Chapter 11: Reunited
Larry: Our long lost WHAT?
Bowser: I know this may be shocking to you, but Randy here is your brother. He got separated from us almost 8 years ago. But now he’s back and we’re a family again.
Randy: This is so amazing! The all-powerful King Bowser is my dad! And the Koopalings are my brothers!
Lemmy: I think we would recall our own brother, King Dad. Especially if he was human.
Randy let go of Bowser and looked at Lemmy.
Randy: You mean you don’t remember, Lemmy? You saved me from getting crushed by Roy and I thanked you by saying your name.
Lemmy: What are you- Hold on…
Lemmy crossed his arms and closed his eyes. After a moment, his face lit up.
Lemmy: Hey… I DO remember that.
Ludwig: I do too.
Roy: So do I.
Iggy: Me too.
Lemmy: But how would you know about that unless… Randy? Is that really you?
Randy: It’s me all right.
Lemmy rolled over to Randy. He stared at him for a minute, then threw his arms around him. Randy happily returned the hug.
Lemmy: Randy! You’re back!
Randy: I missed you too. Looks like I’m bigger than you now.
Lemmy: Don’t rub it in!
Iggy, Ludwig and Roy walked over to Randy. Lemmy let go of Randy and Iggy hugged him.
Iggy: Been a real bummer without you around.
Randy: You sure have changed since I last saw you.
Iggy: Look who’s talking. At least I stayed the same species.
Iggy let go of Randy and Ludwig hugged him.
Ludwig: It’s so good to see you again.
Randy: You too. Still think I’m not as smart as you?
Ludwig: Maybe.
Ludwig released Randy while Roy just stood there, smiling. Randy, Ludwig, Iggy and Lemmy waited for him to do or say something, but he didn’t.
Lemmy: What’s the matter, Roy? Aren’t you glad Randy’s back?
Roy: Sure but… hugging isn’t really my thing.
Iggy: Don’t be silly. You hugged him when he was a baby.
Roy: Yeah… but babies are all cute and stuff.
Randy walked up to Roy and opened his arms.
Randy: C’mon Roy. You know you want to.
Roy: Oh… all right. C’mere.
Roy opened his arms and they hugged each other.
Roy: Good to have you back, little guy. Guess you’re not so little anymore, though.
Randy: Guess not. You’ve grown a bit yourself.
They let go of each other. While the 5 older boys were busy catching up, the younger 4 just looked on in confusion.
Roy: What are you 4 gawking at?
BJ: We’re a little confused here.
Larry: Yeah. We don’t remember having a brother named Randy.
Lemmy: Well, he was only 5 months old when he was last here. You guys weren’t born yet.
Junior: Still, it doesn’t seem to make sense to us.
Ludwig: What doesn’t make sense about it? He has nearly everything in common with us, he has one trait that each of us has, and he knows about our past.
Roy: Plus, he’s a year younger than Iggy, so it makes sense to me.
Randy: Why I was given a wand makes sense now too. I AM a Koopaling, after all!
Morton: But… he’s a human.
Bowser: I don’t understand it any more than you do. But the important thing is that he’s back with us, human or not.
Iggy: We should do something to celebrate!
Randy: How about we take a family photo of the 9 of us?
Ludwig: That’s a genius idea!
Iggy: I agree!
Lemmy: I’m game!
Roy: Count me in!
Iggy looked at Junior, Morton, Larry and BJ.
Iggy: So how about it? You guys up for it?
Junior, Morton, Larry and BJ looked at each other, huddled up, and talked it over. After a minute they turned to the others.
Junior: Ok. We’re in!
Randy: Great! Where should we take it?
Larry: How about outside on the playground?
Randy: Good idea! Do you have a camera, Bows- I mean King Dad?
Bowser reached inside his shell and pulled out his camera.
Randy: Okay! Let’s go outside!
The reunited family went downstairs and outside to the playground. Once there, the Koopalings lined up in order from youngest to oldest. Bowser raised the camera to his eye.
Bowser: Say Koopa!
Koopalings: Koopa!
Flash!
Bowser: That’ll come out great!
Roy: Wait. I think I blinked.
Iggy: It doesn’t matter.
Roy: Why? … Oh, right. My sunglasses.
The picture came out of the camera. The Koopalings ran over to see how it turned out.
Randy: It looks perfect!
Ludwig: I’m not sure. Is my fang really that big?
Morton: Am I really that wide, ample, broad?
BJ: Does my bib make me look like a baby?
Randy: Come on, guys. That stuff doesn’t matter now. All that matters is that we’re all together, like a family should be.
Bowser: That’s right. And I know the perfect place to put this. Come on.
Bowser led his sons inside and through a hallway Randy hadn’t been through before. As they walked through it, it grew darker and darker until Randy could barely see his father 5 feet away.
Randy: Why is it so dark in here?
Bowser: The torches must have gone out. I’d better relight them. Watch this, Randy.
Randy squinted to make out what his father was doing. He saw Bowser take the torches off the wall. Bowser inhaled and, as he exhaled, breathed a large plume of fire at the torches, instantly lighting them. The hallway was now bright enough to see clearly. Bowser placed the torches back on the wall.
Randy: That was awesome! I had no idea you could do that!
Bowser: That was nothing. You should see what I can do when I REALLY try hard.
Randy: I’ll be looking forward to it! Can the rest of you do that?
Iggy: Not yet. Koopas gain the ability to breathe fire when they turn 15. We have to wait awhile before any of us can do it. But anyway, let’s go to the end of the hall. You’ll like what’s there.
The group continued walking through the torch-lit hallway. At the end of it was a door even more decorated than the one to Bowser’s room. As they entered, Randy looked around at all the fancy and priceless treasures.
Randy: What room is this, King Dad?
Bowser: My throne room. I put my most valuable treasures in here. I think this picture fits in perfectly.
Bowser walked to his throne, put the picture in a solid gold frame, and hung it up above the throne.
Bowser: There. That looks nice. Oh, I just remembered something.
Randy: What?
Bowser: Now that you’re back, you can help us deal with those overall-wearing plumbers.
Randy: Overall-wearing… You mean Mario and Luigi?
Bowser: … You know them?
Randy: Yeah. I wasn’t gonna tell you before because I thought you’d get angry. But since you’re my dad, I guess I can tell you anything.
Bowser: You should know that them and us are-
Randy: I already know. Ludwig told me.
Bowser: He did?
Ludwig: Well… yes. I informed him on the situation between the kingdoms, but I may have left out the details.
Randy: What details?
Larry: Maybe we should wait a little while before we fill you in completely. In the meantime, let’s all go back to what we were doing before.
Ludwig: So soon? But we just became a family again.
BJ: You older 5 can stay here if you want. We need a little time to adjust to this. It’s a lot to take in.
Roy: But-
Randy: It’s okay, guys. I’m not offended or anything. It IS a lot to take in. I understand. You guys go do whatever and I’ll meet up with you later.
With that, Morton, Larry, Junior and BJ left the throne room and went to their rooms. Randy couldn’t help but look in the direction they walked in.
Lemmy: So what should we do as a reunited family first?
Randy: Actually, as much as I’d love to spend more time catching up with you, I think I should go spend some time with my little brothers. It might help them get used to having me as a brother. That okay with you guys?
Iggy: I guess so. It’s actually a good idea. You might find out a few interesting things about them.
Randy: Thanks. And, it’s good to be back.
Bowser, Ludwig, Lemmy, Roy and Iggy
nodded in agreement. Randy nodded back and left the throne room. On his
way to his younger brothers’ rooms, he thought about how he would try to
connect with them. His main concern was that he hoped they would be willing
to connect.
Chapter 12: Connecting with BJ
Randy walked through the main hallway, up the stairs, and to the end of the hall. There stood the door to BJ’s room. It was already open, so he walked into the room. He saw BJ standing in front of an easel, holding an extremely large paintbrush.
Randy: Hey BJ. Whatcha doing?
BJ: Oh, hey Randy. Just working on my newest painting for my collection. It’s over there if you want to look at them.
BJ pointed to the back wall, where the rest of his paintings were hanging. Randy walked over to them and was instantly impressed by how good they were. There were pictures of BJ, his family, places around the kingdom, and a bunch of creatures Randy hadn’t seen before.
Randy: Wow! These are really good, BJ! I never thought a 4-year-old could have so much talent!
BJ: Heh, thanks! I owe it all to my paintbrush.
He gave Randy a closer look at his brush.
Randy: Is that the magic paintbrush you told me about yesterday?
BJ: Yup. Pretty cool, huh?
Randy: I guess so. What’s magic about it? Is it true that your drawings can come to life?
BJ: Wanna see for yourself?
Randy: Okay. Just don’t draw anything scary.
BJ: Sure.
Randy walked over to the easel. BJ started painting a picture of a small brown creature. It actually looked kind of like a Mushroom with a mouth, eyes, and feet. Seconds after he finished, the creature jumped off the easel and onto the floor. Randy couldn’t believe his eyes. BJ’s paintbrush really WAS magic.
Creature: Hello!
BJ: Hi there!
Randy: Hiya! What kind of creature are you?
Creature: I’m a Goomba. My name’s… Huh. Guess I don’t have a name.
Randy: Well, we can give you one. Let’s see. You’re a Goomba, so how about… Goombark?
Goomba: I like that! In that case, I’m Goombark. Nice to meet you.
BJ: Nice to meet you too. I’m Bowser Junior, but everyone calls me BJ.
Randy: And I’m his brother, Randy.
Goombark: Huh? How can you be brothers?
BJ: We don’t exactly know ourselves. But Randy IS my brother, and a pretty great one at that.
Randy: Aw, thanks BJ. You’re pretty great yourself.
The two of them high-fived a few times. Randy knew he had successfully connected with BJ.
Randy: Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask you. How old were you when you got your brush?
BJ: About two.
Randy: I should’ve guessed. I’m glad we got to spend some time together. Guess I should go find another little brother to connect with.
BJ: Before you do, wanna see something cool?
Randy: How cool are we talking here?
BJ: It’s a little hard to describe, so I’ll just show you.
BJ pulled his bib over his mouth and jumped into the air. He did several flips and when he landed, he looked like someone else Randy knew, only covered in blue paint. Both Randy and Goombark were flabbergasted.
Randy: You look just like…
BJ?: Mario?
Randy: Yeah. How’d you do that?
Goombark: I wanna know too.
BJ?: It’s another magic feature of my brush. In this form, I’m known as Shadow Mario.
Randy: Do you get any special abilities? And can you transform back?
Shadow Mario/BJ: Yes and yes. In this form, I have almost all the abilities Mario has, like his incredible jumping skills. Turning back is as easy as turning into this.
He jumped into the air again and flipped. When he landed he looked like his normal self again. He pulled his bib back down.
Randy: That WAS cool! I need to get me a magic paintbrush too!
BJ: We’ll see. Anyway, didn’t you want to go see your other little brothers?
Randy: Yeah. Guess I’ll go and find them.
Randy started to exit BJ’s room when something caught his eye. Hanging next to the door was a photo of what appeared to be BJ sitting on a small throne, surrounded by toys.
Randy: That’s a really good photo of you, BJ.
BJ started giggling.
Randy: What’s so funny?
BJ: That isn’t me. That’s my papa when he was my age.
Randy: Really?
He looked from the picture to BJ several times.
Randy: You look exactly like him.
BJ: That’s why he named me Bowser Junior. It’s also why I’m next in line to be king even though I’m the youngest.
Randy: Lucky you. Well, I’m off for real this time. Bye BJ… and Goombark.
BJ and Goombark: Bye.
Randy left the room and walked further
down the hallway. He stopped at the door to the room of the brother he
would attempt to connect with next.
Chapter 13: Connecting with Larry
The door to Larry’s room was open as well, so Randy walked inside. However, he didn’t see Larry anywhere.
Randy: Larry! You in here?
Larry’s voice: I’m out here! Through the back door!
Randy: (Back door? What’s he talking about?)
Taking a closer look around the room, Randy saw the door Larry meant. Because he hadn’t seen it during the tour a few days ago, he had no idea what was through it. As he walked through the door, what he saw amazed him. He was surrounded by hundreds of plants, none of which he had seen before. After a few minutes of wandering through the plant filled room, he saw Larry watering some kind of flower.
Randy: There you are. This is… shocking to say the least.
Larry: Why? I told you before that I grow plants.
Randy: Yeah, but I didn’t think this many! You grew all of them by yourself?
Larry: Uh huh. Impressed?
Randy: That doesn’t even begin to describe what I think. How many different species of plants do you have?
Larry crossed his arms and closed his eyes. Randy could see him mouthing something but he couldn’t make out what. After a few minutes, Larry reopened his eyes.
Larry: I have 500 different kinds of plants.
Randy: Wow. It… must be hard taking care of them by yourself.
Randy moved a little closer to the flower Larry had been watering, and noticed a few strange things about it. It was red with white polka dots, had no petals, and almost appeared to have teeth. Randy went to touch it.
Randy: What kind of flower is this anyway?
He was answered by the plant lunging at him and trying to bite his hand! Randy yanked his arm back and looked at his hand to make sure he had all of his fingers. He did. The plant growled and continued to try to bite him.
Randy: Jeez, that plant’s like a Piranha!
Larry: Well, it’s called a Piranha Plant. I think it’s pretty clear why. Don’t be fooled by their appearance. They’re actually really nice.
Randy: Nice?! That thing almost bit my hand off!
Larry: They just do that for self defense. They never try to bite me, since I raised them. Watch.
Larry put his hand over the Piranha Plant and started petting its head. The Piranha Plant started purring, and nuzzled into Larry’s hand.
Larry: Good boy, Marco.
Randy: Marco? You named it?
Larry: Sure. I have names for all my plants. You’d be surprised how I can remember them all. Come here. You can pet him.
Randy: Um… okay.
Randy slowly walked up to Marco. Marco began to growl again and show his teeth.
Larry: It’s okay, boy. He won’t hurt you.
Randy: Hi Marco. I’m Randy, Larry’s brother.
Randy slowly extended his arm and started rubbing what he assumed to be Marco’s chin. Marco stopped growling and purred again. After a minute of rubbing, he licked Randy’s hand.
Larry: Aw. He likes you. I’m actually a little surprised. He’s never been that friendly with anyone besides me. Guess it just further shows what a great guy you are. I’ll admit I was a bit uncomfortable at first, but I’m happy that you’re my brother.
Larry walked over to Randy and hugged him. Randy hugged Larry too, knowing his connection with him was complete. When they let go, Larry motioned for Randy to follow him. Randy did so and Larry showed him around his greenhouse. As they passed a Mushroom patch, Randy stopped when he saw that the Mushrooms were the same kind he’d conjured up during his magic lessons with Iggy.
Randy: Hey Larry, what are these?
Larry: They’re 1-Up Mushrooms. They can help revive someone when they’ve “fallen”, if you know what I mean. They’re pretty hard to come by, so having them here is really handy. Oh, good thing you stopped me here. There’s someone here I want you to meet.
Larry made a gesture behind him. Randy saw an enormous Piranha Plant that looked very different from Marco. This Piranha Plant had orange pedals, legs, and almost appeared to be wearing red shorts with white polka dots.
Randy: Whoa. That’s one big plant. Does he like being petted too?
Larry: Why don’t you find out for yourself?
Randy went to pet the Piranha Plant, when suddenly-
Piranha Plant: Don’t touch me!
Randy: Ack! It talked!
Piranha Plant: Of course I can talk. Larry, who is this guy?
Larry: This is my big brother, Randy. Long story. Randy, this is my best friend and the greatest plant ever, Petey Piranha.
Randy: A pleasure, Petey.
Randy held out his hand. Petey used the leaf he had for an arm and shook Randy’s hand.
Petey: Pleasure’s all mine, I guess. So how exactly can you be his brother if you’re a human? And why haven’t I seen you around before?
Randy: I don’t know the first part but I somehow got separated from my family when I was a baby. Larry wasn’t born yet the last time I was here, so he doesn’t have any info either.
Just then, Randy saw a few empty paint buckets on the floor.
Randy: What’s with those? I thought BJ was the family artist.
Larry: He is. But Petey isn’t like most Piranha Plants. He never needs watering, he can use his leaves to fly, and he eats paint, which he can cough up if he’s in danger. That reminds me. Petey, are you hungry?
Petey: I sure am.
Larry moved to a small container next to the empty paint cans. He reached in and pulled out a can of purple paint.
Larry: Look Petey. It’s your favorite. Grape flavored.
Randy: Larry, I don’t think paint has-
Petey: YUMMY!
Petey grabbed the bucket and drank all the purple paint.
Randy: For goodness sake, Petey! Does that really taste like grapes?
Petey: It’s purple like grapes.
Randy: Really? So if I understand this correctly, this orange paint must be a pumpkin pie.
Randy held up a can of orange paint, which Petey immediately grabbed and emptied into his mouth.
Petey: Tart yet creamy.
Randy: Hmmm…
Meanwhile Larry had started to pick some peppers off one of his plants while Randy and Petey conversed.
Larry: You guys can keep experimenting with that if you want, but I need to harvest my-
Randy: Cherry. Red is for cherry.
Larry turned and saw Randy holding and looking at a can of red paint. However he didn’t look like he was going to give it to Petey.
Randy: You are a cherry.
Randy dipped his finger into the red paint and tasted it. Less than a second later he spit it out, dropped the can, and grabbed his throat. Larry couldn’t help but look on and laugh.
Randy: BLECH!!! The taste! Get it out! Don’t just stand there!
Randy grabbed a pepper out of Larry’s hand and started to devour it. Larry knew that was a bad idea
Larry: But that’s-
Too late. Randy swallowed the pepper whole.
Randy: Ah… Better.
Larry: That’s the first time anyone’s had the guts to eat one of MY chili peppers whole.
Randy: It certainly rid me of that horrible, toxic, goopy aftertaste.
Petey: Hey, these are pretty good.
Larry turned around and saw that Petey had helped himself to one of the peppers. He waited for the spiciness to kick in but nothing happened.
Larry: I don’t believe it. They’re not working!
Larry held one of the chili peppers to his mouth.
Larry: These things are supposed to taste hotter than magma.
He took a bite out of the pepper and
didn’t taste any spiciness. He was about to say something to Randy when
he saw his face turning red. His pupils shrank until they were almost gone,
and flames engulfed his eyes. Larry turned to Petey and saw he now looked
similar to Fiery Dino Piranha. That’s when Larry began to feel the intense
spiciness. He started to sweat and couldn’t keep tears from coming out
of his eyes. The three of them took VERY long drinks from the hoses and
watering cans. After they finally cooled down several minutes later, Randy
said goodbye to Petey and Larry, and headed back into the hallway to his
next brothers’ room.
Chapter 14: Connecting with Morton
Randy walked a bit further down the hallway to Morton’s room. His door was closed so he knocked before he entered.
Morton’s voice: Come in, enter.
Randy opened the door and walked into the room. He saw Morton sitting at his desk, writing a speech. Randy approached him but he was too busy to notice right away. Morton was just finishing the conclusion to his speech when his pen ran out of ink. He turned slightly to his side to get another one when he saw Randy less than 6 inches from his face.
Morton: Dah! Please don’t do that.
Randy: Sorry. What are you writing?
Morton: A speech about wedding cake.
Randy: Wedding cake? I wasn’t aware that was that interesting of a topic.
Morton: To most people, it isn’t, but I love it because it’s so good, yummy, tasty, succulent, delicious, delectable, lip-smacking, scrumptious, appetizing, luscious, mouth-watering and there are so many different kinds like big and small and round and square and short and tall and fancy and plain but other people don’t seem to be obsessed with it like me so they don’t talk about it or eat it unless there’s an actual wedding which doesn’t make much sense because everyone should want to talk about it and eat it all the time because it’s the best thing in the world!
Randy: Wow. I’ve never had wedding cake but it sure sounds good.
Instead of responding, Morton just stared at Randy.
Randy: What, Morton?
Morton: You actually let me finish, complete, end a sentence. You didn’t tell me to stop talking, be quiet, zip it, shut up, shut it, be silent, hush.
Randy: Did you already forget? I don’t mind that you talk the way you do. I even talk that way sometimes. Not as often as you, of course, but still, I do. Besides, talking is what you love to do and I have no intention of preventing you from doing it. What kind of brother would I be if I did? A bad one, that’s what. What surprises me is that you’ve been able to tolerate being told to shut up who knows how many times over the past 6 years.
Morton: Guess I’m just used to it. Hey, while you’re here, wanna hear one of my speeches?
Randy: Sure! Which one do you want to read me?
Morton: Well, I have lots and lots and lots and lots of them but my favorite would have to be the one entitled “Never Give Up” because it’s the only one the others actually find useful, helpful, handy, valuable, of use.
Randy: That sounds like a good one. Let’s hear it.
Morton opened one of desk drawers and pulled out a 10-page speech. He stood up and walked to a podium on the other side of his room. Randy turned the chair around and sat in it.
Morton: My fellow brother, I stand before you to state why you should never give up, no matter hard the situation is. It is important to always keep trying until you find the solution to your problem.
2 Hours Later…
Morton: And in conclusion, there’s always a way to solve your problems. You just have to find out what it is, and you will achieve your goal.
Randy stood up and started clapping.
Randy: Bravo! Bravo!
Morton smiled and took a bow.
Morton: Thank you! You’re too kind!
Randy walked up to him.
Randy: That was great, Morton! You sure are inspirational!
Morton: Thanks! Want to hear another?
Randy: Maybe a little later. I still have one more little brother I need to spend time with. But before I go, I’m gonna give you something I bet no one’s ever given you.
Morton: What?
He was answered by a hug from Randy,
who knew they had connected. After the sudden shock, he returned the hug.
Morton was so happy, he thought he was going to start crying. For the first
time in his life, he felt loved by someone in his family. A moment later,
they let go and Randy said goodbye to Morton as he left the room.
Chapter 15: Connecting with Junior
Randy walked to the end of the hallway where the door to Junior’s room stood before. It was closed also so he knocked. A few seconds went by with no answer, so he knocked again, a bit harder. From the other side of the door came a barely audible “Come in…” Randy opened the door and saw why he hadn’t been answered the first time. Junior was playing Mario Kart Wii and appeared to be hypnotized to the game. Fortunately, the race he was competing in had ended with him winning, and he had come back to reality.
Junior: What’s up, Randy?
Randy: Not much. I’ve just been trying to connect with my younger brothers, and you’re the only one left. I see you REALLY like videogames.
Junior: You don’t know the half of it. I’ve made it my personal goal to play and beat every Mario game from the GameCube on.
Randy: But I thought you guys didn’t like Mario or his friends.
Junior: We don’t, but you gotta hand it to them. They make some pretty good games.
Randy: I wouldn’t know. I’ve never owned a videogame system since I was separated from my family. Even so, bet I could beat you!
Junior: You’re on!
Junior tossed Randy another controller and Randy sat down next to him. Junior started a two player tournament on four random racetracks. Randy won the first, but Junior dominated the second and third. The fourth was close but at the last second, Randy pulled ahead and won, causing the tournament to end in a tie.
Junior: Ha! I knew you wouldn’t win!
Randy: You didn’t win either. It was a tie.
Junior: Yeah… but still. I guess we connected?
Randy: I guess so. Good thing, because I’ve been wanting to ask you something.
Junior: What is it?
Randy: What was your life like before King Dad adopted you?
Junior: Well, I guess it wasn’t all that bad. It could’ve been better in some ways. I’ve… never really talked about it before.
Randy: Oh. If you don’t want to, I understand.
Junior: No, it’s fine. Actually, I’m glad you asked. No one’s ever been all that interested about my past.
Randy: I’m interested. You forget that I’m really open-minded. I take everyone’s feelings into consideration. Tell me as much as you want.
Junior: Okay. I never really knew my parents. I was raised in an orphanage in a town called Koopa Village. It’s the place where all Koopas that don’t have parents go. I got along with some of the other Koopas and they became my friends. Things weren’t so bad until I realized… I was different.
Randy: What do you mean?
Junior: I don’t completely know myself. But I was once told that my parents were normal, everyday Koopas and they didn’t think I was the kind of child they wanted to raise. I didn’t know what everyone meant until I was about 3. I learned that normal Koopas are given plain shells and have little to no special traits. In fact, most Koopas all look pretty much the same, but I didn’t. Somehow, I was given a spiked shell and I grew this red mane. And my eyes, as you can see, are just pupils. Also, I have the kind of organs that will let me breathe fire when I’m older. Outside of this family, almost no Koopas are able to do that. When the other Koopas saw how different I was from them, they started avoiding me. I don’t know why, though. I wasn’t mean to them or anything, but they just wanted nothing to do with me. I had started to think about leaving the orphanage to live on my own, but when I was 4, King Dad came looking for a son to replace the daughter that ran away. When he saw me, he knew I was the perfect addition to the family. So he adopted me, brought me here, introduced me to my new brothers, and I’ve been living here ever since.
Randy: Wow. That’s quite a story, Junior.
Junior: Yeah. Thanks for letting me tell it to you. I don’t think anyone else would have been willing to listen. Hey, it’s getting pretty late, don’t you think? Maybe we should call it a night.
Randy: Okay. Goodnight, Junior.
Junior: Night. See you tomorrow.
Randy left Junior’s room and went to the room he now shared with Lemmy and Iggy. As he walked in, he saw the two of them were sound asleep in their beds.
Randy: (That’s my brothers.)
With that thought, Randy walked to the
bunk bed for some sleep of his own, unaware of a visitor just outside his
window.
Chapter 16: Mario Tells All
Randy had just started to climb up the ladder to his bed when he suddenly heard a whisper.
Whisper: Psst! Hey Randy! Over here!
Randy saw a figure outside his window. He climbed down and walked over to it, and was surprised by who it was.
Randy: Mario? What are you doing here?
Mario: (whispering): Shhh! Keep it down! Do you want the Koopas to see me?
Randy: (whispering): Sorry. I’m actually really glad you’re here. You’ll never guess what I found out!
Mario: (whispering) In a minute. I think it’s time you learned the truth about me and the Koopas.
Randy: (whispering) What truth?
Mario: (whispering) The Koopas, they’re evil. We’re more than just rivals. We’re archenemies.
Randy: (whispering) Archenemies?
Mario: (whispering) Yes. Bowser and his sons constantly attack and destroy the Mushroom Kingdom and kidnap Peach. You see, Peach is my girlfriend and Bowser’s really jealous. He takes her all the time and tries to marry her to become King of the Mushroom Kingdom. My friends and I have been stopping him from doing so since childhood. I came mainly to tell you not to fall for any of their tricks. They’re very sneaky and will try anything to succeed.
Randy couldn’t believe what he had just been told. He knew he couldn’t tell Mario he was related to them. Who knows how he would’ve reacted?
Randy: (whispering) Oh… I-I had no idea.
Mario: (whispering) Better to know now than when it’s too late. But anyway, what did you find out?
Randy: (whispering): I… uh… found out that… Ludwig’s a really good composer, and you should totally listen to his music sometime.
Mario: (whispering) Maybe if he joins our side, I will. I need to go now, so be careful.
Randy: (whispering) O-Okay.
Mario jumped down from the windowsill. Randy watched him as he ran through the kingdom and back across the border to the Mushroom Kingdom. After he vanished from sight, Randy climbed into his bed. He tried to sleep but found himself unable to do so. What was he to do? His family was evil. What if they expected him to assist in their evil plots? He didn’t want to, but if he had to… No. He couldn’t think about that.
He finally was able to fall asleep just before midnight. The next morning, he woke up feeling no better. As he started to climb down, his wand fell out of his pocket and clattered to the floor. He’d actually forgotten it was in there. When he reached the bottom of the ladder, he picked it up and couldn’t help but think about what chaos it could cause. He erased the thought from his mind and put the wand back in his pocket. He then went downstairs to join his brothers and father for breakfast. As he ate, he looked slightly depressed and was silent.
Larry: Randy?
Randy: Yes Larry?
Larry: You’re not your usual perky self. Is something the matter?
Iggy: I agree. You’re not really acting like you.
Randy: No, it’s nothing. I’m just still a little tired. Um… Please excuse me. I need to be alone for a little bit.
Randy stood up and quietly left the kitchen. He sighed a deep sigh as he walked out of the castle to find the best place to think.
Back in the castle, the others were concerned. It wasn’t like Randy to just go off by himself like that. Bowser then got an idea.
Bowser: I think he’s got something really big on his mind. I want one of you to go and talk to him. I’ll send… Morton. Go see what’s making him act like that.
Morton: Okay. I’ll go because you said to and I have to listen to you because you’re my dad and I don’t want Randy to be depressed because he’s a really great brother and seeing him sad makes me feel a little sad too so I’ll go find him but it might take a long time since I don’t know exactly where-
Lemmy: Just go already!
Morton grumbled under his breath as
he left. As he walked out of the castle, he had no idea he was in for a
shock.
Chapter 17: Morton’s Advice
Just before Morton started looking for Randy, he heard something you normally wouldn’t hear in the Koopa Kingdom. He heard singing, and it sounded like Randy’s voice. He listened carefully and tried to determine the direction the singing was coming from.
Randy’s voice (Singing): This was a
triumph.
I'm making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS.
It's hard to overstate my satisfaction.
Aperture Science.
We do what we must
because we can.
For the good of all of us
except the ones who are dead.
But there's no sense crying over every
mistake.
You just keep on trying till you run
out of cake,
and the Science gets done,
and you make a neat gun
for the people who are still alive.
Morton started walking east. As he did, the singing continued.
Randy’s voice (Singing): I'm not even
angry.
I'm being so sincere right now.
Even though you broke my heart
and killed me,
and tore me to pieces,
and threw every piece into a fire.
As they burned it hurt because I was
so happy for you!
Now these points of data make a beautiful
line.
And we're out of beta.
We're releasing on time.
So I'm GLAD I got burned.
Think of all the things we learned
for the people who are still alive.
Morton finally saw Randy. He was sitting on the edge of a cliff, watching the sun rise. Morton decided to listen to his singing as he really liked it.
Randy (Singing): Go ahead and leave
me.
I think I prefer to stay inside.
Maybe you'll find someone else to help
you.
Maybe Black Mesa.
THAT WAS A JOKE.
HAHA. FAT CHANCE.
Anyway, this cake is great.
It's so delicious and moist.
Look at me still talking
when there's Science to do.
When I look out there, it makes me
GLAD I'm not you.
I've experiments to run.
There is research to be done
on the people who are still alive.
And believe me I am still alive.
I'm doing Science and I'm still alive.
I feel FANTASTIC and I'm still alive.
While you're dieing I'll be still alive.
And when you're dead I will be still
alive.
STILL ALIVE. STILL ALIVE.
As Randy finished his song, he suddenly heard clapping behind him. He turned around and saw Morton. He was surprised to see him.
Randy: Oh… Morton. How long have you been there?
Morton: Long enough to know you’re a good, great, fantastic, wonderful, superb, outstanding, excellent, grand, incredible, magnificent, brilliant, first-rate, supreme, breathtaking, astonishing, terrific, splendid, fabulous, marvelous, stupendous, exceptional, dazzling, tremendous, superlative, glorious singer.
Randy: Thanks. That song’s called Still Alive. I don’t know who it’s by but I’ve known it since I was little. I sing it when I need cheering up.
Morton sat down next to him.
Morton: Why do you need cheering up?
Randy: It’s just… I recently learned something. Something not so good. I’m afraid that I might need to become something I’m not. And if I do, I’ll be hurting people that I really don’t want to hurt.
Morton: Ah. I think I see what you’re talking about. You found out we’re evil, didn’t you?
Randy: Yes. I know about your attacks on the Mushroom Kingdom and your kidnappings of Peach. She and the others are my friends, but you guys are my family and I just don’t know what to do. On one hand, I could help my family but I’d be hurting my friends. And on the other hand-
Morton: You could help your friends but would be hurting your family.
Randy: Exactly. I don’t want to disappoint King Dad, but if I tell him I don’t want to be evil, it might upset him. What am I gonna do, Morton?
Morton: Well, if you want my advice, I think you should stay just the way you are. Don’t be something you’re not. You’re a really great guy, Randy. You really care about everyone and you’re willing to do anything to make someone feel better when they need it. Trying to be evil could really alter your personality, and I don’t think that would turn out well. I don’t mind if you stay good or not, but you should know that you are who you are and it’s best to remain that way.
Randy looked at Morton and smiled. He was right. Randy was who he was. He didn’t need to be evil just because his family was.
Randy: Thanks Morton. I needed to hear that.
Morton: Anytime, little big brother.
Randy looked back at the rising sun. It was quite a majestic sight to behold. Randy decided to thank Morton by giving him a positive speech of his own.
Randy: You know, I don’t understand why everyone gets annoyed by the way you talk. I think it’s pretty cool.
Morton: You do?
Randy: Yeah. The fact that you can think of so many words that mean the same thing shows that you have a good vocabulary. Your speeches are really entertaining and motivating and, not for nothing, but you give really good advice. Maybe if the others actually listened to what you say instead of trying to get you to be quiet, they’d better understand what you were saying. I’m not usually one for picking favorites when it comes to people but I think you’re my favorite little brother… even if you’re a lot bigger than me.
Morton: Wow. No one’s ever been so nice to me. I’ve never been anyone’s favorite anything. Thanks, Randy. I think you’re my favorite brother of all.
Randy smiled and put his arm around
Morton and pulled him closer. Morton did the same to Randy and the two
brothers watched the sun rise above the horizon.
Chapter 18: Mario and Bowser’s Final Battle
Once the sun had fully risen, Randy and Morton started walking back to the castle. When they entered, Bowser saw them and walked over to them. He was pleased to see a grin on Randy’s face.
Bowser: I guess Morton did a really good talking to you.
Randy: You bet he did! I feel a lot better now.
Bowser: Good, because I came up with a foolproof plan to defeat Mario.
Morton: Do tell, King Dad!
Bowser: You said you know the Mario Gang, right?
Randy: Yeah.
Bowser: Since we just found out that you’re my son, I’m assuming they don’t know that yet. I feel we can use that to our advantage. I’m going to surprise Mario in a little while with an attack and try to weaken him. If that works, I want you to help finish him with your powerful magic Iggy told me about. Then we’ll finally be able to take control of the Mushroom Kingdom and Peach will at last be mine!
Randy: Actually, about that…
Bowser: Yes?
Randy: Um… Nothing. Never mind. Did you tell the others about your plan?
Bowser: Yes, and they all agree that it’s bound to work! I’ll be leaving in an hour so, practice your magic in the meantime.
Randy: Okay, King Dad.
Bowser left the main entrance to go over his plan a few times. Morton saw that Randy was, once again, at a loss over what to do.
Morton: Are you really going to attack, assault, assail, hit, beat, mug Mario?
Randy: I don’t know, Morton. I just don’t know. But I guess I should go work on my magic for now. I don’t think I have anything better to do. I’ll see you later.
Morton: Bye, later, see you, farewell.
Randy made his way to the gym. He hoped no one else was there because he didn’t really want to talk to anyone just then. Fortunately for him, the gym was empty. He walked to the target area and started firing beams from his wand. He wasn’t trying that hard but still managed to hit the bulls-eye each time. After about half an hour, he realized he was thirsty, so he conjured up a glass of water. After he finished it, he made the glass disappear.
Randy: (And Iggy didn’t even teach me how to do that.)
Randy walked over to the weight area. He took many of them off the racks and placed them on the floor in random spots. He waved his wand and made all the weights levitate. He moved his wand carefully and put the weights back on the racks in the exact positions they’d been in before.
Randy: (Why do I even need to practice? I’m already perfect at magic. I could probably eliminate Mario in one shot.) What am I thinking?! I don’t want to kill Mario!
???: I figured you didn’t.
Randy turned around, startled, and saw his oldest brother, Ludwig.
Randy: Ludwig, I… What are you doing here?
Ludwig: I came here to tell you that King Dad is almost ready to launch his attack. I see that you’re not quite ready yet.
Randy: Yeah, I’m not. I just can’t hurt my friends. But what will King Dad think of me? I just don’t think I can be evil, even if I wanted to. Oh Ludwig, what am I going to do? You’re really smart, so can you think of some way out of this?
Ludwig: Sadly, I cannot. You’re the only one who is strong enough to perform such a task. Even though I’m the oldest, my wand isn’t as powerful as yours and I don’t think my flutter jump would provide much help.
Randy: Flutter jump? What’s that?
Ludwig jumped and started furiously kicking his legs. As he did, he started hovering above the ground. After a few seconds, he let himself fall back down.
Ludwig: THAT is a flutter jump. Don’t ask me how I can do it. I don’t quite know myself.
Randy: As impressive as that is, it doesn’t really help me. I guess I’ll just have to go along with King Dad’s plan and hope my wand isn’t as powerful as I think. But if it is, then-
He was interrupted by Bowser walking through the doors.
Bowser: Randy, it’s time to go. I’m ready, so let’s do this.
Randy: Okay… Coming…
Ludwig: I’ll be rooting for you. Show him your strength!
Randy: Thanks. I will… I think…
Randy put his wand away and followed Bowser through the doors and down the hallway. He passed his other brothers on his way.
Roy: Show him who’s boss, Randy!
BJ: Show him what you’re made of!
Randy simply nodded as he continued to follow Bowser out of the castle. The two continued through the kingdom. Bowser stopped walking when they reached the border to the Mushroom Kingdom.
Bowser: Okay, Randy. I’ll go wreak some havoc and try to lure Mario here. When I do, I’ll fight him and when he’s weak enough, you deliver the final blow!
Randy: All right, King Dad. Good luck.
With that, Bowser charged into Toad Town. Seconds later, screaming was heard and so was the sound of fire breath. It was then that Randy saw several houses burst into flames.
Randy: (He’s really going through with this. I don’t know if I can, though. Mario’s my best friend. I can’t just kill him, but…)
Meanwhile, in Mushroom Castle…
Toad: Mario! Mario!
Mario: Calm down, Toad. What’s the matter?
Toad: It’s Bowser! He’s burning Toad Town! You’ve got to stop him!
Mario: *sigh* He doesn’t know when to quit, does he? All right, I’m on it!
Mario sprinted out of the castle and through the burnt and charred remains of the west side of Toad Town. One house collapsed and nearly crushed the hero, but he used his Super Jump to avoid it at the last second. As he landed, he saw the King of the Koopas laughing maniacally at the destruction he caused. He prepared to scorch another building when he saw Mario.
Bowser: Ah, Mario. Been expecting you!
Mario: Who else would it be? What’s your big plan this time? Come to kidnap Peach as always, I assume?
Bowser: Actually, no. I just came for a good, old-fashioned brawl with my archenemy. But I COULD take Peach if you want.
Mario: Be quiet! If it’s fight you want, you’ll get one!
Before Bowser could respond, a brown shoe met his face. He stumbled backwards and fell onto his shell. Mario jumped onto him and punched him square in the jaw.
Bowser: OUCH! Grrrrr! You’ll pay for that!
Bowser kicked Mario off him and retreated into his shell. He spun wildly and slammed into Mario, causing him to soar through the air in the direction of the border. Bowser popped out of his shell.
Bowser: Perfect! He’ll land right by Randy! I’d better hurry while he’s hurt.
Bowser headed for the border while Mario continued to fly through the air. After what seemed like forever, he landed just across the border. He was dazed and his vision was blurry. As it cleared, he saw a young boy looking down at him.
Randy: Hey Mario? Are you ok?
Mario: Randy? You shouldn’t be here! Bowser’s attacking Toad Town! You need to leave before you get hurt!
Bowser’s voice: Oh, he’s not here to observe.
Mario turned around to see Bowser once again, looking as confident as ever.
Bowser: What’s the matter, Mario? Is flying through the air THAT painful? I wouldn’t know since I usually get dropped in lava, thank you very much!
Mario: You want painful? I’ll show you painful! Randy, stay out my way. I don’t want you to get hurt.
Randy: Um…
Bowser: He’s not the one getting hurt! You are!
Bowser breathed a large plume of fire at Mario, who just barely dodged. The two of them charged at each other and locked arms. Randy was stunned by how strong Mario was.
Mario: Why won’t you just leave the Mushroom Kingdom alone?! What’s anyone in it ever done to you?
Bowser: It’s not my fault the lady of my dreams lives in the opposite kingdom! Maybe if you just let me have her, I wouldn’t have to do this all the time!
Mario: Well you can forget it! Peach is and always will be mine! And even if she wasn’t, she’d never go for a tyrant like yourself!
Bowser: Why you miserable little plumber!
Bowser’s anger gave him the strength he needed to start pushing Mario back. Mario struggled against the large Koopa.
Mario: Huuurrrgh! Randy, as long as you’re here, help me beat him!
Bowser: As if! If he’s helping anyone, it’s gonna be me!
Mario: He’s my friend!
Bowser: He’s my… er… something else!
Mario: What? Is he another person that you tricked into helping you?
Bowser: No.
Mario: Then what is he to you?
Bowser: None of your stinking business!
Mario: Randy, who do you want to help? Me or the evil King here?
Randy: I… I…
Author’s Note: If you want to keep reading the director’s cut of this whole story, continue reading to the next line. If you want to read an alternate chapter that leads to an ending, click here.
Roy’s Voice: Come on, King Dad! You’ve got him on the ropes!
Toad’s Voice: Don’t give up, Mario!
Randy looked behind and in front of him. He saw that the Koopalings had gathered at their castle’s front gate while the Mario Gang was just across the border. Randy felt so much pressure on him now. Not only would he have to choose between Mario and Bowser, but now he had to do it in front of nearly everyone he knew. Bowser and Mario finally released their holds on each other.
Mario: All right, I’ve had enough! It’s time to end this!
Bowser: I couldn’t agree more!
Bowser retreated into his shell again and slammed into Mario again. Mario flipped head over heels and landed at Randy’s feet. The Koopalings cheered.
Randy: Mario! Are you all right?
Mario: I’ve handled worse. Now it’s my turn!
Randy: Wait a min-
Mario was already hitting Bowser. He was too quick for the King of the Koopas to block. Mario delivered a roundhouse kick to Bowser’s face, causing him to fall onto the ground very hard.
Randy: Dad!
Everyone froze in place. Realizing what he’d said, Randy flung his hands over his mouth. But it was too late.
Mario Gang: Dad?
Bowser: Randy!
Randy took his hands away from his mouth.
Randy: Oops…
Mario: Randy?
Randy walked over to him.
Randy: Yes Mario?
Mario: Why did you call Bowser “Dad”?
Randy: Because… because… I, um… Oh, what’s the use? Mario, Bowser and the Koopalings are my family.
Mario and his friends were shocked beyond belief to hear him say that.
Mario: They are?
Randy nodded.
Mario: Why didn’t you tell me?
Randy: Well, I didn’t find out until recently. And I was GOING to tell you, but after you said you and the Koopas are archenemies, I thought that if I told you I was one of them, you wouldn’t want to be my friend anymore. I’m sorry…
Mario: How can you be one of them? You’re a human like me.
Randy: I don’t know. I somehow got separated from them when I was a baby. I didn’t have any memory of them when I first got here, but after two days, I found out I’m Bowser’s long lost son and the Koopalings’ long lost brother.
Mario: So are you evil or not?
Randy: No way. I’ve never done one evil thing in my life and I wasn’t planning on starting now, especially not to my friends.
Bowser: Does that mean you’re not gonna help fight?
Randy: That depends. Mario, do you trust me? If you do, I promise I won’t get involved. But if you don’t, and I understand why you wouldn’t, I’ll join my dad and fight.
Mario turned around and looked at his friends. They all gave him looks that said “ I trust him”. He turned back to Randy.
Mario: Okay. I trust you… friend.
Randy: Thank you, Mario. You really are a hero. I guess I’ll let you two get back to fighting. I’m going back to my brothers.
Bowser: But what about my foolproof plan?
Randy: Sorry, King Dad, but I can’t help you. I’m not evil and I don’t want to be. Mario’s been nothing but nice to me, and I’m not going to thank him by killing him. As much as it pains me to say this… you’re on your own.
Randy started walking back to Koopa Castle. Bowser stood back up and angrily glared at Mario.
Bowser: You! You corrupted him!
Mario: I did what?
Bowser: Being around you changed him! He’d be the perfect person to help me but you just HAD to be nice to him! Now that he’s like you, he doesn’t even want to help his own father!
Mario: Please! Some father you are! You let yourself lose him! Anyone would make a better father than you!
Bowser: At least I AM a father! You’ve been with Peach for who knows how long, and I don’t see you making any moves on her!
Yoshi: He makes a valid point.
Luigi elbowed Yoshi in the side.
Luigi: Quiet, Yoshi.
Mario: Okay, that’s it! You just crossed the line, Mister! Time to pull out the big guns!
Mario reached into his overalls pocket and pulled out one of the rarest items in the world.
Bowser: That’s… a Smash Ball! How did you get that?
Mario: As you would say: None of your stinking business!
Mario broke the Smash Ball and immediately started glowing. He unleashed his most powerful attack, the Mario Finale. Bowser knew if he didn’t do something, he’d be destroyed. So he retreated into his shell once more and spun as fast as he could. The wind caused by that caused Mario’s attack to swirl around him. He suddenly stopped spinning and the blast was redirected… in the direction of Koopa Castle and Randy! Fortunately, the blast curved upwards and missed him, but crashed directly into the castle’s tower, leaving a large, gaping hole at its base. Randy, who knew only Mario could launch such an attack, stopped in his tracks when he saw this, but his brothers were too busy cheering for Bowser to notice. They also didn’t notice the tower beginning to give way to the weakened foundation. Realizing his brothers were in danger, Randy frantically started pointing.
Randy: Guys! The tower! Behind you!
The Koopalings turned around and saw the collapsing tower less than 20 feet away from them.
Koopalings: AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!
CRASH!
Chapter 19: Important Words
The tower hitting the ground created a shockwave that nearly knocked Randy off his feet. When he regained his balance, he ran to the site of the crash. What he saw horrified him. His brothers were all laying on the ground, motionless. Some were on their stomachs, some on their shells, some partially buried beneath debris.
Randy: Oh no… I’m… sure they’re just unconscious.
Randy walked to his closest brother, who turned out to be Iggy. He was laying on his stomach with his arms at his sides. Randy knelt down, put his hands on his shell, and shook.
Randy: Iggy? Are you okay?
Iggy didn’t answer. It didn’t take long for Randy to realize he was dead.
Randy stood up and walked to his next closest brother, BJ. He was laying on his shell. Randy bent down and shook his shoulders.
Randy: Bowser Junior? Get up.
BJ didn’t move. Randy realized he was dead too. Randy stood up again and walked to the center of the crash site. He looked at his other brothers and tried to make out any signs of life.
Randy: Junior? Ludwig?
No response.
Randy: Lemmy? Roy? Larry?
Still no response. Randy realized they were dead as well. He was about to start crying when he heard a low-pitched groan. The groan came from Morton. Randy quickly ran up to him. He was partially buried under bricks. Randy pulled him out and sat him up against a pile of debris. He was still breathing, but barely.
Randy: Morton, say something! Anything!
Morton opened his eyes and half-smiled.
Morton: First time anyone said THAT to me.
Randy: You're gonna be okay, right?
Morton: Randy, I can’t stay, last, live, survive, exist, go on much longer.
Randy: Do you mean... No. No Morton, you can't go! You just can't!
Morton: If I never see you again, I want to say...
Morton's eyes began to close. Randy could see his strength was leaving him.
Randy: What? You want to say what?
Morton: Thank you... for being so nice to me.
Tears began to fill Randy's eyes. He wrapped his arms around his little brother. Morton knew this was goodbye so he did the same to his big brother.
Randy: Please Morton. You're the only brother I have left. You have to stay awake!
Morton: ... I...... can't...
And with those words, his eyes closed completely, his hug around Randy lost its grip, and his body went limp. Randy let go of him, realizing he was gone. Randy just couldn't believe it. He had just been reunited with his brothers only to find himself an only child, all in less than a week. He sat there for what seemed like an eternity, crying and wishing he could have saved them. Suddenly an idea popped into his head. But before he put his plan into action, he decided he would have a little talk with Mario and Bowser. He dried his tears, thought his plan all the way through, and walked back to them. They had stopped fighting to catch their breath.
Randy: Well, I hope you two are happy now.
Bowser: What's there to be happy about? This battle hasn't had a winner yet.
Randy: Do you not realize what you have done?!
Mario: No, what?
Randy pointed to the castle and his dead brothers. Bowser was shocked by what he saw.
Bowser: Oh no! My castle!
Randy: I’m not talking about the stupid castle! Look at the ground by the castle!
Mario and Bowser saw the bodies of the Koopalings. Both were petrified by the sight.
Bowser: Boys…
Mario: Did we...
Bowser: This is all your fault, Mario!
Mario: MY fault? You had way more to do with this than I did!
Randy: Quiet! Both of you! You're both to blame! Mario, you launched the attack! And Dad- No, not Dad, Bowser! Yeah, that's right, Bowser! You rebounded the attack toward the castle! It's both your faults! If you two weren't so bent on destroying each other, this wouldn't have happened! Mario, Peach is really nice and sweet. Did you ever think that if she were to stay with Bowser long enough, she might be able to make him the same way?
Mario: Well… no.
Randy: And Bowser, did you ever think that if you didn't always kidnap Peach and destroy her kingdom, she might like you back?
Bowser: No. I guess not.
Randy: Honestly! You two are grown men! You should both know that violence is never the answer! But no! You two are too busy trying to wipe each other out to think of a peaceful way to sort things out, and look what happened because of that! I just lost all my brothers and neither of you looks the least bit sorry or even guilty! I'll never forgive either of you! I... I HATE BOTH OF YOU!!!
Randy ran away, almost starting to cry
again. He thought now was the best time to execute his plan. Meanwhile,
Mario and Bowser just looked at each other. They couldn't help but wonder
if he was right.
Chapter 20: Eight Revivals and One Sacrifice
After scolding Mario and Bowser, Randy went back to the castle to put his plan into action. He took out his wand, held it close to his heart, and closed his eyes.
Randy: Magic, divide my life force. Revive my brothers. Send their traits from my soul to theirs: Ludwig's intelligence, Lemmy's balance, Roy's strength, Iggy's magic, Junior's determination, Morton's speech, Larry's stealth, and Bowser Junior's loyalty.
Suddenly Randy started to glow. Eight beams of light shot from his body into his brothers. They were engulfed by the light. Then the glow faded and the beams disappeared. For a few seconds, nothing happened. But then the Koopalings started to move and pick themselves up.
Roy: We're... alive?
Larry: But how?
They saw Randy with his wand.
Junior: Randy, did you bring us back?
Randy: Yup.
Ludwig: How did you do it?
Randy: Do you remember when you said I have one trait that each one of you has?
Ludwig: Yes.
Randy: Well, I used my wand to split my soul into 8 parts, and made each part contain a trait. Then I sent one part to each of you, depending on the trait, and brought you back.
Iggy: Wow. You really care about us.
Randy: Give me one reason why I wouldn't. You're my brothers. Good or evil, there isn't anything I wouldn't do for you.
BJ walked over to Randy and gave him a big hug. Randy smiled and returned the hug.
BJ: You're the best brother ever.
Randy: Tell me something I don't know. We should leave before another part of the castle comes down.
They walked back to Bowser and the Mario Gang, Lemmy stumbling every few steps. (He lost his ball in the debris.) Everyone was shocked to see them.
Bowser: Boys! You're alive!
Mario: How is this possible?
Morton: Randy used his magic to restore, revive, repair, replenish, revitalize, refurbish, revamp, renew, refresh, restart, regenerate, rejuvenate, resuscitate, revivify, reinstate us.
Bowser: How did you do it?
Randy: I-
Out of nowhere, there was a flash. Randy's eyes went wide as he dropped his wand and collapsed to the ground. The faded image of a Koopa reappeared on him. No one could figure out what was happening or why. Even after the image faded away, everyone was still worried because he wouldn't get up.
Lemmy: Randy, what's wrong?
Randy: I don't know. I feel... like I'm getting weaker.
Ludwig: I think I know what's happening. I'm not sure you all want to know, though.
Mario: Of course we want to know! We HAVE to know before we can help!
Ludwig: I'm sorry, but this can't be helped.
Bowser: Why? What's wrong with him?
Ludwig: He said he divided his soul into 8 parts and sent one part to each of us. But by doing so, he didn't leave a part for himself. When a body is drained of its soul completely, it...
Luigi: It what?
A tear formed in Ludwig's eye.
Ludwig: It... dies.
Everyone except Ludwig and Randy: WHAT?!
Randy: I had a feeling this would happen.
Bowser bent down and picked up his son. He turned him over onto his back.
Bowser: Randy...
Randy looked up at his father with half-open eyes.
Randy: Hi, King Dad.
Bowser: Why did you do it?
Randy: Because... I didn't want my brothers to go. They didn't deserve to.
Randy's breathing was becoming heavy. Bowser could see he was struggling to breathe.
Randy: Dad, Mario... I'm sorry about what I said before. I don't hate you guys.
Bowser: You don't?
Randy: Of course not. Mario, you and your friends are the best friends I've ever had.
Yoshi: You're our best friend too.
Randy turned towards the Koopalings.
Randy: And you guys are the best brothers a boy could ask for.
Larry: We feel the same way about you.
Randy turned back towards his father.
Randy: And how could I hate the greatest dad ever?
Bowser was too shocked to respond at that moment. He put his hand on Randy's heart. He could feel its beating slowing down. Randy put his hand over his father's.
Bowser: Randy, you can't do this. I just got you back. I can't lose you again!
Randy: I know, Dad... and I wish... it didn't have to be like this.
He flashed his father a small grin.
Randy: But I'm just glad... I got to see you again. Even if I... didn't remember you at first... I really missed you.
Bowser: I missed you too. These last 8 years have been the longest of my life. When you disappeared, I continued looking for you for 5 years. By then, I had searched every area I knew existed and I started to give up hope of ever seeing you again. But yesterday, when I finally found you, I felt a greater feeling of happiness than ever before. That's why you can't die, Randy! I can't bear to feel that hopelessness again!
Randy: I don't want to go... but you heard Ludwig. I can't live without my soul. And besides... you went almost 8 years without me. I'm sure... this time won't be different.
Bowser: No, it will be. Last time was temporary, but if you leave like this, it’ll be forever!
Bowser could no longer feel the beating of his son's heart. It had simply become too weak. Randy could feel the last of his life force being drained. He began to shut his eyes, slow his breathing, and lose the strength he needed to hold his father's hand.
Randy: Dad... I don't... have much time... left...
Bowser: There must be SOMETHING I can do! You have to stay with me! Please, Randy! You're my son! I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to you again!
Randy: Bye Dad... I...... love............ you...
Before Bowser could say or do anything else, Randy shut his eyes and exhaled one final breath. His hand slowly slid off Bowser’s and fell to his side.
Bowser couldn't believe what he just witnessed. His reunited son now lay lifeless in his arms. The Mario Gang were crying, as were the Koopalings. And, for the first time in his life, tears fell from Bowser's eyes. Many of them landed on his son's body. He held Randy close to his heart, feeling as if it was going to shatter into pieces.
Head back
to an alternate ending to Chapter 18.
To Be Continued...
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