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Chapter Text

Disclaimer: All assets of the Mario Movie belong to Nintendo and Illumination.

The Super Mario Movie Redux

Chapter 1: Invasion

Bowser's Castle

Bowser played the piano as he was working on a new song, one that he was gonna use to confess his love for Peach, one who wasn't the easiest to swoon over. Bowser always had an obsession with her ever since he first laid eyes on her; it was the whole embodiment of the 'love at first sight' cliché, but the Koopa didn't care. Bowser knew what he wanted in his love life, and Peach exemplified all of that: her physique, her beauty, her charm, and tough personality. In his image, she was a reflection of him, and it was all he could ever hope for.

He had spent many hours in his room, messing with many chords and lyrics to get the best of both worlds to appease her heart, but he was so picky about very specific things like how long a verse should be or the right chord the song should be played in because he was a Koopa of many different talents and trades, something he hoped Peach would be drawn to.

But this back-and-forth had been going on for many years. No matter how many tries or how much he changed up his scheme, she always said no. He hated that word, especially when it was uttered from her mouth. That pushed him to resort to different means, which was why he was after the fabled Super Star. The Super Star was known as one of the rarest artifacts in the Mushroom World, which was why for the past few months, he sent scouts to try and find the Super Star as he planned to destroy the Mushroom Kingdom should Peach not give in to his demands. Well, they weren't demands in his eyes, but he would have to phrase it that way to induce fear in her, especially since he learned how much she cared for her kingdom. That was one trump card he had up his sleeve.

He hummed to himself when there was a knock on the door. "I'm busy," he growled. "Can't you read the sign? It says, 'do not disturb', so do what it says and leave me alone!" There was another knock. Bowser got up and grumbled. "For crying out loud!" He opened the door. "Can't you-" He paused as Kamek, his advisor, bowed to him.

"Forgive my intrusion," the Magikoopa said. "But there's something I must speak with you urgently about."

"It can wait until my jam session is over! Leave at-"

"We have found the Super Star." Bowser paused. They have? He smiled. Finally, after all this time, the search has come to an end.

"Explain."

"The Koopa General has returned from his reconnaissance and he stated that the Super Star is located in the Snow Kingdom due east from here. That's where it's hidden."

"Bring him to me."

"Sire?"

"I want to hear it from the Koopa's mouth. My plan rests on being certain that's where it is. We need to be certain, or else my bargain will fail. Bring him to me at once."

"As you wish, Your Brashness." As Kamek left, Bowser felt a tinge of relief. While it was nice to hear some sort of good news in a while, it still didn't make him comfortable until he was certain of its location. He did trust the Koopa General. He was made general for a reason because of his reliance on getting his tasks done quickly and accurately, even if the end of his actions that revolved around Peach ended the same with her escape, but that was beside the point. He still trusted him regardless, but absolute certainty was a must for his plan to go off without a hitch.

A couple minutes later, Kamek and the blue shelled Koopa General entered the room. "Lord Bowser," the Koopa General said, bowing, "You requested my presence?"

"Indeed. Report to me your findings. Were you able to locate the Super Star?"

"Yes. I scoured the Snow Kingdom for days and saw where the location of the Super Star is. It's located in the deepest parts of the citadel, but it's hidden in a Question Block away from prying eyes. But knowing you, Sire, getting it shall be a cinch."

Bowser chuckled. "Of course it will be. We all know that ice is weak to fire. Getting it will be a piece of cake, not that Peach has ever made me some, but that's about to change. Get the troops ready. It's time we visit the Ice Kingdom and get my prize."

"Yes, my lord. For the Darklands." He saluted and left.

"Always so loyal," Kamek said. "No wonder you made him general. As for me, I shall make preparations myself." He teleported out of the room.

"Yes." Bowser turned to the Peach photograph that sat on the piano. "My sweet Peach, you have just become one step closer towards being mine."

The Snow Kingdom was a peaceful kingdom. The Snow Kingdom spanned for thousands of miles, covering the land with the titular snow and ice with the regular snowstorms and blizzards. The residents of the Snow Kingdom, the Penguins, lived isolated from the rest of the world and rarely had any tourists due to the blizzards, but they still made life work for them. But because of that, that meant that they would be vulnerable to any invasions, and Bowser's Castle made that easy because of its ability to float, which was an idea Bowser took pride in as he stared at the chilling blizzard from his throne, though he wasn't cold, or at least he wouldn't tell his minions that even though he was quivering a bit on the inside of his shell, but who needed to know that? There was no need to answer that rhetorical question. "Sire." Kamek walked to him. "We're approaching the citadel now."

"Good. Soldiers! Lower the chain balls! We're disembarking at once!"

As the castle grew closer to the citadel, the chain balls were launched into the ground as the castle was lowered into the ground, crushing any buildings that stood beneath it as they crumbled into rubble. The gate lowered as the soldiers marched out one-by-one, lining in rows, as Kamek teleported to the front. "Behold the King of the Koopas!" He slapped his wand on the ground, the soldiers saluting as Bowser walked through the aisles until he stopped in front of his army.

"Open the gates!" he yelled. The doors of the citadel opened as the Penguins glanced at them with menacing looks with the Penguin King's gaze averting to Bowser's, but he wasn't afraid. Considering none of them had any weapons on them, there wasn't going to be much effort to win after all, just as he expected.

"Lord Bowser," the Penguin King said. "What brings your presence here?"

"Like that's any of your business."

"But it is. You've come here for an important reason, and it's my job to find out what that exact reason is, so you will tell me what it is or else you will face our fury." He snapped his fingers, the Penguins readying themselves with snowballs, which made the Koopa King snicker before bursting out loud in laughter.

"Your fury?! You plan on unleashing your fury with snowballs?! Give me a break!" He collapsed to the floor, rolling as he unleashed his laughter onto the penguins. "Oh, I'm so scared of being pelted with snowballs! I'm so trembling with fear!" The laughter continued for a few more minutes before he stood up. "Give me a break! You have no idea what true fury looks like! Look at my army! At my signal, I'm ready to order them to decimate you all with one word! How can you match our might?! That is the true definition of fury!"

The Penguin King sighed. "You may be right. We might not have the ferociousness that you have, but that will not stop us from defending our land. I know how you are, Bowser. You don't just come here on a whim. Even though we're isolated here, I've still heard all the atrocities that you've committed towards a potential relationship with Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom. You can conquer the Mushroom Kingdom with the army you have now. As you said before, you have the fury to get the job done. But knowing all that and the fact that you've chosen to come here tells me one specific thing: you're after the Super Star, aren't you? You crave power, and the Super Star would give you just that. But we aren't going to surrender power that isn't yours. The Super Star has kept the Snow Kingdom protected for hundreds of years, and you have no right to take what's not yours! Attack!"

The Penguins charged at them, throwing their snowballs at them, knocking some soldiers down, but Bowser rolled his eyes. "Minions." He narrowed his eyes. "Take them down!" They yelled as hundreds of minions charged past him, attacking the Penguins with their weapons as they screamed, running away in fright.

"No!" He glanced at the Penguin King. "You can have the Super Star, just don't hurt my people! I beg you!"

"You should've done that a long time ago. Now look at you, groveling at my feet for mercy. Pathetic!" He kicked him as the penguin flew into the snow. Bowser grabbed him by the scuff. "Listen very closely," he growled. "I don't care how many have to die. I will accomplish my mission with Peach, and nothing will stop me, including pathetic beings like you." He threw him aside as he landed into his people, knocking them down.

"All troops are acquired, Sire."

He smirked as he turned to Kamek, who pointed at all the Penguins collapsed together as Koopa Troopas pointed their spears at them, threatening to hurt them lest they move a muscle. "Excellent work, Kamek." He glanced at the citadel. "Time set this place ablaze!" He unleashed his ferocious fire onto the building, the citadel crumbling as it collapsed into the ground with a humongous crash that sent snow everywhere, a sight Bowser had longed to behold. As the snow cleared, Bowser stared in awe at the Question Block that stood in front of him. There it was, his prized possession just a few meters away from him. Now, time to claim it. He climbed to it as Kamek floated one brick after another to his feet, creating a stairwell that led to it. As Bowser came close to it, he punched it with all his might, the block cracking until it exploded, but he was unfazed by the explosion as the Super Star hovered in front of him, glowing brightly against the dark, gray, and cloudy sky. "Finally, I found it. Now nothing's gonna stop me!"

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: All assets of the Mario Movie belong to Nintendo and Illumination.

Chapter Two: Resignation

A Couple Years Ago

"Alright, that's a wrap for today, ladies and gents! Time to head home!" Mario sighed as he wiped the sweat off his forehead as he placed the wrench down. He glanced at the sky as the sun was still high in the sky, which was typical during the hottest days of the year when the shifts ended at 3pm. Brooklyn was a very busy city, and the company Mario and his brother Luigi worked always kept them busy with a new construction project happening every other day. That was how busy every day was, with something new happening to keep them on their toes. Plus, it paid well, but if there was one aspect Mario hated, it was his boss.

Foreman Spike was one of the most notorious and infamous bosses throughout Brooklyn. He ran one of the most successful construction companies in the world, but it was how he treated his employees that the name of the company exemplified the situation where he would wreck his crew through and through, pun totally intended. There were many incidents over the years where any incidents that involved Spike often led to numerous layoffs of employees either being fired for wrongdoings or quitting. Some even tried to sue him for his misdeeds, but Spike was a rich man, and as such, he knew the loopholes of the legal system and would often hire lawyers to get him out of sticky situations, and 100% of the time, he walked out a free man, mostly due to the success of his company. Because he got a lot done, he became well known as one of the most successful businessmen alive, and Mario hated him for it.

Foreman Spike was one known for favoritism, often adorning employees he loved with extra perks and rewards and would do things like dock people's wages for people he despised. That was a common thing that happened to Mario and Luigi, especially if Spike was bullying Luigi, and if Mario was forced to step in. Mario didn't get why. Why was this man like this? That man could be described with so many words, but what Mario wanted to do was to open his own plumbing business. Plumbing was always a favorite trade of his, plus plumbers made more money than construction workers, so what he had to do was to bite his tongue and get through one day at a time. He sighed. Too bad going to school wasn't an option. "Mario, get your brother. You two stay behind. We need to talk. My office. Now." The bearded man walked away. Mario rolled his eyes but grabbed his stuff before finding Luigi. Either way, this wasn't gonna turn out good in the end.

Mario and Luigi sat in silent anticipation for Foreman Spike's arrival. His office was the standard with the only thing standing out were the blue walls that were filled to the brim with hundreds of photos of the man doing many different poses. It was like he took these in hopes of impressing a girl, not that Mario was calling him single because Spike had called himself married numerous times, but that was besides the point. "Mario." He glanced at Luigi. "What did we do wrong?! We did nothing wrong! I just wanna go home!"

"Don't give me that bullcrap." Spike walked inside with a cigarette in his mouth and a stack of papers. "We all know something goes wrong every other day, and the other consistent factor is that it always revolves around you two. Why should you be surprised? You've worked for me for five good years. You should know what happens when we have meetings like this."

"But we didn't do anything wrong! Tell him, Mario! Please, sir! Just let us go-"

"Be quiet!" He slammed his hand on his desk, quickly quieting Luigi as he cowered in his chair. "You didn't even let me finish, so zip your lip!" He cleared his throat. "Anyway, real talk, I've called y'all here because this week is Performance Week. I talk with each employee, evaluate their performance, ya da, ya da, ya da. Based on the report, rewards or consequences will be dealt with. And boy, you two are in for it big time. Based on the report I got here, y'all be getting an F-. Not surprising there." Mario's muscles tensed. Whenever they had a performance evaluation, Mario just assumed that anything Spike said was just made-up schtick, some nonsense things that they didn't do instead of what they've actually done for the company. Such was the life of working at a job where the boss's word was law, and there was nothing that Mario could do to refute it should he face the consequences. "According to eye testimonies and things I've witnessed myself, y'all have been doing things like taking excessive breaks during normal hours, abusing company equipment, and being late on multiple accounts." He shook his head. "I'm not surprised. You've worked for me for many years. Y'all should know better."

"But those are wrong!" Luigi stood up. "Please, Spike! We do our job properly! Those are made up by you and anyone who hates us!"

"Or really?" Spike towered over Luigi as he glared daggers at him. "You really think so? I have your coworkers' testimonies and reports regarding the issues! I have proof! Where's yours?! Or right! You don't have any, so shut your damn trap!" He shoved him in the seat and sighed. "You're not getting paid this week. One more kind of these reports and I'll have no choice but to fire y'all if you don't get your act together. Final warning. Y'all may leave." Mario didn't move a muscle. "I said 'y'all may leave'. If you ain't dumb, that means you get the hell out of my office. Like now."

"No," the red man growled. He never found Spike to be intimidating. Sure, he had the power to make his life a living hellscape if he wanted to, but Mario had stayed silent for far too long. He thought that speaking up would make things worse, but so did the opposite because he had to watch Luigi get bullied for his cowardliness over and over until Mario was forced to step in and stepping in proved to be just as consequential as staying quiet. Mario had been putting up with his crap for the past five years all for the sake of gaining experience so he could open his own plumbing company, granted he would have to get certified, get a license and insurance, and all the other headache stuff that went to owning a plumbing business, but he would cross those bridges when he would, but with the abuse getting worse everyday, that would have to start sooner than later with what he was about to do.

"What?" Spike hissed. "What did you say?"

"Oh, you heard me. Don't feign ignorance like how you've been doing that to us ever since we started working here."

"Mario," Luigi said in a soft voice, "It's OK. Whatever punishment Spike gives me, I can take it."

"And let him trample all over you like everyone else has?! How can you be happy with that?!"

"I just hate conflict. Please, just drop it!"

"No!" Mario turned to Spike. "I've had it with everything you and your dumb crew have done to us! We've done nothing but our jobs and you've treated us like trash! I'm done with it all!"

"And what are you gonna do about it? You know you won't get far without this job. You need it, otherwise there's no way you're gonna survive this world. Everyone's gonna eat you alive for dinner. So, tell me, Mario. How can you hope to avoid that?"

"Two words: we quit." Luigi gasped in shock.

"You're gonna quit? That's how you expect to fix your problems?!" Spike collapsed to the floor in laughter. "Give me a freaking break! You plan on running away?! That's hilarious!"

Mario grabbed him by the scruff. "Listen well. We're done with this piece of crap. We're never coming back, and I hope to see this place burn. I'm gonna open my own plumbing company, and there's nothing you can do to stop us." He threw the man at his desk. He crashed into it, knocking papers and furniture everywhere. "Come on, Luigi. Let's get out of here. We don't need him." He walked out without glancing at Spike with Luigi trailing behind as the door slammed behind him. He was gonna prove everyone wrong.

"Wait!" Mario continued to trudge forward as Luigi ran to catch him. "Mario, wait!"

Mario turned to him. "What?"

"How could you do that?! How could you make that kind of decision without my say-so?!"

"Oh, believe me, you did give your say-so. You said it was OK to be bullied all for the sake of avoiding conflict. You wanted to be tormented for the rest of your life because of your cowardliness! If it wasn't for me, what would you do? Huh?! I've had to stand up to bullies like Spike ever since our childhoods, and I wasn't going to stand it for one more second! So, yes! I was the one who made that split-second decision, but I don't regret it for one minute because we got away from that fat bastard! We should've quit a long time ago! It was gonna happen eventually, and I'm glad that I did."

"But don't my own feelings matter?!"

Mario scoffed. "Of course. Why do you think I've cared for you and stood up to others for your sake? I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, but I had my own, and having us not getting paid was the straw that broke the camel's back. There's nothing else to it." The two trudged home in silence as they stared at the cars that traveled on the busy and crawling streets.

"What now?" Luigi said. "Mom and Dad are gonna hate us for quitting our job. What are we gonna do now?"

"It's quite simple. We put our dream into reality." He caught Luigi's depressed look. "Oh, come on, man. You remember all the talks we used to have about opening our own business, to not only spread our passion, but to help others in need? You remember that, right?"

"Well, maybe that's not what I want. Maybe I want something else. Truth be told, it was your dream, not mine. You just wanted to drag me along."

Mario shook his head. "No. I did that because I knew I couldn't do it alone, but you are right. It was more my idea than yours, and I shouldn't force you to join me. What is it that you want to do with your life?"

Luigi sighed. "I don't know. I'm at a loss. I just feel so lost right now."

"Then maybe you need to do some soul searching. Take some time to discover yourself."

"But what about your dream?"

Mario sighed. He didn't have a back-up plan because he assumed Luigi was on board, and he was a fool to assume that and not consider his feelings. But there were other ways around this like using work websites like LinkedIn to search for recruits, but he had to get employed first. It was just one step at a time. "Don't you worry about me, bro. I got it all figured out. Let's just go home."

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: All assets of the Mario Movie belong to Nintendo and Illumination.

Chapter 3: Customer

Present Day

Luigi smiled as he watched the accumulation of the past couple of years in a commercial that he and Mario worked hard on, and Luigi was surprised he even went along with it, but in the end, it was his decision, one he didn't regret.

After they left Wrecking Crew, Mario immediately began to search for jobs under an actual plumber, preferably a Master Plumber since they had more experience and a couple weeks later, he managed to snag a job under one as having a certain amount of experience was required to be certified. Meanwhile, Luigi spent many days and nights looking at many professions, but nothing screamed out to him. Sure, there were some professions that were interesting, but nothing truly grabbed his heart. Plus, Mario's offer remained in the back of his mind as some sort of failsafe should he not find a profession of interest. Two weeks after they left Foreman Spike, Luigi had come to a decision as he called Mario to his room.

"Yes, bro?" he said. "You said you made a decision about your career choice?"

"Yes." He sighed. "Truth be told, I had a hard time picking out something, but I decided to accept your offer. I'll help you with your business."

"Are you sure? I don't want you to make a decision just because I said so."

"I know. Though you had influence, this is my decision and mine alone. It was mainly because of you, and maybe a little of all those talks we had when we were little. It may have been a fantasy, but I want to help you succeed because I want to thank you for all you've done for me. So, consider this my thanks."

"If you're sure, then OK. Welcome aboard, bro!" Then the rest became a breeze. Well, not really, but at least Luigi had a clear goal in mind. With that settled then began their steps of turning that dream into reality, starting with Mario basically begging the Master Plumber to let him join them, but beforehand, Luigi did prior research on the field and after a test of said knowledge, Luigi was hired, and so for the next two years, the plumbers worked together to get certified, get business licenses and insurance for the place all so they could own their own business, and something that Luigi wasn't quite used to was the fact that it was his and Mario's business. Mario in his youth was all about how he was gonna run the business, but now him and Luigi were co-owners, staring at the fruits of their labor that was the commercial that they spent hundreds on just to have it aired, but now that the commercial, website, and everything else was set up, all that was left to do was to wait for potential customers then they could truly start working.

As the commercial ended, Mario scratched his chin. "Was the accent a bit much? I'm starting to think it might be."

"It was your idea," Luigi said. "You said to do it in order to stand out from our competitors."

"Yeah, but maybe I was wrong."

"What are you-a talking about?" said a nearby bystander as he momentarily stopped playing his arcade game. "It was-a great! Wahoo!"

"Thanks. I love the enthusiasm." The man gave him a cheeky smile before returning to his game.

"Yeah. That commercial was so well done." Luigi froze as chills flew down his spine. Why was that voice familiar? Well, in the corner stood the one and only Foreman Spike as he sarcastically clapped. "Five stars. Chef's kiss."

"What are you doing here, Spike?" Mario hissed, walking to him.

"What? Can't a man eat his pizza in peace? No need to all hissy. Besides, it's been too long! We gotta catch up! Tell me, how's this business of yours doing? Has it been booming?" The two stayed silent. "Oh, come on. Don't give me the cold shoulder. We're best friends!" He placed his shoulder around Luigi. "Tell him, Green 'Stache! Aren't we friends?"

"We never were. Drop the act!"

Spike dramatically gasped. "Oh, always so dramatic! You hurt my feelings! I think I'm gonna cry."

"Why you little-"

"Shh." He pointed to the numerous people staring at Mario from his sharp rise of his tone of voice. "You wouldn't want to destroy your future customer base, right?" Spike whispered in his ear. "Look at them, all your potential customers, and you're giving yourself a bad image if snapping's how you react to other people's words. Talk about bad first impressions. I wouldn't give yourself a bad demeanor if I were you. In fact, you should say you're sorry. Go on. Do it."

Mario sighed. "I'm sorry."

"That's a good boy." He stood up, finishing up his pizza. "Well, as fun as this was, this man's got business to attend to. See ya around!" He walked out of the pizzeria.

"Mario?"

"I'm fine, Luigi. I got caught up in the moment. That jerk hasn't learned a thing."

"But he's right. These are our potential customers. We can't ruin our image when we haven't got a single customer. How about we wait till-" Before he could finish, his phone buzzed, catching him by surprise with the sudden ringtone. He pulled it out, not recognizing the number, but he couldn't help but wonder. Was this their first customer? Only one way to find out. "Hello. Super Mario Bros. Plumbing, Luigi speaking."

"Yes," the receiver said. "I'm calling because of a drip in my faucet that just won't stop! My poor husband has tried everything, and we desperately need help. Surely you wouldn't mind helping a couple of old geezers, would you?"

"Of course not! We'll be there on the double! All we need is your address and we'll be on our way!"

"Of course. The address is 1529 Long Street. See you chaps then."

"Yeah. See you in five." He hung up and cheered. "We got one!"

"Wait! Really?!"

"Yes, bro! We finally got one!"

"Yes!" They hugged each other. "Our success is finally paying off! We should go right away! Give me the address quickly!" Luigi was a bit surprised by the urgency but gave it to him anyway. The reason why wasn't surprising since Mario did want to make a good first impression that wasn't giving someone ear-piercing words. And so, the two brothers ran out of the pizzeria to the car parked outside. "Alright!" Mario said. "First customer, here we come!" He turned the key to the ignition, but all the engine did was stall. He tried again, yanking the key. "Oh, come on! You worked this morning!"

"Mario, we're gonna be late."

"Don't pester me!" After a few minutes, he gave up as he whacked the steering wheel in frustration. "Dang it! As soon as good luck comes our way, something else must always come along to ruin it!"

"So, what now?"

Mario glanced at the address. "Thankfully, the house isn't too far from here." He got out of the car in a hurry.

"Mario?" Luigi scratched his head.

"Follow me! I know a quick way to get there!"

"Mario, wait up!" He scrambled to grab the tools as he took off after Mario. They ran down the streets of Brooklyn, hopping over any traffic that got in their way as they zigzagged around the city. "Mario, wait up!"

"This way! I know a short-cut!" Luigi sighed as he gazed at a construction site that Mario was leading him. This was the short-cut? "Luigi, quit dawdling! Time's-a ticking!"

"Oh, sorry!" The two ran through the construction zone, with Mario knocking down any obstacles that got in the way as he helped him cross gaps, over bridges, and all over the construction zone as they ignored the protests of the workers. Within minutes, they arrived at the address.

"And with that, we have arrived," Mario chirped, glancing at his phone. "With a few minutes to spare." As he knocked, Luigi glanced at the huge, five-story mansion that stood mighty and high before him.

"Well, you must be the Mario Brothers!" Luigi returned his gaze towards the woman as she shared hugs with him and Luigi. "I'm so glad you're here! Come, come! My husband and I will guide you so you don't get lost." As they walked inside, Luigi was even more astonished by all the ceramic tile and shiny granite the mansion had.

"Wowie-zowie!"

"Amazed by our mansion, huh?" the woman said as she led them upstairs. "Not very surprising. We've owned this mansion for years. My husband often expands upon it every once in a while." As she led them down the hall, Luigi stared at a golden retriever, who darted its eyes as it held a bone in its mouth.

"Hey, cute dog-" It growled at him, causing it to drop its bone as Luigi backed away in fright.

"Pay no attention to Francis," the woman said. "He doesn't like visitors all that much, which is why we don't have people here often, but he's our cute boy, regardless!"

"Luigi!" At the sound of Mario's name, Luigi scrambled to the restroom as he heard a crack sound. He stared at the now-broken bone, and the dog's growl intensified.

"Also, don't worry about his bone. We've got plenty in the pantry. You just head on back, OK, dear?" Luigi nodded at the woman's advice but couldn't help but gaze at the dog once more before running inside the bathroom.

"Bro, what took you so long?" Mario asked in annoyance.

"Kinda got caught up in some hiccups."

"Can't imagine what kind of 'hiccups' you got yourself into, but I found out where the problem was, and I was waiting for you to come considering you have our tools and all. I can handle this one since this is pretty simple to fix. You can have the next one. Wrench, please." As Luigi handed him the tools he needed, he couldn't help but smile. He could see the determination that Mario had despite all the obstacles life threw at them. Mario never caved into said obstacles to give up on his dream, and Luigi wanted to help pay back for all that Mario did for him. Sure, his interest in plumbing wasn't at an all-time high, but Mario did so much for him over much of their childhoods, willing to take any blows and consequences that Luigi couldn't because all he could do was run away, hoping his problems would disappear, but they didn't. They kept coming back over and over, haunting his life forever, but so did Mario. He was Luigi's hero, which was why the green plumber wanted to repay the favor, even if it was small, but he didn't care. Having to ruin his brother's dream because of him was something Luigi wouldn't be able to stand. So, he didn't regret not choosing the career of his life because his brother was his life. What else could he possibly need? "And done." Mario finished tightening the socket and placed the tools in Luigi's bag. "That is our first job well-" There was a slam, causing the brothers to jump in fright. There stood Francis, his mouth turned into a snarl as the dog slowly inched towards the pair.

"Um," Luigi said, "Brother, remember what I said about hiccups earlier?"

"You're referring to the dog."

"Yeah. I kinda broke his bone earlier, and now he's here to kill me. I just know it." The dog leapt at him, causing the plumber to scream as he ran around the room, his arms flailing as Francis rammed into the walls and parts of the furniture as cracks emerged, spewing water from them. As Francis backed him into the bathtub, Mario threw a soap bottle at him, causing Francis to dart his eyes at the plumber. Luigi scratched his head. What was he doing? Mario was strong, but there was no way he could handle a 65 pound dog with menacing claws, but Mario wasn't intimidated as he gestured to the dog, and Francis accepted his challenge as he leapt at him, but the plumber grabbed him by the leg and slammed him into the ground before proceeding to choke-hold him amidst avoiding the dog's menacing jaw and claws as he barked and snarled at him, causing the two to shift around the room.

It wasn't surprising that Mario was using the same techniques he used on dozens of bullies in the past who dared lay a finger on Luigi, but there was a difference between a grown man and a grown dog as Francis had managed to escape Mario's chokehold, something not many humans have done. As he snarled at Luigi once more, he slammed the bathtub door closed, the dog's claws scraping against the glass surface. "Enough!" Mario ran at the dog and picked him up by the tail, twirling his body as he slammed the dog into the wall, and at last, the dog fell unconscious as his limp body fell into the plumber's lap as he heaved in the end, the sweat pouring from his face. Luigi wasn't surprised at the feats of strength considering how many times over the years he used it on his fellow beings, but taking out a huge, menacing dog was a feat of its own. Unfortunately, their victory was left short as cracks emerged from the slam traveling all over the bathroom, spewing water as they destroyed the granite tiles one-by-one. Mario tried stomping them into the ground, but another one shot straight up. "Luigi, help me!" Luigi scrambled out of the bathtub as the two tried to stomp the tiles, but that created more cracks as more parts of the bathroom became destroyed, starting with the mirror and evolving to the shower head falling off before the brothers were forced to evacuate the room as Mario grabbed the unconscious dog before the hallway flooded. The woman and her husband walked up the stairs before staring at them in disbelief. "Ma'am," Mario said, "This isn't-"

"Shut up!" she hissed. She ran inside the room. "What did you do?! And my poor baby!" She held Francis in her arms. "You killed my baby!"

"She's only unconscious, but please let me expl-"

"There's no need." The man walked to them. "I don't care how this started. What matters is you not only hurt our pet but caused major property damage that's gonna take weeks to repair! Do you hear me?! Weeks! I've spent thousands of dollars in taxes to keep our house in tip-top shape, and you ruined everything! Forget about paying you for your services! I'm gonna outright sue you for all the property damage you've done to my home!"

"We'll fix it!" Mario glanced at Luigi. "Sir, I know we did horrible things to your pet and home, but please let us fix this! It's all my fault! I was the one who broke his bone! He got angry and tried to attack me, but my brother was forced to step in or else I would've been killed! On behalf of me and my brother's actions, please! I beg you for your forgiveness! We never wanted any of this to happen! We're just a struggling company barely trying to get our foot in the door, but we can use all our savings to pay for the damages. Right, Mario?"

The red plumber sighed. "Yes. I am so sorry for what happened, Ma'am. We originally had it fixed, but things took a turn for the worse when your dog outright attacked my brother. I had no choice but to step in. Please forgive us."

The two were silent for a few moments. Luigi sighed. Thank goodness Mario went along with it, even if he might've not agreed, but that wasn't a bluff. All the damage done would be required to use all of their savings, all $10,000 worth, and this wasn't a cheap mansion. Thank goodness Mario had a savings account for emergencies, but would the couple believe their word? He could only hope. "To be honest," the man said, "That isn't a surprise. Our poor Francis never got along with anyone, dog or human. He only loved us and hated everyone else, and I suspected because he was being very protective of us. He always had anger issues, and I don't find it surprising that he would try to kill you given those issues. I'm sorry, Mr. Luigi. It's also our fault. You and your brother did what you had to do, and our bathroom is the price for that. I won't sue. We accept your proposal." He held out his hand. "How about we call it even?" Luigi nodded and they shared a handshake.

"We'll get right on it, sir."

"Take your time. Just send the money later. My wife and I will do what we can to remedy the situation. You're both good men for owning up to your faults. That's what I like about you two. Who knows, maybe if there's another problem, maybe Francis won't become a problem, but an acquaintance. That's just wishful thinking for now. You two just go home and don't worry about this for now. I'll call you when we're ready for the money." The two nodded and walked out of the home. Luigi couldn't help but catch Mario's down-gazed look. Luigi didn't say anything and followed his bro in silence.

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: Assets of the Mario Movie belong to Nintendo and Illumination.

Chapter 4: Pipe Dream

Mario kicked a can in frustration as he and Luigi trudged on home after a disastrous first day on the job. He couldn't believe what happened. First was meeting Foreman Spike after many years, who hadn't changed one bit. Why was he still running a business? Well, there was no use answering that question considering how much money the bastard made every year.

Then was their first customer which they screwed up royally. Mario and Luigi had saved up tons of money to open their business, and the moment they got one, things immediately went to hell. He kicked the can into a lamppost, destroying the light. Why couldn't anything go his way for once?! Did life have some sort of plan for him, or did it love to just taunt him at every corner? It was so frustrating how much money, energy, and time he put into growing his business, and it immediately crumbled all because his brother stepped on a dumb bone. A dumb freaking bone! He didn't blame Luigi, of course, but one wouldn't imagine that the dog would act so violently towards one simple act when he had hundreds more hidden somewhere else. But the dog didn't care. His bone was destroyed, so he chose whether Luigi was worth being alive or dead, and considering he chose the latter, Mario had no choice but to step in, just like any other time.

After the incident, the brothers didn't receive another call, most likely because word spread fast and as Mario checked the company website, he didn't find it surprising to see hundreds of negative reviews of people shaming and belittling them for their actions. Now, their company was doomed for failure, and the bros hadn't made a single buck. "It's all my fault," Luigi said. "If I hadn't stepped on that dog's bone, then maybe things would've turned out different. Why did I do that?! Why does everything I do come to ruin?!"

"Bro, stop."

"But it's true, Mario! You've come to save me countless times and are forced to fix my mistakes and inherit my consequences! It happens every dang time, and I'm sick of it! Why must I be the burden time and time again?! Why can't I-"

"I said shut it!" Luigi whimpered. Mario took a deep breath. "I'm not blaming you. We didn't know that was gonna happen, but it did, and now we've dug ourselves a hole we can't get out of. I…" He paused and sniffled. "I don't know what to do anymore."

"Maybe I shouldn't have joined this company. I'm nothing but a pathetic weakling who can't stand up for himself. You've always come to save me, but the truth is that I'm nothing but a burden. Sometimes, I wish I was never born."

"Don't even say that. Do you even hear yourself?"

"But it's-"

"Not true! Sure, I might've saved you a lot in the past, but what choice did I have? Sometimes, the choice is on a situation basis, but just because I save you doesn't lessen your value of life."

"But what is my value in life?! Please, Mario! I don't understand! Please tell me what that is because I don't know!"

Mario sighed. "I don't know, either. Maybe this company of mine was nothing but a fantasy. Maybe I was striving for things outside my reach, but I wanted to do it because that was what my heart desired. I don't know how much damage control I can do. We're lucky we didn't get sued, but all our savings is the price for that. But I will not stop on my dream. If you need to quit and do more soul searching to figure out what your purpose in life is, our friendship won't change that. Right now, I'm tired and I just wanna go home." He didn't say another word after that.

The Mario Bros hung their hats on the wall, chatter echoing from the kitchen as Mario dreaded to face his parents. His family, especially his dad, was another obstacle to his dream. Mario's dad had spent countless days trying to talk the plumber out of it, often saying different things like "You should do something that's more fulfilling in life than fixing pipes. Become a doctor like me." and "What happens if this company fails? Have you thought of that before?" Mario had never been swayed by those thoughts because only he knew what he wanted, and the only one who was supportive of his dream was his mother, so there was a silver lining in this situation, even if it was a slim one.

"Ah!" Mario's mother said, greeting them with a hug, "There are my boys!"

"Ma," Mario said. "Luigi and I are 25. No need to call us boys."

"I meant in a figurative sense. Now, come! You have to tell us all about how your first day went!"

"Did you-a see the news?" Mario's uncle, Arthur, said. "The newspaper said there was a small flood in someone's mansion earlier. I'm willing to bet 1,000 lira it was you two. Come on! Don't be shy! Tell us!"

"Don't-a harass them, Arthur! They had a long day!"

"I don't find that a surprise." Mario's eyes darted at his father as he delicately ate his food. "What? Don't look at me. I'm only stating the truth. Be a good boy and eat your food."

"I knew it!" Mario's mother whacked Arthur. "Hey!"

"Our boys are going through a tough time right now. They need-a encouragement, not harassment." She hugged Mario and Luigi. "I'm so sorry, mi amorini. I know you had a rough day, but let me make it all better with some love from tua madre."

"Just stop!" Mario hissed. "I'm not in the mood to be cooed, so just leave me alone!"

Mario's father shook his head. "I can't say I didn't warn you. We had this conversation many times, and yet you didn't heed to my warnings, figlio. I told you shouldn't have pursued this plumbing dream of yours, and now look at what happened. If you only did what I told you, then we wouldn't be having this conversation, now would we?"

"But it was always about what you wanted rather than what I wanted! Have you ever thought about my feelings?! First, you get on my butt for leaving Wrecking Crew, and now you're on me just because I finally got to pursue my dream?!"

"Son, I've always had your best interest at heart. I understand you're angry, but if you had done what I asked, then you wouldn't be where you are. You may be an adult, but every decision I've made was to benefit you. Nothing else. Please understand, son."

"No," Mario hissed. "No one understands how I feel! You all think I'm a joke! You think you have to baby me because I can't make decisions for myself! Well, you're all wrong! We moved here so we could have a new start and I could have my own life, but you all have done nothing but force your agenda down my throat! Well, I'm done! You don't even know me at all!" He stood up from his chair and stomped out of the room.

He tried to go after him. "Mario? Mario! This conversation isn't done!"

"Yes, it is, Antonio," Mario's mother said. "Leave him alone."

"But, Isabella, I only want what's best for my child! Why can't he understand that?!"

Isabella sighed. "Mario is a full-grown adult who can make decisions of his own. He's 25. Leave it at that." Antonio sighed, not bothering to breach the subject even further.

Mario slammed his door and screamed into his pillow in frustration. His father didn't understand him. Nobody did, and all the support he got was getting cooed from his mother, which was something appropriate for a five-year-old. Why was his father stuck in the past? That was how he was since Mario was little, even when they once lived in Italy before migrating to the United States for better opportunities. Mario had heard many stories of how free the US was, and he craved that same freedom, but his father kept him on a tight leash like a bird trapped in a cage. What was gonna take for him to get away from his parents? Clearly based on what happened earlier, moving away wasn't an option when the bros were running low on money, especially since they had to pay back the couple for the damage. How long was he gonna have to wait? Well, it was clear life had him on a leash for a bit longer, but he needed to get his mind off things, so he booted up his old NES and played Kid Icarus, game system that still worked to this day.

There was a knock on the door. "Leave me alone!"

"It's-a me, Luigi."

Mario sighed. "Come in."

The green plumber opened the door and sat on his bed as Mario silently played his game. "I'm sorry about earlier," he said.

He turned off the game. "It's just that they don't understand how I feel. No one does. I even tried to appease Father with the dumb accent in the commercial just to try to win his approval over, and yet nothing's changed at all. How can you be OK like this?"

"Well, Mario, they've been kinda protective of me because of who I am. I have nothing but a coward persona, so they protect me when they can, just like you. But in your case, you're more capable, so I truly don't know. We just seem to have a lot of bad luck, huh?" Mario nodded, not wanting to say another word about the matter. "How about we watch something together, get our mind off things and just relax?" Mario nodded once more, and Luigi turned on the TV only to be bothered with a breaking news announcement, something that didn't give Mario good vibes.

"We come to you live with a breaking news report whereas a few moments ago, a flood has been discovered on the streets as water covers the entirety of roads, making travel dangerous," said the announcer. "Recent reports claim that the flood started because of a new plumbing company named Super Mario Bros. Plumbing had caused a major accident in someone's home, which caused damage to the sewer system below. Here's what Pauline, the mayor of New York City, had to say."

"Attention, all citizens of Brooklyn," she said. "I understand this is an urgent matter, but our workers and law enforcement are working on the cause and solutions as we speak. Make sure you get to higher ground as the flood is expected to make it to some homes and businesses. We will get the situation resolved as quickly as possible. That is all." Mario shook his head. Of course there had to be more to the situation. Not only have they caused damage to someone's mansion, but now the whole city? And what was worse was the fact the announcer just name-dropped the company for the whole city to know who was to blame.

"I'm sorry, bro."

Mario growled and stood up. He was tired of everyone pushing him and his brother around, saying how dumb and useless they were. Mario thought that the success of the company would speak for itself to tarnish all those who berated him, and Mario wanted to change things. It was time he truly set the record straight and fix his company's reputation. "Luigi, grab our stuff."

"Mario?"

"I think it's time we show the world that we aren't just some pathetic jerks. We need to show the world what we're made of and make every person who ever questioned us have them eat their own words. We're gonna save Brooklyn."

"Wait. You aren't suggesting what I think you're suggesting, right?"

"Do I really need to answer that?"

"But Mario, how can we fix a problem on a much grander scale?! We normally fix clogs in sinks! How are we supposed to handle a problem that affects the whole city?!" Luigi did raise a good point. Searching for the root of the cause was gonna be like finding a needle in a haystack, but he wasn't deterred. He knew the problem lay underneath the city, so all they had to do was start with where the flood started and pinpoint the problem from there. He turned on the TV, studying the news report to pinpoint that location, and within a few minutes, he knew where his target was.

"I now know where to go. Come on, Lu!" He grabbed his stuff he needed and ran out of the room, drowning out Luigi's protests, but he followed Mario regardless. As the two headed towards the door, Antonio glanced at them.

"Mario!"

"Sorry, Dad, but I don't have time to talk. We have a problem to fix."

"What?! At this time of night?!"

"Can't explain. Come on, Luigi!" The green plumber nodded as the two ran down the streets, gazing at the flood that flooded the streets. "It's relatively nearby!" he yelled to Luigi, pointing to the waterspout pouring out of the manhole as the workers tried to plug the hole. "Quick! Give me the crowbar!" Luigi searched through the bag and handed said tool to him. Mario stuck the crowbar under the water, trying to find another manhole and lifted the crowbar with his might when he did, the water draining from the streets. "Now, down we go!" He jumped in. As he emerged at the bottom, a pressure valve was shaking violently as the steam from it caused it to hiss as the steering wheel was about to break. He pointed to the machine as he turned to Luigi. "We need to turn that pressure valve! Right now, there's too much pressure in the pipes and if we don't get the pressure under control, the whole sewer system might blow!"

"But how are we gonna get there?!" The only way across was a lone pipe that connected to the pressure valve.

"Well, there's only one way. Luigi, stay behind as this pipe can't hold us together. I'm gonna try to turn that wheel."

"What?! You’ll die if you do that!"

"That's why I had you come with me," Mario said calmly to his shaken brother. "I needed your help one way or another. If the pipe starts to break, then I need you to catch me when I start to climb up. It's the only way."

The green plumber sighed. "OK. Please don't die on me."

"I won't. That's a promise." He took his hat off as he began to traverse the pipe upside down monkey style as he inched his way towards the wheel as Luigi watched in anticipation. When he got close enough, Mario tried to reach the wheel, but it broke off as he yanked on it, falling into the depths below. The bad luck didn't end there as the pipe started to break as Mario inched closer towards the depths. He scrambled to climb up it as Luigi extended his hand. Mario jumped and nabbed it as the pipe collapsed before crashing below with a clanging sound. Luigi struggled to pull him up, but as Mario went to grab the edge, the two fell towards the black abyss with their screams fading.

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: All assets of the Mario Movie belong to Nintendo and Illumination.

Chapter 5: Isekai

Mario rubbed his eyes as he glanced around. Luigi lay next to him as he groaned. "Oh, man. That hurt!"

"I'd say," Mario said. "Thanks for saving me." Luigi nodded. "Though I have no idea where we are. Deeper into the sewer system, I'd say?" That wasn't too far off from the truth considering the pipe system around them stretched onwards for miles, and Brooklyn was a huge city, so needless to say, they were trapped in a maze of pipes that zigzagged across each other. "Well, our plan failed, and I doubt we solved the flooding. I suggest we start looking for a way back up, like a set of stairs or something. Do you have flashlights?" Luigi nodded and pulled out said objects. "Good. Let's-a go." The two brothers began to search for an exit among the maze-like sewer system, but it was hard to tell how far below they were. It was highly doubtful that people rarely came down here in the first place, but because these pipes exist, that meant that there had to be some sort of exit. It was the only explanation.

After 30 minutes of searching upon every crevice and corner, as it was best to leave no stone unturned, their search started to become fruitless, especially since they had the risk of becoming lost with every second that went by. If only they had a map of some sort. Well, using their phones to pull up one wasn't an option considering there wasn't any reception underground, so their only hope was to find it and hope they didn't become lost.

Two hours after they fell, Mario decided to pause to rethink their strategy. "OK," he said, "Clearly wandering around is getting us nowhere. We've been searching for the past two hours and had no luck. We need to change up our strategy because we've wandered these same halls for hours. The only reason we haven't become lost was because we backtracked to where we fell. I think we need to start narrowing down our search until we find something. I don't care what, as long as we get above ground, then we can let our phones do the rest."

He spent the next couple minutes narrowing down all the possible directions they covered and didn't cover. "I think if we start going south southwest, there's a chance we might discover something, right, Luigi?" There was no response. "Luigi?" Mario glanced around, not finding any sign of the plumber. "Luigi!" This was weird. Luigi was right next to him a couple minutes ago, and now he was suddenly gone? Did he explore more of the pipe maze? That seemed logical, but Luigi would've said something before wandering off. He wouldn't have any incentive not to consider he relied on Mario, who was the brains of this operation. And there was no way of knowing where he went, so Mario started somewhere. He continued to yell out Luigi's name to no avail. But he paused as something peculiar caught his eye. It was some sort of strange, green pipe that stood out from its dark and gray cousins. What was this pipe? It seemed very out of place for a pipe like this to be down here. But that was what caught Mario's attention. The fact that it was out of place was enough to pique someone's interest and Luigi was no different. Maybe he went this way thinking this was a way out? Possibly. He cautiously approached the pipe and low and behold, there was evidence in the wrench that laid on the ground. Mario picked it up, but something swept him off his feet as an unknown force dragged him through the pipe. Mario scurried against the floor as he fought against the force, but it dragged him through as he screamed.

He gazed around his new surroundings. Clouds of many colors filled a never-ending void. The weird part was other currents that were spread out but seemed to lead to other pipes. What was this place? Why was such a place like this near Brooklyn? Well, he had to find Luigi. And sure enough, Luigi was far away from him as he flailed helplessly in the air. "Mario!"

"Luigi, I'm coming!" He moved his arms in a freestyle-like manner as he slowly closed the gap between the two. Luigi held out his arm as Mario closed in on it, and he grabbed it, interlocking them with a tight grip as the two spun through the air.

"M… Mario," Luigi said, quivering, "Where are we?"

"I don't know." He sighed. "Why did you wander off without telling me?! You made me worried sick!"

"I'm sorry! I thought this was an exit because I stumbled upon it earlier, but it looked weird, so I didn't want to mention it, but I wanted to see if it would get us above ground, but it sucked me in the moment I stepped inside the pipe. I'm so sorry, Mario! I always do this! Why do I-"

"Luigi, stop. Berating yourself isn't gonna get us out of this situation." He glanced around at the void. "I had no idea such a place like this existed near Brooklyn. Was it always here?"

"I don't know. There are more pipes, too. Do you think they could take us home?"

"There's no way of knowing where they lead. We shouldn't push our chances. Let's just ride out the current and-" Luigi's hand started to slip from his grasp.

"Mario, I'm slipping!"

"No, you aren't!" He tightened his grip on Luigi's hands. "I'm not gonna let you go! I swear! We're gonna make it through this together!" Even with the tightened grip, that wasn't enough to keep the two together, especially when the centrifugal force started to pull the two apart as they spun faster through the air. Eventually, Mario lost his grip as the two separated towards different directions as the two shouted their names. Within seconds, Luigi was gone from Mario's view. "No! Luigi!" He cursed to himself. Great. Not only did he have no idea where he was and would end up, but Luigi was now by himself. Just great. He didn't like that Luigi was by himself. Mario stuck up to all kinds of people that dared lay a finger on him, but now Mario feared for his life, especially since he would also end up in an unfamiliar land. How was he gonna survive? Well, the current was about to come to an end as all that Mario could pray for was that they somehow ended up in the same place, but that was highly unlikely. He closed his eyes as he went with the flow of the current, hoping for sunshine and rainbows at the end of the tunnel.

Mario groaned as he sat up, his head panging with pain. What happened? The last thing he remembered was that he was flying? It was a bit fuzzy, but he remembered that he was holding onto something. Wait. He gasped. Luigi?! Where was he? They got separated, but he couldn't remember where he went. "Hello? Luigi? Where are you?!" He checked his phone and tried calling him to no avail due to no reception service. He growled. OK. Then the next best thing was to determine where he was. He was surrounded by a lush, green plains area with huge mushrooms that sprouted as tall as trees. Wait, mushrooms? The very sight of them made him want to barf, and he hated mushrooms. It was also a very populated area with all kinds of creatures roaming the place. So, he knew what this place was but he didn't have a name for it. He began glancing around as he casually threw Luigi's name out there. He might not be here, but there was no shame in trying. He glanced at an odd blue and white mushroom. He scratched his head as he cautiously approached it.

"Luigi?"

"Don't touch that mushroom! You'll die!" Mario jumped back at the sound of a high pitched, squeaky voice. He glanced at the creature that stood in front of him as it collapsed on the ground, bursting from laughter. "Oh my gosh! I can't believe you fell for it!" As it continued laughing, Mario got a closer look at said creature. It looked to be a cross between some sort of fungi and a man with its red and white spots on top as it hoisted a backpack on its back. A mushroom man, perhaps? The mushroom man stood up. "Sorry. Thanks for the good laugh." It chuckled. "Such a good prank." It glanced at Mario, who was still flabbergasted as he didn't speak, even though it did. "What? Goomba caught your tongue? You can speak, can't you?" It shrugged. "Oh well. It was fun while it lasted. Well, I'm out of here."

"Wait!" Mario decided to speak up then because the best thing he needed to do was to get intel. If he could narrow down the places of where Luigi could be, then maybe the search could become much easier, meaning he had to rely on a native for that information, despite its, or his based on the voice, goofish personality.

"And he speaks!" the mushroom man said. "And here I thought you were deaf."

"I'm not deaf. I need to know where I am. Can you tell me? Is it near Brooklyn?"

He scoffed. "You really don't know? This is the Mushroom Kingdom, the most famous kingdom in the whole entire world! Also, I've done much research on this world, and I never heard of this 'Brooklyn'. I have no idea where that is." Mario sighed. That was his worst fear confirmed. He truly was in a new world. And the worst part was he didn't know if Luigi was also in this world or if he ended up in an entirely different one. Hopefully the former was true. He shook his head. Luigi was the one known to berate himself, but this time it was Mario's fault. It was all because he had something to prove which ended up in their situation. Granted, they wouldn't know about a whole new world underneath the sewers of Brooklyn, but still. Well, Mario had to keep those negative thoughts at bay. Luigi could be here, and even though that was a big if, he had to hold onto it. "Wait!" the mushroom man said. "I figured it out!"

"Figured out what?"

"You're not from here, aren't you?"

Mario snorted. This guy wasn't the best at putting together context clues, was he? "Of course not."

"I knew it! Well, since you aren't from here, then maybe I can give you a tour of the Mushroom Kingdom so that you can be-"

"Look, mushroom man. No offense, but I don't have time for a tour. I have more important things to worry about."

"Sorry. How about we start over?" The mushroom man held out his hand. "I'm Toad."

Mario shook his hand hesitantly. "Mario."

"Ah," Toad said. "'Mario.' Kinda rolls off the tongue." He said his name a few times with emphasis of rolling the r of his name to which the plumber responded with a roll of his eyes.

"Can we focus, please?"

"Right, sorry. So, you said you aren't from here? How did you even get here?"

"Well, my brother and I tried to fix a flooding problem by going underneath the city, but we didn't exactly fix the problem and we ended up further below the sewers. My brother then stumbled across a strange pipe and went through it. I followed him, but we got separated. That's the gist of it."

Toad pondered for a few moments. "Interesting. Was it like that pipe over there?" He pointed to a pipe that stuck out of the side of a cliff. Mario glanced at it and gasped. It was the same green pipe he came out of.

"Yes! That's it!"

"I understand now. You fell into a Warp Pipe. Those suckers are quite quirky in how they work. You start at one end and end up somewhere else entirely. I still have no idea how they work." Well, considering that Mario came out of that pipe, it wasn't too much of a conjecture to assume it could take him home. But that still didn't help with finding Luigi even with that information.

"That's cool and all, but that's not what I'm worried about."

"You said you mentioned a brother?" Mario nodded. He wasn't totally clueless after all. "Did you see where he ended up?"

"No. I have no idea where he is. I don't even know if he's in this world. That's why I need help. I need to find him asap."

Toad nodded. "Then it's settled. I'm gonna take you to see the princess. She knows the lay of the land for this place. She can help you out. Come on, Mario! Follow me!" Mario smirked as he followed the adventurous organism. If this princess was able to help him, then that would bring him one step closer to Luigi.

Elsewhere

Luigi groaned as he sat up. "Ugh. I feel like I'm trying to get over a hangover. Where am I?" He glanced around at his surroundings. Black, gnarly trees covered the dense, foggy area as the moon glowed high in the sky against the dark and foreboding night sky. "Hello? Mario?" He squinted but was barely able to see anything. "Gosh. Where the heck is my flashlight?" He glanced at his bag and sighed with relief. It didn't fall out, otherwise, navigating this place would be a nightmare. Heck, who was he kidding? This whole place was a nightmare. He wandered the area. "Golly day. Where the-" He almost fell into the lava as he darted to the other side as he jumped from a sinking rock. "Great. Just great. I don't know where I am, and this place looks like a haunted mansion. Mario! Where are you?!" All his ears heard was the echo of his own voice. He growled. Where was he? Where was even here? Oh, how he wished he had the answer to all those questions, but he didn't, and he hated the foreboding atmosphere of this place as he scurried, trying to find some type of new scenery. After a couple minutes of wandering, the plumber's mind grew into desperation as he started to pant. "Mario! Where are you?!" His light started to flicker in and out. He shook it violently as he tried to turn it on, but as the light returned, something moving caught the corner of his eye. He glanced around the forest, trying to find the figure until he heard bones creaking. He turned around to see some sort of skeleton staring into his soul. Its eyes sprang to life as it charged maliciously at the plumber with its arms sprung out. He screamed and ran away, other skeletons rising from the ground as they ran en masse at Luigi. Luigi glanced around as he ran. Shelter. He needed some shelter, and fast with the skeletons catching up to him. Where was some? He sighed with relief when a castle came into view. There! He veered his body towards said castle, jumping over lava rocks as the skeletons closed in on him. He ran through the door and slammed it shut as the skeletons banged on it with loud rams as thunder cracked the night sky. Luigi backed away from the door, assessing the situation before taking a breather. "Thank goodness." He chuckled. "Take that, skeletons!"

"Who are you?" Luigi froze in fear as he slowly turned around, staring at mask-like creatures as they stared ominously at him even though the plumber couldn't see their eyes. He screamed and backed up as they walked to him. "Who are you?" one asked. "Answer me!"

"L-Look," Luigi said. "T-This is all a b-big understanding. I understand that I'm on your territory, but let's p-pretend I wasn't here, yeah? That sounds good? It d-does to me, so I'm-"

"Not going anywhere!" shouted a new voice. Something flew into Luigi as he crashed into the wall. Luigi stared at a blue shelled turtle creature as he hoisted him by the neck, causing him to choke. "Who are you? Are you a spy for Princess Peach?"

"Who?"

"Don't feign ignorance with me! Answer my question!"

"I don't know who you're talking about! I just stumbled upon this place, and I don't know where I am! That's all! I swear!"

"Unlikely story." He glanced at the mask creatures. "Explain."

"We found him wandering in here. He was huffing when he did. We were about to apprehend him when you showed up."

"Of course," the turtle muttered. He squeezed Luigi's neck. "Listen here. I don't know who you are, but you're encroaching on Darkland territory. There will be consequences for your trespassing. We'll let Lord Bowser decide what to do about you. Shy Guys, tie him up." He threw him across the ground.

As the now-named Shy Guys tied rope around his back, Luigi glanced at the turtle. "Please, sir-"

"You will address me by my proper name when you speak to me!" he hissed. "It's the Koopa General to you! Get that through your dumb skull!"

"But I just wanna find my brother and go home! Please!"

The Koopa General huffed. "Home? Give me a break. If I don't deal with this situation, it's off with my head. You're here for a reason, and we will get to the bottom of it. Get moving."

Luigi sighed as he was shoved. Mario. Where are you?

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: All assets of the Mario Movie belong to Nintendo and Illumination.

Chapter 6: Hero

"So, tell me a bit more about where you're from," Toad said as he skipped along the path he and Mario were walking on, the items of his backpack clanging against each other, but Mario was pretty quick to draw out the noise. Over the past thirty minutes, the two began their way towards the princess, and as they walked, Toad went into a ramble upon where Mario was as he gave more information on the Mushroom Kingdom. He told the plumber all about the history of the monarchy to the fact that they were at war with another kingdom called the Darklands. Apparently, some turtle named Bowser was tormenting the kingdom all for the love of the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom. This war had been going on for over a decade, but based on the details Toad said, Mario already got a good idea of who the princess was: some fearless warrior who fought for her people. He could see why some overgrown turtle would have some interest in someone with that personality. That also listed a place of interest for the plumber for Luigi's location. Toad also rambled upon other countries like a bean and waffle kingdoms, which were named after and based on their respective foods, and that was a mind-boggling thought. Who would've guessed such a thing could exist in this world? This world sounded a lot more exciting to Mario than he ever thought. He definitely would have to take a tour with Luigi once he rescued him. "Come on, Mario! I told you all about the Mushroom Kingdom. You have to tell me more about this Brooklyn! I need to know!"

"You're enthusiastically enthralled for a guy I met moments ago."

"Well, that's because you're different from the norm! Being in the Mushroom Kingdom all the time is boring and I've never been to the other kingdoms I talked about. It's only fair!"

Mario chuckled. "OK, OK! I'll tell you where I am, but don't be too excited because it's not as unique as this world is."

"I'll be the judge of that. Lay it on me, brother." And so Mario did, describing everything there was to know about where he lived from the city he grew up in all the way to the Earth and Solar System. As he explained more of his world, he could see the growing look of amazement and bewilderment on Toad's face that said it all about his reaction.

"And that's the gist of where I'm from," he said.

"So, let me get this straight. You actually moved to this Brooklyn from an entirely different country? What is it called? Itlay?"

"Italy."

"And you speak an entire new language?!"

Mario raised an eyebrow. "And you don't have separate languages?"

"Not really. We mainly speak what you speak. Please! I have to hear some of your second language!" Mario chuckled. Normally he would stick with the language he grew up with and didn't use a whole lot of Italian these days, but he could make exceptions with his adventurous friend.

"Ciao! Mi chiamo Mario. Piacere di conoscerti! That means 'Hello! My name is Mario. Nice to meet you!'"

Toad gasped. "Woah! That's so cool! So, what was it like growing up in this Italy?"

Mario sighed. "To be honest, growing up there wasn't the best. My family had a tough time just trying to get by. My mother had to be a stay-at-home mom for the two of us and my father struggled to find a good, steady job, and back then, Italy was switching to a new currency, so the lira we had slowly became useless. My family decided to move to the United States for new and better opportunities. I often heard how free the US was and the limitless number of opportunities there were. But after moving, my father dictated my every choice like what I could and couldn't eat, wear, or even do. After he became a doctor, he created a whole life plan that dictated things like my career, where to go to college, etc. He dictated so much of my life so I wouldn't have to go through what he did, but I had my own interests, as well, and yet every time I told them to him, he always turned a blind eye. Always." He scoffed.

"But it sounds like he truly does want what's best for you."

"There's a difference between wishing for the best and forcing your agenda on someone else. Which was why I wanted to prove him wrong, prove everyone who ever doubted me that I can make it through this world without facing the same issues Dad did. He's just stuck in the past."

"OK, so let's change the topic. I'm kinda curious about your brother."

Mario smiled. "My brother is the best anyone could ever ask for. Luigi's sweet, kind, always puts himself before others, but…" He paused as the tears came. "There are times when he's just clueless on common sense things. He doesn't know how to stand up for himself, and I have to do that for him. I'm just so afraid that he's gonna do something he's gonna regret, and I might not be there to save him! Like what if he's in the Darklands and the enemy gets a hold of him?! What then?! I can't lose him!"

"And you won't." Toad sighed. "To be honest, I have no idea what having siblings feel like. I grew up a lone child with my parents always wanting to cherish me like I was their baby because I am, but I just wanted more with my life. I always had a craving for adventure, and my imagination became my best friend. I often created many different adventures and had vivid dreams in my head. Now hearing your story, now I wonder how much my life would've been changed if I had a sibling. But I wouldn't change a thing about who I am, even if I'm a bit cray cray. My point is we're gonna save him. We have a plan. All we need to do is keep going, so enough with the crying. Let's keep moving forward!" Mario smiled. He needed to hear those words. He needed some kind of reassurance, and having it come from someone he met not too long ago showed he could trust him. Some might've probably misjudged him and didn't see his more serious side, but Toad truly had a caring heart, even if he showed it through different means because that was one of his more hidden but strong suits the organism yielded. "Look! There's Toad Town, which means we're closer than ever before! We just need to reach that hill and we're golden!"

Toad had told Mario a little bit about this Toad Town, and his description gave the plumber vibes of Brooklyn, and he wasn't lying. It was huge, sprawling with many houses that were shaped akin to the Toads' heads as they stretched for miles. The titular organisms of the town were everywhere in many different colors than Toad's red color as they intermingled with each other. Needless to say, it was like Brooklyn except not as modernized.

"Well, Mario? Impressed? Is it just like your Brooklyn?"

"I'd say," the plumber said. "It's huge!"

"Yep. Toad Town is one of the most populous cities in the Mushroom Kingdom, and it's where the princess lives, though not many people are granted access into her castle. Only ones with royal summons or invitations can enter, but don't worry pal. I've got a secret trick up my sleeve."

"Oh? What would that be?"

"I'm one of the most notorious pranksters around. I've made quite a name for myself. I can easily distract the guards while you go see the princess."

"And you're sure she won't throw me in prison for unlawful entry?"

Toad laughed. "Oh, you worry too much! Put some trust into your new best friend! My plan will work given my reputation." He growled when he saw the numerous Toads in the plaza. "This is never gonna work." He cleared his throat. "Everyone, clear the way! This guy's got a date with the princess!" To Mario's surprise, the Toads were pretty expeditious to clear a path as Toad guided him along. "This way!" After they made their way out of the plaza and into a construction zone, Mario glared intently at Toad.

"Did you really have to phrase it that way? Seriously?! Now people are gonna assume she and I are actually dating!"

Toad scoffed as the two hopped from one moving platform to another. "Like people are gonna assume that to a person they haven't even met. Plus, you know that word has more than one meaning. Come on!" He pointed to a series of pipes that zigzagged out of the hill. "Pipes in this kingdom are how people get around. They're pretty nifty."

"But what about that other one, the one I came out of?"

"I don't know. I guess not all are created equal. Into this clear pipe we go then we'll be there!" He jumped in with a squeal of glee. Mario glanced at it hesitantly, but entered as it sucked him in, banging him all around as he reached the top, collapsing from exhaustion. "Here we are!" Mario sat up and stared at the beautiful pink and white castle that stood before him. He even caught a glimpse of a glass mural of what probably was the princess.

"Wow! It's beautiful!"

"Typical first reactions. Come on! We're almost there!" He ran ahead with Mario shaking his head as he ran after him. They came to the front doors when two Guard Toads pointed their halberds at them.

"Hey!" one said. "Not one step further!"

"Hey, Bucken Berry. Ala-Gold," Toad said casually. "Long time, no see!"

Ala-Gold rolled his eyes. "Look who it is, 'Mr. Organism Named After Our Species'. You were here two days ago. Last time you were here, you pulled a dumb fart prank on us! No one loves your jokes, so go the heck away!"

"Oh, come on! Who doesn't love a little humor? We all need some with how gloomy and dark things have been with the Darklands. You know what they say: laughter is the best medicine!"

"And you're the only one not taking things seriously!" Bucken Berry hissed. "The princess's safety relies on us, and everyday, all you love is creating chaos and making our jobs harder! So, forget whatever business you and your lackey have here. Go the heck away at once!"

"Please!" Mario begged. "I have to see her! It's important business! This is no joke!"

"So is this war. The princess has her hands tied. She doesn't need to deal with a foreigner's problems. Go away at once!"

"Fine. You leave me with no choice." He jumped in the air as he traveled behind the Guard Toads' backs and quickly punched them unconscious before they could react.

"Woah! That was so cool! You gotta teach me how to do that!"

Mario sighed. "Truth be told, that was a technique I've used on many bullies of the past. I don't want to do it if I don't have to."

Toad's smile vanished. "Oh, sorry. I guess my humor gets the best of me."

"But why would they say stuff like that?"

Toad sighed. "To be honest, they're right. I haven't been taking this as seriously as I should mainly because my humor is nothing but a mask."

"A mask?"

"I saw how serious the war can be up close. There was one time when a couple of my species had caught word of Bowser's arrival, but as they and the princess had begun running away, Bowser somehow got word of her escape and sent soldiers after her. They had such ferocious vehicles and destroyed any obstacle just to get to her. M… My parents were caught in the explosions where they destroyed their house right in front of me when I was playing outside. I was lucky to escape before it exploded. I spent the next many days in hiding, hoping they wouldn't find me even though they were after the princess. I rarely was the type to cry, but I was still horrified about what happened, so I tried to distract myself with my own humor, thinking about other things rather than their deaths. And that was ten years ago, right when the conflict started."

"Have you ever openly expressed your emotions with someone?"

"No, because I hate having to deal with those emotions!" He got on his knees. "Having to deal with the repercussions of those emotions is something I hate dealing with! I just hate them!"

"But holding in these emotions does more damage and stress than letting it out. I know that holding them in might seem easier, but it's not. In order to feel true freedom from those burdens, you have to let your feelings out." He touched Toad's shoulder. "Please don't reject a side of your emotions. Sadness and anger are what make you sentiment. You need to fully embrace these emotions to feel whole again. Understand?"

"But how? All I've ever known to deal with the trauma was just laugh it off. I kept thinking, 'None of this is real. They're probably playing hide-and-seek with me! Yeah!', and I would believe it whenever the trauma would hit me. I even kept myself distracted by trying to make others laugh, and most of the time, it worked. I oddly found peace and forgot about my parents' deaths. But I guess that's not how I find true freedom, is it?"

"You're improving. Start with stating how you feel with 'I' statements. Take your time. Just state how you truly feel."

Toad nodded. He sighed. "To be honest, I often thought it was nothing but a dream. I kept making different excuses rather than acknowledging the true reason: they're truly gone, and they're never coming back." He slammed his fist into the ground. "I hate it! I hate everything about it! How nonchalant I've been. How I've acted like their deaths meant nothing to me, and I hate it! I'm so sorry, Mom and Dad! Please forgive me!" He ran into Mario's arms as he cried. The plumber rubbed his shoulders in comfort. It truly was sad that Toad didn't have anyone to help him cope with this kind of trauma, but he was glad it had been him being the one to do it even though he stumbled upon him. He was grateful for that miraculous encounter. But he couldn't help but worry. This Bowser seemed a whole lot more dangerous than he thought. If he could destroy people's lives if he wanted to, then that proved to be a much bigger threat than Luigi's life. He had to stop him at all costs. "Thank you." Toad glanced at him, still sniffling, but he wore a faint smile. "No one's ever done that to me before. Thank you so much, Mario."

"Of course. Also, I realized something. This Bowser is a bigger threat than I realized. I have a new goal: to stop him at all costs."

"But what about your brother?"

"I have a feeling that he's somewhere in this world. Call it a gut feeling, but I got one that Luigi's got himself entangled with this Bowser." He clenched his fist." I'm still gonna find him and stop Bowser, no matter what it takes."

Toad smiled. "You truly have the heart of a hero." Mario scratched his head. Hero? He never thought of his actions as such. Sure, a lot of things that he did could be classified as heroic actions in someone's eyes, but Mario did it because it had to be done. But this was the first time someone called him a hero. It had a different feeling than previous times. "Well," Toad said, "I'm done moping around. Let's go see the princess!"

"Wait! Do you truly think I'm a hero?"

"Of course! Why'd you think I even said it? Because I meant it. Now, come on, Mario!" He ran inside the castle. Mario smirked. Hero. That had a nice ring to it.

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: All assets of the Mario Movie belong to Nintendo and Illumination.

Chapter 7: Worth

Luigi stayed silent as he gazed at the bubbling lava below. He had already caved into the heat, not even bothering to say anything about his parched throat with the fear of retaliation from them, including that turtle, of whom he already forgot his name. He could hear the mask creatures staring ominously as the plumber could hear their feeble whispers.

"Who do you think he is?"

"No idea. He doesn't seem to be from here. But he's very quiet, not even wanting to glance at us. He probably might think we're gonna skewer him if he does." The two snickered.

"That's enough," a gruff voice hissed.

"Koopa General!"

"I thought I taught you two not to babble in front of our prisoners. For the Darklands's sake, show some dignity. Now, go make yourselves busy by refueling the coal in the burners. Go!" The two scurried away. The Koopa General sighed as he turned to Luigi. "You must forgive my men. Clearly they haven't learned a thing about respect, even to those beneath them. They will be disciplined accordingly." Luigi stayed silent. It didn't help that he found every organism he met intimidating. Well, that fear was always a part of him because he never knew how someone might react if he did something they didn't like. "Well, aren't you gonna say thank you? I did get them off your case. At least show some common courtesy."

"T-Thank you, Mr. Koopa General, sir."

"Just Koopa General. No need to be fancy with title names. Also, learn to relax. I didn't come to bite you. Your nerves are driving me crazy."

"Sorry, sir. I mean Koopa G-General."

The turtle sighed. "I've never met someone as jittery as you. I mean, it doesn't hurt to take a deep breath every now and then."

"You aren't here to hurt me?"

"If I wanted to, then I would've already. I just want a civilized conversation. Chatting with my soldiers has become quite boresome. This is a nice change of pace. Besides, we're still far away from Bowser's Castle, so a nice conversation can pass the time."

"But, sir-" The Koopa General raised his eyebrow. "Koopa General, I just want to find my brother and go home! Please! I… I'm just so scared and I don't know where I am, so please let me go!"

"And tell me something. Where would you go? According to you, this is an unfamiliar land. Where would you go if I let you leave?"

"Maybe back to the pipe, I guess?"

"OK, then what?" Luigi stayed silent. "As I thought. You haven't thought things through. The second I let you leave, you would become a lost Koopa Troopa without his shell. Do you even know where your brother is?"

"No."

"Then what's the point? You have nowhere to go without getting lost, so no. I won't let you go, not out of the goodness of my heart, but because you're a problem that needs to be resolved. Hence why I'm taking you to see Lord Bowser, so he can decide what to do with you."

"He won't kill me, right?"

"Not if you stay on his good side. Perhaps you might have a chance, but Lord Bowser has constant mood swings. You never know how he might feel during a certain moment, so he might decide to kill you just because he's in a bad mood. He's that kind of guy." Luigi gulped. That didn't give him any kind of reassurance. Not only was he clueless as to where he was, but he had no plan on how to get out of this situation. Being lost and scared weren't a good combination. But what else could he do? Pray for Mario to come like he always did? Let his negative thoughts consume him on how worthless he was? He scoffed. What better thing could he do? Nothing but being someone else's burden. He hated it. He stomped his foot. Why did he have to be like this?! "Tell me where you're from." He glanced at the Koopa General. "What? Just wanting to create conversation."

"Please, just leave me alone."

"I think not. Understand that I'm not acting oblivious to your anger and feelings alike. It's written all over your face. You're just going through the motions, but I want to chat about something, and you just happen to be front-and-center, so talk. Try to think of it as a distraction of sorts to help you to actually talk some instead of crying."

"But I just want to be left alone!"

"But aren't you curious about where you are? Not even in the slightest? Also, have you ever thought that this brother of yours couldn't be in this same world?"

"No."

"That's my point. Satisfy my curiosity, and perhaps I might give you the information you need to find this brother of yours."

"But what's the point? Your king probably wants me dead, anyway."

"You'll be surprised to find out that he has a bit of a soft spot."

"Really?"

The Koopa General smirked. "Now you're interested?" Luigi sighed. Focusing on where he was could prove to be useful, but he didn't know the right balance of information he could give that could put Mario in danger. If he was in this world, then maybe having that information could do Luigi some good, but even if he did have that, what good would that do if he couldn't even escape? Well, one thing was for sure. He had to be the one to protect Mario. He did so much for Luigi over the years, and he deserved something in return, which was why Luigi couldn't give the Koopa General anything.

"With all due respect, sir, I can't share anything."

"Oh, no? You can't? And tell me. Why not? What's there to hide? Telling me where you're from seems pretty harmless given your circumstances."

"I can't."

"Can't, or won't?" Luigi shivered. "You're acting like you've got something to hide. This is about your brother, isn't it? That's why you won't give me any information, because you're being protective of him." Oh no. He read him like a book. Luigi was in for it now. "Your expression says it all. Well, I'm definitely glad I found you when I did, because if your brother is in this world, and if he has any kind of a chance encounter with the princess, then he's become a threat that needs to be exterminated. And look. We're almost there." He pointed to a gray castle in the distance. "I hope you're excited, because you're about to meet the King of the Koopas. Consider that an honor. Most people don't walk away alive upon interaction with him, and depending on how satisfactory your answers are, we're gonna see if you walk away a free man." The air balloon landed in front of the castle as the Koopa General shoved him off as the mask creatures followed behind with their spears. Luigi gulped at the ominous stone carving of a figure head with its mouth in a snarl as it bared its gaping and sharp teeth, causing him to wince on the inside. "A couple of housekeeping rules," the Koopa General said. "One, don't speak unless you're acknowledged to. Two, always bow before speaking and use eye contact at all times. And three and most important, address him by his full title: Lord Bowser, King of the Koopas. Nothing more. Nothing less. Understood?" Luigi nodded. "Give me a response!"

"Yes, Koopa G-General."

He smirked. "Back to your stammery self. Not surprising." The sound of rock music filled Luigi's ears. "I can tell they're still celebrating their victory over the Snow Kingdom. That's not surprising. Lord Bowser hard-earned that victory if I say so myself." As they entered the throne room, rock music blasted tenfold in Luigi's ears as he quickly covered them, sensitive from the loud noise and organisms' cheers. On the throne stood a giant, scaly, reptilian-like creature as he laughed precariously. "Stay here." The Koopa General flew to him. "Lord Bowser, I have returned, but bearing grave news."

"Quiet. I said quiet!" The rock music slowly faded away as the crowd stopped cheering. "I'm sorry. We were still celebrating our victory over the Snow Kingdom. What did you say?"

"I have returned, but bearing grave news."

What 'grave' news could you possibly have?" the turtle scoffed. "We just hit a major milestone towards our victory over the Mushroom Kingdom! We need to celebrate!"

"Shy Guys, bring him forward."

"'Him'?" Luigi was shoved forward by the Shy Guys as he stared at all the creatures staring ominously at him before his eyes lay on the turtle as he was shoved towards the ground. "What the? Who the heck is he and when did he have the right to disturb our party?! Koopa General, explain!"

"I was returning from another scouting mission when the Shy Guys spotted him inside one of our bases. I've tried interrogating him, but he made one thing clear: he's not of this world. Now as to where he actually comes from, that is still unclear. It's highly unlikely that he's a spy for Princess Peach, but he won't tell me where he's from or this brother he's trying to search for."

Bowser rubbed his temples. "Great. Just great! It's bad enough that I have to deal with a broken heart every time Peach rejects me, but now I have to deal with more factors?! Just utterly great!" He stepped off his throne as he walked to him. "I hope you're happy, whoever you are, because I'm now in a horrible mood because of you! I had a great plan set out, one that would surely swoon Peach's heart, but you just had to mess things up!"

"Um," Luigi said. "Sir, I can-"

"Silence! I did not ask for you to speak!" He quivered and silenced himself. "Now, I want information. You may have not gotten my general to speak, but you will to me. If you and anyone else affiliated causes a threat to my kingdom, then they will be incinerated. Mark my words. Now, let's start simple. What's your name?"

"Um, Luigi, sir."

"Address me by my full title!"

"Luigi, Lord Bowser, King of the Koopas!"

Bowser scratched his chin. "Interesting name. Now then, Llewellyn-"

"It's-a Luigi."

"I didn't ask, Lyle! Now you made me lose my track of thought!" He turned to a robed figure with spectacles. "What was I gonna ask him?"

"Where he's from, Your Shellness."

"Right! I swear I'm not that old and already, my memory's failing me." He turned to Luigi. "Forgive me, Louis. Now, back on track. Tell me where you and your brother are from."

"No offense, but what good does that do if I'm not from this world?"

Bowser snorted. "What good? Tell me something, L-" He paused. "Ugh, your name is so hard to remember. Can I call you Green 'Stache? I like that better." Luigi didn't bother protesting. "Tell me something, Green 'Stache. Where you're from, how valuable is knowledge? Is it the be all, end all in certain situations? Does it help you get through everyday life?"

"Y… Yes."

"Of course it does." He grabbed a star of some sort that was hanging above his throne. "That was why I was after this beautiful thing. Do you know what this is?"

"No, Lord Bowser."

"This is the Super Star. When thinking of ways to swoon over Peach, the next best thing I thought was blackmail. Knowing her for years, she's bound to leap into my arms just for the safety of her people, but I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty. I will destroy her kingdom if I have to, which is why I have this discovered through basic research. You can imagine where I'm going with this, yes?" Luigi nodded. "Sure, your brother might not be in this world, but he could be, and I can't take any chances, which means you will spill the beans or else."

"Or else?"

"Oh! You want a demonstration of the consequences, don't you? I can definitely do that." He snapped his fingers at the robed figure, who made Luigi levitate as the plumber flew to Bowser. The turtle twirled Luigi's mustache with his claw. "Forget about where you're from. I'm more interested in this brother of yours. So tell me. What's he like to the women? Does he have any special powers? What does he look like?" Luigi stayed silent. He couldn't say anything, even if Mario wasn't here. He had to protect him at all costs. "Oh, being defiant, are we? Too bad I have to ruin your beautiful mustache. I'm sure you worked on it for weeks!" He yanked on it, causing Luigi to scream. "Answer my questions unless you want it ripped clean off!" Luigi continued to scream as his mustache began to come off, bit by bit. A couple minutes later, Bowser roared and threw Luigi across the ground. "Pathetic! I guess I have to get more physical!"

"Your Brashness, wait!"

"Kamek, not now! I need to get this information out of him!"

"There are other ways," Kamek said. "He's not speaking because he's being protective of him."

"That just proves his brother's a threat!"

"But there are other ways than making him talk. Send the Koopa General to find out that information."

"But we don't know anything about this guy! Not his appearance or even his name!"

"But I'm sure that won't be too hard," the Koopa General said. "Think of it this way. Siblings often look similar to each other. It's in their DNA, after all. Knowing that, we can assume that we have somewhat of an image of what he looks like. I can find out that information knowing that and any other plans they might have."

Bowser scratched his chin. "That is true. Very well. Head on out at once. Be back no less than two days or I will make my invasion to the Mushroom Kingdom without you. I can't wait too long for her to make any plans."

"Of course. For the Darklands!" He saluted and left.

Bowser chuckled as he turned to Luigi. "How about that? We might get information about your brother, anyway. You do look like Peach, and she's the only one of your kind that I know of, so this isn't like finding a needle in a haystack. Take him away at once!" The Shy Guys dragged him away as Bowser's laughter echoed. Hopefully, Mario would be OK in the end because all he could pray for was that Mario either knew of the danger or wasn't in this world after all because Luigi just put him in the line of fire with no way of knowing whether he was gonna make it out alive or not.

Mario hovered behind a corner of the castle as Toad ran inside the castle, making all sorts of noise to draw the guards out. Mario didn't know how long he tormented these guards of their jobs, but he was glad to be able to help him overcome a long-term problem. Using humor to mask his own feelings only escalated the problem, so in the end, seeing Toad be genuinely happy instead of hiding was one of the best feelings Mario felt in a long time. He actually called him a hero, which gave him a rush of dopamine and excitement more than being a plumber ever did. He couldn't drop the smile he had on his face when Toad ran away, briefly flashing a cheeky smile with the guards on his tail. Well, he bought Mario some time. All he needed to do was make it to the princess. Toad had given him some brief instructions on where the throne room was before shoving him into a corner then rushing inside. Two lefts and straight. Sounded pretty simple. Hopefully all the guards were gone.

After following the basic directions, he stared at the massive pink, granite throne doors standing before him. This place was surely something to behold. He could vaguely hear the sounds of voices from inside, including an elderly, gruff voice and a female one Mario assumed to be the princess. He began to approach the door.

"Hey!" Mario jumped at the voice. A lone Guard Toad glared at him. "How did you get in here? Did the princess summon you or did you come in here uninvited?"

"Um, the latter."

"Then you aren't allowed in here! Only ones with summons or invitations can enter for security purposes!"

"But I just need to see the princess! Just let her hear me out and then I'll leave!"

The Guard Toad snorted. "As if." He grabbed the plumber's hand and barged through the doors as he threw Mario across the ground. Rubbing his head, he stared at all the numerous Toads staring at him in disbelief. Mario laid his eyes on the princess as he ran to her. The Guard Toads in the room responded with a couple tackles, pinning him to the ground.

"Princess!"

"Who the heck is he?!" said an elderly, tan Toad with brown spots. "Guards, explain who this ruffian is at once!"

"We found him near the throne doors," one said. "He came in unannounced with no summons or invitation. He claims he needed to see the princess, but I think that's a load of baloney. He could be a spy of Bowser for all we know!"

"I'm not! I just need her help to find my brother and I also want to help take down Bowser! Please listen to me!"

The elderly Toad huffed. "I think not. Why should we trust you when we had hundreds of others claiming the same thing? We've heard this story hundreds of times, and with our conflict with the Darklands at an all-time high, we can't afford to have any distractions. Take him away at once!"

"Wait." All eyes turned to the princess as she stood up from her throne.

"Princess, you must trust my word! We can't trust him! Too many times have organisms of all kinds claimed they needed you when they were allies of Bowser's! He needs to leave at once!"

"I'm not doubting your word, Toadsworth. We have had numerous invasions of the castle itself from individuals, but don't you all see? Look at him a bit closer and tell me if this one is different or the same." Many Toads scratched their heads, including Mario if his hands weren't pinned. He wasn't like the rest? How? According to the Toad named Toadsworth, apparently, he did what many did before only for them to be enemies. They were right to be suspicious, but how was he different? The Toads made numerous glances at him, but also yielded the same results.

"We don't understand, princess."

"Understandable. Perhaps a closer comparison is in order." She walked to him as she snapped her fingers, the guards releasing Mario as he stood up. "Forgive them for their abruptness," she said. "They were just doing their duty. But surely you understand what I'm alluding to, right, human?"

Something about the way she said that last word jolted Mario's mind. She was human. Why was that important? Perhaps that was what stood him apart from the rest, because he was human, and then he could assume that humans weren't a common species. That was the answer. "Because we're humans."

She smirked. "You're smarter than you seem. Look closely, my Toads! What do we have in common? Do we look similar? Because we do. We are the only humans in this world. Have you ever seen a human spy before? No, because before him, I was the only human in this world. That should set the record straight."

That managed to change the hostile expressions of the Toads as they glanced at each other. "Perhaps you might be right," Toadsworth said. "But we still don't know if he might have any ulterior motives!"

"That I can agree on. Listen, human. If you can answer my questions honestly and thoroughly, then based on your answers, you will be one step closer to your goals which we will bring to light." She circled around him. "So, tell me, human. What is your name?"

"Mario."

"Where are you from?"

"Brooklyn, New York."

"And where is this Brooklyn?"

"In a different world."

She nodded. "Interesting. Why did you come here?" Mario told her the whole story of what happened with him and Luigi that caused the two to be separated. "Interesting," she said when he finished. "So, you stumbled upon this world and want to find your long-lost brother, correct?"

"Yes, but there's more. Upon arriving, I met someone named Toad who told me of what happened to his parents. They were killed while you were trying to flee from Bowser's forces, and that got me thinking. This Bowser has caused more damage to this kingdom than I thought, so I want to help you defeat Bowser and bring peace to this world." That caused a bigger reaction from the Toads. "And I know that might sound strange for someone you barely know, and I do want to find my brother, but I can't just leave this place the way it is. Let me help you."

The princess was silent for a moment. "Bold words, human. I like your guts. But tell me. Do you truly understand who you would be facing if you were true to your words? Do you have any idea what you would be going up against?" Mario was silent. Sure, he heard some stories of how ferocious Bowser was, but he had never seen him up close. Heck, he had no idea what he looked like. She was right to bring up the many unknowns he was going against. But his heart told him to do it, no matter how many times his mind protested. Sure, he was athletic and he probably wasn't as strong as Bowser was, but he didn't care. This had to be done no matter what. People like Toad have been suffering for too long, and Mario wasn't gonna let that slide for one more moment. He didn't care how hard he would have to train. He vowed to stop Bowser, and he intended to not back down from that. "I understand the danger involved, but my heart won't let go of this. Let me prove to you how much of an asset I can be. That's all I ask."

"Very well. Follow me." Mario didn't say anything and followed her regardless. Oddly enough, he already knew she trusted him, but wanted to show that to her people.

"Princess, what are you doing?"

"One thing stands out to me: he has heart. He isn't afraid of the unknown, and I can see the determination in his eyes. He wants to help us, but he has to prove his worth. Once he does that, then he can join me." Toadsworth didn't say anything else, but his words said everything with a disapproving glance at Mario. He sighed. He was gonna be the hardest to win over. They went towards the balcony as many Toads gathered in front of the castle, their cheers filling the chill, day sky. "Attention, my Toads! For over a decade, we've been at war with the Darklands. In the beginning, things were simple, but things have progressed to a point where Bowser invaded the Snow Kingdom and nabbed the Super Star!" The Toads' frightful screams filled the crowd. "But worry not, for I have a plan! I know we don't have the numbers for an invasion at Bowser's Castle, but I will travel to the nearby Jungle Kingdom and convince King Cranky Kong to join our forces, and together we will-"

"Who the heck is he?!" shouted a Toad as he pointed at Mario. The others noticed him as they glanced and murmured at each other as the plumber heard their whispers.

"Who the heck is he?"

"Maybe he's a spy for Bowser!"

"We're all in danger!"

"My Toads!" the princess shouted. "I know this man's appearance scares you, but also worry not! He does not come here out of ill will. His interests are in fact in line with ours! He will state his goals himself!"

"What?" Mario said, in disbelief as she put him on the spot.

"This is the first part of gaining their trust. To them, you're a stranger. Prove to them why they should trust you with your words. Annunciate the confidence through your voice! Let your words ring loud and clear!" Mario smirked. She did have a way with words. Well, she was their princess. She needed to have that ability to ease her subjects' minds. He had to do the same, though he wasn't much of a public speaker. He stepped forward, making himself more visible to those in the back.

He took a deep breath. "Hello. You all may not know me, but I'm Mario. I'm actually not from here, so it's actually weird for me, a stranger, to speak in front of you all." His nerves tingled a bit as he stared at all the disproving looks of the Toads. He glanced at the princess, who gave him a reassuring smile as she coaxed him to continue speaking. He took another deep breath. "Truth be told, my original goal was to just find my brother. We accidentally stumbled upon this world, but we ended up separated, and now I'm worried for him. I don't even know if he's here, but hearing other stories of how Bowser destroyed other's lives just to get to your princess spoke out to me. A personal friend of mine told me of how his parents died to his forces, and it's safe to assume that some of you all went through the same thing. Some of you probably lost loved ones, and I'm scared to death if my brother is trapped in Bowser's kingdom, which is why I can't leave until I've stopped him. Let me prove to you my worth. Let me put my words into action! Let me be the one to help end this war with Bowser once and for all!" There was silence across the crowd as no one said anything. Sure, some might've changed their glances, but they were still unconvinced.

"Woohoo!" The Toads glanced around at the sound of the voice. Mario smiled, knowing exactly who that was as Toad jumped in the air, throwing his backpack in the air. "Go, Mario!" He started chanting his name to which his fellow organisms followed one-by-one, chanting his name until it enveloped the entire crowd, making the plumber shed a tear.

"I'm assuming that's your personal friend," the princess said. He nodded. "Well, he has become quite the prankster, but he helped win the crowd into your favor. Impressive." Mario slightly blushed at the comment as she turned to the crowd. "My Toads! Mario has spoken, and you all have interest in him. Now's the time to solidify that interest into trust!" The balcony started moving forward, catching Mario off guard until they stopped in front of a massive body of water. At the princess's signal, a huge question block of sorts started to rise out of the water as the crowd of Toads followed them. The block expanded as it broke apart, putting together what looked to be some sort of training exercise filled with all sorts of obstacles like gaping metal plants and fireballs that spun in the air. The whole thing made Mario gasp in awe. She had a whole block hiding underneath the water like that? How could this world get any wackier? "Here's the requirement. If you complete this course and make it to the flagpole at the end, you're coming with me." Mario gulped. This became a lot harder than he thought.

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: All assets of the Mario Movie belong to Nintendo and Illumination.

Chapter 8: Test

Peach smiled as Mario stared in awe at the course standing before them. She wasn't surprised by his reaction. After all, he wasn't of this world, so seeing anything out of the ordinary like that was bound to shock someone every once in a while. But as strange as Mario was to be from another world, she actually trusted him. Why would she trust a stranger so quickly? Toadsworth and the others certainly didn't, especially with how much the war with the Darklands had taken a toll on her people, but perhaps the real reason might've been because he was human.

For all her life, she was the only human that lived in the Mushroom Kingdom. Heck, that was probably why Bowser loved her so much, but she would never go to great lengths just to confirm that. While growing up with her Toads made her happy as she was accepted into their family, she hadn't seen someone of her own species. Being the only human sometimes made her feel outcast to the world, but there was someone of her species here. For once, she didn't have to feel alone anymore. But he couldn't stay here forever. He had a place of his own and a brother he had to rescue. Case in point, this wasn't his home, and it would be selfish for Peach to wish to have him stay. It wouldn't be right. She just had to cherish the times they shared together, even if Mario wasn't gonna be here for a while. Just knowing she wasn't alone was enough to give her peace.

"Hello," Mario said. "You look a bit phased out."

She chuckled. "Forgive me. I was in my own world. So, what do you think?"

"What do I think? I had no idea you had a block as big as that hiding under water! Then it just broke apart and made that course?! That's just crazy!"

"No surprise there. Well, you have to complete this obstacle course and reach the flagpole to join me on my quest."

"OK." He took a deep breath. "Let's-a go." He was about to run when Peach grabbed his hand.

"Woah! Hang on there, grasshopper! There are some things you need to know before you can tackle the course." She jumped in the air, hitting the Question Block as a mushroom fell into Mario's arms. "In order to successfully complete this course, you need the help of something called a Power-up."

Mario scrutinized the mushroom. "Power-up?"

"Yep." She grabbed one herself. "Like this." She ate one, her body growing in size as Mario's mouth went agape.

"Woah!"

"Power-ups grant us all kinds of unique abilities. This one in particular is called a Super Mushroom. It lets you grow in size and increases your power output. All you have to do is consume it and the Power-up's abilities are yours, unless you take a hit, then it's gone. Does it make sense?" Mario didn't respond as all he could do was gag. "Well? Aren't you gonna eat it?"

"Eat it? Are you kidding me?!"

"That's how you get their powers."

"I know that, but it's a freaking mushroom!"

"And your point is?"

"I hate mushrooms! I hate their taste, their smell, everything about them! No! I'm not eating it! I can complete the course without it!" He threw the mushroom away and took off at the course. Peach rolled her eyes. Looks like he was gonna have to learn the hard way. After jumping over some spikes, he tried jumping to the first block, but his height wasn't big enough as he collapsed through some bricks into the ocean below before popping onto the balcony, coughing.

"Are you sure you wanna try the Power-up now?"

"No! I-" Toadsworth whacked him with his cane. "Ow! The heck was that for?!"

"Learn to show some respect and dignity!" the Toad hissed. "Princess Peach is trying to help you, and all you're doing is refusing said help because of the distaste of mushrooms! Utterly pathetic! How about you put your distaste aside and start taking her teachings seriously!" Peach couldn't help but chuckle. Toadsworth was always the cranky one with the quickness of the draw to defend her whenever people either did something he didn't like or anything regarding Peach. He was always her defender, whether to uphold her respect or protect her at all costs. He normally didn't like strangers, but sometimes, he had his own way of showing how he cared to others, even if his methods were brash. "Tell me something. Are you really gonna be this stubborn not to set it aside, not even for the sake of your brother?"

"That's not what-"

"Answer the question!"

Mario sighed. "No."

"Then drop the act. You made two promises: to rescue your brother and stop Bowser. You need to drop the act and start taking things seriously. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Thank you, Toadsworth. You may leave. I can take it from here." The Toad grumbled and left. "You must forgive Toadsworth. That's how he's always been, even to me."

"But aren't you the princess?"

"You really think that's gonna make me exempt from his rantings? It may not show it, but he does that because he cares. That's why he's so paranoid about my safety. And he cares for you, too. Try not to take what he said too personally but do understand what he says."

"I'm sorry. I guess I just hate it because of my family. Everyone thinks down of me and can't trust me to make my own decisions. I guess that's why I hate my heritage, as horrible as that sounds."

"Look at me." He did. "Focus on the family that matters. Focus on your brother and nothing else." He nodded, staring at the mushroom before eating it, gouging as he struggled to get it down his throat, but as he did, he glanced at his body, which started to elongate, starting with his hands, then his feet before his whole body enlarged.

"Woah! This is so cool!"

"Try hitting the brick over there." He nodded, running as he punched the brick with his might, destroying it instantly. "Cool, huh?"

"Totally! Sorry for being stubborn."

"It's OK. You had your reasons. Truth be told, if you were gonna refuse again, I was gonna shove it down your throat, anyway. Now, watch and learn, grasshopper." She ran through the obstacle course, wall jumping from brick to brick as she hopped from one obstacle over another, jumping over the munching Piranha Plants with ease. She had done this course a thousand times. When Bowser first started appearing, she knew that she needed to train somehow in order to face him, so she managed to stumble upon the Question Block and actually built the obstacle course herself, using different bricks to build everyday obstacles from the world. It was a feat two months in the making, but she was proud of the result. She used it once every week, adding in something new every now and then to keep things fresh. Sometimes, the results of the training were mixed and even with all the help of the Power-ups, it still wasn't enough to stop Bowser.

But she wasn't gonna stop, especially not when he managed to get hold of the Super Star, the mystical artifact of the Snow Kingdom. There were such powerful artifacts that helped protect the people of the kingdoms, most likely granted by the Star Spirits themselves, a couple examples being the Star Rod and the Beanstar among others. The Super Star held a similar role, and now that Bowser took hold of it, it was only a matter of time before he struck her kingdom, so she had to join forces with the Jungle Kingdom, even though their relationship wasn't the best. And with Mario's tenacity, that made her goal even closer to complete. All he had to do was to prove he had the physical capability to stand against the Koopa.

She completed the obstacle course with a twirl around the flagpole as she floated to the ground using her dress, another technique that took her years to perfect. "Well, seems pretty simple, right?"

"Maybe to you. It probably took you years to perfect this."

"That is true. It took me a while to get the hang of things, but once I did, training became a breeze."

"And you expect me to complete this in a much shorter time span."

"Well, yes. We know that Bowser will attack us very soon, so you practically have all day today and till noon tomorrow to complete this course, otherwise you aren't coming with me. Simple as that."

He growled. "Then I guess I'd better get started." And so began the slew of failed attempts from the plumber, one after another, making the princess cringe as he fumbled every time having to plop on the balcony floor with a growl on his face as he grabbed another mushroom, not even examining what he did wrong and just winging it. It was most likely that he was learning on the fly, experimenting with a lot of different options of traversal because the course wasn't designed with one specific path. He could pretty much spend the next hour just trying to find the best path forward, and all Peach could do was stand there as the man barely caught his breath between trials. It took Toadsworth and a couple guards to finally stop the man before he threw up over the balcony, his face pale from all the mushrooms he forced down his throat.

Nighttime had finally come as Mario and Peach sat down for dinner, the plumber's mind clearly on the obstacle course as he talked out loud his plans. Peach smiled. Even if he wasn't physically training, he was still planning for the future. He was so determined that he could keep going through the night if he wanted to, which Toadsworth was quick to interject. That man showed more tenacity than she did during certain parts of her life. He didn't know when to quit, and that was a kind of quality that could prove most useful against Bowser.

"That man never knows when to quit," Toadsworth grumbled. "I swear if I didn't stop him, he was gonna get himself killed."

"Well, what can I say? He's not cut from the same cloth as other humans. He's built differently. That's what I think of him at first glance."

"Yet I see how you look at him."

"What's wrong with the way I look at him?"

"There's no need to deny it. You had that look when he came here. You've started developing feelings for him." Peach blinked in surprise. "You're drawn to him solely because he is the first of your kind that you've seen."

"Feelings? What are you talking about? I'm just glad that I've finally seen some of my actual kind. Are you suggesting that I'm actually in love with him?"

"Take it as you will. Just remember to focus on the mission. We must try again to win Cranky Kong's favor. Never let any feelings for that man distract you from what's truly important. That's all I have to say." He ate his meal in silence. Feelings? Where did Toadsworth get that idea from? She wasn't in love with him. She was glad that she finally met someone of her kind for the first time in her life. That didn't mean she was in love with him. Toadsworth was just taking things out of context. Well, tomorrow, she was gonna head out to the Jungle Kingdom with her transportation already set. The only thing that mattered now was whether Mario was gonna join her or not.

Morning came quickly as Peach got out of her bed with a stretch of her arms. She had gone to bed early to be ready to take off for the Jungle Kingdom by noon. She quickly got dressed after a shower before Toadsworth approached her. "Morning."

"Good morning, princess. I take it that things are ready for your departure."

"Yep. The only thing left is to see whether Mario will join us or not."

"Speaking of which, you know what time that man got up? Dawn. Freaking dawn! Sure, he might've gone to bed earlier last night, but that man just doesn't know when to quit! He's been practicing for the past three hours and hasn't even had breakfast!"

"Well, has he made any progress?"

"Heck if I know. All I know is that he's been doing nothing but making a racket. He woke me up twice, and I have sensitive ears for an old Toad."

"Well, we're gonna need that kind of strength if we're gonna win against Bowser. Just be glad that he's on our side." Toadsworth huffed but didn't say anything else. She walked to the balcony where low and behold, Mario collapsed to the ground, coughing.

"Geez, that landing was tougher than I thought."

"Mario."

He jumped at his name. "Princess! I didn't see you there."

"I just got up. Toadsworth told me you got up early this morning."

"Yeah, and he's been nothing but a pain in my butt for it."

"Because I was trying to sleep! Besides, you need to rest! You've been pushing yourself beyond your limit, barely having any sort of rest! You're only worsening yourself!"

"Toadsworth's right," Peach said. "I know you're doing this for your brother, but you can't keep pushing yourself like this. You can't. It's not healthy and we need you at your best."

"I know, but-" The plumber sighed. "I just couldn't stop thinking about him. We've never been apart this long. I just can't leave him behind. And I've been so close. So freaking close so many times to complete this dumb obstacle course, but it's always something that messes me up!" He kicked the ground in frustration. "All my life, people looked down upon my brother and I. My dad can't trust me with my own decisions. My former boss made my life a living hell. I couldn't tell you the number of times I fended off bullies of all sorts for my bro. I took blow after blow for his sake, and now I can't complete a stupid obstacle course just for this one chance to save him and this world." He sighed.

"Mario, look at me." He glanced at Toadsworth. "Your love for your brother is admirable. I can see the love you have for him every time you take this course. But if you keep rushing yourself, thinking things will change at every attempt, well, at that point, you're nothing but a fool. Being reckless will not save your brother. Understand?"

"But I don't even know if he's here!"

"Well, that may be a valid point, but why do you think you came here in the first place if you didn't think that he wasn't in this world?"

"What?"

"Think about it. You could've looked around for a bit, determined he's not here, and left right where you came in. The only reason you're even in this world is because you still believe he's here somewhere. That's why you won't quit. That's why you're so stubborn. It's because you truly believe that he's here. I may not know a whole lot of the other worlds, but a: don't claim against something you believe, and b: learn to rest. Remember what happened last night? It took three guards to get you away from the course. I believe that your brother's still alive. That's all the assurance that you need right now." The plumber's expression softened.

"Tell me his name."

He glanced at Peach. "It's Luigi."

She smiled. "Luigi. Such a beautiful name. We will rescue him. You're not alone. At this point, I think you proved your worth just by your tenacity alone. You're coming with-"

"No," he said. "One more try." He glanced at the flagpole, just itching to be grabbed at the other end. "Let me do it one more time. I've got a good feeling about this run."

Peach smirked. "Very well. One more run." She hit the Question Block, the Super Mushroom landing in his hands as he gobbled it down immediately. "One quick question. Do you still hate mushrooms?"

He smirked. "Totally." With a mighty jump, he soared over the metal spikes as he rolled to stabilize himself before jumping across a couple bricks as he stared at a metal Piranha Plant, biting at him with its gaping teeth. He waited until it emerged into its pipe, making a run for it as he jumped over the remaining ones before coming across the fireballs, one of the bigger obstacles the plumber faced against. He ground-pounded, falling to the lower level as he ran, smashing through the bricks that got in his way before building up momentum, smashing through the Bowser cutout with a yell.

"Peach." She glanced at Toadsworth. "Look." He pointed to the numerous Toads who stared at him in awe as he raced along the Donut Blocks, being careful not to slip off as the platforms fell one after another. As he made his way towards the Bullet Bills charging at him, the Toads started cheering as he hopped from one to another with such grace before making his way to the flagpole, sliding down as he rolled to finish.

"I did it. I actually did it!" He cheered as he gazed at the crowd, laughing with glee from his accomplishment many hours in the making. Peach was really impressed. He actually completed it, and it took less time than when she first started. Not only that, but he also managed to grab the attention of her Toads as they cheered his name in applause. He truly had what it took to stop Bowser. Mario made his way to her. "Did you see that?! I actually did it! I can't believe it!"

"I must say, you were quite amazing, Master Mario. I must apologize for doubting you. You do have what it takes to save our kingdom yet." Toadsworth bowed to him. "You have my immense thanks and gratitude."

"Well," Mario said, "It was actually because of you two. You helped me when I was getting frustrated and when I ran that course, I kept thinking of my brother, of how I'm gonna save him from Bowser. But you called me Master? What does that entail?"

"As a sign of trust and honor. Not many get to be called Master by me. You have proved your worth, and as such, are worthy to be esteemed with such a grand title as Master. Don't take it for granted."

"I thank you, Sir Toadsworth. You know, this whole world has been nothing but kind to me since I first arrived. Sometimes, I hated parts of my old world, but you treated me like one of your own, even when I had to prove myself. Thank you all so much."

Toadsworth chuckled. "Well, you've earned said praise. Now, get some breakfast, you stubborn man! Peach plans on leaving by noon! Get moving now!"

"OK, OK!" The two went inside as Peach stared at him once more. Perhaps she might open up to him after all.

High in the sky stood a blue shelled figure as it peaked its eyes at the princess. "Finally," it said. "I have all the information I need. I must report to Bowser at once." It flew away in a flash.

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: All assets of the Mario Movie belong to Nintendo and Illumination.

Chapter 9: Vulnerability

Mario smiled as he got out of his bed. He had eaten a quick meal provided by the princess's Toads, of whom he learned her name was Peach, which was an interesting name to her. Was she named that because she loved peaches? He shrugged. Eh, who knows. What mattered now was that he was finally gonna go with her to the Jungle Kingdom, and maybe even see some more of this world. He was already enthralled by Toad's description, but being able to see the places up close sounded so exciting. He could even take some photos to show Luigi and heck, after he was rescued, they can go on a tour, with Toad as their guide, of course, even if he hadn't been to any of the kingdoms, but the plumber didn't care. What Toad did for him helped solidify the trust of the people. Heck, they even chanted his name, not once, but twice once when he completed the obstacle course, which was the hardest thing he had ever done. Sure, he took track and field in high school, so he had an edge that way, but still. But he had the skills necessary to stop Bowser; all they needed to do was to get the king's favor, which Mario wouldn't mind helping. After all, if they did rule against her request, then they better be prepared for a harsh reality check from the plumber. He certainly was one to make his thoughts known through words and other methods alike.

He walked outside as Peach and Toadsworth greeted him. "Ah, you're finally awake," Toadsworth said. "Good to see you, Master Mario. I trust you got some sleep after your stunt this morning, which was a jolly good show. I'm never gonna get over that."

Peach smirked. "Well, you might have to because Mario and I are about to leave."

"Not without me!" The trio glanced around at the sound of the voice. "There's no way in heck I'm missing this!"

She rolled her eyes. "Look who it is: Mr. Prankster and Mario's best friend."

"You betcha I am!" Toad declared. "Mario's my bestest friend ever!"

"But are we really?" Toad whacked Mario's arm. "The heck?! It was just a joke!"

"I am, and you know it! I wanna go! I wanna see the world! Where are we gonna go see first? Bob-omb Battlefield? Tostarena? Yoshi's Island? Even the High Cliffs?!"

"This juncture isn't a sightseeing tour!" Toadsworth hissed, whacking his cane on the ground. "And last time I checked, you weren't invited, so scram!"

"I didn't ask for your opinion, old hag! I was asking the princess!"

"Old hag?! Mind your tongue, riffraff! Don't you dare use such language in front of the princess!"

"Ahem." All turned to Peach. "I believe I can speak for myself." She turned to Toad. "Toadsworth's right. As much fun as a sightseeing tour sounds, we simply don't have the time for it. Bowser's gonna invade soon, and we need to attack him before he does that to us. Instead, we're gonna travel by boat there. I already hired a sailor who could take us there. It'll be a day's journey, but we should be there by tomorrow."

"Really?! Come on! I was looking forward to seeing the kingdoms up close! Such a bummer!"

"You realize that this journey is dangerous. We don't know if we're gonna encounter some of Bowser's troops. We have to leave while we can. Besides, what assets do you bring to the table? How can you prove yourself useful on a trip like this?"

"Easy!" He pulled out his bag, pulling out certain items. "As you can see, I have everything we need to make meals. Pots. Matches. Preserved food. Even Power-ups like Ice Flowers in case we do run into those gnarly beasts. I always like to come prepared. I can be our provider. Just let me come." Mario smiled. He sure was prepared for every contingency. "Look! I even have a map!" He held up a piece of parchment as Peach examined it.

"Well, this is the Jungle Kingdom, alright. It's official. You're coming with me. And in return, I'll give you more trivia on stuff you hadn't known of the kingdoms as we pass by them. We're bound to see some, regardless."

"OK. Better than nothing. We're going on an adventure, yeah!" he sang as he jumped in the air.

"OK, calm down now."

"Master Mario." As the two walked away, Mario turned to Toadsworth. "I understand that you have a lot on your shoulders, but I just ask that you keep the princess safe. Just keep an eye on her for her safety. I know she can defend herself, but she can only do so much. She's been through a lot. That's all I ask."

He nodded. It was definitely a sign of trust if Toadsworth was willing to put Peach's safety in his hands, but he had a feeling he didn't have to do too much, but still. Peach has only done much considering how long this conflict has lasted, so he would take his wish seriously. "I promise."

"You're in my debt. Thank you. Now, go join them before they leave you behind." Mario nodded and took off.

"And if we look to our left," Peach said as Mario gazed at the ever-expanding ocean in front of him, "We can see the Beanbean Kingdom." He glanced at the landscape, which was pretty small to where they were, but Toad glanced at the landmass with a pair of binoculars he had in his bag. It was pretty impressive that the princess could divulge that information from so far away. She probably knew that based on coordinates. Well, this was the princess, so he wouldn't expect anything else. "The Beanbean Kingdom is a monarchy ruled by Queen Bean and her son, Prince Peasley. I'm willing to bet you didn't know there were kingdoms based on food, Mario."

"Actually, Toad already told me that. Sorry!"

She glanced at Toad. "Really?! I wanted that to be a surprise for Mario! Why'd you have to steal my thunder like that?!"

"That's because you were too slow on the draw," he said cheekily. "Better luck next time!"

"OK, fine. How about this? Did you know that the cities are based on various laughing expressions like Guffawha Ruins and Teehee Valley to name a couple examples?"

Mario shook his head. "No, actually. Sounds interesting."

Toad stomped his foot. "Gosh dang it! I knew I was forgetting something! Dang it!"

Peach huffed playfully. "Better luck next time." He stuck his tongue at her. "I'd watch your actions, mister. We're still in Mushroom Kingdom waters, and I could punish you right now if you aren't careful."

"I fear nothing."

"Sure. We'll see just how brave you are when we meet the Kongs."

"Bring it on! I can take whatever they throw at me!" Peach chuckled.

Mario glanced at her. "I'm curious. What's the Jungle Kingdom like?"

"That's gonna stay a secret for now." She glared at Toad. "I wanna tell him about that kingdom when we get there. You'd better not have said anything about it."

"Actually," he said, "That was one that went over my head. So many kingdoms and places to keep track of."

"Well, we still have time to pass. Let's test your knowledge. Let's see who's more knowledgeable, a princess of royalty or a prankster."

"You're on!" And so the two played a game of knowledge with each testing each other about every kingdom and parts of the Mushroom Kingdom, which Mario found enjoyable since he could be entertained and learn more about this world. It was a win-win! Well, almost. The only thing missing was Luigi, but Mario was gonna change that once they arrived at the Jungle Kingdom.

The day quickly changed into night as Mario stared at the sky, glancing at all the stars. Were those stars a whole different world? Just the existence of different worlds seemed strange to the plumber at first, but as Mario got to learn more of this wacky world, the more that thought became believable, and it all started with that weird, cloudy void. Was that how all kinds of worlds were connected, and anyone could go practically anywhere if they so pleased? It didn't seem too far-fetched, but he could never understand how such a place even existed. It made him wonder how many ended up getting lost in a different world, maybe including Peach.

He couldn't help but wonder just because of how she alluded to his species when they first met. But how would she know the name of her species when there weren't any humans in this world? The only explanation was that she wandered from another one into this one. That also begged another question: was she from his world, from Earth? While it was possible, he didn't have any way of knowing without asking her, and that was something he wasn't sure he wanted to do. "Hey." Peach walked to him as they leaned against the deck as they glanced at the ocean before them, reflecting the stars above. "Can't sleep, huh?"

"No. I can't stop thinking about how vast this world is. I mean, who would freaking guess that the bean kingdom has a soda brewed by being told jokes, and that people legit get paid for that? Such a strange world you live in."

"Of course. I grew up here for most of my life, which proved I had much better knowledge than that Toad."

"You do realize he beat you, right?"

"By only a couple points! He got his information from the library for crying out loud! I for one learned that knowledge slowly throughout my life. Surely that must amount to something, right?"

Mario chuckled. "Touché."

The princess sighed. "To be honest, I wish I could show you these parts instead of telling them. I just wanted to see you smile and your reaction. I wanted to show you my favorite part. Picture this: it's night and you're in a field of these beautiful orange and yellow flowers called Fire Flowers. In the middle of the field stands a giant, curly tree, its branches covered in these beautiful evergreen leaves. At night, it's so beautiful to see how those Fire Flowers light up the whole area. It's one of my favorite sights in the whole Mushroom Kingdom, and I hate that I can't show that to you because we're in a race against time. Bowser's gonna destroy my kingdom with the Super Star, and I can't have that. I just want this war to be over."

"How long has this war been going on?"

"Over a decade. At first, our relationship was peaceful. Bowser knew of my appearance and had taken an interest in me, but I just wanted to be on friendly terms with him. I had just become their princess, and I was in my teens, so I had no interest in a relationship. Toadsworth always said it was important to keep a good relationship with neighboring kingdoms, which I strived to do, but Bowser had other plans. Over the next couple years, our relationship started to change. Bowser had started to become desperate for my heart, so when he asked me to marry him, I said no. I told him that we were acquaintances, nothing more."

"So, back then, he wasn't angry all the time?"

"Not at first. We were genuine friends, but as he matured, he started wanting to invest in a relationship with me, especially when I wasn't ready for one. He asked me countless times, but over-and-over, I told him no. That was when his interest grew into desperation. His methods of proposal grew more desperate and dangerous when he started getting my people involved. He often kidnapped me to which my soldiers struggled to rescue me tons of times. Truth be told, my people aren't physically trained as Bowser's or even Cranky Kong's armies. My people live a simple day-to-day life. That's the basis of who my people are: charismatic and kind. We don't spread or encourage violence because we aren't violent people, which was why they were the perfect targets for Bowser. It came to a point where I needed to train myself in order to put a stop to his schemes. That was why I made that course, the one you completed. I built that with my bare hands because I was tired of seeing my soldiers die for me just for me to live another day. And guess who trained them?"

"It was you," Mario said.

"Yep. All me, because I was tired of feeling so weak, so fragile that I couldn't do anything to free myself. But this conflict has been going on for so many years, and I just want it to end! I hate having my people suffer for me! I hate it!" She took a deep breath. "That's why I'm gonna convince Cranky Kong that I need his help. I can't do this by myself anymore. That monkey is so stubborn and can't, or won't in his eyes, look at what happens beyond his border all because he says he shouldn't be involved in affairs that aren't his responsibility. They have one of the strongest armies in the world, but he refuses to lend a hand to those in need."

"So, to me, it sounds like you tried asking for his help before, but he refused." Peach nodded. "Then why go back? Has anything changed since the last time you asked him?" She shook her head. "Then why-"

"What other options do I have?! Tell me, Mario, what else can I do?! I've tried everything I can to stop Bowser, but there's nothing I can do but ask for help, especially when he has the Super Star! I know he's gonna ask me to marry him again or else he will destroy the Mushroom Kingdom, and I can't say yes because then he'll have control of both kingdoms, making my people's lives a living hell! I don't know what else to do at this point!" Mario sighed. He thought the princess was a fearless warrior for her people, which she was, but clearly that wasn't the full picture. She was struggling to get by, and no one wanted to help her. She had to put on a mask of sorts just to keep her people assured, to keep some sort of hope in their eyes that she was still fighting after all these years when she probably cried during a lot of nights.

"I'm-a sorry."

She chuckled a little. "First time I've heard some sort of accent from you."

"It comes out from time to time." He paused. "May I ask a question?"

"You just did."

"You know what I meant!"

"Of course. Go ahead."

"You're not from here, aren't you?"

"Your intelligence never ceases to amaze me." She sighed. "Truth be told, I don't know where I come from. All I know is that I stumbled upon this place when I was a toddler, yelling for my mom and dad, but they didn't come. I was alone and scared, but Toadsworth and the other Toads heard my cries and took me in. I was only three or four at the time. But over the next 20 years, they taught me their ways of living and I even had to teach myself some things, and when I was ready, they made me their princess. That was probably why I trusted you so quickly: because you were a human. For all my life, I've been certain of two things: my name and that I'm a human. The rest is blank for me. But there's something that I do know." She glanced at the stars. "There's a huge universe out there with thousands of galaxies, and they're all counting on us. We have to stop Bowser at all costs, which means we need Cranky Kong's army so we can strike before he does."

"And we will." Mario touched her shoulder. "I meant every word of what I said. Even if I have to fight for his army, so be it. My brother and this world are counting on us to get his army." He clenched his fist. "That I know for certain."

"Well, I'm hoping that things have changed, but knowing Cranky Kong, he won't be easy to persuade." She kissed him on the cheek. "Good night, Mario. Thank you." He blushed as she walked below deck. Did she just kiss him? It was a bit bizarre coming from her, but he didn't think too much into it. Regardless, tomorrow, he will recruit the Kong Army.

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: All assets of the Mario Movie belong to Nintendo and Illumination.

Chapter 10: Armor

Bowser's Castle

Bowser straightened his tie as he stared at himself in the mirror. While the Koopa General was on his mission, Bowser was making preparations for his wedding, as any suitor should do. In fact, this wedding had started even before he got the idea of getting the Super Star because a wedding was gonna happen either way. It was gonna take a bit more for her to say yes, ergo why he grabbed the Super Star, but after many months of planning things down to the immaculate detail, the wedding was nearly complete as invitations were already being sent out to people he personally wanted at the wedding, including King Boo and King Bob-omb, of whom he was on good terms with. The final thing he wanted to do before heading to the Mushroom Kingdom was practice some lines he had crafted to win the princess's heart, and the one Koopa perfect to help him was Kamek who could transform into Peach with his magic, so while Bowser waited for the Koopa General to come back with the information he wanted, now was the perfect time to practice his true proposal in marriage which he wrote in song form. "Sire?" a female voice said, presumably Kamek as her. "You ready?"

He cleared his throat. "Please, come in." The door opened as Bowser stared at the beautiful princess as she stared at him with those beautiful, majestic blue eyes, though a weird detail the Koopa noticed were the long eyelashes that looked so out of place. "Kamek, what's with the eyelashes?"

"Who's Kamek? I'm Peach, the one who you'll marry!" She wiggled her eyelashes.

"Drop the act!"

The spell went away as Kamek emerged back to his normal self. "What? Was it a bit much?"

"A bit? A bit?! Everything about that was wrong! Peach doesn't wear eye lashes, and she sure as hell doesn't act as cheery like that! She's tough and fearless! Don't do something she wouldn't do and ditch those big-ass eyelashes! You're ruining everything about her and I hate it! Now, go back outside and when I tell you to come in, act in character this time! Now go!" The Magikoopa sighed and left. Kamek wasn't always an idiot. He was smart, but he should've known that this needed to be as authentic as possible, especially since she was gonna reject him the first time until he brought out the Super Star. Granted, Bowser hadn't actually used the Super Star yet and had not a proper idea of how it worked, but he would cross that gap very soon after he did a bit more research on how it actually worked, but back to the topic at hand. There was a knock on the door. Bowser cleared his throat and opened the door. "Hello, my sweet."

"What the heck do you want?" she hissed. He smiled. That was better. "Well, what do you want? I have my people to take care of."

"My sweet, I've called you here for something very important. I wanted to tell you my true feelings. I just ask for a bit of your time as I sing this little song I wrote." He pulled out his piano and began playing it as his fingers struck across the keys with such a light touch as he closed his eyes, determined to pull his whole heart into telling his love for her. "Oh, dear Princess Peach. My love for you, I cannot keep. With every breath that I take, I swear my heart just starts to break. Though I may have caused some trouble in the past and left some towns in ruin cast, I vow to turn over a new leaf for our love is such an amazing motif!" He got on his knees. "So here I am on bended knee, pledging my allegiance eternally. Will you be my queen of the Darklands? Princess Peach, please take my hand." He extended his hand. "Peaches, will you marry me?"

She scoffed. "Marry you?! You're completely insane! First, you stole something that wasn't yours in the first place. Second, you've tormented me for years when I said no thousands of times. Let me make myself clear. I don't love you. I never will, so do us a favor and drop the freaking act! Our relationship is never gonna be!" Bowser paused, no words coming out of his mouth as all he could do was stare at her hardened glare, the same one she exhibited ever since the conflict between them started. It was always that same look, over and over. Those same words. Same everything, and Kamek nailed her character to perfection. Perhaps a bit too much. The Magikoopa transformed into himself again. "So, how was that?" he said in his normal voice. "Did it help you at all?" Bowser was at a loss for words. "Your Clawness? You're unusually quiet. It's starting to freak me out. Was it too much?" He stayed silent. "Your Angriness?"

All this time, he was after her heart. When they were young, he got acquainted with her, and the two became friends, but over time, he matured and wanted to start a relationship with her. He hadn't been into too many relationships, but for some reason, he was never attracted to other females of his species. Sure, some may have caught his attention, but Peach always came into his mind. There was something about her that he couldn't quite put into words on why he drifted to her, someone of a completely different species compared to his own. He knew for a fact that she was the only one of her kind in this world. Maybe that was the reason why he loved her among a multitude of others, but why hadn't she said yes? Granted, he would try to understand that she wasn't ready for a relationship and would try again a few months later, but this became a back-and-forth for a long time. He was surprised he was still after her heart after so many years, and they knew each other since their childhoods. He had gotten to know her for so long and vice versa, so why? Why hasn't a relationship fostered between them after so long?!

It was fathoming how many different ways a man could propose to someone. He tried going after things she liked in men to the best of his knowledge; he wasn't the best at reading women, but he tried, regardless. He also did much research on what women in society loved, things like men who were powerful, redeeming qualities that slowly became stereotypes over the years, but Bowser didn't have a choice. He thought by showing the might of his army that she would be impressed, but all he caused was fear in her people and a forever broken heart. And now that he had the most powerful weapon in the world, finally, she would bend to his will.

But what was the point? He wanted a genuine relationship with her, and her attitude towards the matter hadn't helped one bit. What was the point in trying when he already knew the answer? Getting her to forcefully marry him didn't feel natural if that love wasn't reciprocated in the same way. He wasted all these years on her all for nothing. In the end, he acted nothing but a simp with not one meaningful thing coming out of the end. What should he do given the circumstances? Should he just call it quits when his forces were willing to die for him because they believed in his goal? "Sire," Kamek said, "I'm gonna need a response from you. You've been quiet for too long."

"What's the point?"

"The point? Are you referring to the wedding? Because we have a plan that'll guarantee Peach to say yes. You don't have to worry. We prepared for every contingency. The princess will be yours shortly."

"But it's not the same! Even if I were to forcefully have her marry me, it's not natural when she hates me, and I want a relationship where we love each other equally, but all she says is no! I've been after her heart for the past decade and nothing's changed! The wedding won't change her feelings for me! So, what's the point of any of this when she doesn't love me back?!"

Kamek sighed. "I knew that was always a struggle. That was how she always was, and she didn't budge an inch. Tell me something. Did you want to call the wedding off? I understand if you want to continue, but I'd hate for you to be trapped in a relationship which you want nothing to do with. What is it that you want to do?"

Bowser sighed. At this point in their relationship, marrying Peach was consequential as not doing so. On one hand, he would be with the love of his life, but it wouldn't be the same. It would just be an unrequited love, and he didn't want that. On the other hand, not having Peach in his life would leave his heart empty that no other female could fill. He would lose all sparks of love just because of how deep his love for Peach went. Which was the lesser of the two evils?

Before he could answer, there was a knock, Bowser not even wanting to retaliate for interrupting his session. "Come in."

The Koopa General entered. "I have-" He paused as he stared at the two. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No. Speak."

"I have returned with all the necessary information we need about Green 'Stache's brother."

Bowser's eyes perked. He had forgotten that Green 'Stache had a brother. Wait a sec. Was he after Peach, too? Well, he had to start somewhere like a name. "Continue."

"Everything that we thought is true. Green 'Stache's brother does look like him. His name is Mario."

"Mario." He smiled. Good. Now he knew the name of the person he would have to crush if he laid a finger on the princess. "What do you know about him?"

"Not much. Though he does seem quite determined to get his brother back, and he seems to be aware of your presence." Bowser's eyes flared. That man knew about him? How? Most likely because he ran into the princess. Knowing that, it was time to answer the most dreaded question.

"Does the princess like him?"

"It appears so, Your Highness. Though at the moment, this Mario doesn't seem to notice said feelings, so he's oblivious at the moment, but that might change in the near future considering the princess might be already making a move on him." Bowser growled. What? The princess was already taking a liking on him? This man had been here for less than two days, and there was already a possibility of a relationship?! Inconceivable! "That's not all. Unfortunately, the princess has been training him."

"Training him?"

"She has plans of her own. She plans on recruiting the Kong Army of the Jungle Kingdom and will invade this castle. If she does so, there's no telling when they'll be at our doorstep." Bowser paced around the room. No. None of this should've happened! First, that Mario just had to come into contact with her, making a relationship possible between them, and now the princess planned on attacking him with the Kong Army?! No. None of this shall stand! He stomped his foot in the ground and roared.

"Sire! You must calm down! We will stop them!"

"How?! Tell me, Kamek, because I don't know! What she's doing completely threw all my plans down the garbage, and it's all because of that Mario laying his grubby hands on her! She's mine, not his! How dare he! How dare they both! To hell with all this!"

"We can stop them." Kamek rubbed his shoulders. "We will find a way to stop them. Maybe we can ambush them instead."

"But how? They're literally across the ocean. How in the world are they coming here?"

"I might have an answer." They turned to the Koopa General. "I'm not all too familiar with the Jungle Kingdom, but I have heard rumors of some sort of Rainbow Road acting as some sort of bridge that connects the two kingdoms. We can use that to invade them, but I'm not certain."

"Then you need to be."

"Lord Bowser?"

"You really think I have the time to base my plans on baseless rumors?! No! We need to stop them! Bring me evidence of this Rainbow Road, and I'll approve it."

"Actually, if I may suggest something much easier." The two glanced at Kamek. "We have airships. We can invade them from above. No need for the research."

"While that seems sound, I still want to find out about this Rainbow Road. After all, I highly doubt the Jungle Kingdom can handle an invasion from two different fronts at the same time. Destroying them that way should be a piece of cake. Leave at once, Koopa General. I want to invade the island by tonight. Bring me some evidence about this Rainbow Road, then get to work on rallying as many troops we can spare for the invasion because I want you to lead it." He closed in on his face. "Kill Mario at all costs, but spare Peach. If any piece of her hair is scorched, there will be consequences. Understood?"

"Yes. For the Darklands!" He flew out in a flash.

"I want you to get me Green 'Stache, Kamek."

"Sire?"

"There's a chance that Mario might survive. I won't be taking any chances. I need to know as much about him as I can. It's time we put your magic to good use."

"Of course, Sire. I'll bring him at once." He left. The best course of action at this point was to stop Mario. If he truly were to make a move on her, then any chance of a relationship would end, so he had to be eliminated at all costs. Only then would Bowser be comfortable with holding the wedding.

Luigi sighed as he stared at the bubbling lava, struggling to find a comfortable spot to lay down. Why did metal have to be a conductor, especially when he was trapped in a fiery furnace that was the prison? Well, there was nothing he could do to answer that question. All he could do was wait. Wait for what seemed like an eternity for Mario to even come. Was he even in this world? The answer to that was the only thing that he could hold onto as he slowly got accustomed to his new life.

He never thought he would've gotten stuck with prison life. It was a thing he heard growing up and he wanted to stay away from it, but alas, here he was. He and the other prisoners were stuck in a tiny cell that hung from the ceiling with the lava hanging below them. It was completely closed off with no visible exit in sight, but obviously there was one since guards came and went. The food was nothing but stale bread and other tasteless foods, nothing substantial enough to feed a human let alone someone of another species. The water they got was fed to them through a small bowl that was attached to a big handle, and they would feed the water through the grate of the cell for just a mouthful of water, and it was only two mouthfuls per day, leaving many throats parched and prisoners complaining.

His companions weren't the best of company. Some of them, in particular the penguins, were having trouble cooling down from the heat, and Luigi didn't find that surprising. Penguins' bodies were made to adapt to cold environments, but stick them in a completely different environment, and things start to change. Luigi didn't know all the science behind it, but they were suffering because they weren't made to survive extreme heat. What made things worse was another companion who seemed to take a lot of joy in being trapped: a star organism of some sort. The star would do nothing but fantasize about death, claiming how short life was and how everyone should appreciate the forthcoming reality of death, and the penguins wouldn't stop incessantly complaining about it. Luigi sighed. This was his world for the last few days, and nothing seemed to indicate it would change anytime soon. "You seem sad." He glanced at the star. Luigi hardly made any conversation with any of his fellow prisoners, especially the star. "I'm sad, too. But I know there's a brighter future for all of us in death." It nihilistically sighed. "How sweet. I can picture it already. The sweet, beautiful mercy in death."

"Just shut the hell up!" a penguin hissed, most likely a king with the crown on its head. "It's bad enough my people are suffering from the heat, but your constant rambling is driving me insane! Just shut up already!"

"I'm just stating what you're ignoring."

"Hello, my prisoners!" A robed figure flew to them on a broomstick. "I hope you all have enjoyed your stay."

"Please!" the penguin cried. "You must get us out of here! My people can't take it anymore! We were not made for the heat, and that star won't stop rambling about death! Please! Let us go!"

"How sad," the robed figure said. "Well, unfortunately, I didn't come for you, so you'll have to stay put for a bit longer." He flew away from the penguin.

"No! Get back here!" Luigi's eyes wavered as the robed figure approached his cell.

"Good morning, Green 'Stache!"

"It's-a Luigi."

"Who?" Luigi sighed. They were never gonna call him by his real name, so why should he even bother? "Surely you know why I've come for you, yes?" He nodded. "Good. We'll talk along the way." He opened the door and grabbed the plumber using his magic as the star waved goodbye at him, a smile plastered on its face and the penguin's cries echoed the prison as they faded. "Now," he said as he flew down the hall, "I have good news and bad news. We actually found information about your brother." Luigi gasped. Mario was in this world? Well, at least that gave him some sort of relief, but that didn't completely give him full relief as the robed figure continued. "Unfortunately, that's also the bad news as he has now become a threat since he had an interaction with the princess, and she has plans of her own. Knowing that, His Ungratefulness wants as much information about him should he survive our incoming attack, which is where you come in. We know brute force won't work on you, but we have other ways."

They walked into Bowser's room as the turtle turned around to greet them. "Ah, Green 'Stache! It's been forever! How's prison life been treating you? Been enjoying it?"

"It's OK, I guess."

"And here I was expecting a more enthusiastic response. We found your brother! You should be smiling, not sporting a frowny face 24/7. Learn to smile once in a while! Anyway, you should know why you're here. Kamek should've given you the rundown, but let me go into more detail. You see, I've been after the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom for a long time, Princess Peach. Picture this, Green 'Stache: beautiful blond hair that glows in the sun. Blue eyes soothing as the ocean. Her gorgeous pink dress that radiates her beauty. She's the most beautiful organism in the world, but every time I try to propose to her, she says no, resulting in a broken heart every time." Luigi raised an eyebrow. Well, the Koopa General wasn't kidding. Bowser sure did have a soft spot, especially when he would dramatically swoon, doing a poetic dance with his gestures as he embellished the story. "Don't you understand the situation I'm in, Green 'Stache? My heart can't take any more of this back and forth. My heart longs for her love, but alas, I receive rejection every time. And you know what's worse?" The smile plastered on his face quickly vanished and was replaced with a snarl. He certainly was one to change moods on a dime. "She has competition from your brother. She started taking an interest in him, and I hate it. Why? Because she's mine! Understand, Green 'Stache?! Mine!" He punched his hand on the desk beside him, crumbling it as it broke apart from the force of his punch. He cleared his throat. "Forgive me. I have the tendency to snap and thus break much of my furniture, but that can be replaced. What can't be is my love for Peach if your dumb brother reciprocates those feelings. So, you're gonna tell me everything about him when I pummel his face into the ground." He zoomed in on the plumber's face, brandishing his claw before snipping a part of his mustache off with one swift strike, causing him to wince. "Everything. Understand?"

"Y-Yes, Lord Bowser."

"I know how you are. Even knowing what's at stake, you still won't spill the beans. That's why I'm gonna have Kamek's magic do the work." Kamek nodded and began chanting before thrusting his wand at him as the spell agonized Luigi's head, causing the plumber to fall to his knees as he cried out in pain.

"You won't last long against my spell," the wizard said. "My spells have a good track record, and I would like to keep it that way. You will succumb to the mind control. A feeble mind like yours only takes minutes to achieve full control, that way any resistance will be quickly silenced. Give up control. It's the only way to end your misery."

"You certainly have a way with words, Kamek."

"Of course, Sire. Believe it or not, that is nothing but additive to help enhance the effect."

"Well, make sure it's quick. I don't want to be here all day." Luigi gritted his teeth as he tried his best to fight the pain, but he quickly found himself losing consciousness by the second. His face started to perspire the longer he kept pushing the pain, but his legs started to go numb, then his fingers. No. He couldn't end like this, being controlled like some sort of puppet for someone else's deeds. That was how he always was his whole life. People toppled over him because he was too quiet and scared to defend himself, and he hated himself for it. Mario always had to step in every time, and it made Luigi question his worth in life, if he was even worth saving.

But he was. Mario did it because he cared for him. Mario did so much for him, and sure, he would get angry at him for his cowardliness, but he truly cared. Now Mario couldn't save him. He was trapped with the same kind of tormentors who ruined Luigi's life over and over, and Luigi couldn't save himself. Well, he had to, even if his body started to go numb. He could feel the force in the back of his mind, fighting for control as the plumber's left hand went completely numb.

Luigi had to do something. Mario was in danger. Luigi just couldn't let them win. He had to fight back! For once in his life, he had to protect Mario! But how? How could he fight going unconscious and undergoing the mind control? Wait. He had to stay conscious throughout the duration of the spell. He had to feel something, something that his brain could perceive. And one thing he could do was cause pain.

He bit on his own finger on the hand that wasn't numb, creating a muffled scream as the action caught the two off guard. "What the? Kamek, why the heck isn't your spell working?! He should've fallen under your control already!"

"I don't understand! Normally it does! Why isn't it working?!" Kamek increased the intensity of the spell, but Luigi bit deeper, causing even more pain as his other arm slowly regained from the numbness, and then his legs one-by-one as he slowly but surely stood up, a snarl emerging on his face as he charged at the wizard, screaming as he knocked him back with a punch as the wizard flew into the wall with a mighty crash.

"I will never allow you to hurt my brother!" he snarled, his look darting at Bowser as he ran to Kamek. "And for the record, the name's Luigi!"

"Kamek!"

"I'm OK," he said as Bowser pulled him up. "I must say, Green 'Stache, not many have escaped from my magic's control like that. Clearly, I underestimated you entirely. I haven't received a blow like that in years." Luigi glanced at his hand. He actually punched him? That was definitely a first, but he couldn't help but chuckle. He actually defended himself, and it felt good. For once, he actually didn't feel scared anymore. He didn't cower, and it was the greatest feeling in the world.

"Don't you dare get cheeky, Green 'Stache!" He glanced at Bowser. "No one hurts my advisor and gets to walk away scot free! Hell no!"

"Well," the green plumber said, "I won't let you hurt my brother!" He ran at him, but Bowser punched him as he got close. He flew into the wall as he coughed. So much power in one punch.

"Listen here." He gripped the plumber's face. "It doesn't matter if you've had a change of heart or whatever. I will kill your brother with my own claws once the Jungle Kingdom is annihilated. You're nothing but a pathetic weakling, and I can't imagine that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Knowing this, he's toast."

"You're wrong. My brother is strong, and he will defeat you!"

Bowser threw him across the ground. "I don't care! I will crush him for ever laying his hands on my future fiancé, and it will be his blood that soaks the ground when I'm done with him! Guards, take him away!" As the guards took him away, Luigi couldn't help but smile. He actually stood up to someone. Now with his newfound confidence, he just had to find a way to join Mario in this fight against the King of the Koopas.

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: All assets of the Mario Movie belong to Nintendo and Illumination.

Chapter 11: Resolve

"Mario. Mario, it's time to wake up."

"No. Five more minutes."

There was an audible sigh. "Toad, do your magic."

"WAKE UP!"

Mario's eyes opened in a flash as he sat up in a pant. "What's going on? Where am I?!"

"Where do you think?" the princess scoffed. "How about you look around and tell me where we are?" He sat up and glanced at the landscape before him. The landmass was covered in huge trees that covered the entire landscape. It was a huge landmass, too. It reminded him of the Amazon Rainforest, and that was the biggest rainforest in his world, but he doubted this jungle was as big as that, but it was still huge compared to some areas he had seen throughout his life. It probably rivaled Italy for its size.

"Woah! It's huge!"

"Yep. One of the largest kingdoms in the world. I'll reveal more facts once we get moving." She turned to a Toad wearing a black and red coat. "You have my thanks, Captain T. Ode."

"Tis always a pleasure of mine to serve the princess of the utmost highest," he said, bowing. "I shall ever wait for your grand return should things turn for the worst. May you have smooth sailing as you win those hearts of the Kongs."

"Yes. We'll do. Well, Toad, lead the way! And try not to get us lost. This is a huge jungle."

Said organism huffed. "Oh, ye of little faith. I, Captain Toad, shall lead us to victory! Come, my followers! Onwards to adventure!" He hopped off the ship, humming to himself.

"Well," Peach said, "He sure is one to hop into danger headfirst. Well, we might as well get going. We don't want to fall behind." She hopped off. Mario took a deep breath. This was it, the true start of an adventure to stop Bowser and get a good look at what else this world had to offer, but considering Peach loved to hide secrets from him just to see his reaction, he had to discover most of this kingdom's secrets himself. He jumped off as the group began the march into the jungle.

As they walked through the jungle, Mario glanced around at all the shrubbery that lay around them. It was about what Mario expected with all the greenery around and the trees standing tall as their height could rival the Empire State Building, though that was just an exaggeration. "So," the princess said as they walked through the jungle, "You ready for some trivia?"

"Sure. Blow me away."

"Well, I highly doubt I would be able to do it that easily, but we've got a while to go, so let's pass the time. First off, did you know the Jungle Kingdom has one of the oldest monarchies in reign?"

"Really? Even older than your kingdom?"

"Yep. Back then, the Mushroom Kingdom didn't have a monarchy, but the Jungle Kingdom was one of the first kingdoms to set the trend. The rest followed. I just happen to be their first human princess, but Toadsworth's family used to be involved in running the kingdom and can be tied back all the way to the first monarch."

"So you can say running the kingdom runs in the family."

"Yep. That describes it to a T. Here's a fact that might cause a bigger reaction. The Jungle Kingdom is actually one of the most industrious kingdoms in the world."

Mario raised an eyebrow. "Really? In the middle of a jungle? How does that make sense?"

"Well, you'd be surprised. They have technology that most other kingdoms don't have. That's why they have one of the greatest armies in the world. The Kong Army can easily rival Bowser's army, especially in terms of its technology. But as to the specifics, I'll keep that a secret for now."

"You sure love keeping secrets from me."

She sighed. "Well, you're the only human I've ever met, and you will have to go home. I just want to cherish these moments as a reminder that I'm not alone. I wished for my whole life to know where I came from or even to see someone of my own species, but now that you're here, I just want to cherish these moments before you have to go home."

"Who says I won't come back?" She glanced at him. "Sure, I may get lost, but there's so much of this world I don't know, and if we weren't in a war, then I could see this world properly. I can make this promise: it may be further down the line, but I will come back. This won't be the last time you see me."

She smiled. "Thank you, Mario."

"And maybe I'll bring you to my world. One thing I can promise is that there aren't any evil turtles there. That's what my world has over this one."

She chuckled. "I'll count on it."

"Hey, love bugs!" The two glanced at Toad as he crossed his arms. "Are you two gonna flirt with each other all day or what? I'd like to make some progress, thank you."

"I never knew you were the impatient type," Mario said. "Also, love bugs?"

"Don't you dare act oblivious. I saw that little twinkle in your eye. You have a thing for her and vice versa."

"We were having a genuine conversation! This has nothing to do with love! Don't take things out of context, especially since you didn't hear the conversation!"

Toad shrugged. "Whatever you say. By the way, I totally ship you two to the Moon and back. Now, back to adventure!" As he walked away, Mario and Peach awkwardly glanced at each other.

"Well," the princess said, breaking the ice, "Talk about an awkward moment. Try not to think too much into it. Let's just go."

"Yeah." As they walked, Mario scratched his head. Where in the world did Toad get that idea from? Was he pranking him, or did he truly ship them? He shrugged. Who knew how much Toad heard, but as he followed them in silence, his mind drifted off to a corner as he couldn't help but wonder. Was that true? Did Peach have a crush on him? They only met a couple days ago, and she did open up to him, but never fully expressed those types of thoughts. Well, regardless, he had to stay focused. The mission came first.

"And here we are!" Toad pointed to two giant wooden doors that acted as the gate into the city.

Peach smirked. "Well done, Toad. I knew you had it in you."

"Of course. That's what happens when I'm the best adventurer there is. The very best."

"Well, let's put those adventurer skills to the test." She banged on the door using the handle and took a couple steps back as they awaited for a Kong to arrive. Based on the location, Mario had a hunch of who these Kongs actually were. His suspicions were proven correct when a gorilla wearing a white muscle shirt with a red bandana and black shades roared in their faces, causing Toad to scream as he ran behind Peach's leg.

"What the heck, man?! You scared the crap out of us!"

Peach smirked. "And here I thought you said you feared nothing."

"Well, I didn't expect to see an ape wearing weird shades screaming in my face! How the heck was I supposed to see that coming?!"

"Hey!" the gorilla hissed. "Don't you dare diss my shades! These are drip! Don't you even!"

"Hello, Sir Funky Kong."

"Well, I'll be! It's Princess Peach! It's been too long!"

"Of course."

"Isn't he gonna finish the first part of that sentence?" Toad whispered to Mario as the two hugged each other. "This guy's lingo is so weird."

The plumber rolled his eyes. "Do I even need to answer that?" He returned his eyes to Peach as she finished hugging the Kong.

"So, princess," the gorilla said, "What brings you out here in this neck of the woods?"

She sighed. "Well, you can probably guess why, considering I came here ten years ago."

"Oh. That Bowser dude who doesn't know when to respect a female's space."

"Yes. I need to speak to Cranky Kong. I know I was unable to convince him the last time I was here, but things have gotten worse. He has the Super Star and with it, he plans on destroying my kingdom. I need to recruit the Kong Army to stop his invasion."

Funky Kong audibly sighed. "Well, I don't see how this can go through. Cranky Kong's still as stubborn as the day he was born. That dude ain't movin' an inch. I highly doubt things will change, sister."

"Please! This needs to happen! Just give me one more chance!"

"Look. Just because I said that things won't change doesn't mean you won't get a chance. You're lucky I'm the guard on duty, otherwise you probably would've been turned away. Give me one second." He walked away. A couple minutes later, a rumbling sound entered his ear as Mario gasped. Wait a sec. Was it what he thought it was? He ran and glanced at a kart with an extra seat in the back as Funky Kong flashed his shades. "Hop on in!"

"Well," Peach said as she and Toad walked to the Kong, "You seem surprised, Mario."

"They have actual go-karts?! In the middle of a jungle?! This seems so surreal!"

"You'd be surprised by what other technology they have." They hopped in the vehicle with Toad in the back. "You'd better hold on because these can go very fast." Mario scratched his head. Why the heck weren't there any seatbelts? What kind of car didn't have seatbelts? He held onto the frame. Hopefully, he wouldn't fall to his doom.

Funky Kong laughed and slammed on the gas, the kart taking off as it sped through the jungle on a bridge, twisting and turning as Mario held on for dear life. "How the heck does this thing not have any seatbelts?!" he yelled. "Do you want to die?!"

"Why would I?" the Kong said. "These karts are built with the hardest steel there is. We ain't dyin' today!" That didn't give Mario any assurance. As they went into the city, Mario glanced at his surroundings. The place was surrounded by hundreds of huts with bridges that zigzagged across each other all while suspended above a body of water. In the distance stood some sort of structure of a Kong's head, presumably Cranky Kong's as they reached the end of a bridge. With the press of a button, a glider popped out as they flew inside the structure's mouth as it opened. Funky Kong landed safely as he braked more abruptly as Mario flew off.

"I thank you for everything, Funky Kong. I'm in your debt."

"Nuthin' to it, sister. Hope it goes well. See ya on the flip side!" He drove away.

"That was so cool!" Mario said, a huge smile on his face. "These karts can fly?! Again, so surreal."

"By all means, please come in." Banging sounds entered his ears as he glanced at the Kongs as they whacked their mallets on the ground. "Because it's totally fine to just waltz in here unannounced. So, by all means, come in." He glanced at a Kong sitting on a throne wearing a red robe and an Aztec-like crown of sorts.

Peach curtsied to him. "Hello, King Cranky Kong."

"Well, well, well," he said. "If it isn't Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom. You know it's very rude to show up here unannounced. You should've given me some sort of notice of your arrival ahead of time. You know better."

"I understand my arrival is a bit sudden, but I came here requesting your help."

"As you did ten years ago but go on. It's not like I have all the time in the world."

She sighed. "You know about the conflict going on between Bowser and I."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"Well, Bowser's got the Super Star." Cranky Kong raised an eyebrow. "And with it, he's gonna destroy my kingdom. Please. I need your army so we can invade him before he strikes upon my kingdom. Please lend me your strength."

"Or you can say yes." She crossed her arms. "Don't get me wrong, princess. I completely understand your situation, but it can all end with one simple word, that way your problem will be solved, and my ears will be free of the broken record that are your words. It's that simple."

Peach scoffed. "What? Are you really suggesting I give into his demands?!"

"It seems pretty cut and dry to me."

"No! I'm not gonna let him subjugate his rule onto my people! They already suffered enough from his forces! That's not happening! I need to end this swiftly before things escalate even further!"

"Then I have nothing else to say. You can leave."

"But if he succeeds, your kingdom is next!"

Cranky Kong rubbed his temples and sighed. "Must I really have to spell it out for you again? Goodness gracious. Look around you, princess. What do you see? I'll go ahead and answer that for you. You are looking at some of my finest soldiers. These soldiers have been trained from the moment they were born. I raised them to be the mighty protectors of the Jungle Kingdom aka the Great Kong Army. This kingdom also has the most advanced technologies in this world. Bowser's army doesn't even hold a candle against mine. So, tell me. Why should I be afraid when I have the greatest army in the world?!" The Kongs banged their mallets. "Also, he has no reason to come after me. You've been tangled in a game of cat and mouse with him for the past decade, so he's your problem, not mine. Besides, just you being here brings a target on my kingdom, so I suggest you leave at once or I'll have my guards escort you out. That's final. Leave at once."

"But-"

"Five." Mario growled. So, this was the stuck-up king that was Cranky Kong. He had an idea of what to expect from him, but this was just absurd. For as mighty of an army that he had, surely, he could spare a couple soldiers to help Peach, right? This kingdom, and by proxy its population, was massive, meaning he must've had some spare resources, even if the Jungle Kingdom hadn't been in a conflict for years. No, he was just being stubborn just because. He knew what was going on and yet decided to ignore her cries. It was about time Mario gave him a piece of his mind.

"Four."

"No!"

Cranky Kong's eyes averted to Mario. "Who the heck are you?"

"Who I am doesn't matter. We're not leaving until we get your army."

"Who do you think you are?! You don't even look like you live here! What makes you think you have jurisdiction over my rulings?!"

"You're right. I don't live here, but I say what I mean. We're not leaving without your army!"

"Well, that's too bad. I already ruled against it. I'm already angsty because your sorry butts are still in my presence. I suggest you leave at once."

"No! We aren't leaving!"

"Mario," Peach said. "Don't test his patience."

"I came here for one reason and one reason only: to get his army, and I'll be damned if I have to see another one of your people suffer because of how ignorant he's been! He's been aware of the situation this whole time and yet can't even bother to spare a couple of his men! That just shows how unfit he is at being king!"

"I'm right here," Cranky Kong growled. "If you're gonna throw visceral insults at me, at least have the audacity to look at my face." Mario glared at him. "That's better. Also, what makes you think I'm an unfit king when you have no experience with running a kingdom? I will do everything to protect my people, even if it means not getting involved with other people's affairs. That's not being selfish or ignorant. It's called doing what's best for them. You have no right to judge me on my actions. No right at all!"

"But that doesn't mean you can't at least lend a helping hand to others in need. Your people will be fine either way."

"Not if I want to go making enemies! Next thing you know, they're at your freaking doorstep!"

"But don't you have the greatest army in the world?"

"I'm not putting my people in the middle of a war! That is final! Guards, get these maniacs out of here at once!"

The Kongs slowly closed in on them as the trio slowly backed towards the door. Mario growled. He should've known his strategy wasn't gonna work. Cranky Kong truly lived up to his name with the scowl that grew on his face. Should he take them on? Back in his own world, gorillas were quite fierce and weren't to be messed with but throw mallets in the mix and you had one of the most powerful organisms alive. Mario could barely take on a dog. He would be a mad man to take on the powerful primates, but sometimes, that was what mad men did. They took crazy risks, and he had no intention of saying no. "I'm about to do something really crazy."

"What?" Peach said. "Wait. Don't tell me you're thinking about taking them on. They're ten times stronger than you! That's how you get yourself killed!"

Mario smirked. "Yeah, well, that's what I do. I take out guys ten times my size for a living. This should be a piece of cake."

"Mario, no!" He ran and punched one of them with all his might. The Kong staggered to the floor. He could actually feel the pain in his arm when technically he didn't use 100% of his energy into every punch he threw, but this one he did, and the Kong didn't fall too far away due to its massive size and weight. This was gonna be harder than he thought. The others retaliated with a roar and charged at him, but Mario dodged to the side. He couldn't take them head on. His next best strategy was for them to hit each other, but he didn't know how intelligent they were. They could easily pick up his strategy, heck maybe even counter it with their own. But doing this had to cause something to change in Cranky Kong's mind. He had to notice how stubborn Mario was that he wasn't letting go of this. That was literally the last thing the plumber could do, or else Peach's kingdom was done for and Mario might not see Luigi again. He ducked as two Kongs swung their hammers, knocking them out as more charged at him. He continued dodging their attacks as he tried to execute his strategy, but one managed to catch his drift and punched him mid-dodge. He rolled along the ground.

Two other Kongs held Peach and Toad back as they yelled in protest. "No! Cranky Kong, please don't kill him!"

"Oh, calm down, princess. I won't. That is if he can answer my questions satisfactorily." He walked to the plumber as a Kong pinned him down with his mallet. "You're really quite stubborn, aren't you? You do realize my soldiers could've killed you, yes? Do you even have a brain, or are you just that stupid?"

"I'm not dumb," Mario hissed. "I'm just trying to prove a point."

"Right. And your point is you're trying to see how far you can go with this charade before I decide to kill you. First, you insult me and second, you attack my guards. I've never met someone with a death wish like you. Answer me something: you are aware of her conflict and that she needs you, yes?"

"Yes."

"And yet you decide to voluntarily throw your life in the balance without a care in the world."

"You think I don't care? I care for the people I'm close to. I protected my brother from all kinds of fiends. I promised Peach that I would save her people and stop Bowser at all costs! Don't you dare say I care because I do! You don't even know me!"

"Oh really? If you truly cared, would you throw away your life here and now when you haven't even faced the beast? If you do, then that's the antithesis of what you claim. You would do everything to make me change my mind, even if that means you die in the end. How does that show that you care when you don't consider the feelings of others?" Mario gasped as he glanced at Peach and Toad, who both were on the verge of crying as they stared at him with crying tears and huffed breaths. "Your determination is admirable," Cranky Kong continued, "But you're blind to what's in front of you. You let your emotions drive you instead of your thoughts." He knelt to the plumber. "You want to be the hero? Learn to take others into consideration with every decision you make. I don't make decisions blindly. I consider all my options before making a choice, and every choice I make has consequences in the end. Guards, release them."

The Kongs did as Peach walked to him. She sighed. "I completely misjudged you. I thought you were nothing but a selfish being who didn't care about what happened to my people. I'm sorry."

Cranky Kong shook his head. "No. Listen, my dear. I just fear for my people's safety. I understand your pain. Perhaps I shouldn't have turned a completely blind eye, but I made what I thought was the best decision at the time, and I'm quite stubborn to change my mind. I put my people first. Simple as that."

"So, what does that mean for my request? And what will you do with Mario?"

"That I'm still deciding on. Mario, was it?" The plumber nodded. "Come here." He walked to the Kong. "Clearly, you aren't budging on this and neither am I, so we're at a stalemate. Let's put your resolve to the test. I will base my ruling on how truthfully you answer these last few questions. What is it that you most desire from this world?"

"Peace. I want to stop Bowser and bring peace to this world."

"OK. Standard answer. How do you go about doing that?"

"How?"

"It's a very simple question. Tell me in specifics how you are going to accomplish those goals."

"But we have a plan to recruit your army to raid Bowser's Castle."

"Not sufficient enough. Go deeper. Reexamine your goals and your desires and tell me how you will accomplish them."

Mario sighed. Was there something he was missing? He had some sort of plan laid out. It seemed pretty cut and dry, but maybe it wasn't as simple as he thought. Back when he first met Toad, he called him a hero, and Mario has yet to let go of that moment. What about that moment made him remember it over and over? It was such a simple thing that he could do practically anyone who was suffering like he did, so why? He did it because he thought it was something he had to do. Then again, did he have any actual idea of what being a hero meant? He had read numerous comics about classic superheroes that saved the world, but they were fiction, not reality. But even then, they still exemplified traits that a real-life hero would have, but that was years ago. Did he truly have an idea of what was meant to be a hero? "Truth be told, I have no idea of what it means to be a hero. I guess I decided to do it because it needed to be done. That's why I'm so stubborn. That's why I'm willing to go to extreme ends to meet my goals. I thought I had what it took to accomplish them, but I guess I was wrong."

"Incorrect."

"What?"

"My boy, you have the determination to succeed, but you need to change how you view your goals. You have the right idea, but you're tackling it with the wrong mindset. You say you have to do it, but you need to want to do it."

"Want to?"

"You lack the passion that's exemplified in heroism. People don't just save others because they have to, but because they have the passion and drive to do it themselves. That's their driving force, not some external entity forcing them to do it. Tell me, Mario, do you want to save them? Are you willing to show how much you want this for her people? Tell me!"

"Yes."

"Answer me with your might! Tell me just how much you want her people to be safe!"

"I'll do it! I do want this for her people!"

Cranky Kong laughed. "There you go! That's the spirit! That's the energy you need to show them. Never forget who you're doing this for. Now, I have made up my mind. You will have the chance to prove yourself. Beat my son in a duel, and we will lend you a hand against Bowser. If you lose, then that's it. I can no longer help you then. What's your decision?"

Mario glanced at Peach and Toad. They were a driving force behind his actions. He needed to prove to them how much he cared and that he wasn't doing it because it had to be done. He had to show them just how much of a hero he could be. "I'll do it."

"Excellent! The duel shall be held in the Great Ring of Kong. I expect great things from you, Mario. Don't disappoint." He walked away. Mario smiled with his newfound determination. He was gonna prove everyone of the hero he meant to be.

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: All assets of the Mario Movie belong to Nintendo and Illumination.

Chapter 12: King Kong

The trio were held in a different room until it was time to face Cranky Kong's son, but instead of planning for his method of attack, all Mario could do was just stare in silence at Peach, who hadn't said a word to him. There was a tinge of guilt that the plumber felt that wouldn't go away, even if he was happy with how things went down. Sure, he got what he wanted and had a better idea of showing how he could be a proper hero without rushing into danger, but it was without her input, and he couldn't let go of that.

There was also Toad, too. He built quite the relationship with him and even gained his trust multiple times from the organism's actions, so why did Mario feel like he betrayed their trust? Well, having the will to die just to get her army wasn't being a hero, it was being a fool, something Toadsworth himself told him about and yet Mario ignored him anyway. Also, he would break the multitude of promises he made to various people. He was glad he even made it this far, but hopefully the bridges between his friends weren't fully burned.

He decided to break the ice. "Guys, I'm sorry. I know what I did was wrong, but I'm sorry."

"I'd say," Toad said, crossing his arms. "I get why, but it still wasn't cool. You could've died back there. Definitely not cool."

"You made a promise." Mario glanced at Peach. "You promised that you would come back. How can you do that when you're dead?! Also, what about your brother? Did you even think of him?"

Mario sighed. "No. I'm such a fool."

"No, you aren't."

"What?"

"You've done so much in so little time. You've done so many amazing things, and we're lucky that we've gotten this far, but do you really think just rushing in without a second thought is gonna solve anything? For example, back at the course. You barely stopped between attempts. You just kept going, hoping something would change, and Toadsworth called you out for that. Now, you attack Cranky Kong's guards, thinking your stubbornness is gonna change his mind. You don't need to prove to me why you care about my people because you do. Your actions sure as heck do speak to themselves. You already have the heart of the hero, and while Cranky Kong was right with the things he pointed out, you can't rush in first. You need to think about the situation and weigh the pros and cons of each solution, and this is speaking from experience. I've been stuck in a never-ending war for the past ten years and there were some things I had to learn on my own. Right now, you're about to face the toughest member of the Kong Army. Think about your moves and plan ahead. Do that, and you'll give yourself an advantage over your opponent."

Mario smiled. Even though she was mad at him, and rightfully so, she truly cared for him, and her advice gave him a glimpse of how much more room there was to grow. He would be lying if he didn't say he was naïve because he was. Charging in was all he ever did, and most of the time, it worked. But now, he had learned more about what it meant to actually be one in the past couple minutes than the rest of his life, and he couldn't let her or everyone else down. Sure, his goal hadn't changed, but he was prepared to tackle this problem with his new mindset. There was a knock on the door.

Funky Kong walked in. "It's time." He glanced at the plumber. "I heard about what you did, and damn, man! You really got some balls under that thin skin of yours! Quite impressive."

"Well, to be honest, I kinda got lucky. He could've killed me if he wanted to."

"Sure, but you managed to change his mind! Not many can actually say that. Well, I'm here to escort you to the Great Ring of Kong for your match. But I will say good luck. You're really gonna need it." As they walked towards the exit, Mario gulped. Was his opponent really this strong? Well, Cranky Kong did love to brag about his army, so this shouldn't come as a surprise, but still. He didn't have a solid plan and weirdly enough, he could feel the pain on his right hand, though he did use an icepack to dull the pain, but this was just a taste of what was to come.

"Hey." He glanced at Peach. "You're gonna be OK. Don't start getting nervous now. I'm sure Cranky Kong's gonna find some way to not make it so one-sided."

"Sure, but I don't have a plan. I don't think I could just whale on him when I lack his physical strength. You saw how I handled those Kongs. They barely budged an inch, and I couldn't take them on."

"Well, there were a lot of Kongs you were facing. You were gonna stumble regardless just because of the sheer numbers. Here, it's just one. It's not gonna be as bad."

"I wouldn't give him false hope, sister," Funky Kong said. "Cranky Kong's son has got some power behind his muscles. He's number one for a reason. I struggle to rise to the top, and he does nothing but trample the competition beneath his feet. That's the truth. Let's not sugarcoat the situation."

"But I'm only trying to lift his spirits."

"It's OK." She glanced at the plumber. "I realized that Bowser might rival his strength. In order to defeat him, I have to grow stronger, which means I have to defeat Cranky Kong's son. I don't have a choice." He really didn't. So much depended on him defeating the son. He didn't doubt Funky Kong's words, but Mario had to face him. He smiled. But he wasn't gonna rush in. No, he had that lesson drilled in his head that he probably couldn't take another bashing, but that was besides the point. He was gonna show this Kong that size didn't matter, and he could beat someone ten times stronger than him through his brain and sheer will. He was gonna do it for Luigi.

Funky Kong shrugged. "Whatever gives you the confidence you need. Just don't say anything if he somehow flops you up like a dirty banana. We're here." Mario gazed at a giant, spherical stone ring that stood before him. It reminded him of the Colosseum, though he hadn't visited it much in his childhood.

"Ah, welcome!" He glanced at Cranky Kong as he jumped off his kart. "I'm glad you arrived, though your name has made it through the ranks of my army and people. They either revere you or think you're one of the dumbest organisms alive, and I can't tell which one's worse. Anyway, this is the Great Ring of Kong where you'll be battling my son. I hope you're ready because you're gonna need every trick up your sleeve to win."

Mario chuckled slightly. "Yeah. Everyone keeps telling me that." He could hear the crowd from inside.

"Let's not keep my people waiting. Peach and her friend, follow me. Mario, you stand outside the door and wait for my cue to enter the ring. That is all."

The group separated with Funky Kong leading him to his destination before beginning to walk away. "Good luck, guy!"

Mario sighed. Yeah. He was gonna need all the luck he could get. "Hello, my fellow Kongs!" came Cranky Kong's voice from the other side of the door, though it was a bit muffled, but the plumber could still hear him. "Welcome to the Great Ring of Kong. This arena was built for those who wanted to challenge others in a battle of skill and might and where our mightiest soldiers train everyday. It was also here where many Kongs challenged the current monarch for the right of the throne. Over the years, many great battles were held here, but today is a bit different. Today, we have a visitor from another kingdom, Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom. She came here to ask for our help in her war against the Darklands, but one doesn't simply hand over such power to others. One must prove they have the right to fight alongside the greatest army in the world! And a challenger we do have. Everyone, give it up for her knight in shining armor: Mario!" That was his cue. As the plumber walked through the door, he was met with many boos from the Kongs, causing the nervousness to return.

"Oh, shut up!" Toad hissed to no avail of silencing the crowd.

"And for his opponent, this Kong is the strongest out of my army and has the right to be called the prince and my son. You know him well. Give it up for-" The doors burst open as a giant Kong wearing a tie with the initials D.K. as he weirdly started to flex his muscles as he laughed precariously, which made Mario scratch his head, but it was enough for the crowd to cheer.

"I'm DK! Donkey Kong!"

Cranky Kong sighed as he rubbed his temples. "Donkey Kong, no! What did I tell you about your stupid showboating?!"

"Ah, come on, Dad!" Donkey Kong said. "This is what they came out here for! Dancing pecs! They love it!"

"But I told you many times not to do that! You're disrespecting the Kong name! Now, enough!" Donkey Kong rolled his eyes. "Alright, let's quiet down so I can get on to explaining the rules. The rules are simple. Knock out your opponent any way you can, and you win, but to make things a bit more interesting, there are Power-ups scattered around. You're welcome, Mario. Now, let the duel commence!"

Mario studied the locations of the question blocks, knowing they housed the Power-ups in them. Obviously, if he was gonna win, then he needed to get those Power-ups, but he would be a fool to assume Donkey Kong didn't know that fact. While Cranky Kong did put them out there to help him, it made things a whole lot harder because Donkey Kong knew where he was gonna go and stop him from gaining access to them. "This is who I have to fight?" His gaze reverted to the Kong. "Someone with barely any meat on their bones? This fight's barely gonna last five seconds."

"I wouldn't get so cheeky just yet," Mario said. "I'm sure you heard the saying 'don't judge a book by its cover.'"

"So? Even if you have help from those dumb Power-ups, you can't hope to match against my might." He began charging at him. "It's time I put you in your place!" Mario gulped a bit. He didn't expect Donkey Kong to make a move so soon, but why would he? He made his goal explicitly clear, but Mario also had a clear goal. Planning his trace of movements ahead of time was how he was gonna get an edge over the Kong, and with how fast he was moving, Mario had to time his jump just right, otherwise Donkey Kong might make use of his huge range of his arms. He waited a bit closer. Closer. Now! He jumped as the Kong whizzed right past him. Mario smirked. If there was another thing that was his best friend, it was physics. Donkey Kong struggled to turn around to grab him before he could get to the block, but he ended up crashing into the wall as Mario grabbed onto the block. Yes. Excellent. He punched it, some sort of yellow and orange flower appearing in front of him.

Was this the Fire Flower Peach mentioned? Well, he didn't have much time to figure it out, so he quickly gobbled it up, but as he did, a barrel crashed into him, causing him to lose the Power-up as he rolled along the rail before Donkey Kong walked out of the wall with another in hand. "I will admit," he said, "You've got brains. Perhaps I underestimated you. But I know your weakness. I do thank Dad for all these Power-ups he has lying around. That just shows where you're gonna go next. I know your every move, so you've just become the most predictable opponent I ever met!" He charged at him once more. Mario growled. There went another option he had. What else could he do? Maybe feinting between directions? Would that work? Well, this Kong was intelligent and strong, but Mario started to run out of options by the minute. Perhaps the best way to proceed was to he put some adequate distance between the two of them. He gasped as the barrel hurled towards his way, meaning he had no choice but to jump. He jumped to the lower levels while avoiding Power-ups, but Donkey Kong proved to be quite the nimble organism as he used his arms to climb the various obstacles as the game of cat and mouse began. "And now you're running away?! Come on and face me like a man already!" As he swung from vine to another, Mario spotted a block from far away, and when he turned around, Donkey Kong was still on his tail. Clearly putting distance between them wasn't an option anymore. The Kong had huge muscles and a body frame Mario could only dream of. That gave him a huge advantage and was why escaping from the Kong was so difficult, but Mario couldn't run forever. He had to make some sort of move now.

As he closed in on the block, he turned around once more. Bad mistake. As Mario faced forward, he was met with a kick to the face from the Kong as he swung from a vine of his own. Mario fell to the lower levels, struggling to slow his momentum, but he grabbed the edge as he was about to fall to the water below. The crowd cheered as he pulled himself up, but he was huffing at the end as Donkey Kong dropped to his level. "What are you gonna do now? There's not a single Power-up within close range. You're gonna have no choice but to take me head-on. Think you can do that with your puny frame? Let's test that out, shall we?!" He charged at the plumber, rolling as Mario jumped, but the Kong slowed himself down and leapt at him. "Oh no you don't!" He grabbed him and threw him across the rail. "You aren't going anywhere!" He rammed into the plumber with his shoulder, sending him flying backwards, before climbing under and grabbing the plumber before he could fall and leaped in the air with a mighty jump then throwing him to the rail. The plumber crashed, rolling once more as he stopped at the edge.

He tried to stand, but Donkey Kong pinned him with his foot. His entire body was on fire for being thrashed around like a doll. This was the power of the greatest soldier of the Jungle Kingdom, and everything people said about him wasn't an exaggeration. He was strong, quick, and intelligent. How in the world was Mario supposed to beat him? He tried basically everything he had on his sleeve. How was he supposed to beat him?! Mario needed to get stronger. He needed to prove he was strong enough to stop Bowser, and yet he couldn't handle an overgrown gorilla. How? How?! "How sad," Donkey Kong said. "And here I was expecting my opponent to bring their A game. I'm the best for a reason, but it seems my expectations were too high, or perhaps you put yourself up too high of a pedestal. You did say don't judge a book by its cover, right? Well, look at you now. You couldn't even back up your own words. You're pathetic. Oh well. At least I'm gonna make this quick, so I thank you for not putting up too much of a fight. Once I win, I'll finally get the respect I deserve from my father. He wouldn't dare look down upon me after I defeat you. So, sleep tight because after I deliver this blow, you're gonna be counting sheep for a while."

As the Kong clenched his fist, Mario gasped. He wasn't out of options after all. Since this battle began, he hadn't spoken much. While it was just a guess, that must've been how all his other opponents were. They would be too scared to say anything just because of how mighty Donkey Kong towered over them, causing immense fear. And to the Kong, this was personal between him and his father, though he didn't need to know the specifics. This information alone was powerful enough that it could be enough to turn the tide in his favor. "I had no idea this was personal." The Kong paused. Good. He just needed to morph with his feelings for a bit just enough to loosen his grip, then the plumber was golden.

"Like that's any of your business," he growled.

"Well, that's why you're trying so hard to beat me, because he thinks you are pathetic."

"I'd shut your mouth if I were you."

"But I can understand how you feel. You aren't-"

"I said 'shut up'!" The Kong screamed as he raised his fist, but his grip loosened ever so slightly, causing the plumber to smile. There. Now was his chance! As Donkey Kong was about to strike him, Mario shoved his foot off and took off like no tomorrow, causing the crowd to erupt in cheers. "Get back here! You don't get to toy with my emotions and get away with it! Get the hell back here!" This time, Mario didn't look back. He jumped towards the first question block that entered his sights and smashed it with no hesitation. A yellow and red acorn popped out of the bottom and rolled along the ground, though he could hear the roar of Donkey Kong as the gorilla slowly closed in. Maybe it was a bad idea to make him mad, but Mario didn't dwell on it too much. He jumped as the Kong tried smashing him and grabbed the acorn before it fell and quickly gorged it as his body transformed into something akin to a flying squirrel with two gray membranes on the side of his arms and a tail, most likely implying its use as a flight Power-up, which could prove useful. "I'm not done with you!" Donkey Kong hurled a barrel at him, but Mario took off, flapping his arms as he soared through the air, a big smile emerging on his face. He glided to the other side. He knew he was like a flying squirrel, but the variety of these Power-ups was quite astonishing, but as amazing as this was, he needed something with more firepower, especially with an angry gorilla tearing through the course with a mad snarl on his face. Mario quickly punched another block, an orange propeller mushroom spinning through the air. He already eyed one last Power-up directly above him and quickly deduced what this one did, so he grabbed and munched on it, jumping as he soared through the air, Donkey Kong missing by inches as he jumped in an attempt to grab him.

Mario flew right past it quicker than he anticipated as he soared higher in the sky, but he could lose the Power-up. He just had to hurt himself in some way, so he did with a bite to the finger, causing a muffled scream, but it was enough to dissipate it as gravity slowly regained control of his body. He exclaimed, "Mamma Mia!" as he went to grab it, his arms reaching out, but he was successful at grabbing it as he pulled himself up. He punched it, a gold bell appearing in front of him. His energy started to dissipate. He couldn't run around forever or else he might not have enough energy to win the duel, so he had to put his trust in this Power-up. He had to trust this would give him the edge he needed. After consuming it, he turned into a cat of sorts. A cat? Well, it was all he had left, so he had to make it count.

"Get down here!" He turned to Donkey Kong. "All you've done in this match is make a mockery of my name, and I hate you for it! I'm freaking Donkey Kong, the strongest soldier in this army and you've done nothing but make me look like a fool! Stop running around like a freaking coward!"

"You think I'm a coward?" Mario jumped from his block. "Far from it. The only reason why I've had to run was because I'm not as strong as you. I literally have no idea what some of these Power-ups do, so I'm literally putting my blind faith into them. I understand what you're trying to do. All your life, you've been trying to prove to everyone that you're the best, but the truth is that everyone looks down upon you. They think you aren't strong enough, so you have to do everything you can to change their minds, including your stubborn father, which I would know. I get why you're angry with me, but I'm doing this so I can save this world and my brother. I'm willing to do anything to save them, so I'm not going to run away anymore. I'm done."

"You swear?" The plumber nodded. "Good. You will pay for tarnishing my name. No more running." He charged at the plumber. "Hit me with everything you've got!" Mario nodded. As the Kong swung his arms at him, Mario darted to the other side in a swift motion. Donkey Kong turned around and tried to whack him again and again, but Mario dodged each blow with his quick strides. He knew cats could be quick, but not this quick. This Power-up managed to boost his speed and reaction time tenfold as he zipped around the Kong as he flailed his arms, his face growing into desperation with each miss. "Stop moving!" Mario ducked under one of his swings and scratched his cheek with his claws.

"Meow," the plumber said, brandishing his claw as he flashed a cheeky smile. Donkey Kong yelled and swung at him, but Mario jumped around the arena, catching the gorilla off guard as he jumped from block to block, hitting him before retreating. His hit-and-run strategy seemed to pay off as the Kong was knocked back with each blow. Donkey Kong climbed underneath the rail and threw more barrels at the plumber, but he dodged each one before catching one and throwing it back at him, knocking the Kong phased. That left him vulnerable to a few more blows until his was on his back. Good. Now, time to end this fight. He jumped from block to block, gaining height before nose-diving towards him at max velocity, his claws stretched as the two crashed through many rails before landing on a series of blocks that surprisingly didn't break from the impact. By the end of it, Mario panted as he gazed at a ruffled and dazed Kong who just huffed. After many minutes of struggling, the Kong was finally out of breath to fight back, meaning this fight was over and Mario was the victor as the crowd cheered his name. He did it. He actually won! Donkey Kong wasn't an easy opponent, but that meant he was ready to take on the beast that was Bowser and save this world.

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: All assets of the Mario Movie belong to Nintendo and Illumination.

Chapter 13: Thunderstruck

Bowser smiled as he gazed at the fabled Rainbow Road that stood before him. "So, this is the Rainbow Road you were talking about, Koopa General. Interesting." Bowser had personally never heard of this Rainbow Road mainly because the Jungle Kingdom wasn't on his radar, but all it took was a bit of research done in the library including a photo to help with comparison because Bowser wasn't gonna believe something someone said. Again, he needed actual proof, and the photo satisfied his question. He just let the rest of the text tell him where it was and now here they were, staring at a beautiful road made of gorgeous texture where the colors of the rainbow coalesced beautifully together. This seemed like something out of a myth, but nope. Here it was, the same Rainbow Road that they're gonna use to attack him, but having it be the exact opposite made it even more satisfying. It was a shame he couldn't get any information out of Green 'Stache after his stunt. He truly underestimated him, which gave him all the information he needed. Stubbornness must've runned in the family with the way he acted, so there was no way Mario was gonna back down without a fight, but neither was he.

"Indeed," the Koopa General said. "I have all our troops ready at the cliffside like you suggested, and I reaffirmed them to killl everyone, especially Mario, but keep the princess alive. I didn't tell them to capture her because you want to propose to her at her kingdom. Hence why you got the Super Star should she refuse, so you could use her people against her."

"Good. Has Kamek left with the air fleet?"

"Yes. A couple hours ago, so they should be arriving momentarily."

"Good."

"If I may ask something." The Koopa nodded. "Did something happen recently between you and Kamek? I couldn't help but feel bad for stumbling upon your conversation. Again, you have my apologies."

"You're perfectly fine. To be honest, I was having doubts about the wedding. Having her not share the same love I have for her, especially after all these years, just made me wonder if it was all worth it. Heck, I even transformed the part where I say I do into a silly song to show off my quirky side, but all she's seen is my anger, and I want to change that so badly. Any advice?"

The Koopa General sighed. "I don't have any experience with women, but I can draw from my other relationships. Learn to take your time with her. Don't rush her by forcing your feelings onto her because that's how this has always been, yes?" Bowser nodded. "Just let it come out naturally and tell her how you truly feel. That's the best advice I can give you right now."

Bowser nodded. It was sound advice. Perhaps this was the best way to proceed. Heck, forcing his feelings onto her was all he ever did, so he needed to practice soothing his anger. To her, that was all he had ever been, and that needed to change in order to show that he cared, but then again, he did have the Super Star. He planned on destroying her kingdom should she refuse, but all she had to do was say yes, then he wouldn't hurt another soul of her people ever again. Did he hate killing her people over her love? To be honest, yes, but hopefully things would change if everything went to plan and Mario did indeed die in the raid, but one thing was for certain: he couldn't put all his eggs in one basket. But even if Mario was still alive, Bowser would destroy him with the Super Star, so there was no need to worry. Everything was perfectly under control.

Jungle Kingdom

Mario yawned as he stretched his arms and glanced at his surroundings. He was in some sort of bed with the white walls plastered around the room. His hands were bandaged up, most likely because of the battle, but the rest of his body seemed to be fine when he moved around for a bit, which was a bit of a surprise considering the thrashing he got from Donkey Kong. Heck, he was lucky to even be alive, but considering his hands were the most damaged, that gave him great confidence for the future. "Ah, you're awake." Mario jumped at a Kong wearing a white scrub and a stethoscope around his neck. "It's good to see you up, though it's been a couple hours since the duel and they took you here after it finished, and I'm quite surprised by your injuries, or lack thereof."

"Lack?"

"We did an x-ray scan on your body to make sure you didn't sustain any injuries on the outside or inside, but the results were very surprising. It turns out you have very strong muscle tissue, and that tissue managed to support your internal organs and cushion the blows a little, though there were some injuries that needed to be attended to like scrapes and the like, but I'm very impressed. I've seen body frames of many Kongs, but never one quite built like yours, but I digress. Now that you've had some proper rest, I believe it's time to see your friends. They are excited to see you, especially the small one. He seems most enthused by your performance." Mario chuckled. That wasn't a surprise. The doctor carefully guided Mario out of the room into the lobby where Peach and Toad were waiting. They perked up at the sound of his footsteps and Peach was the one to notice the plumber as she ran to hug him.

"Mario!"

"Easy!" he said. "Still injured!"

"Sorry."

"That was so cool!" Toad said. "Man, I cringed when you were being thrashed around, but I hollered so loud when you started fighting back, my voice went numb! It was so cool!"

"And yet it came at the cost of bursting my eardrums," the princess said, darting her eyes at the organism. "I thought I freaking had Tinnitus because of you. Thank you so much!"

"I don't know what that means, but you're welcome!" Peach rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, I'm glad you're back on your feet. I will say you know how to get one's heart racing. It was so intense, but you managed to beat him. I'm very proud of you."

"There you two love bugs go again. At this point, just get a freaking room if you love him that much."

She glared at Toad. "Will you shut it about that? That's not what this is about! Drop it already!"

"Fine. Deny it as much as you want. One day, you'll know that I'm right."

"Whatever. Cranky Kong and Donkey Kong are waiting for us, anyway. They didn't want to go over any specifics of the plan until Mario was ready. You are feeling OK, right? Don't let me speak for you."

"I am," the plumber said. "Actually, I feel more energized than ever before. Let's do this!"

"Well, good. Let's not keep them waiting, otherwise who knows what Cranky Kong might do." Mario nodded and the three walked to the structure as the mouth opened once more where Cranky Kong was busy talking to his soldiers with Donkey Kong among them. "Hello, King Cranky Kong. We have arrived."

He jumped at the sound of her voice. "Geez, princess! You scared me! Didn't I tell you to give me a heads-up when you come? Goodness gracious!" He sighed. "Well, whatever. You're here. And there he is!" He approached Mario. "The star of the show! I must say you put on quite the show for my people. At one point, I had to cover my ears because of how loud their screams were, though most of that was from the princess's friend." Toad chuckled in embarrassment. "Such a good show." As Cranky Kong praised him, Mario could feel the intense gaze of Donkey Kong as he stared at him, but the plumber didn't say anything to not draw attention to himself, but he already achieved that. "That aside, you did win the duel, so I will hold my end of the bargain. I didn't want to begin without you, though I will admit I'm not the most patient Kong in the world, but now that you're here, we can begin making plans, though I assume you already have some sort of one considering you came here again, Peach, but you weren't as much of a crybaby as last time."

She huffed. "Back then, the war had just started, and I only had become their princess. How else was I supposed to react?"

"Touché. Again, I do feel regretful I didn't help you out sooner, but I blame that on my stubbornness. I've always been quite the stubborn one since my childhood, but I digress. I suggest you lay out what plan you have for us so we all can be on the same page."

"Indeed. I shall give a brief rundown of what's happened the past few days so we can understand what Bowser's goals are. According to my soldiers, a couple days ago, Bowser invaded the Snow Kingdom and nabbed the Super Star, which I'll talk in depth in a bit. Now, he plans on using the Super Star to destroy my kingdom if I say no to his proposal in marriage, but my plan is to invade him before he even has a chance, but he might invade by sundown based on the timetable. Bowser doesn't take many breaks and always plans ahead, which is why we need to make a move before he does."

"Indeed," Cranky Kong said. "I can see why you came to us again. We do have the technology to stop him, but time is of the essence. You're lucky I know a quick way to get to Bowser's Castle, so taking the short-cut can save us some time. But I can see the look of confusion on Mario's face, so go ahead and explain what the Super Star exactly is."

"Right. The Super Star is an artifact created by the Star Spirits to protect the Snow Kingdom. There are other artifacts in other kingdoms, and they play similar roles in their protection. Some grant wishes to others while others can magnify the energy, mental or physical, around them to be used either offensively or defensively. The Super Star is included in that second umbrella. It has one weakness: it doesn't contain an infinite amount of power. When someone touches the Star, they start to consume its power, but it starts to lose its power and turns gray as a result, thus requiring constant energy to be used effectively, say like in a snowy tundra where the constant temperature helps to feed the Star so it doesn't lose its power over time. That's why the Snow Kingdom has constant snowstorms throughout the year, even during the summer seasons, because they're created by the Super Star to protect the Penguins. But as a result, they were left defenseless because of their docileness. It also can obey certain commands, meaning Bowser could spread its power to his entire army, making them all practically invincible. You can understand why Bowser's become such a threat and why we need to stop him before he can use it. Hopefully, that makes sense to everyone."

There were various nods, but that didn't calm the nervousness in Mario. He sighed. And to think he was quaking with determination moments ago. Now he was quaking with the antithesis of that. He returned his attention to Cranky Kong. "Now that we're on the same page, I can say what we Kongs have to offer. As you all know, my kingdom is the most industrious kingdom in the world. We have the technology Bowser would only dream of."

"Actually," Peach said, "I've seen Bowser's army grow exponentially over the years. He developed new technology your kingdom doesn't have like airships. I wouldn't hold your breath."

"I go out of my way to help you guys and now you're endorsing the enemy?!"

"I'm telling you what they have so you don't get caught by surprise. Good lord."

"I'm sorry. I also jump to conclusions too fast. Anyway, let me show you what I mean." Cranky Kong led them deeper inside the lair as two Kongs were standing guard to some sort of entrance. They saluted and moved, revealing an elevator that led to the darkness below, but Mario managed to catch whiffs of mechanical noises like engines roaring and drills alike. "This is an entrance to the secret workshop we use to build our karts. Let's descend below." They went inside the elevator as it immediately descended below, the darkness enveloping the plumber's irises, but as the elevator reached the bottom, Mario gazed at the buzzing activity going on around him. Kongs of various sizes were everywhere in this underground facility doing many different tasks from welding different weapons to the karts and putting the karts together using various tools. This was quite the expansive workshop. They definitely had a shot at winning against Bowser. "Welcome to the Great Kong Underground Kart Workshop! Don't mind its long name. I wasn't the one who coined it. Here is where we produce all our latest technology, the bulk of it being karts. This workshop expands for miles on end, and we have Kongs here constantly testing the limits of our technology in finding ways of improving upon them. I come down here every once in a while to see the results, and they're really surprising. To think we created this technology over 50 years ago and now are expanding ways of new traversal like defying gravity with anti-gravity mode as our newest expansion. Come here." He guided them to some sort of console with a scrollable interface. "Here is where we design our karts. We have a wide selection of wheels, kart and bike bodies, and even gliders for you to choose from. We even tailor it to your specific taste with additives like what color you want and even weapons because you never know when you need to defend yourself. I believe I rambled on for long enough. Go ahead and customize your karts!"

And so the trio started designing their karts, using the interface to decide what kind of vehicle. For Mario, he wanted something standard, nothing to fancy or anything with added bulk. Just average. So, he went with the standard kart body painted red, of course because his whole wardrobe was red, so why not? The other two had different ideas. Peach decided to go with something that had a bit more finesse, something more chic and sleek, and a slim bike body decked in pink was her answer, and it fitted her personality pretty well, though Mario wasn't the biggest fan of the color, but as a result, she even managed to get her very own biker outfit, showing off her slim body as she climbed on top her new, furbished vehicle, and Mario couldn't help but blush at her sleekness. He hadn't been into too many relationships, but he did have a crush on hot girls every now and then during his high school years, but perhaps all the spiel Toad talked about wasn't entirely false.

In speaking of Toad, his vehicle was, well, monstrous to say the least. His kart had a giant blue frame with yellow accents and huge monster tires. He literally built a monster truck, but that didn't surprise Mario. That organism was always quirky in his humor. After the vehicles were fully constructed, they drove them to the entrance to the secret passage as Mario glanced at Toad, roaring his engine as the shades he wore started to fall off.

"I take it everyone's here," Peach said. There were many nods. "Good. Let's defeat Bowser and save this world!" The gate opened as the flurry of karts rushed outside with the princess at the front. Mario glanced at the cascading waterfalls that surrounded them, but as he glanced ahead, the road ended with nowhere else to go than the presumed ocean below. He glanced at Cranky Kong as he rode beside him.

"Um, Cranky Kong, I think you might've been wrong about your short-cut."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you dare doubt the great and mighty Cranky Kong? Well, then you might want to step on the gas and buckle up!" He laughed as he drove away. Mario scratched his head. What could possibly be waiting at the end of the road? Well, why should he question the logistics of this place? Not everything was entirely realistic about this world, so why should he question it? Instead, he decided to enlighten Cranky Kong's idea. He slammed on the gas, the car accelerating as he zoomed past the army towards the ramp, but as he flew off the ramp, all he saw was the ocean below as gravity took over the kart and it began to nose-dive. Where was the road? Was one supposed to be here? There was nothing but ocean! He screamed as the ocean got closer. In desperation, he slammed on the glider button, the updraft catching the kart as it glided in the air, but as he got closer, he could see a glint of light made of multitude of colors. The light materialized as it formed into some sort of road, a rainbow road if you will, which was astonishing as he gasped in delight. A rainbow road? How did such a thing exist? He had normally seen rainbows during cloudy days when the sun peaked, creating the phenomenon he was familiar with, but an actual rainbow road? He was in awe.

"Impressed, aren't you?" He glanced at Peach as she drove beside him.

"Are you freaking kidding me?! We're driving on a freaking rainbow road, something that I see once in a blue moon! I freaking love this world!"

"Well, this rainbow road is unique. From far away, it's actually invisible to the naked eye, but as you get up close, that's when you start to see it. It appears all depending on the amount of sunshine shining on it. I was also shocked, too."

"You know, it makes me want to stay here. Your world is so unique, but there's so much more that I don't know about it and I want to see more." He sighed. "But I can't."

"You're worried about your brother?"

"It's not just him. I have a whole family waiting for me in my world. I know I have issues with them, but they're family. I can't just abandon them. There's my Pa, Ma, uncles, and the rest of my family. I can't just leave them. They're family whether we fight or love each other."

"That's understandable. Don't feel pressured to come back right away. Whatever problems you need to resolve between your family, make sure to prioritize that, OK?" The plumber smiled. Even though he had his issues with them, he truly couldn't leave them. They were family, regardless of whether they gave him a hard time or not. What he wanted the most was to fix the issues between them so there wouldn't be so much constant tension. He was tired of it. He wanted things to turn back to normal, and he couldn't do that without making himself be heard. That was what he was gonna do once he finished what he came here to do.

"Though I will say you look sleek with that outfit of yours."

"Thank you. I figured fighting in a dress wouldn't do me much good. Actually, that's how I ruined many of them. My poor tailors have had to work overtime to make me new ones each time I ripped one to pieces."

They drove in silence for a bit. "Can I ask you a question?" Mario asked. "It's kinda a bit personal, but it's something that's been on my mind."

"Mario, we've had a heart-to-heart on the boat. Granted, this is more out in the open, but we've got a long way to the Darklands, but I don't mind if it's personal. Ask away."

"OK. Lately, Toad's been going nonstop, taking our various conversations out of context with him claiming you have a crush on me or something. It's been on my mind for a bit, but I can't help but wonder. Is it true? Do you have a crush on me?"

She sighed. "To be honest, I don't know. When you first came into this world, sure I was drawn to you, but it wasn't in a platonic way. For all my life, I've been alone, constantly wondering who I was, and where I'm from. I don't even remember anything from my old world." She sighed as a couple tears caressed her cheek. "For all my life, I've always glanced at the stars, wondering if my world was among them. Were my parents even alive? Why was I meant to be in this world?! There are many things I don't understand about myself, and as much as I love this world, there are so much questions that have haunted my mind since my childhood. It's always the same question. Why? Why?!" She took a deep breath. "Then you came along. You, a complete stranger, just wandered into my world, but the second I laid eyes on you, I knew who you were. You're like me, a human, someone of my actual species. For once, I didn't have to feel alone. But there was a point where I knew you would have to leave. Like you said, you have a family waiting on the other side, something I don't, and I'm jealous of that fact. I know it sounds stupid, but I'm jealous. Even though you have problems, at least you have someone waiting on the other side, unlike me. I love Toadsworth and my Toads, but they could never fill the empty void in my heart. But who knows. Maybe all these musings are just a way of saying I have feelings for you. In the end, I don't truly know."

"Well, listen. I don't think you give yourself enough credit. You're so fearless and strong. You never give up. For the past ten years, you've shown so much endurance against an overgrown turtle who has a deep obsession towards you. You never backed down, and I know one day you'll get the answer you're looking for. It's out there somewhere, and I know if you keep striving and pushing forward, you will get those answers. Don't give up."

She smiled, wiping away her tears. "Thank you so much, Mario." She leaned over and kissed him, making him blush. "Perhaps all of Toad's musings weren't wrong after all." Mario glanced at said organism as he struggled to contain his excitement, but he didn't say anything. Well, he didn't need to; his expression said it all.

"Now, let's not rush things. Let's finish the mission first."

"Right." They turned their gaze back towards the road.

He could feel the hairs of his neck rise. He turned to see Donkey Kong still giving him the death stare. This Kong hadn't said a word to him ever since the duel and all he did was stare intensely at the plumber for no good reason, and it was starting to irritate him. "What the heck is your problem, monkey? You keep having a staring contest with me ever since the duel. What the heck is your problem?"

"That's none of your business," the Kong growled.

"Well, it obviously is considering that's all you've done! I think I'm inclined to have some sort of answer! Either that or stop staring at me! It's starting to creep me out, and I don't like it!"

Donkey Kong snorted. "Whatever." He drove away.

"I don't understand what his problem is with me. All he just does is freaking stare at me. Is he still angry that I won the duel?"

"Try not to think of it too much," Peach said. "Just focus on the mission for now." He nodded.

"Emergency! Emergency!" The two glanced around to see a young Kong wearing a red cap with a worried look on his face as he drove to Cranky Kong. "King Cranky, I have horrible news!"

"Horrible news? What could it possibly be?"

"We have intruders!" He pointed towards the island. Mario glanced at the landmass and gulped. Could it be him? Was Bowser here? Well, there was only one answer to that as a fleet of airships slowly approached the island, ready to bomb it to the ground.

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: All assets of the Mario Movie belong to Nintendo and Illumination.

Chapter 14: Ambush

After being sent back into his cell, Luigi spent the next several hours staring at the same old surroundings. After his stunt, the guards were made aware of what he did, and as such, more were posted to keep a further eye on him since they underestimated him, but Luigi didn't think he would find himself punching the second highest ranked member of the Darklands, but here he was. For once in his life, he actually stepped up for himself and didn't become a pushover once more, and he couldn't let go of that moment. He actually did it! Now with his newfound confidence, he was more determined than ever to escape from this prison to help Mario stop Bowser. He had to make this count. He only had one chance at this, and if this failed, he just became a dead man. Heck, he already was hanging on a thin thread, so he had to make this count.

"Something seems different about you, Green Man." He glanced at the star as it curiously gazed at him.

"You know," he said, "I actually feel more confident. I mean, I actually stood up to someone for a long time. I actually stood up to someone!"

"Great," the Penguin King muttered. "Now Bowser's gonna be after our heads because of what you did. Just utterly great."

"What's your name?" After gaining his new confidence, he actually wanted to socialize because he wasn't afraid anymore. His fear was the main thing holding him back, but now that he got over it, he was ready to try new things like talking to the star. After all, he was curious on why it always craved death.

It tilted its head. "My name?"

"Seriously, why would you bother socializing with that thing? You already know what it's like, so why bother? Just save us the humility and don't talk to that thing."

Luigi glanced at the Penguin King. "Well, maybe it's misunderstood. Have you ever wondered why it's like this?"

"No, but your curiosity is evident from your earlier stunt when you punched the second highest ranked official in the Darklands. You're just digging yourself a bigger hole, but if you wanna chat with that thing, then the more power to you, but I'm not touching that thing with a 39 and a half foot pole."

Luigi ignored him as he turned back towards the star. "So, what's your name?"

"Lumalee."

"OK, Lumalee, may I ask why you crave death so much? I know it's a bit of a personal question, but I'm curious, so why?"

"Because it's my purpose."

"Purpose?"

"I want to be reborn in a state that benefits the galaxy. My life makes up only a sliver of something much greater in the end, and I want to make sure my life has meaning, which is why I want death. I want to make Mama proud of me." Luigi scratched his head. It was a bit strange to hear such a weird view on life from a thing as a star, but that was how his kind usually was. They, like any other being, live and die, but being reborn in a new form was a concept foreign to him, but this star wasn't like him, so there were gonna be different viewpoints, regardless, something Luigi could appreciate. "I can see it in your eye, Green Man. You wish for the same thing, too: the sweet relief of death."

"Not me."

Lumalee cocked his head. "No?"

"One thing's for sure. I'm not planning on dying today. I'm gonna escape from this place one way or another. You can count on that." He clenched his fist. "Don't worry, Bro. I'm gonna save you no matter what."

Mario and co stared in horror as they stared at the air fleet that hovered over the island, their cannons firing as they began bomb it to the ground. What? Were these Bowser's forces? How was he here already? Did somebody spy on them? That was the only logical answer considering Mario and the others only left a day ago, but still. It was baffling to see how quickly Bowser caught wind of their plans and launched a counterattack. What were they gonna do now? They couldn't leave the island defenseless. Should they abandon the mission? Mario took a deep breath. He couldn't get scared now of all times. He just had to keep pressing forward. Maybe Cranky Kong had an idea. "What?!" Peach exclaimed, glancing behind her at the army. "Bowser's here already?!"

"This is all your fault!" Mario glanced at Donkey Kong.

"How the heck is it my fault?"

"It's because you came here in the first place! We didn't have a single problem until you decided to show up, and you brought the worst company to our doorstep, so yes! It is your fault! You should've just stayed away!"

"You really think I wanted this?! I don't! I didn't know they would either follow us or find out about our plans so soon, but it isn't my fault, so stop pinning the blame on me and ignoring the facts that are clear as day!"

"That's enough!" Cranky Kong hissed. "Look around, you fools! You really think we have the time to fight amongst ourselves?! For goodness sake, we have enemies on our island! How about you do me a favor and silence those damn egos of yours and focus on the task at hand?!" He glared at Donkey Kong. "Especially you!" He snorted but didn't respond. "Now, clearly they're trying to divide our objectives, but you two are lucky you're in the presence of a king who thinks ahead. Thankfully, I left some guards on the island should the enemy try something sneaky like this, and my intuition is right once again! Diddy Kong, tell the army to commence with Operation Banana Hoard!"

"On it, Sire!" He flew off Rainbow Road and sped across the ocean back towards the island.

Cranky Kong sighed. "At least there's someone with some common sense."

"Operation Banana Hoard?" Mario said.

"It's a military tactic I coined up. Basically, the goal is to flock to the enemy and strike them with quick blows before retreating. It's all about hit-and-run, striking the enemy at its biggest weaknesses before retreating before the enemy could have a chance to strike back. Something like that would require quick analysis of the enemy, and they need to have quick but accurate reaction skills for this tactic to work. Swift analysis and the hit-and-run are combined together to create an effective strategy to counter the enemy's forces so they don't get a chance to counterattack. Hopefully that makes sense." Mario nodded, though he wasn't expecting such a detailed explanation, but he was the king for a reason, especially since he created that tactic. It was probably one of many the Kong Army used on its foes, but he decided to glance at the island once more to find karts already in the air. Wait. They were already attacking the ships? The Kong Army had great reaction time, mostly because they probably saw the ships coming ahead and prepped their vehicles ahead of time, waiting for their king's orders. Though what was more impressive was that they were even able to fly at all. Sure, they had gliders, but they would need something to keep them in the air. Were there more secrets to these karts than first realized? Well, Mario didn't have to think too hard at the answer considering there were boosters underneath the kart, which explained everything.

And his strategy proved to be effective as the Kongs seemed to communicate with hand signals before altering the trajectory of their vehicles, shooting ammo at the lower half of the ships, causing it to explode as they flew away. Mario gasped. "Impressed, huh?"

"Wow! They're amazing!"

"Indeed. Now you'll never doubt the Great Cranky Kong ever again! When I say I have the greatest army in the world, I mean it, and actions speak louder than words!"

"Your soldiers must've spent hours perfecting their techniques."

"Indeed. My soldiers are dedicated to their country, and it shows everyday through their actions. I couldn't be more proud of them."

Mario sighed. "I'm sorry about what I said to you. I misjudged you. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. A lot of people assume I'm selfish, and perhaps I am in some ways, but it's all for my people. But enough of that now. We keep pressing forward! To Bowser's Castle!"

They drove forward in silence for a bit until Mario caught Toad's nervous glance. "Toad."

"Verify something for me. Do you see something like cars on the sides of the cliff? Over there!" He pointed to said areas as Mario squinted, but he could make out some sort of figures that looked like karts, but they made use of the darkness as they blended into the background, making them hard to see, but regardless of what or who they were, they still had company, and they couldn't let their guard down regardless of whether they were friend or foe.

He turned to Cranky Kong. "Cranky Kong?"

"I see them, too," he said. "I may be old, but there's no mistaking it." He cleared his throat. "Look alive, folks! We got more company ahead! Prepare yourselves for another ambush!" Mario growled. Bowser really planned ahead if he planned for a two-way assault. Well, they had to push through.

As they drove forward, Toad's anxiety intensified as his breathing amplified, causing his stubby arms to shake. "N-No. No! It can't be him!"

"Toad?"

"It's him!" He pointed to a figure standing in some sort of monstrous vehicle, but Mario couldn't figure out who he was, but clearly, he was very intimidating considering Toad couldn't stop his shaking at the very sight of him.

"It's who?"

"The one who killed my parents! The Koopa General!" As they got closer, Mario got a better look at this Koopa General. He was like the rest of his Koopa species except he donned a blue shell with wings on his back and the vehicle he sat in was some sort of bulldozer with a menacing set of maws in front of it. No wonder Toad was scared just because of how intimidating the vehicle was. He probably used that vehicle thousands of times in pursuit of Peach, so he was undoubtedly gonna be Mario's biggest obstacle towards getting to Bowser. "I can't do this! I can't!"

"You can. We will make it through this."

"But Mario, he killed my parents without mercy! I can't do this!"

"Look at me!" Mario grabbed his hand. "Look at me." The organism kept his eyes on the road but didn't say anything else. "We will make it through this. I'm scared, too, but we will make it through this. Tell yourself that. Use I statements. Sound familiar?" Toad nodded. "Then tell yourself that you can do this. Try it."

"But what if it doesn't work?"

"It will. Trust me."

Toad took a deep breath. "OK. I can do this. I'm not scared. Well, I am, but Mario's right. I can get through this. There's nothing I can't do." Like it was a miraculous wonder, his breathing calmed as a smile emerged on his face as he laughed. "It actually worked! How did you know it would work?"

"I don't want to go into too much detail, but your brain perceives what thoughts you tell yourself. Hence if you tell yourself negative things, you're mostly likely to believe them, which is why it's important to counteract them with positive thoughts. It's simple psychology at work."

"Psychowhat?"

Mario chuckled. "Don't worry about it too much. Just look alive. They're gonna pounce on us at any moment."

"Right." Toad pressed a couple buttons, two missile launchers appearing at each side of his kart. He narrowed his eyes. "Let's do this." As they got closer, the Koopa General yelled as he turned on his car, the lights coming to life as the engine roared, the kart speeding down the cliffside as the ambush began. The Kongs were quick to react as they launched green shells at the karts, causing them to fall apart as they exploded before they could reach the road. Mario cringed at the loud noise. What in the world did they put their karts in to make them so explosive? Lava? Well, there wasn't time to muse as some breached through the Kong's defenses, and that was when everything descended into chaos as items were thrown every which way along with various screams that only added to the tension. A couple of Koopas tried to flank him with explosives in their hands, but Cranky Kong rammed into them with his vehicle.

"Everyone!" he yelled. "Defensive position! Operation Buddy Buddy!" The Kongs shifted the positions of their vehicles as they spit up into pairs. "Find a pair of your own, Mario. With this number of enemies, it's dangerous to face them alone. Find someone and help defend them and yourself!" He drove away. Mario glanced around. Who should he pick? He glanced at Toad, who was struggling against two other minions as they slammed their vehicle into his, causing Toad to almost spin out. Mario slammed on the gas and slammed one of them with his kart, causing him to spin out as he crashed into his comrades into a fiery explosion.

"Thanks!" Toad said. He turned to the Koopa beside him. "Take this, you bastard!" He launched a missile at him, but the Koopa tried to dodge it, but he was too late as he met the same fate of death by explosion. Toad laughed. "Ha! Take that! That's what you get for messing with me and my best friend!"

Mario chuckled and glanced around. Cranky Kong's system was working. Having paired two organisms together made for a much more effective approach to whipping out their enemies than by oneself. With the number of karts being destroyed left and right all thanks to this one decision, the tide was already turning towards their favor.

But even then, he still forgot the biggest obstacle they still had to face as his name rang out throughout the air, sending chills down his spine. "MARIO!" He turned around to see the Koopa General charging straight towards them as he rammed through numerous vehicles, regardless of whether they were friend or foe. Many tried to move out of the way, but it didn't help with the fact that the bulldozer took up much of the room, resulting in very little wiggle room and many plummeting to the ocean as the bulldozer destroyed one vehicle after another. "I found you, you dumb excuse for a living organism!"

Mario glanced ahead. The road proceeded to split up into multiple pathways, and he couldn't risk anyone else getting hurt. In other words, he had to be the bait and get everyone away from him by keeping the Koopa's focus on Mario. "We need to split up!" He took the right path as the two armies started to split up amongst the pathways. Now was the challenge of avoiding getting crushed by the fearsome maws as the bulldozer caught up to him surprisingly quickly. How was a vehicle this huge so fast? Either that or Mario's vehicle was slower than he initially realized.

"Mario!" He glanced at the Koopa General as he wore a maniacal smile on his face. "We finally meet at last! Your brother has told us about you, though he was more discreet when it came to the details, more than I would've liked, but who cares?! What matters is that I finally get to eliminate the person who's the biggest thorn in Bowser's side: you! Now, die!" The two zigzagged as Mario tried to avoid getting crushed, the maws missing by mere inches. "Hold still!" Mario growled. He had to do something about this. He couldn't just keep dodging forever. What could he do? He glanced at the lower levels of the road. Oh! He didn't notice that Rainbow Road had multiple levels. He could use this to his advantage. He had to build up speed. He slammed on the brakes and yanked on the wheel, causing the kart to drift as sparks formed from the wheels. He released the brake, the kart bursting forward from the sparks as the Koopa General growled in frustration as Mario successfully landed his vehicle safely, laughing as the kart emerged into a corkscrew. Mario's gut wrenched at first, but his wheels turned sideways as he drove upside down. Whoa! So, this was the anti-gravity mode Cranky Kong was talking about. Good thing he was wearing a seatbelt.

His luck didn't last long as the Koopa General sent two missiles at him, causing Mario to unbuckle as he jumped, the missiles destroying his kart. Mario flew through the air, flailing helplessly, but spotted more vehicles below, so he aimed his body towards them, grabbing onto a Koopa's bike as his feet scuffled against the road. He hoisted himself up and used his body weight to swing the vehicle into another, hopping onto the Koopa as it naturally emerged into its shell, something Mario suspected. He threw the shell at the other kart trailing behind him as the Koopa tried to fire shells of its own, but Mario's throw destroyed it instantly. Mario always had good arms.

With some distance put between them, Mario caught sight of the others fighting back, his focus particularly on Peach as she kicked back minions with her legs. One of them got the slip on her as they fired a missile, but she dodged, the missile crashing into some rock as parts of it fell through the road, causing Toad to fall over. Peach caught sight of this, and her vehicle fell with a press of a button, but she caught him as he laughed with glee as she activated her glider. Mario sighed with relief.

"You forgetting someone?!" Mario turned around only to find the maws slamming against his vehicle. The Koopa General laughed. "Finally, I got you within my grasp! Now, time to die, Mario!" Mario pressed his hands against the maws, but his strength wasn't enough as he scurried out as the maws slammed shut, destroying the vehicle with ease. Now, Mario hung on the frame for dear life as he panted. The Koopa General caught sight of him. "What?! You're still alive?!" Behind him, Donkey Kong was a mere distance away, but he had some sort of blaster on the side that could have enough firepower to destroy the bulldozer. Thank goodness Mario was also a jumper. He leaped in the air, bouncing on the Koopa General's head to gain momentum as he grabbed onto Donkey Kong's kart.

"What the heck are you doing?!" he hissed. "Let go!"

"Please! I need you to fire off one of your blasters at him. Quickly!"

"You don't get to tell me what to do!"

"Please!" Mario sighed. "Look. I understand that we have our issues. We can resolve them later. Just please."

Donkey Kong snorted. "Fine. I'll do it because you have some decency left in you. I still hate you, though." With a press of a button, he sent one blaster towards the Koopa General, destroying the bulldozer as his screams echoed.

Mario cheered. "Yeah! Take that!" He glanced at Donkey Kong. "Thanks."

He snorted. "Whatever." The plumber sighed. Was he always this mellow? Well, the Koopa General was dead. That was what mattered in the end.

"Mario!" Peach drove beside him. "You're OK!"

"Yep. And it's all thanks to this guy. He put his ego aside and helped me for once."

"Whatever. I still hate you."

"Don't you ever learn to smile?"

"MARIO!" He glanced back to see the Koopa General, though covered in burns, was still very much alive.

"What?"

"You can't escape me! Not ever! BLUE SHELL!" He emerged into his shell and zoomed towards the pair as he spun in the air, slamming into the road in a gigantic, blue explosion, destroying a huge part of the road as pieces crumbled to the ocean. The only thing left was Mario and Donkey Kong as they helplessly plummeted towards the ocean below.

Thanks to AdventureOc and five more guests for leaving Kudos on this story!

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: All assets of the Mario Movie belong to Nintendo and Illumination.

Chapter 15: Escape

Bowser laughed as he glanced at the explosion from far away. "Ha ha! Take that, you dumb Mario! That's what you get when you mess with the greatest army in the world! Now you're freaking dead!"

"Hello, Sire." He jumped as Kamek teleported to his side.

"Kamek! You almost gave me a heart attack! You know I hate jump scares, especially when I'm older! I don't need to suffer from high blood pressure because of them! Warn me next time!"

"Forgive me. It's just that the air fleet has returned, and I figured I'd report what happened on my end."

"Sure. Go ahead."

"Well, when we approached the island, they flew their karts in the air and managed to destroy a couple of our airships."

"Did you destroy any part of the island? You know how much of a threat they are. We needed to destroy them. So, did you do that?"

"Only a little bit. By the time we reached the shoreline, they already started their counterattack. They reacted quicker than we anticipated. The invasion was over within 10 minutes of their counterattack." He bowed in shame. "I'm sorry for my poor performance. I clearly underestimated the enemy."

Bowser sighed. "Kamek, you're fine. Yes, it's disappointing that the first part wasn't successful, but you're lucky part two was."

Kamek's eyes perked up. "Really?"

"Indeed. Koopa General actually got the job done. He actually killed Mario."

"How can you be so certain?"

"I saw it with my own eyes. The explosion he created was huge, Kamek! There's no way he survived that kind of explosion. Besides, even if Mario did end up surviving, the ocean wildlife will easily finish the job, but I will give credit where credit is due. Koopa General actually did it. Mario one way or another is gone, and we can finally get to my favorite part, the wedding. That just means that I get to sing my quirky song after all."

"So, you decided to do it after all."

Bowser nodded. "Indeed. Part of that decision was based on Koopa General's final words. He told me to just tell her how I truly feel. Her relationship can be mended over time, but if I truly don't have to use the Super Star, then I won't, and now that Mario's gone, that likelihood increases. It's a win-win!"

"Very well. Then shall we head to the Mushroom Kingdom?"

"Indeed. Set a course there then give the prisoners the good news."

"Of course, Sire." He bowed and left.

Bowser looked at the stars. "I thank you, Koopa General. You were the best general there was, and you never wavered in your faith in my wish. You always carried out my orders with fevered dedication. You and everyone else who died will not be forgotten. Rest in peace." He entered his castle. Now was the time for the wedding.

Dungeon

Luigi spent the next couple hours staring at the guards, trying to learn their movement patterns. In order for him to escape, he needed to make sure he knew their movement patterns because timing was gonna be key, considering he found the exit in the form of a concealed door which blended into the background that was on an upper level, which meant this place had multiple floors. In speaking of keys, that was a possible way out. Whoever was present always had the keys to the cells, though it wasn't just a singular key, but multiple attached to a chain hooked around their waist. He scratched his chin. Perhaps that wasn't the easiest way out. He couldn't fiddle with each key trying to guess which one would unlock his door. Another idea he had was maybe going through the grate. Though he was tall, Luigi had a thin profile, and the grates weren't that far apart. After testing out a couple different body parts, his arms and legs managed to fit, even his head, so theoretically, all he had to do was just jump through the grate and onto the vehicle the guards used to fly around the room. From there, all he had to do was use the vehicle until he was outside, but the only problem was where to go after that? He had a couple names that could aid him like the Mushroom Kingdom, which was a place, but more specifically, a person named Princess Peach. After all, she most likely ran into Mario, but finding a way to her was gonna be the hard part. Maybe the weird pipe was his answer? Was there more than one in this kingdom? Luigi groaned. Without more specifics, trying to find Mario was gonna be harder than he thought.

"How's your escape plan going?" Luigi glanced at the Penguin King.

"Well, I have a firm plan, but why do you ask? You want in?"

"You know me too well. You know my people are starving and drenched in sweat that we weren't made for. The dumb water isn't enough to save our parched throats, so yes. I do want-"

"Hey!" A Koopa banged his spear on his cage. "Pipe down, you! One more complaint out of you and you're gonna get skewered! And you, Green Man! I don't know what you have planned, but it won't work. I heard about your dumb stunt. Don't think for a second that we're gonna let what's up your sleeve slip under our noses. We're keeping an extra eye on you. Now, shut it." He flew away. Luigi gulped. That wasn't good. They were onto him. Well, that was what happened when one spoke their plans out loud. Now, they were wary of him. Above him, the ceiling opened as more cages flew into the dungeon as the prisoners stood up. Luigi glanced at some sort of gorilla of sorts as he sat up, moaning in pain.

"My goodness. You'd figure they would be a bit gentler with the landing. I have a bit of arthritis, you know! Learn to treat your elders with respect!"

"King Cranky Kong?"

"Ah," the gorilla named Cranky Kong said, turning to the Penguin King, "Penguin King, it's been a while."

"Indeed, though it's quite surprising to see you here. Aren't you normally isolated in your kingdom knowing how you are?"

"Well, Princess Peach actually came to me again asking for help with Bowser's forces. This was after he got the Super Star. I take it that's why you're here."

"Of course." The Penguin King scoffed. "I should've been more prepared. We rarely had anybody try to abuse the power of the Super Star because it kept us safe for hundreds of years. That conditioning proved to be our undoing. Take one look at my people and you can see the result of my failure as their king. They're starving, constantly sweating in an environment they weren't made for, and I take full responsibility as their king. I was naïve thinking the Super Star was gonna keep us protected forever, but I was wrong."

There was a moment of silence as the Penguin King just slumped in his cell. "You're not the only one feeling regretful." Luigi turned to Cranky Kong. "I was foolish with the way I acted. When Peach first came to me, she begged me to help her. I for one refused to acknowledge the truth of the situation. She only became the Mushroom Kingdom's princess back then, so when Bowser's attacks escalated, she didn't know what to do. She thought of me as her only option, but time after time, I refused to acknowledge her situation under the guise of protecting my people, but I acted like I didn't care for her." He sniffled. "Deep down, I cared too deeply of my people and acted like I didn't care about what happened to her. I heard all sorts of horror stories of what her people went through, and yet I didn't do a damn thing even though I had the technology and the army she didn't, and when she came again, I still refused. It took a man named Mario to change my mind."

Luigi gasped. "Did you say Mario?!"

Cranky Kong glanced at him. "Indeed. Why?"

"He's my brother! Where is he?! I have to meet up with him! Please tell me!"

Cranky Kong sighed. "He… He's gone." Luigi gasped, his hands trembling.

"W… What?"

"Peach came to me with plans of stopping Bowser before he made a move. We had a plan of taking a short-cut and doing a frontal assault, but Bowser saw right through us. He planned a two-way invasion to destroy us instead. At first, we were winning. We stopped the island invasion and were cutting through Bowser's defenses with ease. After all, I often bragged about how we had the greatest army in the world. But right as we were winning, they had an ace up their sleeve. The blue shelled Koopa destroyed them in an explosion as they fell towards the ocean. By the time we arrived at the scene, they were already gone." He wiped away a couple tears, but completely broke down. "My son! My poor son, I'm so sorry!"

Luigi glanced at his trembling hands. No. It couldn't be true. Mario couldn't be dead. He was like an unstoppable being. He never was one to give up. He couldn't be dead! Luigi vigorously shook his head. He refused to believe such a thing! Mario couldn't be! He wasn't one who could go down so easily! He was Luigi's rock and shield. He did so much for Luigi over the years, standing up to anyone who dared lay a finger on him. He couldn't be dead. No. Until Luigi saw his body, he refused to believe such a big, fat lie. "No."

"No?"

"He can't be dead."

"Green Man, they were already gone when I arrived. It's highly likely that they didn't survive. I understand-"

"THEY AREN'T DEAD!" Cranky Kong blinked in surprise. "Until I see any kind of body, I refuse to believe they're dead! Are you really just gonna give up on your son like that?! Huh?! Don't you dare! I refuse to believe such bullcrap! They can't be dead! No! I absolutely refuse! Don't you dare give up on your son!" All eyes averted to him as he heaved heavy breaths with his face in a snarl. It would be disgraceful to think he or anyone would give up on their loved one if they were dead. Mario wouldn't want him to think so. He never gave up on him, so Luigi would do the same. He had to. He vowed to rescue him and stop Bowser. There was no way in hell he was gonna quit. For Mario's sake, he was gonna get out of this hellscape.

"You have quite the spirit, young man," Cranky Kong said. "You definitely are Mario's brother. Mario was just as stubborn. He wouldn't say no to whatever I said. He never quit and called me out for my faults. He even had the audacity to attack my guards just to show how stubborn he was. He never quit when he fought against my son. You have that same look in your eyes as he did. And perhaps you may be right. My son and I never had the best relationship. I always had certain expectations of him, especially after my wife died. He was the heir, after all, but I thought he was goofing off because he thought everything to him was a joke. He always strived to earn my expectations, but everytime, I looked down upon him, which meant he had to keep pushing himself to show that he was worthy of being my son. And he is. My son is strong, and you're right, Green Man. Both of them are strong. They aren't dead. Whatever your plan is, I vow to help you! You have my word!"

"Hello, prisoners!" All eyes reverted to Kamek as he flew to them. "I have amazing news! You all are invited to the Royal Wedding that's about to commence shortly! But unfortunately, you all will be there as ritualistic sacrifices! I hope you're honored to be sacrificed in His and soon-to-be Her Majesty's names!"

"You can keep your freaking invitations." Kamek glanced at Luigi. "We aren't interested."

"Oh, no? Perhaps a different wording is in order." He flew to the plumber. "You will become his sacrifice whether you like it or not. Don't like it? Well, too bad. You're not given an option. Besides, what can you do about it, Green 'Stache? Normally, you're one to just cower away in the face of someone with intent to hurt or even kill you. That sound familiar?" He smirked. "Besides, we're on our way to the Mushroom Kingdom now, so there's nothing you can do, so just sit back and reflect on your miserable life. Accept your fate. The wedding will commence shortly!" He teleported out of the room. The room was filled with various yells as the prisoners shrieked in horror at the news to which the guards struggled to control their feeble screams. Well, the time he had was just shortened by a significant margin. It was now or never.

"Cranky Kong, was it?" He nodded. "I'm gonna put my plan into action. It's now or never. Here it is."

"Careful. There are open ears. Just enact the first phase of your plan and I'll follow along with the rest." Luigi nodded, testing one more time to see if his whole body could fit through, and low and behold, he could. His plan might actually work the first time, but he couldn't make it too obvious. He mouthed Cranky Kong to distract him, but the Kong just scratched his head, so Luigi pointed to the guard to which he caught on and screamed at the nearest guard.

"Please! Please let us out! I don't want to die!"

"Well, too bad," the Koopa in the car hissed. "Lord Bowser's rule is final, so enough with your yapping! I don't want to hear it!" Luigi started to exit the cage, judging the distance needed to jump because he couldn't land in the lava. Duh, but Mario was always athletic, but Luigi doubted that ran in the family, but he had long legs, so there was one advantage he had, even if he had bad knees, but that was besides the point.

"Please!"

"Enough!" The Koopa was about to strike Cranky Kong, but Luigi jumped into the vehicle, grabbing the keys from him as the plumber toppled him to the lava below, screaming as he descended, before fiddling with the keys, trying to free the Kong.

The plumber growled in frustration. "Which one is it?"

"Please!" the Penguin King cried. "Don't leave us! You can't!"

"There's nothing much I can do! I'm sorry!" The door finally opened as he turned the key, sighing with relief as Cranky Kong entered the car, but their luck didn't last long as the guards quickly caught on and started to race towards them.

"Well, get moving! They're onto us!" Cranky Kong hissed. Luigi nodded and pushed on the lever, the car jerking forward as the two jerked inside it. The car made its way outside as they made their way through the castle, the guards trailing behind him. "So, what's this plan of yours?"

"Well, all I came up with is that I need to find Princess Peach. She is the only name I know, but I don't know how to get to her."

"Ah. To be honest, I'm not very familiar with this land, but perhaps I can be of help. There might be a pipe you could take to get to her."

"I thought of that, too, but I wouldn't know where they would take me. I don't want to end up more lost than I already am."

"Then the solution's simple. We fly there. It might take a bit to get to her, but this is the simplest solution to get to her, but first we need to get out of here. Do you know where to go?"

"Not really. I don't remember!"

"OK. No need to get your pants in a frenzy. We can't afford to right now. Let's just use our brains for a second. The prison is near the back of the castle and the exit's at the front. That much is obvious, but this castle is huge, but we just need to keep moving forward." He gasped. "Green Man, veer left!"

"What?!"

"Spears coming in hot at ten o'clock!"

"Where's that?!" Cranky Kong growled and yanked on the lever, causing the car to veer to the left as spears zoomed right by them, lodging into the ground.

Luigi gasped. "Now they're throwing weapons?!"

"Yes. And in their own castle, nonetheless. They really aren't letting up. We need to keep going! We aren't staying here! We need to lose them somehow!"

"I don't know! I wish I knew the layout of this castle, but it's so huge!"

"I'm not expecting you to. It's just the castle is a lot larger than I expected considering this chase has been going on for a bit, but there is a way out of here. We have to keep going."

Luigi growled. This chase sequence couldn't go on forever. They had to stumble across the exit soon. Pointless wandering around was gonna get them nowhere. He glanced at a black explosive with white eyes as it aimlessly wandered back and forth. An idea sprang in Luigi's mind. If he couldn't find the exit, then he could create his own. He aimed the car down as he went to grab the explosive.

"Green Man," Cranky Kong said, "What are you doing?"

"I'm gonna create my own exit."

"But there's a high chance your explosion would only lead us to an adjacent hallway! You could be leading us deeper into the castle, the exact opposite of what we want!"

Luigi narrowed his eyes on the end of the hall. "You said we needed to lose them somehow. This is the way!" He lit the fuse and threw it, the explosive blasting off the way, leaving a gaping hole big enough for them to go through, but it was as Cranky Kong said: it led to another hallway. Well, Luigi took a risky chance of throwing the bomb to lead to a short-cut. He was gonna believe in it all the way. They flew through the hole, but as they emerged, they led their eyes to a faraway door that was blocked off by more guards as they ran at the pair. "See?! What did I tell ya?! The exit!"

Cranky Kong smirked. "I will admit you're good, young'un. Like I said, you really are Mario's brother. Now, we have to get past this army. Perhaps we can squeeze by. The exit does look pretty big." He got in a fighting stance. "But if they try to grab us, they will face the might of my arms!"

"Right. Let's go! Full speed ahead!" He slammed on the lever, causing the propeller to spin faster as the car zoomed towards the exit. Many guards ran and threw their weapons at them, but Luigi tried to dodge as many as he could. Some even grabbed onto the car itself, but Cranky Kong was quick to react with a few punches as they fell. Eventually, they finally made it outside, speeding away as they started to lose the army that trailed behind. Luigi laughed. "Ha! Take that!"

"We did it. Good job, Green Man."

"Luigi. My name is Luigi."

"Ah. I see. Excellent job, Luigi. Next stop, the Mushroom Kingdom!" But before they got very far, something hit the vehicle, causing the car to go haywire as it made various hissing noises. The propeller stopped working as it started to fall towards the ground. "What the? What's going on?!"

"I don't know! Nothing's working!"

Cranky Kong gasped. "We need to jump now!"

"What?!"

"Jump!" They leaped out of the car, it crashing into the ground in a fiery explosion as Luigi shielded his ears from the loud noise. Cranky Kong sat up, rubbing his back. "Great. Now, my back's sore." Luigi sighed. What now? There went his only option. What else could he do?

"Excellent work, Kamek." The two jumped at the sight of Bowser as he and Kamek landed in front of them.

"Thank you, Sire," Kamek said. "I knew that ingenious spell of mine would work. Now, I can restore my tarnished reputation that that man ruined!"

"Indeed." Bowser glared at Luigi. "You've been nothing but a pain in my butt ever since the Koopa General brought you to me. First, you punch my advisor, and now this? You're really getting on my nerves."

"Well," Luigi said, "I'm not scared anymore. I'm gonna do whatever it takes to save my brother and defeat you!"

"Really? But haven't you heard? Your brother's dead. Gone. Not of this world. Need I go on?"

"I won't believe it until I see it. Until I see his dead body, I refuse to believe he's dead!"

Cranky Kong stepped forward. "Same goes for my son. I echo Luigi's words. You can try to instill fear in us, but we'll never bow to you!"

Bowser chuckled. "Oh, really? You know? A thought just came to me. It appears I've underestimated you a bit too much. I should've known you weren't gonna spill anything about your brother, but your cowardly nature conditioned me to try, anyway. After all, you probably cowered over many beings who trampled over you your whole life. And yet I had to be the first one with whom you stood your ground. I should've just killed you from the start." He brandished his claws as fumes poured from his nostrils. "I'm rarely the one to kill someone myself, but when you make a fool out of me multiple times, you've just granted yourself a death wish from me!" Luigi readied himself for the turtle to make his move, but Cranky Kong quickly grabbed him as Bowser launched a stream of fire at them, barely missing them.

"What are you doing?!" Luigi yelled.

They came to a stop as they hid behind a rock. "There," Cranky Kong said. "That should put some distance between them and us."

"Cranky Kong, what was that?!"

"You really expect to beat him, a being that possesses tenfold your strength? Besides, we don't have time for conflict right now. We're supposed to be retreating to Peach. That was the original plan." He glanced behind him. "Right now, guards are bound to pop up any moment. We need to get to the Mushroom Kingdom fast."

"But how?! Our original plan went in shambles! How are we gonna get there?!"

"Well, for starters, the first step is to stay calm. We can't be in a frenzy, especially when we're right in the heart of enemy territory. So, take a couple deep breaths." Luigi nodded and took a few deep breaths, slowly calming down his racing heartbeat. "Now, let's put our heads together and get us out of this mess. I highly doubt we can snatch another vehicle because we would be vulnerable to aerial attacks. The only possibility would be a Warp Pipe. Those are common throughout the world, but you never know where they're gonna take you. But considering we don't have any other options, we don't have a choice. We need to make sure we choose the right one."

"But we don't have time for a guessing game! We have to be certain! One major screw-up, and we're dead!"

"Well, perhaps we don't have to waste time guessing. See that pipe over there near the castle?" He pointed to said pipe. "I'd reckon because it's close to the castle, it's used as a quick transport from the Mushroom Kingdom to here. I'd imagine Bowser's minions use it as a failsafe should things go wrong and they need a quick escape back here." Luigi sighed. He hated having to put his faith in a pipe with an unknown destination at the end, but he could understand Cranky Kong's reasoning, but despite his anxiety, he had to trust the Kong, and he did after he vowed to help him, so he would trust him.

"OK. I'll trust your word."

Cranky Kong glanced around for any guards. "OK. We're in the clear. Let's-"

"GREEN 'STACHE!" Bowser's voice rang out as he walked about with guards sprawling around the place.

"Luigi, quickly! Let's head into the forest!" The plumber nodded and the two took off as the guards spread out, covering the area as the Koopa's voice rang out in vile anger.

"You think you can hide from me?! How dare you turn your back on me! I'm Lord Bowser, the King of the Koopas, damnit! You know better than to turn your back to me, especially when we have unfinished business! Well, I won't let you escape from my grasp again, and when my soldiers or I get our hands on you, you're freaking dead!" The pair headed deeper into the forest, the Koopa's voice fading away, but the guards were ever present with their footsteps echoing, causing the anxiety to creep onto the plumber once more as they hid behind a tree, using the darkness to blend in, but the plumber's shaking heightened as he glanced behind him at the soldiers making their way towards him.

Cranky Kong touched his shoulder. "Ease yourself. Calm your breathing."

"But they're onto us!" he said in a shrill voice.

"I understand that. Here's the plan. Clearly, we both aren't gonna make it out of here just by the sheer number of guards. We'll be overwhelmed very quickly before we could even have a chance at escaping, so I'm gonna distract them. You need to get out of here and head straight towards the pipe." He glared at him dead in the eye. "Do not, and I repeat, do not look back. Avoid conflict and keep going."

"What?! No! If you're caught, then you'll die! What about reconnecting with your son?!"

Answer me this. Do you trust me?"

"What?"

"I wouldn't suggest something I wasn't capable of doing. I know the limits of my capabilities, but I also know that this could fail. I'm essentially leaving my fate up to chance, but I have no plans on dying today. I will promise you that. Does that give you the necessary confidence going forward?"

"I do trust you, but considering you're my accomplice, he could kill you because of that."

"That I also recognize, but there's always risk involved with every plan. That's what you have to acknowledge. I understand what's at stake if I fail, but I believe I will not die. That faith alone will help give me the edge necessary to survive. Understand?" Luigi sighed but nodded. Cranky Kong stood up. "Very well then. While I might not distract every guard or even Bowser for that matter, you just keep on running." He took off. "Now, go! Head for the castle at once!" He took off and started making random monkey screeches, catching the attention of the majority of the guards. Luigi himself took off, fully trusting the Kong's word. He had to, so the plumber kept his gaze on the castle that was a bit far away, but he kept going. In the midst of running, he tripped and fell, struggling to stand. He always had bad knees when it came to running, but he kept going.

A couple minutes later, the pipe was within sight, though a couple guards noticed his presence, but everytime they would approach him, Luigi would just punch them, something he was getting more acquainted with. But as he got closer, something hit him in the back, causing Luigi to crash into the castle. He struggled to stand, his body seething from the impact only to be choked not even a minute later as Bowser held him in the air, holding a claw against his neck.

"You know? You should really treat your superiors with more respect," he growled. "I wasn't done with you, so what does that mean?" He squeezed his neck. "That means you don't run away from me. Learn to show some damn respect! Now, where were we? Ah, yes! It's the part where you die!" Luigi coughed. What should he do? What could he do? He was so close, yet so far to his goal. He held back his tears. He wasn't done yet! He bit on the Koopa's finger, creating a small gruff of pain from him. Bowser had a high tolerance of pain, but Luigi didn't care. He was gonna make him let go! He screamed and kicked him right in the groin, causing the Koopa to utter a roar as he let him go. Luigi took off. "No! Get back here!" Luigi sighed. This was it. The one and only chance at saving Mario. He dropped into the pipe without a second thought.

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: All assets of the Mario Movie belong to Nintendo and Illumination.

Chapter 16: Sacrifice

Luigi emerged from the pipe and stared at his surroundings. This seemed like any ordinary town with fungi-like creatures of many colors intermingling with each other, but the big question was if this was the Mushroom Kingdom. Well, only one way to find out. He walked to a random creature. "Excuse me, sir. Can you tell me where I am?"

"You don't know? Toad Town, of course! Not from this neck of the woods?"

"Kinda. I was hoping to know where Princess Peach is."

"She went to the Jungle Kingdom two days ago to recruit the Kong Army to stop Bowser. Who knows when she'll return, but if you stay around, she's bound to pop up soon."

"OK. Thank you, sir!" He walked away, sighing with relief. Thank goodness. He made it to the Mushroom Kingdom. Now, all he had to do was to wait for the princess, and sooner rather than later considering Bowser was on his way here.

Peach zoomed on Rainbow Road, trying to quickly reach the Mushroom Kingdom before Bowser came. He probably wouldn't make a move without her, but she couldn't take any more chances. She already had one destroyed right in front of her. Mario. Strong and stubborn Mario. He truly was gone. Peach couldn't believe it. She planned on striking Bowser before he did, but ultimately, it was the other way around. Bowser had won the invasion while killing off Mario in the process. Mario made so many promises. He promised to stop Bowser, to save his brother, and one day return. Why did he have to make those promises?! Now, he was gone for good, and Peach would never see him again, and the worst part, she only started to develop feelings for him. She didn't even say that she loved him. "I'm sorry, princess." Toad sighed. "It's all my fault. I wasn't fast or strong enough to save him. Heck, when the road was destroyed, you had to come save me. I never did truly take this as seriously as I should've. All I did was ship you two, hoping for some sort of love spark between you two, and now Mario's dead. Killed by the same one that killed my parents." He sniffled. "I'm sorry, Mom and Dad."

Peach shook her head. Feeling self-doubtful about his death wasn't gonna help with saving her kingdom. Sometimes being stubborn wasn't a bad thing. After all, she did learn that from him. Mario never gave up. From what he told her, he fended off so many people all for his brother's sake. Peach had done that many times too for her people when Bowser struck like now, so she couldn't give up. She vowed to stop that monster, so she would. "It's not your fault, Toad. I should've been more prepared, but Mario wouldn't want us to give up when he's done so much for them. He truly was a hero till the end, and I'll continue in his footsteps and end this once and for all."

"But, princess, what are you gonna do about the Super Star? He's gonna use it one way or another. He knows how you are. How are you gonna stop him?" That was a good point, but Peach knew him. He would only use it if she said no. That was why he got the Super Star in the first place, to use it as blackmail because that was who he was. Well, one step at a time. She flew across the ocean as the sun started to rise. It was daybreak already? Bowser was gonna be here any second by that omen, which meant she had to evacuate the town. She drove through the Mushroom Forest, sighing with relief at no sign of the Koopa. Well, she shouldn't jinx herself. He could appear at any moment. She zoomed over a hill and landed in Toad Town's Plaza.

"Attention, everyone! Code Red! I repeat, Code Red! Evacuate the city at once!" That was enough to cause a scramble as the Toads ran in different directions, gathering what they could. "Head to the forest!" She drove through the town, giving the same message until she drove through the castle, catching Toadsworth and the others off guard with her abrupt entrance.

"Princess?" the elderly Toad said. "What's going on? Why are you back so early?"

She sighed. "The plan failed. We lost the Kong Army, and Mario is gone." That caused many shocked looks and glances.

"What?! Inconceivable!"

"It's true. I saw it with my own eyes. He's gone, Toadsworth. I'm so sorry."

"Come now." He rubbed her shoulders. "Let's keep it together, dear. That must mean Bowser's on his way." Peach nodded. "Then we need to get everyone out of here. Guards! Tell everyone to retreat to the forest at once! Get everyone as far away from here as possible! But a couple stay. I will not let the princess be unoccupied."

"There's no need." She walked over and stomped on a halberd, the weapon twirling in her hands. "It's time I end this."

"What?" Toadsworth scoffed. "You can't stop him. He has the Super Star! Please, Princess! We must get you away from-"

"I'm done running away! That's all I've ever done, Toadsworth! No more! I'm ending this here and now!"

"And she won't be alone." Toad walked forward, whipping out a pan. "Because I'm going with her."

"This is just absurd! You can't even protect her, Toad! The only logical solution is to get far away from here!"

"And then what?" Peach hissed. "Have the cycle continue?! Is that what you want?! Have my people constantly die for me when all I do is run away from my problems?! Hell no! No freaking more! We're done having this conversation!" She turned and walked away, ignoring Toadsworth's protests.

"That was kinda harsh," Toad said.

"Well, running away has always been the go-to solution whenever something went wrong. That's how it's always been, just constant running, and I'm done. I'm ending this here and now." Toad didn't say anything else. As they walked, Peach could see Bowser's huge landmass already starting to approach, but a green man caught her eye, running to her as he huffed for breath.

"Princess!"

"Hey!" Toad pointed his pan at him. "Stay away, you fiend!"

"Toad, stop. This guy's not affiliated with him." Peach walked to him. "Who are you, human?"

"I'm-a Luigi." She gasped. Why did that name sound familiar? Wait a sec.

"Are you Mario's brother?"

"Yeah. I am."

"But how did you manage to escape?"

He sighed. "Cranky Kong offered to help me. He bought me enough time to escape. He was willing to sacrifice himself for me, and now, Bowser's on his way. I've wanted to look for you so I can help stop Bowser. I'm done being a coward."

Peach sighed. "Luigi, I'm sorry about-"

"Mario's not dead." She blinked. "I don't believe that for a second. Besides, even if that were true, I would still keep on fighting. I know that's what my bro would want me to do." Peach smiled. "And speak of the devil." He pointed to the landmass as it started to descend, crashing into the ground as wind blew in the trio's faces. As the wind subsided, the gate opened, and Bowser's troops quickly surrounded them as Bowser walked out with Kamek by his side.

"Princess Peach," he said. "Brave as ever." He glanced at Luigi. "And Green 'Stache. We meet again after only a few moments. I always knew you wouldn't stray too far from me, but I'll get my revenge on you later." His eyes reverted to Peach. "I'm after someone much more special."

"I don't want anything to do with you," she growled. "You know I'll say no to your dumb proposal, so why bother coming here in the first place?"

Bowser cleared his throat. "Peaches, I don't think I've been truly honest with you. Just allow me to lay my true feelings for you. That's all I ask."

"No! All you've done is cause terror for my people, and I'm done! Get the heck out of my kingdom now!" The Koopa Troopas pointed their spears at her as she thrusted hers at him.

"Peach. It's only a few words, nothing more. Please." All she wanted to do was stab him in the eye or whatever body part because she was done. Did she really have to spell out the word for him? She scoffed. Why should she bother? He was always stubborn. But she knew him. What kind of other feelings was he hiding underneath that thick shell of his? For all she knew, this was just another way of appeasing to her heart with fake words. He had done it before, and he would certainly do it again. She eyed the Super Star that floated behind him. She was halfway tempted to use it just so he couldn't. Did he have any idea of how to harness its power? Well, Peach had some sort of idea, and she wasn't gonna be fooled by another one of his tricks.

"Give me one reason why I should let you talk."

"Well, you aren't in a position to negotiate. My guards are watching your every move, and they will retaliate if you attack me. And if there's one thing I can promise, is that this isn't a trick. Just one last time. That's all I ask."

She growled. There wasn't much she could do. Bowser's minions have been known to attack her, even if it was against Bowser's will, but they never did so to the point of death. That was something she had over him. She could end this here and now if she wanted to. All she had to do was get her hands on the Super Star and hope for the best. Though it seemed like someone else had a plan of their own as Toad slowly fetched something from his backpack. What was he cooking up? Well, despite the unknowns, she had to play along, which meant stalling for time. "What makes you think I won't retaliate right now? I know you want me alive, but you're also right about what you said. They aren't afraid to attack me. But what makes you think I won't retaliate right now?"

"Clearly, you're forgetting I have the advantage. I have the Super Star. I will not hesitate to use it if necessary. Don't test my patience, Peach. I just came to have one more civil discussion, one last time to change your mind about marrying me."

"And what if I say no? Let me guess. You're still gonna use the Super Star. Like I said, coming here was pointless. I don't care about your other feelings. Just get the heck out now!"

"Oh! I understand what this is about. This is about Mario, isn't it?"

She scoffed. "What? No. I'm angry that you killed him, but this isn't what this is about."

"Oh, really? I'll have you know I'm very good at reading your face. You made some sort of connection between you and him, but now that he's gone, you're angry at me for killing the love of your life."

"This is about the safety of my people!"

"Whatever you say. Oh well. I still have other ways of communicating how I feel. I didn't want to come to this, but you gave me no choice." He approached the Super Star. Peach glanced at Toad as he held Ice and Fire Flowers in his hands. He took a bite of both, transforming between a mixture of his fire and ice form, which Peach was impressed by. She had never seen someone use two Power-ups simultaneously before, so it was impressive as Toad charged one of each ball in his hand before they grew into a respectable size. He jumped, though he didn't get too much height from his stubby legs, but he threw the ice ball at Bowser's feet, freezing him as the Koopa glared at him before Toad threw the fire ball, exploding upon impact as the Koopa flew into his castle with a giant crash. Toad immediately grabbed her hand, causing her to drop the halberd, and just booked it as the three took off. "No!" He glanced at his minions. "Don't just stand there! After them!" The minions nodded and charged after them with various screams as they brandished their weapons. He slowly stood up. "The princess is mine." He took off in a different direction with the Super Star in tow.

"Toad!" Peach yelled, struggling to retain a steady running speed as Toad dragged her along with Luigi trailing behind, "Slow down!"

He stopped as he caught his breath. He glanced at Luigi. "Green Man. I have a special task for you."

"It's Luigi but go on."

"I want you to get the princess as far away from here as possible." He threw him a Boomerang Flower. "Here. Eat it and you'll get the ability to throw boomerangs. Quickly!" Luigi didn't question it and quickly gorged it as his body changed into a shell with a green helmet as a boomerang popped into his hand.

He gasped. "Whoa! This is cool!"

"Fantasize about it later. Just get her out of here."

Peach tentatively glanced at Toad. "Toad, what are you doing?"

"Princess, for too long, I didn't care one bit about the war. I made a misery of your guards' lives for my own self amusement, and I was stupid for it. I should've confronted my own feelings sooner. Only then would I have actually contributed something to the war besides creating mischief and mayhem. I acted stupid." He charged fire and ice balls in each of his hands. "But not anymore."

"What? Toad, you know you can't handle that many of them at once. You can't, so just stop. Please." She sniffled. "Don't throw away your life for me. Please."

"No, princess! I'm done running away from my problems! I need to do something to help end this war. Mario did so much for me, and standing on the sidelines goes against everything he taught me! No more!"

"But if you fight them, then you'll die! Please, Toad! Don't do it! I can't take another having to sacrifice for my safety! I-"

"I'm not giving you a choice!" He sighed. "If I go out fighting, then that's fine by me. At least I will die knowing I did something my parents and Mario could be proud of in the end. Now, go!"

"You heard him," Luigi said. "Go!"

"No! Not you, too, Luigi!"

"I'm staying beside him." He took his place beside Toad as he brandished his boomerang. "Like him, I'm also done running from my problems. It's about time I did some protecting of my own. That's what Mario did for me, and that's what I'm gonna do here right now." Toad nodded, not bothering to change his mind as they braced for Bowser's minions.

Peach couldn't bring herself to run. Similar images of her former soldiers flashed through her mind. She had seen her soldiers do the same thing under the guise of her protection, but that was just nothing but words. Sure, she might've survived each time, but they would end up dead. It happened over and over, and now two more were about to die, and she hated it. She hated all of it! Why did they have to risk their lives over and over for her when they knew it was pointless?! Bowser's army was always too strong for them, so why? Why?! Even Mario sacrificed everything for her, and he died, just like everyone else. Truth be told, she knew the reason why. She was too weak to save herself because they had to sacrifice themselves for her. They had to do all the weight while her legs just thumped along the ground. She sometimes didn't even bother looking back because she knew they were gonna die. And to think she did so much training over the years to have her own people die for her. Was she always this weak? In the end, was any of the training she did even worth it?

"Peach, understand this." She glanced at Toad once more as the minions got closer, his head slightly tilted towards her. "I can understand how you're feeling. You probably think of yourself as weak, having to run away while another soldier dies for you. But must you forget that it was you who started all this? You know my parents died when the war started. I've been around for quite a while, so you know I've seen you take charge since the war started. It was you who built that course and trained the army. You did everything for them when they were too scared. They died for you because you inspired them. You're the very reason why they want to die for you, because you took charge. You aren't weak just because your soldiers die for you. You're an inspiration." He turned his gaze towards the minions once more. "Never forget that."

She blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected that from him, but he was right. She was the first to rise against Bowser when her people were scared. She solidified that trust with her people when she showed them that they didn't have to be scared. She took the first step, and that set the ball rolling. How could she forget that? It wasn't because she was weak, but because she lacked faith. That was the main thing. She lacked the faith that they would make it through, and the feelings of weakness would soon follow through. She smiled. Toad was right. She wasn't weak. She just needed to trust that they would make it through, no matter the circumstances. "You're right. You're absolutely right."

"And I can promise you this," Luigi said. "We'll both make it through. You haven't seen the last of us."

"And here." Toad handed her an Ice Flower. "Just in case."

She nodded and placed it in her back pocket. "OK. I'm counting on you both. Don't you dare die on me." She began to run. "You hear me?!" There wasn't a response, only their screams as they charged into battle, just like any soldier, but Peach couldn't think like that. Not anymore. She had to have faith and focus on the next task at hand. Knowing the ins and outs of the Super Star, she could theoretically use it to stop Bowser, but the biggest problem was getting it away from his vile hands. He was gonna most likely use it, and if so, she needed to get as far away as possible from her people beforehand. It was a good thing they already evacuated to the forest. She just needed to stay away from there and Toad Town.

She ran down the streets of Toad Town, glancing at all the emptiness that lay around her. Very rarely were these thriving streets ever abandoned, but it couldn't be helped, especially since Bowser had come, but hopefully she could draw him away from them. "Peaches!" She jumped at his voice, highly reverberated through the echo it created. It didn't take long for them to meet face-to-face again as the Koopa crash-landed in front of her, though the force was enough to launch her back. "Thank goodness I found you. I was worried I had lost you." She sat up and glanced at him, though a small, thin rainbow-like aura had surrounded his body. She glanced at the Super Star, which maintained its glow, meaning he only used a smidge to catch up with her, but even then, less was more in this case. "Though I will say what your friend did was unexpected for his species. Normally, his kind just cowers away, but he happened to be the exemption. It's no wonder Mario's philosophy got etched into that Toad's brain along with Green 'Stache, but they're being dealt with as we speak. That just leaves us. As you can see, I've already started to use the Super Star's power. I will ask one more time or else you will give me no choice but to destroy your kingdom. I'll do it myself; I have no need for my minions right now, even if they weren't preoccupied. You saw what a smidge of its power could do just by that crater I created with my jump. Do you really want to see this whole kingdom ablaze? If not, then say yes. It's that simple."

Peach scoffed. "To think that you'll just resort to blackmail when things don't go your way. You really haven't changed at all!" She darted towards the Super Star, but Bowser was quick to stop her as he jumped in front of her and grabbed her, squeezing her just enough to keep her under control. Pain seized throughout her body. She knew Bowser's grip was strong but add in the Super Star, and he suddenly was on a whole different level. "I'm sorry for hurting you, but clearly you aren't listening to my words. Fine. I'll show you what I mean." He jumped toward where the fighting took place and landed with extreme precision just a few feet away from the battle. "That's enough!" The fighting stopped as they parted, revealing an injured Toad and Luigi, deprived of their Power-ups as all sorts of bruises, cuts, and scrapes covered their entire bodies. Luigi looked more beat up than Toad with most of his clothes ripped as he heaved on the ground. "Don't you see the kind of power you're up against, princess? My army toppled over them like the worthless weaklings they were. They weren't meant to survive this fight had I decided to let it continue. So, let's cut to the chase, shall we? You will agree to marry me or else my advisor will kill them himself." Kamek chanted before thrusting his wand, zapping the two with his magic causing them to scream. "You only have a few seconds. Make your decision." What should she do? Should she say yes and give in to his commands? Well, getting the Super Star was pointless since she tried that earlier, and that didn't work. What now? "They don't have long left till they're dead! Give me an answer now!" She hyperventilated. She didn't want to do it. She didn't, but she had no choice. They were gonna die if she didn't say yes, so at this point, she had to.

"OK! I'll marry you! Just stop!" Bowser nodded to Kamek who released his spell, causing the two to pant as they collapsed on the ground. "I'll marry you, just don't hurt any more of my people."

"You have my word. Guards, capture those two! We have a wedding to get to!" He laughed as he climbed on his fortress. Peach sighed as she glanced at Toad and Luigi, who were grabbed by the guards as they were hauled on the ship.

"Hey." She turned to a Koopa. "Time to go. Get moving, please." She slowly nodded and entered the fortress as the mouth closed behind her. Why couldn't Mario be here now? Now, her kingdom was doomed.

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: All assets of the Mario Movie belong to Nintendo and Illumination.

Chapter 17: Bonds

"This is all your fault!" Donkey Kong hissed, throwing various kart parts at Mario as they fell towards the ocean.

"Ugh, there you go again!" Mario scoffed. "Always pinning the blame on me! How about you look at the true reality of this situation! I never wanted this! So, stop pinning the blame on me! You really think I thought that dumb Koopa was gonna retaliate like that?! No!"

"It doesn't matter! You should've just stayed away in the first place! Now, we're gonna freaking die because of-" The two crashed into the ocean. Mario struggled to regain his composure when the Kong disappeared from his sight. He glanced around to find him drowning, mostly from the tire that hit him a moment ago. Mario swam to him and grabbed his fur as he pulled him up to the surface, albeit a bit slowly since he was heavy, unbeknownst to them of a giant eel as it swallowed the kart whole. The two regained their breathing as they floated above the water. Donkey Kong shoved him off. "Get the heck off me!"

"I saved your life. You can at least say thank you."

"No! We're gonna die because of you! I never asked for any of this! You should've never come! To hell with you!"

Mario grabbed him by the scruff. "You can curse and hate me all you want, but let me tell you something, you dumb monkey. I did what I had to do. Complaining isn't gonna help our situation, so drop your damn attitude!" He released him. "Now we need to find a way out of here."

"You mean you." Donkey Kong began to swim away. "Like I'd ever help you. I'm absolutely done with everything having to do with you."

"Oh, yeah?! And where the heck are you gonna go, huh?! As far as I'm concerned, we're nowhere near land! Where are you gonna freaking go?!"

"I don't care! As long as I'm nowhere near you, then I can be at-" There was a rumble in the ocean, causing the two to freeze.

"Um," Mario said, "What was that?" A giant creature popped out of the ocean as it opened its jaw. They tried to swim, but it was all for not as they were swallowed whole.

Mario groaned, rubbing his head as he sat up. What happened? Where was he? He glanced around at his surroundings. Was this some sort of stomach? That wasn't too far off considering he was staring at a dark membrane that stretched for miles. Was he swallowed? Where was Donkey Kong? He had to stop asking and start getting answers. He walked around, the squishy membrane rubbing against his feet with every step, but he kept walking. "Donkey Kong?"

"Oh, great. You're still here." Mario glanced at the Kong as he fiddled with parts of his kart, most likely to fix it to escape, which seemed a bit weird considering he couldn't just drive out of whatever creature they were trapped in. "And here I thought I was gonna get a moment of peace, but nope. You ruined that just like everything else. No surprise."

"You know what?" Mario hissed. "I've had it with you. You always put the blame on me, and I'm tired of it!"

"Well, I'm just saying what's right. Everything that's happened has been your fault. For crying out loud, we're in a dumb eel slowly about to be digested, and who got us here? You! So, yes! I am in the right to blame you for where we are!"

"But clearly this goes beyond this. Ever since I arrived on the island, you've been nothing but a pain in my neck. You give me the death stare 24/7 without ever explaining why, and you've been dodging my questions left and right, and I deserve to know why you harbor so much hate towards me. Is it because of what happened during our duel? Tell me what it is!"

Donkey Kong snorted. "Like that'll do any good. We're gonna die, anyway, so what's the point?"

"A couple points to mention. One, we aren't gonna die, and two, I am obligated to know why. We aren't exactly going anywhere, so tell me why. I'm only gonna keep asking."

"You know what?! Fine! You wanna know why I hate you?! It's because you won that damn match! That's why!"

"But it was only one loss. It's not that big of a deal."

"Not a big deal? Not a big deal?! Of course it is! That duel meant everything to me! It was my one chance to prove my worth to my dad, and you took that away from me! Do you have any idea how it feels like to have your own dad hate you and think you're not good enough?! Everyday, that freak treats me like I'm a child and tells me of how I should be running the kingdom his way when I have my own way! He just doesn't understand me at all! I care for my freaking kingdom, but he acts like I don't! He acts like I take everything as a joke and constantly lectures me of the way I should be acting! It's always, 'Donkey Kong, you have to stop being so nonchalant about this and take things seriously.' or 'Donkey Kong, enough with the childish attitude. A real king doesn't act like that.' Well, maybe I have my own way of being king!" He paused. His breathing became heavy as he screamed, whacking his arms on the ground. "He just doesn't understand me at all!"

It made sense for Mario. That was why he took the loss personally, because Cranky Kong thought of him as childish and everyday, Donkey Kong had to do everything to prove his worth to him. That sounded familiar. Mario's dad was like that, too, always setting certain expectations and making every decision for him because Mario couldn't be trusted with his own, just like how Cranky Kong lacked faith in his own son because of a simple lack of understanding. That was what the issue boiled down: just a different viewpoint from people of two different generations. "I understand now."

"I hope you are so freaking satisfied. You got your dumb answer. Now, leave me the hell alone while I find a way out of this dumb place." The Kong went back to fiddling with his kart. Mario had to say something. He couldn't just let things end like this.

"I can understand where you're coming from."

"Oh, like I'm in the mood for your pathetic sympathy. Keep that to yourself. No one wants to hear it."

"But it's true. My father treated me like a child, too. He couldn't trust me with my own decisions and always forced me to abide by his rules. That's one thing we have in common."

"Yeah, well, your dad's right!"

"The heck is that supposed to mean?"

"You might as well give him the Dad Award of the Year because he sounds so brilliant and correct for that matter!"

Mario stood up. "You know what?! I'm done talking to you! Just go in a corner and smash some stuff, smash monkey!"

"I! AM! MORE THAN A GUY! WHO SMASHES THINGS!" Mario blinked in surprise from Donkey Kong's rage earlier as he huffed in his face. "Do you really think that's all who I am, just nothing but a guy who throws temper tantrums all the time?! Well, news flash, I'm not!" He huffed. "I'm done looking at your stupid face. I'm getting out of here, and when I do, I'd better not see you again." He climbed on his kart and attempted to start it up.

Mario just sat in silence, pondering on the Kong's words. A lot of that anger revolved around Mario and Cranky Kong. That much was obvious, but he did mention being his own kind of king, but what kind of king was he? One moment that did seem a bit peculiar was when he first met the gorilla. When he entered the arena, he was flashing off his muscles, something Cranky Kong was quick to interject about, but Donkey Kong didn't huff and roar like an ordinary, angry gorilla would. He seemed happy and joyful, but ever since their conflict arose, Donkey Kong's anger became ingrained in Mario's mind. Clearly, there was more to the Kong than he was letting on, and yes, Mario did say he was done talking to him, but circumstances changed, and despite their rocky relationship, Mario was determined to make some sort of relationship with him to mutualistically benefit him in some way.

"Wait!"

"I thought you said you were done talking to me. Listen to your own words for once."

"I'll be quiet. Just answer one question."

"No." He tried to start it up once more, but the engine stalled as gas spewed from it. He whacked the steering wheel in frustration. "Oh, come on! You just worked! Dang it!" He sighed and hopped off. "At this point, why should I bother with this piece of junk? It's too damaged beyond repair. Now there's no way of getting out of here." He glanced at Mario, who was staring at him. "What? Do you have anything better to do than to make my fur rise? We're not getting out of here. Find your own freaking space and leave me alone."

Mario sat next to him. "I guess we really are trapped in here. I'm never gonna see my brother again or Peach and Toad. When I came here, I didn't know where I was or anything about this world. I've made so many friends that I might not even be able to see again." He sighed. "Why did I make all those promises?" The two sat in silence for the next few minutes, just staring at the space that would become their tomb. "Since we're gonna die soon, can I ask you a question?"

Donkey Kong scoffed. "You might as well since you won't stop harping on it, so go ahead."

"What kind of king do you want to be?"

"Why does that matter to you?"

"Well, it doesn't in the short term, but I remember the moment I first met you."

"And?"

"Back then, you seemed so happy. You were flexing your muscles without a care in the world. The crowd went wild for you, but it ended as soon as it started. Cranky Kong was pretty quick to harp against it."

"So, you noticed."

"I mean, it was pretty hard not to notice, but that's the only time I've ever seen you happy. Every other moment besides that was the way you are now: angry, exasperated, irritable. The list goes on."

"You don't have to use a thousand synonyms for one word."

"But you understand what I mean, right?"

"Yes."

"You even said it yourself that your own way of being king differs from your father. So, in your eyes, what is your way of being king?"

Donkey Kong sighed. "I want my people to be happy. It's not like I act like I don't care for my people because I do. I will gladly lay down my life for them, but I don't want to have every moment of my life to be serious. There are moments where I just want to have fun, and to spread that fun to my people. I can be serious when the moment calls for it. Heck, you've seen that multiple times, but I don't want to take things seriously all the time. Sometimes, I want to forget about life for a while. There's nothing wrong with lifting my people's spirits, especially if some of them are depressed and lonely, and with a little humor every now and then. I put on my shows mainly for them. That's my way of being king."

Mario nodded. "Have you communicated this to your father?"

"Of course I have. Multiple times, and yet he still acts like I don't care. Why do you think I have to strive to be the best everyday? I have to show Father that I care, and the only way to do that is to be the best, especially since I'm the prince. His way of thinking is totally different from mine. That's why it's so hard to tell him this, because he doesn't understand, and I don't know how to change his mind."

"But that doesn't mean you should stop. You need to keep going. Just be honest with him.

Donkey Kong snorted. "You make it sound easier than it actually is."

"Look. I have problems with my father, too. Heck, I have problems with my whole family."

Donkey Kong's eyes perked up. "Really?"

"Yeah. My uncles love to tease Luigi and I when things don't go our way, and you already know about my father. The only one who's been supportive of me has been my mom, but even then, sometimes her 'support' isn't even support. She gives me lots of hugs and kisses and coos to me like I'm a baby."

"But it sounds like she does love you, unlike mine, who isn't even around anymore."

Mario was taken aback. "I'm-a sorry to hear that."

"You know? You mentioning your mom brings back memories of mine. She was a lot similar to yours when she would hug and kiss me and tell me that she loved me." The Kong sniffled. "That was when Dad's attitude turned serious. I was only ten when she died, but her death changed Dad for the worse as he got more serious about his teachings and set higher expectations. You're lucky in that aspect."

Mario sighed. In some ways, he was luckier than Donkey Kong. Even though his mom supported him in her own way, she still cared for him. Donkey Kong didn't even have someone to support him ever since his mother died, and when he was very young, too. "I truly am sorry."

"And you know what's worst of all? I hate having to deal with this relationship we have. I just want a normal father/son relationship, but I can't even have that! And to see you get more praise in a few hours than I ever did my entire life irked me even more! I hate it!" Donkey Kong sighed. "I've been having to deal with this issue for over twenty years, and still, nothing's changed. I don't get it."

"Well," Mario said, "How about trying to understand it from his point of view?"

"What?"

"That's what the issue boiled down to, a lack of understanding. Like you said, your way and his way of running the kingdom are different. Even though your views clash, try to see it from his point of view. For starters, even though Cranky Kong has thoroughly adopted his namesake personality, his actions still share an abundant amount of his character that goes beyond the surface. He deeply cares for his country. That's why he's so deeply involved with his army, making sure they're properly trained and why he has expectations of them, because to him, the people come first. That's why he's always so hard on you, because he wants to make sure that when he leaves, the kingdom will be in good hands. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

"You really think I don't know all of that? He's given me countless lectures about the safety of the people, but can't spare a few seconds to say something like, 'I'm proud of you.' or 'Good job, son.' I haven't heard him say anything akin to that ever since Mom died. He doesn't acknowledge my effort or even say thank you." Mario blinked. "And now you know why our relationship is so sour."

"Then tell him that." Donkey Kong glanced at him. "Have you told him that, about how underappreciated you feel? Well, have you?"

The Kong stayed silent then sighed. "I guess not enough."

"Well, that's your solution. You need to tell him specifically that: that you're not happy that he doesn't treat you like an actual son. Heck, that's a conversation I need to have with my father, too. Look. I want you to make me a promise." The Kong glanced at him. "Clearly, staying in here isn't gonna solve anything in regard to our fathers. If I get us out of here, then you must promise me to address this to your father. Tell him how you feel in regard to your father/son relationship. I will make that same promise. I'm not having things end here. There's still time to mend your relationship. Will you do it?"

"But I've tried so many times! He won't listen!"

"Hey." Mario placed a hand on Donkey Kong's shoulder. "You're not alone. I'll be there right with you. You tell me this is something you've wanted for a long time, and partially why it hasn't worked is because of the anger you share. But don't give up. I can be a mediator of sorts and can lay the groundwork, but you can't give up. OK?"

Donkey Kong sighed and nodded. "I suppose you're right. To be honest, Dad's an inspiration. His dedication towards his people is something I can admire about him, but I just hate how twisted our relationship has become." He smiled. "But you're right. I'll do it. I'll tell him these feelings and be truthfully honest." He hugged the plumber. "Thank you, Mario." He smiled. "Now, you better keep your end of the bargain. You promised you would find a way out of here, so keep your end of the bargain."

"Right." Mario glanced around. The only thing they had that could provide some sort of chance of escaping was the kart, but Donkey Kong struggled to get it working. He began scrutinizing it. Was there something salvageable that they could work with? There had to be.

"Why are you even bothering with that kart? It's worthless, anyway."

"Maybe there's something we can use to help us escape. We don't have anything else to work with." Donkey Kong just shrugged. As the plumber examined the kart, there was something that was in acceptable condition. The kart had an extra blaster that wasn't totally damaged, unlike the rest of the kart. It was decently sized and could theoretically carry both of them, but that was up in the air considering the Kong must've weighed a hefty amount. But what other choice did they have? "Help me take this thing off."

"A Rocket Barrel? You wanna use that?"

"Well, maybe it could fly us out of here. There aren't any other options, and I know you must weigh a ton, which could throw the whole thing off, but it could propel us to the Mushroom Kingdom. These things do have a lot of firepower."

"Thank you so much for the compliment." Donkey Kong walked over and yanked the Rocket Barrel as he glared at Mario. "If you hadn't helped me earlier, I would've beaten you to a pulp for calling me fat."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it!"

"Does it look like I care?! You insulted me with a fat joke, and you will face the consequences when this is all said and done! Mark my words!" He hopped on the rocket.

"But I thought we were best friends now."

"You're out of your damn mind," the Kong hissed. Mario couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah. Keep up that cheery attitude. You're not gonna last long against me. Touch the button on the kart and let's go." Mario nodded and ran to the kart, pushing a button as the Rocket Barrel came to life as the fuse lit. Mario quickly hopped on as he grabbed onto Donkey Kong. "And clearly you don't know how to respect one's own space."

"Will you just shut it?"

"I cannot." The Rocket Barrel took off with blistering speed as Mario held on for dear life. Donkey Kong aimed the vehicle upwards as he dodged any obstacle in his way. After a couple minutes, they made their way outside as the fumes exerted from the rocket had caused the maw ray to jump out of the ocean, opening its mouth for a brief second.

"Now's our chance!" Donkey Kong kicked the rocket, its speed increasing as they finally escaped the maw ray as it collapsed back into the ocean. Mario cheered. "Yes! We did it!"

Donkey Kong smirked. "I must say, mustache man, you're pretty good. You do have brains after all."

"Well, that was how I did beat you, after all."

"I take back my compliment."

"Come on! No! It was only a joke! You can call me scrawny to make up for it! How about that?"

"I'll create my own insults on my own time. Keep your lousy ones to yourself." Mario huffed. They took off towards the horizon as they flew towards the Mushroom Kingdom.

"Or maybe-"

"Shut it."

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: All assets of the Mario Movie belong to Nintendo and Illumination.

Chapter 18: Reunion

Peach sighed as she stared at the Ice Flower Toad gave her. She sighed. Ever since her capture, she was forced to put on a dress tailored to her by Kamek after she tried to fight back, but was ultimately restrained by his magic as he placed the dress on her, one that surprisingly fit her to say the least, and she didn't even want to know how Bowser got the specific measurements for it, but who was she kidding? He fawned over her 24/7. It didn't come to a surprise that he knew everything about her down to the immaculate detail.

She didn't know what happened to Luigi and Toad. Last thing she knew was they were restrained like she was, but she didn't want to wander to that negative territory of them being dead, though she wouldn't say that wasn't a possibility, but did she truly believe it? No. They had to be alive. She couldn't lose anyone else close to her, and she grew a bond between her and Toad over the past few days. She even thought of him as some sort of a younger brother. She heard about what happened to his parents, so to see him fight back after all the 'terrorism' he caused, as her guards often put it, was inspiring. Same with Luigi. He didn't give up, even if Mario was gone. He decided to keep fighting for his sake. They were both quite the inspiration to her just as she was to her people. In the end, it all came full circle.

"Hello, princess!" Peach quickly placed the Power-up away as Kamek came through the room with a bouquet of flowers in his hand. "I've come to deliver the good news!"

"Good news?"

"About the wedding! It starts in five minutes! Aren't you excited? Your life is about to change for the better. Soon, our two kingdoms will be united with you and Lord Bowser at the helm. Aren't you excited?!"

Peach stood still before rushing in, pinning him against the wall. "Well, you just love acting so exuberant about this whole thing," she growled.

Nearby guards shouted and ran in the room. "Lord Kamek!"

"I'm OK," the Magikoopa wheezed. "At least I will be once she releases me." He glanced at Peach. "To think I asked a harmless question, and this is how you respond."

"Then it's like you don't even know me, and yet we've known each other for so many years. You really think I was excited for this? Huh?! Of course not! You force something against my will, and yet you completely ignore my feelings! Do they even matter to you?!" There was silence as she scoffed. "Why should I be asking such stupid, rhetorical questions? Yeah. That's all they are to you, nothing but rhetorical questions. And I only agreed to marry him because he was hurting my friends, something you vile organisms choose to overlook, just like my feelings." She stared at Kamek. "So, go ahead. Try and ask me if I'm excited about this dumb wedding. Go ahead." The Magikoopa stayed silent. "As I thought." She released him, the Magikoopa coughing as the guards helped him to his feet.

"The wedding starts in five minutes." He placed the bouquet on the desk. "I'll be taking my leave. Guards, escort her when it's time." He and the guards walked out, closing the door behind them. Peach snorted. Even after all these years, nothing's changed. Well, she suspected as such, but if they weren't gonna listen to her words, then it was time for action. She glanced at the bouquet and pulled out the Ice Flower, now wrinkled. It could still be of use. Thankfully, Kamek made it easy to have it hidden in plain sight. She stuffed it inside and waited as the time slowly marched by.

Eventually, the guards knocked on the door. Peach straightened her dress as they entered the room. "It's time." They escorted her out of the room towards the courtyard where she could feel the intensifying heat from the doors alone. Why did Bowser hold the wedding near a volcano for crying out loud? She was already perspiring, especially in her dress. As the Wedding March started to play, the doors opened as Peach walked down the aisle, glancing at all the various minions who sat in the booths including a few standout organisms like King Boo and King Bob-omb, both who ruled their own areas of the Mushroom Kingdom. It just came to show how flashy Bowser wanted to make this wedding, especially when he flashed a smile while straightening his suit. She stood in front of him as Kamek approached the podium.

"Hello, my sweet," Bowser said. "I'm glad you could make it to the wedding. Today will certainly be one for the history books, wouldn't you say?" Peach didn't say anything as she avoided his gaze. "Clearly, you aren't happy, but I do know something that will turn that frown upside down. Behold!" He pointed to a giant, floating structure that housed hundreds of hanging cages as the organisms screamed, the ones most notably being Luigi and Toad. Peach sighed with relief. They were still alive. She also caught sight of Cranky Kong as well as he fiddled with his cage. What was Bowser planning? "I know what you're thinking. 'What are they doing here?' Well, I'm so glad you asked! You see, I wanted our wedding to start strong, and I figured since I have the prisoners, why not sacrifice them in your honor?"

Peach scoffed. "What?"

"No need to thank me. I'm just using this as a testament to our love." He glanced at a nearby guard. "Lower the prisoners!" The winch activated as the cages slowly descended towards the lava below. He glanced at Kamek. "You may begin."

The Magikoopa nodded. "Dearly belov-"

Peach punched him before he could finish, causing many of the minions to dramatically gasp. "Drama!" a Dry Bones said.

"Peaches, what are you doing? You're ruining our sentimental moment."

"You think they're nothing but expendable beings to you? Is that what you think of me: that I'm expendable, too?"

"What? Peaches, no! Of course not! This is a way to show how deep our love grows! Sometimes, sacrifice is necessary, but it's all for the greater good. Honest."

"So, this is what you meant by being truly honest with me? Isn't it?!" She scoffed. "You're a damn fool to think I'd ever marry a monster." She pulled out the Ice Flower from her bouquet and transformed into her ice form. "I'd never marry someone like you!"

Bowser narrowed his eyes. "When did you get a Power-up like that?"

"That doesn't matter. What matters is that I'm ending everything here and now. This war. Our relationship. Everything ends today!"

Bowser rubbed his temples and sighed. "I've really tried my hardest to be patient with you, but you truly have gotten on my nerves. Fine. You don't want to marry me? Fine! I'll destroy your whole kingdom, starting with you!" He launched a stream of fire at her, but she jumped out of the way, her body twirling as she flew through the air before she followed up with a flurry of ice attacks, freezing his legs, arms, and even his mouth before leaping in the air, launching a gigantic ice ball that encased the entire Koopa in ice upon contact. But knowing how strong he was, that ice wasn't bound to hold him forever. She landed on the ground and launched one ice ball at the winch, freezing it in place as the cages stopped descending. She glanced at the minions behind her as they yelled in response and charged at her. She found it hard to defend herself when all kinds of attacks were coming every which way, but she did her best, freezing as many minions as possible, but it slowly started to become too much as atracks narrowly missed her, but others grazed her dress.

She growled as she backed up as spears narrowly sliced her. What should she do? Was there anything she could use to her advantage? She glanced at King Bob-omb, who was fast asleep. Who knew he could doze off during such a ruckus? Well, what mattered was that he was a bomb, and thus explosive. That was her advantage. She caught one of the spears that flew towards her and dipped one end in a pool of lava. She jumped and threw the spear at King Bob-omb's fuse, causing him to snap awake as he shrieked from the shock of Peach's action. Unfortunately, the ice on the winch started to break as King Bob-omb was about to explode. She ran towards the winch and was about to throw an ice ball when King Bob-omb exploded, launching minions away with its huge blast radius. Unfortunately, Peach herself was caught in the blast, sending her back as she flew into the podium, losing her Power-up. She glanced at the winch as it slowly lowered the prisoners to their doom. She didn't have any more Power-ups on her. What was she gonna do now?

The wind breezed past Mario's hair as he and Donkey Kong flew towards the Mushroom Kingdom. "Are you sure this is the way?" Mario asked.

"How about you use context clues and start with looking at the sky?" Mario glanced at the dark and foggy clouds surrounding the landmass as another approached it. Mario could even see Bowser's face engraved on the front.

"Oh. I see."

"Good. About time you did, too. I for one spotted it a million miles away."

"Now you're just exaggerating."

"Am I? Without me, you would be hella lost. Just saying." Mario rolled his eyes. Even despite improving their relationship, there was always gonna be a gruff side to the Kong. Well, he shouldn't expect anything else from him. "Now, as we get closer, get prepared for whatever they throw at us."

Mario nodded. "Right." They crossed into the Mushroom Kingdom as they approached Bowser's Castle, flashes of ice blue catching Mario's eye as he pointed to the source. "They must be up there!"

"Indeed." Donkey Kong aimed the Rocket Barrel upwards.

Mario gasped as a couple of Koopas aimed a missile at them before firing it off. "Donkey Kong, watch out! Missile incoming!"

"Duly noted!" He swerved the Rocket Barrel as the missile zoomed right past them, but the Koopas didn't give up. They fired two more at them. Donkey Kong struggled to fend off them as while he avoided one, the other rammed into him, knocking them off as they and the Rocket Barrel rolled along the ground. Mario rubbed his head as he stared at all the various blocks the Koopas were heisting and gave a wicked smile at Donkey Kong. "The heck is with that look?" Mario gestured to the Rocket Barrel then the Koopas. "Ah! I see!" He picked up the Rocket Barrel and hurled it at them, causing a massive explosion as the Koopas were sent flying. As the plumber leapt over a couple Koopas, he jumped and hit a Question Block, a Super Mushroom landing in his hands, but he didn't wretch. Considering he ate thousands of those, he had gotten used to the taste of them, even if they still tasted vile in his opinion. He kicked another block, a Fire Flower landing in Donkey Kong's hands as he transformed into his fire form.

Mario gasped. "You can use Power-ups, too?"

"What? You think those are mutually exclusive to your species? Just about anyone can use these if they want to, but considering my stature, I rarely have a need to, but considering we're in a race against time, I will gladly put aside my ego and use these to help your girlfriend. Now, let's go!" He ran. "I'm gonna get to Peach before you do!"

"Oh, heck naw! Also, she's not my girlfriend!"

"Not yet that is!" Mario rolled his eyes and chased after him as the two began wreaking havoc on Bowser's minions. Donkey Kong aimed for higher ground as he threw fireballs, exploding upon impact as he entered a pipe while Mario jumped whilst avoiding spears thrown by the Koopas and a gnawing Piranha Plant that attempted to bite him. They reunited and just booked it through the plains, knocking away enemies and bouncing and hopping around obstacles, and Mario gave the biggest laugh he had in a long time. For once, he was actually having fun as he trounced on one enemy after another with his sweet moves, though Donkey Kong wasn't afraid to show off sweet moves of his own, but that was expected for him. Actually, just seeing the Kong smile made Mario himself smile. They weren't at each other's throats anymore. If anything, they were rivals, and there was nothing wrong with a friendly rivalry. Mario knocked a shell back, trouncing more enemies as he ran, but flipped face forward into the ground as the shell ricocheted into him, losing the Power-up in the process. "Ha ha! Loser!" That same shell ricocheted into the Kong.

"You were saying?"

"Ah, shut up! I'm still gonna beat you, Power-up or no Power-up!" He continued running.

"We'll see about that!" He punched a Question Block, a brown leaf emerging from it as he quickly grabbed it. "What does this do?" He consumed it, his body transforming into some sort of furry creature with a tail as he flew in the air. "Whoa!" He had a hard time regaining control of this new Power-up as he spun in the air out of control, accidentally knocking a Koopa from his flying car before Mario regained his senses, rejoining Donkey Kong as he climbed on the huge spike ball.

"You're late!" the Kong said.

"Technically, it's still anyone's game since we're still not at Peach yet but say whatever you want."

"Whatever. Anyway, cool raccoon suit!"

"Really?"

"Not at all! Also, enemies ahead!" More Koopas flew to them, throwing spears at them when they got within range. The two didn't slow down. Donkey Kong managed to use his giant fists to swat the Koopas away and run at the same time, but all Mario did was swat them away with his tail, which he found out could be used as a weapon. He still had a hard time regaining steady control, but eventually the two made quick work of the Koopas and reached the top to see Peach exhausted from all the fighting she did, and Bowser surprisingly encased in ice. Mario smirked. He wouldn't expect anything else from her, especially when she had a hidden Power-up on her. He glanced ahead at the floating mechanism that lowered prisoners towards the lava below. "Donkey Kong!"

"Already on it!" He ran and leaped towards the winch, cranking it up as the cages slowly ascended out of the volcano. "Find some way to keep this thing from moving! I can't hold this forever!"

"Right!" He glanced around and saw a lever of some sort that looked to control the winch. He flew to it and yanked on it, locking it in place and keeping the winch from moving as Donkey Kong let go with a heaving sigh. But even with the prisoners safe from the danger below, there was an ominous scream, one that sounded familiar as Mario gasped, not even waiting a second later before he took off. No wonder that sounded familiar. He flew towards the cages where a figure was flailing his arms in the air as he fell. Mario zoomed and grabbed him before he could fall into the lava. "Lu!"

"Mario?" The two landed on solid ground as Mario stared at Luigi's face, one he hadn't seen in such a long time as the two embraced in a hug. "Mario! You're alive!"

"Lu!" They didn't let go as they just hugged each other. Mario sighed with relief, almost crying tears of joy. Luigi, his best bro, was safe. After the two got separated, Mario became so worried for his safety. While he did vow to stop Bowser, never once was there a moment where he didn't think about his bro. Luigi must've gone through the same motions, but finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the two were finally together again. They released their hug. "Lu," Mario said. "You're safe. I was so worried for you. At first, I didn't know where you ended up. For all I knew, you could've ended up somewhere completely different, but I never gave up on the thought you were in this world. I couldn't, and I'm glad I didn't because we're back together again. What did I say? As long as we're together, everything's gonna be OK, and we are because we found each other!"

"Mario, I just feel so happy. Also, why do you look like a bear?"

"I think it's more along the lines of a tanooki, but that doesn't matter. I hope Bowser didn't do anything too harmful to you."

"Well, he kinda did. They tried to interrogate me for information about you, but Mario, you will never guess what I did."

"What? Tell me!"

"I actually stood up to him!"

"What?!"

"I had no intention of telling him anything regarding you, so when he decided to get devious with his plans, I punched his advisor head-on! I actually stood up to someone!"

"What?! Oh my goodness! Luigi, that's so awesome!" He pulled him in a hug. "I'm so proud of you. You actually stood up for yourself. Way to go, bro."

"Thanks. Also, I never gave up on you. When Cranky Kong told me what happened, I was scared at first, but I didn't believe it. I didn't believe that you died, and I'm so glad I was right!"

"Yes." He glanced at Peach, the other person who also without a doubt was affected by his 'death'. He ran and hugged her. "Hey, Peach."

She sniffled as she returned his hug. "Mario, I'm so glad you're alive."

"Yes. To be honest, it's a miracle I even escaped, but more on that later. I'm just glad to see you again. You've been quite busy. No surprise Bowser would stage a wedding right after I 'died'."

"Yes. He would do something devious like that, but what matters is that you're here. Perhaps I should've taken an example out of Luigi's book, but what matters in the end is you're alive, and with Donkey Kong, as well. Did you two patch some stuff up?"

"Yeah, but I'd like to think of us as rivals. He did make it a race to get to you."

"Which I won!" They turned to said Kong as he walked to them. "Besides, I freed the other prisoners, so they won't at least die a fiery death, but I totally won!"

"Yeah, right! You're just sad that I was faster than you."

"Faster?! Bullcrap!"

"Actually, I saw you two arrive at the same time." They glanced at Peach. "But I didn't want to say anything since you were rescuing the prisoners and having a heartfelt reunion, but I'd thought I would throw my two cents out there."

Donkey Kong roared. "Fine! This war isn't over, Mario. Whatever competition we face, I will beat you! Mark my words!" Mario laughed.

"Aren't you forgetting someone?" a gruff voice said. Cranky Kong, who leaned on Toad's shoulders, slowly walked to them. He almost slipped and fell, but Toad was quick to steady him. "Thank you, young man." He nodded.

"Dad." Donkey Kong ran to him. "You're OK."

"Indeed. The other prisoners are making their way towards the Mushroom Kingdom via the pipe Luigi took, but I thought I'd figure I would see everyone again. Mario, I'm relieved to see you're alive and well. You should be proud of your brother. At first, I thought you were dead, Donkey Kong, but Luigi convinced me otherwise. He managed to change a stubborn man like me around, and I even managed to help him escape, and it seems like it was worth it."

"But, Dad, you look beat up."

Cranky Kong sighed. "Indeed. I was immediately captured and Bowser unleashed his fury to say the least." He pointed to his leg. "He completely broke my left leg in fury, but decided I wasn't worth killing by his hands and left me to join the other prisoners. I'm lucky to even survive at all. I'll take a broken leg any day than die by his hands." He sighed once more. "Son, I'm sorry for the way I treated you. To me, with the way you acted so carefree and nonchalant, I assumed that you didn't care for my kingdom and would always scold you, but I was wrong."

"Dad," Donkey Kong said, "It's not that I don't care for my kingdom. I do. It's just that sometimes, I just want to forget about life for a while and just make people laugh and smile. I will gladly die for my people, but your way of running the kingdom differs from mine. Plus, I just want a normal father/son relationship. Ever since Mom died, you've been extra hard on me, but please. Can't we have a normal relationship as father and son?"

"Perhaps you are right. I was always taught to put the people first. That's what my father taught me, and his father taught him and so forth. Ever since you were born, I knew you were different. You acted so carefree when you were young, and I remember all the lessons I tried to drill in your head about how you should act, but in the end, I refused to see things from your point of view." He touched his cheek. "Son, I am sorry for all the accusatory things I've said to you about not being good enough to be king. I've seen you have to be the best to even prove yourself to me, but even then, I looked over all your achievements because I thought you could never change." He hugged him. "I was wrong. You, son, are more than enough, and I am proud of what you've done and will do in the fut-" Donkey Kong squeezed him, causing his back to crack as he screamed. "Ah, my back!"

"Oh! Sorry, Dad!" He released him.

"Sometimes, I forget how strong you are, but make your pecs dance. You deserve it!"

"No time now. Definitely later, though!" Cranky Kong laughed.

"Um," Toad said, shivering, "Guys, I think the ice is starting to break!" There were a multitude of ice cracks as Bowser broke off the ice with a stream of fire, his face fuming with fury as he roared in anger.

"Launch the Bomber Bill and destroy the Mushroom Kingdom!" There was a giant rumble as everyone turned around to see a giant missile launching out of another volcano as it flew through the air. It slowly arched as it made its way towards Peach's Castle.

"What?! Bowser, no! Don't do it!"

"Too late, princess! You should've accepted my proposal. Now, your people are gonna die because of you!"

Mario narrowed his eyes. "Not if I have something to say about it." He took off.

"No! Mario!" Peach yelled.

He flew towards the Bomber Bill, trying to catch its attention as he whacked into it. "Hey! Over here!" He whacked it a few more times, but it ignored him and continued to charge straight downward. Mario growled and flew into the front, trying to push it, but even with his strength, he still couldn't get the missile's attention. One thing he noticed was the Bomber Bill did have eyes and was sentient to begin with, so could it feel pain given that? There was only one way to find out. "Alright, you asked for it!" He spun his body in the air as he slammed his tail in the missile's eye, slowly halting its movement as it yelped out in pain, barely stopping just in time as it barely missed impact as it bent the flagpole it touched. It glared at Mario as it growled, causing him to back off as he cheekily waved at it. "Hello."

And so the chase began as they flew around the castle across the water towards the mushrooms. Where was Mario gonna lose this thing? This thing was probably this world's equivalent of a nuclear bomb, and having it go off anywhere near civilians was bound to have numerous casualties, so where could he- His thoughts were interrupted as he flew into a few mushrooms, his body covered in paste as he spat some out of his mouth. "Really?!" As he regained his focus, he spotted a weird, green pipe from afar. He gasped. Wait. It was the same pipe he came out of, and if his memory served correct, that was where that weird, cloudy place was. That was the perfect place! "Follow me!" He circled around, aligning himself with the pipe as the Bomber Bill closed in on him, increasing his heart rate. He fluttered his tail, causing him to go faster. "Come on! Just a bit closer." The pipe inched closer. "Now!" He flipped over the Bomber Bill, exclaiming, "Mamma Mia!" as it rammed into the pipe, sucking it in. Mario waited in anticipation for a few seconds. There was a giant explosion as a humongous shockwave of energy emerged from the pipe, reverberating the air as it shoved Mario towards Bowser's Castle, banging against the cliff as he hung onto the rock, now without the Power-up. Energy continued to reverberate the air as the castle shook before eventually, the air became still and silent. Mario climbed up and sighed, but his troubles were far from over.

Energy began pulsating from the pipe again, this time appearing to suck everything in as Mario's feet were slowly lifted from the ground. He glanced around to see the same thing happen to the others as they held onto different objects for dear life.

"Mario!" Peach shouted over the raucous noise. "What is going on?!"

"I don't know! All I did was guide that thing into the weird pipe I came out of!" His hands were starting to lose their grip.

"Is there any way we can-" She screamed as she lost her grip, falling into the void of light that slowly sucked Bowser's Castle in.

"No! Peach!" Slowly, one-by-one, the others lost their grip. Mario reached out, trying to catch them, first with Peach, then Toad, Cranky Kong, and Donkey Kong, but his attempts were null and void as they all vanished into the void. Then, Luigi was sucked in as Mario cried out his name. "LUIGI!" That only left Bowser beside him.

"This is all your fault!" he yelled as he was sucked in the void. Mario sighed. So, this was the end, huh? All his friends were gone. He was gonna get sucked up, and all because of an irrational move he made. But he couldn't have done anything else. Now, his fate was up to chance. Who knows where he would end up. Home, perhaps? And what about the others? Well, all he could do was close his eyes as he let the energy take hold of him as the pipe swallowed him and the rest of Bowser's Castle whole before the light flashed out of existence in an instant, leaving no trace of its existence behind.

Chapter Text

A bit sad to hear Charles Martinet won't be voicing Mario and others anymore. He will be missed as his voice actor, but his legacy will last forever.

Disclaimer: All assets of the Mario Movie belong to Nintendo and Illumination.

Chapter 19: Superstars

All was peaceful and quiet in the early morning of Brooklyn, New York, which was quite a rare thing considering it was the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, but even the most hustling cities could have their quiet moments no matter how rare they were. Unfortunately, like all things, the peace and quiet wasn't bound to last forever. In one lone street in Brooklyn, a manhole started to convulse, a bright light emanating through the cracks as it popped off, a figure toppling along the ground as he sat up, massaging his neck from the landing. Mario glanced around at the city in awe, awestruck as one simple word uttered from his mouth. "Brooklyn?" How did he end up here? He gasped. "Wait. Luigi! Peach! Toad! Anyone! Where are you?!"

A horn permeated the air, causing Mario's ears to sting from the sudden, loud noise as a car barely stopped in front of him, but Mario wasn't fazed. In fact, he was still dazed that he barely noticed the car approaching him. "Mario?!" The person slammed their door closed as they shook Mario out of his dazed state. "Mario, are you a freaking idiot?! Why the hell are you just standing in the middle of the road?!"

Mario glanced at the person in front of him. "Spike?"

"That's all you have to say?!" Spike hissed. "You almost got run over, you dumbass! Furthermore, you almost dented my-"

There was a loud rupture as Bowser's fortress ruptured from the ground, sending debris everywhere as Spike yelped and ran. Mario shook his head and took off as the fortress crashed into the ground, sending a huge shockwave of energy that sent the plumber flying forward. The crash was enough to send tremors throughout the city, causing the attraction of many people as they opened their windows and stared in awe at the behemoth that was Bowser's fortress. Mario sat up as debris continued to fall. What was Bowser's fortress doing here? He gasped. It was all starting to come back to him. It was the Bomber Bill. Its explosion somehow dragged everyone and everything from the Mushroom Kingdom into Brooklyn, which meant that Luigi and the others had to be here. He had to confirm this. He ran towards the debris, climbing over the rocks as he shouted their names. "Luigi! Peach!"

"Over here!" a voice said. Mario ran towards the source and began moving rocks as Donkey Kong emerged from the pile with Peach, Toad, and Cranky Kong in tow.

Mario sighed with relief. "You're OK!"

"Indeed," Cranky Kong said. "Thank you, son, for keeping us safe during the landing of debris." He nodded. "Though I have no idea where we are. One thing is clear. This isn't the Mushroom Kingdom anymore."

"That's because this is Brooklyn."

"Wait," Peach said. "Brooklyn, as in your hometown? That Brooklyn?"

"Yep. This is indeed my home."

"But why would we suddenly end up warping to your hometown?"

"Well, I flew the Bomber Bill towards the pipe I used to get to the Mushroom Kingdom. It emerged into the pipe and there was a giant explosion. Then, that somehow caused the pipe to drag us into Brooklyn. That's all I know."

"Mario!" Luigi ran to him.

"Lu! You're OK!"

"Yeah, but what's going on?! Why are we suddenly back in Brooklyn?! And why is Bowser's fortress here, too?!"

"Look. We don't have the answers to those questions right now. Right now, our problem is Bowser since he's bound to be here."

"Mario, look!" Peach pointed to the Super Star as it flew out of Bowser's fortress.

"Right! We need to get it away from Bowser's hands!"

"Mario, no!"

As he ran towards the Star, there was a roar from the fortress, causing the plumber to stop as nearby people backed away. "MARIO!" He glanced at the Koopa as he stood up, his nostrils fuming as he jumped in front of the plumber. "You want this?" He picked him up. "Well, too bad!" He punched him in the face, causing him to fly into the car. He launched a stream of fire, destroying the car as Mario jumped and slithered away. "You ruined my wedding!" He kicked a car away and threw a piece of debris at him, destroying another car as Mario dodged the throw. "I was finally gonna be happy!" He picked up the plumber and threw him into another car before lifting another above his shoulders. "Now you will suffer!" Mario ran as he slammed the cars on top of each other. "LIKE ME!" He booked it towards the Star. "Oh, no you don't!" He twirled his body and slammed his tail against Mario's back. The plumber slammed into a nearby building with a huge crash. "Is this all the mighty Mario can do? I've learned lots of interesting things from your brother, things that went unsaid, but didn't go past my brain. I was expecting this Mario to be a great and mighty figure, someone who could actually give me a fight, but you're pathetic!" He emerged into his shell and tried to ram into the plumber. Mario barely missed his shell as he jumped out of the way, crumbling the entire building into rubble. His breathing became heavy as the energy started to seep from him as Bowser towered over him. He grabbed him by the neck as he pinned him against a wall. "And what's worst of all?" he hissed in his face. "You laid your grubby hands on Princess Peach. She was supposed to be mine. Understand?! Mine! But the second she landed eyes on you, she developed feelings for you! Why the hell does she fantasize you, a mere weakling she only just met, over me?! What do you have that I don't?!"

"Everything you're not." He turned to Peach. "What you say is true. At first, I didn't develop feelings for him. I was happy that I finally met someone of my own kind. But as our friendship grew, that was when our feelings would slowly blossom, though we wouldn't admit to it at first. But I will say this here and now." She glanced at Mario. "Mario, I wanted to say this earlier, but I couldn't when I thought you were dead, but the truth is that I love you."

Mario gasped. "Peach."

"You're sweet, kind, stubborn as hell, but you truly care for me and my people. You're the kind of person who would gladly die for them, and that is something that I admire about you." She glared at Bowser once more. "That's why he's everything you're not."

Bowser snorted. "And to think I've been trying to win your heart for so long. I tried so many times in so many ways just to have you say two words: I do. And now you're telling me that this worthless, weak little nothing won you over in less than a week?! Fine! If I can't have you, then no one can!" He went to swipe his neck when a frying pan hit his neck.

"Hey!" He glanced at Toad. "Leave my best friend alone!" Donkey Kong and Peach joined him.

"So, you all want to die that badly. Fine." He threw Mario aside. "I shall kill you all myself, and when I'm done, I'll use the Super Star to destroy this whole planet!" He charged at the three with a roar as all Mario could do was watch from afar. No. He couldn't just watch. He made a promise to stop Bowser. There was no way he was giving up on that promise. He tried standing up, but the pain in his body caused him to fall back down as he gripped his arm and gritted his teeth.

"No. Get up, body! Get up, damnit!"

"Mario!" He turned to see not just Luigi run to him, but Antonio and Isabella behind him as the three knelt to him. "Mario," Antonio said. "Mio figlio! My son! What in the world is happening?! First, you and your brother disappear off the face of the Earth then you come back with some turtle monster invading our city?! I don't understand! And now you want to go back out there?!"

"No time, Pa." Mario huffed for breath as he tried to stand once more. "I… have to help my friends. T… They'll die if I don't stop Bowser." He took a step forward and fell face-first, but Luigi caught him.

"What?! No! Absolutely not! He beat you to a pulp! If you go back out there, you'll die!"

"I have to save them!" Tears welded his eyes as Bowser started to punch Donkey Kong. Peach and Toad were already restrained as the Koopas pinned them to the ground. "I made a promise! I promised I would stop Bowser no matter what it takes! My friends are gonna die by his hands! I have to save them!"

There was silence as Mario cried for a minute. "I understand your feelings," Isabella said. "It hurts to see the ones you love get hurt in the process, but honey, please listen to your father. I don't know the full situation, but right now, you are injured, and if you go back out there, then you will die, and your father and I can't have that. You're too special to lose. Please, Mario. We were so worried sick when you disappeared. The law enforcement tried to search for you both for days, but they couldn't find you. Even witness accounts still didn't amount to anything for your whereabouts. I understand you want to save your friends, but I must agree with your father. You can't go. We can't lose you again."

"So, you just want my friends or even this whole planet to die?! Is that what you want?!"

Antonio growled in frustration. "Son, you need to listen to us. We aren't suggesting that your friends simply die. We don't want to lose you."

"Then learn to trust me."

"What?"

"For all my life, you took away my free will to make my own decisions because you didn't want to have me go through the same hardships you did. You've tried to keep me silent while you set up some grand plan for my life and expected me to follow through. You became too paranoid for my safety and sat so many precautions, but Dad, you need to learn to start trusting me." He touched his cheek. "You were always protective of me, but you can't keep protecting me forever. I am going to stop Bowser and save my friends, and I will not die today because I'm gonna have my best bro right with me." He glanced at Luigi. "Right, bro?"

He nodded. "All the way!"

"What?! Luigi, you, too?!"

"Dad, don't think for a second that I'm the scared, little boy who cowers in the corner because I'm not anymore. I learned over the past few days that I'm a lot stronger than I let on. The thing that was holding me back was my anxiety. I gave it too much power and it controlled my entire life. I'm not scared of that thing." He glared at Bowser. "I'll take him head-on any day!"

"As you can see," Mario said, "People change, for better or worse, but Dad, we aren't some creatures who stay static all our lives. Our lives change, and we evolve along with them to take on new challenges everyday. You can't keep restricting us anymore of our free will. You need to learn to let go so we can learn to grow. That's the only way to evolve in this world. That's something you have to accept."

Antonio didn't say anything. "Honey," Isabella said, "You know I've always supported our boys in whatever endeavors they pursue. Can't you see the look in their eyes? To you, they were always little boys you had to cherish and protect, but you know what I see? I see two wise, handsome men who can take on any challenge life throws at them. They've changed. Don't you see? They aren't the little boys you knew. Mario is right. It's time they grow their wings and fly. We've kept them in their cages long enough. Won't you agree, Antonio?"

He sighed. "I don't know. I guess paranoia has always been a part of me. Sometimes, I keep thinking back about our struggles in Italia. Money was hard to come by those days. Back then, Italy was switching to a new currency, and I struggled to get a good job with actual pay, but I didn't have a degree. I didn't become a doctor until we moved to the US. Some days, I just keep thinking about all the days when we didn't have enough food or water because the money we did have slowly lost value and I couldn't replace what was lost. Sometimes, I often belittle myself for not being a good enough father for you. I mean, we were lucky to have enough money to come to the US in the first place after months of saving. I just didn't want those same situations to happen to you." Antonio shook his head. "But maybe I was in the wrong the whole time. Our life did change around when we moved, but I was always stuck in the past because of my paranoia. I can't ignore the evidence anymore." He glanced at Mario. "Son, I realize now that this isn't like Italy anymore. Life for me improved, but like I said, I became paranoid for my own good, and that caused a huge rift between the two of us. Son, I was wrong about everything. You're not like me. Sure, you might've gone through some struggles in your life like your business struggling on its first day and even all the protection you did for your brother." He hugged him. "Son, I'm sorry for all the doubt I did. This isn't like Italy. We've been getting by for the past 20 years, and I know you and your brother will continue to do the same. I'm sorry."

Mario smiled, returning his hug as Antonio cried on his shoulder. "Dad, that was all I wanted to hear you say. I get why you did that, but I'm just glad to hear you say those words."

"I know. And this may be hard for me, but neither of you deserve to be held back by me anymore. Now, how are you gonna defeat that thing?"

"Well, clearly physical strength isn't gonna be enough. Besides, Bowser has a whole army he's waiting to unleash." Mario glanced at the Super Star. "But we do have an advantage."

"I don't know what that entails, but I'm gonna trust you. It's the least I can do after all the pain I caused you. Just promise me you both will come back alive."

The two nodded. "That was the entire plan all along," Mario said. "Ready, bro?"

"Right!" Luigi helped him up. "Are you sure you can move around?"

Mario moved his body around. "There's still a bit of pain, but I'll be OK. Now, let's defeat Bowser once and for all! Let's-a go!" The two took off, Mario glancing back at Antonio as he flashed a smile at him. They ran to the Koopa as he held Donkey Kong at the neck, ready to slice him with his claw. "Hey!" Bowser turned to him. "Leave him alone!"

"You just don't know when to quit," the Koopa growled, throwing Donkey Kong aside.

"Yeah. It's kinda my thing."

"You know what? I'm tired of all these distractions." He turned to the Super Star. "It's time I get serious about eviscerating you all!"

"No!" Peach shoved the Koopas off her and kicked a Koopa shell, knocking the Star from Kamek's grasp. "Mario, the Star!"

"Oh, hell no! That's mine!" Bowser launched a stream of fire as Mario took off, but the fire was quicker than the plumber expected, causing him to jump as he shielded himself. He expected the fire to smolder him, but as he glanced in front of him, Luigi shielded the fire with a manhole as he grunted with effort, the fire slowly pushing him back, but he stood his ground.

"Lu."

"Nothing can hurt us," the green plumber said. "As long as we're together." He continued to struggle against the fire, but Mario extended his hand. Luigi grabbed it and the two took off towards the Star as the fire enveloped the street, clouding everyone's vision as Bowser laughed.

"No!" Peach shouted, restrained by the Koopas as she tried to run towards them. "Mario! Luigi!"

"Finally, they're dead! They should've known they wouldn't survive against my might!"

"Hey, turtle face!" The smoke cleared as Mario and Luigi's entire bodies with a bright, rainbow aura, dropping the dull and gray Super Star next to their feet. "You were saying?" Mario said with a cheeky smile.

"What?!" He stomped his foot on them, causing the road to crumble as the bros were unphased by his attack. They retaliated with uppercuts of their own, sending Bowser hurling across the road. "Minions, rip them to pieces!" His minions charged forward, but Mario and Luigi glanced at each other and nodded before zooming towards the army, leaving rainbow trails behind them as they ran. They moved so fast it gave the plumbers the impression that everything slowed down from their point of view. Mario smashed a Sledge Bro's hammer and twirled around him, making him dizzy as Mario hurled him at his brethren, knocking them down like bowling pins while Luigi knocked minions back with simple flicks of his arms and legs, like he was swatting a fly, off a cowering Spike as he was on his hands and knees.

"Oh, hey, Spike!"

"Green 'Stache?" The plumber didn't respond as he regrouped with Mario, charging straight through the army like cheese as they all toppled along the road. They jumped over Bullet Bills to get closer to Bowser as he hid behind his troops, flashing a smile at their parents as a Piranha Plant gulped them, but immediately spat them out.

Bowser threw a car at them, but the bros crashed through it as they delivered a variety of blows to the Koopa, thrashing around as he tried to throw out attacks of his own to no avail as they always missed and left him vulnerable. After enough attacks, the bros grabbed Bowser's tail and threw him in the air before jumping up and punching him straight down into his fortress with a loud crash, causing cracks to appear on his stone face. The bros charged downward with one final attack as Bowser tried one last attempt with a stream of fire, but it all ended within seconds as the bros slammed their legs onto the Koopa, causing him to scream as the entire fortress exploded, sending huge shockwaves of energy and rainbow light that pulsated the entire city as everyone covered their eyes from the blinding light. Eventually, the light settled as Mario and Luigi stood over the badly bruised Bowser as they huffed, the Super Star's effects completely gone, but they stood proud as the crowd behind them cheered for them.

"We did it!" Luigi said. "We won!"

"I couldn't have done it without you, bro." The green plumber smiled.

"No!" Bowser attempted to stand up but collapsed. "This isn't the end. It can't be!"

"Well, sorry for you, but it is."

"But it can't end here! I've come too far for it to end here! My conquest for Peaches's love can't die here, not when there's so much potential for us!" He glanced at her. "Please, Peaches! Just give me one more chance! Please!"

"No."

"Please-"

"Just stop!" Bowser blinked from her outburst. Peach sighed. "Bowser, just stop. I'm done with it all. When will you stop acting like a child and realize that there was never gonna be a relationship between us? When?!" She knelt to him. "Bowser, all I ever wanted was for us to be friends. We were, but you couldn't go past your love for me because you saw me as nothing but a tool who could satisfy your romantic needs."

"What?! Peaches, that's not true!"

"Oh, really? Have you tried dating anyone else of your species? Well, have you?" The Koopa stayed silent. "As I thought. Your silence says it all. You know I'm right. Yes?" She sighed. "You need to stop ignoring the truth of the situation. We were never meant to be. The sooner you accept that, the better off you'll be."

"But Peaches, I can't! You are the piece that fills the void in my empty heart! I can't go on without you!"

"Then you're gonna have to. I told you that everything ended today, and that included our relationship. You can complain and whine all you want, but you need to stop acting like a damn child, Bowser. Stop running from the truth." She walked away, not even giving one more glance at him as he stared at her in melancholic silence.

"Oh, my boys! My heroes!" Isabella and Antonio ran to them as they hugged Mario and Luigi.

"Mario, you were amazing!" Antonio said. "Just the way you moved was so awesome! I couldn't stop cheering for you!"

"Thanks, Pa, but aren't you forgetting someone? He also deserves some praise."

"Of course." He turned to Luigi. "You also did good out there, Luigi. I'm proud of you both. Come on. Give me-"

"Group hug!" Donkey Kong squeezed the four along with Peach and Toad in a group hug as some wheezed from his strength, particularly Mario's parents.

"Come now," Cranky Kong said. "Release them."

"But, Dad, I just wanted to celebrate their moment! They won!"

"Indeed," Peach said. She turned to Antonio and Isabella. "You must be Mario and Luigi's parents."

"In the flesh. And you are?"

"Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom. It's not a place you'll recognize by name, but I just wanted to say I'm so thankful for them. They ended up traveling to separate places in my world, but Mario and Luigi dedicated their lives to saving my kingdom, and I couldn't be more grateful for them. You should be proud."

Antonio sighed. "Well, I haven't been the greatest father to them, but I am proud of you both, too. You deserve every bit of praise today." The crowd regathered and cheered in applause.

"Let's hear it for the Super Mario Brothers!" Spike cheered, making Mario shed a tear. He was so grateful for everything that happened. At first, he was frustrated and angry at this world. Spike constantly tore him down. His family constantly belittled him and Luigi. For the longest time, it seemed like nothing was gonna go his way, but now things have changed for the better. Heck, everyone was praising him and Luigi as heroes, something the green plumber really felt proud of as he stood beside him, nodding his head at Francis, who gave him the seal of approval. In the end, it all worked out. Well, almost everything.

"Yes. You two are amazing. Too bad I'm not too happy to join their praise." The crowd parted at the sound of a new voice as Pauline, the Mayor of New York City, approached them with a not-so happy face. "You two must be the Super Mario Bros these people have been raving about."

"Mayor Pauline," Mario said. "I didn't expect you to come."

"You really didn't? I'm the freaking Mayor of New York City. You'd really think that I wouldn't know strange phenomena going on in my city? Of course I would know. I did also hear about the flood that you two had caused from that couple's mansion, which we finally got that under control, mind you, and now this happens? No. I'm not really happy at all. Do you know how much damage you caused, how much money I have to spend just to get this all fixed?! Do you?!"

"It's not just their fault." She turned to Peach. "I will also claim responsibility for what happened here and am willing to help repay for all the damages. Don't put the blame on them."

"And you are?"

"Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom."

"So, you're a princess, huh? And you're willing to help chip in to rebuild my city?"

"Whatever needs to be done, you have my word."

Pauline turned to Mario and Luigi. "Well, it seems you two are off the hook. Your friend is willing to take the blow for you. And I guess I should be grateful. You did stop an extraterrestrial after all, so thank you. Now, I expect you two to help rebuild my city. I'm not having my poor workers do it alone. You will help. Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Now I will say how will you go home since you're not from here, princess?"

"There is a green pipe that they can use, provided it's still there," Mario said. "I have no idea if it's still there."

Pauline scratched her head. "That does sound familiar. A couple workers did notice an ominous, green pipe, but no one was allowed near it because of how strange it was. We had no idea it was even down there in the first place. Wilson! I want you to guide these people to that pipe!"

He nodded. "Yes, ma'am!"

"And with that, I'll be taking my leave. I'd better expect no more of this kind of nonsense from you two, understand?" Mario and Luigi nodded. "Good. I look forward to working with, Your Highness." She walked away.

"I guess this is goodbye," Mario said.

Peach nodded. "Yep. Since Bowser's entire fortress is destroyed, I'll be taking him under my wing, and just for precautionary measures." She turned to Toad. "Mini Mushroom, please." He nodded and gave her said Power-up as she shoved it down his throat, causing him to shout as Toad trapped him in a glass jar. "Alright, time to go home." And with that, they left, leaving nothing but empty silence and rubble covered the streets as the crowd dispersed.

"We're gonna go back," Luigi said. "Now, come on! Let's-a go tell Dad about all our sweet adventures!"

Mario smirked. "Yeah." He went inside the house, glancing back once more. One day, he will be back for her. He closed the door behind him.

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: All assets of the Mario Movie belong to Nintendo and Illumination.

Chapter 20: Nostalgia

Mario yawned as he sat up, stretching as his alarm blared through his ears. "Oh, shut up!" He shut his alarm off and opened the curtain, glancing at the expanding landscape. He had lived in Brooklyn for most of his life, and it was still hard to fathom how huge the borough was; it looked like it would stretch for miles on end. The beauty of Planet Earth never ceased to amaze the plumber as he quickly showered and got dressed in his clothes.

"Hey, bro!" He glanced at Luigi, who had gathered their tools as the bag was hoisted over his shoulder. "Ready for another day?"

"Yep. Another day of work. I still can't believe it's been one week since Bowser's invasion. Time surely does fly."

"I know. The repairs are coming slowly but surely. Soon, we'll have the city restored to its former glory! Now, let's go. I'm-a starving!" They headed downstairs, the family already eating as they took their spots at the table.

"Heyo!" the bros said.

"Heyo!"

"It's the world-famous Super Mario Brothers!" said Uncle Tony. "From the newspaper!"

"Zio Tony, we aren't world-famous," Mario said.

"Not world-famous? But haven't you seen the newspaper? You're on the front cover!" He placed the newspaper in front of the plumber as he and Luigi scoured said page, and low and behold, there they were, with the caption, Brooklyn Saved!, in bright, black letters with even a photo of the duo with Peach, Donkey Kong, Cranky Kong, and Toad standing next to them as the crowd cheered for them. "See? World-famous!"

"You really think we're world-famous based on that one incident? Sure, we're the talk of the town, but I highly doubt we're world-famous, Zio Tony."

"He's giving you worthy praise. Take it with gratitude and don't act so derogatory towards him." Antonio approached the table with a stack of pancakes on a plate. "No matter how exaggerated he may be, he and the rest of us are very proud of you both. Now, I know you two have a big day ahead of you, so eat up! Breakfast is on me!"

Mario smiled, grabbing some pancakes as he ate them in indebted silence. Over the past week, aside from fixing the city they tore up to put it bluntly, the plumber had strived to better his relationship with Antonio and the rest of the family because of how much of a bitter taste the sourness left in his mouth. He wanted to dispose of that taste forever by engaging in normal conversation, which started with the bros telling them of all what happened with their wacky adventures, and as they told them, Mario remembered the biggest smile that Antonio had cast on his face. Seeing that moment brought the one thing that shone through the darkness: hope, hope of a bigger and better future. Because of everything that happened, there was hope for old relationships to become new again.

"So," Tony said, leaning onto Mario's shoulder as he continued to eat his pancakes whilst drawing out his attention, "How 'bout that girlfriend of yours?"

"Uncle!"

"What? You don't think I didn't remember the very thing that princess said to you? She said she loved you, and you've been radio silent in terms of your relationship, and I want that sweet sweet gossip, so spill!"

Isabella whacked him on the head. "That's enough from you! Don't you dare harass our son about his private love life, especially when it's so soon! Learn some respect!"

"It was a harmless question! My nephews have been gone for so long! I deserve to know what's going on in their lives!"

"Even so, that doesn't matter when you don't respect their-"

"Ma, it's OK."

She glanced at Mario. "Son, are you sure?"

"I'm OK with it. It's not exactly a secret, anyway. We can talk about her. It's just-" He sighed. "I never knew what true love felt like. At first, I didn't have feelings for her, but ever since she left, I can't stop thinking about her. I miss her."

"Then go after her." He glanced at Antonio. "Mario, I understand you have priorities now, but son, I want you and Luigi to live your own lives. I've held you both back for far too long, and you deserve to sprout your wings and fly, so if you love her, then go get her. Same for you, Luigi. Don't be so anxious to dip your toes out in the world. I know you'll find the right woman some day, so you both go out into this world and explore! Make your lives worthwhile!" He stood up. "Well, I have to get to work, but just know you can leave whenever you want. Go out there and make the world your own." He walked away.

Mario and Luigi glanced at each other. "Wow," Luigi said. "I didn't expect him to go philosophical there."

"But he's right. Now, you two eat your food or else you'll be late for work." The two nodded at Isabella's words and quickly ate their food before heading to work.

Mario whacked a few nails with his hammer as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. He glanced around at all the construction Brooklyn was undergoing. Nearly a third of what was damaged had already been rebuilt in only a week. It was quite impressive just how quickly and efficient the workers could be. Well, there was a very big reason why, one that didn't bring back the fondest of memories. Wrecking Crew was the company responsible for rebuilding the city, and since Mario and Luigi agreed to help rebuild, they had to endure the likes of Foreman Spike again, someone Mario hated deep down.

And yet, something about the man had changed. He had been doing something he rarely ever did except to his favorite employees: praise them. Normally, he would act so derogatory to his employees that he would end up in court when others would try to sue him, but he walked away scot-free every time. But since the bros were taken under his wing, he hadn't laughed at or belittled them in any kind of way. It was kinda out of character for him, so much so that Mario was curious what happened. Why? His brain told him not to pry, but he felt like he had to. "Alright, everyone! Lunch break! Take a break! Get something to eat!" The foreman walked to them. "Hey, fellas. Good job today. We're making huge progress because of your volunteering. Also, thanks for saving Brooklyn last week. You two were-"

"Spike, stop." He blinked in surprise.

"Mario," Luigi said. "What are you doing?"

"That's a question I should ask him. I mean, what's going on here?"

Spike scratched his head. "What do you mean?"

"Why aren't you bullying us like you usually do? That is who you are, but either something's changed or this is all an act."

"Mario!"

"It's OK, Green 'Stache. He has every right to be suspicious of me. I mean, it's not like I put on a new face every day. Truth be told, this wasn't a decision I had in mind. Normally, I would go about my day, acting all carefree with nothing to gain or lose. I just acted like myself. But there was something that seemed to just flip a switch in me in an instant, and it took quite a while to figure out what that was until I realized it was because of the turtle monster."

"Bowser?"

"Yeah, him. I knew I did horrible things, especially to you guys, but to just see someone far worse than me really put things into perspective. I mean, he was threatening to destroy the whole planet for crying out loud, something that's a far cry from what I've done, but my point is that I saw the potential of what I could become. Heck, I already ruined people's lives like he has, and there have been points in my life where I just wanted to lash out at people like you whenever you didn't do what I wanted and just kept rebelling against my rule. Many people before you have done that many times, and there were moments where I would be physically abusive to them." He sighed. "I never thought of anyone worse than myself that could do more harm than that Bowser guy. He really put things into perspective for me, especially when he was beating you like how I did to Luigi over the years. I'm sorry for everything I did wrong to you. You guys don't have to forgive me, and I'm not asking for it either. All I want to do is to have a second chance, to start over, even if it means starting from the bottom. After all the thinking I've done, I decided that I need to face the consequences of my actions. I've been getting away with ruining other's lives for my own glory for too long, and it's time I stop running from my mistakes. I will surrender my company to someone else and will have a trial in a couple days. I will accept whatever my punishment is, and when the world is ready to give me a new chance, I will come back as a new man."

Mario and Luigi exchanged glances. This was definitely a bit sudden, even if it's been one week. But it was clear Spike spent many hours deciding over his fate, and it wasn't an easy decision to make, but to think that Bowser held such an influence over a man who barely budged when someone took action was a bit of a shock, but Mario could understand why Spike felt traumatized when he saw Bowser's actions and fury because he saw himself in Bowser, the untapped potential of unleashing his fury onto the whole city even just because he held that much power. Mario smiled. "I'm proud of you," he said.

"Really? Even after all I did to you and Luigi?"

"It takes a lot to own up to one's own faults. And yes, I may not forgive you for what you've done, but I can at least be appreciative of the steps you're taking. But I must say, it was a bit out of the blue, but I will admit I have seen your attitude change slowly this past week. You are getting there."

"And I'll be a new man when the world is ready to see my glory!" Mario crossed his arms. "Right. Those darn old habits are truly hard to break. What I meant to say was how the world will see how selfless I've become."

"Well, make sure you walk the walk. Don't go spouting off words for the heck of it."

"Right. Actions speak louder than words. You'll see how changed I've become."

Mario smirked. "I'm counting on it. By the way, who's gonna take over your company?"

"Anthony Scapelli. He's a good guy I've known for years, and he runs his own construction company. He's agreed to acquire ownership of my company when I'm gone. Well, you two better get some lunch. It's lunch time, baby!" He walked away.

"Wow," Luigi said. "So much changed about him in so little time. It's a bit hard to fathom."

"Well, the world works in mysterious ways. Come on, Lu. I'm-a hungry!"

Mario and Luigi rode in the car as the red plumber drove the two home after a long day of work. "What an eventful day it's been," Luigi said. "We got more of the city repaired, and Spike even apologized for his actions and is willing to face the consequences of them. Who knew so much could happen in one day, right, Mario?" The plumber stayed silent. "Mario?"

"Oh, yeah."

"You OK? You've been offly quiet on the ride home."

"I've been doing a lot of thinking like you have. It's definitely strange just how much can happen in one week, and to think it was only two weeks ago that we attempted to start our business that led to one of the biggest adventures of our lives. It's truly something I can't fathom." He paused. "Bro, do you wanna go back?"

"Like to the Mushroom Kingdom?"

"Well, Father said that the world was practically our oyster in a literal sense. I wanna go visit the place and explore. I also miss everyone."

Luigi playfully nudged him. "Including tua fidanzata."

Mario rolled his eyes. "You're starting to turn into Zio Tony everyday."

"But you know that he's right."

"Look, just because we have feelings for each other doesn't mean we're boyfriend/girlfriend! I mean, we haven't even gotten on a single date, so chill the heck out!"

"Wow, no need to be so defensive about it. I knew that. I was just playing with you. Of course you aren't boyfriend/girlfriend."

Mario sighed. "Well, it's literally been everyone who keeps shoving that thought down my throat. I want this relationship to develop naturally. So, after all this is taken care of, maybe I can cook something up between the two of us, and without the freaking peanut gallery along the way."

"Then let's go now."

Mario blinked in surprise. "Really? Now?"

"It's just a visit. Like you said, Dad trusts us. I wanna see what this place is truly about. I know you want to, too, so let's go! We'll only be gone for a few hours."

Mario smirked. "I never thought you would be so adventurous, but heck yeah. Let's-a go! But if we get in trouble, I'm blaming you." He parked the car alongside the road. "Well, you coming?"

"Wait. I know I suggested the idea, but how are we getting to the pipe?"

Mario pointed to a manhole on the sidewalk. "Where it all started."

"Then let's go!"

The red plumber lifted the cover. "But you aren't afraid that we might get in trouble?"

"Eh, that's true. We could also get lost and numerous things, and who knows what'll happen if Mayor Pauline finds out, but while I do care about all that, you think I'm scared?" He scoffed. "You haven't seen anything yet. Here I go!" He jumped down the hole with a squeal of glee.

"Lu, wait! Do you know where you're even going?!"

"Come on, Mario!" Mario sighed and shook his head as he jumped down the pipe. He glanced around at the sewers that stretched beyond his eyes. Even though it was fairly recent since they stumbled upon this place, it weirdly felt nostalgic to him, something associated with years past, not days, but that perfectly explained the excited jitters of his body as he glanced around. "It surely brings back memories, doesn't it?"

"It's oddly nostalgic, in a way, and it hasn't been two weeks since the incident. Don't you agree?"

"Well, my memories of this place aren't all that positive, but that doesn't mean they can't be replaced with new, better ones. Ya know? I truly never got to know this land and its people all that well because of Bowser." He pointed to the green pipe that was still there. "But that changes today. So, let's-a go, Mario!"

Mario huffed. "You truly have changed, bro. You definitely aren't the coward you used to be. You've grown so much more than I ever imagined. I know I said this a million times, but it's true. I couldn't be prouder of all you accomplished, and in only a couple weeks, too." Luigi couldn't help but blush from the comment. "Now, come on. Enough reminiscing. Let's-a go!" With squeals of excitement, the two jumped into the pipe without a second thought.

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: All assets of the Mario Movie belong to Nintendo and Illumination.

Final Chapter: Home

Peach's Castle

Peach yawned as she sat up, her to-do list coming to mind as she readied herself for the day. Before she began her day, she made a list of what needed to be done beforehand, even having to write them down just because there was only so much that her brain could process at once, but it was also nice to just have it in front of her. Being princess came with managing a lot of strenuous tasks but having it all in one place made it a bit easier to process, something Toadsworth had gotten her acquainted with after becoming princess.

She took her notepad of said tasks as she went downstairs to get breakfast, Toadsworth already waiting for her. "Ah," he said. "Princess Peach. Up right on time as always. I already had the chefs cook up breakfast to which we can address today's agendas." They took their spots in the dining room as Toadsworth began the discussion. "Now, a couple noteworthy developments to discuss. One, Cranky Kong and his son will be coming down later to discuss further ways of improving the kingdoms' relationship. Then there's the issue of reestablishing balance and peace within the Darklands, especially since Bowser is in prison as of this moment." Peach sighed. That was a very huge issue that arose during the last few days. Without Bowser as their leader, the Darklands was left with a power vacuum, meaning anyone could try to seize power in the absence of Bowser, and there had been constant riots going on with others seizing power for their own while others believing Bowser was the rightful ruler. Even sending in forces to try to control the matter had only resulted in more deaths, a decision Peach deeply regretted. Violence only begot more violence in a situation like this, and when one tried to control the affairs of their enemies, let's just say the reception wasn't all well received, and Peach wished she knew this in hindsight.

Even Kamek himself has had trouble stifling the constant rebelling of his citizens, and he was a high-ranked official for that matter. So, if her or Kamek's methods didn't work, then what was the solution? Bowser. Only he could restore order to the Darklands by reestablishing his rule, but Peach wasn't stupid. If she were to just let him go, he would just revert back to his old habits, and it would be like nothing had changed. The only viable solution would be for Bowser to abandon his old ways, but nothing worked. She tried so many times to talk him out of it and also kept him informed of what was going on in his kingdom, but even then, he still acted like the same freaking child that he was. She growled. What was it gonna take to change that freaking Koopa?! He was only making things worse by not accepting things as they were. What else could she do?

She sighed. If only Mario was here. She often thought about him over the past week, and rarely did they ever see each other, even when she made the occasional visit to his planet to discuss diplomatic talks with Mayor Pauline over finances. Money was often tight within the Mushroom Kingdom nowadays with how much was being split between repairing the damages across the Mushroom Kingdom and Brooklyn, and while things were going smoothly and the economy was still solid despite all the spending she was doing, that still couldn't get rid of all the stress that was on her shoulders. Day in and day out, she would often require multiple massages because of how stiff her muscles would become. She barely could get a good night's rest, just nudging between at most four to five hours per night. What was it gonna take to take all this stress away?

"Princess." She glanced at Toadsworth. "You seem deep in thought." He moved closer to her. "Talk to me."

She sighed. "Everything is starting to get to me. I'm trying to control too many situations at once, and it's starting to get overbearing for me. I've tried to juggle so much at once, but it's taken a huge toll on me."

"But, Princess, understand this. You can only handle so much on your own. Taking on too much weight will only make things worse. We talked about this before, yes? When the war first started? I encouraged you to seek help because you knew this was something bigger than you could handle. That was why I had you seek Cranky Kong's help then and even now since he's agreed to help you chip in what you spend elsewhere. That's why we're having a meeting today."

"I understand that, but it's mainly Bowser. I know he did many atrocious things over the years, but I still want to have a good relationship with him and his kingdom, and right now, his kingdom is in shambles. You know I tried to control the situation with my soldiers, but they all ended up dying meaningless deaths. The only one who can fix that situation is Bowser, and until he changes his way of thinking, I can't let him go, or else it would be like nothing has changed, and that's the most frustrating part!"

"Princess, you know how stubborn that Koopa is. Your desire for a renewed relationship is admirable, but honey, only Bowser can change his ways of thinking. Sure, you told him what needed to be said, but this is something he has to accept on his own."

Peach sighed. That was true. She couldn't influence his way of thinking anymore because he had to do that himself, and this was something she couldn't rush. Could Bowser even accept their relationship as over? At this point, she could only pray to the Star Spirits for some sort of revival in him. This was out of her control.

"How about we change the subject since it's clearly a touchy one for you?" She nodded, barely uttering a word. "Well, Cranky Kong and Donkey Kong will be arriving soon, so we should prepare topics to discuss beforehand."

And so the next 15 minutes went by without a cinch as Toadsworth went over different areas of discussion, but Peach was already out of it, only catching half of what he said and nodding her head when Toadsworth did a checkup of knowledge already discussed, but she was still out of it by the time the news of the Kongs' arrival came through. Toad entered as he bowed. "Good morning, Princess!"

"Ah, Toad," Toadsworth said. "To what good news does your arrival bring?"

"King Cranky Kong and his son have arrived as you requested." A couple days after the Brooklyn incident, Toad had decided to become a part of the Royal Guard as a way of making up for the past incidents of humor that distracted most of the guards from their duties.

"Very well then. I suppose it's time for a checkup. How well are you integrating with your fellow guard members since it's been a few days since you've been indoctrinated?"

He sighed. "To be honest, most of the guards either make fun of me or hate me for what I did to them, especially Ala-Gold and Bucken Berry. Those two hate me the most. But I'm not gonna stop. I will make it up to both of you. I shall return to my post. Toad out!" He saluted and left.

"Such a mature Toad he's turning out to be. Being able to admit to his own faults surely does make him an inspiration, wouldn't you say, Princess?" She stayed silent. "I've never seen you this quiet before. After all, you did decide to give him a chance."

"I know. I'm just still struggling with everything that's been going on, but I am proud of him. I'm getting there. I promise." Toadsworth smiled.

Before he could say anything else, the doors slammed open, causing the two to jump as a voice rang out throughout the throne room. "WE HAVE ARRIVED!" There stood Donkey Kong as he flexed his muscles, flashing a cheeky smile that made Peach laugh out loud, much to the surprise of Toadsworth, who was still in shock about the whole thing. The Kong bowed to her flamboyantly. "Good morning, Your Majesty!"

Before Toadsworth could reprimand him, someone beat him to the punch. "Oh, come now, son." Cranky Kong entered the room with an exasperated sigh as he shook his head. "Why must you act so boisterous at all times, especially in front of the princess?" He whacked him on the head. "Show some freaking respect and consideration for others!"

"Oh, come on, Dad," Donkey Kong said, turning to him. "You know I'm just having fun, right?"

"Again, not when you're taking others into consideration. For goodness sake, haven't you heard what's going down in the Darklands? Constant rebellions day in and out. People tried to seize power for themselves, and Peach has tried her best to control the situation, but ultimately can't. You need to learn to read the freaking room!" There was silence as Donkey Kong's smile vanished, casting a down-gazed look. Cranky Kong sighed. "I'm sorry for yelling, son. Old habits are really hard to break, but you can't act all flamboyant all the time. These are times when she needs our help the most. For goodness sake, I've let her cries for help fall on deaf ears. I'm not ignoring her anymore, and that means you need to be serious in times like these. Understand?"

Donkey Kong sighed. "I'm sorry. I just let my personality take over me sometimes. I forget to put myself in other people's shoes." He bowed to Peach. "Forgive me for my ignorance, princess."

"You're forgiven," she said. "It takes a lot to realize one's own mistakes. You keep that head held high, and you're gonna be a successful king." The Kong smiled as he sat up. "Now, I believe it's time for-"

"Guys!" Toad burst through the room, panting as he struggled to catch his breath.

"For goodness sake!" Toadsworth hissed. "We're having an important meeting! Have you no freaking manners?! At least knock before you-"

"Mario and Luigi! They're back!" That caused an amalgamation of mixed reactions as everyone glanced at each other. Peach's heart slightly fluttered. Mario was actually here? "Come quick!" He ran out of the room.

"He really does have no manners. He freaking cut me off! I swear this generation has no respect for their elders!"

"I wouldn't exactly say that," Cranky Kong said, pointing to his son. "Besides, it's been too long. Why don't we go see them and get caught up?"

"But we're in the middle of an important meeting! We can't just pause our meeting just because the Mario Bros grace us with their presence! This meeting is about the very stake of the Mushroom Kingdom! I worked my butt off to set up this meeting, and I'll be damned if someone else decides to interrupt us! I will not be deterred! We will have this-"

"I need to see them." He glanced at Peach. "I understand this meeting is very important, but I need to see them. Please."

"Princess, we are lucky the economy isn't in shambles with the amount of spending we've done. The repairs are costing us a fortune. We can't-"

"I need to see Mario! I've been feeling very stressed, and I know you set this up to help lighten the load, but right now, I need comfort, and the one person I want that from is him. Please, Toadsworth."

The Toad stayed silent, rubbing his temples in frustration. Eventually, he conceded as he heaved a heavy sigh. "Ten minutes, then we're having this meeting. No ifs, ands, or buts."

"15."

"Princess-"

"Come on, now," Cranky Kong said. "You gotta destress every now and then. Take a break! We'll get to this meeting today. I promise. Surely, you must know the importance of destressing."

"Alright, fine! But mark my words! We are having this damn meeting!"

"Fine by me. Now, let's go see the Mario Bros!"

"And this is Toad Town." Upon arriving in the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario decided to give Luigi an official tour of it since he never had a proper introduction to the kingdom, but because the circumstances have changed, now was the perfect time. Granted, he would have to go off his limited knowledge acquired by Toad, but Mario could give a tour based on what he had before he would meet up with the others.

Luigi gasped in awe as he glanced around. "Whoa! I was down here when Bowser invaded, but I had no idea how huge it was!"

"Yep. It's the most populous city in the Mushroom Kingdom, so no wonder it's the capital. Come on! I want to show you more!"

"How much do you know about this place?"

"Only a bit, but there's nothing wrong with a tour of the city, am I right? We can go to Peach's Castle, and I'll lead the way so you don't get lost."

"OK. I'll-a trust you." The two made their way through the city at a more relaxed pace as a couple Toads who noticed their presence said hi to them as they slowly trekked through the city.

It was nice to just take in the sights for once now that they didn't have to be in such a rush because of Bowser, but Mario had often wondered how Peach was doing. Because of Bowser's imprisonment, there was no doubt restlessness in the Darklands due to the Koopa's absence. Knowing her, she was bound to do something about it considering she stated that she wanted to have a rekindled friendship with him, something the Koopa was stubborn about considering that wasn't what he wanted. And with the stress of having to help chip in money for the repairs of both Brooklyn and affected areas of the Mushroom Kingdom, how was she faring? She was strong, but she wasn't invincible. There was only so much that she could handle on her own, but she wasn't alone.

What of Donkey Kong, Cranky Kong, and Toad? What were they up to? So many questions filled the plumber's mind, but it came up as a distraction when Luigi shouted, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Mario!" Mario found himself almost over the edge of the moving platform he was on when Luigi held him by the sleeve before he could fall to his doom. Luigi hoisted him upright. "You OK? You almost fell over."

"Sorry. I got distracted with my own thoughts. Forgive me."

"I swear, you're gonna be the death of me. Let me guess, you were fawning over your girlfriend."

"And what if I was? It's not like you're in love with someone else. Until you reciprocate the same feelings like I do, don't judge. You have no room to speak. Besides, I was more concerned for her and my other friends than anything."

"OK. Duly noted. I'll keep my mouth shut. How about you just lead us to the castle? We've done enough stalling as is."

"Fair enough." Without uttering another word, the two made through the city across the pipe maze as Luigi had discovered the joy of getting lost in the maze as he hopped from one pipe to another, causing him to grow desperate as Mario laughed before guiding him along the right path, but Luigi didn't dare not let that action go unnoticed as he whacked him on the head as they approached the castle.

"Hey!" Mario rubbed his head. "The heck was that for!"

"It's called karma," the green plumber hissed. "That's what you get for laughing at me! I mean, can you freaking blame me? That was a maze to begin with. Did you really expect me to get it right the first time?"

"OK. Touché. Besides, we're here." He pointed to Peach's Castle. "You ready?"

"Yeah. Let's-a go!"

They took off towards the castle as a Guard Toad pointed his halberd at them. "Hold it right there, fiend! State your name and purpose!"

"We're Mario and Luigi. We've come to visit."

"Wait a sec. Mario?" It took a second, but Mario immediately recognized the voice.

"Toad?"

"Mario!" Toad ran and hugged him, causing Mario to cough. "You're actually here! Wait. Please tell me this isn't a dream."

Mario pinched his cheek, causing him to shriek. "That hurt, right?"

"Yes!"

"Then definitely not a dream."

"But I can't believe it. Wait! I need to get the others!" He ran away.

"Wow. Definitely surprising to see him as a guard."

"Why?" Luigi asked.

"It's best if you hear it from him." Luigi scratched his head but didn't say anything else.

A couple minutes later, Toad returned with Peach and Toadsworth, but to Mario's surprise, Cranky Kong and Donkey Kong were with them. "And here they are!" Toad said. "The Mario Bros!"

"And just when we were having an important meeting, too," Toadsworth muttered. "Well, whatever, I guess. I didn't expect to see you two so soon."

"Well," Mario said, "We figured why not visit since we had the time. It's been quite a while since we last saw each other, so why not catch up?" He glanced at the Kongs. "I'm surprised to see you here."

"Well," Cranky Kong said," We volunteered to help Peach by helping return what she spends. We have the funds, so why not spare a few for her? It's the least I can do after all the ignoring I've done. And my son decided to help as well! Isn't that right, son?"

Donkey Kong crossed his arms. "Dad, you're acting like I'm gonna contribute nothing. Why do you think I'm even here?"

Cranky Kong laughed. "Of course I know that! I'm just playing with you. You can't expect me of all people to be serious all the time, right? I'm still learning to loosen up."

"I'll take your word for it, Dad."

"Now where were we? Ah, yes!" Cranky Kong turned to the Mario Bros. "I believe you were gonna tell us what you've been up to."

"Ahem." Peach glared at him with crossed arms.

"Right. After we finish introductions first." The group parted as Peach walked to Mario.

"Hey. How are- Oh!" Peach squeezed him in a hug, causing him to wheeze as he coughed before she released him. "Man, I sometimes forget how strong you are."

"That's due to the years of training and muscle building I did." She smiled. "I'm just so happy you're here. I didn't think you would come so soon. And you too, Luigi. Don't you have your city to repair?"

"We've made progress, but one visit won't hurt, right? Besides, I need to hear from everyone, starting with you, Toad. It's quite interesting to see you part of the Royal Guard."

He playfully huffed. "Glad to see you noticed. But in all honesty, I did much more harm than I realized. At first, I only thought my actions were nothing but a simple jab, just something for a good chuckle, but I didn't realize just how much one single action could pile up, and I did it over-and-over. It became torture to the guards, so I decided to make things up by becoming part of the Royal Guard. I may not be the best trained, but Mario, your 'death' made me realize my shortcomings. I apologized to the princess and had asked to do this to repay for what I did. This is one way I can make Mom and Dad proud of me."

Mario walked to him. "Your parents were already proud the moment you reconciled your feelings on that day. You don't have to prove yourself."

"I know, but this still feels right. I know they're proud of me, but it was important that I make it up to others I harmed. That's what matters." Mario nodded.

"As for us," Cranky Kong said, "We're supposed to have a meeting about how we can help Peach with her situation, but that's been postponed per your arrival. Anyway, you wanna take a gander at who's gonna become king in a year?"

Mario gasped as he glanced at Donkey Kong. "Wait, really?! Your dad's retiring?!"

"Yep," Donkey Kong said. "Dad said that he has full trust in me to lead the kingdom. This is gonna be something that we'll do before he retires. One last hurrah. And we're still working on our relationship as father and son. I still tend to goof off too much, but in the end, I'm happy for where we are." He glanced at Cranky Kong. "Thanks for giving us a second chance."

"Of course, son." He hugged him. "My mother and I are proud of you." They released their hug after a moment of silence. "How about you two, especially you, Green Man? You've been offly quiet."

"It's Luigi!" the plumber hissed. "Get it right!" Cranky Kong laughed. "Yeah, laugh all you want. I'll teach you to get my name right."

The Kong regained his breathing. "You know I'm just playing."

"And yet I'm not. I'm tired of everyone sullying my name. I've been called so many things over the years, and I will not stand for one more. I understand you didn't mean it, but I truly am tired of being walked on. My name will be respected."

Cranky Kong smiled. "You truly have changed. You have my deepest apologies, Luigi. Well, there is one thing I am curious about. Besides rudimentary repairs, any girls you're interested in, if you don't mind me asking?" Luigi stared at him blankly.

Mario playfully nudged him. "Now you know how it feels. I've been getting it constantly from Toad and now Zio Tony."

"Ah, be quiet, fratello. I don't need it from you. Besides, I don't right now, but I will later when I'm ready."

Cranky Kong nodded. "I see. I just want what's best for you. Now, let's give Peach and Mario some space. Clearly, they need their moment together, so let's not intrude. Instead, we can talk about other things. We shall see you two later." With that, the group slowly separated until it was just Mario and Peach as they stared at each other.

"Wanna head inside?" Mario asked. Peach nodded, guiding him as they walked to her room and sat on her bed. Mario glanced at her, not having to look very deep in the situation to see the exhaustion plastered all over her face, the number one biggest sign being the redness and bags under her eyes. "When was the last time you had a good night's sleep?"

She sighed. "That obvious, huh?"

"I mean, I kinda figured that you would be stressed considering Bowser's absence in the Darklands. It wasn't hard to infer there's restlessness there and the fact that you still care for him as friends on top of negotiating funds with Pauline and any other repairs needed here. It's a lot for one to handle, even for you. You've had to learn to endure it all on your own, but even you will tumble from putting too much on your shoulders, hence why the Kongs are here."

"Like I said before, your intelligence never ceases to amaze me. Everything that you said is true. I am used to carrying a lot on my shoulders. Heck, I've had to do that for the past ten years when the war started, and I managed to make it through. I'm so proud of how far I've come, but a lot of the time, I forget that because of the very fact that I put a lot on my shoulders. I know I'm not some god, but I will do anything to alleviate the situation, and Bowser's is no exception. When I got word of the raids, I thought I could control the situation by sending my soldiers down there." She scoffed. "What a dumb decision that was. They all died meaningless deaths, and it only worsened the problem. It took a while for me to realize that the only one who can fix the problem is Bowser. I want to restore our friendship that we used to have, but every conversation that I've had with him always ends with him either being angry or crying because he still loves me. I want what's best for both of us, and I don't know what to do anymore!" She wailed as she ran into Mario, crying on his shoulder as her shrieks verberated the room.

Mario sighed. Bowser was always a stubborn one, but the plumber underestimated that very fact about him. Peach still cared for the Koopa after all the terrorizing he did, but it broke her heart that there wasn't anything she could do to fix it. This truly was a situation out of her control, but perhaps not his. Maybe Mario could change his mind. Cranky Kong was evidence that people could change, and even if the plumber couldn't resort to more brutish methods, he needed to give this a shot. If he truly loved her, then he would do anything to fix this situation for her. "Then let me do it."

She sat up. "What?"

"Let me be the one to change that Koopa's mind. I may not have had many encounters with him, but I know how he works. I managed to change Cranky Kong's mind when we needed the Kong Army. Let me do this for you."

"Are you certain you can do it?"

"Not 100%, but you know that I'm just as stubborn as he is. I'm not deterred. I'll change that Koopa's mind yet." He touched her cheek. "You learn to relax. You've done enough stress to last you a lifetime. Leave it all to me."

Peach smiled and kissed him, causing Mario to blush. "Thank you," she said. "You truly are the best. No wonder I fell in love with you."

"And I plan on making it count. Perhaps a date after this?"

"If you're successful, it'll be my treat."

"You know I will. Now, you just destress. That's an order."

"Like you have the right to order me around." She chuckled. "Alright. I'm gonna nap. I'll wait with good news." Mario nodded and closed the door, clenching his fist as a serious look emerged on his face. He will keep his word. He headed towards the prison.

Peach's Castle: Prison

Bowser sighed as he leaned on his bed, humming a tune he curated before singing, his gentle and deep tone being the only thing to fill the empty halls of the prison. "Oh, Princess Peach, the one I adore. Longing for your touch forevermore. Destiny's cruel hand has kept us apart, leaving me with an empty and broken heart. For eternity, I'll bear this unending ache. So, Princess Peach, please come back for m… m…" He paused and scoffed, not even bothering to finish the song.

Weirdly enough, as much of the angry and brutal king that he was, singing was one way of coping besides lashing out in anger because while he was known to do that, that would only get him so far. He needed a more fine-tuned way of dealing with Peach's loss, and that way was singing. It originally didn't start that way, though, but as the rejections piled up, it turned into the coping mechanism that it was today. He also worked for many hours on fine-tuning the best lyrics for Peach to hear because he often sang to her about their love, each time having to adjust various parts and trying new angles just to see the slightest hint of a different emotion, but nothing worked.

But Bowser often found himself in awe at his sheer determination to win her love. There were often many days when he would question if any of this was worth it, but he pushed those thoughts away, and a big reason why was because of his songs. They were a clear reminder of why he was doing this, so he could have her love, so each time he felt depressed, he wrote a new song, then another. He spent so many hours fine-tuning his talent that it became second nature to him, but this time was different, and the answer was obvious why.

Mario. That damn Mario. It was all his fault. He ruined everything. His marriage. His plans. Everything. He had also heard what was going on in the Darklands and how everything, for lack of a better word, went to hell. He never imagined his people would be fighting amongst themselves for power. Weren't all his minions loyal to him? Why the hell would they dare crave power for themselves?! He was the only one who could restore order, but he couldn't let go of that moment in Mario's world, the moment of his defeat in front of hundreds of other organisms. He never felt so humiliated in his life, and as such focused more on his plot of revenge. He still loved Peach. That was very much obvious, and Mario's revenge became the one motivator to win her love once again.

"Singing, huh? Never would've thought you were the type." Bowser jumped at the sound of the mysterious voice. He growled. Of course. He stared at the human that stood before him. He charged at him, snarling as he tried to grab Mario's neck. He jumped back. "Whoa! Easy! I didn't come to fight!"

"Shut the hell up! I didn't ask for your damn presence! Go the hell away before I rip your freaking neck off! Heck, I might as well do it-" Mario grabbed his arm and bent it in an unorthodox way, causing Bowser to scream.

"I said chill," the plumber hissed. "I didn't come here to fight." He released him. "Now, that's better. How about you just sit down and let's-a have a nice chat. Sounds good, yeah?"

"Like hell it does. It's your fault that I'm cursing so much. Why the heck should I talk to the one person who ruined my life?"

"Because there is someone that still cares for you, but you keep taking her words out of context. If you won't listen to her, then maybe you will from me." He sat down. "I heard Peach told you about what's going down in the Darklands."

"Like that's any of your business."

"But it is the moment you got my brother involved. You even threatened to kill him, so yes, it is my business, but enough about that. She told me everything about the situation and the fact that the one person who can fix his own kingdom is you, Bowser. You do understand this, yes?"

"You're acting like I have the intelligence of a child. Of course I know this! I'm the freaking king, for crying out loud!"

"And yet you don't understand why you're also the problem."

Bowser growled and stood up, pacing around his cell. "Look, I've heard the same thing from Peaches over and over! She keeps saying that I have to drop my love for her in order to fix the problem! She makes it sound so easy, and yet she's freaking simplifying the situation so much!"

"Riddle me this," Mario said. "You want what's best for her, yes?"

"Of course I do!"

"And yet you don't respect her wish. She wants to rebuild her friendship with you, but you can't see it that way. You're in denial that your relationship is over. And it's no wonder she can't release you to fix your problem. I'll have you know that she even tried to fix it herself only to result in more death! She still freaking cares for you, but you can't accept the facts you want to ignore! You act like you care for her, and yet you don't give one damn about her feelings! She cries everyday for your people, and yet you're stuck in the past with no way of getting out!" There was silence as Mario heaved heavy breaths, glaring daggers at the Koopa.

"You wanna know something?" Bowser said after a few moments of silence. "Since you like talking in riddles so much, let me ask this. Why do you think I've been so stubborn these past few days? Do you really think I don't know what goes on in Peach's mind? I've known her longer than you've been alive. Do you really think I've been acting ignorant of her feelings?"

"Well, your actions say otherwise."

"I have never disregarded her feelings. I've seen the pain I've induced onto her. It's clear as day. I know I cause her harm and that she cries a lot because of it. But can you truly say that you understand the nuisances of my love for her? I've loved her since my teenage years. That's a long time to fantasize about someone. Do you really think I can just let go of this love, especially when someone like you just happens to claim her before I do? Do you really understand?! Answer me, human!"

There was a pause as Mario became still and quiet. "I'm the reason," he said. "You blame me."

"And it all comes full circle. Do you really think I can ever be truly happy when you have her? Huh?! You stole her from me! She was supposed to be mine!" The tears started to come. "It was fate for us to be together, but you defied my destiny and stole her from me! I hate you!"

Mario stood up. "Then maybe you don't understand her at all."

"What? That's-"

"Bowser, stop. You say that you care for her, but I think you've been lying to yourself this entire time. You ignore all your harmful actions just to get to the finish line, but you also said you noticed the pain you caused her. You try to ignore it multiple times. You probably questioned if any of this is worth it, which is why you often sing a lot. The truth of it all is this. You may think you know what's best for her, but you've been putting up a mask and trying to deny all the pain you caused along with the rejections. You make every excuse in the world to keep going, but Bowser, when will you stop lying to yourself? That's all you've been doing."

"But that's still a bunch of bullcrap!"

"Exhibit A. Perhaps you need to look in the freaking mirror for once. Maybe that will change your ways of thinking." He began to walk away. Bowser was just awestruck. He simply had no words to say. He shook his head. No. That wasn't the truth. He very well had an arsenal of retorts he could resort to at times like this, but who was he kidding? Mario hadn't known him for more than a week, and yet he saw right through him. Everything he said was true, and as much as Bowser wanted to retort against it, he couldn't. Maybe he was too tired? No. That's another dumb excuse, just the type of thinking Mario pointed out. He couldn't run away from this truth anymore.

"Mario, stop."

The plumber stopped and turned around. "You're finally starting to understand the truth, aren't you?"

He sighed. "There's no point in denying it anymore. Everything you said is true. There's been many times where I've tried to overlook the pain I caused for her because all I cared about was the end goal. I didn't care about how many people I had to kill or how much of her kingdom I had to ravage. My brain noticed it, but I made every excuse to dismiss it." He gazed at the ground. "I'm such a fool. I should've just listened to her the first time, but my thirst for her love drove me insane. So, how? How am I supposed to get past this?! I need to know!" Mario smiled and walked away, not even saying a word. "No, Mario! Please come back!" There was no response. Bowser wept, his knees falling to the floor.

A couple moments of silence had passed before footsteps entered the halls. In the midst of wiping his tears, one voice called out to him. "Bowser?" He glanced up and low and behold stood the one and only Peach as she stood before him.

"Peaches," he said in a soft voice.

"Mario had told me what happened."

"And he's right. All I ever did was cause you harm. To be honest, I don't remember when I decided to switch to more violent means to get your love, but I was wrong. I tried to sweep all the pain I would cause you under the rug, believing that if I kept going, I would be successful. But I can't ignore all the pain I caused you. Peaches, I'm so sorry! I'm sorry!" He wailed, his sobs filling the air as he did nothing but cry. But the door opened, and soft, warm arms wrapped around his body, instantly calming his nerves as he steadied his breathing. When he glanced at her, she was also crying alongside him.

"Bowser," she said, "That's all that I wanted to hear you say in such a long time. I know you cared a lot for me, but you caused a lot of pain for me. Everyday, my heart would feel heavy with the constant loss of my people that you squashed just for the pursuit of my love. Bowser, I just wanted us to be friends. Why did you have to become like this?!"

"To be honest, I don't remember why. I said everyday that I cared about you, but all that changed the moment one sly thought of using your people came to my mind, and then my mindset had forever changed for the worse. Overtime, I had gotten used to the pain I was causing your people and didn't care if I killed them without a second thought, but there were brief lapses where they would come back, but I would laugh it off every time." He held her hand. "Peaches, I'm so sorry for all the harm I did to you. I know now that I was never worthy of your love. I don't know how I'm gonna get over this. I just feel like I'm gonna relapse the moment you release me. I just don't know what to do anymore."

"It all starts with forgiving yourself. Even I might not be able to forgive you for all the things you did, but Bowser, that won't change our friendship. I think what you need right now is a few days of consolidation. You still need to work yourself out first, so you'll remain here for a few more days."

"But what about my people? Mario said you tried to fix the situation yourself and it only worsened because of that. What of them?"

"I might not know the answer to that, but we will figure things out. OK? Just promise me to work on yourself first."

He nodded. "OK. I promise you I will. It might not be easy to get over these feelings and whatnot, but I can promise you that."

"Then that's all I need." She relocked his cell. "I'll check in a few days. You keep hanging in there, OK?" He nodded. "Alright. I'll see you around." They walked away.

"Don't worry, Peaches." Bowser smiled. "I'll make you proud of me yet."

Peach and Mario walked through the castle as they approached the door. "You did it," Peach said. "I never thought I would see the day, but you kept your promise."

"Yep. Now, perhaps a date later on?"

"You heard me. Because you're successful, it's gonna be my treat."

"OK." They walked in silence. "Can I say something that's been on my mind for a bit?" Mario asked.

"Of course."

"I don't know what Luigi will think of this, but I want to stay here. My father said that the world was our oyster, and I want to further develop a relationship with everyone, including Bowser, and since he's gonna work on turning over a new leaf, I want to be able to support him. That's what I desire."

"You did so much for my kingdom. I will gladly do anything for you, Mario. You and your brother deserve it." They opened the doors, Donkey Kong, Toad, and Luigi roughing with each other from afar.

"Mario!" Luigi said. "You're back!"

"Good." Donkey Kong glared at him with a sly grin. "Now I can get my payback!"

"After this meeting," Cranky Kong said.

"Duh! Of course I know that!"

"Well," Mario said, "Before any of that happens, I have an announcement. I have decided to live here. Granted, my family would have to know, but what do you say, bro? Wanna make this our eternal home?"

"Oh, heck ya!"

"Then it's settled," Peach said. "I shall arrange a place for you to stay permanently after this meeting. Now, let's go before Toadsworth gives us an ear full." They left, leaving the bros to themselves.

"This is so exciting! I can't wait to see more of this kingdom! I'm gonna spread the good news!" He ran, squealing with excitement.

"Not without me!" The two ran off towards the horizon.