Lies and Tribulations

## **Plot**

Fawful leaves the tower in quick fashion, leaving Dimentio to continue looking out over the Macroverse. He begins to think about his loyalty towards him, vowing to successfully bring down the bros and win over his approval, much like how he did the same with Cackletta. He uses his watch to teleport to Earth and meets with Kora once again. She lets him know that the artifact they have been searching for; revealed to be called the Dark Star, is being kept hidden somewhere as the signal is lost. Fawful reiterates that it has to be somewhere on the island as that is where it was found when it crash landed. Kora reassures Fawful that she along with her team had searched everywhere all over the hotspot where the meteor crashed. Fawful tells her that they need to find it before Dimentio does if they still want to have a life to live.

Back at the castle, Squirt, Mason, and Mark discuss answers for an exam they searched online. Rosalina enters the castle and tells Mario if he has told Luigi about the lights to which he reveals that he still has not and that he knows that the longer he takes, the more harm than good it will cause. Rosalina tells him that it's better he talk to him alone in the room. Mario takes her advice and they both head upstairs.

Mario is about to tell Luigi about the lights and their meaning but immediately holds back after hearing the atrocities and mayhem that ensue about the victim from Rosalina. As such, Mario tells him instead that the light he saw was merely just a reflection of the sun as Rosalina couldn't find a clear answer to anything to do with lights. Luigi becomes relieved, ironically stating he feels better that it was nothing bad. Mario immediately begins to feel nauseous and guilty, insisting he is going to rest up on the bed before vomiting on the side in a bucket.

Mario tells Rosalina that he has told Luigi about them but to not mention anything as he is "scared". Rosalina understands and agrees to not bring it up.

Fawful appears beside a store and unveils a weapon that emits a blue aura. He opens it and it unleashes a destructive blast to the nearby commercial stores and traffic. Mario and Luigi overhear the commotion and look at each other, knowing what to do next. They hop out of the castle and head towards the situation while Peach and Rosalina stay behind. Rosalina gains a sense of danger and tells Peach and Lizel to hide inside the castle. Confused they provoke her on what is wrong but she continues to tell them to simply hide. They do as she tells and leave. Rosalina enters a calming state and everything becomes silent. She hears Fawful entering below the balcony and leaps into the air, and attempts to shoot him with her magic. She battles with him alongside the castle, both shooting rays of energy at each other. Peach realizes what is happening and tells Lizel she is going to help and tells her to join, she responds that she cannot help but is really just afraid that Fawful will see her and reveal her true colors. Peach tells her what is wrong but she states that she simply does not feel too good and needs to rest. Peach leaves her to help Rosalina.

Mario and Luigi arrive at the site where the explosion occurred but are puzzled to find nothing wrong. The citizens seem to be just fine along with everything else. Suddenly Fawful appears behind a mirage of what is revealed to be an illusion bubble created by Fawful. He takes Luigi and heads towards the castle. Mario attempts to free him but becomes trapped by Fawful who plants a lock on the bubble, sealing Mario inside.

Peach and Rosalina continue fighting off the false illusion of Fawful but Lizel sees Fawful come into the castle with Luigi in his arms unconscious and unable to move from a restriction spell. Fawful also spots Lizel and tells her that he will do her a favor and say that she is the one who captured Luigi to Dimentio. Mario continues to struggle with the bubble's lock. Lizel begins to have trouble once again on if she should kidnap Luigi and take him away to the Macroverse for Dimentio's approval or stay behind. Lizel tells Dimentio that she thinks that Dimentio does not care about anyone else other than himself and they shouldn't waste their time trying to gain his approval. Fawful becomes disgusted, saying she would betray the person who has cared for her practically her whole life, training her to become a worthy bounty hunter. Mario finally breaks free of the bubble and sprints towarsd the castle. She tells Fawful that he is his own person and can make his own decisions, ending that if he chooses to kidnap Luigi, she "won't be able to let that happen". Fawful becomes furious, telling her he has to gain his approval, trying to grab Luigi away. Lizel blasts him into the rift, telling him that he hopes he finds out the truth one day and that he will become "free". Fawful is left into Viewer's Point, with the Mushroom Kingdom rift being sealed by Lizel.

She calls down Rosalina and Peach, telling them that this whole time they have been fighting off an illusion, and that the real Fawful attempted to kidnap Luigi and take him to Dimentio. They thank Lizel for everything, saying it was a miracle she came into their lives. Lizel takes their gratitude but ulimtately feels guilt about her true purpose. Mario finally arrives at the castle and is relieved to find Luigi who has awakened from his comatose state. They hug and thank Lizel once more for her heroicness.

Fawful tells Dimentio the news but doesn't become angry. Instead, he tells him that he knows it must be hard to kidnap someone secretly, especially if it's one of the bros. Thus, he tells Fawful that he will give him one more chance, but should he fail one last time, he will see what Dimentio's definition of "tough love" is.