By Mario Fan
Chapter Seven: Against the Dying of the Light
There is a reason creatures of the day fear the coming of the night. It is the same paralysis that grips hold of bones and flesh exposed to a vast emptiness larger than a mortal’s perception or his primitive creed. Simply put, it is beyond comfort because it is beyond comprehension.
Author’s Note: Just a reminder,
this chapter takes place the day after the events of Chapter Three. Chapters
Four, Five, and Six happened on the same day, with the minor exceptions
of Chapter Five taking place during the night of that day and the end of
Chapter Six taking place during the next morning.
That morning the sun shone like warm blood over the flooded valley of the Mushroomers. Steeples and belfries with drowned bells bellowing jutted solemnly from their bases’ deep and stagnant grave. As the beams of light caught more of the vast surface of the newborn lake, broken walls and blocks of stone floated past on glistening waves. Even the water, now under full view of the rising day, seemed a wide expanse of unsettling red weaved in with death and slow-moving corpses.
A cock let out his shrill voice somewhere over the hills which rose up before the Midas Mountain, but the reassuring harbinger of hope was muddled by the constant cawing of gangly ravens circling over the whole width of the lake. One in particular was larger than the rest of his brood and only now and again sent forth a hideous shriek that pierced the very air. As the light of the sun covered more ground, though, the bird shuddered violently and flew recklessly out to sea.
Higher up and over the surface of the water was a long plateau that stretched out to the Gap of Neurvone, a narrow channel which separated the Mushroom Kingdom from the craggy Vista Hill. Close to the steep descent which dropped off into the flooded Mushroom Forest were two still forms, but one of them was now stirring and moving cautiously around. It bent over the other figure after sniffing the surrounding land and shook it awake.
“It is morning, Luigi Mario,” said Rezan, his voice rasping naturally. “We have survived the long night, and the Ninja is gone from this place. Come, we have much work to do.”
The Human rose slowly, and a grim shadow came over his face as he looked out and saw the dark water which covered all that he once knew as home. There’s no way they could have survived that, he thought. What am I going to do?
“I know what you are thinking, Luigi,” said the reptile, finally abandoning the last name. “It is not wise to give up what hope you have left, though. Nothing is certain, not even when revealed to the waking eyes of a man in sorrow. Yes, I now say to you that the lives of your friends may yet remain untouched.”
“Last night was hectic, but now that we are at least alone, I want the truth from you,” said Luigi sternly. He was aching from the loss of the countryside he loved and was in no mood for the vague ramblings of a complete stranger. “You’ve been speaking like some blasted ancient since I met you, and I’ve yet to figure out some things. Who are you, really? Where have you come from? And, most importantly, what do you know about all of this madness?”
“All of your questions will require much of the time which is already fast escaping us, but I can see that you won’t follow me without their answers. Very well,” said the creature. “I have already told you my name is Rezan and that I am a Reznoth. My homeland is similarly named—Reznia, as you wish to know—and it is on none of the Mushroom Kingdom maps simply because it is far removed and too small to be wandered upon by sailing ships. There are about five-thousand of my kind living, and although some have left to who knows where, the great majority remain on the island.”
“That still doesn’t explain why you left, specifically,” said Luigi, “or why you talk the way you do, how you know what you know, and what in the world led you to find me.”
“I know our circumstance breeds impatience, but please try to be calm,” said Rezan without the slightest hint of anger. “All of my species speak the common tongue the way I do, for our own native language spawns a careful attention to linguistic detail and pronunciation. As for what I know, I do not really know it. I have flashes, instead, of things I must say to you and others, along with similar thoughts. These thoughts and odd sayings partially led me to come here. It is as if I have been chosen for a mouth to impart words of hope for a plan that is only gradually becoming clear to me. For now, all I know is that a conflict of great magnitude is fast approaching and that I must protect you, your brother, and Princess Peach at all costs. Beyond that, I am as clueless and as helpless in the pull of the wind as you are.”
“I’m never quick to accept vague spiritual concepts, but I’ve seen enough of the Star Spirits to know there is always something leading or guiding us. Any angry skepticism I once held as a youth has been erased forever. After all, perhaps it is as you say, and it does make more sense than anything else at this point. For now, then, I believe you out of necessity; when are we going to start looking for my friends?”
“Immediately,” said Rezan firmly, “and with as much haste as possible. King Bowser already knows of the flood, you can be sure. The Ninja who attacked us last night was one of his soldiers, I believe; though, again, I cannot tell you why I feel so certain.”
“He will not waste time assuring himself that there are no survivors in the Mushroom Valley. With our kingdom’s administration crippled, he’ll direct a great portion of his might west, razing villages and hoping for a direct confrontation with our forces near Land’s End.”
“Something tells me that the Koopa Kingdom’s initial strike should not be the focus of your efforts,” said the Reznoth distantly. He put a clawed hand up to his head and cringed. “I’ve just been struck with a fear that the greatest dangers will come from other places—arrangements that we cannot expect.”
“That reminds me,” said Luigi. “We should have Merlon take a look at you, if he weathered the storm all right. I have a bit more hope in the inhabitants of Toad Town, anyway, as they could have seen the tide coming and have a very heavily fortified cavern system under their city.”
“Odd that the construction of that name is familiar to me. Is he a Shaman?”
Luigi’s eyes widened, but he quickly warded off the surprise. “It’s a small world, after all, eh?”
“Once a Shaman told me that his kind had a way of being everywhere and knowing everyone’s business,” said Rezan. “I had never held too much truth in the words, but now I’m not so sure. Very well, I should like to speak with a mystic anyway. Whether for good or evil, they have a closer connection with the metaphysics which seem so strange to most.”
A chorus of sharp screeches sounded from nearby and afar, and then the beating of many wings exploded above them as a dense cloud of birds soared overhead and away over the lake. Distantly, more wings with heavier sounds as they struck the air could be heard, and raucous, chortling laughter became clearer with each passing second.
“That slimy reptile is already at it,” said Luigi, pausing to add, “no offense.”
“You recognize the sound?”
“Paratroopas,” replied the Human, nodding grimly. “A reconnaissance flight, judging from the numbers they seem to have. Considering the flood, though, I’d say they are trained warriors looking to pick off survivors. Seems you were right about Bowser having something else in mind for the majority of his soldiers, but these still pose a threat, nonetheless. We have to do something!”
“We can draw a few of them down and chop at their numbers,” said Rezan savagely, suddenly losing the sagacious quality he had carried before. Luigi thought that this must be the real personality of the Reznoth, a noble but efficient hunter. “Wait at the edge of that circle of trees over there. I’ll travel to the canopy and set up the diversion. Let us hope, though, that not all of them find us so interesting.”
The reptile bent his powerful legs back and sprung up through a thick layer of branches, completely unnoticeable from below save for a few falling leaves. Not wanting to waste any time on his end of the plan, Luigi surged forward towards the outer ring of the meadow Rezan had indicated and settled himself quietly behind the trunk of a large tree. Meanwhile, the boisterous shouting of the Paratroopas had become intolerably grating.
The Human turned around quickly when he heard five successive bursts of reptilian hissing, followed by the swift and angry response of the winged Koopas above. Rezan dropped down behind him, taking in barely perceptible breaths, and brought out the odd gun he had used the night before.
“The prime choice of Reznoth hunters,” he whispered, noticing Luigi’s curiosity. Shadows were falling across the bright stretch of brown grass and knolls before them. “The glopping guns shoot out adhesive combinations of acidic chemicals and deadly toxins. Each ingredient is completely natural, which makes refueling simple. The machine itself combines them properly.”
Luigi nodded, not wholly comprehending, but more concerned with the upcoming battle. “Their favorite attacks involve swarming. Never let too many surround you at once.”
“I’ll circle the meadow and fire rapidly from all directions,” said Rezan. “Use what pyrospheres you can muster and let them go from here, taking time to aim accurately. Just bring down whichever ones look too inclined to investigate where I am.”
“But you might hit me!” said Luigi worriedly. “You won’t be able to spot me from over there.”
Rezan only flashed a grin with his lipless mouth and ran off to the left, shooting wildly with his gun once the Paratroopas began to land and hop about madly. Amazed at the accuracy of the flying globs of poison, Luigi waited a few minutes before picking several targets and sending out his own flaming missiles.
“Fly! Fly!” shrieked one of the Paratroopas as the other members of his flight fell dead and dying all around him, either burning alive from Rezan’s blasts or being incinerated suddenly from Luigi’s. “Retreat!”
A cluster of shrubs shook vaguely on the opposite side of the woods, and the Reznoth shot out with a crack and dug his claws into the shell of the lead Paratroopa. Luigi turned away briefly while Rezan snapped his prey’s neck in half with a strong twist of his jaws but then rushed out, yelling and throwing punches at every living Koopa he saw.
While Rezan was busy with the living Paratroopas, Luigi’s path to aid him was blocked by a massive Heavy Troopa stacked with armor and carrying a towering battleaxe. The earth shook violently when the creature landed, and the beast swung its mighty weapon easily, sending out a deep and rumbling laughter.
“Puny Human!” it bellowed. “A Mario Brother, for sure! I shall crush you!”
Luigi only smirked and leapt quickly to the left, using the force of his legs striking the ground to rebound and propel himself high into the air. As he rose upward, the long axe deeply clove the ground where he had stood, and he flipped and landed hard onto the Heavy Troopa’s thick skull. A great groan escaped the monster, but Luigi held on and fired the last of his charged pyrospheres, jumping off as they enveloped the creature’s head and rolling away behind him.
When he came up, the Heavy Troopa’s upper body was smoking and covered in charred flesh. The axe was still lifted angrily, though, and the beast nauseously swung it towards Luigi, trying to sever his head and clumsily destroying everything around him in the process. The Human was determined, though, and so he dashed forward, weaving in out of the axe’s strikes, and laid a powerful rounding kick across the Koopa’s chest.
He was rewarded only with an indifferent grunt from his attacker and a throbbing pain in his leg. Worse yet, the last of his fireballs had already been used, and Rezan was becoming even more distracted with the Paratroopas. It seemed an endless stream of them was constantly pouring down from the sky, with all of them gnashing their jagged teeth and swinging their black and cobbled weapons.
Their weapons! thought Luigi, barely dodging another ground-shaking blow from his opponent’s battleaxe.
The Human rushed to the nearest Paratroopa corpse and pulled out a sword from its belt, briefly looking on as the sun crept over the tops of the surrounding trees and illuminated its metallic surface. Broken violently from his reverie, he heard something roar behind him and turned to block the next downward swing of the Heavy Troopa’s axe. He screamed in a burning pain as the force of the blow battered his muscles and threatened to shatter his bones.
“Heh heh heh,” chuckled the Paratroopa. His fat face held two merciless eyes that sucked in all the light they saw. “You feel the power of Gorrubond, and it breaks you!”
Luigi felt the last of his strength waning, and now the pain that had started in his arms was growing more intense and spreading throughout his body, sending flashes of fire into his legs and chest. While the beast leaning over him growled and let long drops of muddy saliva cling from his mouth, a hot sweat broke out on Luigi’s forehead, and his green cap fell off to the ground. Another few seconds of this effort in keeping his arms up would completely demolish his failing strength.
Give me your aid, Stars, he thought and sent the words up in a prayer. Although I may soon die, do not let me fall on this field of battle, so close to where my friends need our help.
And as if all else was silence for a short time, there was a glowing of light within him, and the power that he had lost returned in greater amounts than before, filling every inch of his frame with some distant hope. The eyes of the Heavy Troopa grew wide, and Luigi sent out his own roar, pushing forward and throwing the massive battle axe back at its owner. After the creature groaned miserably and backed off a few steps, it regained its composure and charged.
Luigi was ready this time, though, and with a rivaling yell he spun past the swing of the axe and made a deep gash in the underbelly of the Paratroopa. With his sword now covered in the blood of his enemy, the Human staggered out of the way and waited while the Heavy Troopa struggled to reposition himself for another onslaught. Rezan was completely obscured by the flapping wings and shells of ten Paratroopas, and only his hissing and the sharp crack of his glopping gun could be heard.
I’ve got to end this quickly, he thought, but I’m running out of options!
He decided to confront the Heavy Troopa directly this time and was the first to rush out, bringing his sword back and giving a crackling battle cry. Their weapons met loudly and sparked before breaking off, and the contact was broken over and again as metal pummeled metal in a ponderous, back-breaking succession. Grinding his teeth, Luigi parried a heavy-handed strike and scraped a strip of hardwood from the axe handle, nearly chopping at his opponent’s hand, too, before the blade was knocked away.
“The Human shows spirit!” intoned the mammoth Paratroopa, his breathing coming slower and his chest a mangled clump of crimson-stained flesh and shell. “I shall yet taste your life blood as you die, though. So says Gorrubond!”
Overcome with a sudden and unexplainable wrath and plagued with an instinctive fear for his own survival, Luigi let loose one final burst of energy, firing two pyrospheres and wielding his sword with a quickness that escaped even his own eyes. Each clang of the pair’s beaten weapons sent a quake through the earth and the air, and their own screams rent their minds, bringing the long battle to its uttermost edge. Finally, Luigi struck away one of his enemy’s thrusts and brought his sword around hard, sending it whizzing into the right side of the beast’s massive neck.
“Gllluuugggh!” came the sound from the half-breathing animal, but even as the oxygen and blood rushed out of his gaping wound and his free arm spasmed, he struggled to land one more devastating blow to the Human’s head.
All was blind and screaming for a moment, but the plumber soon recovered his rattled senses. Bathed in the heaving shadow of the dying creature, Luigi let out one more desperate cry and swung with all of his remaining might, cleaving the rest of the Heavy Troopa’s neck from his shoulders. He leapt out of the way of the toppling body, hitting the ground hard and lieing there, unsure if he could even lift himself up to help Rezan.
As he strained his neck to look over, though, he saw that the Reznoth was coming towards him, and behind him were the toxin-covered bodies of countless Paratroopas. With a sigh of relief, he laid his head back and waited until Rezan peered over him. The reptile grinned and helped his new friend up, taking the sword out of his hands and brushing him off.
“An admirable battle, Luigi Mario,” he said. “It is true what I have heard of you. Such warriors are few in today’s world.”
Luigi laughed a little, but a cough broke off the sound. “Thanks, Rezan. If you would, though, just let me rest a little.”
“Very well. We shall have to move out soon, though.”
“Yes,” the Human said, nodding weakly. “Only a little while. Just a small rest.”
~*~*~*~
Floating somewhere over the new lake at mid-morning, Mario awoke with a start. He was on a long plank of wood most likely ripped off from one of the market vendors in the flood. Around him were vast stretches of calm water broken periodically by submerged towers and other pieces of debris. Most disturbing of all, though, was the occasional drifting corpse or severed limb, each one a painful reminder of the lives that had been lost the night before.
So he continued on that way for several hours until the sun reached its half-way mark in the sky. By that time he began to hear faint shouting somewhere off to the east, where several towers were clustered together. He surmised by the proximity and height of the structures that it was the topmost part of the Royal Mushroom Castle. Whoever it was calling out to him, his voice hopefully indicated a group of survivors who had washed up against the buildings and found temporary shelter.
Mario got up quickly, wiped the caked dirt and still wet mud off of his overalls as best he could, and searched around for a stray steel bar or a slab of wood. He found what he wanted in what appeared to be an aluminum support post for a tent from the Autumn Festival. After swinging it back and forth a few times to test its strength, he plunged it through the surface of the water and trailed it around, taking heart in its ability to at least steer his makeshift vessel.
From there, he repositioned his transport in the direction of the Mushroom Castle and pushed off, using powerful strokes on either side of him to propel the flat board slowly but surely towards his destination. The sun was shining brightly enough now to warm him, and so the coolness of the early morning was no longer a hindrance. In addition, his own thoughts of perhaps finding the princess alive and well drove him onward, unaffected by the growing tiredness in his muscles or the despair building up his heart.
If you can hear me, Stars, he thought, praying for the first time in months. It always seemed he forgot the assistance and the love of the guiding spirits in Star Haven during peaceful times, but he always swore to himself he would not lay them aside again. If you can still care for me, I ask for your help in finding Peach. Not only her, of course, but as many of all the good citizens here as possible. No matter how terrible… how terrible…
He could not bring himself to go any further. The Human was truly afraid his own misery and anger at what had happened would be turned towards the Star Spirits, as if all the aid they had provided his friends and him in the past was only a ruse—a ploy to break down their guards for this ultimate betrayal. As ridiculous as the thoughts seemed, he knew he was in no condition to dwell on them. For now, he had only these people to save and safety to find. Disaster required his total conviction to action, and that meant not becoming distracted with matters of the individual soul and conscience.
Forgive me, he thought, still unsure. I’m only doing my best. Just offer me what help you can, then, despite my confusion.
It was at that moment when the screaming and hopeful shouting he had heard ceased, and all that was left was the pounding beat of wings or maybe a pulsing heart. He felt his arms and legs collapse beneath him, and he sat without control over himself, all of his skin suddenly chill and covered in colder perspiration. Followed by a terrible cawing, an immense black bird landed with a shudder on the other end of his boat, settling its feathers and snapping its beak.
“The Stars are dead,” its voice seemed to say from everywhere, pervading the very fabric of existence and blowing its hideous depth into all things warm and comforting. “Do not ask them for help, hero, for they are weak and have already succumbed to the victor of time and space. Soon even the halls of your Haven shall run darkly with blood, and there will be a feast on the flesh of the dead and the ashes of the earth. FEAR! FEAR!”
Mario let out a hollow scream which burst forth when he regained his breath and clutched one feeble hand over his chest. His very heart seemed to be trying to escape, exploding outward. “Leave me alone! Go away!”
“I bring you what all others are afraid to say,” came the voice again, the bird standing there, jutting its head around like any mindless beast. “FEAR!”
“No!” he managed, falling back with his face contorted into something horrific. The pain in his chest was growing more intense, until his vision and thoughts swam in drunkenness.
“My power is at its weakest now, Human. But remember this: you will not stop the Breaking of the World. When the time ordained by him is come, I shall let loose the full power of the Executioner upon this earth, for I am as he is, and we are one in the same. Farewell, and cry out your misery!”
~*~*~*~
When the Mushroomers and Koopas on the tower found Mario, he was cold and unconscious on the boat. One Koopa in particular stepped forward, his green shell muddied by hours of wading in the water. It was Koover, recently come to the Autumn Festival for his village near Toad Town.
“Quickly!” he shouted to the others. “Bring him up here and dry him off. He’s as pale as a ghost. We have to wake him up as soon as possible. Hastily, now!”
Four Mushroomers tied one end of the floating debris to a piece of the tower’s battlements and hefted Mario over onto the dry stone. The nurse among them broke through the amazed crowd of survivors and began to work on him immediately.
Meanwhile, one of the guards from the Castle who had been lucky enough to endure the storm walked over to Koover, his eyes glazed over. “I saw him only last night, attempting to have a word with the princess. My friend… he is now lost, I fear, but we both denied him entry. Could Mario have known of all this?”
“Don’t hold yourself too responsible,” said Koover, his own worry at the Human’s condition apparent. “No one could have expected this. Our only task now is to survive and move on, grieving for the dead and helping those who we can. By the way, have you tried going down the stairs yet?”
The guard nodded grimly. “They are flooded a few feet down, as I suspected. There is a chance that the passage at the bottom, which is usually sealed completely, was untouched, but opening the door would let water in, and if I’m wrong, anyone courageous enough to reach it would not have enough time to come back up again.”
“We might have to try for the plateau, then,” said Koover. “I know we saw those Paratroopas heading farther south earlier, but we’ll have to take our chances before provisions run low. Once Mario wakes up, we’ll be better off.”
As if on cue, the plumber groaned and slowly opened his eyes. “Fear…” he muttered, but the nurse quieted him and put a cool rag over his forehead. “Princess…”
The Mushroomer guard looked at Koover expectantly, but the Koopa was turned away and looking off to the plateau, where the Paratroopas had landed a few hours ago and never lifted off again.
“Come on, Mario, pull through. Everyone’s counting on you,” said the nurse, cradling the Human’s head. “Someone bring water!”
“I’ll be all right,” the plumber suddenly said. “It… it must have just been a bad dream. I was hallucinating.”
The nurse looked oddly at the Human as he stood up and staggered briefly. “What are you talking about?”
“Nothing,” said Mario, joining Koover. “Thanks for pulling me aboard.”
The Koopa did not even turn around. “We have to try for the land over there, Mario. We saw some of Bowser’s Paratroopas, but there’s no other choice. The cliffs around Midas Mountain are too steep for many of our wounded, and we don’t have enough supplies to make it that far on a boat.”
“Can you see over the treetops?” asked Mario suddenly. “There’s a thin line of smoke rising from over where Bowser’s Castle is. Something’s happening there, too.”
“Probably a celebration,” Koover said bitterly. “They’ll be preparing for an assault on our kingdom’s forces at Land’s End. Without any warning, the army won’t be ready for a direct attack like that.”
“The water level has decreased since earlier today, hasn’t it?” Mario asked, studying the dampness of the other towers. “The ocean is reclaiming what it lost.”
“Not fast enough, I’m afraid,” replied Koover. “We’ll still have to take action.”
“No, no, I just mean that if the Toad Town residents went underground like you’d expect them to, their armed guards will be ready to help, too.”
“It’ll take weeks for all of this to clear out, though. Toad Town is at a lower altitude than the Mushroom Village, anyway. We’ll be out of the woods before they are.”
“Yes,” acknowledged Mario, “but the other end of their caverns comes out somewhere above the Mushroom Village. Luigi and I found the entrance on the plateau; Russ T. told us where it was. Once we get over there, a few of us can go down and inform them that there’s dry land. At least the soldiers can help us clear out the area, and the non-fighters we have here can join the Toad Town citizens underground are above once we set up camp.”
Koover clasped his hands together. “We have a plan then! I’ll start using the wood from your little vessel and the stuff that’s washed up here to build a boat. I think we can cook up something big enough to carry twenty people across, at least.”
The Human did not answer him, though. He was too busy remembering what he had seen before passing out over the lake, and it was not exactly an encouraging memory.
Whatever it was, he thought, let us face it bravely. I know evil can never triumph, so its threats are not a certainty. We haven’t given up yet, and it’ll take a lot more than this to make us consider it.
~*~*~*~
When Princess Toadstool opened her eyes to the light of morning, she saw several familiar figures hunched over her, one of whom was her personal retainer. He was nervously fidgeting while a doctor and a nurse looked at her comfortingly. In the foreground, she thought she saw Toadsworth and the Chancellor standing, as well as many other Mushroomers, Koopas, and Goombas.
“Oh, Princess!” Toad said. “You’re alive! I knew you’d pull through.”
“Thank you, Toad, for waiting by my side,” she said, turning to the others. “Thank you all. But tell me, what has happened? I remember a little; none of it is any good, though.”
“The flood wiped out almost everyone,” said the Chancellor, his face solid. Peach noticed that many of the others appeared gloomy, and some were even weeping softly. “There are close to one-thousand of us here, but the majority of the city was indeed lost, along with most of the armed guards. They were off retrieving the citizens in the outlying rural regions.”
The princess hung her head and felt on the verge of fainting again, but she kept her strength up as an example to those who trusted her. “What of Mario and Luigi? Have they been found?”
There was silence from all those around her; the Chancellor started to speak but then lowered his eyes respectfully. Toadsworth brought a handkerchief down from his face and said, “They were not found, my lady. We’ve looked everywhere.”
“And we almost lost you,” said Toad hurriedly. “You were caught in the waves, but only the edge, so all of those around you were washed up on the cliffs safe and sound. A miracle by the Stars, no doubt!”
“The miracle is that any of us survived,” said the princess. “This isn’t over yet. In my heart of hearts, I feel that some other force besides the whim of nature is behind the flooding.”
“Oh, but Princess,” said Toadsworth, “it cannot have been King Bowser. Even Kamek and all of his disreputable, hooligan Magikoopas could not summon such a storm as the one which struck us last night. They would have done so long before if that were the case, I’m sure!”
“Very true,” the Chancellor broke in, “but I do not think Princess Toadstool is referring to King Bowser as being behind it. She means something else—something unforeseen by either side.”
“Oh, dear!” exclaimed Toadsworth. He fiddled with his pocket watch and wandered off excitedly, mumbling to himself. “Come on, everyone! Let’s give the princess some room!”
The Chancellor watched until everyone, including the three other Senate members, had walked away except Toad and the nurse. Switching his cane from one hand to the other and wincing at the effort, he turned back around to Peach. “That is what you meant, was it not?”
“Yes,” she said uneasily. “I have been having ominous dreams and even feelings in broad daylight of foreboding. Mario has had them, too. I spoke with him a few days before the Autumn Festival, nearly two weeks ago.” She looked up at him. “What has become of Parakarry?”
“He has not returned,” said the Chancellor sadly. “Paratroopas have an obvious advantage in floods, though, so we must not give up hope on him, yet. You will be glad to know that the Goomba families survived. Of course, they preferred the boarding lodges on the cliffs, so they had an unexpected advantage.”
“Good, good,” she mumbled. “What about Russ T?”
“About him,” started the Chancellor, curling his mustache. “He did indeed survive, but he is of special interest. You see, he has been nearly mad since the storm, muttering constantly to himself about a variety of things. Everywhere he paces, it is ‘scroll’ this and ‘shrine’ that. The doctor says it’s most likely trauma, but Russ T. refuses to be examined, saying he is perfectly fine. Perhaps you could talk to him. He seems to wish it, anyway, as he has mentioned your name the most, besides someone named Ryanoshi.”
“Ryanoshi,” Peach repeated, looking off. “I am unfamiliar with the name. Obviously a Yoshi, but I don’t know where Russ T. would have met one. There hasn’t been over ten of them in this region since the last kingdom-wide celebration, after Mario took back the Star Rod from Bowser. He did much research with people abroad in his early days, though, and Yoshis live very long. This ‘Ryanoshi’ might not even live in the Mushroom Kingdom anymore.”
“As I said, most of what he was speaking did not make much sense to us,” said the Chancellor apologetically. “When you are feeling better, I shall take you to him, and you can ask him about what he means yourself.”
“First, there is much to do while I rest,” she said calmly. “This is the greatest tragedy to ever befall our nation, since the enslavement by King Morton’s Koopas when my father reigned. Even our defeat at Bowser’s hands seven years ago was quickly repelled by the arrival of the Mario Brothers, and only a fraction of this many perished. The grief in my soul must be suppressed, though, for our people need guidance now more than ever. King Bowser’s full force will have survived this, and he knows by now the destruction of our administration. The armies at Land’s End are a match for his, yes, but they will be come upon without warning or instruction from us. Where are we now?”
“We are on the summit of Midas Mountain, ma’am,” he said. “It is a day’s journey to Tadpole Pond and another’s to Rose Town, unless the pace is quick.”
“Nevertheless, we must get someone to Tadpole Pond immediately. Frogfucious keeps a Lakitu messenger there, and he’ll be able to warn General Spores in less than a day from takeoff. Even that long may prove disastrous, though. The airships of Bowser’s fleet are swift and do not suffer from the fatigue of a living, breathing body. That,” she added, “and we have already lost much time.”
“Then I shall send three of the royal guards out at once,” he said, motioning to Toad. “Quickly, go and fetch the lieutenant!”
Toad nodded and hastened off, but the princess was clearly not satisfied. “I’m going with them,” she said, but the Chancellor was far too familiar with her to be surprised. “I have to speak with Russ T. before I go, though.”
“What of the citizens?” he called after her, for she had already risen and went off in search of the old Mushroomer. “They will look to you for reassurance!”
She stopped but did not turn around. “The people do not need me here, right now. They need protection, so I shall only bring one of the guards. Tell them I go to secure their safety. Even if not direct, it is closer to the truth than anything else.”
Princess Toadstool did not have to go far to find Russ T. She found him mumbling crazily by himself nearby, carving some indescribable script into the dirt. Though he was lamenting incoherently among his words, she could make most of it out.
“The Breaking Scroll told us the flood would come, did it? Of course it did, but Jinx wouldn’t let us see. He has it!”
“Has what?” asked Peach.
She jumped when Russ T. turned to her and held onto her dress. “The scrolls, Princess Peach, the four scrolls told of a flood. I reasoned it out after Ryanoshi left, years after our research, but we never believed it all. It’s come true, though! We must find Jinx, Princess. He has the answers!”
“A prophesy?” she asked. “Is that what you are saying?”
“Yes, yes,” he said, clearly frustrated. “But there may be hope. There always is. The future is not set in stone, just as nothing is truly happened until it occurs finally, irrevocably, and without a doubt. The flood has come, but there is more if the scrolls were right, yet only Jinx will know, and he does not realize how valid his little treasure is. You see, this is why he must be found!”
“To stop something, you mean?” she asked. “Who caused this? Do you know?!”
“No time for that,” he said, hopping off and running to gather his things. “We should leave now, right away, if we are to discover the truth and use it. It is as Frogfucious once said to me: Against the dying of the light comes the dawn. The dawn, Princess Peach! The unyielding promise of second chances!”
She looked behind her and saw Toad with a grim look spread across his face. “Russ T. is coming with us. Tell the Lieutenant to come and help him with his things and inform the Chancellor of the change in plans.”
“Right away, ma’am,” he said, bowing, but turned to say, “but please, oh please be careful. We’ve lost so much already!”
“That is true,” she said, smiling. “Hold on to hope and the guidance of the Star Spirits, Toad. They are all we have left, but I am sure they were also the greatest things we ever had.”