-o-
I have my Reasons
Location: San (III) Lake, Oasis
…
No one dared to say a word as the silent standoff between Vice Warden Tanuki and the protagonists continues for a few seconds. The vice warden looks around, and keeps smiling.
"Well, well, well," begins the doogan vice warden, "It's been few hours, no?" He looks at the unconscious and convulsing shark. "I'm just in time for action, no? I'll cut to the chase; I'm here for the shark."
The heroes except Morton Jr. quickly surround the unconscious pirate, who suddenly starts foaming from his mouth and gills. Morton Jr., still paranoid about what just happened at the jail, retracts into his bulky, spiky shell, trembling within. The sudden fizzing sound startles Geno, making the wooden doll look down at Johnny, worried about the shark's health.
"This isn't good. We need to take Johnny to a doctor quickly…"
"That's a negative, mysterious, possessed doll," interrupts Vice Warden Tanuki. He begins walking towards the group, his camouflage backpack over his military outfit. "Cooperate and no one will get hurt, even our… friend there." He points at Johnny.
Geno removes his left fist and points his gun at the doogan soldier, ready to launch a Geno Beam from the barrel. "Over our dead bodies, so give it your best shot!"
"The only dead body will be the shark's if I don't see him. And if that happens, what will be of your efforts?" The doogan scoffs as he glares at Geno. "Either I see the pirate, or neither one of you will escape my wrath."
Yoshi gets serious as well and assumes a fighting stance.
"Are you sure you want to get testy with me, even in your current condition?" growls the vice warden.
Surprisingly, Daisy puts her right hand over Geno's arm. He looks back at the princess, who replies with a head shake, just as the vice warden is just a few steps away.
"It's okay, Gee. I don't think he wants to harm us. Besides, he was the only one who treated me nicely in the jail. I trust him."
"Much obliged, milady," responds the doogan soldier with a smirk. "Unless he receives medical attention now, I'd say this shark has a couple of hours max, most likely less in this desert."
He stops in front of Geno; the three step aside as the vice warden approaches and kneels next the convulsing shark, placing his bag next to him.
"I was a navy medic back in the day," continues Tanuki as he takes medical equipment out of his bag. "I'm not very familiar with shark anatomy, but he should make it to a doctor."
"I still don't trust you," interrupts Yoshi. "One minute, you were threatening us, and now… What's up with the change of heart?"
Daisy interjects as she cracks open a coconut on Morton's shell. "Just let him. Doesn't Johnny deserve a chance?"
Yoshi stares at Daisy and juts his jaw. "I didn't mean it like that."
Geno continues Yoshi's thought. "Yosh is also correct, we should at least be somewhat skeptical of, uh…?"
"Call me Tanuki. Vice warden serving under Warden Leroy."
Daisy, Yoshi, and Morton Jr. snort. "That's the chump's name?" the Koopaling blurts out from within his shell, trying to hold back his laughter.
"It would have been funnier if his last name was 'Jenkins', but it isn't," replies Tanuki nonchalantly. He looks up at Geno. "There's some meat and food in the bag; help yourselves."
"Much obliged and duly noted," responds Geno. "But anyway, Yoshi's question… Why are you helping us?"
Time stops for a few seconds, as the doogan vice warden remembers what happened in the jail during the assault…
…
Tanuki's flashback inside the jail…
After the floor in front of Vice Warden Tanuki's collapses, the doogan bursts open the door to his office to see what had just happened and almost falls into the hole. He keeps a composed façade as he scans his surroundings, looking for anyone who could do anything. He spots the Fire Brother Draco looking down at the hole along with some soldiers. They seem to be arguing.
The vice warden interrupted their scuffle, ordering them all to go underneath to the cavern, hoping to capture all of the criminals. As soon as they leave, the vice warden scans the room. Not a soul in sight; he goes back inside and locks his door.
He pushed his desk into his office door, and goes to his wall, decorated by his many certificates, awards, and a portrait of himself, which he removes, revealing a tiny door, large enough for his hand to fit through, but well hidden from even the most cautious eye. He inserted his silver crucifix into a small keyhole, opening a small compartment with a key smaller than a golf pencil and a small yellow button on the furthest bottom right corner, which he pressed. He then grabs the tiny key.
The yellow button opened a small hatch that was located underneath a rug, which was under the desk. He removes the rug, revealing the hatch that intricately camouflages with the laminated, wooden floor. He removes the panel, revealing another hatch; this time, it was a metallic door with an engraved doogan paw hand. Tanuki focuses his energy in his right hand as he places it on the engraving, and after a few seconds, that metallic hatch opens as well, revealing a device resembling a smartphone.
Tanuki takes the device, and closes every hatch inside. He finally turns on the device, a hologram communicator, and presses a button decorated with a wind emblem located under the hologram projector twice.
"Please state your password," states the device with a near human voice.
"Prevailing Wind," replies the doogan vice warden.
Suddenly, a hologram of an elderly green Birdo woman wearing a red dress and bow appears. She has a sphinx like smile.
"The Westerly here, reporting to the Jet Stream. Greetings from the jail in Desert Hill," states the doogan vice warden.
"Jet Stream here, answering from Chai of Sarasaland," she replies, "What business do you have so late in the evening?"
"We have an unprecedented break-in by three suspects: a possessed doll, the Koopaling Morton Koopa Jr., and possibly a Yoshi, though I can't confirm if this dinosaur was indeed a fake. Before you write this off as something that is none of our concern, hear this… The princess of Sarasaland was among them too."
"That is concerning," she replies nonchalantly.
"I can't fathom why she is here; I suspect that she's conspiring with the Koopaling, and possibly working for this mysterious Master fellow. What I do know is that these suspects have successfully released the infamous Jonathan Jones, though they haven't escaped the premises yet…"
"Let them go."
An awkward silence. "Excuse me, ma'am?"
"Just make it seem like they can't escape."
"Wait… Are you serious, Jet Stream?"
"Worry not, Westerly. She's in it with them. I have confirmed this with the chancellors of both Sarasaland and the Mushroom Kingdom."
Tanuki rubs his furry chin. "Didn't think Chancellor Toadsworth to be one to allow such a thing; that's a pretty risky move. And Leroy is set on fulfilling his role as Warden, even if it means soiling his hands."
"I understand, which is why you must make it seem like you disappeared, like when we hired you after that incident in the south. Once everything is over with, head southward in the desert and make sure you're not spotted. The Sandstorm needs to brief you on the latest information that may lead us to stopping whoever plotting to destroy our world."
"I almost feel guilty about abandoning the post I had for 10 years. But I accept the proposal."
"I will tell you this: they, along with one of Jonathan's old crew members, will absolutely need the shark to continue their journey south, so make sure they all get out alive."
"That means I'm heading down south, too?"
"Not yet, Westerly. Only until a month from today passes will we be summoned by the Sea Breeze." She pauses for a bit. "Seeing as our jobs are only to collect intelligence and guard 'that', we will not interfere with what this group does. We do have to keep tabs on them, however."
"I understand, madam."
"As for the doll's motives, you will have to ask it and brief us later, Westerly. By the way, the Doldrum has made it to the castle in Toad Town; I expect a report from him soon, and the Sandstorm wants to see you after the crack of dawn. He'll assign you a new name. Don't make him wait."
"Yes, ma'am!" The call ends.
Tanuki silently meditates. 'Hmm… With her information and the intel I received from when Daisy entered our premises… She must have sneaked them inside! And if Morton is siding with them, what does that say about the others or Bowser's fall from power?'
He places everything as it was before so no one would suspect anything. He pulls a cigar from inside a drawer. 'I hate this smell, but it sure smells better that the fishiness outside.'
He lights it and places it on a clean ashtray on his desk. He then removes the vent from its place and crawls inside, hoping to meet the heroes before it was too late…
…
Back to the present…
Tanuki regains his train of thought and continues treating the shark pirate.
"I have my reasons, but that is not important right now. I just wished I'd stood up to the warden's torture methods employed against Jonathan, but the best I could do was monitor Jonathan from my office, ready with these medical supplies for just the right moment. Now that that hellhole is a heap of rubble, saving him is what matters."
"I'm sorry," Yoshi says, "But you helping us smells fishy… er… Seems odd."
"Look," Tanuki states, pointing his furry, right index finger at the dinosaur, "what is odd is infiltrating a guarded jail, dressed as ninjas, and escaping with this one man; which, by the way, I must commend you all for such a feat."
"Well, thanks chump," interjects Morton Jr., earning a poisonous gaze from Geno and Yoshi.
"About that feat… I'm sure you all have your reasons for needing Jonathan, but what I can't grasp is…" He shakes his left hand, as if trying to think of the right word to say. "You, the doll and the Scourge."
"Hey, chump! Can you stop calling me that?" asks the dark skinned Koopaling.
Tanuki finishes administering the treatment to the shark pirate, and takes out a raw, thick steak from his supply bag, placing it on the pirate's snout. Johnny suddenly wakes up and begins devouring his meal.
"You earned that name from your father's campaign of conquering the Mushroom nations years ago." Morton slumps on the ground, saddened to the point of tears when Bowser gets mentioned.
Daisy hugs him. "Awww, Morty, don't cry."
"Sorry for striking a nerve," Tanuki resumes unapologetically, "but the truth is, I can understand why Yoshi and Daisy would be in this journey; he's a recognized hero, and she is her majesty's best friend and Luigi's love interest."
Daisy blushes when she hears about Luigi. "Oh, stop it, you!"
The former vice warden continues. "It is common knowledge that the Koopa Troop got decimated by an unknown force, so seeing the Scourge here is intriguing. And a sentient doll? I must know your story as well. By the way…" He pulls out a wooden arm from inside his uniform. "Doll, here's your arm back. Kinda risky having that right arm gun of yours out in the open."
The doogan looks at Geno, who awkwardly takes back his right arm and covers his arm gun. He then looks toward Yoshi and nods.
"I've already told my friends here about my motives." Geno begins, "but I see no harm in delving into more details."
"Hmm…" ponders Tanuki. He turns to Geno again while placing another steak on Johnny's mouth. "You, uh…"
"My name is hard to pronounce, so you can call me the name of this doll, Geno."
"Geno, you're not from around here, are you?"
"No, Tanuki. I am a star spirit inhabiting this doll, sent by a higher authority to bring back peace to the entire Mushroom World." He hesitates; everyone feels the tension rise. "I am the sole survivor of Star Road, destroyed by three henchmen serving under a creature they call Master, the same one responsible for everything wrong in the world."
…
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Oooh, sweet, sweet gossip, ready to be served hot… next chapter, where Geno reveals his side of the story.
Also… So much talk about these winds and secret codes… What is this secretive society? Their importance lies… it future arcs. Hope to see you all there.