Merlon, for Clairvoyance Training

Mario marched a moderate pace from the Queen Toadstool’s Royal Bedchambers to the West Gate. He had made this trip so many times now, he could probably find his way between those two locations in the pitch dark now. Vydehyne followed close by, floating majestically in the air and booping nearby people playfully. A few of them reacted, turning around to see that no one was there, but most just became a little flushed in the face or their breathing quickened. Mario did his best to ignore it.

He still didn’t fully trust Vidyhyne. The old paranoia flaring up anytime he thought about her. It’s not that he didn’t believe her about being bored and was seeking entertainment, that much made sense from what Mario understood about her and deities in general. Immortality got boring, and you had to fill the time and the void with something. But Mario refused to believe that she was just here to watch. Sure, she said that she was wanting a playmate last night, but if she’d actually found one, she wasn’t being forthcoming with the details. She had to have had some kind of long-term goal, and even if Mario asked, he wasn’t completely sure if he could believe what her answer would be. Not that she’d lied to him yet, but there were also some things she wouldn’t talk about either. Also there was just something about her, something that sent Mario on edge and into fight-or-flight mode. Maybe it was how she flew through the air like gravity was a suggestion rather than a law, wings hardly flapping, or how uncanny she seemed to appear when glanced at through the corner of Mario’s eye, or the way she clipped through walls, people, and other obstacles like they weren’t there. Maybe it was all of the above. In any case, Mario was certain that he couldn’t fully trust her just yet. At least, not until he got to know her a little bit more.

Heading out the double doors, Mario was greeted with the sight of the cobblestone bridge that a nubile Peach had crossed only just yesterday, leading a crowd of people who were similarly destitute of clothing. Mario crossed the bridge, smiling at the memory, to find that a team of Toad attendants equipped with trash baskets and grabbing claws cleaning the grounds of discarded clothing and other items that hadn’t been picked up from the festivities of the previous day. Oddly enough, condoms, spent or otherwise, weren’t among the discarded items. Mario tried to think back to the day of the orgy. Were there anyone using condoms? At all? But he couldn’t see the memory clearly anymore. All he remembered was Peach, the two Toadettes scissoring, and enough semen to cover the entire Audience Chamber in a white blanket. Everything else was a lust-induced haze. Mario guessed even if there were anyone cognizant enough to wear a rubber that day, it was all moot anyways. Only time would tell just how many people got knocked up during that orgy.

Putting that thought out of his mind for now, Mario passed by the checkpoint on the way to Toad Town. After waiting for the guards to perform their routine inspection, Mario tipped his hat to them and exited out the iron gates that enclosed the whole of the castle grounds.

Finding his way through Toad Town on his way to Merlon’s house was easy enough, Mario had been going there for years. He and the old wizard had become quite good friends. From the Castle Gates, it was just a walk west to the Plaza, and then a shorter walk north. The building itself was easily recognizable by its violet brick exterior with white wood trim, topped with a steep indigo roof reminiscent of a pointed wizard’s hat.

As he walked through the streets of Toad Town, Mario tried to get a feel for the general mood of the town. There was a lot of awkwardness, that much was to be expected, but the mood was certainly a lot lighter than it had been the day prior. Yes, there was definitely a much more cheery and happy atmosphere, just undercut with a mix of embarrassment as people looked at each other and then quickly away, blushing; not quite meeting each other’s eyes; or accidentally touching someone else, only to jerk away like they’d received an electric shock. That would stop with time, but hidden even deeper under that was a feeling of anxiety and apprehension, but a different kind than normal, like when the residents were expecting an attack from the Koopa King. Mario couldn’t quite pick up on the reason why, but he had his suspicions. Then there was a third emotion masking it all: excitement. Wherever he went, all Mario heard was talk about the upcoming Toadstool Tea Banquet:

“What should I wear?” “Should we even wear anything?” “I have this lovely sheer dress…,” “What do you think there’ll be to eat?” “Y’think the Queen would be on the menu?” “Maybe Mario’s menu.” “I hope there’s alcohol.” “Dude, it’s a TEA banquet.” “It says she’ll be making announcements.” “I wonder what about?” “You’re wearing that??” “I wish they were having coffee instead.” “Dude, I’d take a Chuckola over some leaf water!”

All snippets of different conversations that Mario overheard on his way to Merlon’s, but one thing was clear: the Banquet was the talk of Toad Town, and everyone would be in attendance.

Mario opened the door to Merlon’s without knocking and was immediately greeted by the old wizard, “Ah, Mario, welcome! I foresaw your arrival.”

“Hello, Merlon,” Mario replied, shutting the door behind him. Inside the building was a blue room with dim lights, the main source of which was the crystal ball sitting on a table in the middle of the room. Other than chairs to go with it, it was fairly spartan in here, and if there were any other rooms in the house, Mario didn’t know how to access them. Merlon called this place his home, but it was more of a fortune telling shop than anything else. Then again, the old man and his family were capable of teleportation, and they were also a fairly secretive lot. For all Mario knew, Merlon had his own castle out there somewhere that he went home to every night.

“I heard about what happened after you left my shop yesterday,” Merlon said as he poured out a cup of tea, his dark-skinned hands the only clue to his ethnicity. Everything else about him was covered in a long, blue robe clasped with a Star Point brooch, even his face was hidden in the shadow of his hood. A gloriously long and bushy mustache flowed out from beneath it, silvered with age, “Even one such as I could not foresee such fortuitous circumstances!”

Mario nodded, remembering the encounter. He visited the wizard yesterday, seeking advice from the heavens, which inevitably sent him on the path to retrieving the Grimoire Fantasia. Judging from Merlon’s statement, Mario guessed that the old wizard could not use his powers of foresight to predetermine Mario’s actions with the Tome.

“It was certainly an experience,” Mario agreed.

“I suppose congratulations are in order as well!” Merlon smiled sagely at him, “After years of hard work and dedication, you’re finally marrying Princess Peach! Er, I mean, Queen Toadstool,” he swiftly corrected himself.

“That information already got out?” Mario frowned, then realized, “Oh, you foresaw it, of course.”

“Indeed,” Merlon nodded.

“Speaking of,” Mario pulled himself up a seat, “I’m ready to continue my training.”

The training that Mario spoke of was that of his Third Eye. It had been opened up for him by the wizard Bestovius during one of his previous adventures, allowing him to temporarily see into and interact with the fourth dimension. But that power came at a heavy price: Mario could only use it for but a few seconds before it began to take its toll on his body. First was the headache, which would slowly form into a migraine. After that came the nosebleeds. The furthest Mario had ever pushed himself before his training was a full minute. By then he had almost passed out and was bleeding profusely from every orifice.

But now, thanks to Merlon’s training, Mario could now hold the power for a minute with no side effects, and had even learned how to use crystal balls to throw his vision through space and time, the beginnings of true clairvoyance. But Mario was starting to get impatient with his progress, he didn’t want to be as old as Merlon before he could use the power of foresight with virtually no repercussions. Hence, why he had scheduled an appointment with two particular women, but where were they? They were certainly taking their sweet time getting here.

Merlon nodded sagely, “Of course. You’re making astounding progress for someone who isn’t a descendant from the Tribe of the Ancients.”

“That’s high praise coming from you,” Mario smiled amicably, but under the surface he was starting to get irritated. Did the entry not take? Nearby he heard Vide giggle, as though she could sense his frustration.

But then, just as Mario was beginning to lose hope that he won’t be getting lucky this morning, the door opened, almost blinding the two occupants with the natural sunlight coming in from outside. Two figures walked through the threshold, shutting the door behind them.

“Pardon the intrusion!” a woman said.

“We were wanting to talk to Mario about something,” said another woman, her voice similar to the first, “Is that okay, granddad?”

Mario didn’t need to wait for his eyes to readjust to know who was at the door: the twin sisters, Merlee and Merluvlee. A little late for Mario’s liking, but better than never.

“Ah, if it isn’t my two lovely daughters! What a pleasant surprise!” Merlon smiled, “But whatever business could you have with Mario?”

“There’s an experiment that we’re conducting that only he can help with,” Merlee replied, “I know he’s here for training, but if this works, this could increase his growth exponentially!”

“Really, now? How interesting,” Merlon mused as he rubbed his chin, “Well, in that case, I have no objections. What do you think, Mario?”

“Well, if it’ll help my training, I don’t see why not,” Mario shrugged nonchalantly, but on the inside he was jumping for joy. This was going to be fun, and he might even get a boost in power from it. “Sorry if I made you waste any time, old friend.”

“No apologies needed,” Merlon replied, “I’m just surprised that I didn’t foresee this occurrence. The future has been very murky as of late, and I can’t determine the cause. All I can say is this: there is an era of great change coming, and we must be prepared to meet it.”

“And that’s different from any other time how?” Mario asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

“Ha! I supposed I should’ve expected such cheek from you, my friend,” Merlon laughed, “Go on, get out of here! Before I turn you into a newt!”

“Stay here and get turned into a lizard,” Mario pretended to muse, holding out his hands like the two cups of a balance scale, “Or leave in the company of two beautiful women. Decisions, decisions.”

“Okay, that’s enough you two,” Merluvlee hooked her arm under Mario’s as Merlee did the same on the other side, “We got places to be!”

“Take care, you three,” Merlon waved, and then the two shamans teleported, taking the Royal Plumber with them.

Once they were gone, Merlon’s face lost its jovial expression, “I should have foreseen that. I should have foreseen a lot of things,” he said peering into the misty crystal ball on the table before him, “It’s almost as though something is deliberately blocking my vision.”