Chapter #21: Redip Missing
Mario and Luigi get back to the castle and go in to hear nothing. They begin to look around, and see and hear nothing, as if everybody has left.
Mario: Where is everybody?
Luigi: I don't know. Did they come looking for us?
Mario: I don't think they would.
Luigi: Well we need to look. They have to be somewhere.
Mario and Luigi head upstairs and go into Peach’s room, which is also empty. They then go to the doctor’s room to see him sitting down drinking tea.
Doctor: Ah, welcome, boys. Is something wrong?
Mario: Where is everybody?
Doctor: Ah, okay. Redip went missing and Peach went looking with everybody else.
Mario: He went missing. Do you know what he was doing before he left?
Doctor: He was doing something on his computer when he got all freaked out and said that something very important had occurred and that he had to try to prevent it before it happened.
Luigi: Eh?
Doctor: I know. As if something will happen and he knows. What is on his computer is odd though.
Mario: Hmmm. What?
Doctor: Well when he left the room, me and Peach looked at his computer, and there was something up on the seven things, and it showed the markings on various body parts.
Mario: Eh?
Doctor: We went to ask him about it because he said he was going to the weapon storage where he put his weapons to prepare, but he wasn't there and no weapons were gone.
Mario: WHAT? Let me see his computer.
Luigi: Yeah.
Doctor: Sure, he left it on. Come see.
The three leave the room.
Meanwhile we see Redip looking down at Tongulty.
Redip: Gahh. Stupid Yoshi... I was too late.
Redip hangs his head and Holts emerges behind him.
Redip: Hmmm. So good of you to come. Look at this.
Holts: I know. Remember, I have entry to the Underwhere in my state. I came as soon as he arrived.
Redip: Right. Well I heard about your fight with Luigi. You got beat up bad. Luckily you dragged him into your area.
Holts: Of course. Everything about me is slow until I'm in my place. I'd be dead in seconds if I had to deal with an attack above land like that. I knew of their powers so I simply did that.
Redip: And he still made your magic wear off. What was it?
Holts: He flung me overhead and I slammed into the ground. Odd as it is, though, that should not have killed my power. Anyway, would you care to explain his death?
Redip: Yoshi snacked on him.
Holts: But his tongue is all dried up like a twig. He had his energy orb removed.
Redip: Yes, of course. But how would anybody know of that besides us seven? No other knows of the energy ball.
Holts: Hmmm. Yes, true. Anyway, shouldn't you head back?
Redip: Yeah, they'll freak soon.
Holts: Okay. I'm off.
Holts goes underground and Redip turns to see a gasping Peach.
Redip: Peach, what are you doing here?
Peach: You’re... You’re one of them.
Redip smiles, and we go back to Mario, Luigi, and the doctor looking at Redip's computer.
Luigi: Wow, it's the burning pitchfork mark on various body parts: a palm, a chest, a forehead, a tongue, a neck, a foot, and… What is that? Is that a body part? It is a pure white ball.
Mario: I know. Wait a sec. These are the seven of them. Redip found out where the markings are on them. Does that help, though?
Doctor: It must, but the only thing I can think of for that last one is an eyeball. The mark is in place of the pupil.
Mario: Okay then. Well we have to tell Redip that we killed a second one. If only we knew where he is…
Doctor: Go look. I'll be fine alone.
Luigi: Okay.
The two run out the door. When they get outside they meet up with Yoshi.
Yoshi: Hi guys.
Mario: Oh, you’re better. Awesome. Peach and Redip are out right now, so we'll have to go look.
Yoshi: Peach walked by in the woods. She said she was going looking for that Redip guy, and so she went to the coast.
Luigi: All right, let's go. We have to hurry though, or she'll end up moving on.
The three run into the woods, while the doctor is seen messing around on the computer.
Doctor: What are you searching for? Why don't you want anybody to see too? Hmmm. What is this? It's a list of some sort. It seems to be ways of blocking fire and electricity... Why though?
The doctor goes to leave, but stops and gasps.
Doctor: OH MY GOD! The eyeball... It's Redip’s... He is... one of them.
The doctor runs out of the room in a panic.
Doctor: I need to find Peach before she finds him. The Marios... I need to find them too. This is bad.
The doctor leaves the building.
Meanwhile we see Redip dragging an unconscious Peach down a trail by her hair.
Redip: You should have just stayed home like a good girl. But you had to be naughty, and now you get punished.
Redip drags her into the forest as Mario and Luigi reach the coast with Yoshi behind them.
Mario: She isn't here.
Luigi: Let's keep
searching. She is somewhere.
Chapter #22: Veny's Calling
Redips drags Peach into some kind of dark cave place where Stul waits, smiling.
Stul: Well you finally killed the three.
Redip: Nah! The Brothers weren't around and I foresaw Tongulty getting killed.
Stul: Tongulty is dead?
Redip: Yeah. I couldn't see how, though. He was supposed to have been a Yoshi’s snack, but that didn't seem to be the case. I left and she followed, so I just beat her up a bit.
Stul: Oh! Well we’d better put her somewhere that nobody will hear her.. I know! Have Holts drag her to the Underwhere.
Redip: Beautiful idea. HOLTS!
Stul: Can he hear you?
Redip: He is here. Come out, I know you’re here.
Holts comes out of the ground laughing.
Holts: You got me. Haha! I'll take her with me.
Redip: Good!
Holts grabs Peach and disappears with her.
Stul: One down.
Redip: Two to go.
Redip and Stul smile. We go to the Underwhere, where Holts is seen dropping Peach on the ground and going up to Redip and Stul again. Peach lays, not moving an inch, when Veny comes up to her.
Veny: What the? Peach! What is she doing here? Did she die as well and come here? No, it must have been Holts. Well at least he is disposing of them. Having to be dead and down here stinks after a while. Everybody is already dead.
Veny goes to walk away, but turns to see Peach getting up.
Peach: Y...you! You’re dead.
Veny: I am.
Peach: Where am I?
Veny: The Underwhere.
Peach: I died?
Veny: No, no. My brother took you here. Hmmm. Don't worry. I do not wish to harm you. In fact... I want to help a touch.
Peach: What?
Veny: I know something nobody but me and Tongulty know.
Peach: Tongulty?
Veny: My brother with the tongue. He was also killed.
Peach: Mario killed another one. That's great.
Veny: You do know who you’re speaking to, right? Anyway, your boyfriend didn't kill anybody.
Peach: HE ISN'T MY BOYFRIEND! HE IS MY HERO!
Veny: And the difference... I can't see it, at least. Anyway, neither him nor Luigi killed me or my brother.
Peach: What?
Veny: They don't know how to do so properly. You see, my brother did this. Edger killed me and Tongulty.
Peach: WHAT?
Veny: Yes! He is betraying us. I am telling you this because I want him dead. I'd rather him die than you three. What he has done is so unforgivable. I'm telling you not because I want you to kill my family, but because I want you to know you have been doing things wrong. Also... I want you to kill Edger next if you could.
Peach: I understand.
Veny: Don't get any ideas. I'm not trying to be nice, I'm trying to get a bit of revenge.
Peach: O...okay! I understand.
Veny: I'd drop you here, but while in here you can't be killed. You’re already considered to be. You aren't but the laws apply, and so I could blow you up and you'd live.
Peach: Eh! You just get nicer and nicer.
Veny: Now I can't get a hold of Holts, so when you get out of here you need to. They will attack you, but they will listen if you’re willing to explain. Go to Jaydes now. She will help you for sure.
Peach: Thank you....
Peach runs off as Tongulty comes up to Veny.
Tongulty: Can I eat you?
Veny: Sure, why not.
Tongulty eats Veny and he reappears in front of him and smiles.
Veny: I guess being dead couldn't hurt after all.
Tongulty: You let her go.
Veny: There isn't anything I could have done to her anyway. I told her about Edger though.
Tongulty: Good! When he comes I'll eat him all day long.
Veny: And then I will... But not as long because it'll take longer since I... Well, you know…
Tongulty smiles and drools a bit. We now go to Holts and Stul.
Holts: Where is the boss?
Stul: He left not too long ago. He is going back to the castle.
Holts: Okay.
Stul: I guess we should go. There isn't anything here to do now.
Holts: Right.
Holts goes underground and Stul grins.
Stul: The boss is too reckless. He might get caught if he doesn't smarten up.
Stul leaves the cave chuckling, while Redip is seen walking through the forest and meeting up with Mario and Luigi.
Mario: REDIP! Finally!
Redip: Eh... You found me. Is something wrong?
Luigi: Not one bit. We killed another one.
Redip: You did... This is truly incredible. So how many are left? Five?
Mario: No! We killed the Bandit and Dry Bones too.
Redip: Eh... Oh, right, right! Them too. This is good news. Three more, then. The Magikoopa, Rex, and whoever the other is.
Luigi: Yup. Can I ask, though, why you came here?
Redip: You may ask. I simply wanted to find you.
Mario: You did?
Redip: Yes. I wanted to ask you something. I want to know if you happen to know anything on the location of the markings on the seven. It symbolizes the special abilities they have.
Mario: Oh really? Thanks for the info. Glad you found that out.
Redip: You’re welcome. I'm trying my best. I'm only getting a little at a time, but it is bunching up and helping. I'm going back to the castle. You keep looking.
Luigi: Will do.
Mario and Luigi run off and Redip heads back to the castle.
Redip: Idiots. I saw you and the doctor on my computer. I also see you, Doc... If you think you'll reach the Brothers, you’re wrong, because I'll reach you first... After all, I have my lovely eye.
Redip walks off and removes his eye patch and rolls his eye around in his head a bit before fixing the marking to be pointing outwards.
Meanwhile Veny is seen following Peach.
Veny: Yes Peach, just find Jaydes and get out of here. I can't leave, but you can, and you can put my brother in his place... here.
Veny grins and
keeps going.
Chapter #23: Trouble with the Doctor
Warth and Edger walk through the woods looking frustrated as usual, while Warth spits continuously.
Edger: You know that is gross.
Warth: I don't care. Maybe you should not have mentioned Tongulty to me. I can't stand that the Brothers are able to do this. Only five of us are left.
Edger: And five of us is all that is needed.
Warth: Yeah, but I'm interested in why you’re not so broken up about Veny and Tongulty.
Edger: What's done is done. If I let this haunt me then I'll be distracted and we'll never get anywhere.
Warth: Yeah, but they ARE our brothers.
Edger: And I'm sad about it, but I can't cry over the past.
Warth: Ugh, you’re being a pain. STOP IT!
Edger turns and smiles, and the two just keep going with no more words until they spot the doctor running through the woods.
Edger: Is that...?
Warth: My oh my, it is. It is the doctor from the castle. I have a score to settle with him. Come on, NOW!
Edger and Warth jump out and chase after him, and the doctor turns and sees them.
Doctor: No! You two.
The doctor turns and goes to run, but bumps into Redip.
Redip: Hello Doc.
Doctor: What? You...
Redip: You know too much.
Edger: *huff huff...* Yeah. It seems you know about the boss here.
Warth: GAH! WHO CARES? I HAVE A SCORE TO SETTLE!
Redip: Oh, right. He beat you with a chair and metal bar. Go right ahead. Do all you want to him.
Redip pushes the doctor, who falls to the ground at Warth’s feet. He looks up to see Warth thrust a finger, which turns purple as he lowers it towards the doctor, grinning.
We now go to Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi, who have found the cave where Peach was taken.
Yoshi: This place is dark. I'm scared.
Mario: Don't be. We need to find Peach, and there is a piece of her dress here. She was here, but for a piece of her dress to still be here means something happened here.
Luigi: Yeah! Something bad, probably.
Mario Right, which is why we want to find her. To help her.
Luigi: Yeah, okay.
The three leave the cave, and we see Edger, Warth, and Redip running from the doctor, who is chasing them with a blowtorch.
Doctor: GET BACK HERE! YOU AREN'T GETTING AWAY!
Redip: Why didn't I see him grab the stupid thing?
Edger: How should I know? Maybe it is because you weren't even there to see.
Doctor: COME ON! STAY STILL!
The doctor runs after them until they get out of sight, then he turns around and starts going back, but trips and falls, causing him to roll down a hillside and crash into a tree.
We now go to Mario and Luigi who, while walking through the forest, come across Stul, who is ahead of them walking through the woods.
Mario: Her!
Luigi: Do we attack?
Mario: Maybe we should just follow for a while.
Luigi: I guess.
Mario: Let's go.
The three begin to follow her as she moves along slowly. She eventually meets up with Edger and Warth, who seem to not be with Redip anymore.
Stul: Hello boys, what are you up to?
Warth: We tried to kill the doctor, but darn it, we never expected a blowtorch.
Stul: He attacked YOU two?
Edger: The boss too.
Stul: My he is a tricky one. You have to give him credit. Well, me, Holts, and the boss recently got rid of Peach ourselves.
Warth: Wonderful. That leaves the STUPID BROTHERS! GAH I HATE THEM!
Edger: Calm down, would you?
Warth: Fine.
The three continue to move, while Mario and Luigi stand freaked out.
Luigi: Holts and Edger...
Mario: I don't understand. We got rid of them.
Luigi: That leaves five left... Darn it.
Mario: Yeah. I guess now we shouldn't attack. Three to us two. We’re outnumbered.
Luigi: Yeah, but I want to know where Peach is and what they did to her.
Mario: I do too, which is why we are going to follow them.
The two continue to follow them.
Meanwhile we see the doctor crawling injured down a path.
Doctor: Mario… Luigi... Peach... Where are you?
The doctor crawls off slowly as we go to Redip, who gets back to the castle and goes in.
Redip: I need to lock the windows. The bridge is still fully gone so they won't be able to get in. Soon... so soon, we'll be done. It cost us two of my brothers, but I'll be more than happy once it is over. They will be avenged. It is odd though, I am unable to see what happened beyond what Luigi and Yoshi did to the two. I know they were still alive. They had to have been since the marks were unharmed. So what is it that I can't see?
Redip walks off confused, and starts locking the windows.