Chapter 2: A Gem’s Power Revealed
Mario and Luigi were sitting in their small house, watching TV when a news report comes up.
“Attention residents of the kingdom, we have some serious news,” the News Toad started, shuffling through papers. “Bowser, the Koopa King, along with his sons Iggy and Roy, were assassinated by an unknown enemy one week ago.”
“Luigi, did you hear that?!” Mario asked his brother as he turned the TV off.
“Everything is so peaceful now, why would anyone want to do that?” Luigi asked. “There has to be someone that still has bad feelings for him…”
“It wouldn’t be anyone from the Beanbean Kingdom, seeing as it wasn’t actually him who attacked them,” Mario suggested.
“So, the two super brothers have heard the news…” Dimentio said to himself as he silently watched the two from a window at the back of the house. “Time for act two of my play of revenge…”
Mario turned to the window when he thought he heard someone, but found nothing was there. The two Brothers jumped up when a loud banging was heard at their door. Mario opened it to see a panic-stricken Toad on his doorstep.
“Toad, what’s the matter?” Mario asked, looking at the trembling Mushroomer.
“Someone is attacking Sky Land!” Toad explained. “No one has confirmed who it is yet, but they’re threatening the castle!”
“Luigi, stay here, I’m going to go check it out,” Mario said, running from the house before Luigi could get the chance to respond. Toad slowly left for the castle, leaving a sighing Luigi alone at the house.
“Mario always gets to go on his adventures, while I’m always stuck here tending to the house,” Luigi growled as he cleaned what was left from breakfast off the table. But his cleaning was interrupted when another knock was heard on the front door.
“What is it?!” he yelled at the small Koopaling that was standing on the porch.
“Is something wrong, Luigi…?” Larry asked Luigi, confused. “People normally don’t yell at visitors.”
“Sorry Larry, Mario just left me alone again,” Luigi said, letting Larry into the house. “Why the sudden visit? Shouldn’t you be at your castle?”
“No, everyone left the castle after what happened,” Larry explained, plopping onto Luigi’s chair. “We have just been wandering the kingdoms, trying to find someplace to live.”
“That’s a shame… Where are your siblings? Aren’t they with you?” Luigi asked, giving the Koopaling a glass of water.
“We got separated during the lightning storm two days ago; I haven’t been able to find them since.” Larry sipped the water before speaking again. “Anyway, I came here to tell you something very important.”
“What is it?” Luigi asked, taking a seat. “Is it about who’s attacking Sky Land?”
“Attack on Sky Land?” Larry asked, confused. “There isn’t anyone attacking Sky Land. I was just there when I went into the wrong warp pipe while trying to get here.”
“Are you sure?” Luigi replied. “Toad just came here in a panic, screaming about it. In fact, it wasn’t that long before you got here.”
“It’s probably just a mistake.” Larry said, setting the glass down. “Anyway, about my information, I know who killed my father….”
Luigi sat up straight when he heard the Koopaling’s words. “Who is it?” he asked. “I can’t think of anyone who would do that now that we’re at peace.”
“It’s someone you’ve met before…” Larry cut himself off as he felt a chill run down his spine. “We have to leave right now. I will tell you later.” He quickly hopped off his seat and made his way for the door.
Luigi followed the blue-haired Koopa to the door, although somewhat confused. “What is it? Why the rush all of a sudden?” he questioned, closing the door behind them.
“It’s complicated, but I don’t think we were alone in that house,” Larry explained, dragging Luigi along with him.
“That plant-lover has become a real thorn in my side…” Dimentio grumbled, watching the two jump into the warp pipe that leads away from the Mario house. “No matter, I will just have to eliminate him too.”
Somewhere in Toad Town, Larry and Luigi had taken up hiding in Toad’s house.
“Okay, I think we’re safe now…” Larry said, watching the street though Toad’s single window.
“What’s going on…?” Toad asked, entering the room from his bedroom and rubbing his eye sleepily. “Can’t a Mushroomer take a nap in peace?”
“Sorry for disturbing you, Toad, but Larry… wanted…” Luigi slowly trailed off. “How long have you been sleeping for…?”
“I don’t know… Maybe about an hour or so… Why?” Toad replied.
“No reason…” Luigi sighed. “Now what were you going to tell me, Larry?”
“The person that assassinated my dad…” Larry started, pausing for a breath. “It’s…”
He was cut off as Dimentio appeared in the room, hovering just out of reach.
“Me.” Dimentio laughed. “Now that I’ve found you both again, I can finish you both off, heroic Brother and annoying Koopa alike.” He snapped his fingers, and two transparent boxes appeared to surround Luigi and Toad.
“I thought my brother killed you years ago!” Luigi growled, pounding on the walls of his cage.
“No time to explain.” Dimentio laughed.
“Now, you two stay here and be good while I take care of this one.” With
a snap of the fingers, Larry was warped away, followed by Dimentio.
Larry quickly found himself back inside the green walls of Dimentio’s Dimension D. “Where are you?!” he growled, eyes darting around the room. “I know you’re in here!”
“Are you ready for your doom, Koopa?” Dimentio laughed as he flipped into the room. “You’ve become quite a nuisance to me.”
Without a word or thought, Larry lunged at the jester, tackling him to the floor. Larry raised his clawed hand in the air before bringing it down towards him. Dimentio simply teleported away from the attack, Larry’s claws slamming into the green floor. He was hit in the back by a ball of energy and sent rolling across the floor.
“You can’t beat me, little Koopa.” Dimentio laughed, throwing a stream of energy balls at Larry. “Say hello to your father for me.”
Larry tried his best to evade the barrage, but got slammed into the wall by the tail end of the attack. He pulled himself up from the ground, wiping a small trickle of blood from the side of his mouth. The Koopa launched himself at Dimentio and slashed at him, only to miss again when he teleported away. He was hit hard by another blast of energy, forcefully getting slammed into the floor.
“Do you give up yet?” Dimentio chuckled coldly. “You don’t have a chance of victory, like a bug faced with a shoe.”
Larry discreetly slipped one arm into his green shell, and was then grasping his magic wand when it came back out. Dimentio was caught off guard as a vine of thorns hit him in the face. He shook the attack off, seeing his foe had managed to pick himself up. Dimentio launched another energy ball at Larry, who managed to dodge the attack by a hair. Larry summoned a large Piranha Plant underneath Dimentio, but it was simply blasted away, withering as it died.
“Persistent one, are you? I didn’t want to do this quite yet, but you’ve forced me to use my trump card.” Dimentio grinned, pulling a small red gem out of his cloak. “Goodbye, Koopa…”
Dimentio held the stone out in front of him towards the now confused Larry. A vary large bean shot out of the gem, flying at Larry with blinding speed. The bright red and orange beam blasted into the helpless Koopa, hurling him into the green wall with a loud cracking noise. Dimentio laughed as Larry fell to the floor, motionless, a large dent left in the wall.
“Turns out the stories about this thing were true.” Dimentio laughed, tucking the gemstone back into his cloak. His laughs echoed through the room, even after he teleported away.
Larry lay on the cold, green floor of the dimension he was left in, a clawed hand slowly forming into a fist…