"Scissors?"
The blades responded by coming over to the call of Olly's voice. He poked his handles into the room, as if he actually had a face.
"Yes, my king?"
"Do I seem like a bad guy to you?"
"Oh, of course not! Who's feeding you these lies? I shall have them cut immediately!"
"Nobody is feeding me lies, Scissors. Olivia told me to think about the path I'm on. If I am doing this all for a good cause, why doesn't Mario and Olivia think so? Why are they fighting me so hard?"
"Pacifying the world is no small feat, my shire. They don't yet see what the power of creation can accomplish." He gestured his covered blades towards the cranes neatly arranged on a shelf. "They don't understand you, or your suffering. That's why I, when they arrive at the Green Streamer, will make them understand."
"It's nice to see you finally agreeing to the plan, Scissors. What made you change your mind?"
"Well, I realized it would be no fun to end a battle such as this one so early thanks to convincing from Rubber Band."
"Oh, Hole Punch was defeated as well."
"I am aware. Why are you visiting them so often, might I ask? Do you miss your sister?"
"A little, yes." Olly eyed the empty throne that sat next to Peach's throne. Nobody has sat there for years ever since Peach's father had died, and nobody ever will. The legacy of the Mushroom Kingdom was dead, and the Origami Kingdom will raise from the ashes like Seraphina once had and will once more. "But my feelings for her, just like the males of this wretched Kingdom, will die. She was no longer my sister when she decided to side with those flat fools; and as long as she does, she never will be."
"I see."
"I will become the Phoenix King by raising my kingdom from the ashes of our fallen successors. I, unlike them, have the power and strength to rule a thousand worlds, with my energy growing every minute. Instead of just standing there helplessly, why don't you help me fold some of these cranes? They're almost done and I'm feeling pretty exhausted."
"I don't see how I'm supposed to help, my shire. I was made to destroy, not create."
"Nonsense, everybody has the power to both create and destroy. It's simply all about learning how do create balance." Olly seated himself on the ground near a stack of origami paper and patted the ground across from him. "Have a seat, and I'll teach you how to fold a crane."
"Don't you think you should start off with something simple first? This is my first time doing origami, and I heard from somebody very important that this craft is about accuracy and emotion."
"Hmm, did he wear purple and have a golden crown?"
"Well, I believe he did. King Olly, I would like to learn how to fold origami, starting from the basics. You are the Origami King, after all. This should be child's play to you."
Peach examined from the far side of the room as an origami Koopa Troopa made his way past her, apologizing when he brushed against her dress. He went over to the tiny king and his second-in-command.
"Oh, hello. Have you come to join as well?"
"No, sorry. Sir, they've reached Diamond Island and are on their way to free the Ice Vellumental." He gave Olly a salute, followed by a quick bow.
"So tense!"
"What...?" He examined the room. "You're talking to me?"
"Of course I am, you idiot! You have no need to worry over the small things. The Ice Vellumental will finish them off and if they survive, Scissors will do the honors."
"What if they survive your Commander's attacks, sir?"
"It's impossible," Scissors inserted, being very sincere with his words. "Nobody can survive my Final Cut attack!"
"You don't need to brag," Olly started, "but he's right. Nobody could survive it. All of the Folded Soldiers who underwent training were sliced in half in more ways than one! I'd be pretty impressed if Mario could survive that...and I'm already looking forwards to battling him!"
"Well then, sir, I have no other news to report! I'll leave you two be." He exited the room, as Peach entered.
"What are you two doing?"
"Oh! Princess Peach! You're welcome to join us. I was just beginning to teach Scissors the art of origami. Care to join?"
"Oh, I just love origami! That's why I brought back the tradition of the Origami Festival." She joined them, sitting on the ground to the right of Olly and left of the Scissors. "What are you folding?"
"Let's do something simple like a...piano!"
"You and your music, my king. I swear you cannot live without it."
"Music is art, art reflects life. My life is centered around origami, an art form. Of course I love music, Scissors."
Peach let out a gentle laugh. "You should have expected that. I see him with the piano a lot, especially after he had made a stop at Sweetpaper Valley!"
"Fine, fine. Let's do a flower. Simple, yet beautiful. Like you, Princess."
Peach started at him. "Simple?"
"I didn't mean to insult you! Honestly, I think you're very beautiful!" Olly waved his hands in a defensive manner, as to defend himself from the misunderstanding.
Peach smiled. "I love roses, they're my favorite."
"Can you do one then? I want to see how good you are."
"Oh, no. I don't have the skills for that yet," Peach admitted sadly. "Each and every one of the separate petals is too much still. One day I'll be able to do it, though. When I do finally master it, I'll show you, okay?"
Olly returned her smile. "I would like that." He returned his gaze to Scissors, whoes paper still lie on the floor untouched. "Would you like to learn?"
"Yes, that's why I am still here."
"And once you complete the final fold...Voila!"
Olly held up Scissors' finished tulip. It looked horrible and all of the folds were uneven, but Peach comforted him by telling him he'd get better over time.
"I think I'd rather stick to sword skills, but I appreciate the time you wasted to teach me origami."
"Of course! I love sharing my craft with everyone, especially the ones I'm close to." Olly slid it into the edge of the cover, it sticking out just enough for the tulip to be visible.
"And you made something," Peach chimed in. "Isn't it better knowing you can also create with those sharp edges?"
Scissors shamefully eyed the blades that made up most of his form. "I suppose. I had a plan, but now you've made me start rethinking it."
"Oh, sorry," Peach attempted, placing a hand over her mouth. "I didn't mean to go that far! You can obviously do what you want, but I just thought it'd be nice to do something different every now and then."
"No, you're alright. I feel different, but not better. And I'm not even sure if it's a good different either."
Scissors watched Peach be dismissed from the room. He went over to Olly, giving the king a small bow.
"What is it, Scissors?" Olly sealed the final fold on the crane, gently letting it fly over to the others near him. "I thought you were done with origami." Olly gave him a gentle smile.
"What do you think I could create with my...destructive properties?" Scissors asked, now ashamed of his like for destruction. Everybody else around him loved to create, and now he wished to feel the same pleasure that they do from crafting.
"Oh, I have an idea." Olly lifted from the ground, stumbling slightly in the air, and started off towards the door. "Follow me."
Scissors perused the tiny king, curious as to what Olly was going to tell him. Olly revealed a door that had been sealed off by the king himself, and entered the room.
The room beyond was small and cozy, only sporting the decor of a table, a crafts table, and a stool that stood silently at the crafts table.
"Why did you have this room sealed off, your majesty?"
"It...I don't want to talk about it." Olly moved to the crafts table and slid open a drawer. He brought out a sheet of construction paper, the color matching Scissors' seathe. "Use your blades, make something."
"Why are you so supportive of me defying orders?"
"No, it's not defying orders! I just told you all to stop Mario, and I don't care how you do it as long as you try."
"You're acting different than usual. Happier, nicer. The King Olly I know would despise my failure if I had, but you don't seem bothered by that fact."
"Both the Princess and Olivia have helped me control my anger better, I suppose." Olly followed with a shrug. "Well, I still want you to try something."
Scissors eyed the tulip in his cover, then the sheet of paper. Scissors had no idea what he could make, and the thought was stressful.
"Oh, I should inspire you. After all, the best creations come from inspiration!" Olly brought out a small paper person, whose shape mimicked those of a gingerbread man.
"A...person?"
"Ta-ta, not just." Olly smiled and separated the person from their siblings, forming a long chain of them.
"Multiple...men?"
"You're obviously not very cultured, but you'll have to do."
"I'm confused, my liege. How is this thing supposed to help...me...?" He gazed at it, almost as if they were hypnotic and had found their next victim.
"I guess you wouldn't know much about paper if you made to destroy it...I guess I should have considered you a little better."
"That's not making me feel any better."
"This is a paper chain. It relies heavily on using scissors to cut the shapes. You can make anything from a simple sheet of paper, and this is one of my favorites." He laughed gently, folds rattling. "Besides origami."
"M-may I try...?" Scissors felt disturbed asking for permission to do something. He was so used to blindly following orders that the simple question made him want to hurl.
"Of course! I'll be back in the throne room, so when you're satisfied I want to see!"
"Yes, your majesty." Scissors' gaze never left the paper as Olly left. "Paper chain? I shan't make a paper chain...I'll make a hundred of them! And others too. Perhaps a snake...?"
"It's nice...to see you...happy...Commander..."
Scissors was so distracted by the hypnotic paper that he hadn't noticed the Sledge Bro that had wandered into the room.
"Shouldn't you be at the Ice Vellumental's mountain?"
"That's my...bro...I stay here...and watch King Olly...Make sure he...doesn't hurt himself..."
Scissors was surprised. Olly had hurt himself on Scissors' watch twice, and he must've been upset about that and got a new bodyguard. He also had forgotten how slowly the Folded Soldiers speaked, but remembered why; they hardly had a mind in this form, so speaking was a challenge to them.
"Pfah, my Cutout Soldiers will be superior to you Folded Soldiers. A lot tougher as well, as they won't be fragile sheets of Flat Folk like you."
"That's cool...Commander...I want to...see them..."
"They haven't been made yet, imbecile." He eyed the gingerbread paper again. "I'll use this one as a reference, of course."
"I hope you...enjoy it...Commander..."
"Yes, yes. Don't you have a child to watch?"
"Oh no...King Olly...!" He waddled his way out of the room.
Scissors' gaze returned to the paper. "Yes...I'll make an army."