Chapter 26: Friends in the Shadows

"What's happened to me?" Double D asked himself as he made his climb down some stairs.

He walked out the door in pain. He walked slowly down the road.

"Who was that replica?" Double D asked. "What has he done to me?"

He knew he had to remain cautious. With no one to protect him, he was helpless against the woods.

The long, painful walk began, the walk back to Twilight town. He needed rest more then anything. He begged for the wood's mercy as he staggered through them. Through great fortune, he was sparred from any sort of attack. He finally reached the outskirts of the woods as he approached the gates of the town.

CRASH!

Double D looked up and saw a portal appearing above. He braced himself. The next thing he saw was a person dropping from the portal and onto the ground.

"You." Double D said. It was his replica. "Who are you, and what have you done?"

"My name? Well, before, it didn't matter, slick. But you may call me Double D!"

"I am Double D, you imposter! What have you done to me?"

"You mean, you haven't figured it out?" His replica asked. "Back in that belfry, I used dark powers steal your identity. You're name, your friends, and your life all belong to me."

"Don't you dare do anything to any of them!" Double D shouted. "If do ANYTHING to ANYONE, I SWEAR THAT I'LL-!"

"Do I sense rage?" The copy asked. "You're nothing but a shadow. Shadow's shouldn't talk, so just keep quiet."

"Where are they!"

"Back at the Inn. As soon as they're done resting, we'll be leaving. It's been a pleasure."

"AAHHHHHHH!" Double D shouted, ready to stab his rod right through the horrid imposter. He chucked and vanished, just like that.

Double D screamed in rage. His anger quickly turned into despair.

"I can't believe I lost." Double D sighed.

He recalled his whole group, and how they would all think of the doppelganger like Double D.

He finally made it back to town. "It appears the curse has been lifted."

No more pigs where visible, instead, a vast quantity of townsfolk walked around. He felt he had done a good thing for these people, in spite of the dreadful consequences. But if anything else, he needed to rest.

"I can't go to the Inn." he said. "I can't bear to face my friends… they will think I'm the monster."

But where else could he go? No one else would help him in the situation now that he was nothing but a shadow. Still weak, he proceeded to find a way to rest. Near the entrance to the town, he found some grass that still seemed to have some life. It would be good enough.

He sat down in the grass and tried to smooth it out. He exhaled and lay down in it. He closed his eyes and prepared himself for sleep…

"We have finally arrived." Double D heard a voice that awoken him.

He opened his eyes and got up slowly. He saw three people nearby. Ones he recognized.

"It's the shadow sirens. Marie warned me about their arrival." Double D whispered to himself. He listened in on their conversation.

"Where do you think they are?" The one named Vivian asked.

Beldam grabbed her violently. "Learn your place. It's not in your position to question me!"

"But I wasn't-"

"Rotten inferiority!" Beldam shouted in disgust and threw Vivian down onto the ground.

"That's horrible. No wonder she was miserable." Double D thought.

"As much as I love to see you squirm, I have more important things to do." Beldam said. "Now, you remember the plan? The one we have to kill Mario and his group?"

"Could things become any worse than they already are?" Double D thought.

"Yes." Vivian and Marilyn said.

"This new weapon of ours is guaranteed to do them in. Now, give it to me." Beldam demanded.

No one responded.

"VIVIAN!" Beldam shouted.

"I don't have it. You said I was too irresponsible to handle it."

"Then you shall be punished." Beldam said before she connected a punch to Vivian's face, then another, and another, until she was on the ground.

But she didn't stop. Beldam continued in the beatings.

'Treating your own sister like that?' Double D thought in disgust.

Beldam finally stopped. "Now, you will stay here and find it. You will not leave until you're done."

"Yes." Vivian said.

Beldam and Marilyn retreated into the shadows. Vivian fell on the ground the second they left and started crying softly.

'She's my enemy… but there is no way I can leave her like this.' Double D thought before he got up and ran over to where she stood.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Vivian looked up at his face with a sad expression but said nothing.

"Have you lost something?" Double D asked her politely.

"Yes, I have…" she sighed. "…go, it's not your problem."

Double D wouldn't accept it. She laid back down on the ground to rest. Double D began to search the area. He sifted carefully through the grass.

"What happened to you?" Double D asked, pretending like he didn't see the conversation.

"Don't worry about me, really." she sighed.

Double D found something within the grass. It looked like a grenade. One with a large crack running down from top to bottom.

"This will never go off. Mario and the group where never in danger from this weapon." He picked it up and walked over to Vivian.

"Is this what you lost?" he asked, holding out the broken weapon.

She didn't get up, but merely nodded.

"Can you get up?" he asked.

"No…" she sighed.

"She doesn't recognize me. …of course, because of my appearance." he thought. "Listen, I can help."

"Don't waste your time on me." Vivian said sadly.

"Your name is Vivian, right?" Double D asked. "I know a thing or two about first aid. Let me help."

"…fine." she said. Double D knelt to her side. "I've never done this with a shadow siren before." he thought. He looked at her arms first. First her, right, then her left.

"OW!" Vivian cried when he lightly tapped her left arm.

"I think your arm is broken." he said.

He took off his bag and sat down beside her. Double D ripped off both sleeves from his shirt and tied them both together.

"This may hurt a little." Double D said.

Vivian nodded. Double D started wrapping the cloth around her arm gently. She shivered in pain but remained still. After a minute, he finished the makeshift cast.

He also noticed a large cut on her other arm. "This will end my supply." Double D unscrewed the cap off of a bottle of water. "This also might hurt."

She whimpered slightly when he ran water over the cut. He had to rip off some more cloth. Finally, he completed a bandage over the cut.

"There. You should be alright now. Make sure that you don't use either arms too much in the future." He helped her up.

"…thanks." She said back.

"You're welcome."

"Why did you help me?" She asked.

"Because no one deserves those kinds of injuries."

"I can't thank you enough."

"I'm happy to be of assistance. Good day." With that, Double D turned away and proceeded back into the town." "What am I going to do? Sure, I helped, but that was the last of my water."

"Wait, you're leaving?" Vivian asked.

Double D turned back.

"Yes."

"Is there something I can do to thank you?"

"You can tell me why this occurred to you." Double D said.

Vivian sighed. "Very well. My sister, the one named Beldam. She treats me like dirt. I don't understand why, but she calls me inferior. If I ever mess up… this is the punishment I get."

"That's horrible." Double D said. "…you should never have to deal with that."

"Who are you?" She asked. "It's not often I see a shadow like yourself."

"I better explain my situation as well." Double D said.

He went on all about the white-sheeted monster that stole his identity, though he left out who he was.

"That's horrible. You have had it worse than I." Vivian said.

"We both know each other. We know our problems." Double D stated.

"…well, there's something I must do." Vivian said.

"Yes?" Double D asked.

"I have to help you." She said. "I will go with you."

"Are you sure you want to?" Double D asked.

"This is what I have been waiting for. I can help you. I have to make things up for saving me." She said. "Generosity like this should not go to waste."

"…but you should rest. You're hurt." Double D pointed out.

"Like I said, don't worry about me. I can help. Please let me come with." Vivian replied.

'This will be uncomfortable, siding with who I once considered an enemy. But I need all the help I can get at this point. Besides, she will be safer with me then with her sisters.' He thought before answering. "Sure, you can come. It's good to receive help in a time of need."

"I know." She smiled.

She held the weapon once designed to kill her enemies. It was a symbol of her sister's hatred. With a hard toss, she threw it back into the woods.

"Now, where do you want us to go?" Vivian asked.

"…we still can't go see my friends. They would have us drastically outnumbered." Double D stated. "The only way we have a chance is that they realize they have the imposter."

"Do you have any way of communicating with them safely?" Vivian asked.

"Of course, why didn't I think of this?"

He took out his laptop and logged on.

"So, are we ready to leave?" Goombella asked Double D.

"Uh… yeah. We just gotta get rested." He said strangely.

"You don't seem quite like yourself as of late." Flurrie commented.

"Yeah, and 'gotta?' I've never heard you use improper grammar." Jimmy said.

Beep. Beep.

"My Mailbox SP?" Mario asked. He took it out and read it the message to himself.

"Mario. This is Double D, listen to me!"

"What?" Mario asked himself.

He noticed Double D sitting nearby him, without his lab top.

He replied: 'No, you're not, he's next to me. Nice try, prankster.'

"No, I swear it's me!"

Mario decided he might as well humor him.

"Prove it."

"Me real name is Edward, you talk with an Italian accent, I'm from another dimension, I hatched a Yoshi egg named Eduardo Jr. with a Mohawk, is that enough?"

Mario waited for a moment. "I'm paying attention."

"Listen, it's me. The Double D with you is an imposter."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Please, listen to me. Go back to Creepy Steeple. I will be ready to meet you there with all the evidence I need to prove to you."

Mario was very interested in who this person was. "Deal. But if you're lying to me, you'll be in so much trouble."

They both signed off at the same time. Mario looked over to the 'Double D' who was with them.

"I've done what I can." Double D said to Vivian.

"What going to happen now?" She asked.

"We'll be going to Creepy Steeple. I can prove to them once we arrive that I am not the imposter."

"…mister?" she asked, still not knowing his name.

"Yes, Vivian?" He asked back.

"If this doesn't work… then you will still have me." She said, trying to make him feel better.

"Thanks." He said in genuine appreciation.

"We finally arrived." Double D said, upon reaching the gates to the accursed steeple.

"Are you nervous?" Vivian asked.

"Sort of." he said.

"As long as I'm with you, I'll never let anything happen to you." she said.

"Thanks." he said. "I'm still thankful-"

"LOOK OUT!" she cried out.

Double D had no time to dodge. A ghostly looking creature emerged from the shadows, sticking him clear across the head. The strike was so hard, it ripped across the hat, making an unexpected metallic clang, until the hat ripped right off his head.

Vivian quickly punched the ghost causing it to vanish.

"I hope you're okay, I-" She stopped and screamed the second she saw his exposed head. "You're..."