Popple was feeling more than a little uncomfortable with how things were going. The thief was sleeping outdoors again that night, nestled within some bushes a healthy distance away from the prying eyes of the Poshley Heights residents. It wasn't the first time in his life that he'd been forced to rough it, but, given the option, he still would've changed more than a few things about his present situation.
"…What a load of baloney…" he grumbled as he turned over from his spot within the foliage. Sticks scratched against his behind, tiny bugs crawled up his pants legs as they attempted to gnaw at his delicious plant-like flesh, his shirt was wet with dew... As if it had been listening in on his lamentations, even the wind picked up and howled in his ears, adding an extra noisy insult to injury.
This was the pits.
He hadn't meant for things to happen quite like this. He'd originally come to Rogueport since it was rumored as one of the best places on the planet for a wanted man to hang low – and, for a time, it had been. After finally, finally pulling off one of the biggest heists of his lifetime, the Beanbean Kingdom's fabled Shadow Thief had taken his rightly earned loot and hightailed it off to the one place where locating him would be like finding a needle in a haystack. But, now that he finally had his hands on the thing, he had to wonder…
What even really was the deal with the Beanstar?
He'd heard that it was the Beanbean royal family's greatest treasure, handed down through generations and protected with the utmost care. There was no question that it was one of the most cherished artifacts to have ever existed within his homeland, and yet… as he pulled it out and looked at its face, it seemed just dopey as ever. No matter how much Popple poked at the snoozing, green-hued star, prodded at it, sang to it, spit on it… it didn't do a thing other than just grumble a little bit, if it even happened to stir at all.
"Awwww, applesauce…" he growled as he turned it over in his hands once more. …He'd already tried pretty much everything he could think of. Was there some kind of secret trick to it? Or, maybe… had the whole "Beanstar" thing just been some kind of con by the royal family, designed to trick nosy ne'er-do-wells into thinking they were hiding some grand treasure when it was actually just some silly trinket all along?
...Really, how much was this thing even worth? He honestly couldn't tell. He'd been considering just pawning it off on one of the suits around Poshley Heights as a novelty item, but Peasley had completely ruined that plan by showing up. Thus, all thanks to that stupid, meddling prince…
There Popple was. Out in the woods, hiding in the dirt. Like a common crook.
"Grrrrrrrrr… c'mon! Do something, would'ja!?" he complained as he gave the star-shaped heirloom another light bop on the face. Though it cringed ever-so-slightly, its expression quickly settled back into a peaceful, dreaming daze.
"Now, now… don't be like that. It's actually considered quite rude to tamper with a dreaming star's face like that, don't you know? The Shamans would be quite upset to witness it! Besides, didn't you work quite hard for this poor, napping thing?"
"C-criminy!"
Popple nearly screamed as someone suddenly spoke from over his shoulder. Crouching backwards all fours, he scurried away like a crab and quickly backed up against a tree, turning to face the unexpected intruder…
"Oh, my! Did I surprise you? A thousand pardons!" An odd jester-like creature, clad in pointy, congruent clothing and wearing a two-toned mask upon its face, floated in the air just a small distance away. …Though its words were laced with honey, something about it set off Popple's internal alarm bells.
This thing wasn't like the other Poshley Heights citizens. No - this creature felt sketchy.
"Wha-!? Where'd you come from!? …W-wait, no! You can't have this! This is mine, see!?" Reacting defensively, Popple raised his fists and grit his teeth together in pure aggression. However, this gesture just earned him a gleeful chuckle from the being.
"Ah ha ha! Goodness me, you need not worry about that. I haven't the slightest intention of taking it away, I assure you. After all, I have my eyes on something else entirely more powerful and grand in design…" the jester continued to laugh. "But… that aside, I must ask. Do you have any idea what it is that you hold, my oblivious little bean dish?"
At this, Popple raised an eyebrow. …Something more powerful? Wait, no, more importantly… Was this thing mocking him!?
"O-o-of course I know! This is the Beanstar! As the famous Shadow Thief, I nicked this fair and square! …Mind your own beeswax!" the bandit bellowed as he wriggled to his feet. How dare this weird man question him – he was a professional! He always had at least the basic details on his targets!
"Oho… is that so? Well, then… in that case, you must be aware of how to use it, right? Certainly, you wouldn't have stolen it without knowing something so fundamental…"
"I… oooohhh… y-yeah, I got that info! Yeah, of course I do! What's it to you!? …Who's asking!? What are you, the fuzz!?"
The mysterious jester's words prodded at Popple's insecurities, sending him deeper and deeper into a rage. This… thing… was looking down on him, he could tell! It was talking down to him, the great Shadow Thief, one of the best pilferers of all time! Who did it even think it was!?
"Well, well! Very good. Though, I can see why it is that you're so frustrated… Locating someone pure of heart and voice is quite the specific requirement, isn't it? Such nobility and strength of character doesn't exist often in the world… and it's almost certain that neither one of us is any good for the task. Like searching for a four-leaf clover amongst rocky depths of a canyon, it may be difficult to find anyone at all!" the jester mused. "Unless… well. I do believe I know of a way that you could make such a thing happen, ah ha ha… As fate would have it, a little bird provided me with a taste of such information."
"Pure of wha…?" At this, the thief paused. "You… you got the wire on this thing? I mean… It's not like I gotta know! I don't hafta deal with some random drip who pops outta nowhere, actin' all like he knows everything about anything, but…"
But, it was true that Popple could really use that information. …Even if he didn't want to admit it.
"…Boo. Boo, I say!" After grumbling and scratching at his head for a few moments, the thief finally groaned in resignation. "…Fine! Spit it out, would'ja!? Stop yankin' my chain - the heck are you yappin' about!?"
"Curious, are you? Well, then… why don't we have a little chat, my friend? One of treasure and riches, of fame and fortune… Really, I believe you and I may have more in common than you think. You needn't be so tense – after all, I'm on your side!"
The mysterious jester continued to smile as he floated closer, closing in on the bewildered Beanish man…
And thus, Dimentio moved to arrange the game board.
This was not how Vivian had anticipated her morning starting out. Not at all.
Things had been normal enough at first. She'd freshened up, just as she usually did, brushing her hair and humming as she poured out the bird's food and enjoyed a spot of coffee… when an X-Naut came by and began harshly banging upon her door, telling her that Lady Bow had an urgent message for her and that she was to come by the office immediately.
Her mind, naturally, had jumped to the worst sorts of conclusions. Had someone gotten hurt? Had a deal fallen through, were the townspeople upset again, or… no! No, could it be…?
Was she possibly getting fired!?
With those sorts of horrible thoughts plaguing her, Vivian had rushed out the door and quickly moved along her usual path, eventually arriving at the office in a near tizzy. And yet, the ever-busy Bow had merely commanded her to go sit in her office and wait for a bit, all without giving her even the slightest hint as to what the meeting was about. Instead of heading directly to the train store like she'd expected to, the shadow instead found herself fidgeting nervously upon one of her boss's wooden chairs.
Was she really in trouble? She'd barely even done anything since she'd met with Bow the day before! …Or… was that actually the issue? Had she maybe forgotten to do something that she'd been assigned!? Her mind danced with possibilities, each more frustrating and upsetting than the one before…
As she wrung her hands in her lap, Lady Bow finally appeared within the doorway.
"This is it!" Bow called out. To Vivian's surprise, the Boo noblewoman didn't seem angry in the least – rather, her boss's face was glowing with a completely genuine smile. "I just got word that our other starring actor has, after a little extra enticing, finally agreed to join us on our next big project! Quickly, now – take a good, long look at these!"
With a rapid motion, Lady Bow shoved a stack of papers into Vivian's hands. Though it took a moment for Vivian's anxiety-riddled mind to even register what she was looking at, the shadow's eyes eventually drifted across the first few words: "Beauty and the Blub."
As she read further, Vivian's quiet panic slowly but surely transformed into a simmering excitement. If she wasn't mistaken… weren't these the instructions for yet another film!? The shadow's gaze continued to move down the page as she hungrily consumed every word… Eventually, her eyes settled upon what appeared to be her role assignment.
"The Princess." Could it be? …It was! According to the text, Vivian was to play an actual princess! But… there was something else written there that made her heart absolutely flutter with emotion. Looking at the filming location noted upon the bottom… no. No, that location wasn't even remotely close to Poshley Heights.
This film was to take place primarily within the Gusty Gulch, with parts of it also being filmed within the Forever Forest.
If she recalled what Bow had said before, the Gusty Gulch and Forever Forest were actually found overseas, within the Mushroom Kingdom's mainland itself. …The two together essentially formed Lady Bow's home turf. And, even more shockingly to Vivian, both were just a day's travel away from the Mushroom Kingdom's capital!
"This is…!?" Vivian gasped as she considered what that meant. Her…? Go overseas!?
"Yes, this is precisely what you think it is! Rejoice and look upon your big task, GWAAAH HA HAAA!" Bow practically roared with laughter as she admired Vivian's shocked expression. "You, my beloved little employee, are to travel with me to visit my true home, located deep within the dark, mysterious forests of the Mushroom Kingdom! Lucky you, I must say!"
Vivian had wanted to make a trip out there so very badly, ever since Mario had returned to Toad Town. She hadn't expected it to be so soon, so she was more than a little nervous at the thought, but…
"Oh my goodness, wow!" The words fell from her lips as she read the front page again and again. Would she really be able to go visit him!? And then, maybe, just maybe, she could even make a day trip out to the University of Goom to surprise Goombella? And then she could stop by Princess Peach's castle to sightsee, and then go out for a picnic atop the stunningly beautiful Shooting Star Summit, and then maybe even stop by to see the Li'l Oink farm that Mario had written about once…
Her hands began to quiver with excitement. "Oh, oh, gee whiz…" she whispered, her voice nearly shaking. "Yes! Yes, this is… This is wonderful!"
"Gweeeaah haa haa! I thought you'd agree." Bow smirked. "A prime opportunity is rapidly approaching! In a bit over two weeks from now, in fact… Toad Town frequently hosts travelers from all over, and one such event is coming up quite soon! Entertainment is quite the focus in the Mushroom Kingdom mainland as well, believe it or not – from plays, to movies, to storybooks, oftentimes focusing on Mario's tales. We're going to try to time our filming around the Mushroom Kingdom's next big cultural festival so that we can promote our work there. It's best to cast our net far and wide, you know? Let's really get our name out there!" She giggled.
Beautiful images of lights, streamers, and people from all across the continent flashed through Vivian's mind. The Poshley Heights festival had already been extraordinary… and yet, it was mostly aimed at actors, hardcore fans, and locals. Festivals hosted in Toad Town were known for being of a far grander scale, oftentimes attracting casual party goers from all over the entire kingdom.
There was no doubt that it would be an absolute spectacle.
"We'll have you make an appearance during that as well… It only comes around once a year, so we simply must seize the opportunity while it's available! You and Doopliss both will be expected to attend. I'll be making an announcement to the public here shortly!"
Though she gulped, Vivian nodded. …The idea of advertising in front of that many people made her palms sweat. But, still… she could only imagine how beautiful of a celebration it would be. Would Princess Peach make an appearance as well? Surely she would, right?
"Well, anyways. …I do wish that I had more time to chat about it, but I have other appointments to attend to. Unfortunately, I remain quite busy. There's much I need to sort out before our departure…" Bow sighed. "Besides! You still have that toy train commercial to film – go on, make haste! More details will follow, I assure you."
Right. …Vivian was due to appear at the train store within the hour. Though she had plenty of questions, they'd surely have time to hash everything out later. Really, despite them already both having different plans for the day, she certainly understood why Bow had summoned her immediately. …This was exciting. Really, truly exciting.
Though she could scarcely contain her joy, Bow was right - Vivian did indeed have more work to do. And so, with a bounce to her stride, the shadow exited the office and set off towards her next destination: the train store.
After a bit of searching, Vivian found exactly what she was looking for. They'd acquired a surprisingly good location for the shop – undoubtedly due to Goldbob's influence. It was located rather close to the train station itself, making it nice and visible to all the tourists coming and going from the Excess Express. From what she'd heard, they were planning to also sell some miniature models inside the gift shop on board the train, where they'd post advertisements telling customers to come visit them in Poshley Heights.
She did have to admit, it was a bit odd to see the normally militant X-Nauts milling about the cute, dainty little building, what with its colorful brick walls and fancifully decorated entrance… One of them was currently outside, lazily scrubbing at the windows. He glanced at her as she passed through the front door and into the interior of the shop - a bell hanging from the store's "closed" sign announced her presence, giving a cheery little jingle.
Inside, she felt almost as though she'd entered an entirely new world. The interior resembled a fantastical theme park, what with its flashy red-and-gold décor and the constant whir of tiny engines. Trains of all different sizes, makes, and colors lined the walls from end to end. The Excess Express was the centerpiece, of course – a small model of it chugged along, doing laps upon a track that had been mounted to the outer wall – but there were plenty of other models on display, too. Some were incredibly luxurious, such as the pure gold set, while some were a bit friendlier on the wallet. An itty-bitty model, shaped like a mushroom with two little pumps on either side, immediately drew Vivian's eyes as it skittered about a track on the floor…
As she floated in, one of the red-garbed soldiers approached her from behind the counter.
"Hey, uh. Yo!" He raised a hand in greeting, then immediately motioned to the back. "We've got all the filming equipment and stuff set up in the employee room. If you wanna take a look, we've also got this neato little handbook with pictures and specs and whatever about all the trains… Kip's out front giving the window a good scrub right now, but I can call him back in. Lemme know if you wanna see any specific models, I can grab them down from the shelf and give you the whole spiel."
"Oh, yes, that would be helpful! Actually, I'd love to know more about this one over here… It's so cute and small!" Vivian scooped a train into her hands – specifically, the little mushroom-like model – and presented it to the X-Naut cashier.
While she did need to know more about the trains for the sake of the commercial, she also just couldn't help but be a little bit interested in them herself. …Tiny replicas of real-life objects were just so adorable! The prices were kind of expensive, being in Poshley Heights and all, but maybe, just maybe, she could convince Crump to let her have a discount…
"That one? Yeah, uh, lemme see…" He took it from her and gave it a good look. After a few moments of fumbling, the soldier turned the model over and showed her a few workings on its bottom. "This guy's actually a toy from overseas, based in Toad Town. I don't think he has any kind of real-life version, but… there's some weird rumor that you're able to ride one if you know where to go. …It's crazy stuff, actually. Something about jumping into a toy box? But, we did a bunch of research all over and that's all we really heard about it, so…"
Next, he showed her how to turn it off and on – the two of them watched as the little toy choo-chooed along the floor, the pair of mushroom-shaped pumps on its sides pushing in and out as it moved right on along. After they'd had their fun with that one, Vivian picked out another train, then another... At some point, the X-Naut from the front of the building joined them and picked a train of his own off the shelves. They lined the locomotives up next to each other, activating them at the same time as they watched them race across the length of the store...
Time passed. Vivian gave into her inner child – she'd never actually gotten to play with toys like these before. Shadows like her didn't exactly have normal childhoods… Having been created to serve and fight, they were more crafted than born. And so, she'd always been curious, wanting to know what it was like…
But… as they continued to play, and the minutes continued to tick by, Vivian had to wonder.
They weren't just there to have fun, right? …Where in the world was Goldbob at?
Glancing at the clock, she realized – their arranged meeting time had completely come and gone. He was supposed to have been there long ago, and yet…
"Um… do you two have any idea where Goldbob might be? He was going to come and give us more instructions, right…?" Vivian questioned the two X-Nauts, thus putting a pause to their train shenanigans. …Maybe she'd misunderstood something? She thought for sure that's what Bow's notes to her had said, but…
"Wait, yeah, dude. That's, like… totally weird, isn't it?" The X-Naut that had been scrubbing the window – named Kip, apparently – stretched from his spot on the floor. "That's what they told us, too. …'Wait for Goldbob before you start filming' or whatever. He's supposed to lead this shindig, what the heck's with that?"
The three of them stared at each other, not entirely certain what to do with themselves.
"Well, uh... I guess we just keep waiting? I'm sure he'd be steamed if we weren't ready when he gets here, he's always got something going on…" The cashier scratched at his head awkwardly. "Wanna at least go look through the book? We can start teaching you some of our sales scripts, those've at least gotta be useful for something. …I think?"
Thus, the three of them continued to waffle about the shop as they searched for anything and everything they could do to prepare. …And yet, time continued to flow without Goldbob ever making an appearance. Together, the trio of employees just kept waiting… and waiting, and waiting, and waiting…
Finally, after well over another hour had passed, the bell at the front door let out a chime. The three of them quickly rose from their spots in the employee lounge, where they'd been poring over handbooks and guides while sipping on sodas from the staff vending machine. However, when they rushed to the front, Goldbob was not the one that waited for them…
Instead, little Bub stood just inside the entrance, holding a note before him.
"Waaoooooooooowwwww…" The orange Bob-omb let out a long, happy sigh as he eyed the contents of the store. …It certainly wasn't the first time he was seeing it, but…
"Oh, Bub! I didn't know you were coming, hmm hmm hmm! Isn't it neat in here?" Vivian giggled as she bent down and met his eyes. "It's so good to see you! We've been waiting for quite a while now… Would you happen to know where your dad is at?"
Though she looked beyond the front window, she still didn't see Goldbob anywhere. …Really, she was starting to get worried that something bad had happened to him.
"Uh, yeah! …Sorry, Missy, um… Actually, my dad told me to deliver a message to you. Ahem!" The little Bob-omb perked up proudly as he held the note before him and began to read it aloud. "I am… um… pre-occ-ooh-pied! Puh-lease dee-cide on the script without me! From, Goldbob."
Vivian frowned. He was… preoccupied? But…
"Mmmm… that's… a bit of a problem, isn't it?" She turned to the two X-Nauts. The pair shrugged and stared at her.
"Well, uh… I guess them's the orders? You're the one who works closest with Bow, so…" The cashier itched his neck. "What do you want us to do, Viv? We're down for whatever, so command us! You're the boss, boss!"
Apparently, Vivian was to head the script. …She gulped. She was supposed to be an actor, not a writer, but…
"Um… oh, gee whiz…" She clasped her hands as she nibbled nervously at her lip. "…Well, um. Let's… maybe just sit down and start planning out the main points, then? Do you have a notebook somewhere that I can use…? I think I do know which trains I like the best, and we've definitely got to show off the Excess Express, so…"
Despite her reservations, Vivian took the provided notebook into her hands and began to write, carefully plucking each word out of her mind as though they were individual grains of rice. Meanwhile, the two X-Nauts took Bub over to the shelves and showed him some of the trains, his cheery giggles sounding from beyond even as Vivian clutched at her pencil and struggled to form more than a single paragraph. …She didn't really know what she was doing, and Goldbob was quite a picky one, but…
If this is how it was going to be, she'd still try her best.
The soft, staticky refrain of a lone TV played in the background. The room was shrouded in an oppressive darkness, almost as though shadowy tendrils had crept in through the walls and settled down into every crevice. Were it not for the sounds playing from beyond the screen, one would have guessed time itself had frozen.
Endless mounds of torn and discarded cloth transformed the unswept floor into an abandoned graveyard. …Much of it wasn't new. Some of it had dwelt there for months at that point, as a constant reminder of the witch's failure to thrive in a world that wasn't made for her.
Beldam had given up.
No longer did she stitch at anything in her lap – she'd already added her latest piece to one of the piles. She'd bungled it again, she had. …No. No, it wasn't her fault. Of course it wasn't her fault. This was all because her tools were too complicated to use, the instructions too vague, and the people around her far too unhelpful towards her cause…
It wasn't her fault. It couldn't possibly be her fault. …Of course not. Of course not! This was all because of everyone else, all because of them...
Creeeaak!
The sound of the front door opening signaled that she wasn't alone. Soon after, a second, far larger figure entered the building and moved over towards the sink. …Marilyn. She was always so slow, so clumsy… and so incapable of performing even the simplest tasks! Beldam should've had dinner sitting before her ages ago, where had that oaf even been!? She'd been hungry before - now, she was famished!
Her voice tinged with irritation, the eldest shadow called out. "Marilyn! You're late – forget about it! Bring me one of those shroom snacks from the cupboard, now! And do be quick!"
Beldam was tired. So very, very tired of always having to deal with fools! Everyone was always so incredibly determined to hold her back… Always, always, always! If it weren't for them, she'd surely be doing wonderful things right then! More than anything else, she continued to long for a seat at her deceased queen's side, serving none other than her for millennia to come… If it weren't for everyone else, that delightful dream would've come true! It should've come true!
The witch seethed as her stomach growled. With her ever-present rage bubbling up and threatening to overflow once more, she opened her mouth and turned to yell at Marilyn…
…when a shockingly familiar voice suddenly sliced through the darkness.
"Dear! Your breakfast is ready!"
Beldam made a gasping noise as if she'd been struck in the stomach, lurching forward and nearly falling out of her chair. That voice…!? She looked about as she tried to find the source… The owner of that voice had left. She'd gone out into the world, abandoning her only family in favor of chasing after the memory of some hairy, mustachioed lout…
Beldam shouldn't have heard that voice.
Did that mean... Had she returned!? Surely not! How shameful, for her to come crawling back…! She'd probably failed at her new job and returned to beg for mercy! Of course – Beldam knew it would turn out that way! Yet, as Beldam continued to search, her gaze settled upon one of the most unexpected places.
The TV screen.
A version of Vivian existed there, though she didn't look like the Vivian that Beldam knew. This Vivian had the gait of a noble lady. Her body was adorned with beautiful, golden accessories, and her hair had been skillfully styled to perfection. She was carrying a tray lined with delicious-looking pancakes and orange juice, which she then delicately slid through the flap at the bottom of a door…
What… in the world…?
Beldam squinted as she tried to make sense of the image before her. Vivian… was on the TV? This movie… what was this?
Yet, even as Beldam continued to stare dumbfoundedly, the show continued onwards. This strange, new Vivian looked at the camera with a smile, then hummed as she picked up an umbrella and cheerily made her way out the front door of a rather nice-looking house.
"Guh…?" Though Marilyn appeared behind Beldam with a shroom snack in hand, the eldest shadow didn't even turn to face her. The witch's eyes remained locked on the screen as she struggled to absorb the information presented before her…
Within minutes, Marilyn had also pulled up a seat and begun munching upon her own snack, her gaze also glued to Vivian.
Entranced, they watched as the Vivian before them spent time hanging out with a friend and then returned home to, strangely enough, a dead Crump on the floor. They witnessed her actions as she sat through several harsh interrogations, panicked at the detective's accusations, and then fled into the shadows…
Beldam had been aware that Flurrie sometimes appeared on the television – in fact, she'd seen that ridiculous cloud-like beast during an interview before, so that was no surprise. But, this…
The eldest siren couldn't make sense of her feelings as she absorbed scene after scene. …It was strange. That was definitely Vivian upon the screen. Somehow, watching her made Beldam feel… small. Alone. Forgotten, even. There was a wound in the witch's heart that ached with her younger sister's every move, its gnarled form sending fiery bursts of pain searing up her cold, cracked arteries and throughout her body as she observed every new, completely foreign act…
But, as the night went on, she found that she simply couldn't look away.
Chapter image: www tumblr com/thegroduschronicles/768424139579064320