Darkness at the end of Desert Hill

On the same night the three got sealed, Yoshi, Princess Daisy, and Morton Jr. head over to the kingdom of Desert Hill, which is still rejoicing the capture of the infamous shark pirate, Jonathan Jones, for it has been approximately a week since a pair of Fire Bros. bounty hunters (who dubbed themselves Hitatsu and Draco) had captured and sent him to an impenetrable prison fortress.

It is located past the rugged mountain range in the western Desert Hill, some miles away from a lake in the shape of a Roman numeral three called San Lake. Heavily guarded and tall sandstone walls preventing any of its convicts from escaping, this impenetrable prison built in the driest part of the desert and safely away from the perilous mountainside, hardly saw a soul for months or even years. However, this same night, both Fire Bros. visit the jail once more.

Location: Desert Hill, desert penitentiary near San Lake

Both bounty hunters walk inside until they reach a section resembling an aquarium. Johnny is floating inside a high impact plastic tank, crafted into the sturdy, thick walls of the jail. The shark is cuffed by his pectoral fins and pelvic area, tightly enough so he could float in the middle of the tank with little freedom to move around. His head hangs low due to being unaccustomed to freshwater and practically being starved. Bags have formed under his slit, yellow right eye and left eye patch. And although at a first glance he seems fine, a quick second glace said something else; he starts looking emaciated and his blue shark skin has a faint, sickly brown hue. Scars and bruises are concentrated mostly around the areas clasped tightly by the cuffs.

Since the day of his imprisonment, Johnny has struggled to break free from his bonding chains to no avail. At the highest peak of noon, the sun unleashed its hellish fury fell directly inside the tank specially built for retaining heat, evaporating the water and also warming it up to levels just barely unbearable for an oceanic shark, slowly sapping Johnny of his energy. This has continued until this unexpected visit, when he hears a couple of taps on the 'glass,' prompting him to slowly look up at the inquirer.

"Long time since last seeing your ugly mug, huh, dude?" chortles the leader of the duo, Hitatsu. This Fire brother sports Boshi-style shades, a silver chain with a silver spiked shell pendant, and black skater shorts and shoes. He walks around shirtless. He continues his gloat, "I just wanted to thank you for… landing me on… all of this dough, dude."

Johnny lunges furiously at the now laughing Fire Bro., accidentally hurting himself in the process. Like any enraged shark, his eye rolls back, revealing a white membrane, and he also exposes his multiple rows of teeth.

Johnny roars, "GRRRR! Ye nary hav' a pint o' honor, ye spineless lubber! Lemme outta her', ye scurvy dog! I be makin' ye walk th' plank!"

Johnny scowls as Hitatsu leans on the 'glass' dividing them. After a while, Johnny's eyes return to normal. Hitatsu sees this and motions Johnny to get closer, who angrily complies.

The leading Fire Brother whispers, "I have no honor, ya say, huh, dude? But of course I do; I had the honor of collecting all that ton of dough I got from capturing you. Seriously though, all these years busting my tail for measly jobs… Dude, you were the answer to my wishes. But why stop there, dude? Easy money like this from every country… Not bad for a former Trooper of the Koopa Troop, right, dude?"

Johnny scowls after hearing that, and replies with an equally quiet whisper, "Ye smell worse than th' bilge in me ship, ya louse, ridd'n privateer."

Hitastu backs up and smugly grins back. "Ho, ho! I believe you are the one who smells rotten… as in, rotting in this hellhole, I mean. Get comfortable, Johnny, 'cause your life of piracy ends here, dude."

Johnny furiously squirms as he tries to break loose again, hollering insults and threats at both Fire Brothers, although much of it was unintelligible.

Draco, the other Fire brother of the duo, stands afar, but is close enough to hear their conversation. He's wearing a white karate robe and turban, and black martial artist's shoes. He seems queasy about something, but acts normally when his partner turns and walks toward him. The shark's sudden outbursts startle him, and he manages to make out a few things Johnny spewed at them.

"Ye ne'er be me mate! Only me mates call the ol' cap't Johnny, ye scallywag!"

A prison Koopa guard, resembling a sumo version of Tootankoopa with Egyptian garb, walks in, accompanied by an official clad in a desert robe, fixed with embroidery that bore the royal emblem of the Beanbean Kingdom. Hitatsu turns, sees them and smiles; he walks towards them, motioning his partner to do the same. Both Fire Brothers stopped in front of the cloaked guy, and customary of them when greeting a paying executive, they bow but for some reason, they keep this posture.

This creature removes its cloak and reveals itself to be a three-headed snake resembling Tryclyde, except that it was colored like a coral snake and its smallest head kept its eyes shut. Its back has two areas where wings are retracted into the body, giving an impression of large prunes; this is Slyklyde.

The jail guard is astonished, and begins to back off slowly. Then, he tries to make a run for it to warn the others in the prison. Slyklyde, perceiving that this would have happened, quickly coils his tail around this fat Tootankoopa look-alike, tripping the guard. This guard is too scared to scream and looks back at his captor frightened.

The smaller head turns itself at the fleeing Koopa and opens its eyes, petrifying the guard dead in his tracks. The center head proceeds to eat the statue, melting it into a mush inside its mouth with its highly acidic venom. The small head closes its eyes and turns itself back to its original position, just as the third head spews out some sort of tar which takes the form of the deceased guard, who silently leaves. The Fire Brothers stand upright.

"We caught and sent this dude to rot here, just as you asked," says Hitatsu, "What's next on the agenda?"

"Yexxx, exxxcelent work, Hitaxxxu," replies Slyklyde, but then looks at Johnny, still making a ruckus. "He'xxx flopping like a fish out of water, yexxx?"

The shirtless Fire Brother looks back as well. "Ignore him, dude."

"Yexxx. Of courxxxe. There ixxx xxxomething we need from the uncharted landxxx of the Mushroom World. But we need the fabled dexxxert Bubble fruit, xxxaid to allow underwater creaturexxx to breathe outxxxide of water. It ixxx hidden in the depthxxx of thixxx jail, I hear."

Johnny stops moving and drop hangs, tired from struggling. Draco sees this and asks, "Is it smart to talk about this in front of…?"

"Shut up, Draco!" retorts Hitatsu, "It's not like he'll waltz out of this prison alive, dude!" He continues sarcastically, "Or what, a group of ninjas will come out of nowhere, turn this hell-hole into a heap of rubble, and bust him out of here? Come on now, dude!" He turns to the Tryclyde doppelganger. "Give us a few, no? We need these dudes to gain our trust."

"Axxx xxxoon axxx you find it, you'll be hanxxxomely rewarded."

Hitatsu grins as he rubs his hands together. "That's what I like to hear, dude."

Slyklyde replaces his garb, and begins to slide out, deep in thoughts. 'While we wait, I will help Maxxxter conquer Beanbean. But Ludwig and Lemmy will arrive in about a week, to pick up Johnny, the fruit, and… you, Hitatxxxu. Xxxo, my fire bro, xxxavor your few days of life.'

-o-

New character: Slyklyde (He pronounces the letter 's' like an 'x'). How's he important to the story? Follow the story and find out!

'San' is three in Japanese. Hitatsu and Draco are the pair of Fire Bros. from Desert Hill.