Super Mario Bros.

This is a fan fiction I have been working on for nearly two years. It's my longest story yet, covering 47 pages on Microsoft Word. I hope you enjoy reading it!

Prologue

For many generations, mankind has imagined many worlds full of fantasy and wonder. If mankind were to visit a world as strange and mysterious as the Mushroom Kingdom, even the most imaginative artists would be in undeniable awe. The Mushroom Kingdom was a beautiful spectacle, best known and cherished for its wonderfully colorful mushrooms. In this land lived human-like inhabitants, most of whom were born as the mushrooms covering the land. But also inhabiting the world were vicious monsters of all sorts. Piranha Plants, red-headed venus fly trap-like monsters with white spots all over their head and green, thorny vines; white ghosts with small black eyes and vampire teeth known as Boos; moles, big and small; giant turtles known as Koopas; and even a wide variety of dinosaurs! Protecting the people from these nightmares were three heroic guardians; Vernon, a strong and mighty warrior who was considered to be the muscle of the group; Flora, the female who, alongside her assistance in fighting, helped treat and grow the plants of the kingdom; and Samera, the leader who had a power that earned him the title as the greatest of the warriors. He used the plants of the Mushroom Kingdom to his advantage, which was why Flora was considered an important part of the group. He used the mushrooms to grow stronger. He used the striped leaves to grow a pair of cat ears and a cat tail, as well as the ability to fly. He used the red flowers to shoot fire from his hands. He could even use the wind blowing through the kingdom to leap higher than ever before. He was such an essential warrior that the people of the Mushroom Kingdom believed that the day he falls would be the day the kingdom falls as well.

But then, one day, a great monster arose from underground and attacked the Mushroom Kingdom. It was a Piranha Plant ten times the average size, and its vines grew across the Kingdom by the second and attacked the civilians. Samera attempted to defeat this evil monster, but in the encounter, the monster wrapped its vines around him, preventing him from moving. But before the plant could destroy Samera for good, Vernon decided to make a sacrifice. He leaped into the plant’s mouth, jumped down its throat, and killed it from the inside. While Samera was able to recover, Vernon died in his encounter. Everyone mourned at the loss of their warrior, but Samera grew the most depressed. Not only did he fail to save the city himself, but he lost a great friend because of it. Vernon believed that he had sacrificed himself to save a leader greater than he, but the truth is that no one, not even Samera, had the courage to do something so brave. Samera believed that he was the greater warrior. Because of that, Samera almost left his position, but Flora attempted to talk him out of it.

“You can’t do that!” shouted Flora, “The Mushroom Kingdom needs you, Samera! You can’t let your mourning of Vernon’s death get in the way!”

“Vernon sacrificed himself to save me because I couldn’t save myself!” replied Samera. “I can no longer protect the kingdom!”

“Yes you can!” said Fauna, “You can’t let one defeat get in the way of your duties! You’re still the greatest warrior this kingdom has to offer! This power of yours is still essential to the kingdom’s survival!”

After plenty of thought into what Flora said, Samera decidedly remained in his position, but he knew that wasn’t enough. Times were growing darker for the Mushroom Kingdom, and their last encounter was proof of that. Because of that, they began searching for a third warrior to fight with them. Many people turned down the position, as they did not want to endanger their lives, even if it led to the survival of the kingdom. Eventually, however, one man willing to take the risk stepped forward. This man was famous for his use of sorcery, something very unique for a sacred warrior. His name was Agona, and through a book given to him by his father, he had been studying spells and the control of dark forces since he was very young. What separated him from evil was that he only wished to use his powers for the good of the Mushroom Kingdom. Because of that, he was recruited. He didn’t know any martial arts, but he sure did use his magic as an art! He and his magic forces were in tune with each other completely. Samera thought it was like Agona moved with the magic, but Agona said it was more like the magic moved with him. He fought in many battles alongside Samera and Flora, and it seemed like peace in the Mushroom Kingdom was sealed for good. Agona turned out to be the greatest warrior the Mushroom Kingdom ever had; even Samera admitted to that.

As the future for the Mushroom Kingdom looked brighter and brighter, Samera and Flora found that they were falling in love with each other. Samera attempted to resist, as he did not want a relationship getting in the way of his duty or hers, but it was a feeling unlike any other, and he simply could not help it! He consulted an oracle named Merlon, and he asked him if it would be safe to start a relationship under the circumstances. Merlon used his powers to look deep into this, and his discovery shocked even him.

“Oh, Samera,” said Merlon, “Not only would it be safe to start a relationship……. It would be absolutely necessary. Dark times for the Mushroom Kingdom are approaching! One man is going to unleash an army of darkness and bring the kingdom to its doom!”

“Who? Who’s going to send out this army?” asked Samera.

“…. Do you really want to hear this?” asked Merlon. Samera nodded. “Sigh…. Your student…. Agona…….. He will use his powers to release an army from hell and use it to destroy the Mushroom Kingdom.”

“But if this dark army is coming, how will starting a relationship protect us? If anything, love would stand in the way of our encounters!”

“Wait…. There’s more……. This bond of yours will create a light shield. The life of the shield will be powered by the life of you, Flora, and any child you two have. It will repel any darkness from entering the Mushroom Kingdom. It will be the one thing that will keep the dark army out.”

Samera grew scared after this encounter. He was scared that the greatest warrior in the Mushroom Kingdom would actually become its biggest threat. So, as much as he hated to, he banished Agona from the kingdom. Agona never understood why. It is true that magic can be considered a sin, but he vowed only to use it for the greater good, and now Samera is seeing him as evil. He vowed vengeance against Samera and all the Mushroom Kingdom; he had done only good, and yet they found him as a sin!

Before too long, Samera and Flora were married, and they became known as the king and queen of the Mushroom Kingdom. A grand city was built in their honor, with a castle rising above the city for them to live in. Before too long, Samera managed to see the sky in the Mushroom Kingdom looking brighter than usual. He figured this was the light shield Merlon spoke of. They had hoped every day that they would eventually gain a child, but with no luck. Even so, they continued to fight any monsters they encountered, and the Mushroom Kingdom remained in peace for many years to come.

Little did they know that Agona was planning his greatest scheme for revenge. During his studies in much darker magic, he learned of a spell in which he could turn into a devil himself and gain control of the monsters inhabiting the Mushroom Kingdom through their minds. He cast a spell upon himself that transformed him into a monstrous beast. His hair grew red. His eyes turned glowing red. His teeth sharpened themselves to a point, as did his nails which turned into claws. He grew horns, and he gained a monstrous shell with several spikes on his back. He grew a tail which had spikes as well. Before too long, he realized that he turned himself into the most monstrous Koopa alive. Because of his unique transformation, he chose to change his name to something darker, to strike fear into those who opposed him. He was now known as Bowser.

He built a hovercraft device, a cup-shaped device, painting a clown face on it just to be artsy, and began his ascent to the Mushroom Kingdom once again. He used his powers to seize control of the creatures in the kingdom, and he even turned some of the mushrooms into brown monsters with giant eyes, stubby legs, and sharp teeth, calling them Goombas. These creatures began to invade the kingdom, conquering all the people living in the city. Before too long, Samera and Flora came in to save the day. Bowser approached them and attempted to kill them using special wind-up bombs he built himself called Bob-ombs. Thankfully, the two were able to escape, but Samera knew what he was up against.

“Who else would want to kill them this desperately?” he said, “Who else would be powerful enough to control the minds of these creatures?”

They had to do something before he destroyed the entire kingdom! They attempted to consult Merlon, but they soon realized that not only was he captured, but his shrine was rigged with Bob-ombs as a trap. Samera pushed Flora out of the shrine before it blew to smithereens, but was unable to escape himself. Flora ran as fast as she could through the city, attempting to find someplace where she could hide. She eventually found a library where none of the monsters were attacking. She went inside, sat behind one of the shelves, and went into tears. Merlon, imprisoned by Bowser, contacted Flora through telepathy.

“Flora……. Flora……. Can you hear me?” asked Merlon.

“Yes…… Yes, I hear you…..” replied Flora, “I thought you said that this light shield would protect us from this dark army!”

“This is only control of the creatures you have fought before. Bowser will unleash something far worse.”

“What are we to do, then? Samera’s dead and we have never made a single child!”

“There is a way, Flora……. It would be possible to combine the souls of you and Samera to create a descendant in another world. 

With this descendant, the light shield will remain active. There’s only one condition to this spell…. You will have to die. Your soul will have to leave the kingdom in order for it to work.”

After hearing that shocking statement, Flora pulled a dagger out of her pocket and placed the tip of the blade directly on her chest, preparing to kill herself.

“Okay, I will do that Merlon. On one condition……. Make her a beautiful child. One that the Mushroom Kingdom will look upon as if they’re looking at the sparkling beauty of the stars themselves. Peach soft skin…. Sparkling blue eyes…… And shimmering blonde hair……”

Merlon agreed to this, and Flora then stabbed herself in the chest, allowing Merlon to create the descendant. It was done. The Mushroom Kingdom was now safe.

With Samera and Flora now destroyed, Bowser then crowned himself as the new king of the Mushroom Kingdom. He learned of a special spell that could make his new army more powerful than ever. It could only occur when all the planets in the system surrounding the Mushroom Kingdom were aligned. He could then harvest the power from the cores of each of the planets to give him and his new army an energy boost, making it the darkest army the world has ever seen. He then spoke to Merlon about whether or not anything would get in the way of the spell. Merlon then explained the shield of light Flora and Samera had created, and that there is now another descendant outside the Mushroom Kingdom. Where? Even Merlon couldn’t answer that question. Bowser decided to send many search parties all across the universe, searching every star for the child. For 25 years, they had failed to find this princess. But then, one night, Merlon had a vision of the princess matured and inhabited on a faraway planet called Earth. Merlon regrettably told Bowser of this, and he called back every search party he sent out to prepare for the greatest ceremony the Mushroom Kingdom has ever known. 

Chapter 1

Once Upon a Time in Brooklyn

Our story began in Brooklyn, New York, where two Italian brothers named Mario and Luigi Rosemary lived. They ran a plumbing service around town known as Mario Brothers Plumbing; they called it that because Mario paid the investments that allowed them to start the service in the first place. Unfortunately, their service was extremely unsuccessful, and their income was starting to diminish. The only things they could pay for at that point were gas to fuel their van, the phone bill for a cell phone they used to run their service, the quarters needed to wash their clothes at a Laundromat, and the cheapest food they could find. They couldn’t pay for new clothes, so they always wore the same clothes every day; shirts, overalls, shoes, socks, white gloves, and caps with their first initials on them; Mario wore red, and Luigi wore green. They also had to cut their own hair and mustaches, using a cheap pair of scissors they found at a dollar store, but they were never very good at it. They couldn’t even afford an apartment to live in, so they had to live in their van! But they always had hope that one day, their luck would change.

It all began one day, when the two had received their first call of the day. Mario answered the phone and said, “Mario Brothers Plumbing; how can we help you?”

“Hello, Mario,” answered the caller. “It’s John from Bushwick Laundry! We have a giant leak over here and we require your assistance!”

“Okey-Dokey,” replied Mario, “Luigi and I will be over there in 30 minutes or less.” Mario hung up the phone and turned to Luigi. “That was Bushwick Laundry. We’d better get going before it‘s too late!”

“Let’s get rolling, then!” said Luigi.

So, at 2:35, they grabbed their tools, hopped into the front seats, and pulled out the keys. Mario attempted to start the van up, but it took about three tries to get it started. Mario began to get a little nervous, so he rushed out of the parking lot they were in, damaging a couple of cars behind them along the way. On their way to Bushwick, Mario was driving safely, but right around 2:55, he began to run obvious red lights, run stop signs, and pass other cars without signaling. He had a traffic officer following him on a motorcycle, but Mario ignored him.

“Slow down, Mario!” screamed Luigi. “We’ll get there in time if we just drive safely!”

“Nonsense!” replied Mario. “Have you seen the traffic out there? If we don’t make it to this job on time, we won’t be able to pay for our gas! Sometimes, you have to risk something big to get something even bigger!”

Finally, they arrived at Bushwick Laundry. Mario leaped out of the car faster than ever before, pulled out his tools, crashed through the door, and said “So, what-a needs fixing?”

John walked out from behind the counter and says “Your watches, apparently.” He points at the clock, which said 3:10.

“Ohhhh, Mama Mia!” exclaimed Mario.

Just then, the traffic officer busted in and gave him fine notices for a total of $1250. Mario began to go into a serious trance. He couldn’t pay for this traffic fine. He couldn’t even pay for gas! He looked around him and saw that everyone in the room was glaring at him. He felt like a shameful loser, not being accepted by anyone, not even himself. Just then, Luigi walked in and walked Mario out. They saw that a tow truck was taking their van away. This made Mario feel even worse. He was losing everything, but he realized that he didn’t really have anything to begin with.

“Well, at least now we don’t have to worry about that gas!” said Luigi. Mario did not respond, for he just felt too depressed.

Later that afternoon, Mario and Luigi went down to a neighborhood diner. Luigi thought that a nice cup of coffee would help Mario relax for a bit, but he still spent their time there worrying about how they were going to pay for everything.

“Don’t worry, Mario,” said Luigi, “Our plumbing service will gain some luck eventually. In the mean time, perhaps I’ll just try to get a second job over at the cleaners.”

“Good luck with that,” replied Mario. “Sigh…. This is not working out for us at all, Luigi. We need to find something bigger and better out there. Something within our risqué.”

“Well,” replied Luigi, “In case you haven’t noticed, Mario, we don’t really have any other risqué. We spent our entire lives learning about plumbing, hearing about how we could make a decent living off of it. Now look where we are! Look, why don’t we just take off the 30-minute guarantee? The traffic is too busy out there!”

“We can’t! That’s the only thing that attracts people to our service! Without it, they’d just end up calling more professional-looking phony-boloney services.”

“Sounds to me like my two favorite customers are back in the dumps!” eavesdropped the waitress. She was a young blonde lady in a pink shirt, pink dress, and white apron, carrying a coffee pot. Her name was Peach, and she had been friends with Mario and Luigi since they moved to Brooklyn. She worked as an English teacher to pay all her bills, but she had been wanting a brand new car since her old car’s engine broke down. So, she got a job at the diner nearby her apartment. Her paycheck brought her closer and closer every day, and she received a lot of tips as well. But ever since Mario and Luigi started going into poverty, she decided to start paying for their coffee using her tips. She always suggested that they get something else, but they didn’t want to be a burden.

“Yeah, pretty much!” replied Mario. “The pressure of getting to our customers on time sent me into a complete road rage today. We just got a large traffic fine; $1250; and they towed our van away because of that! We can’t run our service without our van, we can’t pay the fine without any money, and we can’t get the money without running our service! And plus, that van was the only home we had.”

“Wow,” replied Peach, “Sounds like the pressure really got into you this time.”

“Exactly what I was thinking.” said Luigi.

“Don’t consider it a crime, guys.” sighed Mario, “Consider it an act of desperation.”

Peach stared at Mario, crossing his arms with his head down. This man had many talents in plumbing, and yet he turned out to be the biggest failure. She realized that she was the only one feeling sorry for him. She was the only one that cared. She was the only one that could and would help him. She thought about what she could do, and realized that there was only one thing she could do, despite how crazy it sounded. She pulled out her checkbook, wrote out a check for $1250, and put it in Mario’s hand. Mario looked at the check, then looked up at Peach.

“Peach, I couldn’t accept this!” replied Mario. “What about your car?”

“Consider it an act of desperation!” said Peach.

“Peach, this isn’t your problem right now,” replied Mario, “I can’t let you give up on your goals just to get me off the ground.”

Peach knelt down to Mario, holding his hand and looking into his eyes.

“Mario,” she said, “Do you know why I started paying for all of your coffee?”

“Because you felt sorry for me?” replied Mario.

“No, because the first time we met, I saw a man with more confidence and determination than anyone I knew before. I saw a man who felt like he could triumph over the impossible. And from that moment on, I never wanted to see that man drift away. I paid for all of your coffee because I knew that it was the one thing that could keep you happy and on your feet during these kind of situations. But now, it looks like even that’s not doing the job. If retrieving your car is the only thing that will bring you back on your feet…….. Then it’s a worthy sacrifice in my eyes.”

Mario continued to stare for a moment, totally stunned that fate had just delivered what he considered to be a pure, inevitable miracle.

“Well, go on,” said Peach, “Say something.”

“Thank you, Peach,” replied Mario.

Suddenly, Peach realized that her other customers were calling out to her. “Oh, pardon me,” laughed Peach, “I’ll see you boys later.” And with that, she went off to serve the others.

While that was going on, Luigi started to give Mario a quirky look. Mario replied “What?”

“Come on,” replied Luigi, “I saw that look in your eye. You like her, don’t you?”

“No!” exclaimed Mario, “Even if I did, I don’t think it would work out. She’s like the modern day princess. I’m just a watered down plumber! What would she see in me anyway?”

“Well, she did just hand you a thousand-dollar check.”

“True……”

“Peach cares about you, Mario. Isn’t it about time you started caring about her? Just go up there and ask her out!”

“Where could I ask her out to? Apart from this check, we’re completely broke!”

“At this time of the year, a walk in the park sounds reasonable. Think about it; just the two of you, walking and talking, then a glimpse at the sunset as it sparkles on the river…”

“Stop it, you’re embarrassing me!”

“So, you’re embarrassed to be in love?”

Just then, Peach walked in to talk to them. “Alright, your bill is covered. You boys have a safe trip home, OK?”

“We’ll try our best!” replied Luigi.

As Mario got up, he started to wonder what he should do. Peach was right there, and he had the opportunity to ask her out. Was he going to take it? Did she really deserve him? What was she going to say? There was only one way to answer all those questions……..

“Peach?”

“Yes, Mario?”

“What time to you get off?”

“About 6:30. Why?”

“Well….. I was wondering…… If maybe you and I could…. Go for a walk in Prospect Park? You know, just spend some extra time together…. Talk to each other…..”

Peach placed her index finger on his lips, silencing him, and said “I’d love to.”

Mario looked at Peach, surprised. “Great! So, I’ll see you there around 7:00?”

“7:00.”

“Alright! Thanks again, Peach! See you at 7!”

As Mario and Luigi were walking out, Mario became enthusiastic and Luigi was congratulating him. He had done it. He wasn’t afraid anymore.

Chapter 2

The Dream of Dreams

“……. My father kept telling me that I had more potential to do something I’ve always wanted to do, but I kept telling him that all I wanted to do was make a living,” said Mario whilst on his date with Peach. “Pretty ironic, right?”

“He’s right, you know,” replied Peach. “My mother always told me that living life isn’t the same as being alive. I’d rather make a standard income doing what I love to do than make a million dollars being miserable.”

“See, the problem is that I never really understood what I wanted to do with my life. There’s really nothing out there that sparks my interest.”

“Well, what profession did your father have?”

“My father was the greatest Italian chef in America! He connected with his herbs and spices like they were his blood cells!”

“How come you never got into cooking?”

“Well, I did attempt it once, but I ended up causing a fire that burnt down his restaurant. That’s how most of my attempts at professions went. I attempted it, and then I failed at it. It always embarrasses me.”

“My mother also told me ‘If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again.’”

“You’re not the first to tell me that! But I never really saw the point to it. If I don’t succeed the first time, what are the chances that I’ll succeed the second time?”

“If you really like something, it’s always worth it to try again.”

“The embarrassment I get from failure causes me to not like it anymore.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll find what you’re looking for someday.”

Finally, they reached a bridge crossing over a stream leading to the Prospect Park lake, just in time to see the sunset, as it reflected sparkles on the lake.

“You know what I think of when I look at sunsets?” said Peach. “I think of what the future will bring. It’s like, the day is done, so what’s going to happen tomorrow, or the next day, or the next week? I like to think about what lies beyond the horizon. Not just for me, but also for the people I care about the most.”

“What do you see in my future?” replied Mario.

“I see you accomplishing what you thought was impossible. I see you becoming the greatest hero the world has ever known. I see everyone in the world cheering, applauding, and shouting your name. When the challenge arises, you will be the one to step up and be the man everyone wants you to be.”

“What do you see in your future?” asked Mario.

“I see myself in the arms of this grand hero, hoping that he finally realizes that he is a man worthy of the modern day princess.”

“You know, you are without a doubt the most enthusiastic, enlightening, and…. most…… beautiful person I have ever met. Why do you believe that I have all this potential?”

“Why are you being so negative about yourself? Every man is meant to do great things, Mario. Your time of triumph is coming. And as it finally happens, you know that I’ll be there to hold your hand…”

As they talked, they started to hold hands, getting closer to each other. This is it. Mario has finally gotten the girl he’s always wanted, and now they were about to share a kiss. They closed their eyes, pulled themselves toward each other, and…..

Suddenly, just before they got close enough to each other, a mysterious man in a robe knocked Mario unconscious with a large tree branch.

“AHH! MARIO!!” screamed Peach, just before she got a bandana tied around her mouth, preventing her from speaking.

“Silence, princess,” said the man in the robe. “The last thing we want is to attract attention.”

Peach muffled “Princess?”, but he and his other robed friends could not hear it. Peach got a closer look at these men, and saw that they were really what looked like giant yellow turtles with green shells and sunglasses. Peach knew something strange was going on.

“Let’s go, guys,” stated the leader, “The princess mustn‘t be late for her date with King Bowser.”

Then, the robed figures ran off with Peach, laughing silently along the way. As Mario watched them take Peach away, he started to faint, until he finally went unconscious.

The next thing Mario knew, he was looking at black empty space around him, and he saw a figure in the distance. He saw it float up to him. It was a mysterious man in a purple robe, with yellow glowing eyes and a white mustache on his covered-up face.

“Greetings, Mario,” stated the mysterious man.

“How do you know my name?” replied Mario.

“Because Peach knows you, Mario. My name is Merlon. There’s a lot to explain, so I’ll try to cut down on the bigger details. It all started……”

Merlon explained how Peach was really the princess of the distant Mushroom Kingdom. He explained the great war that went on many years ago. He explained the three guardians, how Bowser took over the kingdom, and how Peach is the only thing that’s keeping the Mushroom Kingdom alive.

“Why have you come before me?” replied Mario.

“Peach was right, Mario. You have more potential than you think. You are the only hope for the Mushroom Kingdom now. Every one thousand years, the stars and planets in the system surrounding the Mushroom Kingdom will align. That time is coming once again. If he sacrifices Peach at the exact time that they align, Bowser will be able to make his army more powerful than ever before. You are to rescue the princess from Bowser before he does so.”

“How will I do that? I’m not exactly the physical type, in case you haven’t noticed.”

“When I combined the souls of Flora and Samera, I left behind a small part of Samera’s soul. It contains his special power to use the plants of the kingdom to his advantage. I will grant you this power, and you will have the strength to save the princess. But first, you must promise to use this power only to do good for the kingdom.”

“Only if it will save Peach’s life.”

“You will wake up. In your pocket, you will find a small marble-like orb. You are to bring that orb back to the bridge in Prospect Park. There, the orb will begin to flash. When you get closer to the portal, the orb will begin to flash faster. Use the orb to open the portal, and you will find your way from there.”

Then, suddenly, Mario woke up in his van. Luigi was sitting there, waiting for him.

“Mario!” exclaimed Luigi. “Glad to see you’re awake! Are you alright?”

“I think so…..” replied Mario. “Oh, my head…….”

“Can you stand up?”

Mario slowly pulled himself up and stood up, trembling a bit and still rubbing his head. Mario then attempted to search his pockets.

“What are you doing?” asked Luigi.

Mario then found a marble-like orb in his front pocket in his overalls.

“Come on, Luigi,” exclaimed Mario, “We’ve got some scavenger hunting to do!”

Chapter 3

Journey to a New World

On their way to Prospect Park, Mario told Luigi the story he had heard from Merlon.

“I wish I could say that I believed you, Mario, but that is a really wild and farfetched story.” replied Luigi, as they had entered the park.

“Oh, and I suppose this orb just so happened to appear in my pocket?” exclaimed Mario.

When they arrived at the bridge, Mario pulled out the orb he found in his pocket, and not only was it flashing, but it was also sending out a tone every time it flashed. Mario walked around the area across the bridge with it, and started walking through some nearby trees.

“Mario,” said Luigi, “I don’t think we’re allowed to go back there.”

“Don’t worry, Luigi,” replied Mario, “We won’t be around long enough for them to catch us.”

Mario went further and further into the trees, as the orb continued to flash faster and faster.

“That tone is really starting to tick me off!” announced Luigi.

And finally, they reached a wall. Mario looked around, using the orb’s flashes as a guide, and found a very tiny hole in the ground. Mario placed the orb into the hole, and the orb stopped flashing and instead stayed continuously bright. Suddenly, it sent out a beam pointed at the wall. It began projecting a giant blue swirl forming an oval on the wall. This was it. This was the portal to the Mushroom Kingdom.

“It’s like something right out of Science Fiction Theater!” exclaimed Luigi.

“Would you like to go first?” said Mario.

Luigi nodded, stepped up, looked into the portal, leaped towards it, and vanished in the blink of an eye. Then, Mario stepped up. He gulped, then said “OK……. HERE WE GO!”

He leaped towards the portal, then found himself running through a tunnel of bright flashing lights. It didn’t take him long to realize that those were stars. He was traveling through space, off to a distant planet. He was surrounded by a bubble of electricity. The speed at which he was traveling soon made him feel dizzy, and he ended up fainting.

Before too long, Mario awakened, finding himself on a green grassy hill with a butterfly on his nose. When he got up, the butterfly flew away, and he got a better look upon what he realized was the Mushroom Kingdom. It was a beautiful sight. The artistic construction of the hills, the perfect natural tint of green from the grass, the colorful sparkle of the mushrooms surrounding him…. It was a marvelous masterpiece! He saw Luigi lying right next to him, and he shook him awake. Luigi got up and caught a sight of the beauty himself.

“….. I don’t believe this!” said Luigi, stunned. “So if this is all true, then we’d better get moving!”

“There’s the castle!” said Mario, pointing out a large black castle in the distance. They started running towards it, when suddenly, Mario stopped, looking at the ground.

“What’s the hold-up?” said Luigi, stopping with Mario.

“Merlon said that I had the power to use the plants of this world to my advantage.” said Mario. He pulled a mushroom out of the ground. “I could eat this to grow stronger…..” He pulled a striped leaf out of the ground. “I could eat this to fly…..” He pulled a red flower out of the ground. “And I could eat this to shoot fire from my hands. Maybe it would be a good idea to keep some of these just in case. We are up against great monsters here, so it’d be wise to be able to defend ourselves.”

Luigi nodded in agreement, and began gathering as many mushrooms, leaves, and red flowers as possible as they were heading towards the castle.

Along the way, they ran into a Koopa with a hammer. It threw the hammer at Mario, but Mario ducked out of its path. Then, it pulled another hammer out of its shell. Mario pulled out a mushroom, ate it, and then felt the muscles in his arms and legs grow twice their normal size and strength instantly. He then pulled out a fire flower (that’s the name they came up with for it) and ate it. It changed the colors of his clothes, and he could feel the fire power running through his veins. But during his distraction, the Koopa threw another hammer. Mario quickly leaped to his side. He sent force into his hand, and that forced out a fire ball, which he threw at the Koopa, knocking him dead.

“Turtles with hammers?” said Mario, walking past the unconscious rascal, “Now I’ve seen everything!”

Mario then looked back at Luigi, who was standing behind him in awe.

“What’s with you?” said Mario.

“You really are a superhero in this world,” replied Luigi. “You couldn’t even run two laps around the high school track in five minutes, and yet you dodged that hammer like some kind of acrobat!”

“No time to savor the moment, Luigi. We have to go rescue Peach!”

They ran over to the castle, and before too long, they finally reached the entrance. The castle had a pull-up door, so Mario attempted to pull it up, but found it to be incredibly reinforced.

“Now how are we going to get in?” exclaimed Mario.

Just after that, the castle door began to open up slowly. Luigi grew suspicious. “It’s almost like they’re leading us into a trap!”

“Well,” replied Mario, “We’re prepared for them, aren’t we?”

Mario walked in casually, and Luigi followed. Once they walked past the door, it fell down behind them. They continued to walk forward, opening a normal-sized door and entering a hallway covered in obstacles. There were two vertically placed wheels of fire; a long one, and a short one in a narrow opening; spinning simultaneously at a relatively fast pace. Then following it was a pit of lava, shooting splashes of lava up in the air every few seconds. It was followed by a horizontally placed wheel of fire, spinning at the same pace as the other two. At the end of the hall were three hammer Koopas.

“Come on, Mario,” said Luigi. “You want to save Peach, don’t you?”

Mario gulped, then began his approach. He glanced at the traps quickly, then set up his timing perfectly. He slid under the long wheel of fire, then leaped through the narrow opening past the small wheel of fire, sliding past the pit of lava just before it shot out the lava. Then, he skipped over the last wheel of fire, jumped on one of the Koopas, grabbed its hammer, knocked out the Koopa with it, and then knocked out the other Koopas before they could reach the door following it. Mario noticed a blue button with an exclamation mark nearby the door. He pushed it, and all the fire and lava in the room was shut down. Luigi then made his way to the hall. Once he arrived, they both went through the door to the next room.

The next room they went into was pitch-black dark. Mario and Luigi continued to walk forward. Suddenly, torches on each side of the room began to light up one row at a time. They began hearing loud footsteps coming from the other side of the hall. Mario looked into the darkness and saw red glowing eyes approaching them.

“Back in my day,” said a deep, growling voice, “The Mushroom Kingdom would rely on true warriors to handle the biggest challenges this world has to offer. And now, they rely on wimpy little plumbers to get the job done?”

“I-I-I-If there’s o-o-o-one thing we’re n-n-n-not….” said Luigi, trembling, “It’s, uh….. It’s little….. Know what I….”

“SILENCE!” roared the creature.

“Who are you? What are you? SHOW YOURSELF!” asked Mario.

“Allow me to introduce myself…..” said the creature, stepping from the darkness. “I am King……. BOWSER!!!!!!!!”

As a row of the torches finally lit him up, Bowser revealed himself to be the biggest Koopa alive. He was so large that you could actually see the scales on his dimly yellow arms and legs, both holding monstrous claws. He had a green shell with white spikes on the back, but he was so large that his shell actually grew onto him. He also had a dark green head, much like that of a dragon. He had a large mouth with a white outlining, which was also holding his giant nostrils and sharp teeth. He had flaming red hair and glowing red tiger eyes. He wore cuffs on his arms and neck. He had a tail with large spines on them. Mario knew he was in for something big, but this is beyond anything he had imagined.

“What do you want with us?” said Mario.

“I think the better question,” replied Bowser, “Is what do you want with my princess?”

A small Koopa walked over with a burlap sack containing a person inside.

“PEACH!” called out Mario.

“So, you do know her then? You came to save her, didn’t you?” said Bowser, looking up as he was saying it, “You thought you’d come here, take up the challenge, defeat me, and become the hero that everyone wants you to be. You stand no chance against me, you pathetic waste of…..”

As Bowser was talking, Mario ran behind him and grabbed his tail. He started to suddenly feel the strength to pull Bowser off his feet, spin him around several times, gaining momentum, and throw him against the wall. He then threw a fireball at the Koopa holding the bag and grabbed it himself.

“Here’s a lesson to you, Bowser,” replied Mario, “If you’re going to kill someone, then cut the chatter and do it! So long, King Bowser!”

Mario and Luigi then ran out the back door back to the grasslands. Bowser got up from his knockout, and a Koopa walked up to him.

“Sir, they’re evading all our troops!” he said, “That red one’s fireballs are just too strong for us to handle!”

“Don’t worry,” replied Bowser, “We still have our sacrificial princess…. HAHAHAHAHA!”

Chapter 4

The Path to Victory

Mario and Luigi made their way further and further away from the castle and out into the fields. They eventually got so far away that they couldn’t even see the castle.

“We did it!” cheered Mario, “We got Peach back!”

“You do know Bowser will come for her again, right?” replied Luigi.

“Ah, I’ll be prepared for anything that monster has to offer!”

“I don’t know, Mario… It all seemed too easy. How do you know that is Peach?”

Mario was about to answer, but then it struck him. He never looked inside the bag to begin with. He therefore untied the rope keeping the bag sealed, then he dumped out what he realized was one of the Mushroom Kingdom locals. He was a shrimpy little man wearing brown shoes, white pants, and a blue vest. He also had a large white hat (or at least, Mario assumed it was a hat) with red spots all over it.

“Ow! Don’t ya know better than to empty a hostage out of a bag like that?!” shouted the man.

“Who the heck are you?” exclaimed Mario.

“Wow, Mario,” said Luigi, “That was one of the easiest tricks Bowser could’ve pulled, and you fell for it! How do you expect to rescue Peach if you don’t start using your head?!”

“Wait, it’s you?!” said the man, “You’re the one Merlon spoke of?”

Mario stared at the man for a second. “What do you know about Merlon?”

“Well, he’s only our greatest oracle the Mushroom Kingdom has to offer!” replied the man, “He told me and a few of my fellow mushroom friends that he sent a lone warrior with abilities similar to Samera’s to rescue the princess and save the kingdom!”

“Do you know where Peach is being held, Mr…..” asked Mario.

“Just call me Toad!”

“Right, Toad, do you know where she‘s being held?” replied Mario.

Toad walked up a hill and pointed out to a bluish-gray castle with dark pink roofs out in the very far distance.

“Bowser’s taken over the main city’s castle, right over there!” said Toad, “There, he will attempt to hold his sacrificial ceremony once the stars in the system have aligned. We need to head over there and stop him. We’ll have to swim through Big Bertha’s cove, find our way through Forever Forest, and make our way across Dinosaur Plateau!”

“Where do you people come up with these names?” said Luigi.

“We try to simplify them to make them easy for our citizens to remember.” replied Toad.

Suddenly, Bowser flew over them on his artsy helicopter device. All three of them knew that time was running short.

“Well, come on!” said Toad, “We’re not going to save the princess just standing here!”

““The Princess” has a name, you know.” replied Mario, as they began their ascent towards the castle.

“She does?” replied Toad.

Meanwhile, Bowser made his approach to the castle, as he pulled out a megaphone and called out to his troops down below.

“ATTENTION!” said Bowser, “PREPARE THE KOOPA KIDS FOR THEIR DEPARTURE ON THEIR SHIPS IMMEDIATELY! REMEMBER, I WANT THE INTRUDERS CAPTURED ALIVE!”

He then slipped his megaphone away and landed his device on a nearby landing pad. The blades of the helicopter fell into a small circle on a reversed dome, balancing the device. Bowser opened a door on the device and stepped out. He met with one of his troops to discuss their itinerary.

“Bowser, sir,” said the troop, “We have located the two plumbers and one mushroom. They are following the path to our castle as we are speaking.”

“Keep an eye on them and keep me posted. If they so much as blow their nose, make a note of that. Bring the princess forward! I wish to speak with her immediately!”

“Yes, sir!”

Peach was brought forward by ten Koopas surrounding her. She was tied up by a rope tied all around her chest and torso, keeping her arms to her side.

“So,” said Peach, “You must be this King Bowser these….. THINGS….. Have been telling me about.”

“That’s right, my sweet little pink gem,” replied Bowser, “And you must be the princess that my troops have been talking about for the past twenty-five years.”

“What could you possibly want with me?” said Peach.

“HA! You don’t even know how important you really are! You are the sacrifice I need to bring this despicable traitor kingdom down! Soldiers, take her to the tall tower in the castle. I have a room all prepared up for her. Don’t want to make her too uncomfortable before I slaughter her…. Heheheheh….. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!”

Chapter 5

Big Bertha’s Cove Ahoy!

On their way to the castle, Toad was telling Mario and Luigi everything there was to know about the Mushroom Kingdom and Bowser’s troops. While they were walking, Mario began picking up dozens of leaves, flowers, and mushrooms just in case.

“I have a few questions,” said Mario, “First of all, why does he have to kill Peach at the exact time that the planets align? Why can’t he just kill her now and wait for the planets to align?”

“From what I understand,” replied Toad, “Merlon can just as easily make a descendant from her and another soul right after she dies. If Bowser kills her right before he casts his spell, it’ll just barely make it out of the shield.”

“Why can Merlon only create the descendant after the death of someone? Why can’t he just create the descendant now?”

“From what I understand,” replied Toad, “He can only create the descendant in another world when the soul has left the Mushroom 

Kingdom.”

“So, he doesn’t necessarily need my soul to cast the spell?” asked Mario.

“Exactly!” answered Toad, “He can use just about any soul that died in the Mushroom Kingdom, and considering how many lives Bowser has taken for the past 25 years, I don’t think he’ll have a hard time finding a proper soul.”

“Well, then, why did both Flora and Samera have to die?” asked Mario, “Why couldn’t Merlon let Flora live, and then create the descendant out of Samera and someone else?”

“From what I understand,” replied Toad, “It was the combination of both Flora and Samera that created the light to begin with. The princess is the outcome of their combination, so now, Peach can combine with anyone else to keep the light running.”

“Then why doesn’t Bowser just kill Merlon?” said Luigi. “Without him, there’ll be no one left to cast these stupid spells.”

“Exactly. Bowser needs a consultant in order to know what’s happening in the universe around him. Without Merlon, he wouldn’t have found the princess to begin with.”

“If Bowser is so powerful,” asked Mario, “How come he doesn’t have the power to know what’s going on in the universe himself?”

“He might be all powerful,” replied Toad, “But that’s only because he LEARNED how to use and control his powers through studies. Merlon was born with his powers of vision and telepathy, and he was never able to explain how it worked. He just sort of felt it.”

“So,” said Mario, “Bowser cannot carry out his plans without Merlon, and yet Merlon could just as easily foil his plans? Sounds to me like he’s between a rock and a hard place!”

“That’s why he has to make the sacrifice precisely when the planets align,” replied Toad.

As they finished their informative conversation, they had approached an enormous lake with an island of spikes splitting it down the middle.

“Here we are,” exclaimed Toad, “Big Bertha Lake! The island in the middle is too dangerous to walk across, but thankfully, there’s a grotto underneath the island that we can swim through!”

“Question,” said Mario, “How are we going to be able to breathe down there? We humans need oxygen, you know!”

“Well,” replied Toad, “So do us mushrooms! This water is specially designed to release oxygen into those who breathe in the water!”

Toad then looked up and pointed out a series of planets in the distance on each side of the sky. It was hard to see, considering that it was still daytime, but they were making an arc and slowly moving into a straight line.

Once Mario saw this, he immediately ran out into the water and began to swim down. He held his breath for a few moments, then decided to inhale. He was surprised to find that he was still breathing. He felt the water running into his system, and it felt like molecules of oxygen were flowing down his lungs as his throat and mouth filled up with water. It was an amazing feeling. He was able to breathe now. He saw Toad and Luigi swim down with him. He looked down and saw the grotto. He and the others began their descent, and they saw many strange creatures floating by along the way. White squids, big-lipped fish, and tons of indescribable creatures. It was like they were in the aquarium of Willy Wonka’s creature factory!

Halfway through the grotto, Mario began to grow tired. It had been many years since he had gone swimming, so he wasn’t used to it. And it had been a while since he last ate his mushroom, so the effects were starting to wear off, and his last stock washed out of his pockets. Thankfully, he spotted another mushroom growing on a nearby rock formation. Luigi spotted it as well, as Mario began swimming up to it.

“Hmm, that’s strange,” thought Luigi, “Mushrooms don’t usually grow in such wet conditions. Perhaps it’s just another one of the weird things this place has to offer, but then, why would that be the only one?”

But when Toad spotted the Mushroom Mario was swimming towards, he instantly began to swim towards him in an attempt to stop him.

“MARIO, NO!!!!” exclaimed Toad, in a distorted watery voice.

But it was too late. Mario had put his hands on the Mushroom’s stems in an attempt to rip it off, but found that it was more sustained than any mushroom he had come across. Then, suddenly, he found that the stem it was growing on was growing longer, and it began ripping through the rocks like a power line. And then, he realized where that line led to. It was the tongue of an enormous big-lipped frog fish. Mario attempted to let go of the mushroom, but found that it was stuck to his hands like super glue. Toad and Luigi began pulling Mario and the mushroom away from the fish.

“I tried to tell you,” said Toad, “That’s Big Bertha, the mighty fish of this lake! Its tongue is used as a lure for its prey! We have to find a way to detach it from your hands!”

Luigi looked around and found a sharp, knife-like chunk of the rock that broke apart when Big Bertha let out its tongue. He went up to Mario, placed the sharp end of the rock on Big Bertha’s tongue, and quickly cut off the tongue. The pain caused Big Bertha to run away back into hiding. Mario, Luigi, and Toad then made their way out of the grotto and up to the surface.

“Lift your hands up, Mario,” said Toad, “The dryness will help detach the mushroom.”

Mario lifted his hands above the surface, and wouldn’t you know it, the mushroom broke free off of the hands.

“What the heck is wrong with you today, Mario?!” exclaimed Luigi, “First, you fell for one of the easiest tricks Bowser could pull off with a burlap sack, and now you randomly grab mushrooms without thinking about it first?!”

“I was getting tired!” replied Mario, “I thought the extra strength would help me make it through the grotto!”

“Your weakness and your idiotic behavior won’t get you any further to Peach, Mario!” replied Luigi.

“Neither will any of this arguing!” exclaimed Toad, “Can’t we just get along and get moving?”

Mario and Luigi shrugged, but both agreed to what Toad had said. They quickly swam to shore and continued along the path.

Little did they know that Bowser had been watching them all this time, except when they were underwater. He installed special cameras in all the hills designed to look like eyes. He was in a control room with more of his troops, and he was aware of every bit of progress they were making.

“That little mushroom of theirs is quite the informant,” said Bowser, “We have to separate him from them. It’s time to release the Koopa Kids. Send them out with squads A and B as soon as possible!”

“Right away, sir!” replied one of the troops.

Chapter 6

The Damsel in Distress

Poor little Peach…. Sitting there in her bedroom, high up in that castle tower…… Waiting for a single sign of hope…… ANYTHING… Sure, her room looked like some hotel room at a romantic spa; it was pink all around, with a nightstand with a mirror on it, a large and comfortable pink bed, a very large and very warm fireplace, and a fairly large balcony on the right side of the room. But all of life seemed rather dark and gray to her, despite looking bright and pink. She had just been taken from her pleasant life out in Brooklyn, coming off as a modern-day princess, only to be told that she’s really a royal princess. Anyone would think that being part of a royal family would be so wonderful, but she had also been told that before too long, she was going to die. What could she do? Would someone be willing to help her? ANYONE?!

Just then, someone had knocked on her door. Was this what she had been waiting for? She became very excited, and figured there was only one way to find out….

“Come in!” said Peach.

With that, Bowser walked through the door to see her. Peach went back into her state of anger and despair.

“Hello, my sweet little apricot! Is everything in order?” asked Bowser.

“That’s kind of a stupid question to ask when you completely pulverize someone’s life, isn’t it?” pouted Peach, “Nothing is or has been in order since you deprived me of everything that made my life so great!”

“Oh, come now, princess! There’s no denying that you’re in a bedroom greater than you could ever imagine!”

“Even so, I can tell that I am being held prisoner! The very thought that I am going to die soon deprives me of any luxury at the moment! Why don’t you just kill me now? Hmm? Why wait? Why not just end all this pain and destruction going on within me? If you kill me now, we’d both get what we want!”

Bowser stared at her for a moment. He knows it would do him no good if he kills her now. Peach had lost her patience at this point. She quickly grabbed a vase standing on top of the mantel on her fireplace and threw it at Bowser. He had ducked in the nick of time, and it ended up crashing all over the wall.

“KILL ME NOW!!!!!! DEPRIVE ME OF THIS PAIN! KILL ME NOW!!!” screamed Peach.

Just then, two of Bowser’s troops waked in with a bundle of ropes, tied her up, and threw her onto the bed. Bowser walked up to her and glared at her right in the eye.

“You’re suicidal…….” snared Bowser, “I like that. It’s exactly the kind of mood I want you in for the ceremony.”

With that, he walked out of the room, laughing to a point that created an echo in the halls, and slamming the door. Peach was left there, tied up. She turned over on her side and began to cry. This was it. This was the end. No more hope.

Just then, her mind began to feel lots of stress. She began to go into a trance. She heard a voice saying “Do not lose hope, young princess…….”

She then found herself in black empty space. She looked around, and she saw a strange robed figure in the distance. It came closer to her, and she found it to have a purple robe with yellow glowing eyes and a white mustache.

“Greetings, princess. I am honored to finally meet you, although I wish I could say that in person.”

“Who are you?” replied Peach.

“My name is Merlon. Surely, you know who you really are and why you’re here in the Mushroom Kingdom.”

“I think I know enough.” replied Peach.

“Good, then let me just cut to the chase and fill you in. I have sent a lone warrior from Earth to come and rescue you. You know him quite well; you often spoke of him as the greatest hero the world has ever known.”

“Mario?”

“Correct. I have given him a great power to aide him on his quest, and he’s already about a quarter of the way there.”

“Fantastic!” cheered Peach, in more glee than she could ever imagine. “But Merlon, why have you told me all this?”

“Well, you wanted any form of hope you could find, didn’t you? Princess, just do one thing for me. Be strong. Have faith in your grand hero. It’s faith that keeps the magic in this world active, which is why Bowser must not win. Can you be strong, princess?”

“I will try.”

With that, Peach was brought back to saneness. She laid there in her bed, smiling. She knew this time would come. Mario would rescue her, save the kingdom, and become the grand hero everyone would be talking about. But of course, that time had not come yet. But she had hope that soon, everyone would be chanting his name….. The time was coming….. Soon……..

Chapter 7

Forever in the Forest

In case you were wondering, yes, Mario, Luigi, and Toad did run into a lot of Goombas on their way to the main city castle. The thing about Goombas is that they were so easy to kill that even Bowser considered them a big waste of mushrooms. Everyone just stomps on them. But thanks to another one of Bowser’s spell, there are certain mushrooms around the Mushroom Kingdom that continuously grow out Goombas. Bowser’s attempted to undo this spell several times in the past, but it seems as though the spell went deeply underground, creating too many roots for anyone to count. It was painful for Bowser at first, but since no one really noticed them, he soon got over it. Besides, he did genetically improve certain Goombas for his special squads.

Anyway, after escaping the wrath of Big Bertha, Mario, Luigi, and Toad began wandering through Forever Forest. The forest had many paths, and yet no map. It was nothing but dark purple trees, bushes with white flowers, and paths so crazy that Alice could’ve found her way through wonderland faster than any man could find their way through this place! It was like designing ten different basketball courts and combining them in the most unorganized fashion possible. Many people had lost their way through the dreaded forest, and Toad was beginning to worry that they would end up in the same scenario. Luigi spotted a couple of Boos following them, but they never seemed to attack nor did they show their faces when he turned to look at them.

“Maybe we should head back…..” shivered Luigi.

“And what, give up on everything we’ve worked for thus far?” replied Toad.

“Besides, which way is back?” asked Mario, looking around him, seeing nothing but the same darkly hued trees in every direction. “Have people gotten through this forest in the past?”

“Yes, there were a few select people who have,” replied Toad, “They kept telling clueless dwellers that there’s secret hints hidden throughout the forest that will lead us on the right path. They’re things that look different from everything else.”

“Well, that’s going to be the accomplishment of the century!” exclaimed Mario, “Everything looks the same to me!”

And just as they were walking along another path, Mario noticed a bush full of blue flowers. He stared at them for a moment, then turned to Luigi and Toad.

“Hey guys,” stated Mario, “Weren’t all these flowers white on our way through this forest?”

Luigi and Toad thought about this as well. Mario was on to something. They were finally heading on the right track. They followed the path in front of the bush and continued on. The next moment, they found even more white flowers, but as Mario pricked his finger upon one of them, they shrunk. After running into at least five bushes that also did that, they finally found one that didn’t shrink no matter how many times they touched them. They followed the path in front of that bush. Next, they ran into a pair of red glowing eyes inside one of the trees. They followed that path. Then, a red face painted onto a rock; Mario swore he saw it flashing. They follow that path. These signs just kept going on and on, until finally, they find a light. They had finally made it out of the Forever Forest.

Mario ran as fast as he could out of the exit, cheering more than a crowd at a Superbowl. He was so happy to finally see the light after staring down all that darkness. But he might have gotten a little too excited, as he immediately ran into a large white rock with green spots. Toad got a closer look at the rock and realized that it was really a giant egg.

“What’s inside it?” said Mario.

Toad silenced Mario, and he put his ear against the egg. He began to hear the sound of rumbling inside it. He took a few steps away from the egg, and soon, it began to crack at the top. Then, before too long, it began to jump a little. Mario got a little bit scared that another monster was among them. As the rumbling and jumping became more repetitive, Mario took more noticeable steps away from the egg.

“Don’t worry, Mario,” said Toad, “He won’t bite.”

Mario attempted to ask who he was referring to, but Toad silenced him again. Then, without warning, a large green dinosaur sprang out from the egg, kicking its feet into the air, and making a strange babbling sound.

“ABABABABUBUBUBUBUBUBU!!!!” said it.

Then, the dinosaur landed on the ground right in front of the egg, and in front of our heroes. Taking a closer look, they noticed that the dinosaur was a light-hearted little rascal with a large green snout, giant eyes with blue pupils, a white belly with white on the lower part of its mouth and neck, red spikes going from the top of its head down to the bottom of the back of its neck, a small red saddle-like back shell with a white outline, and light brown boots with yellow soles covering its feet.

“Where did he get the boots?” asked Luigi.

“Funny you should ask that,” responded Toad, “Because I made those for him myself! Poor old Yoshi here is always whining when his feet get sore, so I thought those shoes would make him feel fine and dandy!”

“Yoshi?” asked Mario.

“Yeah, that’s his name. There’s a whole island of these little rascals out beyond these regions, and we mushroom people decided to import some of them. They make for great travel, and they can pretty much eat anything. Wait until you see Yoshi out on a food frenzy! They don’t actually digest their food. They create eggs out of what they’ve gobbled up, pull them through their rear ends, then throw those eggs like they were rocks! Their eggs are so solid that even Octavius would go unconscious.”

“Then how come I was able to break this one open?” asked Mario.

“That’s not one of their eggs,” answered Toad, “That’s a forgery Bowser made to trap Yoshi.”

Toad then began to pet Yoshi on the snout, looking into its eye.

“There there, Yoshi! Did that big, mean old Bowser trap you in that egg? Must’ve used some kind of light concrete or something. It’s a good thing you came crashing into that egg, Mario, or else we never would’ve gotten him out!”

“What was he doing at the exit of the Forever Forest anyway?” asked Luigi.

“It must have dropped out of one of Bowser’s cargo ships.” replied Toad.

Toad then hopped onto Yoshi’s shell, and Yoshi walked over to the other two.

“Well, hop on!” exclaimed Toad, “He can handle the weight! He once held fifty tons of supplies with no support whatsoever!”

Mario and Luigi then climbed onto Yoshi, and the four of them rode out towards the castle. They were moving on.

Chapter 8

Grand Koopa Legion

As Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Yoshi got closer to the castle, Mario and Luigi were astonished by the design of the castle. It had a nice hue of blue and gray walls with dark pink rooftops. In the highest tower, Mario saw that there were three windows with murals on them. On his left, the mural image was a mushroom; on his right, a flower; and in the center, a bright yellow star; all of which had eyes. Neither Mario nor Luigi asked why that was. If they were willing to buy into all the madness going on already, they figured a couple of inanimate objects with eyes would be completely normal.

Every now and then, Mario would tell Toad to stop Yoshi so that he could pick up a few dozen mushrooms, flowers, and leaves.

“Mario, if we keep stopping like this, we’ll never get to the castle in time!” exclaimed Toad during one of their stops.

“A few seconds won’t stall anything,” replied Mario, “Besides, if we ever expect to beat Bowser, we must be prepared.”

Eventually, they had reached Dinosaur Plateau. Mario noticed that there was noting across the dark tan landscape except a few large but harmless cyclones created by and fixed over a couple of geysers.

“Huh…” said Toad, “That’s weird. There’s usually a whole bunch of dinosaur-like creatures that shoot out fire and stomp on anything a tenth its size! What happened here?”

“Ah, who cares!” exclaimed Mario, “This will make it easier for us to get to the castle!”

Toad agreed to what Mario said, and Yoshi attempted to step across the plateau. But as he took his first few steps across, an explosion hit our heroes. Mario, Luigi, and Toad flew off of Yoshi, as Yoshi jumped high up in the air, then ran away. Toad, lying on the ground with the other two, looked up at a group of five flying ships coming towards them. They were ark-like boats, with statues of Bowser’s head on the front of the bows, and all carrying dozens of Koopas and enlarged Goombas, making use of cannons on the sides of the boat.

“Flying boats?!” exclaimed Mario, “What is this, a Japanese video game?!”

One of the cannons from the first boat fired at our heroes, and they all ran out of the explosion’s range and took cover behind a giant boulder on the plateau.

“Those boats must’ve scared the dinosaurs away! What are we going to do?!” cried Toad, “We can’t go any further without getting hit, and if we wait too long, the princess would’ve already been killed!”

Mario took a peek around the boulder to analyze the situation. He pulled a striped leaf out of his pocket. He then ate it, and his body became surrounded by puffs of smoke and fog. He felt ears growing on the sides of his head and a tail growing on his rear end. Once the cloud of smoke and fog disappeared, Luigi was shocked at the sight in front of him. His own brother had just turned into a cat. Toad wasn’t frightened, though; he expected that to happen. Mario felt up at his new additions and found that neither of them ripped through his clothes. He did wonder why, but not for long. He immediately ran around the rock and into one of the cyclones. The cyclone quickly and forcefully spun him around, and he was shot up into the air by the geyser. And just as he expected, the power of the leaf had helped him gain some momentum and fly higher than if he just ran into the cyclone.

He then glided over to the first ship in the line and landed in the middle, surrounded by the Koopas and Goombas. A bunch of the Koopas ran up to him, but he spun around and whacked them all with his tail, knocking them out. He then pulled out a red flower and ate it, once again seeing his clothes change color and gaining the flame power in his hands. He then closed his palms and started sending a whole bunch of pressure into his hands. Then, he spun around and let the fire out of his hands; this caused a giant cyclone of flame which knocked out just about every troop on the boat.

“Wow, I didn’t know I could do that!” exclaimed Mario, “I should probably use that as a main weapon!”

But unfortunately, he got his hopes up too soon. A Koopa from the second boat, which had its bow floating above the stern of the first boat, had thrown the shell  of one of his companions at Mario, and the damage caused the flame powers to wear off. Mario then noticed that one of the Koopas on the second boat had thrown down a hook tied up to a thick rope in an attempt to rescue one of his friends that had fallen off the boat due to Mario‘s fire wheel. He jumped at the rope, grabbed it, and climbed up to the boat. He then flip-kicked the Koopa that threw the shell at him, and he flew out of his shell, which then, pinball-style, flew all across the surface of the boat, knocking out a whole bunch of the troops on the boat. Mario then stopped the shell with his feet, then looked at the remaining troops, who then jumped off the boat out of fear.

Mario then noticed that the third boat was floating nearby the second boat. This one had a bunch of cannons on the surface being operated by the Koopas. Mario then jumped over to that boat and ran across it so that the cannons would fire at each other. Much to his surprise, the plan worked, as the Koopas and cannons were sent flying off the boat in explosions.

He then saw the fourth boat, again, floating right by the third boat. This time, there were hundreds of Goombas on deck, enough to stand as an actual threat. Or so they thought. Mario leaped over to the fourth boat and began stomping on the Goombas like a watermelon patch. He thought it was going to be a gory mess, but he found that the Goombas had purple, jelly-like blood, so it didn’t disturb him as much as half of the R-rated films he’s seen in the past.

Meanwhile, down below, Luigi and Toad were watching Mario fight in awe.

“Of all the things Mario could’ve been doing with his life,” said Luigi, “This was the last thing I had in mind.”

“Well, what are we doing just standing here?” exclaimed Toad, “We have to help Mario in any way we can!”

“And what way would that be?” replied Luigi, “Neither of us could help whether or not we’d want to!”

Nevertheless, Luigi decided to analyze the situation. He saw that the second boat was sinking down a bit, for without its pilot, it would just wander randomly. The hook and rope were still hanging from the boat, and the boat was beginning to float over one of the cyclones.

“Toad, climb onto my back and hold on tight.” said Luigi, “It looks like the Koopas are giving us the hook!”

Once Toad climbed onto his back, getting a piggy back ride, Luigi ran up to the cyclone, which then shot him up into the air. He didn’t go quite as high as Mario, since Mario had his flying powers, but he did go high enough to grab the hook. He then climbed the rope and reached the boat.

Meanwhile, Mario had finally reached the fifth boat. He still stood on the fourth boat, as the fifth boat was too far away for him to leap onto it, but what he saw on the fifth boat blew his mind. There were six odd-looking Koopas on the boat. Some of them had large, spiked-up hair, and some of them didn’t have hair at all. Some of them had large eyes, with the exception of two who had relatively small eyes, and one who wore sunglasses. One of them had a bow, so Mario assumed that that was a girl. Mario assumed that these were genetically enhanced clones of Bowser, as they seemed to have a lot of his features that the other Koopas did not. They were carrying long-shafted cannons and some of Bowser’s bob-ombs.

“Well well well,” said the one on the bow of the boat, with large blue hair and big eyes, “We finally meet the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom after all this time!”

“And he wipes out the entire legion! BIG MEANIE!” said the one with the bow.

“Oh, shut it, Wendy!” said the bald one with small eyes, “We can take this guy!”

The one with sunglasses, operating one of the cannons, fired at Mario’s boat with a missile. It was a heat-seeking missile with big eyes and a large mouth with sharp teeth painted on it, but Mario dodged it by tricking it into running into a part of the boat. They continued to repeat this for a few minutes, and Mario thought he could continue like this until they ran out of missiles. Little did he know that with the boat being constantly hit, it began to lose a lot of its important parts, and the boat began to capsize. He was still able to stand, but at one point, he knew he was in danger.

But just when all hope seemed lost, one of the previous boats flew in, and the cannon on it fired at the Koopa kids, causing them to fly off the boat. Mario then jumped onto the boat and realized that Luigi was piloting it while Toad was running the cannon.

“I guess even the all powerful need help sometimes, eh, Mario?” stated Toad.

They continued to fly on the boat towards the castle. Nothing was going to stop them now that they were in the air. They were almost there.

Chapter 9

The Grand City of Paddestoel

Before too long, our heroes were finally floating over the main city. Mario and Luigi came up to get a better look at the view. The city was simple and pleasant; a tan house here, a yellow house there, a red house WAAAY over there; yet it had a certain sense of renaissance. The castle was surrounded by a garden of shrubberies and hedges, all designed with waves and symmetrical shapes. The garden was surrounded by a stone wall, also designed with a wavy shape, and the entrance went into a large arc decorated with white gems. The path to the castle was a bunch of wavy gray stone paths, going from any entrance into the city all the way through town.

“What’s the city called again?” asked Mario.

“Merlon suggested that it would be called Paddestoel,” said Toad, “He said it would go along with the theme of mushrooms, but I don’t see the resemblance.”

“Isn’t that Dutch?” said Luigi.

Just then, the boat’s engine was hit by a cannon on the castle grounds, and the boat began to fall. It crash landed in the central part of the city, but thankfully, no one was hurt. Toad looked up at the planets and saw that they were nearly aligned.

“We’re almost out of time!” exclaimed Toad, “We have to get to the castle immediately!”

Just then, two Koopas spotted Toad shouting in the streets, and they approached them. Mario uppercut them (one fist per Koopa), knocking them out, and the three then ran further into town. Toad led them behind a fence where they hid for a moment.

“We don‘t have time to fight all of them!” whispered Mario, “How are we going to get to the castle in time without getting caught?”

“Follow me,” replied Toad, “I know a shortcut.”

Toad then led them through a series of yards and fences all throughout the city until they came to a large hedge, which Mario assumed was part of the castle until he got a look over it. He saw a complex and elaborate series of giant green pipes inside a large square created by the hedge.

“Here’s the one we need,” said Toad, walking towards an open pipe in the middle. He pulled a lever standing on the ground nearby the pipe, and then grabbed onto the sides of the pipe. “People like to call this the warp zone because it sends us to places so quickly that it almost seems like an instant warp! This one will send us to the castle’s library, where we can hopefully break into the castle and stop the execution. Bowser’s been setting up for the execution in a special room at the tower on what is currently our left. Once we get inside, getting to the tower should be a synch!”

“Okey-dokey!” said Mario, “You first!”

“Be sure to hold your breath as you go down, ok?” instructed Toad. And with that, Toad jumped into the pipe like a waterslide and zipped through in an instant. Mario then went up to the pipe to make his jump. He felt that it was sucking in powerfully like an air vent. He lifted himself up to the top of the pipe, held his breath, and jumped in. He went through the pipe at an incredible speed, so much so that he thought he saw colors flying by. He was surprised that he was still wearing his hat; he figured it was because the force was pushing everything in the pipe down. He was then shot out of the pipe, rolling into an underground room with Toad, with a small staircase directly in front of them. Luigi eventually rolled into the room as well.

“Geez, I’m surprised the three of us are still alive!” quirked Luigi.

“How come Bowser doesn’t know about that warp zone?” asked Mario.

“Because we never told him about it,” answered Toad, “That’s the only way he knows about anything in the Mushroom Kingdom! We built it as an emergency exit out of the castle, but that lever I pulled set the suction into reverse.”

With that said, the three ran up the stairs to a large brown wall. Toad pushed the right side of the wall, which Mario realized was a bookshelf, and looked around the shelf to see if there were any guards. He saw none and gave the OK, and the three ran through the library and out the door, only to run into a group of five Koopas, two of which were carrying hammers. Mario and Luigi walked up to two of them (not carrying hammers) and banged their heads together. Then the two with hammers swung their hammers at the two brothers, but they ducked, and the hammers ended up hitting the last unarmed Koopa, sending it flying through the walls. Mario and Luigi then each uppercut the two hammer Koopas, and they flew upwards out of their shells, hit the ceiling, and crash landed back to the ground.

“Face it, you just can’t handle the power of the Super Mario Brothers!” exclaimed Mario.

“Mario brothers?” asked Luigi.

“Let’s face it, Luigi,” stated Mario, “With my powers, they’re going to remember my name for a long time!”

“Gee, glad to see someone’s encouraged!” shrugged Luigi.

“Where did you two learn to fight like that?” asked Toad, as they made their way towards the tower.

“When you live in a city full of criminals and have to know how to defend yourself,” replied Luigi, “It’s pretty much required that you practice your punches!”

With that said, Toad led them to a door on the west side of the room, which immediately sent them to the stairs of the west side tower. Mario began to run up the stairs first, and the two followed them. They kept running and running and running and running up the stairs. Luigi and Toad grew a little tired after a while, but Mario was determined to make it to the top.

Meanwhile, at the top of the tower, Bowser had the room set up darkly with only a few candles to light his way. He placed the still tied up Peach on a stone table.

“Why do you have the room set up like this?” asked Peach, “You’re not sacrificing my spirit to some demons, are you?”

“Of course not! I just like to savor moments as….. Intensifying as this!” exclaimed Bowser.

He looked up at a monitor his troops built that told him exactly when the planets were going to align. The planets were represented by five green dots, and there was a counter telling him how much time there was before the planets were aligned; he had 45 seconds. He then began muttering the words to the spell that would use the force of the planets.

“Oh, powers of all hell…..” mumbled Bowser, “Raise your darkness to my control…. So that I may rule…… And complete……. My revenge….”

As he was mumbling, he lifted a sharp dagger above Peach, waiting for the exact moment that the planets aligned. 30 seconds left.

Meanwhile, our heroes continued to run up the tower stairs. Toad immediately stopped, and Luigi followed, but Mario continued to run up out of desperation.

“Hold on!” exclaimed Toad, “Something’s not right here! These stairs don’t go up that high!”

Toad then looked back down, and saw that the entrance to the tower was still right behind him. He realized that Bowser had put an illusion-like spell on the tower that made the stairs seem endless. Nevertheless, Mario never looked behind him; he just kept on running. 15 seconds left.

10 seconds left. Peach shut her eyes in fear, bursting out a single tear. 5 seconds left. 4.… 3.…. 2.….. 1.……

Just then, Mario burst through the door. But it was too late. Bowser had stabbed Peach directly in her heart, and she had died out.

“NNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOHOHOHOHO!!!!!!!” exclaimed Mario, dropping to his knees in complete regret. Game over. He lost. Bowser won. Peach was gone. The Mushroom Kingdom was done for.

Meanwhile, outside of the castle, the planets surrounding the Mushroom Kingdom began to release beams of flame from their cores, ripping through their land. The beams all went towards the Mushroom Kingdom. As Bowser was looking out the windows of the tower, he used his hands to control the paths of the beams, sending them to every single one of his troops. The power of the beams forced them to grow bigger and stronger. They also began to turn gray and scarred, because while the beams did give them great power, there was a lot of damage caused in the process. Regardless, Bowser had finally gained the army he’s always wanted. Nothing could get in his way now. At least that’s what Mario thought, and with that in mind, he immediately ran out of the room and down the tower, where Luigi and Toad were waiting. But as soon as they ran out the door, they ran into hundreds of the new and improved Koopas waiting for them. They had no choice but to surrender at that point. One of the Koopas slapped Mario in the face, causing him to lose his strength. They also searched his pockets and removed all of his mushrooms, flowers, and leaves.

They were captured and brought deep down underground to a dungeon, where a bunch of mushroom people were chained up against the wall. Some of them struggled to get out, some of them just laid there in regret, and some were dead. No matter where you looked, it was dreadful. There were even some skeletons of mushroom men lying around. However, our heroes were taken to a large cell where, as one of the Koopas told them, they kept rather important people. In this cell, they did not chain people to the wall, but instead just left them sitting on a bench. He figured that it would make them more comfortable.

“Well, what does Bowser want with me?!” asked Mario.

“He believes he can extract your powers from you.” replied the Koopa.

With that said, they were then locked up in the cell and left there all alone……. Or so they thought. Mario noticed a man in a purple robe with a white mustache and yellow glowing eyes sitting on the cell bench. This was him. This was the man who sent him on the mission to begin with.

“Merlon, I am so sorry……” sighed Mario, sitting right next to Merlon on that bench, “I have failed you. Bowser won.”

“Tell me, Mario,” said Merlon, “How willing are you to save the Mushroom Kingdom? Are you willing to give your life for it if you have no other choice?”

“What do you mean?” asked Mario.

“I can intensify the power of the light shield spell. If I do, it will not only keep any darkness out of the Mushroom Kingdom, but it will rid it of any darkness that is already there. But in order to do that, it would require the most passion that the princess can have. I would have to combine her soul with one that would make her as happy and passionate as she can be.”

“So, what you’re saying is….” said Mario, “I would have to kill myself?”

“That’s right. Would you be willing to do that?” asked Merlon.

Mario thought about this for a few moments. Did he really care about saving the Mushroom Kingdom? Or did he just go on this wild and outlandish adventure just to save Peach? What was it he truly wanted? Was it only her encouragement that kept him alive all this time? Was it his determination powered by her enlightenment that kept him going non-stop? But then, of course, there would be nothing that could bring Peach back, and if that’s the only thing he wanted back, why should he stay alive any longer? From the beginning, he told Merlon that the only reason he took up the mission to begin with was because it would save Peach. Besides, it would be a good deed for both himself and the Mushroom Kingdom, wouldn’t it?

“Wait a minute!” exclaimed Toad, “What about the power star? You know, that star at the top of the big tower in the center? The power in that could bring the princess back, and then you could re-instate your spell!”

“Toad, there are many guards out there, all with amplified power!” exclaimed Mario, “What you’re talking about is suicide!”

“Mario, how determined are you to get Peach back?” replied Toad, “Don’t be a coward! If you’re really this passionate about her, you should be willing to take up any challenge! These Koopas aren‘t entirely invincible, Mario! That‘s only what Bowser wants you to think! We can do this!”

“One problem, though,” stated Luigi, “How are we going to get out of this dungeon?”

Just then, a Koopa had walked up to their cell and said “Silence! The next person who speaks of any escape plans will be sent to King Bowser.” As the Koopa turned around and began walking away, Luigi had an idea.

“Hey, yellow belly!” shouted Luigi. The Koopa then turned back at him. “You can’t tell us what to do! You have neither the strength nor the courage, and I dare you to come over here and prove us wrong!”

Just as Luigi had suspected, the Koopa had no keys, so he had to rip the bars off of the walls to get to him. He then walked up to Luigi, and Luigi attempted to punch him in the stomach. But the punch had no effect, as his numb knuckles informed him. The Koopa then grabbed Luigi by the throat and held him up against the wall. Thanks to the Koopa ripping the bars off, Mario, Toad, and Merlon were able to get out of the cell. While Toad and Merlon immediately headed for the stairs, Mario stayed behind, recognizing the Koopa strangling Luigi as the Koopa who stole his plants. He reached into the Koopa’s shell, felt around, and then pulled out a fire flower, along with a couple of extra flowers, mushrooms, and striped leaves, just before the Koopa elbowed his face, causing him to fall to the ground. He then ate one of the fire flowers and gained his fire powers and suit. He then shot a fireball directly into the Koopa’s eyes. The fire didn’t really hurt him, but the light caused him to go blind for a moment and drop Luigi, allowing the brothers to escape.

“I had it all under control!” exclaimed Luigi.

Chapter 10

The Final Showdown

Once our heroes got back up to the main part of the castle, they immediately ran into a room full of the dark Koopas. Mario immediately began throwing fire balls at the Koopas. It took about ten of them to knock out just one of them, and they began gaining up on our heroes. “Everybody duck!” shouted Mario, as he immediately started putting pressure into his arms. He knew this would come in handy again soon, and they were at least able to get into the middle of the room. He spun around and threw his fire spiral at all the Koopas, knocking them out. They then began running upstairs to the top of the central tower.

“Samera once discovered the same ability about forty years ago,” stated Merlon, as they were running up the stairs, “Don’t use that more than once every ten minutes or so. The intensity will make you go unconscious.”

“Okey dokey!” exclaimed Mario.

But just when they had gotten to the third floor of the castle, they found that Bowser was in the main corridor waiting for them.

“I was informed of your escape,” said Bowser, “I don’t know what you four are up to, but I will not let anyone foil my plans again!”

“This is not your land to rule, Bowser!” exclaimed Mario, “There are many elements within this world that you will never understand!”

“I do not wish to rule, Mario,” replied Bowser, “I only wish to destroy everything I was willing to protect before I was banished! All I wanted to do was bring peace to this land, and they wouldn’t even allow me to do that! Therefore, if they believe my fate is to bring darkness to this land….. Then so be it!”

While Bowser was talking, Luigi, Toad, and Merlon walked around him up to the next floor, while Mario was listening to what he had to say to distract him.

“Surely you can be persuaded to bring peace back into this land if we simply welcomed you back!” said Mario.

“That ship has sailed, Mario. I gave them the chance of a lifetime, and this is how they repay me! Well, this is how I shall repay them! But enough talk; have at you!”

Bowser then clawed at Mario, but Mario leaped out of the way in the nick of time. He then ate one of his mushrooms, gaining his strength again. He then shot another fireball into his face, which only blinded him for about two seconds. Bowser then swung his tail at Mario, but Mario flipped over it, grabbed it, and once again felt the strength to throw Bowser out of the star mural window. Mario opened the door to the second floor corridor and saw through a series of holes that Bowser had crashed through the roof and landed in an underground facility. He saw Bowser rise up and run to an underground room, supposedly in Mario’s direction. Mario immediately leaped down to the room and saw a door in the direction Bowser went.

Mario followed Bowser, and that led to a large room with a pool full of burning red lava, with a very large bridge to get across and a door on the other side of the bridge. Mario figured that Bowser went through that door, and the bridge was so large and so well held up that he figured Bowser could cross it. So, Mario attempted to cross the bridge, but when he got halfway, he realized that Bowser was really just hiding in a dark corner nearby. Bowser then approached Mario, holding a hammer in one hand and an axe in the other, sending Mario into fear once again.

“You really think you can win at this point?” said Bowser, “Are you honestly still trying to defeat what has now become the greatest power known to man?”

Mario jumped up at Bowser and punched him in the face, but Bowser immediately grabbed him by the belly as he did that and threw him against the wall.

“You only think you hold the greatest power known to man because you don’t want to be under the impression that no one can defeat you!” said Mario.

Bowser swung his hammer and axe simultaneously at Mario, but Mario jumped out of the way in the nick of time. “And you’re only denying it because you don’t want to be under the impression that you’ve lost!” exclaimed Bowser, as he swung his hammer and axe at him constantly. “Even you, the most powerful man in the kingdom, couldn’t stop me from slaughtering the princess! And now that you’re trying to do what you feel is right, you have left your friends helpless!”

“What do you mean helpless?” asked Mario.

Meanwhile, Toad and Merlon led Luigi to the top of the north tower of the castle, where they planned to grab the power star out of a large stone pole in the center. But once they got there, they found that it was filled with wall-to-wall Koopas and enlarged Goombas. The three were all thinking the same thing; they were dead meat.

“Luigi, you fought that Koopa in the dungeon,” said Toad, nervously, “You take them out!”

“First of all, that was just one Koopa, and secondly, it was holding me by the neck, and I couldn’t have handled it without Mario’s flame ball.” replied Luigi.

The troops began gaining on the three, and it seemed like their mission was a failure. But then, something had crashed through each of the surrounding windows. The Koopas got a closer look, and found that they were white eggs with spots of various colors. Then, the Koopas looked out the windows (one Koopa per window), and they each got a red tongue attached to their foreheads. Then, Yoshi and a bunch of his colorful friends zipped in, ate the Koopas they were attached to, sprouted out their eggs, and threw them at the remaining Koopas. The eggs were bouncing off the walls, as several of the Koopas were knocked out. Then, the dinosaurs began eating up as many of the Koopas as they could, imprisoning them in their eggs. Koopas and tongues were flying all over the place, and Luigi, Merlon, and Toad had to duck until the room was completely clear of them.

After that, Merlon walked up to the pole and started feeling around it, trying to find the brick to pull out.

“So, whatever happened to the ‘unstoppable Koopas?’” asked Luigi sarcastically.

“We’ve been through this, Luigi. That was only what Bowser wanted us to think.” replied Merlon, “That energy boost could only give them oh so much strength. I suppose these eggs were just too tough for them to handle.”

Eventually, he found one that was loose, pulled it out, and found the power star. Toad and Luigi looked into the hole Merlon made and were dazzled by the sight of the power star. Luigi pulled it out, as he was the only one with gloves, and they cheered at a mission accomplished. Some more Koopas came up at the sight of the earlier battle (and from hearing their cheer), but Yoshi and his friends were standing by with their eggs, so the Koopas ran back downstairs in fear.

Meanwhile, Bowser and Mario were still fighting down in the lava room. Mario attempted to shoot fireballs at Bowser, but Bowser was just too strong to feel the small fireballs.

“Face it, Mario. Your friends are already dead. They couldn’t have gotten this far without your magnificent powers!”

“And I wouldn’t have gotten this far without them either! I wouldn’t have gotten through the Mushroom Kingdom without Toad’s navigation, I wouldn’t have escaped your Koopa kids or the dungeon if it weren‘t for Luigi, and I wouldn’t have even been here in the first place if it weren’t for Merlon! I needed them just as much as they needed me!”

But as Mario was talking, Bowser punched Mario in the face, causing him to fly into the wall and lose his powers once again. Bowser then approached Mario.

“And you said I chatter too much!” said Bowser, “Well, I enjoyed our little chat, but I think it’s about time for you to rest…. IN PEACE!”

Bowser then inhaled a deep breath, gaining some yellow fiery power inside his mouth. Mario had a slight idea of what he was up to. He closed his eyes in defeat. Bowser then exhaled a great amount of fire, and Mario saw himself surrounded by all these bright yellow lights of flame, but they did not touch him nor did they burn him. He saw Merlon standing in front of him. Mario realized that Merlon had used his powers to create a force field around Mario. Once Bowser had let out all of his fire breath and saw what had occurred, Mario then stood up and glared at him. He also saw Toad and Luigi standing by the door. Luigi was holding a relatively large golden star, which Mario assumed was the power star.

“Like I was saying,” shouted Mario, “I needed my friends just as much as they needed me! But enough talk! Let’s finish this!”

Mario then pulled out a striped leaf and ate it, gaining his puff of smoke, and growing his cat tail and ears. At the same time, he ate another mushroom, gaining his strength once again. He was ready for battle once more.

“HERE WE GOOOOOO!!!!!” said Mario, as he leaped at Bowser and swung his tail at his face. Bowser then swung his tail at Mario, but Mario jumped over it, then during Bowser’s swift second attempt, punched the thick side of his tail, causing Bowser to spin uncontrollably, and then leaped out of the way of his reversed spinning tail. Once the spinning Bowser slowed down, Mario then leaped up at Bowser and punched him right in the face, knocking him towards the wall, half conscious.

“Have you had enough there, Bowser, or are you ready for more?” stated Mario.

“No one shall bring me down forever!” roared Bowser, as he then stood up and stampeded towards Mario, who was standing by the bridge. Mario simply stepped out of the way, and Bowser stubbornly kept running across the bridge, stopped halfway across, and then looked back at Mario.

“You’re more dizzy than a boy on a spinning wheel at a playground!” shouted Mario, “Maybe you should sit down for a while!”

Bowser then made another attempt at rushing at Mario, but Mario once again stepped out of the way, as Bowser nearly ran into the wall.

“You couldn’t hit a matador bull if it were drunk as a horse! Who’s losing the game this time around, huh?”

Right before Bowser’s third attempt, Mario noticed Bowser‘s axe sitting on the ground. His plan was to grab it right after Bowser had missed a third time, then chop off the bridge and send him into the lava. Sadly, third time is almost always the charm, as Bowser had grabbed Mario by the overall strap before he could grab the axe. Bowser then pulled him to the ground and started clawing him in the face, creating all sorts of bloody scratches. The damage, once again, caused him to lose his powers. He then lifted Mario by the neck and proceeded to choking him.

“This is the last time I will be mocked of the power that I hold amongst the Mushroom Kingdom!” roared Bowser.

“Luigi……” said Mario, in his strained voice, “Grab the axe…. Chop off the bridge…. NOW……”

“ But….” whispered Luigi, “You’ll fall in too!”

“Just do it! I’ve done my part! Now…. you do…. yours!”

Luigi then ran across the bridge. Bowser would’ve grabbed him as well, but he was too distracted by Mario to worry about anything else. He then set the power star right on the edge of his side of the bridge, picked up the axe, finding it to be rather heavy, and held it horizontally so he could chop off both ropes in one swing.

“I am the rightful king of this land! I attempted to protect the land…. And now I am going to destroy it!” roared Bowser.

Luigi got ready to chop off the ropes, but shed a single tear in the fear of losing his brother. But either way, he knew there was no other choice at this point.

“Any last words, hero?” said Bowser.

“Yeah……” said Mario, “Say hi to the devil for me, will you?”

“I AM THE……. Wait, what?” replied Bowser.

Just then, Bowser looked over at Luigi, who then chopped the ropes off the bridge. The bridge then collapsed, and Mario and Bowser found themselves falling and screaming to their doom. They then crashed into the lava, creating a giant splash. Luigi then fell to his knees and looked down into the lava in despair. He didn’t know what to think. On one hand, he just defeated Bowser once and for all. But on the other hand, he just lost his brother along with him. Should he feel happy or depressed?

“Luigi, the power star!” shouted Merlon.

Just then, Luigi made a sudden realization. He just made the biggest mistake of his life. He left the power star sitting on the edge of the bridge, which means it must have dropped into the pit as well. Just then, the lava began to boil rapidly. Toad was immediately aware of what had happened.

“We have to get out of here!” shouted Toad, “The star’s contact with that lava is causing a chain reaction that will cause this entire castle to explode!”

Luigi then ran out of the room his way while Toad and Merlon ran out the other way. Luigi ran out the door to the room with the hole in the ceiling. He attempted to find a way out, but the door to follow (if there was one) was blocked by a whole bunch of debris left by the crash landing. He then climbed the debris up to the main floor and made his way out of the castle. He saw that Toad and Merlon were following him. They eventually reached the city grounds, and Luigi then looked back at the castle and saw that an incredibly bright light was glowing within the castle.

“Umm……. Toad? Is that supposed to happen?” asked Luigi.

“……. No.” replied Toad.

Chapter 11

Miracle of the Stars

As Mario saw the last parts of his life flashing before his eyes, just before he crashed into the lava, he knew his life was coming to an end. After he crashed into the lava, he found himself looking at the brightest light he had ever seen in his life. As the light dimmed, he found himself standing amongst the stars.

“What is this place?” he asked himself.

“We live among the stars now, Mario.” said an echoing voice in the distance. Mario looked around to see where the voice came from. Immediately, a stream of bright stars came in front of him and formed a bright blue path. Mario followed that path, as it led to a solid hut with light blue poles and a dark blue roof. Underneath it stood an extremely bright star, and as Mario got closer to it, he began to recognize it. As it turned out, that star was the brightest star he had ever met. He slowly walked up to her and held her hands. After all this time, it finally happened. He was with Peach once again.

“Mario, dear Mario,” said Peach, “Do you know how this is going to work now?”

“Of course!” replied Mario, “Now that the both of us are dead, Merlon can combine our souls to create a new descendant and return light to the Mushroom Kingdom!”

Peach giggled. “Not quite, Mario. We are not destined to die just yet. There’s still a chance for both of us to survive.”

“You mean…… The power star?”

“The power star is what will be keeping you alive, Mario. It has fallen into the lava with you. You are to retrieve it and use it to give yourself life.”

“But what about you? The power star will only give life to….”

Peach placed her index finger on Mario’s lips, silencing him. “Don‘t worry about me, Mario. I will gain life in a way so incredible that you will consider it a miracle of the stars. You‘re getting closer to becoming the great hero of the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario. And when the time finally comes, you know I will be there to hold your hand……”

And with that, she floated away and disappeared into the stars in the distance. Suddenly, Mario saw the bright white light come upon him once again, and the next thing he knew, he was back in the lava pit, holding the power star with what was now a disintegrating white glove. Mario felt the power growing within him. Within his arms, within his legs, and within his heart. It was a power unlike anything he ever felt in his life, even more so than anything else in the Mushroom Kingdom. He had the power to escape this treachery. He saw himself and the star beginning to glow so brightly that even he couldn’t see what was going on. The light filled up the entire castle. Mario then felt himself being shot up through the roof and into the air. The light began to dim a little, allowing Mario to see once again. He saw that he was flying over Paddestoel, and he saw Luigi, Merlon, and Toad looking at him from down below. He then slowly floated towards them and landed safely. Once he landed, Luigi came up to him and immediately hugged him, and Mario patted Luigi on the back and hugged him as well.

“That’s the last time you sacrifice your life to do what’s right!” exclaimed Luigi.

“But we’ve been doing that during this entire journey, haven’t we?” stated Mario.

“Mario,” said Merlon, “You used up all the power of that power star to save yourself! How do you expect to save Peach now?”

“That’s the first time I’ve heard you refer to her as anything but ‘the princess!’” said Mario, “Tell me, Merlon, do you believe in miracles?”

“Well, of course! I experience them all the time!”

“Well, I just went through the greatest miracle of my now extended life! The miracle of the stars! And now I believe we are still able to give life back to Peach!”

Just then, a much smaller mushroom man walked in with one of Yoshi’s green-spotted eggs. “Umm…. Guys?” he said, “Yoshi and his friends decided to go back to their home island, but they left this behind as a gift.”

Mario grabbed the egg, and it immediately hatched in his hands to reveal a green mushroom with white spots. Mario did not know what it was, but Toad immediately begged to differ.

“This is a life shroom!” said Toad.

“What does it do?” asked Mario.

“Well, at extremely rare times,” replied Merlon, “Yoshi or one of his friends would suck up a mushroom and send it back out with a little bit of their life. They have been known to give life back to those who still need it, but we haven’t seen one of these things for millenniums!”

"Why not?" asked Mario.

"Because they were running out of life and were afraid to give any more of it to anyone." replied Merlon, "By the looks of it, I'd say you put courage back into their hearts!"

Mario immediately knew what to do. He took the life shroom, ran back into the castle (with the others following him), walked up the tower stairs, and approached Peach, still sitting there on the stone table.

“What do I do with it?” Mario asked Toad.

“Just place the head of the shroom on the wound, and it will dissolve into her body and heal her.” answered Toad.

“And remember, Mario,” said Merlon, “In order for my spell to work, you must prove your true passion to her.”

“How do I do that?” asked Mario.

“Just think about everything you love about her as you bring her back to life.”

Mario began his thinking. Peach did the one thing that no one else could possibly do in his situation. She believed something that no one else did. She believed that he was going to become the greatest hero the world has ever known. She believed that he was going to triumph over what he thought was impossible. And what he had now realized was that she was right all along. He had become the greatest hero the Mushroom Kingdom had ever known. He did triumph over what he thought was impossible. It was all because of her encouragement that he was able to pull it off. It was because of her that he began this journey into the wonders of the Mushroom Kingdom. All the beauty and adventure that some people are lucky enough to dream about. All the amazing things he was able to accomplish. It was all because of her. And now, the only way to truly restore his happiness, and the happiness of the ones he cared about, was to bring her and the Mushroom Kingdom back to life. He placed the head of the life shroom on her wounded chest, and it immediately dissolved into her body and healed the wound.

Just then, a magnificent blue light began to float down from the sky, as Mario and the others saw through the stained glass tower window. The light grew brighter as it got closer. It flew through the window and slowly went into Peach. Once it went into Peach, an even brighter light blinded everyone in the room. Giant waves of light were shot out from the castle all over the Mushroom Kingdom. The waves were so bright that it faded out the dark power of Bowser’s troops, causing then to turn back to normal. As the light deprived the Koopas of their power, that power was then restored to the planets they came from, restoring their lands back to their previous state. All the darkness of the Mushroom Kingdom finally disappeared, returning it to its light, peaceful origin.

As the light grew dimmer, Mario saw that Peach’s eyes slowly twitched themselves open. They looked into each other’s eyes, amazingly happy that they were finally back together again.

“It finally happened, Peach,” said Mario, bursting out tears, “You knew it was going to happen. I finally became the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom.”

“And as it finally happened,” whispered Peach, “You knew I would be here to hold your hand.”

They held each other’s hands, and everyone in the room, along with everyone in the Mushroom Kingdom, had roared in applause and cheer. At last, Mario, Luigi, Toad, Merlon, and Peach had triumphed over Bowser’s reign and restored peace to the Mushroom Kingdom.

Conclusion

The next day, a ceremony was held both in commemoration of the return of their future queen and in honor of their present heroes. Peach was standing on the steps of the Paddestoel castle in front of a podium, speaking out to all of the city’s mushroom men, while Mario, Luigi, and Toad were standing on the side.

“The Koopas have retreated away from the Mushroom Kingdom. Without their power or their leader, they will flee defenseless in fear of our new heroes. Peace in the Mushroom Kingdom is now secure, but if the time of darkness shall rise again, you can count on the Super Mario Brothers to get the job done! For now, we thank them and their guides, Toad and Merlon, for their efforts.”

The crowd roared with applause, and everyone was chanting the name “MARIO! MARIO! MARIO! MARIO!” Mario then walked up to the podium as Peach stepped aside.

“I just have one thing to say.” stated Mario, “There are times when a man believes that his destiny lies within the depths of hell. But whether that man believes it or not, every man was meant for more than they could possibly imagine. Every man is meant to do great things. I started off as a chubby unsuccessful plumber living in a van. And yet, here I stand in front of you, earning the honor that I never thought I could receive. Some believe that it would take a miracle to receive such honor. Those people are right, and yet they’re also wrong. I experienced the greatest miracle of my life, and yet it still took a lot of effort and determination to get where I am now. But even without that miracle, man could triumph if he was willing to put out the effort. Many of you believe it was I alone who saved the Kingdom, but I only got us oh so far, and it was Luigi, Toad, and Merlon who truly finished the job. So, don’t send out all your commemoration to me, for we all put out the effort needed to bring the Kingdom out of its darkness.”

The crowd cheered once again, and Mario stepped down with all of his friends, and they all stared at the crowd in awe and inspiration.

The next day, a parade was held in their honor. There was a marching band, confetti flying all over the place, and monstrous crowds of the inhabitants of Paddestoel. Mario stood next to Peach, along with Luigi and Toad, on a white float designed with arcs of flowers above them.

“Hey Peach,” said Mario, “Do you still see yourself in the hands of the big, grand hero?”

“Only if that hero will let me into his arms…..” said Peach, approaching Mario. Mario held Peach with both arms behind her back, and they shared a kiss. It was the most passionate moment of Mario’s life. He had gained everything he had ever wanted all at once. Glory, self-confidence, and the most beautiful, enthusiastic, and motivational girl he had ever laid eyes on. Just as they were kissing, fireworks were shot out into the air from the float. The people of the Mushroom Kingdom couldn’t be happier, and neither could Mario.

THE END

Author's Note

Keep in mind that my writing skills aren't exactly college-level material. I just got out of my junior year in high school, but during my senior year, I am taking general and intermediate writing classes.

Reviews

[Laura]

I thought that this was a very cool idea, using Super Mario Bros. was a brilliant idea. The story line was unique and I thought it was great. And you said at the end to keep in mind that you're still in high school and your writing isn't quite at a college level, but I think your writing was great and mature for your age, even though we're probably about the same age :p
Great job on this, I can't wait to see what other things you have in store :)

[Jaeda]

I enjoyed reading this, and one line in particular made me laugh:

"...painting a clown face on it just to be artsy..."

[TeenRomance2]

I don't think I've ever read a fan fiction about Mario Bros before!! Very creative!

[snapstache]

Cool :) very neat
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