Bowser and Blaze weren’t catching any sleep either. They were still walking through the Mushroom World. A full moon shown. They had made it to Grass Land. Now the question for them was, where would they find Flubba?
“Say…” said Blaze. “I wonder if everyone back in Koopa Kastle is worried about us…”
“They shouldn’t worry,” said Bowser. “We know how to defend ourselves, so what can happen?”
“Yeah… you’re right… Woah!”
Blaze suddenly stopped. Bowser looked at him.
“What?” said Bowser. “What is it?”
“There’s something flickering over there…”
Bowser looked ahead. In the distance was a flickering light. They walked in that direction.
***
A group of Mushroomers looking for Blaze had set up camp. As everyone else was sleeping, one Mushroomer with a blue-spotted cap was still awake and outside his tent, keeping guard in case of any trouble. Suddenly, he heard bushes cackling. What’s that?! he wondered. Then he saw two silhouettes walking nearby. One was huge and appeared to be seven feet tall. The other was about two feet shorter. The Mushroomer jumped up and took out a whistle. He blew as hard as he could. The two silhouettes heard the whistle and ran away. The other Mushroomers all woke up and ran out of their tents.
“What happened?!” asked a Mushroomer.
“I saw two big figures go by!!!” said the blue-spotted Mushroomer.
The others all looked around.
“Whatever you saw…” said another Mushroomer, “they’re gone now…”
***
“Dude, that was close…” said Blaze. “I know they wouldn’t have stopped us anyway, but every time I beat up someone trying to arrest me, I get in more trouble…”
“And more people try to look for you?” asked Bowser.
“Exactly! Always happens…”
“Wow… If that really has been going on for two weeks… then there’s probably a million people trying to find you…”
“Mm-hm…”
“And all for no reason Tthat Flubba is in big trouble! ... Hey look…”
Bowser pointed at a small house in the distance. Blaze looked over and saw it.
“Aha!” he said. “I recognize that house. That’s where Flubba lives! How lucky can ya get?”
“C’mon!” said Bowser. “It’s about time we had a little talk with that Flubba!”
They walked in the direction of the house. Upon reaching the house, Blaze was about to knock on the door, when he decided not to. Instead, he kicked the door down.
“Hey! Flubba!” called Blaze. He looked around, but saw no one other than himself and Bowser.
“Are you sure this is where he lives?” asked Bowser.
“Sure I’m sure!” said Blaze. “But I guess he’s just not here right NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWW!!!” Blaze found himself tumbling down a flight of stairs that appeared out of nowhere. Bowser looked down at the remains of a door in the floor that caved in due to Blaze’s weight.
“Blaze!” called Bowser. “Are you okay?!”
“*groan* I’m… I’m okay,” said Blaze. He got up and looked around. “Wow,” he said.
Bowser came down the stairs. He looked around. It seemed like they were in some kind of a cave. There were two tunnels.
“So… which way do we go?” asked Bowser.
“Let’s try the one on the right…” said Blaze. They went down the tunnel. After walking for a few minutes, they came upon a large area in the cave. It was filled with millions of coins and jewels! Blaze got an anime sweatdrop.
“Woah!” said Bowser. “If Flubba’s the real criminal here, then I don’t see how he could snatch this much loot in two weeks… Well… not all by himself, that is…”
“That’s right! I didn’t!” said a voice. Bowser and Blaze whipped around to see a purple Clubba with orange hair.
“Flubba!!!” said Blaze.
“Well hey there, Blaze,” said Flubba. “Long time no see, and if it isn’t the King of the Koopas himself!”
“Enough sweet talk, you crook!” Bowser snapped. “I don’t know what made you think you could frame my friend here and get away with it, but anyway, YOU ARE GONNA GET IT!!!”
“Hey, I shouldn’t take ALL the credit for this loot!” said Flubba. “I never would’ve been able to steal it all if it weren’t for Blaze!”
“What?!” said Bowser.
“Oh yeah!” said Flubba. “Blaze and I were a couple of real stealthy crooks! I got most of the loot you see here though Blaze’s help! The rest? Well, since most of the guards have been looking for him, I’ve been able to snatch loot without any trouble!”
“So… before the armored truck incident,” said Bowser, “both you AND Blaze were crooks?!”
“That about sums it up!” said Flubba. Bowser glared at Blaze, who turned away sadly.
“Unfortunately for you two,” said Flubba, “you now know too much! So say goodnight!!!”
Flubba covered his mouth and threw a smoke bomb at them. It wasn’t just any smoke. In fact, it was knockout gas! Bowser and Blaze coughed and fell unconscious.
***
Bowser and Blaze woke up to find themselves tied up in a little room in the cave. Twenty-five time Bob-ombs were also in the room! Flubba stood by a door.
“Sorry it has to end like this…” said Flubba. “But I can’t have you guys spilling the secret. Enjoy the last ten minutes of your lives!” With that, Flubba shut the door and locked it.
“Blaze!” said Bowser. “Why in the name of Morton didn’t you tell us the whole story?!”
Blaze didn’t answer immediately. He sighed, then looked at Bowser.
“King dude…” he said. “Maybe if I had told the whole story… this wouldn’ve happened... I… I’m sorry, dude…” A small tear came out of his eye, and the time Bob-ombs were just changing from 9 to 8. Bowser could see how upset Blaze was with himself.
“It’s okay,” said Bowser. “It wasn’t all your fault…”
“Are you sure you’re not just saying that to make me feel better?”
The Bob-ombs read 7.
Bowser sighed. Suddenly, he thought of something.
“I think we can still make it out alive…” he said.
“How?”
“Hold still!”
Bowser flicked a tiny fireball from his tongue. The fireball landed on and burned through Blaze’s ropes. Blaze was free!
“Woah!” said Blaze. “That actually worked!”
The Bob-ombs showed 6.
“Now do the same with my ropes!” said Bowser. Blaze spat a tiny fireball at Bowser’s ropes, burning them too.
“Sweet! We’re free!” said Blaze. “Now what?”
“First of all, bust that door down.”
Blaze charged into the door, breaking it down with ease.
“Great! Let’s go!!!” said Bowser.
They ran off. The Bob-ombs were at five.
***
Flubba sat in his chair happily.
“Those two idiots should’ve minded their own business,” Flubba said to himself. “Too bad!”
Suddenly, the door in the floor (which Flubba nailed back together) burst open. Bowser and Blaze came out!
“All right, Flubba!!!” said Blaze. “Now you’ve pushed the limit!!!”
“Oh crud!” said Flubba.
“Look, you crook!!!” Bowser yelled. “If that’s how you want to play then—” Bowser was cut off by an explosion and a stream of fire coming from where the door was. The Bob-ombs had exploded! The fire spewed up into the ceiling, setting it on fire!
“NOT COOL!!!” cried Blaze. The three ran out of the house, moments before the roof caved in! Flubba broke from the group while Bowser and Blaze weren’t looking.
***
The Mushroomers from earlier had witnessed the burning house. They were atop a hill near the fire. Towards the left (from their perspective) was Flubba, hiding behind a tree. Just outside the house were Bowser and Blaze.
“Hey! Those two!” said a Mushroomer. “It’s King Bowser!”
“Yeah!” said another. “And the other one looks like… *GASP* It’s El Koopa de Blaze!!!”
“They’re running away! Those brutes! They burned that poor Clubba’s house down!”
“C’mon. Let’s just go get that Clubba to safety.”
Meanwhile…
“Well,” said Bowser, “so much for that…”
“Yeah…” said Blaze. “Whuddaya say we go back home?”
“Sounds good to me, and let’s never do something like this again.”
“Dude, I couldn’t agree more!”
Nearby was a warp pipe. They both walked over to it and jumped in.
***
It was about mid-day when Bowser and Blaze finally reached Koopa Kastle. The front door guards greeted them.
“Oh! You’re finally back!” said a Koopatrol. “The whole family is worried about you…”
“I figured…” said Bowser.
He and Blaze walked into the castle. Shortly after entering, they were greeted by Larry.
“KING DAD!!! BLAZE!!!” cried Larry.
“Hey, dude,” said Blaze.
“HEY EVERYBODY!!!” Larry called. “KING DAD AND BLAZE ARE BACK!!!” Everyone (except Iggy) ran downstairs.
“Hey!” said Bowser Junior. “I thought you were gonna be back later yesterday!”
“Yeah! What happened?” asked Roy. “Did youse give dat Flubba guy a good poundin?
“Well,” said Bowser, “we got shot down, almost got cuffed, nearly blown to bits, and nearly set ablaze… Oh... sorry, Blaze…”
“S’okay…” said Blaze. He looked down, a sad look on his face.
“What’s wrong?” asked Wendy.
“Um… well—” Blaze was suddenly interrupted by Iggy yelling from upstairs. Everyone ran upstairs to the media room, where Iggy was.
“Vhat is all the yelling avout?!” asked Ludwig.
“LOOK AT THIS!!!” said Iggy, frantically. He pointed at the TV. The news was on again. The news reporter (green-spotted Mushroomer) was speaking.
“Mushroomers have witnessed a Clubba’s house being burned to the ground in Grass Land,” said the reporter. “Just before the house collapsed, three figures escaped from the house, including the owner. The other two were identified as King Bowser Koopa and El Koopa de Blaze. This is what the Clubba had to say.” A recording of the Clubba being interviewed on the incident was shown.
“Those two tried to blow me to bits with their Bob-ombs!!!” Flubba said, lying and pretending to be scared. “Then they set my house on fire with their firebreath! I just barely made it out alive!!!”
The reporter began speaking again. “The situation is getting more dangerous as we speak. In fact, yesterday the Mario Brothers were found unconscious in Water Land and were both taken to the hospital with third degree burns. Both were asked what happened, and they acknowledged that they had found both Bowser and El Koopa de Blaze, but were burned by de Blaze before either could get a hold on him or Bowser. They also said that now that they know where to possibly find de Blaze, they, with some assistance, will try to bring in de Blaze along with King Bowser and probably even the Koopalings before any more damage is caused.
Everyone looked at Bowser and Blaze with strange looks.
“Um…, Clawdia began. “Honey… did you and Blaze really blow up that Clubba’s house?”
“No! He’s lying!” said Bowser. “He tried to blow US up, and ended up setting his own house on fire…”
“Why dat no good liar!!!” said Roy.
“Mmmmpphhh!!!” agreed Morton.
“Great!!!” said Lemmy sarcastically. “Now because of him, we’re all in trouble once the Mario Bros. are out of the hospital!”
“Um… Actually… it really is not his fault…” said Blaze. Everyone looked at him.
“Eh?! What’re you talking about?!” asked Karma.
It was time for Blaze to tell everyone the truth. He told them about how he and Flubba used to be stealthy crooks, and that it had been going on for a month. He also said that if he had told the truth instead of making it sound like this was entirely Flubba’s fault, none of this would’ve happened.
“So… you really ARE a criminal... sort of…” said Bowser Junior.
“Not anymore, dude,” sighed Blaze. “I’m really sorry I got you guys into this…”
Most of everyone looked away, which told Blaze that they weren’t ready to forgive him just yet…