RECAP:
In what he believed to be his final moment of life, Bowser was rescued from certain death by the mysterious diner waitress Leanna. Contemno retreated, and Leanna escorted Bowser and the fatally wounded Mario out of the abandoned orphanage so they could return to her diner for medical treatment. From her weaponry, to her motorcycle, to her magical healing remedy, to her mysterious relationship to Contemno, there appeared to be much more to this seemingly simple woman than meets the eye.
Meanwhile, Junior was to undergo a specialized, accelerated magic training with Merlon in the Realm of Refuge. But to do so, he first needed to establish inner peace within himself by opening what Merlon referred to as the gateways of clarity. There were five in total inside the young prince, and doing so promised to give Junior seemingly unlimited power and potential for magic mastery. Junior successfully managed to open the gateways of guilt and sorrow, but struggled to maintain his composure when confronted with the gateway of anger.
At the same time, Iggy, Larry, Roy and Peach successfully infiltrated Bowser's castle and reached the air ship in the basement's garage. However, problems soon arose when Iggy discovered he would not be able to control the ship without first obtaining a "master key." To make matters worse, the group was quickly discovered by Eris, Morton, Lemmy, and Wendy – the latter three being controlled by some mysterious, malevolent power. Now the group was caught between a lofty search for a mysterious key, and a fight against their own siblings with a powerful foe.
After several minutes, Junior fully regained his composure. When Merlon sensed his student was ready, they returned to where they had left off.
"For the gateway of anger, let us try to awaken the hurt once more," said Merlon. "I believe at this point, it would be fair enough to assume that the hurt inside of you stems from Princess Peach and something you feel she did to you that was wrong." Junior remained silent. His mind sorted through the slew of irrational insults and blame he wanted to voice about her by habit. He couldn't allow any of it to pass through. Not anymore. There had to be something more he could say; something in a more constructive way. His mind settled on something at last: the raw truth, detached from his opinions.
"Peach took my father away from me," Junior answered at last. "She forced him to stay at her castle for the past ten years, so I was left to undergo my coronation training without him."
"Very good, Prince Junior. State only the facts. Continue," Merlon praised.
"I was allowed to see my father during that time, but I could tell early on that he was changing. She was doing something to him, but I didn't understand what or why. Whenever I tried talking to Dad about this during my visits, he didn't say much."
"What did he tell you?"
"Dad said there was nothing to worry about; that I was overreacting. He said he was proud of me for becoming more independent, and he always told me at the end of my visits that he would be coming home soon. This went on year after year…"
"So you are angry at Princess Peach because she took your father away, and your father did not offer the responses you were hoping for?"
"Yes…"
"Now that you have awakened this hurt, it is time you learn to accept it."
"How?"
"By locating the source of the anger within yourself."
"The source?"
"In times when we experience anger, it is essential that we evaluate ourselves by looking back upon the time of the event that caused your anger to transpire with clear eyes. You must re-examine the actions you took, and the things you believed back then. Answer honestly. Do you know the reason why Princess Peach took your father away?"
"It…was to protect him…," Junior admitted reluctantly. "Peach said that Contemno tried to kill him, and that by agreeing to execute my dad herself, Contemno would spare his life. But, she didn't go through with it. She tried to reform him instead."
"Why did she do that?"
"Peach wanted my dad to be happy. She said it would help me too."
"Now you must ask yourself, why are you angry with Princess Peach over what she did?" Junior's eyes wandered solemnly as he bunched his claws tightly into fists.
"She didn't…ask me first. To me, it seemed like she never wondered how any of this would make me feel; never bothered to try and understand how…horrible it was gonna make me feel at first."
"What did you believe you were about to lose?"
"The only source of love I had left. I was afraid of being all alone…"
"Ah, but I sense that you have already realized this is not true. You were not alone, for your heart had already connected with others." Junior nodded slowly.
"Yeah…my siblings and…Kammy. I still had them."
"So at last it has become clear to you then."
"Huh? What has?"
"As you have expressed, your anger came from a place of fear. You believed Princess Peach's actions would ultimately leave you in a state of painful isolation. But, this fear ultimately did not come to pass because you were not alone. You already had others in your heart."
"Well…sure. I guess that makes sense. But, I don't really feel like I've 'accepted' this hurt," Junior confessed.
"Anger is one of the most difficult kinds of hurt to accept," said Merlon. "It involves the deconstruction of a negative belief you have held close to your heart; in your case, for many years. It will take time for you to learn how to truly live without it. But there is a solution."
"What?"
"Forgiveness. To find it in your heart to admit the error in your judgement and show a sense of empathy for what Princess Peach did." Junior sighed.
"I was afraid you were gonna say that. Merlon, I just don't think I can. I mean, I could tell Peach how all of this made me feel. But it won't matter if she's sorry or regrets it. What she did…she'll never be able to take back, even if she wants to. My dad will never be the same again. I will never be the same again. It went on for too long."
"I cannot force you to forgive her, Prince Junior," said Merlon. "And I understand your hesitance to do so. It is true that the past cannot be rewritten. However, the gateway of anger will never be fully opened to you unless you can find a way to make peace with her. It is only when you are able to finally release this grudge which tethers you down that you will be able to release the hurt."
"Forgiving her feels...impossible. Isn't there anything else can I do?"
"You must start by forgiving yourself."
"Myself? Why?"
"Forgiving another is often so difficult because it involves admitting to ourselves that we misjudged them or that we made a mistake. Your feelings have become invalidated. Therefore, you must forgive yourself for your own mistake in judgement, before you can forgive Princess Peach." Junior gripped his chin to ponder this.
"So…I have to forgive myself for being angry at her?" he guessed.
"Yes," Merlon affirmed. "Once you have reached a state of peace within yourself in regards to what happened, you will find that the path to forgiving another person opens itself up to you."
"What does that path look like?"
"You must determine that for yourself. What is most important is that you learn to believe you will find the answer. Prince Junior, you must give yourself permission to believe that you will find your own way to forgive Princess Peach for what she has done. Believe that you will find a way to make peace with her on your own; one that makes sense to you." Junior closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Several minutes of silence followed as the Koopa Prince pondered this. At last, an answer came to him.
"We'll move past this somehow. I'll find a way to move on…so that we can move forward." A single tear crawled down his cheek, but Junior ignored it.
"Very good, Prince Junior. Very good indeed. I understand how deeply this hurt runs within you. But you have at last awakened and accepted it. All that is left is for you to release it." Junior took several more breaths at a slow, steady pace. He offered no words, only his deepest focus. A few minutes later, he opened his eyes and smiled at Merlon.
"Now, let us move on." Junior nodded.
"Iggy!? Plan!?" Roy panicked.
"Keep them busy! I'll try and get the door open!" Iggy instructed.
"How long's that gonna take!?" Larry asked.
"I don't know! Just…buy me as much time as you can!"
"Work fast!" Peach exclaimed as she summoned her golf club and twirled it. As Eris and the three other Koopalings approached, Larry, Roy and Peach charged forward to meet them. A series of smaller bouts erupted.
Morton swung a fist at Roy, but the latter dodged and delivered a counter blow. He didn't want to hurt his sibling, so he struck Morton with only a fraction of his normal strength. It didn't take long for him to realize that this would never be enough to win. Roy's hesitation caused him to take several direct punches from Morton.
'C'mon, Morty! Snap out of it!" Roy urged. Morton said nothing as he continued to slug away. Roy dodged and weaved through the punches, tackled Morton, and pushed him back with all his might. They were equally matched in strength at the moment.
Lemmy clapped his hands together. A series of large black rubber balls materialized and began to float in the air around him with an ominous red glow. Larry relaxed his guard ever so slightly. After all, how much could harm could a simple rubber ball do? This seemed more like a game of middle school dodgeball than a life-or-death battle. Lemmy thrusted each of his arms forward multiple times and launched each ball in rapid succession. Larry deflected the first few with his shield, then rolled out of the way when he discovered their combined strength overwhelmed him. Lemmy summoned another series of balls and repeated his assault.
"Lemmy, stop!" Larry urged. "I don't know what Eris did to you but…you don't wanna do this!" Like Morton, Lemmy also offered no response and continued attacking.
Iggy mashed on the keypad furiously. No good. It wasn't responding. The metal door remained firmly shut. In the corner of his eye, he saw something flying towards him. The Koopaling ducked at the last second to avoid an incoming attack – a large gold ring. He turned and saw Wendy staring him down with hateful crimson pupils. Another large gold ring materialized in her hand.
Definitely not good… Iggy thought to himself. Wendy's rings are deadly. If I get caught in one of those, I'm a dead Koopa… Wendy threw the second gold ring his way, but Iggy dodged again. He sprinted away from the door, but his hypnotized sibling gave chase as she pursued him across the garage.
Peach clutched her golf club tightly as she and Eris closed the distance between each other.
"You sure you can take me on all by yourself, princess?" Eris taunted.
"I held my own against Contemno. So yeah, I'm sure you will be no problem for me either," Peach retorted confidently. Hopefully her enemy was convinced, because deep down, Peach wasn't feeling so sure of herself. After all, she had yet to see what Eris could do in a fight. If she was a close ally of Contemno, she had to be powerful in some way. Underestimating her now was sure to be a death sentence.
"My, my. Someone finally grew a backbone it seems. Alright, let's see what you're really made of," said Eris as she gestured for Peach to approach with two of her fingers.
Peach swung her club at Eris from the side with all her might. Eris nonchalantly lifted her hand – which was now enclosed in a bubble of black aura. The club bounced off the bubble. Peach staggered a bit, but regained her balance quickly. She swung again at Eris from the other side. Again, Eris repelled the attack with another black bubble on her other hand.
The woman jumped forward, but Peach hopped back. The princess twirled and lunged and continued to swing at Eris from every angle she could think of; desperately searching for a blind spot. But it was no use. Eris blocked each and every attack as it came at her. Suddenly, Eris jumped and delivered a roundhouse kick directly across Peach's face; sending the princess tumbling backwards a few feet. Eris was quite nimble for someone wearing a long gown.
Peach climbed to her feet, but didn't attack right away. She released a sharp breath and shoved a strand of hair away from her face. Her current strategy was getting her nowhere. She needed to get a better grasp on Eris's power first. So, the princess opted to wait a moment for her opponent to make a move.
"You done? Great. Now it's my turn."
Peach watched as the black bubble that previously engulfed Eris's hand detached itself and began levitating over her palm. Eris threw the bubble. In a panicked reflex, Peach threw up her arm to shield her face. It worked, but her arm was singed by a black flame in the process. It dissipated after a few seconds. Suddenly, a numbness consumed her, and Peach's arm went limp slightly.
"Probably not the best idea to try blocking my magic directly," Eris teased sarcastically as she prepared to throw another orb.
Morton clapped his hands and summoned his fire mallet. He swung it viciously at Roy. The latter dodged the swings as quickly as he could, but speed was hardly his forte. Before long, Roy was left with no choice but to block the weapon head-on. He was left with excruciatingly painful burns on his triceps. But he gritted his teeth and soldiered on.
Smothering the pain under his rage, Roy slugged Morton several times. Once at his elbow to loosen the latter's grip on the fire mallet, two more times to his gut, another to his jaw, and finally one to his cheek. The final hit sent Morton back a few paces. Roy put his arms up to cover his face and took a fighting stance like a boxer waiting for the bell. Morton shook his head to shrug off his daze and stampeded back towards Roy; bellowing loudly.
Larry continued to block and roll away from the rubber balls in rhythmic succession. He was getting used to the pattern, but this was getting him nowhere. It was hardly surprising though. He knew how his brother fought. Lemmy was an expert at zoning and keeping his enemy at a distance with a steady slew of projectiles. So that meant close quarters combat was his weakness. But getting close to him was the problem Larry was now tasked with.
"I was hoping I'd get to show you guys my new trick outside of a serious battle," Larry spoke aloud. "But you leave me no choice, Lem." Larry smacked the face of his shield and tossed it up into the air as it glowed in a bright blue light. Lemmy shot another ball at his unarmed opponent. Larry jumped into the air to avoid it.
The Koopaling caught the light in his hands. When it faded away, the shield was gone and a new object was left in its place. Larry took aim at Lemmy with a sleek sapphire blue pistol; decorated with a pattern of golden triangles, circles, and stars as well as a silver handle. Larry wrapped his claw around the trigger and pulled it when he saw the next ball hurdling up towards him. With a bombastic crack, a bullet of pure cyan light clashed with the ball; popping it instantly. Larry landed, smirking.
Peach summoned her tennis racket and deflected the black bubbles as they came at her. But each time, Eris caught them effortlessly and immediately returned the shots again. With each projectile Peach blocked, she could feel her returns getting weaker. Was this the result of the hit to her arm she took earlier, or were these bubbles getting stronger with every volley?
There was no time to think. Eris caught a bubble and twirled around on her heels before launching it back at Peach with tremendous velocity. The tennis racket took the full brunt of the attack, but a hole was blasted right through the strings and the weapon was knocked out of Peach's hand as it disappeared. Not missing a beat, the princess summoned her frying pan and sprinted to close the gap between her and Eris.
She made it in time. Before Eris could summon more black bubbles to protect her hands, Peach was already on top of her wailing away with her weapon. Eris took one clean hit from the pan. Then another, and another. She blocked the next one, but her opponent was already gearing up for the follow-up.
Eris took a few more hits as she waited for her window of opportunity.
There.
She released a large pulse of black aura from her hand that pushed Peach away a slight distance. Eris caught the frying pan as it fell and crushed it into pieces between her fingers. Peach was stupefied by Eris's sheer strength. Was she really that strong, or was her physical magic doing most of the work?
"Looks like you're out of toys, little girl," Eris taunted as she strolled towards Peach confidently. Her confidence waned however when she saw no fear on Peach's face.
"Not quite," Peach argued as she clapped her hands once more.
"The fourth gateway is the gateway of fear," said Merlon. "This form of hurt is born from intense feelings of dread and a strong desire for avoidance or escape. Now, search deeply within your heart and answer truthfully, Prince Junior. What are you most afraid of?" Junior winced when he recalled the moment effortlessly.
The gruesome sight of Kammy's lifeless body was still fresh in his mind, as was the monster responsible for her death; clutching that cursed blood-soaked spear.
"I am Contemno. As for what I want, well that's rather simple. I'll be taking this castle for myself."
"It's…him…," Junior whispered.
"Then perhaps we'll just wait here for his return. He'll have to come home sometime." Contemno gently rotated his wrist in a circle. Junior could feel the chains that were binding him to the wall begin to move. They pulled Junior out of the wall, and lowered him down to Contemno's level.
"After all, he still has a son to care for."
"That guy…as if killing Kammy wasn't already bad enough, he came after me next."
"You were afraid to die?" Merlon probed.
"Yeah, of course I was. But…there was something even worse than that. Something else about him that really made me afraid…"
"That's right. I know all about you, Prince Bowser Jr.," Contemno confirmed. The mage brushed his finger underneath Junior's chin in the very same fashion he savored killing Kammy.
Junior began to sweat as his heart raced and his breaths grew shallow. The Koopa Prince gritted his teeth and tried earnestly to hide his immense fear from the soulless black abyss that made up Contemno's eyes. But now that Contemno was close enough to be in physical contact with him, Junior was positive that any slight movement from the mage would be enough to make him wet himself at the very least.
"How about it then?" Contemno provoked. "Care to demonstrate just how far the apple truly falls from the tree?"
"Consider this a sporting chance, my boy," Contemno elaborated. "An opportunity to avenge your beloved teacher, defend your subjects, and perhaps most important of all…"
"A moment of glory to show Daddy that you aren't such a failure after all."
"Contemno already knew who I was. He knew everything about me, while I know nothing about him. I never even saw his real face."
"I see. So you are afraid of Contemno," Merlon surmised.
"Exactly. I tried fighting him once already, but there wasn't anything I could do. I froze up…"
"Do you honestly hope to defeat me simply by cowering in fear!?"
"COWARD!" Contemno roared. "I WILL UTTERLY ERADICATE YOU ONCE I SHATTER THIS CURSED SHELL OF YOUR'S!" He continued to slam Junior's shell into the wall.
"I know I'm gonna have to fight him again. There's no other way around it. I have to beat him to take back my castle and avenge Kammy. Everyone's counting on me to do it. But the truth is…I just don't know how to beat someone who already knows everything about me. I don't actually know if I can win…"
"Your fear is justified, Prince Junior," said Merlon. "But you must not blame yourself for being afraid. Contemno poses an unprecedented threat. He possesses a dangerous power unlike anything the world has ever seen. I had visions of the danger he would pose to us all in the time leading up to his introduction. In those visions, I saw that even Mario would fail to stop Contemno by himself."
"Really?" Merlon nodded.
"You are not alone in fearing his power, and fear is a natural response to something not immediately understood," he explained. "You see, fear that dwells in the heart of mankind is derived from a deeper feeling of doubt or uncertainty. In the wake of a seemingly monumental change, we are afraid of that change when we lack knowledge or understanding of it. When change arrives before us and we do not fully understand the impact it will have on our lives, it is our first natural instinct to deny it or run away and cling on to what is familiar."
"So what can I do then? How do I accept this hurt? How do I stop being afraid?"
"Here is my wisdom that I will offer to you. You believe that courage is the opposite of fear, yes?" Junior nodded. "Man's initial perception of courage is that fear must be absent in order for it to exist. In other words, you are courageous when you are not afraid. However, this is merely an illusion." The Koopa Prince knitted his eyebrows.
"It is?"
"Yes. In reality, fear never truly vanishes. Instead, it co-exists with courage in harmony. To possess true courage is to act in spite of fear. You are courageous when you choose to act despite being afraid." Junior gulped.
"So what you're saying is…I just have to make myself fight Contemno anyway…even though I'm afraid."
"Indeed. In order to find your courage and to awaken this hurt as well, you must find the source of your fear; you must determine why you are afraid of Contemno. What consequences do you believe exist if you choose to fight him?"
"Well, I could die obviously!"
"Is that all?" Merlon asked. Junior was deeply unsettled by how quickly this response came.
"Well…I mean…he could kill other people too; the people I love and probably ruin the world I live in."
"So you are afraid Contemno will erase your existence and your entire world around you will disappear."
"You say that like it's no big deal!"
"I did not say it wasn't. But perhaps you realize now why you must fight. Surely you see what you are fighting for, and what you will lose if you choose to avoid Contemno."
"If I run…I won't protect my home or my family. Everything will…disappear…," said Junior.
"Precisely. To accept the hurt that is fear, you must recognize what you will lose if you do not act in spite of your fear. Is it worth it to sacrifice these things for the sake of your own immediate safety?"
"Of course not," Junior denied firmly as he shut his eyes.
"Concentrate, young one," Merlon prompted. "Visualize the fear as a tangible item in your hand." Junior's fingers each took turns twitching as he held his palm open wide. "Now hold this fear tightly in your hand and do not let go." The Koopa Prince's hand slowly closed into a fist. "Your fear is an amalgamation of all that is precious to you; all that is worth protecting; it all becomes the singular reason you must act. Hold this feeling tightly as you run towards the uncertainty and never let it go." Junior exhaled as steam emanated from his nose. "Transform your fear into power; the power of action." Junior lifted his fist up to his face. "When your moment of truth arrives, you will act." Junior's eyes cracked open.
"I will."
Iggy ran, hopped, and hid all around the warehouse as he desperately tried to elude Wendy's rings. His luck was bound to run out sooner or later, and he was getting nowhere in terms of getting that door open so his group could escape.
I don't have any magic to challenge her with..., the Koopaling thought. He rolled out of the way of an incoming ring. A loud "ping" sound flooded the room as it bounced off the metal table.
Uggh c'mon, brain! Think! What did Wendy say her rings were weak to again!? Iggy racked his brain as he ran and tried desperately to get some space to think. But Wendy wouldn't allow it. She chased after him mercilessly. In her current state, she was probably prepared to chase Iggy to the ends of the earth until she caught him.
Well, if she's using her power against me, surely that means it could capture anyone…including herself! Iggy deducted. He hopped over a metal table and lifted it with all his strength. He tipped the structure over with the surface facing away from him; forming a barrier. The tools and pieces that had been scattered on it spilled out onto the floor in a mess of small echoing clatters and clanks.
Wendy jumped high into the air and threw her gold ring once more. Iggy ducked down behind the table. The ring changed its altitude slightly in an attempt to zero in on its target. It clashed with the table and was immediately repelled back at Wendy with twice the velocity. She was too slow to react. The ring made contact and encapsulated Wendy within; the female Koopaling's arms were bound tightly to her sides as she fell helplessly back down to earth.
Iggy jumped out from behind the table and caught Wendy just before she could hit the hard, unforgiving cement floor. She wriggled and jerked violently, but could not break free from her own trap. Iggy set her down as carefully as he could in spite of her struggling.
"Sorry, sis…," he spoke gently. "But it's for your own good." With not a moment more to waste, Iggy took off for the door once again.
Larry shot down each of the balls Lemmy threw his way. One after another, each ball popped loudly like a balloon and left no trace of its existence. Somehow, this didn't seem to slow Lemmy down one bit as he continuously summoned more ammo infinitely. Larry gripped his pistol tightly and charged forward. He jumped just as a ball reached him, landed on top, and bounced off of it to increase his speed as he flipped forward and flew through the air.
The Koopaling landed directly in front of Lemmy. The latter was too slow to react in time.
"This'll hurt me more than you!" Larry exclaimed. He delivered an uppercut to his sibling's chin and sent him tumbling onto the floor. Given his small, weak physique, this single blow was all it took to knock him out cold. At a distance, Lemmy was practically untouchable. But if someone managed to get up close – as Larry had just done – he was a goner.
Grappling internally with sizable remorse over his action, Larry sprinted away to help his comrades.
Peach gripped her new weapon and twirled it so fast that Eris didn't catch a good look at what it was. It didn't matter. It shouldn't. Eris formed another pair of black bubbles in her hands and threw them consecutively at Peach. The princess thrust her new weapon forward. It didn't look like much at first glance; just a rather simplistic white staff of some kind curled into a heart shape at one end. As the bubbles drew near, the weapon's true nature was revealed.
A large circular pink panel sprung out and stopped the bubbles mid-flight.
"…A parasol? Seriously?" Eris commented as a sharp, sarcastic breath emerged from her lips.
"If you thought I was just a one-trick pony, you're sadly mistaken," said Peach. The pink cover retreated back into the stick and Peach twirled it. "Come a little closer and I'll show you."
"You really think you can beat me with that?"
"If I didn't, I wouldn't be holding it right now. So how long are you gonna make me wait?" To Peach's surprise, Eris chuckled and smiled at this, instead of getting angry.
"I like this side of you, princess. You're nothing like Contemno described. But now I'm dying to know something. How did that clown Bowser ever get away with kidnapping you all the time if you're this feisty?"
"I wasn't always like this," Peach answered. "But Bowser was never that much of a danger, if I'm being honest."
"I'll say," Eris agreed as she rolled her eyes.
What was this? Were they really having an honest conversation just now? This made Peach feel incredibly uneasy. She couldn't let it last or she might risk letting her guard down. Peach gripped the parasol and jumped towards Eris. The latter deflected the stick with another bubble.
"Even so, if you think acting tough will faze me, then you're the one who's mistaken," said Eris as she moved in closer for the kill. This time, the black aura encompassed the woman's entire arm and resembled a large, menacing falchion blade.
Peach countered the swing with her staff. The two combatants pushed into one another with all their might; refusing to budge even an inch. Just when Eris was confident she had Peach trapped, the pink panel of the umbrella flipped open again with enough force to push Eris back with a mild stagger. Peach twirled around and slugged Eris with the open parasol with all her remaining strength. Eris's eyes widened as she was engulfed by the full power of the attack.
It was far greater than she could've feared.
The woman was sent hurdling into the air; flying several feet away and landing in one of the piles of mechanical junk on the opposite end of the garage. Not skipping a beat, Peach dismissed the parasol and ran towards the exit to regroup with the others.
"At last, we have arrived at the final gateway to clarity," said Merlon. Junior wiped the sweat away from his brow as a small sigh of relief escaped his snout. "However, I must tell you that this gateway will be different from the other four that came before it."
"Different how?" Junior asked.
"The last remaining gateway inside of you is distorted; unclear. I cannot tell what form of hurt this gateway was born from, if any."
"What gateway is it?"
"It is the gateway of foresight," Merlon answered. "Truth be told, my knowledge of this gateway is limited. I have encountered few individuals in my life who have possessed this phenomenon inside of themselves. It is quite rare actually."
"Well, what is it made of? Where does it come from?" Junior probed, growing impatient with Merlon's vague responses.
"Magic users have often described the gateway of foresight as a gift, rather than a curse or hindrance. It means you have made contact with a higher force." Junior's eyebrows rose slightly at this.
"Really?" Merlon nodded.
"You have received a gift, so to speak. A strange, yet special power sleeps within you. Its purpose will reveal itself in the future, provided you take the necessary action."
"What am I supposed to do?"
"This power makes contact with you mentally when your mind is the most available to receive it. Tell me, have experienced any sort of strange dreams or visions lately?" Junior's eyes lit up at this.
"Yeah!" the Koopa Prince confirmed as he nodded furiously. "I've been having a ton of weird dreams lately! It always happens when I'm asleep or…even just knocked out!"
"What do you see in these dreams?" Merlon inquired.
"I see…my parents. My dad looks and acts different in them. My mom is there too. Oh, and I've seen myself in these dreams! But when I'm there, I look like a little kid again."
"Age regression…interesting. Have either of your parents spoken to you in these dreams?"
"Yeah, they treat me like a kid. But it's weird because I don't…feel like a kid in these dreams."
"Go on."
"It's like, I look like I should only be about a few years old. But I have all of my memory from after that time. I remember everything up until right before I fell asleep. Does that make sense?"
"It is certainly out of the ordinary. You retain your current memories and growth, in spite of the fact that your body has regressed to an earlier stage. What have your parents told you in your visions?" Junior racked his brain as he tried to remember.
"They keep talking about sleep. They've said I'm sleeping too much; almost like it's some kind of sickness or something."
"When did you first start experiencing these dreams?"
"Let's see…I think it happened the night before my exam. What does any of this mean?" A troubling pause.
"That I cannot answer," Merlon confessed. "It is possible all of the immense stress you have faced recently simply gave birth to the other forms of hurt we discussed previously. In turn, all of the hurt itself has forced you to produce these dreams on your own."
"Is that really possible?" Merlon nodded.
"You will need to gather as much information about these dreams as you can. Then, you will need to devise a method of observing the behaviors of your body and mind when these dreams occur. But you will need to develop a full understanding of what causes them first."
"Are you gonna help me do that?" Junior asked, slightly worried.
"There is little I can do for you at the moment. I can provide resources to you, but you must determine what must be done for yourself."
"But what about the gateway itself? How am I supposed to open it without understanding what these visions mean?" Merlon chuckled.
"My boy, you should know the process by now. After all, you've just done it four times." Junior's eyebrows hunched over as his eyes rapidly searched the space around him for guidance.
"You mean…"
"I have guided you through the process of opening the previous four gateways. If you can guide yourself this time, then you will be ready to complete your training in the Realm of Refuge." This sparked an urgent energy in Junior. He was motivated; he was ready. He gave Merlon a stern nod and focused.
"Alright, here goes. First, I have to awaken the hurt. Even though it…might not be hurt at all, it's still…something; something important," Junior guessed. He put his hands on his chest and felt his very life force. "There's a…power inside me. I may not know where it came from, but it's important. I'm sure of it. I'll need this power for my journey. I see it. I know it's there."
"Go on."
"To accept this power in the same way I accept hurt, I think I need to…commit myself to it; and learn all that I can from it. I have to connect to it on a deeper level than I have up until now. These dreams I'm having, I need to learn what they mean. In order to do that, I have to figure out where they came from."
"Yes, good. Keep going, Prince Junior."
The Koopa Prince's mind raced. He was headed somewhere, but he didn't know where. Not yet. Would he figure it out before he got there? What if he didn't? Would it matter? His words were coming out faster than he could think. He had no choice but to roll with it.
"But…how do I do that? I mean, where do I start? C'mon, Merlon. You gotta give me something to work with here."
"Think back to when you first experienced the dream. What happened?"
"I remember getting these weird, crippling headaches during my test. Something was wrong with me."
"It wasn't your nerves?" Junior shook his head.
"No, it couldn't have been. I didn't choke. I knew that routine. I had it down pat. I did it perfectly the day before. Ludwig and Kammy even said so themselves."
"Try to find something out of the ordinary. What might've happened the night before which caused you to fail the exam in the way you ultimately did?" Electricity surged through Junior's body as an idea struck him.
"The tea…"
"Come again?"
"The double cherry tea that Ludwig gave me! It tasted awful, but he said he drinks it to…focus his powers!"
"Do you believe ingesting this tea is what caused you to fail your exam?"
"I don't know. Maybe. Maybe there was something in it that messed me up. But…"
"But what?"
"Ludwig said he drinks it all the time. I don't see why he would if this happened to him too."
"Did he warn you of any side effects?" Junior shook his head.
"What if he doesn't get them, but I did somehow? Maybe I just had some kind of allergic reaction to it," he surmised with a shrug.
"It is possible. Are you willing to accept this theory as truth?"
"Well…no. I mean…yes! I mean, uggghh I don't know! I don't know what to think!"
"You do not need to have all of the answers right now, Prince Junior. Remember what is important. What is the third step in opening a gateway?"
"Right, right. It's release. I need to decide how this will be useful to me in the future."
"What does that look like right now?"
"It's gotta be the tea; something to do with it. I need to find Ludwig and ask him about it. That's where I'll start getting some real answers to all of this." He jolted when he felt a hand on his shoulder. When did Merlon get so close to him?
"Congratulations, Prince Junior. You have opened all five gateways to clarity. Now you are ready for magic training." The Koopa Prince smiled, but a loud gurgling noise sullied the moment. Junior placed a hand to his stomach and blushed.
"Uhh...maybe we could get something to eat first?" he suggested with a chuckled. Merlon laughed as well.
"Indeed. I believe a small recess is in order."
Roy could feel himself slowing down. His burns were starting to eat away at his willpower. Continuing the fight against Morton felt more and more impossible as the seconds dragged on. Yet even so, Roy continued to fight. He blocked and returned each of Morton's attacks. The latter was relentless. There was no sense of remorse or humanity in those crimson eyes; only primal bloodlust. Morton wanted Roy dead and seemed prepared to do whatever it took to make that happen.
Roy stumbled out of the flaming mallet's path and limped clumsily behind Morton. He grabbed his brother by the rim of the monster's shell and thrust him straight into the wall with tremendous rage.
Roy pinned Morton against the wall and made the beast face its reflection in the Koopaling's sunglasses.
"Stop this, Mort! Stop it!" Roy exclaimed between hoarse breaths as he gritted his teeth. Morton struggled and pushed aggressively as he gradually loosened Roy's hold over him. Roy was losing the will to go on. They both knew it. Once Morton broke free and delivered the next attack, Roy would be done for. This was inevitable.
A blood-curdling roar escaped from the pit of Morton's lungs. He shoved Roy back several feet, then wasted pounced to seal the kill. At the last second, Peach jumped into Morton's path and swatted him away with her parasol. Morton rolled across the floor, then immediately climbed to his feet. Gripping his mallet, Morton now set his sights on Peach. As he brought his flaming hammer down, Larry was there to meet it with his shield in tow. Morton pounded away furiously, but Larry held his ground.
Meanwhile, Peach and Iggy hurried over to Roy's side.
"Roy! Can you hear us!?" Peach asked in a panic.
"C'mon, Roy! Wake up! Come back to us, bro!" Iggy ordered as he shook his brother's forearms. A small breath emerged from the Koopaling's mouth, and he flickered back into consciousness. The pair helped him sit up.
"Iggs…?" Roy whispered.
"On your feet, big guy. We gotta get moving," said Iggy. He and Peach lifted Roy up by his arms and wrapped each one over their shoulders; dragging him back towards the entrance.
"Did you get the door open?" Peach asked Iggy.
"Well…no. But…" she shot him a horrified look, but Roy spoke up before she could scold him.
"Leave that to me. I got a trick that'll get us through. Just get me to the door."
Larry shoved his shield up with all his might; putting his entire body into the motion. It was enough force to shove Morton back into the shelving unit against the wall behind him. A series of mismatched tools, boxes, and scraps of metal all rained down on top of him. Larry waited a moment for Morton to pop out of the pile. When he didn't, the Koopaling was confident his brother was knocked out, at least for the moment. His shield disappeared and he sprinted back to join the others.
When they reached the closed door, Roy was able to stand on his own as he faced the exit, though his body swayed with fatigue ever so slightly. The Koopaling put his hands together and breathed through his nostrils.
"Watch my shell!" Roy ordered. As if on cue, Eris came racing towards them from across the room. A black bubble materialized in her hand. With a desperate, angry expression plastered across her face, the woman chucked the bubble at them. Peach was about to act, but Larry stopped her with one hand and stepped forward. He raised his pistol and fired a single light bullet. It pierced through the bubble effortlessly, but the resulting explosion was bigger than any of them anticipated. Eris was sent tumbling backwards again, as were Larry, Peach and Iggy.
Roy reached above his head, and caught the large silhouette of light that was born in the air above him. He propped the item up using his bicep and shoulder; grinning slightly. The rest of the group sat up to witness Roy's development.
Resting on the Koopaling's shoulder was a large Bullet Bill Blaster with twin muzzles on each end. But there was something unique about this one. The skull design that was typically found on the cannon's barrel was instead replaced with a fuscia logo of Roy's face; iconic shades and all. Larry smiled at the sight of this. It was undoubtedly Roy's new weapon summon. The very same kind of spiritual magic Merlon had taught him with his new pistol.
Roy crouched down onto one knee, placed his free hand on the edge of the barrel protruding out in front of him, and took aim at the door.
"Stand back!" Roy exclaimed. Peach, Larry and Iggy each crouched over and covered the heads. Had Roy not warned them ahead of time, they would've been absolutely floored by the thunderous boom that sounded as sudden Bullet Bill that rocketed out of the cannon with no build-up or fanfare whatsoever. The Bullet Bill rocketed towards the metallic barrier and vanished when it made contact in an explosive mix of fire, smoke, and sound which engulfed the garage. When the smoke subsided, it was revealed that a large hole and been blown clean through the door.
"C'mon, let's move!" Roy exclaimed as Peach, Iggy, and Larry each picked themselves up. Without wasting a second more, the group hurdled through the hole.
The group raced down the narrow hallway; gasping for air and running as fast as their legs could carry them. Their minds ran even faster as they panicked and pondered where to go. Yet, somehow that hardly mattered. They just needed to get some distance from their enemies; as much as possible. The best option at the moment seemed to be hiding until they were certain they weren't being followed.
Lost in the rush, Larry hardly noticed when he was yanked into one of the rooms nearby. Before he could process what had just happened, he saw Roy standing in front of him; slightly obscured by the shadows of the light-less room. The Koopaling placed a claw to his lips and gestured for Larry to remain silent. Larry complied and watched as Roy carefully extended his head back out into the hallway slightly. He retreated again seconds before a stampede of footsteps could be heard booming down the hall.
When the noise subsided, Roy checked outside the room once more, then motioned that the coast was clear. Iggy lit the torch on the wall nearby and brought a dim light into the room, which turned out to be a storage closet.
"Okay, that was way too close," said Larry. "Let's get out of here while we still can." Iggy shook his head.
"No, we can't leave yet."
"C'mon, Iggy. This is suicide," Roy argued. "They've got three of our own family turned against us, and that blondie herself is nothing to sneeze at either. Larry's right. We should get out of here and come back when we're more prepared."
"What other preparations could we possibly make at this point?" Peach countered.
"Well, there's getting Junior for starters. At least then we'd have the advantage in numbers…," said Larry. Once again, Iggy visibly dismissed the idea.
"No, it's too late to back out now. We need to find the master key. Without it, we can't use the ship," the Koopaling explained. "I admit I got a bit carried away with testing the engine, and that's what got us discovered. That was my fault. But it can't be helped. If we leave now, we might never get another chance at getting that ship to fly. Right now, we should consider that our only means of escape from this place at all."
"I agree with Iggy," said Peach. "Let's find the master key and use the airship to escape now. The castle's big enough for us to find the key and escape without getting caught again, provided that we stay quiet. If we can pull this off before Eris and the others find us, we can circle back around and pick Junior up on the way to Sarasaland." Roy grimaced when his burned arm brushed against the wall. He scowled at them; clearly dissatisfied with the proposal to risk their necks even more by staying here even a second longer. He shook his head.
"I still think this is a bad idea. But, I guess splitting up would be even worse...Fine. Let's do this. But let's be quiet, and do this fast."
"You at least know where the key is, right?" Larry asked.
"I've got an idea. We'll need to investigate Bowser's living quarters up on the fourth floor," Iggy explained. Roy and Larry exchanged confused faces.
"Uhhh…what?" Roy started. Iggy was already halfway out the door.
"Just follow me. I'll explain on the way."
Eris strolled down the umpteenth empty corridor of this stupidly large castle. How anyone could find anything in this maze – even if they'd lived here their entire life - was beyond her. She glanced around nonchalantly and casually peaked inside a handful of rooms scattered all about, but her heart wasn't in the search. She was too preoccupied.
Dammit! Eris thought with a sharp sigh. This isn't good. If Contemno finds out those rats are running loose here in the castle, he'll blow a gasket. I just hope he accomplished whatever he set out to do. The last thing he needs to come back to right now is bad news.
She stopped and stared at the haggard expression on her face that was reflected back at her in the mirror on the wall. She could practically feel the stress dripping from her pores and her hair growing gray at the thought of what might happen if she didn't find and catch the intruders. She stopped this line of thought in its tracks. Eris knew she had to focus. Worrying never helped anyone; especially not her. She had to be strong; she had to stay focused. That's what Contemno admired about her most after all.
I just wish I knew what they were after. I mean, why here? Why now? And why isn't the bratty prince with them? What the devil could they be planning!? She clenched her fists. It has to be something with that busted old airship they were messing around with. Were they trying to use it to get somewhere?
Eris dismissed the idea. After all, where could they possibly go? Nowhere was safe. Contemno had already made certain of that. All of the kingdoms were at his mercy. Well…most of them anyway. If Junior and his tiny pack of misfits were looking to run away and go into hiding permanently, they were out of luck. There was nowhere in the world they could possibly run to now where Contemno and his followers couldn't find them.
Even so, letting them run loose like this was irritating at best. Contemno was sure to sleep better at night if these pests were dealt with. They all would. She had to strike now while they were still within range. Eris clutched her resolve. If she and Contemno were to have the future they'd already fought so hard to get, she had to find out what was going on.
She put her brain to work. Catching them was the best case scenario, and this castle was so immensely large with dozens of tiny rooms everywhere that trapping them somewhere shouldn't be too difficult. But then again, those fools had gotten lucky so far. It was for that reason alone that Eris knew she had to be prepared for the worst. If they did manage to slip away again, she had to make sure she at least knew where they were going. That meant she would need to make them spill the beans beforehand. But how? If they had any brains, they'd surely keep quiet. Eris had to come up with some way to get them to talk.
Maybe I should negotiate for information. That's all they can offer us at this point. Well, that or eternal slavery if we get that far, Eris thought. But to get the ball rolling, I'll need to offer something they want. No, something they need. But what?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a small echo of footsteps coming from down the hall nearby. Eris didn't see anyone run by, but she knew where that corridor led – the staircase to the next floor up. The answer she sought might've been closer than it seemed.
Peach, Larry, Roy and Iggy reached Bowser's living quarters at the end of the hall and stopped outside the tall, green double doors. Larry started to say something, but stopped. His stiff, stagnant body language said it all.
"Something up, Larry?" Roy asked.
"If King Bowser knew we were doing this, he'd kill us…," Larry confessed.
"If King Bowser were here, we wouldn't have to do this without his permission," Iggy reminded as he stepped forward and gently twisted the knob. They were lucky it was even unlocked in the first place. The group filed in behind him and slowly shut the door.
Peach was unsettled, albeit somewhat impressed by the atmosphere in Bowser's room. There was dim mood lighting projected from thin candles mounted all across the walls. The ruby red wallpaper contrasted the jet black marble floor. The air was warm as if Bowser had just been here, though they all knew that was impossible. The odor of the room had been devoured by a potent, dominating cologne of some kind. Bowser wasn't too keen on keeping up with hygiene until Peach took him in. Now, it wasn't weird in the slightest for the Koopalings to discover that their master's bedroom permanently smelled like he was getting ready for a date. The cologne itself didn't smell terrible. But there was simply too much of it lingering in the air to the point where Peach felt slightly nauseous from being exposed to so much of it at once.
For a self-righteous king, Bowser's room was surprisingly minimalistic when it came to décor. There wasn't much furniture to speak of aside from his massive bed, a sprawling, red area rug in the center, and a green leather chair with a matching ottoman off to the side. An absurdly large portrait of the Koopa King himself hung on the wall above the bed and loomed over the group menacingly; silently judging them.
The group dispersed in search of the master key. Peach ventured into the walk-in closet, but was weary of what she might find within. Larry inspected the bathroom, Roy searched all angles of the bed, and Iggy rummaged through the drawers of the nightstand and dresser.
In his closet, Bowser didn't have much clothing aside from a handful of more formal outfits, which he had been required to wear to the Kingdom Council meetings on a weekly basis. Although, Peach grimaced when she spotted the white suit, matching top hat, silver spiked arm bands, purple vest and bow tie, and large white and silver dress shoes. She wondered if Bowser had ever worn this gaudy suit again after the whole planned wedding fiasco. Most likely, he never had a reason to. She also couldn't help but wonder what Bowser had worn on his actual wedding day with his real wife. He most likely wouldn't have kept an outfit like that around to haunt him forever.
Larry didn't have the slightest clue what to look for in the bathroom, but Iggy insisted they had to search everywhere. Still, all he found were some towels on the shelf and a few hygiene products near the sink. If Bowser were to hide some key in here, where would it possibly be? The Koopaling imagined finding a super-secret lever in the cabinet under the sink that would open some kind of secret passageway behind the shower; leading to a small room filled with all sorts of hidden treasures. Alas, no such trick seemed to exist. This was as ordinary of a bathroom as any other.
Roy wrestled with the blankets and sheets, shook each pillow thoroughly, and eventually ended up flat on his belly to fish around with his hand under the bed as far as he could reach before his shell hit the mattress and stopped him from advancing any further. Nothing. No hint of this mythical key anywhere. Even lifting the mattress and inspecting its underside revealed that if this key was supposed to be hidden here, it wasn't now.
"Well, what now, Iggy?" he asked, annoyed. "Your little key ain't here." Iggy finished searching around in the final drawer and sighed. Larry and Peach joined them as well; each wearing looks that didn't inspire confidence.
"Dammit, I was sure it would be here…," Iggy cursed. "Well, there's one other place we can check. Let's head down to the royal archives."
"And what if it's not there either?" Roy challenged. "What're we supposed to do then?"
"We'll think of something if it gets to that point." Roy stepped in front of Iggy and blocked the exit with his massive body.
"No. Uh-uh. You can do better than that," said Roy. "C'mon, Iggs. You're the smart one. What're we supposed to do if we can't find this stupid key? I'm not moving 'til you give me a real-"
"I DON'T KNOW!" Iggy exclaimed before he sunk to the floor and hugged his legs. "I don't…know, okay? I have no idea what we should do. I didn't expect that this mission would go so wrong." Peach placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"None of us did," said Peach. "But then again, we didn't know what to expect here at all. Let's try the archives first, and if we still can't find the key, we'll get out of here and head back to Merlon's."
"Yeah, Peach's right," Larry agreed. "Don't sweat it, Iggy. We'll find another way to get to Sarasaland if we have to." The sheer disappointment in himself was still very much present in Iggy's moist eyes, but he composed himself and stood up; rubbing his eyes with his arm. Roy sighed, shook his head, and stepped aside as he opened the door.
Out in the hall, Eris hurried around the corner just as Iggy and the others exited the bedroom.
A key huh? I can work with that, she muttered to herself. A malicious smile curled across her face. She knew exactly what needed to be done now. The woman jogged down the staircase. She had to work fast if this was ever going to work.