Chapter Seven: Blue Skye's Bring Smiles
It was dark out, as Slimer grinned like a schoolchild, leading his friends to wherever their destination was. What it was exactly, was in an isolated place in the Mushroom Kingdom, as they had driven quite far. They were at a dock, with a raised cliff protruding up into the sky with a moderately large building on it with flashing signs and the like.
"Um... Why are we coming here?" Bow asked. "And... Where exactly is here?"
"Errr... It's a bar." Slimer responded, stopping.
"A bar? Great." Bow frowned, folding her fins, and frowning with her fangs showing from her upper lip. Slimer had an odd expression spread across his face, between a cross of embarrassment and fake innocence.
"I don't want to waste time in one of your dumps," she said.
"Aww... Come on... There's a boat in the back. After we hang out a little we can use that." The Koopa seemed desperate, begging even. Bow finally gave up after about five minutes.
"Fine," she said.
"Yeah!" Slimer raised his fist to the air.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The doors of the large building opened to reveal a long hallway with pictures of dancing women of all species, race, and nationality. There were bright, flashing lights that seemed to change about once every five seconds. At the end of the hall, there were two muscular guys that were standing there menacingly. The one on the right was a Koopa who looked as if he was taking steroids, due to his insanely large muscles. He was bald, and had a scar on the left side of his head. He scowled, showing sharp teeth, one of which was missing, while another had gold plating. He wore a blue muscle shirt that was torn in several places, in one case right under his arm, which, showing that he probably didn't bathe, smelled atrocious. He had a large, spiked belt that was tilted off to the left, and his boxer shorts, which were blue and black plaid, hung out of the right side. He had baggy jeans, with holes in the front where his knees were. At the bottom, his pants looked ripped off. His tail hit the ground, and was also big and muscular and had a ring stuck in the end (quite a sensitive area for body piercings). Most surprising of all, this man wore no shoes, but his clawed feet were tremendous, as were his hands.
The other man was a Yoshi. He was almost as muscular as the other man, if not more (which would be scary for a Yo'ster), and he had body piercings everywhere: on the sides of his head, in both nostrils, and on his tongue when he opened his mouth to yawn. He had a large, black afro, making him look even uglier then he did previously (if such a feat was actually possible). Needless to say, the man's skin was green, and his eyes were a dark red (probably contacts) and ferocious looking. Veins popped out in his neck threateningly and then branched off into large, bulky shoulders that surrounded walls of pure muscle (looks like neither of them could stay of the 'roids). Besides that, he wore no shirt, revealing his bare chest, and he wore red shorts that came down just below his knees. Fur showed on his belly, but only barely, since he had probably shaved it all. Speaking of which, he had a belly-button ring too, which led you to wonder, where DIDN'T this man have piercings? You'd almost be afraid to know. His feet had large shoes with untied shoelaces that flopped about. His tail was gruesome, not only because it was covered in piercings, but at least half was completely missing. He snarled too, crossing his arms in disapproval.
"Hello! Greetings! We are requesting permissi-" Mewt started talking, but was silenced by a sock in his mouth from Slimer. A literal sock, too. The bouncers growled.
"Yo. Don't mind the foo'. He just trippin. Must a smoked somethin' mad whack. I'd say you best be lettin' us in, brotha," Slimer said, as cool as a cucumber, if anyone in that generation actually used that phrase.
"And what you and yo posse gunna do 'bout it if we don't?" the Koopa replied, bending down next to Slimer so he could feel the bigger man's hot exhale.
"Well darn..." Slimer sneered and looked back at the man. "Maybe we come back later, burn your place to the ground, have you beggin' to the business-like for more money..." The bouncer looked stunned for a second, then started laughing.
"Heh heh... This fool crack me up... Yeah, whatever, homie. Go on in."
"Word," the other replied without looking down. They stood aside and opened the doors.
The four walked in and Bow and Mewt gasped. "Well, now that macho time is over, can we get this over?" Bow asked irritably and folded her fins. "And anyone who tries going near me is going to get a fan up their butt," she proclaimed, as if it was some sort of warning, and it was.
There was a long counter, with barstools sitting next to it and a stage above it. In between them was a small space where bartenders could be seen polishing glasses and giving out drinks to the array of drunken looking characters on those barstools. One Koopa was hanging off his seat limply and then fell when his drink was put in front of him. Up on the stage there were several female dancers of different varieties dancing provocatively. Men cheered.
Bow stuck out her tongue and made a gagging gesture. "Oh my god. This place has less taste then leftover rice..." Bow said, muttering.
"Why do these men cheer for all these women so?" Mewt asked curiously. Slimer had a grin on that looked like he was a young boy on Christmas morning, opening up his presents.
"Because these chicks are smokin," he said with a chuckle and went off toward the bar. The lights were still flashing in Bow and Mewt's ear as they stood there. To the right of them was the bar that Slimer was so eager to go to, and to their left was a large, open area where tables had been set up, but no one had sat. And down the way, there was a steel door with a label reading Employees Only...
~~~~~~
Slimer found a lone stool away from the other swaying creatures that rocked back and forth violently, as if they were on some kind of Opiate, while in reality, it was actually a large amount of booze and incense. He rung a bell by the marble counter and a bartender showed up. He was a Koopa with graying short hair, and several bald spots on his head. He had a long beard that stretched down to the bottom of his neck, and he wore an old-fashioned, buttoned down shirt that was red with blue stripes. He wore brown cargo pants, and had dance shoes on. There were several wrinkles present on his face, and he had bandages on the end of his tail. More notably about his face, though, were his charming brown eyes.
"Hey Miles," the Koopa said and waved nicely.
"Nice to see you, Ed. How are the kids?" Slimer replied.
"Fine. Oh, by they way, we've got a new dancer here tonight. She came all the way from the Waffle Kingdom."
"Really? A foreigner, huh? Nice. I've always favored exotic delicacies." Slimer grinned. "So, call me when my drink gets here." He got off the stool and turned to Bow and Mewt. "Hey, guys, I'm gunna go introduce myself to the newbie. You can stay here if you want."
And with that, he left. Bow floated there, fins still crossed. One girl on stage, a Mushroomer called to her. "Hey, are you the new dancer?"
Bow turned as if she was the Exorcist, and spoke flames. "DO I LOOK LIKE OF THEM?!" Bow asked, which made the girl quickly shut up.
~ ~ ~
Slimer walked down through the bar, looking over at each tantalizing woman, taking in their beauty. Finally he saw a girl who was different, at the end. She was a young Koopa (not under legal age, mind you), and pretty. Not extremely gorgeous, but cute and pretty. She had sort of an innocent charm, perhaps even an aura radiating from herself. Her face was brilliantly pure and yellow, a bright, radiant color with light blue eyes and most notabl,; long, brilliant white hair. Not gray, but snow white... brilliantly blinding. Her body was flawless, from her narrow shoulders and long slender arms, to her skinny stomach, her curved hips and her long legs, her painted clawed feet and fingers, and her long, broad tail. She wore a sky blue bikini top and bottom, a two piece; and had a small tattoo on her left hip. It was of a phoenix, a brilliant red bird with flaming wings, shrouded in billowing clouds. On the right side of her hair was a flower clip that was blue with a yellow inside.
She looked down at Slimer and smiled, her eyes sensual. "Hello..." she said in her cute accent. "I see you were observing me. I'm new here..."
"As I've heard. So... What's your name, babe?" Slimer asked.
"Vanilla. Vanilla Skye." She bowed, teasingly.
"Hey, I'd like to introduce myself."
"Come with me," she said. "Just don't look suspicious." Slimer helped her get off the stage, and they ducked away into a back door, leading off somewhere...
~ ~ ~
Mewt frowned, looking at the strange menu, turning it upside down, even smelling it, with the bartender looking at him strangely. "Hey... kid? You gonna order something?" he asked.The green alien only stared at the menu in deep concentration.
"What is he?" the bartender asked Bow.
"I forget. He's not from around here, though," Bow responded.
"I've noticed." The bartender went back to polishing his glasses.
As Bow, with morbid fascination, watched her green, furry friend turn the menu over and over, she found herself getting more and more ticked off.
When is he coming out? He better not be late again. I'm really annoyed now.
Then, she saw Slimer coming out, with another person. Whoever it was, was wearing a large white cloak. Slimer waved to Bow, and grabbed Mewt's arm, pulling him along. "C'mon, Bow, we gotta leave." Bow found herself being dragged along and soon they were almost to the door.
"Wait," a voice said from behind. The white cloaked figure was grabbed. They turned around and a tall Koopa (one of the bouncers) ripped the cloak from the figure in white. Vanilla stood there, looking frightened. The Koopa snarled and cracked his knuckles.
"You think you're a tough punk, don't you? You think you can just barge in here and take our merchandise?" He smiled.
"I think I can do whatever I want," replied Slimer. The big reptile pushed him, and Slimer immediately punched him in the face without hesitation, knowing that the "I push you and you push me" was for the like of fifth grade. The Koopa staggered but got back up.
"What was that? A mosquito bite? Hah." He punched Slimer in the face and sent him slamming into another large creature, this time a Yoshi, who was accompanied by a whole crowd of people who would love nothing more then to kick the living fungus out of the shorter, thinner Koopa. The Yoshi grabbed him, but he dug his boots into the man's unprotected feet, then, frontflipped, making sure to kick the guy in the face as he came up. The bouncer rushed forward, but Slimer flew into the air, and landed both feet on the Koopa's head, toppling him to the ground. Slimer fell, but immediately got back up. He saw the steroid-abusing Koopa attempting to get to his feet, and knocked them out from under him.
"Get the girl! And his little friends!" one drunken-looking Goomba shouted. One guy ran towards Vanilla, trying to grab her, and was stabbed in the stomach by Bow's bladed fan. She took out her opposite one, and twirled them both before throwing one like a tomahawk, cutting one guy's hand off. Mewt jumped in the air and whacked a couple people with his three tails. The bouncer had finally got to his feet and was rubbing his head, as blood was leaking from his left nostril. He tried to hit Slimer again, but he ducked. He swung a right after his left, and the nimble Koopa jumped over the fist and drop-kicked him, backflipping and landing on his feet.
"You got some pretty nice moves, kid. You raised as a circus performer?"
"No. But I met your mom, and she was a retard."
"YOU PUNK!!! I'M GONNA KILL YOU FOR THAT!" The big Koopa grabbed one of Slimer's legs and threw him into the ground. He tried to get up, but the Koopa punched him down. Then he clutched him by the neck and attempted to punch him. There was a whirring sound, and Slimer's boots lit up. The man let go in surprise and the slimmer Koopa hovered into the air. The man's face was thrown about with a flurry of kicks, each one fiercer than the rest. The last kick was most strong, and the bouncer's head remained positioned to the side. He fell over, dead, his neck snapped. Slimer came down to the ground and looked at the rest of his opponents with a grisly satisfaction.
"Anyone else want some?" Slimer's face was bragging and loving the thrill. He hadn't had a fight like this in a long while. He was killing. Killing AGAIN. The circle of people stared at the fallen Koopa and backed off. Bow had a look of horror on her face, and even Mewt looked scared.
"Didn't think so." He turned, the crowd making a path for him. When he got to the door, his company had not moved.
"Well? Are you coming or not?" Slimer opened the door and held it. After a moment's hesitation, Bow went with him, followed by the others. They went out into the cold night and shivered at a new presence, one that was... sinister. Maybe it was just their imaginations. Or maybe it was the unknown, shrouded in all its mystery, like a dark room to a child. Whatever it was, it hung in the air, watching over them, violating their souls, corrupting their minds... Bow and Mewt looked at the white-haired Koopa, and wondered who the newcomer was. Vanilla shifted under their gaze.
"Now. That boat in back looks really nice. It's big, for one thing." Slimer pointed to the back of the bar, where there was a dock with several boats, including small, wooden ones. But the one he was pointing to was quite large. It had a kitchen and some bedrooms, and a large, old-fashioned steering wheel, although it was bland and nameless, something Slimer would fix. Although, no one said anything, as the invisible presence clamped a hand over their mouths.
~ ~ ~
Back inside the bar, past the rusted-over steel door, past the dimly lit room that said Employees Only, deep into the dingy interior of the complex, into the deepest and darkest level, all was silent. Except for a few things. The static of a television could be heard faintly: echoes from strange, unholy noises; hammering steel; whirring power drills; a slowly-dripping unknown liquid; and... the ring of a telephone.
The room was pitch black, except for a white gleam in the darkness. A set of teeth. Who's? Hot breath came from the abyss, and the unknown specter talked.
"Hello?"
"... Yes. He's here."
"I just do. It's him."
"How do I know? Why, I never forget an old friend."
"You're welcome." There was the sound of the phone hanging up.
"Oh yes. I never forget an old friend. And you are one of my best..." The slight glint of the teeth disappeared into the blackness, and all the sounds seemed to reverse, as if they were being sucked into a vortex. And one by one, it disappeared: the static television, the echoes, hammering steel, whirring drills, and the dripping. It all disappeared, back into the abyss.
Chapter Eight: Predatorial Prey
Swinging from trees, doing fantastic acrobatic stunts, a small, odd-looking Grinder with glasses stuck its tongue out, only to pull it back before a mouth of hungry teeth could get it. Two large, ugly, and ferocious Putrid Pirahnas were tailing it. The monkey's glasses were large and full of swirls, while his fur was orange. He had spiked up hair in front that was red and hung down over his head. His tail had a diamond piercing at the end, not to mention a part that had been broken and was now limp. How this specific monkey had managed to tick off these large, feral beasts is beyond me at this point, but it seemed something big. As for the Putrids, there was a pack of about twelve of them, and they moved horrifyingly fast on their leaves. They all had drool running down their "mouths" (more like gaping trash disposers) that was collecting at the bottom of their large, orange-chapped lips. It flew off into to the air, and along with that, like a dog's tongue, they had theirs hanging from their mouths.
The largest one had large, brown rings on his body/head. It looked as if it had gotten several scars in its time, obviously in competition for dominance. It roared with the thrill of the hunt as the small, helpless monkey swerved to the side, sumersaulting into the air and grabbing the vine before turning back briefly and throwing a Spiny egg at the large group of his attackers. The lead one moved out of the way, and the spiny ball hit the one behind it. The spikes dug into its head, and then it tripped over its own leaves and fell backwards, possibly hitting a tree somewhere. The plants looked at their downed brother and growled. The others, who only had spots on there heads that were white, looked normal and smaller then their leader. Nevertheless, they kept chasing the small, annoying prey.
~ ~ ~
Yoshi and his friends rushed into the forest after hearing the commotion and wondering what was going on there.
Could an islander be in trouble? Yoshi wondered. Is it animals feasting, or children being cruel to one another? There was only one way to find out. The three Yo'sters ran as fast as they could, trying to see what was going on farther into the forest and into the jungle area. Now, the jungle on Yoshi's island was much smaller then the one at Lavalava, but it was big enough. They saw a large pack of ravenous0looking Putrid Pirahnas chasing after... something, although they didn't see what it was, since it was too small and moving through the trees.
What was wrong with Yoshi? Why does he seem so up-tight? Why is he suddenly worried about time? What's wrong? I wish he would be less vague. Bill sighed, running alongside Yoshi and Peter, and the three friends ran faster, trying to see the creature being chased.
Jeez, man. This isn't my day. Why couldn't I have gone back to bed? Peter ran alongside his friends and spit to his right, then sped up slightly. The group of three moved closer to the pack of Putrids, and could finally get a quick glimpse of what was running away from the vicious plants.
What is that? It's orange.
It has a long tail...
Holeee... That Grinder's in for it.
"It's a Grinder!" the three of them proclaimed and ran faster. Concentrating, Yoshi produced an egg and threw it at one of the plants in back. With a loud cracking noise, the eggshell exploded, getting yolk all over the plant and causing it to wipe out. One plant looked back in panic and rage at the newcomers. Even the Grinder stole a quick glance behind to see who it was.
Hah... These noobs couldn't catch me if they had turbo drive... Hold up... Who are these guys?
The Grinder continued to swing forward, flipping and darting between vines, always staying one step ahead of the plants. In this situation, you might think that the plants would be toying with the monkey, while in reality the opposite was true. This was his jungle, and these plants were just intruders. The three Yo'sters weren't so interesting to him, but instead he backflipped off the vine, landing on one plant's head with great force before flipping forward and throwing back another Spiny egg. The egg bounced on the ground before bouncing up and stabbing another plant in the head, tumbling him backwards. Yoshi came up on the left flank of one plant and bared his teeth. The plant growled and snapped at him with massive jaws that could snap a tree in half. Yoshi moved back, and threw an egg at the plant that missed.
The plant next to it caught it in its teeth and spit it at Peter, who was on the right flank of the pack of. He jumped over the egg and kept pouring on the speed. At this point, the wild chase simply looked like a frenzied stampede. And, in a pyschological way, it sort of was. There were only eight of the devious plants left, but that was still enough to kill the interfering Yo'sters and grab their meal, so Yoshi ran ahead of his current opponent and came parallel to the swinging Grinder.
"Jump on my back!" Yoshi called.
"What? Hey, I don't need your help, dude. I can take these noobs."
"Yeah, sure. What happens when you run out of jungle?" Yoshi stared at him icily, and the Grinder was silent. He hopped onto the Yo'ster's back, and now that Yoshi could focus all on running, he swerved in front of the plants, and his friends followed him. He swerved around and started running in the opposite direction. At this the plants were baffled, and two smacked into a tree, falling down either dead or unconscious. But besides the point, there were now six able-bodied Putrid Pirahnas chasing them. The rest turned swiftly and followed. Yoshi was following a direct trail, and his friends knew exactly what he was thinking. Now the pack moved in a v-formation, and was gaining on them. They ran through the middle of the jungle, and Yoshi began to sweat. His legs began to hurt, and his chest was beating painfully.
I just need to get the sand traps... But will these things be that dumb?
They started running downhill, and the plants followed eagerly. The orange-furred Grinder threw various Spiny eggs, but the plants were ready this time. They dodged each one, closing the gap on them. Yoshi felt the rush of wind and a blast of hot air from large teeth clamping down. They were right behind them. The three ran even faster, denying their inpending fate, racing against time, racing to beat the devil. They saw the sand traps in front of them, coming up like an ominous shadow.
"JUMP!!!" Yoshi shouted, and the three leapt up into the air simultaneosly and flutter-kicked as hard as they could. They hovered, and just made it to the other side. The plants saw it coming, but couldn't stop in time. They fell in, screaming in that unholy way that nature does, more like a roar of anger and horror at the same time... dieing. The last head sunk down into the sand and the Yo'sters sighed in relief. Yoshi let the Grinder down.
"Hey, thanks-" the Grinder started, but was cut off by a large tentacle rising from the sand. It slammed down onto the ground followed by another one, and the four backed away. The large, bulbous head of the Putrid Pirahna pack leader rose, struggling, followed by 5 more tentacles, and the beast lifted itself from the muck, snarling and growling. It swung one tentacle down and wrapped it around Yoshi. The green dino was lifted up into the air, and Yoshi took a bean fruit and swallowed it, then held the Neon Egg behind his back. The creature opened its mouth and Yoshi threw the egg. The creature swallowed it. There was a large explosion, and Piranha Plant guts and blood rained down on the other three. Yoshi fell towards the sand trap, but Billy grabbed him with his tongue and pulled him down.
"Thanks, man," Yoshi said.
"Urgh. No problem," Bill responded, wiping the plant blood off his tongue. When the four had dried off (with a Cush plant, which could be used as a towel), Yoshi, Pete and Bill turned towards the small monkey.
"Hey, you okay?" Bill asked the Grinder.
"Yeah, thanks to you guys."
"So... introductions?" Pete asked. "Or do we have to start wearing nametags?"
"Chris."
"Yoshi."
"Pete."
"Bill."
They all shook hands, and then smiled.
"So... How'd you guys just conveniently turn up when I was in trouble?" Chris asked.
"Conveniently," Pete said, and all four broke out laughing. Yoshi wiped a tear from his eyes. They sat down on the grass, content with where they were currently.
"Well, we just heard something like a struggle," Yoshi said. "Then we came running."
"You can sure run fast," Chris said and flipped his red spike of hair out of his face. "You know, I grew up in this jungle. I always enjoyed the familiar sounds, smells, and noises. It made me aware of my surroundings. Accutely aware. I always had to take care of myself, especially since my parents abandoned me at age five."
"Jeez!" Pete swore, then stared at Chris. "What kind of parents do that to their kid?"
Chris seemed to laugh like he didn't mind the question. "Mine. Most Grinders get kicked out of their homes at ten or eleven, but not me. I'm fifteen now."
"Huh. He's young," Pete said.
Yoshi said, "Forty-seven is young for a Yoshi, too. Don't forget, we can live to be about two-hundred."
"I'm jealous," Chris said. "I'll be lucky if I live to fifty or sixty. But two-hundred? You can forget that."
"Hey. Don't worry, we all got our limits," Bill said.
"Yeah," Pete grinned. "Bill's are called fifteen-pounders."
Bill pretended to glare, not fooling anyone though. "Who told?"
"Huh?" Pete looked confused.
"Who told you I'm actually the son of Richard Simmons?" Bill then falsed looked around nervously to spot anyone who might find out about his innermost "secret". Yoshi threw back his head, and laughed. They were all enjoying themselves now, as they headed back towards the village.
"Oh Christ," Yoshi, who was trying his best not to bust a gut, laughed while he spoke. "I'll have to find a new friend. Hmn, that tree looks pretty cool. I think I'll go hang out with it."
Just as with Slimer and his friends, they all could feel a presence in the air. Although, unlike the unlucky Koopa and gang, it was a feeling of comfort, instead of unease.
Hey, maybe these guys aren't so bad. Maybe they're not like the others, Chris thought. I wonder if we'll be seeing each other again?
Then, they came to the invisible gateway between the village and the forest/jungle. Chris expected a goodbye, maybe a wave, and then never hear from them again. Instead, what happened was much more suprising.
"Hey, Chris?" Yoshi asked.
"Yeah?"
"Wanna come hang out with us?"
"What? You mean, you'd let me?"
Pete grinned. "Of course. Why not? Just don't get any monkey droppings on our floor." And at that, they laughed.
"Seriously, it's okay with me," Bill said, looking at Chris. "You can see all the exciting things we do everyday." So it was settled. Chris, apparently too stunned for words, came with him. And Yoshi pondered something in his head again.
Okay. So, a new friend. We all now have an opportunity to have another good friend. But still. Something's missing in my life... something that just seems out of place with the world. But what?
They walked out into the village, into the midst of children and parents, of pets and various other creatures. Chris had been cut off from this for as long as he could remember, so the experience was new to him.
"Wow... This place is nice," he said, in awe.
"Thanks. We try to keep it neat and tidy," Pete said.
"Yeah, but sometimes we slack off," Bill finished. They walked to Yoshi's house, and went in the front door. The house was quaint, and quite lovely, well-furnished and such. The first room was a kitchen, with a marble floor, a refridgerator, a microwave, and various other kitchen implements. They walked into the next room, which was a den. There was a television set, a couple of old Nintendo systems lying off to the left (including the Super Nintendo, the N64, and the Wii, which was brand new), and a bookshelf behind a large, comfortable-looking couch containing several books, including one called "It", by Stephen King. Chris saw it on the shelf and commented on it.
"What's that?" he asked.
"This? Oh, it's a book written by an author from Earth. He's an excellent writer, and this is an excellent book," Yoshi said, holding the book and looking at it proudly.
"Yeah, he's really into books," Bill said, and Pete scoffed.
"Maybe you two should try using your minds a bit more. Oh wait, that's right." Yoshi teased.
"Well, I can't deny I haven't read a good book in my time. But I barely have any time," Bill said mournfully.
Yoshi rummaged through the shelf and took another book. "This one is called 'Masks'. It's a psychologically terrifying horror book about serial killers and how they hide themselves from society, written by Daniel Marks. He's a Koopa, at the age of perhaps, fifty-three. He's still making books, but this was his first."
"Let's just shut up and watch television," Pete complained. So they did, a joyous occasion, and when it was over, Chris was surprised yet again.
"Hey. Maybe you want to come back tomorrow and hang out?" Yoshi asked the Grinder.
"Huh? Okay. That sounds great!" Chris smiled to himself in disbelief. Yoshi and his friends walked him to the door, and then he left, heading off for the jungle within the forest.
I can't believe it. Maybe these guys are cooler then I thought.
Yoshi and the others stood by the door and watched him go. Watched, as if in a dream.
This is new. It's new. He could be a possible friend. Okay. So... we met a new person. I wonder what else is in store... what else is new?
A Yoshi came running down the path into the village.
"Everyone! Village meeting! Village meeting!" The Yoshi ran around, and was soon out of sight. Yoshi and the others went out to the usual meeting place.
~ ~ ~
As the three Yo'sters took their seats in the folding chairs, everyone around was shuffling around, unnerved, anxiously waiting the news they had been called to accept. The old, wizened mayor smiled out at them, now two-hundred and four years old as of a week ago.
"My fellow Islanders, I want to thank you for being here. This is a joyous occasion, as it always is. We have a new addition to our ever mounting population. She was born on Lavalava Island, and has now transferred over here. Her name is Summer." He put his hands over his head and gestured to the other side of the stage. A Yoshi walked over onto the stage from the left. She was a dark brown, first and formost. What was most noticable, was her hair,(which was sort of a chestnut/caramel brown and that fell down past her shoulders in a graceful, wave-like manner. She had freckles on her face, and she smiled, showing her dimples. Unlike most Yo'sters, it seemed like she almost was not born on an island. (Most Yo'sters are born on islands, but when they are not, they tend to be more up-tight. And then, they tend to wear clothes.) She wore a red shirt with a green ribbon tied at the top. She had tight jeans intended for females (male or female, Yoshi's naturally have wide hips) with a hole in the back for her tail, and zippers going all the way around at her knees, so she could turn them into jean shorts whenever she wished.
She wore yellow shoes, and had her hands behind her. Another thing that was noticable about the Yoshi girl, was how young she looked. For one thing, her features were more girl-like than woman liked. She looked like she was just coming out of adolescence (maybe 28 or 29), and also looked quite shy.
"Hey everyone. I'm Summer. Summer Woods." She smiled, and everyone got up and applauded. When it died down, everyone ran up to meet her. Yoshi stood up, transfixed by this new Yoshi.
Of course. Heh... of course. How could I have been so stupid?
Chapter Nine: The Treasure of Alervion
"EVERYONE READY?!"
"YEAH!"
"YEAH!"
"Sure, whatever."
"Daddy, this is boring. GET ME SOME JEWELERY!!!"
"LAME."
"Father, the mouse is UPSIDE DOWN."
"What? Er... I knew that."
"LET'S DO THIS! LET'S CARRY OUT OUR PLAN! LET'S RULE THE WOOOOOORLD!!!"
"SHUT UP!"
"Sorry..."
As usual, the Koopa family wasn't very organized, as they crowded around their father, who was on the computer.
"Hmmmmn," Bowser said. "W-w-w-dot-cheap-evil-plans-dot-com..."
All the Koopalings were there, acting as they usually did when they were bored, and annoying the fungus out of all who were around them. Karma was there (after Bowser had finally accepted the fact that his son was going out with her) and was side by side with Ludwig, who had just pointed out various things his father was doing incorrectly.
"Cheap evil plans dot com?" Ludwig asked. "This must be where you get ALL your plans from."
"Yup," Bowser replied, obviously not understanding the implied sarcasm.
"DADDY!" Wendy shrieked, throwing herself on the floor and giving one of her classic fits, rolled around like a drunken animal. "I WANT SOME CANDY! I WANT SOME MAKEUP!!! GET ME SOOOOOMETHING!!!" Bowser held his hands to his ears (which were two small holes in his head underneath his horn) and growled.
"Wendy... please. Just let me finish here, then I'll buy you something." He groaned, giving in to his daughters spoiled behavior. She crossed her arms.
"Fine. But I expect it hand-delivered."
"Of coooourse, sweetheart." Bowser grumbled in a sour manner. "Kids, I'm going to look up more information on this. In the time being, go off and do something. The Koopalings split up into several different paths.
Ludwig and Karma, 4:00 PM
Ludwig sighed and sat down in a large arm chair. The chair was made of pure satin, and was stationed in front of a large computer. The computer was large, but miniscule compared to the rest of the lab, which had been crafted by Ludwig, FOR Ludwig. His father had given him the workers to help him, but the eldest son had little need for workers. He worked by himself, restlessly and seemingly neverending. Working was his passion, and he loved it, coupled with the inventions that he created as a result of a work that was truly magnificent. He wished that they didn't have to fight Mario repeatedly. Even he knew that his father would never, and could never, surmount over the red-capped, yellow-caped, slightly overweight hero. It was worthless and painful to watch someone so determined at trying to accomplish something that could not be accomplished.
He wished that he could work, work and make inventions, and have Karma by his side. Karma by my side? Ludwig thought. That thought is seeming more and more appealing all the time. When he had run away with Karma, his hormones were raging, and he had focused on kissing her and holding her many times. There was less romance, and more lust. Now, he wanted less to kiss her and more to be with her. That was enough for him, and he wanted to spend time with her as well. And now that his tyrant of a father had finally given into the two's romantic relationship, that feat was much more easily accomplished.
Karma was having trouble. Not physical, but more mental. She was restraining herself, but she wanted to be more with Ludwig. Of course, they always spent time together, but she wanted more then that. What she felt was a strong urge for Ludwig as some sort of artificial high. She wanted his kiss, his sweet embrace, and he seemed to be doing less of that as time went on. What is wrong? Doesn't he love me? What's happening? Are we fading away from each other or what? she thought. She was thinking selfishly, ignorantly, but at the moment, she could only think that way, involved in her own thoughts. She was also angry at people, angry at the world for not accepting her. Because she was a freak, she'd been hunted down by crazed assassins sent by her boyfriends father.
Because she was a freak, she'd been ran out of her own town. Because she was a freak, people had jeered at her and laughed. Because she was a freak, no one could ever look at her regularly. Because she was a freak, everyone HATED HER. And she hated that- hated them, for attacking her mind. HATED HER. They HATED HER. GOD!!! MAKE IT STOP!!! Ludwig's voice brought her back out of her subconscious.
"Karma?" he asked.
"Yeah?" she asked. "What is it?"
"I want to check out this plan of my father's." He sighed. "You know he's going to screw it up, so I might as well try to help." Ludwig typed on his large computer screen, getting several search results. Then he went back and started typing something different.
"On second thought, I'd rather not follow the site my father went to." He pressed enter and came up with new search results. He scrolled down.
"Wait a sec- What's this?" Ludwig asked.
"What is it?" Karma looked at him.
"I don't know..." He clicked on the link, and a page came up. It was black, with red type. There was no decoration or skins up on top, just writing. There was a heading that was bolded on top. It read: The Treasure of Alervion. Ludwig squinted up at the screen and furrowed his brow. Interested, Karma looked over. Ludwig read aloud.
"If you are reading this page, you have reached the point of no return. Huh?" Ludwig stopped reading and looked at the sentence again. If you are reading this page, you have reached the point of no return.
"That's really weird," Karma said. "Maybe this dude is just a freak."
"Yeah. Maybe a freak with valuable information." Ludwig then continued to read. "This page contains secrets. Dangerous secrets, but valuable secrets. If you wish to continue, click the link below." He looked at the link that showed a picture of a golden dragon curled up. I've seen that symbol before... Oh god... Ludwig panicked but calmed himself down. Kamek told me he saw a symbol like that inside our traitor assassin. So, whoever attacked us might be linked to this site somehow. So, can I trust it? I know my father won't listen to me, so I'll have to. He was just about to click the link when his father called throughout the castle.
"Kids! Come here!" Bowser shouted excitedly. Ludwig cursed and closed the website before shutting down his computer. He took his laptop from the floor and brought it with him and Karma.
Roy, 3:59 PM
He was best. Nobody surpassed him. He was Roy Koopa, third eldest of the Royal Koopa family. He had made his way through life intimidating others, and beating the ones who didn't listen to him. If they didn't do what he told them, they would be punished. It was simple, obvious even. They were his stepping stones; they got out of his way, or they were run over. They did what he said or got beat. And, why shouldn't they? He was royalty. One day, he would be a tyrant, and everyone would look up to him. And they would love him. If they didn't love him, they would FEAR him. And that was just as good. Many people feared him, so he was used to it. His brothers, his sister, he even thought he saw a little fear in his father's eyes sometimes.
He knew of the rules. He knew he had to listen to his father. For now, anyway. But then... someday- maybe, he would kill him. Why not? If he killed his father, then HE would be ruler. HE would rule them, and his father would be dead, but so what? If he had everything, what use would there be for a father? He smiled. Life was good. Especially when you were Roy Koopa. Oh yes, everything was GRAND in the life of Roy Koopa. But of course, he didn't care about the others. He didn't give two shakes of a lamb's tail what happened to them (or something slightly more offensive), but then, he never did. In Roy's life, there was one thing that mattered. POWER. Power was the thing you needed, that you wanted, that you couldn't LIVE without.
If you had power, you ruled the world. Of course, everyone had some sort of power, but you had to have the most. It was like one of those hokey reality shows on daytime telivision where everyone loves the dirty, rotten, sneaking guy who everyone knows is a total jerk, but what he does gives you a real thrill all the same. It was like a car crash. Which reminded Roy, like all the corny super-villains in all the old comic books used to say: "There is no good, there is no evil, there is only power." And he realized how correct they were. Those who had power ruled the world, and those who ruled the world, ruled everything. He lay on his bed, head in his pillow, pondering all these things. He found that unlike most bullies, he enjoyed to think. To THINK was great. It was different from fighting. The thinking came after the fighting, and if you could fight but not think, you'd be dead, and vise versa. The thinking was necessary to gain power. Necessary to rule. You fought with strength, and used thinking to plot. Unlike his father (whose overall thoughts were rare, he thought very well. But then, his thoughts were interrupted by a voice calling out.
"Kids! Come here!" It was Bowser. The moron had obviously found something. Not that Roy cared. He got up from his bed and went downstairs.
Wendy and Morton, 4:05 PM
He always had something to say. He had a lot to say. It wasn't fair that they didn't listen. So sure, sometimes he got nervous and said stupid things. Sometimes he said things that were hyperactive and didn't make much sence. So what? He had some very intelligent thoughts. Morton Koopa's thoughts buzzed around angrily inside his head. From the time I was born I've been diagnosed with ADHD. Autism. All these doctors think I'm a retard! Well I'm not. I just have things to say, and I want them to be heard. Like, why when adults want to scold children, do they say "Hey, don't be a smarty-pants", or "Don't be fresh"? Why not a dummy-pants, or don't be rotten? And why-
"MORTON!" His thoughts were jostled and he fell off his bed, when Wendy had screamed out his name. "I hate to ask a pathetic loser like you for an opinion, but do you think these earrings look nice?" Wendy had always been a spoiled girl. She thought the world revolved around her, and only existed to please and entertain her. Was this her father's fault? Partially. It was also her environment. Although, beating her wouldn't have done anything but make her a miserable and afraid girl. I guess becoming spoiled was just a thing that everyone knew was going to happen sooner or later. Wendy, at nine years old (going on ten soon) was going through puberty, and was now even more irritable, which was also to be expected.
"Um, I think they're very... nice, Wendy," Morton said, trying not to talk too much and annoy her. She scoffed and looked back to her mirror, which father had bought his precious princess a couple of years back, after a major hissy fit. That's how she got what she wanted. Roy used force and intimidation, she used mental warfare, if you will. More like migraine warfare though, since she would scream until everyone in the castle was holding their heads. Material possessions meant most to her, just like power meant so much to Roy. Morton, however, was different then the two of them. He also had many social issues, but he had good intent. Like that would get him anywhere in life. Many people had good intent, but still couldn't express it outside, only on the inside. Like many people, Morton wished you could see inside other people.
He wished you could understand how people felt, how people worked. Maybe then, people would be nicer to each other. So many different people, who wanted to be good, who wanted good for the world, so many people with different thoughts and ethics and morals, these factors would clash. And two people with opposing intentions would become enemies, followed by more people. And more. And more. He had lost his train of thought from before and was simply thinking about new things. Everyday it seemed he was thinking of something new. It was unbelievable the rate at which he thought of new things. Why do people say "what's up?" why not "what's down?" What was wrong with down? Why did you have to be cool? Could you be warm instead? Why all these things? Why anything? Morton thought. These things made sense to him, all the things he thought about that others wouldn't understand. He thought different, so they called him autistic. They slapped him with labels and had the call button poised to send him to the funny farm when he got to out of line. AUTISM! ADHD! HYPERACTIVITY! It's all a lie. They made these "disorders" up and placed them in people's heads, making them think something was wrong. But Morton knew HE was right. He wasn't wrong, he was right. Bowser called up from below. They stopped what they were doing, and left the room, Morton being interrupted by their thoughts.
Iggy and Lemmy, 4:02 PM
They were the two best brothers in the world. From the time they were born, they'd always shared virtually everything. They were twins, and shared so many things together. They shared personalities. They shared the same room, and the same physical strength. The same grades. Sometimes they finished each other's sentences (although they had done this less since they had grown up), but... as much as they had in common, there were also many things different to even it out. Iggy was small. He was small, and weak, and puny, the contrast to his younger, yet more intimidating brother, Roy. Iggy simply didn't understand why they had to fight all the time. He didn't want to fight Mario. He knew it was useless. And without Ludwig's inventions, he would be no threat to the capped hero at all.
Iggy had that one wish, the one that all naive, innocent children wish for, that they strive for. I wish there was something- SOMEONE to make all the bullies go away. To make the bad people and bad things leave and never come back. To Iggy, this person was Lemmy. Sure, Lemmy was kind of an oddball. After all, he slept with his ball in his arms at night, and he dreamed of being a performer. He thought like Morton, although he had common sense and self-control. He thought autistically, and that was a good thing, wasn't it? Because retard means to slow down, but wouldn't that mean an autistic person's mind would work more efficiently? This was what Lemmy believed, and once someone strongly believed something, it was hard to convince them otherwise. But what Iggy admired, loved about his seemingly older brother (they were the same age, yet Iggy felt that Lemmy was so much more mature) was the fact that he was strong.
Maybe he wasn't strong physically, but he was strong in every other way. He was brave, he was intelligent, clever, sneaky, and he could fight. Maybe not as well as Roy, but nonetheless pretty strong.
"Hey... Lemster?" Iggy asked. It was one of the nicknames that they'd used with each other since they were very small. Lemmy was sitting on a rotating chair next to his computer, listening to music. He turned down the volume and turned to his twin, who was sitting on the bed.
"What's up, Iggs?" Another nickname.
"What do you think about... fighting Mario?" he asked, and his brother looked surprised, because his brother usually didn't ask this sort of thing.
"Why do you ask?" The two rainbow-haired Koopas looked at each other, and Iggy could have sworen he saw a mixed expression of fear and embarrassment in his brother's eyes.
"Well," Iggy said, "don't you think it's kind of pointless and... mean?"
"Mean?" Lemmy asked. "How?"
"Well... kidnapping the princess? Just because our dad wants control of the kingdom? He's already got this one. And, I'm pretty sure rescuing her everyday has to be a pretty arduous task for Mario." Iggy said this, then waited for his brother to talk. When Lemmy finally did, he was surprised.
"I don't know, Iggs. I do what King Dad says, because he's in charge. He's the KING."
"So... if King Dad didn't make us do this... didn't expect us to do it... would you still want to?" Lemmy frowned.
"I... I don't know."
"Brother?"
"What, Iggs?"
"I'm scared."
Iggy hugged his brother, and Lemmy comforted him. And all Lemmy could say was, "Me too." In a moment, Bowser called them, and they went downstairs.
Larry, 4:00 PM
Larry Koopa was the youngest of the Koopalings, and he was also the simplest. Simple pleasures, simple pains, and simple tragedies. He was ignorant, as children always are. Ignorant of the world, of everyone around him. He knew about his family, and loved them, but that was the extent of his knowledge. Fighting Mario? Eh, mildly amused him. Did he fear Roy? Certainly. But Larry had an obsession, or love for plants. From when he was little, he always wanted plants for his birthday and Christmas instead of anything else, living or otherwise. When you grow up, your childhood is less fun. That's why adults always hide things from their children. We all want our children to have a good childhood. But the tooth fairies and Santa Clauses dissapear once they grow up, right? And we finish now, since there is nothing left to say. Larry was eventually called down by his father and he went down the steps, without much of a word.
Koopa Castle-Main Structure, 4:17 PM
"So... we still don't know all that much about this thing," Ludwig stated, leaning on the desk of his father's computer (which was much smaller than his) and looking into "King Dad's" eyes. No one was really paying much attention to this new scheme by their father because they believed, just like all the others, they would fail. Even Larry, who didn't care much about anything, knew this fact.
"I've found out as much as I need to know," Bowser stated. "All we need to know about it now is where it is so we can get ready." Roy thought of power. Wendy thought of jewelry and television and all the things she wanted. Lemmy and Iggy thought about each other. Morton thought about everything he wanted to say but couldn't. Larry was thinking about his plants. Ludwig was thinking about the danger their father could be getting them all into, and Karma thought of Ludwig... and her.
"It says here, that in Toad Town, there is someone who knows the location of this treasure, and also perhaps knows directions," Bowser said. "Where do people learn things... Wait... m-"
"The library?" Ludwig asked with a roll of his eyes.
"Oh... right!" Bowser said, and he got up. "Come now, children! We've got evil to plot!"
As they walked out of the room, Roy frowned. "Swell," he said. Ludwig and Karma stayed in the room, thinking, until the others called them and broke them out of their trance. Then they followed behind. Their destination was the Toad Town library. They piled into a large Koopa Clown Copter.
Outside Koopa Castle, 4:23 PM
Dyllan watched the windows from the large bushes, as the Koopa family left their home. Holly was waiting, slumped on the ground, legs folded beneath her, a bit upset. Her brother turned and smiled.
"Okay, we have to follow them," he said.
"Dyllan, I'm not so sure this is safe," Holly responded back, looking a bit frazzled (of course, like her father and her mother, she was in a state of extreme depression) with her eyes red and wet from the crying she had done.
"Aww... come on. Nothing worth living for is ever completely safe." She started to cry again, and he hugged her, stroking her hair.
She looked up, tears still in her eyes and grinned. "What happened to Dyllan? Who are you?" Now he frowned, and looked down.
"I'm- I'm sorry, Hol. I never really hated you, I just hated the way you were. I just don't like people. They make me sick. Maybe that's why I'm alone... Just promise you won't grow up to be like me, okay?"
"No. You're not alone. You have me," Holly said and hugged her brother back. After a couple of seconds. Holly asked, "What happens if we get caught?" Dyllan was silent. Truthfully, he wasn't sure what would happen, but it wouldn't be pleasant.
"Let's not think about that, okay? Now, what do you say we follow them?" She nodded, and got up. They went over to the spot where they had come to Koopa Castle, using a hidden warp pipe in the bushes. They jumped in, and then, light was rushing towards them. And Dyllan really did feel sorry. Since he didn't let anyone in, his life was miserable. And because of that, he took it out on everyone around him.
Toad Town Library, 4:28 PM
Bowser opened the doors of the library cautiously, not wanting anyone to see him and his children. Then, there would be a large commotion. Fortunately for them, a lot of the townsfolk were in their houses today. The room was dark and large. Shelves of books towered up to to the roof. The door shut ominously behind them when they entered.
"Hello?" Ludwig asked. "If this is an ambush, you'll find us more than capable of defending ourselves."
"Nooooooooooooooooooooo. No! Oh no! No-oh. Oh. No! Oh! No. Nuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu my friend. This is no ambush," a voice called out.
"Um... Excuse me? Who's there?" Bowser asked.
"Shhhhhh!!! Lower your voices, my cucumbers! We will now deal with matters quietly! I know why you are here." A spotlight appeared in the center of the room.
"SUUUUUUUPER TOOOOOAD!!!!" A Mushroomer fell from the ceiling on a bungie rope and hit his head on the floor. Luckily, he was wearing a helmet. He wore large goggles and the spots on his head were purple. He was old, and had a long beard, not to mention, he was also wearing a cape reminiscent of Dracula's. He stood upright and did an eerily similar imitation, and pulled the cloak by his face, then throwing it down. "I VANT TO SUCK YOUR BLOOD!" he said in a thick, yet fake Transylvanian accent.
"Who are you, you freak?" Wendy asked, appalled. At this point the entire Koopa family was unsettled by this one Mushroom man. They were even (and this is hilarious) cowering a bit, out of the possibility that he might be insane.
"Why, I am faster than a speeding bullet! Able to jump tall chairs in a single bound, able to be the best bungie jumper ever! I AM- SUPEERRRRR TOOOOOOOAD!" He then struck a pose.
"So... you're also a vampire?" Ludwig asked. "Because you did a pretty impressive Dracula impression a moment ago."
"THAT IS BESIDE THE POINT!" At the old Mushroom's words, they stopped talking. "I know why you are here... You wish to know about the treasure of Alervion, yes?"
"Well... yes. But how did you know?" Ludwig asked.
"Easy. Super Toad knows everything. Super Toad knows that a couple of nights ago, two Koopas, a Boo, and some green, furry guy came in here and I told them the information for free. You probably want to takeover the world with this treasure, no?"
"Yes," Bowser said. "But why do you refer to yourself in the third person?"
"Because I can, and because it makes me sound cooler. Okay?"
"Okay..."
"NOW. I'm sure that you already know what the treasure is, correct?" Bowser nodded.
"HERE THEN." The Toad handed them two scrolls. One, when opened, revealed a large map. The other revealed a written document on their destination, which was a volcano inside an island of ice. "Well, it is either the volcano inside, or outside. I always forget. I told the ones before that the ice was inside, but It was such a long time ago..."
Bowser and his children turned to leave, not wanting to spend another second in the lunatic's presence. As they left opened the door, Bowser turned. "Thank you.. uh..."
"Oog. Just call me Oog," Oog said.
"Right. Thank you, Oog." Bowser and the rest hurried out the door.
"Man... He reminds me of Fawful," Wendy said, rubbing her head. "He gave me a headache."
"Well, we got the map, and the information on the island," Bowser said.
Ludwig tapped him. "But Father, how can we know this... lunatic is even correct? What if these scrolls simply have gibberish and nonsense on them?"
"Nonsense." Bowser said. "He's from a library." And he smiled. Ludwig clapped his claw to his face.
Toad Town Library, 4:33 PM
Holly and Dyllan shifted behind the door.
"It is safe to come out now. The big, stupid one has gone," Oog said from the darkness. Dyllan looked around and realized the reason the room was so dark was because of the blinds being shut. The two got up.
"Let me guess? You two are the children of the great Super Mario and you are sneaking aboard the stupid one's ship to prevent his evil plan?" Oog asked.
The two exchanged looks. "How did you know?" They both asked.
"Very easy. Super Toad knows everything..." He smiled and turned. The two shrugged and went out the door to follow the Koopas.
"Ah yes... Oog remembers. Remembers him well..." the Toad said, looking up at the black ceiling.