we're still family," Her tone was gentle, yet firm. "I think it'd be best for all of us if we just forgot about what happened and moved on."

"Forget about it and move on? Yes, let's forget all about our endeavors to bring back Mother so that we may survive after being sought after on regularly basis..." sarcastically scoffed the elder.

The younger siren had nothing to say. She knew Beldam would be mad, but to have own words turned against her still hurt.

"In case you've forgotten, we've been banished to live here because our queen was defeated. Without her, the Crystal Stars won't obey our commands unless each Holder is in possession of one... and three of them are dead!"

The tilting of Vivian's hat began to give her a darker appearance... Something inside her was starting to get irritated by all this drama. "Maybe the reason people hate us so much is because you're always trying to kill them..."

"You just don't get, do you? They're the ones out to get us! I haven't seen another Shadow Siren in over 500 years and I assume we're the only ones left... If only Her Highness had taken hold of this world, then we'd have a chance to survive and prosper like the superior species we are!"

"She may've been our mother, but she was only corrupted by power and you know it!"

Beldam was outraged. "How dare you speak about Mother that way?! You don't deserve to be the heir! She should've given that title to me, rather than have a spoiled, little good-for-nothing like you!"

Vivian was practically seething. "Did you ever stop to think about the other people living in this world? If Mother came back, they'd all die a horrible death!"

"But she didn't, and now we're the ones who're going to die!"

"That's not my fault!" Vivian slammed her fist against a nearby tree, scaring several crows out of it. There was an awkward silence, mixed with the birds' fleeting caws before she continued. "I may not be proud of everything I've done, but at least I'm trying to make up for it... That's more than I can say for you!"

"Then I hope you're prepared to stand by that comment--"

"I am."

The old witch scowled. The little sister scowled back... There was more silence.

Beldam had to admit she was impressed. The time Vivian spent with Mario had brought about a change in the little, scatterbrained runt of a sister. She was actually putting up a fight instead of cowering with her tail curled in fear of the events to follow... It was very perplexing, but not without its solution.

She decided to back off. "Fine. You want things to stay the way they were? Then, so be it. We're leaving this wretched forest. I think we've been here far too long and it's time to leave. Marilyn and I are going someplace else where we can start over and try to regroup on our plan on the Crystal Stars. I'd advise you not to follow."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, not only are we changing locations, but we're going to be traveling lighter this time..." Vivian didn't seem to understand, so she explained in better detail. "You're no longer allowed to stay with us. Frankly, I've gotten tired of taking care of you... I'm sure Marilyn has, as well."

Not getting the gist of her ramblings, she tried to intrude. "Fine. I'm tired of living in this junkheap anyway--"

"After this, I don't want to see you anywhere around for miles. I don't want you to follow us, to keep in touch, watch from a distance, or cross our paths again. I don't even want to catch your scent in the air! If I so much as find a strand of your hair in our territory, I swear I'll hunt you down and make sure you'll regret ever getting in our way!"

"...Wait..." Her anger vanished in a heartbeat, replaced with horror. "You...You can't... You can't really mean that! It's not fair!"

"Nothing in life is supposed to fair. Have you ever thought of that?"

"But, that's not... I-I was only trying to make things the way they were before all this mess ever happened! I just wanted life to be normal for a change..."

"You should've thought of that before you rebelled and killed Mother..."

Vivian was speechless... Now she'd done it; her uprising had finally made Beldam go off the deep end and do something drastic. What could she do? What could she possibly say to change her mind? Surely, she wasn't serious...

The cantankerous sister saw this as a chance to strike. "Not only have you've proven to us that you're a failure, a weakling, and a cad, but you've shown you're also a traitor, utterly useless, and no sibling of ours." She started walking away, but then looked back with one last bitter comment. "...This is your last and final punishment, Vivian. Aren't you happy?"

"...But... It's not fair... I'm your sister... Leaving me out here is like... it's like murder..."

The only answer from her was a cold shoulder. "Let's go, Marilyn. The tree moss around here's starting to make me gag..."

Marilyn looked absolutely heartbroken. It was obvious by the way she lingered about she didn't want to leave their little sister behind. All Vivian could do was stare, pleading her to stay. They both knew she was much too vulnerable to live on her own... She had no money, no food or water, nowhere to stay, and lack the ability to fend for herself...

But she had to go... Although strong and independent, Marilyn was somewhat slow and often needed expert guidance in decision-making. Unfortunately, this was something Vivian couldn't give her. As much as they hated to admit it, the two depended on Beldam to take care of them both.

A gentle hug was all the portly sibling could give her at that point. The younger took advantage of this last warm gesture and returned it by a squeeze around her neck. To her dismay, it was cut short as Marilyn now had to disregard her very being; it was part of the banishing procedure.

She quickly turned away and joined Beldam to include herself in their remaining party of two. Striding off side-by-side, they now pretended Vivian no longer existed. It wasn't long before they had disappeared amongst the thick tree stumps of Twilight Trail... Their silhouettes seemed to disperse like illusions, as if they were never there.

She couldn't believe it... Banished? What was left of her own family no longer wanted to have anything to do with her... She was now lost, frightened, and alone...

What could she do?

...What could she do?

...What could she do...?

Koopie Koo set down a bowl of Fried Shrooms in front of Koops, then returned to her seat at the dinner table. "So... Keep on going! Tell us more about your buddies. You already mentioned Goombella, Madame Flurrie, and a badge thief... I can't believe you had so many different friends."

"Well, there was a Yoshi Mario saved from being eaten as an egg. He was really outgoing and liked to pick fights with other people, unfortunately for us..." He laughed. "He would always be the first to start something and usually finished it with his attitude. There was an old Bob-omb sailor who was well-known for his navigation of the seas. He lost his wife a long time ago, but I think we helped him get over it by letting him tag along with us and sail the ocean."

"Wow, now that's exciting!" Koopley took a bite out of his Koopasta. "So many interesting companions, all with diverse ideas. Must've been a real hoot! Anyone else?"

"Oh, yeah. Uh, lesse see... Oh! There was this girl who was..." He paused, as a pang of remorse passed over him. "A Shadow Siren..."

"A Shadow Siren?" Koopie Koo turned her head. "What's that?"

"Is it some kind of a witch? No, no!" Koopley quickly shook his head. "Uh... A wizard? A magician! A sorcerer? Stop me if I'm wrong."

"Oh, oh. I've heard of those things," cackled the mayor. "Yes, I used to drink Koopa Tea out of them."

Koopie Koo giggled. "No, Kroop. He said 'sorcerer', not saucer."

The old Koopa went on. "Heh. It used to have so many grinds left in it; I never knew why... Probably had something to do with the number of Turtley Leaves I put in. I think the instructions said two, but the words all ran together, so I always ended up putting in 12 instead. Heh heh."

"I bet it's one of those Glitz Pit fighters with all those crazy nicknames? Right?"

"No, Dad. That's not what a Shadow Siren is."

He laughed. "Then why don't you tell us, Mr. Hot Shot? I bet you 30 coins I was right."

"Well..." Koops gritted his teeth, trying to think of a decent way to describe someone as enigmatic as Vivian. "A Shadow Siren is... It's a... kind of a... girl..."

"And?" Pushed Koopie Koo.

"She always wears this hat..."

"And?"

"She had really pink, curly hair and... and she was such a pretty shade of purple and... I don't think I ever got to see her eyes..." He smiled at the remembrance of her concealed face. "She was mysterious like that."

His father raised an eyebrow. "She was purple and you couldn't see her eyes? Sounds like one of those crazy goths from Twilight Town. That's where you picked her up, right?"

Koops was offended. "She's not a goth. She's very beautiful and sweet. She would balance on a single tail to walk and hid in the darkness where no one could see her. I thought that was pretty neat."

Koopie Koo frowned. "Ew, she didn't have any legs? And hid in the darkness?"

"I bet she'd rob someone in a heartbeat!" chortled Kroop. "Let her come to my house! I'll give her a poking she won't soon forget!"

They both laughed at the old mayor's joke, but Koops could only feign a grin, feeling hurt.

So Vivian didn't have any legs and hid in the shadows... Boos were practically in the same boat... Yet, they still found her to be weird all the same. ...If they only saw how majestic she was and heard how soft she spoke, they'd understand.

Sighing, he stood to put his dish away in the sink. Koopley noticed the dismal look on his face and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing... I'm just really tired. I think I'll go take a shower, then hit the sack..."

Koopie Koo glanced at the clock. "But it's only half past seven."

"We had a busy day... I think I'll feel better after I sleep it off..." Without another word, he slowly slunk away.

Startled, she looked at Koopley. "...Was it something I said?"

"Oh, don't worry about him. He gets like that sometimes... He'll be fine if we just leave alone for a bit," he replied, not even believing his own answer.

So, they were gone...

Somewhere far, far away... From her. She couldn't bring herself to accept it. But sitting around in the middle of a dark forest, full of prank-loving Boos and grumpy Hyper Clefts wouldn't do her any good...

Vivian only took what she needed, which was pretty much all she had: a small blanket, 10 coins, and an old book. She still had the Boo Sheet Koops gave her, so that would help a little. She wrapped them in her blanket and tied it to a study branch broken from a tree. Slinging it over her shoulder, she sighed at the drab entrance of Creepy Steeple. Perhaps the Boos living there would let her stay. The ghosts themselves never posed a threat to the three sirens... Hopefully they'd treat one the same way.

She'd been there countless times before, but there were so many of the mischievous ghosts floating around, she never met the same one twice. No sooner had she opened the double doors, three Boos appeared.

"Heh heh heh!" cackled one. "So, what are you doing in this neck of the woods?"

"Loooose something?" taunted another.

Vivian bit her lip and took a deep breath. She had to keep calm, for Boos could smell fear...

"No, I've only come to get some Golden Leaves. That's okay with you, right?"

The Boos frowned, none too happy with this optimistic attitude. They hovered about to get a good look of 'how scared' she was, but could find no such thing. Disappointed, they backed away.

"Uh, sure..." muttered a third. "Go ahead."

"Thank you..." She acknowledged their gesture with a bow and continued on, head high.

The trio stared at her with confusion of how unusually confident she was. Every Boo in that steeple knew how easy it was to scare her and often took pride in doing so. Shrugging off this new side of Vivian, the three disappeared into nothing.

The old building was no worse or better than the Shadow Palace. Other than Boos, only Swoopers hung around on the ceiling. The graveyard outside was swarming with ghostly inhabitants, but they paid her no heed. She used to go there on a regularly basis to get Golden Leaves for recipes and making a small profit in town.

She merely loitered about, still shocked over what just happened. Not only was she alone... She was defenseless. What could she do? The question followed her like a chain of bad luck... Maybe the Boos would allow her to at least live in the basement downstairs.

...Mario came back to her in a kaleidoscope of memories as she traversed the tower, for was the only private time she spent with the mustachioed plumber. At one point, she even found herself attracted to him... Back then, she was so despite for attention. She'd become entranced with just about anyone who showed her they weren't her enemy. ...Only to smash her fragile heart into a thousand pieces and run off laughing at how gullible she was.

But she had backbone... and common sense. Mario wasn't right for her. He and Peach were a perfect match, probably knowing each other since childhood. Who was she to be the odd one and intrude in their romance?

Wandering around the pillars and unkempt crabgrass, Vivian soon came across the familiar dead tree in a secluded part of the tower. The deadwood was responsible for supplying her many Golden Leaves in times past, but its dreary appearance only made her die a little more inside. Its coveted Golden Leaves weren't the best things in the world, but were enough to help her survive. Unfortunately, the stupid things were always on the topmost branch and getting just one was always such a chore.

Reluctantly twisting her body around the tree, the siren began inching herself up the trunk. She eventually reached a high branch, grabbing a handful of leaves on the very tip of its limb. As she tried to back up to a thicker part of the limb, she realized an even higher branch had snagged her hat. With one hand keeping the lower branch steady, the other reached up to loosen the pointed hat. Her other hand trembled, the fistful of leaves making her balance unsteady, while she was forced to stretch her body in hopes of freeing herself.

She succeeded in getting untangled, but at the same time, lost her balance as the old twig finally snapped in two. With a startled squeal, Vivian plummeted to the concrete floor.

Annoyed, she rose with a splitting headache and a humiliating sense of defeat. The Golden Leaves were barely worth it, but throwing them away seemed a waste. Dusting herself off, she headed back the way she came, her derriere somewhat sore.

Retreating to the foyer, she confronted a vacant Boo, deciding to at least ask for their consent. Maybe they'd take pity on her...

"Excuse me..."

The ghost whipped around. "Whaddya want?"

"Oh... Well, I have a bit of a problem, you see. I've run across some pretty bad luck and have been separated from my sisters. I'm going through a really tough time now, since I don't have any shelter... And I was wondering if I could stay for a little while...?"

"Why?" he sneered. "What have you ever done for us?"

She didn't expect that type of response. "Well..."

Then, another Boo appeared. "Yeah! Why should we let you stay? You're one of the reasons Doopliss left and decided to fly right!"

"Without him around, this place is a total snore!" spat yet another. "What can you do to compensate our loss?"

"Maybe we should keep you here so we can scare you 24/7!"

Vivian gasped in horror of the very thought. She backed away towards the door, only for it to be blocked by more Boos.

"Leaving so soon?" one grinned, showing all his pointy teeth.

"I..."

"Here, trespasser!" joked another, pulling out the broken twig she fell from earlier. "Ya want some more Golden Leaves?"

Vivian didn't have time to respond before the Boo smacked her in the face with it. This caused an eruption of laughter amongst the now hundreds of ghostly spirits. They continued their taunting and giggling, gradually getting closer and closer by the minute. They floated dangerously close to her, letting their tongues hang out as they screeched with glee at her fear. Vivian couldn't help it; she was now officially frightened...

"Why don't you just go back to where you came from?"

"Go away! Leave us be! You're not wanted here!"

"You're not welcome! Hit the road!"

"Be on your way! Get out, and never return!"

"We don't welcome you or your sisters, trespasser!"

It was so embarrassing and hurtful... She felt like the room was spinning... They rotated around and around, still chanting "Get out! Get out!" at her. Some even began to attack, running into the back of head, trying to take her bag and licking her face with their disgusting tongues. Becoming invisible, others would take her hat, pull on her hair from all directions, and try to carry her into the backroom and throw her off a flight of stairs.

She struggled against their growing strength, but the more she fought, the more they worked together to pin her down...

She couldn't fight off the 200-plus ghosts; it was impossible... Another Boo jammed her hat down over her face as tears began to form in her eyes.

...Disappearing into the shadows, she emerged near the gate outside and ran as fast as she could from that place. She scrambled and dashed through thick shrubs and weeds, past several sleeping inhabitants, and nearly fell off a log that led across a murky lake and was one of the only ways to get back to the shed.

Living with Boos would never work... They'd only play pranks on her all the time... Why did she even consider it? What a fool she was!

Vivian continued running in a blind sadness until she realized she was near the edge of Twilight Trial. She looked back to the eerie darkness of the forest, then ahead towards the creepy evening sky. There was no way she could live in that awful place any longer. Like Beldam and Marilyn, she felt it was time to move on... There were no two ways about it.

Getting herself together, she fixed her ruffled, twig-filled hair and crooked hat, then slung the bag back over her shoulder and ventured down the path leading back to Twilight Town...

Koops retreated into his room, a million thoughts going through his mind. He never did get around to taking a bath...

Who knew his coming back would be that big of a deal? Even at this time of night, natives were constantly coming to the door, wanting to see him, to talk him, to be in his presence... He even thought he heard Koopley talk about throwing a party to celebrate his triumphant return.

...But he didn't want a party... The old Koops would've loved the idea, but that was a part of him he'd lost somewhere between the edge of Boggly Woods and the shadows of Twilight Town...

No! He quickly shook her thoughts away. Koops didn't want to think about the Shadow Siren anymore than he absolutely had to. She probably already thought he was weird, and thinking about the cute way she hunched her shoulders whenever he complemented her only made it true.

Sighing, he flopped onto the bed and buried his face in a pillow to hopefully suffocate his grief.

Koopley appeared and softly knocked on the open door. "Koops?"

"...Yeah?"

"Listen, about what happened at dinner. Did we say anything to... bother you?"

"No."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

He sat on the bed. "Tell me the truth."

Koops lifted his head from the pillow. "...Okay. Well, when I was talking about Vivian... You guys... really didn't have to joke about her like that. She's very sensitive about her look and... if she heard you say that, she'd be crushed."

"Well, we were only joking around. No one meant anything by it."

"I know, but still..."

"Why are you so particular about her, anyway? Was she your favorite?"

"I guess you could say that. I also kind of feel for her since... she hasn't lived a very good life. I feel like I can relate to her sometimes. You know what I mean?"

"Sounds like you two would make good friends. Maybe she'll pay you a visit. Who knows?"

"But I don't think she knows how to get here... She might not even be in Twilight Town anymore and I really don't want to go there looking for her."

"I understand. But hey," He slapped his shell, "don't be such a worrywart. Unless she took a cruise the mainland, you'll find her soon enough."

He looked up. "You think so?"

"Why not? Rogueport's not really a big town and it's not in a very big continent. You'll bump into her eventually."

Koops smiled, not completely satisfied, but grateful for the encouragement. "Thanks, Dad."

"Sure," He gave him a playful noogie. "Now get some sleep and we'll worry about this tomorrow."

"Alright..." He made a face as his father dig his knuckles into his head. It always gave him a splitting headache, but he let him do it, nonetheless.

Watching his father go, he huffed, his problems still not quelled. Maybe he just needed to get some sleep and let the whole thing blow over like Koopley advised.

...He walked over to his dresser and began searching for some pajamas...

Vivian muttered several curses as she made her way back to Twilight Town. As if the Boos in Creepy Steeple weren't enough, she soon found herself being pursued by several stupid Hyper Clefts for disturbing their sleep... Like anyone could tell the difference between the ugly things and a real rock. She had no plans of sticking around with the power-crazy Goombas to see the results...

She returned to town and began looking for somewhere to stay. Having only 10 precious coins, she couldn't afford anything from the shop. No one in their right minds would let her stay in their home, nor did she want to. The inn was also an alternative... but the fee worried her.

...It didn't hurt to try...

"Hello," greeted the innkeeper. It was a different one from last time. "Welcome to the Twilight Inn. Wanna stay for a night?"

"Yes... um... how long can I stay for 10 coins?"

"You don't have 20?"

"No..."

"Well, sorry about that," He started folding some sheets. "The fee's 20 coins unless you have a coupon. Can't rent you a room if you don't have the money."

"Please, just one night..." She clasped her hands together in desperate hope. "A few hours... One hour? A couple of minutes?"

"Sorry, no deal. I can't afford to keep this place open if no one pays the rent," The innkeeper gently shooed her out. "Come back when you've got some money."

With a defeated sigh, Vivian lowered her head and walked away. The three Golden Leaves were starting to look appetizing, thanks to her ever-growing hunger. But she had to hold out, at least for a little while. Until she came across some more food, this was her supper.

So, what now? Things weren't going according to plan in town and going back to the forest was out of the question. Being a supposedly-extinct species didn't help her cause, either. She remembered once when the people of Twilight Town honored and respected Shadow Sirens, taking their dark appearance from her kin's culture. Now that the population had dwindled, it seemed they lost the tradition of such a thing. No one even believed she was a real one, assuming she was probably Doopliss in disguise. If she stayed in town, she'd be forced to sleep in the dirt, but would be at least be safe from what the villagers fearfully called outside...

And then she remembered... Her friends! She had real, tried-and-true friends now! Loving, caring friends who'd never turn away in her time of need! Why didn't she think about them in the first place? Surely, one of them could help her out!

If she could find any of them...

...For the first time since they departed, Vivian came to the chilling conclusion that she had no idea how to get to any of their homes...

Dropping to the ground, she stared at her trembling hands, devastated at the inconvenience of this ongoing bad luck.

She just wanted to curl up in a ball and die...

The moon soon rose high in the sky, like it was proud to be shining over such a wonderful town. It was the clearest sight of it since the night before he left home. Vivian would've liked to see it, too... As a Shadow Siren, she liked moons, right?

He groaned. Not again...

...Why did she keep popping into his mind like that? No matter what he did or what he said, Vivian always came across his mind. Koops knew he missed her; he missed all his friends, but her absence in particular made him feel so... empty. That excuse sounded really sappy when he thought about it, yet it was true. Things were back to normal and he was back with a loving family, with high hopes of becoming the next mayor... But he felt lost, lonely, and for some reason... misunderstood. His interest in Koopie Koo had declined steadily since his return, not thinking about her much... after Vivian appeared.

He let out another exasperated groan. He didn't like Koopie Koo's attitude anymore. What she had to offer wasn't enough for him now. She used to make him feel small and embarrassed. Now, she made him feel in the dark and mislead. ...Unlike Vivian. He smiled at the warm memories of her.

Shy, innocent, troubled, sad, but sweet... That's what he wanted... Someone who made him feel good about himself and their safety. Her presence changed him for the better. No longer did he feel so anxious, but inspired. The story of her life was like a sad melody with no happy ending: Things constantly became worse and worse, slightly better... then worse again.

Pulling the covers up for a good night's rest, he sighed and smiled at the thought over Vivian sleeping in an ever nicer, cozier bed.

Wherever she was, whatever she was doing... whoever she was spending her time with... He hoped she was happy.

Authoress' Notes: Heh, Koopley called Vivian a goth. Classic. Sorry to make her have such a hard time in the forest, but it'll be important later.