~Part 1~
~Chapter 1~
Many many miles from the Mushroom Kingdom, clear on the other side of Plit, a tall, dark tower stood. The building was made of a black stone, it was very narrow and thin. It wasn't well kept, moss and many kinds of mold covered the exterior, and the black stone was cracked and very worn in many places. The tower looked none to sturdy as the stormy winds blew strongly against it, almost causing it to sway. The structure had very few windows, the most noticeable a large one at the very top.
The land surrounding the tower wasn't a whole lot prettier. The landscape was mostly flat with only a couple small hills. There were few trees, and there were no landmarks to speak of, which made the dark plains seem to stretch on forever into the horizon. The dirt showed through the few remaining clumps of grass and a blanket of dark clouds covered the sky, making it difficult to tell what time of day it was. These clouds usually veiled the tower's top from view, but this night was clear and the bolts of lightning reflected brightly off the tower's largest window.
A medium-sized Boo watched the awesome display of lights from the top of the tower, almost mesmerized. This Boo's name was Rio. He was a pale yellow color and had large blood-red eyes. His long tongue was a musty brown that matched the color of his long stocking cap he always wore. The Boo hovered in place, entranced as the lightning danced across the sky.
"Rio," a strong, but friendly sounding voice said. "The storm is beautiful, isn't it?" The Boo slowly nodded. There was a pause before the voice spoke again. "However, you know that this is not the time. You've found the last gem, haven't you?"
"I have," Rio answered, reluctantly prying his eyes from the dazzling display. The yellow specter had a slight British accent.
The tower's top room was very large and open, the floor was made of the same stone as the tower's walls. The only piece of furniture inside the large room was a comfy arm chair. The chair was occupied by human, something there wasn't a whole lot of on the face of Plit.
He wasn't just a human though, he was a sorcerer. He was rather short and had very pale skin. He wore a black robe and had long black hair that fell over his face and hung past his shoulders. The spellcaster's most striking feature was his eyes, which were a very bright blue. The brilliant sapphire color did everything but add to the sorcerer's evil appearance. The magic user wore a long black robe that seemed to blend with his hair.
The spellcaster was smiling as he addressed his friend. "I'd expect you to be a bit more perky."
Rio beamed back at his friend. "I'll be happy once I'm a hundred percent sure this is gonna work, mate."
The sorcerer laughed. "Oh, it'll work. And if it doesn't... well then I'm sure we can find something else we can waste our time with."
"Fine by me," Rio said. "Just as long as it doesn't involve looking for something."
"There will be no guarantees," the spellcaster replied, still smiling. "Now... where is the beauty?"
"Where else?" Rio answered, grinning. He reached for his hat, plucking it off his ghostly head. He reached his other hand inside, and withdrew a small, clear gem about the size of a baseball. The crystal object shinned brightly in what little light the room contained.
Rio shivered. "Brrrrr... Take it off me before me hand freezes, it's a cold little bugger."
The magic user raised his scepter, a long gray one with a pitch-black orb at the top. The icy gem was surrounded by a light green hue, and rose into the air. Rio rolled his eyes as the gem flew into the spellcaster's outstretched hand.
"You're so lazy," Rio said, somewhat sarcastically.
"Shut up," the sorcerer replied playfully. There was another slight pause before the magic user continued. "Now I'm sure you're very curious about the real use of this room."
"Oh yes," Rio replied sarcastically, doing a back flip in the air and moving closer to the sorcerer's chair.
The magic user shook his head slightly and slammed the bottom of his staff on the stone floor. The sound of rotating gears echoed through the room, and the floor began to rumble. A large rectangular section of the floor that lay before the wizard's chair began to lower. Dust flew into the air, and a strange piece of machinery began to rise where the floor was missing.
The rumbling ceased, and the dust cleared. A large machine lay before the satisfied spellcaster and the somewhat spectacle spirit. The strange machinery stood about thirty feet tall; jagged points stuck out at seemingly random areas. In the heart of the machine, there was a small chamber where six gems, identical in size to the clear one that the magic user held, flitted about. The six crystals seemed to be pushed by a magnetic force, the gems frantically trying to stay away from each other in the tiny chamber.
"I don't know about this..." Rio said nervously. "See how those other gems are trying to stay away from each other? That's not a good sign, mate."
"Stop being so paranoid," the wizard insisted. "Nothing bad is going to happen. I imagine the worst thing that could happen is that it doesn't work." The sorcerer began to walk toward the machine's inner chamber where the other gems awaited.
"That, or the gems react weirdly, causing this entire tower to blow up..." Rio mumbled. The ghost frowned as his friend stopped in front of the chamber. The spellcaster raised his wand and pointed at the chamber's sliding door.
"Ah, c'mon Ehcon, could ya just reconsider? Maybe we could try this another time when we have more information regarding-"
"I know what I'm doing!" Ehcon, the dark wizard, snapped. "I'm sorry, old friend, but I've waited too long for this moment to postpone it any longer. And you... you've worked so hard for all these years for this moment to arrive. How could you second guess yourself now?"
Rio sighed. "Ah... fine. Go on."
Ehcon nodded, and fired a strange blue liquid out of the tip of his scepter. The magical liquid formed a barrier that was shaped just as the chamber's door was. Immediately as Ehcon slid the door open, an elemental gem tried to escape the tiny chamber in hopes of separating itself from the other gems. The crystal shot towards the opening, only to bounce harmlessly off the magic barrier Ehcon had created.
Ehcon's hand shook slightly as he clutched the ice crystal tightly. He reached for the chamber opening, and his arm passed easily through the liquid barrier. The wizard quickly released the gem he held, and withdrew his arm from the chamber. He sighed with relief. The seven gems seemed to glow angrily as they pressed against the outer edge of the chamber. Ehcon slid the door back into place, and the liquid barrier disappeared. Ehcon folded his arms and smiled.
"Rio," he said, turning to his friend, "let's take this time to enjoy this moment. All of our hard work is about to pay off."
Rio shook his head. "I've already told you. I'm not celebrating until I know this works for sure. Start her up already."
"As you wish." Ehcon reached for a large red button and pressed it firmly.
~Chapter 2~
Thousands of miles away, Mario, the chubby plumber and protector of the Mushroom Kingdom, slept soundly in his bed. He was snoring loudly, and it was anyone's guess how his brother Luigi, the plumber clad in green, was able to get to sleep in a bed directly next to his brother's. Mario let out a strange grunt, and his eyelids began to twitch.
*****
Mario was suddenly awake. He stood in an area of pitch black. He could see nothing all directions; everything was black and silent. The plumber could have felt relaxed. There was no danger here, only the darkness. He made an attempt to move, but found that he couldn't. He was glued to the spot. He tried to speak, to shout, but found that he couldn't do that either.
And so it was this way for a long time. Mario's insides were tense, frozen by the blackness. Nothing was moving. The only things here were the plumber's thoughts. They seemed to dance around his head, making him feel a strange sense of calm that he tried to fight. The clan wanted to cease Mario's struggles, they wanted to overtake his body. Mario wouldn't let them. He would fight with every ounce of mental energy.
And finally, Mario could no longer fight it. From his head, it swept through his body, putting the plumber into a trance. A voice, that of a female, suddenly echoed loudly through the darkness. The sound seemed even to burst through Mario's body, just as the calmness did.
"Why do you fight us?" the voice asked. Although the sound was soft, it seemed to be magnified to infinity, as it spoke to Mario through his heart, his head, even his very soul. Mario couldn't answer the voice. His body remained as still as a statue.
"This area is surrounded by a substance known as antimatter," the voice spoke, and Mario realized it was made up of many different tones. "Everything that makes up your planet is classified as matter. Plitians react to antimatter and matter very differently. When surrounded by matter, a Plitian can move freely, making it's own decisions. In antimatter, it is very different. A Plitian can no longer move. It can only think.
"When exposed to antimatter, all a Plitian can see is black, while in reality, they are surrounded by thousands of shades and colors. The only way a Plitian can move in a world of antimatter is if he or she is manipulated by one that was born and has existed in this realm before. The Plitian's mind must be 'cracked' and then the power of the other being can flood through it. The Plitian can now hear this being. The Plitian can now be controlled.
"You now realize we are the beings controlling you. You do not need to worry. You will be transported back to your world once I am done informing you, but you must listen carefully. First, we'd like to explain that we are seven different beings. We exist in this world as spirits. We are the most powerful beings in this realm.
"We exist in your world as the seven Elemental Gems. In your world we do not carry as much power, we do not even live. However, our gem forms are closely tied to our forms in this realm. We sense something terrible is about to happen in your world. Our gem forms have been collected and are now being forced together. Our gem powers are growing, while our powers in the realm of antimatter are weakening.
"Our gem forms will soon have too much power to exist in such a range, and will cause a gigantic explosion. This explosion will cause a rift between our two different dimensions. We will emerge from this realm into yours as one powerful being of light. The Elemental Gems will fly off into different directions and be apart once again, and we sense that the being responsible will try to get them back together again. THAT CANNOT HAPPEN. If it does... something terrible will occur, and your world will be swallowed into darkness.
"Our time grows short. Our power in this realm has weakened to the point where we can no longer communicate. We end this conference by telling you why you were contacted. The explosion will blast our new being high and far, and she will land very close to where you are now currently sleeping. In our new form, we will know nothing of what has happened in the past. It is your duty to-"
*****
Mario suddenly awoke. He quickly sat up in his bed and whiped his forehead, which was covered with cold sweat. "What a weird dream," he mumbled, slowly hopping out of bed. He walked to the kitchen, where he filled a cold glass of water. He slurped it down and collapsed on the nearest chair, breathing deeply.
"I sure hope that dream was nothing important, because I'd rather forget about it..."
~Chapter 3~
Dear Kids,
I've decided to take a well-deserved vacation. I'll be taking Kamek and Kammy with me to be my bodyguards so you seven are on your own. Don't get into too much trouble or you'll have to serve some dungeon time.
Yours Truly,
King Dad
"All right!" Larry Koopa shouted gleefully as he finished reading the letter. The small, blue-haired Koopaling was alone when he found the letter on the dining room table after he'd gotten up to eat breakfast.
"What's all the fuss about?" Ludwig von Koopa had entered the dinning room, his hair messily flowing in all directions. The elder Koopa snatched the letter from his sibling and read it, placing it down on the table as he finished. "It's very peculiar that father would trust us enough to leave us alone like this."
Larry shrugged. "I guess he really needed a vacation."
It didn't take long before all the Koopalings had awoken and read the letter. The Koopas stood around the table, eyeing each other.
"Right then," Ludwig said, breaking the silence. "Why don't we have some breakfast?"
"Why should we?" Roy said in his loud and obnoxious voice. "I think I'll just help myself to some candy and get on back to sleep! If Dad's not here, I can sleep in as long as I want!"
"Well, Roy, it would be good to keep a healthy-" Ludwig was cut off.
"And hey! I can beat up my puny brothers any time I want to!" Roy exclaimed.
Larry and Iggy whimpered, hiding behind Ludwig.
"You know what I think?" Morton asked.
"WE DON'T CARE!" everyone shouted in unison.
"How about we do something structured?" Ludwig suggested.
"Like what?" Wendy asked. She had a mirror out and was dabbing her face with makeup.
"Something that would make our father proud!" The eldest Koopa continued. "We could takeover the Mushroom Kingdom!"
"That's not a bad idea..." Roy commented. "But I wouldn't need your guys' help to do it!"
Lemmy snorted. "Suuuuuure you wouldn't."
Roy growled and advanced toward his brother. "Why I oughta-"
"Wait," Ludwig said. "That sparks an interesting idea. We could have a little... contest."
"What kinda contest?" Roy asked, forgetting Lemmy and looking toward his older brother.
"A contest that will decide which of us is superior!" Ludwig explained. "Each of us will come up with some sort of weapon to use on the Mushroom Kingdom, and the Koopaling that successfully conquers it will be crowned the King of Koopas... that is, until King Dad returns."
"Great idea, Ludwig," Morton said. "I will start working right away. I will create the ultimate weapon, one that will crush the Mushroom Kingdom and one that you will all envy. Then I will get the respect that a great Koopa such as myself deserves. I will-" Morton was stopped by a slug to the gut via Roy.
"Fine, so the winner will take over as king, and everyone has to do what they say," Roy said.
"I hope Roy doesn't win..." Iggy muttered.
"Do all of us agree with those terms?" Ludwig asked. All the Koopalings nodded. "Then it's settled."
"Wait," Wendy said. "How will we determine who goes first? I mean, that matters a lot, doesn't it?"
"We should do it by age!" Roy exclaimed. "The oldest should get to choose!"
"Um... no," Larry disagreed. "We should decide randomly."
"That's fair, I guess," Ludwig agreed.
"But you're old!" Roy protested. "You should agree with me!"
"Sorry, but I side with fairness," Ludwig said. The elder Koopa spotted a guard out in the hall. It was a normal green-shelled Troopa who carried a small spear. "You there!" Ludwig called. "Come in here!"
The Troopa stopped. "M-me?" the guard asked.
"Yes you!" Ludwig snapped. "And hurry. We don't have all day, you know." The Koopa guard scurried into the dining room and saluted sloppily. "Good, now think of a number between 1 and 1000." The Koopa was startled by the question. After a few seconds, Ludwig asked. "You have it?"
"Y-yeah..." The guard mumbled.
"Good. I'll start by guessing 500." Ludwig said.
"Why do you get to choose first?" Roy asked.
"Because I came up with the idea," Ludwig answered.
"Fine den," Roy said. "I choose 501!"
"And I choose 499," Wendy said, sneering.
"Oh dear..." Ludwig mumbled.
"Oh oh!" Morton said. "Then I choose 502!"
"You WHAT?!" Roy yelled, lunging at his little brother and landing a sharp blow to his gray face.
"I choose 498," Iggy said. Wendy glared icily at him.
"That leaves 503 for me," Larry grinned.
"And 497 for me," Lemmy laughed.
"Wait... now I'm confused... what did dat just accomplish?" Roy asked.
Ludwig sighed. "Well now there's basically a 50 percent chance either Larry or Lemmy will choose first, and less then a 1 percent chance any of us will... Anyway, guard, what was the number?"
"352," the guard answered. "Can I go now...?"
"Yeah," Ludwig replied, and the guard scurried out of the room.
"Ha!" Lemmy cheered. "I won! I won! I get to choose when to attack! And I choose to go... last."
"I'll go second to last," Iggy said.
"Then I'll go third to last," Wendy announced.
"Then I choose to go fourth to last," Ludwig said. "Or fourth, whichever way you look at it."
"I'll go first," Roy exclaimed. "For a little change of pace! I'll crush the Mushroom Kingdom before you guys even get a chance."
"Yeah, but you get the least amount of time to work on your weapon," Lemmy added.
"I choose to go second!" Morton said. "Because first is the worst! And second is the best! And third-" Morton was knocked cold by a blow from his beefy elder sibling.
"That leaves third," Larry said cheerfully. "Not so bad."
"Good," Ludwig said. "Now I suggest you all start working on your weapon because exactly twenty-four hours from now," everyone glanced at the large wooden clock, which read 10:00, "Roy will tackle the Mushroom Kingdom. And if he fails, then the next Koopaling will attack twenty-four hours from then, and so on."
"Fine with me!" Roy snarled, showing his teeth. "I'll blow this competition away before any of you weaklings even get a shot!"
~Chapter 4~
Mario sat in the kitchen for a long time, thinking about the dream he had just had. He heard his younger brother yawn in the other room and the sound of footsteps. His brother swung the kitchen door open and starred at Mario.
"Hey bro, what are you doing up so early?" Luigi asked.
"I had a dream," Mario answered.
"A bad one?" Luigi inquired, as he began to fill a kettle with some sink water.
"Not really," Mario said. "It was more weird then anything else. It seemed so... real."
"They all do," Luigi said, putting the kettle on the stove. He switched the stove on, and the flames rose and began to lick the bottom of the pot. "Princess Peach invited us to her castle for breakfast," Luigi reminded his brother.
"Oh yeah," Mario said.
The Brothers waited in silence as the kettle water was heated and began to steam. Luigi switched the heat off and offered his brother a cup of coffee. Mario nodded and took the heated mug, sipping lightly from it.
"When are we supposed to be there?" Mario asked, glancing at the kitchen clock.
"Eleven," his lanky brother replied. "So we have just over an hour to get there."
The time passed slowly and silently, as the Brothers finished their drinks and got dressed. At about thirty 'til eleven, the Brothers walked out the door into the bright sunlight. Mario smiled as the breeze tickled his face lightly. As he hopped in the warp pipe which connected the Brothers' house to Toad Town, Mario had nearly forgotten about his strange dream.
*****
The great machine began to shake violently as Ehcon pressed the red button. He stepped back and watched as the machine hummed loudly. Sparks began to fly from the machinery and the small chamber began to fill with a bright light. The light suddenly shined through the chamber surrounded by glass and the huge wave engulfed the tower room. Rio and Ehcon were blinded, and both covered their eyes.
The light finally died away, and the machine stopped humming and shaking. The two friends opened their eyes and stared at the machine, Ehcon was frowning and Rio had a look of smug satisfaction.
"See," the ghost said, looking at his partner. "I told you it wouldn't work."
Ehcon bit his lip. "I don't know what went wrong..." The dark wizard looked inside the chamber. The Elemental Gems were gone.
"The gems are gone!" Rio shouted.
"There's something else in there... What... What is it?" Ehcon asked, but his question was never answered. The machine began to shake again, this time more violently. Smoke began to rise from the contraption, and Ehcon's eyes widened. "RIO!!!" the wizard yelled. "GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!"
The ghost nodded grimly, and teleported out of the room. Ehcon focused energy into his scepter as pieces of machinery began to fly in all directions across the room. Without warning, the room erupted into flame. Ehcon was engulfed, and eight objects burst through the tower walls, flying off in the distance.
The entire tower began to rumble, and finally toppled over. As it hit the ground, dust flew everywhere, encasing the now fallen tower. Rio watched from a safe distance, hovering just above a small hill. The yellow specter narrowed his eyes, and as the dust settled, the ghost teleported close to the fallen castle.
"EHCON!" the Boo called. "ARE YOU STILL THERE?!" The specter's shouts could be heard across the dark plane. A still silence followed them, and Rio gazed at the castle's remains for a while, seeing no sign of movement. The ghost sighed deeply. "C'mon, mate. I know you're still alive..."
*****
"Ah..." Luigi sighed contentedly as he emerged from warp pipe they had used just a little while ago. "The princess always has the best food."
"Oh yeah," Mario agreed, patting his full belly. "Nothing like a meal at the castle." The two Brothers continue in silence until Mario almost toppled into a large crater that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Dust rose from the it's depths, and Mario scrambled back.
"That definitely wasn't there last time we passed." Luigi stammered. "I wonder what happened?"
"Bowser," Mario said automatically.
"Maybe," Luigi replied. "But why would the Koopa King randomly blast a crater here?"
"I bet he was aiming for our house!" Mario exclaimed.
"Um..." Luigi said. "I don't think Bowser's aim is THAT bad."
"No," Mario replied. "I guess not."
"Maybe we should see if there's anything at the bottom of the crater?" Luigi suggested.
"Go for it," Mario replied. Luigi peered into the large gaping holer. The plumber spotted a small, limp figure at the very bottom. The crater was too deep for Luigi to make out who it was, or what they looked like.
"Someone's down there!" Luigi exclaimed.
"There is?" Mario asked. "Wait here!" Mario leaped into the crater. Luigi rolled his eyes as he waited for his Brother to return. And so he did, just a few minutes later. He had slung the fallen body over his shoulder. The figure was clothed in a white robe that was charred and ripped in many spots.
Mario began to walk quickly back toward his house, and motioned his brother to follow him. With his free hand, the plumber clad in red swung the Pipe House door open and entered. He gently lay the limp figure on his bed. Mario noticed stands of blonde hair poking out of the figure's hood, which was covering its face.
Luigi had now entered, and walked up behind his brother. "Any idea on who or what it is?" He asked.
"Not really," Mario replied. "Go get some water and food ready."
"That's assuming the thing is still alive, which I highly doubt-"
"I know it's alive!" Mario said forcefully. "I... I felt its lifeforce when I carried it back here."
Luigi raised his eyebrows. "If you say so, bro. I'll go whip something up, but perhaps you should find out if it's alive in a more... realistic way?" Mario stared at his brother heatedly, and Luigi put on a fake smile and left for the kitchen.
Mario reached for the creature's wrist, and felt a steady pulse. The plumber lowered its arm, and reached for its head. He pulled the creature's hood back to reveal the calm, peaceful face of a young girl. Her long blond hair flowed in all directions, and her soft, pale face was littered with cuts and scratches.
Luigi came back in holding a large glass of water a plate of stale looking bread. "Oi," the plumber exclaimed. "It's a she..."
~Chapter 5~
The sound of Ludwig's voice echoed throughout Koopa Castle. "This is your brother Ludwig calling all Koopalings to meet in the front lobby at 10:00 sharp! That's right, ALL Koopalings must meet in the front lobby at 10:00! That is all." The eldest Koopa pushed the intercom button and sighed contentedly. "That sounded so official," he mumbled to himself.
*****
To Ludwig's surprise, every Koopaling had arrived on time. "Excellent," the eldest Koopa said. "We're all here. Are you ready to launch the first attack on the Mushroom Kingdom?"
"You better believe it," Roy answered.
"And you will attack from Toad Town's front gate, as we discussed?" Ludwig asked.
"Wait, WAIT," Lemmy interrupted, almost slipping on his ball. "WE hadn't discussed that."
"New rule," Ludwig informed the group. "Each of us must attack from Toad Town's front gate. I've already cleared this idea with Roy, who is attacking first."
"Why'd you make us come?" Larry asked. "I've got quite a bit of work to do!"
"You do not need to stay," Ludwig replied. "But here, I am displaying a monitor that will show Roy's progress. I've created a camera-bearing machine that will follow Roy's every move."
"Nifty," Iggy exclaimed.
"Yes, anyway," Ludwig said. "Is your weapon ready, Roy?"
"Of course it is!" the pink-shelled Koopa snapped. "Can I go now?"
"Yes, we wish you our luck," Ludwig said.
"Some of us..." Larry mumbled quietly. Iggy, who was near by, snickered. Roy nodded, and left through the castle's main gate.
"How will our sibling get to the Mushroom Kingdom?" Morton asked. "I mean, we all know that the trip to Grass Land is very far from here, because this castle is located in Dark Land which is-"
"He's using a Koopa Kopter!" Ludwig answered loudly in order to interrupt his rambling brother. The monitor showed the chubby Koopa hop into the copter, a large gray sack slung over his back. Ludwig took one last look at his departing brother, and left the lobby, followed by all the remaining Koopalings except Lemmy.
"Hey Lem," Larry asked as he was leaving. "Why are you staying?"
Lemmy smiled up at his younger brother. "I've got some time. I'm just going to enjoy this!"
*****
It had been over a day, and the Mario Brothers' new house guest had still not awaken. She continued to stay unconscious, but was breathing lightly. The Brothers were beginning to worry; she hadn't eaten or drank anything for as long as she had been there. Luigi had suggested forcing the food and water down her throat, but Mario decided against it. Still, he had agreed that they would do it if her condition began to worsen.
Mario sat outside on the porch, breathing in the fresh air. His mind was cluttered with thoughts of the girl, and the dream he had had a night ago. The voice had mentioned the girl, he remembered. It said she would arrive by his house soon, and she had. It occurred to the plumber that this wasn't coincidence. It couldn't be. That meant that everything else the voice had said was true. All that weird stuff about antimatter and the gems...
Once the girl awoke he would relay the information... but how would he? What if she didn't know how to speak his language? It could take months... maybe years before she understood, and by then it would be too late. And there was still the chance that the girl wouldn't wake up at all, that she would just drift in unconsciousness for the rest of time.
Mario's thought process was interrupted by the sound of a screaming Mushroomer. It was Toad, one of the princess guards. The tiny Mushroom rushed up to the plumber clad in red, who momentarily shoved thoughts of the girl aside.
"Roy Koopa!" Toad yelled, gasping for breath. "Roy... he's... he's attacking Toad Town."
"I'm on it!" Mario said, leaping into action. "Tell Luigi as soon as you can, he's inside the house. Oh, wait," Mario stopped. "Where was he last sited?"
"The front gate!" Toad gasped. "He was heading toward the castle with some weird weapon..." Mario nodded, and without another word, bolted toward the warp pipe. He hopped in and was instantly teleported to the west side of Toad Town. Sure enough, the bulky Koopaling was harassing a group of Mushroomer guards with a strange weapon that resembled a punching glove.
"Stop right there!" Mario shouted, cheezily. The Koopaling looked up at the new arrival and grinned.
"Only a matter of time before you showed up!" Roy sneered. "Now that you're here, I'd like you to meet my new creation. Forged overnight... it is called, P.O.W.! The Puncher of Wretchedness! Wahahahahahaha!"
*****
"Man that's lame..." Lemmy muttered to himself. He was fully equipped with a large tub of popcorn and a huge soda, sitting lazily on couch in the lobby.
*****
"Now, I'd like to show you how it works!" Roy said confidently. Strapped to the Koopa's chubby arm was a large red punching glove attached to a spring, which was scrunched back into the locked position. The pink-shelled Koopaling pushed a red button on the side of his device and the glove shot toward the surprised plumber. It socked Mario in the gut, and sent him flying backward into the air.
"How'd you like that!" Roy laughed, pushing the button again and causing P.O.W. to return to the locked position. Mario returned to his feet with a little difficulty, readying himself for his opponent's next atack. Roy fired his P.O.W. at the plumber once again, but Mario was ready this time. He ducked under the oncoming atack, and ran toward his attacker.
Roy returned the glove quickly and fired at his attacker again. Mario was within a couple yards of Roy now, and barely dodged out of the way. He quickly threw a punch at the Koopa, who took the blow in the face. Roy kept his balance and blocked a kick from the plumber with his arm while returning P.O.W. to ready position.
The Koopa snarled and fired again, hitting his target with full force. Mustering up his energy, Mario grabbed the punching glove and held on. Roy pushed the red button again and Mario held on tight as he and glove sailed toward the pink-shelled Koopa. As P.O.W. entered the lock position, Roy attempted to knock the plumber off his weapon, but Mario grabbed the Koopa's arm as it shot toward him. Roy's eyes widened (though you couldn't see them behind his shades) and frantically tried to push the red button without a free hand. He awkwardly scuttled toward the nearest building in hopes the button would connect with the wall.
Mario began to pummel the Koopa with a barrage of kicks. Roy struggled to stay on his feet, but then realized there was an easier way to fire his weapon. Roy allowed himself to fall to ground, and made sure to land on the arm equipped with P.O.W. The bulky Koopa slammed hard to the ground, causing P.O.W. to fire, taking the plumber with it. As the spring reached its full length, Mario flew off, no longer able to hold on.
The pipe cleaner flew into a nearby tree trunk, and fell to the ground unconscious. Roy laughed loudly. "Take that, you pasta eating fool!"
"And why don't you take this, you oversized Koopa klump!" a voice that came just feet behind Roy yelled. The pink-shelled Koopa turned around in time to see a white glove smack him in the face. The Koopaling blacked out as he fell to the ground. Luigi smiled deviously and ran to his fallen brother, who had just awoken.
"You finish that Koopaling off?" Mario asked groggily.
"Yeah," Luigi replied. "He'll be serving some time in the castle dungeons."
*****
Lemmy smiled, gulping down the rest of his popcorn. "I knew he couldn't do it," the koopaling told himself. Lemmy quickly left the room, his own weapon on his mind.