Chapter 22: Millennium Door 4

"WOW! Did you see that!" Marie shouted in excitement.

She, her sisters, and Peach were invited by TEC into the computer room to secretly watch TV, mainly the Glitzville Channel.

"So, it would appear my Mario has won again." Peach said with a smile.

"My little Eddy did the finishing line! He did the best!" Lee sounded real excited to finally see her 'boyfriend' again, even if it was on TV.

May still seemed distraught. "It's been days, and still no sign of Ed. Where is he?"

"May, wake up!" Lee elbowed her.

"Oh? Yeah, right." She simply said.

"Eh, perk up." Lee tried to cheer he up.

"Now that you have finished watching you're program, may I ask you of something?" TEC asked.

"Sure, TEC." Peach said.

The monitor switched from the TV signal back to the usual screen. "This time… I must ask something more dangerous to do."

"Like what?" Peach was already worried.

"I need you to go ask Grodus a question."

"What! Are you kidding? I can't even look at the man's face without getting sick!" Lee shouted.

"But I thought you knew everything around here." Peach asked.

"I only know what has been entered in my CPU or otherwise recorded. He keeps information to himself. When I found out about said information, it caused a disturbance within my cycles."

"So, how they heck do you think we're supposed to just ask him?" May asked.

"You will go up to the next floor and enter the X-naut room. You will find a uniform within there. Thus, you shall ask him as an X-Naut."

"So, we'll be in disguise." Lee clarified.

"There will be no 'we.' There is only one uniform, and only one of you shall go."

"Who?" May asked.

"I shall leave this unto you."

"Let's draw straws." Lee suggested.

They took straws and gave them out. They looked at theirs.

Marie grunted in anger. "Me."

"Yes. Proceed through the hallway." TEC explained. "Wear this."

A robotic arm held out a headset looking device. Marie reluctantly fitted it on her head, then left the room.

Once Marie left the room, nearby doors swung open suddenly and startled her. "What?"

"That is the elevator. Proceed through those doors." TEC said.

"Man, you're bossy!" Marie complained but entered the elevator and leaned on the wall.

The elevator started ascending.

"When you reach the destination, proceed into the door with the green light over it." TEC explained.

"Yeah, and try not to screw up!" Lee's voice mocked over her set.

"Yeah, Marie!" May joined in. "You can't-"

Marie ignored the message and simply clicked off the headset.

The elevator arrived on the floor. She quickly walked into the room with the green light.

"Alright, now there's a uniform somewhere in this joint?" Marie asked.

It was a dressing room of some sort, with lockers and a changing booth. She opened the lockers and found a uniform within one.

"What the- this thing's half my size! How am I supposed to fit in this piece of junk?" Marie complained.

She turned on the headset again to hear May's voice continuing.

"-do anything right with your-"

"TEC!" Mario cut her off. "There's no way I can fit in this thing!"

"You must try." TEC simply said.

"You're an idiot!" Marie shouted.

"Just shut up and do it!" Lee ordered.

Marie growled.

"I don't know how, but I fit in this thing." Marie complained, trying to adjust the uniform she was wearing. "But I ache in so many places."

"Then hurry. Proceed to the end of the hallway and speak with Grodus." TEC tried to speed things up.

"Don't get your wires crossed, I'm goin'."

"Is this the room?" Marie asked, standing in front of a pair of doors.

"Yes. Now please speak with him." TEC's voice faded away as he cut off communication.

She opened the door and shuddered. TEC led her right into his throne room. She walked up to Grodus.

"…Sir Grodus?" she asked, imitating an X-naut voice.

"Yes? Yes, what is it?" Grodus asked. "Speak!"

"I… wanted to know. Why do we have Peach and the Kanker sisters here?"

"That is none of your business. We cannot conquer the world like this. You should remember your place, you impudent worm."

'Worm!' Marie thought. 'Why I'll-'

"You summoned us?" Another voice asked, cutting Marie's thoughts off.

Marie had just realized that the Shadow Sirens were standing in the room as well.

"Ah yes." Grodus said, turning to them. "You three have disappointed me again."

"True, we have not attacked Mario and his group." Beldam said. "But we were using that time to prepare… we possess a new way to defeat these people once and for all. This devious plan is sure to succeed."

"You had better. Now go and stop wasting my time. Go down and find them." Grodus ordered.

'Now's my chance!' Marie thought.

"Should I go with them? They may want my help." Marie suggested.

"You foot soldiers have failed me back in Boggly Woods. YOU will stay here and continue training." Grodus replied, denying Marie the chance to escape.

The Sirens vanished into the air.

"…but remember this: no harm must come to Peach. I do not care what you do to those freaks, the Kankers, but make sure they are able to talk. We need all of the information we can pry from them."

Marie within her mind was ready to explode. 'I'm gonna kill you-'

"See what you can get out of the Kanker sisters. I know that they know who the legendary hero is, and I'm going to do what it takes to find who he or she is! Now go and continue your training." Grodus demanded.

"Okay. …roger, or whatever. I'm going." Marie walked away from the room.

"So, his plan is to take over the world!" Marie shouted in disgust as she reentered TEC's room.

"Seriously? You horrible computer!" Peach shouted.

"I was designed for that purpose." TEC explained.

"I can't believe ya!" May shouted.

"Well then, do you know who this legendary hero is? The one Grodus keeps talking about?" Marie asked.

"No. But I believe that you three know who this person may be." TEC said.

"Allow us to call Mario, Double D and Eddy!" Peach shouted.

"…I suppose I can do that." TEC accepted.

Without as much as a thank you, Peach, then Marie, then Lee took their turns on the computer.

"There, now send it!" Peach demanded.

"Mail sent." TEC said.

All four ladies walked out of the room without another word, for they were all too angry to speak.

"Good night, Princess Peach." TEC said, though no one heard his voice.

"Well, that was certainly more then we bargained for." Nazz said as they walked towards the blimp.

"Ticket please?" The ticket officer asked.

"Wait a moment!" Jolene called to them. "Eddy, you're under contract! You can't leave."

"Hey, can I see that thing, anyway?" Eddy asked. Jolene showed him the contract he had signed. He held it for a few seconds and read it carefully.

RIP!

"…sorry, dame, but these guys need me more." Eddy said and ripped the contract paper right in half.

"…fine. Just go." Jolene sighed. "I'm in no mood to argue."

"See ya later." Eddy said causally and boarded the blimp. "Ya know, I never actually been anywhere else besides Glitzville since we got to this place."

"Neither have I, so you're not alone." Eduardo Jr. commented.

Beep. Beep.

"I bet that's Peach." Mario opened his Mailbox SP.

Dear Mario.

I have uncovered something disturbing. These X-nauts are attempting to take over the world! They are doing everything in their power to take the seven Crystal Stars. I fear you may be in danger soon, so please watch yourself. Good luck.

Sincerely Princess Peach Toadstool

"Taking over the world? How original." Mario sighed.

Double D's laptop started beeping as well. He opened the mailbox and saw two new messages. "There's one here for you, Eddy."

"I bet it's one of my multiple fan girls sending fan mail to the hunk. Who's calling to me?"

"Lee Kanker."

Eddy grimaced. "What the HECK is she doing here?"

"I guess I forgot to mention. The Kankers are all kidnapped too."

"It's about time."

"Eddy, that's rude!"

"But it serves them right!"

"Are you going to read it or not?"

"No, delete the message!"

"No! I'd be tampering with mail!"

Eddy growled and personally deleted his letter.

Double D gave a disgusted look and read his message:

Hey again, Muffin!

So, today I did some awesome stealthy, ninja stuff. Is that sick or what? Yep, so anyways, I found out some stuff about these X-dorks. First off, all they're trying to take over this world. Yep. Oh ya, and their sending these shadow siren what-cha-mas-hus-sets to attack you guys down there again. Oh, by the way, good job back at the Glitz Pit place. We got to see it on this TV thingy down here. Alright, I gotta go, things are getting tense down here. Good luck!

-Marie Kanker

"Why-cha even read that thing?" Eddy asked.

"Because it would have been impolite not to!" Double D retorted.

Eddy threw up his hands in frustration and just looked out the window.

"Whoa! That's the door? Pretty fancy!" Eduardo Jr. remarked upon entering the large chamber where the Thousand Year Door was located.

"I wonder if I could set up a scam here!" Eddy shouted in sudden delight.

"I thought being in another dimension would change something about your obsession." Nazz sighed.

"Old habits die hard." Eddy commented.

Double D reached the podium and held up the star.

Once more, the room lit up. The floor lit up and designs etched themselves glowing a strange blue color.

Eddy's eyes lit up with dollar signs through the entire experience. A column of light appeared where Double D stood, and remained there until there was another quick flash, where it all faded away.

"There's a new location on the map." Double D said.

"Good." Goombella said. "We got to go see my professor again."

"The professor!" Double D exclaimed. "I forgot about him!"

"The who?" Eduardo Jr. asked.

"W-W-W-W-W-WHAT!" Frankly asked, in an astounded voice.

"As far as we can tell, this world's in danger." Double D said.

"Then we must make haste. Time is of the essence." Frankly said. He walked over to a shelf and opened a book.

"What's it say, gramps?" Eddy asked.

"The next star is in a place called Twilight Town."

"Sounds fun." Goombella said.

"I've only heard rumors about that place, but I heard it's perpetually dark. Don't ask me how that works. Anyway, near this town, there is apparently some woods. Within these woods is a steeple building called Creepy Steeple. As this map shows, the star is within those woods."

"Yep. Those dark and sinister woods." Eddy tried to sound creepy. "Ya never know what scary things lurk in the woods."

"S-s-scary?" Jimmy sounded terribly nervous.

"Eddy!" Double D scolded.

"What, just try'n to have fun!"

"This whole world's in danger, it's no laughing matter!"

"Okay! Jeez, don't have a conniption! What's with ya?"

"Eddy, drop it." Nazz ended the discussion.

"So, how do we get there?" Koops asked.

"…the details are unknown, but I believe there is a warp pipe somewhere within the ancient city underground."

"Then we'll go first thing tomorrow." Double D said. "We need to stock up on supplies for this mission."

After spending the rest of the day buying items for their trip, the group returned to Podley's again. No sooner when they walked in the door, they were greeted by an entire crowd of reporters.

"HEY! IT'S THEM!" Someone shouted.

"Hey, there, Eduardo!" One shouted as they walked up to the group. "The name's Mark, reporter for Rougeport Restoration Committee. Can we do an interview for the weekly RDM?"

More reporters started overlapping with each other.

"No, I must know! How did you feel about becoming champions in the Glitz Pit?"

"Why have you quit?"

"Is it true Mr. Eddy destroyed his contract?"

"I have heard rumors speculating you hatched a yoshi egg?"

"Why are you wearing a sock on your head?"

"I'll answer those!" Eddy ran in front of the group, shoving his face in all of the cameras.

"Eddy!" Double D scolded.

"Let's see… sure, my client will do an interview-"

"No, I won't!" Double D shouted. "I am too tired."

"…my client will not be answering questions, so I will. Okay, lesse… He feels good about being a champ, he quit because he's look'n' for his friends, I destroyed my contract because these people would be lost without me! …yeah, he hatched an egg with a yoshi thingy before, and the reason he's got a sock on his head is because he's-"

Double D quickly threw his hand over Eddy's mouth.

"Come on, these guys are annoying." Koops said.

"I beg to differ." Flurrie said, pushing Eddy out of the way to be on camera herself.

"…okay, commercial break." One said.

They all agreed and walked off.

"Hey, wait!" Flurrie tried to call them back.

Once again, Double D stayed awake beyond curfew to finish up his response to Marie:

To Marie Kanker,

Thank you for the information. But your venture sounded very risky. I suggest in the future that for your own sake that you do not attempt something risky like that again. Please tell your sister Lee that for some reason, Eddy refuses to respond. I'm sorry. Be careful.

-From Edward.

"I hope I'm not giving her the wrong impression." Double D sent the mail and turned off his laptop.

Unlike before, there was a thunderstorm outside of the Inn. He looked out of the window and looked towards the Southeast, the direction of where Twilight Town would be.

"Something gives me a bad feeling about that place."