Past Lives Could Never Come Between Us

16

"Phew." Luigi says when he reads the screen. "Whoever's doing this, they've got a gift. They leaned heavy into spoofing."

"No, really?" All bravado aside, Mario does look fascinated.

"I'm saying all magic leaves behind a signature trace when used." Luigi says. "It's different depending on the magic user. Like with Magikoopas, theirs is shapes. Whoever this is, they're using purple voids. Which according to every database I've read, hasn't been seen or recorded in centuries."

"So it's someone old school?" Mario asks.

"For this? No way." Luigi shakes his head. "Whoever this is needed all the help they could get. There's no way to use this much dark magic without utterly destroying yourself."

"I traced the beach you saw in Timpani's dreams." Pauline says. "It leads back to a house in a village not too far from it."

Luigi looks at the picture, "That's who I saw talking to Timpani in her dreams."

"We got an interrogation on our hands." Mario says.

"I'm not talking to you until you tell me where we are." The woman says flatly.

"As we said, you're in a secure facility." Luigi replies calmly.

"Then why the theatrics of going through a hidden pipe?" She demands.

"We want to know about your daughter, Timpani." Mario changes the subject.

"Specifically her involvement with the Tribe of Darkness." Luigi adds.

"Timpani always had so much heart. It's one of her greatest strengths." The woman says, wiping her eyes. "But it was also her biggest weakness."

"Meaning?" Luigi pushes.

"She always saw the good in everyone, even when it wasn't there." She explains. "And I always had to remind her not everyone was going to take kindly to her efforts, no matter how well intentioned. I wasn't exactly supportive about her involvement with the Tribe, but how could I be? The Tribe isn't shy about hating humans, and my human daughter was willingly talking to them. But I never thought they'd be so cruel as to banish and petrify her."

Luigi leans into Mario, "I think it's safe to say she's not our attacker."

"Excuse me?" The woman exclaims. "You think I attacked my own daughter? Why?"

"Someone used dark magic on the beach not too far from your house." Mario explains.

"We traced it back to here." Luigi adds.

"I don't use dark magic!" The woman defends. "I stay away from it altogether. I live a pretty quiet life, all things considered. That was all on her and whoever she associated with. Not me."

"So our dark magic users were stalking Timpani to make a convincing trail to her house to frame her mother for attacking her daughter?" Mario says to Pauline and Spike when they fill her in.

"And then wiped any trace of human that could've spoiled their precious magic." Pauline adds.

"And then actually got rid of her so no one would even know where she went until she fell out of the sky." Luigi says. "Whoever it is, they're dangerous."

"But not smart enough to hide their hotspot from me." Spike grins, handing them a paper. "Here's their address."

"Okay, what the hell?" Mario asks as they stand in the exact spot. "Is Spike losing his touch?"

"Nope." Luigi says as he stands next to him, mouth in a thin line. "Whoever they are wanted to bring us here."