RECAP:
Merlon deduced that Peach had fallen into a coma as a result of a mysterious curse that was placed on her. Daisy and Toad resolved to care for Peach in the meantime, while Merlon, Goombella, and Kooper attempted to learn more about the princess's affliction.
Junior was preparing for his departure in search of Kamek when he crossed paths with Diddy Kong. The monkey explained he had come to the Mushroom Kingdom with the hopes of enlisting Mario's help in finding Donkey Kong, whom had gone missing.
Roy and Larry continued to feud, which gave Alpha and Omega an opening to bring down the barrier used for shielding Merlon's home from intruders. The Koopalings confronted the duo and managed to hold their own. That is, until Alpha and Omega turned to the power of Essence for an immediate upper hand. Roy and Larry quickly found themselves outclassed by their enemies' power, but Daisy and Junior came to their aid.
In the end, Alpha and Omega retreated without having accomplished their mission of retrieving Hariet. However, Alpha presented Junior with a mysterious envelope; alluding to an "invitation" of some kind meant for Larry and Roy.
Elsewhere, Bowser managed to fabricate an explanation for his and Mario's presence at Castle Olympus. Seemingly convinced, Damian offered to escort them to their supposed living quarters. With some confusion left stirring, the pair agreed to take him up on his offer. But not before Mario noticed the vague whispering of an invisible voice.
"Yikes, sounds like you guys went through quite the ordeal," said Iggy as Larry finished relaying to the group the events that had just transpired. Daisy finished wrapping a bandage around Larry's wrist while Roy was resting quietly on his own bed nearby.
"I'll say," the princess agreed. "I only came running out there when I heard what sounded like an explosion. If only I'd gotten there sooner…"
"They timed it just right. This must've happened right after I left for town," said Junior. "If I'd known you guys were in trouble, I would've come back right away."
"Don't beat yourselves up about it, guys," said Larry. "What's done is done. We're just lucky you came when you did or we'd be goners."
"So…what're you guys gonna do about that invite?" Goombella asked.
"Oh, right…" Larry snatched the unfolded piece of paper up from the night stand with his good arm and read through it aloud once more.
You are hereby invited to partake in the first annual Tournament of Champions, held at the brand new Colossal Colosseum as part of the Pleasure City grand opening festivities!
Located in the heart of the Metro Kingdom, fierce fighters from all over the world will gather and compete in a series of no-holds barred fisticuffs to determine who is the strongest of them all!
Be warned, this competition is not for the faint of heart. Only the truly elite can earn the right to compete in the preliminaries, with the true champions rising to the top of the ranks. So bring your best or don't come at all!
Sincerely,
The Pleasure City Foundation Committee
The gaudy document had a rectangular, candy cane border wrapped around the edges and looked as though it had been dipped in a bucket of glitter. The font was dressed up in obnoxious neon colors and would likely give any reader a headache if they stared at it for too long.
"I'm guessing Contemno and his goons are this 'committee' and Alpha and Omega are part of it, then?" Kooper asked.
"They said their boss isn't Contemno," said Larry. "So who could they be working for then?"
"It's gotta be Tatanga," Junior answered. "He's the creep Peach and I fought back in Sarasaland. Alpha called me out in particular when he talked about getting payback for something I did to their leader. I guess the guy survived getting stabbed after all…"
"Well, any way you spin it, we can't just let this stand," said Daisy. "We need to bust into this 'Pleasure City' place and blow their whole operation sky high. If these goons are running the tournament, then it's gotta benefit Contemno in some way, right? I'd bet Essence is involved somehow. All the more reason we need to go there and shut it down."
"Of course, but who's gonna go?" Junior asked.
"What do you mean? Wouldn't you all just go together like normal?" Toad asked.
"He said the invitation was just for Roy and me," Larry reminded.
"But Roy's out cold and with your wrist all banged up, can you even summon your weapons like that?" Junior argued. Larry attempted this by clapping, but immediately regretted his choice as he audibly winced and attempted to shake the pain out of his wrist.
"Give us the night to rest and we'll be good to go in the morning," Larry assured him halfheartedly.
"That soon?"
"Well…I don't know. But we don't have a lot of time to play around with here. Daisy's right. We need to go there and shut the place down as soon as possible."
"Okay, but shouldn't the rest of us still go with you and Roy then? There's no telling how dangerous this place is gonna be," said Goombella.
"I hate to say it, but I doubt that's gonna be possible at this point," Junior denied. "Think about it. Peach is out of commission, we already know Iggy's staying behind to work with Hariet, and Merlon probably still needs you and Kooper to help him with researching that curse, right? Not to mention I still need to go see Kamek about the crown."
"So what you're saying is we need to split up. You sure that's a good idea?" Larry asked.
"I don't think we have much choice," said Iggy. "Like it or not, we're at a point now where there's just too much going on for all of us to still be able to efficiently move as one unit like we've done until now. From here on out, I think we all need to get comfortable with breaking up into teams to carry out missions if we want to make any real head way before Contemno can do more damage to the world."
"Yeah, I get that but…I just don't know…," said Larry with a heavy sigh. "We tried splitting up when we invaded Daisy's palace. Remember how well that went?" The Koopaling placed his hand tenderly to his bandaged wrist.
"This is different, Larry," Iggy argued.
"Yeah, I know. Look, I guess I'm on board with it. But I'm just saying. I'd feel better if Roy and I at least had some kind of back-up going in…"
"We don't have that luxury anymore, Larry," said Junior. "Without Peach, Goombella, Kooper, and Iggy, our group is already way smaller as it is. Besides, I need to find Kamek and master the crown's power as soon as possible. That's the only way I'm gonna be ready for whatever we face next."
"In the meantime, we need to learn as much about Essence as possible," Iggy added. "Don't get me wrong, Larry. I don't like the idea of any of you going to this tournament by yourselves either. But if it's being hosted by people who have expertise with Essence, then we can't deny that it's an excellent way for us to quickly learn more about how the stuff works. We need to know everything we can about Essence if we want to figure out how to stop Contemno from using it and help Junior stop him. I don't think we could ask for a better opportunity than this. For the sake of time and given the limited manpower we have available right now, splitting up now just makes the most sense."
"Besides, those guys made it personal. Larry and I gotta get back at 'em ourselves," said Roy hoarsely as he sat up slightly. He groaned and laid back in response to the massive jolt of pain that surged through his chest.
"Sure, but you two aren't going alone. Not as you are now. I'm coming too," Daisy announced.
"Why you?" Junior asked.
"Well…you guys saw it too, right? During the fight?"
"Saw what?" Kooper probed.
"Yeah, I did," Larry affirmed. "Those guys – Omega and Alpha. They're not just some randos Contemno recruited from somewhere. I recognized them too. I wasn't entirely sure of it at first because of their goofy outfits. But if you had the same thought, then that just makes me even more sure of it. When I think about it, they looked just like…"
"Wario and Waluigi," Roy finished for him.
"What?!" Toad exclaimed. "Why would those two be working for Contemno? I mean, sure they're not exactly the nicest guys around. But still…"
"They were acting way different. More serious than they usually are," said Junior.
"I'd bet Essence is what caused that," said Iggy. "There's no telling who else Contemno may have abducted and brainwashed to join his side."
"Exactly," Daisy agreed as she folded her arms. Her face scrunched into a serious expression - a rarity for the normally upbeat princess. "That's why I want to go. If they have people we know, then…," she trailed off.
"Then what?" Larry probed.
"Then there's a good chance they have Luigi too."
Everyone in the room perked up at this and looked to her.
"Luigi?" Toad parroted. Daisy shrugged. She seemed to be trying to suppress herself from expressing any concern or emotion with her revelation. She tried to seem less bothered by it, but her attempt simply wasn't earnest and wasn't fooling anyone.
"Nobody's seen him since Contemno attacked Peach's castle, right? I wouldn't be surprised if that lunatic has him. The thought of these freaks pumping poor Luigi with Essence too is just…"
Daisy's arms unfolded. She slammed her fist against the wall, then her arms fell to her sides again. She gritted her teeth and aggressively held back tears. The princess took a breath and composed herself quickly.
"Look, let's just say I'm really worried about him, okay? If Wario and Waluigi are in Pleasure City, I gotta know if Luigi's there too."
"That might be where DK is!" Diddy exclaimed as he hopped off the stool he'd been perched upon until now. "Yeah, that's gotta be it! If this 'Contemno' guy wants some serious muscle in his corner, I can't think of anyone he'd want more than Donkey Kong. For all we know, my poor buddy might be walking around with that Essence stuff inside him too. I'm sure of it! That does it, I'm going with you guys!"
"But Daisy, what about Peach?" Toad asked. The princess glanced over at her comatose friend and grimaced.
"I know I'd said I'd care for her before. But…sitting around here worrying isn't going to help her get better. Peach would want me to go. I just know it." The princess turned to Goombella and Kooper. "I'm counting on you guys to find a way to help her while I'm gone, got it?"
"Leave it to us!" Goombella replied with a warm smile. Kooper flashed her a thumbs-up.
"Alright then, it sounds like we've all got our next assignments," Iggy declared as he put his hands together. "Larry, Roy, Daisy, and Diddy will head for the Metro Kingdom to look into 'Pleasure City' and this tournament they're holding there. See what you can learn about Essence and look for our missing friends while you're at it."
"Got it," Larry affirmed. Daisy, Roy, and Diddy each nodded in acceptance their new mission.
"You boys get some rest. Let's head out first thing in the morning," Daisy instructed.
"Don't gotta tell me twice," said Roy with a chuckle.
"But how do we get to the Metro Kingdom from here?" Diddy asked.
"Leave that part to me," said Goombella. "I'll get you all squared away with some transport in the morning."
Toad shut off the light so Peach, Larry, and Roy could rest. Everyone else cleared out of the room and descended the staircase. Only Junior and Iggy lingered out in the hallway.
"Are you going to be okay going to Kamek's alone?" Iggy asked.
"Yeah, I'll be fine," the Koopa Prince affirmed with a nod. But Iggy didn't appear to be convinced. "Not exactly the first time I've had to travel on my own for a little while, right?"
"Are you sure? It's okay if you'd rather go with the others for now. With Roy and Larry as banged up as they are, we both know they could really use your help on this. Besides, Kamek's not exactly going anywhere." Junior's eyes fell and he paused to ponder this.
"I know. But there's just too much going on right now for us to keep moving together. Getting back at Alp- I mean, Wario and Waluigi - is Roy and Larry's fight. They were the ones who were invited. Daisy and Diddy need to find the people they care about. Goombella, Kooper, and Toad are all looking after Peach, and you've got Hariet to deal with. As for me? Well, mastering the crown's power, that's my responsibility. I can't afford to fall behind any of you guys. Not if I'm gonna be the leader we need."
Iggy smiled and shut his eyes. He had witnessed it a handful of times now, but he still wasn't quite used to the seriousness in Junior's demeanor that was becoming more and more commonplace as time marched on.
"I won't let you guys down." The Koopaling put a hand on Junior's shoulder.
"We know you won't."
"This is unacceptable. You realize that, don't you?" Tatanga warned in a low, ominous growl.
"Yeah…but listen! We-," Omega started.
"That's alright, Omega. I'll handle this," Alpha interrupted as he took the phone. "I take full responsibility for the outcome, Sir. I made the bad call to drop the barrier when I did, and we ran into trouble because of it. Take out your anger on me, but leave Omega out of it. He was just following my orders."
The other end of the communication device went silent for several minutes. The pair stood together; drowning in uncertainty over how their superior was going to choose to respond in the end or what action he would take. Despite the half dozen worst case scenarios they each came up with in their heads, the pain of simply not knowing which one would become reality was far more unbearable.
"You said Junior and the desert princess came to their rescue right after, right?" Tatanga recounted cryptically.
"T-that's right…," Alpha affirmed stiffly.
"Well…I guess it was only going to become more difficult to extract the girl with so much commotion going on. So to that end, I suppose retreating was for the best."
"Thank you, Sir."
"But, none of that changes the fact that you've put me in a terrible position now."
"Sir?" Not knowing exactly what he meant by this kept Alpha and Omega from relaxing too soon.
"Eris and I meant to have this whole Broodal mess cleaned up without Contemno ever knowing any of it happened. Now, not only am I now going to get an earful from her over this, but we still risk Contemno finding out. Trying to hide this from him is one thing, but if he finds out I also failed to correct the problem, it's gonna put me on his watch list for sure. I shouldn't have spell out for you what that would mean for our plans we talked about before."
"Well…those chumps might not even care about the rabbit girl for much longer!" Omega offered. "So it won't matter that they've still got her."
"And just why the hell would they suddenly stop caring about their one source of intel on us?" Tatanga asked with clear annoyance at that statement.
"B-because…well….screw it. You tell him, Alpha!" Omega motioned; roughly nudging his partner in the rib with his elbow. Alpha glared at him before seizing back the device.
"I invited them to the tournament in Pleasure City."
Another menacing pause.
"….You did what now?" Tatanga asked slowly.
"I inv-"
"I heard what you said, idiot! What I don't get is why you would give extremely valuable information to them yourself! YOU MIGHT AS WELL HAVE VOLUNTEERED TO TAKE THE RABBIT'S PLACE FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!"
"In my defense, the grand opening of Pleasure City and the tournament aren't exactly secret information anymore since we've already been advertising the attractions and tournament to the general public for a while now," Alpha reasoned. "To that end, it was just a matter of time before Junior's team learned about this on their own."
"Regardless, that doesn't give you the right to straight up invite our enemies! Are you trying to sabotage us?!"
"Of course not, Sir. But they want information about us. That's why they're holding the girl hostage to begin with. At least this way, we now control the flow of that information."
"What're you getting at, Alpha?"
"I'm simply using this invitation as bait to trap them. If they're desperate enough for more intel, Junior's little henchman will surely come sniffing around for clues about us. They might even sign up for a few fights if they're actually brave enough. Luckily, I've already read over the files on the other participants ahead of time who have already registered for the tournament. And now that I've gotten a taste of what these two can do in combat, I can safely tell you, Sir, that they're no real threat to us. They'll be pounded into dust by the competition long before they ever get close enough to learn anything important about us."
There was yet another long pause on the other end. But Alpha was confident this time that the pause was out of careful consideration on Tatanga's end, rather than determining how he was going to further scold them.
"So you intend to use the tournament to just kill them off then, is that it?"
"Precisely. Even if they don't all come at once, I'm sure Bowser Jr. will eventually send reinforcements to investigate once these two never return home; like little dominoes falling one by one. We'll just slowly snuff them out one after the other if that's what it takes. Before long, it won't matter if they still have the Broodal girl prisoner. There won't be anyone left for her to expose us to or anyone to act on any information she ends up giving them."
"Hehe I thought it sounded stupid too when I first heard it, Boss," Omega chortled. "But you gotta admit, it ain't a bad plan we got here."
"No, what you have is a monumental risk," said Tatanga. "One that will totally destroy Contemno's trust in me if things goes south!"
"Relax, Sir. We've got it all under control."
"Ohhh is that so? Well, you'll have to forgive me if I don't believe that after you two just royally screwed up your last assignment!" Tatanga countered with a sliver of sarcasm. "Seriously, if I couldn't trust you idiots with something simple, it's going to take a lot for me to believe you can actually pull this off! Get back to New Donk on the double. Meet up with Crusher and L when you get there and catch them up to speed on this new plan."
"Of course, Sir," Alpha agreed.
"I'll have Necro join you there too for added support."
"Aw c'mon, is that really necessary?" Omega complained.
"Yes. It is. In fact, I'll be coming back myself to watch the tournament and personally make sure everything goes off without a hitch."
"But what about Phase 2? Doesn't Contemno need you there?" Alpha reminded.
"You let me worry about that. Make sure you don't have any more bad news for me the next time we talk. Got it?"
"Yessir….," Alpha and Omega agreed in unison as the line disconnected.
As the sun slowly rose over Toad Town, its denizens quietly stirred and rose in undisturbed bliss. Before long, children were escorted off to school by their mothers while the fathers departed for work.
It had become an open secret among the residents in the city at this point not to speak of the desolate castle grounds; which had been reclaimed by nature and remained blanketed in a sinister dark aura. While they knew their ruler was alive and well, they didn't know what was to become of their kingdom. On the surface, all seemed well. But danger still seemed to lurk just out of sight like a prowling cat; ready to pounce at a moment's notice. Thus, cocooning themselves in ignorance stood unanimously uncontested as their best course of action for now.
At the same time, Merlon's house at the base of Shooting Star Summit was buzzing with activity. Having polished off a light breakfast, the team was gathering together the last of its supplies and preparing to debrief one last time before its inevitable division.
"So, how are we getting to New Donk City exactly?" Daisy asked as she slung a backpack over her shoulder.
"Glad you asked. You'll be going by train," Goombella answered simply. Larry, Roy, Daisy, and Diddy all turned to each other, confused.
"But…it's across the ocean," Larry said on the group's behalf.
"You sure you don't mean boat?" Roy added.
"Nope," Goombella denied confidently. She motioned for them to gather around the table to examine a map she had sprawled out. "We have the Kingdom Council to thank for this. You see, it was one of Princess Peach's first initiatives on the council to improve transportation between the various kingdoms. So, they began a project to construct a large network of railroad tracks between the kingdoms, all suspended over the water."
"So it's like one really long bridge then?" Daisy guessed.
"Exactly!" Goombella confirmed. "While there have been plans to eventually connect all of the kingdoms together this way, construction has been at a crawl. Obviously, it stopped completely once Contemno came into the picture. Lucky for us though, they at least finished the routes you guys will need for this mission. There's a train station at the south end of Toad Town. It'll take you through Mt. Rugged and across the sea all the way to Rogueport."
"Huh, convenient," said Larry as he smiled and folded his arms.
"I know, right? From there, you'll take another train that goes to the Metro Kingdom," Goombella explained. "It doesn't leave until tomorrow though so you'll have to spend the night in Rogueport. You could do some shopping and there's an inn I recommend you check into. I stayed there with Mario once."
"HOLD ON, YOU STAYED AT AN INN WITH MARIO?!" Kooper interrupted as he shoved his way through the group. "When was this?! Were you ever planning on telling me about this at some point?!" Goombella's eyes met his and her entire face went red as the implication slapped her.
"N-not just the two of us!" she defended in a hurry. "W-we all stayed there together! As a group with the other people we were traveling with!"
"Oh….okay." Kooper breathed a heavy sigh of relief. The Koopa blushed and he rubbed his neck sheepishly when he realized everyone was staring at him.
"A-anyway…," Goombella continued, clearing her throat. "I've already informed my contact in Rogueport - Professor Frankly - that you guys are coming. You should totally look him up when you get there. He's an insanely good resource to have so if you have any questions, you could always try picking his brain too."
"What about this 'Pleasure City' place?" Roy asked. "Anything we should know about it before we get there?" Goombella's face fell.
"Well, it's suspicious alright. I tried to do some digging online last night, but I couldn't find a whole lot beyond what that invitation already said. From what I've gathered, it's just basically some big carnival that opened up in New Donk City a few days ago."
"I don't remember Pauline approving anything like that…," said Daisy. "At least, she never mentioned it in our council meetings anyway."
"She probably wasn't the one to sign off on it," Goombella theorized. "I mean, it literally just appeared right on top of the historic district where the mayor's office should be. It just showed up overnight. Like magic."
"Magic, huh? Well that definitely sounds like Contemno's handiwork," said Larry.
"We're on the right track then," Roy agreed as he curled the other hand around his fist.
"But it's totally weird that they're making this place so accessible to the general public," said Goombella.
"What do you mean?" Daisy asked.
"This place seems more like an amusement park than some secret enemy base. I mean, from what I read on message boards last night from people who have already visited Pleasure City, there are a bunch of carnival games, rides, a casino, and an entire arena at the top of the central tower. There's all this advertisement about it online and apparently just about anyone can purchase tickets to get in and watch the fights."
"Well, that invite did say fighters from all over the world are gonna be there, didn't it?" Diddy reminded them. "So maybe this place isn't so exclusive after all."
"But why would Contemno want to build a place like this in the first place?" Larry wondered aloud.
"I'm not sure. But something's definitely not right about this whole thing. You guys should keep your guard up at all times while you're there," said Goombella. "Be careful, okay?" Larry, Roy, Daisy, and Diddy nodded together.
"We will. Thanks, Goombella. You're a big help!" Daisy praised.
"Don't mention it," Goombella replied with a smile.
"We should head out. Don't wanna miss that train," Roy suggested.
"Hold on just a second," another voice called out. Iggy, Junior, and Merlon all entered the room at once.
"Come to see us off?" Larry asked.
"Of course. But, there's something else too," said Iggy. "I have a surprise. Remember that equipment I needed to pick up from my lab when we snuck into our castle a while back?" Roy and Larry nodded. "Well, I managed to finish one of my prototypes. Since we're splitting up, I figured now's as good a time as any to try it out. So, you'll want to take these with you."
From Iggy's hands, Larry, Roy, Daisy, and Diddy each took an aqua blue, rectangular handheld device with a clam-shell design.
"Is this…a 3DS?" Larry asked as he eyeballed the device curiously and flipped it open.
It was definitely reminiscent of the handheld gaming device he and Junior were exceedingly familiar with, but it wasn't an exact match. All of the buttons and the second screen had been removed. In their places sat a miniature keyboard and touch pad. Yet, the top screen and AR camera appeared to have been preserved. In its current incarnation, it looked more like a tiny laptop or flip phone than a gaming device.
"It was, until I repurposed it," Iggy clarified. "That's my new multi-purpose communication device. You can use them to look for information online or keep in touch with each other if you split up. I've also set up a wireless network infrastructure so you can call our little team here at home base."
"No way!" Larry exclaimed excitedly as he began fumbling with it to figure out exactly how it worked.
"Use it to call us whenever you get stuck or aren't sure what to do next. You can get tech advice from me, Goombella's got all kinds of tattle information on enemies you might not be familiar with, and we can even get Merlon on the line if you need his wisdom."
"Way to out-due yourself, Brainiac," Roy praised with a smile.
"No kidding! You've thought of everything," Daisy agreed.
"Well, keep in mind that it's still just a prototype," said Iggy as he scratched the back of his neck. "There are a few bugs I didn't have time to iron out. The wi-fi chip is a little spotty, for example. So the connection won't always be the strongest. I also had ideas for some other features I wanted to include. But I'll work on that stuff while you're gone so you can upgrade your devices when you get back."
"Did Junior get one too?" Larry asked. The Koopa Prince shook his head, but he didn't seem to be bothered by this, given his neutral expression.
"Unfortunately, I was only able to get four of the devices up and running for now. I'd like to eventually make enough of them for all of us to have one at some point. But we'll just have to make do with what we've got for now."
"Well…shucks. Now I feel bad for taking one," Diddy confessed. He held his device out to Junior. "Maybe you oughta take mine. Three's more than enough for us."
"Thanks, but you hang onto it. You'll need it more than me," Junior denied.
"You sure?" Roy probed.
"Yeah. I'm just going to see Kamek. It's not like I'll be in any danger."
"Well, just make sure to take a break from your training and come back to check in with us every once in a while, alright?" Iggy instructed.
"Yeah, yeah," Junior shrugged him off nonchalantly. "If anything, I'm worried about you guys. You sure you're going to be in fighting shape for this tournament after the beating you took yesterday?"
"Meh, I'm plannin' to sleep the whole time on the train," Roy assured with a shrug. "Don't worry. I'll be ready to knock some heads first thing tomorrow. Count on it."
"Still, try not to push yourselves too hard, got it?" Goombella warned. "Here, you should take these Maple Ultras with you just in case." The Goomba handed off a few green mushrooms with what appeared to be maple syrup drizzled across the top to Larry and Roy.
"Maple what?" Larry repeated.
"Maple Ultras. They're super healthy. Perfect for getting your strength back in a pinch. But they're not exactly easy to come by so use them sparingly."
"She's right though. Seriously, be careful out there," Iggy added. "No reckless stunts. We still don't know a lot about what's waiting for you in this 'Pleasure City' place so use your best judgement and stick together. If you need anything, we're just a call away, got it?"
"We'll be fine," said Roy. "Promise."
"Same goes for you guys though," Daisy inserted. "Keep us in the loop. If you figure out anything useful from Hariet or about Peach's condition, call and keep us updated."
"We will!" said Kooper. "Do your best, guys! We're counting on you!"
"I wish each of you luck on your respective journeys," Merlon added. "As you travel further into enemy territory, tread carefully. There is no telling for certain exactly what you will find within."
At the entrance, Iggy, Goombella, Kooper, Toad, and Merlon waved goodbye as Junior, Larry, Roy, Daisy, and Diddy all departed from Shooting Star Summit.
Similarly, within Toad Town, Junior also prepared to part ways with the others on his own journey towards Dark Land.
"Train hard, squirt," said Roy.
"Yeah, we expect you to be a master of that crown by the time we see you again, got it?" Daisy teased.
"But no pressure, right?" Junior replied with a smirk.
"Hehe 'course not!"
"Well, you guys work hard out there too. You better bring back a trophy!"
"Trophy?" Larry parroted, confused.
"You're entering a tournament, aren't you? So you better win it all and bring home the gold for us!"
"I just hope we make it out of this in one piece…"
Junior placed his hands squarely on Larry's shoulders and gripped them tightly.
"Hey, c'mon. Cheer up, Larry. You'll be fine. I want to hear all about it when we meet up again." The Koopa Prince's gesture seemed to have worked as a small smile formed on Larry's lips.
"You're right. See you soon, bro."
After they hugged, waved, and gave their final goodbyes to Junior, Larry's group reached the train station at the south end of town.
They stepped aboard without any further delay. A loud whistle bellowed through the crisp morning air as the mechanical wheels screeched and slowly began to turn. The train crawled out of the station and gradually picked up speed; carrying its passengers into another great unknown.
Mario and Bowser hadn't realized just how far this town was from Castle Olympus.
The dried muddy road stretched on and on as far as their eyes could see. The giant hill they were descending seemed to be stuck in a perpetual decline; never to flatten out. The unbearable humidity certainly didn't help matters either as the infinite green net of tree branches above offered them slight shade, but zero protection from the heat.
Most curious of all, Damian didn't seemed to be bothered in the slightest by any of it. The man marched on a few feet ahead without a single care in the world. Meanwhile, Mario's shirt was drenched with sweat and Bowser could practically feel his scales becoming slick with his own perspiration.
"How much farther?" Bowser asked.
"Not far. We should be there in a few minutes," Damian replied. "Don't you remember the hike up?" Bowser froze for a second when he realized Damian was putting the squeeze on his narrative again.
"You sure like to ask a lot of questions, bub," Bowser retorted; too exhausted to even bother coming up with a cordial, logical explanation this time. Damian frowned.
"Oh…sorry, didn't mean to pry so much," he replied simply. "You're right though…"
"Hmm? Right about what?" This time, Damian hesitated. Bowser quickly took notice of that.
"I didn't mean to cross any boundaries."
"Hey, it's fine. Don't beat yourself up about it," said Bowser with a casual shrug.
"No, there's no excuse. I know better than to do that by now."
"What do you mean?"
Damian stopped, and this also brought Mario and Bowser to a curious halt of their own.
"You're new around here, so I should let you two in on a little secret. There's an unspoken rule in Dammerel."
"And what would that be?"
"You don't ask people about their past. Ever. Either they offer to tell you their story themselves, or not at all. And if they choose not to, you have to respect that."
"Sounds dumb. Why would you have a law like that?"
"Well, it's less of a 'law' and more of a mutual agreement. But Dammerel is a…special place. You see, its nickname is the 'Island of Regrets.'"
Bowser and Mario exchanged a puzzled look.
"Why's it called that?"
"Let's just say this place has a troubled past. You might know the story of the Star Keepers and all the wonderful, heroic things they did in their time, Bowser. But it's not the whole story."
"It's not?" Damian shook his head solemnly and looked on at the path ahead.
"No. A lot of terrible stuff happened here too. This used to be such a beautiful place. It was once a thriving kingdom; the first of its kind in the entire world, in fact. But as time went on, things changed for the worst. Tragedies took place here. A lot of good people disappeared or died on this land at the hands of the wicked. Wishes went unfulfilled. Hearts were broken. Dreams died." Bowser's eyes fell.
"I had no idea…"
"Can't blame you. Hardly anyone knows this place exists anymore. As time went on, this once-prominent kingdom fell into obscurity. Generations passed, and Dammerel was gradually abandoned and forgotten; horribly disfigured and haunted by a gruesome history. These days however, we'd like to think it has a new purpose."
"And what would that be?"
Damian turned back, and his cold, serious stare met Bowser's unsuspecting eyes.
"A refuge. People come to this place seeking an escape."
"Escape from what?" Bowser probed. Damian shrugged.
"Who knows? Could be anything, really; people or memories of the past, dashed dreams, broken promises, trauma they never got over, maybe regrets they have or mistakes they'd give anything to undo. It's not exactly paradise, but we all try to make this a safe space for anyone who needs that. We want Dammerel to be a place people can come to when they need a fresh start or a sanctuary. Here, you won't be judged for the people you were or any of the things you did before."
"But isn't that just running away from your problems? Where's the good in that?" Bowser asked. Damian crossed his arms.
"Not saying there is any. But we just want to give people a sense of peace; free from judgement," said Damian. Bowser folded his arms too.
"Hmm I dunno. That seems kind of scummy to me. You're just encouraging people to be spineless. If they don't learn to deal with their problems, and you're just giving them a place to hide, then they'll never move on from whatever's bothering them. If you really want them to feel better, they need to face their problems head on, not run away from them."
"What about you or Mario? Are you two running from something?" Bowser's eyes widened.
"Wha- Hey! You just said you don't ask people about their past!" the Koopa King reminded him as he pointed a claw. Damian raised his hands up to his shoulders in slight surrender.
"I only asked if there is something. I didn't ask you to tell me what it is," Damian defended with a chuckle.
"Oh. Well…"
"Can I be honest? It seems a bit strange to me that you guys would come to this place if you didn't agree with the philosophy it stands for."
"That's…," Bowser hesitated.
"But then again, nobody here is perfect," Damian continued. "I'm not allowed to ask you about it, so all I can do is trust that you have your reasons for being here now."
"What about you then, huh? You're here too so does that mean you've got something from your past you're trying to get away from?" Bowser interrogated.
Damian tugged the rim of his hat down slightly over his face, then stuffed his other hand into his pocket. He turned, then kept walking further down the road.
"It does. I'm no different," he affirmed with a slight hint of pride in his voice. "Come on, town isn't much farther."
Bowser and Mario looked at each other once more. Although Bowser could see in his eyes that Mario was surely feeling just as uneasy about this place now as he was, that hardly made him feel any better. All either of them could do now was continue on blindly following Damian's lead, try to keep their story straight, and just deal with whatever was to come next.
"What a weirdo…," said Bowser. He searched Mario's eyes for some kind of response, but found nothing. Seeing the plumber's lips not even so much as twitch was suddenly extremely upsetting to him.
Why was this just happening now?
The Koopa King let out an audible sigh. Deep down, Bowser felt extremely alone despite having Mario standing right there beside him. He hated not being able to ask questions or vent about his feelings and concerns with no chance of validation or reciprocation from anyone.
Mario was right there. Yet, without the ability to talk, he might as well have not been.
At long last, the trio reached the bottom of the hill and emerged from the forest. Mario and Bowser were shocked to find that the town Damian had been hinting at was a lot less developed in its infrastructure than they were expecting.
Dammerel was less of a "town" per se, and more of a slum.
Dirt and countless patches of dead grass encompassed a sprawling, circular forest clearing. Scattered haphazardly all across this clearing was a series of rusted copper and metal huts; with no rhyme or reason for their placements. Each hut had a roof made of straw, a scratched and scuffed wooden door, and grimy, fogged glass windows. It looked as though the slightest touch or a moderate breeze could knock down any of these shoddily-crafted structures within seconds.
"I'll give you a quick tour before we get to your place," said Damian. He turned and continued walking without waiting for Bowser to respond.
The pair followed their guide throughout the dirty, decrepit, and admittedly ugly settlement. It didn't take long for Damian's previous description of Dammerel to sink in.
The trio passed by sparse groups of people – human and non-human alike. They were caked in thin layers of dirt and dressed in torn, loose-fitting ragged clothing. Some erupted into terrible coughing fits while others gave off an unbearable body odor. The people stood around and stumbled about aimlessly like zombies. Some looked at Mario and Bowser as the duo passed by, but there was no life in any of these eyes.
It was as clear as day that the spirits of these people had been broken long ago.
Bowser grimaced with discomfort from just having to be in their presence, while Mario's sympathetic heart fell further and further down within his chest.
"This is the town plaza," said Damian.
But this "plaza" was nothing more than a large fire pit with chairs and logs scattered all around it.
A series of unlit bamboo torches and tall, fat wooden poles had been positioned all around the gathering spot. String lights dangled in the spaces between each pole, and small pots were placed at their bases; withering flowers poking out of the soil seemed to be just barely hanging on until their next drop of water.
Clearly there had been some attempt to make the place look slightly more pleasant and lively, even if it likely wasn't doing much to lift anyone's spirits.
"Everyone gets together here for town hall about once a week to listen to any new announcements or hold discussions about on-going issues," Damian continued. "Helps us create a sense of routine and community."
"What do you guys even talk about?" Bowser asked skeptically.
"It varies. Sometimes we talk about the weather. Other times we discuss how the crops are doing. We give out occasional tips and reminders about keeping the water supply clean," Damian answered. "We also always allow time near the end of each meeting for anyone who might feel comfortable sharing their story, though that's rare."
"But you said before that you don't ask people here about that stuff."
"You're right, we don't ask anyone directly. No one is forced to share if they don't feel comfortable. But we try to give them a space to talk about it if they do want to. No one is trying to deny the hurt they've been through or act like it never happened. We don't press them on it, but every once in a while, somebody will volunteer that information just to get it off their chest or try to connect with the others more."
"Does that actually help them?"
"Not always, but sometimes. As far as I'm concerned, that's better than not at all."
As the tour continued, Damian brought Mario and Bowser to the "cafeteria." In reality though, this was little more than a series of rotting wooden tables scattered about in the open with a small booth off to the side.
"We're fortunate to have a local chef who prepares breakfast in the morning and supper in the late afternoon," Damian described.
"What does he make?" Bowser asked. Though, given the deteriorating state of this place, he couldn't imagine there being much variety in the meals offered. More than anything, Mario and Bowser were both just more concerned about the overall cleanliness of the food.
"Whatever he can with the ingredients on-hand. We grow fruits, vegetables, and grains here on the island. But things like meat and dairy are extremely hard to come by. So it's mostly salads, vegetable stir-fry, and stews," Damian explained.
No wonder everyone's all skin and bones around here, Bowser thought to himself. I guess it's a miracle they have anything to eat at all though.
"How can you call him a chef if he doesn't know how to cook any real food?" Bowser criticized. As soon as he said it however, Bowser immediately had regrets about how harsh that might have sounded. Luckily, Damian didn't appear to be offended.
"Well, it's not so much that Devon doesn't know how to cook anything else," Damian argued. "He's simply doing the best he can with the ingredients we're able to provide him. Honestly, we're just glad he does this for us day after day out of the kindness of his heart without earning a salary."
The third stop on the tour brought the trio to a much taller wooden building almost resembling a barn.
"And this is the workshop. We've got a couple of handymen on-staff who are good with tools," Damian explained. "They helped build all of the houses for us and the infrastructure we have. If something's broken, you should come to see one of them to fix it."
Like with the chef, Mario assumed the shoddy craftsmanship of this town wasn't due to the lackluster skill level of these handymen. They were likely just doing the best they could with what they had.
But it was all just so sad. If they had better tools or materials, Mario was confident he could step in and help really turn this place around. Watching these already sad people living in such miserable conditions was almost enough to make him physically ill.
Damian peered through the window and frowned.
"Hmm…doesn't look like they're here at the moment," he said. "Oh well, I'm sure you'll get to meet them at some point."
The second to last stop on the tour was the most impressive one by far. Mario tripped slightly from a bump in the ground. This turned out to be an abrupt spot where the dirt road ended and a partially buried cobblestone path began.
The obscured road led to a tall brick parish church falling into accelerated disrepair, much like the rest of the world around it.
Many of its colorful stained glass windows were broken on all sides. Vines cradled the church's exterior and weeds poked out between the chipped and cracked cement stairs leading up to the entrance. One of the wooden double doors leading inside had even fallen off its hinges and now sat propped up against the wall off to the side.
There was a stone statue of a star resting on the front of the roof just above the entrance. Although this decorative piece seemed to be in the best shape out of everything Mario and Bowser had seen on the island today by a long shot, it too still looked quite weathered; as though it had endured quite a beating from the outside elements over the course of thousands of years.
"This is…a church?" Bowser asked.
"Yes, but…well…how do I put this?" Damian wondered aloud. "When we first settled on the island, this church was the only thing still standing. In many ways, it's all that's left of the old world. This church was first built by the Star Keepers themselves thousands of years ago. It's the last standing monument from their time; aside from Castle Olympus, of course."
"So…what do you use it for now? Storage?"
"Not exactly," Damian denied. "Long ago, the church was used as a place of worship for the stars. Back then, stars were seen as a form of deity; something to be worshiped and obeyed. They were perceived as the original creators of our world and the ones who first blessed the Star Keepers with their powers. But, after the Star Keepers disappeared and Dammerel fell into ruin, the church lost its purpose."
"Why do you still have the old place then?" Bowser probed.
"We still hold a weekly service for worship but…attendance is practically non-existent. The people living in Dammerel today have become so disillusioned by their own problems that they don't put much stock in faith or believing in a higher power anymore. But just like at the town halls, we try to still offer this to people who might want it."
Damian, Mario, and Bowser all turned at the sound of a loud creek.
The single remaining door to the church opened as someone stepped outside. Suddenly, a short, plump bipedal pig excitedly raced down the stairs towards them like a child greeting a parent who had just returned home.
The pig was wearing only a tight-fitting blue t-shirt and no pants. A short yellow cape was drooped over its shoulders and upper back. It had strange white markings painted on its arms and chest, with a thick layer of white paint circling its wide eyes. All of this - coupled with the necklace assembled from animal fangs around its neck and a strange headpiece resting on its head with a bundle of green leaves poking out of the top – gave the pig a primitive, tribal look.
"I thought I heard voices out here! Good afternoon, denizens!" the pig greeted as he reached out and violently shook both Mario and Bowser's hands at the same time; catching them off-guard. "Pray tell, have you come to the church today seeking to hear the word of our celestial leaders?!"
"Uhhh…what?" Bowser replied, puzzled.
"Hey, Morris," Damian greeted casually and completely unfazed by this new arrival. The pig turned and his face lit up.
"Oh, Damian! Hello! It's great to see you!" the pig exclaimed.
"Likewise. Guys, this is Morris. He runs the church here. Morris, this is Bowser and Mario. They're new to the island."
"I see, I see! Welcome! Welcome, friends! We're so glad to have you here on our humble island with us!"
"Yeah, that's great. Listen, could you dial down the energy a few notches there, porky? Your enthusiasm is giving me a headache," said Bowser. "Not to mention you're crushing my hand."
"Oh! Sorry! Sorry!" Morris exclaimed as he blushed and immediately released the pair from his death grip.
"I was just giving them the grand tour," Damian explained.
"Wonderful! Have you had a chance to meet the others yet?" Morris asked.
"Not really," said Bowser.
"Well, don't worry! I'm sure you will before long. After all, it's almost dinner time." Damian immediately glanced up at the sky.
"Oh, you're right," he said. "We better hurry up then. I'll show you guys where you'll be staying and then set you loose so you can grab a bite to eat. See you later, Morris."
"Farewell! Feel free to stop by for service…or anytime really!" Morris exclaimed as he waved excitedly.
"What's his deal?" Bowser asked once they were far enough away that he was sure Morris wouldn't hear them.
"Who? Morris?" Damian replied, confused.
"Yeah. When you told us what this place was like before, I guess I expected everyone around here to just be a perpetual sad sack. But that guy didn't seem like he had a care in the world."
"Oh he's got his fair share of troubles too. He just does a better job of hiding it than others. But he just loves it when there are new arrivals on the island."
"Not to be rude but...he's kinda annoying," Bowser stated bluntly. Damian laughed hardily at that.
"Give it some time. He grows on you."
"Come to think of it, you seem pretty cheerful too for someone who's running from something." Damian paused to consider this.
"We all cope in different ways," the man said simply. "Anyway, here we are."
Before they realized it, Mario and Bowser found themselves standing in front of an empty hut identical to the ones they'd seen before. They each peered inside and weren't exactly surprised by what they found.
There wasn't much to the tiny place except for two beds on opposite sides of the single room with wooden frames, filthy single mattresses, ragged blankets, and lumpy pillows. Small streams of sunlight poured through each of the two small windows above the beds.
A single lantern sat on a small wooden stool resting against the back wall of the hut. It wasn't hard to gather that this would serve as their only source of visibility inside the hut each night once the sun went down. The wooden floorboards were dusty and rotting, and there was barely enough space inside to even stand on.
For Mario and Bowser, this space would have to serve as their sleeping quarters at night and little else.
"It's not much, but…," Damian started.
"It'll have to do," Bowser finished for him.
"Right. I'll let you two get settled in. The cafeteria is open for a few hours and closes at sundown so there's no rush. Stop by there when you get hungry. If you need anything else, I'm not hard to find."
"Thanks, Damian. I think we'll manage on our own from here."
The man nodded and strolled away. Bowser watched him depart, then turned to find Mario already beginning to settle in on one of the beds inside the hut.
"…What the hell are you doing?" the Koopa King asked.
Mario raised his palms up in confusion with skeptical eyes.
"You do realize we're not actually staying here, right?"
The plumber tilted his head in confusion. Bowser slapped his palm to his face at that.
"You sure you didn't lose your memory along with your voice? We've got a mission, remember? Now that we're out of Contemno's stupid little heart world, we need to go home!"
Mario's face fell. He frowned and his eyes wandered with reluctance.
"What, are you kidding me? You and I both have friends and family out there who need us! We need to stop Contemno. Did you just forget all of that today? Don't tell me you were actually thinking of sticking around this dump!"
Mario twiddled his thumbs, unable to think of an excuse – even if he could still talk. Bowser groaned at this.
"Ugggh! What's with you?! Getting cold feet now or something? Don't tell me you're actually feeling sorry for these people."
Mario shrugged, and Bowser growled.
"Look, I know you're a goodie-goodie, and you're used to just helping everybody for no reason. But we don't have to do anything for these guys! They all came here of their own free will. If they just want to be filthy and sad and wallow around in self-pity for the rest of their lives instead of actually doing something about their problems, let them. That's not our problem!"
Mario placed a hand over his heart, then pointed an accusatory finger at Bowser.
"Don't try to lump us in with them! We didn't 'come' here. We're not supposed to be here. So we don't belong here. Sure, we've got our own problems too. But we're not running away from anything. Unlike any of these losers, we're trying to go back so we can fix a problem."
Mario kept one hand on his heart, then gestured out the window with the other.
"Are you seriously choosing to worry more about these random people in some crap shoot we didn't know existed until today, than any of your wimpy friends back home who are in trouble? Your brother? Your wife?" Bowser argued. "Contemno could be torturing all of them right now like they did to us, and yet you're more concerned about these sad people wallowing in mud, eating scraps, and feeling sorry for themselves?"
Mario shook his head in defeat.
"We should be making plans to get out of here as soon as possible. Hell, we should leave tonight if we can so we don't risk running into Damian or that annoying church pig again and having to make up even more lies about what we're doing here."
Mario folded his arms and glared at Bowser.
"What're you getting mad at me for all of a sudden?! We don't know these people! And I had to tell him something! But I wasn't going to just tell the guy who we really are when we didn't know him. For all we know, these people could turn out to be some crazy cult who secretly worships Contemno or something! They could turn on us if they found out who we are!"
Mario rolled his eyes at that.
"All I'm saying is it's not safe for us to be here. We need to get the hell out before we're in too deep. But you know what? I shouldn't have to be the rational one here. That's usually your job! But I didn't realize I'd have to pick up the slack on that now since you clearly lost your brain too when you lost your voice!"
Mario turned away, refusing to look at Bowser. A gurgling sound could be heard. The Koopa King placed a hand to his chest and shook his head; sighing.
"Look, we're just tired and hungry. It's been a long day. So, let's just get something to eat…and I guess we can stay one night. But first thing tomorrow morning, you and I are looking for a way off this island."