Mario: Luigi! Could you get that?
Luigi: Sure, Bro!
Luigi walked to the door and opened it. There stood Parakarry, the mail-delivering Paratroopa.
Parakarry: Hey, Luigi! How’s it going?
Luigi: Not bad. What brings you here?
Parakarry: Mail call for Mario. Thought I’d rather not place it in the box! It’s a special delivery sent via airmail from that old Kolorado fellow.
He handed Luigi the package and flew off.
Luigi: Thanks, Parakarry!
He walked back inside and gave Mario the letter.
Mario: Who? Kolorado? I haven’t seen him since Peach and the Star Spirits were kidnapped!
Mario opened the letter.
Mario: Apparently, he found a certain something that concerns me at the west side of the Mushroom Kingdom and has scheduled a VIP flight there! Wow! He says he’ll meet me at Glorryville. Isn’t that the big tourist spot? He also says you can come along, too!
Luigi: Really?! Cool! We get to go to Glorryville!!!
Mario: Well, what are we waiting for, an invitation? We already got one! Let’s go!
They headed out the door.
Later, in a creepy castle outside Glorryville...
Spania Guard 1 (Sg1): King Spinner, are you in need of anything?
Spania Guard 2 (Sg2): We’re here to serve!
The two orange grub creatures stood before a green one sitting in a throne. He wore a crown and red robe.
Spinner: Yes, bring me the Mushroom and the Spin Bros.
Sg1 and Sg2: Yes sir!
Moments later, Sg1 and 2 returned with a black Mushroom with a cross of lightning bolts in the middle and three Spinias, each a different color: red, blue, and yellow.
Sg2: Here’s the Shroom, Sire.
Sg2 handed Spinner the Shroom.
Spinner: Good. Time to find where the next Shroom is!
Suddenly, ten stone pedestals appeared from the ground. Spinner got up and placed the Shroom in his seat, which was in the center of the circle of pedestals. The Shroom rolled off the throne and to a pedestal.
Spinner: Aha! The Fire Shroom is closest! You, Spin Bros!
Yellow: Yes, King Spinner, sir? What do you need of us?
Spinner: Take the Shroom! Follow its path to the next Shroom! Use whatever force necessary and guard it with your lives! If you lose it, it’ll be your heads, got it?!
Yellow: Of course, sir!
Blue: Right on it, sir!
Red: We’ll hop to it!
Spinner: Good! Now go already, you babbling buffoons!
The Spin Bros. instantly spun away, leaving Spinner with the two guards.
Sg1: Uh, so, what would you like, Sire?
Spinner: I would like you to find out about this next Shroom! Now!
Sg1 and 2: Yes sir!
At the same time, the Mario Bros' plane arrives in Glorryville.
Mario: We’re there! Luigi! Look!
Mario poked Luigi. He looked over to the window. A beautiful beachside town with mansion-sized hotels and homes dotted the pavement. People (mostly Piantas and Toads) were walking the paved streets. Small shops and vendors littered the streets. The sun was just coming up, depicting a beautiful scene.
Pilot: Please fasten your seatbelt; we are about to land in Glorryville airport. Thank you for riding Koopa Air A-class. That is all.
Luigi: Cool! Hey, look at that pyramid!
Mario: What? Pyramid? What are you talking about?
Luigi: Really! Look!
Sure enough, a giant pyramid stood directly in the city’s center. Crowds of people surrounded it. Helicopters and news vans roamed around for a good shot.
Mario: A pyramid? What do they need a pyramid for?
Suddenly, the plane shook. The Bros' baggage dropped from its compartment.
Mario: Woah! What’s happening? What’s with all the shakin’?
Luigi: I don’t know, Bro! Duck!
A piece of something came flying at their heads. They ducked, narrowly missing it.
Pilot: Excuse us for the turbulence, we are having some- Woah?!
Suddenly, the plane took a nosedive. The plane circled and spun. The Bros. were lifted off their seats.
Mario: What happened?! Why are we falling?!
Luigi: I don’t knooooooow!!!
Suddenly the plane took a sharp upward turn. The plane went straight up, gaining speed. Luigi went flying backwards, landing on the bathroom door and smashing it. Mario grabbed hold of a seat, crawling his way up them until he got to the door to the cockpit.
Mario: Gotta get there! Come on! Got it!
He grabbed the door handle and twisted it. The pilot came flying out and landed on top of Luigi.
Luigi: Oww!
Pilot: Sorry!
Mario pulled himself into the cockpit. The controls were moving by themselves!
Mario: What in the world?! They’re moving by themselves!
Suddenly, a Boo appeared. It was lying on the controls, sleeping.
Mario: Hey, you! Wake up! You trying to kill us?!
Boo: Huh? Wha-? Nah, five more minutes, that’s all.
He rolled over. The plane took another nosedive.
Mario: WAKE UP!!!
Boo: Huh? What? I’m awake!
Mario: You moron! You almost killed us! Do you know how to steer this thing?
Boo: Oops, musta fell asleep invisible again!
Mario: Can you fly it?
Boo: Can I?! I was a World War 2 Fighter pilot!
He grabebd the controls and jerked them out. The plane then once again turned upwards and finally leveled.
Boo: Good! I can leave it like this and let the pilot takeover!
Mario: Thank goodness!
Boo: I bet I’ll get fired for this! I’m such a klutz! Last year I drove a train into a Kong! I got fired for it! I didn’t know they’re endangered!
Mario: Well, I’ll give you credit. You did save us!
Boo: I guess so. Hey, my name's Boog, what’s yours?
Mario: Mario! Nice to meet you-a, Boog!
Just then, the pilot camemes huffing in.
Pilot: You brainless creature! This is the third time you’ve done something bad on this plane! I’ll have you fired!
Mario: Well, at least he saved us!
Boog: Yeah!
Pilot: I don’t care! He could have killed the famous Mario Bros!
Boog: Hold the phone! You mean to tell me you’re the famous Mario Bros? The same who have rescued Peach, and destroyed Bowser, and unclogged my dad’s toilet, and… and…
Mario: Slow down!
Boog: Hey! Why are you in Glorryville?
Mario: An old friend who’s probably in that big pyramid called me.
Boog: You mean Kolorado, the famous archaeologist and treasure hunter? Wow!
Pilot: That’s nice, but are you forgetting that you’re going to be fired?!
Boog: You can’t fire me! I quit!
Pilot: What?! And where are you gonna go, hmm?
Boog: With Mario!
Pilot and Mario: What?!
Boog: Er… If that’s all right with Mario, of course.
Mario: Uh… Sure, I guess.
Boog: Yes! Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou!!!
Luigi came in.
Luigi: Hey, Bro. Did you figure it all out? It looks like we’re flying well, now!
Boog: Yeah, we’re good now, though it was all my fault.
Luigi: Who’s this?
Mario: His name’s Boog.
Luigi: Nice to meet you!
Mario: Boog, this is my brother, Luigi!
Boog: Pleasure!
Pilot: Sorry to interrupt, but now that the problem’s fixed, if you would take your seats, we’ll be landing in Glooryville airport.
The Bros. took their seats. The pilot landed in the airport and the three exited. Afterwards, they were just walking outside when...
Koopa Troopa Archaeologist: Mario, Luigi! Ride for Mario and Luigi!
Mario: Hey, they got us a ride!
Luigi: Hey, you’re the assistant of Kolorado, right?
Koopa Troopa Archaeologist: Of course! Come on! Kolorado’s waiting!
Mario and Luigi got inside a nearby taxi and were driven to the crowd in front of the pyramid. As soon as they got out, a flash blinded them.
Mario: Ow!
Luigi: What the?
Reporter: It’s the famed Mario Bros! I, Jim Lakitu, shall get an interview with them!
Koopa Troopa Archaeologist: Not today!
He shoved his hand in front of the camera.
Koopa Troopa Archaeologist: Come on! Make way!
He cleared a path through the crowd for Mario, Luigi, and Boog.
The pyramid must have stood the size of a skyscraper. The sides were not slanted like an Egyptian pyramid, but had layers like those of the Maya and Aztecs’. Inside, archaeologists and mineralogists bustled about, with charts, notepads, tools and many other things.
Mario: Small room, but it probably is an archaeological gold mine!
Luigi: I wonder why it concerns us.
Boog: What? This pyramid concerns you?
Mario: That’s what our friend said!
Suddenly, a Koopa with a mustache looked at the Bros.
Kolorado: Mario! Luigi! Good to see you two again, old chaps!
Mario: Hey, how’s it going?
Kolorado: Pretty well, old boy!
A Koopa with a blue shell came over.
Kooper: Mario! Hey, long time, no see!
Mario: Hey, Kooper! So you joined up with Kolorado, eh?
Kolorado: Yup! Just can’t say no to a great fan!
Mario: So, what is it that’s so important?
Luigi: It must be important if you called us all the way here!
Kolorado: Here, I’ll show you!
They walked into another chamber. Kolorado lit a match, illuminating hundreds of hieroglyphs.
Mario, Luigi, and Boog: Wow!
Kolorado: Yes, indeed! Kooper, you’re the expert reader at this! You read!
Kooper: If you say so! All right, where to begin… Oh! All right! Listen up! Once, there was a great kingdom spread across this town about 500 years ago. The very pyramid we stand beneath was the king’s headquarters. [The king looks almost identical to Mario.] The king was a good ruler, but his subjects did not follow him. They wanted total control of themselves, with no ruler. One day, a magical Spinia created ten mystical Mushrooms, each holding their own magical power. He tried to use their great and immense powers against the king. He was stopped and put to death. The king ordered a “prison” to be built for them. Ten pedestals were created to hold them. Then, a man from the future [This time, the person looks EXACTLY like Mario, clothes and all] came, and told the king to hide the Mushrooms. The king did. He spread the Mushrooms across the country. The only problem was each Mushroom would lead whoever holds it to the nearest one. The magical Spinia’s son constantly searched for the Shrooms, and his son, and his son, and so forth. Oh, Mario! By the way, the king's name was- oh, wait! The reason it concerns you is that generation after generation of the king’s descendants kept the Spinias away from the Shrooms. If the don't, the prophecy says a horrible fate will happen! And Mario, the king’s name was Mike Mario! Your ancestor!
Mario and Luigi gasped.
Chapter 1: A Pleasant Stay and the
Fire Chamber
Instantly, Beldam knew where to go.
She, being a shadow, quickly used the Shadow Dimension to return to their
group. She hid in the shadows, waiting for Mario to arrive. Then, she retrieved
the bit of information she needed. She appeared an instant later. Marilyn,
her younger sister, Doopliss, the Duplighost, and Popple, the shadow thief
(who wasn’t a shadow, but a Beanbean citizen) were the only people who
had enlisted in the group. They were all gathered in a dark alley in Rougeport.
Beldam: I retrieved the information.
Popple: So what’s our next move?
Doopliss: When will we strike?
Marilyn: Guh?
Beldam: Patience! I only have retrieved information for our first move!
Popple: Listen, I don’t have any patience when it comes to that pestering Mario!
Doopliss: Hey, Popple! Beldam’s the wisest out of all of us, so shut it and listen!
Beldam: Thank you, Freak. Now, we’ll have to wait for his next move.
Popple: But I want to kill him NOW!
Beldam: Shut it! I have just as good enough reason to destroy him as anyone else here! So listen and wait!
Doopliss: Don’t worry; I can get every bit of help in destroying him as possible!
Marilyn: Guh?
Doopliss: I am a Duplighost slash body stealer!
Beldam: Good! Do what you need, Freak. Popple, I need you to get me some Nitro Honey Syrup, gold, and diamonds. Marilyn, keep an eye on Mario. I have some issues to take care of.
With that, Popple literally melted into the shadows, Doopliss transformed into a Mouser, and Marilyn and Beldam disappeared into the shadows.
Inside Bowser’s castle...
Koopatrol: Lord Bowser! Kammy Koopa the hag will be here shortly! She has word on an all-powerful item!
Bowser: Good! I haven’t ruled the kingdom in a while. I need a new approach.
Suddenly, the door to the hallway opened. Kammy Koopa stood in the doorway.
Bowser: Come on, you hag!
Kammy: Sorry, Lord. I will next time be quicker, your nastiness.
Bowser: So, what’s this about an all-powerful item?
Kammy: Simple, my Lord! But not just one item sir, ten! Each holding a special power! If you control them all, you could be more powerful than, than… Mario!
Bowser: I like it! But, that’s what you said about the Star Spirits, and the Crystal Stars, and-
Kammy: I know, Lord, but this is almost foolproof! You’re the only one who knows about them!
Bowser: Huh? Really? Good! So where are they?
Kammy: Uh-
Bowser: Don’t tell me you don’t know where they are!
Kammy: Ok.
Bowser: So, do you?
Kammy: You told me not to say it.
Bowser: Well, unless you want to become dead meat, I suggest looking for some information!
Kammy: Yes, Your Angriness!
The Koopatrol started to whistle a Mario tune. Bowser slapped him.
Koopatrol: Ow! What was that for?
Bowser: No whistling!
Koopatrol: Fine! Fine!
He walked off. Halfway down the hall, out of Bowser’s sight, the Koopatrol sat down. Then, WHAM! Doopliss flew from out of nowhere. The guard was knocked senseless. Doopliss did a scan and transformed into the Koopatrol.
Doopliss: The best way to get help is in a fortress filled with morons! Sorry, Slick!
Doopliss walked in the direction the Koopatrol had come from. Soon, he caught up with Bowser and Kammy, and sneaked behind him. He caught words of what they were conversing about.
Bowser: No, we shouldn’t take the army out in a full-scale invasion! It would draw attention, don’t you think? I mean, 100 Koopas marching through the country?
Kammy: Good point, but we aren’t going to find the blasted Mushrooms before anyone else if we stay here blabbing, Your Angriness.
Bowser: Hmmm… Ah! I’ve got it! We’ll send out a couple of squads to different places! They won’t draw attention!
Kammy: Perfect! We’ll have those power-wielding Mushrooms in no time! Ne he he he ha!
Bowser: Garr harr harr!
Doopliss: Power-wielding Mushrooms, eh? Good going, Slick!
Bowser turned and saw Doopliss (remember, he looked like a Koopatrol) behind him.
Bowser: What are you doing? You should be on guard duty, remember?
Doopliss: Of course! Sorry, Lord!
He ran off, stopping just out of Bowser’s sight.
Bowser: So, you must have found some info on them?
Kammy: No, sir! I had some of my Magikoopas do the work for me!
Doopliss: (to himself) I wonder if Beldam could use this information…
Mario: Wow! I mean, us? I’ve already
saved the world a hundred times!
Luigi: Yeah! Another thing to throw on our shoulders!
Boog: Well, maybe you guys just shouldn’t do anything about it. I mean, nothing involving legendary Mushrooms has happened yet, so maybe it never will.
Luigi: But if something does happen, we’d be responsible. People could get hurt!
Mario: Because we didn’t heed the warning signs and hints!
Boog: Maybe you should take some time to think about it.
Mario: Yeah…
Luigi: Well, I guess we could stay at that hotel over there.
On the side of the street, a hotel thirty stories high towered above all the other buildings. A nearby sign read:
Hotel de Magnifico
Dine in pleasure at our magnificent
diner,
or relax at the one of a kind
relaxation floor.
We have indoor pools, hot tubs and
massages!
Enjoy!
- Mousin, hotel owner
1 night = $599.99
Celebrities stay free!
Mario: What?! 600 coins for a lousy night?!
Luigi: That’s highway robbery!
Boog: It says celebrities stay free. You're celebrities!
Mario: Maybe they’ll let us stay.
Boog: Give it a shot!
The three walked inside the hotel. A Pianta stood at a registration desk
Pianta: Woah! You need tickets? They’re 600 coins!
Boog: What?! My two friends here are celebrities!
Mario: Yeah!
Luigi: We’re the famous Mario Bros!
Pianta: And I’m Bowser, the Koopa King! Sure!
Mario: Really!
Voice: Hey, what’s going on here?!
Suddenly, a Squeek appeared.
Squeek: My name's Mousin, the hotel manager! What’s all the commotion, huh?
Pianta: These common plumbers were trying to pass themselves off as the Mario Bros! Should I call security, boss?
Mousin: No. I want to see them jump!
Mario: Jump? Listen-
Mousin: I said jump!
Mario and Luigi leapt high into the air.
Mousin: Impressive. Let me see your hammers!
Suddenly, an old man and Goomba walked in.
Mario: Professor Frankly!
Luigi: Professor E. Gadd?
E. Gadd: Mario! Luigi! What are you two doing here?
Frankly: Come on another adventure, I suppose!
Pianta: You two know these men?
Mousin: I guess I could let you in if Prof. Elvin Gadd and Prof. Frankly can identify you; Head on in. Room thirty-three.
Mousin handed the Bros. a key and walked off.
E. Gadd: So, exactly what did we do?
Boog: You just identified Mario and Luigi. They weren’t going to let us in.
Frankly: Why don’t you head on up to our room and we’ll chat?
And that’s what they did. Once at the room, E. Gadd opened a door to a cellar-like room with boxes and machinery everywhere. A cluttered table and a large object covered with a sheet sat in the center of the room. E. Gadd turned on the light and pulled up four chairs. Everyone took a seat.
Mario: So, how have you two been?
Frankly: Not half bad.
E. Gadd: We’ve been working on a project.
Luigi: Really? What is it?
E. Gadd walked over to the covered item in the center of the room and pulled off the cover, revealing a large machine. It had what looked like a platform on the bottom and a large space where a person could step inside. Wires and lights covered the top, and when E. Gadd pressed a button, the lights flashed and the machine beeped.
Boog: Wow! What is it?
Frankly: It’s the Dimension Adjuster 9000! We created it!
E Gadd: It allows you to transport between dimensions, time periods, and places! We made it out of an odd machine we found in Stardust Field.
Frankly: We thought the best place to keep it safe would be in the last place thieves would look! A fancy hotel!
E Gadd: So, why not tell us of your reason for visiting this hotel?
Mario, Luigi, and Boog explained their way here. Later on...
Mario: We'd better get going to our room.
Luigi: Talk to you tomorrow!
The three left.
In the middle of the night...
Mario had awaken and could not go back to sleep. He took a walk through the hotel. As he walked down the hall, he noticed that he was the only one out.
Mario: Where’d all the people go?
Then, he heard a noise from above. He looked up: Nothing but a register vent opening to let in some air.
Mario: Hmm. Guess no one’s there.
Then, the vent cover toppled down, making a loud crash, and a young white Mouser came down behind it.
Mario: Ms. Mowz?! What are you doing here?!
Mowz: Hmm mm hmm hmm mm! Nice to see you here again, you nice hunk of cheese!
Mario: Are you still stealing badges?
Mowz: Yup! But, thanks for the nice welcome!
Mario: I thought you were going to quit!
Mowz: Well, I don’t want to say anything at this point!
She leapt high into the register.
Mowz: Oh! I almost forgot! You may want to check out the storeroom here in the basement. I steal badges, but this place has a variety of nice things down there! If you need anything, just stop on down!
She ran down the vent.
Mario: Uh, I think I should go back to bed!
And so he did. He slept until...
Crash!
Boog: Mario! Mario! Something’s happened!
Mario: Hey, what?
Boog: The place is being trashed!
Smash!
The door broke in. Three blue Bandits
came barging in...
Inside Bowser’s castle...
It was dinner. All the soldiers in the castle had gathered in the cafeteria. Doopliss sat in between two Koopatrols. He leaned towards one.
Doopliss: Psst! I don’t like Bowser, do you?
Koopatrol: No. No one does! He’s too strict!
Doopliss: I’m starting some secret group against Bowser, but I need some members! Wanna join, Slick?
Koopatrol: Oh yeah!
Doopliss: Good! Secret meeting against Bowser, tonight in bunk 12 at 11:00, pass it on!
The Koopatrol leaned towards the one to his left.
Koopatrol: Secret meeting about Bowser, tonight at eleven in bunk twelve! Pass it on!
Next Koopatrol: Secret meeting against Bowser! Hey, buddy! Secret meeting against Bowser at eleven in bunk 12!
Magikoopa: Really! Hey, hammerhead! Secret meeting in bunk 12 against Bowser! 11 o’ clock!
Hammer Bro: No way! Hey, bonehead! We hate Bowser meeting in bunk 12 at eleven!
Dry Bones: Cool. Hey, you Koopa slave! We hate Bowser meeting at bunk 12 at eleven!
Koopa Troopa: Awesome! I’ve gotta tell my friends!
He walked over to another table.
Koopa: Hey, dudes! The man’s going down! Bowser hatred meetin’ at bunk 12 at 11 o’ clock!
And so word spread like a wildfire in Grass Land without rain for years. Fast. Soon, all of Bowser’s castle inhabitants were chatting about the meeting.
That night, the normally guarded castle walls were unguarded. An echo could be heard down the corridors, for they were empty. Every bunk was empty, and Kammy found herself short of Koopas to torment. But in bunk 12, noise was the number one priority.
All the attendants (which were most of the castle) sat in the bunkroom, screaming and shouting. They all bickered and fought between each other. Krooper, the first Koopatrol Doopliss told the message to, stood in the long room on top of a bed. It was actually more hall-like, because it stretched for quite a while. Bunk beds lined both walls. It was one of these that Krooper was standing on.
Krooper: Hey! Quiet an’ shut your pie holes! Thank you.
He walked down. The crowd started to settle down a bit when Doopliss climbed atop the bed.
Doopliss: Thank you, Krooper! Now first off, my name’s Doopliss. I will be the one responsible for this meeting.
Someone in the crowd: Bowser stinks!
Doopliss: Yes, we all know that. Now, back to the intro. Listen up! I know most of you are thinking this is a “We hate Bowser” meeting. Well, it’s not!
Crowd: What? Huh?
Doopliss transformed back to his original form. The crowd gasped.
Doopliss: I am hoping that you’ll listen to my proposition. I come from a small group, trying to get rid of Mario.
Spiky Goomba: He bought stuff I sold him out of Bowser’s storeroom! I got a week in the dungeon for it!
Paratroopa: He took over my home!
Magikoopa: He took my broomstick! I didn’t even have the warranty passed!
Doopliss: So, it looks like we got some takers!
Boo: What do us get in return fer helping you?
Doopliss: If you help defeat Mario, we’ll help you with Bowser!
The crowd chattered for a moment.
Doopliss: If you’re in, raise your hand!
The entire crowd but a single Magikoopa raised their hand.
Magikoopa: And what if we don’t want to? What if I were to go blabbing about this to Bowser?
Doopliss: Get him!
The crowd swarmed over the Magikoopa. Soon, they all backed away, leaving him bound and gagged on the floor.
Doopliss: Now, you can join your friend! You two Koopatrols! Take him to the supply closet!
The Koopatrols were about to do so, but then they noticed the doorknob twisting.
Koopatrol: Hide!
The crowd rushed up to their beds and lay down as if sleeping. Kammy opened the door.
Kammy: What’s going on in here? What’s all the ruckus? Why aren’t you all at your posts?
Krooper: Sorry ma’am! Right away, ma’am!
The room emptied. Kammy closed the door. A small spider in the corner of the room crawled down to the door. Doopliss appeared where the spider had been. He looked over at the bound Magikoopa, now having a giant protuberance on his head from where he had been smacked in the head by the door swinging back and forth.
Doopliss: Sorry, Slick, but you’ve gotta go in the closet. Wouldn’t want a snitch, would we?
Soon, the Magikoopa was tossed in the supply closet along with the Koopatrol whose body had been taken…
Back at the hotel the next morning...
Crash! Three blue Bandits came crashing in, the door shattering underfoot.
Bandit 1: Yo, dudes! I don’t think you’ll mind if’n me and my buddies here trash your place, will you?
Bandits 2 and 3 grabbed Mario and tossed him on the bed.
Mario: You can’t just barge in here!
Bandit 2: We’re thieves, moron! We can do what we wanna!
Mario: Help me out, Boog!
Boog: Sure thing!
Boog floated as fast as possible and rammed into Bandit 3.
Bandit 3: Hah! You call THAT an attack, dawg? That didn’t even hurt, man!
Mario ran up to the bandit and grabbed his arms before he had a chance to notice.
Mario: Have a nice fall!
Bandit 3: What you talking ‘bout, daaa- Woah!
Mario swung him off the ground, started spinning, and suddenly let go. The Bandit waved his arms and screamed as he bashed through the window, falling at least five stories into a dumpster.
Mario: Take that, street scum!
Suddenly, the first Bandit grabbed Mario’s arms and held them behind his back. The other Bandit grabbed a lamp and smacked Boog over his head, taking him into an unwilling sleep. Then, Bandit 1 held Mario over the edge of the window.
Mario: Woah! Hey! There’s a lot of people down there!
He watched a crowd of street Bandits pull their friend from the dumpster. There must have been twenty in the crowd.
Bandit 1: Ready! Hey, you two! Yeah you! Move the dumpster! Now, heave-
Mario: Take this!
He kicked backwards with his foot, knocking the Bandit off.
Mario: NO ONE restrains me!
Bandit 2: Boss, maybe we should be leaving, ya know?
Bandit 1: Leave if ya want! I’m taking this dawg down, man!
Bandit 2 stood by 1. He had not ever left his boss’ side. Mario quickly drew his gold Hammerhead Bros. hammer and his pure steel Ultra Hammer.
Bandit 1: Oooh! I’m afraid of the big bad mallets! Oooh! I'd better run! Ooo-
WHACK!
Mario took out the first Bandit with a single hit from the gold hammer.
Bandit 2: What da’-
POW!
The second Bandit went flying into the hall with that hit, drawing attention to the plumber. A red, a blue, and a green Bandit poked their heads in and came inside, followed by others.
Mario: Back off! See how easy I took out those three?
Red Bandit: Haw! Hey, dawgs! He says how easy he took them out! Dude, in case you hadn’t noticed, those three were street Bandits! The weakest of our gang, man!
Mario: You think you can do better? Bring it on, then!
The Big Green Bandit came charging in. He pinned Mario’s hammers to the floor. Mario released them and clasped his hands together in a ball. He shot his hands up, cutting the Bandit with striking force in the chin. Then a bunch of the Bandits came forth, grabbing Mario, who struggled, and dragging him to the hotel storeroom, and then tossing him in. He landed hard on his side. He turned just in time to see them close and lock the door.
Mario: Rats!
Voice: Yes?
Mario turned around to see the Pianta and several Mousers, including Mousin.
Mousin: Mario! Look what they’ve done to my glorious hotel!
Mario: We can’t do anything now.
Mousin: Well, we’ll be stuck here a while.
Mario: Why did they attack here?
Mousin: They’re a local gang. One of theirs came in and snuck past our guard, Rex, here and he got tossed out. They’ve been cracking our windows and putting graffiti on our walls. I never thought it’d get this bad, though.
Mario looked around as Mousin started sobbing. The room was completely concrete and was pretty small. A few boxes stood in the corner of the room. In the opposite corner to the left, a statue of a Mouser stood.
Mousin: They’re going to kill us, or leave us here to *sob* die! I *sob* know it!
Mario slapped him.
Mario: Oh, come on! You’ve only been in here about an hour! Sheesh!
Mousin: Ow! Fine!
Mario walked up to the statue. At the bottom, there was very small writing:
Guarding
Standing, Never Moving
Stone Hides Stone
And Tunnel Earth
But What I Guard Is The Opposite
Of Their Birth
It’s Their Enemy
They’re The Weakness Of
Burning Hot
A Creation Of
Magic, They Say
My Duty Is To
To Protect 'Til This Day
Mario: What in the world does that mean? Hey, Mousin! What can you tell me of this statue?
Mousin: That’s a statue of my ancestor. He lived back in the ancient times. He supposedly guarded something of the king’s. I don’t really know much. We tried to move it out, but it’s too heavy. We could break it, but I never really thought of getting a hammer.
Mario: You know it has something on it?
Mousin: What is it?
Rex: I saw it too, boss. It’s some kind of fancy poem.
Mario: Right. I wonder what it means.
Suddenly, the door opened. A Bandit held Boog, E. Gadd, and Frankly with him.
Bandit: Here, stay with yer pals!
He tossed them in. All three landed hard.
E. Gadd: Watch it, you scoundrel! I have a bad hip!
Mario: Hi, guys.
Mousin: Join the party.
Rex: It’s a real blast.
Mouser Maid: Take a seat.
Boog: So, you too?
Rex: Yeah.
Frankly: Don’t get too comfy! Look what we brought!
Boog pulled out Mario’s gold hammer.
E. Gadd: We couldn’t get both.
Boog: But we managed to sneak this one.
Mario: Yes! We’re getting out!
Everyone cheered. Mario grabbed his hammer and pulled back in front of the steel door. Then, POW! BANG! WHAP!
Three hits and only a slight dent.
E. Gadd: Well, that didn’t help. Maybe there’s another way out.
Mario: Whatever.
He tossed the hammer behind him. It smashed the head of the statue. Rumbling began.
Mario: What happened?
Rex: You triggered something!
Frankly: Look! A pipe!
And so it was. The statue began reducing into rubble, revealing a green pipe. The rumbling stopped.
Mario: Well, should we go down it?
Boog: Do we have a choice?
Mousin: Yes. Stay here and starve or go down.
Mario: It looks dark. Got a flashlight?
Mousin: Rex, you carry a flashlight in case the power goes out, right?
Rex: Er, yeah. Here.
Mario was handed the flashlight.
Mario: All right, follow me. Stay close. Keep up, got it?
All nodded.
Mario: Let’s go!
He jumped into the pipe, followed by the others. He landed on sand. He looked around: nothing but stone walls, grown out by moss and water all the way down a long hall.
Mario: It’s safe!
The first landed next to him. The rest of the prisoners came soon after. Mousin stared at the dark hall.
Mousin: The realtor never said anything about this!
Mario: I don’t think they knew!
Mario looked around, following the hall. He was surprised at how far it went. It seemed like it was endless. Finally, they came across a dead end.
Mousin: That’s just great! Plumber boy drove us to a dead end! Let’s give him a hand!
Boog: Shut up! He got us out of that room, right?
Mousin: Yep! Straight into another prison! Hey, plungerhead! Why not just run us off a cliff and kill us now! Everyone here knows as well as I do that those Bandits aren’t coming back!
Mario: Shhhhhhhh!
Mousin: What? There’s nothing to do! I mean, you find something?
Mario: Yes! Quiet!
Mario held his light up to a stone slate. On it was writing. It said:
No one but Mario may enter.
What is your name?
Mario found a stone on the ground. He picked it up and wrote a chalk name.
Mario Mario
The stone slate shook. The tunnel shook. The ground shook.
Mousin: So you decided on killing us now, huh?
The wall the slate was against started to lift up. Literally lift up. To the ceiling up. The shaking stopped. The wall was gone. Mario looked at the others.
Mario: It said only I could go in. I’ll be back.
He left. Mousin sat on the cold floor.
Mousin: Well, at least now we won’t have to worry about pasta boy no more.
Frankly: He’ll be back.
Rex: I hope so.
Boog: If he’s not back in an hour, I’ll go get him. I can also go get help if needed. I can slip through walls.
Mousin: You moron! You could have done that in the storeroom!
Boog: Oh, I guess I could have!
Mario walked down the dark hall. The light he held stayed in a single spot: dead in front. He couldn’t hear anything. He knew something was going to happen. Then, he spotted something dead in the middle of the hall’s end. There, a large pedestal stood. On it sat a Mushroom with a picture of a flame on it.
Mario: Is that a legendary Shroom?
He reached out. As soon as he touched it, a surge of pain ran through his body. He screamed and dropped the Mushroom. He looked at his hand.
Mario: Holy cow! My glove’s been torched!
His glove was covered in red flames. Mario couldn’t feel it, though. His glove never burned.
Mario: Wow! I mean, I’m used to fire coming out of my hand, but I could always feel it!
He set his hand on the stone floor. The stone turned black and the dirt around it flew away.
Mario: I wonder how I control it.
He thought of the flames coming out of his hands, and so they did.
Mario: Wow!
They climbed back into the storeroom. Mario walked in front of the steel door after telling his friends what had happened. He thought of kicking with his foot on fire. And he did. The steel door came crashing down.
Mario: Hey! I know you Bandits are still here!
Suddenly, a crowd of Bandits started to come into the room.
Mario: Bring it on if you want to catch me!
Bandit: Yeah. Like you’re a threat!
Mario: I am. Hi-ya!
Mario kicked out with all his force, knocking the Bandit through the sky, smoke releasing from where the kick landed.
Bandit: THAT was so, so, painful!
The other Bandits started talking.
Bandit 2: He beat boss! Retreat!!!
The Bandits swarmed out of the room.
Mousin: Uh, look at this place!
Mario: Hey, Boog. I noticed that Luigi wasn’t here. Where is he?
Boog: I don’t know. As soon as I awoke, the Bandits were busting down the door. I never saw him.
Mario: I hope he’s all right.
Boog: Maybe we should put up a missing persons report?
Mario: Nah. He can take care of himself. I hope…
In Bowser’s Castle...
Doopliss: Okay, troops. Here’s the deal. We are going to need a schedule of the posts of who, where, and when. Anyone got one?
It was almost night, and many of the Koopa Troop was turning in. They were all back in bunk 12 and awaiting instructions. One Koopatrol raised his hand.
Doopliss: Yeah, Slick? You got one?
The agenda was passed forward. It was simple: half the Troop from midnight to noon and the other from one to midnight.
Doopliss: Here’s the deal: The morning shift comes with me at 12:30 and returns to their posts at the designated time the next morning while the afternoon shift will come with me at midnight. So at exactly midnight tonight, I want the afternoon shift with me. At 1:30 tomorrow, I want the morning shift. Right now, we need to spread the word.
He pointed at a Spiky Goomba, Koopa, and Hammer Bro.
Doopliss: You three can cover that. Tell it to each bunk. For now, I have an errand to run.
With that, Doopliss poofed away.
In Spinner’s Castle...
It was a long time since he’d heard from the Spin Bros: two days, in fact, but Spinner was not worried. He had provided each with a phone in case he did need to. Right now, he did.
He had just checked the location of the Fire Shroom, and it was traveling. Someone had it. Spinner did not know who but had an idea, and he knew it was bad news.
The king insect dialed the number for the red Spin Bro. He hadn't had time to memorize their names and just called them by the colors. The Bro picked up.
Spinner: I have news. The Fire Shroom is moving. Take care of whoever has it. I think It’s a Mario, because no one else would make it through a temple to get the Shroom, let alone live to touch it, besides me that is.
Red: Yes sir. We’ll get right on it.
The phone went dead before Spinner got to inform him more.
To Be Continued...
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