Chapter Fifteen: The Gathering Dark

And called to each shall be the lives of the world forged in the everlasting spirit, now subjected in fear to the claws of the One who seeks to break what was made and raise from its ruin the undeniable shadows of his reign.

From the Breaking Scrolls

Royal Palace, Nimbus Land

As Mallow approached the towering spires of the Royal Palace under the hazy light of early dusk, he felt the weight of unmade memories wash over him. Now on the brink of war, when everything he had gained and yet failed to comprehend might soon pass away, he began to realize what he had already lost. An entire life was stolen by the conflict that separated him from his parents, but that essence was no longer his and was in the fullest sense withered to dust eternally.

“Welcome home, Prince,” said one of the two royal guards who stood nightly sentry at the front entrance.

“To many more returns,” he said, repeating the formal reply he had been taught.

Even a phrase as small as that would have meant nothing to him in the days of green and gray spent on moss-covered hills in Tadpole Pond. From his first arrival and the happy reunion with the King and Queen, princely duties and functions had been relentlessly drilled into his head, pushing out the unsophisticated for the civilized. It was duller and more terrible than his bleakest moments in the Kero Sewers, and yet he wondered if in another life he might have liked it. If never lost down the rivers of the world, would he have been at ease in the cramped air of a throne room and the dreary silence of accountability?

“You’re back earlier than expected,” said one of his father’s advisors, Glam Pomis. The portly Nimbian had lifted his lavish robes and was now running from the opposite end of the long vestibule to meet him. “King Nimbus will be pleased you’ve decided to stay.”

Mallow threw up a hand of welcome. “I’m glad to return, but I’m afraid I don’t intend to stay. I have something very important to discuss with my father, and whatever his decision, I’ll have to leave immediately after.”

There was disappointment in Pomis’ eyes, but the prince knew it came more from the burden of sympathizing with his parents rather than any actual grief over his absence. “Oh, dear, I was worried it might be too good to be true. Must you fly away again so hastily? It is almost as if you never returned.”

It’s exactly like that, thought Mallow wearily. He did not say anything, though, as he’d heard the same words countless times before.

The ornately carved doors of the Grand Throne Room groaned open before them under the arms of two palace guards and revealed a scene only surpassed in magnificence by the Royal Mushroom Castle itself. Gold-flecked carpet led through the center of the hall, banked on either side by wide stretches of emerald and finally broken off by the daily-polished oak of the walls. Heavy tapestries and banners hung from the ceiling throughout the room and told of the proud history of the Nimbians, displaying times of fortune and misery alike.

“Stars be praised, my son has returned!” the king exalted from his throne, rushing to embrace him. After the traditional welcoming, his father continued, “It has been far less time than I reckoned, but your mother and I missed you more than we’d thought, as well. I knew you would decide to stay here, where you belong, and not forego the hopes and dreams of your people. We had to believe it.”

Not wishing to face the pride in the king’s eyes, Mallow turned his head and looked sadly at the hanging cloth that represented his own adventures with Mario. “Father, I have not come back with the news that you desire. Something else has happened, something far worse than anything I counted on before departing. I’ve come to ask your help, but regardless of what you decide, I won’t be able to remain here any longer.”

Broken and consumed by a sudden shadow of fear, the king stepped back and looked slowly away, contemplating the throne he had left. “In some unknowable way, I anticipated this. Not your coming here to ask for aid, of course, but your ultimate decision to live your own life away from the palace and the people who need you now more than ever. Despite all my prayers, I knew it was an impossibility, something demanded by destiny but unfulfilled by fate.”

“I can’t say anything to that,” said Mallow tiredly, surprised to find himself agreeing completely with what he had heard. “Father, we can do nothing about that now. All there is left is the crisis at hand, and it won’t wait for us, however patient we’ve been.”

“I shall hear your plea now,” said the king, his voice now formal and indifferent. “But I cannot promise you anything else. You are not who you were, and the people will be devastated by it. If I were to show you special favor, there would be wide discontent.”

Even for your son? he wanted to say, but he knew that his father was right. “The Mushroom Valley has been completely flooded, and a prophecy long known by Gra- I mean Frogfucious and the elders of our past is unfolding. It will call upon this world many more catastrophes, and none of us know how far-reaching they might be. Even now, the Mushroom army at Land’s End is preparing desperately against Bowser’s fleet. The Koopa Kingdom survived without harm from the disaster, and now Bowser will stop at nothing to crush the last of his enemies.”

“You disappoint me, Son,” said the king, shaking his head, seeming older than he had ever been before. “Only a few days’ absent, and already you have succumbed to the superstitions of your childhood mentor. Even if the flood is real and not a ploy by the Mushroom Kingdom to accrue our help in another destructive war against the Koopas, I cannot commit troops without the approval of the people. Neither can I place my kingdom’s own sons and daughters in the face of death for a cause not dear to us.”

“But you have to understand this affects everyone!” Mallow exclaimed, soon regretting his outrage at the decision. “Whatever the prophecy, these things are happening, and as soon as Bowser’s fleet decimates the Mushroomers, they will not hesitate to move north and lay siege to Nimbus Land. The outer towns and beanstalk highways will be razed, and there will be no one left to stand beside us in our hour of need. You must realize this!”

“Perhaps you are correct,” said the king, lifeless, even dead. His eyes seemed pale and distant. “But in order for me to send the Cumulus into battle, I have to receive the support of my son, the prince. You have to promise to return here after the battle is won, to serve the Nimbians and forget all in the past. What could have been was robbed from all of us, Mallow. We have to move forward, to compromise with the hand that was dealt us.”

Everything in Mallow frayed at that instant, knowing he could never achieve the life he was meant for, but also recognizing that possessing the dream of his purpose would cost the lives of his friends and the world he loved so much. There was really no other answer left to give.

“It will be done,” he said, and the brightness that had left his father’s eyes drained from his own.

“Things will get better, my son, you will see. Do not think it is the end of everything.”

“It won’t be,” said Mallow darkly. “Before we go to Land’s End, we must first stop at the Mushroom Valley. If nothing else, it will prove that not all hope is lost.”

~*~*~*~

Koopa Castle, Vista Hill

“We found him on the dungeon level, sir,” said Genji T, Parakarry hovering limply behind him. “If there was anybody else down there, they didn’t survive to tell about it. I never knew what a monster Bowser was.”

“Still is,” Mario reminded him. “Seeing you alive makes me glad,” he said to the Paratroopa. “We thought you were lost in the flood.”

“I almost wish I would have been,” he said gloomily, face covered in the shadows of the dimly lit throne room. “Coming into the light and knowing almost everyone you know or care about is gone… It’s not a nightmare anyone would want to wake up to.”

“We’ve all felt the loss where it hits hardest,” said Mario, brightening slightly. “But Luigi and the princess are alive, as are many citizens. Everyone from Toad Town evacuated in time. No one was left behind.”

For the first time since his release, Parakarry’s face shined with optimism, and the memories he had recounted of old friends lost suddenly rushed back to him, renewed by saving grace. It was the endless tale of a world in chaos, where dreams might be shattered in an instant, breaking the soul of a person to the furthest ends of his existence only to reform in a moment of revelation that could just as easily vanish.

“What made you all come here?” he asked. “With Bowser leaving, I’d figure you’d go to help the army at Land’s End.”

“Luigi’s rescuer, a strange creature called Rezan, told us of a prophecy that might explain all this,” said Mario. “We encountered evil forces on the way here, and they might have been trying to stop us. Either way, Master Erasmus is searching through Kamek’s library right now for clues to what’s happening. If anyone besides Frogfucious knows something about this, it’d be that ancient Magikoopa.”

As if on cue, The Master hobbled down an adjoining flight of stairs with a bound collection of scrolls under one arm. He lay the book down before his eager audience and tapped it proudly with a cane.

“The Guildmaster Supreme has left a clear trail to his knowledge,” said the old Mushroomer, cackling. “It tells of a Breaking Prophecy, signs, and a shrine connected by altars and all the things of wonder which have been occurring. This is where he has gone with Bowser and the airships, no doubt, but I wonder what made him so aware of it after all these years. *hack* *cough* *wheeze*!”

“Should we go after them?” asked Mario of his friends, all looking at him in disbelief. “I know it’s crazy, but so was that flood. We can’t just stand here and do nothing to stop it!”

“With all due respect, sir,” said Genji, “I think the folks at Land’s End need us more. We’ll never be able to catch up with the doomships now, anyway.”

“The Mushroomer is right,” said Erasmus, “if only about practical measures. Catching up to the tyrant would seem impossible with what we have, eh? *wheeze* *cough*”

“But so is getting to Land’s End,” said Mario, sitting down on one of the room’s many armless sofas. “We can’t do anything from here, and we couldn’t do a thing to stop the flood from killing our friends either. I’ve always… Every time someone gets in trouble, there’s a way for me to do something about it. When Bowser attacks, I can fight him, and when Smithy conquered, we all pulled through together, but this is something none of us can understand.”

The Master started to say something, feeling at a loss for all his years of wisdom, but before he could speak a loud rushing sound broke through the upper windows of the throne room. Flying down to the floor at an amazing speed, several hovering clouds stopped before them, each with a Nimbian pilot. At the forefront of the group was Prince Mallow, battle-hardened face suddenly warm with joy.

“Mario!” he exclaimed, hopping off and shaking the human’s hand. “We didn’t expect to find you here.”

“But how did you know?” Mario stammered. “Almost no one survived.”

“Grandpa,” the Nimbian said simply. “And as for no one being left, we found the people from Toad Town on the outskirts of the forest. Not only that, but the citizens who escaped from the Mushroom Village are on Midas Mountain, hundreds of them. Mario, the princess is alive. She’s on her way to see Frogfucious right now!”

No longer content with a handshake, Mario jumped forward and embraced the prince, overcome with hope reborn. After a few seconds of not being able to speak, he finally let go of the surprised Nimbian.

“But wait, there’s still the prophecy,” he said, sensing that Mallow knew what he was talking about.

“The Breaking of the World,” said the prince, nodding. “What about it?”

“We think Kamek is leading the fleet to whatever this shrine is the Master talked about, but we can’t catch up with them. That, and the forces at Land’s End are being flanked by a whole fleet of Bowser’s ships!”

Mallow shook his head firmly. “General Spore and Admiral Enoki were given the heads up, thanks to Grandpa Frogfucious. I’m heading over with the Cumulus,” he said while gesturing above to where more cloud-borne soldiers were waiting, “and the spare troops I could pick up from the Mushroom survivors to help them out. You all are welcome to come. Luigi and some reptile friend of his already volunteered.”

“I can’t,” said Mario, inwardly rejoicing at the recovery of his brother. “One of your men has to take me in pursuit of Bowser’s doomships. If they’re going to use this shrine thing for mischief then I have to try to stop them.”

“I’ll go with you,” said Roshi, throwing a hand up when Genji started to protest. “I know you want to come too, pal, but they’ll need your expertise with the army, and I’ll be of more use with Mario.”

“I’m not letting you two go off alone,” said Parakarry, fluttering to meet them. “Plus, I can bear my own weight.”

“And I’ll send three of the Cumulus to carry and aid you, as well,” said Mallow, plunging his battle staff three times on the floor. It was a stronger, rapidly-extending upgrade of his old weapon favorites, and it also was the rallying symbol of the Nimbians’ premiere cavalry. “You have to hurry. We all have a part to play, and there’s no time to spare.”

“Thank you, Mallow,” said the human. He wanted to say much more, but he knew it was impossible, beyond words to express himself at that moment. “Give my wishes to my brother and… and tell the princess I’ll… that I’ll see her soon.”

“Will do, sir,” said the Nimbian, and the groups parted ways.

Neither side looked back as the evening waned impartially

~*~*~*~

Tadpole Pond, Mushroom Kingdom

Nothing in the days before had prepared Yoshi and his fellow travelers for the surprise they received after arriving at Tadpole Pond. Disciples of Frogfucious greeted them warmly, bade them remove their weapons and supplies, and then led them across a line of stepping stones to the old philosopher’s private island. Once there, they saw him sitting across a table from Princess Peach and Russ T, with a bored Mushroomer soldier standing idly apart from the rest.

“Princess Peach!” Yoshi shouted, ecstatic.

Admiral Bobbery ran up alongside the dinosaur, and both exchanged pleasantries with the princess, mostly glad to see she had survived the flood. Frogfucious and Russ T. stood up as well, content to enjoy the lightening mood evoked by the reunion until the latter spotted the other Yoshi.

“Well, I’ll be an Ice Land frost rat!” he exclaimed, walking over. “Ryanoshi! I thought you’d still be on Yoshi’s Island, lazing away with your blasted stories while the rest of the world faced the Apocalypse.”

The nerdish dinosaur snorted humorously, patting the elderly Mushroomer on the shoulder. “It’s good to see you too, my old and prestigious friend. All cheerfulness aside, though, it seems our research would’ve benefited from further study. Our abandoning it has gotten us into quite a bind.”

“More than you know,” said Russ T, gesturing to Frogfucious and the princess. “We’ve already shared much between us, and we’ll have to bring you all up to date-”

“What is he doing here?” the princess suddenly said, clearly furious at something.

When everyone looked up, she was pointing belligerently at Chef Torte, who had his head turned sharply and his arms crossed. Before Peach marched over to give him more than a piece of her mind, Yoshi and the admiral held her back.

“My name is Ryanoshi, ma’am,” the Yoshi said, beaming. “Chef Torte met us in Rose Town and fought with us against enemies in the Forest Maze. I’m sure he’s done something in the past, but surely it’s not beyond his considerable atonement.”

“We’ll see,” she said huffily.

“My children,” Frogfucious broke the confusion. Despite all the chaos and darkness that seemed to envelop their worlds, his face still contained the impenetrable aura of serenity and wisdom it did in the most peaceful of times. “We have much to discuss, so I suggest you all sit down and let me start from the beginning.”

Over the course of the next two hours, the gentle frog recounted for them everything he knew, everything he surmised, and the elements of it all he remained uncertain of. Throughout the delivery, the captive audience asked questions, and Chef Torte even exploded with irrelevant rants from time to time, but in the end all were on the same page, more or less.

“So you see,” he continued, “it is of the utmost importance we trust to the Star Spirits in their choosing of those fated to stand the test of ages past. Our task, then, as those left behind is to aid in what worldly struggles erupt out of the entangled passions bred by the prophecy. As Yoshi and his comrades have already experienced, ill agents sent by the Enemy, known now simply as Doomstar, are being spread throughout Plit in greater degrees of power. The one they faced was relatively weak and without a chance to grow in strength, but future creatures of his brood will be far more dangerous.”

“Hey, Ryanoshi,” said Bobbery, “tell him about that thing. You know, the deceit stuff you spoke with me about.”

Reluctantly, Ryanoshi went over his perception of a parallel between the false treasure of the Thousand-Year Door and the promise of salvation from the Enemy given by the Breaking Scrolls. As he finished, he found himself comforted by the fact that Frogfucious never once lost his air of confidence.

“You feel misgivings about this theory, but let me assure you I have thought as much,” said the frog, splaying a webbed hand across a bag of dried crickets. He plucked one up and munched on it meditatively before going on. “It is certainly a possibility, but it is also one I cannot see through. If it is real, then the Star Spirits have been silenced, as they would have contacted me, I’m sure. Now, assuming it is all a falsification, then there is little we can do about it. That the Enemy is using us at all means there is a hope for counterattack, which also indicates that in being led to the critical point of Doomstar’s plan, there will be a point at which we shall perceive his designs and be able to thwart them. In the interim, though, we must only continue to do what we can.”

“The forces at Land’s End will need help,” Peach said determinedly. “They have to be warned.”

“It has already been taken care of,” said Frogfucious with a wink. “I contacted Mallow with a psychic bond we’ve built up over the years. He will no doubt rally the aid of the Nimbians and create a formidable front to meet whatever Bowser has sent. Either way, it’s none of our concern at the moment.”

“Zis guy,” said Chef Torte, chortling. “He says ze verld’s about to flip upside-down with battles eveirywhere, and zen he says it’s none of our concern. Vat a loon!”

Frogfucious’s forehead crinkled angrily, and he reached out to whack the Terrapin across the knees with his staff. “If you insist on being amusing to yourself, then please go prepare us a meal. You can at least do that, right?”

“Vhatevier,” said Chef Torte, standing up to leave.

“A real model citizen,” Peach said derisively. “I say we still can’t trust him.”

“For anything important, of course not,” said Ryanoshi. “I believe that was the intention of Frogfucious.”

“It was, indeed,” said the elder frog with a resumed smile. “Now, then, just because we are too far away to participate in the larger events of the world doesn’t mean we can’t do something useful. I must meditate further on these things, so in the meantime, one of my disciples will tell you what chores need to be done around here. After that, we’ll all sit down and enjoy our grumpy turtle friend’s dinner.”

Russ T. struggled to stand up as the others were led off. “I’m certain you didn’t mean me, what with my bad back and all.”

The wise frog scowled as the Mushroomer let out a fake cough. “None of that, now! My disciples are not so dense as to be unable to find something for even the laziest of my guests. Off with you!”

~*~*~*~

Underground Tunnel, Lavalava Island

Flames caught at the end of smoking wood torches flared their bright light along the jagged walls of the subterranean tunnel. Before and ahead of them, the once-clear path descended into the rapid maw of the darkness, always being consumed and never released again as long as they continued walking. After two hours of relentless pacing, they forced themselves to slow down and take regular breathers, but the sheer monotony of the journey continued to edge away at their resolve.

“We must not take any more stops,” said Kino, the yellow-skinned Yoshi who had volunteered as a pack-carrier for the expedition. “Something is following us.”

Kolorado removed his traveling hat and wiped at his damp forehead with a handkerchief. “I say, Kino, are you sure? Neither nocturnal nor diurnal beasties would find anything of interest in this abysmal pit.”

“Too late,” said Henry, the old Koopa’s personal assistant. His wide Goomba eyes easily spotted the approach of a creature from farther down the tunnel behind them.

Without a word, Kino stepped forward and embraced one of his fellow Yoshi friends, Ryok, as the dinosaur came out of the gloom and appeared before them. He was obviously very tired, looking as if he had run the entire way to meet them. When the pair parted and began talking between themselves in their native language, the others traded anxious looks.

“They keep popping out of bloody nowhere, eh?” Kolorado whispered, one hand placed furtively up to his mouth.

“Nothing Yoshies do is considered normal,” said Henry plainly. “Frankly, I’m glad he’s here. We know they have no reason to betray us, and the more trustworthy folks we have with us, the better.”

“Now, that’s the ticket!” replied Kolorado. “Always thinking on the bright side, here’s one of your strong points. I’ve always told my wife, that Henry, he has immeasurable courage.”

“Sir,” said Henry, nudging his comrade as the Koopa reminisced, “I believe they’re done talking.”

“Eh, so they are. Hello, again, gents! I’m sure you wouldn’t mind explaining to us what’s going on, just for clarity’s sake, of course.”

“My friend Kino,” said the red Yoshi, gesturing to the other dinosaur, “followed you to make certain you’d be safe. You see, odd things have been happening on the island, gradually spreading from the base of Mt. Lavalava for the past year and now fringing on the boarders of the village itself. When we came to the start of the tunnel, we noticed an ancient message written above the entrance, clearly stating the direst of all warnings.”

“Which is?” asked Kolorado, more excited than worried.

“It wouldn’t make sense translated out of the indiginous tongue, but think of the worst fate you could confront and then times it by a hundred,” said Ryok dryly.

“That bad, eh?” the Goomba commented. “We’ve already ignored that, though. We’re pretty much at the point of no return, I’d say.”

“Perhaps,” said Kino, matter-of-factly. “But we should leave immediately, regardless. Our other friend is waiting at the docks, yet we are willing to escort you back to the camp so you and your expedition may pack up and depart, as well.”

“Ah, I understand you now,” said Kolorado, throwing a bold wink in the Yoshi’s direction. “You two spoil sports want us to leave so we won’t trample over all your ruins and rites and whatnot, right? Well, don’t worry, old chap, because we promise not to destroy anything. I might just take a trinket or two from the inner sanctum of the volcano…”

“I think they’re genuinely concerned about our safety, sir,” said Henry, shifting on his two large feet. “In all honesty, I’m more than a little anxious about being here, myself. This cave gets creepier and creepier.”

“You too, then? I say, you chaps are absolutely bonkers. There are no such things as curses, demons, monsters, or bad omens. Maybe Star Spirits, yes, but a beauty of a one came to my rescue not too long ago, so they’re good fellows. Pshaw! If that Misstar hadn’t been a deity, I would’ve laid on the old Kolorado charm!”

“Your wife, sir!” exclaimed Henry, appalled.

“Only joking, my boy,” said the Koopa, throwing up two hands. “Let’s keep this between you and me, though, eh?”

“Excuse me, sirs, but my friend and I are short of time,” said Ryok politely. “We don’t wish to leave you without explaining the level of danger you’re both in, but now that we’ve done so, the choice of whether to come with us is yours. Either way, we really must be going.”

“Kolorado, please, let’s follow them out,” said Henry, the old fear returning to him. “No treasure’s worth this.”

“This isn’t a treasure, lad, it’s a gold mine of archeological discovery! I’m not going anywhere.”

The Goomba groaned and looked pleadingly at the Yoshies. “Well, if he’s staying, then so am I. Unless you both have a better idea,” continued Henry, motioning as if to suggest the dinosaurs should give his employer a whack on the head.

They both looked quizzically at the Goomba and turned to go, disappointed. As they began to pass out of sight and Kolorado wondered off muttering, though, a sudden chill burst through the narrow passage. Instantly, the two groups halted in their tracks and pivoted, watching each other.

“What was that?” Henry said, the only one daring to speak.

Kino whirled his head around, lifting it as if to strain his senses. “There is someone else coming. Sulei left; I do not know who else it would be.”

“He could have returned,” offered Ryok, nervously stepping back. “We can’t count him out.”

“Sulei is impatient,” said Kino, eyes glaring into the unceasing umbra. “Something does not feel right. We should go. Now.”

The air became colder than before, and suddenly all of them were running relentlessly in the direction they had been going all along, not even bothering to look back. When the fire from the torches went utterly dead, they quickened their pace, the night driving them ever onward until they came to a massive cavern with wide chambers that stretched over a lake of molten lava.

Blood-red haze and orange spouts of thick fire seemed to hover constantly over the boiling pit, and the fumes lifted up to the terrible domes of the volcanic inferno, spreading out a thin mist of toxins that plagued their every breath. Only floating platforms that shifted unsteadily over the surface of the magma gave them any hope of reaching the other side, but even they were a better choice than waiting to confront whatever was closing in behind them.

“The young Goomba was correct,” said Kino, wiping a bead of sweat from the back of his long neck. “We might have been doomed the moment we entered the tunnel.”

“It’s not over yet,” Ryok said, more courageous than he felt. “All we have to do is find our way over those slabs of rock. The bowels of the volcano are all connected, so once we come to a portion of it that’s farther out, we’ll be safer.”

“I still say there’s nothing to worry about whatsoever,” said Kolorado grumpily, his arms crossed. “Back there, you know, I only ran to keep up with you frightful chaps. How was I to know what crazy thing you’d try next?”

“This isn’t the time for heroics,” said Henry wryly. “Please, sir, let’s discuss the flaws of superstition after we escape the jaws of death.”

“Look!” cried Ryok. “It’s frozen over…”

They all turned to see the mouth of the tunnel they had just left encased in a sheet of ice, rimmed over with frost that crystallized over the surrounding rock. Curious, Kolorado walked close to it and put his hand on the opalescent wall, immediately yelping and jumping back.

“Too cold?” asked Kino.

“Too bloody hot!” exclaimed the Koopa, wringing his burnt palm. “It nearly fried my scales off.”

“Definitely not right,” said Ryok needlessly. “It’s settled, then. We can’t stay here.”

The others reluctantly followed him as the Yoshi flutter-jumped over a row of wavering platforms, each composed of black crumbling rock that felt like it would give way soon after they landed on it. At one point in the crossing, Henry failed to calculate his next leap correctly and scrambled on the edge of one of the collapsing layers of obsidian. Hesitating for only a moment, Kino tracked back and grabbed the Goomba by his backpack before he plunged into the liquid fire, barely managing to race away again before the lava claimed him.

“Thanks,” said Henry, now securely on the Yoshi’s saddle. “Sorry if I’m causing any further trouble, but I’m not so good at jumping.”

“We could carry much more,” said Kino, surprisingly mellow for their hectic surroundings. “It’s not a burden, trust me.”

“Jolly brave, that was! You saved my friend,” said Kolorado as they cleared another gap in the stepping slabs. “I’ll reward you handsomely for that.”

“Kino won’t accept any coins,” said Ryok, intervening for his friend. “I’m sure we’ll both agree to a fruit salad if we ever make it out of here, though.”

“Easy to please, hard to buy off,” said the Koopa, musing. “Are you both certain you’re not from beyond the sky?”

Before the Yoshies could shrug off a response, the platform ahead of them sunk limply into a whirling vortex of lava that dipped farther down after the rock had been completely consumed. Gurgling, roaring, a fountain of flames erupted from the center of the disturbance and forced the travelers to the edge of the slab they were standing on even as it began to drown under their combined weight.

“Problem,” said Kino, without emotion. “Ryok, I’m drawing a blank here.”

“I’m thinking, I’m thinking,” muttered the crimson-colored Yoshi, looking frantically around. “Hmm, the contents of our eggs should be dense enough to harden in the lava and form another platform, however short-lived. We’ll have to act quickly.”

Kolorado blinked his eyes in shock as the dinosaurs hurled power eggs at the space in front of them, but his surprise was nowhere near as high as when they gradually built up into a spotted slab of hard-boiled yolk. Not desiring to waste time with questions, he and the others quickly bounced off of the briefly floating platform and landed on the next, running on at a faster pace.

Eventually they crossed all of the flat rocks and came to another raised bay that ran along the surface of the cavern. There was another adjoining tunnel at the opposite end of the path, but before they reached it a quake split the ground beneath them into a slim crevice that slowly wedged apart as it went on. Volcanic dust and intense blasts of heat shot up from the fault line, obscuring the way ahead with a thick haze of brown and red fog.

“Oh no,” Henry groaned, leaning forward on Kino’s saddle and still failing to see anything. “It’s like something’s purposely trying to stop us.”

A grating cackle sounded from the tangled vapors, and the body of Sulei walked towards them with the clouds of mixed poison curling around him. Only his eyes were different, black as the obsidian they had almost died on and more lifeless than all the bones in the graves of the world. With a simple hand movement, the smog choked around them was blown away by the aftershock of some invisible detonation, and a thin smile crept across his snout.

“Welcome to my own Inferno,” a dark voice echoed from all sides. “Your friend is gone. I ate his being and absorbed it into my own, another part of he who made me. Now you also shall know the absolute and feel no more.”

Kino let Henry down and ushered both the Goomba and Kolorado behind him, returning to stand firmly beside the other Yoshi. Barely restrained from trembling to his knees, Ryok stepped forward and addressed the shadow corpse.

“I don’t know who you are, but I do know you must be responsible for all the horror that has struck our island,” he said, faltering only on the last words. “It doesn’t matter, though. We’ll stop you; you can’t win.”

“Fools, I am the fulcrum of victory and loss, the pin-point decision maker of misery and joy,” the demon spoke. “Even what you perceive is false, and so you will lose no matter what the outcome of any day until the doom that sucks up all life and closes in around it.”

Removed from the conflict, Kolorado leaned over to his protégé and whispered, “Not exactly the sort of chap you’d invite to a birthday party, eh? He needs a bit of the old wham-bang, I say!”

“We’ll let the Yoshies handle it for now,” said Henry, holding the explorer back. “In the meantime, let’s just try to stay alive.”

Conforming to his usual silence, Kino ran towards the demon and brought out a long blade. As he reared it up for a slice, Ryok leapt overhead with his own blade drawn and dropped, the sharpest edge of his sword directed at the head of the monster. The reborn Sulei moved effortlessly away as the two cleaved the ground where he had been standing and assumed a tighter position against an upraised stalagmite.

“He’s fast,” said Kino. “I’ll allow him that.”

Ryok found it incredibly unnerving to be fighting tongue and claw with his best friend, but he had to remind himself that the real Sulei had been murdered. Now he was fighting the demon who had taken his life and was craving for their own. Under the revelation, he formed a defensive shell around himself and plowed towards the shadow creature full-tilt. Behind him, Kino brought up his blade again and fluttered in dodgy movements through the air, weaving a distracting pattern the divide the demon’s attention.

Snarling, Sulei smashed the rock beneath him with one foot, rupturing encrusted basalt and sending the egg ahead of him soaring backwards through the air. Ryok managed to come out of the shield in time to flutter back, and Kino was already before his opponent, sharp metal slicing through the light skin of his former friend as easily as it split a coconut.

Both Yoshies regrouped, ready for a counterattack, but Sulei only looked curiously at his severed arm, studying the wound as if it were a mere curiosity. In the next instant, a black, spike-studded vine several times larger than the Yoshi’s body itself burst from his shoulder. Peppered with crimson spots, the grasping appendage crunched through the wall behind them and brought down an avalanche of volcanic rock that swallowed up the grinning silhouette of the demon.

“Move away!” Ryok yelled to their speechless audience, and all of the heroes edged back to the boundary of the curving ground before it dipped off into the sea of magma. “Stay clear of the smoke, and shallow your breathing!”

Without conversing, the dinosaurs propped the Koopa and Goomba on their saddles and hopped up through the shield of haze and above the rumbling mountain of black stone, finally arriving where the air was still clear and tolerable. Before they could find a place to rest, though, three more immense vines ripped through the pile-up of rock and flailed madly towards the towering dome above them. Each of the plant-like arms were surrounded by a glowing, dark-purple aura that seemed like fire twisted by malice.

“Fantastic!” exclaimed Kolorado, holding on to his hat as Ryok jerked him around. “I say, old man, can you get a bit closer? I can’t quite make out the configuration of those lovely red splotches.”

The Yoshi ignored him and leapt away one second before a two-meter-wide tentacle slammed down behind him, throwing up clouds of smoke and sending chunks of rock raining all around them. Quiet as ever, but definitely more focused, Kino appeared beside him suddenly and then disappeared again as he dodged another one of the erratic vines. It seemed more appendages of varying lengths and widths were erupting from the foundation of the unstable mountain, and something embedded in the core of the mass squealed with delight each time one of its spines came close to gouging the dinosaurs.

More blasts of stone shards crashed out violently before them, making way for the largest Piranha Plant head they had ever seen. Its skin was the same black and bloody red as its arms, but the mane rattling at the curve of its skull was composed of ethereal fire and colored with the mutating essence of shadow. As it dripped acid that hissed off its rotten teeth, the grinning demon let out an earth-shattering bellow and coughed up plumes of liquid-green toxin at its prey.

The Yoshies bounded over the permeating spray of venom and came down among a rattling grove of more Piranha vines. Desperate, they nodded to each other, and while Kino nimbly dodged more of the spiked creepers, Ryok soared up along the curving neck of the demon and made his way to the base of the head by maneuvering on the greater spines. Once there, he rebounded off the fleshy black stalk and threw a round of explosive eggs into the beast’s mouth before he plummeted backwards into a forest of vines.

The Piranha Plant’s bulging head expanded outward for a brief second, and slimy smoke tainted by the demon’s toxic mouth filtered through. As it cried out a hideous shriek, dense clumps of what looked like black blood and mangled plant growth were vomited out over the burning surface of lava. One of its floundering vines stiffened in pain, and the tip sunk slowly into a molten blaze, immediately catching flame and blackening the fibrous skin around the ashy stump.

“I saw it,” said Ryok before Kino spoke to him. “It’s vulnerable to the magma.”

“About time it had a weakness,” the yellow Yoshi said, rolling his eyes. “Scalding ice, popping up two miles ahead of you, rapid mutation… We’ll have to batter it towards the edge.”

“Right behind you,” said Ryok, nearly missing a jump over a stray vine.

With the muscles in his legs already beginning to strain, Kino made a series of leaps in quick succession that brought him above the jungle of creepers and spikes and face-to-face with the putrid maw of the demon. He reared back to throw a barrage of eggs, but the movement was too strong and sent Henry hurling to the ground below. In the one second the Yoshi hesitated, a heavy vine smacked him from the air like a stray pest and sent him careening back into the chaos as well.

“I do believe they’ve fallen,” Kolorado lamented from Ryok’s back as the Yoshi rushed over the tops of the creepers in an effort to outflank the Piranha Plant. “We have to go back for them!”

“No time,” said the red Yoshi, shaken but still running. “Kino can take care of both your friend and himself. We have our own part to play.”

“We?” the Koopa said, not liking the taste of the word. “I’m quite fine up here, you see, and I’d only get in the way.”

“Now, sir, that’s not the bravado you’re famous for. Surely you mean you’d be happy to participate in the slaying of a great menace. It is, after all, a day’s work for such an experienced explorer, isn’t it?”

“Of course it is!” Kolorado shouted hoarsely, straightening his hat again. “I say, I’ll show that demon a thing or two. He’ll never know what hit him.”

“With Kino down, we’ll need a new distraction,” Ryok said, smiling. “All you have to do is gain the monster’s attention, draw him towards the lava pit, and then stay alive long enough for me to pummel him in with eggs.”

“Piece of crumpet,” the Koopa said, and gulped. “Er, when should I initiate this brilliant plan, again?”

“Right about… now!”

Ryok bucked Kolorado from his saddle and before a cluster of slime-covered leaves that grew over the thrashing vines. Yelping, the Koopa ran headlong towards the glow of the magma wash, narrowly missing incoming creepers every step of the way. Only slightly concerned for the explorer’s safety, the Yoshi worked his way behind the crawling neck of the demon and looked for a place to climb.

Meanwhile, Henry clambered out from under a stack of crushed pebbles and felt himself being lifted onto Kino’s back again. Reunited, the pair dashed through a tangle of more wheeling spines and stopped after tilting their heads up and seeing Kolorado. He stood cowering at the edge of the lava and shielded his eyes with his hands, as if to ward off the slowly approaching head of the Piranha Plant.

“Ryok,” the Yoshi groaned, leaping up through the canopy of the demon’s roots and landing beside the Koopa. “Stand tall, Kolorado. It’s not over yet.”

“Oh- oh, yes,” said the Koopa, opening his eyes. “It does seem that way, though.”

Acid bubbled from the Piranha Plant’s mouth, spilling over onto its leaves and corroding them instantly. Oblivious to the pain, it snapped forward at Kino with its teeth chomping hungrily. Although the Yoshi dodged in time, the edges of one of the demon’s razors sliced through his right leg and left a curving gash to the bone. Cringing, he collapsed to the leaf beneath him and shivered as toxins worked their way through his body.

“Kino!” Henry screamed, rushing forward.

“No, my boy, you can’t be any help,” Kolorado said calmly, holding him back. “The lad was right. Let’s face our deaths like men.”

As the Piranha Plant leaned back to strike again, its voracious grin suddenly dipped low into a twisting frown, and its entire body slammed forward, tossing them to the rocks below. When they looked up, they saw the back of its head eaten through by yolk and shredded by fragments of eggshell that penetrated deeply into the monster’s shadowy flesh.

Ryok stood panting behind it and used the last of his strength to build another egg shield around himself, barreling into the skull of the demon with everything he had. Grating, crumbling, the massive corpse slid over into the blazing holocaust and was consumed by the endless waves of magma. Even as the brain that controlled them shriveled in its death throes, the remaining vines and leaves followed quickly after and shrunk to smoking blackness.

“Kino’s hurt!” Henry called to the crimson dinosaur after it was over. “He’s… Where’d he…?”

“Over here,” said Kino, wrapping a cloth around his leg. “I’m all right. Yoshies’ bodies are naturally immune to almost all toxins. It’s a side effect of basically living on Vitamin C.”

“Pretty weak, if you ask me,” boasted Kolorado, teasing one end of his mustache. “Whatever it was, we took right care of it!”

“Maybe,” said Ryok, eyeing the dark tinge of lava where the monster had melted. He looked away finally and spotted an opening where the demon had caused the avalanche. “At least we know where to go now.”

After struggling up the cliff face of tumbling rocks, they traveled down another gnarled passageway until they came to a sheer metal wall blocking the path. There didn’t appear to be any markings or places to open it, and it looked as new as the day it had been shaped out of ore.

“Someone had to have made this,” said Kino, still wincing because of his injury. “Excuse me, comrades, but I must sit down.”

Henry laid out a towel for him to lay on, already taking a special liking to the Yoshi who had saved his life more than once. “We can’t go back, though. All of the platforms have been submerged, and the bay only wraps around that last cavern halfway. The cave that was blocked off by the avalanche probably led to the surface, but now we’ll never know.”

“Either way, we need to rest awhile,” said Ryok, sitting down. “Clear your thoughts in the meantime. We haven’t made it through this volcano yet, or whatever else the door is guarding.”

Despite having his brain frazzled by recent events, Kolorado was the only one of them who knew. He had no way of being certain, of course, but he felt the treasure he was searching for beyond the metal gate. Ruins, altars, ancient people and the legends they crafted… he could hardly wait.

~*~*~*~

Airborne over Kooparian

Mario and the others came in low on their Nimbus clouds as the storm began to grow more intense, with ripping bolts of lightning flaying the sky and promenades of thunder blowing out harsh dissonance. Directly ahead of them, the Leviathan cut swiftly through the atmosphere behind two smaller airships and another one they were dragging along. The anchored vessel had massive battle damage, made all the more surprising because it was clearly marked with the flag of the Koopa Kingdom.

“Had to be an internal dispute,” said Parakarry between dull rumbles, his wings carrying him evenly with the rest of the flight. “What now?”

“Captain,” said Mario to the Nimbian sharing his cloud, “where’s the closest you can get us?”

“There appears to be an opening near the right fuselage cluster,” said the soldier, bringing down a small pair of binoculars. “We’ll disembark there, and I can set the clouds to follow our electronic signals from a safe distance. If we hide well enough, we should just be able to climb back on them after the airships stop. We do, however, run a risk of being spotted if we stay out here.”

“It’s settled, then,” said the human, failing to cover the visible excitement in his face. “Though I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t mind crushing a few Terrapin skulls.”

While they flew in silence and the sun descended slowly behind them, Roshi thought about all the madness that had occurred since the beginning of the Autumn Festival. It seemed like a long-dead memory, something that had happened far back in the distant past. What was more frightening, though, was that they had barely even scratched the surface of what lay before them.

The sky was rocked to the edges of its making, wrapping itself in the blind night of eternity as the end of the beginning had come.