RECAP:
While Junior underwent his training with Merlon, Larry, Roy, Iggy, and Peach ventured ahead to scope out Bowser's castle and find a route to the airship - they would take to get to Sarasaland. The Koopa Prince was reluctant to agree to their plan, but accepted when he was promised they would return for him before departing to their final destination.
Meanwhile, Mario and Bowser continued to explore the Second Wind orphanage. In the desolate garden behind the estate, they encountered Contemno once again. The mage proposed to settle their conflict peacefully, and offered information to them in exchange for something else that he wanted. During their discussion, Contemno revealed that the city of the Rain Kingdom was actually a world created entirely by him out of magic. It was known as his heart's kingdom.
Contemno also revealed that he hindered Mario's memory using a heart lock in order to turn the plumber into an ally, and that he gave him the ability to speak as well. In a gesture of supposed goodwill, Contemno restored Mario's memory. However, it wasn't long before his true, malicious intentions were revealed.
Contemno offered Mario a way out of his heart's kingdom in exchange for the latter's servitude. Should Mario agree to swear his loyalty to the mage's cause, he would be freed from the magic world with both his memory and voice intact. Bowser was wary of the entire proposal and took immediate notice of his new partner's hesitation. Ultimately, Bowser rejected Contemno's offer on Mario's behalf, and another battle ensued.
It appeared that Mario and Bowser had escaped from the mage's wrath once again. That is, until Contemno dealt Mario a lethal blow from the former's blade. Now the plumber's life hangs in the balance…
Contemno ripped the sword out from behind and stumbled back several feet as his fatigue set in. Bowser slid in the dirt and caught Mario's back as he fell. Blood stained the plumber's shirt and coat, and Bowser saw the distant, wandering gaze in Mario's eyes as the latter coughed up blood.
"Hey...come on. No...no! No, come on! Stay with me! Stay with me, Mario! Mario!…MARIO!" Bowser panicked. The Koopa King's entire body froze. He didn't know what to do. His arms were locked underneath Mario's back. His entire body trembled. What he saw next horrified him.
It was happening again; all over again. This was just like before; just like that horrible last night…with her.
"Bowser…," she stopped him. "There's something I need to ask you."
"What is it?"
"Do you regret falling in love with me?" Bowser could feel his eyes watering again. "I never wanted to do this to you or Junior."
"This is not your fault, sweetie. We didn't know this would happen."
"I can't tell you how much I hate sitting here and…feeling so useless," Celia described. "I hate seeing you give up your happiness for me. I hate watching Junior grow up, and not being able to even get up to hold him while he's still young." Bowser didn't know what to say. What could he say? Nothing would change what was happening.
"Everything's okay," he lied. "Junior's doing just fine and…."
"Please don't lie to me," Celia stopped him. "You were never good at that."
"Heh…I guess you're right," he agreed with a small, forced laugh.
"Just…answer my question…..please…" Bowser took a deep breath.
"Celia, I don't regret any of this," said Bowser. "Not one bit. You shouldn't either. What we have is real, and it was always worth it. My family is the best thing that ever happened to me. This doesn't change any of that." Celia smiled.
"Then…I'm glad," she replied. "There's one other thing I need you to do for me."
"Anything," said Bowser.
"Make me a promise." She placed her free hand on top of Bowser's claws. "Promise me that you'll take care of Junior, and that you'll protect him no matter what." Bowser was silent. "If you can do that…then I can go without any regrets," she explained. "I can move on…knowing you'll be okay because…you'll have each other." Bowser broke down into tears.
"Celia…," he whispered. His claws were trembling.
"Bowser, promise me." He looked straight into her eyes through the tears.
"I promise….I swear that I will…." Celia smiled.
"Thank you…"
Bowser vividly recalled sobbing at Celia's bedside; clutching her limp, delicate hand as he sobbed. He remembered all of the sorrow and heartbreak he felt that night in excruciating detail. It was the moment that had haunted him for the rest of his life.
Bowser looked down and saw Celia in Mario's place. This was just the same. It was happening all over again…
"…No…NO…..NO! PLEASE! NO! DON'T DO THIS TO ME! YOU CAN'T! I CAN'T LOSE YOU TOO! MARIO, PLEASE! STAY WITH ME! MARIO! MARIO!" Bowser pleaded hoarsely as sorrow consumed him.
"Don't despair…," a demon spoke from behind. "You'll be joining him soon." Contemno held the crimson weapon underneath Bowser's chin and up against his neck from behind. The Koopa King was too overwhelmed with sadness to move.
"You…," Bowser muttered softly.
"Now hold still while I sever that loud, arrogant head of your's clean off your shoulders." Bowser shut his eyes and remained still. Tears rained down from his face as he silently accepted his fate and prayed for a quick release from this mortal coil with a painless death. He could practically hear the sword tearing through the wind as it neared his neck.
Suddenly, Bowser's blind world of darkness exploded in sound. There was a terribly loud boom of some kind, followed by the clanging of metal hitting the ground. Bowser's entire body winced in reaction to all the noise. Contemno let out a blood-curdling scream. Bowser opened his eyes and looked straight ahead.
Several feet away, a figure emerged from the fog. Smoke dissipated from the metallic front sight of a shotgun. Wielding the weapon was a semi familiar face. Bowser frantically searched his brain for the person's identity. At last, he remembered her.
"That's enough," said Leanna. Bowser twisted around to see Contemno nursing his hand. The glove was suddenly soaked with blood. Did she just…shoot him?
"You again…," said Contemno. "You…wretched girl…"
"Go ahead. Try casting more of your magic!" Leanna taunted as she emptied the chamber of the shell, shoved another bullet inside, and snapped the break shut. "Show us what tricks you can do with only one hand!"
"You dare mock me!?"
"Damn right, I do. You can't touch me, remember?"
"Your little toy changes nothing. Your power is finite. My power is limitless"
"All I need is one good shot to your other hand and you're as powerless as the rest of us." Contemno groaned once more and clutched his wounded hand even tighter as if to suffocate the pain.
"I will find a way to kill you. I swear it!" the mage vowed.
"You know what will happen if you do," Leanna countered. She shot him a glare deprived of any semblance of fear. Contemno's other hand began to glow and his entire body flickered as if he was a projection fading in and out of existence.
"I'll earn her blessing. Then, I will wash my hands clean of you once and for all…," said Contemno. In a flash of light, he vanished. Leanna shoved the shotgun back into the holster on her back and rushed over to Bowser's side.
"C'mon, we need to get moving," she ordered.
"N-no…I…I can't. I can't leave him b-behind!" Bowser sobbed.
"Pull it together!" Leanna exclaimed. She examined Mario's wound. The redness that coated him grew darker in color by the minute.
"He'll be fine, but we need to go now. Let's get him back to my diner." Bowser jerked his head towards her in disgust.
"Your diner!? Screw that! We need to get him to a hospital!"
"You really think Contemno would create a hospital for the people he hurts in his world?" she countered. Bowser's mind was too overcome with emotional distraught to think rationally. He could barely contain his sobs as he watched Mario succumb to his pain. Leanna yanked at Bowser's collar.
"Hey, tubby! Are you listening!? Your friend's gonna bleed out if you just sit there crying about it! Pick him up, follow me, and we just might be able to save his ass!" Bowser snapped back to his senses and shook the sorrow from his face. He wrapped his arms further underneath Mario's back and hoisted him up.
Leanna and Bowser sprinted straight through the orphanage and out the front door where they came in. Bowser came back into reality thanks to the sudden adrenaline coursing through him.
"But your diner's all the way across town! We'll never make it there in time!" Bowser exclaimed. Leanna stopped at the edge of the front yard and waited for Bowser to catch up. He stopped at her side when he caught a glimpse of a motorcycle parked on the curb straight ahead with a small sidecar attached to it.
"What, did you think I walked all the way here?" asked Leanna.
"There's no way I'm gonna fit in that thing."
"Then tuck in your gut and hold your breath!" Leanna strapped a pair of goggles over her eyes after she hopped on the bike and twisted the throttle. The motor roared then fell into a steady hum. Bowser stumbled into the sidecar without the aid of his arms and scrunched down into the tiny seat as he cradled Mario close to his chest.
"Hang on!" Leanna exclaimed as the motorcycle took off down the street. On the way, Leanna instructed Bowser to take offer Mario's coat and use it to apply pressure to the latter's wound in order to slow down the bleeding.
They arrived at the diner minutes later. The woman guided Bowser over to the largest booth table in the corner where they laid Mario down flat on top. She yanked off Mario's button-down shirt and instructed Bowser to stay put while she rushed to the backroom to gather some items.
The waitress returned, but Bowser was puzzled by her array of tools. She washed her hands and put on latex gloves before getting to work. The Koopa King watched in silent confusion as Leanna poured a large dose of an orange powder all over Mario's chest. She shoved a washcloth into a pot of hot water, then laid it atop the powder; repeating this process several more times until Mario's entire injury was covered with rags.
"What the hell are you doing!?" Bowser objected at last.
"Saving your friend, what else?" Leanna argued.
"With what? Instant orange soda?"
"Will you relax? It takes a minute to kick in." Bowser groaned loudly and stomped around the diner impatiently.
Five minutes later, Leanna began removing the blood-stained rags and tossed them into a laundry basket nearby. Bowser raced over to see if whatever insane ritual she had been performing actually worked or not. The wound in Mario's chest still looked incredibly painful, but the bleeding had long since stopped. His injury looked clean at the very least. Mario stirred ever so slightly. His eyes cracked open and he attempted to sit up.
"What…happened…?" Mario whispered.
"Mario!" Bowser called out to him. Leanna shoved the plumber back down flat on the table rather forcefully.
"Don't move yet," she instructed. "It'll take a couple of hours or so before your wound finishes closing." The woman removed her gloves, washed her hands once more, and fetched a bottle of pills. Mario looked at the unknown medication skeptically that she was holding out for him to take.
"What's…that?" Mario whispered again.
"Painkillers. They'll help you sleep this off." He didn't appear convinced. Leanna sighed sharply and rolled her eyes. "Seriously? They're not gonna hurt you. If I wanted you dead, I wouldn't be helping you right now." Mario accepted this answer for now as he swallowed the pills with a swig of water. Leanna placed a pillow under Mario's head so he could sleep more comfortably, removed her cap, and slunk into a booth nearby. After a moment of hesitation, Bowser decided to join her at the table.
"So…is he…?" the Koopa King began awkwardly.
"He'll be fine," Leanna replied without sitting up or even opening her eyes. "Contemno didn't manage to hit anything vital, and with the healing remedy I just gave him, his wound should be completely closed by tomorrow morning."
Bowser released a massive sigh of relief and sprawled out in the booth to relax for the first time in what felt like days to him.
The two sat in silence for several minutes. Bowser was pushing himself to say something more. He believed Peach would be pestering him to if she were here right now. Leanna sat up slowly. She looked exhausted and her eyes were far away. They met Bowser's, then sharply looked away. Bowser sighed again.
"Thanks for…saving our hides back there," he said at last.
"Don't mention it…uhh…"
"Bowser."
"Right. Bowser. I'm sorry Contemno wrapped you boys up in all of this."
"Call it a hunch, but something tells me you're not an ordinary waitress." Their eyes met once more. But this time, Leanna didn't look away. In fact, she smiled rather seductively.
"It's a long story. I'll make us some coffee."
Merlon held the door open for Junior as the Koopa Prince entered the mysterious training room. He'd yet to see what the interior looked like until now. But what he found…he wasn't sure if he should've been impressed by.
There was nothing here. No furniture, no wallpaper, no carpet, no windows. The room was shrouded in darkness. His padded feet shivered as they brushed against the cold wooden floorboards when he entered. Junior's heart stopped when the door closed behind him and he found himself swallowed in the pitch-black void.
"M-Merlon…?" Junior stammered slightly.
"Be at peace, young one. You are safe here," Merlon assured. The room was suddenly illuminated ever so slightly by a circle of candles that covered the circumference of the room. Once Junior's eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, he spotted Merlon taking a seat on the floor in front of him. He motioned for the Koopa Prince to do the same.
Junior could feel his legs trembling. What was up with this room? Why did he feel this lingering sense of…dread? He carefully knelt down and patted the floor a few times like a blind man in order to gather his bearings. His tail practically froze when it came into flat contact with the floor. Sitting on a block of ice sounded more appealing all of a sudden.
Junior and Merlon sat in silence and stared at one another for what felt like hours, even though it had barely been a few minutes in reality. The Koopa Prince fidgeted nervously. He looked into Merlon's golden eyes for reassurance, but was only given an unsettling silence.
He hated this. What was going on? Why wasn't Merlon saying anything? Was Junior supposed to be doing something? If so, he hadn't a clue what it was.
Junior could feel those yellow eyes staring at him from across the darkness; judging him, belittling him, frightening him. But Junior couldn't let it show. What was he so afraid of? He wasn't a baby anymore. He was an adult! He couldn't show fear like this. But then…what was he supposed to show?
Junior did anything he could possibly think of to act natural as he waited for Merlon to give some kind of instruction. He scratched his chest, brushed some of the dust off his feet, and ran a hand through his hair. Every once in a while his eyes would wander back towards Merlon's, then immediately look away in horror when they saw those yellow pupils still staring directly at him. Junior licked his dry lips.
"Uhhh…," he started. Merlon gave no response.
Two more minutes passed. Just what was going on here? Was something wrong with Merlon?
"I…," Junior started again. Still he was met with complete silence.
No. Enough. This was too much. This was too uncomfortable. Junior had to get out of here. He had to do something, anything. He needed an excuse to get away. He wracked his brain for a plausible escape route.
"I-I need to go to the bathroom!" he blurted out suddenly.
"Do as you wish," Merlon flatly replied. The Koopa Prince raced through the door behind him and hurried down the hall.
In reality, Junior didn't have to go in the slightest. But he couldn't stay in that room for one second longer. The Koopa Prince needed something to do in here. He splashed cold water over his face several times and was ashamed of the coward he found in the mirror.
"Dammit! What's wrong with me!?" Junior exclaimed. What was he so afraid of all of a sudden? There was no way Merlon was going to hurt him. It had already been well established that Merlon was here to help. So why was Junior afraid of him now?
This was too unfamiliar. He had never trained under anyone besides Ludwig before. Oh how he wished Ludwig were here right now. Heck, Junior wished anyone familiar was here right now.
Why did Larry, Roy and Iggy have to leave him here all alone? Junior would've given anything for Bowser to be here to hold him in his arms. Even one of Peach's hugs would've felt pretty good right about now, in spite of Junior's feelings towards her. The Koopa Prince longed for Bowser, Kammy, Ludwig, Wendy, Lemmy, Morton, Larry, Iggy, or Roy. He needed a familiar face. But none were around. He was all alone, and he was terrified.
His claws were sweaty, his eyes red and puffy, his breaths short and raspy as they passed through his desert of a throat and brushed his sandpaper tongue. The Koopa Prince could feel his entire body vibrating and his tail twitching. He drenched himself in water once more, then buried his face in a towel. He couldn't hide in here forever. But Junior needed something to combat this fear if he was ever going to work up the courage to go out there again.
Anger was the only tool he seemed to have left. He had to smother the fear under as much anger as possible. It was all Junior could think of to do. After all, that's what his dad always seemed to do and that worked just fine for him.
Junior had to protect himself from whatever was coming next. Once he'd gathered his composure after a few more minutes of preparation, the Koopa Prince stormed out of the bathroom and marched back into the training room where Merlon was still waiting for him. Junior folded his arms and glared at him.
"I trust you found your trip to the bathroom enlightening?" Merlon asked.
"What are we doing?" Junior retorted as he shrugged off the joke.
"Your training, of course."
"Oh really? And are we starting any time soon?"
"That is for you to decide, Prince Junior."
"Not it isn't! I was waiting for something to happen. But you're just sitting there staring at me!"
"I've been waiting for you to join me in the Realm of Refuge." Junior's eyebrows rose as the tension melted away from his arms.
"Realm of…," the Koopa Prince began. "Merlon, I already know how to meditate! That's how I first met you! I need to learn more powerful stuff like physical and spiritual magic!"
"I intend to teach you exactly what you desire in addition to what I believe you will need for your journey. But, I sense that you are not yet ready to begin," said Merlon; keeping a consistently calm tone in spite of Junior's outbursts.
"Not ready!? What are you talking about!?" Junior exclaimed. "The others went on ahead to the castle and left me behind! Daisy's probably turned into a popsicle by now! Who knows what happened to my dad or Mario! I need to get out there and do something! I'm more than ready!"
"Take a look at the room around you, Prince Junior," said Merlon. Junior scanned the empty room, but his sour opinion of it didn't change. "Do you believe this room is fit for any sort of physical combat training?"
"Well…no! Of course not!"
"The Realm of Refuge offers limitless space and privacy in which to practice any kind of magic you need. More importantly however, the training regimen I have created for you is based on one of the most powerful teaching techniques ever devised by magic users."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"In the Realm of Refuge, you maintain complete control of your consciousness and your physical body," Merlon explained. "You can study and practice techniques to your heart's content. When you return to the physical world, you will retain all of the knowledge and muscle memory you acquired during your meditation."
"So…just meditating and thinking about training will help me be able to perform this stuff in real life?"
"Precisely. This is the true power of mental magic. It will expedite your magic growth exponentially. I understand you are in a hurry to save those who have been lost to the darkness. Since time moves faster in the Realm of Refuge than in the real world, you will learn the necessary skills to carry out your mission in half the time it would take you to learn them in reality."
"Woah…that's amazing…," Junior admitted.
"It is one of the most effective training techniques ever developed by the Forbearance Society, and it played a monumental role in how users were able to practice in secret and away from society's watchful eye. However, since you must maintain a meditative state for an extended period of time, many do not possess the patience, willpower, or mental clarity to see this type of training through to the end."
"W-well, not me! I've got what it takes! You'll see!" Junior declared. Merlon shook his head slowly.
"I sense that you are not being honest with yourself, Prince Junior."
"…What's that supposed to mean?"
"When I first read your mind after meeting you in-person, I saw that you are carrying much pain in your heart. While it is true that your drive is powerful, you are also deeply troubled by many things, and you have left these problems to fester and grow within you. In your current state, you simply lack the mental fortitude to complete this training."
"Oh, come on! Sure, I've got problems, but who doesn't? I can set all that stuff aside for a while. It'll be fine. I'm totally committed to doing this training," Junior reasoned.
"You can try to sway me with words as much as you wish. But it does not change the fact that your heart is much too troubled. In your current mental state, you will gain no benefit from my training regimen."
"So…what am I supposed to do then?" Junior asked solemnly as Merlon's words slowly sank in.
"Do not despair, Prince Junior. Although the road to obtaining the power you seek will be difficult given how little time you have, all hope is not lost. For you see, there is another powerful training technique designed for this very situation," said Merlon.
"There is?" Merlon nodded.
"This technique is derived from a philosophy held within the Forbearance Society. It dictates that the problems which plague us are nothing more than opportunities for true inner growth. It is a belief that our problems can be transformed into tools that help us achieve feats which were previously thought to be unattainable."
"Oh…so it's just positive mindset stuff?" Junior critiqued.
"It is much more than that," Merlon argued. "Believers of this philosophy learned to view their problems as gateways to achievements and answers they sought, rather than insurmountable walls or barriers. Upon opening these gateways, one can achieve absolute mental clarity. Thus, the technique that I will guide you through is known as opening the gateways to clarity.
"Gateways…to clarity…," Junior repeated as he took a deep breath. "Okay, if you really think this is what I need, where do we start?"
"Before we begin, I must warn you that opening the gateways to clarity is an intense process. It will cause immense exhaustion on your physical body, strain on your mind, and it will force you to confront very deep and painful emotions. It will likely be the most intense experience of your life." Junior gulped. "Furthermore, once you begin this process, you cannot stop until you have opened all of your gateways. Abandoning this exercise before it is completed has been known to cause irreparable trauma and in some cases, it has driven people into complete insanity because they have been ultimately unable to truly acknowledge the fears and emotions that they have buried deep within themselves."
"B-but...it's the only way I'll be able to complete your training…right?" Junior asked nervously.
"In your current state, you stand to gain immense benefit from completing this trial. The growth you will achieve is perhaps even more than Roy, Larry, or Peach obtained in their time with me," Merlon answered. "If you are able to open all of your gateways to clarity, you will achieve a sense of unshakable inner peace that many magic users fail to reach in their lifetime. With absolute mental clarity, your potential for growth as a magic user will become limitless. The magic training itself will be of no real obstacle to you, and you will be capable of mastering far more powerful and complex magic techniques, and much sooner than most."
Junior took another deep breath as he let all of this sink in. He weighed the options in silence, then reached his decision.
"Okay," the Koopa Prince agreed.
"Are you ready to begin?"
"Yes, I'll do whatever it takes. Anything to get stronger."
After nearly an entire day of hiking, Larry, Roy, Peach and Iggy reached Bowser's castle at last. Peach suggested they rest a moment to catch their breath. But Roy advised the group to keep it short since they still had work to do. They decided to take cover behind a large set of boulders at the bottom of the hill leading up to the castle's entrance. Larry climbed up on top of one of the boulders to get a better view of their destination. Luckily, the spot was close enough for them to gather some good surveillance without the need for binoculars, but just far enough away that they couldn't be easily spotted by any potential enemies who might be keeping watch for them.
Something seemed…off. The castle's entire exterior line of defense was barren. There was not a soul around; not a single body occupying any of the look-out towers or patrolling the tops of the walls. There was no sign of any of Bowser's own troops, or any foreigners whom the group was expecting to have set up shop by now. Even more suspicious, the drawbridge was down and the main security gate was up. The castle entrance was wide open for them to meander on through. It was all too easy.
"Hmm…I don't like this," said Roy. "It's too quiet. Why doesn't Contemno have anybody guarding the place?"
"Maybe there's no one home," Larry suggested. Roy shook his head.
"Nuh-uh. No way. The guy specifically told us he was there to conquer Bowser's castle for himself. Unless somebody else beat us here and already chased him out, there's no way he's not there now."
"It can't be helped," said Iggy. "We'll just need to proceed with caution. But remember, we're not here to pick fights or to take back the castle just yet. Right now, our number one priority should be securing a route to the airship."
"Right, let's get this show on the road," said Larry as he hopped down from the rock and began walking out towards the path. Roy tugged at the Koopaling's tail, halting him.
"Where are you going? We're not walking through the front door,"
"But it's open!"
"I'm certain it's a trap," Peach warned. "We should probably find another way in."
"Let's take a look around the other side. I've got an idea," said Iggy as he motioned for the group to follow him.
The group hurried around the side of the castle and hopped over the eerily empty moat to reach the back wall. Larry and Peach's eyes slowly scanned the structure from bottom to top in both awe and mild dread. Climbing this massive stone wall would be impossible without some form of gargantuan ladder or grappling hook.
"Heh, just as I thought," said Iggy as he smirked and adjusted his glasses.
"What're you thinkin' Iggs?" Roy inquired. The Koopaling pointed and drew everyone's attention to the top of the building.
"I figure with a little magic, we can get in from up there without getting spotted." Larry and Peach looked at each other and shrugged.
"Well…I've got a trick that might work," said Roy. He waved his hand and motioned for them all to step away a few paces. "Ya might wanna step back. I'm still a little new to this." The Koopaling took a deep breath and put his palms together. He then stepped towards the wall and put his hands firmly against it. No one was sure what to think, as they had no idea what Roy was trying to do.
A mild rumbling sound came from the stone bricks immediately near them. Roy slowly stepped back. To the group's astonishment, a large chunk of the wall came along with him; as if it were magnetically tethered to his hands. Once he was out far enough, Roy shoved his arms down across his torso from his shoulders to his hips. The stone block reacted and flattened itself immediately.
The result was a large, flat stone platform sitting on the ground in front of them. The most bizarre part was that the wall which Roy had used to create this platform remained completely intact. The hole that had been created by the missing piece magically restored itself with new bricks in its place. It now looked exactly the same as it did a moment ago. Roy had duplicated a portion of the castle wall and used it to create something new using his own hands.
"Woah…what was that!?" Larry asked in astonishment. Roy flexed his bicep proudly.
"Physical magic. It ain't just about doin' stuff to your own body. You can use it to manipulate stuff in the physical world around ya, too," Roy explained. "Merlon taught me that."
"Okay, so what now?" Peach asked. Roy motioned for his companions to step onto the platform. Once everyone was in position, Roy hopped aboard himself and clapped his hands again. The platform began to rumble beneath their feet. Suddenly, it shot up into the air like a makeshift elevator. The group quickly ascended along the castle wall as Roy rotated his shoulders and swayed his arms around in a rhythmic pushing and pulling motion as he maintained the platforms momentum while they rode.
The group hopped off the platform once they reached the top of the castle wall. As if on command, the platform disappeared into thin air. Peach scanned the area and found no signs of any immediate danger. The emptiness of the castle was growing more and more unsettling. Given what she had learned about Contemno's invasion, she was expecting the castle to be crawling with the mage's henchmen. But Bowser's castle seemed abandoned more than anything else.
"Alright, it looks like we're on the upper exterior passage on level 5," said Iggy. If we can get to the central stair tower towards the middle, we'll just need to take the staircase that leads all the way down to the ship hangar in the basement."
"Wait…why do you keep airships in the basement?" Peach asked. "Since they're meant to be airborne, wouldn't it be easier to station them on the roof?"
"Ideally, yes," Iggy answered. "But King Bowser used to be super paranoid about leaving the ships vulnerable to bad weather or an enemy airstrike if they were kept on the roof. The castle actually extends underground and the ship hangar opens up about halfway down the face of a cliffside."
"Uh-huh, so we just get the ship up and running, then fly it out the back," Larry added.
"One step at a time, Larry," said Roy. "Let's just focus on makin' sure we don't run into anybody on our way down the stairs, yeah?"
The team reached the staircase with ease and descended into the darkness of the unknown that awaited them.
Junior and Merlon sat still in the darkness of the empty room. The Koopa Prince listened with great intensity as his teacher guided him carefully through the process that was yet to come.
"There are three steps to opening the gateways to clarity," said Merlon. "First, you must awaken the hurt that sleeps in the deepest, darkest parts within you. Then, you must accept this hurt as a fundamental part of yourself and your growth in order to transform it. Finally, you will release the hurt in its new form so that it will provide guidance to you in your future actions. Awakening, acceptance, and release. These are the three key steps to opening a gateway to clarity."
"Awakening...acceptance…and release," Junior rehearsed. "Okay, I think I get it. How many gateways to I have to open? How much hurt do you see in me?"
"In your current state, you have five gateways to open before you can reach clarity," Merlon answered.
"Five…huh. That seems like a lot. Is that normal? How many gateways do people normally have when they try this?"
"That I cannot say for certain. Everyone lives a drastically different life from one another. They all have their own problems, thoughts, and perspectives. Some people are naturally stronger in will, so they might have fewer gateways or ones that are simply easier to open. While others may be suffering from so much hurt with so many gateways that they might never achieve mental clarity in a lifetime of intense training. Even so, the number of gateways does not change what must be done. The process remains the same," Merlon explained.
"I see…," said Junior as his confidence shrunk.
"Do not despair, Prince Junior. While it is true that there is much work to be done, I will be here to guide you every step of the way. And I believe that if you can open all five of your gateways, you will achieve power and wisdom beyond your wildest dreams," Merlon assured. Junior smiled.
"You really think so?"
"I do." If Merlon's face had not been shrouded in shadow, Junior was confident that he would be smiling with that sentiment.
"Alright then. Where do we start?"
"We will begin with the first gateway. The first step is to awaken the hurt that sleeps within you in order to reveal its potential for change. You must bring the painful thoughts to the forefront of your mind." Junior closed his eyes and breathed through his snout. "Standing before you right now is the gateway of guilt."
"Gateway…of guilt…," Junior confirmed.
"This form of hurt is born from intense feelings of embarrassment, shame, or regret. We remember events or actions from our past that we are least proud of. We view these moments as our times of greatest weakness. Now, search deeply within your heart and answer truthfully. In the life you have lived up until this moment, what is your greatest regret?" Junior took a breath before answering.
"I…didn't train hard enough for my magic exam…," Junior admitted. "Ludwig, Kammy, and everyone else were all working so hard to help me get ready to become the next king. But I wasn't ready, and it was all my fault. I slacked off in my studies. I didn't practice when I was supposed to. I let them all down and I tried to run away from it all. When Contemno invaded the castle that night, they needed me to protect them. But I wasn't strong enough. I failed to become the leader my people needed. I let everyone down…"
Junior could feel an intense, burning sensation in his throat. It was hotter than any semblance of fire he had ever tried to breathe. This was a new phenomenon to him, and it ran deep in the pit of his stomach. But in spite of the great discomfort, Junior maintained his composure. This was a necessary hurt. He was sure of it.
"Now it is time for the second step in opening the gateway," said Merlon. "You must accept this hurt."
"How do I do that?"
"You must understand that life is a great mystery. We each begin our humble existence in reality with an understanding of nothing. We spend all of our time on this earth learning about ourselves and the world around us. However, the reality of death reminds us that our time is limited. Because of this, we become panicked and rushed. We scold ourselves for wasting such precious time by making mistakes. However, what we fail to realize is that these mistakes are the cornerstones of learning."
"Really?"
"Yes. We cannot learn and grow unless we make mistakes, because it is only when we recognize what we should not do, that the correct path begins to reveal itself before us. This path reveals itself to us through forgiveness. Prince Junior, in order to accept the hurt of guilt, you must learn to forgive yourself. You must recognize in your heart that you did not make this mistake intentionally."
"You're right…I didn't mean to fail...," Junior affirmed.
"To accept this hurt and transform it so that it will become useful to your growth, you must admit to yourself what caused you to make the mistake that you regret so deeply. Ask yourself, why did you allow this mistake to happen?"
"I…," the Koopa Prince hesitated. He had to think of something. He had to get through this. The painful memories flashed through his mind again and again; faster and faster. The more he thought about them, the more it hurt to remember them. At last, it arrived. Like a light cutting through the darkness, Junior found the truth at the heart of it all. It was time to speak this truth.
"I was…afraid," said Junior. "Everything was happening too fast. I didn't want to grow up. I didn't want to admit that I'm not a kid anymore; and that I have responsibilities now. I thought that if I ignored my duties as the prince, then they might go away and I…I could remain a kid forever."
"Change is indeed frightening. It eludes our control and our initial understanding. Often times we attempt to run away or hide from change because we are afraid of losing ourselves or the things we love most to this change. But, this fear is derived from a place of love. You loved the child that you used to be."
"Yes," Junior agreed.
"This child that you love deeply may vanish from the mirror, but it is not lost. For this child lives on inside of you. The memories of your childhood will remain a part of you for the rest of your life. You will carry this child with you through many more changes in your lifetime. Yet through it all, the child will still remain with you."
"No matter what I go through…I'm still me. Always. Not everything about me has to change," said Junior.
"Exactly. Now that you have accepted this hurt as a part of you, it is time for the final step. You must release it. How will this hurt serve you in the future?"
"I…can still do it. I can still learn the magic I need in order to…save everyone. There's still time for me to turn this all around! And I know I can do this because I'm doing it my way! I am in control!" Junior exclaimed proudly as he jumped to his feet and pumped his arms in the air in a celebratory fashion.
"Very good, Prince Junior," Merlon praised warmly. "You have opened the gateway of guilt."
"I…I did? That was it?" Junior asked. Merlon nodded. "Wow…that wasn't so bad. Maybe I can do this…"
"It is too soon to celebrate, young one. Remember that you still have four gateways left to open, and they might not all be as easy as this one." Junior calmed himself down immediately and allowed the seriousness to return and overtake his demeanor. He sat down and crossed his legs again.
"You're right. Let's move on."
To the group's surprise, they were able to descend through the majority of the castle without running into any trouble. Every step they took down the narrow staircase was quiet and calculated. Peach followed closely behind Iggy in order to jump to his aid if something was waiting just around the corner. Their necks began to grow sore from having to be perpetually vigilant, and paranoia found a home in their hearts thanks to the darkness of the unknown eternally looming just ahead.
Larry's palms were damp with sweat, and he wished the enemy would show up already. If they were going to have to fight, he wanted to do it now. The anticipation was murder. But as they descended deeper and deeper into the castle, still nothing came. In fact, the sheer absence of any other beings anywhere in the abode was growing to be even more terrifying than the idea of running into an enemy itself. Just where were Contemno and his followers?
If he really did conquer this castle as he previously claimed, then surely Peach and the others should have found – or have been discovered by - someone in leagues with him by now. A sinister suspicion was growing in Peach's gut. Perhaps they'd already been detected, but the enemy just wasn't approaching them for some reason. What if Contemno knew they'd come back here, but he was lying in wait? It was a terrifying thought to be sure, and Peach couldn't find the strength to voice this concern with her teammates. At least, not yet.
Iggy pulled his teammates aside for a slight detour once they had reached the second floor so he could pick up his supplies from his lab, as he'd mentioned prior. Minutes later, the Koopaling swung the pack over his shoulder proudly and shut the door behind him as he met the others out in the hallway.
"Good, I should be able to get this stuff ready for action in no time back at Merlon's place," said Iggy.
"Got everything ya need?" Roy asked. Iggy nodded.
"Excellent, then let's get going," Peach suggested. "The basement shouldn't be too much farther down, right?"
At last, they reached the garage in the underground caverns of Bowser's castle. Larry punched a password into a keypad; lighting it up green. A subtle thud followed, and the metallic doors slowly creeped open. Roy flipped on a light switch, and the entire ship hangar was illuminated in all of its florescent glory before them. A perpetual stench of motor oil permeated the air.
Peach was both impressed and bothered by the enormous workspace she was seeing. The entire warehouse-esque space was incredibly cluttered and littered with tools, trinkets, machines, vehicles, and miscellaneous pieces of technology. She had always been secretly impressed that someone like Bowser was able to engineer fully-functioning aircrafts, but she never imagined he'd have such an elaborately modern facility for developing so much technology.
If only it were better maintained. Finding anything at all in this mess was sure to take an entire team of excavators. It was impossible to tell what pieces of technology resting on any of the many metallic tables all around were completed, under repair, or stuck in the early stages of R&D as there was no indication of any sort of departmental structure or organization in this place. Not to mention that the princess had no idea what most of this stuff was actually for.
Peach watched the Koopalings hop over random mechanical equipment, parts, and pieces scattered in disarray all over the floor. It would take great precision to maneuver around and not step on anything. Luckily, the airships were easy to spot since they towered over all of this mess. There were half a dozen of the wooden giants docked in a line at the end of the garage near the tall metallic overhead door that Peach assumed led to the outside.
The team followed Iggy up the metal ladder and climbed aboard the airship. There wasn't much to this one in particular. It seemed a lot less elaborate in design than ones Bowser had used to invade the Mushroom Kingdom in the past. In fact, it was more akin to a pirate ship with propellers strapped to it than any sort of battleship. There were no additional floors or rooms aside from the hull below the main deck - which was accessible through a set of cellar doors – and a small rectangular cabin on one end of the main deck.
Roy examined the masts of the ship for signs of damage and Larry tested the steering wheel on the quarterdeck - which was located on the roof of the cabin - while Peach and Iggy entered the cabin itself.
Iggy planted himself in the metallic chair in front of a large computer monitor, flipped a switch, and powered the device on.
"Umm…Iggy?" Peach spoke up softly. "Shouldn't we start heading back to Merlon's? I mean, we clearly have our route to the airship now and you found the supplies you needed. I'd say we accomplished our mission."
"Well, you're right," Iggy agreed. "But still…these ships have been out of commission for over a decade. I think I should at least make sure everything's running properly just so we don't run into any problems later." The princess wasn't thrilled with this answer. It made sense. But still, she couldn't shake the feeling that they were taking a larger, unnecessary risk by staying here longer than they needed to.
The computer screen lit up the entire room. A prompt for a password displayed on the monitor seconds later. Iggy scratched his head.
"Hmmm…I'm sure the password was changed years ago, but I should still be able to bypass the security walls." The Koopaling began furiously typing away at the keyboard. The screen went completely black and an array of neon green numbers and foreign computer terminology scrolled by at blistering speed. Peach was feeling disoriented just from watching.
Iggy mumbled incessantly to himself as he worked. Peach wasn't sure if he was expecting her to give any sort of response to anything he was saying, or if any of the dozens of questions he was voicing aloud were purely rhetorical. She didn't have the slightest understanding of what he was talking about, so the princess resolved to remain quiet and simply watch the Koopaling work. Then, the computer uttered a harsh buzzer sound as the screen went completely red.
"Strange…that usually works…," said Iggy, his face puzzled.
"Well…can you still get through somehow?" Peach asked. The Koopaling crossed his arms to ponder this setback for a moment.
"Normally, we activate the ships' main engines through these computer terminals. But I can't get access on this one for some reason," he explained with a defeated sigh. "It'll be a longshot, but I'll have to try hotwiring the ship at this point to turn everything on manually."
"Do whatever you think is best," said Peach. "We're counting on you, Iggy." The Koopaling nodded and hurried over to the back wall of the room. Taking out a screwdriver from his bag, Iggy removed a metal panel and crawled halfway inside the wall to work his techno magic.
"Iggy, what's taking so long?" Larry pestered as he and Roy entered the room. A muffled bang and a cry of anguish came out of the hole in the wall.
"Keep your shell on, will ya!?" Iggy yelled when he pulled himself out of the wall, rubbing his head. "I ran into a little problem with testing the ship and I'm working to fix it as fast as I can!"
"Well speed it up!" Roy ordered. "I don't wanna stay here any longer than I gotta. It's too weird that we haven't seen any sign of Contemno or any of his cronies yet. I'm tellin' ya, something's not right."
"If you really want to help, then go out and keep watch for them!" Iggy exclaimed angrily. "Honestly, you guys. I can't work on the ship any faster with all of you hounding me like this!" Larry and Roy backed off immediately and left the room. The knot of concern was growing in the pit of Peach's stomach, but she knew the reason why.
She sympathized with Iggy's frustration. Right now, this entire mission was riding on him and his ability to get the ship running. He was undoubtedly trying his best. But even so, no one could blame Larry or Roy for being impatient either. They were all deep in enemy territory after all. Peach put her hands together to try and maintain composure. That dreadful feeling of uselessness was creeping in again; one she especially knew all too well. If only there was something more she could do help her friends at the moment.
"Now then," Merlon started. "The second gateway within you, is the gateway of sorrow." Junior nodded slowly, but had nothing to say.
"This form of hurt is born from feelings of sadness, which can come from many places. Most often, however, we experience this hurt when we think of the people in our lives whom we have lost. The feeling is most intense when these people have been part of our lives for a significant amount of time. In that time, such people teach us what it means to love and how happiness is born from giving and receiving that love."
"I see…"
"But, time is forever locked in a constant state of forward progression. As time passes, people naturally succumb to the inevitability of death when the clocks of their mortality run out. Thus, the hurt takes form when we are faced with the reality that the people we love will die, and we must eventually learn to live our lives without having our love reciprocated to us from the original source. It is a heavy burden; one that many people are unable to accept as they struggle to move on from those they have lost," he explained.
Time slowed down around Junior as he allowed Merlon's words sink in. He already had a pretty good idea of what this hurt was to him.
"Now, Prince Junior," Merlon continued. "To awaken the hurt, you must search deeply within your heart and answer truthfully. Who brings forth the most immense sadness in your heart? Who has created your greatest sorrow?" Similar to the first gateway, Junior didn't hesitate to think of an answer.
"My mom when I was little…and now Kammy," he responded. Tears formed in Junior's eyes, but he fought to keep a steady tone as he spoke. "All these years…I never knew what kind of person my mom really was. I've only ever heard stories and seen her in photographs. But it's not enough. It'll never be enough. Kammy was full of mysteries too. I feel like there was so much about her I never knew. I don't know how to be…okay with the idea that I'll never know the truth about either of them."
"In order to accept this hurt, you must fully understand the two components that create the love you hold with the people you've lost," said Merlon.
"What are they?" Junior asked.
"The first component is that you have received love from another. You have been loved. In your case, you were loved by your mother and Kammy. The second component is your desire to return this love to the original person. You wish to fully love your mother and Kammy in return for their love they gave to you. When the person of value dies, it seems as though they are unable to provide you with any further love. It is the death of the first component. In turn, the second component also dies, as you lose your desire to return the love; knowing it will never be received and reciprocated. The cycle is broken." It was growing harder and harder by the second for Junior to hold back his tears. Any doubt about the validity of Merlon's warnings to him before about this being an intense experience were eradicated.
"How am I supposed to accept that?" Junior's voice trembled as he spoke. But he soldiered on. "The fact that I'll never be loved again by them, or that I'll never want to love them anymore. I do! I always will! But it's not fair that they can't-"
"You have yet to understand the full truth, Prince Junior," Merlon clarified.
"The full…truth?" the Koopa Prince repeated as he wiped his snout.
"Although it might seem that the second component – your desire to return love – has died, there is still hope for it to survive. We allow our desire to return love to vanish when we convince ourselves that our loved one's entire presence has disappeared. But this is not true. While we may no longer be able to see them in the physical world that makes up our reality, the people we love are never truly gone. You see, these people live on inside of us."
"Inside of…me?" Junior echoed as he tenderly placed his hand over his chest.
"Yes, they live on through our memories. We remember the people we love. We hold their memories very dearly. We honor people at the time of their deaths by remembering them. As long as we remember the beloved people we have lost, they will never truly disappear. The love will remain alive in our hearts." Junior clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as his vision blurred.
"Mom…and Kammy…t-they're always w-with me…in my heart…," Junior sobbed.
"Precisely," Merlon affirmed. "To awaken the hurt, we acknowledge the love we shared with a precious person who has physically departed from this world. To accept the hurt, we must allow the love we shared with the precious person to live on through our memory of them. And in time, the love will be reborn in the form of new love: the precious people we still have in our lives, and the precious people who will soon enter our lives."
"Is that…the release?" Junior inquired as he wiped his eyes with his arm.
"Very good, young one," Merlon confirmed. "You can release this hurt by allowing your love that is shared with the people who are still part of your life now, to grow stronger. And, allow your heart to remain open to new love from new people whom you invite into your life in the future. Our love is strongest when it comes from many different places." Junior smiled as a tear rolled down his cheek. He already had this, and he knew it. Images flashed through his mind.
Larry, Roy, Iggy, Ludwig, Wendy, Lemmy, Morton, and of course, Bowser.
Junior wasn't alone. He still had a family that loved him. Kammy and Celia might've been gone, but he could still remember things about them; even though there wasn't much left of his memory of his mother. But still, Junior felt slightly foolish at this realization. He hadn't shown much appreciation for the people who were still in his life right now. That needed to change.
"We'll grow stronger and get through this…together," Junior muttered. "I love you guys. I'm with you."
"Well done, Prince Junior," Merlon praised softly. "You have opened the gateway of sorrow."
Suddenly, alarms rang and blared as the monitor flashed in red.
"DAMMIT!" Iggy cursed from inside the wall. Peached rushed over to the computer screen, but she still felt utterly helpless. What could she possibly do? She didn't have the slightest clue what was going on or how she could help fix it. But something needed to be done immediately. With the ship making this much noise, they were sure to be discovered by Contemno – if he hadn't known about their presence already.
But the boisterous sound ceased just as quickly as it arrived. Whatever Iggy had triggered just now, he'd managed to shut it off just as fast. He emerged from the wall as Larry and Roy barged into the cabin once again.
"Iggy, what the hell are you doing!?" Larry scolded. "Are you trying to get us caught!?"
"They're probably on their way here right now! We're screwed!" Roy added.
"OH GET OFF MY SHELL, WILL YA!? AS IF I MEANT TO DO THAT!" Iggy exclaimed. "IF YOU WANNA CRAWL BACK HERE AND TRY TO HOTWIRE A BATTLE CRUISER YOURSELF, BE MY GUEST!"
"Enough!" Peach cut in as she stepped between the feuding siblings. "Fighting isn't going to help! Now at least one of you needs to get back out there and keep an eye out for any trouble. We need to act as soon as they arrive," she ordered. Unsettled by Peach's sudden assertiveness, Roy did as he was told. "Now Iggy, is there anything else we can try in the time we have left?" The Koopaling approached the computer monitor.
"Well I…," Iggy started. He trailed off when he noticed the computer monitor. "What on earth…?" Peach and Larry followed his gaze. The screen had gone completely white with bold red text displayed. It read: SECURITY SHUTDOWN CODE 97Y-J IN PROGRESS. INSERT MASTER KEY TO OVERRIDE.
"'Master key?' What does that mean?" asked Larry.
"I don't know! I've never seen this code before!" Iggy exclaimed as he reached under the chair and snatched up a thick, dusty manual. He flipped through the pages rapidly until something caught his eye. He sighed and shook his head. "I was afraid of this…"
"What's wrong?" asked Peach.
"The airships have a final defense protocol in place in order to prevent people from stealing them by activating them the way I just tried to," Iggy explained. "Basically, they go into a sort of ultimate lockdown mode where even authorized personnel can't get control. We've never had to use this feature in the past, and I frankly forgot it existed."
"C'mon, Iggy. You gotta figure out some way to get the ship working here. We're counting on you," said Larry. The brainy Koopaling scanned the entire control panel slowly. His eyes stopped when they spotted a rectangular box at the far end, covered in a heavy layer of dust. Brushing it away, Iggy lifted what turned out to be a lid of some sort, and revealed a slot for a key labeled Master Key.
"At this point, we need this 'master key.' There's no other way around it. The computer won't take any other inputs," said Iggy.
"Maybe this ship is just busted. We could try one of the other ones around here," Larry offered.
"There's no point. They all run on the exact same operating system, so the result won't change. It would just be a waste of time."
"Okay so where can we find the master key, then?" Peach probed. Iggy threw his hands up in the air in frustration.
"I don't know! That's the problem! I've never heard of this key until now because code 97Y-J has never been activated until now! I don't have the slightest idea where this key could possibly be!"
"Alright, well let's just be calm and think carefully about this," Peach replied as she maintained her composure. "If you were Bowser, and you needed to hide a key that does something extremely important like control the airships, where would you put it?" Iggy took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts.
"Well…there are two places I can think of," Iggy began. "The first is the royal archives. That's where a lot of the castle's secret and valuable information and items are kept. The other place is Bowser's room."
"His room? Like…his personal living quarters?" Larry echoed in disbelief. Iggy nodded.
"Oh c'mon, Larry. You know as well as I do just how paranoid King Bowser is. He's definitely the kind of guy to keep important valuables close to his person at all times. The master key could very well be under his mattress or something."
"Okay, so where do we go first?" Peach asked. At that moment, Roy poked his head in through the door.
"Guys, we got company." The group hurried out of the cabin and ducked down for cover as Roy guided their attention over to the garage exit. Standing at the opposite end of the gargantuan room was Eris. Morton, Wendy, and Lemmy were positioned at her side with blank expressions on each of their faces. Their eyes each glowed an ominous red.
"You can come on out. I know you're hiding up there," said Eris in a matter-of-fact tone. Peach cursed under her breath as they each stood up and hopped down off the ship to meet their adversary at ground level.
"So, it's you. That woman from the forest," said Peach.
"As I told you before, my name's Eris. I'd ask you to remember it, but you won't be thinking for yourselves much longer." Larry took a step forward.
"...Guys?…What're you doing with her!? Get away, she's dangerous!" he warned. His plea seemed to fall on deaf ears as none of his three siblings moved or even reacted.
"Save your breath, shorty. Your brothers and sister here work for us now," said Eris.
"What!? You rotten…change them back! Now!" Larry exclaimed. Eris merely smirked at this.
"What's the matter? Feeling lonely? Don't worry, you can be with them again soon. Just make it easy on yourself and come over here. Same goes for the rest of you."
"Where's Contemno?" Peach interjected.
"He's away; had more important business to deal with," Eris answered. "So, we're holding down the fort here until he gets back. You know, you saved us a lot of trouble by coming back here on your own. You have our thanks for that."
"What do we do now?" Roy whispered through his teeth.
"We have to get past them and find the master key," said Iggy. "If we don't, then this whole mission will have been for naught."
"Well, we need some sort of plan first," Peach advised.
"It's a little late to be strategizing now, don't you think?" Eris called out to them as she and the other three Koopalings began approaching them. "Probably should've done that before you made so much noise and brought us all here. Just make it easy on yourselves and come with me."
"Everybody duck," Larry whispered. The group turned to him in confusion. Roy noticed Larry had his hands behind his back and was quietly putting them together. He was about to try something.
"What're you-" Iggy started.
"DUCK!" Larry shouted again. Without thinking, Peach, Iggy, and Roy all squatted down. Larry summoned his shield and in a full 360 degree turn of his body, he tossed it high into the air like a frisbee. Everyone in the room – ally and adversary alike – were dumbfounded by his maneuver. Before they caught on, it was too late. The shield cut through a series of ropes tied to the ceiling, which had been suspending the skeletal remains of an abandoned aircraft prototype in the air. The heavy object plummeted to the floor below with blinding speed.
Lemmy, Wendy, and Morton were crushed by the obstacle as it landed with a thud and a series of echoing clatters. But Eris managed to leap out of the way in time.
"Let's go!" Iggy commanded as he and the others took off in a sprint. They sped past the broken aircraft prototype and made a beeline for the garage's exit.
"Not so fast!" Eris exclaimed after him. She lifted the entire junk pile with one hand and shot putted it directly in front of them; forcing the group to halt. Lemmy, Morton and Wendy slowly stood up.
"D-did she just throw that whole thing at us?" Roy stammered.
"What is she!?" Larry asked, terrified.
"Oh, you're about to find out," said Eris as she stalked towards them. With a flick of her wrist, the exit doors slammed shut. The team was now trapped in the garage with Eris and their zombie-like siblings.
"Not good…," said Iggy.
"Let us move on to the third gateway," said Merlon.
"Right," Junior agreed.
"This is the gateway of anger." The Koopa Prince gulped at this. Anger was certainly an emotion that ran deep in his family to say the least. He could feel the confidence slowly leaking out of him all of a sudden. "This form of hurt is not born from any deeper emotion in a traditional sense. Rather, our anger is a rigid perception that we choose to take in response to certain outcomes of the events in our lives. When we believe we have been wronged, mistreated, misunderstood, or attacked in some way, our hearts seek immediate change. This is because we perceive that a certain imbalance in our lives has been created, and we retaliate with a passionate desire to correct it."
"I'm not sure I understand what you mean…," Junior admitted.
"When our hearts believe we have been wronged by another in some way, it is possible we may experience any combination of fear, sadness, or confusion. But we choose not to express these emotions. Instead, we hide them underneath a cloak of aggression, and we use this aggression to force others to blindly respect or obey our desires and thoughts. But, anger is often not the whole story. Even though we may believe the other person is at fault for an unsatisfactory outcome, we are not always seeing all of the truths."
"Okay…," Junior acknowledged half-heartedly.
"Prince Junior, search deeply within your heart and answer truthfully. Who or what has caused you to experience the most anger in your heart?"
"Tch, where do I start? I'm angry that my mom had to abandon me and Dad the way she did, or Mario for always ruining our plans over the years. Of course I also hate Contemno for just about every damn thing he's done up until now and-"
"Prince Junior, simply listing the names of people whom you choose to shift blame upon is not the point of this exercise," Merlon advised.
"I know, I know. It's just…easy to get mad at people, y'know? It makes me feel…I guess…better about myself..."
"Perceptive. We will address that concept momentarily. For now, I want you to focus; clear away the fog in your mind until you arrive at the source of your most immediate, deep-seeded hatred." The Koopa Prince sighed and closed his eyes.
He and Merlon sat in absolute silence for several minutes. Junior's attention bounced around aimlessly from one idea to the next. But just as he was about to abandon his seemingly fruitless efforts to pinpoint a central source of anger, he felt something. It was faint, but still noticeable. There was a slight tugging sensation in his chest; as if something was pulling on his heart. Junior shifted his focus to this pain and followed it.
Junior's memories raced by in a blur. The pain in his chest was growing more and more apparent. He had to be getting closer to the source. The intensity spiked, and Junior released a small groan as he winced. His chest was hurting more and more. The pain grew worse and worse. The Koopa Prince could feel drops of sweat racing down his scales. He felt himself on the verge of passing out.
Junior stopped himself from falling backwards onto the floor. His breaths were shallow and hoarse. But it worked. The answer was clear to him now as the image burned in his mind. He found the source of this pain as it gradually subsided from his chest.
"It's…Peach," Junior admitted at last. "I'm angry at her the most."
"Why?" Merlon probed.
"…Why? Isn't it obvious!? She took my dad away from me for no reason at all! I had to grow up on my own for 10 years without either of my parents around! It wasn't fair! I didn't deserve this! IT WAS HER FAULT FOR BEING SELFISH AND CRUEL AND…NOW SHE THINKS SHE CAN JUST WALTZ INTO MY LIFE AND START CONTROLLING ME TOO AND I JUST…I…I-"
"Prince Junior, you are losing your focus again," Merlon warned him calmly. "You must focus."
"I'm trying!" Junior exclaimed with a frustrated growl. "But it's so easy for you to sit there and say that! You didn't go through what I did! I doubt you'd understand it at all!"
"Whether or not I understand the full context is not relevant to your training. If you wish to open the gateway of anger, you must learn to not succumb to your rage so easily. You must train yourself to view this situation with a clear mind."
"B-but my dad is like this too! So it shouldn't be any surprise that –"
"You are shifting the blame onto others for your own reaction."
"Well…it's not like I want to be angry about this, I just-"
"You are choosing to be angry." Junior sighed.
"I know…," he admitted at last. "Merlon…I don't know if I can do this. It just…hurts too much. Maybe we should just call it quits."
"I will not allow you to quit," Merlon replied rather bluntly.
"What? Why not?"
"As I warned you earlier, opening the gateways to clarity is an incredibly intense phenomenon," said Merlon. "It pushes you to your absolute limits physically and mentally alike. In fact, I'd wager that this training will likely stand as the most painful, unforgiving, harrowing, and ultimately humbling experience of your entire life. But that is precisely why you unlock such unlimited and immense potential growth as a magic user when you complete this training. It is the ultimate rite of passage, as it requires you to confront all of your greatest fears and weaknesses at once. Many are not able to stand up to such a task."
"What if I'm just like them? What if I can't do it?" Junior wondered solemnly.
"Impossible," Merlon denied. "Prince Junior, you possess more potential than any other magic user I have met in my lifetime. You have an incredibly strong drive to chase after what you want. You possess a wealth of empathy stemming from how deeply in touch you are with your emotions. This will resonate with others and draw them towards you, which in turn, will make you a great leader."
"Merlon…"
"I will not allow you to quit because I believe in you. It is true that there is much hurt dwelling within you, which is why you have five gateways that must be opened. However, I believe with all my heart that you are worthy of all the potential and power you will obtain from completing this training. Yet, my willpower alone will only get you so far. To reach the end, you must believe in yourself."
Junior was floored by his instructor's words. He was flattered by them at the very least, and wished so desperately for them to ring true. Perhaps it was this very desire for the words to be true that gave Junior just enough willpower of his own to not give in just yet.
"Thanks…," said Junior with a sniff. Merlon nodded.
"Now then, let us try this again."