-Chapter 50-

Interlude of Evil III

Chai Kingdom Skies

Through the eternal gloom that reigned over the Chai Kingdom, a strange boom, almost like a cannon going off, rang through the eerie quiet. Not long after, an odd silhouette could be seen illuminated by the blood-red moon. It was Mary Pat, her parachute having gone off once more after being launched by Professor Gadd's People Pulter. However, what was different this time was that she had a passenger.

"You know, in retrospect, perhaps making the Pop's deployment system a giant circus cannon might not have been such a smart idea, after all," E. Gadd mused, clinging to MP's legs like a child.

"I kinda got that when you screamed 'WAIT', then tackled my legs before it went off." The young woman rolled her eyes as she pulled on the cords to steer them toward the shore. "You're just lucky I have a parachute that automatically sorts itself out."

"It seemed like a fun concept at the time, but now..." E. Gadd sighed. "Maybe I should have invested in that Warp Block system after all."

"Oh gee, ya think?"

Not long after that, the two of them managed to land on the red grass on the outskirts of a spooky bamboo forest. Beyond the intimidating black stalks, buildings resembling ancient China were visible, illuminated by the red light of the sky. All they could hear was the occasional owl hooting and a lone wolf howling in the distance

"Here we are, the Chai Kingdom." E. Gadd rubbed his hands together, grinning like the mad scientist he was. "Oh, the stories I've heard about all of the spooks and haunts in these parts. It's every paranormal researcher's dream!"

"Yeah…" MP rubbed her arms. "Your dream, my nightmare."

"And yet you chose the spooky haunted kingdom over helping your brothers save Daisy from the spiders."

"Can we get a move-on, please? We've wasted more than enough time as is."

"Indeed! Let's not dilly-dally! We have an evil, undead hag to vanquish!"

"And Koopas to rescue."

"That too."

As E. Gadd ran off into the woods, Mary Pat's gaze drifted up to the ominous imperial palace shrouded by the moon.

"I'm coming, Kerry," she swore, her fists clenched tightly. "Just hold on a little longer."

As she gave chase to the Professor, she didn't notice the glowing red eyes watching her from the brush…

-X-

More than just creepy, the black bamboo forest was proving to be dangerous. With everything bathed in bloody hues and shrouded in darkness, it was hard to see where you were going. More than once, the two would-be heroes would take a wrong step, threatening to send them sprawling into the ground or hurt themselves. It was only sheer luck one of them hadn't twisted an ankle.

"As much as I want to get there soon, maybe we should wait until daybreak," MP suggested, pulling her Thwomp Stomper out of a thick puddle that she was praying was just mud.

"It's actually high noon," the Professor informed her.

"Seriously?" MP looked up at the moon. "How?"

"It's part of the curse on this land. So long as the undead reign, no sunlight shall shine. It's common knowledge that creatures like Madame Hua loathe the sun, so when she came to power, she plunged it into this eternal darkness."

"Makes sense…" MP took a deep breath, turning her gaze away from the moon. "A land of death and decay where the dead thrive and the living suffer."

"Oh yes... of all the places in the Mushroom World, this is as close to the Underwhere as you can get."

"Underwh- Oh, right. Mushroom World Hell."

"Even Bowser's Dark Lands are little more than a Halloween haunted house compared to this place."

MP let out a humorless laugh. "I'd believe it. You can hear the screams of the doomed everywhere you go."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!"

"Why yes!" E. Gadd remarked obliviously. "Just like that!"

Mary Pat turned sharply toward the sound of the scream, realizing it was close. Very close.

"This way, Professor!"

She grabbed E. Gadd by the collar of his coat, taking off in the direction of the scream. It wasn't long before they saw a man charging through the bamboo, wearing classical Chinese robes with long hair in a high ponytail. Behind him were several snarling creatures similar to Madame Hua, all of them looking like they wanted to feed on him.

"It's more of those vampire zombies!" Mary Pat exclaimed. "Feral ones!"

"Help!" The man was backing away in terror. "Someone! Anyone! I don't wanna get eaten!"

"I'll save you!" E. Gadd declared, preparing to do just that before MP grabbed him by the scruff.

"You'd get swarmed in seconds, old man, and you don't have protection. However…" She put him down, pulling out her Blue Hood helmet from her bag before screwing it on. "I do."

The man continued his escape attempts, but his foot caught on a root and he went sprawling into the mud. Immediately, he was surrounded by the feral beasts, all of them hissing and slowly hopping toward him.

"Oh Seven Stars, no!" he gasped, bracing himself.

"Nihao, mother-!"

A yellow energy ball struck one of the Jyamp-shi, knocking it back. All eyes turned to see MP standing tall in the Blue Hood suit, brandishing a Super Scope. Her finger was down on the trigger, preparing a charge shot.

"Chew on this you undead sons of-"

She began rapid firing, the blasts staggering the Jyamp-Shi and knocking them back. It cleared enough of a path for her to get close enough to the man.

"Can you move?" she asked, getting a terrified head shake. "That's fine. We'll get you out of here."

"That's not gonna keep them down long!" E. Gadd informed her, which was confirmed as the monsters she'd shot picked themselves up. "Only holy magic or Star Power can kill a Jyamp-shi!"

"Luckily, I was just clearing a path!" MP threw the man over her shoulder. "Let's move!"

"The daoshi's temple!" the man cried. "We'll be safe there!"

"Temple, right. Which way!?"

The man pointed toward the east and the small group began running. However, as they went further, more Jyamp-Shi began coming out of the woodwork

"Egads!" E. Gadd cried. "It's a whole Jyamp-Shi Jamboree!"

MP's voice box glitched, a clear sign she'd been cursing. They looked every which way for an escape, only for more Jyamp-Shi to cut them off, slowly forming a circle around them. MP grabbed the Super Scope, ready to go out fighting.

"So…" E. Gadd began. "Is this how a paranormal researching legend meets his end? I never expected to go out this way."

A Jyamp-Shi hissed before springing at them. At that very moment, however, a loud, powerful roar sounded, followed by a stream of fire that cut off its attack from above. The three of them froze, as did the monsters surrounding them.

"I know that breath." MP looked up and the relief in her voice was palpable. "BOWSER!"

As if summoned by her shout, Bowser landed between the three escapees and the hoard of undead, touching down hard enough to shake the land.

"Hurray! It's Bowser!" E. Gadd cheered before going pale. "...Oh, no. It's Bowser."

"Did you forget we were waiting for him to arrive?" Beneath her helmet, MP rolled her eyes. "Senile old coot."

"I remembered, Miss Mario. However, that doesn't mean I'm happy to see him!"

"Dr. Gadd," Bowser greeted without even looking back. "You're still alive, I see."

"No thanks to you, titanic, turtle tyrant! And that's Professor Gadd!"

"Whatever," the King Koopa growled, glaring furiously at the undead surrounding them. "I'm already in a bad mood, considering what your queen has been doing to my species. I suggest you sacks of maggots turn around and walk away if you wanna keep unliving."

In response, the monsters all hissed at him, even angrier than they were before. Seeing this, Bowser rolled his shoulders and popped his neck.

"Right. Kids, get Mary Pat and the doctor-"

"Professor!"

"-out of here."

"Jawohl (1), King Dad!" came Ludwig's voice. "Koopalings!"

The Koopa Clown Car came flying down, the Koopalings all in it.

"All aboard!" Lemmy declared.

MP grabbed E. Gadd and boosted herself into the car. As she turned back to the man she'd rescued, she gaped, seeing two little punctures on his ankle. He looked up, pale and sweaty. It was clear he was turning fast.

"Oh no…" she managed.

"Mary Pat!" Ludwig cried. "Hurry and get in! They're getting closer!"

She winced, then climbed in herself. She was clearly seething, something that Roy was quick to try and comfort.

"I'm sorry, but he's been bitten. There's nothin' we can do for him now."

"I know…" she said as she clenched her fists.

"Get to the temple…" the man wheezed. "Stop Hua… and Tatanga… before it's... too... late…"

He dropped, seemingly dead. Not a second later, his eyes snapped wide open, glowing bright red as he bared his new fangs, letting out a growling hiss. MP looked on in horror at the sight, realizing it was nothing like in the movies. It was much, much worse. Beneath her helmet, she was pale and shaky as Lemmy carefully held her back.

"Don't cry," he told her, the crazy Koopa acting uncharacteristically somber. "Crying won't help him. The best we can do is get out of here."

Iggy pulled back on the steering wheel, aiming the Klown Car toward the sky.

"He said to go to the temple, right? I think I see it not far from here. We can regroup there."

"What about Dad?" Junior questioned.

"He'll be okay," Wendy promised, the ground beneath them illuminated by Bowser's fire breath. "Those undead monsters don't stand a chance against him."

Sometime later, they arrived at the temple. Unlike the other buildings in the area, it was largely pristine and not spooky. On the door were multiple paper talismans, inscribed with Chinese script. MP sagged in relief.

"It's warded… Thank God."

"This must be the place then," Ludwig mused.

They hurried up the steps. MP lifted a large door knocker before dropping it, the sound echoing ominously.

"To be honest, that's a little intimidating," Larry said.

A moment passed before the door slowly creaked open to reveal a young woman, not much older than MP, wearing a long-sleeved cheongsam with black hair in an Odango style.

"By the Stars…" she gasped. "More survivors of the Undeadening. Quickly, get in."

Everyone quickly made their way inside. Once the group was in, the doors closed with an ominous thud.

"Gah!" E. Gadd let out, somewhat ruffled by the ominous sound of the temple door. "I thought this temple was supposed to be a place of peace and serenity! Not horror movie cliches!"

"Allow me to introduce myself," the girl said as she bowed. "I am Minmei, daughter of the daoshi of this temple. Madame Hua's abominations can't approach the walls. It's the safest place in Chai."

"You're a priestess," MP realized, finally removing her helmet so she could properly face the young woman. She stuck it in her bag, adjusting her cap back in place. "Can you tell us about the Chai Kingdom? How long has it been like this?"

Minmei looked down in sorrow. "Too long. Come, let us continue further inside."

She moved deeper into the temple and Mary Pat was quick to go after her. After a moment, a few of the Koopalings were hot on her trail, unwilling to leave her alone. Soon, this eclectic group entered the central room of the temple, finding an older man in robes and a straw hat meditating with a little boy with a shaved head, save a braided ponytail on the side.

"Father," Minmei called, prompting the Daoshi to look up. "More survivors have arrived."

The Daoshi scanned the crowd, his eyes widening visibly.

"Koopa…" he whispered. "I have not seen a living Koopa in these lands for… a very long time."

Morton instinctively pulled Junior closer to himself.

"Considering what your psycho zombie empress has been doing to our people, I'm not the least bit surprised," Iggy remarked.

"Yes," the Daoshi sighed. "Hua's Loathing has had decades to fester and is particularly focused on the Koopas."

MP raised an eyebrow. "Loathing?"

"Right, let me break it down for you," E. Gadd cleared his throat. "All undead beings have an inborn, subconscious resentment of the living, which they call the Loathing. Their anger and grief at their demise, their plight of being dead, unable to enjoy the delights of life. It's particularly bad with non-corporeal undead, like Boos. If left unchecked, it boils over, driving them berserk."

"In layman's terms, they're basically all 'I'm dead as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore.'" Morton summed up. "Like those rabid Dry Bones that chased you when you first came to this world."

"That makes sense actually," MP mused. "Back home, it was believed that ghosts were formed from strong emotions, and nothing is stronger than hatred. Even benevolent ghosts who stuck around long enough would eventually succumb to their darker impulses, which would lead to wraiths, banshees, or... well, Madame Hua."

"Exactly," the Daoshi confirmed. "Since her death at the hands of King Morton, she has thought of nothing but revenge against him. And when she learned of his death… her hate turned toward his family, his followers, and soon, his entire species."

At the mere mention of King Morton, the Koopalings' moods darkened.

"Hey, easy, all of you," MP soothed. "No one here blames you for what he did. Not even you, MJ."

She purposely avoided using Morton's full name.

"You can drop the nickname, Mips," Morton assured. "I'm the only Morton here that matters. Grandpa is just some creep."

"Our Morton's the best Morton!" Lemmy declared.

"Damn straight."

They turned to see Bowser lumbering in with the other Koopalings

"Hope you don't mind, Padre," he greeted. "I let myself in."

"Your Highness," the Daoshi bowed in greeting.

"You got away?" E. Gadd asked. "How'd you deal with the Jyamp-shi?"

Bowser scoffed. "They're dead, not fireproof."

"Hold on," MP cut in. "I thought only holy or Star Power could..."

"Doesn't matter," Bowser interrupted. "They're gone."

"Well… Royal Koopa flames are dragon fire," E. Gadd tried to rationalize. "It's beyond the limitations of normal fire and naturally mystical in some way. Although…"

Bowser turned to him. "Your point?"

Gadd shook his head. "Doesn't matter. The point is, we have a brief reprieve, and we're safe. All that's left now is to wait for Mario, Luigi, and Daisy to get here."

"Daisy got snagged by some giant spiders back in Easton," MP explained to the others. "Mario and Lu went after her. I went ahead here because I hate bugs."

"But worry not, Mario and Luigi will save her!" E. Gadd declared.

Roy scoffed. "Hope they don't. Let her get eaten."

Gadd held up his hands. "Now now, I know that Princess Daisy isn't the most compelling company, but nobody deserves to have their blood and guts liquified and sucked out."

The Koopalings all gave him a cold look.

"Oh my..." E. Gadd took a step back. "Did it just suddenly get chillier?"

"You wouldn't be saying that if you knew what she did, old man," Wendy spat.

"Uhhhh... what do you mean?"

MP's eyes narrowed. "What... did she do?"

"THIS." Bowser pulled out a piece of paper. MP took it, the two looking it over.

"Egads…" E. Gadd gasped. "This... this is..."

As they read it, MP's eyes widened and her hands began to shake.

"She didn't… no way…" her teeth gritted. "That… stupid… cagna (2)…" She slowly looked up.

"Bowser... Please take everyone out of here."

Bowser nodded. "Oh, boy..."

The Daoshi stood as well, taking the boy in his hands. "Come, Nankin."

They left the room as MP ripped the paper apart before throwing her head back and taking a deep breath.

"F—!"

Whatever she was about to scream was drowned out by the temple's bells going off.

Somewhere near the Chai Kingdom border...

Mario, Luigi, and Daisy had just arrived, ditching an old raft Trompal had lent them.

"Alright, we're here!" Mario declared.

The mournful toll of the bell made them all jump.

"That's... ominous." Luigi mused.

"For whom does the death knell ring?" Mario quipped. "Am I right?"

Daisy chuckled nervously, wincing. "Yeah…"

Her fingers danced nervously on her arm as they entered.

"Okay, just stay calm," she thought nervously. "I can still fix things. Hopefully without Mario and the others finding out. At least... I hope I can."

"So... where are we supposed to find Mips around here?" Luigi asked.

Daisy snapped to. "There's a temple on the outskirts of the village. From what I recall, the priest there has always been paranoid about Hua, and surrounded the place with blessings and wards to keep her and other dead things out."

"Sounds like as good a place as any to start," Mario nodded.

"Should we try and find Sebas and the Marine Pop?" Luigi asked. "Check on Peach?"

"No... we... we gotta keep moving." Daisy shook his head. "Gotta stop this before it gets worse. Besides, Sebas will keep her safe."

"You sure?" Luigi asked.

Daisy nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure. I trust Sebas more than anything. Peach is in good hands. And right now, our focus is stopping Madame Hua."

She ran ahead. Mario and Luigi exchanged looks before hurrying after her.

The Marine Pop

Sebas looked over Peach in the infirmary, checking her vitals. He nodded, seeing everything seemed steady before turning to go, only to hear a soft moan. He perked, turning to see Peach stirring, shifting around in bed before slowly opening her eyes…

Author's Note:

(1): German for "yes" and "well" or "indeed.

(2): Italian for "bitch."

Oh damn… MP knows about this bill. It's only a matter of time before everyone else finds out. And Peach is finally awake! Took her long enough, eh?

The concept of the Loathing, as described by E. Gadd above, was created by our own WindstarOsprey. The temple, and the characters of the Daoshi, Nankin, and Minmei, come from an old Super Mario manga that was never translated; I found them on the Mario wiki and liked the ideas their adaptation of Super Mario Land used.

Voice cast for this chapter:

* Daoshi - Keone Young (Storm Shadow in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, Kaz in Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, Super Ninja in Karate Kommandos, and Luong Lao Shi in American Dragon: Jake Long)

* Minmei - Kim Mai Guest (Mei Ling in Metal Gear, Nina Einstein in Code Geass, Xian Mei in Dead Island, Katana in Batman: The Brave and the Bold)

* Nankin - Laurie Steele (Kid Krillin in Dragon Ball, Alvida in One Piece, Mariko Natsuki in the Witchblade anime)

Please R&R. Until next time!