Author's Notes: This is my latest chapter of the series. This time, we're taking a little bit of a trip into Mario's part. Here, I'm introducing a couple of character, some of which are from Mario's older past. Kudos to anybody who gets the references.

Chapter 32: Her Name was Pauline

Night had fallen at Rolf's village. He gulped as he walked out of the door of the house. The sounds of crickets and other wide life called out in the fresh-new hours of darkness.

The wind blew briskly in Rolf's old village. The growing sprouts of plants in the farm blew along with it. The tree's leaves followed in the same rhythm of the winds. It was but a normal summer's night.

"Rolf's deepest apologies, father…" Rolf whispered as he stood at the door. "…but I must see my sister's grave."

With that, he ventured onwards, down a pathway, that directed him toward the mountains ahead.

Mario gasped for breath, and threw himself over the peer. Luckily, nobody had seen him do it. He looked back, and spotted the Going Merry one last time. It has turned it's stern at Mario, as he noted that she was sailing away from him, back into the ocean again.

"I'll-a catch up somehow." Mario said. With that, he too turned his back on the Merry and proceeded towards the streets of Brooklyn. There were a huge abundance of cars rolling down the roads. People, as far as the eye could see, traveled down the sidewalks. Skyscrapers stood as high as the sky, towering highly over the plumber.

"So nice to be home." Mario thought. He, despite being soaking, shortly blended in with the crowd, and proceeded down the streets as well.

As he walked, block after block, after block, be noticed things hadn't been there when he left over a decade ago. Some new buildings has been built, apparently. More pigeons then before had crowed the air and sidewalks. They had been pecking around for loose grains of food that this city had to offer. The clouds were picking up over the city. By the looks of things, it would appear that the city would soon experience a rainstorm.

Mario looked behind himself. This time, he noticed a group of students. College students, by the looks of it. There were all dressed in leather jackets, traveling in a group across the street.

As he watched, he noticed that the leading college student seemed highly irritable. Both of his hands were in his pockets, and he had an awful little grin on his semi-dirty face.

"Hm… what's-a he doing?" Mario asked aloud. He waited for the students to pass him by. When they finished crossing the streets, Mario decided to follow them. He had barely made the light though, because a car had drove past him, missing but mere inches.

"Geez." Mario thought aloud. Nonetheless, he pressed onwards.

The students had crossed the street and began to walk into one of the ally-ways. Mario stopped, behind the pillar of a nearby building, and began to watch.

The college students gathered around a trash can.

"I know you're here, kid!" The rough-looking leader shouted.

The lid of the trash can suddenly shot open. Another student revealed himself, and took a deep breath of air. It was an an-averaged sized student. His hair was a bright orange, left very messy. He was wearing a long, blue jacket, also wearing an even lighter blue undershirt, which lay exposed because of the open jacket. There was a symbol on the shirt, which looked like a picture of an angry, frowning face. He had long jeans, and completed his attire with worn-out white and red sneakers. As he opened his eyes, they revealed to be a darkened blue.

"There you are!" shouted the leader of the gang, who grabbed the orange-haired kid by the collar.

"Yup, I'm here, alright." he replied, in an uninterested tone of voice.

"Stop kidding around, Junior." the leader shouted. "You owe us big."

Mario gasped. "Junior?"

Junior laughed. "Don't you remember? I paid you guys back!"

"When?"

Junior went silent and looked around. His gaze lazily looked at the ground, then up into the sky. "Oh look, some pigeons."

"Quit stalling!" the gang leader shouted.

"Oh, right, now I remember!" Junior said. "It was at the Senior Prom at high school, remember? I paid you back, with a fresh, new cup of fruit punch."

"Punk!" the leader shouted, shaking him by the collar again. "I gave you $100 bucks! That can't be repaid with a simple plastic cup of Hawaiian punch!"

Junior laughed. "Heh, it was actually fruit punch."

"Idiot!" the leader shouted. He pushed Junior backwards. The orange-haired student landed on his feet a couple feet away from the gang.

"You're going to pay me my money back!" the leader shouted.

"Hey, pal." Junior said. "I don't take refunds for punch."

"I'll give you punch, kid." spoke the leader.

Junior stood still for a few seconds, blinking. He suddenly grabbed his chest, attempting to suppress a laugh. Unable to do so, Junior exploded into a loud laugh.

"HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!! You didn't-HA! Tell me you just didn't say a cli-HA HA!! You used a cliché threat?! HA HA HA HA HA!!!"

The leader growled. "He's… laughing at me?!"

"HA HA HA H-!"

Junior was interrupted suddenly. The leader had punched him right in the chest. Junior coughed as he flew in the air, having taken a rather hard blow. He soared, and landed back against the trash can, resulting in a loud and messy ending to his blow.

Mario gasped, still watching in horror from behind the pillar.

Junior groaned, attempting to get up. "…argh…" he said. "…ok, ok, I get it… you guys mean it."

"A little late for that, don't you think, Junior?!" The gang leader asked. He grabbed Junior again by his dirtied blue jacket, picking him off the ground. Junior grunted in pain as he ascended towards the leader.

"That's not good." Junior thought. "That last move alone hurt. I got to get this freak off me now."

"You're not getting away again, Junior." the leader said. "Say your prayers."

Junior shrugged and closed his eyes. "C'mon…" he thought. "Think of something…"

Junior opened his eyes again. He noticed Mario, watching from afar. He was standing to the left of the pillar now. It seemed as though he wanted to do something to assist.

"Heh, that'll do." Junior thought.

Junior took a deep breath, pointed right at Mario, and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"OH MY GOODNESS, IT'S A PLUMBER!!"

The gang became startled. Shouts of "NO!" and "What?!" and "Where?!" sounded from the gang as the leader let him go free.

It was in this instant of freedom that Junior smirked. He reached into his blue jacket. He quickly retreated his right hand. As he did, he pulled out an old-looking, light-yellow, large boomerang.

"Here you go!" Junior shouted, letting the boomerang fly from his hands.

It rushed through the gang swiftly. It struck the leader first, right in the chest. The leader, though not too harmed, got enough of the wind knocked out of his lungs that he fell down. The boomerang did not stop, though. It struck the next gang-member, and then the next, knocking down one by one. Finally, the boomerang completed it flight after striking the last member. It flew back towards the orange-haired student, who caught it in mid-flight. He lowered his head and grew a serious expression.

"Consider yourself paid."

Mario ran over towards Junior.

"You!" Mario exclaimed. "…is it you?"

"…and you are who, pal?" Junior asked.

"…oh wow, Junior. It is-a you." Mario remarked.

"You know me, pal?" Junior asked.

"…why you…" the leader growled. "I'm… not done here yet-"

"Not now!" Junior shouted, striking the leader with the flat side of the boomerang, forcing him back on the ground again. He then looked back at Mario. "So, you were saying?"

"Junior! It's-a me, Mario!" Mario shouted.

"…Mario, Mario, Mario…" Junior began to search through his memory. "…uh, nope, don't know a Mario."

"You were really young, remember? It was back in 1990. October 20th, if I can remember!" Mario shouted. "I babysat you, that one day. My and my brother. We went into the odd dimension?"

Junior stood, expressionless at first. However, it hadn't taken him long to recall. He smiled brightly, with an expression of complete awe and joy. "Mario! Super Mario! I do remember you!"

"Gee, it's-a been a while!" Mario shouted. "How have you been all these years?"

"I've been awesome! Mom and Dad have been crazy as always, and our cat's still around and everything!" Junior shouted.

"You won't believe what-a I have been doing." Mario said.

"Try me." Junior said.

Mario looked up into the city's skyscrapers. As he did, a raindrop fell on his face. Followed by another, and another, and another, more rain began to fall.

"You came all this way here to say hi to me again?" Junior asked. "Seriously, what bring you all the way back to Brooklyn?"

"Truthfully, I'm-a here… to find someone." Mario said.

"Find someone, eh?" Junior asked. "More important then mwa?"

"Kind of." Mario said.

"Hey, hey, hey." Junior said. "Who's it? Huh, who's your target-I mean, who are you looking for?"

Mario sighed. "Never mind, it's not important. Look, I-a got to go. Really nice seeing you again!"

"Nice to see you too, Mario!" Junior shouted, waving.

Mario turned around and proceeded back into the heart of the city.

"Oh no you don't." Junior said suddenly. Mario stopped walking. "You don't just come back, see me for a second, then just walk off."

Mario looked back at Junior. The orange-haired boy was looking at Mario. The rain had caused Junior's hair to become heavier, so that it partially covered his eyes.

"…do you want to come then?" Mario asked.

"Oh yeah." Junior said, walking up towards Mario. "There's a lot of things we need to catch up on."

The two of them walked towards the side of the streets. Mario noticed a yellow car driving nearby. He rose his arm into the air, exclaiming: "TAXI!"

"Hmmmm!!" Eddy shouted. He slammed his cup onto the table. "That's some goooooooooooooood coffee!"

The three of them had stopped their road trip at a local Starbucks shop. Eddy pointed up into the shy, extremely hyper from the overdose of caffeine, and shouted. "More coffee, please!"

"Uh, Eddy, they don't usually serve coffee like that." Goombella said.

"What would you know?!" Eddy shouted. "You're not even from this planet!"

Goombella and Goombirro starred at each other as they watched Eddy, hyperly shaking the table they were sitting at.

All of the other customers were either in a state of amazement or confusion. Several of the more frightened costumers had walked out already.

"Do something!" The cashier shouted to the manager. "They're scaring our customers away!"

"Eh…" the manager said. "I've seen lots-a crazy things in the world. I say we just give the guy what he wants and get him out of here and soon as possible."

"That won't work!" the cashier said.

"There's got to be a law or something about this." Goombella stated, upon seeing Eddy taking another drink of coffee.

Eddy was shaking in his own seat, creating his own earthquake. Goombella watched as the empty cups of coffee began to fall off the table, one by one, as the result of Eddy's over hyperactivity.

Goombella looked at the customers. They were all scared, either by there being two alien species in their star bucks, or the presence of the energy-mad Eddy.

"Eh… heh… heh…" Goombella laughed, somewhat embarrassed.

"This is so awkward." Goombirro whispered to Goombella.

"I'm going to go find a phone." she told him. "Just… try to do something to keep him busy."

"What?" Goombirro asked, as Goombella ran towards a pay-phone.

Ring! Ring! Ring!

Double D reached into his pocket, and pulled out a cell phone. He pull it up to his ear, quickly.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Double D!" Goombella's voice rang.

"Goombella! You're alright!" he exclaimed. "Where are you?"

"I'm at a Coffee shop, in London." Goombella said. "Goombirro and Eddy are with me… and as you can guess, things are getting a little tense."

"Stop it, Eddy!" Goombirro exclaimed from the background noise on the other side.

"I'M CRAZY!!" Eddy's voice rang somewhere.

Double D laughed. "Did he had too much Coffee?"

"Yup." Goombella said.

"Well, anyway, try to stay where you are." Double D said. "If you can try to find a hotel, that would be best until we arrive."

"We will try to." Goombella said. "You better hurry though, I don't know how long the three of us will last."

"Don't worry." Double D said. "The Going Merry is running at full speed to London as we speak."

"Double D!" Luffy's voice called from above deck. "Make me a sandwich!"

"Me too!" Bloo chimed in.

"And…" Double D groaned. "…since Sanji was abducted, I became the ship's temporary chef."

"Ouch." Goombella said, over the phone.

"If I never see another sandwich again as long as I live, I'll die happily." Double D said.

He looked up, and could hear Luffy and Bloo chanting "SANDWICH!" from above somewhere.

"I must be off now." Double D said. "Do take care, Goombella. We shall be there as soon as possible."

"Please, hurry." Goombella said.

"Believe me, I will." Double D, before hanging up the phone.

Goombella returned to the room, just in time to see Eddy and Goombirro being pushed out the door the cashier.

"Good riddance!" the cashier shouted, pushing them away and slamming the door. He proudly whipped his hand and returned to the register, as Goombella rushed out the door to meet her allies.

She saw them near the Van, standing by the driver door.

"That was really embarrassing." Goombirro shouted.

"I'll show you embarrassing!!" Eddy shouted, still shaking about where he stood.

"C'mon, let's get out of here fast." Goombella said.

Eddy took the keys and opened the driver door. "I'LL DRIVE!"

"NO!" Goombella and Goombirro shouted in unison.

As the rain continued to poor, Mario and Junior continued their conversation while starring out of the Taxi window.

"So, when you left, things got boring again." Junior said. "School started, I met that self-obsessed gang leader, we got into fights, the usual."

"Fights?" Mario asked.

"Mom and Dad were supportive of me as always." Junior said, somewhat proudly. "They just patched me up, and sent me right on back. Really quickly, come to think of it."

"How are they?" Mario asked.

"My parents? Ha! They're fine, just living in their house near the bridge. I moved out when I went to college."

Their conversation died for a bit. They could both hear thunder roaring in the background, battling with city ambience's noise for attention.

The taxi cab came to a red light, caught behind a couple of cars and trucks. They could hear rain beating down on the roof of the cab, and the watery windows distorting their view of the outside world.

"So, Mario." Junior said. "Do tell, what's a guy like you doing in Brooklyn. And why did you come back from that weird mushroom world place?"

"If you'll believe me, I'm-a on a quest. To save the world." Mario stated.

"Save the world, huh?" Junior asked. "Why not, I've heard weirder. So what part of saving the world has to be done here in Brooklyn?"

"Well, actually, I'm-a in the middle of a break. I'm trying to find someone…" he said, but stopped himself.

"Yeah, yeah, you told me that." Junior said. "Who're you looking for?"

"…her name was Pauline." Mario said. "I haven't seen her in decades."

"Pauline?" Junior asked. "Oh, you mean Pauline Scapelli?"

Mario suddenly lunged at Junior. "SCAPELLI?!"

"…y-yeah, Scapelli." Junior said. "She married some guy named Anthony Scapelli around 7 years ago."

Mario went silent. He slowly sank backwards into his seat. His hands turned into fists and he looked down on the floor.

"Pauline Scapelli…" Mario repeated to himself, whilst Junior looked on curiously.

"Where aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam I?" Sarah moaned.

She had been wandering London's Streets well into the night. Her moaning had been drowned out by the city ambience: car tires squeaking, engines revving, people talking everywhere. She could hear Big Ben ringing from elsewhere in the city.

"Hm…" she sighed. "I'm confused."

Crunch!

Sarah spun around on the spot. There was nobody behind her, though, yet the sound was distinct.

"Hello?" Sarah asked. She shrugged and turned back to continue walking down the busy streets.

It was around 9:00 PM at the city of London (or around 21:00).

She peered towards a small building across the street. It was two stories tall, and made of brick. A small sign on the front of the building stood, reading "INN" in the front.

"Finally…" Sarah remarked.

Crunch!

Sarah gasped and turned around again. Nobody, still, was there.

"Geez, what a strange city." Sarah commented. She turned around once again, and walked towards the Inn. All the while, she remained unaware of the pair of eyes that were watching her from behind.

The Inn clerk looked up as she noticed the orange-haired teenager entering the Inn.

"Oh, welcome to the Moonlight Inn." the female clerk said. "Do you have a reservation?"

"Look lady, I don't have a reservation." Sarah said boldly. "I just need a place to stay for tonight before I go the airport tomorrow."

"I'm sorry, miss." the clerk said. "But I can't give you a room."

"Oh, come on!" Sarah slammer her hands on the counter. "You don't got one empty room?!"

"Miss, I'm sorry. It's a policy, we can't give out rooms without reservations!" shouted the clerk nervously.

Sarah smiled. She reached into her pocket, and pulled out a $10. She gave the clerk a conniving grin, and held the dollar bill in front of the clerk.

"You mean you got nothing?" Sarah asked.

"Yes, we have nothing." the clerk said. "This is England, American currency is no good here."

Sarah groaned. "Uh, right…"

She peered over to her left. There was a hallway leading directly forward, past a series of doors. All of the doors had sign on them that said: "Do not Disturb." notice on them. She also noticed that the door at the very end of the hallway lacked this sign.

"So, what about that room?" Sarah asked.

"That room?" the clerk asked. "Nobody's used that room for years."

"And why is that?" Sarah asked.

"Because someone was murdered in it a while ago." the clerk said.

A chill ran down Sarah's spine briefly.

"Oh, and some story about the victim's ghost haunting the room. If you believe in that sort of stuff."

"Hah, I don't care. How much for that room?" Sarah asked.

The clerk laughed. "How much? I'd pay someone to use that room!"

"Cool." Sarah said. "You'll owe me money when I wake up tomorrow." She turned around and began walking towards the room.

"Heh, sure!" the clerk laughed. "If you live through the night!"

"I will!" Sarah shouted. "Good night!"

With that, Sarah slammed the door to the room, and locked herself inside. Several of the Inn's guests poked their heads out of their doors. They went back in moments later, one by one, all sounding confused.

"Heh, this should be good." the clerk laughed under her breath.

By the time that the taxi cab reached it's destination, there was lighting and thunder in the sky. The sunlight was blocked out by the dark thunderclouds. Rain pelted on the streets, winds pushing smaller object about.

Mario and Junior walked out of the taxi. They walked onto the sidewalk, as the yellow cab rushed away.

"Stay here, ok?" Mario asked Junior. "I'll be back."

"Sure, whatever." Junior said. He leaned back on a light post and took his boomerang out. It's polished surface was hit with rain, letting himself fix his wet hair, all while holding an expression of boredom.

Mario ran up a set of outdoor stairs, and up to a door. It was an apartment building, and a tall one that that. It looked like a skyscraper, with all of it's walls looking like glass on the outside. Mario looked ahead, and walks through the automatic glass doorway, into the lobby.

The red plumber leaned against the glass walls of the express elevator. He peered out of the wall and saw the scenery outside shrinking. Mario then looked ahead, towards the door.

"Junior must be mistaken or something." Mario thought. "Pauline would have never…"

The elevator bell ringed, and came to a stop. Mario peered ahead, and watched the doors open up. Behind them was a hallway. The walls were a solid white color, though tinted by the yellow glow of the light fixtures that hung on the fortifications. The floors were carpeted with a blue and white rug that extended to the far walls of the building.

Mario began to wall down the hallway, passing by very familiar doors. He looked onward though, not allowing himself to be blinded by nostalgia.

He came to a stop at one peticular door. It was quite far into the memorable hallway. There wasn't anybody around to see.

He tapped on the door with his hand. "Hello?" he called. "Pauline?"

There was no sound at first. His voice echoed down the hallway. Mario frowned, but knocked on the door again.

Tap, Tap, Tap. echoed his knock. "Pauline, are you home?"

This time, it was a bit clearer. He heard footsteps approaching the door.

Mario tried his best to make a smile, to prepare for her arrival.

The door opened up slowly, creaking as it did. It revealed two people. To the left, a woman with dark hair. She gazed forth with two blue eyes, and wore a long, scarlet-red dress. She was quite tall, at least in comparison to Mario. To the right, a man. He was in a black, formal tuxedo. He was somewhat tan, having been out in the sun recently, apparently. He had graying hair, which was combed back to make a sleek haircut.

"Hello, can I help…" Pauline's voice faded away. She and Mario were left, starring one another down.

"Mario?" Pauline asked.

"Pauline?" Mario replied. He looked towards the man. "Scapelli?"

"Mario?" Scapelli asked, equally amazed.

The three of them went completely silent. Thunder roared above them.

"And there it is." Rolf stated.

He had reached the base of the mountain. He peered atop the mountain, noticing the Temple of the 7 Stars at the peak. At the base, divided by the path that led up the mountain, was a graveyard. The village's entire history of it's past residents was here. Many of the graves, a decent fraction of them from his own family, lay about the site. One peticular grave, a mausoleum, stood behind the rest of his family's gravestones.

He approached the structure of the mausoleum. As he got close, he noted a commemorative plaque on the side.

"Herein lies thy villagers whom lost their beloved lives on the day in which fire rained, ice fell, and thunder struck. For these villagers lives not become forgotten, all of them have been commemorated in thy tomb."

"This is it." Rolf stated. A small tear fell down his face. He reached for the door, and tugged on the metal knob.

But to no avail. The door had not opened.

"Locked, eh?" Rolf asked.

"Yes, Rolf, the mausoleum is locked." his father said.

Rolf gasped and turned. His father stood at the entrance of the graveyard. He held an extremely angry expression.

"F-father, Rolf can explain!"

"The son of a Sheppard pitter-pattered away from the village, and has come here to open the door of monument?!" his father asked. "Has the incident taught you nothing?!"

"Apologies, father! But Rolf must see his sister, one more time!"

"Well, the door of monument can only be opened by the family key." Rolf's father said.

Rolf looked at his father's belt. It was only then did he realize the large, skeleton key which hung from his side.

"Rolf was not meant to see the monument until he was ready." his father said.

"Rolf is ready." Rolf stated. "…and to prove this, Rolf shall duel you. In a competition of strength."

"The Sheppard accepts his son's challenge."

His father walked out of the graveyard. "We shall duel on the outer perimeter of the graveyard."

Rolf followed his father out of the gates of the yard. The pathway at the gate was split. Rolf's father pointed out two trees, standing tall over the yard. A third tree lay on top of them, making a log bridge between the two others, high above.

"This is our battlefield." his father said. He reached into a handle on his belt. He pulled out what appeared to be cane, carved out of wood.

"Show me your weapon." Rolf's father stated.

Rolf reached into his own pocket. He revealed the Puni Bag, the same one that was bestowed upon him 4 years ago. He also reached into his shirt, and pulled out the Puni emblem, which had been hanging on his neck for a while.

'"Very well." his father said. He jumped into the air, backwards. To Rolf's surprise, his father didn't fall back down, he kept ascending, until he reached the top of the trees. He spun his cane around, then hit it against the branch he was standing on. He gestured to Rolf with his free hand:

"Come on then.

Author's Notes: Another chapter completed. I'm thinking that the next chapter will focus mainly on Rolf's past, especially with the fight.

Oh, and on a newer note, I tried my hand at illustrating a bit of the story. Some of my sketches from previous scenes can be seen at my gallery! The link to it is in my profile page!

Just in case anyone is interested in seeing some of my own drawings for the story. I'll be trying to draw more scenes in the future as well. So, until then, and until my next chapter, do keep reviewing, as always!