Chapter Three: Operation Crystalfall
Skormorak
I woke up the next morning to a beam of sunlight hitting me directly in the eyes. Putting one hand up to block it, I sat up in bed and yawned as I stretched my arms. Looking over to the bedside table, I could see various objects: a fresh pile of laundry with a note on top of it and of all things, my hammer right beside it. Satisfied, I picked up the hammer and inspected it for a few seconds, even taking a swing before setting it back and picking up the note and reading it.
Dear Skormorak,
We're going to be building up the defenses on Toad Town today in preparation for the Koopa Clan's attack. I want you to meet up with Mario and Luigi outside the western Toad Town gate by no later than ten o' clock this morning. You will be helping in the construction of our earthen defenses. I know they won't be much good against the Shard, but hopefully it will allow us to stave off their troops long enough for you guys to cast the Star Beam and steal a doomship to shoot it down after the invincibility is cut off.
In any case, your hammer has been returned to you, with a few small adjustments that you might find suitable. Have a look at it and see if it suits you.
Curious, I took my hammer from the bedside table and inspected it in my hands. The handle, which was getting worn, had been replaced with a solid oak handle, and the head had been reforged so the old Koopa Clan symbol was replaced with a Mushroom Kingdom crest, and two new spikes emerged from either sides of the head. My tool of war was even greater than before. Setting it in my lap, I returned to the letter.
We've already started the evacuation of Toad Town, and it's going smoothly, but we're having to evacuate thousands of people, so it will be a monumental task. We're counting on you and the Royal Army to hold off the Koopas, because we're going to have to pass over rough terrain to get them to the fortress.
Also, I would recommend that you hurry and change into these clothes; you must have fallen asleep before putting them on. If you wear that Koopa Clan armor around much longer, people are going to start turning violent. Best of luck to you!
-Princess Toadstool
After changing into my new clothes, which consisted of a brown polo shirt, blue jeans, and thick leather boots, and replacing my hammer in my belt, I took a quick breakfast of Mushroom stew before leaving the castle and strolling down the streets of Toad Town. Although I had several hours left before I was supposed to be at the west gate, I still wanted to get an early start on building defenses, because the more I built, the easier the battle would be.
I was positively alarmed at how empty the sector was. This was the capitol of the Mushroom Kingdom, and as such, I was expecting it to be a lot livelier than it was.
"Man, Princess Toadstool wasn't kidding when she said it was going smoothly," I said in awe as I walked down the empty streets to the western gate.
When I got there and stepped into the massive open field, for as far as the eye could see were Toads and a few Koopas like myself digging trenches, building spiked log walls, and setting up tents. One Toad in particular who was wearing thick steel armor and carrying a broadsword motioned me over to him.
"Hello, Skormorak," said the Toad, who raised his hand into a salute. Remembering military etiquette, I returned the salute before returning my hand to my side. "I am Major Weston, and from here on out, you are officially under my command for the duration of this war."
"Yes, sir," I said respectfully. "What are my orders right now?"
"I've already met with Mario and Luigi, and they have started aiding the construction of log walls to the north of here. You are to go and aid them in their task, and when the wall is completed, you will meet up with the squad ASAP."
"Yes sir," I said as I jumped into a trench and ran down to the eastern side of the wall. It seemed as though not only the Koopas, but nature itself was against us, as the sun above rained heat down upon the soldiers. Every couple of feet or so, I met up with Toads who were badly sunburned or who were suffering from heat exhaustion. One was so badly off in his steel armor that he couldn't even move.
Feeling pity for him, I removed his helmet and poured some of the water from his canteen down his throat, then moved him into the shade. "T-thank you, s-sir," he said as he struggled to lift his arm for a handshake. I pushed his hand down.
"Don't bother. You need to get some rest and regain your strength, soldier," I said as I continued to make my way down the trenches. The sun continued to beam down on my skin, and several times I had to wipe sweat from my body. Still, I made my way up north, helping out wherever I could. One soldier was trapped under a log, which I helped lift with the aid of several others. Several others, like the first soldier, were suffering from heat exhaustion. I did what I could, but didn't waste any time getting to my destination.
Over the next ridge, I could make out an unfinished wall built directly in front of a trench. I could make out two men, one in red and the other in green, propping a log up against a wooden strut. I ran down the hill and jumped into the trench.
"Mario, Luigi! It's me!"
"Listen, Colonel," said Mario as he wiped sweat from his brow for a minute before returning to the log. "Don't act like you're a changed man, because I know you're not. I should just kill you now and get it over with, because you're obviously going to go running over to the other side when the battle starts."
Heh, so he wanted to be distrustful. Very well. "Well, we'll see, Mario. Don't judge me too soon."
"Look," said Luigi who was practically panting in the sweltering heat, "let's just quit worrying about this and get back to work on this wall."
For the next hour, I helped the Marios prop up wooden logs that were about twelve feet high. It was grueling work, and twice I had to take a drink from somebody else's canteen because I didn't yet know where the equipment tent was. But the work went along smoothly, and gradually our defenses came to life. Eventually the hard work was done, so we walked up the trenches and back to Major Weston.
"Ahh, I take it the wall is done then, soldiers?"
"Yes sir," said Mario. "The walls are flawless and we're ready for the enemy's attack."
"Good. Come, follow me."
We followed the armored Toad to the south, where he opened the flap to a massive pavilion. We went inside, relieved to be out of the sweltering heat.
This was definitely the equipment tent, as evidenced by the rows of steel armor, weapons, tools, and supplies that littered the shelves. Major Weston motioned to a table in the middle that was littered with intel reports and other documents of varying importance, and we took our seats. "Now," said Weston as he set his sword on the table, "our defenses are complete and we are ready to begin operation Crystalfall."
"Operation Crystalfall?" asked Luigi. "What's this about?"
Weston cleared his throat before continuing. "Operation Crystalfall encompasses the defense of Toad Town, the stalling of Koopa forces long enough for citizens to get to the abandoned fortress, and most importantly, the destruction of the Shard of Order.
"Your primary objective will be to destroy the Shard of Order. To do this, Mario here will have to cast the Star Beam to dispel its invincibility. After that is done, you must hijack one of the doomships and use the cannons to shoot down the Shard of Order. Once this is done, you are to mop up remaining forces, therefore completing the mission. Are there any questions?"
Mario raised his hand. "Major, there may be a small issue when I'm using the Star Beam."
"An issue? What kind of issue?"
"When I used it against Bowser before, it did work, but it had the tendency to run out after a certain amount of time, and I had to recast it."
"I don't see this as a major issue, Mario. Just be sure you keep the invincibility down long enough for your comrades to shoot down the Shard. This is too important for us to mess up. From what I received from the princess, this Shard could destroy us all. We've only got one shot at this, so we must strike now!"
Weston then looked at me from head to toe. "Hmm, I know the Marios will be able to fight without armor, but what about you?"
"When I was in th-" I started, then stopped, because I was about to reveal my previous alliance with the enemy. "I mean, when I was in Koopa Village, I trained with an old master of combat. His skills are some of the greatest in existence."
Well, this was partially true. My old master, Sloane, taught me everything I knew, and I strove to master his teachings. However, he never lived in Koopa Village.
"Well, in any case, you should probably get a shield, at the least," he said before his eyes fell on my hammer. "And I would feel a lot better knowing you had a better weapon than that hammer."
Weston went over to a weapons rack and removed a halberd from it. It was a long, spear-like weapon, the only difference being that it ended in a wicked, curved axe blade. "When you're in the heat of battle, this won't let you down. You can mow down multiple enemies with it, and they'll be helpless because of your long reach."
But then all of a sudden, a young Koopa soldier ran into the tent. He was positively trembling with fear. "Sir! They're starting the attack!"
Weston's face
looked grave at that moment, but it was promptly replaced by a nod of determination.
"Very well. Let's see how these invaders fare against the combined might
of the Royal Army!"
Luigi
I drew my hammer and the three of us together followed Major Weston out of the tent and to the center of the battlefield. Standing at the front of the line was a Toad who simply looked too old to be wearing such heavy armor. Judging from all the service pins that decorated his chestpiece, I had to guess that he was the general.
"Soldiers of the Royal Army!" he shouted in his deep, deafening voice. "The time has come for you to bear arms and use them in the defense of your homeland! The Koopa Clan thinks that they can defeat us in combat and seize our great kingdom! But they will not succeed as long as brave men such as you are around to stand!"
We all cheered as he said that. With the motion of a hand, however, we all fell silent as he continued speaking. "The Koopa Clan will fall in battle before our great soldiers! Go and defend the Mushroom Kingdom with all your might! Take no prisoners and show everything but mercy!"
Again, we all cheered, this time several of us raising our weapons in the air. We all followed our commanding officers to our positions; Major Weston had our squad stationed directly in front of the only opening in our defenses. A scout came running down the path, his chest heaving up and down in exhaustion. "They're closing in fast. Get ready, because at most, we've got thirty minutes at best. Expect a large company of Magikoopas, Koopatrols, Sledge Brothers, and doomships and doomtanks."
"Well done, Sergeant," said Weston, who patted the exhausted Koopa across the back. "Get down here and take a quick breather. Mario, Luigi, Skormorak, you hear that?"
"Yes sir," we replied.
"Good. Mario, Luigi, Skormorak, head up the path. To your right should be a large hedgerow. I want you guys to take up position in this hedgerow until you see the doomship overhead. Be ready for anything. Don't let yourself get caught! The success of this mission relies on how well you can communicate and work together. Nobody try to be the big hero; none of you can do this alone. Now go!"
We ran up the path, our weapons drawn. The field was eerily quiet and nothing unusual was in sight.
"Mario," I said, "shouldn't the soldiers be making more noise than this?"
"You're right, Luigi," he said as we turned hard right. "A company of several thousand soldiers shouldn't make this little noise if they're so close."
"Do you think it has anything to do with the shard?"
"It's possible," said Skormorak. "Kamek said that the Shard could do practically anything, but I wouldn't know if it could affect Koopas or not. Maybe, if it's possible, they're using the Shard to silence their footsteps."
"Yeah, it's possible..."
Mario
We jumped into the hedgerow and to our luck, we found a small clearing in the middle of them where we could watch the road and the skies overhead. We all sat down, but not without our weapons drawn. Luigi and I had our hammers ready, whilst Skormorak had his halberd resting in his lap.
I passed Skormorak a pair of binoculars. "Here, turtle. Watch the road for us and tell us if anyone's coming, will you?"
Skormorak took the binoculars and monitored the road. "Listen, Mario, just drop it, all right? If I was going to kill you, I would have done so when we were building that wall so it would look like an accident or something."
"Just keep your eyes on the road! And come back to me later with this story when I know you're not a turncoat!"
"Whatever, man," sighed Skormorak as he observed the road. "What's this?!"
Luigi and I poked our heads out of the hedgerow. Up ahead, the enemy soldiers were moving without making any noise whatsoever. Even the doomtanks, which I remembered as being highly noisy, were rolling up the road without even so much as the slight noise of a rusted gear.
"This is bad," said Luigi. "This is bad, this is bad, this is bad! Our men aren't even going to know they're coming! We've got to warn Weston!"
As Luigi jumped to his feet as if to run out of the hedgerow, I pulled him down. "Don't! What are you thinking, Luigi? If you run out there now, you're going to get killed!"
"But I cou-"
"We can't do anything! If they see us out here, we'll be captured, and I won't be able to cast the Star Beam! The best way we can help is by staying here until the doomships pass overhead."
Luigi groaned as he fell against a thick bush. "I still wish I could warn them..."
From outside we could hear the Koopa Clan forces breaking into a massive war cry. "Darn it all," said Skormorak as he poked his head out. "Bowser only silenced their movement. They're only doing this to frighten the Royal Army."
"Do you think it'll work?" I asked.
"It probably will. People tend to get startled easily when something they're dreading is closer than anticipated," he said with a groan. "When are those accursed doomships coming?!"
"Quiet!" I shouted. For at that moment, many Koopa Troopas and Goombas passed by our hedgerow. We all held our weapons with bated breath as we waited for them to pass.
"G-good god," stammered Skormorak with his teeth chattering. "T-that was close!"
We could hear the sounds of combat from our left, the sounds of swords clanging against shields and of hammers denting in armor and the sickening sound of halberds and spears as they ravaged the flesh of those they struck.
"The war has begun."
Luigi
"I'm just so sick of waiting, Mario! When are those doomships going to pass?!" I exclaimed in frustration. It was making me nervous that we were just sitting here, when all around us, the Koopa Clan was advancing on our defenses. We would surely be found if we stayed here!
"Luigi, Luigi, Luigi!" said Skormorak, who put both of his hands on my shoulders and started vigorously shaking me. "We're going to be fine. Do you hear me!? We're going to be fine! Have you died yet, despite all the adventures you two have had together?"
"For once, Skorm's right, Luigi. You need to calm down or the enemy will hear us," said Mario, who looked nervous himself. "Just calm down, Little Brother."
I sighed and leaned across a bush. "Yes, but this is so frus- Wait, what's that sound?"
We all listened intently, and we could just barely make out a noise coming from our camp. "-all back to B! Fall back! Oh god, we're surrounded! Ahh, noo!"
"Shoot, they're getting the upper hand!" shouted Mario.
"Huh? Who's there?" questioned a booming voice. We all held our breath and prayed to god that he thought it was something other than us. But we couldn't be lucky this time; the bushes parted and we were staring into the eyes of a Magikoopa. "Well, well, well, what have we here? The Mario Brothers and Ex-Colonel Skormorak! Bowser'll pay me a huge price for all of you! You're co-"
The Magikoopa never had a chance to finish, for Skormorak had killed him with a powerful swing of his halberd. "Not today! Come on, we've got to move!" he said as he pulled us to our feet. We took off to our camp, weapons in hand and all very nervous. Along the way we had to fend off several attackers. Mario stomped several Koopa heads while I fended them off with my hammer. And Skormorak was a beast... Five men ran at us, only to be knocked down with a fearsome sweep of his halberd and finished with his hammer. We fought our way to the camp, leaving a trail of bodies behind us.
"There you are! Why aren't you in your hedgerow?!" shouted Major Weston, who had felled a Goomba with his broadsword.
"We were flushed out! It's gonna get a little hot!" shouted Mario.
"And you haven't seen the doomships yet?!" he said, exasperated.
"No, sir."
"We've got to gain the advantage! Come on, boys, pull it together!" shouted Weston, who reached for his whistle. He blew it, which let out a resounding noise. With a battle cry on our lips, Weston, Mario, Skormorak, several hundred Toads, and I charged forward. The enemy formed a line in front of us with their weapons pointing forward.
"Mario, Skormorak,
you know what to do!" I said. They both nodded and we jumped over their
heads and landed on the opposite side.
Mario
We had managed to penetrate their defensive line, so we took off running. We needed to find a new place to hide until the doomships arrived. I scanned the horizon for possible places, but there were none! The whole plain was open for as far as the eye could see.
"This is for you, plumber!"
I turned around and gasped. A Koopatrol was charging at me with a spear! He tackled me to the ground, his spear pointing at my throat. "So this is how it ends, eh? The great hero, Mario, slain on the plains of Grass Land..."
He drew back his spear and lunged forward. I closed my eyes, just waiting for it to be all over. We had lost! Who could stop the Shard of Order now?!
But just as the blade of the spear neared my throat, the Koopatrol fell to the ground, dead. I looked up to see Skormorak wiping his hammer in the grass. "I guess I'm not a 'turncoat' anymore, am I, Mario? Get up. We've got to move!"
"Skormorak, look out!" I shouted.
Skormorak turned around, his hammer drawn in preparation to strike the Boomerang Brother behind him. But it was too late. I watched in horror as the Boomerang Brother's boomerang sailed through the air, striking him across the eye. Skormorak fell to the ground in horror, clutching the left side of his face. I looked up to see Luigi overhead as he landed on the Boomerang Brother with a mighty ground pound, then ran over to me.
"Skorm, are you all right?! Skorm? Skorm!"
"M-my e-eye! I can't s-see!" he shouted as he trembled in my arms. "W-what's wrong?!"
His eye was a mess. The boomerang had gouged his eye, which was... oh god, it was horrific to see; a repulsive sight indeed.
I pulled Skormorak
to his feet and together, we went down the field. We took cover in a small
burrow that offered a good view of the overhead sky; perfect for scouting
out a doomship.
Skormorak
What was wrong with me?! As soon as that Boomerang Brother sliced my eye, I couldn't see out of it any more! And something was just... weird... about my left eye.
Everything was messed up. There wasn't any dimension to objects; everything was just flat. I reached for my hammer, and missed it.
"W-what? My hand was on the handle!"
I reached again but kept missing until about my fifth try, when I finally managed to grip the handle. "Something's wrong, Mario! Everything's all weird!"
I was set down on the floor of the burrow and Mario and Luigi inspected my left eye. "It's been completely destroyed, Skormorak. You're not going to be able to see out of that eye ever again."
"Why couldn't I grab the hammer?" I asked aloud. "I swear my hand was over it, but it wouldn't pick up!"
"Hmm," said Luigi. "I read somewhere that people with one eye suffer from a lack of depth perception. Basically, you're going to have trouble fighting from now on."
I stood up, seething with anger that they had taken my precious eye. "Yeah, that's true... But I've still got one eye left, and as long as I have that, I'm staying in this war, no matter what. I'll get used to this."
We watched the opening of the cave, scanning the skies for doomships. Nothing happened until thirty minutes later, when...
"Look!" shouted Luigi, who was scanning the sky with binoculars and pointing off in the distance. "The doomships are coming, guys!"
I looked outside, and saw that Luigi was indeed right. There were seven doomships.
"Seven doomships, for seven Koopa kids," I said. "Let's go!"