Mushroom Kingdom Anew - Book 1

Chapter Twelve

Silence hung over the trio as they made their silent trek across the snowy path before them. From where they currently stood to Darkland, it was a quarter day walk. Usually, they were talkative during these long, travel-oriented trips. Chatting about life either as a regular human, or a guardian to the Mushroom Kingdom. But after their most previous escapade with the Magikoopa and ruined town, they're all reticent. What they witnessed was... disturbing, to say the least. All this time, their only view of the Mushroom Kingdom was a colorful and happy place. A Tyrannical King Steals the Alluring Princess, leaving the job of saving her to the Knight in Shining Armor. Typical, yet welcomed. But this was an unfamiliar world, filled with real issues and horrid truths, better kept buried under the ground. Or in the most recent case, snow.

Xavier still had a tired Ace gripping onto his back, seemingly swaying in a sleepy stupor. Xavier was also tired, having had yet to replenish his energy. The trio very well could've stayed at the inn to rest, but the memories of the abandoned town and gored citizens was too much.

Terry walked beside them, the only one lacking a trance. She kept her gaze trained on the snow in front of her, eyeing the track she made with her shoes shuffling. Thanks to the Ice Flower, she didn't feel the least bit cold. These power ups really did have an odd effect here. Fire abilities grant immunity to the disturbing itch and sweat sensation of the desert, and Ice abilities for the numbing cold.

"Shouldn't be far... six hours at best..." Ace mumbles into Xavier's shoulder. He nods and squints ahead, trying to get a grip on what lay before them. It wasn't storming, but the snowfall and fog combined still made it difficult to see anything in front of them.

"Shit..." The blonde suddenly sighs next to them, rubbing her temples and groaning. "That town really screwed us, didn't it?"

"Of course it did. We just saw the happenings of a cannibal, and what occurs when you don't stop it." Xavier replied, equally disturbed as the thought was brought back up.

"That would've been me if you guys didn't step in..." Ace mumbled fearfully. He sighed into Xavier's mop of a hairstyle, misty air coming from his opened mouth as he exhaled. "Thanks..."

"Don't mention it, we did what we had to do." Terry responded. "Still... this task ended up being a lot more daunting than anticipated... I'm kinda scared of what's waiting for us after this."

"We'll manage." The brown haired kicker replied simply. "We always do." But even with that, the group was uncertain of what was yet to come. Even Xavier himself had a hard time believing his own words. What exactly was their next challenge? Could they manage?

Silence befell the group once more, uncertainty drifting between them. A realization struck that this was far more than a physical battle. Xavier remembered watching some movies based on the war, how the soldiers were scared to shit, soiling themselves on the battlefield out of pure fear. They could die in an instant, and that would be it. Nobody would see it coming, and nobody ever will. So what makes this so different? The trio had gone up against every menace imaginable, and while usually coming out unscathed physically, they've struggled with this mentally. At the end of the day, the only thing that's truly certain is that some desperate king hired three teenagers to save the world.

"Hold up..." Terry mumbled suddenly, sticking her arm out in front of Xavier. The brunet halts and narrows his eyes. Something stood amidst the snow and fog, a shadowy figure with a shape far too familiar to them. It just stood there, menacingly still. The trio shuddered, feeling eyes boring right into them.

"Fucking Koopas..." Xavier muttered. The Koopa ahead started to walk towards them slowly, making sure to add the louring effect be as cogent as possible. Terry and Xavier broke into their usual defensive positions, ready for yet another unwelcomed fight. The creature broke into a sprint, and eventually tucked away into its shell. It moved fast, far too fast for a turtle tucked into a shell. Before either could even think of reacting, Xavier was struck in the chin by the shell, being flung backwards and dropping Ace along the way.