Authoress' Notes: In response to what someone said in the Reviews, sorry if the chapters seem a bit too long. I tend to get carried away when I'm on a roll. But you're lucky in this chapter; it's a bit shorter than the last one.
Better Off Alone
Chapter 17: Fate
Cactus, rock, dirt, sand... Cactus, rock, dirt, sand... Cactus, rock, dirt, sand... Cactus, rock, dirt, sand... Cactus, rock, dirt, sand...
It was like a mimicking song, slowly driving her insane. That's all she saw and that all she could make of things. Her brain was too tired to allow any thoughts aside from what her eyes told it. The bag she dared call her blanket now dragged along on the dusty earth, its stick held by a numb hand.
It was dark now. Not just dark, but pitch black...
It was that time of night where the sky was so black, it seemed void of anything but empty space. Not even the stars were out at this hour. She shivered in the dusk's cold.
Vivian stopped and looked back towards where she came from; nothing but dirt. She looked forward to where she was going; nothing but sand. At this point, she was in the middle of nowhere. Turning back would seem pointless, but she wasn't sure if she could make it any further. The cold was unbearable and time wasn't on her side... The siren never once stopped to think about how the temperature in a desert at night often dropped below freezing.
Why in the world did she run off into a desert, of all places? People die in the desert! They go crazy and they starve! Staying in Rogueport would've been better. She didn't have any money, food, or shelter... But it was better than being the same way and miles away from civilization.
A mixture of her stupidity and inability to cope with failure had gotten her into this mess... What an idiot she was!
Annoyed, she slapped a small sand dune into the chilly breeze. The resulting dust cloud stung her eyes. Shaking it off, her breath materialized before her as she sighed.
Her vision slowly followed the trails of untouched dirt before her and landed on a nearby cactus. Maybe her frustration would deteriorate if she found a way to warm herself... Frantically rubbing her hands together, she pointed them at the cactus, commanding a Fiery Jinx.
...But nothing happened. It didn't burst into flames. It didn't start to smoke. There wasn't even a sparkle from her fingers! Horrified, she looked at her gloves. They'd started trembling a long time ago and continued to shake as she glared at them in desperation.
Irritated, she tossed them about to try and get one last bit of magic out of the tired, worn slaves she called her hands. But it was all for naught. The only thing Vivian seemed to do was tire herself out.
So her pilot had gone out... That had to be the reason. It usually did if she was too hungry, cold, or wet. Without it, she could barely make use of her fiery powers.
Yes, fate was still out to hunt her down like the animal she was.
Rubbing her arms in an attempt to keep from freezing, Vivian trembled as she walked on through the blue sands of the night. In all reality, she was close to collapsing. Her fatigue was beginning to take its toll, occasionally causing her to lose sight of the train tracks. The cracked ground did nothing to jog her memory and looking at the sky only made her depressed...
She was so tired. So very tired...
But it was too cold to go to sleep.
Trudging through cold sand had never been so hard. It was like walking in wet cement. Morning would come soon; the black sky ahead turned sapphire, a few lost stars scattered around the distant sunrise. The next day would be scorching hot, but she'd find sustenance by then. From what she didn't know, but at this point, it didn't matter.
At least something kept her going...
Day in and day out, life was the same. The sun rose and set every day, over and over again. Life was slowly returning back to normal for Koops. He found himself getting used to being around his hometown again. He never knew how traveling around so much could make one so cautious about their surroundings.
Regardless, things were going well and his somewhat boring life became a little more preoccupied. People were coming back to Petalburg after hearing of Hooktail's defeat, making the small town full of new activity.
He met new friends and neighbors every day, drastically changing his reputation as a quiet Koopa. He had Mario and the Crystal Stars to thank for that. Out of all the dangerous, life-risking stunts he could be doing out there, he instead lived in a nice, little town where the worst crime committed was by a kid taking candy from the shop.
The daily routine made him feel even more at home. Running errands for neighbors, chatting with other Koopas he'd known since childhood, spending some much-needed time with his father... Nothing strange ever happened; life was calm, quiet, and mellow. Everything was so carefree and simple, but there was still a problem.
Although content, he felt empty. Like something was missing...
Of course, his dad and Koopie Koo were there to support him and he had a vote of confidence from the town, but that wasn't good enough.
He didn't know what it was or why he felt this way. When things slowed down a bit, he was given time to feel lonely. And every time this feeling of remorse swept over him, it was always for something Petalburg couldn't cure...
His longing for Vivian.
Countless times he'd told himself to let it go; it was unhealthy to keep thinking about her this way. Maybe it was because she was a Shadow Siren, and in the time he spent with her, he'd fallen under some kind of spell...
It made enough sense, but these feelings he had were deep and heartfelt. They were personal and... loving. No matter how strong a spell was, it couldn't mimic the passionhe felt for Vivian. He couldn't even begin to count the number of times he'd blushed in public, thinking about her. Not only was such a random thing odd, but somewhat offensive to a few residents.
But that wasn't the case at all. What was wrong with thinking about the cute way she poked her lips out whenever she wanted attention... and the way she twiddled her thumbs when she was nervous... or that adorable little walk?
...He mentally hit himself. What was he thinking? He was back home now and had to forget about those feelings. Vivian was his friend, not a lover. No matter how much he admired her, the two couldn't be together. Koopas went with Koopas and Goombas went with Goombas; that's just the way things were.
It wasn't like he was moping over her, but he was in a slump. While on their journey, he did have a thing for the pink-haired partner.
...Just a thing, though.
But many things
He was about to delve even deeper into his thoughts for more answers before a knock came at the door. It was Koopie Koo.
"Hey Koops," she tentatively greeted. "What're you doing?"
He shrugged. "Nothing much, I guess."
She sat on the bed. "Well, I was thinking... Do you think we could, you know, go out tonight? Maybe have a bite to eat?"
He sat up, surprised by her question. "What?"
She smiled, playing with her hair nonchalantly. "I mean, it's been forever since I left town, with you being gone and all. I was thinking we pay a visit to Rogueport. Please?"
Koops tried not to frown, forcing a smile instead. "Well... why would you want to go there? It's not exactly paradise, you know."
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we can't visit. Plus, I heard the crime is slowing down. Other than the scenery, it's actually becoming a pretty nice place."
Regardless, he still didn't find himself warming up to the idea. Although going out with Koopie Koo solved his problem of being bored, he couldn't help but feel it'd prove a big waste of time. He tried to make up an excuse as to why it was in their best interest to stay home, but she pouted.
"Oh, but... Come on. It's late, we've gotten all the chores done, and your father is off talking to the mayor. It's a nice night out and there's nothing else to do around here. I think we deserve a little break, don't you?"
He sighed. "Sorry. I'm just... I just don't think we should..."
She gave him a quizzical look. "Koops, what's wrong with you? Ever since you came back home, you've been acting... different."
Realizing her suspicions, he forced a harder grin. "Nothing's wrong. Really..."
She wouldn't understand. No, she'd only take it the wrong way. He was lying to her face and she probably knew it. But Koopie Koo would never understand the stress he was going through...
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'm okay. I've just..." he quickly thought up a lie. "I've been having a little headache lately. You know, saving the world'll do that to you..."
"Really?" She checked his temperature. "Well, you do have a little fever... In that case, then you take it easy. We can go out some other time, okay?"
He faked another smile. "Okay."
Watching her leave, he sighed again. All this lying really was staring to give him a headache. He checked to see the time, curious of Koopie Koo's inquiry. The bedside clock read 8:30; not too late to go anywhere. If Koopley was Kroop's house, he wouldn't be back for another hour because of the mayor's ramblings. It'd be a bit longer before dinner got started.
Flopping back onto the bed again, his gaze eventually found itself glued to the ceiling once more as his mind drifted. Looking forward to dinner made him wonder about what kind of meal Vivian was eating right now...
Riverside Station, the checkpoint for the Excess Express. It was a barren, run-down train station, probably made over 100 years ago. Located in the middle of nowhere, life had left its sand-ridden walls long before anyone of today's age had been born. But she would've been able to see it built...
She arrived at the station in one piece after nearly freezing to death in the desert one night. It wasn't the best thing, but was a lucky break, as she'd forgotten its existence. It was uninhabited, desolate, and quiet; no one would even think to bother her out here. And for a short while, Vivian thought she'd finally found shelter in this raggedy, old building.
But there was a thin line between shelter and a torture chamber.
The nights were cold, the days were hot, and the terrain was none too friendly. Sleeping was next to impossible, as roaches and spiders often found solitude in her hat. The floor was too dirty and the benches had splinters and rusty nails jutting through it. Every waking minute she spent in a disturbing silence, accompanied only by the occasional squeaking of several old-fashioned lights hanging from the ceiling. Despite all this, she still called it home. There was nowhere else to go.
...Had it been days, weeks, months since she last saw Rogueport? Why bother? Time no longer had meaning to her. As far as she was concerned, time was merely taunting her by allowing her to live that much longer.
Several times before, she tried searching for nourishment, but never made it very far. Outside the back door lived a horde of Poison Pokeys, who deliberately tried to attack each time they saw her. In a room located upstairs, there was a gang of Ruff Puffs who seemed really aggressive.
At this point, she was too weak to fight for any rights to owning territory. By living here, she was under the mercy of all other inhabitants. She sometimes left the Riverside Station altogether to forage for food outside, but to no avail. Due to the harsh climate, there was an even less chance of finding anything edible. The handful of Dried Shrooms she managed to dig up were barely enough to keep her alive.
She'd lost what little weight she had now appeared scraggly and sick, not to mention she was covered in dirt and there was no water around to wash with. The heat was unbearable, the cold was agonizing, and the solitude was slowly driving her crazy. Just when she thought things couldn't get any worse, each day proved her wrong.
On this particularly cold evening, she sat on an old bench, thinking, reflecting... mourning. There wasn't much else to do in the middle of nowhere. Her concentration on the ugliness of the floor was suddenly interrupted by a horn tooting loudly outside, announcing the arrival of the Excess Express. The train stopped by once nearly everyday, allowing its passengers some time to take a break while it was refueled.
She glanced outside a window to see the people lounging and chatting to another. Sighing, she sunk down in the wooden bench below the pane. Being lonely was nothing new, but seeing others enjoy it so much made her realize how depressing it was. Approaching them was out of the question; they'd probably think she was a monster.
Thinking about that made her want to cry, but she was too tired to even make tears.
After a few minutes, everything was ready to go and passengers happily boarded. The horn tooted again and the train quickly chugged away, not to be seen again for another twelve hours, at the most. She exited the station and watched it speed away, disappointed they couldn't take her with them.
She shivered. It was starting to get chilly out. Every day, the sun made it steaming hot inside the station, and when it went down, finding warmth was next to impossible. The sky was already becoming a cool purple, signifying nighttime was fast approaching.
She looked right, in the sunset's direction, thinking of how long and cold the trek had been from Rogueport. Then she looked left, towards the violet sky of Poshley Heights... and miles and miles of desert. She sighed. How did she get herself into these things?
Going back inside, she curled up and flopped down on the floor. When the sun set, she went to sleep; it was the best way to avoid feeling cold. Laying there, holding a wrinkled, dirty hat to her chest, her emotionless eyes focused on a rotting Dried Shroom under a bench across the room. She found it several days ago, but it didn't look too appetizing and smelled even worse. She remembered throwing it down in disgust and searching for something more edible. Since then, she only found two other Dried Shrooms to support herself, one of them half-eaten.
...It finally dawned on her that she was only trying to kid herself with such harsh conditions. Countless times before, she told herself that the station was a perfect place to call home.
It was remote, abandoned, and far away. She only had to worry about herself and food wasn't... that scarce. The Ruff Puffs and Poison Pokeys would eventually warm up to her. She'd live off the land and would never socialize with anyone again.
Obviously in denial, she refused to accept that staying would only end in her untimely demise. Fortunately, as deluded and depressed as she was, Vivian still had her common sense. Things had only gone from bad to worse since the first night and she couldn't bear to stay any longer...
There was only so much she could take, and this--this sickening, putrid, revolting Dried Shroom, festering with white, puffy mold from weeks of expiration--was the last straw. It made her sick just looking at it. She scowled, not only disgusted, but annoyed at low she'd allow her stature to fall.
As she lay there, huddled up in a ball, she began thinking about Beldam laughing at how pathetic she was. She always said how she nothing but a waste of air and food, and with no help from her or Marilyn, was she right? After all those years of jeering and taunting, had her harassing only proved how much of a no-good, spineless, scatterbrained coward she was?
A shattered bench quickly answered that question.
In the blink of an eye, she'd crossed the room and broken the bench in two, thinking it was Beldam. When she realized it wasn't, she wished it was.
Everyone had their limit and Vivian had gone past hers a long time ago. Lack of self-esteem may've discouraged her, but that burning flame of ambition was starting to kick in again. Tending to her sore hand, she stared at the split seat in confusion. She was starting to calm down a little, but still...
Did she really do that? It all happened so fast... She looked down at her splintered glove. That fit of rage... That wasn't her.
Even though she felt like it for a split second, there was no way she could cut straight through wood like that. Marilyn could easily do it with sheer strength and Beldam had her spells, but she lacked them both...
There was no doubt about it; being alone for so long was starting to drive her insane. Whether or not that was the case, she had to leave. Poshley Heights wasn't that far away. If she made it here, she could make it all the way. By now, the moon was right by the window, the freezing night air hitting her like a cold shower.
But that didn't matter; her mind was made up. She grabbed her bag and left without a second thought, wanting to get away from that place as soon as possible. Looking back one last time at her shelter for an undetermined amount of time, she sallied forth into the desert once more. Vivian had to admit she was leaving purely on an impulse, but it was either that or leave tired, cold, and hungry. She felt none of these hindrances at the moment.
A small figure sat on the station's rooftop, watching from afar. "The time will come, Vivian. Your suffering will be over soon. But you have to keep going for as long as you can. Show the Crystal Stars how strong your will really is..."
Mornings came, evenings lingered, and nights went. As far as Koops was concerned, life was no longer enjoyable. Without a purpose, it was only a period of time that had no real meaning. It was like reading a book, but unable to finish because of missing pages.
He tried his best to live on normally, but he couldn't help it. His sixth sense only became stronger by the day. Even though Mario was gone, the journey hadn't ended...
There was still something that had to be rectified, but what? The Shadow Queen had been defeated, but he still felt that eerie aura she emitted during battle. He could feel her cold, dark mist hanging around, ready to strike when least expected.
Things just weren't the same in Petalburg anymore. It was like, upon his return, he should've brought something back; acquired some sort of entity...
None of the others seemed to understand what he meant. The ones he could get in touch with always thought he was only being paranoid. Apparently, they didn't have that same sinking feeling.
Goombella had come back from her 'field trip', but continued traveled around nearby places to study Rogueport's history. Flurrie was still on her tour, the play nearing its completion. News of her comeback to the stage seemed to be on everybody's lips. Waffles' fights in the Glitz Pit were broadcast several times on TV, attracting a loyal fan base. Bobbery was still adrift in the sea with his crew somewhere. Ms. Mowz kept her badge shop running, but was never around when anyone needed her. She did occasionally give Goombella odd badge specimens she found while hunting. The two had really become close friends in the past few weeks. Koops figured Goombella's animosity towards her had something to do with Mario.
And Vivian... was still nowhere to be found. As if his conscience wasn't bugging him enough, he also had to worry about her...
Why hadn't she called? Why hadn't she written a letter? Why hadn't anybody seen her? It was like she'd disappeared off the face of the planet.
Some of his friends had called him in concern for the Shadow Siren, usually wanting to know if he'd seen her. But each time one called, he always had to say, "Sorry, I haven't seen her," or "No, I don't know where she is."
It was natural to give her a bit of time alone. She needed to unwind and get her life back on track. Yes, that was understandable...
But three weeks? Three weeks? Could it really take someone three weeks to get themselves together, when everyone else took nearly two days?
Something was wrong. Terribly wrong...
By now, Koopie Koo knew about Vivian's disappearance, learning about it from Goombella when she came to visit one day. But it was all she knew and all she needed to know.
As far as she was concerned, Vivian had no real importance to Koops and he was just being a worrywart as usual. Koopley had been lost on the whole story and didn't bother question it any further.
On one bright, sunny day, Koops walked into the kitchen feeling the total opposite. He sat down as Koopie Koo washed dishes. She acknowledged him with a greeting and he replied with a faint, uninterested one.
She looked at him plaintively, then smiled. "Koops, I think that's very sweet that you're worried about one of your friends, but you really need to stop moping around like this; it's bad for your health. If you're so worried about Vivian, why not go look for her? You know where she lives, right?"
He could've do that, he should've done that... but he didn't. There was no telling where she was at this point. He didn't think Vivian would stay in Twilight Town for this long. Even so, he hated that place. What if he went to look for Vivian there and never returned?
He shook his head. "...I can't. I really don't know where she is right now."
"You act like you have something against her... A grudge, or something. Did she do anything to you?"
"No, it's nothing like that..."
"What is it, then? Who is she, exactly?" She gave him an odd look. "Why won't you tell me anything about her?"
Koops found it hard to just tell her about the Shadow Siren. Doing that was impossible. He couldn't describe Vivian in any amount of words; no one could. The only true way to know Vivian was to see her, talk to her, listen to her, watch her, admire her, respect her... That was the only way one could truly understand the little oddity.
In response to her question, he said nothing.
Koopie Koo frowned and went back to washing. "I'm beginning to worry about you."
"Why?"
"I don't know. You just seem a little... out of it lately. It wasn't a big deal at first, but now you're acting like a zombie."
"What do you mean?"
"I think there's more going on than you want me to know. Something's up..."
Koopie Koo was starting to get suspicious. It was no wonder; he'd been a little cold towards her lately. But it wasn't like he was trying to. He still considered her to be a friend...
And that was it? Just a friend? Why wasn't she his girlfriend anymore? How come their relationship was no longer the talk of the town? And why hadn't he been discussing his future role of mayor with her?
Because of her. That other girl. The one who was unlike any other girl in the entire town. Literally.
Koops wanted to talk to her. He wanted their relationship to be the talk of the town. He wanted to discuss his life with her... But he couldn't tell Koopie Koo that.
"Nothing's up. I'm only worried about Vivian because she has some... issues."
"Issues?"
Realizing that wasn't the best thing to say, he digressed. "When you see her, you'll have second thoughts. She's a little shy, but very friendly."
She turned with a knowing smile. "Kinda like you?"
Her analogy caught him off-guard. "I... guess you could say that."
Her smile grew wider. "Well, I can't wait to meet her. By the way you described her, she seems like an interesting person."
Oh, if only she knew. He turned away with a blush.
Lack of trees and sparse vegetation intensified the torrid weather, making it unbearable for all who didn't come prepared. The air trembled with heat as it mixed the pale, blue sky with the golden earth roasting below. It stretched on for miles, this barren wasteland of no water or shelter. Few people came by and even fewer actually made it to their destination. Most took the Excess Express, which was specifically made to bypass the arid region.
...But there were those who were less fortunate and took the badlands' route. The bones of earlier nomads bleached in the sun, warning others of their fate. Despite this, the desert had claimed yet another victim, one who didn't deserve something so harsh.
A long, dragging trail in the sand marked the individual's travels. It began from the Riverside Station... and ended in the middle of nowhere, as she could go no further. Nearly 50 miles away from Poshley Heights, the closet source of civilization, she'd collapsed from starvation, or possibly dehydration in the sun.
Vivian knew she was done for. From the weak, trembling steps to her last crawl through the scorching sand, she knew. She now lay on the ground, writhing in pain, but unable to do much about it. Try as she might, she just couldn't pull herself from the rough ground cutting into her tender underbelly.
But the itching... The scratching... The burning... The stinging...
She fell over again after another halfhearted attempt of getting up, this time, choosing to stay down. Death was imminent at this point. Thinking otherwise would only prove the heat was making her hallucinate.
It seemed unrealistic; to know you were dying, but chose to accept it so calmly. It would've come for her eventually... It was all a matter of time. She turend on her side, vision crooked in front of her. Vivian didn't regret death itself... She regretted all the things she'd never had a chance to do.
If only she could start over... Be reborn, but with her past experiences. Life would be so much better, so much smoother, without as many mistakes or sorrows. But while some people were on the top of the world, their heads in the clouds, she'd been thrown a shameful, pitiful life to live out in misery and die the same way. Fate was a cruel, cruel thing.
She'd never see any of her friends again... They were such a good bunch, a real blessing if she ever had one. She loved them all like the family she never really had. Goombella was like a sister, with Waffles being a distant cousin with a strange sense of humor. Bobbery acted like a grandfather and Ms. Mowz was always the weird one who probably wasn't that weird at all. Mario had excellent leadership and great confidence, while Flurrie assumed the role of a pompous aunt.
And Koops? The one she thought had a cute name? What about him?
The way she felt about him was indescribable. He was a sweet, gentle Koopa, able to relate with her on so many things. His kindness made her feel a little attracted to him. He seemed interested in her...
At first, she thought he was only faking; trying to get her guard down so he could take advantage of her. She soon realized he really was trying to be a friend, as were the others. But having a feeling he wouldn't be the first to break the ice, she decided to turn on the charm that Shadow Sirens were famous for. Unfortunately, it didn't work. If anything, it probably made things worse. She flirted with him almost every change she got, yet he never seemed to notice. Well, he did sometimes, but it would come and go. His feelings toward her were vague and unreadable.
In all honesty, she wasn't sure if she really loved him or not. Love was such a fickle thing, always changing and hurting those who didn't know how to handle it. Too many times had her heart been broken by nameless strangers. And each time, she promised to be wiser the next time around. Her innocence was probably the only thing she still had of value.
But it didn't matter now... She squinted and coughed up sand. She was so tired...
She lay there in a delusional daze, her life practically flashing before her eyes. She'd seen and heard so many things in her existence, but never had the chance to understand them all. Her life's history was a like a paranormal dream that went on forever, faint memories appearing here and there. A day could last a week, a week could last a year, and years were too long to measure in the length of time. When you lived over a millennia, life often seemed too tedious to value.
Taking one last breath, she buried her face in her hat, shielding it from the sun.
Her tale of sadness and sorrow wouldn't end half as well as she thought. From all the fairy tales Lillian used to read, sad people usually had happy endings. Hers was most likely an exception.
It was the last thing she remembered before losing consciousness...
...A hot breeze blew, sending streams of sand across the dry ground, shifting as the wind came and went. It wouldn't be long before her cadaver was no more and no one would ever find out what happened to the innocent, little girl they knew as Vivian. Like her ancestors, her very being would disappear into nothingness, swallowed by her own guilt and misfortune. She would remain as a memory in everyone's mind; a myth that people would realize was real far after it was too late.
The same caped figure from before suddenly appeared, easily withstanding the blistering heat like a true wanderer. She casually walked until she came upon the fallen Shadow Siren. She studied her from every angle, sniffing and examining her body. The figure then removed the cape's folds from her face, revealing it to be Ms. Mowz. She gently picked up a limp arm and shook her head.
"Oh, poor Vivian. How could such a little sweetheart end up in this horrid place, facedown in the sand? It doesn't fit you. No, not at all."
She threw the small cape over Vivian's face, adding extra protection from the sun.
"It's been a long time coming, but your trials are finally over. You've proven yourself worthy, like I knew you would." She adjusted her mask and nodded. "I think it's time you had some help..."
Morning came once again. The sun poured through the window, bringing daylight with its soft rays like it did every day. The town was barely stirring at this hour.
Koops was up; he wasn't fully awake, but he was up. He lay in bed, staring at the ceiling like he did every chance he got, thinking of her.
That odd girl. The one who was so innocent and sweet.
Vivian... It was a beautiful name. Whoever gave it to her had great taste. It was basically meant for someone who was lively, vivid, bright, and colorful. It fit her so perfectly, it was like that name was made for her. He loved the way it sounded whenever it was said. It made him feel happy when he thought about it.
He could go on forever with every bit of the Shadow Siren he liked: her hair, her intriguing appearance, her beautiful voice, her placid attitude, the way she wore her hat, her cute, little hands... He blushed.
She really did have cute hands... He fondled his wrist, remembering how small they were.
As much as he wanted to sit around and think about her some more, he had to get up. It was a quiet morning, but he'd have to start working soon. Kroop wanted him to help with transporting some goods to the shop. Then he planned on going over to an old friend's house for a visit. Afterwards would be father/son time in Petal Meadows. That was basically what the day would bring... That and no Vivian to offer dinner to.
He decided to go downstairs and see if anyone was up before taking a shower. Just as he got to the stairs' bottom, Koopie Koo appeared from the kitchen, a perky smile on her face.
"Morning, Koops. I--" She stopped. "Why are you blushing?"
"...Blushing?" Koops was dumbstruck. Quickly, he looked away. "I-I'm not blushing..."
Koopie Koo pulled him closed and grinned. "Yes, you are. You're redder than a Fire Flower!"
"No... I-I'm not... It's not what you think..." he stuttered, his mind fearing she'd say something about Vivian, only because he was thinking about her.
"Is it because of this?" She drew his attention to the smiling flower apron she wore. "I bet I look like a stay-at-home mom, don't I?"
"Yeah!" he abruptly blurted out, glad she received that as an answer. "Yeah, that's why..."
She smiled and walked back to the kitchen. "Oh, I'm only joking anyway. But thanks for the compliment. Now hurry and wash up, I'm in a good mood this morning, so I'm making a big breakfast."
He yawned. "Where'd Dad go?"
"He went to Kroop's house again," she giggled. "I don't think he finished lecturing to him last night."
"Again? If he keeps going over there, he's going to turn into him, then I'll have to hear it..."
"Well, he is the mayor."
"But that doesn't mean I have to listen him talk about how many Turtley Leaves to put in Koopa Tea."
"Don't worry about it. He wo--" She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes fixated on the window above the sink.
Koops saw this and frowned, also looking outside. "What? What is it?"
"Koops... What's going on out there?"
There was a small mass of townspeople gathering around the gate leading from Petal Meadows. Koopley had been walking in that direction when a Toad ran over from the crowd and pulled him over. He seemed very urgent about whatever it was, pointing and talking in silence through the window pane.
She looked at him. "You think something's wrong?"
"I don't know. Maybe something bad happened."
"Bad? Like... like what?"
"I'll go look."
He went out the front door, intrigued by the matter at hand. Finally, something interesting was happening in Petalburg. Maybe this was just what he needed to pull himself out of such a mental slump.
Koopley stood outside the crowd, confused from whatever everyone was looking at. It was almost like he was afraid to look. Other residents, either inside their homes or working in their gardens were also curious. Their eyes asked questions, but their bodies were too afraid to find any answers. Even Kroop was at the scene; that meant it had to be something serious.
"Dad," Koops frowned as he approached him. "What's going on? What's everybody staring at?"
Koopley scratched his head. "I'm not really sure myself. The details are fuzzy. All I know is... someone leaving town claimed they ran across a body lying by the river..."
His eyes went wide. "A body?"
A body? An actual dead person? Here? In Petalburg, of all places? ...Impossible.
If there was a dead person to be found, it had to at least be in Rogueport. Petalburg was a clean, pure town. No murder crimes should take place there...
"Do you think they're actually dead? Maybe they're unconscious."
"I dunno. Maybe it's best if you went back home with Koopie Koo. It seems a bit... graphic."
He frowned. "...Graphic?"
At that moment, he turned to the sound of several townspeople talking to one another. Amongst their conversations, he heard things like "outsider", "strange one", and "not a Koopa"... Who was this outsider? Why was it a strange one? What wasn't it a Koopa?
"What a shame..." said a Toad, as he shook his head. "She looked like a real nice girl, too."
"...Are you even sure it's a girl?" asked a Koopa.
"Of course it is! Just look at that hair!" pointed a female Toad. "Whatever it was, this was definitely a female."
Ignoring Koopley's request, Koops walked around the cluster of neighbors and friends, trying to find out what was going on. He finally came across a small opening in the crowd and proceeded to look through. Nothing in the world could've prepared him for the sight he was about to see...
Her hair was completely mangled, full of dirt and sand. She lay unmoving on the ground, not even breathing. Her figure, it was cadaverous... She was so thin, so malnourished. There were deep gashes scattered all over her body, revealing reddened insides. Sand was well-engraved into the wounds, some looking infected, while others leaked with dried blood.
She was barely recognizable, but it was her...
"...Vivian?"
"You know this girl?" asked a Toad.
His face was blank with unbelievable horror. "Yes... I do..."
"Who is it, exactly?" asked someone else. Koops didn't know or care who.
"...Her name's Vivian. She was a... friend..."
He heard the citizens talking even more now, surprised at this sudden sympathy for a girl no one'd ever seen before.
"Oh, so that's the Vivian you were talking about?" came Kroop's voice. "Er, sort of an odd one..."
At that point, the crowd began to fret over this strange being dumped into their town in such poor health. They voiced their panicked opinions with gusto.
"Who could've done such a thing?"
"Maybe this is an omen!"
"What is she, anyway?"
"We should lock our doors!"
Koopley held his arms up for attention. "Now, calm down, everyone. While this may be a little... strange, we don't need to jump to conclusions. I'm sure this is all a big misunderstanding..."
"There's been a murder in town! How can you call that a misunderstanding?" demanded someone.
"For all we know, this could be a warning to us all!" shouted another.
"...Well, we just can't leave her here," Kroop called some Koopas over. "You two, you're the ones who found her, right?"
"Yeah," shrugged one. "I was on my way to Rogueport and she was just... there."
The other frowned. "You're not thinking we had anything to do with this, are you?"
"You're getting ahead of yourselves. I never said that."
"I think it's best if everyone kept an eye out for anything suspicious and not leave town until we figure out what's going on," announced Koopley.
"As for you two," Kroops pointed his cane at the pair. "I'd like you to bring her to my house so we can get to the bottom of this."
The Koopas didn't look to thrilled having to carry this... thing to Kroop's, but they were considered suspects, and refusing to obey would only make them look bad. While the two Koopas pondered over Vivian's corpse, a Toad began breaking up the crowd and sending everyone home.
And everyone did go home. As far as they were concerned, thatthing was only a sign of bad luck; a harbinger, an omen of death. They didn't know how beautiful she was. They didn't understand how graceful she could be. They didn't care who this girl was...
"Koops?" Koopley placed a hand on his shoulder. "You okay?"
No, he wasn't okay. He was far from it. His hope of seeing Vivian's happy face one last time shattered into a thousand pieces before his very eyes. It was like seeing his mother carried away all those years ago. A sword to the stomach wouldn't even come close to the emotional pain that pierced through his broken heart...
"...Koops?" His father's voice seemed to fade in and out. "You said she was a friend of yours? ...She was that girl, right?"
He nodded.
"Oh... Well, I'm really sorry about this. ...I understand if you want to be... alone."
He nodded again and Koopley stopped talking, which meant he probably left.
After all this time of being in denial, he realized he didn't just like Vivian; he loved her.
...But why didn't he tell her when he had the chance? When she gave him that hug, he could've whispered it to her and she could've died knowing she was loved. That would've been her last thought; that comforting thing to know in her final moments...
A lone tear dotted the ground, insignificant to all but the little, innocent girl whom everyone took advantage of...
That tear was for her.
Authoress' Notes: The climax is coming soon, but you'll have to endure a long, rural life before we get there. Don't worry; it's all good.