Mushroom Corporations Group: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, DK, Dixie, Toadette, Goombella, Kooper, Parakarry, Spike/Paper-Yoshi, Vivian, Bowser, Larry, Wario, Mona, Starlow, Grodus, Lord Crump, Boshi, Bleck/Blumiere, Fly Guy, Kody, Rosalina, Monty Mole, Mimi, Tadano
Hospital group: Toadsworth, Bowser Jr., Morton, Lemmy, Ludwig, Clawdia, Toodles
Island group: Tatanga, Beldam, Roy, Doopliss, Dimentio, Diddy, Fire Bro/Konnor
Moon: TEC
The gang returned to the lobby, feeling relieved that Mushroom Corporations was no more and that they got the Crystal Star Rod back in their hands, but also despaired at losing E. Gadd and Pauline. Losing people was something they were used to at this point…but it still hurt deeply.
Bowser carried Pauline over his shoulder while DK went up to the second floor to get E. Gadd and brought him down to the lobby.
Peach saw Pauline's drooped body over the koopa king's shoulder and sobbed at the sight. "She was becoming such a close person in my life. She really didn't deserve to die…not after everything she's been through especially!"
Luigi crossed his arms and also looked at her deceased body, reflecting on how he saw her in the lab, being beaten and spat upon by the vicious employees. "Right before she died, she said she didn't have to suffer anymore. I get why she said that. Her whole life has been unfair and tragic…and…she was alone. Those assholes made her feel like dirt again in the moments leading up to her dying. Sick bastards."
"You were with her when you guys were captured. I…god, I don't even wanna know what they did and said to her before we saved you guys. I get more and more disgusted by how many sick people we keep running into. Hopefully, after Tatanga is gone, we won't ever have to deal with that crap again," Daisy shuddered and held tight to Luigi.
Boshi overheard all of this and it reminded him of himself a little. He saw some of himself in Pauline and felt a little connected to her, despite their last few exchange of words back in the Underworld not being exactly cordial. He then thought that the dynamic between him and Yoshi was very similar to Pauline and Peach; he and Pauline wrecked their respective friend's lives but wanted to make amends…the only difference is that Peach forgave Pauline, and he doubted that Yoshi would ever forgive him.
"Hey ya! You okay there? You look super lost in thought!" Monty asked, snapping the dino out of his inner ramblings.
"Huh!? Oh…yeah. I'm fine. Just…thinking about Pauline," Boshi replied and looked away from him.
"Oh yeah. Didn't know her that well, but she seemed like a sweetheart. Well, all of you do! Got a little tight-knit group going on here which is, like, the most amazing thing ever. That kind of bond is rare nowadays, just too many people looking out only for themselves!" Monty commented in a positive light. Boshi so badly wanted to tell Monty that he was being a little naive about what he was saying about the group…especially since Boshi didn't consider himself as 'sweet.'
"Hmm. Yup. Definitely a great bond. Bond's so tight that they protect one another to the greatest lengths…" Boshi cryptically replied.
"Yeah! I'm honestly looking forward to knowing you all more after we're victorious. And we WILL be, because I really think good always beats bad no matter what!" Monty merrily added.
"Mmmhmm. Well, mole man…there are a few of us here who you're better off not knowing. We ain't all sweethearts," Boshi stated then walked off, leaving Monty feeling a little confused and dismayed at that wording.
"Okay, so…like, remind me of the plan. A few of us take Petey, Pauline, and E. Gadd back to the hospital to lay them to rest, then the rest of us take an arwing to fly to Tatanga's island to begin the final battle? Is that the gist of it?" Goombella asked to the group.
"Exactly that. All the other arwings are on the 6th floor. Who wants to take this arwing here back to the hospital with Pauline, Petey, and E. Gadd?" Mario asked. Bowser immediately raised his hand.
"I'll do it and bring Larry with me. Gives us a chance to see our family once more before we head out to kill the alien. Kody, do you wanna come with us?" Bowser asked.
"Yes, I'd love to! They'll totally be overjoyed when we tell them that we nuked this place!" Kody cheered with Larry smiling and nodding.
DK entered the lobby, carrying E. Gadd's burnt body. Some looked away whereas others couldn't help but stare and deeply mourn the professor who helped them all a great amount ever since he came to the hospital.
"DK…load him up in the arwing, please. Bowser, Larry, and Kody are taking the bodies back to the hospital and the rest of us are taking arwings to Tatanga's island," Mario instructed. The ape nodded and brought E. Gadd to the arwing, with Bowser taking Pauline into there, and Larry and Fly Guy taking Petey into it.
"Alright, if that's everything, then we'll be on our way out. See you guys soon at the last assault!" Bowser said, then him, Larry, and Kody hopped into the arwing and began to take off as the others waved them goodbye. Bowser then flew the arwing out of the lobby and into the sky.
"The last assault, huh? Heh. War terms. Damn right we're gonna assault the shit out of those goons! This goodie bag I stole from one of the labs has so many cool medical weapons in it I could use to creatively kill all those fleabags!" Fly Guy excitedly yelled, prompting others to awkwardly nod and snicker at him.
"Well, uhh, let's just focus moreso on the speed of killing them rather than the creativity of killing them," Mona commented.
"Alright, they're gone and so shall we! To the 6th floor everyone!" Bleck commanded and everyone went up the east stairwell.
"Mar…so, you actually shot yourself in the foot when you faced Toadari on the 6th floor!?" Luigi asked in disbelief, looking at Mario's bullethole wound in his left shoe. Mario couldn't but help chuckle at the craziness that he pulled off but also cringed still at the pain that also made his foot feel somewhat numb.
"Well…I had to do something completely unpredictable to throw him off his game, so…I went with the first thing I thought of, and somehow, it worked. Came at the expense of hurting my entire damn foot, but I was limited on options!" Mario explained annoyedly as he gripped the stairwell railing and limped up the stairs on his left leg.
"Suppose that's fair then…yikes, though. But, bro, I need to tell you something about E. Gadd, and I don't know how you're gonna feel about it," Luigi said, prepping Mario to feel a certain way.
"Oh boy, what could it possibly be, brother?" Mario sighed.
"So…I was talking to Goombella on the way up to the lobby and she told me something weird about what E. Gadd said before he died. He said that, if we can, go to his laboratory before we go to Tatanga's island…and to take this book that he grabbed from his old office when he used to work here," Luigi began the explanation and handed Mario the burnt book that E. Gadd clutched before his untimely end. Mario slowly took the book and read the cover which said 'Into the Tower' by an author named Enid Dalvg.
"Enid Dalvg…heh, clearly an anagram of Elvin Gadd. Wonder why he did it like that though. But why would he want this book saved? And really…what could possibly be so important that we must stop at his laboratory before we hit Tatanga's island!? That's just so odd that he said that considering the strict timecrunch we're on!" Mario ranted in frustration.
"I agree, it IS odd. But, Mario…this is also Professor E. Gadd we're talking about here. The same man who makes the wackiest inventions ever and has an IQ of probably 200. He wants us to visit his lab for a reason, he knew we were on a timecrunch, but clearly there's gotta be something important there if he wants us to make a pit stop before we fight Tatanga," Luigi pointed out. Mario gripped the book and sighed a little, wanting to go straight into the final battle with Tatanga…but deep down knew Luigi had a fair point about E. Gadd.
"Well…alright. I'll go and make the pit stop at his lab and the rest of you guys will go to Tatanga's island, that way no time is wasted in getting this crap finished. It's settled, there's no changing my mind about this part of the plan," Mario stated with Luigi nodding understandingly.
"How nervous are you about seeing your brother again?" Mimi asked Tadano, knowing it's gonna be an incredibly intense confrontation between the two when the time comes.
"Scale of 1 to 10? A million! But…I wanna see him die. I've been wanting to see him die ever since I was the one who got locked up in the institution over him. He got to live with his days fucking everything up in the outside world! And me? Well…my family got what they wanted. I legit did go insane from being sent to that mental institution. How ironic!" Tadano angrily responded.
"Yeah, I get your anger. You know, Tadano, I'm sorry if this might not be the most appropriate thing to ask right now, but, uhh, have you thought about what you'll do after Tatanga is gone?" Mimi asked, curious to see if he has a plan for what'll come after.
"What do you mean what I'll do after Tatanga is gone? You mean…how I'm gonna live my life after my brother is wiped out?" Tadano asked.
"Yeah. Um…because…I know your father's gone…and your mom too…got any relatives to stay with? Ones that you can trust?" Mimi asked.
Tadano's face sunk and he annoyedly rolled his eyes while shaking his head. "No. I mean…I got a cousin that lives just outside Mushroom City, but we haven't spoken in years. I'm sure he's seen the news about me escaping the mental institution too…and the fact that, um, my damn twin is taking over the world! Him seeing me would just remind him of Tatanga. It wouldn't work. And then you got my Toadington's disease…fuck! I was just destined to fail at life!" The alien stalled in his steps at the back of the group and started crying. Mimi touched his shoulder and tried to comfort him.
"No, you weren't! Hey, listen to me, Tadano…I see YOU. You are not your twin brother. As for your disease, well, these days there are plenty of ways to get help with it. Technology and medicine have advanced sooo much now that you'll likely live a long life. And I can help you with that! You won't be alone, Tadano!" Mimi assured and gave him a hug.
"Thank you…you're, um, really the nicest person I've ever met…no one's been so nice and giving to me before…" Tadano sniffled and hugged her back, feeling grateful to have found a close friend within this disaster.
"Toadette, you wanna know what I'm realizing just now? That I'm very soon gonna figure out if Diddy is still alive on that island or not. Man…I'm so scared!" Dixie said nervously and felt herself tremble a little at the thought of her lover being dead.
"That's right! It's gonna be the moment of truth. But, Dixie, no matter what the truth is, we gotta fight on until the very end. I hope he's alive as well…but I think we both know by now that hope doesn't always win," Toadette replied a little bluntly, hoping Dixie wouldn't be completely expectant of Diddy being alive and well and ready to take her in his arms.
"Yeah. I wanna be SO hopeful that he's alive…but I always gotta be prepared for the worst. And even then, there's no guarantee that we'll be together again after everything I've done to push him away. Betraying Diddy for some lunatic is the biggest regret of my entire life. But I swear, Toadette, if Diddy wants to try things again, I'll do everything I can to make things work between us and be the best person that I can be for him. Because there can't be any more screw-ups this time around. Diddy has, like, a thousand reasons to not be with me…but if he chooses me again, it's gotta be fate that we were meant to last…but I still have to put the work in to make it happen," Dixie said in agreement, trying her best not to get too teary-eyed because of how much she missed him in that moment. Toadette smiled and nodded at her, then held her hand, wanting her friend to be happy no matter what happens.
The gang got up to the 6th floor and then entered the arwing room. Before everyone began to hop in to their own respective arwing so they could take off, Mario faced the group and spoke.
"Guys…before we take off, I need to say something real quick. I have to make an urgent pit stop at E. Gadd's laboratory. There's something there that he wants us to discover before we make it to Tatanga's island…but I'm going there by myself. The rest of you need to go on ahead to Tatanga and start the battle without me. Use the Crystal Star Rod to your advantage, because this is it, guys. One more fight before all of this can finally end," he stated, surprising some of the others.
"Yeah, he said that right before he passed," Spike noted. "But I wonder what the hell could be so important there that he reeeaaaalllly wanted us to go to his lab before we hit Tatanga's? Because we already have the Crystal Star Rod, so I'm not sure what else we would need to succeed in the fight!"
"He…said all that before he passed!? That's…extremely strange…" DK commented in confusion, not being there when the aforementioned event happened, along with Peach and Daisy who seemed just as confused.
"I agree, DK. But this is E. Gadd we're talking about here, he's got a million tricks up his sleeve that I have no doubt he has something special in store even after death," Mario pointed out with a slight scoff.
"Totally. He also said to go there IF we have time. So, he said it for a reason. It's definitely worth it to check it out," Goombella added.
"Well…Mario, I'm gonna come with you then! Just in case you need a helping hand!" Peach declared. Mario smiled at her and nodded, not wanting to object to that.
"No arguments from me! But, Peach, that means you need to give the Crystal Star Rod to someone else because they're gonna need it as soon as they reach the island," Mario pointed out. Peach nodded then handed it to Daisy.
"Thank you. I'll put this to good use! Tatanga isn't gonna know what'll hit him…I don't think he even realizes we have the mystical item now. Even if he were to start destroying the world with his weapon…he's done for with this. His reign won't last long at all!" Daisy commented in excitement.
"Hold on! Before we all leave, don't forget about the TEC part of the plan. Who knows how far away exactly the X-Naut Fortress is from colliding into the island at this point?" Crump recalled, hoping to remind everyone that this was still happening.
"Oh shit, that's right! And, hey, you know what else that reminds me of? Diddy. If he's still alive…then we HAVE to get to the island before the fortress impacts the island!" Mona added, making everyone else get a little antsy just thinking about that, especially Dixie and DK.
"SHOOT! I can't believe I forgot about that! Okay, that means we need to head out this instant! Mario and Peach, we'll see you over there! Everyone else, COME ON!" DK yelled and booked it to the arwing closest to him.
"DK, me and Daisy are gonna go with you! Mario and Peach…please don't take too long, okay!? Even though we have the star rod, we need you both there for the final battle!" Luigi urged. Mario nodded understandingly and hugged his brother goodbye and Peach did the same thing for Daisy, then the pair hopped into DK's arwing.
"Yoshi, you wanna come with me and Toadette?" Dixie asked, thinking that it might be beneficial for him to ride with two people he was closest to in the group, besides a few others of course. Yoshi nodded with a serious look and the three got into their own arwing.
"Errr, hold up just a second here, you all know how to fly these things!? Aren't there like a billion controls in it!? And it looks like it could go at supersonic speed! Oh god…I'm already imagining my stomach turning!" Monty shrieked in fright.
"It's not as bad as it seems, Monty. Come ride with me, I'll show you," Rosalina kindly assured. Monty hesitantly nodded and walked with her to the arwing.
"I'll come with you two! Man, am I nervous to potentially see my sister again…" Vivian said, feeling stressed from just having to encounter Beldam once more and not knowing how she would react in the moment. But Vivian knew Beldam had to go. She lost her trust forever.
Goombella looked off at Vivian walking away, wanting to talk with her about things and wanting to be the person Viv could vent to about her sister. She truly hoped their friendship could remain close after Tatanga is gone.
"Goombella! Hey, you wanna come with me and Parakarry? Him and I wanna ride together," Spike asked, snapping her out of her phase.
"Oh! Uhh, sure. Yeah, let's go!" Goombella said, trying to get her mind off of Vivian and focus on the objective for the time being.
"What the hell are these contraptions? Mini jets? Makes me almost wish we had these during our Crystal Star saga, Grodus! Heh, they would fit in perfectly with the X-Naut Fortress environment," Crump cackled.
"I believe these are called arwings. Come, Crump, I'm sure it can't be difficult to control this. And please don't get any crazy ideas about these contraptions…we're leaving that behind in our past, remember?" Grodus said while shaking his head but tried not to chuckle at how Crump said it.
"I know, I know. Just a thought that I wanted to blurt out loud. I'm honestly looking forward to blasting the shit out of that place with this thing, though! This is the end of the quest, Grodus, so we may as well go all out!" Crump said excitedly and hopped on in.
"Hmm. Sure. But let's not take it too far. Can't get over-confident now," Grodus warned and entered.
"I am soooo driving this hunky metallic flying thingamajig that looks like it came from Planet Zorbulon! I promise I won't do cartwheels with this thing!" Fly Guy cheered and quickly hopped in.
Kooper chuckled and playfully rolled his eyes. "I guess I'll go with good ol' propeller head then. How about you? Riding with us? If so, definitely hold tight to your seat with this one!"
Boshi sulked a little, watching Yoshi settle himself in the arwing and talk with Dixie and Toadette. Boshi wished deep down he could talk to him. But he knew this was no time to get deep in his feelings about this. He perked up and looked to Kooper then said, "Yeah, I'll go. We'll see how manic of a pilot propeller guy is!"
"Two arwings left, five of us! Mona, we're obviously riding together. Any one of you wanna come with us, or you three riding together?" Wario asked to Mimi, Tadano, and Starlow.
"We'll leave you two by yourselves. Get some alone time in before the big fight. I'll go with…Tadano and…uhh…Mimi, right?" Starlow said, realizing that she hadn't properly met both Mimi and Tadano before.
"Yes, Mimi! And I think your name is Starlow, yeah?" Mimi asked and Starlow nodded with a smile. "Great! So, who's feeling confident to drive this mini-jet!?"
"I'll do it. I also wanna be the one to blast the shit out of my brother's hideout. Should be fun!" Tadano cheerily responded then ran to the arwing.
"HOLD ON, MARIO! Don't blast off just yet!" Daisy yelled, running over to his arwing.
"Yes!? What is it?" Mario asked.
Daisy pointed the Crystal Star Rod to his left foot and yelled, "HEAL!" A thin ray of white light shot from the tip of the rod and struck Mario's foot, making him jump a little.
"Woah! Ooh…felt like I just got a foot massage!" Mario yelped with a chuckle.
"Almost forgot to heal that foot of yours! Now you're good to go. See you for the grand finale!" Daisy said then ran back to her arwing.
One by one, everyone started up their arwings then blasted off into the evening sky. Daisy's arwing stopped in midair and turned around to face Mushroom Corporations down below. The arwing hatch opened up and Daisy shot a blast of red light at the giant building, hitting the dead center of it, causing an explosion. Parts of the building crumbled and tumbled on top of each other and other parts were set ablaze.
ST. TOADOFSKY'S HOSPITAL
Bowser Jr., Lemmy, Morton, Ludwig, and Clawdia found a patient room they could all sleep in for the night together. Clawdia immediately fell asleep in the corner, wrapped up in a blanket. The other four were next to each other on the opposite side of the room, unable to sleep because the thought of the world potentially being saved kept ringing through their heads…along with hoping that their dad and brother would make it out alive as well.
"Damn, she passed out quickly. Can't be too surprised, I guess, considering all the emotional shit she went through within the past not even 24 hours must've made her exhausted…" Ludwig commented softly, watching her snooze away.
"I honestly don't think I'm gonna be able to sleep until I know they've succeeded. I'm just afraid that if I DO fall asleep…there's a chance I won't wake up due to Tatanga winning. I mean, the chances of him winning are low, but still…it's something that I can't get out of my head," Lemmy added in stress.
"Guys…you know how she said that she'll have no one once the world is saved?" Junior quietly asked as he stared at Clawdia. The other three looked to him, having an idea of what he was going to say next. He continued, "Well, what if we keep in contact with her? It doesn't have to be often. I was just thinking that it could help her state of mind and make her feel less alone in the world. Because I don't want her to end herself. That's still our mom, even if she made some big mistakes."
"Junior…let's just figure that stuff out after they succeed, okay? It's a lot to ponder and discuss and I know dad will need some time figuring that out as well," Morton suggested while Ludwig got a little annoyed at this topic being brought once again.
"I understand that. But guys, let's please not just send her away after everything's settled. I know you guys are thinking about that. We should have a family discussion before we decide on anything," Junior insisted.
"Listen," Ludwig spoke a little louder then sighed frustratedly, "There's a shit ton of things to consider and discuss when it comes to her. It's not gonna be an easy decision no matter what we come to…but you also can't blame us if we choose to still keep her at a very low contact. I am very sympathetic towards her losing her husband and daughter, and she must be feeling like she's in hell right now…but that doesn't change the past and it doesn't change our feelings for what happened."
"Guys, let's just drop this topic until the damn world is saved, please. It's too much to think about on top of everything else happening right now," Lemmy urged.
"I'm just asking you guys to remember that she IS still our mom, even after everything she's done. Plus, people can change for the better! Dad did…" Junior added, further irritating Ludwig.
"Just because she's our mom doesn't mean we should keep her in our life! It's never that simple, Junior!" Ludwig spat.
"Okay, you two, stop before this gets any more heated. This'll just have to be a family discussion after the world goes back to normal. That's it. Let's not talk about it until then," Morton stated adamantly. Junior crossed his arms and looked away from his brothers while Ludwig rolled his eyes again.
Suddenly, a few soft knocks on the door were heard. Morton stood up and went to the door.
"Yes? Hi?" Morton said, seeing Toadsworth and Toodles right there.
"Hello, Morton! Are your brothers in there with you?" Toadsworth asked.
"Uhh, yes they are! Why, what's up?" Morton asked with a raised brow.
"Goodness, you'll never believe what we just saw in the courtyard. While we were out taking a little stroll, a flying contraption that looks like something straight out of the military landed near the woods, and guess who was in it? Your father! Oh, and your brother, Larry, and…who was the other kid? Koby?" Toodles revealed, surprising Morton. The brothers heard this as well and also ran to the door.
"Kody, dear, koDy. But yes, we saw them land just a few minutes ago and your father told us to go get you boys to come to the courtyard post haste! He told us the reason why he's back and not the others, but, erm, it's better that you hear it from him," Toadsworth added a little crypitcally.
"Ohhhhh man, Toadsworth, dude, you know how we don't like the sound of that!" Lemmy cried.
"But wait, is it JUST dad, Larry, and Kody that are back? Not the others? That's very strange," Ludwig commented in confusion.
"Don't worry too much, dears, him and your brother and your little Kody friend are alright, just…head on out there and he'll tell you everything. Oh! And I see…Clawdia is resting in here too," Toodles said, noticing her sound asleep in the corner of the room.
"Yeah, she's totally knocked out. Any chance you guys can just stay nearby here until we get back? I don't think she should be left all alone," Junior asked.
"Of course! Now go on ahead! See you soon!" Toadsworth stated, then the boys hurriedly ran out of the room and to the courtyard.
"Hmm. What do you think about that?" Toodles asked, gesturing a little towards Clawdia.
"About what? Her and them all together in the same room?" Toadsworth quietly replied.
"Sort of. Just makes me curious if, you know, that family is actually going to fully reunite somehow in the future. Can only imagine how much confusion and distress there would be surrounding all of that!" Toodles answered.
"Oh. Sure, I can see the drama ensuing from all that. But let's not worry about that, dear, that's their own business they'll need to handle. We should just focus on ourselves and the potentially limited time we have left here on this forsaken planet!" Toadsworth advised and held her hand.
"Oh…indeed, my dear. It would be quite dreadful if the world were to end just as our romance begins to blossom…but I'd also wouldn't want to be with anybody else during the world's end," Toodles replied with a bright smile and kissed him, Toadsworth also smiling and gushing while kissing back.
At the courtyard, the koopalings ran outside and indeed saw the arwing parked by the woods with their father, Larry, and Kody just next to it. They ran fast, excited and relieved to see their dad, brother, and friend alive and well, but also confused about what was going on exactly.
"DAD! HEEEEY!" Junior cheered and was the first to reach him and hug him tight. The others immediately followed suit with Larry joining in. The brothers then hugged Kody, laughing a little in their relief and rejoice.
"Dad, Larry, and Kody! We're so happy you guys are still alive, but, uhh, why are you back so soon without the others? What's happening!?" Morton asked.
"Well, boys, we lost a few more people: Professor E. Gadd, Pauline, and Petey. They were killed because of those motherfuckers at Mushroom Corporations, but guess what? We killed them and destroyed their building. So now, I'm unfortunately gonna have to bury these bodies, then we're gonna fly this machine to Tatanga's island and end this chaos once and for all," Bowser explained a little tiredly, shocking the sons.
"OH NO! Man, even with the Crystal Star Rod, we still lost some people!? That's horrible…" Ludwig groaned.
"Yeah, shit's horrible for sure! But the others are heading to Tatanga's island right now as we speak, so we figured we'd visit you all one last time and bury the bodies then head back out there!" Kody clarified.
"Aw, well, we're glad you came by here before you all go into the big fight! Even if it's, uhh, not under the most ideal circumstances," Lemmy noted awkwardly as Bowser pulled out the bodies.
"Yeah. Far from ideal. By the way, where's Clawdia?" Larry asked.
"She's in the hospital sleeping. Toadsworth and Toodles are keeping an eye on her until we get back," Morton answered, looking to his dad who didn't bother responding to that as he was busy carrying all 3 bodies on his back then headed to the graveyard. The boys followed him.
"Hey, dad, speaking of Clawdia, can I ask you something about her?" Junior asked, with Ludwig giving the koopa kid a suspicious look.
"Yes, what is it, son?" Bowser asked, eyes still set on the graveyard.
"Just, um, well, I don't know if the thought's even crossed your mind, but have you thought about what we should do with Clawdia after the world is saved? Y-you know, since she lost her own family and all," Junior nervously asked, provoking some more irritation in Ludwig.
Bowser slowly turned his head to him, a look of both confusion and annoyance upon his face.
"Son…are you asking if…we should keep contact with her?" the koopa king asked as if he was dumbfounded by that question.
"Err…yes. I just, um, wanna know what you think we should do with Clawdia. Or, um, at least think about what we should do. You know?" Junior clarified, stumbling on his words a little since he knew his dad wouldn't like that question.
Bowser leered a little at his son, then faced forward to the graveyard again, and spoke, "We'll cross that bridge when the time comes, son. Honestly, that's the last thing I wanna think about right now."
"Told you!" Ludwig said, nudging Junior, making the koopa kid give him an annoyed expression.
"So just because she no longer has her own family…you think we should slowly welcome her back into our family out of pity and sympathy? Is that what you're actually trying to suggest here, Junior?" Larry asked also with an annoyed expression.
"Don't put words in my mouth! I'm just saying here that we shouldn't quickly jump to just never seeing her again! I think we should, like, at the very least, think about it and discuss it, okay!? Is that such a bad thing to ask!?" Junior raised his voice.
"You're asking us to think about and discuss keeping contact with someone who ruined dad's life and never gave us a proper mother figure growing up…the same person who then refused to do anything about how her late husband was constantly throwing jabs at dad while he was grieving over Wendy and Iggy. If you hadn't fucking noticed, Junior, it's clearly a topic that the rest of us aren't exactly keen on discussing in the first place," Ludwig harshly stated.
"ENOUGH," Bowser's voice boomed as he stopped at a spot where he would dig the three graves. "I said we will cross that damn bridge once we get to it. Do I make myself clear!?" the rest of the boys nodded. "Good. Now, Larry, help me start digging these holes. You boys can help out too if you want, but we're done talking about this, especially since it's right before the final battle…and before I see Roy for potentially the last time."
Everyone else perked up at the mention of Roy. The sons immediately realized it's been a while since they've even talked about him.
"Roy? Umm, he's the one who, uhh, joined Tatanga…right?" Kody asked a little nervously, hoping it wouldn't provoke a strong reaction.
"Yeah. That's him. Dad…have you thought about what to do with Roy when you go over there? Um, assuming he hasn't been killed by Tatanga, of course," Morton asked, worried to see how his dad would also respond to that.
Bowser paused for a moment, looking at the graves. The koopa kids became increasingly nervous for his response, wondering what could be going on in his head.
"Dad…I-I'm so sorry, you don't need to answer that. Let's just bury these bodies," Morton said, wishing he never asked that.
"Roy," Bowser suddenly spoke, making the kids perk up again. "I'll…I'll know my answer to that when I see him. Now let's get digging."
TATANGA'S ISLAND
"I WISH I WAS FUCKING HEALED!" Tatanga angrily screamed at the Star Rod, all bruised up from the battle in the cafeteria at St. Toadofsky's. The rod glowed brightly and shot a small beam at Tatanga's chest, healing with wounds and relieving his pain immediately. He was sitting in the storage room where the now destroyed teleporter was with a group of koopatrols surrounding him.
"Master Tatanga, why didn't you just bring the Star Rod with you when we were at the hospital!? Surely that could've caused more destruction and distress!" pointed out a koopatrol.
"Because I didn't want to risk anything happening to the Star Rod, like it being stolen…DUH! The plan was always to go there, cause some quick destruction before the REAL destruction of the world began, then get the hell out. So I didn't care about using the Star Rod in that case, when the scepter would've already been enough. Any more annoying questions!?" Tatanga asked, clearly bothered by the questioning of his thought process. Everyone else quickly shook their heads.
"Good. Now…the weapon! How far away are we from 100% completion!? Anyone know!?" Tatanga asked in anticipation, rushing out of the storage room and into the main room where the enormous weapon resided.
"We are very very VERY close, Tatanga! In just under an hour, the weapon will be ready to go! Testing is still being finalized, but the second they give the all clear to go, we can go! And then the world will be yours!" excitedly reported one of the koopatrols.
"Brilliant! So, you all help out with whatever the hell else needs to be finalized on this beauty. I gotta pay someone a visit before the fun begins!" Tatanga cheerily responded, beyond giddy at his ultimate dream about to become a reality very soon. The koopatrols broke off from him and the alien merrily walked down the corridors all the way down to his room.
"Hello, my vegetative slave!" Tatanga yelled to the drained Beldam, still laying on his bed, exactly where he last saw her. "Have you thought about your decision? What's it gonna be, Beldam? Choosing to be mobile again but lose all your powers and be my slave for all eternity, or choosing to stay in this immobile state forever? Or…shall I be the one to make the choice for you?"
Beldam didn't even want to look at his wretched face. Her blood boiled, wanting to slit his damn throat right then and there, but this was how things were now for her. She had to accept it.
"I…I choose…to…be your…fucking slave," Beldam grumbled, feeling disgusted that she had to say that.
Tatanga grinned and walked over to her, making sure she could see his face light up in delight. "Nice, Beldam. See? You're not as self-destructive as you like to think you are. I knew you wouldn't want to live a life of immobility. Even in the darkest times, your spirit wouldn't let you go that low."
A tear fell down Beldam's cheek, the painful reality of being Tatanga's eternal slave now becoming true. She truly would rather die at this point, since she also began to believe it's what she deserved now.
"Oh? No witty response? No harsh retort? Wow. Guess I've completely broken you! Look at that…the wicked witch of the shadow world has been emotionally defeated. I'm interested to see how Vivian's reaction would be seeing you like this. Well, that's IF she even sees you, because any minute now, my plan goes into action and your sister will either be killed immediately or she'll also be my slave. If she becomes my slave, then you two can wallow in miserable sisterhood together while she resents you for betraying her once again! Hehehe…damn, Beldam. Look at the tragic mess you got yourself into," Tatanga mockingly spoke and snickered, putting salt on her emotional wound.
Beldam turned her head away from him as much as she had the strength to, because she couldn't stand how smug he looked while he was saying all that.
Suddenly, one of the koopatrols came rushing into Tatanga's room.
"SIR! SIR! WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY!" the koopatrol frantically yelled.
Tatanga sighed annoyedly and turned around then said, "Yes? What could possibly be the emergency!?"
"There's…uhh, in the sky! Some giant contraption is heading right towards us from the sky!" the koopatrol struggled to properly explain.
Tatanga looked beyond confused at that. "Wh…WHAT!? A giant contraption heading right towards us? What in the fuck are you talking about!? Wait, are you referring to those arwing things that look like tiny planes that Mario's gang flew when they came here? Because if so, then don't fucking worry about it, we have the force field surrounding the whole island, remember!?"
"NO NO NO! Tatanga, it's not the arwings! It's…it's…it looks like a giant fucking building heading straight towards the damn island!" the koopatrol reiterated, still frantic.
Tatanga was dumbstruck now, having no idea what the hell this guy is talking about. "A…building!? WHAT!? Okay, just fucking show me what the hell you're talking about because this is sounding so idiotic right now!"
The koopatrol led Tatanga down a couple hallways up to the highest part of the fortress where one can look out and see everything from there and where another koopatrol was looking out to the sea with his binoculars.
"Tatanga…look up! Do you see what I'm talking about now!?" the koopatrol yelled, pointing up to the sky. The alien looked up and his jaw dropped at what indeed looked like a giant, futuristic-looking building heading straight towards the island.
"WHAT IN THE FUCKING HELL IS THAT!? WHY IS THERE A GODDAMN ENTIRE BUILDING HEADING FOR US!?" Tatanga screeched in pure shock.
"I-I don't know, but, uhh, Tatanga…I know we've got the force field surrounding us…but, uhh, if Mario and his gang do have the Crystal Star Rod at this point, then they could probably disable the force field with ease! Which means this island will be annihilated instantly if that floating building collides into us!" the koopatrol explained.
"Well…well…even though it's definitely strange that a damn building is heading for us, that thing will just destroy itself upon hitting the force field, plus, the weapon will be complete at any second so this isn't going to ruin anything! Now quit panicking about this!" Tatanga scolded.
"Tatanga? You should come and see this…another potential problem on our hands!" said the other koopatrol who was looking out to sea, handing the alien his binoculars. Tatanga swiped the binoculars and looked out into the direction the koopatrol was looking out towards…and saw them. The heroes.
"Well, shit. They're arriving. And…fuck…I bet that they have the Crystal Star Rod on them…and whatever this building is…however they got it to come to us…I'm betting they'll use the rod to disable the force field and…then…that thing will crash right into us…securing their win instantly," Tatanga spoke with slight fear in his voice. The other two koopatrols looked at each other nervously, noting this.
"So, Tatanga…what the hell should we do then!? Is there a backup plan!?" asked the koopatrol lookout.
"He obviously uses the Star Rod to destroy the thing! Right, Tatanga!? Tatanga?" pointed out the other koopatrol.
Tatanga slowly put down his binoculars and sighed again, this time in a sad manner. "Yeah…the star rod…but…they'll use that Crystal Star rod to overpower the regular Star Rod…I…have a backup plan for this…but I'm not gonna like it…"
Meanwhile, in Diddy and Konnor's cell, the two lay there in heavy silence, waiting for something to happen. Something to either free them, or end them.
"Fuck…I'm starving and thirsty right now…I can't believe I actually may just die of starvation or thirst. Shit! That's probably what Tatanga's plan is for us. Make us suffer and wither away very slowly. Or maybe he will eventually torture us and we'll be killed. Hell if I know anymore…I'm just done. I want this shit to be over. If I'm gonna die, I just want him to fucking do it now," Diddy angrily ranted as he stared out into the hallway from the cell, a slim hope deep down that his friends would come and save the day, but he definitely wasn't betting on it.
"Why the hell are you talking to me as if you want me to conversate with you!?" Konnor spat. Diddy leered at him, becoming irritated with the crazed koopa all over again.
"I'm not, asswipe. I'm just expressing my thoughts out loud. Bad enough that I have to be stuck in here with you…would make it all the worse being stuck here in awkward silence. I guess. I don't fucking know, okay!? Not exactly easy trying to process what's probably my last moments here on the planet!" Diddy angrily retorted and slumped in the corner of the cell.
Konnor leaned against the bars and looked away, then became teary-eyed. "You know that Kooper's my brother, right? You know about my history with him?"
Diddy scoffed and gave him a confused look. "Thought you didn't wanna talk? Huh!?"
"Well…I don't know I fucking want, obviously. Never have. Since the day I was born, I was soooo indecisive and loved the thrill of causing chaos. It was a nice little high before I even knew what a 'high' was when I was a little kid. Makes me wonder if I was just born to be a psychopath and that's just how my life was predetermined to be…" Konnor said with a hint of sadness.
"Hmm. Does this whole mess with Tatanga make you think that others are born to be evil? Because I definitely do. It's obviously rare for people to be born that way…but it can happen. Can also be changed with the proper help. But it's too late for you and Tatanga. You went too far," Diddy chimed in a little ruthlessly with his opinion.
"You think I really give a fuck that I 'went too far'!? Why do you think I came here to help with the cause!?" Konnor angrily spat, making Diddy continue to think how much of a low-life worthless scumbag he is. The koopa continued, "I don't think I was born to be evil, honestly. I was made to be that way. With my parents favoring my brother for everything…my brother getting everything he ever wanted…me being ignored so much…the only time my family fucking listen to me was when it was too late. I blame them. They could've stopped and seen how much I was hurting inside by feeling so invisible to them. But they failed me. So I slipped further and further into the craziness because I love the rush and thrill that it gave me."
"Wow. Didn't expect you to word vomit your life history to me just like that," Diddy stated, weirded out by how personal this was becoming.
Konnor looked at the chimp with a surprised expression, as if he didn't even mean to say all of that stuff about his past. "Uhh…yeah…wasn't planning on it, just…slipped out…"
"Uh huh. But, you know something? Look at where that 'rush' and 'thrill' of acting like a maniac got you. I'm actually curious…you regret anything you've done at all now?" Diddy asked. Konnor looked away from him again, back to the hallway.
"Let's just stop talking. It was better when there was silence in here," Konnor responded. Diddy scoffed a little.
"Right. Well…I'll say one more thing. You know that no matter what happens…it'll be the end for you, right? I'm talking if my friends get here and stop Tatanga…they'll save me and not you. If my friends don't succeed against Tatanga…then we both die. But either way, Konnor, it's the end for you. You got yourself here. Sorry you had a shitty upbringing, but there's no excuse for all the shit you've done as a grown adult. So now it's a mere matter of hours until you die, Konnor. Let that sink in, and maybe then, you'll see that, maybe, all the bullshit you pulled just to stir the pot wasn't worth it in the end," Diddy stated, secretly loving the satisfaction that Konnor will meet his end no matter what. Konnor didn't respond at all, he simply kept staring out the cell bars, but Diddy knew that Konnor was taking his words in.
"What's that noise? Is one of you crying?" Doopliss asked, hearing what sounded like weeping in the dark, dank room that he, Roy, and Dimentio were imprisoned in for what felt like forever now.
"I don't cry, so…it's Roy," Dimentio responded.
"Sh-shut up, Dimentio," Roy retorted in an annoyed tone. "Yes, if you must know, it's me crying."
"Crying about your family, I take it?" Doopliss asked.
"Why should I even bother explaining why I'm crying? Not like you two fucking care…" Roy replied.
"That's right. I don't care. Well…usually…but…aghm…if it's gonna make you stop…that annoying crying…then release it to us. Tell us about it," Dimentio tiredly requested.
"Honestly, slick, I care a little bit. After hearing your story and why you ended up here and why you tried to rebel, I can't help but develop some sympathy for ya. So go on. Let it out. May as well," Doopliss urged.
Roy sighed a little annoyedly, but figured it would be somewhat therapeutic to get it out of his head. "Fine. It's just, um, you know, it's really actually hitting me that I'm going to die very soon. Whether it's by the hands of Tatanga, or…my family and friends letting me die after everything I've done to them. This is really it. I'm gonna know what it is to die. I'm gonna find out what's on the other side, if there IS even anything on the other side. Fuck, guys…I'm terrified. I'm way too young to fucking die, but I know it's coming very soon."
"Whoa. Sad. At least…you'll no longer be suffering…from all the emotional pain…you'll be free from that…" Dimentio weakly replied.
"That really doesn't help. I mean, yeah, it's true, I won't be suffering anymore, but I also won't exist anymore, so…defeats the purpose right there," Roy commented.
"My take on the whole death and afterlife crap? You'll still exist in some way after you go. Roy, all the shit you've seen since this started, come on…there's something out there beyond death. You can't deny that. Yeah, the not knowing is the scariest part, but Roy, wherever you go after death, know that at least you tried to turn things around for yourself. That's more than what some people have done," Doopliss said in surprising encouragement.
"Well well, white sheet…look at you giving him a nice little pep talk…didn't know you had it in you…" Dimentio commented with a slight scoff.
"Yeah, you're right, Doopliss…with all the magic and alternate dimensions in this world, there's gotta be something after death. Something. Still terrifies me…especially if I'll be alone there, but…that helps a little," Roy admitted, surprised by how helpful Doopliss was coming off.
"Yeah. And like I said before, slick, there's a slim chance you'll make it out of here alive. Maybe your family and friends will come in and save the day, and forgive you for what you did and spare you. Maybe you'll get your happily ever after. Don't forget about that sliver of hope," Doopliss added.
"Right…yeah…god, I can't even imagine how I'll be able to assimilate back into the world after what I did…but I suppose living and trying to make amends will be worth surviving this crap," Roy affirmed, the thought of reuniting with his family and friends making him smile a little, wanting a return to that life badly.
"Ugh. All this talk about death…you know…for a short while…I accepted death…that I was done for…that I was outsmarted…but you know what? This depressing conversation…makes me not want to die. Fuck. You two…connecting on an emotional level…like some therapeutic support group…makes me sick. Master of dimensions…pleaser of crowds…I am…
Dimentio."
Dimentio used whatever little strength what he had left with his hands and legs being tied and being drained and all to roll himself over on the ground to eventually reach Doopliss and touch his leg.
"Woah! What the…Dimentio, what are you doing!?" Doopliss shrieked, feeling a cold touch on his ankle.
"Stars…give me the power that I see…transfer the force of this being…right into me…curse this being with the lack of energy inside…take my fatigue and let it abide…" Dimentio chanted, freaking out Roy and Doopliss.
"W-wait, Dimentio, what the fuck are you doing!?" Roy yelped.
"Dimentio…stop! DIMENTIO! WHATEVER YOU'RE DOING, YOU BETTER FUCKING STOP!" Doopliss screamed.
Dimentio chanted a little louder and a bright green light began to shine where the jester's finger was touching Doopliss' ankle, "Stellarum…do mihi potestatem quam video…transferre vim huius entis! Ius in me… maledicere hoc esse cum defectus virium intus…accipe lassitudinem meam et maneat!"
"Ohhhhhhhh! NOOOO! DIMENTIO! STOP IT! AAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!" Doopliss screamed in agony, feeling himself become very weak.
"Doopliss, what's going on!? WHAT IS HAPPENING!?" Roy shrilled and began to panic.
"STELLARUM…DO MIHI POTESTATEM QUAM VIDEO TRANSFERRE VIM HUIUS ENTIS…IUS IN ME! MALEDICERE HOC ESSE CUM DEFECTUS VIRIUM INTUS…ACCIPE LASSITUDINEM MEAM ET MANEAT!" Dimentio yelled louder with more energy and anger now. The green light shone brighter and brighter until there was a green flash that blinded everyone momentarily.
"AH! Oh…Dimentio…what was that!? What the fuck did you do!?" Roy yelled.
"Ohhhhhhhh…Di…mentio…you…ba…stard…" Doopliss faintly spoke.
"Hehehehehe…like a prayer, my wish came true! Roy, my clueless foe, what you just saw here was a magical spell that swapped energies between me and Doopliss. In other words, I have Doopliss' energy, and Doopliss has my lack of energy! When one is weakened like I was, the spell can be used to transfer that 'weakness' to another person by touch. Wow. Can you believe I was actually going to give up!? Can't lie to you, Roy, Tatanga really did me in good there….but not good enough," Dimentio merrily explained, horrifying the koopa.
"WHAT!? You…you son of a bitch, Dimentio! You really think you're still going to win!? Considering Tatanga has the Star Rod AND his scepter AND a Ztar, and my friends and family are likely going to come here with that Crystal Star Rod! You won't survive against all of that!" Roy shouted.
"Don't you know me by now, Roy? The only time I'll stop myself from getting what I want is when I'm dead. What happened to me, being drained like water in a tub being sucked down a pipe, was just a minor setback. I should've known that from the start…but that's all in the past now. What matters now is that I make my grand comeback! The little alien will never see me coming! HAHA!" Dimentio cackled and cheered.
"Wow. Even after being beaten down so badly, you still are delusional as hell. Okay. Go ahead and fight Tatanga. Go ahead and fight my friends and family. See how well that works out for you. See how successful your little 'comeback' will be," Roy spat.
"Oh, shut it you emancipated little troll! You're just bitter that you're still stuck here and will die all alone, knowing everyone in your life hates you and wants to forget you! RAH!" Dimentio yelled and made a diagonal swipe in the air with his hand. Roy made a bloodcurdling scream as he felt a diagonal cut on his torso.
"AAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHHHH! Ohhhh…Dimentio…You…YOU'RE GONNA FUCKING DIE!" Roy roared, the sharp pain making his body feel paralyzed.
"Stop projecting, little one. I'm not the one who has a big cut on my body! See, Roy, you're gonna die a sloooooow death. All that blood loss will make you woozy and weak…and the wooziness and weakness will get more and more gradual until…the end. Say goodbye to your new friend, Doopliss! What a short lived friendship!" Dimentio cheerily replied, excited to throw Tatanga off his game once again.
E. GADD'S LABORATORY
Mario flew his arwing and spotted Luigi's mansion in the distance, the grounds of the mansion being where the entry to E. Gadd's laboratory lies.
"There it is. We're almost there!" Mario said in anticipation, the curiosity of what's in the lab growing stronger as each second passed by.
During the ride, Peach read the book that E. Gadd grabbed a hold of before his death. She had a bewildered and horrified expression the entire time she was reading it.
"Wow. My goodness! Mario…this book that E. Gadd had…it's the same book I saw in the tower, after I went through my room," Peach said.
"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Mario asked confusedly.
"I mean that…when I escaped my room and we were all separated into our own groups, me and the group I was in were in a maze, and this book showed us hints on how to get through the maze. Reading this now, Mario, it talks about a boy named Nellvin who is interested in creating gadgets and new technology, wanting to be a world famous scientist when he grows up and also explore the world.
One day, he brought one of his creations to school for show and tell. It was a mini-vaccuum that also worked as a fan and hot hot and cold air. Some kids thought it was cool, but other kids thought it was dorky and weird. Well, poor Nellvin was bullied after school by some boys, who told him he was a nerd and to get a life and all that awful stuff, and it wasn't the first time he had been bullied by these boys. He had enough to the point where he just lost it and threw his mini-vaccuum at one of the bullies' heads and knocked him out cold.
Nellvin freaked out and ran back to his parents' house to tell them what happened. They blew up on him and said they needed to go to the police now so he can confess to what happened. Nellvin refused and ran away. He ran and ran through the woods until he came across a giant tower and chose to hide out in there. Well, Mario, that tower was the same one we were in. Because what 'Nellvin' went through was the same thing we all went through in there, described exactly in the book.
His parents went after him and followed his footsteps into the tower. They also experienced everything like we did. They made it through, thankfully, and also fought the same dragon that we fought. They beat the dragon and got Nellvin back and then escaped the tower. And…the story pretty much ends there," Peach summarized the story for him.
Mario took it all in, chuckling a little but also looking surprised. "Damn! So, he's been there before? And didn't say anything when we announced we were going to the tower…that's really weird."
"Yeah, it's SO weird! I also wonder why he published this book anyways under a pseudonym? Gosh, I'll never understand the way E. Gadd thinks!" Peach exclaimed.
"Me neither. But, you know what? Just goes to show you that he and his parents were incredibly tough for facing all that crap in the tower. Makes me wonder what other sinister stuff E. Gadd has experienced. Maybe we'll find that out in his lab," Mario said in curiosity as he landed the arwing near the lab entrance. Mario and Peach got out the arwing and went into the shack which had a stairwell that led underground to the lab.
The pair entered the main lab and in the dead center of the room was a giant laptop sitting on top of a work table with a thumb drive right next to the laptop. The two immediately knew they had to check this out first. Mario walked to the laptop, turned it on, put the thumb drive in, opened up the drive on the laptop and found a singular video file on there. Mario clicked on it and he and Peach watched the video play.
The video showed E. Gadd sitting on a chair facing the camera in his laboratory. He began to speak, "Hello. If you are watching this video, well, as the cliche goes…it means I am already dead. But that's perfectly fine. I'm getting older and older, so my years on this planet are becoming more and more limited by the second. Anyhoo…to the viewer watching this, presumably Mario and/or Luigi, I want you to take over my laboratory. Do with it what you will. I trust that you will use my laboratory with care. You guys are the only people in my life that I trust…and honestly, the only people I've ever trusted, besides my parents.
I'm sorry for keeping so many secrets from you. The amount of dirty work I've been involved in throughout my life span is, admittedly, higher than I'd like to admit. However, the plus side of that conundrum is that I've used those experiences to fuel my inspiration and creativity and even finances to develop all these crazy inventions that I've shown you guys, and also inventions I have not shown you. A good example of what I mean is that, as a kid, I ventured into Blackstone Tower to run away from my problems at home and school. The stuff I saw in there…hoo boy, if you've already entered that place upon seeing this video, then you don't need me to explain the dark chaos that permeates in there. But it was that experience that inspired me to, later on in life, become vastly interested in ghosts and create my infamous Poltergust 3000.
Now, an example of an invention that I have not shown you yet…and one that'll assist you greatly in the grand finale…it's in the room on your right. But, hold on! Don't get it just yet. Hehehe, I know the temptation is big, but please, listen to me real quick before you go. This invention is my best kept secret. You know that, for me, I stray a little away from making weapons as inventions, but I knew long ago that there would come a time where you'd need to have a massive offense. This is that weapon. Please be somewhat delicate using it, as I obviously don't want your allies to be blown to pieces. All it takes for this weapon to succeed is aim it at your target, yell the name of your target into the air…and pull the trigger. This weapon is the equivalent to an underwater torpedo…except deadlier. Use it with care and use it when the moment is right.
And that is all! I'm not gonna sit here and make some sad, mopey monologue about how I cherished my life and what I would've or could've or should've done in the past…because there's no point. I'm dead. I did everything in this life I needed to do and I am satisfied with how I've accomplished and endured throughout my journey. Now go on and save the world like you always do! I know you'll accomplish that goal. If you can beat this…you can beat literally anything else that comes after. Don't ever forget that. Sayonara!"
The video ended there. Mario and Peach took a moment of silence to process all his words.
"Wow. Not as emotional as I thought it'd be, but I like that he has no regrets. Very kind of him to let us use his lab too. I can see Goombella geeking out over all this stuff!" Peach commented.
"Heh, same. Yeah, E. Gadd's a character that'll be impossible to ever forget. Alright, Peach…let's go check out this weapon, grab it, and then head on out. I don't want to use up any more time not fighting with our friends!" Mario declared and walked quickly to the door on their right. Peach followed him in and it was a small room with six mounds of dirt in it. Mario remembered this room being the training room to capture ghosts when Luigi ventured through his mansion to save him many years ago.
In the dead center of the room lay a silver case on the ground. Mario knelt down and opened up the case and the pair stared in awe at the weapon inside.
"Holy shit! THIS was what he was talking about in the video!?" Mario yelped.
EN ROUTE TO TATANGA'S ISLAND
The gang rode their arwings over the ocean, ready to take on Tatanga and finally end all the madness, loss, and violence that had infiltrated everyone's lives since the very start.
In Spike, Parakarry, and Goombella's arwing, there was an awkward yet intense silence that Goombella had definitely picked up on, especially when she looked over to their faces.
"Hey, you two. Not a single word has been said since we left. Everything okay? Anything you wanna vent and release before we, like, head into the final battle?" Goombella asked.
Spike glanced at her then looked down at his lap and spoke, "I kind of do…but I kind of don't. I don't know. What I kinda wanna say is a fucking heavy topic and it's not exactly related to what we're doing right now. But I don't know."
"Oh…that's okay, Spike. Sorry, I didn't mean to put pressure on you to say anything, I just…you know, the last battle is always the hardest…so I didn't want stuff to be left unsaid in case we go out. Gosh! Sorry, I'm rambling, just, like, forget I mentioned it," Goombella said, regretting ever opening her mouth.
"Do you guys hate me?" Parakarry spoke a little choked up, driving the arwing with full focus. "I nearly killed Kooper…I let all this crap get to my head and just…lost it. It's bad enough that I lost my girlfriend…I can't lose my friends either, even if we all live after this."
"No, Parakarry, we don't hate you! You just had a moment of weakness. You're still our friend. Kooper might take longer to process that, understandably so, but you haven't lost us," Goombella urged, hoping he'd cheer up a little.
"Yeah…you're still our friend," Spike mumbled.
"Th…thanks, guys. But, um, be honest…would you still be my friend if I…DID kill Kooper?" Parakarry nervously asked, making the other two look at him strangely.
"Parakarry…let's not talk about hypotheticals. Let's stay far away from that rabbit hole," Goombella suggested.
"I was sexually assaulted. That's what I saw again in the tower," Spike suddenly spoke. The two whipped their heads to Spike in surprise.
"Wait….huh!? Spike…did I hear you right that you were…" Parakarry asked, horrified at what was just spoken and didn't want to believe it at first.
"Yes, you did. I never told you guys this story, because…well…I got over it, but…a couple years ago, at Glitzville, that Hammer Bro trio got jealous of how good I was doing in the fights at the Glitz Pit. So…one day…they…beat me up…and…they…took the end of the hammer and…and…th…oh…" Spike explained but felt himself breathe heavier and heavier as he wanted to say what specifically happened. He then choked up and felt like he wanted to cry.
Goombella dropped her jaw while Parakarry listened in horror and disgust while still focusing on the drive.
"Spike…oh my god, I'm SO sorry! That is HEINOUS what they did!" Goombella screeched and hugged him.
"Y-Yeah…I, um, never labeled what happened to me as…y-you know, sexual assault and all…because, well, I used to think that kind of stuff just didn't happen to guys…but when I faced that event all over again…ohhh god, it made me realize that it WAS sexual assault and that just…fucking…felt like it happened to me all over again. Like I feel like my body needs to heal once again. Those three fuckers deserve to rot," Spike added as a tear rolled down his cheek.
"You're damn right they do deserve to rot. Spike…my god, you completely did not deserve what happened to you, and please don't think what happened was your fault. It 100% was not! I say that because I've heard it's common for sexual assault victims to place blame on themselves. But please don't do that if you are," Parakarry urged and gently touched the dino's shoulder.
"Yeah! I remember those three assholes when we were hunting for the Crystal Stars. I didn't think they would go that far with being messed up crooks…but, like, guess I was wrong. Are they in jail for what they did, Spike?" Goombella asked.
"Yeah. But I didn't tell the police about the sexual assault part or the part about the hammer and how they inserted…um…they had 6 months in jail and another 6 months for probation. So right now, they're free to…oh god…they might do that to someone else! Fuck…I just realized that too…" Spike said in disgust.
"If you want, after this is done, we can go to the police and tell them about that detail. There's a chance it might not even do anything, but also a chance it could do something," Parakarry suggested.
"Yeah! We'll help you out however we can with that! And we'll be here for you for anything you need! You got us!" Goombella said in encouragement.
"I'll think about it…but thank you guys. I'm glad I got you guys as my friends. Actually, I consider you family at this point," Spike said with a hint of a smile as another tear rolled down his cheek.
Meanwhile, in Yoshi, Toadette, and Dixie's arwing, Toadette looked to her dino friend and saw him nodding off a little as his eyes were a little bloodshot.
"Yoshi…hey. What's running through your mind right now?" Toadette gently asked, holding his hand as Dixie glanced over at them, steering the arwing.
"How much I can't wait to sleep after this is done. I've gotten little sleep ever since Birdo…you know…" Yoshi quietly responded.
Toadette nodded understandingly. "Yeah. I miss her so much. And Toad…this is for them. That's what's driving me to want to be a part of ending this. I think the emotions will hit me more once peace is restored."
"Same here. I've been so focused on wanting this to be done…and…so focused on Boshi. That…that narcissistic little bastard…" Yoshi growled.
"What gets to me is that people like Boshi get to live, you know, people who are self-destructive and bring others down with them. Then you have people like Birdo and Toad, such giving and selfless people…and they fucking die. I'm never going to see this world in the same light like I did previously. I mean, I knew the world was screwed up, but everything that's happened since Tatanga came in just took it to a whole new level," Dixie said with frustration.
"Me too. But like Toadette said…we gotta fight on for our people. Always," Yoshi replied, staring out into the endless sea, wishing so badly that Birdo could be here to see the chaos come to an end.
In Rosalina, Monty, and Vivian's arwing, Monty stared in awe at the vast blue sea below them while Vivian sat there in great anxiety, going through a million scenarios in her head for how she's gonna deal with Beldam when she gets to the island.
"Vivian…I'm sensing your nerves are at an incredible high right now. Am I right to assume that you're thinking about your sister?" Rosalina asked.
"Yeah. That's exactly what it is. I'm going through in my head what I'm gonna say to her, but…I just know in the moment that I'm not gonna know how to react, and I know I'll have to…kill her…but…god, it's gonna be so hard. Even though she treated me awfully for so much of my life, there's still good memories attached too. Plus, that's my sister. The only blood family I have left, the only blood family I've known for years and years. Like…I feel like it SHOULD be easy doing it…but it's not going to be, is it?" Vivian asked, struggling to rationalize her emotions.
"No, it won't be. But that's because, as you said, Viv, that's your sister, the one you've known and been connected to since the day you were born. But I believe you can do it, Vivian. You're a very strong woman," Rosalina affirmed.
"If ya don't mind me asking, was your sister, uhh, abusive towards you in the past? That also a part of things?" Monty asked.
"Yes. Emotionally and physically. She also was part of another world domination plan years ago, but me and some of my friends stopped that, and she and my other sister, Marilyn, who's now deceased, changed their ways and our relationship improved. Well…guess they didn't really change their ways since the second Tatanga wanted them to join his brigade for another world domination plan, they immediately jumped on board. My trust with her is forever broken. She can't be a part of the world, knowing she's just naturally evil and will do it again if she's left alive," Vivian explained.
"Wow…I'm so sorry to you! Just goes to show ya that blood isn't what matters in the end, it's the people who you connect with and fight with. That's what I learned when I lived with my late girlfriend…and when Rosalina showed up in my life," Monty said with a hint of a smile.
"Oh! Sorry to hear about your loss as well. But I'm glad you're here joining us for the fight. It's really brave of you!" Vivian complimented with a warm smile.
"Thanks. But I gotta give the courage inspiration to Rosalina as well, she pushed me towards that direction too!" Monty added heartily.
Rosalina smiled a little at him, but then it quickly faded when Vivian mentioned Marilyn, since she did technically kill Marilyn, but it was in her 'dark' state.
"Vivian…about Marilyn…" Rosalina began to nervously speak.
"We don't need to talk about Marilyn, Rosalina. It's all fine. I promise," Vivian assured. Rosalina nodded a little in relief.
"Is that the island over there!?" Monty pointed ahead to the right a little.
"That's definitely it. I remember seeing it exactly like that. And, oh! There's the X-Naut Fortress coming down straight to it from above!" Vivian pointed out in awe.
Rosalina saw this before her and sighed greatly, focusing her energies, preparing for the ultimate showdown.
"If Tatanga has something up his sleeve to prevent the fortress from destroying his island, which he likely does, then we absolutely cannot hold back on eliminating everything in sight on that island. You two…if I turn 'dark' again…do not hesitate in eliminating me as well. I mean it. This is your guys' world that you belong to, and neither Tatanga nor me should threaten that. Promise me that," Rosalina stated.
"What!? Rosalina…I don't think…" Vivian yelped in surprise from those words.
"You have to promise me you will do it. And get the others on board with that. Both of you. Promise me," Rosalina demanded.
"We…we promise. Right, Vivian?" Monty responded shakily, not wanting to end his friend but knew it may have to come down to it.
"...Promise," Vivian answered.
"Thank you. Now…woah! What on earth is…OH MY! THE ISLAND!" Rosalina shrieked, pointing to a massive beam of light coming from the island.
X-NAUT FORTRESS
"Impending collision upon land in 10…9…8…" TEC spoke to himself, feeling sadness upon no longer existing in the world, but knew it was the right thing to do.
As he counted down, he remembered connecting with Princess Peach and growing a fond liking for her and helping out her and Mario to end Grodus' scheme of taking over the world. He remembered changing so much from what he was originally programmed to be and do: obey Grodus above all else. But that change came from his learning about living beings and emotions and the layers that people have to their character.
"7…6…"
He remembered detesting Grodus for a period of time…but then reconnecting with him and learning how sorry Grodus was for everything he did. A part of TEC wanted to hold that grudge forever, but a bigger part of him wanted to forgive and let go, realizing another aspect to his character that made him feel more 'alive' and just like the other living beings.
"5…4…"
Grodus had successfully built a robot that replicated the same thing living beings experience: emotions, processing, decision making…love. The very same thing that Grodus was built for, Grodus had built for him. He felt sincere gratitude towards Grodus for making him feel as close to being a living being as he could be.
"3…wait…what is…"
His thoughts stopped when he felt a major rumble. Then a flash of light. Then an ear-deafening noise.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
EoC.
Next chapter, the aftermath of the fortress is shown, and the final battle for justice officially begins. All the experiences that these characters have gone through will come to a head in this final arc. There will be at least one death per chapter in the next 5 chapters as well. Next chapter will be uploaded on Sunday, December 31. Thanks for reading!