Chapter 4: In Too Deep
"Mario, you idiot!" shouted E. Gadd.
"What did I do?" asked Mario.
"You got beat up, said E. Gadd. "I can't believe you lost to a snowboarding punk like him, yet you beat giant, purple dragons!"
"Hey, that Gloomtail fight was a fluke," said Mario. "Everyone knows I should have gotten killed against him. It was a fluke... Gloomtail was probably sick. But whatever, at least I got the sun piece. Now tell me where the next place is."
"Let me just have a look," said E. Gadd.
"By the way, how did you know I lost to Snawk Hawk?" asked Mario.
"He sold it to the media," said E. Gadd.
"Figures," said Mario.
"Well the next sun piece is located in... Wait... The next piece... is in Bowser's Castle?" E. Gadd said out of surprise.
"What?" asked Mario, stunned by the location.
"That's right," said E. Gadd. "Apparently there is a piece there."
"I swear," said Mario, "I always go there. Always. Wow, can't go one adventure without having to go there."
"Sorry," said E. Gadd, "but you must."
"I know I must," said Mario. "I'm just sick of that place. Well, I’d better get going."
"Good luck," cried E. Gadd as Mario walked away.
Mario began heading in the direction of Bowser's Castle. "Man, why do I always have to go there?" asked Mario to himself. With that, Mario hopped through the warp pipe, and emerged at Bowser's Castle. "This place is still like it's always been," said Mario.
Mario walked up to the entrance and saw two Hammer Bros. guarding it. "It's Mario!" exclaimed the first one.
"I thought Bowser said he was looking for Mario," said the second one.
"And some sun piece," added the first one.
"Sun piece?" said Mario out of curiosity. "You mean he's looking for them too?"
"You mean you're looking for them too?" asked the second one.
"Can't believe Bowser was too stupid to realize there was one in his castle," mumbled Mario, but perhaps a bit too loudly.
"There's a sun piece in this castle?" questioned the first one.
"Uh... " stalled Mario.
"There is!" cried the second one.
"We got to notify Bowser!" yelled the first one.
The two Hammer Bros. ran into the castle.
"Oh man," said Mario. "I’ve got to find it before Bowser gets back. This is a big castle, so I’d better search quickly."
Mario ran into the castle.
***
The Koopa Cruiser was nearing Sunny Mountain.
"Here's where we get him," said Bowser. "What was that guy’s name again?"
Just then Kamek came running in. "Sir Bowser!" yelled Kamek.
"What is it this time?" snapped Bowser.
"We have received notice that Mario is looking for a sun piece located in the castle," said Kamek.
All was silent for a second.
"$^%@%#@^%*#^*^!" exploded Bowser out of sheer anger. "We came all this way to look for Mario and a sun piece, and all along they were both at the castle? Reverse this ship. You are going to be in so much trouble, Ludwig!"
"What?" asked Ludwig, who was running into the room where Bowser and Kamek where.
"You dunderhead!" yelled Bowser. "There was a sun piece in our castle all along."
"It's going to be a long ride home," both Ludwig and Kamek thought to themselves.
"Wait," interrupted Bowser. "You say Mario is in the castle."
"Yes," said Kamek.
"^%@*(%^*#^%*#^*%!" screeched Bowser. "This is just great!"
"What is so bad?" asked Ludwig.
"I brought all of the army on the Cruiser with us!" yelled Bowser. "The only people home are the Koopaling, minus Ludwig."
"Well I guess the Koopalings will have to stop Mario," said Kamek.
***
Mario was in the hallways of the castle. "Well, I’ve got a lot of castle to search," said Mario.
Mario entered a doorway that led into the kitchen, when he saw Larry in the room, eating a pizza. "Good pizza," said Larry as he took a bight of the pizza, then turned his head to see Mario. Mario ducked, trying to avoid being seen.
"It's Mario!" yelled Larry. Larry ran over to Mario. "I will beat you and get great praise from King Dad!" exclaimed Larry.
Mario HP: 35/35
Vs.
Larry HP: 10/10
"This is just what I need," thought Mario. "An easy beating to give me back my confidence." Mario jumped on Larry with the snowboard.
"Jerk," grunted Larry. "Why do you always get to get the first hit in?"
"That's the way it is," answered Mario.
Larry then jumped in the air, and flew down toward Mario and delivered a kick to his face. "I've felt worse," said Mario.
Mario HP: 32/35
Vs.
Larry HP: 6/10
"Hammer time!" cried Mario.
Mario smashed his hammer into Larry. "Ahh!" screamed Larry.
Larry then went to kick Mario again, but Mario grabbed him by his leg and threw him to the ground.
Mario HP: 32/35
Vs.
Larry HP: 0/10
Larry ran off screaming. "Now to search this kitchen in peace," said Mario.
Mario searched through the kitchen. He looked in the trash. He looked in cabinets. He looked everywhere possible, but still couldn’t find anything. "It must not be here," said Mario.
Mario then exited the kitchen. "Where should I look next?" thought Mario to himself.
Mario looked around. I'll check the library," said Mario.
Mario walked down a hallway, opened a door, walked down another hallway, and entered the library. "This place is bigger then I thought," said Mario. "Who knew the Koopas read books?"
Mario began rummaging through the books, when Morton jumped out from a closet. "I knew you were coming!" cried Morton. "Now it's my time to shine!"
Mario HP: 32/35
Vs.
Morton HP: 15/15
"I think I'll make this a quick one," said Mario. Mario slammed his snowboard on the ground, and sent Morton high up into the air. He came crashing back down.
"That was cheap!" cried Morton.
Morton jumped and landed, causing a tremor. The force from the tremor sent Mario flying backwards into a wall. “Hurt more then I was expecting," said Mario.
Mario HP: 29/35
Vs.
Morton HP: 10/15
"That worked pretty well last time," said Mario. "I think I'll try it again." Mario did the same thing as last time and sent Morton back into the air.
"I'm going to get you good this time," said Morton. Morton grabbed a microphone.
"What?" asked Mario, confused by Morton's move.
"Blablablablablablablablablablablablablablabla," sang Morton through the microphone.
The noise was so loud, it hurt Mario. "My ears!" cried Mario.
Mario HP: 25/35
Vs.
Morton HP: 5/15
"Time for the finishing blow," said
Mario. Mario sent Morton up in the air one final time, and finished him.
Mario HP: 25/35
Vs.
Morton HP: 0/15
Morton ran off crying. "Now to continue my search," said Mario.
Mario continued looking though the library. After several minutes he found something that caught his eye. It wasn’t a sun piece, however.
"What's this?" asked Mario to himself. Mario grabbed the object. "This is a badge," said Mario. "Might as well try it out."
Mario tried out the badge. Using the badge's power, Mario started spinning the snowboard using his feet, and moved forward while keeping it spinning.
"I can use this to attack enemies," said Mario. "Awesome!"
After about a half hour more of searching, and still nothing, Mario decided to leave. "It probably isn't there," said Mario.
Mario left the library. "I think I will try the living room now," said Mario.
Mario walked back to where he entered the castle, and veered down a different hallway, which led him into the living room.
"Hey, what are you doing here!?" screamed Wendy.
Mario HP: 40/40
Vs.
Wendy HP: 20/20
"Time to try out my new badge in battle," said Mario. Mario started spinning toward Wendy, and the snowboard rapidly smacked her.
"Ouch!" cried Wendy. Wendy then starts throwing candy rings at Mario, who dodged half, but got hit by the other half.
Mario HP: 35/40
Vs.
Wendy HP: 12/20
"I don't think I have enough energy to do that attack again," said Mario. "So I guess I'll go back to the basic attacks." Mario jumped on Wendy.
"I will beat you!" cried Wendy. Wendy threw more candy rings, but Mario dodged them all. "You anger me!" cried Wendy.
Mario HP: 35/40
Vs.
Wendy HP: 8/20
"I think I can go back to that first attack now," said Mario. Mario did the same attack as he first did, and dealt massive damage to Wendy.
"No!" cried Wendy.
Mario HP: 35/40
Vs.
Wendy HP: 0/20
"Bowser will be very mad when I tell him what you did to me," said Wendy as she ran off.
Mario began searching the living room. He searched under everything- the couches, the chairs, the pillows- but found nothing.
"Man, I got nothing," said Mario. "This sun piece is going to be very hard to find."
Mario left the living room. "I don't even know where to go now, so I'll just walk, and look wherever I end up," said Mario.
Mario began walking up a staircase. “You know, I really could use a disguise…” said Mario. “I bet there must be one in a closet around here.”
Mario walked up a bit, and saw a closet. “I’ll try this closet,” said Mario.
Mario opens the closet, and Iggy falls out. “What are you doing in there?” asked Mario.
“Roy locked me in here,” said Iggy.
“That seems typical,” said Mario.
“Yeah,” said Iggy. “But now that you have foolishly freed me, I must defeat you!”
Iggy charged at Mario into battle.
Mario HP: 35/40
Vs.
Iggy HP: 25/25
“Something tells me this will be an easy battle,” said Mario.
Mario slammed his snowboard on the ground, sending the very light Iggy high into the air, so high in fact, that he crashed into the ceiling. “Ow!” cried Iggy. “That hurt!”
Iggy goes into his shell and started spinning slowly toward Mario. “Gasp,” said Mario sarcastically. “What ever will I do?”
Mario effortlessly jumped out of the path of the slow-moving shell.
Mario HP: 35/40
Vs.
Iggy HP: 15/25
“This is like fighting a Goomba,” said Mario, as he slammed his snowboard on the ground again. Like last time, it sent Iggy high into the air. He hits the ceiling again, but this time, gos stuck in the ceiling.
“Help!” cried Iggy.
“Haha!” laughed Mario.
Mario HP: 35/40
Vs.
Iggy HP: 0/25
“He does not know how to fight at all,” said Mario. “Oh well, might as well look in here for any kind of disguise.”
Mario rummaged through the closet, and eventually, found an X-Naut suit. “You have got to be kidding me,” said Mario. “This is all they have? Wearing this won’t stop them from attacking me. There isn’t much point in putting this one on. I’m just going to get attacked either way. You’d think they would have more disguises lying around. Oh well.”
Mario shut the closet and continued on through the castle. “I’ll try this door,” said Mario.
Mario opened the door to the gym. “I’ll look here,” said Mario.
Mario rounded a corner and saw, who else, but Roy. “It’s you!” called Roy. “I’m going to pound you!”
Mario HP: 35/40
Vd.
Roy HP: 30/30
“Something tells me this fight isn’t going to be as easy as last one,” said Mario. “I guess I actually have to try this time.”
Mario slammed his snowboard on the ground, but due to Roy’s immense weight, he went about two inches into the air, and landed unharmed. “Pathetic,” said Roy.
Roy started swinging his arm, then ran toward Mario and delivered a devastating punch.
Mario HP: 30/40
Vs.
Roy HP: 30/30
“I’ve got to try my newest move,” said Mario, as he spun toward Roy and whacked him rapidly in the face.
“That still didn’t hurt much,” said Roy. Roy started swinging his fist toward Mario, but Mario ducked out of the way of his punch. “Lucky loser,” said Roy.
Mario HP: 30/40
Vs.
Roy HP: 25/30
“I’m going to try that last move again,” said Mario, as he did the same thing and repeatedly whacked Roy in the face again.
“Lucky plumber,” said Roy, with notable irritation in his voice. Roy began jumping, causing the ground to strongly shake and knocking Mario around, as well as causing debris to fall on Mario.
Mario HP: 25/40
Vs.
Roy HP: 20/30
“I need something with a lot of power to it,” said Mario. “I can’t think of anything that powerful, so I guess I’ve got to do the same thing as last time.” Mario tried to do the same thing as last time, but Roy grabbed the snowboard from him. “Aw crud,” said Mario.
“Now it’s my turn to try this out,” said Roy. Roy got on the snowboard and started moving on it toward Mario. Mario jumped out of the way of the snowboarding Roy. “Hey!” started Roy. “How do I stop this thing?”
Unable to stop himself, Roy went crashing into a railing and went flying off the Mario’s snowboard and into a chute leading to the dungeon.
“No!” cried Roy.
Mario HP: 25/40
Vs.
Roy HP: 0/30
“He’s an idiot,” said Mario. “Man, I’ve searched about half this castle, and still haven’t found it,” said Mario. “The only place left I can think to look is in the basement. I guess I’ll try there.”
Mario walked over to get his snowboard, and starts descending down a staircase to the basement. “Gosh, it sure is dark down here,” said Mario.
Just then, Mario lost his balance, and started tumbling down the staircase. “Ah!” screamed Mario.
After tumbling down the staircase, Mario sawan object shining through the window of a nearby door. “Could that be…?” questioned Mario.
Mario entered the room, and right there, on a shelf, was a sun piece. “I found it!” cheered Mario.
Mario started walking over to the sun piece.
“Freeze!” shouted a voice.
Mario turned to see the voice belonged to none other than Lemmy Koopa. “Lemmy,” said Mario.
“That’s right,” said Lemmy. “I can’t let you get this sun piece, though.” Lemmy pulled out his Freeze Gun and pointed it straight at Mario.
Mario HP: 45/45
Vs.
Lemmy HP: 35/35
“I’ve just got to beat you, and then it’s all mine,” said Mario. Mario slammed his snowboard on the ground, sending Lemmy off his ball and into the air. He landed on this ball, which slightly cushioned his landing.
“So close,” said Lemmy. “But close only counts in horseshoes.” Lemmy fired his Freeze Gun at Mario, and froze him right in his tracks. Lemmy then got on this ball and rolled over the frozen Mario. Mario then broke out of the ice.
“Burr, that was cold,” said Mario.
Mario HP: 38/45
Vs.
Lemmy HP: 32/35
“I guess I’ll try this one,” said Mario. Mario spun toward Lemmy and whacked him in the face with the snowboard repeatedly.
“You’re toast,” said Lemmy. Lemmy fired a shot from his Freeze Gun toward Mario, and hit him again, freezing him. However, he broke out of the ice before Lemmy could get another attack in.
Mario HP: 34/45
Vs.
Lemmy HP: 27/35
“I wonder if I knock him off his ball…” thought Mario. Mario ran up and rammed Lemmy off his ball using his snowboard, then kicked his ball out of the area.
“Hey!” shouted Lemmy. “That’s cheap! Oh, you will pay for this.” Lemmy waved his wand, and a huge cyclone of snow and ice was shot at light speed toward Mario, burying him in a heaping pile of snow and ice. It took Mario several minutes to fight his way out.
Mario HP: 24/45
Vs.
Lemmy HP: 22/35
“Let me try that first move again,” said Mario. Mario slammed his snowboard on the ground, and Lemmy got shot up into the air. However, he did not have his ball to land on this time, and instead, suffered a painful landing.
“I hate you,” said Lemmy. Lemmy charged up an aurora beam with his wand, and released it, sending it toward Mario. However, using quick thinking, Mario used his snowboard as a shield, and the beam got sent back to Lemmy, hitting him square. “No fair!” cried Lemmy.
Mario HP: 24/35
Vs.
Lemmy HP: 10/35
“These attacks have made me kind of tired, so I’ll keep this one simple,” said Mario, as he simply jumped on Lemmy.
“I’m not sure how much longer I’ve got,” said Lemmy. “Best make this attack count.” Lemmy sat on the ground, and after a few seconds, a massive icicle shot up from under Mario, stabbing him right in the stomach.
Mario HP: 16/45
Vs.
Lemmy HP: 5/35
“Time to finish this thing,” said Mario, as he simply jumped on Lemmy.
“Gack!” cried Lemmy. “I lost. I have failed. No!”
Mario HP: 16/45
Vs.
Lemmy HP: 0/35
Lemmy was lying on the floor. Mario ran over and grabbed the sun piece. “I got it!” exclaimed Mario.
Mario exited through a door, as it was snowing outside the castle. The warp pipe leading back to E. Gadd’s lab was at the bottom of a valley. However, directly across from Mario, on the opposite slope of the valley, was none other than Bowser, the Koopa Cruiser, and nearly all of his army.
“It’s Mario, King Bowser!” cried Kamek.
“I can see that, you nimrod!” yelled Bowser.
“Aw crud,” said Mario under his breath.
“After him!” shouted Bowser.
Mario started running down his slope, and Bowser and his army also started running down their slope.
“It’s a race to the pipe,” said Mario. “And I can’t let him beat me there."
After a minute of running, both sides were nearing the warp pipe, equidistant from one another. Mario lunged to dive in the pipe, and Bowser lunged to try to stop Mario. By a hair, Mario made it in the pipe. Landing on the ground was Bowser, with a fist clenched. Then Bowser opened his fist, to see the sun piece in his fist.
***
“We need to find these things,” said a voice.
“How about we look over these?” said a voice, pointing to Dark Land.
“Well since there is no snow there, maybe that means the sun pieces are there, thus causing the snow to melt from the heat of the sun piece,” said the first voice.
“That seems like an accurate assumption,” said the second voice. “Let’s go.”
***
“I got it!” said Bowser.
All was silent.
“I got it I got it I got it!” sang Bowser happily. “I finally beat Mario. Now to destroy this thing!”
Bowser tried to crunch it in his fists, but failed. “I think we need a powerful device to destroy that thing,” said Ludwig.
“Make one, then,” said Bowser.
“Of course,” said Ludwig.
“Hehe,” laughed Bowser. “Even if Mario gets the rest, he still can’t save the planet without all of them. And once we destroy this one, there will be no stopping me. I will rule Plit. All hail... Bowser and the Koopas!