"Never heard of anything like that," Disarmed Guard said. Well, it was worth a shot. Maybe Mario and Luigi knew something about it.

The double doors parted gently to allow the guards and the group inside. Grumpy Guard instructed them to wipe their feet, and why not - they entered a clean and gorgeous chamber, red and gold-trimmed carpet spanning across the floor, spider-webbing off into adjacent corridors. Cylindrical lamps hung on the walls - they seemed to be electric lamps and not your traditional torches like Matt had expected. Well, if Beanbran Kingdom had a flipping airport, of COURSE they'd have electricity.

Matt stepped back to Helena's flank. "I think you'd better tuck the wings back in," he said, audible but low. "Luigi wasn't happy when he saw you turn last time. Trust me."

"Do the guards know about what I can do?" Helena asked. "Won't they ask questions if I change back?"

"Its not going to matter if they do," R.D. replied as Ileyna looked around in wonder. "Its not like we're here to stay."

"You're right," Helena said. She raised her voice to speak to the guards. "Excuse me, is there a place I can change clothes before we meet Mario and Luigi?"

"And leave you unguarded?" Grumpy Guard said. "I don't think so."

"What's wrong with letting her change her clothes?" Friendly Guard asked.

Grumpy Guard jabbed Friendly Guard's arm with his stubby finger. "Because if we did THAT, we'd still have to keep an EYE on her, and that's a RUDE thing to do to a young lady who's trying to change her clothes without someone WATCHING her all googly-eyed!" In fact, Grumpy Guard poked for every word he stressed.

"Then let's get one of the female guards to do it," Disarmed Guard said. "They've seen it all before."

Matt blinked. "Really? But they're...you...and Helena is...not."

"Try not to think of it too hard, Matt," Alasea said exasperatedly.

"Well, all right," Grumpy Guard said. "But you're coming with us so we can keep an eye on you!"

He took them down the right hallway, and after passing through a pristine indoor garden with benches surrounding spiky bushes and a small, but excited, fountain, the group found themselves in a new area that branched off into many small rooms. Quarters for the servants who lived in the castle, Friendly Guard had explained. After telling the situation to a female guard, she led Helena inside one of the rooms - even though the servants were all mushroom people, the rooms were strangely large enough for a normal-sized human to enter.

"Do you think we're going to fight someone related to Cackletta here?" Hugo asked R.D. quietly, when the guards seemed distracted by their own thoughts. "Maybe that little green man that followed her around?"

"You mean... what was his name again?" R.D. asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Fawful, wasn't it?" Alasea provided helpfully.

"Yeah, him," R.D. nodded. "Maybe. I think he was the only lackey that Cackletta had, and if he does show up, we can take him. We know how he fights and we're stronger this time. I'd be more worried about anything else this world throws at us. Didn't Beanbean's ruler mention someone Mario was constantly dealing with?"

"Maybe?" Matt asked, shrugging. "I don't remember. But if Mario's always been fighting him, then he should help us take him out quickly if we run into him."

"Guuuuuuuuuys?" the female guard called from the room. "She said she had to go to the bathroom and I think I hear bones cracking in there, what should I do?"

"That's normal, don't worry about it," Matt called back without looking in the direction of the voice or unfolding his arms.

"In a normal world, we'd probably be considered crazy," Alasea commented on the conversational tone Matt used about someone transforming their body.

"Regardless, we need to find the Essence on this world and quick," R.D. said. "Malvettix and Re-Tuul are both after us now, and they're catching up. Honestly, I don't think Mario and Luigi would stand much of a chance against either of them if they show up. Not like Jotaro, Soma and Julius."

"You're right," Hugo said. "I don't think they're working together, though. They would've joined forces by now. And we still don't really know what either of them want."

"We know what they want," R.D. said, his voice going cold and bitter for a moment. "To a point, at least. Malvettix wants Matt dead, and Re-Tuul wants me dead. But how the Omega Essence figures into this is beyond me."

The Mettaur tapped his helmet with his pickaxe. "Exactly. Why are they going through all this trouble? Malvettix is obsessed over Matt but there has to be a reason."

"Easy," Matt said. "The Multiverse takes great joy out of making life more annoying for me."

"At least with you," Hugo said to R.D., "we can assume that Re-Tuul wants Lumiya. For now."

R.D. shook his head. "No. Ziatoch probably does, and NightShade probably does, but Re-Tuul doesn't give a shit about it. Its personal."

"How can you be sure?" Alasea asked. "I mean, with your memories..."

"I've already told you, Re-Tuul was one of the nine original Khaglessi. And I killed all of them but him. That's why he wants me dead. Its just..." he trailed off, looking conflicted and uncertain.

"Just what?" Ileyna asked.

"Why did I go after them in the first place?" R.D. asked, frustrated. "Why does Re-Tuul and his ilk infuriate me so badly? I don't have any memory of that! There's a reason why I hunted them down, and that bastard Anstine hinted at something, but I still haven't remembered what."

Edited by RisingDragon on September 3, 2010 at 18:19:47.

Matt jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "Because they were dicks? I mean, I know Re-Tuul is our only reference, but really, he's such an asshole that I wouldn't be surprised you killed the Khaglessi because they went around being assholes all the time."

R.D.'s troubled expression showed that he didn't really buy that hypothesis. "If only I could remember what I've forgotten... part of me regrets not taking you up on that offer when we first met, Matt."

"What offer was that?" Alasea asked, looking curious. She'd never heard about this before.

And Matt certainly didn't remember. "Uh...refresh my memory."

Hugo scoffed.

R.D.'s palm quickly met his face, and he sighed in frustration. "You offered to try and restore my memories with the Omega Core."

"Wouldn't that... risked melting your brain?" Alasea said, looking a little alarmed. She still remembered all of the mishaps that Matt caused whenever his attempts to alter reality backfired.

"Yeah, but I didn't know that at the time," R.D. said, looking back up at the others. "I didn't accept it because I didn't trust him, Hugo, and Juno at the time. Though Matt looked more trustworthy at the time."

"It helps that I wasn't a giant robot man with no legs," Matt said. Juno looked straight-up weird - no wonder R.D. didn't go to him for help.

The door to the servant room finally opened, and out stepped Helena, the female guard leading her out with a speartip carefully aimed at her wingless backside. She had switched her green blouse for something with short sleeves this time, airy white with blue trim. "Sorry it took so long," she said.

"Wait a minute," Disarmed Guard said. "Didn't you have giant wings a moment ago?"

"No," Matt cut in. "You must be seeing things."

"But I could've sworn-"

"Get a grip, newbie!" Grumpy Guard said with a light smack across Disarmed Guard's bulbous head. "If you saw wings and she doesn't have them, then it's YOUR problem!"

"But didn't you see them too?" Disarmed Guard said.

Grumpy Guard balled his fists and put them on his hips. "No. And we'll never speak of anything weird we all saw again."

"But-"

"NEVER!"

"Actually, it was more because you were the only one who wasn't ready to kill me," R.D. said. When he slipped out of that building, the first thing he saw was Juno's arm over his head, and Hugo wasn't going to need much convincing to shoot him.

His train of thought was quickly derailed upon Helena's return and the subsequent episode with the guards.

"Its almost like Speedy's world all over again," Alasea remarked. "But not quite."

"Thank god," R.D. muttered.

The guards led them back out to the inner garden and off in another direction, through an archway to another winding corridor. The corridor soon branched off into a large cafe, with more mushroom people seated around stumpy white tables, sipping tiny cups of coffee. A light, cheerful tune played over a loudspeaker system.

"What's a cafe doing inside a CASTLE?" Matt said, eyes wide.

"The Princess loves fresh coffee," Friendly Guard said. "And the castle has some of the best coffee in the kingdom."

Matt hated coffee, but it DID smell good in here. Roasted almonds. He was about to wonder if that really was a coffee flavor when he noticed two familiar figures sitting near the wall with another, stranger person. "Excuuuuuse me," he said, sliding past Friendly Guard and striving towards the table.

"You're totally not excused!" Grumpy Guard said, to no avail.

"Where's Matt going?" Ileyna asked of the others, being the first one to notice his departure.

"Probably to get himself in trouble," R.D. said as he quickly followed after him. "Come on."

Matt waltzed up to the table and slapped his hands on the space between the man in the green shirt and the man in the red shirt. "Excuse me," he said. "Is this seat taken?"

The two men leapt up in surprise and vigorously exchanged handshakes with Matt.

"It's been waaaaaaaaaaay too long," Matt said. He turned back around as the others approached. "Oh, hey there. I've just been catchin' up with my old pals. You know...Mario and Luigi?"

"Hey there," R.D. greeted, lifting a hand.

"Long time no see," Alasea said with a smile.

"They're... human," Ileyna said quietly. She couldn't really be blamed for expecting something more bizarre.

Excited, Mario and Luigi shook hands with R.D. and Alasea as well.

"It's extraordinarily nice to meet you!" the strange-looking man at the end of the table said. "Any friend of Mario and Luigi is an acquaintance of mine. Come, join us for coffee! It's very fresh...and thankfully, very green as well!"



"I don't think I've had the pleasure," Matt said. "Mr...?"

"PROFESSOR," the strange man said. "Professor E.Gadd, at your service." He bent over in a little bow. "Now sit, sit! There's an overflow of Hoolumbian blend for all."

Green coffee? No thanks, Alasea inwardly blanched. She motioned for the others to join them at the table, and they all sat down.

"I have to admit, this is a pleasant surprise," R.D. said once they were all seated.

"How have things been since Cackletta?" Hugo asked, sitting comfortably on the table directly in front of Helena.

"Ah, yes!" Gadd said. "Luigi has told me all about your struggle against that nefarious witch. Of course, some of the details were a bit far-fetched." He took a sip of his coffee. "Giant mechanoids, indeed..."

Matt chuckled. Yeah, he couldn't blame Gadd for thinking THAT part of the story was a total crock.

"Even so," Gadd said as he put down his cup, "they assure me you are most trustworthy. Which is interesting, considering that we are currently in a situation ourselves, and more help would be very nice."

Mario and Luigi nodded with strong looks on their faces. "What's the problem?" Hugo asked.

"Simple," Gadd said. "Princess Peach is currently trapped within the past."

"... in the past?" R.D. repeated, sparing a glance at Matt. Matt was acutely aware of how complicated time travel could be.

"How did that happen?" Alasea pressed. "Some other magical artifact like the Beanstar?"

Gadd reached for the pitcher of green coffee on the center of the table. "My time machine, naturally! Drink?"

"A time machine?" Helena repeated. "You really have a TIME MACHINE?"

"Of course!" Gadd said. "I invented it and everything. Do you want a drink or not?"

"Oh! Yeah, I want one. Thank you."

Gadd reached over and poured steaming coffee into one of the nearby empty cups. The smell of baked beans sifted into the air and mixed with the other cafe aromas. "Anyway, I created a time machine in order to...well, travel through time. The princess was so delighted that she immediately took a trip back into the Mushroom Kingdom's past. Unfortunately, at that same time, the Mushroom Kingdom of the past was invaded!"

"By who?" Matt asked.

Gadd set down the pitcher with a dramatic license. "ALIENS."

"... aliens," R.D. repeated flatly. He can tell this adventure was already aiming to go downhill.

"Why exactly did you let the Princess take this kind of trip?" he asked, looking skeptical. "Its starting to sound like she gets a thrill out of being in danger all the time."

Alasea hesitantly nodded agreement. "Now that I think about it, it wasn't the smartest move to come to Beanbean while Cackletta was looking for her, was it?"

Mario shrugged with a large sigh.

"I won't lie - the Princess can be a...magnet for peril." Gadd took one last sip and smacked his lips, savoring the flavor. "Even so, this is all true! An invading force called the Shroobs have attacked the Mushroom Kingdom of the past. Plus, there's a massive barrier shielding the place, preventing us from entering it...for the moment."

"Do you have another invention that can break the barrier?" Hugo asked. "Can I see it?"

"We have something better!" Gadd said. "We've found an incredible fragment of glass that we think will generate enough power to shatter the barrier. Of course, it's quite volatile, so we're only going to use it when the time is right, but so far, I'm very positive about the potential outcome!"

Matt shot a glance at R.D.. He knew that he knew that HE KNEW what that meant.

Naturally, R.D.'s palm struck his face once more.

"Professor, I hate to burst your bubble, but that shard of glass is precisely why we're here," he explained. "And for the love of all that's good, please tell me no one has access to that shard."