Chapter 6: X-Nauts and TEC

Koops had used nearly every bit on energy in his life to deliver the finishing blow.

He slowly walked over to Double D. "I believe this belongs to you."

"Thank you…" Double D said, weakly, after removing his badge.

He took his rod back and balanced himself on it.

"It's… finally over…" Koops sighed in relief.

"If we had only come sooner." Nazz said, remembering Rolf's demise.

"I'm so sorry. It shouldn't have ended like it did for my father." Koops said remorsefully.

"Nobody could have done anything." Goombella said quietly. "What's in the past is in the past, and there's nothing we can do about it."

"We know." Koops and Double D said in unison.

"It's going to be okay." Double D comforted her.

"No… it's not." Nazz cried. "Rolf is-"

Just then, a gurgling noise sounded from nowhere.

"What was that?" Mario asked, looking around.

They turned their attention to Hooktail. They noticed it's checks moving, and it's mouth open. Out of it came a boy in tattered clothing and scratches all over. The other thing that followed was a Koopa shell.

"OHMIGOSH nasty!" Goombella said and turned away.

"Rolf?" Nazz's eyes where now swollen with tears.

"Rolf made it…" Rolf said, getting up. "That was unpleasant."

Nazz and ran over to Rolf and hugged him. "I thought I'd never see you again!"

"Rolf too, Go-go Nazz-girl." Rolf smiled and hugged her back.

"Hm?" Koops looked at the koopa shell that came out as well. "That color! Can it be?"

The shell sprouted arms and legs and a tail and face afterwards.

"F-Father?" Koops asked, daring to hope that he was not dreaming right now.

"Yes son." His father said with a happy smile.

They ran over and hugged as well.

"Isn't it so nice?" Goombella asked Mario, who also had a tear in her eyes.

"Father, how did you survive?" Koops asked his beloved father.

"I was eaten ten years ago. I don't know how, but I guess hope kept me alive. Hope that I would one day see your smiling face again." His father explained. "My, you have matured since I saw you last."

And Koops did smile, for the first time throughout the entire mission.

"All's well that ends well." Mario said. "But-a-where's the crystal star?"

"Crystal star?" Koops's father asked. "Would you by chance mean this?"

He held a star shaped gem.

"That's it! We came for that!" Goombella shouted.

"I found that little thing in the beast. Keep it, you earned it." He said, holding it for Koops to hold. He grabbed it.

"We-a did it." Mario said.

"Sir? Sir Groudus?"

"Yes, what is it solider?"

"The prisoners we kidnapped have been brought here. Shall we bring them in?"

"Yes, do send them in."

"Yes sir."

In a location unknown to our heroes, a mechanical view activated a series of cameras, choosing a specific room. It was a large room, where two X-Naut soldiers marched in, bringing in a woman, in a pink elegant dress with blonde hair and a crown. They marched in and Crump could be seen waiting for them next what appeared to be a throne.

"O great exalted Grodus!" One the soldiers spoke. "We brought the prisoners as you ordered, sir."

The mechanical view zoomed in on the princess and something sparked.

"Well, well, well, my pet…Isn't it about time you told us where the map is Princess?"

The voice of the person speaking belonged to a large and portly figure with a large black hat that showed a computer inside. He wore the same yellow goggles as the X-naut soldiers, the rest of his face by a wrap and white cravat. He wore a black cape with yellow lining and purple inside trim over a purple robe with black linings and sleeves. In his white gloved hands, he held a long gold scepter with a computerized sphere at the end.

"Princess Peach, you will speak when spoken to." The apparent X-Naut leader said, turning to face the young woman.

"I'm telling you, I don't know." Peach said defiantly.

"There's no point in trying to hide it, silly girl." Grodus tisked. "We know you had it. We know this. Trust me, it's in you're very best interest to be absolutely honest with us. We X-Nauts are not all rainbows and lollipops, I assure you. We're quite nasty."

"Sir, the other prisoners are here as well." The guard said.

This time, six more soldiers walked in, escorting three teenaged girls in, one blonde, one with blue hair, and the other a red head.

"And who are these?" Grodus asked.

"These claim to be three called the Kanker Sisters, sir." The guard answered.

"I told you to get the legendary hero!" Grodus snapped. "You fools bring me these three instead!"

"Yes, but you see, we know the hero and these three came here the same way. Perhaps they know about the hero." The solider said.

"Yes, and we shall keep them here until they speak." Grodus said. "Though I am still disappointed."

"No, you won't!" Marie shouted.

"Don't think of it, fools. You three are outmatched by my great X-naut army." Grodus shouted.

"X-naut? That would explain the X's on your coats." Lee thought aloud.

A holographic screen appeared, showing another X-Naut soldier that saluted to Grodus. "Grodus, sir! I have news!"

"Report at once." Grodus commanded.

"You know that Crystal Stat we thought Hooktail had? Well, someone nabbed it."

"What?" Grodus asked, his voice cold but sounding dangerous. "What did you say? Someone else is after the Crystal Stars? And he defeated that Hooktail creature, you say? SPEAK, soldier!"

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir. There's more, too." The soldier said. "See, according to the report...it was a mustached dude in a red hat and blue overalls along with a team of others who pulled the job!"

"Mario…" Peach whispered.

Unfortunately she was not quiet enough as Grodus heard her, stepping closer to her. "Excuse me? Mario?"

"No!" Peach shouted.

Grodus cackled. "I see… So you know of this Mario, do you? Hmm…This fool matters not at all. I'll know all about him before long, that I promise. I've heard enough from the prisoners for now. Take all four to the holding area. But know this: nobody is to hurt allow harm to come to Peach. Nonetheless, keep all four in the same cell." Groudus ended the conversation.

"Yes, my liege." The X-Nauts walked away escorting the angry prisoners away from the throne room.

"Well, Lord Crump…" Grodus turned to the only person in the room who hadn't spoken yet. "If this Mario character has the map…then it's highly likely he'll find the Crystal Star we're hunting in the Boggly Woods. You must return there immediately and hasten the excavation. It must not fail."

"Whuzzat?!" Crump shouted, having not been paying much attention but quickly righted himself. "Oh, yeah, sure! Roger, Grodus! And with that…Pow! I'm gone!"

Crump rushed out of the room, leaving Grodus along as he turned to the main console behind him.

"I wonder if sending Lord Crump along is wise." Grodus palmed his scepter. "He is a bit…out there."

He turned to the door. "X-Naut! I summon you!"

The door opened and an X-Naut soldier came in and saluted. "You rang, dude? I mean, sir? You rang, Sir Grodus, dude? Grodus? Sir Grodus, sir?"

"Shut up. Go get the Shadow Sirens over her."

The soldier stiffened. "The Sh-Shadow Sirens, sir? But they…"

"I don't care how you planned to end that sentence, fool. Go get them. Now."

"Gotcha!" The soldier saluted again and rushed out the door.

"The honorable Grodus has need of us? Then we arrive without delay." A creepy old voice echoed.

Three shadow like being rose from the floor, all of them feminine in appearance and wore white gloves on their hands and pointed hats on their heads. The first appeared to be old and hunched over with lavender hair, a wicked smile shown under her hat blue hat with white stripes that hid her eyes. The second was large with a small smile, carrot top bangs and wore a yellow hat with white stripes. The final one was petite, having swirly pink hair with rosy cheeks, a small smile and a red hat with white stripes.

The apparent leader cackled. "Pray tell, did the princess tell you where the map is?"

"Still your tongue, Beldam." Grodus snapped. "We would already have it if you'd snatched it earlier. But now, since you missed your chance, some poor fool named Mario has the map."

"It wasn't my fault, truly!" Beldam argued. "There were too many prying eyes there. Too many…Besides, a strange old man showed up at the moment of truth, we had to retreat. Why worry? All we need to do now is find this Mario and steal the map, yessss?"

"Indeed, that is your duty." Grodus said, his anger rising. "Must I remind you? That map is vital to the X-Naut plan. I will have my men prepare all information on this Mario and those with him. For now, hear me, Beldam! You Shadow Sirens must take care of this troublemaker!"

"You have my word, master." Beldam said. "As as we fulfill your demands, I trust you shall fulfill ours?"

"Yes, as I promised." Grodus said. "I shall entrust you with finding Mario, whoever he may be. Find him and get him!.

"Come sisters, we shall fulfill our promises." Beldam said. "Come, Marilynn, come Vivian!"

They vanished into the shadows, leaving a very frustrated look on Grodus' face.

"Nobody does this to me and gets away with it!" Lee shouted in frustration.

She and her sisters rammed the metal exit door as many times as they could before loosing breath.

"Man, where the heck are we?" May asked.

"I got to admit, this place is very high-tech." Marie said.

Almost everywhere they were at in the fortress was a metal lined wall and machinery existed in every room.

"You've been quiet since you've been brought here." Lee noticed the princess who was sitting alone in her bed. "And you are who?"

"My name is Princess Peach Toadstool of the Mushroom Kingdom. Are you the three Kanker girls?"

"Yes, we are. What's it to ya?" Lee asked.

"Nothing." Peach felt uncomfortable to be with them "If you don't mind, I'll just go take a shower."

She walked into a different room in the cell.

"What a time to do that!" May shouted.

Ten minutes passed by, and the Kankers finally heard the water stop running, followed shortly thereafter by the princess walked out of the bathroom all clean and in a new hairstyle.

"That was fast." Marie said.

"Well, how do I look?" Peach asked them.

"Listen here, you delicate toadstool, and listen good. We're not some pathetic girls waiting to be rescued like you are. We're all locked up in a cell, but we don't have to act like an airhead."

Peach looked a little worried, and a little scarred about her whole situation, but she had to accept it.

Just then, the exit door opened.

"What the- where're free!" May shouted.

The three girls cheered and ran off into the hallway, while Peach simply walked behind. However, her walking quickly became running. They ran until they stopped to see another door open by itself.

"Hm?" Peach asked.

The four of them ran into the room now opened.

"Dead end, darn it!" Lee shouted.

Just then, the door shut behind her, and the lights in the room lit up. They saw a huge monitor screen behind them turn on, and a camera looking right into their faces.

"Hello." A computerized voice said.

"Who's there!" Lee shouted, angrily looking around. "I'm going to kill you, X-naut!"

"I am not an X-naut." The voice said.

They looked onto the screen and saw the same words written on a typing program.

"Whoever you are, you're not going to take us down without a fight!" Marie shouted.

"Calm down, please. I suppose an introduction is in order." The computerized voice said, in a monotone fashion. "I am called TEC-XX, mainframe system of the X-naut fortress. I am the universe's greatest machine, perfect in every way."

"Fine. You led us here. What do you want?" Peach asked.

"Well, since your arrival, I have started having problems in my programming cycles. Many of my system operations began malfunctioning, and for some reason this only occurs when you are in sight of my camera." TEC explained.

"Well, I have had that type of effect on boys." Lee laughed.

"I speak of Princess Peach Toadstool, not Lee Kanker." TEC said.

The other two Kanker sisters laughed, as Lee growled. Peach stepped towards the camera in a concerned manor.

"However, she brings up a good point. Maybe by chance… no, even that's not possible." Peach thought out loud.

"What? Please, you say you know what is wrong with me? Please tell me so. I am perfect, I cannot have flaws."

"Well perhaps." Her voice quieted down. "Perhaps you are… in love… with me?"

The Kanker girls laughed to themselves.

"Love? What is love?" TEC asked.

"You don't know what love is?" Peach asked.

"It has never been defined into my CPU. Please, tell me so." TEC requested.

"Love? It's when my little Eddy runs away from me, and I love he runs!" Lee sighed; eyes lit up with hearts.

"And how my Double D is so smart and stuff, I love that too." Marie also seemed into her own dreams depicting Double D in her imagination.

"And my pookie-bear Ed…" May said joining her sisters.

"….." TEC seemed confused about their definitions.

"Um, let me try. Love is… it's when you feel happy, just being near the person you like. All you want to do is spend time with them, having fun, and always being concerned about them when they are in trouble." Peach explained.

"Fun? Happy? Those words I possess definitions for, but I still have many questions to ask." TEC stated. "You have had a long day, and I will not impose on you again. However, can you four continue to teach me of this concept you call love? If you do, I can do something for you."

"Can you get us out of this joint?" Marie asked.

"No, that is against my orders." TEC explained.

"Then can we at least contact someone back on Earth?" Lee asked.

"Earth is out of this dimension, and thus out of my range of communications." TEC told them.

"What?" May shouted. "Exactly where are we?"

"I am instructed to keep this information from you." TEC told them.

"Maybe we can still contact our boyfriends!" Lee said. "I know Double D may have been carrying his lab-top computer with him! Maybe the other Eds are with him!"

"And I want to contact Mario." Peach said.

"I can comply with those requests. By all means, please use this keyboard and contact who you desire."

They all finished typing after a while, then pressed the send button afterwards.

"Mail sent." TEC told them. "Now please return to your room."

"I guess our work here's done, eh girls?" Lee spoke to her sisters, who walked out the door.

"You're a weird computer, TEC." Peach told him.

"No, I am perfect." TEC protested.

"Whatever." Peach sighed, then returned to her room.

"Good night, Princess Peach." The automatic door shut, and the lights turned off.