Chapter Seven: On the Road to Nimbus Land
On the morning that Mallow and Chef Torte started on what was to be the most harrowing journey of their lives, the eastern sky came into form, throwing spots of light-pink and crimson across the roiling sky. The hues of blood meant that someone great had fallen that night, and no one was wont to question the reverence of such a solemn and depressing occasion.
During that same majestic dawn, a frightened Luigi and his new acquaintance rushed Plit’s wounded hero to the Mushroom Village. The shoulders of destiny surely fell upon them, and all they had left to do was rise and meet the challenge with courage. If the stories about them were true, then they would undoubtedly succeed.
Not far away from the Prince of Nimbus Land and his shifty chef partner, Geno and Jinx set out at the break of their own day. The fallen Star Warrior noted the ominous sunrise and bowed his head in prayer, not bothering to consider whether it would do any good in light of recent events. Jinx stopped to allow the doll his time of solemnity but was inclined to move on fairly quickly. He touched his friend on the shoulder, and at a nod of reluctant understanding, the unsure duo started on their way.
“Fleeting time laps days, devours weeks, months and years,” Jinx said thoughtfully. “Though I know you are uncertain on the matter of Star Haven’s fate, I insist that we keep moving.”
“Then let us quell these foolish conversations,” Geno said irritably. He didn’t know why Jinx’s words insulted him so, and as a result, he tried not to dwell on it too much. “Our destination should be somewhere strong in concentrated Star Energy.”
“Conversation is not foolish that begs the fool,” Jinx said with a wink, drawing only a scowl from his friend. “In any case, you are correct. And as for my answer, I propose that we travel to Nimbus Land.”
“I was wondering why we were headed in this direction,” Geno mumbled. He looked up and to the far southeast, where the blue curve of something punched the clouds. “But isn’t Star Hill where we should travel to next? I don’t doubt Nimbus Land’s beauty, but its connection with Star Haven is tenuous, at best.”
“Star Hill is our destination,” Jinx enlightened. “However, a direct trip will take much longer on foot than a crooked path in the Royal Cloud Bus. I’m sure that Mallow will be happy to lend it to us, and even, perhaps, join us on our quest.”
Geno nodded his head in understanding, furious at his earlier lack of perception. And then again, why was he furious in the first place? His emotions had always been so easily controlled: another side effect of falling from grace, no doubt. “I see you are right in this,” Geno said respectfully. “Yet the means of our transportation is not the only matter of which presents a problem.”
Jinx pulled his pack up a little higher and shuffled the straps to a more comfortable position. “Continue.”
“What troubles me is what exactly we’ll do if and when we reach Star Haven. Knowing that I couldn’t even stop my powers from being stripped when I was cast down to Plit, how can we expect to go against the might of whatever new enemy did this to me?”
“If it is an enemy,” Jinx corrected.
Geno shot back a puzzled look. “What do you mean?”
“You judge too quickly,” he explained. “Perhaps the shadow you saw was only a vision created by the Star Council. I know you say your accusations were false, for the most part, and not deserving of such a steep punishment, but maybe they know something that you do not.” Jinx paused in consideration. “Do you believe this could be some type of test?”
“Of course not!” Geno asserted, but the more he thought about it, the more it didn’t seem so far-fetched. But of course Jinx had to be wrong: there was no way he could be right. The Star Council would never even consider pulling such a stunt. “I’ve not heard of it happening to any of the other Star Warriors, at least.”
“That in of itself is no grounds for any prudent judgment. Just so you know, I am in no way convinced of my suggestion; I only meant to provide the seed for more intense deliberation on the matter,” Jinx admitted. “We shall walk further, talk more, and discover the mysteries of this most disturbing puzzle even if it takes us many days.”
“Do you think Frogfucious would be able shed any light on the situation? He is very knowledgeable in the history of our planet and Star Haven.”
“This is true,” Jinx said, “but his home is much too far from our path to chance a deviation. If only he’d accept long-range communication technology instead of eschewing it for his blasted divination. Interpreting patterns in the wind is all well and good, but emergencies call for us all to make certain sacrifices. And I believe purchasing a radar phone will not bring misfortune unto his pond, or whatever he always babbled on about.”
“Do I detect a certain disagreement in the past? Perhaps time implications aren’t the only thing preventing you from seeking the counsel of Frogfucious.”
“Perhaps not,” Jinx allowed, noting to his embarrassment that the green tuft of hair jutting out of his head was slightly ruffled. “Truth be told, he and I don’t get along very well at all, but I suppose you’ve figured that out by now.”
Geno waved the explanation away. “It’s all in the past. At any rate, you’re right about the time restraints. It’s probably best for us to maintain a direct course to Nimbus Land and then carry on from there. I just hope Mallow remembers us in a good light. I don’t think I’ve seen him even once in the past two years, and I’m willing to bet you haven’t either.”
“Of course he’ll welcome us,” Jinx said. “Mallow is a stately fellow, the most trustworthy of friends.” A smile crept across his small face. “He’d be even more convinced to let us into his palace if you really had warned him about his future, or whatever the Star Council accused you of.”
“Yeah,” Geno said and was silent for an extended period that’s hidden meaning wasn’t lost on Jinx. Any secrets kept between them would have to come out into the open sooner or later.
Then, quite suddenly, the doll’s face froze into one of shock. “Wait a minute; if he really was warned by a Star Warrior of his friends’ fate, then he would have immediately set out to save them. He won’t even be there when we arrive.”
“Friends’ fate,” Jinx muttered under his breath, as if trying to remember something. “What about his advisor, that Hal fellow? He’s surely heard enough of us to know we would mean no harm.”
“Possibly,” Geno said, still refusing to animate his legs. “But can we really take that much of a risk? If we get there and we’re refused, then we will have already lost too much time.”
“Then it would seem we have reached an impasse,” Jinx stated the obvious. Both of them now stopped, unsure of what to say next. “I am only along to accompany and help protect you. This decision, I am afraid, falls on your shoulders.”
Geno tried to remain calm, rubbing his wooden chin and staring straight ahead, up and over the rising volcanic peak that hazed in the distance. “As it goes, our chances are very slim of making it to Star Hill in any reasonable amount of time, that is, if we decide to reach it on foot. Perhaps any risk involved in assuming that Hal will trust us does not outweigh the probability for success of our former choice.”
Jinx concluded: “Then you are saying that we should try for Nimbus Land?”
Geno only nodded, waiting for Jinx’s response. A word from the smaller monster did not come. Under the dread of a creeping incertitude, the pair made their way to the base of the vast Bean Valley Vine Highway. Up, high above the rest of the world, lay the answer to their unspeakable question: would they fail or succeed?
“You ask the wrong question, Star Warrior.”
“Stand back!” Jinx shouted and hopped ahead, both of his arms lifted into a state of combat readiness. Stepping out from under the shaded safety of Bean Valley’s twisting thorns was a lone Shaman, his rippling blue-green cloak covering all but his dark, featureless face and glaring, white eyes that pierced the very mind of all who stared into them. “We bring you no ill-will, but if you tempt us, we shall put away our reservations.”
The figure lifted his head back and laughed aloud, sending a wave of chills through the two intrepid travelers. “You speak bravely for one so small. I sense great physical strength in you, but mind yourself. I could lay an immobilizing curse on both of you before the connection of the first strike.”
“If you are so sure of your superiority,” Geno said, his built-in star gun trained on the approaching Shaman, “then you wouldn’t mind telling us exactly what you want.”
“Not at all,” the figure said and spread his draped hands forward passively. “I only wish to help you, if I am able.”
“We need not your help,” Jinx said sternly, body still positioned to perform his deadly silver bullet attack at a moment’s notice. “Tell us your name, Shaman, and then we might be inclined to speak ours.”
“On the contrary,” he said, vaguely mocking. “I already know your names, Jinx of Monstro Town and Geno of Star Haven. Though I must admit, Star Warrior, you do not look so well as I had imagined. Surely something terrible has tainted your Spirit.”
“Your mind tricks do not impress us,” Jinx warned and closed his eyes as his battle Vigor steadily crossed into the first critical level; his body pulsed an even red. “I have already stated our demands. Speak your name quickly!”
The whine of a charge hummed from Geno’s star gun, and his face remained emotionless. Still, the Shaman did not stir. “Calm yourselves, my friends,” he said soothingly. “If it will quiet your anxious nerves, then my name is Merlon, and I hail from the illustrious Toad Town.”
“Really?” Jinx asked sarcastically. “I’ve never heard of you.”
“Now that is surprising, for I have heard much of you. I am a good friend of Mario and helped him out a great deal when he saved the world after Bowser stole the Star Rod.”
“I remember that,” Geno said and nodded. “And your name is familiar, now that I think about it.”
Jinx eyed his partner warily, and only upon seeing Geno’s accepting face did he relax his stance. He ran the wizard’s claim over and over in his mind, finding it sharp at every angle. He also trusted Geno’s judgment, but so pregnant with betrayal the words of this Shaman seemed. Could it be something else that implanted these thoughts in his head, something malignant that knew Merlon’s help was needed and would have it prevented? He could not bring himself to negate any possibility.
“Then allow me to apologize for my mistrust in you, Merlon. It is an honor to meet you.” Jinx offered his hand, and Merlon shook it pleasantly. “Now, what was that you said about meaning to help us?”
“I come offering my aid based on a vision I saw in my dreams exactly two standard days ago. I found it vivid, and I knew then and there that it was a glimpse of the future. In my dream, I saw two figures, one glowing with Star Power, the other with a trained Plitian prowess, and I was told by a demanding voice to assist them at the base of Nimbus Land. So, as you can plainly see, I have come prepared to lend my skills to your cause, whatever it may be.”
And so, after many more revelations, Jinx and Geno took turns imparting onto their new friend the events of the past twenty-four hours. The Shaman Merlon was disturbed by their tale and concluded that his dream must have been a last ditch effort by the Star Spirits to call for help. This possible explanation was not fully accepted by Jinx, but it did seem to fit amazingly well and admittedly more so than anything else, for the time being.
“Then it is settled. We shall travel up to Nimbus Land and seek the use of the Royal Cloud Bus. If we are not able to acquire permission peacefully, then we shall implement more direct methods,” Merlon said gravely. He crossed his arms and then waved his left hand across the sky. Jinx stepped back as a vine from above uncurled itself to rest before them. He pulled on it and found that it was more than strong enough to hold the three of them. “It’s a short cut,” the wizard explained.
“After you,” Jinx said thinly and motioned Merlon forward; the enigmatic Shaman began his ascension.
~*~*~*~
Kneeling there in the presence of Master Raul, Kyle believed in the Cause. It was impossible not to.
Raul’s black hair was mussed into spiked, jagged arms that clasped like demonic hands to melt in front of the room’s burning torches. Below that was an even darker tomb of light, the slanted red and glowing eyes shining through the shadows to touch his soul and claim it.
He did doubt at times, but not now, not here. Not in the boundless weight that crushed upon him from all sides, forcing him lower and lower until he found himself inexorably prostrated, kissing the floor with his forehead and wanting only to bask in the glory of his master. Through him was exerted a complete and final control that tipped the warrior’s head.
Raul was shadow and dread, awesome and unreachable. Kyle crouched at his feet and was nothing.
His protégé, Ian, leered at Kyle contemptuously as he rose, shaking, to deliver his report.
“What news do you bring of Barth’s disappearance?”
“We found him sprawled dead on the ground before the clearing of what once appeared to be a cottage,” Kyle replied. “Based on our coordinates and the preliminary data you supplied us with, we believe it to have been the home of the Mario Brothers.”
“Cause of death?” Raul asked complacently.
“Several acidic burn marks ranging from twenty-five to thirty centimeters in diameter were found scattered about the chest,” Kyle spoke from grisly memory and then attempted to swallow his fear. “His head had been incinerated by some source of fire, and, of course, the neck was cauterized instantly.”
“The cause of the acid damage is unknown to me,” Raul provided. “However, I believe the latter to be the work of one or more of the Mario Brothers, if what you say about the location is true.”
“It is, Master,” Kyle assured him and cleared his throat after no reply was given. “We tracked two pairs of footprints that traveled off in a fairly short pace to the Mushroom Village. One set obviously belonged to a human, but the other pair’s origin was unclear.”
“The absence of two separate sets of human footprints alludes to one of two distinct possibilities. The first scenario,” Raul held up one finger, “would involve one of the brothers being away from his home during Barth’s impromptu attack. In that case, it is reasonably safe to assume that Mario, being the more adventurous sibling, had traveled to the Mushroom Village, in which case Cele will be pressed to encounter him sooner or later for obvious reasons.
“Two,” Raul continued, holding up yet another finger, “one of the brothers was injured in the fray while the other one was left to seal Barth’s fate. This reasoning yields yet another pair of plausible possibilities. I suspect that the physically weaker of the two brothers, Luigi, would be the most likely candidate for he whom was injured, yet I also, along just as convincing lines, could argue that Mario first attacked Barth and was then overpowered, thus allowing Luigi the opportunity to make the kill.”
“What do you propose we do about it, Master?”
“Nothing,” Raul said flatly. “The Mushroom Village,” he repeated the name to himself in a whisper. “The last report Cele sent me by mental link told of such a destination. That is most certainly where she has tracked King Bowser’s former Vizier, Kamek.”
“Yes, my Master,” Kyle agreed, knowing it would be suicide to do anything less. “What do you wish to be done next?”
“Again, nothing. For now, the success of this morning’s meeting remains primary among our concerns. Have the requested attendants contacted us?”
“Yes, Master,” Kyle reported, still slightly confused. “All of them reached us almost immediately after your message was transmitted. Each expressed his or her promise of prompt participation.”
“Excellent,” Raul breathed out and sank deeper into his chair. “All is according to plan.”
The rising dread that had been eating away at Kyle for hours finally peaked. It was now or never. “Please forgive me, Master, but you spoke earlier of Princess Toadstool’s resistance to your call.”
“I spoke of no such thing. That you know of this means that you have been searching, and rather earnestly, at that, within the sanctity of my thoughts.” Raul’s eyes were burning now, seething with anger.
“I—I am sorry, Master, but I could not restrain my wandering mind, and now I am deeply discomposed as to her resolve. The Princess will not give in so easily as we had hoped.”
“If you must know, her physical body was saved at the last minute by her meddlesome retainer, Toad. Effecting movement by force alone with my mind is not possible yet, and we were thwarted. Do not worry yourself with these matters, though. She did give in, and she fell spiritually, at least. It will not be long until we have her in our grasp, and then she too will feel the hold and press of all the terror her kind have unleashed upon our world.”
Kyle bowed deeply, his heart pounding fast in heavy thuds against his ribcage. Hurried by fear and the ominous tone of Raul’s promise, he decided it best to tarry no longer.
~*~*~*~
Their reception, Jinx noted as he approached the towering pink palace that dwarfed the surrounding village of Nimbus Land, was anything but welcome.
The normally gregarious townspeople were stuffed inside their locked, thorn-thatched huts, either unwilling or unable to go about their daily businesses outside in the open sun.
Or so it seemed …
Hazy cloud tails twirled along the nimbus bottom in short, dry whispers that told nothing of the unusual and somewhat foreboding lack of presence that had descended upon the once bustling sky-born city.
Geno spoke uneasily, “A great evil has befallen this place.”
“Do not speak so hastily,” Jinx warned and unsheathed his saber. Obviously, his calm words were not backed by a similar conscious. “The reason for all of this is still unclear.”
“Not so much that you decline drawing your weapon, I see,” Merlon pointed out. Though any visual confirmation was quite impossible, Geno bet that a wide smile stretched under that veiling hood. “I sense it, too. It is a rising feeling of dread, almost smothering.”
Geno suddenly found his breath coming in strained, difficult gasps. Perhaps Merlon’s description wasn’t too far off the mark. “I sense nothing, or at least I didn’t, but now I feel I must agree with you. It was a grave mistake to come here.”
“One that you decided positively on before, as well as one that we do not have time to remedy,” Jinx reminded the living doll. “We might at least entreat whomever is in the Royal Palace to answer a few of our questions.”
“It seems,” Merlon said under a dull whisper, “that we shall not have to wait for our answers any longer.” Jinx and Geno followed his gaze to a blurry, heat-distorted figure that had exited from the palace’s entrance and was now walking slowly towards them.
Jinx regarded the Nimbian closely and almost immediately recognized him. “Advisor Hal,” he nodded with the prim gait of a diplomat, “it has been ages since we last met.”
“And yet I remember you quite well,” the uniformly pale, yet slightly overweight, man said with a fading snort. “I cannot say I am overjoyed with your visit.”
“If that is the case, then let us dismiss with these time-wasting pleasantries and get right to the point,” Jinx suggested in a rather gravelly voice.
“Always the direct emissary,” Hal gave an annoying chuckle. At an indifferent response from the trio, his face became uncomfortably stony. “I’d like to know exactly what this urgent point is, anyway, and I believe I have a right to know the identities of your companions, as well.”
“Geno,” the doll said, refusing to take the advisor’s hand in a shake when he extended his own. Merlon voiced his name similarly but was not offered the same salutary follow-up.
“I’d hazard to guess that you’re now satisfied,” Jinx said irritably. “Now, would you mind explaining where in Bowser’s black bones have all the citizens gone? You’ll probably protest, but you must admit that such behavior is not typical of Nimbus Land’s sociable inhabitants.”
Hal gave what seemed to be a forced frown and nodded his head in a pathetic gesture of wounded pride. “I am sorry that you feel so ill towards me. At least I had the decency to accept your company while our fair town is attending what could be the most important meeting of its life,” he trailed off suggestively.
Jinx looked back knowingly at Geno. Merlon’s face remained, of course, unreadable. “Exactly what kind of urgency does this get-together consist of?”
“I’m sure,” Geno said markedly, “that whatever it is, Mallow won’t be too busy to allow us a moment of his time.”
“On the contrary,” Hal countered with a political grin, “Prince Mallow is the very person who is presenting the topic of the decade. Though, if you are not in too much of a hurry, I’m sure there is some standing room near the back of the Throne Chamber.” The advisor turned to leave, waddling back from whence he came and beckoning lightly with fingers that waved in such a manner that made Geno want to strangle the pompous pincushion.
“Well,” Geno said, letting out an irritated sigh, “that went well.”
“Indeed,” Merlon said ethereally, speaking for the first time since the awkward reception had started.
“Jinx,” Geno started curiously, “not to brag, but a sizable statue of my current form is in the Entrance Hall of that palace. Isn’t it odd how Hal pretended that he didn’t even know me?”
“Easily explainable: he knows that you are greatly favored in the eyes of our friend and did not want to express any kindness based on that fact alone. He probably sees you as a threat, as he himself is most likely vying for Prince Mallow’s attention.” Jinx ran a spherical hand through his bright-emerald hair tuft in such a way that made it almost comical.
Geno didn’t feel much in a laughing mood. “Something definitely doesn’t smell right, as Mario would undoubtedly say in our position.”
“Do you think we’re walking into a trap?” Jinx asked.
“I wouldn’t cross it off of our list of possible problems just yet, but something tells me that’s not the case. If anything, we’re meant to hear whatever’s going on in there. I can’t really explain it, but before I fell from Star Haven, I would always have these livid visions of the future. This feeling isn’t as clear-cut as the others used to be, but I recognized the jolt of understanding shortly after Hal stepped out to meet us. It was unmistakable.”
“Then in that case,” Merlon said, “let us be extremely cautious.”
“Agreed,” Jinx muttered, not looking at all convinced of their chances.
Chapter Eight: Shadows of a Hope
“Run!”
And then she was flailing, tumbling out of the open window…
The crash of her body against an unforgiving patch of hedges, and then like the sudden clap of thunder, a searing, ubiquitous light that encompassed everything…
And just like that, Kamek and the bloodthirsty killer that had been sent for his head were gone, vanishing into the cool morning breeze to who knows where. He’d bought her this one chance, this one hope of surviving.
It was too late, too dark despite the morning to think, though, and with Toad in her arms, Peach ran. She ran and ran, not looking back, not wanting to grasp the gravity of it all, only wanting to flee until she could bear it no longer.
Princess Toadstool stood there on a mound of a hill five miles west of the Mushroom Forest, slowly nodding. She watched her long, thin shadow stretch out far in front of her as the rising sun continued to climb higher and higher into the morning sky. Both of her hands were now torn of their former gloves, which were both shredded and abandoned long before, and rested proudly on the hips of her mud-stained dress. Bright, royal pinks had descended several shades into something brown and completely of the earth. Sleeping soundly, Toad rested at her feet in a provisional serenity, exhausted of the effort it had cost them to come this far.
She wanted to join him in slumber, in the refreshed healing of a body worn and useless. Yet the pale shadow of a fear unnamed pricked at the back of her neck like eternal glowing eyes, crimson as the ones of her dreams were. To fall into that hopeless river of darkness again would mean the silencing of her soul forever. It surrounded her in the desperate days of dim fears and consumed her in the endless terror of an unholy night. And in the end, when all hope had been forsaken, it would defeat her.
A flicker of movement to the right, the crash of snapped twigs and ruffled brush to the left, now coming, now encircling, now all around her…
“Show yourself!”
“Princess!” returned the call, and it was familiar, so lovely and warm, embracing.
“Luigi!” she answered, forcing strength from an empty reservoir with each passing syllable. Toad was up, rubbing his eyes pitifully and whimpering. “The Stars be praised, Luigi, this way!”
“Thiz one sees her beyond the clearing. It iz the Princess you spoke of. Quickly, bring him thiz way.”
“You are not Luigi!” she called back, her body suddenly wracked with fear. The horrible men Kamek had warned her against now came for her blood, using darkness to shield their voices. “Stay back!”
As she screamed, a pair of blue-swirling orbs formed in her hands, absorbing the living energy all around her. With one final push of fury, she would fight and die, fall before the wave of Plit’s undoing. Toad had pulled out his own dagger, but it fell harmlessly to be ensnared by vines that ran along the ground when he trembled in fear.
And then the fear was gone, drained back into that awkward, distant hope that would not be abashed, though the thin line that held it was rotting and pulled, spent beyond its capacity. The approaching figures were Luigi and Mario, beaten and bloody, skin caked with dried mud, and behind them was the third voice, but she had not the will to judge his allegiance and not the knowledge to identify his species. Peach fell fast to the ground in a heavy thud and wept, orbs let back to converge with their source in the crust of Plit. She reached up to touch a gentle hand that cupped her shoulder and recoiled almost instantly. It felt dry and leathery, like a Koopa.
“Thiz one means you no harm, Princess. I seek only to honor she whom is fairest of all on thiz planet. You give uz hope, and without your guiding light, we would fail.”
How could he possible know who she was? She said nothing but pulled back the rejected hand and sent through it a wave of reassurance. Peach concentrated with all that was left of her might, and Luigi slid to his own knees in a tired wonder as Mario’s body sparkled with the soothing incandescence of a thousand twinkling sapphire stars. His bones cracked and then healed together; open wounds closed and mended, leaving rapidly diminishing scars that dispersed prints of blood. All of this came to pass as Plit’s Hero shifted silently into consciousness, waking to the low hums and chirps of the morning after.
“The legendz are true!” Razan hissed and clasped his hands together. “As they say, she iz truly full of wonders.”
She wanted to say something as she stared at Mario, watching his eyes open and seeing the blank look of utter terror that they both had shared the night before. Instead she looked away to face Luigi and took his hand. The healing process had taken an excruciating hour of arduous work, and in the interim, Razan had constructed two rough tents, setting them on a north-south axis so that the rising and setting sun would bathe them. Off to either side was laid a circle of stones around two depressions the lizard had excavated. Already, the bright crackling warmth of a fire pierced the clouded morning, and Peach lay down under a hefted shelter of twigs and clumps of grass, falling swiftly to sleep.
“I know she probably won’t feel like talking about it even later, but we have to ask her what happened.” Luigi met Razan’s gaze, which was promptly averted. “Toad has fallen back asleep; so has Mario.”
“The stories of your Princess are awe-inspiring to uz, and we have always held her in great reverence,” Razan explained solemnly. “It painz me to see one so brave torn like thiz.”
“Even the most courageous can be affected by war,” Luigi said and closed his eyes. He sat hunched on a protruding rock. “Tell me, where do you come from, and what are your people like? We have barely had time to talk because of all this madness, but I don’t even know how you have heard so much about us. Usually, such a famous presence is mutual, at least to some degree.”
“We are the Reznoth, descendents of the ancient Reznor and proud peoples of the far East. Once, many years ago, my ancestors were enslaved by the Conquerors, who called themselves the Koopas and rightful heirs to the lands of this planet. A subsidiary general of the Koopa Empire under the brutal leadership of King Morton had led his massive fleet to bound us to his will. A wand of obscene sorcery granted him unnatural long life and powers that we could not understand.” Razan bowed his head to hide the shadow that covered his face.
“Finally, when I had reached the age of maturity, the larger portion of his soldiers were called back by the successor to King Morton, his son Bowser, to defend his Lands against the offensive plight of a pair of humans by the names of Mario and Luigi. The odds suddenly swung in our favor, and we were able to chase our slave masters away for good. Since then, the Reznoth have relished stories of our oversea saviors, taking in all the tales, whether they be fabricated or true, and hoping to one day pay back the freedom that they granted us.”
The Reznoths’ tale had finally been heard, and it was obvious that Razan pained himself to tell it. Was it not something of joy to relate or was it the cruel manner in which his peoples’ heroes had treated him and the obliviousness to which Luigi responded to the mention of his indirect involvement? Either way, his original goal for traveling such a long distance was put on hold, and he did not wish to place the burden on the brothers at this desperate time. The reality of everything finally became clear to Luigi, yet he didn’t know quite what to say. “Razan, I—we could not have known. I am sorry that we treated you so harshly. My hatred for the past evils of many of the Koopas many times blinds my reasoning.”
“You need not apologize to me. Thiz one has seen what my eyes have so greedily desired for all these long years, the famed Mario Brothers in battle, and now that I see it, the grief is too much. Strange that my visit would interrupt the dawn of a new darkness and that perhaps even you may not be able to stop it from blotting out the light of this land. In a way, it makes me sad, but at long last I have a chance to fulfill my life’s debt. For this, I am eternally grateful.”
“Life debt?” Luigi asked, his voice a whisper. The Princess’ restless stirring could be heard across the campsite. “You owe us nothing, Razan, and have already given us so much. Without your aid, I fear Mario would have been beyond even Princess Toadstool’s help.”
“Nevertheless, thiz one is bound to your fate, and for as long as I am allowed life, I will protect you and your kingdom.” Something that might have been considered a tear welled in Razan’s eyes, and he turned away. “Thiz one wishes to take a walk in the surrounding forest, if you do not mind.”
Luigi saw that the sun was now shining clearly over the tree limbs. Rich blue tones flushed the late noon sky, and the uplifting sounds of the dying morning came full and resplendent. “You are welcome to your solitude, but do not stray far. Soon, our foes will be upon us, and the chances of survival are greater if we fight together.”
“Thiz one understands,” Razan said in a low voice. He gave a respectful nod before vanishing into the brown and dark green maze that pushed in at the broken party from all sides.
Somewhere deep within the unlit realm, Luigi thought he saw a pair of eyes, deep red and glowing with an eerie sacrilege. He shuddered when a bare pocket of frosted air passed quickly over, and from that moment onward, he dared not fall asleep.
“It is quiet this night. Does the silence disturb you?”
Luigi shot from his place of rest, embarrassed to find his eyelids half-closed and his mind nowhere near the moment. “Who are you? Speak your name!”
A blur of static crackled and whizzed like a broken television set or the inactive end of a radio link but then materialized into the shape of a five-pointed star. It was commonly yellow, yet it glinted with the majesty of gold. Two long furls of white hair curved down to form an impressive mustache that served more as a beard than anything, and another two thick eyebrows of the same color rested above the star’s black, friendly old eyes. “You mean to tell me that you have forgotten me already?”
“Eldstar!” Luigi exclaimed in sudden recognition, oblivious to his sleeping companions. “The haze of tiredness clouds my judgment. Oh, but it is so good to see you at this dark hour! Tell me, have you come now to offer us your aid?”
“Nay,” Eldstar said somberly and then settled to a low hover. “The time might be desperate here, but things are even darker in Star Haven. A malignant force has trapped our spirits inside an inescapable prison deep within the shadows of our sacred home. Even now, the suppressed wrath within each of us has acquired a form remarkably similar to our own. These seven Shadow Spirits have descended to cause great ruin on Plit and awaken the ancient evils of a time so long forgotten.”
Luigi nodded in a grim understanding. It seemed much more was at stake then the reign of the Mushroom Kingdom. If what the elder of the Star Spirits said was true, then the very existence of everything good and just on Plit was at stake. Hope was not totally lost, though, considering that Kammy had managed to entrap the Star Spirits nearly a year ago, as well. “I feared things were worse than they let on to be. All of us are tired and weary with battle, and now we must ride into yet another war.
“Truthfully, is there any way we can counter this new foe? When the witch Kammy trapped the seven of you in those cards, we were able to free you. And if it is known to you, are these new warriors connected in anyway with the usurpation of Star Haven?”
“The thought has occurred to me, but deep within our confines, news travels slowly if it reaches us at all. All the seven of us are expending immense amounts of energy just to contact you now. I am not certain of the Star Warriors’ fate, though I know Geno has joined forces with Sensei Jinx of Monstro Town. To aid them on their quest, I have sent a prophecy to Merlon of Toad Town. Even so, we may consider the worst of their progress, despite that our hope still remains strong.
“As for a way to repel our enemy, I am at somewhat at a loss for understanding. Only the Elder Deities have the power to take away our ascendancy, and I do not see how it is possible that they would even consider making such changes. Something like dread eats at my soul, a feeling I’ve never felt before, and for the first time, I believe I am confused as to what we should do.”
“You sound calm for one facing the end of life as we know it. I know I do too, but trust me, in a few minutes, the severity of all this will probably hit my like a brick.” Luigi looked up to the sky and wondered how many more times he would gaze at the trillions of stars that adorned it. How had it all come to this? “What about the Star Rod? Would its power be enough to avail us?”
“I have not yet considered that,” Eldstar admitted and closed his great eyes in deep thought. “It is possible that if you can defeat the seven Shadow Spirits and absorb their energies one by one that the collective force might be enough to ward off the essence of malice that entrapped us. Even then, though, it would only work for a few moments. However, in the period of lax, we might be able to form some sort of defense or even defeat it.”
“It’s a plan, at least,” Luigi said and folded his arms across his chest. His head was pounding with the urgent need for sleep. “I suppose we have much work to do.”
“With the last of our power, we should be able to send you the Star Rod from our berth. Take heart, for the darkness has not yet prevailed. Farewell, Luigi, and may you do what we could not and save Plit from this terrible monster, this one final doom.”
Luigi collapsed to the ground as Eldstar disappeared and was replaced with the glowing form of the Star Rod, that ultimate weapon of the Haven Above. It sent a holy light that overshadowed even the brightness of the morning sun, and for a moment, Luigi felt at peace.
~*~*~*~
It was nearing four o’clock in the late afternoon when Razan finally returned, seemingly satisfied with his time alone. Toad had risen from sleep close to an hour before but resolved to sit quietly by himself near the Princess’ tent side, not willing to tell Luigi anything of the early morning and instead saying that Peach could more properly relate the events. The fear in the loyal Mushroomer’s eyes said differently, but knowing that Toad was most likely right, Luigi did not press him any further. It was not wise to linger any longer, and with a heavy heart, he moved to wake his two sleeping companions for the trials of what would prove to be a particularly harrowing day.
“Mario, we have to move on. Come on; get up,” Luigi prodded and then snapped the blankets off his snoring sibling. Mario’s eyelids propped open for a fleeting instant but then closed shut again. Luigi rolled his eyes and upturned the man’s thin mattress made out of moss and dried mud, sending the plumber tumbling over the ground surface. Mario groaned and chuckled lightly; the small sign of humor proved that he’d regained his health, which was something to be thankful for, in any case. “Help the others gather their things. We need to be ready to go in about fifteen minutes.”
Mario nodded reluctantly and stumbled off to organize what little could be carried with them. He did not yet know why, but Luigi seemed awfully jumpy. They’d killed their attacker, hadn’t they? It was all over as far as he was concerned. “Razan, what happened?”
The Reznoth had already moved to the far side of the campsite, though, and was rummaging through his own tent. Luigi patted him on the shoulder and sighed in defeat. The princess was standing behind him, her eyes lazily drooping and her arms crossed tight in a shiver. “There are some things you should know, Mario. It would seem that our problems are only beginning.”
The next thirty minutes consisted of the hurried and grimly accepted stories of Luigi and his encounter with Eldstar, as well as Toadstool’s desperate recalling of her conversation with Kamek. It seemed probable to Luigi that the powerful warriors Kamek had mentioned and the Shadow Force that had invaded Star Haven were somehow connected, even if Eldstar hadn’t been able to say as much, but any conclusions drawn were purely guesswork and therefore useless. For the time being, everyone agreed to make their way to the other side of the Mushroom Kingdom in hopes of gathering energy for the Star Rod and avoiding any early confrontations with the band of travelers at Bowser’s Castle. Despite a costly first victory, it would be unwise to seek a battle until they came across any helpful knowledge of their foes’ weaknesses. With Mario at the lead and the sun already beginning to set at their backs, the hopeful group of friends made its way across a gloomy terrain.
It was another hour before Peach broke the awkward silence that had settled in since their departure. “What will become of the Mushroom Village if that dreadful woman should return? Things will be chaotic enough with my sudden disappearance, and I cannot help but fear for the safety of my people.”
“I know you must be feeling pretty hopeless right now, Princess,” Luigi said, “but there really is nothing we can do. Even if we were to return, how would we protect your people when the full strength of our enemies comes to bear? We would be between a steel slate and an anvil, unable to do anything but fight to our deaths.”
“You’ve always been the voice of reason, Luigi,” Peach said and took his hand, giving it a reassuring nudge. “I know I don’t often say it, but I’ve always considered you one of my closest friends. You and Mario have been so good to us all, and we’ve been through so much already. Knowing that you and your brother have the power to return to Earth anytime you wish makes my thankfulness all the greater. You’ve chosen to stay here and never abandon us. Plit feels like a much safer place with you all around.”
Luigi let his hand fall and nodded in understanding. She’d never said as much before, even when things had gotten so dark as to force Bowser onto their side during Smithy’s invasion, or any of the other countless times they’d faced certain death. “We’ll get through this too, Princess, you’ll see.”
“And you can consider that a promise,” added Mario, who had slowed his pace to walk beside them. Razan was watching from behind, his eyes half-closed but his tail slinking to and fro keenly, while Toad now reluctantly took the lead. “We won’t let you down.”
“You never do, Mario.” And with that, suppressed emotions overcame her. Peach wrapped her arms around the plumber in a fierce hug. It was the clinging of one survivor to another, and maybe, just maybe, something more. “You never do.”
Luigi stepped back to walk in-stride with the trailing Reznoth, and as his face grew lurid with embarrassment, he politely tipped his hat.
“They seem very fond of each other,” Razan whispered through the night air, jolting Luigi’s attention. That seemed an odd thing to say, especially for him. “Thiz one knows it iz most likely none of my business, but are they to be married?”
“Er,” Luigi blurted, caught off guard by the Reznoth’s unexpected frankness. “I really don’t know. Off the record, I think they’d make a wonderful couple, but I know the restrictions and limitations of Princess Toadstool’s possible suitors must get in the way.”
“If they are soul mates,” Razan said quietly, letting the words hang in the air for a few seconds, “then the outcome is inevitable. Their care for each other will one day outshine the rules and regulations of any government. And when that happens,” he continued, leaving no room for misunderstanding, “thiz one would be very pleased to attend the wedding.”
“For one so gruff, you really are a romantic, Razan… is that how you pronounce it? I’m sorry I haven’t asked before.”
“Yes, you spoke correctly; the first ‘a’ is enunciated long, and from there, the name rolls off. But truly, thiz one iz no less romantic than any other creature whose soul yearns to one day be united with another. Even the Yoshis, who do not feel such dependence, know the value of spiritual love and relish their bond with Nature.”
“Your words are uplifting, but they bring rise to other questions that should not have been left out of my mind. Among all the hurry in these past few hours, I have completely forgotten about the Yoshis. Yoshi and Ryanoshi have always helped us in the past. I’m positive that they would not want to be left out of all of this, though I am dreadfully sure that the choice to be included or ignored in the coming struggle will soon become irrelevant. In any case, perhaps we should try to reach Yo’ster Isle first.”
“I too have heard many tales of the bravery of Yoshi, all of which circulated freely throughout my homeland of Reznia. It would be among the greatest of honors to meet him, or it, I suppose.”
“We refer to them using masculine pronouns simply because it is less awkward, but do not feel ashamed if you slip up. They are a docile species, but when needed, they are steadfast and loyal friends. Even as I think of them and their paradise island, my hopes for our success are heightened.”
“Keep thinking those thoughts, then,” Razan said. “From now on, few will be so encouraging.”
Luigi didn’t say anything, for the Reznoth’s words were hard-hitting and required nothing less than silence. He’d once again missed the chance to ask his new friend of the reason he had traveled so far a distance in the first place but was confident the opportunity would arrive sooner or later: perhaps when the future did not look so grim.
“Look, it’s happening!” Razan exclaimed, and the plumber followed his outstretched hand to the sky above, now covered with an increasingly more spectacular display of stars.
In return, Luigi only looked up and found it the most wonderful sight he had ever hoped to lay eyes on. He treasured the simple wonders of Plit while time allowed and knew that it still had a hope, still had a dream of a bright and happy destiny.
~*~*~*~
Pale light shivered down from vents that were sprinkled along the rising canopy, moonlight that set the rich ground and thriving underbrush aglow. Like kindled fire mirrored against an obsidian gleam, the image was without the harsh restraints of reality but more comparative to that higher realm of fantastical wonderment. But in the Dream it was more mesmeric, amplified by the trumpets of Heaven that rang down and strew over something like bliss. None of this would come to pass, though, until the final falling from grace, and through his own awakening, Kamek had seen its terror.
With the last ounce of strength available to him, he had pushed the female warrior from thought and to him was left escape, the molecular rearranging of his physical body without planning, or an unprovoked, unexplained teleportation. By sheer fate he was deposited somewhere survivable, the Forest Maze north of Rose Town, to be exact. As he would later come to know, the incident was overseen by the Star Spirits or perhaps something Higher that did not yet wish to show its face. In any case, he now knew his purpose, the reason for his continued living, and as long as he drew breath, he would not stray from that chosen path.
Arise, Kamek, and accept your intention…