Chapter 77: The Resolution
Double D sighed, allowing the flames around him to grow weaker and weaker until they were gone. It wasn't until he was normal again that you could see just how beaten-up he was. Scrapes and scars all over, his attire tattered and ruined… but was alive. His hat had tilted to a side, allowing a bit of messy black hair to stick from the front.
He looked just like the others, hurt but alive.
"…what the heck happened?" They all turned their heads and saw the small Yoshi, slowly getting to his feet.
"Eduardo Jr.!" They called out.
The small one turned his head and looked at them. "Double D… did we win?"
"Yes." Double D said with a smile.
From around them, they could hear movement. One by one, the others were waking up.
"…uh… I feel like I got run over." Goombella said.
"Goombella!" Eddy ran over towards her and practically jumped her.
She gave a laugh, and smiled, with a huge blush appearing on her face.
"…ow." Koops said, slowly rubbing his head. "I'm going to feel this tomorrow morning."
"…yes, this was quite excruciating." Flurrie added in.
"…haven' felt this way since I was in the navy." Bobbery said, getting to hit feet spryly.
"Well…" Ms. Mowz said, already up. "…I guess that's another thing off my to-do list."
Rolf looked down on the floor, with a smile.
As he did, the dark candles around them faded, then lit again with a bright red, one by one. As they did, they reflected off the Puni emblem that hung around his neck. "At long last…"
The next sound they heard was the sound of goofy laughter.
"Ed." Double D and Eddy laughed.
"…Woo!" Ed's goofy voice replied, shooting up from where he was lying down, pointing into the air victoriously. "I am Ed, slayer of evil!"
"Sarah?" A smaller voice asked.
The red head got up and responded to the small boy. "…yeah?"
"…we did it. Now we can finally be safe again." he said.
"Safe…" Sarah said. "At least until we get back to Peach creek and have to deal with the three Eds again…" she suddenly covered her mouth. "Wait! I remember now!"
"Oh, Sarah!" Jimmy reached over and hugged her. "It's good to finally have you back!"
"Yeah, it is." Sarah looked over Jimmy's shoulder at Ed. "When this is all over, I'm telling mom!"
"Oh geez, that reminds me." Nazz said. "How do you guys think our parents are taking all this? I mean, they have no idea where we are."
Kevin's eyes widened, then he slapped his face. "Oh man, my dad's gonna kill me when I get back! I just remembered I was supposed to be grounded on that day we got sent here."
"Oh man, that was awesome!" Lee shouted. "We're finally together again!"
"Awesome? We get kidnapped by a madman and stuff and it was awesome?" Marie asked.
The three of them looked at one another.
"Yeah, I guess it was. We're going to be so popular when we get back." Marie said.
"I had powers and everything!" May shouted. "Just wait until the girls at school hear about this!"
Jonny held the wooden board, which had resumed it's normal face. "Thanks Plank."
"Hey, who was that guy anyway?" Eddy asked.
"Oh, that shadow guy?" Jonny asked. "Why silly, that was-"
"Peach!" Mario shouted, running towards the fallen princess.
The group followed the overall-clad plumber to Peach's side. As they did, her head shook, and she slowly opened her crystal blue eyes.
"…what happened?" She asked.
A big smile appeared on Mario's face. "It's-a finally over."
She gave a smile too. "It's over? …yes… I'm so glad."
"I bet I know who's gonna be on the front page of the newspaper tomorrow!" Eddy said. Before waiting for a response, he lifted his arm and pointed his thumb at his face.
"…yeah, they will put you on the page…" Kevin said, laughing a little.
"Yep!" Eddy said, oblivious to the sarcastic note Kevin said.
Lowering his hand, he stroked the medallion. He looked down, forgetting it was still even there. He frowned and slowly removed it.
"I think I'm done with magic for one lifetime." He let it fall from his hand and hit the floor.
Nazz watched as the medallion rolled on the floor and hit her feet, where it came to a complete stop. She gave it a strange look.
Waiting for the others to turn around, she silently picked up the Medallion, then placed it in a pocket.
"Well… I think that's it. I'm done with this party." The group looked towards the entrance and saw Doopliss reach for the door.
"…you want to leave. Aren't you going to come with us?" Koops asked.
Doopliss gave a smile and shook his head. "After what I did to you, it wouldn't be right. Besides, now I'm free. Free of being evil, free of being controlled by evil. I have a life to begin. I will see you guys again one day when I'm a better person."
With that short speech, Doopliss closed the door behind himself.
Vivian sighed. "I… don't know how to react."
Double D looked at her, concerned.
"I mean, now both my sisters and my mother are gone forever." Vivian said. "My entire family is gone."
Double D placed his hand on her shoulder. "No, it isn't."
"Yeah, I mean seriously!" Eduardo jr added. "We've known you for what, maybe a month? I think we've all made a happy family."
"…Hm… I suppose all's well that ends well." Bobbery said. "We can all be safe from this quest business."
"If you ask me, a celebration is in order!" Frankly said, joyfully. "I think we should all go over to Podley's and celebrate!"
"WHOO!" Eddy shouted cheerily. "Party!"
The group had returned to the surface world with their tale they had become heroes. They later heard about the events that had occurred up there. Though it had seemed that everything was fixed with the defeating of the demon. All of the citizens had come back from the ground, and not even a crack remained from the earthquake.
Life had resumed its regular pattern. That is, until night fell. As a form of celebration, the entire group celebrated at the inn.
"Yeah, that's what I'm talking about!" Eddy shouted, finishing his cup of soda and tossed the glass at Podley, who caught it. "Another soda, on the rocks!"
"You got it." Podley said, filling the glass.
Double D, Vivian, and Eduardo jr each walked over to the counter, sitting down next to each other.
"Hey, you guys!" Podley said enthusiastically. "I know you what you three always order."
He took a plate with a nutritional variety of foods and slid it across the counter, where it stopped at Double D. Another plate came to Vivian with the same, and about ten plates in a line all came for Eduardo Jr.
"Thanks!" Double D said.
"Yeah!" Eduardo Jr. said, with his voice muffled underneath all the food he was already stuffing in his mouth.
"Consider this on the house." Podley said. "For helping us all out."
"Thank you." Vivian said.
"Anytime you want to eat here, it's on me." Podley said with a smile, before returning to the soda Eddy wanted.
"…so…" Double D said shyly. "…now that this is over…"
"…I don't know how to feel." Vivian said.
Double D gave a frown. "Really?"
"I mean… well, I have something to say to everyone." she said.
"Okay." Double D said.
He reached for a glass and tapped on it with a spoon. The room was silent now.
"I just want to say…" Vivian said shyly. "…that I am very thankful for all that you have done. You all saved me from a horrible life. …but I have to also say…"
Double D raised an eyebrow.
"…what should I do now? Where can I go?" She asked.
"That's simple." Double D said. "You stay here. You have a brand-new life now."
"We can get you an education." Goombella said. "I know you're not a Goomba, but maybe Frankly can pull some strings and get you into U-Goom."
"We can get you a job and everything. You can live like a normal person surrounded by people who care about you." Flurrie added in.
"Oh…" Vivian said, with a smile appearing on her face. "Thank you all!"
"…we are going to be so popular we get back!" Nazz said.
"Yeah, assuming anyone believes us." Double D said.
"That reminds me." Jimmy added in. "How are we going to get back?"
Double D stroked his chin. "I believe the power of a crystal star in a certain machine caused that portal that sent us here. I think that if I make a makeshift machine, I can make a portal. However… it would be a one way trip."
The group suddenly looked alarmed.
"You mean…" Eddy asked. "We'll never be able to come back?"
"What?" Goombella asked, jumping from her chair.
"It would appear so." Double D said, looking down. "We can't take the machine with us, and after this, to prevent this from occurring again, the stars will have to be re-scattered."
"Then…" Eduardo Jr. said softly. "This is our last day?"
"Granted, we should spend the night." Double D said. "I'll need the night to make the machine. If it works out, then I should have it ready be dawn."
Vivian looked down. "Then… this is it?"
"Nonsense." Rolf said. "We still have this entire night! Perhaps we best make the most of it, yes?"
"I will." Sarah said. "I just wish I didn't hear that…"
"Look. Rolf is right." Double D said. "We don't need to worry. Just have fun."
The party continued until midnight. At that point, Double D separated from the rest of the group. As he did, he began to walk around Rogueport. Despite it being night, so many festivities where going on that there was nobody who was in the mood to hurt anyone else.
His stroll first came to a stop at Frankly's. He peered through an open window, and he could see Frankly writing something. Probably paperwork for school stuff. It was hard to get used to, but Double D knew everyone's normal lives would resume. He heard Goombella talking about U-Goom's next term, that would start next week.
It seemed all of the professors were racing to get themselves prepared. When Double D left to go for his walk, Goombella was frantically writing an essay she had to put off because of their quest. He sighed and looked away from Frankly. His walk continued down the quiet streets of Rogueport.
He sighed and looked up at the starry skies. As he did, he caught sight of the moon hiding behind some clouds.
'…I'll never look at the moon the same way again.' he thought as he continued.
The next stop on his walk would be the infamous pipe that led beneath Rogueport. It was here that 4 of their 7 star-quests began. It was also the entrance to the Palace of Shadows in a way. After reporting that the palace was safe, many archeological teams began plans for excavations. It had become one of the greatest discoveries in this world.
Again, he just simply passed by and continued his stroll down the streets. Of course, he didn't go to far before he found another place worth recollection.
Bobbery's old house. Like many of the other group members who lived here, he had returned to his house to sleep in his own bed. It was there that he decided to join them, and there that he was saved of his self-inflicted guilt over the loss of his wife.
Double D sighed and turned around, before continuing. His walk made him go back and pass the Inn. As he walked through, he thought of all the memories he had there. He looked up at the roof of the building.
It was a place he recalled, where he and Vivian got to know each other. On the night after he found her, they had a talk right there. One that would have gone further, if it had not been for Eddy's intervention.
Double D couldn't help but chuckle. All of these events had only occurred within the last month or so, but now they felt like they had been from years past.
His stroll continued on past the stations. Though they were closed for the night, he could see the blimp stationed in the beautiful, star-lit horizon. Looking up, he saw a familiar sight. Though it appeared to be nothing more than a big star hanging in the sky, he recognized it as Glitzville. It was at that place where he and his friends fought to be champions, and even more the birthplace of Eduardo Jr.
Looking to the left, he spotted the Excess Express stationed. He gave a smile. It was here that had become their home for 6 days to and from Poshley heights. Perhaps some of the memories there hadn't been so pleasant. Though Sarah was discovered, and it was on board the train that he had his first real dinner with Vivian by the passing canyon scenery adorning a magnificent sunset.
He proceeded away from the stations and continued his walk down memory lane.
…at long last, he reached his final destination: the docks. He sighed for a moment. It was here that he first arrived in this new world with Nazz in a beaten-up sailboat. The sailboat, though it had taken massive damage, never sunk. Even now, it remained bobbing up and down in the small waves.
As he stood there in thought, he felt the winds blowing down his face, hearing nothing but the waves against the dockside and the contents of the sailboat making slight shifting noises as it bobbed in the water.
He jumped into the wrecked boat, looking at its damage. Scrapes and scars lined its hull, and the sail was gone from its last adventure, but it still remained. In a way, it was like himself. He was hurt and underwent a lot during his adventure but managed to make it.
To think that soon this boat would just become nothing more than something that would gather dust and fade away in his garage, perhaps like the memories of all of this over time.
He sighed and looked up at the stars. "Maybe it us for the best… if I just let this go."
"Double D?" He turned his head suddenly and spotted Vivian standing at the edge of the docks where the boat was.
"Oh… hello." Double D said. "Is something wrong?"
"…you really didn't think I would just let you be alone tonight, did you?" She asked.
Double D shook his head.
"…I just wanted to stay here with you for the night." Vivian said. "…if that's okay."
"Sure." he said, with a smile appearing.
He jumped off the boat and back on the dockside. He took off his backpack and revealed a Crystal Star. Like the other stars in the sky, it was gleaming brightly, lighting up the area. He handed it to Vivian to hold, while he reached for his bag and began to take more things out, like some wires and a wrench.
"…what's all this?" Vivian asked.
"I need to make a machine to send myself and my friends back." Double D said.
Vivian looked down. "I wish you didn't have to leave."
Double D sighed, got up, and looked at her. "I have to go home. My friends do go too. …we have to get back to our lives."
"I know." Vivian said, starting look nervous. "It's just… that you were the only ones that cared for me, you know… what will I do…"…without you?"
"The others will help you get restarted." Double D said. "They do care for you, and they want to help. They want to give you a new life. A safe and free life."
She began to cry. "…I just don't think I can readjust."
"Vivian." He said, placing an arm on her shoulder and they both looked at each other's eyes. "…You can. You need to believe and hope."
She still looked sad. "…but-"
"No." Double D said. "…I may not be here anymore physically, but I will always be with you in spirit. We have grown to close together not to be."
He looked down for a moment, then back again at her face. "…I want you to be happy, get a new life."
"…but why can't I do it in your world?" She asked. "Maybe I can start a life there?"
Double D sighed. "…I don't think it would work. You see, our two worlds are different. Too different. Those in our world know nothing of magic, let alone of shadow sirens… it wouldn't be safe. You can't come."
She cried again.
"Listen." he said once more, but quieter. "…we must both promise ourselves something. We have to live our lives. We need to be happy. …and as a part of this promise, we must keep one-another in our hearts. Then… maybe someday, we can meet again. I resolve to do this… do you?"
She looked his right in his eyes. "Yes… I promise."
"Then this can be our resolution. One that reaches through dimensions."
They both didn't realize it until now, but they had been holding one another in a hug. There was a bit of silence. Then, they closed both of their eyes. Their faces slowly come closer together… and closer… until… contact.
In that next instant, they were exchanging a small kiss under the graceful starry skies.