Downfall of the Mushroom Kingdom
Brooklyn
A/N: One thing I am going to write at the start of this chapter is a small summary of where everyone is at the moment. The current date in the story is now March 17th, 2015, six days after the final events of Fighting In The Streets, and with everyone being all over the place, it may be a little bit confusing. Also note that characters deliberately not mentioned yet since the previous story will not be properly mentioned unless they are key / necessary.
Luigi and Daisy are in Mushroom City, along with most of the Toad government workforce.
Most of the Toad Elite group (that includes, Toad, Toadette, Toadsworth and friends) are in the southern towns that include Rivuba and Sysenta.
Peach is still on Earth with some human friends.
Bowser is in his castle and has been ever since the final race, along with the caretaker and all eight Koopalings.
Wario, Waluigi and their group are in Diamond City.
Tom and Toby are in western Résethal.
George, Luke and Jack were last mentioned in Gonak but as of March 16, whether they are still there or not is unknown.
Enrique is heading westwards.
Will and Jaapayo are in Asterno.
Ronald's current location is unknown.
All majorly named hostile Koopas are residing in the north with the exceptions of those captured in Mushroom Yards, some of the Dargovi family, and Moroq Kruboe.
Rosalina, Zane, and Princess Rose were last seen in the Wuhu Capital the day before, but have left since.
Everyone else not mentioned is left for the reader's assumptions.
Now back to the story.
March 17, Midnight
Western Résethal
Tom and Toby had spent the day being unable to see much other than the inside of a slow moving truck container. Only in the late evening were they allowed to get out and look around at where they had arrived to. Still under the Koopa girl's supervision, the two were limited to one building now which was presumably her actual house. They weren't allowed to go anywhere from the bedroom they were assigned to stay in for the night, but the followers of the Koopa girl didn't appear that much of a threat to Tom either. In fact, after spending nearly an hour in his bed, thinking about where he was right now, he decided to get out of bed. Toby was fast asleep and the lights were off. The windows were locked and for some reason the door was not. Tom slowly crept through the doorway after opening it slightly, figuring out where to go to next. Most lights in this mansion of a house were off, but there was a source coming from a few corridors down. He still saw nobody nearby and felt safe to assume that there were no other guards in this house. All he could hear were two voices coming from behind a door at the end of the hall he finally reached.
"I still haven't been able to reach him since last night. There was one thing on the news but there's been no mention of him yet. It's only good news, right?" This voice that he first heard was one he definitely recognised.
"Well if we have both of you here then we should have nothing to worry about when it comes to your share of the power grid?" This voice too was recognisable. He had no reason not to believe that these were both Tobias and Karisa respectively, chatting to each other as if they had met and knew each other prior to yesterday.
"There is nothing to worry about, I assure you. While we are here there's nobody over there that can tamper with the configurations. That is, unless some idiot from Zurlon or Vilrus doesn't pay a little visit like back in January. What's your situation with that lot anyway, are they friends with you lot?" Tom opened up the door before Karisa could speak. What he saw on the other side was a sort of lounge. Tobias was sitting on a comfy big chair and on the other side was Karisa on a sofa and another Koopa girl sitting further way from the two. She must have been silent this whole time.
"You." Tom threatened Tobias. "You set us up for this. What is this, some kind of joke?" Tobias, feeling intimidated could only back up on his chair, but Karisa only stood and watched. Tom, initially wanting to attack Tobias for his supposed actions, began to feel confused as to why it was like he let to approach him like this despite being bagged up by the Koopa girl and her followers. He turned his head around to see Karisa who wasn't making any moves about it.
"Sit down." She offered, pointing to one of the many empty comfortable lounge chairs that were in this open room.
"Tom. You need to be calm about this. This may look super confusing to you but everything this girl's done to you so far has been for good reason." Tobias reassured him as he sat down, glaring back at him. "Duncan's making his way here too, and he's got something that you're going to appreciate a lot." Tom looked back at him for a few more seconds and still said nothing to him. He only turned his head back to Karisa.
"I've just spent the past twenty-four hours being relocated from place to place inside a stupid dark container and I asked around and still never got an answer. Can one of you two please tell me what the fuck is going on around here? Hell, I don't even know where we are right now, whether it's Jort or Iltan or shit-land or what-not."
"We're safe here Tom." While he wanted to get something out of the Koopa girl, only Tobias kept talking back to him first. It was almost like he wasn't letting her have a chance to speak for herself. "Nowadays this is the only place in the world where people like you and I are able to walk about freely without being arrested by stupid Toads." Tom refused to acknowledge what Tobias just said and instead turned back to Karisa, hoping to speak to her directly.
"Where are we?"
"Dargo." She replied instantly and assertively, startling Tom. "Yes, this is my house and we're in the city of Dargo as you may have heard of before. We're in the perilous, dangerous, disastrous, no-go zone that is this horrid place your employers labelled it to you as. Me? I'm Karisa, daughter of Choban, the ruler of Dargo. So if you want to feel that you're not safe around here, best be assured that you are in safe hands. We're still making the rest of the populace know about our stance towards humans like you, but they'll be sorted soon. If you want something to worry about, worry about the implosion of the Mushroom Kingdom that we're seeing unfold before us right now… now, can I get you a drink?" Tom's aggression toward Tobias and Karisa disappeared through her speech given to him. Proof was something he indeed needed, but being told this in such a way made him truly question everything he was told by the others in the south once again.
"So the attack on Aypyidaw and the Red Martyrs… that wasn't you? They've all been wiped out. All but four and it's led to borders to the south being shut." He ignored Karisa's last question.
"Let it be known to you that we were in fact not involved and we had no intention to be nor were we ever asked about it. These hostile Koopas, these… sub-Koopas in their tribes, they don't even know what they want. We prefer to stay out of it." Tom still wasn't utterly convinced but he still had some points to get across and some more questions still to ask.
"Right… Well… what do you want with Enrique then? I remember overhearing you last night over the phone to some guy. You said he was needed for something, what's that all about?" Karisa looked across to Tom and kept her facial expression to a look of seriousness and disappointment in him.
"If you have difficulty in putting your trust in me, then know this." She began to story him and Tobias at the same time.
…
(Karisa's Perspective)
You really want to know why it was you and Enrique and all those others that were brought in to these lands, all this time? Do you want to know why it was specifically you and Enrique? Believe me, you weren't a chosen one. Why? Because I was there. Enrique was who was needed, not you.
"What do you mean?" Tom asked.
I mean… That night five years ago when the Galaxyë siblings picked you and your friends up from wherever it was in that other world to bring you here. They chose Enrique for a reason. You were just there with him.
There's a person out in this world that you probably don't know about yet, someone who has been very close with my family for many years, going back to the days when I was just a kid. Maybe you weren't even born back then either. The 90's? Maybe you were just a baby… at least definitely before this one over here was born. Anyways, this person? Tarren Galaxyë, Enrique's biological grandfather… and a distant relative to both Rosalina and Zane. Tobias already knew this, but looking at Tom, he couldn't believe his eyes. This Tarren fellow is good friends with us even to this day, and is… or was… on good terms with Zane and Rosalina, so it was actually his intentions to try and seek out Enrique, to bring him over here to finally see his grandfather and the world that he should have lived in. Unfortunately, Rosalina was pulled into persuasion by the princesses. The crooked Princess Madison ruined it all. If not for that girl's twisted views on morality, you two would have been helping us bring peace to the north five years ago. We could have done it, not them!
Want to know why all of this was known to me? Tarren told us everything. He was angered by it all.
Now follows a flashback to the past, irrespective of Karisa's memory…
January 3, 2010.
Karisa would often make trips to Asterno. Her father put her in charge of the duties to contact Tarren with alongside her older brother Sheridan. It was those two that would more often than not pay visits to the southwest to see the latest with the isolate man inside the sullen city. One day the two had met up with a few others, including Zane and Rosalina as well as Marrec, regarding the intentions to bring Enrique to the lands. What they all saw inside this place was a much healthier looking Tarren. One who could look after himself and spend his time teaching students the ways of magic. He in turn taught all sons and daughters of Choban, as well as the odd lesson or two to Zane or Rosalina, Blumiere or Cackletta, but not once would he ever accept offers to teach the Koopalings, no matter how much their green-skinned uncle would persuade them. Back in these times, the Red Martyrs were still at large and posed a great threat on the Dargovi ruling family. The other hostile tribes were a problem and with the remnants of the Great Mushroom War lingering in the towns there, Tarren was never allowed to return. The other hostile tribes hated him for what he did. The Red Martyrs wanted him dead too. What made things even worse was Madison Sprixie's influence over the northern Koopa groups. Her attempt of a magistrate society in Castelia did not bode well with its inhabitants, let alone the surrounding hostile areas. The increasing levels of unrest in these outer towns, especially the likes of Vurduresa, was something that many factions wanted to put an end to. Not only did Madison's attempt of bringing peace to the north hold sway, but all the princesses wanted peace there, and the Dargovi wanted it too. Only, they wanted to be the ones to do it. They are also northerners there, not the princesses.
"You're all probably wondering why I've gathered you here today." Tarren had brought all those summoned to his house into a large courtroom. As usual, all the windows were barricaded up with wood and only light created from magically channelled flames were present in the room with the sky being so typically dark. "The Dargovi are struggling with ways to beat the Kingdoms of the south in bringing justice and order into what is a typically anarchistic land. A free land." There were many present in the room, but few were actually of use to him. Not only were there the people mentioned previously, but there were more Koopas. Some included Boom Boom and Pom Pom served as long-time friends of Tarren, and another Dargovi Koopa was there: Karisa and Sheridan's oldest brother: Raiyon, who came under order of their father as means of greater numbers for an important matter.
"We want to keep our image to them." Sheridan spoke first to add to the conversation, as he typically would want to insert himself into any matter. "That way it would mean the whole land is happier without their influence."
"I say we send a message to the Sprixie Princess. Send a severed head to her doorstep in Castelia. She'll go flying back to the south where she belongs." Raiyon suggested, aggressively as per. "Or better yet, to send a message to Princess Peach, send her head instead." A few in the room agreed with his threatening approach, but it wasn't in Tarren's best interests, nor was it in any interests shared by Marrec, Zane, or Rosalina.
"As a matter of fact, this business doesn't need to concern the likes of the Dargovi for now. You can keep up your image but it is best for you lot to stay out of it." Tarren ordered. "I, in fact, have an idea that doesn't need to involve you. For once, you can lay low and keep your boundaries with the Red Martyrs." Tarren turned his eyes to the humans in the room. "This concerns you three. As for the rest of you, do not be seen by the Red Martyrs. Dargovi, send word to your father not to interfere with Bowser. I will deal with him later. Nobody talk to Bowser! Okay?" He received nods from many in the room. "Now, clear off." There were four humans not including Tarren that remained in the large hall of the house. He remained seated and looked at them all. From left to right there was Marrec, then Zane, then Rosalina, and lastly, a slightly younger Ioreth, not really known to many of them at this point in time. They all stepped forward, standing right before him.
"Only humans?" Marrec realised. "What's this about?"
"It's about Earth." Tarren began again. "There's a boy out there, only a few years younger than the princesses. His name Enrique, and there's something I need to tell you all about him… something I should have told you all years ago. He's one of us. Partially, but he's still one of us. Fresh blood, new and unseen to this world. He's the one… he's my grandson. He can help us win this war. He's the symbol of hope for the unrest that we see for our people. You need to bring him over here and protect him at all costs." All four of those listening to Tarren showed mixed and different reactions to his speech, but they all shared the common feeling of surprise about it.
"You… have a son? Let alone a grandson." Rosalina questioned.
"My son perished in the Great Mushroom War, it's partially why I've been confined to here, but what nobody knew, is that he had a child when he was out there for a few years before the war. He's been raised in a country far from any portal, but my spies have informed me that he's moved conveniently close to Brooklyn in the last couple of months. I want you to do this for me. I want you three to bring him home for me."
"What use would he be here?" Zane asked, feeling slightly doubtful on this new plan. "Let him never know about this world. You know the risks that come with bringing clueless humans from Earth over here."
"Well there's not going to be a problem. I've also been told that this idea of bringing someone over from Earth has been circling around the other humans here for quite some time, including some of the princesses. What's the girl that wears Red? Taelin tells me that she's been talking about it and plans to present the idea to Peach."
"Princess Rose." Rosalina said. "And besides, if you want us going to Earth, sure. We'd blend right in, but we'd have to use the pipe. If you want us to go in without that girl noticing, it's best you keep me here and let these three go and do it. I'll be able to keep the Mushroom Kingdom occupied."
"No, it has to be you three." Tarren replied. "I'm not sending Ioreth over. Never."
"Well what do you want me to do then?" She asked anxiously, knowing for sure that she would once again just be used as an apprentice, down-playing her capabilities to do anything useful for him.
"You're staying here." Tarren said, as she expected, frustrating her. "But don't worry. You'll be needed later."
"You want me to keep eyes on Princess Rose or something?"
"No. I'll let Marrec handle that."
All four of them did not have a single thought of complete agreement with Tarren's proposal, but all of them did have a small interest in going to Earth to see this young adult of a human who is somewhat related to three of them. Soon after, Rosalina, Zane and Marrec vacated from the hall in the house, unsure how to go about this plan that Tarren had proposed for them. They went down to the lower floor and kept themselves quiet, making sure nobody else could hear about it as a few were still here, including a few Koopas.
"This isn't the first time I've heard about that kid by the way." Zane whispered to the other two inside one of the empty bedrooms. "His name appeared in the nineties, but he's not been here before."
"He's one of us. He'll inevitably be brought here one way or another. I think we're the best chance he's got and the safest too." Marrec suggested going forward with bringing him over. "I don't trust Tarren however. A kid being brought over here should not be subject to a life like Ioreth's, if that's what he plans to do with him."
"This land isn't for people like him." Rosalina mentioned, feeling more anxious about it than the other two. "Humans don't just come here to build lives. To live a life surrounded by people like him and dealing with such dangers ever since the war isn't a real life to live. He'd be better off living in the Mushroom Kingdom if he did get brought over here. Besides, Tarren's the only human besides us that involves with the north. All the rest are… well… southerners."
"That's not the worst part. You remember what Shigeru did when he left? If that kid knows about the game he's not going to want to leave the Mushroom Kingdom. He wouldn't stop obsessing about it." Zane remembered. Enrique already knows of this land, but not that it's actually real.
"How old is this guy anyway?" Rosalina wondered.
"Well, he's probably a late teenager. Eighteen, Nineteen maybe?" Zane replied.
"You do realise that knowing Tarren… if we don't do this for him then he'll do it himself, or worse, these other spies he mentions."
"Alright. Let's go then." Zane took charge, readying up the other two and heading straight to the window of the abandoned house, leaving Ioreth behind with the rest of the Koopas and Tarren that were still inside.
Meanwhile, Karisa and her siblings were still in the household. They too were called up back to the hall in the house along with another Koopa named Taelin, who acted as Tarren's current informant. Raiyon was furious, opposing Tarren's proposition to use the humans in his disposal to bring Enrique over, hoping that he could be the change in bringing the peace to the northern hostile tribes.
"You're a fool to put your trust in those humans!" He stormed into the hall first, with Sheridan just behind him trying to calm him down. "The Dargovi are the ones who are meant to do this! We need to bring unity to the north because we're supposed to cement our superiority over them! Especially not with those shitty Red Martyrs in the way either. They're only making it worse by existing in Aypyidaw." He threatened Tarren, even going as far as to willingly point his magic wand at him. Tarren didn't move an inch on the chair, letting him point it at him.
"Brother, put the wand down. I'm sure the wise ancient has his reasons." Sheridan stood in the way, but it made no change to Raiyon's threatening stance.
"Out of the way, Sheridan." Tarren sniggered, making him move aside slowly. "What would you have you do?" He looked back to Raiyon.
"I could go with five other Dargovi elite. Leave one with Sasha Shellex, one with Milly, three to deal with the princesses and the male chieftains, including that Sprixie shit. Me? I'll go straight to Mushroom City. I'll impregnate the Toadstool bitch. The whole north will look at me like a God. They'll see me do that and listen to everything I say." Tarren said nothing back to his absurd claim. He only kept his grin up.
"Hold your ego down for once, brother." Karisa stood at the side and called him out, hoping he would lower his wand.
"I'm just telling you what I alone could do. Imagine you set the six of us and our own troops on them. We could take over all the lands. What's stopping us from doing that? Why can't we hand you all four Kingdoms on a plate?" Raiyon looked around at everyone.
"Because father said so." Sheridan finally got him to lower his wand. The two brothers looked at each other with rage in both their eyes.
"Why not bring it to him then? Surely that's what he secretly wants. He'll be proud of us all." He turned back to face Tarren. "You know, these humans won't bring that kid to you. I find your trust put in them for nought. They have no true fealty to you." Everyone in the room was concerned for him raising his voice.
"Raiyon, please." Karisa tried to calm him down. Tarren remained resilient however, as did Taelin who was standing beside him. "You're getting way ahead of yourself. Please, trust the wise ancient." He paused for a few seconds, looking back at Karisa in disbelief and disappointment. Afterwards, he turned back to face Tarren.
"Fuck this." He said. "Fuck you all. I'm done. You can sit and rot in this forsaken ruin for as long as you want. I know this fucker isn't moving an inch as he hasn't for thirteen years… Shko në shtëpi." Everyone watched and allowed him to storm out of the room. He vanished in a matter of seconds out of the house, not to return again that night. Boom and Pom eventually showed up to the hall after seeing him depart in an enraging tantrum, both were as confused as each other.
"The Koopa is wrong to question your intentions, wise ancient." Taelin spoke first back to Tarren.
"He can do as he pleases. I'm sure his father whom he cares so much of his view of him about is going to take it just fine." Tarren grinned. "Anyways, Taelin. I need you to track the humans. Help them see to the portal safely. Sheridan, Karisa, go back to Dargo to your father. Let him know about the weeks to follow. Once the boy comes here, I will personally travel with him to Dargo, and then we can begin our plans."
Unfortunately, that would end up being the last time in a while that Karisa would ever go to Asterno. It was only until after all of the events that happened during the bringing of peace to the north did she ever return to see Tarren. We all learned that the case of bringing Enrique to him was not what ended up happening…
January 13, 2010
Mushroom City outskirts
Rosalina, Zane and Marrec had spent the past three days in the Mushroom Kingdom, with only Peach and the other princesses knowing about Rosalina out of the three of them. With the intentions to go ahead with Tarren's plan only at a minimal, the three knew that they would need to bring over Enrique before anyone else possibly in the race to do it. Rosalina was deep into the capital city, invited to a tea party with Peach, Daisy and many other princesses; a massive girls get-together. For three years she developed a strong friendship with many of them. Unfortunately it got in the way with her approach to Tarren's idea. She believed that he would turn Enrique into a weapon to in fact use against the princesses and the Mushroom Kingdom. With Madison Sprixie's growing influence in the north, someone like Enrique by her side may actually be enough to help her bring peace to the north. It's one of the best solutions, but the worst one in Tarren's eyes.
Zane was in a small suburb on the outskirts of Mushroom City hanging beside a phone booth and on the phone with Taelin, taking calls for Tarren. This suburb was very close to the portal cave and it was where the three were going to go today tonight to bring back Tom and Enrique.
"I'm going to bring the wise ancient on the phone for you. He can speak for himself with this matter." Zane was just talking to Taelin about going over the plan again, but with Zane deliberately not following the procedure very well, Taelin grew sick of it and felt like he was having his time wasted. Tarren was now on the phone, waiting for Zane.
"Hey." Zane said over the phone.
"Taelin's told me that you're taking the piss with him. Are you hinting to me that you three are inoperable for his job? It's simple. Get the kid, take him to the portal, drive him here. What else is there to think about? You're Galaxyë humans. If you need a bit of persuasion, just use your powers? How hard can it be?" Tarren didn't sound agitated or angry over the phone, but he could tell that his words were a threat to him.
"We're getting on to it. Don't worry." Zane tried to calm him down. "We're heading over tonight. Marrec's been able to trace where he lives. I guess that's one reason to thank your spies." He waited alone on the side of the road until he saw Marrec walking over to him from the distance in the direction coming from the portal cave. "We're just waiting on Rosalina. Marrec's set up all our transport out there so we know what we're doing."
"Good. Now don't let me down, and don't fuck anything up. You don't want me to send Firas over to do it for you. You know that one doesn't like it when other people are incapable of doing basic tasks." Tarren sent another threat.
"No, I don't want Firas to do any work for us, thank you very much." Zane got hanged up on by Tarren, putting the phone back in the slot and looking back at Marrec. "It's… seven. Their 'tea-party' should be over now. We just need Rosalina. Marrec nodded, and the two waited for her arrival which would be expected to take about half an hour for her to leave the capital alone and out north to the outskirts.
…
Nearly an hour had passed, and as expected, things did not go in Tarren's favour. Zane and Marrec were confused at first to what they were seeing, as in the distance he could see not only Rosalina, but Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, and Princess Rose, along with both Mario and Luigi. Zane crossed his arms and waited for Rosalina to approach him first. She had told the rest of them to wait on the paths off the road first while she went to the two across the road.
"I'm sorry." She whispered to both him and Marrec. "I couldn't help myself. This is the best way to go about it. We're late because I wanted to tell Peach about it after the gathering, only, she couldn't keep it a secret herself."
"How many people did she tell?" Zane felt disturbed just seeing this many native humans here, potentially willing to hear about the plan and get involved with Earth, definitely not what anyone had intended from the beginning.
"Only these two others… and the Mario brothers later on. They were the only ones that stayed along at the end of the party. I could not for any hope in the stars get time alone with Peach. She's inseparable to Daisy at the moment, and this other girl? Well… it was her idea, wasn't it...?" Zane nodded and indicated her to relax about it.
"So is the plan now to bring him to the Mushroom Kingdom? A sort of 'fuck you' to Tarren and just see how the princesses approach the situation with the north?" He whispered back to her, beckoning the princesses and the Mario brothers to come over as well. "We're going to be a day at least anyway, so it's not like we can confirm everything yet." Rosalina nodded in agreement and watched them all come over.
"Do you have our approval to use the portal?" Zane looked at Peach who rushed in front of everyone else to get straight into his face.
"I want to hear what you want to do with all of this. This is a very special case and I trust you all to be firm and sharp with your intentions. I want to see this person with my very eyes when he arrives!" She was very demanding, almost to the point where it was putting him off. Daisy rushed over too with a demanding and strict face.
"I remember the last thing we said about that place is that we never touch it, ever!" She was crossed more than she was demanding. The way the two girls approached him made him start to lose focus of his intentions. Perhaps the best way to go about it is not in the best interests of these two. Zane said nothing and only looked up and across to Rosalina. She shrugged.
"We're going to be a bit of time with this. The journey to the boy from the pipe is a few hours. Don't expect us to be back so quickly." Marrec spoke for the two. "We'll have him back in the morning."
"Will Madison know about this?" Rosalina turned to Peach and whispered to her and Daisy. "We've been told the person we're looking for is the best person suitable."
"It's best that she knows." Daisy suggested quietly to Peach.
"I'll sort that out once you lot are gone." She nodded firmly to Rosalina and started to back away. "Do you want me to tell Muji and the Red Martyrs about it? Just in case…"
"No don't do that, yet." Rosalina gulped.
"…Ok... Let's let these three get to it." Peach nodded.
"Hopefully we'll stay updated!" Mario and Luigi cheered. The four started to walk away, but Peach stopped noticing that princess Rose wasn't leaving them.
"Rose?" Peach wondered.
"I'm going with them." She initially hesitated but eventually made her decision. "I'll… make sure everything goes well." Rosalina's eyes widened as she returned to Zane and Marrec, not expecting this outcome. All three of them felt slightly anxious on the inside but remained focused to the eyes of the others when they turned around. Rose looked somewhat eager to join them, but it questioned the other three's capability of handling this mission improvised by them.
"Very well…" Peach smiled. "Don't get too attached!" Everyone else laughed as they departed from the road. Rose then awkwardly looked back at the other three, all taller than her and making her feel intimidated, but she was happy to press on.
"Do you… actually know what we're going to do?" Zane asked Rose as they started to walk to the portal cave only a few acres away.
"Not really." Rose shrugged. "Aren't you just trying to bring someone who's… a little bit like you… back here… and something along the lines of helping with the north situation? I figured Mario doesn't need help when it comes to Bowser. Maybe this guy is going to be to the north what Mario is to Bowser." Zane sighed and shook his head.
"Whatever." He walked on. "I don't know why I was asking for permission anyway."
Rose felt a little afraid of Zane. She decided to only walk next to Rosalina on their way to the portal cave. Both Marrec and Zane went ahead to the entrance and started walking down into the dark area where the special pipe resided. Marrec was the man with the key plan in mind. He knew exactly what to do and without hesitation, he walked through the pipe first, being sucked through and sent to Earth. Zane then went next, doing so whilst being watched by Rose and Rosalina.
"This will be my first time. I hope it's not too dangerous." She began having her doubts, but it only made Rosalina giggle at her.
"You said you wanted this. Besides, it's going to be fine. Earth is a different place yes, but it's in no way dangerous." She showed her all the way to the pipe. "Off you go. I'll be right behind you." Rose stared into the magical pipe, not seeing anything on the other side but a black magical void. After some initial hesitations, she slowly crept into it, being sucked through and screaming briefly until she was no longer heard by Rosalina. She then went in next only seconds later.
10:00PM
The four had arrived on Earth, leaving the pipe and inside an abandoned shack near the Brooklyn piers. Business here was normal and the American nightlife on the coast of Long Island was as expected. Zane and Marrec watched as Rosalina opened up box inside the room and picked a new set of clothes to wear instead of her turquoise dress.
"Put these on." Marrec handed over a pile of clothes for Rose to wear. "If you keep that red dress on you'll attract attention. This place is safe, but you get the odd creep here and there." Marrec and Zane gave the two the space to change their clothes without being watched. While Rose was changing hers, Rosalina got halfway into undressing and decided to keep what she had on.
"Actually… I'll be fine like this." She walked over to Zane and Marrec. "Don't be like me though." She told Rose, telling her to still get undressed and into the scrappy clothes handed to her.
"Right, anyways." Zane looked back at Marrec. "With all the info that was given to us and your little bit of research, Enrique is meant to be around… here?" They looked at a map of New York City that Marrec had pulled from the table inside the old shack.
"We're here… and Enrique's… over there somewhere. I'll remember it when I see it. South Manhattan." He pointed to the map and indicated that they had to cross Brooklyn Bridge to get to him. "We'll need to lure him from his home somehow. He lives alone with his mother and her new partner. I believe none of them have any idea about us or all of this."
"You've still got the car right?"
"Yeah. It's up the road somewhere. We'll hop in to that and start making our way." Marrec also grabbed a few more things from boxes inside the old shack, including a set of keys, an apron, and hundreds of dollars in bills.
"Right. You'll drive on the way there. I'll drive on the way back. We're going to have to cross the bridge as well. Remember that they drive on the right here."
"I know." He laughed with Zane. "Ready missy?" The two looked back at Rose who was just awkwardly standing near them.
"Yes." She finally began to smile, happy to join the other three on their endeavour all the way to Manhattan to find Enrique. They all snuck their way out of the old shack and went on to a recreational path near one of the nature-filled piers and followed Marrec's direction all the way to a van that they had parked on one of the quiet side streets. Rose watched as Zane walked straight up to the front of the van and picked up a mass of parking tickets and bills. With two fingers he lit up a flame and incinerated the papers, swiping the hot ash away. Her eyes widened upon seeing him use magic. Casually, he walked back to the front of the van and got into the passenger seat next to Marrec.
"We're in the back Rose." Rosalina called for her to get in to the back of the van with her.
"Coming!" She smiled eagerly.
…
The four had crossed Brooklyn Bridge and were navigating through the maze that was the many one-way streets in Manhattan. All four had equipped themselves with earpieces that worked in this land to allow them to communicate with each other should they be separated, though everyone had theirs off for the journey. One other thing that massively slowed down their journey to where Enrique lives was the abhorrent traffic that was everywhere they went. They got caught in the midst of very slow traffic and they all got extremely bored inside the van. Zane rested his head on his right fingers and looked ahead, disgusted at the sight of the vehicle in front of him.
"Look at these cars." He pointed and showed Marrec the roofless sports car that was full of too many people, laughing their heads off, annoying him. "They make no sense. Why try and fit… six people in a car with only having the space for what, four at most?"
"It's stupid if you ask me." Marrec agreed, but focused on the road.
"I'm just saying it makes no sense." Zane tutted and looked away, still listening to their voices as they were so loud with his window down. "It's no surprise that they're talking about clubbing. The Myth, that sounds like a night club name if they're talking about clubbing. How silly."
While they were still stuck in traffic and hardly moving, Marrec looked back at the sports car in front, staring at the people sitting in the seats and sharing them. He chuckled briefly looking at them, but then he realised something odd about someone in the car with them. "Wait."
"What?" Zane looked back at Marrec, concerned with the way he said that 'wait'.
"Enrique's in that car." The two leaned in to each other and looked ahead to the sports car. "That's him. At the front and on the right." He pointed. The two looked at each other and noticed. It clicked to them both at the same time. Marrec undid his seatbelt and got ready to open his door. "Take the wheel. Follow them all the way to where they're going. I've got to act fast now. Rosalina? You're coming out with me." Marrec quickly got out of the van and rushed towards the back door, opening it up and allowing Rosalina out.
"What about me?" Rose questioned but dared not to leave the van when the doors were open.
"Stay inside. Zane's driving you to the destination. Wait in there with him." He quickly closed the doors and rushed off of the road with Rosalina. "Follow me. We've got to go quickly. Enrique's in the car ahead but he's with a lot of friends. I know where they're going… a nightclub. Quickly now!" The two rushed through the busy crowds on the street sidewalks, attracting some attention from those walking along, but none from the boys inside the sports car. Luckily, due to the traffic and the complicated directions the cars would have to follow to get to the night club, Marrec and Rosalina were able to take many shortcuts on foot in order to get to the night club quicker than them.
…
It was almost 11pm the night club hadn't properly opened yet. Marrec, now wearing his apron, was able to magically turn the design of the apron to match the uniform colours and design that other workers at the nightclub wore. He was able to sneak in, but Rosalina was unable to go forward with her dress on.
"Marrec, what are you doing?" Rosalina was confused as to what he was doing with his apron and his keys, yet somehow he was able to get past a few things outside the club's entrance. "Is this one of your dodgy plans again?"
"Don't worry about her." Marrec told some of the workers at the nightclub. "She's with me. She'll be able to get through." The workers near Marrec were confused but decided to let him go on with whatever it was he was doing. Rosalina quickly followed him, still confused.
"Is this your plan to get the boy? Get him to drink until he passes out and then take him while he's unconscious?" Marrec smirked back at her, forcing her to smile back with surprise. Upon realising what she said to him, she realised that it wasn't that bad of an idea in fact.
"What would you do given the situation? I'm the best at improvising." He smiled, getting ready for the nightclub's opening. When the clock struck 11, the main doors were open, and many young adults stormed their way through.
"I'm going to go outside and check up on them when they arrive." Rosalina told Marrec.
"Be careful with strangers." He said to her as she left. "And don't do anything stupid!"
While she went outside, Marrec resumed blending in with his oblivious colleagues at the night club bar. Outside, the streets of Manhattan were busier than she had ever seen before on Earth. She was no stranger to this environment though as it wasn't her first time in this world. For a situation like this however, it was no easy and comfortable task. So many people, rich or poor, looked her way in her dress, but luckily the worry of that would soon come to an end as she saw the car of older teenagers finally stop and park along the road in a vacant space. Some of the boys rushed quickly to the nightclub entrance, now open, but two of them, including Enrique, walked behind them slowly, noticing her on their way in. They both stopped and looked her way.
"Yes, come over here you two." The two looked at each other confused, doubting if she was actually referring to them. Rosalina had to speak twice. "Stop looking around and come here." Enrique and the other boy walked over to her. She acknowledged both of them, even paying a little bit of attention to the other one. He looked just as capable as Enrique. Though, the two were still young and ignorant and probably didn't want their time wasted with her soon-to-be lecture stopping them from going to the nightclub and having a wicked time.
"Yes?" The other boy spoke first, putting Rosalina off as she wanted to focus on Enrique. All of a sudden, her thought process was erased from her mind and she had forgotten what to say.
"You two are more important to another land than you think." She improvised, rather horribly and unprofessionally. On the inside she already felt embarrassed with herself.
"What?" Enrique looked at his friend and back to Rosalina. She saw this coming. A poor attempt of a way to lure him in and he's already looking at her weirdly.
"Basically, you're not going to stay in this country in no more than a day. After that, you'll end up in a big mess, that's if you don't play your cards right." What was she thinking? In her mind she had no idea what she was talking about, and her confidence in trying to explain this to them only kept worsening.
"English! Please!" Enrique tried to grab Rosalina, but she quickly deflected his attempt to reach out with her wand tucked in to her other arm sleeve. "Whoa?"
"Let's just say that you'll see me again tomorrow, and you can't stop that from happening." She pointed at him, but the two were unsure who she was pointing at exactly. It was slightly towards Enrique but not direct enough for either of them to be confident about it.
"What about me?" For a brief moment Enrique noticed Rosalina's eyes looking at his friend, so he assumed it wasn't about him.
"You'll be seeing someone else, that's if he comes at the right time. Anyway may the stars be ever in your favour." Rosalina anxiously looked back to him, getting it mixed up once again. She became too embarrassed and decided to abandon her stance. While only those two were looking, she slowly vanished against the wall, disappearing from their sight.
Zane had parked the car further down the street, getting out and opening up the back of the van to let Rose out. Her eyes widened with surprise as she saw the Manhattan night city lights and all the humans walking the streets.
"Wow… it's so… amazing." She looked around in all directions but made sure she stayed close to Zane.
"We're heading over there." Zane pointed. "Remember not to interact with anyone."
"Zane!" Rosalina rushed over to him and grabbed him while they were walking outside the night club entrance. "I'm sorry. Help us, quick. I… screwed up."
"What, where are they? Where's Marrec?" He looked at her frustrated and confused. "Are they inside?" He sighed and hurried, holding Rose by the hand and bringing her into the club with him. Rosalina also followed, and once they arrived, Zane was ready to open the door up. However, Rosalina grabbed hold of the two before they went inside.
"Hold on. Marrec's relaying something to me." She heard something through her earpiece. "Great job, M.B." She turned it off and looked back at Zane and Rose. "He's given Enrique some drinks… shots."
"Let's go inside." Zane opened up the door fully and allowed the two to go through. "Just… find a table or something and sit on your own. I'm going to check up with Marrec. Don't interact with anyone, ok?" He hoped for a nod from either of them but the two walked over towards one of the tables in the corner of the night club main room. Rosalina still felt anxious, and what made matters worse was Enrique's friend made eye contact with her as she was sitting down.
"What's with that other guy?" Rose whispered to Rosalina whilst they were both watching him look back at them.
"I don't know, but I feel like these two are going to be inseparable." She kept her eyes on him, gesturing to him as he was drinking the shots Marrec gave the two.
"Why don't we just bring them both over?" Rose suggested. Rosalina was actually amazed. It sounded so ridiculous yet radical that it might just actually work out for their new intentions with the north. Enrique also turned his head and stared at Rosalina. To him, it looked like she was sitting alone as Rose was hidden behind a large surround speaker. Rosalina kept watching the two in the middle of the dance floor, shuffling with the other young boys and girls in the night club. One thing she did notice about the two was that only the other boy was drinking the shots. Enrique wasn't having any.
"He's not drinking." Rosalina spoke softly to Rose as the two stopped looking at them from the middle dance floor. "Enrique's not having any of Marrec's shots." She was now speaking to all three of the others with her earpiece on. The friend slapped Enrique and rushed over to join the rest of his friends on another part of the middle dance floor. They all started raving and dancing together, leaving Enrique alone to watch them from the side.
"What's going on?" Rose and Rosalina heard Zane speak through their earpieces. The two remained watching and it seemed like Enrique was only standing in the corner watching all of his other friends dance and rave about.
"It's perfect. All of his friends are away from him and he's just at the side. I'm gonna get him." Rosalina got up, but was held down by Rose after the two heard more from their earpieces.
"No. Don't do it. I'm coming." Zane said. "Just give me a minute." The two backed down and remained seated at the table overlooking the middle dance floor. From this distance they were able to see all of Enrique's friends including their faces. Some of them were already wasted, and the one that was with him for the most time was the craziest of them all. After some more time, Rosalina noticed Zane and Marrec slowly walking through the busy middle dance floor, shuffling through the young adults dancing about and minding their own business. The music was so loud that it was almost deafening, speaking and expecting others to hear you inside the dance floor would be almost impossible for these two. Only Rosalina and Rose could hear each other as they were on the edge and away from other people. Zane started to shuffle to near the edge of the middle dance floor, only a few metres away from Enrique. He watched the other five dance about, noticing one of them lean backwards and shouting as loudly as he could before kissing a random girl next to him on the dance floor. The alcohol finally caught up to him and he started to feel out of balance. Enrique noticed and saw him lean towards the side of the dance floor. He knew that his friend was most likely going to pass out so he tried to go and help him up to see how he was.
"Stop there." Zane pulled Enrique back. "Fun time's over now." Unfortunately, he wasn't able to help his friend. Enrique tried to break from the restraint that Zane had on him, but with Zane using his strength as well as magical power, Enrique had no hope in breaking free from him.
"Get his friend too." Rose suggested over the earpiece, grabbing Marrec's attention as he watched Zane pull Enrique away. His friend kept walking in a zigzag over towards one of the bars in the nightclub, collapsing to the floor just before Marrec's feet.
"This one?" Marrec wanted confirmation.
"Yes." Rosalina and Rose said at the same time.
"Whoa-what are you doing-." Marrec magically whacked him in the face, knocking him out and picking him up shortly after.
"So… we're taking two people? Is this person even related to Enrique?" Marrec whispered through his earpiece to Rose and Rosalina, who were getting ready to leave with the rest of them. Instead of the two taking Enrique and his friend out of the night club via the main entrance, Rose and Rosalina followed them down a different corridor leading to a side entrance. This area was significantly quieter than in the main room or outside by the street. Enrique's friend was completely knocked out and unconscious, but Enrique was still restrained by Zane and trying to speak to him.
"What the fuck do you want with me, and what have you got Tom unconscious for? The guy's drunk, go see to him first! Get off of me!" The two girls watched a mess in front of them as they scrambled over each other to get to the unconscious boy first.
"We are taking both of them, right?" Marrec tried to hold Enrique back as he attempted to lunge himself over to his friend's body.
"What are you doing to him?" Enrique watched Rosalina kneel down before the friend, who was now known to them all as Tom, and checked to see if he was still awake. He was, just extremely drunk.
"He's going to be travelling far places, with you my friend." Marrec said back to Enrique while he was grasped by Zane. Rosalina seemed confident in being able to bring Tom back to the van along with Enrique being taken by Zane. Marrec walked around the two and stood next to Rose, hoping that nobody else was coming down this corridor. Rosalina noticed that the van was parked just on the other side of this back door at the end of the corridor, giving her a lot of stress relief. All the mishaps she made earlier when talking to the two seemed to have gone with this being a safely assured success.
"So, I'll take Tom." She said whilst picking him up, hearing only light groaning and wheezing noises from him. "You take Enrique."
"Aye." Zane replied at the same time, restraining Enrique again. "Marrec! The others… send them home!"
"It's time to go then." Rosalina looked back at Zane.
"Yup, Enrique! Get in the van." The two took both Tom and Enrique into the back of the van, leaving them alone in there with eachother and locked inside. Tom was still wasted and barely active, but Enrique was awake, sober, and frustrated at being kidnapped by these two.
…
"So… what are we going to do now? Shouldn't we have gone back with them?" Rose asked Marrec while they were still left in the corridor.
"We've got to clear up here first. Just wait there while I go and sort something out with this club." Marrec rushed down the corridor and back to the main night club area. He searched for the nearest bouncer and walked straight up to him, presenting a makeshift badge to him as well. "Hey. Bad news. Up above called, there's a bust. Got to close up for the night. Let the staff know."
Within seconds, the night club turned into a state of emergency. The music stopped, the staff intervened and many of the clubbers were forced to leave as the place began to close down.
"Hurry!" Rose called over to Marrec as they left through the staff entrance.
"Stop right there." The two were called back by someone near them as they were leaving the building. It was another one of Enrique's friends already at the door, crossed at the two and willing to confront them about the disappearance of Tom and Enrique. "I saw what you did with my friend Tom. Where is he? I'll take you out with my bare hands." The two noticed that he too was a little drunk, but definitely not as much as Tom was.
"I remember…" Marrec whispered to Rose seeing that the boy in front of them wasn't overly attentive of them. "He was the driver." He slowly moved closer to the teenager. "Easy now. I'm not going to hurt you." The teenager tried to attack Marrec by swinging his fist at him, but, even without Marrec moving, he missed entirely. His swing was so great that he also lost his balance and fell to the floor. Rose leaned down to check on him, noticing that he too had fainted.
"He's out cold." She looked up at Marrec, provoking him to go down to the teenager as well. This time instead of checking to see if he was still awake or not, Marrec went straight for his pockets, rustling and grabbing his keys.
"Well this saves us a lot of effort getting back. Come on, let's go." He got up and headed out of the door, waiting for Rose to accompany him. She didn't come out of the door for the time Marrec spent looking around the street and seeing the nightlife as busy as usual.
"We can't just leave him here." She pleaded anxiously. "…Three. No more. Only him and the other two. Please."
"Rose, Peach didn't ask for this. She's not going to be happy about it."
"That's okay. I'll explain it to her. I'll tell her it was my fault. I promise." She tried to give him a cute look of persuasion, but Marrec bought the look anyway for different reasons. He picked up the teenager and carried him outside and all the way to his car. It was a roofless sports car, so Rose went into the back with the body and kept it down low. Marrec took to the front seat and switched on the engine. Remembering the route back to the pipe, he drove the car through the busy streets and towards the Manhattan end of Brooklyn Bridge.
…
The two had arrived to the same parking spot as before, parking the stolen car right behind the van. It was deep into the middle of the night and the only noise the two could hear from here were the voices from down below. He could hear a conversation between Zane and Enrique inside the old shack next to where the great pipe was. Eventually, the conversation ended as the two had entered the pipe, disappearing from this world. Marrec helped Rose take the body of the other teenager and walked all the way down the hilly slope near the old shack. All they needed to do now was get changed back into their previous clothes and take the boy through the pipe, making it three people stolen from Earth on this mission, a significant increase from one.
Surprisingly, the van wasn't empty while Marrec descended the hill next to the parking spaces. Rosalina was still in there with Tom's unconscious body lying on the floor in the middle of the van.
"Wait a minute, Rose." Marrec was the only one to notice Rosalina. "I've left something inside the car." He started walking back up after taking the third boy's body into the shack room. This also allowed Rose to change back into her red dress. Rosalina was looking shattered, blankly staring straight ahead inside the van.
"Enrique's fine. Zane's gone with him. He's going to catch on quickly." Rosalina felt defeated knowing that Tom's body was still inside the back of the van. She didn't even look their way when they were descending the slope, so she hadn't acknowledged the other body they were bringing in.
"Well… new update to this. We've got a third person with us. His name… is Jack Akbal." Marrec had taken out the teenager's wallet while he was putting his keys back in the pocket, seeing an identification card to figure out his name. Rosalina turned and looked down the hill, unable to see it inside the shack from where she was in the van. He thought she would have overreacted to seeing another improvised body being brought across worlds, but she had already lost the care in it after this mission had ended.
"Not my problem." Rosalina said quietly and monotonously.
"Is Tom still in the back?" He asked, to which she only nodded back.
"I'll deal with him when he wakes up. Hopefully he's asleep for the night." She closed her eyes, ready to sleep in the van for as long as Tom was asleep in the back. Marrec couldn't help but let her be. Enrique's the most important person to the princesses at the moment, so as long as he was being brought across quickly and safely, there was nothing else to worry about. Everyone else being brought across was just a bonus.
"Well… I'm going to help Rose deal with Jack. Have… a good night I guess?"
"Thanks Marrec." Rosalina repositioned herself in her seat, keeping her eyes closed. Marrec decided to walk back down the hill to help with Rose. She was sitting on a chair inside the shack and surprisingly looking good in her dress. It was as if she didn't have any hard work to deal with over the past few hours. Marrec was ready to take Jack through the pipe, relieved that he was still unconscious.
…
"What are we going to do about this one?" Rose asked Marrec as they reappeared in the Mushroom Kingdom, in the portal cave.
"I guess I can look after this one for now." Marrec took Jack's body and carried him out of the cave. Nobody was to be seen in darkness of this summer night.
"Well… I'm going to head back to Peach's. Thank you for everything today. It was a wonderful experience to see that world properly." She smiled at Marrec before she parted ways with him…
March 17, 2015
Karisa's House
"…Obviously, Tarren never came back to Dargo in all that time. Even today he's still there. He's probably rotting away because he's going to be there for eternity at this rate. I remember Sheridan telling me he's fucked up something else with regards to that other girl Ioreth. Now that's another fiasco in itself." Karisa was finishing up her story to Tom and Tobias. "Anyways, what ended up happening as you may remember is you and Enrique served completely different people and after that happened, well… I guess the same outcome happened except we stayed quiet. This was when Tarren told us everything because we went back one last time. We lost. The funny thing is, for me that was the last time I ever went back to Asterno. We had no need for the guy because we are and were perfectly well off not needing to leave our bounds. The Red Martyrs for nearly five years still lived under the belief that we were a huge threat. They're all wiped out now… and they never got to know the truth about us. We do have weapons and wealth, yes, but we were never a threat. We just defended ourselves."
"Like Switzerland." Tobias looked at Tom, who was speechless. Everything Karisa lectured to him from the reason behind him and Enrique being brought across the world to Red Martyrs and Tarren Galaxyë, he believed it all.
"I'll… I'll have that drink now if you're still offering." He slowly walked over to the cushiony chair next to Tobias' and sat down, facing Karisa and her friend on the other side. Actually, he wasn't sure if it was her friend or relative or whatever, but she wasn't speaking. Karisa got up and started pouring him a glass of water from the tap. "Who is this person?" He asked Karisa while watching her fill up the water. To his surprise, the water here was clean and purified. The girl looked back at Tom with a little bit of embarrassment on her face. Tom looked at Tobias, and he didn't know either.
"That's Rumiko." Karisa walked over with Tom's tall glass of water. "She doesn't talk that much, but she's great. Definitely full of help when you need it."
"Is she your sister? Or…" Tom wondered.
"Rumiko? Oh, no. I have two sisters… and three brothers would you believe it? But no, Rumiko's a friend of mine. Not family related." He looked back at Rumiko and watched her awkwardly smile back at him. At least that matter was resolved.
"Wow. Six of you, almost as many as the Koopalings!" His remark only made both Karisa and Rumiko laugh.
"Only we're all different ages. There's like eighteen-twenty years between the oldest and youngest of us. We weren't a pure luck-spawn of being sextuplets." Karisa chuckled. "Anyways… the truth is out there. Tarren is Enrique's grandfather. If you want to know what his dad was doing out there in your world, you'd have to ask him, but good luck getting to Asterno. We're kind of wrapping-."
Bzzzzzt!
Karisa's phone vibrating on her seat interrupted her speech. She looked at the phone, quickly answering it. "It's Sheridan." She whispered. "Yes?" Tom, Tobias and Rumiko watched while she was in conversation her brother. Only she could hear what he was saying to her through the phone?
"Yes."
"The two are with me. They're in safe hands… No, father doesn't know about it yet. He'll be happy about it though. How goes the situation with you three...? You've… you've got her?" She awkwardly looked at Tom and Tobias. The two were concerned on what she was referring to. "Oh, you've got them? That's great. They'll be so happy. When are you going to be returning then, I'm assuming after the procedure is done…? Don't worry. What's happening with us is great. I'm sure he'll show up eventually with all of this happening. Just make sure everything goes well then we'll be ready to welcome you all home… Very good. Take care, brother." They all watched her put down the phone.
"What was that?" Tobias asked first.
"Tom. I have very good news for you. My brother will be coming back here in a few days, and he's made some friends while he's down at Asterno. He said they were people that you might know." Tom raised an eyebrow, wondering what she was referring to.
"Who exactly?"
"He didn't say their names, but he said that one of them is… dark-skinned? And the other is a red-head."
"Will and Jap." Tom put his hands over his head in tense relief. "Oh my goodness… they're okay?"
"You bet." Karisa smiled. "They'll be joining you and your friend Toby up here very soon. Hopefully while we help get you guys out of the mess of the south, we're potentially going to help get your gang back together. It's the least we can do while we help get Enrique back from those pesky princesses." Tom sunk in his chair, feeling more relieved than what Karisa and Tobias expected from him. He was almost tearing up with emotion, clenching his fists and looking up to the ceiling.
"That was Sheridan talking to you? Your brother right?" He readjusted himself on the chair. "He older?"
"Yeah. My family's in a bit of a mess but at least some of us work together." Karisa watched Tom smile, thinking about the assurance of his friends' safety.
"These friends of yours… they're like family to you, too?" Rumiko finally spoke to Tom, smiling back at him.
"Yeah…" He was in safe hands, happy and now feeling comfortable inside Karisa's house. "I'll have to tell Toby about this in the morning."
Dargovi Submarine, Asterno
Will and Jaapayo were confined to one of the private rooms inside the large submarine underneath the sea level just off of the spiral city shores. Having to wait alone for a few minutes, they finally heard the door open and saw Sheridan walking through. Jaapayo was still confident on the intentions of these Dargovi Koopas being beneficial to them, but Will was still very sceptical and concerned about what was to come for him. He also knew that if he tried to speak to Sheridan he would get nothing back from him. He could only wait until the Koopa spoke first, which frustrated him more than anything else. He hated the idea of being beneath someone in rank, especially to a Koopa given that he is a human around here. He always remembered believing words of Enrique along the lines of the idea that they were superior to all other races because of the supposed Free Passage that they used to have in the lands.
"The night's going to be a busy one, unfortunately." Sheridan walked over to the two and sat down on the opposite side of the table and facing them. "That is, if you want to stay up or not. I recommend you guys get some sleep, but you're more than welcome to stay up. I'm not going to be your parent and tell you when you go to bed. You two are adults, right? I'm guessing you're both old enough to be aware of how much sleep you're getting."
"Oh, I'm not sleeping yet." Will responded to Sheridan immediately. "I'm not sleeping until I get my answers."
"I will though." Jaapayo also responded while the other two were looking at each other. He got up from his seat and thanked the Koopa walking over to what must have been a spare bed chamber that he could use. Once he pointed to it and showed Sheridan what he was referring to, he got his conformational nod from the Koopa and walked through, closing the door behind him.
"Right…" Sheridan looked back to Will.
"What happened back there?" He was quick, confronting Sheridan so quickly again that he barely had any time to think. "I don't mean about what happened to Nuto. I want to know what you had that girl over there in ropes for. What's that all about?" Sheridan only made gestures back to Will, not yet prepared to speak. They both knew that he didn't have a direct answer to his question, or at least, one that he could share with him, but Sheridan also knew that Will knew that he was stalling for this reason.
"Listen… Will… that's your name right? Look, I like you, and I don't want you to be disliked by any of my family. You've already proven to us that you're a great fighter and have the potential to be a great person on the other side of the mountains. We're going to take you to Dargo soon and you'll be able to meet up with your friend Tom! I mean, not just him too. He's got another friend out there. Toby's his name. He's your friend, right?"
"He is. Yes!" Will got excited, getting close to Sheridan hoping that he had more to say. "Is there anyone else there besides them?"
"Just those two, I'm afraid. I don't know anyone else or where they might be. Don't get too excited. What matters to you for now is telling yourself that you're in safe hands, because believe me, you are, regardless of what happened back there in the Wuhu Capital."
"What was that though?" Will demanded. "You still haven't told me." Sheridan beckoned to quieten Will, looking over to check if Jaapayo was still awake. He sensed that he had gone to sleep and waited a bit of time before talking back to Will.
"Come with me… It's almost time." The two left the room together, eventually vacating the submarine again. "Do not say a single word."
The current weather in Asterno was still very dark and gloomy, but there was a brief spell of no rain. The two were still wet by the crashing waves and slipperiness of the top of the submarine, but thankfully not drenched. It was on the shores and steps back up to the spiral city roads that the two met up again with Sheridan's personal bodyguards. Not only were the two united with them, but they also saw a large line of Koopas, presumably Dargovi, and making their way up the spiral roads.
As more time passed, the two learned that it wasn't just Koopas making their way up the roads, but bigger, darker creatures too that Will had seen before back in the capital. Instead of following the march of the Dargovi through the empty streets of Asterno, Sheridan beckoned Will to join him on his return back to the abandoned house. This could only mean to Sheridan that it was finally time for this ritual to commence soon. There Tarren was, inside the same room as always next to the open hall, sitting down rotting on that dirty old chair. Surprisingly he was looking even worse than his last visit. His skin was wrinklier and he looked considerably paler.
"Wise ancient… it's time. We have a girl." He alerted Tarren, hoping to wake him up from what looked like a sleep or a daze. The dirtied Galaxyë human barely moved his muscles as he turned his head to face Sheridan standing in the room.
"Y-…" He could barely stretch out a word with the state that he's in. His health appeared worse than they all thought due to this curse imposed in him by Ioreth, and it was catching on very rapidly. "…You…" Tarren tried to move his arms and lift himself up, but Sheridan noticed that this was causing him a lot of pain and energy that he probably didn't have enough of in him. Thankfully, Solleus and Tavernis were also with him in the room, with Will all the way at the back and out of Tarren's sight.
"Ai ka nevojë për ndihmë. Mbajeni atë." Sheridan said to his personal bodyguards, pointing to Tarren and making them walk over to him. Tarren could only turn his eyes, looking up to the Koopas and not being able to understand anything that Sheridan said to them. The two Koopas looked at each other and started to lift Tarren up. He smelled of horrible decaying odour, but they remained resilient and lifted him up in silence. "Let's get him up the road." Tarren started to make more vocal noises but everything he was saying was inaudible to any of them taking him out of the room. He tried to resist at first, but after some time and looking through the barricaded window slits, he saw the crowds of Koopas walking up to the centre of the city. At the very centre and very top of the city, presumably where Sheridan thought the Koopas were marching to, was the multi-purpose Asterno Stadium. Mainly used for the Wuhu Football League, it was out of use today, especially for the fact that it was the middle of the night.
Will watched Sheridan lead his personal bodyguards up the hill, joining the mass of Dargovi Koopas in their crowds. Near to the bottom of the crowds were the largest of the Dargovi Koopas alongside the magical creatures that Will had seen before. Together they were carrying a large wooden box perfectly sealed up going all the way to the stadium at the top.
"Hey." Will's focus on the box was interrupted as Vecheva startled him by nudging him. "You coming?" He looked back at her with minor fright at first, but after a few seconds he looked down and gave a brief nod.
"I've never been to this part of the land before. Everything just seems… so different." He said back to Vecheva as they left the abandoned house, making their way up the hill in near-complete darkness.
"If you're keen on exploring new places then you're going to love the north." Vecheva said back to him. "Think about everything you know already about the north and cast it away from memory. Everything they told you about it in the south… it's all lies… or at least, it's inaccurate."
The two continued up the hill together, being behind the Dargovi Koopas and magical creatures that were taking up the large wooden box.
"What's inside the box?" Will asked, pointing at it for the Koopa. "And who are these guys? I saw them in the capital when you were… rescuing us, I guess." He was still unbeknownst to these magical creatures. Maybe if he ever did play any games when he was younger he might have had a clue. There was always the guess of whether they were sourced for games or not.
"You'll see." Vecheva smiled. "What you'll see inside this stadium we're going to will be the most spectacular piece of magical art that you've ever seen… you'll ever see for that matter. Just stick with us and you'll be left impressed. Just don't do anything stupid." Will rose his eyebrow at her, unsure what she meant at the last part. "We're not going to do anything to you, so please… for our family's sake, do as you're told."
They were the last to reach the top of the hill. Already up the hill was everyone else with Ioreth and Sheridan's brother Bertram. The Dargovi Koopas watched as the large, leading Koopa used his wand to unlock all of the front entrances into the stadium.
"What's the meaning of this?" Sheridan rushed over to Ioreth and his brother. "Is this space not enough?" All the others were looking at him while his personal bodyguards presented Tarren to the entrance.
"I want the space, just like before." Ioreth whispered back to him before walking over to see Tarren. "Soon we will be free, wise ancient." She smiled. Just before she went inside, she noticed Will from before, emerging from the horizon with Vecheva. She had no idea that he was coming too. Ioreth blushed and went on, hoping that he would be there to witness this ritual. Still, Will wasn't sure exactly what was going yet; he knew only that Tarren was being taken up there, someone who he doesn't actually know about yet. It was only that this was the last thing he suspected was going to happen before the submarine embarks on its journey back to Dargo. The Koopas, as threatening as they may seem to everyone else, showed no danger to him as he walked with Vecheva into the stadium. Between the time they all entered the stadium to the time many started to head out onto the field the weather took a turn for the worse again. The dark clouds above started to pour rain, heavily and quickly down on to the field. Many of the Dargovi Koopas went to the stands to witness the ritual that was to come. It was only Ioreth, Bertram, Sheridan's personal guards carrying Tarren, and the magical creatures carrying the wooden box that made their way onto the pitch. They all became quickly drenched, and the thunder started to occur more frequently. Will had no intentions to go out onto the pitch to watch whatever was going on. In fact, he was being escorted to one of the closest stands with Vecheva to meet up with Sheridan. The three got themselves into a private stand where they could get a clear view of the rest of those on the pitch, being only a few metres away.
"This is the last thing you need to do before heading back to Dargo? Some kind of… ceremony?" Will looked at Sheridan as he put his equipment down on the side of the seats nearby. Both his axe and umbrella that he used to channel magic were left there. Vecheva went to the closest seat that was under cover and put her feet up sitting down.
"Just one more thing." Sheridan smiled. "You are going to witness one of the finest arts of magic and sorcery. A beautiful pact of separation." Will looked to the pitch and noticed that Ioreth's clothing had changed since they arrived to the stadium. She was wearing a cloak and robes with a mix of black and green colour to it. Her body also radiated an aura of dark clouds around her too. This was something Will had never seen before in her, and it only made him more fixated on her. Ioreth waited on the edge of the pitch and waited with Bertram as the large wooden box arrived before their feet. Bertram withdrew his wand and decided to open up the box with his own natural Koopa strength. After opening up the top, he brutally kicked the box over and what rolled out of it was a figure seen just hours before. She was tied up, gagged, and appeared full of wounds. Will's eyes widened, for what he saw before wasn't just a haze or a figment of imagination. What he saw before was real. It really was her.
None of the three actually knew how Bertram and the others did it, but given that it had been mostly under the radar and the only police involvement that occurred with them earlier was the incident with convoy, it was likely that very few lives were taken and very little disruption happened to the capital. Everything in their path seemed to be asleep, for not even the governor of Asterno was notified by this so far. It was true that the only ones inside the stadium at this time were Dargovi and followers. Will, being the only outsider to what was going on, could barely look at the injured and tied up princess in front of him.
"You're going to… to execute her?" He yelled back at Sheridan and Vecheva. Vecheva ignored him, but Sheridan responded back to him.
"Just sit and watch. Princess Éclair is a threat to the wise ancient, and a threat to the peace among Koopas." He said. "It's going to be beautiful." Will could only watch as the dark clouds above started to get closer to directly above the stadium, to the point where they started to spiral around the centre of where the Koopas on the pitch were standing. Before him on the pitch were the magical creatures to take the box away, and these were the same as before and in fact Blumiere and Culex, at the behest of Tarren the supposed wise ancient these Dargovi Koopas referred to. Princess Éclair looked around to the sight of many Koopas in the stands, as well as Ioreth standing before her. Bertram started to shout to all of the Dargovi Koopas in old Koopish, saying gathering words that Will was unable to understand. His focus was on Princess Éclair though, for Ioreth started to take the tied up girl by her hand and dragged her across the turf towards Tarren, who remained held up by the personal bodyguards and put down on a chair nearby. Tarren remained seated and the personal bodyguards walked around to grab hold of Princess Éclair, placing her on the floor just before the wise ancient's feet. Will could notice the tears coming from her eyes, distinguishable from the rain; blocked out noise coming from her mouth as it sounded like she was screaming. He couldn't bear to look. He could only hear the movement across the pitch, with Ioreth grabbing hold of Éclair's left arm and presenting her right arm to Tarren, who could just about get a grip of it with the assistance of the personal bodyguards. Éclair put up a fight, trying to get her hands off both of them, but Ioreth with her own magic had to intervene, forcibly restraining her on the ground before her.
"This isn't execution… This is worse." Will got out of his seat. Both Vecheva and Sheridan ignored him as they were too engrossed in the process before them. They all watched Ioreth finally begin this ritual with everyone involved connected to each other.
"With this power and sacrifice… let me not master magic through the strength of my mind and body, but to cleanse the weakness of my wise ancient before me." Ioreth chanted, causing the sky above to get worse. The black clouds got lower and a spiral began to form a bright circle in the centre. Éclair looked up at the light, seeing it get slightly brighter. Tarren, barely able to move, could see it too. The sight before him was worth more to him than any more suffering.
"Let me use this power and sacrifice to restore the strength to this noble wise ancient." Ioreth's eyes turned white and started to glow. Her skin started to light up and Éclair's body started to rise upwards slowly. Everyone looked in as Ioreth used her other hand and pointed her fingers up to the top of the spiral in the dark night sky. Princess Éclair's body was beginning to wither away, and the screams and suffering only continued. The gag plastered on to her mouth broke away and her screams were heard by everyone. Ioreth's fingers started to release a beam of light on its course up to the spiral.
…
The ritual seemed to be in full effect, but all of a sudden, Éclair's screams came to an end and the beam of light stopped roughly halfway up to the clouds, disappearing. Ioreth's body stopped glowing as she looked down to Éclair who fell back down to the ground, seeing a small axe buried into the princess' chest. Éclair went from looking up to the sky to looking straight ahead, seeing Will standing behind Vecheva and Sheridan. Those two and now Ioreth after noticing looked towards him. Will only looked back at Éclair and she, for her last few seconds, gave him a soft nod of acknowledgement before collapsing to the ground…
EOC: This story will follow more flashbacks in the future. What is likely to happen is that they will either be memories recalled from people to those times or just scenes that simply happened in the past, possibly referencing previous stories too. With the flashback to 2010 that we witnessed in this chapter, there were direct references to the first chapters of the prequel stories. These are not required for this story and are also somewhat outdated in terms of the style of writing, but they are good for knowledge if you want to learn more.
More scenes from the past are likely to happen but whenever they do, the date will be specified.
See you next chapter!