(As Long as We're Together) Everything's Gonna Be Okay

Wario is Either Very Smart or Very Stupid, and Neither is Helping His Case

A knock on Nastasia's door has her angrily answering. "Get inside. Now." And pulling Wario inside without so much as a hello.

"You won't believe what Mario just tried resorting to." Wario manages to say as he's shoved against a wall.

"It doesn't matter anymore." Nastasia says, calm as ever. "Your part in this is over."

"What? No!" Wario shakes his head. "You can't pull me out now! I just brought Mario to his knees! Why would you sideline me now?"

"Your part of the plan has already been fulfilled, Wario. It's now Bowser's part of the plan to begin."

"My part in the plan is far from finished!" Wario argues. "So until you have a good explanation, I'm not going anywhere."

"The princess is going to vouch for Mr. L in his upcoming debut at the racetrack." Nastasia says.

"So? What does that have to do with me no longer being a part of the plan?"

"This was all about Mario, and for that to happen, Bowser needs to finally play out his part in the plan. Turning Mario in for embezzlement was just part one."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Wario demands.

"Grab a pen. You're taking the settlement."

It takes a few minutes, but finally, Nastasia has all the papers drawn up.

"This is the payoff you were promised. The kingdom offered it up to keep you quiet, and that's what you're going to do."

"No it's not!" Wario shouts.

"Would you rather I turned you in? Destroy your microgame empire in one fell swoop? This offer is more than fair."

"Not after taxes it won't. I was promised this would be worth my while, and that's as far of a cry as it gets."

"Refresh my memory." Nastasia requests. "Wasn't your microgame company starting to go belly up? And you were desperate for money to the point where you didn't even bother to look at who was offering it? And your microgames aren't even anything people outside Diamond City would even buy."

"People forget the time and effort that goes into them!" Wario defends.

"Exactly my point. So be glad you're being paid at all, otherwise you can just admit you made it all up and go away for a very long time." She holds up the papers again. "You take this, people will still wonder if you're telling the truth, because you taking the money means he didn't have to admit he was guilty. He may never get his job with the princess back because of it, and you're not sending the kingdom into complete ruin, because the upcoming Cup will replace it."

"There's not much to replace!" Wario reminds her. "It's a drop in the bucket! I don't care why you're doing this; I'm ripping those papers up."

Nastasia tosses the papers aside. "So. You appear to think you have any power here. You do not. I am the one running this show."

"But I'm the only one that knows that, aren't I? And your little green haired friend, who just happens to also be Mr. L's friend. Be a shame, wouldn't it, if I happened to let that slip, destroying what little sanity Mr. L has left with his memories gone."

"And you'd still walk away empty handed." Nastasia isn't even fazed. "On top of going away for making false accusations against Mario."

"Or I could just take my chances on my own." Wario shrugs. "I made it this far."

"Except you already handed over everything to the Chancellor." Nastasia replies, smug. "Which you only had because I fabricated it for you."

"So I ask for it back."

Nastasia laughs in his face. "The Chancellor is one of the most devoted people to their job I've ever seen. If any part of him believes the evidence, he's not going to let anyone near it, even the one that turned it over."

Now Wario pauses before trying, "Then I'll go to Mario and the Princess. Tell them everything and take whatever they're willing to pay me as thanks, on the condition I don't get put away."

"Now you're grasping at straws." Nastasia calls him out. "You ruined his life, and you think he'll just forgive you?"

"He thinks there's good in me." Wario reasons. "He believes I want to do good."

"I told you he was vulnerable from his brother breaking his heart, and you used that against him. And now he may not even be welcome in the Mushroom Kingdom for much longer. You can try to dress it up however you wish, but he will never forget." She picks up the papers again. "It's this or nothing, and you know it. What are you going to do?"

Wario takes them, pen in hand, but the longer he looks, the angrier he gets, until finally, he shakes his head, "No. Not happening." 

Wario walks towards the door with the papers in hand. "I have one more card to play."

Nastasia just watches him go, and when the door slams shut, she starts to smile.

"So smart, and so naïve..."

"This is a joke!" Wario throws the papers at Bowser. "I didn't sign up for wasting my time!"

"Luckily," Bowser grins. "My part in the plan has room for a partner. You got your phone?"

Wario holds it up. "Duh."

"Call Mario and say exactly what I tell you to."

"What if the kingdom never recovers?" Mario laments to Princess Peach at the castle. "Because I was dumb enough to trust someone I thought had a big bank account?"

"Mario, you're no thief." Peach says calmly. "And I'm your friend. There is not one doubt in my mind that when the Chancellor takes a good look at all of the evidence and testimonies that have since been submitted in your favor, Wario and whoever's pulling his strings are in for a very rude awakening."

"You sound pretty convincing." Mario notes.

"That's because it's true." Peach says simply, so Mario decides to go.

And get promptly stopped by his phone going off.

"Hello?"

"It's me. There's something we need to talk about. Immediately. "

Mario counts to ten, then says, "I'm in."