After a while, the ship reaches the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario and the gang get off the ship, still worried about Peach. They head to Peach's castle to think about where the dragons might have taken Peach. They reach Peach's castle and go inside Peach's bedroom to think. Minutes after minutes, they have been thinking. Suddenly, Koops has had enough.
Koops: This isn't going to work! This is hopeless. We don't know where those dragons took Peach. I give up.
Goombella: Koops, what's with that?
Koops: Nevermind. I just need some fresh air, that's all.
Goombella: I'll go with you.
Koops and Goombella leave Peach's room. Back inside, Mario and the others can hear yelling outside the room that sound like Koops and Goombella. After some time, Koops and Goombella come back to Peach's room.
Mario: What was all that yelling?
Goombella: Doesn't matter. Have you thought of something?
All except Goombella and Koops: No.
Koops: I'm sure we'll think of something.
Suddenly, a banging noise is heard at the entrance. Mario and the gang rush to the entrance. Then, with a powerful force, the mysterious person banging the door opens it. It is Bowser. Behind him is Kamek.
Mario: What the? Bowser! Kamek! What are you-a doing here?
Bowser: I heard that Peach was kidnapped by five dragons. Is that true?!
Mario: Yes.
Bowser: What?! It's true?! Grrrrrrrr! No one kidnaps Princess Peach except me! I'll show those punks that no one kidnaps my princess except me!
Mallow: Huh?
Kamek: Well, let's put it this way. Bowser and I are joining you to defeat those pesky dragons.
Mario and the Gang: WHAT?
Bowser: Kamek, how many times do you have to say that?! I hate when you say that I admitted that I'm joining these worthless people!
Kamek: A thousand. But you and I are going to join Mario.
Bowser: Hmph.
Mario: We don't even know where Peach or the dragons are.
Kamek: Don't worry. We know how to find them. We have sources that the Mushroom Kingdom doesn't have that can help us. Follow us.
Flurrie: Mario, should we follow them?
Mario: I guess.
Kamek: Good.
Bowser and Kamek
lead Mario and the gang away from the Mushroom Kingdom to Dark Land.
Chapter 9
Kamek and Bowser are leading Mario and the gang through Dark Land. The sky seems to be a little bit darker and the ground is a little bit harder. Mario and the gang sees wilted trees, brown and dark green grass, and wilted flowers. They also see some of the Koopa Klan minions training and guarding. However, the minions stop as they notice Mario and the gang. They start getting in fighting positions. The Magikoopas aim their wands at Mario and the gang. The Koopatrols begin jogging, getting ready to charge at them. The Hammer Bros. get their hammers out, and seem to be getting ready to aim at them. The Boomerang Bros. get their boomerangs out to do the same as the Hammer Bros. And the Fire Bros. look like they're going to spit fireball at them. Bowser talks to them.
Bowser: Minions! These people are here to help us!
The Koopa Klan minions' attention is now drawn to the Koopa King.
Bowser: They are here to help us find Princess Peach, Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom. Do not harm them... yet.
While Bowser is talking to the minions, Mario whispers into one of Kamek's ears.
Mario: Does he always talk-a like this in this kind of situation?
Kamek: Not always.
Outside of Mario's whispers, Bowser has finished telling the minions that the Marios mean no harm. The Koopa King and the Head Magikoopa lead Mario and the gang through Dark Land and to Bowser's castle, although the Koopa Klan minions are glaring at Mario and the gang. When they reach the castle and go inside the entrance, they are greeted by a short Koopaling and a Koopaling wearing glass. Both have rainbow hair.
Lemmy: Welcome back.
Iggy: King Dad.
Lemmy and Iggy: Do they know why they're here?
The Koopa King quickly responds to their question.
Bowser: Yes. And stop doing like that often. You're starting to creep me out.
Lemmy and Iggy: Yes, King Dad.
Bowser: ...
Lemmy and Iggy: This way.
Lemmy and Iggy lead them to a higher level of the castle. The castle is still as gray as before. However, it seems that there is a little more decoration: more Bowser statues, more curtains, and more paintings that show Bowser's images. Soon they are standing in front of a door that leads to Ludwig's room. Lemmy and Iggy knock on the door.
Ludwig; Who is it?
Lemmy: It's us and they are here.
Ludwig answers by opening his door.
Ludwig: Welcome to my room!
Mario: So this is what it looks like inside.
Ms. Mowz: My, he sure seems smart.
Bowser: He is.
Ludwig: Now follow me.
Everyone goes inside Ludwig's room. Ludwig leads them downstairs from his room. They soon see a lab.
Ludwig: Behold! My lab!
Mario and the Gang: Whoa!
Inside Ludwig's lab, they see the rest of the Koopalings: Wendy, Roy, Larry, and Morton. When they see Morton, he has a sock on his mouth. They also see another Head Magikoopa, who is riding on a broomstick. Mario and the gang recognizes her except Mallow.
Mallow: Who's that old hag?
Kammy: WHAT?!
Kammy, the Head Magikoopa, falls off her broomstick and lands on the solid floor.
Kammy: Ow.
Kammy quickly gets up and begins to rant.
Kammy: I've had it! You don't have the right to call me an old hag, Cloudy Boy. I could have cast a spell on you and a giant block could crush you, but you're lucky because I can't. But just you wait-
Bowser: SHUT UP!
Kammy: Y-yes, Lord Bowser.
Bowser: Now son. You said that you have a device that can help us find Princess Peach?
Ludwig: Yes.
Kamek: Now why would the dragons kidnap Peach?
Kammy: In fact, why do a lot of villians kidnap Peach?
Bobbery; Can we forget about kidnapping Peach? Old bomb sailor don't have time for this chit chat.
Goombella: So what's this device?
Ludwig: I'll show you. Behold! My creation! I call it my Trace Detector!
Koops: What does it do?
Ludwig: This brilliant device of mine can locate any person and tell where they are. All we need to do is get some kind of a trace from Peach. Well, does any one of you have like Peach's hair, skin, fingernails, toenails?
Mario and the gang: No.
Ludwig: Well, do you have any of Peach's possessions?
Mario and the gang: No...
Ludwig: I see.
Bowser: You mean we brought them here just to get nothing?!
Roy: Looks like it.
Wendy: What a waste. We could have just gone to the Mushroom Kingdom instead of you and Kamek taking them to our place.
Larry: Whose idea was it anyway?
Morton: MMMMMMMPPH.
Kamek: That would be Lord Bowser's idea.
The Koopalings glare at Bowser.
Bowser: Um, oops?
Lemmy: We could just go back to the Mushroom Kingdom. I'm pretty sure that Mario can convince the people in there to let us free.
Iggy; Good idea.
Mallow whispers to Mario's ear.
Mallow: Are you sure we can trust these people in the the Mushroom Kingdom?
Mario: I guess.
Bowser: So what would it be?
Everyone is looking at Mario.
Mario: Um... yes.
Kamek: That settles
it. We go to the Mushroom Kingdom, but we have to be behind Mario and those
other
people so those
Mushroomers won't think that we're going to terrorize the kingdom much.
The Koopas lead Mario and the gang out of Ludwig's room, the castle, and then Dark Land, despite that the Koopa Klan minions are still glaring at Mario and the gang. They travel through the forest that stands between Dark Land and the Mushroom Kingdom. They soon reach the Mushroom Kingdom. When they are on their way to Peach's castle, Mushroomers see the Koopas and scream.
Mushroomer 1: AAAAAAH! IT'S BOWSER!
Mushroomer 2: What are Bowser and those other Koopas doing with Mario and the others?
Mario: Relax. They're with-a us. They're-a helping us find Princess Peach.
Mushroomer 3: I doubt it!
Mushroomer 4: They're gonna destroy this place!
Mario: Be quiet!
Mushroomers are still screaming. Mario, the gang, and the Koopas manage to get inside Peach's castle. Some of the Toads are screaming, seeing Bowser's face. The other Toads that don't still shiver a little. They go inside the throne room, where Toadsworth is.
Mario: Toadsworth!
Toadsworth: Ah yes. Nice to see you, Master Mario, along with- AHH! BOWSER'S HERE! HELP!
Mallow: Calm down. They're with us.
Ludwig: That's right. We need a trace from Peach. We're looking for like Peach's hair, nails, or skins.
Toadsworth: P-Peach's hairbrushes h-have a few of P-Peach's hair st-stuck on them. Th-they're in her room.
Mario: Thanks.
Mario, the Koopas,
and the gang go inside Peach's bedroom. As they get inside, Wendy is starting
to act all dreamy.
Wendy: Wow... this is kind of like my dream. I have got to have some of that makeup.
Mario: NO!
Wendy: DAAAAAAADD!
Bowser: Mario, surely, you can let my girl, Wendy, have a little makeup.
Mario: ... Ok... But just one.
Wendy: YAY!
Wendy searches
Peach's belongings in the drawer. She takes one of Peach's lipsticks from
the drawer and
closes it.
Wendy: I like this one a lot.
Mario goes to Peach's belongings and take a hairbrush that has Peach's hair on it.
Mario: There.
Ludwig: Perfect! Now I'll just grab one of Peach's hairs and put it in this scanning part of my Trace Detector.
Ludwig places
one of Peach's hairs in the scanning part of his device. His device begins
scanning it. Then,
the device makes
a ringing sounds. The device shows a map and a flashing dot on the map.
Ludwig; Eureka! There's Peach on the map. That flashing dot represents where Peach is on the map.
Bowser: Well, where is she?
Ludwig: Let see... She's somewhere near Nimbus Land.
Mallow: My homeland?
Ludwig: Guess so.
Mallow: Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!
Mario, the gang, and the Koopas leave Peach's castle and are on their way to Nimbus Land.