It's been a couple months, but I'm finally back!
Siph: What were you doing?
Nothing productive!
Disclaimer: There were some productive things.
Chapter 58: Can't Hide Forever
The breeze in the valley picked up as everyone suddenly found it hard to breathe.
"You… you…" Ludwig began, but he couldn't even finish a thought as tears escaped his eyes.
A few of the other Koopalings fell to their knees.
Orphan inhaled deeply through Bowser's nostrils. "Mmmm, nothing quite like a revived sense of mourning. Both from you kids and from your old man up in here." He tapped Bowser's temple.
Mario was the first to find a coherent sentence. "You killed their mother?!"
"And Bowser's wife…" Peach added.
Toad gasped, "And Bowser Jr. became the perfect scapegoat for it! No one would have suspected a thing!"
Admiral Bobbery huffed, "Too bad for you that your narrative fell apart thanks to these brave lads! You had no choice but to lay all your cards on the table!"
Orphan snarled, "Yes, thank you so much, Ignatius. For your reward, I think I'll kill Junior with your wand."
Iggy snarled back as the tears slowed, "We'll see about that."
Orphan scanned the clearing. "Where is he? I know he's here." He locked eyes with each person one by one, not that they could tell from his void eyes. "Wait, someone's missing…" His eyes widened. "Where's that cursed shadow?!"
The Crystal Star party collectively smiled.
"Took you long enough to notice!" Goombella taunted.
Orphan glared at her. "Very clever, but I know she can't move anywhere with a guest in the shadows with her. All I have to do is lure him out."
Roy barked a laugh. "And how ya gonna do that? Squirt ain't stupid. Heck, he barely made a peep while hiding in the shadows with the goth chick. There ain't nothin' ya can say or do ta convince him it's safe ta come out."
Orphan looked at him for a few seconds. His silent gaze was unnerving. Then Bowser's face broke out into a sick grin. "Challenge…" He paused to charge forward and lift Roy by the throat. "Accepted."
"ROY!"
Roy kicked and gasped for air as he tried with all his strength to pry his father's fingers from his neck.
Ludwig retrieved his wand from the ground. "Put him down!" he boomed as he prepared a spell.
He didn't have time to use it though as Orphan responded by hurling Roy into him. Both Dragon-Koopas cried out in pain as they collided with each other and then the ground.
Orphan then turned and breathed a white-hot fireball towards Ms. Mowz and the Great Gonzales Jr. But Flurrie got in between them and breathed her own Gale Force to extinguish the flame.
"No you don't!" she scolded.
Koops looked at the patch of grass where he last saw Vivian. "Vivian! He's trying to hurt us all to make either you or Bowser Jr. want to come out and help! Please stay where you are!"
Orphan took that as an invitation to rush him next. Before Koops could react, Orphan launched a mighty punch and sent the smaller Koopa tumbling across the clearing.
"Oh no! Koops!" Goombella yelled.
Orphan was rewarded for his efforts with another Koopa shell hitting his head multiple times.
"Leave him alone!" Koopie Koo screamed at him as she struck him.
Orphan growled. "Or maybe you should join him!" He swiped at her with claws, but instead of hitting a Koopa, he hit a starry ball. Orphan glared at Lemmy, who was preparing another. "You really think these stupid balls can stop me?"
Lemmy shot another one. "No, but I distracted you! And that's good enough for me!"
Luigi stood next to him. "Anything that keeps you away from Junior counts as stopping you!"
Orphan exhaled smoke through his nostrils. "Lousy pests."
What's wrong? Is 23 against one too much for ya? Bowser taunted from within.
Shut up, Orphan snapped. It's more like 21 anyway. The shadow is preoccupied, and Mario's leftovers can't even fight. Orphan blinked. Then smiled. "I know how I can lure those two out."
Roy snorted, "How's that? We're all gonna fight back."
"Not all of you…" Orphan scanned the valley for his target as everyone glared at him until he spotted her, standing away from the action by herself.
Mario, Peach, and Ludwig all gasped as what Orphan had said clicked, but too late as Orphan charged and broke away from the group.
"Pauline!" the three of them yelled as Mario ran after and Ludwig prepared a Thunderclap.
Both were unnecessary as yet another fighter rose and put herself in the Umbra's path:
Vivian.
She grabbed Orphan as he crossed her and dragged him into the shadows, earning a grunt of surprise from him as they both vanished from sight.
Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Blue Koopa took the opportunity to rush to Pauline's side.
"You okay, Boss Lady?" Blue asked.
Pauline nodded shakily. "He never reached me, so of course I am."
Peach handed her parasol to Pauline. "You'd better take this so that in case he tries attacking you again you can shield yourself. I can hold my own without it."
"When that happens next depends on how long Vivian can keep him under," Luigi pointed out. "Speaking of which, the fact that she was able to move and stop him means…"
The five looked back at the main group and saw the Koopalings forming a protective circle around Bowser Jr., now out of the shadows.
"He and Vivian must have figured it out before we did," Mario guessed. He looked at where Bowser disappeared. "I hope she knows what she's doing."
"I hope we know what we're doing," Larry repeated, looking back at Bowser Jr. "It was a lot easier when we didn't have to actually protect Bowser."
Iggy nodded. "Now that he can't hide in shadow anymore, Orphan will do everything he can to break through our defenses to get at him."
Ludwig raised his wand. "Then we will do everything we can to make our defenses unbreakable."
Koops lined up in front of Ludwig as the rest of the Crystal Star party followed suit, creating an outer ring. "We have some abilities that can help with that.
"Indeed we do," Flurrie affirmed, strategically positioning herself on the opposite side of the circle.
Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, Twink, Pauline, Blue, and Kraig all joined the outer ring. Everyone eyed the ground where Vivian disappeared.
"What's happening in there?" Wendy asked. "Are they fighting?"
Goombella answered, "Well, when the Shadow Queen dragged us into the shadows, she was able to harm us down there. Vivian might be able to do it too, but I'm not sure whether Orphan can fight back."
"Don't let your guard down," Ludwig ordered. "We have to assume he can come back at any time."
Bowser Jr. tugged on his tail. "We might be here all day."
Ludwig looked back at him. "It's worth it if it means personally keeping you safe. I'm not abandoning you again."
"None of us are!" Larry affirmed.
Suddenly, a claw burst from the shadow, drawing everyone's attention in a snap. They gasped as Orphan dragged himself out from Vivian's trap, growling.
"Nowhere left to hide, now," Orphan growled, "despite her best efforts." He looked over his shoulder where Vivian still hadn't emerged. "And down there, I think she's out of reach of your precious healing items and moves." He grinned at the group, taking care to make eye contact with as many of the Crystal Star party as he could.
"What did you do to her, you wretch?!" Flurrie challenged him.
The others could only cry out her name, "VIVIAN!"
Meanwhile, the Koopalings tightened their circle around Bowser Jr., knowing he needed protection now more than ever.
Don't look at me like that. Vivian's power was OP. I had to figure out some way to get her out of the picture for drama's sake.
Siph: So you had Orphan target the only person who can't fight, just to force Vivian out of hiding?
And then I just headcanoned that since someone could be attacked in the shadows, then so could the one who brought someone in. It's not too big a leap in reasoning.
Siph: Makes sense. Vivian fans won't be happy, though.
Relax, guys, they can just email Beldam on the Mailbox SP and have her go into the shadows to administer a healing item after they win. Vivian will be fine.
Siph: Read and review, folks! The final battle starts NEXT TIME!
Which means I need to figure out how to write a final battle…
Siph: Does this call for some serious chocolate?
Yes please!