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It was one of those days where joints ached, the sun didn't shine, and the Star Spirits above just didn't seem to care what shape anybody was in.
Mario drew in even breaths of air, wiping the sweat from his brow. He turned the frog-shaped container upside-down, attempting to drain the last drops from the bottle that had been used earlier. Cuts, slashes, and bruises covered his body, a reminder of how close they had come to being defeated by one of Smithy's underlings. He sighed and allowed his tired eyes to scan the rest of the party.
Mallow sat next to the princess, both having seen better days. The young not-tadpole leaned against Toadstool's side, holding his right arm. He tried not to move it, clenching his teeth every time he had to. Toadstool, on the other hand, was holding the torn ends of her dress tight around a wound on her left leg. Out of energy, she couldn't heal the injury herself, and every time she shifted, Mallow would wince in pain at the pulled muscles in his arm. She murmured an apology as Mallow tried his best to grin and bear through the pain. He wasn't bursting into tears as he usually did. He was just a kid, but he was proving he could hold his own in a fight.
The plumber's gaze switched to Bowser, heaving and gasping for air as he sat against the nearest tree. His Chain Chomp peered about with suspicious eyes, intent on keeping Bowser protected until he could rise again. Blood flowed from the Koopa King's arms, something he gained by rushing claw-first at the spearing machine. He gripped his hands around the sources of streaming scarlet, crossing his arms to do so effectively. Getting a better hold of his injuries, the king pointed a half-hearted glare at the toy sitting up over to his right.
Finally, his eyes glided over to Geno. When the fight was over, and their attention had been redirected at themselves, it had been revealed that the possessed doll had taken the brunt of the assault. His few articles of clothing were torn up. They had been mussed and frayed from Gaz's playing and the battles they had fought up to that point, but now they almost seemed to belong in the trash. Although his cape and hat were looking bad, that was not the worst of it. The body itself, the entire doll that Gaz had kept in good condition as best a child could, was cracked deeply in several places. If the toy hadn't been inhabited by a star spirit, it would have been completely destroyed in the battle against Yaridovich.
Standing in front of your teammates while they recovered or prepared a devastating attack was a good tactic for somebody like Bowser, not for someone light and speedy.
Combating Yaridovich had been no walk through Star Hill. Almost every single item was used, the team was a wreck, and the townspeople still needed to be freed from wherever they were being held.
Deciding that the locked up people of Seaside Town needed to be attended to, the plumber pushed himself to his feet, his body begging for rest. He trudged off with the key Yaridovich had left, not saying a word as he went. One by one, sluggish and aching, the other teammates got to their feet and followed after their leader. Mallow kept pace with the limping Geno and Toadstool, biting his lower lip when it looked as if they would stumble and fall. Bowser butted his way in-between the princess and the star spirit, his only reaction being a grunt as they leaned against him.
Exhausted and needing rest, the five heroes made their way back into Seaside Town.
It was just one of those days. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't good either. But overall, they were alive. They could continue the search for the other Star Pieces, and keep up the war to protect their world.